title: trapped in the closet
author:
hopeandmemorypairing: joonmyun/jongdae
rating: PG-13
word count: ~3000
summary: joonmyun has the worst friends.
disclaimer: this never happened, i swear. also, korean parents would never let this happen. also, based on the appearance of my own and a few others, i don't believe most korean homes have carpeting. or proper closets. therefore, suspension of disbelief is necessary for this fic.
kim joonmyun has the worst friends.
he should have known better. no, his parents should have known better. how could they go out of town and give him permission to invite friends over?
❧
"joonmyun-ah, why don't you call park chanyeol and that friend of his - byun baekhyun?" his mother needles him while he checks over his calculus problem set on thursday. "you spend so much time at the academy and you did so well on your midterms, take a break for once in your life."
"mom, i can't take a break," joonmyun sighs, using his pen as a placemarker in the textbook before turning around to face his mother. "i'll take a break after i get into SNU." he pauses. "maybe." another beat. "probably not, actually…"
she frowns at him, brows knitted together in concern. "your father and i are worried you don't socialize enough, joonmyun-ah." she runs her fingers through his curly dark hair and sighs. "so you'll study on saturday, that's fine. but i'm calling chanyeol's mother and telling her to send him over on saturday night. you shouldn't be alone while your father and i are away, and your brother's got plans."
"all right," joonmyun says, turning back around and flipping open his calc textbook. "but don't say i didn't warn you if you come back and the house is burnt to the ground."
his mother just laughs.
❧
and that's how chanyeol ended up thumping on joonmyun's apartment door on saturday evening, baekhyun in tow, backpacks full of chips and smuggled soju slung over their shoulders. (baekhyun's hyung is the best, chanyeol says worshipfully as he rummages through joonmyun's kitchen cabinets looking for cups while baekhyun cracks open a bottle of soju and a can of strawberry-guava juice.) joonmyun just presses the heels of his hands over his eyes and hopes they pass out soon so he can wash up the glasses and go to bed and pretend like none of this ever happened when his parents come back tomorrow night.
but then baekhyun says these dreaded words: hope you don't mind, but we invited a few other people.
and then the knocks come.
chanyeol bounds over to the door, pulling it open and clapping a terribly tall boy (man?) on the back as he welcomes him inside, like it's his house.
"kris, this is joonmyun." the giant boy extends a hand, and chanyeol grins. "he's an exchange student from canada, but he can speak mandarin, korean, english… he's a genius."
"well, i wouldn't go that far, but…" he grins back, and joonmyun shakes his hand. it's massive. "nice to meet you. thanks for having us over."
"oh, it's… no trouble," joonmyun stammers, peering anxiously at the door as the bell goes off. he shoots a panicked look at baekhyun. "how many people did you invite?"
"not that many, just a couple guys from class, that's all," baekhyun says, cool as anything.
chanyeol opens the door and four more guys stream in: the two chinese exchange students from joonmyun's biology class, lu han and yixing, and a couple first-years: oh sehun, who's clinging to lu han's arm like they're surgically attached, and kim jongin, who's arguing the virtues of chelsea over man u with lu han (and losing, by the looks of it).
"chanyeol, i really don't think this is a good--" joonmyun starts, but he's cut off when people start calling out drink orders and baekhyun starts playing bartender, flipping bottles of soju and beer around like the professional he clearly isn't. someone hands him a soju cocktail - was it lu han or sehun? they look so alike sometimes - and he downs it out of absolute frustration, hoping maybe it will clear his head a little bit.
the doorbell rings one last time, and in bounces another chinese exchange student, zitao, who makes a beeline for kris and baekhyun, followed by minseok, kyungsoo, and jongdae, jabbering at each other about something inconsequential. minseok and kyungsoo hit up the chips, and jongdae grins at joonmyun, smacking him on the shoulder before he veers off to grab a drink.
