Kyumin - Discovering the Universal - 16/30
Title: Discovering the Universal
Pairing: Kyumin (ninja!standard OTPs)
Disclaimer: Super Junior belongs to themselves.
Summary: The International Extras Academy is a school set aside for a race of super-humans called Extras who each possess a gift called a Legacy. Cho Kyuhyun is a new student, studying there to finish his last years of training as a Weather Extra. He expects to make friends and learn everything he has to know. But what he doesn't plan for is Lee Sungmin, the most powerful Extra in the world.
Discovering the Universal
Chapter Sixteen
“Wake up, Kyu-baby! Why are you still asleep?! It’s nearly eleven in the morning!”
Kyuhyun was forcefully removed from his dream by Cho Ahra who had barged into his room, jumped on his bed and began shaking him. The Weather Manipulator groaned loudly and tried to shove his sister away.
“Leave me alone,” he whined, pushing his face into his pillow and trying to return to his dream.
The dream in question had involved a laughing, smiling Sungmin and Kyuhyun didn’t want to be taken away.
“No, you must wake up. I’ve been dying to get down to the tree and open presents. I refuse to have my Christmas ruined by my brat of a brother. If you wake up now, I’ll even let you wake up Sungmin,” Ahra chirped.
In that instant, Kyuhyun was awake.
“All right, just get out while I change,” the younger Extra grumbled. Ahra grinned in triumph and vanished from the room.
Kyuhyun changed in record time and then tried to do something nice with his hair which didn’t cooperate with him. If he was going to be the first thing that Sungmin saw in the morning, he wanted to look good.
He walked quietly down the hall to the spare bedroom where Sungmin was staying. He knocked on the door lightly.
“Sungmin? Are you awake?” he called softly, tapping the door again. There was no answer.
Slowly, Kyuhyun turned the handle and pushed open the door. Sungmin hadn’t drawn the blinds and the room was filled with the morning sunlight. Kyuhyun looked around and saw a dark tuft of hair poking out from the blankets.
He walked over and pulled the covers down. The sunlight hit Sungmin’s face and Kyuhyun was stunned for a moment as he took in the Universal’s appearance. Sungmin’s lashes brushed his cheek gently and his skin looked soft to the touch. His pale pink lips were parted slightly as he breathed in the slow cadence of sleep. Kyuhyun reached out and brushed the back of his hand over the Universal’s cheek, feeling that same rush of electricity.
“Min? Wake up or Ahra’s going to come in here and jump on you,” Kyuhyun said softly, his throat seeming to close up. He shook the Universal’s shoulder lightly.
Sungmin shifted slightly and his lashes fluttered with heart-clenching cuteness as he opened his large, chocolate eyes and looked at Kyuhyun directly. A soft rush of air expelled from his mouth as he sighed.
“Kyuhyun?” Sungmin asked, his voice thick with sleep.
“Yeah, it’s me. You might want to wake up now or Ahra will come in and potentially have her way with you,” Kyuhyun tried to joke. The thought of it left a bitter taste in his mouth.
Sungmin blinked and then a half-smile crossed his lips and he pushed back the covers and swung himself into a sitting position.
“Well, we can’t have that,” he mumbled, rubbing his eyes adorably as he stood.
Kyuhyun barely heard what he said. Sungmin had gone to bed in a torn, overlarge t-shirt and boxers. One creamy white shoulder was exposed by the neckline of his shirt and Kyuhyun couldn’t seem to look away from his collarbone or the supple line of his strong thighs.
“…standing there?”
Kyuhyun blinked and came back to the present. “Sorry, what?”
“Are you going to stand there while I change?” the Universal asked, a hint of amusement in his voice.
Kyuhyun blushed and shook his head, “Ah, no. No, you go ahead. Sorry.”
He backed out into the hallway and put a hand over his mouth as he closed the door. The Universal was simply beautiful. If he could, he would have stared at the Extra all day. He swallowed hard and then turned away to go downstairs, his face still burning red.
%<>%<>%
Kyuhyun handed over a present wrapped in gold paper to his sister who took it eagerly. She tore apart the paper and looked at the gift in her lap.
