The Halfling - Part 9
Title: The Halfling
Pairing(s): Onkey, side 2min
Rating: PG-13 (overall)
Genre: Romance, sci-fi (?)
Disclaimer: I don't own SHINee, I don't own any of the members. Their souls and bodies belong to SM, I am only a lowly, foreign fanfic writer.
The days following Onew and Key’s heart to heart were almost revolutionary. Key no longer kept quite a distance or held back his reactions to things and, though he was very respectful and still cautious, Onew could see that with each day Key’s defenses were getting weaker. Though the two did still enjoy copious amounts of quiet time, it allowed for Onew to get his work done and for Key to read whatever books he wished.
It was about three days after the confrontation that Onew saw Key truly smile for the first time. They were eating breakfast in Onew’s room and watching a steady snowfall through the windows. After a bit of prodding, Key had told Onew the day before that his tribe had been hunters and gatherers and, as such, he preferred to eat raw fruits and vegetables and smoked meats. Key was in the middle of tearing into a piece of smoked ham - no utensils required, Onew amusedly noted - when a thought struck the elder.
“Key,” Onew broke the calm silence, pulling the Halfling’s two black eyes to him. Key swallowed his food and listened attentively. “I have something for you.”
“For me, my lord?” Key questioned, eyebrows pulling tight above his nose.
“I had planned on giving them to you on my birthday after the others had left, but then you met Dongwan…” Onew trailed off awkwardly.
“I’m sorry I ruined your birthday, my lord,” he murmured softly, an embarrassed frown pulling at his pink lips.
“You didn’t ruin anything, Key,” the older smiled gently. “Follow me.”
Onew lead Key out his bedroom door and down the hall to the end of the east wing. At the last set of double doors he paused, glanced Key’s confused expression, and entered.
Through the doors was a large corner room with polished wood floors and large windows. The wall to the right was completely mirrored. There was a small slot mounted to the wall beside the door to enter music chips, which connected to speakers installed in the ceiling.
The room was entirely empty except for the far left corner where a small table was set up beside an easel. On the table sat a brand new sketchpad beside two wooden boxes, one full of vibrantly colored pastels and the other colored pencils. A cup of paintbrushes was placed beside a set of paints. Beside the easel there were blank canvases of varying sizes and a stool sat in front of the small table.
“My lord…” Key began softly, taking a few steps into the room and freezing.
“The man at the Keeper’s said you enjoyed art and dancing,” Onew answered the unasked question. “I thought you might enjoy a room to dance in, and some art supplies.”
“A room? Just for dancing?” the blonde’s eyes grew wide in surprise.
Onew barely contained a grin. Key was surprisingly adorable now that he had grown more comfortable. “Yes,” the older nodded. “Some people also have rooms just for drawing or painting, or playing music.”
“And reading and eating and cooking and sleeping,” Key added.
“Well, yes” Onew commented fairly confused.
“And sitting,” was added somewhat sardonically, Onew suspected.
Key moved further into the room, directly toward the drawing table. Ivory fingers gently opened the pastels box and picked up an aquamarine rectangle, holding it up to the light so black eyes could examine its brilliant color.
If Onew had gotten good at anything, however, it was being able to tell when Key was holding in a comment. “What are you thinking?” He watched the other replace the pastel and move over to the large window on the other side of the desk.
“There is so much waste on this planet,” the Halfling murmured; tail swishing calmly while he stared out the glass at still falling snowflakes.
The caramel haired boy watching him only nodded in agreement. It was a sentiment he often thought about. A family of three, in his opinion, had no need for a three-story estate. In fact, he very much doubted anyone had a need for it.
“You should not have given me these presents,” Key turned from the window to face his master.
“Do you not like them?” Onew questioned, rather put down. He had so thought the other would enjoy them.
“I very much like them, my lord. But I have done nothing to deserve them.”
“Key,” Onew chuckled at the confused look dancing across the younger’s features. “I bought these for you because I thought you would enjoy them. I want you to do things you enjoy.”
“But what if I do not create things you enjoy?” the doubtful look remained, now joined by drooping ears.
“I don’t think you understand,” Onew shook his head. “These things are for you, only you. I do not have to watch you dance or see your drawings if you do not want me to.”
Key seemed to contemplate this idea for a moment as his eyes lingered on the table and easel again. The confusion melted from his face after a few moments, replaced with a look of unmistakable hope.
“I may draw what I wish? And dance as I wish?” he ventured, apparently still skeptical of such an idea. Onew nodded. “The trainers told me every single thing I did from now on would be only to please my master. But these things are to make me happy,” he continued as if he were figuring out a puzzle outloud. When he spoke again, Key’s voice sounded as if he had come to an epiphany. “These things are for me. My master cares about me.”
