fic: the new guy
Title: The New Guy
Author: bl4ckm4lice
Fandom: Super Junior
Genre/Pairing: AU - Siwon x Kyuhyun
Word Count: 4,000+
Rating: PG
Disclaimer: na-ah, not mine
Notes: Prompted by sharl for 1013 :D The prompt turns into the first sentence in this fic
There's a new man in town, and Siwon thinks he's super hot. Too bad his best friend Changmin thinks so too.
"Hey, remember that new guy we met at the coffee shop last week?" The moment Changmin says it, Siwon's gut tells him that his secret little crush is in jeopardy. Naturally, Changmin just has to continue with, "I went there yesterday and guess who have the phone number of the most desirable butt in the universe."
"You're gross," Siwon says even though his mind goes straight to recall the perfect butt wrapped in brown khaki he oggled at last week. Then he finishes processing the part where Changmin also thinks that those butt are insanely attractive.
Shit, shit, shit.
"You--," Siwon clears his throat. "You didn't tell me that you went to the coffee shop yesterday."
Changmin looks at him strangely and Siwon just hopes he has his nonchalant face on. "Well, you kind of ditched our lunchtime yesterday because of that urgent meeting. But I was already halfway to the restaurant and right around the block from the coffee shop, so I thought I might as well do something about that guy."
"And… since when are you into him again…?"
"Since last week, d'oh. I knew he'd be a great catch right away. He's gorgeous, he laughed at my jokes and oh, have I mentioned his butt because--."
Changmin drones on and on about the awesome points of his new love interest and Siwon quickly tunes out when all he can think of are 'I know, I notice that too. I notice that first, I--.'
Shit.
It's just that Siwon and Changmin have been friends since forever and they have this unspoken rule of 'bros before hos'. Not that Kyuhyun's a ho. Cho Kyuhyun is an unbelievably attractive man with the smile of an angel. He also owns the most charming voice that Siwon overhears when the other man was ordering his hot chocolate in front of him. Those (and the butt) were more than enough reason for Siwon to introduce himself before asking if he can join him on the couch while waiting for his friend (Changmin). Sadly, after a short-lived conversation, said friend (Changmin) decided to show up and the table for two became a table for three for yet another short-lived conversation. At least he managed to find out that Kyuhyun had just moved into town for his new job at an IT company and is eager to seek out new acquintances before Kyuhyun’s phone rang and he had to leave.
Granted, it was his fault not to stake a claim or something right after. But he thought it was too soon and he was too embarrassed to admit that is so attracted to fhis man he only talked to for a total of ten minutes.
Besides, who knew that Changmin would feel the same attraction after only five minutes and made his move before Siwon?
"--I called him earlier and he told me he would be at the coffee shop on Friday, and..." Changmin laughs, looking embarrassed. "Don't mock me, but I think I'm kind of getting cold feet, so..."
"So you want me to come with you?" Siwon asks, unsure if he wants to go and watch them flirting. But not going means he's gonna miss the chance to see Kyuhyun again. The butterflies fluttering in his stomach when he thinks of the latter tell him to man up and bear the possible flirting.
***
He can't bear it.
Changmin discovers that Kyuhyun plays games and they have been leaving Siwon out of the loop for half and hour now (okay, so maybe he did check his watch). All the while, he sips his espresso while trying to find a hole in the conversation where he can slip in and finding none. He resigns himself to discreetly imprints Kyuhyun's facial features into his mind. Mole under his eye. Little dimple just below his lips. Dark, straight hair that looks soft to touch--.
"Oh, hey, look," Changmin suddenly exclaims and points at his empty mug. "I just ran out of drink. Better get a new one." Without waiting for a reply, he jumps up and makes his way to the counter.
Kyuhyun shakes his head. "He drinks like a thirsty camel."
SIwon laughs loudly and becomes conscious that he's trying too hard when Kyuhyun shoots him an amused look. At least it isn't a 'if-you-are-high-I-am-out-of-here' look. "Sorry," Siwon says. "People do say I get excited too easily sometimes."
"No worries." Kyuhyun smiles with a hint of wonder on his face. "You've been quiet."
At least Kyuhyun notices. "I barely play games," Siwon shrugs, faking nonchalance although he's desperately hoping that the fact won't turn Kyuhyun off. Not that he's hoping for Kyuhyun to get turned on by him. Okay, that's just denial talking. "So, how have you been settling down in the city?"
"It's a great city so far," Kyuhyun smiles shyly. "Although adjusting to work have been taking most of my time. You and Changmin are among the few people I talk to more than once outside the office."
Siwon would've cooed if Changmin's name wasn't mentioned along with his. Which is actually good for him, because what kind of a grown man coos at another grown man?
As if on cue, Changmin returns and soon enough he resumes his impenetrable gaming talk with Kyuhyun. Siwon sinks into his seat and tears his sight off Kyuhyun. And then he makes the mistake of glancing at Changmin.
Damn it, Siwon hasn't seen Changmin like this for a long time. So happy, so content. With all the hints of a crush blooming into something deeper.
And what kind of a best friend Siwon is, if he tries to ruin it all just because of his own little crush? Especially when they seem to be hitting it off right away while he quickly turns into the third wheel.
Okay, maybe it's not too late. It's not too late to forget Kyuhyun. He can always find someone else and let Changmin carry on. Neither Changmin nor Kyuhyun will find out about his pathetic feelings.
