A/N: My fastest update in history, ever. Thank you for your encouraging comments! I'm happy to spread the KyuHyuk and EunHae love, of course. ;D 

Two

“Really now? Pizza?” As he listens to the faintly exasperated voice of Hyukjae, he allows a smug smile to creep over his face. He lifts one shoulder in a shrug before answering.

“You’re the one who was whining about wanting to eat something other than tacos, remember?” Those pink, pink lips curve into an adorable pout, and it takes all his willpower not to just lean forward and kiss them. Patience, he reminds himself. There’s no point in destroying the relationship he’s firmly established with the older man. For now, being together is enough. At this stage, he’s not quite ready for a showdown with the final boss (i.e. Hyukjae). It’s imperative that he level up (increase his time with Hyukjae), find the right equipment (the moment has to be perfect and romantic, not tacky and done when he’s sweaty and in training gear) and investigate the enemy’s weak points (discreetly sound out a reliable hyung or two about what plan of attack he should go with). No, the last boss fight is still a ways away.

He returns to reality when his face is cradled gently in Hyukjae’s palms. “Kyuhyun?” Hyukjae’s tone has changed from sarcastic to worried. “Are you okay? I was just kidding about the pizza, you know, I really love pizza! I mean, I like tacos, but Donghae has a one-track mind what with the opening of his new place and all, and I’m just tired of eating them all the time, so…” He lets Hyukjae blabber on meaninglessly for a while, only half-listening, before he decides that’s enough information and covers those long fingers with his own.

Kyuhyun doesn’t say anything, just stares deeply into those single-lidded eyes and watches him become all flustered in response. Kyuhyun isn’t like Donghae; he doesn’t wear his heart on his sleeve and doesn’t vomit out every passing thought he’s had. The poor bastard had looked betrayed beyond belief when Hyukjae had apologetically declined his invitation in favour of eating with Kyuhyun, which had only served to amplify his own giddy sense of triumph at stealing Hyukjae away for a few hours.

It feels like an eternity has passed before he lets go, but it’s still not enough for him. As if nothing had occurred, Hyukjae takes the first bite of his pizza, though his cheeks remain flushed and Kyuhyun doesn’t miss the dilated pupils. Super Junior’s dance machine has gotten much better at controlling his body language, but physiological responses are another matter entirely. Pleased at the observation, he turns his full concentration to eating, nodding and grunting to Hyukjae’s monologue whenever it seems appropriate.

He looks up, mouth crammed full of pizza, when Hyukjae comments, “I’m surprised you didn’t forget what I said about the tacos the other day.” Belying his nonchalant tone, a shy smile adorns Hyukjae’s face, exposing white teeth and a flash of pink gums. Kyuhyun snorts at the statement, but remains silent. Maybe another person might have forgotten, but he isn’t Cho Kyuhyun for nothing. He has exceptional memory and brilliant reasoning skills, and even without Hyukjae’s complaining Donghae’s persistent Tweets about craving tacos every goddamned day and Hyukjae’s face plastered all over the photos give everything away.

He chews slowly and downs his cola, and he is keenly aware of Hyukjae’s eyes as he swallows. When he his lips clean, he notes that the older man mimics the action unconsciously, wet pink tip glistening.

“Stop that.”

He doesn’t even realize the words have escaped his mouth until Hyukjae looks at him, baffled.  “Stop your lips,” he clarifies. As an afterthought, he adds lamely, “It’s annoying.”

No, no it’s not annoying. It’s ing turning him on. It’s like a game of Pokemon and the opponent’s attack is ‘super effective’. The stupid monkey has no idea what he’s doing to Kyuhyun. He tries to draw a deep breath and calm down. He can’t go to the boss fight just yet, it’s suicidal. This is just levelling up, nothing more.

He half-expects Hyukjae to scold him for being disrespectful again, but the other man just shoots him a quizzical look and then goes right back to eating, mumbling under his breath about Kyuhyun’s atrocious manners and how lucky he is to have a hyung like Hyukjae to look after him even when he’s such an ungrateful bastard.

