Love is blind, and optimistically selective the rest of the time
Title: Love is blind, and optimistically selective the rest of the time
Pairings: Hanchul, minor Kyumin and Eunhae
Genre: Fluff, romance, humor
Rating: PG-13
Disclaimer: I don't own anything
Summary: AU. In which Hankyung and Heechul fail at dating.
And here's the commentary version.
It’s the sidewalk’s fault.
Sure, that innocent-looking slab of concrete might’ve aided him on numerous occasions with the pastime known as walking (and jogging, and face-planting, and picking up loose change, and you get the point), but it’s the sidewalk’s fault, and that’s the story Hankyung intends to stick to because it most certainly is not his own fault.
The sidewalk begs to differ, but no one’s asking (and no one in their right mind would ask a sidewalk anyway).
But just why is Hankyung ranting and raving at some poor sidewalk, you might wonder. Well, wonder no further, for the simple answer is that it begins with his parents.
Actually, since it begins with his parents, you could say that it’s his parents’ fault. Very well then. It’s his parents’ fault.
See, if his parents hadn’t met as teenagers, then they wouldn’t have dated. If they hadn’t dated, then they wouldn’t have gone to college and continued to see each other. If they hadn’t done that, then they wouldn’t have gotten married some years later, as is the case of many high school sweethearts (and that was your cue to coo over how romantic their terribly short backstory is).
Carrying on.
If they hadn’t gotten married, then they wouldn’t have given birth (sorry, Hankyung’s mom wouldn’t have given birth, but let it be known that Hankyung’s dad contributed half of the chromosomes) to a healthy baby boy that they named Hankyung. If Hankyung hadn’t been born, then they wouldn’t have raised him to be a fine, upstanding, filial young teenager.
Okay, enough about his parents. Back to Hankyung.
If Hankyung hadn’t grown up to be such a devoted son, then he wouldn’t have volunteered to help out his family’s restaurant during his summer vacation. If he hadn’t offered his services, then he wouldn’t have landed a job as the delivery boy. If he hadn’t become the delivery boy, then he wouldn’t have been stuck with the task of delivering two boxes of Beijing fried rice with a side of fried cream cheese wonton every morning to the eccentric old man who lives across the neighborhood. If he hadn’t had to cater to the town’s resident nutcase who went by the name of Mr. Lee Soo Man, then he wouldn’t have taken the same route every single day.
Getting closer to the main point.
If Hankyung hadn’t biked on the same path every day, then he wouldn’t have developed the habit of glancing fondly at the alpaca fountain in the park whenever he passed by (Hankyung has a weakness for alpacas, and would very much appreciate it if you don’t tell anyone as it is a Big Secret). If he hadn’t taken his eyes off the road (which is definitely not advisable. Road safety, people! Road safety!), then he wouldn’t have spotted the slim young man who suddenly turned up in front of the fountain one day.
Yes, Heechul just showed up, so you can start paying attention now.
If Hankyung hadn’t seen the prettiest person that he has ever laid eyes upon aside from his mom, then he wouldn’t have swerved abruptly to the right. If he hadn’t turned so unexpectedly, then the front wheel of his bike wouldn’t have caught on the curb. If his bike hadn’t collided with the concrete, then he wouldn’t have flown over the handles and become very intimate with the bushes.
So somewhere in the midst of all the confusing ‘if’s and ‘then’s and crazy virtual finger pointing, it’s still the sidewalk’s fault. Go figure. But here is where we find our dashing young hero- half stuck in a row of bushes (bent on killing him with their pointy leaves and pointier branches) with his butt in the air for the world to see.
And, to said dashing young hero’s utter dismay, here is also where the pretty guy finds him.
A pair of slender arms wraps around Hankyung’s waist and deftly frees him from the homicidal foliage, the two of them landing neatly on the sidewalk. Hankyung means to thank his savior for the rescue, he really does, but the words are slightly garbled since he’s busy spitting out dirt and leaves and a few bits that he really would rather not identify.
The pretty guy says something that Hankyung does not catch as he is very much sidetracked by the pretty guy’s equally pretty lips. “Sorry, what was that?” he asks, shaking his head clear. How is it possible for someone, especially a guy, to have such lovely milky-white skin?
“Are you okay?” the pretty guy repeats, regarding Hankyung earnestly with wide, beguiling eyes from his seated position.
Blinking away his daze, Hankyung struggles to sit up and form a proper reply that doesn’t sound something along the lines of “Guhhhhhhh” or involve slack-jawed gawking. “Uh, yeah, I’m fine.” Now that you’re here.
He may or may not have said that last part out loud.
Fortunately, it seems as though he did not make an even bigger fool out of himself for the guy breaks out into The Most Beautiful Grin Ever. “Good. I’m Heechul, by the way.” With that simple yet eloquent introduction, he grabs Hankyung’s hand in a firm handshake before reaching up to pull out twigs from Hankyung’s hair.
Hankyung thinks he’s kind of in love.
-
Mr. Lee Soo Man wonders where his food is.
-
It comes as quite the shock when Hankyung finds out that they attend the same high school. How could he not have noticed such a good-looking person traversing the same halls as himself?
As it turns out, by some strange fate that this story shall not attempt to explain, they have never been placed in the same class, and so the chances that they would’ve interacted were actually fairly slim since this imaginary school is rather huge.
Hankyung is nevertheless quite miffed and befuddled at his oblivion to the existence of such an amazing fellow student.
However, these feelings are quickly overshadowed by elation when he sees Heechul leaning suavely against the outer wall by the entrance of the building. “Heechul!” he calls delightedly, nearly stumbling in his haste to get over there. It takes a while since he must fight against the crowd pouring out the door, but he eventually makes his way over to Heechul, who is still propped up against the building. “Hi,” Hankyung says a bit breathlessly, attempting to discreetly fix his rumpled shirt and wayward hair, both souvenirs from his skirmish against the Swarm of Impatient Students Eager to Get Out of School.
“Hey,” comes the greeting, accompanied by an easy smirk that has Hankyung feeling a bit lightheaded. Of course, the lightheadedness might have been the result of a passing student whacking Hankyung on the back of the head with a book bag, but Hankyung thinks it’s mostly the smirk.
He gazes sappily at Heechul for exactly five seconds before he realizes it’s his turn to speak. So the first thing that comes out of his mouth is, “Nice sweater.”
Okay, so it’s not the most ingenious thing to say, but when you’re talking to the person you’re interested in, stuff like that just slips out. Like, all the time. There’s probably some rule made by the Powers That Be that goes Thou shalt sprout gibberish in front of thy crush always.
And Hankyung thinks that the sweater is nice- it looks very warm and fuzzy, and he would love to hug a sweater-clad Heechul. Well, he would love to hug Heechul anyways if he ever finds the nerve to do so, but the sweater is a bonus. He ponders whether it would be like hugging a cloud.
The corner of Heechul’s lips turn up a bit more. “It’s a present from my aunt,” he states, shrugging casually.
“I see,” Hankyung notes sagely.
Cue the long, awkward silence, with some crickets and a bit of tumbleweed thrown in for good measure.