No big deal.
Or so he thought.
***
The universe is working against him. Honestly, his vow to forget Kyuhyun was sincere. He even avoided the coffee shop afterwards. But just a few days later, he runs into Kyuhyun at a DVD rental store. There, under the 'Thriller/Horror' sign, Kyuhyun stands, looking more and more like Siwon's ideal type because that's exactly his favorite section. Does Kyuhyun know that Changmin pales at the sight of blood? Wait. He did not just degrade his best friend in front of said friend's crush. Albeit mentally.
"Hi, Siwon!" Kyuhyun waves at him and he lights up immediately. At least Siwon doesn't have to feel too guilty about that because Kyuhyun greets him first.
"H-hi. Surprised to see you here. Looking for early Halloween movies?"
"Isn't October a great month? You can watch horror movies everyday in the spirit of Halloween and no one will look at you as if you need help," Kyuhyun grins sheepishly and Siwon feels like slipping off a cliff which ravine is filled with ‘Kyuhyun feels'.
"And what are you planning to watch tonight?"
"I'm torn to rewatch '28 Days Later' or 'The Exorcism of Emily Rose', although I'm curious about this Japanese movie… I don't know if you've heard about it but it's called 'Noroi'--."
"Go for 'Noroi', especially if you like mockumentary movies. It gave me chills for days."
Kyuhyun beams and Siwon nearly melts on the spot. "Alright… But I will hold it against you if it turns out to be a flop," Kyuhyun says playfully and picks up the DVD. "Hey, maybe we can do a movie night together. Sometime this week, perhaps...?"
And just like that, the tension changes.
Kyuhyun looks at him, biting on his lower lip while Siwon grows increasingly panicked. Did Kyuhyun just ask him out? As in for a date? But friends do movie nights all the time so maybe he's just reading too much into it. Then again why does Kyuhyun look so nervous if this is a friendly offer? Or is that just himself spotting things that aren't there?
Despite his inner disorientation, Siwon replies, "Definitely. My place or yours?"
"Well, I… I don't know how to get around yet, so…" Damn, Kyuhyun looks so adorable all bashful like that. "My place? This time I'll pick the movie and I assure you it won't be a bore."
"You'll text me the address?"
"Only if you give me your number…"
"Ah, yes, what's your number? I'll give you a ring--." Wait, wait, did that just happen? Did he just get himself a date with Kyuhyun PLUS his phone number?
"Got it," Kyuhyun smiles when he finishes saving Siwon's number in his phone. "How does Wednesday sound?"
"Sounds great." By now, Siwon can barely conceal his excitement. It's reflected in Kyuhyun, because he looks even more bashful than before. "Perfect."
Perfect.
***
"You're not gonna believe this!" Excited is an understatement of how Changmin sounds over the phone on Wednesday morning. Siwon is almost sure it has something to do with Kyuhyun and he's not sure if he's looking forward to hear about it. But of course Changmin doesn't know that. "He invited me to his place last night and long story short… we kissed!"
Siwon nearly drops his phone. He didn't, but he surely feels like his heart drops in exchange. "W-wait, wait, go back to the beginning. How did that happen?"
"Okay, okay. So a couple of days ago, we met again at the coffee shop and he suddenly brought up this soccer game he had and how he had wanted someone to play it with. Enter Changmin, renowned gamer and a fun companion-slash-date! Although he didn't say that it's a date at that time, so forgive me to keep it under wraps…"
"But you kissed."
"Exactly! Turns out it was really a date!" Changmin shouts in enthusiasm. "And mind you, he was the one who kissed me first! I was just turning the game console off when-- Dude, are you listening?"
Siwon nods numbly, but realizes that Changmin can't see him. "Yeah… Yeah, I'm listening."
"So when I turned around, his face was so close with mine! Honestly I freaked out, worrying that it was gonna be awkward but then he leaned in and kissed me! I took over from there, of course…"
Really.
Now what.
He doesn’t have the slightest idea of how he’s supposed to act later that night. Is tonight even still on? Kyuhyun is practically dating his best friend already. It will be weird to spend time with another man, just the two of them…
Unless Kyuhyun is planning on inviting his new boyfriend.
"Hey, sorry to cut you off, but," Siwon takes a deep breath. "Do you have any plans tonight?"
"Huh? No… I have work to do anyway. Why?"
"Nothing, forget I asked. Go ahead and continue your story…"
Okay, that means Changmin is still out of the picture from tonight’s plan. It doesn’t change the fact that they're dating already and there's only one conclusion he can draw from this sudden development.
Tonight’s absolutely, definitely not a date.
"Anyway, I guess I'm ranting now, am I not?" Changmin chuckles, sounding abashed. "I'm just so happy that things work out this fast, you know?"
"...You really like him, do you?"
Changmin chuckles again, and Siwon can almost see his face growing red. "Yeah." He sounds so sincere, so serious. "I do."
After Changmin hangs up with him, Siwon sends a text to Kyuhyun asking about tonight. Kyuhyun replies not a minute later with an 'of course it’s still on, see you later'. Siwon finds that he's far less excited to see Kyuhyun’s name in his inbox, more less to see him in person in a few hours.
***
'What am I doing here?' Siwon wonders as he steals yet another glance at the man sitting next to him on the couch.
