you're my candyman

[rielity]

you're my candyman (3/3)

haemin, friendship!kyumin, qmi || superjunior

pg13 || fluff, slight cussing

chapter three || candy!au

disclaimer || i do not own superjunior, inclusive of sungmin and donghae. sm entertainment owns them; i do not profit from the publication of this story.

summary || lee sungmin thought that his new co-worker would be normal. because, obviously, only normal people can make good candy. he couldn't have been more wrong. in which sungmin is a candymaker at sticky and donghae is out to ruin his life.

-

"sungmin-ah, i have something to tell you," donghae said as the two of them settled down in front of their cup ramen. the shop had been unusually busy today and they didn't have much time to rush out for their lunch break; henry had volunteered to buy ramen back for them and they had agreed – not expecting him to bring back two cups of cup ramen. sungmin cursed whatever henry was made up of even as he thanked henry.

"what is it, donghae?" sungmin asked, worried. after his conversation with kyuhyun, he had been unusually wary of donghae. he had popped by donghae's house a few times after the pumpkin candy incident, because he was bored to death at home ("excuses," kyuhyun snorted), and donghae had, on christmas eve, treated sungmin to a pumpkin buffet, saying that "sungmin is the best co-worker i've ever had!" (sungmin didn't have the heart to point out to donghae that he was donghae's only ever co-worker)

"this week is my last week at work."

sungmin had been expecting it, he told himself as he momentarily mentally reeled back from the calm, matter-of-fact way donghae said it, before arranging his features into a broad smile. "why, tired of candymaking?"

donghae pouted. "no, university's starting and i need to go back to school. i would rather stay here and make candy with you all day, though."

"then stay."

the words were out of sungmin's mouth before he realised the thought was even in his head. donghae raised an eyebrow, saying, "i wish i could too! i can't bear to leave you behind here."

"don't be silly, donghae. You're here to make your family proud, so go back to school and study hard. The last thing you want is to make your family worried or disappoint them, right?" sungmin said, trying to persuade donghae. (but was he persuading himself or donghae more, he wondered faintly and realised he didn't have the answer)

donghae was quiet, then nodded. "yeah, min-ah, you're right." he sent sungmin a bright, bright grin, so bright that it blinded sungmin and made his heart flutter. Sungmin bit back the temptation to just say it loud out there, say that he didn't want donghae to leave, but instead smiled back and continued with his ramen.

Their meal continued in silence.

-

sungmin (12.01am) said:

kyuhyun

kyuhyun

what?

Sungmin (12.24am) said:

you reply so fucking slow, you moron

kyuhyun

i was with zhoumi

sungmin (12.26am) said:

that explains nothing

kyuhyun

what is it

sungmin (12.29am) said:

he's leaving

kyuhyun

oh

kyuhyun

then?

Sungmin (12.30am) said:

in two days time. Like today, and tomorrow.

kyuhyun

...

sungmin (12.31am) said:

should i confess

kyuhyun

ask your heart

kyuhyun

i'm not your heart

sungmin (12.32am) said:

...

sungmin (12.32am) said:

i hate you

kyuhyun

did you go to his house

sungmin (12.32am) said:

for?

Kyuhyun

i don't know? You spend so much time at his house but i don't know what you do there?

Sungmin (12.32am) said:

i have no reason to go over

kyuhyun

like you ever did have a reason

sungmin (12.33am) said:

i hate you

kyuhyun

the feeling's mutual

kyuhyun logged out (12.35am)

sungmin logged out (12.55am)

sungmin logged in (1.03am)

sungmin (1.07am) said:

thanks

sungmin logged out (1.07am)

-

donghae was on the computer when there was a knock on the door. he blinked; it was past 1am and the only person who ever came over to visit him was probably sleeping.

"pizza delivery!" there was a call from outside.

donghae smelt the pizza before he heard the call. In three strides he had flung the door open to see sungmin in front of him, holding a pizza box. "s-sungmin?"

"no, my name is kim heechul."

donghae blinked. "i don't know any kim heechul."

sungmin rolled his eyes. "i am sungmin. You were stating the obvious, donghae. And before you ask, kim heechul was my candymaker mentor."

