[J09] ABOUT ARROWS AND TARGETS (2/2)
Prompt Code: J9
Title: About arrows and targets
One month before the matching time-limit arrives college is almost over and Kyungsoo feels so relieved, he is the one asking Jongin out this time around. As friends. Sehun is on a date, therefore the two of them are eating ice cream at McDonald’s alone. The shorter is still reproaching Jongin for eating three box of chicken nuggets on his own, swearing he is going to get sick even when the Cupid tried to change the topic to the new play his friend is a part of.
Maybe Jongin can do this, being friends. Leaving behind the fact that every time Kyungsoo laughs he wants to kiss him, peck him on the nose, on the forehead, on his moles and every other part he finds beautiful in him, even those parts he can´t believe he thought weren’t attractive.
Friends. Jongin reassures himself for the third time that day. Even if Chanyeol arrives in Kyungsoo’s life, that won’t stop Jongin from being there.
Painful? It can be but he has been dealing with the idea for the past months and he is good at forgetting about it when Kyungsoo smiles.
Or when he complains.
“Are you going to keep bothering me or are you going to talk about the play for once?” Jongin complains when Kyungsoo doesn’t stop scolding him for five minutes straight.
“Shut up, besides, there isn’t much to say. It’s a musical and I need to dance in one part, something that someone promised to teach me and hasn’t made happen despite his plentitude of free time.” Kyungsoo gives him a pointed look.
Jongin hits his head on the table because he will never win an argument with Kyungsoo in his whole life.
“And don’t think you’ll be eating another nugget today.”
It’s dangerous and stupid, Jongin knows, but there is no other place he can show Kyungsoo his dancing skills but his apartment. Joonmyeon must be busy shooting arrows and Baekhyun must be out like he has been the past few months so he takes the smaller man there.
Kyungsoo sits on the couch comfortably and the Cupid places himself in the middle of the living room. He takes his shoes off, receiving an irritated grunt in reply because he isn’t wearing socks again and, plays the music on his phone.
“Classical music? Are you going to do ballet?” Kyungsoo asks raising an eyebrow with a playful (more like mocking) smile.
“You love to make fun of everything I do, don’t you?” Jongin asks both parts angry and defeated but Kyungsoo laughs and he can’t do anything but sigh.
He should start with flexions, the last time he had time to dance was weeks ago, but catching the pace seems easy every time.
Maybe it isn’t what he should be dancing now but he wants to show it to Kyungsoo. Another part of him.
+++
Kyungsoo thought it was a joke, Jongin may have delicate features, but he is actually really clumsy, so he expected him to dance to music that has a faster tempo and heavy bass. It’s almost funny, realizing he can be graceful.
For him, ballet seemed to be just flexions here and there, spins and lazy, slow movements.
He indeed starts with a spin, the steps and movements become faster but still delicate. He touches his knees, hands, torso and the smaller catches himself keeping the trail of every movement, especially when his hands lay on his face. He goes back in position and his arms are imitating waves. He spins as he throws himself to the floor only to stand up again and move his leg in a circular, sweeping motion.
He smirks, he huffs, he looks in pain and then he smiles again. It’s like telling a story, just like Kyungsoo does when he acts or sings. The music is becoming more agitated but before it ends, it melds sweetly into another melody.
Jongin is still dancing, slower with his eyes fixed on him. He is beautiful and the situation is somehow alluring and almost intimate. Especially when he smiles playfully, charming and attractive.
The music dies slowly and when Jongin stops he has that silly puppy-like smile he always carries when he greets Kyungsoo.
“It looks better when performed on water,” Jongin blurts out after a moment of awkward silence, scratching his neck.
Kyungsoo snorts at the comment and imagines in which scenario he could possibly dance on water.
“Do you dance in the shower too?” He was sure Jongin was a freak.
“That was wonderful,” he says anyway and the smile he receives is almost too bright. Maybe he will tell Jongin that his performance amazed him, that he felt attracted to it.
But that maybe dies as he speaks, because he knows exactly what to say.
