Dreamcatcher
Title: Dreamcatcher
Author: xoxo_nat_xx
Pairing: Hyukhae, Yewook
Ratings: PG-13
Word count: 6987
Beta-ed by: akihikaru!
Summary: And then he realizes he doesn’t know anymore, if the world he currently exists in is a dream, and if the world with Eunhyuk is the dream instead.
Heat.
The next thing his mind registers is the bellowing wisps of smoke surrounding him. Visibility is low, and he feels a slight twinge of alarm as he blindly claws his way through the smoke; he can’t even see his hand outstretched in front of him, for god’s sake, not even to mention the dimly lit exit sign hanging above that damn emergency door.
A flash of red, yellow, orange all mixed into one.
It doesn’t help that the heat is getting suffocating; the drops of perspiration dripping off his hair, all stuck together now, are not really helping with matters now. What’s the use now, he thinks dryly to himself, and he shuts his eyes tightly; at least he will not be able to see the approaching end and look at it square in the face. The cackle is almost audible now, and he can feel the objects in its way being devoured, except you cannot really hear leather couches and glass vases crying out loud, right?
Salvation? There’s no more salvation available once he’s dead, there’s no more use for it anymore.
“Donghae!”
It sounds weirdly familiar. He opens his eyes, but he is sure he has never seen that silhouette anywhere before. However, it is feels rather comforting, and he tilts his head upwards, his eyes watering because of the smoke. He hears the stranger muttering something under his breath, but he cannot make out what it was. He mumbles back a “What?” and he is met with the piercing gaze of the other.
“Don’t fight me.” The stranger replies, and Donghae is bewildered; he feels like he should be shooting questions, like arrows, but he cannot summon the energy to do so, all he can do is to feel his eyes slipping shut.
“Donghae!!”
Donghae jerks awake, his hand carelessly sweeping a pile of paperwork onto the ground. He lets out a groan as someone switches on the light; it’s literally glaring into his eyes. He squints against the light, and someone comes into his field of vision.
“God, Ryeowook. Can’t I have a few more minutes of sleep? Seriously I need the-” Donghae moans, but he stops abruptly as Ryeowook lowers himself to Donghae’s eye level, his hand holding firmly onto Donghae’s chin, which is threatening to reunite itself with the smooth table top.
“No. Until you listen to what I have to say.” Ryeowook states calmly, and Donghae nods, resigned.
“The publisher wants a new work from you, very soon. He needs some book to counter that bestseller from our rival agency, and he thought yours would probably do the job. However,” Ryeowook looks around the room, “there doesn’t seem to be much progress since we last talked. He is now literally breathing down our necks, or rather, mine alone.” Ryeowook adds, as an afterthought. He jerks Donghae’s head again, for luck, and Donghae sighs.
“I know you get your inspiration from your dreams.” Ryeowook says, and Donghae nods tiredly.
“Which is recently nothing but nightmares.” Ryeowook continues, and Donghae fights the urge to roll his eyes; it isn’t Ryeowook’s fault that he has such a bad-at-following-deadlines but talented writer on his hands.
“Ryeowook, you aren’t helping much-”
“So I got this thing from my hyung, supposedly it works miracles. Hopefully you manage to craft something similar to your bestseller, the one about this person who meets several others on his path to a particular destination?” Ryeowook waves his hands about, and Donghae feels a small smile crawling up his face.
“It’s called a dreamcatcher, which according to my hyung, helps keeps the bad dreams away, and it works for him.” Ryeowook supplies helpfully, and he hangs it right on the computer, which he knows is the place where Donghae sleeps at, almost every night.
Donghae fingers the accessory, and he turns his head towards Ryeowook, his expression soft. Ryeowook snaps his fingers and waves his hand, and Donghae understands; Ryeowook isn’t someone who likes to show much affection, and this is one of the gestures in which Ryeowook shows that he cares for him. It’s subtle, quiet, yet touching.
Donghae smiles; perhaps the dreamcatcher will help him after all.
---------------------
Fire. Again.
Now the fear’s almost palpable. Donghae wishes he isn’t the one experiencing all this, but watching this as a third person’s point of view, top down, like a camera swooping down to capture the best angle of this scene. He cannot escape; this time he has searched every corner of this room, even as the flames are almost on him, he is still searching. This can’t be my end, Donghae thinks, and he sinks to the floor.
Someone grabs his hand all of a sudden, and Donghae jolts upright. He turns around, only to find the stranger holding firmly to his hand again. Those eyes are now filled with determination, none of the fear that is conveyed in Donghae’s eyes. The stranger mutters an almost-audible curse (Oh wow, my brain is able to conjure such curses in dreams as well, Donghae thinks), and he pulls on Donghae’s hand, hard.
“Damn it Donghae, I told you not to fight me.” The stranger grunts, and he closes his eyes, his brows burrowed in concentration. Donghae musters the energy to frame a “What?” and the stranger brings a finger up to his lips immediately. He brushes his hands over Donghae’s eyes, and Donghae’s world falls into darkness.
“Breathe, relax, feel.” The stranger exhales slowly, and Donghae finds himself doing whatever the other says. After a while, he feels the hand slip away from his face, and he opens his eyes hesitantly. He is greeted by a field of green grass, devoid of any trees, or any other protruding objects, as far as he can see. The smell of freshly cut grass floats through him, and he takes in a deep breath; it has been long since he ever experienced this. He turns around, and he spots another man lying down on the grass, the picture of exhaustion. Cautiously, he makes his way, and sits down quietly beside the other.
There are a million of questions running across his mind at this instant, but Donghae opts for the simplest one; one that doesn’t seem too intrusive, yet seemingly innocent enough to strike up a conversation.
“Why are you so tired?”
Donghae does pop the question, but he immediately quails and draws back when the other turns a glare upon him. The stranger stands up quickly and brushes off the dirt on his pants, his back towards Donghae. Inconspicuously, Donghae moves a little closer, and he hears the other mutters a string of curses interspersed with some words he cannot comprehend.
“Sir…?”
“-a freaking mind controller who doesn’t know his own business coming in barging into other people’s dream like it’s my destiny what the hell was I thinking about, someone who doesn’t even know how to relax and use his five senses yet his dreams are so vivid I needed so much strength to pull him out of it-”
“Sir!” Donghae tries again, and he gets the other’s attention almost immediately, though he wishes that the glare can be directed at something else instead. He drops his hands by his side and rubs them self-consciously, biting his lips in the process. Donghae places the emotion as uncomfortable, and he wriggles his toes in his shoes; it’s the first time he feels so out-of-place.
“Sir, I mean, I’m trying to be friendly, no offence here, I mean, it’s my dream after all right, I don’t want to be so anti-social in my dreams as well, it’s like the only place where I can be who I want to be, and can we just be friends? I mean you don’t have to agree, but it would be pretty pathetic if I fail at making friends in my own mind as well, you get what I-”
Donghae gets cut off as the stranger lets out an abrupt chuckle, and he can only stare as the other clutches to his stomach so tightly until the latter is bent double, roaring away in laughter. Donghae fidgets, the feeling is still there definitely, and he doesn’t know if the stranger is laughing at the absurdity of this all, or what he has just said. After a while, the stranger calms down a little, and he lifts up a hand to gesture at Donghae.
“So, do you always talk that much? I mean, you really talk a lot, and perhaps you can spare some energy to your five senses. You are a great person to be with, though, that I can feel.”
Donghae continues staring; he knows his eyes are probably very wide now, and he wonders if he is staring a little too much. Exhaling everything in one single breath, Donghae bites his lower lip and attempts to side-step the question which he doesn’t really know how to answer.
“I’m Donghae.” He says, shrugging a little, and he knows it’s a pathetic attempt to divert attention, but the stranger doesn’t seem to mind that much.
“Eunhyuk.” The other grins, and he lifts up his hand towards Donghae.
----------------
Donghae wakes up to a piercing sound, and a grumble is about to escape his lips until he opens his eyes and takes in the situation in front of him.
Glass, or rather, remnants of a cup someone has given him, pieces of it, shattered, all lying on the ground.
“I don’t care how you do it, just get that bloody writer, who is lying on his desk sleeping like a pig, to write out a bloody piece for me before my company gets reduced to the same state as the cup over there.”
Donghae shuts his eyes tightly, it doesn’t take a genius to know who that is, and what has just transpired.
“Yesung….” A whisper, afraid to wake up the person who is supposedly sleeping.
“Damn it Ryeowook, if you can get your damn job as his manager done well, then I will probably be jumping for joy now, and you will not have to beg me with this pitiful face now.” Yesung snarls, and Donghae can almost see what is happening in the kitchen, Ryeowook holding on to Yesung’s forearm, but the latter doesn’t really care, as he jerks his hand out of Ryeowook’s grasp and stalks out of the kitchen, out of the door.
Donghae hears the whimper that escapes from Ryeowook, and he remains stoic, awkwardly upright, eyes closed, as the latter makes his way into the living room from the kitchen. He hears Ryeowook stop in his tracks, and he can almost feel Ryeowook’s mind churning as he considers the possibility of what Donghae heard just now.
