[ILC09] Oblivious Backdrop
Rating: PG-13
Pairing: Kyumin
Genre: AU!General, Romance
Beta: paradigm_twist
IL/Pairing Assigner: rssj1314 & shadowcrawler12
Summary: He's used to ignoring what frustrates him, troubles him or simply doesn't capture his attention. This person however, is not as easily overlooked as he would have thought.
***
“It's coming along... oh, oh wait... there... no, not that - it's gone.” Kyuhyun said exasperatedly as he dropped the pen onto the table. The idea that came so quickly to mind had just as easily disappeared before he could even begin to jot it down.
Thinking of ways to revamp the menu was beginning to create a major headache and he wasn't even sure why he was given the job of coming up with new recipes. He crumpled the paper and threw it into the trashcan in front of him as he banged his head against the wooden desk.
"You can't be having this hard of a time." Siwon commented.
Kyuhyun raised his head and closed his eyes. "You do it then."
Siwon chuckled as he slapped him with the towel. "No way. I did it for the last three years. It's your turn now."
Kyuhyun sighed as he swat the towel away from his face as he straightened up. His eyes adjusted to a clearer view of the beach in front of him. He exhaled deeply as he stood up in the middle of their modest cabin.
It was only spring, but he had to start thinking of ideas before the summer crowd rushes in. He ignored the task on hand temporarily as he stared out at the open sea, enjoying the calm rifts in the current as the salty breeze swept by.
His eyes glanced at the few passer-bys who walked along the beach, envying their carefree attitude. He solemnly returned to the stack of paper, determined to come up with new ideas before night came.
-
Someone tapped his cheek with a pencil. Very harshly he might add.
Kyuhyun opened his eyes and found himself facing a stranger who continually tapped his cheek with the pencil, even when he was noticeably awake. He sat up, with the paper that was stuck to his cheek. He pulled it off and winced.
He stared at the man in question when he heard Siwon called out.
"I didn't expect to see you so soon." Siwon said cheerfully. The man grinned back.
Kyuhyun shifted the puzzled look from the stranger to Siwon who explained. "This is Sungmin. A friend of mine who will be staying here a while."
Kyuhyun arched an eyebrow. "Will uncle be fine with that?"
Siwon nodded. "I already asked his permission a while back."
Kyuhyun glanced back at Sungmin who was toying with the pencil in his hand. He pointedly ignored him as he picked up the papers and headed towards the back of the cabins.
He was planning on ignoring Sungmin for the rest of his visit, but slowly, he began to feel some resentment towards him.
Especially when he had been wrongfully accused of stealing all the chocolate water ice when clearly he hadn't.
He had some idea of who the culprit was, but as he cleaned the cabin for tenth time, he was ready to kill the man. He had returned to the desk and froze as he watched Sungmin finished another cup of it.
"Get rid of him." Kyuhyun ordered. Siwon merely laughed at his words as if it were some clever joke.
"He's a great guy. Once you get to know him." Siwon insisted. Kyuhyun scoffed at that excuse, doubting it was true.
Kyuhyun merely glowered and said nothing, hoping that the man's visit would go by quickly before he killed him.
He returned to the desk and stared at the blank papers laid out before him. Giving a soft sigh when Sungmin propped himself on his elbows and sat down beside him.
"You're quite slow aren't you?" Sungmin commented lightly as he looked over at the papers.
Kyuhyun narrowed his eyes. "I am attempting here."
Sungmin smiled. "Clearly not hard enough." He then glanced at the menu Kyuhyun had set aside next to the papers. "The food is pretty good. Why do you need to change it?"
"We just added in some dishes for the summer." Kyuhyun explained reluctantly. "But I don't understand what to do. I'm hardly the cook in the family."
Sungmin nodded as he pursed his lips, looking over the menu. "I can help."
Kyuhyun blinked as he turned around and looked at the man who smiled back.
"I can help cook." Sungmin repeated.
Kyuhyun blinked a few more times while he processed his offer. A large grin gradually formed on his face. "Really?"
"I might as well do something since you had to clean this whole place," Sungmin chuckled. "Nice job by the way."
