five-time proposal; [donghae/kyuhyun]
five-time proposal
donghae/kyuhyun, pg-13
1,847 words
Summary: 5 times Donghae asks Kyuhyun to marry him. This is like, fluff to the highest degree. I swear to god, I'll write other pairings soon. Just need to get this monster out of my system. Oh, and happy birthday, Hae! ♥
One week after Kyuhyun joins Super Junior, Donghae asks for his hand in marriage.
Up until that time, most of the members had been wary of Kyuhyun. They hunched over their morning coffees, whispering to themselves when they thought he couldn't hear. Donghae, though feeling sorry for the new kid, doesn't hold it against them; he knows that they've been together for years and dealing with change is never as easy as people think. He observes Kyuhyun mostly keeping to himself the first few days, standing in the corner of the rehearsal room, hands stuffed in his pockets, face impassive.
They are all curious but not enough to ask, so when Heechul makes a passing remark about Kyuhyun being cute, he thinks that maybe that's enough reason for his joining. Image is important, the other members agree, and he thinks, hey, whatever, it's no big deal.
It is only when Donghae hears him sing the next day that his convictions do a complete one-eighty, a sense of epiphany washing over him as he hears Kyuhyun's voice played back over and over again. So this is what Kyuhyun had come for; this is why he had to stay.
When Kyuhyun walks out of the recording booth, Donghae's mouth is twisted into a weird 'O' shape that must have looked unsightly on his face. It's his turn to record next, but his mind seemed to be drawing a blank whenever he tried to recall his parts, or how his voice should rise and fall to the music.
"Are you okay?" Kyuhyun asks awkwardly.
"Marry me," he says, awestruck.
Strangely enough, there is no regret that comes after the proposal. Usually his foot in mouth syndrome got him into easily avoidable misunderstandings. But even as Kyuhyun arches both eyebrows at him, he goes on and takes a chance.
"Do you..." He flexes his digits, then looks up at him with a bright smile. "Want to sit with me at lunch?"
Two hours later, they are late for the next recording session, but Kyuhyun is laughing along with the rest of the members and Donghae grins between mouthfuls of soup.
-
Donghae hasn't really eaten well or slept much the second time he asks Kyuhyun to marry him.
Kyuhyun is sitting up on the hospital bed, hands rigid on either side and needles in his wrists. His smile is small and weak when Donghae enters, and the way his chest constricts at the sight rivals the feeling he had when he hears of the accident.
"How are you feeling? he asks, sitting on the edge of Kyuhyun's bed. He makes sure to throw his best and biggest smile at Kyuhyun, so he won't notice the bags under his eyes and the hollow curve of his cheek.
"Better," Kyuhyun says. Donghae doesn't miss the emptiness, the rough grate in his tone. He knows the trauma rendered Kyuhyun mute for days; the first few times he visited he could barely swallow the constant lump in his throat as he bore witness to the horror that was Kyuhyun without a witty retort or a sardonic comment, relying on nods and shakes of his head to get his point across.
"That's good," he manages to say.
"I'll be out in a week," Kyuhyun adds, this time with a little more life. "Will you keep watch today? Ara-noona is coming by later and Kangin-hyung said the other day that you guys had schedule, so you can leave if you want to."
"Nah, I'm free today." That is a lie and Kyuhyun is actually right, they do have schedule today. Leeteuk only let him go because he'd seen the lines on his face and noticed him missing steps in practice.
When they flick through channels later on the small television across Kyuhyun's bed, they come across a police car chase scene from some cop drama, and Kyuhyun mutters, "Next time I should drive." There is no tinge of bitterness, only the dryness usually present whenever he mused on something.
Donghae chuckles and places a hand on Kyuhyun's knee. "I'm the best driver. Marry me and I'll take you anywhere, anytime. Accident-free trips guaranteed."
Kyuhyun smiles faintly, eyes becoming a little brighter, the way Donghae remembers. "Yeah, if you count spaz-out driving as the best. I'll probably die before I even get in the car."
-
Donghae is drunk the third time he asks Kyuhyun to marry him.
They are sitting at a nearly empty VIP lounge that is in stark contrast to the crowded dance floor just a few feet ahead. The heavy beat of the synthetic music pulsates throughout his body as he feels the world tilting and shaking under his feet. He looks at Kyuhyun with cloudy eyes, and feels slightly indignant at the mixed expression on his face; it's part amused and part concerned, which really shouldn't have been the case. He can hold his alcohol just fine, thank you.
In the next few seconds, he goes from lolling on his bar stool to bumping his head on Kyuhyun's shoulder when he attempts to stand up.
"I hate you," he murmurs, closing his eyes and gripping Kyuhyun's jacket near his hip. "You're not supposed to drink juice at a club."
