Steps to falling in love [1/2]
Title: Steps to falling in love
Author: miss2l
Pairing(s): KyuSung
Rating: PG-15
Genre: Romance, Fluff, Angst, Drama (there’s really little angst and stuff but yeah, it’s kind of there?)
Disclaimer: You see… if I owned them then this would have totally happened already… in public >.>
Summary: Falling in love is just a bunch of well timed coincidences, unexplainable attraction and two unsuspecting people.
A/N: Another one of my 3 KyuSung fest entries… it’s based off prompt #65 by domofo. Was it really bad? Cuz honestly this is like… a huge fluff ball full of lots of clichés, lol.
***
One.
It hadn’t been the most glamorous of meetings. It was the first of many coincidences and now that they looked back on it, quite ridiculous. It was the first step and both would agree vehemently that they wouldn’t really want it any other way. It had all started with just one item and they still had it today. Long and not forgotten, a memoir of what was them.
But before this tale of two could begin properly, perhaps it would be best to start with just one.
Kyuhyun was a simple boy. He loved his books and he loved his games. He was studious yet lazy. He took great joy in reading anything, fact or fiction, any topic that existed under the sun or even things that didn’t exist. But late at night when his eyes hurt from the hundreds of thousands of words he had taken in that day, he closed his current book and would grab some sort of gaming device. It was no wonder that he had a pair of large black glasses propped on his nose.
It was a normal day, just Kyuhyun sitting in his usual spot in the library after school. He loved this place with a passion. It was quiet and serene. Much better than his rowdy home. He could take his time either reading or playing with absolute silence. And if he wasn’t up for silence then he’d just plug in his headphones and pretend he was the only person in the world.
He had finished a rather rich and well written novel in record time and made his way to return the book to its rightful place on the shelf. He hadn’t even needed to borrow it. He had finished the three hundred something novel in just a few hours, too immersed in it to take a single glance out of it. He had enjoyed it but found it a little dry. He had more than a handful of books that he could name off the top of his head that were much more entertaining with just as intricate plots. Of course, if he had his list of books he had read - he had it well organised, ordered in alphabetical order, genre, length and enjoyment level - he could name at least a hundred.
Taking a swift turn at the aisle where the book belonged, he paid no heed to his surroundings, drowning in the voice of whoever was singing. He was particularly interested in the quality of music but knew he enjoyed ballads, especially if the singer had a melodious voice, artistic and husky. He may not be musically talented but he could give a well thought out paragraph on what he thought on certain singers, using a highly sophisticated vocabulary that most would never understand.
He had definitely not been expecting someone to fall directly on top of him, crushing him. He was not the most athletic of people, often disregarding physical education class. But he had read more than enough reports and whole books on the disadvantages and health disasters that resulted from being too idle. So he made an effort to jog at least once a week or go to the gym occasionally with his brother to lift some weights. Of course that minuscule amount of physical activity was not enough for having a whole person land on top of him. Even if the said person was relatively light.
“I’m so, so sorry!” The person lying on top of him quickly scrambled off him, burning bright red from embarrassment. Kyuhyun just stared in shock, grunting from the pain in his stomach, but still stared at the boy that had fallen on him.
Now, if given a choice, Kyuhyun would be completely capable of giving a thorough analytical essay using higher level vocabulary on just how stunning this boy was. Hell, he could even write a whole thesis, including a rationale. He had an adorable baby face that made him look like Kyuhyun’s junior but the red tie he was sporting he was actually two years his senior. His senior tie contrasted starkly to Kyuhyun’s baby blue sophomore one, making Kyuhyun stare a little in disbelief.
That cute button nose and chubby cheeks did not belong to an eighteen year old. The way his hair was a messy mop of raven locks highlighted his features and somehow made him look even cuter. Especially those adorably tiny almond eyes. Even his build was tiny. It was slim and petite, his blazer even looking a tad bit too big. Kyuhyun wouldn’t mind writing a couple of pages on just what this guy was doing to his heart.
