•●•●•●•●•●•●•●•●•●•●•●•●•●•●•●•●•●•●•●•●•●•●•●•●•●•●•●•

•●•●•●•●•●•●•●•●•●•●•●•●•●•●•●•●•●•●•●•●•●•●•●•●•●•●•●•●•●•●•●•●•●•●•●•●•●•

•●•●•●•●•●•●•●•●•●•●•●•●•●•●•●•●•●•●•●•●•●•●•●•●•●•●•●•●•●•●•●•●•●•●•●•●•●•●•●•●•●•●•●•●•●•●•

“10…,” Hyukjae whispered and sat down in the couch, bringing his knees closer to his chest and hugging them tightly. “9…,” he chanted, sighing deeply and looking at the outside, the light rain pouring against the windows. “8… 7…,” he bit his lower lip, feeling that familiar knot in his throat every time he wanted to cry. “6…,” his lips were trembling, the room was dark. “5… 4…,” his voice was shaky, weak. “3…,” and he would always hate how empty the house was. “2…,” he gulped sadly. “1…,” he let go of one silent tear.

“Happy new year…,” he hid his face in between his knees, crying silently as the dark and lonely room watched him intently.

It was stupid of him, to believe that maybe Kyuhyun would actually spent the New Year’s Eve with him, just like what he told to their parents. It was stupid because Hyukjae have high expectations and Kyuhyun was in charge of stepping all over them.

“Idiot…,” Hyukjae mumbled still sobbing quietly, the grapes over the table because he was supposed to make 12 wishes, but the only thing he wanted was for him not to be alone. Still, that wish would probably never come true.

He slept that night from crying too much in the couch, curling his body into itself to try to amend the cold he was feeling.

•●•●•●•●•●•●•●•●•●•●•●•●•●•●•●•●•●•●•●•●•●•●•●•

Kyuhyun entered the house silently, it was already morning but he had forgotten to take his spare clothes and he knew that if Hyukjae looked at him he would be mad, again.

Sighing deeply in relief, Kyuhyun walked to his room only to stop when he saw a curling body in the couch and the pain of guilt invaded his chest. He pondered if he should take Hyukjae to his room or take a blanket to him because he definitely didn’t want Hyukjae to be sick because of him.

At the end he decided taking Hyukjae to his room was better. He gulped nervously before taking a few steps to the sleeping male, leaning down only to feel even worst because he could see the dried tears of the other.

He finally sighed and carried him gently, careful to not wake him up because Hyukjae deserved to at least sleep peacefully. He walked slowly and calmly to the other’s room, always fixing his eyes in how Hyukjae moaned almost inaudibly and curled his body slightly searching for warmth.

“Idiot…,” Hyukjae mumbled cuddling himself against Kyuhyun and the taller stopped only to look at Hyukjae’s sleepy face and notice how he was pouting.

“Even at a time like this you have those words for me…,” Kyuhyun sighed and started walking again, lying Hyukjae down in the bed gently and covering with thick blankets. “I’ll be back in a few hours…,” he announced looking at the other’s face and smiling warmly.

Kyuhyun had no idea of why he was doing that, but he didn’t stop himself either when he leaned down to peck Hyukjae’s forehead and take away the locks blocking his view from his face. He simply chuckled and went out of the room towards his.

•●•●•●•●•●•●•●•●•●•●•●•●•●•●•●•●•●•●•●•●•●•●•●•●•●•

Hyukjae sighed deeply as he cooked his lunch, just his share because there was no way he would also cook Kyuhyun’s anymore. He pouted as he remembered the other. “Stupid Kyuhyun…,” he mumbled moving the ingredients in the pan.

After a few minutes, he heard the door open and he ly to see Kyuhyun entering the kitchen. “Ah, good to know you’re cooking, I’m hungry,” he said with a silly grin in his face that Hyukjae didn’t remember there.

“Are you alright?” Hyukjae asked feeling a little scared because Kyuhyun seemed to be different. “You’re early…”

Kyuhyun rolled his eyes. “It’s New Year, obviously I’m not going to work…,” he said going to look what Hyukjae cooked. “That looks eatable…,” he mumbled and Hyukjae pouted.

“Well, thanks but it’s mine not yours,” Hyukjae said turning his stove off and serving his food in a plate.

“Seriously? Are you going to be this mean?” Kyuhyun asked pursing his lips as if trying to fake hurt.

