For the Time Being (2/?)
Title: For the Time Being (2/?)
Pairing: JongKey
Genre: Romance, angst, fluff (and lots of it)
Rating: PG-13
Word Count: 6100
Summary: Kibum slips into a coma. Jonghyun isn't sure what to do.
When Jonghyun came into Kibum’s hospital room, he didn’t expect the other boy to be sitting up, feet hanging off the bed and touching the floor. His eyes threatened to pop out before he carelessly threw his bag, rushing towards the younger boy’s side.
“Kibum, what the hell are you doing? Why are you getting out of bed?”
“I want to walk,” Kibum said plainly, lifting himself with his palms, balancing as he stood. Jonghyun’s hands instinctively rose, getting ready just in case Kibum were to slip or something. The younger boy seemed to be doing fine though and took one step forward. His other foot followed, mechanically, but still-at least it was some progress, and he managed to reach the other side of the room. Jonghyun was close behind him, studying his every shift.
“I hate this,” Kibum suddenly said, stopping at the window. He leaned onto the sill and lowered his head, hair falling in front of his eyes. Jonghyun looked at him apprehensively, hand stroking down the small of his back.
“What’s the matter?” he asked softly.
“This-all of this,” Kibum said, and Jonghyun stiffened when he heard the younger’s voice break. “Why can’t I talk? Why can’t I remember? Why can’t-why can’t I walk properly?” All the helpless questions were making Jonghyun on the verge of tears himself. He wasn’t sure how to answer or reassure the other boy so he just rubbed his back in the most restful way he could manage.
“I wish this was all just a fucking dream,” he slurred, and Jonghyun noticed the drops of moisture falling from Kibum’s eyes, wetting the cold floor. He spun the younger boy around, to look him in the eyes. Kibum looked surprised (it was the most expression Jonghyun had seen from him in a long time, really), eyes rimmed with red and damp with tears, mouth ajar.
“I’m sorry,” Jonghyun apologized for the first time, hands clasping Kibum’s face, thumb sliding over his cheek to catch some of the dampness. “I’m sorry,” he repeated, pulling the younger towards him in an effort to embrace him. Kibum didn’t object, though his arms were limp at his sides, not bothering to hug back. Jonghyun didn’t really care though; all he cared about was helping Kibum feel like he should-helping him get back to normal.
When he drew back, he came to find Kibum had only cried even more as silent tear tracks were streaking his cheeks. Jonghyun wiped them away sympathetically. “C’mon, you need to sit down, Kibum,” he said gently, leading the other boy to the bed. He set him at the foot, hands on his shoulders to keep him in place. “I don’t even know if you’re supposed to be walking yet, but-” he smiled genuinely. “You’re making great progress. You’re already walking around, it’s really something, you know.” He released Kibum’s shoulders, straightening up.
“But it’s hard,” Kibum admitted.
Jonghyun cocked his head at this. “How so?”
“It’s like, I’m trying to move, I really am, but it’s not working all the way. When I move, my leg only listens to me halfway. Like, I can’t really control my whole body, only some parts. That’s probably why it’s so frustrating just to fucking walk…” he trailed off, biting his lip.
Jonghyun caressed the side of his face in the most consoling way he could. Kibum, unfortunately, decided to recoil, gaze set on the wall behind the other boy. Jonghyun took that as his cue to back off and withdrew his hand swiftly. “Um,” he stated rather awkwardly, “I’ll go get doc and tell him you’re walking, okay?”
Kibum didn’t nod but Jonghyun left nonetheless, an unsatisfying sensation swirling in the pit of his stomach.
“It’s like-it’s like he’s a different person, Jinki,” Jonghyun said, sighing. He massaged his forehead, clearly stressed. Jinki was stretching in front of him, touching his toes, his fingertips brushing the gym floor. When he straightened up again, he tilted his head.
“I thought he was gonna remember more stuff as time went on though,” Jinki mused in a mumble.
“He-He’s supposed to,” Jonghyun uttered regrettably, “but it’s like there’s no progression in his memory. He remembers Taemin, he remembers girl groups, he remembers dancing, but he doesn’t remember us. He doesn’t-he doesn’t even remember his best friend…”
Jinki pat the top of Jonghyun’s head. “I think you’re thinking too hard on this,” he said. “Why don’t you show him some pictures or something? Maybe that’ll help him remember.”
Jonghyun’s eyes lit up. “You’re a genius, hyung!” he exclaimed, beaming. Jinki’s face filled with red and he shyly looked at the gymnasium floor, coy smile on his lips.
