The first night Sungmin and Kyuhyun shared a room, Sungmin was too tired from the schedule that day and fell asleep once his head hit the pillow. Ryeowook’s look of surprise when Sungmin told him that he had a good night sleep should have been a sign that something is definitely not right.

“You fell asleep!?” 

“Yea, I was so tired that I can’t even remember if I had a dream last night.”

“Oh,” Ryeowook nodded knowingly, “Then good luck for tonight.”

That, should have been the second sign. 

-

The second night Sungmin and Kyuhyun shared a room, Sungmin finally understood what Ryeowook meant.

Click click click.

“Nuclear launch detected.”

Click click click.

“Wanna turn up the heat?”

Click click click.

“Go go go!”

Sungmin tossed and turned in bed. He tried burying his head in his collection of pillows and soft toys but somehow the light from the table and the clicking from the laptop of the other occupant in the room managed to find its way to Sungmin.

Sungmin has always been a light sleeper. He emphasizes on the quality of sleep (sleeping with the lights off, sleeping in complete silence) in order to upkeep his youthful image. 

Sungmin was silently debating with himself if he should voice his displeasure. But it was only the second night that he and Kyuhyun were bunking in together and he really didn’t want to start off on the wrong foot.

“Erm, Kyu?”

“Yes, hyung?”

“Could you off the lights and - erm - lower the volume from your game?”

“No, hyung. That, my friend, is the essence of the game.”

Sungmin inwardly cursed at that. He really has no interest in where the tiny people on the screen were go-go-going or if anybody’s forces are under attack. He has half a mind to follow the marine on the screen and ask if Kyuhyun wanted a piece of him.

“But if I am disturbing you, hyung, I have a solution.”

Sungmin quirked his eyebrow to show his skepticism, forgetting for a fact that the person it was directed to was too focused on his own laptop screen to see it.

“I can try to sing you to sleep. It would probably be enough to cover the sound of my mouse clicking and I can practice my singing.”

And before Sungmin could explain to him that what he needs is total silence, Kyuhyun started singing the song that he has been practicing all afternoon. 

Gobaegeul hago shipeungeojyo

Sarangeul ppatkko shipeungeojyo

Modu weonhago tto baraetteon il

Damn that smartass, was the last thought Sungmin remembered thinking. Perhaps falling asleep to such a velvety irritating voice might be something that Sungmin could get used to after all.

-

It was months later that Sungmin started having problems falling asleep again.

Kyuhyun was in China doing promotions with Super Junior M and Sungmin has the room all to himself. There was no light from the table, none of the incessant mouse clicking and best of all, no sounds of people telling him that he is under attack.

He was prepared for bed at an early 12 midnight, ready for a peaceful night of sleep. But when the pink alarm clock by his bedside showed 1:37 AM, he was still awake and fully convinced that Kyuhyun is the root of all that’s evil.

He has tried counting bunnies, picturing them hopping over the imaginary hurdles in his mind. He even tried singing to himself the songs that Kyuhyun sang before, but all it succeeded in doing is reminding himself just how much he misses that irritating velvety voice singing him to sleep.

Just as he was listing down in his mind ways to destroy that precious laptop of Kyuhyun’s, his phone rang. Sungmin looked at the name of the caller and - guess who’s on the line?

“I hope you are happy with yourself.”

“I am, hyung,” Kyuhyun’s voice came through the receiver. Sungmin never realised just how smooth and gentle Kyuhyun’s voice is when it’s not backed up by the sounds of gunfire and bombs going off.

“What do you want?”

“I was wondering if your sleep alone tonight was enjoyable. But seeing how you are still awake when you have schedule at 6am in the morning, I would say not very.”

Sungmin scowled.

“If I didn’t know you any better, I would have thought that you missed my singing.”

Sungmin was about to come up with some witty response when –

“I miss you, Min.”

Oh, Sungmin thought to himself.

“You smell so much better than a Henry that hasn’t showered for a week.”

“Why, you rude… “

“That, and being apart from you makes me realise just how much I miss singing to you, knowing that my voice is the last thing you hear before you sleep.”

Sungmin smiled.

“Min?”

“Hmm?”

“Do you want to me to sing you to sleep?”

“Mmm.”

Nae salmi haru haru kkumeul kkuneun geotcheoreom

Neowa hamkke majubomyeo saranghalsu itdamyeon

Dasi ireoseol geoya

-

Perhaps Sungmin never needed to sleep in complete silence. After all, he did miss falling asleep to all that singing.