Donghae thought that the next day would be easier. He thought that maybe Hyukjae would say another two words to him. Maybe the rumors would go away. Instead, Donghae found himself sprawled out on the sidewalk after practice with blood dripping from his lip. He sat up and waited for the dizziness in his head to subside. Then he gently reached up to touch his lip. His finger came away with blood.

“You're a magnet for trouble, aren't you?”

Donghae looked up and squinted in the sunlight. It was Hyukjae. Of course it was Hyukjae. Of course it was the one person that he wanted to be both here and far, far away.

“Are you following me or something?” Donghae asked, looking back down to avoid the sun.

“Don't you usually get picked up?” Hyukjae answered Donghae's question with another question.

“Not today,” Donghae responded rather solemnly, making his obvious foul mood even more prominent. “What about your ride?”

“I missed it because I thought I saw some bleeding roadkill over here.” After a moment of silence in which Donghae rolled his eyes at Hyukjae's words, Hyukjae spoke again. “Come with me.”

Donghae looked up. Hyukjae did not elaborate. Instead, he reached out a hand to help Donghae off of the ground. After a short deliberation, Donghae took the hand and stood. Hyukjae released him and picked up his bag just so that he could hand it to him. Donghae took it and, as Hyukjae started to walk, Donghae started to walk. They were silent and Donghae was thankful for that. Even with a stinging cut and blood on his skin, Donghae had not wanted to cry. Now, as he walked next to Hyukjae and felt a surreal, silent support, tears came to his eyes.

Soon, they came to a house that Donghae did not recognize. Hyukjae led him inside.

“Take off your shoes and leave your bag here,” Hyukjae instructed and Donghae obeyed. He then followed Hyukjae to a bathroom where Hyukjae pulled a bottle of hydrogen peroxide out of a cabinet.

“I don't really think it needs to be disinfected,” Donghae said.

“Shut up,” Hyukjae replied. It was not said in his usual cold tone. It was seemingly said in jest and it did not make Donghae sad the way Hyukjae's sentences normally did.

“Fine,” Donghae replied.

Hyukjae looked around before grabbing a cotton swab. He soaked the tip in peroxide before leaning in and carefully applying it to Donghae's split lip. It stung, but Donghae could not complain. He was far too busy looking at Hyukjae's face which was, in Donghae's opinion, too handsome to be real.

“What happened?” Hyukjae asked suddenly. He wiped Donghae's lip clean so that he could speak.

“Remember that rumor about a gay football player? Well, it turns out it was me.” Donghae said these words in a joking manner but Hyukjae only frowned.

“How did they know?”

“They didn't.” Donghae sighed, a little shaky. “They assumed. I'm the new kid so I must have brought the gay with me, right? Is everyone in this town bursting with logic or was it just those guys?”

“Who was it?” Hyukjae asked, eyebrows furrowing.

“I've never seen them before,” Donghae replied. “But from the looks of it, they were probably rejected football players that were upset over a '' being better than them.”

“Don't say that,” Hyukjae said, his head shaking lightly. It took Donghae a few seconds to realize what Hyukjae was referring to.

“Sorry,” he apologized. “I've heard that word enough times today to be desensitized to it forever.”

“It's okay,” Hyukjae said and he continued to treat Donghae's lip. When he was finished, he tossed the cotton swab and put the peroxide away.

“So is this the part where you kick me out?” Donghae asked, still trying to joke. Hyukjae did not look amused. “Sorry,” Donghae apologized, “it's just that I'm expecting you to turn on me at any second. A couple of days ago, I would've thought that you'd be the one leaving me beat up on the sidewalk.” Hyukjae still looked sad so Donghae continued. “But, you know, when you actually talk to me in full sentences without yelling, you're not so bad.” Donghae swore that he saw Hyukjae's lips twitch at that.

“I don't know what to say to you,” Hyukjae confessed.

“Well...” Donghae started, “for starters, why did you kiss me?” Hyukjae's eyes went to the floor and his brows furrowed. “You know what, let's start off with something easier. When did you get into football?”

“I don't really want to talk about football,” Hyukjae answered.

Donghae sighed. “You don't want to talk about football and you don't want to talk about kissing boys. What else do you expect us girls to chat about?”

Hyukjae stared. “How do you do that?”

“Do what?”
 

“Make jokes and be patient with me after you've been beat up. I'd be furious.”
 

“It's a survival skill, I guess.” Donghae shrugged. “Have you ever been beat up?”

“No.”
 