“I have no idea what kind of demon got into you but one, I didn’t know you would be coming for lunch, I thought you were with your girlfriend and two, I told you already that I will never cook for you anymore,” Hyukjae said taking his plate to the couch and turning on the TV.

Kyuhyun rolled his eyes. “I’ll come home for dinner from now on,” he said sitting next to Hyukjae on the couch. “So cook my share as well.”

Hyukjae glared at him and then at the TV. “You’ll always ditch it for a client or work or your girlfriend, no need to lie to me demon,” he said flatly even when he was happy that Kyuhyun was there, by his side, and having a slightly decent conversation.

“I’m not a demon,” Kyuhyun said rolling his eyes. “And no, I won’t, I had finished the worst part of my work, now I’m the president,” he sang with a grin. “Things get easier from now on.”

Hyukjae simply shrugged, it wasn’t that important for him anyways. He promised himself he wouldn’t care too much about Kyuhyun. But the other being so close was making it hard for him.

Kyuhyun sighed deeply. “We’re going to a mask today, so be ready for then,” he announced randomly.

 “A mask?” Hyukjae asked again, with a slight smile. “Really?!” he chirped happily. “Woah! I love that stuff!”

Kyuhyun chuckled and sighed loudly, thinking he was going to die because Hyukjae would be so mad at him for leaving him alone in New Year ’s Eve. “Yeah well, rich people like this you know?” he asked as he saw Hyukjae grinning widely at him. It was just a few hours since he left Hyukjae all alone and now Hyukjae was simply smiling, as if nothing happened, as if he was the happiest the night before.

“And no one will know who is who right?” Hyukjae asked excitedly.

Kyuhyun smiled. “Exactly,” he said nodding, eating a piece of the food Hyukjae did just for him and eating it.

Hyukjae didn’t care about his food anymore. “We need masks!” he yelled happily. “Woah Kyu! This will be awesome!” he grinned widely, letting Kyuhyun see his wide smile, dazzled for a few seconds because of the sudden nickname. Not that he was complaining actually.

“It already is…,” Kyuhyun mumbled for himself. “I have the masks already,” he then added loudly.

Hyukjae couldn’t stop smiling. “And is there a time we take our masks off?” he asked excited. “How does it work?”

Kyuhyun chuckled. “Well, I can’t remember, I’m too hungry to think about the details…”

“A pure demon asking for the innocent’s sacrifices…,” Hyukjae rolled his eyes before sighing deeply. “I’ll cook for you after…”

Kyuhyun chuckled. “I’m not the demon,” he complained before fixing himself comfortably in the couch. “Well, only couples can go, you can ask and be asked to dance by whoever you wish and if they like you enough, they’ll give you a jewel, that means they think you’re the most beautiful one and-”

“A JEWEL?!” Hyukjae almost yelled. “Oh my god Kyuhyun! I don’t have one!” and Kyuhyun could see that he was already panicking.

Kyuhyun rolled his eyes. “You don’t need it dummy,” he said and Hyukjae pouted lightly. “Only I need it, I’m the one giving, you’re the one receiving…,”

Hyukjae nodded in understanding. “What if I don’t accept the jewel?” he asked curious.

 “That means you don’t accept the other’s feelings, but if someone you danced with gives you one, you better accept it…,” Kyuhyun glared at the other. “It can be disrespectful with the presidents of some companies I need by my side.”

Hyukjae sighed and nodded. “Yes sir!” he exclaimed still looking at Kyuhyun. “What else?”

“Well, at the end you can take your mask off and realize who you danced with, a queen and a king will be chosen, it usually is a marriage already,” Kyuhyun explained patiently. “Then we can come back home and sleep peacefully,” he said nodding for himself.

“Ahh… I see…,” Hyukjae nodded. “I must get ready then,” he said standing up.

“Wait!” Kyuhyun exclaimed grabbing Hyukjae’s wrist. “You must cook for me first,” he said with a childish smile.

Hyukjae gulped. That man was trying to kill him with his happy and fluffy attitude. “Seriously Kyuhyun, are you sure there’s nothing wrong with you? Are you bipolar or something? Like now you’re in your happy self and then you’ll change to the I-hate-everyone self and try to kill me or something?”

Kyuhyun raised an eyebrow. “You sure have time to think on strange theories,” he said now colder and Hyukjae smiled.

“There, that’s the Kyuhyun I’m used to,” Hyukjae said turning around and walking to the kitchen.

