30 Day Challenge [days 06 - 10]
Title: 30 Day Challenge
Pairings: Jackson/JB, Mark/Jr, Jackson/Jr, JB/Jr
Rating: G to PG-13
Summary: One got7 ficlet a day for the next 30 days using each of the words below start // murmur // bite // intrigue // aqua // feline // midnight // peppermint // floral // sweat // rattle // sting // quiet // passion // book // scarlet // howl // feather // safe // heart // chance // sparkle // fly // raspberry // list // city // scent // tease // key // end
[06. feline; Jackson/JB + Youngjae, PG, 1413 words]06. feline; Jackson/JB + Youngjae, PG, 1413 words
“Come on, Youngjae. You can’t get help if you don’t come out,” Jackson knocks on the thick oak door that the younger boy has barricaded himself behind.
“Go away!” Youngjae yowls, “This is all your fault!”
“Mistakes were made, yes, but now we need to focus on fixing them,” Jackson leans against the door, “And that means you have to leave your dorm.” Jackson puts his ear to the door, but no reply comes from inside. He jumps back when a dull thump reverberates through the door. “Throwing things, that’s cute,” Jackson scowls.
“Any luck with Youngjae?” Jaebum’s voice comes from behind. Jackson jumps, his hand over his heart as his back hits the door.
“How did you get in here?” Jackson’s voice cracks slightly. Jaebum’s eyebrow rises. Jackson coughs slightly before he continues, “I mean, no, he’s still holed up inside the dorm,” he runs a hand through his hair.
“To answer your question, Mark told me about the malfunction with the enchantment and he gave me the password before he headed off to Herbology so I could come and see how the situation was going,” Jaebum shrugs.
“He wasn’t supposed to tell anyone else what our password is,” Jackson frowns. He doesn’t have a problem with Mark letting Jaebum into their circle of friends-far from it actually-Jackson simply wishes he had some warning so he wouldn’t make an ass of himself.
“You weren’t supposed to tell him either,” Jaebum’s eyes disappear in a grin and Jackson’s heart skips a beat. He clenches the hand still clutched to his chest. “I at least have the excuse of being a Slytherin, aren’t Hufflepuffs were supposed to be better at following the rules?” Jaebum crosses his arms and leans his body on the door right next to Jackson.
“What can I say, I’m one of a kind,” Jackson chuckles, feeling more than a little breathless. He’s never been this close to the other boy before, never been able to see the two moles above his eyelid so clearly before. Jaebum’s grin widens.
“Jaebum, is that you?” Youngjae’s muffled voice comes from behind the door, effectively breaking the moment.
“Yeah, it’s me. Are you ready to come out and get the enchantment fixed?”
“I look so ridiculous though,” Youngjae whines, his voice sounding slightly less distant.
“Don’t worry about that, I’ve got a hat to help cover you up until we make it to the Hospital Wing,” Jaebum pulls a large, black hat with a wide brim from inside his robes. There’s a pause.
“Do you promise not to laugh at me?” Jackson pouts. He’s been trying to get Youngjae to come out for the better part of an hour, why is he being so amenable to Jaebum?
“I promise,” Jaebum says warmly with a brilliant smile. Jackson looks away for a second as he mentally wills his heart to stop racing. Right, that’s why.
“Okay…” Youngjae mumbles and then the doorknob is turning.
Jackson bites his lip, holding back the squeal that builds in his throat. Youngjae had covered up his face and locked himself away before Jackson could get a good look at it, but now that he has, he can’t see why the younger boy was so embarrassed. Between the pair of furry, pointed ears that sit on top of his head, the whiskers and the pink nose, Youngjae looks adorable. Jackson is reaching a hand up to stroke the younger boy’s ears before he can stop himself.
“Don’t!’ Youngjae ducks his hand, and jumps back into the room. Jaebum steps forward and slips his foot in the doorjamb before Youngjae can close the door on them again.
“Hey, it’s okay. Jackson will keep his hands to himself,” Jaebum says with a pointed look that makes Jackson shrink a bit, “And we’ll go and get you changed back,” Jaebum holds out the hat. Youngjae accepts it hesitantly. “Alright, let’s go before the halls fill up with students changing classrooms.” Jaebum wraps an arm around Youngjae and pulls the younger boy’s head down onto his shoulder. “You coming?” he asks Jackson.
“Yeah,” Jackson nods, stepping beside Jaebum.
The three of them head down the stairs, making their way to the portrait and then start off for the Hospital Wing. Jackson sneaks glances at Jaebum from the corner of his eyes as they walk. While he probably wouldn’t volunteer to have his face transfigured into that of an animal just to be able to cuddle up with the other boy, Jackson he must admit that the idea of it is kind of tempting.
At the Hospital Wing, Madam Jongok turns Youngjae’s face this way and that way, mumbling under her breath as she inspects his face. She’s seen more of Jackson than she has of pretty much any other student, but usually she’s mending broken bones and healing cuts that he gets from Quidditch practice. Occasionally she’s taken a look at the result of a spell gone wrong, but this is the first time someone else has had to bear the consequences.
“Gotten bored with simply mutilating your own body and decided to branch out to the other students, Mr. Wang?” Madam Jongok shoots Jackson a pointed glance from over her glasses.
