"Say what?"

"You're going to get married to my savior's niece and I won't take a no for that."

 

Kyuhyun couldn't believe in what his grandfather just said. He checked the date on his phone and it still showed the year 2021. Who still forced people into an arranged marriage in this age and day?

 

"I'll still say no anyway, gramp."

"Silence! This is an order, not a statement or a question! Did you forget who it was that picked you up from a street and gave you a roof to cover your head!!?"

 

Kyuhyun was annoyed but he couldn't rebuke that. He did owe the old man a lot for saving him from dying on a cold street. Plus, in all of his thirty-three years living, Old Teuk never forced him to do anything. He was allowed to choose a school and career path that he wanted. The old man even helped fund his dream of opening a game company, even though their family already owned a successful department store business. With all of those reasons, he had no choice but to obey.

 

"Fine. Who is she and why am I to marry her again?"

"During the Korean War, I got shot at my leg and my cowardly platoon left me to die behind the enemy line. I thought I had breathed my last but then he came to save me— Kim Heechul. He was from a different platoon but he didn't hesitate to break through the gunfire and rescue me. I owe him my life, Kyuhyun. When I woke up again at the hospital camp, I saw him by my bedside looking at a photo of his niece. He told me that he's worried about his niece, especially when it comes to marriage because she's a shy kid. So, I promised him that if I had a nephew, I would make him marry his niece."

"And it just happens that I'm the only one available?"

"Correct. I have no children so it has to be you. Kyuhyun, I know that I'm asking you to spend the rest of your life with a stranger but can you do it for this old me?"

 

Aaaaand here it comes! Old Teuk's famous method to guilt trip him to do things. Kyuhyun sighed. Well, he did live leisurely for more than twenty years thanks to the old man…

 

"I suppose. Do you even know who she is? The niece? What kind of a person is she?"

"Her name is Kim Jongwoon. Don't worry, from what I remember, his niece is a kind soul who would never hurt an ant. Although we've never contacted each other in these past years, I believe that his niece is still the same kind-hearted person. She is probably around the same age as you, thirty-ish."

 

Kim Jongwoon… Kyuhyun repeated the name and found himself liking it. Well, as long as his future wife wasn't a total psycho, he probably would be fine with this arranged marriage.

.

.

.

.

Kyuhyun went to a luxurious restaurant at one of their department stores with his grandfather to meet his future wife. When they arrived, Kim Heechul, his gramp's savior was already there but no sign of his niece. He excused himself and went to a restroom to check himself one last time. There, he bumped into a man who was leaving the restroom.

 

"Ah, I'm sorry."

"Nah, I'm fine."

 

The cute black-haired man who was slightly shorter than him smiled apologetically and walked away. Kyuhyun quickly checked himself and went back to their table. He saw that the niece had occupied a seat beside Heechul-nim and frowned when he noticed her height and short black hair. A tall and masculine woman…?

 

"Gramp, Heechul-nim, I'm sorry for making you wait, and nice to meet—"

 

Kyuhyun saw his future "wife" and gasped.

 

The cute guy he met at the restroom!

 

*****************************

 

Kyuhyun had never had this much headache before in his life.

 

 

The "niece" Kim Jongwoon turned out to be a nephew and his grandfather might show an early sign of Alzheimer's for misremembering the gender of his savior's grandkid. With the truth coming out to light, he thought that this arranged marriage would be canceled but both elders didn't think so. His old man wanted to keep the promise while Heechul-nim wanted his nephew to settle down. Kyuhyun understood the two older men's stubbornness but what annoyed him was the lack of disagreement from his "future wife" who only sat in silence. In the end, he couldn't sit still and excused himself, dragging Kim Jongwoon out of the restaurant with him to talk.

 

"Hey, did you fall in love at first sight with me or what? Why don't you say something back there to oppose this arranged marriage?"

 

Kim Jongwoon raised a brow at him.

 

"Kyuhyun-ssi, no offense but you're not my type, not even close."

 

For some reason, that annoyed him even more.

