Stick It To Me Babe [jongkey] [6/6]
Title: Stick It To Me Babe [complete]
Pairing: Jongkey
Genre: AU, Humor, Romance, Drama
Rating: PG - 13 (Language, sexual situations, and alcohol consumption)
Disclaimer(s): I own nothing.
Summary: Kibum has a secret; a secret who smiles a million words that can't be spoken, a secret who laughs with heart breaking innocence, and a secret who can give Kibum's boyfriend a purpose.
A/N: Beta'd by the lovely coatofmanos ! <3
Ch. 1, Ch. 2, Ch. 3, Ch. 4, Ch. 5
Life is jammed pack. I don't think I've ever been this busy in my entire existence, what with classes, my two jobs, and now I've started volunteering at a youth center for disabled children. There's barely enough time in the day to grab a bite to eat, let alone get any sleep. Of course, taking on the role as official nagger, Kibum won't let me forget either. Despite his own busy schedule, it's his senior year now and he has all kinds of big projects to finish - Kibum hasn't gone back on his word. He supports me through and through and I make sure to do the same for him.
I hop off my bike and toss my helmet carelessly onto the seat. I've finished with my delivery boy job for the evening and now have a paper to start on. I would be miserable if I weren't so damn happy with the way everything is turning out.
“I'm home!” I call while toeing off my shoes. The smell of baking bread wafts into the corridor and I find myself drawn to the kitchen.
Kibum is using his hip to close the oven door shut just as I walk in. Beside him, Taemin is coloring aimlessly on a thick sheet of drawing paper. “You just missed our cooking lesson,” Kibum says while wiping his hands off on the pastel pink apron I bought him for Christmas.
I scoop him up into my arms and place a tender kiss on his lips. “Damn, I hate missing cooking class,” I say against his mouth, eyes shut and enjoying the feeling.
Kibum places two fingers against my jaw to push me away. “And you're the one who needs them the most here,” he says with a teasing smirk.
With a scoff I move from his side to Taemin's. “What are you talking about? Tae, isn't my cooking way better than your brother's?”
Glancing up, Taemin looks between the two of us thoughtfully. He sucks in his bottom lip to stop himself from giggling.
“And we have our winner,” Kibum says triumphantly, “You, Kim Jonghyun, are a bad cook and even our sweet little Taemin agrees.”
I cross my arms in defiance. “We'll let Jinki be the judge of that,” I challenge, quirking an eyebrow, “He's coming over for dinner tonight and I bet he'll like whatever I cook more than yours.”
Kibum does his signature eye roll and hair flip combination, adding in a little shake of the head this time, because he's just that cocky. “Go get some sleep, babe,” he says, waving towards the hallway with a dish towel, “I don't want you to be impaired by lack of sleep on top of having no cooking abilities.”
The cram session last night, which leaked into this morning, suddenly comes back to me and my limbs feel like they're about a hundred pounds each. Sleep, yeah, that sounds good. Let's see, it's 5:30 right now and Jinki's coming over in an hour? A half hour nap should do. When I collapse on the Swedish therapeutic mattress though, I don't see how I'll be able to pull myself out of bed for at least the next week.
------
“Jjong! Baby, get up!”
With a startled snort I open my eyes. Kibum is leaning over me, shaking my shoulder roughly. I mumble something unintelligible before trying to roll back into my warm cocoon of comforters. With a huff, Kibum takes hold of my ankles and starts to drag me off the bed.
“Come on,” he says while straining against my weight, “Jinki wants you to meet his boyfriend.”
Jinki's here? I perk up. Shit, how long did I sleep? Checking the clock on the bedside table, I find a bright 7:07 flashing back at me. I run a hand through my messy hair, now dyed a tidy chocolate brown, trying to gather my thoughts while pushing my covers off. Kibum stands waiting for me at the door, shaking his head and muttering something like, “really hopeless.” I make a stop in front of the mirror, straighten my shirt so it's not riding halfway up my stomach, and then follow Kibum back to one of the cozier dining rooms in the house.
Jinki is talking animatedly with another man with short, spiked locks when we enter. “Hey, finally decided to join us?” He greets cheerfully, drawing his attention to me.
I bow my head. “Sorry about that,” I apologize while taking a seat across from them at the dark oak wood table. “So, this is…?”
“Doojoon,” the man answers, sticking his hand out, “Nice to finally meet you, Jonghyun!”
I nod and shake his hand. Kibum enters shortly afterward with dishes of food, serving everyone with an air of practiced ease. The meal's delicious, Kibum never disappoints, but I feel a little guilty, since I was supposed to help and all. Kibum must have known what's on my mind, because he says quietly, once Jinki is busy explaining the history of the old crystal chandelier hanging over our heads to Doojoon, “Probably better you didn't help, our guests might have gotten food poisoning.”
I stick my tongue out at him. “Sure, you were just worried I'd win.”
“Really, the French are so innovative, especially at the turn of the sixteenth century - You aren't listening,” Jinki interrupts his lecture with a laugh and Doojoon nods guiltily. “Sorry, I'm doing it again.”
“That's okay, I love your nerdiness,” Doojoon coos, causing Jinki to blush.