“I have a surprise for you!” Jonghyun sang, plopping down into his rather uncomfortable chair, scooting towards the hospital bed. Kibum had a tray in front of him, a small meal on it. Jonghyun looked at the food. “You’re eating now?” He was still used to Kibum getting his food through those horrific tubes. (Thank God those were out of the way…)
Kibum nodded silently, hand slightly wavering as he brought the food to his mouth with his chopsticks. Jonghyun was just thankful Kibum was able to even eat-he was so, so thankful…
“Anyway, I have something to show you,” Jonghyun pulled out a square case, unveiling his laptop. Kibum watched with curiosity and puzzlement, silently wondering. Once Jonghyun had booted up the thing and opened the ‘Pictures’ folder, he twisted the device around, so Kibum could see.
On the screen was an older picture, from maybe seven months ago, displaying Kibum and Jonghyun smiling stupidly at the camera, holding up V-signs. Jonghyun watched anxiously as Kibum studied the image. His nerves crawled fretfully when the younger boy’s mouth opened.
“This-we took this picture together?” he asked for verification. Jonghyun nodded briskly.
“I just…I don’t really…” Kibum sighed, threading a hand through his hair. Jonghyun told him it was okay and turned the laptop back to him, searching for a more distinct picture-a more memorable one. He picked out one that Jinki had taken one evening when the five of them were hanging out. It was of Kibum and himself laughing about who-knows-what. Jonghyun had a guitar in his lap and was sitting on a stool while Kibum was on the floor cross-legged, smiling up at him.
Kibum squinted to see the photograph. “That is…that’s us,” he said expressionlessly.
“It is,” Jonghyun smiled vaguely, voice authentic and, yeah, proud.
“You...you play guitar?” he asked, eyes flickering up from the screen to meet Jonghyun’s. The older boy blinked at the mention of the subject and suddenly became shy for no good reason.
“Yeah, of course I play…” he murmured, closing his computer. “I used to sing to you a lot, actually…”
“Really?” Kibum seemed thoroughly interested in what Jonghyun was saying. “What kind of songs did you sing me?”
Jonghyun chuckled uneasily, ducking his head in embarrassment. “Don’t laugh but…love songs, most of the time.”
Kibum actually didn’t laugh. He didn’t even make a face of disgust. He only stared, eyes stretched and jaw loose. Jonghyun’s eyes wandered over the boy’s extraordinarily beautiful jaw line before meeting his brown orbs once again.
“…That’s really amazing, Jonghyun. That’s really amazing that you did that for me.”
“Not really,” Jonghyun shrugged, as if it was no big deal, as if he hadn’t poured his heart out into each word he sang to Kibum, trying to get his feelings across without actually saying them, trying to confess in song, but failing every time.
“How long have you played?” Kibum asked randomly.
“Um…a few years. I think this is my fifth year,” Jonghyun mumbled.
“Wow…” Kibum said, looking all too amazed by such a simple thing.
Jonghyun couldn’t help but smile.
“Will you…would you play me something?” Kibum requested, lovable innocence rounding his perfect eyes.
…How could Jonghyun say no to that face?
“I would-gladly-but I don’t have my guitar with me today. I’m sorry,” he apologized sincerely.
Kibum pouted and Jonghyun had to grip onto his slack-clad thighs with shaky hands, not wanting to embrace the other at an inappropriate time.
“Well, bring it soon, all right?” Kibum demanded, looking at the older boy gravely. “If you keep forgetting it I’ll have to punish you, Jjong. I can do that, you know. They don’t call me ‘Almighty Key’ for nothing.”
Jonghyun’s breathing paused. “What did you just say?”
Kibum gave him a puzzled look. “I said they don’t call me…” he trailed off when he saw Jonghyun’s odd expression. “…What? What’s wrong with you?”
Tears started forming in Jonghyun’s eyes and Kibum’s face went blank. His brows wrinkled, his lips curving downwards. “Have I done something wrong? Did I make you cry?” he asked, slight worry to his tone. Jonghyun quickly shook his head.
“No, it’s just-you called me ‘Jjong’. You called me Jjong and you called yourself ‘Key’.”
“So what?” Kibum folded his arms.
“So…I never mentioned anything about the nicknames we gave each other as kids,” Jonghyun said, smile slipping onto his lips, hoping Kibum would get the point. The younger apparently did because his face morphed into a stunned one.
“Wait-so, I just-I just remembered that on my own?”
