A Cost For A Cause - Chapter 15
Title: A Cost For A Cause
Rating: PG-13
Genre: AU/Humor/Romance
Length: Chaptered
Pairing: Yekyu
Summary: Getting to know people for a second time may not be too bad after all.
Just as Yesung reached the steps of his door, a shudder of uneasiness passed through him. He wasn't certain why he was feeling that way, or why he was feeling anything at all, as he slipped the key into the lock and pushed the door open.
When he found Sungmin and Kyuhyun sitting in the living room, together, he involuntarily held onto his breath.
Yesung was worrying - about what, he couldn't quite tell.
“Sungmin?” he forced off his tongue, walking to the kitchen counter and setting down his keys.
Sungmin stood, glancing at Kyuhyun briefly, before inviting Yesung to join them at the couches. “Heesook asked me to drop some things off. She's not mad anymore.”
“Really? That's good...” Yesung trailed off, finding himself being engulfed into Sungmin's arms. This hug didn't feel as intense as their hugs once used to be; there were no lingering fingers, no exploiting touches, it was a bit stoic to say in the least, which was odd.
“Kyuhyun-sshi insisted that I stayed until you got back,” Sungmin smiled, “but I should be on my way now.”
Yesung held Sungmin by the wrist, an action that caught Kyuhyun's attention subtly. “Everything's going well?” Yesung asked. “The baby, Heesook's emotions... did you tell her about Sungjin yet?”
“What if I haven't?” Sungmin laughed.
Kyuhyun lowered his gaze to his own hands, shuffling his feet uncomfortably.
It was natural for Yesung to worry, especially when it came to Sungmin. Yesung had a big heart; he cared for everyone, about everything, so, this really shouldn't be bothering Kyuhyun. If Yesung became apathetic, uncaring, towards Sungmin right after everything ended for certain, that should be when Kyuhyun worried because that meant the man was heartless.
Really, Kyuhyun really thought so.
But then... what was this sour feeling that tinged somewhere in the core of chest?
Yesung's grip tightened around Sungmin's wrist.
“I'm just kidding,” Sungmin rolled his eyes playfully.
Before Sungmin started for the door again, he glanced over at Kyuhyun briefly. “He's a good kid,” Sungmin leaned over and whispered into Yesung's ear, “be gentle with him.”
“I will,” was Yesung's brisk reply. “Do you want me to give you a ride home?”
Sungmin shook his head and brushed his lips over Yesung's cheek just as he turned on his heel and headed out the street. “I texted a cab just now. I'll see you two around.”
Yesung decided he liked the sound of Sungmin's statement, how easily they rolled off of his lips and into the air; surrounding him like a warm current. He smiled bitterly, watching as Sungmin jumped into his cab and waved Yesung goodbye, a silly smile plastered on his lips, and he thinks maybe - just maybe - Sungmin has been pieced together again.
-
Once Sungmin got into the cab and was driven out of sight, he immediately called Eunhyuk.
“So, how did it go?” Eunhyuk asked.
Sungmin chewed on his cheek, fighting back tears. “Good, I hope.”
“You're brave, Sungmin,” Eunhyuk encouraged from the other line.
“No, I'm not,” Sungmin gritted through his teeth, “I couldn't wish him happiness.”
Eunhyuk chuckled over the line. “He knows you want him to be happy.”
“But I couldn't tell him,” Sungmin scowled at himself. “I want him to care about me, more than he does about that boy he's with now.”
“Humans are selfish,” Eunhyuk replied, “it's understandable, Sungmin.”
Sungmin glanced out the window, the hot tears lining his eyes threatening to slide off the brim of his lashes. He took a deep, stabling, breath and forced the tears back, forbidding them to trespass any further. “You think he noticed?” Sungmin asked.
“I'm sure he did,” Eunhyuk smiled weakly, despite the other not seeing, “he can read you like a book.”
“Yet, he decided not to say anything,” Sungmin laughed.
