Heenim: The dawn of a new day in the Grand Countdown to our dear Hyukjae's departure. Tick tock, tick tock. So little time left; what shall we do? I have an idea, just one or two.

Eunhyukkie: I hate it when you talk in poetry, Hyung, I feel like I'm back at school...an idea?? 

Heenim: Poetry is like food for the mind, Hyukjae, I'll have you know. My idea! Yes, I'll host a small dinner party in your honour. 

Eunhyukkie: Really?! Thank you, I'm touched ^^ Wait...You're not inviting Jongwoon right?

Heenim: Of course I am. Does this pose a problem? 

Eunhyukkie: Uh, not for me!! But Jongwoon will be sneezing for the next 3 weeks from all the cat hair.

Heenim:Jongwoon cares for me enough to look past the sneezing fits, how sweet.

Eunhyukkie: Well...I guess if he's ok with sneezing everywhere that's fine! Am I allowed to ask what we're eating or is it rude not to trust your Hyung?

Heenim: Trust me. Food for all the family – and felines. It'll be like a couples night in, eh?

Eunhyukkie: I hope by couple you mean you and Jongwoon...it sounds great, but I'll need to check with Donghae first~ he might have something planned you know?

Heenim: By couple, I mean myself and Jongwoon and yourself and Donghae. PAH! No worries! Seldom does Donghae have plans, ever since you left. He is quite the hermit, now that you're gone and all.

Eunhyukkie: Hyung don't, I already feel guilty enough ㅠㅠ he kept telling me he was fine while I was gone...

Eunhyukkie: Hey, wait! Me and Donghae aren't a couple, I have a girlfriend!

Heenim: You have a girlfriend and you kissed another boy? Teenagers... 

Eunhyukkie: But that was all Kyuhyun's fault, he pushed our heads together ><

Heenim: Oh! I thought we were talking about when you made out in the bathroom.

Eunhyukkie: Ah, Donghae...told you about that....Well, ok that wasn't Kyu's fault...

Heenim: Indeed it wasn't. Did you not have a girlfriend at this point then?

Eunhyukkie: Yeah, I did but, I might have temporarily forgotten? Come on Hyung...we both know I've liked Donghae for a long time.

Heenim: So, why do you have a girlfriend..? If you've liked him for such a long, long time.

Heenim: I don't appreciate my friends being led on.

Eunhyukkie: I'm not leading him on! It's complicated, ok? Sure, I've liked him for a 'long, long time' but, it's time for me to stop because nothing's going to change so don't lecture me. I feel bad about the kiss, but I can't change what I did. 

Heenim: You tell yourself it's time to stop then you chase him to the bathroom and kiss his lips swollen? ㅋㅋㅋㅋ makes sense

Eunhyukkie: Stop~ ㅠㅠ I don't want to talk about it, I promise I'll be there tomorrow, ok? Bye hyung

Heenim: Goodbye.

_______________________________________________________________________________________________

I pressed a finger against Heechul's doorbell again, shivering against the cold. We'd been waiting outside for almost 10 minutes now, and there was still no sign of the eccentric older.

"Where is he?" Donghae asked, rubbing his arms to rid himself of goosebumps. It was snowing lightly and a few flakes had settled in his hair. I wanted to reach and brush them out, but things like that had taken on a slightly different meaning ever since the kisses...Even friendly actions were slightly intimate. I wasn't sure how I felt about that change between us.

"I don't know," I sighed, running my hand through my own hair instead of his, "But I'm considering breaking in if he doesn't answer soon."

Donghae reached forward to bang on the door with a gloved hand, and we waited expectantly until finally the door was yanked open.

"You're late!" Heechul stated. He was wearing an apron with cartoon cats on it, while a real cat peeked out from behind his ankles, mewing in agreement.

"We've been standing here for 10 minutes ringing the doorbell!" I complained, looking at Donghae for back up, but he was already distracted by cooing at Heechul's cats, as he would be for the next few hours...I hated Heechul's coming to house.

