Against All Odds [Have it Your Way - Fic #2]
Finally the second installment of my little request post is finished. This one ran away with me and tried to run further before I put a good solid leash on it. Still it came out to 17 pages and 6,360 words...
The prompt was: Kyuhyun/Sungmin; Something like... gang fic. They're in different gangs which are not in good terms, but they fall in love with each other.
This is for ryuki92. Hope you enjoy it!
Rated PG-13. Characters aren't mine...
Reviews are my crack...
Against All Odds
“We shouldn’t be doing this,” came the shaky protest from the shorter of the two men.
“It too late to stop now,” the other said with a smirk spreading across his lips. “We are in too far already. Don’t you agree Sungmin?” His hands slid to the others round hips and used the hold to jerk the man’s lower body forward and into his own. A shuddered breath was released from Sungmin but he put forth no further protests.
Knowing that he had achieved a temporary victory, Kyuhyun dropped his lips to Sungmin’s neck where he placed a quick kiss before beginning to trace the elaborate outline of a dragon that resided on the skin there. Sungmin immediately tilted his head, giving the other man plenty of room to work.
“Kyuhyun…” The name came out in a mumbled whisper as Sungmin’s hands found their way into Kyuhyun’s hair. He was careful not to pull or try to direct Kyuhyun in any way since he knew that would result in the exact opposite of what he wanted. Instead he simply ran his fingers through the dark locks, enjoying the softness his fingers found there.
Kyuhyun continued to cover Sungmin’s neck in slow kisses, swipes of his tongue, and the occasional nip. Since he already knew it was one of the other man’s most sensitive places, it was an excellent area to attack to get Sungmin to stop protesting. Pleased that for the moment he was winning, Kyuhyun slid one hand down the other man’s leg. When it reached the area just above his knee, he tugged. Obediently Sungmin lifted his leg so that it could be resettled to curl around Kyuhyun and allow their bodies to fit more closely together. Sure that the leg would stay where it was placed, Kyuhyun allowed his hands to begin to explore the body that had become very familiar territory.
One hand had made it under Sungmin’s white-beater and the other had begun to slide down the back of his pants before the man spoke up again. “Kyuhyun, we have to stop.” If he had meant it to come out as a firm statement, it was anything but. Instead it sounded much more like a plea.
“Why?” Kyuhyun asked softly before playfully blowing on Sungmin’s ear.
Sungmin could hardly suppress a shudder from the other man’s actions as he tried to formulate his thoughts. “Maybe because we are supposed to be killing each other, not doing…” he paused as if trying to find the right word, “this.”
Kyuhyun laughed. “Having sex,” he said bluntly. Sungmin’s cheeks immediately deepened in color. “Aw how many times have I had you and you are still blushing about it? That’s cute.” Kyuhyun didn’t give Sungmin a chance to respond. Instead he sealed their lips together for a kiss that was full of pent up passion. It only took seconds for Sungmin to forget his protests and instead arch into the delicious body in front of him. Content that he had firmly distracted his little lover, Kyuhyun let his hands go back to work while he continued to ravish Sungmin’s mouth.
Sungmin, for his part, was more than willing to participate in the kiss. He lifted one hand to cup the back of Kyuhyun’s head, as if it would aid him in getting closer to the man. The other hand slid down the man’s back. His fingers brushed over a lump beneath the leather jacket Kyuhyun was wearing. Sungmin didn’t need to look to know that what he was feeling was a gun. The object was enough to bring his former protests back to his mind.
With more determination then he thought he had Sungmin pulled his head back, effectively breaking the kiss. “Kyuhyun, you’re wearing a gun.”
“So?” he asked, clearly unbothered by it. “I also have a rather deadly knife in my boot. What’s the problem? You’re wearing a gun too.” As if to prove his point he slid the hand that was at Sungmin’s back sideways to touch metal.
“The problem is that we are supposed to put bullets into each other, not our tongues,” Sungmin replied irritably. He pulled his hands away from Kyuhyun and tried to shove the man away. It was difficult for him to think clearly with the other man pressed so tightly to him. Kyuhyun gave in and took a step back, putting a minimal distance between them. Sungmin let his leg fall down so he could once again rest his weight on both. “How much longer do you think we can keep this a secret? Heechul is already suspicious and Eunhyuk knows.”
“You said he wouldn’t say anything,” Kyuhyun declared narrowing his eyes.
“He won’t! He hasn’t. He’s like a brother to me. He won’t say what is going on, but if Heechul finds out he will tell Hankyung. He tells him everything.”
“Then I’ll just put a bullet in his head before he does that,” Kyuhyun said with a surprising amount of viciousness.
Sungmin’s eyes widened. “You can’t! He’s -“
“I know. He is like family. The gang is family. I know. Or did you forget I run with my own gang?”
“How could I forget?” Sungmin said quietly. “I worry every time Hankyung talks about going after ‘that damned gang and its leader Leeteuk’,” his fingers added in the quotes for his words.
“What do you propose we do then?” Kyuhyun asked, crossing his arms in irritation.
“I don’t know,” Sungmin admitted helplessly.
Kyuhyun opened his mouth as if to add a reply but snapped it shut suddenly. The next moment he had slid his hand to his back, drawn his gun, cocked it, and was pointing to towards the shadows. “Come into the light before I shoot you.”
Sungmin’s eyes widened. He hadn’t heard or seen whatever it had been that had alerted Kyuhyun that someone else was there. In fact he never expected to see Eunhyuk step from the shadows with his hands raise to show that his weapon was not drawn.
“If I wanted to shoot you I would have done it when you were exploring Sungmin’s throat with your tongue. I just came to get him,” Eunhyuk explained in a level voice. He gave Kyuhyun a look that almost dared him to take a shot at him.
Sungmin slid a glance to Kyuhyun, but before he could say anything the man lowered his gun. Letting out a small breath he didn’t know he was holding, Sungmin turned so that he was facing his friend. “What is it?”
“Hankyung is pissed about something,” Eunhyuk said as he dropped his arms to his sides. “He’s calling everyone together and I mean everyone. I thought I have better come and get you before he sent someone else to find you.”
“Yeah,” Sungmin replied sighing softly. “Thanks.” He turned towards Kyuhyun. “I have to go.”
“I know,” Kyuhyun grabbed his arm lightly with his hand that wasn’t holding the gun. “Be careful.” He leaned forward and stole a quick kiss before pulling away. Kyuhyun spun and tucked his gun back into its place all in one motion. The next moment he had slipped into the shadows of the ally and was gone.
Sungmin watched him go before turning his eyes to Eunhyuk. “We should go,” he said running his hand through his hair tiredly.
“I have my bike a few streets over,” Eunhyuk turned and gestured for him to follow. Sungmin gave one last look to the direction Kyuhyun had gone before walking out of the ally after his friend.
~--------------~
By the time they arrived at the building that Sungmin knew as ‘Home Base’, it was apparent that most of the gang had already gathered there. The thirty or so men in the larger garage section of the warehouse parted and shifted upon request, giving the pair enough space to walk through. Sungmin nodded in greeting to several of the men as they made their way to the small room in the back of the building.
Shouting could be heard before they had even opened the door. Eunhyuk and Sungmin exchanged a worried look and both took a deep breath before placing a hand on the handle and turning it. Quietly they both slipped into the room and shut the door behind them. Shindong, one of their good friends, was sitting in a chair in the far corner of the room. The pair moved to stand by him before taking a survey of what was going on.
Donghae stood in the far corner of the room with his arms crossed and an intense look of anger on his face. In the center, the table had been cleared, and in place of the usual clutter lay Heechul. The man was looking rather dangerous at the moment, much like a tiger just waiting for a stray human to get close enough so he could tear its arm off. At his side with his back to them knelt Siwon. The man’s body blocked their view of part of Heechul but it was evident he was preoccupied with something on the man. Beyond them Hankyung paced with a look of pure anger on his face.
