Disclaimer: A fictional story using the members of Super Junior in whatever ways my crazy imagination decides. No ownership whatsoever.
Chapter Eight
Ryeowook and Kyuhyun had their own respective schedules. They met only when they were both to be in the dance studio for practice (in the morning), and currently in the recording studio to work on a new song (the last thing in their schedule).
Kyuhyun had been on his best behavior the whole day. He was respectful, helpful, and downright polite. It was disturbing.
More than once, the evil magnae received strange looks for his weird behavior by the other members. And more times then Ryeowook could count, the members would pull him aside to ask what was wrong with Kyuhyun. He hadn't realized he was Kyuhyun's keeper, but apparently that was exactly what he was going by the amount of inquiries he had gotten concerning Kyuhyun's behavior. Even the managers and trainers had gone to him.
He didn't know whether to feel happy about this new discovery or melancholic . After all, would you be happy to be considered as a mother-like-figure for the person you had feelings for?
"Here you go, hyung. You looked a little thirsty."
Yesung eyed the bottle Kyuhyun was trying to offer with ample amounts of distrust. "What did you do to it?"
The magnae gave him a wide smile that only made Yesung's frown deepen.
"What do you mean, hyung? Would I ever do such a thing?" Kyuhyun simpered.
"Yes" Yesung stated immediately, now moving to back away from the water bottle.
Ryeowook, who was watching the whole scene, felt exasperated. He didn't know what to make of it. What was Kyuhyun trying to do? If it was any other person, Ryeowook would assume that Kyuhyun was trying to follow Leeteuk's advice. Instead of being the annoying menace he usually was around his hyungs, he was acting positively angelic.
For example, he remembered the look of sheer amazement on Donghae-hyung's face when the magnae had offered to help do the dishes after breakfast. Even more epic, he recalled how Eunhyuk-hyung's jaw had dropped when Kyuhyun had apologized for not trying harder during dance practice.
Eunhyuk-hyung had pulled him away right after practice to ask if Kyuhyun was taking mood altering drugs. After all, Kyuhyun had been famous for throwing little temper tantrums during dance practice, yelling on and on about how he was a singer, not a dancer - they were extremely amusing.
In answer to Eunhyuk's question, Ryeowook had only shaken his head amusedly and walked away. He tried not to laugh when Eunhyuk-hyung then turned to Leeteuk-hyung and asked if hell had frozen over without him noticing.
Obviously, Kyuhyun's behavior was shocking everyone. But certainly no one was going to complain. A prank free day was always welcome.
But Ryeowook wasn't about to let his guard down. This was Kyuhyun after all. The evil magnae must be up to something. Just to be on the safe side, he would keep a close eye on the other - not that he hadn't been doing that before.
Curiously enough, Kyuhyun had kept a moderate distance from him. He didn't know what to make of that either. Was Kyuhyun just giving him space because of what happened this morning? Was he planning a prank in return? Ryeowook didn't know, which had put him on edge the whole day.
"I promise, hyung. I didn't do anything to the water bottle. It's perfectly safe. I just thought you looked a little thirsty." Kyuhyun reasoned, giving a winning smile meant to reassure.
Though he was still skeptical, Yesung decided to give Kyuhyun the benefit of the doubt since the other had been relatively decent the whole day.
"Alright. Thanks, I guess." Grabbing the bottle from the magnae, he opened it and took a sip. When he didn't fall to the floor convulsing, he finally allowed himself to relax. "Huh. I guess you didn't do anything to it, Kyuhyun."
"Of course I didn't hyung. In fact, that was the very last water bottle in the refrigerator." Kyuhyun added, his wide smile turning positively gleeful now.
Yesung paused in his drinking to stare in confusion at Kyuhyun. As if foreshadowing, the hair on the back of his neck stood on end. And then the full impact of Kyuhyun's sunk in.
"The last bottle? As in the only one left?" Yesung murmured with growing horror.
Kyuhyun nodded somberly.
"You mean there's none left for Heechul?"
Kyuhyun continued to shake his head, innocently rolling back and forth on the balls of his feet. "I guess not, hyung. But that's okay right, because you have a nice cold bottle of water to enjoy," Kyuhyun stated, giving Yesung that particular look that everyone knew very well to be his - I'm in prank mode, so you better watch out look.
"YOU BRAT!" Yesung hissed, moving to grab Kyuhyun.
But it was too late. "YAH! Who took the last water bottle!"
Everyone knew that Heechul had specific rules that needed to be followed in order to keep him calm and happy. When in the studio, one of the rules was that there always needed to be water bottles, unopened of course for Heechul would never deem to share a water bottle , on hand. Everyone knew this and made sure that there was indeed always one water bottle left in the refrigerator for the high strung drama queen.
