My bed, your bed, his bed - Part 3
Title: My Bed, Your Bed, His Bed 3/3 [ 1][ 2][3]
Pairing: Kyuhyun/Sungmin, Yesung/Ryeowook, Zhou Mi/Henry, Zhou Mi/Heechul, Sungmin/Henry
Genre: AU, angst, drama
Rating: PG-13
Warnings: Slash (BoyxBoy)
Summary: Ryeowook tries to get to the bottom of Kyuhyun and Sungmin's hate-relationship and Henry realizes that perhaps he didn't in fact leave his internet-boyfriend behind...
Note: Right up to the end I couldn't decide who Sungmin should be with. In fact, I changed it. A couple of times. XP
.:Part 3:.
Henry could almost feel his mind exploding when he read the email. He was here? He was in Korea?? They were in the same country?
He… could see him?
After ten minutes of mind blankness, Henry brought his hands up to the keyboard. He typed out questions. Nothing but questions. Deleting all of them, one by one.
Why didn't you tell me before?
Backspace.
Why haven't you emailed me???
Backspace.
Why haven't you been online for
Backspace.
Did you meet someone else?
Backspace.
What's her name? Or his name, or
Backspace.
Did you mean it when you said you lov
Backspace. Henry buried his face in his hands. He wanted to cry but his eyes just refused to moisten. Finally he typed out three lines and sent them off before he could regret it.
Where in Korea?????
What college???????????
I missed you.
It was two days before the reply came.
~
Kyuhyun almost jumped out of his skin when the door crashed open behind him, pen jerking and scrawling a blotty blue line across the page. He turned angrily. "My god, just because you- you're not Sungmin."
"Is he here?" the newcomer asked, flush-faced and clutching at an open laptop.
"No, he's not. What do you want with him? And was it really necessary to dent the wall with the doorknob?"
Henry blushed deeper. "I'm sorry. Um… do you know where he is?"
"No idea. It's not like I keep tabs on him. And frankly, I really don't need to know where he ends up around this time of night."
Henry paused. He didn't know if Kyuhyun was older or younger than him, since they were both first-years, if his newness made a difference, or his citizenship, or if it was really appropriate to argue… but since he'd decided that he and Sungmin were friends, he spoke up. "I thought… I thought you said you wouldn't say those things anymore."
"What?"
"Sungmin-hyung said you promised…"
Kyuhyun turned slowly, fixing the boy with a deadly glare. Henry bit his lip, eyebrows mashed together in a worried ^. "That's none of your business," he said quietly.
"It is so! Hyung's my friend and I- s-s-sorry," he trailed off at Kyuhyun's look, clutching his laptop closer to his chest. He backed out of the room and shut the door, sitting down against the corridor wall to wait for Sungmin. He straightened the computer on his knees and read the email again, feeling the butterflies in his stomach spring back to life.
What am I going to do?
"Henry?"
Henry looked up and smiled weakly. "Hi, hyung."
"What are you doing down there?"
"Waiting for you."
"Oh. Have you been waiting long?"
"No, a few minutes…" Henry got to his feet. "Can I… talk to you for a minute?"
"Sure, come in." Sungmin opened the door and went in. Henry followed after a long moment, hesitantly.
"Hey, Kyu."
"Hi," Kyuhyun grunted without turning.
"So what's up, Ri-ri?"
"Ri-ri?"
"I just nicknamed you."
"Oh." Henry and Sungmin sat down on Sungmin's bed and Henry pushed the laptop at him. "Read it."
Sungmin frowned and looked at the email.
Henry
Let me begin by saying I'm sorry. I should have written before but to tell you the truth, I was more than a little nervous. Due to the rather abrupt end to our correspondence. I wasn't sure if you wanted to hear from me ever again. And of course, the longer I waited the less appropriate it was. But it's been bothering me a lot lately, so, although it might be selfish of me, I ask you to please read this through.
I was going through a tough time about when my messages started to dwindle, not only was I moving out of high school and trying to get into college but there were problems at home which were making things hard. I didn't really want to bother you with the problems since you seemed so happy.
This is just sounding like excuses…
Anyway what I wanted to tell you was that I've moved out of China. I changed colleges for my second year and now I'm studying in Korea. My older sister needed to come here for work and when I heard I jumped at the chance to leave, and came with her. I'm living with her at the moment and everything seems to be working out really well.
I don't know if you'll reply but I needed to write to you.
Mi.
"Is this the guy who…?"
Henry nodded.
"He's here in Korea?"
"Read the next one."
Sungmin returned to Henry's inbox and opened the next email. "That's… this college."
"Yeah."
"He's here? Here here?"
Henry bit his lip and nodded. "What do I do?"
Sungmin didn't reply, reading the rest of the message.
I missed you too, Henry. I'm afraid…
I'm sorry….
I don't think we can pick up quite where we left off. But if you would, or would like to, talk to me again I would love that so much.
Thank you for replying, anyway.
"Mi? That's his name?"
"Do you guys mind, trying to study here."
"Shut up, Kyuhyun!"
"No, it's okay, let's go back to my room," Henry murmured, taking his laptop back. Sungmin shrugged and stood up, following the Canadian out of the room.
"His name?"
