"Hyuk, be careful with those! My mom bought that dining set for us!" Donghae scolded, giving Hyukjae a deadly stare while struggling to get a box full of books through the open front door. 

"I know. That's the fourth time you've told me. Don't worry. I've got it." Hyukjae gingerly set down the delicate box next to the sink, exhaling with exhaustion. 

"You know, we could've just gotten moving people to help with all of this stuff. I hate heavy lifting." Donghae complained, bending down to stack the heavy cardboard box on top of another one while Hyukjae enjoyed the view. 

"Please contain yourself Hyukjae, I can tell when you're checking me out, you know." The shorter man stood up straight, putting his hands on his hips like he always did when he was trying to prove a point. 

Hyukjae snickered. 

"Can't help it, sorry. About the movers thing...we're saving so much money right now by just pulling all this weight ourselves!" Hyukjae relaxed against the kitchen counter, admiring the nice granite surface. 

"You're so frugal. You don't ever spend any money." 

"All the money I spend is on you, remember?" Hyukjae playfully spat back, sticking out his tongue. Donghae fought the urge to smile, but he couldn't win, a toothy grin spreading across his face. 

"Is that all of it?" Hyukjae asked, examining the piles and wobbly looking stacks of boxes in their brand new house, counting them once, and twice. 

"I think so. I also parked our car into our garage... It feels really good to say that." Donghae stepped into the kitchen, letting Hyukjae hug him from behind and lightly sway them side to side. Hyukjae hummed in agreement, resting his chin on Donghae's shoulder and listening to his boyfriend's soft, content laughter. 

"We need to unpack." 

"Can't we stay here a while? I'm kinda still taking it in." Hyukjae wondered. 

Donghae remained silent, but didn't push Hyukjae away, instead he reminisced about the many stacks of paperwork that required their signatures, sleepless nights in their suffocating apartment where they house hunted for hours. The amount of times they had to go out of their way to buy furniture and place things into taped up boxes seemed limitless to Donghae, and he knew Hyukjae was incredibly relieved to finally call this building their own. 

This was their house. 

No one could tell them how to decorate, when to go to bed, how much rent to pay... Donghae audibly sighed into Hyukjae's warm touch, pleased that the stress was almost gone. 

"Okay lover boy, that's enough for now. We have to get unpacking." 

Hyukjae obediently listened to his boyfriend's orders, quickly pressing butterfly-like kisses onto the back of Donghae's neck. 

"Where should we start? I read somewhere that you should start with the kitchen first." Hyukjae shocked Donghae with his small confession, it was normally the shorter man's interest to research those subjects. 

"I think we should begin with the bedroom first. That way, we'll have a nice bed to climb into once we're done for the day." Donghae reasoned, biting his lip. 

"Alright. New plan: you go work on the bedroom, and I'll stay here and put plates away. The bedroom stuff is in those boxes over there." Hyukjae nodded toward a collection of cardboard boxes near an empty room where a dining table was supposed to be. Donghae managed to pick up the boxes by himself, and he ripped apart the nearly impregnable tape, revealing some dark blue and grey bedding that Hyukjae decided he really liked. 

This is a new life. 

This is our new life, together. 

Donghae stifled a blush when his mind got stuck on the word "together". 

That's all he ever truly wanted. 

"Keep the change, man." Hyukjae generously tipped the pizza delivery man, waltzing back into the kitchen with two boxes of warm pizza. Donghae's mouth watered, his body was weakened from nonstop lifting and unpacking, and pizza sounded heavenly. 

"No need to thank me. I know I'm a genius." Hyukjae complimented himself while grabbing some paper plates and organizing them with equal pieces for both he and Donghae. 

"You're an angel." Donghae appreciatively pecked Hyukjae's cheek, grabbing his plate and situating himself on the ground, using a cardboard box for a table. 

"Well, we should start a search for a kitchen table, shouldn't we?" 

Donghae nodded, motioning for Hyukjae to join him at his rather childish excuse for furniture.

"I just can't believe this is all ours. The living room...the bathrooms...and even the backyard!" The brunette's eyes widened, showing off their pure innocence. Hyukjae chuckled. 

"It's all ours." He added. 

"We should get a dog. Oh, Hyukjae, I want a little puppy...it would be so cute running around in the backyard..." Donghae stated dreamily, stuffing pizza into his mouth. 

"No no...Hae, we discussed this. We aren't getting a pet. It's hard enough just to take care of you."

"But Hyukjae, just imagine a little puppy coming to greet you when you come home from work, it would jump into your arms and your face all over..." 

"Why would I need a puppy when you already do all of that?" Hyukjae bluntly replied, earning a smack to the knee. 

"I'm just saying. The two of us caring for and raising something would be pretty beautiful." Donghae smiled when Hyukjae got tomato sauce on his cheeks, reaching over to wipe it off. 

"Is this your way to convince me into having kids?" 

"Hyukjae..." The younger man blushed, ignoring his boyfriend and admiring the clean cut grass in their backyard. 

"So the whole having kids thing is off the table?" Hyukjae asked, a small glimmer of hope in his sharp eyes. Hyukjae guided Donghae into their bedroom, running his hands just about everywhere on Donghae's body. 

"No, Hyukjae. Not tonight. I'm too tired. Besides, that's impossible, and you know it." Donghae shook his head and the taller man sighed in defeat. 

"Alright, alright." 

"What do you think?" Donghae eyed the fully furnished bedroom, the colors of the bedding matching the throw pillows and even the lampshades. 

"Wow. Now I feel bad about the lack of work I did." Hyukjae muttered, flopping down on the bed and wrinkling the sheets. Donghae flinched at his finished masterpiece being tarnished, but he relaxed once he saw how pleased Hyukjae looked.

