AN: For help imagining Donghae's apartment, I've posted a room diagram on my tumblr! Check it out if you want to be 100% on the same page as me ^^

It was still dark when Hyukjae woke up the first time. Having no idea what time it was and not seeing any sign of the sun, he assumed it must be in the middle of the night.

He wiggled a little bit, wanting to roll over to relieve the stagnant ache in his back and legs. But he was aware of a very unusual, though not unwanted, problem.

Hyuk glanced up at the slumbering face of Donghae. It was difficult to see details in the low light, but from what he could tell, Hae looked peaceful.

Strong arms were draped loosely around him still and one of Hyukjae’s legs was securely clenched between Hae’s thighs. All in all he was able to surmise that he would not be able to move without thoroughly disturbing the other man.

At some point in his sleep Hyukjae had moved his head from the pillow to Hae’s arm, fully curling up into the other man’s warm chest. Hyuk could feel Hae’s deep breathing and even thought for a moment that he could hear Donghae’s heartbeat.

Or was that his own heart going crazy?

Being there in this man’s arms right now gave Hyuk such a comforting feeling. For a moment, he forgot about his body’s discomfort and let his mind wander a little. He’d been avoiding thinking about such things just in case it all became much too real. But it would be ok for just a moment, right?

He pretended this embrace was that of lovers, not good friends. He fantasized about waking up the next morning to a kiss on the cheek, getting coffee together, tidying up the apartment together, then going out to enjoy a sunny Sunday.

He imagined what it would be like to hold Hae’s hand in his own, their fingers laced together, as they walked through the night market. What would it be like to go home together, take care of each other, love each other?

Somehow it wasn’t difficult to imagine at all.

Hyuk moved a hand to gently press his palm against the center of Donghae’s chest. He could feel all the warmth emitting from it and he was sure that he could feel Hae’s heartbeat this time.

Looking up into Hae’s sleeping face, Hyukjae wanted to ask him, “What do you think of me?”

“Do we want the same things?”

“How long can we stay like this?”

Shortly after the blissful images came the cold hard hand of truth. Fear began to grip Hyukjae right around his throat and he found himself frowning.

What if nothing became of them? What if Donghae didn’t feel the same at all? What if this man threw him aside when he discovered the feelings that were present?

Hyukjae’s arms, submissively tucked under Hae’s own appendages, gave a tight squeeze as if hanging on for dear life to what they had in that moment. He didn’t want to lose Donghae just because he couldn’t control his emotions…

The sudden squeeze seemed to stir Donghae just enough to cause his eyes to squish tightly and open just half way. Hyukjae lay frozen, not sure how to behave now. Was Donghae going to push him away and claim that it was all the alcohol that caused them to be like this?

“Mmm, Hyukjae,” Donghae moaned sleepily. “What time is it?”

Hyukjae just shook his head, not having a clue.

Donghae made more sounds as he arched his back and stretched out his arms and legs. When he was finished, he sighed and resumed his firm hold on Hyukjae, his eyes drifting shut again.

“Er.. Hae-ah?” Hyukjae tentatively asked.

“Hm?” came the sleepy response.

“Sorry… I need to roll over… I’m sorry…” Though it was dark, Hyukjae could feel the blush rising in his cheeks. Why was he apologizing so much?

In response, Donghae lifted his arms from the other man in the bed and released his leg so that Hyukjae could roll over.

For a moment, Hyukjae regretted the action despite how much more comfortable he felt on the new side. This comfort came at a sacrifice to the security he had being in Donghae’s embrace and he was nearly tempted to roll back over and seek it out again.

But he didn’t need to. Hyuk felt hands slide along his side and under his head, wrapping around him quietly. He felt a warm physique scoot up close behind his, pressing their bodies firmly together. A set of legs molded to his, completely sealing them together.

Hyukjae could hardly believe it. Slowly, he moved one hand to rest on Hae’s arm, adjusting himself just a little so he could reach maximum comfort.

“Is this ok?” Donghae mumbled, clearly still half asleep.

“Y-yeah…” Hyukjae stuttered. He exhaled several times to help himself relax, even nuzzling his cheek into Hae’s warm bicep. He could feel the soothing rise and fall of Donghae’s chest against his back as he eventually fell back into sleep.

