Paint Me
Title: Paint Me
Pairing: Kaisoo
Genre: Fluff
Length: 5K words
Summary: Kyungsoo has found his muse in the form of a cocky performing arts major named Jongin.
Credits to kaisooprompt for this~
It's humid, the air is dry and it makes Kyungsoo's throat scratchy. He continuously walks through the desert, the sand getting into his shoes but he couldn't careless, he was too out of it to understand what is happening.
Until someone pulls him out of his daze to be met by a pair of very angry eyes. He's shocked for a moment until he's slowly processing what was happening in front of him. He looks at Baekhyun whose glare softens to be replaced by a look of concern.
"Kyungsoo I swear to God you're going to be the death of me." He grumbles as he pulls Kyungsoo back to safety.
"Sorry." Kyungsoo mutters as he glances back at the stairs he was just about to fall in because he was in a trance. He imagines the desert again and he heaves a sigh, this was getting out of hand.
"I know you're really stressed out because of your project but you have to give yourself some time to breathe. Wasn't it just last week you've finished a painting for color rendering?" And then Baekhyun proceeds to nag Kyungsoo about the deadlines he's met and how he should relax and drink a cup of tea.
"But you know I can't." Kyungsoo speaks quietly. "The deadline's around the corner and I still can't find any inspiration."
Kyungsoo is in his third year as an Art major. Sure he has had a number of creative blocks but it seems like this one was the worst. Maybe because this was a subject Kyungsoo truly loved and his professor was a sweetheart who always gives him good advice for his strokes and color palette.
"For your final project it'll be up to you guys to pass anything you want be it a painting or a sculpture or a sketch but here's the catch: you have to pour your everything into that project. All the things you have learned throughout this semester or feelings you have been keeping inside your heart. Your subject should move you."
A student raises his hand. "Professor Lee, how would you know if we have poured ourselves into that project?" He asks with a smirk.
The professor though returns the smirk. "I'll know."
Kyungsoo groans again as he remembers his professor's words. The deadline's in three weeks and he still has no idea what to do let alone has inspiration.
"How about this then, we go out for coffee and then you can go back to wallowing after. I'll pay." Baekhyun slightly shakes his arm. "Come on."
"One coffee. And then it has to be from CBTL."
Kyungsoo surprisingly enjoys the coffee and the afternoon with Baekhyun. He doesn't remember the last time he has unwinded like that though the nagging feeling about his project was still there.
Baekhyun walks him back to his dorm. It was already 6PM and the sun has already set, the night was slightly cool and the leaves were as green as ever, signifying that summer was almost here. Maybe he can come up with a sand sculpture? Nah, the beach was too far anyway.
The other pokes him on his cheek. Kyungsoo turns to raise an eyebrow at Baekhyun who only just shakes his head.
"You're still distracted huh?"
Kyungsoo scoffs. "As if. I'll have you know that I haven't even thought of my project since earlier this afternoon."
This time it was Baekhyun who scoffs. "Soo you underestimate me too much. You know I can totally see right through your lie right? And I'll have you know that we've been walking through the block thrice and you haven't even noticed."
Kyungsoo widens his eyes. He has wasted so much time already.
Baekhyun places his hands on Kyungsoo's shoulders. "Listen, you're my best friend and I really hate seeing you like this. You know you can overcome this creative block right? And when you do you'll do great just like always. No need to pressure yourself so much. Okay?"
Kyungsoo smiles. He's grateful for Baekhyun's words but he won't feel at ease until he gets to start his project. "Thanks Baek, I appreciate it."
Days have passed and Kyungsoo still hasn't come up with anything. Last night he tried painting a garden but it didn't end too well, then he tried sculpting Ryoma his favorite character out of hardwood but he accidentally chipped his nose off and he was too frustrated to continue.
And he was getting into trances frequently.
Like right now.
He's back in the desert but this time it's gotten worst; the air was even drier and his throat was itchy as fuck and he was getting sand in his ears and eyes and nose and he felt like he was going to pass out from exhaustion.
Until he gets pulled out of his trance again but this time it wasn't Baekhyun anymore. He gets knocked down on the ground, his sketchbooks spilling from his arms and then he hears a grunt. He opens his eyes to see a guy knocked down on the ground as well, slightly wincing as he moves to a sitting position.
He glares at Kyungsoo, taking his own stuff from the ground before speeding off. Kyungsoo shakes his head as he gathers his own stuff and he stills for a moment before he sees a cap on the floor. He looks up at the guy who was speeding off and true enough his hair was a mess probably from the cap.
He takes the cap with him and tries to run after the guy but Kyungsoo being Kyungsoo couldn't keep up because he has short legs and the guy was maybe a good foot taller than him.
Luckily he manages to catch him entering the Art building which means there's a good chance that they're from the same department. He enters the familiar building and roams around trying to catch him in the art rooms but to no avail there was no trace of the guy. He even asks a couple of guys if they had seen a tall dark handsome guy with messy black hair but they all shook their heads.
Kyungsoo looks down at the cap, the guy was indeed handsome. He had jet black hair that rests just above his eyes, warm brown pair of pupils, sharp jawlines and a pretty pair of lips. He spins the cap a couple of times and realized thay maybe he was in the performing arts department.
He goes to the other side of the building, to the performing arts department. He doesn't come here often since people from this part tend to look down at non-performing arts major like him. He goes through the hallways and he's surprised by how loud this part of the building was compared to the eerily silent halls of their department. There were loud music coming from each room with different kinds of genres. He stops outside of one room and sees a girl doing opera music while there's a group of three boys from across the room doing a hip hop routine.
He moves to another room and there he sees the guy whom he bumped into earlier. He takes his time to look at him now as he's fiddling with the sound system; he was indeed tall and even more handsome now he has the chance to fully look at him. There was something with the way he was standing like there was this strange aura wafting from him like a mix of confidence and sexiness, it's got Kyungsoo rooted on the floor.
To Kyungsoo's surprise soft music started playing and the guy moves to his position and after a few seconds he starts dancing.
Now Kyungsoo wasn't into the performing arts so much, he preferred being in the margin or in the 'behind the scenes'. He hated the attention and loved being hidden from the spotlight. He loved the feeling of creating of conjuring something up for someone to appreciate. Looking at the guy dancing in front of him now makes him appreciate the performing arts, he was just so talented and so graceful.
The way he spins was mind boggling and the way his spine bends was beautiful and the way he lands on his feet was so soundless, so elegant.
And then something snaps within Kyungsoo.
His heart starts beating fast and he could feel something flow through his veins, something akin to power, a sudden rush.
He has found his inspiration.
The song ends and then he gives a bow and Kyungsoo mindlessly claps. The guy turns to his direction and he quickly ducks, crawling as fast as he can to the corner. He sees the guy peek out from the door with an annoyed look before he slams the doors shut, the frames shaking.
Kyungsoo breathes a sigh of relief.
