Kyuhyun thinks he’s gone soft. He thinks he’s gone mushy, and if he doesn’t fix it, someone’s going to get it.

            Kyuhyun has known Sungmin for several years now. He has lived with him, loved with him, fought with him over the past six – nearly seven – years. But never has he given in to the bunny’s aegyo. He has a reputation to maintain: he’s the evil maknae, who tortures his hyungs and plots with his friends; he can’t be a pushover who gives in at a single pout. Yes, Kyuhyun has never given in to Lee Sungmin’s overwhelming aegyo – until a few weeks ago.

            He doesn’t know how it happened, but one day out of the blue, his immunity to Sungmin’s pout, his wide eyes, and his baby voice suddenly disappeared. Now, anything Sungmin wants he’ll do at the drop of a hat, and it’s starting to worry him. Evil maknae, remember. He’s not entirely sure where his resistance went, but he suspects someone stole it, and he wants it back. Hyukjae probably did it.

            It is at the exact moment when he decides to abandon the textbooks on his desk in favor of interrogating the anchovy that a loud voice echoes throughout the dorm.

            “KyYUuuuuUU!”

            He flinches, and debates the pros and cons of hiding in the closet. … Sungmin will probably drag him out anyway.

            “Kyuhyun!” His voice comes again, sounding slightly frantic, and not five seconds later the door to the maknae’s room bursts open, revealing a distressed-looking Sungmin.

            “Yes, Sungmin, what could you possibly need now?”

            “Kyu-ah, can I—”

            “Sungmin-hyung we have to leave! We have a schedule!” Ryeowook cuts Sungmin off as he screams into the dorm as well. Kyuhyun wonders if today is Make-Kyuhyun’s-Ears-Bleed Day.

            Sungmin huffs and turns to leave, tossing him a desperate look over his shoulder.

.          .          .

            Over the next week this scenario seems to repeat itself several times. Sungmin has called Kyuhyun twice (both at strange hours of the night and morning), interrupted him while attempting to study three times, and approached him immediately before a performance no less than five times. Each time one of them has gotten pulled away before anything is actually said, and each time Sungmin has looked more and more worried.

            Kyuhyun has started to wonder if something is actually wrong, and is just about to turn off his computer to go find the bunny when, yet again, his voice floats through the dorm.

            “I’m in here, Min!” There is a quick shuffle and Sungmin appears in Kyuhyun’s doorway. He is about to open his mouth when Leeteuk pops up behind him. Kyuhyun, who has by now anticipated some unfortunately timed distraction, pulls Sungmin into his room and shuts the door firmly in the leader’s face, locking it with a loud snick. Ignoring Leeteuk’s hammering on his door, Kyuhyun guides Sungmin to the edge of his bed. He sits down, twisting and wringing his hands in his lap, a cue to his lover that yes, something is definitely wrong.

            “Ming? What’s the matter? Tell me, please.”

            “It’s just, I just want…” Sungmin sighs shakily. “Do you not love me anymore Kyu?”

            If Kyuhyun had expected anything, it certainly wasn’t this.

            “What? Of course I do! How could I—why did you—” he splutters, trying to figure out where in the world this question had come from. “Why would you think that?”

            Sungmin sighs again, wondering how to put his thoughts into words. “It’s just… you’ve seemed sort of distant and irritated lately, and I was worried it was my fault. You really don’t hate me?”

            Kyuhyun sits down at Sungmin’s feet, taking the other’s still nervous hands in his own. “I promise it wasn’t your fault. I was just a little upset that there was something wrong and we barely got a chance to talk this week. You did nothing, and of course I still love you, silly.”

            Sungmin smiles at this, and pulls Kyuhyun into a slow, gentle kiss. He has always enjoyed how the maknae’s plump lips fit perfectly with his, and never misses an opportunity to steal a kiss. He can feel the younger smiling against his mouth, and lets out a small contented breath when Kyuhyun’s fingers thread lightly through his hair.

            An especially loud thud on the door startles them apart. They’d forgotten about Leeteuk. “Kyuhyun, you’ve got a photoshoot and an interview in an hour, get your out here!” Kyuhyun replies by throwing a lone tennis shoe in the direction of the door, grinning when there is a crash and a “Fine then!”

            He turns back to Sungmin, still smiling. “Where were we?”

            “You were kissing me, as I recall. You should get back to that.”

            “As you wish.” Yes, Kyuhyun may be going soft, but it definitely has its benefits.