[ILC/011] Small Problems
Title: Small Problems
ILC/Pairing Assigner: kendayawind & shadowcrawler12
Pairing: Henwook
Rating: PG-13
Genre: AU, Humor, Romance
Disclaimer: I don't own them, SME does. Plot is mine.
Challenge: Initial Line Challenge
Summary: They've all got problems of their own... some are smaller than others.
Warning: Un-beta'd. Not edited.
He laid in his bed, wrapped in the cold sheets as he stared at the ceiling; thoughts circling aimlessly in his mind with no direct purpose, but one question stood out amongst them.
How am I going to survive tomorrow without getting my butt whooped?
It was a fair game, really. Ryeowook was smaller than him in height, despite being older, and much weaker than him in strength - again, despite being older. The odds weren't really odds at all. Only one thing was wrong and that was Ryeowook and his sensitivity - his acute detections, keen wit, and delicate state of mind.
Henry felt as if the weakest of insults, retorts, or objections against the older boy would crush his frail frame, his fragile heart. Which, mind him, wasn't so fragile after all.
“Henry,” his mother called, knocking on his door. “Your brother's back and dinners ready.”
Sungmin, Henry rolled his eyes. His brother - or Sungmin - was rarely ever home and when he was, all he did was tease Henry and his not so secretive complex with Ryeowook, his childhood buddy and best friend.
He pulled himself off the bed, leaving the comfort of his blankets that had warmed, and heaved a heavy sigh. If he wanted to survive tomorrow, he'd at least have to make it through tonight first. It was only appropriate.
-
“I have no idea what you did to Ryeowook,” Kyuhyun snickered behind his textbook in the courtyard, “but you pissed him off good this time. Good luck, man.”
After giving Kyuhyun a nice whack on the back of his head - Kyuhyun scowled when he realized it was Henry's backpack that had mauled him - Henry took a deep, non-relieving breath. “You think he'll slap me? Maybe he'll feel better if I let him kick me...”
Kyuhyun rose a brow as Henry trailed off into nonsense. “What did you do to him anyways? I haven't seen him this mad in ages - you know, since the day you showed up.”
It really didn't help that they all lived in a small town, where everyone knew each other ever since the day they could walk. Henry came along a few years later - when they could already talk. Not much of a difference, though.
“I kind of ditched him at the theme park,” Henry puffed out his cheeks.
There was a snigger and Henry frowned. “That can't be all there is to it,” Kyuhyun mused.
“Well, I called him small when he got measured for the height reqs...” Henry said, in barely a whisper. “It wouldn't have bothered him if Kibum wasn't a pain and alluded it to... more private areas.”
Kyuhyun broke out into a small fit of laughter, clutching his textbook tightly. The courtyard all turned to them and Henry took notice of Ryeowook's eyes - which were narrowed at him. Henry attempted to wave at the older boy with a smile, but Ryeowook simply turned away and continued chatting with his groupies.
“If you don't shut up, I'll tell Sungmin hyung that you're cheating on him with Eunhyuk hyung or something,” Henry snarled.
Kyuhyun grimaced, sitting upright. “Ew. No. Why?”
“Because I can,” Henry said matter-of-factly, “and Donghae hyung is too close with Ryeowook. Ryeowook would be mad at me if I used Donghae instead. And Zhoumi just wouldn't make sense, Sungmin hyung wouldn't believe it.”
“But Eunhyuk's with Donghae,” Kyuhyun pursed his lips.
Henry shrugged. “So?”
“Stop being butt-hurt and just talk to Ryeowook. I'm sure he'll forgive you, he always does,” Kyuhyun suggested.
“Right,” Henry sighed. “Wish me luck.”
“Good luck,” Kyuhyun smirked. “You'll need it.”
Ryeowook could feel Henry's presence sliding closer and closer to his own, but he ignored it - focusing on his conversation with Zhoumi and the others.
“-whitening and moistening effects.”
“So, what's up?” Henry inched beside Ryeowook and attempted at joining in on the conversation. He threw an arm over Ryeowook's shoulder, but Ryeowook shook it off.
Zhoumi smiled warmly (or apologetically - Henry couldn't decide). “We're just discussing which beauty products are best for which treatments.”
“...what?” Henry choked.
“You won't understand even if we explained it to you a million times,” Ryeowook pursed his lips at him.
Henry grinned as bright as he could while leaning closer to Ryeowook. “I could most definitely try. If my best bud is into it, I'm sure I can be, too.”
“Why are you leaning so close?” Ryeowook furrowed his brows. “Am I too short or something? Can't see me while you're standing straight?”
The words shocked Henry for about three seconds before he immediately erected, holding both his hands out before him defensively. “No! Most definitely not!”
Ryeowook rolled his eyes.
Donghae could sense the atmosphere tensing and backed up a bit. “Um, yeah... I think Eunhyuk is waiting for me at the cafeteria. I'll catch you guys later.”
“Wait for me!” Zhoumi called out after him, “I'm hungry, too!”
The older boy immediately turned to face Henry. “Look what you did! You scared my friends away!”
“I'm still here,” Henry replied simply, his eyes dancing across the courtyard comically.
“You are the most annoying person I have ever met!” Ryeowook frowned. “First you ditch me, then you come back hours later and call me small-”
“I didn't call you small!”
