The steps of recovery; PG-13; first part of chapter 5/6
Minho cursed out loud as SNSD’s Gee started playing next to his ear. It was his phone’s ringtone and Minho knew none of his friends would call him that early if it wasn’t something of great importance. Sleepily he groped under his pillow until he found the small phone and pressed the green button.
“What is it?” Minho muttered as he tried to collect his thoughts.
“Good morning Minho!” Jonghyun’s annoyingly chirpy voice greeted him. Minho thought about hanging up but he knew he couldn’t fall asleep again now that he was awake.
“This better be important, midget”, Minho grunted as he sat up and rubbed his sore eyes. He was going to kill Jonghyun.
“I have big news for you”, Jonghyun told him excited, ignoring the mockery.
“You finally got laid?” Minho suggested and was just rewarded with a laugh. Jonghyun really had to be happy over something if he didn’t even mind Minho’s comments.
“It’s even better.” Minho could hear the grin in the other’s voice.
“So tell me what it is then”, Minho urged the other boy.
“We need to meet’” Jonghyun just said. Minho frowned and let his head hit the pillow.
“Do you know what time it is you moron?” Minho asked and wanted to throw the phone at the wall as Jonghyun just laughed at his irritation.
“8.15 and you shouldn’t be complaining, I called Jinki hyung already an hour ago. He recommended waiting for a while before calling you”, Jonghyun chuckled.
“I need to thank him when we next meet”, Minho muttered.
“Well you don’t have to wait for long to do that. We are meeting at nine in front of that nice cafe opposite the library. See you there, frog boy”, Jonghyun ended the call.
Minho sighed as he closed his eyes. Even if he didn’t want to admit it he was intrigued. What could be so important it needed to be told face to face? Minho played with the idea of just staying home and giving Jonghyun a lesson but his curiosity got better of him and Minho got up to get ready for the meeting. After a long shower and a cup of coffee he felt like he was ready to face whatever was coming.
Minho was early but he could see the two others waiting for him in front of Cafe Juliette. Even from afar Minho could see that Jonghyun was smiling like lunatic and when he reached his friends Jonghyun immediately pulled him into a tight hug. Minho mentally rolled his eyes as the shorter boy nearly squeezed all the air from his lungs.
“You’re usually not this happy to see me”, Minho told Jonghyun amused as the other pulled back.
“Enjoy this while it last then”, Jonghyun smirked. Minho waved his hand at Jinki who gave him a wide smile. It was beyond Minho how anyone could be so energetic this early.
“Let’s go inside so I can finally tell you guys what happened”, Jonghyun hurried them. The small bell above the door tinged softly as they stepped in. Minho had to admit it wasn’t the worst place you could spend your morning in. The walls were painted soft brown, the chairs were comfy and the place smelled like freshly grounded coffee. The waitress behind the counter gave them a warm smile as she asked for their orders.
“Take whatever you want, it’s my treat”, Jonghyun told them before asking for some girly milk coffee. Minho quirked his eyebrow at Jinki who just shrugged. Clearly something was up as Jonghyun wasn’t known for having too much money to spend around. Minho ordered a regular coffee and walked to the corner table and slumped next to Jinki into the sofa. They both laughed as they heard Jonghyun flirt with the waitress as he was paying.
“I hope you didn’t bring us here just to listen to your pathetic pick up lines”, Minho grinned at Jonghyun who sat across the table with his coffee.
“Don’t be like that, Minho”, Jinki said. “I think the “You must be my future wife” line was totally unique!”
“True, I’m sure she’s dying to get Jonghyun’s number”, Minho nodded face all serious before they both burst into a fit of laughter. Jonghyun sat back in his chair and pouted as Jinki and Minho leaned to each other, holding their sides as the waves of laughter washed over them.
“I hate you guys”, Jonghyun sulked and crossed his arms in front of his chest.
“As if”, Minho grinned as he tried to stop his body from shaking. “Come on now, tell us why you wanted us here”.
“Okay, here it goes”, Jonghyun was back to his cheery self instantly. “I went gambling yesterday!”
