i hope you smile

───── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ─────

Eunhyuk was feeling sad nowadays. Yesung noticed it, as always.

“Is something bothering you?” Yesung asked as he gently threaded his fingers through his lover’s hair, earning him a hum of appreciation from the latter.

“What do you mean?” Eunhyuk mumbled lazily as he snuggled close to Yesung, his arms wrapped around the older’s neck.

Yesung chuckled and Eunhyuk’s back in a soothing motion, drawing slow circles on the soft material of his shirt. “You only get clingy like this whenever you’re sad.”

“I’m not sad,” Eunhyuk answered — a little too quickly — but he buried his face in the crook of Yesung’s neck and sighed. “It’s nothing.”

“Won’t you tell me?” Yesung asked softly, but he knew deep inside that Eunhyuk wasn’t the kind of person to do just that. He had much better luck whenever his boyfriend was drunk; Eunhyuk tended to tell someone the things from his heart whenever his inhibitions were lowered. When he was sober, however, he mostly kept his troubles to himself and rarely initiated deep talks.

Yesung, on the other hand, wanted to talk about emotional things, about the secrets he kept inside his heart that he wanted to share with someone. Eunhyuk was a good listener whenever Yesung ranted about his troubles and insecurities, but it was rare for the younger to speak up about his own struggles. It was like something was holding him back from showing his vulnerable side to anyone.

Yesung remembered the adorable crybaby in the past and his lips curved into a bittersweet smile.

“It’s nothing important,” Eunhyuk insisted, but his grip on Yesung became noticeably tighter. “Just that...”

Yesung waited for the younger to collect his thoughts.

Eunhyuk seemed to be having trouble saying the words. “...well, you know that ever since this pandemic started, we haven’t been meeting our fans that much now, right...?”

Yesung nodded to show that he understood, continuing to rub Eunhyuk’s back soothingly.

“I kinda miss having concerts...” Eunhyuk admitted quietly. “I miss having fanmeetings, public interviews, traveling from one country to another... Our world tour wasn’t even finished yet when the lockdown began...”

“Yeah...” Yesung remembered that time. They’d all been sad and disappointed, but they all understood why it had to be that way. It was unfortunate, but healthy and safety came first and foremost, no question about that.

“I understand,” Yesung said softly. “I guess you’re also lonely in a way. But soon, things will get better.”

“I hope so,” Eunhyuk said quietly.

“It will get better, Hyukjae-ya. Cheer up,” Yesung encouraged, pressing a kiss on the back of the younger’s head.

“...I’ll try, hyung” was Eunhyuk’s reply, and Yesung knew that he couldn’t do anything else for him at the moment except to just be here as a source of comfort.

───── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ─────

Days passed by, and whenever schedules were done and they were alone, Eunhyuk couldn’t bring himself to smile from his heart. He would laugh sometimes, and he would also get excited, but they were only temporary reactions; soon, Eunhyuk would revert back to his true self, tired and constantly seeking affection from his boyfriend.

Yesung just wanted him to smile his usual happy, gummy smile.

But what can I do? he wondered to himself one night as he tried to fall asleep at an early hour of the night. He had done everything he could to make his boyfriend smile more, but to no avail. He had even come up with some funny jokes that he took absolute pride in, but Eunhyuk had only laughed at them for a duration of thirty seconds before he grew somber once more and wanted another hug from Yesung. That was admittedly a blow to his pride — he had thought so hard about those jokes, damn it...

Soon, Yesung couldn’t stand it any longer and grabbed his phone from the nightstand, planning to do a quick search on the internet. When all else failed and Plan Z was the only hope, people who were desperate enough to succeed would resort to any method as long as it held a possibility of success no matter how embarrassing or ridiculous it was.

And Yesung did not want to see a smiling Eunhyuk on screens only. He wanted a smiling Eunhyuk right in front of his face, smiling a genuinely happy smile, even just for a day.

So, Yesung took in a deep breath and began to type.

‘How to make my girlfriend happy’

...He would never let Eunhyuk know about this — he would take this search term he used to his grave.

───── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ─────

KakaoChat

DocTeuk

Yesung-ah, we’re already on our way

Are you done?

Ye

Hyung, I’m done.

I’m waiting for Eunhyuk.

DocTeuk

Hyukjae?

ㅋㅋㅋㅋ

Did he arrive late again?

Ye

Yes.

He looks tired.

I’ll keep him company here.

DocTeuk

OK.

We still have time, but hurry.

I’ll be waiting outside in the van.

Ye

Okay, hyung.

Yesung looked up from his screen to glance over at Eunhyuk. The younger was seated in front of the mirror, being tended to by his stylists. His features were tight and drawn, appearing as if he was fighting to stay awake.

Yesung walked over to him in concern.

“Hyukjae-ya,” he called out softly, placing a warm hand on the younger’s shoulder. “Are you okay?”

Eunhyuk, who was slightly leaning against his chair with his eyes closed, mumbled, “Yeah, hyung... Just sleepy...”

Yesung squeezed his shoulder reassuringly. “What time did you go to sleep last night?”

“Two in the morning, I think...” Eunhyuk sighed, cracking one eye open to look at Yesung in the reflection of the mirror in front of them. “Hyung, aren’t you going? Is the van here already?”

“No. I’ll stay here with you and we’ll go out together,” Yesung told him with a smile, retracting his hand back to his side as he straightened his posture.

Eunhyuk opened both his eyes at that moment, a small, embarrassed smile gracing his features. “You always wait for me,” he remarked softly, quietly, that Yesung had to strain his ear to hear his words.

“I don’t mind,” Yesung said, his lips curving into a smile that was wide enough to show his teeth. “You can rest more in the van, too. Save up your energy for today’s episode.” With that, Yesung patted his back reassuringly and began to walk away.

Eunhyuk was watching him, eyes trained on Yesung’s figure as he approached the door leading to the outside of the room.

“Where are you going?” The words came out of his lips out of reflex.

“I’ll be back” was Yesung’s response before he exited the room.

───── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ─────

Eunhyuk fought off another yawn as the stylist finished with his face and began to work on his hair.

“You don’t need to fix it up too much,” he told her with a smile. “I’ll be going for a casual look today.”

His stylist chuckled and nodded in response, gently combing through his strands to make it look neat. Eunhyuk tuned out the rest of his surroundings at that moment, closing his eyes once more. They were already stinging from lack of sleep.

He shouldn’t have watched that drama last night. He had a schedule earlier in the morning and fell asleep in the waiting room, but it wasn’t until Donghae bombarded his phone with texts that he suddenly remembered that they had filming in the afternoon.

Basically, he was run ragged all day.

How am I going to focus later...? he wondered, but only for a brief moment because sleep was threatening to take him over once more.

He was beginning to doze off lightly when he suddenly felt a hand on his shoulder.

“Hyukjae.” Yesung’s gentle voice drifted into his ears. “Drink this.”

Eunhyuk opened his eyes almost blearily. “Mmhuh?” he mumbled in surprise, glancing at the object Yesung was pressing against his lips.

“Drink this,” Yesung urged. “It’ll help keep you up during the shooting.”

“Coffee?” Eunhyuk said in surprise. “Where did you get this?”

“From the vending machine outside,” Yesung answered.

“Oh.” Eunhyuk took a sip from the cup, feeling the warm liquid going down his throat. “Thanks, hyung.”

He didn’t really like coffee, but it was a necessity sometimes. He’d forgotten to make a quick stop by the café earlier, so he was thankful that Yesung brought him this.

Yesung had always been the more considerate one between the two of them.

“No problem. I’ll wait for you here,” Yesung promised, and Eunhyuk felt a warm feeling settle over in his chest.

When Eunhyuk was finally finished ten minutes later, the three of them along with their manager were now on their way towards the shooting location. Eunhyuk made himself comfortable in the seat on the right while Leeteuk rode shotgun.

Yesung settled himself on the seat beside Eunhyuk and patted the younger’s shoulder. “Rest for a while,” he told him.