 

"Then what? Are you so desperate to get married that you'll be fine with anyone?"

"Frankly speaking, yes, my grandfather's health is declining so I'm willing to do anything that makes him happy, including marrying a man who is very far from my type."

 

Kyuhyun suddenly had an urge to throw his "future wife" under a bus.

 

"So what? I have no choice but to marry you? For real?"

"If it can help put your mind at ease, we can make a cohabitation agreement, considering that we can't marry legally anyway."

"Are you suggesting a palimony?"

"Yes. I don't think our marriage will last long so we'd better make it worth our time."

"Alright, I'm in. Let's settle the palimony at one hundred million won in case one of us fails to uphold the agreement."

"Okay. We can get a lawyer tomorrow but I want to know your requests in advance, Kyuhyun-ssi."

 

Kyuhyun held up his finger.

 

"First and foremost, whoever falls in love has to pay for the palimony."

 

**************************************

 

In the end, Kyuhyun did get married to Kim Jongwoon, though it was just a small wedding with only their immediate family and close friends attending. Before the wedding, both of them secretly met a lawyer and made cohabitation agreements behind their grandfathers' backs. The contents were mostly rules for living together (the old man bought a penthouse for them) with one exception: whoever between them fell in love first had to pay the palimony to the other party. He suggested it and Kim Jongwoon agreed with him too. With the lawsuit done, they focused on the wedding and moving in together next, and Kyuhyun wanted to jump out of the window as soon as they arrived at their new home.

 

There was only one bedroom with one king-size bed.

 

"That old geezer!! I swear I'll paint his white room a rainbow color the next time I go home!"

"You can have the bed, Kyuhyun-ssi. I don't mind sleeping on a couch in the living room."

 

Kyuhyun swept his eyes up and down the smaller man's thin body.

 

"If there's anyone who needs to sleep properly in a bed then it's you."

"Hey,"

"Forget it. Let's just share the bed."

"Are you sure?"

"It's large enough that we won't touch each other in our sleep. Plus, we're both men so this is no big deal."

"And you aren't my type."

"Hey,"

 

Seeing Kim Jongwoon's smirk, Kyuhyun suddenly had an urge to throw his "wife" out of the window.

.

.

.

.

Kyuhyun woke up in the middle of their first night to find the space beside him empty. He went to the kitchen to drink some water but found Kim Jongwoon working on something in the living room. He glanced at a wall clock: four in the morning.

 

"Kim Jongwoon, go to sleep."

 

The black-haired man looked up from various drawing paper and a laptop to frown at him. He knew that the man worked as an interior designer but he didn't see any reason why he had to work until this late in the night.

 

"No, I must finish it before the deadline."

"When is the deadline?"

"Next two weeks."

"You're ridiculous. Sleep. Now."

"Ha, why does it matter to you if I'm not sleeping or what?"

"Because I'm your husband now."

 

Kim Jongwoon choked on nothing and looked at him in shock. His chubby cheeks heated up and turned red slightly, and Kyuhyun thought the man was kinda… cute…

 

"Kyuhyun-ssi, are you out of your mind? Sleep talking?"

"It's true that we have no love for each other, but I'm still your husband technically and I hate doing things half-heartedly. Hurry up. I have a meeting at nine."

"...Fine, whatever."

 

His "wife" grumbled in annoyance but put away his work anyway. They headed back to their bedroom and settled down on their side. They soon fell asleep without exchanging a single "good night".

 

*******************************

 

Kyuhyun had a dream that he was surrounded by white clouds. It felt so soft that he pulled one into his arms and hugged it tightly.

 

"Kyuhyun-ssi, wake up."

 

Not only did it feel soft, but the cloud also felt very smooth to the touch. So, he happily grabbed a fistful of it and squeezed.

 

"Hey, you ert, where are you touching?"

 

It smelled good too… He buried his nose in the white fluffy cloud and inhaled deeply.

 

"You punk. Didn't you say that you have a meeting at nine? It's half past nine now."

