Buried: Chapter 2
Title: Buried
Pairing: Eunhae
Genre: AU
Summary: Hyukjae has spent a long time adjusting to his way of life. Now, he has to face a change that he never could have expected.
-
“She really didn't want to let you go,” Sungmin comments as he and Donghae drive away from Donghae's mother.
“I didn't want to let her go either,” Donghae admits. “I'll come back and stay with her tonight but before that, I think I have a few more people to talk to.”
Sungmin grins but keeps his eyes on the road. “They've missed you,” he says.
“I've missed them more.” Donghae sighs. “Knowing all of you were here, thinking I was dead... I really did think about you guys every day. I wanted to see everyone but...”
“I know,” Sungmin says. “I understand. They will, too.”
“Hyukjae doesn't,” Donghae mumbles.
Sungmin glances at Donghae just long enough to see the longing look in his eyes. It makes Sungmin frown. “He'll come around,” he says. “He just needs time.” When Donghae doesn't respond, Sungmin decides to fill the silence. “You know, you're lucky I work for Tiffany. The second I told her I needed to help Hyukjae, she let me go. If I had any other boss, I probably would have gotten fired for leaving just as the work day started.”
“How is Tiffany?” Donghae asks. “And everyone else?” He's unable to control the smile that comes just from thinking about seeing his friends again.
“She's great. And so is the salon. As for everyone else... Luna and Sunny are fantastic. Their restaurant just keeps getting better every day. And Ryeowook is... well, his dad passed away about a year ago. He's okay now and he's completely taken over his dad's shop which, of course, is doing well since Hyukjae is there.”
“Wow,” Donghae says, taking in this new information. He slumps a little in his seat. “I wish... I really wish I could have been here for all of that. For all of them.”
“Plenty of time to make up for it now,” Sungmin offers.
“I guess you're right,” Donghae replies. He stares out of his window at familiar houses and shops and landmarks. He allows himself a calming breath and a smile. “It's time for me to make it up to everyone.”
-
Luna hugs him. She doesn't even take a second to think about what's happening, she just latches onto him without plans to let go. Tiffany screams, scolds him for making her think he was a ghost, and then cries and hugs him as well. Ryeowook and Sunny look as confused as Hyukjae did. Then Sunny bursts into tears and squeezes her way into his arms next to Luna. Ryeowook continues to look confused and excuses himself to go to the bathroom. When Ryeowook comes back, he sits down at what is usually the Friday night table and listens to Donghae's story.
Once Donghae is finished, most of the tears around the table have ceased along with Ryeowook's confusion but the clinging remains. Donghae smiles and kisses the top of Luna's head and then Sunny's.
“I'm really proud of you guys,” he says. “This place looks great. And I guess I can assume you still get together here on Friday nights?”
Sunny nods against his shoulder but doesn't dare to speak in fear that only sobs will come out.
“Where is Hyukjae?” Ryeowook asks quietly. “Shouldn't he be here?”
Donghae glances at Sungmin who gives him an encouraging look.
“Hyukjae... doesn't want to be around me right now. He probably kind of hates me.”
“Hyukjae could never hate you,” Luna pipes up, pulling herself away from Donghae. “Why would you think he does?”
Donghae finds it hard to face Luna's curious eyes. He glances around the room before he sighs.
“He just seemed so angry at me,” he says. “I... startled him a lot. And once he felt better, it was like all he had for me was anger.”
“Maybe we should go see him,” Tiffany suggests. “If we're all together, that has to make him feel better.”
Sunny nods against Donghae's shoulder once again. Donghae looks around at his friends. These are people he'd trusted with all of his secrets. People he'd been willing to spend every day with. Now, Tiffany has red hair and Sunny's is blonde but nothing else has really changed. These people are still his friends.
“I didn't expect him to react so badly,” Donghae says softly, confiding. “For two years I'd been dreaming of coming home to him, you know? I'd considered that maybe he'd moved on and I accepted that but... I don't know how to deal with him hating me.”
“There's no way he hates you,” Sunny says, taking Donghae's hand. “He's understandably overwhelmed but hate... that's just not true.”
