[027] Just Driving By

theme: o27. Replacement.
pair: Heechul/Kibum; & something more.
rate: NC17
words: 5058
#: 53/100


Heechul gripped his hips tightly as he thrust deep within him one hard, final time. He cried out his release just as his partner let out a moan signifying his own climax. Heechul collapsed atop him as wave after wave of white heat passed over him. When it was over, and he was regaining his senses, Heechul rolled away from his partner and swung his legs over the bed. Taking deep breaths to steady himself, Heechul stood up slowly and looked about the floor and discarded pieces of clothing for his underwear, pants and shirt.

“Kibum-sshi…” Heechul began as he pulled on his boxers and jeans,

“Hmm?” Kibum rolled onto his back, his arms flung carelessly at his sides. He was practically humming as his body relished in the afterglow of their joining that evening.

“I think it’s time we break up,” Heechul said simply as he walked around the room looking for his shirt.

Kibum sat up immediately, all warm feeling suddenly gone, “What?”

“Yeah… I’ve found someone else,” Heechul explained as he found his shirt and pulled it on, “Actually, he’s in one of your classes.”

“You’re going to go out with another student? You are aware I can report you to the school board?” Kibum threatened, eyes narrowing,

Heechul shrugged as he stepped before the full-length mirror in the corner of the room, running his slender fingers through his thick mane, “I’m just a teacher’s assistant; it’d be worse if I was an actually professor at the university. No rules against me dating students, Kibum-sshi.”

Kibum scrambled off the bed, pulling the thin sheet around his waist, “So you have sex with me one final time and then break up with me?”

Heechul ran the tip of his finger over his eyebrows, smoothing the small hairs. He looked at Kibum in the mirror, “Hmm… that is what I did, didn’t I? So you‘ve been replaced, get over it.”

Kibum approached Heechul, a dark look in his eyes. He clenched his fists tightly, preparing himself to attack Heechul when Heechul turned around, crossing his arms loosely about his torso, “There’s no rules against me dating a student; but there are rules for students attacking teacher assistants. You, my dear Kibum-ah could get expelled for assault.”

Blood boiling and fists clenched to the point of numbing, Kibum watched silently with narrowed eyes as Heechul winked at him and left his dorm with a smug smirk on his face.

The days following the abrupt break-up were hard on Kibum. Heechul had been his first boyfriend; been the one to make him realize he liked guys more than girls - actually, as Kibum began to analyze the situation and their relationship more, Kibum realized it was Heechul who sought him out first at the university… that bastard.

A few days after the break-up, Kibum was leaving the university’s main building when he caught sight of Heechul and - who he assumed was - his new boyfriend. The new boy toy was leaning against the building as Heechul hovered over him. They spoke in quite voices and shared a private laugh. Kibum felt his face heat up with anger, so, he gripped the strap of his bag tightly and forced himself to walk away.

He managed to walk away and straight into the street. A loud beep and piercing screech later, Kibum found himself staring into the windshield of a car, its front bumper just an inch from his legs. The driver came out of the car immediately. He ran his hands through his short black hair as he looked Kibum up and down,

“What the hell were you doing?” The driver demanded angrily, “Didn’t your parents teach you to look both ways before crossing!?”

Kibum stared at the man for a moment. He was dressed in a black suit, wore Italian-leather shoes and even a white gold watch on his wrist. This man, his car - everything about him exuded success and yet, as Kibum stared at him, the driver couldn’t be more that two years older than him, nevertheless the fact that he looked familiar.

“WELL!?” The driver exclaimed,

Kibum shook his head, breaking free of his reverie as he bowed his head low, “I’m sorry, truly I am.” Shocked to see tear drops fall to the pavement as he bowed. When he straightened, the driver was silent for a five-count.

He sighed heavily and pulled out a handkerchief and handed it to Kibum, “Well, no one got hurt, so… I guess that’s all that matters.” When Kibum didn’t take the offered cloth, he reached out, took Kibum’s hand and placed it into his palm, “And you shouldn’t be out and about if you’re in… the state you’re in.”

“I didn’t even realize I was…” Kibum trailed off, not wanting to admit he had been crying after seeing Heechul. He wiped his eyes and then gave back the handkerchief, bowing his head respectfully as he did so.