Not because the dancer as what Kyungsoo had decided to call him hadn't caught him staring, oh no.
He breathes a sigh of relief because he has finally found his subject.
Kyungsoo did not know what kind of mystical spirit had possessed him into going back to the performing arts department. Despite the angry aura the dancer had given it didn't stop him from peeping at him.
No peeping was such a strong word, maybe observe is more appropriate.
It went on for days, Kyungsoo creating various sketches of the dancer doing a pirouette, sometimes in fourth arabesque, even when simply in assemblé. Kyungsoo could not pin point it but there was something about the way the dancer moved; he has a certain grace, a charm that pulls you in and Kyungsoo has been completely transfixed like a moth to a flame. He felt like something was unraveling inside of him, the feeling of ease slowly spreading throughout his body.
Maybe it was because it was his first time appreciating the performing arts or maybe because it was the dancer.
It had been his favorite some kind of past time for a while now not until the dancer had finally caught him.
The dancer took a break and so Kyungsoo did too, stretching a bit from his position and flexing his fingers and legs from being crossed too long. The dancer usually takes 5 to 10 minutes of break time usually fiddling with the sound system or typing away on his phone and this is the time Kyungsoo usually decides to doodle away on his notebook.
But not today. Kyungsoo decides to take a nap by the door and his nap soon turned into an hour of sleep and he gets startled when the door he was leaning against suddenly opens and he almost falls face first on the floor except for the part that a pair of legs were there to save him from face planting.
He looks up and the dancer looks back at him with a grim expression. Too groggy to move he lets the dancer pick up the papers that had spilled from his lap. He looks up in time to see the dancer going through them and Kyungsoo quickly stands up and tries to grab the paper from him but to his dismay the dancer moves his hands away and little Kyungsoo could do nothing but to stand on his toes.
"Give me that." Kyungsoo tries to sound angry but the dancer was taller and leaner and he was just plain old intimidating.
"I think I have the right to look at these drawings considering I'm your muse." The dancer says mockingly with a cocky smile.
Kyungsoo glares at him. "Okay first of all they're not drawings they're sketches and second of all you are not my muse, you are merely a subject!"
He turns to Kyungsoo with a crooked smile and he advances at him making Kyungsoo lean against the door. He levels his face to Kyungsoo and the latter feels his breath against his lips.
"Oh really?" He smiles crookedly again, his breath fanning Kyungsoo's face.
Kyungsoo lightly pushes the dancer away. "If you think I'm some kind of stalker I'm not okay? I was just-"
"Been spying on me while I practiced. Yeah okay." The dancer crosses his arms. Kyungsoo feels his face heat up and maybe he was just too obvious that he was confused as the dancer chuckles. "You're not very subtle." He adds.
The dancer picks up his gym bag and hoists it up his shoulder. "Anyway I don't appreciate being watched. I'll give you a chance this time but when I catch you again spying on me I'll report you to the office of the student affairs, you got that?" And he turns his back on Kyungsoo.
"Wait!" Kyungsoo gathers his stuff and catches up to the dancer. Catching up with him was always a fucking chore considering how fast the guy walked and how his legs were so long.
"Hear me out please?" Kyungsoo blocks his path and he tries to ignore the pissed off look on the dancer's face and the scary feeling on his chest. "Let me introduce myself first I'm Do Kyungsoo and as you may have already known I'm an art major-"
"Just get to the point." The dancer replies and Kyungsoo tries his best not to scream at his face to fucking make him finish.
"I have a final project due and I need to conjur it but I can't find a subject that can move me but you... your dancing happened to move me and I really really need to pass this subject."
"And I should help you because…?"
"Because uh… you're a really nice person? And you're very kind hearted? And you're a student also who would like to help a fellow student?" Kyungsoo smiles awkwardly and the dancer could only blink at his face.
"Look, I'm a very busy person and I can't concentrate if someone's watching me while I practice. I'm sure you can find other dancers here." He waves at Kyungsoo as he walks past him.
Kyungsoo looks at him desperately. "Please I beg you, you're the only subject that has moved me for days. I'll do anything I'd clean for you or do your homework. I'll even pay you!"
With that the dancer stops dead on his tracks. He turns to look at Kyungsoo with a strange gleam in his eye. "You'll pay me?"
Kyungsoo gulps. "I-I don't mean it that way I mean I just want to compensate you for your troubles-"
He stops talking as the dancer makes his way back to Kyungsoo and grabs him by his shoulders. "How much are you gonna pay me?"
They decided to sit down and talk first. The two of them went to a coffee shop outside of the university, two to three blocks away. Kyungsoo cannot really believe that this was happening, Jongin as the dancer had introduced himself has allowed him to be his subject for his project. Of course it'll hurt Kyungsoo's weekly allowance but he'll do anything just to have his subject.
"Can I ask you a question though?" Kyungsoo says.
Jongin gives him that same unfathomable expression. "What?"
He ignores the impolite tone the latter talks with and hides behind his mug of black coffee. "Why do you need money? I don't mean to pry or anything just… never mind." He trails off.
Jongin's eyes soften and he smiles slightly at Kyungsoo, a very different smile compared to the crooked smile he flashed earlier. "I'm not really comfortable talking about it…" Kyungsoo frowns. "…Yet."
Kyungsoo smiles. "It's cool, no need to tell me."
Jongin nods. "What about you? I mean you sounded really desperate about your project."
"My project's due within a few weeks and I have been having a hard time finding a subject for my project. The project's really special and our professor told us that our subject had to move us.
"When I saw you dancing… There was really something that moved within me. Call me crazy or cheesy but it really did. Something with the way you moved like you were a flower bud slowly opening, very gentle and graceful."
When Kyungsoo's done talking he just realized how he had compared Jongin to a freaking flower and how gay he must think Kyungsoo was. He feels his face heating up while Jongin looked at him.
"Like a flower bud…" He murmurs.
"S-sorry I-I didn't mean to make it sound so… You know what just forget everything I had just said."
But Jongin shakes his head and smiles at Kyungsoo, a wide one and he feels his heart skip a beat. "No it's okay, I like it. It's nice to hear new comments about my dancing, very refreshing."
Kyungsoo puts down the coffee because it was making his heart palpitate.
Jongin had to leave first because he had a 6PM class and Kyungsoo decides to stay behind to start on homework. He orders another mug of black coffee and he starts making his paper for his history of art class.
As he was typing on his laptop he finally feels his life was back on its track.
-
Kyungsoo walks the halls of the performing arts department but this time he didn't need to hide because finally he gets to watch Jongin dance legally now.
As he's standing by the door he debates whether to knock or to just barge in because Jongin knows he's coming anyway but on the other hand they weren't that close yet to be in a 'barging-in' relationship. Jongin might think he was rude or something.
"Hey." He gets interrupted when Jongin talks and he almost jumps a mile as he looks up at Jongin standing so closely behind him. "Sorry, I didn't mean to surprise you."
