DONGHAE’s POV

"Oh come on! Stop denying! I should've noticed it sooner! Your little dark secret! That's why you never really liked any of my girlfriends! Damn it, Hae! You've been gay about me for about 2 years! That's just disgusting!"

“Aaah!” I woke up, my hands clutching the sheets and sweat in my forehead. That---that dream. Why did I have that dream again? I palmed my forehead as I felt pain in it. Then, the door opened with three guys looking at me.

“Hae!”

“Hyung!”

“Dongdong!”

I stared at the door, specifically staring at Siwon, Kyu and Mochi, the three of them gasping for air as they entered the room.

“Hae, what happened? Why did you shout?” Siwon asked as he sat down at the right side of my bed, Kyu sat at the left side and Mochi sitting beside Kyu.

“I---bad dream,” I answered, looking away.

“Hyung, you should rest for more,” Kyu said as he took my hand in his.

“How long was I out?” I asked.

“Two days,” Mochi answered.

“What?! Two days?!” I panicked.

“Yah, don’t shout, you’re head might hurt again,” Siwon told me and I took a deep breath.

“Then, what about our schedule for the past two days?”

“Seriously, Hae, don’t worry about that. What’s important now is you recover completely from your illness,” Siwon answered again making me pout.

“I am fine already,” I whined.

“Fine? Hyung, you just had a fever over 40 degrees, you can’t be completely fine,” Kyuhyun said, shaking his head in disapproval, Mochi doing the same.

“But---”

“Hae, don’t be too stubborn. We were so worried about you, you know, Leeteuk-hyung and the others are calling non-stop to check on you for the past two days,” Siwon looked at me and I fell back on my bed.

“Teukkie-hyung and the others knew?” I asked.

“Yes. Hankyung-hyung called them when we brought you to the hospital,”

“I was at the hospital?” I asked again, shocked for not knowing anything about that.

“Yeah, you fainted, hyung. It was a good thing that Hankyung-hyung was on his way to you because you were just standing there in the rain, and then when he caught you, he carried you and that’s when we figured you’re burning from fever and rushed you to the hospital. We’re so worried, hyung,” Kyuhyun explained to me. I suddenly recalled what happened. Why I stood there in the rain…why I got sick…why I made them worried…

“Sorry,” I whispered.

“Don’t be guilty, Dongdong. It’s okay now, what matters now is that you’re okay,” Mochi assured me as he rubbed my arm gently.

“But I caused you a lot of trouble…again,” I said and looked at the three of them.

“Well, you got no one but you’re self to blame. You’re so adorable that you make us take care of you,” Siwon told me with a smile and I decided to tag along.

“Oh…am I that irresistible?” I asked and the three chuckled.

“Yeah, yeah…now be your irresistible self and be a good boy and get some sleep, okay?” He said patting my head.

“What time is it?” I asked no one in particular.

“It’s half past midnight,” Mochi answered me.

“It’s late. Why are you guys not yet sleeping?” I eyed them.

“We’re taking care of you and Teukkie-hyung told us to,” Siwon answered but I sighed.

“I’m alright now, you guys catch some sleep,” I told them, when they started to complain I brought up my hand to stop them and they did.

“Come on, guys, sleep. I know you took care of me but if you got sick because of me I’ll really feel guilty. Please rest,” I gave them my puppy eyes and they sighed, knowing that I won.

“Fine, but take a rest too, okay?” Siwon said as he caressed my cheek for a second and left the room, yawning.

“Nighty, Dongdong,” Mochi went to his bed and a few seconds later, he’s snoring. Then, I eyed the maknae who’s looking elsewhere as if pondering something.

“And why are you not yet sleeping?” I asked him then he looked at me with a smirk. He lied beside me making me move to give him some space, then he went under my blanket, tugging it in the process. I raised my eyebrows as I propped myself with my right elbow, facing him.

“What do you think you’re doing?” I asked, his eyes are already closed and pretending to snore.

“Yah, Kyuhyun-ah, go sleep in your bed,” I said, pushing him a little bit but when he didn’t budge a bit, I pushed him harder.

“Kyu, come on, go to your own room. I want to---” I was cut off as he wrapped his arms around me, placing my head on his chest.

“Hyung, you’re so noisy. Just sleep,” he said.

“But---”

“Shhh, just let me sleep here,” he answered, as his hand made patterns at my back.

“Why though?” I asked again and he sighed.

“So that I can sleep and at the same time take care of you,”

“You and the others…you baby me too much,” I muttered and he chuckled.

“As Siwon said, it’s your fault for being irresistible adorable,” he answered and I pouted a bit. We were silent for a few seconds, me hearing his calm heart beat, and Kyu still drawing patterns at me back. I’d be lying if I said that it didn’t felt nice, his feathery touch is comforting that it’s making me sleepy.

“Are you still awake, hyung?” He suddenly spoke.

“Hmm?”

“Can I ask something?”

“Sure.”

“Why did you stay in the rain, hyung?” he asked and I opened my eyes, knowing completely well the reason.

“Hmm…” I started, not knowing how to begin, “you know when we were taking the photos outside, right?” I asked and he nodded, “the photographer was directing me and said to close my eyes and think of someone I love, so I did and an image flashed in my head, it was---”

“Hyukjae, isn’t?” he cut me off, and I slowly nodded.

“I stayed in the rain because after that, I realized that I haven’t moved on a bit, I still love him Kyuhyun-ah, no matter how painful it is, he’s still here,” I ended with a whisper, raising my right hand and placing it on my chest, where my heart is beating. Kyuhyun’s arms tighten around me as he whispered.