Kyuhyun scowled, and only briefly chose to ignore it.
-
Sungmin stirred the pot and poured the soup into the bowl, before passing it over to Kyuhyun who tasted it.
He cringed at the taste. "That didn't work." Sungmin observed.
"Obviously." Kyuhyun muttered. "Are you even a cook?"
"I said I would help. And this is a much better progress than you were making." Kyuhyun sighed, knowing he was right. He watched idly as Sungmin added some other ingredients into the soup.
"Have you always worked here?" Sungmin asked.
He nodded. "Our uncle doesn't have any sons so we ended up with the work." Kyuhyun grumbled. "What do you do?" He asked, making polite conversation.
"Temp work," Kyuhyun grimaced at the sound of it as Sungmin explained. "I do whatever I can to stay by this beach."
Kyuhyun nodded as he quietly approved his reason, because even he had to admit that the sole reason he didn't quit this job was because of the scenery.
Sungmin then gestured for him to come over. This time, instead of pouring the soup into the bowl, Sungmin held out the spoon for him to drink from.
Kyuhyun blinked, unsure of what to do when Sungmin gestured it towards him again. He reluctantly reached forward and drank from the spoon.
He slowly tasted it and slowly nodded in approval. "That's good."
Sungmin smiled earnestly, "I'm glad." He said cheerfully as he looked back at the pot.
Kyuhyun couldn't help but return the contagious smile; happy that they were able to finally make some progress. "Thank you." He added gratefully. Sungmin patted his back and prepared for their next dish. "Maybe you're not that bad of a cook as I thought."
Sungmin scoffed. "Don't doubt my abilities."
"I still doubt them." Kyuhyun admitted and was given a slight smack to the head.
For a while, he had thought that their relationship was improving. It had seemed that way as they experimented with different recipes.
He didn't dare tell Siwon this. Or the fact that he didn't mind spending times with the man. He could see how anyone lowered their defenses when Sungmin was around.
Every time they perfected a recipe, discovered new tricks or even learned what didn't work, Sungmin would smile at the end as if they had somehow made a miraculous discovery. Kyuhyun couldn't help but smile back in return.
He realized that it wasn't as easy to ignore him as previously thought.
-
Kyuhyun slammed the menus onto the table, dropped the pen without care and jabbed the pencil into the paper that it nearly made a hole.
His eyes glanced up and noted the two that stood outside the cabin, Sungmin laughed alongside the man beside him.
He shook his head as he looked back at the menus.
Halfway through his visit, a new customer had started showing up and whisked away Sungmin's attention, much to Kyuhyun's dismay as that person continually took away the time they used to cook.
He didn't have time for Sungmin to start a summer fling.
He scribbled furiously across the papers, occasionally glancing up to see Sungmin chatting with the man, his smile never once leaving his face.
Sungmin waved when the man left, Kyuhyun remained quiet as Sungmin walked back and casually leaned against the table. "It's looking better."
"I guess." Kyuhyun muttered, scribbling roughly against the smooth paper.
Sungmin leaned in and took a good look at his expression. Kyuhyun continued to work on the menus, refusing to meet his questioning gaze.
"Is something wrong?"
"Nothing." Kyuhyun replied as he straightened up the menus. "Absolutely nothing." He said slightly louder as he jabbed at the menus.
Sungmin raised an eyebrow. He then asked, "Do you want to get started on the new appetizers-"
"I have other things to do." Kyuhyun interrupted, "You should go have fun with that friend of yours." His expression remained stoic as he grabbed the menus off the desk. Without another word, he left him behind, never once giving a backward glance.
-
"Jealousy is unbecoming of you." Siwon commented.
Kyuhyun scoffed as he cleaned the tables. "What jealousy?"
Siwon arched an eyebrow. "The one felt towards Sungmin and -"
"As if I care about that." Kyuhyun replied, "I just wish that he would be more focused on helping me with the menu. We're still not done."
He reached over to clean the next table when his eyes looked up momentarily.
The man had leaned in rather close and once again their arms brushed against each other. He paid attention to the constant contact. His eyes however zoomed in on the smile on his face that appeared every time he was around.
