Chapter 3 - In the Shadows
Title: Quasimodo
Rating: PG-13 (NC17 later)
Paring: 2min
Genre: AU, angst, Romance, humor, fluff
Summary: Up in the bell tower, high above the town, one lone boy rang the bells. One lone boy watched those who passed by on the streets below. One lone boy fell in love with another boy whose smile lit up his dark world.
Days passed by, Minho would watch the boy pass under his bell tower on his way to school in the morning and then on his return home in the afternoon. It would be soon when he would see the boy closer up. He had a plan. It took a few tries to perfect it in the dead of the night when no one was awake and all was silent. Gradually Minho worked up to more crowded hours until he was walking the streets in a jacket that covers his face and he dipped in and out of the shadows expertly. No one saw him, no one knew who he was, he was still invisible.
Finally the night of the talent show approached and Minho awaited anxiously in his tower for the time to leave. The show would begin at six p.m. in the evening. The bell keeper could only hope that the boy would not be the first to go, nor the last since he would be forced to miss it in order to return to the tower to chime the bells announcing the time yet again.
The clock that hung on the wall in the old tower struck six and Minho began to pull the ropes, large hands and muscles easily making the bells chimes, ringing out the six deep bellows to tell the time to the rest of the city before he set out for his own needs. He would need to be conscious of the time, he always knew what time it was anyway, being so used to chiming the bells every hour on the hour. Before the last bell could finish its final deep trill, Minho was already grabbing a black hooded jacket, covering his upper body and shading his face before he slipped out into the evening air.
The bell keeper kept his head bowed, walking quickly down the short path to the school. Minho had memorized it well, making sure he made it to the school in a short amount of time. He sneaked into the side door, hiding in the deep shadows of the back of the auditorium, keeping his eyes peeled for anyone that would look towards him. Of course he looked suspicious, hooded and in the shadows as he were, but no one could notice him, see him. It was forbidden.
Minho watched, his eyes catching the backs of heads and occasionally the person showing their talents on stage. A pair of boys acting out a comedic skit, a girl dancing to some pop song that copied the idol's every move, and a group that went up that did not catch Minho's attention. He was searching for the patch of coppery hair. Maybe he wasn't in the talent show? Maybe he was just helping out and putting up the flyers and he wouldn't be there. He frowned, fearing the worst.
But his fears were soothed away when the boy with odd hair, dressed in a simple dress shirt tucked into black slacks stepped up to the stage bowing to the crowd. "Hello, my name is Lee Taemin and I will play the piano for you." The boy, Taemin, smiled as the piano that was hidden became uncovered. He gave another bow before sitting on the piano bench, looking over the keys thoughtfully before posing his hands and beginning a slow melodic tune.
The music wafted through the air, wrapping around each person and infiltrating their minds. It was a beautiful, deep piece. One that displayed longing and hopeful wishes that weren't heard. Minho let his gaze go wide as he stood a bit straighter, watching Taemin from the back, his hood falling back only a little to reveal more of his face. A smile spread over his face and he couldn't look away, not yet, not while Taemin played away.
When the last strains of notes wisped through the atmosphere, Minho felt the emptiness that was filled by the music slowly return. He left his gaze on Taemin as he stood and bowed yet again towards the crowd before disappearing behind the stage. The bell keeper wished he could stay, to hear if Taemin won, but it was nearing time for the bells to signal the hour and he slipped out of the side door, pulling his hood tightly over his face, quickly walking back to his tower.
It felt like hours passed, which in reality was only 45 minutes in his bell tower. Minho had rang the bells, doing his job properly like he would always do. But he wondered for the longest time as he peered out of his window towards the lit high school if Taemin would walk home. Taemin. He had a name to go with the face. It made a smile spread over his face slowly. He watched the night as the stars twinkled in the sky and he gave a sigh of content.
Below, on the side walk, four boys walked, talking in the silence, causing Minho to look down. There was Taemin accompanied by the older boys from before. He clutched a small trophy in his hand and he was beaming as he talked quickly with his friends. It seemed that he won or came close to winning. It made Minho happy to see that the younger man's efforts paid off.
Minho tried not to frown to himself when he noticed that Taemin didn't look up like he did the other day. He sighed, stepping back once Taemin disappeared again. One day he would have the courage to show his face to the boy. One day he would speak to him. One day he would leave his tower for good. One day... one day.