“Ryeowook…”
“Donghae.” Ryeowook starts, his voice disturbingly emotionless. “That was nothing--”
“Screw nothing, Ryeowook!” Donghae shouts, “He shouldn’t be treating you this way, even when it’s my fault, the editor shouldn’t be punishing you.” The atmosphere is tense, and the air is still. Donghae is breathing harshly, although he doesn’t know why he is doing so. Ryeowook, on the other hand, is just staring, staring quietly, and Donghae feels suffocated, as if he is the only one trying to overcome whatever is building up here.
“Love isn’t that way.” Donghae whispers, and he watches as Ryeowook’s features shift. Donghae stands up slowly, and Ryeowook stares as Donghae walks closer towards him.
“No, Donghae, don’t come closer-”
Donghae grabs Ryeowook by his arm, and he yanks the long sleeves of Ryeowook’s shirt upwards, gentle yet firm. What he sees shock him, although he thinks he is already mentally prepared, or even expecting to see this. He shuts his eyes again, trying to erase the bruises, the shape of small fingers, clearly evident on Ryeowook’s arm. Exhaling through his mouth, Donghae shakes his head hesitantly, then forcefully.
“No Ryeowook, the love I know is not something like that. It doesn’t involve screaming, beatings, and abuse. Ryeowook, this…isn’t the love we all know.” Donghae states softly, and he watches as Ryeowook pulls his hand smoothly away, and he adjusts his clothing.
“Thanks Donghae,” Ryeowook replies, and Donghae looks on as Ryeowook walks out of the room, his statement clearly having no effect on the latter, not even a single dent made on his favourable impression of Yesung. Shit, Donghae thinks to himself, damn all this crap.
---------------
Donghae is disorientated; he clearly remembers that he has just prepared for bed (for once), and that his head has hit the pillow, so why the hell is he doing at a beach now, squinting at the bright sunlight above like some foreigner who doesn’t belong here? He stumbles to his feet, his eyesight still adjusting, and he not-so-silently curses to himself.
“Why so grumpy?” He hears someone ask, and Donghae whirls around to spot a figure leaning against a tree, in the shade, away from that cruel and harsh sunlight that is threatening to burn Donghae alive. He makes his way towards the tree, slightly re-energized, but he stops halfway and stares wide-eyed at the other person.
“What?” Eunhyuk asks, looking up and down himself, then Donghae. He raises a hand in greeting, and Donghae sees the slight smile that Eunhyuk sports. He looks nice, Donghae thinks to himself, and Eunhyuk’s smile grows a little wider, and Donghae wonders if his thoughts are written out on his forehead.
“You again…” Donghae mumbles, and Eunhyuk tilts his head to the side.
“You don’t like seeing me that often, or in every dream, do you?” Eunhyuk asks, and Donghae shakes his head quickly while spluttering some incoherent reply that he doesn’t even know what he is talking about. Eunhyuk raises a hand to signal for him to stop, which he does, and Eunhyuk pulls him under the shade, still smiling, if not wider.
“So, what’s up?” Eunhyuk starts, and Donghae switches his gaze from the other to the sea, while subconsciously letting out a sigh.
“Ryeowook…he…” Donghae says, but he stops, hesitant, and he wonders if it is right for him to divulge secrets about his friend’s relationship. He looks at Eunhyuk, who nods at him to go on, and Donghae feels like he can trust that smile, and there’s this instinct within him that prods him to unburden all his responsibilities, to talk, to share, to forget, just for this time.
“I think…Yesung is abusing him.” Donghae trails off at the end, and he doesn’t see that Eunhyuk stiffens a little, his mind solely focused on the waves beating against the shore, slow and steady, washing his mind of all his troubles, taking them all out to the sea. The silence stretches, and Donghae refuses to look at Eunhyuk’s expression; he wonders what Eunhyuk will think about him.
“So you are worried for Ryeowook?”
Donghae jumps; he doesn’t know that Eunhyuk has abridged the distance between them, until they are almost touching, and Eunhyuk is looking straight at him. Donghae takes a step back, out of the shade, and Eunhyuk raises an eyebrow, which Donghae silently notes how it arches over his eye perfectly. They stare at each other, unmoving, until Eunhyuk lets out a sigh and stretches his hand out.
Donghae feels Eunhyuk yank him back into the shade, hard, and he stumbles slightly. Eunhyuk mumbles a ‘you-are-worrying-too-much-about-others’ into his ear, and Donghae’s mind blanks temporarily. He looks up into the taller’s eyes, and they are dark; Donghae cannot fathom what is going behind in the brain of the other. He blinks once, and he feels himself pulled into Eunhyuk’s embrace, and he is surprised, what in the world is Eunhyuk doing-
“Don’t open your eyes till I tell you to.” Eunhyuk instructs quietly, and Donghae doesn’t feel like obediently following Eunhyuk’s orders; he struggles, but the other is stronger, and he just feels himself being clutched even tighter. A strong and angry ‘what!’ leaves his mouth, but Eunhyuk just stares at him, and Donghae feels as if Eunhyuk can read his mind. Shit, Donghae cries out to himself in his mind, and Eunhyuk’s expression softens as Donghae drops his head in defeat.
“Eyes.” Eunhyuk prompts, and Donghae closes his eyes loosely in resignation. He hears Eunhyuk hum cheerfully in response, and he feels the other concentrate, hard, as the arms around him tighten once. A peek wouldn’t kill, Donghae thinks, and he opens one eye slightly.
He sees the sea disappearing in front of his sight, every single water droplet dissipate into thin air. He sees the sand follow, and soon structures start popping out. It doesn’t make sense at first, like that pillar looks completely out of place, and Donghae is bewildered, what on earth is happening, until he gradually absorbs the whole picture, and his mind feebly alerts him that they are standing on a highway, with an overhead shelter blocking the light. He stares, wide-eyed, and he continues to even after Eunhyuk loosens his arms around him, and takes a step back to observe Donghae’s reaction.
It doesn’t take a genius to understand what Donghae has just done, Eunhyuk thinks, and he shakes his head in resignation. “Told you to keep your eyes closed,” Eunhyuk sighs, and he pulls Donghae slightly on the arm to jerk the latter out of his reverie.
“Come, dance.” Eunhyuk states, and Donghae blinks once, twice, deliberately slow. Eunhyuk sighs again, and he points to Donghae’s tense set of shoulders. Donghae narrows his eyes at the other, and he opens his mouth to throw out all the questions that he has been harbouring since that transformation.
“What in the world was-”
Eunhyuk bites his lower lip in frustration as he whirls Donghae around immediately and clamps his palm over the other’s mouth. Donghae can feel his back against Eunhyuk’s chest, and his mind hurriedly sets that note aside to allow his questions to run forth.
“Too many questions.” Eunhyuk mumbles into his right ear, and he tightens his hold on Donghae as Donghae struggles. He can feel Donghae’s lips against his palm, moving, but it is a risk he rather not take.
“Too many worries.” Eunhyuk continues, and Donghae feels the other palm creeping up on his face, covering his eyesight. He struggles even harder, but he just feels Eunhyuk pressing himself even more forcefully onto the other’s chest. He stops abruptly, and Eunhyuk emits a soft chuckle.
“Remember what I told you the first time we met?” Eunhyuk asks, and Donghae nods.
“Good, don’t fight me now.”
Donghae feels Eunhyuk lifting his hands from his hand, but he keeps his eyes shut; there’s something that tells him he should close his eyes and savour this moment even more. Eunhyuk starts to move, and he entwines his fingers around Donghae’s, and the latter resists the urge to pull his hands away.
Donghae remembers what Eunhyuk tells him in the first dream, and he breathes; he feels the wind blowing softly against the both of them, he feels the rhythm Eunhyuk has created, all along to the tempo of Donghae’s heartbeat. He relaxes, and he feels Eunhyuk’s smile in his hair. He feels, and he understands the movements, he understands the expression and flow, and he smiles a little, subconsciously.
The smile grows wider, and more carefree as the dance proceeds. Donghae wonders how Eunhyuk manages to dance so well, even when he himself isn’t doing anything, and Eunhyuk is just leading him along, and he doesn’t feel like a burden to Eunhyuk. There’s something that sparks off here, and Donghae thinks he likes how it feels like.
At the end of it, Eunhyuk twirls him around once, until Donghae is facing Eunhyuk, and the both of them are breathless. Eunhyuk has his arms crossed over his chest, a smug smile playing on his lips, while Donghae bites his lips, trying to hide the foolish expression that is threatening to show itself.
“Better?” Eunhyuk asks, and Donghae opens his mouth, but for a while nothing comes out. The relieved sigh that escapes from his mouth is a mix of astonishment and admiration, and Eunhyuk grins.
“I take that as good.” Eunhyuk states, and he turns himself around, so the breeze is blowing directly in his face, and Donghae thinks that this is just a simple, yet beautiful scene in front of him. He lets the smile appear on his face, and he regains his breath, walking slowly to stand beside Eunhyuk.
“I rarely say this,” Donghae starts, and Eunhyuk turns towards him, “but you make me feel better.”
“I think I like you.” Donghae finishes, with this friendly crease on his brows, and the smile that Eunhyuk gives off makes Donghae think everything like this is perfect.
