"Collection 2" [3/3]
Title: "Collections 2"
Pairing: Minho/Kibum (hints of Jonghyun/Kibum), Jonghyun/Kibum, Jonghyun/Minho
Genre: AU, drama/romance
Warnings: Smut
Summary: Another couple of flashfics.
Note: Prompts from kpopficwangst except for the third one.
(A gif that I can't find anymore)
Words: 771
Minho pressed against Kibum's back and reached down to grasp his hands, encasing them in a firm grip. "Follow my lead," he said, his mouth brushing the rim of his ear, and Kibum made a face, glaring at the other three staring at them with rapt attention. Minho held Kibum's left palm facing up, and pressed his right thumb, index, and middle fingers together with his other hand. Then he moved Kibum's right hand up and down, so that the three fingers touched the center of his left palm.
Jinki jumped up and brandished an arm dramatically. "Wood pecker!"
"Wait, wait - what's the hint?" Jonghyun demanded to know. His brows furrowed and his mouth parted as he looked searchingly at the position Minho had Kibum in; yet, when he caught sight of Kibum's discomfort, he grinned with glee and stuck his tongue out.
"Just wait until it’s your turn," Kibum said, his voice soft and his smile deceptively sweet.
Jonghyun stopped grinning.
"An action," Minho reminded them.
Jinki promptly fell back onto his seat, groaning. Then he shot up again, pointing a finger at the pair. "Wood pecking?" He grinned with a flourish.
"Leap frog?" Taemin spoke up, tilting his head in thought.
Minho laughed. "Nope."
"Maybe something a little more obvious?" Kibum said loudly.
"Sewing!"
Minho pointed at Jonghyun using Kibum's hand. "You’re close!"
"Uh - "
"Tailoring!"
"Stitching?"
"Thank you," Kibum said to Taemin and made to move back to his seat. Minho tightened his hold, however, pressing his chest flush against his back.
"We're not done yet. That's not the full word, remember?"
"Close enough," he whined, glaring daggers at the grin that had made its way back on Jonghyun's face.
"Actually," Minho said, "That’s only half the word, Kibum."
"I'm pretty sure you two are breaking all the rules right now," Jonghyun pointed out.
"Okay, fine, next!"
"Keep doing the stitching," Minho instructed and, while Kibum sulkingly did as he was told, gestured by repeatedly touching his thumbs to the tips of his fingers, opening and closing his hands. Minho's hands danced around Kibum's as the 'stitching' continued (much to Kibum's chagrin) and they both looked at the members expectantly.
"...Um." Jinki blinked, and then squinted as if that would magically give him the answer. "Cinderella?" They all turned to him and stared. He shrugged. "You know, the birds flying around while Cinderella’s making her dress. While sewing?"
"Stitching," Jonghyun interrupted.
"I don't think they're birds, Jinki hyung," Taemin said, grinning. "But I think that was a really good guess, considering what we have to work with."
Jonghyun exploded with laughter, while Kibum squawked in outrage and Minho looked mildly sheepish. Meanwhile, Jinki nodded cheerfully. "Yeah, I thought so too!"
"Wait," Jonghyun wheezed, a hand on his stomach as he struggled to speak. "I think I've got it."
"Well, what is it?" He snapped and then promptly flushed as Minho gave up with his dancing hands and rested them on his hips instead. Kibum stilled immediately and his own hands dropped to his sides.
Jonghyun’s grin stretched from ear to ear. "I can't believe I didn't guess it before.” He let the silence drag on for a bit to heighten the anticipation, slinging an arm around Jinki and Taemin.
“What is it?” Jinki whispered to him, while Taemin leaned in from the other side.
“I’ll tell you in a sec - “
“Hey hyung.”
“Yeah?” Jonghyun asked, still smiling happily.
“Remember that leather jacket you bought yesterday?”
He stopped smiling.
Kibum smirked. “So what’s the answer?”
Jonghyun made a face. “Okay, okay. It’s stitch ‘n bitch.”
