Summary: No matter what kind of mask he hides behind, his boyfriend will always see through it.

“Sungie…?  I’m home…” Kyuhyun called out as he entered their dorm. 

He knew his Hyung had finished his schedule approximately an hour ago so he was probably home already.  Ryeowook and Sungmin were still out for some joint schedule and Eunhyuk was over at the other dorm, probably trying to sneak in some private time with the band’s fish before Teukie-umma sent them to bed.  So why wasn’t his boyfriend answering?  It was obviously empty enough for him to hear Kyuhyun’s call even if he was at the other end of the dorm.

The maknae padded lazily across the living room, too brain dead to register anything suspiscious, yawning slightly.  It was just before midnight and he’d had a long day.  He’s sure that once he saw Yesung’s smiling face he’d perk up and find the energy to sneak in a few good s with the older man tonight but first food.  He was starving, lunch was terrible so he barely touched it and he’d been too busy shoving his tongue in his lover’s mouth to have a decent breakfast.  He still had the faint taste of coffee on his tongue, which had lingered for the whole day, bugging him because he didn’t particularly enjoy the bitter drink.  Well, it was his fault for probing his Hyung’s mouth for more than ten minutes, only breaking for very short breaths. 

Kyuhyun couldn’t help but smile at the recent memory.  Every moment spent with the elder was a good memory, he noted.  Any sort of skinship, no matter the intimacy, was just a very big plus.  He threw the fridge open and grabbing the plate full of cold sandwiches that had been lovingly made by their eternal maknae.  Being the caring boy Ryeowook was, he made sure to leave a note, cheeky yet still as cute as usual. 

“I know you were too busy making out with Yesung-hyung so I made you these.  Enjoy!  I bet they aren’t as tasty as Hyung is to you but I tried to make them yummy.  – ^^ Wookie.”

And of course it was addressed to Kyuhyun.  Who else would be making out with his boyfriend?  Chuckling him to himself he chomped the first sandwich down, not caring that it was cold.  He was too hungry to care.  After finishing the snacks in record time, he finally felt like he wasn’t going to fall off his feet from being famished. 

Going to place his plate in sink to be washed by whoever was on dish washing duty, he noticed the sink was empty.  Okay… Yesung had arrived home earlier so he must’ve eaten right?  So where was his plate?  For one, he wasn’t on dish washing duty.  He had his lover’s chore schedule memorized.  And second, even if the smaller male had a bad habit of doing chores he wasn’t on duty for, he hadn’t placed the plate on drying rack.  They didn’t have a dish washer so it couldn’t have been there and Yesung was always too forgetful to come back and put back his dry dish in the cabinet. 

This was very, very strange. 

“Hyung…?” Kyuhyun asked throughout their dark dorm, his brain finally full functioning due to worry.  He had only the kitchen light, but it was light enough to see that all their bedrooms had no lights on – the doors open.  Even if his boyfriend had hit the hay early, and he wouldn’t because he always made sure to wait up, he hated to sleep with his door open.  He always, always closed it.  Locking it when they were doing something private.  Kyuhyun’s worries sky rocketed, his voice raising, “Sungie, where are you?” He knew he must’ve sounded panicked because he clearly was, “Baby, answer me!  Where are you?”

Then he heard it.  A slight noise coming from the bathroom that was around the corner.  How could he be so stupid?  Getting all riled up for nothing.  He rushed over, definitely too overcome with emotions to care.  He knocked lightly against the door to notify the one inside, feeling relief washing over him when he saw the light feeding through the bottom.

“Sungie baby, it’s me.  I’m coming in.” Kyuhyun tried to open the door but found himself in a load of shock when he discovered it was locked.  How could this be?  This was their bathroom.  Meaning only Kyuhyun and Yesung’s.  And the elder knew full well how much the maknae enjoyed walking in on him when he was in the middle of a shower or bath to join him.  It was an unspoken rule to never lock.  Kyuhyun knocked again, slight urgency clear in his action, “Baby, what’s wrong?  Open up.”

There was a prolonged silence and a few sounds of shallow breathing and feet against water drenched floor.  Before Kyuhyun could run to his room to grab the spare key, Yesung opened the door a little too suddenly.  His hair wet and matted against his head, clad in one of the long pajama tops Kyuhyun had allocated for him sleep in. 