"oh," donghae blinked again.

"are you going to let me in?"

"why are you here with pizza at-" donghae squinted at the clock, "2.36am?"

"i felt in the mood for pizza, but i knew i wouldn't be able to finish so i came over since you're perpetually hungry every moment of the day."

donghae's face broke into another blinding smile as he reached out to take the pizza box from sungmin. The box was warm, but whether from sungmin's hands or the pizza, he didn't know.

"sungmin," he suddenly said as he was taking a portion of pizza.

"ah?" sungmin replied somewhat distractedly as he logged onto facebook using donghae's computer.

"why are you not wearing a jacket?"

"jacket?" sungmin looked down at himself, then at donghae. "why do i need a jacket?"

"the temperature outside is negative, sungmin!"

sungmin stared at him, then looked at the weather forecast on google: "snow expected tonight in seoul, korea."

"i didn't feel cold though..." (all that had been in his head when he got ready to go out was donghae donghae donghae donghae)

donghae rolled his eyes in an imitation of sungmin as he draped a large blanket over sungmin. "you're not going back tonight, min. I'm not letting you go out until day breaks, especially if it snows."

sungmin opened his mouth to protest, but got a glare from donghae. (which actually looked fierce but somehow made sungmin suddenly want to kiss him because he looked so cute and oh -)

donghae touched his cheek – sungmin flinched and drew back instantaneously, before cursing his reflex when he saw the look on donghae's face. It wasn't one of a kicked puppy, (sungmin would have given anything for donghae to look like a kicked puppy instead of him looking like this) it was... sungmin struggled to find the exact word -

Rejection.

Donghae smiled. Sungmin heard something inside of him breaking. Sungmin smiled.

"hae, have you opened the hawaiian pizza yet?" sungmin, faking cheeriness, asked.

"yeah, i have."

-

"min-ah, can you finish off the last slice?" donghae groaned.

"no, i'm stuffed," sungmin replied as he sprawled on donghae's bed. He registered the smell of donghae all over his bed, familiar from all the times he had borrowed donghae's shirts to wear when he came over in the rain and had gotten his clothes soaked.

He also registered donghae, with a huge quilt draped around him like a cape, suddenly falling flat on him, his body fully on top of sungmin. Donghae was small-sized, but sungmin's build was even smaller. Sungmin squirmed but donghae continued to lie there, ignoring sungmin's pleas for him to free his limbs. Sungmin sighed and stopped squirming, feeling the warmth of donghae's body against his own – feeling a pulse that was not his beating in time with him.

"min-ah," donghae whispered, eyes closed. "min-ah."

sungmin breathed in, out, in, out. "yes, hae?"

"i want to just stay here like this forever."

sungmin stopped breathing. Donghae's cheek was right next to his; he was this near to actually taking this entire thing where he wanted it to go.

But no, he wouldn't, because he was a responsible adult and responsible adults did not go around kissing innocent people. Not even if they were in love with said person.

Sungmin let out a breath he didn't know he had been holding. Donghae's hair moved slightly. Sungmin turned around as much as he could, only to find donghae staring straight at him.

He would have moved back, but he was trapped under donghae and a ridiculously big quilt. All he could do was to look right back into donghae's eyes.

And he fell, fell into those unfathomable brown orbs, and he would have fallen if not for donghae who had somehow two hands behind sungmin's back, holding him in an embrace.

"min-ah," donghae whispered, looking at sungmin steadily.

Sungmin struggled to find his voice. "yes, hae?"

"let's sleep, min," donghae said, his brown eyes closing.

Sungmin nodded, unable to speak. All he could see were donghae's eyelashes, so long and feminine, yet so donghae, and all he could think of was donghae donghae donghae.

Sungmin stilled his wild heart, praying that donghae would not feel it. He shut his eyes, feeling warm, strong arms circling him, protecting him.

He slept.

-

Donghae looked at sungmin as the older slept, his eyes misted over. Sungmin looked like an angel when he slept, and donghae let a tear slip down his face. He was holding in his arms a man he was sure he was in love with, and he was just about to let everything that had grown between them, from the day he entered (love at first sight, he was sure it existed) the shop, until today, break apart by his own doing. He angled his body and gave sungmin a small kiss, even as another tear slipped out.

sungmin awoke when he felt something on his lips. He opened his eyes and managed not to yelp. Donghae was kissing him.

