Making an Exception 40/41
Title: Making an Exception 40/41
Pairing: Jongkey, side!2min
Rating: PG15-R
Genre: high school!au, angst, romance
Summary: Filthy. Disgusting. Unnatural. Wrong. Jonghyun had always been taught that homosexuality was nothing less than revolting. He never questioned the fact, though he never saw what exactly was so bad about it... But after he meets the subtly-rebellious and always-honest boy who prefers to be called "Key", he finds himself wondering... If it was wrong, then why did it always make him so happy? And if it was so unnatural, then why can't he make it stop?
Jonghyun glanced up from his green-paged journal, watching the back of his boyfriend's head for a few seconds as the younger worked on his homework at his desk.
The older twirled his frog-charm pencil in his fingers for a few seconds, trying to gather strength and think of the best way to begin this conversation.
He looked back down at his page and doodled a little key in the top margin (he'd gotten pretty good at drawing those, actually…), clearing his throat and backing out.
It was when Key started tapping his pen on his desk that Jonghyun looked at the back of his head once again.
He swallowed. "Hey Key?"
"Hmm?" The younger asked, pressing his hand to his cheek and not facing Jonghyun.
"You know that conversation me and your mom had this morning?"
Key hesitated, shoulders going stiff. "Yeah…"
"Well, I…" His eyes went back to his paper, mindlessly shading the key now, "I found somewhere to go."
At this, Key flipped around in his seat, eyes wide. "You did?"
Jonghyun nodded, glancing up.
"Where?"
"Onew's place… He said that if I needed somewhere to go, then I could live with him." The older didn't want to look up for fear of the expression on Key's face, but he knew that he had to…
It was as bad as he thought it would be.
Key's eyes were downcast, shoulders slumped, bangs covering most of his face as he slowly, dejectedly nodded.
Fuck.
Jonghyun quickly made his way to the desk and knelt in front of the chair, taking both of Key's hands and facing him. "What's wrong, Key?"
Key bit his lip and shrugged.
The older brought one hand up to kiss the back of it before holding it tenderly to his cheek. "Please talk to me," He said, genuine concern in his voice.
The younger lifted his bowed head and it was then that Jonghyun's heart clenched, seeing unshed tears wetting them. "I guess I just… I don't know. I liked having you here."
Jonghyun was endeared beyond belief at his words, smiling gently albeit sadly. "We can't just live together, you know… We're still in high school." He rationalized, though the thought was just as hurtful to him as it was to Key.
"I know…" Key sighed, thumbs running over the tops of Jonghyun's hands, bringing them both back to his lap. "I'm going to miss it, though."
Jonghyun's chest tightened and he willed himself not to let any moisture invade his tear ducts. "I'm going to miss it too,"
"Really?" Key asked hopefully, face lighting up but still so dim in comparison to how it usually was.
Jonghyun nodded. "Of course I will, Key… For two entire weeks I got to wake up with you right there with me, I got to eat every meal with you… I got to go to school with you and see you there…" He blushed lightly, "I got to spend the nights with you when we didn't get much sleeping done at all…"
The younger did the same, ducking his head with a smile.
Jonghyun smiled playfully. "We got a taste of what it would be like to be married."
Key smiled, but his was weaker, still more upset.
The older pulled his hand in again for a kiss. "Hopefully," He whispered against the smooth, pale skin, "When we actually get married, we won't be living with your mom."
Key managed to laugh, and Jonghyun felt accomplished at the sound.
But then the younger's smile fell slightly, looking troubled. "When did he say you could move in?"
Jonghyun almost didn't want to tell him. "Tomorrow,"
He nodded, now expressionless. "Then should we start packing?"
"Key…" Jonghyun began sadly, trying to get his attention, "Kibum," He shook his hand lightly.
"I'm fine, Jonghyun, don't worry," He plastered a false smile on his face.
"Kibum, you know that nothing is going to change between us, right? I'm going to be over all the time, just like I was before…" He trailed off, the uncomfortable churn in his stomach still ever-prevalent at the thought of his past home life.
"I know. I'm being stupid. I'm sorry." Key shook his head. "We should still pack, if you're going tomorrow…" He made to stand up.
"You don't need to finish your homework?" Jonghyun asked, worried.
"It can wait," Key said with a nonchalant shrug.
Jonghyun nodded and stood as well, brushing Key's hair out of his face so he could have a clear view of his pretty brown eyes.
"Packing, Jjong?" Key reminded him as Jonghyun's hand trailed down to his jawline.
The older's gaze didn't move from Key's lips. "It can wait," He said huskily before moving in to capture them with his own.
