Archive of Our Own ^beta

As they made their way up to airport security, Ryeowook was still struggling to remain upright. Head down and jacket hugged tight to his chest, each forward step was made possible thanks to the bodyguard’s firm hand on his shoulder. Kyuhyun could see said bodyguard getting more and more antsy with every step, concerned about leaving his hungover and sleep-deprived charge to fend for himself..

“Leave him to me,” Kyuhyun caught the bodyguard's eye and sent him a reassuring smile. “I’ll take good care of him.”

The bodyguard thanked him as Kyuhyun shuffled over to Ryeowook, leaning down to murmur in his ear. “Not much longer, okay? You should try and get some rest once we get to the lounge. I’ll tell the hyungs off if they disturb you.”

Ryeowook knocked his head against Kyuhyun’s shoulder lightly, letting out a small hum of appreciation.

“I know, I know.” Kyuhyun gently threaded Ryeowook's arm through his. “Come on, we don’t want to get held up.”

On reaching the airport lounge, Kyuhyun took up his post fending off the hyungs.

“I wasn’t even going to wake him!” Eunhyuk whisper-shouted after Kyuhyun had — with, admittedly, a little too much fervour — bodily blocked him from approaching where Ryeowook lay curled up. “I was just bringing him a bottle of water for the flight!”

Shindong chuckled. “You know how those two get, Eunhyuk-ah. Best just leave him be. Kyuhyun’s in Protective Boyfriend mode today.”

Eunhyuk scoffed. “Maybe if he’d been protective last night and stayed up with us, Ryeowook wouldn’t even be in such a rough state right now.”

“Hey,” Kyuhyun crossed his arms, “If Ryeowook wants to stay up drinking all night, I respect that choice. And then I take care of him afterwards.”

“Because you loooove him.” Eunhyuk crooned.

“Yes. Because I love him.”

“I love you too, KyuKyu.”

Kyuhyun turned bright red as Ryeowook’s muffled confession reached his ears. He wasn’t looking at them, cap still pulled low over his face, but Kyuhyun could just barely make out the satisfied smile gracing his lips. The hyungs broke out into peals of laughter, struggling to muffle their snickering behind their hands.

“Can the three of you please be quiet now, though… I just want five minutes to sleep.”

WIth that he rolled over, turning his back on them and the rest of the lounge.

“You heard him, hyung.” Kyuhyun said, soft yet stern, face still warm from such a public profession of love. “Be quiet.”

“Yes, sir.” Eunhyuk mockingly saluted. “Five minutes it is.”

Several hours into the connecting flight, Kyuhyun carefully leaned out of his seat and peered over the dividing screen between his and the neighbouring seat.

Back in the lounge, it was impossible for Ryeowook to do anything more than doze for short periods, the bright artificial lights and ambient noise too much of a disturbance. Now, with the darkened plane and steady rumble of the engine rocking him to sleep, he was flat out.

Ryeowook lay in his seat, head tilted back, hair sufficiently ruffled, courtesy of the headrest. Kyuhyun reached down to stroke a piece of Ryeowook's hair back into place, eyelashes fluttering and lips parting ever so slightly at the contact.

Rest well, Ryeonggu. Let's have a wonderful trip.

Thankfully, upon their arrival in Poland, Ryeowook was back in top form, joking and laughing as they made their way out of the airport, towards the rental car lot.

“Ooh, sexy!” Ryeowook called out as the car was maneuvered into a better spot.

The vehicle itself, while certainly a good-looking machine, could not hold a candle to its driver who, upon hearing the praise grinned and shot a wink to his partner.

“Dibs on the passenger seat! Me and Shindong-hyung don't want to be third-and-fourth-wheeling you two from the back.” Eunhyuk called, making his way around to begin loading luggage into the car. Shindong sounded off in agreement.

Ryeowook huffed. “Hyung, you wouldn't be anything-wheeling. We can conduct ourselves normally.”

“Sure, but have you considered that-” Eunhyuk came over to whisper directly into his ear. “I’m trying to help you here? Kyuhyun doesn't know about your licence yet, and he's absolutely going to ask about it the second we're in the car. Do you really want to be in side-eye central for that?”

“As if I won't catch direct glares from the wing mirror…” Ryeowook grumbled.

“Too bad.” Eunhyuk clapped him on the shoulder. “Should have brought your licence.”

In the end, Kyuhyun wasn't too bothered by the loss of a driver on the trip, Eunhyuk taking most of his ire due to knocking over the precariously balanced cameras on the center console. Side-eye central, indeed.

Ryeowook was more than happy to make up for his lack of driving in other ways, both through cooking for the others and more personal favours for his lover.

“Ryeowook-ah?”

“Yes?”

Ryeowook glanced up from his phone. Kyuhyun had made himself comfortable leaning against the open doorway to Ryeowook's room, fresh from the shower and wrapped snugly in a robe provided by their accommodation.

“Does that massage offer still stand?”

“Of course, right now?”

“No better time than the present.” Kyuhyun glanced over his shoulder, in the direction of Shindong and Hyukjae’s rooms, “Our hyungs are in their rooms for the night, too...”

“You make it sound like something illicit is going to happen.”

“Wont it?” Kyuhyun turned back to face him, eyebrow raised and tone playful. “I’ll be half naked. You'll be rubbing your hands all over me...” He walked into the room fully, gently clicking the door shut behind him. “Not something I want prying eyes to see.”

“Right.” Ryeowook laughed and rose from the bed, gesturing for Kyuhyun to lay himself down. “Make yourself comfortable. I'll dig out the oil.”

