Hyukjae pushed open the door of his room as carefully as he could, trying not to make any loud noises. He balanced the tray in his hand and kept looking down at the plate containing boiled chicken covered with various edible green leaves as he closed the door with his leg once he was inside the room.

He placed the tray on the wooden table before walking over to where Donghae lay on the bean bag in front of the glass door that opened out into the balcony, not wanting to wake him up from his unplanned nap. 

They'd spent the whole evening working on one of the songs for their 10th anniversary album and before they knew it, the clock had already struck 12. Hyukjae's mother had then insisted that Donghae stay the night instead of driving all the way back to the city specially when he was so tired. And Hyukjae was glad that Donghae had listened. 

Sitting down on the floor next to the bean bag, he placed a hand Donghae's shoulder and shook him gently. 

"Donghaeaahh," Hyukjae whispered, bending close to his ear, "get up and have some food" 

Hyukjae kept massaging Donghae's shoulder gently, till the younger one started to move and then popped one eye open to stare back at him warily. 

"Lemme sleeeep," Donghae whined as he tried to turn around but instead fell down the bean bag and onto the floor. "Ooowww" 

Hyukjae couldn't help but chuckle. 

"Sit back up on the rug you idiot. You haven't eaten anything since this afternoon, and sleeping on the bean bag isn't good for you leg either. Have some food so you can take your pain meds and then go sleep on the bed." 

Donghae looked at Hyukjae with semi open eyes as he sat up to lean against the cold glass, "Food? Hhmm" 

Hyukjae understood his monosyllabic request and smiled softly. Years of being with this endearing man had taught him that he didn't need words to understand what Donghae was trying to say to him. Nodding, he handed over the tray to Donghae who accepted it with a drowsy smile.

Hyukjae sat down next to Donghae, their knees touching, as Donghae ate his food, munching on the chicken while making satisfied noises intermittently. 

Just once, Donghae raised a piece of chicken to Hyukjae's mouth and even though he shook his head, Donghae brought it up to his lips while pouting, which ended with Hyukjae sighing before opening his mouth and accepting the bite that Donghae was offering to him. 

It didn't take long for Donghae to finish his food and then he set the tray aside on the floor. He wasn't quite sleepy anymore, and when he caught Hyukjae staring fondly at him, he frowned. 

"What?" 

Hyukjae shook his head as his smile widened, beginning to show his pink gums.
The sky had been pretty clear all night, they'd sat and seen the stars earlier and watched as the moon shone brightly, even switching off the light of the room at one point, just so they could bask in its glow. 

But right now, the angle that Donghae was sitting in made the moonlight fall directly across his face, illuminating every single one of his features so beautifully that Hyukjae couldn't help but breathe deeply in order to try and stabilise his rapidly increasing heart rate. 

"WHAT?" Donghae asked a little more loudly this time, shaking Hyukjae's arm in the process. 

In that moment Hyukjae wished for Donghae to have had just a few more brain cells. But maybe the lack of brain cells was the very reason he was so smitten for the man staring at him like a little puppy right now. 

"Shutup Hae, I'm trying to appreciate how beautiful you look under the moon" Hyukjae sighed as he let his hand wander and grabbed Donghae's hand that was lying on his thigh.

Donghae scoffed,"Try saying something new. You've been saying that to me for twenty years now. It's gotten old" 

The way Donghae said it so nonchalantly, combined with the fact that the younger man was still probably very sleepy considering the schedules he'd had all day long, made Hyukjae throw back his head and laugh out loud. 

Donghae stared, a little stunned. 

"Why are you laughing, you brat?" Donghae inquired. 

"No reason," Hyukjae tried to catch his breath after his laughing fit, "you're just too cute for your own good Donghaeah" 

Donghae frown deepened as a growl rose from inside his chest. 

Hyukjae could see that Donghae wasn't angry, he just couldn't understand what Hyukjae was talking about in his state of drowsiness. 

But then the hand that Hyukjae had grabbed tightened the grip around his own and he looked up to see Donghae smiling at him, his eyes becoming mere specks, reflecting the stars in them. 

"Thank you," Donghae whispered in such a low voice that Hyukjae could barely make out the words. 

Hyukjae was surprised at the gratitude that came out of nowhere. And a little concerned too. 

"For what?" 

"Everything." 

"Elaborate" 

He then heard Donghae sigh. 

"Just for being with me. Never leaving my side. I know I'm not an easy person to be around. I'm loud and clingy and even annoying sometimes but you've stayed for so long." Donghae paused for a second, "that's what the thanks is for"

Hearing Donghae's words made Hyukjae feel as if someone had grabbed his heart and squeezed it, interrupting the blood supply to his organs. 

Yes, he was someone who enjoyed his own company and personal space, while Donghae always liked to be in someone's presence but never once had he even thought of NOT being there with Donghae. 

But instead of thinking all these thoughts inside his head, he knew no time would be better than right now, to say it out loud. 

"Donghaeah, don't you think that had I wanted to leave, I'd have done it years ago?" Hyukjae was so glad when Donghae himself chose to raise his head and stare directly into his eyes without Hyukjae having to ask him to do it, "20 years since training, 16 years since debut and now 10 years since our subunit, I had ample time to run away, but did I?" 

Hyukjae wanted Donghae himself to give an answer but when the latter remained quiet, he let go of his hand and placed both his hands on Donghae's shoulders to get his undivided attention.

"Tell me"

Donghae blinked as they both maintained the eye contact and just then Hyukjae noticed the lone tear running down his cheek. 

Exhaling softly, he moved even closer and wiped away the tear from Donghae's cheek. 

"And you said you're not a cry baby" Hyukjae teased Donghae a little, wanting nothing more for him to laugh or even just throw a retort at him, instead of ending up crying. 

Donghae was quick to wipe off the tears that were threatening to escape his eyes. 

"I am NOT," he replied sternly but he couldn't stop the smile that lit up his face when he realised Hyukjae was only teasing him. 

"Okay, you're not," Hyukjae laughed, opening his arms, hoping for Donghae to scoot closer and attach himself to his body. 

Without any hesitation, as if he was automatically tuned to do so, Donghae moved and allowed himself to be enveloped into Hyukjae's inviting arms. 

Hyukjae adjusted himself a little so that Donghae's head was tucked under his chin, and then he placed a long and tender kiss on top of Donghae's blond hair. 

He heard Donghae whine. 

"Please tell me you didn't get any saliva on my hair" 

Hyukjae chuckled, "As if yo