{Eunhyuk's POV}

Erika is where? With Donghae? What?! When did this happen?

"W-why did Donghae go with her?" I ask Maura,who'd told me the news in the first place.

"I 'unno. Guess he was tired of sitting around? I know I would be. Usually Erika brings me with her but I guess I have to stay here to keep you guys company this time. But mostly I just think she brings me along so I don't break anything or get hurt," she pauses and looks at her hand where I notice a big cut across her palm. "Too late..."

"Okay, then, umm... I'll just go meet up with them. There may be too many bags to carry amongst the two of them." Truth is, I just don't want to leave the two alone.

I like Erika. No, like really like. I've come to the realization ever since she had put me to bed earlier this morning. She had even come back when she had though I'd been sleeping and put a warm cloth on my forehead. Her personality is so kind and generous, with a little bit of satisfaction at seeing others suffer thrown in. Just how I like it.

But I know Donghae. I know that he's not the type to just leave a pretty girl alone and judging by his previous reactions to her presence, he may be interested in her. Maybe be he even likes her, too.

And Donghae has a way with girls. I just don't know I can beat him in this situation.

So I'll just have to keep the two apart until I get Erika to look at me. Problem being that I only have seven days.

I start putting on my shoes and am just about to pull my sweater of the metal coat rack when I feel an arm on my shoulder. I turn around to see Yesung-hyung staring at me.

"Are you crazy?" He asks. "It's freezing cold outside and you're still really sick. Just go back to bed. Really, Eunhyuk-ah."

I know he's saying this because he really cares. I'd realized this when he came to my room a few hours earlier to check on me. I'd never seen hyung so caring. After that, my respect for him had sky-rocketed. But still.

"You don't understand, hyung." I say under my breath, staring back at him, pleading with him to understand.

And he does. I'm almost surprised at how quickly he gets it.

"Yeah, I do," He whispers back. "You can get the girl later. After you've recovered. You need to sleep it off, Eunhyuk."

"What are you guys saying?" Maura asks.

Yesung immediatly turns to her, smiling and stutters a response. "N-nothing. Eunhyuk is just going to go back to bed."

The way he looks at her, almost hopelessly, makes me understand how he had instantly comprehended my situation. But he still isn't seeing my point.

"No, I'm not. I'm going to the store. To help with... bags. Yeah. That's it." I say.

"Oh, give it up!" he yells...

Just as the front door opens behind me. In walks in a smiling Erika and Donghae.

"Hyung, why are you yelling?" Donghae asks, still smiling, probably at some private joke he'd shared with Erika.

Now you see why I'd felt like I had to go. I can already feel myself falling behind the competition.

                                                                  {Donghae's POV}
 

"No, really. All Eunhyuk did was still the egg from his kimchi fried rice, and now Heechul-hyung practically shuns Eunhyuk." I say as Erika and I walk up the driveway toward the front door of the house.

She laughs again and I feel myself well up with self-pride at how successful I'd been this afternoon in impressing her. We seem to be on good terms now. Friends. Of course, that just makes me want her more.

We open the door to the sound of Yesung yelling "Oh, give it up." at someone.

Still smiling contently, I ask "Hyung, why are you yelling?"

Everyone gets quiet for a few seconds and they just stare at us. I feel the smile being wiped off my face. What is going on here?

"Umm... Well, Eunhyuk was about to go help you guys with the bags but he's still sick so Yesung wouldn't let him go."

"Oh." I look over at Eunhyuk and what I get is a full on glare. He looks upset. Like, extremely upset. Did something else happen?

Sungmin, Ryeowook and Yesung rush over to help us bring the bags in to the kitchen. I'm grateful. They'd been weighing down on me the whole walk home but I hadn't wanted to admit it because I'd isisted on taking a few more bags than Erika. It's part of my ingenious plan.

I forget Eunhyuk for a second and bring the remaining shopping bags left in my hands in to the kitchen. I watch as Eunhyuk follows after me quietly and sits stiffly at the kitchen table while the rest of us help Erika put the groceries away.

I look at him concernedly. "Eunhyuk, you look stressed out. Go back to bed." I say.

"No." He says simply and turns his face from mine, obviously not wanting to make eye contact any longer.

"You know, you can't get rid of a cold if you don't get enough rest and medicine. Which reminds me, I bought some pills..." She starts rummaging through some plastic bags and eventually emerges triumphantly with a small bottle of Advil Cold & Sinus. She smile at Eunhyuk and hands him a couple pills.

He's smiles back at her weakly and obediantly swallows the pills along with a glass of water she had brought him. "Thank you." he says.

She turns back to her work and I watch as Eunhyuk just observes her for the next five or so minutes, until everything is put in its proper place.

"Well... Who's up for a game of Go-Fish?" asks Maura. Go-Fish? Really?

Nevertheless, I remember that I have a new pack of cards upstairs in my jeans pocket.

"Oh! I've got cards! I'll be right back!" I say as I run up the stairs.

I enter the room and pick my jeans up off the floor. I start rummaging through the pockets.

"Now, where did I put those..." I mumble to myself.

But my thoughts are put on hold when I hear the sound of a door slamming behind me.

I turn to see Eunhyuk standing there, and enraged look on his face.

"Why does it have to be her?" He asks quietly.

_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

There's finally some tension between Eunhyuk and Donghae!

Are you satisfied? :)