Rating: PG-13 (NC17 later)
Paring: 2min
Genre: AU, angst, Romance, humor, fluff
Summary: Up in the bell tower, high above the town, one lone boy rang the bells. One lone boy watched those who passed by on the streets below. One lone boy fell in love with another boy whose smile lit up his dark world.
Days passed by, Minho would watch the boy pass under his bell tower on his way to school in the morning and then on his return home in the afternoon. It would be soon when he would see the boy closer up. He had a plan. It took a few tries to perfect it in the dead of the night when no one was awake and all was silent. Gradually Minho worked up to more crowded hours until he was walking the streets in a jacket that covers his face and he dipped in and out of the shadows expertly. No one saw him, no one knew who he was, he was still invisible.
Finally the night of the talent show approached and Minho awaited anxiously in his tower for the time to leave. The show would begin at six p.m. in the evening. The bell keeper could only hope that the boy would not be the first to go, nor the last since he would be forced to miss it in order to return to the tower to chime the bells announcing the time yet again.
The clock that hung on the wall in the old tower struck six and Minho began to pull the ropes, large hands and muscles easily making the bells chimes, ringing out the six deep bellows to tell the time to the rest of the city before he set out for his own needs. He would need to be conscious of the time, he always knew what time it was anyway, being so used to chiming the bells every hour on the hour. Before the last bell could finish its final deep trill, Minho was already grabbing a black hooded jacket, covering his upper body and shading his face before he slipped out into the evening air.
The bell keeper kept his head bowed, walking quickly down the short path to the school. Minho had memorized it well, making sure he made it to the school in a short amount of time. He sneaked into the side door, hiding in the deep shadows of the back of the auditorium, keeping his eyes peeled for anyone that would look towards him. Of course he looked suspicious, hooded and in the shadows as he were, but no one could notice him, see him. It was forbidden.
Minho watched, his eyes catching the backs of heads and occasionally the person showing their talents on stage. A pair of boys acting out a comedic skit, a girl dancing to some pop song that copied the idol's every move, and a group that went up that did not catch Minho's attention. He was searching for the patch of coppery hair. Maybe he wasn't in the talent show? Maybe he was just helping out and putting up the flyers and he wouldn't be there. He frowned, fearing the worst.
But his fears were soothed away when the boy with odd hair, dressed in a simple dress shirt tucked into black slacks stepped up to the stage bowing to the crowd. "Hello, my name is Lee Taemin and I will play the piano for you." The boy, Taemin, smiled as the piano that was hidden became uncovered. He gave another bow before sitting on the piano bench, looking over the keys thoughtfully before posing his hands and beginning a slow melodic tune.
The music wafted through the air, wrapping around each person and infiltrating their minds. It was a beautiful, deep piece. One that displayed longing and hopeful wishes that weren't heard. Minho let his gaze go wide as he stood a bit straighter, watching Taemin from the back, his hood falling back only a little to reveal more of his face. A smile spread over his face and he couldn't look away, not yet, not while Taemin played away.
When the last strains of notes wisped through the atmosphere, Minho felt the emptiness that was filled by the music slowly return. He left his gaze on Taemin as he stood and bowed yet again towards the crowd before disappearing behind the stage. The bell keeper wished he could stay, to hear if Taemin won, but it was nearing time for the bells to signal the hour and he slipped out of the side door, pulling his hood tightly over his face, quickly walking back to his tower.
It felt like hours passed, which in reality was only 45 minutes in his bell tower. Minho had rang the bells, doing his job properly like he would always do. But he wondered for the longest time as he peered out of his window towards the lit high school if Taemin would walk home. Taemin. He had a name to go with the face. It made a smile spread over his face slowly. He watched the night as the stars twinkled in the sky and he gave a sigh of content.
Below, on the side walk, four boys walked, talking in the silence, causing Minho to look down. There was Taemin accompanied by the older boys from before. He clutched a small trophy in his hand and he was beaming as he talked quickly with his friends. It seemed that he won or came close to winning. It made Minho happy to see that the younger man's efforts paid off.
Minho tried not to frown to himself when he noticed that Taemin didn't look up like he did the other day. He sighed, stepping back once Taemin disappeared again. One day he would have the courage to show his face to the boy. One day he would speak to him. One day he would leave his tower for good. One day... one day.