He forced his eyes to look away and return to the task at hand.
Siwon had followed his gaze, "You stopped caring about the assignment a long time ago." Siwon stated. "Just admit it. You're just using that as an excuse to see him."
Kyuhyun said nothing, knowing that his own silence had answered the question.
His resentment was unreasonable.
The man hadn't completely stolen away all of Sungmin's time, in fact Kyuhyun was sure he had seen Sungmin more often even without the excuse. But even at that small detail, he still didn't like their constant time together, he didn't like the idea of what those two could eventually become.
-
Sungmin seemed to have taken the hint and decided to help out more often with the recipe experimentation. Kyuhyun was happy at first, but his smile faltered when he realized that the friend was tagging along.
Sungmin pulled out the baked fries and placed them on the counter, waiting until they cooled down when he reached for one.
Kyuhyun opened his mouth halfway, ready to be fed when the friend suddenly leaned in and ate the fry from Sungmin's hand.
Kyuhyun closed his mouth awkwardly.
"Is it good?" Sungmin asked. The friend nodded vigorously in approval. Sungmin had then focused his attention on him, looking for his approval. Kyuhyun reached for his own fry and merely ate the tip.
Kyuhyun simply nodded as he wiped his hands on the towel. "What's next for us to do?" He asked.
"Let's finish the fries first." The friend said. "You guys have done enough cooking for one night."
Not as much as they should've, thought Kyuhyun. He bit his cheek to stop him from voicing it out loud as he turned around and turned off the oven and reached for the towel. He turned back around and stopped.
The man had placed his arm around Sungmin. He continued to stare at the hand that rested too comfortably on his shoulder.
Kyuhyun swallowed the lump in his throat, fidgeting slightly with the towel in his hand.
He stepped forward hesitantly as he reached out, subtly nudging his hand until it fell off his shoulder.
He ignored the looks both of them had given him, "If we're done, I'll get to cleaning these dishes." He said. Without another word, he rushed back to the kitchen.
Once through the double doors, Kyuhyun dropped the towel onto the sink and sighed.
He hated the uncomfortable feeling that formed in his chest whenever he saw the two together. He hated how he had to nearly fight for his time with some stranger Sungmin hardly knew. He hated the man who effortlessly received his smiles and attention.
He hated himself for acting childish; for not being able to act mature about this.
He exhaled deeply as he looked at his hands, laughing bitterly when he realized he had completely forgotten to take any of the dishes with him.
It was then that he acknowledged his feelings, rather than ignore them as he had always done before. It seemed whatever involved Sungmin had become difficult to ignore.
He recalled Siwon's former advice, and that he had to confess before his resentment got the best of him. But even now he was unsure to go about it.
Yet as he glanced at the two chat with one another from a safe distance behind the double doors, he knew that he had to admit his feelings eventually.
-
Sungmin leaned back against the wooden desk. He stared at the setting sun and thought that it was breathtaking. But even the beautiful scenery couldn't captivate all of his attention.
He didn't need to look to see that Kyuhyun walking slowly towards his direction. He did look up however when Kyuhyun handed him a cup of water ice.
"You prefer chocolate right?"
Sungmin smiled and took it from his hands. "Yes." He said as he took a bite from it with his spoon. "I see you prefer cherry though."
Kyuhyun furrowed his eyebrows as Sungmin gestured to his lips. Kyuhyun took a napkin holder and glanced at his reflection. He realized his lips were dark red and in mild embarrassment, immediately tried to wipe them with a napkin.
Sungmin chuckled. "It's not going to go away that easy."
Kyuhyun frowned as he continued to try. He heard Sungmin laughed and the napkin was taken away from his hands. Kyuhyun stood still as Sungmin helped wipe his lips.
"Must be your favorite flavor." Sungmin commented.
Kyuhyun nodded as he focused his eyes on the table rather than the man before him, "It tastes good."
"I never tried it," Sungmin admitted. "Is there any left?"
Kyuhyun shyly shook his head as Sungmin chuckled. "I wonder what is tastes like." He said as he pulled back the napkin.