joonmyun wanders around the living room, taking in the scene. it's weird, feeling like a visitor in his own home, but baekhyun and chanyeol have commandeered the place and it looks like there's no going back. yixing's fiddling with something the corner, and suddenly loud music starts playing from a pair of iPod speakers, which makes joonmyun feel a little nervous because what will the neighbors think and my parents are going to kill me, but then he remembers that they told him he doesn't socialize enough, and someone pushes a bottle of beer into his hand, and suddenly everything seems less alarming and more warm and happy. even if no one is really talking to him, even if they're only using him for his lack of parental supervision, it feels nice to be a part of something.
he feels someone close to him, and turns to see kim jongdae, from his homeroom, standing beside him. jongdae clinks the bottoms of their beer bottles together. "nice party," he says with a sly little smirk, sipping from his beer. "wouldn't have pegged you for the type to throw a party the second your parents are out of the picture, but it's always the quiet ones, i guess."
"it's more like chanyeol and baekhyun threw a party the second my parents went out of town, but point taken," joonmyun says, sloshing the contents of his beer bottle around a bit before taking another sip. "sorry i'm not a very good host."
jongdae's face splits into a smile, and he shakes his head. "this isn't the kind of party where you have to worry about being a good host, joonmyunnie."
"if you say so," joonmyun says. he feels a bit lightheaded. "i'm going to go get some chips."
"i'll be here," jongdae says with a little smile, lifting his bottle at joonmyun as he wanders away toward the snacks.
the music softens suddenly, and lu han's yelling in his lightly accented korean. "we should play a game!"
"like what?" minseok says.
"i don't know, a drinking game?" lu han says a bit sheepishly, like he hasn't thought this through all that well.
"boring," sehun drawls, and lu han flings a corn chip at him.
"what about…" yixing casts about for something, fingers tapping at his lips as if it's on the tip of his tongue. "oh--what about seven minutes in heaven?"
baekhyun howls with laughter. "yes. oh my god, yes. who's first?" he glances around the room, searching for a victim.
"well, as it's joonmyun's house and joonmyun's party," chanyeol crows loudly, standing on the couch and trying not to get hit by the ceiling fan, "i think it's only fair that he should go first."
"what."
everyone looks at joonmyun, who is backed up against the wall, wide-eyed, his beer clutched in one white fist.
"seven minutes in heaven, joonmyun. god, pay attention." sehun rolls his eyes, and lu han cuffs him over the head (ever so gently).
"i don't think i really want to--" joonmyun starts, but everyone starts griping and whining (and throwing corn chips, in lu han and sehun's case) about him being a party pooper, so he sighs and wanders toward the coat closet near the front door.
"so who should we send in with him?" baekhyun says, and everyone starts whispering amongst themselves, until chanyeol gazes around the room and points a finger at jongdae.
"jongdae's been pretty quiet," chanyeol says, and joonmyun puts a hand over his eyes as everyone starts to chant "KIM JONGDAE! KIM JONGDAE! KIM JONGDAE!" at an obnoxiously high volume. this is terrible. this is embarrassing. is this what death feels like? joonmyun's brain is rattling and his heart is pounding and approximately four people are frog-marching kim jongdae toward the closet.
the door opens and jongdae gets shoved in, curses flying from his lips. someone gently yanks the beer bottle from joonmyun's hand and pushes him through the doorway like one would dangle a cat over a bathtub. joonmyun trips over a snag in the carpeting and falls forward, the door slams shut behind him, and he and jongdae are trapped in darkness.
"now i feel like i really need to apologize for being such a terrible host," joonmyun says helplessly, pushing himself up slowly until he's standing again. he leans against a suitcase and covers his eyes again. he can feel his face radiating heat beneath his palms, and his cheeks burn even more fiercely when someone - sounds like sehun - shouts "i don't hear anyone sucking face yet!" from outside the door.
"nah, it's not your fault we're friends with a bunch of assholes," jongdae says, ever the good sport. "where are you, anyway? this closet is bigger than the one at my house."
