D-3

       The smaller drags his burned out limbs with all his might, descending the stairs with heavy steps. The smaller male however widens his brown eyes upon meeting with a sight of the composer making two sets of French toasts in the kitchen. Ryeowook instantly forgets about the foul air surrounding their argument last night.

       He should be shooing the elder and warns him to never ever steps into his kitchen without his permission, except those reasonable excuses he always implants at the back of his mind, evaporates to the thin air when the composer spins around to face him, catching him off guard. 

       Why he feels embarass of all sudden?

       Probably the first time someone cooks for him after the long years in the foreign country sets him unsettled. Or maybe, he never let someone else except the certain doctor years ago, to be in the kitchen within his range makes him feels somehow restless. 

       Okay, so why should he feels this way, anyway?

       Blush colors the delicate features and Donghae, notices the pink shade, just smiles sweetly at the smaller. Well, he doesn't understand exactly that despite the shy trait exudes from the slender male; the designer appears a little bit uncomfortable about seeing him in the kitchen. But that doesn't mean Donghae will let the rare moment like this slips away, "Why are you blushing? Come have a breakfast with me."

       Although that makes the petite blushes the darker shade of pink, Ryeowook strides to the composer's side and strikes a blow or two on the broad shoulder, hard. "Who says you can step into my kitchen without asking me first?"

       Too stunned to grill any rational thoughts, his mind seems blank for a second. Rubbing the sore spot, Donghae bawls in pain, "Is that necessary for you to do that?"

       It's hurt like hell! - Donghae screams in his mind.

       Ignoring the complaint, the young designer grasps the plate which has few sausages on the left side and bites the toast gently. He is too engrossed with the blushing accident, thinking what might be the actual possibility for his earlier reaction, that he missed the words coming from the elder in front of him.

       "Earth to Ryeowook! Hello!"

       The high, timbre sound reaches the smaller male's ears which stuns Ryeowook the daydreamer out of the reverie. Waving hands come across his brown eyes. The designer blinks before he blinks some more as he's noticing Donghae has a silly grin plasters his features. He should be annoyed with the awful sight, but he thinks he's wasting his energy for nothing if he starts argue with the elder. Therefore, the designer continues to eat.

       Seeing the smaller male ignores him for the second time, Donghae feels irk with the unresponsiveness from the younger.

       "Don't you ever make a face like that, you can't just ignore me."

       "What face?"

       Groaning, the composer hits his forehead on the table before he raises back to say, "I hate you, Ryeowook."

       "Glad to know." Smirks drifts across the smaller face.


       Soon after Donghae asks the smaller to wash both plates - his and him - the composer traps the young designer against the side corner of the kitchen. His right hand that holds tightly against Ryeowook's small one, around his waist, presses against the smaller backside. Stupefied Ryeowook can't fight back, not when his right hand is somewhat twisting him whenever he tries to escape the death grip that his left hand seem can't move with the strong build arm enclosed, keeping him in place, around his small frame.

       Donghae then fishes his phone out from his back pocket using his left hand before placing it on his left ear. Watching closely at the smaller frame in front of him, he waits patiently at the receiving end.

       If the smaller male is dreading, surely Ryeowook deserves some credits - the composer can't perceive what is going through the petite's mind but surely pulsating anger is dominating the entire calm demeanor as he can sees Ryeowook's left hand is balled in fist.

       "Hello, Donghae-Appa."

       The composer grins broadly as this conversation seems familiar to him. "Good morning, Ryeohyun." He hears the little girl giggles.

       "Good morning to you, too. What do you want? I'm afraid I can't help you."

       Always straight to the point. Knitting his brows, he glimpses at Ryeowook before asks, "What makes you think you can't help me?"

       "Well, because I'm not in my house and Daddy is not beside me."

       "Ah. But, I know that," The taller male whispers but Ryeohyun is not really slow to catch the drift albeit Donghae fast enough to change the topic with his bright tone. "What are you doing?"

       "What do you mean 'I know that'? What do you know?"

       The composer then concludes the little girl is just fast like Ryeowook in detecting the slight tone of people voices. "Is it important? I have my own ways. Say, do you miss me?" He speaks in rapid fire, hopefully that throws the little girl out from the topic.

       "What? No! Why should I?" Gleefully, Donghae smiles - eyes turns into crescent moon.

       Ryeowook, who has bewildered look on his face, stares at the taller male. He should takes this chance when the moment of weakness appears but he seems curious on why the composer had a silly grin, again on his face. And man, he regrets that he doesn't seize the scarce opportunity earlier. He intensely glares at Donghae, waiting for next word to come from him, only to be cut short.

       "Then, do you miss Ryeo... -Ouch!"

