fic: two brothers and a friend - siwon/kyuhyun - super junior
Title: Two brothers and a friend
Author: bl4ckm4lice
Fandom: Super Junior
Genre/Pairing: AU / Siwon x Kyuhyun, Hyukjae
Word Count: 3,300+
Rating: PG
Disclaimer: na-ah, not mine
Summary: Hyukjae has brother complex. Siwon is supposed to be his best friend.
Notes: For Ajenk <3
"...turns out there's some extra practice. I'll be home late." Hyukjae listens and there’s not even a hint of annoyance when he responds, "I'm not your maid, you can make your own dinner-- oh, fine. Go ahead and order pizza. Yes, of course it's my treat. Okay. See you."
"You're spoiling him," Siwon notes matter-of-factly with an amused smile, to which Hyukjae scoffs.
"I'm so not."
Siwon would've loved to tease his friend some more, but then the coach calls them to the basketball field and he inwardly saves them for many of the future chances.
***
Choi Siwon became friends with Lee Hyukjae the day he moved into the school. They bonded further over basketball practices and he quickly heard stories about Hyukjae's younger brother from the boy himself.
Hyukjae is the very definition of a doting brother, the kind that forces the younger one to wear a sweater on a cold day and fusses over him when he doesn't eat properly. Of course Hyukjae sometimes denies it by complaining about how Kyuhyun talks back to him, his lack of cooking ability, late-night gaming habit and other insignificant things compared to the open, unabashed compliments, including about that time when Kyuhyun took care of a sick Hyukjae tirelessly through the night.
Anyone would've thought that Hyukjae suffers a bit of a brother complex, but Siwon knows that the pair has been by themselves a lot, with their parents often out of the country for work, so naturally they grow close. In fact, Siwon envies their bond a bit, himself being the only child. "When you come over this Sunday, I'll introduce you to him," Hyukjae had said, referring to their study session at Hyukjae’s house for next week’s quiz, "but don't be surprised, that brat can come off as rude."
Naturally, Siwon expects a smart, witty and endearing boy two years below them--.
"Ah, Kyuhyun," Hyukjae beams at the sight of a young boy lounging in front of the TV. "This is my friend, Choi Siwon, the one I had been telling you about."
--he doesn't expect bright doe eyes, pale skin, the most endearing lazy half-smile he had ever seen and the beautiful sound of, "Oh."
"Wow," Siwon blurts out loudly.
Kyuhyun blinks and Hyukjae frowns.
***
"For the umpteenth time, NO. You're not getting my brother's phone numbers or e-mail or usernames! And I'm not telling you my home phone numbers either. Whatever you want to say to him will have to go through me."
"Last time I asked you to tell him my phone numbers, and I have yet to receive any message from him."
"Yeah, so? Maybe he doesn't want to send you any. Maybe he's creeped out by his brother's supposedly best friend who ogled him right from the first encounter."
"Maybe you didn't tell him my numbers."
"Which is a perfectly reasonable course of action, given that he's still in the third grade of junior high school!"
"Ha!" Siwon points an accusing finger at the other boy. "You admit that you didn't tell him my numbers! I knew it--."
"T-that wasn't the point!"
"Hyukjae," Siwon crosses his arms, "Have I been a bad friend? Have I ever done something that makes you unable to trust me?"
The other boy looks at him as if he has lost his mind because the answer to that is entirely obvious in his opinion. "You have a fricking crush on my baby brother!"
"And I promise you I will take care of your--."
"No! NO NO NO NO NO!!"
***
After approximately a hundred of NOs, Siwon finally accepts that Hyukjae’s answer to his request for Kyuhyun's contacts is, well, no. During the increasingly frequent (much to Hyukjae's dislike) study sessions over at Hyukjae's house (the result of ridiculous excuses such as "Oh come on, Hyukjae, my place is too far from school and we'll end up too tired to actually study when we get there!"), Siwon tirelessly tries to ask the person himself many times-- efforts that never bear any fruit no thanks to the ever-present older brother.
Every time he goes as much as calling Kyuhyun out or simply greeting him, Hyukjae always manages to shoo his brother to 'safety'. It gets less and less subtle to the point of shoving a pillow onto his face after Siwon stares a bit too long when Kyuhyun bends down to get a drink from the fridge.
What Siwon doesn't know is, Hyukjae actually has a reason to strengthen his defense towards Siwon's advances.
"Oh, by the way," Kyuhyun had said casually one night, "Changmin is coming over next week."