"That doorbell hasn't worked for years, Hyukjae," Heechul sighed, stepping aside to let me in and patting my head as I walked past. "I don't know how you and Donghae manage to do anything, you're both so forgetful."

Ignoring his comments, I grumbled something about not petting me like I was one of his cats while I was kicking off my shoes, then walked into the lounge. Jongwoon sat on one of the sofas with a telltale red nose, and I smirked as he sneezed again, startling a small kitten that had started to walk towards him.

"The food smells delicious, Hyung!" Donghae said brightly, walking in from the kitchen with Heebum cradled in his arms. I could only tell Heebum apart from the others because he had been both Heechul's first cat-brought when we were all still in school- and his favourite. I could see why, Heebum was practically Heechul in cat form, complete with scarily intelligent eyes.

The reason nobody except Heechul could remember the names of the other 8 was because...they were also all called Heebum. The second one was named Heebum II, all the way up to the little kitten trying to brush up against my ankles, which must be called Heebum IX. I reached down the scratch it's ears while I heard the clink of plates from the room next door mixed with Heechul's vague humming as he finished laying out the table like a restaurant. 

For a while when Heechul first got his house Donghae and I got into the habit of coming round for lunch every Sunday after church just because he made such damn good food, so the smell was familiar to me. Roast beef just like then...if he was trying to make me nostalgic it was working.

He called us to sit down and Donghae demanded we say grace before I could finally taste the food, and my mouth was watering when I put the first bite into my mouth...but apparently I wasn't going to be allowed to enjoy it.

"So Hyuk, how's the girlfriend?" I nearly choked on my food at the casual question, glaring at Heechul as he looked back at me. What was he doing? 

Swallowing the half chewed mouthful with difficulty I nodded sheepishly, looking down at my food.

"Yeah...fine I guess." I mumbled. But Heechul wasn't finished yet, he had an evil glint in his eye as he leaned forward slightly.

"Did she like what you got her for christmas?" Cringing, my eyes instinctively flickered to Donghae. I noticed he’d stopped eating and was listening intently with a grim look on his face, but I didn’t want to think about the reasons why, so instead I shrugged and made sure to fix my gaze elsewhere.

“We didn’t get each other anything…It was too early in the relationship for that, we agreed. She came home for Christmas, but she lives in Busan-”

“Busan? That's not too far, it would have been nice to meet her," Heechul sighed, apparently deciding to stop his playful torture in favour of the food in front of him, "No matter, she can't mean too much to you anyway, considering-"

"Heechul!" I barked at him in panic, weakly adding 'hyung' to the end of my sentence when he raised an eyebrow at me. He was enjoying himself torturing me, as he always did.

Most of the meal was eaten in silence, but that was mainly because Heechul's cooking skills couldn't be argued with, the steak was amazing. I even dared to start relaxing, but I realised with a sinking feeling that I should have known better when we were all sat around in the lounge again and Jongwoon smirked with a knowing glance at Heechul.

"I really want to play some couple games." He drawled, but the cool effect was a little ruined when he sneezed again. The ginger cat- maybe Heebum III?- that had been purring in my lap as I it jumped away after I jolted in shock, flicking it's tail at me angrily. So this was one of Heechul's 'plans'? I had no idea what he was trying to achieve, but it wasn't going to happen.

"I think I'm going to have to say no..." I began, trying my best to hide any of my thoughts "Considering there's only 2 people who can be considered a couple here, and I'm not watching you two make out again."

Pecking Jongwoon on the lips as if to prove a point, Heechul laughed from his position tucked under the other's arm. They were sat cuddling with Heechul in Jongwoon's lap; And the kitten determined to make friends with his master's boyfriend was sat on the top of the sofa and batting at Jongwoon's black hair with it's paw, but Jongwoon did his best to hide his discomfort with the latter. I would have found the whole thing very sweet if they weren't plotting against me together.

