You are twenty three years old and you fall in love on a Friday night.

 

Not in a dark bar with graffiti on the walls and rings of alcohol marring the countertops.

 

Not in some crowded hot club with music so loud that you can’t even hear yourself think, much less your friend who is shouting in your ears about that hot girl on the dance floor.

 

Not even at some party with watered down beer, girls in skimpy outfits with thin heels and shirtless boys masquerading as men, trying to outdo one another in terms of alcohol consumption.

 

But on the phone, talking to your tipsy best friend. The one who is currently swearing he will never love another. Not after the way that girl broke his heart.

 

The one who is usually so brash and open and cheerful. The one with the loud voice and the eyes all the girls go wild over. The warm brown eyes they dream about. The scars marring the skin they want to touch, worship, trace their every inch, mapped along muscle and sinew and flash.

 

The one you used to dislike because he was everything you were not, everything you thought you hated. Vocal, abrasive and constantly in your face, worming his way into your house, insinuating himself so well, filling the tiny little veins and cracks in your life, warming the steady beating organ that is your heart, until you can’t imagine a day without him anymore.

 

You remember thinking to yourself; I could fall in love with you.

 

And you did.

 

And you never stopped. It hurt more than anyone could ever imagine.

 

 

 

 

Two years later

 

There was a knock on the door. Light. Three raps.

 

Glancing up for a thick stack of paper, Dong Hae managed a tired smile. The smile turned into a full blown grin when he saw a certain blond leaning against the door frame, face sunny.

 

“Did something happen?” asked Eun Hyuk.

 

Dong Hae blinked.

 

Hyuk shook his head, expression exasperated. “Twelve o’clock lunch at the Awesome Chicken? The crispy, spicy fried chicken that Sung Min won’t shut up about?”

 

“But you’re early! It’s not twel…” Hae trailed off, catching sight of the clock. The hour clock was half way between 12 and 1. “Oh . I’m sorry Hyuk. I lost track of time. Stupid paper work again.”

 

Hyuk sniffed disdainfully, “Gorgeous as you look hard at work, I do not appreciate being stood up.”

 

Dong Hae’s mouth turned down, “I’m sorry. Can’t we just go now?”

 

“Even if we left right away, which I know you would not be able to do so, I wouldn’t have time before my lunch break is over. Unlike you prosecutors, I’m on a tight schedule.”

 

“Darn it.” Dong Hae bit his lower lip, hands absently twisting expensive pen in his hand.

 

After letting Dong Hae agonize for a long minute, Hyuk finally sighed. “I only do this for you, Hae, only you,” he eventually said and lifted up the box resting by his feet. The one Dong Hae hadn’t noticed until now.

 

“You brought me lunch,” Hae said, surprised.

 

“Well, someone needs to look after you since you clearly don’t look after yourself.” Eun Hyuk started laying out newspapers on the coffee table. “Last I heard, you missed lunch yesterday and the tea break earlier today.” He set the box of chicken down atop the laid out newspapers.

 

Dong Hae remained quiet and let Eun Hyuk go on. He stood up, stretched and made his way to sit down on the sofa. “Hmmmm… smells divine.”

 

“I brought you lunch doesn’t mean you are forgiven Mr. Lee,” Eun Hyuk chided, pulling out a can of coffee from his jacket pocket and handing it to Dong Hae. “It’s not brewed since I didn’t have much time. But you shouldn’t be complaining.”

 

Dong Hae popped open the coffee can and took a sip, sighing happily. Can coffee was not nearly close to brewed but he could make do. “Dinner, my treat. Whatever you want.”

 

The blond perk up at this. “My favourite? Seafood Aglio Olio? Oh no no the cheesy beef lasagna?”

 

“As if you’d acquiesce to anything else,” teased Dong Hae.

 

“Oooh, such big words Hae! Did Kyu Hyun buy you a dictionary for your birthday?”

 

“Don’t even start. You very well know what he got me, you helped him pick it out.” Dong Hae attacked the drumstick he was holding, part out of embarrassment and part out of hunger.

 

Eun Hyuk smirked. “What? Don’t tell me you didn’t like it.” He was more refined. Eating the chicken as if he was at a high class restaurant, wiping his mouth delicately after every bite.

 

Dong Hae glanced away, cheeks flooding with colour, “They were… well…” He just continued eating.

 

“Pure silk? Hand made stitch by stitch? You’re going to have to help me out here Hae.”

 

The purr in Eun Hyuk’s voice made Dong Hae’s stomach twist and flop uncomfortably.

 

“Tight!” he exclaimed, blush spreading further.

 

“Hmm… yes boxer briefs tend to… cling and fit snugly. So tell me Hae, are you wearing them now?”

 

“I’m.. that’s not… WHAT?!”

 

Hyuk leaned in close, close enough for Dong Hae to feel his breath against his ear, light but warm. “I asked you if you were wearing them…”

 

“Prosecutor Lee.”

 

Eun Hyuk pulled away at hearing the sharp voice from the doorway and sat back in his own sofa, glancing back at Dong Hae’s partner. “Well, Hae, my break is near over. I’ll stop by after my shift.”

 

“Was I interrupting?” The other prosecutor asked, carrying another box most probably full of undone paper work and smiling sheepishly.

 

Eun Hyuk brushed past the man. “Lee Teuk,” he acknowledged with a small nod, “Nothing to interrupt. I was just on my way back to work.”

 

“Teuk Hyung, are you seriously giving me more paperwork?” groaned Dong Hae.

 

Eun Hyuk left the whining Dong Hae and unrelenting Lee Teuk, bemused.

 

----

 

Six o’ clock rolled around a lot faster than Dong Hae had anticipated. The ever-growing stack of paperwork was beginning to make him wish he had become a doctor instead. At least he would be able to see Eun Hyuk and Sung Min more often. And he was certain the paperwork would be less headache-inducing. He had no idea why the suspect’s facial expression while eating was even useful.

As the time crept half past six and Eun Hyuk still hadn’t shown up, Dong Hae found himself amidst the chaos that was the emergency ward of Seoul National Hospital.

