The drill was trying to make a hole in his head starting from somewhere behind his temple. It was incessant and unforgiving and Kyuhyun could swear that he would pass out in a moment. Of course if only he were awake, which he wasn’t. Or rather not fully, but slowly reaching that state.

The drilling continued although it was slowly shaping into something different. The sound of his phone ringing.

Kyuhyun groaned and scrunched his nose even before opening his eyes. He buried his face more in the pillow while simultaneously reaching out towards the desk, which was right beside his bed, in search for the offending device that was currently trying to make his skull burst. Slapping the surface of the desk Kyuhyun managed to grab the phone on the fourth try and brought it heavily down to beside his face on the pillow.

Cracking his eye open he just looked where he should slide his finger to pick up the call.

‘Ugh…’ He grunted into the phone not wasting more energy on speaking some actual language.

‘Are you okay Kyuhyun?’

A familiar voice made Kyuhyun open his eyes and look at the display where he saw the name of his employer flashing at him.

‘ ‘gmin?’ He tried to speak but all that left his throat was a very strange croak.

‘You didn’t come and I was thinking what have happened…’ The voice on the other side was hesitant and very low, thankfully. ‘It’s Saturday afternoon.’

Swallowing with difficulty, because his throat and mouth were all dry and sandy, Kyuhyun managed to roll onto his back with a groan. ‘Could be the end of world and I wouldn’t move.’

There was a moment of silence before a heavy sigh answered him. ‘Drink a lot and come on Monday only. Bye.’

And the line went dead.

***

When Donghae came and found Kyuhyun sitting wrapped in a blanket, staring at the window with blank expression while their DVD with Start Wars was on, but not being watched, he knew something was up.

‘Dude, you drank just a couple glasses of wine and two beers, how did you land this gorilla size hangover?!’ Only out of their long running friendship and fear that Kyuhyun might refuse to pay his half of the rent Donghae wasn’t banging the doors and screaming after the stunt his friend pulled at him the previous night with Hyukjae.

A groan answered his question as the younger male dropped his head into his folded arms hiding his face.

‘Did someone slip you something?’ Hae sat on the armchair next to the couch, where his flatmate was suffering, and leaned forward, his elbows on his knees and brows furrowed. ‘You were staring at Sungmin all the time, I wouldn’t be surprised…’

Another, louder, groan at the mention of that certain name made his stop talking. For a moment he was just looking at his friend’s slumped form before exhaling and leaning back in the armchair.

‘I knew you were an idiot before, but I thought all along that you were just hiding some genius behind all that. Now I know you’re a total moron.’ He sighed and grabbed the remote to stop the movie. No one was watching it even, so what’s the point wearing out the CD.

When no sound answered him he continued.

‘Would you stop pining like a middleschooler over his English teacher and grow some balls?’ He huffed but with satisfaction noted a shifting under the blanket. ‘I can’t speak too much for Sungmin’s real feelings, but the guy is freaking dependant on you like parasite on its host. You’re having an advantage here! Show him that you not only know how to bleach a soy sauce stain from his carpet! Take him out without your friends harping for his attention ‘cause he’s famous in the music world. Invite him to some nice place, compliment! Hell, pretty gay guy like him can’t be much different from a chick!’

Kyuhyun's head rose from the blanket and he glared at his friend. ‘Sungmin could snap you in two while drinking his morning coffee with the other hand.’ He hissed out.

Donghae rolled his eyes. ‘Whatever dude, pining is so out of style.’ The elder of the two shrugged and started to change channels searching for something to watch.

Kyuhyun wrapped himself more with the blanket, succeeding in transforming himself into a human burrito before he rolled on the couch so that he was facing its backrest while his back was ignoring the daggers his friends was throwing with his eyes.

He didn’t need advice from the bimbo-king. He was doing great by himself.

***

‘So… um… do you want to get out today? It’s really warm outside but fresh after the rain. I could spray apartment with the anti-spider fog before we go and we could…ugh, wait two or three hours outside for the place to ventilate… and maybe go somewhere… together…’

Kyuhyun knew that his face was most probably the same shade of hot pink the decoration elements in Sungmin’s bedroom had. He was in the entrance to the room, hands wriggling the cloth he was using a moment before to wipe the table as his mouth were releasing something that sounded like an incomprehensible string of sounds.

Sungmin was standing in the door to his closet, eyes slightly narrowed and expression screaming suspicious.