“So,” Heechul drawls eventually, dragging out the vowel with a smoothness that Hankyung can never hope to imitate. “See you tomorrow?”
There is nothing else for Hankyung to do except nod reluctantly. “Yeah, I should probably get going,” he replies, disappointed that their encounter is over already. He turns and starts walking away, shoulders drooping sadly. “La--”
PAUSE. Rewind a few minutes.
See, contrary to popular belief, teachers do not actually permanently reside at their respective schools. They, like many other adults, have their own homes to stay in, their own lives to live, and their own concerns to handle. So Mr. Park (with no relation to the leader of a certain K-pop group, though his first name can still be Jungsu if you wish) is truthfully quite desperate to get out of school because he thinks he might’ve neglected to turn the stove off this morning (he didn’t, but he doesn’t know that).
And when people are rushing, they tend to forget some things. In Mr. Park’s case, in his hurry to make sure his apartment hasn’t burned down to the ground, he forgets to put a lid on his three-quarters full coffee cup before sprinting out of the building.
As you might recall, our love-struck protagonist was skulking about by the entrance and preparing to leave. So when Mr. Park bolts through the door, his arm briefly knocks against the frame, jostling the Styrofoam cup in his hand. Mr. Park doesn’t notice, but this minor jerk is just enough for the beverage to slosh over the side and onto the nearest recipient (three guesses as to who that lucky person is. Hint: his name rhymes with Schmankyung).
“La-- Gah! Coffee!” Hankyung yelps (a manly yelp that bears absolutely no resemblance to a shriek), jumping backwards and fanning his hands frantically at his white shirt as the liquid (fortunately not scalding) seeps through the thin fabric, turning it a fabulous brown that will most likely not come off. Come to think of it, from a certain angle, it sort of looks like one of those inkblot tests, but Hankyung has much bigger things to worry about, such as the fact that he’s wearing a coffee-blotched shirt in Heechul’s presence.
“What?” Heechul sounds a bit distracted.
Oh, right, his outburst. “Uh, coffee,” Hankyung repeats, hastily zipping up his open jacket to cover the enormous stain, fingers fumbling on the metal zipper. He turns around and plasters what he hopes is a winning smile on his face. It probably looks a bit overdone, but at least it’s preventing him from emitting a keening wail as his damp shirt plasters itself most uncomfortably to his chest. You know when your clothes are wet and stick to you, and continue to stick to you no matter how much you move? Yeah, Hankyung doesn’t like the feeling either.
Heechul, who, to Hankyung’s pleasant surprise, seems to be blushing ever so slightly, gives him a curious look. “Yeah, you said that. What about coffee?”
“Um.” Hankyung rattles his brain for an appropriate explanation while he simultaneously tries not to squirm as a drop of cold coffee slides down his stomach (oh god, it’s heading for his pants. Mayday! Mayday!). He would gladly inform you that this is no easy feat. Miraculously, Hankyung accomplishes both tasks as he realizes that this is his Big Chance.
“Wouldyouliketogogetcoffeewithme?” he blurts out, breathing a mental sigh of relief when the waistband of his pants soaks up the coffee droplet. Good pants.
Heechul’s eyebrows rise up. “Coffee?” he echoes.
“Coffee,” Hankyung repeats, nervously shifting from one foot to another. Great. He doesn’t know if Heechul even likes coffee in the first place. And not to mention that he doesn’t even drink it himself.
But all doubts jump out the window when Heechul awards him with an appraising look and a wide grin. “Coffee,” he agrees decisively, flinging an arm around Hankyung’s shoulders and dragging him to the nearest cafe.
To be honest, Hankyung doesn’t quite remember what happens later. He doesn’t remember ordering a random drink and unintentionally spilling half of it into the fake plant by their table. He doesn’t remember accompanying Heechul to the latter’s house just to spend more time with him. He doesn’t even remember how he managed to dreamily make his way home some hours later.
The only thing he does remember is that when Heechul’s arm was around his shoulders, it was kind of like being half-hugged by a cloud.
-
That afternoon, the police receive a call from an old lady in the neighborhood demanding to know why some hooligan, clearly on drugs from the looks of his spaced-out face, tried to break into her house in broad daylight before wandering off in a stupor.
-
Somewhere in between this section and the previous two, Hankyung finally musters up the courage to ask Heechul on a real date, and is rejected, turned down, dissed, shot down, and kicked to the curb.
Just kidding. Heechul said yes.
So it is in very high spirits that Hankyung waltzes out the door for the second time (the first time, he was still wearing his pajamas, and it was only his mom’s quick thinking with a wet sponge and a wicked throwing arm that prevented him from going too far down the street). However, when Hankyung arrives at their meeting spot about half an hour before scheduled, he realizes something Very Important.
He forgot to get Heechul a present.
Now Hankyung doesn’t know whether or not one brings a present on a first date, having no prior experience to go on, but he thinks that it’d be a nice gesture, just in case (would you turn down a present from someone you like? Probably not).
So he runs to the nearest convenience store a few blocks away and purchases a charmingly wrapped box of chocolates. The girl at the cash register gives him an odd look (he quickly wipes the sweat from his forehead), but rings him up swiftly anyway. Mumbling his thanks, Hankyung snatches up the chocolates and jogs back to his original destination, slowing down as he spies a familiar figure.
Heechul is already there…holding a wrapped box of chocolates.
Hankyung stares down at the identical box in his hands. Damn. Quickly checking his cellphone, he ascertains that he still has about fifteen minutes before they’re supposed to meet, and hightails away in search of another gift. As he rounds a corner, he nearly runs headlong into an office lady carrying a bouquet of flowers… Flowers.
Skidding to a halt, Hankyung rapidly assesses the surrounding houses. No garden, no garden, no garden, no garden, garden, no garden, no gar-- wait, garden two houses back!
Glancing surreptitiously around for any onlookers, Hankyung creeps over to his target, crouching down as low as he can. Once there, Hankyung peeps through a gap in the fish curtains covering a window. Lady Luck is on his side as there’s no one there. A hasty inspection of the driveway and garage indicates that there are likewise no cars. Hankyung kneels down by the flowerbed under the window and plucks a few random blossoms- six white carnations and four red tulips- before sprinting off, heart thundering in his ears.
He comes back with five minutes to spare, and the way Heechul lights up upon receiving the flowers is definitely worth any trouble Hankyung went through to get them.
-
Insert first date here.
-
So. The second date.
It’s not so much a date as it is hanging out, but Hankyung still counts it as one because if there was a first date, then there logically must be a second one, assuming that the other party is still interested (and Heechul is definitely still interested, though Hankyung doesn’t know to what extent).
And that’s how they wind up at a noodle stand once they’re out of school, with Heechul loudly bemoaning his growling stomach and Hankyung wholeheartedly making similar noises of distress over his own hunger. Perhaps skipping lunch to lie on the rooftop wasn’t such a good idea. It seemed pretty darn romantic up until an hour ago when their empty stomachs started protesting noisily- then it just seemed pretty darn stupid.
When their meals are presented, they practically inhale their bowls in one breath before ordering another one. The vendor good-naturedly comments on the bottomless appetites of young people, something that would normally prompt Heechul to return with a friendly retort, but as Heechul is too busy nursing his scalded tongue to reply, it’s Hankyung who politely thanks the vendor when their second servings are set on the counter in front of them.