“Yeah,” Ryeowook agrees. “He's never said anything bad about you. Ever. He's done nothing but miss you since you... left.”
“He's just put up a lot of walls,” Tiffany says. “Thick ones. Covered in barbed wire. But if there's anyone can take a sledge hammer to those walls and rip through that wire, it's you.”
“Whoa.” Donghae laughs slightly. “That's a little brutal.”
Tiffany beams at the sound of Donghae's laugh. “Use a chisel if you have to,” she says. “Just... don't give up on him.”
“I won't,” Donghae says. “I'll chisel away until the day he gets tired of me.”
“Which will be never,” Sungmin chimes in. “It's impossible to grow tired of Lee Donghae.”
The rest of the table agrees to that with nods and affirmative sounds. At some point, Donghae's stomach growls and Luna rushes to fix him a plate of food. The six of them stay huddled at the table, catching up and continuously expressing their marvel at Donghae's story. Donghae loses count of how many times he apologizes. He assumes it's somewhere in the hundreds when Sunny forces him to stop.
Donghae doesn't want this to end. He's finally starting to feel happy again and he doesn't want the happiness to go away. When he realizes that he can be near his friends like this again tomorrow and the next day and the day after that, he finds himself holding back tears of joy. His joy is interrupted when the front door of the restaurant is opened abruptly. Everyone turns to see Hyukjae standing in the doorway, furious and panting slightly.
“You ruined my day,” Hyukjae practically yells, staring at Donghae.
Donghae stands up, slowly taking steps towards Hyukjae. Hyukjae stays rooted in place until Donghae is almost close enough to reach out and touch. Hyukjae exhales shakily, calming himself. Still, he looks at Donghae angrily.
“How?” Hyukjae asks. “How am I supposed to sit around and go on with my day when all I can think about is the fact that you're alive and about how much I have to say to you and about how hard it is for me to even know what I want to say?”
Donghae is afraid to move or speak so he only stares, watching Hyukjae's angry facade begin to crack.
“How am I supposed to feel?” Hyukjae continues, tears welling in his eyes. “How am I supposed to react? Donghae...” Donghae takes a step forward as his name falls from Hyukjae's lips. “Donghae... What am I supposed to do?”
Donghae can't stand it anymore. Hyukjae's words are a plea for help and Donghae doesn't want to stand by and watch as Hyukjae crumbles. He pulls Hyukjae into his arms, hugging him so tightly that neither of them can breathe. Hyukjae hugs back, pressing himself as close to Donghae as possible, squeezing him until his arms hurt.
“You don't have to do anything,” Donghae says softly. “And you don't have to feel anything.” He loosens his hold enough to pull back and look into Hyukjae's eyes. “I'm not going anywhere. So whenever you figure out what you want to say, I'll be here... okay?”
Hyukjae's eyes dart back and forth between Donghae's and then he nods and lets his gaze fall from Donghae's face. When Donghae hears a sniffle coming from behind him, he pulls away from Hyukjae and turns to see Luna crying again. He smiles sheepishly, realizing that the entire table had just witnessed his exchange with Hyukjae.
“Come on, Hyukjae,” Sungmin says, “sit down with us.”
Donghae looks to Hyukjae with a smile but then frowns when he sees Hyukjae shaking his head.
“I have to go,” Hyukjae says. He looks at Donghae and then speaks quietly. “Can you stop by tomorrow?”
“Sure,” Donghae says. Before he can say anything else, Hyukjae swiftly turns and walks out the door.
“Is he okay?” Sunny asks. She stands and walks to the door to watch Hyukjae hurrying down the sidewalk.
“I think so,” Donghae replies, forcing a smile. “He just needs some time alone.”
“Oh.” Sunny sighs and returns to the table.
Donghae looks at his group of friends, clearly disheartened by Hyukjae's quick retreat. He isn't sure what has happened since he's been gone and he doesn't know if his life will ever be the way it was before he left. Still, he isn't discouraged. Whether it be by sledgehammer or chisel, Donghae plans to conquer any walls that stand in his way.
