Life is often compared to a roller coaster. It has its ups and downs, loops that churn your stomach, and twists that jar you brain against the inside of your skull. It's fast-paced, sometimes long, sometimes short, but it's always exhilarating.

 

Life is supposed to be full of surprises and the unexpected.

 

 

Hyukjae wouldn't agree. His life had always been paved in front of him, smoothed for any gravel and cracks. He cruised right along while others swerved to avoid obstacles and faced accidents here and there. Hyukjae hardly met any opposition in his life.

 

 

His career had been chosen for him, and although it hadn't been what he wanted, he accepted because it was easy to give in. In fact, letting the world roll over you was less troublesome than going against it. It didn't hurt as much.

 

 

Besides, he lived a good life. He was a young businessman, having taken over his father's company, and had a comfortable income. His parents loved him, even if they weren't around as much anymore. He had good friends who worked with him and added a little something to his otherwise mundane life. He had tried to find a woman to spend the rest of his life with, but no one really sparked his interest. He was young, only 23 years old, and had plenty of time to find a wife.

 

 

Things were good. Nothing out of the ordinary ever occurred. His life's ride was like driving on an empty highway, nothing in the way, nothing to look at but the endless trees and blue sky. A pretty sight, but lacking something extra, something special.

 

 

And that something special appeared in the form of Lee Donghae.

 

 

Hyukjae never saw it coming. It was like driving out of a dark tunnel and colliding head on with a brick wall.

 

 

“Look out!”

 

Something knocked Hyukjae off his feet, snapping him from his thoughts and throwing him to the pavement. He landed on his back, the hard cement of the sidewalk doing little to cushion his fall. Air left his lungs in a rush, slightly winding him as he struggled to sit up.

 

Groaning at the sudden ache throbbing from his head, Hyukjae frowned and opened one eye to glare at the person who had crashed into him.

 

 

“Ow~”

 

 

Once his vision finally focused and the dull pounding in his ears faded, he glanced over at the dangerous—and injured—passerby. A rusty, blue bicycle was twisted with a pair of jean-clad limbs. Hyukjae's eyes traveled up the biker's bent body to his face. His eyes were scrunched up in pain, tears b at the corners, teeth biting his thin lips. Strands of chocolate-colored hair was messed up by the wind and collision, causing it to stick out in various directions. He had to be at least a few years younger than Hyukjae.

 

 

“I'm so sorry,” the boy bit out, trying not to sound like he was in pain. “My brakes failed.”

 

 

“It's fine,” Hyukjae replied. “Are you okay?”

 

 

The boy finally opened his eyes, the same shade of brown as his hair boring holes into Hyukjae's, as if he was staring directly into his soul. “I think I might have sprained my wrist when I fell.” He examined his injured hand, wincing when he tried to move it. “Are you hurt anywhere, mister?”

 

Hyukjae shook his head. Besides an impending migraine, he was fine. A few aspirin and it would be taken care of.

 

 

“That's a relief.” The brunette gently removed his bruised legs from under the bicycle and struggled to stand up. “I was in a hurry,” he explained. “I should have been more careful. If there's anything I can do to make it up to you, I'll do it, sir.”

 

 

Hyukjae waved his hand absently. “Don't worry about it. And don't call me 'mister' or 'sir.' Hyukjae is fine.”

 

“Okay, Hyukjae hyung! I'm Donghae!” The boy extended his right hand, forgetting that it was still sprained. He hissed in pain, bringing it back to his chest.

 

Glancing at the broken bike then back to the brunette with the injured hand and bleeding knees, Hyukjae couldn't help but feel something weird inside his chest. He frowned and dismissed it as a side effect from falling.

 

 

“You'll make that worse if you don't get it taken care of right away. Come with me,” he said softly. “I'll take you to a clinic.”

 

 

Donghae shook his head with wide eyes. “Y-You don't have to do that for me. I'll be okay. It doesn't hurt that bad.” He tried to smile, but Hyukjae nudged the wrist with his fingers, eliciting a muffled squeak from the boy.

 

 

The older man reached for Donghae's good hand and started leading him down the street towards the nearest walk-in clinic. “You're obviously not okay.”

 

 

“B-But my bike...”

