013 Clarity
Clarity
PG-13 | EunHae | Non-AU
Summary: A blur of beds and breakfasts.
A/N: This is a valiant attempt at fluff, as Rach (zephyral) has suggested. I don't even know why I accepted the challenge because what is fluff, tbh. Anyway, this is gonna be the last from me in a very, very long time maybe forever lmao.
--
1.
The air is mildly suffocating, as Heechul has said, so you stumble your way outside, pushing dancing bodies aside. Hyukjae notices you leave; he has been watching you all night. He follows you.
"Hey," Hyukjae calls after you, and you look back at where his voice is coming from. You don't see him clearly, your eyes are hazy from all the vodka you have been drinking.
It takes you a while to register who it is. "Hey!" Your face breaks out in a delirious smile. You walk as straight as you can but pathetically fail, and he catches you by your shoulders.
He wounds his arm around you, half-carrying you by the waist and settling you down onto the curb.
"Thanks," you say as you chuckle. "You can go back now. Party."
Hyukjae stares back at the door to the club for a second, then looks back at you and sits down beside you. "I'd stay."
It makes you smile, and you realize you don't really want him to go. He's close enough that you can put your head on his shoulder; so you do. You want to sleep so badly.
The dull thuds of the bass coming from the inside feels like a soothing lullaby.
2.
You wake up because you're too cold. You stir and the bed dips slightly. There is light coming from the window, which must mean it's morning. The house is still disorienting, especially when he's not there when you wake up.
The shower is running, Hyukjae must be using it. You drag your feet to the kitchen, despite your nakedness, and start washing you face in the sink.
"Donghae?" You hear him call from the bedroom. You're too engrossed in a TV show to answer him. "Donghae."
When you finally look up, he's standing over you.
"What did I say about TV in the morning?"
"It's fun?"
He shakes his head, exasperated, and walks to the kitchen. He starts making breakfast and when you hear sizzling, you're sure he's making your favorite. You immediately turn the TV off.
"Is it ready?"
"In a minute," he says so you take your place on the table, waiting for everything to be ready. You watch Hyukjae as he takes the toasts out of the toaster, as he put the plates down in front of you, as he takes the omelet out of the pan, and as he pours juice in tall glasses.
He watches you, then, as you start eating what he has prepared, complimenting everything.
You both do the dishes, and when you shift your weight so that you're leaning on his whole frame, he doesn't complain about it. But he says, "I'm doing everything here," talking about the scrubbing and rinsing of plates.
"That's because you love me," you say nonchalantly.
"No, I don't."
"You keep saying that." You say, a little hurt, to be honest, but you don't say that. You snatch the plate from his hands, and you do the scrubbing yourself.
He nudges your shoulder but you ignore him. "Hey."
"What!" You snap at him because now he's just being annoying.
"I love you."
3.
You didn't mean to raise your voice at him in front of all your friends. You didn't mean to make everybody feel uncomfortable. You didn't mean to ruin Siwon's housewarming party. You didn't mean to spill your wine at that nice lady's immaculate white dress. But then again, maybe you did. Maybe she isn't so nice, after all. Maybe you want to set the alcohol on her dress on fire, as well.
4.
He's yelling at you. You don't keep count of all the times he has yelled at you, because you're bound to yell at each other all the time. But he's angry. And you keep count of all the times he has been mad at you. This is the third time.
"I'd appreciate it if you'd grow up some time, Donghae!"
"I'd appreciate it if you don't flirt with your ex-girlfriends! Or, really, just keep it discreet next time. Or, you know, not in front of me!"
Hyukjae towers over you. He doesn't say anything for a long time. He sits down beside you on the bed; you realize how quiet it is beyond the door, where your friends are supposedly celebrating.
You look at him for a second, but turn your eyes to the carpeted floor immediately. "If you don't want me anymore, just break up with me."
He notices how your voice breaks. He shakes his head, "I'll always want you."
"Shut up." You had meant love but didn't have the heart to use the word. You know how Hyukjae wants you. But Hyukjae also wants a lot of other things; women, for instance. "You know what I mean."
"I know."
5.
Your whole body is in pain; you can't even pee by yourself. Your brain thuds against your skull, and you're woken up by the searing pain in your lungs at night.
Hyukjae worries around you. He doesn't say he is. But he's always there when you wake up. The nurses come and go, but he's constantly there.
It takes six days before the whole ordeal is over. Hyukjae falls asleep beside you in your bed back at your parents' house. Your mother kisses your forehead, eyeing Hyukjae, her eyes filled with unspoken questions.
"Mom..." You whisper softly, so that you don't wake Hyukjae.
She looks back, smiling, and your worries disappear.
"Thank you."
6.