“Does anyone know that you like guys?" Hyukjae went silent again. Donghae took a breath of patience. “Look, I get that this is hard for you but... I know you kissed me for a reason. And since you don't seem to have anyone else to talk to about this stuff... you can talk to me.”

“No,” Hyukjae said. Donghae was disappointed until Hyukjae continued. “No, no one knows I like guys. Except for you.”

“Well,” Donghae said with a smile, “you sure know how to make a guy feel special.”

“I'm sorry,” Hyukjae said after a moment. “I shouldn't have dragged you into my life this way. And I never should've been mean to you.”

“Oh, don't worry, it's worth it. I mean, at first I thought you hated me and I was a little terrified of you but the whole making out on the football field in the dark thing? Worth it.” Donghae saw a hint of a smile on Hyukjae's face.

“How hard did you get hit earlier? You're talking like a lunatic.”

“Now that you mention it, I did get hit pretty hard. Plus I couldn't really sleep last night. I should probably go do that.”

Hyukjae's eyes widened slightly. “Do you need to lie down? You can use my couch.”

“I think I should go home and use my bed,” Donghae said. “But thanks for the offer.” Donghae was not sure why but he felt like he needed to leave. Maybe it was because nice Hyukjae was too much for him or it could have been that he was dangerously close to jumping on Hyukjae which would really, really, hurt his split lip.

“Okay,” Hyukjae said, suddenly fidgety. “I'll walk you home.”

“I'll be fine on my own,” Donghae assured. “It's not far.”

“But...” Hyukjae looked so distressed that Donghae reached out to take his hand.

“I'll be fine,” Donghae repeated. “I promise. But, for the record, your worrying is kind of hot.” Hyukjae seemed flustered. Donghae liked seeing a flustered Hyukjae. To ease Hyukjae's embarrassment, Donghae dropped his hand. “Anyway, I'm gonna go. Thanks for patching me up.”

“Sure,” Hyukjae said. And then Donghae left. He walked out of the bathroom and to the front door. He put on his shoes and picked up his bag. He then left Hyukjae's house and navigated his way through Hyukjae's neighborhood to reach his own so that he could take an overdue nap.
 

-

The following morning, Donghae peacefully sat under a tree at a local park. All of the children in the neighborhood were sleeping in during their last summer days and the adults were hard at work. Donghae was alone in the quietness, letting all of his troubles fade away for just a little while. And then his phone rang obnoxiously in his pocket. He fished it out and, although he did not recognize the number, he answered the call.

“Hello?”
 

There was a brief moment of silence.

“Where are you?” Hyukjae's voice came from the phone.

Donghae leaned back against the tree and relaxed.

“At the park.”

“Why aren't you at practice?”

“It sort of seemed like a good idea to quit.”

“Oh.”

Another moment of silence.

“How did you get my number?”

“I... snuck into Coach's office.”

“Why aren't you practicing?”

“I pretended to be sick.”

Donghae felt a flutter in his chest. He made a mental note to see a doctor about that.

“Come meet me at the park.” He could not help it. Hyukjae was faking sick for him and it made him too giddy to pass up this opportunity.

“Okay,” Hyukjae replied after only a breath. And then the line went silent.

Donghae checked his hair in his phone and made sure that he did not smell bad and that his clothes were not too wrinkled. He was surprised that he did not have to wait long before the sounds of jogging feet reached his ears. He looked up and saw Hyukjae gracefully sprinting towards him. When Hyukjae made it to the tree, he sat next to Donghae and quickly caught his breath.

“Why did you want to meet out here?” he asked. “It out here.”

“Nice to see you're in a good mood, as always.” Donghae grinned.

They sat together for a while, the breezes brushing against their skin and the morning air slowly growing warmer. Then, Hyukjae spoke.

“I was scared when you weren't at practice.”

“I know,” Donghae instinctively replied. He had thought about the way Hyukjae worried yesterday and considered his reaction although he had not imagined that Hyukjae would confess to him.

“I... might have missed you a little, too,” Hyukjae confessed.

“I know,” Donghae repeated, this time with a slight smile.

Since no one was around and Donghae kind of yearned for it, he slid his hand across the grass to Hyukjae's clenched fist and placed his hand on top of it. Hyukjae looked down before loosening his fist and turning it into an open palm, allowing Donghae's fingers to fit against his own. It was comfortable, holding hands and sitting in the silence, although Donghae's heart was beating harder than it had during any football practice.

“Since this place ,” Donghae began, “maybe you should show me some place that doesn't. I mean, I'm the new one here, so...”

