"jaemin, we need to go shopping!" donghyuck exclaimed right after looking at his calendar.

"what for?" the pinkette asked, not leaving his bedroom.

"we're going on a trip to the mountains with school in four days!"

"oh shit!" jaemin cursed. "i had completely forgotten about that."

donghyuck walked to his closet, opening the doors wide to look for warm clothes that he could wear.

he pulled out a few long-sleeved shirts, and some jackets, but he obviously didn't have all the things necessary for a one-week-trip in the mountain.

"jisung!" jaemin yelled. "are you coming with us?!"

"only if chenle can come!" the younger friend replied screaming from his own room.

donghyuck rolled his eyes at his friend's words.

ever since that day at the canteen, the only thing jisung was talking about was chenle.

donghyuck was sure that jisung had a crush on him at that point.

"yeah, whatever." jaemin replied, surely rolling his eyes too. "get ready, we're leaving in a few minutes."

as jaemin had said, the three friends were standing next to the front door a few minutes later, all ready to go.

"we need to pick chenle up next to school. he said he'll be waiting for us there." jisung informed, lifting his eyes form his phone.

"perfect, let's go then." jaemin declared before opening the door. "oh, one more thing."

jaemin turned towards donghyuck, using both of his hands to cup the boy's cheeks and drop a kiss on his nose.

"we're going to a crowdy place, so i need you not to slip, okay donghyuck?" he said slowly.

"i'll try my best." donghyuck mumbled, knowing how much his particularity could become a burden for the others.

"i'm going to stay with you always, okay?" jaemin reassured him. "jisung will occupy chenle so that he doesn't try to be too close to you."

"i will." jisung smiled, ruffling the boy's hair.

"thank you, guys. i love you." donghyuck said sincerely, a smile decorating his face.

"it's normal, hyuck. we love you too." jisung replied, embracing both of his friends in a hug.

✯

"woah, it's even more crowdy than i imagined!" chenle exclaimed once the four boys arrived at the entrance of the mall.

slightly behind them, donghyuck's eyes widened at the view of all those people running around with shopping bags in their hands.

he lowered his eyes immediately, his hand reaching for jaemin's soft one.

jaemin immediately intertwined their figners and pulled the boy closer to his body.

"don't worry, hyuck. i'm with you." jaemin whispered in his ear.

the four boys started walking around the giant mall, looking for hot clothes for their trip to the mountains – chenle was apparently going there as well.

they stopped in a few shops, buying puffy jackets not to feel the cold, as well as pairs of gloves.

they also stopped in a shoes' shop where jaemin bought huge white moonboots for donghyuck.

anyway, after an hour and a half of turning around, the four boys had enough clothes and accessories to enjoy their trip to the mountains without freezing to death.

"how about having a drink?" chenle asked, pointing at a small café that was inside the mall. "i heard they sold very good bubble teas!"

"oh, i'm craving bubble tea right now!" jisung exclaimed.

jaemin rolled his eyes at his friend's behaviour – he was obviously acting sweet in front of chenle – jisung had never tasted bubble tea.

"let's go, then!" chenle happily giggled, pulling jisung towards a nearby free table.

jaemin's hand intertwined with donghyuck's small one as he started walking towards the table jisung and chenle had chosen.

however, despite him pulling onto donghyuck's hand, the older boy didn't move.

"hyuck, what are you..." jaemin turned around, noticing how donghyuck's eyes were sparkling with excitement at the view of the huge shop next to them. "...doing...?"

'the plushie paradise'

that's what it was called.

basically, this giant store sold plushies of various colours and sizes, some fluffy, some soft, and everything a child would ever wish for.

"hyuck, please, concentrate." jaemin whispered, standing in front of donghyuck and blocking his view. he knew very well that donghyuck could switch in front of such a store.

little hyuck was a big fan plushies, and he couldn't resist them.

but now wasn't the time to switch, at all.

"donghyuck, keep your eyes on me." jaemin continued. "you can't switch now, okay?"

donghyuck's eyes closed as the boy nodded, silently begging jaemin to take him away from this temptation.

"let's go, hyuck."

jaemin pulled donghyuck away, making him turn his back to the wonderful shop.

both boys arrived at the table chenle and jisung had sat at, and they sat down too, jaemin making sure to sit donghyuck in order for him not to see the plushie store.

"what flavour are you going to take?" chenle asked excitedly.

"a fruity flavour." donghyuck replied, looking down at the menu.

"coffee for me." jaemin answered.

"and chocolate for me." jisung said with a smile.

chenle bonced to the counter to order the four drinks as the three childhood friends stayed together at their table.

donghyuck was playing with the hem of his shirt under the table, not paying attention to his surroundings.

"ji?" jaemin whispered, tapping the boy's lap.

"yeah?"

"do you see the plushie store behind hyuck?" he asked in a low voice.

jisung lifted his head, his eyes falling on the colourful shop a few meters behind donghyuck.

"waoh..." he let out.

"can you and chenle go there and buy a plushie for hyuckie?" jaemin asked. "he was about to slip, but i managed to prevent him to do so."

"of course." jisung nodded, making his friend smile.

"here they are!" a hyper chenle appeared next to the table, placing the bubble teas in front of each male. "enjoy!"

✯

jaemin and jisung walked inside the living room of their house after having finished to prepare their luggage for the trip to the mountains.

donghyuck was lying on the couch, his eyes glued on the screen which played a movie that he had already seen plenty of times. he was out of little space, considering that this movie was for adults.

both jaemin and jisung exchanged a look before approaching the boy.

"donghyuck, we have a surprise for you." jaemin said with a smile.

donghyuck paused the movie, giving his full attention to the two boys. "a surprise?" he repeated with excitement.

"yep." jisung pulled out a wrapped present, and handed it to their older friend.

"why am i offered something?" donghyuck asked, his fingers reaching for the scotch holding the wrapping paper in place in order not to tear the beautiful paper.

"it's because you've been a good boy." jaemin smiled wide.

it's as if something switched inside donghyuck.

good boy

he loved when his friends called him that way.

it had become his favourite praise.

and it was also something that could make him slip easily.

"surprise for hyuckie?!" the little asked, lifting the wrapped present in the air.

"just for hyuckie." jisung nodded.

"yeah!!"

little donghyuck's hands immediately reached for the wrapping paper, pulling onto it excitedly and tearing the paper open, without caring about the mess he was making.

he threw the wrapping paper on the floor, before looking at the present that had been offered by his two favourite persons.

it was a dolphin plushie, a very soft and fluffy one.

donghyuck immediately feel in love with it.

"me love it! me love it!" donghyuck exclaimed, hugging the plushie tight.

"it's an idea of chenle." jisung said proudly.

"lele dolphin!" donghyuck giggled.

jaemin and jisung looked fondly at their little friend. they would never get enough of his cute bubbly behaviour. he truly was a blessing.

"what do we say when people offer you things, hyuckie?" jaemin asked.

"thank chu!" donghyuck answered immediately before standing up and kissing jisung and jaemin's cheeks. "thank chu!"

jisung chuckled, his hand finding its place in the older's honey locks. "good boy..."

"yeahh!"