"Yes, it's Mi. Zhou Mi."
"I don't think I know him. What year is he? What is he taking?"
"Second year, and I don't know."
"Are you alright, Henry?"
Henry shook his head. "I don't know what to do." He opened the door to his room and let Sungmin inside, putting his laptop away and sinking down onto his bed.
Sungmin sat next to him, wrapping his arms around his knees. "Do you want to find him?"
"No. Yes. No. Maybe." He chewed at his chapped lips and toyed with the sleeve hems on his sweater. "I guess so."
"I could ask Heechul-hyung for you. He knows everyone. If you want to meet him, I'll help you."
"But… but what if he doesn't want to see me?"
"He got back in touch with you, right?"
"Yeah, but he thinks I'm still in Canada! And he said… he said we couldn't pick up where we left off, I'm pretty sure - no, I'm sure - that means he's found someone else. So what if he… what if I…" Henry trailed off sadly.
"You still love him."
Henry nodded, the tears that had eluded him for days finally rolling down his face.
Sungmin hugged him gently. "I'll ask, okay? I won't bring your name up, but I'll find out a bit about him. Then you can decide whether or not you want to talk to him. Think about it, okay?"
Henry nodded against Sungmin's shirt. "Okay."
~
"Heechul-hyung."
Heechul looked around. "Hi, Sungmin. I don't have long, I need to get to my next lecture…"
"Yeah, yeah I just wanted to ask you something."
"What?"
"Do you know a guy called Zhou Mi?"
Heechul's bag strap slipped from his fingers and he almost dropped it, but his voice remained light. "Why do you ask?"
Sungmin shrugged. "I just heard some stuff, and I wondered if you knew him."
"Heard some stuff?"
"You do know him?"
"What did you hear?"
Sungmin frowned. "Does it matter?"
"Yes! It matters! Tell me!"
Sungmin hadn't seen that look on Heechul's face before. "I'm asking for a friend, okay? He wants to meet him."
"What friend? What do you mean by 'meet'? What does he want with Mi?"
Sungmin raised his eyebrows, a slight smile playing over his lips. "Did you just say 'Mi'?"
"What does who want with me?"
Heechul and Sungmin both spun around. Sungmin looked him up and down in a way Heechul really didn't appreciate. His black hair swept out from the back of his head; he had a long nose and a definitive jaw line, and although there was something vaguely asymmetrical about his face Henry was right, he was gorgeous. And he was tall. Those legs…
"Sungmin," Heechul growled warningly.
"Heechul?" Zhou Mi moved closer to the older man.
Heechul sighed. "Mi… this is Lee Sungmin, Min, this is Zhou Mi."
"Nice to meet you."
"You too." Sungmin smiled. "Chullie, you didn't tell me that you were-"
"I don't know what you're talking about, Sungmin," Heechul interrupted sharply.
Sungmin widened his eyes. "Really? Why did you stop me before I could finish, then?" he smirked. "I guess I'd better let you go to your lecture. Nice to meet you, Zhou Mi-sii." He walked off, leaving Zhou Mi to frown at Heechul in confusion.
"Who was that?"
"Lee Sungmin."
"Yeah, I heard that much…"
Heechul smirked. "You jealous?"
Zhou Mi didn't smile. "Should I be?"
Heechul chuckled slightly and clapped Zhou Mi on the arm like they were just a couple of guys who knew each other. "I have a lecture, Mi. See you later."
Zhou Mi stood stranded alone for a moment, then shook his head free of his thoughts and wandered off to the library.
~
"Hyung, what are you doing here?"
Sungmin looked around the music department's library. He hadn't been there in a long time. Music was a hobby for him, not a subject. "I came to see you."
"Why?" Henry put his pencil down.
"I… spoke to Heechul."
Henry swallowed. "And?"
"And I saw Zhou Mi."
"You saw him? Did you speak to him? What's he like?"
"He's… tall…" Sungmin smiled slightly. "And… well, you were right, Henry, he's seeing someone." He said the words quietly, gently.
"I see." Henry still looked upset and Sungmin looked away, unsure of what to do. "Well… thanks, hyung, I appreciate you going to find out about him. But I don't think I can see him."
"Henry…" Sungmin trailed off into an awkward silence. "I'm sorry…"
"Why are you sorry?" Henry gave a small laugh. "Anyway I kind of have this essay to write…"
"Oh, sure." Sungmin stood up and turned to leave the library. "Henry, you gonna be okay?"
"I'll be fine," Henry assured him. "See you later."
It took him twenty-five minutes to read one page.
~
"Can I sit with you for lunch today?" Zhou Mi asked. "You know. Like friends do."
"Sure," Heechul ignored Zhou Mi's tone and walked away, letting Zhou Mi follow, sitting like he usually did with Ryeowook, Donghae, their boyfriends and Kyuhyun. "Guys, this is Zhou Mi."
"Hi," they replied casually, not bothering with introductions, slipping into friendly conversation.
"Are you listening to me?"
"Yeah, of course!" Sungmin turned his attention back to Henry.
"What did I just say?"
Sungmin paused. "You just asked me what you said…"
Henry rolled his eyes but didn't seem too upset. "What are you looking at?"
"Nothing," Sungmin said quickly.