Jonghyun nodded, wiping the happy tears from his eyes. “When we were little I called you ‘Ki’ for a nickname. You apparently didn’t think that was cool enough, so you changed it into the English word ‘Key’ going on and on with some pointless back-story about how you could open any lock, yhadda, yhadda,” when Kibum playfully hit his arm he smiled. “And then you named me Jjong and that’s been your personal nickname for me ever since,” he finished optimistically.
Kibum took a moment to ponder before he nodded a couple times. “Now that I think about it, that does sound familiar….”
Jonghyun nodded encouragingly, smile now a bright beam.
“I just-it’s still fuzzy, but I get the idea of it,” Kibum muttered.
Jonghyun laughed breathily, hand squeezing Kibum’s. The younger boy, for the first time, didn’t even flinch-didn’t even blink. “That’s good news, Kibummie,” he said, and his smile was pretty much impossible to get rid of by that point.
Week Six
By the time Kibum was back in school, Jonghyun could only hope he remembered, he could only pray that his best friend would recall all the times they’ve spent-all the precious memories they’ve shared.
Kibum looked so different-so isolated at school. He was always doing something, whether it was homework or taking notes. He wasn’t the usual Kibum-wasn’t energetic and pushy and the way Jonghyun liked him. He was pretty boring, only focused on studies. That of course, wasn’t a surprise to Jonghyun-it was only normal for Kibum to want to catch up after missing so many school days.
“Studying?” Jonghyun asked Kibum who was, indeed, sitting in his desk, eyes narrowed thoughtfully at a stack of papers below him. Jonghyun crouched down next to him. “What’s the matter?” he asked casually.
“Calculus,” Kibum said simply. “And Chemistry. Those things are the matter,” he grumbled as he stared menacingly at the papers.
Jonghyun chuckled. “But English’s easy?”
Kibum looked at Jonghyun, who was apparently much closer than anticipated because he jumped after seeing him. He cocked his head shortly after though and his hand hesitantly reached out, finger poking at the crease of Jonghyun’s lips. The older boy went completely still, staring into Kibum’s eyes that were-no doubt-focused on his lips. The younger boy abruptly smiled in the cutest and most blameless of ways, hand retreating.
“English’s easy,” he confirmed, smile somehow quirking into that damn trademark smirk Kibum had mastered well over the years.
Jonghyun gulped, literally gulped at the sight. He felt a bit of heat radiate from his cheeks and stood, muttering “See you later,” before getting the hell out of that classroom.
After school, Jonghyun offered to walk Kibum home. It was his first day back after all, and walking home might not have been the easiest task for a person just out of a coma.
They proceeded to the outdoors after gathering their bags and things, exiting out the back where very few other students were. It was closer to Kibum’s house anyway, so there was less hassle overall. Kibum stopped mid-walk though, maneuvering over to the sidewalk. Jonghyun followed him quizzically.
“Something wrong?” he asked.
“Changing shoes,” Kibum told him, unzipping his bag to find his worn sneakers. Jonghyun simply smiled as the other boy stuffed his uniform shoes in his bag, getting on a knee to replace them with more casual, fit for walking around ones.
Kibum had a staring contest with his laces for a while before asking, “How do I do this?”
The older boy glanced down at his friend and realized the problem. “Here, I’ll get it,” he offered, bending down to help Kibum. He tied both of his shoes in tight knots, so they wouldn’t come undone. He smiled in a melancholy way-being with Kibum was almost like he was being with his son or something.
But it wasn’t because Kibum was his best friend-Kibum should know how to do everyday things-he should remember Jonghyun.
He doesn’t though, so Jonghyun can only cope.
“Well, here we are,” Jonghyun announced indifferently as he and Kibum approached the younger’s house. Kibum paused.
“This is my house?”
Jonghyun nodded. “This is your house. You were here last night after getting discharged, remember?”
“I remember, I just…I don’t remember how it looks exactly. All these houses look the same,” Kibum scratched his head.
“Not exactly,” Jonghyun smiled, pointing to the mailbox by Kibum’s house. “I’ll let you in on a little secret. It’s a hint to help you remember,” he threw an arm around Kibum, pulling him over. “See that little red bow tied around that part of the mailbox?” Kibum nodded in response. “You put that there. It’s your personal touch, I think. Just look for that and you’ll always find your way back, all right?”