 

Not wanting to make a nuisance of himself, he stole away into Eun Hyuk’s office and settled into the large leather office chair very much like his own. He ran an errant finger along the desk, over the lamp, the small clock and Hyuk’s laptop, stopping on a seemingly out of place Rubik’s cube. Twisting the cube, Dong Hae found himself engrossed with the toy.

 

It did not surprise him anymore to find small childish knickknacks littering Eun Hyuk’s life. In fact, it had probably been his fault in the first place, all those years ago.

 

----

 

“You can’t be serious, Sung Min! You invited the bastard here? For CHRISTMAS?” Dong Hae exclaimed.

 

“Ohhhh I am serious alright. I invited Eun Hyuk. Invited you. Both of you will make nice. And buy Christmas presents for each other. It’s final. Put your high school rivalry behind. You do not argue with a pregnant lady.” Sung Min deadpanned.

 

“Oh you are not pregnant. You don’t even the right… bits! The right organs! Your surrogate mother is! Don’t think you can get away with everything making that an excuse like a woman on her period.”

 

“Yes I can. Now shoo. Come to my party holding a present for him too. I’ve got to go take care of the baby.” Sung Min motioned to his completely flat abdomen as if there really was a seven month old baby in there.

 

Dong Hae just gave up and walked out.

 

----

 

Every year, Dong Hae always promised himself that he would buy presents early to avoid the crowd rushing to buy everything and anything in time. Every year, he would get busy or lazy and end up buying too late. This year, he finally did it early, but that stupid Sung Min had to ruin everything. So he found himself in The Great Christmas Present Rush as he called it, trying to buy something nice for Eun Hyuk, off all people.

 

He managed to push and shove his way into a book store and looked around. At least it was a bit less chaotic in the book store. He browsed the sections with little interest – fiction, non-fiction, sci-fi, comics, magazines and nothing jumped out at him. What do you buy for a rival turned not-so-friend but kinda-distant-acquaintances-that-tolerated-each-other anyway? It did not help that the git is rich and had everything he could possibly have.

 

It was not until he walked the whole way around the store and found himself back at the cashier that he found something that might be interesting. It lay with a lot of other common puzzle boxes. The kind that you need to solve before the box would open. It was a cylinder with rings around it. It was a cryptex! He remembered! Eun Hyuk used to be a fan of Dan Brown books, well he might still be. And the cryptex is perfect! It was smooth and beautifully crafted. And Dong Hae thanked the heavens that the password is not preset with some cheesy five letter word. He can set one himself! It was going to be hard thinking about what to put though.

 

All settled, Dong Hae made his way home satisfied. He would be nice and give a nice present. If Eun Hyuk came up with something horrible and gave him a smelly sock, shame on him.

 

----

 

Sung Min’s Christmas party was in full swing when Dong Hae arrived. He dropped the presents under the tree but for some reason, kept the cryptex in his pocket.

 

“Hey! You’re here!” Kyu Hyun slapped his back cheerily and Dong Hae tried not to wince. Dong Hae might be a muscle laden persecutor but he had got nothing on Kyu Hyun, professional rugby player.

 

“Yeah. Where’s the devil?”

 

“What? You mean Sung Min or the one?” Kyu Hyun waggled his eyebrows.

 

“The pink one.” Dong Hae deadpanned.

 

“Oh Sung Min’s not back from the hospital yet. You know how it is with the rounds. Hopefully when he actually starts working after the internship, he’ll have time. You know, with the baby coming and all.” Kyu Hyun said.

 

Kyu Hyun tended to go on and talk to himself sometimes.

 

Dong Hae nodded and agreed.

 

Then he walked in. Eun Hyuk. Wasn’t it the most awkward thing when you eye contacted the not-so-rival-anymore-rival from your past the minute he walks into a room? Dong Hae gave a curt nod and got a nod in return

 

“Well, here goes nothing.” Dong Hae moved past Kyu Hyun and made his way over to where Eun Hyuk was standing awkwardly.

 

“Hi.”

 

“Hey. Good to see you.” Eun Hyuk said with a neutral tone.

 

“Um...” Great Dong Hae. Ever so vocal.

 

“Oh, here I got you this.” Eun Hyuk was handing something to him so Dong Hae forced himself out of his internal monologue and took it.

 

“Oh!” The scarf in his hand was nice. Red. Soft. Warm. And definitely expensive.

“This is kind off weird. But I remembered that time you know when we took your scarf and shredded it and it was from your parents that had passed away…” Eun Hyuk wavered for a while. “I know it doesn’t make up for anything but this is like um an apology? It’s totally fine if you don’t want it. I could throw it away or something… Sorry I’m babbling aren’t I?”

 

Dong Hae had a sudden weird urge to ruffle Eun Hyuk’s hair and cool his cheeks that were turning redder by the second. Yeah, weird. Right. But it really was weird because Eun Hyuk was acting like an insecure teenager. He never acted like an insecure teenager. Not even when he was an insecure teenager.

 

“No! Oh my god. Thanks! I just um lost my good scarf. I think. Thanks! Yeah. Um.”

 

“Oh okay.”                                             

 

After they stood awkwardly for a while, Dong Hae finally remembered his present.

 

“Um here.” He just handed the cryptex awkwardly out without any explanation.

 

Eun Hyuk’s eyes widened. “It’s perfect! I’ve never gotten the time to buy one for myself! What’s the password?”
 

“It’s for you to figure out. Here’s a clue.” Dong Hae handed him a slip of paper.

 

“What does “scars” even mean? Is that the password?”

 

“Nope. A clue. You figure it out.” Dong Hae smirked.

 

----

 

It was later when Dong Hae was in the kitchen getting a tumbler of ice that Eun Hyuk walked in, his shirt sleeves rolled up.

 

Dong Hae caught sight of the scars across the blond’s wrist. Before he could help himself, he snatched up the blond’s arm.

 

Eun Hyuk’s whole body tensed.

 

“Right.” There was so much venom in that word. “Unhand me right this second. You know, I thought we grew up, moved past that silly rivalry. Should have realized you haven’t. Here I was, getting you something nice. And you got me what? Is that password like “drugs” or something? To taunt me about some mistakes I made in the past huh? I guess I hoped too much.” Eun Hyuk spat.

 

Dong Hae should have considered things rationally. But he was confused and angered by Eun Hyuk’s words.

