Just a small idea that popped up after the boys went to L.A. for Kcon.

Could also fit after my 'One day' oneshot. I actually hesitated about where to put it lol

Happy reading! ^^

P.S.: do not read if you're allergic to cheese, this chapter can be deadly~

P.S.²: chapter edited now, it's a little bit better I hope ^^'

Stopping at the traffic lights, the driver glanced at the passenger by his side out of habit, his eyes sliding with softness on the delicate face as the man looked at the view, seeming lost in his own thoughts.

Eric smiled. The silence was comfortable and Hyesung looked more relaxed than he had been earlier, when they had visited Eric's family.

The traffic lights turned green, and Eric took the direction of the secluded beach he used to go sometimes when he lived in the US. It only took them a few minutes more to arrive there, and Hyesung was already out of the car when Eric switched off the engine.

Getting out of the car as well, Eric watched as Hyesung started to walk towards the beach, barely glancing back at the rapper to throw him a smile before trotting even faster. Eric had to run to catch up with him, and they walked at a slower pace when their feet started to sink a little in the sand at each step.

It was already past 7pm and the beach was nearly empty, only a few people remaining here and there, mostly couples who were enjoying the sunset. Couples like them. Watching the warm colors of the setting sun, Eric smiled. Well, even if he wasn't exactly the romantic type of guy, he had to admit the scene was kind of dreamy.

The temperature was still warm but the wind and the smell of the salty water were refreshing. and as they reached the brim of the ocean, the waves lapping at their feet, Eric removed his shoes. Hyesung did the same, and they slowed their pace even more, feeling the water cool their skin.

Their arms brushed, hairs tickling the other's skin, and with his free hand, Eric tried to intertwine their fingers. The singer dodged them, and looking at him sharply, raised his eyebrows in surprise.

"What are you doing?"
"What does it look like I'm doing?" Eric replied, his raised eyebrows matching his.

Hyesung didn't answer but looked around anxiously. Eric sighed with slight annoyance.

"Why are you so nervous? Nobody cares here, remember?"

He knew Hyesung was just his usual, careful self, but they were in California after all, and unlike things were in South Korea, no one here even gave a second glance when they saw same couples holding hands or even kissing in public.

Eric continued to walk, lost in his thoughts, until a hand timidly brushed his, loosely hooking their fingers together. The rapper smiled and turned his head towards Hyesung who was avoiding his eyes.

"See? It wasn't that hard."
"Shut up."

Eric chuckled and held his hand more tightly.

"I don't get it. You had no problem holding my hand at the Kcon concert."
"It's different, you know that."

The rapper knew. The fact that they were members of Shinhwa was the only reason why nobody would second guess their interactions with each other – after all, skinship was usual in kpop bands, encouraged even by some entertainment companies.

Well, no one would think it was odd except for some fans, and that was why Hyesung didn't always allow him to hold his hand during their Shinhwa activities, even when fans couldn't actually see them, Eric thought with a pout as he vividly remembered his boyfriend kicking his shin when he had tried to squeeze his hand under the table at the Kcon fan engagement.

Thinking about his words, Eric couldn't help but .

"Is it?" He wondered. "I'll have to ask my family what they thought about our skinship," he told him nonchalantly.
"Yah," Hyesung protested, coming to a full stop. 

Glowering at him, he tried to take his hand back. Eric didn't let him. He laughed loudly, raising his eyebrows innocently.

"What?"
"Don't you dare! Don't you realize how stressful this is all for me?" the singer growled, pushing his shoulder with his free hand.

Eric laughed again but he looked a little bit sheepish. He caressed the back of his hand to soothe him.

"I know," he said. "But I'm not sure I understand why that is."

Well, he was aware of his boyfriend's nervousness about meeting his family in Los Angeles. The singer had even refused to go the US with him a few days prior to the Kcon to hang out with them, arguing that Eric needed the time alone to catch up with his niece and nephew. After a long discussion, he had yielded a little though and promised to spend one day at Eric's parents' house before going back to Korea.