But his staring session got cut short as the older male knelt by his side, looking panicky and flustered. He felt Kyuhyun’s forehead, babbling incessantly about how sorry he was, even patting both of Kyuhyun’s cheeks as if his eyes being wide open wasn’t enough proof that he was conscious.
“I’m really, really sorry! I didn’t mean to fall, I didn’t know anyone was behind me!” He panicked, trying to help Kyuhyun sit up, obviously having trouble as Kyuhyun was relatively heavy. “Oh gosh, please tell me you’re alright! I would never forgive myself if I hurt you.”
There’s a certain tinge of sincerity and honesty in the other’s voice. Something Kyuhyun’s not entirely used to. Maybe he’s too used to hearing lies in practically everyone’s voices. But he’d really rather not dwell on that.
“I’m fine.” Kyuhyun grunted, a little too used to being more or less a quiet male, his voice a little hoarse. He knew how to joke around with his close friends but when they went home, he stayed in the library completely silent, enjoying his books. And when he got home, he was even quieter, trying not to instigate something that would lead to even more noise. He hated the noise.
He tried to sit up, his middle wailing in agony. The boy had been cushioned by his abdomen and now his body was crying in protest. The other looked at him with worry and panic in his eyes, quickly rushing to help support his body. It was then that Kyuhyun realised just how small and tiny the elder’s fingers were. It was endearing and precious, strangely.
“No! You’re not fine! It obviously hurts. Do you need to see a nurse?” He questioned, furrowing his eyebrows together. He saw Kyuhyun cringing in pain again as his abdomen groaned from the previous impact. The other boy almost hit himself on the head for his ridiculous question. “Of course you need to see a nurse, what am I saying?” The boy tried to help Kyuhyun up, the younger’s weight obviously too much for the boy’s more petite frame to hold up. But he had managed, somehow. Kyuhyun wanted to protest before the older boy immediately shushed him. “I’m your senior, you should listen to me.”
The warm smile he sent Kyuhyun melted his insides and he immediately gave up on resisting. Those tiny fingers helping him prop up and trying to help him walk was also quite tempting. He wouldn’t mind the walk to the nurse’s office and the pain that accompanied it as long this boy was the one helping him along the way.
He had found out that this senior was Kim Jongwoon, more famously known as Yesung. He was the music club’s pride and joy, performing relatively regularly for both school and out of school events. He had two older brothers and a pet turtle. And that was all Kyuhyun could really find out before they reached their destination. He had noticed Yesung was rather chatty and cheery, warm and bubbly, with the most musical laugh he had heard in his entire life.
The nurse checked him over quickly, frowning at the nasty bruise that was already forming. She asked him if he had been hit by a brick and Kyuhyun merely answered that it was more of a person than an inanimate object. She raised her eyebrow and Yesung flushed but she left it at that. She told him to just be careful for the next few days and ice the affected area. If it didn’t heal, he should go see a doctor for an x-ray.
“I’m really sorry. I can help drive you home. Well, I don’t have my licence but I can ask Heechul-hyung to help drive you home. He should be coming to pick me up soon.” And right on time his cell phone beeped and Yesung knew it was his brother impatiently asking him to oh so kindly get his ass to the car park. The older boy was snappy and usually expected Yesung to be ready and waiting by the time he got there. And more often than not, Yesung was. Today he just got delayed a little. “It’s Heechul-hyung. Come on, I’ll get him to drive you home.”
Kyuhyun felt a small hand wrap around his wrist and gently tug. And as much as he appreciated the warmth, he stood firm and shook his head at the senior that was looking at him quizzically. “It’s fine. I can take the bus or get a cab if I want.”
“But you’re injured!” Yesung whined, guilt welling in his eyes. He felt responsible for any pain that Kyuhyun was feeling and wished to relieve him of any to the best of his ability. Heechul may be overbearing and severely overprotective, but the diva would just have to suck it up. Yesung could be very persuasive when he pulled out the puppy dog eyes.
“If you’re really so taken by me and wish to spend more time with a handsome individual like me, you could just say so.” What? Kyuhyun had an ego and rightfully so. Perhaps his pride was a little too large for his own good but he did have a charming face and a voice that was as smooth as silk. Not to mention his grades made many incredibly jealous. He had the brains and beauty, just not so much of the brawn.
