Our Ties

“Read the book and be ready for our discussion tomorrow. For now, let’s call it a day”

Their professor left the room and the students keep on chatting. One of those is Donghae who’s having a great time together with his newly found friends. In the middle of their conversation, he couldn’t help but to notice Hyukjae who’s already walking out.
 

“E-excuse me first—Hyukkie! Wait!”

The latter stops but didn’t dare to look at him. Donghae starts to worry more since Hyukjae never acted like this. Usually, they’ll walk their way home together, eat together, play together and just everything, they do it which each other by their side but now, Hyukjae is kind of distant.
 

“Hyukkie are you really okay?”

“Yeah”

Hyukjae hums; his voice makes Donghae shivers, he feels cold and somehow, lonely.  He tried to approach him but the other only continue his walk slowly leaving him. He then hurriedly bid goodbye to his classmates before catching up to the gloomy guy in front of him.
 

--
 

Everything is just confusing.

Donghae couldn’t understand why the other is acting like that. For all he knows, he isn’t like that a few hours ago and it’s not like he did something wrong to him so why does he feels like he’s being ignored? Hating the gap between them, Donghae starts on pocking Hyukjae to catch his attention.

 

“H-hey, what will we be having for dinner?”

“Ramen”

“Then can we buy some strawberry ice cream too?”

“Just go on your on”

“But won’t it be better if we buy together?”

“I’m tired”

“Oh”

With that, the poor brunette shut up, feeling somehow hurt by the cold treatment Hyukjae is giving him but nevertheless, he thinks the latter is really just tired and he have to give him some space.

It doesn’t take long when they reach the apartment; Hyukjae enters and go straight to their room while Donghae just sigh in loneliness. Maybe he could do something to make him feel better, something that may lift up his mood.

And so Donghae thinks of the best thing to do

--

Guilty is how he is feeling right now.  Treating an innocent guy like that, isn’t he no different to a devil right now? He must distant himself from Donghae so his departure won’t affect him that much and same goes to Donghae. He have to do that so the other won’t depend on him too much so he could meet more people who deserve him better than him.But this is what Hyukjae should do and he keep on saying to himself that this is what he really wants.

Yet his heart keeps on clenching with the thought.

Afraid of hurting himself more, Hyukjae absently reach for a book—which their teacher told them to read—and start reading a few paragraphs until Donghae blast the door open, startling him.

The said guy has his clothes torn, mud painting his body and even a few scratch on his skin contrasting the huge grin spreading on his face. Donghae is holding a cat, a familiar cat which Hyukjae identified to be the one he saw when he first met the latter. He is kind of happy to see those adorable two together but remembering what he is about to do, he can’t help but to grimace.

He can’t be too much attached to Donghae now.
 

“Hey Hyukkie, I found him near the park again! Say hi to him now Heebum, meow”

“But I’m quite busy now Hae”

“O-okay”

Donghae let go of the cat and retreats back, sitting farther away from Hyukjae but he still couldn’t help but to want to grab his attention. Not giving up he scoots closer to him, now leaning forward to look on what the other is reading.

 

“Isn’t this the book that we’re supposed to read? Wow, you’re halfway done now! You should have at least said it to me so we could read it together!”

“Hyukkie what is it about? Is it good? Maybe I should start reading it now”

“Aren’t you hungry Hyukkie? I really want to eat—“

“Stop it”

Donghae has his eyes wide open while the other avoids his stare before sighing. Hyukjae bit his lips before gathering up his courage to speak up to him.

 

 “Look Donghae, you’ve been staying with me for months and now, I think it’s the time where we should have our own separate ways”

“Are you saying… you’re tired of me?”

“Not that but don’t you think it’s better for you to meet people except me. It just that, you can’t just stay with me forever”

 

Hyukjae looks at him and he could see the other tearing up. As much as he hates to do this but there’s no other choice and this if for the better anyway. It would be better if they’re not together.

 

“B-but I want to stay here, with you! It doesn’t matter if I’m lonely, if I have Hyukkie with me then it’s fine”

“You don’t understand, we can’t be together anymore because…”

“Because?”

“I… I don’t want to be with you anymore”

He could see how Donghae’s expression change, how he hurt him and how mean he is to him. He never deserves this kind of treatment, Donghae has always been lovely and kind but what he is doing right now is to push him away like trash.

 

“Why? Did I do something wrong? Why are you being like this Hyukkie?”