He turned away shyly, slightly flustered from the close contact. He looked everywhere else, deciding that he couldn't go through with it.
"I'll try to find some in the back." He said as he turned away.
"I think you avoided me long enough."
Kyuhyun froze, noting his light tone. He remained where he was as he glanced at Sungmin's expression. He acted nonchalant as he ate a bit of his chocolate water ice and savored the flavor.
Kyuhyun felt a wave of guilt wash over him, but couldn't understate his emotions or the struggle he faced internally.
He wasn't sure how to go about it. And though he had imagined the scenario relentlessly over the past few days, he could only blank out completely.
"If you like me, admit it." Sungmin said flatly.
Kyuhyun hid his widening eyes beneath his hair as he shifted uncomfortably. "That makes me not want to say it." He said quietly.
"But you still want to." Sungmin said. Kyuhyun wasn't sure what to make of Sungmin's confidence. Or the fact that he may have just been too obvious.
He traced circles among the counter, trying to form the words properly before he voiced them.
"I want this to be more than just a summer fling." Kyuhyun said clearly. "I want to date you. For much longer than a few weeks."
"How much longer?"
"Much longer than that friend of yours wanted." Kyuhyun added bitterly.
Sungmin laughed. "He does have a name you know." It fell upon deaf ears and Sungmin chuckled again as he placed the spoon in the chocolate water ice.
Kyuhyun kept his eyes focused on the counter as Sungmin peered up at his expression, a warm smile playing upon his lips.
"I don't want this to be just a fling either." He replied as he stepped forward. "I would want it to last for far longer than a few weeks..."
Kyuhyun stared with wide eyes as he pressed his lips against his cheek. The short and small action was enough to startle his heart.
"Much longer."
Kyuhyun ignored the pounding in his chest as Sungmin stepped back and resumed eating his water ice.
He swallowed slightly and initiated what he had always wanted to do.
He reached for his free hand, holding it securely in his own. Sungmin raised an eyebrow at his actions.
"This way," He uttered, his eyes still unable to look directly at him. "Everyone will know you're dating me and no one else."
Sungmin smiled as he tugged at the hand. "What if I don't want anyone to know?" He asked playfully.
Kyuhyun narrowed his eyes as he faced him directly. "Too late."
He turned Sungmin and held him securely from behind.
He tightened his hold as he said. "I want that friend of yours to know especially."
He felt Sungmin move in his hold and thought that maybe he would push his hands away.
Instead, Sungmin merely made himself more comfortable as he leaned back against his chest and ate away at the water ice.
Sungmin then smiled. "Also, he wasn't a fling," Sungmin insisted. "Donghae's just a friend."
"I still want him to know." Kyuhyun said determinedly as Sungmin shook his head. He turned around in his arms and smiled mischievously.
Kyuhyun froze completely from the soft contact, unable to move as Sungmin moved his lips against his and offered more than a chaste kiss. Only Kyuhyun was too stiff to move and react as he wanted to.
He felt it was too soon when Sungmin pulled away.
"You're right," Sungmin beamed as turned around and leaned back against him. "Cherry is good."
Kyuhyun blinked, realizing what had just happened and shyly nuzzled against his shoulder.
They enjoyed every bit of the late afternoon as the salty breeze swept peacefully against them. Even when Sungmin finished the water ice and placed it back on the table, Kyuhyun had reached for his other free hand and held it just as tightly.
He didn't let go even when the friend appeared. Nor when Siwon gave them a knowing look. Or even as they took frequent walks along the sidewalk by the beach, glancing back at the man who tugged at his hand playfully.
He disagreed with Siwon.
Sungmin was beyond a 'great guy'. As he got to learn more about him, he knew it was true. His own stoic expression gradually softened under his smiling gaze and he couldn't help but smile wordlessly in return as they both stood beside the breathtaking scenery.