Key turned around to meet Onew’s gaze and for the first time since he landed on the planet Earth a true smile graced his features. The dimple Onew had spotted before appeared again on Key’s left cheek, paired with a much more shallow one on his right. His black eyes sparkled and shone, just barely growing wet, and his perfect pink lips parted to show equally perfect straight, white teeth. His ears perked and stood at attention, his tail ceasing all movement and instead hovering above the floor contentedly.
Onew could have sworn his heart seized. He’d never seen anything so beautiful in his entire life.
He was in deep.
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It was the night of the fifth day after the confrontation that Onew finally got around to asking Key about his sleeping habits.
The young Halfling had admitted that he slept in Onew’s room to feel safe; afraid others in the house would attack him. Onew had thought that since the talk Key would start sleeping in his own room, but something seemed off.
It was true that Key no longer snuck into Onew’s room at night - something he was aware of because his fireplace was always on in the morning, his laptop was where he left it and, embarrassingly enough, he didn’t sleep as well without the other presence in his room - but the heir couldn’t help noticing how Key’s bed always seemed so perfectly made and how the other boy always looked terribly tired.
They had finished dinner a few hours before (Onew enjoyed a vegetable and pasta dish while Key near devoured a plate of grilled steak - bloody - with raw carrots, broccoli and green beans) and were lounging in the sitting area of Onew’s rooms. Onew was writing an email to the family accountant and Key sat curled in an armchair, drawing something in a sketchpad. True to his word, Onew hadn’t looked at any of the other’s drawings despite the fact that Key’s nonstop sketching aroused serious curiosity. Also, his frustration at trying to adapt to using human drawing tools was sort of adorable. Onew knew that back on Agrius, Feline Halflings usually used sticks or tied together hair dipped in paint made of berries and drew on dried animal hides, so switching to paper and charcoal must have been truly annoying. Still, he couldn’t fight the smile that spread across his face when he heard the blonde let out another aggravated sound.
“Key,” Onew called softly. He let out a huff and put his sketchpad and charcoal stick down on the arm of the chair abruptly, glaring at it momentarily before perking his two blonde ears up again and turning toward his master.
“Yes, my lord?”
“I think I’ll go to bed,” the older said and stood from his chair, stretching. “You can always keep drawing if you want.”
“No, thank you, my lord. I think I am done,” Key responded and once again glared at the innocent pad of paper, his ears lowered into his hair.
Onew smiled and bid the other goodnight, turning to head toward his bedroom. At the last minute he remembered something and turned back around to see Key hadn’t moved an inch. He hesitated to bring it up, wondering if perhaps Key was being kept up by nightmares of his past or something else he didn’t want to talk about. But the fact was, Onew was in a position to possibly help ease Key’s mind and situation. And he really wanted Key to be as happy and comfortable as he could be.
“Actually, Key, I was wondering something.”
“Yes?” Key perked up and waited attentively.
“Have you been sleeping well?”
“Excuse me?”
“I’ve just noticed you seem very tired lately and your bed looks unused,” Onew added.
Key remained silent but his lips pursed in the same way they always seemed to when he was keeping something in and his black eyes averted themselves to the floor.
“Key?” Onew pressed gently.
“I have not been sleeping in my room,” the Halfling admitted quietly, his voice sounding almost guilty.
“Do you not like it?”
“No! It is very nice to have my own room and I am very thankful to my lord for being so kind to me…”
“But?”
“I… my lord, I know I am safe here but I cannot stop fearing for myself. It is a habit, I believe. I am scared and I have never slept by myself before. In my village my family slept together in our hut. At the camp and on the ship and at the Keeper’s all Halflings slept together.”
“The camp?” Onew asked, confused.
“Where we were kept before we were brought to Earth.”
“Right, of course,” Onew nodded in understanding. He decided it would be best not to press the matter and to instead focus on his original question. “Where have you been sleeping then?”
“Here, my lord. In the sitting area of your rooms. I slept very well when I slept in your bedroom but I understand that is not polite, and this area is not bad,” Key gestured to the area before the fireplace.
Onew chewed his lips softly as he thought. There was an embarrassingly obvious solution to their problem, but Onew knew it was somewhat dangerous. To have Key so close? In the dead of night? But, then again, he wanted the other to be comfortable and happy. Surely not getting enough sleep wouldn’t help the situation.
“Would you like to sleep in my room?” the heir finally asked, clearing his throat before adding a bit more quietly, “with me?”
