Surprisingly, they were very productive that day. Both of them being in a good mood was definitely a good condition. Even if Donghae was working on some things on his own, Hyukjae’s mind produced fitting rhythm and lyrics at a rate that surprised even himself. By the time Donghae was done working and he let Donghae listen to the rap lines he wrote for several songs, only minor changes were needed to finalize them. They decided to wrap up for the night, satisfied with their work and leaving just a few more for their next session (and no, it’s not an excuse to have to work together more, Hyukjae thought).

The sun had set hours ago and their stomachs were already grumbling. They packed their things up and went down to the A&R office. This time, Hyukjae went with Donghae to his table. He chuckled at the various stuff scattered in it - papers, calendar, hair band, guitar pick, greeting cards and photos pinned to the cork board, beanie, mugs and a tumbler, notebook, and many other things. It wasn’t messy, but Donghae’s desk looked really lived in, and Hyukjae can’t help but smile at how the desk feels “so Donghae” to him despite him knowing the cute oddball for just a short while.

They bickered for a while on where to eat, before finally deciding to just order delivery and eat at Hyukjae’s dorm. During the car ride, they sang along to 90’s and 00’s boy bands, putting them into an even better mood. Even if they spent their childhood and teenage years in completely different countries, this is something they had in common. Donghae wasn’t that familiar with Korean songs and artists during that time, but the foreign boy bands they idolized when they were young were the same.

They arrived at the dorm with wide smiles on their faces and loudly bickering playfully about which songs and bands were better.

Kyuhyun was in the kitchen and looked up when they entered. “Are you two drunk?”

Vehemently shaking his head but still smiling, Donghae answered. “No! I drove here, Kyu.”

Hyukjae was still grinning and Kyuhyun looked at him questioningly.

“You two seem to be…so hyper and happy?”

Hyukjae laughed at that. “Is that a crime now? We were just having fun.”

“We will order food by the way. Join us for dinner!” Donghae enthusiastically added.

“I already had dinner and as much as I’d like to hang out with you, I have a quest to finish.”

Hyukjae shook his head with a chuckle. “Okay, have fun with your games.”

“Hmm,” Kyuhyun responded with a nod to Hyukjae then looked at Donghae. “Bye, Hae!” Then he looked back at Hyukjae with an eyebrow wiggle as he was walking to his room. “Don’t forget to wash the dishes, Hyuk!”

Hyukjae and Donghae both laughed at that, amused at Kyuhyun. Then they bickered again on what food to order, but ended up going for chicken and noodles. They ate dinner while talking and sharing stories, then cleaned up together.

And yes, the domesticity isn’t lost on Hyukjae but it’s something he shoves to the back of his mind.

Donghae said he didn’t want to go home yet so they decided to watch a movie together in the living room. They sat down on the couch and Hyukjae’s heart stuttered as Donghae sat next to him. At first, Donghae was kind of awkwardly shy, while Hyukjae appeared relaxed but in reality is nervous at their proximity. Hyukjae wonders at Donghae’s shyness which is out of character for the man, because Hyukjae noticed that Donghae is very generous in terms of skinship with his friends.

They rewatched a Marvel movie they both liked and they kept talking in between scenes. They discussed their theories and gushed about what they thought about specific parts in the movie. They even replayed some scenes several times while shouting at how cool the characters are.

At some point near the end of the movie, Kyuhyun burst out of his room with a big scowl. "Why do you have to be so noisy! I can even hear you two despite my headphones!"

Hyukjae and Donghae both looked down, chastised.

Kyuhyun shook his head and chuckled despite his annoyance. "You two are so different and yet so alike. I guess you both finally found someone you can be like a child with."

Unsure if they should be offended or not, the two of them just kept pouting, earning another chuckle from Kyuhyun.

"Seriously though, keep it down. If you're this noisy, next time go watch a movie in Hyukjae's room instead." Then he went back to his room and shut the door.

Hyukjae did not comment but it was then that he noticed that the distance between him and Donghae had disappeared. Donghae was now sitting right next to him with their shoulders and knees touching. Hyukjae’s lips tugged up in a smile at this. He also remembered that Donghae grabbed his arm several times during the course o