Seeing Eunhyuk for the first in over two months was certainly nothing less than painful. Donghae's chest suddenly started burning, but the source of the pain wasn't from his heart condition. Rather, Donghae felt the pain and angst of having his soul split into two and the bittersweet sensation of reunion with the man he loved.

            Simply put, Donghae was in love.

            In the past, he had entertained with the idea of being infatuated with love, always devoting himself wholeheartedly to his past girlfriends, only to have them break up with him mere days later. He never was alone through his break-up; however, his best friend consistently stood by his side to cheer him up. No matter if it was a marathon of Harry Potter movies, Super Smash Brothers Ultimate Competitions, or learning how to play table tennis, Eunhyuk was always by Donghae's side.

            Now, when Eunhyuk obviously craved Donghae' companionship, the boy isolated himself from Donghae for his friend's sake.

            All this time, Donghae realized, I thought Eunhyuk loved me like a brother. Looking back, I now know that it was something more, but he hid it from the world, from me.

~Flash Back~

            The boy stared out of the window, watching a retreating figure fade into the distance. He signed and closed the blinds, visibly upset.

            "It's okay, Donghae. Maybe that wasn't meant to be-"

            "I thought she was the one," the boy whispered brokenly, collapsing onto the bed. "I thought that she loved me enough. Why did I have to be born like this, Eunhyuk? Why was I the defective one in our society?"

            Eunhyuk immediately shed his Pokémon bedspreads and leapt out of bed. He quickly ran over to the trembling boy and gripped Donghae by the shoulders. Glaring into his eyes, Eunhyuk harshly whispered, "No, Donghae- You're wrong. There is absolutely nothing wrong with you. She's the one who is defective! You're the most kindhearted, compassionate, and thoughtful person I know. It's a pity she was blinded to you, but we now know that she's not your fated one. Don't worry Donghae, you'll find that special person eventually. And even if it takes you forever to find her, I'll help you until you find the one."

            Eunhyuk enveloped Donghae into a hug, rubbing circles into his back gently. Donghae sniffled loudly and leaned his forehead against Eunhyuk's shoulder in an act of companionship.

            It was there, in Seoul National University Children's Hospital, that both boys' hearts beat together as one, setting a rhythm that was unmatched by any other beat.

            Donghae broke the amicable silence first. "Hyukkie... Are you looking for your soul-mate as well?"

            Eunhyuk was taken aback by the question and answered hesitatingly. "In a way, Donghae, I am. I think I have a good idea on who I want to spend forever with- but until then, I guess I'll just have to put up with you. You're a handful, Donghae!"

            Donghae chuckled and nuzzled closer into Eunhyuk's collarbone, inhaling his spicy cinnamon scent. Eunhyuk merely closed his eyes and savored the peaceful moment.

~End Flashback~

            At this time...

            Now, when Eunhyuk obviously pined for Donghae, he pushed himself away from the other, alienating himself. In his 10 years of knowing Eunhyuk, he had never seen the smiling monkey shed tears. Watching Eunhyuk cry as he confessed his love to Donghae was heart-wrenchingly painful.

            So, he did the unthinkable.

            Donghae leaned forwards and tilted Eunhyuk's face upwards to stare deeply into his eyes. He then swiftly interlocked his lips with Eunhyuk, taking care to caress his cheek with his thumb. Donghae obviously caught Eunhyuk by surprise as the other's lips were frozen in pout- but not for long. Moving his lips gently against Eunhyuk's, Donghae persuaded Eunhyuk to deepen the kiss. As Eunhyuk realized that the kiss wasn't a dream nor pretend, he wrapped his arm around Donghae's waist and pulled him impossibly closer.

            All Donghae could think about was Eunhyuk, his arm wrapped around Donghae's side, his body pressed against his own, the scent of his hair, he lips moving gently against Donghae's, everything about Eunhyuk wiping the reality of hospital life away.

            For a second, Donghae forgot himself.

            Pulling back slowly, Donghae murmured into Eunhyuk's ear, "You left."

            "You left and took a piece of my happiness with you. Letting you go was the biggest mistake I've ever made; I was a shell without you. My all was in you, Hyukkie. And when you disappeared, I didn't-" Donghae broke off and stared away in the distance, desperately trying to grasp a hold of his emotions. He quickly blinked a couple of times then directed his quivering gaze upon Eunhyuk's face.

            "Lee Hyukjae, I love you. I'm sorry that it took me nearly a decade to realize that you were the one for me. I can't erase the time that was wasted, but I can definitely ensure that the future will be bright for both of us as long as you trust in me. Trust in us, Eunhyuk. It doesn't matter if we have one year, one decade, or one month; what matters the most is that we are together. I love you Eunhyuk, and I'll never let you go again. You are my soul mate- the one I was meant to be with forever."

            And it was in that position that Nurse Sunny found them- sniffling and crying in each other's arms while blubbering confessions. Rather than intruding on their private moment, she silently slipped out of the room and softly closed the door shut. Nurse Sunny paused for a minute and wiped her tears away, reminiscing in the sorrow of a time-pressed love.

            She prayed that Eunhyuk's surgery would be successfully completed and that the recovery period wouldn't be as long as the doctors had suggested. After all, the odds were against the young boy.

~Author's Note~

Hey everyone! Sorry that I have neglected this story so far. I really didn't mean to go so long without an update, it just kind of... happened.

Oh, and I'm experiementing with the formatting. If you don't like it, please tell me! Thank chu very much!

Anyways, I hope that you enjoyed the EunHae fluff- I wrote it just for you!

To the people who have been asking: No, this story will not end any time soon. I've still got several chapters planned!

But thank you for showing interest in my story! I love all of you, all 30 subbies of mine! Danshin-eun manhi, manhi saranghamnida! <3