Kyuhyun's hair smells like apple. He's using a pillow to defend himself from the monsters in the movie but he never closes his eyes to avoid the scary scenes. Kyuhyun shrieks at every jump-scare, even the fake ones, but then he laughs at himself for doing so. The apartment is small but warm and cozy, and Siwon finds many things he adores in the room, from the stack of horror novels and comics to the pizza box Kyuhyun ordered before he came ("I hope you like pizza," Kyuhyun had said, and Siwon had nodded eagerly).
So far Siwon only finds one flaw in Kyuhyun, and that is the fact that he's dating Siwon's best friend.
"What's wrong?"
Siwon blinks and finds a pair of big eyes staring up at him questioningly.
"Do you think the movie's bad?"
"What? No, no." Siwon says frantically. "I think it's pretty fun."
"Really?"
Forcing out a smile, Siwon looks at Kyuhyun as convincingly as possible. "Believe me, you'll know if I hate a movie."
Kyuhyun returns the smile with a nervous one. "You seem to be out of it today."
"Sorry, I just… have something on my mind?"
"Work?"
Siwon hums noncommittally and Kyuhyun sighs. "Well, obviously you're not planning on sharing and you don't look like you're enjoying yourself--."
"No! I'm having a good time today, really. Thank you. It's great to spend time with you and..." Siwon halts, finding that he's already leaning far too close towards Kyuhyun, their sides pressed together. Kyuhyun doesn't seem to mind, though. In fact, unless Siwon's eyes are playing tricks on him, he's pretty sure that Kyuhyun is blushing. While looking at Siwon's lips.
"...And?"
And Kyuhyun is dating Changmin.
"And I think I should go home now." Siwon pulls away and stands up, clearing his throat as he does so. Kyuhyun stutters an okay from behind him, sounding disappointed, but that can be Siwon's ears taking its turn to play tricks on him.
He grabs his scarf and jacket, and manages to reach the door without looking at Kyuhyun. Then the other man takes hold of his hand and Siwon turns despite every warning alarm ringing in his head.
Kyuhyun looks hopeful, gorgeous, and everything Siwon ever wants.
Siwon has to get out of there soon or he will do something he will regret, so he turns the knob of the door and throws one last smile, "Good night…"
"Wait--."
All of a sudden, Siwon finds a pair of lips being pressed against his. A short, chaste kiss that only feels like it’s testing the water. Kyuhyun slowly pulls back, his head lowered but Siwon can still see the pretty blush and expectant eyes.
Siwon is so mad for Kyuhyun.
And he’s so, so mad at him.
"What do you think you're doing?"
He can hardly recognize his own voice, cold and angry. Kyuhyun seems as surprised, his face pales right away as he takes a step back.
"How could you do that?" Siwon's voice begins to rise. "You can't do that!"
"I-I thought…"
"I know everything, okay?" It's almost like he’s lashing out at both Kyuhyun and himself. Because Siwon already knows that this isn't right and still he went ahead with it, under the pretense that this can only be a 'friendly' night. He didn't even dare to point out that Kyuhyun is dating Changmin and drew the line from the very beginning.
He could’ve seen that kiss coming.
No, he saw it coming, didn’t he?
"I thought it was alright and we can hang out as friends but it's not alright. It’s not fucking alright."
Kyuhyun's face reddens for an entirely different reason from earlier. Tonight's not supposed to happen. The kiss isn't supposed to happen. Still, even though he saw the kiss coming and did nothing to prevent it, Kyuhyun remained the one who kissed him.
That means he's playing both him and Changmin.
Siwon recalls how happy Changmin sounded because damn it, Kyuhyun just kissed Changmin last night too.
"We should stop this." He walks out of the door and looks back one last time. "And you should be ashamed of yourself."
***
"Hey, what's the matter? You suddenly called me and you said that you have something to say…" Changmin says as soon as he opens the door. Siwon just storms past him into his apartment, pacing back and forth without saying anything while looking agitated. "…You're freaking me out, man."
At last Siwon stops in his tracks. He turns to Changmin, opening and closing his mouth several times until he finally gathers enough guts to confess everything. Last night was a mess. He couldn't sleep. Guilt gnawed at him while anger consumed him. It was only this morning he decided that Changmin deserves to know and that was when he called the man. "Changmin, I’m sorry, but I'm in love with him too."
Changmin frowns, then his eyes widens with understanding. "You… You're in love with him?"
Siwon feels himself shrinking under Changmin's disbelieving stare. "Yes. And I've been keeping it from you because I know I shouldn't feel that way. But I'm telling you this because I don't think it's fair to you since… Since he's been leading both of us on."
Now his friend turns cautious. "Careful, man," he warns.
"I would never lie to you. You know that," Siwon replies desperately. "True, I haven't been entirely honest with you, but…" He still remembers it. How good it felt. How wrong it felt. "We kissed last night."
It's like the bomb has dropped onto Changmin. He's left utterly speechless, unable to process the words that came out of his best friend's mouth. Siwon can see that his heart is breaking... not unlike his own heart right now. "He invited me to his place for a movie night and…" Siwon shrugs, one hand slicking his hair back helplessly. "I'm so sorry, man. I didn't plan on that to happen."
Changmin doesn't say anything for a long time, looking lost and numb. Finally he sits down and buries his face on his palms. "This sucks."