Halfway through his meal (his heavenly, delicious, nothing-has-ever-tasted-so-good meal), Hankyung happens to glance to the side…and nearly chokes on his mouthful when he sees Heechul steadily eating from his bowl.
“What are you doing?” Hankyung coughs, gaping indignantly as Heechul determinedly steals his food.
“Eating,” is the obvious reply. Heechul swallows the noodles- Hankyung’s noodles- and smirks insolently.
Hankyung narrows his eyes. “But that’s my food,” he points out through bared teeth. He jabs a finger towards Heechul’s untouched bowl. “And that’s your food.”
In response, Heechul decidedly digs his chopsticks into Hankyung’s bowl and procures even more noodles which he sucks up smugly and pointedly, a challenging gleam in his eyes.
That does it. Heechul might be the most amazing, wonderful, gorgeous person in the universe, but no one- no one- gets between a starving Hankyung and his food (because, as you might know, eating is very serious business, and he is paying for his noodles).
Hankyung brandishes his chopsticks, lets out a battle cry, and attacks his food with a vengeance, shoveling as much as he can into his mouth before Heechul can get to it.
The other customers slowly edge away.
Of course, Heechul is never one to let things go easily, so Hankyung barely wins by a thread (or in this case, a noodle strand) before they move the fight over to Heechul’s bowl.
It is a food war, and oh what a vicious food war it is. Hankyung can’t recall how many times he is stabbed in the face with chopsticks (most of it, to Hankyung’s humiliation, is self-inflicted) or bits of garnish fly everywhere (Heechul has a tendency to violently slurp his noodles, not caring if they whip around). At one point, in between their third and fourth bowl, Hankyung even spills his drink on himself. Too engaged to grope around for his jacket, Hankyung merely pulls off his shirt (mentally congratulating himself on wearing an undershirt), keeps calm, and carries on.
One hour, several empty bowls, and a well-paid vendor later, Hankyung emerges the victor of their little eating contest. And Heechul has never looked more beautiful with a petulant face, vegetable morsels in his hair, and broth running down his chin. It’s a win-win situation, Hankyung thinks cheerfully, passing Heechul a wad of napkins.
-
The resulting stomachache is a bitch and a half.
-
They go on several dates afterwards, and Hankyung falls harder and harder for Heechul with each one.
But would you believe it? After all this time, they still haven’t kissed. It’s not that Hankyung doesn’t want to kiss Heechul (because he does, and has wanted to do so ever since they first met), but it’s just that Hankyung keeps getting distracted by how incredible Heechul is.
And Heechul is very distracting and very incredible. Hankyung doesn’t know how it’s possible, but he’s certain that Heechul gets even more wonderful with each passing day, even if they’ve yet to swap saliva.
But that, dear readers, is about to change. Hankyung’s virgin lips, get ready.
There’s nothing special about the date, time, or place that they have their first kiss. It’s almost anticlimactic, really. Hankyung had been anticipating some romantic setting, perhaps with a sunset and a serenading musician in the background.
But a kiss is a kiss, and when Heechul arbitrarily shoves him up against the side of a building and firmly crushes their mouths together, Hankyung swears that he can see stars (though the stars are probably the aftermath of banging his head against the wall).
“Wow,” he breathes when they draw away for air. “That was…wow.”
Heechul smirks- the special smirk that Hankyung knows is reserved just for him- and says flippantly and not unkindly, “Well, someone has to initiate things around here.”
Hankyung has been forced to sit through enough chick flicks with his mom to know that he should reciprocate with something seductive at this point, and he does. Or, at least he tries to.
He slides his hands down with the intention of resting them on Heechul’s hips, but he just manages to tangle his fingers in the belt loops of Heechul’s jeans. Not sexy at all. Hankyung is pretty sure that none of the love interests in those romance movies have ever gotten their fingers caught in their partner’s belt loops.
In his desperate struggle to free his hands, Hankyung somehow yanks Heechul closer and flips them around so that it is Heechul with his back against the wall. And his fingers are still stuck.
But with Heechul gazing up at him, all wide-eyed and adorable, Hankyung gives up on the lost cause that is his fingers and swoops in for another kiss that is more impulsive and panic-induced than the one in his fantasies. “Yeah, someone has to,” he improvises when they separate. Heechul’s only response is to confidently loop his arms around Hankyung’s neck and tug him down for another round.
-
That being said, Hankyung feels like he’s the luckiest guy in the world.
-
And this is not the end of the story (care to take a break?).
-
“Think he’ll do it today?” asks Kyuhyun.
Sungmin glances briefly out the window before turning back to his newspaper. “Definitely going for it.”
Snorting in amusement, Kyuhyun wipes the last dish dry and sets it in the cupboard. “It’s about time,” he says, tossing the towel onto the counter and strolling over to the window. “He’s been planning this for how long?”
In the front lawn, Heechul is squatting behind the fence and peering over the top, a pair of binoculars jammed against his eyes.
“The whole summer,” Sungmin remarks absently, turning a page. “And probably a few months before that. These things take time.”
“You would know,” Kyuhyun ribs, keeping an eye on their adoptive son. “As I recall, you spent an entire year stalking me before asking me out.”
Sungmin looks up and grins cheekily. “And you enjoyed it.”
Kyuhyun smirks in return, the impudent expression somewhat belied by the frilly disaster of an apron that he is still wearing (made by Sungmin and Heechul for his birthday). “Can’t say that I didn’t. Though the trench coat and sunglasses disguise you had was pretty damn obvious.”
Shrugging, Sungmin takes a sip from his lopsided excuse for a mug (made by Kyuhyun and Heechul for his birthday). “Hey, I was young and watched too many detective movies.” He sets down his newspaper and joins Kyuhyun by the window. “Maybe I should’ve given Heechul some tips. Kid looks like he could use a few.”
As if by some signal, Heechul perks up, dropping the binoculars in favor of clumsily climbing over the fence and scrambling over to the park nearby.
“No sense of discretion whatsoever,” Kyuhyun sighs. “Must’ve gotten that from you.”
Sungmin nudges his shoulder against Kyuhyun’s while Heechul strikes a ridiculous pose by the hideous fountain of the fuzzy llamas. “Well, it’s not like that boy he set his sights on is going to notice. Dense as lead, the both of them.”
“So perfect together,” snickers Kyuhyun, rubbing his shoulder in exaggerated agony. “Ah, here we go.”
They watch as the scrawny delivery boy pedals down the road. The kid beams affectionately at the ugly fountain, does a double-take upon spotting Heechul, and promptly launches himself in a swan dive into a row of bushes. Sungmin and Kyuhyun wince at the same time.
“Ooh, a perfect ten out of ten,” Sungmin intones mock-seriously. Heechul apparently does not find this as amusing since he lets out a horrified shriek and charges across the street.
“Looks like things will turn out fine for them,” predicts Kyuhyun, smiling faintly while Heechul wraps his skinny, pasty-white arms around the boy’s midsection and sends them tumbling to the sidewalk after a few manic tugs.