Eunhyuk turned to him with a small smile and nodded. Yesung smiled back, watching intently as his boyfriend leaned against the backrest, closing his eyes.

Eunhyuk was fast asleep in minutes. Yesung looked up from his phone and saw that Eunhyuk’s head was already dangling sideways and he laughed.

He’s like a kid sometimes, Yesung thought affectionately as he finally brought out the rose he’d been hiding in his bag. He couldn’t resist taking a video though, so after he successfully placed the flower on Eunhyuk’s lap, he stopped the recording and gently straightened Eunhyuk’s head, letting it rest against the back of his seat. Yesung his boyfriend’s head, smiling at the most peaceful expression he’d seen on Eunhyuk’s face these past few weeks.

Rest well, my love.

───── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ─────

“Okay, we’re here!” Leeteuk announced as the van slowly came to a stop, rousing Eunhyuk from his slumber. “Hyukjae-ya, wake up now~” he added before opening the car door and exiting the vehicle with his things. Their manager followed suit, going towards the back of the van to take out the rest of their baggage.

“We’re here already?” Eunhyuk yawned, rubbing his eyes. He stretched his arms upwards and arched his back against the seat, trying to pop all the sore muscles he had.

I don’t feel as tired as I was earlier now, he mused in satisfaction. Must be because of the coffee.

As I thought, Yesung-hyung really is the best~

When he made a move to check his phone though, it was at that moment when he saw it.

“What’s this?” he wondered aloud, hand reflexively picking up the object that was lying innocently on his lap. Eunhyuk’s groggy mind began to clear up when he realized that it was a single white rose, fresh-looking and wrapped neatly in a formal manner.

A flower…? I don’t remember bringing one??

How did it get here?

His sleepiness vanishing, he stared at the rose in his hand as he brought it up before his eyes. He didn’t even know how long he’d been staring at it. Had only seconds passed, or was it minutes already? He didn’t know.

...Who would—?

And the answer came to him in an instant.

Whipping his head towards his left, Eunhyuk felt his heart thud in his chest like the beat of a drum as the sight of Yesung observing his reaction with a sweet smile on his face filled his vision.

How long has he been looking at me like that…?

Eunhyuk stared, lips parted in complete surprise. Yesung stared back, his smile widening into a beautiful grin that showed his teeth. He was gazing at Eunhyuk with an adoring expression on his face, head tilted sideways as he rested his fist against his right cheek, elbow propped up on the armrest beside him. His body was turned fully towards Eunhyuk, completely focused on his boyfriend.

Eunhyuk’s mouth went dry. “Why did — why did you give—”

“Because I thought it would cheer you up today,” Yesung answered without hesitation.

...Cheer me up? Eunhyuk was speechless. He didn’t know what to say. It wasn’t that he’d never been given flowers before; he received plenty of that as congratulation gifts, especially when he made his debut as MC of Weekly Idol.

But this gesture… it was a different thing altogether. It wasn’t the usual bouquet and it wasn’t even given to him in a flashy gesture.

Also… it was given to him by Yesung. Yesung, of all people. His own boyfriend. It felt kind of weird to be the one receiving flowers in a relationship, but it also felt… really nice in a way. It felt sincere. Genuine. Intimate.

Romantic.

Out of reflex, Eunhyuk’s eyes self-consciously darted around his surroundings. The manager and other staff members were still hauling their things from behind the van. Leeteuk’s figure, on the other hand, was visible from the front window, seemingly talking to someone on the phone.

“Well?” Yesung said when Eunhyuk still didn’t say anything in response. “Do you like it?”

...D—Do I like it…??

Eunhyuk’s body numbed in embarrassment as he slowly realized that yes, he did like it — no, he loved it, actually — and it was such a romantic gesture that it made all of his nerve functions come to a halt. It made him imagine happy fantasies in his head and it also cleared all his worries and cleansed his soul and made him fall even more in love with Yesung if that was even possible—

...

...Okay, it was all good, but he’d rather die than let Yesung know about these sudden sappy thoughts of his! No way in hell! Nuh uh!!