“It was an accident,” Jackson mumbles out the side of his mouth. Jaebum’s shoulders shake slightly as he stares at Jackson in amusement. Jackson shrugs sheepishly, his cheeks warming under both their gazes.
“You will be able to fix me right?” Youngjae’s brows are furrowed as he chews on the inside of his lip.
“Of course, Human Transfiguration happens to have been my best subject when I was in school,” Madam Jongok clicks her tongue, “I’m just trying to get an idea of the extent of the spell. Are there any patches of fur anywhere on your body?” she asks as she inspects his hands.
“No, it’s just my face that changed,” Youngjae shakes his head.
“Then this will be even simpler than I first thought,” she says lightly as she riffles through her large medicine cupboard and pulls out two small vials with brightly coloured liquids. “The red one is to be taken now and the green one is to be taken after dinner. You might experience some moodiness and have the residual urge to knead your blankets when you go to bed, but that should wear off by tomorrow.”
“Thank you,” Youngjae says gratefully before he downs the vial with the red liquid. His face screws up-first at the taste of the potion and then at the discomfort of the re-transfiguration. By the time the cat ears and whiskers have receded and his human ears and nose have grown back, Youngjae is doubled over with his hands on his knees.
“There we go, another happy landing,” Jackson pats the younger boy on the back. He removes his hand when he gets a baleful glare for his trouble.
“Alright, it’s time for you to get back to class, Mr. Choi. Here’s a note for your professor,” Madam Jongok says as she hands him a piece of sealed parchment. “And don’t forget to take the second vial after you’ve eaten dinner. Wait an hour or so to give the food time to settle.”
“Right, thanks again,” Youngjae nods and he scuttles out of the room to try and make it to his next class, taking the wide brimmed hat with him.
“That goes for you two as well. Even if you have a free period, you can’t spend it here; this isn’t a playground,” Madam Jongok shoos them outside.
“I’ve got a Quidditch game next week, so I guess I’ll be seeing you then,” Jackson winks as he leaves the Wing. Madam Jongok rolls her eyes, but Jackson spies a slight smile on her face.
“So, I’ve got another hour free before my next class, what about you?” Jaebum asks as he starts strolling down the corridor. Jackson has about four minutes left before he has to get to Muggle Studies.
“I’m free too actually,” he says.
“Great,” Jaebum smiles. “You feel like heading off to the Quidditch pitch and flying around for a bit?”
“Definitely,” Jackson nods.
“Let’s go, then,” Jaebum reaches out and grabs Jackson’s hand, pulling him along back in the direction of the Hufflepuff basement. “Do you mind if I ride with you on your broom?” Jaebum asks over his shoulder.
“Definitely not,” Jackson grins, his pulse quickening. Jaebum’s hand squeezes his.
“Great,” Jaebum beams.
[07. midnight; Mark/Jr, PG, 264 words]07. midnight; Mark/Jr, PG, 264 words
20!
Jinyoung glances at the man beside him.
19!
Mark’s cheeks are flushed pink from the cold.
18!
His eyes are fixed on the clock tower before them.
17!
His lips are chapped.
16!
They move slightly as Mark whispers with the crowd shouting below them.
15!
Jinyoung licks his own lips.
14!
A white cloud drifts from his mouth as he huffs a breath.
13!
He reaches out an arm and wraps it around Mark’s waist.
12!
Mark tilts his head in his direction, a smile on his lips.
11!
Jinyoung returns the smile, counting along with him.
10!
Mark’s whispering increases in volume, his eyes widening in excitement.
9!
Jinyoung stares up at the dark, night sky.
8!
He bites his lip.
7!
Maybe he shouldn’t do this.
6!
What if it ruins everything?
5!
Jinyoung blinks as a hand gently tugs on a lock of his hair
4!
Mark smiles softly, still counting down.
3!
Jinyoung loses himself in Mark’s warm, brown eyes.
2!
He swallows hard.
1!
Fireworks go off above their heads.
Sucking in a breath, Jinyoung leans in and presses his lips against Mark’s. His heart pounds, his pulse races, and his hands tremble where they’re clutching at Mark’s waist. He stops breathing for the four seconds it takes for Mark’s hands to slide up his chest and slip around his neck. Jinyoung grins so hard that he ends up breaking the kiss. Mark, beautifully lit by a rainbow of colours, cups his face and pulls him back in. Fireworks go off inside Jinyoung’s head.
Happy New Year!
[08. peppermint; Jackson/Jr. PG-13, 715 words]
08. peppermint; Jackson/Jr. PG-13, 715 words
When Jinyoung first auditioned to become an idol, he was keenly aware that life in the entertainment wasn’t going to be as glitzy as it seemed on television - his parents made sure of that-but he never anticipated he’d spend so much time waiting. He waits for the group’s turn to rehearse on the stage, for his turn in the make-up chair, for his time to be primped and prodded by the stylists, for the group’s turn to go back on stage and do recording, for his turn to talk to the cameras backstage, etc. Two years into their debut, the others have found their preferred ways to pass the time. Youngjae relentlessly goes over his parts, his voice floating through the air and reaching all corners of the waiting room. Mark falls asleep on a chair, plays games on his phone, or falls asleep in a chair after playing games on his phone. Yugyeom either goes over the choreography with Jackson or huddles with Bambam in a corner doing God knows what; Jaebum paces about the room, checking on everyone’s hair and clothes and make up and generally making sure the lot of them are on track to being stage-ready. Jinyoung himself likes to read a book or flip through a magazine. Jackson is a bit of a wild card; he tends to slink around the room, in search of someone to annoy. It looks like today is Jinyoung’s turn.