Jinki and Taemin looked at each other, and then looked at Kibum and Minho. “Oh,” they chorused, nodding as if they’d been enlightened of some great wisdom.
“Yes, oh,” Kibum repeated, rolling his eyes. He paused when he felt Minho’s hand traveling up to rub the nape of his neck as he stepped away. He resisted the urge to shiver and grimaced instead, though he didn’t pull away. He could see Minho’s pleased smile out of the corner of his eye.
“So, who’s next?” Jinki asked, eyes bright.
“Uh - “
“Jonghyun and me. He’ll probably need all the help he can get,” Kibum said spitefully, shoving Minho away. “You, sit and guess.”
Minho saluted with a laugh. “Yes, sir.”
Kibum dragged a protesting Jonghyun up as he accepted a card from Taemin. When he forced Jonghyun to stand in front of him, he looked down and it was finally his turn to laugh, barely able to hand it to Jonghyun for him to take a glance.
“Oh, hell no!”
Stud finder.
Wall sex
Words: 807
It was the dead of night. Kibum felt it exceptionally lucky that he hadn't tripped on the stairs and broken his neck, given how he could barely see past his nose - what a sight that would've been, for his dormmates to find in the morning.
He was thinking of this as Jonghyun shuddered, hands scrabbling uselessly at the wall he was pressed up against. He knew this because Jonghyun hadn't cut his nails in awhile; they scratched loudly against the plaster and Kibum chuckled, slipping his other hand under his shirt.
It was always quite the experience to feel Jonghyun's stomach tighten to the rhythm of Kibum's hand on his cock.
"We can't do this - " He gasped loudly, breaking off even as he reached up to grab Kibum tightly by the shoulders.
Kibum hmm-ed and brushed his thumb roughly against the head. Jonghyun's hips stuttered involuntarily, pushing up against his hand, and Kibum pressed closer, tilting his head to nuzzle at the curve of Jonghyun's neck. "Yeah, I can tell you really don't want this," he said dryly.
Jonghyun stiffened and began pushing at him, muttering angrily, "you don't understand anything, fuck off - "
"Gladly," Kibum snapped, voice hard as he shoved back at him. "But only after you stop begging for my hand on your dick." He jerked him a few more times, feeling pre-come coat his palm. "I don't see that happening anytime soon."
"Oh, shit - " Jonghyun groaned, like a song torn deep from his throat, "listen, I, didn't - " He fell silent when he found himself grasping at air, pants having slid to his knees, his boxers shoved down his hips. "Kibum?" His voice came out quiet and meek, uncertain and desperate.
Kibum sucked in a breath at the pain - dropping to his knees on the concrete floor was clearly not a good idea, it had absolutely nothing to do with his heart doing flips inside his chest - and traced his tongue over the head, before sliding his lips over it with a loud smack.
Hearing the yell above his head was gratifying - the hands coming down to grab his hair? Not so much.
Still, he let Jonghyun's quivering grip direct him and his cock slid deeper into his mouth. Kibum kept a firm grip on Jonghyun's hips instead - and just as well, because Jonghyun thrusted up just when Kibum began sucking in earnest, nearly sobbing as he found himself constrained.
"Kibum, Kibum, god, please, don't stop - " he murmured under his breath, sounding as if he was gnashing his teeth but unable to keep from letting the words spill forth.
He backed off for a second to look up, pathetically thankful Jonghyun couldn't see him right now. "Why can't you say my name like that all the time?" he said, voice raspy. Feeling the boy freeze, he leaned forward again to lick a long stripe on the underside of his cock. Then he reached up to cup his balls, stroking them as he swirled his tongue over the head again.
Jonghyun's whole body seemed to shake as he came, jumbled syllables consisting of keens and grunts floating into the air between them. When Kibum had sucked him dry, he slid down the length of the wall to land in a jumbled heap on the ground, panting heavily as he listened to Kibum smacking his lips.
"Huh. So the fruits do make it taste better."
