Hyukjae can’t help but feel jittery the next morning, like he’s drunk too many cups of coffee and eaten a whole bag of candy along with it. Thankfully, Donghae doesn’t seem to notice that Hyukjae is about to vibrate out of his skin, getting ready like it’s any normal morning.

Hyukjae does his best to keep from acting too suspicious as they head down to the lobby. When they arrive, Donghae stops, frowning.

“Where is everyone?” he asks.

“We’re going somewhere together, today,” Hyukjae says. Donghae blinks over at him, his head tilting.

“Just us?”

“Yup,” Hyukjae says, popping the ‘p’ at the end of the word. “Is that okay?”

Donghae nods.

“Yeah,” he says. “Where are we going?”

“It’s a surprise,” Hyukjae says, smiling. Donghae returns it. “What do you want to get for breakfast?”

Donghae hums, looking thoughtfully outside. “Let’s get Japanese pancakes,” he says. 

“Oh, you have such great taste,” Hyukjae says, pulling out his phone to search for a good place to go. “ing McDonald’s.”

Donghae giggles at his dramatics, but takes Hyukjae's hand when it's offered and they head off to get Japanese pancakes before they head off to the museums.

⸺

The train ride out to Hakone takes about an hour and both he and Donghae end up drifting off on the way there, with Donghae’s head on his shoulder and Hyukjae ending up falling on Donghae’s head. He wakes just before their stop and gently shakes Donghae awake.

The man mewls a little when he’s awoken, not unlike a kitten and Hyukjae can feel himself melting in the face of it.

“Come on,” Hyukjae says. When they exit the train, Donghae immediately catches sight of the sign outside the station.

“Hakone?” Donghae says. “You’re taking me to the Hakone Open Air Museums?”

Hyukjae pulls out the passes he had bought online for all three of the museums and Donghae’s eyes widen. Hyukjae hands the passes over and Donghae blinks down at them.

“I’ve wanted to go here for so long,” he says. “I didn’t want to ask…”

“I always had it in mind,” Hyukjae says. “I just wanted it to be a surprise.”

Donghae swipes at his eyes quickly.

“Which one are we going to first?” he asks. Hyukjae shakes his head.

“Your choice,” he says.

“Picasso first,” Donghae declares. “Then the Little Prince, and then the Venetian glass museum next.”

“A solid plan,” Hyukjae says. There’s a map on the back of the tickets, so they follow it to the first of the museums. Personally, Hyukjae isn’t too invested in the Picasso museum—it had interested him the least when he looked it up online—but Donghae’s enthusiasm for art makes it more entertaining. 

Donghae is an encyclopedia of facts on Picasso, which Hyukjae really shouldn’t be surprised about at this point, given just how enthusiastic Donghae is about art in general.

“I’m boring you, aren’t I,” Donghae says, cutting himself off halfway through his lecture on Picasso’s blue period.

“No,” Hyukjae says. “This actually makes this museum more interesting.”

The interior portions of the museum are more dull, but once they get to some of the statued versions of Picasso’s art, he does start paying a little more attention. There are interesting statues interspersed all over the hillside, making for a more dynamic stroll through the calming outdoor scene.

They spend most of the morning in the Picasso museum and grab a quick bento lunch before going to the Little Prince museum.

The museum has a small, quaint recreation of the village that had been in the book and in Hyukjae’s eyes, it’s the most romantic atmosphere he's ever had the pleasure of seeing. It’s fitting for his purpose of being here.

There’s a courtyard and a recreation of a French mansion next to the small town. They stroll through, and Hyukjae admires hedges and flowers that create an intricate pattern in the courtyard. When they get to a secluded corner, Hyukjae sits down on one of the benches and Donghae takes a seat next to him, clearly admiring the architecture surrounding them.

Hyukjae watches Donghae for a moment, but the man doesn’t seem to notice. Hyukjae bites his lip.

It's now or never.

“Donghae,” Hyukjae says, suddenly feeling shy in a way that he had never been before, the words getting stuck in his throat. He closes his mouth, takes a deep breath, and tries again. “Hey Donghae, remember when you… kissed me?”

Donghae startles, whipping his head over to face Hyukjae.

“I—Yeah, of course I do,” he says. His eyes scan Hyukjae’s face, looking slightly confused.

“Do you still feel the same way?”

Donghae stares at him for so long that Hyukjae starts to squirm a little, regretting asking the question the way he did. Then suddenly Donghae bits his lip, giggling slightly as he leans closer.

“Is that your way of asking me out?” he says. Hyukjae looks away, feeling his face heat.

“Yeah.”