"N-not at all." Kyungsoo says.
"You're here early. You usually come 10 minutes after I've warmed up." Jongin says as he's unlocking the door.
Kyungsoo feels red all over. Wow he really wasn't subtle, Jongin even knew when he came. "I uh… class ended early so."
Jongin nods absent mindedly. "You can sit anywhere you like though if you sat by the stereo you'll get my best angle." He says cheekily.
Kyungsoo snorts. "All right."
"So how do we do this? Should I stay in one position or do I just dance?" Jongin asks as he fiddle with the sound system again.
"Oh you just do whatever you usually do. I actually already have a number of sketches of you as you have seen, I just need a few details or so. As you know the main door isn't exactly the best seat in the house." They both laugh.
Jongin then gets into position and the music that Kyungsoo has grown accustomed to for the past few days starts playing.
Jongin dancing was even more beautiful up close. He could see every emotion pour out of his face to match every movement, how his limbs bend beautifully, his slender neck stretched out prettily, every turn and transition timed and polished and Kyungsoo could only think wow.
When the song ends and Jongin makes his bow Kyungsoo found himself clapping like a seal again and Jongin flashes him an amused look.
"I know I'm good but really how many times have you seen me dancing the same routine? Don't you get tired?" Jongin asks as he reaches out for his bottled water.
Kyungsoo shakes his head. "No way, It's like you get better and better each time I watch you."
Jongin throws a used towel at Kyungsoo. "I know you need me to be your subject, no need to shower me with so much compliments."
"I'm being serious though, Jongin. You're a really great dancer." Kyungsoo smiles at him and Jongin only blinks at him before he fiddles with the sound system again.
Kyungsoo and Jongin's meetings soon move from the dance studio to outside of the dance studio. They would often see each other in the cafeteria, sometimes in the hallway. Their friendship has also grown within a week and often times they hang out at the coffee shop where they first talked.
And said coffee shop was Kyungsoo's current destination, except he's being stopped by his best friend.
"Fun fact: the last time I talked to you was when we ate at CBTL and since then I thought you were rotting away in your apartment." Baekhyun says giving Kyungsoo a playful shove.
"Ha-ha." Kyungsoo rolls his eyes. "Very funny but I have been actually really busy these past few days."
Baekhyun nods. "Another fun fact: I've seen you going in and out of the performing arts department with the popular ballerina Kim Jongin. The department's going berserk because they think he's dating some lame guy from the non performing arts!"
Kyungsoo gapes at him. "There's a rumor about me and Jongin?"
"Would I be lying to you?" He crosses his arms. "But that doesn't answer the question. Are you guys dating, yes or no?"
Kyungsoo snorts. "Of course not. Jongin just happens to be my subject for my final project."
Baekhyun nods. "Okay. But do explain how you guys always hang out at the coffee shop outside of the university? I mean CBTL's a block away from your dorm Soo, what gives?"
Kyungsoo shoves at Baekhyun playfully. "Stop interrogating me about my life mom, I need a breather." He laughs.
Baekhyun has him on a choke hold. "Oh no you don't, my little bird's not so little anymore and he's dating a hot dancer to top it all off."
"We're not dating!"
"Who's not dating?" The two of them get startled as Jongin stands in front of them with an eyebrow raised.
"Jongin! Hey!" Kyungsoo manages to break free from Baekhyun's hold. "What are you doing here? I thought we were going to meet at the coffee shop?"
"I decided to wait for you since my class ended early. Didn't you get my text?" With that Kyungsoo felt Baekhyun's you-guys-are-on-texting-terms-now look but ignores it fixing his gaze on Jongin.
"Sorry my phone was on silent mode since I stayed at the library. Let's go?" Kyungsoo starts walking pulling Jongin with him and out of the campus.
"But what about-"
"Ignore him." Kyungsoo says and he laughs at Baekhyun's 'hey!'.
They settle in their usual spot by the window and orders the same stuff. Kyungsoo went on about his day and Jongin went with his and they were laughing at how Jongin's instructor had slipped in front of the class.
It suddenly goes quiet but it wasn't that awkward eery quiet but more of a comfortable silence, just them enjoying each other's company. The thing that Kyungsoo's noticed though is that there was never a dull moment with Jongin; one minute they're laughing and the next they're just quiet and none of them complain.
And it's so strange considering they've just met and they were already that comfortable with each other. Kyungsoo smiles at the thought.
"So…" Jongin starts. "Who was that with you?"
"What?" Kyungsoo asks not looking up from his notebook.
"The one who had his arms around you." Kyungsoo stops writing and looks up. There was something off of his tone. Jongin rests his head on his palms as his eyes are directed out of the window, the soft light highlighting all the right angles of Jongin's face and Kyungsoo's speechless with how beautiful Kim Jongin really was.
It was like everyday there's something beautiful to discover. Kim Jongin was like a treasure island just like how yesterday Kyungsoo discovered how beautiful Jongin's laugh was and the other day he discovered how adorable he was when he's angry as they watched Miracle In Cell No. 7 in his dorm.
And today he discovers how beautiful vulnerable Jongin was.
"I'm sorry but could you stay still for a minute?" Kyungsoo quickly takes his pencil and flips through an empty page in his notebook and starts sketching. He ignores Jongin's demands of 'hyung answer me~" or "hyung my nose itches can I move?" or "hyung are you done now? I need to pee!"
After he's finished Kyungso examines his work. It was a bit rough around the edges and there were minor mistakes and Kyungsoo found himself frowning at it. His sketch of Jongin did not do him any justice.
The younger grabs the notebook and examines it. His eyes were about to pop out of his sockets and he looks back and forth Kyungsoo to the drawing then back.
"I know I'm sorry it sucks."
"Wow." Jongin breathes and Kyungsoo raises an eyebrow at him. "You did this? Within the span of ten minutes?"
Kyungsoo frowns. "You should see what my block mates can do in five."
Jongin looks back down at the rough sketch. "I don't care about them." He mutters and for a while he was silent Maybe he hated it Kyungsoo thinks and he bites his lips out of nervousness but then Jongin's smiling and relief washes through him. "Hey hyung can I have this?"
Kyungsoo snatches the notebook back. "No way this looks like shit. I'll whip you up something way nicer next time I promise."
As they were walking back to canpus they were making small talk, mostly about Jongin's upcoming recital when the younger opens up the topic again.
"Hyung I'm serious though, you never answered my question."
"What question?"
"About the guy you were with earlier." He pouts.
Kyungsoo raises an eyebrow. "Why?"
Jongin just shrugs. Kyungsoo's confused as to why the younger kept bugging him about Baekhyun. Perhaps he liked him? The thought dawns on him and a weird feeling settles on his belly, just like the feeling nausea and dizziness only ten times more worst. Why was he feeling this way?
"Hey hyung? Are you okay?"
