(for blake_maclaren) At the Curtains of the Waterfall
For: blake_maclaren
By: Anonymous until reveals
Title: At the Curtains of the Waterfall
Rating: PG-13 for language
Length: 1869
Notes: Dear recipient, I'm sorry this is rushed, and I'm sorry that I didn't make this fluffy even though your prompt practically screams fluff. This fic has no angst, but being an angsty person, it was painful for me to write something so close to my heart, hence why I've chosen to remain anonymous.
Title from Geronimo by Sheppard.
Jongin’s username is a mash of Michael Jackson+his birth year while Yixing’s is a pun on his hangul name Ising/Issing and him proudly declaring to the internet that he can sing. I’m sorry for the lameness bye.
Warnings: Unbeta-ed and self-edited
Summary: Falling in love with your best friend is always a slow and gradual process.
2007
They met in middle school, when Jongin was in Grade 7. Yixing had just transferred from China and upon the school’s counsellor’s advice, joined Jongin’s class even though he was 2 years older than his classmates. Their school was an international school with a curriculum mirroring the American education system, and Yixing’s parents would rather him graduate late then rush his learning pace.
Yixing didn’t want to attract any more attention to himself than he already did so he kept his age and circumstances to himself. The only reason Jongin learned about it was because Jongin’s mother was a senior teacher at their school. Worried for her youngest child, she had gathered every information she could from his teachers, from his behavior in class to his choice of friends.
They met in middle school but neither of them could pinpoint the moment they became friends. All they could remember was that they both liked to talk about videogames and Japanese anime and that they were both members of the school’s dance club.
Jongin and Yixing were so inseparable that word spread like wildfire among not just their friends, but also their teachers, that they were dating. The rumors ruined Jongin’s family’s first impression of Yixing, but Jongin didn’t care. They didn’t owe anyone anything by being friends.
2008
They moved up a grade and were separated, not knowing that they will never share the same class again. Jongin became busier and busier with club activities after joining the executive committee while Yixing preferred to just have fun as a normal member. That was the year they began to have separate circles of friends and Jongin realising that he didn’t like to share Yixing.
Jongin’s mom had gotten used to Yixing tagging along whenever Jongin paid her a visit at the staff room. Although her initial impression wasn’t good, she quickly warmed up to Yixing’s infallible politeness and quirky personality. Some days Jongin would rather go over to Yixing’s mostly empty house than invite Yixing over because it wasn’t just his mother who fell in love with Yixing, but his sisters too. Even his dad would talk to Yixing as equals at the dinner table. Being jealous of his own family helped Jongin come to terms with the depth of his selfishness.
“That’s pretty funny! But thanks, I guess?” Yixing said when Jongin told him this. If they were online, Yixing would probably have replied with a ‘lmao get over yourself dude,’ instead. It wasn’t anything new since Jongin shared everything with Yixing while Yixing only opened up completely when they were chatting online.
Jongin thought that maybe that was why people assumed they were going out. It was easier to chalk up their closeness as puppy love when it made absolutely no sense.
mj94: ppl are dumb
i-sing: why
i-sing: did something happen
mj94: nah just the normal ‘are you guys dating?’ thing
i-sing: ppl are dumb
mj94: thats what i said
i-sing: oh?
i-sing: oh yeah
i-sing: sorry :P
mj94: YOU’RE the dumb one hahah
i-sing: fu
mj94: fuhahahHAHA
i-sing: you are so fucking weird
Jongin liked to save their online conversations and reread them. It didn’t matter if they were mostly empty words because to Jongin, they were anything but that. When Yixing had to reformat his computer and complained that he had lost all their chat history, Jongin found another reason to save their chats.
2009
High school threw them even further apart. Their distance were no longer measured by classes but by buildings. Jongin had decided to pursue fine arts while Yixing chose a safer career path: science. The development wasn’t a surprise to either of them. Yixing knew just how much Jongin loved dance, while Jongin understood the burden Yixing carried by being the only son in a family of engineers.
K-pop was the glue that kept their friendship from collapsing. Jongin used to focus on ballet and jazz while Yixing normally danced to American hip hop music. But that year, they spent hours after school dancing to their favorite groups’ choreographies instead of prepping for high school. Even during exam seasons, they stayed up all night watching videos and laughed at their idols’ antics on variety shows the next day in between papers.
That same year, Jongin started noticing a boy in Yixing’s class: Oh Sehun. He probably only paid attention to Sehun because Yixing spent all his time with him whenever Jongin was busy with the dance club. In any case, one night, while simultaneously chatting with Yixing and watching tv, their friendship faced its first and biggest hurdle.
i-sing: i kinda have something to tell you
i-sing: r u there?
i-sing: nvm its not important
mj94: what no hey come back
mj94: sorry i have one eye on the tv
mj94: but you have my full attention now! :D
i-sing: ...