Henry followed where his gaze had been. "Kyuhyun?"
Sungmin blushed. "Um…"
Henry laughed. "You like him, don't you?"
"I… uh…"
Henry raised an eyebrow. "What am I saying, of course you do. You gave up talking to your best friend for him."
"You're my best friend," Sungmin argued. Henry stared at him and he blushed, eyes widening. He should not have said that.
"Really?"
Sungmin peeked at him through his hair. Henry looked back with wide eyes and a slight blush on his face. Sungmin nodded silently.
Henry broke into a huge smile, turning to his lunch. "Really…" he murmured happily.
Sungmin found himself smiling as well at Henry's expression. But his heart sank right back down to his toes when Henry spoke next, looking back over at Kyuhyun.
"Hey, there's someone new at their table."
"I-is there?"
Henry raised an eyebrow at him. "You didn't notice? You must have been really preoccupied with Kyuhyun." He paused. "He looks like he's with Heechul, do you know him?"
"No."
"You're not looking."
Sungmin reluctantly raised his eyes to look over at the table. "I don't know who it is."
"Hm." Henry craned to try and get a better look. Zhou Mi's and Heechul's backs were facing them and Sungmin could only feel relieved. He forced a small laugh. "Why are you ogling at him anyway?"
Henry blushed and shrugged, but didn't look away. Sungmin kept an eye on them too, eyes widening in horror when Zhou Mi stood up to put his tray away. "H-Henry, I've been meaning to ask you…" he spluttered out, trying to pull Henry's attention back away from the other table.
"Yeah?" Henry asked, still staring across the room. "Hey, he's really tall."
Sungmin tried desperately of something to say that would get the Canadian's attention. "Henry, please-" he broke off with a slight yelp of surprise as Henry's hand shot out and gripped his arm painfully tightly.
"Hyung," he whispered and it escaped his throat as a squeak.
"Henry, don't…"
"That's him."
"Look away, Henry, it-"
"He's with Heechul, isn't he?"
"Yeah."
Henry swallowed, lips parted slightly as he watched Zhou Mi laugh and sit back down beside Heechul. Sungmin saw that Kyuhyun was laughing too, smiling and looking like any normal student having fun with his friends.
"A-are you okay?"
"N-no." Henry shook his head and stood up. "I need to… to go…"
"Henry!" Sungmin sighed and let him go, watching him put away his tray. "Crap," he added to himself, seeing Henry look over at Zhou Mi's table. "No, Henry, don't do that…"
He stared, holding his breath as Henry considered, then slumped and turned to leave the food court.
"Fuck!" he swore; Henry had changed his mind and turned around, walking quickly over to the table. He knew he wouldn't get across the room in time to stop him but he stood anyway, abandoning his unfinished lunch to run across the hall.
He was too late and he stopped halfway, helpless, as Henry walked up behind Zhou Mi's chair and tapped him on the shoulder.
~
Henry swallowed. His hand reached out almost of its own accord and touched the older man's shoulder. The shoulder he'd noticed and admired in the photos he'd been sent. He turned with the smile Henry had loved, which faded as recognition shot through the asymmetrical eyes, perfect pink lips falling apart in stunned surprise.
Henry opened his own mouth, trying to think of something to say. The other occupants of the table around them fell silent, watching in interested confusion.
"H-hen…li?"
Henry felt tears spring to his eyes. The computer speakers didn't do his voice justice, and besides, he'd almost forgotten what even that had sounded like. He still couldn't say anything. Strange, stuttering noises escaped his throat.
He jumped as he felt Sungmin's hands rest warm on his arms. "Henry," he murmured gently.
Henry made a strangled sort of sound, tore himself from Sungmin's grip and ran.
Zhou Mi half-stood, as if to go after him, but he hesitated and Heechul sat him back down. He turned to Sungmin instead. "You…"
"Of all the colleges," Sungmin said, face unreadable, "In all the cities, in all the countries of the world, you had to come here."
"I didn't know! I thought he lived in Canada!"
"He thought you lived in China," Sungmin argued. "And I didn't say it was your fault."
Zhou Mi hunched in his chair and raised his fist to his mouth. "You knew," he said quietly. "When we met the other day you knew who I was. Why didn't you say anything?"
"You're seriously asking that?" Sungmin shook his head. "I went straight to Henry after I saw you. He decided not to find you."
"He… decided… not to…?"
"I may have mentioned you moved on."
Zhou Mi dropped his face into his hands. "Why? Why is he here?"
"Excuse me," Sungmin muttered, running out after Henry.
~
He found him eventually, sitting on the fire stairs in the nearest dorm building with his head between his knees. Sungmin knelt and wrapped his arms around him, letting him cry. "Oh, Henry. Henry, Henry, Henry…"
"Oh my god," Henry gasped after he'd finally managed to breathe enough to speak. "What did I do? He knows I'm here!"
"It's okay."
"I'm so screwed," Henry wailed, pulling away and slamming the heels of his hands against his forehead.
"Hey, hey, stop that." Sungmin gently grabbed Henry's wrists and pulled them down.
Henry suddenly burst out laughing. Sungmin stared at him. "Henry, are you okay?"
Henry tried to splutter out a response but he was laughing too hard. He flapped his hands uselessly. "I'm such an idiot," he finally managed to spit out.