Clearing his throat, Jinki turns his attention back to me and Kibum. “Anyway!” He says with a start, trying to cover up his awkwardness, “It's too bad I couldn't meet your brother, Kibum.”
Beside me, Kibum sucks in a quick breath and his hands clench in his lap. I place a hand over his and squeeze it comfortingly. “He gets finicky at night,” he explains and then adds with a small smile, “I'm sure he'd love to meet you another time, though.”
With his toothy grin, Jinki nods his head. “I would love that! From what Jonghyun says he's an amazing kid.”
When Jinki and Doojoon leave, it's like watching a pair of awkward teenagers. Jinki trips and Doojoon quickly catches him in his arms. They both gaze into each other’s eyes and then a blush creeps onto Jinki's cheeks before he pulls away, a spluttering, grinning mess. It's adorable and something I never would have realized if Kibum hadn't pointed it out.
An hour later, we finally finish clean up and get Taemin off to bed. When we finally get to rest, I can't let sleep take over. I wrap my arms around Kibum's waist and slowly kiss a trail of love down his neck. I'm so proud of him. We talked it over before and he had said it really would be best to open up more about Taemin, but I didn't know he would handle it so well. Kibum continues to amaze me.
“Don't you get started, Kim Jonghyun,” Kibum warns with a small, cute yawn, “I have a show tomorrow and I will not have bags under my eyes.”
“I love you.”
Settling against my chest, Kibum let out a content sigh before answering. “Love you, too.”
-------
“Want to play a game of Super Smash?”
Taemin is curled on one side of the couch around Eddy, the name we dubbed his favorite tortoise after some guy Kibum knew in America. He's adjusted really well to new places as of late since Kibum and I have begun taking him out more, but the community center is a little overwhelming. I would have preferred to bring him on a quieter day, but with Kibum's show going on and a last minute call from Taemin's nanny saying she couldn't come in today, I didn't have much of a choice. I'm supposed to be running the front desk right now, but I can leave long enough for a game.
I fall onto the couch beside Taemin, jolting him slightly. I hand him one of the controllers and he cautiously accepts it. When the game starts, I can't help but laugh at the sight of Taemin trying to peer over Eddy to get a better view of the TV screen.
“Freaking Pikachu,” I grumble, punching the buttons on the controller as another lightning bolt strikes my character.
“Hey, are you one of the employees here?”
I pause the game, much to Taemin's chagrin, to face the deep, male voice behind me. “Yeah, I am. Sorry I wasn't at the front.” I stand up and I'm completely caught off guard by the guy standing in front of me. “Oh, Junho.”
Junho's eyes shift to look anywhere but at me. “It's you.” His fist clench at his sides. “I didn't know you worked here.”
“I volunteer here, but yeah,” I say while noticing the small head of black hair peeping around Junho's waist. “Who's this?”
“My, um, sister, Sunye,” he says while absently running a hand through her long, ebony hair, “She comes here a lot. She's … uh, autistic.”
I watch Junho as if I'm seeing some new species. This is completely different from the normal hostile vibes he gave off. “My brother's autistic, too,” I say, trying to make him feel a little more comfortable.
Junho wipes his hands on the legs of his pants nervously, trying to avoid looking at Taemin just as much as me. “Look, about the time in the park - “
“Don't worry about it,” I cut in, staring directly into his small eyes, “The past is the past. Why don't we get Sunye signed in?”
“Thanks.”
“No problem, man.”
------
“This is so fucking ridiculous,” Kibum growls into the phone, “I swear this woman is insane. I mean, just because she has no life doesn't mean the rest of us don't.”
I twirl the cord of the community center's phone around my index finger. “She's a professional, Kibum, you need this connection.”
“I don't give a shit anymore,” Kibum whines, bitching taking a back seat, “I want to be with you and Tae, not stuck in this stuffy back room.”
I chuckle. “If you actually left you know you would regret it.”
Kibum lets out a huff, probably blowing his bangs out of his eyes. “I know. Are you two at least eating well? Is Taemin getting along with the other kids there? Is anyone the same age as him?”
“Yes, mom, we're eating just fine. And there are a couple other teens, but Taemin's been mostly drawing. He seems really interested in some of the dance classes. Do you mind if I let him join in on one?”
“Does he have the right clothes for dancing? Will it be at his level? What about if something happens to him?” Kibum's talking a mile a minute.
I roll my eyes. “I'll make sure everything goes well.”
“Okay,” Kibum relents and then groans, “The She-Devil is returning, I'll have to call you back later.” He made a loud smacking noise against the speaker and I return it with a play kiss of my own. “Later, baby.”
“Later.” The line cuts off and I hang the phone up.
I kick my feet off of the resting place on top of the front counter. Time to check up on Taemin. I pass a couple of deaf children signing to each other while one of the workers leads them in a game. I have to wander through a couple more rooms until I finally spot Taemin, watching intently as the kids prepared for dance class.
“Want to join them?” I ask, nudging the teen's shoulder.
His wide gaze bores back at me. He blinks, before nodding his head vigorously. I lead him into the brightly lit studio and motion for him to join the other kids in stretching. Kibum will be happy to know there's at least two other teens in the class and they smile cheerfully when they spot Taemin.