Jonghyun's favorite thing in the world was the feeling of Key's shallow breath ghosting on his neck as he held the younger boy close after lovemaking, their bodies shivering from the last bits of sensation and the chill from the sweat evaporating on their skin; Key always cuddled close to Jonghyun, holding loosely onto his waist, burying his face in the crook of his neck as he caught his breath. Jonghyun couldn't get enough of the feeling of the warm air beating on his skin as he wrapped an arm around the younger's slender body.
"Jonghyun," Key whispered, clenching his fingers on Jonghyun's waist to get his attention.
"Yeah?" Jonghyun asked, still just as winded as the younger, if not more so.
"I'm cold," He complained.
The older grinned. "Do you want to go shower?"
Key groaned as if it was such a troubling thought. "I guess I should… Come with me?"
His smile turned sly. "You know I can't say no to you."
In the end, showering ended up taking three times longer than it needed to, what with the way that the two played around needlessly with soap beards and mustaches, Jonghyun always so sensual as he lathered Key's body with the sweet-smelling body wash he so adored, and of course the fact that they got caught up kissing and let their hands wander too much to be ignored, fingers deftly stroking each other in between their bodies until all of the effort put into washing off was voided out and they had to start all over.
(Jonghyun always quite enjoyed showers with Key.)
By the time they stepped out onto the bathroom tiles, the water had already run cold and they were shivering again with only towels around their waists to keep them warm (which was, ironically, their goal in the first place…).
They were standing in Key's bedroom cutely re-dressing each other, Jonghyun having just pulled Key's fresh t-shirt over his wet hair, leaving him in only that and his favorite pink boxers, when Key's phone started buzzing from his desk.
Glaring at the device, resentful that it ruined their adorable moment, Jonghyun walked over and picked it up, surprised to see that it was his own sister calling. "It's my noona," He announced to Key, who was shuffling into black sweatpants.
"Answer it,"
Jonghyun, still only wearing his boxers and a black tank-top, did. "Hello?"
"Hey, Hyun-ah," She sounded tired on the other line.
"Are you okay?" Jonghyun asked, instantly worried.
"Dad is threatening to throw all of your stuff away if you don't come get it." She got straight to the point, still seeming exhausted by the whole exchange.
Jonghyun's stomach jolted. "Oh."
"Yeah," She said dryly. "So do you want me to bring it to you, or…?"
"Um…" He thought for a second, dreading any confrontation but not wanting to put his sister through anything unnecessarily. He figured that her doing anything on her own would cause more family problems than needed… He was happy to know that she supported him, but until she was financially ready to move out as she said she was going to, she was still relying on their parents for a place to live. "I'll get it, if you'll come pick me up."
"Are you sure?" Songdam sounded unsure.
"Yeah, it's fine. I'll just pack it up so I can… you know. Get out of their hair." He finished bitterly.
"All right… I'll be over in about ten minutes."
"Okay. I'll see you then." He hung up Key's phone and ran a hand through his still-damp hair.
Key walked up to him with a towel, draping it over his head and gently rubbing out the moisture from his hair. "What is it?"
Jonghyun looked at him, now understanding where Songdam was coming from with seeming so exhausted. "My dad is threatening to throw all of my stuff away. So she's coming to get me so I can pick it up."
Key's hands stilled and his brows rose. "You're… going back?"
He nodded, picking his hands up to pluck the towel out of his hair and instead start drying Key's, which was wetter.
"But… Are you sure that's a good idea?" Key steadied himself by placing his hands on Jonghyun's hips.
"No," Jonghyun replied honestly, "But I… I don't know. I feel like I need to."
"Do you want… I mean…" Key looked at him with uncertainty in his eyes. "Do you want me to go with you?"
Jonghyun thought for a second, but only for a second, as the answer was obvious. "I don't think it's a good idea. You know what it's been like every time you go near that place…"
Key nodded in understanding, raising his hands to grab Jonghyun's and hold them close to his chest as he pressed a kiss to his lips.
Jonghyun didn't even realize until then how much he needed it, the anxiety that'd been on high melting away at the feel of Key's lips.
When the younger pulled back, it was only enough to fit his chin on Jonghyun's shoulder and wrap his arms securely around his waist, Jonghyun's doing the same.
Jonghyun smiled lightly and whispered, "I'll be fine, Key, don't worry," More for his own sanity than for Key's.
Still, the younger nodded and breathed out an "okay", not making a move to remove himself from Jonghyun's hold.
Jonghyun shut his eyes, content to stand here and feel the warmth of the other's body against his own, comforting and familiar and exactly what he needed.
Key's phone buzzed again some minutes later, and Jonghyun didn't even bother answering it, as he knew that it was his sister's signal that she was there.
