It hits him so suddenly, so unexpectedly, just like the muddy football had only minutes before.

And Donghae looks at the owner of the hand that’s pressing an icepack to the side of his face with a start, eyes wide and watery and cheeks flushed and red, but not from the cold.

“Hae?” Eunhyuk asks, and Donghae nearly has a breakdown there and then because he loves that nickname, loves that infuriatingly gentle, caring look, loves the reassuring smile that makes his insides churn.

And he loves Eunhyuk.

“You okay, mate?” Eunhyuk tries, and Donghae almost screams, no no no, I’m not okay, , but he doesn’t and instead he leaps off the chair in Eunhyuk’s living room (and accidentally kicks Eunhyuk in the shin, while he’s at it).

“I need to… go. Yeah. Wash the cat.” Donghae babbles, and he spins on his heel as Eunhyuk laughs, so maddeningly sweet and light, behind him.

“You don’t have a cat.”

Donghae stares at the family portrait hanging on the wall beside the door frame for a moment, raking his brain for something, anything, “… Heechul does.” Oh, that works. “Yeah. Heechul. Wants me to wash his cat. Uh huh.” And with that slightly less than impressive save, Donghae slides out of the living room door and down the hall.

“What’s wrong, Hae?” Eunhyuk calls out, voice soft and worried as he follows him towards the front door where he’s toeing on his shoes.

“Nothing!” Donghae says hastily, “I just remembered, that’s all!” and with one final push of his foot, he’s swinging the door open and bolting out, leaving a very confused and concerned Eunhyuk behind.

 

“Hyung. Hyung, help me, oh my God.”

“Shh! My drama’s on!”

Donghae is glad that Heechul’s mum was in – he’s sure that he wouldn’t have gotten into the house if she wasn’t.

“Hyung! I’m having a Super Major Crisis and you’re not going to help?” Donghae whines, hoping that Heechul will hear the capital letters and understand that this is a very big deal indeed.

“I said shh! This is ing intense!” Heechul cries, and Donghae has no choice but to slouch down on the sofa beside him. He idly thinks about how The Heirs doesn’t broadcast on a Saturday at lunchtime.

After what feels like three days (but, in reality, is five minutes), Heechul turns to him.

“Ad-break. Spill.”

“I’m in love with Eunhyuk!” Donghae shrieks, almost completely against his will, and he clamps both hands across his mouth before remembering that he has a horribly bruised cheek with a low groan.

Heechul is looking at him expectantly, and he whines.

“What’s that look for? I need help!”

“What with?”

“I’m in love with Eunhyuk!”

“You need help with that?”

“Of course I do!”

Heechul looks at Donghae for a long moment, before his face lights up like a Christmas tree, “Oh. Oh. Oh my God!”

“Oh your God what?”

“Nothing, just that Kangin owes me ₩20,000.”

Donghae blinks.

“Oh, yeah. Just tell him.” Heechul says almost absentmindedly, one hand reaching for the bag of crisps in between him and Donghae and the other reaching for his phone. Donghae’s eyes nearly pop out of his head.

“Tell him? I can’t do that, he’s my best friend! What if I tell him, and he doesn’t like me back…? Oh, God, we’ll never talk again!”

Heechul stares at Donghae with an unreadable expression, and Donghae thinks it’s something between exasperation and amusement – he’s not an expert – but then The Heirs is back on and Heechul’s looking at the telly instead so he picks himself up from the sofa to let himself out.

 

Donghae knocks three times, and when he doesn’t get an answer, he does it another four times. He’s about to knock again when the door swings open to reveal a glaring, shirtless Kangin.

“H-Hi. Is Leeteuk in?”

“You decent?” Kangin calls behind him, and when a mild voice answers “Yes!” Kangin steps aside for Donghae, who thanks him and begins to kick off his shoes.

“Who is it?” Leeteuk asks, and before anyone can answer he cries out, “Oh! Donghae! What happened to your cheek?”

Donghae manages to get a second red trainer off before he smiles at a red-faced, messy-haired Leeteuk who’s already fussing over him, “Hey. Nothing! Just a football accident. Sorry for… uh… interrupting…”

Kangin humphs.

“I’m having a Super Major Crisis, and Heechul isn’t helping.”

“What’s new?” Kangin murmurs, but Leeteuk coos and pats Donghae’s hair.

“What is it?”

“I’m in love with Eunhyuk.”

Kangin looks like he tries so, so hard to keep it in, but he’s only human, and he starts roaring with laughter as Donghae pouts at him, embarrassment flushing his cheeks red.

“What?”

“Does Eunhyuk know?”

Donghae gapes for a second, “No! Why should he? God, he’ll probably think I’m gross or something…”

Leeteuk raises an eyebrow, a smile threatening to break through, “Then go tell him!”

Donghae pouts and slips his shoes back on.

 

“Ryeowook-ah! It’s me!” Donghae all but yells into the intercom, and a voice that is most certainly not Ryeowook’s groans, exasperated.

“It’s Donghae,” says the voice, and he realises that it’s Kyuhyun, “Will I let him up?”