Jackson steps in front of Jinyoung, where he’s lounging on the sofa and bends down until he’s eye-level with him. “Ugh, Jinyoung, what the hell did you have for lunch?” Jackson grimaces, waving a hand in front of his nose. Jinyoung looks up from his magazine, his brow wrinkled in confusion. “How can you even think of going on stage like that?”
“What does the smell of my breath have to do with my singing ability?” Jinyoung frowns, huffing into his hand and smelling his breath. “And I don’t even smell anything.” He huffs again and inhales for good measure. “There’s nothing to smell.”
Jackson leans in until their noses almost touch and he sniffs at Jinyoung’s mouth. “Gah! Something must be wrong with your sense of smell, dude,” Jackson says as he recoils, his words slightly muffled beneath his hands. Jinyoung rolls his eyes before he turns back to the magazine spread in his lap. “Luckily for you, I’m willing to help you save face.”
Jinyoung barely has enough time to say ‘What?’ before slightly clammy hands are cupping his face and his head is being tilted up. He ends up with his neck pressed against the back of the sofa as Jackson leans over him, their lips pressed together. Jinyoung blinks in surprise, not sure what the other man is thinking. His eyes widen, all but falling out of his head, when something warm and wet pushes into his mouth and wraps itself around Jinyoung’s tongue. Jackson’s entire mouth tastes cool and minty, like he’d eaten a giant, frozen candy cane just a minute before.
“Mmpff!” Jinyoung’s hands come up to hold Jackson’s shoulders as he’s pulled forward, Jackson sucking his tongue into his mouth. Jaebum’s head swivels in their direction, his eyes quickly scanning their faces, and he walks away with a little nod to himself when he gleans that neither of them have had their turn with the hair stylist or sat in the make-up chair yet.
“Mwa! There, now your mouth doesn’t smell like a dying animal,” Jackson pulls away with a wink. Jinyoung swirls his tongue around in his mouth. As much as he’ll maintain the fact that his breath wasn’t smelly before, he can’t say he dislikes the peppermint taste that’s been imprinted onto his tongue.
“You know you could’ve just given me a mint to eat, right?” Jinyoung says dryly as he blinks up at Jackson.
“That’s just not my style, Park Jinyoung,” Jackson calls over his shoulder with a smirk as he goes to get his hair done. Jinyoung rolls his eyes and leans down to retrieve his magazine from the floor. Settling back down on the sofa, he find his lost page and continues flipping through it until Mark is finished in the make up chair, licking his lips until his tongue stops tingling.
[09. floral; JB/Jr, PG, 590 words]09. floral; JB/Jr, PG, 590 words
Jaebum runs the back of his hand over his forehead, wiping away the beads of sweat that have gathered there as he makes his way over to Jinyoung. It’s been a few weeks since he last came here, and for the first time he didn’t cry on the way over. Mark would say that it’s completely normal, that it’s a natural part of moving on, but Jaebum can’t help but feel a bit unnerved. Jaebum isn’t a masochist, he certainly doesn’t want to go back to the days where it hurt just to breathe and he couldn’t bring himself to get out of bed in the morning, but the pain was a reflection of the greatness of his loss. If he’s not in pain, doesn’t that mean that he doesn’t miss Jinyoung anymore, that he’s on the path to forgetting how much the other man meant-means-to him?
Shaking his head, he pushes those thoughts out of his mind as he steps up to where Jinyoung now rests. “Hey,” Jaebum smiles faintly. “It’s been a little while since we last spoke. Not much has changed on this end except that Bambam has dyed his hair again-he went back to blond-and Yugyeom finally got his driver’s licence. Looks like he’s no longer afraid to drive after what happened to you.” Looks like Jaebum isn’t the only one that’s starting to move on.
He shakes his head again, forcing a smile to his face. “You might be wondering what I’m holding behind back. Well, you might want to sit down for this,” he pauses, “You said it couldn’t be done, but look here,” Jaebum pulls his right hand from behind his back to display six white flowers. “I finally managed to make something grow,” he chuckles lowly, the smile on his face becoming less strained. “It took me ages to get the pH and the moistness of the soil right, who knew that growing flowers could be so damned complicated?”
Jaebum lays the flowers on top of Jinyoung’s final resting place and places a smooth river stone on top of their stems. The warm, summer wind picks up and the scent of gardenias saturates the air. Jaebum closes his eyes and inhales deeply. Behind his eyelids flash images of himself and Jinyoung kneeling in the dirt, getting sweaty and filthy as they meticulously weeded the small plot of land they called their own. Jaebum can almost feel the dirt caked into his fingernails, can almost hear Jinyoung’s laughter as he playfully throws a weed at Jaebum’s face, can almost taste the saltiness of the sweat on Jinyoung’s lips as the other man gives him a congratulatory kiss…
The wind calms. Jaebum slowly blinks open his eyes. “Well, that’s all have time to report today,” Jaebum says apologetically with a glance at his watch. “I should’ve come earlier, but I wanted to wait until at least a handful of the flowers were mature enough to show off. I’ll be back soon with an even bigger bunch, all hand grown,” Jaebum smiles. “There were some hiccups along the way, but your garden is definitely in good hands now.” Jaebum kneels down and presses a kiss to the cold stone, right over Jinyoung’s engraved name. “I’ll tall to you later,” he waves and turns away, heading off with his hands in his pockets.