It was only then that Jonghyun untwined himself from Key and hastily threw on a pair of jeans and a hoodie, heading to the door.
Key followed him, placing a hand on his shoulder to turn him around when he reached the door, kissing him once more.
"I'll be back soon," Jonghyun said softly and left the apartment.
His sister was ever-excited to see him, despite the circumstances, as he climbed into the passenger's seat. "Hey," She greeted him cheerfully.
"Hey," Jonghyun tried to match her energy, but just couldn’t. Now, without the comfort of his boyfriend there, everything was suddenly becoming a bit too real, the thought of going back to the house again when he'd promised himself he wouldn't making him shiver with fear.
She seemed to sense this, choosing to speak to fill up the tense air. "So… how's school going?"
"Fine," He answered simply, the only real way to describe his mundane school life, "The same as always, really. Spending mornings and lunch in the music room and everything-" He stopped, realizing that he hadn't yet told Songdam about Onew's offer. If anyone should know, it was her.
"You okay?" She noted his sudden halt.
"I was just remembering something… I'm… I'm actually not going to be living with Key after tomorrow."
Songdam glanced over with wild eyes. "What? Why not?"
"Well," He began a bit awkwardly, "His mom is kind of… uncomfortable with the whole thing, since she's at work most of the time and me and Key are there alone together…"
She furrowed her brows in confusion.
"She doesn't like that we're having sex already." Jonghyun resorted to bluntness to get his point across.
"Oh…" She nodded in understanding. "But, does she know why you're staying there…?"
"Yeah, I told her about everything. She's not kicking me out or anything… I just don't want to cause any problems between her and Key and everything, you know?" He explained.
"I guess that makes sense… But who are you going with? Minho?" She asked.
"No, Onew, actually."
"Who?" Her brows scrunched together once again.
"You know… The music teacher? He was my friend when he went to my school, too." He tried to jog her memory.
"I've never met him, have I?" She seemed troubled.
"I don't think so."
"I'd like to, if he's the one I have to trust you with." She shot him a playful smile, though seriousness was underlying her tone.
"Okay," He tried to think of a time when they could meet, "I'm going there after school tomorrow, so… I guess I'll call you then to let you know where the new place is and everything?"
"Sounds good," She agreed right as they were driving up to the place that Jonghyun for so long called "home".
It wasn't until then that Jonghyun even realized they were close to the house. His stomach dropped terribly and his breath wouldn't go all the way down his throat.
"Jonghyun, you really don't have to-"
"No, I'll do it," He said, voice sounding oddly distant. He got back out of the car and made a beeline for the front door before he had a chance to back out.
She still unlocked the door for him, and when he walked it, it was with infinite amounts more confidence than he ever expected to have.
Songdam stood just in front of the doorway, probably playing referee just in case.
I'm getting my stuff and I'm leaving.
That's it.
"What are you doing here?"
Fuck.
Jonghyun stopped dead in his tracks, not averting his eyes from his destination: his old bedroom door.
There was so much raw hatred running through him at that moment that he was rendered completely speechless.
"I'm getting my stuff." He responded, words clipped and harsh. "And then I'll leave and you never have to deal with me again."
Without waiting for a response, Jonghyun continued on the path to what used to be his bedroom, breathing coming sharper with every step, because as much as he just wanted to be angry, just loathe the situation with his entire being, he couldn't even begin to deny how much it hurt to be here again.
When he got to the room, he was surprised to see that it was completely bare, nothing on the walls, on the bed, on the desk. The closet doors were open, the interior completely empty.
The only things in the entire room were three garbage bags off to the side, straining with their contents.
He assumed that those were the bags of stuff that his father had threatened to throw out.
Well, He thought bitterly, At least it's already packed for me.
He struggled just slightly to find out a way to drag the three very heavy bags out of the room, having to use all of his strength to even pull them into the hallway.
"Where have you been staying?" His father's voice asked, levelly as ever.
Jonghyun grimaced, stomach churning with abhorrence for the man who caused all of the pain in his life lately. "Where do you think I've been staying?" He snapped, not even bothering to glance at him as he continued to walk backwards down the hall, hands fisted in the plastic of the three bags.
He could hear the growl in his father's throat from where he stood at the mouth of the hall.
Jonghyun didn't give a fuck if his dad approved of where he was staying or not.
It was his fault that he had nowhere to go in the first place.
He had no right to tell him where he had to go when he was kicked out.
"Jonghyun, you do realize that Kibum is-"
"The best thing that's ever happened to me? The reason why I'm still sane after that shit you pulled? Yeah, I realize that. You said it yourself. I'm no longer your son, so why do you give a damn what I do?" He bit back, fighting to keep his voice from raising with the amount of animosity soaking every single word.