“S-Sorry, Kyu.  I was in the bath.” Yesung smiled, before registering the panicked expression sewn onto Kyuhyun’s features, “Kyu, is something wrong?  You look upset.” Yesung reached up to touch Kyuhyun’s face but the taller flinched away, opting instead to grab the older around the waist and hug him as tightly as possible, “Hey, are you okay?”

“Why are you asking me if I’m okay?” Kyuhyun shuddered, pressing his lips against his lover’s neck that was cold with bath water.  He’d seen bloodshot eyes, terribly flushed cheeks and the skin around his eyes were swollen.  All obvious signs pointing to the smaller man crying, “Are you okay, baby?”

“I’m fine, what’s with you?” Yesung said soothingly, the maknae’s light golden brown hair.  It was strange to be on the giving end of comfort for once but he didn’t mind at all. 

“You locked.  You never lock.” Kyuhyun said before squeezing Yesung even closer.  The taller kept looking around, noticing little things that were all just so off.  The bath was still draining meaning the elder had indeed taken a bath.  But he never took a bath when Kyuhyun wasn’t home because the maknae would join.  And the water was slightly milky so obviously his lover was in there for a very long time.  Strange, because unless Kyuhyun was in there with him, Yesung kept his bath’s short and sweet to savour the warmth.  And from the wetness he could feel from his boyfriend’s skin it was obvious the water wasn’t even warm.  Yesung loved hot baths more than anything else and refused to take a bath unless it was steaming.  “And when I got home you weren’t there and your plate wasn’t in the sink.”

“I ate dinner at my schedule.  Promise.  Manager-hyung bought it.” Yesung leaned close and pressed a swift kiss on Kyuhyun’s lips.  But why did his mouth taste like mints?  His lover always tasted like a bittersweet mix of vanilla and coffee not this plastic too sweet tasting .  And he despised mints.  He hated breath mints the most and yet there was an open packet of them lying on the sink.  “And I took a bath straight away.  I should’ve the lights, sorry Kyu.”

“And why’re you so cold?” Kyuhyun hugged him closer, trying to warm up the little body in his arms that always seemed to be warm and yet was so cold right now.  “You’re almost shivering, baby.”

Then he took a peek behind the boy to see a pile of wet clothes in the bin, clumped and drenched.  Strange.  Yesung always folded his clothes neatly before taking a shower or bath, leaving them completely dry by the sink or on the toilet seat. And the separate shower was wet meaning he’d used the shower and the bath?  Even stranger.  Who took both?  Especially Yesung who always complained they were wasting water by spending so much time in the shower with the water running.  Lying at the bottom of the shower was a cheap shower scrub they kept in the bathroom cabinet because Kyuhyun deemed it much too rough for Yesung’s creamy sensitive skin.  Now that was really strange.  Yesung himself said the scrub was too scratchy and they had a silent agreement to leave it in their cabinet never to be used again.  And here it was, out and clearly used.

“You’re so cold.” Kyuhyun repeated, still trying to warm up the trembling elder.  And then alarm bells rang off in his mind.  The scrub?  His eyes scanned the exposed skin of his lover’s thigh only to almost gasp at the sight.  His lover’s usually smooth white legs were now red and raw.  The surface was uneven and some places even had terrible scratch marks and Kyuhyun couldn’t tell if they were self inflicted or not.  “What’s this?” He exclaimed grabbing one of his boyfriend’s legs by the knees to further inspect the damaged skin of his usually milky thigh.  “Kim Yesung you better start explaining right now why your leg is like this.”

“Ow.” Yesung hissed softly, hoping the wince of pain wasn’t obvious.  Having his leg wrenched up like that was certainly too sudden for his sore body.  Too bad.  Kyuhyun saw and was currently both fuming and absolutely baffled. 

“Baby, tell me what’s wrong.  Please tell me.” Kyuhyun pleaded as he let go of the elder’s leg to hold his face with both hands, “Why were you in the bath so long?  Heck, why were you even in the bath?  Why does it look like someone raked at you with sandpaper?  Why does it look like you’ve been crying?”

“I… Kyu, it’s nothing really.  Calm down.” Yesung tried to shush, hoping his boyfriend wouldn’t push this issue.  But he could only hope.  His lover knew him much too well.  And he never let things like this go once he had Yesung cornered.  And oh boy did he have him trapped.