"Okay," Hyukjae had responded as casually, because his younger brother's best friend hadn't been a threat to Kyuhyun in any way (unlike his own best friend) and he actually kind of likes Changmin because Kyuhyun somehow turns more carefree and laughs a lot whenever he's around. Too bad the boy moved away a while back so he couldn't come over as much.
"Is your friend coming here too next week?"
Right then an odd instinct whispered warning at him and it had taken Hyukjae five seconds to shoot back a question, "Why?"
Kyuhun had shrugged nonchalantly but the warnings inside Hyukjae’s head had only grown louder. "Changmin will be here to play games. That's all. Maybe we'll get too loud but it will be the games. You know."
Of course he had known. Kyuhyun plus Changmin equals laughter and shouts and game sounds. It wasn't until Kyuhyun emphasized how they were gaming buddies that Hyukjae realized what Kyuhyun had been trying to tell him discreetly, and it wasn’t about apologizing for the possible noises.
In case your friend asks, Changmin is just my friend.
Hyukjae's expression had twisted in horror and when Kyuhyun realized that Hyukjae realized, the younger boy had blushed a little and excused himself to his room.
When Changmin came the week after, Siwon had frowned and, sure enough, asked Hyukjae about him.
Hyukjae had told him that Changmin is Kyuhyun's boyfriend.
***
"You lied to me," Siwon says with a huge smile that doesn't quite match his words.
Hyukjae mutters, "I never lie unless it's absolutely necessary."
The huge smile slips a little, but then it grows evem bigger as if nothing can ruin his happy mood. "Well just so you know, I finally found out that Changmin is not your brother's boyfriend."
The other boy curses inwardly. He had been so satisfied too at seeing Siwon moping for the past two weeks and halting all efforts to woo Kyuhyun. Now he has to put up the defenses again. "How?"
"You might've been very careful not to let me get in contact with Kyuhyun. But you let Changmin out in the open."
Damn it. This feels more and more like war, and Hyukjae's fort around Kyuhyun is slowly crumbling. There's also something suspicious about Siwon's excessive cheerfulness that couldn't have come from Changmin's clarification on the matter--.
Hyukjae gasps, "Changmin didn't."
"Oh yes he did," Siwon wags his phone, "he told me Kyuhyun's number because Kyuhyun wouldn't mind, he said. He also said how Kyuhyun complained about his overbearingly overprotective brother, that's you, in case you haven't realized. According to Changmin, Kyuhyun even mentioned me a couple of times--."
But Hyukjae's heart has stopped at the three words he never expected to hear from Kyuhyun.
***
The photo was taken on a hot summer day, perfect for their family's trip to the beach. Little Kyuhyun had whined about having to go into the water with a swimming tube, but finally obeyed because Hyukjae had patiently used a swimming tube himself, even though he could swim perfectly and made sure that they didn't stray off the shallow water where he couldn't stand without drowning. And then Kyuhyun had cried when the older boy's tube slowly deflated because of a particularly huge wave and a coral rock. It was only after they arrived back to the shore without harm that Kyuhyun believed his brother weren’t going to die.
'A huge crybaby,' Hyukjae thinks as he put the family photo back onto his desk. That was Kyuhyun many years ago. Now? He's still a crybaby alright, only behind closed doors and when he thinks no one's gonna notice, like at that time their parents missed his elementary school graduation. But Hyukjae always notices, and each time he renews his vow to try his best not to let Kyuhyun cry, because he's his only brother and brothers take care of each other.
But maybe Kyuhyun feels that Hyukjae is taking care of him a bit too much.
He buries his face further into the pillow and decides that he wants to sulk. Alright, maybe he has been protective of his brother. Every sibling does. Has he been over-protective? He's not sure if such thing exists. How can someone over-protect a person he loves? He just doesn't want Kyuhyun to get sick or hurt. Is that too much? Too much until Kyuhyun thinks that he's not only overprotective, but also overbearingly so?
"Hyung?" There's a knock on his bedroom door. "Can I come in?"
"Yeah," he answers in muffled voice and doesn't turn to see Kyuhyun walking in because he still wants to sulk.
Apparently his awkwardness doesn't go unnoticed because the curiosity is obvious in Kyuhyun's voice when he sits down on the bed next to Hyukjae. "Is there something wrong?"
'You tell me,' Hyukjae wants to say. But he couldn't, could he? Not only he doesn't have the heart to be mad at Kyuhyun, he's also deeply afraid that Kyuhyun would confirm Changmin's words and then some. "No," he ends up saying as he puts up his there-is-nothing-wrong expression and looks up at Kyuhyun. "What is it?"