-
There's an upset feeling in Hyukjae's stomach as he realizes for the hundredth time today that Donghae will be knocking on his door at any moment. He tries to stay composed but he can't help fidgeting and constantly reminding himself how confused he is.
When the knock finally arrives, Hyukjae urges his now somersaulting stomach to calm down. When he thinks that he's in control, he walks to the door and opens it. His stomach does one more flip when he lays his eyes on Donghae.
“Hi,” he says, “um, come in.”
“You gonna faint this time?” Donghae jokes, stepping into the house.
“I hope not,” Hyukjae replies, faking a smile. He closes the door and takes a deep breath before facing Donghae. “Can I... get you anything?”
“No,” Donghae says, “but it would make me feel better if you'd relax.”
Hyukjae realizes how tense he is and then nods slightly to Donghae, barely looking at him before walking into the kitchen.
“How is your mom?” Hyukjae asks, trying to keep the conversation alive.
“She's great,” Donghae says, staring at the kitchen table for a moment before he takes a seat. “She's kind of babying me but I don't exactly mind. And she mentioned that you took care of her a lot... and I wanted to thank you for that.”
Hyukjae's tenseness fades as he sits across from Donghae. “You don't have to thank me. She deserves to be taken care of. And when you were gone, I... I couldn't just let her be alone.”
“That was really nice of you,” Donghae says softly.
Hyukjae stares at the table as an awkward silence fills the room.
“I'm sorry,” Hyukjae says suddenly, sighing deeply. “I asked you to come here because I thought we could talk but... I don't even know what to say.”
“It's okay; you don't have to apologize. This isn't exactly a normal situation. And, like I said before, I'm not going anywhere. There's plenty of time to figure this out.”
“But, I...” Hyukjae glances briefly at an irritatingly patient Donghae before he rubs his face and covers his eyes. “I'm so... confused. I told you I don't know what to feel and that's true but there is something that I know I feel.” He removes his hands from his eyes to look at Donghae. He clenches his jaw. “I feel angry. But it's wrong for me to be angry. I have no reason to be. I keep thinking that I'm just confused but then... the anger won't go away.”
Donghae's patient face morphs into something that looks slightly panicked. Still, he keeps his composure.
“It's understandable for you to be angry,” he says. “There are lots of reasons you could be. But I think you need to figure out why you're angry. Maybe that's why you're so confused.”
Hyukjae thinks of a dozen reasons for his anger but none of them seem to fit. He thinks that he might be angry that Donghae had left him but when he thinks back to when Donghae had left, he only feels sadness. He thinks about Donghae coming back and where he feels there should be relief and happiness, he finds anger.
“I don't know,” he says finally, “I just... don't know.”
“That's okay. You don't have to rush yourself. Just take your time. And if you need to use me as a punching bag, go ahead.” Donghae smiles after his lighthearted statement but when he's greeted with a blank face from Hyukjae, his smile falls. “You... really don't want me here, do you?”
Hyukjae's stomach is twisting now. He holds Donghae's gaze and swallows before speaking. “No,” he says quietly. “I don't.”
Donghae nods slowly and then he stands. “I'll go, then.”
As Donghae walks to the door, Hyukjae stays silent and unmoving. He feels bad for asking Donghae to come over but no matter how hard he tries, he can't feel bad for wanting Donghae to leave. Even as the front door opens and closes, Hyukjae stays in his seat, feeling guilty because he feels no remorse.
-
“Donghae? Are you listening?”
Donghae blinks and looks at his mother. “Huh?” he says dumbly. He hadn't been listening to her. He'd been thinking about something else entirely.
“I said you can stay here as long as you need to. You don't have to rush off to find another place to live.”
“Thanks, mom,” Donghae says, “but I need to get back on my feet as soon as possible. I can't mooch off of you forever.”
“You can mooch whenever you need to.” Donghae's mother looks at him, observes his distant look, and then smiles sadly. “I'm sorry that you can't go back to the house you're used to living in.”
Donghae's distant look suddenly becomes very near. He returns his mother's sad smile and links his hand with hers.
“I'm sorry, too.”
