Hyukjae’s POV

I never thought I’d ever have to see Donghae like this.

The last time I had seen him was barely a couple hours ago and he had been so happy and carefree. Now he looked so… broken. And worse was that I didn’t know what was wrong.

When Matthew noticed me, he got up from in front of Donghae and passed me a sorrowful look, as if begging me to take care of Donghae. I nodded and he moved aside so that I could crouch down in front of Donghae.

He hadn't been crying too much before, but when his eyes shifted to see me, he started crying even harder and I felt startled for a minute, thinking that he was crying because of something I had done. I went to move back to give him some space, thinking I was too close, but he surprised me when he reached out an unsteady hand and latched onto the front of my shirt, shaky his head furiously as if trying to tell me not to go.

I immediately scooped him up into my arms. I gave Matthew a reassuring look to let him know I would take care of Donghae, and then I turned to begin walking to my office. Sungmin was worriedly trailing behind me, looking like he wanted to do something, but not knowing what.

As I approached my office, Sungmin hurried in front of me to get the door and I quickly stepped in and set Donghae down on the couch beside my desk.

I once again got down in front of him, and it broke me to see just how much more miserable he looked up close. His eyes were emptying with tears, his cheeks pink as he kept trying to wipe them away. Donghae didn't seem to be aware of anything around him except whatever it was that was wracking around in his head. He kept wiping at his eyes fiercely, which was leaving red bruised on his already puffy eyes. The tears were choking him up so much that all he could manage were pitiful noises as if he was trying to tell me something.

“Shhhh, it’s ok,” I tried, but it didn’t do anything.

I reached out and grabbed onto his hand, pulling them down gently in his lap. That caused his blurry eyes to jump up to meet mine, and I felt my heart rip some more with all the agony I saw swimming in them. He was quick to duck his head again, though, avoiding my eyes.

I didn't say anything except signal for Sungmin to hand me the box of tissues he had brought in with him. He snatched out a few and pushed them in my hand.

I still kept Donghae’s hands in one of mine as I ran my thumb over his knuckles. I used the other hand to gently lift his head up. When he did, I began dabbing at his face, although more tears quickly replaced the ones I had just wiped. It was obvious that he wasn't done crying yet and wouldn't stop anytime soon so I gave up on that. I dropped the tissues beside the couch and began to stand up. Donghae’s eyes followed me in panic, and he began to reach out for me as if I was going to leave him. 


But I wasn’t. Instead, I gave Sungmin a look and he understood what I meant. He glanced one more time at Donghae and then patted me on the arm before leaving, shutting the door behind him.

I turned back to Donghae who was trying to push the tears back into his head. I slipped off my suit jacket and went over to drape it around his shoulders. He looked up at me again and I tried my best to give him a smile, but it faltered so I just dropped onto the couch beside him. Donghae seems momentarily startled when I began to pull him into my lap, but he quickly settled down and curled up in my arms.

We sat in silence for a while as I let Donghae cry. As I held him, I couldn’t help but think about the person who had done this to him, rage filling me the more I listened to Donghae wail in my arms.

I don’t know how long we just sat there, but it felt like he had been crying for an hour. Donghae’s sobs eventually turned into little sniffles, which eventually died down into nothing. I couldn't see his face because he kept it tucked under my chin, so after a while, I assumed he had fallen asleep.

But a few moments later, I heard a soft murmur.

“What are your parents like?”

The question was unexpected and I tried to get a look at his face, but Donghae hid himself more against my chest so I settled instead for watching his fingers play with one of the buttons on my shirt.

“Well, let’s see,” I began, pausing for a minute as I thought of my family. “They’re kind of the worst.”

Donghae lifted his head to meet my eyes, looking alarmed, but the smile on my face seemed to confuse him. His eyes were still wet and when he blinked, I saw the teardrops that still hung onto his lashes. I cleared my throat and went on.