“Another physics textbook…thanks, Kyuhyun,” Ahra said, sounding as though she was trying very hard not to throw it at his head.
Kyuhyun smirked, “No problem, sis.”
“In that case, I should give you your gift then,” Ahra smiled wickedly. She reached behind her and picked up a small box that was decorated with a pink bow. “I bring it to you with plenty of thought,” she said, her gaze suddenly switching to Sungmin.
Kyuhyun wondered what she was talking about but opened the gift all the same. Out of the box fell at least three dozen condom packets.
“Ahra!” Kyuhyun exclaimed, jumping up from his chair.
Misun and Minwoo roared with hilarity as their son tried to throttle their daughter. Sungmin let out a small peal of laughter which he muffled behind his hand. Kyuhyun heard it and looked over at the Universal whose eyes were curved in mirth.
“You should have seen your face!” Ahra choked out with glee.
“I hate you,” Kyuhyun mumbled, his face bright red.
“I couldn’t resist, little brother. But this is your actual gift,” she produced a large white box.
Kyuhyun took it warily and shook it before opening it. He pulled out StarCraft VI and gasped with amazement.
“I’ve been wanting this for ages!” he exclaimed.
“Merry Christmas,” Ahra beamed. The two siblings reached over and hugged each other.
“Here’s your actual gift then,” Kyuhyun said and passed his sister another present. She opened it to reveal a beautiful cashmere sweater set that had cost more than Kyuhyun cared to admit. The two siblings then gave their parents his-and-hers towels along with a book series for Minwoo and a bunch of ugly vases for Misun.
“She likes taking something she doesn’t like and using her Legacy to make it better,” Ahra explained to Sungmin.
Misun and Minwoo then gave Kyuhyun a bunch of CDs of his favourite artists and Ahra a whole new set of makeup products which she proceeded to begin using then and there.
“And we have something for you too,” Misun said, her voice softening as she pulled out a present and held it out to Sungmin. The present had been wrapped in pink and green paper and was decorated with a white bow.
The Universal’s eyes widened and he took it carefully, his cheeks tinting pink.
“You didn’t have to,” he said softly as he looked at the gift.
“We wanted to. You’re spending Christmas with us, after all. You’re practically doing us a favour,” Minwoo smiled.
Kyuhyun noticed that Sungmin’s hands trembled slightly as he pulled apart the bow with delicate movements and carefully pulled the tape from the paper and opened the gift. Kyuhyun’s eyes widened as he saw what was inside.
It was the closed bloom of a water lily. Sungmin lifted it out and Kyuhyun could tell that it was of his mother’s making.
“I Morphed that from a diamond,” Misun explained. “It won’t break, fade, or die. It’s forever unless another diamond meets it. If you use an Air Legacy, it will open.”
Sungmin looked up at the two of them, apparently unable to say a word.
“Like this,” Minwoo instructed. He flicked his finger and a wave of air brushed past the bloom. The petals unfolded slowly, as if waking from a deep sleep. In the middle, there was a small medallion with arrows pointing in the four directions. A sun was at the middle of the four arrows.
“Is this your…?” Sungmin began to ask, his voice sounding hoarse.
Minwoo nodded, “That’s our Mark.”
All Extra families had Mark to symbolize their status as an Extra. It was a way of identifying them that humans had thought up and the Extras adopted. Over time, however, Extras had become more and more isolated from humans.
In large countries, Extras had made their own towns, cities and communities for themselves. In South Korea, Extras had taken half of the major cities for themselves and small villages had sprung up elsewhere. Almost no human ventured into the Extra part of the cities or vice versa. The only time when Extras and humans converged was in government where Extras had representatives and usually from only the oldest and most prominent families.
As a result, the need for a Mark lessened and eventually became useless only a few years after being implemented. This ended in Marks only appearing during special occasions, such as family get-togethers, or large gatherings of Extras, like meetings of organizations.
The fact that Kyuhyun’s parents had given Sungmin their Mark meant that they were telling him that he was as good as family. Kyuhyun wondered what Sungmin was thinking.
“Thank you,” he whispered softly.
“You’re always welcome here,” Misun smiled. “We can tell that you’re special to Kyuhyun and we want to thank you for being in his life.”