"Come on Hyuk, it's not like you guys are actually a couple. We all know that...it's a game you can still play as close, close friends." His tone was mocking, and I had trouble keeping a neutral face. Was I really about to agree to this?

"Fine."

Apparently I was. Donghae seemed enthusiastic, so we sat in a circle while Heechul handed out 4 pieces of paper and 4 pencils. For a moment a million different possibilities played out in my head, but Heechul began explaining before my mind wandered too far from the road of rational thought.

"I'm sure you've played this game before. We all write down 5 questions about ourselves then answers, and don't make them too easy!" He glared at us knowingly before continuing, "Then you ask each other the questions, and the pair who get the most right about each other wins. Simple enough?"

I joined in with Donghae's nods before beginning to scribble down questions. Maybe I took longer than I should have, but I ended up with these:

1. What is the only food I refuse ever to eat? - Mussels 

2. How many times how I broken my right arm? - None, I've broken my left arm twice

3. Who was my first kiss? - Choi Minjoon when I was 5

4. What did I always used to buy on the way home from school? - Strawberry milk and a lollipop for my sister

5. Where is my favourite place in the world? - Donghae's old room in Busan

Donghae only got the last two wrong, and maybe it was mean to expect him to remember the lollipop...but I didn't have the heart to correct him when he said the Arc De Triomphe in Paris was my favourite place. Technically he was right, since that's the answer that I would give if anybody asked, only I knew that a certain cozy room frozen in time from Donghae's childhood; with it's plushies and blue space rocket wallpaper, warmed me like no other place in the world could.

After Donghae has answered my questions Jongwoon and Heechul tried. Neither of them did very well, but that was expected, they hadn't know each other very long; Everybody in the room knew that they hadn't chosen this game for them. Jongwoon also managed to correctly identify all of Heechul's cats, which was such an achievement I had to stop myself from clapping him.

When it was Donghae's turn to ask I gulped nervously. What if I couldn't get any right? What if my score was even worse then Heechul's 2 out of 5? I had no idea what he would ask, and Donghae looked excited as he gripped his paper and met my eyes.

"Ok first, what's the name of my old favourite teddy?" I sighed with relief. If it was going to be that easy all along I shouldn't have a problem. I could even picture it, the raggedy brown fur and the button eyes that didn't match.

"Buttons." I said easily. Donghae nodded, he expected me to remember that one. Giggling, he read out the next.

"The names I wanted to call my future kids when I was 12?"

"Haru and Bada."

Everybody blinked at my instant response, but the truth was I had always remembered how cute the names were, had once shamelessly fantasised about our imaginary future family in my mid-teens.

"Wh-why did I miss the very first week of school?" 

I smiled sheepishly and pretended to think about it for a while. I didn't want to look like a creep, even if maybe that's what I was- when it came to Donghae at least.

"Chickenpox?" I answered uncertainly...but I knew I was right, and it was confirmed by Donghae's flattered smile, mingled with shyness and slight confusion. He must have underestimated me. 

"My favourite song to listen to when we were revising for our final exams in school?" He was grinning, and we both knew I could never get this wrong. With the amount of times I was made to listen to him mumbling along during one of our after school revision sessions, the song was practically branded onto my brain.

"Hit me baby one more time by Britney Spears." I laughed, and Donghae chuckled along bashfully while Jongwoon and Heechul raised their eyebrows with matching smiles. But suddenly Donghae's smile dropped and he bit his lip, hesitating for a second to smooth out his paper.

"What...do you remember what...I bought my dad for his birthday just before he died?" The room went silent, and I heard the held breath. Staring at Donghae intently, I tried unsuccessfully to read his thoughts. Did he expect me to get this right? Did he want me to? It was so sudden and private that I wondered if that was what he'd originally written at all. Heechul and Jongwoon were willing me to get all 5 right, I could tell. They always knew we would win...They'd gotten what they wanted, in fact.

