Chapter 16 The Song

Parking the car back in its spot inside the carpark underneath the apartment complex went without any problems. When the engine was turned off the two inside the vehicle stepped out and in silence they walked over to the elevator that would help them up to their floor.

When a bling sounded the elevator´s doors opened indicating that they had reached their floor. Donghae bowed his head and in a fast pace he walked over to his own apartment door, unlocked it (for some reason he had his keys with him) and walked inside without a word.

I knew something bad would happen if I let him meet my overly invested family. What could be the reason to why Donghae won´t speak to me? Did he happen to hear from anyone about what I´m beginning to feel towards him? Please don’t let that be it…

Sad and lonely used to be a recurring feeling in Hyukjae´s life, but since he met the happy and charming (and rather unique) neighbor of his, the unpleasantness he´d earlier been so familiar with had gone away. Now that it came back, it hurt even more than it had before. Knowing what it was like to be with someone that made every day spent with that someone so fantastic only made time without them a thousand times worse. It was something Hyukjae never had thought he would have the opportunity to experience in his lifetime.

Having feelings towards Donghae was both the best and worst thing ever happened in his life.

He lingered outside the closed door. Hand hovering, hesitant if he should knock on it and gain Donghae´s attention. What if the brunet didn’t want to see or talk to him right now? Maybe it was for the best to leave the other alone and let him calm down and talk about it all later?

With a breathy sigh Hyukjae let is hand all down to the side of him. He cast one last glance to the door before turning around, walked to his own apartment and unlocked the entrance.

Back inside his own quiet and dark apartment Hyukjae threw off his shoes, placed his keys where they belonged and walked into the bathroom. Without a second thought he placed his clothes in the hamper before going inside the shower, making himself ready for bed.

When he was all done for the night the black-haired teacher made his way over to the bedroom, slipped on a pair of clean loose boxers and a washed-out bigger t-shirt. Then he crashed into bed and wiggled his way under the covers.

Thoughts about Donghae didn’t leave his mind. Making it impossible to fall asleep now that the younger male wasn’t next to him and he himself had no idea as to why. It resulted in him tossing and turning, trying to fall asleep.

The kindergarten teacher gave up and instead looked over to his bedside table and saw how the bright big red numbers showed that it was close to one in the morning. Letting out a heavy sigh Hyukjae then turned around so that he laid facing Donghae´s side. Well, the side the brunet had claimed as his nowadays. The pillow had a dent in the shape of the younger´s head and he´d left the bottom sheet loose in some places.

The younger was quite the messy sleeper.

Being unable to stop himself Hyukjae shuffle closer to the other side and leaned his head in so that he could smell Donghae´s scent on the bedsheets. If anyone saw or heard about it he would most likely be accused of being a creep. Smelling someone else´s scent wasn’t something considered normal. Especially if that someone was only a friend of yours. Though the fragrance made him calm down slightly and by some wonder he drifted off into an uneasy dreamless sleep.

He would have to go over to Donghae´s place the following morning to clear everything out with the younger male.

A shuffling sound brought the resident back to reality. He was met by the sight of a dark figure standing close to the bed trying to lift the duvet in slow-motion. In a panic Hyukjae sat up, making the other thing in the room still and shy away.

A low trembling voice reached the raven´s ears. The figure´s shoulders were shaking and the hand in which it used to move the cover clenched. “H-Hyukkie?! May I sleep here tonight? I can´t be by myself anymore and- and…” The familiar voice halted in the middle and let out an uneven breath.

“Hae?”

A hum replied and without a second thought the older lifted the cover for the younger. “Of course, you can sleep here. You don’t have to ask for permission, you never have before. Come here you.”

In a flash Donghae was next to him underneath the covers, hugging Hyukjae as close to himself as he could manage. The older friend ran is fingers through the brunet locks and whispered calming word to the younger.

When both of them had calmed down fairly good Hyukjae moved so he could partly see the younger male´s face in the dark. “It´s okay, I´m right here beside you.” The room stayed silent after and the raven-head continued; “I´m so sorry to hear about your father, Hae. Were you young when it happened? We don’t have to talk about it if you don’t want to.”

“Thank you. I was seventeen when he was diagnosed with cancer. It was a difficult time but by some miracle he got better, the treatment had helped, and it all seemed to have disappeared. Then the year I turned twenty he was sent to the hospital in a hurry. A few days before he had caught a cold and it didn’t want to leave. The doctors told us that his immune system had deteriorated after all his treatments. He had gotten blood-poisoning. In the end it killed him within a couple of days.”