"No you're not," Sungmin argued. "Why are you laughing?"
Henry laughed harder, doubling over and clinging weakly to Sungmin's arm. "Because I was so stupid! Aish… hyung… why are we so pathetic at this love thing?"
Sungmin chuckled sadly. "We are, aren't we?"
Henry's giggles slowly petered out. He sighed and wiped his eyes, hiccuping, then turned to Sungmin.
Sungmin's breath caught in his throat. The look in his friend's eyes was so blatantly familiar and he scooted backwards.
"D-don't," he gasped. "Not you."
Henry tilted his head and slid over to be close again, grabbing Sungmin's hand. "Remember, you told me all the rumours were true. Were you lying?"
"No." Sungmin whispered, pressing himself as far back against the concrete wall as he could. Henry kept coming closer, his thigh squashed against Sungmin's. Hip-to-knee. Sungmin shook his head frantically.
"Come on," Henry whispered, pressing his lips to the older student's cheek. "Take me. Right here, right now."
"What's wrong with you? You're acting… drunk."
"I'm not drunk." Henry kissed him again and reached for the hem of his shirt.
Sungmin slapped his hand away. "Stop it, Henry!"
"Why? You don't like me?"
"Not like that! No! We're friends."
"You were friends with Yesung, and you slept with him."
"H-how did you know about that?"
Henry sighed. "Just because no-one talks to me doesn't mean I don't hear anything. Come on, please, hyung. I don't want to think about Mi anymore." He said the last sentence in a desperate whisper, lowering his face to Sungmin's shoulder.
Sungmin's mouth tightened and he pushed Henry away, sending him sliding across the step. "You would do that? You would use me like that?"
Henry blinked, and his eyes went wide, all the blood draining from his face as he realized what he'd almost done.
Sungmin wasn't finished. "I thought… I thought you weren't like that," he said, resting his head against the wall. "You learned everything about me, all the bad things, and you stayed, so I thought we could be friends. But you're just like all the others."
"No! No, hyung. I'm sorry. I don't know what I… why I said any of that… I didn't mean it."
Sungmin let out a disgusted noise that Henry instantly suspected he picked up from Kyuhyun and stood, starting to walk away. Henry gasped softly and leapt down the stairs after him, grabbing him around the waist and holding him tightly. Sungmin peered down over his shoulder.
"Hyung, I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I didn't mean it. Please don't go." He looked up and Sungmin relaxed slightly, seeing his Henry, the sweet one he became friends with, in those eyes. "I don't know what came over me, or why I did that, but that's not me, I swear."
Sungmin pulled away and turned, backing up against the landing wall and sighing. Henry's arms fell to his sides. "Please, can't we forget this ever happened."
Sungmin sighed again, eyes wandering over the floor. Eventually he looked at Henry, considering him for a long time, before a slight smile cracked across his lips. "Forget that what happened?"
~
"Excuse me?"
Henry looked up and pulled the headphones off. It was Saturday afternoon and he was in the music library, listening to some Brahms for one of his assignments. Standing above him was one of the guys who sat at Kyuhyun's table, the one Yesung had left Sungmin for. "Yes?"
The shorter man bowed. "I'm Kim Ryeowook." Ryeowook, that was his name. Henry nodded. "Lau Henry."
"I know." Ryeowook smiled. "You're… Sungmin's friend, is that right?"
Henry narrowed his eyes. "That depends on what you mean by 'friend'."
"Oh!" Ryeowook laughed awkwardly. "No, nothing like that. I meant friend."
"Then, yes, I am. Why?"
"You want to go for coffee?"
"What?" Henry blinked.
"I'd like to talk to you. If that's alright."
"Uh… yeah, sure… can you give me half an hour?"
"Sure, of course." Ryeowook bowed again. "I'll wait for you outside, okay?"
"Okay."
~
Ryeowook stayed awake until early in the morning thinking about his conversation with Henry. The young Canadian had described to him a side of Sungmin he definitely would not have heard from Kyuhyun. Plus quite a few things he would never have guessed which had turned out to be interesting. Very interesting.
He decided the best way to know what he was dealing with would be to talk to Sungmin himself.
"Excuse me, Sungmin-ssi?"
Sungmin looked up with an expression akin to panic. "Y-yes?"
Ryeowook sat down opposite him at the desk. "Can I talk to you for a minute?"
Sungmin looked around nervously. "Um…"
Usually Ryeowook would have backed off after an answer like that, but he was desperate to sort out this problem with Sungmin and Kyuhyun. "Please?"
"Okay, I guess," Sungmin murmured. "Hey, isn't it Sunday? Why aren't you with Yesung?"
"I'm not with him all the time," Ryeowook brushed the question aside. "Um… I actually wanted to talk to you about Kyuhyun."
"Wh-what about him?"
Ryeowook took a breath. "I'm a bit worried about him. He's… he's a good person, Sungmin, really. He never used to be so…" he fished for the word.
"…unpleasant?"
"Well… yeah." Ryeowook looked sad. "Of course, he had his bad days, but lately… it seems like he's all the time angry, and I think it's because of you. I'm not saying it's your fault!" he added quickly. "Just that… I think…" he sighed. "He was mad at himself for sleeping with you but of course he preferred to blame you. And now he's moved from actually being angry at you to just disliking you on principle and it's making him cranky."