Kyungsoo nods. "Yeah I'm fine." He noticed that they have stopped walking and so he goes first. Jongin catches up not too long.
"He's Baekhyun, my best friend." Kyungsoo says.
"What?" Jongin looks at him confused and he chuckles.
"The guy earlier who had me on a choke hold." Kyungsoo says and Jongin smiles.
"Best friend?" He smiles Kyungsoo's every growing favorite crooked smile.
Kyungsoo rolls his eyes though to keep himself from feeling too faint. "Yeah. Why are you asking anyway?"
Jongin suddenly drapes his arm around Kyungsoo's shoulder. He's surprised though because yes Jongin was a bit clingy but he was never touchy. The hold around Kyungsoo's shoulders though were not menacing nor romantic, just something that makes him feel like he's there. It makes his heart accelerate anyway.
When Kyungsoo gets home he decides to finish his painting of Jongin. It was him on a first arabesque position. When he has finished with the final details he moves back and examines his work.
He frowns at it, there was something off about the painting. He checks it, the color palette was okay and he's sure he's applied the proper principles. But there really was still something… lacking. He purses his lips, what could it be?
Then he remembered something.
He wipes his hand clean on his apron and takes his notebook from his bag. Kyungsoo flips the page until he found his sketch of Jongin this afternoon. He looks at it for a moment then back at the painting then back again on the sketch. And then something clicks together inside of Kyungsoo.
Emotion.
Love.
No no no he thinks. This was not supposed to happen. He feels big fat tears roll down his face and even if he tells himself to stop he just couldn't. No He can't. He shouldn't.
He already has.
Kyungsoo ignores Jongin like a plague for the next few days. He ignores his calls and texts, the cafeteria or the hallway even the performing arts department. No he just couldn't face the fact that he was in love with Jongin.
Kyungsoo was so scared. Jongin was just so so perfect like he had been carved by the gods, fragile like a flower petal floating on air and just elegantly beautiful. He was afraid of tainting him with his… normalcy. He was plain Kyungsoo who liked to draw and he was Jongin the flower bud, the graceful dancer.
There was so much thoughts running through his head most of which was the bitter pain of what if's, what if he rejected me? What if because of some miracle he actually wanted him back? But he was too scared to express how he had felt, he was scared of asking something from him that Jongin could never give.
So he keeps it all to himself to save himself from the heartbreak.
It was a week before the semester ends and Kyungsoo gets in class because it was finally the day he passes his final project. As he enters the room he sees his classmate's artworks; paintings of all shapes and sizes, sculptures using different materials. He swallows.
Their professor arrives and soon class starts. He reads the rubric before he calls each student out. Kyungsoo watches in horror how the professor mercilessly criticizes his classmates' grand works and watches how they crumble under his scrutiny. It makes his palms sweat more and his breathing becomes labored. He starts chewing on his lips as he looks at the disappointed look their professor was giving.
And then it was his turn now. He shakily gets up and stands in front of the class.
"So where's your artwork, Kyungsoo?" Mr. Lee asks and he shakily reaches out from his back pocket. He breathes in and out trying to make his breathing and voice steady as he takes the folded paper out into the open. He unfolds it for the class to see.
As he looks at his classmates for their reaction he suddenly locks eyes with someone from the back of the room and he feels even more faint. He breathes out through his mouth as he chants comforting words to himself in his head.
"So uh… this is my work." He holds the paper out for the class to see. It was his sketch of Jongin at the coffee shop. "I call this one 'One Fine Afternoon'."
"Tell us more about this Kyungsoo." Mr. Lee urges and he then locks eyes with the dancer across the room.
"You see I had a hard time finding the perfect subject, I was often lost in trances where I suffered a lot. It wasn't easy creating from something that inspired you because really not everything can move us deeply. I actually painted something way prettier than this sketch but then I realized it lacked something. It lacked emotion. This one though," He raises the sketch higher. "This sketch of mine is filled with emotions, a series of emotions that I have kept for awhile now and I unconsciously poured out into this. It's a bit rough and messy and there are various mistakes because really my muse is way beautiful than this." Jongin smiles and he finds himself smiling too.
"But this sketch has everything that I have wanted to project; this unstoppable emotions of annoyance, disappointment, anger," Jongin raises an eyebrow at this but Kyungsoo's unfazed. "And of course love and adoration. And I think that's what's most important in every art work, emotion."
He didn't realize he was crying until his classmate, Junmyeon, hands him a tissue and there were applause everywhere and he couldn't understand what was happening after but his classmates kept on congratulating him so he assumed it was all good. He was actually too busy avoiding a certain pair of eyes.
When the bell rings he quickly fixes his stuff and dashes out of the room but he knows his attempts of ignoring Jongin were all in vain because really he had short legs and Jongin was Jongin with the long legs.
Jongin's got a tight grip around his wrist and he yanks him to stop and this time Kyungsoo feels the tears rolling down. He's bracing himself for the worst.
"W-what are you doing here?" He asks sniffling.
"To give you this." Jongin holds out a colorful piece of paper in his hand. "A ticket to my recital." He says unblinking.
"Oh." Kyungsoo sniffs, avoiding Jongin's eyes. Nice try, he tells himself. I knew I shouldn't have kept my hopes up.
"And to give you this." He cups Kyungsoo cheeks and leans down for a kiss.
It was a soft kiss, just their lips touching and Kyungsoo found himself wrapping his arms around Jongin's neck to pull him closer. When they part Jongin leans his forehead against Kyungsoo's.
"God you don't know how long I have wanted to do that." He says as he licks his lips, voice husky.
"Really?" Kyungsoo replies equally breathless.
Jongin intertwines their fingers together before he leads Kyungsoo out of the crowded hallway to the benches outside, away from the curious looks from the onlookers. He kept Kyungsoo's hand in a firm hold as he did.
"I just want to tell you all this before I chicken out okay?" Jongin says and Kyungsoo nods. "I'm just so grateful for you because you made me realize how important dancing was to me. My parents never really approved with me dancing but I was just so passionate about it that I managed to convince them to let me dance and if I don't make it big i'll go to med school."
"It was great at first but lately I have been losing the will to dance. I felt like crap and I didn't think I was a good dancer so I wasted my money on partying. I wanted to drown out thoughts of dancing of my parents of the pressure. I was so sick of it all and I wanted to get away from everything. Until I found you and you told me about how I danced and how I was like a flower bud… I just felt the need to dance again. And then…" He looks back at Kyungsoo with wonder and he bites his lip. "I think I've found my new reason to dance."
Kyungsoo hides his face on Jongin's shoulder. "You're so cheesy."
Jongin tightens his grip around Kyungsoo's arm. "Indeed I am, but only for you."
"So… does this mean…?" He looks back up at Jongin and the latter smiles he leans down to plant a kiss on Kyungsoo's nose.
"Only if you ask nicely."
And Kyungsoo shoves him playfully.