Sungmin shifted slightly, an expression of hesitance crossing his face before his expression re-arranged back into its usual smooth blankness.
“And they’re not the only ones who got you a present,” Ahra announced. Kyuhyun looked at her in surprise. His sister pulled out a thin present and handed it to Sungmin. “Merry Christmas, Universal.”
Sungmin took the gift, his face now pink and opened it. It was a photo album and inside were pictures of himself and the rest of the Cho family that break.
“I wanted you to be able to always remember the first time you came here,” Ahra explained. “I hope you like it.”
Sungmin nodded. “I do. Thank you.”
“And…uh…I kind of got you something as well,” Kyuhyun said awkwardly, scratching his head. He’d gone off on his own during their shopping spree on the pretense of going to the washroom. Instead, he’d gone to a jewellery store. He handed Sungmin a small box and tried to fight away the rush of heat that was climbing up his face.
Sungmin swallowed visibly and then opened the gift. Inside was a necklace with a small golden heart hanging off the end of it. He looked at Kyuhyun with wide eyes.
“Because I think you have a heart of gold,” Kyuhyun explained softly.
He didn’t see his parents and Ahra exchanging glances. He only saw Sungmin whose expression was undefinable. The Universal unclasped the necklace and then put it on. The heart hung right in the middle of his chest and gleamed.
“Thank you,” he whispered. He looked hesitantly down at the pendant. Kyuhyun nodded back, not trusting his vice to speak.
“Well, that was lovely,” Misun said, clapping her hands, her voice sounding almost too happy. Minwoo was staring at his son, trying to figure something out and Ahra smirked. She’d already gotten it.
“Wait,” Sungmin said softly. “I brought gifts for you too.”
“Oh, Sungmin, you are our guest. You didn’t need to do that. Your presence here is gift enough,” Misun said, waving her hands.
“I wanted to,” Sungmin smiled and stood up. He held out his hands and a small envelope appeared between his palms. “This is yours, Ahra.”
The Force-field Extra looked up at the Universal with an open mouth and took the gift. Almost everyone leaned forward to see what it was. She slit open the envelope and opened it, taking out the slim piece of paper that was inside it. She looked up at Sungmin with her mouth hanging open.
“What is it?!” Misun asked, her curiosity getting the better of her.
Ahra turned the paper to show them. It was a two-way ticket to London for two weeks in July.
“I saw that she had many pictures of the city in her room. So I thought she would enjoy it. I have a house there where she can stay,” Sungmin said.
“It’s always been my dream to go there,” Ahra murmured. She looked at the Universal with tears in her eyes. “Thank you.”
Sungmin nodded and turned to Misun. In his hands appeared the globe of crystal that Kyuhyun had seen him with before.
“This is crystal from my Crystallization Legacy. Unlike other materials, this is forever changing so you won’t get stuck with just one design. You can Metamorph it forever,” Sungmin smiled.
Misun was speechless. She took the gift and held it in her hands. The sphere turned green and changed into a thin line. From the top, sprouted a flower blossom. Then it changed, receding back into itself and becoming a blue crystal fish.
Misun breathed, “Thank you, Sungmin.”
The Universal bowed to her and then turned to face Minwoo who immediately began to protest about receiving a gift. Sungmin either ignored him or tuned him out and walked over to the far wall. He reached out and his hand hit something before it hit the wall. But there was nothing there. A second later, Sungmin was holding onto a windsurfer.
“I hid it like that because I couldn’t fit it under my bed,” Sungmin explained sheepishly.
Minwoo walked over, his face taking on a look of reverence as he gazed at the windsurfer.
“I’ve only done it once. I’ve never been able to forget it,” the man said.
Sungmin bowed to him as well and then turned to Kyuhyun. “I didn’t forget you,” he smiled.
Kyuhyun wondered what Sungmin could have gotten him. He got his answer not a minute later when a small golden key was put into his hands. He looked up at the Universal who looked adorably nervous at the gift.
“That’s a very important key. I can’t tell you what it’s for or how to use it. That’s a secret I need to keep so it stays safe but I know you’ll figure it out. It’s not a very big gift. I’m sorry. But I hope you like it,” Sungmin smiled.
