Kyumin - Discovering the Universal - 17/30
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 Seventeen
Kyuhyun and Sungmin appeared at the doorstep of the dorm building. Kyuhyun internally swore to himself that he would never Teleport ever again. It was much too uncomfortable. He had been at his doorstep before he blinked and ended up back at the International Extras Academy. It was unnerving.
Sungmin held him and made sure he could balance before disappearing again. He was back almost instantaneously with their bags.
“I don’t know how you do that on a day to day basis,” Kyuhyun said, shaking his head.
Sungmin shrugged, “You get used to it. And it was faster than the taxi that got us to your house.”
The two walked into the building and went to the elevator. The Universal stopped a few steps before, looking as though he were debating something.
“Are you coming?” Kyuhyun asked. Then he remembered, Sungmin could probably Teleport and get there faster. “Be a civilian for once and use the elevator,” he said, reaching out and pulling the Universal into the elevator.
“I’ve never used this thing,” Sungmin admitted as Kyuhyun hit the Diverse and Unique plaques. The elevator rose smoothly. There was a gentle ding as the doors opened on the Diverse floor.
“See you later?” Kyuhyun asked hopefully.
“In class,” Sungmin nodded. The doors began to close and just before they did, Kyuhyun saw Sungmin vanish from the elevator.
He walked down the left hallway to his room and unlocked the door, throwing all of his stuff onto the floor. He wished it were still winter break and Sungmin was still sleeping just down the hall from him. His mind once again flashed back to that moment where Sungmin had dropped his guard and let his innermost feelings out.
Kyuhyun had wanted nothing more than to comfort him and take the pain away. Something had torn open inside him too and left a desire to make Sungmin happy. Unwilling to spend the night alone in his room, he turned around and went the direction he had come from and walked into the Diverse common room.
“Kyuhyun!” came the voice of Yesung before he was assaulted in a hug by the older Extra.
“Hi, Yesung,” Kyuhyun said. From over Yesung’s shoulder, he could see Ryeowook, Heechul and Kame waving at him.
“How was your break?” the Japanese man called, flaring his wings slightly.
“It was good, you?” Kyuhyun answered while he tried to untangle himself from his hyung.
Kame smiled, “It was fine. Jin nearly took out the subway with an Electricity Surge but luckily nothing happened.”
“Kyuhyun, I have great news,” Yesung interrupted.
“He and Ryeowook are now married,” Heechul drawled. He flicked a finger and a spark popped.
“Heechul, I wanted to tell him,” Yesung pouted.
Kyuhyun blinked. “Wait, you’re actually married?” Kyuhyun asked in disbelief.
Ryeowook shook his head, his cheeks flushing pink. “No, we’re not. But we’re together,” the Invisibility Extra answered.
“The whole break, Ryeowook was on my mind. I kept thinking about questions I should ask and should have asked. I kept wondering if he’d like the present I sent. And I just couldn’t get him out of my head so I called him after drinking too much eggnog and asked him to go out with me,” Yesung said in one breath.
“They act like they’re Potentials. But they’re both Diverse so chances are they aren’t,” Heechul said.
“Don’t dampen their enthusiasm because Hankyung isn’t here for you to suck face with,” Kyuhyun said snarkily.
Heechul smiled dangerously, “Watch it, magnae. There are plenty of other people here to make out with too. And I might start with one Lee Sungmin.”
Any response Kyuhyun might have made was drowned out by Kame suddenly standing up and clapping his hands in excitement.
“Jin just got back,” the Flier smiled. “I’m going to go see him.”
Kame spread his wings and turned to walk to the balcony. He managed to knock over a flowerpot and a lamp on his way there. As soon as he got past the door, even before he got to the edge of the balcony, he brought his wings down in one hard stroke and lifted into the air.
“He could have used the elevator,” Heechul grumbled.
Ryeowook shrugged, “It’s easier for him to fly. Jin’s room is accessible from the air.”
“Those two are definitely Potentials, right?” Yesung asked. “I mean, Jin’s an Elemental so he needs one.”
“Nobody needs one,” Heechul snapped. “You either have one or you don’t.”
“How do you know?” Kyuhyun asked. “Like, how do you know that you’ve got a Potential?”
The Pyrokinetic snorted. “Didn’t they teach you this in class? You just know. You want to be with your Potential. And sometimes you don’t realize it. But when you touch your Potential, you just know.”
