Hyukjae's known Donghae for only six months, but he feels as if he's known him his whole life. He doesn't even mind when Donghae comes knocking at his door asking for salt any more, he doesn't mind bringing him into his arms on certain starry nights. 

They occasionally go out to get spicy rice cakes, or just to go to the studio and slow dance to the ballads and classics they both love. Hyukjae doesn't know if that weird feeling in his heart when he's around Donghae is normal anymore. 

Donghae also gets to meet some of Hyukjae's friends, Kyuhyun and Sungmin, the friends who've been with him since high school. When Hyukjae introduces Donghae to them, Donghae is shy at first but when Sungmin excitedly engulfs him in a hug, he likes the bunny-like guy immediately. Sometimes, when Hyukjae is busy, Donghae texts Sungmin instead. 

---

To Min:

Min.. What it is like?

To Hae:
What is what like, Hae? 

To Min:

When you're with Kyuhyun, how does it feel? 

To Hae:

Oh Hae, it's just... extraordinary. When you're with the person you love, everything just comes into place. You feel like you can trust him with anything, you can rely on him, you feel that fluttery feeling whenever you see him... Why, Hae?

To Min: 
I... I was just curious. 

To Hae: 
Oh, okay then ^^ Thought you might have been talking about a particular someone when you asked me that :3

Donghae feels a pink blush tainting his cheeks slightly at that.

To Hae:
Oh, by the way! What are you planning to get Hyukjae for his birthday? 

To Min:
Hyukjae-ssi's birthday?!?! When is it!!! 

To Hae:
Gosh, Hae. It's next Wednesday! Didn't he tell you? 

To Min:
He didn't!!!! :( 

To Hae: 

Kind of expected though, Hyukjae.... doesn't really like to celebrate his birthday. 

To Min:
Ahhh I see..... Thanks Min~

----

Donghae spends the next few days fretting over what to get for Hyukjae and how to celebrate it for him. Hyukjae's been busy preparing his students for a competition so he has barely seen him for a while. Donghae pouts at that thought, and decides to head out to get Hyukjae's present instead. 

As he walks along the crowded streets, he notices a stall selling necklaces and charms. He notices a pair of necklaces, with a monkey on one and a fish on the other. A smile creeps up his face as thoughts of a certain monkey float into his mind. He smiles and lightly traces his finger on the necklaces. 

Donghae sits down after a long day of walking around and as he is about to reach out for his phone to send Hyukjae a text message, he feels slightly dizzy and feels a constricting feeling in his chest. He takes in a deep breath, while sitting down and closing his eyes. He glances at the empty white packet and he looks away. It's been two weeks since the last Wednesday he..... Donghae shakes his head. He doesn't want to live this way anymore. He just wants to accept life as it is. He ignores the missed calls from an all too familiar number and slides open his text messaging app instead. 

Hey Hyukjae-ssi. ^^

--

It's Wednesday already. He sets up the cake he baked (the one he took four hours to bake and accidentally added strawberries instead of chocolate), but he figures Hyukjae will like it anyway. He's already messaged Hyukjae earlier and told him to come to his apartment for something important. Donghae smiles softly, excited at the thought. He lightly thumbs the metal around his neck. 

Rapid knocking on the door sends Donghae out of his reverie and he excitedly goes to the door and opens in. When he sees Hyukjae, he grins and quickly covers his eyes, pulling him by the hand to lead him to the living room. 

"Donghae-ssi, what are you doing?"

"Shhhhh," Donghae says cheekily. "You'll see." 

"Surprise!!!!!" Donghae screams as he shows Hyukjae the table in front of him. The cake, although a bit lopsided is decorated with strawberries, and Hyukjae feels extremely excited at that. Hyukjae also finds it cute how there are little streamers hanging from the wall. 

"Donghae-ssi...." Hyukjae looks at Donghae, touched. 
"What is.... all this?" 

"Your birthday surprise! I hope you like it. I'm really sorry I messed up the cake and I put strawberries instead of chocolate and the cake doesn't look like a cake and-" A hand caressing his cheeks makes Donghae stop talking. 

Hyukjae looks at Donghae adoringly, gently caressing his cheeks. 
"I like it.. Donghae-ssi." Donghae feels his cheeks burning up. 

"Come, let's cut the cake!"

The mini birthday celebrate turns into a squealing session as they smear the icing on each other's faces and laugh about every single thing. Hyukjae smiles as he takes a bite of his cake, cheeks smeared with cream and little bits of cake stuck in his hair. Donghae thinks, he looks... Kind of adorable. 
With the cake crumbs in his bangs and at the side of his mouth, Hyukjae thinks the same way about Donghae too. 

"It's good, Donghae-ssi. As compared to how it looks." Hyukjae teases. Donghae pouts, lightly slapping Hyukjae's arm. 

"I was kidding." Hyukjae says seriously, looking into Donghae's eyes. 

"Thank you for everything you have done, Donghae-ssi." Donghae is slightly taken aback, but he smiles. 

"Not a problem. Oh, and I have something for you-" Donghae mumbles, digging into his bag. 

"Here." Hyukjae's eyes widen in surprise, as he's presented with a small blue box. As he opens the box, tears form in his eyes for some unknown reason. 

"It's beautiful... Donghae-ssi. Thank you... really." 

"I have a matching one too." Donghae says, blushing a bit after he realises what's he's said. 

"It's not the same, but they came together in a pair, and I thought it fitted us.. quite well." Donghae finishes, looking at everywhere but Hyukjae.

"Donghae-ssi." Donghae looks down, continuing to eat his cake. 

"Donghae-ssi, look at me." Donghae blushes, and stares at the strawberry on his cake instead.

"Donghae." This grabs Donghae's attention, and he looks up at Hyukjae in mild shock, only to see Hyukjae wearing such an adoring look on his face. 

"Donghae... it sounds much nicer like this, right?" Donghae feels his face burning, though he admits silently it feels really nice to hear his name rolling off Hyukjae's tongue naturally. 

"Donghae, you have something on the side of your mouth." A gentle caress on the side of his lips.

Donghae looks up, and he feels plump lips against his own. 

Donghae feels his cheeks burning up and as Hyukjae pulls away, he looks down at his lap awkwardly. 

"Donghae." Hyukjae utters, gently caressing his cheeks. 
"Did you hate it?" Donghae looks up immediately, shaking his head. Hyukjae smiles shyly, hands running through his own hair. 

"So..." Hyukjae glances at Donghae whose face is burning up. 

"Hyukjae..."

"I love you, Donghae." Donghae gasps, looking at Hyukjae. Hyukjae, who is so beautiful.... Hyukjae, who let him live again...

"I..." Donghae thinks he must be dreaming. 

"Be my boyfriend, Donghae." Donghae looks up, surprised. 

"Hyukjae, I..." Donghae looks kind of conflicted and Hyukjae's expression falls. 

"Do you not want to?" Hyukjae bites his lips, hands falling to his sides. 

"Hyukjae...." Donghae breathes out. He wants it. He wants Hyukjae. But what about... It would be selfish to agree. Selfish because he might leave Hyukjae soon. Accepting him would just cause pain to the both of them... 

"Donghae... Don't think about anything else. Just think about you, me. About us. It'll be all right, Donghae..."

It'll be all right...

Donghae decides to be selfish, just this once.

-----

 Really sorry this took so long!!!