* * * * * * * * * *

Donghae was not a morning person on any level. When he felt the waking world pulling at his consciousness, he fought back with all his might, dying to return to that blissful state of dreaming.

This particular morning, he found himself loosely hugging something as he strained to hold on to sleep. The reality of who that person was escaping him at the moment… It seemed to be dancing right on the outskirts of his memory.

When he heard birds chirping outside, he knew his body probably wasn’t going to be letting him sleep anymore. He finally shifted, feeling stiff and he stretched out his arms and legs, an involuntary groan escaping his throat.

When he opened his eyes, he was first hit with quite possibly the brightest light he’d ever seen.

This could have been due to the fact that he was experiencing an incredible hangover.

Instantly, pain exploded across his forehead and behind his eyes and he squished his eyes shut again to block out the awful light.

Donghae pressed his face into the shoulder of the man in front of him, the pressure on his eyes easing the pain slightly. It was only in those moments when he fully comprehended who was in his bed and what they were doing there.

Hyukjae…

Almost immediately, a parade of confusing emotions flooded into his chest. He’d really never had good friends before. Sure, he had classmates in high school that he hung out with on a regular basis, but their meetings never consisted of deep conversation or truly being interested in the other person.

Because of his inexperience, Donghae didn’t know if this behavior was normal between really good friends. But there was a very large part of him that hoped it was because there was something oddly fulfilling about laying this way with Hyukjae…

He ended up staying there for a quite a while, moving his head off the pillow enough to look down at Hyuk’s sleeping face. The café worker had a slight frown pulling his lips and his eyebrows were pursed together as if something unpleasant were going through his mind.

Donghae thought about all the hardship Hyukjae must have experienced in his short life. Growing up without a father and being passed around from house to house; having a mother that could barely take care of him; supporting himself financially since he was a kid; losing the only parent he’d ever known at such a young age…

Tears pricked Donghae’s eyes as the throbbing headache worsened. There was a part of him that desperately wanted to take care of Hyukjae, to protect him from the world that had been so cruel to him.

The troubles in his life paled in comparison to the man whose body laid snuggly against his own. Hae’s issues all had to do with a dysfunctional family, but he’d never had to work to survive before. He couldn’t imagine what that would be like.

He vaguely recalled what he’d said to Hyukjae the night before… “I can be your family.”

Wrapping his arms tighter around the sleeping man, Donghae silently promised himself that he would take this role seriously. He would be someone who supported Hyukjae in everything; someone who would take care of him whether he liked it or not; someone who would cherish him and treat him the way he ought to be treated; someone who would lo—

“Mmmggg,” Hyukjae groaned, interrupting Donghae’s train of thought. He blinked, focusing on the other man. The frown on Hyuk’s face had deepened and he appeared to still be dreaming. Hae tilted his head, curious about what unpleasantries were haunting this young man…

Hae untangled his arm from Hyukjae’s grip and tentatively moved it close to the other’s face. Heart beating erratically, his turned his hand around and very delicately, as if touching a fragile china doll, he brushed the back of his fingers against Hyukjae’s soft cheek.

The skin was warm and prickly from the facial hair that hadn’t been shaved yet. Donghae was surprised, almost forgetting that Hyukjae would have the ability to grow a beard like any other man. His skin always looked so smooth, as if a single hair had never touched him there in his life.

Hyukjae stirred just a bit at the contact, but he didn’t wake up. Donghae was relieved to see, however, that his expression relaxed, the frown disappearing and the crease in his forehead smoothing.

Donghae’s heart skipped. He couldn’t help it; a big smile spread across his face. He bit his lip, feeling embarrassed for reacting so strongly to such a small response, but the smile wouldn’t leave.

His fingers continued to lightly Hyukjae’s cheek for a few more minutes. Eventually, the headache won over his mind and he, very reluctantly, pulled himself from Hyukjae’s back, making sure to keep the man covered with the blanket to preserve the warmth there.

Reaching for a pair of sweatpants that he kept on top of his dresser, Donghae tugged them on and headed over to the kitchen. His first step was to pour a glass of water and swallow a couple pills to help alleviate the headache and nausea. His second step was to empty last night’s coffee grounds from the coffee maker and go about making a fresh batch.

As he worked, he couldn’t help but steal glances at the man in his bed. Hyukjae, at some point, rolled over to the center of the bed, sleeping on his stomach now. The sight caused the smile on Donghae’s face to grow in power and he wondered if he would be smiling for the rest of his life.