A light gust of wind blows, cooling Jaebum’s heated skin and sending him off with a sweet scent imprinted in his senses and sweeter memories swirling in his mind.
[10. sweat; Jackson + JB + Bambam, G, 860 words]10. sweat; Jackson + JB + Bambam, G, 860 words
“39.5°C; looks like his fever’s finally starting to break,” Jaebum says thoughtfully as he checks the thermometer.
Jackson frowns. “Isn’t that still really high though?” Bambam shivers in his sleep and Jackson immediately tucks the blankets around him tighter. The sight makes a smile tug at Jaebum’s lips.
“It’s high, yes, but not dangerously so and fevers have a purpose, remember? So long as we keep his body warm and his head cool, he’ll be fine,” Jaebum nods confidently. “You really don’t have to hover over him the whole time,” he chuckles slightly. “I know you love to call him your baby, but he’s not actually an infant.”
“Yeah, I guess so,” Jackson mumbles, making no move to leave his post. Jaebum rolls his eyes fondly. Jackson is taking Bambam’s little flu even worse than Yugyeom-the only reason their youngest member isn’t glued to Bambam’s other side is a schedule-but even he has the excuse of being a teenager. “Is it alright for him to be sweating so much?” Jackson bites his lip.
“That’s perfectly normal. We just have to keep him hydrated.” Jaebum claps his hands together, “Speaking of which, I’m going to see how his soup is going.” Jaebum exits the youngest members’ bedroom, heading off to the kitchen while Jackson dabs at Bambam’s face with a soft cloth.
Jaebum isn’t the best cook in the group, but with Jinyoung off filming with the others, he’s had to step up. Luckily, samgyetang isn’t too far out of his range. It won’t taste amazing, but it will be decent enough and, most importantly, it will replenish the younger boy’s lost electrolytes. Steam rises to meet his face as he lifts the cover from the pot, tiny beads of sweat instantly forming on his brow. A drop has gained enough body to roll down his nose by the time he ladles some of the soup into a bowl. He wipes it off with the back of his hand and carries a tray into Bambam’s room.
“Can you nudge him awake?” Jaebum asks Jackson as he rests the tray on Yugyeom’s bed.
Jackson leans down and slips an arm around the younger boy’s shoulders, pulling him up in a sitting position against the headboard. “Hey, Bambam, it’s time to wake up and have some soup,” Jackson says softly as he gently ruffles the boy’s hair.
“Nrg, ‘kay,” Bambam mumbles, his eyes slowly opening.
“Make sure it’s not too hot for him, okay?” Jackson fusses, brushing newly dyed blue hair off the younger boy’s face. Jaebum rolls his eyes behind Jackson’s back, but he still blows on the spoonfuls of soup he holds up to Bambam’s mouth. The younger boy must truly be getting better; he easily manages to slurp down about two thirds of the soup before he hits the wall and struggles to finish what’s left in the bowl. “Come on, just a few more spoonfuls. You can do it,” Jackson whispers encouragingly, gently knocking their heads together.
“Alright,” Bambam sigh long-sufferingly, opening his mouth wider for Jaebum to push the spoon past his lips. Jackson meticulously wipes away the stray drops of soup that don’t make it into the boy’s mouth.
When they’re finally finished, Jaebum hands Bambam a couple of nondescript pills and passes him the bottle of water sitting beside his bed. “Just take these and then you can sleep for a few more hours.”
“I’m kinda tired of sleeping, but I’m too weak to do anything else,” Bambam groans. Jackson pats his head sympathetically.
“Go to sleep,” Jaebum says firmly. “Resting helps your body fight the virus. The more you sleep, the sooner you’ll be back to full health.” Bambam heaves a sigh, but he slumps back onto the bed, his eyes falling closed before his head hits the pillow. “There’s some soup leftover,” Jaebum says to Jackson, nodding his head in the direction of the kitchen. Jackson frowns, his eyes drifting down to where Bambam lightly snores. “He’ll be fine for ten minutes. Besides, you need to take care of yourself to be able to look after him.’
“I guess so,” Jackson relents, slowly rising from the bed. Jaebum grabs him by the arm and pulls him to the door before he can change his mind and ask Jaebum to bring him a bowl so he can eat and watch Bambam at the same time. “Alright, alright. I’m going,” Jackson chuckles as Jaebum all but shoves him out the room.
Looking back, Jaebum notices one of Bambam’s arms hanging off the end of the bed. He moves the boy’s arm back on the bed and tucks his covers around him. Jaebum dabs some perspiration off Bambam’s forehead before he tears open a new cold pack and rests it there.
“Thanks, hyung,” Bambam mumbles in his sleep.
“You’re welcome,” Jaebum says, not sure who’s actually being thanked. “Try and get better quickly, for Jackson’s sake as well as your own.” Bambam’s lips twitch in something that might be a smile or just sleep movements. Jaebum ruffles his hair and heads back out to the kitchen before Jackson can finish all of the remaining soup.