"Crap!!! The meeting!!!"

 

Kyuhyun woke up at once in a panic. However, he realized that it was only seven in the morning when he saw the time on a wall clock.

 

"What the hell are you—"

 

Kyuhyun blinked. He just realized that he was hugging Kim Jongwoon against his chest now. The black-haired man was so close to him that he could count all the rich eyelashes and see the luscious lips in detail without even trying.

 

"What are you doing on my side of the bed?"

"Use your eyes before speaking, dear husband."

 

The black-haired man's voice was sharp with sarcasm so Kyuhyun looked around. Actually, it was him who invaded Kim Jongwoon's side and even drove him to the edge of the large bed. The only reason why his "wife" hadn't fallen off the bed yet was that he got trapped in his arms.

 

"My bad, I forgot that I'm now a married man with a sharp-tongued wife."

 

His apology didn't sound sincere at all and his "wife" also noticed it. The smaller man raised his fist as if to hit him so Kyuhyun quickly caught the small hands and hooked their fingers to render them useless. However, Kim Jongwoon didn't give up the fight and tried to kick him next. So, he maneuvered the black-haired man to be pinned down and caged beneath him. He smirked seeing his "wife" struggle to escape but to no avail. He couldn't help but shove his face into the smaller man's line of eyesight while mocking him.

 

"Not so much of a fighter now, huh?"

"Shut the hell up—"

 

Kim Jongwoon suddenly stopped talking and the color of his face slowly changed. At the same time, Kyuhyun just realized that he was now holding the man down with their faces so close to each other, the tip of their noses almost brushing. Again, his gaze automatically fell down to the luscious pale pink lips that were only a mere inch away and he suddenly wondered if they felt as soft as they looked…

 

"GO TO HELL YOU !!!"

"OUCH!!"

 

Kyuhyun literally teared up when the man beneath him kneed his crotch. While he held his precious little one in his hands, Kim Jongwoon rolled out of his capture and ran out of the bedroom, leaving him crying in pain while worrying about his future kids that hadn't been born yet.

 

 

Yeah, so much for having a "gentle" and "loving" wife!

.

.

.

.

After his little one felt better, Kyuhyun went through the morning routine while cursing his "wife" nonstop. He quickly took a shower and got dressed before heading to the kitchen. He made a simple toast and bacon for himself and for Kim Jongwoon (after begrudgingly pondering about it). When he was done with his breakfast, the bane of his little one showed up with a neat black suit jacket and a necktie in his cute small hands.

 

"Kyuhyun-ssi, you said that you have a meeting today, right? I ironed the suit jacket and chose a necktie for you."

"I still won't forgive you."

"And I couldn't care less," Kim Jongwoon rolled his eyes, "I just hate seeing people dressed unprofessionally."

 

With that said, the shorter man put on the suit and necktie for him. While Kim Jongwoon was adjusting the necktie, Kyuhyun found his gaze straying to the pale pink lips again. Luckily, the shorter man didn't notice it this time so his little one escaped unscratched.

 

"There, all done, go and break a leg, literally."

"Wow, my wife, your sweet encouragement really touches my heart."

 

Kyuhyun smiled watching the black-haired man giggle.

 

"Oh, I made breakfast for you."

"Thank you. You didn't poison it, right?"

"Ah, thanks for reminding me. I'll be sure to do it next time."

"You jerk!"

 

Jongwoon hit him but it didn't hurt at all. The smaller man patted the jacket collar and smiled, genuinely this time.

 

"Fighting with your work, Kyuhyun-ssi."

"Thank you. I'm leaving now, Jongwoon."

 

Kyuhyun snorted at the way the shorter man blushed after being called by his name, and he thought that Jongwoon was very, very cute.

 

**********************************

 

Kyuhyun came home to his "wife" vacuuming the living room.

 

 

"Jongwoon, I'm home."

"I'd love to say 'I'm glad to see you back, dear husband' but that'd be a blatant lie, Kyuhyun-ssi."