Last time, a poor work hand had been the unfortunate victim of one of Heechul's diatribes and the cold shoulder for a month after having taken the last water bottle. And by cold shoulder, it was meant that Heechul made sure to make your days as unpleasant as possible .
No one crossed Heechul without paying the consequences. Kyuhyun knew this all too well.
Snickering, Kyuhyun helpfully pointed his finger at Yesung. "Oops. I think Yesung-hyung did, Heechul-hyung."
"Yesung! How dare you!" Heechul screeched, already moving towards the turtle-loving boy.
"You're dead when we get back to the dorms," Yesung spat at Kyuhyun before making a break for the door and hopefully escape from Heechul's wrath. But Heechul was already on his heels, eyes narrowed in on his prey.
"Okay, hyung! See you when I get back!" Kyuhyun yelled back happily, waving goodbye even though Yesung had already exited the room, no doubt, already hidden away in a closet somewhere.
When the door closed behind the two, Kyuhyun exploded into full blown laughter, clutching his stomach .
Ryeowook walked over, rolling his eyes all the while. Giving the younger magnae a slight shove, he watched Kyuhyun collapse onto the couch behind him, still laughing.
Now this was more like it. It seemed like Kyuhyun had, had enough of being the perfect magnae and had reverted back to his evil magnae persona.
Watching the laughing magnae, Ryeowook couldn't stop the fond smile that formed on his lips. Eyes trailing over that laughing face, Ryeowook felt his heart flutter in contentment. No matter how annoying or how distracting Kyuhyun's little pranks were, if it meant that the magnae laughed like this - with pure joy and life - then Ryeowook would gladly let Kyuhyun prank him for the rest of his life.
Though it was peaceful being around the 'good' Kyuhyun, Ryeowook had felt bereft. Kyuhyun hadn't been Kyuhyun. And Ryeowook loved Kyuhyun, mischief and all. Ryeowook was glad to see that the magnae had returned to normal
"You know that wasn't very nice, Kyuhyun. Don't you remember what Leeteuk-hyung had told you about pranking you're hyungs! And to prank, Yesung-hyung? You're asking for it." Ryeowook said in false admonishment. His face, full of amusement, said otherwise.
Coughing, Kyuhyun sat up and wiped away the tears that had gathered in his eyes.
"But, Ryeowook-ah. I tried! Didn't you see me today? I even tried to give you some space in case you were still mad at me. But I couldn't stand it anymore. Especially when Yesung-hyung kept going on and on about his turtle! I had to prank him. And if he decides to retaliate, I can take him." Kyuhyun answered. He butted his shoulder with Ryeowook's. "Come on. You gotta admit that Yesung-hyung's face was hilarious."
Unable to disagree, Ryeowook remained silent, turning his face away as to not reveal his smile and thereby encourage the rule breaker. But he couldn't hide anything from Kyuhyun. Well, except that he was in love with the evil magnae.
"See! You're smiling. Admit it, my prank was brilliant."Kyuhyun continued, continuously rubbing his shoulder against the shorter one's, almost knocking Ryeowook over in the process.
"Alright, alright! It was a little funny." Ryeowook consented, pushing the other half heartedly to make him stop shoving him. When Kyuhyun turned and gave him a smile, Ryeowook felt as thought someone had hit him with a blunt instrument. That smile was lethal.
"So! Since we're finished, let's go eat!" Kyuhyun chirped, jumping up.
Shaking his head, Ryeowook stood up as well. Focus, man! It was just a smile! God, he needed to stop talking to himself.
"Yeah. I'm feeling hungry." Ryeowook said in agreement to Kyuhyun's proposal when the latter continued to stare at him in question.
Turning away, he started gathering his belongings, relieved when Kyuhyun moved to do the same thing.
Considering, he turned back around. "Kyuhyun?"
"What's up?" Kyuhyun asked, looking up.
"I'm glad you stopped trying to be a 'good' magnae. I like you just the way you are." Ryeowook said. Then as if realizing exactly what he had just said, Ryeowook turned around quickly and seemingly returned to packing up his belongings. The blush on his high cheekbones spoke of other motives for turning away.
Kyuhyun stood gaping at Ryeowook's back for a full minute. Now it was his turn to feel like someone had hit him with a blunt instrument. Then happiness flooded him so quickly that it took every ounce of his will power not to leap over the sofa and pull Ryeowook into a bone-crushing hug. But, no! He needed to stick to the plan or Ryeowook would never believe that he was serious in his bid for his hyung's heart. Subtle. He needed to be subtle.
Gripping his backpack, he fought for calm. To distract himself, he returned to packing up the last of his things. Internally, his heart was pounding with exhilaration. Standing by the door, he waited until Ryeowook came close before turning to look at his hyung' s face.