 

“Oh what you got me a cheap scarf? And how did you charm your way into Sung Min’s friend list huh? You used to bully him like he’s some garbage back then. Now you’re all nice and friendly right?” Dong Hae retorted.

Eun Hyuk clenched and unclenched his fists.

 

“I saved his life,” came the quiet reply.

 

“What?” Dong Hae startled.

 

“I saved his life, alright?! We started doing our rotations around the same time after med school. And once, we got the same emergency ward once. We had to learn everything about moving the patient from the ambulance and everything. There was this… ambulance coming in and it was not practice but an actual event. And we were all getting ready. For some reason, he just squeaked and fell out onto the road okay. I don’t know what reason but he did. And I saw the ambulance coming in and all the other medics were just focusing on the patient. I went and dragged him away from the road the second that the ambulance came to a sudden stop. It was just like a movie, believe it or not and it was the most horrifying experience of my life.” Eun Hyuk breathed.

 

“So I am sorry if you think I am still the same git that I was in high school. I am not. But it seems you’re the same. Pity.” Eun Hyuk yanked his arm and stormed out of the kitchen, leaving Dong Hae completely overwhelmed.

 

----

 

“What have you done now?” Sung Min charged in, bossy and demanding. Dong Hae was still confused after Eun Hyuk had charged out. “Did I or did I not tell you to play nice? I TOLD you he’s a friend.” Sung Min shouted in his face. “Now, you go after him.” He pushed Dong Hae out of the kitchen, right through the living room to outside of his apartment.

 

Dong Hae, although he did not know why he wanted so badly to Eun Hyuk, ran after him. Boy, Eun Hyuk was fast.

 

When he finally caught up and grabbed hold of Eun Hyuk’s wrist, the other boy turned and shouted, “What do you want now?!”

 

“Look I’m sorry aright? It was force of habit.”

 

Eun Hyuk sighed. “I’m really tired okay? So are we going to try and make it work or not? This friendship thing?”

 

“Yeah… yeah… um that is… um if you… uh want to?”

 

----

 

“Only you could make it worse, Hae.” Hyuk said, not unkindly, pointing to the Rubik’s cube.

 

“Oh Hyuk! Hi! Um sorry? I’ll by you dinner!” Dong Hae said as if it was a grand idea.

 

Eun Hyuk shook his head and smiled. “You’re already buying me dinner you idiot.”

“Oh right! Haha. Forgot. Let’s go!”

 

“You’re taking me to Mel’s. No where else. They have the best seafood aglio olio.”

 

“Of course.” Dong Hae said, sighing.

 

----

 

They arrived at Mel’s shortly after seven. It was in the upscale part of town and naturally, Hyuk’s favourite restaurants were there.

 

They were promptly seated after Dong Hae’s face was seen and a waiter immediately brought them two glasses of water and the menus, along with house specials and customer faourites.

 

True to his word, Eun Hyuk ordered the seafood aglio olio, topped with tomato cream sauce. He got the waiter to bring the most expensive white wine, “aged in New Zealand’s finest wine cellar for 20 years, the taste of warmth, love and friendship” the description said. It wasn’t unusual that he ordered for both of them because as Eun Hyuk said, “You don’t know a thing about fine dining. And you know even less about good wine. So leave it to the master yeah?”

 

“Oh wow. But you do know aglio olio is fried pasta? Why do you add sauce on top?” Dong Hae asked.

 

“Where’s the fun in traditional food?” Eun Hyuk waggled his brows.

 

Normally, Dong Hae just had take out or a simple meal at a diner near his house. But Eun Hyuk was right, he did not indulge often and worked himself too hard. If he can afford it, why can’t he enjoy?

 

Their food arrived soon after, steaming. There is still some advantage to being well known, Dong Hae thought. The two of them tucked in and ate in comfortable silence, both enjoying the food.

 

Hyuk swirled the wine glass and took a sip of the white wine. He moaned in the most obscene way that made Dong Hae feel all weird inside.

 

“Oh my god, best wine I’ve ever tasted in my LIFE. Actually no, but it’s still one of the best.” Eun Hyuk exclaimed.

 

“Hmmm.” Dong Hae said agreeably, taking a sip of his own.

 

“Anything new with you?” Eun Hyuk asked.

 

“Well, Teuk Hyung’s going undercover to who knows where, doing who knows what again. I wanted to go with him but we after short staffed right now, with Si Won leg hurt and a few others with injuries after that big murder case. I heard you patched Si Won up pretty well.”

 

“Yeah, he’s strong. Not to break doctor-patient confidence, he will be back in no time.”

 

“I know Hyuk. But it’s just that they’re partnering me with Shin Dong. I mean he’s good at work but he’s so uptight!” Dong Hae complained.

 

“Wait that’s the one who you said…”

 

“Yeah.”

 

“And then he…”

 

“Yep.” Dong Hae said with fake chirpiness.

 

“Oh good lord!” Eun Hyuk said with a smirk, “Good luck!”

 

Dong Hae was about to come up with a smart retort but he swear, he did not because the waiter came to refill their wine glasses.

 

“How did you find the food?” He asked, noting their empty plates.

 

“Perfect.” They said in unison.

 

“May I interest you in some dessert?”

 

Dong Hae nodded to Eun Hyuk, telling him to pick.

 

The blond perked up, asking for the menu. He ordered a slice of the The Ultimate Chocolate Cake. Dong Hae did not order any, feeling full.

 

“This is AH-MA-ZING.” The blond declared after the first bite and went ahead to make an even more obscene moan.

 

“Here, wanna try? You have to, it just like an in your mouth.” Hyuk was giving him a forkful of dripping chocolate.

 

Without thinking about it, he leaned forward and wrapped his lips around the fork. Hyuk was not exaggerating, the rich taste of chocolate exploded in his mouth, lush and bitter-sweet. He closed his eyes and his lips clean. “Mmmm…”

 

“Good?” Hyuk asked, voice husky. There was a slight flush to his cheeks. He cleared his throat and sipped some more wine.

 

Dong Hae nodded. The flush was probably because of the wine.

 

When their bill arrived, Eun Hyuk stole it away before Dong Hae could even take a peak.

 

“But I’m paying!” Dong Hae protested.