“I loved the pirouettes especially, like a ballerina in a music box,” he smirks a bit as Jongin starts to whine, because he likes to see him flush in anger and embarrassment.
Kyungsoo hates himself, because he likes to tease, to provoke him. Jongin becomes touchy when he is angry and he low-key loves that. He bites his lip as the taller starts complaining; he is not only handsome but funny, especially when he whines.
The idea of Jongin being appealing settled on his mind some months ago and it´s comfortable.
Kyungsoo doesn’t consider himself a sociable person. He may be polite and talkative during the right times but he has a small circle of friends. It’s hard for him sometimes, to trust someone. But Jongin is so easy to trust, to talk to, to be with.
Since the first day he has been nice, friendly and even a bit funny. The small conversations over their Monday meetings were enjoyable too.
Then he started to visit the shop even more frequently, each time talking with Kyungsoo and sometimes Sehun. Before noticing, Kyungsoo got used to the easy smile, the long conversations and even to that childish whine.
He even missed hearing his complaints about Jongin’s roommates on Sundays.
If Kyungsoo is ‘hard to open up to’, then the cozy feeling with Jongin is a triumph in itself. And if he isn’t sure of when it started he is for sure pleased with how the things are now.
+++
“Are you even listening what I’m saying?” Jongin asks because Kyungsoo has been too silent. He is probably thinking how to shut him out with three words or less, like always.
“Oh yes, of course.”
“Well then, your turn,” he pulls the shorter off the couch because he is getting tired of the teasing.
“What? You haven´t taught me anything, that’s not fair!”
“What a chicken,” he receives a light push but he is determined. “Come here,” he takes Kyungsoo’s waist and misses the pink flush on his cheeks as he focuses on their feet. “The proper flexions are going to take a while, but stay firm, I mean, that was ballet at first and then interpretive dance but I guess I can-”
“Just show me what you did there,” he interrupts, “the leg part, I liked that one.”
Jongin grunts a bit. He breathes slowly fully knowing this isn’t a proper lesson. He is just acting the fool but Kyungsoo is playing along.
“Sure, that’s easy, you have to raise your foot, I will raise the right and you the left one, it´s ok if you don’t stretch while doing it.”
Kyungsoo follows the instructions with less grace but with eagerness, after the circular motion he puts his leg behind imitating him as a mirror. He tries to flex his left leg and fails but Jongin tries not to laugh; after all, this is not easy for him. His hands are still on his waist and the conversation drifts into supportive words, “It’s ok”, “we’ll practice on it” and “don’t worry.”
The Cupid knows he is capricious and he should drop whatever he is doing but Kyungsoo is really paying attention. He may be enjoying the contact as much as Jongin is.
The Cupid should not be thinking about that but by now he is sure Kyungsoo knows. He knows the effect he has on him; he knows Jongin is making excuses just to be this close. And if he didn’t know, Jongin is sure his blush is a clear indication of that.
But Kyungsoo isn’t backing away and it’s even more confusing.
“That is the basic footwork, so now the arms.” Jongin frees his waist and moves to his hands but stops himself from getting even closer, “Can I?”
Receiving a nod, he reaches for Kyungsoo’s hands. Without his brain’s consent their fingers interlace. He tries to make eye contact without losing the self-control he has been building since they started but he knows he is going to fail anyway. He even feels the shorter’s breathing due to the closeness.
He gives up with the ‘lesson’. He couldn’t do it anyway, not when his concentration is shot to hell, focused on Kyungsoo and nothing else. His large round eyes, his messy eyebrows, his little moles, his plush lips and his flustered cheeks keep him in place.
Even though he feels a twinge of nervousness, it´s comforting in its familiarity. It´s exactly what should be happening and it’s unfair because everything is going to be over soon.
“You’re beautiful,” Jongin blurts with a silly smile trying to keep himself distracted from leaning closer.
Nice move idiot. He knows he is going to be beaten because the smaller hates being called cute, adorable, beautiful, and every other adjective the Cupid loves describing him with. But this time there isn’t a blow, just a small vanilla-scented huff of laughter.