The streets are busy and there are people around you all the time. There's no time to even hold his hand. But there's something in Hyukjae's smile that reassures you, that takes your apprehensions away.
Wordlessly, Hyukjae takes you by the hand when it's time to go. On the drive home, you think of the words to the song you have been wanting to write.
7.
Hyukjae slips under your covers. He runs his hand through the subtle curve of your side and pulls you closer. If you were five years younger, you would've stirred completely out of your sleep to make love to him. But you're exhausted and mostly sleepy. You guess it can wait. You hold his hand instead, and bring it to your lips to kiss.
8.
The ice cream is starting to melt but Hyukjae continues to tell this amusing story about this woman he met in Europe. You're completely taken by his exaggerated gestures, the genuine laugh he always tries to hide behind his beautiful fingers, and the way he tells his story.
"Hey! You're not listening to me!" He complains.
"I am!" You say, because you are, but you're too lost in old memories that you don't remember where he stopped.
9.
He doesn't have the patience to go through a whole book. Neither do you. But you try reading, because it's interesting. Also, because everyone else is keeping to themselves.
You're nearing the end of the book, and you're genuinely engrossed, wanting to know whether the protagonist dies in the end or not. You hope she does. Hyukjae walks over to your seat and closes the book; you're scandalized because you don't remember what page you are on. You glare at him.
It softens when you see the expression on his face. He kisses you, out of the blue. It's only ten in the morning, and you're at the airport, waiting for your flight, sitting among your friends. Someone must have seen that.
But you don't worry about it, or the lost page of the book you were reading. You close your eyes and think of the very first time you kissed, how it took you by surprise, how it had dulled everything prior to it and how it had changed the way you see things ever since.
"Please stop being mad at me," he says.
10.
The soft glow of the light coming from your phone illuminates his face. You're surprised that he's still awake. You know how tired he is. You're not as young as you used to be, anyway.
"You can't sleep?" You mumble and yawn, setting the alarm correctly. You need to wake up in a couple of hours.
He shakes his head, "I was just watching you sleep."
You laugh, because he's already grinning, anyway. That's what you used to tell him. It's sappy, even in your standards. And you knew you'd never hear the end of it. "Shut up."
And he adjusts his body, draping an arm over you, drawing you closer to him. He closes his eyes and you mimic him. The bed and the sheets are unfamiliar but it still feels like home. You start to fall asleep.
You catch a glimpse of his smile before everything completely fades away.
--
PG-13 | EunHae | Non-AU
Summary: A blur of beds and breakfasts.
A/N: This is a valiant attempt at fluff, as Rach (zephyral) has suggested. I don't even know why I accepted the challenge because what is fluff, tbh. Anyway, this is gonna be the last from me in a very, very long time maybe forever lmao.
--
1.
The air is mildly suffocating, as Heechul has said, so you stumble your way outside, pushing dancing bodies aside. Hyukjae notices you leave; he has been watching you all night. He follows you.
"Hey," Hyukjae calls after you, and you look back at where his voice is coming from. You don't see him clearly, your eyes are hazy from all the vodka you have been drinking.
It takes you a while to register who it is. "Hey!" Your face breaks out in a delirious smile. You walk as straight as you can but pathetically fail, and he catches you by your shoulders.
He wounds his arm around you, half-carrying you by the waist and settling you down onto the curb.
"Thanks," you say as you chuckle. "You can go back now. Party."
Hyukjae stares back at the door to the club for a second, then looks back at you and sits down beside you. "I'd stay."
It makes you smile, and you realize you don't really want him to go. He's close enough that you can put your head on his shoulder; so you do. You want to sleep so badly.
The dull thuds of the bass coming from the inside feels like a soothing lullaby.
2.
You wake up because you're too cold. You stir and the bed dips slightly. There is light coming from the window, which must mean it's morning. The house is still disorienting, especially when he's not there when you wake up.
The shower is running, Hyukjae must be using it. You drag your feet to the kitchen, despite your nakedness, and start washing you face in the sink.
"Donghae?" You hear him call from the bedroom. You're too engrossed in a TV show to answer him. "Donghae."
When you finally look up, he's standing over you.
"What did I say about TV in the morning?"
"It's fun?"
He shakes his head, exasperated, and walks to the kitchen. He starts making breakfast and when you hear sizzling, you're sure he's making your favorite. You immediately turn the TV off.
"Is it ready?"
"In a minute," he says so you take your place on the table, waiting for everything to be ready. You watch Hyukjae as he takes the toasts out of the toaster, as he put the plates down in front of you, as he takes the omelet out of the pan, and as he pours juice in tall glasses.
He watches you, then, as you start eating what he has prepared, complimenting everything.
You both do the dishes, and when you shift your weight so that you're leaning on his whole frame, he doesn't complain about it. But he says, "I'm doing everything here," talking about the scrubbing and rinsing of plates.