"I know." Siwon says softly. "I'm sorry. You told me you’re dating but I still went ahead with the movie night--."
"It's not entirely your fault." Shaking his head, Changmin looks up with a smile that doesn't quite reach his eyes. The smile soon disappears, though, because it's obviously not fooling anyone. "I can't believe it. He's so perfect... Maybe that's it. No one is that perfect."
"Just so you know, I put an end to it already." Siwon takes a seat next to Changmin. "And it's up to you, but…"
"There's no reason why I should stick with someone who cheated on me not a day after we started dating." For a moment he looks angry, but it passes and he returns into looking like a totally heartbroken man. "I just can't believe that Junsu would do that to me… to us."
"I didn't think that Kyuhyun is that type of person either, but--."
As if something clicks, they turn their head at each other and say at the same time, "Who?"
***
Siwon's running.
He's running as fast as he can, feeling like the biggest idiot in the universe. How could he never think of mentioning Kyuhyun’s name even once? They could've-- he could've sort out this misunderstanding from the very beginning. So there were two new guys in town. Him and Changmin had been talking about entirely different men without even realizing it. How silly is that? How unbelievably stupid?
Yet at the same time, he can’t be in higher spirits. Just ten minutes ago, he thought that it was the end of it, but now? Now, he might actually have a chance.
After checking Kyuhyun’s apartment and being told by the landlord that Kyuhyun was out, he runs straight to the coffee shop. Luckily for him, he spots Kyuhyun right outside the coffee shop. Unluckily, Kyuhyun spots him too and instantly storms towards the opposite direction.
"Wait! Wait, Kyuhyun!"
Kyuhyun only runs faster, but he's no match for Siwon's pace. The taller man catches up in no time and grabs him by the shoulder only to get hit square on the face by a thick book Kyuhyun is holding. "Get away from me!"
"Kyuhyun,” Siwon begs, ignoring the pulsing pain on his nose, “Kyuhyun, please, I need to talk to you--."
"I don't," Kyuhyun hisses venomously but Siwon can see the hint of tears and shame in his eyes. He understands that Kyuhyun is embarrassed and Siwon is probably the last thing he wants to see. But he vows to make it up. He vows to make it right.
"I'm sorry. You're not gonna believe this but last night was a mistake--," Siwon avoids another swing of the book towards his face and quickly corrects himself. "No, that's not what I meant. I can explain. Please, just let me explain."
Kyuhyun struggles even more but Siwon suddenly lets him go. He stares at Kyuhyun pleadingly, raising both hands to show that Kyuhyun is free to walk away if he really wants to. If he really doesn't want to see Siwon ever again. Although Siwon prays to every god that exists that it’s not the case.
To his relief, Kyuhyun stills, although the hostility remains imminent. "You have one minute."
Siwon wastes no time to explain the whole misunderstanding and Kyuhyun looks flabbergasted by the time Siwon mentions that he thought Changmin was into him.
"What? Changmin likes Junsu!"
Siwon gapes. "How did you know that?"
"How did you not know that? Didn't you see the way he looked at him? He visited the coffee shop nearly every day and he even ordered at least three drinks every time he's there just so he could go the counter again!"
"Yeah, I know. I mean, I know now that Changmin told me. I--," Siwon flails awkwardly. "I was too busy looking at you."
Kyuhyun snorts and turns away. "You can't distract me by saying those kinds of things. I'm still angry at you."
"Of course. I won’t blame you. I'm the one at fault. But believe me, everything I’ve told you is the truth. You can ask Changmin--.”
“He’s your friend. How do I know he’s not just covering your ass?”
“You can’t.” Siwon swallows. “I can only hope that you will believe him. And me. In my defense, Changmin had always referred to Junsu as 'he', under the belief that I will automatically know who's the 'new guy' he was talking about. Which is usually what happened. But this time I just couldn't remember that there's a new barista in the coffee shop when there's a new IT company employee who just moved into town and completely took over my attention."
"You told me I should be ashamed of myself."
Siwon sighs, the words he had thrown at Kyuhyun weighing heavily inside him. "I'm an asshole. You can’t see it but I’m mentally punishing myself."
"Good." Kyuhyun mutters. "You're lucky that I like you very much."
Siwon is about to sigh again, but then he realizes what Kyuhyun just said. A smile begins to spread on his face. "You do?"
"You don't get to smile like that," Kyuhyun scowls but Siwon just can't stop smiling.
"I'm sorry. I can't help it." He takes a step forward and Kyuhyun glances at him. "You like me?"
"I wouldn't kiss someone I don't like…" Kyuhyun's voice turns a pitch higher when Siwon takes another step, his hands wrapped around Kyuhyun's waist. "Would you?"
"No, I wouldn't."
Kyuhyun looks up and seemingly finds what he's looking for in Siwon's eyes because then the most beautiful smile blooms on his face. "Good, or you should be ashamed of yourself."
"I am ashamed of myself." Siwon leans in. "For refusing the kiss of someone I like very, very much last night."
"Yes, you should," Kyuhyun whispers as he closes his eyes and lets Siwon kiss him this time.
From inside the coffee shop, Changmin is staring at them with a gaping mouth. Siwon did tell him, but he hadn't really processed it until now. Next to him, Junsu giggles, "I just knew your friend has the biggest crush on Kyuhyun."
