[_starcandy Challenge] Together
Title: Together
Rating: G
Genre: romance(?), general, slice of life
Prompt: #99 - Secret
Word Count: 894
Summary: It's not distant or isolated or secluded; it's just theirs. Their get-away. Their haven. Their secret.
Together
The alley dead-ends in a cul-de-sac of apartment buildings, the first one on the left the shortest at only 3 floors. Soft strains of piano music float up from the basement, dying out before they can spill through the double glass doors in the front of the building.
The basement music school is owned by a friend of a friend sworn to absolute secrecy. Even then, she only knows it as a secret get-away for one young man, not a secret rendezvous for two. And only that first young man's manager knows that he's not the one using the one-room apartment on the second floor rented in his name.
The piano gets momentarily louder then quiets again as the practice room door swings open and closed to admit the new arrival. The pianist doesn't even falter, lost in his newest composition. Slowly, though, the music fades out, the ending of the song not quite worked out.
Strong arms wrap around his shoulders from behind as he pulls his hands off the keys, and he leans back into the familiar embrace with a content sigh. "You're late," he greets; there's no heat to the words, more observation than admonishment.
"Sorry," the other replies, pressing an apologetic kiss to the side of his neck. "I think Yunho's getting lonely in his new place. He came over to mine after rehearsals and kept coming up with the stupidest excuses to extend his stay. I finally had to just tell him to go cry on Bambi if he was so desperate."
Jaejoong snorts, lightly slapping one of the arms still resting over his chest. "Ever the caring maknae," he comments sarcastically. He can feel Changmin's smirk against his neck. "What time is it anyway? I lost track."
"Right around 2:30," Changmin answers. "The people on the first floor are probably happy you've been interrupted."
A frown crosses Jaejoong's brow as he considers the statement. "Do you really think it's that bad?" he asks. "I like the time here, but I'd hate to think I'm disturbing the people who actually live here and probably have jobs with regular hours."
Changmin shakes his head. "I was listening from the front door for a minute before I came down. You can hear it, but I don't think it's loud enough to actually bother anyone."
Acknowledging the words with a quick nod, Jaejoong shakes off Changmin's arms to start stuffing his papers and digital recorder - used to record every session which is then uploaded to his computer at home - in his bag. Maybe someday he'll get around to learning how to read music so he can write it all out himself, but his system works well enough for now.
When he finishes packing everything away, he turns to grab Changmin's hand. "Let's go," he says as he drags the other man out the door. "We have been apart for far too long, and I need some serious cuddle time."
Changmin presses up against Jaejoong's back and wraps his arms around the tiny waist. Jaejoong feels a bit too delicate for Changmin's liking, much preferring Jae's sturdier and more muscular body. He doesn't comment on it, though, already knowing that Jaejoong's been working on putting that weight back on. Instead, he replies, "We saw each other two weeks ago, Jae, not two months."
"Like I said, far, far too long," Jaejoong reiterates with a mischievous smirk just as they reach their apartment door. He keys in the door code and steps inside, Changmin following and pulling the door closed behind them.
The apartment doesn't have much in it: a double bed with a couple sets of clean bedding kept in the closet, a few changes of clothes for each of them, basic bathroom and shower necessities, and a few bottles of water in the fridge. They don't stay over often enough to stock any food or dishes in the kitchen, though they do have a microwave in case they feel the need for a snack run from the 7-Eleven on the corner.
Jaejoong turns on the heat as soon as he has his shoes off, the early spring air still having just enough bite at night to require it, and Changmin moves further into the room to pull sheets and blankets out for the bed. It's a familiar routine, and they have the bed fully made up in no time.
Once that's done, Jaejoong strips down to his boxers then accepts Changmin's shed clothes to dump both sets in the hamper tucked away in another cabinet. He'll have some time in the morning to do the laundry before he leaves. Changmin takes a turn when he can, though those occasions are much more rare. Finally, he switches off the overhead light Changmin had turned on when they first entered before crawling into bed next to his lover.
They cuddle together, Jaejoong laying half on his left side and half on top of Changmin, and talk about a little of everything and a lot of nothing. Gradually, the length between responses gets longer and longer. Jaejoong can tell he's rapidly losing the battle against his heavy eyelids. He murmurs a soft, "Love you, Min," and presses a kiss to whatever stretch of skin is under his mouth. He's just barely conscious enough to hear the sentiment mumbled back before he drifts off to sleep.