When Donghae opens his eyes again to find himself halfway dangling from the bed, the blanket haphazardly arranged over his legs, he runs to his computer, and he starts writing this story, where the male protagonist faces so much pressure and betrayal in the world, that his own mind betrays him.
----------------------
The alarm clock rings shrilly, and Donghae winces, his hand searching on the table top for that button to press. He fumbles a little, knocking some pieces of papers aside, sloshing the cup half-filled with cappuccino (oops, Donghae thinks, as he stills the cup before it can topple over the table), and he reaches the alarm clock. Before he can press the button, the alarm stops suddenly, and Donghae jerks upright immediately.
“….Eunhyuk?” Donghae mumbles incoherently, staring at the figure in front of him, who is reading several pieces of paper intently. His eyesight gradually clears up, and he realizes that Ryeowook is making a tsk sound at the back of his throat, waving the papers right in front of Donghae’s face.
“Donghae….this.” Ryeowook points to the sheaf of papers in his hand, “this is good stuff. I mean, how does the protagonist manage to carve out someone so perfect in his mind?” Disbelief is clearly drawn on Ryeowook’s face, but there is also this shy smile that makes it way on, something that makes Donghae feel proud of himself, like he has accomplished something, for once.
“Yeah,” Donghae mutters, “yeah.” Ryeowook nods eagerly, and he pulls out his phone to dial a single number Donghae has seen him press so many times before. The excited tone travels to Donghae’s ears, and Donghae is glad, that at least someone is benefitting from this, at least someone is happy from all of this.
This is not entirely to his credit though, Donghae thinks to himself as he watches Ryeowook shuffle through the papers. He wonders if Eunhyuk is real, because the latter has been appearing in his dreams every single time he manages to catch some sleep, and guides him along with the story, providing him inspiration, because the story encapsulates every single thing that is happening to him, himself.
Donghae knows that this is a potential bestseller on his hands, but he wonders if it is coming at the expense of his mind.
----------------
“Eunhyuk?” Donghae calls out. “I know you are somewhere there.”
He glances at the wide, huge room with white walls, completely devoid of any colour at all. There are several buckets of paint lying in a corner of the room, but the main lead of his dreams has yet to appear. Donghae takes a tentative step towards the centre of the room, pondering. He closes his eyes and spins around, tasting the fresh air in the room.
“Took you a long time to get here.”
Donghae stops abruptly and opens his eyes, and Eunhyuk is standing in the doorway, a tired smile ghosting his lips. Donghae nods, adjusting his clothes a little, and pretends he was not having fun spinning all alone by himself. He misses the slight frown on Eunhyuk’s eyebrows as the latter takes a slow step into the room, his feet dragging slightly.
“Yeah, I have a few more chapters for the climax, and then the ending.” Donghae states, “so what do you have for me today?”
“Nothing,” Eunhyuk says clearly, and he watches as Donghae’s face falls.
“Other than the usual. We are going to paint this room.” Eunhyuk finishes, and he smiles slightly as Donghae bites his lower lip, realizing that he has been fooled previously. Donghae turns around towards the paint buckets, only to realize that there is a lack of paintbrushes. He whirls around to face Eunhyuk again, and he sees Eunhyuk concentrating hard, so much that his whole face is contorted in concentration, and Donghae’s heart jumps slightly in alarm.
“Eunhyuk?” Donghae mumbles, unsure.
Eunhyuk winces as if something has hit him, and Donghae takes a step towards him immediately. However, Eunhyuk raises an arm to halt Donghae’s movement, and the paintbrushes appear in his outstretched hands slowly. Eunhyuk tilts his head, and he laughs softly at the creases in Donghae’s face.
“Here.” Eunhyuk offers the brush, and Donghae grabs it, still a little hesitant.
“What?”
“Are you alright?”
“Too many questions, Donghae.” Eunhyuk reminds, and he dips his brush into the blue paint and splatters the paint on the opposing wall. Donghae sighs, this isn’t the first time Eunhyuk has avoided his questions, but he hasn’t given up yet, perhaps one day Eunhyuk may just answer one of them.
“That’s not how you paint a room. You dip your brush in and paint in slow, steady moves, up and down, up and down.” Donghae demonstrates, and as his paint runs dry, he looks over at Eunhyuk’s progress, only to realize that the other is looking at him with an unfathomable expression etched on his face.
“Too many opinions, Donghae.” And there is light and mischievous smile that crawls up onto Eunhyuk’s face as he dips his paint brush into the bucket filled with red. “And I don’t approve of that.” Eunhyuk continues, as he raises his brush, taking small steps towards Donghae with his brush held out.
“So?”
“So…would you like to be painted first?” Eunhyuk asks cheekily, and he flicks his brush at Donghae before the latter can make any sound.
“Blue.” Eunhyuk concludes, “blue will look better on you, and blue is your favourite colour, right?” Eunhyuk ponders aloud, and before Donghae can make any coherent answer, he finds himself splashed with nearly a quarter of blue paint in the bucket itself. He looks himself up and down, and he settles for gaping at the other who is holding this teasing smile on his face currently.
“Purple.” Eunhyuk concludes as he takes a step back to survey his handiwork. “Not bad, mixing red and blue turns out to be purple, it can almost fit you, as a royalty member.” Donghae feels the sides of his mouth curving up into a grin, and he waves his own brush around, transmitting the fact that “I-have-a-brush-too-like-you”. Eunhyuk’s eyes widen with mock fear and they spark off a paint war, flicking random spurts and splatters of paint on each other.
“How about this?” Donghae exclaims, as he sloshes half of the peach-coloured paint on Eunhyuk’s lower body that Eunhyuk doesn’t manage to escape from.
“That’s cheating! You are only supposed to use the brush, not the whole bucket full of paint!” Eunhyuk shouts, and the war continues.
Minutes later, or hours later, Eunhyuk manages to pin Donghae down on the floor, and a victory smile graces his lips as Eunhyuk watches the other struggle in his grasp. Both of them are breathless, and there’s this red flush in Donghae’s cheeks that Eunhyuk appreciates.
“I win.” Eunhyuk states smugly, and he uses one free hand to draw a paint bucket filled with white paint closer to the both of them, dipping his brush into it and drawing random patterns on Donghae’s face. Donghae squirms , and mock anger flashes in his eyes as Eunhyuk continues to ignore him and hold him down firmly, doing whatever Donghae thinks he is doing to his face.
“Don’t get so angry.” Eunhyuk smiles, “it’s a dream only after all. You wouldn’t get dirty in real life.”
“This doesn’t feel like a dream anymore; you feel real.” Donghae gasps out, and Eunhyuk lifts an eyebrow.
“Are you a guardian angel or what?” Donghae questions, and it doesn’t really matter if Eunhyuk continues to shun his questions like dodging bullets; he just wants to release all these out. Eunhyuk only hums in reply, but Donghae clearly hears him mumbling something about committing a sin if he is a guardian angel.
“Maybe I’m real, not just a figment of your imagination.” Eunhyuk says, a teasing smile on his face as he continues to paint swirling circles on Donghae’s cheeks. Donghae jerks his face sideways, and Eunhyuk groans at how he has accidentally painted his own fingers with white paint with that single action.
“Stay still!” Eunhyuk commands, and Donghae stops moving his head abruptly, and he decides that it is now or never to know whether Eunhyuk is just a wonderful person his mind is conjuring up, or if Eunhyuk is definitely real. He pulls Eunhyuk towards him and presses his lips against Eunhyuk’s left cheek, eyes shut tightly, because supposedly all good stuff disappears when it reaches the climax, and for Donghae this may be it and he doesn’t know if Eunhyuk will still be in his arms after this-
A short chuckle breaks his train of thoughts, and Donghae opens his eyes tentatively to find his lips pressed against the currently silently vibrating side of Eunhyuk’s cheek. He exhales slowly, and Eunhyuk pulls himself up slightly to stare into Donghae’s eyes, searching and questioning.
“You’re real.” Donghae breathes, and he is unable to hide the smile that is now shining on his face.
“When did I say I wasn’t?” Eunhyuk counters, and the wink from Eunhyuk that follows coaxes a short laugh from Donghae. Eunhyuk picks up the paintbrush dropped previously, and he paints the very tip of Donghae’s nose in blue.
“You’re mine, now that I have marked you.” Eunhyuk notes, the smug grin undeniable. Donghae chortles, and he pulls Eunhyuk closer and this is probably the best experience he ever had in his entire life, up till now, Donghae thinks, and his mind can only process how melodious Eunhyuk’s laughter sounds like when the latter laughs right into his ear softly.
When Donghae finds himself slumped all over the computer table again, he rushes to the toilet and faces his reflection in the mirror. He notices that there is a little smudge of blue right on the tip of his nose, and his brain starts whirling all around. And then he realizes he doesn’t know anymore, if the world he currently exists in is a dream, and if the world with Eunhyuk is the dream instead.
----------------
There’s this time where Donghae actually leaves the house, amidst all his writing, to buy some groceries that Eunhyuk has once remarked that his house is seriously lacking, from the vivid description Donghae gives the other. He emerges from the lift with a bag in each hand, and he makes his way slowly towards his door, only to see Yesung, switching his weight from foot to foot.
“Hyung.”
