[fic] baby
Baby
Kyuhyun/Sungmin; PG-15; 2,922 words; oneshot
Sungmin keeps leaving the dorm before everyone else wakes up and Kyuhyun wants to know where he's going.
a/n: I had an idea of what their relationship was like when I began writing because I don't like sudden, inexplicable intimacy, but then I never really said it explicitly, and things developed regardless, so I hope it's not too confusing.
Sungmin was quiet as a mouse as his eyes fluttered open reluctantly and his thumb silenced his phone. He'd set the alarm the night before, and slept with it clutched in his hand, so he would feel the vibration immediately. If he left it on his bedside table, it might rattle and wake Kyuhyun, who probably gamed well into the early hours of the morning and would not appreciate it in the slightest.
Timidly, Sungmin turned his head to look upon his roommate's bed, and smiled tiredly at the dark tufts of hair sticking out from a cocoon of blankets. Kyuhyun was unique about most things; it was cute. Yawning silently, Sungmin pulled his blankets back and pushed his half-asleep body up to sit on the edge of his bed. His cold, bare toes gingerly touched the hardwood floor of the bedroom and he stood up on weak legs to creep out and get ready for his day.
An unintelligible, garbled noise came from Kyuhyun's side of the room and Sungmin's shoulders tensed. Half-way to the door, he craned his neck around to see his roommate shifting under his blankets, legs kicking about clumsily. Sungmin made a silent prayer to the Gods - or better yet, Kyuhyun's God, perhaps that would work better - that Kyuhyun was fighting Starcraft enemies in his sleep and hadn't been woken up. He knew how the day would go if Kyuhyun saw him sneaking off alone.
"Hyung," Kyuhyun croaked, flopping about a bit more wildly when Sungmin pursed his lips, prepared to ignore him and sneak out before it was too late. But Kyuhyun's head popped up from under the covers, soft brown hair protruding at odd angles, and eyes looking so tired and red-rimmed that Sungmin knew Kyuhyun had only had an hour of sleep at best.
Shoulders sagging dramatically in defeat, Sungmin shuffled tiredly over to his rumpled roommate and sat on the edge of his bed. With a careful hand he reached up to smooth the messy tangle of hair back from Kyuhyun's pale forehead, and leaned in to press his dry lips to the soft skin gently.
"Hyung, where are you going?" Kyuhyun murmured, arms emerging from the depths of his blankets to wrap around Sungmin's shoulders and pull him down. But Sungmin gently untangled them and placed a gentle palm on Kyuhyun's chest, pushing him back down to bed.
"Shh," he whispered, tucking his dongsaeng back in. "Just go back to sleep, Kyu." Sungmin brushed the back of his hand against Kyuhyun's warm cheeks and smiled when his tired eyes fluttered.
"No," the magnae protested stubbornly, but Sungmin could tell this battle could be won with a little bit of patience. Kyuhyun sounded miserably tired, and it was written all over his face. "Where are you going? Take me with you," he insisted albeit sleepily, hands pawing at Sungmin's t-shirt.
Sungmin smiled adoringly down at him and sighed, scooting up higher on the bed, nearer to Kyuhyun's chest, and leaned down to his ear. As quietly as he could, while still maintaining a respectable voice, Sungmin began to hum and then sing a lullaby. With this mouth pressed so close to Kyuhyun's ear, the words barely left his lips before filtering in through the haze of sleep and dreams.
Sungmin felt the slightly unsteady breaths against his neck begin to even out over time, to the rhythm of the melody, and daring to hope, he pressed a soft kiss to the base of Kyuhyun's ear and pulled back. He bit his lip at the peaceful sight of the magnae having fallen back asleep. It took discipline, and quite a bit of it, to not climb under the blankets and curl up for bed with Kyuhyun. Instead, Sungmin made a quick exit before his roommate had the chance to wake up again, determined to take a quick shower before leaving.
ㅎ
"Hyung," a voice called quietly, and Sungmin jumped, startled, and slammed his finger shut in the cupboard door.