Kyuhyun could barely breathe. It was more than enough that Sungmin had thought to get him a gift. He looked down at the mystery key that shimmered gold in his palm. He had no idea what it could be for or what it did but he was grateful to have it. He thanked Sungmin softly and wrapped his fingers around the key. It was warm from the heat of his palm.
“Merry Christmas,” Sungmin bowed.
“Merry Christmas,” the Chos repeated back.
“I’d better start dinner,” Misun said after a few seconds of silence. Ahra went off to help her and Minwoo looked at his windsurfer like it was a priceless artifact. Sungmin backed away quietly and went upstairs. Kyuhyun watched him until he disappeared from the staircase. Then he followed him.
He saw Sungmin walk into the guest room, pressing a hand to his mouth. He came up behind him and put his hands on the Universal’s shoulders, turning him around. Sungmin’s eyes were slightly wet with tears and he was looking away from the Weather Manipulator.
“Hey, what’s wrong?” Kyuhyun asked. Sungmin looked up at him.
“Your family has so much love. I…I wanted that. I’m jealous. I admit it. I’m a selfish person. I used my Legacy to get them presents they wanted so they would approve of me and like me; love me even. I’m such a selfish person,” Sungmin cried.
“They would have approved of you without those gifts anyways,” Kyuhyun said, realizing that Sungmin was afraid of being rejected by Kyuhyun’s family like he had been by so many others who lived in fear of him.
“That’s why I got them gifts they really wanted. I didn’t want them to look at me like everyone else does. I’m so selfish. But I haven’t felt love like that in a long time. I wanted some of it for myself….Everyone who loved me is dead,” Sungmin whispered.
Kyuhyun stared. He’d never seen Sungmin so open or vulnerable before. He reached out and pulled the Universal into a hug. His body tingled as Sungmin was pressed flush against him. He was overwhelmed by the scent and feel of the Universal who wasn’t even struggling to break free. The two remained in each other’s embrace and outside, a light dusting of snow began to fall.
%<>%<>%
Christmas with the Chos. That was a fun chapter. Poor Min, all alone in the world. At least he has Kyu~ I hope you enjoyed that. Thanks for reading. XD
Pairing: Kyumin (ninja!standard OTPs)
Disclaimer: Super Junior belongs to themselves.
Summary: The International Extras Academy is a school set aside for a race of super-humans called Extras who each possess a gift called a Legacy. Cho Kyuhyun is a new student, studying there to finish his last years of training as a Weather Extra. He expects to make friends and learn everything he has to know. But what he doesn't plan for is Lee Sungmin, the most powerful Extra in the world.
Discovering the Universal
Chapter Sixteen
“Wake up, Kyu-baby! Why are you still asleep?! It’s nearly eleven in the morning!”
Kyuhyun was forcefully removed from his dream by Cho Ahra who had barged into his room, jumped on his bed and began shaking him. The Weather Manipulator groaned loudly and tried to shove his sister away.
“Leave me alone,” he whined, pushing his face into his pillow and trying to return to his dream.
The dream in question had involved a laughing, smiling Sungmin and Kyuhyun didn’t want to be taken away.
“No, you must wake up. I’ve been dying to get down to the tree and open presents. I refuse to have my Christmas ruined by my brat of a brother. If you wake up now, I’ll even let you wake up Sungmin,” Ahra chirped.
In that instant, Kyuhyun was awake.
“All right, just get out while I change,” the younger Extra grumbled. Ahra grinned in triumph and vanished from the room.
Kyuhyun changed in record time and then tried to do something nice with his hair which didn’t cooperate with him. If he was going to be the first thing that Sungmin saw in the morning, he wanted to look good.
He walked quietly down the hall to the spare bedroom where Sungmin was staying. He knocked on the door lightly.
“Sungmin? Are you awake?” he called softly, tapping the door again. There was no answer.
Slowly, Kyuhyun turned the handle and pushed open the door. Sungmin hadn’t drawn the blinds and the room was filled with the morning sunlight. Kyuhyun looked around and saw a dark tuft of hair poking out from the blankets.