"Thank you. Now, brush your teeth, I put all of our stuff into the bathroom already." 

"I think I love you." Hyukjae confessed, getting up and tangling a hand in Donghae's brown hair while he caressed the small of his back. 

"I said, not tonight. No funny business, Hyukjae." The shorter man broke the intense stare by walking into the bathroom and slowly getting changed for bed. 

"How can you say that and then tease me like this, baby?" Hyukjae watched helplessly from the other room, asking himself why Donghae wanted the door to be open while he exposed his body. Hyukjae could've sworn he saw a coy smile and a faint wink coming from his undressing boyfriend, and he felt like exploding. 

"Come on. I told you to brush your teeth. Why are you just standing there like an idiot?" Donghae put on a seductive voice and motioned for Hyukjae to act. Hyukjae was completely distracted by Donghae's form the entire time he brushed his teeth however. Once Donghae had put on comfortable clothes, he retreated to the bedroom and got himself tucked in while Hyukjae applied some facial cream. The dark haired man eventually shut the door to the bathroom, and climbed into bed, instantly cuddling his boyfriend. Donghae giggled at the feeling, and sighed peacefully. 

"We're almost done. Just a few more boxes, and we're done." Hyukjae consoled, pressing his body protectively against Donghae's smaller one and sweetly kissing the back of Donghae's neck again. 

"I'm proud of us." Donghae whispered, turning around onto his back and smiling. 

"Mmhm. You should be." Hyukjae reached a heated hand up the brunette's shirt, rubbing his tummy with skilled precision, circling areas he knew made Donghae weak. 

"God, you're so beautiful." Hyukjae whispered after a brief silence.

"W-what?" 

"You heard me. I mean it. You're breathtaking." Hyukjae gushed, staring at Donghae's gradually blushing face. 

"I think that's being a little generous, don't you think?" Donghae laughed, embarrassed. 

"Absolutely not. I just can't believe that you're mine." Hyukjae left a trail of kisses down Donghae's bicep, and the latter sighed.

"We can take care of ourselves, right? Like, this isn't going to be all for nothing?" Donghae suddenly worried, glancing apprehensively at Hyukjae who just smiled in return. 

"Of course. And that's what I'm here for, I take care of you. And truthfully, you take care of me, too." Hyukjae ran his thumb over Donghae's belly button, which made him laugh. 

"We're gonna be just fine." Hyukjae breathed, and Donghae nuzzled himself into his boyfriend's arms, admiring his bare chest that seemed to give off just the right amount of warmth. The smaller man lifted his chin upward, placing a short kiss on Hyukjae's lips, the latter smiling. 

"Goodnight, Hyukjae." 

"Goodnight, baby." 

Hyukjae woke up to an empty bed later that night, confusion swimming in his head. The dark haired man contorted his body to get a glimpse of the digital clock Donghae kept on his bedside. The screen read 1:37 AM. He threw off the comforter, padding into the bathroom to find it vacant. 

Hyukjae left the bedroom, sighing in relief once he found Donghae sitting on the kitchen counter, swinging his legs and waiting for the hot water kettle to heat up. Donghae jumped in surprise upon seeing Hyukjae out of bed, his doe eyes wider than usual. 

"What are you doing up?" Donghae questioned. 

"I should be asking you the same thing. And what are you doing up there?" Hyukjae placed himself between Donghae's hanging legs, massaging his thighs and looking up in concern at his boyfriend. 

"I can't sleep." 

"That's not a new thing." 

"No, Hyukjae, I really can't. The house makes really scary breathing noises, and I don't like it. Then I heard scratching a couple times, and I thought someone was trying to get in, and then--" 

"Donghae. You're alright. You're safe. You're just not used to all the sounds this house makes. But trust me, in time, you will." Hyukjae held Donghae's soft hands tightly, squeezing them to reassure him. 

"I guess I'm just nervous." 

"About what?" Hyukjae raised his voice louder in order to be heard over the sound of the kettle. 

"I just really want all of this to work out. I don't want to have multiple problems to think through at a time, I just want things to be smooth. No bumps in the road." Donghae's bottom lip quivered, and he lowered his head. 

"Hey...hey. Listen, problems are going to happen, and there will be some rocky times, but that's just how life works." Hyukjae lifted Donghae off the counter, pulling him close. 

"Okay." 

"Trust me, the seamless and easy times will come too. It's a healthy balance of both. You can't have one and not the other." Hyukjae explained, placing his large hands on Donghae's waist and gently swaying the two of them side to side. 

"What are you doing?" 

"Dancing with you. Isn't that what a good Prince Charming is supposed to do?" Hyukjae smiled brightly. The blush that Donghae gave was massive, and it covered his entire face. 

"Come on. Dance with me." Hyukjae whispered into Donghae's ear softly. 

The brunette laid his own hands on Hyukjae's bare shoulders, forever admiring how broad they were. Their dancing was awkward, Hyukjae ended up stepping on Donghae's feet several times and Donghae had to readjust his hands in different areas on his boyfriend's body because he just wasn't quite sure what to do with them. Hyukjae also kept sliding his hands down lower from Donghae's hips, instead to rest on his backside. Donghae gave him a nasty look, warning him, but Hyukjae laughed and blamed gravity for his numerous attempts at groping him. But despite being absolutely imperfect, the music-less dancing relaxed Donghae, and even gave him courage to kiss Hyukjae sweetly and innocently. 

"You'll get used to it. I promise." 

Donghae nodded in agreement, laying his head on Hyukjae's exposed chest and hearing his faint heartbeat. 

The two of them spun around in their empty kitchen, and soon Donghae forgot all of his doubts and fears. 

"It might not be perfect, but it's ours."