"here." joonmyun stretches out a hand, feeling around for jongdae's fingers, which brush against his after a few moments of blind searching. the touch of foreign skin feels a little electric in the dark like this, and joonmyun snatches his hand back, running it through his hair instead.
he can hear jongdae gently padding across the closet toward him, his soft breathing a little more obvious as he comes nearer. suddenly, he curses aloud again and joonmyun feels two hands grip his knees, warm breath skittering across the fabric of his jeans. he reaches out and comes into contact with jongdae's thick hair and high cheekbones at waist height.
"what happened?" joonmyun says, edging away from him just slightly, but jongdae pulls away to right himself anyway.
"tripped over the vacuum cleaner cord, i think." jongdae feels around him and takes a seat on the suitcase next to joonmyun's.
"you okay?"
"yeah."
they sit there quietly like that for a few moments, and then joonmyun clears his throat. "i am really sorry about this."
jongdae just sighs. "stop apologizing. there's nothing to be sorry for."
"but isn't it awkward?" joonmyun's pulse is going to jump out of his throat and found its own country at this rate.
"only because you're making it awkward."
"so you don't… mind, being stuck here with me?"
"why would i mind?"
joonmyun blinks. "i could think of a few reasons."
jongdae pauses. "well, do you mind being stuck here with me?"
"i don't know. i mean, i like you, so i guess not?"
"you like me?" there's a smile in jongdae's voice.
"well, yeah," joonmyun says. "you're smart, and pretty funny, and you sing really beautifully--"
jongdae cuts him off. "thanks, but that's not really what i meant."
"oh." joonmyun pauses. "oh. i. um." he laughs helplessly.
"you're like a victorian lady sometimes, i swear," jongdae laughs, reaching over to fold his hand over joonmyun's.
joonmyun's chest feels like it's on fire as he tentatively laces his fingers with jongdae's. "am not."
"prove it."
a siren screams out in his head, even as he turns his head toward jongdae in the dark and leans forward. it shrieks even louder when they bump noses a little harder than is comfortable. "ow."
warm hands slide up his neck to cup his cheeks gently, a thumb brushing over his nose. jongdae snickers. "god, it's like you fell out of a drama or something. you all right?"
outside, someone - minseok, maybe? - is shouting "tick-tock, tick-tock," and jongin yells "five minutes!"
"i'm fine," joonmyun says. "this is just… embarrassing, that's all." he pauses, then feels a wave of panic wash over him. "not, you know, because of you or anything! just. being locked in a closet at my own house to make out with a guy i see at school every day. it's a little awkward."
jongdae is still stroking his cheekbones with the pads of his thumbs. "it doesn't have to be. don't think too hard about it. just--"
and then jongdae's mouth is on his, his narrow upper lip snug between joonmyun's lips. it's short and sweet; jongdae pulls away after a few seconds and rests his forehead against joonmyun's. "i mean, kissing is pretty silly if you think about it - pressing your mouth up against someone else's as sort of a mating ritual is a little weird, isn't it?"
"way to be clinical about it, jongdae," joonmyun says, tugging the hair at the nape of jongdae's neck, but it makes him crack a smile.
"it's less scary that way, though, isn't it?" jongdae says, moving in for another kiss. this one's longer, less tame, jongdae's lips pushing a little more insistently against joonmyun's. his hands slide down from joonmyun's face, one seeking out joonmyun's hand to play with his fingers, the other curling around the back of joonmyun's neck, which sends an embarrassing thrill through joonmyun's body and makes his chest feel like it's going to burst. he sucks in a gasp through his nose, suddenly breathless, and jongdae releases him again.
"this isn't your first kiss, is it?" he asks suddenly, his fingers stroking the fine hairs along the back of joonmyun's neck.
joonmyun twists his fingers around jongdae's to get him to stop tickling his palm and allows his other hand to run up and down jongdae's spine, relishing the feel of the soft fabric of his sweatshirt beneath his fingertips. "no. first time playing this stupid game, though."
