Donghae laid wide awake in his bed, impatiently staring up at the ceiling while tapping his fingers over his left hand. He took a deep breathe and glanced at the clock on his nightstand and grumbled annoyingly when he saw the time. 

4:36.

Donghae glared at the clock as it taunted him with its ticking. He stared and stared until finally the long hand moved one line to the right so that it now read 4:37. That was all it took for him to thrash around in his bed and swiftly get up out of it. He walked towards the bathroom and immediately the tap to splash cold water on his face. He repeatedly splashed himself with cold water a few times until he felt his skin soaked with water. He gasped for air and slowly turned off the sink. Donghae glanced at his reflection and pouted.

His lips was bright red from the cold water but it was the hints of dark bags around his eyes that really got his attention. He scowled as this was not the look he was aiming for for his date with Hyukjae. 

"Ugh- I can't see Hyukjae like this." Donghae peered at his reflection closer, massaging around his cheekbones and checking his face left then right before pouting again. "Of all days for my insomnia to hit, why now?" 

Donghae heaved a heavy sigh and walked to the other side of the bathroom to where another marble countertop filled with his usual cosmetic productss was arranged neatly and accordingly. It was rare for him to use these and most of the time he doesn't. He only follows the routine that Heechul had set up for him at night which left for more than half of the products on the counter untouched. However, today, Donghae needed a miracle so that he can maintain his handsome look and not look like he'd just recently risen from the dead. 

"Alright, Heechul hyung." Donghae picked up an unfamiliar pink product that belonged in Heechul's beauty line and hoped to high heavens that it's as magical as his brother had advertised. "Let's work your magic."

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Hyukjae, on his side, was not doing any better. He was in the kitchen trying to finish off a quarter pint of ice cream as he kept nervously glancing at the clock in the kitchen after each bite. When the minute hand finally moved to the 10, Hyukjae groaned and kept the spoon in his mouth as he laid his head over his arms on the table, lazily waiting for time to pass him by. Kyuhyun, who was on his way to get a glass of water, was surprised to find him in the kitchen looking like somebody had just stolen his strawberry milk again. 

"What are you doing here?" Kyuhyun glanced at the clock and frowned. "I don't usually see you until 3pm on the weekend. What gives?"

Hyukjae sat back up on his seat but the obvious pout on his face only brought more questions than answers for Kyuhyun. He poured himself a glass of water before turning around to face Hyukjae and leaning his waist against the sink. 

"I couldn't sleep." Hyukjae said trying to sound less anxious than he was feeling and took another stab at the tub of ice cream in front of him. 

Kyuhyun smirked while drinking his water, able to see right through his act. "Too excited, huh."

Hyukjae glared and tried to deny it. "No."

Kyuhyun scoffed and placed his glass on the sink. "Whatever. Try not to eat too much of ice cream. You don't want to magically gain ten pounds before your date." Kyuhyun warned on his way out.

Hyukjae scrunched up his nose and just to spite his roommate took a giant scoop out of the tub and shoved it in his face. Kyuhyun came back with his head in the kitchen and with a teasing smile said, "I think I see a zit right there on your face too." He pointed towards the side of his cheeks for Hyukjae to mirror then left cackling after seeing Hyukjae's horrified face. 

The ice cream was left abandoned on the table as Hyukjae ran his way to the bathroom to check every crevice of his face for said blemish. Kyuhyun's faint laughter from his room could be heard and Hyukjae growled knowing it was just his roommate trying to rile him up again.

"CHO KYUHYUN!"

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The sun may not have risen as quickly as Hyukjae or Donghae would have liked but eventually, it did and the time of their supposed meet up came closer and closer. Donghae, in order to calm his nerves a little, spent two and half hours in the gym breaking a sweat. By the time he was done he took a quick shower and put on the outfit that Leeteuk and Heechul had chosen for him. He was all set and ready by 7:30am. 

Hyukjae, who spent the majority of his morning trying to annoy the living the daylights out of Kyuhyun, was ready by 8:15am. After Kyuhyun threatened to send Donghae every embarrassing photo he had of him in his phone, Hyukjae turned his nervous energy into getting ready instead. It might have been too early but it's not like there was anything he'd rather do anyways. He was really excited to see Donghae and if getting ready two and half hours before their supposed meet time was the only thing left to do, then at the very least he won't be late. 

He ventured out early in the day and hoped Donghae wouldn't think it was weird of him to be so early for their date. Hyukjae doesn't mind waiting for his dates. Even when he would arrive just on time a lot of his exes still arrived 20-30 minutes late anyway so he was used to waiting.

The bus to the Han river arrived right on time. He glanced at his clock and smiled knowing that he'd arrive there probably just a little bit before 9:00. That's not too early, right? When Donghae comes he could probably pretend like he just got there himself. He looked out towards the sky and seeing the bright blue skies and white clouds floating away, he had a pretty good feeling that it would be a good day. 

Hyukjae's plan to take the hour to himself and calm his nerves before his date with Donghae was ruined after he saw the latter already pacing back and forth on their designated meeting spot. He gasped and immediately hid behind one of the vending stands that was yet to open for the day. He very discreetly peered back to where he previously saw Donghae standing and found him with his arm leaning against a tree with a hand on his waist while shaking his head dejectedly on the ground. Hyukjae got worried that Donghae might not be feeling so well. 

"Okay, Donghae. Just-Just calm down. Just breathe." Donghae muttered to himself then started to rub his hands together. He looked at his watch and nervously the top of his lip as he gazed back down at the river. "It's okay. He's gonna be here. It's only 9:00. He'll be here." He kept muttering to himself trying to drown out his worries that Hyukjae could choose to not show up after all. It wasn't the latter's fault that he couldn't contain himself and decided to come to their meeting spot two hours early. He was about to start pacing again when he finally heard the voice of the person he's been waiting for. 

"Donghae?"

"Hyukjae! Hi!" Donghae jumped a little as he swiftly turned around and greeted the other a little loudly, that was then followed by a nervous chuckle with a mental kick to himself for sounding like an idiot first thing to their date. 

Hyukjae chuckled and found Donghae's surprised expression incredibly adorable. "Hi," he greeted back with the same nervous energy. "Have you been here long?"

"Uhh--oh no. No,no,no....I just, um, I just got here..." Donghae said but if his stutter didn't give him away then his tone certainly did. 

Hyukjae glanced at his watch and wondered if it was possible that it might have been wrong. "It's...9:00..."

"Y-Yeah," Donghae rubbed the back of his head self-consciously. "I-...I couldn't sleep so...so I got here early."