After 4 months, I was able to update this! 😅 I got so engrossed with another pairing (anime one) and I am busy reading in AO3. Plus, I have work to do irl. Kkk But seeing some of you messaged me about this story, taaadaaaa! Thanks a lot for the support, especially those who leave comments and share their thoughts! They mean a lot. ❤ 

Deuce.

Calm your , Dara. Focus. Dara let out the building squeals of wanting to celebrate the sudden grace of Donghae’s glorious body through her nose. They needed to win the deuce. Suddenly, a whistle signaling the start of the game was heard. She tried to focus on the game. Damn, she really did. But the sweat falling from Donghae’s chin to his perfectly sculpted abdomen was hella distracting. She walked backwards, not really looking at the direction of the ball, after their member served, and when Donghae raised his eyes to meet hers . . .

“Dara!”

“Oh my god.”

“Owww,” groaned Dara as she stumbled on her feet, covering her eyes that was hit by Heechul’s strong spike. The noise in the crowd halted as the players gathered near her.

Ilwoo and Seungyeon came to her side quickly. “Are you alright?”

“My eyes,” She mumbled, rubbing her eyes with her hands.

“Don’t rub it.” She heard Donghae’s voice on her left. She tried to squint to look at her surroundings, but the sand on her eyes were making it too difficult, too painful, to do so.

 “Why the are you walking inside a court like you’re in a damn park?” Heechul asked in a curious tone.

“Heechul,” reprimanded Leeteuk. “You should go to the clinic, Dara.” He bent to get a closer look of her face. “Your forehead is really red, and your eyes are tearing up from the sand. You shouldn’t rub it.”

“Yeah. It will irritate more, eonni.” Minzy said, while trying to fan her with her shirt.

“I’ll bring you to the clinic.” Donghae and Ilwoo said in unison.

Dara moved her head from left to right; the others were quiet too, looking at the two men.

“It’s okay, Mr. Lee.” Ilwoo put a hand around Dara’s shoulder. Donghae’s eyes followed it, controlling whatever expression threatening to come out his face with a smile. “I can-”

“Oh no, you’re not leaving this game, Ilwoo.” Heechul waved a finger.

“What?” Ilwoo asked in confusion.

“Heechul, someone’s already injured.” Leeteuk told him.

“Oh, shush.” He shrugged. “She’ll be fine, right Dara?”

Dara’s head turned to his direction. “Yes, chef.” She knew Heechul wasn’t being inconsiderate or what. To be honest, she felt she could play still. “Actually, I can-”

“Donghae. Bring her to the clinic. I’ll find a replacement for you.” He said with finality and went back to his side of the court. “You!” He pointed to a female Taiwanese guest who looked so eager to join since the start of the second set. “Join us. Everybody, on their positions!” He clapped his hands twice.

Donghae fought the smile on his lips when he saw Ilwoo moved back to lead his team. “Let’s go, Dara.” He assisted her carefully out the court to go the resort’s clinic.

Heechul smirked, his gaze following the two for a moment, then dropped it. “Yah! I’ll kill y’all if we don’t win this! Come on!”

The nurse in the resort gave Dara eye drops to ease the irritation in her both eyes. Donghae stood quietly beside her all the time. They were inside a small room where Dara sat on the clinic’s bed. “If the pain in your eyes won’t ease after an hour, we’ll see if you’ll need antibiotics,” said the nurse.

“Excuse me! Is there a nurse here?!”

Donghae opened the door of the room where one of their staff came in. He quickly recognized the owner and bowed to him. 

“Wae?” The nurse asked, standing on her seat.

“One of our guests has an asthma attack. The parents said they forgot the kid’s inhaler.” He filled in.

“Excuse me, Mr. Lee.” The nurse bowed to him and left the room to attend to the patient.

Donghae walked near Dara whose head was still looking at the ceiling. “Does your eyes still hurt?”

She blinked thrice, letting the liquid escaped her eyes and fell on her cheeks. “I think I’m good, boss.” She was still blinking rapidly as turned her head to the front, hands wiping her cheeks.