꿑
Pairing: Kaisoo
Genre: Fluff
Length: 5K words
Summary: Kyungsoo has found his muse in the form of a cocky performing arts major named Jongin.
Credits to kaisooprompt for this~
It's humid, the air is dry and it makes Kyungsoo's throat scratchy. He continuously walks through the desert, the sand getting into his shoes but he couldn't careless, he was too out of it to understand what is happening.
Until someone pulls him out of his daze to be met by a pair of very angry eyes. He's shocked for a moment until he's slowly processing what was happening in front of him. He looks at Baekhyun whose glare softens to be replaced by a look of concern.
"Kyungsoo I swear to God you're going to be the death of me." He grumbles as he pulls Kyungsoo back to safety.
"Sorry." Kyungsoo mutters as he glances back at the stairs he was just about to fall in because he was in a trance. He imagines the desert again and he heaves a sigh, this was getting out of hand.
"I know you're really stressed out because of your project but you have to give yourself some time to breathe. Wasn't it just last week you've finished a painting for color rendering?" And then Baekhyun proceeds to nag Kyungsoo about the deadlines he's met and how he should relax and drink a cup of tea.
"But you know I can't." Kyungsoo speaks quietly. "The deadline's around the corner and I still can't find any inspiration."
Kyungsoo is in his third year as an Art major. Sure he has had a number of creative blocks but it seems like this one was the worst. Maybe because this was a subject Kyungsoo truly loved and his professor was a sweetheart who always gives him good advice for his strokes and color palette.
"For your final project it'll be up to you guys to pass anything you want be it a painting or a sculpture or a sketch but here's the catch: you have to pour your everything into that project. All the things you have learned throughout this semester or feelings you have been keeping inside your heart. Your subject should move you."
A student raises his hand. "Professor Lee, how would you know if we have poured ourselves into that project?" He asks with a smirk.
The professor though returns the smirk. "I'll know."
Kyungsoo groans again as he remembers his professor's words. The deadline's in three weeks and he still has no idea what to do let alone has inspiration.
"How about this then, we go out for coffee and then you can go back to wallowing after. I'll pay." Baekhyun slightly shakes his arm. "Come on."
"One coffee. And then it has to be from CBTL."
Kyungsoo surprisingly enjoys the coffee and the afternoon with Baekhyun. He doesn't remember the last time he has unwinded like that though the nagging feeling about his project was still there.
Baekhyun walks him back to his dorm. It was already 6PM and the sun has already set, the night was slightly cool and the leaves were as green as ever, signifying that summer was almost here. Maybe he can come up with a sand sculpture? Nah, the beach was too far anyway.
The other pokes him on his cheek. Kyungsoo turns to raise an eyebrow at Baekhyun who only just shakes his head.
"You're still distracted huh?"
Kyungsoo scoffs. "As if. I'll have you know that I haven't even thought of my project since earlier this afternoon."
This time it was Baekhyun who scoffs. "Soo you underestimate me too much. You know I can totally see right through your lie right? And I'll have you know that we've been walking through the block thrice and you haven't even noticed."
Kyungsoo widens his eyes. He has wasted so much time already.
Baekhyun places his hands on Kyungsoo's shoulders. "Listen, you're my best friend and I really hate seeing you like this. You know you can overcome this creative block right? And when you do you'll do great just like always. No need to pressure yourself so much. Okay?"
Kyungsoo smiles. He's grateful for Baekhyun's words but he won't feel at ease until he gets to start his project. "Thanks Baek, I appreciate it."
Days have passed and Kyungsoo still hasn't come up with anything. Last night he tried painting a garden but it didn't end too well, then he tried sculpting Ryoma his favorite character out of hardwood but he accidentally chipped his nose off and he was too frustrated to continue.
And he was getting into trances frequently.
Like right now.
He's back in the desert but this time it's gotten worst; the air was even drier and his throat was itchy as fuck and he was getting sand in his ears and eyes and nose and he felt like he was going to pass out from exhaustion.
Until he gets pulled out of his trance again but this time it wasn't Baekhyun anymore. He gets knocked down on the ground, his sketchbooks spilling from his arms and then he hears a grunt. He opens his eyes to see a guy knocked down on the ground as well, slightly wincing as he moves to a sitting position.
He glares at Kyungsoo, taking his own stuff from the ground before speeding off. Kyungsoo shakes his head as he gathers his own stuff and he stills for a moment before he sees a cap on the floor. He looks up at the guy who was speeding off and true enough his hair was a mess probably from the cap.
He takes the cap with him and tries to run after the guy but Kyungsoo being Kyungsoo couldn't keep up because he has short legs and the guy was maybe a good foot taller than him.
Luckily he manages to catch him entering the Art building which means there's a good chance that they're from the same department. He enters the familiar building and roams around trying to catch him in the art rooms but to no avail there was no trace of the guy. He even asks a couple of guys if they had seen a tall dark handsome guy with messy black hair but they all shook their heads.
Kyungsoo looks down at the cap, the guy was indeed handsome. He had jet black hair that rests just above his eyes, warm brown pair of pupils, sharp jawlines and a pretty pair of lips. He spins the cap a couple of times and realized thay maybe he was in the performing arts department.
He goes to the other side of the building, to the performing arts department. He doesn't come here often since people from this part tend to look down at non-performing arts major like him. He goes through the hallways and he's surprised by how loud this part of the building was compared to the eerily silent halls of their department. There were loud music coming from each room with different kinds of genres. He stops outside of one room and sees a girl doing opera music while there's a group of three boys from across the room doing a hip hop routine.
He moves to another room and there he sees the guy whom he bumped into earlier. He takes his time to look at him now as he's fiddling with the sound system; he was indeed tall and even more handsome now he has the chance to fully look at him. There was something with the way he was standing like there was this strange aura wafting from him like a mix of confidence and sexiness, it's got Kyungsoo rooted on the floor.
To Kyungsoo's surprise soft music started playing and the guy moves to his position and after a few seconds he starts dancing.
Now Kyungsoo wasn't into the performing arts so much, he preferred being in the margin or in the 'behind the scenes'. He hated the attention and loved being hidden from the spotlight. He loved the feeling of creating of conjuring something up for someone to appreciate. Looking at the guy dancing in front of him now makes him appreciate the performing arts, he was just so talented and so graceful.
The way he spins was mind boggling and the way his spine bends was beautiful and the way he lands on his feet was so soundless, so elegant.
And then something snaps within Kyungsoo.
His heart starts beating fast and he could feel something flow through his veins, something akin to power, a sudden rush.
He has found his inspiration.
The song ends and then he gives a bow and Kyungsoo mindlessly claps. The guy turns to his direction and he quickly ducks, crawling as fast as he can to the corner. He sees the guy peek out from the door with an annoyed look before he slams the doors shut, the frames shaking.
Kyungsoo breathes a sigh of relief.