There was silence for a second and then Ryeowook reached over and patted Heechul on the hand.
“Hankyung will be back tomorrow. The empty feeling will be gone the minute he arrives,” Ryeowook said, giving his hyung a small smile. Heechul looked at him and the corners of his mouth turned upwards very slightly.
“Yeah, you two are Potentials,” Heechul murmured. Then he pulled away and stood up, his red ponytail swinging. “I’m going back to Tele.”
He walked from the room, his gait long and confident but his slightly drooping shoulders betrayed his mood.
“He really misses him,” Ryeowook sighed, watching the elder Extra leave. “They’ve been Potentials for ages.”
Kyuhyun nodded wearily. He was tired of hearing about these Potentials. They’d never come up in conversation before, had they? It seemed like everyone was suddenly discovering their Potential. Kyuhyun looked out the window and his thoughts came to rest on a certain Unique Extra.
“Hey, do you know if Sungmin’s back?” Ryeowook asked.
Kyuhyun started, wondering if he had spoken out loud. “Yeah, he’s back,” Kyuhyun answered slowly.
Yesung smiled, “Great, I want to tell him about our relationship. You know, just in case he thinks Wookie is free or something.”
Ryeowook blushed at that and tapped Yesung lightly on the forehead, “You know he doesn’t. He doesn’t like anybody.”
“Why do you want to tell Sungmin?” Kyuhyun asked suspiciously.
Ryeowook shrugged, “He’s our friend and we want to share the news with everyone. Hankyung isn’t here right now so we can’t ask him and you’re the second closest person to him.”
“Yeah…yeah, I am,” Kyuhyun trailed off. His chest tightened at Ryeowook’s words. He wasn’t the second closest anymore, was he? But what if Hankyung had held Sungmin too? His fist clenched as something inside of him told him to keep the Universal his own.
%<>%<>%
Kyuhyun smiled as Sungmin sat down beside Ryeowook at the table. The Universal was still a little shy but tried his best to talk to the other Extras. Kyuhyun sat down beside him and the Unique sent him a grateful glance. The Weather Manipulator felt his lips turn up in a smile as he realized that Sungmin wanted him for support. Him, Cho Kyuhyun, not Hankyung.
“So, we have something to tell you,” Ryeowook began as Siwon, Kangin, Kibum, Donghae and Shindong sat down.
“Oh?” Siwon asked distractedly as he arranged his plate and utensils in front of him.
“We’re together now,” Yesung announced abruptly and then kissed Ryeowook lightly.
“Congratulations,” Sungmin said softly.
“Potentials?” Kibum asked.
“Most likely,” Yesung nodded.
Kyuhyun wondered why anybody cared. Why wasn’t the fact that they loved each other enough? And why were Diverse and Telekinetic Extras allowed to love whomever they pleased while Corporeal, Metamorphic and Elemental Extras already had someone destined for them? And Uniques were just unique to the whole Potential thing.
“…everyone but Kyuhyun.”
The Weather Extra heard his name and looked around. Half the table was staring at him. Ryeowook and Yesung were staring into each other’s eyes.
“What?” he asked, feeling uncomfortable with all the attention.
“Wait a moment, he’s not the only one. Sungmin doesn’t have a Potential either,” Kangin pointed out.
Kyuhyun looked over at the Universal who was flushing a light pink and looking extremely uncomfortable. He glared at Kangin for making the Universal feel that way. He had a hard enough time as it was. He leaned closer, trying to give the Universal reassurance.
“Actually…” Sungmin began quietly. “I-”
He got no further as Donghae leapt up from his seat. “Don’t tell me that you have a Potential?!”
“Who is it?” Siwon and Kibum asked at the same time. They leaned forward expectantly.
Kyuhyun turned to face Sungmin with a surprised expression. So Sungmin had a Potential.
Sungmin’s expression closed and he looked away, “I need to go. I’ll talk to you later.”
Everyone seemed to realize they’d crossed a line with the Universal and immediately gave him his space, nodding and telling him that they’d be seeing him around. Kyuhyun said nothing. Instead, he watched silently as the Universal left.
%<>%<>%
“Do you want to eat together later?” Kyuhyun asked hopefully as they packed up from their biology class. Sungmin paused for a minute and seemed to be thinking it over. “You don’t have to,” Kyuhyun reassured him, pushing down his feelings of disappointment.
“No, it’s not that. It’s just…I’ve got to do some studying too,” Sungmin answered.
