C H A N G E

His hair colour was different.

That was the first thing that crossed Donghae's mind as he walked out of his bathroom, hands full with cotton balls and antiseptic. Eunhyuk who is now sitting calmly on his bed, staring at his scratched and bloody palms has lilac coloured messy locks on his head. The colour is actually nice, something between grey and purple, but he is sure no one could wear it like Eunhyuk does.

He pulled his desk's chair and placed it in front of the naturally wide eyed Eunhyuk who keeps watching him as he moved around in his room.

'Come on, give me your hand.' The brunette breaks the silence, sitting on the chair and holding out his hand for the boy. He watches as Eunhyuk slowly bites into his lower lip, straight white teeth sinking into pinks, before he slowly extends his left hand.

Even when he held a freezing cold hand in his own, he could still feel how soft and tender Eunhyuk’s skin is. The alabaster skin contrasted greatly with his tanned one, and Eunhyuk's fingers twitched when he dabbed an antiseptic soaked cotton ball into the fresh scratches.

'What is that?' The lilac haired mumbles, seemingly putting great effort not to pull his hand away.

'Antiseptic.' he replies shortly, wanting to hear Eunhyuk speak more. To ask more absurd questions that will help him understand this being sitting in front on him with the same shirt he had lent him many weeks ago. Despite being in the same clothes when he last saw him, Eunhyuk doesn't seem homeless or sick. He looks just like he remembered him, fair and astonishing with purple greyish tresses instead of white.

'Why using it?' The boy asked, head tilted to the side, eyes curious.

Donghae knew deep down that whatever Eunhyuk was going to say will reel his head. 'To clean wounds, of course. How come you don't know Eunhyukie?' he asked with a small smile. The lilac haired waits for Donghae to look him in the eyes before he speaks.

'Never used one of those before.' he mutters, eyes lingering into his own and making the weird shimmering in his stomach from weeks ago resurface. He only nodded his head briefly, not showing his utter confusion at the answer.

'How come? Didn't your mother use to clean your wounds with it when you were little?'

He was trying to pull answers from the lean boy in front of him, not only because he wanted answers but because he wanted to hear him speak. Unfortunately though, it was silent after that. Eunhyuk didn't say a thing and he was left wondering to what the other was thinking. He was already done with cleaning the wounds on Eunhyuk's left hand, and he looked up to the lilac haired and found him staring intently at him.

His eyebrows were scrunched, a crease apparent on his forehead with his lip wedged between his teeth. He was once again seeming clueless. Donghae was not only confused but worried.

‘Say, Eunhyukie, you never answer me when I ask where you live. Did you, perhaps, run away from home?’ he asked, words carefully slipping out of his mouth as he watched the boy’s reaction closely. Eunhyuk was still gazing back at him, no emotion crossing his face. Donghae waited, holding the eye contact for few seconds. Eunhyuk opened his mouth but closed it immediately, and it took a couple more seconds before he spoke.

‘You don’t want me here, right?’ he muttered, voice barely heard as he lowered his head and let the lilac strands to cover his eyes. Donghae’s forehead crumpled in a frown, wondering where this question came from. More importantly how to answer it.

‘Umm, I.. It’s not like that. I’m honestly just curious.’ He said, his hand automatically rubbing his nape, and for some reason his heart thudded in his chest when Eunhyuk’s head snapped to his direction, making his eyes locking into shocked but awaiting honey like orbs. Donghae could feel heat filling his face and neck now that he realised how close they were sitting. He gulped and leaned his back into his chair, putting some space between them.

‘Curious?’

‘Y-yeah’ he muttered, trying to smile the awkwardness away.

‘Why?’ Eunhyuk asked, head bowing once again. Donghae looked between them where he was still holding into the pale but scratched hand. He probably should let go, but the boy looked so helpless he couldn’t help but squeeze his hand gently.

‘Eunhyukie, the first two times I met you, you were just standing in the rain, and once you jumped out of the window, you never answer when I ask about your home and I-‘

‘Why do you keep asking about my home?’