Kibum could almost feel the heat emanating from Jonghyun's face.
"That's why you've been plying me with fruits for the past week?!"
"I actually do care about your health, believe it or not," he said sarcastically. "I'm going to bed."
He had just gotten to his feet when a hand reached out to grab at his, stopping him in his tracks. "What - "
"Would you sit down and shut up? I'm trying."
"Don't hurt yourself," Kibum muttered, sitting back down. He nearly jumped when a hand pressed between his legs and a body climbed over him until he was on his back, Jonghyun nearly chest to chest with him. Kibum pushed at him in outrage, biting his lip at the moan threatening to come out when Jonghyun began stroking him slowly through his pants. "You - "
Jonghyun kissed him, his other hand holding his chin, knees encasing his hips to keep him in place. The feel of his lips against Kibum's and the slide of his tongue was so familiar that Kibum almost - except Jonghyun was doing it for him, tracks of wetness on his cheeks smearing onto Kibum's.
"I want - " Jonghyun whispered hoarsely as he drew away, and Kibum curled a hand against the back of his neck, pulling him down again.
"Yeah," he said, and smiled against his mouth.
Bodyguard 2
Words: 986
Four hours later, Minho found Jonghyun lying on his back. The lights were off, with only the glare of the screen illuminating his closed, solemn features. The music was pounding loudly throughout the room, Jonghyun's voice passionately detailing exactly how heartbroken he was that his lover had abandoned him for someone else.
He closed the door behind him and sat down. Jonghyun tilted his chin down to look at him, and then returned to staring at the ceiling.
The dismissal was clear but Minho continued to sit there anyway, waiting as the song faded away and the next one came on. It took another three songs before Jonghyun swung his legs off the couch and sighed, picking up the remote to mute the music.
"You give up easily," was the first thing out of Minho's mouth and Jonghyun's face whipped towards him, mouth tightening with displeasure.
"They pay you to make sure I don't get jumped, not to teach me a lesson on sucking it up."
Minho frowned. "Well, if it leads to you running away to a noraebang so you can sulk over your own songs, I think the two are pretty related."
Jonghyun almost punched the guy except Minho was a good four inches taller than him and could probably kick his ass back to the office. Finally, he just threw his hands up and sighed, slouching against the couch with an air of defeat. "I'm not going back yet," he muttered. He still had his pride, after all.
He checked his watch. "You've got a couple hours before I have to drag you back so they don't dock my pay."
"Gee, how can I ever thank you?" Sarcasm dripped from every word.
"Why are you so upset?"
Jonghyun had to take a second look before he realized Minho was serious and that the question was genuine.
"Really? You're asking me that?"
Minho rolled his eyes and got comfortable on the couch. He figured the only solution to prevent Jonghyun from blowing out his own eardrums was to get him talking, though Minho feared for his own - god knows Kim Jonghyun, R&B singer extraordinaire, could talk anyone's ear off.
"Yeah." Well, he wasn't lying either. "Take it as constructive criticism and move on."
Jonghyun raked a hand through his hair in frustration. "It's not that simple, okay?"
"It sounds simple to me. You've cancelled two recording sessions because you're letting one bad review get under your skin."
"One review that said I was dispassionate and sang crap tunes to make money, just because I had the voice to pull it off!" Jonghyun exploded, outrage etched on his face.
Minho stared at him for a second. Then he laughed. "That's a pretty backhanded compliment."
"Oh, screw you."
"Do you believe that?"
Jonghyun fell silent and his eyes dropped to the floor, steadfastedly avoiding his gaze. It was pretty obvious from the beginning - from Minho's own experience, criticism hit the hardest when you knew it was true. He also knew that when you accepted mediocrity as a satisfying outcome, you could hardly blame the critics for pointing it out.
He watched as Jonghyun struggled not to react, his shoulders tense beneath his thin jacket.
Finally, Jonghyun sighed. "Sometimes...Sometimes I really hate those screaming girls."
Minho stared. Then he started laughing again.