Kyuhyun laughs, and he strains to hear. "You love me. And it's better than the four glasses of Long Island. At least I won't be stuck in bed nursing a hangover tomorrow."
He tips forward and hums into the curve of Kyuhyun's neck. Kyuhyun feels just a bit stiff, but he is lot warmer than he expected. "You never drink, magnae. You're no fun."
Kyuhyun lifts his shoulders a little and lets Donghae breath into his collar. "Don't really like the taste, sorry."
Donghae's hand clumsily travels up the length of his back, and he feels a slight tremor in the wake of his exploration. "Marry me, Kyu," he garbles, rubbing circles on Kyuhyun's neck, "so I can forcefeed you champagne at the reception. And maybe some tequila, too. And after the honeymoon we can drink white wine. For purity. But that's kind of ironic, right? You won't be a virgin then after the honeymoon."
Kyuhyun is silent for a long moment, then pushes him off and gently guides him back to his bar stool.
"You've had too much to drink. Let's go home, hyung," he says seriously, looking into Donghae's eyes.
He's already imagining them both in white suits, arms linking together as glasses clinked in the air. He's seen Kyuhyun wide smile as he spins him around on their first wedding dance, saxophone music swelling in the air and cat calls following their every step. He's seen fluffy bits of whipped cream and chiffon cake smeared around the corner of Kyuhyun's mouth. Even as he stumbles back into his seat and sways from side to side, the thought of drunkenness doesn't occur at all to him because it felt good - too good be the product of some intoxicated delusion.
"You're a virgin, aren't you? I won't marry you if you're not," he says. He doesn't dare protest when Kyuhyun slaps a palm to his forehead and groans.
After Kyuhyun drops him on his bed thirty minutes later with a barely suppressed eye-roll, he yells at Kyuhyun's retreating back, "I take it back! I'll still marry you even if you aren't!" before passing out.
-
Donghae is basking in the afterglow the fourth time he asks Kyuhyun to marry him.
They'd just gone to their first Chinese bar and restaurant with the rest of M; all of them had fallen into step behind Zhou Mi and Hankyung as they rattled on in a mixture of rapid Mandarin and heavily accented Korean about night markets and delicacies. Ryeowook and Henry were close behind, but were otherwise engaged in their own private world; Siwon nodded every so often and dutifully answered when Hankyung asked for his thoughts.
Donghae grows bored after nearly an hour of walking, and he nudges Kyuhyun's side discreetly when he spots an old crumbling hotel at the next block.
Kyuhyun picks up on his thoughts right away, smirking as he pauses in his step and cocks his head to the side in silent invitation.
That is how Donghae finds himself and Kyuhyun holed up in a dingy Beijing hotel room for the next seven hours, wrapped up in ugly, mauve sheets that itched whenever their knees rubbed against it. They ignore it, though, in favor of ravishing each other's naked flesh with kisses.
When it's over and he lies on his sweat-soaked back, gasping for air, Kyuhyun curling up into his side, he turns his head and whispers against Kyuhyun's cheek, "Marry me, Kyu."
"Ask me tomorrow," Kyuhyun mumbles incoherently, closing his eyes as he wraps an arm around his chest in an uncharacteristic show of unbridled affection.
He doesn't ask the next day, and the day after that, nor the days (months, years) that followed. He only remembers it when Kyuhyun laces their fingers together before performances, backstage in dressing rooms, behind the kitchen counter when the members are too busy chatting up on the day's schedule. In planes, cars, tour buses. In every nook and cranny of any corner they were in together, alone. It wasn't often, but it was enough for Donghae.
-
Donghae comes prepared the fifth time he asks Kyuhyun to marry him.
The passing of time hasn't really changed anything, Donghae thinks. Kyuhyun's face, older and with just a bit of crow's feet dusting on the corner of his eyes, is still as handsome as ever. He still sang as beautifully as he did the first time he heard him in that claustrophobically small recording room. He still missed a beat or two whenever the group attempted to master new choreography. He still loved his games (though he had moved on now from his beloved Starcraft), and he still made the same faces every time Donghae poked at his cheek or threw an arm teasingly around his waist.
But even more surprising is that the fans haven't changed one bit, too.
"Marry me, Kyu!" he screams as the finale music comes on. The crowds answer with a high-pitched, deafening roar of approval.
When he and the rest of the group run backstage to prepare for the encore, Kyuhyun trails behind, sweat on his brow and bangs, and turns to him, looking dumbstruck and a little horrified.
"You -" he sputters. Well, that's a first, Donghae thinks. "You - did you just say -"
"Yeah," he says, beaming as he reaches into his pocket. "There's something else, too. But I thought you wouldn't like it if I gave it to you in front of the fans."