"Fuck," Jonghyun cursed under his breath, having to take a break at the end of the hallway, because pulling the bags was seriously hurting his back, muscles in his arms beginning to ache.
"Jonghyun, what you're doing is wrong."
Jonghyun shut his eyes, gritted his teeth, and clenched his teeth, forcing himself to breathe evenly through his nose. "I'm doing," His voice shook despite everything, "Nothing wrong."
"You're with a boy-"
"Who I am very much in love with, thank you. That's not going to change." He all-but growled, still facing the end of the hall and not the man who was the cause of everything.
A rush of adrenaline pushed through his veins and he found the strength to drag the bags through the entire living room and to the front door in one move, not halting even once to breathe, let alone acknowledge his father.
"Jonghyun." The voice stopped him again right at the door, where Songdam walked out first.
He finally turned around to face his father, and the expression he saw on the older man's face was actually rather startling…
It was completely unreadable, because there was so much mixed in that it just seemed… gray.
From what he could see, there were the usual control issues, the hatred and resentment for his son, the disgust, the bigotry… but if he looked hard enough, Jonghyun thought he could see just the slightest bits of remorse, of regret.
"Jonghyun, you're not 'in love' with Kibum. Kibum is a boy, and that's-"
"Let me stop you there." Jonghyun cut him off, blood boiling.
His father's brows shot up in surprise.
"Nothing," Jonghyun put extra emphasis on the word, "You say is going to change anything. Why would it? I came back here so I could get this," He gestured to the bags at his feet, "Not so I could cry and beg for you to take me back." His frown grew more pronounced with every word.
"What you're doing is-"
"None of your business." He interrupted again with finality. "You do realize that you did this, don't you? I didn't leave on my own accord. You kicked me out of the house. This wasn't my choice, it was yours. I've accepted that, and I'm moving on. You are the one who wanted this."
The man's mouth fell open, and for the first time in his life, Jonghyun saw him struggle with words.
He didn't care.
He didn't fucking care.
There wasn't an ounce of pity in Jonghyun's entire body for his father. Not after everything he'd done.
If he was going to fucking regret throwing Jonghyun out, then he should have thought about that when Jonghyun was crying on the doorstep, not now, when he was finally coming to accept that to have Key he couldn't have his parents.
It was not his father's right to try to convince him of anything, because he was the one who asked for it.
"I hope he's worth this." His father finally got out, voice solid and unbroken.
Jonghyun didn't waver, meeting his father's eyes with the utmost conviction. "He is."
He turned the doorknob and (thankfully the adrenaline was still in effect) tossed the bags out first before stepping across the threshold for what he swore was the last time.
"Jonghyun-"
For the first time, his father's voice calling his name didn't render Jonghyun motionless.
Without a shred of remorse, Jonghyun slammed the door behind him and began once again to his sister's car.
No regrets, he promised himself.
It was a sincere thought, spurred on by the knowledge that Key was going to be there waiting, worried and caring, when he got back.
No regrets.
A/N - I was cheering for Jonghyun so hard when I was writing this, I swear :') Go Jonghyun, go!!!
Aaannddd.. there was that split-second shower scene that I was talking about a while back on that tumblarr place.. I told you it was like.. three words long. OTL I NEED MORE JONGKEY SHOWER SEX, I SWEAR.
FUN FACT for everyone who cares about Jonghyun's mom.. she was at home during this chapter. She just didn't come out of her room, for fear of confrontation. Super kewl, huh?? I dislike Jonghyun's mom quite a bit, if you can't tell OTL
Oh, and everyone who doesn't like Key's mom.. just put yourself in her shoes, really. She may seem kind of mean, but she's really just protective of Key and doesn't want him to get hurt. She knows that he's already been hurt just earlier that year (even if she doesn't know it was by the same person he's dating now) by some guy, and she doesn't want him to be rushing into a relationship that ends up badly. If you think about it, she doesn't even really know Jonghyun that well at this point, so.. she's just being careful, not mean. So don't hate her, plzthnx c:
okay, so I discovered (this) song today, and I've been jamming to it for literally like the past 6 hours. This is my song, man. And I don't even like jrock usually.. idek. it's just making my life. I can't.