"Ready?" Kyuhyun asked.
Ryeowook nodded, avoiding eye contact. He still couldn't believe what he'd just admitted to the other. His feelings were growing so strong that he was spouting things left and right now!
Kyuhyun smirked at his hyung's evident bashfulness but didn't comment. He went to push the door open, but stopped before doing so. Swiftly, he reached back to firmly clasp his hyung's hand.
Looking over his shoulder, his eyes met Ryeowook's own shock filled one's.
"I like you too." He felt, more than saw the impact of his words on his little hyung. Ryeowook's erratic pulse matched his own.
He gave Ryeowook a secretive smile. "You know, just the way you are."
Without waiting for a response he turned forward and began walking, one hand gripping his backpack strap and the other holding tightly to his hyung's smaller hand. He felt on top of the world.
Ryeowook could only follow along, pulled forward by Kyuhyun's hand. The thunder in his chest seemed to have blocked his ears. He felt like he was in a tunnel and the only form of escape was the hand holding his. It was just too much. Kyuhyun's words hit too close to home for Ryeowook to ignore them.
If only he meant them the way I want him to, Ryeowook thought. If only he knew that I more than like him. If only he knew that I love him so much that every fiber of my being yearns for him.
But no matter how desperate he was to scream these words at the man who held his hand so tightly, he couldn't. Because these seemingly innocent words had the potential to ruin everything.
He stared at their clasped hands, marveling at their perfect fit. Giving an experimental squeeze, he let out an elated breath when the elegant hand, larger than his, squeezed back softly. He didn't want to lose this. He wanted this to last forever , this connection, even if it wasn't a romantic one.
It is enough as long as I get to be close to him, Ryeowook thought optimistically.
The warmth of Kyuhyun's hands soothed the sadness hidden under the optimism.
000
The others were already getting settled in the vans, talking and laughing loudly. As per usual, there were two vans ready to carry the members.
The elevator ride down to the ground floor helped to settle Ryeowook's feelings. Kyuhyun's teasing and smiling helped to push back all serious thoughts and let Ryeowook focus on the here and now.
Once outside of the building, Ryeowook had tried to free his hand, a little surprised that Kyuhyun hadn't already let go. Kyuhyun wasn't very big on physical contact. The magnae didn't reject hugs or hand holding, but he didn't initiate it as much as Ryeowook was want to do with the other members.
After five minutes of futile tugging, Ryeowook finally gave up. Kyuhyun immediately shot him a smug look that made Ryeowook want to find the nearest wall and thump his head a few times to ensure that his sanity would stay intact. Only Kyuhyun could make hand holding into a contest. The fact that he wasn't able to free his hand made it clear who the winner was. Kyuhyun's smug grin helped too.
"Yah! There you guys are! Hurry up, we're all gonna go catch some dinner." Leeteuk shouted out at them from the front seat of the van.
"Yes, hyung." Ryeowook shouted back, now the one tugging Kyuhyun forward who had automatically slowed his walk the moment Leeteuk had told them to hurry up. Typical evil magnae behavior, of course.
Peering into the van, Ryeowook saw that the other members had graciously left them two spots in the back next to an already dozing Kibum. Again, he went to separate his hand from Kyuhyun's but was again denied.
"Kyuhyun, I need my hand!" Ryeowook snapped, well aware that Leeteuk was still glaring at them from his seat. The younger magnae persisted for another moment before finally releasing Ryeowook's hand.
"Of course, hyung! Why didn't you just say so?" Kyuhyun answered sweetly.
Ryeowook rolled his eyes and resisted the temptation to kick the other. With his hand free, he was finally able to climb into the van but had to step over an amused Sungmin who had caught his interaction with Kyuhyun. Blushing, Ryeowook did his best to ignore the wink that his hyung sent him.
Out of all the members, Sungmin-hyung was the one who knew about his feelings towards the younger magnae best. And he never failed to tease him about it. Ryeowook was sure he was in for another conversation with the Japanese-speaking boy.
Finally, he made it to the back seat. Kibum didn't even stir as Ryeowook dropped down heavily next to him. Ryeowook wouldn't be surprised if Kibum could sleep through a rock concert. He was that heavy a sleeper.
A moment later, the bane of his existence dropped down next to him, still looking amused. Ryeowook shot the other a mild glare.
"Alright, is everyone settled in?" Leeteuk asked, glaring at Ryeowook and Kyuhyun in particular. Everyone gave grunts of agreements - Shindong's the loudest - and moments later they were off.
000
Ryeowook let out a big sigh. He leaned his head back against the seat rest and let his eyes close. The day's activities had tired him out. Really, he was more tired than hungry, but he knew very well that not eating would only come back to bite him later on.