I mean, we have to if we want to get their permission to marry... If we don't, Minwoo will be married before us! Eric had argued, a little upset by his co-CEO's wedding plans.

Eric had wanted to tease Hyesung and make him stutter cutely, but the singer had only hit his head in response, hard. The rapper pouted at the memory. He had only been half-joking. He really wanted to be the first Shinhwa member to marry – well, with Hyesung, obviously – but at this rate, all the other members would definitely be married before him.

In the end, Hyesung had still agreed to go and visit his "in-laws". But despite Eric's loud whining, he had refused to stay longer than one day, literally shuddering at the thought of going with Eric and his sister's family on the little trip they had all planned to do after the Kcon. No, he would rather hang out with Minwoo and then fly back to South Korea first, thank you very much.

"They all adore you," Eric insisted with a sincere smile as they started walking again.

Blushing slightly, Hyesung didn't say anything and fiddled with his hair for a moment.

"Really?"

Eric nodded, remembering how his boyfriend told him how awkward he felt around his family members, especially his niece, Katie, who reminded the singer of her uncle.

She's as weird as you are. How can I not feel awkward around her? His boyfriend had soundly argued, or so he thought, Eric inwardly grumbled. He wasn't that weird, was he? And even if they were still a little awkward with each other sometimes, they had always gotten along well, even back at the time when they were just 'best friends'. 

Also, Katie liked Hyesung a lot, Eric smiled. She liked all of her Shinhwa uncles but he knew she thought the main singer was really cool and handsome.

But Eric did know the real reason behind his reluctance to meet his family. Fear. The fear of getting caught. The fear to having to explain the exact nature of their relationship. Sometimes, Eric also wondered what it would be like, to come out to their family and friends. It wouldn't be easy for sure, but as long as they had each other, he wasn't too worried about what could theoretically happen. Actually...

Maybe it would happen, one day.

"You worry too much," Eric said confidently.
"How can I not?"

Before Eric had the chance to reply, Hyesung tripped over his own two feet, only avoiding to fall ungracefully on the wet sand head first thanks to Eric's firm grip on his hand. The rapper chuckled.

"Your lack of coordination really is astounding," he , pretending to be impressed. "Oh, it reminds me, Minbong told me your clumsiness is starting to become legendary on the web. Did you know?" he added innocently.

Eric knew very well that Hyesung was aware of it. Indeed, he had been there to watch and laugh without pity as all the other members had relentlessly teased the sulking singer when the video of him missing the spotlight on scene and giggling about his own mistake at the end of one song had started to become viral on a famous gag website.

When a flustered Hyesung had suggested to try to take the video down from the website, arguing that it wasn't very good for their image, Minwoo had simply refused, telling them with a shameless grin that Shinhwa would probably gain new fans thanks to their clumsy little prince. Hyesung had been really close to strangle the co-CEO at that moment, save for Junjin and Dongwan holding him back.

The singer grumbled, muttering profanities as he probably recalled the same scene too, and Eric idly wondered if Minwoo was actually sneezing at that moment.

Well, Hyesung couldn't deny that he had a strong tendency to trip and fall, and he often did silly but cute mistakes, mostly because the dreamy singer often had his head in the clouds.

"I wonder why our fans didn't pick up on that earlier. Well, maybe they're just too used to it."

Hyesung pushed Eric away, pouting. Eric walked back a few steps, grinning. Their hands were still linked and Eric sat down on the dry sand, pulling on his arm until the singer fell with a yelp next to him.

"Yah!" Hyesung yelled when he sat up, his angry face a deep red as he looked up at his boyfriend.
"Don't be embarrassed. It's rather cute," Eric said, smiling innocently.

Hugging his knees, he laughed heartily as his annoyed boyfriend muttered a bunch of colorful swear words while brushing the sand off his shorts.

