A huff and puff was all that Ryeowook could let out of his mouth as he eyed with terribly cute, adoring eyes the little box of fruit pastries sat on the small kitchen counter.

His chest was almost glued to the table as he sat there, sprawled on the wooden surface, bored as a consequence of having tried his best to fight the deep slumber collected after a plunge in Japanese history, tales of rebellious, medieval lords, great emperors and brave samurai soldiers, which, if only he had paid more attention during classes, would have also helped him to get those needed, final good grades before facing the graduation exams.

It was study time that night at Kyuhyun's house, and he knew better than to contradict the older one, especially when it came to his personal education.

That was why Kyuhyun had brought some goodies back on his way home from the workshop. By then, he had perfectly got to know all of Ryeowook's weaknesses and he kind of liked when the younger one felt visibly accomplished when his efforts were paid back... was it because Ryeowook almost always opened up in one of his trademark sunshine-like smiles, or because his eyes were lit in a totally different light, that didn't matter as long as Kyuhyun could see those little signals and have them all for himself without starting to be too shamelessly obvious about whatever strange intention was now harboring his brain.

And so he came home rather late, just to find the student still perched on a chair and with his nose stuck on to the thick history book. The kitchen was spotlessly clean even though it was clear that Ryeoook had cooked dinner for two - carefully saving a portion for Kyuhyun to eat later - because a faint smell of soy sauce and spices still lingered in the air. 

However, the sweets he brought home weren't just for his younger roommate to enjoy, it was also a little treat he had gifted hmself alongside those good news he was so damn eager to disclose. Hell, the tip of his tongue had never felt that ticklish and his lips had probably never curved that widely in such a really stupid grin, that he displayed plastered on his mouth.

"You're back!" Ryeowook automatically straightened his back and sat upright, his eyes betraying too much happiness at the sight of Kyuhyun and the purplish bakery box he was setting on the counter.

"You thought I wouldn't come back tonight?" Kyuhyun grinned as he turned around to face the petite one.

Ryeowook blinked, a bit dumbfounded in front of such a reply. Hopefully, Kyuhyun resumed talking: "Don't worry, there was a reason why I couldn't come back before"

"I guess you wouldn't tell me..." Ryeowook raised a brow, suspicious, already knowing better than to ask such trivial matters from one like Kyuhyun, who had never really told much about himself to Ryeowook or any other one.

"Why not?" Kyuhyun's smile froze at the disarming statement. He lightly shook his head and joined Ryeowook at the table, where he sat and peered at the boy's study contents, sighing after reading some of the bolder headlines: "Cool! I particularly liked this period!" he told him, pointing at a paragraph in particular on the lucid pages.

Ryeowook snorted, annoyed because Kyuhyun seemed to have once again changed topic instead of speaking further about the triggered topic.

"Anyway..." Kyuhyun coughed and cleared his voice. He had just noticed that Ryeowook wasn't particularly paying attention to what he was saying anymore, so he decided togo straight to the point "I've got great news"

"You do?" Ryeowook mumbled, he grabbed his pencil back in hand and began to scribble some thin, clumsy Japanese kanji as the answer to a question on the historical topic he had to study.

"If only you listened to me..." Kyuhyun replied, a little bit offended for the non caring reaction the boy was so nonchalantly sparing him "But it seems that you're not that interested into knowing that I just received the acceptance letter to the last stage of the contest" he spoke, as if he himself considered that topic to be just another simple conversational matter, nonchalance enhanced by the fact that he was waving in the air a small, yellowish envelope just taken out of his jacket pocket.

"What?!" Ryeowook exclaimed, seemingly woken up by his defying trance. He snapped his head to the side where Kyuhyun sat and his dreamy eyes were fixed on his pompous, victorious grin "So...you made it? You really made it?!" 

Kyuhyun slowly nodded: "Yep, I did. Though the real challenge begins right now. The judging panel chose the best five artists and only two of them will get the final prize: the workshop in Okinawa and half the total money prize. I must gather all my artistic inspiration to be able to impress them, because I fear that another failure won't easily leave me alone" Kyuhyun cracked a sad smile then, preferring not to think about the wrong turnout then.

Ryeowoook instead showed his earnest smile, his hand no longer gripping the pencil, but slowly crawling closer to Kyuhyun's bigger one, gripping his forefinger in what was to be considered only a friendly gesture of support, but that in truth always meant a little something more.

A light blush colored Kyuhyun's cheeks as his eyes were fixed on that smaller, soft hand, slowly threading fingers with his own and tighten the grip: "You can do it! You've made it until here!" Ryeowook softly whispered, eyes lovingly bearing Kyuhyun's chocolate colored ones and giving him strenght through a simple gaze.

"You too must score well in exams" Kyuhyun lightly squeezed back the slender fingers in his grip, before slowly loosening it and retracting his hand, now busier at fiddling with the long ribbon strings that closed the opening of the small pastry box "This is my treat, because I know you're studying hard every day, so take one" he suggested, showing the five round, pastry baskets filled with lemon cream and pieces of meringue; cinnamon cream and apple slices; black grapefruit and blueberry mousse; pear mousse covered in dark chocolate; whipped cream with strawberry toppings.

Ryeowook nodded, grateful for the constant encouragements and a little bit flustered for the pleasant compliment. He took his time to pick a pastry, and when he finally stretched his hand over the strawberry one, his fingers once again met Kyuhyun's longer ones in a mid-air crash.

"So-sorry" Kyuhyun mumbled, taking back his hand and then gripping hard the box only to push it more towards Ryeowook's side: "Go on, pick the one you wanted to eat"

"Isn't it the same as yours, though?" Ryeowook asked, his head angling a little bit on to a side, looking damnly too cute in his wonder.

"You can have it, I..." Kyuhyun was interrupted then "I bet you haven't eaten anything" Ryeowook pointed out then, sighing because he really didn't want Kyuhyun to get sick for a lack of sleep or proper nutrition, over this whole contest thing. The man's stomach was grumbling in protest anyway, so he took the strawberry pastry and, with decision, held it before Kyuhyun's mouth: "Come on, take a bite" he suggested with a little hum and tip of the head.

Kyuhyun's eyes looked down at the pastry in front of his face first, then he lifted them to see the look of decision depicted all over Ryeowook's face. A bit unsure at first, he nonetheless ducked his head towards the sweet and took one edge of the crispy pastry between his teeth, biting down until a little bit fell directly on the plane of his tongue. The buttery taste of the pastry mixed with the sweeter one of the cream and blended perfectly with the slightly bitter taste of the strawberry mousse and slices of fruits.

"Take one more!" Ryeowook insisted, considered that Kyuhyun had shyly bitten only one-fifth of the treat.

"It's okay!" Kyuhyun mumbled with mouth still full and hands shielding him from the boy's insistence. Ryeowook snorted and rolled his eyes, before almost entirely swallowing the sweet, a line of pinkish mousse smearing his upper lip, or so Kyuhyun had noticed. He couldn't really take his eyes off Ryeowook, not even when, after the boy had finished eating, he was thoroughly what remaine