Oh my god I apologize in advance because I'm not sure what I've done with this thing.

Hyukjae thinks he might be going a bit insane.

It hasn’t even been a week after the date, and yet he is already longing to see Donghae again. He finds it completely absurd, how he misses the brunette when it’s been three days since the date.

Only three days.

Since that night, he’s been thinking nonstop about Donghae, and has been fighting the urge to send him a text about wanting to see him again, afraid that Donghae might be put off and think he’s being clingy and obsessive.

At the night of the date, he had sent Donghae a message upon arriving home, saying, I had a lot of fun today. ^^ Rest well. Sweet dreams! :)

Donghae replied (thirty-eight minutes later (yes, Hyukjae was counting)) with a simple, You too.

It slightly made him feel pathetic, but he had been too happy about the date to really get bothered about it.

And now, Hyukjae finds himself slumping pitifully on a bench in their campus park, despite having all of his classes finished for the day, his phone in his hand and his eyes glued to its screen. Specifically, his contacts. More specifically, Lee Donghae’s name. He’s been contemplating for the past twenty-two minutes whether or not he should send the brunette a message.

It shouldn’t hurt, right? If Donghae is busy and can’t reply, then it would be okay. Hyukjae would understand. He can wait. But what is he supposed to say? Should he go straight to the point and ask the brunette if they can meet anytime soon? Or should he act casual and ask him more trivial things like how are you or isn’t the weather nice today?

Hyukjae bites his lip as he begins composing a message, starting it with a simple hi and a cute smiley before proceeding to ask how are you today. He ponders if he should add more, wondering if Donghae is the type who wants long text messages and would reply with long answers, or if he’s the type who would prefer them spamming each other with shorter texts. Hyukjae doesn’t have a clue.

“Argh,” he furiously deletes the draft and attempts to write a new one, this time starting it with hello and I miss you.

He stares at it and frowns. Wow, crazy obsessive person we have here.

He deletes it again and scratches the back of his head in slight frustration.

What am I supposed to say?

Staring helplessly at his screen, he feels like whining out loud, when an idea suddenly strikes him. He straightens up and nods to himself before typing a new message, a small smile starting to form on his face.

Hyukjae:
Hi I think I’m lost. Can you give me directions?

He waits. Two minutes later, his phone vibrates, and he quickly opens the message.

Donghae:
…Oh god no what now

Hyukjae:
To your heart. ;)

He snickers loudly to himself, wishing he could see Donghae’s reaction to it. In less than a minute, his phone vibrates again.

Donghae:
ing hell don’t do this now !!
I’m at class and I can’t afford to laugh out loud !!

Hyukjae bites his lip, suppressing the wide grin threatening to bloom across his face. The thought of being able to make Donghae laugh sends a giddy feeling to him and he swears he’s so close to giggling like a school girl as he types in a reply.

Hyukjae:
Kk I told you I’m greeting you with pick-up lines
How are you? ^^

It takes Donghae five minutes to reply.

Donghae:
I’m good.

Hyukjae stares at the message, slightly flabbergasted. He is suddenly reminded of that part of the date where he tried to talk to Donghae and the latter merely gave him one-worded and uninterested responses. He wonders if they’ve gone back to that phase again when his phone vibrates again and a new message pops up.

Donghae:
I am awfully bored in this class.
I want to go home and eat. =_= You?

Hyukjae exhales in relief before typing his reply.

Hyukjae:
I was fine but when you replied to me I became great kk~^^
Aww, what class is that? No more class after that one?

Donghae:
…ok.
Yeah. It’s Korean history and I’ve no idea why theater
students need to study this. As if we didn’t study enough
of this subject back in high school. =_=

Hyukjae:
I feel you, I’m an architecture student but I have subjects
on psychology and computer programming.
I mean what the hell?

Donghae:
Wow… that .
Anyway class is ending in five minutes ~~ ^ ^

Hyukjae:
You said you wanted to eat.
Do you want to hang out? ^~^

Donghae:
Huh, when I said I’d see you again soon
I didn’t think it’d be this soon.

Hyukjae:
It’s okay if you don’t want to……… :c

Donghae:
Where are you?

Hyukjae:
In your heart :D
I mean, in the campus park!!!!! ^^ Across the big willow!!! ^~^

Donghae:
Ok.

