Donghae took a deep breath. They were having dinner at their appartment, neither of them spoke a word. 

Those last few weeks, Hyukjae had spent his time watching videos or reading, distracted, uncommunicative.

He usually didn't talk much about his feelings, yes, but this time he wouldn't say anything at all and Donghae was reaching his limit of tolerance. 

And he reached his limit when Hyukjae took out his phone and started typing. Hae put down his utensils on the table and stretched out his arm. He took the cell phone out of his hands.

"Hey!"

"Are you serious, Hyukjae?"

"I just wanted to check something."

"You're avoiding me." 

"I'm literally right here." Donghae put the cell phone down beside him. "Give it back."

"Why don't you talk to me?"

"What do you mean?"

"These days, Hyuk. I will tell you my stuff, and try to talk to you. But you're distracted and hardly listen to me. If something bad is going on I'd like you to tell me. This is getting tiring."

Hyukjae frowned.

"It's nothing, Donghae. I just like to enjoy the silence sometimes, you know? I like to be alone too." 

"I let you be alone! I know you, I get that you prefer to be by yourself sometimes. But if we're together I hope you'll be my company too, and that you open up to me."

"Maybe it's been too much lately," Hyukjae said, playing with his food. They had both lost their appetites. 

"Too much of what?"

"Just too much! You just took my cell phone away, don't you think you're being a little dramatic?"

"We've been eating in silence every day this past week, I hate it."

"This is what I mean. You're always with me, always by my side, you ask me questions and expect me to be available all the time when sometimes, I don't know, I don't have anything to say, and you don't realize it bothers me."

"Then you should tell me!"

"I'm telling you now!" 

"For goodness sake, Hyukjae, you have to tell me the moment it happens. I'm not an idiot, I can give you space if you need me to."

"See, that's where you're wrong. It's almost impossible for you to give me space even if I ask you to. In the office, on the couch, in the bathroom. You're always there."

Donghae shook his head at Hyukjae’s tone. He bit his lower lip, stared at the table.

"You're such a jerk."

Maybe I should go be annoying somewhere else, he thought. He didn't say it, much less do it, but the thought made his eyes fill with tears.

His feelings were hurt, he would admit. Maybe Hyukjae was right and Donghae wasn’t respecting his boundaries, but it wasn't normal to not talk to your partner for weeks, was it? And Hyukjae had just said something that scared Donghae. A hint that Hyukjae didn't enjoy being with him like before.

A few seconds later, Hyukjae spoke up.

"Hey."

"What."

Hyukjae cleared his throat. 

"I didn't mean it that way. I appreciate you being by my side. You know that."

Donghae was upset by Hyukjae's words, he found it hard to believe at that exact moment. He couldn't figure Hyukjae out sometimes and it was getting on his nerves. 
 

"Then what do you want from me?" He wiped away a tear that fell down his cheeks, he couldn't help it. "I know I can be suffocating. But I haven't been able to get a word out of you in two weeks, it's frustrating," he mumbled. 

Hyukjae hated conflict. He liked to solve problems by talking it out just like Donghae, but some things were difficult to say out loud.

He had a hard time bringing some subjects to the table, and it took him so long to do so that it would build up over time, like in that moment. 

And Donghae used to be quite insistent, until Hyukjae would get to the point where he felt cornered, like in that moment, even if it was nothing difficult to resolve.

They both had to work out their differences. 

Still, Donghae had a valid point. Hyukjae knew that, if he kept nagging him about things, they weren't going to get anywhere. He took a deep breath.

"Listen... I may have been more distant than usual. No, I have, and I've noticed too. I'm sorry I pushed you away. It's nothing bad, actually everything's fine, it's just..." He shrugged his shoulders. "It just happened."

Donghae looked at him. "I'm glad you're okay."

"And I could have been more forthcoming, it's true. It's... I'll work on it."

Donghae snorted. "Thanks." 

"I mean it. I promise." Donghae nodded. He slowly wiped his tears with a napkin and sighed.

"Here, take your stupid phone," he said in a soft, resigned voice and Hyukjae smiled a little as he received the device.

"Do you… do you want me to reheat your food?" 

Donghae nodded again, Hyukjae stood up and picked up the plates to put them in the microwave.

They both sighed at the same time and looked at each other. They smiled slightly before Hyukjae averted his gaze and continued on his way to the kitchen.