Yesung turns around, and there’s this awkward smile on his face. Donghae pretends that he doesn’t notice the single rose that Yesung is holding, and he fishes for his keys to the door of his house.
“You’re here to collect the final edited version, right? Ryeowook told me.” Donghae says easily, as he unlocks the front door and pushes his way in, holding the door long enough for Yesung to step in, quietly. He places his groceries on the kitchen table and collects the final version from the printer, which he hands it over to Yesung with a cocked eyebrow. Yesung fidgets, and he looks uncomfortable.
“Is Ryeowook coming here later or something? I mean, I can leave this here and you can pass it to him later on.” Yesung stutters slightly, and he lifts the rose in his hand, the thorns removed and the petals unfolding.
“No hyung, you pass it to him yourself.” Donghae states quietly and firmly, and after a while Yesung nods, like he understands. He holds on to the sheaf of papers even tighter and he waves goodbye to Donghae, his hand still clutching the rose, and he makes his way out of the house by himself.
Donghae sighs, and he rummages in one of the cupboards under his computer desk. He pulls out a bottle of sleeping pills and he grins, although it seems a little paradoxical to smile in this situation. Insomnia isn’t really fun, and this is the only salvation to reach the place where he really wants to be. Donghae takes a pill out and swallows it with water, and as he fades into the world where he thinks he belongs, his hand is clutching tightly to the dreamcatcher.
----------------
“Donghae…”
Donghae turns his head, and he spots Eunhyuk sighing right beside him. They are in the green meadow where Eunhyuk pulled him to in the very first dream. Donghae hums back, his hand searching on the grass for a certain palm to entwine his fingers around, and he hums a victory tune when he finds it, bringing it to lie on his chest.
“It’s getter harder to access you.” Eunhyuk sighs again, and Donghae smiles lazily at the other.
“Now you are the one who is thinking too much,” Donghae grins as he smoothes out the frown in Eunhyuk’s forehead. “Don’t you think it is such a coincidence that everything in my life seems to have become smooth-sailing after I met you?”
“Donghae…” Eunhyuk whispers, and Donghae listens, “there is no such thing as coincidence. There’s luck, there’s opportunity, but no coincidence. When the time comes, you have to give the dreamcatcher to someone who needs it more than you.”
Donghae widens his eyes, and he sees Eunhyuk understand his ‘what-are-you-talking-about?’ notion in his gaze.
“You need the dreamcatcher to help you with your book. The book’s done; it’s time to pass the dreamcatcher on to someone else.”
“But…,” Donghae splutters, “then I can’t see you anymore?” There’s this sudden surge of anger and lost then rises up in him, and Donghae doesn’t know which one he should deal with first. He takes in Eunhyuk’s sad, piercing stare, but he tries his best to break by shaking his head, once, twice, and so vigorously he thinks his world is going into a dizzy spin of colours.
“No.”
“Yes.”
“No.” Donghae exhales sharply, and he pulls Eunhyuk in hard so he can press his lips against the other’s, because it makes him feel that the world is the right side up whenever he does that. He can feel Eunhyuk tearing, but he doesn’t want to mind that, he just wants to ignore everything, because damn it, Eunhyuk is responding as well, but why does it feel like a farewell, a parting gift, instead of one that is just filled with their passion?
Eunhyuk draws back a little after a while, and Donghae closes his eyes, breathing in the scent of Eunhyuk. He feels the other kiss both of his eyelids once, and he feels a teardrop slide onto his right cheek as Eunhyuk kisses the top of his nose. He is holding on tightly to Eunhyuk’s hand, because it feels so right, but it feels like it’s going to end soon.
“Donghae,” Eunhyuk whispers, “goodbye.”
And Donghae finds himself lying on the computer table after a while, with Ryeowook standing in front of him, totally bewildered, because there are tears running down his face, and Ryeowook doesn’t know what to do to comfort the other.
--------------
The book’s a bestseller, which is a really well-known fact. Donghae’s standing up, nodding politely at the reporters seated in the conference room, all eager to get a piece of what inspired him to write such a book that beat the rival’s agency hands down. There is no competition, actually, because according to Ryeowook, a certain person pre-ordered several hundred copies of his book, which was approximately six months ago, and this gained such a huge snowball effect that the book is where it is now.
He is smiling awkwardly; he reckons that, but he doesn’t feel like he really fits into the place here. His hand digs its way into one of the pockets of his suit, and he fingers the dreamcatcher in there, and he exhales, feeling slightly comforted. Six months without him, and yet Donghae feels like he hasn’t really moved on. Someone pats him lightly on the back, and he turns around to see Yesung standing there, a studying gaze as he checks Donghae’s countenance.
“Ready?” Yesung asks, and Donghae shrugs.
“I never will be I guess.”
“We are ready to start then. Shall I make the announcemen-”
“Donghae-hyung!” Someone shouts, and both Donghae and Yesung turn to face the approaching Ryeowook. As the latter reaches them, Yesung inconspicuously places his arm around Ryeowook’s waist, and the smile that Ryeowook beams is one that Donghae rarely sees. Donghae grins, at least Yesung’s trying, he figures, and he nods his approval.
“I would like you to meet the person who gave you that dreamcatcher, the thing that inspired you.” Ryeowook gestures, and he turns around, only to complete one full circle as he realizes that the person was not following him.
“That’s weird, Eunhyuk-hyung was just here, wasn’t he?” Ryeowook mutters, and Yesung nods, pulling the other a little closer as cameramen start to set up their equipment at the most favourable spot, and reporters murmur slightly louder than the talk the three of them are currently holding. Donghae stares, because he isn’t sure if his ears are playing a trick, because that name sounds so familiar-
“Did you say Eunhyuk?” Donghae questions, his breathing speeding up.
“Yeah, he’s my elder brother.” Ryeowook frowns. “Now where in the world is he…”
Donghae’s breath catches, and he wills himself to stay calm and all, because it may just be a coincidence, it’s not uncommon for someone to have the same Korean name, the characters are for everyone to take, and Eunhyuk’s a pretty name that probably everyone will want their children to have -
Donghae… there is no such thing as coincidence. There’s luck, there’s opportunity, but no coincidence.
Damn, Donghae thinks, and he shrugs out of his suit quickly, only to be caught by Yesung and Ryeowook, both staring at him incredulously.
“Where did you last see him?” Donghae demands, and Ryeowook raises his eyebrows. He points to the set of doors at the end of the conference, and Donghae is already bursting forth, except for the strong grip that Yesung is holding him in. Donghae struggles, it feels like he has always been fighting against others, but the only person he has allowed himself to lose to is just somewhere round the corner, and he cannot afford to lose this opportunity without Eunhyuk. His eyes convey a ‘let-me-go’ to Yesung, but Yesung is still confused, and now Ryeowook is also holding on to him.
“You can’t go now.” Yesung murmurs with urgency evident in his voice, his gaze running across the horde of reporters present.
“Please, Yesung. You can do something about this. I’m not an impulsive person, but you have to let me go this time.” Donghae states. He recalls something all of a sudden, and he digs out the dreamcatcher that has been lying in the pocket, and he places it right in the middle of Yesung’s palm. The other two look at him, perplexed, and Ryeowook just points at the object Yesung has.
“Isn’t that what my hyung gave to you? He specified it for you!”
“But he told me to pass it on to someone who needs it more, and I think Yesung has a better use of it now.” Donghae remarks, and Ryeowook’s eyes just widen, and both of them drop their hands in shock at what Donghae has just mentioned, because they are pretty sure that when did Donghae ever see Eunhyuk before?
Donghae mutters a ‘thanks’, and he is running out of the room, and he hears the reporters shouting, but he doesn’t care, because he doesn’t want to let this chance just slip out of his grasp like that. It isn’t long till Donghae sees a figure with such a familiar back view, and he runs up to the other, and he jerks on the other’s hand, forcing the other to whirl around to face him.
“Eunhyuk.” Donghae breathes, panting heavily.
“Donghae.” A soft whisper.
“What a fool.” Donghae grunts out, and he sees Eunhyuk’s face fall.
“I have been.” Donghae continues, and Eunhyuk stares at him with this profound expression that Donghae cannot make out. There’s this reluctant smile that gets up onto Eunhyuk’s face, and one second later it becomes a full-blown one that Eunhyuk is desperately trying to hide behind his palm.
“If I haven’t run out…”Donghae says, and Eunhyuk tilts his head as he ponders over the alternative outcome.
“You wouldn’t have seen me.” Eunhyuk concludes.
“And I will be hating myself until white hair grows out of my scalp and my teeth rot and fall out.” Donghae finishes. There’s this silence that grows between them, and they are just staring at each other, until Eunhyuk touches the tip of Donghae’s nose, and Donghae feels like he is falling for the other all over again.
Donghae growls, and he pulls Eunhyuk in until every part of their bodies is touching, and he notes the way how Eunhyuk sighs into his mouth contentedly, wrapping their arms around each other in public. He notes how Eunhyuk settles his hands on his waist, and the way the both of them feel absolutely at ease, and Donghae can’t help but feel that he has found his right world.
-------
A/N: I'm back? And I applaud you if you finish this in one go. :D
And how do you respond when your mum is super vocal during sex? I'm like banned from closing my door, and they are seriously super noisy, and now I feel super awkward because I'm from a conversative family. D: GAH.