Kyuhyun frowns for a second, but let it slide anyway. "Umm... I wanna ask you something."
"Shoot," Hyukjae shrugs, noticing how fidgety Kyuhyun is.
"I… promise me you won't overreact."
Overprotective. Overbearing. Overreacting. Seems like Hyukjae is all about overdoing things in Kyuhyun's eyes. "Okay," he says weakly, his intention to sulk being overridden by pure sadness.
"Your friend, you know, the one who comes over a lot lately, sent me a text."
The day just gets worse and worse. But he promised he wouldn't overreact, did he, despite how much he feels like hurling his desk all the way at a certain boy with dimples and thick eyebrows. "...Okay?"
"Do you think I should reply?"
There are so many things rushing through his mind all at once, but the biggest, loudest question wins out and he croaks out, "Why are you asking me?"
Kyuhyun fidgets again. "He's your friend."
Hyukjae snorts loudly and somehow that turns Kyuhyun all embarrassed until he stands up and reaches for the door while mumbling something along the lines of "forget it". Hyukjae should've let him go, because maybe Kyuhyun would never reply Siwon's message and Siwon will finally give up, but Kyuhyun is certainly at the point where he's feeling so troubled and unsure until he goes as far as seeking Hyukjae's advice.
In the end, the big brother in him relents and stops Kyuhyun from leaving. "Hey," he says as he places a reassuring hand on the other boy's shoulder and coaxes him to sit back down. "Sorry, I didn't mean to mock you or anything, alright?"
Kyuhyun looks at anywhere but Hyukjae, a faint blush adorning his cheeks. He looks as uncomfortable as his brother to carry on with this conversation, although for conflicting reasons. When Kyuhyun doesn't say anything, it's up to Hyukjae to get this done and over with. "Do you… like him? Siwon?"
"I don't know," Kyuhyun's head dips lower. "I've never…"
How much more adorable can his brother be? All the more reason for Hyukjae to guard his innocence, really. But that would be taking advantage of his brother's trust after he lays his heart all out in the open. "What do you think of him?" Hyukjae asks despite himself.
"He's... funny. I mean, sometimes when you stops him from talking to me, he looks…" Kyuhyun flushes and bites his lip to stop himself from laughing at remembering Siwon's comedic protests. "I just, well, I don't know. He looks nice, and he's your friend. But it seems like you don't like it when he comes near me." A pair of hesitant orbs looks up, twinkling with a mix of hope and dread. "So maybe he's not what he appears to be…"
A prickle of guilt nudges his conscience. He has been unfair to Siwon, never even giving him any chance, even though Hyukjae knows that he's a great guy and an awesome friend. Although the sudden growth of Siwon's crush is both alarming and downright disturbing, who is Hyukjae to judge someone else's feelings? "No… no," Hyukjae admits. "He's actually okay." More than okay, but he wouldn't want Kyuhyun to lower his guards.
"Really?" The twinkle of hope washes over the dread now. Maybe 'okay' is too much of a positive word, but the damage has been done.
"Yeah."
"So… it's okay to reply to his text?"
On second thought, he doesn’t mind to eat his own words if need be and just forbids Kyuhyun from replying. "What did he say?"
"It's a secret," Kyuhyun huffs in an attempt to maintain his privacy, but Hyukjae is half-glaring and half-pleading, if not begging, and Kyuhyun might be a brat but he doesn't like to dishearten Hyukjae. "He only said hi and asked if he can call me sometime."
"DEFINITELY NOT!"
"Hyung!"
Hyukjae facepalms and groans exasperatedly for a moment to calm himself. When he looks up at Kyuhyun who still sits expectantly with a small pout, suddenly he doesn’t mind being called overprotective or whatever else. He just doesn't want Kyuhyun to get hurt because he loves him and he cares for him and he's his dearest baby brother. He wants to keep Kyuhyun in a safe cocoon where nothing can harm him. "You're so young," he whispers, and in his heart he knows it’s not the whole truth, because Kyuhyun is only two years younger than him and he doesn't deserve being put in a cocoon when there's a whole world out there.
Yeah, Kyuhyun is a big boy now and probably more mature than Hyukjae in many ways because then he responds while smiling fondly at him, "I can take care of myself, hyung." His eyes speak of gratefulness, affection and calm resignation towards Hyukjae's overbearing overprotectiveness, because he wouldn't have anyone else as his older brother. Hyukjae's heart in turn swells with love and pride. Nothing else matters anymore. He doesn't trust himself to speak without his voice cracking embarrassingly so he pulls Kyuhyun into a suffocating hug, which Kyuhyun whines at but returns all the same.
