fic: never so easy
Title: Never So Easy
Rating: PG
Pairing/Characters: Jonghyun/Key
Notes: This has a tentative sequel, tentative being the key word, so don't be surprised if it...never shows up. :| That being said, it can be read alone as well!
Summary: Being best friends only makes rejection just a little bit easier.
One day, they are like they always have been, friendly and sometimes too friendly, always a little touch-and-go, and the next day Key can’t even stand to be next to Jonghyun.
“Hey there stranger,” Jonghyun jokes, leaning on the wall next to Key. “Haven’t seen you around these parts before.”
“Not funny,” Key retorts flatly, and walks away.
“Hey, what, you,” Jonghyun sputters, feeling decidedly ignored. He stares hard at Key’s retreating back, as if the secret to his confusing behavior would be written there. It’s not, and Jonghyun pouts, even though there’s no one to see it and feel bad for him.
The next time Jonghyun throws an arm around Key for an interview or a photoshoot or just because, Key winces so imperceptibly that Jonghyun barely catches it, and shrugs off the arm, which drops heavily to Jonghyun’s side. He instead sidles up next to Onew, and hisses, “What the hell is wrong with Kibum?”
Onew blinks at him. “What?” He asks, still blinking. “I don’t know. Did you guys have a fight or something?”
“ ‘Course not,” Jonghyun retorts angrily, immediately, and then - “Well, wait, I don’t think so.”
Onew nods wisely, there you go, and Jonghyun scowls, smacking him.
“I bet you’ve cursed us or something, hyung,” Jonghyun mutters darkly. “All your awkward’s finally rubbed off, hasn’t it.” He backs away, glaring at Onew.
Onew throws his hands up exasperatedly, making an angry face at Jonghyun, who just tripped over a chair because he wasn’t looking. Babying his loser bandmates wasn’t included in the job description, he thinks, blowing his cheeks out in frustration.
“Morning,” Jonghyun greets Key cheerfully next morning, just to prove Onew’s theory wrong.
“Hey,” Key says, and side-steps Jonghyun, avoiding his eyes.
“You, what’s wrong with you?” Jonghyun snaps, cutting Key off before he can successfully escape to their room or the kitchen or wherever the hell else. “Why don’t you…I don’t even know, why don’t you talk to me anymore?”
“Don’t know what you’re talking about,” Key says breezily, nervously, looking away. “We talk, uh, all the time, hyung.”
“And why are you calling me hyung?” Jonghyun asks suspiciously, poking Key in the chest. “Since when were you a good dongsaeng?”
At this, Key looks up at Jonghyun, shoving him back. “Oh, why don’t you shut up,” he says, genuinely angry and getting ready to stalk away. “What do you know about anything, anyways?”
“No fighting!” Onew yells suddenly from the other side of the house. Jonghyun and Key pause for a second, and then shout in unison, “No offense, but none of your business, hyung!”
(“I was just trying to reassert my authority,” Onew tells Taemin and Minho morosely.
Taemin nods sympathetically, patting Onew’s hand and eating the cookies Onew’s fangirls sent him. Minho coughs, and decides that to say nothing would be the lesser evil.)
Key takes the moment to try and scuttle away, almost succeeding until Jonghyun says “Yah!” hotly, grabbing Key’s wrist. “Okay, look, Kibum-ah,” he says, hesitating. “Look, I’m sorry, okay?” He arranges his features in what he hopes is a cute and endearing way. He even sticks out his bottom lip, widens his eyes, and bats his eyelashes at Key, who only looks vaguely disturbed. He sighs, and knocks Key’s shoulder with his. “Let’s not fight,” he pleads, and looks at Key hopefully. “I hate fighting, it sucks. Come on, Kibum-ah.”
Key bites his lower lip, looking away. “Hey, Jonghyun-ah,” he says slowly, rubbing the back of his neck. “Hey, Jonghyun-ah, do you believe what they say about our hyungs? Like the Dong bang shin ki and Super Junior hyungs?”
“What do they say about our hyungs?” Jonghyun asks, confused, and then - “Oh,” he says, nodding. “Well, yeah, I guess. It’s possible,” he continues, shrugging. “So?”
“So, you’re like,” Key says haltingly. “So, you’re like…okay with that?”
