Short Stories-Kai Ships Only! Volume 3

✨️Tyunning- 15th Birthday

"Taehyun? What are you doing here?" Hyuka and him had been talking for the past three hours since the older arrived from swim practice.

Taehyun adorably smiled as he kept solving his math homework. It was 9:00 at night on a Thursday. A lot later than he usually stayed when he had school the next day. "Do you not want me here?"

"I do! Trust me! I love seeing you! But don't you have other friends?"

"I see them at school." Taehyun stopped writing when Hyuka fell into a silence. He then raised his dad's desk chair as high as it could go so he could see through the window in the door. "Hey. Tell me what's wrong."

Hyuka felt bad for admitting this outloud. His first friend had been nothing but sweet to him since they met. He feared coming across as ungrateful for their time together. "I don't want you to think you have to come here because you feel sorry for me. You have a life. I don't want to hold you back from it."

"You're not holding me back. I see my friends during the day and I see you at night!"

"If you say so." Not wanting to bring either of them down any further, Hyuka changed the subject. "So what did you ask for for your birthday?"

"Nothing major."

Hyuka leaped out of bed when he saw a smile the older failed to hold in. The stepstool was placed under the door. He excitedly stepped on it then peaked through the window. "What did you ask for?! Tell me! Tell me!"

"It's a surprise! I don't want to tell you incase I don't get it."

"Does it have to do with me?"

Redness rose to Taehyun's cheeks when he stood on the other side of the door. "Maybe."

"It's your birthday and you wanted something about me?"

"Yeah..."

Hyuka giggled when he saw Taehyun's face shade into an even brighter red. "You're so cute!"

"You are too."

"Thanks! Oh yeah. That reminds me! Hold on!" Hyuka ran to his bed to pull out a notebook hidden underneath. He flipped through it until he found what he was looking for. The page was carefully torn out and folded in half. He then ran back to the door to input his code. When the food slot opened, the piece of paper was pushed through. "I made you a birthday card since I couldn't buy you one. Sorry I don't have an actual gift. I can't really go out... but I drew everything in there myself!"

Taehyun happily took the card. The front was a drawing of a tabby cat holding 15 balloons. 15 balloons for his 15th birthday. Rainbow confetti was drawn all around the edges. The top read "Happy Birthday Taehyun!" The inside was another drawing that broke his heart. The seam of the card was drawn to look like the door that seperated them. The left side of the "door" depicted a park full of color with a sunny blue sky. The right side was Hyuka's hospital room which he never left. In the middle was how they were currently positioned. Facing each other with Taehyun standing outside and Hyuka trapped in the room. Yet, they were both smiling in the drawing. The top of the card read "Seeing you is how I imagine it would feel to see the world. You mean the world to me. Happy Birthday again. -Hyuka."

Hyuka watched a few tears fall from those big eyes he fell in love with. He felt awful that his gift brought sadness. "Are you okay?"

Taehyun quickly nodded as he wiped away his tears. He shakily replied "I'm fine."

"I just... I wanted to give it to you now because your dad said you were having a big party tomorrow. I'd rather be early than late."

"Why not on time?"

"I can't exactly leave here... you know that."

Taehyun wanted to open the door and envelop Hyuka in the biggest hug. Instead, his hand pressed against the window. The younger put his in the same spot. He longed to hold it. He sincerely hoped that one day, he would. "I know but you're my friend. I was going to stop by afterwards so I could see you."

"Taehyun..."

"I'm not missing out on anything if that's what you're worried about." It was true. There wasn't a single second where Taehyun felt as if he was holding himself back because of Hyuka. If anything, Hyuka changed his life for the better. He hadn't told him any of this but he decided to go into medicine like his father. He wanted to work with his dad to cure the boy he loved. It genuinely hurt him that his crush thought of himself as a burden. He needed to him to see himself the way he did. As a miracle. "Hyuka?"

"...yeah?"

"I-"

Dr. Kang walked in furious to see Taehyun at the hospital and not in bed on a school night. "Taehyun Kang! You said you'd be home by 8! Your mother is worried sick!"

"Dad! I'm sorry! I lost track of time!"

"We're leaving."

"But-"

"WE'RE LEAVING!"

"Yes sir..." Taehyun turned around to see Hyuka sulking on his bed. "I'll see you tomorrow!" The younger's lips turned slightly upwards. That was good enough for now. He left frantically before his father's temper became serious.

The next day after school, Taehyun was picked up by his parents for a pre-celebratory dinner. If he was being honest, he was more excited for this than this party because this would be when his parents would give him the only present he requested. He could hardly wait when they sat down in their booths.

Dr. Kang asked "you're not looking at your menu. You okay?"

"Just fine..."

Mrs. Kang whispered something into her husband's ear. After she got his approval, she excused herself to go to the car.

Taehyun saw the smile on their faces. His was twice as big. His eyes then came to life from watching his mother hold a large box on her walk back inside. "Is that?"

"You need to open it first!"

"It is!" Taehyun practically jumped out of his seat to hug his parents. "I love you guys." The box was then torn open until he saw it. A hazmat suit with a full clear plastic face exactly like he wanted. He could now hang out in Hyuka's room without fear of killing him. The next goal was to hold his hand without plastic separating their skin. "Thank you so much you guys!"

Dinner and his birthday party at the rented out VR arcade was fun. However, it didn't compare to Taehyun's infectious joy when putting on the hazmat suit. He looked at his father with absolute pride. "I can be in the room with him!"

"Have fun. Call me when you want to be picked up okay?"

"I will."

"You remember where to put your suit when you're done?"

"Yes dad."

"And call me if anything goes wrong."

"Dad!"

"Have fun kid. Happy birthday."

"Thanks dad." Taehyun looked through the window and saw Hyuka sleeping like an angel.

The code was entered. The door quietly buzzed to let him inside. Each step towards Hyuka's bed was slow. He held his breath as if his breathing would somehow wake him. His suit crinkled as he sat down next to him. His heart wanted to explode out of his chest. After a minute, those beautiful eyes fluttered awake. Words failed to come when Hyuka started smiling. He was so much prettier up close. His stomach was in his throat when the younger sat upright to face him. There were little moles on his neck that he didn't see before. Beautiful additions to an already perfect image.

Hyuka began giggling while he watched Taehyun's mouth keep opening and closing without words coming out. He laid his hand on his thigh. Though there was a barrier in between, he swore he could feel warmth beneath it. "Happy birthday Taehyunnie."

"Th-thank you."

"How does it feel to be 15?"

Taehyun laid his hand on top of Hyuka's. "This feels perfect." Neither of them confessed their feelings outloud but they didn't need to. They knew.

They were in love.