Author: xoxo_nat_xx
Pairing: Hyukhae, Yewook
Ratings: PG-13
Word count: 6987
Beta-ed by: akihikaru!
Summary: And then he realizes he doesn’t know anymore, if the world he currently exists in is a dream, and if the world with Eunhyuk is the dream instead.
Heat.
The next thing his mind registers is the bellowing wisps of smoke surrounding him. Visibility is low, and he feels a slight twinge of alarm as he blindly claws his way through the smoke; he can’t even see his hand outstretched in front of him, for god’s sake, not even to mention the dimly lit exit sign hanging above that damn emergency door.
A flash of red, yellow, orange all mixed into one.
It doesn’t help that the heat is getting suffocating; the drops of perspiration dripping off his hair, all stuck together now, are not really helping with matters now. What’s the use now, he thinks dryly to himself, and he shuts his eyes tightly; at least he will not be able to see the approaching end and look at it square in the face. The cackle is almost audible now, and he can feel the objects in its way being devoured, except you cannot really hear leather couches and glass vases crying out loud, right?
Salvation? There’s no more salvation available once he’s dead, there’s no more use for it anymore.
“Donghae!”
It sounds weirdly familiar. He opens his eyes, but he is sure he has never seen that silhouette anywhere before. However, it is feels rather comforting, and he tilts his head upwards, his eyes watering because of the smoke. He hears the stranger muttering something under his breath, but he cannot make out what it was. He mumbles back a “What?” and he is met with the piercing gaze of the other.
“Don’t fight me.” The stranger replies, and Donghae is bewildered; he feels like he should be shooting questions, like arrows, but he cannot summon the energy to do so, all he can do is to feel his eyes slipping shut.
“Donghae!!”
Donghae jerks awake, his hand carelessly sweeping a pile of paperwork onto the ground. He lets out a groan as someone switches on the light; it’s literally glaring into his eyes. He squints against the light, and someone comes into his field of vision.
“God, Ryeowook. Can’t I have a few more minutes of sleep? Seriously I need the-” Donghae moans, but he stops abruptly as Ryeowook lowers himself to Donghae’s eye level, his hand holding firmly onto Donghae’s chin, which is threatening to reunite itself with the smooth table top.
“No. Until you listen to what I have to say.” Ryeowook states calmly, and Donghae nods, resigned.
“The publisher wants a new work from you, very soon. He needs some book to counter that bestseller from our rival agency, and he thought yours would probably do the job. However,” Ryeowook looks around the room, “there doesn’t seem to be much progress since we last talked. He is now literally breathing down our necks, or rather, mine alone.” Ryeowook adds, as an afterthought. He jerks Donghae’s head again, for luck, and Donghae sighs.
“I know you get your inspiration from your dreams.” Ryeowook says, and Donghae nods tiredly.
“Which is recently nothing but nightmares.” Ryeowook continues, and Donghae fights the urge to roll his eyes; it isn’t Ryeowook’s fault that he has such a bad-at-following-deadlines but talented writer on his hands.
“Ryeowook, you aren’t helping much-”
“So I got this thing from my hyung, supposedly it works miracles. Hopefully you manage to craft something similar to your bestseller, the one about this person who meets several others on his path to a particular destination?” Ryeowook waves his hands about, and Donghae feels a small smile crawling up his face.
“It’s called a dreamcatcher, which according to my hyung, helps keeps the bad dreams away, and it works for him.” Ryeowook supplies helpfully, and he hangs it right on the computer, which he knows is the place where Donghae sleeps at, almost every night.
Donghae fingers the accessory, and he turns his head towards Ryeowook, his expression soft. Ryeowook snaps his fingers and waves his hand, and Donghae understands; Ryeowook isn’t someone who likes to show much affection, and this is one of the gestures in which Ryeowook shows that he cares for him. It’s subtle, quiet, yet touching.
Donghae smiles; perhaps the dreamcatcher will help him after all.
---------------------
Fire. Again.
Now the fear’s almost palpable. Donghae wishes he isn’t the one experiencing all this, but watching this as a third person’s point of view, top down, like a camera swooping down to capture the best angle of this scene. He cannot escape; this time he has searched every corner of this room, even as the flames are almost on him, he is still searching. This can’t be my end, Donghae thinks, and he sinks to the floor.
Someone grabs his hand all of a sudden, and Donghae jolts upright. He turns around, only to find the stranger holding firmly to his hand again. Those eyes are now filled with determination, none of the fear that is conveyed in Donghae’s eyes. The stranger mutters an almost-audible curse (Oh wow, my brain is able to conjure such curses in dreams as well, Donghae thinks), and he pulls on Donghae’s hand, hard.
“Damn it Donghae, I told you not to fight me.” The stranger grunts, and he closes his eyes, his brows burrowed in concentration. Donghae musters the energy to frame a “What?” and the stranger brings a finger up to his lips immediately. He brushes his hands over Donghae’s eyes, and Donghae’s world falls into darkness.
“Breathe, relax, feel.” The stranger exhales slowly, and Donghae finds himself doing whatever the other says. After a while, he feels the hand slip away from his face, and he opens his eyes hesitantly. He is greeted by a field of green grass, devoid of any trees, or any other protruding objects, as far as he can see. The smell of freshly cut grass floats through him, and he takes in a deep breath; it has been long since he ever experienced this. He turns around, and he spots another man lying down on the grass, the picture of exhaustion. Cautiously, he makes his way, and sits down quietly beside the other.
There are a million of questions running across his mind at this instant, but Donghae opts for the simplest one; one that doesn’t seem too intrusive, yet seemingly innocent enough to strike up a conversation.
“Why are you so tired?”
Donghae does pop the question, but he immediately quails and draws back when the other turns a glare upon him. The stranger stands up quickly and brushes off the dirt on his pants, his back towards Donghae. Inconspicuously, Donghae moves a little closer, and he hears the other mutters a string of curses interspersed with some words he cannot comprehend.
“Sir…?”
“-a freaking mind controller who doesn’t know his own business coming in barging into other people’s dream like it’s my destiny what the hell was I thinking about, someone who doesn’t even know how to relax and use his five senses yet his dreams are so vivid I needed so much strength to pull him out of it-”
“Sir!” Donghae tries again, and he gets the other’s attention almost immediately, though he wishes that the glare can be directed at something else instead. He drops his hands by his side and rubs them self-consciously, biting his lips in the process. Donghae places the emotion as uncomfortable, and he wriggles his toes in his shoes; it’s the first time he feels so out-of-place.
“Sir, I mean, I’m trying to be friendly, no offence here, I mean, it’s my dream after all right, I don’t want to be so anti-social in my dreams as well, it’s like the only place where I can be who I want to be, and can we just be friends? I mean you don’t have to agree, but it would be pretty pathetic if I fail at making friends in my own mind as well, you get what I-”
Donghae gets cut off as the stranger lets out an abrupt chuckle, and he can only stare as the other clutches to his stomach so tightly until the latter is bent double, roaring away in laughter. Donghae fidgets, the feeling is still there definitely, and he doesn’t know if the stranger is laughing at the absurdity of this all, or what he has just said. After a while, the stranger calms down a little, and he lifts up a hand to gesture at Donghae.
“So, do you always talk that much? I mean, you really talk a lot, and perhaps you can spare some energy to your five senses. You are a great person to be with, though, that I can feel.”
Donghae continues staring; he knows his eyes are probably very wide now, and he wonders if he is staring a little too much. Exhaling everything in one single breath, Donghae bites his lower lip and attempts to side-step the question which he doesn’t really know how to answer.
“I’m Donghae.” He says, shrugging a little, and he knows it’s a pathetic attempt to divert attention, but the stranger doesn’t seem to mind that much.
“Eunhyuk.” The other grins, and he lifts up his hand towards Donghae.
----------------
Donghae wakes up to a piercing sound, and a grumble is about to escape his lips until he opens his eyes and takes in the situation in front of him.
Glass, or rather, remnants of a cup someone has given him, pieces of it, shattered, all lying on the ground.
“I don’t care how you do it, just get that bloody writer, who is lying on his desk sleeping like a pig, to write out a bloody piece for me before my company gets reduced to the same state as the cup over there.”
Donghae shuts his eyes tightly, it doesn’t take a genius to know who that is, and what has just transpired.
“Yesung….” A whisper, afraid to wake up the person who is supposedly sleeping.
“Damn it Ryeowook, if you can get your damn job as his manager done well, then I will probably be jumping for joy now, and you will not have to beg me with this pitiful face now.” Yesung snarls, and Donghae can almost see what is happening in the kitchen, Ryeowook holding on to Yesung’s forearm, but the latter doesn’t really care, as he jerks his hand out of Ryeowook’s grasp and stalks out of the kitchen, out of the door.
Donghae hears the whimper that escapes from Ryeowook, and he remains stoic, awkwardly upright, eyes closed, as the latter makes his way into the living room from the kitchen. He hears Ryeowook stop in his tracks, and he can almost feel Ryeowook’s mind churning as he considers the possibility of what Donghae heard just now.