Kibum blinked rapidly, turning to face Jonghyun. “Wait-how…I mean…J-Jonghyun-ssi-”
“I’d love to stay and chat,” Jonghyun patted Kibum’s shoulder before spinning around, heading in the direction of his house, “but I have a shitload of homework.” He sent a passing grin to the other boy as he left, humming some tune off the top of his head about being in love and falling for your best friend.
Jonghyun knocked lightly on Kibum’s door the next day. It was Sunday so he decided to pay the younger boy a visit-see how he was doing. He waited for a few seconds before he heard quiet shuffling, followed by the hushed words, “Come in.”
Jonghyun did just that-hesitantly, he opened the door to a crack, peeking his head inside. He saw Kibum sitting on the floor, two stuffed animals in his arms that looked an awful lot like dinosaurs. Jonghyun grinned to himself before shutting the door behind him, advancing towards the younger.
“Hi, Bummie,” he greeted happily.
Kibum looked up at him uncertainly, eyes round with curiosity as he protectively held the dinosaurs close to him. Jonghyun smiled wider.
The older boy took a seat beside him. “Don’t worry, I’m not gonna steal them from you or anything.”
Kibum blinked before scowling. “I didn’t you were going to in the first place,” he muttered, placing the stuffed toys on the ground.
“Do you know who got you those?” Jonghyun asked him abruptly. Kibum seemed a little thrown off by the question and shook his head slowly.
Jonghyun grinned, pointing a finger to himself. “Yours truly,” he crooned.
Kibum seemed shocked; his eyebrows shot up in disbelief. “Really?” he asked.
Jonghyun hummed, nodding his head. “Yep, for your…tenth birthday, I think it was?” Jonghyun guessed, face straining as he tried to remember. He shrugged. “Anyway, you told me I looked like a dinosaur so I got you those,” he beamed. “Thoughtful of me, right?”
Kibum averted his eyes, once again hugging the toys. “I guess,” he grumbled indistinctly.
“So, what are you doing with them?” Jonghyun asked curiously. Kibum looked at him hesitantly.
“We’re playing,” he said.
Jonghyun nodded considerately in response, lips tugging upwards.
“You want to know another secret?” Jonghyun asked in a whisper, leaning in closer so the other boy could hear. Kibum’s eyes stretched and he nodded vigorously. Jonghyun’s lips twitched as he tried to hold down a smile.
“This dinosaur right here,” the older boy said, pointing to the one in Kibum’s left arm, “is me.” He pointed to the remaining one. “And that one’s you.”
Kibum frowned deeply. “Who made that up?”
Jonghyun smiled. “You.”
Kibum blinked in haste. “I did not!” he suddenly yelled. “You’re making that up!”
“When I gave them to you, you said, ‘Look, Jjong! The pink one can be me and the blue one can be you!’” Jonghyun told him, making his voice higher on the quote. Kibum apparently didn’t find that amusing and punched one of the older boy’s folded legs. Jonghyun laughed under his breath, muttering a heartfelt, “Sorry, sorry.”
Kibum set the stuffed animals in front of him, studying them suspiciously. “I don’t think I said that,” he murmured, his face flushing. Jonghyun bit back a smile.
“It’s the truth,” he promised, elbowing the other boy gently. “I told you we were best friends, didn’t I?”
Kibum bit on his lip harshly, but Jonghyun saw the way it curved under his teeth.
“Jonghyun-Jjong, what does love feel like?”
Jonghyun looked at the other boy liked he was crazy. The two of them were eating in the courtyard for some privacy. The majority of the student body was aware of Kibum’s ‘condition’ though, so they kept their distance. They didn’t want things to get awkward, Jonghyun assumed.
“Why are you asking such a weird question?” the older boy asked.
Kibum shrugged, poking at his food. “I was just wondering. Have you ever been in love?” he asked a different question, sending Jonghyun a wary glance.
Jonghyun coughed uncomfortably, avoiding the younger’s eyes. “I-well, yeah, I guess I have…” he admitted weakly.
“Really?” Kibum looked awfully astonished. “Who were you in love with?”
Jonghyun’s eyes roamed over the other boy’s face. “Someone…really special,” he said quietly.
He felt bemused when he saw Kibum’s expression fall.
“Oh,” is all the younger boy said as he continued to munch on his food dispassionately. Jonghyun gave him a quizzical look, wondering what on earth his deal was.
“…Is there something wrong?” he decided to inquire.
“Just…let me think for a while, Jjong. Don’t talk to me right now.”
Jonghyun pressed his lips together, the commotion of rejection swelling unpleasantly in his chest.
When Jonghyun visited Kibum’s room a second time that week, he found the other boy crying.