 

The blond shook his head and simply said, “You can get it next time.”

 

Dong Hae stood up, every intention to protest. But blood rushed from his head and black spots appeared in his eyes. He swayed a little. May be too much wine. He gave up arguing; it would not be easy to argue against Eun Hyuk tipsy.

 

A hand caught his arm and steadied him. “Had a bit too much there?”

 

He his suddenly dry lips, blinked rapidly, “Guess so.”

 

They left the restaurant together, Eun Hyuk keeping a hold of Dong Hae’s arm. If Eun Hyuk felt a slight reluctance to let go of Dong Hae’s arm, nobody had to know.

 

----

 

The next morning, Dong Hae awoke to the sound of some very creative cursing. He decided that it was too ing early to wake up and deal with whatever burglar that was in his house. He was fine with everything taken so long as the burglar left him his duvet.

 

When the noise didn’t stop, he dragged himself to his feet, grabbing the aluminium bat that was always at his bedside (because Eun Hyuk said, “Hae, you can’t ever be too sure what would happen) and headed toward the source of the noise.

 

He wondered what kind of thief would eat at a house he was planning to steal as he silently padded towards the kitchen, bat at the ready.

 

What he found was something else entirely.

 

Dong Hae swallowed hard, feeling something stir in his belly as he started as Eun Hyuk’s arse, protruding from one of the lower cabinets. It wiggled enticingly, the cursing blond appeared to be stuck.

 

“All right there Hyuk?” he spoke after clearing his clogged up throat, amusement tingeing his voice.

 

“Your place is a hazard, for crying outloud!” came the vexed reply. “I was trying to grab your stupid frying pan and now my arm is trapped in here. Get me out.”

 

“Well, how do you expect me to get you loose if the only part of your body I can see your arse?” Dong Hae asked, stifling a laugh.

“I don't know! This is your deathtrap of a flat!”

The laugh escaped anyway. “Wasn't it just a fortnight ago when you told me how much you liked the bricks and the floor-to-ceiling windows?”

 “Yes but that was before your cabinet tried to eat my arm. Do try to keep up, Hae.”

 

“All right, all right. Hold on. I'll have to pull you out.” Dong Hae propped the aluminium bat against the dining table.

Eun Hyuk almost started when he felt a pair of warm hands settle on his hips. He gulped as he imagined exactly where Dong Hae was positioned. Suddenly, he forgot all about his trapped limb. Especially when a pair of feet braced against his own.

Dong Hae tugged him lightly, but to no avail.

“Harder Dong Hae.” Eun Hyuk’s mouth snapped shut as soon as he realised what he said.

Dong Hae frowned. “I don’t wanna hurt you.”

“For ’s sake. I’m not made of porcelain. All the blood is rushing to my head. I’m gonna faint if you don’t pull harder.” Eun Hyuk warned sarcastically.

“Brace yourself then,” Dong Hae said and pulled hard.

Eun Hyuk’s arm popped free, scrapping hard against something invisible. The force of the pull sent him tumbling back into Dong Hae and the two of them ended up in a tangle of limbs on the tiled floor of the kitchen.

Dong Hae groaned as his head struck the floor. He was really glad he did not have a hangover. The pain would have been much worse. He shifted a little and realised the position he was in.

Eun Hyuk however, did not realised this and shifted; and ended up grinding his arse against Dong Hae.

The brunet whimpered, but not from pain this time. His grip on Eun Hyuk unconsciously tightened as he fought the urge to up. Every part of him buzzed with awareness, the heat pooling between them, centred on Dong Hae's groin.

“Oh, God,” he heard a voice utter before he slowly realized it was his own.

After a long agonizing moment, Eun Hyuk piped up with a soft, “Mind letting me go, Hae?”

“Oh, . Sorry,” he quickly apologized as he remedied that.

The blond slid off the other man and sat beside him.

Before Dong Hae could get up though, he saw the day’s newspaper under the table. Must have been the neighbour’s cat doing.

Grabbing the paper with both hands, Dong Hae pulled it away from his face and stared at the front page. He scanned the headlines, not sure if he ought to feel mortified or even more . As it was, he found himself caught uncomfortably between the two states.

Someone had caught them on film last night. At Mel’s. Having dessert. Together.

Lee Dong Hae and Eun Hyuk, Together at Last?

There was an intensity between them that even Dong Hae couldn't ignore. It was as though they were caught up in a world of their own, gazing at one other as Eun Hyuk held out the piece of chocolate cake to Dong Hae. Other photos displayed his own self lean forward, lips shutting around the fork, eyes shutting, tongue darting out to away the rich dessert. Must have been some sneaky photographer.

...sparks flying between two...

Is the legal world's most eligible bachelor of the market at last?

...hot date...

...Eun Hyuk  feeds Mr Lee one of the Serpentine Lion's newest desserts...

...seen leaving together in the direction of Mr Lee Dong Hae's flat...

 

 “Oh God,” he choked out staring at the photos.

“Something wrong?” Hyuk inquired.

 “Uh...no.”

“Dong hae, you are the worst liar I've ever met. And trust me, I've met a lot in my lifetime. Thank god you’re a prosecutor and not a defence lawyer.”

 “It's nothing, really,” he continued, folding the paper up. “You know that the paper's like. Utter rubbish. And today is probably as slow day.”

 Reaching over, Eun Hyuk plucked the paper from his hands.

 Dong Hae yelped and grabbed it back.

Eun Hyuk tugged.

Dong Hae tugged back.

“Give. It. Here.”

“No. Let go.”

 “You let go.”

 

“No, it's my paper.”

“I just want to see what's so interesting.”

And just like that, they were tussling on the kitchen floor, rolling around like a pair of kindergarteners. Elbows flying and limbs flailing about.

“Ow, you, brute!”

“Me?! I think you got me in the throat!”

“Oh, for god's sake!” came an exasperated voice.

The pair froze, Dong Hae on top this time.

“You have a perfectly good bedroom, you know,” Kyu Hyun informed them from above.

“We're not--this isn't--” one of them began.

“--what it looks like!” finished the other.

Ye Sung turned the corner from the hallway. He came to a dead halt, hands flying to cover his face. “My eyes!” he whimpered pitifully.