“Siwon! That fucking hurts!” Heechul snarled, his whole body twitching slightly.
“You were shot, of course it hurts, and don’t curse.” The last bit was added purely out of habit.
“I’ll fucking curse if I fucking want to. I’m lying on a table and fucking bleeding to death!”
“I’ve stopped the bleeding. You’re not going to die,” Siwon replied patiently. He shifted sideways slightly and Sungmin was finally able to see the bloody area just above Heechul’s knee. Siwon finished tying a bandage around it and looked to Hankyung. “He needs to go to the hospital.”
“The fuck I do!” Heechul protested sitting up half way.
Hankyung glanced between Heechul and then Siwon. His eyes narrowed slightly before he nodded. “Shindong, get some men to help you. You are taking Heechul to the hospital.” Shindong nodded and immediately rose and slipped out of the room to complete his task.
“Hell no! I’m not going! There is no way!” The wounded man tried to wiggle his way off of the table but Siwon pushed him firmly back onto it.
Hankyung knelt beside the table and locked eyes with the still struggling man. “You are going to the hospital. Or would you rather lose your leg?”
Heechul glared at him in response but stopped struggling against Siwon’s hold. Angrily he grabbed the back of Hankyung’s neck and jerked him forward. The Chinese man allowed him to pull him down until he was leaning with only a few inches separating their faces. “Don’t do anything stupid,” Heechul ordered. Then, before Hankyung could make any sort of reply he leaned forward and sealed their lips together.
The kiss only lasted for a moment before Heechul broke contact and released his hold on Hankyung. He then turned his head to look at Siwon. “Carry me to the car,” he ordered.
Siwon sighed but carefully slid one arm beneath Heechul’s shoulders and the other behind his knees. Then as slowly as he could he lifted the man into his arms. Despite his care he couldn’t help jarring Heechul’s leg a bit, to which Heechul released a small hiss. Hankyung moved to the door and opened it.
Outside the room the chatter of talking immediately ceased with the appearance of their leader. Hankyung schooled his features into an emotionless mask and began making his way through the crowd. The men shifted sideways to allow him plenty of space to move. Siwon, with his injured burden followed. Behind him trailed the rest of the men that were in the room.
Sungmin bit his lip lightly as he followed the procession to the van Shindong had brought around. Despite not knowing what had happened, Sungmin could hazard a guess that it had something to do with Leeteuk’s gang. For several years the two gangs had been involved in an escalating conflict between them. It had grown to the point where Sungmin and his fellow members were under orders to shot any members of Leeteuk’s gang as soon as they saw them. The was no way of knowing what the rest of the night held for the members of Hankyung’s gang.
Carefully Siwon deposited Heechul in the back seat of the van Shindong had pulled to the entrance. Hankyung leaned in and murmured something softly to Heechul that Sungmin wasn’t able to make out. Then he took a step back.
“Maybe I should go with them,” Siwon suggested softly.
“No,” Hankyung instantly protested. He wrapped one hand around Siwon’s arm. “I need you with me.” The Chinese man met Siwon’s eyes and something passed between them. Whatever it was it was enough of an explanation for Siwon. He nodded, closed the door of the van, and stepped back to stand beside Hankyung.
“I’ll take care of him,” Shindong assured them both before climbing into the driver’s seat. The men watched the van pull away until it had turned the corner. Once it was out of site Hankyung turned to face his men. He let his hand fall from Siwon before speaking.
“Tonight, while he was out in our part of town, a member of Leeteuk’s gang shot Heechul in the leg. This action is inexcusable. Tonight we deal with Leeteuk and his followers,” Hankyung declared in a voice befitting a leader.
There was a resounding cheer from the gathered men at the idea that they would finally be able to deal with the rival gang. Although Sungmin joined in the cheer his heart was not in it. In fact it was the complete opposite. All he could feel was an over whelming sense of dread. He would be seeing his lover again soon. Kyuhyun was a member of Leeteuk’s gang.
~--------------~
It was customary for the leader of any gang to lead from the front of his men. Perhaps it was reckless, as it did have the effect of putting the leader in the direct line of fire; however no man had come to command other men without taking a few risks. True to form, Hankyung lead his men directly to the rundown play ground in the middle of the city park. He entered from the west gate and made his way to the middle of the area.
Across the span of rusted and rundown equipment, a second group of men were making their way into the playground. At their head was Leeteuk, the leader of the only other major gang in the city. On his right was Kangin, his right hand man. Kyuhyun flanked him on the left, with Ryeowook and Yesung beside and slightly behind him. Half a step behind Kangin, was Kibum, the last of Leeteuk’s close men.
Sungmin looked towards Kyuhyun and met his eyes. Although neither face gave away anything, the shorter man knew his lover was just as worried as he was. Neither group was stupid. Both knew that this could go very badly very quickly.
Hankyung stopped moving just past the decrepit swings, and Leeteuk halted just after the tilted slide leaving a ten foot space between the two. For a moment there was a stare down, as if either group could intimidate the other. It didn’t work, of course. All the time served to do was make everyone more jumpy and several hands twitch towards weapons.
“I see your woman isn’t here tonight,” Leeteuk said lazily, breaking the silence.
Hankyung let out a snarl with his words, “His name is Heechul, and you know very well why he isn’t here tonight. One of your men shot him.”
“Impossible,” Leeteuk replied flippantly, crossing his arms.
“The bullet in Heechul’s leg begs to differ.”
“He could have been shot, just not by my people,” Leeteuk shrugged as if the matter made little difference to him.
“Why is that?” Siwon asked.
Leeteuk turned his head and offered him a grin. “Because if my people had shot him the bullet would not have found his knee, it would have been put in his pretty little head.”
At Leeteuk’s words Hankyung let loose a snarl and drew his gun. In an instant he had it leveled at the other leader’s head. His movement causes Kangin to draw his weapon and point it at Hankyung. In a matter of seconds the chain reaction was complete and every member of both gangs had their weapons drawn and pointed at the other. Every member except for Leeteuk who stood in the midst of drawn weaponry with his arms crossed and a smile on his face.
Sungmin was afraid his heart may leap out of his chest. It wasn’t fear for himself, but fear for Kyuhyun and the rest of the people he held dear. Every man waited tensely, barely breathing for someone to make a move that would trigger the inevitable end.
“Hankyung,” Siwon said softly as he edged slightly closer to the man. “We can’t solve this like this. Everyone will just end up dead. What’s the point in that?” Hankyung made a noise as if he agreed but he didn’t waver in his stance.
“This feud has gone on long enough. How about we settle this once and for all with a little old school fight?” Leeteuk suggested as if he was at a grocery store offering ideas for dinner and not standing in the middle of 60 or so drawn guns.
“I’m listening.”
“My champion against your champion. Winner takes all. That way we won’t have to worry about cleaning up all those bodies and blood.”
“Fine,” Hankyung agreed tersely, lowering his gun slightly.
“Name your champion then, and naming yourself is against the rules.”
Hankyung glared making it obvious that he was about to do just that. Instead he glanced sideways towards Sungmin. The younger man caught his eye and nodded his willingness. Sungmin knew he was the logical choice; after all he had extensive martial arts training. “My champion is Sungmin.”
At the sound of his name, Sungmin handed his gun to Eunhyuk, who took it with his free hand and stepped forward.
“Volunteers?” Leeteuk asked, still not looking anywhere but at Hankyung.
“I’ll do it,” Kyuhyun immediately declared. He handed his gun and his jacket to Ryeowook before stepping forward as well.
“There you have it. This should be a fight with no weapons. Winner takes all,” only then did Leeteuk glance towards Kangin before mumbling quietly, “put that away.”
