Chapter 17 - Let Me Help You
Title: Quasimodo
Rating: NC17
Pairing: 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
Light filtered in through the high windows as two bodies curled around each other, breathing the same air, hearts beating in time. The scene was serene, undisturbed. No bells rung that morning because Minho didn't feel the need to wake up, not when he was so completely content to lie there with Taemin gently breathing soft puffs of air on his neck. The two were completely relaxed and sated as they dreamed of one another.
Neither woke to the sound of the door opening below, neither heard the approaching footsteps, wood creaking precariously under heavy feet. The same door that Taemin opened every day to greet his boyfriend opened slowly, creaking heavily and the pattern of footsteps were heard, falling like thunder in the silent tower, waking the elder boy immediately. He sat up, his eyes wide as he heard the oncoming person. This wasn't Key or Jonghyun whose weight barely made a sound, no this was someone else. He gently pulled away from Taemin, resting the boy back onto the mattress as he grabbed nearby pants and slowly crept out of his room.
Standing in the bell tower, surveying the bells with a look of disinterest, was a man in his mid forties, dressed in a simple dress shirt and slacks. His head was balding and greying just slightly, but he looked to mean no harm. Minho slowly approached him, his eyes wide with concern and trepidation as he wondered why the man was there in the first place. The boards beneath his feet made no sound, but he knew he had to make his presence known. "Excuse me..."
The older man turned, his startled expression speaking volumes as he eyed the shirtless Minho. "Why are you here? Are you invading government property?" His tone was stern and eyes glittering with an untold emotion.
"Anniyo... I live here. I'm the bell keeper's son." Minho tried to keep calm, a weird panic flooding his system. What if this man saw Taemin sleeping in the bed? What if he persecuted them? "Is there something wrong sir?" He could only try to keep a calm exterior and keep as polite as he could muster in this situation.
The man looked at him, his gaze scrutinizing for a moment before he seemed to give way and notice that the boy probably wasn't lying. The home did look well lived in and he seemed to cause no harm. "I'm Mr. Park and I work for the city. We were notified by the coroner's division that the old man that ran the bell tower had indeed passed away. I'm here to survey the building and approve it for an automatic system." Mr. Park paused for a moment, his gaze still cold and impersonal, something that came with years of his profession. "The building is in order for this upgrade and we are in no need of supporting another person on the government wages. I hope to see you moved out and elsewhere before the week's end. The government can provide you with a few provisions until you are on your feet, but beyond that, there is nothing we can do since it seems there was no legal documentation of you and you look to be of age."
Minho blinked, the words slowly sinking in. So... now he had no home? No place to go, no means of living? How was this possible? It seemed that everything in his life that he held to be so firm and true was easily swept away by the winds of change and it felt like he meant nothing in the vast world. "I... I understand sir..." He looked down, his eyes swimming for a moment as he tried to gather his thoughts to wrap his mind around this new information. "Could... I have a few moments alone please? I just... I need to..."
"I understand... I'll be back by the afternoon to see what we can do for you. It won't be much, but I'll try my best." The man gave a somewhat warm smile before turning on his heel and walking out of the room, his heavy gait leaving a permanent impression on Minho's mind as he stood in the middle of the bell tower.
It felt like he stood there for eternity, when in reality it could have been only a few minutes, before he felt a pair of slim arms wrap around his middle and hold him close. A slender face buried in between his shoulder blades and he felt somewhat content to be held by Taemin for the moment. It anchored him and allowed him to think rationally if only for a few moments, it was something. He turned around and slipped his arms snuggly around the younger boy's smaller shoulders and pressed his face into the soft fluff of his hair, smelling the mix of night sweat and pure Taemin. A smile curled at his lips as he held onto the half awake maknae.
"Morning hyung..." the younger whispered, his voice slightly hoarse, but still sweet in its general tone. His small hands held onto Minho's waist as they stood in the warm glow of the morning sun.