“N-No! It’s not like that! Well, yes you are very good looking but I’m… I’m just looking out for you as a Hyung and taking responsibility!” Yesung flushed and buried his face in his hands. This Kyuhyun guy had a way with words. Even when he was speaking casually, his posture and voice spoke of a higher status. His voice and dark eyes made Yesung blush and heart rate speed up significantly, something he was a little unfamiliar with.
“Well, Hyung, you can walk me to the taxi stand if you are that desperate.”
Yesung grinned despite the tease, completing forgetting that his brother was probably either fuming or worried sick. He had later found out that Heechul, in his mass panic that his precious baby brother that was still missing could quite possibly be getting harassed, had called Jungsu who had rushed over and that had ended up in a mass scramble later. Both Heechul and Jungsu had an overprotective streak, it scared most admirers away. Both had deceivingly pretty features, most would not believe the ferocity that lay beneath.
But that was for later, this was for now. Yesung happily helped Kyuhyun get to the taxi stand, still fretting and asking if he was in too much pain. Kyuhyun just shrugged, it was more a dull ache, he barely felt it now. The queue was short and Kyuhyun found himself slipping into a cab within five minutes. Yesung smiled, wishing him a safe trip home and voicing his desire to see the sophomore around. Kyuhyun had replied with a simple ‘See you, Hyung’, winking, before his cab was gone in the distance.
It took a few seconds for Yesung to realise just how pink he had gotten before he briskly walked away. He had known his sexual orientation towards men for years but none had made him feel so warm and fluttery on the inside. Sure, he got a little red in the face when Kibum flirted with him shamelessly, he could only laugh awkwardly when Donghae hugged him tighter than usual and Siwon’s endless skinship proved to make him feel the butterflies. But other than that, he knew they were just great friends and he loved them.
Kyuhyun… Kyuhyun was different. His eyes seemed to study everything, his mind working in ways Yesung would never be able to decipher. It was just the way he spoke, the way he held himself, the way he just looked at Yesung - it made Yesung feel like he was the only person in the world. It would also be a lie to say that Yesung didn’t find him more than mildly attractive.
So, with a grin he didn’t know he had on his face he made his way to the car park. Unaware of the earful he was about to get.
***
Two.
The second step actually took place the next day. Kyuhyun had been enthralled by Yesung to say the least. The elder’s boyish smile, undeniably caring voice and his bright chocolate eyes haunted Kyuhyun to his dreams. He even wished to hear Yesung sing, hear that husky voice belt out the highest of notes.
It wasn’t a secret that Kyuhyun was a believer of fate. And looking back on it now, perhaps fate was helping these two every step of the way. Kyuhyun felt a little ridiculous that he wanted to meet up with Yesung again. He had read thousands of pages on the feeling of attraction and reasoned that as a male that swung both ways, it was totally natural for him to want to see a perfectly good looking boy. Yesung was cute. It was normal for him to want to grab him and huddle him in his arms. Or not.
It still, however, did not change that Kyuhyun felt what he was doing was perhaps a bit stupid. He took slow and steady steps, preparing himself for disappointment. He approached the familiar aisle, gulping as he thought of the miniscule possibility that Yesung was going to be there again. He paused right before turning, wondering if he really should. It was quite a good thing that he did because without this step two there would not have been a step three or any of the following steps that lead to their togetherness. Perhaps, it would’ve just ended at step one and never progressed into anything further than a fleeting meeting that they would forget.
The sight that had greeted Kyuhyun made him almost burst out laughing. Whether it be the absurdity of the situation or the pure adorableness, he did not know. At least fate had been kind and placed Yesung in the same aisle Kyuhyun had met him yesterday. But the older boy was reaching up precariously for a high shelf, tiny fingers grabbing at a book that was just centimetres away. One foot was dangerously on the ledge of the first shelf, him balancing very delicately on his tip toe, the other foot hanging in mid air. The only thing keeping him balanced was one hand gripping onto a shelf, but his grip seemed to faltering a little.