-
Hyukjae isn't sure who to expect when he hears a knock on his door early on Monday morning. He halts his morning routine to open the door and gapes when he finds Donghae's mother on the other side.
“Mrs. Lee?” he questions. “What are you doing here?”
“I just thought we could talk if you have a moment?” she inquires.
“Sure, um, come in,” Hyukjae says. Mrs. Lee steps inside and Hyukjae closes the door behind her. “Is everything okay?”
“Not exactly,” Mrs. Lee answers.
“What's wrong?” Hyukjae is instantly alarmed, bending slightly to Mrs. Lee's height.
“I need to talk to you about Donghae.”
Hyukjae slowly straightens and his eyes dart around the room.
“Is... he okay?”
“Physically, yes. Mentally... no. I'm afraid he's changed and it's because of everything that's changed around him.” Hyukjae looks at Mrs. Lee curiously and she continues. “He wanted to come back to the life he had but that life doesn't exist anymore. And now he's... lost.”
“But... why are you here?” Hyukjae asks. “I can't help him.”
“I think there's something you can do that might help.”
Mrs. Lee is giving Hyukjae a sweet, motherly look that Hyukjae absolutely cannot refuse. He sighs.
“What is it?”
Mrs. Lee's motherly look becomes a subtly triumphant smile. She hasn't even told him yet but she's already won.
“Let him stay in this house for a while.”
“No.” Hyukjae's reaction is so sudden that he even scares himself. “I mean... it's just that we're not... on the best of terms right now. It wouldn't be a good idea for us to be around each other because... it'll be awkward.”
“Is that the only reason you've got?” When Hyukjae gives her a defeated look, she smiles at him and places a hand on his arm. “Hyukjae... maybe it's too much for me to want you to call me 'mom' again, but I don't think it's too much to want you to call Donghae a friend.”
Mrs. Lee is an Olympic archer and her target is Hyukjae's heart. After mentally throwing curses at Donghae for letting his mother fight his battles for him, Hyukjae gives in.
“Fine,” he says. “Tell him he can come in and make himself comfortable while I'm at work today.”
“Thank you, Hyukjae.” Mrs. Lee is beaming. “And have a good day at work.”
Hyukjae keeps up his smile while Mrs. Lee is still in the house. As soon as she leaves, his face goes slack and he finishes his morning routine with a little more profanity than usual.
-
“So, he could be at your house right now.”
“Don't remind me.” Hyukjae turns away from Ryeowook and rubs his temples.
“It's weird that you have to go home later and he'll be there. Hey, what if he's going through your stuff?”
Hyukjae groans.
“Ryeowook, please, I'm begging you, stop.”
“Sorry,” Ryeowook mumbles out an apology although he doesn't seem apologetic at all.
Hyukjae distracts himself by searching through their online store and tracking its progress. He's in charge of keeping it running since Ryeowook claims to be bad with computers. Hyukjae is scrolling nonchalantly but smiles a little when he notices that one of his paintings has just been bought.
“Are you thinking about him?”
Hyukjae jumps because Ryeowook is suddenly right next to him, staring with overly curious eyes.
“What is wrong with you?!”
“What?” Ryeowook asks innocently. “I just asked a question.”
“No,” Hyukjae says sternly. “I was not thinking about him. I was thinking about our website. Now please, go be creepy somewhere else.”
Ryeowook looks offended and starts to turn away but he stops. “You know,” he says, “if you want to talk about... anything, you can come to me. Or you can talk to someone else but... you should definitely talk if you have something to say.”
Hyukjae manages to smile at his friend's kind words. “Thanks,” he says. “I'll remember that.”
Ryeowook walks away to greet a customer and Hyukjae turns back to the computer, scrolling aimlessly through a page. It's a comfort to know that he has friends that care, people he can turn to in any situation. He thinks that it would be nice to talk to them and let them take the weight from his shoulders. The only problem is that he doesn't know what's weighing him down.
-
Hyukjae dreads opening his front door. He hesitates in front of it, clenching his hand several times before reaching the doorknob, and then he opens it. At first he's greeted with silence. After removing his coat and scarf and setting down his bag, light footsteps approach from the living room.