The singer blushed scarlet and pushed him lightly on the shoulder. "Shut up, it's not funny."
"Actually," Minho said, stopping to catch his breath, "it's hilarious."
"They just remind me of what the hell I'm doing with my career, okay?" Jonghyun leaned forward tiredly.
"What are you doing with your career?"
"I like dancing," he continued, as if he hadn't heard Minho, "but I really suck at it. And I'm pretty sure I'm on my twenty-eighth break up in terms of how many times I've sung about it."
"You player, you".
Jonghyun gave him a dirty look. "Also? I don't like how I need a bodyguard."
"Can't say I agree. A regular income is pretty nice."
"I know this is like biting the hand that feeds me but - " he rubbed a hand over his face and stopped, as if he didn't know how to finish that sentence.
Minho had a feeling he probably didn't. It felt odd to suddenly remember that both of them were barely in their twenties and that fucking up was par for the course. Making the wrong decisions, having to admit to it, trying to change facts that may seem unchangeable one day and so insignificant the next.
But there was no way to convey this to Jonghyun, not without talking about his own past - and shame was a lot harder to explain and rationalize.
Jonghyun, on the other hand, was not sure how, and nor was he willing, to tell Minho that his dream had splintered down the middle during his youth, and how the offer made by SM Entertainment had seemed like a light at the end of the tunnel.
When the silence dragged on for too long, Minho stood up. Jonghyun looked up at him, blinking.
"If you're going to continue moping here, at least go home before it gets too late. I'll go back and let them know you're still in one piece." With just that hanging between them, he left the room, shutting the door quietly behind him.
He waited, leaning back with arms crossed over his chest. The songs began blaring behind him again; it felt as though the wall was shaking. Minho closed his eyes and remembered the day he'd heard Jonghyun on the radio for the first time, and all the subsequent times from his iPod, over and over again until he heard his voice in his dreams.
When he heard the recorded voice disappear, replaced by the sound of Jonghyun clearing his throat and tentatively beginning to sing, he smiled.
Pairing: Minho/Kibum (hints of Jonghyun/Kibum), Jonghyun/Kibum, Jonghyun/Minho
Genre: AU, drama/romance
Warnings: Smut
Summary: Another couple of flashfics.
Note: Prompts from kpopficwangst except for the third one.
(A gif that I can't find anymore)
Words: 771
Minho pressed against Kibum's back and reached down to grasp his hands, encasing them in a firm grip. "Follow my lead," he said, his mouth brushing the rim of his ear, and Kibum made a face, glaring at the other three staring at them with rapt attention. Minho held Kibum's left palm facing up, and pressed his right thumb, index, and middle fingers together with his other hand. Then he moved Kibum's right hand up and down, so that the three fingers touched the center of his left palm.
Jinki jumped up and brandished an arm dramatically. "Wood pecker!"
"Wait, wait - what's the hint?" Jonghyun demanded to know. His brows furrowed and his mouth parted as he looked searchingly at the position Minho had Kibum in; yet, when he caught sight of Kibum's discomfort, he grinned with glee and stuck his tongue out.
"Just wait until it’s your turn," Kibum said, his voice soft and his smile deceptively sweet.
Jonghyun stopped grinning.
"An action," Minho reminded them.
Jinki promptly fell back onto his seat, groaning. Then he shot up again, pointing a finger at the pair. "Wood pecking?" He grinned with a flourish.
"Leap frog?" Taemin spoke up, tilting his head in thought.
Minho laughed. "Nope."
"Maybe something a little more obvious?" Kibum said loudly.
"Sewing!"
Minho pointed at Jonghyun using Kibum's hand. "You’re close!"
"Uh - "
"Tailoring!"
"Stitching?"
"Thank you," Kibum said to Taemin and made to move back to his seat. Minho tightened his hold, however, pressing his chest flush against his back.
"We're not done yet. That's not the full word, remember?"
"Close enough," he whined, glaring daggers at the grin that had made its way back on Jonghyun's face.