Jonghyun thinks about it for a second, thinks about their Dong bang shin ki hyungs and their Super Junior hyungs and their confusing relationships and the rumors, the touches, the secret winks, smiles, all the things done in the name of ‘fanservice’ and maybe something more, and responds truthfully, “Why wouldn’t I be?”
“Jonghyun-ah,” Key says suddenly. “Jonghyun-ah, close your eyes and pretend the next five seconds never happened, okay? And I’ll stop ignoring you, okay?”
“Why were you in the first place?” Jonghyun asks, but dutifully closes his eyes anyways. Key steps closer, hesitates, and then presses a kiss to corner of Jonghyun’s mouth, so sweet and hesitant that Jonghyun is suddenly stuck with the enormity of the situation - in all the time he’s known Key, he has never seen him quite so unsure and so sincere.
“That’s why,” Key says, so quietly that Jonghyun almost misses it.
Jonghyun wonders if he should say something, or do something, even, and debates for a second over what to do. It’s a little weird, he can’t deny that - Key’s his best friend, and he really doesn’t see that changing anytime soon. Mostly, Key’s a boy, completely, utterly a boy, from his wiry arms to his big feet. On the other hand, it’s not as weird as he might’ve once thought it, and Jonghyun touches a hand to the corner of his mouth. In the end, he settles for asking hesitantly, “Is it safe to open my eyes yet? Are you going to punch me now, or something?”
“Yes to both, loser,” Key answers, punching Jonghyun in the stomach. There’s a hint of relief in Key’s tone, but he still hits Jonghyun with enough force that Jonghyun can tell he’s more than just a little bit upset.
“Ow,” Jonghyun whines, and punches Key’s shoulder. “So mean, Kibum-ah.” Sorry, he tries to say, sorry, but I don’t know if I can. He pulls Key in for a quick, brief hug, and feels Key tense up before sighing, shoulders slumping.
“Yeah, well,” Key grumps, and Jonghyun is kind of hoping things are better now, but Key still looks slightly uncomfortable when he steps away. “It’s okay,” he says, and Jonghyun can see the slightly forced smile. “I didn’t do it because I expected anything.”
He resists the urge to apologize again, because he doubts that’s what Key wants to hear.
Rating: PG
Pairing/Characters: Jonghyun/Key
Notes: This has a tentative sequel, tentative being the key word, so don't be surprised if it...never shows up. :| That being said, it can be read alone as well!
Summary: Being best friends only makes rejection just a little bit easier.
One day, they are like they always have been, friendly and sometimes too friendly, always a little touch-and-go, and the next day Key can’t even stand to be next to Jonghyun.
“Hey there stranger,” Jonghyun jokes, leaning on the wall next to Key. “Haven’t seen you around these parts before.”
“Not funny,” Key retorts flatly, and walks away.
“Hey, what, you,” Jonghyun sputters, feeling decidedly ignored. He stares hard at Key’s retreating back, as if the secret to his confusing behavior would be written there. It’s not, and Jonghyun pouts, even though there’s no one to see it and feel bad for him.
The next time Jonghyun throws an arm around Key for an interview or a photoshoot or just because, Key winces so imperceptibly that Jonghyun barely catches it, and shrugs off the arm, which drops heavily to Jonghyun’s side. He instead sidles up next to Onew, and hisses, “What the hell is wrong with Kibum?”
Onew blinks at him. “What?” He asks, still blinking. “I don’t know. Did you guys have a fight or something?”
“ ‘Course not,” Jonghyun retorts angrily, immediately, and then - “Well, wait, I don’t think so.”
Onew nods wisely, there you go, and Jonghyun scowls, smacking him.
“I bet you’ve cursed us or something, hyung,” Jonghyun mutters darkly. “All your awkward’s finally rubbed off, hasn’t it.” He backs away, glaring at Onew.
Onew throws his hands up exasperatedly, making an angry face at Jonghyun, who just tripped over a chair because he wasn’t looking. Babying his loser bandmates wasn’t included in the job description, he thinks, blowing his cheeks out in frustration.
“Morning,” Jonghyun greets Key cheerfully next morning, just to prove Onew’s theory wrong.
“Hey,” Key says, and side-steps Jonghyun, avoiding his eyes.