Minho just blinked a few times. Next to him Jinki looked as taken aback as he felt.
“That’s not supposed to be a good thing, Jonghyun”, Jinki frowned.
“Wait till you hear more”, Jonghyun sounded so excited Minho wanted to shake the other boy and tell him to just get it on with.
“I went to this casino and played some poker. Usually I’m no good at it but this time I was doing damn well. The banker asked me if I wanted to continue to the next round, and I”, Jonghyun kept a dramatic pause and leaned forward. “I said no. I took the damn money and walked out of there!”
Minho hadn’t expected this. He just sat there completely loss at words and stared at Jonghyun smile smugly at them. Jonghyun, out of all people, had actually managed to control his addiction? It took a while for Minho to realise he was grinning.
“Shit, hyung, that’s great!” Minho told the older boy who was beaming in front of him. “I never thought I’d say this but I’m actually proud of you!”
“Jonghyun, I’m so happy to hear that!” Jinki sounded truly pleased as he rounded the table to throw his arms around Jonghyun. Minho’s smile just widened as Jonghyun laughed happily.
“So what are you planning to do with the money then?” Minho asked when Jinki returned to his seat.
“First of all I’m going to pay back to my friends”, Jonghyun answered and took a sip of his drink before continuing. “There’s still quite a lot money left so I was thinking about paying for Taeminnie’s dancing lessons. We all know that kid deserves it after all he has been trough”.
“Stop being like that or I actually need to start respecting you”, Minho muttered. Jonghyun gave him the finger but he looked pleased.
“It’s a great idea though. He could be one hell of a dancer if he just got the right training”, Minho admitted.
“I know right. But speaking of Taemin, how are things between you two?” Jonghyun asked Jinki in what probably was supposed to be an innocent tone.
“Just fine, everything’s going great”, Jinki asserted. His voice didn’t reveal anything but the way he ran his hand trough his hair betrayed him.
“Is that so hyung? Minho asked lightly. “Taemin mentioned something about you guys nearly kissing and you rejecting him”. Jinki’s eyes widened comically.
“What exactly did Taemin tell you?” Jinki muttered blushing.
“Enough”, Jonghyun told him. “First I have to applaud you for being the first male to ever think with his brains in a situation like that. Second, what the hell is wrong with you”.
Minho didn’t know if he should laugh of comfort the other as Jinki looked absolutely miserable.
“I just can’t be with him, it would be wrong!” Jinki insisted but Jonghyun just rolled his eyes and Minho felt the rare urge to do the same.
“It’s not like you’re committing a crime being together”, Minho sighed. “Besides, Taemin can sometimes be more mature than me and Jonghyun put together”.
“Not that it would take much”, Jinki muttered and Jonghyun stuck out his tongue. Great way to prove him right, Minho thought but didn’t bother saying anything. He felt frustrated at Jinki, how could the other deny the change to happiness for both himself and Taemin.
“He managed to drag me out of the bathroom a week ago and also made Kibum promise not to have sex for a month. He’s just as caring person as you are, you two are made for each other”, Minho told Jinki, tapping his cheek to make the older boy meet his eyes.
“He told us he feels better about himself when he’s with you”, Jonghyun added. Jinki rubbed his temples with his fingers and closed his eyes for a moment.
“What if I mess things up and end up hurting him?” Jinki’s question was just a whisper but it hit Minho like a punch in the face. Jinki was always taking care of them and never really showed any signs of insecurity. Minho did something that was unlike him and put his arm around Jinki’s shoulder, nudging his face against Jinki’s hair.
“You’re hurting him more by rejecting him. If you guys break up then it was supposed to happen but you can’t live thinking like that”, Minho spoke softly to Jinki who still had his eyes closed.
“Frog boy is right. What Taemin needs now is someone to show him what he’s worth. You will both just regret if you miss this change”, Jonghyun added, for once sounding serious.
“And if you don’t do something about it we will unleash Kibum and things will turn nasty after that”, Minho grinned and was pleased to see Jinki glance at him with smiling eyes.
