For those who didn't read yday's post. I'm back from my hiatus for good... I hope. Some things still need to be taken care of but I have time for other stuff too. I'll try updating on Sundays, but can't promise it'll be very regular until I do everything I have with university. And now enjoy :D

***

Despite the car being one of the lamest brands he could imagine Kyuhyun found it very helpful in his everyday duties. Since Sungmin wasn’t leaving house much he had almost complete custody over the car. Only once or twice Sungmin asked if he could use the vehicle to go to his agent and sign some papers since Heechul was apparently snowed under paperwork and couldn’t move from his office for a few weeks. Sungmin murmured something about his agent just being a jealous boyfriend and tagging along on every photoshot Leeteuk was doing. And still Kyuhyun didn’t even want to know what kind of model was that man.

Being the brat he was Kyuhyun didn’t think twice before using the car to go to and from the university whenever he had to be at work right after classes. He wasn’t sure Sungmin even noticed but if the man did he never said anything about it. And Kyuhyun was always filling the tank from his own money on those occasions. He was taking advantage of the situation but he wasn’t a leech. Also Sungmin paid him so much he could allow himself for a little luxury.

Speaking about money, after the second month Kyuhyun was able to put away some for his laptop. The one he was using for watching his cleaning educational programs and for university assignments was Donghae’s old one, which meant that the device could explode any moment. Hae had some serious destructive vibes in his hands.

All in all, Kyuhyun decided that cleaning the dump and getting half of his clothes destroyed was worth it. His third month at Sungmin’s was going smoothly, Siwon was at some job overseas – Kyuhyun knew because the muscle man felt the urgent need to say goodbyes and hug both Kyuhyun and Sungmin who at that time was out of his hole eating dinner. Kyuhyun needed to wash his shirt twice to get rid of the oil and even Sungmin dumped his clothes into the basket after the hug even though he put them on only that morning. Normally he was wearing them until Kyuhyun prepared him a change.

Yesung dropped in once again with Sungmin’s favorite candies for the composer as a thank you for the songs and a signed album from the last year for Kyuhyun who fangirled over it a little too much and who Sungmin had to contain by smacking on the head when younger started to take selcas with the reluctant singer.

After the one hug in the kitchen Sungmin really started to cling to Kyuhyun. It always depended on the man’s mood and sometimes he was going days without coming anywhere near his house help, just walking around him or creeping from behind the doorframe whenever they were talking about something. Other times he was pressing into Kyuhyun’s side, nuzzling into his back, hanging off his neck. It took Kyuhyun some time to get used to the new responsibilities but after a few first seizures, whenever Sungmin crept behind him and suddenly hugged him, he learned to sense the composer’s presence – sometimes smelled it too. There were times when Kyuhyun was cleaning or cooking with Sungmin plastered against him.

There wasn’t anything anymore that could surprise Kyuhyun about Sungmin or his acquaintances. Or about his house.

***

He was cleaning the carpet in front of the sofa again. Sungmin liked to sit in that spot while eating and watching TV and more often than not food was escaping from his plate. Onto the carpet. Kyuhyun knew that it would be necessary to buy a new one soon but this time he would get a special cover for that one place.

He was engrossed in his thoughts, that strangely didn’t involve putting something Sungmin didn’t like in his food, but were about his assignment for one of the classes, when Sungmin came out of his room where he was holed for the last few days. Apparently, he signed a new contract for the debut song for some girl group and had to work fast on the rough versions of the songs since the management of the girls’ agency wanted to promote them as soon as possible.

‘Kyuhyun.’ Sungmin spoke calmly.

Not surprised anymore by his employer’s sudden appearances Kyuhyun looked up. Sungmin was in his usual sweats and t-shirt with some stains. Eyes looking at him from behind the black rimmed glasses, hair tied in the back with many strands floating around his head. Dark circles under his eyes weren’t bothering Kyuhyun anymore.

‘Yeah?’ Kyuhyun got up from his knees and straightened to face the man.

‘Can you read notes?’ A few sheets got shoved under his nose and he backed away so that he wouldn’t get smacked. He raised his hand and took the papers.

‘No.’ Kyuhyun answered while looking at the rows of notes and some words written under.