“Looks like it,” Sungmin agrees contently, chuckling as their son blatantly molests the boy’s hand before reaching up to yank out handfuls of hair (and a few twigs), fussing shrilly all the while.
Sure, the scrawny kid’s face looks fairly constipated at the moment, but it’s still very much the epitome of smitten, and that’s good enough for Sungmin and Kyuhyun.
-
The sidewalk maintains that it has done nothing wrong and should instead be rewarded handsomely for its indirect contributions in bringing those two humans together.
-
Heechul is stuck. He knew he shouldn’t have worn the sweater.
But after a long night of dreaming about how their encounter after school would go, Heechul had woken up horribly late and was reduced to wearing the first things he grabbed from his closet, hence the sweater.
Mind you, Heechul likes this sweater. It’s warm and fuzzy and makes him feel like he’s wrapped up in a cloud. The problem is that stray branches also like the sweater.
While waiting for Hankyung, Heechul had unwittingly leaned back against what was supposed to be the wall, but he missed and fell against a bush. The foliage wasted no time in ensnaring the back of his sweater, effectively holding Heechul in place no matter which way he flailed.
Of course, now is when Hankyung shows up, nimbly weaving his way through the crowd of students, a splendid smile on his handsome face.
“Hi,” Hankyung says throatily, and that’s all it takes for Heechul’s knees to turn to jelly. He slaps on what he thinks is a pleasant expression and mumbles some sort of greeting, trying to conceal the fact that he has somehow merged with the blasted plant.
He doesn’t want to blow Hankyung off, really, but his plans did not call for being repeatedly stabbed in the back by some murderous twigs, so the second that Hankyung turns his sturdy back, Heechul somehow manages to wrench himself free with no small effort that leaves him flushed from the exertion.
And Hankyung- brilliant, amazing Hankyung- turns back and invites him to have coffee.
Heechul doesn’t even drink coffee, but he is absolutely helpless against that cool and collected tone of Hankyung’s. Heck, if Hankyung told him, in that voice, to go jump off a bridge, he probably would leap without a second thought.
But Hankyung isn’t asking Heechul to jump off a bridge; he’s asking him to go out for coffee, and so Heechul immediately consents, doing a very poor job of hiding his excitement and urge to shout with glee.
And when Heechul successfully sneaks in a half-hug under the pretense of a friendly arm around Hankyung’s shoulders, he gives himself a mental pat on the back over how well things are progressing.
-
Hankyung courteously walking Heechul home is the sweetest thing that has ever happened to him; who says that chivalry is dead?
-
Heechul arrives at their meeting spot about forty-five minutes before the scheduled time. He’s absurdly early, but, you know, it never hurts to be prepared in case something unanticipated happens.
Something like, say, Heechul forgetting to bring Hankyung a present.
So Heechul darts over to the nearby residence of his surrogate uncles, the Lee couple, and helps himself to the mini-garden planted underneath the window with the fish curtains (which he and his adoptive parents gave as a housewarming gift). He’s sure they won’t mind assisting their self-proclaimed favorite nephew in his time of need.
He scurries all the way back with the makeshift bouquet in hand- four white daisies and six red chrysanthemums- before he decides that giving flowers to another boy is Plain Dumb. So he hands off the flowers to some woman wearing a business suit and ducks into the surrounding stores in search of another present.
He settles on a quaintly wrapped box of chocolates from the convenience store a few blocks away, the cashier girl barely giving him a second glance as she accepts his money and hands him the receipt. He makes it back with twenty minutes left on the clock- not bad for someone who skips his physical education class on a regular basis.
And when Hankyung gallantly shows up with a bouquet of flowers, Heechul nearly sags in relief- immensely thankful that he changed his mind- and hopes that it doesn’t show on his face.
Their first date is everything that Heechul wished for and more, and he couldn’t be happier.
-
Eunhyuk and Donghae return home and wonder why their flowerbed looks so empty.
-
After a movie marathon over the weekend, Heechul develops Another Plan (A Better Plan) and, despite his trembling hands, boldly asks Hankyung out on a second date; Hankyung agrees with one of those dazzling smiles that make Heechul’s chest do funny things.
So they end up at a noodle stand, and once their second servings arrive, Heechul puts his strategy into action by eating out of Hankyung’s bowl.
You know that one Disney film where the two dogs are eating spaghetti and they end up kissing? Yes, that one. Heechul had seen that movie and immediately wanted to try and recreate the scene, albeit with a substitute for the spaghetti.
‘Try’ being the key word.
See, things hardly ever work out the way they do in movies (unless you have successfully reenacted the spaghetti scene, then never mind), and this is no exception. No matter how hard Heechul squints, all of the noodles look the same, and he never picks the strand that Hankyung is munching on. The universe is so out to get him.
Things get a tad bit awkward when Hankyung catches Heechul futilely slurping away, but it turns into a big eating contest, so it’s okay.
And it really is okay because Heechul has a competitive streak a mile wide (that he never was able to hide, but Hankyung seems to find it endearing) and is certainly not above cheating his way to victory (he discovers that if he prods Hankyung’s chopsticks just so, Hankyung will automatically poke himself in the face. Very entertaining, by the by). And because Heechul’s appetite is much larger than his frame suggests and his reflexes are surprisingly fast, Heechul actually gains the upper hand for a while.
Up until Hankyung randomly starts stripping.
After that, Heechul’s coordination with his chopsticks becomes embarrassingly pathetic (he keeps missing his mouth) because he’s so busy ogling Hankyung’s lean arms and torso, emphasized by a delicious skintight tank top. Needless to say, Heechul loses spectacularly.
But Heechul still feels that it is worth it since Hankyung looks especially hot, even with the strand of noodle stuck to his cheek.
-
On second thought, the resulting stomachache is a bitch.
-
Their first kiss is entirely unintentional.
Heechul had been expecting Hankyung to make the first move after a few more dates. Why wouldn’t Hankyung make the first move? He’s just that wonderful and stunning and all the other adjectives Heechul can think of, and he gets even more so as time goes on. And it’s because Hankyung is so wonderful and stunning and all the other adjectives Heechul can think of that Heechul truly doesn’t mind their lack of lip-locking.
But yes, the kiss.
As it is, they are just walking down the street and turning a corner when Heechul trips over his own feet.
Nothing like reality, eh?
Anyways, the momentum propels Heechul sideways and smack into Hankyung, slamming them both against the wall. And by some odd turn of fate, Heechul’s lips accidentally crash onto Hankyung’s (and it really is accidental, not that anyone would believe it). Mortified, Heechul makes an attempt at an apology for his two left feet that somehow gets twisted into a flirtatious jibe.
Hankyung, as composed as always, doesn’t even bat an eyelid at the unforeseen turn of events. He smoothly spins them around and captures Heechul’s lips in an effortless move that leaves Heechul utterly breathless and giddy, and the only thing Heechul can do is cling on and kiss back even harder.
The romance movies that Heechul secretly enjoys may be a guilty pleasure, but they have absolutely nothing on the real thing, and ain’t that the truth?
-
Now, more than ever, Heechul knows he’s kind of in love.