Kyuhyun simply rolled his eyes and followed Hyukjae, resting his body in the door’s frame and only looking at Hyukjae who kept on humming a song while moving all around.

•●•●•●•●•●•●•●•●•●•●•●•●•●•●•●•●•●•●•●•●•●•●•●•●•●•

Hyukjae had thought it was going to be fun, but he realized it wasn’t as soon as they entered the salon. “Idiot, jerk, stupid…,” he bit his lower lip, thankful that the mask covering half of his upper face was making people unable to see his teary eyes completely.

He saw how Kyuhyun went directly to a girl. He said nothing, they just arrived and Kyuhyun wasn’t by his side anymore.

Three minutes passed and almost everyone was dancing, Kyuhyun didn’t let go of that girl who he realized, was actually his girlfriend and now had a beautiful bracelet in her wrist, both of them with a huge smile in their lips.

And then there was Hyukjae, standing still and with no one by his side, only looking at the couple discreetly, deciding that it was wiser to look down after because his tears were threatening to fall down already. Stupid Kyuhyun, I’ll never cook for you anymore!

“Excuse me sir,” someone interrupted his mental curses for Kyuhyun and Hyukjae looked up to see it was a man offering his hand to him. “Would you give me the pleasure of your company in this piece?” he asked politely and a soft smile was drawn in Hyukjae’s lips.

“Of course,” Hyukjae said taking the man’s hand and giggling softly when the man dragged him gently to the dance floor.

It wasn’t long for Hyukjae to forget slightly about Kyuhyun and his girlfriend. He knew it already, that he was jealous, but he decided he wasn’t ready to let it out, not yet.

The mask kept going, with Hyukjae unexpectedly passing from man to man in each piece. He looked always to Kyuhyun’s direction; the couple was still dancing together and refusing to part away. Hyukjae would only fake a smile to the one he was dancing with.

“I might not be able to see your face, but I know you’re the most beautiful one tonight,” a man he was dancing with started. “So please accept this ring as my appreciation gift,” he said handing Hyukjae a, what seemed pretty expensive ring.

Hyukjae blushed lightly and bowed politely before accepting the jewel. It was the same procedure until he got more bracelets, rings and necklaces that he could even carry.

And yet, the only bracelet he wanted was now in the small wrist of a beautiful girl dancing with Kyuhyun. “Idiot…,” Hyukjae mumbled when he was finally sitting down after hours of dancing with strangers.

“Ladies and gentlemen~,” a deep voice called and Hyukjae turned lazily to the speaker, pouting when instead his gaze was set in the couple now smiling to each other behind their mask and cursing for the nth time to Kyuhyun’s stupidity. “It’s time for all of us to finally reveal ourselves!” the speaker announced and Hyukjae rolled his eyes. As if it were actually important.

Everyone clapped though and Hyukjae found himself doing so as well with a bright and fake smile in his lips, looking around because there were more than one looking at him intently.

There was a count back and everyone took their masks out. Hyukjae turned to where Kyuhyun was and he caught it when he and Seohyun took their masks off and smiled sweetly for each other. It broke his heart. It wasn’t enough to be all by himself, but Hyukjae also had to stand to see the man he liked with someone else. Not now Hyukjae… not now… he tried to calm himself and looked away to smile at those that were already smiling at him.

He nodded his head to all the men that danced with him and smiled brightly, as if he didn’t expect such vivid reaction to his persona. And then there was Kyuhyun, in a corner, hypnotized by the beautiful girl in front of him. Though they weren’t hugging each other anymore, they still kept being close enough.

“And now~ Time to announce the king and queen of this mask!” And everyone went wild, even Hyukjae who just let himself being dragged by an unknown man to the front.

He was standing in the first row, Hyukjae hated it. He felt everyone’s eyes on him as the man in the front started undoing one elegant envelope. He gulped and smiled, as if nothing was happening, as if he didn’t feel ashamed of his husband not being by his side. It’s okay Hyukkie, just smile, it’s okay… you can yell at him later… and he smiled sincerely at the thought. Yes, he could yell at him later.

It wasn’t surprising when the announcer yelled Kyuhyun’s name as the king of the mask and Hyukjae clapped, just like anyone else. It was surprising though, at least for everyone else but Hyukjae, when the name mentioned as the queen of the mask was Seohyun’s, the daughter of a new and small company.