***
The end~
Author: bl4ckm4lice
Fandom: Super Junior
Genre/Pairing: AU - Siwon x Kyuhyun
Word Count: 4,000+
Rating: PG
Disclaimer: na-ah, not mine
Notes: Prompted by sharl for 1013 :D The prompt turns into the first sentence in this fic
There's a new man in town, and Siwon thinks he's super hot. Too bad his best friend Changmin thinks so too.
"Hey, remember that new guy we met at the coffee shop last week?" The moment Changmin says it, Siwon's gut tells him that his secret little crush is in jeopardy. Naturally, Changmin just has to continue with, "I went there yesterday and guess who have the phone number of the most desirable butt in the universe."
"You're gross," Siwon says even though his mind goes straight to recall the perfect butt wrapped in brown khaki he oggled at last week. Then he finishes processing the part where Changmin also thinks that those butt are insanely attractive.
Shit, shit, shit.
"You--," Siwon clears his throat. "You didn't tell me that you went to the coffee shop yesterday."
Changmin looks at him strangely and Siwon just hopes he has his nonchalant face on. "Well, you kind of ditched our lunchtime yesterday because of that urgent meeting. But I was already halfway to the restaurant and right around the block from the coffee shop, so I thought I might as well do something about that guy."
"And… since when are you into him again…?"
"Since last week, d'oh. I knew he'd be a great catch right away. He's gorgeous, he laughed at my jokes and oh, have I mentioned his butt because--."
Changmin drones on and on about the awesome points of his new love interest and Siwon quickly tunes out when all he can think of are 'I know, I notice that too. I notice that first, I--.'
Shit.
It's just that Siwon and Changmin have been friends since forever and they have this unspoken rule of 'bros before hos'. Not that Kyuhyun's a ho. Cho Kyuhyun is an unbelievably attractive man with the smile of an angel. He also owns the most charming voice that Siwon overhears when the other man was ordering his hot chocolate in front of him. Those (and the butt) were more than enough reason for Siwon to introduce himself before asking if he can join him on the couch while waiting for his friend (Changmin). Sadly, after a short-lived conversation, said friend (Changmin) decided to show up and the table for two became a table for three for yet another short-lived conversation. At least he managed to find out that Kyuhyun had just moved into town for his new job at an IT company and is eager to seek out new acquintances before Kyuhyun’s phone rang and he had to leave.
Granted, it was his fault not to stake a claim or something right after. But he thought it was too soon and he was too embarrassed to admit that is so attracted to fhis man he only talked to for a total of ten minutes.
Besides, who knew that Changmin would feel the same attraction after only five minutes and made his move before Siwon?
"--I called him earlier and he told me he would be at the coffee shop on Friday, and..." Changmin laughs, looking embarrassed. "Don't mock me, but I think I'm kind of getting cold feet, so..."
"So you want me to come with you?" Siwon asks, unsure if he wants to go and watch them flirting. But not going means he's gonna miss the chance to see Kyuhyun again. The butterflies fluttering in his stomach when he thinks of the latter tell him to man up and bear the possible flirting.
***
He can't bear it.
Changmin discovers that Kyuhyun plays games and they have been leaving Siwon out of the loop for half and hour now (okay, so maybe he did check his watch). All the while, he sips his espresso while trying to find a hole in the conversation where he can slip in and finding none. He resigns himself to discreetly imprints Kyuhyun's facial features into his mind. Mole under his eye. Little dimple just below his lips. Dark, straight hair that looks soft to touch--.
"Oh, hey, look," Changmin suddenly exclaims and points at his empty mug. "I just ran out of drink. Better get a new one." Without waiting for a reply, he jumps up and makes his way to the counter.
Kyuhyun shakes his head. "He drinks like a thirsty camel."
SIwon laughs loudly and becomes conscious that he's trying too hard when Kyuhyun shoots him an amused look. At least it isn't a 'if-you-are-high-I-am-out-of-here' look. "Sorry," Siwon says. "People do say I get excited too easily sometimes."
"No worries." Kyuhyun smiles with a hint of wonder on his face. "You've been quiet."
At least Kyuhyun notices. "I barely play games," Siwon shrugs, faking nonchalance although he's desperately hoping that the fact won't turn Kyuhyun off. Not that he's hoping for Kyuhyun to get turned on by him. Okay, that's just denial talking. "So, how have you been settling down in the city?"
"It's a great city so far," Kyuhyun smiles shyly. "Although adjusting to work have been taking most of my time. You and Changmin are among the few people I talk to more than once outside the office."
Siwon would've cooed if Changmin's name wasn't mentioned along with his. Which is actually good for him, because what kind of a grown man coos at another grown man?
As if on cue, Changmin returns and soon enough he resumes his impenetrable gaming talk with Kyuhyun. Siwon sinks into his seat and tears his sight off Kyuhyun. And then he makes the mistake of glancing at Changmin.
Damn it, Siwon hasn't seen Changmin like this for a long time. So happy, so content. With all the hints of a crush blooming into something deeper.
And what kind of a best friend Siwon is, if he tries to ruin it all just because of his own little crush? Especially when they seem to be hitting it off right away while he quickly turns into the third wheel.
Okay, maybe it's not too late. It's not too late to forget Kyuhyun. He can always find someone else and let Changmin carry on. Neither Changmin nor Kyuhyun will find out about his pathetic feelings.