Going to the front of the class, I lower my voice to speak to the instructor. “I have to stay up front, Sunny, but let me know if you need me, okay?”
“'Kay, hon!” The eternally chipper woman replies. “Don't worry, Taemin will have lots of fun!” I had already introduced the two earlier and Taemin seemed to like Sunny will enough, although her boisterous way of talking startled him.
“I'll be right up front if you need me, buddy,” I say to Taemin when I return to his side, patting his shoulder and then shooting him a wide grin. “Have fun!”
He's tightly clutching his jacket to his chest, but he doesn't complain when I leave the room, his eyes trained on a spot on the wall. When I leave the room, I discover what he's staring at. There's a window panel for curious parents to watch their children dancing in the room and in one of the chairs, perched up high enough to be seen in the room, is Eddy. Emotions catch in my throat and I have to cough to clear it. Seriously, I wasn't such a sap before …
An hour later, I return to watch the end of the class since I'm not busy up front. I take a seat next to the large blue tortoise, folding my hands in my lap. Sunny notices my appearance and sends me a wide eyed look through the window. I cock an eyebrow in question. She says something to the class and the majority take a seat along the back wall. Taemin and one other girl, she looks to be around ten years old, are left standing on their own.
“What are you up to, Sunny?” I ask myself quietly, brow knitting together in confusion.
Sunny presses the 'play' button on her boom box. She quickly glides into a series of complicated dance moves involving a lot of popping and jerking body movements. I'm pretty sure my jaw drops to the floor as Taemin follows the moves, at first stumbling, but catching on easily. The little girl next to him catches on just as swiftly.
What's going on? I'm stuck watching in awe.
When the song ends, the rest of the kids clap and then are quickly dismissed by Sunny. I wait until the kids have dispersed before going into the room.
I'm nearly speechless still, but I manage to get out, “Sunny?”
She's practically bouncing on her feet. “Right? I know, I know! I was just as surprised as you!” Sunny's eyes are crescent moons. “I mean, Beka has always been gifted in dance, but Taemin - So amazing!”
I shake my head, glancing out of the corner of my eye as Taemin downs a bottle of water. “How is it possible?”
“He's autistic, right?” I nod my head. “I've always heard about the how some autistic children are special, like they're incredibly skilled in certain areas, especially in the arts. Taemin must be one of those special children!”
I'm still dumbfounded. Taemin sidles up beside me, dripping with sweat, so I instinctively grab a towel and start to dab at his forehead. To think, Taemin has been able to dance like this, all this time, and we never knew …
“I'd really like to work with him, if you think it's possible?” Sunny continues, beaming at Taemin.
“What do you think, Tae, do you like dancing?” I question the teen.
He sends Sunny a shy look before shooting me a small smile. I don't miss the twinkle in his eye. He really likes this. “Yeah, I'll talk to Kibum, but I'm sure he'll be able to come back.”
I can only talk with Sunny for a couple more minutes before Taemin starts pulling at my shirt sleeve. I check my watch and realize it's getting close to dinner time already. It's also the end of my shift.
“See you later, Sunny,” I say with a wave while hooking arms with Taemin. We stop to scoop up Eddy before continuing out the building to the waiting jet black Mercedes.
By the time Kibum finally returns home, I'm sitting cross legged on Taemin's bed while the said boy sits in front of me patiently as I set his hair in a ponytail for bed. With an exhausted moan, Kibum flops gracefully onto the bed beside us, his Gucci bag tossed to the floor and forgotten.
“Madame Que is insane,” Kibum wails, tossing his arms over his head dramatically.
I finish Taemin's hair, pinning his bangs back with a couple of bobby pins, before turning to lie next to Kibum. “What happened?” I ask in my best sympathetic tone while drawing small circles on the pale skin of Kibum's stomach.
I can feel the muscles in his abdomen tighten as he tries his best not to laugh as I hit a ticklish spot. “She's so -” he breaks after I persistently brush my fingertips over the sensitive skin just below his rib cage, melting into a pool of laughter. “Stop it! Let me mope!”
“No way!” I cry while attacking his sides. Kibum kicks at me to stop and his body wracks with laughter.
“St - stop!” Kibum demands, slapping my hands away, “I can't breathe!”
I stick my tongue out at him, but give in. I pull away from him just as Taemin makes a noise to get our attention. He locks eyes with me before pointing at his stereo system.
“Oh, Kibum, Tae's got something to show you,” I say, getting up to put in the right CD, “He refused to take his shower until he'd practiced it for you. Something he learned at the Center today.” When I get the music on, Taemin does the same routine he did earlier with Sunny for Kibum, only this time the steps are crisp and even further perfected.
I recorded it earlier and sent the video to Minho, who in turn showed it to Khun. Being a professional dancer, even Khun was impressed and said we should definitely get him some lessons so he can improve even more. I'm about to tell Kibum all of this as Taemin curtly turns off the CD player, but his eyes are glazed over with unshed tears. He's smiling like crazy, but I can tell he's not going to be able to hold back much longer.