“You also didn’t realize you were walking into traffic,” the driver shook his head as he pocketed the cloth and stuffed his hands into his pockets. He looked around as some people began to slow down and watch them, “Look, I don’t want to stick around here because I’m getting some weird looks as if I were going to kill you any moment… but I don’t feel completely assured of you walking about on your own - you could get hit by someone else for all I know. So, if there’s somewhere you need to go, I can give you a lift.”

Kibum raised his eyebrows before glaring at the man suspiciously, “My place is just a twenty-minute walk…”

The driver held up his hands then, as if showing Kibum he was harmless, “I’m not going to do anything, I swear. It would just lighten my conscience if I knew you got to where you’re going in one piece.”

Kibum looked around, noticing that - indeed - people were watching them curiously. Then, just as he was turning back to look at the driver, was startled to see that Heechul had even turned his eyes on them. His mind suddenly made up, Kibum nodded, “I’ll go with you.”

They drove in silence. Through the silence, Kibum stole glances at the man - something about him looked familiar. As he tried to figure out where he had seen the driver before, Kibum realized that this man’s profile was beautiful. He had his left hand on the steering wheel, the right hand on the shift stick; moving which each gear change. The black suit was crisp and formed smooth lines over the man’s body and - now that Kibum was closer and able to see it better - had a pinstripe design of silver stripes. Wisps of black hair fell across his forehead, that led to a straight, small nose that was perched above a pair of pink lips - the bottom lip full and begging to be bitten.

“Apparently your parents also didn’t teach you it’s rude to stare,” his voice came quiet as they came to a yellow light, slowing down into a complete stop.

“I was thinking,” Kibum insisted, “You’re dressed as if you’re some CEO for a big company but, you don’t look older than twenty-two.”

“That’s because I am twenty-two,” he replied simply as the fingers of his left hand drummed idly on the leather steering wheel. He turned his head enough to glance at Kibum, “Clearly, you’re a university student.”

With those words, Kibum became highly aware of the contrast of their dress. This man looked ready for the office, or even appearing before a judge to defend some innocent client; himself, on the other hand, was dressed in faded blue jeans and a black t-shirt over a white button-up, collared shirt. Kibum decided it best not to even begin thinking about the man’s polished black shoes compared to his emerald-green converse shoes with their greying, tattered laces.

“What year?” The other man’s voice broke his reverie,

“Just started my third year last week,” Kibum said, almost defensively, “What about you? Some rich uncle left all his money to you?”

“Close,” he replied as the light turned green and he put the car into gear, “A rich grandfather - and not his money, that went to my mother and her siblings; he left me his company.”

Kibum gaped, he had taken a wild guess and hearing the confirmation of it’s correctness was startling; “That’s why you look familiar!” Kibum exclaimed, “You’re the one they were talking about this past January, right? The university student who dropped out of school to become head of a major company in Seoul! Ah… what was the name again…”

“S.M. Industries,” he answered easily, “Yes, that would be me.”

“There were rumours that you were even going to change the company name,” Kibum stated,

“I technically did, but since my grandfather and I share the same initials, it stayed as S.M.” He smirked,

As if hearing the company name made Kibum remember all those past interviews and news articles on the rookie who took on the corporate world. “Lee Sungmin,” Kibum muttered,

The driver glanced at him before looking back at the road and nodding, “That would be my name. And, since you know mine, I think it’s only fair I know yours?”

“Kibum, Kim Kibum,” Kibum stammered,

“Well Kim Kibum-sshi, we reach your destination,” Sungmin announced simply as he pulled to the curb and put on his hazards, “At least now if you somehow got injured on the way to the front door I don’t have to feel guilty,” he grinned, his fox-like eyes dancing.

Kibum opened the door and stepped one foot out. Suddenly, he turned to face Sungmin and grabbed his collar, pulling Sungmin’s lips to his. As soon as it started, it ended and Kibum was out of the car, the door slamming behind him.

“Hey!” Sungmin called after him, the tinted window sliding down. Kibum paused at the door of the apartment building where he stayed during the school year, “What the hell was that!?”

“Consider it my thank-you,” Kibum said with a slight shrug of his shoulders. Before Sungmin could do or so any more, Kibum slipped into the lobby and disappeared from view.