“Ryeowook…”
“Donghae.” Ryeowook starts, his voice disturbingly emotionless. “That was nothing--”
“Screw nothing, Ryeowook!” Donghae shouts, “He shouldn’t be treating you this way, even when it’s my fault, the editor shouldn’t be punishing you.” The atmosphere is tense, and the air is still. Donghae is breathing harshly, although he doesn’t know why he is doing so. Ryeowook, on the other hand, is just staring, staring quietly, and Donghae feels suffocated, as if he is the only one trying to overcome whatever is building up here.
“Love isn’t that way.” Donghae whispers, and he watches as Ryeowook’s features shift. Donghae stands up slowly, and Ryeowook stares as Donghae walks closer towards him.
“No, Donghae, don’t come closer-”
Donghae grabs Ryeowook by his arm, and he yanks the long sleeves of Ryeowook’s shirt upwards, gentle yet firm. What he sees shock him, although he thinks he is already mentally prepared, or even expecting to see this. He shuts his eyes again, trying to erase the bruises, the shape of small fingers, clearly evident on Ryeowook’s arm. Exhaling through his mouth, Donghae shakes his head hesitantly, then forcefully.
“No Ryeowook, the love I know is not something like that. It doesn’t involve screaming, beatings, and abuse. Ryeowook, this…isn’t the love we all know.” Donghae states softly, and he watches as Ryeowook pulls his hand smoothly away, and he adjusts his clothing.
“Thanks Donghae,” Ryeowook replies, and Donghae looks on as Ryeowook walks out of the room, his statement clearly having no effect on the latter, not even a single dent made on his favourable impression of Yesung. Shit, Donghae thinks to himself, damn all this crap.
---------------
Donghae is disorientated; he clearly remembers that he has just prepared for bed (for once), and that his head has hit the pillow, so why the hell is he doing at a beach now, squinting at the bright sunlight above like some foreigner who doesn’t belong here? He stumbles to his feet, his eyesight still adjusting, and he not-so-silently curses to himself.
“Why so grumpy?” He hears someone ask, and Donghae whirls around to spot a figure leaning against a tree, in the shade, away from that cruel and harsh sunlight that is threatening to burn Donghae alive. He makes his way towards the tree, slightly re-energized, but he stops halfway and stares wide-eyed at the other person.
“What?” Eunhyuk asks, looking up and down himself, then Donghae. He raises a hand in greeting, and Donghae sees the slight smile that Eunhyuk sports. He looks nice, Donghae thinks to himself, and Eunhyuk’s smile grows a little wider, and Donghae wonders if his thoughts are written out on his forehead.
“You again…” Donghae mumbles, and Eunhyuk tilts his head to the side.
“You don’t like seeing me that often, or in every dream, do you?” Eunhyuk asks, and Donghae shakes his head quickly while spluttering some incoherent reply that he doesn’t even know what he is talking about. Eunhyuk raises a hand to signal for him to stop, which he does, and Eunhyuk pulls him under the shade, still smiling, if not wider.
“So, what’s up?” Eunhyuk starts, and Donghae switches his gaze from the other to the sea, while subconsciously letting out a sigh.
“Ryeowook…he…” Donghae says, but he stops, hesitant, and he wonders if it is right for him to divulge secrets about his friend’s relationship. He looks at Eunhyuk, who nods at him to go on, and Donghae feels like he can trust that smile, and there’s this instinct within him that prods him to unburden all his responsibilities, to talk, to share, to forget, just for this time.
“I think…Yesung is abusing him.” Donghae trails off at the end, and he doesn’t see that Eunhyuk stiffens a little, his mind solely focused on the waves beating against the shore, slow and steady, washing his mind of all his troubles, taking them all out to the sea. The silence stretches, and Donghae refuses to look at Eunhyuk’s expression; he wonders what Eunhyuk will think about him.
“So you are worried for Ryeowook?”
Donghae jumps; he doesn’t know that Eunhyuk has abridged the distance between them, until they are almost touching, and Eunhyuk is looking straight at him. Donghae takes a step back, out of the shade, and Eunhyuk raises an eyebrow, which Donghae silently notes how it arches over his eye perfectly. They stare at each other, unmoving, until Eunhyuk lets out a sigh and stretches his hand out.
Donghae feels Eunhyuk yank him back into the shade, hard, and he stumbles slightly. Eunhyuk mumbles a ‘you-are-worrying-too-much-about-others’ into his ear, and Donghae’s mind blanks temporarily. He looks up into the taller’s eyes, and they are dark; Donghae cannot fathom what is going behind in the brain of the other. He blinks once, and he feels himself pulled into Eunhyuk’s embrace, and he is surprised, what in the world is Eunhyuk doing-
“Don’t open your eyes till I tell you to.” Eunhyuk instructs quietly, and Donghae doesn’t feel like obediently following Eunhyuk’s orders; he struggles, but the other is stronger, and he just feels himself being clutched even tighter. A strong and angry ‘what!’ leaves his mouth, but Eunhyuk just stares at him, and Donghae feels as if Eunhyuk can read his mind. Shit, Donghae cries out to himself in his mind, and Eunhyuk’s expression softens as Donghae drops his head in defeat.
“Eyes.” Eunhyuk prompts, and Donghae closes his eyes loosely in resignation. He hears Eunhyuk hum cheerfully in response, and he feels the other concentrate, hard, as the arms around him tighten once. A peek wouldn’t kill, Donghae thinks, and he opens one eye slightly.
He sees the sea disappearing in front of his sight, every single water droplet dissipate into thin air. He sees the sand follow, and soon structures start popping out. It doesn’t make sense at first, like that pillar looks completely out of place, and Donghae is bewildered, what on earth is happening, until he gradually absorbs the whole picture, and his mind feebly alerts him that they are standing on a highway, with an overhead shelter blocking the light. He stares, wide-eyed, and he continues to even after Eunhyuk loosens his arms around him, and takes a step back to observe Donghae’s reaction.
It doesn’t take a genius to understand what Donghae has just done, Eunhyuk thinks, and he shakes his head in resignation. “Told you to keep your eyes closed,” Eunhyuk sighs, and he pulls Donghae slightly on the arm to jerk the latter out of his reverie.
“Come, dance.” Eunhyuk states, and Donghae blinks once, twice, deliberately slow. Eunhyuk sighs again, and he points to Donghae’s tense set of shoulders. Donghae narrows his eyes at the other, and he opens his mouth to throw out all the questions that he has been harbouring since that transformation.
“What in the world was-”
Eunhyuk bites his lower lip in frustration as he whirls Donghae around immediately and clamps his palm over the other’s mouth. Donghae can feel his back against Eunhyuk’s chest, and his mind hurriedly sets that note aside to allow his questions to run forth.
“Too many questions.” Eunhyuk mumbles into his right ear, and he tightens his hold on Donghae as Donghae struggles. He can feel Donghae’s lips against his palm, moving, but it is a risk he rather not take.
“Too many worries.” Eunhyuk continues, and Donghae feels the other palm creeping up on his face, covering his eyesight. He struggles even harder, but he just feels Eunhyuk pressing himself even more forcefully onto the other’s chest. He stops abruptly, and Eunhyuk emits a soft chuckle.
“Remember what I told you the first time we met?” Eunhyuk asks, and Donghae nods.
“Good, don’t fight me now.”
Donghae feels Eunhyuk lifting his hands from his hand, but he keeps his eyes shut; there’s something that tells him he should close his eyes and savour this moment even more. Eunhyuk starts to move, and he entwines his fingers around Donghae’s, and the latter resists the urge to pull his hands away.
Donghae remembers what Eunhyuk tells him in the first dream, and he breathes; he feels the wind blowing softly against the both of them, he feels the rhythm Eunhyuk has created, all along to the tempo of Donghae’s heartbeat. He relaxes, and he feels Eunhyuk’s smile in his hair. He feels, and he understands the movements, he understands the expression and flow, and he smiles a little, subconsciously.
The smile grows wider, and more carefree as the dance proceeds. Donghae wonders how Eunhyuk manages to dance so well, even when he himself isn’t doing anything, and Eunhyuk is just leading him along, and he doesn’t feel like a burden to Eunhyuk. There’s something that sparks off here, and Donghae thinks he likes how it feels like.
At the end of it, Eunhyuk twirls him around once, until Donghae is facing Eunhyuk, and the both of them are breathless. Eunhyuk has his arms crossed over his chest, a smug smile playing on his lips, while Donghae bites his lips, trying to hide the foolish expression that is threatening to show itself.
“Better?” Eunhyuk asks, and Donghae opens his mouth, but for a while nothing comes out. The relieved sigh that escapes from his mouth is a mix of astonishment and admiration, and Eunhyuk grins.
“I take that as good.” Eunhyuk states, and he turns himself around, so the breeze is blowing directly in his face, and Donghae thinks that this is just a simple, yet beautiful scene in front of him. He lets the smile appear on his face, and he regains his breath, walking slowly to stand beside Eunhyuk.
“I rarely say this,” Donghae starts, and Eunhyuk turns towards him, “but you make me feel better.”
“I think I like you.” Donghae finishes, with this friendly crease on his brows, and the smile that Eunhyuk gives off makes Donghae think everything like this is perfect.
