the spaces between my fingers are right where yours fit perfectly
sungmin/ryeowook, super junior.
1,506 words, pg-13.
summary: sungmin gets accepted into the national cuddle buddy association.
Sungmin fills in the application form very conscientiously, frowning as he tries to decide as best as he can on what's his favorite cuddle outfit. He skims over the form one last time, hands shaking a bit as he folds it and puts it into an envelope.
*
It turns out that Sungmin gets accepted into the National Cuddle Buddy Association.
"Congratulations! You're now an official cuddle buddy!," a very enthusiastic man tells him over the phone, "well, technically not just yet. You still have to come to our headquarters to meet other official cuddle buddies and decide whether or not you're ready to become one too."
*
The first person Sungmin meets at the National Cuddle Buddy Association is Zhou Mi. Sungmin learns that Zhou Mi has been an official cuddle buddy for two years now and that his attachment to the association led him to become a staff member there.
"I take that job very seriously. Being an official cuddle buddy can be a joke to some people but to me it's not," Zhou Mi says in a serious voice, "but you'll see what I'm talking about after meeting some buddies."
*
Hyukjae's feet smell. Badly. That's the first thing Sungmin notices about him and he wonders how on Earth he got accepted.
*
Sungmin then meets Kyuhyun and understand what Zhou Mi was talking about earlier. Kyuhyun is sitting in front of a laptop, hair obviously not washed in days and computer mouse glued to his right hands.
"Well, my friends filled in the application for me as a joke. I turned up here and they somehow accepted me. To be honest, I only accepted to be a member because the secretary is super hot. He probably has a crush on me though or else I don't see why he would have supported my application in front of the association's board."
Sungmin opens his mouth, ready to ask if he's talking about Zhou Mi but the latter has already pressed 'play' again.
*
The next cuddle buddy Sungmin meets isn't really someone he'd expected to see there. Siwon looks like the ideal son-in-law, the one every mother would kill to have and consequently the one that makes every mother spend thousands and thousands on their daughter's plastic surgery. He doesn't look like the type of person who'd spend his time applying to the National Cuddle Buddy Association; he looks like the type of guy who plays either tennis or golf in between important business meetings and dinners at the finest restaurants. In hindsight, Sungmin thinks, all the buddies he's met so far didn't really fit the expectations he had in his head.
"I'm considering this official cuddle buddy title as a very useful addition to my resume," Siwon says, "I have two Bachelors and a Master, why not an official cuddle buddy title? It makes employers laugh when they read my resume. Well not in audit, no one laughs in audit."
Siwon says that he cuddles best when he's half-naked and he insists on taking off his shirt and black slacks for a "little demonstration".
"What's your favorite position?" Siwon asks, "oh, cuddle position, I didn't mean to embarrass you." Siwon adds in a very courteous tone.
Once they're done with the demonstration, during which Siwon didn't fail to demonstrate that closeness was first on his list, Sungmin has to admit that Siwon's a really good cuddler. The only thing Sungmin could complain about would be the lack of hand-holding, first on his own list -- but he didn't have time to think about it while Siwon held him tight between his toned arms, pressing Sungmin closer and closer to his chest.
*
Hand-holding ranks first on Ryeowook's list. Sungmin can't help but feel his heart leap at the thought when Ryeowook shows him his membership card. ("Each official cuddle buddy gets one," Zhou Mi had explained, "there's your picture and your name on the front and your list on the back.") The more he thinks about it, the more he realizes that he has no idea why exactly he decided to apply and he wonders if all this jazz won't just end up in memories of a wasted stamp and afternoon.
Ryeowook actually sort of fits the expectations Sungmin had: he's wearing a woolen sweater that looks outrageously comfy, has a soft smile playing on his lips and so far, no smelly feet, gaming addiction or tendency to cuddle half-naked.
"So. What's exactly the use of all this?" Sungmin decides to ask since Ryeowook seems like the only one able to give him a sane, rational answer.