☆ rssj1314 's Kyumin ☆
- ILC08 [ Minwook] ☆ ILC10 [ Henmin] --
A/N: For those who don't know what water ice is, it's this, at first I used to think it was just plain water with ice @.@. But it's delicious :)
Pairing: Kyumin
Genre: AU!General, Romance
Beta: paradigm_twist
IL/Pairing Assigner: rssj1314 & shadowcrawler12
Summary: He's used to ignoring what frustrates him, troubles him or simply doesn't capture his attention. This person however, is not as easily overlooked as he would have thought.
***
“It's coming along... oh, oh wait... there... no, not that - it's gone.” Kyuhyun said exasperatedly as he dropped the pen onto the table. The idea that came so quickly to mind had just as easily disappeared before he could even begin to jot it down.
Thinking of ways to revamp the menu was beginning to create a major headache and he wasn't even sure why he was given the job of coming up with new recipes. He crumpled the paper and threw it into the trashcan in front of him as he banged his head against the wooden desk.
"You can't be having this hard of a time." Siwon commented.
Kyuhyun raised his head and closed his eyes. "You do it then."
Siwon chuckled as he slapped him with the towel. "No way. I did it for the last three years. It's your turn now."
Kyuhyun sighed as he swat the towel away from his face as he straightened up. His eyes adjusted to a clearer view of the beach in front of him. He exhaled deeply as he stood up in the middle of their modest cabin.
It was only spring, but he had to start thinking of ideas before the summer crowd rushes in. He ignored the task on hand temporarily as he stared out at the open sea, enjoying the calm rifts in the current as the salty breeze swept by.
His eyes glanced at the few passer-bys who walked along the beach, envying their carefree attitude. He solemnly returned to the stack of paper, determined to come up with new ideas before night came.
-
Someone tapped his cheek with a pencil. Very harshly he might add.
Kyuhyun opened his eyes and found himself facing a stranger who continually tapped his cheek with the pencil, even when he was noticeably awake. He sat up, with the paper that was stuck to his cheek. He pulled it off and winced.
He stared at the man in question when he heard Siwon called out.
"I didn't expect to see you so soon." Siwon said cheerfully. The man grinned back.
Kyuhyun shifted the puzzled look from the stranger to Siwon who explained. "This is Sungmin. A friend of mine who will be staying here a while."
Kyuhyun arched an eyebrow. "Will uncle be fine with that?"
Siwon nodded. "I already asked his permission a while back."
Kyuhyun glanced back at Sungmin who was toying with the pencil in his hand. He pointedly ignored him as he picked up the papers and headed towards the back of the cabins.
He was planning on ignoring Sungmin for the rest of his visit, but slowly, he began to feel some resentment towards him.
Especially when he had been wrongfully accused of stealing all the chocolate water ice when clearly he hadn't.
He had some idea of who the culprit was, but as he cleaned the cabin for tenth time, he was ready to kill the man. He had returned to the desk and froze as he watched Sungmin finished another cup of it.
"Get rid of him." Kyuhyun ordered. Siwon merely laughed at his words as if it were some clever joke.
"He's a great guy. Once you get to know him." Siwon insisted. Kyuhyun scoffed at that excuse, doubting it was true.
Kyuhyun merely glowered and said nothing, hoping that the man's visit would go by quickly before he killed him.
He returned to the desk and stared at the blank papers laid out before him. Giving a soft sigh when Sungmin propped himself on his elbows and sat down beside him.
"You're quite slow aren't you?" Sungmin commented lightly as he looked over at the papers.
Kyuhyun narrowed his eyes. "I am attempting here."
Sungmin smiled. "Clearly not hard enough." He then glanced at the menu Kyuhyun had set aside next to the papers. "The food is pretty good. Why do you need to change it?"
"We just added in some dishes for the summer." Kyuhyun explained reluctantly. "But I don't understand what to do. I'm hardly the cook in the family."
Sungmin nodded as he pursed his lips, looking over the menu. "I can help."
Kyuhyun blinked as he turned around and looked at the man who smiled back.
"I can help cook." Sungmin repeated.
Kyuhyun blinked a few more times while he processed his offer. A large grin gradually formed on his face. "Really?"
"I might as well do something since you had to clean this whole place," Sungmin chuckled. "Nice job by the way."