Sungmin scrunched his nose and pursed his lips in disappointment. Then he sat down on the couch pulling Kyuhyun to take place next to him. He took the sheets back and pointed at some note.

‘The ones over this line you sing high, the ones under you sing in the lowest voice you can and the range changes accordingly to where the note is placed between these two extremes. Get it?’ He was pointing at certain notes and altering his voice a little to demonstrate. He didn’t care that Kyuhyun was looking at him with raised brow and mockery. ‘When they are connected together like this you do this.’ He made a sound showing the other male how to work around the note. ‘Now sing this for me.’ Again the papers got shoved into Kyuhyun’s hands.

‘I don’t sing.’ Kyuhyun protested and pushed them back to his employer who escaped already to the other side of the couch and was testing his guitar which Kyuhyun didn’t notice before.

‘Then hum. I need to hear this.’ Sungmin was mumbling while tuning his guitar with concentration. He played a few accords to test the instrument before his fingers started to move swiftly over the strings and a soft melody filled the room.

Kyuhyun was looking with amazement at the skills the man had. He was a fail in everyday life but he was obviously very talented. And passionate.

Suddenly the music stopped and Kyuhyun looked up only to see that he was being glared at. ‘Hum.’ Sungmin hissed the one word and once again started playing.

Looking back at the music sheets Kyuhyun tried to remember what he was told about the notes and tried the melody the way it was forming in his head. Sungmin didn’t stop again so he must have been doing it right and it really wasn’t that hard because the guitar was guiding him and he really didn’t have to think too much about the notes.

It was a soft ballad, slow and soothing. His eyes were running over the lyrics as he was humming them and he knew the song was about finding that one place in the world where you knew you belonged. He wasn’t a huge fan of sappy ballads but this one was different, it wasn’t about love or friendship. Although, it could be understood like that. That was the thing about it, it was about whatever made the person listening to it comfortable. About a place, thing, that made them feel at ease.

They reached the second chorus and suddenly Kyuhyun wanted to sing it. He opened his mouth and tried the lyrics on his tongue. They rolled easily and he followed the melody without losing the beat, it surprised even him since he had never sang before.

The guitar stopped playing and Kyuhyun looked up. He saw that Sungmin was staring at him with wide eyes, fingers frozen in an accord on the strings, lips slightly parted.

‘I did something wrong?’ He asked looking back at the notes and suddenly feeling sheepish, something that didn’t happen a lot to him. It was him always making other people shy, never the other way around.

‘N-no.’ Sungmin said and swallowed. ‘We’ll start again. Sing now.’ And without another word of explanation Sungmin looked back down at the guitar and started playing again.

Bracing himself, Kyuhyun took a big breath and started to sing. First softly, barely audibly, but with each word his voice was gaining certainty and in a moment he was reaching deep inside himself to be able to get to the sounds he wanted to hear coming from his throat.

He was so immersed in singing that he didn’t notice how Sungmin was looking at him for the whole time. Eyes wide with amazement, his glasses slid to almost the tip of his nose and it was uncomfortable because he knew that they were on the verge of falling off but he didn’t care. He was looking at Kyuhyun’s face, lips. Listening to the voice that was coming out.

He wanted to hear that song sang by a male voice because he wasn’t sure if it was good for the girly shrieks most girl groups had. But right after Kyuhyun started to sing the actual lyrics the realization dawned at him. That was Kyuhyun’s song. No one else could sing it.

***

He was still humming the song when he returned home. Sungmin ordered him to sing it two more times and then he snatched the music sheets from his hands and without a word escaped to his haven in his room. Already used to his employer’s sudden outbursts and completely irrational behavior at times Kyuhyun just shrugged and went back to cleaning and later cooking. But the song never left his head.

‘This song's nice, I haven’t heard it before.’ A familiar voice made Kyuhyun jump a little and spin around from the door to his apartment that he was trying to open. Donghae was standing behind him with backpack slung on his shoulder. He was definitely going back from his classes judging from the clothes he was wearing. Totally unappealing baggy jeans and worn t-shirt. His hair was covering as much of his face as possible. He was always going like this to university because he didn’t want to attract any girls there. They were too smart to get dragged into bed for one night. He learned that after second pepper spray into his eyes and kick in the balls.

