We all have that one friend, who is a little too much. They talk too much, they steal your food, they invite themselves over to your house, they hug you too much and that’s only a few things among the list of things that they do in excess. Even though they do these things and it never seems to cease, that person is your friend and just when you think you’ve had enough they do something, crack a joke or give you a sweet treat or just grin at you in a way that makes those feelings of annoyance melt away. Hyukjae had one of those friends. In fact it was his best friend. They had been friends since they were in diapers. 

Lee Donghae.

That was his best friend who was always there whether Hyukjae wanted him to be or not. Now being that the boys were both only nine years old, it may seem a little odd for either one of them to want some space from their friends. For Hyukjae though, he was a rather spoiled little boy and often played alone when Donghae wasn’t around. He didn’t have to share his toys and sometimes he just didn’t want to either. When the little boy got into a mood, he sure could be a grumpy little thing. The only person who could truly deal with Hyukjae in this state and eventually get a good side of him to come out once again. Of course that person was indeed,

Lee Donghae. 

Mr. and Mrs. Lee seemed to think Hyukjae was going through a troublesome phase as of the last week. He was never quite disrespectful but his attitude hadn’t been the best of sorts. It was also summer so there was no school to send him off to and escape for a few hours. Mr. Lee was working most of the day and sometimes this made Mrs. Lee rather envious. Her little boy was being difficult, over everything. He never wanted to eat what she would make. He took five hours to clean his room it seemed like. Which meant she’d have to keep checking in on him and telling him to hurry up. When it came to almost anything she suggested for him he wanted to do the opposite. In fact, Mrs. Lee was starting to get a little annoyed of it herself. Her grumbling to herself as she walked away from her son for this reason or that had increased.

Hyukjae wasn’t trying to be difficult, he just was. He couldn’t explain it. When Donghae would be over they would end up arguing over what to play, cars or basketball? Hyukjae wanted basketball and Donghae wanted cars. It was too hot outside and they’d only have to come inside about two minutes after they went out anyways was Donghae’s argument but this just made Hyukjae pout and Donghae being the good friend that he was would always concede. 

One day though, Donghae didn’t want to give in and Hyukjae wasn’t about to either. Trying to be cute to get his way, Donghae went over to his friend and wrapped his arms around him from behind, as the other was pouting. “Hyukkie,” he whined, “How about we do my idea first and then right after well play whatever you want to? Hm, hm?” He set his chin on his friends shoulder, acting cute because he really really wanted his friend to play his game first. Hyukjae on the other was at his limit and roughly pulled Donghae’s hands off of him and moved out of his friends embrace. “Yah, Lee Donghae! I don’t want to dress up like little girls do.” Donghae’s smile immediately faltered, “But Hyukkie you would look really cute and-” He was cut off by a very annoyed Hyukjae, “No. I will not be cute. I’m a guy not cute. Girls are cute. Guys are manly. Go play dress up with Sora Noona.” The difficult little child crossed his arms over his chest and turned around so he couldn’t see his friend anymore. Donghae wiped the frown off his face but didn’t hide the dejection from seeping out in his voice, that he felt at how mean his friend was being to him. “Okay, if you say so. I guess I’ll see you in a week or something, maybe.” 

Doing what he always did, she sneaked up on Hyukjae and pecked him on the cheek before running out of the room, waving goodbye to Mrs. Lee and heading to do as Hyukjae instructed, going to go play with Sora Noona across the street. The older girl would always play with Donghae when he wasn’t playing with Hyukjae. They had a good time together but for some reason Hyukjae would never come no matter how much Donghae asked him to nor when Sora Noona would ask him herself.

For the rest of the day Hyukjae pouted in his room until dinner time. He hadn’t really thought that Donghae would go and play with stupid Sora Noona. He thought he’d have given in once again. Now he was at a loss as to what to do. 

At a loss for what to do ended up lasting a whole entire week. He laid around the house, reading manga, watching tv and doing chores when his mother insisted. Hyukjae kept quiet for the most part. Whenever his mother or father would speak to him if he could get away with just a nod of his head he would do just that and nothing more. Mrs. Lee just couldn’t understand the sudden change in her son, at least she didn’t recognize it for the first couple of days. Then she remembered that little Donghae hadn’t been over in awhile. She asked Hyukjae if he missed his little friend but Hyukjae would just grow stubborn and reply with “No, he’s annoying. Always hugging and such. Donghae is icky.” His mother would just chuckle understanding that her son wasn’t being truthful in the slightest and just let it slide.