Not because the dancer as what Kyungsoo had decided to call him hadn't caught him staring, oh no.
He breathes a sigh of relief because he has finally found his subject.
Kyungsoo did not know what kind of mystical spirit had possessed him into going back to the performing arts department. Despite the angry aura the dancer had given it didn't stop him from peeping at him.
No peeping was such a strong word, maybe observe is more appropriate.
It went on for days, Kyungsoo creating various sketches of the dancer doing a pirouette, sometimes in fourth arabesque, even when simply in assemblé. Kyungsoo could not pin point it but there was something about the way the dancer moved; he has a certain grace, a charm that pulls you in and Kyungsoo has been completely transfixed like a moth to a flame. He felt like something was unraveling inside of him, the feeling of ease slowly spreading throughout his body.
Maybe it was because it was his first time appreciating the performing arts or maybe because it was the dancer.
It had been his favorite some kind of past time for a while now not until the dancer had finally caught him.
The dancer took a break and so Kyungsoo did too, stretching a bit from his position and flexing his fingers and legs from being crossed too long. The dancer usually takes 5 to 10 minutes of break time usually fiddling with the sound system or typing away on his phone and this is the time Kyungsoo usually decides to doodle away on his notebook.
But not today. Kyungsoo decides to take a nap by the door and his nap soon turned into an hour of sleep and he gets startled when the door he was leaning against suddenly opens and he almost falls face first on the floor except for the part that a pair of legs were there to save him from face planting.
He looks up and the dancer looks back at him with a grim expression. Too groggy to move he lets the dancer pick up the papers that had spilled from his lap. He looks up in time to see the dancer going through them and Kyungsoo quickly stands up and tries to grab the paper from him but to his dismay the dancer moves his hands away and little Kyungsoo could do nothing but to stand on his toes.
"Give me that." Kyungsoo tries to sound angry but the dancer was taller and leaner and he was just plain old intimidating.
"I think I have the right to look at these drawings considering I'm your muse." The dancer says mockingly with a cocky smile.
Kyungsoo glares at him. "Okay first of all they're not drawings they're sketches and second of all you are not my muse, you are merely a subject!"
He turns to Kyungsoo with a crooked smile and he advances at him making Kyungsoo lean against the door. He levels his face to Kyungsoo and the latter feels his breath against his lips.
"Oh really?" He smiles crookedly again, his breath fanning Kyungsoo's face.
Kyungsoo lightly pushes the dancer away. "If you think I'm some kind of stalker I'm not okay? I was just-"
"Been spying on me while I practiced. Yeah okay." The dancer crosses his arms. Kyungsoo feels his face heat up and maybe he was just too obvious that he was confused as the dancer chuckles. "You're not very subtle." He adds.
The dancer picks up his gym bag and hoists it up his shoulder. "Anyway I don't appreciate being watched. I'll give you a chance this time but when I catch you again spying on me I'll report you to the office of the student affairs, you got that?" And he turns his back on Kyungsoo.
"Wait!" Kyungsoo gathers his stuff and catches up to the dancer. Catching up with him was always a fucking chore considering how fast the guy walked and how his legs were so long.
"Hear me out please?" Kyungsoo blocks his path and he tries to ignore the pissed off look on the dancer's face and the scary feeling on his chest. "Let me introduce myself first I'm Do Kyungsoo and as you may have already known I'm an art major-"
"Just get to the point." The dancer replies and Kyungsoo tries his best not to scream at his face to fucking make him finish.
"I have a final project due and I need to conjur it but I can't find a subject that can move me but you... your dancing happened to move me and I really really need to pass this subject."
"And I should help you because…?"
"Because uh… you're a really nice person? And you're very kind hearted? And you're a student also who would like to help a fellow student?" Kyungsoo smiles awkwardly and the dancer could only blink at his face.
"Look, I'm a very busy person and I can't concentrate if someone's watching me while I practice. I'm sure you can find other dancers here." He waves at Kyungsoo as he walks past him.
Kyungsoo looks at him desperately. "Please I beg you, you're the only subject that has moved me for days. I'll do anything I'd clean for you or do your homework. I'll even pay you!"
With that the dancer stops dead on his tracks. He turns to look at Kyungsoo with a strange gleam in his eye. "You'll pay me?"
Kyungsoo gulps. "I-I don't mean it that way I mean I just want to compensate you for your troubles-"
He stops talking as the dancer makes his way back to Kyungsoo and grabs him by his shoulders. "How much are you gonna pay me?"
They decided to sit down and talk first. The two of them went to a coffee shop outside of the university, two to three blocks away. Kyungsoo cannot really believe that this was happening, Jongin as the dancer had introduced himself has allowed him to be his subject for his project. Of course it'll hurt Kyungsoo's weekly allowance but he'll do anything just to have his subject.
"Can I ask you a question though?" Kyungsoo says.
Jongin gives him that same unfathomable expression. "What?"
He ignores the impolite tone the latter talks with and hides behind his mug of black coffee. "Why do you need money? I don't mean to pry or anything just… never mind." He trails off.
Jongin's eyes soften and he smiles slightly at Kyungsoo, a very different smile compared to the crooked smile he flashed earlier. "I'm not really comfortable talking about it…" Kyungsoo frowns. "…Yet."
Kyungsoo smiles. "It's cool, no need to tell me."
Jongin nods. "What about you? I mean you sounded really desperate about your project."
"My project's due within a few weeks and I have been having a hard time finding a subject for my project. The project's really special and our professor told us that our subject had to move us.
"When I saw you dancing… There was really something that moved within me. Call me crazy or cheesy but it really did. Something with the way you moved like you were a flower bud slowly opening, very gentle and graceful."
When Kyungsoo's done talking he just realized how he had compared Jongin to a freaking flower and how gay he must think Kyungsoo was. He feels his face heating up while Jongin looked at him.
"Like a flower bud…" He murmurs.
"S-sorry I-I didn't mean to make it sound so… You know what just forget everything I had just said."
But Jongin shakes his head and smiles at Kyungsoo, a wide one and he feels his heart skip a beat. "No it's okay, I like it. It's nice to hear new comments about my dancing, very refreshing."
Kyungsoo puts down the coffee because it was making his heart palpitate.
Jongin had to leave first because he had a 6PM class and Kyungsoo decides to stay behind to start on homework. He orders another mug of black coffee and he starts making his paper for his history of art class.
As he was typing on his laptop he finally feels his life was back on its track.
-
Kyungsoo walks the halls of the performing arts department but this time he didn't need to hide because finally he gets to watch Jongin dance legally now.
As he's standing by the door he debates whether to knock or to just barge in because Jongin knows he's coming anyway but on the other hand they weren't that close yet to be in a 'barging-in' relationship. Jongin might think he was rude or something.
"Hey." He gets interrupted when Jongin talks and he almost jumps a mile as he looks up at Jongin standing so closely behind him. "Sorry, I didn't mean to surprise you."