“Tae, I'm so proud of you!” He cries, arms outstretched, “How can you be so amazing?” Taemin returns his brother's smile with a sweet one of his own while folding into Kibum's embrace.
I wrap my arms around both of them as Kibum begins to sob out of joy into Taemin's shoulder. Taemin mewls in concern, but he finds comfort when Kibum snuggles closer to him. I can tell this is going to turn into another night spent with all three of us in one bed and I don't mind at all. Together is how we should be, supporting on another with our unbreakable bond while facing whatever life has to throw at us
------
“Have fun tonight, Jjong,” Kibum calls, head leaning out the kitchen window, “But not too much fun! Remember, we've got that meeting tomorrow morning and then you have that exam to study for - “
“Bye, babe!” I cut him off, blowing a kiss in his direction with a wink, “I won't stay out late, but don't wait up for me either!”
He waves my statement off with a hand. I snort - the idiot will regret staying up in the morning when he's got bags under his eyes. I hop onto my bike after slinging on my helmet. Tonight I'm going to meet up with some old high school buddies who are in town. I haven't seen them in forever and if they've changed as much as I have I'm afraid I won't recognize them.
Although I'm glad I'm going, I need this. On top of everything else causing stress in my life right now, Taemin's auditioning for a music school tomorrow. Although they cater to special needs students, it's still nerve wracking.
I show up at the well known Italian restaurant downtown with some time to spare. I'm the first one at our table, so I have a good view of my old classmates shocked expressions as they enter. Jinwoon and Jun are so stunned that they stop walking and stand, gaping, in the middle of the restaurant. Dong just snorts and moves around them.
“You're actually on time?” He questions bluntly. Good ol' Dong.
I push my chair backwards so I'm balancing on the back two legs. “I'm not a kid anymore,” I remark, but my patented shit eating grin is in place.
Dong sits down just as Jinwoon and Jun recover from their mini heart attacks. “You'll always be a kid, Jonghyun, just check the votes in our yearbook.”
“Things change,” I say with a shrug, silently cursing all the students who voted me “Most Likely To Never Grow Up.” Who even came up with that?
“Seriously! Me and Jinwoon bet we'd have to wait at least a half hour for you to show up!” Jun prattles, hands motioning wildly.
We spend the entire night catching up over dinner. I can feel the tension easing from my shoulders and by my second drink laughter spills out easily. I refuse anything more, though, even with all of Jinwoon's provoking.
“How about we hit some of the bars?” Jun asks while stretching his back.
I check my watch. It's getting close to eleven and Kibum's sure to be waiting. “I'm gonna have to head back home,” I say, looking back up with a small smile, “It was great seeing you guys again, we'll have to do this more.”
Dong quirks an eyebrow at me. “You're not passing up a chance to hit the town, are you?”
I stand up and start to put on my jacket. “Afraid so.”
“You really have gone domestic!” Jinwoon barks, face already red with drunkenness.
I chuckle along with the rest of them as they slap me on the back and talk about how “whipped you are, buddy.” It doesn't bother me, except maybe stings my manly pride, but I'd rather be tied down than live like these guys. Sure, they have fun, but they don't have a Kibum waiting at home for them. They don't have people to care for.
I try to slip inside the house as quietly as possible. I pass by Taemin's room to make sure I can hear his soft breathing before continuing on to the master bedroom. Like I expected, Kibum is sitting up on his side of the bed with a notebook and pencil, reading glasses perched on the tip of his nose while his face is illuminated by the bedside lamp. When he sees me, he puts the sketchbook to the side and folds his glasses neatly before setting them on top of it.
“Hey baby,” I greet, leaning over to catch his lips in mine.
I put my arms on either side of his hips to brace myself while Kibum tangles his fingers in my hair. “Did you have fun?” He asks in a hushed tone, not wanting to disturb the boy sleeping down the hall.
“Mmm,” I hum against his parted lips, “But I'm glad to be home.”
“Glad to have you home.”
------
The whole auditorium is blanketed in pitch black. I have to feel my way to the reserved seat in the front row, whispering apologies to the audience members I step on along the way. When I finally drop into the theater style seat, two dark eyes are all I can see from beside me.
“I'm sorry I'm late! Nana had some last minute questions about my IEP for Eunhee,” I explain in a hushed tone, trying to work my puppy dog eyes as best I can considering the lighting.
Kibum huffs. “I have designs to send to New York that I put off, the least you can do - “
He's cut off by two single rays of light hitting the red curtains shielding the stage. The curtain begins to pull away and Kibum grabs onto my hand. Three years, we've waited three years for this moment. We've moved to Seoul and dedicated all the spare time our jobs allowed for this.
A soft melody begins to play and a tall, lithe boy enters the center of the stage where the two stage lights meet to form a circle just big enough to encompass him. His face is pointed downward. All the music stops. When a heavy hip hop beat picks up again, the boy lifts his head and his eyes hold the knowledge of a dancer trained in the art his whole life. He stares straight ahead, as if focused on something beyond the auditorium that compels his body to move in fluid motions along with the music.
The crowd is mesmerized.
Previous |
A/N:
IEP = Individualized education program.
So, this baby just kept growing and growing until it became this giant thing.
Thank you so much to all of my readers!
