{fic} Calm After the Storm
Title: Calm After the Storm
Rating: PG-13
Pairing: KyuMin KangTeuk main, with EunHae, HanChul, YeWook and KiWon if you squint
Summary: 4jib. And Super Junior's future through the maknae's eyes.
Author's Notes: Found a crumpled paper under my desk which happens to be this story. Wrote it prior to the airing of the comeback performances, though KRY Japan is already rumored across all fanboards. Also written during the KangIn news about army and Heenim's heartwrenching blog about Gege. Pardon the jumps and whatnots, I guess I was just trying to cope at the time. Also at this time, I had no idea about the military plans of the others. So there.
Cho Kyuhyun is very contemplative at the moment.
With the 4jib promotions recently concluding with tours all over Korea, he wonders how in the world could his members be so energetic when all he wanted to do right now is lock himself up in his and Minnie's room, hug his bed, and sleep himself to oblivion.
His wishes seem to be ungranted, when Wookie told him with a face that would rival his EHB stressed face during that stint with DBSK that they're heading straight to Cheongdam without the reason being told once they hop on the plane, Korea bound from Japan. And being the bratty maknae that he usually is when he's tired and stressed out, he planned and almost pulled off an escape at the airport when Yesung wistfully grabbed his hand, dragged him towards the van, and opened the door saying, "Get in. Umma's orders." And every member, crew, cordy, and manager knows that umma's orders are never to be disobeyed, let alone questions.
So under umma's orders, there he was seated at a corner, smiling at the scene before him. Sleep or no sleep, he forced himself to be as energetic as the others were, this, to appease the now drunk-ish roommate of his and the event organizer's wishes. Besides, this was their last gathering as a 12-member group-- with Kibum finally in tow, and Hangeng not making it due to "some commitment" (though he seriously doubt if commitment would comfortably equate to avoiding Kim Heechul at all cost). He called it the last gathering, for the next few years, that is-- with one member entering the military after the other. This party was for Youngwoon-hyung, and he promised himself that he wouldn't be emotional; because Jungsu was emotional as it is, he really wouldn't want EHB to happen all over again.
He sits idly there, seeing Shindong beat Yesung in a barbecue eating contest, with Wookie cheering on the side, EunHae playing (again) with god knows what, Kibum trying to pry Siwon off his bible, KangTeuk whispering to each other in the kitchen while making something he could only hope is edible and Heechul-- god there he is again, away from them, standing alone in the balcony, phone in hand. He assumed (quite correctly) that Hangeng ge hasn't taken his calls yet.
"Penny for your thoughts?" His roommate, reeking of alcohol, sat beside him on the couch. He wondered if Sungmin could really hold a decent conversation, one he is so willing to have right now, at that state.
"Just musing on some things, hyung." He grabbed the cup the other was holding. Water. Hmm.
"Like what?"
"Stuff about the group, what would it be like in two years." He felt a hand rest on his shoulder.
"It might take a bit longer than two years-- Umma's not yet going." He exhaled in agreement.
"I know, hyung. I'm just-- I don't understand." His tangled thoughts are giving him unwanted headaches and unshed tears. He then felt Sungmin's hands on his.
"Me too. But maybe there are just some things that we're not supposed to understand-- or at least not yet. This'll pass Kyu. Maybe the two year breaks for each of us would be for the better." He snickered as he adjusted them both to a more comfortable position.
"Easy for you to say, hyung. How many two years should I count? Ten?" He meant for it as a joke, that he wouldn’t be able to share an experience with them because that accident somehow placed him in a compromising situation that poses a threat to his future should he, too, enter the military.
"I'm sorry, Kyu. I didn't mean it like that. But you couldn't blame me for looking at it that way. Not after--," he noticed the other's voice tremble. "Not after seeing you like that." He turned his head so he's now looking at his roommate, reaching out a hand to touch the other's cheek.
"I know, hyung. I'm sorry." A smile. Then another.
"And besides, you have Heechul-hyung with you, we're not ALL gonna leave you here. Unless he decides to come with us, that is." They resumed watching the others.
"Right. You couldn't even have a decent conversation with that creature these days. Until that gets resolved, him getting some closure of some sort, Heechul-hyung would be nothing but the Heechul we know on auto-pilot."
Their random musings with each other had them miss Youngwoon and Jungsu stand behind them.
"Heechul needs to fix this alone. For his sake, and for ours too." Sungmin raised his head to look at Jungsu, both of them wondering how long their parents have been standing there.
"Hyung, keep an eye on him okay? He may look strong but you know him, probably weaker than Hyukjae over there." Kyu followed Youngwoon's hand, gesturing at the monkey-boy being glomped by the clownfish.
He heard Jungsu shrug in response and they watched in awe as the other members sans Heechul gather at the dining table and join the now rowdy-food-fighting Yesung and Shindong. Them four laughed at the sight, and laughed some more when an innocent slice of cake was picked up by a laughing Shindong, thrown at a dodging Yesung, only to reach the balcony and stand the pants of a gloomy Heechul.
Everyone was suddenly quiet.
"Yah!"
The room started to get rowdy again with the other members trying to cheer the furious Heechul up.
He sighed as he leaned back on the couch.
"You think we'll be okay, hyung?" He wasn't sure to whom he had directed the question but he waiting for an answer anyway.
A hand was on his shoulder, squeezing it tightly (definitely Youngwoon's) and his heart was at peace.
"Yeah. We'll be okay."
He looked at Minnie-- sleeping with a smile on his face, and then Jungsu, a cryptic small smile on his lips and an arm hooked on one of Youngwoon's.
"Of course. We'll be okay. We will."