No big deal.
Or so he thought.
***
The universe is working against him. Honestly, his vow to forget Kyuhyun was sincere. He even avoided the coffee shop afterwards. But just a few days later, he runs into Kyuhyun at a DVD rental store. There, under the 'Thriller/Horror' sign, Kyuhyun stands, looking more and more like Siwon's ideal type because that's exactly his favorite section. Does Kyuhyun know that Changmin pales at the sight of blood? Wait. He did not just degrade his best friend in front of said friend's crush. Albeit mentally.
"Hi, Siwon!" Kyuhyun waves at him and he lights up immediately. At least Siwon doesn't have to feel too guilty about that because Kyuhyun greets him first.
"H-hi. Surprised to see you here. Looking for early Halloween movies?"
"Isn't October a great month? You can watch horror movies everyday in the spirit of Halloween and no one will look at you as if you need help," Kyuhyun grins sheepishly and Siwon feels like slipping off a cliff which ravine is filled with ‘Kyuhyun feels'.
"And what are you planning to watch tonight?"
"I'm torn to rewatch '28 Days Later' or 'The Exorcism of Emily Rose', although I'm curious about this Japanese movie… I don't know if you've heard about it but it's called 'Noroi'--."
"Go for 'Noroi', especially if you like mockumentary movies. It gave me chills for days."
Kyuhyun beams and Siwon nearly melts on the spot. "Alright… But I will hold it against you if it turns out to be a flop," Kyuhyun says playfully and picks up the DVD. "Hey, maybe we can do a movie night together. Sometime this week, perhaps...?"
And just like that, the tension changes.
Kyuhyun looks at him, biting on his lower lip while Siwon grows increasingly panicked. Did Kyuhyun just ask him out? As in for a date? But friends do movie nights all the time so maybe he's just reading too much into it. Then again why does Kyuhyun look so nervous if this is a friendly offer? Or is that just himself spotting things that aren't there?
Despite his inner disorientation, Siwon replies, "Definitely. My place or yours?"
"Well, I… I don't know how to get around yet, so…" Damn, Kyuhyun looks so adorable all bashful like that. "My place? This time I'll pick the movie and I assure you it won't be a bore."
"You'll text me the address?"
"Only if you give me your number…"
"Ah, yes, what's your number? I'll give you a ring--." Wait, wait, did that just happen? Did he just get himself a date with Kyuhyun PLUS his phone number?
"Got it," Kyuhyun smiles when he finishes saving Siwon's number in his phone. "How does Wednesday sound?"
"Sounds great." By now, Siwon can barely conceal his excitement. It's reflected in Kyuhyun, because he looks even more bashful than before. "Perfect."
Perfect.
***
"You're not gonna believe this!" Excited is an understatement of how Changmin sounds over the phone on Wednesday morning. Siwon is almost sure it has something to do with Kyuhyun and he's not sure if he's looking forward to hear about it. But of course Changmin doesn't know that. "He invited me to his place last night and long story short… we kissed!"
Siwon nearly drops his phone. He didn't, but he surely feels like his heart drops in exchange. "W-wait, wait, go back to the beginning. How did that happen?"
"Okay, okay. So a couple of days ago, we met again at the coffee shop and he suddenly brought up this soccer game he had and how he had wanted someone to play it with. Enter Changmin, renowned gamer and a fun companion-slash-date! Although he didn't say that it's a date at that time, so forgive me to keep it under wraps…"
"But you kissed."
"Exactly! Turns out it was really a date!" Changmin shouts in enthusiasm. "And mind you, he was the one who kissed me first! I was just turning the game console off when-- Dude, are you listening?"
Siwon nods numbly, but realizes that Changmin can't see him. "Yeah… Yeah, I'm listening."
"So when I turned around, his face was so close with mine! Honestly I freaked out, worrying that it was gonna be awkward but then he leaned in and kissed me! I took over from there, of course…"
Really.
Now what.
He doesn’t have the slightest idea of how he’s supposed to act later that night. Is tonight even still on? Kyuhyun is practically dating his best friend already. It will be weird to spend time with another man, just the two of them…
Unless Kyuhyun is planning on inviting his new boyfriend.
"Hey, sorry to cut you off, but," Siwon takes a deep breath. "Do you have any plans tonight?"
"Huh? No… I have work to do anyway. Why?"
"Nothing, forget I asked. Go ahead and continue your story…"
Okay, that means Changmin is still out of the picture from tonight’s plan. It doesn’t change the fact that they're dating already and there's only one conclusion he can draw from this sudden development.
Tonight’s absolutely, definitely not a date.
"Anyway, I guess I'm ranting now, am I not?" Changmin chuckles, sounding abashed. "I'm just so happy that things work out this fast, you know?"
"...You really like him, do you?"
Changmin chuckles again, and Siwon can almost see his face growing red. "Yeah." He sounds so sincere, so serious. "I do."
After Changmin hangs up with him, Siwon sends a text to Kyuhyun asking about tonight. Kyuhyun replies not a minute later with an 'of course it’s still on, see you later'. Siwon finds that he's far less excited to see Kyuhyun’s name in his inbox, more less to see him in person in a few hours.
***
'What am I doing here?' Siwon wonders as he steals yet another glance at the man sitting next to him on the couch.