Hyukjae stares at his phone, unsure of what to make of Donghae’s last text. He did ask him where he was, so it could possibly mean that Donghae will be coming to meet him. But then Hyukjae also stupidly said in your heart and the ok could possibly be a mocking reply to that statement. He wonders if he should text back and ask Donghae to clarify because he is starting to get a little paranoid, pathetically trying to decrypt the meaning of those two letters from the alphabet that the brunette has sent him.

Good lord, I am indeed going insane.

Fortunately, the heavens seem to have heard his despair and soon enough, Hyukjae’s miserable confusion comes to an end when he sees Donghae from a distance walking towards him with a small smile on his face. Hyukjae’s eyes light up, the corners of his lips tugging upwards as he unconsciously stands up from his seat, his eyes glued on Donghae’s perfection.

“Hey,” Donghae greets cheerfully as he stops in front of Hyukjae.

“Hi,” Hyukjae says and he hopes he didn’t sound as breathless as he thought he did. “I thought you wouldn’t come.”

Donghae furrows his brows and frowns a little. “I asked you where you were, didn’t I?”

“Yeah, but,” Hyukjae palms his nape. “Your reply was a little vague.”

“Was it?” Donghae tilts his head to the side and hums thoughtfully before shrugging. “Well, I’m here now. Where should we eat?”

“I don’t have anywhere in particular in mind,” Hyukjae says, and he goes to retrieve his backpack from the bench, slinging it over his shoulders before carefully lifting up his unfinished scale model. “What do you want to eat?”

Donghae doesn’t answer as he stares at the little project in Hyukjae’s hands, his eyes growing wide and his mouth falling agape. Hyukjae notices his gaze and he looks down on his little model of a Korean traditional house and smiles sheepishly. “Oh this? It’s just a small project. We’re required to make scale models of different kinds of houses, structures, and buildings, and this is my rather simple version of a hanok.”

Donghae leans down to look more carefully at the project, his curious eyes glinting in amazement as his gaze sweeps over the unfinished house model. The roof is still missing, but because of this he is able to see the bits of little furniture Hyukjae has put inside the house. Then he eyes the detailed walls, the pillars and the delicate sliding doors, his hand slowly reaching towards it before his eyes dart up to Hyukjae. “C-Can I touch it?”

“Sure,” Hyukjae smiles. “Be careful though.”

Nodding, Donghae bites his lip as he carefully runs the pad of his index finger through the little house’s floor, feeling the smooth texture of the hard paper Hyukjae used. “It’s so pretty,” Donghae utters softly. “I mean, it almost looks like a real house.”

“Eh, it’s not that much,” Hyukjae says, grinning bashfully. “I think my other stuff are better than this one. I mean it’s a hanok, so we’re supposed to design it based on traditional houses, so it’s kinda boring. I personally like the more modern-looking houses I designed on my own.”

Straightening up, Donghae looks at him, an eager and curious look on his face. “Can I see those then?”

“Yeah, sure,” Hyukjae says, feeling even more embarrassed. “Though they aren’t that much either.”

“Oh, stop acting humble!” Donghae pushes his shoulder playfully and Hyukjae laughs. “You use pick-up lines on me and then you act like this when I praise your work? What a contradictory personality you have, Lee Hyukjae.”

“Okay, okay, fine,” Hyukjae chuckles. “My designs are the ing greatest in my class okay? No, they’re the ing greatest in my entire batch. The ing greatest in this entire campus! The ing greatest in the world!”

“You’re overdoing it!” Donghae laughs loudly, shaking his head in disbelief. “Anyway, I’m starving,” he pauses for a while before his eyes light up and he beams, “I think I want tacos.”

Hyukjae grins, suppressing the urge to reach out and pinch Donghae’s cheek with his free hand. “Okay, then tacos it is.”

♦

Their afternoon snack goes rather well. Similar to their dinner date, they are talking comfortably, discussing random things about themselves and also about the university. Hyukjae could not deny his joy. Seeing Donghae and eating with him and talking with him makes him so utterly happy that he couldn’t wipe off the stupid grin on his face the entire time. Donghae doesn’t seem to notice, and he just keeps on stuffing himself with tacos, laughing when Hyukjae cracks a joke and responding to every question and statement from him.