He isn’t aware he has been staring at Kyungsoo’s lips until the latter speaks.
“You… do you want to kiss me Jongin?” There is a faint tremor of nervousness in his voice but his eyes are determined.
Jongin gulps because he should be backing right away, but Kyungsoo’s eyes are fixed on his, trapping him.
“I’m not going anywhere, and neither you are,” says Kyungsoo when Jongin starts to back away, indecisive.
Too deep, too overwhelmed, with nothing to protect his own limits, his mind blanks.
He doesn´t know if he or Kyungsoo close the gap, but the shorter’s lips pressed to his feel soft, tender and quick. It’s a small peck and Jongin pulls back only to press them back together again, but more slowly, savoring the feel of Kyungsoo’s lips against his. Each kiss feels like a jolt of electricity traveling down his spine, raising goosebumps along the way and making him shiver.
Kyungsoo drops their intertwined fingers to wrap his arms around Jongin’s neck, and in turn Jongin tightens his hold on Kyungsoo’s waist and pulls him closer. The shorter seems to get bored of the slow pace and parts his lips bit by bit. There is a rush in the Cupid’s heart and the urge to close any gap, even when there is none by now.
He is too distracted by the way their lips meet to notice when he pushes Kyungsoo onto the couch and when he is conscious again he is already on top of him, the smaller tugging at his hair.
The idea was to keep Kyungsoo next to him but Jongin trapped himself in the process. There is no way out, at least none that he would choose on his own, but walks deeper into the trap.
He smells so good, like vanilla, tastes even sweeter and feels so nice in Jongin’s embrace. It’s so comfortable that he kicks out the bear pillow Baekhyun brought home last week off the couch.
Baekhyun.
He pulls back when he remembers the existence of his team. If they discover he took Kyungsoo home, to the living room, to the couch, it’s going to be a pain in the ass. He would be dead in a minute, maybe if he stops now he can-
“Why’d you stop?” Kyungsoo says pulling him down so Jongin returns to his lips, and when the latter feels a bite to his upper lip, he forgets about everything else.
The air feels heavy, but in a good way and there is pressure on his chest, a different kind of emotion is sprouting in his heart. He becomes aware of each part of his body that is in contact with the smaller and smiles into the kiss.
He traces Kyungsoo’s sides with his hands and the latter caresses his face with the same slow, clumsy pace. Jongin would happily die embracing Kyungsoo in this state for as long as possible, just like this.
The storm of thoughts that existed in his brain disappears and he focuses on everything he wants at the moment. Kyungsoo is the loveliest human he has ever met and he is kissing back so eagerly. He may try to keep him forever.
Or just a bit more.
Jongin could make Kyungsoo happy. He is sure he could make him happier that he ever will be with anyone else. He could make all the pieces fit, make everything alright. He could take the shorter to heaven if it’s needed or even bringing it to earth. He just needs more time.
Why did he even think about leaving Kyungsoo in the first place?
“What the fuck?!” Joonmyeon screams and Jongin pulls away. He is standing on the door with his ears turning red. That´s a pretty bad sign.
“I-I can explain,” Jongin mutters now standing in front of him.
Angry Joonmyeon can be scary but smiling Joonmyeon can be scarier, he looks at Kyungsoo with a wide grin as he gets closer.
“Sorry, it’s just that we agreed that no one should bring dates home, nothing personal,” he says.
“Oh, so-sorry,” Kyungsoo is already scrambling to stand next to Jongin with his head low.
“It´s ok, Jongin please take him to the entrance and come back, remember we have to fix the air conditioner,” he goes to his room and closes the door. Still, the younger can feel the burn of his eyes boring into him.
“He looked really mad just because you broke one rule. He was smiling but I could see his forehead veins, I thought he was going to explode.” Kyungsoo says when they reach the first floor of the complex.
“Well… he is a rule fanatic,” Jongin tries to stay calm but he knows he didn’t just break one rule, but also The Rule.