In was a Monday morning. Kyuhyun had no classes that day aside from one lecture he could afford, and wanted to, ditch. So he jumped out of bed at the first sound of his alarm making Donghae throw a few hairpins at him. Fifteen minutes later, during which he succeeded in completing a quick shower and too long session of trying to make his hair look a little nicer, he was already out the door and running to the bus stop.

Surprisingly, Sungmin was already awake. Still in his pajamas, but with steaming black coffee in hand, he had big headphones on, music blasting from them, head rocking gently to the melody as he was looking out the window. He didn’t notice when Kyuhyun opened the door for himself and came in so the younger had a moment to admire the view. Probably out of habit he shaved and took the shower because his hair was in a mess suggesting he just toweled it. His feet were bare, toes wiggling probably with the music. This time he was wearing all white and he looked… pure. Kyuhyun absentmindly put his bag on the table, eyes glued to the serene-looking man in front of him. And he knew he was screwed.

Sungmin didn’t really seem surprised when he spun around and saw his house help staring at him. He just cocked his head, pulled the headphones down to around his neck and nodded in the greeting before walking to his room, most probably to dress.

And that was how Kyuhyun decided to surprise him, when in the middle of wiping the table his mind was overtaken with things Donghae said to him during the weekend.

And so they were both staring at each other, Sungmin suspicious and a little confused and Kyuhyun dying of embarrassment.

‘You don’t h-have to…’ Kyuhyun was beating himself mentally. How could HE be stammering?! HE made people stammer, not other way around!

Suddenly it seemed that Sungmin understood, or at least pretended to.

‘Yeah, out. I’ll just change.’ He nodded and turned towards the wardrobe before wavering for a moment. He sighed and slumping his shoulders he turned back to Kyuhyun who was glad he refrained from his victory dance. ‘Choose the clothes for me…’ He said with pleading in his voice.

Kyuhyun raised a brown with amusement before strolling towards the wardrobe and after a quick look around he pulled out a pair of beige jeans and light blue linen button down with short sleeves that he knew fit nicely on the male but wouldn’t stick to him like glue.

‘It’s warm out, but don’t wear sandals…’ He said while giving his employer the set and quickly going out to avoid seeing him undress. That would be too much for his already tattered nerves.

***

Kyuhyun wondered if everyone already knew about his crush because when he and Sungmin were going out of the apartment building, the guard that let the younger in the first day smiled at him encouragingly and put both of his thumbs up when Sungmin wasn’t looking.

The park wasn’t far from the building, Sungmin was often jogging there lately, so he knew it pretty well. The day was really beautiful - clear sky, warm, slight breeze was making the heat pouring from the sky almost imperceptible. Since it was late morning on Monday there weren’t all that many people strolling around so they were almost alone when they entered the park.

Kyuhyun kept sending nervous looks towards Sungmin trying to remember that not that long before he had no problem with feeling at ease in the presence of his boss. And not even that much changed, Sungmin was simply the most beautiful man under all of that facial hair and dirt. That shouldn’t have changed their relationship all that much. Well, it really didn’t for Sungmin, but Kyuhyun could sense the attraction he felt towards his boss buzzing in him strong and loud.

‘You’re feeling fine?’

Kyuhyun snapped his eyes up from the long and pale neck of his employer, that he was unconsciously staring at while pondering over his crush. Sungmin was looking at him with curiosity.
 

Panic arouse in the younger’s guts. Did Sungmin sense the awkwardness pouring out of every pore of Kyuhyun's body? Did he see how much the younger was affected by his mere presence beside him?

Kyuhyun blushed slightly and looked ahead before stammering out his answer. ‘W-why do you ask?’

‘Hangover?’ Sungmin supplied the answer immediately proving Kyuhyun's fears to be completely irrational. ‘You didn’t sound so good on Saturday. I… worried.’

Kyuhyun swallowed thickly at the confession. ‘No, I’m fine. I must have mixed things or something.’

‘Ahhh…’ The elder made the sound and went back to silently walking the path.

The day was already touching upon summer, hinting at the heat that will surely envelope the whole city in the next few weeks, or even days. But for now it was still bearable enough for taking the walk. Despite that, Kyuhyun could feel how much he was sweating even though he didn’t feel that hot. The idea of what that walk was for him stressed him immensely even though Sungmin didn’t give even the slightest implication that it was anything other that a leisure stroll for him.

He knew he should have thought it through better but Donghae's suggestion just struck him suddenly and he spoke on an impulse. And now he was stuck in this awkward silence.

‘Ice-cream Kyu?’

His head turned so fast he felt something pop in it. Wincing at the pain he slapped the hand on the sore spot.