“Would… would this be appropriate, my lord?” Key questioned hesitantly. It was obvious by the stilling of his fluffy tail and the twitch to his ears that he was very much interested, which caused Onew to barely contain a smile.
“Yes, it’s very much appropriate, Key. I’ve invited you,” the older gave a warm grin.
Key smiled back and bowed in thanks. Onew congratulated himself on a problem well solved.
--------------
Correction: Problem not well solved.
In fact, another problem seemed to have popped up in the other’s place. It wasn’t until Onew emerged from the bathroom in his sleep clothes and Key returned from his own bedroom in pajamas that the caramel haired boy realized his mistake. Key headed directly for the leather chairs and Onew stopped him only to realize that he hadn’t thought of where exactly Key would be sleeping.
“You’ll sleep in my bed, Key. I’ll set up some comforters and pillows on the floor for myself,” he suggested easily enough.
Key looked a bit scandalized and Onew thought offhandedly that perhaps he and Minho weren’t so different after all. “I cannot let you sleep on the floor, my lord. I will sleep there and you will sleep on the bed.”
“Key,” Onew said exasperatedly because it was getting late and he was so very tired and he had to wake up early to meet with his French tutor in the morning. And because somewhere, in the back of his mind, he was fighting down the fantasy of finding a way to get both of them into his bed; of falling asleep with the Halfling in his arms and waking up to see sunlight filter across blonde hair and brown tipped ears. But, after all, he wasn’t so sure Key would be okay with such contact. Not after all he’d been through. “It’s not good for you to sleep on the floor or chairs. You should sleep in a bed. I can do with one night on the floor and tomorrow we’ll have another bed brought in here.”
Key seemed chastened by the tone and his ears lowered into his hair. Onew’s chest tightened in regret at being so short with the other. It was unlike him, and it certainly wasn’t Key’s fault that long dormant desires seemed to be springing up.
“I’m sorry,” he offered softly. “Let’s just go to sleep and I promise we’ll figure something out tomorrow.”
Key nodded obediently, lowering his eyes to the floor. But his lips did that pursing thing again and Onew just couldn’t ignore it.
“What's wrong?” came gently, mindful of not upsetting the other.
“My lord…” Key began slowly, taking in a large breath and huffing it out. “This may be inappropriate, but I would like to share the bed.”
Onew could swear he just choked on air. Almond eyes grew wide in shock, and his mouth dropped open with nothing to say, and Key’s ears drooped further into his hair in misunderstanding.
“I apologize, my lord, it was rude of me to ask-“
“No!” Onew was far too eager to stop the other but embarrassingly enough realized how hard it was to rein in. “I had thought you wouldn’t feel comfortable sharing a bed with me.”
Key smiled delicately, causing Onew to smile back. “I trust you, my lord. It is a large bed so we do not have to touch.”
Onew didn’t trust his words so he nodded dumbly. Key’s eyes lit up immediately and he quite literally hopped onto Onew’s mattress, bouncing a bit on the soft material. Two blonde ears instantly perked up and his fluffy tail began swaying back and forth as the Halfling explored the bed, crawling around and touching the comforter, the sheets, the pillows. He leant more weight on his arms and watched in fascination as the material indented underneath him.
“All humans sleep on these?” Key asked incredulously.
“Beds? Yes,” Onew nodded and sat on the edge of the mattress. He smiled amusedly as he watched the other roll back to the other side of the bed. “They’re not all so big or soft, though.”
“Amazing,” Key murmured and curled up in a ball, resting his head on a throw pillow.
“Key,” Onew chuckled at the Halfling’s pure fascination at something he took for granted. “You don’t sleep on these. You sleep on these bigger pillows,” he said as he tossed the decorative pillows from his side of the bed to the floor and lowered the sleeping pillow that matches his sheets so it rested flat on the mattress. “And you sleep underneath these,” he added, pulling back the thick comforter and top sheet.
Key slid from the bed and copied his master’s movements carefully, piling the decorative pillows neatly beside the bed. He slipped underneath the sheets and sat, staring in interest at how the bed was so big three full sized pillows fit along the top, side by side, without overlapping. Onew was sitting on his own side with plenty of room left between them.
“Just get comfortable and lie back,” he instructed gently as he did the same.
Key lay back slowly and rested his head on the fluffy pillow. A smile overtook his face and he pressed his head further back into the soft material, wiggling around a bit, pulling the covers up to his chin.
“This is your first time on a bed?” Onew asked amusedly.
