For Erin, love Tripp

Kangin and Hyukjae were the last two to leave the apartment, aside from Yesung and Donghae, who just didn't feel like going anywhere at all. Everyone else had left to go on a date (like Kangin and Hyukjae, and Heechul and Kibum), or a friendly outing, or even a family meeting. But the two who were left behind didn't want to leave.

Yesung, who was often mistaken as the saddest member of the team, had woken up late, and didn't have time to arrange any plans for his free day, so he had nothing to do. This seemed to happen a lot lately - ever since Donghae stopped spending his time outside of the apartment on his free days. Yesung convinced himself that this was a coincidence.

Donghae, who was (formerly) part of the happier member-couple, HyukHae, just never felt like leaving these days. He missed his Hyukjae... well, he used to miss him. About a month, or so, ago, Hyukjae called off his romantic relationship with Donghae to reveal his feelings to Kangin, who had done the same to Eeteuk. It didn't really even take that long for Donghae to get over Hyukjae, but since Yesung started staying home, Donghae decided he liked to keep him company. And that's exactly what he told himself.

Yesung didn't like Donghae in that way, no, not at all. Donghae didn't like Yesung either, of course. It was too soon to "love" again for him. They just liked each other's presence, that's all. Besides, no one liked being alone on their day off.

Yesung left his room, entering the living room. He scratched his head and looked at Donghae, who was sitting on the couch, with a smile. Donghae took notice that Yesung was wearing his normal attire for his days off, black sweat pants and a white t-shirt. He looked down at himself, he was wearing gray basketball shorts and a black t-shirt.

“It’s not such a beautiful day,” Yesung whispered, sitting in the recliner.

Donghae shook his head in disagreement, and sighed happily. “I’m glad winter’s over, hyung, we can see the sun clearly now, and not be so cold!”

Yesung looked out of the window across the room with a confused expression glued to his face.

“Donghae-yah, it’s raining today,” Yesung said awkwardly.

“Oh… you’re right, hyung,” Donghae held up a finger and added, “but it’s still nice… especially with you.”

As if nature was against him, the rain started pouring so heavy that it hindered Yesung from hearing Donghae.

“What was that?” Yesung asked, leaning forward slightly but Donghae shook his head.

“Nothing,” he replied, with a discontent smile.

Yesung nodded, then stood up. He walked into the Kitchen to get something, but Donghae didn’t bother asking what.

Donghae watched him as he disappeared, then sighed. What kind of feeling did he have building up for Yesung? Donghae smacked his head gently, driving his thoughts away.

“Aish, it’s nothing I can’t handle! I’m sure it’s just nothing, hyung!” he told himself.

At that moment, Donghae decided that nature didn’t really like him… at all.

“What’s nothing?” Yesung asked, walking in the room with a bowl of ramen.

Donghae blushed. “Well, uh, I, uh…”

“Oh, Oldboy’s on tonight. Wanna watch it?” Yesung asked, ignoring the fact that he had just asked Donghae a totally different question.

Donghae shrugged. At the moment, he wasn’t exactly interested in movies. Or food. Or anything at all… except for Yesung.

Ah, wait. He wasn’t supposed to be thinking things like that!

‘Stupid, stupid,’ Donghae thought, beating himself on the head.

Yesung raised his eyebrow at Donghae’s strange actions, but Donghae didn’t notice. Well, he didn’t notice until Yesung asked what was wrong, in which, he shook his head nervously and smiled.

“Yeah, uh, sure. Let’s watch that,” Donghae said, giving a thumbs up.

Yesung nodded and flipped the channels until he landed on the one which played the movie he had mentioned earlier, and soon, he became engrossed in the film.

But as for Donghae… he became engrossed in the man who was watching the film. Every little thing seemed to make Yesung jump, or squeak - which Donghae thought was very odd - or even wince. He couldn’t help but wonder if his hyung was nervous, too…

Donghae pouted, looking at his feet. Not long ago, he told himself that the reason he was staying home on their days off was because he thought Yesung would be lonely. But whenever he thought about it again, it seemed that it was actually vice versa.

Donghae stayed home because /he/ was lonely. And Yesung made him feel a lot better.

“This is a good movie,” Yesung said, after setting his empty bowl on the coffee table.

Donghae nodded. He didn’t even know what was going on in the movie, and quite frankly, he didn’t really care.

When Donghae finally looked back up at Yesung, he had a soda. When had he gotten up? Donghae must had been too into his thoughts to notice.

As Yesung sipped on his soda, Donghae found it harder and harder to contain himself. He felt like he was going to bust, and spew all over the place, and die or…

“I really like you, hyung!” Donghae blurted out.

His eyes widened and he covered his mouth, looking down in a flush.

Yesung couldn’t stop coughing - after choking on his soda - and when he tried to speak, his words muffled together.

He wasn’t exactly sure what Yesung said, but Donghae was pretty sure he heard the words “I”, “don’t”, “like”, “you” in the same sentence, in that order.

Feeling upset, overwhelmed, and… everything he felt when Hyukjae said it was over, Donghae ran to his room, despite Yesung failed attempts to stop him through his coughing.

Donghae slammed the door shut. So what if Yesung didn’t return his feelings? He didn’t have to be so obnoxious about it!

He felt tears building up in his eyes, but he fought them back.

Meanwhile, in the living room, Yesung, who had stopped his coughing, stared at the place where Donghae had been sitting just mere minutes ago.

“What… happened?” Yesung blinked, scratching his head.

He distinctly remembered choking on his soda at the same time Donghae had said… something. Reminiscing on the event, he realized what had went wrong. His single-mindedness had gotten him into trouble.

After Donghae confessed to Yesung, he had inconveniently choked on his soda due to drinking it much too fast.

“GOD! I really don’t like it when you go down the wrong way!” he had tried to say, but his words being overtaken by coughs made it sound something close to “GOD! I --- don’t like --- you --- Go!”

Yesung sighed and smacked himself on the head. ‘Aish, good going, idiot!’ he scolded himself.

Once again, his single-mindedness had taken him over, because right in the middle of scolding himself, he realized that he had to set things straight with Donghae!

In his room, Donghae heard Yesung talking to himself, but he tried to block it out.

But the talking got closer… and closer… and closer… until there was a knock on his door.

“Go away~” Donghae whined, covering himself up with a blanket.

But Yesung was persistent and kept banging on the door until Donghae finally told him to come in.

“Donghae…” Yesung whispered, but the other turned away from him.

Yesung sighed and walked over to the bed, sitting down beside Donghae’s (fake sleeping) figure. He stroked the younger man’s hair slightly, with a smile.

“Donghae-yah, I really like you, too,” Yesung said, through stifled laughs.

Donghae turned around immediately and looked up and Yesung.

“You… really mean it…?” he asked.

Yesung smiled and nodded, feeling happier just by seeing the way Donghae’s eyes sparkled whenever he was content.

He laid down beside Donghae, covering up with the same blanket. There was a long silence, and the room had become dark from the lack of a light, and the sun setting outside. But the silence ended whenever Donghae turned over and poked Yesung’s cheek.

“Hey, hyung…” Donghae whispered.

Yesung raised his eyebrows to show that he was listening, but didn’t open his eyes.

“All this time we spent together… is really what helped me to get over Hyukjae so fast…” Donghae didn’t notice, but his fingers were entangled in Yesung’s hair.

Yesung, who was almost asleep, smiled and turned over to face Donghae. Donghae blushed and closed his eyes just when…

Yesung kissed him.

And in that moment, no one else mattered… especially old love interests.

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