‘Forget it.’ Kyuhyun quickly said and opened the door. He slid into the apartment and dropped his bag onto the floor near the shoe rack he bought about two weeks before because he couldn’t stand tripping over Donghae’s endless collection of sneakers anymore.

‘Ohhhh, a new song from our composer slob?’ Hae inquired. Suddenly he started to get more interested in Sungmin after he checked out who he was.

‘Sungmin.’ Kyuhyun growled out. ‘You didn’t clean his apartment, you have no right to call him a slob.’

‘Owwwwwww, am I sensing LUUUUUUUUV?’ Of course the elder couldn’t let it be. Unfortunately, he didn’t see the empty juice carton flying his way and got smacked in the face with it. ‘I’m gonna tell Ryeowook you’re keeping from him and his band that you’re working for a famous composer…’ He whined massaging his nose.

Kyuhyun spun with peeler and carrot in hands and narrowed eyes. ‘Try me.’

Donghae’s eyes grew wide. ‘Just don’t do anything to my carrots!’ He exclaimed and tried to snatch the vegetable from younger’s hands.

‘Moron!’ Kyuhyun barked and raised his hands. He was still much taller than his hyung thankfully. ‘I’m trying to make something to eat for us.’

Hae backed away and blinked a few times before he looked to the counter and started to trace patterns on it with his finger. ‘Make some carrot with apples…’

Kyuhyun rolled his eyes and turned back to the sink. It must have been his destiny to live among crazy people.

***

‘Why do I have to help you with this?’ Donghae whined while trying to push the huge bag through the elevator door that suddenly closed on him.

Kyuhyun grunted and gave up on tugging at the same bag and just dropped it onto the floor. The condition of their muscles was so poor he didn’t even want to think about it. He believed that his hyung with all of his gym exercises was stronger and would be a big help with dragging the carpet Kyuhyun bought for Sungmin’s apartment. But it turned out Donghae was just as useless as he. He tried not to think how they would move the furniture around to replace the carpet.

‘!’ Donghae pushed again and finally the rolled package pushed through the door. But he stayed inside when the elevator closed and went to the floor where it got summoned while they were fighting with the carpet. Kyuhyun waited patiently while examining his nails and looked up only when he heard a ping from above the elevator. The door opened and annoyed Donghae with pursed lips and hands propped on his hips appeared. He quickly excited the wagon and looked with resentment at it. ‘I should have just ridden down.’ He muttered when Kyuhyun pointed at the carpet.

Among huffing, puffing, grunting and swearing they finally managed to drag the package to the door where Kyuhyun again dropped it onto the floor and fished his keys from his deep pockets. He could hear how his best friend was mumbling threats directed at him but, as always, he ignored them. The door gave in after he used his key. For the last time he grabbed the carpet and started to walk backwards to bring it into the apartment. He couldn’t see the inside until he reached the middle of the room and just let go of the heavy package at the same moment Donghae did. The elder immediately crouched on the floor panting. And that was only the carpet. How were they supposed to move the couch with their laughable strengths?

‘Who are you?!’ A pretentious and a little shriek-like voice made Kyuhyun spin and choke on his breath from surprise.

The first thing that caught his attention was the mess in the living room. Every surface was covered with some shirts, t-shirts, jeans, pants, suits, jackets, blazers, sweaters – name it, it was surely there. On the one armchair was assortment of belts, table was covered with different accessories like watches, bracelets, rings and so on. The drawer under one of the walls was all in hats, caps and fedoras. Shoes were lined under that drawer – dress shoes, sneakers, trainers, flip-flops. To put it short there was a freaking clothing store in Sungmin’s living room and Kyuhyun was gaping at the labels of the bags that were lying discarded all over the place. Most were from the brand shop from the center of the city he once ventured into because he mistook it for something else. Others involved international designer brands he could only dream of even seeing. Not that he knew much about fashion or was interested in it but he doubted there was a man in Seoul at least who didn’t know what Versace or Hugo Boss was.

‘Excu~se me.’ The pretentious voice asked again and this time Kyuhyun turned to the source of it.

There was a man. This time he didn’t have any doubts like in Heechul’s case. The man had spiked up hair with highlights in them, popular design of glassed propped on the tip of his nose and shining, probably diamond, earrings. His clothes were screaming for attention – low cut under armpits loose top with some face on it. On the close inspection it was the face of the guy. His tight pants were an imitation of snake’s skin and he had loafers with golden spikes on his feet.