Maybe it was best for Kyuhyun to intervene a little. He walked causally to the struggling senior, plucked him right out of his perilous position, setting Yesung on solid ground. The elder looked confused for a second before his face lit up at the sight of Kyuhyun. “I’ll get that for you, Hyung.” Kyuhyun reached up on his tip toes, using his superior height and lengthy arms to his advantage and taking down the book Yesung had been desperately aiming for. Instead of handing Yesung the book like a respectful dongsaeng he tapped it on the senior’s head, raising his eyebrow at the obvious height difference. “Well, aren’t you short, Hyung? I didn’t notice yesterday.”
“Yah! I am not! You’re just freakishly tall.” Yesung argued, slapping at Kyuhyun’s wrist and attempting to snatch the book he had been pining after from the younger’s hand. Kyuhyun held it up over his head though and no amount of jumping was going to enable him to reach it. Yesung pouted at the unfair advantage before rolling his eyes. He’d just let Kyuhyun inspect the book before demanding it be handed over.
“Why are you reading this book, Hyung? You don’t seem like the type to read stuff like this.” Kyuhyun said, recognising the title. It was some thick book written by some guy with just a little too much time. It was filled with Mozart and Beethoven and Chopin and many other musicians from all over Europe. It wasn’t just that, it had all kinds of things about ideologies of all different eras, possible influences on the great composers and their greatest works and how they survived. It was highly informative but Kyuhyun found it way too dry. There was one picture every hundred pages, and that included all the manuscripts. It was words piled upon words and sometimes not even Kyuhyun could stand the sheer staleness of it all. There was a way to write an informative book about famous people and that was not it. Kyuhyun would never expect Yesung to read such a thing, he more or less was convinced the boy was the type to read novels.
“I like reading about dead musically inclined people okay?” Yesung said playfully, snatching the book away from Kyuhyun’s grasp when he decided to give the elder an incredulous look. He hugged the book to his chest, winking at Kyuhyun. “Or maybe I just have to write a four thousand word essay for music history class.” Kyuhyun eyed him but let a small smile reach his lips when Yesung chuckled softly. Yesung had a really lovely laugh, he really couldn’t get enough of it. “Oh stop giving me that look. I really do enjoy learning about the great musicians from hundreds of years ago. It’s interesting.”
Yesung’s eyes sparkled, Kyuhyun noted. Well, not exactly sparkle with bright glitzy glitter, but sparkled with passion. Kyuhyun rarely saw people that had such emotion, he figured Yesung was the hard working type. Yesung said something about needing to write his essay, but Kyuhyun hadn’t been paying attention, more looking at how Yesung’s once brightly lit eyes dimmed down a little. He grabbed the elder’s wrist before he could walk away.
“Do you stay at the library often?” It was a really awkward question, terribly phrased but Kyuhyun was made to think on the spot. He was only good at that when whipping out snarky comments and teases. Other than that, he’d prefer to plan out each word letter by letter before speaking. Yesung hadn’t minded Kyuhyun’s awkwardness and instead smiled brightly, gently leading Kyuhyun to the table where all his belongings were parked.
Kyuhyun sat right down beside Yesung, almost laughing at how messily the senior had his things organised. His laptop sat on the table, books open at random pages and papers scattered everywhere. It was a wonder that he could find anything. Kyuhyun had his book bag slung around his shoulder, having gone searching for Yesung as soon as he had entered the library.
In between Yesung’s furious flipping and typing and Kyuhyun’s reading, they shared warm smiles and eye contact. Sometimes Kyuhyun even peaked over Yesung’s shoulder, seeing him squinting at the screen occasionally, reading some scattered sentences here and there. Yesung wrote better than he expected, it was well structured and sophisticated. And other times the elder would reach over to Kyuhyun’s side, poking his cheek and giggling, asking if the guy became a zombie when he read books because he looked absolutely dead to the world.
They even talked a little.
Yesung mentioned how both his brothers were well into university and he often had to stay in the library to pass the time. His father was too busy to bring him home and his brothers refused to let him go home alone - in fear of getting raped in broad daylight. Kyuhyun had inserted a snort and Yesung told him to shut it, it was just their way of showing affection.
On Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Fridays Heechul and Jungsu both ended quite late and regretfully had to leave Yesung in the library waiting for many hours. He also had to wait for at least an hour for the other days, it was just certain days that he had a few more hours sitting in the library by himself. The boy didn’t really mind, especially if Kyuhyun came to the library often as well. His voice was hinting at things and it didn’t take a genius to catch on.
It was hard for Yesung not to growl at the younger as Kyuhyun squeezed his cheeks, smirking. He assured Yesung that he came to the library everyday and went home at around seven. The elder briefly inquired as to why but Kyuhyun just shrugged his shoulders, not comfortable enough to share that piece of information yet.
Their conversations were usually brief and short lived but filled with amusement. Yesung had begrudgingly told Kyuhyun that the reason he had fallen on the younger was because of the book Kyuhyun had retrieved for him. Kyuhyun had actually burst out laughing, something even his closest friends would stare in awe at. The boy rarely had such outbursts but it was just Yesung’s strange antics that made him want to laugh more. Kyuhyun then promised should Yesung’s height impairment ever prevent him from reaching a book, the younger would be sure to help out. He had received a playful slap in response but ignored it. He returned the gesture of simply patting Yesung on the head.
That had been only the first of many more afternoons spent together. It was no wonder Kyuhyun had never seen Yesung before, even if they were both regular visitors. Yesung sat on the other side of the school’s large library. But now Kyuhyun opted to sit where Yesung usually sat, sometimes he’d be first, sometimes the other way round.
It was through these little meet ups that Kyuhyun found himself getting closer and closer to the enigma that was Yesung. He noticed the little things like how Yesung bit his nails. The younger actually helped Yesung stop this habit, grinning as he held the other’s hands to stop him from biting. Even to this day, when Yesung’s habit is down the drain, Kyuhyun relentlessly holds onto his hands, for a whole different reason though. Yesung also liked red and autumn, something Kyuhyun had picked up after a while. He also noted things like how Yesung tilted his head when he was confused and bit his bottom lip when embarrassed. It seemed that Yesung was getting cuter every day, but such was not the case. Kyuhyun had found out later.
Heechul and Jungsu had gotten extremely suspicious when Yesung was coming out of the library later and later. He sometimes needed three or four calls before he dragged himself out to meet his waiting and worried brothers. Usually he’d have a bright smile plastered on his face and a blush present. Heechul suspected a boyfriend, threatening to wring the asshole’s neck but Yesung had blushed brighter and denied everything. Heechul and Jungsu had simultaneously pinched either side of their baby brother’s bottom, stopping to coo at the tiny yelp.
They both grabbed him in a bone crushing hug, saying that they wouldn’t be surprised if Yesung had acquired a boyfriend but the said boy would need to be interrogated before anything actually happened. When he didn’t answer they slapped his buttocks again and he grumbled that he would. Both older brothers kissed Yesung’s cheeks before dragging him home.
Eventually, Kyuhyun had deemed Yesung close enough to know of his less than admirable family condition. He told Yesung about the fights, the shouts, the noise that took place every day. How his mother just got irritated at his father, how his father just brushed her off before being tipped over the edge and booming back at her. His brother lied to his parents often, preferring to stay with his boyfriend and merely informing them that he was going to work on a school project.
Kyuhyun had been entirely emotionless when telling the story but Yesung had tears in his eyes, wrapping his arms around the younger’s neck and nuzzling his face into the boy’s shoulder. Feeling daring and secretly wanting the comfort, he pulled Yesung into his lap, holding onto the warmth that was Yesung. Yesung was an extremely affectionate person, he had spotted him in the hallways occasionally, usually with someone hanging off him, demanding more attention. But there was something about the way Yesung cared for him, softly touching his cheeks or arm and he wanted more. He cradled Yesung closer, mentally crying because he’d finally found someone that cared enough to hurt. He had never expected Yesung to mean so much, to get closer than any of his friends had ever gotten.
***
Three.