Sungmin’s eyes were big and questioning. At the confusion on Kyuhyun's face the man turned his head ahead again and indicated towards somewhere with his head.

Kyuhyun followed the direction and saw an ice-cream parlor just about fifty meters ahead of them. The small pastel construction was probably set in the spring because the spot was normally unoccupied. In the middle there was a round counter displaying all kinds of flavors and the girl in turquoise uniform was looking bored at her phone. A mother with a small child was sitting at one of the square tables while reading a book. The child was happily lapping at the cone in its hand while kicking its legs. Other than them the place was empty.

Kyuhyun massaged the spot where his muscle was still hurting but nodded. ‘Yeah, ice-cream.’

Sungmin looked back at him, his expression unreadable before smiling a little. When they reached the place with a firm gesture he pointed at Kyuhyun to sit and went to order the treats himself. Kyuhyun only blinked at that but obeyed and soon his boss came back with two cones. There was chocolate and strawberry in Kyuhyun's. The younger was a little stunned. He was getting, or making, ice-cream for deserts for Sungmin sometimes and probably had hinted which flavors were his favorite. He didn’t think the other male would remember that though.

Sungmin himself got lemon and mint. He didn’t really care much about the flavors and probably chose those only because they were more refreshing in the current weather. He sat in the chair opposite Kyu's and looked at him with question after giving the cone to his employer.

‘Ah, thank you!’ Kyuhyun immediately bowed his head and scrunched his face again. He must have seriously pulled something in his neck.

Sungmin blinked a few times before sighing and staring on his treat.

The surroundings were peaceful and remotely devoid of the typical city noises. This was the part of the city where people came back after work, to sleep mostly. It didn’t have the traffic of the center so the sounds made by cars were scarce and barely a hum as they were in the middle of the park, separated from the street by the trees and bushes. A few children were enjoying the playground some distance away, but there weren’t enough of them to disturb the quiet morning. Birds were chirping in the trees, blending with the atmosphere of the late spring, making them almost unnoticeable.

Kyuhyun stretched his legs under the table and relaxed as much as he could with the pain in his neck and the gnawing conscience about the presence of the man in front of him. Who apparently was having a good time since he was humming and smiling just slightly while looking into the distance through his glasses. It was rare that Sungmin was looking this relaxed. Of course he was withdrawn and didn’t care all that much about his surroundings, but there was constant tension in his shoulders. For a keen observer it was obvious he was always concentrated on the melodies swirling in his head. His eyes were unseeing, rarely focused on the real things as he was trying to connect the tunes that were playing inside his brilliant mind.

But now there was no tension. The humming that was coming from his throat was natural, absentminded. But Kyuhyun could easily recognize the melody of the ballad he himself was singing for his composer boss a few weeks prior. He could never forget it because it suddenly struck him how good it felt to use his voice in such manner. He enjoyed it and since then he found himself singing much more often and even paying attention to his voice. He wasn’t an expert but maybe he could do something. Maybe he could ask Heechul to refer him to some voice coach and he could at least try to audition somewhere. It could be fun and it wasn’t as if he didn’t have a career established after he graduates. Singing could serve as a nice hobby.

He stopped his train of thoughts when he felt cold and sticky trail slide down his fingers. Looking down at his hand he saw that his ice-cream started to melt already, so instead of pondering further about his vocal abilities Kyuhyun quickly started to the strawberry flavored mush from his skin.

When he was sure he got most of it off and that he prevented the rest of the treat from melting all over his hand he raised his gaze. Surprise struck him when he noted that Sungmin was staring at him intently.

Blinking a few times he straightened in his chair and pulled his legs to under it before leaning forward. ‘What’s up? I got it somewhere onto my face?’ He asked while squinting onto his nose where most probably a pink blob was.

As if shaken out of deep thought Sungmin twitched and quickly stood up. ‘Wet tissue.’

Before Kyuhyun could ask what the heck that was, Sungmin took off towards the counter and was animatedly saying something to the bored parlor employee who after a moment ducked under the surface of the ice-cream display only to emerge a moment later. In the meantime Kyuhyun devoured the rest of his treat. He didn’t even manage to get a look around in search for some water fountain or other facility to clean of his sticky hands because suddenly there was Sungmin in front of him, taking his hands between his own palms and thoroughly wiping whatever was left of the ice-cream on the younger’s skin.

With eyebrows raised almost into his hairline Kyuhyun just sat there in stunned silence letting his boss clean him off as if he were a baby.