The words ‘zyxdotjpg is typing...’ kept appearing and disappearing for a while. Jongin was tempted to go back to his show but he had a feeling he knew what Yixing wanted to say and that Jongin had to be there for Yixing when he finally makes his move.
i-sing: i think i like sehun
mj94: seriously?
mj94: that’s cool!
mj94: i mean. not like you being gay is cool in the ‘what a cool development’ way
mj94: but like, he’s nice. i like him too, but not that way. he’s a p awesome dancer.
i-sing: yeah he is
i-sing: :)
mj94: (:
Jongin didn’t tell Yixing that he was also harboring a tiny crush on Sehun. He didn’t want to make it a competition. And besides, he could never muster up the courage to admit it to anyone the way Yixing did. He wasn’t brave enough to take such a huge leap.
From then on, Yixing stepped away from the safety of a computer screen and talked to Jongin more face-to-face. They never brought up the conversation again, but whenever Sehun was mentioned, Jongin and Yixing would always nudge each other playfully.
Everyone noticed how they always managed to spend most of their time together despite practically living in different worlds. It made Jongin laugh because Yixing made him realise that the world was so much bigger than school, and none of his peers got it. No one, except Yixing.
2010-2012
They still tried to hang out every chance they get, but the pressure to succeed as not only top-scorers but all-rounders left Jongin and Yixing with no choice but to spend their free time fulfilling their basic needs. Senior year was a particularly brutal time what with their AP classes and dealing with college apps. Jongin’s sisters were all high-achievers so it went without saying that by the time graduation approached, Jongin had stretched himself too thin.
“I’m taking a year off,” Jongin said the day before their graduation. They were sitting at the school terrace after rehearsals. Yixing stretched out his arm and pulled Jongin’s head down so that it would rest comfortably in the crook of his neck. “I’m so tired.”
“Your mom’s okay with it?”
Jongin hummed in contentment as Yixing scratched his scalp gently. “She suggested it actually.”
Yixing whistled appreciatively. “That’s amazing.”
“I know right?” They spent a few minutes enjoying the silence before Yixing announced that he had applied for a pre-med course. Jongin pulled away in shock. “I thought you were going into engineering?”
Yixing mirrored his expression. “It’s kinda my dream to save lives?” He easily fended of Jongin’s half-hearted punches and slaps.
“You never told me! I’m your best friend!” Jongin forced himself to calm down when Yixing said nothing. “Did you tell your parents?”
Yixing chuckled bitterly. “I’ve sent in the applications so they can’t do anything about it. But they still made me apply at a few engineering schools as ‘backups.’”
“‘Doctor Zhang’ sounds good though. I’m sold already.” Jongin had to look away because Yixing’s smile was practically blinding. “I’m tired,” he said again and lied down, his head pillowed by Yixing’s lap.
“Better go home then, it’s almost nighttime,” Yixing said amiably, although his fingers were busy carding through Jongin’s hair. Jongin shifted from where his gaze fell on Yixing’s chin to the setting sun.
The sight tugged at Jongin’s heartstrings. It was one of the downsides of being a romantic at heart. “We’re really going our separate ways, huh?” Yixing hummed in reply. “You’re going to be busy with college and new friends. And then there’s me, probably sleeping my year away,” Jongin added.
“We’ll still be the best of friends.” Jongin knew Yixing could see him chewing on his lips. “Won’t we?” Yixing said, his voice laced with uncertainty.
“I don’t know,” Jongin admitted. “But I do know that you’re the best friend a person like me could ever have,” Jongin said seriously.
“Same here. No one can replace you.”
2015, New Years
Jongin’s parents threw a New Year’s countdown party at their home and naturally, Yixing was invited. The clock had already struck midnight and most of the revellers were sufficiently drunk. Jongin didn’t drink, he never took a liking to drinking the way his family did, but he was high enough from the atmosphere to act like he did.
He and Yixing escaped from an impromptu karaoke session held in the living room and hid in his bedroom. They were lying on Jongin’s bed in the darkness, Yixing too smashed to carry a conversation and Jongin exhausted from playing the good host. He absently played around with Yixing’s phone for lack of something better to do. Earlier, Yixing had handed his phone so Jongin could help him reply to the numerous New Years texts from friends and acquaintances.
When Jongin opened Yixing’s Instagram, he saw a photo of himself. Like drinking, Jongin had never warmed up to Instagram and many of the currently popular SNS used by everyone with a smartphone. The photo only showed a silhouette looking over the Han River, but he’d be damned if he couldn’t recognize his own body after 22 years. Reading the photo’s caption, Jongin wonder if Yixing had posted it precisely because he was sure Jongin won’t see it.
8 years. Almost a decade has passed since I came to this country and met you.
I spent 5 years trying to learn Korean slang so I could understand your stupid puns. Loser.
You like to complain that I never touched or hugged you in public, only to yell at me whenever I smack your butt. Jerk.
You’re always so honest and I’m sorry that I still struggle to translate my thoughts into words. Why won’t you learn Chinese you lazy ass!?!?! ㅠㅠㅠㅠ
You weren’t sure we’d stay together, but I believed in you, in me, in us. Here’s to another year together. And another. And another. Until forever.
(I sound confident because I know you’ll say yes ㅋㅋㅋㅋ)
“Asshole,” Jongin whispered, choking back tears. “Of course I will. Forever.” He leaned over and trailed a few kisses from Yixing’s forehead down to his lips.
Yixing blinked his eyes open groggily. “What’s that for?” he slurred. Jongin held up the phone to Yixing’s face.
“It’s me saying yes.”