14 subscribers and 4 upvotes?!?  Hey, I'm a pretty happy gal!

Hope this is a good dose of fluff and stuff for all of you awesome readers!

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"Hannie!", Heechul pleaded into the phone, "What am I supposed to do now?"  It wasn't like him at all to sound so nervous and unsure.

"I say this because I am your friend and an ocean separates you from kicking my :  Kim Heechul, deal with it.  You have been thinking about this man for many months, in one way and one way only - the initial rush of what he would feel like in your arms.  What's going to happen next?  You never thought that far.  But you must care quite a bit because you sound so worried.  Though it will take patience, you can go back and slowly build a relationship-"

"Damn Hannie, I really would have tried to kick your if you were here telling me this.  But you're right and you know you won't hear me admit that often. Thanks, I'll tell you how things go.  I hear the door down the hall.  Bye."

Heechul took several deep breaths as he heard Siwon come towards the reception area.  The youngers head was lowered and he looked like he was going to just head straight out the door.  Heechul felt horrible cutting him down the way he did in the morning and knew this was his best chance to mend things.  "Hey", he called out quietly and Siwon turned, "Um, I - I hope you don't make it a habit of coming in early again Siwon-ssi.  I would miss seeing you in the mornings."  He inwardly cringed. Aish, that sounded a little suspect, didn't it?  "I mean, I would miss you stopping by my desk in the mornings when you come in."  He smiled shyly and looked up at Siwon.

Siwon paused and gazed at Heechul, realizing they were both stumbling through this in reversed ways.  "Don't worry Heechul-ssi.", he returned the smile and his eyebrows raised slightly,  "I'll see you in the morning... and I'll even stop by your desk."  He chuckled as Heechul's eyes widened,  "Until tommorrow, think of me well Heechul-ssi."

Their eye remain locked until Siwon closed the door.  With that, Heechul pressed a tabloid to his mouth muffling his shout of joy as he spun like a child in his office chair.  He had gotten his second chance.

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Leeteuk arrived at the preserve just as the first few rays of daylight crested over the horizon.   He slowly breathed in the morning air and started towards the lake when he heard the whispering, "Teukie...Teukie-hyung!"  Donghae was wide awake and eagerly waiting for the park director to arrive.

"Donghae, you're up early to start the day", he smiled casually, knowing the young merman must have some sort of plan.  "Have you even eaten breakfast yet?"

He shook his head and looked impatient, "Want out.  Teukie have clothes for Donghae?  Help walk...please?"

Leeteuk couldn't say no when given those puppy-eyes.  Where did that boy ever learn to pout like that?  "I'll get some things that might work for you while you find yourself some breakfast.

Half-hour later, Donghae was dried off, dressed, and slowly working on walking around the edge of the lake with Leeteuk.  After a time and a half around the lake, Leeteuk broke their concentrated silence, "You really are working hard on this.  Wouldn't you like to rest a bit?"  Donghae just pursed his lips and shook his head.  He wanted to be stronger, he wanted to look like he belonged.

Donghae was busy looking down, trying to get a better feel on his feet, when Leeteuk tugged slightly on his t-shirt sleeve.  He looked up and felt his heart flutter.  Emerging from the woods was someone he had waited too long to see.  "Yesung!"  The elder walked quickly towards him, while Donghae urged Leeteuk to help him go faster to meet him.  The last few steps Donghae broke away and tried walking on his own towards Yesung.  He only made a few steps before stumbling into the raven-haired man's arms.

Donghae's embarrassed eyes met Yesung's concerned eyes.  The later not letting his hold go even as Donghae regained his balance.  "Donghae!  What happened to your leg?"

"Teukie?", Donghae gave a pleading look, not knowing what exactly to say.

"I'm Park Jungsu, but everyone around here calls me 'Leeteuk'.  You must be Yesung.  Donghae told us how you two met."  The two laughed and Leeteuk pointed towards a nearby picnic table.  "Why don't we have a seat?  Donghae's story takes a bit of time."

Yesung helped Donghae over to the table.  The younger still shooting Leeteuk pleading looks not to say too much.  He nodded slightly to Donghae and began:  "A little over a month ago, I received an emergency call about a... boating accident out on Parang Lake.  Lee Sungmin, the other ranger here, and I made our way down there.  First we found Donghae's mother, father, and younger brother.  They had not survived.  Then we heard some coughing and found Donghae half in/half out of the water.  He had lost a lot of blood.  His tai-...tendons and muscles were damaged just over his right knee.  We were able to give him blood on the way back here where he's been recovering ever since.  With nothing left for him back home at Parang Lake, Donghae will be here with us now."