 

 

*~*~*

 

Donghae examined the brace on his right wrist and bandages over his scraped knees. He was always doing these kinds of things.

 

 

He saw his life as a rocky mountain road, and he was always toppling over the edge. He had lost his parents in a car accident when he was five and had been shipped around from relative to relative until he was old enough to get a job and enroll in school. He was constantly getting hurt, tripping down stairs, falling off his bike, getting his heart broken.

 

 

He wasn't reckless by any means. In all his nineteen years, he'd never hit anybody until now. He just had awful luck.

 

But everything happens for a reason, right?

 

 

“I had your bike picked up and it should be repaired by the morning. I made sure to tell them to fix the brakes.”

 

 

Donghae looked up only to be met with Hyukjae tucking his cell phone back into his pocket. “You didn't have to do that.”

 

 

“But I wanted to,” Hyukjae said with a smile. He chuckled a little, more to himself than to Donghae. “You might not believe it, but you practically running me over with your bicycle was the most exciting thing to happen to me in a long time.”

 

 

“You're not mad?”

 

 

Shaking his head, Hyukjae sat down on the chair next to the brunette and ruffled his hair, making it more untidy. “No, I'm not mad.” He paused for a moment to check his watch. He was usually home by this time. Everything was off, his whole schedule had been rearranged. His metaphorical road suddenly took a sharp curve...

 

...and it felt liberating.

 

 

“Donghae, how would you like to go get something to eat with me?”

 

 

The brunette's head shot up at the sudden request. “I-I'm not hungry,” he said shyly. As if on cue, his stomach growled loud enough for Hyukjae to hear. Donghae's face felt like it was on fire.

 

 

“Clearly you are,” the red-haired businessman said with a laugh. “It'll be my treat.”

 

“No. I'll pay!” Donghae exclaimed, standing up from his chair and walking out of the clinic.

 

Two large bowls of ramen were placed in front of them. Hyukjae smirked, dipping his chopstick in the steaming broth and blew on the noodles to cool them. He hummed happily. It had been years since he last ate ramen. He had always been going to company dinners at fancy restaurants. The food tended to blend together after a while. It didn't even compare to the bowl he was quickly devouring.

 

Donghae, on the other hand, was miserable. He stared at his hands and apologized for the tenth time that evening.

 

 

“I thought I had more money with me,” the boy mumbled again. “We could have gone somewhere nicer.”

 

 

“Are you kidding me?” Hyukjae went back for another serving of ramen and grinned widely. “This is perfect!”

 

 

“Really?”

 

 

Hyukjae nodded because his mouth was full. He gestured with his chopsticks for Donghae to eat his. “It'll get cold.”

 

Donghae went to break his chopsticks so he could use them, but the brace prevented him from doing so. On top of that, he was right-handed. How was he supposed to eat anyway?

 

 

Just my luck, he thought. I totally forgot about my hand.

 

 

Hyukjae noticed the brunette struggling and took the chopsticks from him. He felt guilty for not remembering that Donghae had just sprained his wrist. He reached across the table and managed to gather some noodles and held them up.

 

Donghae stared at him like he had three heads.

 

 

“I'll feed you since you can't use your hand.”

 

 

Donghae blinked several times before the words registered in his brain. A blush spread from his ears into his cheeks. “What? No! That's embarrassing!”

 

 

“Do you want to eat?”

 

Donghae's stomach answered for him again. “F-Fine.” He opened his mouth, eyes shifting between the other customers in the restaurant to see if they were staring.

 

 

Hyukjae admired Donghae's cute mouth, parted like a fish's. He couldn't stifle a giggle from escaping.

 

Snapping his mouth shut, Donghae pouted and crossed his arms over his chest. “I'd rather starve,” he muttered.

 

 

“Okay, okay. I'm sorry. I won't laugh, I promise.” Hyukjae held up the chopsticks again and this time Donghae leaned in.

 

 

*~*~*

 

 

“You seem to be much happier lately,” Leeteuk, Hyukjae's secretary and hyung for many years, said one morning. “Has something good happened?”

 

 

Hyukjae glanced up from his paperwork and tilted his head to the side. “Hmm... I can't think of anything in particular. Why? I'm the same as usual.”