***
The next morning, Siwon practically stomps towards his desk and half-accuses him with a desperately hopeful expression on his face. "Did you or did you not confiscate Kyuhyun's phone."
"I did not," Hyukjae answers and savors the crestfallen look Siwon entertains him with for three seconds before continuing, "But I did forbid him from replying to you until I have a proper talk with you today."
It's funny how many facial expression can pass through someone’s face in such a short time. Hyukjae recalls Kyuhyun's words about Siwon looking amusing while said boy finally settles on presenting SERIOUS with capital letters and sits down on the desk next to Hyukjae (shoving away the boy who sits next to Hyukjae and whose protest falls on deaf ears). "I'm all for proper talks. Alright. Give it to me."
Hyukjae scans him from top to bottom with judging eyes. "I won't ask whether you're serious about him or not because you barely know him--."
"I'm not planning to toy with him if that's what you want to ask me," Siwon says quickly.
"Good enough for now. Here's how this gonna work. You are gonna get to know each other. No rush. No forcing your way ahead. If, and only if, Kyuhyun consents, you may…" Hyukjae takes a deep breath, "be in a relationship with him."
Siwon looks like he just won a trip to the moon. "You're saying I can date him."
"Only if he agrees on his own will!" The boy emphasizes again, his voice rising a notch. "Even after that, since Kyuhyun is still very young, there are rules."
"Oh, I'm very good at following rules."
"First, no spending time alone. Absolutely no spending time in his room --or anyone’s room in that matter-- with locked doors. Your place is out of the question unless I'm there as well. Public places are preferable. No cinemas though. I know all about dating inside the cinemas."
Hyukjae might as well forbid Siwon from seeing Kyuhyun without him tagging along. But Siwon knows better than to say it aloud because Hyukjae might actually lay it down as rule number two. "Go on."
"Second, I must, at all times without fail, know where you're going and at what time you will return. I will set a curfew and you as the responsible adult will follow it."
"Won’t let you down," Siwon vows, hoping that the curfew wouldn't be ridiculously early.
"Third, absolutely no kissing or beyond until Kyuhyun turns 17 years old."
There's silence between them for a while. At this point Siwon is ready to agree to any ridiculous rule (and follow it to a point because he’s a man of his words) but, really? "...You do know that's two years from now, right?"
"Are you saying that my brother's not worth the wait?" Hyukjae scowls and noticeably looks like he wants to just revoke the whole thing. Annul. Void. Also no more best friends--.
"Two years," Siwon chirps. "It will pass in no time."
Best friends again. Hyukjae nods in satisfaction and continues, "You must always respect his wishes. Absolutely no making him cry. If you fail to do so, I will make sure to turn your balls inside out."
"That..." Siwon gathers himself for a moment from a brief flash of possible painful torture, "goes without saying."
"Then we have reached an agreement," Hyukjae finally smiles. “Come over my place and I’ll gladly introduce you again.”
***
An agreement that Hyukjae begins to regret by the time Siwon and Kyuhyun properly meets for the first time with the big brother standing unobtrusively (or so he pretends to be) on the side.
"Hi," Siwon beams, his lips threatening to stretch wider than they're capable of as he raises a hand for a handshake. "I'm Siwon."
"Kyuhyun," the boy smiles shyly as his hand meets Siwon's.
"This is gonna sound weird.” Kyuhyun’s hand is softer than he imagined and he can hold onto it forever. “But I’ve heard so much about you from your brother that it feels like I’ve known you for a long time. I know the kind of food you like, the kind of movies that turns you into an excited 8 years old, and the kind of weather that affects your mood.”
“That doesn’t just sound weird, but absolutely creepy,” Hyukjae mutters not-so-under-his-breath, but Kyuhyun looks far from weirded out.
“Yet I’d love to find out things about you myself,” Siwon continues without letting go of Kyuhyun’s hand (he might become obsessed soon), ignorant to anything but the beautiful creature in front of him. “May I?”
“Only if I can find out things about you as well…” Kyuhyun flushes at his own words and Siwon nearly melts into a puddle of goo.
Hyukjae snorts.
***
A month later, Hyukjae walks into his house to witness Siwon breaking the promise of not kissing Kyuhyun before he turns seventeen. As if that doesn’t give Hyukjae enough heart attacks, Kyuhyun defends him from being gruesomely sliced to pieces by saying that he was the one who initiated the kiss.