"That's because you love me," you say nonchalantly.
"No, I don't."
"You keep saying that." You say, a little hurt, to be honest, but you don't say that. You snatch the plate from his hands, and you do the scrubbing yourself.
He nudges your shoulder but you ignore him. "Hey."
"What!" You snap at him because now he's just being annoying.
"I love you."
3.
You didn't mean to raise your voice at him in front of all your friends. You didn't mean to make everybody feel uncomfortable. You didn't mean to ruin Siwon's housewarming party. You didn't mean to spill your wine at that nice lady's immaculate white dress. But then again, maybe you did. Maybe she isn't so nice, after all. Maybe you want to set the alcohol on her dress on fire, as well.
4.
He's yelling at you. You don't keep count of all the times he has yelled at you, because you're bound to yell at each other all the time. But he's angry. And you keep count of all the times he has been mad at you. This is the third time.
"I'd appreciate it if you'd grow up some time, Donghae!"
"I'd appreciate it if you don't flirt with your ex-girlfriends! Or, really, just keep it discreet next time. Or, you know, not in front of me!"
Hyukjae towers over you. He doesn't say anything for a long time. He sits down beside you on the bed; you realize how quiet it is beyond the door, where your friends are supposedly celebrating.
You look at him for a second, but turn your eyes to the carpeted floor immediately. "If you don't want me anymore, just break up with me."
He notices how your voice breaks. He shakes his head, "I'll always want you."
"Shut up." You had meant love but didn't have the heart to use the word. You know how Hyukjae wants you. But Hyukjae also wants a lot of other things; women, for instance. "You know what I mean."
"I know."
5.
Your whole body is in pain; you can't even pee by yourself. Your brain thuds against your skull, and you're woken up by the searing pain in your lungs at night.
Hyukjae worries around you. He doesn't say he is. But he's always there when you wake up. The nurses come and go, but he's constantly there.
It takes six days before the whole ordeal is over. Hyukjae falls asleep beside you in your bed back at your parents' house. Your mother kisses your forehead, eyeing Hyukjae, her eyes filled with unspoken questions.
"Mom..." You whisper softly, so that you don't wake Hyukjae.
She looks back, smiling, and your worries disappear.
"Thank you."
6.
The streets are busy and there are people around you all the time. There's no time to even hold his hand. But there's something in Hyukjae's smile that reassures you, that takes your apprehensions away.
Wordlessly, Hyukjae takes you by the hand when it's time to go. On the drive home, you think of the words to the song you have been wanting to write.
7.
Hyukjae slips under your covers. He runs his hand through the subtle curve of your side and pulls you closer. If you were five years younger, you would've stirred completely out of your sleep to make love to him. But you're exhausted and mostly sleepy. You guess it can wait. You hold his hand instead, and bring it to your lips to kiss.
8.
The ice cream is starting to melt but Hyukjae continues to tell this amusing story about this woman he met in Europe. You're completely taken by his exaggerated gestures, the genuine laugh he always tries to hide behind his beautiful fingers, and the way he tells his story.
"Hey! You're not listening to me!" He complains.
"I am!" You say, because you are, but you're too lost in old memories that you don't remember where he stopped.
9.
He doesn't have the patience to go through a whole book. Neither do you. But you try reading, because it's interesting. Also, because everyone else is keeping to themselves.
You're nearing the end of the book, and you're genuinely engrossed, wanting to know whether the protagonist dies in the end or not. You hope she does. Hyukjae walks over to your seat and closes the book; you're scandalized because you don't remember what page you are on. You glare at him.
It softens when you see the expression on his face. He kisses you, out of the blue. It's only ten in the morning, and you're at the airport, waiting for your flight, sitting among your friends. Someone must have seen that.
But you don't worry about it, or the lost page of the book you were reading. You close your eyes and think of the very first time you kissed, how it took you by surprise, how it had dulled everything prior to it and how it had changed the way you see things ever since.
"Please stop being mad at me," he says.
10.
The soft glow of the light coming from your phone illuminates his face. You're surprised that he's still awake. You know how tired he is. You're not as young as you used to be, anyway.
"You can't sleep?" You mumble and yawn, setting the alarm correctly. You need to wake up in a couple of hours.
He shakes his head, "I was just watching you sleep."
You laugh, because he's already grinning, anyway. That's what you used to tell him. It's sappy, even in your standards. And you knew you'd never hear the end of it. "Shut up."
And he adjusts his body, draping an arm over you, drawing you closer to him. He closes his eyes and you mimic him. The bed and the sheets are unfamiliar but it still feels like home. You start to fall asleep.
You catch a glimpse of his smile before everything completely fades away.
--