Kyungsoo stops at the main entrance and turns to Jongin who halts and jumps in place.
“What?” the shorter snorts, “I’m not going to bite you… only if you want me to.”
Jongin is head over heels for him and he can´t stop himself from giving him another peck. Kyungsoo smiles into the kiss making the Cupid incapable of letting go.
“Tomorrow… you’re free, right?” asks Kyungsoo biting his lips and looking at the floor.
“Yeah,” Jongin caresses his neck without thinking.
“Maybe you can come over to my place,” blurts Kyungsoo, “I can kick Sehun out.”
Jongin can’t say no. He could never.
When he enters the apartment he is received with Joonmyeon spraying the couch with disinfectant.
“You don’t have to do that, you know.” He stays closer to the door in case he needs to run for his life.
“Only God knows what happened here, I don’t want to guess.”
“Come on, I didn’t do anything, I’m an angel.” Humor isn’t going to make the things better dumbass.
“I´m not in the mood for jokes Jongin.” He stops and motions for the younger to get close.
“Would you mind explaining what you were doing kissing a human? More specifically, the same guy you’ve been talking about for the past few months?”
Jongin explores all the options in his head looking for anything that could calm his team leader, but he is tired of lying, and bites the bullet.
“I´m in love with him,” he sighs.
The truth feels nice.
“I know that,” Joonmyeon reaches for his hair. “Did you even stop to look at your hair? At your face?”
Jongin looks into the mirror to see that his hair is light brown, the pink barely visible. His features are slightly changed too, his face isn’t shiny and there are even sun marks. Is that a wrinkle on his forehead when he raises his eyebrow? Funny, because he has been worried to look good for Kyungsoo without really noticing the change on his hair or his features.
“This is what falling for a human makes you. You aren’t immune to love, you are over susceptible. If for a human it’s overwhelming, for you, it can be devastating. It would change you and it’s irreversible,” Joonmyeon sighs a bit defeated. “I should have told you before, I have been so irresponsible too. It´s just that, you looked so happy but I thought you understood the whole situation… Why would you do this? To the man? To yourself? Knowing he has a soulmate somewhere? Maybe he or she appeared already. You do understand what you’ve been doing at least, right?”
Jongin remembers Chanyeol hasn’t made as many appearances as he used to lately. Maybe he left the city; that would be great.
He drops himself on the couch as he tells Joonmyeon everything; how he skipped his mission, about the hidden arrow, where he has been the past month every afternoon, the month that is left to complete the task and the way he is acting like a chicken to even try to find the guy.
But he also talks about Kyungsoo.
Because even if Joonmyeon doesn’t have to hear the details and it could make the situation worse, Jongin needs it.
“You have to match them,” Joonmyeon sighs, “and stop looking at me with those pleading eyes. It’s the right thing to do and you know it, you’ve always known how this would end.”
The next morning, he carries a single arrow with him.
The Kyungsoo-effect has decreased by now and his common sense is almost fully intact, enough to understand that Joonmyeon is right. There is no way to stop the soulmates from meeting, Jongin is just slowing down the process.
He had the ability to commit, but the problem is that he, as an angel, lacks the essentials of being human: the ability to sacrifice and be patience. In a normal situation, if Jongin were human, there would be nothing to lose, the worst that could happen is heartbreak.
But Jongin is a Cupid and if Kyungsoo wakes up one morning not wanting him he would have lost more than he could handle. He can’t risk everything for a human that will never love him back in the way he wants.
In the end, this isn’t even about him, this is about Kyungsoo.
The arrow will match them, the soulmates will meet and get together with time. Love is inevitable.
Kyungsoo would reproach him for thinking that way, but Jongin has proven enough times that the arrows never fail. Even if he’d forgotten for a while.
If somehow the arrow does fail, Kyungsoo would have proved his point but Jongin still needs to go. He is selfish and self-centered, he would never let Kyungsoo find a suitable human partner.
And he deserves the best partner he can find, not Jongin.
Either way, Kyungsoo will be happy, and that is the most important thing at the moment.