***
The End
Author: bl4ckm4lice
Fandom: Super Junior
Genre/Pairing: AU / Siwon x Kyuhyun, Hyukjae
Word Count: 3,300+
Rating: PG
Disclaimer: na-ah, not mine
Summary: Hyukjae has brother complex. Siwon is supposed to be his best friend.
Notes: For Ajenk <3
"...turns out there's some extra practice. I'll be home late." Hyukjae listens and there’s not even a hint of annoyance when he responds, "I'm not your maid, you can make your own dinner-- oh, fine. Go ahead and order pizza. Yes, of course it's my treat. Okay. See you."
"You're spoiling him," Siwon notes matter-of-factly with an amused smile, to which Hyukjae scoffs.
"I'm so not."
Siwon would've loved to tease his friend some more, but then the coach calls them to the basketball field and he inwardly saves them for many of the future chances.
***
Choi Siwon became friends with Lee Hyukjae the day he moved into the school. They bonded further over basketball practices and he quickly heard stories about Hyukjae's younger brother from the boy himself.
Hyukjae is the very definition of a doting brother, the kind that forces the younger one to wear a sweater on a cold day and fusses over him when he doesn't eat properly. Of course Hyukjae sometimes denies it by complaining about how Kyuhyun talks back to him, his lack of cooking ability, late-night gaming habit and other insignificant things compared to the open, unabashed compliments, including about that time when Kyuhyun took care of a sick Hyukjae tirelessly through the night.
Anyone would've thought that Hyukjae suffers a bit of a brother complex, but Siwon knows that the pair has been by themselves a lot, with their parents often out of the country for work, so naturally they grow close. In fact, Siwon envies their bond a bit, himself being the only child. "When you come over this Sunday, I'll introduce you to him," Hyukjae had said, referring to their study session at Hyukjae’s house for next week’s quiz, "but don't be surprised, that brat can come off as rude."
Naturally, Siwon expects a smart, witty and endearing boy two years below them--.
"Ah, Kyuhyun," Hyukjae beams at the sight of a young boy lounging in front of the TV. "This is my friend, Choi Siwon, the one I had been telling you about."
--he doesn't expect bright doe eyes, pale skin, the most endearing lazy half-smile he had ever seen and the beautiful sound of, "Oh."
"Wow," Siwon blurts out loudly.
Kyuhyun blinks and Hyukjae frowns.
***
"For the umpteenth time, NO. You're not getting my brother's phone numbers or e-mail or usernames! And I'm not telling you my home phone numbers either. Whatever you want to say to him will have to go through me."
"Last time I asked you to tell him my phone numbers, and I have yet to receive any message from him."
"Yeah, so? Maybe he doesn't want to send you any. Maybe he's creeped out by his brother's supposedly best friend who ogled him right from the first encounter."
"Maybe you didn't tell him my numbers."
"Which is a perfectly reasonable course of action, given that he's still in the third grade of junior high school!"
"Ha!" Siwon points an accusing finger at the other boy. "You admit that you didn't tell him my numbers! I knew it--."
"T-that wasn't the point!"
"Hyukjae," Siwon crosses his arms, "Have I been a bad friend? Have I ever done something that makes you unable to trust me?"
The other boy looks at him as if he has lost his mind because the answer to that is entirely obvious in his opinion. "You have a fricking crush on my baby brother!"
"And I promise you I will take care of your--."
"No! NO NO NO NO NO!!"
***
After approximately a hundred of NOs, Siwon finally accepts that Hyukjae’s answer to his request for Kyuhyun's contacts is, well, no. During the increasingly frequent (much to Hyukjae's dislike) study sessions over at Hyukjae's house (the result of ridiculous excuses such as "Oh come on, Hyukjae, my place is too far from school and we'll end up too tired to actually study when we get there!"), Siwon tirelessly tries to ask the person himself many times-- efforts that never bear any fruit no thanks to the ever-present older brother.
Every time he goes as much as calling Kyuhyun out or simply greeting him, Hyukjae always manages to shoo his brother to 'safety'. It gets less and less subtle to the point of shoving a pillow onto his face after Siwon stares a bit too long when Kyuhyun bends down to get a drink from the fridge.
What Siwon doesn't know is, Hyukjae actually has a reason to strengthen his defense towards Siwon's advances.
"Oh, by the way," Kyuhyun had said casually one night, "Changmin is coming over next week."