When satisfied with his work Sungmin nodded to himself and threw the dirty with pinkish smudges wet tissue into the trash and started to walk away and back onto the path they were walking before.

Again blinking a few times Kyuhyun quickly rose to his full height and jogged to the smaller man. He walked beside him for a moment in silence before clearing his throat and saying quiet ‘thank you’. Sungmin only glanced at him before looking back ahead. He hummed in acknowledgement of Kyuhyun's words.

Well, it was weird, but Kyuhyun was already so accustomed to the quirks of his boss that he just swiped it under the carpet with others.

***

Somehow, the short walk turned into a whole morning spent in the park, just walking and sitting on the benches, enjoying the warm sun. Sungmin even talked about how it happened that he became so famous almost in an overnight. Kyuhyun wasn’t surprised after hearing it because that was how most of the careers in show business started. He was suspecting that Sungmin was involved in music from the very moment he could hold a guitar. In high school he was accompanying to all showcases and school ceremonies. At university he studied composing, but didn’t finish it when his parents disowned him and put a restraining order. Kyuhyun didn’t need to ask about that, he was pretty sure what happened and it wasn’t something he himself would have wanted to talk about.

Just when Sungmin was struggling to make a living while doing odd jobs and still trying to make music Hyukjae, who was at that time a penniless design student sharing a small studio with Sungmin, packed all the recorded songs his friend managed to finish while still at university and sent it to Heechul’s company. There weren’t any other copies since they didn’t have money for it and Sungmin was furious since he knew there was no way he would get those CDs back. However, he didn’t even have to wait a week when Heechul himself appeared at the door of their falling apart building, refusing to go in, in case it just collapsed. He dragged them both to his company presenting Sungmin with contact worth more than Sungmin ever saw even before his parents disowned him.

There was no question if he would sign it. He just did, without even reading the contract. And he was lucky he stumbled upon Heechul, who wasn’t trying to screw him over. He knew that but at that time he was just so glad to have money for living. His songs came out on almost all albums that Heechul’s agency released, the man even risked making one of them into a comeback song of his second most profitable group. And that was it. The song was a huge success, even Kyuhyun knew it and jammed to it when it was being played all over the city. The requests started to pour in from all agencies and despite being bound to Heechul’s one Sungmin was allowed to work ‘on commission’. A year after all that happened Sungmin had already managed to buy his current apartment, car, all the equipment he could only dream about before and he helped Hyukjae to open his first store, which got him the shares in the chain that gained popularity steadily over next few years. Heechul made him partner in the agency two years before, after the five year contract they signed at the beginning expired. And that was how he ended where he was.

Kyuhyun listened intently, devouring every single detail and trying to memorize all the small things Sungmin was telling him. He never heard his boss talk so much at once. Of course he was often rambling when he was annoyed with something, or when he was watching TV and running commentary on the ridiculousness of it. But this was a conscious sharing of information not all people were surely allowed to know.

Kyuhyun decided he would kiss Donghae when he came back home.

***

After a hefty lunch in a high-class restaurant, chosen by Kyuhyun since he didn’t want to repeat the food poisoning from not that long before, Sungmin decided it was time he went back to work. They ventured quite far away from the apartment and it took them a lengthy cab ride to get back.

The kink in Kyuhyun's neck was still bothering him and he was rolling his shoulder constantly or trying to press the sore spot with his fingers in hope to release the tensed muscle. It didn’t want to go away no matter what he was doing. The long ride in the taxi wasn’t helping a lot since he couldn’t really move all that much, so he was twitchy and restless, shifting on his side and wincing whenever he was trying to turn his head to the left. He hoped that moving around the apartment while cleaning and doing the laundry would help to warm the muscle and maybe ease the pain at least a little.

He was looking out the window, since his neck was hurting a little less when he had it turned that direction, when he suddenly felt warm fingers touching his nape. Surprised he moved his head a little too fast and whimpered when awful, piercing pain shot through his body. When it subsided a little he opened his eyes and looked at the face of worried Sungmin.

‘You’re hurting.’ It wasn’t a question. Sungmin surely saw how his house help was suffering the last couple of hours.

Kyuhyun nodded silently and despite himself pouted a little. He knew that he looked ridiculous most probably, he was a grown man who was trying to look like a child. But the ache was already exhausting him and all he really wanted was to get coddled a little.

Sungmin shifted in his seat so that he was sitting with his side to the backrest of the cab. His hands put a firm grip on Kyuhyun's shoulders making him move a little, accommodating him so that the elder had a better access to his back. Kyuhyun didn’t protest, just allowed the other to push him however he wanted.