“That’s not a pleasant scenario”, Jinki chuckled.
“You have time until my birthday to make your move and then we will let Kibum interfere”, Jonghyun warned Jinki who just laughed and promised to do his best.
“Now that we have settled everything I suppose I need to make my way to the university”, Jonghyun wrinkled his nose like he was talking about something utterly unpleasant.
“How you managed to get into any university is beyond me, hyung”, Minho teased.
“Well at least I did, unlike you”, Jonghyun reminded him with a crooked smile.
“Touché”, Minho murmured, making Jonghyun laugh and Jinki shook his head at them.
“I’ll see you guys later then, try not to get into any trouble before that”, Jinki said as a goodbye before starting to walk towards his car.
“Hey, you’re giving me a ride!” Jonghyun run after Jinki, quickly waving his hand at Minho’s direction. Minho saw Jinki lock the car’s doors when he got inside and smile evilly as Jonghyun hit his fist against the window, shouting obscenities.
“Why am I friends with those guys”, Minho muttered to himself as he started making his way back to his apartment. The sun was warming his back as he walked slowly, enjoying the fresh air. If he was honest with himself he had to admit it surprised him how quickly the four others had became close to him. It was like during the previous months they had sneaked into his heart and now refused to leave. Minho had always got along with people easily enough but he didn’t let many people get close.
Minho had known his best friend Nichkhun since he started playing soccer at the age of 6. Nichkhun was one the most important persons in his live but he still didn’t feel comfortable talking about his addiction with him. After all sports were almost everything for both of them and now that Minho had to stop he felt like he was left out. But with his AA group he wasn’t ashamed or didn’t need to explain himself.
They were all different and maybe that was why they got along so well. They were constantly bickering but Minho really liked spending time with Jonghyun who knew how to be witty and couldn’t be easily offended. Unlike Minho he was constantly speaking and grinning and seemed to be unable to just sit still. With Jinki it was so easy to talk about things and he knew his hyung got his back. He was like a big brother to him. Taemin was the most likable person he’d ever met but he could also be sly if he wanted to, as Minho had found out last week. He grinned when he thought about the way Taemin had talked Kibum into promising not to have sex for a month.
And finally Kibum. The snarky, caring, gorgeous Kibum who was slowly driving him crazy. Minho had never really been the jealous type but Kibum had brought out that side of him. He would have that sickening feeling in his stomach every time Kibum walked into the room with love bites covering his neck, smelling of some disgusting cologne. Minho had seen the way Kibum’s eyes were wandering up and down his body and he knew he could get a reaction out of the boy easier than the others. He wasn’t sure exactly what Kibum thought of him but he for sure planned to find out.
Minho spent the day wandering around the city, leisurely pacing the streets and enjoying the fresh air. He was so content with doing nothing it was almost the time for the AA meeting until he realised he hadn’t thought about going for a jog or lifting weights during the day. It was a pleasant realisation as most of the time it was all he could think of. Minho was in a very good mood as he waited outside his apartment for Kibum to pick him up.
“I can’t fucking believe Jonghyun told you and Jinki before me!” Kibum said as soon as Minho was inside the car. Minho laughed as he fastened his seat belt and turned down the music that was playing loud enough to make his ears ring.
“Nice to see you too”, Minho grinned at the older boy who was pouting behind the wheel. “Besides you had an exam so it’s not like you could’ve come to meet with us”.
“That’s no excuse. He only called me an hour ago!” Kibum complained, nearly crashing into a car that suddenly came into their lane. Kibum cursed under his breath and honked.
“Less whining, more concentrating on the traffic please”, Minho told the other as Kibum braked forcefully. Kibum shot him a glare.
“You want to walk as well? I’m sure Jonghyun hyung could use some company”, Kibum threatened.
“You refused to give him a ride because you were the last one to know?” Minho asked laughing, not surprised the tiniest bit.
