Week Seven -  Hyukjae

During my two weeks in Chicago, the days flew by.  The workshop with the Joffery Ballet was intense, never having learned so much (or felt so exhausted) in such a short time.  The nights, however, were the loneliest and longest I'd ever had.  Donghae and I messaged each other when we could, but opposite time zones made it difficult to keep in touch as much as I had wanted.

I'd gotten back on a Monday night with much fanfare from Appa, Jongwoon, and Donghae.  Between all the excitement of finally being home and my disorienting jetlag I barely noticed Donghae's change in behavior.

"... and I tell you Hyukjae, that boy Kyuhyun, you had warned me to keep in line was one of the most polite and well-tempered young men I have ever met..."  as Appa droned on about my classmate's performance as a nicely behaved person, Jongwoon rolled his eyes and Donghae quietly snickered behind his hand.  Kyuhyun could sure fool his elders, but anyone his age that spent time with him knew better.  "Well I know you have to get up early to open the shop so I will clean up here and you can say goodnight to your friends.  Very happy that you are home son."

How slow of me.  I was so caught up in being home, sharing my tales of Chicago, and hearing how things in the shop had gone that I hadn't thought about how quiet Donghae had been.  Maybe it felt like how things were between us before I'd confessed.  The heat of worry crept up the back of my neck.  It was after Jongwoon had left and I was in the front of Cool Beans alone with Donghae that I realized how he was avoiding looking directly at me.  No, it wasn't like before.  Our roles suddenly seemed reversed.  We had talked so friendly on the phone while I was in Chicago.  Did he regret accepting me once I got home?  I know I had waited too long to say how I truly felt.  Did I do something else wrong, too?

The silence was excruciating.  "Donghae!", I whispered as I grasped his arm and tried to get him to look at me.  I was met with a long sigh as Donghae stared down at his shoes and tightened his already thin lips.  "Donghae, please...  What is it?", I asked.  My lower lip started to shake and I could feel my eyes get damp around the edges.  "I'm... I'm new at this whole relationship thing... and...", I stammered,  "Am I not...  Is it not how you expected it would be between us?"

Donghae, still looking down, lowered his shoulders and shook his head slowly.  "I can't put my feelings into words right now Hyukjae."  He voice was strained and stacatto.  "Just.. give me a couple of days."  Keeping the same posture, he stepped aside to avoid brushing by me and continued walking towards home.  In the chilly, damp night air I was left standing alone.  What kind of news would I received in 'a couple of days'?

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Two days later - Kyuhyun

I ached, literally all over, but my head and stomach hurt the worst.  Circumstances, bad decisions, and just who I was were finally catching up with me.  My mind in a fog, I stumbled into a place where I hoped to find safety and perhaps some sympathy.

Jongwoon, out of the corner of his eye saw my arrival at Cool Beans.  "It's not even Friday", he sighed under his breath as he started towards the counter.

I couldn't let him see me like this!  Before he could get too far I grabbed the large crushed velvet hat from his head to cover up my face.  Even feeling as sick as I was I could tell how hideous this old lady hat was that I pressed against my cheek.  The only thing I could be thankful for as I fell into one of the booths was that I wasn't up for making any snarky remarks about his fashion faux pas.

"What the Hell, Kyuhyun?!?", he yelled as he reached up to his head a moment too late.  He stomped over and glowered down at me.  "This time you have really gone too far.  It wasn't enough to pester me with your verbal digs every single Friday.  What am I supposed to think of all the things you say to me?  Are you trying to be clever?  Do you think you're funny?"

"Hyung...", Hyukjae said from behind.  

Ignoring him, Jongwoon's eyes narrowed as he continued to say his piece.  "You come in here, falling all over yourself in a stupor.  Harassing me once again..."

"Hyung, please,"  Donghae pleaded.  

"...swiping the hat right off me."

"Jongwoon, he's bleeding..."

"And bleeding all over my hat---  Oh my God, Hyukjae!  He's bleeding!"

My vision started to go blurry, but I could see anger replaced with concern as he leaned towards me.

Donghae sighed as he took Jongwoon's arm.  "I'll take Captain Clueless to the back room while you patch up Kyuhyun," he said to Hyukjae.  While Hyuk briefly looked surprised to see Donghae, I had no time to think what was happening between them as I closed my eyes and everything went black.

------------------------------------------------

Back room of Cool Beans - Donghae

We sat on a couple of wooden crates.  Poor Jongwoon hyung looked stupified.  I rubbed my hands over my face and slowly shook my head, "I'm beginning to think we're all a bunch of idiots and truly deserve each other."

"What - just - happened?", my elder grumbled.  I raised my eyebrows.  "To Kyuhyun, I mean."

"Well, you know Kyu... headstrong, snarky, a bit too smart for everyone else's good.  He told me last week in one of his classes he got into a 'difference of opinion' with a bunch of guys who had 'thick necks and low mental capacity'.  I guess they threatened him after class, which he totally blew off.  I wish he would have taken them seriously..."

"Aish, here I was worried about my damn hat-"

"It was kinda ugly," I chuckled.

"Bwah!  It was kinda expensive!," he retorted as he shook his head laughing.  "Aw man, what can I do about Kyuhyun?"

"He likes you, you know - a lot."

"Funny way of showing it,"  he sniffed.

"It's true though, from the first time he saw you.  He's told Hyukjae and I soooo many times!  Ah, Hyukjae...", I sighed.  "Hyung, I'm scared.  I'm so scared that this is happening, finally happening."

"Do you love him?"

"Yeah," I whispered.  "Yeah, I do.  And it's a huge feeling.  After all this waiting, all this struggle, it's completely right in front of me.  Here is the rest of my life, enduringly.  Maybe scared isn't the right word, because I know it's going to work.  I think maybe I'm overwhelmed right now I just-"

"I love you, too," I heard behind me.

I jumped up.  My eyes must have gone wide because Jongwoon started to laugh at me as Hyukjae leaned in the doorway with Kyuhyun.  I couldn't very well hug him as much as I wanted as he was supporting the battered Kyuhyun, so I settled on resting my head on his free shoulder.  "How much of that did you hear?", I pouted.

Hyukjae murmured in my ear, "Enough to know that this is forever."

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Why hello there!  Remember me?  >.<  It's only been two years and I can truly say that my life is sometimes stranger than fan fiction.

I'm very happy to FINALLY have this chapter out for you my sweets and hope that you enjoyed it, as well :)

Just one more chapter to go to witness some domesticated EunHae and see if KyuSung can finally get their act together.

"And thank you for your support."

<3 TaiShanNiangNiang