So Eunhyuk cleared his throat and let out his best casual laugh… which suddenly sounded more shaky than he expected but that would have to do for now.

“Nope,” he said, huffing. “I—I don’t like it at all.” Damn it, why did he stammer?? Stay cool! “I mean, geez, this is really corny... Hyung, seriously? Don’t you think this is a waste? It—It’ll wither soon, anyway!” , he really stuttered on that one! He was now doomed for eternity!!

...Or so he thought, but Yesung’s expression didn’t even change the slightest bit during his nonsensical rambling. Instead, when Eunhyuk finished his explanation, Yesung casually reached out and brushed a few strands away from the younger’s face.

Eunhyuk paused, his body stilling immediately. He could feel his heart pounding in his chest again. It was so loud inside his head that he was suddenly afraid that Yesung might hear it, too.

Yesung laughed as he retracted his hand back to his side. “Your ears are red,” he pointed out.

“No they’re not!” Eunhyuk denied immediately, but cried inside when he felt his cheeks grow even hotter. His body was such a traitor; it never listened to him during trying times like this!

“Your face is red, too,” Yesung added, clearly enjoying the teasing.

“It’s not!” Eunhyuk howled, dropping the rose on his lap to cover his face with his hands. “Leave me alone!”

“Aww, is my baby blushing?” Yesung teased further, laughing loudly because he knew that Eunhyuk positively hated that cheesy nickname. “Are you? Are you?”

“Shut up, hyung!” Eunhyuk cried out in mortification, turning his body around so that most of his back faced Yesung. He just wanted to crawl into a hole and disappear there forever. There was no hope for him now. He was sooo gonna get teased for life because of this!

Still laughing, Yesung got out of his seat and knelt in front of his boyfriend, resting an arm around the latter’s lap and using the other arm to grasp Eunhyuk’s shoulder. “Hey, where’s my ‘thank you’?” he said cheekily. “My cute baby~~ look at me!”

Eunhyuk shook his head fervently. “No!”

He’s totally enjoying this!! Eunhyuk wailed inside his head.

“You won’t even thank me?” Yesung said in an exaggerated pouty voice. “I thought of you when I bought that flower, you know. Do you know what a white rose symbolizes?”

Eunhyuk could feel the butterflies starting to flutter inside his stomach, already knowing that his boyfriend was going to say something cheesy again. He had to stop him before he could possibly melt into a puddle of goo if this continued!

Yesung’s voice was filled with pride. “It means pure, sincere, happy and eternal lo—”

Eunhyuk immediately covered Yesung’s mouth with his hand out of panic and embarrassment, cutting off the older’s words in an instant. Yesung made a small sound of surprise, but soon dissolved into muffled chuckles.

“What are you laughing at?!” Eunhyuk whined. The embarrassment was already eating at him and Yesung’s annoying snickers were not helping at all!

Yesung gently grasped Eunhyuk’s hand in his own and slowly pried it away from his mouth. “I’m just happy,” he said in a suddenly sincere voice that caught Eunhyuk off-guard.

“...You’re happy?” Eunhyuk said, confusion painting his face. He’s adorable whenever he’s puzzled about something, Yesung thought to himself fondly.

“Because you’re happy,” Yesung told him sincerely.

Eunhyuk choked in embarrassment. “What’s with you right now?” he said, running a hand through his hair, feeling restless for some reason. “Ah, dammit, hyung… you’re really making me go crazy here…”

Yesung chuckled, still holding Eunhyuk’s hand in his. “You really don’t like it?” he asked as he slowly entwined their fingers together.

Eunhyuk’s breath caught in his throat as he frantically tried to think of something to say. “I—It’s not that I don’t like it… just that… uh…”

Why am I a stuttering mess right now? Eunhyuk cried in his mind. I feel like a young schoolgirl who’d just gotten her first date with a popular guy in the jocks club!

“It’s just that what?” Yesung asked calmly, bringing Eunhyuk’s hand to his lips and kissing his knuckles gently.