The next day as Kibum sat during a seminar, he could feel a pair of eyes burning a hole into the back of his head. Casually, he rubbed the back of his neck wearily, stretching his arms and turning his head as if loosening a tense body. He glanced over his shoulder to find Heechul sitting at the back of the lecture hall, arms cross and eyes staring straight at him. Startled at the intensity of Heechul’s stare, Kibum whipped his head back to face the droning professor. In the two years he had known Heechul - including the eight months they had been together - he had never seen Heechul look at him like that.

After the lecture ended, Kibum shot straight out of his seat, swiping his notebooks into his bag with his arm, swinging his bag haphazardly over his shoulder and bolting for one of the exit doors. The moment he was out of the building, he breathed easily the fresh air. With a lighter heart, he headed across campus to his next class.

“So where did you go yesterday?” Kibum nearly jumped out of his own skin at the sudden voice. He didn’t have to look to know that Heechul had somehow caught up to him and was now walking astride with him.

“Home,” Kibum replied easily, it was the truth after all.

“So some guy almost hits you with his car and then he drives you home?” Heechul asked,

“That’s what happened,” Kibum said with a shrug of his shoulders. That’s when the little white lies started, “He wanted to spend more time together, but had an important meeting to get to, so he just called me later last night.”

Heechul raised curious eyebrows, “He doesn’t look that important. Anyone can put on a suit and drive a sports car.”

“But not anyone can own and run S.M. Industries,” Kibum countered coolly,

Heechul’s jaw dropped an inch, “That was Lee Sungmin!?”

Kibum turned his head enough to glare at Heechul, “Oh you know him? Yeah, that was him. The drive to my house was pretty intense. We connected almost instantly.”

“You’re lying,” Heechul grounded out as they neared the building where Kibum’s next class was located,

Kibum shrugged his shoulders as he opened the door, pausing when he was half-way inside, “Whatever helps you sleep at night, Heechul-sshi,” he turned to leave, then paused, still holding the door ajar, “By the way, did I mention what a good kisser Sungmin-sshi is?” Kibum tossed him a wink and smirked smugly, “Send my regards to your new boyfriend!” With that, Kibum left Heechul silently stunned in the entranceway of the university building.

During his lunch break, Kibum decided to hide from Heechul in the library - Heechul wouldn’t step within one-hundred feet of the building if he could help it. He was sitting in a single study carrel, his books open before him, his cheek laid upon the open book and eyes closed; a university student needs as much sleep as they can get. He felt himself on the brink of sleep when his phone rang quite loudly against the wooden surface. He snatched it from the table top quickly and slid it open,

“Hello?” He drawled as he laid it gingerly on the side of his face that wasn’t lying on the open text,

“Kim Kibum-sshi,” Sungmin’s voice came from the other side of the call,

Kibum suddenly sat up straight, clutching the phone to his ear, “Lee… Lee Sungmin-sshi? How… I don’t… How did you get my cell phone number?”

“I’m Lee Sungmin; I can do anything,” he laughed with a slight hauteur air before his tone turned serious, “I want - no, I NEED to know what the hell was with that kiss yesterday?”

“I said it was a thank-you,” Kibum replied quietly, looking around to make sure he wasn’t disturbing anyone,

“Usually one uses words to express appreciation, not a kiss - and certainly not when it’s between two guys,” Sungmin argued,

Kibum shrugged, despite Sungmin being unable to see it, “Well, maybe I had an urge.”

“And urge?” Sungmin repeated in disbelief,

“Yes.”

“An urge to KISS me?” Sungmin stammered,

“It appears so,” Kibum replied easily with a fake confidence.

Had this conversation been face-to-face, Kibum wasn’t sure he would still be acting the same way he was now. Not if he was standing in worn jeans and t-shirts before smartly-suited Sungmin; not if he was clutching his bag full of school notebooks while Sungmin stood beside his black sports car; and definitely not if Sungmin was staring at him with dark eyes framed by long lashes and speaking with pink, kissable lips. No, the Kibum who was speaking was strictly for over-the-phone conversations, especially with this man.

Kibum looked around him again, startled to find Heechul entering the floor of the library where he was. “Ah, Sungmin-sshi,” Kibum said, his voice a level higher than before. Heechul glanced over, just as Kibum had wanted. He continued, “I’m a little busy with school at the moment, can I talk to you later?”