Donghae. Was. Kissing. Him.

Wait, what? Sungmin felt like his brain had suddenly stopped functioning.

And donghae was crying. Why was donghae crying?

Sungmin struggled against himself, feigning sleep; turning slightly in his make-believe slumber to allow donghae better access to his lips.

He lay awake a long time after donghae crawled out of the bed, careful to leave the quilt on sungmin.

-

the next day before they headed to the mall, they had breakfast. Donghae's eyes were red-rimmed, confirming sungmin's suspicions that the occurences during the night were not just his imagination playing tricks on him.

It was donghae's second-last day at work.

donghae and sungmin did not go home together that day.

Donghae had a dental appointment; sungmin came up with some random excuse that he needed to get groceries. (disregarding the fact that he was practically living at donghae's house and barely ate at home any more)

-

instead of the supermarket, he headed to the jewelry shop. It felt odd, yes, but it wasn't like he hadn't been here before.

"i'm looking for rings," he told the sales assistant, who smiled at him and nodded, gesturing for him to sit down while she took out a velvet-lined box that had rings arranged neatly inside.

He looked inside the box – it was like some sort of treasure hunt, he thought, seeing how everything was sparkling and shimmering under the overhead lights.

Nothing caught his eye, even though all of them were pretty. But sungmin was not looking for a ring for himself. He needed a ring that suited donghae, not him.

"do you have any others?" he finally asked. The sales assistant brought out two more boxes.

Seeing his disappointed look, she asked him, "if i may advise you, you may want to think of the person for whom you are buying the ring for. Describe their personality and style, and maybe i can find something for you."

sungmin stopped, and thought for a while. Donghae. Donghae. "always smiling, living in their own world, wears their heart on their sleeve, simple..."

the sales assistant handed him a ring. It was a simple gold band, but there was a very faint carving along the sides. Sungmin squinted at the design, before he realised the carving was a wave design. It was perfect.

He smiled at the sales assistant. "I'll take two of this, thank you. Both size 10."

The sales assistant nodded and came back with a box with the two rings.

Sungmin walked out of the shop with a big hole in his pocket but with the hopes of filling the void in his heart.

-

At home he took out a piece of paper and started writing.

Donghae-yah,

I know what happened last night.

I just want you to know before you go that I love you with all my heart. Will you give me a chance?

All the best to you, my dearest candymaker.

Love, Sungmin.

-

The next day passed very quickly, too quickly for Sungmin's liking. Everything was as per normal, but he was feeling jittery: he had snuck the box, with the note inside, into Donghae's small bag during their lunch break so that he would open it when he reached home.

During their tea break (their last break together, sungmin thought sadly), Donghae suddenly turned to Sungmin.

"sungmin, you won't forget me will you?"

sungmin looked at him and shook his head. "no, i most definitely won't, donghae." (how can i forget the one i fell in love with?)

donghae looked down, slightly comforted.

Sungmin reached over and gave him a hug. "i will miss you a lot, hae-ya."

donghae sniffled and clutched at sungmin's shirt. "i'll miss you even more."

and then donghae was bawling his eyes out.

-

donghae left early; they hugged one last time before he left, promising to keep in touch even though donghae wasn't going to move anywhere.

It just felt like the right thing to say when someone you love walks out of your life, Sungmin thought bitterly.

-

he got home to three text messages and thirty-seven missed calls from lee donghae. Opening his bag as he called donghae back, stomach flipping in nervousness and trepidation, his eyes widened when a jar dropped out from inside his jacket.

It was the standard candy jar, with the pink cap and the small label in front, but something was different – there was his name on the cap, and the designs on the sweets – i ❤ you, i love you, 영원히, 사랑해.

at the bottom of the jar, he saw a piece of laminated paper. It hard to be really small for donghae to have fit it inside; but he poured all the candy out anyway, into a spare jar he kept at home. His eyes were immediately torn between the uncut candy in the middle of the jar – 이동해 ❤ 이성민 – and the piece of paper that was folded so many times that all he could see was 영원히 사랑해요 written in a familiar scrawl.

