[00r12] Love of the Game

words: 1293
rate: PG?

Dedicated - again - to those who wanted a kiss and was handed a game controller instead. (Also, to snow/cold fans!)

He did not appreciate the cold.

Actually, he very much didn’t appreciate the cold and he was sure that he, himself, wasn’t much appreciated at that point also. He felt he deserved some appreciation from the younger man. Actually, he felt he deserved a lot of appreciation from the brat. He was sitting outside a store in the middle of the night on a folding lawn-chair in negative-degree weather. It didn’t matter that beneath his puffy, down-filled jacket he had three layers of clothing or that he had gloves beneath his mittens or that his scarf was wrapped tightly around the lower half of his face and earmuffs while he had two hoods on his head. None of that mattered because his lower half was damn cold. Jeans did not insulate well.

He slowly slid his gaze to the younger man dressed similarly to himself and situated in another folding lawn-chair. However, unlike himself, the younger man was smiling. That hardly seemed fair. If he was suffering, so should the brat.

“I don’t know why I’m here with you,” he said finally, his voice barely overcoming the fluff of his scarf,

“Because you love me,” the younger man said simply with a knowing look.

Damn. He couldn’t fight that argument.

“Kyuhyun, you should’ve brought Henry,” he tried another argument,

“But Henry doesn’t even want to play the game. You, do, Min,” Kyuhyun countered easily as he reached over the small distance and brushed snow from Sungmin’s covered head.

“We’ve been sitting here for so long that I’ve accumulated snow,” Sungmin sighed before adding, “I suggest Henry because he’s from Canada. He was built for this weather.”

“Hardly, he wears sweaters in the spring time,” Kyuhyun said as he reached to a small cooler at the foot of his chair and pulled out a thermos.

“I’m also not built for this weather,” Sungmin retorted even as he gratefully accepted the thermos from the younger man. He opened it and took a slow sip of the hot coffee within.

“But you love me,” Kyuhyun countered again.

Damn. He shouldn’t be allowed to use that in an argument, it wasn’t fair.

“I don’t see why we have to be here before the damn store opens,” Sungmin tried a different argument, something that couldn’t be deflected with ‘you love me’.

“Because I want to get one before they’re sold out,” Kyuhyun explained as he took out another thermos for himself.

“Kyuhyun… there’s no one else here but us,” Sungmin stated slowly, glaring above the rim of his thermos,

“You’re point?” Kyuhyun blinked innocently,

“We could be at home sleeping still!” Sungmin exclaimed,

“But then we could have slept in and then I’d have to wait until the next shipment to get the game,” Kyuhyun stated matter-of-factly, although Sungmin was sure the younger man was pouting behind his scarf at the thought of having to wait for the damn game.

“Then I wouldn’t have let you sleep, but at least we’d be warm,” Sungmin grounded out as he slouched back in his chair, keeping the thermos pressed against his scarf-covered mouth just for the warmth, “And, if you say that I love you again I’ll strangle you and then leave your body to freeze over as I go back to the dorm.”

After a moment of silence which was ironically marked by a strong gust of wind that embraced them cruelly and didn’t seem to end, Kyuhyun spoke up.

“Min…”

“What?” He practically growled, half-convinced his favourite appendage was frozen.

“Um… you do… still… love me,” Kyuhyun murmured, “Right?”

Sungmin, whose eyes had been closed as he thought of warmer climates, suddenly opened his fox-like eyes, staring at the younger man in disbelief. Kyuhyun, however, had his gaze to the ground, his thermos clutched in his lap. The dejected look on his face chilled him like no weather could.

He sighed, “Of course I do.”

Kyuhyun looked at him, finally. After a moment, he asked hesitantly, “You’re not just saying that?”

Sungmin raised a brow, “Would I be out here half a Min-sicle if I didn’t love you?”

“Okay,” Kyuhyun smiled. At least, Sungmin was sure he smiled. The younger man’s mouth was covered by a scarf, but the way his eyes had lit and little wrinkles appeared at the corner of said eyes, well, Sungmin knew the look.

Sungmin nodded once before closing his eyes again, returning to the tropical beach in his mind as he took another slow, long sip of his coffee. He hoped Kyuhyun had at least a dozen more in that cooler. Actually, he would much like a warm thermos to keep in his lap. That appendage of his was really starting to feel like ice between his legs.

He heard shuffling and, curiously, opened his eyes only to find Kyuhyun standing over him, “Yes?”

“Well… I just thought since it’s cold and… no one’s here,” Kyuhyun stammered,

Sungmin watched him a few seconds. The younger man was ruminating over something and Sungmin was quite sure he knew what it was. However, he let him stew for a few minutes; served Kyuhyun right to suffer a teeny bit after having his hyung freeze. Finally, without a word, Sungmin simply opened his arms. Kyuhyun silently settled himself on Sungmin’s lap, leaning his body against the slightly smaller frame.

With one hand clutching his thermos, Sungmin wrapped the other arm behind Kyuhyun’s back and just held his dongsaeng against his torso, glad for the body warmth. It was odd to have Kyuhyun’s longer frame perched on his lap, huddled in his arms; odd, but right.

“I do love you, Kyuhyun,” Sungmin sighed then,

Kyuhyun sat up straight to look at him, “I’m glad to hear it,” he replied, his eyes crinkling again as if smiling behind his scarf. He reached over and brushed more snow from Sungmin’s head and shoulders,

“I’m like a snowman,” Sungmin muttered resentfully as he pulled Kyuhyun back against his body,

“You’re my snowman,” Kyuhyun stated proudly and Sungmin was pretty sure the brat was grinning at him now. “Thank you for waiting with me for the release of my game, Min,” Kyuhyun turned enough so he could hug Sungmin, “Love you.”

Sungmin, still quite cold despite the deliciously warm body in his lap, felt it was his due to, not only hear that declaration of love from Kyuhyun, but to also know the intensity of said love. So, with mischief on his mind…

“Kyuhyun,” He said slowly, waiting until his dongsaeng looked at him, “Which do you love more: your game or me?”

Kyuhyun’s eyes widened fractionally and remained silent as he thought about it. The damn brat actually had to think about it.

“Well,” Kyuhyun stalled, “There are different kinds of love, Min –”

“I asked for severity not classification,” Sungmin stated, fox-like eyes narrowed above his thick scarf,

“It’s a complex question you ask,” Kyuhyun said tentatively, slowly, his eyes showing that he was still silently debating Sungmin’s question.

Without further a due, Sungmin shoved the younger man off his lap as he stood up. Kyuhyun landed on the ground – fortunately layered with thick snow – and his thermos fell neglected beside him, the coffee melting away a patch of the white carpet.

“M-Min!” Kyuhyun exclaimed as he scrambled to his feet.

“Don’t worry, I still love you,” he said simply as he leaned over and pressed a kiss to Kyuhyun’s lips, despite there being two layers of scarf between them. He reached up and brushed snow from Kyuhyun’s hooded head and shoulders, “I just love heat more right now.”

With that, he turned and began walking in the direction of the dorms.

Kyuhyun stood there waving a thick mitten as the snow danced around him, “Love you, too.”



End
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