When Donghae opens his eyes again to find himself halfway dangling from the bed, the blanket haphazardly arranged over his legs, he runs to his computer, and he starts writing this story, where the male protagonist faces so much pressure and betrayal in the world, that his own mind betrays him.
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The alarm clock rings shrilly, and Donghae winces, his hand searching on the table top for that button to press. He fumbles a little, knocking some pieces of papers aside, sloshing the cup half-filled with cappuccino (oops, Donghae thinks, as he stills the cup before it can topple over the table), and he reaches the alarm clock. Before he can press the button, the alarm stops suddenly, and Donghae jerks upright immediately.
“….Eunhyuk?” Donghae mumbles incoherently, staring at the figure in front of him, who is reading several pieces of paper intently. His eyesight gradually clears up, and he realizes that Ryeowook is making a tsk sound at the back of his throat, waving the papers right in front of Donghae’s face.
“Donghae….this.” Ryeowook points to the sheaf of papers in his hand, “this is good stuff. I mean, how does the protagonist manage to carve out someone so perfect in his mind?” Disbelief is clearly drawn on Ryeowook’s face, but there is also this shy smile that makes it way on, something that makes Donghae feel proud of himself, like he has accomplished something, for once.
“Yeah,” Donghae mutters, “yeah.” Ryeowook nods eagerly, and he pulls out his phone to dial a single number Donghae has seen him press so many times before. The excited tone travels to Donghae’s ears, and Donghae is glad, that at least someone is benefitting from this, at least someone is happy from all of this.
This is not entirely to his credit though, Donghae thinks to himself as he watches Ryeowook shuffle through the papers. He wonders if Eunhyuk is real, because the latter has been appearing in his dreams every single time he manages to catch some sleep, and guides him along with the story, providing him inspiration, because the story encapsulates every single thing that is happening to him, himself.
Donghae knows that this is a potential bestseller on his hands, but he wonders if it is coming at the expense of his mind.
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“Eunhyuk?” Donghae calls out. “I know you are somewhere there.”
He glances at the wide, huge room with white walls, completely devoid of any colour at all. There are several buckets of paint lying in a corner of the room, but the main lead of his dreams has yet to appear. Donghae takes a tentative step towards the centre of the room, pondering. He closes his eyes and spins around, tasting the fresh air in the room.
“Took you a long time to get here.”
Donghae stops abruptly and opens his eyes, and Eunhyuk is standing in the doorway, a tired smile ghosting his lips. Donghae nods, adjusting his clothes a little, and pretends he was not having fun spinning all alone by himself. He misses the slight frown on Eunhyuk’s eyebrows as the latter takes a slow step into the room, his feet dragging slightly.
“Yeah, I have a few more chapters for the climax, and then the ending.” Donghae states, “so what do you have for me today?”
“Nothing,” Eunhyuk says clearly, and he watches as Donghae’s face falls.
“Other than the usual. We are going to paint this room.” Eunhyuk finishes, and he smiles slightly as Donghae bites his lower lip, realizing that he has been fooled previously. Donghae turns around towards the paint buckets, only to realize that there is a lack of paintbrushes. He whirls around to face Eunhyuk again, and he sees Eunhyuk concentrating hard, so much that his whole face is contorted in concentration, and Donghae’s heart jumps slightly in alarm.
“Eunhyuk?” Donghae mumbles, unsure.
Eunhyuk winces as if something has hit him, and Donghae takes a step towards him immediately. However, Eunhyuk raises an arm to halt Donghae’s movement, and the paintbrushes appear in his outstretched hands slowly. Eunhyuk tilts his head, and he laughs softly at the creases in Donghae’s face.
“Here.” Eunhyuk offers the brush, and Donghae grabs it, still a little hesitant.
“What?”
“Are you alright?”
“Too many questions, Donghae.” Eunhyuk reminds, and he dips his brush into the blue paint and splatters the paint on the opposing wall. Donghae sighs, this isn’t the first time Eunhyuk has avoided his questions, but he hasn’t given up yet, perhaps one day Eunhyuk may just answer one of them.
“That’s not how you paint a room. You dip your brush in and paint in slow, steady moves, up and down, up and down.” Donghae demonstrates, and as his paint runs dry, he looks over at Eunhyuk’s progress, only to realize that the other is looking at him with an unfathomable expression etched on his face.
“Too many opinions, Donghae.” And there is light and mischievous smile that crawls up onto Eunhyuk’s face as he dips his paint brush into the bucket filled with red. “And I don’t approve of that.” Eunhyuk continues, as he raises his brush, taking small steps towards Donghae with his brush held out.
“So?”
“So…would you like to be painted first?” Eunhyuk asks cheekily, and he flicks his brush at Donghae before the latter can make any sound.
“Blue.” Eunhyuk concludes, “blue will look better on you, and blue is your favourite colour, right?” Eunhyuk ponders aloud, and before Donghae can make any coherent answer, he finds himself splashed with nearly a quarter of blue paint in the bucket itself. He looks himself up and down, and he settles for gaping at the other who is holding this teasing smile on his face currently.
“Purple.” Eunhyuk concludes as he takes a step back to survey his handiwork. “Not bad, mixing red and blue turns out to be purple, it can almost fit you, as a royalty member.” Donghae feels the sides of his mouth curving up into a grin, and he waves his own brush around, transmitting the fact that “I-have-a-brush-too-like-you”. Eunhyuk’s eyes widen with mock fear and they spark off a paint war, flicking random spurts and splatters of paint on each other.
“How about this?” Donghae exclaims, as he sloshes half of the peach-coloured paint on Eunhyuk’s lower body that Eunhyuk doesn’t manage to escape from.
“That’s cheating! You are only supposed to use the brush, not the whole bucket full of paint!” Eunhyuk shouts, and the war continues.
Minutes later, or hours later, Eunhyuk manages to pin Donghae down on the floor, and a victory smile graces his lips as Eunhyuk watches the other struggle in his grasp. Both of them are breathless, and there’s this red flush in Donghae’s cheeks that Eunhyuk appreciates.
“I win.” Eunhyuk states smugly, and he uses one free hand to draw a paint bucket filled with white paint closer to the both of them, dipping his brush into it and drawing random patterns on Donghae’s face. Donghae squirms , and mock anger flashes in his eyes as Eunhyuk continues to ignore him and hold him down firmly, doing whatever Donghae thinks he is doing to his face.
“Don’t get so angry.” Eunhyuk smiles, “it’s a dream only after all. You wouldn’t get dirty in real life.”
“This doesn’t feel like a dream anymore; you feel real.” Donghae gasps out, and Eunhyuk lifts an eyebrow.
“Are you a guardian angel or what?” Donghae questions, and it doesn’t really matter if Eunhyuk continues to shun his questions like dodging bullets; he just wants to release all these out. Eunhyuk only hums in reply, but Donghae clearly hears him mumbling something about committing a sin if he is a guardian angel.
“Maybe I’m real, not just a figment of your imagination.” Eunhyuk says, a teasing smile on his face as he continues to paint swirling circles on Donghae’s cheeks. Donghae jerks his face sideways, and Eunhyuk groans at how he has accidentally painted his own fingers with white paint with that single action.
“Stay still!” Eunhyuk commands, and Donghae stops moving his head abruptly, and he decides that it is now or never to know whether Eunhyuk is just a wonderful person his mind is conjuring up, or if Eunhyuk is definitely real. He pulls Eunhyuk towards him and presses his lips against Eunhyuk’s left cheek, eyes shut tightly, because supposedly all good stuff disappears when it reaches the climax, and for Donghae this may be it and he doesn’t know if Eunhyuk will still be in his arms after this-
A short chuckle breaks his train of thoughts, and Donghae opens his eyes tentatively to find his lips pressed against the currently silently vibrating side of Eunhyuk’s cheek. He exhales slowly, and Eunhyuk pulls himself up slightly to stare into Donghae’s eyes, searching and questioning.
“You’re real.” Donghae breathes, and he is unable to hide the smile that is now shining on his face.
“When did I say I wasn’t?” Eunhyuk counters, and the wink from Eunhyuk that follows coaxes a short laugh from Donghae. Eunhyuk picks up the paintbrush dropped previously, and he paints the very tip of Donghae’s nose in blue.
“You’re mine, now that I have marked you.” Eunhyuk notes, the smug grin undeniable. Donghae chortles, and he pulls Eunhyuk closer and this is probably the best experience he ever had in his entire life, up till now, Donghae thinks, and his mind can only process how melodious Eunhyuk’s laughter sounds like when the latter laughs right into his ear softly.
When Donghae finds himself slumped all over the computer table again, he rushes to the toilet and faces his reflection in the mirror. He notices that there is a little smudge of blue right on the tip of his nose, and his brain starts whirling all around. And then he realizes he doesn’t know anymore, if the world he currently exists in is a dream, and if the world with Eunhyuk is the dream instead.
----------------
There’s this time where Donghae actually leaves the house, amidst all his writing, to buy some groceries that Eunhyuk has once remarked that his house is seriously lacking, from the vivid description Donghae gives the other. He emerges from the lift with a bag in each hand, and he makes his way slowly towards his door, only to see Yesung, switching his weight from foot to foot.
“Hyung.”
Yesung turns around, and there’s this awkward smile on his face. Donghae pretends that he doesn’t notice the single rose that Yesung is holding, and he fishes for his keys to the door of his house.