While the coffee maker worked its magic, Hae set about cleaning up a bit, carrying glasses from the table to the sink and running some water to wash everything. He was as quiet as he could be, but some noises were simply unavoidable.

Right when Donghae was thinking about making something to eat, he heard a throaty moan from the bed and turned to see Hyukjae digging the heels of his hands into his eye sockets.

“Bathroom,” was the only thing Hyuk managed to get out, his voice sounding strained.

Donghae watched with some concern as the man struggled out of bed and stumbled over to the bathroom, shutting the door firmly behind him. Donghae grimaced, knowing Hyuk was probably expelling the liquor from the night before.

Hae recalled a phone conversation they had at some point while Hyuk was away about how the café worker had little time to enjoy alcohol since he’d been busy working from a young age. Grimacing a little, he realized that Hyuk wouldn’t be used to drinking hardly at all…

By the time Hyukjae left the bathroom, Donghae was just pouring him a cup of strong black coffee. Hyukjae plopped down in the chair, still wearing only boxers and the large tshirt that Hae lent to him. His hair was the messiest that Donghae had ever seen it; usually it was perfectly styled, but now ends were sticking up in every direction imaginable.

For Hyukjae’s sake, Hae hid his smile and set the mug down on the table in front of his friend. “Feeling better?”

Hyukjae just groaned feebly, dropping his head into his folded arms on the table. Donghae let a little grin sneak out while Hyuk couldn’t see and he filled a glass with water and brought three painkillers over to the suffering man.

“Here, take these,” Donghae instructed, setting the tablets down and retrieving his own cup of coffee from the counter. He scooted his chair close to the corner of the table so that their knees were touching, anxious to be close to Hyukjae like he was before.

Hyuk lifted his head, squinted through small eyes at the pills and water. He did the job of swallowing the painkillers, downing the entire glass of water as if he hadn’t drunk anything for a week. He then dropped his head back into his arms, presumably to ease the pain and block out the light.

Donghae tilted his head, wondering if he should feel guilty for indirectly being the cause of such an epic hangover. Ultimately, he thought back to the gratitude Hyuk expressed the night before and decided that he shouldn’t feel too terrible…

A hand moved to Hyuk’s head and Donghae easily slid his fingers into the matted locks, gently rubbing the back of Hyukjae’s scalp in an attempt to sooth the other’s pain.

“Mm.. Hyuk-ah,” Donghae began. “Are you going to want anything to eat?”

An unpleasant groan came from the man across from him. That was, apparently, the only answer he had to anything this morning.

Donghae just nodded even though no one could see him. He continued to rub quietly, even setting the side of his own head down on the table, being cushioned by one bent elbow. Silently, he admired Hyukjae from his close proximity, wondering how long they could stay this way.

A soft mumbling sound came from the mound of arms and face in front of Donghae. Blinking, he lifted his head a bit and asked, “What was that?”

Hyukjae heaved sigh and tilted his head to the side, keeping his eyes closed. He repeated in a raspy voice, “That feels good.”

Donghae just grinned and persisted to push Hyuk’s hair around while taking an occasional sip of his coffee. Strangely, he didn’t feel bored at all sitting there doing this. It was definitely preferable to doing homework.

Eventually, Hyukjae’s nausea began to fade and he was able to lift his head and drink his coffee and make conversation.

“What do you need to do today?”

“I have homework. Mostly its just math, but I also need to write a paper for my English Literature class.”

Hyukjae arched an eyebrow and Donghae was amazed at how attractive this man could be wearing nothing but sleeping clothes and having a head full of crazy hair. “Why are you taking English Lit if you’re studying engineering?” Hyukjae asked, taking another swig of coffee.

Hyukjae shrugged, “I needed to take some elective courses so I thought English Lit sounded interesting.”

“Do you read it in English or Korean?”

Donghae laughed and stood up from the table. “Korean. My English is terrible.” He walked over to the sink and twisted the faucet on, sticking his coffee mug under the running water to help wash out the excess.

Hyukjae walked up behind him with his own empty mug and asked, “Did you still go to the dance practices while I was gone?”

Reaching for the soap, Hae took a small step to the side to allow Hyuk room to wash his cup. Squeezing a bit onto a sponge, he nodded and began to clean. “Mhmm, I still went. But it really wasn’t the same without you.”