He walked over and pulled the covers down. The sunlight hit Sungmin’s face and Kyuhyun was stunned for a moment as he took in the Universal’s appearance. Sungmin’s lashes brushed his cheek gently and his skin looked soft to the touch. His pale pink lips were parted slightly as he breathed in the slow cadence of sleep. Kyuhyun reached out and brushed the back of his hand over the Universal’s cheek, feeling that same rush of electricity.
“Min? Wake up or Ahra’s going to come in here and jump on you,” Kyuhyun said softly, his throat seeming to close up. He shook the Universal’s shoulder lightly.
Sungmin shifted slightly and his lashes fluttered with heart-clenching cuteness as he opened his large, chocolate eyes and looked at Kyuhyun directly. A soft rush of air expelled from his mouth as he sighed.
“Kyuhyun?” Sungmin asked, his voice thick with sleep.
“Yeah, it’s me. You might want to wake up now or Ahra will come in and potentially have her way with you,” Kyuhyun tried to joke. The thought of it left a bitter taste in his mouth.
Sungmin blinked and then a half-smile crossed his lips and he pushed back the covers and swung himself into a sitting position.
“Well, we can’t have that,” he mumbled, rubbing his eyes adorably as he stood.
Kyuhyun barely heard what he said. Sungmin had gone to bed in a torn, overlarge t-shirt and boxers. One creamy white shoulder was exposed by the neckline of his shirt and Kyuhyun couldn’t seem to look away from his collarbone or the supple line of his strong thighs.
“…standing there?”
Kyuhyun blinked and came back to the present. “Sorry, what?”
“Are you going to stand there while I change?” the Universal asked, a hint of amusement in his voice.
Kyuhyun blushed and shook his head, “Ah, no. No, you go ahead. Sorry.”
He backed out into the hallway and put a hand over his mouth as he closed the door. The Universal was simply beautiful. If he could, he would have stared at the Extra all day. He swallowed hard and then turned away to go downstairs, his face still burning red.
%<>%<>%
Kyuhyun handed over a present wrapped in gold paper to his sister who took it eagerly. She tore apart the paper and looked at the gift in her lap.
“Another physics textbook…thanks, Kyuhyun,” Ahra said, sounding as though she was trying very hard not to throw it at his head.
Kyuhyun smirked, “No problem, sis.”
“In that case, I should give you your gift then,” Ahra smiled wickedly. She reached behind her and picked up a small box that was decorated with a pink bow. “I bring it to you with plenty of thought,” she said, her gaze suddenly switching to Sungmin.
Kyuhyun wondered what she was talking about but opened the gift all the same. Out of the box fell at least three dozen condom packets.
“Ahra!” Kyuhyun exclaimed, jumping up from his chair.
Misun and Minwoo roared with hilarity as their son tried to throttle their daughter. Sungmin let out a small peal of laughter which he muffled behind his hand. Kyuhyun heard it and looked over at the Universal whose eyes were curved in mirth.
“You should have seen your face!” Ahra choked out with glee.
“I hate you,” Kyuhyun mumbled, his face bright red.
“I couldn’t resist, little brother. But this is your actual gift,” she produced a large white box.
Kyuhyun took it warily and shook it before opening it. He pulled out StarCraft VI and gasped with amazement.
“I’ve been wanting this for ages!” he exclaimed.
“Merry Christmas,” Ahra beamed. The two siblings reached over and hugged each other.
“Here’s your actual gift then,” Kyuhyun said and passed his sister another present. She opened it to reveal a beautiful cashmere sweater set that had cost more than Kyuhyun cared to admit. The two siblings then gave their parents his-and-hers towels along with a book series for Minwoo and a bunch of ugly vases for Misun.
“She likes taking something she doesn’t like and using her Legacy to make it better,” Ahra explained to Sungmin.
Misun and Minwoo then gave Kyuhyun a bunch of CDs of his favourite artists and Ahra a whole new set of makeup products which she proceeded to begin using then and there.
“And we have something for you too,” Misun said, her voice softening as she pulled out a present and held it out to Sungmin. The present had been wrapped in pink and green paper and was decorated with a white bow.
The Universal’s eyes widened and he took it carefully, his cheeks tinting pink.
“You didn’t have to,” he said softly as he looked at the gift.