Minho gave a gentle kiss to the crown of the boy's head, mumbling his own greetings softly into the scalp as he massaged his hands down the boy's back, warming the skin more than the sunlight ever could. "Do you want some breakfast Minnie~ah?" He was hoping the boy hadn't heard the encounter with the stranger and that he could keep it from him as long as possible until he could figure out a solution on his own without Taemin worrying about him. When the fluff of auburn hair nodded under his chin, Minho smiled and began to pull him towards the door. "Come on then."
The pair walked downstairs, in nothing but their pajama bottoms, hands laced together. Minho led Taemin into the kitchen, leaving the boy sitting at a small table with a cold chair, giving him a tender kiss on his forehead. He knew the boy could eat and eat if given the chance, but he also didn't have to cook too much since Key left behind so much food for them. He pulled out a simple, cold breakfast that was prepared in a small container and began to dish it out onto two plates, humming softly.
Neither spoke to one another until the food was before them and they were already eating. Their cold feet met under the table, rubbing against each other softly every once in awhile, just out of natural instinct. Minho was deep in thought, his fork on autopilot as he fed himself. He thought of asking Taemin to help him find a place to live, but the boy had already done too much for him and maybe, just maybe the government would help him find a shelter until he was back on his feet? But what about those homeless people that the bell keeper saw every day. Why didn't the government help them? Would Minho eventually wind up on the streets like they did?
The thoughts seemed to weigh heavily on his mind, and his brow line crinkled with worry and he seemed to get lost in a stare at the center of the table. Taemin knew what was wrong, he had overheard the conversation and he also knew that Minho wanted to do everything on his own, but the boy couldn't bring himself to let his hyung suffer through more than was necessary. He wanted to give him solstice, provide him with some sort of comfort, but he wasn't sure if what he was thinking was okay.
"Minho-hyung... about this morning... you know I can help you..." he muttered shyly, looking down at his plate as he stabbed at the food silently, trying not to blush. Taemin was just thinking of all the possibilities of having Minho move in with him and seeing him ever day on a regular basis and falling asleep to his perfect face every night just to wake up to it in the morning. It would make his dreams a reality in a way.
Minho felt his stomach sink for a moment, his mind going blank. So Taemin had heard the conversation... and he did want to help like expected. But could Minho honestly let the boy help him after he had already done so many things to help him. "You don't have to... I can do this on my own. He said they would help, so that means something right?" Minho mumbled softly, feeling as if he were already losing. He would cave as soon at Taemin pouted his lips and called Key, who would most likely take over immediately without warning.
"But Minho... I want to help and you've already had so much happen to you. I just want you happy and it feels like I can't do anything and just watch everything get torn away from you and I want to help. I can't be only a shoulder to cry on, I want to help you. I'm sure I can help you find a job and everyone else won't mind you staying with us, I'm fairly sure they won't mind." Taemin stopped poking at his food, staring straight at the elder boy's face as he talked. He wanted to desperately help him that his heart ached to think that he couldn't do much more. He would fight with the bell keeper tooth and nail to make him see reason.
A pale, slender hand reached over the table, softly touching the much larger one before twining their fingers together slowly. "I... Taemin, you've done more than enough as it is, you should have to take on my burdens too. I'm sure I can find a way with their help."
"No hyung... you don't understand. I want to do this and you're not a burden, you're a gift that I cherish so much. You're staying with us whether Key-umma is okay with it or not. That's final. We'll get you a job somewhere and you aren't moving out until you grow sick of us and can support yourself." Taemin looked stern, his hand gripping onto Minho's tightly as he spoke. He never felt so adament about something in his life and he was making sure that Minho was staying with him.
Minho gave him a look that was unreadable, his gaze inquisitive and sad at the same time. "Fine... But if Kibum kicks me out, I'm going to blame you for eternity. You should call him to make sure it's alright though..." the elder mumbled, hiding his face in his free hand as Taemin broke out into a brilliant smile before pulling away and bounding up the stairwell to the bell tower room. What had Minho just got himself into?