Donghae doesn’t hear the answer but he presumes it’s a yes, because the door clicks open. Donghae jogs up the stairs – he’s not fazed by his earlier football practice, thank you very much – and knocks on Ryeowook’s door, just to be polite. Kyuhyun opens it.

“Donghae, hello…?” He says, and Donghae twiddles his thumbs.

“Can I talk to you guys? I have a… Problem.”

“Sure!” Ryeowook says from somewhere behind Kyuhyun, “We’ll help!”

Donghae pads into the living room and beams at Ryeowook, who frowns and fusses over his cheek. Once Donghae is sat down, with another icepack to his face, Ryeowook speaks.

“What’s wrong?”

“I… I’m in love with Eunhyuk.”

Kyuhyun blinks. Ryeowook blinks.

“He gets to the point, huh?” Kyuhyun mumbles, fiddling with the TV remote.

“Okay, so… What do you need help with?” Ryeowook asks, and Donghae rolls his eyes.

“Eunhyuk! I need help with Eunhyuk!”

“But- oh. Oh. He doesn’t know. Oh.” Kyuhyun says helpfully, and Ryeowook looks confused, before he too lets out a stream of unintelligible mumbling. Then he and Kyuhyun exchange A Look, and Donghae is instantly worried.

“Flirt.” Ryeowook says, and Donghae shifts in the seat he’d taken by the radiator.

“I… uh, how?” He asks quietly, and the grin that Ryeowook sends him is kind of terrifying.

“Tell him he looks good. Drop hints. It’s simple stuff, hyung.”

“Are you telling him to flirt? You realise they already flirt, right?” Kyuhyun looks at Ryeowook with a slightly appalled expression. Donghae thinks he mirrors it.

“I do not flirt with Eunhyuk!”

Ryeowook’s eyes soften, and he pouts at Donghae in an almost patronising fashion, “Aw, you poor, poor thing.”

 

Sungmin picks up the phone after the sixth ring.

“Hello?”

“Ah! Sungmin! I came round but you weren’t in! I’m so glad something hasn’t happened to you! Ah yes! I called because I need your help…” Donghae rattles off, and Sungmin sighs on the other end of the line.

“I’m out. For lunch. With a… friend.”

“Can you just give me some advice?” Donghae pleads, and Sungmin hums in agreement, so he carries on, “I’m in love with Eunhyuk.”

Donghae can hear barely concealed giggles over the line, “You what?”

“I’m… in love with him. What do I do, hyung?”

“What do you mean, what do you do?”

“Well, what do I do about it? Heechul told me to just tell him, but I can’t do that, it’s weird-”

“Oh.” Says Sungmin, “Oh. Give me… a minute. To… Oh.”

“What is it with everyone and ‘oh’?” Donghae mumbles.

“Heechul is right. Tell him.” Sungmin says after a moment, and the line goes dead. Donghae decides he might possibly need new friends.

 

Hankyung pretends that he doesn’t know what he’s saying. Donghae knows he’s pretending because he’s grinning like the Cheshire Cat.

“In your face, Kangin.” He whispers under his breath when he thinks Donghae can’t hear.

 

Henry’s mum is so nice, Donghae thinks, as he accepts a freshly baked ginger biscuit from her. He almost forgets that he’s here for Henry’s help as he gets caught up in idle chit-chat with her, about school and football and the hideous bruise on his cheek. Something rings in the kitchen and she whirls away, leaving Donghae to the real reason he turned up out of the blue.

“Henry!” Donghae cries as he throws open the door, and the boy in question glares at him almost scarily, violin and bow poised in place, because Donghae had obliviously just interrupted a rather intense practice session.

“This better be good.”

“I’m in love with Eunhyuk.”

Henry instantly shoos him out the door.

 

Donghae: hyung im in love with eunhyuk what do i do?!?!

Shindong: i am not having this conversation with you

 

Donghae’s only ever been to Siwon’s mansion of a house once, but he remembers the address all too well. He presses the doorbell once and waits patiently.

Sungmin answers the door.

“Oh! Donghae!” He says, mortified, and Donghae looks behind him to see Siwon with a very similar expression.

“I… am so sorry. I’ll find someone else. Bye!”

 

“Hey, Kibum!”

“You do realise how much this call is gonna cost you, right?” Kibum says, and his accent is slipping just slightly, “Calls from Korea to Japan are already expensive, let alone America.”

“Nice to hear from you, too.” Donghae mumbles, “Listen, I have a problem.”

“You need advice?”

“Yeah. You see… I’m in love with Eunhyuk.”

Donghae can hear nothing but cars on the other side of the line.

“Save yourself the money, Donghae.” Kibum says, and he hangs up.

 

Donghae doesn’t know why he hadn’t thought of it sooner, because his entire school year seems to consider Zhou Mi as some sort of love guru. Zhou Mi answers the door in purple skinny jeans and a rather interesting looking vest.

“I need your help.”

Zhou Mi grins and lets him in, and Donghae doesn’t even let him offer him something to drink before he says, “I’m in love with Eunhyuk. And I… don’t know what to do.”

Three hours later and Donghae has taken part in three of Zhou Mi’s so-called ‘therapy sessions’, which involves a trip to Miss Maggie’s Ice Cream Shop, two episodes of and the City and a bagful of new clothes.

