The next day was New Year’s Eve, and Eunhyuk had a party at his editor’s office to attend that night. The couple stood in front of the bathroom mirror getting ready, and Eunhyuk was helping Donghae button up the front of his shirt. “Are you ready for tonight?” Eunhyuk asked.

          “I guess so, I don’t know what I’m supposed to do though,” Donghae replied.

          “Just enjoy the evening; there will be food and drinks there, and we’re going to be ringing in the New Year and celebrating the success of the best published books of the year,” Eunhyuk explained.

          “What does that mean, ‘ringing in the New Year’?” Donghae wondered.

          “On New Year’s Eve, we countdown to midnight, and then we celebrate when the clock hits midnight and it’s tradition for couples to kiss at midnight as well,” Eunhyuk informed with a smile.

          Donghae grinned as Eunhyuk planted a kiss on his lips. “That sounds like a fun tradition,” Donghae responded.

          “I’m guessing you never celebrated New Year’s Eve,” Eunhyuk said.

          “No, not really, I was usually performing, so I couldn’t celebrate at all,” Donghae stated.

          “Well tonight, you get to rest and enjoy the evening,” Eunhyuk replied before kissing Donghae’s lips again.

          Soon, Donghae and Eunhyuk were riding the elevator up to the party on the top floor. “Will I have to talk to people?” Donghae asked.

          “Not if you don’t want to,” Eunhyuk responded. “You can mingle with the others or you can stay with me the whole time, it’s up to you.”

          Donghae nodded before following Eunhyuk over to Siwon. “Ah, Eunhyuk, thanks for coming,” Siwon greeted as he shook the blonde’s hand. He looked over at Donghae and muttered “I see you brought your friend.”

          “Oh yes, Donghae is actually my boyfriend now,” Eunhyuk stated as he smiled at the merman.

          “So you broke up with Heechul?” Siwon asked.

          “Yeah, but I like being with Donghae, he’s very special to me,” Eunhyuk responded, placing his hand on Donghae’s back.

          “Hello everyone,” Ryeowook said as he walked up to the three. “Good to see you Eunhyuk.” Ryeowook turned and saw Donghae before mumbling “Oh, it’s the guy who eats live fish.”

          Donghae lowered his head, looking down at the ground, embarrassed. Eunhyuk noticed his face and replied “We’ll be right back; we’re going to go get something to drink.” The blonde took Donghae’s hand and took him over to another table, away from Siwon and Ryeowook.

          “Eunhyuk, I don’t think your friends like me very much,” Donghae muttered. “Maybe I should just go wait in the car.”

          Eunhyuk placed his hands on Donghae’s face and whispered “Look at me Donghae; I don’t want you to listen to anything they say. Don’t pay attention to them; they don’t know you like I do.”

          “They don’t want me here, I can tell by how they’re staring at me and muttering,” Donghae responded. “I’ll go downstairs and wait for you; you go enjoy your party.”

          As Donghae started to walk away, Eunhyuk grabbed his hand. “Donghae, please don’t go,” he requested.

          Before Donghae could say anything, Siwon announced “Alright everyone, dinner is served.”

          The guests walked over sit down, while Eunhyuk turned back to Donghae. “C’mon, let’s go get something to eat,” he said.

          “Okay,” Donghae agreed as Eunhyuk led him over to a table and sat down with Siwon and Ryeowook.

          “What are we having for dinner?” Eunhyuk asked Siwon.

          “I’ve ordered some chefs to prepare fish right in front of us,” Siwon informed as several grills were rolled out, with the chefs following close behind.

          Donghae sat up straight as Eunhyuk muttered “Did you hear that Donghae, you’ll get to have some fish for dinner.”

          Looking up, Donghae watched a chef pick up a large fish in both hands out of a small tank of water. “Wait, Eunhyuk, that fish is still alive,” Donghae noticed. “What’s going on?”

          “The fish are extremely fresh,” Siwon informed as they watched a chef begin to saw the head off of one of the fish.

          Donghae squeezed his eyes shut and covered his ears as he gripped his head. He was used to eating fish, but only after they had been killed. The merman had never seen a fish be beheaded in such a torturous way before, and it made him physically sick. “Stop it, stop it!” he screamed, standing up.