-
The End (finally)
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A/N: My last day of summer vacation- I wanna cry... But anyways, thanks for reading! ^.^
Pairings: Hanchul, minor Kyumin and Eunhae
Genre: Fluff, romance, humor
Rating: PG-13
Disclaimer: I don't own anything
Summary: AU. In which Hankyung and Heechul fail at dating.
And here's the commentary version.
It’s the sidewalk’s fault.
Sure, that innocent-looking slab of concrete might’ve aided him on numerous occasions with the pastime known as walking (and jogging, and face-planting, and picking up loose change, and you get the point), but it’s the sidewalk’s fault, and that’s the story Hankyung intends to stick to because it most certainly is not his own fault.
The sidewalk begs to differ, but no one’s asking (and no one in their right mind would ask a sidewalk anyway).
But just why is Hankyung ranting and raving at some poor sidewalk, you might wonder. Well, wonder no further, for the simple answer is that it begins with his parents.
Actually, since it begins with his parents, you could say that it’s his parents’ fault. Very well then. It’s his parents’ fault.
See, if his parents hadn’t met as teenagers, then they wouldn’t have dated. If they hadn’t dated, then they wouldn’t have gone to college and continued to see each other. If they hadn’t done that, then they wouldn’t have gotten married some years later, as is the case of many high school sweethearts (and that was your cue to coo over how romantic their terribly short backstory is).
Carrying on.
If they hadn’t gotten married, then they wouldn’t have given birth (sorry, Hankyung’s mom wouldn’t have given birth, but let it be known that Hankyung’s dad contributed half of the chromosomes) to a healthy baby boy that they named Hankyung. If Hankyung hadn’t been born, then they wouldn’t have raised him to be a fine, upstanding, filial young teenager.
Okay, enough about his parents. Back to Hankyung.
If Hankyung hadn’t grown up to be such a devoted son, then he wouldn’t have volunteered to help out his family’s restaurant during his summer vacation. If he hadn’t offered his services, then he wouldn’t have landed a job as the delivery boy. If he hadn’t become the delivery boy, then he wouldn’t have been stuck with the task of delivering two boxes of Beijing fried rice with a side of fried cream cheese wonton every morning to the eccentric old man who lives across the neighborhood. If he hadn’t had to cater to the town’s resident nutcase who went by the name of Mr. Lee Soo Man, then he wouldn’t have taken the same route every single day.
Getting closer to the main point.
If Hankyung hadn’t biked on the same path every day, then he wouldn’t have developed the habit of glancing fondly at the alpaca fountain in the park whenever he passed by (Hankyung has a weakness for alpacas, and would very much appreciate it if you don’t tell anyone as it is a Big Secret). If he hadn’t taken his eyes off the road (which is definitely not advisable. Road safety, people! Road safety!), then he wouldn’t have spotted the slim young man who suddenly turned up in front of the fountain one day.
Yes, Heechul just showed up, so you can start paying attention now.
If Hankyung hadn’t seen the prettiest person that he has ever laid eyes upon aside from his mom, then he wouldn’t have swerved abruptly to the right. If he hadn’t turned so unexpectedly, then the front wheel of his bike wouldn’t have caught on the curb. If his bike hadn’t collided with the concrete, then he wouldn’t have flown over the handles and become very intimate with the bushes.
So somewhere in the midst of all the confusing ‘if’s and ‘then’s and crazy virtual finger pointing, it’s still the sidewalk’s fault. Go figure. But here is where we find our dashing young hero- half stuck in a row of bushes (bent on killing him with their pointy leaves and pointier branches) with his butt in the air for the world to see.
And, to said dashing young hero’s utter dismay, here is also where the pretty guy finds him.
A pair of slender arms wraps around Hankyung’s waist and deftly frees him from the homicidal foliage, the two of them landing neatly on the sidewalk. Hankyung means to thank his savior for the rescue, he really does, but the words are slightly garbled since he’s busy spitting out dirt and leaves and a few bits that he really would rather not identify.
The pretty guy says something that Hankyung does not catch as he is very much sidetracked by the pretty guy’s equally pretty lips. “Sorry, what was that?” he asks, shaking his head clear. How is it possible for someone, especially a guy, to have such lovely milky-white skin?
“Are you okay?” the pretty guy repeats, regarding Hankyung earnestly with wide, beguiling eyes from his seated position.
Blinking away his daze, Hankyung struggles to sit up and form a proper reply that doesn’t sound something along the lines of “Guhhhhhhh” or involve slack-jawed gawking. “Uh, yeah, I’m fine.” Now that you’re here.
He may or may not have said that last part out loud.
Fortunately, it seems as though he did not make an even bigger fool out of himself for the guy breaks out into The Most Beautiful Grin Ever. “Good. I’m Heechul, by the way.” With that simple yet eloquent introduction, he grabs Hankyung’s hand in a firm handshake before reaching up to pull out twigs from Hankyung’s hair.
Hankyung thinks he’s kind of in love.
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Mr. Lee Soo Man wonders where his food is.
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It comes as quite the shock when Hankyung finds out that they attend the same high school. How could he not have noticed such a good-looking person traversing the same halls as himself?
As it turns out, by some strange fate that this story shall not attempt to explain, they have never been placed in the same class, and so the chances that they would’ve interacted were actually fairly slim since this imaginary school is rather huge.
Hankyung is nevertheless quite miffed and befuddled at his oblivion to the existence of such an amazing fellow student.
However, these feelings are quickly overshadowed by elation when he sees Heechul leaning suavely against the outer wall by the entrance of the building. “Heechul!” he calls delightedly, nearly stumbling in his haste to get over there. It takes a while since he must fight against the crowd pouring out the door, but he eventually makes his way over to Heechul, who is still propped up against the building. “Hi,” Hankyung says a bit breathlessly, attempting to discreetly fix his rumpled shirt and wayward hair, both souvenirs from his skirmish against the Swarm of Impatient Students Eager to Get Out of School.
“Hey,” comes the greeting, accompanied by an easy smirk that has Hankyung feeling a bit lightheaded. Of course, the lightheadedness might have been the result of a passing student whacking Hankyung on the back of the head with a book bag, but Hankyung thinks it’s mostly the smirk.
He gazes sappily at Heechul for exactly five seconds before he realizes it’s his turn to speak. So the first thing that comes out of his mouth is, “Nice sweater.”
Okay, so it’s not the most ingenious thing to say, but when you’re talking to the person you’re interested in, stuff like that just slips out. Like, all the time. There’s probably some rule made by the Powers That Be that goes Thou shalt sprout gibberish in front of thy crush always.
And Hankyung thinks that the sweater is nice- it looks very warm and fuzzy, and he would love to hug a sweater-clad Heechul. Well, he would love to hug Heechul anyways if he ever finds the nerve to do so, but the sweater is a bonus. He ponders whether it would be like hugging a cloud.
The corner of Heechul’s lips turn up a bit more. “It’s a present from my aunt,” he states, shrugging casually.
“I see,” Hankyung notes sagely.
Cue the long, awkward silence, with some crickets and a bit of tumbleweed thrown in for good measure.
“So,” Heechul drawls eventually, dragging out the vowel with a smoothness that Hankyung can never hope to imitate. “See you tomorrow?”