ALSO. MINHO'S RAP DURING (THIS). HOLY.SHIT.I.CAN'T.
next chapter is the last. And I honestly just got sick at my stomach writing that :'c
I'll stop before I get overly sentimental. OTL but just know that next a/n will be ridiculously sentimental and longer than the chapter and I'm probably gonna start crying. Just fair warning
anndd.. that's it for now. see you on Friday.. for the last chapter.. /brb finding a tissue
Kat
mikssi
[next]
Pairing: Jongkey, side!2min
Rating: PG15-R
Genre: high school!au, angst, romance
Summary: Filthy. Disgusting. Unnatural. Wrong. Jonghyun had always been taught that homosexuality was nothing less than revolting. He never questioned the fact, though he never saw what exactly was so bad about it... But after he meets the subtly-rebellious and always-honest boy who prefers to be called "Key", he finds himself wondering... If it was wrong, then why did it always make him so happy? And if it was so unnatural, then why can't he make it stop?
Jonghyun glanced up from his green-paged journal, watching the back of his boyfriend's head for a few seconds as the younger worked on his homework at his desk.
The older twirled his frog-charm pencil in his fingers for a few seconds, trying to gather strength and think of the best way to begin this conversation.
He looked back down at his page and doodled a little key in the top margin (he'd gotten pretty good at drawing those, actually…), clearing his throat and backing out.
It was when Key started tapping his pen on his desk that Jonghyun looked at the back of his head once again.
He swallowed. "Hey Key?"
"Hmm?" The younger asked, pressing his hand to his cheek and not facing Jonghyun.
"You know that conversation me and your mom had this morning?"
Key hesitated, shoulders going stiff. "Yeah…"
"Well, I…" His eyes went back to his paper, mindlessly shading the key now, "I found somewhere to go."
At this, Key flipped around in his seat, eyes wide. "You did?"
Jonghyun nodded, glancing up.
"Where?"
"Onew's place… He said that if I needed somewhere to go, then I could live with him." The older didn't want to look up for fear of the expression on Key's face, but he knew that he had to…
It was as bad as he thought it would be.
Key's eyes were downcast, shoulders slumped, bangs covering most of his face as he slowly, dejectedly nodded.
Fuck.
Jonghyun quickly made his way to the desk and knelt in front of the chair, taking both of Key's hands and facing him. "What's wrong, Key?"
Key bit his lip and shrugged.
The older brought one hand up to kiss the back of it before holding it tenderly to his cheek. "Please talk to me," He said, genuine concern in his voice.
The younger lifted his bowed head and it was then that Jonghyun's heart clenched, seeing unshed tears wetting them. "I guess I just… I don't know. I liked having you here."
Jonghyun was endeared beyond belief at his words, smiling gently albeit sadly. "We can't just live together, you know… We're still in high school." He rationalized, though the thought was just as hurtful to him as it was to Key.
"I know…" Key sighed, thumbs running over the tops of Jonghyun's hands, bringing them both back to his lap. "I'm going to miss it, though."
Jonghyun's chest tightened and he willed himself not to let any moisture invade his tear ducts. "I'm going to miss it too,"
"Really?" Key asked hopefully, face lighting up but still so dim in comparison to how it usually was.
Jonghyun nodded. "Of course I will, Key… For two entire weeks I got to wake up with you right there with me, I got to eat every meal with you… I got to go to school with you and see you there…" He blushed lightly, "I got to spend the nights with you when we didn't get much sleeping done at all…"
The younger did the same, ducking his head with a smile.
Jonghyun smiled playfully. "We got a taste of what it would be like to be married."
Key smiled, but his was weaker, still more upset.
The older pulled his hand in again for a kiss. "Hopefully," He whispered against the smooth, pale skin, "When we actually get married, we won't be living with your mom."
Key managed to laugh, and Jonghyun felt accomplished at the sound.
But then the younger's smile fell slightly, looking troubled. "When did he say you could move in?"
Jonghyun almost didn't want to tell him. "Tomorrow,"
He nodded, now expressionless. "Then should we start packing?"
"Key…" Jonghyun began sadly, trying to get his attention, "Kibum," He shook his hand lightly.
"I'm fine, Jonghyun, don't worry," He plastered a false smile on his face.
"Kibum, you know that nothing is going to change between us, right? I'm going to be over all the time, just like I was before…" He trailed off, the uncomfortable churn in his stomach still ever-prevalent at the thought of his past home life.
"I know. I'm being stupid. I'm sorry." Key shook his head. "We should still pack, if you're going tomorrow…" He made to stand up.
"You don't need to finish your homework?" Jonghyun asked, worried.
"It can wait," Key said with a nonchalant shrug.
Jonghyun nodded and stood as well, brushing Key's hair out of his face so he could have a clear view of his pretty brown eyes.
"Packing, Jjong?" Key reminded him as Jonghyun's hand trailed down to his jawline.
The older's gaze didn't move from Key's lips. "It can wait," He said huskily before moving in to capture them with his own.
