"I'll never run, I'll stand by you"

"Don't you think we've been spending an unhealthy amount of time together?" Hyukjae asks as casually as he can while munching on his popcorn. He catches a glimpse of Donghae from his peripheral vision, and sure enough, the man was eyeing him curiously, like what he'd just said was something laughable. 

Hyukjae is growing more uncomfortable under Donghae's scrutiny and with each passing second that passes in silence. 

Finally, Donghae tears his gaze away, only to look blankly at the TV. His attention is no longer at the movie but lingered at the question his lover has thrown over so matter-of-factly. 

This wasn't the first time Hyukjae asked him a random question out of the blue. 

At first sight, anyone would think Hyukjae's a simple man with simple thoughts — just like many other men — but that's far from the truth. Hyukjae's a complex layer after layer of knots intricately woven together. Through the years he has known Hyukjae, the man never failed to catch him off guard with the inner workings of his mind. Sometimes, it's frustrating. But most of the time, it's fascinating to decipher Hyukjae. And when he does untangle a complicated knot in Hyukjae's mind, he's always rewarded handsomely, so he really couldn't complain.

"I don't think so. You?" Donghae replies after a long moment of silence. He has lost all interest in the movie playing in front of them. 

"Aren't you worried that our relationship would get boring?"

Donghae looks at Hyukjae again, his eyes imploring. But his lover's eyes are glued on the screen, feigning interest. With all the years they'd spend together, Donghae could easily recognize that Hyukjae's anxious. He knows him like the back of his hand. 

Something is eating him from the inside.

Convinced that the situation is serious, and thus calls for a no-nonsense conversation, Donghae turns off the TV, much to Hyukjae's dismay. He wouldn't have anything to distract him now, which was what Donghae intended to do. They have to address whatever's messing with Hyukjae's head before it worsens and things get completely out of hand.

One time, when Donghae left Hyukjae alone with his thoughts because he's been too busy with work, Hyukjae actually had the nerve to pack all his things and take off, leaving nothing but a small note on their bedside table that read, "You're barely home anyway, so I might as well live somewhere else. Alone. Don't come barging at the dorm, because I won't be there, you idiot."

Donghae holds back a laugh at the memory. But it also flips his panic switch on. It took a lot of time and effort and apologies and promises to finally convince Hyukjae to come back home with him. They might as well have had an agreement through a contract. 

That man could be overdramat