Hyukjae seemed to think for several seconds before he turned to Donghae.

“Are you hungry?”

-
 

“Breakfast all day, free pancake and waffle toppings before ten,” Donghae read from the menu in front of him. “This is officially incredible.”

“I'm glad you like it,” Hyukjae responded, not bothering to look at his own menu.

When Donghae decided on what he wanted, he put the menu down and, within seconds, a waiter came to take both of their orders. Donghae put his arms on the table and leaned forward just a little.

“So how long have you been coming here?” he asked.

“Since I was little. This place has been around for years. My parents took me at first but when I was old enough, I started coming here on my own.”

“That's cool.” Donghae nodded slightly as he thought. “So what are your parents like?”

Hyukjae hesitated. Donghae thought that he would not respond at all but he eventually spoke. “They were great when I was little. They started fighting and split up a few years ago. Mom moved out. She doesn't visit or call. Dad hasn't taken it well. He gets sad a lot.” Hyukjae stopped and for once, Donghae was the speechless one until Hyukjae asked him a question. “What about your parents?”

“They split up a while back,” Donghae answered. “But they still have a pretty good relationship and I see both of them all the time. I moved here with my mom, though, so... I guess I'll be seeing less of my dad.”

Hyukjae seemed to contemplate those words for a while before he asked another question. “Why did you move here?”

Donghae looked around, debating his answer. Luckily, he was saved by the arrival of food. He nearly drooled. A plate of waffles filled with tiny chocolate chips was placed in front of Hyukjae while a plate of large, fluffy pancakes topped with strawberries were placed in front of Donghae. A platter of toppings was placed between them. There were sweet condiments like whipped creams and jams as well as butter and maple syrup. Donghae decided to try a little bit of each while Hyukjae went straight for the whipped cream and heaped it onto his waffles. The talk after that was about the delicious food and the incredible deal they were getting on it. Donghae did most of the talking, Hyukjae responded with nods and hums through mouthfuls of food.

When they were finished, they split the low bill between them with an added tip for their lovely waitress and then they went on their way. They walked slowly from the more populated area around the diner to a quieter area near their neighborhood.

“I don't usually eat like that during football season,” Donghae said. “Which makes me glad that I'm not on the team anymore.”

“Coach isn't gonna be too happy about that,” Hyukjae responded as his shoulder gently brushed against Donghae's.

“Right. Apologize for me, would you?”

“Sure.” It was quiet for a while again. Then Hyukjae continued. “You never told me why you moved here.”

Donghae was hesitant but he decided to tell the truth. “I had a lie planned out since I knew people would ask. I was gonna tell them that I have family here and that my mom wanted us to be near them. But that's not true at all. I've been through a couple of other high schools. The first one... they were okay with the idea of a gay peer at first but... it didn't really last long. The school tried to make rules and punishments but they never worked. It went from verbal abuse to physical and... I think it was probably my fifth black eye that really set my mom off. The school wasn't doing anything so she got me out of there. The most recent school... I actually made it through the whole year before my mom realized that bullies don't just go for the face. She walked in and saw my bruised ribs..." Donghae sighed. "I don't really have the heart to tell her that it might happen all over again.”

“It won't,” Hyukjae blurted out. “I mean, I hope it doesn't.”

“Me too.” Donghae sighed. “I was just starting to like it here.”

“And I was just starting to like you,” Hyukjae murmured so quietly that Donghae nearly missed it.

“Oh?” Donghae grinned. It was time to lighten the mood. “You know, I like when you actually talk. I think I'll stay quiet and let you do all the talking from now on.” And then Donghae closed his mouth and planned to keep it that way.

“What?” Hyukjae sounded confused. He stared at Donghae as they walked but when Donghae refused to look back, he sighed. “What am I supposed to talk about? Donghae... Donghae? Donghae!”

Donghae stopped walking. “Did you just whine at me?” he asked.

“No,” Hyukjae said very unconvincingly before walking ahead.

Donghae was tempted to tease Hyukjae but he decided to give him a break as he followed. “If you say so,” he said.

Soon, they arrived at Donghae's house. Donghae had not been paying attention but he had apparently led both of them to his house by accident.

“This is my place,” Donghae informed and they both came to a stop. “Do you... wanna come in?”

“I can't,” Hyukjae said, obviously disappointed. “I have to meet up with my dad soon.”

“That's cool,” Donghae replied. He thought quickly before continuing. “What about tomorrow? After practice? My mom will be at work and, if you're free, you could come over and we could... hang out, or something.”