I hope you enoyed ~~ ! <3
Pairing: Jongkey
Genre: AU, Humor, Romance, Drama
Rating: PG - 13 (Language, sexual situations, and alcohol consumption)
Disclaimer(s): I own nothing.
Summary: Kibum has a secret; a secret who smiles a million words that can't be spoken, a secret who laughs with heart breaking innocence, and a secret who can give Kibum's boyfriend a purpose.
A/N: Beta'd by the lovely coatofmanos ! <3
Ch. 1, Ch. 2, Ch. 3, Ch. 4, Ch. 5
Life is jammed pack. I don't think I've ever been this busy in my entire existence, what with classes, my two jobs, and now I've started volunteering at a youth center for disabled children. There's barely enough time in the day to grab a bite to eat, let alone get any sleep. Of course, taking on the role as official nagger, Kibum won't let me forget either. Despite his own busy schedule, it's his senior year now and he has all kinds of big projects to finish - Kibum hasn't gone back on his word. He supports me through and through and I make sure to do the same for him.
I hop off my bike and toss my helmet carelessly onto the seat. I've finished with my delivery boy job for the evening and now have a paper to start on. I would be miserable if I weren't so damn happy with the way everything is turning out.
“I'm home!” I call while toeing off my shoes. The smell of baking bread wafts into the corridor and I find myself drawn to the kitchen.
Kibum is using his hip to close the oven door shut just as I walk in. Beside him, Taemin is coloring aimlessly on a thick sheet of drawing paper. “You just missed our cooking lesson,” Kibum says while wiping his hands off on the pastel pink apron I bought him for Christmas.
I scoop him up into my arms and place a tender kiss on his lips. “Damn, I hate missing cooking class,” I say against his mouth, eyes shut and enjoying the feeling.
Kibum places two fingers against my jaw to push me away. “And you're the one who needs them the most here,” he says with a teasing smirk.
With a scoff I move from his side to Taemin's. “What are you talking about? Tae, isn't my cooking way better than your brother's?”
Glancing up, Taemin looks between the two of us thoughtfully. He sucks in his bottom lip to stop himself from giggling.
“And we have our winner,” Kibum says triumphantly, “You, Kim Jonghyun, are a bad cook and even our sweet little Taemin agrees.”
I cross my arms in defiance. “We'll let Jinki be the judge of that,” I challenge, quirking an eyebrow, “He's coming over for dinner tonight and I bet he'll like whatever I cook more than yours.”
Kibum does his signature eye roll and hair flip combination, adding in a little shake of the head this time, because he's just that cocky. “Go get some sleep, babe,” he says, waving towards the hallway with a dish towel, “I don't want you to be impaired by lack of sleep on top of having no cooking abilities.”
The cram session last night, which leaked into this morning, suddenly comes back to me and my limbs feel like they're about a hundred pounds each. Sleep, yeah, that sounds good. Let's see, it's 5:30 right now and Jinki's coming over in an hour? A half hour nap should do. When I collapse on the Swedish therapeutic mattress though, I don't see how I'll be able to pull myself out of bed for at least the next week.
------
“Jjong! Baby, get up!”
With a startled snort I open my eyes. Kibum is leaning over me, shaking my shoulder roughly. I mumble something unintelligible before trying to roll back into my warm cocoon of comforters. With a huff, Kibum takes hold of my ankles and starts to drag me off the bed.
“Come on,” he says while straining against my weight, “Jinki wants you to meet his boyfriend.”
Jinki's here? I perk up. Shit, how long did I sleep? Checking the clock on the bedside table, I find a bright 7:07 flashing back at me. I run a hand through my messy hair, now dyed a tidy chocolate brown, trying to gather my thoughts while pushing my covers off. Kibum stands waiting for me at the door, shaking his head and muttering something like, “really hopeless.” I make a stop in front of the mirror, straighten my shirt so it's not riding halfway up my stomach, and then follow Kibum back to one of the cozier dining rooms in the house.
Jinki is talking animatedly with another man with short, spiked locks when we enter. “Hey, finally decided to join us?” He greets cheerfully, drawing his attention to me.
I bow my head. “Sorry about that,” I apologize while taking a seat across from them at the dark oak wood table. “So, this is…?”
“Doojoon,” the man answers, sticking his hand out, “Nice to finally meet you, Jonghyun!”
I nod and shake his hand. Kibum enters shortly afterward with dishes of food, serving everyone with an air of practiced ease. The meal's delicious, Kibum never disappoints, but I feel a little guilty, since I was supposed to help and all. Kibum must have known what's on my mind, because he says quietly, once Jinki is busy explaining the history of the old crystal chandelier hanging over our heads to Doojoon, “Probably better you didn't help, our guests might have gotten food poisoning.”
I stick my tongue out at him. “Sure, you were just worried I'd win.”
“Really, the French are so innovative, especially at the turn of the sixteenth century - You aren't listening,” Jinki interrupts his lecture with a laugh and Doojoon nods guiltily. “Sorry, I'm doing it again.”
“That's okay, I love your nerdiness,” Doojoon coos, causing Jinki to blush.