Sungmin avoided the younger man's eyes. "What did you want to speak to me about, then?"
"Well, I don't think you deserve to be treated that way, and I want to… get to know you a bit better."
"You do?"
"Yes."
Sungmin looked around the study library again. Ryeowook frowned. "What are you looking for?"
"Nothing."
"Seriously."
"It… doesn't matter." Sungmin turned back to Ryeowook. "So…"
"Hyung, do you- oh, can I call you hyung?"
"Sure."
"Do you dislike Kyuhyun?"
Sungmin blushed brightly. "I… don't… I think… I don't know," he said finally.
Ryeowook raised an eyebrow. "You like him?"
"What do you mean by 'like'?"
Ryeowook couldn't help smiling. "You do! You like him! That's why you gave up Sunggie for him, to make him like you back."
Sungmin looked up sharply. "How do you know about that?"
Ryeowook took his turn to blush. "I, um, spoke to Henry. Yesterday."
Sungmin scratched his neck and looked away again. "Well it's not… I mean… I don't need him to… like me, per se…"
"You just wanted him to stop hating you," Ryeowook finished gently. Sungmin nodded. "It hurt. I felt… I don't know. Just whenever he gave me that look I couldn't take it. I wanted him to stop looking at me like that, I wanted to stop disgusting him so much, so when he told me to do something I did it. Even if it meant not talking to Sunggie again."
"Wow," Ryeowook sat back on his chair. "You really like him."
"No I don't, I just-"
"You do." Ryeowook folded his arms and regarded Sungmin thoughtfully. "Okay, look. Sungmin-hyung-"
"What are you doing?"
Sungmin jumped so hard his chair skidded a few centimetres across the floor. He turned guiltily, heart sinking and thudding furiously at Kyuhyun's glare. "I-I…"
"Huh," Kyuhyun tweaked the corner of a paper on the desk. "I wasn't aware you actually studied, I thought you wouldn't have any time."
"Kyuhyun please-"
"Speaking of which, where's your new toy? It's Sunday."
Sungmin shrank in his chair. "He's not a toy! And you said you wouldn't-"
"You spoke to Wookie."
"That's not fair! He came to me!"
"Excuse me?" Ryeowook looked at Kyuhyun.
"Never mind, Wookie," Kyuhyun said coldly, glaring at Sungmin. He grabbed his friend's arm and pulled him to his feet. "Let's go."
"I'm not going anywhere." Ryeowook stared at Kyuhyun unsmilingly, a strange glint in his eyes. "Why the sudden animosity?"
"Sudden? Where have you been lately, Ryeowook?"
Ryeowook grabbed Kyuhyun's elbow in one hand and Sungmin's in the other, hauling them both out of the library. "I was part of the deal?" he demanded, roughly letting go of Kyuhyun's arm. "You made him stop talking to Yesung because of me?"
Kyuhyun didn't reply, glaring at Sungmin with acute dislike. Ryeowook slapped his arm. "Stop that."
"Stop what?"
"That look."
"What look?"
"You don't own me, Kyuhyun!"
Kyuhyun folded his arms and sank back on one heel. "I never said I did."
Ryeowook took a step back to stand closer to Sungmin. "I'll talk to whoever I want."
"Fine. You do that."
"It doesn't mean you have to treat him like shit if I do!"
"I never said it meant that."
"Then stop it."
"Oh, so I have to do what you say now?"
Ryeowook closed his eyes and took a few deep breaths. When he opened them again he had calmed a bit and he raised his chin to address Kyuhyun. "When was the last time he didn't come back to the room at night, Kyu?"
Kyuhyun let out a little 'tch' sound. "It was only…" he frowned suddenly, trying to remember. Ryeowook allowed himself a small smirk. "He stopped, Kyu."
"Wait," Sungmin frowned too. "How did you know that?"
"I told you, I spoke to Henry."
"How does he know that?"
"You would've told me if you had."
Ryeowook turned and smiled. "Henry, great timing."
"What'd I miss?" the youngest sauntered up to stand on Sungmin's other side. Sungmin noticed the hostility lessening in Kyuhyun's eyes and allowed himself a slight hint of hope.
"Not too much." Ryeowook folded his arms and looked at Kyuhyun. "I think we established just that who I talk to is none of Kyuhyun's business and that Minnie hasn't slept with anyone in weeks."
Sungmin blushed furiously, looking at his feet.
"Minnie?" Kyuhyun demanded incredulously. "What the hell has he done to you?"
"Done to me?"
"Did he fuck you good, Ryeowook? Did he make you feel like a man and now you have to protect him?"
Ryeowook kept his mouth firmly shut, lifting his chin. He knew Kyuhyun well enough to know he was angry, but not serious. He was losing an argument and now he was playing dirty.
"And you!" Kyuhyun turned to Henry. "That day you ran out at lunch? Did he take care of you? Comfort you? You don't really need Zhou Mi anymore, do you? You can just be his toy."
"Stop it!" Sungmin shrieked. "Nothing like that happened. I didn't touch them. Either of them." Ryeowook crooked a finger down by his hip and Henry silently moved to stand next to him against the wall, leaving Kyuhyun and Sungmin facing off in the middle of the corridor.