"N-not at all." Kyungsoo says.
"You're here early. You usually come 10 minutes after I've warmed up." Jongin says as he's unlocking the door.
Kyungsoo feels red all over. Wow he really wasn't subtle, Jongin even knew when he came. "I uh… class ended early so."
Jongin nods absent mindedly. "You can sit anywhere you like though if you sat by the stereo you'll get my best angle." He says cheekily.
Kyungsoo snorts. "All right."
"So how do we do this? Should I stay in one position or do I just dance?" Jongin asks as he fiddle with the sound system again.
"Oh you just do whatever you usually do. I actually already have a number of sketches of you as you have seen, I just need a few details or so. As you know the main door isn't exactly the best seat in the house." They both laugh.
Jongin then gets into position and the music that Kyungsoo has grown accustomed to for the past few days starts playing.
Jongin dancing was even more beautiful up close. He could see every emotion pour out of his face to match every movement, how his limbs bend beautifully, his slender neck stretched out prettily, every turn and transition timed and polished and Kyungsoo could only think wow.
When the song ends and Jongin makes his bow Kyungsoo found himself clapping like a seal again and Jongin flashes him an amused look.
"I know I'm good but really how many times have you seen me dancing the same routine? Don't you get tired?" Jongin asks as he reaches out for his bottled water.
Kyungsoo shakes his head. "No way, It's like you get better and better each time I watch you."
Jongin throws a used towel at Kyungsoo. "I know you need me to be your subject, no need to shower me with so much compliments."
"I'm being serious though, Jongin. You're a really great dancer." Kyungsoo smiles at him and Jongin only blinks at him before he fiddles with the sound system again.
Kyungsoo and Jongin's meetings soon move from the dance studio to outside of the dance studio. They would often see each other in the cafeteria, sometimes in the hallway. Their friendship has also grown within a week and often times they hang out at the coffee shop where they first talked.
And said coffee shop was Kyungsoo's current destination, except he's being stopped by his best friend.
"Fun fact: the last time I talked to you was when we ate at CBTL and since then I thought you were rotting away in your apartment." Baekhyun says giving Kyungsoo a playful shove.
"Ha-ha." Kyungsoo rolls his eyes. "Very funny but I have been actually really busy these past few days."
Baekhyun nods. "Another fun fact: I've seen you going in and out of the performing arts department with the popular ballerina Kim Jongin. The department's going berserk because they think he's dating some lame guy from the non performing arts!"
Kyungsoo gapes at him. "There's a rumor about me and Jongin?"
"Would I be lying to you?" He crosses his arms. "But that doesn't answer the question. Are you guys dating, yes or no?"
Kyungsoo snorts. "Of course not. Jongin just happens to be my subject for my final project."
Baekhyun nods. "Okay. But do explain how you guys always hang out at the coffee shop outside of the university? I mean CBTL's a block away from your dorm Soo, what gives?"
Kyungsoo shoves at Baekhyun playfully. "Stop interrogating me about my life mom, I need a breather." He laughs.
Baekhyun has him on a choke hold. "Oh no you don't, my little bird's not so little anymore and he's dating a hot dancer to top it all off."
"We're not dating!"
"Who's not dating?" The two of them get startled as Jongin stands in front of them with an eyebrow raised.
"Jongin! Hey!" Kyungsoo manages to break free from Baekhyun's hold. "What are you doing here? I thought we were going to meet at the coffee shop?"
"I decided to wait for you since my class ended early. Didn't you get my text?" With that Kyungsoo felt Baekhyun's you-guys-are-on-texting-terms-now look but ignores it fixing his gaze on Jongin.
"Sorry my phone was on silent mode since I stayed at the library. Let's go?" Kyungsoo starts walking pulling Jongin with him and out of the campus.
"But what about-"
"Ignore him." Kyungsoo says and he laughs at Baekhyun's 'hey!'.
They settle in their usual spot by the window and orders the same stuff. Kyungsoo went on about his day and Jongin went with his and they were laughing at how Jongin's instructor had slipped in front of the class.
It suddenly goes quiet but it wasn't that awkward eery quiet but more of a comfortable silence, just them enjoying each other's company. The thing that Kyungsoo's noticed though is that there was never a dull moment with Jongin; one minute they're laughing and the next they're just quiet and none of them complain.
And it's so strange considering they've just met and they were already that comfortable with each other. Kyungsoo smiles at the thought.
"So…" Jongin starts. "Who was that with you?"
"What?" Kyungsoo asks not looking up from his notebook.
"The one who had his arms around you." Kyungsoo stops writing and looks up. There was something off of his tone. Jongin rests his head on his palms as his eyes are directed out of the window, the soft light highlighting all the right angles of Jongin's face and Kyungsoo's speechless with how beautiful Kim Jongin really was.
It was like everyday there's something beautiful to discover. Kim Jongin was like a treasure island just like how yesterday Kyungsoo discovered how beautiful Jongin's laugh was and the other day he discovered how adorable he was when he's angry as they watched Miracle In Cell No. 7 in his dorm.
And today he discovers how beautiful vulnerable Jongin was.
"I'm sorry but could you stay still for a minute?" Kyungsoo quickly takes his pencil and flips through an empty page in his notebook and starts sketching. He ignores Jongin's demands of 'hyung answer me~" or "hyung my nose itches can I move?" or "hyung are you done now? I need to pee!"
After he's finished Kyungso examines his work. It was a bit rough around the edges and there were minor mistakes and Kyungsoo found himself frowning at it. His sketch of Jongin did not do him any justice.
The younger grabs the notebook and examines it. His eyes were about to pop out of his sockets and he looks back and forth Kyungsoo to the drawing then back.
"I know I'm sorry it sucks."
"Wow." Jongin breathes and Kyungsoo raises an eyebrow at him. "You did this? Within the span of ten minutes?"
Kyungsoo frowns. "You should see what my block mates can do in five."
Jongin looks back down at the rough sketch. "I don't care about them." He mutters and for a while he was silent Maybe he hated it Kyungsoo thinks and he bites his lips out of nervousness but then Jongin's smiling and relief washes through him. "Hey hyung can I have this?"
Kyungsoo snatches the notebook back. "No way this looks like shit. I'll whip you up something way nicer next time I promise."
As they were walking back to canpus they were making small talk, mostly about Jongin's upcoming recital when the younger opens up the topic again.
"Hyung I'm serious though, you never answered my question."
"What question?"
"About the guy you were with earlier." He pouts.
Kyungsoo raises an eyebrow. "Why?"
Jongin just shrugs. Kyungsoo's confused as to why the younger kept bugging him about Baekhyun. Perhaps he liked him? The thought dawns on him and a weird feeling settles on his belly, just like the feeling nausea and dizziness only ten times more worst. Why was he feeling this way?
"Hey hyung? Are you okay?"
