“at the end of the world, till the end of time”

summary: This is really not how Donghae imagined prom would be. His date’s a , the DJ is playing songs from God knows when, the supposed special performance of his favourite band is cancelled and it’s just the worst, worst night ever. Good thing his best friend is there to the rescue.

length: 5038w~

Donghae downs his fourteenth glass of punch (non-spike, thank goodness) that evening. Not that he’s counting but he guesses the number of red plastic cups all over his table amounts to that. He watches Shinwoo lose his chill in the dance floor, grinding on an equally cooperative girl in her tight little red dress. Shinwoo, who is supposed to be his date. Donghae rolls his eyes.

He doesn’t even know why he agreed in the first place. Shinwoo has always been a jerk. He’s nice sometimes, but on most of it he’s a complete . He’s hot, Donghae gives him that, but a total idiot. Ryeowook had judged him so hard when he told him he accepted to be his prom date. Donghae groans inwardly, so okay maybe part of his frustration right now is his fault.

But he can’t believe prom will be a total disaster. The DJ is a freaking hipster playing songs from the 60s and it was awesome at first, but right now they were really craving for some Justin Timberlake or even a bit of Turn Down for What but no, no, stupid DJ won’t have any of that.

Well, at least Shinwoo is enjoying himself. Donghae lets out a grunt seeing him put his arms around the girl’s body. Are they even allowed to dance that close?

Perhaps it’s because it’s already approaching midnight and most of the faculty staff have already left for home. The only ones around are the younger teachers, who would probably let the students mingle all they want as long as they don’t right there in the dance floor. Donghae sighs yet again, it’s almost midnight, Mouse Rabbit would have been performing at this very moment if they’re around.

Another reason to be annoyed, Donghae ponders. Mouse Rabbit is quite popular, in their town that is. They are four college boys who do covers in Youtube, with really good vocals and guitar skills, if their over a million subscribers doesn’t tell anything. Aside from that, Donghae is friends with one of them, the vocalist Jongwoon, who is also his friend Ryeowook’s boyfriend. He has been looking forward to this performance ever since the student council announced their participation, only to break it two days before prom that the band can’t make it. Jongwoon, the vocalist, is apparently sick with fever and Donghae got the information first hand from Ryeowook who decided not to attend prom in favour of taking care of his boyfriend. Donghae thought of not attending himself, but Ryeowook insisted he should enjoy his last prom, and he have already bought his tux anyway. Plus, there’s also Shinwoo, and Donghae ignored how Ryeowook snorted at the reminder.

So there he is, alone in his table, with cups, all fourteen of them, grumbling on the thought that he should have just stayed home.

He sees the girl anchors her arms around Shinwoo’s neck and when the prick dips his head to kiss the daylights out of her, Donghae thinks he had enough.

He gets up, waving a quick goodbye at some of his classmates and heads to exit the gym. There are some students outside, perhaps suffocated with the noise and the unfamiliar songs as well. There are couples making out in some dark corners, ‘Bless them’, Donghae thinks, despite the disaster that is their prom night, there are actual people having a great time.

He doesn’t have a car, Shinwoo fetched him earlier and he doubts his mom will appreciate him phoning at midnight, asking for a ride. Besides, everybody at home has expected him not to come back until morning, and he thought he would, just like last year.

But then again, last year has Hyukjae in it.

Donghae heaves another sigh, though for a very different reason than the previous ones. Earlier he was sighing because he’s frustrated, disappointed, annoyed to top it all. Right now he’s just sad, really sad. And missing Hyukjae at some point.

Hyukjae is his best friend since... forever. He can’t even remember a time he wasn’t there because they’ve been practically attached to the hip even before they both learn to walk, or properly talk. He is Donghae’s most favourite person in the whole world and is also currently attending uni, in freaking Seoul, which is a five hour ride away from home.

Donghae swore he won’t be a about it. It’s just a year anyway, ten months even, that he won’t be around Hyukjae because he is a school year older and has graduated high school first, leaving Donghae for college this year. He calls frequently, Skype and Facetime regularly and goes home on holidays and special occasions, like Donghae’s birthday and their annual Boys Night Out where they play and drink all night with their childhood friends Ryeowook, Junsu and Henry. Hyukjae is practically with him everyday, though not physically, but he’s there. He even laughed with Ryeowook when Donghae told him he’s going with Shinwoo, even complimented him earlier in a Skype chat when he showed him his prom attire. It’s like Hyukjae didn’t even leave.

But there are those times when the phone calls aren’t enough, when the blurry image of raven hair and eye wrinkles and stupid gummy smiles on his laptop is just insufficient. There are times when Donghae just needs those late night cuddles, those soft squeezes on his shoulder when he’s done something good, that real time, clear laughter. There are moments that Donghae just really, really miss Hyukjae.

Like now.

Donghae sighs yet again; he should stop mauling over Hyukjae’s absence before he gets sad. Because he is so whiny and clingy when he’s sad and Ryeowook wouldn’t be there to pacify him (Hyukjae does that actually, but since he’s in Seoul... well.) The point is, Donghae is much tolerable when he’s angry, so he should just think about prom and freaking Shinwoo and the terrible DJ and maybe how the is he going to get home.