Kyuhyun's hair smells like apple. He's using a pillow to defend himself from the monsters in the movie but he never closes his eyes to avoid the scary scenes. Kyuhyun shrieks at every jump-scare, even the fake ones, but then he laughs at himself for doing so. The apartment is small but warm and cozy, and Siwon finds many things he adores in the room, from the stack of horror novels and comics to the pizza box Kyuhyun ordered before he came ("I hope you like pizza," Kyuhyun had said, and Siwon had nodded eagerly).
So far Siwon only finds one flaw in Kyuhyun, and that is the fact that he's dating Siwon's best friend.
"What's wrong?"
Siwon blinks and finds a pair of big eyes staring up at him questioningly.
"Do you think the movie's bad?"
"What? No, no." Siwon says frantically. "I think it's pretty fun."
"Really?"
Forcing out a smile, Siwon looks at Kyuhyun as convincingly as possible. "Believe me, you'll know if I hate a movie."
Kyuhyun returns the smile with a nervous one. "You seem to be out of it today."
"Sorry, I just… have something on my mind?"
"Work?"
Siwon hums noncommittally and Kyuhyun sighs. "Well, obviously you're not planning on sharing and you don't look like you're enjoying yourself--."
"No! I'm having a good time today, really. Thank you. It's great to spend time with you and..." Siwon halts, finding that he's already leaning far too close towards Kyuhyun, their sides pressed together. Kyuhyun doesn't seem to mind, though. In fact, unless Siwon's eyes are playing tricks on him, he's pretty sure that Kyuhyun is blushing. While looking at Siwon's lips.
"...And?"
And Kyuhyun is dating Changmin.
"And I think I should go home now." Siwon pulls away and stands up, clearing his throat as he does so. Kyuhyun stutters an okay from behind him, sounding disappointed, but that can be Siwon's ears taking its turn to play tricks on him.
He grabs his scarf and jacket, and manages to reach the door without looking at Kyuhyun. Then the other man takes hold of his hand and Siwon turns despite every warning alarm ringing in his head.
Kyuhyun looks hopeful, gorgeous, and everything Siwon ever wants.
Siwon has to get out of there soon or he will do something he will regret, so he turns the knob of the door and throws one last smile, "Good night…"
"Wait--."
All of a sudden, Siwon finds a pair of lips being pressed against his. A short, chaste kiss that only feels like it’s testing the water. Kyuhyun slowly pulls back, his head lowered but Siwon can still see the pretty blush and expectant eyes.
Siwon is so mad for Kyuhyun.
And he’s so, so mad at him.
"What do you think you're doing?"
He can hardly recognize his own voice, cold and angry. Kyuhyun seems as surprised, his face pales right away as he takes a step back.
"How could you do that?" Siwon's voice begins to rise. "You can't do that!"
"I-I thought…"
"I know everything, okay?" It's almost like he’s lashing out at both Kyuhyun and himself. Because Siwon already knows that this isn't right and still he went ahead with it, under the pretense that this can only be a 'friendly' night. He didn't even dare to point out that Kyuhyun is dating Changmin and drew the line from the very beginning.
He could’ve seen that kiss coming.
No, he saw it coming, didn’t he?
"I thought it was alright and we can hang out as friends but it's not alright. It’s not fucking alright."
Kyuhyun's face reddens for an entirely different reason from earlier. Tonight's not supposed to happen. The kiss isn't supposed to happen. Still, even though he saw the kiss coming and did nothing to prevent it, Kyuhyun remained the one who kissed him.
That means he's playing both him and Changmin.
Siwon recalls how happy Changmin sounded because damn it, Kyuhyun just kissed Changmin last night too.
"We should stop this." He walks out of the door and looks back one last time. "And you should be ashamed of yourself."
***
"Hey, what's the matter? You suddenly called me and you said that you have something to say…" Changmin says as soon as he opens the door. Siwon just storms past him into his apartment, pacing back and forth without saying anything while looking agitated. "…You're freaking me out, man."
At last Siwon stops in his tracks. He turns to Changmin, opening and closing his mouth several times until he finally gathers enough guts to confess everything. Last night was a mess. He couldn't sleep. Guilt gnawed at him while anger consumed him. It was only this morning he decided that Changmin deserves to know and that was when he called the man. "Changmin, I’m sorry, but I'm in love with him too."
Changmin frowns, then his eyes widens with understanding. "You… You're in love with him?"
Siwon feels himself shrinking under Changmin's disbelieving stare. "Yes. And I've been keeping it from you because I know I shouldn't feel that way. But I'm telling you this because I don't think it's fair to you since… Since he's been leading both of us on."
Now his friend turns cautious. "Careful, man," he warns.
"I would never lie to you. You know that," Siwon replies desperately. "True, I haven't been entirely honest with you, but…" He still remembers it. How good it felt. How wrong it felt. "We kissed last night."
It's like the bomb has dropped onto Changmin. He's left utterly speechless, unable to process the words that came out of his best friend's mouth. Siwon can see that his heart is breaking... not unlike his own heart right now. "He invited me to his place for a movie night and…" Siwon shrugs, one hand slicking his hair back helplessly. "I'm so sorry, man. I didn't plan on that to happen."
Changmin doesn't say anything for a long time, looking lost and numb. Finally he sits down and buries his face on his palms. "This sucks."