Jonghyun's favorite thing in the world was the feeling of Key's shallow breath ghosting on his neck as he held the younger boy close after lovemaking, their bodies shivering from the last bits of sensation and the chill from the sweat evaporating on their skin; Key always cuddled close to Jonghyun, holding loosely onto his waist, burying his face in the crook of his neck as he caught his breath. Jonghyun couldn't get enough of the feeling of the warm air beating on his skin as he wrapped an arm around the younger's slender body.
"Jonghyun," Key whispered, clenching his fingers on Jonghyun's waist to get his attention.
"Yeah?" Jonghyun asked, still just as winded as the younger, if not more so.
"I'm cold," He complained.
The older grinned. "Do you want to go shower?"
Key groaned as if it was such a troubling thought. "I guess I should… Come with me?"
His smile turned sly. "You know I can't say no to you."
In the end, showering ended up taking three times longer than it needed to, what with the way that the two played around needlessly with soap beards and mustaches, Jonghyun always so sensual as he lathered Key's body with the sweet-smelling body wash he so adored, and of course the fact that they got caught up kissing and let their hands wander too much to be ignored, fingers deftly stroking each other in between their bodies until all of the effort put into washing off was voided out and they had to start all over.
(Jonghyun always quite enjoyed showers with Key.)
By the time they stepped out onto the bathroom tiles, the water had already run cold and they were shivering again with only towels around their waists to keep them warm (which was, ironically, their goal in the first place…).
They were standing in Key's bedroom cutely re-dressing each other, Jonghyun having just pulled Key's fresh t-shirt over his wet hair, leaving him in only that and his favorite pink boxers, when Key's phone started buzzing from his desk.
Glaring at the device, resentful that it ruined their adorable moment, Jonghyun walked over and picked it up, surprised to see that it was his own sister calling. "It's my noona," He announced to Key, who was shuffling into black sweatpants.
"Answer it,"
Jonghyun, still only wearing his boxers and a black tank-top, did. "Hello?"
"Hey, Hyun-ah," She sounded tired on the other line.
"Are you okay?" Jonghyun asked, instantly worried.
"Dad is threatening to throw all of your stuff away if you don't come get it." She got straight to the point, still seeming exhausted by the whole exchange.
Jonghyun's stomach jolted. "Oh."
"Yeah," She said dryly. "So do you want me to bring it to you, or…?"
"Um…" He thought for a second, dreading any confrontation but not wanting to put his sister through anything unnecessarily. He figured that her doing anything on her own would cause more family problems than needed… He was happy to know that she supported him, but until she was financially ready to move out as she said she was going to, she was still relying on their parents for a place to live. "I'll get it, if you'll come pick me up."
"Are you sure?" Songdam sounded unsure.
"Yeah, it's fine. I'll just pack it up so I can… you know. Get out of their hair." He finished bitterly.
"All right… I'll be over in about ten minutes."
"Okay. I'll see you then." He hung up Key's phone and ran a hand through his still-damp hair.
Key walked up to him with a towel, draping it over his head and gently rubbing out the moisture from his hair. "What is it?"
Jonghyun looked at him, now understanding where Songdam was coming from with seeming so exhausted. "My dad is threatening to throw all of my stuff away. So she's coming to get me so I can pick it up."
Key's hands stilled and his brows rose. "You're… going back?"
He nodded, picking his hands up to pluck the towel out of his hair and instead start drying Key's, which was wetter.
"But… Are you sure that's a good idea?" Key steadied himself by placing his hands on Jonghyun's hips.
"No," Jonghyun replied honestly, "But I… I don't know. I feel like I need to."
"Do you want… I mean…" Key looked at him with uncertainty in his eyes. "Do you want me to go with you?"
Jonghyun thought for a second, but only for a second, as the answer was obvious. "I don't think it's a good idea. You know what it's been like every time you go near that place…"
Key nodded in understanding, raising his hands to grab Jonghyun's and hold them close to his chest as he pressed a kiss to his lips.
Jonghyun didn't even realize until then how much he needed it, the anxiety that'd been on high melting away at the feel of Key's lips.
When the younger pulled back, it was only enough to fit his chin on Jonghyun's shoulder and wrap his arms securely around his waist, Jonghyun's doing the same.
Jonghyun smiled lightly and whispered, "I'll be fine, Key, don't worry," More for his own sanity than for Key's.
Still, the younger nodded and breathed out an "okay", not making a move to remove himself from Jonghyun's hold.
Jonghyun shut his eyes, content to stand here and feel the warmth of the other's body against his own, comforting and familiar and exactly what he needed.
Key's phone buzzed again some minutes later, and Jonghyun didn't even bother answering it, as he knew that it was his sister's signal that she was there.