More days passed and there was still no sign of Hyukjae’s friend. He had taken to walking outside and playing basketball by himself. His eyes would roam around sneakily, trying to catch a glimpse of Donghae who was never there. “Ahh, so bored.” Hyukjae sighed as he dropped the basketball, falling on his bottom only to lay on the ground, arms and legs stretched out in opposite directions. His eyes roamed the bright blue expanse of skies, looking for fluffy white clouds of different shapes and birds that may fly through the air. Just a little something to keep him semi-occupied. 

He’d like to think of himself as more imaginative than his mind was showing today. Instead he was just staring blankly at the sky, not much going in, on or out of his head. A slight jolt in his right foot made the feeling in his previously motionless limbs come back but he thought it was just an odd twitch so ignored it became. That was until he felt it again. For the first time in quite awhile something ran through his mind, “Yah! Who do you think you are kicking someone?” rudeness was instinctive when he wasn’t paying attention. Sitting up on his elbows quickly, his eyes met with the thing that had hit his foot. They were the deep warm milk chocolate color he was so familiar with. Biting his lip, Hyukjae fell silent for a moment while a faint blush graced his cheeks giving away his embarrassment. Pushing himself up off the ground. 

“It’s a good thing I’m not your mother, she would have popped you for that one Hyuk.” The other boy said still remaining in the same spot, not attempting to move. Hyukjae shook his hair out of his face and tried to figure out when his name had changed. Donghae always called him Hyukkie. It was a cute pet name as he was always reminded so hearing his friend call him Hyuk felt odd. Trying to shrug it off he focused on other things, such as getting his questions answered. “Have you been at Sora Noona’s all this time? You shouldn’t play dress-up so much.” That was Hyukjae’s roundabout way of telling Donghae that he missed him and asking why he hadn’t been playing with him. 

Donghae just shook his head and shrugged. “No, I’ve been busy. I just wanted to see what you were doing lying in the middle of the driveway like that. Bye, Hyuk.” he said with a wave and then turned around to walk back across the street to his own home. The stranded boy followed behind the one who had turned tail on him. All the while he was trying to decide if he liked the name Hyuk or Hyukkie better. “Where are you going? Don’t you want to come over and play the new game I got?” He reached for Donghae’s hand that almost slipped from his be cause his palm was a little sweaty. 

Turning around he stopped walking and looked quizzically at Hyukjae, “Um, that’s okay.” Donghae slipped his hand out of his friends and started walking again. The same sweaty hand was gripping his again and tugging on him. “Haee..” a whine came out from Hyukjae, something he never did or at least not around anyone but his mother. “Come over, please.” he tugged on his friends hand one more time and swung it from side to side in between the two. “My mom said I should leave you alone for awhile. I’m bugging you too much. Too many hugs and all you don‘t like..” Donghae’s eyes fell to his feet as he trailed off. He turned around for the third time and walked away.

Hyukjae followed again and threw his arms around his friend pulling him into a tight hug. “Hae, you don’t bug me too much.” His friend was trapped in his embrace but that didn’t stop him from speaking. “Yes, I do.” He grumbled only to feel the nose that Hyukjae had pressing into his back move from side to side, telling him he was wrong. “No, you bug me only a little bit. Hugs..well, only you can hug me but don’t make it for more than five seconds no make that three. Yeah, three seconds. Oh and don‘t call me Hyuk, I don‘t like it. Just Hyukkie.” He added as he let go of his friend, not wanting to go over his own rule. Walking around to the other side of Donghae, he smiled wide, “You’re gonna come play with me now right?” the excitement in his voice could be heard loud and clear. He got a quick nod along with what he could have sworn was a pair of the softest and warmest lips on his for all of two seconds. “Time to play.” Donghae chirped in a sing song voice as he moved towards Hyukjae’s house. His friend on the other hand was standing there wiping his eyes and then pinching his cheeks until he made himself cry out in pain.

“Lee Donghae! Who said you could come in my house after doing that? My lips were innocent! Innocent I tell you!” Hyukjae caught up with his friend and gave him a light shove, making the boy stumble. “Oooh, did your mom make those cookies she always does? They’re so yummy. I want some with milk. Oh! And it’s five seconds, three seconds is too short.” Donghae said all at once as he hugged Hyukjae from the side as they walked, squeezing him tightly and ignoring the hands that were trying to push him away. Seeing as how they made it to front door by then, Hyukjae just sighed deciding sometimes it was just easier to give in to Donghae. “Yeah, yeah, yeah. I’m gonna beat you in the video game.” He stuck his tongue out as he opened the door and called to his mother to let her know they had company. All the while Donghae was pouting, hanging on the bottom of his shirt and trying to convince Hyukjae to at least let him win one round otherwise it was no fun.

Things would be going back to normal, and then some. Hyukjae’s innocent lips weren’t so innocent anymore. He may have put up a fight about it but it would remain his secret that he didn’t mind. As long as it was Donghae who took that away from him. Only Lee Donghae.