“Hyung, I love you. I can help you move on, just…let me,” he ended with a whisper, his heart beat pounding in his chest as he breath in and out. I stayed silent for a few seconds before wrapping my arms around him too, pulling him closer.

“I’m sorry, Kyuhyun-ah. I know you care for me…but I can’t do that. I can’t use you. You’re too precious for that. You’re precious to me, Kyu, and I don’t want to drag you into this,” I said, feeling my eyes tearing up, and then I felt his hand touching my chin making me look up at him and stare into his eyes.

“Hyung, don’t cry, I understand,” he said as he bent down and kissed my eyes, then cupping my right cheek with his hand. “You’re precious to me too, hyung, very precious that I want to keep you close to me.” He said, smiling sweetly. I smiled back then he spoke, “Hyung, I can still do one thing?”

“What?”

“I can still love you as a maknae, right?”

“Of course. You are my maknae, you know,” I answered, as he enveloped me with his arms once again, and I listened to his still heartbeat with eyes closed.

“And you are my fishy hyung,” he joked and we chuckled.

“You know, Kyu, I never knew you could be this sweet,” I commented, smiling, feeling his hand my hair gently.

“Just for you, hyung. Now let’s sleep, for real. Good night, hyung,” he whispered to my ear then his lips kissed my hair.

“Night, Kyu,” I answered back, hugging him back.

+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+

“Eat this hyung, oh and this, I’ll make you omelets too,” Ryeowook said as he opened the fridge the nth time, taking out all the food he can possible find inside.

I woke up a bit early that morning, still wrapped around Kyu’s arm, feeling a whole lot better. Wriggling my way out of Kyu, I successfully unwrapped myself and snuck out of the room, thinking that maybe the others are still asleep, but I was wrong. As soon as I entered the kitchen, Ryeowookie’s there, cooking and when he saw me, he dragged me and made me sit at the table, serving me food and saying thing like ‘you should eat this and that hyung, so you won’t get sick anymore’. And that’s how I ended up here, watching him cook food enough for an army.

“Wookie, don’t you think you’re cooking too much? We can’t finish this all,” I asked him, eating sausage that he laid for me.

“Nonsense. Hyung, you need all the energy to be really well,” he answered, not looking at me as he placed the omelets in the place and made his way towards me.

“But I’m fine already,” I said for the umpteenth time, but he just ignored that as he took a fork and fed me with the omelet.

“Ah,” he said and I complied, tasting his perfect cooking skills, once again. I chewed and swallowed as he watched me, like a mother would.

“You know, Wookie, you’re like Teukkie-hyung, acting like a mother,” I told him with a smile and he chuckled.

“Of course, and since Teukkie-hyung is not here, I should take care of you especially since you’ve been ill,” he answered, patting my head and making me eat again.

“I never knew we adopted an oversized baby,” Hankyung-hyung said as he entered the kitchen with a towel around his neck, indicating that he just took a bath, I shot him a playful glare and a pout, as he made his way towards me and ruffled my hair.

“But an adorable oversized baby,” he chuckled and sat beside me, “Are you alright already?”

“Yes, hyung, I really am. So would you please tell Wookie to stop cooking too much?” I whispered to him and he sighed.

“Ryewook---” but he was cut off as his phone rang. “I almost forgot,” he said and got his phone in his pocket and answered it, but he shoved the phone to me and gave me a wink, as he started eating. I eyed him curiously before placing the phone directly at me ears.

“Yah! Hankyung! I told you I’d call you early morning to check-up on Hae! Why didn’t you answer on the first ring?! Yah! Why are you not talking?!” Heechul-hyung’s voice shouted and I heard Hankyung-hyung chuckled, and I smiled, missing his voice.

“Sorry, but this is not Hankyung-hyung,” I said and there was silence for a few seconds before I heard my name called by the members. I sighed.

“This call’s on loud speaker, isn’t?” I asked and chuckled.

“Hae! How are you? Are you well already?” - Teukkie-hyung

“Yah, dongsaeng! Why are you up early? You should be resting,” – Heechul-hyung

“Donghae, you should eat more so you won’t get sick,” – Shindong-hyung

“Don’t overwork yourself, okay?” – Sungmin-hyung

“Tell me who made you so tired,Hae, I’d beat the crap out of them,” – Kangin-hyung

“Ddangkoma is worried too, you know,” – Yesung-hyung

“Hyung, hyung, eat first before taking up meds, okay?” – Kibum.

I laughed as they spoke at the same time, barely catching what they’re saying.

“Hey, guys, one at a time…” I said, feeling my mood lighten as I heard their voice. “I miss you guys,” I told them and it was silent once again. Then, I heard sniffing…

“Dongsaeng, we miss you too,” – Heechul-hyung said as I felt myself tearing up too.

“Hae, are you crying?” Sungmin-hyung asked.

“Well…I can’t help it…” I said, wiping the tears.

“Why?” Kibum asked.

“I just feel blessed that I have you guys, I love you all,” I answered back, the feeling of happiness that they care for me is bursting inside me.

“Hae, we---” but Heechul-hyung was cut off as I heard rushed footsteps, then the door closing.

“Hello?” there was silence, but the call was still on, so I tried again.

“Hel---”

“Hae,” I gasped as I heard the voice, earning a curious look from Hankyung-hyung and Ryeowook. I just smiled at them as I made my way at the garden, sitting down at the grass. I pressed the phone at my ear once again, and spoke.

“Hyukjae,” I whispered, not sure on how to respond to him.

“Hae,” he spoke, silently but I can hear something from his voice.

“Donghae,”

“Hae,” I waited for him to speak more, but what came next was a shock.

“Please come back.”