Pinocchio [chapter 6]
Title: Pinocchio [chapter 6]Rating: PG
Pairing: KangTeuk, side KyuMin
Warnings: None
Genre: AU, fluff, romance, sci-fi
Disclaimer: I do not own Super Junior.
In the middle of the room was standing what appeared to be a gigantic glass screen standing on two metallic feet. It wasn't more special than that - just a transparent screen. Leeteuk eyed the thing with curiosity. "Kangin, how can a window help?" he asked, making his best friend laugh.
"It's not a window, Teukie. Let me show you." He picked up the smaller package, and tore the paper off, revealing a small remote control and what appeared to be two pens. He pressed a button, and suddenly the supposed window came to life, looking very much like a computer starting. Some text flashed on the screen, then it flared blank again for a couple of seconds before different kinds of pictures appeared to the edges.
Leeteuk stared at all of this with his mouth still open, eyes now shining like two little suns. "Wha... Window... It's a computer! Window is a computer!" he yelled, practically bouncing up and down, hands fisted in front of his chest. "Kangin, Kangin, it's a window computer!"
Kangin laughed, stepping to ruffle Leeteuk's hair affectionately before setting the remote control down and taking the pens, handing one of them to the blond. "Nope. It's a tablet. Kinda. "
"A what?"
"A tablet. You can draw on it. Look". Kangin raised his pen and set it against the table, and true enough - as he began tracing it on the clear surface, a black line appeared behind it. He stopped, and grinned at Leeteuk, who looked like Christmas had come early. "Try it."
Leeteuk didn't have to be told twice - he stepped forward and poked the screen with the pen, leaving a black dot behind. A wide smile spread on his face as he drew a line, and another, and another, and many, many more. Different shapes, circles, triangles, big and small, and all the time his smile grew wider and the lights behind his eyes shone brighter and brighter. Drawing spesific things seemed to be hard for him, but that wasn't anything exceptional - after all, he sucked at writing, too.
Kangin laughed and gently grabbed Leeteuk's wrist. "Hey, hey, I'm glad you're having fun but we're supposed to study, remember?" The blond turned his head, his wide, shining eyes now directed to his friend's, and pouted. "Study? No. I want to draw." His brows furrowed, and the dark-haired man was only waiting him to stomp a foot. That would make the image of a nine-year-old perfect.
"You look like a baby duck" he deadpanned, and ruffled Leeteuk's hair affectionately. "Now, be a good boy and study with me. I promise it'll be fun." The android still didn't seem too happy with this. "Studying is not fun. I don't want to."
Kangin sighed. "Let me explain. Usually children learn to draw before they start writing. It was very stupid to expect your motor skills to be good enough for writing right away. So, we're going to go back a little, and draw. Kinda" added quickly, as Leeteuk's eyes lit up once again with the mention of drawing. "I'm going to draw a shape, and you'll simply draw it with me. Look, like this."
Kangin rounded the screen so that he was standing opposite Leeteuk. He raised the pen again, and traced the syllable "yo" on the screen. "Now, draw on top of it."
Leeteuk looked extremely sceptic as he raised the pen and tried to draw the same syllable, only to see his lines faltered outside of those Kangin had drawn. The lights in his eyes dimmed. "I can't" he whined, crossing his arms. Kangin sighed, and rubbed his neck. "Okay, how about this: I'll let you draw for a while to get used to handling a pen, but after that, when I say we have to continue, you'll study nicely with me. Would that be okay?"
Leeteuk smiled happily, his white teeth showing, and clapped his hands. "Yes, yes, okay okay!" And without giving a further answer he latched on to the screen again, furiously drawing different kinds of shapes and lines and whatever came to mind. Kangin sighed and shook his head, heading back to the couch. He sat down and poured himself some more tea, before reaching for a sandwich (thank God Sungmin knew how much Leeteuk enjoyed eating and always made sure to bring enough food for six or seven people).
He watched Leeteuk as he crouched and tip-toed, stretched and scribbled, slowly filling the whole area of the screen with little things. That looked like a tree, that might be a bird - was that a fish? Some of the shapes were clearly hangul characters - badly drawn, but still. Apparently Leeteuk was running out of things to draw so he began writing. (Or, trying to.)
After ten minutes, Kangin decided he loved watching Leeteuk draw. The male looked like a dancing angel, hair swaying as he twirled around and reached for the only empty corners he hadn't yet filled with the black markings. Eyes wide and glowing, Leeteuk swiped his tongue over his lips - a very... Human habit he had adopted from Sungmin, who kept licking his lips when nervous or concentrating.
Kangin wasn't sure if it amused him or made him terribly sad, the way Leeteuk kept adopting small things and habits from his surroundings. He seemed so human Kangin sometimes had to remind himself that his body was artificial, the skin he felt under his touch as their hands brushed was some kind of rubber mix, the eyes he drowned into weren't real.