Donghae saw that her hands were still full of sand, dusting her face with it more. He took her wrist to stop her. “You are putting more sand on your face.” 

“Oh.” Dara put her hands on her lap. Donghae pulled his hand and took the clean white towel on a bowl on top of the table. Dara held out her hands, thinking her boss would give it to her. Her hands remained on air as her body gone rigid, when Donghae sat on the bed near her and began wiping her forehead with the soft cloth. Her breath hitched; it wasn’t the hit of the ball that was making her lightheaded but the proximity and touch of Donghae. She couldn’t bring herself to look at his face, knowing the blush on her fully exploded. She willed her eyes to look at his shirt . . . shirt? Where?!

His upper body that caused her brain to malfunction a while ago greeted her once again. The hard s on the man’s chest were enough to make her gasp out loud and pulled back. 

Donghae was shocked at the reaction and her widened eyes directed at him. “What?” He was so confused why she looked like he just told her the world is ending now. Well, to Dara, her world was definitely shaken to its very core. “Does something hurt?”

“Hmngh.” She shook her head, not trusting her words. , if she moaned right there. , she knew she would. Her sockets were fixed at him, knowing she’d jump at him if given a chance. How dare him be in a room with her ?! Well, not that , but still! Heavens forbid if she started having a nosebleed. He is so freaking hoooottttt!

“Okay.” Donghae said, not understanding her, but continued to wipe her right cheek with the wet towel in silence. 

Her body calmed down slowly as she stared at his eyes, focused on wiping her nose now. Lee Donghae . . .

The towel on his hand went down her lips and stayed right there. His mind brought him to that night. That night they were alone on the dock. The dock where he first had that taste of her lips. That taste which for the past weeks had not once left his mind. His mind that was whispering to him give in. To forget. To have her again. 

Dara’s lips trembled when his right thumb touched her lower lip, his gaze on it as if it was the most precious thing in the world for him. It was crazy, but both of them couldn’t identify whose loud, deafening heartbeat it was that they were hearing. 

Donghae felt something awakened in him, as his thumb moved up her lip and down again gently, feeling her soft lips and the warmth of her breath along it. 

Dara closed her eyes, her hand crumpling the green sheets of the bed, knowing too well that if she wouldn’t, her hands might just grab her boss and do something they might regret. But that will wasn’t built strong to hold what her mind tells her to do. 

As Dara opened her eyes again and Donghae raised his, allowing himself to be lost once more in her gaze, he slowly lowered his head, his fingers settling on her warm cheek.

“Mr. Lee.”

Like a lightning struck them, Donghae jumped out the bed, gluing himself to the wall, eyes wide open at the nurse who just opened the door. Dara was left on the bed, eyes blinking as she woke up from the spell casted by this now stuttering prince beside her.

“Y-yeah? Wha- huh?”

The nurse was pretty surprised at his reaction too. He looked like a kid caught doing something naughty. “T-The kid with asthma is okay now, sir.”

“R-right.” It was only then that the air was coming back to him, but sure he felt dizzy. “Wow. I mean, not wow. G-great. Good.” He was babbling nonsense, but he didn’t look at Dara. His face felt burning, he now wondered if he was having fever or something. “Good for the kid.” He said after swallowing the shock and awkwardness on his throat. “I’m going.” He made a quick, short bow to Dara without looking at her, then went out of the room in a hurry. 

The breeze of the ocean welcomed him, but he was sure sweating it out more than the game a while ago. A waiter who was passing by stopped to greet him, but was dumbfounded when Donghae grabbed the glass of iced tea on his tray and emptied it in one go. His mouth opened then closed when Donghae returned the glass to the tray. “Sir. Are you okay?” The guy was concerned how the owner looked like he spent six hours in a gym when he just got out of the clinic, face flushed in red. 

“Yeah. Why wouldn’t I be?” He nodded, then grabbed the other iced tea on the tray, drink