There is nothing else for Hankyung to do except nod reluctantly. “Yeah, I should probably get going,” he replies, disappointed that their encounter is over already. He turns and starts walking away, shoulders drooping sadly. “La--”
PAUSE. Rewind a few minutes.
See, contrary to popular belief, teachers do not actually permanently reside at their respective schools. They, like many other adults, have their own homes to stay in, their own lives to live, and their own concerns to handle. So Mr. Park (with no relation to the leader of a certain K-pop group, though his first name can still be Jungsu if you wish) is truthfully quite desperate to get out of school because he thinks he might’ve neglected to turn the stove off this morning (he didn’t, but he doesn’t know that).
And when people are rushing, they tend to forget some things. In Mr. Park’s case, in his hurry to make sure his apartment hasn’t burned down to the ground, he forgets to put a lid on his three-quarters full coffee cup before sprinting out of the building.
As you might recall, our love-struck protagonist was skulking about by the entrance and preparing to leave. So when Mr. Park bolts through the door, his arm briefly knocks against the frame, jostling the Styrofoam cup in his hand. Mr. Park doesn’t notice, but this minor jerk is just enough for the beverage to slosh over the side and onto the nearest recipient (three guesses as to who that lucky person is. Hint: his name rhymes with Schmankyung).
“La-- Gah! Coffee!” Hankyung yelps (a manly yelp that bears absolutely no resemblance to a shriek), jumping backwards and fanning his hands frantically at his white shirt as the liquid (fortunately not scalding) seeps through the thin fabric, turning it a fabulous brown that will most likely not come off. Come to think of it, from a certain angle, it sort of looks like one of those inkblot tests, but Hankyung has much bigger things to worry about, such as the fact that he’s wearing a coffee-blotched shirt in Heechul’s presence.
“What?” Heechul sounds a bit distracted.
Oh, right, his outburst. “Uh, coffee,” Hankyung repeats, hastily zipping up his open jacket to cover the enormous stain, fingers fumbling on the metal zipper. He turns around and plasters what he hopes is a winning smile on his face. It probably looks a bit overdone, but at least it’s preventing him from emitting a keening wail as his damp shirt plasters itself most uncomfortably to his chest. You know when your clothes are wet and stick to you, and continue to stick to you no matter how much you move? Yeah, Hankyung doesn’t like the feeling either.
Heechul, who, to Hankyung’s pleasant surprise, seems to be blushing ever so slightly, gives him a curious look. “Yeah, you said that. What about coffee?”
“Um.” Hankyung rattles his brain for an appropriate explanation while he simultaneously tries not to squirm as a drop of cold coffee slides down his stomach (oh god, it’s heading for his pants. Mayday! Mayday!). He would gladly inform you that this is no easy feat. Miraculously, Hankyung accomplishes both tasks as he realizes that this is his Big Chance.
“Wouldyouliketogogetcoffeewithme?” he blurts out, breathing a mental sigh of relief when the waistband of his pants soaks up the coffee droplet. Good pants.
Heechul’s eyebrows rise up. “Coffee?” he echoes.
“Coffee,” Hankyung repeats, nervously shifting from one foot to another. Great. He doesn’t know if Heechul even likes coffee in the first place. And not to mention that he doesn’t even drink it himself.
But all doubts jump out the window when Heechul awards him with an appraising look and a wide grin. “Coffee,” he agrees decisively, flinging an arm around Hankyung’s shoulders and dragging him to the nearest cafe.
To be honest, Hankyung doesn’t quite remember what happens later. He doesn’t remember ordering a random drink and unintentionally spilling half of it into the fake plant by their table. He doesn’t remember accompanying Heechul to the latter’s house just to spend more time with him. He doesn’t even remember how he managed to dreamily make his way home some hours later.
The only thing he does remember is that when Heechul’s arm was around his shoulders, it was kind of like being half-hugged by a cloud.
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That afternoon, the police receive a call from an old lady in the neighborhood demanding to know why some hooligan, clearly on drugs from the looks of his spaced-out face, tried to break into her house in broad daylight before wandering off in a stupor.
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Somewhere in between this section and the previous two, Hankyung finally musters up the courage to ask Heechul on a real date, and is rejected, turned down, dissed, shot down, and kicked to the curb.
Just kidding. Heechul said yes.
So it is in very high spirits that Hankyung waltzes out the door for the second time (the first time, he was still wearing his pajamas, and it was only his mom’s quick thinking with a wet sponge and a wicked throwing arm that prevented him from going too far down the street). However, when Hankyung arrives at their meeting spot about half an hour before scheduled, he realizes something Very Important.
He forgot to get Heechul a present.
Now Hankyung doesn’t know whether or not one brings a present on a first date, having no prior experience to go on, but he thinks that it’d be a nice gesture, just in case (would you turn down a present from someone you like? Probably not).
So he runs to the nearest convenience store a few blocks away and purchases a charmingly wrapped box of chocolates. The girl at the cash register gives him an odd look (he quickly wipes the sweat from his forehead), but rings him up swiftly anyway. Mumbling his thanks, Hankyung snatches up the chocolates and jogs back to his original destination, slowing down as he spies a familiar figure.
Heechul is already there…holding a wrapped box of chocolates.
Hankyung stares down at the identical box in his hands. Damn. Quickly checking his cellphone, he ascertains that he still has about fifteen minutes before they’re supposed to meet, and hightails away in search of another gift. As he rounds a corner, he nearly runs headlong into an office lady carrying a bouquet of flowers… Flowers.
Skidding to a halt, Hankyung rapidly assesses the surrounding houses. No garden, no garden, no garden, no garden, garden, no garden, no gar-- wait, garden two houses back!
Glancing surreptitiously around for any onlookers, Hankyung creeps over to his target, crouching down as low as he can. Once there, Hankyung peeps through a gap in the fish curtains covering a window. Lady Luck is on his side as there’s no one there. A hasty inspection of the driveway and garage indicates that there are likewise no cars. Hankyung kneels down by the flowerbed under the window and plucks a few random blossoms- six white carnations and four red tulips- before sprinting off, heart thundering in his ears.
He comes back with five minutes to spare, and the way Heechul lights up upon receiving the flowers is definitely worth any trouble Hankyung went through to get them.
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Insert first date here.
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So. The second date.
It’s not so much a date as it is hanging out, but Hankyung still counts it as one because if there was a first date, then there logically must be a second one, assuming that the other party is still interested (and Heechul is definitely still interested, though Hankyung doesn’t know to what extent).
And that’s how they wind up at a noodle stand once they’re out of school, with Heechul loudly bemoaning his growling stomach and Hankyung wholeheartedly making similar noises of distress over his own hunger. Perhaps skipping lunch to lie on the rooftop wasn’t such a good idea. It seemed pretty darn romantic up until an hour ago when their empty stomachs started protesting noisily- then it just seemed pretty darn stupid.
When their meals are presented, they practically inhale their bowls in one breath before ordering another one. The vendor good-naturedly comments on the bottomless appetites of young people, something that would normally prompt Heechul to return with a friendly retort, but as Heechul is too busy nursing his scalded tongue to reply, it’s Hankyung who politely thanks the vendor when their second servings are set on the counter in front of them.