"Okay," Hyukjae had responded as casually, because his younger brother's best friend hadn't been a threat to Kyuhyun in any way (unlike his own best friend) and he actually kind of likes Changmin because Kyuhyun somehow turns more carefree and laughs a lot whenever he's around. Too bad the boy moved away a while back so he couldn't come over as much.
"Is your friend coming here too next week?"
Right then an odd instinct whispered warning at him and it had taken Hyukjae five seconds to shoot back a question, "Why?"
Kyuhun had shrugged nonchalantly but the warnings inside Hyukjae’s head had only grown louder. "Changmin will be here to play games. That's all. Maybe we'll get too loud but it will be the games. You know."
Of course he had known. Kyuhyun plus Changmin equals laughter and shouts and game sounds. It wasn't until Kyuhyun emphasized how they were gaming buddies that Hyukjae realized what Kyuhyun had been trying to tell him discreetly, and it wasn’t about apologizing for the possible noises.
In case your friend asks, Changmin is just my friend.
Hyukjae's expression had twisted in horror and when Kyuhyun realized that Hyukjae realized, the younger boy had blushed a little and excused himself to his room.
When Changmin came the week after, Siwon had frowned and, sure enough, asked Hyukjae about him.
Hyukjae had told him that Changmin is Kyuhyun's boyfriend.
***
"You lied to me," Siwon says with a huge smile that doesn't quite match his words.
Hyukjae mutters, "I never lie unless it's absolutely necessary."
The huge smile slips a little, but then it grows evem bigger as if nothing can ruin his happy mood. "Well just so you know, I finally found out that Changmin is not your brother's boyfriend."
The other boy curses inwardly. He had been so satisfied too at seeing Siwon moping for the past two weeks and halting all efforts to woo Kyuhyun. Now he has to put up the defenses again. "How?"
"You might've been very careful not to let me get in contact with Kyuhyun. But you let Changmin out in the open."
Damn it. This feels more and more like war, and Hyukjae's fort around Kyuhyun is slowly crumbling. There's also something suspicious about Siwon's excessive cheerfulness that couldn't have come from Changmin's clarification on the matter--.
Hyukjae gasps, "Changmin didn't."
"Oh yes he did," Siwon wags his phone, "he told me Kyuhyun's number because Kyuhyun wouldn't mind, he said. He also said how Kyuhyun complained about his overbearingly overprotective brother, that's you, in case you haven't realized. According to Changmin, Kyuhyun even mentioned me a couple of times--."
But Hyukjae's heart has stopped at the three words he never expected to hear from Kyuhyun.
***
The photo was taken on a hot summer day, perfect for their family's trip to the beach. Little Kyuhyun had whined about having to go into the water with a swimming tube, but finally obeyed because Hyukjae had patiently used a swimming tube himself, even though he could swim perfectly and made sure that they didn't stray off the shallow water where he couldn't stand without drowning. And then Kyuhyun had cried when the older boy's tube slowly deflated because of a particularly huge wave and a coral rock. It was only after they arrived back to the shore without harm that Kyuhyun believed his brother weren’t going to die.
'A huge crybaby,' Hyukjae thinks as he put the family photo back onto his desk. That was Kyuhyun many years ago. Now? He's still a crybaby alright, only behind closed doors and when he thinks no one's gonna notice, like at that time their parents missed his elementary school graduation. But Hyukjae always notices, and each time he renews his vow to try his best not to let Kyuhyun cry, because he's his only brother and brothers take care of each other.
But maybe Kyuhyun feels that Hyukjae is taking care of him a bit too much.
He buries his face further into the pillow and decides that he wants to sulk. Alright, maybe he has been protective of his brother. Every sibling does. Has he been over-protective? He's not sure if such thing exists. How can someone over-protect a person he loves? He just doesn't want Kyuhyun to get sick or hurt. Is that too much? Too much until Kyuhyun thinks that he's not only overprotective, but also overbearingly so?
"Hyung?" There's a knock on his bedroom door. "Can I come in?"
"Yeah," he answers in muffled voice and doesn't turn to see Kyuhyun walking in because he still wants to sulk.
Apparently his awkwardness doesn't go unnoticed because the curiosity is obvious in Kyuhyun's voice when he sits down on the bed next to Hyukjae. "Is there something wrong?"
'You tell me,' Hyukjae wants to say. But he couldn't, could he? Not only he doesn't have the heart to be mad at Kyuhyun, he's also deeply afraid that Kyuhyun would confirm Changmin's words and then some. "No," he ends up saying as he puts up his there-is-nothing-wrong expression and looks up at Kyuhyun. "What is it?"