"Yeah, I miss you so badly too."

"Did you forget your brain at work?"

 

Despite what he said, Jongwoon came to take off his coat and suit jacket to hang them, even fetching a glass of water for him. After taking a sip, Kyuhyun looked at the shorter man from head to toe and couldn't help the word slipping out.

 

"A housewi—"

"Shut up before I make your junk useless for real this time."

"Domestic violence," he complained jokingly, "Have you eaten dinner yet?"

"No, I was thinking of ordering a takeout."

"No need. What do you want to eat? I'll make dinner for us."

 

Jongwoon gasped dramatically.

 

"My dear husband, you can cook!!?"

"So, you prefer cold and oily take out?"

"I can eat anything as long as it's tasty and I know everything you make will become a gourmet dish, my sweet handsome husband."

"Because that didn't sound fake at all."

 

Kyuhyun rolled his eyes while Jongwoon smirked too happily.

.

.

.

.

After dinner, Jongwoon volunteered to wash the dishes so he went to take a bath. Kyuhyun headed to the living room and the tv after getting out, letting his hair dry by itself because he was too lazy to do it. Soon, his "wife" joined him and immediately changed the channel even though he was watching it first.

 

"Hey, give me back the remote control."

"Nope. Bad boy doesn't get to watch it unless he dries his hair."

"What are you? My eomma?"

"No, I'm y-your wife."

 

It was obvious that Jongwoon tried to be sarcastic like what he did last night. However, his blushing cheeks made his act not convincing at all. Kyuhyun bit his tongue before a teasing remark escaped. The black-haired man was glaring at him very scarily, daring him to say something. So, he wisely changed the topic.

 

"Fine. You can have your tv. I'll just use my laptop instead."

"Wait! Kyuhyun-ssi, are you that lazy to dry your hair?"

"Yes, so what?"

"You're unbelievable!"

 

Jongwoon sighed loudly and snatched the towel hanging around his shoulders, before drying his hair for him while grumbling under his breath.

 

"Jongwoon, you're all bark but don't bite, aren't you?"

"I can bite you if you want, dear husband."

"Oh, ! But I'll pass. I prefer more."

"You ert!"

"Ouch!"

 

Kyuhyun yelped when his "wife" pulled his ear. He quickly protested.

 

"Jongwoon… why do you resort to using violence with your husband all the time!!?"

"Because you deserve it! And don't be a drama queen. I barely used force."

"But my heart hurts so much… being treated poorly by my beloved wife…"

"The hell? Are you actually drunk?"

 

Jongwoon glared at him but he couldn't keep it that long. Soon, the smaller man laughed heartily and Kyuhyun found himself staring at the man while smiling too. Jongwoon's laughter was unique and very charming. He liked it a lot.

 

"Kyuhyun-ssi, you're a weirdo!"

"Kyuhyun,"

"Yes?"

"Call me Kyuhyun. We're stuck together in this marriage now, Jongwoon, whether we like it or not."

"Oh, um, okay, if you say so, Kyuhyun."

"That's more like it."

 

Kyuhyun threw his most charming smile at the shorter man and successfully got him flustered. While Jongwoon avoided his eyes to look at something else, he happily stole the remote control and changed the channel back.

.

.

.

.

"Kyuhyun, if you're sleepy then go to the bedroom. You're heavy."

 

Kyuhyun yawned and woke up. The first thing he saw was the black-haired man who looked down at him. His "wife" looked adorable even from this angle, he thought drowsily. It took him a while to realize that he had fallen asleep using the smaller man's lap as a pillow. He was also holding Jongwoon's cute small hand in his sleep while Jongwoon's other hand held the remote control (and when the hell did Jongwoon steal it back?) He sat up and stretched. Then, he headed back to the bedroom but stopped when his "wife" didn't follow him.

 

"Jongwoon, aren't you going to sleep?"

"No, I'll continue working on my project."

"The one with a two-week deadline?"

"Yes. I like working at night and I won't let you stop me this time."