Muttering a curse under his breath, Sungmin pulled his hand back and inspected his reddened finger before reluctantly turning to find Kyuhyun standing at the other end of the kitchen. Despite looking tired and annoyed, he was dressed for the day, with his bag slung over his shoulder and an expectant look in his eye.
"Where are you going this early?" Sungmin asked with a raised eyebrow. Kyuhyun's eyes narrowed as he began moving across the kitchen toward his roommate, cornering him by the sink, where he had been preparing toast and juice.
"That's what I want to know," the magnae said, unable to disguise his pout. His face was an interesting balance between an innocent, abandoned child and a frustrated dongsaeng. "You got up this early yesterday and left without me, too. Where are you going? Take me with you," Kyuhyun insisted with wide, dark eyes.
Sungmin had a sense of déjà vu, remembering the words coming from Kyuhyun's lips yesterday morning, when he'd sang him back to sleep. Pursing his lips, Sungmin took a bite of his toast - sans peanut butter, which he'd been unsuccessful in retrieving from the cupboard - and began to stare down his roommate.
Kyuhyun was not a patient man, and it bothered him endlessly that Sungmin was.
"We're not having a staring contest, hyung!" He whispered heatedly, conscious of the other members still asleep in their rooms. "We both know you'll win, it's okay, I get it; but where are you going? Take me with you!"
Sungmin could tell Kyuhyun was resisting the temptation to stomp his foot like a spoiled child and couldn't help smiling after he swallowed his toast. He sipped his juice before stepping forward to cup Kyuhyun's cheeks and press a kiss to his temple.
"To SM," he replied shortly, and tried to step around his roommate, but Kyuhyun caught his wrist quickly and pulled him back. Sungmin looked up immediately as Kyuhyun's slender hand cupped his jaw and tugged him into a soft kiss on the lips. Then Kyuhyun's tongue, tasting like toothpaste and mouthwash, slipped into his mouth and Sungmin's eyes closed, hands grabbing onto Kyuhyun's wrists.
"Kiss me for real," Kyuhyun's husky voice sounded when their lips opened for air, breaths fanning warmly over each other's mouths. "And take me with you."
A flush of heat crawled down Sungmin's neck, or maybe it was Kyuhyun's hands, sliding down his body, one on his back and the other on his side, pulling their bodies flush. Sungmin stared up at his dongsaeng, feeling heavy-lidded and weak, whereas Kyuhyun's dark eyes looked to be blazing with intensity. Sungmin bit his own lip for a moment and then let it go when Kyuhyun's teeth tugged on it, too.
"Kyuhyun," he breathed heavily, allowing the magnae to pull him into another warm, moist kiss, tasting of Kyuhyun, toothpaste, and apple juice. Strangely, Sungmin couldn't complain.
ㅎ
Sungmin was only a bit moody when he unlocked the door to the studio and Kyuhyun followed him in. He hadn't been able to sing his dongsaeng back to sleep; not when he was breathless, Kyuhyun was determined, and Sungmin had a scheduled time he would lose if he didn't leave when he had planned. Kyuhyun had pulled a floppy knitted hat onto his head on their way out the door and Sungmin scowled whilst blushing, knowing it was because his own hands had tugged and pulled the magnae's hair into disarray while he was plastered against him in the kitchen.
"What have you been recording on your own?" Kyuhyun asked curiously while pulling his jacket off, looking around the studio that was empty save for a baby grand piano and microphone. Sungmin's face twisted again and he mimicked Kyuhyun under his breath while pulling off his own coat. Long arms slipped around him from behind and Sungmin stiffened when Kyuhyun's chest pressed against his back, his head coming over Sungmin's shoulder.
"Don't talk back to me, hyung," Kyuhyun murmured in the same tone he'd used to demand Sungmin kiss him earlier. Resisting the urge to reach up and pull Kyuhyun down for another round, he huffed and pried himself out of the magnae's strong grip.