He's still not used to seeing Donghae's face. He's not used to Donghae being alive. It takes him by surprise, kicks around his heart a little, and then he feels nothing.
“It's good to know you're not shocked to see me,” Donghae says, offering a nervous smile.
“What?”
“Well... I thought maybe my mom lied to me and I'd come here and you'd chase me out with a broom or something.”
“That sounds tempting,” Hyukjae jokes but Donghae's smile doesn't widen. “Your mom just... really knows the right buttons to push.”
“Yeah,” Donghae responds, “she really does.”
Out of the corner of his eye, Hyukjae spots an unfamiliar suitcase.
“So you have... clothes and stuff, right?” he asks.
“Yep. I have everything I need. I won't be bothering you. You probably won't even know that I'm here.”
Hyukjae feels dizzy. It's too difficult for him to try having a normal conversation with Donghae. He takes a quick breath and looks away.
“Good,” he says. And then he walks away.
-
Donghae is torn between leaving because it's painful to know how much Hyukjae doesn't want him here and staying because even if it is painful, he still wants to be near Hyukjae.
Hyukjae is torn between staying in his room until morning so that he doesn't have to face Donghae or going downstairs to find something to eat because he's starving.
Hunger wins and Hyukjae descends the stairs only to find Donghae sitting motionless on his couch. He suddenly realizes that he hasn't heard a single peep throughout the hours he's spent alone in his room.
“Have you just been... sitting there this whole time?” Hyukjae asks.
Donghae turns to look at Hyukjae and then averts his gaze. “Yeah,” he says.
“Why?”
“I guess... I didn't know what else to do.”
Hyukjae lets out a barely audible sigh and Donghae mentally cowers.
“If you're going to live here, you can't just sit in one place all day. You can do whatever you want. Watch TV, use the bathroom, eat whatever is in the kitchen. I don't care.”
“Okay,” Donghae replies quietly.
Hyukjae looks at Donghae's defeated form. Even if he doesn't exactly want Donghae here, he realizes that he should at least try to be civil.
“Have you eaten today?” he asks.
Donghae looks up at him. “Not since this morning,” he answers.
“Well then,” Hyukjae starts, “this is the perfect time for a food tour.”
Hyukjae starts to walk into the kitchen and Donghae stands up to follow. Just as Hyukjae reaches the refrigerator, Donghae notices something.
“Is this a new fridge?”
Hyukjae is suddenly reminded that Donghae used to live here. He remembers that they'd bought this house together and prepared countless meals in this very kitchen. He remembers the refrigerator that had come with the house and how happy they'd been because they didn't have to buy one.
“Yeah,” he answers, “the old one crapped out a few months ago.”
“Not surprised,” Donghae murmurs.
Hyukjae opens the refrigerator to let Donghae look inside.
“I don't keep a ton of perishable food around since I'm not always here to eat it,” he says. “I eat at Sunny and Luna's a lot and when I'm home I keep it simple. I guess you can eat whatever you can find unless I say otherwise.”
“I think I'll go out tomorrow and buy some food for myself. I don't want to eat everything in your kitchen.”
“Do you even have money?” Hyukjae asks. He realizes that the question is a little silly after he asks it. Donghae hadn't been living in a hole for two years, of course he has money.
“I saved up a lot while I was... away,” Donghae explains.
Hyukjae doesn't push the topic any further. He closes the refrigerator and gestures to the rest of the kitchen.
“There's some food in the cupboards. You can help yourself to that, too. Just... eat whatever.”
Donghae notices how quickly Hyukjae is preparing a meal. He hurries around the kitchen, grabbing what he needs, and he doesn't even glance in Donghae's direction. Slightly annoyed, Donghae stands in Hyukjae's path, blocking him. Hyukjae stops but he doesn't meet Donghae's eyes.
“What are you doing?” Donghae asks.
“Making food,” Hyukjae replies sharply.
“And that requires avoiding me as much as possible?”