Eunhyuk sighed. “It's because he cares about your feelings, Sungmin.”
“I know,” Sungmin uttered as he stared up at the sky, “I know.”
-
“What did the two of you talk about while I was gone?”
Kyuhyun leaned back into the sofa, carving figures out of the ceiling he had been so engrossed in ever since Sungmin left their company. “Nothing much,” he lied, almost too easily.
“Really?” Yesung lifted a brow. He pulled a bottle of water out of the fridge and leaned his elbows against the counter of the kitchen island. “You were probably talking about me behind my back, weren't you?”
“No,” Kyuhyun shook his head, “we really didn't.”
Yesung frowned. “I just get this uneasy feeling, knowing that you and Sungmin spent time alone.”
“Why?” Kyuhyun asked.
The younger boy was startled when Yesung snuck up behind him, throwing one arm over his shoulder, their faces much too close for comfort. “I don't know,” the elder shrugged, “it's kind of like the feeling you get when you run into an ex with your current lover, you know?”
Kyuhyun smiled at the statement.
“You're easily pleased,” Yesung grinned, pulling back and walking towards his room.
“Did you mean it?” Kyuhyun beckoned out to Yesung.
Yesung stopped in his steps, his water bottle still attached to his lips, and turned to face Kyuhyun. He cocked his head to the side, feigning an ignorant expression. “What?”
“You know...” Kyuhyun trailed off shyly, “what you just said.”
The older boy simply smirked and shrugged before continuing down the hall and into his room, closing the door behind him. Kyuhyun fumed, dropping back into his seat, and released a low growl of some sort. Moments later, Yesung stepped out of his room in a fresh set of clothes and collected his keys from the counter.
“Where are you going?” Kyuhyun asked.
Yesung gestured for Kyuhyun to follow him. “Home.”
“Why didn't you tell me earlier?” Kyuhyun sighed.
Yesung laughed. “We're just going home, no need to dress up.”
Kyuhyun rose a brow. “You changed.”
“Yeah, I changed out of my pajamas,” Yesung rolled his eyes. “I don't want them to think I became a bum after moving out.”
Catching up to Yesung at the door, Kyuhyun punched the older man on the arm lightly. “Did you ever talk to your parents and Ryeowook about moving out?”
Yesung thought to himself for a moment. “Not exactly.”
“So, they're probably mad?” Kyuhyun asked.
Yesung scratched the back of his head. “I don't think so?”
“Why do I have to come with you then?” Kyuhyun scowled, “I don't want to be involved in a family fight!”
“You're a part of the family,” Yesung retorted.
Kyuhyun wondered how he should interpret that sentence before he was gently shoved out the door. “You owe me,” he narrowed his eyes, walking to the passenger side of the car.
“Sure,” Yesung shrugged.
-
The moment Yesung's figure entered the door, Ryeowook latched himself onto his older brothers arm. “Hyung! I missed you,” he laughed, feeling Yesung's fingers curl into his hair, followed by strong arms that embraced him warmly.
“Welcome back,” Kibum greeted nonchalantly from the living room.
“Nice to see you, too,” Yesung laughed.
Kibum looked over at the door, somewhat surprised to find Kyuhyun standing there with Yesung. “Wow, you're still with him?”
“Hey,” Ryeowook furrowed his brows disapprovingly, “he's your cousin, too.”
“You left your things behind,” Kibum motioned towards the hallway.
Kyuhyun suddenly remembered Henry. “Oh! I'm so sorry, I should have taken care of that before we moved.”
“It's okay,” Ryeowook smiled, “Henry's adorable, and he plays amazing music on his violin. Mom loves him. Kibum does, too, he just won't admit it.”
Kibum mutters something under his breath that no one can quite hear.
At this point, Kyuhyun thinks he can see the living resemblance between Yesung and Kibum.
Their mother exits the kitchen, a wide grin gracing her aging features as she pulls Yesung in for a big bear-like hug. She holds him like this; still, secure, almost possessively, until he laughs and Ryeowook has to pull her away for his brother to breath.
