They are standing at the gates of a funfair, chests heaving up and down. Hyukjae is trying to catch his breath; Donghae is beaming at his bent form.

“What are we doing here?” the taller manages to ask after taking in their surroundings. The place isn’t crowded anymore; it’s nearing midnight. Donghae looks away, the grin never leaving his face.

“I’m not dressed for this. You could’ve told me where we were going,” Hyukjae continues. “Running,” he corrects himself.

Donghae’s eyes are back on the other. “You’re wearing jeans and a hoodie. What else would you wear for a funfair date,” he states flatly before turning to walk ahead.

Hyukjae’s nose scrunches up at Donghae’s choice of words. “Here we go again,” he mouthes to himself and jogs a few meters to catch up.

“Popcorn? Cotton candy?” Donghae is gone before the other gets to choose.

Hyukjae decides to look around in the meantime. The shooting range a few stands away particularly catches his attention, but Donghae is already back by his side with a huge stick of blue cotton candy. 

“Was hoping you’d get popcorn. We’ll get all gross.”

“That’s what I’m here for,” Donghae smiles up at the other before taking a careful bite. “Shall we?”

Hyukjae locks his arm with Donghae’s extended one, but not without a scoff.

It isn’t long before the shorter speaks up again. “This makes no sense. I’m twenty-six and this is my first funfair date,” he states distractedly, stopping to take a closer look at a claw machine.

Hyukjae’s eyes bore into the back of Donghae’s head as the latter tries to figure out how the thing works. “Why do you keep calling this a date?”

“Why are you such a coward?” Donghae fires back without missing a beat, slowly turning around to look at the other with soft, composed eyes. He sees Hyukjae’s face flash with surprise that quickly morphs into discomfort. “Does it matter? It’s just a word.” 

His words are drowned out by a firework going off across from where he’s standing. 

“Look. Pretty,” he says a little bit too fast, urging Hyukjae to turn around.

“Fireworks? What’s the occasion?”

“How would I know! What d’you wanna do?” Donghae blurts, slight panic evident in his voice.

“Uh, shooting range?”

The shorter nods in response and locks his arm with Hyukjae’s again. They keep quiet until they reach the spot. 

Donghae is the one to break the silence again. “Wanna hear a joke?”

“Can’t wait.”

“Cool. What do you call a duck that likes watching fireworks?”

Hyukjae looks at Donghae expectantly while the younger fiddles with his wallet.

“A firequacker.”

They hear a giggle and simultaneously turn in the direction it came from. To the left, there’s an elderly lady bashfully smiling up at Donghae.

“Ah, I’m sorry. I couldn’t help but overhear. That was precious.”

Donghae bows down and gives her a teethy grin of his own. “Thank you!”

“Glad to have a comedic genius for a friend. Life’s never boring,” comes Hyukjae’s mocking response, but he also smiles politely.

The two don’t see Donghae’s smile falter as they look up to watch another firework explode in the distance.

“I’d love to stay and watch these for a little while longer but I need to get going. You two have a lovely time,” she squeezes their hands before walking away.

Hyukjae’s eyes follow her for a few long seconds before snapping back to Donghae when he feels a nudge on his arm.

“Hm?”

“Pay attention to me. I asked how that date with Eunchae went.”

“Eunchae? Uh... ‘twas great?”

“Great,” Donghae comments, craning his neck in search of the stand’s owner.

“Yeah. Great.”

A man finally emerges from the side and greets them with a wave. “Sorry kids, it looks like you gotta go home. I’m closing. And the others are, too.”

Donghae slumps his shoulders. “Seriously?”

“Alright, alright. Goodnight, sir.” Hyukjae gives the man a quick bow before wrapping an insistent arm around the shorter.

“‘Kids’. Means we look young,” Donghae notes when they’re a few meters away.

Hyukjae snickers, putting his hands in his pockets. “Me? Sure. But you? You look about forty-three. On a good day.”

Donghae is about to retort with a kick when the other asks, “Why’d you style your hair like this? Makes you look older.” His hands move to flatten the quiff Donghae is sporting. “I like it better this way.”