Kyuhyun scowled, and only briefly chose to ignore it.
-
Sungmin stirred the pot and poured the soup into the bowl, before passing it over to Kyuhyun who tasted it.
He cringed at the taste. "That didn't work." Sungmin observed.
"Obviously." Kyuhyun muttered. "Are you even a cook?"
"I said I would help. And this is a much better progress than you were making." Kyuhyun sighed, knowing he was right. He watched idly as Sungmin added some other ingredients into the soup.
"Have you always worked here?" Sungmin asked.
He nodded. "Our uncle doesn't have any sons so we ended up with the work." Kyuhyun grumbled. "What do you do?" He asked, making polite conversation.
"Temp work," Kyuhyun grimaced at the sound of it as Sungmin explained. "I do whatever I can to stay by this beach."
Kyuhyun nodded as he quietly approved his reason, because even he had to admit that the sole reason he didn't quit this job was because of the scenery.
Sungmin then gestured for him to come over. This time, instead of pouring the soup into the bowl, Sungmin held out the spoon for him to drink from.
Kyuhyun blinked, unsure of what to do when Sungmin gestured it towards him again. He reluctantly reached forward and drank from the spoon.
He slowly tasted it and slowly nodded in approval. "That's good."
Sungmin smiled earnestly, "I'm glad." He said cheerfully as he looked back at the pot.
Kyuhyun couldn't help but return the contagious smile; happy that they were able to finally make some progress. "Thank you." He added gratefully. Sungmin patted his back and prepared for their next dish. "Maybe you're not that bad of a cook as I thought."
Sungmin scoffed. "Don't doubt my abilities."
"I still doubt them." Kyuhyun admitted and was given a slight smack to the head.
For a while, he had thought that their relationship was improving. It had seemed that way as they experimented with different recipes.
He didn't dare tell Siwon this. Or the fact that he didn't mind spending times with the man. He could see how anyone lowered their defenses when Sungmin was around.
Every time they perfected a recipe, discovered new tricks or even learned what didn't work, Sungmin would smile at the end as if they had somehow made a miraculous discovery. Kyuhyun couldn't help but smile back in return.
He realized that it wasn't as easy to ignore him as previously thought.
-
Kyuhyun slammed the menus onto the table, dropped the pen without care and jabbed the pencil into the paper that it nearly made a hole.
His eyes glanced up and noted the two that stood outside the cabin, Sungmin laughed alongside the man beside him.
He shook his head as he looked back at the menus.
Halfway through his visit, a new customer had started showing up and whisked away Sungmin's attention, much to Kyuhyun's dismay as that person continually took away the time they used to cook.
He didn't have time for Sungmin to start a summer fling.
He scribbled furiously across the papers, occasionally glancing up to see Sungmin chatting with the man, his smile never once leaving his face.
Sungmin waved when the man left, Kyuhyun remained quiet as Sungmin walked back and casually leaned against the table. "It's looking better."
"I guess." Kyuhyun muttered, scribbling roughly against the smooth paper.
Sungmin leaned in and took a good look at his expression. Kyuhyun continued to work on the menus, refusing to meet his questioning gaze.
"Is something wrong?"
"Nothing." Kyuhyun replied as he straightened up the menus. "Absolutely nothing." He said slightly louder as he jabbed at the menus.
Sungmin raised an eyebrow. He then asked, "Do you want to get started on the new appetizers-"
"I have other things to do." Kyuhyun interrupted, "You should go have fun with that friend of yours." His expression remained stoic as he grabbed the menus off the desk. Without another word, he left him behind, never once giving a backward glance.
-
"Jealousy is unbecoming of you." Siwon commented.
Kyuhyun scoffed as he cleaned the tables. "What jealousy?"
Siwon arched an eyebrow. "The one felt towards Sungmin and -"
"As if I care about that." Kyuhyun replied, "I just wish that he would be more focused on helping me with the menu. We're still not done."
He reached over to clean the next table when his eyes looked up momentarily.
The man had leaned in rather close and once again their arms brushed against each other. He paid attention to the constant contact. His eyes however zoomed in on the smile on his face that appeared every time he was around.
