The past couple of weeks had been hard on Eunhyuk. Super Junior was getting older and they felt it. Not literally but new groups were flooding the market, boys half their age were getting promoted. ELFs were fading slowly. It was painful...especially when he saw the insecurity in his lover's eyes.

'Come on, fish. Cheer up!' Hyuk tried as he saw Donghae staring out the window.

Hae didn't answer, he just jutted out his lip and tried to calm down. He sighed and silently left.

'Subtle, monkey face.' Heechul hissed.

'What? I tried.' Hyuk said weakly. Maybe he's tired of me. Hyuk bit his lip and tried to shrug off the anxiety hitting him. He quickly went to his lonely room.

'Aish!' Heechul said in frustration as he hit a playing Kyuhyun over the head with a pillow.

'Hey! What did I do?' Kyu sulked as he rubbed his head.

'You are not being useful!' Heechul snarled.

Kyu was about to comment about his hyung's y behaviour but his expression softened when he saw the worry on Heechul's face. Whenever Donghae was not all bright and sunny, Heechul would become cranky and everyone within a one mile radius would suffer. 'Hyung, everything will be fine.'

Hae's clouded mood continued as the end of the year was approaching. Suju's bundle of everlasting joy was isolating himself more and more. It affected the other members deeply. Even Kyuhyun often kept a frown as he watched his favourite hyung.

'I don't know, Teukie.' Kangin whispered into his cell phone. 'We've tried all the usual stuff. Maybe you should tell him you have some time off coming your way, that might cheer him up.'

Leeteuk scratched his short hair on the other side of the line. 'How's Hyuk coping with all of this?'

'Barely. At first he did fine but now sadness is radiating from his eyes. He's seeking some warmth with the other members. Teuk, he's getting clingy.'

Leeteuk knew what that meant. A clingy Hyuk is one unhappy monkey. Well unless it was Donghae he was touchy feely with.

On the plane to China, most of the members were sleeping. Everyone was tired. The holidays always were filled with schedules. Hae had requested to be seated with their maknae and no one had dared to question that, not even Hyuk. When Kyu had tried to get Hae to talk to him the latter had eyed him.

'I chose you to sit next to so I could have some peace, guess I thought wrong.' Hae mumbled, turned his back to a baffled Kyu and stared out of the small plane window.

They were walking the red carpet as they had done a thousand times. Hyuk was next to Hae but it was so different. Hae's emotionless face was worrying his lover like crazy. Hyuk tried to softly elbow the younger to get his attention. Hae just looked a bit to the side but that was it. Hyuk started playing with his own fingers to control his hurt.

Their performance was perfect as usual. The countdown to the new year would start soon. Hyuk made sure Hae stayed next to him although other befriended groups tried to take Donghae away from him. The host kept talking chinese, Hyuk was barely even paying attention. He saw Luhan hanging around Hae and tensed up.

Hyuk knew.

He knew his boyfriend was popular. Hell, the man was hot and had such a kind nature. Of course everyone naturally loved him.

Hyuk knew he was lucky with someone like Hae. He remembered how he had played hard to get when Hae had confessed to him years ago. It had scared the crap out of him when the younger had offered his wonderful heart for him to take or leave. He had been attracted strongly to Hae since they were introduced to each other when Hae had joined SM as a trainee. The happy, bubbly Hae had dazzled Hyuk's world. After a period of acting tough he had finally admitted to the younger that the feelings were mutual. They had been together since. Hyuk still had a hard time saying the words that seemed so easy for Donghae. The younger often had announced their affection on different media like twitter. It often had reduced Hyuk to a stuttering and blushing monkey who clumsily had replied with some non sense. He hoped Hae knew that his reply, disregarding the content, meant that the older reciprocated those feelings.

In the meantime Luhan had wrapped his arms tightly around Hae as he was whispering who know what into his ear. Eunhyuk could just cast a sad glance towards them as his hands kept clapping to the beat of a song that was playing.

Finally the countdown happened. Hyuk just stood in his corner as he watched everyone happily wishing each other well. Hae came towards him and threw his arms around Zhoumi and him. Hyuk closed his eyes as he felt a surge of energy go through him, taking in the familiar smell. He wanted to whisper something but as this wasn't a one on one hug, he didn't dare. Before he could really lose himself into that moment, Hae already had pulled away and left him.

The next night, Hyuk tried to get cozy with his love but the younger mumbled he wasn't in the mood and left the couch in retreat.

Heechul had observed them for a while.

'When is the last time you two went at it?' Heechul asked quite loudly.

'Hyung!' Hyuk whined.

'Seriously, I've thought about every possibility for Hae's mood. That's all I ended up with.'

'And what exactly is that?' Hyuk sounded offended.

'Maybe....you've lost your touch?' Heechul tried.