They are the last to come out at the end of the show, and the fans immediately zero in on their locked hands. Soon the stadium is filled with thunderous screams, and less than a handful notice the faint glint of gold on Kyuhyun's hand.
donghae/kyuhyun, pg-13
1,847 words
Summary: 5 times Donghae asks Kyuhyun to marry him. This is like, fluff to the highest degree. I swear to god, I'll write other pairings soon. Just need to get this monster out of my system. Oh, and happy birthday, Hae! ♥
One week after Kyuhyun joins Super Junior, Donghae asks for his hand in marriage.
Up until that time, most of the members had been wary of Kyuhyun. They hunched over their morning coffees, whispering to themselves when they thought he couldn't hear. Donghae, though feeling sorry for the new kid, doesn't hold it against them; he knows that they've been together for years and dealing with change is never as easy as people think. He observes Kyuhyun mostly keeping to himself the first few days, standing in the corner of the rehearsal room, hands stuffed in his pockets, face impassive.
They are all curious but not enough to ask, so when Heechul makes a passing remark about Kyuhyun being cute, he thinks that maybe that's enough reason for his joining. Image is important, the other members agree, and he thinks, hey, whatever, it's no big deal.
It is only when Donghae hears him sing the next day that his convictions do a complete one-eighty, a sense of epiphany washing over him as he hears Kyuhyun's voice played back over and over again. So this is what Kyuhyun had come for; this is why he had to stay.
When Kyuhyun walks out of the recording booth, Donghae's mouth is twisted into a weird 'O' shape that must have looked unsightly on his face. It's his turn to record next, but his mind seemed to be drawing a blank whenever he tried to recall his parts, or how his voice should rise and fall to the music.
"Are you okay?" Kyuhyun asks awkwardly.
"Marry me," he says, awestruck.
Strangely enough, there is no regret that comes after the proposal. Usually his foot in mouth syndrome got him into easily avoidable misunderstandings. But even as Kyuhyun arches both eyebrows at him, he goes on and takes a chance.
"Do you..." He flexes his digits, then looks up at him with a bright smile. "Want to sit with me at lunch?"
Two hours later, they are late for the next recording session, but Kyuhyun is laughing along with the rest of the members and Donghae grins between mouthfuls of soup.
-
Donghae hasn't really eaten well or slept much the second time he asks Kyuhyun to marry him.
Kyuhyun is sitting up on the hospital bed, hands rigid on either side and needles in his wrists. His smile is small and weak when Donghae enters, and the way his chest constricts at the sight rivals the feeling he had when he hears of the accident.
"How are you feeling? he asks, sitting on the edge of Kyuhyun's bed. He makes sure to throw his best and biggest smile at Kyuhyun, so he won't notice the bags under his eyes and the hollow curve of his cheek.
"Better," Kyuhyun says. Donghae doesn't miss the emptiness, the rough grate in his tone. He knows the trauma rendered Kyuhyun mute for days; the first few times he visited he could barely swallow the constant lump in his throat as he bore witness to the horror that was Kyuhyun without a witty retort or a sardonic comment, relying on nods and shakes of his head to get his point across.
"That's good," he manages to say.
"I'll be out in a week," Kyuhyun adds, this time with a little more life. "Will you keep watch today? Ara-noona is coming by later and Kangin-hyung said the other day that you guys had schedule, so you can leave if you want to."
"Nah, I'm free today." That is a lie and Kyuhyun is actually right, they do have schedule today. Leeteuk only let him go because he'd seen the lines on his face and noticed him missing steps in practice.
When they flick through channels later on the small television across Kyuhyun's bed, they come across a police car chase scene from some cop drama, and Kyuhyun mutters, "Next time I should drive." There is no tinge of bitterness, only the dryness usually present whenever he mused on something.
Donghae chuckles and places a hand on Kyuhyun's knee. "I'm the best driver. Marry me and I'll take you anywhere, anytime. Accident-free trips guaranteed."
Kyuhyun smiles faintly, eyes becoming a little brighter, the way Donghae remembers. "Yeah, if you count spaz-out driving as the best. I'll probably die before I even get in the car."
-
Donghae is drunk the third time he asks Kyuhyun to marry him.
They are sitting at a nearly empty VIP lounge that is in stark contrast to the crowded dance floor just a few feet ahead. The heavy beat of the synthetic music pulsates throughout his body as he feels the world tilting and shaking under his feet. He looks at Kyuhyun with cloudy eyes, and feels slightly indignant at the mixed expression on his face; it's part amused and part concerned, which really shouldn't have been the case. He can hold his alcohol just fine, thank you.
In the next few seconds, he goes from lolling on his bar stool to bumping his head on Kyuhyun's shoulder when he attempts to stand up.
"I hate you," he murmurs, closing his eyes and gripping Kyuhyun's jacket near his hip. "You're not supposed to drink juice at a club."
Kyuhyun laughs, and he strains to hear. "You love me. And it's better than the four glasses of Long Island. At least I won't be stuck in bed nursing a hangover tomorrow."
