5 October 2013

Slender fingers gripped either side of the cow head which tilted in question. Kyuhyun couldn’t stop a smile from crossing his lips.

Moving closer, he studied the cow-clad musician. “I’m Eunhyuk’s friend, Cho Kyuhyun.”

Almost immediately the cow head slammed down even more firmly than before, making Kyuhyun jump in surprise. Ryeowook was shaking his head vigorously.

There was no way this was him. This was the Kyuhyun.

He stared at the breathtakingly handsome man through the bleary eyeholes of the mascot mask. Despite slight distortions, Ryeowook could make out the male’s face, his dark eyes and his elfish smile clear as day. Those curling lips promised mischief, tugging at the rest of his features to fill with an unimaginable allure. He wore a black cardigan over his plain blue v-neck, the sleeves rolled up to his elbows. Dark jeans hugged his long legs, creasing at all the right places.

Ryeowook couldn’t stop staring and for the first time that day, he was extremely thankful for the damn cow suit. The very thought of taking it off now and appearing in front of someone like Kyuhyun made him sick. His face suddenly felt extra sweaty and flushed and lips more swollen and red than before. His brain was already chastising him for forgetting the gloves. His fingers probably looked clammy and blotchy.

“Thanks for letting me use your bed last time. I didn’t get a chance to say so,” Kyuhyun remarked, deep voice like the darkest honey, rich and tantalizing. He was watching Ryeowook closely, almost as if he was trying to see through the thick layers of faux fur and plaster.

Ryeowook simply nodded in reply, unable to reply without taking off the head.

A flicker of annoyance rippled the depths of his eyes. “Can you still not take off the costume?”

He shook his head in response.

Circling around Ryeowook, Kyuhyun reached out, tugging on one of the tangled ties. “How did this happen?” He snickered. “Here, sit down. I’m good with knots.” Before the masked male could explain anything, Kyuhyun already pushed him down on the piano bench. Going down with a grunt, Ryeowook felt the handsome man’s foot press down on the edge of the bench. Tilting his head back, he saw Kyuhyun sitting on the large windowsill, leaned over his back working at the twisted cordage.

Gulping, Ryeowook sat stiffly in place, barely breathing as he firmly held his helmet in place. A million thoughts swarmed his mind, sending alarms blaring. He was probably drenched with sweat. His tank top had probably been soaked through and his skin had to be red and unsightly. The first person to see it would be someone like Kyuhyun. Of course that’s how fate worked.

He wanted to crawl under a rock. Then again, Ryeowook tried to convince himself, why did it matter? It wasn’t as if he wanted to impress this man. From Eunhyuk’s stories, he had already pinned Kyuhyun as an unworthy candidate for a romantic relationship. Furthermore, it didn’t seem like the guy wanted anyone, emotionally speaking. Ryeowook felt himself calming down at the revelations, nodding silently in the darkness of the cow head. At least it made more sense now. That is, why so many people were willing and eager to sleep with Cho Kyuhyun.

The man was gorgeous. His face and body were ideal by all popular standards and his voice…Ryeowook tried not to think about it.

“First knot done,” Kyuhyun pushed the ties apart, grinning as he started on the second one. “I heard your song earlier. It’s my favorite, actually. I hum it all the time back at school. Hopefully you found something useful in the lyrics I left you. I just couldn’t get them out of my head and I need to share.” He picked at the tight knot, hooking his nail into the loop before pulling bit by bit.

Ryeowook didn’t say anything at first, still fearing a bad impression. They sat in silence for a painstakingly long minute before h gave in and carefully tipped his helmet up – just enough to speak. Cool air rushed up through the crack where his nose and mouth peeked out. “Thank you. You inspired me to finish it.”

Kyuhyun nearly stopped working, fingers fumbling. He tried to shake off the sensation, but that voice…it had entered his mind and refused to leave. Although soft and short, the voice was clearer than any crystal and purer than any bell. It was porcelain if porcelain could speak…an angel if angels descended from Heaven.

“So you’re speaking now?” he teased, pulling himself together.