"Actually," Minho said, "That’s only half the word, Kibum."
"I'm pretty sure you two are breaking all the rules right now," Jonghyun pointed out.
"Okay, fine, next!"
"Keep doing the stitching," Minho instructed and, while Kibum sulkingly did as he was told, gestured by repeatedly touching his thumbs to the tips of his fingers, opening and closing his hands. Minho's hands danced around Kibum's as the 'stitching' continued (much to Kibum's chagrin) and they both looked at the members expectantly.
"...Um." Jinki blinked, and then squinted as if that would magically give him the answer. "Cinderella?" They all turned to him and stared. He shrugged. "You know, the birds flying around while Cinderella’s making her dress. While sewing?"
"Stitching," Jonghyun interrupted.
"I don't think they're birds, Jinki hyung," Taemin said, grinning. "But I think that was a really good guess, considering what we have to work with."
Jonghyun exploded with laughter, while Kibum squawked in outrage and Minho looked mildly sheepish. Meanwhile, Jinki nodded cheerfully. "Yeah, I thought so too!"
"Wait," Jonghyun wheezed, a hand on his stomach as he struggled to speak. "I think I've got it."
"Well, what is it?" He snapped and then promptly flushed as Minho gave up with his dancing hands and rested them on his hips instead. Kibum stilled immediately and his own hands dropped to his sides.
Jonghyun’s grin stretched from ear to ear. "I can't believe I didn't guess it before.” He let the silence drag on for a bit to heighten the anticipation, slinging an arm around Jinki and Taemin.
“What is it?” Jinki whispered to him, while Taemin leaned in from the other side.
“I’ll tell you in a sec - “
“Hey hyung.”
“Yeah?” Jonghyun asked, still smiling happily.
“Remember that leather jacket you bought yesterday?”
He stopped smiling.
Kibum smirked. “So what’s the answer?”
Jonghyun made a face. “Okay, okay. It’s stitch ‘n bitch.”
Jinki and Taemin looked at each other, and then looked at Kibum and Minho. “Oh,” they chorused, nodding as if they’d been enlightened of some great wisdom.
“Yes, oh,” Kibum repeated, rolling his eyes. He paused when he felt Minho’s hand traveling up to rub the nape of his neck as he stepped away. He resisted the urge to shiver and grimaced instead, though he didn’t pull away. He could see Minho’s pleased smile out of the corner of his eye.
“So, who’s next?” Jinki asked, eyes bright.
“Uh - “
“Jonghyun and me. He’ll probably need all the help he can get,” Kibum said spitefully, shoving Minho away. “You, sit and guess.”
Minho saluted with a laugh. “Yes, sir.”
Kibum dragged a protesting Jonghyun up as he accepted a card from Taemin. When he forced Jonghyun to stand in front of him, he looked down and it was finally his turn to laugh, barely able to hand it to Jonghyun for him to take a glance.
“Oh, hell no!”
Stud finder.
Wall sex
Words: 807
It was the dead of night. Kibum felt it exceptionally lucky that he hadn't tripped on the stairs and broken his neck, given how he could barely see past his nose - what a sight that would've been, for his dormmates to find in the morning.
He was thinking of this as Jonghyun shuddered, hands scrabbling uselessly at the wall he was pressed up against. He knew this because Jonghyun hadn't cut his nails in awhile; they scratched loudly against the plaster and Kibum chuckled, slipping his other hand under his shirt.
It was always quite the experience to feel Jonghyun's stomach tighten to the rhythm of Kibum's hand on his cock.
"We can't do this - " He gasped loudly, breaking off even as he reached up to grab Kibum tightly by the shoulders.
Kibum hmm-ed and brushed his thumb roughly against the head. Jonghyun's hips stuttered involuntarily, pushing up against his hand, and Kibum pressed closer, tilting his head to nuzzle at the curve of Jonghyun's neck. "Yeah, I can tell you really don't want this," he said dryly.