This step had been just as much of a mesh of coincidences as the previous two. The first had been Kyuhyun walking by just as Yesung fell, the second was both returning to the same aisle in hopes of seeing the other. The third was Kyuhyun’s need for his annual check up and Yesung being dragged in on the very same day by Heechul and Jungsu.
It had been a sunny day, partially cloudy but still bright and warm. Kyuhyun found his annual check up to be very troublesome. He knew he was seeing fine and it wasn’t like his face had changed shape, his glasses fit him just fine. But his mother was bugging him, when she wasn’t trying to bite his father’s head off, and he’d finally gotten fed up. If it got her to stop making so much noise, he decided to just go to the damn check up. He booked it on Saturday because his weekdays weren’t to be disrupted. He rather enjoyed his meetings with Yesung, he wasn’t about to give it up for some useless check up.
The glass door jingled as he entered the familiar glasses shop, noting how the business was doing a lot better, more bustling with customers. He noticed it was probably the marketing. All over the shop there were photos of a handsome man sporting different models of glasses. He had cat like eyes and sharp features, yet looking softly feminine. There was something familiar about him but Kyuhyun quietly put the thought to the back of his mind.
He walked up to the counter, also glass and displaying all kinds of fashionable glasses, stating his name and how he had an appointment with Dr. Kim for an eye check up. The man at the counter also looked strangely familiar, with gentle and calm features, standing a little shorter than Kyuhyun himself. He ignored the strange feeling again, paying more attention to how the man smiled with dimples and said to follow him to the back to see his father.
So, this guy was his regular doctor’s son. He knew his optometrist had three sons, more often than not speaking extremely fondly of them. He had a pair of twins and one younger son, the youngest being coddled endlessly by his two older brothers. This family story sounded very similar but Kyuhyun brushed it off. The chances were slim, there were tonnes of families with three boys.
“Yah! Hyung, I don’t wanna! Let me go!”
“Don’t argue with me! You’re wasting that pretty face of yours if you don’t do some modelling.”
Kyuhyun turned his head to the sound of the argument, the sound much more augmented now that they were in the back where the more medical activities occurred. The boy that was leading him also turned to the pair and smiled warmly. That smile reminded Kyuhyun of Yesung. Sure, Yesung didn’t have the dimples, but they were both equally bright, making him feel like they were smiling from the bottoms of their hearts.
“Those are just my brothers. Appa wants our baby to model some products; it seems that he’s more than a little reluctant.” He commented, chuckling as he peeked inside the little room, the door left open. His youngest brother was pinned to the wall, his second brother growling. His patience was already very short, the little chase probably made his fuse explode.
“Yesungie-hyung!?”Kyuhyun exclaimed as he saw the familiar petite elder who had both his wrists pinned above his head by the slightly taller male. He recognised the other male as the man that had his face plastered all over the shop.
“Kyuhyunnie!” Yesung called out, relief welling in his eyes as he realised he might be saved. He struggled against his older brother’s hold but to no avail. The diva could be quite strong when he wanted to. “Heechul-hyung, let me go! I don’t want to do the photo shoot.” Yesung pouted up at the older boy but he didn’t budge at all. He was really tempted to inflict pain by kicking him but decided against it. Heechul would probably tie him to a chair and force him to go through with the modelling thing. And as revenge for the pain, he’d probably make him dress like a girl for a week or something, just like last time.
“And who are you?” Heechul glared at Kyuhyun, trying to burn holes in his skull. He kept Yesung firmly trapped against the wall while he turned his head to the new person. He wasn’t about to let his baby brother escape, not after all the annoying grabbing he had to go through to get him immobile.
“Just a friend from school.” Unaffected, Kyuhyun simply pushed his glasses up his nose, watching as Heechul brought Yesung from his position on the wall to a tight hug. He continued to scrutinise Kyuhyun though, trying to decipher if he really was a friend or an admirer. Admirers would feel his full wrath, friends he would let slide.
“Heechul-hyung, yah!” Yesung pushed against Heechul’s chest, using the elder’s interest in Kyuhyun to his advantage and slipping out of Heechul’s embrace. He quickly bolted to Kyuhyun’s side and hid behind the taller boy, cowering from his older brother’s annoyed look. Heechul looked ready to pounce, not on Yesung, but on Kyuhyun. Just what was he to his precious baby brother?