“When I’m with you, no one would dare to approach me. I can’t even make friends because of you and I can’t focus on my studies because every night you would whine for food. I just, I’m tired of this. I have my life also Donghae and I want to live normally, without you”

“T-then I won’t bother you. I c-can be distant when we’re in school and I’ll make my own food just don’t do this to me”

“Donghae, don’t you get it? I want you out of my life!”

 

Then that’s the final blow. Donghae stand up on his feet as his tears keep on falling from his face. He looks angry and hurt but Hyukjae could see that he’s more upset. He bit his lips before saying a faint goodbye before then again, jumping from the window.

He slump his back on the wall before laughing for himself. It’s over, everything is over and he didn’t know that it will be like this.

That it will hurt this much
 

--

It’s an hour or two, he actually don’t care. Hyukjae is just there, switching pages of the book yet not reading anything of it or rather, he couldn’t understand. Everything just feels like a dream. It’s like Donghae wasn’t herea few moments ago, it’s like Hyukjae’s normal life and so he thinks he’ll be able to move on.

Things run like that not until he feels something painful on his lap, and there he notice the cat scratching him as if it’s says how bad he is to treat Donghae like that. He just look at it, taking all the pain it gives because he deserves it after all.

The cat stops and he sees it walking toward his side but it’s too late when he notice it peeing over his book.
 

“Y-you! I still need this you know!”

He immediately grabs tissues to dry and spray some cologne to somehow make it smell decent. He hiss at the cat but he only get ignored by it so he sigh, and let the pages dry. He stares how the air flips it’s pages but when he reads a certain line, he stops to look at it.

"…What does that mean— 'tame'?"

"It is an act too often neglected," said the fox “It means to establish ties"

"'To establish ties'?"

"Just that," said the fox. "To me, you are still nothing more than a little boy who is just like a hundred thousand other little boys. And I have no need of you…”

Hyukjae run his fingers over the pages, feeling that little warmth in him growing larger. Now, he is starting to understand. So he quickly dash to the exit, leaving the book and the meowing cat behind him.

“…And you, on your part, have no need of me. To you, I am nothing more than a fox like a hundred thousand other foxes.”

 

He repeats those sentences from the book in his mind. It makes him remember when he just met Donghae. When he thought he’s just another scary guy and even called him a murderer. How that weird guy appears in his apartment, how it scares him and how they met again on school. Those things when he never knew anything about him but his name.

He didn’t notice he have already arrive in the park—the same park where they first met.

“ But if you tame me, then we shall need each other”

Then scenes of him being with the other shows in his mind; When he teach Donghae how to write, how to brush his teeth, how to smile and even those littlest thing that amaze him. He also remembers when the brunette protects from his bullies but later on turn into an adorable kid when he asks for his reward. He realizes how much he needs him

How wrong he is for abandoning him

Then there he stands in front of him. Both of them look surprise to see each other again. Hyukjae wants to punch himself for doing this to him. He’s no different from those people he hate—those who abandon their pets easily. He doesn’t think the other would forgive him but he still hope simply because he’s too important for him to lose.

Yet before he could explain, Donghae already come near him and hug him really tight. He could feel how the younger starts on crying again and how his tears do the same. They didn’t talk; it’s just like that since no word is needed to express how they feel now. This moment just explains everything.
 

“To me, you will be unique in all the world. To you, I shall be unique in all the world..."

--
 

The cat purrs as his owner lift him and carry him on his shoulder. The said owner pats his head and he meow in response. Now, he can come back to his home with no worries.

          “Hey hyung, aren’t you guilty for fooling them like that?” a handsome yet younger guy asks but the said person only smile in response so he continues, “But I never thought that Hyukjae could tame Donghae”

          “Say who? Just shut up Siwon and carry my luggage because I’m getting late for my flight”

Siwon sighs yet follows but he can’t help but to ask him more so he mutter, “Are you really leaving Donghae like that?”

          “He’ll be fine and I know that monkey might get possessive if I am there,” he smirks and look back at Siwon as he lift his sunglasses, “But who knows? I can go here again to tease them a bit”

Then the kind of crazy guy laughs as he walk sassily while the poor lad behind him is having a hard time. He looks back for a moment before muttering for himself how thankful he is to find someone who could take care of his precious nephew.

A/N:

Finally done with this! Just exact with the due date!
Anyway, I failed since I forgot that there's a prompt LOL
Cute Hae carried away my mind :P
As you know, this quite rush so I'm really sorry
Let me give you some rocks so you could throw it to me
But still, thanKYU for reading this^^

--heechan27
 

I'm free now!