Rating: NC17
Pairing: 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
Light filtered in through the high windows as two bodies curled around each other, breathing the same air, hearts beating in time. The scene was serene, undisturbed. No bells rung that morning because Minho didn't feel the need to wake up, not when he was so completely content to lie there with Taemin gently breathing soft puffs of air on his neck. The two were completely relaxed and sated as they dreamed of one another.
Neither woke to the sound of the door opening below, neither heard the approaching footsteps, wood creaking precariously under heavy feet. The same door that Taemin opened every day to greet his boyfriend opened slowly, creaking heavily and the pattern of footsteps were heard, falling like thunder in the silent tower, waking the elder boy immediately. He sat up, his eyes wide as he heard the oncoming person. This wasn't Key or Jonghyun whose weight barely made a sound, no this was someone else. He gently pulled away from Taemin, resting the boy back onto the mattress as he grabbed nearby pants and slowly crept out of his room.
Standing in the bell tower, surveying the bells with a look of disinterest, was a man in his mid forties, dressed in a simple dress shirt and slacks. His head was balding and greying just slightly, but he looked to mean no harm. Minho slowly approached him, his eyes wide with concern and trepidation as he wondered why the man was there in the first place. The boards beneath his feet made no sound, but he knew he had to make his presence known. "Excuse me..."
The older man turned, his startled expression speaking volumes as he eyed the shirtless Minho. "Why are you here? Are you invading government property?" His tone was stern and eyes glittering with an untold emotion.
"Anniyo... I live here. I'm the bell keeper's son." Minho tried to keep calm, a weird panic flooding his system. What if this man saw Taemin sleeping in the bed? What if he persecuted them? "Is there something wrong sir?" He could only try to keep a calm exterior and keep as polite as he could muster in this situation.
The man looked at him, his gaze scrutinizing for a moment before he seemed to give way and notice that the boy probably wasn't lying. The home did look well lived in and he seemed to cause no harm. "I'm Mr. Park and I work for the city. We were notified by the coroner's division that the old man that ran the bell tower had indeed passed away. I'm here to survey the building and approve it for an automatic system." Mr. Park paused for a moment, his gaze still cold and impersonal, something that came with years of his profession. "The building is in order for this upgrade and we are in no need of supporting another person on the government wages. I hope to see you moved out and elsewhere before the week's end. The government can provide you with a few provisions until you are on your feet, but beyond that, there is nothing we can do since it seems there was no legal documentation of you and you look to be of age."
Minho blinked, the words slowly sinking in. So... now he had no home? No place to go, no means of living? How was this possible? It seemed that everything in his life that he held to be so firm and true was easily swept away by the winds of change and it felt like he meant nothing in the vast world. "I... I understand sir..." He looked down, his eyes swimming for a moment as he tried to gather his thoughts to wrap his mind around this new information. "Could... I have a few moments alone please? I just... I need to..."
"I understand... I'll be back by the afternoon to see what we can do for you. It won't be much, but I'll try my best." The man gave a somewhat warm smile before turning on his heel and walking out of the room, his heavy gait leaving a permanent impression on Minho's mind as he stood in the middle of the bell tower.
It felt like he stood there for eternity, when in reality it could have been only a few minutes, before he felt a pair of slim arms wrap around his middle and hold him close. A slender face buried in between his shoulder blades and he felt somewhat content to be held by Taemin for the moment. It anchored him and allowed him to think rationally if only for a few moments, it was something. He turned around and slipped his arms snuggly around the younger boy's smaller shoulders and pressed his face into the soft fluff of his hair, smelling the mix of night sweat and pure Taemin. A smile curled at his lips as he held onto the half awake maknae.
"Morning hyung..." the younger whispered, his voice slightly hoarse, but still sweet in its general tone. His small hands held onto Minho's waist as they stood in the warm glow of the morning sun.