“Well,” Donghae says softly. “Then yes, I’ll go out with you. Though I don’t think much will change between us.” Hyukjae chuckles, because that is true, as Yesung has been painstakingly telling him for the past few months or so.

“I get to call you my boyfriend,” Hyukjae says.

“That is a bonus,” Donghae says. 

“A great bonus,” Hyukjae says. He glances at Donghae and can see his boyfriend’s eyes shining as he looks back at him.

“Can I ask you something?” Donghae asks after a moment of comfortable silence.

“Of course,” Hyukjae says.

“I always wondered…” Donghae trails off for a second, his eyes going distant before he blinks a few times and continues. “Why—Why did you start talking to me in the first place?”

Because I had a huge crush on you is the first thought that pops into his mind, but he bites it back. He considers the question, his mind thrown back to the first time he had chosen to write a note to Donghae, the intense misery that radiated from the other man and how much he thought that a man who seemed as nice as Donghae didn't deserve to be sad.

"Do you remember that day?" Hyukjae says. "You looked so sad, and I didn't… I wanted to help. I wanted to see you smile. Even though I didn't know you, I had seen you around, and most of the time you were so bright and so kind and I thought that you might need something to cheer you up."

"I…I remember that day very clearly," he says. "He broke my guitar because he said I was 'paying too much attention to it' and not enough to him. Music was really how I… escaped. And that guitar was a gift from my dad."

He shoots Hyukjae a wry smile, his eyes a little watery. He looks up and blinks a few times, takes a deep breath before he continues.

"He gave me a new one that night and I thought, oh, he loves me," Donghae says. "But I see it now, it was a power play. To take something that meant so much to me and replace it with something that he bought. To be honest, your note was what cheered me up more, which at the time I didn't really realize that's why I wasn't as upset when he got home."

Hyukjae doesn't know what to say. What could he possibly say in response to that, you're welcome? No words seem appropriate in the face of what Donghae is saying, so instead, Hyukjae reaches out. Donghae slips his hand into his and sniffs lightly.

"You gave me hope, you know?" Donghae says, his grip tightening on Hyukjae’s hand. He doesn’t say anything more, but Hyukjae lets Donghae work through his own thoughts, because it’s clear to him Donghae has more to say than he already has. “I—when I was with him, there was this persistent sense of loneliness. I didn't have school anymore. And I knew very clearly that no one I interacted with daily was my friend, nor did they care. They all knew, I'm pretty sure. But it's not like it mattered.”

Hyukjae nods but remains silent. He gently rubs the back of Donghae’s hand.

“There were many times when I thought maybe I would just be better off dead. That dying would be the only way I could escape,” Donghae says. Hyukjae stiffens, feeling as if someone had dumped a bucket of cold water over his head. The confession was so… nonchalant, as if Donghae had been discussing the weather.

"Donghae…"

"It’s okay Hyukjae, I don’t feel that way anymore, not for a long time,” Donghae says, squeezing Hyukjae’s hand. “Like I said, you gave me hope. There was someone who talked to me, someone who wanted to be my friend.” He looks over at Hyukjae, his eyes watery with unshed tears. His eyes flutter for a second before he finally blinks, tears spilling over onto his cheek.

Hyukjae reaches out, wiping the tears away with the pad of his thumb. Donghae’s hand comes up, latching onto his wrist as he does so, and doesn’t let go even when Hyukjae drops his hand.

“You gave me hope and you gave me the strength to leave,” Donghae says. “I would have stayed, without you. I think I would have gone back, again and again, probably until he killed me. You… You gave me the strength to save myself. And I can’t thank you enough for that.”

Hyukjae feels like he might start crying himself. 

“Donghae,” he starts and stops again. He pulls Donghae close to him, hugging so that Donghae’s chin is resting on his shoulder and his chin is resting on Donghae’s shoulder.

“Hyukjae,” Donghae mutters. “Thank you.”

Hyukjae squeezes Donghae tighter, closer to him, because it feels like Donghae is still too far away from him. Donghae’s hand tightens on the material at the back of his shirt in response.

“I love you,” Hyukjae says, the confession slipping from his lips before he’s even really consciously aware of what he’s saying. “I love you so much.”

Donghae tenses momentarily in his arms before going fully lax. He can feel Donghae let out a shaky breath, likely as his confession sinks in for him, before Donghae pulls back slightly and smiles at him.

“Aren’t you supposed to wait at least a few dates before you say something like that?” he teases. But then his smile turns more genuine, softer. “I think… I think I'm not there yet. But I will."

"Take all the time you need," Hyukjae breathes, his head falling forward so that his forehead is resting on Donghae's. "Can I kiss you?"