“Okay,” Hyukjae responded quickly.

“Great,” Donghae said. “I'll see you then.”

Hyukjae nodded and began to back away before turning and heading towards his own house. Donghae watched for a while before he headed inside with a grin. He could not wait for tomorrow.

-

The next morning saw an incredible heat wave surging through town. Donghae laid on his couch, happily napping in his air-conditioned living room. He had been waiting for Hyukjae to arrive but the urge for a little bit of extra sleep had him lying down and nodding off until he heard a knock on his front door. He jumped up, rubbed the sleep from his eyes, and stumbled to the front door. When he opened it, a very sweaty Hyukjae, fresh from practice, was standing in front of him. He let him in and closed the door behind them.

“I know I told you to come over after practice but I didn't mean immediately after. I meant like maybe after a shower or a change of clothes or at least some deodorant.”

“No one else is home, right?” Hyukjae's voice was deep and he was breathless from running. It gave Donghae chills.

“Y-yeah, why-”

Hyukjae dropped his bag on the floor and quickly stepped towards Donghae. Donghae instinctively froze and anticipated. He looked at Hyukjae, unblinking, and waited.

“Can I use your shower?”

Donghae's frozen shoulders dropped. He rolled his eyes. “Yes,” he said shortly as Hyukjae grinned mischievously. “It's upstairs. You can figure out how to work it yourself. It's easy.”

“Thanks. I'll only be a minute.” Hyukjae kept his grin as he walked away and up the stairs.

“Jerk,” Donghae mumbled once Hyukjae was out of sight. “Stupid, smelly, sweaty, hot jerk.”

Donghae waited in his room, staring mindlessly at the ceiling while he waited for Hyukjae to finish his shower. It was not long before he heard the sound of the bathroom door opening. He heard footsteps descending the stairs before they came back up.

“Donghae?” Hyukjae called out.

“In here,” Donghae called back from his room.

Donghae was not sure what he was expecting to walk into his room but it was definitely not Hyukjae in nothing but a pair of shorts, looking slightly embarrassed and incredibly beautiful with wet hair.

“I forgot to bring an extra shirt,” he said. “Do you have one that might fit me?”

“Probably,” Donghae said and quickly averted his eyes. He went to his closet and shifted the hangers around until he found a shirt for Hyukjae. Then, without looking, he tossed it in Hyukjae's general direction.

“Thanks,” Hyukjae said.

“You're welcome,” Donghae replied simply. He sat back down on the bed and looked everywhere but at Hyukjae.

“Why do you do that?” Hyukjae asked.

“Do what?” Donghae continued to look away.

“That.” Hyukjae took a few steps closer. He still had not put the shirt on. “You do it in the locker room too. You avoid looking at everyone. Not just me.”

Donghae's eyebrows furrowed. “How do you know that?”

“Because I've seen you do it.” Hyukjae came even closer. “You can look at me, Donghae.”

Slowly, Donghae looked at Hyukjae. Hyukjae was still standing in Donghae's room, shirtless and a bit damp, glorious in all of his features.
 

“It's a habit,” Donghae said quietly.

“Why?” Hyukjae asked softly.

Donghae sighed. “If they knew I was gay, they'd be disgusted by me looking at them. I don't... I shouldn't look at them. It's... not allowed.”
 

Hyukjae knelt in front of Donghae. “Looking at someone isn't a crime,” he said. “You've never done any wrong just by looking at another person. You get that, right?”

Donghae's breath was temporarily taken away by Hyukjae's sweetness. When he breathed again, he felt refreshed. He nodded at Hyukjae's question. “But... can you put a shirt on?”

“Why?” Hyukjae gave an infuriatingly attractive grin. “You can look as much as you want. You have my permission.”

“It's distracting,” Donghae mumbled.

“Okay,” Hyukjae gave in quickly. He put on the shirt that Donghae had given him. It was a little loose on his slim build but it still fit him well. Donghae liked the look of his shirt on Hyukjae's body.

“You're in a pretty good mood today,” Donghae observed as Hyukjae sat next to him on the bed. “And you're surprisingly chatty.”

Hyukjae fidgeted nervously. “I can't help it,” he said.

“Why?” Donghae prodded, watching Hyukjae intensely for a tell.

Hyukjae glanced at Donghae briefly and then looked away shyly before he looked at Donghae again. “I've been thinking about you nonstop since I saw you yesterday. And now I get to see you again.”