Pairings: Jackson/JB, Mark/Jr, Jackson/Jr, JB/Jr
Rating: G to PG-13
Summary: One got7 ficlet a day for the next 30 days using each of the words below start // murmur // bite // intrigue // aqua // feline // midnight // peppermint // floral // sweat // rattle // sting // quiet // passion // book // scarlet // howl // feather // safe // heart // chance // sparkle // fly // raspberry // list // city // scent // tease // key // end
[06. feline; Jackson/JB + Youngjae, PG, 1413 words]06. feline; Jackson/JB + Youngjae, PG, 1413 words
“Come on, Youngjae. You can’t get help if you don’t come out,” Jackson knocks on the thick oak door that the younger boy has barricaded himself behind.
“Go away!” Youngjae yowls, “This is all your fault!”
“Mistakes were made, yes, but now we need to focus on fixing them,” Jackson leans against the door, “And that means you have to leave your dorm.” Jackson puts his ear to the door, but no reply comes from inside. He jumps back when a dull thump reverberates through the door. “Throwing things, that’s cute,” Jackson scowls.
“Any luck with Youngjae?” Jaebum’s voice comes from behind. Jackson jumps, his hand over his heart as his back hits the door.
“How did you get in here?” Jackson’s voice cracks slightly. Jaebum’s eyebrow rises. Jackson coughs slightly before he continues, “I mean, no, he’s still holed up inside the dorm,” he runs a hand through his hair.
“To answer your question, Mark told me about the malfunction with the enchantment and he gave me the password before he headed off to Herbology so I could come and see how the situation was going,” Jaebum shrugs.
“He wasn’t supposed to tell anyone else what our password is,” Jackson frowns. He doesn’t have a problem with Mark letting Jaebum into their circle of friends-far from it actually-Jackson simply wishes he had some warning so he wouldn’t make an ass of himself.
“You weren’t supposed to tell him either,” Jaebum’s eyes disappear in a grin and Jackson’s heart skips a beat. He clenches the hand still clutched to his chest. “I at least have the excuse of being a Slytherin, aren’t Hufflepuffs were supposed to be better at following the rules?” Jaebum crosses his arms and leans his body on the door right next to Jackson.
“What can I say, I’m one of a kind,” Jackson chuckles, feeling more than a little breathless. He’s never been this close to the other boy before, never been able to see the two moles above his eyelid so clearly before. Jaebum’s grin widens.
“Jaebum, is that you?” Youngjae’s muffled voice comes from behind the door, effectively breaking the moment.
“Yeah, it’s me. Are you ready to come out and get the enchantment fixed?”
“I look so ridiculous though,” Youngjae whines, his voice sounding slightly less distant.
“Don’t worry about that, I’ve got a hat to help cover you up until we make it to the Hospital Wing,” Jaebum pulls a large, black hat with a wide brim from inside his robes. There’s a pause.
“Do you promise not to laugh at me?” Jackson pouts. He’s been trying to get Youngjae to come out for the better part of an hour, why is he being so amenable to Jaebum?
“I promise,” Jaebum says warmly with a brilliant smile. Jackson looks away for a second as he mentally wills his heart to stop racing. Right, that’s why.
“Okay…” Youngjae mumbles and then the doorknob is turning.
Jackson bites his lip, holding back the squeal that builds in his throat. Youngjae had covered up his face and locked himself away before Jackson could get a good look at it, but now that he has, he can’t see why the younger boy was so embarrassed. Between the pair of furry, pointed ears that sit on top of his head, the whiskers and the pink nose, Youngjae looks adorable. Jackson is reaching a hand up to stroke the younger boy’s ears before he can stop himself.
“Don’t!’ Youngjae ducks his hand, and jumps back into the room. Jaebum steps forward and slips his foot in the doorjamb before Youngjae can close the door on them again.
“Hey, it’s okay. Jackson will keep his hands to himself,” Jaebum says with a pointed look that makes Jackson shrink a bit, “And we’ll go and get you changed back,” Jaebum holds out the hat. Youngjae accepts it hesitantly. “Alright, let’s go before the halls fill up with students changing classrooms.” Jaebum wraps an arm around Youngjae and pulls the younger boy’s head down onto his shoulder. “You coming?” he asks Jackson.
“Yeah,” Jackson nods, stepping beside Jaebum.
The three of them head down the stairs, making their way to the portrait and then start off for the Hospital Wing. Jackson sneaks glances at Jaebum from the corner of his eyes as they walk. While he probably wouldn’t volunteer to have his face transfigured into that of an animal just to be able to cuddle up with the other boy, Jackson he must admit that the idea of it is kind of tempting.
At the Hospital Wing, Madam Jongok turns Youngjae’s face this way and that way, mumbling under her breath as she inspects his face. She’s seen more of Jackson than she has of pretty much any other student, but usually she’s mending broken bones and healing cuts that he gets from Quidditch practice. Occasionally she’s taken a look at the result of a spell gone wrong, but this is the first time someone else has had to bear the consequences.
“Gotten bored with simply mutilating your own body and decided to branch out to the other students, Mr. Wang?” Madam Jongok shoots Jackson a pointed glance from over her glasses.