The eyes, yes, the only thing that actually gave out the fact that Leeteuk wasn't human. No matter how beautiful they were, how fascinating, they reflected no feelings. If Kangin wanted to know what was wrong with his friend, he'd normally stare deep into their eyes, searching for emotions. With Leeteuk it was pointless - the only thing looking back at himself was his own reflection.
And it killed him to know that most likely the affectionate, kind male would never be able to come in terms with the fact that he was an object, lowly and made by humans, for humans to use as they pleased. He didn't want to see Leeteuk being used and showcased as a machine. Never.
"Kangin" a whine snapped him out of his thoughts, and he looked up to see Leeteuk pouting. "I can't any more." For a moment he was confused, before realizing the android had ran out of space. The whole screen was covered with black, to the extent that he had no idea where a tree ended and a hangul character (or was it a flower?) started.
Kangin laughed, getting up from the chair, and walked to the screen. "It seems you've had plenty of practice" he said, very amused "now we'll have to make it clean again. Look, I'll show you how it's done." He reached to the side of the screen, and tapped its left edge twice, making the pictures appear again. Leeteuk watched in awe as Kangin pointed at the third one, which was a picture of some kind of a pink object, and tapped it -
And within a blink of an eye, the screen was clear! The blond gaped with round eyes, not bothering to close his open mouth even as Kangin started laughing at his face. The human rounded the screen, chuckling and smiling, and as he stopped and faced the android he knocked the screen. "Hello, planet Earth calling" Kangin laughed. "We'll start the lesson now. Try to concentrate, okay? I'll let you play more later if you do well." The pout that had begun forming on Leeteuk's face turned into a happy smile. "Okay!"
Kangin smiled gently. "Okay. Now, I think you should change the colour of your pen. Blue, maybe? Would you like your characters to be blue?" Leeteuk nodded excitedly, and his friend couldn't help chuckling. His eyes were shining, and the smile that split his features was as wide as the Han river. So Kangin tapped the screen again, making the control images appear, and after a few taps he grinned. "It should work now. I changed my own colour too, so that it'll be a little transparent. I can see your lines better. Try drawing something small."
Leeteuk nodded, and drew a small circle, his eyes widening again as the circle was now light blue instead of black. Smiling excitedly, he looked Kangin in the eye, and the older answered with an affectionate grin. "Let's start."
And so they started. Kangin drew a character, slowly and precisely, and Leeteuk drew the lines over it. Grey and blue on top each other, as dozens and dozens of hangul characters appeared to the screen. Slowly but steadily Leeteuk's lines began to get stronger, as he gained confidence in his skills of using the pen. They moved from simple characters to whole words, and after a few hours of drawing the android already drew the characters without much help from Kangin.
Finally, after what felt like forever to Leeteuk, Kangin put his pen down and smiled. "Very good, Leeteuk. You'll definitely pass the test tomorrow." The blond smiled widely, clearly very proud of himself.
Suddenly, there was a knock on the door, making them both jump. The door opened, and Kyuhyun entered the room with someone that Leeteuk didn't recognize - but Kangin did. And for some reason, he wasn't happy to see the person in question there.
"Hello, Youngwoonie" Jihyun greeted, a bright smile on her face, and though the words were directed at her husband her eyes were fixated on the blond that stared at her with wide, glowing eyes. Kyuhyun smiled awkwardly, like he didn't really know what to think of the situation. "I took the liberty of guiding Jihyun-ssi here, Kangin. I hope it's okay."
"Of course it's okay" Kangin quickly answered, forcing a smile even though he didn't like being interrupted. "Jihyunnie, why didn't you call and tell me you were coming?" She knew he didn't like surprises. So why?
Jihyun laughed, and approached her beloved, giving him a light kiss on the cheek. Kangin answered the gesture of affection with a kiss of his own, but the warmth in his smile didn't really reach his eyes. Luckily, Jihyun didn't seem to notice this, as she kept studying Leeteuk, who was now looking extremely uncomfortable.
"Oh, I thought it would be nice to surprise you since you said you were working late and I was going to the cinema with Eunjoo-yah. And I wanted to see this creature you talk so much about - you must be Leeteuk, right?" Jihyun's last words were directed at Leeteuk, accompanied with a wide smile, which the blond returned shyly. "Yes. Nice meet you."
"Nice to meet you" Kyuhyun corrected, and Leeteuk was quick to bow and apologize clumsily. Jihyun giggled, clearly finding this amusing. "It's okay." She then turned to Kyuhyun, smiling excitedly. "It's amazing, Cho-ssi! Absolutely amazing! I've heard these are going to the mass production, when will that be? I have GOT to get us one like this!"
Kyuhyun flinched at the choice of words, but kept calm. "It will take years, Jihyun-ssi. We need to test many things with Leeteuk before we can even consider about constructing more of his kind. It's not a simple process to teach everything needed to him, even though he learns fast."