Donghae looks down, brows furrowed. “You never told me.”

“‘Cause you never asked.”

A firework goes off, closely followed by another one.

“Are we really going home? I don’t wanna,” Hyukjae says with one last ruffle to Donghae’s bangs.

The boy takes a while to respond. “Uh, we don’t have to? Let’s... let’s go sit somewhere.”

They walk out through the back gate, finishing off the cotton candy. Donghae leaves Hyukjae’s side to run up a nearby hill before plopping down.

“Nice spot,” Hyukjae comments after reaching the younger. 

“Could be our secret place. Or some like that. What do they call those things?” Donghae watches, head propped up against his knee, as the other settles to his right.

“Hideaways? You’re so stupid.”

“Tell me something I don’t know,” Donghae says, scrutinizing the stars. 

Hyukjae makes a face at the sudden seriousness in Donghae’s tone, but doesn’t press it. He settles for observing the way the other blows his bangs out of his eyes.

He’s snapped out of his daze a few seconds later, when the biggest firework so far sparkles across the sky.

“This is the only moment, Hyuk.”

“‘The only moment’ that what?” Hyukjae questions, having realized the other isn’t going to continue.

Donghae looks at his lap for a few moments before leaning his forehead against it and mumbling, “That matters?”

At that, Hyukjae frantically grabs the stone lying next to his foot and looks at it closely. “You’re asking me? You know I never know what to say to these things.” He sends it flying down the hill.

“Right,” Donghae says, this time looking directly at the other. The understanding, reconciled eyes are back. “I don’t really need you to say anything.”

Hyukjae avoids his gaze, the blade of grass he’s currently holding seemingly much more interesting.

“You want me to kiss you,” he states matter-of-factly.

“That would be a start.”

“Not trying to start anything,” the older blinks rapidly before carefully turning to lock his eyes with Donghae’s.

Just then, the other moves closer and startles Hyukjae with a hasty kiss, placing a sure hand on his cheek.

It doesn’t last longer than three seconds. Donghae goes back to his previous position and watches the boy’s expression go from shocked to frustrated with a content smile.

“God, why the hell are you so impatient? I was preparing myself.”

Donghae raises his brows. “For five years,” he deadpans.

“You,” Hyukjae starts in the same accusing tone, but it falters entirely when he says, “you have a point.”

The younger lets out a chuckle. “And you’re a kid. But you’re perfect.”

Hyukjae takes a visibly deep breath and slowly raises his hand to touch the other’s cheek.

Donghae’s eyes follow the movement. “Why’re you shaking?” he asks upon noticing the hand tremble. “It’s just me, Hyuk,” he reassures and covers it with his own.

“You’re shaking, too.”

First, they both break into stupid smiles, and then into fits of laughter. Donghae hides behind his hands, the way he always does. Hyukjae moves to pry one of them away. He brings it to his lips and plants a kiss on the knuckles. The younger doesn’t protest, so he does the same with the other one.

“Unbelievable,” Donghae finally reacts.

“Will you shut up and let me do this my way?” the other retorts, feigning annoyance.

“Of course, of course. Sorry, prince,” Donghae says with a mocking bow of the head, “you can go back to kissing my knuckles.”

Hyukjae shakes his head disapprovingly and tugs at Donghae’s sleeves to bring him closer. Not letting go of the hands, he closes the small distance between them. 

The kiss is much more delicate this time. Somewhere along the way, Hyukjae’s hand ends up on the other’s lap; Donghae finds support on Hyukjae’s chest.

The older breaks apart first, but stays in Donghae’s space for a little while. He’s grinning when the other opens his eyes.

“They should be going off right now,” Donghae whispers, nodding in the direction where the last firework exploded.

“We’re not in a Disney movie, Hae.”

“No, but really,” the younger says, shaking his bangs out of his vision. “Kinda paid someone to set them off every ten minutes.”

Hyukjae’s eyes grow twice their size. “You planned all this?”

The other just nods innocently.

“You’re ting me.”

Another nod. “Yeah.”

The last firework of the night soars through the sky unnoticed.