(13) Denial is Not Just a River - 1,655

Jungsoo had confronted them both, during completely different times. He’s too busy taking care of his own schedules and instinctively being the mother of the group. He honestly didn’t have that much energy and concentration to waste on two sickingly sweet, completely oblivious love birds.

Really. It was embarrassing how obvious they were. Whether they were actually together, just keeping it a secret and or not, didn’t matter. They had feelings for each other if the longing stares from afar, blatant handy skin ship and burning jealousy were anything.

But they had both refused. Denied.

Well, Kyuhyun did. Jongwoon just looked at him, horrified and nearly in the brink of tears until Jungsoo reassured him that it was fine, Kyuhyun didn’t know (yet, but he kept that to himself).

Jongwoon was a wreck. He became paranoid about things and began to avoid Kyuhyun.

The first few weeks were fine. It was normal. Jongwoon didn’t live in the dorms anymore and there wasn’t much reason to stay late or at all.

Until it took Jungsoo and Youngwoon to bring Jongwoon inside a recording booth.

They had a new duet song, the company using “OTP”s as a peg for their next album. Jongwoon had reason to panic.

Apparently, it wasn’t a good reason.

Kyuhyun was inside the booth, in front of the other microphone. He was singing silently when Jongwoon was unceremoniously shoved into the booth. Jongwoon crashed into the script stand on his side of the booth and papers flew everywhere. Kyuhyun shook his head, but bent down to help him anyway.

“We’re getting busier, especially with the promotion planning of this new release, so separate recording sessions are gone,” Jungsoo said through the microphone on the other side. Jongwoon looked horrified. “Since you’re two out of three of the main singers, we believe you can get this right without complaints.”

Jongwoon shivered when he caught Jungsoo’s glance. His eyes were shining but to Jongwoon, it was an iron clad will that said he should do his job and he should do it well. (There was an underlying threat that told him Jungsoo wouldn’t hesitate locking them inside. Whatever the hell his experience was during his military service, Jongwoon never wants to know.)

“You know the drill.”

*

Three hours later, they only got to practice the chorus. They nearly reached the bridge and the belting but the harmonization was way off and Jongwoon was wobbling.

Their vocal coach dismissed them and informed them to, “Give Jongwoon some goddamn water before he faints from lack of oxygen and dehydration.”

“You should know better than this, Jongwoon,” their coach said, disappointed, before leaving to room. Jongwoon looked at his feet, ashamed. He should.

Kyuhyun tapped his shoulder softly. When he turned around to see a bottle of water shoved into his face, he took it with a sad smile. “Sorry.”

Kyuhyun shrugged and sat down. “We have our times.”

Jongwoon stood awkwardly and silently, the atmosphere so thick; cutting it with a butcher knife won’t do the trick. Kyuhyun made himself comfortable on the studio couch, his head leaning back and his eyes closed. Jongwoon felt sorry even more, realizing that Kyuhyun had a late schedule the night before. But another apology when it’s already happened would just irritate him more.

He turned around, intending to leave (and probably cry silently in a corner, but details). Before he could twist the knob and push the door open, Kyuhyun’s voice stopped him.

“What did I do?”

Jongwoon turned. “What?”

“I must have done something,” Kyuhyun continued as if he was merely talking to himself. “You’ve been avoiding me.”

Jongwoon stood, frozen and beginning to feel scared when Kyuhyun rose and walked towards him. Jongwoon’s mind was blank and all he did was watch Kyuhyun as he walked and his lips moved at the same time.

Kyuhyun stopped when their chests were two inches apart. Their height difference was evident now that they were so close. Jongwoon bit his bottom lip because he knew he’d do something stupid if he doesn’t distract himself.

He flinched visibly when Kyuhyun raised his hand to caress Jongwoon’s cheek.

The hand drew back and Jongwoon opened his eyes he didn’t even know were closed. He looked up at Kyuhyun but the eyes that bore his looked hurt.

“You’re in my way, hyung,” Kyuhyun said voice feeling stuck in his throat. “Your tiny hands won’t be able to open the door, so let me, the amazing Kyuhyun, do it for you.”

Jongwoon gawked in shock. Kyuhyun reached around him and opened the door, letting him stumble back.

“Like a knight in shining armor.”

*

“What do you mean ‘nothing happened’?” Jungsoo asked, following Jongwoon around like a hyperactive dog. “Something must’ve happened, he’s weirder than usual!”

Jongwoon doesn’t know what to say because he doesn’t understand it either. Since that day in the booth, Kyuhyun’s been acting strangely, being all smiles, and sweet and thoughtful, and it was creeping everyone out.

It was an empty smile. The members knew each other well enough to hint their quirks and idiosyncrasies. And if the “evil maknae” was giving them all empty smiles and sweet gestures, either something was bothering him or he was planning something.