Clearing his throat, Jinki turns his attention back to me and Kibum. “Anyway!” He says with a start, trying to cover up his awkwardness, “It's too bad I couldn't meet your brother, Kibum.”
Beside me, Kibum sucks in a quick breath and his hands clench in his lap. I place a hand over his and squeeze it comfortingly. “He gets finicky at night,” he explains and then adds with a small smile, “I'm sure he'd love to meet you another time, though.”
With his toothy grin, Jinki nods his head. “I would love that! From what Jonghyun says he's an amazing kid.”
When Jinki and Doojoon leave, it's like watching a pair of awkward teenagers. Jinki trips and Doojoon quickly catches him in his arms. They both gaze into each other’s eyes and then a blush creeps onto Jinki's cheeks before he pulls away, a spluttering, grinning mess. It's adorable and something I never would have realized if Kibum hadn't pointed it out.
An hour later, we finally finish clean up and get Taemin off to bed. When we finally get to rest, I can't let sleep take over. I wrap my arms around Kibum's waist and slowly kiss a trail of love down his neck. I'm so proud of him. We talked it over before and he had said it really would be best to open up more about Taemin, but I didn't know he would handle it so well. Kibum continues to amaze me.
“Don't you get started, Kim Jonghyun,” Kibum warns with a small, cute yawn, “I have a show tomorrow and I will not have bags under my eyes.”
“I love you.”
Settling against my chest, Kibum let out a content sigh before answering. “Love you, too.”
-------
“Want to play a game of Super Smash?”
Taemin is curled on one side of the couch around Eddy, the name we dubbed his favorite tortoise after some guy Kibum knew in America. He's adjusted really well to new places as of late since Kibum and I have begun taking him out more, but the community center is a little overwhelming. I would have preferred to bring him on a quieter day, but with Kibum's show going on and a last minute call from Taemin's nanny saying she couldn't come in today, I didn't have much of a choice. I'm supposed to be running the front desk right now, but I can leave long enough for a game.
I fall onto the couch beside Taemin, jolting him slightly. I hand him one of the controllers and he cautiously accepts it. When the game starts, I can't help but laugh at the sight of Taemin trying to peer over Eddy to get a better view of the TV screen.
“Freaking Pikachu,” I grumble, punching the buttons on the controller as another lightning bolt strikes my character.
“Hey, are you one of the employees here?”
I pause the game, much to Taemin's chagrin, to face the deep, male voice behind me. “Yeah, I am. Sorry I wasn't at the front.” I stand up and I'm completely caught off guard by the guy standing in front of me. “Oh, Junho.”
Junho's eyes shift to look anywhere but at me. “It's you.” His fist clench at his sides. “I didn't know you worked here.”
“I volunteer here, but yeah,” I say while noticing the small head of black hair peeping around Junho's waist. “Who's this?”
“My, um, sister, Sunye,” he says while absently running a hand through her long, ebony hair, “She comes here a lot. She's … uh, autistic.”
I watch Junho as if I'm seeing some new species. This is completely different from the normal hostile vibes he gave off. “My brother's autistic, too,” I say, trying to make him feel a little more comfortable.
Junho wipes his hands on the legs of his pants nervously, trying to avoid looking at Taemin just as much as me. “Look, about the time in the park - “
“Don't worry about it,” I cut in, staring directly into his small eyes, “The past is the past. Why don't we get Sunye signed in?”
“Thanks.”
“No problem, man.”
------
“This is so fucking ridiculous,” Kibum growls into the phone, “I swear this woman is insane. I mean, just because she has no life doesn't mean the rest of us don't.”
I twirl the cord of the community center's phone around my index finger. “She's a professional, Kibum, you need this connection.”
“I don't give a shit anymore,” Kibum whines, bitching taking a back seat, “I want to be with you and Tae, not stuck in this stuffy back room.”
I chuckle. “If you actually left you know you would regret it.”
Kibum lets out a huff, probably blowing his bangs out of his eyes. “I know. Are you two at least eating well? Is Taemin getting along with the other kids there? Is anyone the same age as him?”
“Yes, mom, we're eating just fine. And there are a couple other teens, but Taemin's been mostly drawing. He seems really interested in some of the dance classes. Do you mind if I let him join in on one?”
“Does he have the right clothes for dancing? Will it be at his level? What about if something happens to him?” Kibum's talking a mile a minute.
I roll my eyes. “I'll make sure everything goes well.”
“Okay,” Kibum relents and then groans, “The She-Devil is returning, I'll have to call you back later.” He made a loud smacking noise against the speaker and I return it with a play kiss of my own. “Later, baby.”
“Later.” The line cuts off and I hang the phone up.
I kick my feet off of the resting place on top of the front counter. Time to check up on Taemin. I pass a couple of deaf children signing to each other while one of the workers leads them in a game. I have to wander through a couple more rooms until I finally spot Taemin, watching intently as the kids prepared for dance class.
“Want to join them?” I ask, nudging the teen's shoulder.
His wide gaze bores back at me. He blinks, before nodding his head vigorously. I lead him into the brightly lit studio and motion for him to join the other kids in stretching. Kibum will be happy to know there's at least two other teens in the class and they smile cheerfully when they spot Taemin.
