Princess Series pt. 6 - Snow White Ch. 4
Title: Snow White
Author: shy_mizuno
Rating: PG
Genre: Romance/Drama
Pairing: Kibum/Hankyung
Disclaimer: I own absolutely nothing. Super Junior belong to themselves and Snow White is from the Grimm Brothers and Walt Disney.
Summary: Kibum has always obeyed the orders of his surrogate father Jungmo, not knowing that Jungmo was planning to one day kill him.
Something cold pressed against his wet cheeks. Suddenly, Kibum jumped awake, trying to scramble away from the unknown threat. A bright-eyed fawn stared back at him, skittering back behind its mother.
Kibum looked around. In the sunny patch of forest, creatures tipped forward, scrunch their nose in curiosity. “Oh my...such kind creatures and here I am, terrified like a mouse.” Trying to steady himself, he sat on his haunches, with his hands out to the young fawn. “Go on...I won't hurt you.”
From through the doe's legs, the fawn stepped out, his head just above Kibum's hand. The forest stood still until the fawn licked up at his fingertips. Kibum laughed, leaning forward on his knees and running those fingertips through the fawn's spotted fur. “You are a kind soul, little Buck. You wouldn't hurt me, yes?” The fawn made a noise, a small giggle that brought the same from Kibum. He felt his fear die away, the tears drying on his cheeks. The woodland animals noticed as such; as the sun grew brighter, they came closer 'till Kibum was surrounded by cheery critters.
He turned to the Mother Doe. “You wouldn't know where I could rest my head for the night, would you?”
The doe didn't seem to understand for a moment - as animals are apt to do when a human speaks to them - but Kibum was patient, waiting while scratching the bunny-babies' heads. Then the doe turned her head, moving away hoof by hoof. She made a call and the buck-fawn totted behind her. Then the rabbits, and squirrels, and birds, and finally Kibum. Though he was frightened to go traveling through the forest once again, he followed dutifully behind the troupe, who knew how to move the trees safely. They walked confidently and Kibum's dread faded - not completely, but little by little. They walked away till the wood parted to a meadow that stood a cozy cottage.
“Such a warm house.” Kibum commented. He walked on alone, thanking the animals with a pet or a kiss and freeing them to their days. He approached the house on light feet. Kibum knocked on the door, which echoed through the house. “Hello? Is anybody at home?” He knocked once more - echoed once more - and the door crooked open. Curiosity filled him, “Excuse me!” and he entered.
His footsteps echoed as the door had and Kibum saw nor heard any life in the house. “Nobody must be at home.” He said aloud.
But somebody did live here - somebody who did not know how to keep house. Laundry piled up on a tiny chair, dishes sat dirty in the sink. Kibum scuffed at the floor and a cloud of dust kicked up, thick enough to make him sneeze.
“These must be children - such tiny things - so of course, they don't know how to take care of their house.” Kibum said aloud once again, talking to no one but himself. He pulled up his sleeves and folded them under one another. “I will clean their house and perhaps they'll lend me a bed for the night.
He tore off a corner of his tunic as he filled the sink with water. After he finished the dishes sitting there, put them away in basically empty cupboards, he started in on the laundry with a few herbs he found in the meadows added to the water. Such tiny clothes, Kibum found them so very cute; he barely remembered the horrible feat that landed him here. He started imagining staying in this home, a housekeeper for the kind children that lived here. Seven shirts, seven pants, fourteen socks - seven kind little children.
With the water left behind - the laundry hanging from the rafter and drying - Kibum scooped it into a great black pot, holding it over the fire and letting it boil. He cut up a few stalks of lemon grass, twining it up with nutmeg and limbus grass. He found a few carrots and lettuce on the table and threw it in. The spices filled the house with a pleasant smell; it made the cozy cottage feel like home.
As the water boiled, Kibum tore at his pant leg for a rag, dragging it over the cupboards - Oh my, so much dust - the dainty cupboards turned a feisty red with that one swipe. Kibum had four rags covered with dust and grime by the time he was done - and he found the cottage was filled with earthly browns, oranges, and reds.
Laundry, dishes, dusting, and food boiling - his chores were done. Kibum sat down on the tiny sofa beside the doorway. His legs enjoyed the reprieve, throbbing in exhausted pain. He had a very trying day; he could close his eyes for a few moments.