Ryeowook narrowed his eyes threateningly.
“Okay, I called you small... but I didn't mean it the way Kibum said I did!” Henry defended. “I just meant you were - well, you know... small.” He wasn't helping himself. At all.
“You're not all too big yourself!” Ryeowook retorted.
Henry scoffed. “Bigger than you are!”
“Mature, Henry,” Ryeowook replied sarcastically, “very mature.”
“I know,” Henry smirked. “I am.”
“Well, let me tell you this,” Ryeowook poked his pointer finger on Henry's chest, leaning up close. “It's not an accomplishment. You're still short, even if you're taller than me.”
Henry chuckled. “That's enough. There's no one else I need to be taller than, other than you.”
“You!” Ryeowook groaned. “I hate you!”
“Mature, Ryeowook,” Henry mocked, “very mature.”
Ryeowook's cheeks turned beet red, his heart beating at an abnormally quick pace. Anger wasn't good for him - it never has been. His breaths were growing heavier, his chest rising and falling too rapidly for Henry not to worry.
“I was kidding!” Henry quickly coaxed. “Don't have a heart attack on me!”
“If only you weren't such a... such a... such a pain in the rear!” Ryeowook coughed. “Why do I even hang out with you anymore? You're always such a tyrant to me!” He was slamming his own fist against his own chest now - Henry attempted to take hold of both his wrists. “Let go!”
Henry bit his bottom lip. “I'm sorry, I'm sorry. I didn't mean it - I take everything back! You're not small - not that way, at least. And the only reason you're the only person I need to tower over is because you're the only person I want to protect!”
“..what?” Ryeowook croaked. Finally calming down a little.
“Well, if you were taller than me, or bigger than me, how could I be the one to protect you?” Henry asked. “If you were bigger than me, how could I hold on to you effortlessly? How could I make myself feel more useful to you?” Henry explained - and he noted every explanation added contributed to the smile that slowly crept onto Ryeowook's face.
His own heartbeat was accelerating with the expression that now crumbled Ryeowook's mask of frustration - the blush that tinted the older boys cheeks, the way Ryeowook's hands started to weaken in his own hold.
And Ryeowook's lips looked so thin - so tempting. “And how could I do this?” He asked before leaning down and pressing his lips against the other boy's gently.
When they broke apart - vulnerable, susceptible, and so innocent - they both found it hard to start their conversation anew. Henry heard snickering from the distance; he didn't have to look to know it was Kyuhyun, and Donghae, and Zhoumi, and most probably Eunhyuk.
Great, Henry thought, just great.
“I'm not done being mad at you,” Ryeowook reminded as he reached down to the grass for his backpack and textbooks.
Henry nodded, collecting Ryeowook's books and holding them for him. “You can be mad for as long as you want. I'll always be here.”
“You need to stop hanging out with Kibum so much,” Ryeowook frowned, “he's a bad influence on you.”
“What!” Henry scowled, “I told you already; I didn't mean it the way Kibum hyung said I did!”
“Sure,” Ryeowook hummed, but he was clearly unbelieving.
Henry rolled his eyes and reached for Ryeowook's hand but Ryeowook shifted away.
“What are you doing?!” Ryeowook hissed.
“Holding your hand,” Henry replied, “duh.”
Ryeowook narrowed his eyes. “Who said you could?”
“I did,” Henry shrugged. He reached for Ryeowook's hand again and this time Ryeowook didn't dodge or fling him away. “Just imagine...” Henry began trailing off, “if it took us almost fifteen years to just hold hands, how long will it take us until-”
Ryeowook shoved Henry into a wall and stormed off angrily.
“-we can be completely honest to each other with our feelings...” Henry finished off while rubbing his arms and watching a disturbed Ryeowook stomp away until he was out of sight.
“Made him mad again, I see,” Kyuhyun smirked. “Charming.”
Henry pouted. “Shut up, Kyuhyun.”
“Kibum was right,” Kyuhyun nodded, “you two are just too easy.”
“What?” Henry rose a brow.
Kyuhyun pointed in the general direction Ryeowook ran off to. “You two were set up,” he said, completely void of guilt, “by us.”
Henry glared at Kyuhyun for a good five-count before pulling his cell phone out of his pocket and dialing a number ever so familiar. Kyuhyun watched him with subtle amusement - mild fright, might he add. “Sungmin hyung?” Henry said. “I think Kyuhyun's cheating on you with Ki-”
Kyuhyun immediately snatched the phone and glued it to his own ear. “Don't listen to your brother! He speaks nonsensical things!”
By the expression on Kyuhyun's face, and his endless miming and apologizing, Henry could tell he had gotten half of his revenge covered.
There were still a bunch of questions circling aimlessly in his mind with no direct purpose, though, and one question stood out amongst them the most.
How am I going to survive tomorrow without getting my butt whooped?
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Read Nyx's version of the same pairing here!
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A/N: Major. Fail. Henwook, why so hard to write? I almost couldn't fit in any Henwook moments at all.. I'm sure you could tell. lol. Gosh, I love them to death but, seriously, they are impossibly hard for me to write. ugh. I know I apologize... all the time... but, again... I'm sorry T.T