He could feel himself drifting off when somebody nudged him. One guess who it was.
"Wookie, I'm bored." Kyuhyun whined, leaning uncomfortably close to Ryeowook to whisper into his ear.
"Go to sleep, then," he whispered right back, stubbornly keeping his eyes clothes. And if he shivered when he felt Kyuhyun's breath on his ear, he wasn't thinking about it. Not at all.
"I'm not sleepy. Hyung, entertain me!" Kyuhyun continued, sliding even closer if that was possible. Ryeowook could practically feel the line of Kyuhyun's body pressing into his own. It made him scrunch his eyes close even tighter.
"I'm not a clown, Kyuhyun. Where's your PSP? I'm surprised your face isn't already glued to the screen." Ryeowook stated in a calm, even tone. Maybe if he sounded disinterested, Kyuhyun would give up.
There was a moment of silence. Ryeowook fought the temptation to open his eyes and glance over at the other magnae.
"But I already beat all the levels on the games I brought." Kyuhyun stated despondently, his melancholy over the subject unmistakable .
Ryeowook fought not to giggle. Really, the magnae sounded like someone had just told him Santa Clause wasn't real. It was too cute. The younger's obsession over gaming was both amusing and exasperating. Sighing, Ryeowook realized that ignoring the magnae wouldn't be possible. Tilting his face to the right, he opened his eyes. Kyuhyun's eyes greeted his owns and for a second, Ryeowook was lost. Why did the magnae have to have such beautiful eyes? If he wasn't careful, he'd get sucked right in, Ryeowook thought. Or maybe, he was already trapped in them.
"So what do you want to do then?" Ryeowook asked, too tired to tilt his face away even though Kyuhyun's face was mere inches away. He was feeling comfortably relaxed. With the warmth of Kyuhyun's body seeping into his own, it was no wonder that his drowsiness was returning.
Kyuhyun studied his hyung's face up close. The almond-shaped eyes were fluttering close every once in a while, betraying the obvious fatigue Ryeowook was feeling. Kyuhyun felt momentary guilt for badgering the other. Ryeowook was always caring for the other members, and today had been no different.
In similar fashion to days before, he had kept an eye on his little hyung throughout the day even when he was giving the other space for his 'supposed' prank. He recalled Ryeowook packing a special lunch for Heechul who, for unknown reasons, Ryeowook doted upon. No doubt the magnae had prepared it along with the breakfast the magnae had woken up early to cook. He recalled Ryeowook's patience with Yesung-hyung, who needed a willing volunteer to listen to his latest problem.
His concern for the other members always surprised Kyuhyun. Ryeowook's innate willingness to sacrifice and support was unlike anything Kyuhyun had ever seen. How could Kyuhyun not be pulled in? How could he not want to know more and become close to this extraordinary person? And how could he not fall in love when he did realize that every bit of Ryeowook's gentle nature was genuine?
I didn't have a chance, Kyuhyun thought in amusement. Ryeowook had me the moment his eyes connected with mine. With every layer I uncover about this man, I fall in deeper and deeper.
And he's grown more beautiful too, Kyuhyun thought. Ryeowook's skin looked soft and inviting as it stretched over those high cheekbones. The itch to run his fingers over the planes of Ryeowook's face hadn't abated at all since the night he had slept with Ryeowook. If anything, it had increased in urgency. Giving into temptation, he allowed his fingers to brush away a few strands of hair that had escaped the bobby pin Ryeowook had put in earlier to keep his bangs out of his eyes.
Just as he before, the skin was soft to the touch. He continued to examine Ryeowook's face, as if determined to remember every detail. He watched as those fluttering eyes finally stayed shut, signifying that his hyung had fallen asleep.
Quirking his lips, he realized that he was getting the chance to sleep with Ryeowook a lot sooner than he thought. Well, it was in a car full of the other Super Junior members snoring away, but what did that matter when Ryeowook was snuggling his head into the crook of his neck?
Shifting slightly, he was able to slide his arm around Ryeowook's waist, pulling him closer until his hyung was sleeping more on him than on the car seat. Comfortably, he let his head rest atop of Ryeowook's. Again, the scent of vanilla assaulted his senses. In contradiction to his denial of not feeling sleepy, Kyuhyun promptly fell asleep not long after he had closed his eyes. His hand remained secure around Ryeowook's waist, holding on tight to its precious bundle.
000
Ryeowook woke up to the sounds of snickering and an insistent poking. Shifting, he tried to avoid the bothersome gesture but was unsuccessful. Letting out a big sigh, he finally pried his eyes open only to blink in surprise when he found three faces staring back at him.