“No,” Hyukjae snaps, finally meeting Donghae's eyes, “me staying sane requires me to avoid you as much as possible.”
That shuts Donghae up. He steps aside and Hyukjae walks past him, heading for his room.
“Hyukjae,” Donghae says. Hyukjae stops briefly. “Can't you just... try to talk to me?”
Hyukjae turns. He stares at Donghae with a hardened gaze.
“I may not be able to say no to your mom,” he says, “but I can say no to you.”
As Hyukjae turns to walk away again, Donghae remains in the kitchen. He decides that he doesn't need to be in this room anymore because suddenly it feels like his stomach is full of rocks.
-
Donghae pretends to sleep while Hyukjae is getting ready for work. Even after Hyukjae leaves, Donghae stays curled up on the couch, not wanting to move. He wouldn't move at all if not for the fact that being in this house all day would probably kill him. He allows himself a shower and a fresh change of clothes before he walks out the door.
He gets into his car - the same car that had been provided to him during his protection period - and ignores the urge he has to drive said car into a river. He still instinctively knows his way around and easily makes his way to a grocery store. Once inside, he picks out enough food to sustain him but not enough to crowd Hyukjae's kitchen. Before he checks out, he passes a section full of seafood.
Hyukjae hates the smell of seafood, Donghae thinks. And, with that in mind, he grabs some fish and heads to a checkout line.
It doesn't take long for Donghae to make his way back to Hyukjae's house and stock the kitchen with the food he has bought. He makes sure to hide the fish in the back of the freezer and then suddenly he's standing in the middle of a house that's far too quiet for his liking. Other than the hum of the refrigerator, Donghae hears nothing. He takes a few strides around the house and looks around. Although this house used to be his own, looking around only makes Donghae feel like an intruder.
Grabbing his keys, Donghae steps outside once again. He gets into his car and begins to drive with one destination in his mind.
-
As soon as Donghae walks through the door, Luna's head snaps up and their eyes meet. She slowly smiles and walks from around the restaurant counter to greet him.
“You have no idea how good it is to see you walking through that door again,” she says as she hugs him tightly.
“You have no idea how good it feels,” he responds.
Donghae sits at the bar and looks around, finding that the place is quite busy. The previous restaurant owner had used this bar for serving alcoholic drinks but Luna and Sunny only use it to serve food. He smiles as he remembers the day the current restaurant sign had been put up out front, signifying a new era.
“You look like you haven't been eating right,” Sunny observes as she passes by with an order. She comes back seconds later. “Did you eat breakfast?”
“Uh... no...” Donghae says quietly.
“One free breakfast coming right up.” Sunny walks off, not hearing Donghae's protests as she does.
“There's no use arguing,” Luna says. She leans over the counter, smiling at Donghae, “you're gonna get a free meal.”
“I'm supposed to be making the past two years up to you guys but instead everyone is being so kind to me... except...” Donghae stops.
“Except for Hyukjae,” Luna finishes and Donghae nods. “I heard you're staying at his house.”
“Word travels fast,” Donghae mumbles. “Yeah. Mom kinda forced it on us.”
“Well, mother knows best, right?”
“I guess.” Donghae sighs.
“So...” Luna starts, “how is that going, exactly?” Donghae grimaces and Luna comfortingly pats his arm. “That bad, huh?”
“It's like a nightmare. I'm staying in a house that used to be mine with a man that used to love me but... now all of that's changed. The house isn't mine anymore and the man won't even look at me.”
Luna takes Donghae's hand and squeezes it.
“Maybe you just have to use that chisel method, yeah?” she encourages.
“I don't even think that'll work. How can I chisel away at something if I can't even find a starting point?”
“It's only been a couple of days,” Luna says. “It's bound to take some time. Just hang in there. And don't give up, okay?”
Donghae looks at Luna. He manages a nod and a smile just before Sunny places a heaping plate of food in front of him. Unable to control his hunger, Donghae immediately digs in.
“Wow,” Sunny comments, “is Hyukjae not feeding you?”
“Hyukjae won't even talk to him,” Luna answers. “So the answer to that is probably no.”