The next moment, Kibum felt the heat of a flame beside his cheek. He moaned, swatting at the unpleasant feeling. Waking up, seven pairs of wide eyes stared back at him. He sat up properly on the couch. “Are you the master of this household?”
Stout bodies with great long beards that fumbled inside their feet and tied together so Kibum could barely tell them apart turned to each other. They were obviously confused, sorting out an answer silently among themselves. The one who had held the candle turned back to Kibum first. “We are, boy. Who are you?”
His voice was older than his 'young' height presummed. “Why - you are not children at all!” Kibum realized. “You are dwarves!”
“And is that an insult?” Another one said, a great black beard on his face.
“Hush up, Heechul.” Said the first dwarf.
“Oh, it was not meant as an insult at all, sirs.”
“How do you know about Dwarves? I thought you people tried to get rid of all of us.” The angry one - Heechul - only stopped when another one put a hand on his arm.
“The servants told me - Dwarves and witches and magic and the Old Times. I know all of this, of course.” Kibum smiled sadly, remembering his young days in the palace.
The Dwarves stepped closer. “Who are you, boy?”
“I am Kibum.”
The gasp that followed was nearly comical, the Dwarves' beards tangling more and more as the voices did the same. “The Prince - the Prince!” “We have the prince in our home!” “Wipe your hands, boys! We mut look neat!”
“Ah, what are you buzzin' around for?” The angry one snapped. “He might be royalty, but he's still trespassing.”
“I didn't mean to trespass!” Kibum insisted. “Please let me stay, just for the night. I can't go back to the palace. The King'll kill me.”
This got Heechul's attention. “The King? Why would the King want to kill you?”
Kind eyes and a dance filled with light-hearted jokes filled his mind and Kibum smiled like a fool, looking down at his hands. “He means to kill me - that's all I know.”
The room went quiet, Kibum lost in his memories and the Dwarves deciding a course of action among themselves, broken by the rattling of a pot cover. Quick as lightning, Kibum was up, grabbing a rag to check on the stew. Quicker even, he poured it out on the seven bowls on the table. He stood awkwardly in the corner, slightly bemused at the faces of the Dwarves.
“Please, let me stay.”
The Dwarves shared one more look among themselves and collectively nodded. “Welcome to our home!” The first one said and a great hoop and holler boomed inside the house.
“But don't you think this is a charity!” Heechul snapped. (Once again, louder than his friends.) “Long as you can feed us and keep the house running...we'll let you stay here.” His voice trailed off and Kibum smiled; despite his grumpiness, the dwarf did enjoy him - he knew it.
“Don't mind him.” The first one laughed, clapping the shoulder of the angry one with a smile on his face. “This is Heechul - he's just a big grump.” Heechul did not seem to approve of this, pushing off the hand.
“My name is Shindong - if you have any questions, I will be happy to help you.” The go-to attitude had Kibum smiling brighter and he inclined his head in gratitude.
Two young dwarves stepped forward, one with a brighter smile than Shindong and one with bright red cheeks. “I'm Eunhyuk.” Said the one with the smile. “I'm...I'm Sungmin.” Said the one with the bright red cheeks, followed by a bashful laugh. Kibum laughed back, which brought a giggling from Eunhyuk. A minute of laughter ran through them before they parted, still laughing over nothing as they walked to the table.
The Dwarves gave him at the head a chair. A small, little dwarf with the tiniest beard of the seven sat to his left. “Ah, that's Kyuhyun.” Shindong called on he other side. “He don't talk much, but he's a kind soul.” Kibum smiled. He lifted Kyuhyun's cap and ruffled his hair (how little there was.)
To his right, a dwarf blearily slurped his soup. Kibum kept a warry eye on him. “That's Yesung.” Heechul explained. “He's always sleeping - don't worry about him.” Kibum nodded in understanding. He would go looking for some lemon around the cottage.
“Ah-Ah!”
“SIWON!”
The other six dwarves stuck their fingers under the nose of the last one, scrunching up his nose to stop a sneeze. Oh my, Kibum thought, as the group relaxed.
And then, Siwon echoed through the house with a great, loud sneeze.
Kibum laughed. His heart filled with warmth and glowing happily. This was a happy little family he had found; a perfect place to start his new life.