"I wanted to sing something during the tour," he muttered, scratching nervously at his nose while setting dials and logging into the studio's computer. He could feel Kyuhyun's eyes trained on him from behind and tried to ignore the nervous flush that seemed to spread over every inch of his skin. "I need to practice," he added, glaring over his shoulder briefly. How he was supposed to do that with Kyuhyun present, he hadn't the faintest idea. That was the whole point of sneaking out early in the morning. Even if Kyuhyun hadn't been - well, whatever he was - to Sungmin, it would still be nerve-wracking. Even worse than when he was on stage with all his hyungs and dongsaengs in front of thousands of fans. Because it would only be Kyuhyun, and Kyuhyun had the strongest voice and most alluring stage presence he'd ever seen. Kyuhyun could sing circles around him.
"A solo?" Kyuhyun's voice wasn't skeptical or judgmental, but thoroughly interested.
Sungmin nodded instead of answering outright, trying to stop his fingers from trembling as he changed settings for the studio.
"What song?" Kyuhyun pressed, and Sungmin stiffened, biting his lip. He rolled his shoulders and cleared his throat before heading to the door that led into the piano.
"Just a song. You stay in here," he ordered to Kyuhyun, who stood with his arms across his chest and let out a bark of laughter at Sungmin's demand.
"Yeah right," the magnae smirked, and started to follow him.
Sungmin couldn't stop himself from pouting. As much as he wanted to abandon his former "cute" image, it was part of him, and he couldn't seem to escape it.
"Brat," he scowled, and turned to go through the door, his heart thumping at an uncomfortable pace in his chest. When Kyuhyun's long arm caught him around the waist again he slapped him away half-heartedly and kept moving.
At the piano, he sat centered on the bench and glared daggers at the magnae, lest he should get any ideas about joining him. Kyuhyun held up his hands as if pleading innocence and leaned against the nearby wall, watching with a smirk on his full lips.
Sungmin took his time getting comfortable, testing out the keys, listening for each note, playing through a scale or two and a bit of a song. When he finally did begin the high notes of the beginning of the song on the piano, he saw Kyuhyun start out of the corner of his eye, and couldn't help glancing up to see his reaction.
Kyuhyun's eyes looked darker than usual - usual being up close and personal, like that morning in the kitchen - and it sent shivers down Sungmin's spine. Kyuhyun's soft pink lips had parted as if he were going to say something, his fingers were digging into his sides, and his arms crossed over his stomach were taught, the muscle jumping every now and then.
Sungmin licked his lips and held his dongsaeng's gaze as he began to sing. The muscles in Kyuhyun's neck tensed and his Adam's apple bobbed as he swallowed thickly. Sungmin turned away shyly for a moment, trying to concentrate on the piano, the notes, on his voice; on being good enough to perform this song alone during the tour, but Kyuhyun's presence was heavy and pressing on him. He looked back up to see Kyuhyun's piercing stare and heavy breaths. He looked stiff and rigid, tense and nervous, exactly like how Sungmin had felt when he began the song, but with every familiar note and timed breath, he became more and more comfortable, more confident. He could do this. He could sing this to fans, since he wasn't singing it for them.
The song felt like it lasted forever, or maybe that was just how long it seemed to take Kyuhyun to reach him. Anticipating the end of the song, 'oh baby oh oh oh,' he'd started forward, and as if in slow motion had preyed forward upon Sungmin who sat on the piano bench. With the last 'oh,' when Sungmin's lips were still parted, and his fingers were still playing the final notes, Kyuhyun's wetted lips pressed against his and his tongue slid into his mouth. With Kyuhyun bowed over him, long arms supporting him on the bench, Sungmin felt infinitely small. When Kyuhyun's long delicate fingers cupped his cheek and rested on his lower back, he gave in and let his fingers fall from the piano keys. One hand reached up to rest against Kyuhyun's chest, breathing up and down, skin warm and soft in the v-neck of his t-shirt. The other slid across Kyuhyun's thigh, muscles tense under his black jeans, thumb hooking in his belt loop as he pressed their opposite hips together.