“You call this ‘nothing’?” Kyuhyun scolded, gesturing to the swelling skin on Yesung’s legs.  Slow realization finally hitting him and he quickly pinned Yesung to the wall with his weight and superior strength. “Don’t tell me…”

“Kyu, don’t-” But Yesung didn’t get a chance to finish before Kyuhyun had pulled up his shirt to reveal equally raw, if not redder, skin on his boyfriend’s abdomen.  The redness looked like it continued further up to his chest and further down into his briefs.  The taller and gasped and rolled up one of the long sleeves to show that Yesung’s arms were in a similar condition.  Pulling down the collar roughly, his shoulder was also damaged, no longer smooth and white.  “Kyu, really, it’s fine just-”

“Yesung, what happened?” Kyuhyun asked warningly, leaving almost no room for Yesung to fill in the gaps with fake smiles like he usually did.  But the elder always found a way.

“My skin just got a little irritated.  So I took a bath but it looks like it didn’t work.” Yesung tried to laugh off but Kyuhyun wasn’t buying it.  He knew his lover’s skin was sensitive but never had he seen it in such a bad condition.

Oh wait. 

He had.  There had been one instance.  One terrible, terrible instance previously. 

His baby had refused to eat for days because everything he forced down he threw up.  Sometimes purging out water or even retching because there was nothing there.  Some of it he made himself, other’s he couldn’t help.  His lover had forced himself to shove down the few mints he didn’t end up regurgitating to hide the stench and taste of his own puke. 

He had washed his clothes vigorously before throwing them out.  He had screamed how they were dirty and he didn’t want to touch them until they scrubbed totally and utterly clean.

The elder had locked himself in their bathroom for two hours straight, sobbing and crying, not answering his calls or loud banging.  Back then he didn’t have the spare key but after that incident he had made sure to keep one.  Yesung had taken a long scalding shower before taking an equally hot bath that had eventually turned lukewarm after the first twenty minutes.  After spending over an hour in the bath that had turned icy cold by the end, Kyuhyun had to warm up a shivering Yesung for the whole night to stop the cold induced tremors. 

The smaller male had been unable to walk properly and any sudden movement from his legs led to a sharp pain.  Even spreading his legs a little bit had caused him to wince and sometimes almost had him crying – tears evident in his small eyes. 

And most of all his lover had scrubbed and scratched himself raw.  For two weeks straight he wouldn’t stop abusing his own skin until it was red and swollen – his blunt nails sometimes scraping so many times blood drew. 

“Baby…  Baby…” Kyuhyun murmured as softly as he could, his thumb pads running across Yesung’s red cheeks, “What did he do?  What did he do to my precious baby?”

Yesung knew he was figured out but he still plastered a false smile on his face, “I already told you I-”

“Don’t lie to me.” Kyuhyun whispered, leaning so close his lips were almost touching Yesung’s, “Don’t lie to my face and pretend you’re okay because you’re not.” His hands slid around Yesung’s shoulders, forcing the gap between their bodies lessen a little, “If there’s anyone you don’t have to pretend to, it’s me.” Kyuhyun leaned in to press their lips lightly, pecking him briefly, the disgusting taste of breath mints still lingering on his lover’s lips, “Why won’t you let me take care of you, Yesung-ah?  How many times do I have to tell you you’re mine until you let me baby you?” He kissed the underside of Yesung’s jaw, pressing them almost as if they were fluttery butterfly kisses, “How many times must I take you and pamper you until you believe I’m here to stay?” He could feel the elder’s heartbeat quickening when he leaned to place a ghostly kiss against the pulse point in his neck, “Tell me what he did to you.  Tell me what he did to my baby.”

Yesung hesitated but he stopped himself from making up stories and covering up the truth.  How many times had Kyuhyun proved himself to always being there and taking care of him?  Countless.  He cuddled, pleased and indulged Yesung as much as he could, spoiling him with all his might.  Kyuhyun deserved to know.  He always found out the truth anyway. 

“H-He took me.” Yesung felt the tears returning and being released at freefall, “K-Kyu-ah, he took me.  H-He took me again.” Yesung sobbed and allowed Kyuhyun to run long fingers through his still wet hair, “H-He stole w-what was ours a-again.” Yesung finally reached forward and pressed his face against Kyuhyun chest, crying and bawling into the maknae, “H-He s-stole what w-was yours.  T-The thing I g-give t-to you and y-you only.” Yesung hugged the taller male so tight he felt his rubbed raw arms beginning to stretch and hurt, but he didn’t care, “H-He lied about m-my schedule and t-took m-me home really early j-just to f- me.”

