¦ Six

Eunhyuk shivered. There was cold sweat running down his face; from his forehead to his temples and down his neck. He was freezing and felt sick to the stomach as he blankly stared ahead, didn’t gasp for air even though his breathing was shallow and fast, every inch of his skin covered with goose bumps. He didn’t think, simply because he wasn’t able to and yet there were pictures in his head and they were everywhere.

Donghae.

He turned his head very slowly to his right and looked at the other side of the bed he was sitting in.

Empty. 
There was no one lying beside him; no mob of brown hair and no silent beg in the air to lie down again because it was too early in the morning. There simply was nobody, nothing except for sheets and Eunhyuk couldn’t hear any sounds except for his own rapid breathing and the heartbeat in his ears.

Slowly he turned his head to the front again. With shaking hands he pushed the blanket back and only stopped briefly to notice that both of his hands were fine and that there were no wounds marking his skin. It didn’t matter to him, not the slightest and he didn’t bother to even think about why it was like that. All he cared about was that Donghae wasn’t with him, nothing else.

Eunhyuk got up from the bed and took some unsteady steps across the room, Donghae's room, without knowing what he wanted to do. It was rather dark around him because the only light source in the room was the lamp on the nightstand so he assumed that it was early in the morning or already evening. Were the other members still or better already up? He really could do with company that moment.

His movements were slow and agitated as he made his way across the room, supporting himself on all kinds of furniture, only to come to a stop just as slowly as he heard voices from the other side of the door. They sounded alarmed, he thought and believed to recognize at least the voice of the leader. And he was right: a moment later the door was yanked open and Leeteuk stood in front of him, eyes wide with surprise and face tense.

"Hyukjae." He was breathing hard, like he had been running. Hands found their way to Eunhyuk's shoulders and the leader looked at his blank face, his eyes filled with worry. "Are you alright?"

The redhead didn’t answer. He just stared at the leader before he slightly averted his eyes to look at the other's chest – or more likely through it. Was this a serious question?

"Hyukjae?"

Leeteuk shook him just a tiny bit, but it was enough to make him sway dangerously. His breathing was still too fast, too hasty and he believed his head had never stopped spinning. The leader called his name again, warily and with a hint of serious concern in his voice. His hold got tighter to keep him standing, but Eunhyuk still didn’t answer. There were steps audible in the far and they were coming closer fast. Who was this?

"What's wrong? Is he still- Hyukkie!"

Eunhyuk's heart skipped a beat. He blinked his eyes to look over the leader's shoulder. There, right behind the other, stood Donghae. The younger looked just as nervous and worried as Leeteuk, maybe even a bit more as he came closer. But he was there. A sharp pain shot through Eunhyuk's whole body.

"Donghae", he breathed out, voice cracking and his vision blurring with tears before he could do anything against it. Eunhyuk reached one of his trembling hands out to the younger, inwardly begging him to come closer. "Donghae…"

The frown on the brunet's forehead deepened and he slightly pushed Leeteuk away to unconsciously fulfil the redhead's wish. He reached his hands out to pull the other into his arms and Eunhyuk immediately returned the hug, clung to the younger like he was drowning. Fingers clawed into Donghae's back and made him hiss as Eunhyuk pressed their bodies as tightly together as he could; tears were running down his cheeks and the brunet's shoulder wasn’t enough to muffle his desperate sobs.

"I'm so sorry, Hyukkie", Donghae said and his voice sounded even more concerned, helpless even. "I'm sorry! You were tossing and turning so much in your sleep a-and I tried all I could, but I couldn’t wake you up. I… I know I promised I would, b-but I really couldn’t do it. I didn’t know what to do and- and then I searched for hyung to come and help me-"

"-hae…"

Eunhyuk whimpered, wailed and didn’t even try to suppress it how broken he was. Donghae was here, he held him in his arms – and yet he couldn’t stop his tears from falling. Feeling the warmth of the other's body and his soft hair under his fingers, the redhead couldn’t tell if it felt more realistic than the cold and stiff body he had touched not that long ago. His mind lay in ruins and the only thing he wanted to care about was that Donghae was fine now; no matter if this was a dream or not.

"Hyukkie, what's… what's wrong? You're shaking so much…"

The elder shook his head slightly and buried his head in the other's shoulder. It suddenly was so difficult to keep standing; it required strength he didn’t have left. He pulled Donghae impossibly closer and put all of his power in holding him while inwardly swearing to never let go of him again. His crying didn’t die down as they stood there for what felt like an eternity, he only started crying harder. It was impossible for him to tell what made him cry like this; was it relief – or grief?