“It was an accident,” Jackson mumbles out the side of his mouth. Jaebum’s shoulders shake slightly as he stares at Jackson in amusement. Jackson shrugs sheepishly, his cheeks warming under both their gazes.
“You will be able to fix me right?” Youngjae’s brows are furrowed as he chews on the inside of his lip.
“Of course, Human Transfiguration happens to have been my best subject when I was in school,” Madam Jongok clicks her tongue, “I’m just trying to get an idea of the extent of the spell. Are there any patches of fur anywhere on your body?” she asks as she inspects his hands.
“No, it’s just my face that changed,” Youngjae shakes his head.
“Then this will be even simpler than I first thought,” she says lightly as she riffles through her large medicine cupboard and pulls out two small vials with brightly coloured liquids. “The red one is to be taken now and the green one is to be taken after dinner. You might experience some moodiness and have the residual urge to knead your blankets when you go to bed, but that should wear off by tomorrow.”
“Thank you,” Youngjae says gratefully before he downs the vial with the red liquid. His face screws up-first at the taste of the potion and then at the discomfort of the re-transfiguration. By the time the cat ears and whiskers have receded and his human ears and nose have grown back, Youngjae is doubled over with his hands on his knees.
“There we go, another happy landing,” Jackson pats the younger boy on the back. He removes his hand when he gets a baleful glare for his trouble.
“Alright, it’s time for you to get back to class, Mr. Choi. Here’s a note for your professor,” Madam Jongok says as she hands him a piece of sealed parchment. “And don’t forget to take the second vial after you’ve eaten dinner. Wait an hour or so to give the food time to settle.”
“Right, thanks again,” Youngjae nods and he scuttles out of the room to try and make it to his next class, taking the wide brimmed hat with him.
“That goes for you two as well. Even if you have a free period, you can’t spend it here; this isn’t a playground,” Madam Jongok shoos them outside.
“I’ve got a Quidditch game next week, so I guess I’ll be seeing you then,” Jackson winks as he leaves the Wing. Madam Jongok rolls her eyes, but Jackson spies a slight smile on her face.
“So, I’ve got another hour free before my next class, what about you?” Jaebum asks as he starts strolling down the corridor. Jackson has about four minutes left before he has to get to Muggle Studies.
“I’m free too actually,” he says.
“Great,” Jaebum smiles. “You feel like heading off to the Quidditch pitch and flying around for a bit?”
“Definitely,” Jackson nods.
“Let’s go, then,” Jaebum reaches out and grabs Jackson’s hand, pulling him along back in the direction of the Hufflepuff basement. “Do you mind if I ride with you on your broom?” Jaebum asks over his shoulder.
“Definitely not,” Jackson grins, his pulse quickening. Jaebum’s hand squeezes his.
“Great,” Jaebum beams.
[07. midnight; Mark/Jr, PG, 264 words]07. midnight; Mark/Jr, PG, 264 words
20!
Jinyoung glances at the man beside him.
19!
Mark’s cheeks are flushed pink from the cold.
18!
His eyes are fixed on the clock tower before them.
17!
His lips are chapped.
16!
They move slightly as Mark whispers with the crowd shouting below them.
15!
Jinyoung licks his own lips.
14!
A white cloud drifts from his mouth as he huffs a breath.
13!
He reaches out an arm and wraps it around Mark’s waist.
12!
Mark tilts his head in his direction, a smile on his lips.
11!
Jinyoung returns the smile, counting along with him.
10!
Mark’s whispering increases in volume, his eyes widening in excitement.
9!
Jinyoung stares up at the dark, night sky.
8!
He bites his lip.
7!
Maybe he shouldn’t do this.
6!
What if it ruins everything?
5!
Jinyoung blinks as a hand gently tugs on a lock of his hair
4!
Mark smiles softly, still counting down.
3!
Jinyoung loses himself in Mark’s warm, brown eyes.
2!
He swallows hard.
1!
Fireworks go off above their heads.
Sucking in a breath, Jinyoung leans in and presses his lips against Mark’s. His heart pounds, his pulse races, and his hands tremble where they’re clutching at Mark’s waist. He stops breathing for the four seconds it takes for Mark’s hands to slide up his chest and slip around his neck. Jinyoung grins so hard that he ends up breaking the kiss. Mark, beautifully lit by a rainbow of colours, cups his face and pulls him back in. Fireworks go off inside Jinyoung’s head.
Happy New Year!
[08. peppermint; Jackson/Jr. PG-13, 715 words]
08. peppermint; Jackson/Jr. PG-13, 715 words
When Jinyoung first auditioned to become an idol, he was keenly aware that life in the entertainment wasn’t going to be as glitzy as it seemed on television - his parents made sure of that-but he never anticipated he’d spend so much time waiting. He waits for the group’s turn to rehearse on the stage, for his turn in the make-up chair, for his time to be primped and prodded by the stylists, for the group’s turn to go back on stage and do recording, for his turn to talk to the cameras backstage, etc. Two years into their debut, the others have found their preferred ways to pass the time. Youngjae relentlessly goes over his parts, his voice floating through the air and reaching all corners of the waiting room. Mark falls asleep on a chair, plays games on his phone, or falls asleep in a chair after playing games on his phone. Yugyeom either goes over the choreography with Jackson or huddles with Bambam in a corner doing God knows what; Jaebum paces about the room, checking on everyone’s hair and clothes and make up and generally making sure the lot of them are on track to being stage-ready. Jinyoung himself likes to read a book or flip through a magazine. Jackson is a bit of a wild card; he tends to slink around the room, in search of someone to annoy. It looks like today is Jinyoung’s turn.