"He doesn't mean it," he whispered to the younger man. "Just let them get it out."
Henry nodded. Sungmin was shaking, knuckles white by his sides. "Why do you hate me so much, Kyuhyun? What did I do that was so bad you would even accuse Ryeowook…"
"What did you do? Oh, I don't know… just fucked more than half of the school's male population, maybe?"
"Don't pretend you care about them! This is all about you! You're just mad because you slept with me."
"You sucked my dick when I was asleep."
"YOU KISSED ME FIRST!"
Kyuhyun had no reply for that. He let out an irritated sound instead and looked away.
"I did everything you ever asked of me," Sungmin snapped, tears starting to come. "I didn't touch you. I stayed out of your way. I gave up my best and only friend because you told me to and I stopped sleeping with anyone because I couldn't take the way you looked at me like some worthless piece of shit you found on the bathroom floor."
A crowd had started to gather around them. Sungmin stood silent, waiting for Kyuhyun's response with tears streaming down his face. Ryeowook reached for Henry's hand and gripped it tightly, forcing himself to stay put and not interfere.
"You think this is a fairytale, Sungmin? Is this the part where I realize my mistakes and beg your forgiveness? Then what? We kiss and live happily ever after?"
"I didn't… I didn't… I never…" Sungmin palmed at his eyes, sobs obscuring his attempts to speak. "I don't want you to 'beg my forgiveness', I want you to forgive me. Please."
Ryeowook looked apprehensively around at the growing crowd. He spotted Yesung there, but he was watching Sungmin intently. Heechul was there as well, with his new boyfriend, whose eyes were fixed on his and Henry's linked fingers with a slight frown on his face.
"Kyuhyun." Sungmin's voice dropped to a whisper. "I just want you to love me."
A dramatic cultured gasp rose from the onlooking students. Sungmin didn't seem to notice. "No, not even that, if you even just stopped hating me…"
"Kyuhyun, just kiss him," a female voice projected from the onlookers. Sungmin looked around, eyes widening at the size of their audience as a murmur of agreement met her words.
Kyuhyun's expression, as he regarded Sungmin, was unsmiling but not hateful. His friends, Sungmin's friends, everyone watching the proceedings, waited for his reaction.
"No," he said, finally, and shook his head, turning and pushing his way through the wall of people to walk away.
There was a few moments of absolute stillness as everyone stared at Sungmin standing small and alone in the centre of the bare patch around him, looking blankly after Kyuhyun and crying silently.
Ryeowook and Yesung started moving almost at exactly the same time, both moving towards Sungmin and enveloping him in a hug that symbolized a shield from the others. Henry was pulled along with Ryeowook, sliding his arms around Sungmin's waist and the three of them held him tight.
The crowd erupted into noise. Some people left, but most stayed and mingled, discussing the event with the crazed excitement that gossip induces. They spread out and engulfed the smaller group of bodies that encircled Sungmin and in the buffeting Henry found himself pulled away.
"I need to talk to you. I don't want an audience. Please."
Henry let the hand lead him away, outside, until they found a secluded tree and they finally stopped.
"Henli."
"Mi."
They sat, facing each other, cross legged on the grass. Zhou Mi shifted close so their knees were almost touching, peering wistfully into Henry's face.
"What?" Henry asked, blushing uncomfortably.
"I just want to see you."
Henry couldn't deny that he understood, and he took the opportunity to study Zhou Mi for himself. He took in as much detail as he could; the incredibly dark eyes, his perfect lips, the way his shirt hung from his slender frame, the barely visible blemishes on his skin, his hair which shone blue-black unlike the red-brown tint of Henry's own.
"Can I? Please?" Zhou Mi held out his hand and Henry swallowed before sliding his own into it. Zhou Mi laughed, toying with the younger man's fingers. "You're so small."
"Hey!"
"I think it's cute." He sighed, squeezing his hand. His face and voice softened. "I honestly loved you."
"I…" Henry raised his free hand to his face. "I still love you." His tongue stumbled over the words, and he used English. Korean, or Chinese he still wasn't quite comfortable with, somehow made it seem unnatural and fake. Zhou Mi raised his eyes to his face sadly.
"Henli…" Zhou Mi held Henry's hand against his lips, squeezing his eyes shut.
Goosebumps shot up Henry's arm. "When you stopped writing, I spent weeks trying to figure out what I'd done wrong."
"I'm so sorry."
"Why didn't you tell me? If there were problems, why couldn't you let me know?"
"I stopped trusting the internet. I told myself if I got all depressed on you it was too easy for you to run away from me."
"So you ran away instead."
Zhou Mi pulled his lips away from Henry's fingers and held their hands against his cheek instead. "Forgive me."
"Of course," Henry replied immediately. He gently tugged his hand out of Zhou Mi's and touched his face, exploring over and up his cheek, brushing his bangs aside then sliding down his nose and over his lips, which kissed his fingers as they passed.
"Can you do one thing for me?"
"Of course, anything."
"Say my name. I love the way you say it, your accent…"
Zhou Mi raised his eyebrows. "Henli…"
Henry grinned and shuffled closer so their knees touched. Well, one knee and Zhou Mi's shin. His thighs weren't quite long enough for both their knees to meet at the same time.