“We wanted to. You’re spending Christmas with us, after all. You’re practically doing us a favour,” Minwoo smiled.
Kyuhyun noticed that Sungmin’s hands trembled slightly as he pulled apart the bow with delicate movements and carefully pulled the tape from the paper and opened the gift. Kyuhyun’s eyes widened as he saw what was inside.
It was the closed bloom of a water lily. Sungmin lifted it out and Kyuhyun could tell that it was of his mother’s making.
“I Morphed that from a diamond,” Misun explained. “It won’t break, fade, or die. It’s forever unless another diamond meets it. If you use an Air Legacy, it will open.”
Sungmin looked up at the two of them, apparently unable to say a word.
“Like this,” Minwoo instructed. He flicked his finger and a wave of air brushed past the bloom. The petals unfolded slowly, as if waking from a deep sleep. In the middle, there was a small medallion with arrows pointing in the four directions. A sun was at the middle of the four arrows.
“Is this your…?” Sungmin began to ask, his voice sounding hoarse.
Minwoo nodded, “That’s our Mark.”
All Extra families had Mark to symbolize their status as an Extra. It was a way of identifying them that humans had thought up and the Extras adopted. Over time, however, Extras had become more and more isolated from humans.
In large countries, Extras had made their own towns, cities and communities for themselves. In South Korea, Extras had taken half of the major cities for themselves and small villages had sprung up elsewhere. Almost no human ventured into the Extra part of the cities or vice versa. The only time when Extras and humans converged was in government where Extras had representatives and usually from only the oldest and most prominent families.
As a result, the need for a Mark lessened and eventually became useless only a few years after being implemented. This ended in Marks only appearing during special occasions, such as family get-togethers, or large gatherings of Extras, like meetings of organizations.
The fact that Kyuhyun’s parents had given Sungmin their Mark meant that they were telling him that he was as good as family. Kyuhyun wondered what Sungmin was thinking.
“Thank you,” he whispered softly.
“You’re always welcome here,” Misun smiled. “We can tell that you’re special to Kyuhyun and we want to thank you for being in his life.”
Sungmin shifted slightly, an expression of hesitance crossing his face before his expression re-arranged back into its usual smooth blankness.
“And they’re not the only ones who got you a present,” Ahra announced. Kyuhyun looked at her in surprise. His sister pulled out a thin present and handed it to Sungmin. “Merry Christmas, Universal.”
Sungmin took the gift, his face now pink and opened it. It was a photo album and inside were pictures of himself and the rest of the Cho family that break.
“I wanted you to be able to always remember the first time you came here,” Ahra explained. “I hope you like it.”
Sungmin nodded. “I do. Thank you.”
“And…uh…I kind of got you something as well,” Kyuhyun said awkwardly, scratching his head. He’d gone off on his own during their shopping spree on the pretense of going to the washroom. Instead, he’d gone to a jewellery store. He handed Sungmin a small box and tried to fight away the rush of heat that was climbing up his face.
Sungmin swallowed visibly and then opened the gift. Inside was a necklace with a small golden heart hanging off the end of it. He looked at Kyuhyun with wide eyes.
“Because I think you have a heart of gold,” Kyuhyun explained softly.
He didn’t see his parents and Ahra exchanging glances. He only saw Sungmin whose expression was undefinable. The Universal unclasped the necklace and then put it on. The heart hung right in the middle of his chest and gleamed.
“Thank you,” he whispered. He looked hesitantly down at the pendant. Kyuhyun nodded back, not trusting his vice to speak.
“Well, that was lovely,” Misun said, clapping her hands, her voice sounding almost too happy. Minwoo was staring at his son, trying to figure something out and Ahra smirked. She’d already gotten it.
“Wait,” Sungmin said softly. “I brought gifts for you too.”
“Oh, Sungmin, you are our guest. You didn’t need to do that. Your presence here is gift enough,” Misun said, waving her hands.
“I wanted to,” Sungmin smiled and stood up. He held out his hands and a small envelope appeared between his palms. “This is yours, Ahra.”
The Force-field Extra looked up at the Universal with an open mouth and took the gift. Almost everyone leaned forward to see what it was. She slit open the envelope and opened it, taking out the slim piece of paper that was inside it. She looked up at Sungmin with her mouth hanging open.
