(Bold = letter) (Italics = flashback)

Chapter 3

Donghae was content while he was sleeping. Even in his subconscious, you could tell he was feeling secure and happy with just the small uplift of lips at the corners of his mouth. He unconsciously moved closer to Hyukjae and placed his head on the other’s arm, exactly the same way he used to sleep with Eunhyuk.

“Ah!” Hyukjae jolted up when suddenly he felt an excruciating pain coming from his wrapped arm. He would have fall out of bed, if it wasn’t for the arms encircled around his waist. He huffed out a breath, relieved.

“Hyukkie, are you okay? Why did you scream?”

Hyukjae felt a body pressed to his back. He immediately pushed those arms off him and hopped off the bed by himself, feeling awkward being so close to a man he barely knew. When he turned to look back at Donghae though, he saw those shimmering eyes and half-pouting lips, and he felt slightly guilty.

“S-sorry, it’s just my arm, it is strained,” he cradled his agonized arm and stared at it, not daring to look at those sorrowful eyes.

“Your arm? What’s wrong with – Oh my god, baby!” Donghae was by his side within seconds and he started caressing his arm softly, “What happened?”

“We crashed,” the words slipped out of Hyukjae’s mouth before he could restrain them. Donghae would think something wasn’t right if he knew they crashed into each other’s car. Panic rose in him as he wrecked his brain, searching for something he could use to cover his slip of tongue.

Donghae frowned, “Crashed? We crashed into someone? So, that explained why we were sleeping on the hospital bed. You’re not hurt that bad, right Hyukkie?” His hand went up to touch Hyukjae’s face, feeling the skin and checking if there were any scratches.

“Y-yes!”

Donghae cupped his face, “You’re hurt badly?”

“No! I meant, yes, we had an accident with someone. Both of us, together, crashed with someone else,” only when he had finish talking did Hyukjae realized he was making no sense at all. But, he didn’t care, as long as he didn’t have to make up any other story.

“Okay?” Donghae gave him a sceptical mixed with concern look, while his hands were still cupping Hyukjae’s cheeks and eyes staring right into his eyes. Hyukjae’s eyes widened when he finally noticed the extremely close proximity between him and Donghae. It was way too close for him, and he had never been this close to any man. Hell! No man had ever touched his face except for his father and grandfather.

Hyukjae calmed himself down and grabbed the other’s wrists, slowly pulling Donghae’s hands off his face, “Let’s check out now. I think we’ve been here long enough. Your coat is hanging there. I’ll go and get something for your cut, okay?” Before Donghae could say anything, Hyukjae had walked out of the room in a rush, grabbing his blazer along the way, which was laid on the chair occupied by Heechul last night.

Hyukjae put on his blazer, careful not to move his left arm too much. He wondered where Heechul went. That guy was supposed to be here, helping him, not disappeared after he said he will think about it. He couldn’t do all this by himself. He barely knew this man he was trying to help, he knew nothing of this Eunhyuk except he was Donghae’s lover, and he most definitely did not know what to do with the man he was supposed to take care. Hyukjae wanted to cuss at Heechul for just leaving like that, but then, when he placed his hand into the blazer’s pocket, he felt a paper and took it out.

Send Donghae home. I’ve written his address at the back of this paper. 

Make him eat, then, let him rest. Force him if you have to. 

Give him a reason why you have to leave the house for a while at 3p.m. 

I’ll be waiting for you at the end of the road.

P.S. Don’t be so stupid and read the address in front of Donghae.

P.P.S. Do not upset him! Or you’ll die!

-HC-

Hyukjae scanned the address at the back, memorising it quickly before tucking the paper into his pants’ pocket. He went to the pharmacy and bought a cream for Donghae’s cut like he said. He found the cafeteria on his way back to the room, remembering the note Heechul left, he decided to buy the food there.

Hyukjae found Donghae outside the room, with his long coat on and leaning against the wall, “Let’s go.”

“Yes! Let’s go,” enthusiastically, Donghae followed him through the halls. When Hyukjae slipped his right hand into his pocket, Donghae grinned and immediately hooked his arm with Hyukjae’s. Shocked would be an understatement to what the other was feeling, but Hyukjae gave a smile to Donghae and kept walking. Heechul’s threat on his mind.

He stopped a taxi, opened the door and let Donghae went in first. Not wanting Donghae to cling to him again, Hyukjae placed the food and meds in between them. He got in and managed to tell the full address to the driver. Hyukjae placed his right arm on the window sill and he let his fingers lingered on his lips. He kept staring outside, lost in his own thoughts, and he didn’t know that Donghae didn’t like the silence and space between them.

Donghae was in the exact same position as Hyukjae, only he was staring outside the other window.  He was saddened by the fact that his Hyukkie had placed something in between them. He wanted to be close to his Hyukkie, he wanted to have a hold of his Hyukkie at every moment. But, it seemed like his Hyukkie didn’t want that and was keeping distance from him. Hyukkie smiled at him when he clung to him just moments before the get into the cab. But then everything changed and Donghae did not feel comfortable in the silence.  He didn’t understand what was wrong, and he was afraid to ask.

And the silence presumed until the reach the house.

Hyukjae paid the driver before he got off, carrying the plastics, and left the door open for Donghae. They walked up to the door and Hyukjae waited for Donghae to open it, but he didn’t and kept looking at the pavement. “Why are you not opening it? It’s your house.”