“Yes, my lord,” Key murmured before rolling onto his stomach and stretching, letting out a short sound of comfort. “It is like being on a cloud.”
“What did you sleep on in your village?”
“We piled dry grass together in a large mat and covered it with animal skins. There was only one for the family.”
“It was comfortable?” the caramel haired boy asked, turning onto his side to watch the other.
“It was,” the blonde nodded and then grinned. “But it was nothing like this mantriss.”
“Mattress,” Onew corrected quietly.
“Yes, my lord,” the other murmured but it sounded as if he was already half lost to sleep, his eyes already closed.
Onew grinned and turned off the lights, watching the firelight dance along Key’s features. His cheekbones seemed to be ten times more prominent and his skin glowed in the warm lighting.
“The fire, my lord,” Key spoke suddenly and Onew near jumped out of his skin in surprise. Two black eyes opened slowly and blinked lazily at the other.
“Excuse me?”
“My mother taught me fires should not be left burning while you are sleeping. It is dangerous, my lord,” he answered simply.
“Is that why you always turned my fireplace off?” Onew asked, referencing when Key used to sneak into his room.
“You are kind to me, my lord, and I did not want anything to happen to you,” Key said nonchalantly as if the admission didn’t cause Onew to feel suspiciously warm inside.
“You’re right, Key,” the young heir said and reached over to push the button on the remote on his bedside table. He didn’t bother explaining that fires like these couldn’t easily get out of control and that, even if they did, they had the most sophisticated fire alarm system available which sent robots immediately to extinguish the flame. The room plunged into complete darkness and Onew didn’t bother holding in his grin anymore. “Goodnight, Key.”
“Goodnight, my lord,” the other hummed back, already more than halfway to dreamland.
Onew settled, letting the grin tug his lips a little further, and watched Key’s ears twitch in what little lighting came in from the windows.
---------------
When Onew awoke the next morning, his first thought was that he was thankful he was still lying on his own side of the bed. He’d been concerned his body would seek out Key’s in the night and the last thing he needed was to cause a rift between himself and the other.
His second thought was that his blanket was extraordinarily warm this morning. And then he registered the weight starting on his ribs and ending in a small hand on his sternum, the chest rising and falling against his back, the leg pushed between his own, the tail that curled over his hip and settled on his stomach. Oh.
Onew was suddenly very awake and it was as if all the breath had been knocked out of him at once. He was proud that he hadn’t been the one to curl himself around the other, but the fact that Key had been the one to cross the entire bed to get near him made him all - dare he think it? - giddy.
He had to fight the urge to roll over and hold the Halfling in his arms. He’d never touched the blonde before (did this count as touching?) but he knew Key had probably made the move in his sleep and his best option was to lie still and enjoy the feeling. It was not a common one and he probably wouldn’t feel it again soon or, possibly, ever. Besides, he had a good ten minutes before he actually had to get up.
Suddenly the body behind him stretched itself out, pushing its - oh my God - hip bones straight into Onew’s backside. A forehead pressed softly into the space between Onew’s shoulderblades and two soft ears tickled the back of his neck. Something akin to the feeling of a yawn wracking through a body erupted behind him and then Key’s entire body went stiff. Onew slammed his eyes shut in half a second, waiting with baited breath to see what Key would do.
A small sound emitted from the Halfling, a word Onew had never before heard and he could only assume it was from Key’s native language. Then slowly and gently, apparently afraid of waking his master, Key began pulling away, limb by limb. When he was free, and the two were no longer touching, Key rolled back over to his side of the bed.
Even under his heavy blankets Onew suddenly felt very cold.
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HAI GAIZ! so uh... yeah this was pretty much just fluff? two reasons: one, is key has begun to feel more comfortable around onew and craves affection he hasn't had in a long time and onew can barely contain his hormones and two, i just really wanted to write fluff like omg onkey just need some happiness after everything am i right? this was actually part of a longer update but it got so long i cut it in half... the next part will be up maybe in a week, possibly less? don't quote me on that >_> is this really bad? omg be honest lol please let me know what you think!!
next
Pairing(s): Onkey, side 2min
Rating: PG-13 (overall)
Genre: Romance, sci-fi (?)
Disclaimer: I don't own SHINee, I don't own any of the members. Their souls and bodies belong to SM, I am only a lowly, foreign fanfic writer.
The days following Onew and Key’s heart to heart were almost revolutionary. Key no longer kept quite a distance or held back his reactions to things and, though he was very respectful and still cautious, Onew could see that with each day Key’s defenses were getting weaker. Though the two did still enjoy copious amounts of quiet time, it allowed for Onew to get his work done and for Key to read whatever books he wished.