Hyukjae smiled a little, his headache obviously receding though not completely gone. He moved into the new space next to Donghae, standing close enough so that their arms were firmly touching. Hae handed Hyuk the sudsy sponge and began rinsing his mug off. “What are you going to do today?”

Busying himself with scrubbing the cup clean of any sign that coffee was once there, Hyuk didn’t look up when he answered. “Go back to the café. I’ve been gone for so long that I think I should get an update from my aunt and uncle… Plus I would really like a macchiato.”

“Oooh,” Donghae crooned, his brain instantly thinking about the sweet, caffeinated beverage. “That sounds good.”

Hyukjae rinsed off his mug and set it in the drying wrack next to the sink. Donghae handed him a towel to dry his hands and the two ended up facing each other, less than a foot of space between them. “Want to come help me warm back up to the café business?” Hyukjae asked, smiling and looking hopefully into Hae’s face.

Donghae thought about the homework he had but it didn’t take him long to come up with a compromise. “I’ll have to bring my school work. Is that ok?”

“Ani, that’s fine!” Hyukjae quickly agreed, feeling content to just keep Hae in the same space as him. From there, the two stood quietly smiling at each other.

Right when the silence began to teeter on the edge of awkward, Hyuk reached a hand across the short distance and touched Donghae’s wrist. “Yah, Donghae..”

“Hm?” Hae responded, liking the touch and the ease at which it was administered.

“Did… Did you mean what you said last night?” Hyukjae asked, desperately fighting off the blush that threatened to creep into his cheeks.

Donghae thought for a second before asking, “Which thing?”

“Huh?”

“The thing about skinship or the thing about being your family?”

Hyukjae did blush this time, his eyes widening and looking down towards his feet out of embarrassment. “Er… Both I guess…”

Donghae took a mental breath, trying to calm himself down and appear as easy going as possible. He lifted a hand and clapped Hyukjae on the shoulder. “Don’t think too much about it, Hyuk-ah. It’s really simple. If you need something, call me. If you want to sleep over, come on over. If you want to touch, just do it. See?”

But Donghae didn’t know whom he was trying to convince more about the easiness of this transition: himself or Hyukjae.

Would it really be as simple as he was making it seem? Could two people simply become like family or sleep with each other as if it was the most normal thing in the world?

And this whole “family” business he kept talking about… what did he mean by that? Did he want them to become like brothers?

As Donghae slipped on his shoes, he fought the urge to gag. No, he certainly didn’t want Hyukjae to be his brother. That would be too weird.

Looking over at Hyukjae who was busy putting yesterday’s clothes back on, Donghae felt his lips twitch and his heart stir. Yah, Donghae… A spouse is much weirder than a brother.

Just from appearances… Other people don’t know the situation…

And what, exactly, is the situation?

“Ready to go?” Hyukjae stood by the door, his shoulder bag in place and the other suitcase waiting next to him.

Donghae stared for a second before forcing himself into action, picking up a sweatshirt with his university’s logo on it and pulling it on over his head. “Yeah, let’s go,” he said, trying to sound cheerful.

But internally, there was a storm brewing. A giant monsoon of confusion and mental images of this other man being something like a lover to him. It was unquestionably strange.

And yet…

As they left the apartment and headed down to the street, they noticed that it seemed awfully dark for being mid-morning. And there was a slight chill in the air that was much stronger than the previous day.

Donghae took Hyukjae’s rolling suitcase from him and naturally wrapped an arm around the other man’s shoulders to help keep his neck warm. “You own jackets, right?” Donghae asked, grinning and giving Hyuk a squeeze.

The recipient of the affection just laughed and nodded his head, giving Donghae a little shove but being grateful that he was helping to keep him warm. “Yeah, I have heavier stuff. This won’t be a problem again.”

Strange? Maybe… Donghae thought as they walked along. Hyukjae was relaying his hangover experience in gruesome detail to his friend and Hae laughed at his expense.

But this sure feels natural to me.

AN: Ooohhh myyy goooosshhhh they are adorable. Can anybody really beat Eunhae cuteness???

Want sneak peeks at upcoming chapters BEFORE they're released on AFF? Follow me on Tumblr!! (allure000.tumblr.com) I post story-related information like Donghae's apartment diagram and give you updates on the progress of chapters. It's legit!

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