“So we’re on just first-name basis now hmm? You certainly like to take the quick route,” Sungmin answered dryly,

Kibum chuckled as if Sungmin had just said something witty, “I’ll call you after school then.”

“What? I’m not done talking!” Sungmin argued,

“Bye,” Kibum slid down the top panel of his phone and hanging up. With a swift movement, he turned off the volume before Sungmin could call him back and scold for hanging up on him. He stashed his phone into his bag by his feet just as Heechul approached his study carrel, leaning a shoulder against the wooden walls of the carrel,

“You have got to be kidding me if you think I’d believe for a second that you were actually talking to Lee Sungmin,” Heechul scoffed,

Kibum raised an eyebrow at the challenge. He slid up the top panel of his phone, revealing the hidden number pad. With a press of a button, the screen displayed his most recent phone call. He held it up for Heechul to see.

Heechul searched his pockets for his phone. Pulling it out after a few seconds of looking, he flipped it open and dialled the number on Kibum’s phone display.

The phone rang twice before a voice answered, “Lee Sungmin here.”

Heechul hung up immediately, pocketing his phone almost violently, “I don’t believe this,” Heechul practically hissed. He narrowed his eyes, “Don’t you get all high and mighty on me Kim Kibum. Just because you talk with Lee Sungmin means nothing. Remember - I dumped you first!”

Kibum turned back to his study notes with a slight shrug of his shoulder as he put away his phone, “Like I care, I have Sungmin-sshi now. He runs a whole company, unlike others who are just assistants. Not to mention how young he is…” Kibum casually looked Heechul up and down once before adding, “You’re already twenty-five right?”

With a frustrated growl, Heechul stormed off, disappearing between the aisles and aisles of reference books.

Later that day when Kibum was done his last class of the day, he took out a pair of headphones and placed it over his ears. Turning up his music to drown out everyone around him, Kibum made his way to the university’s main gate. He had his left hand on the shoulder strap of his bag, his right hand down at his side - his thumb tucked into his jeans pocket while his other four fingers tapped out the current song’s melody - and his head bobbed slightly with the music.

When he neared the main gate, he slowed down, catching sight of Heechul and his boyfriend. Kibum could tell just by Heechul’s expression that he was annoyed and Kibum could tell by the boyfriend’s petulant expression that Heechul was annoyed with the boyfriend. He stopped when he was practically beside them, Heechul catching his eye. Their gazes locked and they stopped and stared at one another for what seemed like an eternity.

The sound of a car horn disrupted their connection. Kibum immediately looked towards the street just past the main gate. A familiar black sports car was parked at the curb. Kibum slowly pushed down his headphones to hang around his neck as Sungmin, dressed in a dodger blue button-up shirt and black dress pants, got out of his car, came around and leaned back against the passenger door waiting for him. Kibum glanced back at Heechul for a brief moment before walking over to Sungmin,

“I’m sorry right now,” Kibum replied as he got within a few feet of him,

“Why are you sorry right now?” Sungmin asked,

“For this,” Kibum said hesitantly as he closed the distance between them and pressed his lips against Sungmin’s in a chaste kiss. He stepped back almost immediately as he had kissed Sungmin. His cheeks reddened as he avoided Sungmin’s eyes.

Sungmin raised a hand, running his fingers over his own lips. He glanced past Kibum where Heechul still stood with his boyfriend, now staring directly at them. Sungmin had seen Kibum stop and just stare with the other man just moments before he honked his horn. He had seen that other man yesterday as well, watching them as other people were. But Kibum had looked at this man before agreeing to get into the car. Slowly, things began to make sense to Sungmin.

“If you’re going to make someone jealous,” Sungmin stated as he reached out, taking Kibum’s chin between a forefinger and thumb, “Then at least make it something worthwhile to be jealous of.”

Kibum stared at him wide-eyed as Sungmin moved his hand to the back of Kibum’s neck and closed the distance between them, capturing his lips in another kiss. With his free hand, Sungmin ran it down Kibum’s spine, letting it rest on his hip. Before the kiss could deepen, Sungmin pulled back, leaning against the car again. He slowly pushed up the sleeves of his button-up to his elbows,

“That,” Sungmin said with a smug smile as he crossed his arms loosely, “is how you make someone jealous.”