Kyuhyun nodded, “We’ll eat on our own then. We can use an empty classroom or one of those alcoves.”
Sungmin looked at him and appeared to debate something internally. Then his expression changed and he looked down.
“Would…would you mind if we ate in my dorm?” the Universal questioned, his cheeks pink but his voice firm.
Kyuhyun blinked and wondered if he heard right. Trying not to sound overeager, he said, “No, I don’t mind at all.”
%<>%<>%
To say Kyuhyun was nervous was an understatement. He’d never thought he’d get into the Unique dorm, much less be invited to eat there. He had run through almost every item of clothing that he owned before settling on an outfit that he was sure screamed “slob” and tried fixing his hair a million different ways before finally giving up and grabbing his book bag, thinking that he could always drown himself in studying if he messed this up.
He couldn’t shake the feeling that he was getting ready for a date. He tried to tell himself that it was ridiculous and that Sungmin obviously had a Potential but it didn’t work. He only got more and more nervous. Finally, he just threw up his hands and gave up.
The elevator dinged as the doors opened onto the Unique floor. Sungmin was waiting for him there, dressed in a soft-looking black sweater and jeans.
“Hey,” Kyuhyun greeted him as he stepped off the lift. His legs felt funny, almost like jelly and his palms were sweaty.
“Sorry, I know you probably wanted to eat with everyone else,” Sungmin apologized. “You can still do that.”
Kyuhyun shook his head, “No, no, I don’t mind.”
The two went down the hallway to the right and stopped in front of two large imposing doors. Sungmin opened them both and they went through. The doors led to another, smaller set of doors and Sungmin opened these to reveal what looked like a grey fog. He walked into the fog and Kyuhyun tried to follow him but was thrown back by an invisible barrier.
“You can’t come in the common room unless invited,” Sungmin’s voice came from the inside.
“So…how do we do this? How do I get invited in?” Kyuhyun asked, looking at the fog barrier.
The Universal returned to the doors. Sungmin looked tentative for a second but then held out his hand. The Weather Extra felt a surge of happiness build in his chest as he realized that Sungmin wanted him to take his hand. He reached out and wrapped his fingers around Sungmin’s smaller ones. The Universal backed up and pulled Kyuhyun with him until he was in the fog.
“I invite you in,” Sungmin said softly and tugged the Weather Manipulator further. The magnae began to see the fog thin and grow lighter and then they came out the other side. Kyuhyun’s eyes widened as he saw the room that was rarely ever seen.
The Unique dorm was circular and completely transparent. Stars twinkled above them and two long, snow-covered branches of nearby trees crossed over top. There was a long, almost uninterrupted 360° view of the outside world, except where there was the dorm building and a small kitchenette. Tables held stacks of books. Pot plants hovered in the air near the doors that led to an outside balcony. The chairs and couches were cream and soft-looking carpets covered a tiled floor.
The two settled down to eat at one of the tables after clearing the books away. Kyuhyun was still in awe of the beautiful room around him.
“I can see why you’re never seen around much,” Kyuhyun joked. “If my dorm looked like this, I’d never want to leave.”
Sungmin smiled and looked around at the room. “It’s perfect because nobody can see in. All they see is a brick wall.”
“Magic?” Kyuhyun grinned.
The Universal laughed his cute laugh and shook his head. “No, far from it. The Creationist, BoA, she got tired of people always looking in so she used her Legacy to make it so you could only see out.”
The two talked amiably as they ate together about schoolwork, the holidays and their friends. Kyuhyun felt himself relax completely with the Universal and he wondered why he’d been nervous in the first place. Sungmin always made him feel comfortable wherever he was. As long as Sungmin was there, he’d be fine.
“And it doesn’t surprise me that they’re together,” Sungmin added. “Yesung has been looking at Ryeowook for a long time.”
Kyuhyun snorted. “You know what I don’t get? Why everyone wants to know if they’re Potentials or not. Why does it matter? Can’t they just love each other?”
Sungmin smiled indulgently, “You love your Potential. I think they don’t want to see those two get hurt. They’re both Diverse meaning that they could have no Potential at all. If they aren’t Potentials, one of them could fall for someone else. Many Diverse and Telekinetic Extras don’t have Potentials because their abilities are so common that they match with everyone. It’s the difficult Legacies that get Potentials because they’re rarer and need stability.”