“Oh,” Donghae basically squeaked. “I see.” He was speechless and blushing over Hyukjae's incredibly forward and unexpected words.

Hyukjae nudged Donghae's shoulder. “Are you gonna stop talking again?”

“No, I just... don't know what to say to that.”

Hyukjae nudged Donghae's shoulder again, more gently this time. He was silent for several moments before he spoke. “I did it because I wanted to.”

Donghae looked at Hyukjae, his eyebrows furrowed. “Did what?”

“Kissed you. I kissed you because I wanted to.”

Donghae smiled and his heart fluttered and flipped. The silliest question came to his mind and he could not keep himself from asking it. “Do you... want to now?”

Hyukjae smiled back and then leaned in eagerly. His hand met Donghae's cheek and then their lips came together. Hyukjae pressed forward briefly but then quickly pulled away, eyes wide.

“Is your lip okay?” he asked, worried.

“It's fine, it doesn't even hurt anymore.” Determined, Donghae initiated another kiss. This time, Hyukjae didn't pull away. His lips were so soft and gentle that it practically caused gut-wrenching pain in Donghae's abdomen. He went from being joyfully enthralled to terrifyingly aware of how into Hyukjae he was. A boy who had previously been cruel to him was suddenly all that he wanted and was a very, very good kisser.

When Donghae pulled away, he had trouble opening his eyes. He still felt lost in his own land of ecstasy. When his eyes did open, he saw amusement in Hyukjae's eyes.

“Am I the first guy you've ever kissed?” Donghae asked before Hyukjae could tease.

“Yeah,” Hyukjae responded.

“Well, for the record, you're really good at kissing guys.”

“Then maybe I should keep doing it.”

“Yeah. I mean, no. I mean... just me. Not other guys.”

Hyukjae grinned. “I think I can manage that.”

And then Hyukjae kissed Donghae again. And then Donghae discovered that kissing was a fantastic method for loosening Hyukjae's lips. When they pulled away, each with stupid smiles on their faces, Hyukjae spoke again.

“You have a nice house, by the way.”

“Thanks,” Donghae responded, looking around at his own room. “We still have stuff to unpack and things to work on but I think it's pretty nice too.”

“Also your shower has good water pressure. Better than mine.”

“Are you planning to move in or something? Because it's a little too soon for that.”

Hyukjae looked sheepish. “Sorry,” he said. “I don't know... how to... talk to someone I've just kissed.”

“You don't know how to talk to someone you haven't kissed,” Donghae clarified. Hyukjae looked even more pathetic so Donghae decided to change the subject. “Maybe you could just tell me something about you. We should probably learn more about each other since you're gonna be kissing me so much.”

Hyukjae smiled a little. “Like what?'

“Hmm... when did you get into football?”

“When I was little,” Hyukjae answered. “My dad signed me up for the peewee team and encouraged me a lot. We watched games together all the time. I guess it was sort of a bonding thing. What about you?”

“Honestly?” Donghae bit his lip. “I didn't get into football until after I admitted to myself that I was gay. It started with checking out players but then... I joined the school team because I thought it was the only way I would ever get a guy on top of me.”

Silence. Donghae turned to Hyukjae to see that he was about to burst out laughing. And then he did.

“What's so funny?” Donghae asked, pretending to be upset when he actually greatly enjoyed the sound of Hyukjae's laughter.

“Well...” Hyukjae started as his laughter calmed, "football did get a guy on top of you.”

Hyukjae laughed again and Donghae joined him after rolling his eyes first.

“Idiot,” Donghae mumbled. In response, Hyukjae tackled Donghae onto the bed, a smile still on his face.

“What was that?” Hyukjae asked.

“Nothing,” Donghae replied, his voice unusually high-pitched, “I didn't say anything at all.”

“I believe you,” Hyukjae said but he did not budge. He looked down at Donghae with an adoring smile and Donghae decided that he really did not mind having Hyukjae on top of him. He reached up and gently brushed his fingers over the drying hair of Hyukjae's fringe.

“Tell me something else about you,” Donghae demanded in a soft voice as he played with the ends of Hyukjae's hair.

“Like what?” Hyukjae asked, obviously enamored by this moment.

“What's your favorite color?”

“Red.”

“Favorite food?”

“Pizza with pepperoni and jalapenos.”

“Favorite band?”

“Rubber.”

Donghae rolled his eyes and Hyukjae tried not to laugh.

“Hilarious,” Donghae said sarcastically.

