Title:  The Library: Restoring Art (1611 words)
Pairing: Siwon/Yesung
Summary: Yesung just wanted a peaceful place to study and breathe in the smell of nice leather bound books. He found a different kind of artwork that needed restoration instead.

Siwon walked up the steps to the library just as his friend Donghae was being dragged out of the building. He would have been worried, but the grin on his friends face made him worry for the person dragging him out. With a slight shrug, he made his way inside the building and to the counter beside the check-out desk to return some books. He stood there for a while waiting for the gaggle of girls to finish chatting up the library assistant, staring off into space as he massaged his sore side.

--

Yesung sighed and started to gather his things. He had spent the better part of the hour trying to block out Sungmin’s incessant whispers to Kyuhyun, who seemed to have resigned himself to whatever fate he had gotten himself to.  

When the two had left, he was relieved and started to bury his head in the Metaphysics book he had propped on the table. He was in the middle of deciphering the blurred words in his head to finish his paper when he heard giggles. It wasn’t just any kind of giggle, it was a high pitched, irritating kind of giggle of a girl trying hard to be flirty and failing. He had looked up and glared at the 2 girls that had occupied the seats Sungmin and Kyuhyun vacated only to see that their attention was elsewhere, so he decided to move.

Yesung shot the girls a scathing glare before trudging slowly towards the back of the library and behind the autobiographies. He started up the stairs only to meet a disgruntled looking student who was in the process of stuffing a pillow in his bag.  Puzzled, he paused in his steps as he watched the other close his bag and look up.

“Hyung!” Hyukjae greeted when he saw the older man. “I was just going to go to that coffee shop you like so much, want to come with?” he continued with a smile.

“Uhmm, I have to study right now, maybe next time?” Yesung replied, still mulling over the pillow.

“Okay! See ya hyung!” Hyukjae replied with a wave before continuing down the stairs and around the bookcase.

Yesung stood there for a minute before making his way up the stairs to the 2nd floor of the library, where it was quieter.  Veering to the right he walked over to the darker part of the floor where he knew he could get the peace and quiet he needed to concentrate on his assignment. Upon arriving to where the tables are however, Yesung frowned and took a deep breath.

“Why the hell does it smell like here?” he muttered as he his heel and left for the other parts of the 2nd floor library. “Can’t a person just have peace and quiet and breathe the nice smell of books while studying?” he continued as he turned in between a couple of bookcases and made his way to the far end and flopped down on the carpeted floor.

--

Finally able to return the books, after the head librarian told off the library assistant, Siwon headed to the back of the library, and turned behind the autobiography section. He made his way up the stairs and veered to the right, the darker part of the library, where he had things hidden behind some books. When he reached the end, he crinkled his nose at the musty smell, before heading to the bookcase against the wall to the far left. Reaching out, he took 3 books out of the shelf and grabbed a plain black pouch, before returning the books to their proper order. He glanced around the tables, and saw some books that were left sprawled on one of the carrels. Ignoring the urge to return them to their proper shelf, he turned and walked to the other side of 2nd floor library, where he had discovered an alcove that had just 1 table and 6 chairs surrounded by massive bookcases, and offered a great deal of privacy.

--

Yesung sat on the carpeted floor of the 2nd floor library with a book open on his lap. He was massaging his temples when he saw his classmate, Choi Siwon pass by with a slight limp to his walk.  Curious, he quietly put his notebook and pen in his bag and closed the book he was attempting to read. As he was about to stand up, he saw Siwon pass by again, this time, Yesung can clearly see a pained expression gracing the younger man's usually smiling face. As quietly as he can, he hurried to edge of the book case and peeked around it to see where Siwon was headed. He saw the younger man disappear a few bookcases away from the stairs that headed down to the ground floor and quickly followed. Yesung turned the corner to where Siwon had disappeared to, to discover that it opened up into a private space where only a single long table fit with a few chairs. Yesung walked in farther only to gape in surprise when he saw Siwon’s shirtless back. The muscled expanse of Siwon’s back was riddled with bruises of varying color. There were yellowing bruises, deep purple bruises, bruises that had a blue-ish tinge, and some red, cracked flesh that looked fresh. Without thinking, Yesung stepped closer and reached out to softly touch one of the red marks causing the other to gasp and swing his body around in panic and surprise.

“Hyung!” Siwon exclaimed in alarm, his mind trying to find an excuse to why his back was all bruised, and why he had salves and ointments scattered on the table. “Uhmmm.”

“Siwon-ssi,” Yesung whispered biting back a sob as he saw Siwon’s bruised abs, sides, and chest. He dropped his things on the carpeted floor and settled for running his small hands lightly on the bruises on the younger man’s abs.

Siwon tensed, waiting for the question people would typically ask him. He already had a scathing rebuttal to any questions of who did this to him, and he clenched his fist as he awaited the irritating question.

“Here,” Yesung said grabbing an ointment. “Let me put this on your back since you can’t really reach half of them.” he continued softly as he nudged Siwon’s shoulder to have the younger man show him his back once again.

Siwon complied surprised and confused. “Why?” he asked as he felt the warm hand apply the cool ointment on the tender skin of his back.

“What do you mean why?”

“Why didn’t you ask how I got these? Why aren’t you insisting on taking me to the clinic or the hospital?” Siwon asked quietly.

“You’re entitled to your own secrets Siwon-ssi,” Yesung answered. “Plus, you wouldn’t be self medicating here if you had wanted to go to the clinic or the hospital. And they ask questions. So I thought you don’t want to answer certain questions so, I didn’t ask any.”

Siwon smiled at the answer and lowered his head. “Thank you,” he said quietly, but the meaning was heartfelt.

Yesung walked in around the chair and faced Siwon, “You’re welcome.” he said, a small smile gracing his face. “Now, let me do your abs and chest.” he continued, his hands already reaching out to apply the ointment.

“But hyung! I can reach that just fine,” Siwon sputtered as he felt Yesung’s hand ghost across his abdomen.

“But I can see better from here than you can up there,” Yesung reasoned. “Now shut up and stay still, let hyung take care of you.”

Siwon stayed still and watched the head that was bent down in front of him. He had never really mingled with Yesung. He had been so caught up in always having to show everyone that everything was going alright in his life, that he had put up a façade that he was a friend to everyone yet not really. The only few people who had managed to see right through him was Donghae and Hangeng. Thankfully, he didn’t have any classes with them as they were a year below and a year ahead of him respectively. Heechul didn’t count since he had been his neighbor since they were in diapers, and the older man had been the one giving him the salves that he dare not use. This person in front of him though, one of the few irregular students that he had a class with, was a different matter altogether. They hadn’t really spoken at all unless it was for class, but it seemed like Yesung was the one who understood him best. From the few words that he answered his question with, this person in front of him made a crack in his carefully laid out façade, and it dawned on him that he didn’t really mind at all. As long as it was Yesung.

Yesung pouted as he spread the ointment over Siwon’s bruises. He can feel the younger man staring at him and he did not like it at all. He now thinks that Henry must be incredibly dense to not have felt Ryeowook’s incessant stares every time they are within looking distance of each other. Yesung shifted uncomfortably and poked hard on one of the purple bruises causing Siwon to hiss in pain.

“What was that for?” Siwon whined.

“Stop staring.” Yesung said pouting up at the younger boy before he turned his attention back to the bruises that needed soothing.

Siwon smiled and relaxed.

‘This is going to be an interesting semester.’ Siwon and Yesung thought to themselves.


--