“So who’s your Potential?” Kyuhyun asked, a lot more aggressively than he intended. He didn’t know why but the thought of Sungmin having a Potential pissed him off.
“What?” Sungmin looked surprised as if he never expected Kyuhyun to ask the question.
Kyuhyun shrugged, “Well, you do have a pretty powerful and rare Legacy. So who’s your Potential?”
“Uniques are unique that way. It’s different for each one,” Sungmin sighed.
“So do you have multiple Potentials then?” Kyuhyun pressed.
“Why are you so interested?” Sungmin asked, his eyes narrowing just a fraction.
Kyuhyun raised his hands in an I-don’t-know gesture. He did know why he was so interested and if truth be told, it was because he was jealous. Would Sungmin have any time for him anymore if he went to find his Potential? Kyuhyun would most likely come second every time. He was back in the place where he was when Hankyung had been the one to know Sungmin.
Kyuhyun opened his mouth to tell Sungmin that he wanted to know about his Potential, but the words died on the tip of his tongue. He couldn’t remember what he’d wanted to say. Was it something about Ryeowook? It had had to do with Ryeowook. Yesung too. But what was it? The Weather Manipulator racked his brain and tried to remember what it was he had just been thinking about.
“Hey, I’m finished. I’m going to study in my room, okay?’ Sungmin said, breaking through his concentration. Kyuhyun scrambled to figure out his thoughts and missed the fact that the Universal hadn’t met his gaze like he usually did.
“Do…do you mind if I join you?” Kyuhyun asked, his previous thoughts thrown out of his head by the prospect of seeing Sungmin’s room.
“Yeah…yeah, sure,” Sungmin nodded, his gaze just past Kyuhyun’s head. He stood up and held a hand over the table. Their empty plates vanished.
Kyuhyun followed Sungmin down the opposite hall to the rooms. He didn’t know why Sungmin had chosen to be at the end of the hall with all the free rooms he had but he didn’t question it. When they reached Sungmin’s door, he opened it and the same grey fog swirled in front of them.
“This again?” Kyuhyun asked, smiling slightly.
“Just in case anybody tried to break in,” Sungmin answered. He took Kyuhyun’s hand again and led him through the barrier.
As the fog cleared, Kyuhyun felt a twinge of excitement that Sungmin trusted him enough to let him in like this.
Sungmin’s room was a beautiful plum colour with a large window that looked out over the campus of the IEA. His walls were bare but there were small plants in vases along his windowsill. A pink guitar rested against his bed which was covered in a soft pink duvet. Kyuhyun heard a meow and looked down to see two cats poking their heads out from under the bed.
“You have cats?” Kyuhyun asked. He watched as Sungmin knelt down and let out a soft purr. The two cats nuzzled his knees and purred back.
“That’s Hyaku and Sen. They keep me company. It’s lonely up here sometimes.”
Sungmin smiled as he said that but Kyuhyun could see the pain under it.
“Don’t worry. Whenever you want company, I’ll join you,” Kyuhyun said decisively. “And don’t try to change my mind. Now let’s study.”
A little while later, Kyuhyun looked up to see how Sungmin was doing.. Once again, that image of Sungmin letting his guard down and letting Kyuhyun in came back into his mind. His heart lurched as he remembered the feel of the Universal’s body against him. He was small but Kyuhyun could feel the power that hid there.
Something inside of him tightened. He wanted to help Sungmin reach his full potential. He deserved it. He had been the only one to make an effort to really get to know the Universal. Nobody else, not even his Potential deserved that spot. It was Kyuhyun’s. He wanted to be Sungmin’s Potential.
The Weather Manipulator’s thinking ground to a halt. The thought had come quietly and easily into his mind. Sungmin’s Potential. The thought sent a rush of heat to his face and his heart thudded heavily. Insta-crush, came Eeteuk’s voice. His face grew hotter. Did he like Sungmin?
%<>%<>%
Oooooh~ Looks like Kyu has FINALLY figured it out. Or is close to figuring it out anyways. Well, I hope you enjoyed that chapter. Min has finally let Kyu in and almost fully. YAAAAAAAAAAAY~ Well. Now it gets interesting. Heh. I'm sorry I haven't posted in months. My life kind of got away from me and went in a direction I never thought it would and I'm very excited about it. Hopefully this is a Christmas present (or Hannukah or holiday present if you don't celebrate Christmas) that you'll enjoy. o(^^)o Thanks for reading~
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 Seventeen
Kyuhyun and Sungmin appeared at the doorstep of the dorm building. Kyuhyun internally swore to himself that he would never Teleport ever again. It was much too uncomfortable. He had been at his doorstep before he blinked and ended up back at the International Extras Academy. It was unnerving.
