genetics | Super Junior: and the oceans heave up to my heart (Reply)

Title: and the oceans heave up to my heart
Author:

papered
Fandom: Super Junior
Characters/Pairings: Ryeowook, Henwook
Rating: G
Word Count: 431
Summary: Ryeowook has a stack of post-it notes he likes to leave by his bed. Sometimes, he wakes up in the middle of the night with what feels like an epiphany (or maybe he'd dreamt that he'd had an epiphany), but by the time it's morning, all he has left is the sense that he'd forgotten something important.
Notes: Merry Christmas/Happy New Year,

simply_strange!

i.

Ryeowook has a stack of post-it notes he likes to leave by his bed. Sometimes, he wakes up in the middle of the night with what feels like an epiphany (or maybe he'd dreamt that he'd had an epiphany), but by the time it's morning, all he has left is the sense that he'd forgotten something important. It had bothered him for a few weeks, and then Kyuhyun had suggested leaving some pens and paper close at hand. Now, he writes it all down, fills the neon sheets with nearly-illegible scrawls so different from his usual neat printing before falling back into bed and letting himself sleep.

Sometimes, it's music notes, or names, or distant places he'd been to once but had forgotten over time. Other times, it's phrases he wishes he could remember the significance of – phrases he turns into lyrics and eighth notes and Italian terms later on.

ii.

One morning, the bright orange post-it is empty with the exception of three words. Ryeowook peels off the note and sticks it between page 97 and 98 of the Chinese phrasebook Henry had gotten him for Christmas before going downstairs to help Hankyung with breakfast. Afterwards, it's his turn to take dishwashing duty, but by the time he's done grabbing the laundry out of the machine upstairs, he finds the bowls already cleaned and dried, all lined up in the cupboard one by one, next to the cups and spoons.

Their youngest member gives him a smile over Kyuhyun's shoulder.

iii.

During their break before their fourth interview that week, he offers to help Henry review his Korean, and patiently reminds him that the accent should be on the first syllable, not the second. Having only gotten two hours of sleep the night before, Henry falls asleep halfway through, his head tilted at an odd angle and mouth half-open.

Ryeowook spends the next hour watching him sleep.

iv.

The interview is long and tiring, and more than half of the conversation flies over Ryeowook's head. As he's nodding along to the MC without knowing what he's agreeing to, a hand slips into his. Ryeowook's a little surprised, but looks up at Henry and smiles.

His grip tightens a little.

v.

Later, when it's dark and cold outside, Ryeowook takes out exactly seven mugs and fills them to the brim with hot chocolate. Leaving five on the table, knowing the others will find them, he takes the remaining two and places them on a tray to take upstairs.

When he knocks on the door, Henry greets him with a smile.