“You have a bottle of massage oil but not your international licence?” Kyuhyun shook his head in mock disbelief. “It's almost as if you planned for this.”

“Bought it while we were out earlier.” Ryeowook grinned. “I had a feeling you'd take me up on my offer.”

Kyuhyun pulled off his robe, folding and placing it neatly on the edge of the bed. “All that driving you left me to do alone has knotted up my shoulders badly.”

Arms snaked around Kyuhyun's waist, holding him firm as a kiss was pressed on his shoulder blade. “Mm, poor you.”

Shivers shot up Kyuhyun's spine as he was spun around and pushed back towards the bed.

“Come on, lie down.” Ryeowook stood over him as he did, eyes tracing Kyuhyun's exposed chest. “I'll make it up to you.”

“So…” Shindong began, eyeing a sleepy Kyuhyun over the rim of his morning coffee. “Someone had a good night?”

“Hm? Who, me?”

“Yeah, you. The walls here are solid but not that sound resistant, you know.” Eunhyuk chimed in.

Kyuhyun quirked his head to one side. “I don't know what you're referring to.”

“Aish, be serious, Kyuhyun…”

“I am being serious, hyung! I have no idea what you two are getting at.”

“So you don't remember moaning loud enough to wake the dead for like… half an hour straight last night?” Eunhyuk asked, incredulous. “Even my headphones weren't protective enough to block it all.”

Kyuhyun felt his whole body flash cold then hot as the realisation hit him.

“We weren't- Hyung, it wasn't like that!” His voice grew muffled as he buried his glowing face in his hands. “Ryeowook was giving me a massage…”

“Right. A massage.” Shindong and Eunhyuk exchanged a look of disbelief.

“Look,” Shindong set his mug down. “We're all adults here, we’re too old to be doing this. What you get up to is your business. Your business, meaning at least try and keep it down so the rest of us don't have to play the unwilling audience, okay?”

This trip is the worst idea I've ever had, Kyuhyun despaired.

Suddenly, a loud cackle sounded from the doorway. There stood Ryeowook, breakfast plates in hand, head thrown back in amusement.

“Yes, hyung, I think we get it!” Ryeowook just barely managed to speak through his laughter, placing the dishes down on the table. “Although Kyuhyunnie was telling the truth — it was just a massage. Nothing untoward, we promise.”

He paused on his way back to the door, presumably to grab the rest of their breakfast. “Though, if we do have any business in the coming days, we'll be sure to be mindful of our volume.”

With one last bark of laughter, Ryeowook returned to the kitchen.

“I'm going to miss this…”

“Mm?”

“When we're back home, back on tour, I'll miss this. The free time. Poland. You.”

“We work together though?” Kyuhyun opened his eyes and looked down at the shorter man in his arms.

“You know what I mean.” Ryeowook huffed, nestling his head further into Kyuhyun's chest. “We’re together but we don't get to be together. Not like this.”

“That’s true… I do love working with you though.”

Kyuhyun felt more than saw Ryeowook's cheeks upturn in a smile at those words.

“That means a lot.” Ryeowook's fingers traced Kyuhyun's side. “You're always so passionate — on stage, on television.”

“Ah, come on…”

Kyuhyun squirmed a little under Ryeowook, embarrassed by the praise.

“I'm serious. You're a marvel to watch. In a way, I'm excited to see you from the audience rather than onstage beside you.”

“Stop it.” Kyuhyun's trademark pout was clear as day. “You’re just trying to inflate my ego.”

Ryeowook snickered. “Is it not inflated enough? But no, I'm just telling the truth.”

“I'm looking forward to seeing you perform solo, too.” Kyuhyun pressed a kiss to the top of Ryeowook's head. “You deserve more opportunities.”

Ryeowook tipped his head up, meeting Kyuhyun's eyes. In the dark they appeared even bigger, as though they were sucking in surrounding light.

“I take exactly as many opportunities as I like, promise.” He reached up a hand, twirling and playing with a lock of Kyuhyun's hair. “If I ever want more… Well, I think I'm pretty good at getting what I want.”

Kyuhyun snorted. “Don't I know it.”

On their final day, so preoccupied with packing for the return trip, Ryeowook hardly noticed he was humming a familiar melody until a fond sigh sounded from the doorway.

Kyuhyun once again stood in the doorframe, arms crossed, small small twisting his lips upward.

“Come to critique my technique? Stop me from sullying your new song?” Ryeowook joked.

Kyuhyun shook his head. “No, no. You sound great.” He made his way over to sit on the end of the bed. “You should sing it properly.”

Ryeowook clicked his tongue, returning to folding clothing into his suitcase. “I don't know the lyrics well enough for that yet.”

“I'm not saying to right now, it's just a suggestion for the future, maybe. If the opportunity arises.”

Kyuhyun feigned nonchalance when Ryeowook glanced back at him.

“Are you fishing for another birthday cover?”

“Not necessarily… though I wouldn't turn it down.”

“If anything, I'm the one owed a cover.” Ryeowook said, light-heartedly. “I last gave you Aewol-ri and in return got what, exactly?”

“I gave you plenty of other gifts that year! Besides, any cover I could sing for you now wouldn't be relevant. Maybe when you put out a new album...”

Kyuhyun giggled when Ryeowook swatted his arm.

“In all seriousness,” Kyuhyun took Ryeowook's hands in his own. “It doesn't have to be a professional or public thing at all. I just like hearing your singing.”

Ryeowook beamed. “Alright. But just for that relevancy comment, I'm waiting until the weather matches the title!”

Much later, long after their return to Korea, Kyuhyun’s phone chimed with an incoming message.

It's finally snowing today, Kyuhyunnie… You know that means ^_^