Kyuhyun frowns for a second, but let it slide anyway. "Umm... I wanna ask you something."
"Shoot," Hyukjae shrugs, noticing how fidgety Kyuhyun is.
"I… promise me you won't overreact."
Overprotective. Overbearing. Overreacting. Seems like Hyukjae is all about overdoing things in Kyuhyun's eyes. "Okay," he says weakly, his intention to sulk being overridden by pure sadness.
"Your friend, you know, the one who comes over a lot lately, sent me a text."
The day just gets worse and worse. But he promised he wouldn't overreact, did he, despite how much he feels like hurling his desk all the way at a certain boy with dimples and thick eyebrows. "...Okay?"
"Do you think I should reply?"
There are so many things rushing through his mind all at once, but the biggest, loudest question wins out and he croaks out, "Why are you asking me?"
Kyuhyun fidgets again. "He's your friend."
Hyukjae snorts loudly and somehow that turns Kyuhyun all embarrassed until he stands up and reaches for the door while mumbling something along the lines of "forget it". Hyukjae should've let him go, because maybe Kyuhyun would never reply Siwon's message and Siwon will finally give up, but Kyuhyun is certainly at the point where he's feeling so troubled and unsure until he goes as far as seeking Hyukjae's advice.
In the end, the big brother in him relents and stops Kyuhyun from leaving. "Hey," he says as he places a reassuring hand on the other boy's shoulder and coaxes him to sit back down. "Sorry, I didn't mean to mock you or anything, alright?"
Kyuhyun looks at anywhere but Hyukjae, a faint blush adorning his cheeks. He looks as uncomfortable as his brother to carry on with this conversation, although for conflicting reasons. When Kyuhyun doesn't say anything, it's up to Hyukjae to get this done and over with. "Do you… like him? Siwon?"
"I don't know," Kyuhyun's head dips lower. "I've never…"
How much more adorable can his brother be? All the more reason for Hyukjae to guard his innocence, really. But that would be taking advantage of his brother's trust after he lays his heart all out in the open. "What do you think of him?" Hyukjae asks despite himself.
"He's... funny. I mean, sometimes when you stops him from talking to me, he looks…" Kyuhyun flushes and bites his lip to stop himself from laughing at remembering Siwon's comedic protests. "I just, well, I don't know. He looks nice, and he's your friend. But it seems like you don't like it when he comes near me." A pair of hesitant orbs looks up, twinkling with a mix of hope and dread. "So maybe he's not what he appears to be…"
A prickle of guilt nudges his conscience. He has been unfair to Siwon, never even giving him any chance, even though Hyukjae knows that he's a great guy and an awesome friend. Although the sudden growth of Siwon's crush is both alarming and downright disturbing, who is Hyukjae to judge someone else's feelings? "No… no," Hyukjae admits. "He's actually okay." More than okay, but he wouldn't want Kyuhyun to lower his guards.
"Really?" The twinkle of hope washes over the dread now. Maybe 'okay' is too much of a positive word, but the damage has been done.
"Yeah."
"So… it's okay to reply to his text?"
On second thought, he doesn’t mind to eat his own words if need be and just forbids Kyuhyun from replying. "What did he say?"
"It's a secret," Kyuhyun huffs in an attempt to maintain his privacy, but Hyukjae is half-glaring and half-pleading, if not begging, and Kyuhyun might be a brat but he doesn't like to dishearten Hyukjae. "He only said hi and asked if he can call me sometime."
"DEFINITELY NOT!"
"Hyung!"
Hyukjae facepalms and groans exasperatedly for a moment to calm himself. When he looks up at Kyuhyun who still sits expectantly with a small pout, suddenly he doesn’t mind being called overprotective or whatever else. He just doesn't want Kyuhyun to get hurt because he loves him and he cares for him and he's his dearest baby brother. He wants to keep Kyuhyun in a safe cocoon where nothing can harm him. "You're so young," he whispers, and in his heart he knows it’s not the whole truth, because Kyuhyun is only two years younger than him and he doesn't deserve being put in a cocoon when there's a whole world out there.
Yeah, Kyuhyun is a big boy now and probably more mature than Hyukjae in many ways because then he responds while smiling fondly at him, "I can take care of myself, hyung." His eyes speak of gratefulness, affection and calm resignation towards Hyukjae's overbearing overprotectiveness, because he wouldn't have anyone else as his older brother. Hyukjae's heart in turn swells with love and pride. Nothing else matters anymore. He doesn't trust himself to speak without his voice cracking embarrassingly so he pulls Kyuhyun into a suffocating hug, which Kyuhyun whines at but returns all the same.