“I thought it was,” Hyukjae replied and his laughter went away. He was left with a smile that had Donghae reaching up towards him. Donghae rested his hand on the back of Hyukjae's neck and pulled him closer. Just as their lips touched, the sound of a door slamming shut had Hyukjae jumping up at the speed of light.

“What was that?” Hyukjae asked, panicked. “Is your mom home? Should I leave? I can go out the window.”

“Whoa,” Donghae said, standing to join Hyukjae, “calm down. My mom is... well, she's understanding. But that wasn't even her. It was just the neighbors slamming their door... again.”

“Oh,” Hyukjae responded. And then he breathed. “Sorry, I just...”

“Don't want to get caught,” Donghae finished and Hyukjae nodded. “I get it. Trust me, I do. And I won't tell anyone about... us.”

“Okay,” Hyukjae responded. He was much more calm now. “I'm sorry that we have to keep this a secret.”

Donghae shrugged. “It's exciting,” he said. “Way more exciting than some boring, regular relationship.”

Hyukjae smiled. “Relationship,” he stated. “Are we... secret boyfriends?”

“Oh god,” Donghae said in horror, “that sounds so lame.” Hyukjae laughed while Donghae shook his head. “But fine, yes, we're secret boyfriends.”

“Cool,” Hyukjae replied with a grin. Then he sighed. “I probably have to head home soon. My dad is expecting me.”
 

“Bummer.” Donghae frowned a little. He wanted Hyukjae to stay. Still, he walked with him to the front door. “Well, you have my number, so... call me?”

“I will.” Hyukjae smiled with such confidence that Donghae internally swooned. Hyukjae placed a short, breathtaking kiss on Donghae's lips. And then he left.

Donghae returned to his bedroom and flopped down onto his bed. He then buried his face into his pillow and he stayed that way, smiling uncontrollably.

-

The next day, Donghae and Hyukjae decided to play video games at Donghae's house. What started out as a simple, competitive match turned into Donghae distracting Hyukjae with kisses and touches which quickly led to Donghae being tackled and kissed once again.
 

The day after that, Donghae suggested going out to see a movie. When Hyukjae was hesitant, Donghae offered up the idea of wearing disguises and pretending to be high-profile celebrities. And so, the evening was spent in sunglasses, silly hats, and mustaches that would not stay on due to the amount of kisses shared in the back of the movie theater.

The day after that was rainy. Donghae was happy to find himself at Hyukjae's house, curled up on Hyukjae's bed, and tracing lines on Hyukjae's bare skin with his fingers. Hyukjae was smiling contentedly with his eyes closed. When he opened his eyes and looked at Donghae, his smile faded.

“What's wrong?” Donghae asked softly, brushing his fingers against the fringe on Hyukjae's forehead.

“I just...” Hyukjae began and then sighed. “I should have always been like this with you. I shouldn't have been...”

“A jerk?” Donghae questioned and Hyukjae nodded. “It's not a big deal.”

“It is to me.” Hyukjae propped himself up on his arm and looked down at Donghae seriously. “I'm sorry. I'm sorry that I was a jerk. I'm sorry that I yelled at you. I'm sorry that I made you upset. I'm sorry that our first kiss was so...”

“Amazing?” Donghae interrupted. He propped himself up as well. “It was like a crazy adrenaline rush. And it was hot. And I really, really enjoyed it. What are you apologizing for?”

Hyukjae smiled a little. “Fine,” he said. “I won't apologize for that. But... I am sorry about the way I treated you.”

Donghae leaned in and pecked Hyukjae's lips. “Apology accepted.”

Hyukjae grinned and pulled Donghae closer until their noses touched. “Oh,” Hyukjae suddenly said and pulled away. “School starts on Monday. Did you get a schedule?”

“Yeah.” Donghae sighed at the thought of school. “And I got a school map which I memorized so that I won't get lost.”

“Our lockers will be right next to each other because of our last names,” Hyukjae said excitedly. “So if you do get lost, I'll be there.”

“How sweet,” Donghae said in a teasing voice although he kind of sort of actually meant it.

“So...” Hyukjae started, playing with Donghae's fingers, “you coming to the first game tonight?”

“Do you want me to?” Donghae asked, staring at Hyukjae intently.

“Yeah,” Hyukjae answered.

“But I'll be so jealous of you getting to play,” Donghae sighed.

“You mean you'll be jealous of me tackling guys that aren't you,” Hyukjae clarified.

Donghae laughed. “That's... actually probably true.”

Hyukjae moved closer with a smile on his face. “So you'll be there?”

“Definitely.”