At one point, Donghae unknowingly smudges some sauce to the side of his mouth, and Hyukjae, for a moment, is tempted to lean over and it away, but he manages to control himself and just gestures for Donghae to wipe it off with a tissue. Donghae looks thankful for this, as if pleased that Hyukjae did not pull any cliché moves on him like wiping it off with his own thumb. And worse, his thumb afterwards. (Although he doesn’t know Hyukjae has had much worse thoughts.)

As they dig in to their third serving of tacos (Hyukjae finds Donghae’s huge appetite rather endearing), Donghae suddenly sits up straight and makes an excited noise.

Hyukjae raises his brows and takes a sip of his pink lemonade before asking, “What?”

“I jush rewmembewred!” Donghae says through his mouthful of tacos. He chews furiously and Hyukjae laughs adoringly at the sight. He takes a quick sip of his blue lemonade and swallows before continuing, “Earlier today, my professor brought up the campus festival happening in three months. And he said he’s considering making our class do a musical!”

“Really? That’s great, Donghae!” Hyukjae grins widely, feeling genuinely happy and excited for the other boy. “So what musical is this? Have you talked about the casting? Did you get a good role?”

“Hyukjae,” Donghae laughs, shaking his head lightly. “He was just considering it. Nothing is confirmed yet. Although he asked us to submit our suggestions so I wrote up a bunch of good musicals. I hope he lets us do it though.”

“I’m sure he’ll think about it,” Hyukjae reassures. “Though what about your other classmates? Are they also keen on doing a musical or do they want to do something else instead?”

“Most of them don’t mind,” Donghae says. “Although some said they would prefer a play. I wouldn’t mind that too, though.”

“But you’ll be much happier with a musical,” Hyukjae says and Donghae nods in agreement. “I really hope your professor chooses it then. I would love to watch.”

“I’ll give you free tickets,” Donghae grins before digging in once again into his tacos.

After a while, they end up burping and patting their full stomachs with their palms. Donghae says he’s probably not getting dinner anymore after all that taco, and Hyukjae comments that with an appetite like his, Donghae would probably be hungry again in a few hours. Donghae does not disagree.

They share their bill, once again on Donghae’s insistence, and this time he declines Hyukjae’s offer to send him home. He explains that he isn’t someone who needs to be taken care of all the time, and Hyukjae says that he knows, that he just wants to spend some more time with Donghae. The brunette flushes lightly at that but still refuses to be sent home, and Hyukjae gives up and bids him goodbye in the bus stop.

“Take care,” Donghae says with a sweet smile before boarding the bus, and Hyukjae feels his heart swelling, butterflies fluttering about with the tacos in his stomach as his lips stretch into a stupid gummy grin.

♦

After that, Hyukjae no longer finds it difficult to ask Donghae to meet him. He’d casually text him a pick-up line and Donghae would reply with laughing emoticons or strings of profanities, depending on how cheesy Hyukjae’s message is.

At times, Hyukjae waits for Donghae after class and takes him out to eat. They often spend their breaks together too, either in the campus park or in coffee shops, and they’d work on their school projects together—Donghae with his playwriting and Hyukjae with his scale models. Sometimes, Donghae gets distracted and ends up watching Hyukjae’s projects eagerly, his eyes showing fascination as Hyukjae builds mini houses with boards, thin wood, paper, clay, paint and glue. Hyukjae acts nonchalant, even though deep inside he’s ridiculously giddy over Donghae’s attention.

Kyuhyun tells him he’s acting like a whipped admirer and that he should be careful, but Hyukjae refuses to listen. He knows that he shouldn’t let his hopes up too much, but he thinks it’s only fair for him to presume that Donghae somehow likes him back. There are a few times when Donghae would call or text him first and look for him, and when they are together, it’s clear that Donghae enjoys his company. Hyukjae would sometimes bring food for the brunette, and the latter accepts them thankfully most of the time. He’d crack jokes and pick-up lines every now and then and Donghae guffaws at them and sometimes punches Hyukjae playfully on the shoulder (although one time, he placed a hand on his clothed chest and said, “Do you know what material this is made of? Boyfriend material,” and Donghae punched him on the jaw instead (it hurt for an entire day and Donghae could not stop apologizing afterwards. Of course he was instantly forgiven)).