"What?" Ryeowook managed in a sleep leaden voice. He tried to sit up but yelped when he was abruptly pulled back down. Confused, he looked to the right only to blink confusedly at the sight of a sleeping Kyuhyun.
Turning back around, he looked up into the amused faces of Sungmin, Donghae, and a now awake Kibum.
"What?" Ryeowook repeated, confused as to why his hyungs were all giving him these knowing grins.
"Nothing" Sungmin answered, shoving the other guys meaningfully. Taking the hint, the other two shuffled out of the van but not before shooting Ryeowook sly winks that only confused Ryeowook more.
"We're at the restaurant, so hurry up and wake Kyuhyun. The others are already making their way inside." Sungmin continued before also shuffling out of the van.
It seemed all Ryeowook could do was blink as he tried to gain a handle on the situation. Looking around, he realized the van was empty of anyone else. Even the driver had left, presumably to catch some dinner also.
"Why were they all giving me those weird looks" Ryeowook mumbled to himself, moving again to get up. And again, he was unsuccessful. Looking down, he realized why.
God, this was starting to feel natural if he hadn't even questioned the strange weight around his waist. Face palming, Ryeowook realized just why his hyungs had been giving him those looks, Sungmin especially.
Twisting around, he semi-glared at the soundly sleeping Kyuhyun before. Mirroring Kyuhyun's actions (though he didn't know it), he brushed some strands of hair out of Kyuhyun's eyes. The motion carried the utmost tenderness and affection.
"You cause me so much trouble, Kyuhyun-ah." Ryeowook whispered. And then he laughed softly to himself. "But I wouldn't have it any other way."
Gently, he shook the younger magnae's shoulder. "Kyuhyun. Wake up!"
There was some faint mumbling and protest, but Kyuhyun opened his eyes obediently. "Wookie?" Kyuhyun mumbled confusedly. Like a little boy, he rubbed his eyes and let out a big yawn. Ryeowook felt his insides warm at the endearing sight. In his unguarded moments, Ryeowook thought to himself, Kyuhyun looks like a little child.
"Where are we?" Kyuhyun continued, his voice gruff from sleep.
As he spoke, Ryeowook surreptitiously dislodged the arm around his waist. "We're at the restaurant. Come on, the others are already inside. We seem to be last again. Let's hurry before Leeteuk finds another reason to yell at us."
Kyuhyun only nodded, eyes still heavy with sleep.
Without thinking, Ryeowook grabbed the magnae's hand and started pulling him out of the van. The gesture that had mortified him before when Kyuhyun had initiated it felt natural now.
Before they had even entered the restaurant, the smell of food surrounded them. As if by magic, the magnae beside him perked up with interest like a little puppy eager for food. Ryeowook held back a chuckle.
Oblivious, Kyuhyun turned to look at Ryeowook. "Come on, Ryeowook. We have to hurry or Shindong and Donghae will eat everything!" Walking faster, Kyuhyun was now the one pulling Ryeowook along.
Laughing out loud now, Ryeowook sped up his steps to keep up with the now fully awake Kyuhyun. Happily, the two magnaes began making teasing remarks about Shindong's and Donghae's eating habits. Unaware of anyone else in the restaurant, the two were in their own little world as they smiled and laughed together. At first glance, they looked like the closest of friends. But looking closer, the love shining in their eyes gave away their true feelings towards each other to anybody who bothered to take another look.
000
The two magnaes didn't need a hostess to figure out where the other Super Junior members were eating. The noise was all the indication they needed.
Stepping into the room, they were not surprised at all to see that it was in utter chaos. Waiters and waitresses were running to and fro from the room, alternately collecting empty dishes and setting down new ones. At the head of the table, Leeteuk was conversing with Kangin, his unmistakable laughter still vivid even in all the cacophony.
On one side of the table, Shindong was shifting his attention between his conversation with Eunhyuk and the meat cooking on the hot plate (the meat seemed to be getting more focus). But, Eunhyuk didn't seem to be care as his eyes were shifting every two minutes to the man that was sitting two spots down from him. Sungmin, enjoying his soup, seemed oblivious of the attention but looking closer, his eyes were doing the exact same thing , shifting every once in a while to look at Eunhyuk. Somehow, the pairs eyes never met, which made Ryeowook roll his eyes.
Next to Sungmin, Kibum was engaged in food battle with Donghae. They both seemed to be trying to steal food off each other's plate using chopsticks but were making more of a mess than anything. Yesung, sitting next to Kibum, seemed alternatively entertained and annoyed. Looking further down the table, he spotted Siwon calmly enjoying his plate of food and having a peaceful conversation with Hankyung. How they were managing a conversation when there was food flying around the room, courtesy of Donghae and Kibum, was beyond Ryeowook.