"Please calm down, okay? I… You were only dreaming; e-everything's fine now, isn’t it?"

Donghae let out a silent gasp as he felt the other holding on to him even more as his legs gave out a bit. He tried to support him the best he could, but the other was way too unsteady to keep standing.

"Donghae, he should sit down", Leeteuk silently said, one hand resting on the redhead's back. The brunet nodded and carefully started walking, made Eunhyuk walk backwards until the back of his knees came in touch with the bed. His hold around the other loosened as he wanted to make him sit down, but Eunhyuk immediately dug his fingers into his back before he could separate himself from him.

"S-stay with m-me", he croaked out, head still resting on the younger's shoulder. "P-Please…"

"I will, but… It's better if you sit down, okay?"

The brunet waited in vain for a reaction and eventually sat down as carefully as he could, pulling the other with him. He exchanged worried glances with Leeteuk as his hands drew soothing circles on the redhead's back and after some time it seemed like Eunhyuk's crying slowly calmed down. Donghae slightly rocked them back and forth, his own head resting against the other's. Leeteuk's hand found its way to Eunhyuk's cheek and forehead after it had become silent in the room again and the leader shortly massaged the other's shoulder as he let out a worried sigh.

"You feel cold, Hyukjae. I don’t want you to get sick, so I think you should try and get back to sleep-"

"N-No!" Donghae could feel the other tensing up in his arms and his voice sounded more panic-stricken than any of them would've imagined.

"But it's still early, there are a few hours left for you to rest. You'll feel better if you go to bed now."

"Please don’t", the redhead whimpered while still holding Donghae tightly in his arms. "I d-don’t want to fall as-leep again, please…"

"Hyukjae, you-"

"It's alright", Donghae interrupted the leader, voice soft and silent. "I understand that he doesn’t want to go back to sleep again after having such a bad dream." His voice got even lower, head nestling against Eunhyuk's. "I'll stay awake with you, okay?"

Eunhyuk slightly nodded against his shoulder; Leeteuk let out another sigh. "Alright", he breathed out. "But you have to catch up the sleep you're missing right now somehow. And if something happens: you know where to find me."

"Thanks, hyung."

Leeteuk sent them a small smile before he turned around and left the room; the door fell shut with a soft thud and Donghae thought that Eunhyuk's body lost some of its tension as they were alone again. His head left the other's and he pressed an encouraging peck on his forehead before he gently fixed his hair a bit.

"Do you want us to find a more comfortable position?" he asked. Eunhyuk let out a silent hum and so Donghae pulled him with him as he carefully lay down again. With one hand he grabbed the blanket and pulled it over the both of them while his other arm still held Eunhyuk close. The elder rested his head on the other's chest as soon as he could, right above his heart. He pressed his ear against Donghae's ribcage and listened to the younger's steady heartbeats which he found the most beautiful sound in the whole world suddenly. Every beat made his own heart lose some of its speed and he let his hand slip under the other's shirt, caressed the skin on his hip just to feel how warm it was.

"It's better this way, isn’t it?"

Eunhyuk nodded slightly; Donghae chuckled and played with the hair in the other's neck. They both kept quiet for a long time and even though it was just about four in the morning, none of them felt the slightest bit of tiredness.

"Please… don’t do this again."

Donghae lifted his head a bit and looked down at the other. They couldn’t see each other's faces so the surprised look on his went unnoticed. "What do you mean?"

"When I woke up… I was alone and that, well it- It really scared me. And… I-"

"You want me to stay by your side?" The younger chuckled again. "Of course I'll do that. I can see how much your dream scared you and if you're having another one someday I won't leave the room, alright? I guess I just have to try harder to wake you up next time. But that's no problem, Hyukkie."

"It's not about the dreams only", Eunhyuk whispered, glad about not having to look into the other's eyes as he said his next words. "You have to be there when I wake up and… you always have to be close to me."

Donghae let out a small laugh. "Don’t tell me you're getting clingy now."

"Please. Please just do me this favor."

This time the younger stayed quiet and he stayed like that for a good couple of seconds. Eunhyuk bit his lip as he waited for his reaction and it was good that he didn’t see the troubled expression on the other's face. Donghae wanted to ask him why, what was happening and what he had been dreaming about that made him act the way he did. But once again he stayed quiet – and Eunhyuk inwardly thanked him for it.

"Okay", Donghae finally said, no smile playing with his lips. "Okay, Hyukkie."

***

"Leeteuk-ssi, this is the first album after your discharge from the army. Do you think there are things that have changed since the last one you took part in?"

The leader beamed just like he always did and didn’t need that much time to op