Obediently, Kangin tucked the gun back into its holster. As before, his actions started a chain reaction, this time in reverse. Hankyung tucked his gun away and in a matter of seconds every weapon was once again hidden from sight.
“One moment,” Kyuhyun said lazily. He knelt and tugged a deadly looking knife from his boot. Expertly he flipped it in his hand and deftly caught the blade. Then he offered the hilt to Kangin, who took if from him. “Now I’m unarmed.”
Sungmin smirked and bent. When he rose he had withdrawn no less than six throwing knives from various places by his ankles. He tossed them in a pile behind him. Then from his pocket he withdrew a length of wire and added that to the pile. “Me too.”
As he looked up and met Kyuhyun’s eyes he couldn’t help but smile at the man. Although he would have rather had neither of them fight the other, if anyone was going to fight Kyuhyun, Sungmin wanted to be the one to do it.
‘I agree,’ Kyuhyun’s eyes replied to Sungmin’s unspoken statement.
Around them people were shifting back to give them room to fight. To the gathered on lookers it looked as though both men were sizing up the other, waiting for one to make the first move. In reality however they were communicating silently with eyes and body language in a way they had so often done.
‘I won’t hold back,’ Sungmin’s look clearly read.
The corner of Kyuhyun’s mouth turned up, ‘I don’t expect you to. I won’t either.’
Sungmin flexed his fingers. ‘Good. See you on the other side.’
Kyuhyun shifted slightly, settling his weight more firmly. ‘Yep.’ Having said everything that he needed to say, Sungmin shifted and then lunged forward, making the first move.
~--------------~
The playground in the park off of the main street had just been finished the day before. The swing set gleamed with a freshly dried coat of paint, while the metal of the brand new slide reflected the sun. This was the first time that Sungmin had come to meet up with his friends at the new area but he was so excited he could hardly stand it. Eagerly he bounded to the area between the swing set and slide where a few people had already gathered.
He immediately recognized Leeteuk, the oldest of them all and barely 15 himself. Then there was Eunhyuk who was 12, the same age he was and quite possibly his best friend. Beside him, looking like he wanted to cause more than a little trouble was Donghae who would be turning twelve soon. With them was Kibum who was a year younger than them but still seemed to enjoy hanging around.
Happily Sungmin joined his group of friends and eagerly lent his opinion of the newest video game to be released to their discussion. It was an unspoken rule that they waited until everyone arrived to begin any sort of games. Not that it matter too much to the gathered kids. They would have no trouble entertaining themselves until everyone showed up.
In short order Kangin arrived. Although he was only 13, he still got along remarkably well with Leeteuk and they were instantly trading stories. Next to arrive was Shindong, who was still 12. After him Yesung, Ryeowook, and Kyuhyun arrived together. Sungmin had never figured out why they hung around each other since they were so different. Yesung was almost 14 and very eccentric, Ryeowook was 11 and very quiet, and Kyuhyun was 10 and full of mischievousness.
Sungmin thought Kyuhyun was the cutest thing he had seen, even though he got elbowed in the gut every time he said it. Cheerfully he bounded over and slung his arm around Kyuhyun’s shoulder.
“Hi Sungmin,” Kyuhyun said in a voice that could be called irritated. However Sungmin knew that the boy’s grin meant he was anything but.
“Hi,” Sungmin replied brightly. He was going to say more when the last two members of their group arrived. Siwon was 11 and the general peacemaker of the group. Heechul, who arrived with him, was 15 and easily the most difficult member to deal with.
Leeteuk smiled and immediately declared that whatever game they were playing for the day had officially started. Five minutes later all twelve of them were running around laughing and screaming. Any other children that arrived at the playground were free to join in their games, but more times than not the 12 were left to entertain themselves.
By the time the sun had began to set all the straggling children had gone home. Leeteuk called a halt to their most recent game, being that the little ones needed to get home before dark. They were leaving in a group, since most lived in the same area, when they noticed a kid sitting on a swing watching them silently. He looked to be Chinese and about 14 years old.
“Hey,” Leeteuk called. “I haven’t seen you before.” Leeteuk knew nearly everyone in their neighborhood.
The teen paused for a minute as if thinking. “I just moved here,” his words were covered in a thick accent.
“From where?” Leeteuk asked with curiosity filling his voice.
“China.”
“Cool. I’m Leeteuk. We live this way,” he jerked his finger in the direction they were going to be heading.
“Me too.”
“Want to walk with us?”
“Sure,” the teen agreed as he stood from the swing. “I’m Hankyung.”
“Welcome to the neighborhood,” Leeteuk said with a smile. “Come meet the guys.”
~--------------~
Although Sungmin attacked first, he chose a move that was designed mostly to be flashy. He leapt into the air and spun, leveling a kick straight for Kyuhyun’s head. The other man was able to see it coming and easily ducked out of the way. Sungmin landed lightly on his feet and immediately had to raise his arm to block the fist that was coming his way. He spun his body causing to blow to glance off but he could tell that Kyuhyun would be able to do some damage if he fully connected. As he came around from his spin he aimed a fist towards Kyuhyun’s side.
~--------------~
“Rock, paper, scissors!” Leeteuk brandished paper while Hankyung brandished scissors.
“Aw man, lost again!” Leeteuk declared with a whine to his voice that was very unbecoming for a 17 year old.
“Don’t worry Leeteuk. There is always next time,” Hankyung said with a grin as he patted Leeteuk on the back. “Eunhyuk you’re on my team.”
“Yeah yeah. Kangin,” Leeteuk agreed making his first choice.
“Donghae.”
“Kibum.”
“Siwon.”
“Yesung.”
“I don’t know why we always do this. We always end up with the same teams anyway,” Kyuhyun complained to Sungmin.
“Sungmin,” Hankyung called. The teen let out a giggle and jogged over to his designated side.
Kyuhyun rolled his eyes and made his way over to Leeteuk even before the teen called out, “Kyuhyun.”
“Shindong.”
“Ryeowook.” With that the teams were completely divided.
“All right,” Heechul declared stepping forward. He had decided to play referee today so the teams would be fair. In his hands was a soccer ball that he tossed to the ground between the two teams, “Play ball!”
~--------------~
Sungmin took a hopping step backwards, putting him out of the direct range of engagement. He lifted his hand and wiped the corner of his mouth. It was no surprise to him that his hand came away bloody. Carefully, he shook both of his hands before balling them into fists. Besides a split lip, he was sure he sported a good bruise on his upper arm and one to the ribs. Kyuhyun sported a slightly oozing gash on his cheek where Sungmin had caught him. In addition to that there was a slight limp to his stance, due to a well placed kick to his leg, and a hunched back due to a likely cracked rib.
“Is that all you have?” Sungmin asked with a smirk.
“Not hardly,” Kyuhyun replied with a glint in his eyes. This time it was him who lunged in to attack.
~--------------~
“We should tell scary stories!” a 15 year old Donghae declared.
From across the fire Heechul snorted. “How old are you? Twelve?”
Donghae glared in response and tossed a stick in his direction. Hankyung, who was sitting at Heechul’s side, deftly caught it and offered Donghae a warning look.
“Naw we should talk about girls. There are some hot ones this year,” Kangin declared as he leaned back to look at the stars overhead.
Leeteuk’s unmistakable laugh rang out through the night. “You would be thinking about girls.” Everyone chuckled as Kangin made a noise of protest before settling into silence once more.
Sungmin gazed into the flickering flame that they had built in the center of the playground between the swing set and the slide. He glanced sideways to the people that he had come to know as his closest friends gathered around the flame. “Hey guys, some of us are graduating soon right? Then what?”
“As if anything would change. I’ll have to come down here every day to make sure you brats don’t try to replace me,” Heechul declared.