They stayed there for a while, sitting close to each other and looking at the ocean in silence. As the chilly breeze grew stronger, Hyesung shivered and rubbed his arms. They had left their sweat-shirts in the car, Eric realized.

Leaning towards him, Eric rubbed his arm affectionately to warm him up and kissed his cheek soundly.

Hyesung turned his head towards him and Eric was ready to be scolded – even though only a couple of people were walking nearby, and none of them looked remotely Asian nor paid any attention to them – but Hyesung only looked at him with intense, soft eyes.

Entranced, they stared at each other for a while, their faces only centimeters apart. Hyesung's mouth moved silently, and the singer leaned in first to kiss him, capturing his lips softly with his. Cupping his jaw in his hand, he caressed tenderly his cheek, and it was Eric's turn to shiver, the rapper inwardly blaming the wind that had muffled the words that Hyesung had murmured.

They kissed a few times, slowly and amorously, and then went back to staring at the ocean. Sitting even closer to each other to keep warm, they stayed there for another while, unmoving as they listened to the sound of the waves in a comfortable silence.

And when Hyesung finally got up, Eric was surprised when he offered his hand to help him stand up.

Hyesung didn't let go of his hand once on the way back to the car.

***

When they entered the house, just after midnight as they came back from the restaurant, it was totally silent. Eric's parents had obviously gone to bed. Not wanting to wake them up, Eric and Hyesung carefully made their way to the guests' bedroom – Eric's old bedroom having being turned into a study room for his father – without putting on the lights.

Eric was holding Hyesung's moist hand, guiding him with ease in the darkness, but when they came in the bedroom and Eric switched the yellowish light of the bedside lamp on, he heard Hyesung heave a small, relieved sigh, the man rubbing his chest to calm down.

He knew the singer was still a little nervous to stay at his parents' house, the usually articulate, intelligent man turning into a stammering mess when Eric's mother or father asked him the most basic and innocent questions. He was even more anxious to share a bedroom with him, while being so close to them.

Hiding his smirk, Eric took his laptop, and after taking off his tee-shirt, lied down on the bed while Hyesung rummaged through his suitcase. After a few quiet seconds, the singer threw a judgmental glance in his direction.

"You really should remove this stupid sticker."

Eric pouted, hiding protectively with his hand the Facebook thumb up sticker at the back of his laptop as Hyesung snorted, leaving the room to go to the bathroom.

The singer had already about it a couple of days earlier, when Eric had dropped by at his hotel to meet him and the other members, on his way to the Kcon. While they were waiting for the tardy men, Eric had worked on his apple laptop, Hyesung sitting next to him quietly until the singer had laughed at his decoration. Eric pouted.

Hyesung came back into the bedroom after a while.

"Done applying all your creams on that pretty face?" Eric in retaliation without looking up from his laptop.

Blushing, Hyesung grumbled an "idiot" under his breath before flopping down on the mattress. He took off his shirt and threw it on the nearby chair, jumping slightly when delicate fingers brushed the small of his back. He turned his head sharply towards the culprit.

"What are you doing?" he hissed.
"Why are you always asking me this question?" Eric pouted. "I'm just touching you."
"Your parents are right behind that wall!" Hyesung continued in a hushed whisper, ignoring him.

He threw a nervous glance towards the said wall, and Eric heaved a sigh.

"It's not like they're going to barge in here at any moment. My parents do respect privacy you know."
"I know. That's not what I meant," Hyesung amended sheepishly. "I'm not comfortable..." he traded off.

He wasn't comfortable with PDA under the very roof of his family's home, Eric was aware of that. In fact, the singer had been acting very shy and quiet all day around the members of his family. Eric had to admit it was cute, somehow.

It was a miracle that Hyesung had accepted to sleep over at his parents' house in the first place, and Eric was really grateful for all his efforts. Only a few days ago, Eric had been pretty sure he would have to sneak in and out of his hotel to see him in private during his entire stay.