“Kim Jongwoon you better get your cute little butt back over here before I tie a pink bow in your hair every day until you graduate! And I’ll make it the type that you can’t take out!” Heechul threatened seriously. If there was any kind of punishment Heechul could hand out flawlessly, it was making Yesung look girly. He had always thought his baby brother was too pretty was more often than not tempted to stick him in a dress. He only did so when he was irritated though, it was a befitting punishment for when Yesung annoyed him. Though he could never stay mad - it was Yesung, who could stay mad at that face?
“You’re here to see Appa, aren’t you Kyu?” Yesung said quickly, he came out from his hiding spot behind Kyuhyun’s broad back and stood by his side. Both Heechul and Jungsu noted the way Yesung’s small hand rested on Kyuhyun’s upper arm, too comfortably. Jungsu eyed it questionably while Heechul glared at the skinship, hoping his eyes could rip the two apart. “Jungsu-hyung is busy, I’ll take you. Today there’s a lot of customers so Appa needs Hyung to stand at the counter.”
Swiftly, Yesung grabbed Kyuhyun’s hand, which Heechul audibly hissed at, and began dragging him down the hall where his father’s office was. “Kim Jongwoon, don’t you dare run away from me! Who is supposed to model now!?” Heechul shouted as he burst to the doorway of the room, stopped only by Jungsu who was quietly and suspiciously eying the joint hands. Jungsu may not be as outwardly aggressive as Heechul, but he would still rather his baby brother not be touched by other men.
“Use Jungsu-hyung! Or yourself! You’re both prettier than me!” Yesung called out as he walked faster, hoping to drag Kyuhyun into his father’s office quick enough to avoid Heechul. The older boy had looked ready to sprint after him, throw him over his shoulder and carry him to the little dressing room.
“No one’s prettier than you, you brat!” Heechul exclaimed, running an exasperated hand through his hair. He finally had a chance to show off his cute little brother and plaster his face around but it had been stolen from him. Yesung blushed at the compliment, Kyuhyun spying the red on his cheeks. It was almost too adorable but he couldn’t help but laugh a little on the inside. Apparently he wasn’t the only one that believed Yesung befitted the description of ‘pretty’. He leaned down and made a sneaky little comment about it and Yesung’s cheeks bloomed more before whacking Kyuhyun on the head.
The check up had gone quickly, Dr. Kim eying Yesung who was standing off to the side. Yesung mentioned how Kyuhyun was a friend and his father laughed, wondering how his two older brothers let Kyuhyun survive. Kyuhyun’s eyes hadn’t deteriorated and his glasses seemed in fine condition, patting the tall boy on the shoulder.
“Would you like to go for coffee? There’s a nice café down the road.” Yesung asked after the quick check up. He was partially trying to avoid his brothers but he also wanted to spend time with Kyuhyun. The boy was dressed casually, something he wasn’t used to. He always saw Kyuhyun in their school’s navy blazer and baby blue tie. It was a nice change to see Kyuhyun on the weekend. It was different, in a good way.
“Are you asking me out on a date, Hyung?” Kyuhyun asked sneakily, smirking at the elder who started to burn cherry. It was amusing. He knew Yesung wasn’t asking him out with those intentions, probably just out of the want to see each other more. But it was just so much fun teasing the older boy. He didn’t know how to make a retort and just blushed too easily.
“No! I mean… It’s not a date… But I…” Yesung stuttered, trying to find out just what he was implying. If he straight out said it wasn’t a date, Kyuhyun might think that he didn’t think he was attractive enough to go on a date or too undesirable to ask out. But if he did confirm it was a date, Kyuhyun might take it the wrong way. Yes, he did find Kyuhyun very attractive and he might have a teeny weeny (huge) crush on the younger boy, but he wasn’t ready for a going steady kind of phase. He wanted to be truly in love before he got his first boyfriend. He needed to be - he needed to feel very strongly for his significant other or he might not be able to protect him from his two overbearing brothers.