Jackson steps in front of Jinyoung, where he’s lounging on the sofa and bends down until he’s eye-level with him. “Ugh, Jinyoung, what the hell did you have for lunch?” Jackson grimaces, waving a hand in front of his nose. Jinyoung looks up from his magazine, his brow wrinkled in confusion. “How can you even think of going on stage like that?”
“What does the smell of my breath have to do with my singing ability?” Jinyoung frowns, huffing into his hand and smelling his breath. “And I don’t even smell anything.” He huffs again and inhales for good measure. “There’s nothing to smell.”
Jackson leans in until their noses almost touch and he sniffs at Jinyoung’s mouth. “Gah! Something must be wrong with your sense of smell, dude,” Jackson says as he recoils, his words slightly muffled beneath his hands. Jinyoung rolls his eyes before he turns back to the magazine spread in his lap. “Luckily for you, I’m willing to help you save face.”
Jinyoung barely has enough time to say ‘What?’ before slightly clammy hands are cupping his face and his head is being tilted up. He ends up with his neck pressed against the back of the sofa as Jackson leans over him, their lips pressed together. Jinyoung blinks in surprise, not sure what the other man is thinking. His eyes widen, all but falling out of his head, when something warm and wet pushes into his mouth and wraps itself around Jinyoung’s tongue. Jackson’s entire mouth tastes cool and minty, like he’d eaten a giant, frozen candy cane just a minute before.
“Mmpff!” Jinyoung’s hands come up to hold Jackson’s shoulders as he’s pulled forward, Jackson sucking his tongue into his mouth. Jaebum’s head swivels in their direction, his eyes quickly scanning their faces, and he walks away with a little nod to himself when he gleans that neither of them have had their turn with the hair stylist or sat in the make-up chair yet.
“Mwa! There, now your mouth doesn’t smell like a dying animal,” Jackson pulls away with a wink. Jinyoung swirls his tongue around in his mouth. As much as he’ll maintain the fact that his breath wasn’t smelly before, he can’t say he dislikes the peppermint taste that’s been imprinted onto his tongue.
“You know you could’ve just given me a mint to eat, right?” Jinyoung says dryly as he blinks up at Jackson.
“That’s just not my style, Park Jinyoung,” Jackson calls over his shoulder with a smirk as he goes to get his hair done. Jinyoung rolls his eyes and leans down to retrieve his magazine from the floor. Settling back down on the sofa, he find his lost page and continues flipping through it until Mark is finished in the make up chair, licking his lips until his tongue stops tingling.
[09. floral; JB/Jr, PG, 590 words]09. floral; JB/Jr, PG, 590 words
Jaebum runs the back of his hand over his forehead, wiping away the beads of sweat that have gathered there as he makes his way over to Jinyoung. It’s been a few weeks since he last came here, and for the first time he didn’t cry on the way over. Mark would say that it’s completely normal, that it’s a natural part of moving on, but Jaebum can’t help but feel a bit unnerved. Jaebum isn’t a masochist, he certainly doesn’t want to go back to the days where it hurt just to breathe and he couldn’t bring himself to get out of bed in the morning, but the pain was a reflection of the greatness of his loss. If he’s not in pain, doesn’t that mean that he doesn’t miss Jinyoung anymore, that he’s on the path to forgetting how much the other man meant-means-to him?
Shaking his head, he pushes those thoughts out of his mind as he steps up to where Jinyoung now rests. “Hey,” Jaebum smiles faintly. “It’s been a little while since we last spoke. Not much has changed on this end except that Bambam has dyed his hair again-he went back to blond-and Yugyeom finally got his driver’s licence. Looks like he’s no longer afraid to drive after what happened to you.” Looks like Jaebum isn’t the only one that’s starting to move on.
He shakes his head again, forcing a smile to his face. “You might be wondering what I’m holding behind back. Well, you might want to sit down for this,” he pauses, “You said it couldn’t be done, but look here,” Jaebum pulls his right hand from behind his back to display six white flowers. “I finally managed to make something grow,” he chuckles lowly, the smile on his face becoming less strained. “It took me ages to get the pH and the moistness of the soil right, who knew that growing flowers could be so damned complicated?”
Jaebum lays the flowers on top of Jinyoung’s final resting place and places a smooth river stone on top of their stems. The warm, summer wind picks up and the scent of gardenias saturates the air. Jaebum closes his eyes and inhales deeply. Behind his eyelids flash images of himself and Jinyoung kneeling in the dirt, getting sweaty and filthy as they meticulously weeded the small plot of land they called their own. Jaebum can almost feel the dirt caked into his fingernails, can almost hear Jinyoung’s laughter as he playfully throws a weed at Jaebum’s face, can almost taste the saltiness of the sweat on Jinyoung’s lips as the other man gives him a congratulatory kiss…
The wind calms. Jaebum slowly blinks open his eyes. “Well, that’s all have time to report today,” Jaebum says apologetically with a glance at his watch. “I should’ve come earlier, but I wanted to wait until at least a handful of the flowers were mature enough to show off. I’ll be back soon with an even bigger bunch, all hand grown,” Jaebum smiles. “There were some hiccups along the way, but your garden is definitely in good hands now.” Jaebum kneels down and presses a kiss to the cold stone, right over Jinyoung’s engraved name. “I’ll tall to you later,” he waves and turns away, heading off with his hands in his pockets.