“What are you doing here?” Kibum asked, his voice quiet, his face still flushed from the kiss,

“I thought I should come and talk to you face-to-face since you like to hang up on people,” Sungmin stated in a flat tone, “Or did you hang up because that guy was around?” He glanced past Kibum at the other man before looking back at him,

Kibum nodded.

“So I was just a toy in your little ploy to make this guy jealous?” Sungmin asked, his smug smile gone, his tone no longer light; even his fox eyes were dark and piercing.

“He broke up with me because he found someone else… and then I ran into you yesterday.. You’re everything that he’s not - you’re successful, hardworking… all at such a young age so,” Kibum gave a small shrug, “I thought that if I got him jealous, that he’d want me back.”

Sungmin stared at him hard before chuckling bitterly, “And to think I started to… well, I think you’ve accomplished what you wanted to do because that guy keeps glaring daggers at me.” He pushed off from the car and walked back to the driver’s side. He got in and rolled down the passenger window, “Are you getting in or not?”

Kibum blinked at him,

“Might as well complete the façade. I’ll drive you home,” Sungmin offered, his words holding a resentful edge.

Kibum hesitated, then nodded and got in. As he twisted slightly to grab his seat belt and pull it across his torso, he caught a peek at Heechul who was watching, red in the face from anger.

The short drive to Kibum’s apartment building was thick with tension. When Sungmin pulled up to the curb and parked the car, Kibum almost bolted from the car, but Sungmin grabbed his wrist before he could even open the door,

“If you were just using me to make your ex-boyfriend jealous, then why did you kiss me yesterday when he wasn’t around?” Sungmin demanded, eyes still staring at the road before them.

“I… I don’t know,” Kibum stammered, flinching at the intensity of Sungmin’s grip on his wrist.

Sungmin suddenly whipped his head to stare hard at Kibum, “Don’t give me that bullshit, Kibum.”

“I told you, it was just my thank-you for driving me home!” Kibum defended angrily, trying to yank away his arm, but Sungmin only tightened his hold,

“Just a thank-you?” Sungmin repeated and Kibum nodded fiercely. Sungmin glared at him a moment longer, his eyes searching Kibum’s face. Then, he released Kibum’s hand, flinging it towards Kibum as if it had burnt his hand. “I hope your ex realizes what he gave up.”

Kibum slowly, tentatively got out of the car, closing the door gently to the point where it almost didn’t close properly. “S… S… Sungmin-sshi…”

“Goodbye Kim Kibum,” Sungmin replied flatly as he rolled up the tinted window. Without a second’s hesitation, Sungmin pulled away from the curb - almost colliding with a passing car - and sped off, leaving Kibum alone with his thoughts; Sungmin’s kiss still fresh on his lips.

The following day happened in almost a blur to Kibum. He had been heading to his first class of the day, a cup of coffee in his hand to dispel how tired he felt at eight in the morning, when Heechul practically jumped him. One minute Heechul was helping him back to his feet, making sure the coffee had missed him during the fall, and the next minute Heechul was standing before him, proclaiming he wanted to be with him again.

As Heechul stood there explaining the mistake he had made and the regret he felt, Kibum knew this was what he had wanted since they had broken up. In the back of his mind he was smiling, because his plan had worked: Heechul had gotten jealous and wanted him back. However, while his mind was smiling, his heart was aching; if this was what he wanted, why didn’t he feel good about it?

Kibum didn’t say anything, merely listened to Heechul go on and on about them getting back together.

“So meet me in the library okay? The old reference section where we were yesterday,” Heechul said decisively, “During your lunch break again, okay?” He grinned and placed a chaste kiss on Kibum’s cheek, “I’m so glad we’re together again!”

“What? But I never said-”

“See you at lunch!” Heechul exclaimed as he bolted off towards the building where the T.A. offices were located.

Kibum let out a heavy sigh, Heechul had decided on his own that they were together again. In the past, he had always admired Heechul’s leadership and take-charge attitude. Now, it felt misplaced and annoying. As he watched Heechul disappear around a corner, Kibum still couldn’t understand why he didn’t feel the slightest elated about his current situation.