“Sorry. I didn’t mean to be rude.” Ryeowook felt another knot loosen, the suit beginning to slip along his mostly bare shoulders.

Kyuhyun gazed down at the thin white neck, muscles and bones leading his eyes down to the curve of his shoulders and back. A tight black tank top clung to his sweaty skin, outlining the sharpness of his figure. There was a faint flush spreading across his upper back, pulsing with warmth. Blinking, Kyuhyun shook his head, looking to the last two knots on the suit.

Neither of them was twisted. Tugging both of them loose slowly, he watched the hideous cow suit fall away. The black and white fur slid off his shoulders, exposing his slender waist and slight frame hidden behind the clunky outfit. Lean muscles drew lines down his arms, every contour perfect…promising. Kyuhyun let his fingertips run along Ryeowook’s slick shoulders, pushing the suit lower, eyes roaming the expanse of his backside.

The touch was feather light, but Kyuhyun felt the slim body shiver. His chest thumped in response, throat rapidly drying up as if he had never touched someone’s bare skin before. Forcing his hands away, he let them drop on the bunched up fur where the suit rested at the crease of Ryeowook’s elbows.

“This material seems really heavy. How did you survive in it all day?” Kyuhyun managed hoarsely, clearing his throat. He played with the coarse exterior.

Ryeowook had lost his own voice somewhere in there, coughing a few times before forming words. “I don’t really know,” he laughed awkwardly, his body feeling even more heated than when he had been suited up. Quickly getting to his feet, he ignored the guilt and regret that rushed over him at the feeling of Kyuhyun’s hands falling away. “A-Anyway,” he stammered, “Thanks for helping me with my…uhm…outfit.”

“Sure, no problem,” Kyuhyun chuckled, standing up as well. He didn’t meet Ryeowook’s hidden gaze. “Actually, could you tell me where the café is? Eunhyuk told me to meet him there, but I wasn’t sure where to go.”

“Oh, that’s just down the road. If you go out the front door of this building, walk straight ahead until you reach the dorms and then take a right. It should be inside the Student Union,” Ryeowook explained in a rush. It didn’t matter though since Kyuhyun wouldn’t have been able to process most of it in his current state of mind anyway.

Nodding slightly, the handsome young man finally lifted his gaze. “Why aren’t you taking the helmet off?”

Surprised, he stayed quiet but then softly said, “My face is all sweaty and blotchy. I don’t want you to see me.”

Kyuhyun stared at him. Walking forward, he placed his hands over the smaller ones that had been holding onto the helmet constantly since the beginning of their conversation. “It’s not polite to hide your face. I don’t mind,” he murmured, feeling like he might actually explode if he didn’t see Ryeowook. His entire body felt like it was boiling, arms and legs trembling in a way he couldn’t fathom.

“But…”

His fingers pressed harder into the helmet. “Please…let me see you,” he nearly pleaded; his deep voice breathy and close to exposed lips. The warm air rushed across Ryeowook’s cheek and jaw, feeling like just a little push would—

“Hey, Ryeowook, I got the…scissors…?” Hyungsik paused in the doorway. His friend’s exposed back faced him, a taller male holding either side of his head and leaning down as if to— “Sorry, am I interrupting something?”

Kyuhyun dropped his arms reluctantly, fingertips lingering against the back of Ryeowook’s hands. Straightening up, he met the confused person’s gaze. They exchanged silent greetings before Kyuhyun’s eyes flitted back down to the still masked man. Once again dropping his head, he spoke by Ryeowook’s ear, “Next time, no hiding, okay?” He smiled devilishly, that twinkle of teasing flashing in his dark gaze.

“Y-Yeah, next time,” Ryeowook agreed, breathlessly.

“You’re not interrupting,” Kyuhyun finally said as he headed to the door, passing by Hyungsik, “Sorry, I already untied the knots.”

The moment he was gone, Hyungsik came toward his friend who had finally removed the helmet. “Are you okay? Who was that?” he inquired, concerned.

“Cho Kyuhyun.”

Hyungsik touched Ryeowook’s face gently. “You’re really red. Were you overheating in there?”

To that, he didn’t know how to properly respond.