He looks at his phone once again to read the familiar names. This time, he orders the pizza himself, a big pepperoni one for the apartment #306. Luckily for him, Chanyeol had still been working at Domino’s following the same route.
It’s definitely fate.
When Chanyeol knocks on the door, Kyungsoo opens it with a big smile until he spots the box. He looks confused as Chanyeol explains they received an order by the name of Oh Sehun.
Jongin holds the arrow in place and breathes slowly.
What should be better, who should he shot? The outcome will be the same but, who should pull the actions?
It has to be Chanyeol. Kyungsoo is worthy of someone who will take him as someone precious, he doesn’t want to push him into doing anything. That will be his last egoistical act, he promises.
Chanyeol is trying to sell the pizza telling a silly story about his boss being a pain in the ass and Kyungsoo seems to be enjoying it. His smile is natural and fresh and is exactly what the Cupid needs.
Maybe the things will happen anyway, since the arrow is still on Jongin’s hands but the shorter is already snorting holding his nose, that little thing he does when he is enjoying a joke. Their interaction and dialogue, though small and overall inconsequential, feels right.
Maybe the arrow won´t do anything but seal their bond, complete the actions Jongin pulled out.
He realizes then, he was the one calling and leading Chanyeol. He has been the one putting together the targets since the beginning, even with his clumsy actions. He is a Cupid anyway, one who matches soulmates.
Kyungsoo will need, no, will want the guitarist in his life.
That puts a sad smile on Jongin’s face as he shoots the arrow right into Chanyeol’s back. An arrow mark is formed, a little crack at the back of his necks.
He wants to see how they end the conversation, maybe just saying goodbye, a “See you later”, an “I will order Dominos more often” maybe, but he must leave and go downstairs.
He waits on the main entrance, sitting on the steps as he imagines every possible scenario that could happen in Kyungsoo’s apartment. He knows he is being paranoid since he knows the shorter too well. He wouldn’t do anything beyond being polite and friendly.
The difficult part is about to come, where he has to step back and let the soulmates be together. Kyungsoo will be fine, with Chanyeol in his life now he will move on from Jongin, maybe even forget him.
Jongin isn’t sure if he would be as fine.
“Better to cry a bit now than cry a river tomorrow when he gets tired and you can’t leave,” said Joonmyeon that morning.
But if Jongin could, he would repeat the experience. All of it, skipping what he has to do next. What should be the best way to leave Kyungsoo without backing away in the process?
Ten minutes have passed and that’s when Chanyeol leaves the complex, no pizza box in hand. He walks to his motorcycle.
Domino´s motorcycle, at least he doesn’t have a decent one yet.
Jongin has to visit Kyungsoo now and finish whatever was starting between them but Chanyeol’s phone rings before he turns back.
“Hi, babe” he says with his stupid deep voice.
Babe?
“No, I´m working I swear, don’t get jealous.”
Jealous?
“Fine, you got me, I love it when you get jealous, it turns me on,” he grins. “What if we solve that tonight after I end up my shift? Come on, I’m not making up for nothing. I just delivered pizza to some kids’ party, a couple, and this cute short kid who - Wait, what?! No, I did not mean it like that! Besides, he told me he was waiting for his boyfriend or something.”
Boyfriend?
Jongin stops repeating Chanyeol words in his head and runs up the stairs leaving his Cupid form behind. He isn’t sure of what is he doing but he is sure of two things, the pizza guy has a partner and Kyungsoo has one too, one that loves him very much.
If any trail of doubt is left on him, it vanishes when Kyungsoo opens the door with a bright smile and his name on his lips. Jongin throws his arms over the small to embrace him as he drops kisses on his neck and cheeks. Each one with the biggest portion of love he can give.
He is received by laughter combined with little insults, lovely ones. He wants to believe Kyungsoo, believe that arrows won’t define who you love.
Screw the soulmates, screw the Cupid work.
The match is done anyway, the end might not be happy for Jongin but the ride will definitely be. If sacrifice is needed, he is going to accept it. If pain is the outcome, he will endure it.