"Well," Ryeowook clears his throat, "it's not really useful per se, very few people know about this association so being a member can only bring you personal satisfaction. Most people actually use the association to find cuddle buddies with similar cuddle preferences."
Sungmin stares at him, thinking about all the coursework waiting for him back at his apartment and seriously wondering even more with each minute passing why he came all the way down here. The association's headquarters aren't even downtown and Sungmin had to make two connections on the subway to get there.
"This is basically a dating agency? Matchmaking according to cuddle preferences? Official cuddle buddies are here to find… cuddle buddies?" Sungmin isn't sure he's following -- this is all a bit confusing and not really the answer he'd been expecting.
"Pretty much," Ryeowook admits.
Sungmin really has a lot of coursework to do, he should just go home and--
"So, tell me! What's first on your list?" Ryeowook chirps.
"Hand-holding," Sungmin answers whole-heartedly, as if the previous part of their conversation hadn't existed and he just hadn't been roped into some weird matchmaking concept.
*
There is no appropriate way to ask someone to be your cuddle buddy, Sungmin realizes. What he thought would only be an afternoon to officialize his prestigious brand new title of cuddle buddy had turned into something entirely different. Sungmin didn't really like surprises, he didn't really like dating either (and, to be honest, this was just his lack of experience in that area frustrating him even more) and he somehow had to deal with both. The application form should have came with a warning: you may meet someone you want to cuddle with. we are not responsible for this (you're old enough to deal with that.) Well, maybe not that last sentence.
To Hell with dating procedures, he's an official cuddle buddy and this title alone grants him all the rights when it comes to dating, Sungmin decides as he grabs his cellphone texting a bland "Are you free tomorrow evening?" to Ryeowook. His fingers shake after he hits 'send' and Sungmin has a good feeling about this ordeal. Shaking is good, he tells himself.
Except that Sungmin's fingers are still shaking 32 minutes later when his phone buzzes back and at this point, Sungmin has told himself that shaking isn't good, shaking is a bad omen and what if Ryeowook gave him a false number and-- "Yes~ I know a great bar near Hongik University, I'll text you the address later. Is 9pm good for you?"
*
What Sungmin lacks in experience he makes up in eagerness to learn and Ryeowook thinks he's a pretty good learner when, one month or so into their relationship, Sungmin pins him against his apartment's door and kisses him.
"We're going to be late, Sungmin," Ryeowook manages to breathe out in between two kisses and Sungmin sneaking his thigh between his legs.
"Doesn't matter," Sungmin answers breathlessly as he starts peppering kisses on Ryeowook's neck.
"But we have a reservation at," Sungmin bites ever so lightly at his earlobe, "eight and I," catches the corner of his mouth in yet another kiss, "really had a hard time booking a table there and--"
Sungmin sneaks one hand under Ryeowook's white dress shirt and Ryeowook decides that it's no use trying to hold a proper conversation right now.
They never make it to the restaurant. Sungmin is either a good learner or Ryeowook has been a good teacher -- or both combined, Ryeowook decides when he finally gets a chance to take back control of the situation and to straddle Sungmin on the bed, grabbing firm hold of his wrists. Sungmin bites on Ryeowook's lower lip in response and Ryeowook loosens his grip, choosing to lace his fingers with Sungmin's instead, hands sliding across the bedsheets as they move their bodies together.
*
There is cuddling too, sometimes, with copious amount of hand-holding and ridiculous pet-names. No matter how great the sex is, Sungmin always prefers the cuddling -- loves the way his hand finds Ryeowook's under the comforter, the way Ryeowook's knees bump into his when they try to find a comfortable position, the way Ryeowook exhales when Sungmin wraps his arms around him.
*
When Sungmin receives his official cuddle buddy membership card, Ryeowook grabs an indelible marker pen and writes "taken ♡" across both sides.
Matchmaking according to cuddle preferences works pretty well, Sungmin concedes.
originally posted
here on seoulfulness. un-betaed and un-edited since. thank you for the lovely prompt, anon! ♥
minwook are the cutest thing ever.