“And I will too, since you all would be lost without me,” Leeteuk offered with a dramatic flourish. Everyone spent a moment laughing at their antics before falling silent once more.
“Hey we should think of a name to call our group. Kind of like a name for our little gang, since we are kinda like our own little gang,” Eunhyuk suggested.
“How about Super Junior?” Shindong suggested. There were several protest and various forms of laughter but out of all the suggestions that were given that night ‘Super Junior’ was the name that stuck.
~--------------~
Sungmin hopped on one foot and gently tested his weight on the other, without taking his eyes off his opponent. Kyuhyun was too busy testing if his right arm would still move properly to make any sort of attack. Both were relieved to find that their limbs would function well enough for the moment. Their eyes locked, but the time for words was long gone, and with a deep breath both lunged to reengage.
~--------------~
By the time that Sungmin arrived at the place between the slide and the swing set, the fight was already well underway. Leeteuk had blood running from his mouth and what looked like a black eye. Hankyung had a clearly split lip and a bruise already blooming on his cheeks. “Kyuhyun what is going on?” He asked worriedly.
“No idea,” the teen answered him, not taking his eyes off the pair.
“So after 4 years this is how it is going to be?” Leeteuk asked with a bit of venom coloring his voice. Hankyung didn’t offer him an answer, just a cold stare. “Fine. We are through. I never want to see your face around here again.”
“Fine,” Hankyung agreed. He immediately turned and walked from the playground that he had met them all on 4 years ago. Heechul offered Leeteuk a venomous glare before following the Chinese man. The team divisions were so natural to them that it didn’t surprise anyone when Eunhyuk, Shindong, and Donghae offered looks of their own and turned to follow Hankyung. Sungmin hesitated until Eunhyuk gestured for him. He gave Kyuhyun, one of his closest friends, a quick hug before trotting off after the others. He knew that the teen wouldn’t be following.
Siwon spent a moment torn between loyalties before he muttered a soft, “Sorry,” and turned to join Hankyung. As quickly as it had been formed, Super Junior was no more.
~--------------~
Sungmin watched Kyuhyun struggle to find his feet from a few paces away. He was too honorable to attempt to attack anyone when they were down, especially someone he cared about. Part of him wished that Kyuhyun would just stay down. That would effectively end the fight however the man was too stubborn for that.
Somehow Kyuhyun managed to find his feet and stabilize himself. He balled his hands into fists and glanced at the man he had loved for longer then he even knew. “I’m not done yet.” Sungmin just offered him a smirk in response.
~--------------~
Donghae dabbed a bloody nose with a handful of tissue in the small field that they had taken to meeting in.
“What happened?” Siwon asked patiently.
“I was just walking and I saw Kangin. I just said a few things to him and the next thing I knew he was swinging,” Donghae replied, his voice slightly distorted by the state of his nose.
“What sort of things?” Siwon pried.
“Something along the lines of still being Leeteuk’s bitch. It didn’t mean he needed to haul off and hit me.” Siwon sighed heavily.
“Donghae might have asked for it but Eunhyuk didn’t when Kibum took a swing at him the other night,” Shindong declared.
“It’s like Leeteuk has told them to take us out. It’s getting dangerous,” Sungmin agreed.
Hankyung nodded and grabbed the case that he had brought to the field. “I hoped it wouldn’t come to this but we have to be able to defend ourselves. Only use them if you have to,” he cautioned before opening the case and distributing its contents to the group. At the age of 16 Sungmin received his first gun.
~--------------~
Taking a mental assessment of his state, Sungmin was fairly certain that getting up again was highly improbable. From the look of it Kyuhyun was already down for a while. Only the slight rise and fall of his chest kept Sungmin from any real sort of worry. Now that he thought about it the world was looking a tad bit blurry and he was fairly certain that he wasn’t really spinning unless something really funny had happened to the ground. In the space between the slide and swing set of the old playground with friends and enemies alike gathered, Sungmin joined Kyuhyun in unconsciousness.
~--------------~
His sense of hearing was the first thing to return. The soft beep of some sort of machine was steadily drowned out by the racket of voices. Things were still hazy enough that he could hardly make out anything but the fact that there was noise. He was almost sure that he had heard Hankyung’s careful tone and there was a biting remark from Heechul. Then there was a response from someone who was undeniably Leeteuk, followed by the sound of a woman that he didn’t know over ruling them all.
Carefully Sungmin pealed open his eyes and blinked for a moment at the harsh light. He turned his head to the side and learned two things instantly. The first was the fact he was in a hospital. The second was the owner of the female voice. It was the nurse that had worked at the hospital for as long as he could remember. He couldn’t recall her name, but he did know that she was always the one to take care of any of them when they came in.
“This has gone beyond ridiculous! You all used to be the best of friends! What are you all even fighting about?” she asked them. Her entire body was nearly vibrating with the anger she was feeling. When she was met with silence she growled. “You don’t even remember!?! It was something so stupid that you don’t even remember seven years later!? You all have been fighting over this for seven years and you don’t even know what it is!?
The nurse took a deep shaky breath before continuing, “I could have you all arrested and thrown in jail for possession of firearms, and fighting to name a few things. However I think you all are good kids. Since I already have all the guns, I’ll just be keeping them. Instead of turning you all in, no one is leaving this room until you either come up with a decent reason to be fighting or resolve the nonexistent issue. I have to go on my rounds, but if I find that there has been so much as a slap in here I will pump you all so full of drugs that, so help me, your children’s children will be feeling the effects.” She offered all of them a warning glare before turning and stomping out the door.
Once it clicked shut behind her silence fell on the room. The stillness gave Sungmin time to assess the situation that he had woken up to. To his right was another hospital bed that contained Kyuhyun. The man rolled his head and looked at Sungmin, showing that he was indeed conscious and he offered a weak smile signaling that he was ok. Sungmin released a breath that he didn’t know he had been holding and glanced around to take in the rest of the room.
Everyone that had been a part of their self proclaimed group of Super Junior was present. However they were divided as they had been for seven years. Hankyung’s gang was gathered on the side of the room that housed Sungmin’s bed. Even Heechul was present in a wheelchair that he looked less than thrilled to be seated in. Leeteuk’s gang was gathered on the side of the room that housed Kyuhyun’s bed, leaving the space between empty.
It took ten minutes for someone to break the silence that had descended on the room. “I still owe someone a bullet to the leg,” Heechul snarled.
“It wasn’t anyone I know. My men would never do it. If they did they all know Kangin would be putting a bullet some where they would really hate and that would only be the tip of the ice berg,” Leeteuk said softly.
Hankyung looked at Leeteuk curiously. He didn’t say anything in response but everyone knew that Leeteuk’s words had given away exactly how the other group felt.
“I had better at least get a personal slave out of this,” Heechul grumbled to himself giving away the general mood of Hankyung’s group. If Heechul wasn’t out for blood then no one else in the group was likely to be.
A soft smile fell across Sungmin’s face and he relaxed his body into the bed. It was clear to him that more than anything else, everyone in the room was feeling a little guilty for what had happened. He turned his head to the side and saw Kyuhyun looking in his direction. The other man smiled faintly and with swollen lips mouthed. ‘I kicked your ass.’
Sungmin’s smile turned into a full blown grin. ‘I don’t think so. You look like worse crap then me,’ he mouthed back.
Kyuhyun let out a chuckle that turned into a coughing fit. Once his breathing had stabilized he look towards Sungmin again. ‘We shouldn’t be doing this,’ he mouthed with a smirk showing that he was less then serious.
‘It’s too late to stop now. I love you,’ Sungmin responded with a soft look.
‘I love you too,’ Kyuhyun replied. In the midst of all of the people that had at one time called their friends, the two found themselves in a world all their own. For the first time in seven years, Sungmin felt that maybe, just maybe everything would be just fine.