"hello?" he said as the phone was suddenly picked up.

"hello," donghae answered. There was some sniffling.

"hae, are you crying? Why are you crying?" sungmin panicked slightly.

"i'm crying because you're too sweet," donghae answered, chuckling. "pun unintended."

There was a knock on the door.

"give me a moment, hae, someone's at the do – donghae?"

the minute sungmin opened the door he was flung to the ground as donghae claimed his lips.

"i love you i love you i love you i'm never letting you go," sungmin heard donghae whisper hoarsely.

"then kiss me."

donghae did just that. Donghae tasted like candy. Sungmin could live with this.

-

10.15am LEe sungmin updated his status: I LOve donghae as much as i love pink fluffy rainbows and flying unicorns
1.01pm lee sungmin commented on his status: lee donghae what are you doing in my facebook account?!
1.10pm lee donghae commented on lee sungmin's status: somebody forgot to log out of his facebook on my computer :o

"all's well that ends well," zhoumi said as he gently nuzzled kyuhyun, who was staring at the computer screen in great amusement.

"i have half a mind to hack sungmin's account now," kyuhyun muttered as he pulled zhoumi onto his lap.

zhoumi pouted "kuixian, don't be mean to sungmin!"

-

sobs i don't feel like i did the ending any justice ;; comment please?

 

Comments

[rielity]

alex

[donghaiii.livejournal.com]

okay.

it's been over a day but i'm still so incoherent over this. :( kyuhyun's a snarky sort of help but he's help all the same, and i appreciate his existence. ^^ and ming's spontaneity was adorable and all things cute and i just wanted to squeal I DID SO MANY TIMES because donghae let him stay over. <3 thank goodness ming didn't bring a jacket. x'D

sungmin struggled against himself, feigning sleep; turning slightly in his make-believe slumber to allow donghae better access to his lips.

this slightly broke my heart. you can sense that ming really wants to reciprocate but he doesn't want to ruin this solemn moment for donghae. ide ;A; just... all the feels i had for this occurrence exploded into mini sparks and fireworks in front of me. :( i felt sad and happy at the same time. ;;

and oh god sungmin with the rings and donghae with the pleasant surprise he left. arghhhhh. :(((( ALL THE HUGS AND KISSES ARE FOR YOU ARIEL. they were obviously made for each other, seeing as they had the same idea of confessing. SOBS it was so fluffy and heart-fluttering that i couldn't breathe after reading it. :(((

"i'm crying because you're too sweet," donghae answered, chuckling. "pun unintended."

I'M CRYING TOO BECAUSE HAE IS SUCH A CHEESY CORNBALL JFC ALSO BECAUSE I DON'T UNDERSTAND HOW YOU COULD POSSIBLY BE UNSATISFIED WITH THIS ENDING SINCE IT JUSTIFIED EVERYTHING. :( THIS IS PERFECT. IMPECCABLE. WOULDN'T HAVE IT ANY OTHER WAY. ;; I love you for writing this Ariel, I do. :( Never leave my side and keep writing kk. I'll kill you if you stop.

I'm serious. <3

[rielity]

um.
HAVE I TOLD YOU HOW MUCH I LOVE YOU BECAUSE LONG COMMENTS LIKE THIS REALLY MAKE ME SO HAPPY AND MAKE ME FEEL LIKE MY FICS ARE READABLE.
..........i'm still dissatisfied with the ending but if you're happy with it then all is well <33333 :D

also donghae is a cheesy cornball of fluff and rainbows so i figured, why not

Thank you so much bb <3 your comments are the reason why I keep writing. <3

[rielity]

hongjin

[rielity]

I DON'T SEE ANYTHING TO LOVE ABOUT MY WRITING STYLE but i'll shut up about that because you are so nice and yes haemin is cavity inducing i need a dentist!!!!!!!!!!

thank you <3333333 clings

[catherine-leite.livejournal.com]

d'awwww... the ending is so cute and fluffy! >.<

i love this

[rielity]

i'm glad you liked it <3 thank you for reading and commenting <3333

[bonchan24.livejournal.com]

it's soooooooooo sweeet