It was only then that Jonghyun untwined himself from Key and hastily threw on a pair of jeans and a hoodie, heading to the door.
Key followed him, placing a hand on his shoulder to turn him around when he reached the door, kissing him once more.
"I'll be back soon," Jonghyun said softly and left the apartment.
His sister was ever-excited to see him, despite the circumstances, as he climbed into the passenger's seat. "Hey," She greeted him cheerfully.
"Hey," Jonghyun tried to match her energy, but just couldn’t. Now, without the comfort of his boyfriend there, everything was suddenly becoming a bit too real, the thought of going back to the house again when he'd promised himself he wouldn't making him shiver with fear.
She seemed to sense this, choosing to speak to fill up the tense air. "So… how's school going?"
"Fine," He answered simply, the only real way to describe his mundane school life, "The same as always, really. Spending mornings and lunch in the music room and everything-" He stopped, realizing that he hadn't yet told Songdam about Onew's offer. If anyone should know, it was her.
"You okay?" She noted his sudden halt.
"I was just remembering something… I'm… I'm actually not going to be living with Key after tomorrow."
Songdam glanced over with wild eyes. "What? Why not?"
"Well," He began a bit awkwardly, "His mom is kind of… uncomfortable with the whole thing, since she's at work most of the time and me and Key are there alone together…"
She furrowed her brows in confusion.
"She doesn't like that we're having sex already." Jonghyun resorted to bluntness to get his point across.
"Oh…" She nodded in understanding. "But, does she know why you're staying there…?"
"Yeah, I told her about everything. She's not kicking me out or anything… I just don't want to cause any problems between her and Key and everything, you know?" He explained.
"I guess that makes sense… But who are you going with? Minho?" She asked.
"No, Onew, actually."
"Who?" Her brows scrunched together once again.
"You know… The music teacher? He was my friend when he went to my school, too." He tried to jog her memory.
"I've never met him, have I?" She seemed troubled.
"I don't think so."
"I'd like to, if he's the one I have to trust you with." She shot him a playful smile, though seriousness was underlying her tone.
"Okay," He tried to think of a time when they could meet, "I'm going there after school tomorrow, so… I guess I'll call you then to let you know where the new place is and everything?"
"Sounds good," She agreed right as they were driving up to the place that Jonghyun for so long called "home".
It wasn't until then that Jonghyun even realized they were close to the house. His stomach dropped terribly and his breath wouldn't go all the way down his throat.
"Jonghyun, you really don't have to-"
"No, I'll do it," He said, voice sounding oddly distant. He got back out of the car and made a beeline for the front door before he had a chance to back out.
She still unlocked the door for him, and when he walked it, it was with infinite amounts more confidence than he ever expected to have.
Songdam stood just in front of the doorway, probably playing referee just in case.
I'm getting my stuff and I'm leaving.
That's it.
"What are you doing here?"
Fuck.
Jonghyun stopped dead in his tracks, not averting his eyes from his destination: his old bedroom door.
There was so much raw hatred running through him at that moment that he was rendered completely speechless.
"I'm getting my stuff." He responded, words clipped and harsh. "And then I'll leave and you never have to deal with me again."
Without waiting for a response, Jonghyun continued on the path to what used to be his bedroom, breathing coming sharper with every step, because as much as he just wanted to be angry, just loathe the situation with his entire being, he couldn't even begin to deny how much it hurt to be here again.
When he got to the room, he was surprised to see that it was completely bare, nothing on the walls, on the bed, on the desk. The closet doors were open, the interior completely empty.
The only things in the entire room were three garbage bags off to the side, straining with their contents.
He assumed that those were the bags of stuff that his father had threatened to throw out.
Well, He thought bitterly, At least it's already packed for me.
He struggled just slightly to find out a way to drag the three very heavy bags out of the room, having to use all of his strength to even pull them into the hallway.
"Where have you been staying?" His father's voice asked, levelly as ever.
Jonghyun grimaced, stomach churning with abhorrence for the man who caused all of the pain in his life lately. "Where do you think I've been staying?" He snapped, not even bothering to glance at him as he continued to walk backwards down the hall, hands fisted in the plastic of the three bags.
He could hear the growl in his father's throat from where he stood at the mouth of the hall.
Jonghyun didn't give a fuck if his dad approved of where he was staying or not.
It was his fault that he had nowhere to go in the first place.
He had no right to tell him where he had to go when he was kicked out.
"Jonghyun, you do realize that Kibum is-"
"The best thing that's ever happened to me? The reason why I'm still sane after that shit you pulled? Yeah, I realize that. You said it yourself. I'm no longer your son, so why do you give a damn what I do?" He bit back, fighting to keep his voice from raising with the amount of animosity soaking every single word.