The prompt was: Kyuhyun/Sungmin; Something like... gang fic. They're in different gangs which are not in good terms, but they fall in love with each other.
This is for ryuki92. Hope you enjoy it!
Rated PG-13. Characters aren't mine...
Reviews are my crack...
Against All Odds
“We shouldn’t be doing this,” came the shaky protest from the shorter of the two men.
“It too late to stop now,” the other said with a smirk spreading across his lips. “We are in too far already. Don’t you agree Sungmin?” His hands slid to the others round hips and used the hold to jerk the man’s lower body forward and into his own. A shuddered breath was released from Sungmin but he put forth no further protests.
Knowing that he had achieved a temporary victory, Kyuhyun dropped his lips to Sungmin’s neck where he placed a quick kiss before beginning to trace the elaborate outline of a dragon that resided on the skin there. Sungmin immediately tilted his head, giving the other man plenty of room to work.
“Kyuhyun…” The name came out in a mumbled whisper as Sungmin’s hands found their way into Kyuhyun’s hair. He was careful not to pull or try to direct Kyuhyun in any way since he knew that would result in the exact opposite of what he wanted. Instead he simply ran his fingers through the dark locks, enjoying the softness his fingers found there.
Kyuhyun continued to cover Sungmin’s neck in slow kisses, swipes of his tongue, and the occasional nip. Since he already knew it was one of the other man’s most sensitive places, it was an excellent area to attack to get Sungmin to stop protesting. Pleased that for the moment he was winning, Kyuhyun slid one hand down the other man’s leg. When it reached the area just above his knee, he tugged. Obediently Sungmin lifted his leg so that it could be resettled to curl around Kyuhyun and allow their bodies to fit more closely together. Sure that the leg would stay where it was placed, Kyuhyun allowed his hands to begin to explore the body that had become very familiar territory.
One hand had made it under Sungmin’s white-beater and the other had begun to slide down the back of his pants before the man spoke up again. “Kyuhyun, we have to stop.” If he had meant it to come out as a firm statement, it was anything but. Instead it sounded much more like a plea.
“Why?” Kyuhyun asked softly before playfully blowing on Sungmin’s ear.
Sungmin could hardly suppress a shudder from the other man’s actions as he tried to formulate his thoughts. “Maybe because we are supposed to be killing each other, not doing…” he paused as if trying to find the right word, “this.”
Kyuhyun laughed. “Having sex,” he said bluntly. Sungmin’s cheeks immediately deepened in color. “Aw how many times have I had you and you are still blushing about it? That’s cute.” Kyuhyun didn’t give Sungmin a chance to respond. Instead he sealed their lips together for a kiss that was full of pent up passion. It only took seconds for Sungmin to forget his protests and instead arch into the delicious body in front of him. Content that he had firmly distracted his little lover, Kyuhyun let his hands go back to work while he continued to ravish Sungmin’s mouth.
Sungmin, for his part, was more than willing to participate in the kiss. He lifted one hand to cup the back of Kyuhyun’s head, as if it would aid him in getting closer to the man. The other hand slid down the man’s back. His fingers brushed over a lump beneath the leather jacket Kyuhyun was wearing. Sungmin didn’t need to look to know that what he was feeling was a gun. The object was enough to bring his former protests back to his mind.
With more determination then he thought he had Sungmin pulled his head back, effectively breaking the kiss. “Kyuhyun, you’re wearing a gun.”
“So?” he asked, clearly unbothered by it. “I also have a rather deadly knife in my boot. What’s the problem? You’re wearing a gun too.” As if to prove his point he slid the hand that was at Sungmin’s back sideways to touch metal.
“The problem is that we are supposed to put bullets into each other, not our tongues,” Sungmin replied irritably. He pulled his hands away from Kyuhyun and tried to shove the man away. It was difficult for him to think clearly with the other man pressed so tightly to him. Kyuhyun gave in and took a step back, putting a minimal distance between them. Sungmin let his leg fall down so he could once again rest his weight on both. “How much longer do you think we can keep this a secret? Heechul is already suspicious and Eunhyuk knows.”
“You said he wouldn’t say anything,” Kyuhyun declared narrowing his eyes.
“He won’t! He hasn’t. He’s like a brother to me. He won’t say what is going on, but if Heechul finds out he will tell Hankyung. He tells him everything.”
“Then I’ll just put a bullet in his head before he does that,” Kyuhyun said with a surprising amount of viciousness.
Sungmin’s eyes widened. “You can’t! He’s -“
“I know. He is like family. The gang is family. I know. Or did you forget I run with my own gang?”
“How could I forget?” Sungmin said quietly. “I worry every time Hankyung talks about going after ‘that damned gang and its leader Leeteuk’,” his fingers added in the quotes for his words.
“What do you propose we do then?” Kyuhyun asked, crossing his arms in irritation.
“I don’t know,” Sungmin admitted helplessly.
Kyuhyun opened his mouth as if to add a reply but snapped it shut suddenly. The next moment he had slid his hand to his back, drawn his gun, cocked it, and was pointing to towards the shadows. “Come into the light before I shoot you.”
Sungmin’s eyes widened. He hadn’t heard or seen whatever it had been that had alerted Kyuhyun that someone else was there. In fact he never expected to see Eunhyuk step from the shadows with his hands raise to show that his weapon was not drawn.
“If I wanted to shoot you I would have done it when you were exploring Sungmin’s throat with your tongue. I just came to get him,” Eunhyuk explained in a level voice. He gave Kyuhyun a look that almost dared him to take a shot at him.
Sungmin slid a glance to Kyuhyun, but before he could say anything the man lowered his gun. Letting out a small breath he didn’t know he was holding, Sungmin turned so that he was facing his friend. “What is it?”
“Hankyung is pissed about something,” Eunhyuk said as he dropped his arms to his sides. “He’s calling everyone together and I mean everyone. I thought I have better come and get you before he sent someone else to find you.”
“Yeah,” Sungmin replied sighing softly. “Thanks.” He turned towards Kyuhyun. “I have to go.”
“I know,” Kyuhyun grabbed his arm lightly with his hand that wasn’t holding the gun. “Be careful.” He leaned forward and stole a quick kiss before pulling away. Kyuhyun spun and tucked his gun back into its place all in one motion. The next moment he had slipped into the shadows of the ally and was gone.
Sungmin watched him go before turning his eyes to Eunhyuk. “We should go,” he said running his hand through his hair tiredly.
“I have my bike a few streets over,” Eunhyuk turned and gestured for him to follow. Sungmin gave one last look to the direction Kyuhyun had gone before walking out of the ally after his friend.
~--------------~
By the time they arrived at the building that Sungmin knew as ‘Home Base’, it was apparent that most of the gang had already gathered there. The thirty or so men in the larger garage section of the warehouse parted and shifted upon request, giving the pair enough space to walk through. Sungmin nodded in greeting to several of the men as they made their way to the small room in the back of the building.
Shouting could be heard before they had even opened the door. Eunhyuk and Sungmin exchanged a worried look and both took a deep breath before placing a hand on the handle and turning it. Quietly they both slipped into the room and shut the door behind them. Shindong, one of their good friends, was sitting in a chair in the far corner of the room. The pair moved to stand by him before taking a survey of what was going on.
Donghae stood in the far corner of the room with his arms crossed and an intense look of anger on his face. In the center, the table had been cleared, and in place of the usual clutter lay Heechul. The man was looking rather dangerous at the moment, much like a tiger just waiting for a stray human to get close enough so he could tear its arm off. At his side with his back to them knelt Siwon. The man’s body blocked their view of part of Heechul but it was evident he was preoccupied with something on the man. Beyond them Hankyung paced with a look of pure anger on his face.