“What is it?!” Misun asked, her curiosity getting the better of her.
Ahra turned the paper to show them. It was a two-way ticket to London for two weeks in July.
“I saw that she had many pictures of the city in her room. So I thought she would enjoy it. I have a house there where she can stay,” Sungmin said.
“It’s always been my dream to go there,” Ahra murmured. She looked at the Universal with tears in her eyes. “Thank you.”
Sungmin nodded and turned to Misun. In his hands appeared the globe of crystal that Kyuhyun had seen him with before.
“This is crystal from my Crystallization Legacy. Unlike other materials, this is forever changing so you won’t get stuck with just one design. You can Metamorph it forever,” Sungmin smiled.
Misun was speechless. She took the gift and held it in her hands. The sphere turned green and changed into a thin line. From the top, sprouted a flower blossom. Then it changed, receding back into itself and becoming a blue crystal fish.
Misun breathed, “Thank you, Sungmin.”
The Universal bowed to her and then turned to face Minwoo who immediately began to protest about receiving a gift. Sungmin either ignored him or tuned him out and walked over to the far wall. He reached out and his hand hit something before it hit the wall. But there was nothing there. A second later, Sungmin was holding onto a windsurfer.
“I hid it like that because I couldn’t fit it under my bed,” Sungmin explained sheepishly.
Minwoo walked over, his face taking on a look of reverence as he gazed at the windsurfer.
“I’ve only done it once. I’ve never been able to forget it,” the man said.
Sungmin bowed to him as well and then turned to Kyuhyun. “I didn’t forget you,” he smiled.
Kyuhyun wondered what Sungmin could have gotten him. He got his answer not a minute later when a small golden key was put into his hands. He looked up at the Universal who looked adorably nervous at the gift.
“That’s a very important key. I can’t tell you what it’s for or how to use it. That’s a secret I need to keep so it stays safe but I know you’ll figure it out. It’s not a very big gift. I’m sorry. But I hope you like it,” Sungmin smiled.
Kyuhyun could barely breathe. It was more than enough that Sungmin had thought to get him a gift. He looked down at the mystery key that shimmered gold in his palm. He had no idea what it could be for or what it did but he was grateful to have it. He thanked Sungmin softly and wrapped his fingers around the key. It was warm from the heat of his palm.
“Merry Christmas,” Sungmin bowed.
“Merry Christmas,” the Chos repeated back.
“I’d better start dinner,” Misun said after a few seconds of silence. Ahra went off to help her and Minwoo looked at his windsurfer like it was a priceless artifact. Sungmin backed away quietly and went upstairs. Kyuhyun watched him until he disappeared from the staircase. Then he followed him.
He saw Sungmin walk into the guest room, pressing a hand to his mouth. He came up behind him and put his hands on the Universal’s shoulders, turning him around. Sungmin’s eyes were slightly wet with tears and he was looking away from the Weather Manipulator.
“Hey, what’s wrong?” Kyuhyun asked. Sungmin looked up at him.
“Your family has so much love. I…I wanted that. I’m jealous. I admit it. I’m a selfish person. I used my Legacy to get them presents they wanted so they would approve of me and like me; love me even. I’m such a selfish person,” Sungmin cried.
“They would have approved of you without those gifts anyways,” Kyuhyun said, realizing that Sungmin was afraid of being rejected by Kyuhyun’s family like he had been by so many others who lived in fear of him.
“That’s why I got them gifts they really wanted. I didn’t want them to look at me like everyone else does. I’m so selfish. But I haven’t felt love like that in a long time. I wanted some of it for myself….Everyone who loved me is dead,” Sungmin whispered.
Kyuhyun stared. He’d never seen Sungmin so open or vulnerable before. He reached out and pulled the Universal into a hug. His body tingled as Sungmin was pressed flush against him. He was overwhelmed by the scent and feel of the Universal who wasn’t even struggling to break free. The two remained in each other’s embrace and outside, a light dusting of snow began to fall.
%<>%<>%
Christmas with the Chos. That was a fun chapter. Poor Min, all alone in the world. At least he has Kyu~ I hope you enjoyed that. Thanks for reading. XD