Even if the love he receives isn’t perfect or eternal, he is willing to try, because the little piece of heaven in his arms is worthy enough to. Some things are beautiful not because they last, but because they happened.
Maybe he will regret it with time, when Kyungsoo’s presence doesn’t cloud his judgement but he is sure he would regret it even more if he leaves now.
This is what Joonmyeon was talking about, the overwhelming emotions and the lack of limits for Jongin. But it feels right enough to let himself be caught.
“Did you tell the pizza guy I was your boyfriend?” Jongin blurts.
The silence is awkward but he is too excited to think or explain anything. Kyungsoo isn’t moving but Jongin is suddenly too shy to look at him.
He is sharply shoved and nearly falls backwards. Kyungsoo’s cheeks are a vibrant shade of pink, one that Jongin have never seen on him.
“Ask me that again, and you’re a dead man, Jongin.”
“Yeah, I like you too.” Jongin grins at his boyfriend before he’s dragged into a bruising kiss.
+++
Jongin opens his sleepy eyes at the sound of scolding. He turns to see his boyfriend shouting into his phone and pacing the room. He is probably angry with Chanyeol again because he stole Kyungsoo´s hoodie and stretched the fabric so that it was too large for Kyungsoo’s smaller frame. Not that Jongin complains.
“It’s the tenth time in three months, asshole.” He is trying so hard not to throw his phone at the wall massaging his temples.
Jongin yawns and sits scratching his neck, he picks up his clothes and goes to the kitchen dressed in boxers and a black t-shirt. He may try to cook some pancakes for Kyungsoo and Sehun, who is sleeping in the living room on the improvised bed he has been using for the past four months. Jongin is saving money to buy him a new one and change the apartment’s layout since he is living there too and his friend isn’t happy with sharing a room with them anymore.
But that may take a while since his salary as an amateur ballet teacher isn’t enough for now. Or maybe it could be if Jongin didn’t spend it on Kyungsoo, chicken, comics and puppies that already have owners.
He is cracking eggs when he hears Kyungsoo laughing. Chanyeol must have caught him off guard with a lame joke, one of those his boyfriend loves.
It was difficult at first, having Chanyeol close; it made Jongin realize he has another flaw: Jealousy. But with time he doesn’t worry anymore, of course platonic soulmates have that effect; making angry and creepy Kyungsoo laugh in just seconds. It’s the magic of it.
Kyungsoo walks into the kitchen a few minutes later and squeezes Jongin’s butt.
“Hey!” Jongin laughs and turns to give him a kiss on the temple and lips.
“You better make those edible this time,” he says casually before heading to make some juice.
Jongin is about to flip the first pancake, which looks pretty edible thank you very much, when his phone rings. He sighs as he sees the caller. Since he left his teammates, he just talks to Baekhyun through phone calls. He was the only one supporting him and even helped to investigate about other kind of soulmates. He was the one who held Jongin when the pain of his wings fading was unbearable and Kyungsoo didn’t know what to do.
Nonetheless, he can’t reproach Joonmyeon since he was just trying to protect him and make him see what he would lose. It must be time to finally make peace with him. That was probably the reason he was calling.
“Hello?” he turns to see Kyungsoo humming while scrolling through his phone.
“Yo,” says Yifan on the other side and if Jongin was afraid before, he knows he is going to die this time for sure. Surprisingly, instead of angry, Yifan sounds calm, even when he says, “Better drag your ass over here.”
“But Yifan-”
“Because Joonmyeon is going savage on Baekhyun and we need to calm him down. You won’t believe who’s been breaking the rules even before you did.”
There is a muffled sound and he hears Joonmyeon and Baekhyun’s screams. He also catches a deep and familiar voice in the background.
“Be there in a minute,” Jongin hangs up before realizing that without wings, it will take more than a minute.
There is a bang behind him and he turns to see Sehun on the floor holding onto a kitty blanket Kyungsoo is dragging away from him.
“Wake up, you lazy brat.”
Jongin is so in love.
~Fin~