"We're boyfriends now, of course you can," Donghae says, so Hyukjae leans forward, closing the distance between them. Their lips meet, oh-so-tentatively. It's not their first kiss, but it's the first kiss that counts. 

It's a kiss that's not passionate, so much as explorative, testing each other's boundaries. A little give and take, where Hyukjae would push just slightly and Donghae would respond and vice versa. 

Hyukjae's hand flies to the back of Donghae's head, his fingers threading through Donghae's soft hair, while the other lingers on Donghae's mid back. He can feel Donghae's hands grabbing the material of his shirt at his chest.

Time seems to slow to a stop, the only thing Hyukjae is aware of is the heat of Donghae’s skin and the sweet taste of Donghae on his tongue. Eventually, Donghae is the one who pulls back. They're both panting and Donghae looks up at him through fluttering eyelashes. Hyukjae swallows thickly, committing Donghae's face in this moment, Donghae's happiness, to memory.

"We're in public," Donghae says, a little breathlessly. Hyukjae glances around them—there's no one around.

"Do you want to stop?" he says. Donghae glances around before he giggles, moving forward so their noses are brushing.

"One more," he says. Hyukjae laughs and obliges. The second kiss is less tentative, more comfortable. Donghae seems more bold this time around and Hyukjae responds in stride, his hand migrating to Donghae's nape and using it to pull his boyfriend closer.

His boyfriend.

He doesn't think he'll ever get used to that, that Donghae, perfect, sweet, strong Donghae is his boyfriend. He wants to stand on a rooftop and yell it to the world and watch people's envy.

He's practically giddy by the time they pull back. Donghae drops his head onto Hyukjae's shoulder.

"That was amazing," Donghae says, his voice breathy and quiet. "I didn't know kisses could be like that."

Hyukjae tightens his grip on Donghae.

"Well they will always be nice, from here on out, okay?" he says. He can feel Donghae nodding against him. "And also, we might be dating now, but you can always say no if you don't feel like doing anything, okay? You understand that, right?"

There's a long moment of silence before Donghae lifts his head.

"I…" he starts and then stops, looking a little confused. A myriad of emotions flash across Donghae's face before it settles on uncomfortable, his gaze dropping to his hands in his lap. 

Hyukjae's lips thin at the implication of Donghae's reaction, but it's the only reaction he shows outwardly. He reaches out, gently taking Donghae's hand in his own, lacing their fingers together. Donghae looks up at him, eyes wide. 

"Just know that you can always say no, no matter what, okay babe?" Hyukjae doesn't know where the pet name comes from—he's not one to give his significant others pet names—but once he says it, he doesn't think he ever wants to call Donghae anything else. 

Donghae nods in acknowledgement and then blinks a few times, a tinge of pink appears on his cheeks. 

"Babe?" he echoes shyly. Hyukjae scratches the back of his head.

"Do you not want to be called that?" he asks and Donghae shakes his head quickly.

"No, I like it," he says. The blush deepens. "Call me that again."

"Babe," Hyukjae says, pressing a kiss to Donghae's forehead. "Come on, we still have so much left to see." He stands, holding his hand out for Donghae to take. They lace their fingers together, and it’s a small difference from the way they normally hold hands, but there’s something far more intimate about it. It’s not something Hyukjae can really pinpoint as to why, but he savours the feeling nonetheless.

"Should we go to the glass museum now?" he asks as he pulls Donghae upright. Donghae looks around.

“I want to take some more pictures, first,” he says. 

“Okay,” Hyukjae says and trails after Donghae, watching as his boyfriend (his boyfriend!) flits from one area to another in search of the place to get the perfect picture. 

Hyukjae ends up finding a bench at the edge of the recreation of a little French town. He can't look away from Donghae, can't look away from how he practically glows with joy.

How can anyone hurt someone like Donghae?

Hyukjae just can't understand.

Not that there's any reason to hurt anyone usually, but Donghae in particular? Hyukjae can't even begin to imagine.

"Hyukjae! Can you come pose here, I want to take a picture of you," Donghae says and Hyukjae obeys, striking a pose in front of the statue of the Little Prince as instructed.

Donghae snaps the picture and then gives him a thumbs up.

"My new home screen wallpaper," he says. Hyukjae smiles dopily; his own home screen wallpaper  is Donghae's solo photo on Mt. Fuji, so it seems they're once again that sappy couple. Not that Hyukjae has any complaints about it.

"Okay, I'm done here," Donghae says. He retakes Hyukjae’s hand as they head across the street to the last museum. 