“Siwon! That fucking hurts!” Heechul snarled, his whole body twitching slightly.
“You were shot, of course it hurts, and don’t curse.” The last bit was added purely out of habit.
“I’ll fucking curse if I fucking want to. I’m lying on a table and fucking bleeding to death!”
“I’ve stopped the bleeding. You’re not going to die,” Siwon replied patiently. He shifted sideways slightly and Sungmin was finally able to see the bloody area just above Heechul’s knee. Siwon finished tying a bandage around it and looked to Hankyung. “He needs to go to the hospital.”
“The fuck I do!” Heechul protested sitting up half way.
Hankyung glanced between Heechul and then Siwon. His eyes narrowed slightly before he nodded. “Shindong, get some men to help you. You are taking Heechul to the hospital.” Shindong nodded and immediately rose and slipped out of the room to complete his task.
“Hell no! I’m not going! There is no way!” The wounded man tried to wiggle his way off of the table but Siwon pushed him firmly back onto it.
Hankyung knelt beside the table and locked eyes with the still struggling man. “You are going to the hospital. Or would you rather lose your leg?”
Heechul glared at him in response but stopped struggling against Siwon’s hold. Angrily he grabbed the back of Hankyung’s neck and jerked him forward. The Chinese man allowed him to pull him down until he was leaning with only a few inches separating their faces. “Don’t do anything stupid,” Heechul ordered. Then, before Hankyung could make any sort of reply he leaned forward and sealed their lips together.
The kiss only lasted for a moment before Heechul broke contact and released his hold on Hankyung. He then turned his head to look at Siwon. “Carry me to the car,” he ordered.
Siwon sighed but carefully slid one arm beneath Heechul’s shoulders and the other behind his knees. Then as slowly as he could he lifted the man into his arms. Despite his care he couldn’t help jarring Heechul’s leg a bit, to which Heechul released a small hiss. Hankyung moved to the door and opened it.
Outside the room the chatter of talking immediately ceased with the appearance of their leader. Hankyung schooled his features into an emotionless mask and began making his way through the crowd. The men shifted sideways to allow him plenty of space to move. Siwon, with his injured burden followed. Behind him trailed the rest of the men that were in the room.
Sungmin bit his lip lightly as he followed the procession to the van Shindong had brought around. Despite not knowing what had happened, Sungmin could hazard a guess that it had something to do with Leeteuk’s gang. For several years the two gangs had been involved in an escalating conflict between them. It had grown to the point where Sungmin and his fellow members were under orders to shot any members of Leeteuk’s gang as soon as they saw them. The was no way of knowing what the rest of the night held for the members of Hankyung’s gang.
Carefully Siwon deposited Heechul in the back seat of the van Shindong had pulled to the entrance. Hankyung leaned in and murmured something softly to Heechul that Sungmin wasn’t able to make out. Then he took a step back.
“Maybe I should go with them,” Siwon suggested softly.
“No,” Hankyung instantly protested. He wrapped one hand around Siwon’s arm. “I need you with me.” The Chinese man met Siwon’s eyes and something passed between them. Whatever it was it was enough of an explanation for Siwon. He nodded, closed the door of the van, and stepped back to stand beside Hankyung.
“I’ll take care of him,” Shindong assured them both before climbing into the driver’s seat. The men watched the van pull away until it had turned the corner. Once it was out of site Hankyung turned to face his men. He let his hand fall from Siwon before speaking.
“Tonight, while he was out in our part of town, a member of Leeteuk’s gang shot Heechul in the leg. This action is inexcusable. Tonight we deal with Leeteuk and his followers,” Hankyung declared in a voice befitting a leader.
There was a resounding cheer from the gathered men at the idea that they would finally be able to deal with the rival gang. Although Sungmin joined in the cheer his heart was not in it. In fact it was the complete opposite. All he could feel was an over whelming sense of dread. He would be seeing his lover again soon. Kyuhyun was a member of Leeteuk’s gang.
~--------------~
It was customary for the leader of any gang to lead from the front of his men. Perhaps it was reckless, as it did have the effect of putting the leader in the direct line of fire; however no man had come to command other men without taking a few risks. True to form, Hankyung lead his men directly to the rundown play ground in the middle of the city park. He entered from the west gate and made his way to the middle of the area.
Across the span of rusted and rundown equipment, a second group of men were making their way into the playground. At their head was Leeteuk, the leader of the only other major gang in the city. On his right was Kangin, his right hand man. Kyuhyun flanked him on the left, with Ryeowook and Yesung beside and slightly behind him. Half a step behind Kangin, was Kibum, the last of Leeteuk’s close men.
Sungmin looked towards Kyuhyun and met his eyes. Although neither face gave away anything, the shorter man knew his lover was just as worried as he was. Neither group was stupid. Both knew that this could go very badly very quickly.
Hankyung stopped moving just past the decrepit swings, and Leeteuk halted just after the tilted slide leaving a ten foot space between the two. For a moment there was a stare down, as if either group could intimidate the other. It didn’t work, of course. All the time served to do was make everyone more jumpy and several hands twitch towards weapons.
“I see your woman isn’t here tonight,” Leeteuk said lazily, breaking the silence.
Hankyung let out a snarl with his words, “His name is Heechul, and you know very well why he isn’t here tonight. One of your men shot him.”
“Impossible,” Leeteuk replied flippantly, crossing his arms.
“The bullet in Heechul’s leg begs to differ.”
“He could have been shot, just not by my people,” Leeteuk shrugged as if the matter made little difference to him.
“Why is that?” Siwon asked.
Leeteuk turned his head and offered him a grin. “Because if my people had shot him the bullet would not have found his knee, it would have been put in his pretty little head.”
At Leeteuk’s words Hankyung let loose a snarl and drew his gun. In an instant he had it leveled at the other leader’s head. His movement causes Kangin to draw his weapon and point it at Hankyung. In a matter of seconds the chain reaction was complete and every member of both gangs had their weapons drawn and pointed at the other. Every member except for Leeteuk who stood in the midst of drawn weaponry with his arms crossed and a smile on his face.
Sungmin was afraid his heart may leap out of his chest. It wasn’t fear for himself, but fear for Kyuhyun and the rest of the people he held dear. Every man waited tensely, barely breathing for someone to make a move that would trigger the inevitable end.
“Hankyung,” Siwon said softly as he edged slightly closer to the man. “We can’t solve this like this. Everyone will just end up dead. What’s the point in that?” Hankyung made a noise as if he agreed but he didn’t waver in his stance.
“This feud has gone on long enough. How about we settle this once and for all with a little old school fight?” Leeteuk suggested as if he was at a grocery store offering ideas for dinner and not standing in the middle of 60 or so drawn guns.
“I’m listening.”
“My champion against your champion. Winner takes all. That way we won’t have to worry about cleaning up all those bodies and blood.”
“Fine,” Hankyung agreed tersely, lowering his gun slightly.
“Name your champion then, and naming yourself is against the rules.”
Hankyung glared making it obvious that he was about to do just that. Instead he glanced sideways towards Sungmin. The younger man caught his eye and nodded his willingness. Sungmin knew he was the logical choice; after all he had extensive martial arts training. “My champion is Sungmin.”
At the sound of his name, Sungmin handed his gun to Eunhyuk, who took it with his free hand and stepped forward.
“Volunteers?” Leeteuk asked, still not looking anywhere but at Hankyung.
“I’ll do it,” Kyuhyun immediately declared. He handed his gun and his jacket to Ryeowook before stepping forward as well.
“There you have it. This should be a fight with no weapons. Winner takes all,” only then did Leeteuk glance towards Kangin before mumbling quietly, “put that away.”