“We weren't doing anything!” Dong Hae exclaimed.

 “Yet,” piped in Kyu Hyun with a smirk.

Ye Sung whined again.

“We came by because, well, neither of you showed up for breakfast at Harukami's. Though, after reading the paper this morning, I should have suspected,” Kyu Hyun continued, ignoring his whining elder brother.

“You knew about this?!” Ye Sung cut in, horrified. “And you still insisted I come along?”

Kyu Hyun grinned, unrepentant. “Well, I certainly didn't expect to find them going at it on the kitchen floor.”

“There is nothing going on,” insisted Dong Hae. “There was no 'going at it' anywhere.”

“Oh.”

 The other three turned to Eun Hyuk, finding the newspaper in his hands. In the midst of the distraction, he'd taking the opportunity to snag the forgotten paper. Dong Hae buried his face in his hands.

“Huh,” the blond added, staring down at the picture of them.

“Is that all you have to say?” Dong Hae accused from between his fingers.

“We look hot?” offered Eun Hyuk.

Ye Sung couldn't help but snort.

“Are you saying we're not?” Eun Hyuk scowled at the redhead.

“I didn't say anything,” Ye Sung pointed out, fighting back a smirk.

“Boys, save the fighting until after the game. Now hurry up and get changed. It's starting in less than an hour,” Kyu Hyun informed them.

“But we've got box seats. What's the point in having box seats if we have to get there early?” Dong Hae asked, making a face.

“Ah, don't mind,Kyu. He just wants to ogle the Eagle’s newest quarterback, Alexei Dimitrov,” Ye Sung replied as he rolled the R in the Keeper's last name, directing the last part at Kyu Hyun.

“What can I say? He's fit.” Kyu sighed.

Shaking his head, Dong Hae wandered back up to his bedroom to change into a set of clean clothes. He wanted a long bath but a quick would have to suffice since time was short and keeping Kyu Hyun waiting was never a good idea.

“-the couch. You can even check.”

“Check what?” Dong Hae asked, tucking his shirt into his trousers.

“Ah, don't worry. It's nothing to get your pretty little head worked up over,” Eun Hyuk answered, giving Dong Hae a once-over. “My, you do clean up nice. Trying to impress someone?”

“Yeah, Alexei Dimitrov,” Dong Hae deadpanned.

The four of them found themselves at the stadium shortly after. Sung Min and the others were already there.

“It's about time,” Hee Chul complained.

“It's not like we're late,” protested Dong Hae.

“Not that,” he said, rolling his eyes.

“What are you talking about, Chul?”

 “The morning paper. Took you two long enough to finally shag already.”

“To what? Shag? There's no shagging. We're not shagging.”

“He's lying,” refuted Kyu Hyun. “I walked into the kitchen and there they were, going at it. Right, Kyu Hyun?”

Ye Sung only grimaced. “You know I don't mind that you're gay, mate. But well, I don't want to think about my best mate  in that manner.”

Shortly before the game started, Hee Chul and Kyu Hyun disappeared to the loo, and to grab some snacks, evidently. After everyone settled into their seats, they parcelled out the junk food and drinks.

“Guess who we ran into in the concession line-up?” Kyu asked, eyes bright.

Before anyone could answer, Hee Chul replied with a heavy, fake accent. “Alexei Dimitrov. So pleased to meet such a fine, young man. You play for the Holyheads, no?”

“Wait, what?” Ye Sung bolted upright from his slouch.

“We're having dinner next Friday. Though if the Eagles win today...”

“I'll kill him!”

“Ye Sung, you were making fun of me not even an hour ago.”

“Yeah, but that was before I knew he had designs on my baby brother.”

Kyu Hyun rolled her eyes. “I'm perfectly capable of taking care of myself and making my own decisions, oh big brother.”

“It's not you I'm worried about,” Ye Sung muttered.

Sung Min shook his head and refrained from sighing. And when Kyu Hyun opened his mouth, presumably to protest, he stuffed some Pepper-Popcorn into his mouth.

“Kyu!” he exclaimed around a mouthful of food before chewing and swallowing. He opened his mouth again, and again, he stuffed it full. This time with some Taffy-Laffy Toffee.

Scowling, Kyu Hyun gave up. “Your wife should have come along,” he mumbled as slid back down into his seat.

“I swear, you act more like a teenager rather than a prosecutor, Ye Sung. How does your partner put up with you?,” Sung Min said with exasperated affection.

A few moments later, a shower of popcorn rained down Ye Sung and Sung Min. They turned to the source of the attack; Hee Chul pretended to be busy, rummaging through his bag.

“Chul wants to know which team you're placing your Galleons on,” Ryeowook told them.

Ye Sung scanned the field. “Well, I had initially planned on backing the Bulls but their quarterback’s out with a nasty case knee injury. I mean, don't get me wrong; Felton is good. But Takishima is the better player by far. I'm willing to put five Galleons on the Toyohashi Tengu.”

All the bets were laid, with everyone siding with the Americans other than Ye Sung and Eun Hyuk, and Sung Min who had decided to forgo gambling altogether, and shortly after, the game began. Dong Hae found it hard to concentrate though, all too aware of Eun Hyuk sitting next to him, his right leg pressed against Dong Hae's. Occasionally their hands brushed together as they both sought for popcorn from the same bag.

“And they're off! Neither team seem to be taking it easy,” enthused the energetic announcer for the game. “Tadashi has the Quaffle! He's closing in! Score! The Toyohashi Tengu are up 10-0.”

“And also?” Ye Sung added after the cheering had died down. “I hear that the Tengu replaced all their brooms with the latest Firebolt on the market.”

“What? Was this in the papers?” demanded Heechul.

“Of course not. It was in the Toyohashi newspaper.”

“Since when do you read Japanese?”

“I don't,” grinned Ye Sung. “But my new prosecutor partner, Kaito, does.”

After that, it didn't come as any surprise when the Tengu roasted the Bulls. Eun Hyuk and Ye Sung gleefully collected their winnings.

“Oh, guys?”

They turned to Sung Min. “Winners pay for dinner tonight.”