Donghae isn’t quite sure how that was meant to help him with Eunhyuk.

 

Yesung is ever so lovingly hugging a turtle when he opens the door.

“Donghae! I haven’t seen you in a while!”

Donghae shuffles his feet, “Yeah. Can I come in?”

Yesung pours Donghae a glass of orange juice and sits him down on the sofa. Yesung’s gotten a new puppy since he’d last seen him. And… Donghae isn’t sure how many turtles he had in the first place, but there’s a whole array lazing around on the coffee table.

“So, what’s new?” Yesung asks, and now he’s got the new puppy on his lap, petting her absentmindedly.

“Actually, I was hoping you could help me out.” Donghae says slowly, reaching down to pick up Kkoming.

“Shoot.”

“I’m in love with Eunhyuk.”

Yesung is silent for a good few seconds, seemingly staring at the largest turtle that’s slowly padding towards Donghae’s glass of orange juice.

“Yeah?”

“… Well, what do I do?”

“You mean he doesn’t know?”

Donghae purses his lips and looks pointedly at Yesung.

“Oh.”

Donghae whimpers, scratching Kkoming behind the ears, as Yesung seems to digest this titbit of information.

“Just tell him, Donghae. Ask him to be your boyfriend.”

Donghae pouts, “But what if he doesn’t like me back? He’ll hate me!”

“Hey! He’s not like that. He’ll still like you, no matter what. It’s the best thing to do.”

Donghae sinks lower into his seat.

 

It’s Sunday night, and Donghae is standing outside Eunhyuk’s house, fiddling with the rim of a t-shirt that Zhou Mi said brought out the colour of his eyes. It’s taken him a whole day to build up his courage, and in theory, he’s ready. In practice, however, he’s pretty sure that he hasn’t built up enough courage, because he can’t even bring himself to knock on the door.

He mentally slaps himself, tells himself to get a ing grip, Jesus, and knocks on the door, once, twice, thrice. He’s instantly regretting it when his palms become clammy, and even more so when the door swings open.

Eunhyuk is standing there, in all his frustratingly gorgeous glory, in a vest and joggers with hair sticking out at all angles, and probably looking rather worse for wear to the rest of the human population. But Donghae’s breathe hitches in his throat, and he wants to kick himself for becoming so head over heels, so weak and maddeningly soppy.

“Donghae! Are you okay? I was so worried when you ran out yesterday-”

“I love you.” Donghae whispers, and of course, Eunhyuk doesn’t hear him.

“Huh?”

Donghae clears his throat, then looks into Eunhyuk’s eyes, like the corny idiot he knows he is, “I love you.”

“… I love you, too?” Eunhyuk looks a little confused, his head cocked to the side, and damn that’s really cute and Donghae is so about to punch himself-

“No, I mean… I love you. Like, really love. In a very non-heteroual way.”

Wow. Smooth, Lee Donghae.

Donghae thinks that Eunhyuk might be having a mini heart attack, because he’s stopped breathing and he looks so stricken. His mouth opens and closes a few times, and when he speaks, it’s breathy and quiet.

“What?”

Donghae grimaces, “I love you, you . I’ve always loved you, but yesterday… I really just… noticed. So I’m kind of, sort of, indirectly… asking you to be my boyfriend.”

Eunhyuk looks stuck between fainting and looking like all of his Christmases and birthdays came at once. Donghae hopes that’s a good thing.

“I… I’ll be your boyfriend.” He says, and it’s a mere whisper, but Donghae can hear it loud and clear, “And I… I love you too.”

Donghae nearly collapses with all the emotions suddenly filling him, relief, happiness, love, but there are arms around his waist to stop him and now there are lips on his and he just kind of melts.

“When did I become this sappy idiot?” He mumbles against Eunhyuk’s lips, and Eunhyuk laughs gently.

“It’s just me. I’m irresistible.”

Donghae decides to shut him up. With his lips, of course.

 

Donghae wears the scarf that Zhou Mi told him he just had to buy on Monday. Nobody thinks anything of it, but at lunchtime, Heechul takes it upon himself to grill. Furtively, of course.

“Scarf. Off. Now. It’s gross.”

Donghae whines at him, “No. It’s nice. Zhou Mi said it’s nice.”

“It’s not nice. Off.”

Donghae carefully unwraps the scarf from his neck, and Eunhyuk pointedly looks away as Heechul begins to cheer excitedly over the various bruises and marks adorning Donghae’s neck.

“Guess who got laid!”

“Who got laid?” Kyuhyun calls from another table, as if he doesn’t know. The rumours were spreading like wildfire already, since Donghae was caught kissing Eunhyuk on the cheek as they parted for morning classes.

“Donghae and Hyukjae, sitting in a tree!” Sungmin begins gleefully, and to Donghae’s horror, the entire table joins in.

But as Eunhyuk catches his eye, sending him a bright gummy grin, Donghae realises that he doesn’t care.

He’s got Eunhyuk. That’s all that matters.

(He then kicks Eunhyuk under the table, because that’s all his fault.)