“I can feed myself,” Donghae mumbles through a mouthful of food.
“Don't talk with your mouth full,” Sunny scolds. “And don't hesitate to come here if Hyukjae is starving you.”
Donghae nods again and continues eating. Sunny and Luna walk away to attend to other costumers. While they're gone, Donghae pulls some money out of his wallet and sticks it under his plate. He plans to pay for this meal whether Sunny wants him to or not.
-
Hyukjae enters his own house cautiously. When he finds that he's alone, he relaxes. Since he knows that Donghae could come back at any time, he fixes dinner for himself and locks himself in his office.
One hour passes before Donghae returns. The music coming from Hyukjae's office is a clear indication that he doesn't want to be bothered.
Hyukjae spends his evening in his office, working hard on a new painting. Donghae spends his evening watching television. Even though they're staying in the same house, their paths haven't crossed for an entire day.
-
Donghae wants to pretend to be asleep yet again but Hyukjae is making so much noise that it's impossible for him to pretend. He sits up on the couch and looks in the direction of the noise, finding its source. Hyukjae is standing near the front door, carrying a frame and trying to put his shoes on at the same time. Donghae untangles himself from his blankets and stands.
“Do you need some help with that?” he asks, approaching Hyukjae.
Hyukjae pauses. He sets the painting down and proceeds to put his shoes on. “No,” he replies. “I've got it.”
While Hyukjae is tying his shoes, Donghae takes a peek at what's in the frame. It's a simple painting of a calm, evening beach. What makes it unique are the erratic splashes of various colors of paint obstructing the beautiful scene.
“This looks really nice,” Donghae compliments.
Hyukjae glances at Donghae. “Thanks,” he says. Donghae is surprised that it sounds genuine.
Hyukjae doesn't say another word. He picks up his painting and walks out the door, heading to work.
“Well,” Donghae says once Hyukjae is gone, “at least he spoke to me.”
Donghae is about to curl back up on the couch but a hint of curiosity wins him over and he finds himself walking towards Hyukjae's office instead. Although both of them had always referred to the room as an office, it is simply Hyukjae's workspace - a place that he uses to focus on his art. Donghae looks around the room, finding that not much has changed other than a few new paint splashes here and there on tables and walls. There are sculptures and paintings hanging about and although Donghae finds them all fascinating, he knows that they're in this room because they're either incomplete or not worthy in Hyukjae's eyes.
Emboldened by his initial curiosity, Donghae ventures upstairs to verify something he'd seen when he'd first come back to this house. He enters Hyukjae's room, cautious even though no one is around to see him. He takes a breath and then looks at the picture frames lining the walls. There are pictures of Hyukjae's family and friends and places he's visited. Donghae is in nearly half of them.
One picture in particular draws Donghae to the wall. It's a simple picture of himself and Hyukjae, together and smiling. Donghae reaches out and touches the picture frame, smiling slightly to himself. His smile begins to falter when he notices something. All of the picture frames on the wall are covered in a very thin layer of dust except for one. Donghae runs his fingers over the edge of the picture frame containing the photo of himself and Hyukjae. His fingers pull no dust from its surface.
“Why is there no dust?” Donghae asks aloud. He looks through all of the other picture frames just to be sure. All of them have some degree of dust on them. “Does he... look at this one a lot?”
Not wanting to entertain the idea any further, Donghae steps away from the wall. He walks downstairs and makes his way back to the living room. He curls up on the couch and plans to stay there, unmoving, for the rest of the day.
-
Hyukjae stays at the store as long as possible. When he finally has to leave, he drives home as slowly as he can and stops to eat dinner on his way. He even takes deliberately small steps all the way to his own front door. He starts to wonder if he should sleep in his car but then he sighs in disgust at himself and forces himself to enter his house. He takes his shoes and coat off at the front door and hears sound coming from the television. He takes a chance and peeks into the living room to see nothing but a lump covered in blankets on the couch.
Assuming that Donghae is asleep, Hyukjae sneaks his way upstairs and locks himself in his room.
Donghae lies awake for hours that night, battling with a feeling that he doesn't know how to shake.
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