God, please no.
He rushed into the room, not even bothering to close the door, aiding the younger when reaching his side. “Key-Kibum, just calm down, just calm down…” he told the brutally sobbing boy, wrapping an arm around him, pulling him over.
The younger staggered, wobbling on his feet, his face somehow ending up in Jonghyun’s neck. The older boy held onto him protectively, rubbing relaxing caresses down his back. “What happened? Why are you crying, Kibum?” he asked gently.
The younger quieted down just slightly, sniffing. “J-Jonghyun-Jjong, Jjong, don’t leave,” he uttered miserably, his hands latching to Jonghyun’s back, clawing and yanking the fabric. “Jjong, don’t leave, don’t leave, please, please, don’t leave,” he kept saying, all in a tear-jerking voice.
“Shh, I’m not going anywhere, just calm down, just tell me what’s wrong,” Jonghyun calmly requested, continuing to rub Kibum’s back. Kibum’s shoulders stopped shaking with sobs and he paused, his quivering exhales the only sounds.
“I-I’m scared, Jjong. I’m alone, I don’t have anyone. I can’t remember anyone,” he told him, choking a bit on his words. “Everyone’s a stranger to me…I just want to remember!” he howled.
Jonghyun shushed him, pulling him closer. He used a hand to skim through the back of Kibum’s hair, attempting to soothe him. When the older boy saw Kibum’s mother standing in the opened doorway, he sent her a look that said, ‘I’m handling it’. She apparently understood and spun around, scampering off, the suggestion of tears in her eyes.
The following day, Jonghyun kept a close eye on Kibum at school, making sure he was all right. He didn’t have another ‘episode’ and he seemed like his regular self (well, not his regular self), content with focusing on schoolwork.
Jonghyun was set on finding the other boy at lunch, but in reality, Kibum found him first.
“Jjong!” Kibum piped, waving a hand as he ran towards the slightly shorter boy. Jonghyun blinked when Kibum practically teleported to the spot in front of him. He cocked his head.
“You hyper or something?” he laughed.
Kibum pouted. “Jjong, I need to show you something.”
“What is it?”
“Just come home with me after school, okay?” Kibum wore a sweet, shy smile that Jonghyun positively adored.
“I-okay,” he stammered, cheeks reddening in the slightest.
Kibum smiled broader at his agreement and giggled furtively. Jonghyun didn’t know if he should be embarrassed or ecstatic.
They entered Kibum’s room and Jonghyun glanced around guardedly. He looked for differences in the teen’s room, but found nothing. This frustrated him-he wasn’t sure what was in store for him.
“Jjong.”
Jonghyun faced the younger boy, raising his brows. “Yeah?”
Kibum bit his lip to conceal a smile before scurrying towards his stereo. He pressed the button marked with a triangle before returning to Jonghyun.
“Remember when I said I remembered how to dance?” he asked arbitrarily as a slow song began to play, breaking the stillness of the room.
Jonghyun grasped and thought about the words for a moment before nodding unsurely.
Kibum rested his elbows on Jonghyun’s shoulders, hands loosely linked behind his neck as he smiled. “Well, I want to teach you.”
The older boy’s eyes widened, his head automatically shaking at the thought. “No-no, Kibum, I’m not a dancer-”
“You don’t have to be,” the younger insisted, and Jonghyun felt slender fingers messing with the hairs of his neck in feather-light caresses-God, who the hell is this boy?
“I can’t-Key, this isn’t-”
“Just trust me,” Kibum said with round, childlike eyes, tiny reassuring smile playing on his lips. His palms slid down Jonghyun’s arms and to his hands, fingertips brushing over taut skin. The elder shivered unintentionally and could only stare as Kibum grasped his hands, positioning them at his hips. The younger’s hands then returned to their previous position, and the owner of them smiled unknowingly.
Jonghyun gulped because, in all honesty, he was fucking terrified.
“I’ll lead you through it,” Kibum said, and Jonghyun just gave a tentative, wordless nod. He felt sort of pathetic, looking up at Kibum through irresolute, uneasy eyes, waiting for instructions (the height difference didn’t help his ego any either).
They rocked from side-to-side, rather awkwardly (that might just be in Jonghyun’s mind though), hands stuck on each other. Jonghyun realized how tightly he was gripping at the other boy’s sides, thumbs digging into his hipbones, and noticeably let up on the pressure with a humiliated, “Sorry.” Kibum only grinned, hands going back to weaving through Jonghyun’s hair, inadvertently driving the older boy up the wall.