Sungmin held him and made sure he could balance before disappearing again. He was back almost instantaneously with their bags.
“I don’t know how you do that on a day to day basis,” Kyuhyun said, shaking his head.
Sungmin shrugged, “You get used to it. And it was faster than the taxi that got us to your house.”
The two walked into the building and went to the elevator. The Universal stopped a few steps before, looking as though he were debating something.
“Are you coming?” Kyuhyun asked. Then he remembered, Sungmin could probably Teleport and get there faster. “Be a civilian for once and use the elevator,” he said, reaching out and pulling the Universal into the elevator.
“I’ve never used this thing,” Sungmin admitted as Kyuhyun hit the Diverse and Unique plaques. The elevator rose smoothly. There was a gentle ding as the doors opened on the Diverse floor.
“See you later?” Kyuhyun asked hopefully.
“In class,” Sungmin nodded. The doors began to close and just before they did, Kyuhyun saw Sungmin vanish from the elevator.
He walked down the left hallway to his room and unlocked the door, throwing all of his stuff onto the floor. He wished it were still winter break and Sungmin was still sleeping just down the hall from him. His mind once again flashed back to that moment where Sungmin had dropped his guard and let his innermost feelings out.
Kyuhyun had wanted nothing more than to comfort him and take the pain away. Something had torn open inside him too and left a desire to make Sungmin happy. Unwilling to spend the night alone in his room, he turned around and went the direction he had come from and walked into the Diverse common room.
“Kyuhyun!” came the voice of Yesung before he was assaulted in a hug by the older Extra.
“Hi, Yesung,” Kyuhyun said. From over Yesung’s shoulder, he could see Ryeowook, Heechul and Kame waving at him.
“How was your break?” the Japanese man called, flaring his wings slightly.
“It was good, you?” Kyuhyun answered while he tried to untangle himself from his hyung.
Kame smiled, “It was fine. Jin nearly took out the subway with an Electricity Surge but luckily nothing happened.”
“Kyuhyun, I have great news,” Yesung interrupted.
“He and Ryeowook are now married,” Heechul drawled. He flicked a finger and a spark popped.
“Heechul, I wanted to tell him,” Yesung pouted.
Kyuhyun blinked. “Wait, you’re actually married?” Kyuhyun asked in disbelief.
Ryeowook shook his head, his cheeks flushing pink. “No, we’re not. But we’re together,” the Invisibility Extra answered.
“The whole break, Ryeowook was on my mind. I kept thinking about questions I should ask and should have asked. I kept wondering if he’d like the present I sent. And I just couldn’t get him out of my head so I called him after drinking too much eggnog and asked him to go out with me,” Yesung said in one breath.
“They act like they’re Potentials. But they’re both Diverse so chances are they aren’t,” Heechul said.
“Don’t dampen their enthusiasm because Hankyung isn’t here for you to suck face with,” Kyuhyun said snarkily.
Heechul smiled dangerously, “Watch it, magnae. There are plenty of other people here to make out with too. And I might start with one Lee Sungmin.”
Any response Kyuhyun might have made was drowned out by Kame suddenly standing up and clapping his hands in excitement.
“Jin just got back,” the Flier smiled. “I’m going to go see him.”
Kame spread his wings and turned to walk to the balcony. He managed to knock over a flowerpot and a lamp on his way there. As soon as he got past the door, even before he got to the edge of the balcony, he brought his wings down in one hard stroke and lifted into the air.
“He could have used the elevator,” Heechul grumbled.
Ryeowook shrugged, “It’s easier for him to fly. Jin’s room is accessible from the air.”
“Those two are definitely Potentials, right?” Yesung asked. “I mean, Jin’s an Elemental so he needs one.”
“Nobody needs one,” Heechul snapped. “You either have one or you don’t.”
“How do you know?” Kyuhyun asked. “Like, how do you know that you’ve got a Potential?”
The Pyrokinetic snorted. “Didn’t they teach you this in class? You just know. You want to be with your Potential. And sometimes you don’t realize it. But when you touch your Potential, you just know.”