In a moment Sungmin’s fingers started to knead gently the tense shoulders of the younger male searching for the knot that was surely somewhere there. He knew he found it when Kyuhyun's right shoulder slumped suddenly under the pressure and the man groaned painfully.

Kyuhyun couldn’t see Sungmin’s face but he didn’t really care about it at that particular moment. It hurt, but direct pressing onto the tensed muscle was bringing him some relief. With his own fingers he was avoiding inflicting too much pressure on the spot, but Sungmin was unrelenting and despite his twitching kept on kneading the knot. It went on for a longer moment, them just sitting in the back of the cab while Sungmin was massaging him, and Kyuhyun managed to relax a little. He allowed his shoulders to drop slightly and he was slowly moving his head to the sides. He frowned when the kneading stopped for a second and he was about to thank Sungmin for the help when suddenly piercing pain paralyzed him and he screamed.

‘That’s for your own good, scream away boy.’ The driver murmured and he must have been observing the whole situation in the rear view mirror.

Sungmin was pressing the pad of his thumb hard directly into the knot not releasing it for a good few seconds. Then he took it off and started to rub the spot in circles soothing the pain.

Kyuhyun was biting into his lower lip and breathing hard from the pain.

‘Kyu, move your shoulder a little now.’ Sungmin said in his calm voice.

Not really wanting to, but not having any option, Kyuhyun rolled his shoulder and at the same time tipped his head to the side. With a surprised gasp he noted that the pain was barely there. He could still feel the ghost of it, since the muscle was tense for such a long time, but the pulling was gone and he didn’t feel like ripping his arm off to get rid of the irritating ache.

He slowly turned around and with wide eyes looked at Sungmin. The man was staring at him with raised brow and curious expression, his eyes asking obviously if he was feeling any better. A quick glance to the front of the car told him that the driver was smiling gently at him while looking into the mirror again. They were at the red lights close to the apartment building already.

‘Good, hurts much less.’ Finally Kyuhyun spoke, his hand absently going to his shoulder. He knew the skin there was a little red and raw from all the rubbing, but he was pretty sure that the warmth he was feeling was still residual from Sungmin’s soft fingers. Just as he opened his mouth to thank the other male, the taxi pulled to a stop in front of the gates to the building and Sungmin quickly got out to get his wallet from his back pocket.

After exchanging a few words with the driver and waving at him the man left. Kyuhyun was still rolling his shoulder, a little surprised each time to find almost no pain accompanied each shift of his muscles.

‘Let’s go up. I need to play something before I forget.’ Sungmin murmured and quickly passed by Kyuhyun only nodding at the guard from the afternoon shift.

Slightly confused, Kyuhyun followed quickly after waving at the same guard that let him into the building the first time he came here.

In the elevator Sungmin was humming something much more intently, most probably trying to keep the melody in his head running until he could put it down on paper or in computer. However, he also unconsciously reached towards Kyuhyun's shoulder and rubbed it gently in the place were the skin was still a little pinkish.

Kyuhyun didn’t even notice it much, Sungmin liked to touch him like that often, just patting his head or cheek, squeezing his shoulder or the nape. Most of the time he was doing it without thinking and now he even had a legitimate reason for it. At least that was what Kyuhyun imagined it to be.

The elevator pinged and let them know they reached the right floor. The door slid open as Sungmin’s hand slid into Kyuhyun's hair to mess it a little before it would drop from touching the younger.

‘Oh, they are so adorable! I know you told me about them, but you should have snapped a picture and prepare me for all the lovely feelings that beam from them!’

A cheerful voice bounced off the walls of the hallway.

Kyuhyun's eyes widened the hand in his hair frozen as he and Sungmin stared at the gigantic man with burgundy hair standing just in front of the elevator. Or rather hanging off the shoulder of love-struck looking Siwon.

‘Oh…’ Sungmin uttered quietly and shifted closer to Kyuhyun, probably feeling the same anxiety his house help did at the imposing presence of the man.

‘I guess… you’re Z-ZhouMi.’ Kyu chocked out backing off when the grin on the man’s face widened even more.

‘Awww, you were talking about me Wonnie!’ The Chinese man turned his attention to the model at his side and pressed a quick kiss to his temple.

And that was all Sungmin and Kyuhyun saw before the door to the elevator closed again and it started to go down, probably to the lobby.

‘Um… I feel like visiting the park outside the city.’ Sungmin muttered, still plastered against Kyuhyun's side.

The younger male just nodded quickly and unconsciously started to frantically stab at the ‘garage’ button.