“You’re here to collect the final edited version, right? Ryeowook told me.” Donghae says easily, as he unlocks the front door and pushes his way in, holding the door long enough for Yesung to step in, quietly. He places his groceries on the kitchen table and collects the final version from the printer, which he hands it over to Yesung with a cocked eyebrow. Yesung fidgets, and he looks uncomfortable.
“Is Ryeowook coming here later or something? I mean, I can leave this here and you can pass it to him later on.” Yesung stutters slightly, and he lifts the rose in his hand, the thorns removed and the petals unfolding.
“No hyung, you pass it to him yourself.” Donghae states quietly and firmly, and after a while Yesung nods, like he understands. He holds on to the sheaf of papers even tighter and he waves goodbye to Donghae, his hand still clutching the rose, and he makes his way out of the house by himself.
Donghae sighs, and he rummages in one of the cupboards under his computer desk. He pulls out a bottle of sleeping pills and he grins, although it seems a little paradoxical to smile in this situation. Insomnia isn’t really fun, and this is the only salvation to reach the place where he really wants to be. Donghae takes a pill out and swallows it with water, and as he fades into the world where he thinks he belongs, his hand is clutching tightly to the dreamcatcher.
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“Donghae…”
Donghae turns his head, and he spots Eunhyuk sighing right beside him. They are in the green meadow where Eunhyuk pulled him to in the very first dream. Donghae hums back, his hand searching on the grass for a certain palm to entwine his fingers around, and he hums a victory tune when he finds it, bringing it to lie on his chest.
“It’s getter harder to access you.” Eunhyuk sighs again, and Donghae smiles lazily at the other.
“Now you are the one who is thinking too much,” Donghae grins as he smoothes out the frown in Eunhyuk’s forehead. “Don’t you think it is such a coincidence that everything in my life seems to have become smooth-sailing after I met you?”
“Donghae…” Eunhyuk whispers, and Donghae listens, “there is no such thing as coincidence. There’s luck, there’s opportunity, but no coincidence. When the time comes, you have to give the dreamcatcher to someone who needs it more than you.”
Donghae widens his eyes, and he sees Eunhyuk understand his ‘what-are-you-talking-about?’ notion in his gaze.
“You need the dreamcatcher to help you with your book. The book’s done; it’s time to pass the dreamcatcher on to someone else.”
“But…,” Donghae splutters, “then I can’t see you anymore?” There’s this sudden surge of anger and lost then rises up in him, and Donghae doesn’t know which one he should deal with first. He takes in Eunhyuk’s sad, piercing stare, but he tries his best to break by shaking his head, once, twice, and so vigorously he thinks his world is going into a dizzy spin of colours.
“No.”
“Yes.”
“No.” Donghae exhales sharply, and he pulls Eunhyuk in hard so he can press his lips against the other’s, because it makes him feel that the world is the right side up whenever he does that. He can feel Eunhyuk tearing, but he doesn’t want to mind that, he just wants to ignore everything, because damn it, Eunhyuk is responding as well, but why does it feel like a farewell, a parting gift, instead of one that is just filled with their passion?
Eunhyuk draws back a little after a while, and Donghae closes his eyes, breathing in the scent of Eunhyuk. He feels the other kiss both of his eyelids once, and he feels a teardrop slide onto his right cheek as Eunhyuk kisses the top of his nose. He is holding on tightly to Eunhyuk’s hand, because it feels so right, but it feels like it’s going to end soon.
“Donghae,” Eunhyuk whispers, “goodbye.”
And Donghae finds himself lying on the computer table after a while, with Ryeowook standing in front of him, totally bewildered, because there are tears running down his face, and Ryeowook doesn’t know what to do to comfort the other.
--------------
The book’s a bestseller, which is a really well-known fact. Donghae’s standing up, nodding politely at the reporters seated in the conference room, all eager to get a piece of what inspired him to write such a book that beat the rival’s agency hands down. There is no competition, actually, because according to Ryeowook, a certain person pre-ordered several hundred copies of his book, which was approximately six months ago, and this gained such a huge snowball effect that the book is where it is now.
He is smiling awkwardly; he reckons that, but he doesn’t feel like he really fits into the place here. His hand digs its way into one of the pockets of his suit, and he fingers the dreamcatcher in there, and he exhales, feeling slightly comforted. Six months without him, and yet Donghae feels like he hasn’t really moved on. Someone pats him lightly on the back, and he turns around to see Yesung standing there, a studying gaze as he checks Donghae’s countenance.
“Ready?” Yesung asks, and Donghae shrugs.
“I never will be I guess.”
“We are ready to start then. Shall I make the announcemen-”
“Donghae-hyung!” Someone shouts, and both Donghae and Yesung turn to face the approaching Ryeowook. As the latter reaches them, Yesung inconspicuously places his arm around Ryeowook’s waist, and the smile that Ryeowook beams is one that Donghae rarely sees. Donghae grins, at least Yesung’s trying, he figures, and he nods his approval.
“I would like you to meet the person who gave you that dreamcatcher, the thing that inspired you.” Ryeowook gestures, and he turns around, only to complete one full circle as he realizes that the person was not following him.
“That’s weird, Eunhyuk-hyung was just here, wasn’t he?” Ryeowook mutters, and Yesung nods, pulling the other a little closer as cameramen start to set up their equipment at the most favourable spot, and reporters murmur slightly louder than the talk the three of them are currently holding. Donghae stares, because he isn’t sure if his ears are playing a trick, because that name sounds so familiar-
“Did you say Eunhyuk?” Donghae questions, his breathing speeding up.
“Yeah, he’s my elder brother.” Ryeowook frowns. “Now where in the world is he…”
Donghae’s breath catches, and he wills himself to stay calm and all, because it may just be a coincidence, it’s not uncommon for someone to have the same Korean name, the characters are for everyone to take, and Eunhyuk’s a pretty name that probably everyone will want their children to have -
Donghae… there is no such thing as coincidence. There’s luck, there’s opportunity, but no coincidence.
Damn, Donghae thinks, and he shrugs out of his suit quickly, only to be caught by Yesung and Ryeowook, both staring at him incredulously.
“Where did you last see him?” Donghae demands, and Ryeowook raises his eyebrows. He points to the set of doors at the end of the conference, and Donghae is already bursting forth, except for the strong grip that Yesung is holding him in. Donghae struggles, it feels like he has always been fighting against others, but the only person he has allowed himself to lose to is just somewhere round the corner, and he cannot afford to lose this opportunity without Eunhyuk. His eyes convey a ‘let-me-go’ to Yesung, but Yesung is still confused, and now Ryeowook is also holding on to him.
“You can’t go now.” Yesung murmurs with urgency evident in his voice, his gaze running across the horde of reporters present.
“Please, Yesung. You can do something about this. I’m not an impulsive person, but you have to let me go this time.” Donghae states. He recalls something all of a sudden, and he digs out the dreamcatcher that has been lying in the pocket, and he places it right in the middle of Yesung’s palm. The other two look at him, perplexed, and Ryeowook just points at the object Yesung has.
“Isn’t that what my hyung gave to you? He specified it for you!”
“But he told me to pass it on to someone who needs it more, and I think Yesung has a better use of it now.” Donghae remarks, and Ryeowook’s eyes just widen, and both of them drop their hands in shock at what Donghae has just mentioned, because they are pretty sure that when did Donghae ever see Eunhyuk before?
Donghae mutters a ‘thanks’, and he is running out of the room, and he hears the reporters shouting, but he doesn’t care, because he doesn’t want to let this chance just slip out of his grasp like that. It isn’t long till Donghae sees a figure with such a familiar back view, and he runs up to the other, and he jerks on the other’s hand, forcing the other to whirl around to face him.
“Eunhyuk.” Donghae breathes, panting heavily.
“Donghae.” A soft whisper.
“What a fool.” Donghae grunts out, and he sees Eunhyuk’s face fall.
“I have been.” Donghae continues, and Eunhyuk stares at him with this profound expression that Donghae cannot make out. There’s this reluctant smile that gets up onto Eunhyuk’s face, and one second later it becomes a full-blown one that Eunhyuk is desperately trying to hide behind his palm.
“If I haven’t run out…”Donghae says, and Eunhyuk tilts his head as he ponders over the alternative outcome.
“You wouldn’t have seen me.” Eunhyuk concludes.
“And I will be hating myself until white hair grows out of my scalp and my teeth rot and fall out.” Donghae finishes. There’s this silence that grows between them, and they are just staring at each other, until Eunhyuk touches the tip of Donghae’s nose, and Donghae feels like he is falling for the other all over again.
Donghae growls, and he pulls Eunhyuk in until every part of their bodies is touching, and he notes the way how Eunhyuk sighs into his mouth contentedly, wrapping their arms around each other in public. He notes how Eunhyuk settles his hands on his waist, and the way the both of them feel absolutely at ease, and Donghae can’t help but feel that he has found his right world.
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A/N: I'm back? And I applaud you if you finish this in one go. :D
And how do you respond when your mum is super vocal during sex? I'm like banned from closing my door, and they are seriously super noisy, and now I feel super awkward because I'm from a conversative family. D: GAH.