"Sigh, fine, just be sure to don't stay up too late. I'm worried about your already short temper."

"That's very kind of you, dear husband."

 

Kyuhyun chuckled at the shorter man's glare and went to bed.

.

.

.

Kyuhyun woke up and found the bed empty, again. So, he checked the living room and saw Jongwoon falling asleep on the table in the middle of his work material. He saved whatever his "wife" was working on in the laptop, shut it down, and put away the drawing paper in a neat pile. Then, he carried the smaller man to the bedroom and laid him on his respective side. He pulled the cover up and brushed stray bangs out of Jongwoon's angelic sleeping face. Once again, his gaze dropped to the slightly-open plump lips and he absentmindedly rubbed the bottom lip with his thumb. However, he suddenly remembered the pain in his crotch inflicted on him by none other than his "wife". Cringing at the phantom pain, he pulled away and kissed the chubby cheek instead. After that, Kyuhyun went back to his side and lay down, before falling asleep in no time.

.

.

.

Not long after Kyuhyun fell asleep, Jongwoon opened his eyes in the dark. Although the room was quite cold, his whole face was burning hot. He touched his lips where Kyuhyun rubbed and his cheek where Kyuhyun kissed, and his face soon burned hotter. What the hell? Kyuhyun was so adamantly against this arranged marriage but then being so touchy and loving (in a sarcastic way) afterward when they lived together? What was he supposed to do? Kyuhyun wasn't his type but he was by no means ugly. He would say that the man was handsome, actually. So, his husband was good-looking, a great cook, kind and considerate (in a sarcastic way), and liked to touch him. Plus, the way Kyuhyun stared at his lips…

 

 

I'm in big danger.

 

 

Jongwoon thought to himself while glancing at a sleeping figure at the opposite of the bed. After chewing his lip in deep thoughts, he threw embarrassment out of a window and rolled over to his husband's side. He was content just lying beside the brown-haired man but Kyuhyun suddenly pulled him into his broad chest as if knowing that he was there. He held a breath worrying that he woke up the taller man. When Kyuhyun's only response was a quiet snore, he sighed and snuggled closer into his husband's arms. After that, he put his head on the wide chest and fell asleep listening to a calm heartbeat.

 

 

Well, this arranged marriage might not be that bad...

.

.

.

The next morning, Kyuhyun woke up and found himself hugging Jongwoon in his sleep, again. He looked around, wondering since when did he roll over to the black-haired man's side, but smirked after he saw their surroundings.

 

He was still lying on his side. It was Jongwoon who rolled over to him this time.

 

He didn't wake up his "wife" and went back to sleep while still holding the man in his arms. He kissed the smaller man's forehead and buried his nose in the soft dark hair. Well, maybe this arranged marriage might not be that bad.

 

*******************************

 

One year later…

 

 

"Jongwoon-ah, this is the fourth night in a row that you stay up late. Please, think of your health more."

"You're very kind, Kyuhyun-ah, but I can't do that. The deadline of this work is the day after tomorrow so I must finish it at all costs."

"Working again? I've been thinking that you're too busy lately. Exactly how many projects did you have in your hands now?"

"It's not that many…"

"Jongwoon-ah."

"Fifteen…?"

 

Kyuhyun pinched his wife's cute chubby cheeks to punish him.

 

"Ouch! Kyuhyun-ah… it hurts…"

"Your cute puppy eyes won't work this time. Fifteen? Are you out of your mind? Why did you even take that many projects in the first place?"

"I need money…"

"What? Money? Did something happen? Did you need money for Heechul-nim's treatment? I can help you if that's the case. After all, he's my grandfather too."

"No, he's actually very healthy now."

"Then, why?"

"..."

"Jongwoon-ah, am I not your husband? Why are you keeping a secret from me?"

"..."