“Serves him just right”, Kibum just muttered. Minho smiled fondly as he reached to stroke Kibum’s thigh. The older boy’s frown seemed to melt a bit and he gripped Minho’s wrist as he was pulling his hand away, placing it back on his thigh. Minho had to turn his face away to hide the stupid grin that was taking over his face.
“You have to admit Jonghyun hyung did pretty well though”, Minho continued the conversation after a while. “And all that talk about paying for Taemin’s dance lessons”.
“I’m not saying I’m not extremely proud of him”, Kibum started, searching for right words.
“You just don’t want to admit it?” Minho grinned and Kibum slapped the hand resting on his thigh.
“That too but that’s not the point”, Kibum sighed.
“Sure you know that Jonghyun would have invited you too would you have been available”, Minho told the other. “He just loves all the attention he can get from you”.
“He loves attention in general”, Kibum corrected but seemed to relax. The silence that fell to the car was a comfortable one. Minho leaned back in his seat and moved his hand away every time Kibum needed to shift the gears just to place it back. He wanted to inch it higher but decided against it as he really didn’t feel like participating in a car accident.
Finally they reached the parking lot and got out of the car. They were surprised to see the three others standing outside, talking. Taemin was jumping up and down in excitement and Minho figured that Jonghyun must’ve told him about the dance lessons. Minho glanced down to see Kibum stare at Taemin with a soft, caring smile on his lips. Minho resisted the urge to press a small kiss to the top of Kibum’s head. Minho was sure the other wasn’t even aware of his expression.
“Kibum hyung!” Taemin shouted when he spotted them and run to them, laughing. “Did Jonghyun hyung tell you about what happened yesterday? And that I can join the dance studio now!”
“Yes he did”, Kibum said dryly as he shot glare at Jonghyun who responded by making a face. Taemin looked at the exchange confused but then just shrugged and linked his arm with Kibum. They started talking something about different dance lessons and Minho walked over to greet Jinki and Jonghyun.
“Taemin seems pleased with your plan as well”, Minho grinned at Jonghyun.
“Yeah, haven’t seen him that bubbly in a while”, Jonghyun smiled back as they started making their way inside.
“I really missed that smile”, Jinki sighed happily as he stared at Taemin’s back. Jonghyun made a gagging noise and Jinki elbowed him, looking embarrassed. Minho was sure his face would hurt next day from all that grinning.
“Suppose it’s my turn then”, Minho noted as they were seated and Jinki seemed to be too busy stealing glances at Taemin’s direction.
“What, yeah, go on”, Jinki smiled a bit sheepishly as he realised he’d been caught red handed.
“I know our maknae looks especially fuckable with that angelic smile but you should try to concentrate on your duties, hyung”, Jonghyun told him, making Taemin blush deep red and Jinki and Kibum let out matching shocked sounds.
“Jonghyun!” Jinki cried out. Minho was doing his best not to laugh.
“What, just because I don’t like it up my ass doesn’t mean I don’t appreciate a nice looking guy when I see one”, Jonghyun protested. That did it, Minho started laughing like a lunatic, hitting his knee with his hand. Jinki smacked Jonghyun on his head and Kibum shot Minho a glare that only managed to make him laugh harder.
“You two are idiots”, Kibum sighed crossing him arms. Minho wiped the corners of his eyes as he tried to calm down.
“Right, my story”, Minho started, his voice still shaking. “So I’ve always been into sports. I started playing soccer when I was six in a team coached by my dad. I’m really good at it and also damn competitive, a combination that actually turned out to be a bad thing. If I’m competing I just need to win or I’m not satisfied. Giving my best is not enough, I have to be the best. I got so used to winning I can’t stand losing anymore”.
Minho was surprised that it felt so easy talking about it. Not that he was afraid what the others might think but he didn’t really care himself either. He supposed he was coming in terms with his addiction finally.
“In the end sports became my everything. I might skip school or work to practise. I only had friends who were playing in the same team as I didn’t have time to meet anyone. It’s hard to say exactly when it turned into an addiction. All I know is that I need something else in my life as well”.