And everyone, excluding Kyuhyun and Seohyun, turned towards him, towards Hyukjae who clapped proudly, as if he only had eyes for Kyuhyun standing up with a crown in his face and smiling oh so lovely to Seohyun.

He didn’t know if he wanted everyone to look at him. He didn’t want to keep on faking he wasn’t hurt, that it wasn’t a humiliation for him, that he was proud, that he couldn’t be happier. Hyukjae could feel all eyes over him, watching his reaction carefully, studying and judging him. He bit the inner of his cheeks and kept on smiling, his eyes never leaving Kyuhyun’s figure.

And Hyukjae could say he was partly thankful. Because it would be a bigger humiliation if everyone saw how Kyuhyun was smiling and only looking at his girlfriend. They would all notice, that Hyukjae was nothing at Kyuhyun’s eyes. Everyone was eager to find flaws in their marriage and they didn’t even need to look that closely, the flaws just shone brightly.

“And now~ the queen and king should have their dance!” the announcer yelled excited and was then that everyone turned their attention to the couple.

Kyuhyun reached his hand with a polite smile and Seohyun took it without hesitation, both going down and dancing slowly to the music being played.

Hyukjae smiled softly and looked at the couple, conscious of everyone’s eyes on him. Just a little more Hyukkie, you’re doing it well… and he bit his lower lip, excusing himself after a few seconds faking he had a call to attend and going out the garden.

Hyukjae sighed deeply and smiled when he was out, the cold air hitting his face and he didn’t realize it, not before, how a tear slid down his cheek. “Stupid Kyuhyun…,” he mumbled with a bitter smile. “Idiot, idiot, idiot,” he looked down, wiping his tears away with his sleeve. “And it all is my stupid fault…,” he whispered.

Hyukjae sat down in the stairs, looking at the garden as he heard the music playing inside the salon. He doesn’t miss me, why would he when there’s someone he loves there? Hyukjae sighed, pouting at the mess he got himself into.

It was after a few minutes of Hyukjae pouting that he felt a tug on his shirt and he turned up to see a small child looking at him with bright eyes. “Hyung, is there something wrong?” the small boy asked politely and Hyukjae instantly smiled. Because kids were always honest, pure and innocent, caring.

Hyukjae shook his head softly. “Just a little tired…,” he said smiling softly and the little kid nodded.

“Why aren’t you with the adults?” the small kid asked and Hyukjae chuckled.

“They’re boring,” Hyukjae pouted.

The kid smiled brightly. “I’m Taemin!” he exclaimed happily.

“I’m Hyukjae,” Hyukjae said and the small kid nodded for himself. “Did you come here with your parents?” he then asked and the small kid sat down by his side.

“I came with my grandparents,” Taemin said smiling. “But they don’t allow kids inside so all the kids and I were playing together, do you want to come hyung?”

Hyukjae smiled widely, at least there was something he actually liked. “Yes please!” he nodded eagerly and in less than a minute, he was being dragged by Taemin through the garden towards an aisle where a bunch of kids were playing, as if it were a mask by their own.

“This is Hyukjae hyung! He is bored so I bought him here,” Taemin said smiling and all the kids turned to him and smiled widely.

And Finally Hyukjae felt welcomed.

That night Hyukjae not only danced with rich men, he also danced with small boys and girls, giving each of them one of the jewels that he had gotten ever since before and in change, they would give him a flower or a kiss, which Hyukjae thought, was even better than a bracelet.

Hyukjae went away from that place when the last kid was taken away to home and he smiled, going out too, to take a taxi and go home. He didn’t care anymore about anything.

Never in his mind crossed the idea of what could happen the next day.

•●•●•●•●•●•●•●•●•●•●•●•●•●•●•●•●•●•●•●•●•●•●•●•●•●•●•●•●•●•●•●•●•●•●•●•●•●•●•●•●•●•●•●•●•●•●•

•●•●•●•●•●•●•●•●•●•●•●•●•●•●•●•●•●•●•●•●•●•●•●•●•●•●•●•●•●•●•●•●•●•●•●•●•●•

•●•●•●•●•●•●•●•●•●•●•●•●•●•●•●•●•●•●•●•●•●•●•●•●•●•●•●•

A/N: Angsty + mpreg requested fic~

Long Chapter because I’m awesome~ xD


PS: you guys are so going to love chapter 28! >.<
I can't wait to show it to you!

I loveeeeee you!