When they parted - finally, regretfully - their lips were swollen, red, and wet. Their breaths fell heavy on each other, and Kyuhyun's eyelids fluttered shut when Sungmin pressed his warm, moist lips to his forehead.
"Hyung," Kyuhyun croaked, but it was a beautiful sound, and that's exactly what Sungmin thought; 'I wish I had your voice.'
"Sungmin," Kyuhyun breathed heavily, forehead pressed down against his hyung's, eyes fluttering back open. Sungmin marveled at how they looked pitch black in the low light of the studio and tried to drop his face down so that he might be able to catch his breath - Kyuhyun had the uncanny ability of stealing it away - but Kyuhyun tipped his chin back up and kissed his lips softly.
"Only you could sing that song," the magnae murmured, lips brushing over Sungmin's as he spoke. "Sing it like that and make it feel like this," he explained, taking Sungmin's hand into his own and pressing it over his heart.
Sungmin could feel it beating wildly under his palm and sighed, leaning down to press his ear against the steady rhythm.
ㅎ
Sungmin wished he hadn't eaten so much that day, maybe then he wouldn't feel like throwing up all over the pristine keys of the baby grand piano. It wasn't in the schedule to have it every day, only for the opening and closing show, so this was the final night and he enjoyed the grandeur after having traveled with his keyboard for the rest of the tour. He hoped he wouldn't embarrass himself. If his voice cracked or he forgot the notes, he wouldn't recover from the humiliation. He'd played this song live enough times to be able to give it one last go.
He paused after the first verse, flexing his fingers, trying to relax his back, and prepared to continue when the slowly dying applause suddenly jumped in volume and intensity. Out the corner of his eye, Sungmin could almost see Kyuhyun leaning against the studio wall, as if it were three months ago, and the magnae was prowling closer to steal a kiss. And then he realized that he wasn't entirely hallucinating, because Kyuhyun was slowly strutting across the stage toward him, sans microphone and looking entirely beautiful under the pale blue lights of the stage.
Kyuhyun's white suit coat was hard to miss, and Sungmin trembled under his gaze, feeling the long tendrils of his hair tickling the nape of his neck when Kyuhyun took a seat next to him on the piano bench. He sat facing the opposite direction of the keys, leaning back on his elbow, propped up on the edge of the piano, and smiled devastatingly at Sungmin who could only stare back like a deer in headlights.
The screaming from the audience was mixed with cat calls and howling, growing so loud that Sungmin almost couldn't hear anything else. And then Kyuhyun was leaning in to his ear, reaching out with long fingers, and Sungmin wanted to scream too, but Kyuhyun's lips only brushed his earlobe because he had to come so close to be heard. He gingerly pulled Sungmin's in-ear monitor out to hush quiet words - 'play for me', and as an afterthought, 'baby', and Sungmin buried his face in his hands, laughing so hard he thought he would cry.
The crowd burst in shouts of delight at his aegyo and Kyuhyun's seductive show, and after a few minutes of trying to calm his fit of giggles and blushing, Sungmin recovered and got back into the song with a flourish of his fingertips across the keys.
Regardless of it being closing night, Sungmin felt he'd given his best performance yet. His insecurity about his voice and ability melted away into a puddle at his feet. Singing and playing to the person he'd intended all along, the emotion crept into his voice, sounding raw and unrehearsed, as if it were an impromptu performance just for Kyuhyun. With the final notes of the song, Sungmin groaning 'oh baby oh oh oh,' the magnae produced a pristine rose from inside his suit coat to conclude their little show, and Sungmin burst into laughter again but didn't feel that he could honestly pass off his tears as ones of humor.
To play along, he accepted the rose and quickly leaned in to give his dongsaeng a bashful kiss on the cheek before hiding his face behind his hands, and could almost hear over the roaring of the crowd, 'kiss me for real.'
afterword: videos: 4men - "baby baby" and sungmin - "baby baby" (beijing).