Donghae let out a snivel, old memories where being brought up to the surface again. Before the older had a chance to reassure the other once more that they didn’t have to talk about something so painful, Donghae continued. “My mother fell apart and my brother and I didn’t know how to help her. I said that I could take a break from school and take care of her. Donghwa- my older brother- told me to continue and that he would look after her since he still lives in Mokpo.”

Donghae became quiet, only pressing himself closer to the elder´s body, craving the warmth and the feeling of another person.

“I can´t imagine how you feel and what it´s like to lose a family member. If there is anything you want me to do for you, remember that I´m here. How egoistic it makes me seem, I´m so happy that you didn’t move back or else we wouldn’t have met each other.”

It all made sense to Hyukjae why the brunet had such a difficult time with loosing people. Having to part with someone close to you was incredibly painful. That someone being your own family member must be unbearable. The older pulled Donghae closer, wanting the other to know that he wouldn’t be alone anymore as long as he wanted Hyukjae to stay with him.

The teacher couldn’t compare to the younger´s father, but it was the only thing he could do for the man. His heart hurt at the thought of loosing one of his own family members or friends. As the thought of never seeing Donghae passed in his mind, the raven-head felt tears prickling in his eyes. He wouldn’t be able to handle that if the time came.

“We would have met one way or another. I´m sure of it. Thank you for everything Hyukkie. Let´s sleep now, goodnight. Sorry for running away from you in the elevator earlier.”

The resident wished the younger a good night as their breaths became heavier and eyes closed. They embraced one another like most nights, but after learning so much more about each other made it feel much more intimate. For some reason it ended up being one of the best sleeps they had ever had.

Maybe they would never have to part. Ever.

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Sundays happened to be Donghae´s day off. For some reason he had managed to tell his superiors that he should get the last day of the weekend as his permanent day of rest as long as he was an intern. How the brunet had succeeded in convince all the old men and women that made decisions at the hospital remained a mystery for Hyukjae. It ended up being something to stay in the dark from everyone.

When the older woke up the apartment was filled with a sweet smell (with a underlaying smell of something burnt) most probably coming from the kitchen. The space next to him on the bed was empty and cold. To curious for his own good, Hyukjae got out of bed and staggered out into the rest of the flat.

There was the sound of music playing in the kitchen drowned by the metallic noises of cutlery. Intrigued by the unusual sound he decided to find out the cause behind it all.

What he saw brought a bright grin to his lips, the silly sight was the most stunning and weirdly breathtaking thing he had ever witnessed. In the middle of the room a pajama clad brunet was wiggling his along with the beat of the music he was listening to. The latter hummed during the parts in which he didn’t know the lyrics, while standing in front of the pan on the stove.

With careful steps the black-haired man walked towards the singing male, stopping just behind the younger. He tried to sneak a peek at what the other was doing at a place in the apartment where he had never seen him before. As he rounder the brunet on his right side, the other man did the same. Making them end up with their face’s mere centimeters apart.

A warmness spread over Hyukjae´s neck and move up to his pale face. Along with a newfound shyness towards the younger man. Had he known that after the previous night´s talk and with them sleeping in each other´s arms, much closer than usually would bring so many new feelings he… Would have still done it. Like he would be able to deny Donghae anything the latter wanted. No one believed that Hyukjae had the power to say no when it came to the brunet. Especially Hyukjae himself.

“Morning Hyukkie! I have made you pancakes. Well, I have attempted in making pancakes. Though I can´t guarantee that they taste like they should or even that they taste good at all. But my mother always says that it´s the thought that counts and if they are totally uneatable then thankfully I have you whom can actually cook. So, neither of us will surely die. I hope.” Donghae beamed at the older man and turned around, trying to salvage what seemed to resemble a pancake from burning up. “And thank you for letting me join your family dinner yesterday. I had a great time, they are truly kind people.”

“I think they like you more than all of my other friends, even the ones I´ve known since my childhood days. Do you always charm your friends and girlfriends’ parents?”

“I thought you knew it by now Hyukjae.” Donghae turned around again, adorning a mischievous smirk, poking his slender pointy finger to the tip of Hyukjae´s nose. “I can charm anyone I´d like.”

The sound of Donghae´s booming laughter filled the flat and not long after both of them whe