He forced his eyes to look away and return to the task at hand.
Siwon had followed his gaze, "You stopped caring about the assignment a long time ago." Siwon stated. "Just admit it. You're just using that as an excuse to see him."
Kyuhyun said nothing, knowing that his own silence had answered the question.
His resentment was unreasonable.
The man hadn't completely stolen away all of Sungmin's time, in fact Kyuhyun was sure he had seen Sungmin more often even without the excuse. But even at that small detail, he still didn't like their constant time together, he didn't like the idea of what those two could eventually become.
-
Sungmin seemed to have taken the hint and decided to help out more often with the recipe experimentation. Kyuhyun was happy at first, but his smile faltered when he realized that the friend was tagging along.
Sungmin pulled out the baked fries and placed them on the counter, waiting until they cooled down when he reached for one.
Kyuhyun opened his mouth halfway, ready to be fed when the friend suddenly leaned in and ate the fry from Sungmin's hand.
Kyuhyun closed his mouth awkwardly.
"Is it good?" Sungmin asked. The friend nodded vigorously in approval. Sungmin had then focused his attention on him, looking for his approval. Kyuhyun reached for his own fry and merely ate the tip.
Kyuhyun simply nodded as he wiped his hands on the towel. "What's next for us to do?" He asked.
"Let's finish the fries first." The friend said. "You guys have done enough cooking for one night."
Not as much as they should've, thought Kyuhyun. He bit his cheek to stop him from voicing it out loud as he turned around and turned off the oven and reached for the towel. He turned back around and stopped.
The man had placed his arm around Sungmin. He continued to stare at the hand that rested too comfortably on his shoulder.
Kyuhyun swallowed the lump in his throat, fidgeting slightly with the towel in his hand.
He stepped forward hesitantly as he reached out, subtly nudging his hand until it fell off his shoulder.
He ignored the looks both of them had given him, "If we're done, I'll get to cleaning these dishes." He said. Without another word, he rushed back to the kitchen.
Once through the double doors, Kyuhyun dropped the towel onto the sink and sighed.
He hated the uncomfortable feeling that formed in his chest whenever he saw the two together. He hated how he had to nearly fight for his time with some stranger Sungmin hardly knew. He hated the man who effortlessly received his smiles and attention.
He hated himself for acting childish; for not being able to act mature about this.
He exhaled deeply as he looked at his hands, laughing bitterly when he realized he had completely forgotten to take any of the dishes with him.
It was then that he acknowledged his feelings, rather than ignore them as he had always done before. It seemed whatever involved Sungmin had become difficult to ignore.
He recalled Siwon's former advice, and that he had to confess before his resentment got the best of him. But even now he was unsure to go about it.
Yet as he glanced at the two chat with one another from a safe distance behind the double doors, he knew that he had to admit his feelings eventually.
-
Sungmin leaned back against the wooden desk. He stared at the setting sun and thought that it was breathtaking. But even the beautiful scenery couldn't captivate all of his attention.
He didn't need to look to see that Kyuhyun walking slowly towards his direction. He did look up however when Kyuhyun handed him a cup of water ice.
"You prefer chocolate right?"
Sungmin smiled and took it from his hands. "Yes." He said as he took a bite from it with his spoon. "I see you prefer cherry though."
Kyuhyun furrowed his eyebrows as Sungmin gestured to his lips. Kyuhyun took a napkin holder and glanced at his reflection. He realized his lips were dark red and in mild embarrassment, immediately tried to wipe them with a napkin.
Sungmin chuckled. "It's not going to go away that easy."
Kyuhyun frowned as he continued to try. He heard Sungmin laughed and the napkin was taken away from his hands. Kyuhyun stood still as Sungmin helped wipe his lips.
"Must be your favorite flavor." Sungmin commented.
Kyuhyun nodded as he focused his eyes on the table rather than the man before him, "It tastes good."
"I never tried it," Sungmin admitted. "Is there any left?"
Kyuhyun shyly shook his head as Sungmin chuckled. "I wonder what is tastes like." He said as he pulled back the napkin.