Minho gave a gentle kiss to the crown of the boy's head, mumbling his own greetings softly into the scalp as he massaged his hands down the boy's back, warming the skin more than the sunlight ever could. "Do you want some breakfast Minnie~ah?" He was hoping the boy hadn't heard the encounter with the stranger and that he could keep it from him as long as possible until he could figure out a solution on his own without Taemin worrying about him. When the fluff of auburn hair nodded under his chin, Minho smiled and began to pull him towards the door. "Come on then."
The pair walked downstairs, in nothing but their pajama bottoms, hands laced together. Minho led Taemin into the kitchen, leaving the boy sitting at a small table with a cold chair, giving him a tender kiss on his forehead. He knew the boy could eat and eat if given the chance, but he also didn't have to cook too much since Key left behind so much food for them. He pulled out a simple, cold breakfast that was prepared in a small container and began to dish it out onto two plates, humming softly.
Neither spoke to one another until the food was before them and they were already eating. Their cold feet met under the table, rubbing against each other softly every once in awhile, just out of natural instinct. Minho was deep in thought, his fork on autopilot as he fed himself. He thought of asking Taemin to help him find a place to live, but the boy had already done too much for him and maybe, just maybe the government would help him find a shelter until he was back on his feet? But what about those homeless people that the bell keeper saw every day. Why didn't the government help them? Would Minho eventually wind up on the streets like they did?
The thoughts seemed to weigh heavily on his mind, and his brow line crinkled with worry and he seemed to get lost in a stare at the center of the table. Taemin knew what was wrong, he had overheard the conversation and he also knew that Minho wanted to do everything on his own, but the boy couldn't bring himself to let his hyung suffer through more than was necessary. He wanted to give him solstice, provide him with some sort of comfort, but he wasn't sure if what he was thinking was okay.
"Minho-hyung... about this morning... you know I can help you..." he muttered shyly, looking down at his plate as he stabbed at the food silently, trying not to blush. Taemin was just thinking of all the possibilities of having Minho move in with him and seeing him ever day on a regular basis and falling asleep to his perfect face every night just to wake up to it in the morning. It would make his dreams a reality in a way.
Minho felt his stomach sink for a moment, his mind going blank. So Taemin had heard the conversation... and he did want to help like expected. But could Minho honestly let the boy help him after he had already done so many things to help him. "You don't have to... I can do this on my own. He said they would help, so that means something right?" Minho mumbled softly, feeling as if he were already losing. He would cave as soon at Taemin pouted his lips and called Key, who would most likely take over immediately without warning.
"But Minho... I want to help and you've already had so much happen to you. I just want you happy and it feels like I can't do anything and just watch everything get torn away from you and I want to help. I can't be only a shoulder to cry on, I want to help you. I'm sure I can help you find a job and everyone else won't mind you staying with us, I'm fairly sure they won't mind." Taemin stopped poking at his food, staring straight at the elder boy's face as he talked. He wanted to desperately help him that his heart ached to think that he couldn't do much more. He would fight with the bell keeper tooth and nail to make him see reason.
A pale, slender hand reached over the table, softly touching the much larger one before twining their fingers together slowly. "I... Taemin, you've done more than enough as it is, you should have to take on my burdens too. I'm sure I can find a way with their help."
"No hyung... you don't understand. I want to do this and you're not a burden, you're a gift that I cherish so much. You're staying with us whether Key-umma is okay with it or not. That's final. We'll get you a job somewhere and you aren't moving out until you grow sick of us and can support yourself." Taemin looked stern, his hand gripping onto Minho's tightly as he spoke. He never felt so adament about something in his life and he was making sure that Minho was staying with him.
Minho gave him a look that was unreadable, his gaze inquisitive and sad at the same time. "Fine... But if Kibum kicks me out, I'm going to blame you for eternity. You should call him to make sure it's alright though..." the elder mumbled, hiding his face in his free hand as Taemin broke out into a brilliant smile before pulling away and bounding up the stairwell to the bell tower room. What had Minho just got himself into?