The glass museum has a very magical feel to it—the French countryside aesthetic and beautiful water features highlighted by Venetian stained glass. Donghae walks through, open-mouthed in awe and Hyukjae doesn’t doubt that he’s looking much the same.

The scenery, with the greenery and the style of the central building, reminds Hyukjae of a scenery straight out of a Studio Ghibli movie. They follow the designated path, with Donghae stopping ever so often to take a picture, until they get to the building. They walk inside, which leads them into a columned room made entirely out of stained glass, with a spiral staircase leading up to the top.

The spiral staircase room is something Hyukjae had seen pictures of on the website, but nothing could have prepared him to see it in person. 

"Wow," Hyukjae says, craning his neck to try and see the top. "This is amazing."

They climb up about halfway, stopping on one of the platforms in the middle to admire the surrounding glass.

The sun shines through the multi coloured stained glass and lands on Donghae's face in a way that highlights the straight bridge of his nose and his high cheekbones. Hyukjae watches, transfixed as the different colours dance across Donghae’s flawless skin as his boyfriend tilts his head up to admire the glass around them. 

“It’s so beautiful,” Donghae breathes, looking back down at him. Hyukjae nods in agreement, but he hasn’t really been paying too much attention to the glass.

He takes a step forward. Donghae has chosen to style his hair upright today, and with the way the light hits face, Hyukjae can also clearly see the scar on his forehead. It starts from the middle of the right side and runs up to and along his hairline. 

It doesn’t detract from his beauty. 

If anything, it makes him even more attractive. A symbol of his strength, written across his skin. He reaches out slowly and Donghae allows him, so Hyukjae gently runs his thumb over the smooth texture of the scar, tracing it all the way up to his hairline.

“It hasn’t really faded,” Donghae says, his hand coming up and grasping Hyukjae's wrist. Hyukjae nods. The scar is quite stark against Donghae’s slightly tanned skin, and Hyukjae realizes that Donghae often styles his hair in a way that covers it.

“It’s fine,” Hyukjae says. He touches the scar again. "Scars are badass, right?"

Donghae chuckles a little incredulously. "You remember that?"

"I remember everything when it comes to you," he says and Donghae's eyes soften in response. Hyukjae moves so he's cupping Donghae's cheek with his hand. Donghae's eyes flutter shut as Hyukjae leans closer, kissing Donghae in the middle of the stairs, under the multicoloured lights.

He can see himself getting addicted to this feeling, addicted to the stolen kisses and the feeling of Donghae pressed against him. Addicted to the feeling of flying high, like nothing can ever bring him down, with Donghae by his side.

He rubs Donghae cheek as they pull back, marvelling how baby-soft the skin is beneath his fingertips.

"I could do this every day," Hyukjae mutters and he can feel Donghae's smile as the skin moves beneath his hand.

"Well you can. Maybe not in this exact location, but," he says, leaning forward again to give him one more peck on the lips. "I really like this too, Hyukjae."

Hyukjae chuckles, about to pull Donghae closer, but the sound of people walking into the room forces them both to separate.

"Come on, let's see the rest of the museum," Hyukjae says, taking Donghae's hand again as they head up the stairs to continue their tour of the museum.

This museum is the smallest of the three, but in Hyukjae’s eyes, the most beautiful. Donghae stops a few times to get some close-up pictures (“It’s called a macro picture, Hyukjae.”) and then they finish the tour at the bridge over the small body of water, gaping at the crystals that cascade down the wires that encircle the bridge.

"It's almost magical, these museums," Donghae says as they exit the museum. “Thank you for taking me here.”

“Anytime,” Hyukjae says.

Donghae glances around the train station before he leans over pressing a gentle kiss to Hyukjae's cheek.

Hyukjae's hand flies to his cheek, a grin spreading across his face.

"Come on the train is here," Donghae says, tugging him along. They find a vacant train car and sit in the middle of it, Donghae next to the window and Hyukjae in the aisle seat.

"Now that we're dating, can I make a request?" Hyukjae asks, leaning back into the plush seats of the train, settling in as the train begins to leave the station. Donghae turns to him, brows furrowed in confusion.

"Sure, for what?"

"Can you dye your hair blonde again?" 

Donghae blinks at him for a second as he processes the question before he laughs.

"Why?"

"Why? Are you aware of how hot you looked with blonde hair? I still daydream about it and I only saw it once," Hyukjae says. He watches in fascination as a blush makes its way from the collar of Donghae's shirt all the way to his forehead. 

"Hot?" he squeaks.

"You're kidding," Hyukjae says before shaking his head. 

"What?"

"Donghae, I don't know how it's escaped your notice, but you are the most beautiful person in the entire world, and somehow you managed to get even