       The smaller male swings forward his left leg - Ryeowook doesn't know either he has the strength to pull it through - in attempt to knock the taller which resulting the composer to stumble down backwards but still manages to firmly hold the right hand of the smaller.

       "What happen?" Ryeohyun's panicked voice bursts out from the receiving end.

       "Nothing, just...something tries to bite me." Weakly, Donghae replies as he is still struggling with the wriggling Ryeowook who seems has an extra strength to fight the taller male. Although the composer is a bit breathless, he hurriedly asks, hoping the smaller male will catch off guard, "So, care to tell me who you are with?"

       But, Donghae's plan is ruined when the smaller male swiftly pulls the phone out from his grip before smoothly sailing the device flat on the breakfast bar and it is fortunate that the phone stop right before it reaches the sharp edge. Amused, the composer frowns at the smaller. He intends to retrieve the phone back while dragging the petite along with him but he loses instantly when Ryeowook smartly dodges the composer left hand and at the same time he bites the right arm that clutches on his.

       Running away from the kitchen, Ryeowook leaves the taller male speechless; no words can express his state or the smaller sharp stunts he pulls off. Huffing out the sudden frustration, he walks over to the end of the bar before snatching the phone.

       "Donghae-Appa, are you there? What happen?"

       Inhale mouthful of air, the composer replies, trying to reassure her. "Yes, I'm here. Nothing happen. Just, someone nearly makes me want to leap my heart out because the little stunts he did."

       "Huh? Where are you? I thought you are at your apartment. Does someone else is with you, right now?"

       Palming his face, Donghae simply answers. "No."

       "For both questions?"

       He can't continue this. His not enough oxygen in his mind fools him to say the next word. That little kid is too smart sometimes. "...Yes."

       "Ah..."

       A silence befalling on the two and Donghae collectively feigns his composure before he speaks, "Sorry. So, I don't get to know who you are with." He sheepishly grin, "Care to tell me once again?"

       "Papa,"

       Its Donghae's turn to breathe out the exact word, "Ah..." Her voice sounded so... fragile, it struck a cord in him.

       "...I'm hoping that... you could come fetching me at my grandparents' house later, in the evening."



       When Donghae informs Ryeowook through Zhoumi's phone that he is going to fetch Ryeohyun, he waits for the smaller reaction or anything that might indicates the smaller wants to join him. Instead, the young designer plainly replies, on the same device.

       To: Hae. L Composer

       Have a safe journey, hyung.

       

       A bit disappointed towards the smaller but there's nothing he can really do to change the stubborn male's mind.

       Once he reach the Kim's residence, Donghae greets to the sight of Kyuhyun playfully makes the girl flustered with a bright red coloring her soft cheeks. He watches the scene unfolds before his eyes before taking by surprise by the little girl who sees him from afar. He waves his hand high in the air as he strides towards the little girl. Hugging her briefly, he politely sends a smile to Kyuhyun and the doctor returns the same act.

       It seems like the lanky male wants to say something but, Donghae guesses that the words have die down, drowning in the sea of indisputable thwarting that brews the young doctor's veins. At the end of the day, Kyuhyun doesn't talk to him at all. While the composer thought the lanky male perhaps need more time to adjust himself with his friends but the composer does think otherwise when he sees the doctor freely chatting himself with the Kim in the garden.

       It does puzzle him. Why can't he treat all his friends like that? Why can't he treat me like that?  

       Donghae does some thinking that perhaps the lanky male hates all of them for never really care for him when he was in Ireland. It's true, though. They never had a conscience, not even once, to know how the younger male is coping himself in the other foreign country. All of them are too preoccupied with Ryeowook that they never take a consideration on Kyuhyun, except for the few of them.

       It's such a woeful that the sudden realization is a tad too late for the composer, and the other friends of his.


       The young doctor then walks over to Donghae's car along with the little girl, hands intertwine before Kyuhyun releases them and watches the girl hops into the car after exchanging smiles.

       Through the drive back to Ryeowook's house, the composer listens to the girl's cute rambling throughout the days she spent with the three men in Kyuhyun's apartment. While he knows probably the little girl is upset, but surely she doesn't show it. Donghae really aware that at a time like this, the talkative thing she does right know is a proof that she's been lying - apart from sleeping - even she says she's fine all along. 

      Though, the composer jitters all the way, it is completely flipping over between the line of the intense concern and perturbing feeling as the line getting blurred when the composer watches the little girl surprisingly composed, stares at Ryeowook who just happen to gaze back without any lesser intensity. And what makes it more vehement is they seem try to make each other understands with only eyes do the talking.