“My mom always manages to call me in the middle of important meetings. It’s never when I’m home, but always when I’m in the middle of work. And then she chews my ear off if I don’t pick up. Do you know how embarrassing it is to have to tell an entire room that you have to leave because you’re getting a call from your mother? Not fun,” I said, laughing a little as I remembered our last conversation. “And whenever I go home to visit, she cooks enough to feed the entire neighborhood. It’s like she’s determined to let all my hours at the gym go to waste. My dad is a whole other case. I honestly feel like his sole purpose in life is to embarrass me. Plus he keeps asking me when I’m going to get married because he’s apparently worried about me dying lonely and miserable. But now you’re here, so he doesn’t have to worry about that anymore,” I said, winking at Donghae as I tried to lighten the mood.

I was so happy to see Donghae crack a tiny smile. “They sound nice,” he said quietly and I nodded.

“Maybe you can meet them soon. Mom is going to adore you,” I said, smiling, but it seems as if I’d said something wrong because Donghae’s eyes welled up with tears again. I didn't want him to cry again so I started dotting butterfly kisses all over his face.

“Don’t cry any more, Hae,” I said softly, as I moved from his forehead to the tip of his nose. I landed a kiss on under his right eye before pulling back to watch him try and calm himself down.

“M-My mother,” he mumbled so quietly that I almost didn't hear him. He looked as if just saying to words caused him pain.

My eyes narrowed and I felt myself tense up. His mother did this to him?

“She– she said…” He trailed off, but I waited patiently for him to continue.

Soon he was telling me everything, and the more he talked, the more I felt the blood begin to boil inside my veins. He had started crying again by the time he was finished.

“She never wanted me. I ruined her life. I-I did that to her,” he said, screwing his eyes shut as if he couldn't stand himself. I had managed to keep quiet so that he could get everything off his chest, but I had to say something.

“Donghae, listen to me. You aren't at fault for any of that. She did that to herself, do you hear me? You did nothing wrong.”

“But my father left. He didn't want me. My mother didn’t want me. To them, I’m just the kid who ruined their lives,” he said, sounding so sure of what he was saying.

I cupped his chin and made sure he was looking at me. “Baby, you mean the world to a lot of other people. She can’t see what a beautiful person you are. But I can see it. Sungmin and Kyuhyun can too. And don’t forget Matthew. We all love you. Your mother and father were just blinded by their own mistakes. You are not unwanted or unneeded. I need you. I want you. If you really want someone to call mom, try Sungmin. I’m sure he’d be more that happy to spoil you and dote on you. Heck I’ll even hand my mom over.”  

Donghae blushed bright red, even managing another smile, and I sighed thankfully. I rested my forehead against his.

“I love you,” I said, watching his eyes soften.

“I l-love you too,” he said, although his voice sounded strained with all the crying before.

He looked like he wanted to say something else so I waited patiently, watching his eyes bounce around my chest. I didn't miss the hesitant look on his face.

“I-If you don’t want to it’s fine, but can… can I stay with you for a few days?” he asked nervously.

I smiled down at him and titled his head up so that he could see me.

“I would love that,” I said, reached down so that our lips could meet. Donghae sighed into the kiss and I pulled away to brush the hair out of his face.

I had persuaded Donghae for us to head home shortly after that and now I was waiting for him to get out of the shower. Although Donghae seemed a little better when we left the office, he still looked heartbroken, and it was understandable. If I were in Donghae’s position, I would definitely need more than a few hours to fully wrap my head around something like this.

So that’s why when he got out of the shower fully dressed, I pulled him over to my bed and urged him to get in.

“You’ve been through a lot today so you can stay in bed for the rest of the afternoon,” I said, and Donghae agreed, and I watched him snuggle in. When he was comfortable, he blinked up at me and I sat down at the edge of the bed to pet his hair. His eyes were puffy and tired, and I knew he would fall asleep soon.