"Again?"
Zhou Mi laughed. "Henli."
Henry wiped his eyes. "I can't believe this is actually happening."
Zhou Mi's fingers wrapped around his forearms and pulled so that Henry was in his lap, lips crushed together.
Henry had dreamed about this. He'd dreamed about having Zhou Mi's hands on him, attempted to guess at the taste of him, imagined what his lips would feel like as they moved against his own. Zhou Mi's mouth closed around his lower lip, hands pressed against his back, holding him to his body. Henry kept his eyes closed as they opened their mouths, tongues extending.
Now, that felt nothing like how he'd imagined.
They slid over each other, battling for dominance or at least some sort of friction. Henry fought down the insane urge to giggle, knowing that this was all they had. His first and last chance to be this close to Zhou Mi.
"I can't…" Zhou Mi gasped, eyes meeting miserably with Henry's.
"I know." Henry said, but grabbed handfuls of Zhou Mi's hair and kissed him again. It was long, desperate, passionate, and they fell to lie in the grass, legs tangled awkwardly.
Finally they broke away and Henry pressed his short body flush against Zhou Mi's long one, clenching his eyes shut and listening to the unsteady beat of the older man's heart. "It's not fair."
"I know, honey, I know." Zhou Mi squeezed him tighter. "But I just can't leave him…"
"I know."
"I never thought I'd see you."
"You don't have to explain, I understand."
"Henli."
Henry felt a tear roll over his nose. "Mi," he whispered.
~
Sungmin and Heechul were waiting when they returned, sitting against the wall just inside the door. Zhou Mi pulled his hand free of Henry's as they approached, sad and defiant eyes locking with Heechul's.
Heechul reached out and Zhou Mi sat beside him, leaning into his arms and swallowing the urge to start crying again.
Henry plonked himself down beside Sungmin, smiling sadly. "You okay?"
Sungmin shrugged. "I'll be fine."
"Seriously."
Sungmin swallowed, lips tightening. "I'll be fine."
Henry knew that meant 'for now, I'm not fine', and he slid an arm around his hyung's shoulders. Sungmin leant against his shoulder, letting out a long sigh. He was tired of crying. Tired of caring. Life was easier when he didn't have to care so much.
"Henry… you have grass in your hair."
The sound of approaching footsteps reached their ears and Zhou Mi scrambled out of Heechul's arms, sitting an acceptable distance from him, but it was only Ryeowook and Yesung.
Ryeowook looked down at Sungmin sitting in Henry's arms, looking miserable and exhausted. "I'm sorry, hyung."
"Why are you sorry?"
"Well, it was my fault all this happened…"
"No, it's not." Sungmin sat up and stretched, rubbing his eyes. "It's your fault it happened today. It would've happened sooner or later, anyway."
"Still." Ryeowook bit his lip. Yesung squeezed his hand. "I feel bad."
"Don't." Sungmin tried to smile up at him but it looked strained and he quickly slipped back into dejection.
"What's the time?" Heechul asked, peering out the door at the darkening sky.
"Almost six," Ryeowook replied. "Hey, let's go to the city. Get out of the school. I'll shout you all dinner."
"Okay," Heechul agreed readily. Zhou Mi nodded, Henry smiled and Sungmin, upon seeing Henry's acceptance, shrugged.
"Great. How about you all go get coats and stuff, we'll meet back here, okay?" he paused, looking at Sungmin. "Sh-should I… invite Kyu?"
There was a long pause.
"No," Henry said finally, with quiet resolution.
~
"Where are you going?"
Henry looked at Sungmin. "To my room. To get my coat."
"Wait… stay with me…"
Henry sighed and smiled sadly, taking Sungmin's hand and they walked towards the older man's room.
Sungmin's hand trembled as he reached out and opened the door, his heart stuttering when he noticed Kyuhyun in there. He took a breath and walked in, steadfastly refusing to look at his roommate who was sitting on his bed with his computer.
Henry stuck close to his side while he found a jacket and almost left. Sungmin paused by the door. "Kyu?"
Kyuhyun paused his game and looked up nervously. "Y-yes?"
Sungmin hesitated a long time, wondering if he should invite him. Henry squeezed his hand. "Nothing, never mind," he murmured and pulled Henry outside.
~
For once, Zhou Mi was thankful that Heechul wasn't treating him like his boyfriend. It was hard enough just sitting at the same table as Henry, he didn't know how either of them would hold up if Heechul started getting all lovey-dovey.
He kept stealing glances at Henry; Henry steadfastly refused to look at him. It hurt, a bit, but it wasn't entirely unexpected. He wondered if he should try and be friends with Henry or stay well away from him. It looked like it was killing Henry to be in his presence, but, well… he'd run away last time…
He looked at Heechul. The older man seemed to feel his gaze and turned to him as well. Their eyes met and Heechul gave him a small smile, a smile that said he knew what happened and he understood, and that broke Zhou Mi's heart.
He couldn't wait to get out of here so he could talk to him alone.
~
"Henry, I don't think I can go back there."
"I've told you, hyung, my room is always there for you. But actually…"
"… you think I should go talk to him."