 

 

“Oh come on, Hyuk. Give me more credit than that. I know when you're genuinely happy from when you're just business happy. That fake smile may fool some people, but not me. Now tell hyung what's got you radiating pleasantries. Is it a girl?”

 

 

“No. Not a girl.”

 

 

“A boy then?”

 

Hyukjae blushed and looked away.

 

 

“Hey,” Leeteuk said, placing a hand on Hyukjae's shoulder. “You didn't judge me, so I won't judge you. What's his name?”

 

 

“Lee Donghae.”

 

 

Leeteuk gasped before breaking into fits of high-pitched laughter. He realized that Hyukjae was staring at him questioningly and smiled. “Lee Donghae is one of Youngwoonie's employees at the music store. He's been driving him crazy because he's always talking about this person he crashed his bike into on the sidewalk. Says that he's the most handsome, dorky man he's ever met.”

 

 

“I'm not dorky,” Hyukjae muttered.

 

 

“So it is you! I figured. Youngwoon comes home and complains almost every night.” Leeteuk chuckled. “I've met Donghae a few times. He's a good kid. I think he really likes you.”

 

 

“He does?”

 

 

Hyukjae felt his heart beat a little faster. It had been doing that a lot recently. It made him feel all warm inside. And it only occurred around Donghae.

 

 

He didn't feel cold anymore. The world didn't seem so straight and boring. There was meaning to it now.

 

 

Donghae made him really happy.

 

 

Is this what love feels like?

 

 

*~*~*

 

 

“Hyukkie!” Donghae called, running up to the red-haired man. He stopped short, nearly slamming into the latter. “I need to stop doing that,” he said with a grin. “So why'd you call me out here?”

 

Hyukjae smiled, his hand fidgeting in his pocket. “I was wondering if you wanted to see the fireworks show on the beach with me in a few hours.”

 

 

“Sure! Let's go find a spot right now.” He grabbed Hyukjae's hand with his newly-healed one and dragged the red head after him. Donghae glanced over his shoulder and smiled. He looks so nice in casual clothes, he thought to himself, trying not to stare at Hyukjae's fitted jeans, plain V-neck shirt under a dark blue hoodie too much.

 

 

They found a secluded place to sit on a hill overlooking the ocean. The sun was just about to finish setting and the show would start soon. Hyukjae tried not to steal to many glances at the brunette while they waited.

 

 

“Thanks for inviting me, Hyukkie.”

 

 

“No problem, Hae. Friends do this all the time, right?”

 

 

Out of nowhere, the first firework exploded in the sky, a deep red color that spiraled and sparked in the air. Another followed it, glowing gold against the dark. It continued for a while, colors shattered against one another accompanied by cracks and booms.

 

 

Hyukjae felt his heart beating to the same erratic rhythm. He turned to ask Donghae if he was enjoying himself, and noticed that the latter was crying. Panicking, Hyukjae moved closer to the brunette and touched his shoulder gently. Startled, Donghae spun around and quickly began wiping the tears away.

 

Stupid, Donghae, the younger cursed. Now he definitely won't want me. He'll think I'm a baby. I'm the one who made the mistake of thinking this was a date when I know he doesn't feel the same way. I'm always doing this to myself.

 

“Hae, what's the matter? Why are you crying?” Hyukjae asked over the roar of the fireworks. He caressed the brunette's smooth cheeks to rid them of the tears streaking down them.

 

Donghae mumbled something. Hyukjae knew he did because he saw his mouth move, but he couldn't hear him.

 

 

“What did you say, Hae?”

 

 

“I SAID I LOVE YOU!” Donghae shouted.

 

He clamped his hands over his mouth as soon as the words were out. Hyukjae stopped the boy's cheeks, too shocked to move.

 

 

“Never mind,” the brunette whispered, quickly standing up and running off the beach. He cried harder, thinking that he'd just ruined everything. He had met a dead end, and he couldn't back up.

 

 

He made it a few yards before a hand grasped his wrist and spun him around. Soft lips descended on his own passionately. Donghae's eyes went wide when he realized that it was Hyukjae kissing him.

 

It was like two roads merging. Smooth becoming rocky, and rocky becoming smooth. Perfection was met with the imperfect.

 

 

It was what they had both longed for.

 

8/6/11