---> Chapter 5
Author: shy_mizuno
Rating: PG
Genre: Romance/Drama
Pairing: Kibum/Hankyung
Disclaimer: I own absolutely nothing. Super Junior belong to themselves and Snow White is from the Grimm Brothers and Walt Disney.
Summary: Kibum has always obeyed the orders of his surrogate father Jungmo, not knowing that Jungmo was planning to one day kill him.
Something cold pressed against his wet cheeks. Suddenly, Kibum jumped awake, trying to scramble away from the unknown threat. A bright-eyed fawn stared back at him, skittering back behind its mother.
Kibum looked around. In the sunny patch of forest, creatures tipped forward, scrunch their nose in curiosity. “Oh my...such kind creatures and here I am, terrified like a mouse.” Trying to steady himself, he sat on his haunches, with his hands out to the young fawn. “Go on...I won't hurt you.”
From through the doe's legs, the fawn stepped out, his head just above Kibum's hand. The forest stood still until the fawn licked up at his fingertips. Kibum laughed, leaning forward on his knees and running those fingertips through the fawn's spotted fur. “You are a kind soul, little Buck. You wouldn't hurt me, yes?” The fawn made a noise, a small giggle that brought the same from Kibum. He felt his fear die away, the tears drying on his cheeks. The woodland animals noticed as such; as the sun grew brighter, they came closer 'till Kibum was surrounded by cheery critters.
He turned to the Mother Doe. “You wouldn't know where I could rest my head for the night, would you?”
The doe didn't seem to understand for a moment - as animals are apt to do when a human speaks to them - but Kibum was patient, waiting while scratching the bunny-babies' heads. Then the doe turned her head, moving away hoof by hoof. She made a call and the buck-fawn totted behind her. Then the rabbits, and squirrels, and birds, and finally Kibum. Though he was frightened to go traveling through the forest once again, he followed dutifully behind the troupe, who knew how to move the trees safely. They walked confidently and Kibum's dread faded - not completely, but little by little. They walked away till the wood parted to a meadow that stood a cozy cottage.
“Such a warm house.” Kibum commented. He walked on alone, thanking the animals with a pet or a kiss and freeing them to their days. He approached the house on light feet. Kibum knocked on the door, which echoed through the house. “Hello? Is anybody at home?” He knocked once more - echoed once more - and the door crooked open. Curiosity filled him, “Excuse me!” and he entered.
His footsteps echoed as the door had and Kibum saw nor heard any life in the house. “Nobody must be at home.” He said aloud.
But somebody did live here - somebody who did not know how to keep house. Laundry piled up on a tiny chair, dishes sat dirty in the sink. Kibum scuffed at the floor and a cloud of dust kicked up, thick enough to make him sneeze.
“These must be children - such tiny things - so of course, they don't know how to take care of their house.” Kibum said aloud once again, talking to no one but himself. He pulled up his sleeves and folded them under one another. “I will clean their house and perhaps they'll lend me a bed for the night.
He tore off a corner of his tunic as he filled the sink with water. After he finished the dishes sitting there, put them away in basically empty cupboards, he started in on the laundry with a few herbs he found in the meadows added to the water. Such tiny clothes, Kibum found them so very cute; he barely remembered the horrible feat that landed him here. He started imagining staying in this home, a housekeeper for the kind children that lived here. Seven shirts, seven pants, fourteen socks - seven kind little children.
With the water left behind - the laundry hanging from the rafter and drying - Kibum scooped it into a great black pot, holding it over the fire and letting it boil. He cut up a few stalks of lemon grass, twining it up with nutmeg and limbus grass. He found a few carrots and lettuce on the table and threw it in. The spices filled the house with a pleasant smell; it made the cozy cottage feel like home.
As the water boiled, Kibum tore at his pant leg for a rag, dragging it over the cupboards - Oh my, so much dust - the dainty cupboards turned a feisty red with that one swipe. Kibum had four rags covered with dust and grime by the time he was done - and he found the cottage was filled with earthly browns, oranges, and reds.
Laundry, dishes, dusting, and food boiling - his chores were done. Kibum sat down on the tiny sofa beside the doorway. His legs enjoyed the reprieve, throbbing in exhausted pain. He had a very trying day; he could close his eyes for a few moments.