"I do."
Sungmin sighed. "I'm… I'm scared of going back."
"Do you want me to come with you?"
Sungmin nodded. "Yes. Please."
"Okay. Just for a little while."
Kyuhyun was still on his laptop. He looked up as they came in, putting the computer aside and scrambling to his feet. "Sungmin… Henry…"
Sungmin swallowed, looking terrified, and Henry gently pushed him further into the room, glaring daggers at Kyuhyun.
They sat down on Sungmin's bed and Kyuhyun sank down on the edge of his own bed, looking between the two, eyes finally resting on Henry.
"I'm sorry," he whispered. "About calling you his toy, that was uncalled for."
"Yeah, it was."
"I'm sorry."
"Are you apologizing to Ryeowook too?"
"Y-yeah, I did…"
"Because there are going to be rumours about that now."
"I know," Kyuhyun whispered miserably.
"And he deserved that shit even less than I did."
"I know." Kyuhyun buried his face in his hands. "My… my mouth kept going when my brain stopped working. I'm an idiot."
"Yeah, you are." Henry got to his feet, fingers sliding out of Sungmin's. "Goodnight, hyung."
"H-Henry-!"
But Henry had gone, closing the door behind him.
Sungmin slid back on his bed and leant against the wall, staring over his knees at Kyuhyun's feet which stood and walked around the room.
"I don't even know what to say."
Sungmin shrugged. He couldn't help there.
"I'm sure you can understand I wasn't about to just kiss you there in front of everybody."
Sungmin nodded.
"I'm not going to kiss you now, either."
Another nod.
"I'm sorry."
"I did everything you wanted."
Kyuhyun closed his eyes. "Yes."
"I changed everything about me."
"I know."
"I love you."
"Why?"
"I don't know." Sungmin treated the carpet to a furious glare. "I don't know."
"I don't love you, Sungmin."
Sungmin rubbed his face. "Yeah."
"But I really am sorry. For making your life miserable."
Sungmin sighed and Kyuhyun walked over to the bed, kneeling on it and wrapping his arms around Sungmin. The older man let him, staring blankly at the room over his shoulder.
"What can I do for you?"
Sungmin thought about it. "Well, some chocolate wouldn't go astray. Or flowers. Or both. And you could probably offer to buy me lunch sometimes."
Kyuhyun laughed. "Okay."
"I'm not saying you can buy me, though."
"Yeah." Kyuhyun lowered his eyes. "I'll treat you better."
"Thank you."
~
"I kissed him."
"I know."
"I mean, I made out with him. A lot."
"I know."
"I told him I loved him."
"I thought you might."
"You're not mad?"
"Not really."
"Why?"
"Are you leaving me?"
"No," Zhou Mi suddenly paused. "Unless… you don't want me anymore…"
"I love you, Mi. I don't have a problem with you liking him as long as you don't date him and you still like me more."
"Really?"
Heechul smiled and pecked his lips. "Really."
"I can stay friends with Henli?"
"Of course, I don't own you."
Zhou Mi's heart soared, and he decided to tease Heechul a little. "Are you trying to tell me something?"
Heechul smirked and played along. "Like what?" he asked, eyes widening innocently.
"Like… you have another lover stashed away in your closet or anything?"
"Well…"
Zhou Mi put a stern expression on his face and Heechul laughed. Zhou Mi laughed as well, tackling the older man and kissing him like there was no tomorrow. "I'm so lucky to have you."
"Yes. Yes you are."
Zhou Mi slapped him lightly. "Love you."
~
"HEN-RY!"
Henry looked up in surprise as Sungmin bounded over to him and slung an arm across his shoulders. "You're happy today."
"Yes, I am. I'm sorry. I didn't ask you yesterday what happened with you and Zhou Mi."
Henry shrugged, still sad. "We talked."
"And?"
"We kissed."
"AND?"
"He's staying with Heechul."
"Good!"
"What?" Henry turned to look at him, eyes full of hurt. Sungmin swung around to stand in front of him, taking his hands. "Because Iwant you, Henry. I realized. It wasn't all Kyuhyun, I stopped being a slut because I met you."
"M-me?"
"Yes, of course you. I mean it, Henry… will you go out with me?"
Henry stared at him. Sungmin waited. Henry stared some more. Sungmin's heart pounded in his chest, desperate for his answer.
"Y-you're… you're just upset about Kyuhyun and you think…"
"I'm not." Sungmin squeezed Henry's hands. "I thought about it all last night and this morning. I couldn't think of any reasons why I would love Kyuhyun, and I found heaps on why I love you. Want to hear them?"
Henry shook his head. "Hyung…"
"Please, Henry?"
"Stop aegyo-facing me!" Henry couldn't help smiling. "Okay."
"You will?"
"Yes, I will."
Sungmin let go of his hands and hugged him tightly.
~
"You told me things would get better."
Leeteuk stared at him in surprise, then smiled. "Did they?"
Kyuhyun grinned, looking out the window at the sky. It defined the word 'blue'.
"Yes." He replied, catching sight of Henry, Sungmin, Ryeowook and Yesung on the lawn outside. "A whole lot better."
A/N And if anyone's wondering why the FUCK Mi ended up with Heechul,