Kyuhyun/Sungmin; PG-15; 2,922 words; oneshot
Sungmin keeps leaving the dorm before everyone else wakes up and Kyuhyun wants to know where he's going.
a/n: I had an idea of what their relationship was like when I began writing because I don't like sudden, inexplicable intimacy, but then I never really said it explicitly, and things developed regardless, so I hope it's not too confusing.
Sungmin was quiet as a mouse as his eyes fluttered open reluctantly and his thumb silenced his phone. He'd set the alarm the night before, and slept with it clutched in his hand, so he would feel the vibration immediately. If he left it on his bedside table, it might rattle and wake Kyuhyun, who probably gamed well into the early hours of the morning and would not appreciate it in the slightest.
Timidly, Sungmin turned his head to look upon his roommate's bed, and smiled tiredly at the dark tufts of hair sticking out from a cocoon of blankets. Kyuhyun was unique about most things; it was cute. Yawning silently, Sungmin pulled his blankets back and pushed his half-asleep body up to sit on the edge of his bed. His cold, bare toes gingerly touched the hardwood floor of the bedroom and he stood up on weak legs to creep out and get ready for his day.
An unintelligible, garbled noise came from Kyuhyun's side of the room and Sungmin's shoulders tensed. Half-way to the door, he craned his neck around to see his roommate shifting under his blankets, legs kicking about clumsily. Sungmin made a silent prayer to the Gods - or better yet, Kyuhyun's God, perhaps that would work better - that Kyuhyun was fighting Starcraft enemies in his sleep and hadn't been woken up. He knew how the day would go if Kyuhyun saw him sneaking off alone.
"Hyung," Kyuhyun croaked, flopping about a bit more wildly when Sungmin pursed his lips, prepared to ignore him and sneak out before it was too late. But Kyuhyun's head popped up from under the covers, soft brown hair protruding at odd angles, and eyes looking so tired and red-rimmed that Sungmin knew Kyuhyun had only had an hour of sleep at best.
Shoulders sagging dramatically in defeat, Sungmin shuffled tiredly over to his rumpled roommate and sat on the edge of his bed. With a careful hand he reached up to smooth the messy tangle of hair back from Kyuhyun's pale forehead, and leaned in to press his dry lips to the soft skin gently.
"Hyung, where are you going?" Kyuhyun murmured, arms emerging from the depths of his blankets to wrap around Sungmin's shoulders and pull him down. But Sungmin gently untangled them and placed a gentle palm on Kyuhyun's chest, pushing him back down to bed.
"Shh," he whispered, tucking his dongsaeng back in. "Just go back to sleep, Kyu." Sungmin brushed the back of his hand against Kyuhyun's warm cheeks and smiled when his tired eyes fluttered.
"No," the magnae protested stubbornly, but Sungmin could tell this battle could be won with a little bit of patience. Kyuhyun sounded miserably tired, and it was written all over his face. "Where are you going? Take me with you," he insisted albeit sleepily, hands pawing at Sungmin's t-shirt.
Sungmin smiled adoringly down at him and sighed, scooting up higher on the bed, nearer to Kyuhyun's chest, and leaned down to his ear. As quietly as he could, while still maintaining a respectable voice, Sungmin began to hum and then sing a lullaby. With this mouth pressed so close to Kyuhyun's ear, the words barely left his lips before filtering in through the haze of sleep and dreams.
Sungmin felt the slightly unsteady breaths against his neck begin to even out over time, to the rhythm of the melody, and daring to hope, he pressed a soft kiss to the base of Kyuhyun's ear and pulled back. He bit his lip at the peaceful sight of the magnae having fallen back asleep. It took discipline, and quite a bit of it, to not climb under the blankets and curl up for bed with Kyuhyun. Instead, Sungmin made a quick exit before his roommate had the chance to wake up again, determined to take a quick shower before leaving.
ㅎ
"Hyung," a voice called quietly, and Sungmin jumped, startled, and slammed his finger shut in the cupboard door.
