In the span of two years, everyone had made sure to talk to each other as much as possible.

Life in the army wasn’t a simple field trip and it only made thoughts grow heavier on those who had to go through a hard regimen so that they would be properly trained if ever there was a need to defend their country.

Although all members made sure to talk to both of the ones that went off in such a broken manner. Sure, there were others that were also in there as well but everyone had felt their fight to have gone for too long.

Eunhyuk had tried on many an occasion to meet up with Donghae on their free days only to be vehemently denied far too many times to count. Eunhyuk heard many a story from others about how the younger man had been doing in his military life.

He had apologized countless times. It was all mostly done through some mail as the rest of what he kept sending over the two years would more than likely wind up returning to him unopped.

With a deep sigh, Eunhyuk opened the door that would lead him to his long awaited freedom. He fixed the small trickle of hair that was to be a reminder for at least a month of everything that had transpired. Pulling the door open to let out a bright ray of sunlight that partially blinded him, he could hear the roar of people, his fans, waiting for him outside. Everyone chanting “Lee Hyukjae! Lee Hyukjae!” as he stepped outside of the facilities.

A smile timidly escaping him as he noticed the multitude of fans with many a sign welcoming him back and a group of people who he cared for so much for so much of his life waiting for him patiently, arms spread open so that he could run into them and be engulfed by the love that his brothers had to give him as a reward for his hard work.

Tears escaped him as he felt the tight embrace of 9 of the members of his group. Some ruffling his hair, some fighting underneath the hug exclaiming that they were being smothered. It was the older men that remained and were accompanied by their foreign brothers as well. Tears swiftly flowing from everyone as they had properly welcomed him back amongst their ranks.

Eunhyuk looked around to spot each and everyone of their faces. Some wiping their tears away and some with smiles so bright he had missed far too much. There was one that he was very painfully aware wasn’t there and he soon felt a hand tightening on his shoulder as the owner knew what he was thinking.

“We’re going to pick him up next,” Leeteuk’s soft voice rang out next to him.

Eunhyuk nodded lightly as he met the eyes of the older man. It had been too long since he had seen Donghae and no one really spoke of him unless he dared to ask and that wasn’t often at all.

Flashing the members one last big smile before they all gathered into different cars, he turned back to his fans, waved wildly and bowed deeply to them.

He had truly missed this part of his life and he was ready to quickly head back to everything that came with it.

-----

The drive towards the last army compound had been far too long for Eunhyuk. He sat in the back seat with Sungmin tightly holding on to his hand. He was far too thankful for this gesture. The anxiety that he felt at seeing Donghae again was starting to eat up at him and the rest of the members that shared that car were trying their best to keep his mind occupied so that he wouldn’t worry as much.

In the two years of his absence, many a member had come out with a relationship. It had been a hard time for them but it was understood by their fans that it was time for everyone to move forward when it came to that department. No one had gotten married yet but some were due to happen with time.

Eunhyuk squeezed Sungmin’s hand tightly as the van had turned a corner and he started to see all the commotion that was brought on by the fans. It was a mere minute later that everyone had poured out of their vehicle and the fans’ screams became too loud in their welcome.

With Sungmin now holding on to his shoulders, he scoured the fan boards and spotted many a warm message for Donghae. Some boards with “Eunhae” deeply etched in them and he smiled sheepishly at them and the owners of said boards. Such were the days when everything was simple and the fans would be so wild about that “show” they put up for them.   

“Glad to see the love for Eunhae hasn’t died yet,” he heard Heechul say from somewhere in the back. Shooting the older man a smile, he quickly beckoned him and latched onto his embrace.

“Thank you, hyung.” Eunhyuk was only far too grateful for this group of men; the rocks that held him together all the times he felt like giving up and the warmth that he needed today of all days that was so deeply appreciated.

Feeling Heechul squeeze away at the hug, he then left his embrace and started squabbling about to Leeteuk as they talked of their experiences as they were released back in the day.

Eunhyuk felt his heart beating a little too strongly. He was ready to see him. Yet, in the corner of his eye, he spotted something. There was a woman, one who he noticed a few of the members go and greet with hugs. He could tell that they avoided looking at him. He felt Sungmin’s grip tighten on his shoulders suddenly.