"Fuck," Jonghyun cursed under his breath, having to take a break at the end of the hallway, because pulling the bags was seriously hurting his back, muscles in his arms beginning to ache.
"Jonghyun, what you're doing is wrong."
Jonghyun shut his eyes, gritted his teeth, and clenched his teeth, forcing himself to breathe evenly through his nose. "I'm doing," His voice shook despite everything, "Nothing wrong."
"You're with a boy-"
"Who I am very much in love with, thank you. That's not going to change." He all-but growled, still facing the end of the hall and not the man who was the cause of everything.
A rush of adrenaline pushed through his veins and he found the strength to drag the bags through the entire living room and to the front door in one move, not halting even once to breathe, let alone acknowledge his father.
"Jonghyun." The voice stopped him again right at the door, where Songdam walked out first.
He finally turned around to face his father, and the expression he saw on the older man's face was actually rather startling…
It was completely unreadable, because there was so much mixed in that it just seemed… gray.
From what he could see, there were the usual control issues, the hatred and resentment for his son, the disgust, the bigotry… but if he looked hard enough, Jonghyun thought he could see just the slightest bits of remorse, of regret.
"Jonghyun, you're not 'in love' with Kibum. Kibum is a boy, and that's-"
"Let me stop you there." Jonghyun cut him off, blood boiling.
His father's brows shot up in surprise.
"Nothing," Jonghyun put extra emphasis on the word, "You say is going to change anything. Why would it? I came back here so I could get this," He gestured to the bags at his feet, "Not so I could cry and beg for you to take me back." His frown grew more pronounced with every word.
"What you're doing is-"
"None of your business." He interrupted again with finality. "You do realize that you did this, don't you? I didn't leave on my own accord. You kicked me out of the house. This wasn't my choice, it was yours. I've accepted that, and I'm moving on. You are the one who wanted this."
The man's mouth fell open, and for the first time in his life, Jonghyun saw him struggle with words.
He didn't care.
He didn't fucking care.
There wasn't an ounce of pity in Jonghyun's entire body for his father. Not after everything he'd done.
If he was going to fucking regret throwing Jonghyun out, then he should have thought about that when Jonghyun was crying on the doorstep, not now, when he was finally coming to accept that to have Key he couldn't have his parents.
It was not his father's right to try to convince him of anything, because he was the one who asked for it.
"I hope he's worth this." His father finally got out, voice solid and unbroken.
Jonghyun didn't waver, meeting his father's eyes with the utmost conviction. "He is."
He turned the doorknob and (thankfully the adrenaline was still in effect) tossed the bags out first before stepping across the threshold for what he swore was the last time.
"Jonghyun-"
For the first time, his father's voice calling his name didn't render Jonghyun motionless.
Without a shred of remorse, Jonghyun slammed the door behind him and began once again to his sister's car.
No regrets, he promised himself.
It was a sincere thought, spurred on by the knowledge that Key was going to be there waiting, worried and caring, when he got back.
No regrets.
A/N - I was cheering for Jonghyun so hard when I was writing this, I swear :') Go Jonghyun, go!!!
Aaannddd.. there was that split-second shower scene that I was talking about a while back on that tumblarr place.. I told you it was like.. three words long. OTL I NEED MORE JONGKEY SHOWER SEX, I SWEAR.
FUN FACT for everyone who cares about Jonghyun's mom.. she was at home during this chapter. She just didn't come out of her room, for fear of confrontation. Super kewl, huh?? I dislike Jonghyun's mom quite a bit, if you can't tell OTL
Oh, and everyone who doesn't like Key's mom.. just put yourself in her shoes, really. She may seem kind of mean, but she's really just protective of Key and doesn't want him to get hurt. She knows that he's already been hurt just earlier that year (even if she doesn't know it was by the same person he's dating now) by some guy, and she doesn't want him to be rushing into a relationship that ends up badly. If you think about it, she doesn't even really know Jonghyun that well at this point, so.. she's just being careful, not mean. So don't hate her, plzthnx c:
okay, so I discovered (this) song today, and I've been jamming to it for literally like the past 6 hours. This is my song, man. And I don't even like jrock usually.. idek. it's just making my life. I can't.
ALSO. MINHO'S RAP DURING (THIS). HOLY.SHIT.I.CAN'T.
next chapter is the last. And I honestly just got sick at my stomach writing that :'c
I'll stop before I get overly sentimental. OTL but just know that next a/n will be ridiculously sentimental and longer than the chapter and I'm probably gonna start crying. Just fair warning
anndd.. that's it for now. see you on Friday.. for the last chapter.. /brb finding a tissue
Kat
mikssi
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