He can’t crash Junsu’s place, which is the closest to school, because like Hyukjae, he’s also in college already, and he’s perhaps snoring in his dorm room as of this moment (or wanking on some downloaded that will probably burn his laptop tomorrow, not the first time it’ll happen.) He can’t ask Henry either because just as Donghae is absolutely certain that Henry doesn’t bring a car (he doesn’t even have his license yet,) his wild boy of a friend is most likely throwing a party of his own in a corner of the dance floor. Donghae knows Henry will drop it all for him, even if they will only be walking back home, but Donghae doesn’t want to take this gratification from Henry. The kid is born to party, he’s doing a favour on his schoolmates who has the fortune to be with Henry that evening.

He wonders if he can call Ryeowook, but then again it’s not like Ryeowook can actually leave Jongwoon. He believes his friend will try and fetch him, but he doesn’t want to put him in a situation that he needs to choose. So yeah, basically Donghae has no one.

He sighs. . He’s upset again.

He shakes his head before he can even think of Hyukjae and how he wishes that he’s right here, right now. Maybe he can stand the prom when he’s with him, no matter how ty it is. Or maybe they can go out, count some stars like the silly guys they are. Donghae mentally slaps himself. Stop.

He lifts his gaze up and watches the sky. It’s quite cloudy tonight. No stars. It even feels like it’s gonna rain. ‘Yep. Even the heavens aren’t going with your daydreams Donghae. So freaking quit it.’

Donghae fetches his phone from his pocket, maybe he’ll try with his cousin Heechul. He’s going to curse the life out of him, going to grumble why the hell is he asking for a ride in the dead of the night, but he’ll come. Donghae knows he’ll come. He just then has to live with the fact that Heechul will forever remind him of this dreadful, worst of the worst nights for the rest of his life. His cousin might be in love with him (in a very, very platonic way) but he doesn’t really like being interrupted in the middle of the night, when he must be sleeping... or doing something...

Oh well, it’s not like Donghae has a choice. He can put up with Heechul.

He’s in the middle of scrolling over his contacts, looking for his cousin’s number, when he hears it. 

“Look at you.”

Donghae blinks, freezing on his spot and no it’s not because of the chilly wind tonight. He raises his head and finds him, plaid long sleeved shirt, skinny jeans, dusty sneakers, stupid raven hair, stupid eye wrinkles, stupid stupid gummy smile...

Gazing back at him oh so fondly like how he said those words just half a minute ago.

“Frowning and pouting and alone, on a prom night to top it all,” he continues, his grin getting wider and cheekier by the moment. Donghae blinks yet again. Didn’t he just tell himself to quit thinking about Hyukjae—

“My poor puppy,” Hyukjae coos and he’s now standing before him, hands cradling his face, pressing his cheeks together and cackling when Donghae’s lips starts to pout. Hearing his laughter probably does the work, because Donghae snaps back to reality and lightly slaps Hyukjae’s hands away.

“What the are you doing here!” He hollers, evidently surprise.

It’s a good kind of surprise.

Hyukjae merely grins. “Hi.”

And Donghae, ugh, Donghae wants to punch him and hug him at the same time. The last time he’s seen Hyukjae, face to face, it was two months ago. Two freaking months. And they both have been swarmed with school activities and exams since then that even their daily phone calls reduce to every two days and Donghae just, Donghae just—

“Hi yourself you !” He yells, shoving Hyukjae on his chest before pouncing on him, wrapping his arms around the older male’s neck and clinging to him like the overly attached best friend that he is.

He’s upset, it, he’s very upset. And Hyukjae is here. He’s entitled to be as whiny and clingy as he wants to.

“Love the warm welcome.” Hyukjae chuckles on his right ear and in a brief moment, Donghae feels him nuzzle his nose against his hair. Donghae breathes. This feels nice.

“Why are you here?” Donghae asks and he swears it’s not in his intention to speak in his tiny, sulky voice but he already said it. And besides, this is Hyukjae. He is allowed to be weak in front of him and not be judged.

Hyukjae hums, pressing a soft kiss on his temple. ‘Yes. This feels really nice. Great even,’ Donghae thinks.

“Why are you out here?” Hyukjae asks instead and Donghae purses his lips against Hyukjae’s neck, feeling the anger, disappointment and frustration he felt earlier coming back on the surface.

“Prom’s a .” He says, pressing himself closer to Hyukjae. “tiest night ever.”

He feels rather than hears Hyukjae’s chuckle and Donghae shivers a little with the way Hyukjae’s throat rumbles, with the soft hand that is now on the small of his back.

“Yeah?” Hyukjae asks softly, securing his arms around his waist tightly and Donghae thinks, okay, alright, tonight isn’t so bad.

He feels all the negative feelings ebb away, fade into nothingness as Hyukjae holds him and now he’s just upset, really upset.

Because he really missed Hyukjae.

And maybe he’s a bit happy. A tiny, wee bit happy.

//

“No, really, why are you here?” Donghae asks as soon as he’s seated on the passenger seat of Hyukjae’s car. Hyukjae fastens his seatbelt for him instead of answering and Donghae rolls his eyes and pinches his side.

Hyukjae yelps and then he starts cackling. Real and clear, and right th