“I missed you, you big jerk,” she cried.
Yesung laughed in reply. “I've been gone for less than a month,” he counters but knows it's not much of an argument to any parent, save his own.
It's funny how you don't realize how much of a child someone is, how much someone cares, until you leave them and everything magnifies by a hundred percent.
And all of this was weird to Kyuhyun, because he can't remember ever being shown this much warmth from his own parents ever since he was an age old enough to watch out for himself. It becomes even weirder - in fact - because this family wasn't blood-tied to Yesung, but cared for him more so than many other blood-tied families would for their own kin.
He basked in this warmth; accepting it and relishing in its beauty.
Then, he realizes they care about him, too.
When Mrs. Kim finds him to be eating too little and decides to pick the best of the dishes into his bowl. When Ryeowook catches him chewing on his food a little too long, having trouble swallowing, and voluntarily pours him a cup of water without a second thought. When Mr. Kim finds him sitting alone in the living room, while the rest of the boys marveled over a new sheet of music Henry has composed, and joins him for drabbled talk. When, even Kibum, seemed to find interest in his solitary attitude and asks him how life's been living with Yesung hyung in his ever-monotonous voice.
“Fine,” Kyuhyun replies, blushing a little.
And Kibum holds back a laugh, crossing his arms over his chest with his little smirk. “He's a pervert, I've told you that before, right?”
Kyuhyun remembers and nods with a slight chuckle. “He is.”
“So, he's made a move on you?”
Kyuhyun chokes on his own breath and Kibum stands, triumphantly, as he walks out of the living room and into the kitchen, returning with another glass of water.
“Ryeowook was right, you really don't seem too well,” Kibum grinned. “Maybe this time it's actually legit to blame it on Yesung hyung.”
After accepting the water and taking a large gulp, Kyuhyun pat his chest and scowled at himself. “We... we're not like that.”
“Yet,” Kibum added mischievously.
Before Kyuhyun could retort, Kibum was already out of sight. Kyuhyun felt like dying.
-
Heechul can't quite remember when the last time he saw Sungmin was. The only thing he could be certain of was that it couldn't have been a pleasant meeting, none of their meetings were.
As much of a pity that was, Heechul didn't particularly feel bad.
No, of course he didn't.
So, what was this aching in his chest that he felt when he found Sungmin crouched at the bottom of the steps to his home, looking like a fetus frozen and dying in the womb of its mother?
“Heechul,” Hankyung nudged the man.
Said man snapped out of his daze, realizing his hand was resting over his heart. Heechul gestured for Hankyung to leave, reassuring him that everything would be fine. In the end, Hankyung did leave, much to Heechul's disappointment.
Honestly, he didn't know if he could maturely deal with Sungmin.
“Ahem,” Heechul coughed.
Sungmin shot up, straightening his back, as he greeted Heechul with a smile. “Hyung, welcome back.”
As much as the memories hurt, Heechul remembered the days when they were children - the four of them (himself, Yesung, Sungmin and Sungjin) - and Sungmin and Sungjin were always waiting in the broken church on the skirts of the city for Yesung and Heechul to return with what little they were able to manage.
The two were too young to work, too sickly to beg, and the two elders couldn't bear to watch them suffer.
Sungmin had always welcomed Heechul back with that same phrase, that same smile.
“What are you doing here?” Heechul replied coldly, making his way up the steps and opening the door. He realized Sungmin wasn't following him and groaned. “Well? Aren't you coming?”
Sungmin hung his head low, hopping up the steps and entering the household.
“You didn't answer me,” Heechul said, slicing into the silence with his sharp words.
Sungmin flinched. “I... I wanted to apologize.”
Widening his eyes, if they could get any bigger, Heechul threw his keys onto the desktop and fell back into his couch. “What?”
“I know I've been a terrible dongsaeng,” Sungmin sighed, “and I know I've done horrible things to Yesung-hyung-”
“Horrible and terrible don't cut it,” Heechul interrupted.