Everything happened in the blink of an eye: the door to the building opened and the fan cheers were so deafening in Eunhyuk’s ears. He wasn’t sure if the cheers or his heart were louder. The thumping made everything so hard to deal with as he got his first glimpse of Donghae for the first time in close to a year. His short hair had never taken away from his attractive features and he marveled at the shy confidence he now sported. Nothing like the man he knew before their time apart.

He soon waved at his fans happily, bowed at them and made his way to the group that waited for him. A lot of hands patted at his back and his sheepish grin gave away a blush as he spotted the female that was apparently waiting for him.

Eunhyuk’s world fell apart the instant that Donghae’s lips met hers. All sound of some fans cheering and some expressing their dislike of the moment that unfolded in front of him caused everything to fade away from him. He couldn’t look anymore. His hands fell flat and fisted at his side as he made his way back to the van.

“Hyukjae…” Sungmin had tried his best to hold him back futilely.

He had hoped that the fans had not spotted the tears that flowed freely from his eyes as he made his way into the van. The door was closed swiftly with a slam as the man that had caused all of his tore his gaze away from the woman in front of him to the van that held the man he once loved with all his heart.

-----

As members came and went from the military and many had wound up going their different ways, it was only a few members that now lived in the dorm and thus it was only needed for them to have one floor.

To Eunhyuk’s displeasure after the earlier show, noticing that Donghae was part of the members in that small group, he quickly found himself inside his new room hidding. Not soon after everyone had parted ways, he heard a knock on his door. Hesitation hit him hard before asking who it was only to have Leeteuk express that it was him and that he wished to talk before leaving.

The older man could only give off a small smile as he closed the door behind him. Eunhyuk tried his best to busy himself unpacking his suitcase and moving things to a place where he desired them to be.

“Hyukjae… We- I’m sorry we never told you. It became an unanimous decision to not mention it until time came for you to know…”

“How long?”

“Half a year. It’s seemingly serious.”

Eunhyuk felt his world freeze over once again. Trying to shake off the feeling, he continued to sort away at his things. The room fell into silence for the remainder of the time the leader was in there and soon after he heard the older man sigh and close the door lightly behind him as he had left the room.

Once everything had been placed in its correct spot, for now, Eunhyuk had felt rumblings of hunger and the need to drag himself out of his room. Shindong, Kangin, Donghae and he were the only ones that still remained under the roof of the dorm with Shindong on the road to move out soon as he was planning on finally proposing to his girlfriend.

The living room was empty now, however, so he quickly made his way to the kitchen to fix something for himself. In the middle of his cooking, he suddenly tensed up as he heard a door close somewhere in the dorm. He didn’t have to look around to know who was behind him seemingly drilling a hole to the back of his head as if to reach his eyes with such an action. Eunhyuk wasn’t going to give Donghae the satisfaction of his acknowledgement any time soon.

Finishing with his food soon after and without sparing Donghae a single glance, he quickly made his way to his room and slammed the door to it harshly leaving the younger man reaching out to him with his pleading eyes.

-----

A month dragged on without much of anything really being said to one another. Everyone in the group had noticed this and although it was uncomfortable at first, it was soon dealt with and gotten over by the rest of them. They couldn’t do a thing to make things right as Donghae had made his decision and Eunhyuk wouldn’t let them tend away at his broken heart.

Work kept them busy as the time for a new album kept drawing nearer. Eunhyuk had heard him mention her name a few times but he had never bothered to learn it. Only one person knew just how hard he often cried himself to sleep and he felt so bad about taking Sungmin away from his wife so often in the last month in the midst of his despair. He could only build up his walls and his strength to become stable enough to not interfere with the entity that was Super Junior. He was so glad that some of his army buddies were always such a great escape from that part of his life as well.

Their hair had grown back to a length that was comfortable again for the two of them. They had been in many a show as a group and discussed their army life a bit. The strange thing about this entire ordeal was how it seemed that their roles had reversed: Donghae was so lively and talkative about life and Eunhyuk had always clammed up and barely started conversations with the hosts. These shows were the only way information about each other from their own mouths was heard since they had both refused to ask anyone else about the other.