Obediently, Kangin tucked the gun back into its holster. As before, his actions started a chain reaction, this time in reverse. Hankyung tucked his gun away and in a matter of seconds every weapon was once again hidden from sight.
“One moment,” Kyuhyun said lazily. He knelt and tugged a deadly looking knife from his boot. Expertly he flipped it in his hand and deftly caught the blade. Then he offered the hilt to Kangin, who took if from him. “Now I’m unarmed.”
Sungmin smirked and bent. When he rose he had withdrawn no less than six throwing knives from various places by his ankles. He tossed them in a pile behind him. Then from his pocket he withdrew a length of wire and added that to the pile. “Me too.”
As he looked up and met Kyuhyun’s eyes he couldn’t help but smile at the man. Although he would have rather had neither of them fight the other, if anyone was going to fight Kyuhyun, Sungmin wanted to be the one to do it.
‘I agree,’ Kyuhyun’s eyes replied to Sungmin’s unspoken statement.
Around them people were shifting back to give them room to fight. To the gathered on lookers it looked as though both men were sizing up the other, waiting for one to make the first move. In reality however they were communicating silently with eyes and body language in a way they had so often done.
‘I won’t hold back,’ Sungmin’s look clearly read.
The corner of Kyuhyun’s mouth turned up, ‘I don’t expect you to. I won’t either.’
Sungmin flexed his fingers. ‘Good. See you on the other side.’
Kyuhyun shifted slightly, settling his weight more firmly. ‘Yep.’ Having said everything that he needed to say, Sungmin shifted and then lunged forward, making the first move.
~--------------~
The playground in the park off of the main street had just been finished the day before. The swing set gleamed with a freshly dried coat of paint, while the metal of the brand new slide reflected the sun. This was the first time that Sungmin had come to meet up with his friends at the new area but he was so excited he could hardly stand it. Eagerly he bounded to the area between the swing set and slide where a few people had already gathered.
He immediately recognized Leeteuk, the oldest of them all and barely 15 himself. Then there was Eunhyuk who was 12, the same age he was and quite possibly his best friend. Beside him, looking like he wanted to cause more than a little trouble was Donghae who would be turning twelve soon. With them was Kibum who was a year younger than them but still seemed to enjoy hanging around.
Happily Sungmin joined his group of friends and eagerly lent his opinion of the newest video game to be released to their discussion. It was an unspoken rule that they waited until everyone arrived to begin any sort of games. Not that it matter too much to the gathered kids. They would have no trouble entertaining themselves until everyone showed up.
In short order Kangin arrived. Although he was only 13, he still got along remarkably well with Leeteuk and they were instantly trading stories. Next to arrive was Shindong, who was still 12. After him Yesung, Ryeowook, and Kyuhyun arrived together. Sungmin had never figured out why they hung around each other since they were so different. Yesung was almost 14 and very eccentric, Ryeowook was 11 and very quiet, and Kyuhyun was 10 and full of mischievousness.
Sungmin thought Kyuhyun was the cutest thing he had seen, even though he got elbowed in the gut every time he said it. Cheerfully he bounded over and slung his arm around Kyuhyun’s shoulder.
“Hi Sungmin,” Kyuhyun said in a voice that could be called irritated. However Sungmin knew that the boy’s grin meant he was anything but.
“Hi,” Sungmin replied brightly. He was going to say more when the last two members of their group arrived. Siwon was 11 and the general peacemaker of the group. Heechul, who arrived with him, was 15 and easily the most difficult member to deal with.
Leeteuk smiled and immediately declared that whatever game they were playing for the day had officially started. Five minutes later all twelve of them were running around laughing and screaming. Any other children that arrived at the playground were free to join in their games, but more times than not the 12 were left to entertain themselves.
By the time the sun had began to set all the straggling children had gone home. Leeteuk called a halt to their most recent game, being that the little ones needed to get home before dark. They were leaving in a group, since most lived in the same area, when they noticed a kid sitting on a swing watching them silently. He looked to be Chinese and about 14 years old.
“Hey,” Leeteuk called. “I haven’t seen you before.” Leeteuk knew nearly everyone in their neighborhood.
The teen paused for a minute as if thinking. “I just moved here,” his words were covered in a thick accent.
“From where?” Leeteuk asked with curiosity filling his voice.
“China.”
“Cool. I’m Leeteuk. We live this way,” he jerked his finger in the direction they were going to be heading.
“Me too.”
“Want to walk with us?”
“Sure,” the teen agreed as he stood from the swing. “I’m Hankyung.”
“Welcome to the neighborhood,” Leeteuk said with a smile. “Come meet the guys.”
~--------------~
Although Sungmin attacked first, he chose a move that was designed mostly to be flashy. He leapt into the air and spun, leveling a kick straight for Kyuhyun’s head. The other man was able to see it coming and easily ducked out of the way. Sungmin landed lightly on his feet and immediately had to raise his arm to block the fist that was coming his way. He spun his body causing to blow to glance off but he could tell that Kyuhyun would be able to do some damage if he fully connected. As he came around from his spin he aimed a fist towards Kyuhyun’s side.
~--------------~
“Rock, paper, scissors!” Leeteuk brandished paper while Hankyung brandished scissors.
“Aw man, lost again!” Leeteuk declared with a whine to his voice that was very unbecoming for a 17 year old.
“Don’t worry Leeteuk. There is always next time,” Hankyung said with a grin as he patted Leeteuk on the back. “Eunhyuk you’re on my team.”
“Yeah yeah. Kangin,” Leeteuk agreed making his first choice.
“Donghae.”
“Kibum.”
“Siwon.”
“Yesung.”
“I don’t know why we always do this. We always end up with the same teams anyway,” Kyuhyun complained to Sungmin.
“Sungmin,” Hankyung called. The teen let out a giggle and jogged over to his designated side.
Kyuhyun rolled his eyes and made his way over to Leeteuk even before the teen called out, “Kyuhyun.”
“Shindong.”
“Ryeowook.” With that the teams were completely divided.
“All right,” Heechul declared stepping forward. He had decided to play referee today so the teams would be fair. In his hands was a soccer ball that he tossed to the ground between the two teams, “Play ball!”
~--------------~
Sungmin took a hopping step backwards, putting him out of the direct range of engagement. He lifted his hand and wiped the corner of his mouth. It was no surprise to him that his hand came away bloody. Carefully, he shook both of his hands before balling them into fists. Besides a split lip, he was sure he sported a good bruise on his upper arm and one to the ribs. Kyuhyun sported a slightly oozing gash on his cheek where Sungmin had caught him. In addition to that there was a slight limp to his stance, due to a well placed kick to his leg, and a hunched back due to a likely cracked rib.
“Is that all you have?” Sungmin asked with a smirk.
“Not hardly,” Kyuhyun replied with a glint in his eyes. This time it was him who lunged in to attack.
~--------------~
“We should tell scary stories!” a 15 year old Donghae declared.
From across the fire Heechul snorted. “How old are you? Twelve?”
Donghae glared in response and tossed a stick in his direction. Hankyung, who was sitting at Heechul’s side, deftly caught it and offered Donghae a warning look.
“Naw we should talk about girls. There are some hot ones this year,” Kangin declared as he leaned back to look at the stars overhead.
Leeteuk’s unmistakable laugh rang out through the night. “You would be thinking about girls.” Everyone chuckled as Kangin made a noise of protest before settling into silence once more.
Sungmin gazed into the flickering flame that they had built in the center of the playground between the swing set and the slide. He glanced sideways to the people that he had come to know as his closest friends gathered around the flame. “Hey guys, some of us are graduating soon right? Then what?”
“As if anything would change. I’ll have to come down here every day to make sure you brats don’t try to replace me,” Heechul declared.