A light gust of wind blows, cooling Jaebum’s heated skin and sending him off with a sweet scent imprinted in his senses and sweeter memories swirling in his mind.
[10. sweat; Jackson + JB + Bambam, G, 860 words]10. sweat; Jackson + JB + Bambam, G, 860 words
“39.5°C; looks like his fever’s finally starting to break,” Jaebum says thoughtfully as he checks the thermometer.
Jackson frowns. “Isn’t that still really high though?” Bambam shivers in his sleep and Jackson immediately tucks the blankets around him tighter. The sight makes a smile tug at Jaebum’s lips.
“It’s high, yes, but not dangerously so and fevers have a purpose, remember? So long as we keep his body warm and his head cool, he’ll be fine,” Jaebum nods confidently. “You really don’t have to hover over him the whole time,” he chuckles slightly. “I know you love to call him your baby, but he’s not actually an infant.”
“Yeah, I guess so,” Jackson mumbles, making no move to leave his post. Jaebum rolls his eyes fondly. Jackson is taking Bambam’s little flu even worse than Yugyeom-the only reason their youngest member isn’t glued to Bambam’s other side is a schedule-but even he has the excuse of being a teenager. “Is it alright for him to be sweating so much?” Jackson bites his lip.
“That’s perfectly normal. We just have to keep him hydrated.” Jaebum claps his hands together, “Speaking of which, I’m going to see how his soup is going.” Jaebum exits the youngest members’ bedroom, heading off to the kitchen while Jackson dabs at Bambam’s face with a soft cloth.
Jaebum isn’t the best cook in the group, but with Jinyoung off filming with the others, he’s had to step up. Luckily, samgyetang isn’t too far out of his range. It won’t taste amazing, but it will be decent enough and, most importantly, it will replenish the younger boy’s lost electrolytes. Steam rises to meet his face as he lifts the cover from the pot, tiny beads of sweat instantly forming on his brow. A drop has gained enough body to roll down his nose by the time he ladles some of the soup into a bowl. He wipes it off with the back of his hand and carries a tray into Bambam’s room.
“Can you nudge him awake?” Jaebum asks Jackson as he rests the tray on Yugyeom’s bed.
Jackson leans down and slips an arm around the younger boy’s shoulders, pulling him up in a sitting position against the headboard. “Hey, Bambam, it’s time to wake up and have some soup,” Jackson says softly as he gently ruffles the boy’s hair.
“Nrg, ‘kay,” Bambam mumbles, his eyes slowly opening.
“Make sure it’s not too hot for him, okay?” Jackson fusses, brushing newly dyed blue hair off the younger boy’s face. Jaebum rolls his eyes behind Jackson’s back, but he still blows on the spoonfuls of soup he holds up to Bambam’s mouth. The younger boy must truly be getting better; he easily manages to slurp down about two thirds of the soup before he hits the wall and struggles to finish what’s left in the bowl. “Come on, just a few more spoonfuls. You can do it,” Jackson whispers encouragingly, gently knocking their heads together.
“Alright,” Bambam sigh long-sufferingly, opening his mouth wider for Jaebum to push the spoon past his lips. Jackson meticulously wipes away the stray drops of soup that don’t make it into the boy’s mouth.
When they’re finally finished, Jaebum hands Bambam a couple of nondescript pills and passes him the bottle of water sitting beside his bed. “Just take these and then you can sleep for a few more hours.”
“I’m kinda tired of sleeping, but I’m too weak to do anything else,” Bambam groans. Jackson pats his head sympathetically.
“Go to sleep,” Jaebum says firmly. “Resting helps your body fight the virus. The more you sleep, the sooner you’ll be back to full health.” Bambam heaves a sigh, but he slumps back onto the bed, his eyes falling closed before his head hits the pillow. “There’s some soup leftover,” Jaebum says to Jackson, nodding his head in the direction of the kitchen. Jackson frowns, his eyes drifting down to where Bambam lightly snores. “He’ll be fine for ten minutes. Besides, you need to take care of yourself to be able to look after him.’
“I guess so,” Jackson relents, slowly rising from the bed. Jaebum grabs him by the arm and pulls him to the door before he can change his mind and ask Jaebum to bring him a bowl so he can eat and watch Bambam at the same time. “Alright, alright. I’m going,” Jackson chuckles as Jaebum all but shoves him out the room.
Looking back, Jaebum notices one of Bambam’s arms hanging off the end of the bed. He moves the boy’s arm back on the bed and tucks his covers around him. Jaebum dabs some perspiration off Bambam’s forehead before he tears open a new cold pack and rests it there.
“Thanks, hyung,” Bambam mumbles in his sleep.
“You’re welcome,” Jaebum says, not sure who’s actually being thanked. “Try and get better quickly, for Jackson’s sake as well as your own.” Bambam’s lips twitch in something that might be a smile or just sleep movements. Jaebum ruffles his hair and heads back out to the kitchen before Jackson can finish all of the remaining soup.