Halfway through his meal (his heavenly, delicious, nothing-has-ever-tasted-so-good meal), Hankyung happens to glance to the side…and nearly chokes on his mouthful when he sees Heechul steadily eating from his bowl.
“What are you doing?” Hankyung coughs, gaping indignantly as Heechul determinedly steals his food.
“Eating,” is the obvious reply. Heechul swallows the noodles- Hankyung’s noodles- and smirks insolently.
Hankyung narrows his eyes. “But that’s my food,” he points out through bared teeth. He jabs a finger towards Heechul’s untouched bowl. “And that’s your food.”
In response, Heechul decidedly digs his chopsticks into Hankyung’s bowl and procures even more noodles which he sucks up smugly and pointedly, a challenging gleam in his eyes.
That does it. Heechul might be the most amazing, wonderful, gorgeous person in the universe, but no one- no one- gets between a starving Hankyung and his food (because, as you might know, eating is very serious business, and he is paying for his noodles).
Hankyung brandishes his chopsticks, lets out a battle cry, and attacks his food with a vengeance, shoveling as much as he can into his mouth before Heechul can get to it.
The other customers slowly edge away.
Of course, Heechul is never one to let things go easily, so Hankyung barely wins by a thread (or in this case, a noodle strand) before they move the fight over to Heechul’s bowl.
It is a food war, and oh what a vicious food war it is. Hankyung can’t recall how many times he is stabbed in the face with chopsticks (most of it, to Hankyung’s humiliation, is self-inflicted) or bits of garnish fly everywhere (Heechul has a tendency to violently slurp his noodles, not caring if they whip around). At one point, in between their third and fourth bowl, Hankyung even spills his drink on himself. Too engaged to grope around for his jacket, Hankyung merely pulls off his shirt (mentally congratulating himself on wearing an undershirt), keeps calm, and carries on.
One hour, several empty bowls, and a well-paid vendor later, Hankyung emerges the victor of their little eating contest. And Heechul has never looked more beautiful with a petulant face, vegetable morsels in his hair, and broth running down his chin. It’s a win-win situation, Hankyung thinks cheerfully, passing Heechul a wad of napkins.
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The resulting stomachache is a bitch and a half.
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They go on several dates afterwards, and Hankyung falls harder and harder for Heechul with each one.
But would you believe it? After all this time, they still haven’t kissed. It’s not that Hankyung doesn’t want to kiss Heechul (because he does, and has wanted to do so ever since they first met), but it’s just that Hankyung keeps getting distracted by how incredible Heechul is.
And Heechul is very distracting and very incredible. Hankyung doesn’t know how it’s possible, but he’s certain that Heechul gets even more wonderful with each passing day, even if they’ve yet to swap saliva.
But that, dear readers, is about to change. Hankyung’s virgin lips, get ready.
There’s nothing special about the date, time, or place that they have their first kiss. It’s almost anticlimactic, really. Hankyung had been anticipating some romantic setting, perhaps with a sunset and a serenading musician in the background.
But a kiss is a kiss, and when Heechul arbitrarily shoves him up against the side of a building and firmly crushes their mouths together, Hankyung swears that he can see stars (though the stars are probably the aftermath of banging his head against the wall).
“Wow,” he breathes when they draw away for air. “That was…wow.”
Heechul smirks- the special smirk that Hankyung knows is reserved just for him- and says flippantly and not unkindly, “Well, someone has to initiate things around here.”
Hankyung has been forced to sit through enough chick flicks with his mom to know that he should reciprocate with something seductive at this point, and he does. Or, at least he tries to.
He slides his hands down with the intention of resting them on Heechul’s hips, but he just manages to tangle his fingers in the belt loops of Heechul’s jeans. Not sexy at all. Hankyung is pretty sure that none of the love interests in those romance movies have ever gotten their fingers caught in their partner’s belt loops.
In his desperate struggle to free his hands, Hankyung somehow yanks Heechul closer and flips them around so that it is Heechul with his back against the wall. And his fingers are still stuck.
But with Heechul gazing up at him, all wide-eyed and adorable, Hankyung gives up on the lost cause that is his fingers and swoops in for another kiss that is more impulsive and panic-induced than the one in his fantasies. “Yeah, someone has to,” he improvises when they separate. Heechul’s only response is to confidently loop his arms around Hankyung’s neck and tug him down for another round.
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That being said, Hankyung feels like he’s the luckiest guy in the world.
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And this is not the end of the story (care to take a break?).
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“Think he’ll do it today?” asks Kyuhyun.
Sungmin glances briefly out the window before turning back to his newspaper. “Definitely going for it.”
Snorting in amusement, Kyuhyun wipes the last dish dry and sets it in the cupboard. “It’s about time,” he says, tossing the towel onto the counter and strolling over to the window. “He’s been planning this for how long?”
In the front lawn, Heechul is squatting behind the fence and peering over the top, a pair of binoculars jammed against his eyes.
“The whole summer,” Sungmin remarks absently, turning a page. “And probably a few months before that. These things take time.”
“You would know,” Kyuhyun ribs, keeping an eye on their adoptive son. “As I recall, you spent an entire year stalking me before asking me out.”
Sungmin looks up and grins cheekily. “And you enjoyed it.”
Kyuhyun smirks in return, the impudent expression somewhat belied by the frilly disaster of an apron that he is still wearing (made by Sungmin and Heechul for his birthday). “Can’t say that I didn’t. Though the trench coat and sunglasses disguise you had was pretty damn obvious.”
Shrugging, Sungmin takes a sip from his lopsided excuse for a mug (made by Kyuhyun and Heechul for his birthday). “Hey, I was young and watched too many detective movies.” He sets down his newspaper and joins Kyuhyun by the window. “Maybe I should’ve given Heechul some tips. Kid looks like he could use a few.”
As if by some signal, Heechul perks up, dropping the binoculars in favor of clumsily climbing over the fence and scrambling over to the park nearby.
“No sense of discretion whatsoever,” Kyuhyun sighs. “Must’ve gotten that from you.”
Sungmin nudges his shoulder against Kyuhyun’s while Heechul strikes a ridiculous pose by the hideous fountain of the fuzzy llamas. “Well, it’s not like that boy he set his sights on is going to notice. Dense as lead, the both of them.”
“So perfect together,” snickers Kyuhyun, rubbing his shoulder in exaggerated agony. “Ah, here we go.”
They watch as the scrawny delivery boy pedals down the road. The kid beams affectionately at the ugly fountain, does a double-take upon spotting Heechul, and promptly launches himself in a swan dive into a row of bushes. Sungmin and Kyuhyun wince at the same time.
“Ooh, a perfect ten out of ten,” Sungmin intones mock-seriously. Heechul apparently does not find this as amusing since he lets out a horrified shriek and charges across the street.
“Looks like things will turn out fine for them,” predicts Kyuhyun, smiling faintly while Heechul wraps his skinny, pasty-white arms around the boy’s midsection and sends them tumbling to the sidewalk after a few manic tugs.