“And I will too, since you all would be lost without me,” Leeteuk offered with a dramatic flourish. Everyone spent a moment laughing at their antics before falling silent once more.
“Hey we should think of a name to call our group. Kind of like a name for our little gang, since we are kinda like our own little gang,” Eunhyuk suggested.
“How about Super Junior?” Shindong suggested. There were several protest and various forms of laughter but out of all the suggestions that were given that night ‘Super Junior’ was the name that stuck.
~--------------~
Sungmin hopped on one foot and gently tested his weight on the other, without taking his eyes off his opponent. Kyuhyun was too busy testing if his right arm would still move properly to make any sort of attack. Both were relieved to find that their limbs would function well enough for the moment. Their eyes locked, but the time for words was long gone, and with a deep breath both lunged to reengage.
~--------------~
By the time that Sungmin arrived at the place between the slide and the swing set, the fight was already well underway. Leeteuk had blood running from his mouth and what looked like a black eye. Hankyung had a clearly split lip and a bruise already blooming on his cheeks. “Kyuhyun what is going on?” He asked worriedly.
“No idea,” the teen answered him, not taking his eyes off the pair.
“So after 4 years this is how it is going to be?” Leeteuk asked with a bit of venom coloring his voice. Hankyung didn’t offer him an answer, just a cold stare. “Fine. We are through. I never want to see your face around here again.”
“Fine,” Hankyung agreed. He immediately turned and walked from the playground that he had met them all on 4 years ago. Heechul offered Leeteuk a venomous glare before following the Chinese man. The team divisions were so natural to them that it didn’t surprise anyone when Eunhyuk, Shindong, and Donghae offered looks of their own and turned to follow Hankyung. Sungmin hesitated until Eunhyuk gestured for him. He gave Kyuhyun, one of his closest friends, a quick hug before trotting off after the others. He knew that the teen wouldn’t be following.
Siwon spent a moment torn between loyalties before he muttered a soft, “Sorry,” and turned to join Hankyung. As quickly as it had been formed, Super Junior was no more.
~--------------~
Sungmin watched Kyuhyun struggle to find his feet from a few paces away. He was too honorable to attempt to attack anyone when they were down, especially someone he cared about. Part of him wished that Kyuhyun would just stay down. That would effectively end the fight however the man was too stubborn for that.
Somehow Kyuhyun managed to find his feet and stabilize himself. He balled his hands into fists and glanced at the man he had loved for longer then he even knew. “I’m not done yet.” Sungmin just offered him a smirk in response.
~--------------~
Donghae dabbed a bloody nose with a handful of tissue in the small field that they had taken to meeting in.
“What happened?” Siwon asked patiently.
“I was just walking and I saw Kangin. I just said a few things to him and the next thing I knew he was swinging,” Donghae replied, his voice slightly distorted by the state of his nose.
“What sort of things?” Siwon pried.
“Something along the lines of still being Leeteuk’s bitch. It didn’t mean he needed to haul off and hit me.” Siwon sighed heavily.
“Donghae might have asked for it but Eunhyuk didn’t when Kibum took a swing at him the other night,” Shindong declared.
“It’s like Leeteuk has told them to take us out. It’s getting dangerous,” Sungmin agreed.
Hankyung nodded and grabbed the case that he had brought to the field. “I hoped it wouldn’t come to this but we have to be able to defend ourselves. Only use them if you have to,” he cautioned before opening the case and distributing its contents to the group. At the age of 16 Sungmin received his first gun.
~--------------~
Taking a mental assessment of his state, Sungmin was fairly certain that getting up again was highly improbable. From the look of it Kyuhyun was already down for a while. Only the slight rise and fall of his chest kept Sungmin from any real sort of worry. Now that he thought about it the world was looking a tad bit blurry and he was fairly certain that he wasn’t really spinning unless something really funny had happened to the ground. In the space between the slide and swing set of the old playground with friends and enemies alike gathered, Sungmin joined Kyuhyun in unconsciousness.
~--------------~
His sense of hearing was the first thing to return. The soft beep of some sort of machine was steadily drowned out by the racket of voices. Things were still hazy enough that he could hardly make out anything but the fact that there was noise. He was almost sure that he had heard Hankyung’s careful tone and there was a biting remark from Heechul. Then there was a response from someone who was undeniably Leeteuk, followed by the sound of a woman that he didn’t know over ruling them all.
Carefully Sungmin pealed open his eyes and blinked for a moment at the harsh light. He turned his head to the side and learned two things instantly. The first was the fact he was in a hospital. The second was the owner of the female voice. It was the nurse that had worked at the hospital for as long as he could remember. He couldn’t recall her name, but he did know that she was always the one to take care of any of them when they came in.
“This has gone beyond ridiculous! You all used to be the best of friends! What are you all even fighting about?” she asked them. Her entire body was nearly vibrating with the anger she was feeling. When she was met with silence she growled. “You don’t even remember!?! It was something so stupid that you don’t even remember seven years later!? You all have been fighting over this for seven years and you don’t even know what it is!?
The nurse took a deep shaky breath before continuing, “I could have you all arrested and thrown in jail for possession of firearms, and fighting to name a few things. However I think you all are good kids. Since I already have all the guns, I’ll just be keeping them. Instead of turning you all in, no one is leaving this room until you either come up with a decent reason to be fighting or resolve the nonexistent issue. I have to go on my rounds, but if I find that there has been so much as a slap in here I will pump you all so full of drugs that, so help me, your children’s children will be feeling the effects.” She offered all of them a warning glare before turning and stomping out the door.
Once it clicked shut behind her silence fell on the room. The stillness gave Sungmin time to assess the situation that he had woken up to. To his right was another hospital bed that contained Kyuhyun. The man rolled his head and looked at Sungmin, showing that he was indeed conscious and he offered a weak smile signaling that he was ok. Sungmin released a breath that he didn’t know he had been holding and glanced around to take in the rest of the room.
Everyone that had been a part of their self proclaimed group of Super Junior was present. However they were divided as they had been for seven years. Hankyung’s gang was gathered on the side of the room that housed Sungmin’s bed. Even Heechul was present in a wheelchair that he looked less than thrilled to be seated in. Leeteuk’s gang was gathered on the side of the room that housed Kyuhyun’s bed, leaving the space between empty.
It took ten minutes for someone to break the silence that had descended on the room. “I still owe someone a bullet to the leg,” Heechul snarled.
“It wasn’t anyone I know. My men would never do it. If they did they all know Kangin would be putting a bullet some where they would really hate and that would only be the tip of the ice berg,” Leeteuk said softly.
Hankyung looked at Leeteuk curiously. He didn’t say anything in response but everyone knew that Leeteuk’s words had given away exactly how the other group felt.
“I had better at least get a personal slave out of this,” Heechul grumbled to himself giving away the general mood of Hankyung’s group. If Heechul wasn’t out for blood then no one else in the group was likely to be.
A soft smile fell across Sungmin’s face and he relaxed his body into the bed. It was clear to him that more than anything else, everyone in the room was feeling a little guilty for what had happened. He turned his head to the side and saw Kyuhyun looking in his direction. The other man smiled faintly and with swollen lips mouthed. ‘I kicked your ass.’
Sungmin’s smile turned into a full blown grin. ‘I don’t think so. You look like worse crap then me,’ he mouthed back.
Kyuhyun let out a chuckle that turned into a coughing fit. Once his breathing had stabilized he look towards Sungmin again. ‘We shouldn’t be doing this,’ he mouthed with a smirk showing that he was less then serious.
‘It’s too late to stop now. I love you,’ Sungmin responded with a soft look.
‘I love you too,’ Kyuhyun replied. In the midst of all of the people that had at one time called their friends, the two found themselves in a world all their own. For the first time in seven years, Sungmin felt that maybe, just maybe everything would be just fine.