Of course I remembered something like that. It was matching leather bracelets, his dad was buried wearing his and Donghae never took his off, I glanced down and saw it right there on his wrist like a scar, a happy memories twisted together with pain that would stay with him forever. I knew everything about how much he'd suffered, and he wanted to know. He was testing how deep my feelings really were for him...and I couldn't let him know the answer to that particular, unspoken question.

"I don't know." I sighed, lowering my eyes to the cat hairs on the white carpet. There was a small collective release of breath around the room, but when I went to smile apologetically at Donghae I saw his eyes were hard, accusing almost. It was the kind of look that demanded yet more answers, and I was lost about what for a moment until I realised he must have seen me glance at his bracelet.

I should have known better if I thought I could hide things from him.

__________________________________________________________________________________

I cursed as my suitcase flipped over for the countless time, pinching the bridge of my nose between my thumb and forefinger. Why did travelling always have to be so stressful?

"You sure you don't need help?" Donghae trailed behind me, reluctant  to get to close to me when I was stressed like this. I ignored him and sped up, feeling bad when I glanced back as he chewed on his lip, but I couldn't help it. Travelling anywhere was irritating, but travelling away from him...

A straw was suddenly poking into my lower lip and I blinked at Donghae's frowning face suddenly beside me.

"Give me the bags and drink this, you grumpy idiot." Donghae sighed as he yanked the suitcase out of my hand, "You're always like this in airports."

I managed to grumble a thank you and was about to ask how he knew when he'd never been away with me, before I remember all the times he'd come to the airport to see me off when I went on holiday with my family. It was always me leaving him, not the other way round, and that though made my stomach twist with guilt while I stared at the back of his head and on the straw. Strawberry milk. He always knew. We carried on walking to the airport until we got to the duty free and Donghae collapsed into a nearby chair.

"Feeling better?" He asked, smiling when I sat next to him. I hummed in response, the strawberry sweetness of the drink had definitely taken away some of my stress, and I up the last of it looking about at the shops. Donghae was normally desperate to look around them, he said duty free was the best thing about airports; but today he stayed where he was and shyly dropped his head onto my shoulder, making me freeze.

"I don't want to say goodbye to you," he said softly, "I don't want you to leave."

"And I don't want to go." I replied, matching his tone and swallowing the lump in my throat. 

"Then don't!” There was a tinge of hysteria to his voice that made me look at him in surprise. I knew that he didn’t like me leaving, but this was something deeper than that, different than the first time. Donghae’s face was pulled downwards when he stared back, his face only inches away, but I still didn’t expect the impulsive move as he leant forward to kiss me again.

Even at the slightest touch of his lips sent my head into overdrive, because I still wasn’t used to this amazing feeling and I don’t think I could ever get enough of it. For once it felt momentarily like he was mine, and I pressed a little closer to him as I returned the kiss with a desperation I didn’t know I was feeling. People must have been looking at us, two males clinging to each other and practically making out in a crowded airport…but I couldn’t bring myself to care. I was making up for a lot of lost time, and it would be months before I saw him again.

“Gate 9 will now begin boarding, please can all passengers for flight 179 to New York make their way to Gate 9.” I pulled away from him, gasping, but I didn’t want to look him in the eye and see what emotions lay there. Instead I pulled him up and hugged him, using those moments to furiously blink back the tears pooling in my eyes.

“I’m going to see you soon ok? I’m going to see you soon.” And then I left him standing there, in the middle of the duty free with tears on his cheeks. I wanted to them away with my thumb and tell him how much I loved him.

I didn’t.

_________________________________________________________________________________

OK HI first of all I would like too apologise for the crazy amounts of cheesy Hyuk being stupid about his emotions smh....yep I might have gotten too excited and written a lot of feelings BUT HEY HOW LONG IS IT GONNA BE UNTIL THEY'RE TOGETHER AGAIN ;u; Introducing Ahri my next chapter hohohoho please anticipate, and thank you so much for reading and leaving nice comments every time omg <3

Jess