Going to the front of the class, I lower my voice to speak to the instructor. “I have to stay up front, Sunny, but let me know if you need me, okay?”
“'Kay, hon!” The eternally chipper woman replies. “Don't worry, Taemin will have lots of fun!” I had already introduced the two earlier and Taemin seemed to like Sunny will enough, although her boisterous way of talking startled him.
“I'll be right up front if you need me, buddy,” I say to Taemin when I return to his side, patting his shoulder and then shooting him a wide grin. “Have fun!”
He's tightly clutching his jacket to his chest, but he doesn't complain when I leave the room, his eyes trained on a spot on the wall. When I leave the room, I discover what he's staring at. There's a window panel for curious parents to watch their children dancing in the room and in one of the chairs, perched up high enough to be seen in the room, is Eddy. Emotions catch in my throat and I have to cough to clear it. Seriously, I wasn't such a sap before …
An hour later, I return to watch the end of the class since I'm not busy up front. I take a seat next to the large blue tortoise, folding my hands in my lap. Sunny notices my appearance and sends me a wide eyed look through the window. I cock an eyebrow in question. She says something to the class and the majority take a seat along the back wall. Taemin and one other girl, she looks to be around ten years old, are left standing on their own.
“What are you up to, Sunny?” I ask myself quietly, brow knitting together in confusion.
Sunny presses the 'play' button on her boom box. She quickly glides into a series of complicated dance moves involving a lot of popping and jerking body movements. I'm pretty sure my jaw drops to the floor as Taemin follows the moves, at first stumbling, but catching on easily. The little girl next to him catches on just as swiftly.
What's going on? I'm stuck watching in awe.
When the song ends, the rest of the kids clap and then are quickly dismissed by Sunny. I wait until the kids have dispersed before going into the room.
I'm nearly speechless still, but I manage to get out, “Sunny?”
She's practically bouncing on her feet. “Right? I know, I know! I was just as surprised as you!” Sunny's eyes are crescent moons. “I mean, Beka has always been gifted in dance, but Taemin - So amazing!”
I shake my head, glancing out of the corner of my eye as Taemin downs a bottle of water. “How is it possible?”
“He's autistic, right?” I nod my head. “I've always heard about the how some autistic children are special, like they're incredibly skilled in certain areas, especially in the arts. Taemin must be one of those special children!”
I'm still dumbfounded. Taemin sidles up beside me, dripping with sweat, so I instinctively grab a towel and start to dab at his forehead. To think, Taemin has been able to dance like this, all this time, and we never knew …
“I'd really like to work with him, if you think it's possible?” Sunny continues, beaming at Taemin.
“What do you think, Tae, do you like dancing?” I question the teen.
He sends Sunny a shy look before shooting me a small smile. I don't miss the twinkle in his eye. He really likes this. “Yeah, I'll talk to Kibum, but I'm sure he'll be able to come back.”
I can only talk with Sunny for a couple more minutes before Taemin starts pulling at my shirt sleeve. I check my watch and realize it's getting close to dinner time already. It's also the end of my shift.
“See you later, Sunny,” I say with a wave while hooking arms with Taemin. We stop to scoop up Eddy before continuing out the building to the waiting jet black Mercedes.
By the time Kibum finally returns home, I'm sitting cross legged on Taemin's bed while the said boy sits in front of me patiently as I set his hair in a ponytail for bed. With an exhausted moan, Kibum flops gracefully onto the bed beside us, his Gucci bag tossed to the floor and forgotten.
“Madame Que is insane,” Kibum wails, tossing his arms over his head dramatically.
I finish Taemin's hair, pinning his bangs back with a couple of bobby pins, before turning to lie next to Kibum. “What happened?” I ask in my best sympathetic tone while drawing small circles on the pale skin of Kibum's stomach.
I can feel the muscles in his abdomen tighten as he tries his best not to laugh as I hit a ticklish spot. “She's so -” he breaks after I persistently brush my fingertips over the sensitive skin just below his rib cage, melting into a pool of laughter. “Stop it! Let me mope!”
“No way!” I cry while attacking his sides. Kibum kicks at me to stop and his body wracks with laughter.
“St - stop!” Kibum demands, slapping my hands away, “I can't breathe!”
I stick my tongue out at him, but give in. I pull away from him just as Taemin makes a noise to get our attention. He locks eyes with me before pointing at his stereo system.
“Oh, Kibum, Tae's got something to show you,” I say, getting up to put in the right CD, “He refused to take his shower until he'd practiced it for you. Something he learned at the Center today.” When I get the music on, Taemin does the same routine he did earlier with Sunny for Kibum, only this time the steps are crisp and even further perfected.
I recorded it earlier and sent the video to Minho, who in turn showed it to Khun. Being a professional dancer, even Khun was impressed and said we should definitely get him some lessons so he can improve even more. I'm about to tell Kibum all of this as Taemin curtly turns off the CD player, but his eyes are glazed over with unshed tears. He's smiling like crazy, but I can tell he's not going to be able to hold back much longer.
“Tae, I'm so proud of you!” He cries, arms outstretched, “How can you be so amazing?” Taemin returns his brother's smile with a sweet one of his own while folding into Kibum's embrace.