Little did they know, it was both.

Jungsoo wanted to rip his hair out. It was there, blatant for everyone to see! Except the people involved refused to acknowledge it.

“You’ve got to be kidding me,” Jungsoo hissed under his breath the followed Jongwoon.

“I wouldn’t,” Jongwoon said bitterly.

“Stop, Jongwoon,” Jungsoo caught up with him, stopping him from walking further by holding his shoulders. “Stop denying everything!”

Jongwoon glared and Jungsoo was reminded of the time he faced drunkards.

Ultimately, Jongwoon looked away. Jungsoo sighed and took a step back, pinching the bridge of his nose. There was a headache coming and he really doesn’t need this.

“Talk to him,” he said. Jongwoon refused to look at him still. “Straighten things out, demand answers. For the love of god, please stop all the denying.”

A pregnant pause passed and Jongwoon’s shoulders relaxed. Jungsoo took it as a sign. “Denial is not just a river in Egypt.”

Jongwoon raised a brow at the thickly accented English. Another beat passed and they laughed.

“You’re beginning to go senile. And your wrinkles are showing.” Jongwoon mocked.

Jungsoo poked him. “And whose fault do you think that is?!”

Jongwoon held his stomach in protection. Jungsoo grabbed his shoulders again and pushed him towards the door. “Talk to him before my hair turns white.”

He stumbled, but made his way.

*

He thinks that in hindsight, maybe it was Kyuhyun who needed talking to.

Jongwoon didn’t get the conversation Jungsoo asked him to do because Kyuhyun avoided him like a plague. It brought group morale down and desperate times called for desperate measures.

And Jungsoo was so close to dragging Kyuhyun by the ear.

Luckily, Youngwoon was there, too and Jungsoo knew where his loyalties lie.

“Traitor,” Kyuhyun accused childishly, sitting on a park bench with his arms across his chest.

“Now, now,” Jungsoo said, taking over the situation before Youngwoon did something drastic.

“Why are we even here?” Kyuhyun asked.

“It’s about Jongwoon,” Jungsoo replied and Kyuhyun’s hands dropped on his lap. Face becoming vulnerable looking and his gaze instantly afar.

“There’s nothing to talk about.”

“Bull,” Youngwoon called and Jungsoo was starting to get a bit tired about this.

“What do you want me to say? I tried to be civil, act normal but he just constantly runs away! I tried not to pressure him or let him know and figure out that I care about him. I’ve also tried to convince myself, and failed miserably which irritates me to no end, every single day that I am not hopelessly in love with Kim Jongwoon!”

Jungsoo watched as Kyuhyun stood up during his speech, emotions running high. But what shocked him the most was that Jongwoon was right behind him.

“I don’t believe it,” Jongwoon said and Kyuhyun visibly froze. Jungsoo saw the panic written all over his face. “Did I hear right?”

Jongwoon walked closer. Kyuhyun avoided making eye contact. But Jongwoon was persistent. “Did you say that you love me?”

“Hyung, I—”

“Don’t lie to me, Kyu.” Jongwoon said, his brows knotted down the middle.

Kyuhyun released a breathless sigh and chuckled darkly. “Guess there’s no use denying it, is there?”

Jongwoon stood firm, his eyes wide and expecting. Kyuhyun steeled himself and looked directly in Jongwoon’s eyes.

“Yes.” Jongwoon held his breath. “I love you, hyung.”

Kyuhyun shifted awkwardly from his toes to his heels as he fidgeted at the silence. “Look, hyung, I know you don’t feel the same and I’m not expecting you to either but it hurt to see you all close to others and you avoid me completely. And I know it’s sudden and I should stay away from you but I do, I really do—”

Jongwoon pulled Kyuhyun’s head down and kissed him, swallowing Kyuhyun’s words and gasps. He slipped his tongue and stretched his arms to wrap around Kyuhyun’s neck when Kyuhyun pulled him close by his hips.

“Finally!” Youngwoon exclaimed.

“Oh thank god,” Jungsoo sobbed as the two continued to ignore them in favor of each other’s tongues.

“Okay, that’s enough, you two.” Jungsoo said, becoming a bit aware that they were still in public and their actions were starting to become a little less appropriate. “You called him, didn’t you?”

“Oh god,” he heard Youngwoon groan in disgust, distracted. He agreed silently because Kyuhyun pulled Jongwoon closer as if he wanted them to blend together.

“They’re not gonna listen to us, are they?” Jungsoo grimaced.

Youngwoon snorted and crossed his arms then nudged Jungsoo to walk back to the dorm.

“After everything you told them to do that they obviously chose to ignore, what makes you think they’d start now?”

A/N: Four down! Thank you so much for reading, commenting and subscribing! ;u; (I read them all, I really do.)