Minho eyed the others who were clearly waiting for him to continue. He just sat there and waited for someone to break the silence.
“That’s all?” Jonghyun asked, eyebrows shooting up.
“Well yeah. What else I’m supposed to say?” Minho shrugged.
“I was waiting for some tears and depressing stories about how your addiction is ruining your life.” Jonghyun sounded almost disappointed.
“Isn’t it pretty obvious it’s ruining my life as I’m here now”, Minho just asked casually.
“I was opening my heart to you guys and you just tell something we all know already”, Jonghyun kept complaining.
“Not all people like to babble like you do, hyung”, Minho grinned at him.
“Okay let’s stop this here”, Jinki cut in wisely. “I think that’s quite enough if that’s all he wants to say. I suppose we all know him well enough not to expect a long monologue”.
“But he’s just avoiding the whole subject, not even bothering about speaking how it’s affecting his life”, Jonghyun insisted. Minho couldn’t help feeling a bit hurt after that.
“Taemin caught me doing sit ups while you were worrying over Jinki, doesn’t that tell how bad things are”, Minho quirked an eyebrow at Jonghyun who looked a bit embarrassed.
“Yeah, right, sorry about that”, Jonghyun mumbled.
“It’s fine midget, I know you love me”, Minho smiled a bit and Jonghyun sighed exaggeratedly.
“But Jonghyun hyung, I thought I was your only one”, Taemin pretended to look wounded, placing his hand against his heart. That was enough to wash away all the tension as Jonghyun laughed and pinched Taemin’s cheek and the young boy made his blowfish face. Minho leaned back in his seat and watched the others laugh and joke. He caught Kibum’s eyes and Minho grinned as Kibum rolled his eyes.
In the end Minho ended up talking more about his addiction. How he kept playing some game over and over in his head during the night, not able to sleep until he came to a conclusion what he had done wrong. How he could tell them how many calories most of the normal ingredients had without even thinking about it. How his world came crashing down when he broke his leg and he had to rest and actually face the situation he was in.
It wasn’t that bad really, telling about his feelings. He had never been one to share his thoughts but he supposed it was only a good thing to do it every once in a while. Jinki and Taemin were good listeners, Jonghyun cheered him up with some lame jokes and Kibum smiled softly at him. Before he knew it the session was over and everybody was leaving. He talked with Taemin as they headed out. Minho stopped in middle of a sentence as he saw Taemin frown.
“What’s wrong?” Minho asked and Taemin pointed at Kibum. The older boy was staring at his mobile phone with a shocked expression. Minho could see how Kibum’s whole body was tense as he slipped the phone back to his pocket. Minho said bye to Taemin before walking to Kibum, carefully examining his face. He looked angry.
“Everything okay?” Minho murmured so quietly only Kibum could hear him.
“Yeah, everything’s just perfect.” Kibum’s voice was cold and his eyes were narrowed. Minho had never seen him like that, not even in the first days. Minho wanted to say he was lying and get the truth out of the older boy but Kibum didn’t give him the change.
“You and Jjong need to take the bus today, I have somewhere to be”, Kibum told curtly and walked away. Minho was about to follow him but Jonghyun’s hand on his shoulder stopped him.
“I don’t know what wrong with him but just let it be for now”, Jonghyun said quietly. Minho shook his head frustrated. He didn’t want to wait. Minho just didn’t have an option.
“Stop sulking. I’ll buy you a beer”, Jonghyun said cheerily as he threw his arm over Minho’s shoulders and started making his way towards the bus stop.
“You’re too short to do that”, Minho laughed but didn’t bat his hand away. Jonghyun started talking about some chick he’d met previous week and Minho forgot all about Kibum.
A/N: This is Minho-centric but it's more about Jjong and Kibum lol. Had to divide this chapter to two as well as lj kept complaining about how the post was too large. Some Minkey action in this one, enjoy!
Chapter 1 I Chapter 2 I Chapter 3 1/2 I Chapter 3 2/2 I Chapter 4 1/2 I Chapter 4 2/2