He tips forward and hums into the curve of Kyuhyun's neck. Kyuhyun feels just a bit stiff, but he is lot warmer than he expected. "You never drink, magnae. You're no fun."
Kyuhyun lifts his shoulders a little and lets Donghae breath into his collar. "Don't really like the taste, sorry."
Donghae's hand clumsily travels up the length of his back, and he feels a slight tremor in the wake of his exploration. "Marry me, Kyu," he garbles, rubbing circles on Kyuhyun's neck, "so I can forcefeed you champagne at the reception. And maybe some tequila, too. And after the honeymoon we can drink white wine. For purity. But that's kind of ironic, right? You won't be a virgin then after the honeymoon."
Kyuhyun is silent for a long moment, then pushes him off and gently guides him back to his bar stool.
"You've had too much to drink. Let's go home, hyung," he says seriously, looking into Donghae's eyes.
He's already imagining them both in white suits, arms linking together as glasses clinked in the air. He's seen Kyuhyun wide smile as he spins him around on their first wedding dance, saxophone music swelling in the air and cat calls following their every step. He's seen fluffy bits of whipped cream and chiffon cake smeared around the corner of Kyuhyun's mouth. Even as he stumbles back into his seat and sways from side to side, the thought of drunkenness doesn't occur at all to him because it felt good - too good be the product of some intoxicated delusion.
"You're a virgin, aren't you? I won't marry you if you're not," he says. He doesn't dare protest when Kyuhyun slaps a palm to his forehead and groans.
After Kyuhyun drops him on his bed thirty minutes later with a barely suppressed eye-roll, he yells at Kyuhyun's retreating back, "I take it back! I'll still marry you even if you aren't!" before passing out.
-
Donghae is basking in the afterglow the fourth time he asks Kyuhyun to marry him.
They'd just gone to their first Chinese bar and restaurant with the rest of M; all of them had fallen into step behind Zhou Mi and Hankyung as they rattled on in a mixture of rapid Mandarin and heavily accented Korean about night markets and delicacies. Ryeowook and Henry were close behind, but were otherwise engaged in their own private world; Siwon nodded every so often and dutifully answered when Hankyung asked for his thoughts.
Donghae grows bored after nearly an hour of walking, and he nudges Kyuhyun's side discreetly when he spots an old crumbling hotel at the next block.
Kyuhyun picks up on his thoughts right away, smirking as he pauses in his step and cocks his head to the side in silent invitation.
That is how Donghae finds himself and Kyuhyun holed up in a dingy Beijing hotel room for the next seven hours, wrapped up in ugly, mauve sheets that itched whenever their knees rubbed against it. They ignore it, though, in favor of ravishing each other's naked flesh with kisses.
When it's over and he lies on his sweat-soaked back, gasping for air, Kyuhyun curling up into his side, he turns his head and whispers against Kyuhyun's cheek, "Marry me, Kyu."
"Ask me tomorrow," Kyuhyun mumbles incoherently, closing his eyes as he wraps an arm around his chest in an uncharacteristic show of unbridled affection.
He doesn't ask the next day, and the day after that, nor the days (months, years) that followed. He only remembers it when Kyuhyun laces their fingers together before performances, backstage in dressing rooms, behind the kitchen counter when the members are too busy chatting up on the day's schedule. In planes, cars, tour buses. In every nook and cranny of any corner they were in together, alone. It wasn't often, but it was enough for Donghae.
-
Donghae comes prepared the fifth time he asks Kyuhyun to marry him.
The passing of time hasn't really changed anything, Donghae thinks. Kyuhyun's face, older and with just a bit of crow's feet dusting on the corner of his eyes, is still as handsome as ever. He still sang as beautifully as he did the first time he heard him in that claustrophobically small recording room. He still missed a beat or two whenever the group attempted to master new choreography. He still loved his games (though he had moved on now from his beloved Starcraft), and he still made the same faces every time Donghae poked at his cheek or threw an arm teasingly around his waist.
But even more surprising is that the fans haven't changed one bit, too.
"Marry me, Kyu!" he screams as the finale music comes on. The crowds answer with a high-pitched, deafening roar of approval.
When he and the rest of the group run backstage to prepare for the encore, Kyuhyun trails behind, sweat on his brow and bangs, and turns to him, looking dumbstruck and a little horrified.
"You -" he sputters. Well, that's a first, Donghae thinks. "You - did you just say -"
"Yeah," he says, beaming as he reaches into his pocket. "There's something else, too. But I thought you wouldn't like it if I gave it to you in front of the fans."
They are the last to come out at the end of the show, and the fans immediately zero in on their locked hands. Soon the stadium is filled with thunderous screams, and less than a handful notice the faint glint of gold on Kyuhyun's hand.