“Looks like it,” Sungmin agrees contently, chuckling as their son blatantly molests the boy’s hand before reaching up to yank out handfuls of hair (and a few twigs), fussing shrilly all the while.
Sure, the scrawny kid’s face looks fairly constipated at the moment, but it’s still very much the epitome of smitten, and that’s good enough for Sungmin and Kyuhyun.
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The sidewalk maintains that it has done nothing wrong and should instead be rewarded handsomely for its indirect contributions in bringing those two humans together.
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Heechul is stuck. He knew he shouldn’t have worn the sweater.
But after a long night of dreaming about how their encounter after school would go, Heechul had woken up horribly late and was reduced to wearing the first things he grabbed from his closet, hence the sweater.
Mind you, Heechul likes this sweater. It’s warm and fuzzy and makes him feel like he’s wrapped up in a cloud. The problem is that stray branches also like the sweater.
While waiting for Hankyung, Heechul had unwittingly leaned back against what was supposed to be the wall, but he missed and fell against a bush. The foliage wasted no time in ensnaring the back of his sweater, effectively holding Heechul in place no matter which way he flailed.
Of course, now is when Hankyung shows up, nimbly weaving his way through the crowd of students, a splendid smile on his handsome face.
“Hi,” Hankyung says throatily, and that’s all it takes for Heechul’s knees to turn to jelly. He slaps on what he thinks is a pleasant expression and mumbles some sort of greeting, trying to conceal the fact that he has somehow merged with the blasted plant.
He doesn’t want to blow Hankyung off, really, but his plans did not call for being repeatedly stabbed in the back by some murderous twigs, so the second that Hankyung turns his sturdy back, Heechul somehow manages to wrench himself free with no small effort that leaves him flushed from the exertion.
And Hankyung- brilliant, amazing Hankyung- turns back and invites him to have coffee.
Heechul doesn’t even drink coffee, but he is absolutely helpless against that cool and collected tone of Hankyung’s. Heck, if Hankyung told him, in that voice, to go jump off a bridge, he probably would leap without a second thought.
But Hankyung isn’t asking Heechul to jump off a bridge; he’s asking him to go out for coffee, and so Heechul immediately consents, doing a very poor job of hiding his excitement and urge to shout with glee.
And when Heechul successfully sneaks in a half-hug under the pretense of a friendly arm around Hankyung’s shoulders, he gives himself a mental pat on the back over how well things are progressing.
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Hankyung courteously walking Heechul home is the sweetest thing that has ever happened to him; who says that chivalry is dead?
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Heechul arrives at their meeting spot about forty-five minutes before the scheduled time. He’s absurdly early, but, you know, it never hurts to be prepared in case something unanticipated happens.
Something like, say, Heechul forgetting to bring Hankyung a present.
So Heechul darts over to the nearby residence of his surrogate uncles, the Lee couple, and helps himself to the mini-garden planted underneath the window with the fish curtains (which he and his adoptive parents gave as a housewarming gift). He’s sure they won’t mind assisting their self-proclaimed favorite nephew in his time of need.
He scurries all the way back with the makeshift bouquet in hand- four white daisies and six red chrysanthemums- before he decides that giving flowers to another boy is Plain Dumb. So he hands off the flowers to some woman wearing a business suit and ducks into the surrounding stores in search of another present.
He settles on a quaintly wrapped box of chocolates from the convenience store a few blocks away, the cashier girl barely giving him a second glance as she accepts his money and hands him the receipt. He makes it back with twenty minutes left on the clock- not bad for someone who skips his physical education class on a regular basis.
And when Hankyung gallantly shows up with a bouquet of flowers, Heechul nearly sags in relief- immensely thankful that he changed his mind- and hopes that it doesn’t show on his face.
Their first date is everything that Heechul wished for and more, and he couldn’t be happier.
-
Eunhyuk and Donghae return home and wonder why their flowerbed looks so empty.
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After a movie marathon over the weekend, Heechul develops Another Plan (A Better Plan) and, despite his trembling hands, boldly asks Hankyung out on a second date; Hankyung agrees with one of those dazzling smiles that make Heechul’s chest do funny things.
So they end up at a noodle stand, and once their second servings arrive, Heechul puts his strategy into action by eating out of Hankyung’s bowl.
You know that one Disney film where the two dogs are eating spaghetti and they end up kissing? Yes, that one. Heechul had seen that movie and immediately wanted to try and recreate the scene, albeit with a substitute for the spaghetti.
‘Try’ being the key word.
See, things hardly ever work out the way they do in movies (unless you have successfully reenacted the spaghetti scene, then never mind), and this is no exception. No matter how hard Heechul squints, all of the noodles look the same, and he never picks the strand that Hankyung is munching on. The universe is so out to get him.
Things get a tad bit awkward when Hankyung catches Heechul futilely slurping away, but it turns into a big eating contest, so it’s okay.
And it really is okay because Heechul has a competitive streak a mile wide (that he never was able to hide, but Hankyung seems to find it endearing) and is certainly not above cheating his way to victory (he discovers that if he prods Hankyung’s chopsticks just so, Hankyung will automatically poke himself in the face. Very entertaining, by the by). And because Heechul’s appetite is much larger than his frame suggests and his reflexes are surprisingly fast, Heechul actually gains the upper hand for a while.
Up until Hankyung randomly starts stripping.
After that, Heechul’s coordination with his chopsticks becomes embarrassingly pathetic (he keeps missing his mouth) because he’s so busy ogling Hankyung’s lean arms and torso, emphasized by a delicious skintight tank top. Needless to say, Heechul loses spectacularly.
But Heechul still feels that it is worth it since Hankyung looks especially hot, even with the strand of noodle stuck to his cheek.
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On second thought, the resulting stomachache is a bitch.
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Their first kiss is entirely unintentional.
Heechul had been expecting Hankyung to make the first move after a few more dates. Why wouldn’t Hankyung make the first move? He’s just that wonderful and stunning and all the other adjectives Heechul can think of, and he gets even more so as time goes on. And it’s because Hankyung is so wonderful and stunning and all the other adjectives Heechul can think of that Heechul truly doesn’t mind their lack of lip-locking.
But yes, the kiss.
As it is, they are just walking down the street and turning a corner when Heechul trips over his own feet.
Nothing like reality, eh?
Anyways, the momentum propels Heechul sideways and smack into Hankyung, slamming them both against the wall. And by some odd turn of fate, Heechul’s lips accidentally crash onto Hankyung’s (and it really is accidental, not that anyone would believe it). Mortified, Heechul makes an attempt at an apology for his two left feet that somehow gets twisted into a flirtatious jibe.
Hankyung, as composed as always, doesn’t even bat an eyelid at the unforeseen turn of events. He smoothly spins them around and captures Heechul’s lips in an effortless move that leaves Heechul utterly breathless and giddy, and the only thing Heechul can do is cling on and kiss back even harder.
The romance movies that Heechul secretly enjoys may be a guilty pleasure, but they have absolutely nothing on the real thing, and ain’t that the truth?
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Now, more than ever, Heechul knows he’s kind of in love.
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The End (finally)
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A/N: My last day of summer vacation- I wanna cry... But anyways, thanks for reading! ^.^