There was silence for a second and then Ryeowook reached over and patted Heechul on the hand.
“Hankyung will be back tomorrow. The empty feeling will be gone the minute he arrives,” Ryeowook said, giving his hyung a small smile. Heechul looked at him and the corners of his mouth turned upwards very slightly.
“Yeah, you two are Potentials,” Heechul murmured. Then he pulled away and stood up, his red ponytail swinging. “I’m going back to Tele.”
He walked from the room, his gait long and confident but his slightly drooping shoulders betrayed his mood.
“He really misses him,” Ryeowook sighed, watching the elder Extra leave. “They’ve been Potentials for ages.”
Kyuhyun nodded wearily. He was tired of hearing about these Potentials. They’d never come up in conversation before, had they? It seemed like everyone was suddenly discovering their Potential. Kyuhyun looked out the window and his thoughts came to rest on a certain Unique Extra.
“Hey, do you know if Sungmin’s back?” Ryeowook asked.
Kyuhyun started, wondering if he had spoken out loud. “Yeah, he’s back,” Kyuhyun answered slowly.
Yesung smiled, “Great, I want to tell him about our relationship. You know, just in case he thinks Wookie is free or something.”
Ryeowook blushed at that and tapped Yesung lightly on the forehead, “You know he doesn’t. He doesn’t like anybody.”
“Why do you want to tell Sungmin?” Kyuhyun asked suspiciously.
Ryeowook shrugged, “He’s our friend and we want to share the news with everyone. Hankyung isn’t here right now so we can’t ask him and you’re the second closest person to him.”
“Yeah…yeah, I am,” Kyuhyun trailed off. His chest tightened at Ryeowook’s words. He wasn’t the second closest anymore, was he? But what if Hankyung had held Sungmin too? His fist clenched as something inside of him told him to keep the Universal his own.
%<>%<>%
Kyuhyun smiled as Sungmin sat down beside Ryeowook at the table. The Universal was still a little shy but tried his best to talk to the other Extras. Kyuhyun sat down beside him and the Unique sent him a grateful glance. The Weather Manipulator felt his lips turn up in a smile as he realized that Sungmin wanted him for support. Him, Cho Kyuhyun, not Hankyung.
“So, we have something to tell you,” Ryeowook began as Siwon, Kangin, Kibum, Donghae and Shindong sat down.
“Oh?” Siwon asked distractedly as he arranged his plate and utensils in front of him.
“We’re together now,” Yesung announced abruptly and then kissed Ryeowook lightly.
“Congratulations,” Sungmin said softly.
“Potentials?” Kibum asked.
“Most likely,” Yesung nodded.
Kyuhyun wondered why anybody cared. Why wasn’t the fact that they loved each other enough? And why were Diverse and Telekinetic Extras allowed to love whomever they pleased while Corporeal, Metamorphic and Elemental Extras already had someone destined for them? And Uniques were just unique to the whole Potential thing.
“…everyone but Kyuhyun.”
The Weather Extra heard his name and looked around. Half the table was staring at him. Ryeowook and Yesung were staring into each other’s eyes.
“What?” he asked, feeling uncomfortable with all the attention.
“Wait a moment, he’s not the only one. Sungmin doesn’t have a Potential either,” Kangin pointed out.
Kyuhyun looked over at the Universal who was flushing a light pink and looking extremely uncomfortable. He glared at Kangin for making the Universal feel that way. He had a hard enough time as it was. He leaned closer, trying to give the Universal reassurance.
“Actually…” Sungmin began quietly. “I-”
He got no further as Donghae leapt up from his seat. “Don’t tell me that you have a Potential?!”
“Who is it?” Siwon and Kibum asked at the same time. They leaned forward expectantly.
Kyuhyun turned to face Sungmin with a surprised expression. So Sungmin had a Potential.
Sungmin’s expression closed and he looked away, “I need to go. I’ll talk to you later.”
Everyone seemed to realize they’d crossed a line with the Universal and immediately gave him his space, nodding and telling him that they’d be seeing him around. Kyuhyun said nothing. Instead, he watched silently as the Universal left.
%<>%<>%
“Do you want to eat together later?” Kyuhyun asked hopefully as they packed up from their biology class. Sungmin paused for a minute and seemed to be thinking it over. “You don’t have to,” Kyuhyun reassured him, pushing down his feelings of disappointment.
“No, it’s not that. It’s just…I’ve got to do some studying too,” Sungmin answered.