"I know." Siwon says softly. "I'm sorry. You told me you’re dating but I still went ahead with the movie night--."
"It's not entirely your fault." Shaking his head, Changmin looks up with a smile that doesn't quite reach his eyes. The smile soon disappears, though, because it's obviously not fooling anyone. "I can't believe it. He's so perfect... Maybe that's it. No one is that perfect."
"Just so you know, I put an end to it already." Siwon takes a seat next to Changmin. "And it's up to you, but…"
"There's no reason why I should stick with someone who cheated on me not a day after we started dating." For a moment he looks angry, but it passes and he returns into looking like a totally heartbroken man. "I just can't believe that Junsu would do that to me… to us."
"I didn't think that Kyuhyun is that type of person either, but--."
As if something clicks, they turn their head at each other and say at the same time, "Who?"
***
Siwon's running.
He's running as fast as he can, feeling like the biggest idiot in the universe. How could he never think of mentioning Kyuhyun’s name even once? They could've-- he could've sort out this misunderstanding from the very beginning. So there were two new guys in town. Him and Changmin had been talking about entirely different men without even realizing it. How silly is that? How unbelievably stupid?
Yet at the same time, he can’t be in higher spirits. Just ten minutes ago, he thought that it was the end of it, but now? Now, he might actually have a chance.
After checking Kyuhyun’s apartment and being told by the landlord that Kyuhyun was out, he runs straight to the coffee shop. Luckily for him, he spots Kyuhyun right outside the coffee shop. Unluckily, Kyuhyun spots him too and instantly storms towards the opposite direction.
"Wait! Wait, Kyuhyun!"
Kyuhyun only runs faster, but he's no match for Siwon's pace. The taller man catches up in no time and grabs him by the shoulder only to get hit square on the face by a thick book Kyuhyun is holding. "Get away from me!"
"Kyuhyun,” Siwon begs, ignoring the pulsing pain on his nose, “Kyuhyun, please, I need to talk to you--."
"I don't," Kyuhyun hisses venomously but Siwon can see the hint of tears and shame in his eyes. He understands that Kyuhyun is embarrassed and Siwon is probably the last thing he wants to see. But he vows to make it up. He vows to make it right.
"I'm sorry. You're not gonna believe this but last night was a mistake--," Siwon avoids another swing of the book towards his face and quickly corrects himself. "No, that's not what I meant. I can explain. Please, just let me explain."
Kyuhyun struggles even more but Siwon suddenly lets him go. He stares at Kyuhyun pleadingly, raising both hands to show that Kyuhyun is free to walk away if he really wants to. If he really doesn't want to see Siwon ever again. Although Siwon prays to every god that exists that it’s not the case.
To his relief, Kyuhyun stills, although the hostility remains imminent. "You have one minute."
Siwon wastes no time to explain the whole misunderstanding and Kyuhyun looks flabbergasted by the time Siwon mentions that he thought Changmin was into him.
"What? Changmin likes Junsu!"
Siwon gapes. "How did you know that?"
"How did you not know that? Didn't you see the way he looked at him? He visited the coffee shop nearly every day and he even ordered at least three drinks every time he's there just so he could go the counter again!"
"Yeah, I know. I mean, I know now that Changmin told me. I--," Siwon flails awkwardly. "I was too busy looking at you."
Kyuhyun snorts and turns away. "You can't distract me by saying those kinds of things. I'm still angry at you."
"Of course. I won’t blame you. I'm the one at fault. But believe me, everything I’ve told you is the truth. You can ask Changmin--.”
“He’s your friend. How do I know he’s not just covering your ass?”
“You can’t.” Siwon swallows. “I can only hope that you will believe him. And me. In my defense, Changmin had always referred to Junsu as 'he', under the belief that I will automatically know who's the 'new guy' he was talking about. Which is usually what happened. But this time I just couldn't remember that there's a new barista in the coffee shop when there's a new IT company employee who just moved into town and completely took over my attention."
"You told me I should be ashamed of myself."
Siwon sighs, the words he had thrown at Kyuhyun weighing heavily inside him. "I'm an asshole. You can’t see it but I’m mentally punishing myself."
"Good." Kyuhyun mutters. "You're lucky that I like you very much."
Siwon is about to sigh again, but then he realizes what Kyuhyun just said. A smile begins to spread on his face. "You do?"
"You don't get to smile like that," Kyuhyun scowls but Siwon just can't stop smiling.
"I'm sorry. I can't help it." He takes a step forward and Kyuhyun glances at him. "You like me?"
"I wouldn't kiss someone I don't like…" Kyuhyun's voice turns a pitch higher when Siwon takes another step, his hands wrapped around Kyuhyun's waist. "Would you?"
"No, I wouldn't."
Kyuhyun looks up and seemingly finds what he's looking for in Siwon's eyes because then the most beautiful smile blooms on his face. "Good, or you should be ashamed of yourself."
"I am ashamed of myself." Siwon leans in. "For refusing the kiss of someone I like very, very much last night."
"Yes, you should," Kyuhyun whispers as he closes his eyes and lets Siwon kiss him this time.
From inside the coffee shop, Changmin is staring at them with a gaping mouth. Siwon did tell him, but he hadn't really processed it until now. Next to him, Junsu giggles, "I just knew your friend has the biggest crush on Kyuhyun."
***
The end~