I wrap my arms around both of them as Kibum begins to sob out of joy into Taemin's shoulder. Taemin mewls in concern, but he finds comfort when Kibum snuggles closer to him. I can tell this is going to turn into another night spent with all three of us in one bed and I don't mind at all. Together is how we should be, supporting on another with our unbreakable bond while facing whatever life has to throw at us
------
“Have fun tonight, Jjong,” Kibum calls, head leaning out the kitchen window, “But not too much fun! Remember, we've got that meeting tomorrow morning and then you have that exam to study for - “
“Bye, babe!” I cut him off, blowing a kiss in his direction with a wink, “I won't stay out late, but don't wait up for me either!”
He waves my statement off with a hand. I snort - the idiot will regret staying up in the morning when he's got bags under his eyes. I hop onto my bike after slinging on my helmet. Tonight I'm going to meet up with some old high school buddies who are in town. I haven't seen them in forever and if they've changed as much as I have I'm afraid I won't recognize them.
Although I'm glad I'm going, I need this. On top of everything else causing stress in my life right now, Taemin's auditioning for a music school tomorrow. Although they cater to special needs students, it's still nerve wracking.
I show up at the well known Italian restaurant downtown with some time to spare. I'm the first one at our table, so I have a good view of my old classmates shocked expressions as they enter. Jinwoon and Jun are so stunned that they stop walking and stand, gaping, in the middle of the restaurant. Dong just snorts and moves around them.
“You're actually on time?” He questions bluntly. Good ol' Dong.
I push my chair backwards so I'm balancing on the back two legs. “I'm not a kid anymore,” I remark, but my patented shit eating grin is in place.
Dong sits down just as Jinwoon and Jun recover from their mini heart attacks. “You'll always be a kid, Jonghyun, just check the votes in our yearbook.”
“Things change,” I say with a shrug, silently cursing all the students who voted me “Most Likely To Never Grow Up.” Who even came up with that?
“Seriously! Me and Jinwoon bet we'd have to wait at least a half hour for you to show up!” Jun prattles, hands motioning wildly.
We spend the entire night catching up over dinner. I can feel the tension easing from my shoulders and by my second drink laughter spills out easily. I refuse anything more, though, even with all of Jinwoon's provoking.
“How about we hit some of the bars?” Jun asks while stretching his back.
I check my watch. It's getting close to eleven and Kibum's sure to be waiting. “I'm gonna have to head back home,” I say, looking back up with a small smile, “It was great seeing you guys again, we'll have to do this more.”
Dong quirks an eyebrow at me. “You're not passing up a chance to hit the town, are you?”
I stand up and start to put on my jacket. “Afraid so.”
“You really have gone domestic!” Jinwoon barks, face already red with drunkenness.
I chuckle along with the rest of them as they slap me on the back and talk about how “whipped you are, buddy.” It doesn't bother me, except maybe stings my manly pride, but I'd rather be tied down than live like these guys. Sure, they have fun, but they don't have a Kibum waiting at home for them. They don't have people to care for.
I try to slip inside the house as quietly as possible. I pass by Taemin's room to make sure I can hear his soft breathing before continuing on to the master bedroom. Like I expected, Kibum is sitting up on his side of the bed with a notebook and pencil, reading glasses perched on the tip of his nose while his face is illuminated by the bedside lamp. When he sees me, he puts the sketchbook to the side and folds his glasses neatly before setting them on top of it.
“Hey baby,” I greet, leaning over to catch his lips in mine.
I put my arms on either side of his hips to brace myself while Kibum tangles his fingers in my hair. “Did you have fun?” He asks in a hushed tone, not wanting to disturb the boy sleeping down the hall.
“Mmm,” I hum against his parted lips, “But I'm glad to be home.”
“Glad to have you home.”
------
The whole auditorium is blanketed in pitch black. I have to feel my way to the reserved seat in the front row, whispering apologies to the audience members I step on along the way. When I finally drop into the theater style seat, two dark eyes are all I can see from beside me.
“I'm sorry I'm late! Nana had some last minute questions about my IEP for Eunhee,” I explain in a hushed tone, trying to work my puppy dog eyes as best I can considering the lighting.
Kibum huffs. “I have designs to send to New York that I put off, the least you can do - “
He's cut off by two single rays of light hitting the red curtains shielding the stage. The curtain begins to pull away and Kibum grabs onto my hand. Three years, we've waited three years for this moment. We've moved to Seoul and dedicated all the spare time our jobs allowed for this.
A soft melody begins to play and a tall, lithe boy enters the center of the stage where the two stage lights meet to form a circle just big enough to encompass him. His face is pointed downward. All the music stops. When a heavy hip hop beat picks up again, the boy lifts his head and his eyes hold the knowledge of a dancer trained in the art his whole life. He stares straight ahead, as if focused on something beyond the auditorium that compels his body to move in fluid motions along with the music.
The crowd is mesmerized.
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A/N:
IEP = Individualized education program.
So, this baby just kept growing and growing until it became this giant thing.
Thank you so much to all of my readers!
I hope you enoyed ~~ ! <3