          Everyone froze and looked at the brunette. “Donghae, what’s wrong?” Eunhyuk asked as he stood up and touched his boyfriend’s shoulder. With tears in his eyes, Donghae turned to Eunhyuk and slapped his hand away. He didn’t say a word, but instead ran over to the elevator and went downstairs to the lobby. Eunhyuk turned to Siwon and said “I’m sorry, I have to go.”

          The blonde turned and hurried downstairs. He found Donghae sitting on the lobby couch. Eunhyuk knelt down next to him and inquired “Donghae, what was all that about?”

          “Take me home,” Donghae requested as he stood up, not even looking at Eunhyuk. Eunhyuk watched Donghae walk out of the building to the car. Sighing, Eunhyuk followed Donghae outside and drove him home in painful silence. His boyfriend wouldn’t talk to him or even look at him, and Eunhyuk was confused as to why.

          When they reached the apartment, Donghae immediately walked over to the bathroom and slammed the door in Eunhyuk’s face before undressing and submerging himself in warm water. “Donghae, please talk to me,” Eunhyuk said as he stood outside the bathroom door. After a moment of silence, Eunhyuk added “Donghae, can I please come in?”

          “Fine,” Donghae replied before Eunhyuk opened the door.

          The blonde walked over and stood next to Donghae. “Will you please tell me what I did that made you upset?”

          “Why did you take me to a place where I watched creatures similar to me be torturously killed? Could you not hear them screaming, begging not to be killed in such a heartless way, because I could,” Donghae growled.

          “Donghae, you kill fish when you eat them,” Eunhyuk reminded.

          “They’re always dead when I eat them; I’ve never killed and then eaten a fish. I’ve always eaten them dead,” Donghae responded. “How could you just sit there and watch it? What if that had been me they were sawing in half?”

          Eunhyuk knelt down in front of Donghae and placed his hands on his face. “That would never happen, I would never allow anyone to hurt you,” he whispered. Donghae watched his boyfriend begin to strip himself of clothing before climbing into the bathtub with him. He sat down behind Donghae and pulled him back, pressing Donghae’s back against his chest before wrapping his arms around the brunette’s torso. Eunhyuk pressed a gentle kiss to Donghae’s head. “I love you, and I’m sorry you saw what you saw tonight, if I could take back time and prevent it, I would.”

          “Your friends hate me, and I witnessed one of my own kind be brutally murdered in front of me, so much for a happy New Years,” Donghae muttered before turning and leaning his face against Eunhyuk’s neck.

          Just then, the two heard loud, celebratory screams from down the hall. Eunhyuk stated “Must be midnight, which means it’s the start of a new year now.” He looked at Donghae and placed a hand on his face before asking “Will you let me kiss you?”

          “Of course I will,” Donghae replied before the couple kissed one another lovingly.

          Pulling away after several seconds, Eunhyuk said “Happy New Year Donghae.”

          “Happy New Year Eunhyuk,” Donghae echoed.

          “Do you wanna get out of the bathtub and spend the night in bed with me?” Eunhyuk wondered as he slid his hands down to Donghae’s waist.

          “Yes, I really do,” Donghae whispered.

          Eunhyuk stood up and dried himself off before helping Donghae out of the tub and dried him off as well. He picked up Donghae bridal style and carried him into his bedroom. Lying Donghae down on the bed, Eunhyuk began to kiss his lips, then his neck, and then his chest as he whispered “I’m sorry Donghae, I’m so sorry you were upset tonight, I swear I didn’t know they were going to do what they did.”

          The brunette stopped him by running his hands through Eunhyuk’s blonde hair. He looked at Eunhyuk and saw nothing but love and innocence in his boyfriend’s eyes. “I believe you,” Donghae replied with a smile.

          Eunhyuk grinned before kissing him again. “I love you Donghae,” he muttered.

          “I love you too Eunhyuk,” Donghae responded, pulling Eunhyuk’s body against his as he ran his hands over Eunhyuk’s back, and kissed his lips lovingly.

          In the middle of the night, Donghae was awoken by the sound of fireworks outside. He yawned before looking at his sleeping boyfriend, watching him breathe in and out softly. Donghae ran his fingers gently over Eunhyuk’s chest and whispered “My beautiful human, my sweet Eunhyuk.” He placed a kiss against the blonde’s shoulder before laying his head against Eunhyuk’s and adding “I wish I could take you into the ocean with me.” Donghae smiled before kissing him again and falling back to sleep.