Eight

Friday comes around both too soon and too late. Eyes strained on the moving hands of the wall-clock, Donghae wishes hard that they would slow down, as much as he wants them to hurry up and reach eight o’clock already. There’s still an hour and half to go until then, however, and all he can do in the meantime is brew a little bit more nervousness and wait. Nibbling unconsciously on the insides of his cheeks, he slumps against the counter and lets his forehead drop onto it. He sends another conflicted glance towards the hospital and groans to himself, all under Ryeowook’s amused eyes.

The two soulmates agreed to meet up that night for their first official date together. The prospect of it is as thrilling as it’s also nerve-wracking, but all in a good way. The only downsides are that Donghae feels like he’s become a teenager all over again, that he’s probably going to embarrass himself more than just once, and that Hyukjae will be fully aware of it. In fact, the Sharing of thoughts can also be a hindrance, he realizes mournfully, and most especially when one is trying to come up with a surprise.

Trying not to think of the very reason of his nervousness is a very tiring pastime, Donghae sighs to himself. And certainly not one he can claim to be good at. Hopefully, Hyukjae has been too busy today to pay attention to his inner rambling. He wouldn’t really count on it, though.

“It’s just a date,” Ryeowook then pipes up when he looks ready to tear his hair out of frustration. “Don’t be so nervous, hyung, it doesn’t suit you. Everything will go well.”

Donghae turns to his friend and gives him a pained look. “But what if he thinks it’s boring and realizes he doesn’t like me at all, that I’m a horrible man because I like seafood, and then says he doesn’t want to see me anymore, and I’ll cry and be heartbroken and—”

“You’re exaggerating, Donghae-hyung,” the other cuts him off flatly.

At the same time, Hyukjae’s voice resonates in his head and says, you’re being very dramatic, Donghae. I’m not going to stop seeing you just because you like seafood. What kind of logic is that?

“Sorry,” Donghae mumbles, although he’s not really sure who he’s talking to. “I’m just… nervous.”

I am, too, Hyukjae chuckles softly. I’m nervous and… excited, too.

“I know you are,” Ryeowook nods wisely as he picks up a dust-cloth and wipes distractedly the surface of the counter clean. “It’ll be fine, trust me. Just don’t do anything stupid.”

That’s easier said than done, Donghae wants to retort.

*

As nervous as he knows his soulmate is, Hyukjae tries his best to focus all his attention on one task in hopes of clearing out his mind. Which appears to be quite impossible, he realizes soon enough, as Donghae’s agitation continues to distract him. He sighs to himself, swiftly reminded of the one drawback that comes along with the Sharing. Not that he particularly minds it—quite the opposite, actually—, but he supposes that everything should have some of its own flaws. In fact, the stronger their emotions are, the more powerfully they are going to reverberate in each other’s minds. And today, they’re so loud he almost jumped out of his skin when he woke up this morning. As much as Hyukjae enjoys swimming in his soulmate’s thoughts and letting the latter hear his own without the potential embarrassment that speaking actual words brings, it can still be distracting. Considering his field of work, which requires a lot of concentration, and his wish to keep a part of his life private, he can’t help but find it a little difficult to handle. Plus, acting nonchalant or cool while he’s actually feeling shy and eager is nearly impossible these days.

Hyukjae knows that Donghae agrees with him, although maybe for slightly different reasons. The constant struggle he’s been going through all day to keep his plans for the evening secret is certainly one of them.

The thought makes Hyukjae smile happily. He might be complaining about a lot of things, but really, he’s just as thrilled about their upcoming date as Donghae is. Knowing that his soulmate is about to show up anytime soon is enough to make him feel all giddy inside.

Nibbling onto his lower lip, he glances up at the wall-clock of the staff room. Spending time with Donghae is something he’s always looked forward to; spending time that has great chances of taking a romantic stance sounds even more perfect, if that’s possible. Be rational, he scolds himself mildly. There’s no need to act like a thirteen-year-old kid who gets to bring their crush to prom, is there? And yet, there he is, doing his best to refrain from squealing in impatience and failing at it miserably.

Hyukjae? Donghae calls softly, prompting him to blush and his heart to skip a beat.

Yes? he replies, affecting a tranquil tone that doesn’t sound even close to convincing.

A nervous yet slightly amused