Oh my god. Eunhyuk felt his stomach make a flip at the intimate gesture. They’d only been dating for two months; he never knew that a romantic Yesung was actually pretty bad for his heart!!

“It’s just that… you…” Eunhyuk’s sentence trailed off and he sighed in defeat, finding it pointless to deny it any longer. “Okay, fine… I admit it,” he muttered.

“What did you say, Hyukjae?” Yesung asked innocently. “Hyung couldn’t hear you just now.”

Eunhyuk flushed a deep red, gritting his teeth slightly as he repeated obediently, “I admit it… I—I like it.”

“Hmm? You like what?”

“I love you giving me flowers!” Eunhyuk burst out in frustration, only to realize too late what he had just said. He uttered a low, despaired moan as he added, “It… It makes me feel special…”

Yesung stared at him for a moment before bursting into laughter. “Aigoo~ you finally admitted it,” he said affectionately, placing the rose on the armrest before snaking his arms around the younger’s waist and pulling him into a half-hug. “I’m sorry for teasing you. You were just so adorable that I couldn’t help it.”

“...You always say you find me adorable,” Eunhyuk muttered, but there was no mistaking the smile that was playing in his lips.

Yesung poked him at the side playfully and let him go.

“Seriously, why this flower, though?” he asked curiously, picking up the rose in his hand once more, silently admiring its beauty. It really was a pretty one. No wonder people loved receiving flowers so much.

“Why not?” Yesung shrugged, smiling cheekily. “They’re always used in weddings, aren’t they?”

Eunhyuk’s face immediately turned crimson, his jaw dropping open in shock. Yesung laughed heartily at his reaction. Eunhyuk hit him on the shoulder in response, emitting an embarrassed squeak as he did so.

“You’re so cute!” Yesung gushed, reaching out to pinch Eunhyuk’s cheeks. Just when Eunhyuk was about to swat his hands away, Yesung suddenly pulled his face towards his and pressed their lips together.

The kiss was sweet and warm and made his heart skip several beats. His breath hitched as Yesung tilted his head for better access, ultimately succeeding in melting him into a puddle of goo, after all.

...Yep, he was definitely doomed.

By the time Yesung let him go, Eunhyuk was totally dumbstruck.

“You—” he stammered. “You… you—”

It was only when Leeteuk knocked on the window gently, reminding them that they had a shooting to do, that Eunhyuk took the opportunity to get out of the car, unconsciously bringing the rose with him in his haste and forgetting to keep it hidden.

Yesung was laughing as he chased after the younger. “You liked that too, didn’t you??” he called out in a sing-song voice.

“No I did not!!” was Eunhyuk’s desperate reply.

“Can you two please be quiet?” Leeteuk said almost exasperatedly, his gaze disapproving as he watched his two members seemingly playing around with each other. “And where did that rose come from, Hyukjae-ya?”

Eunhyuk blushed as he paused in his tracks. “It… It was from a fan,” he responded quickly.

“A fan who’s very much in love with him,” Yesung added, sending a wink the younger’s way.

“Ah, hyung~!” Eunhyuk whined, but Yesung knew that Eunhyuk behaved like a total tsundere whenever he was embarrassed yet flattered about something. It was a part of his charm that Yesung adored.

No wonder Eunhyuk loves to tease, Yesung thought to himself in glee. It’s so fun.

Leeteuk shook his head at them and smiled. “Fine, just hurry up and let’s not waste any more time,” he advised as he started walking ahead of them, seemingly used to all random antics by now. He wasn’t the leader of the craziest group for nothing, after all.

Yesung and Eunhyuk followed him from behind, their bodies reflexively moving close to each other, but not really touching. But that was fine. Yesung loved these small moments together, too.

───── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ─────

All throughout the shooting, Yesung noticed something. Maybe it was just him, but Eunhyuk’s smile seemed to be a little wider than usual, his laugh was a little louder, and his enthusiasm was a lot more genuine than what he displayed to others these past few weeks.

Maybe it was just his imagination, but Eunhyuk’s face seemed to be glowing.