Muttering a curse under his breath, Sungmin pulled his hand back and inspected his reddened finger before reluctantly turning to find Kyuhyun standing at the other end of the kitchen. Despite looking tired and annoyed, he was dressed for the day, with his bag slung over his shoulder and an expectant look in his eye.
"Where are you going this early?" Sungmin asked with a raised eyebrow. Kyuhyun's eyes narrowed as he began moving across the kitchen toward his roommate, cornering him by the sink, where he had been preparing toast and juice.
"That's what I want to know," the magnae said, unable to disguise his pout. His face was an interesting balance between an innocent, abandoned child and a frustrated dongsaeng. "You got up this early yesterday and left without me, too. Where are you going? Take me with you," Kyuhyun insisted with wide, dark eyes.
Sungmin had a sense of déjà vu, remembering the words coming from Kyuhyun's lips yesterday morning, when he'd sang him back to sleep. Pursing his lips, Sungmin took a bite of his toast - sans peanut butter, which he'd been unsuccessful in retrieving from the cupboard - and began to stare down his roommate.
Kyuhyun was not a patient man, and it bothered him endlessly that Sungmin was.
"We're not having a staring contest, hyung!" He whispered heatedly, conscious of the other members still asleep in their rooms. "We both know you'll win, it's okay, I get it; but where are you going? Take me with you!"
Sungmin could tell Kyuhyun was resisting the temptation to stomp his foot like a spoiled child and couldn't help smiling after he swallowed his toast. He sipped his juice before stepping forward to cup Kyuhyun's cheeks and press a kiss to his temple.
"To SM," he replied shortly, and tried to step around his roommate, but Kyuhyun caught his wrist quickly and pulled him back. Sungmin looked up immediately as Kyuhyun's slender hand cupped his jaw and tugged him into a soft kiss on the lips. Then Kyuhyun's tongue, tasting like toothpaste and mouthwash, slipped into his mouth and Sungmin's eyes closed, hands grabbing onto Kyuhyun's wrists.
"Kiss me for real," Kyuhyun's husky voice sounded when their lips opened for air, breaths fanning warmly over each other's mouths. "And take me with you."
A flush of heat crawled down Sungmin's neck, or maybe it was Kyuhyun's hands, sliding down his body, one on his back and the other on his side, pulling their bodies flush. Sungmin stared up at his dongsaeng, feeling heavy-lidded and weak, whereas Kyuhyun's dark eyes looked to be blazing with intensity. Sungmin bit his own lip for a moment and then let it go when Kyuhyun's teeth tugged on it, too.
"Kyuhyun," he breathed heavily, allowing the magnae to pull him into another warm, moist kiss, tasting of Kyuhyun, toothpaste, and apple juice. Strangely, Sungmin couldn't complain.
ㅎ
Sungmin was only a bit moody when he unlocked the door to the studio and Kyuhyun followed him in. He hadn't been able to sing his dongsaeng back to sleep; not when he was breathless, Kyuhyun was determined, and Sungmin had a scheduled time he would lose if he didn't leave when he had planned. Kyuhyun had pulled a floppy knitted hat onto his head on their way out the door and Sungmin scowled whilst blushing, knowing it was because his own hands had tugged and pulled the magnae's hair into disarray while he was plastered against him in the kitchen.
"What have you been recording on your own?" Kyuhyun asked curiously while pulling his jacket off, looking around the studio that was empty save for a baby grand piano and microphone. Sungmin's face twisted again and he mimicked Kyuhyun under his breath while pulling off his own coat. Long arms slipped around him from behind and Sungmin stiffened when Kyuhyun's chest pressed against his back, his head coming over Sungmin's shoulder.
"Don't talk back to me, hyung," Kyuhyun murmured in the same tone he'd used to demand Sungmin kiss him earlier. Resisting the urge to reach up and pull Kyuhyun down for another round, he huffed and pried himself out of the magnae's strong grip.