Suddenly ignoring everything else Kyuhyun narrowed his eyes with anger.

‘I cleaned this floor, it’s a common courtesy to take of your shoes when you go into someone else’s apartment. Unless you were brought up in a cave.’ He hissed still looking at the ugly loafers. He knew they were popular this year, even Donghae owned a fake of some popular brand, but he wouldn’t touch it with a ten foot pole.

Donghae groaned. ‘Kyu, he can obviously afford to hire some pea-brains to make a mush out of you, try activating that self-preservation instinct cause I won’t have time to visit you in the hospital.’

The strange man’s ears picked up like dogs and he looked around Kyuhyun with curiosity. Suddenly he pushed the glasses up his nose and a creepily dreamy smile bloomed on his face. ‘Wow, aren’t you cute little thing!’ He exclaimed and completely ignoring Kyuhyun walked around him to Donghae. He circled the man a few times, eyes lingering longer on Kyuhyun’s friend’s before he slung an arm around his shoulders. ‘How you doin’?’ He winked and sent a greasy smile at the older male.

Donghae’s brows jumped to his hairline and he backed away from the body that was suddenly invading his personal space. And if he, the skinship king, was worried about his personal space it meant that the person was definitely too close. He rolled his shoulders uncomfortably trying to send the man a signal he didn’t want his arm there but it was obviously ignored.

‘Kyu…’ Donghae looked pathetically at his flatmate who was still glaring at the man’s feet.

‘Hyuk, I told you my house help will be a pain in the if you don’t take your shoes off.’

Kyuhyun looked to the side and saw Sungmin emerging from his room, hair probably just toweled since it was sticking all over the place. His stubble grew quite impressively the last few weeks and his eye bags were back to looking worse than ever. Scrunching his nose Kyuhyun wanted to grab the man by the shoulders, push him towards the bedroom and tuck him in and not let out of the bed for the next week until he caught up on all the sleep that he was missing. The small poo-like creature he was taking care of on his phone made him soft. And he learned about the app from Sungmin who’s poo-like was already on some insane level. Stinky could take care of an electronic creature but could go on without changing his boxers for two weeks.

‘Who’s this?’ Kyuhyun pointed with accusation at the man’s feet while looking at his employer.

‘Hyukjae.’ Was Sungmin’s simple answer as he passed by his house help and walked up to the assortment of shirts. He started to them.

‘What is he doing here standing still in his shoes?’ Was another question that left Kyuhyun’s mouth.

Obviously the man introduced as Hyukjae was waiting for the opportunity to speak about it because he slapped Donghae’s making the man yelp and jump towards the wall which he plastered himself against, and moved towards Kyuhyun with a smirk on his lips.

‘I’m Sungmin’s best friend and owner and designer of the Monkey Business line and chain of stores, Lee Hyukjae.’ He puffed his chest making it obvious it was his own face scrunched in what probably was supposed to be a y expression on the top he was wearing. ‘And I’m Sungmin’s stylist.’

Kyuhyun looked the man up and down, then glanced at Sungmin. As always, he saw this time violet sweats which legs were tucked into two different socks the man put on, red t- and worn cardigan with the bobbles all over it. He didn’t even need to look at the hair and face of the man, he knew all too well it was a disaster. So he looked back at the man before him.

‘I think you should change jobs.’ He commented and with satisfaction observed deep blush spreading all over the man’s face and neck. But it wasn’t embarrassment. Just plain anger. Hyukjae looked at his friend accusingly.

‘See what you make endure? This kind of mockery is an insult not only to me but to my clients too. Do something about yourself!’ He flailed his arms around and in a moment was standing beside Sungmin tugging at his clothes. ‘I bring you change of wardrobe twice a year and where do all of my efforts go?!’

Suddenly Sungmin turned towards Kyuhyun. ‘Half of my clothes disappeared after I hired you… I think.’ He added furrowing his brows.

‘Those weren’t clothes anymore. No matter what the label was saying.’ The younger linked arms on his chest. ‘I threw them out or made rags for cleaning out of them.’

Hyukjae slapped his own cheeks with his palms and screamed.