Rating: G
Genre: romance(?), general, slice of life
Prompt: #99 - Secret
Word Count: 894
Summary: It's not distant or isolated or secluded; it's just theirs. Their get-away. Their haven. Their secret.
Together
The alley dead-ends in a cul-de-sac of apartment buildings, the first one on the left the shortest at only 3 floors. Soft strains of piano music float up from the basement, dying out before they can spill through the double glass doors in the front of the building.
The basement music school is owned by a friend of a friend sworn to absolute secrecy. Even then, she only knows it as a secret get-away for one young man, not a secret rendezvous for two. And only that first young man's manager knows that he's not the one using the one-room apartment on the second floor rented in his name.
The piano gets momentarily louder then quiets again as the practice room door swings open and closed to admit the new arrival. The pianist doesn't even falter, lost in his newest composition. Slowly, though, the music fades out, the ending of the song not quite worked out.
Strong arms wrap around his shoulders from behind as he pulls his hands off the keys, and he leans back into the familiar embrace with a content sigh. "You're late," he greets; there's no heat to the words, more observation than admonishment.
"Sorry," the other replies, pressing an apologetic kiss to the side of his neck. "I think Yunho's getting lonely in his new place. He came over to mine after rehearsals and kept coming up with the stupidest excuses to extend his stay. I finally had to just tell him to go cry on Bambi if he was so desperate."
Jaejoong snorts, lightly slapping one of the arms still resting over his chest. "Ever the caring maknae," he comments sarcastically. He can feel Changmin's smirk against his neck. "What time is it anyway? I lost track."
"Right around 2:30," Changmin answers. "The people on the first floor are probably happy you've been interrupted."
A frown crosses Jaejoong's brow as he considers the statement. "Do you really think it's that bad?" he asks. "I like the time here, but I'd hate to think I'm disturbing the people who actually live here and probably have jobs with regular hours."
Changmin shakes his head. "I was listening from the front door for a minute before I came down. You can hear it, but I don't think it's loud enough to actually bother anyone."
Acknowledging the words with a quick nod, Jaejoong shakes off Changmin's arms to start stuffing his papers and digital recorder - used to record every session which is then uploaded to his computer at home - in his bag. Maybe someday he'll get around to learning how to read music so he can write it all out himself, but his system works well enough for now.
When he finishes packing everything away, he turns to grab Changmin's hand. "Let's go," he says as he drags the other man out the door. "We have been apart for far too long, and I need some serious cuddle time."
Changmin presses up against Jaejoong's back and wraps his arms around the tiny waist. Jaejoong feels a bit too delicate for Changmin's liking, much preferring Jae's sturdier and more muscular body. He doesn't comment on it, though, already knowing that Jaejoong's been working on putting that weight back on. Instead, he replies, "We saw each other two weeks ago, Jae, not two months."
"Like I said, far, far too long," Jaejoong reiterates with a mischievous smirk just as they reach their apartment door. He keys in the door code and steps inside, Changmin following and pulling the door closed behind them.
The apartment doesn't have much in it: a double bed with a couple sets of clean bedding kept in the closet, a few changes of clothes for each of them, basic bathroom and shower necessities, and a few bottles of water in the fridge. They don't stay over often enough to stock any food or dishes in the kitchen, though they do have a microwave in case they feel the need for a snack run from the 7-Eleven on the corner.
Jaejoong turns on the heat as soon as he has his shoes off, the early spring air still having just enough bite at night to require it, and Changmin moves further into the room to pull sheets and blankets out for the bed. It's a familiar routine, and they have the bed fully made up in no time.
Once that's done, Jaejoong strips down to his boxers then accepts Changmin's shed clothes to dump both sets in the hamper tucked away in another cabinet. He'll have some time in the morning to do the laundry before he leaves. Changmin takes a turn when he can, though those occasions are much more rare. Finally, he switches off the overhead light Changmin had turned on when they first entered before crawling into bed next to his lover.
They cuddle together, Jaejoong laying half on his left side and half on top of Changmin, and talk about a little of everything and a lot of nothing. Gradually, the length between responses gets longer and longer. Jaejoong can tell he's rapidly losing the battle against his heavy eyelids. He murmurs a soft, "Love you, Min," and presses a kiss to whatever stretch of skin is under his mouth. He's just barely conscious enough to hear the sentiment mumbled back before he drifts off to sleep.