Jihyun smiled and nodded, waving her hand dismissively. "I understand, I understand. Well, I'm glad Youngwoon has gotten himself a hobby out of this little toy of yours, he has seemed so bored lately. But I need to leave now, the film is starting in less than an hour." She turned around and pecked Kangin's cheek, smiling widely. "I'll see you when you come home, dear. Have a fun evening!" And with this, she was out of the door, and the only thing they could hear besides the clicking of her heels was a cheerful greeting to Sungmin, who was working in the laboratory.
Silence settled to the room, and Kangin sighed. "I'm sorry, Kyuhyun. She doesn't realize he's- " "Yes, I noticed" Kyuhyun cut him off, his voice sounding strained, and rubbed the bridge of his nose. "Sorry. I'm just tired of people treating him like an animal or a toy. I'll leave you two to continue now."
Before leaving, Kyuhyun looked at Leeteuk, and smiled widely. "Good job, Leeteukie. I've noticed all your hard work. I'm proud of you." And then the young professor was gone, the door clicking behind him, and Leeteuk looked even more confused than before.
Then, Kangin grinned playfully. "Would you like to try drawing a little differently?" Leeteuk blinked a few times, and tilted his head curiously, all thoughts of the weird woman already forgotten. Yes, of course he wanted to draw more. He liked drawing.
"Put your pen down" Kangin instructed, and Leeteuk did. "Kids do this with real paint, but I figured this could be fun too" he chuckled after tapping a few icons, and the android watched in awe as the man placed his finger gently on the screen and traced a line that appeared on the surface. He had changed the colour from black to light silver, and to Leeteuk it looked magical - Kangin drawing something with his own fingers was amazing to him.
He decided to try, too, and drew a shaky circle, amazed and happy as it appeared on the screen as a light blue picture.
Kangin smiled at him. "Let's play a game. I'll start drawing something, and you have to keep up with me. If you do well, I'll reward you with something." Leeteuk's eyes lit up. "What reward for me?" he asked, and Kangin couldn't help but chuckle at the adorably clumsy way the android talked in. "I don't know. I'll give you something you want. Anything. Well, almost anything. Now, place your finger against mine."
Kangin put his finger against the screen, and Leeteuk did the same, making sure their fingers were right on the same spot. Slowly the dark-haired man started drawing a straight line. Leeteuk was quick to follow, eyebrows furrowing in concentration as he focused all his attention in tracing the same line, his finger right behind his friend's. Slowly Kangin made a turn, still easy for Leeteuk to follow, and then a sharper one. The blond almost drew a line that crossed the corner, but right at the last moment he managed to follow the correct line.
They continued the game like this, and Leeteuk got better and better at it by the time. Both of them focused on the screen, Kangin making as difficult and quick turns as he could and Leeteuk following the lines, not noticing anything else.
So when Kangin looked up from his own hand, he noticed they had both approached the screen and were now leaning against it, their hands against the cool surface almost on top of each other's. As his friend's hand's movement seized Leeteuk looked up, confused, and was startled to notice that if there hadn't been a glass between them, their noses would have brushed - so close they were to each other.
Leeteuk tilted his head, a weird feeling settling inside him. He didn't quite know what it was - confusion, yes, happiness, too, and a little bit of sadness, and excitement. It felt like he was waiting for something to happen, but he didn't know what it was. And there was this... Foreign, tingling warmth that swelled in his chest. He wanted to know what it was, but he honestly had no idea.
Kangin cleared his throat awkwardly, and pulled back. He didn't know that the feelings inside him were the exact same ones that Leeteuk was feeling, minus the confusion because he knew very well what it was about. He would never admit it though. How could a straight, decent, married man admit that he was in -
"Kangin?"
"Yes, Leeteuk?"
The blond was looking at him with a slight smile on his lips. "I won." Kangin blinked a few times before looking at the screen, noticing that their lines ended in the exact same spot. He chuckled. "Yes, yes I see you did. Come, let's sit down, we've stood for hours." He gestured for the android to follow him as he walked to the couch and plopped himself down on it, cracking his neck a few times. Damn, he really needed to book an appointment from a masseur.
As Leeteuk sat on the couch, too, and crossed his legs, Kangin smiled at him. "Now, what would you like me to give you? It can be pretty much anything. Something from the films I've given you, perhaps? Something to eat? Or do you want to go somewhere you find interesting?"
Leeteuk was silent for several minutes, clearly deep in thought, and Kangin couldn't help but be amazed by how beautiful he was, sitting there with golden blond hair falling over his dimly glowing eyes, biting his lower lip, eyebrows furrowed slightly. So, so beautiful...
Finally, Leeteuk raised his head, and smiled. Kangin returned the smile. "So, have you decided?" Leeteuk nodded. "Well?"
"A kiss."