 Kyuhyun is a great many things, but master conversationalist he is not. Unless they’re talking about games, in which case he would be perfectly happy to open his mouth and talk all day long. Hyukjae doesn’t play games nearly as much as he does, so it makes for a weak opening. He rejects the idea immediately. He considers proposing to do a song collaboration with Hyukjae. Between his own expertise in music, his ballad-type voice and Hyukjae’s own talent for composition and lyrics (although he will never admit this out loud) there’s no reason why the two of them can’t do it. For a long time, fans have regarded Hyukjae as half of EunHae, and the new duo sub-unit ‘Donghae & Eunhyuk’ has reinforced that impression, but it’s no reason not to experiment with new things.

Such as propagating a new legacy to take over the (in)famous SuJu couple: KyuHyuk.

Kyuhyun grins and mentally congratulates himself on his genius. There’s no need to form a new sub-unit, of course; on the contrary it would be hell on their schedules if that happened, and he doesn’t need any more on his plate. An experimental collaboration with Hyukjae, on the other hand, is a perfectly legitimate excuse to spend some time alone with the older man and keep Hyukjae’s guard dog at bay. It also has the side benefit of stirring up a whole new crowd of followers for KyuHyuk. Unlike Donghae, he’s never taken the couple fanbases too seriously, but he’s beginning to see how it can be used to his advantage.  

His grin, if possible, grows even wider.

“What?” Hyukjae eyes him suspiciously. “You look like you’re planning something evil again, Kyuhyun…”

He puts on his best wide-eyed expression of innocence. “You wound me. Actually,” he leans in conspiratorially, “I just had an ingenious—“

He doesn’t get to finish his sentence because Hyukjae’s phone starts ringing, and he knows it’s Donghae on the other line, panicky without his so-called other half. He and Hyukjae exchange glances, and with a jerk of his head he motions for the other man to pick up the call.

“Hello, Donghae?” To keep himself from becoming utterly bored, Kyuhyun fills in the blanks.

Hyukjae! Where are you—

“You know I’m eating with Kyuhyun. What is it?” Hyukjae’s voice sounds sharp, snappish almost. Kyuhyun bites back the urge to smirk.

Come back to the dorm, I’m bored~!

“What about Heechul-hyung and the others? We’ll come back in a few hours, don’t worry.”

O-kay. He can almost see Donghae scowling on the other end. Tell Kyuhyun not to keep you too late.

“Why don’t you tell him that yourself?” Right on cue, Hyukjae passes him the phone, and he has barely said ‘hello’ before Donghae speaks up, voice uncharacteristically somber.

“Bring Hyukjae home soon. Oh, and,” a sharp intake of breath, “Kyuhyun, we need to talk.”

 He feigns ignorance, but he can’t say he hasn’t seen it coming. “Really? About what?” It’s only a miracle that Donghae has stayed clueless for so long, but then again, their second most good-looking member is approximately 80% brawn, 20% brain, so he really isn’t surprised. God makes all of them equal, so people with pretty faces like Siwon and Donghae are sadly, less gifted in the intellectual department. And He makes people with features that most would dismiss as ‘alien’ or simply ‘ugly’, oddly attractive to him, he thinks as he drinks in the sight of Hyukjae’s amused expression.

“You know what I mean.” Donghae’s voice is petulant and pleading all at once. “We need to talk about Hyukjae.” He grunts a noncommittal ‘okay’ into the receiver and then the line is dead. Hyukjae watches his reaction carefully as he puts away his phone.

Kyuhyun frowns, and then digs into the pizza with even more gusto than before. Hyukjae follows suit, although it’s apparent he is curious about what just transpired.

It is only when Kyuhyun’s paid the bill (much to Hyukjae’s disbelief) and they’ve stepped out into the streets that Hyukjae clasps his shoulder. “What are you thinking, Kyuhyun?” The winter chill fogs his breath and instinctively Kyuhyun steps closer. He is fond of winter and of snow, but Hyukjae doesn’t seem to feel the same way, not if the gloved fingers jammed inside his coat and his huddled shoulders are any indication.

“I’m thinking,” he replies, slipping an arm around Hyukjae’s waist out of habit as they make their way back to the dorms, “of the next boss fight.”