Donghae wouldn’t dare to ask. He felt like he no longer had the right to do so. He could only keep a distant eye on Eunhyuk as he muddled his way through life. The company of his girlfriend could only get him so far, however. Especially now that they were once again at close quarters.

Many a day was spent with just the two of them left behind in the dorm as Shindong was busy with his life as was Kangin busily taking over Kyuhyun’s job as a talk show host. The distance between them was palpable at all times.

On one of the rare alone days Eunhyuk had found himself in the dorm, he had found himself staring at the door of Donghae’s room. With a simple turn on the handle, the room laid open in front of him. Tentative steps were made into it as he was soon overwhelmed by the scent of the owner of the room. The room was decorated in a manner that Eunhyuk knew to be distinctly Donghae. Moving deeper into the room, touching everything within his reach, he was found himself sitting at the edge of the bed. Scanning every detail of the room, his breathing suddenly caught at his noticing a picture of the two of them from long ago during Sukira. Donghae’s arm tightly holding on to him as their faces were practically glued to each other, smiles beamed up at him happily.

Taking the picture in his hands and falling back to the bed quickly, his vision blurred as he looked down at their younger versions that didn’t have much of a care in the world. Eunhyuk had regretted for so long that he had pushed Donghae away and everything hurt more with the prospect of a girlfriend lurking around. A potential wife for Donghae. More of a reason why they could never be together after all. away at the face of the younger Donghae, heavy sobs left him. Endless streams of tears and uncontrollable sobs overtook him.

As he was blinded away by his feelings, he was suddenly crushed into a tight embrace as his face was squished into someone’s chest. With a sharp inhale, he realized it was the actual version of the man he had been crying over. Even sharper sobs escaped him and he was soon clutching at the back of Donghae’s shirt.

Minutes stretched as the front of Donghae’s shirt was wet from all of Eunhyuk’s emotions. As Donghae had felt Eunhyuk’s sobs diminish, he broke himself apart from the older man lightly yet made sure to lift his chin so that he could stare into the eyes of the man in front of him. Gulping loudly, Eunhyuk’s gaze was met by the red eyes of the love of his life. He had also been crying. He hadn’t felt it in between the powerful crying he himself had relinquished and he soon found himself with a pair of lips on top of his.

Tears streamed down the cheeks of both and Donghae tried his best to wipe away at Eunhyuk’s tears to no avail. A sigh broke from Eunhyuk as their lips melded together. Softly parting at the other’s as hearts beat wildly in hopes to break away from their cages. It had been years in the making and neither could really deny just how much love was still held in place between them.

That strength had never really faded and it was so painfully obvious as Donghae’s lips softly let a kiss on Eunhyuk’s forehead as the latter placed soft kisses on Donghae's neck. Their grips tightening against each other as their kisses enveloping one another made them fall against the bed in each other’s embrace never fully breaking apart.

Kisses stole away their breathing yet they did settle down a few times. Their breathing intermingling with the other as their foreheads remained holding them close together. Hands intertwined harshly as if they were afraid the other would break away and disappear once again.

Clothes were quickly disposed of and Eunhyuk found himself under the entire weight that was Donghae’s. He found himself melting under the gentle kisses that were placed on his neck, shoulders, cheeks, chest, legs, thighs, everywhere that Donghae could find access to. As if to not leave a single part of his body left untouched. Moans echoed in the room. Sighs filled with satisfaction. Emotions that had been torn uncomfortably once again laid bare as their bodies laid next to each other entangled in the bliss that their tryst had left them with.

Eunhyuk left awake after everything while he felt the slow breathing of the younger man bounce off of his chest. Tightening the hold he had on his shoulder lightly, unaware that Donghae had broken off his relationship no more than an hour before making his way back home, Eunhyuk was determined to never let this man leave his side again.

A/N: This fic was inspired by Maroon 5's Won't Go Home Without You. They inspire a lot of my work, tbh. Thank you for reading. -S.