“By the time you wake up, I’ll be back,” I said, watching his eyebrows draw together in confusion.

“Y-You’re not staying with me?” he asked, glancing at the sheets around him to indicate that he was talking about me getting him in bed.

“I will after I get back,” I reassured him.

“Where are you going?” he asked. I smiled and kissed his nose.

“I’m going to your house.”

When I said that, Donghae started to sit up in alarm, but I was quick to gently push him back down.

“It’s ok. I’m just going to get some of your things. If you’re going to be staying here for a while, you’re going to be needing your own clothes, right?”

Truth is, I didn’t give a damn if Donghae took my entire wardrobe. My clothes never fit him right and he always ended up looking adorable with them hanging off his frame, but I needed an excuse to go to his house. I had seemed calm all afternoon for Donghae’s sake, but my blood had been on fire since Donghae had told me what happened. I felt this urge to confront his mother for all the horrible things she said to Donghae. It was stupid, but I wanted her to realize that she was wrong about Donghae. I don’t know what I was hoping to accomplish, but some part of me was hoping that maybe his mother had felt horribly regretful about what she’d done and maybe would want to fix things with Donghae.

“M-Maybe I should go with you,” Donghae reluctantly offered, but I stopped him.

“Just stay here, Hae. Please? You’ve had enough for today.” He still looked uneasy, but I kissed him on the lips to try to calm him. “Don’t worry. I’ll be back soon.”

Before he could say anything else, I gave him another kiss then left the room.

~

One of the house staff opened the door for me.

“Hello, can I help you?” She was very pretty, but her voice sounded upset. When she saw me, though, recognition marked her face and her eyes widened. “You’re Hyukjae! I mean Mr. Lee! But it’s you!” she exclaimed, suddenly pulling me inside and locking the door. “Is Donghae alright?” she asked worriedly.

I didn't reply to her because I was too caught up trying to figure out how she knew Donghae was with me. She seemed to catch on to my confusion, and smacked herself playfully in the head.

“Sorry, I’m Sandara. Matthew said Donghae was with you,” she clarified.

Hearing her name, I recognized her as someone Donghae had mentioned before, and had spoken very fondly of. 

“It’s nice to meet you,” I smiled politely. “Donghae is fine. He is staying at my apartment right now. That’s actually why I’m here—to pick some of his things up.” I said, watching her visibly relax.

“Thank you for taking care of him. God knows he needs someone like you,” she said and then saw my look of confusion again.

“What? Most of us know you two sugar lumps are dating.” She squealed. “It’s so cute,” she said as she suddenly turned around and began stalking towards the staircase down the hall. I took that as my cue to follow her.

“I didn't know Donghae told anyone about us,” I chuckled. “He’s still very shy about it all.”

Sandara laughed quietly from in front of me. “Gosh of course. There’s no way that kid would tell us anything. Matthew on the other hand…” she said, laughing some more. “He might not seem like it, but he gossips like an old hen. And thank goodness for that because if not we wouldn’t know anything.”

She brought me to what I assumed was Donghae’s room. This was the first time I’d been in here, and I was sad to see there was very little personality to the room. Even though he lived here, it didn't look like he felt at home. That made me even angrier with Donghae’s mother. She never showed him any kind of love so Donghae never felt like this was his home. He never felt like he belonged here.

While I was busy analyzing everything and thinking of how much I despised his mother, Sandara had gone to work, pulling out a duffle bag from Donghae’s walk-in closet.

“I don’t know if he told you, but he’s starting school in a couple of days. So do you want to take his books with you now or are you going to come back later for them?” she asked as her dumped an entire drawer of clothes in the bag.

I sighed. I had totally forgotten about that. Donghae had so much going on already, but now he has to worry about school on top of that. I wish I could take some of his weight off for him.

“I’ll come back,” I told Sandara, and she nodded.