“Since when do you slow dance?” Jonghyun asked suspiciously after a while of uncomfortable silence, raising a brow. “I only remember you dancing to upbeat stuff.”
Kibum thought for a moment, but shrugged in the end. “I don’t remember-I just know that I know how to and that’s about it,” he smiled and Jonghyun’s heart compressed a little.
“Oh,” the elder muttered-that’s all he could think of in his state anyway.
They stepped to the slow rhythm of whatever the hell was playing on the stereo, spinning in a gradual circle in the process. Abruptly, Kibum fully wrapped his arms around Jonghyun’s neck and leaned in, his nose burrowing into the side of Jonghyun’s head. The older boy hesitated at the sudden warmth but ended up gliding his hands over Kibum-to his lower back-drawing him nearer.
Jonghyun wasn’t even sure what he was doing anymore. All he knew was that his heart was going fucking crazy and with Kibum all pressed against his front, he was sure the younger could tell. He was scared-so scared that Kibum could feel it-could hear it because it was ringing so loudly, so enthusiastically-
“Hey, Jjong?”
Jonghyun’s voice cracked as he hummed.
There was a silence, a still moment of Kibum merely gripping onto the other boy with just a bit more pressure than before.
“…Nothing.”
Jonghyun swallowed. “All right then.”
And they danced until the song ended (which felt like a millennium to Jonghyun) in silence, but words weren’t really needed because Jonghyun could’ve sworn-he could’ve sworn he felt that well-known beating against his chest that didn’t belong to his own heart for once.
Week Seven
Life became a little bit different for Jonghyun after that.
Every night-every single night-Kibum would call or text Jonghyun, whether it be to chat or to say ‘goodnight, jjong! ＾▽＾’. Jonghyun didn’t mind these kinds of things-he didn’t mind them at all really, they just made him slightly uncomfortable. It wasn’t in Kibum’s character to do such friendly, sappy things. Before the accident, their friendship was based solely on teasing glances, smirks, and pointing out flaws. Now, Kibum is touchy and odd-Jonghyun likes it, but he knows it’s not really Kibum-it’s not actually him.
Still though, Jonghyun would be lying if he said he didn’t enjoy the extra attention he received all the time.
“Jjongie! Are you busy today?” Kibum asked, clinging to the older boy’s shoulder like a child. Jonghyun chuckled a bit awkwardly.
“Why? Did you wanna hang out?”
The younger boy suddenly looped his skinny arms around one of Jonghyun’s, gripping on tightly as if his life depended on it. “Of course I do! Let’s hang out today, okay?” his eyes sparkled insistently, hope and excitement glimmering clearly.
Jonghyun stared at him for a long moment, biting his lip.
It’s not him.
It’s not really him.
“I, uh…” Jonghyun mustered an uneasy smile. “Yeah. I’d like that, Kibummie.”
(The older boy was actually getting ready to get home and practice a bit-brainstorm on some songs and compositions, but he vowed to never leave Kibum when he needed it. He wasn’t himself-right now, he obviously needed Jonghyun.)
“Yay!” Kibum squeaked, latching even tighter to Jonghyun. “Then, it’s okay if I walk home with you?”
“It’s perfectly fine,” Jonghyun smiled.
Kibum returned the gesture bashfully, hands unwinding from their hold on the other boy. Jonghyun gave him a fleeting, quizzical look before the younger reached over timidly, fingertips brushing against the back of the older boy’s hand as if to silently ask permission. Jonghyun froze for a moment and swallowed, the tingly sensation of Kibum’s cool, soft fingertips so, so unfamiliar to him. He hesitated more than once before uncurling his balled up fingers, wrapping a shaky hand around the other boy’s. Kibum simply ducked his head and smiled in an endearingly shy way, stepping forward to start their walk home. Jonghyun felt his heartbeat-heard it-drumming in his ears at an annoyingly fast pace as he walked alongside the younger boy.
They walked slowly, taking their time, just silently enjoying each other’s company. Jonghyun stole a few glances at Kibum and, no doubt, he was smiling at the ground, bangs falling in front of his eyes. Who is he, thought Jonghyun as he observed, who is this incredibly shy boy?
At that moment he really couldn’t bring himself to care, the only focus in his eyes on their linked hands, the only thought on his mind Kibum.
previous. next.
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A/N: I hate when LJ doesn't cooperate with me. OTL
Well this part is at least a little happier, right? right? ><;
See ya for part three. :D