“My baby… my poor, poor baby.” Kyuhyun whispered, anger underlying in his voice.  He wanted to box and punch their erted, manager until he couldn’t see straight anymore.  And as much as he tried to hide it, Yesung still heard it – instantly believing the rage was for him.

“K-Kyu, I r-really d-didn’t want it.  H-He f-forced me.  He told m-me if I,” Yesung paused, the tears water falling down, his breath hitching, “if I t-tell anyone h-he’ll t-tell management a-about us.”

“I know, baby.  I know.  Shh…” Kyuhyun comforted, showing that he was anything but angry at the singer in his arms, his lover’s back as comfortingly as possible, “I’ll make you feel better.  It’s going to be alright.”

“I-I’m y-yours, Kyu.  I’m a-all yours.  E-Everything is yours.  I-I d-don’t want to belong t-to anyone else…” Yesung bawled, all his weight balanced on Kyuhyun because he really couldn’t hold himself up anymore.

“I know.  I know.  I know you’re mine.” Kyuhyun comforted before deciding it was best to continue this session in a bedroom, lest they want to be found out by one of their nosy, clueless dorm mates.  “Now, I’m going to carry you, so don’t get a shock, okay?”

Yesung just nodded mutely when he felt Kyuhyun’s arm wrapping around his knees, his other supporting his back properly.  He was lifted off the ground quickly, his eyes shut to rest on his lover’s chest properly.  And almost as soon as he was in air he was placed in a bed that felt like Kyuhyun’s.  He felt blankets being pulled over him and yet he did not have the source of warmth he was yearning for.  His eyes flew open and sat up quickly, wincing from the pain that shot through his system at the sharp movement.

“K-Kyu!” Yesung called out blindly only to see Kyuhyun still in the room, shirtless and changing into his pajama bottoms.  The maknae never sleeping with a top. 

“I’m still here, baby, don’t panic.” After changing, he quickly hopped into his bed to hug the smaller male just the way he wanted him to.

“Kyu…” Yesung murmured as he snuggled closer, the feeling of Kyuhyun’s arms making him feel so much warmer than any blankets could.  “I-I can take the anti-fans… really.  H-he can insult m-me all he wants but I just c-can’t take it when y-you’re not the one inside m-me.”

“What do you mean you can take the anti-fans?” Kyuhyun asked almost jokingly, kissing the top of Yesung’s nose, “I recall having to cuddle you last week because they were telling you you at singing, which is such a lie it was ridiculous.” He pressed caring kisses to Yesung’s lips and eyelids, “And I can’t stand doing any kind of ing when you’re like this.  Though I’d really like to give you a few s and maybe finger ing you until you scream right now.” Yesung’s face couldn’t have been redder, when the memories of Kyuhyun doing those exact actions fresh in his mind, “You’re trying to stop me from pampering you, aren’t you?  Even though you love it so much…” Kyuhyun smirked when the shy blushing Yesung began returning, he pulled the other boy so close their bodies were flush against each other, “Do you feel that?  Just seeing you makes me want to pamper you.”

“K-Kyu!” Yesung exclaimed out of shock when he felt the jab in his more-sensitive-than-usual thigh, “I-Is that your…?”

“Of course it is.” Kyuhyun laughed before kissing Yesung between the brows, “And don’t you dare offer anything that you know I would disapprove of.” To this date, the taller had refused to let the smaller male do anything to please his aching ual frustration other than actual .  His reasoning being something along the lines of how his baby was supposed to be spoiled not the other way round.  Other times he had said he got off just from seeing the elder’s face contorted in pleasure and hearing certain noises escape his mouth.  “You’re way more important to me than any stupid hard on.”

“W-What did I do to get you?” Yesung said when he heard the sincere care laced in Kyuhyun’s voice.

“You were my adorable baby.” Kyuhyun kisses Yesung sweetly, glad that any terrible tasting mint flavor was fading, “My baby that will always belong to me.” He reached to the side to flip the switch to the overhead light, “Now go to sleep before I really give you that and shove my fingers up that tight hole of yours.” 

“I love you, thank you.” Yesung whispered softly before drifting to sleep, secure in his boyfriends arms.  He was already lost in his dreams when Kyuhyun whispered a small “I love you too, baby.”, hoping his lover would have a much faster recovery than last time.

His baby never feeling safer because Kyuhyun always knew what to do.

***

PART IV. Masquerade Masks: 3372