Finally, Heechul sat at the other end of the table, meticulously eating his food with one hand, while expertly texting or tweeting or who knows what with the other. Once in a while, he'd shout at the others for being too loud, but it seemed more absentminded than actual annoyance. Dispersed here and there, Ryeowook spotted managers and workers. In sum, it was a typical Super Junior dinner. And it was absolutely perfect.
A/N: This is set up of the table so that you guys can get a better idea. When I was writing, I was getting confused myself!
End of table: Leeteuk
Side 1: Kangin - crew members - space - space - Kibum - Yesung - Hankyung
Side 2: Shindong - Eunhyuk - space - Sungmin - Donghae - Siwon
End of table: Heechul
As if sharing his thoughts, Kyuhyun slung an arm around his shoulders and shot him a fond smile. The thought in both their minds were clear: yep, this is our family - craziness and all.
"Ryeowook! Over here!"
Looking up, Ryeowook spotted Sungmin-hyung hailing him over. Smiling, he saw that Sungmin had scooted closer to Donghae in order to make room for him. He went to move forward, but automatically looked back to check on Kyuhyun.
Kyuhyun had also spotted Sungmin-hyung waving to them, or rather Ryeowook, over but frowned when he realized there wasn't enough room for him to sit next to Ryeowook. Seeing the frown, concern washed over Ryeowook immediately.
"What?"
"Let's go sit on the other side of the table," Kyuhyun answered immediately.
"But I was going to sit next to - " Ryeowook began but was interrupted as he was forcefully propelled forward by Kyuhyun.
"Yeah, but there's more room on the other side! Sungmin-hyung will be right across from us, so it's perfect." Kyuhyun spoke quickly. Well, as he was being forcefully pulled towards that location anyway, Ryeowook couldn't do much to argue. Not that he would, he thought. He'd be able to sit next to Kyuhyun, after all.
When he looked back over to Sungmin-hyung, he immediately blushed when he caught the knowing smirk the other was sending him. Just as Ryeowook went to settle down next to Kangin, he was again interrupted by Kyuhyun.
"What now?" Ryeowook asked, giving the younger magnae an impatient look. Kyuhyun or not, he was hungry now after seeing all the food and he just wanted to eat! Kyuhyun coughed and tilted his head slightly to the right. Looking past Kyuhyun, Ryeowook spotted a steaming Yesung. Ah. No wonder Kyuhyun didn't want to sit next to Kibum. It would take nothing for Yesung to lean around the other and give the evil magnae a hit for playing that prank on him in the studio.
Annoyed, but amused too, he obligingly switched spots with Kyuhyun so that he was now sitting next to Kibum. Kyuhyun would need the extra protection.
Really, Ryeowook thought, I hadn't been kidding when I said that I sometimes felt like a mother around Kyuhyun. He suddenly felt a great deal of compassion for Kyuhyun's parents who had to raise this, no doubt mischievous child.
As they sat down, Sungmin handed both of them empty plates without a word. Ryeowook just knew the man was dying to tease him.
Ignoring his hyung, Ryeowook began picking out some food. But he wasn't filling his own plate. Instead, he had automatically filled Kyuhyun's plate first, picking out all of the magnae's favorites and adding a few vegetables - because he knew the magnae would never do so on his own - before setting it down in front of the smiling magnae.
He paused when he saw that Kyuhyun was looking at him strangely, almost wondrously.
Self conscious now, Ryeowook automatically touched his face, as if believing that there might be something on it.
"What?" Ryeowook asked warily.
Kyuhyun let out a laugh, before shaking his head amusedly.
"You're the best, Wookie." Then slinging an arm around Ryeowook's shoulder, he began eating and joining the food fight between Donghae and Kibum, making it a three way battle.
Not exactly sure about what just happened, Ryeowook turned back towards the table and began filling his own plate. He was just about to place a piece of sushi into his mouth when a chuckle distracted him.
From across the table, Sungmin was giving him an amused look.
Popping the piece into his mouth, he chewed before swallowing. "What's so funny, hyung?"
Sungmin continued to stare at him with amusement. "You."
Frowning, Ryeowook didn't know what to make of that statement. "How am I funny?"
But Sungmin only shook his head, not answering.
Huffing, Ryeowook turned back towards his food, shoving another piece of sushi into his mouth. It seemed like he was getting teased from all corners today.
"So," Sungmin began.
Pausing, Ryeowook again looked up.
"I have a question."
Wary, Ryeowook put his chopsticks down. "About what hyung?"
"This morning. Exactly how did you end up sleeping in Kyuhyun's bed?"
Ryeowook felt sweat break out on his forehead. Was it him or had the noise level gone down in the room?