Recalling dreamily his visit to his boyfriend's hotel room – which had led to a y, heated moment in the over-sized shower of the room – soon after he had landed in L.A., Eric adjusted his boxer shorts before coughing loudly, trying to think about uny thoughts.

Hyesung plopped down on his back, lying his head on the fluffy pillow next to Eric's, and his underwear still feeling a little bit too tight, the rapper chided him.

"If you're really that embarrassed, stop flaunting your body so shamelessly."

Because, how could he not touch him when he was parading half- around him? Also, he was always showing off his arms nowadays. The singer didn't realize how much attention his toned muscles attracted lately, something that annoyed the rapper to no end.

Lying on his side, Hyesung turned towards him at these words with a smirk, and propping up his head on his hand, he stuck his tongue up at him.

"You're just jealous."

Not quite the reason, Eric thought. He was just that possessive about him. The rapper stuck his tongue up back at him, and they both exploded in quiet laughter.

"What are you doing?" Hyesung asked when they calmed down.

Eric focused his attention on his laptop again.

"Working on some files for the company. Actually, I could use some help."
"Well, I can help," Hyesung yawned. "You'll have to pay me though."

Eric tutted, muttering something about greedy little princes, but still offered a price.

"I can pay you in kisses?"

Hyesung snorted in answer, and Eric raised an eyebrow.

"Should I give you a sample?"

He kissed his cheek. Blushing, Hyesung playfully kicked his calf but he grinned despite himself at his mushiness, making Eric laugh. Much to his surprise, Hyesung negotiated.

"Well, I could use a back massage," he said, pretending to think deeply about the conditions of the contract.
"Deal," Eric easily agreed.

Hyesung scooted closed and they started to work together, exchanging only soft spoken words and ideas. Leaning on his boyfriend's torso, Hyesung was slowly but surely dozing off. When he was completely snuggled up to him, eyes closed and an arm thrown across Eric's belly, the rapper switched off the computer.

"Time to call it a night," Eric whispered, leaning in to kiss him lightly on the lips.
"I'm not asleep, and you haven't paid me yet," Hyesung protested. 

Eric snorted. He put the laptop away on the nightstand.

"So bossy. Turn on your belly then," he ordered.

Hyesung obeyed him without arguing, his eyes still closed and a little smile on his face. Soon, Eric was sitting up next to him, letting his hands slide gently on the smooth skin of his boyfriend's back until the singer's muscles were completely relaxed under his fingers and small sighs could be heard.

He kept massaging him for a moment, but stopped when he heard a soft snore. Leaning forwards, arms on each side of his lover's body, Eric leaned forward and watched Hyesung's serene face as the man slept peacefully. He kissed his shoulder tenderly, then let his lips brush his ear, murmuring a few words of love before blowing softly on it.

His light sleep disturbed by the tickling sensation, Hyesung frowned and Eric chuckled.

After switching off the light behind him, he lied down next to his boyfriend, wringling until his body was spooning him completely, his skin flushed against his as his arm grabbed the slim waist possessively. Eric nuzzled his neck, slightly. They hadn't showered after coming back from their walk on the beach, and the salty smell of his lover's skin was just exquisite.

To his surprise, one of Hyesung's hand covered his while the other managed to grab his neck, caressing the short hair of his nape. In the dark, Hyesung slowly turned his head towards him, and their lips brushed against each other. He nuzzled his nose for a while.

"You know what," he finally whispered. "I think I deserve a bonus payment, for special services."
"You're so costly to the company," Eric complained, sighing dramatically but holding him even tighter and kissing his chin. "I should really fire you."
"Shut up and kiss me."

The little prince didn't wait to claim what was due to him, and Eric happily complied.

As they drifted off to sleep long minutes later, still cuddled up like two little spoons, Eric had to admit it was a really fair price after all.

The End~

Next chapter will be Green, the last color. ;)