Jonghyun stiffened and began pushing at him, muttering angrily, "you don't understand anything, fuck off - "
"Gladly," Kibum snapped, voice hard as he shoved back at him. "But only after you stop begging for my hand on your dick." He jerked him a few more times, feeling pre-come coat his palm. "I don't see that happening anytime soon."
"Oh, shit - " Jonghyun groaned, like a song torn deep from his throat, "listen, I, didn't - " He fell silent when he found himself grasping at air, pants having slid to his knees, his boxers shoved down his hips. "Kibum?" His voice came out quiet and meek, uncertain and desperate.
Kibum sucked in a breath at the pain - dropping to his knees on the concrete floor was clearly not a good idea, it had absolutely nothing to do with his heart doing flips inside his chest - and traced his tongue over the head, before sliding his lips over it with a loud smack.
Hearing the yell above his head was gratifying - the hands coming down to grab his hair? Not so much.
Still, he let Jonghyun's quivering grip direct him and his cock slid deeper into his mouth. Kibum kept a firm grip on Jonghyun's hips instead - and just as well, because Jonghyun thrusted up just when Kibum began sucking in earnest, nearly sobbing as he found himself constrained.
"Kibum, Kibum, god, please, don't stop - " he murmured under his breath, sounding as if he was gnashing his teeth but unable to keep from letting the words spill forth.
He backed off for a second to look up, pathetically thankful Jonghyun couldn't see him right now. "Why can't you say my name like that all the time?" he said, voice raspy. Feeling the boy freeze, he leaned forward again to lick a long stripe on the underside of his cock. Then he reached up to cup his balls, stroking them as he swirled his tongue over the head again.
Jonghyun's whole body seemed to shake as he came, jumbled syllables consisting of keens and grunts floating into the air between them. When Kibum had sucked him dry, he slid down the length of the wall to land in a jumbled heap on the ground, panting heavily as he listened to Kibum smacking his lips.
"Huh. So the fruits do make it taste better."
Kibum could almost feel the heat emanating from Jonghyun's face.
"That's why you've been plying me with fruits for the past week?!"
"I actually do care about your health, believe it or not," he said sarcastically. "I'm going to bed."
He had just gotten to his feet when a hand reached out to grab at his, stopping him in his tracks. "What - "
"Would you sit down and shut up? I'm trying."
"Don't hurt yourself," Kibum muttered, sitting back down. He nearly jumped when a hand pressed between his legs and a body climbed over him until he was on his back, Jonghyun nearly chest to chest with him. Kibum pushed at him in outrage, biting his lip at the moan threatening to come out when Jonghyun began stroking him slowly through his pants. "You - "
Jonghyun kissed him, his other hand holding his chin, knees encasing his hips to keep him in place. The feel of his lips against Kibum's and the slide of his tongue was so familiar that Kibum almost - except Jonghyun was doing it for him, tracks of wetness on his cheeks smearing onto Kibum's.
"I want - " Jonghyun whispered hoarsely as he drew away, and Kibum curled a hand against the back of his neck, pulling him down again.
"Yeah," he said, and smiled against his mouth.
Bodyguard 2
Words: 986
Four hours later, Minho found Jonghyun lying on his back. The lights were off, with only the glare of the screen illuminating his closed, solemn features. The music was pounding loudly throughout the room, Jonghyun's voice passionately detailing exactly how heartbroken he was that his lover had abandoned him for someone else.
He closed the door behind him and sat down. Jonghyun tilted his chin down to look at him, and then returned to staring at the ceiling.
The dismissal was clear but Minho continued to sit there anyway, waiting as the song faded away and the next one came on. It took another three songs before Jonghyun swung his legs off the couch and sighed, picking up the remote to mute the music.
"You give up easily," was the first thing out of Minho's mouth and Jonghyun's face whipped towards him, mouth tightening with displeasure.
"They pay you to make sure I don't get jumped, not to teach me a lesson on sucking it up."