“It’s okay, Hyung, I know. Please breathe. I’ll go on a date with you.” Kyuhyun said winking, almost bursting out laughing just from how red Yesung was looking. The older boy looked like he was going to explode with embarrassment. Taking the elder’s smaller hand in his own, relishing how perfectly it fit, he pulled him along, not waiting for Yesung to react to his comment and started blushing like a schoolgirl again.
The place was lively yet quaint. They took a table for two, Yesung ordering coffee and Kyuhyun ordering juice. The elder joked that Kyuhyun was being a kid for his order whilst Kyuhyun began to list off a number of health issues from drinking too much coffee, ending the rant with a comment that Yesung was being an old man. An open mouthed, unbelieving Yesung was too adorable and Kyuhyun couldn’t help but chuckle.
They ended the day, it was already well into the evening, with big smiles on their faces. Both had gained the number of the other, the concept never really occurring to them before as they saw each other from Monday to Friday. There was a silent promise to meet up again on the weekends, Kyuhyun giving Yesung a cheeky ‘call me’ sign as they parted.
That night Yesung had phoned Kyuhyun before sleep, the younger not the slightest bit irritated that his reading time was interrupted. He had been distracted by Yesung’s smile haunting his mind anyway. There was a short chat between the two, nothing but playful banter before Yesung ended it with an affectionate ‘Goodnight, Kyuhyun-ah’. Kyuhyun had never slept better and Yesung’s older brothers were suspicious of the large smile that was plastered on their baby brother’s face the next morning.
Of course, that was only the beginning of weekend meetings. This particular coffee shop found itself two regular customers in the form of Yesung and Kyuhyun, the two boys that visited every Saturday right after lunch. They would stay until the setting sun cast a beautiful painting of orange and pink in the sky. They would part with either something flirtatious or playful.
Some of the employees were placing bets on when the two would get together. Some claimed a few weeks, others months, some even contemplating that they were already together, the staring across the table was making it just so obvious. The closest had been the part time waitress Yuri who guessed two months, the usual server for the pair, often ‘accidentally’ giving them a couple cake or a couple drink. They’d look up quizzically at her, Yuri sparing Kyuhyun a wink causing the school boy to chuckle leaving Yesung as the only confused one.
However, even with all this debate, either party was ignorant to the bubbling feeling that was developing in their relationship - perhaps it was much too new a feeling for the inexperienced boys. It was hard to know what love felt like when neither had really experienced it.
Sometimes, hilariously enough, Heechul and/or Jungsu would join them on their little escapades. The funny thing was that the way the twins would act around their precious baby brother would be more suggestive than anything Kyuhyun would do. The skinship between Kyuhyun and Yesung was subtle, almost too gentle, left at hands touching across the table, occasional hand holding and other tiny gestures like that. They left most of their affection for staring across the table, laughing and smiling and teasing. Kyuhyun may tease mercilessly but that was about as far as it got. They were flirty but that was all.
Heechul and Jungsu on the other hand, if they weren’t Yesung’s brothers, it looked as if they were both Yesung’s boyfriends or something absurd like that. When Heechul accompanied them, he would lay his hand on Yesung’s thigh, squeezing it more often than not. He would occasionally pinch or grope at Yesung’s bum, causing the younger boy to yelp at his older brother to stop acting like some alpha male that owned his butt or something. When it was just Jungsu the older boy would place an arm around Yesung’s shoulder, pulling him into his chest, refusing to let Yesung out of his capture. And when both came, they sandwiched the poor Yesung between them, eying Kyuhyun as he laughed.
But other than a few hilarious encounters, Kyuhyun counted these meet ups as a learning experience. He could notice so many things, things he couldn’t see on a regular school day at the library. He noticed how much Yesung really did enjoy his coffee, black with only a teaspoon of sugar. He noticed how Yesung would sometimes hum to himself, tapping his fingers against his thigh as he did. It was like he was finding more and more things to like about Yesung. He was greedy and wanted more, wanted to explore Yesung until he knew more than any other person in the entire world.
>>Part 2>>