       While people might misapprehend that they are about to kill each other with the lasers coming from the eyes, it's such a failure that they never understand what is possibly going to happen - it's something they never acquainted themselves to, ever. Not when you can't comprehend why such understanding is deserve to be considered when you are about to jeopardize your only relationship that always has been holding you and the world up, because of the trivial matter. 

       Is the matter even reckoned as trivial?

       Surely, Donghae could only watch the two silently, carefully waiting for the train of harsh words to be thrown over or any temper tantrum from the little girl while anticipating for the troubled look on Ryeowook's face; except, none of his imagination seems to be real.

       Instead, the little girl, after sometimes climbs the stairs with Ryeowook trails behind her. There is such a huge gap distance between them.

       Dazed, the composer stays rooted to the entrance door. Slowly, he slides down on the couch near the entrance and remains at the spot until he hears something that required his attention upstairs, that is.

       Ryeohyun has many things to tell or yell at Ryeowook, but nothing seems rational enough to come out. Though, she ought to scream the irrational thoughts because the desperate vain she held for three days has reach its limit now but the thoughts become too void to even it out. They jumble up together that it tightens the coil each time she tries to sort it out. She isn't familiar with this new emotion.

       So, there she is - standing back-facing in front of the bathroom in Ryeowook's bedroom, she watches intently at her father who comes right behind her after sometimes, only to be standing at the door. She notices the bleary slightly red-eyes male is no less despondent than she is. But, it's almost impossible for them to feel the same way, right? After all, they are thrown in different circumstances given the male is responsible for all of this to happen in the first place. She hates her daddy, sometimes.

       You should know what I feel right now is perfectly the same thing to what you feel right now.

       Disappearing into the bathroom, Ryeohyun curls herself against the bathtub. Relaxing herself, she eyes the ceiling on top of her before closing the eyelids. Tears gather at the back of her eyes. After sometimes, she opens them, sight getting foggy due to the unshed tears. Slowly, she stands to her feet; hands tremble with so much turmoil within her.

       Tears stream slowly across the soft cheek before ceaselessly flowing down soon after that. Lips quivering, that biting the lower lips is no longer an option as incoherent, broken sobs fill the enclosed wall, her resolve diminishes each passing seconds. Collapsing on the bathroom tile, she cries harder, venting out the subdued bitterness out from her small body. Reaching for the shower faucet, she turns it on upwards and lets the stream of water flowing down into the bathtub.

       Unfortunately, Ryeowook who has been standing outside has a pretty good sense of hearing people. Although, the sound of roaring water does covered the muffled, resentment cries of the young girl; the designer knows that this is exactly what rips his heart apart - her seemingly determined demeanor can't compete her vulnerable state that he puts her through.

       Closing the bedroom door, he sits outside the bathroom and leans against the wall, silently, painfully cries along, matching the sobs coming from the enclosed door. Gripping his both hands around the knees, the designer feels his chest constricts the air passage.

       It takes quite sometimes before the shower water stops flowing, just in time where no more cries coming from both daughter and the young father.

       Stepping out from the bathroom, Ryeohyun faces her father before walking over to him, her wet clothes frames the fragile-looking girl. She then hugs the designer once the young father releases himself and welcoming the little girl in his embrace.

       Softly humming to herself the melody she and Ryeowook used to whistle, she waits patiently for her father, hands are in the crook of the male's neck.

       A rather statement comes from the young father.

       "It does hurt you. I'm sorry, sweetheart." The designer whispers weakly.

       Pulling her hand, she positions her head on the warm chest, her both hands play with the silver band on the male's finger. "It hurts you, too."

       You know, as much as I want to bawl and hit you for not contacting me for three days straight, I find myself missing you like crazy that it hurts to even look at you. I told you before this is a dangerous game we playing.

       Like hot wax, tears melt down once again, staining her cheeks. "I think I hurt him, daddy." It was hard for her to keep being happy around Kyuhyun all the time when she knows exactly why she feels sad sometimes. Papa would think he is the one to be blamed. 

       But, this isn't crime.

       She whines despite the tears, underlies warning with it. "Don't send me away again, okay." She honestly doesn't think she wants to experience that again.

       It was horrible. I don't want you to feel the same thing. Because I know...you might feel worse than I am.

       Cupping the male's face with her small hands, she wipes the overflowing tears. "You should stop doing this to me," She murmurs. To yourself...



       Ryeowook descends the stairs only to find the composer is in tears. Before the designer can move towards the taller male, Donghae beats him as he marches towards the smaller male and hugs him tightly. In actuality, the composer doesn't even know why he cries; either he has any reason from stopping the spell of weeping. And the heart-wrenching sight once again weakens the smaller male's make-believe pretense.