The hand in his was yanked away as a wide eyed Eunhyuk looked at him with frustration and despair. It all happened so fast and he immediately was up on his legs, fingers wrapped around the cold wrist to hold the lilac haired boy from fleeting or whatever he wanted to do.

‘I thought you were better than all of them! But you’re the same, being nice doesn’t mean you’re sincere, I guess.’

The brunette was more than shocked to hear so many words from Eunhyuk, he just wished he understood from where the outburst came from. Eunhyuk struggled to break free from his hold but he didn’t budge.

‘What do you mean? What are you talking about Eunhyukie?’ he quietly asked, not wanting to upset said boy any further. Eunhyuk shook his head, but Donghae pulled him until they both were sitting on the edge of the bed, ignoring the lilac haired foot-dragging. He glances towards Eunhyuk expectedly, ‘Okay, please tell me what that was about.’ He stated. It was clear to him that Eunhyuk was hesitant to talk, biting slowly into the thick pink lip.

‘You always sit over there,’ Eunhyuk finally said, pointing to the window’s direction, and Donghae made sure to show him that he was listening carefully, nodding his head. ‘You use that a lot too,’ he ushered towards the brunette’s desk, who wondered what he meant until his eyes landed on his camera’s bag, ‘You spoke to me, and gave me warm clothes. But you tell me to go away. I don’t understand.’ Eunhyuk was once again focused on his lap, his words barely above a whisper.

Donghae though couldn’t help but chuckle, because Eunhyuk sounds so confused and it makes his chest feel weird. The boy glanced at him, delicate eyebrows furrowed. ‘I don’t understand too, but I was looking for you,’ he said making the single lidded eyes widen, ‘You disappeared so suddenly, and I kept thinking that you might get sick, it was raining then and I didn’t get to give you a coat either so I really don’t understand why I’m worried when I barely know you.’ He confessed, watching as Eunhyuk looked away. The weird tingly feeling in his chest was back ten folds when he noticed how red the tips of Eunhyuk’s ears are. The tingles burst into warmth that filled his chest. ‘I also don’t understand why but I don’t want you to go away.’

The lilac head snapped to his direction, honey like orbs wide and twinkling, ‘Really? I can stay?’

The hope in Eunhyuk’s voice and the little curve of the full lips made him nod his head, it was too endearing and he couldn’t help himself from agreeing. ‘But won’t your family get worried?’ he asked, and then knew he shouldn’t have asked. It was like a light dimming, the gleam in Eunhyuk’s eyes vanished.

‘I can’t go back,’ was the weak mumble he heard, making his eyebrows furrow, ‘I don’t know how.’ Donghae realised that maybe it was complicated for Eunhyuk, that’s why he wanted to stay here for a while.

‘It’s alright, Eunhyukie. You can stay and when you feel like it, you can go back to your family.’ He comforted, or at least attempted with placing his hand over the still freezing ones but Eunhyuk shook his head slowly.

‘Why?’ Donghae asked, honestly concerned for his new friend.

‘I’m not able to, and no matter where I go, I always end up here.’

It was as if Eunhyuk was speaking riddles, making him even more confused and curious. It was a couple seconds later when Donghae suddenly remembered how Eunhyuk leapt out of the window and disappeared few weeks ago. Maybe it’s related. No matter how ridiculous it seemed, maybe Eunhyuk wasn’t normal. Maybe he should be scared.

‘Um, you’re not really from here, right?’

Eunhyuk didn’t say anything for few seconds, but was staring intently into Donghae’s nervous orbs.

‘This is my first time being here.’ He said, nodding his head as if agreeing to his own words. The brunette gulped the lump that formed in his throat wondering what this is supposed to mean.

‘W-where do you come from?’ he asked.

‘I don’t remember a lot, but I told you before, I could see this city from above.’ Donghae sighed, racking his mind for any logical explanation to what was this very strange lilac haired boy saying. There surely wasn’t any. Why does he even believe all the weird things Eunhyuk is saying? Why doesn’t he even take into consideration that he could be bluffing? Why does he immediately assume that he isn’t pranking him? He could feel a headache approaching.

-

The next hours were nerve wrecking, to say at the least. Donghwa and his parents came home, and he nervously introduced the clueless