Kyungsoo nods. "Yeah I'm fine." He noticed that they have stopped walking and so he goes first. Jongin catches up not too long.
"He's Baekhyun, my best friend." Kyungsoo says.
"What?" Jongin looks at him confused and he chuckles.
"The guy earlier who had me on a choke hold." Kyungsoo says and Jongin smiles.
"Best friend?" He smiles Kyungsoo's every growing favorite crooked smile.
Kyungsoo rolls his eyes though to keep himself from feeling too faint. "Yeah. Why are you asking anyway?"
Jongin suddenly drapes his arm around Kyungsoo's shoulder. He's surprised though because yes Jongin was a bit clingy but he was never touchy. The hold around Kyungsoo's shoulders though were not menacing nor romantic, just something that makes him feel like he's there. It makes his heart accelerate anyway.
When Kyungsoo gets home he decides to finish his painting of Jongin. It was him on a first arabesque position. When he has finished with the final details he moves back and examines his work.
He frowns at it, there was something off about the painting. He checks it, the color palette was okay and he's sure he's applied the proper principles. But there really was still something… lacking. He purses his lips, what could it be?
Then he remembered something.
He wipes his hand clean on his apron and takes his notebook from his bag. Kyungsoo flips the page until he found his sketch of Jongin this afternoon. He looks at it for a moment then back at the painting then back again on the sketch. And then something clicks together inside of Kyungsoo.
Emotion.
Love.
No no no he thinks. This was not supposed to happen. He feels big fat tears roll down his face and even if he tells himself to stop he just couldn't. No He can't. He shouldn't.
He already has.
Kyungsoo ignores Jongin like a plague for the next few days. He ignores his calls and texts, the cafeteria or the hallway even the performing arts department. No he just couldn't face the fact that he was in love with Jongin.
Kyungsoo was so scared. Jongin was just so so perfect like he had been carved by the gods, fragile like a flower petal floating on air and just elegantly beautiful. He was afraid of tainting him with his… normalcy. He was plain Kyungsoo who liked to draw and he was Jongin the flower bud, the graceful dancer.
There was so much thoughts running through his head most of which was the bitter pain of what if's, what if he rejected me? What if because of some miracle he actually wanted him back? But he was too scared to express how he had felt, he was scared of asking something from him that Jongin could never give.
So he keeps it all to himself to save himself from the heartbreak.
It was a week before the semester ends and Kyungsoo gets in class because it was finally the day he passes his final project. As he enters the room he sees his classmate's artworks; paintings of all shapes and sizes, sculptures using different materials. He swallows.
Their professor arrives and soon class starts. He reads the rubric before he calls each student out. Kyungsoo watches in horror how the professor mercilessly criticizes his classmates' grand works and watches how they crumble under his scrutiny. It makes his palms sweat more and his breathing becomes labored. He starts chewing on his lips as he looks at the disappointed look their professor was giving.
And then it was his turn now. He shakily gets up and stands in front of the class.
"So where's your artwork, Kyungsoo?" Mr. Lee asks and he shakily reaches out from his back pocket. He breathes in and out trying to make his breathing and voice steady as he takes the folded paper out into the open. He unfolds it for the class to see.
As he looks at his classmates for their reaction he suddenly locks eyes with someone from the back of the room and he feels even more faint. He breathes out through his mouth as he chants comforting words to himself in his head.
"So uh… this is my work." He holds the paper out for the class to see. It was his sketch of Jongin at the coffee shop. "I call this one 'One Fine Afternoon'."
"Tell us more about this Kyungsoo." Mr. Lee urges and he then locks eyes with the dancer across the room.
"You see I had a hard time finding the perfect subject, I was often lost in trances where I suffered a lot. It wasn't easy creating from something that inspired you because really not everything can move us deeply. I actually painted something way prettier than this sketch but then I realized it lacked something. It lacked emotion. This one though," He raises the sketch higher. "This sketch of mine is filled with emotions, a series of emotions that I have kept for awhile now and I unconsciously poured out into this. It's a bit rough and messy and there are various mistakes because really my muse is way beautiful than this." Jongin smiles and he finds himself smiling too.
"But this sketch has everything that I have wanted to project; this unstoppable emotions of annoyance, disappointment, anger," Jongin raises an eyebrow at this but Kyungsoo's unfazed. "And of course love and adoration. And I think that's what's most important in every art work, emotion."
He didn't realize he was crying until his classmate, Junmyeon, hands him a tissue and there were applause everywhere and he couldn't understand what was happening after but his classmates kept on congratulating him so he assumed it was all good. He was actually too busy avoiding a certain pair of eyes.
When the bell rings he quickly fixes his stuff and dashes out of the room but he knows his attempts of ignoring Jongin were all in vain because really he had short legs and Jongin was Jongin with the long legs.
Jongin's got a tight grip around his wrist and he yanks him to stop and this time Kyungsoo feels the tears rolling down. He's bracing himself for the worst.
"W-what are you doing here?" He asks sniffling.
"To give you this." Jongin holds out a colorful piece of paper in his hand. "A ticket to my recital." He says unblinking.
"Oh." Kyungsoo sniffs, avoiding Jongin's eyes. Nice try, he tells himself. I knew I shouldn't have kept my hopes up.
"And to give you this." He cups Kyungsoo cheeks and leans down for a kiss.
It was a soft kiss, just their lips touching and Kyungsoo found himself wrapping his arms around Jongin's neck to pull him closer. When they part Jongin leans his forehead against Kyungsoo's.
"God you don't know how long I have wanted to do that." He says as he licks his lips, voice husky.
"Really?" Kyungsoo replies equally breathless.
Jongin intertwines their fingers together before he leads Kyungsoo out of the crowded hallway to the benches outside, away from the curious looks from the onlookers. He kept Kyungsoo's hand in a firm hold as he did.
"I just want to tell you all this before I chicken out okay?" Jongin says and Kyungsoo nods. "I'm just so grateful for you because you made me realize how important dancing was to me. My parents never really approved with me dancing but I was just so passionate about it that I managed to convince them to let me dance and if I don't make it big i'll go to med school."
"It was great at first but lately I have been losing the will to dance. I felt like crap and I didn't think I was a good dancer so I wasted my money on partying. I wanted to drown out thoughts of dancing of my parents of the pressure. I was so sick of it all and I wanted to get away from everything. Until I found you and you told me about how I danced and how I was like a flower bud… I just felt the need to dance again. And then…" He looks back at Kyungsoo with wonder and he bites his lip. "I think I've found my new reason to dance."
Kyungsoo hides his face on Jongin's shoulder. "You're so cheesy."
Jongin tightens his grip around Kyungsoo's arm. "Indeed I am, but only for you."
"So… does this mean…?" He looks back up at Jongin and the latter smiles he leans down to plant a kiss on Kyungsoo's nose.
"Only if you ask nicely."
And Kyungsoo shoves him playfully.
꿑