"I wanted to sing something during the tour," he muttered, scratching nervously at his nose while setting dials and logging into the studio's computer. He could feel Kyuhyun's eyes trained on him from behind and tried to ignore the nervous flush that seemed to spread over every inch of his skin. "I need to practice," he added, glaring over his shoulder briefly. How he was supposed to do that with Kyuhyun present, he hadn't the faintest idea. That was the whole point of sneaking out early in the morning. Even if Kyuhyun hadn't been - well, whatever he was - to Sungmin, it would still be nerve-wracking. Even worse than when he was on stage with all his hyungs and dongsaengs in front of thousands of fans. Because it would only be Kyuhyun, and Kyuhyun had the strongest voice and most alluring stage presence he'd ever seen. Kyuhyun could sing circles around him.
"A solo?" Kyuhyun's voice wasn't skeptical or judgmental, but thoroughly interested.
Sungmin nodded instead of answering outright, trying to stop his fingers from trembling as he changed settings for the studio.
"What song?" Kyuhyun pressed, and Sungmin stiffened, biting his lip. He rolled his shoulders and cleared his throat before heading to the door that led into the piano.
"Just a song. You stay in here," he ordered to Kyuhyun, who stood with his arms across his chest and let out a bark of laughter at Sungmin's demand.
"Yeah right," the magnae smirked, and started to follow him.
Sungmin couldn't stop himself from pouting. As much as he wanted to abandon his former "cute" image, it was part of him, and he couldn't seem to escape it.
"Brat," he scowled, and turned to go through the door, his heart thumping at an uncomfortable pace in his chest. When Kyuhyun's long arm caught him around the waist again he slapped him away half-heartedly and kept moving.
At the piano, he sat centered on the bench and glared daggers at the magnae, lest he should get any ideas about joining him. Kyuhyun held up his hands as if pleading innocence and leaned against the nearby wall, watching with a smirk on his full lips.
Sungmin took his time getting comfortable, testing out the keys, listening for each note, playing through a scale or two and a bit of a song. When he finally did begin the high notes of the beginning of the song on the piano, he saw Kyuhyun start out of the corner of his eye, and couldn't help glancing up to see his reaction.
Kyuhyun's eyes looked darker than usual - usual being up close and personal, like that morning in the kitchen - and it sent shivers down Sungmin's spine. Kyuhyun's soft pink lips had parted as if he were going to say something, his fingers were digging into his sides, and his arms crossed over his stomach were taught, the muscle jumping every now and then.
Sungmin licked his lips and held his dongsaeng's gaze as he began to sing. The muscles in Kyuhyun's neck tensed and his Adam's apple bobbed as he swallowed thickly. Sungmin turned away shyly for a moment, trying to concentrate on the piano, the notes, on his voice; on being good enough to perform this song alone during the tour, but Kyuhyun's presence was heavy and pressing on him. He looked back up to see Kyuhyun's piercing stare and heavy breaths. He looked stiff and rigid, tense and nervous, exactly like how Sungmin had felt when he began the song, but with every familiar note and timed breath, he became more and more comfortable, more confident. He could do this. He could sing this to fans, since he wasn't singing it for them.
The song felt like it lasted forever, or maybe that was just how long it seemed to take Kyuhyun to reach him. Anticipating the end of the song, 'oh baby oh oh oh,' he'd started forward, and as if in slow motion had preyed forward upon Sungmin who sat on the piano bench. With the last 'oh,' when Sungmin's lips were still parted, and his fingers were still playing the final notes, Kyuhyun's wetted lips pressed against his and his tongue slid into his mouth. With Kyuhyun bowed over him, long arms supporting him on the bench, Sungmin felt infinitely small. When Kyuhyun's long delicate fingers cupped his cheek and rested on his lower back, he gave in and let his fingers fall from the piano keys. One hand reached up to rest against Kyuhyun's chest, breathing up and down, skin warm and soft in the v-neck of his t-shirt. The other slid across Kyuhyun's thigh, muscles tense under his black jeans, thumb hooking in his belt loop as he pressed their opposite hips together.