The next moment, Kibum felt the heat of a flame beside his cheek. He moaned, swatting at the unpleasant feeling. Waking up, seven pairs of wide eyes stared back at him. He sat up properly on the couch. “Are you the master of this household?”
Stout bodies with great long beards that fumbled inside their feet and tied together so Kibum could barely tell them apart turned to each other. They were obviously confused, sorting out an answer silently among themselves. The one who had held the candle turned back to Kibum first. “We are, boy. Who are you?”
His voice was older than his 'young' height presummed. “Why - you are not children at all!” Kibum realized. “You are dwarves!”
“And is that an insult?” Another one said, a great black beard on his face.
“Hush up, Heechul.” Said the first dwarf.
“Oh, it was not meant as an insult at all, sirs.”
“How do you know about Dwarves? I thought you people tried to get rid of all of us.” The angry one - Heechul - only stopped when another one put a hand on his arm.
“The servants told me - Dwarves and witches and magic and the Old Times. I know all of this, of course.” Kibum smiled sadly, remembering his young days in the palace.
The Dwarves stepped closer. “Who are you, boy?”
“I am Kibum.”
The gasp that followed was nearly comical, the Dwarves' beards tangling more and more as the voices did the same. “The Prince - the Prince!” “We have the prince in our home!” “Wipe your hands, boys! We mut look neat!”
“Ah, what are you buzzin' around for?” The angry one snapped. “He might be royalty, but he's still trespassing.”
“I didn't mean to trespass!” Kibum insisted. “Please let me stay, just for the night. I can't go back to the palace. The King'll kill me.”
This got Heechul's attention. “The King? Why would the King want to kill you?”
Kind eyes and a dance filled with light-hearted jokes filled his mind and Kibum smiled like a fool, looking down at his hands. “He means to kill me - that's all I know.”
The room went quiet, Kibum lost in his memories and the Dwarves deciding a course of action among themselves, broken by the rattling of a pot cover. Quick as lightning, Kibum was up, grabbing a rag to check on the stew. Quicker even, he poured it out on the seven bowls on the table. He stood awkwardly in the corner, slightly bemused at the faces of the Dwarves.
“Please, let me stay.”
The Dwarves shared one more look among themselves and collectively nodded. “Welcome to our home!” The first one said and a great hoop and holler boomed inside the house.
“But don't you think this is a charity!” Heechul snapped. (Once again, louder than his friends.) “Long as you can feed us and keep the house running...we'll let you stay here.” His voice trailed off and Kibum smiled; despite his grumpiness, the dwarf did enjoy him - he knew it.
“Don't mind him.” The first one laughed, clapping the shoulder of the angry one with a smile on his face. “This is Heechul - he's just a big grump.” Heechul did not seem to approve of this, pushing off the hand.
“My name is Shindong - if you have any questions, I will be happy to help you.” The go-to attitude had Kibum smiling brighter and he inclined his head in gratitude.
Two young dwarves stepped forward, one with a brighter smile than Shindong and one with bright red cheeks. “I'm Eunhyuk.” Said the one with the smile. “I'm...I'm Sungmin.” Said the one with the bright red cheeks, followed by a bashful laugh. Kibum laughed back, which brought a giggling from Eunhyuk. A minute of laughter ran through them before they parted, still laughing over nothing as they walked to the table.
The Dwarves gave him at the head a chair. A small, little dwarf with the tiniest beard of the seven sat to his left. “Ah, that's Kyuhyun.” Shindong called on he other side. “He don't talk much, but he's a kind soul.” Kibum smiled. He lifted Kyuhyun's cap and ruffled his hair (how little there was.)
To his right, a dwarf blearily slurped his soup. Kibum kept a warry eye on him. “That's Yesung.” Heechul explained. “He's always sleeping - don't worry about him.” Kibum nodded in understanding. He would go looking for some lemon around the cottage.
“Ah-Ah!”
“SIWON!”
The other six dwarves stuck their fingers under the nose of the last one, scrunching up his nose to stop a sneeze. Oh my, Kibum thought, as the group relaxed.
And then, Siwon echoed through the house with a great, loud sneeze.
Kibum laughed. His heart filled with warmth and glowing happily. This was a happy little family he had found; a perfect place to start his new life.
---> Chapter 5