Kyuhyun nodded, “We’ll eat on our own then. We can use an empty classroom or one of those alcoves.”
Sungmin looked at him and appeared to debate something internally. Then his expression changed and he looked down.
“Would…would you mind if we ate in my dorm?” the Universal questioned, his cheeks pink but his voice firm.
Kyuhyun blinked and wondered if he heard right. Trying not to sound overeager, he said, “No, I don’t mind at all.”
%<>%<>%
To say Kyuhyun was nervous was an understatement. He’d never thought he’d get into the Unique dorm, much less be invited to eat there. He had run through almost every item of clothing that he owned before settling on an outfit that he was sure screamed “slob” and tried fixing his hair a million different ways before finally giving up and grabbing his book bag, thinking that he could always drown himself in studying if he messed this up.
He couldn’t shake the feeling that he was getting ready for a date. He tried to tell himself that it was ridiculous and that Sungmin obviously had a Potential but it didn’t work. He only got more and more nervous. Finally, he just threw up his hands and gave up.
The elevator dinged as the doors opened onto the Unique floor. Sungmin was waiting for him there, dressed in a soft-looking black sweater and jeans.
“Hey,” Kyuhyun greeted him as he stepped off the lift. His legs felt funny, almost like jelly and his palms were sweaty.
“Sorry, I know you probably wanted to eat with everyone else,” Sungmin apologized. “You can still do that.”
Kyuhyun shook his head, “No, no, I don’t mind.”
The two went down the hallway to the right and stopped in front of two large imposing doors. Sungmin opened them both and they went through. The doors led to another, smaller set of doors and Sungmin opened these to reveal what looked like a grey fog. He walked into the fog and Kyuhyun tried to follow him but was thrown back by an invisible barrier.
“You can’t come in the common room unless invited,” Sungmin’s voice came from the inside.
“So…how do we do this? How do I get invited in?” Kyuhyun asked, looking at the fog barrier.
The Universal returned to the doors. Sungmin looked tentative for a second but then held out his hand. The Weather Extra felt a surge of happiness build in his chest as he realized that Sungmin wanted him to take his hand. He reached out and wrapped his fingers around Sungmin’s smaller ones. The Universal backed up and pulled Kyuhyun with him until he was in the fog.
“I invite you in,” Sungmin said softly and tugged the Weather Manipulator further. The magnae began to see the fog thin and grow lighter and then they came out the other side. Kyuhyun’s eyes widened as he saw the room that was rarely ever seen.
The Unique dorm was circular and completely transparent. Stars twinkled above them and two long, snow-covered branches of nearby trees crossed over top. There was a long, almost uninterrupted 360° view of the outside world, except where there was the dorm building and a small kitchenette. Tables held stacks of books. Pot plants hovered in the air near the doors that led to an outside balcony. The chairs and couches were cream and soft-looking carpets covered a tiled floor.
The two settled down to eat at one of the tables after clearing the books away. Kyuhyun was still in awe of the beautiful room around him.
“I can see why you’re never seen around much,” Kyuhyun joked. “If my dorm looked like this, I’d never want to leave.”
Sungmin smiled and looked around at the room. “It’s perfect because nobody can see in. All they see is a brick wall.”
“Magic?” Kyuhyun grinned.
The Universal laughed his cute laugh and shook his head. “No, far from it. The Creationist, BoA, she got tired of people always looking in so she used her Legacy to make it so you could only see out.”
The two talked amiably as they ate together about schoolwork, the holidays and their friends. Kyuhyun felt himself relax completely with the Universal and he wondered why he’d been nervous in the first place. Sungmin always made him feel comfortable wherever he was. As long as Sungmin was there, he’d be fine.
“And it doesn’t surprise me that they’re together,” Sungmin added. “Yesung has been looking at Ryeowook for a long time.”
Kyuhyun snorted. “You know what I don’t get? Why everyone wants to know if they’re Potentials or not. Why does it matter? Can’t they just love each other?”
Sungmin smiled indulgently, “You love your Potential. I think they don’t want to see those two get hurt. They’re both Diverse meaning that they could have no Potential at all. If they aren’t Potentials, one of them could fall for someone else. Many Diverse and Telekinetic Extras don’t have Potentials because their abilities are so common that they match with everyone. It’s the difficult Legacies that get Potentials because they’re rarer and need stability.”