“You, what’s wrong with you?” Jonghyun snaps, cutting Key off before he can successfully escape to their room or the kitchen or wherever the hell else. “Why don’t you…I don’t even know, why don’t you talk to me anymore?”
“Don’t know what you’re talking about,” Key says breezily, nervously, looking away. “We talk, uh, all the time, hyung.”
“And why are you calling me hyung?” Jonghyun asks suspiciously, poking Key in the chest. “Since when were you a good dongsaeng?”
At this, Key looks up at Jonghyun, shoving him back. “Oh, why don’t you shut up,” he says, genuinely angry and getting ready to stalk away. “What do you know about anything, anyways?”
“No fighting!” Onew yells suddenly from the other side of the house. Jonghyun and Key pause for a second, and then shout in unison, “No offense, but none of your business, hyung!”
(“I was just trying to reassert my authority,” Onew tells Taemin and Minho morosely.
Taemin nods sympathetically, patting Onew’s hand and eating the cookies Onew’s fangirls sent him. Minho coughs, and decides that to say nothing would be the lesser evil.)
Key takes the moment to try and scuttle away, almost succeeding until Jonghyun says “Yah!” hotly, grabbing Key’s wrist. “Okay, look, Kibum-ah,” he says, hesitating. “Look, I’m sorry, okay?” He arranges his features in what he hopes is a cute and endearing way. He even sticks out his bottom lip, widens his eyes, and bats his eyelashes at Key, who only looks vaguely disturbed. He sighs, and knocks Key’s shoulder with his. “Let’s not fight,” he pleads, and looks at Key hopefully. “I hate fighting, it sucks. Come on, Kibum-ah.”
Key bites his lower lip, looking away. “Hey, Jonghyun-ah,” he says slowly, rubbing the back of his neck. “Hey, Jonghyun-ah, do you believe what they say about our hyungs? Like the Dong bang shin ki and Super Junior hyungs?”
“What do they say about our hyungs?” Jonghyun asks, confused, and then - “Oh,” he says, nodding. “Well, yeah, I guess. It’s possible,” he continues, shrugging. “So?”
“So, you’re like,” Key says haltingly. “So, you’re like…okay with that?”
Jonghyun thinks about it for a second, thinks about their Dong bang shin ki hyungs and their Super Junior hyungs and their confusing relationships and the rumors, the touches, the secret winks, smiles, all the things done in the name of ‘fanservice’ and maybe something more, and responds truthfully, “Why wouldn’t I be?”
“Jonghyun-ah,” Key says suddenly. “Jonghyun-ah, close your eyes and pretend the next five seconds never happened, okay? And I’ll stop ignoring you, okay?”
“Why were you in the first place?” Jonghyun asks, but dutifully closes his eyes anyways. Key steps closer, hesitates, and then presses a kiss to corner of Jonghyun’s mouth, so sweet and hesitant that Jonghyun is suddenly stuck with the enormity of the situation - in all the time he’s known Key, he has never seen him quite so unsure and so sincere.
“That’s why,” Key says, so quietly that Jonghyun almost misses it.
Jonghyun wonders if he should say something, or do something, even, and debates for a second over what to do. It’s a little weird, he can’t deny that - Key’s his best friend, and he really doesn’t see that changing anytime soon. Mostly, Key’s a boy, completely, utterly a boy, from his wiry arms to his big feet. On the other hand, it’s not as weird as he might’ve once thought it, and Jonghyun touches a hand to the corner of his mouth. In the end, he settles for asking hesitantly, “Is it safe to open my eyes yet? Are you going to punch me now, or something?”
“Yes to both, loser,” Key answers, punching Jonghyun in the stomach. There’s a hint of relief in Key’s tone, but he still hits Jonghyun with enough force that Jonghyun can tell he’s more than just a little bit upset.
“Ow,” Jonghyun whines, and punches Key’s shoulder. “So mean, Kibum-ah.” Sorry, he tries to say, sorry, but I don’t know if I can. He pulls Key in for a quick, brief hug, and feels Key tense up before sighing, shoulders slumping.
“Yeah, well,” Key grumps, and Jonghyun is kind of hoping things are better now, but Key still looks slightly uncomfortable when he steps away. “It’s okay,” he says, and Jonghyun can see the slightly forced smile. “I didn’t do it because I expected anything.”
He resists the urge to apologize again, because he doubts that’s what Key wants to hear.