He turned away shyly, slightly flustered from the close contact. He looked everywhere else, deciding that he couldn't go through with it.
"I'll try to find some in the back." He said as he turned away.
"I think you avoided me long enough."
Kyuhyun froze, noting his light tone. He remained where he was as he glanced at Sungmin's expression. He acted nonchalant as he ate a bit of his chocolate water ice and savored the flavor.
Kyuhyun felt a wave of guilt wash over him, but couldn't understate his emotions or the struggle he faced internally.
He wasn't sure how to go about it. And though he had imagined the scenario relentlessly over the past few days, he could only blank out completely.
"If you like me, admit it." Sungmin said flatly.
Kyuhyun hid his widening eyes beneath his hair as he shifted uncomfortably. "That makes me not want to say it." He said quietly.
"But you still want to." Sungmin said. Kyuhyun wasn't sure what to make of Sungmin's confidence. Or the fact that he may have just been too obvious.
He traced circles among the counter, trying to form the words properly before he voiced them.
"I want this to be more than just a summer fling." Kyuhyun said clearly. "I want to date you. For much longer than a few weeks."
"How much longer?"
"Much longer than that friend of yours wanted." Kyuhyun added bitterly.
Sungmin laughed. "He does have a name you know." It fell upon deaf ears and Sungmin chuckled again as he placed the spoon in the chocolate water ice.
Kyuhyun kept his eyes focused on the counter as Sungmin peered up at his expression, a warm smile playing upon his lips.
"I don't want this to be just a fling either." He replied as he stepped forward. "I would want it to last for far longer than a few weeks..."
Kyuhyun stared with wide eyes as he pressed his lips against his cheek. The short and small action was enough to startle his heart.
"Much longer."
Kyuhyun ignored the pounding in his chest as Sungmin stepped back and resumed eating his water ice.
He swallowed slightly and initiated what he had always wanted to do.
He reached for his free hand, holding it securely in his own. Sungmin raised an eyebrow at his actions.
"This way," He uttered, his eyes still unable to look directly at him. "Everyone will know you're dating me and no one else."
Sungmin smiled as he tugged at the hand. "What if I don't want anyone to know?" He asked playfully.
Kyuhyun narrowed his eyes as he faced him directly. "Too late."
He turned Sungmin and held him securely from behind.
He tightened his hold as he said. "I want that friend of yours to know especially."
He felt Sungmin move in his hold and thought that maybe he would push his hands away.
Instead, Sungmin merely made himself more comfortable as he leaned back against his chest and ate away at the water ice.
Sungmin then smiled. "Also, he wasn't a fling," Sungmin insisted. "Donghae's just a friend."
"I still want him to know." Kyuhyun said determinedly as Sungmin shook his head. He turned around in his arms and smiled mischievously.
Kyuhyun froze completely from the soft contact, unable to move as Sungmin moved his lips against his and offered more than a chaste kiss. Only Kyuhyun was too stiff to move and react as he wanted to.
He felt it was too soon when Sungmin pulled away.
"You're right," Sungmin beamed as turned around and leaned back against him. "Cherry is good."
Kyuhyun blinked, realizing what had just happened and shyly nuzzled against his shoulder.
They enjoyed every bit of the late afternoon as the salty breeze swept peacefully against them. Even when Sungmin finished the water ice and placed it back on the table, Kyuhyun had reached for his other free hand and held it just as tightly.
He didn't let go even when the friend appeared. Nor when Siwon gave them a knowing look. Or even as they took frequent walks along the sidewalk by the beach, glancing back at the man who tugged at his hand playfully.
He disagreed with Siwon.
Sungmin was beyond a 'great guy'. As he got to learn more about him, he knew it was true. His own stoic expression gradually softened under his smiling gaze and he couldn't help but smile wordlessly in return as they both stood beside the breathtaking scenery.
☆ rssj1314 's Kyumin ☆
- ILC08 [ Minwook] ☆ ILC10 [ Henmin] --
A/N: For those who don't know what water ice is, it's this, at first I used to think it was just plain water with ice @.@. But it's delicious :)