When the two started protesting, Ryeowook pulled Dong Hae aside. “I know it's a little bit early but Eun Hyuk and I are planning on throwing a party for Sung Min next month at my place. You're all invited, of course. We're doing it one day early to surprise him. Given how long our parties tend to go, it'll be his birthday anyway, when it's over. And after, brunch in the morning.”

“And you want me to bring him without giving it away.” It wasn't a question.

“You got it, Boy Wonder,” Ryeowook replied with an easy grin. “Guess you're more than just a pretty face.”

“Sod off,” returned Dong Hae, fighting back a laugh, though his words didn't have any heat behind them.

The group dispersed shortly afterwards, though Eun Hyuk took the liberty of hijacking Dong Hae.

“Come on, I feel like coffee and sustenance. Junk food does not make a breakfast,” the doctor announced.

“Where are we going for coffee, exactly?” asked an amused Dong Hae. “You don't even like coffee. You call it an--”

“Unheathen disaster of a caffeinated beverage,” Eun Hyuk finished smoothly.

“And it is. I'm not denying that. But you like it and there's this new coffee shop just around the corner from our hospital. They do a wicked pumpkin pie, as well.”

It was raining when they left the coffee shop. Dong Hae wasn't sure if they were following the rain or if the rain was tailing them; the steady sound of it was a soothing, constant drum. It was both a contrast and a complement to the bumpy road. The silence between them was a nice change of pace though.

Dong Hae took the opportunity to study Eun Hyuk's profile. His firm grip on the steaming cup of tea, his razor-kissed skin, his Adam's apple, his broad forehead and generous lips.

They were in a world of their own in the rain. Even though there were other people on the road, it felt like they were alone.

“Do you ever want to just leave everything behind?” he asked out of the blue.

Hyuk glanced at him.

“I mean it. We can take my car. You and I, on the road. Nothing but miles of space. We'll drive. To wherever we want. No worries, no rules. Just you and me and the road.”

The blond was surprised though he hid it well. “What about our jobs, our families and friends?”

“I seem to have accumulated, according to the records, a disgusting amount of leave time. And I'm sure you could take a few weeks off as well,” Dong Hae answered. “Come on. It'll be fun.”

“But...”

“Haven't you ever wanted to do something spontaneous? Something crazy?”

“I leave all the crazy up to you.”

“Just trust me,” Dong Hae coaxed.

 “Okay,” Eun Hyuk said before he could stop himself.

“Okay?”

“Let's do it.”

“What?”

“You, me. Your car and us on the road. We'll drive to wherever we want.”

“Are you serious?” Dong Hae stared at him like he was crazy.

“Of course I am. I trust you,” Eun Hyuk replied. “I'll go in to work tomorrow and request the time off. You should do the same.”

And just like that, it was decided.

----

Dong Hae found himself at the Seoul National Hospital just after work, rounding the corner, intent on finding Eun Hyuk and telling him the good news. He'd gotten the time off after making sure everyone else was covered. Si Won was returning from his leave and two of his injured colleagues were due back on the force any day now.

He found Eun Hyuk all right. But the blond wasn't alone. Coming to a halt, Dong Hae backed up, keeping out of sight. From here, he could barely see Eun Hyuk and his companion, though their voices floated over, low and quiet.

Eun Hyuk stood, his left hand wrapped around the elbow of his right arm. “...can't, I'm afraid.”

“Can't or won't?” his dark-haired companion asked, casting a glance around.

Dong Hae recognized him as Kaito Gelling, one of the newer prosecutors and Ye Sung's new partner. Surely Gelling had to be at least twenty-two or twenty-three though he looked younger. He was very good looking; tall, broad-shouldered. Ye Sung had mentioned something about Kaito being of Japanese and British descent. Very, very good-looking.

“Kaito...” Eun Hyuk shook his head, almost pleadingly.

“You've been chasing after him for months now.”

“That doesn't mean I'm just going to give up.”

Eun Hyuk fell silent.

Kaito took that for encouragement. “I think you're gorgeous, Hyuk. You're kind, intelligent and funny. You could have anyone you wanted instead of chasing after someone who will never see you as more than a friend. I want to take you out. Show you what it's like to be wanted.”

Eun Hyuk looked away, eyes cast down at the floor.

“Please,” Kaito murmured, stepping closer. He cupped Eun Hyuk's chin, tilted it up and stared into those grey, grey eyes.

“Kaito,” Eun Hyuk began.

The Japanese brunet smiled warmly. “I'll pick you up tonight at seven. I'm not taking no for an answer this time. Trust me, you'll have fun.”

Eun Hyuk studied the dark brown locks. The warm smile. The crinkles at the corner of deep, brown eyes. “Seven o'clock.”

No, something inside of Dong Hae cried out. You can't have him. You can't...because he's... Dong Hae clenched his hands tightly, balling them up and feeling his nails dig into his palms.

Eun Hyuk and Kaito separated, and Dong Hae quickly ducked into the loo to avoid them. He crossed the room to the sink and the faucet, splashing his face. He stared at the mirror, his reflection for a long moment before towelling his face dry. By the time he re-emerged, the coast was clear and he found himself outside of Eun Hyuk's office, about to knock on the door.

He heard the blond speaking to someone and it eventually became clear just whom it was.

“Chul, I don't know what to do anymore.”

The blond was on his telephone; Dong Hae could only hear one side of the conversation.

“I've been waiting so, so long now.”

This made it two conversations he'd eavesdropped on in one day.

“I just...I know but...I'm so tired of waiting. So tired of wanting.”

It was really getting to be a bad habit.

“And Kaito's been nothing but patient towards me,” he continued, oblivious to Dong Hae outside his door. “He's kind, intelligent. Good-looking and funny. I think...I think he might be good for me.”

Not that Dong Hae was stopping anytime soon, it seemed.

Heechul must have been on a tirade; Eun Hyuk remained silent for almost a minute.

“You think I don't know that? You think I don't know how long I've been in love with him? It's been two years, Chul.” he choked out, shaking his head. “You want to hear the funny part? Ye Sung  introduced me to Kaito because, and I quote, 'it was getting just a little bit pathetic, watching me mope over him'. There's something really wrong when even Mr Ye Sung can see what's going on. Even more so that he pities me enough to try to set me up with his partner.