Hyukjae knows he isn’t lacking when it comes to showing Donghae that he likes him. And while Donghae accepts the sweet and kind gestures most of the time (he still declines Hyukjae’s offers of sending him home or paying for everything), he has yet to make the first move other than the texting and calling. But Hyukjae is fine with it, especially whenever he casually drapes an arm around Donghae’s shoulders and the latter does not squirm in discomfort or push him away. They’re becoming more comfortable, closer, and Hyukjae thinks it isn’t wrong for him to believe that he is on the right track.

One day, Hyukjae has an extremely happy Donghae shouting in his ear from the other line of the phone, yelling excitedly about their department’s musical. He squeals into Hyukjae’s ear that he has just finished registering for the auditions next week, and Hyukjae shouts just as excitedly, practically jumping up from his seat and causing Kyuhyun to stare at him judgingly. He asks Donghae eagerly about the musical and the role he’s auditioning for, and learns that they’re doing Alice in Wonderland and Donghae is trying out for the role of the Mad Hatter. Hyukjae jokes that he should be the Red Queen instead and Donghae tells him to off before they laugh together.

When they hang up, Hyukjae realizes, based on the sound of excitement in Donghae’s voice, that he might have been the first person Donghae called to share this great news with.

The stupid grin that forms on his face makes Kyuhyun palm his face and roll his eyes. “Oh god this whipped idiot.”

♦

“I don’t think I’d be able to sleep tonight,” Donghae says as he flops down next to Hyukjae under a tree in the campus park, frowning greatly.

Hyukjae lifts his gaze up from his unfinished scale model and looks at the brunette worriedly. “Hey, you’ll be fine. I’m sure you practiced well enough. You’ll do great tomorrow and you’ll get the role.”

“How can you be so sure,” Donghae pouts. “You haven’t even heard me sing. I’m terrible. I’m all nasal and I always sound like I have a cold. There is no way they would pick me.”

Alarmed, Hyukjae immediately sets his project aside and shifts to face Donghae. “What brought on this sudden lack of confidence? I thought you’ve always wanted to be in a musical?”

“Yeah but,” Donghae looks down. “I heard some of my classmates practicing earlier for the same role. They’re so much better than me.”

“Donghae,” Hyukjae utters softly, his hands instinctively taking the brunette’s. Donghae looks a bit startled but he doesn’t pull away and allows Hyukjae’s thumbs to gently caress the back of his palms. “Look at me.”

Donghae slowly lifts his gaze towards Hyukjae’s face, biting his lower lip.

“Can you sing for me?”

Quickly, he shakes his head, looking anxious and insecure. Hyukjae tightens his hold on Donghae’s hands and says, “Please?”

“I… I’m not good at it, Hyukjae,” Donghae mutters, sighing and looking away.

“How can I believe that when I haven’t heard you sing?”

Donghae exhales, his eyes darting about on everywhere but Hyukjae, before he finally starts to sing, at first in a low, barely audible voice that Hyukjae has to lean closer to hear him properly. Soon, his voice grows stronger, and Hyukjae watches, captivated, as Donghae closes his eyes and pours emotion to his song. His voice gets a little shaky on his high notes, and yet to Hyukjae’s ears it still sounds perfect.

Donghae is beautiful, and Hyukjae knows that at this point he cannot really do anything anymore about his feelings for the brunette. It hasn’t been long, but he knows he’s on the verge of falling, if he hasn’t fallen already. He cannot see anyone but Donghae, and he adores literally everything about him. He feels crazy and out of his mind, but he doesn’t care. Putting a smile on Donghae’s face and erasing all of his fears and anxieties is more important. Making sure of his well-being is now a priority.

Hyukjae has become utterly, completely enamored by Donghae. He is whipped and he knows it.

And he doesn’t give a damn.

Donghae’s voice fades into a soft hum as he finishes his song. Slowly, he opens his eyes to meet Hyukjae’s tender gaze. Hyukjae smiles as he brings one of Donghae’s hands to his lips, kissing the knuckles gently. “You’re perfect, Lee Donghae. They’d be stupid not to choose you.”

And Donghae turns into a blushing mess, hastily pulling his hands away from Hyukjae and slapping the latter harshly on the arm. “You’re just ing biased! God, just stick to your stupid pick-up lines!”

♦

The next afternoon, Hyukjae finds himself pacing anxiously outside the theater room.