"Um -"
"I kidnapped him, of course."
Whipping his head around, Ryeowook gave Kyuhyun a disbelieving look.
If conversation had slowed before, they stopped now.
Sungmin turned his attention to the smirking magnae. "I see. And why did you feel the need to kidnap our beloved Wookie?"
Opening his mouth, Ryeowook meant to stop the conversation but paused when he realized that he was also curious about Kyuhyun's answer.
Knowing that the other members, as well as Ryeowook, were listening with the utmost of fascination, Kyuhyun looked straight into Sungmin's eyes and answered.
"Well, because he belongs in my bed. Ryeowook's everything to me."
"Kyuhyun!" Ryeowook couldn't help but say, flustered beyond belief.
But Kyuhyun didn't look at him. As he said those words, meaning every single one of them, his eyes never wavered from Sungmin's. Even if Ryeowook was too flustered to notice, the challenge in Sungmin-hyung's eyes was clear to Kyuhyun.
In those few words, they had reached a better understanding of each other. For Kyuhyun, he recognized the questioning for what it was – what are your true intentions towards Wookie? For Sungmin, he finally understood the true breadth of Kyuhyun's feelings for Ryeowook - I love Ryeowook, I will not hurt him.
Sungmin inclined his head in a slight nod, indicating to Kyuhyun that he had gained his approval. Satisfied, Kyuhyun now turned his attention to diffusing the situation. If Ryeowook turner any redder, Kyuhyun thought, he might actually stay that color permanently.
Giving his little hyung a smirk, he casually pulled Ryeowook closer.
Fluttering his eyes, he looked down into Ryeowook's face. "Didn't you enjoy being in bed with me, hyung?"
Mortified, Ryeowook pushed the smirking magnae, dislodging the arm around his shoulder indignantly.
Laughing now, Kyuhyun dramatically crossed his hands over his heart, letting out a dramatic sigh. Leaning back, he used Kangin as a support. "Oh, you wound me, Wookie! How will I ever survive?"
Now everyone was laughing as they watched the evil magnae in action.
Ryeowook turned his head away, crossing his arms for good measure.
"So, what is this exactly about?" Kangin queried, looking down at his dongsaeng who had decided to use his shoulder as a pillow.
Still pouting, Ryeowook refused to answer so Sungmin did it for him, much to Ryeowook's embarrassment.
"It started out when I received a call early in the morning from a hysterical Ryeowook. Apparently, Kyuhyun had decided to prank Ryeowook when he had fallen asleep on him. Instead of doing the responsible thing and taking a sleeping Ryeowook back to his room, he put the magnae in bed with him. Well as you can imagine, Ryeowook woke up the next day not knowing where he was. From what I recall, Ryeowook thought he had been kidnapped by a backwoods chainsaw rapist."
At this, the whole table exploded in laughter. Even Leeteuk had cracked a smile.
Ryeowook was now giving them all equal glares, except for Sungmin at whom he glared extra hard. Ignoring the glare, Sungmin continued.
"I guess some of Kyuhyun's mischievousness must have rubbed off on Ryeowook for he called me up to help set up a prank for Kyuhyun."
At this, Ryeowook was given some surprised looks. When he looked to the right, Ryeowook realized that Heechul was even giving him an approving look. What was this world coming too?
"What did you do?" An eager Yesung questioned. He was all for getting some revenge on the evil brat.
Smirking, Sungmin answered. "Basically, I convinced him that their were some rumors going around that our little Kyuhyun here had, had a scandalous, one night stand." There was collective chocking around the table. Realizing that he couldn't stop this, Ryeowook put his hand down on the table.
"Oh, but we didn't stop there. To add icing to the cake, we planted some evidence." Sungmin said, smirk pretty much scary now. At the word evidence, Leeteuk rolled his eyes. "And of course, a good prank needs an audience so we decided to let Leeteuk-hyung join us."
All eyes shifted from Sungmin towards Leeteuk who gave a half-hearted glare. "Not that they bothered telling me."
Wincing, Sungmin nodded in agreement. Attention shifted back to Sungmin. "Maybe we should have, but thinking about what you're reaction would be made Ryeowook and I consider the risk worth it." Kyuhyun snorted in obvious disagreement. They hadn't been the ones being strangled and struggling to stay alive.
Shindong, ripping his attention away from the cooking meat, shot Sungmin a knowing look.
"Hold on, let me guess what happened next. You dressed Wookie up as Kyuhyun's one night stand and let Leeteuk stumble upon the scene."
More choking ensued as Sungmin nodded in agreement to Shindong's words.
Coughing, Donghae took a sip of water before turning to look at Shindong. "How in the world did you guess that, hyung?"