I’m glad, Yesung thought to himself fondly.

He looks so happy.

After the filming ended, Yesung bade him goodbye and they all began to go their separate ways. However, Eunhyuk seemed to have other plans.

“Don’t go just yet,” Eunhyuk said, signaling to Kyuhyun that the latter should go on ahead. Kyuhyun nodded without questioning anything, becoming more interested in Donghae and Siwon’s conversation nearby. Their managers, on the other hand, were on their way towards their respective cars.

“What is it?” Yesung asked curiously. It was unusual for Eunhyuk to be interested in any kind of talk after a tiring schedule. Usually, all of them were excited to go home, weary from their activities for the day. He was no exception.

“Teukie-hyung told me something earlier,” Eunhyuk explained, his eyes darting around to see if anyone was looking. Once he was satisfied, he beckoned Yesung to come closer, gesturing that he was going to whisper something in his ear. Yesung obliged, moving his ear towards Eunhyuk’s face.

However, Yesung suddenly felt a hand cup his other cheek, twisting his face so that he was facing Eunhyuk straight on. Before Yesung could utter a single word, Eunhyuk leaned in and caught Yesung’s mouth, his warm lips moving eagerly and sensually. Yesung’s eyes grew even wider when Eunhyuk teasingly his bottom lip before stepping back with a cheeky grin on his face.

“What—What—” Yesung was suddenly at a loss for words, his hand moving reflexively to cover his mouth in shock. “Why did you do that?? Someone could’ve seen—”

“But nobody saw,” Eunhyuk assured him, laughing. “What’s wrong? I just wanted to thank you for the rose. Aren’t you happy?”

Yesung let out an unsure chuckle. “Of course I’m happy, but—”

“Hmm, you don’t seem happy, though?” Eunhyuk suddenly put on an obviously exaggerated frown on his face. “Okay, I get it…”

Yesung stared at him, alarmed. “Wait, no, I really am—”

“I guess you don’t like my kisses,” Eunhyuk said in a pouty voice as he took a few steps backwards. “Don’t worry, hyung… I won’t kiss you anymore from now on if that’s what you want. I’m sorry for being such a bad kisser. I won’t bother you from now on…”

“Wait, what—” Yesung suddenly exhaled harshly. “Yah… you’re just messing with me right now, aren’t you?”

When the accusing words escaped his lips, Eunhyuk instantly burst into laughter. He stuck his tongue out at Yesung and began to run for his life.

“Hey, y—you — get back here!! Lee Hyukjae!!” Yesung growled as he began chasing after his boyfriend.

“Bye, hyung!!” Eunhyuk called out cheekily as he hastily got inside the van where Kyuhyun was waiting for him. He then closed the car door after laughing at Yesung.

“That damn brat!” Yesung cursed as the vehicle began to start with a loud hum. Before it drove away from sight though, Eunhyuk opened the car window just to make a silly face at him. He was totally clowning and mocking him now, no doubt about it! Yesung was now seething internally.

With a scowl on his face, Yesung watched as their van eventually went away. To his surprise, however, Eunhyuk halted his childish actions to wave at his boyfriend with a big smile on his face that Yesung hadn’t seen in a while.

At the sight of that, Yesung couldn’t deny the warm feeling that was slowly spreading in his chest, causing his heart to race in an oddly pleasant way. Eunhyuk looked so happy. Yesung really couldn’t feel annoyed at him for too long.

Normally, a mischievous Eunhyuk was annoying, but in this case, Yesung realized that he didn’t actually mind at all.

Eunhyuk was, after all, the person he loved the most.

Extra: Yesung’s Revenge

Later that night, Eunhyuk’s eyes grew as wide as saucers when he saw Yesung’s post on Twitter.

“What is this???!!” he wailed, almost dropping his phone from shock. “Why would he post the video in public like this?! So embarrassing! Does he have no shame at all??” He grew even more horrified when he scanned through the comments below the post. “Wait, and our fans already know that it’s me!! How did they know??? ...wait a minute… aish, that damn fanny pack!! FML!!”

fin