       The smaller male bursts out crying, clinging to the composer - intends to let the world know how he can't pretend he is utterly fine, for once. No more suppressing any of noisier manifestation of distress and confusion, he lets them all out.

       The composer comforts the crying male, soothingly whispers any reassurance words the taller male doesn't even register, he just knows that he needs to put the smaller male at ease despite the anguish the smaller is trapped in. Patting the upper and lower back simultaneously against the small frame, Donghae slowly steers them to the couch. The composer who has stop shedding tears, the soft, messy brown hairs gently with his free hand.

       Soon, the stifled sobs are the only sound that can be heard from the house except the humming by the taller male, that is.

       However, the composer is too engaged with his jumbled thoughts that he doesn't realize the soft, deep breathing coming from the smaller male. Once the composer notices this, he gently carries the smaller male bridal style - he's too light for his age - upstairs before deposits the younger on the bed. Tucking the blanket, Donghae brushes the sleeping male's hair with a small smile frames the handsome features.

      He then moves to Ryeohyun's bedroom, checking on the little girl before he comes back to Ryeowook's once again - making sure for the last time. And he lingers at Ryeowook's a little longer while at the same time, plays mindlessly with the soft hair. Somehow, he finally acknowledges the rises in temperature the sleeping male has. The flushed face is drenching with sweat that it makes the composer hurriedly running to the bathroom and grabs a small towel in the cabinet before bringing a bowl of water to the nightstand.

       Dabbing the wet towel over the smaller face lightly, Donghae continues doing this over and over again. He then proceeds on changing the drenched clothes before wiping the smaller male's face again. Until he feels that the temperature has slightly drop, he watches the sleeping male's chest rises up and down gently.

       The composer then walks over to the desk near the window after ensuring the feverish male is not in danger.

       Inspecting the different masterpieces on the board that stick on the wall, on the left side, Donghae admires the amazing designs the smaller had sketches over the years. If he remembers correctly, those designs are memorable to the designer, either he earns an award in some functions or simply the design he sketches for his friends in the entertainment scene.

       Sitting on the chair, he looks over the colorful sticky note before tearing one of them which happens to be his favorite color - sky blue. Somehow along the way in scribbling the words on the small paper, he notices the slight ajar from the bottom drawer. Curious, he slides the drawer open only to find the cellphone with the battery lying outside the case. Ryeowook lied.

       Still, the composer places back the battery before switching it on. And it goes beyond surprise as there are a total of 36 text messages and 23 missed calls, including the phone call from the composer himself two days ago. Scrolling the calls on the phone from the oldest to the recent, Donghae comes across with the last phone call - from Ryeohyun. He checks the time when the call is made: 3.30 AM - it was yesterday morning.

       Pressing the call icon on the touchscreen device, the composer realizes this goes straight to voice mail.
 

       'Are you that upset?'

       It's Kyuhyun's voice!

       'You didn't call Ryeohyun. Not even once. I wonder why. It's because of me, right? How I wish I'm not the one who's upsetting you. She tells me that you can't live without hearing her voice even just for one day. You must have fallen sick now, right? She looks sick, too.'

       Then, Kyuhyun switches to English.

       'It's 3.45 in the morning. I sneak her phone to the hospital.' Kyuhyun chuckles lightly. 'Yeah, I'm kind of ditching my work. I can't concentrate.' Weakly, Kyuhyun continues, 'I know you're mad at me, you're really upset with me. And it seems like I'm going to be a disturbance to you.'

       '...Ryeowook, I'm sorry. I'm sorry for... everything that I've done, back from our first meeting till this very day. You know Ryeowook; you should be stronger than this. Don't let me affects you. I don't deserve you, or anything coming from you. But, Ryeowook... I'm selfish. I want you, no matter what. I want to go anywhere, through thick and thin, with you.'

       'Now, this sounds like a confession.' Chuckles dryly, Kyuhyun speaks. 'I'll say this again, straight in your eyes, if you let me. And I want and I will continue confessing like this, as long as you want me, too. I'm crossing my fingers for it.'


       There is long pause which makes the composer thinks perhaps the messages has come to an end. But then, the composer hears short, soft melody - it's very faint.  

       'You're braver than you believe, and stronger than you seem, and smarter than you think. But the most important thing is, even if we're apart, I'll always be with you.'

A/N: Ryeowook is at fault here, seriously. He miscalculates his step, and then everything went wrong. He handles the stress in a wrong way. To make it clear and fair, yes, Ryeowook is too stressed out that he even suggesting the summer break to his daughter. Though it is a nice change actually, but he takes it too hard that he thinks his daughter could survive without him. He's too preoccupied with himself that didn't even consider his daughter's feelings, or everyone else's feeling for that matter.

Thanks for reading and commenting though. ♥