***
The next morning, Siwon practically stomps towards his desk and half-accuses him with a desperately hopeful expression on his face. "Did you or did you not confiscate Kyuhyun's phone."
"I did not," Hyukjae answers and savors the crestfallen look Siwon entertains him with for three seconds before continuing, "But I did forbid him from replying to you until I have a proper talk with you today."
It's funny how many facial expression can pass through someone’s face in such a short time. Hyukjae recalls Kyuhyun's words about Siwon looking amusing while said boy finally settles on presenting SERIOUS with capital letters and sits down on the desk next to Hyukjae (shoving away the boy who sits next to Hyukjae and whose protest falls on deaf ears). "I'm all for proper talks. Alright. Give it to me."
Hyukjae scans him from top to bottom with judging eyes. "I won't ask whether you're serious about him or not because you barely know him--."
"I'm not planning to toy with him if that's what you want to ask me," Siwon says quickly.
"Good enough for now. Here's how this gonna work. You are gonna get to know each other. No rush. No forcing your way ahead. If, and only if, Kyuhyun consents, you may…" Hyukjae takes a deep breath, "be in a relationship with him."
Siwon looks like he just won a trip to the moon. "You're saying I can date him."
"Only if he agrees on his own will!" The boy emphasizes again, his voice rising a notch. "Even after that, since Kyuhyun is still very young, there are rules."
"Oh, I'm very good at following rules."
"First, no spending time alone. Absolutely no spending time in his room --or anyone’s room in that matter-- with locked doors. Your place is out of the question unless I'm there as well. Public places are preferable. No cinemas though. I know all about dating inside the cinemas."
Hyukjae might as well forbid Siwon from seeing Kyuhyun without him tagging along. But Siwon knows better than to say it aloud because Hyukjae might actually lay it down as rule number two. "Go on."
"Second, I must, at all times without fail, know where you're going and at what time you will return. I will set a curfew and you as the responsible adult will follow it."
"Won’t let you down," Siwon vows, hoping that the curfew wouldn't be ridiculously early.
"Third, absolutely no kissing or beyond until Kyuhyun turns 17 years old."
There's silence between them for a while. At this point Siwon is ready to agree to any ridiculous rule (and follow it to a point because he’s a man of his words) but, really? "...You do know that's two years from now, right?"
"Are you saying that my brother's not worth the wait?" Hyukjae scowls and noticeably looks like he wants to just revoke the whole thing. Annul. Void. Also no more best friends--.
"Two years," Siwon chirps. "It will pass in no time."
Best friends again. Hyukjae nods in satisfaction and continues, "You must always respect his wishes. Absolutely no making him cry. If you fail to do so, I will make sure to turn your balls inside out."
"That..." Siwon gathers himself for a moment from a brief flash of possible painful torture, "goes without saying."
"Then we have reached an agreement," Hyukjae finally smiles. “Come over my place and I’ll gladly introduce you again.”
***
An agreement that Hyukjae begins to regret by the time Siwon and Kyuhyun properly meets for the first time with the big brother standing unobtrusively (or so he pretends to be) on the side.
"Hi," Siwon beams, his lips threatening to stretch wider than they're capable of as he raises a hand for a handshake. "I'm Siwon."
"Kyuhyun," the boy smiles shyly as his hand meets Siwon's.
"This is gonna sound weird.” Kyuhyun’s hand is softer than he imagined and he can hold onto it forever. “But I’ve heard so much about you from your brother that it feels like I’ve known you for a long time. I know the kind of food you like, the kind of movies that turns you into an excited 8 years old, and the kind of weather that affects your mood.”
“That doesn’t just sound weird, but absolutely creepy,” Hyukjae mutters not-so-under-his-breath, but Kyuhyun looks far from weirded out.
“Yet I’d love to find out things about you myself,” Siwon continues without letting go of Kyuhyun’s hand (he might become obsessed soon), ignorant to anything but the beautiful creature in front of him. “May I?”
“Only if I can find out things about you as well…” Kyuhyun flushes at his own words and Siwon nearly melts into a puddle of goo.
Hyukjae snorts.
***
A month later, Hyukjae walks into his house to witness Siwon breaking the promise of not kissing Kyuhyun before he turns seventeen. As if that doesn’t give Hyukjae enough heart attacks, Kyuhyun defends him from being gruesomely sliced to pieces by saying that he was the one who initiated the kiss.
***
The End