It’s been almost an hour since Donghae and his fellow theater students entered the room to audition for the musical. Donghae had been a nervous wreck, his hands cold in Hyukjae’s warm ones, while the latter kept on whispering encouraging words into his ear. They parted when the professor called for the students to enter the room, but not without Hyukjae planting a good luck kiss on Donghae’s flushed cheek.

And now, Hyukjae is still waiting outside. He occasionally walks to the door and places his ear over the surface, but he cannot hear anything so he goes back to pacing uselessly.

Initially, he hadn’t been worried, seeing as he has faith and confidence in Donghae and he knew that the judges would be crazy if they didn’t pick him. But it took so long, and Hyukjae started to grow worried. He wishes he could be inside the room and be there for Donghae. Cheer for him from the sidelines and give him a hug after he goes down the stage. But he couldn’t, and it practically drives him insane.

Hyukjae starts to think that his anxiety at the moment could be compared to that of a husband waiting for his wife as she gives birth, and he palms his face at the stupidity of the thought.

Donghae is just auditioning. He isn’t entering the Hunger Games or something. Calm the down.

Soon enough, the doors slam open and Hyukjae immediately snaps his head upwards to look. A horde of students pour out of the room, some of them looking ecstatic, some bored, and some miserable. He tiptoes, scanning the crowd and hoping to see Donghae’s bright smile somewhere, and not his sad kicked puppy face.

After a few more minutes, he sees a glimpse of white crooked teeth and shining eyes, and suddenly he is tackled, finding himself with an armful of Donghae, shouting and laughing into his ear.

“Hyukjae!” Donghae yells happily, jumping excitedly within his arms. “I got it! I got the role!”

“ yes! I knew you would!” Hyukjae tightens his arms around Donghae’s waist and laughs into his soft hair. “Congratulations!”

They jump and whoop and act like complete idiots, laughing merrily, and the other students eye them weirdly but they couldn’t bring themselves to care.

Once they’ve slightly calmed down, Donghae pulls away, a wide grin on his face and a slight hint of pink on his cheeks. “Thank you, Hyukjae,” he looks down and bites his lip. “I couldn’t have done it without you.”

“Me?” Hyukjae gapes at him in disbelief, pointing to himself. “What did I do? It’s all on you, Donghae. You’re talented and of course they saw that.”

“Well, my so-called talent would’ve gone to nothing if I was overcome by the nervousness and wasn’t able to sing when it was my turn already,” Donghae chuckles. “And that almost happened,” he purses his lips before continuing, “but then I remembered you. I-I mean, I thought of what you said, that I can do it and that they’d be stupid if they don’t pick me…” he trails off, cheeks flushed and his eyes avoiding Hyukjae as he chews nervously on his bottom lip.

Hyukjae blinks, dumbfounded.

He watches Donghae shifting awkwardly and tries to piece his words together.

After a few seconds, it clicks. And suddenly, Hyukjae couldn’t do anything to stop his lips from twitching into a wide, gummy grin.

He giggles loudly and points at Donghae’s face. “You like me, don’t you?”

Donghae stares up at him, wide-eyed and looking slightly horrified, before quickly shaking his head. “No.”

“The thought of me took away your nervousness and allowed you to showcase your talent. You like me,” Hyukjae states confidently, watching in delight as Donghae scrunches his face in mortification and pushes him lightly by the shoulder.

“No.”

“You really like me,” he repeats, his grin growing impossibly larger.

“I said no!” Donghae yells, blushing furiously and slapping Hyukjae’s arm. “Shut the up!”

“Lee Donghae likes me~” Hyukjae sings, and he merely laughs out loud when Donghae grabs him by the shirt and starts shaking him like a rag doll.

“Shut up, I do not!”

“It’s okay, I like you too, don’t worry~”

“Stop! I’m going to kill you!”

♦

They walk to the bus stop hand in hand, because Hyukjae is too happy and couldn’t really stop himself. He refuses to let go of Donghae despite the brunette’s protests and struggling, and in the end Donghae sighs in resignation and allows himself to be dragged.

As they wait in the bus stop, Hyukjae casually sweeps Donghae’s bangs to the side with his free hand, his other still holding the brunette’s tightly. Donghae merely wrinkles his nose and pouts.