"and your last, i hope," jongdae laughs, arching his back into joonmyun's hand. "unless it's with me, of course."
joonmyun's hand slows, coming to a rest near the base of jongdae's spine. "oh, really? what-- makes you say that?"
jongdae sighs and shakes his hand free from joonmyun's, looping his arms around joonmyun's shoulders and leaning forward again, nudging joonmyun's nose with his own before leaving a simple plucking kiss on his mouth. "well, i've had a crush on you for the better part of two years. it'd kind of bum me out if i heard you were playing this stupid game with anyone else."
it's quiet for a few moments, and then joonmyun sputters, "did you just confess to me in my coat closet?"
"well, when you put it like that i sound really stupid."
"probably because you are," joonmyun groans, but he buries his face in jongdae's neck anyway.
"so does that mean you don't like me back, or what? because if so i need to go home and go drown myself in the shower, like, now."
"don't be so dramatic." joonmyun pokes him in the side. he imitates jongdae's voice, laughing, "don't think too hard about it. after all, telling someone you like them is pretty silly, when you think about it…"
"kim joonmyun, using the tender words of my heart for evil," jongdae whines. "man, it's always the quiet ones."
for once, joonmyun initiates a kiss, fitting his lips around jongdae's lower lip and sucking gently, his thumb tracing the shell of jongdae's ear. jongdae melts into it, his lips parting beneath joonmyun's, silently beckoning him on.
joonmyun's never actually french-kissed anyone, and the concept is kind of funny to him in theory, but the tiny breath of a moan that comes out of jongdae's mouth when joonmyun's tongue brushes against his makes it a whole lot less funny and a whole lot more confusingly hot. up until now, it had felt like jongdae was the one in control, but that one little sound had shifted the balance of power pretty considerably, at least for joonmyun. it felt nice.
but true to form, his friends' habit of ruining literally (well, not really) all the good things in joonmyun's life rears its ugly head once more. joonmyun and jongdae spring apart as the doorknob turns and light streams into the closet, chanyeol and baekhyun hooting and sehun and jongin making obscene hand gestures over their shoulders as everyone peers in to see what they've been up to.
lu han's face falls. "i think they just sat there in the dark, you guys."
"joonmyun, god, you're so boring!" chanyeol whines, slouching away from the door with the remnants of a bottle of soju clutched in one hand.
"oh yeah? how's this for boring?" joonmyun raises his voice, walking out of the closet. "get the hell out of my house! i'm done with this stupid game and my parents are going to kill me when they get home tomorrow and the house is a mess. just go. i need to clean and then i'm going to bed."
everyone gapes. joonmyun never gets mad.
he turns to face a wide-eyed jongdae, winking when he's sure no one else can see his face. "get out!" he shouts, pointing to the door, and jongdae bites his lip to hide the smirk on his face, muttering irritably under his breath as he stalks out to get his coat.
the others have turned away, grumbling as they collect their things and pile up in the foyer to slide their shoes on. joonmyun follows jongdae across the living room under the pretense of collecting some empty beer and soju bottles and drops his voice as he nears the kitchen doorway, close to where jongdae is slipping into his coat.
"leave with them. come back in ten minutes."
"what?"
"tell them you forgot your wallet, but they don't have to wait for you. then come back." joonmyun smiles, pretty sure this isn't what his parents had in mind when they said he should socialize more, but not really caring. "we can watch a movie or something."
"or something." jongdae tries to hide the sly grin that threatens to spread across his face. "kim joonmyun, you sneaky bastard."
"jongdae, hurry up!" baekhyun calls from the front of the house.
"coming!" jongdae yells, and reaches back to squeeze joonmyun's hand with a brilliant smile before scrambling to the door.
joonmyun waits until the door slams to laugh harder than he has in months.
writer's note: this is a thing that happened because
shilily said something about locking them in a closet together, and i love jundae. i originally intended this to be somewhat filthier, but kim joonmyun is pure as the freshly fallen snow in my mind for some reason and I JUST COULDN'T MAKE IT HAPPEN. oh well. maybe next time~
apologies for the lapselock. i didn't realize it was going to be this long and i don't feel like fixing it. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
originally posted at
sonyeoncheonji here