“So who’s your Potential?” Kyuhyun asked, a lot more aggressively than he intended. He didn’t know why but the thought of Sungmin having a Potential pissed him off.
“What?” Sungmin looked surprised as if he never expected Kyuhyun to ask the question.
Kyuhyun shrugged, “Well, you do have a pretty powerful and rare Legacy. So who’s your Potential?”
“Uniques are unique that way. It’s different for each one,” Sungmin sighed.
“So do you have multiple Potentials then?” Kyuhyun pressed.
“Why are you so interested?” Sungmin asked, his eyes narrowing just a fraction.
Kyuhyun raised his hands in an I-don’t-know gesture. He did know why he was so interested and if truth be told, it was because he was jealous. Would Sungmin have any time for him anymore if he went to find his Potential? Kyuhyun would most likely come second every time. He was back in the place where he was when Hankyung had been the one to know Sungmin.
Kyuhyun opened his mouth to tell Sungmin that he wanted to know about his Potential, but the words died on the tip of his tongue. He couldn’t remember what he’d wanted to say. Was it something about Ryeowook? It had had to do with Ryeowook. Yesung too. But what was it? The Weather Manipulator racked his brain and tried to remember what it was he had just been thinking about.
“Hey, I’m finished. I’m going to study in my room, okay?’ Sungmin said, breaking through his concentration. Kyuhyun scrambled to figure out his thoughts and missed the fact that the Universal hadn’t met his gaze like he usually did.
“Do…do you mind if I join you?” Kyuhyun asked, his previous thoughts thrown out of his head by the prospect of seeing Sungmin’s room.
“Yeah…yeah, sure,” Sungmin nodded, his gaze just past Kyuhyun’s head. He stood up and held a hand over the table. Their empty plates vanished.
Kyuhyun followed Sungmin down the opposite hall to the rooms. He didn’t know why Sungmin had chosen to be at the end of the hall with all the free rooms he had but he didn’t question it. When they reached Sungmin’s door, he opened it and the same grey fog swirled in front of them.
“This again?” Kyuhyun asked, smiling slightly.
“Just in case anybody tried to break in,” Sungmin answered. He took Kyuhyun’s hand again and led him through the barrier.
As the fog cleared, Kyuhyun felt a twinge of excitement that Sungmin trusted him enough to let him in like this.
Sungmin’s room was a beautiful plum colour with a large window that looked out over the campus of the IEA. His walls were bare but there were small plants in vases along his windowsill. A pink guitar rested against his bed which was covered in a soft pink duvet. Kyuhyun heard a meow and looked down to see two cats poking their heads out from under the bed.
“You have cats?” Kyuhyun asked. He watched as Sungmin knelt down and let out a soft purr. The two cats nuzzled his knees and purred back.
“That’s Hyaku and Sen. They keep me company. It’s lonely up here sometimes.”
Sungmin smiled as he said that but Kyuhyun could see the pain under it.
“Don’t worry. Whenever you want company, I’ll join you,” Kyuhyun said decisively. “And don’t try to change my mind. Now let’s study.”
A little while later, Kyuhyun looked up to see how Sungmin was doing.. Once again, that image of Sungmin letting his guard down and letting Kyuhyun in came back into his mind. His heart lurched as he remembered the feel of the Universal’s body against him. He was small but Kyuhyun could feel the power that hid there.
Something inside of him tightened. He wanted to help Sungmin reach his full potential. He deserved it. He had been the only one to make an effort to really get to know the Universal. Nobody else, not even his Potential deserved that spot. It was Kyuhyun’s. He wanted to be Sungmin’s Potential.
The Weather Manipulator’s thinking ground to a halt. The thought had come quietly and easily into his mind. Sungmin’s Potential. The thought sent a rush of heat to his face and his heart thudded heavily. Insta-crush, came Eeteuk’s voice. His face grew hotter. Did he like Sungmin?
%<>%<>%
Oooooh~ Looks like Kyu has FINALLY figured it out. Or is close to figuring it out anyways. Well, I hope you enjoyed that chapter. Min has finally let Kyu in and almost fully. YAAAAAAAAAAAY~ Well. Now it gets interesting. Heh. I'm sorry I haven't posted in months. My life kind of got away from me and went in a direction I never thought it would and I'm very excited about it. Hopefully this is a Christmas present (or Hannukah or holiday present if you don't celebrate Christmas) that you'll enjoy. o(^^)o Thanks for reading~