The unexpected happened. Hyuk's eyes were b with tears.

Heechul could handle a lot but not an emotional Hyuk. ', sorry, I didn't mean it that way.' Heechul grabbed the younger and pulled him in a suffocating hug.

For days they just functioned like zombies. Hae was getting thinner and rarely smiled. Hyuk was barely coping as he saw his boyfriend slipping away.

Donghae had started his filming and Hyuk never had felt so alone. He got up, brushed his teeth, threw a sweater on and camped on the couch. It took him at least an hour to realise it was snowing. A faint smile was on his lips as he thought about how much Hae loved snow. He took out his cell and yes, Hae had tweeted about the snow. Ignoring the advice of his manager about not tweeting until his account was infinitely secure again, he tweeted something about everyone being safe in the snow.

Donghae saw the tweet and tears came into his eyes.

'Everything okay?' The director asked him.

'Yeah, sorry.' Hae put down his cell and tried to concentrate on the instructions given to him. His mind was on his lover though.

Hyuk kept watching every tweet and picture coming in. Hae in make up, Hae on the set, Hae eating with the staff, hugging the director. His lover seemed happier filming than at home. Maybe they should cancel their D&E tour. Maybe that was what worried Donghae so much. Maybe it was too much pressure.

Eunhyuk grabbed his cell once more and messaged his love.

Donghae felt the vibrating but had to wait till the end of the scene and the director announcing the break to lift it out of his pocket. He froze as he read Hyuk's text. They needed to talk? Isn't that what people always say before a break up?

Hae came home late, intentionally. He had hoped Hyuk was already asleep but as he saw his tired expression reflected by Hyuk's he knew sleep was far away.

'Not now, Hyukkie.' Hae said weakly.

'Please, Hae, we can't go on like this.' Hyuk pleaded.

Hae felt his body locking down as the fearsome words were outed.

'NO!' He screamed as he tried to get away.

'H-Hae!' Hyuk frowned at the strong reaction. The younger looked so unhappy and lost.

'Please, Hyukkie, don't do this to me.' Hae fell on his knees.

'It's getting too much, Hae, you need peace. We can retry later.' Hyuk said desperately.

Hae snorted. 'Later? Yeah right. When, after the army?'

'Sure, why not?' Hyuk said. 'There is no rush.'

Hae gasped for air. 'No rush? Does it mean so little to you?'

Hyuk frowned. 'Baby...'

Hae stared at the love of his life. 'Now? Now you throw such a sweet word my way? When we break up?'

'Hae, you know how I am with words....wait, WHAT? What break up?' Hyuk was panicking. 'You want to break up?'

Hae blinked but his sight remained blury, tears streaming down. 'Me? How are you turning this on me? You just said to retry later!' Hae was hicupping as he lost control over his breathing.

Hyuk fell down on his knees next to the other. 'Hae, I don't know what is going on but please, anything but a break up. I'll do whatever you want, baby. I-I don't think I can go on without you. It's so lonely when you are not next to me. Please, I beg of you. Even if you feel only a fraction of how much I love you, please don't leave me! I'll try harder.'

Hae could only stare at his pleading boyfriend, his mouth wide open in shock. He slung his arms around the snottering fool as the words had finally sunk in. 'Never.' He whispered.

'N-never?' Hyuk was confused.

'Never would I leave you.' Hae said. He pressed his mouth on Hyuk, adding to the older's daze.

'S-so no br-breaking up?' Hyuk mumbled.

'Nope.'

That was all Hyuk needed to know, they would clear the misunderstanding later on, now he needed to feel the younger against him, as closely as possible.

'Oh my god, seriously? So you both thought the other was sick of you?' Heechul rolled his eyes as he watched a glued to the hip Eunhae.

'No using the Lord's name in vain, hyung.' Siwon reprimanded.

'Oh shut up.' Heechul snarled as he still stared in disbelief at the drama couple.

'I can't wait to tour with you alone.' Hyuk whispered as they were cuddled up in bed.

Hae blushed. 'We still need to tone it down though, not everyone wants to see us going all out on stage.'

'Well, it depends.'

'On what?'

'On how cute you will be.'

'Cute? I'm never cute.' Hae pouted, oblivious of the look of admiration and love in Hyuk's eyes.

They were filming the MV of a new song. They had barely seen each other for three days and Hae insisted on a selca. Hyuk took one too as Hae looked even more gorgeous than usual. They parted as they had different schedules. Hae quickly pecked the older's lips and whispered something about tonight and giving the older a wild card in bed, leaving Hyuk melted on the spot. His manager had to call his name several times before he woke from his state. His cell vibrated and there it was: Hae's tweet filled with love, ending it with telling the world how much he had missed his friend. Hyuk turned red but couldn't just let it go like that. He uploaded the pic he took and quickly typed:

"You too, jerk."