Suddenly, Donghae glared at Hyukjae, shocking the other with his bloodshot eyes that were filled with unshed tears. He bent down, grab a key from under a small vase and unlock the door.  Donghae walked in but turned to face Hyukjae, “It’s not my house! It’s ours!” and then he stormed up the stairs.

Hyukjae stood there, outside the house’s door, feeling stupid. He sighed as he walked in, “Should have used my brain.” He went looking for the kitchen, wanting to pour the fried rice he bought into a plate. He went upstairs to look for Donghae, bringing the food and the healing cream with him. There were three rooms on the top floor, and though it was his first time there, he knew which room Donghae was in.

Hyukjae knocked twice on the door that had ‘EUNHAE’ written on it and he twisted the knob. When he peeked inside, he saw Donghae sitting on the bed, eyes not blinking and tear tracks glistening on his face. Hyukjae placed the rice and the cream on the table before he sat next to Donghae on the bed, but not so close.

“I’m sorry. Are you mad?”

“No. I’m not mad. I’m upset.”

Heechul’s threat came to Hyukjae’s mind again, “Please don’t be upset. I really didn’t mean anything bad. I was acting like a fool. Of course this is… our house. It’s... It’s EunHae’s house, right?”

That one word managed to bring a smile on Donghae’s face.

“This is our house. It is EunHae’s house,” Eunhyuk said, as they stared at the house together, hands intertwined.

Donghae quickly wiped his tears with the back of his hands before grabbing Hyukjae’s, “Yes. It’s not mine, it’s not yours. It is only ours. So, never say it again.”

Hyukjae nodded, “I won’t.” He then pulled his hand out and grabbed the plate on the bedside table, “I bought this for you. You must eat, okay?”

“I will if you feed me,” Donghae grinned at him.

Hyukjae couldn’t deny the request. Donghae held the plate - as Hyukjae only had one good arm at that time - and Hyukjae scooped some rice before he held the spoon in front of Donghae’s mouth. He kept feeding him, and though he was annoyed he had to do it, Hyukjae admitted to himself that doing this, helping and making Donghae smile, did made him felt happy too.

After the food was finished, Hyukjae helped applying the cream to the cut on Donghae’s forehead, “This cream won’t let you have any scar.”

“Even if I so have scars, you still love me, right Hyukkie?” Donghae asked suddenly.

Hyukjae hesitated to say it for a moment but he still said, “Yes. No matter what, I will still love you.”

“Me too, Hyukkie.”

“Okay. Now, you should rest.”

“You should too. Come rest with me,” Donghae had lied down on the bed and he patted the empty spot next to him.

“I had enough rest already. Plus, you got a worse impact than me.”

“But can’t you just lie with me, Hyukkie?”

Hyukjae smiled, “I can, but just until you fall asleep. I need to go out at 3.”

Donghae sat upright, “Where are you going?”

“Calm down. I had to check on your car’s insurance and get it repair. I’ll be back before you are awake.”

Donghae sighed sadly, “Okay. But don’t be long and you must be back before I get up.”

Hyukjae gave him the reassurance nod and they both lie down. Hyukjae patted Donghae’s back just like he did yesterday. He stayed on the bed, kept patting, even when Donghae had already fallen asleep. Only when it was 5 minutes before 3p.m. did he got up and left the room. He took the key Donghae used to unlock the door with him.

Hyukjae walked to the end of the street and he saw Heechul waiting for him, “Get in.” He entered the car and Heechul drove out of the neighbourhood. It was quiet at first, none of them spoke. But, that was just the first 5 minutes.

“How is Donghae?”

“He’s fine. He has eaten and he is now sleeping.”

“Good. Now, I know you have a lot of questions. Ask me now, or never.”

“What happened to Eunhyuk?”

“That’s not a relevant question. You don’t have to know what happened to help Donghae. Next?”

“How long has Donghae been like this?”

“Around a month.”

“So, Eunhyuk’s death is still new then.”

“I didn’t say that.”

Hyukjae was confused, “Huh?”

“Eunhyuk died 3 years ago, not a month ago.”

“But you said Donghae…”

“I know what I said,” Heechul sighed, “Eunhyuk died in Seoul, not in London. Back then, Donghae was a lot worse than he is now. Before, he didn’t want to eat, he didn’t want to live, and he felt like tearing the heart inside of him out. He tried committing suicide countless times. And then, just two months ago, something snapped inside of him and Donghae said he wanted to go back to London. We were all against it. But he started eating by himself; no one had to force him to do all the necessities anymore. And we finally said he can go back to London and live there. We, his friends and family, took turns coming to look out for him. At first we let him knew we were there, but nowadays we just look after him from a far.”

Hyukjae let all the informations sink in. He was speechless. That was a painful life to live.

“So, Hyukjae, you need to understand that your job is not just to be Eunhyuk. Your real job is to be a new Eunhyuk for Donghae.”

“I don’t understand.”

Heechul smirked, “But you will in time.”

“Can’t you just tell me now?” Heechul shook his head. “Fine. Now tell me where are we going?”

“Type in your address in the GPS.”

“What for?”

“I need to teach you about Eunhyuk, you need to learn about him. Your house seems like the right place to do it.”

Hyukjae typed in his house address, “Done.”

“Oh, and it’s also because you need to pack some of your things.”

“Why?”

“You need to move in with Donghae.”

“What?”

“You agreed so there’s no backing out, Mr Lee Hyukjae.”

To those who is also confused about 'be a new Eunhyuk for Donghae', you too will know in time like Hyukjae. :) Opinions/Reviews/Comments?