Minho frowned. "Well, if it leads to you running away to a noraebang so you can sulk over your own songs, I think the two are pretty related."
Jonghyun almost punched the guy except Minho was a good four inches taller than him and could probably kick his ass back to the office. Finally, he just threw his hands up and sighed, slouching against the couch with an air of defeat. "I'm not going back yet," he muttered. He still had his pride, after all.
He checked his watch. "You've got a couple hours before I have to drag you back so they don't dock my pay."
"Gee, how can I ever thank you?" Sarcasm dripped from every word.
"Why are you so upset?"
Jonghyun had to take a second look before he realized Minho was serious and that the question was genuine.
"Really? You're asking me that?"
Minho rolled his eyes and got comfortable on the couch. He figured the only solution to prevent Jonghyun from blowing out his own eardrums was to get him talking, though Minho feared for his own - god knows Kim Jonghyun, R&B singer extraordinaire, could talk anyone's ear off.
"Yeah." Well, he wasn't lying either. "Take it as constructive criticism and move on."
Jonghyun raked a hand through his hair in frustration. "It's not that simple, okay?"
"It sounds simple to me. You've cancelled two recording sessions because you're letting one bad review get under your skin."
"One review that said I was dispassionate and sang crap tunes to make money, just because I had the voice to pull it off!" Jonghyun exploded, outrage etched on his face.
Minho stared at him for a second. Then he laughed. "That's a pretty backhanded compliment."
"Oh, screw you."
"Do you believe that?"
Jonghyun fell silent and his eyes dropped to the floor, steadfastedly avoiding his gaze. It was pretty obvious from the beginning - from Minho's own experience, criticism hit the hardest when you knew it was true. He also knew that when you accepted mediocrity as a satisfying outcome, you could hardly blame the critics for pointing it out.
He watched as Jonghyun struggled not to react, his shoulders tense beneath his thin jacket.
Finally, Jonghyun sighed. "Sometimes...Sometimes I really hate those screaming girls."
Minho stared. Then he started laughing again.
The singer blushed scarlet and pushed him lightly on the shoulder. "Shut up, it's not funny."
"Actually," Minho said, stopping to catch his breath, "it's hilarious."
"They just remind me of what the hell I'm doing with my career, okay?" Jonghyun leaned forward tiredly.
"What are you doing with your career?"
"I like dancing," he continued, as if he hadn't heard Minho, "but I really suck at it. And I'm pretty sure I'm on my twenty-eighth break up in terms of how many times I've sung about it."
"You player, you".
Jonghyun gave him a dirty look. "Also? I don't like how I need a bodyguard."
"Can't say I agree. A regular income is pretty nice."
"I know this is like biting the hand that feeds me but - " he rubbed a hand over his face and stopped, as if he didn't know how to finish that sentence.
Minho had a feeling he probably didn't. It felt odd to suddenly remember that both of them were barely in their twenties and that fucking up was par for the course. Making the wrong decisions, having to admit to it, trying to change facts that may seem unchangeable one day and so insignificant the next.
But there was no way to convey this to Jonghyun, not without talking about his own past - and shame was a lot harder to explain and rationalize.
Jonghyun, on the other hand, was not sure how, and nor was he willing, to tell Minho that his dream had splintered down the middle during his youth, and how the offer made by SM Entertainment had seemed like a light at the end of the tunnel.
When the silence dragged on for too long, Minho stood up. Jonghyun looked up at him, blinking.
"If you're going to continue moping here, at least go home before it gets too late. I'll go back and let them know you're still in one piece." With just that hanging between them, he left the room, shutting the door quietly behind him.
He waited, leaning back with arms crossed over his chest. The songs began blaring behind him again; it felt as though the wall was shaking. Minho closed his eyes and remembered the day he'd heard Jonghyun on the radio for the first time, and all the subsequent times from his iPod, over and over again until he heard his voice in his dreams.
When he heard the recorded voice disappear, replaced by the sound of Jonghyun clearing his throat and tentatively beginning to sing, he smiled.