When they parted - finally, regretfully - their lips were swollen, red, and wet. Their breaths fell heavy on each other, and Kyuhyun's eyelids fluttered shut when Sungmin pressed his warm, moist lips to his forehead.
"Hyung," Kyuhyun croaked, but it was a beautiful sound, and that's exactly what Sungmin thought; 'I wish I had your voice.'
"Sungmin," Kyuhyun breathed heavily, forehead pressed down against his hyung's, eyes fluttering back open. Sungmin marveled at how they looked pitch black in the low light of the studio and tried to drop his face down so that he might be able to catch his breath - Kyuhyun had the uncanny ability of stealing it away - but Kyuhyun tipped his chin back up and kissed his lips softly.
"Only you could sing that song," the magnae murmured, lips brushing over Sungmin's as he spoke. "Sing it like that and make it feel like this," he explained, taking Sungmin's hand into his own and pressing it over his heart.
Sungmin could feel it beating wildly under his palm and sighed, leaning down to press his ear against the steady rhythm.
ㅎ
Sungmin wished he hadn't eaten so much that day, maybe then he wouldn't feel like throwing up all over the pristine keys of the baby grand piano. It wasn't in the schedule to have it every day, only for the opening and closing show, so this was the final night and he enjoyed the grandeur after having traveled with his keyboard for the rest of the tour. He hoped he wouldn't embarrass himself. If his voice cracked or he forgot the notes, he wouldn't recover from the humiliation. He'd played this song live enough times to be able to give it one last go.
He paused after the first verse, flexing his fingers, trying to relax his back, and prepared to continue when the slowly dying applause suddenly jumped in volume and intensity. Out the corner of his eye, Sungmin could almost see Kyuhyun leaning against the studio wall, as if it were three months ago, and the magnae was prowling closer to steal a kiss. And then he realized that he wasn't entirely hallucinating, because Kyuhyun was slowly strutting across the stage toward him, sans microphone and looking entirely beautiful under the pale blue lights of the stage.
Kyuhyun's white suit coat was hard to miss, and Sungmin trembled under his gaze, feeling the long tendrils of his hair tickling the nape of his neck when Kyuhyun took a seat next to him on the piano bench. He sat facing the opposite direction of the keys, leaning back on his elbow, propped up on the edge of the piano, and smiled devastatingly at Sungmin who could only stare back like a deer in headlights.
The screaming from the audience was mixed with cat calls and howling, growing so loud that Sungmin almost couldn't hear anything else. And then Kyuhyun was leaning in to his ear, reaching out with long fingers, and Sungmin wanted to scream too, but Kyuhyun's lips only brushed his earlobe because he had to come so close to be heard. He gingerly pulled Sungmin's in-ear monitor out to hush quiet words - 'play for me', and as an afterthought, 'baby', and Sungmin buried his face in his hands, laughing so hard he thought he would cry.
The crowd burst in shouts of delight at his aegyo and Kyuhyun's seductive show, and after a few minutes of trying to calm his fit of giggles and blushing, Sungmin recovered and got back into the song with a flourish of his fingertips across the keys.
Regardless of it being closing night, Sungmin felt he'd given his best performance yet. His insecurity about his voice and ability melted away into a puddle at his feet. Singing and playing to the person he'd intended all along, the emotion crept into his voice, sounding raw and unrehearsed, as if it were an impromptu performance just for Kyuhyun. With the final notes of the song, Sungmin groaning 'oh baby oh oh oh,' the magnae produced a pristine rose from inside his suit coat to conclude their little show, and Sungmin burst into laughter again but didn't feel that he could honestly pass off his tears as ones of humor.
To play along, he accepted the rose and quickly leaned in to give his dongsaeng a bashful kiss on the cheek before hiding his face behind his hands, and could almost hear over the roaring of the crowd, 'kiss me for real.'
afterword: videos: 4men - "baby baby" and sungmin - "baby baby" (beijing).