He reached up to his lips with his fingers, thinking of the quick peck Heechul had given him before running off. It wasn’t bad, but it didn’t leave an impression. With that in mind, Kibum recalled the short kiss he had given Sungmin the other day. It had lasted the same time as his kiss today with Heechul and yet, the feel was completely different.

In that small period in which his lips brushed against Sungmin the first time yesterday, his heart had began to beat a little faster, his skin began to pink and feel hot, and afterwards he had wanted more. Today however, when Heechul had kissed him, he felt stiff and cold. He had felt irritated that Heechul deemed it okay that they kiss, and afterwards just wanted Heechul to leave him as soon as possible.

His watch beeped eight o‘clock, signalling the start of his first class. With a shake of his head, a heavy sigh and a mournful glance at his spilt coffee, Kibum dashed towards the building in which his class was located.

When lunch time came around, Kibum found himself in the old reference floor of the library building, pushed up against a bookcase with Heechul pressed up against him. Heechul kept a hand at the small of his back, holding Kibum flush against him as he engaged Kibum’s tongue with his own. Heechul tried deepening the kiss, but Kibum wasn’t kissing him back. Kibum stood there, allowing himself to be mauled by Heechul, and although he had missed sex with Heechul, nothing felt right. All he kept thinking of was Sungmin’s last words to him

In frustration, Heechul reached down between them with his free hand and began to massage Kibum through his jeans. After a good five minutes, Heechul pushed away from Kibum, panting from his exertions. Kibum, however, merely wiped at his attacked lips with the back of his hand and crossed his arms loosely,

“What’s wrong with you?” Heechul hissed, “After five minutes and you’re still softer than a newborn,”

“Maybe you’re just not as good as you once were,” Kibum replied coolly,

“That’s not it,” Heechul snapped, “You’re the one who can’t get hard.”

“It must be you, because I was definitely hard last night,” Kibum countered, almost bitter with the remembrance of his sexually frustrated night after abruptly parting ways with Sungmin.

“It’s that Lee Sungmin guy isn’t it?” Heechul said then, leaning back against the opposite bookcase, crossing his arms over his chest. He kicked the bookcase behind him, “I never should of left you for that imbecile.”

“You mean your boyfriend - sorry, ex-boyfriend?” Kibum asked,

Heechul nodded, practically scowling, “I thought he was endearingly innocent. Turns out he was annoyingly stupid.” Kibum couldn’t contain his glee at Heechul’s rant and let his laughter bubble forth. Heechul sighed as he stared seriously at Kibum, “I told myself I needed something new, that eight months had been too long. Seems in reality, it was you who needed something new.”

“You broke up with me, remember?” Kibum reminded, all previous bitterness against Heechul gone,

“And yet it feels like I’m the one being replaced,” Heechul chuckled slightly, “But maybe it’s better this way; best we don’t get back together. I can’t be with someone who’s prettier than me.”

Kibum gave him a slanted look, only causing Heechul to laugh earnestly which, in turn, had Kibum reciprocating with his own melodic laugh.

It was starting to get dark outside when Sungmin left the company main building. Briefcase in one hand, his other hand rubbing his stiff neck wearily, he slowly made his way through the building’s underground parking lot to his car. Despite it being after office hours, there were several other cars still in the parking lot making Sungmin sigh heavily, if he had it his way, everyone would go home to their families on time every night.

As he neared his car, his progress slowed, the sound of his steps echoing off the surrounding concrete. There standing by his car, hips leaning back against the driver’s door was Kibum. He had his headphones on again, his bag lying by his feet and his hands stuffed into his jeans’ pockets. Sungmin paused a few feet away and just watched the younger man. Watched as Kibum tapped out the beat with one foot and sway his head slightly to the melody in his ears.

As if sensing the attention, Kibum looked up, his eyes locking with Sungmin’s. Forgetting all else, Sungmin let his briefcase drop to the ground as he gradually closed the distance between them. Kibum, silently waiting as Sungmin approached him, turned off his headphones and slid them down to hang around his neck. When Sungmin finally stood right in front of him, Kibum offered him a small smile and slight shrug of his shoulders,

“It was more than just a thank-you.” Sungmin silenced anymore words from Kibum by pulling him close and capturing his lips in a long-awaited reunion.



(For the sequel: Just Another Dinner)