I know, I know. It's just one date though. And who knows? Maybe it'll help me to get over him....Yes, yes. I know but...it's not like I've ever been able to say no to the man, have I?”

Heechul responded with something over the phone.

“Oh, shut up,” he laughed. “That hardly counts.”

Dong Hae began to really wish he could hear her replies.

“Yes, I did. No, he doesn't. I'm going to ring him up to let him know I can't help plan the party; he'll understand....Yes, I'll be there. Sung Min would kill me. I doubt it will be quick or clean.”

Dong Hae decided he had heard enough and interrupted the conversation, knocking on the blond's door a tad harder than necessary.

“Whoops, sorry, Chul. Have to go. I'll call you later,” Eun Hyuk informed, glancing up at the door. “Oh, shut up. Haha, yes, yes. Okay, bye.”

“Hey you,” Dong Hae greeted. “I'm off starting Monday. I managed to secure just over a fortnight.”

“Perfect. We can leave tomorrow then.”

“How about tonight? You're off at six, right?”

“I am but I'm busy,” Eun Hyuk hedged, picking up his small notebook and fiddling with the yellow post-it on the cover.

“Doing what? Packing? I know you have a lot of clothing but surely it won't take that long,” teased Dong Hae.

“Actually,” Eun Hyuk paused, looking divided for a moment. “I have a date.”

“Oh.” It's not supposed to be this way. Not like this. The words tore through his head, curled on the tip of his tongue, and he opened his mouth.

And silence.

He couldn't seem to make his vocal cords work. He couldn't seem to lift a finger. Even as every fibre of his being was screaming at him to stop. Stop this. Stop him.

Stop.

Just stop.

Fix it. Make it all better.

But he couldn't. Instead he forced a smile onto his lips even though it felt more like a grimace. “Oh, well that's...great. Great. Uhm...tomorrow then. We can head out in the morning, yeah? I'll come by your place at nine.”

And he couldn't beat a hasty enough retreat.

Eun Hyuk stared after him, wondering what that was all about. Then his attention returned to the small book in his hand. And he remembered the prank from earlier that year.

----

It had started with a notebook.

Eun Hyuk's compulsive little habit (like the rest of his habits) was no one's business but his own, of course. He carried a little notebook in his work bag; keeping tracking of things to do for the day. So when he couldn't find the book, he figured he had left it at home. He'd forgotten all about it since one of the nurses had poked her head into the room and called him over to help her check new patient’s unusual vitals.

The next morning, on the table, sat his little black note book with a bright yellow post-it on the cover. He frowned and started. There was no note written there, and he was sure he did not have those types of post-its. 

What the....?

The next day, it was the dry erase marker.

Then his leather patient records file.

On the fourth day, which not-so-coincidentally happened to be April Fool's Day, Eun Hyuk entered the office to find the entire place encased in plastic.

“You have angered the Office Supplies God,” intoned Dong Hae with a straight face.

“Oh, ha ha,” Eun Hyuk said, snorting derisively. “Maybe if that Office Supplies God was a pretty faced git with a hopeless thing in his head of a brain.”

“I have it on good authority that the Office Supplies God is something of a good catch, I'll have you know. Heard he prosecutes some big, bad criminal everyday.”

No wonder Dong Hae had insisted on dropping him off at work this morning; he must have wanted to see Eun Hyuk's reaction first-hand.

That afternoon though, the blond had gotten his revenge.

By using a particularly vexing method of charming Dong Hae’s Secretary, he managed to convince her to put salt in his afternoon coffee.

He did not regret it a bit when Dong Hae called, still coughing and spluttering, threatening to fire his very efficient secretary.

----

Eun Hyuk shook the memories off and tucked the pen away. He wasn't sure why but he'd freed his whole office of post-its, except for the pen cap. It had been the last item to free of its wrapping but he just couldn't bring himself to do it.

Letting out a soft sigh, Eun Hyuk pushed Dong Hae to the back of his mind.

He had a date in a couple of hours with a kind, intelligent man and he intended to enjoy it.

The date, which included drinks at The Electric Merman and dinner at the upscale Gothika, was highly enjoyable.

That night though, he found himself having the oddest dream.

----

He was back in high school. He was in the rugby stands. The crowd around him on his feet, cheering for Dong Hae’s team. His own team’s score is abysmal, with no hopes of catching up.

He gets to his feet, yelling at his teammates.

Where was their quarterback?

Scanning the field, he in a sharp breath.

It’s him, paused in mid stride, locking lips with Kaito who is also on his team.

Except now, it’s the Toyohashi Tengu playing the Bulls.

Watching his dream self snog Kaito as the points rocket up in favour of the bulls, Eun Hyuk finds himself suddenly running towards the pair and yanks dream Eun Hyuk away.

“What are you doing! You’re letting ball be stolen!” he yelled.

Dream Eun Hyuk scowls and shoots past him, sending Eun Hyuk falling, falling to the ground.

Dong Hae, quarterback for the Eagles, pumps in his fists in the air. He and the crowd respond with cheers and hollers as they carry him away on their shoulders.

 

Eun Hyuk lands on the grass, watching as the crowd disperses around him until he's all alone.

Then all of a sudden, he's at work, walking down the halls of the hospital. Down each corridor, he finds a piece of red crystal, shining brightly. He collects each fragment in his hands, the trail leading to his office.

Once there, he deposits the crystals on his desk and finds a roll of tape on the floor. A post-it pasted on it..

He picks up the tape, carefully unwrap it and peels himself a piece.

He then proceeds to gently tape the shards back together. He tries not to think too hard as he works, slow, methodical and sure. One piece after another, he layers the pieces together and wraps up his broken heart. When he's done, he feels a little bit better. It's just a shame the tape is clear; his heart is holding together but everyone can still see the cracks when he leaves his office.

Dong Hae is standing in the main foyer.

Eun Hyuk closes the space between them and sees the brunet holding something in the palm of his hand.

It's pulsing, bright and scarlet.

It's a piece of his heart.

When he looks down, he finds his heart is missing a shard.

----

Eun Hyuk's eyes flew open. Biting back a groan, he checked the clock, wondering what his subconscious was trying to tell him; he feared he knew exactly what it was trying to say though.

The clock beside his bed told him it was shortly before nine in the morning.

