It is with surprise and happiness that Donghae awakes the next morning.

Hyukjae let him stay over?

Donghae stretches, comfortable and relaxed. The other end of the sofa is empty and there’s no sign of the other man, but Donghae had not even expected to be allowed to stay the night. The pizza boxes, cups and plates have been cleared away and neatly folded in their place are Donghae’s jeans, socks and t-shirt.

He picks them up, wondering if he ought to get dressed and go. Usually, when he wakes in someone else’s apartment, he sneaks out by mutual understanding, gathering up his clothes from the floor and leaving before things get awkward.

He’s never woken up and wanted to stay for breakfast before.

Does Hyukjae expect him to be gone when he wakes up? How to sleepovers usually work when there’s no involved?

He hears someone moving around. Hyukjae has not said anything about his living situation, but Donghae guesses he probably has a roommate just from the way the apartment is set out. Two big comfy armchairs and two gaming controllers. Two separate shoe cupboards just inside the front door. Two toothbrushes in the main bathroom, and-

Donghae blinks.

Wait, does Hyukjae have a partner?

That’s… also something they’ve never discussed.

It’s kind of arrogant of Donghae to just assume he’s single, right? He’s an attractive man with his dark, almond-shaped eyes, beautiful lips, slim body and broad shoulders. He has a good job and a nice apartment. He’d be a catch for any girl.

Or… boy?

Donghae’s heart gives a little skip.

However, despite seeing each other pretty ing regularly, the actual information they’ve shared is minimal. Donghae knows so little about Hyukjae as a person. What does he like? Who are his friends? Does he love avocado as much as Donghae does? Suddenly Donghae needs to know. He wonders if Hyukjae would like to spend the day with him just hanging out. They could go out for breakfast, stroll and chat along the riverbank, see an early movie. Maybe Donghae could drive them somewhere nice on his motorbike-

But it’s Wednesday.

Everyone except Donghae has work.

In the kitchen he can hear the quiet clatter of someone making coffee.

Might as well find out now if it’s Hyukjae, a roommate or- a romantic partner, right? Not that it matters either way, of course.

He pads in his borrowed socks to the kitchen and then freezes.

‘You!’

Hyukjae’s workmate, friend and Donghae-hater Kyuhyun looks up and immediately scowls. His hair is messy and he’s in blue-striped pajamas, and he’s absolutely not less intimidating than usual.

‘Don’t you think you’ve overstayed your welcome?’ he says.

Donghae folds his arms. ‘Why are you here?’

‘Shouldn’t I be the one asking that?’ Kyuhyun says, breaking an egg into the pan in a way that makes Donghae think he is wishing it is Donghae’s head.

Donghae plops onto a stool at the breakfast bar to show he’s not about to be chased away by the other man.

‘What’s it to you? Are you his boyfriend or something?’

Kyuhyun gives him a look, cold and measured.

‘Would it interfere with your plans if I was?’

‘My only plan is to not talk to you whenever possible,’ Donghae says, and his heart is beating uncomfortably fast.

‘Why are you wearing his clothes?’

‘Mine were wet!’

‘That seems awfully convenient,’ Kyuhyun says. He flips the eggs with a splat, breaking the yoke. Then he glares at the eggs and roughly stirs them around.

‘Convenient for what, exactly?’ Donghae asks.

‘You tell me, .’

At that moment, Hyukjae enters.

‘Oh,’ he says, yawning sleepily. ‘Donghae, you already know my roommate Kyuhyun, right?’

Roommate.

‘Yeah,’ Donghae says, getting up and moving over so that Hyukjae can sit down. It hasn’t yet stopped startling Donghae how different Hyukjae looks when he’s not in his work clothes. He looks nice in his neat tailored suits, but he looks- he looks adorable in his comfy-at-home clothes. His hair is messy, and he has that sleepy, confused expression of someone who has only recently woken up. His lips look even more pouty than usual as he blinks owlishly at the two of them.

‘You’re up uncharacteristically early,’ Kyuhyun says.

Hyukjae shrugs, looking a bit self-conscious.

‘Didn’t want to be late for work,’ he says.

‘I’m not cooking him breakfast,’ Kyuhyun says, gesturing at Donghae.

‘I wouldn’t eat it if you did,’ Donghae says, scowling.

‘That’s fine,’ Hyukjae says tiredly. ‘We can get something on the way to work.’

He really probably meant that he could get something while walking to work while Donghae could separately get his own food on his way home, but before he can clarify this, Donghae is on his feet, beaming.

‘Sounds great, Hyukjae,’ he says. ‘Just let me get dressed and I’m ready!’

Hyukjae blinks.

‘Um,’ he says. ‘I didn’t-’

‘What’s the weather like? Shall we go on my bike or walk?’

‘Walk!’ Hyukjae says quickly. ‘I mean, Donghae, you really don’t have to walk with me-’

‘It’s fine,’ Donghae says cheerfully. ‘I don’t have any other plans.’

He knows he’s being a bit pushy, but after weeks of being ignored or scowled at by Hyukjae, he’s finally managed to get the other man willing to hang out with him.

Well, more like less reluctant to be around him than willing, but Donghae will take what he can get.

Hyukjae sighs.

‘Alright,’ he says. ‘Kyuhyun, try not to stab him with the kitchen scissors while I’m getting ready?’

Twenty minutes later, Hyukjae and Donghae are in the elevator. Hyukjae is scrolling on his phone and Donghae is…

He’s feeling shy all of a sudden.

He was wrong! He has greatly underestimated the power of Hyukjae in his work clothes!

Hyukjae in cute comfy clothes is lovely, Hyukjae in his big jacket and casual outfit is nice too, but Hyukjae in his tight, perfect suit with his hair styled and his slim elegant fingers fixing his tie is stunning. He smells wonderful too, sort of soft and fruity from whatever products he has in his hair. The inside of the elevator is polished metal and Donghae can see Hyukjae reflected from almost all angles. The front view is nice, the side view is nice, and- Donghae risks just a teeny peek- the back view is pretty ing nice too. Hyukjae glances up from his phone then, and Donghae quickly looks away, feeling guilty.

Did he notice?

‘Everything alright?’ Hyukjae asks.

‘Yup,’ Donghae says, and he determinedly stares directly ahead until they’re out on the street.

After briefly checking his motorbike is fine, the two of them set off on foot.

It’s no longer snowing, but their shoes crunch on the ice and their breath forms in big billowy clouds as they exhale. Donghae shoves his hands deep in his pockets to keep them warm. Hyukjae is not very chatty, but the silence is not uncomfortable. Donghae is disappointed that it is actually a very short walk from Hyukjae’s apartment to his workplace.

‘Do- do you still want to get breakfast?’ he asks timidly.

‘I guess,’ Hyukjae says.

Donghae looks about for anywhere fancy enough to take the other man. He usually skips breakfast himself, or gets a toasted sandwich from a street vendor on his way to work, but he can’t imagine Hyukjae eating something so big and messy. Perhaps the other man would like something healthy? Something served on dainty plates with a knife and fork?

‘What about that?’ Hyukjae says, pointing, and Donghae’s heart stutters in joy because Hyukjae wan