“Good choice.” She continued to upturn some more drawers into the duffle bag. By the time she was done, it took both of us to get the zipper closed. As she was frustratedly tugging at the zipper, I couldn't help but smile. Donghae might not have the love of his mother, but he had so many other people that made up for it.

When the bag was closed, Sandara handed me a phone.

“It’s Donghae’s. He didn't get to take it with him earlier.”

I thanked her and she began leading me back towards the front of the house.

I couldn't help but feel a little aggravated that I didn't get to run into Donghae’s mother. I had wanted to say everything Donghae didn't get to tell her; to show her all the wrong she’d done to him, but I didn't get to.

I sighed as we made out way down the stairs.

“Sandara, is Donghae’s mother here?” I asked, watching her stop to give me an uneasy look. It was stupid and I should just leave it alone, but I didn't want to.

“Why?” she asked, although she looked like she completely understood why I was asking. So instead of answering her, I remained silent. She thought it over for a little and then a small smile tugged on her lips.

“She missed her flight earlier. She’s in her office right now,” Sandara said, pointed down the hallway and giving me a hopeful look.

I nodded her way and started taking determined steps towards the way she’d pointed. I could feel the blood begin to boil again with each step.

When I came to the right door, I felt like I was bubbling over with rage. I didn't bother knocking and pushed into the office room.

Donghae’s mother was indeed there, and she looked up when she heard me come in. She looked ready to snap at whoever it was, but when she saw it was me, she looked dumbfounded.

“Mr. Lee? What are you doing in my house?” she asked, looking confused and intimidated at the same time.


She looked more collected than I had expected her to. Donghae had been so distraught, and I would’ve thought the same of his mother, but she looked as if the fight had never happened. She looked perfectly fine. Her face didn't even show any bit of emotion. Shouldn't she have been a little guilty? A little regretful?

“How could you do that to Donghae?!” I suddenly exclaimed, feeling all the pent up anger start to spill out. She looked caught off guard, her face contorting in confusion, and I also saw a bit of panic in her eyes. “He got entangled in your mess and you chose to burden him with your problems. You were supposed to take care of him, but you did the opposite. You tore him apart, made him think he was unwanted, unloved. How could you call yourself his mother? He deserves so much better than you,” I snapped, too blinded by fury to think before I spoke.

Donghae’s mother paled. “Mr. Lee, what are you talking about?! My son—”

“Don’t call him that,” I snarled at her. “You don’t deserve to call him that.”

She was taken aback for a second, hurrying around her desk to stand in front of me. “Mr. Lee, whatever that child has told you is a lie! He’s trying to sabotage me. Why else would he go to you with those lies?” she said, a desperate look on her face.

My nostrils flared. “How can you say that?! Sabotage?! How can you stand there and say those things?” I shouted angrily.

She looked shocked by my outburst, but she composed herself.

“Mr. Lee, think rationally. Why else would he tell you that fabricated story? It’s because he’s trying to destroy me.”

“He told me because I care! I give a damn about him and that’s why he came to me when you so heartlessly tossed him away.”

Her eyes furrowed in confusion. “You don’t understand. You don’t know that child. He only causes problems.”

I let out a bitter laugh. “I’m actually thankful for what you did. Because of this, Donghae won’t have to live in this house anymore. He won’t have to worry about you taking your life’s problems out on him. He’ll be able to have somewhere to call home— something you never gave him. Donghae has people that care about him; people that will give him all the love you never gave him. I will make sure that you never hurt him again.” I turned to leave, but then remembered something. “Oh, and our business partnership is now nonexistent. The contract will be terminated tomorrow. I don’t care how much money it’ll take to get done, but I’ll see to it that you’re out of Donghae’s life completely.”

once again everything escalated ted way too quickly but i'll fix that later. 

maybe if you're looking for something to comment on, consider this: was hyuk wrong to confront hae's mother? was it the right thing to do? im curious about what u guys think 

and thank you all for those comments on the last chap. that was like the third chapter you guys commented so much on