Dong Hae would be here any minute.

Glad he had packed the night before, rolled out of bed and made for the shower. When he emerged, he found Hae sitting on his bed with a cup of tea and a bag of, presumably, breakfast in his hands.

“For me?” he asked, towelling his hair.

“Earl Grey. Two lumps of sugar, no cream. And a slice of banana loaf,” confirmed Dong Hae with an easy smile.

“My hero,” Eun Hyuk said, batting his eyelashes.

They fell back into an easy, light-hearted banter as they headed out.

----

On the first night, they ended up in Sokcho, a charming port town of the East Sea. As it was dinner time, they headed to the fish market. The ajummas were kind and helpful, pointing them towards the best place for Sashimi in town. After the store plied them with an endless free flow of rice wine, they were both pleasantly sloshed and tipsy. Then, they headed towards the sea, walking along the boulevard. Dong Hae had the urge to grab hold of Eun Hyuk’s wrist, so he did and they strolled, listening to the sound to waves crashing against the rocky coast.

Wednesday, they made their way to Gyeongju, an ancient capitol town. The Silla tombs, twenty massive burial mounds standing almost 50 feet tall, rise out of central Tumuli Park. The rich history of the place made them speechless with awe. But Dong Hae’s favourite place was Seokguram Grotto, in the higher up mountains above town. There is a Buddha statue that looks out over the East Sea.

They decided not to go to Haeundae Beach. That was for tourists, they decided. There was so much people they could suffocate. Hence, Thursday afternoon found them at Heosimcheong Spa, the largest natural hot spring in Asia. As they opted for one of the aromatherapy sessions, a wave of nostalgia spread through Eun Hyuk. His mother used to grow Lavender in their back garden when he was young.

Dong Hae wanted to feed his inner child and visit Everland. Eun Hyuk doesn’t really care for it because of the extremely long lines and the uncountable amount of noisy children. But then again, he has never been able to say no to Dong Hae.

----

Eun Hyuk check them into the resort hotel and they decided to freshen up first then play in the evening.

Both of them were lounging on the beach chairs at the water park.

“I almost want to just sleep here.” Dong Hae mentioned.

“I bet we could. Unless the guards come wake us up.” Eun Hyuk replied easily, closing his eyes.

“The stars would be amazing here. Not like in the Seoul, the city lights and pollution block they out.” Dong Hae sighed.

“It would get cold though” Dong Hae continued

“Cold? Please with my extremely hot bod down here,” the blond smirked.

“That’s what you tell all the boys then?” Dong Hae retorted.

Eun Hyuk mock scowled at him and stalked off.

----

It wasn’t until the last day of the month, their last day at the hotel before they headed back to Seoul that everything changed between them.

Dong Hae’s phone was vibrating. He burrowed further under the duvet, willing the phone to stop. No one should be awake at this time.

When it didn’t stop, Eun Hyuk woke up petulantly, reached for the phone on the bedside table and tossed it across to Dong Hae’s bed. It landed on the lump that was Dong Hae, curled into a tight ball as if physically trying to block the noise out.

A hand shot out from underneath the blankets when he could no longer ignore his phone.

“Hello?” Dong Hae said, voice rough with sleep.

The words he head blurred his eyes. Dong Hae bolted upright on the bed, a sound like his heart was being ripped out escaped from within him.

It wasn’t until he felted a hand on this forearm that he realised where he was. The person on the other end has long hung up.

“Are you alright?” Eun Hyuk asked, concern obvious in his voice.

“I... I’m.. no I’m not,” Dong Hae said and put his face in his hands.

What's wrong?”

“Teuk hyung, my partner.... He's dead.”

“What?”

“There was an accident. Something happened at the train station. He was undercover remember? I don't… I have to go home. I have to get back.”

“Of course,” came the immediate reply.

“I'm sorry I have to cut our vacation short. But you can stay if you want. You don't have to come back.”

“Don't be stupid, Hae. I'm coming with you.”

“Are you sure?”

“Of course I am. We're in this together.”

Eun Hyuk packed their belongings and checked them out of the hotel. Though he wasn't big on driving while he was half asleep, the last thing he wanted was a shell-shocked Dong Hae behind the wheel.

“I should have gone with him. I should have been there,” Dong Hae finally said, after they'd been on the road for an hour.

“No, this isn't your fault.”

“Isn't it?” Dong Hae glanced down at his hands, swallowing the hard lump in his throat.

“You can't control everything, Hae. You couldn't have known. Even if you had been there, you might not have been able to prevent it.”

“But I should have been there,” Dong Hae repeated.

“You can't blame yourself for this. I, of all people, should know; I am no stranger to guilt,” Eun Hyuk said softly, “but this was out of your hands.”

“How can you be so sure?”

Eun Hyuk pulled the car over and killed the engine. He gently cupped Dong Hae's chin and looked him in the eye.

Dong Hae in a sharp breath, feeling his heart stutter in its cage. He stared back into Hyuk's eyes, that familiar grey shade he knew as well as his own. Slender fingers, whether they were patching up a wound or gripping a fountain pen, always strong and sure.

“Because I know you, Hae.”            

----

You are twenty five years old and you fall in love on a Friday night.

 

Not in a dark bar with graffiti on the walls and rings of alcohol marring the countertops.

 

Not in some crowded hot club with music so loud that you can’t even hear yourself think, much less your friend who is shouting in your ears about that hot girl on the dance floor.

 

Not even at some party with watered down beer, girls in skimpy outfits with thin heels and shirtless boys masquerading as men, trying to outdo one another in terms of alcohol consumption.

 

But miles away from your home, in your dusty little car, sitting in the passenger seat with your best friend.

 

The one who knows you inside and out.

 

The one who is usually so snarky and intelligent. The one with the gentle voice and the smile all the girls and boys go wild over. The devilish, knowing smirk they dream about. The golden hair they want to run their fingers through.

The one you used to dislike because he was everything you were not, everything you thought you hated. Good-looking, intelligent and ambitious, worming his way into your house, insinuating himself so well, filling the tiny little cracks and crevices in your life, warming the steady beating organ that is your heart, until you can't imagine a day without him anymore.

You remember thinking to yourself, I could fall in love with you.

And you do.

And you never stop.

FIN