Yesung pulled Donghae slightly closer.  He could feel him breathing heavily and see how he was fighting off tears.  "I'm sorry Donghae, that's so much to go through", he said in a low, warm voice.  Donghae tilted his head until he was leaning against Yesung's cheek.  Somehow, Donhae's heart felt less heavy when Yesung spoke.

They all stayed silent for several minutes until Yesung's phone beeped.  "I have to be at work in an hour..."

"Oh, do you work nearby?", Leeteuk wondered.

"I own Terrapin Station Cafe, just before downtown.  You'll have to stop by sometime and I'll treat you both to some coffee."  He knew it was rather old-fashioned to ask, but it seemed right considering, "Is it alright if I stop by to visit again soon?"

"Yes!", Donghae beamed.  Leeteuk knew the question was asked more towards him and his inner umma grinned.  Seems like Donghae could be courted soon.  "Sounds like Donghae is for it, so I am, too."

"Yesung", Donghae whispered as the other got up to leave, "I miss you."

Their eyes met and Yesung quickly tousled Donghae's hair,  "I'll miss you, too."  He ran off to get ready for work, his feet racing almost as fast as his heart.

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Hyukjae opened the cafe door to a group of high school girls.  Before school, they were there to get their daily dose of caffeine and razzing their favorite redhead.  "Alright girls, what are you interested in today?", he said while getting behind the counter.  The girls giggled and pointed cutely towards him.  "Ah, we've talked about this already!  I'm not on the menu, see?  Today's specials are over on the board." 

As the girls ordered, they continued to giggle, sigh, and ogle in Hyukjae's direction.  Thankfully he took it in stride.  There really wasn't much that would rattle his nerves, except someone who just walked in the door - his old college roommate, Cho Kyuhyun.

"Since you can't stand sweets and abhor coffee, Cho-bot, I'm guessing you came here just to gaze at my face like these lovely ladies here."

"That's hilarious you smelly anchovy.  I'll help myself to a ham and cheese pastry and tea while you get their orders."

"While you're back here, you can deposit the money for it into the cash register, too."

"Cheap bastard", Kyu mumbled.

"What was that?", Hyuk asked over the hum of the espresso machine.

While stuffing the pastry in his mouth, Kyu replied, "I said, 'Work faster.'  These girls want their orders before they graduate, you know."

Some of the girls gathered their orders and paid while a few of them were quietly whispering and snickering close to the menu board before they departed.

"You're still the ever-ornery maknae, Cho.  What's on your mind?"

"Well... Has Yesung-hyung said much to you about what's going on with him?"

"Over the past few days?  Probably enough to fill a book.  You know how hyung likes to talk.  He's really gotten something for that Donghae guy, doesn't he?"

"Yeah, it's bugging me.  Some things just don't seem to add up about what Yesung-hyung has said about this guy.  Donghae's supposed to be from Parang Lake, but Parang Lake is listed as having no inhabitants, not even summer homes.  People come in and out of there for fishing trips on the same day, being that there's nothing else around to do.

And what about this guy's family?  I looked through databases, newspapers, and the Internet.  There is nothing... nothing mentioned anywhere about any accidents, murders, deaths, whatever out on Parang Lake last month."

Hyukjae tried to lighten the mood, "Maybe he was raised by wolves?... Undercover agent?...  Part of witness protection?...  Famous pop idol hiding from the media?"

"Would you be serious you retarded monkey?  Why aren't you concerned about what Yesung-hyung could be getting himself into?  I'm trying to protect him here!"

Well, that was it.  Cho Kyuhyun had official managed to grate on Hyuk's nerves that day.  "Kyuhyun, stop what you're doing and think, really think about what you are saying.  How much of this is you trying to protect Yesung-hyung?  How much of this is just so that you can say that you are right?  And how much of this is your jealousy?"  Hyukjae paused and glared hard and Kyuhyun.  "You should have confessed to him ages ago."

"I was going to!", Kyu whined, "Finally, I know... Actually, it was the day he stepped mud-covered into his apartment and announced that he had met someone."

"Damn, your timing ", Hyukjae breathed out.

"Tell me about it.  And now I'm late for work, too.  Hey, I know I'm being a complete pain-in-the- about this, but if you hear anything else weird, please let me know hyung."

Hyukjae nodded and smiled a little as Kyu left for work.  Just like the maknae to throw a "hyung" in there for charm.  Then Hyukjae turned back towards the counter and realized what the girls were fussing over on their way out a while ago. 

On the menu board, just below "Today's Specials" was written:

Tomorrow's special:

Lee Hyukjae

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A/N:

So help Hyukjae, he's been put on the menu!  xD

Of course, that's nothing compared to Kyu's heaping helping of curiousity and jealousy.

I'll be serving up even more Yehae luv in the next chapter.

In the meantime, hope you are able to feed me some comments ;)  MWAH!