Shindong shot another amused look at Sungmin who was now the one flustered. "It'd be obvious to you too if Sungmin came knocking on your door asking if he could borrow one of your girlfriend's bras."
"Oh god." Ryeowook moaned the same time Siwon choked on a piece of bread. Hankyung, head on the table with tears streaming down his face, couldn't even move to help the poor man he was laughing so hard.
Heechul, who was enjoying every bit of what was happening thumped Siwon on the back without otherwise shifting his attention from the story. "Well, this keeps getting better and better."
Fanning his face, Sungmin cleared his throat noisily. "Yes well, it was all in the spirit of a good prank so I had to do it. As I was saying, we made sure to plant the bra on Kyuhyun's floor in clear view so that when Leeteuk-hyung came barging into the room, he wouldn't miss the incriminating piece of evidence. Ah, you guys would have appreciated the look of sheer horror on Leeteuk's and Kyuhyun's faces once they noticed the hot pink bra."
Ryeowook moaned again, but it was ignored as the other members stared back and forth at Kyuhyun's and Leeteuk's faces, trying to imagine what they looked like after spotting the bra. Once they did, they laughed uncontrollably.
"Oh my god," Yesung wheezed, short of breath from laughing so hard. "This is the funniest thing ever."
"I can't breathe," Eunhyuk gasped, his face red from exertion.
"Oh, we haven't even got to the best part," Sungmin stated sweetly. "Helpfully, I pointed out to Leeteuk-hyung's attention that someone was in Kyuhyun's shower."
Kyuhyun, head still resting on Kangin's shoulder shot Sungmin a half-hearted glare. "Ah. Now I understand the exaggerated pointing."
Sungmin ignored the comment. "Well, you can guess what happens next. Ryeowook, transformed into Ryeona, steps out of the Kyuhyun's bathroom wearing nothing but a towel. Again, you would appreciate the looks on Kyuhyun's and Leeteuk's faces as they started at Kyuhyun's supposed one night stand, fresh from a shower. From this point, everything is a blur for I could no longer hold in my laughter. What I do remember is that Leeteuk made a sort of Superman leap towards Kyuhyun, hands already aimed for the neck."
Impossibly, the laughter grew louder now. Tears were rolling down everyone's faces as the force of their laughter caused their stomachs to ache. Kibum had laughed so hard that he fallen out of his chair. Kangin was pounding the table so hard that it wouldn't be a surprise if the table broke.
Yesung got up, clutching his stomach. Walking over to Ryeowook, he pulled his dongsaeng into a tight hug, laughing all the while. "You are my hero, Ryeowook. I will never underestimate your powers again." Blushing, Ryeowook returned the hug.
All around, words of praise abounded as the other members showed their appreciation of the awesome prank Ryeowook had played on their evil magnae.
"Truly," Leeteuk began, "you can never underestimate the power of Super Junior's eternal magnae! Let's toast to Ryeowook's successful prank and to Kyuhyun getting some of his own treatment!"
Glasses, previously empty, were filled to the brim with Soju as all the members clambered to clink glasses with each other for the toast.
Kyuhyun, holding two glasses, handed one to Ryeowook who was still blushing. Taking the offered glass, Ryeowook shot a questioning glance at the other, unsure as to how Kyuhyun had taken the teasing. Smirking, Kyuhyun held up his glass. "To you, Wookie. The first person to ever play successful prank on me. You got me."
Breath catching, Ryeowook couldn't help but to let out a pleased chuckle. Raising his own glass, he lightly clinked his against Kyuhyun's. They both moved to take the shot of Soju, but Ryeowook couldn't help but to pause, wanting to say one last thing. Seeing Ryeowook stop, Kyuhyun did also.
Looking up at the magnae, Ryeowook gave him a sweet smile. "But, you got me first, Kyuhyun." And without further ado, he gulped down the shot of alcohol in one go. Leaving a shocked Kyuhyun behind, he went to accept another shot with Yesung.
Blinking, Kyuhyun could only stare in disbelief. Looking down into the clear depths of the shot glass, Kyuhyun couldn't help but think something had finally changed. There was no way Ryeowook had been talking about pranks. Elation filled him. In one quick motion, he gulped down the small amount of alcohol. It burned warmly as it went down his throat, but Kyuhyun didn't notice. All he could think about was the little magnae across the room who had captured his heart.
Absolutely nothing or nobody could bring him down today.
000
A/N: I swear, everything I've been writing has been fluff, fluff, and more fluff. I agonized over this chapter until there was a discernible plot in it. This is what I get for watching too many dramas. ^.^ Anyway, I waited to update, because, as I'm sure you all know, SUJU is releasing their fifth album! So, so excited! To celebrate, I made this chapter extra long. Enjoy!