 

The shorter man's silence felt like a knife stabbing at his heart. They had been happily married for a year now and Kyuhyun couldn't want a better partner. Living with Jongwoon filled his dull life with joy and warmth. Although his wife was very sarcastic and liked to complain, he was also very sweet and liked to pamper him. He also loved seeing Jongwoon getting flustered at his teasing remarks, he loved hugging Jongwoon to sleep, he loved waking up to Jongwoon's angelic smile, he loved cooking for Jongwoon and feeding him, he loved wearing clothes chosen by Jongwoon, he loved calling Jongwoon during lunch break to recharge his energy, he loved going to the supermarket with Jongwoon, he loved doing dishes with Jongwoon, he loved going out with Jongwoon on the weekend, he loved spending evening cuddling with Jongwoon, he loved watching Jongwoon work, he loved bantering with Jongwoon, really, he just loved being with Jongwoon. In their marriage, he was proud of himself for always accurately guessing how his wife currently felt and thought that he had known everything about Jongwoon. Apparently, he was wrong.

 

"Jongwoon-ah, please tell me why you need money so that I can help you with it."

"I'm sorry, Kyuhyun-ah, but I must pay for this by myself…"

"Pay? For what? I thought we evenly split every bill? It's our house, so it's our responsibility."

"................The palimony."

"The what?"

 

Jongwoon glared at him but his cheeks were burning cutely.

 

"I said I need money for the palimony you ! Because I fell in love with you!!"

"What…?"

 

Oh. Crap. He completely forgot about their agreement. He was too overjoyed in the marriage that he seriously forgot that it all started from an arranged marriage.

 

"Oh, is that why you always push me away when I try to go beyond kissing?"

"Yes you idiot! You said it yourself in the rules that is forbidden!!"

"Hey, that's not fair! You're an idiot as much as me, Jongwoon-ah. How come you never realized that I'm in love with you too! Probably since our first meeting!"

"You love me too? I thought you're just being all the time."

"I'm and I love you, Jongwoon-ah."

"Really…?"

 

The smaller man sighed in relief and beamed in delight afterward. Then, Jongwoon threw himself into his arms and glanced up at him.

 

"So, the palimony?"

"Yes, that stupid rule, though I'd rather you now. Can I?"

"But the agreement is still in effect…"

"Sigh, fine, let me contact Ryeowook-ssi first…"

.

.

.

Ryeowook cursed after he suddenly got woken up by a ringtone. He looked at the time, three in the morning, before answering the call.

 

"Kim Ryeowook speaking."

"Ryeowook-ssi, this is Cho Kyuhyun. My wife, Kim Jongwoon, and I made a cohabitation agreement with you as the witness."

"Yes, I remember you two. What happened?"

"In a nutshell, I want to screw the agreement and screw my cute wife instead. However, Jongwoon is worried that it might be a breach of agreement which is illegal. So, we want to know if it's alright with me to eat him as a late-night snack before annulling the agreement?"

 

Ryeowook breathed in, breathed out, breathed in, and breathed out.

 

"With all due respect, Sir."

"Yes?"

" you."

 

Ryeowook ended the call, turned off the phone, and went back to sleep.

.

.

.

"So? What did our lawyer say?"

"He said you so I guess we're free to have a naughty time!"

 

Kyuhyun carried his wife up and hurried to their bedroom while Jongwoon was giggling and blushing. Carefully laying the smaller man on the bed, Kyuhyun smiled because their current position reminded him of their first morning as a married couple.

 

"I love you, Jongwoon-ah. I'm so happy to get married to you."

"Me too, Kyuhyun-ah, we owe Grandpa Leeteuk for insisting on keeping the promise."

"I'll repaint his room back to white to show my gratitude then"

"Good idea! But that's for another time, right? Dear husband?"

 

Kyuhyun smirked.

 

"Yes, another time~ Dearest wife~"

 

************************************************

 

Author's note:

The first story for Clouds_melo from Twitter! Thank you for requesting this cuz arrange marriage is my fav trope too. I hope you like it~

Bad news though T T I might not be able to keep the schedule cuz of works... So if you see me not posting on time then I hope you guys understand me, though I'll try to make up by writing longer!

 

Take care and love you!  <3