Sungmin bit on his bottom lip. “I know.”
Never in Heechul's life has he imagined forgiving Sungmin. Never in his life has he ever imagined that Sungmin would apologize, would feel bad for anything he's ever done. He wondered if there was a motive, a reason behind Sungmin's actions, but when he looked up at Sungmin and watched the boy shake, bite back tears, and hold his hands in fists like he did when he was just a mere child, Heechul couldn't keep doubting.
“Heesook is pregnant, hyung,” Sungmin broke the silence.
Heechul shifted his gaze to the side. “Your wife?”
“Yes,” Sungmin replied, “I... I don't know if I'll be able to take care of them for long.”
Then Heechul remembered, he remembered how Sungjin's symptoms came slowly, one by one, eating away at him until he laid lifeless on the ground. They were children then, they didn't know about the differences between genetically transmitted diseases and plagues of nature.
“Have you seen a doctor yet?” Heechul asked, his voice much more affectionate than before.
Sungmin thinks they must have traveled back in time; back to when Heechul cared about him.
“Have you gotten check ups? Thorough check ups?” Heechul asked again.
Sungmin laughed nervously. “I'm afraid to,” he replied.
Heechul stood and pulled Sungmin onto the couch beside him. “You have to! What will they do without you, Sungmin? The child.. the child won't have a father!”
“We dealt with that pretty well, didn't we?” Sungmin asked.
“You're no less selfish than you were before,” Heechul gritted through his teeth. “I thought you finally learned a lesson, I thought you changed, but I must have gone crazy. Is that what you came here for?” He scoffed, flinging his arms into the air, “to ask me to watch over your wife and child after you wither and die? Well, I'm not doing it, Lee Sungmin, I'll never comply to it.”
Sungmin took a deep breath. “Hyung, you're the most considerate person I know. Despite what you say, I know you'll do it. You're the only person I can count on.”
“I'm not going to watch you die, Lee Sungmin,” Heechul shook his head. “Sungjin.. I won't let that happen again, ever.”
“Hyung-”
Heechul waved away the rest of Sungmin's words. “Go home, Sungmin. I'll make an appointment at our hospital for a thorough check up. When I have everything settled, I'll call you and pick you up.”
“Hyung-”
“This isn't up for discussion, Sungmin,” Heechul interrupted again, fiercely, glaring at the younger boy.
Sungmin chuckled, wrapping his hand around Heechul's cold fingers. “I just want to say thank you, hyung. Thank you for caring about me, despite everything I've done.”
Heechul stared into Sungmin's fox-like eyes and wondered how sincere his words were. Sungmin was a cunning person, but everyone had their weak spots. To Sungmin, only Heechul, Yesung, and Sungjin were his weak spots. No, now there are two more people - Heesook and their baby.
Perhaps the reason Heechul never found it in his heart to forgive Sungmin was because he never really tried. Now, as he was staring into Sungmin's ever innocent face - like they had traveled twenty years or so in time and were standing so bare and helpless before each other - and counted the tears that slid down the younger boys face, Heechul realized that the hatred he bore for Sungmin was nothing more than anger and disappointment.
No, he couldn't have truly hated Sungmin because he loved him - he cherished him like the moon in the night sky, only there half the time but shining ever so brightly in his presence.
“Go home, Sungmin,” Heechul weakly whispered, “we have a long ways ahead of us.”
Chapter 14 | Chapter 16
-----
A/N: I realize that sometimes my summaries don't have too much to do with the actual content. lol. I suck at summaries.. -_-; I should really be writing the three papers I have due on Tuesday, especially because I'm incredibly sick and dying and I'll probably never get them done if I don't do it now.. but I found myself editing this chapter instead =/ Anyways, thanks for the comments!
*listening to Leeteuk's Kiss Goodbye @ SS3 Taiwan on repeat*
SS3 needs to come to the U.S. T.T