It was about three days after the confrontation that Onew saw Key truly smile for the first time. They were eating breakfast in Onew’s room and watching a steady snowfall through the windows. After a bit of prodding, Key had told Onew the day before that his tribe had been hunters and gatherers and, as such, he preferred to eat raw fruits and vegetables and smoked meats. Key was in the middle of tearing into a piece of smoked ham - no utensils required, Onew amusedly noted - when a thought struck the elder.
“Key,” Onew broke the calm silence, pulling the Halfling’s two black eyes to him. Key swallowed his food and listened attentively. “I have something for you.”
“For me, my lord?” Key questioned, eyebrows pulling tight above his nose.
“I had planned on giving them to you on my birthday after the others had left, but then you met Dongwan…” Onew trailed off awkwardly.
“I’m sorry I ruined your birthday, my lord,” he murmured softly, an embarrassed frown pulling at his pink lips.
“You didn’t ruin anything, Key,” the older smiled gently. “Follow me.”
Onew lead Key out his bedroom door and down the hall to the end of the east wing. At the last set of double doors he paused, glanced Key’s confused expression, and entered.
Through the doors was a large corner room with polished wood floors and large windows. The wall to the right was completely mirrored. There was a small slot mounted to the wall beside the door to enter music chips, which connected to speakers installed in the ceiling.
The room was entirely empty except for the far left corner where a small table was set up beside an easel. On the table sat a brand new sketchpad beside two wooden boxes, one full of vibrantly colored pastels and the other colored pencils. A cup of paintbrushes was placed beside a set of paints. Beside the easel there were blank canvases of varying sizes and a stool sat in front of the small table.
“My lord…” Key began softly, taking a few steps into the room and freezing.
“The man at the Keeper’s said you enjoyed art and dancing,” Onew answered the unasked question. “I thought you might enjoy a room to dance in, and some art supplies.”
“A room? Just for dancing?” the blonde’s eyes grew wide in surprise.
Onew barely contained a grin. Key was surprisingly adorable now that he had grown more comfortable. “Yes,” the older nodded. “Some people also have rooms just for drawing or painting, or playing music.”
“And reading and eating and cooking and sleeping,” Key added.
“Well, yes” Onew commented fairly confused.
“And sitting,” was added somewhat sardonically, Onew suspected.
Key moved further into the room, directly toward the drawing table. Ivory fingers gently opened the pastels box and picked up an aquamarine rectangle, holding it up to the light so black eyes could examine its brilliant color.
If Onew had gotten good at anything, however, it was being able to tell when Key was holding in a comment. “What are you thinking?” He watched the other replace the pastel and move over to the large window on the other side of the desk.
“There is so much waste on this planet,” the Halfling murmured; tail swishing calmly while he stared out the glass at still falling snowflakes.
The caramel haired boy watching him only nodded in agreement. It was a sentiment he often thought about. A family of three, in his opinion, had no need for a three-story estate. In fact, he very much doubted anyone had a need for it.
“You should not have given me these presents,” Key turned from the window to face his master.
“Do you not like them?” Onew questioned, rather put down. He had so thought the other would enjoy them.
“I very much like them, my lord. But I have done nothing to deserve them.”
“Key,” Onew chuckled at the confused look dancing across the younger’s features. “I bought these for you because I thought you would enjoy them. I want you to do things you enjoy.”
“But what if I do not create things you enjoy?” the doubtful look remained, now joined by drooping ears.
“I don’t think you understand,” Onew shook his head. “These things are for you, only you. I do not have to watch you dance or see your drawings if you do not want me to.”
Key seemed to contemplate this idea for a moment as his eyes lingered on the table and easel again. The confusion melted from his face after a few moments, replaced with a look of unmistakable hope.
“I may draw what I wish? And dance as I wish?” he ventured, apparently still skeptical of such an idea. Onew nodded. “The trainers told me every single thing I did from now on would be only to please my master. But these things are to make me happy,” he continued as if he were figuring out a puzzle outloud. When he spoke again, Key’s voice sounded as if he had come to an epiphany. “These things are for me. My master cares about me.”
Key turned around to meet Onew’s gaze and for the first time since he landed on the planet Earth a true smile graced his features. The dimple Onew had spotted before appeared again on Key’s left cheek, paired with a much more shallow one on his right. His black eyes sparkled and shone, just barely growing wet, and his perfect pink lips parted to show equally perfect straight, white teeth. His ears perked and stood at attention, his tail ceasing all movement and instead hovering above the floor contentedly.
Onew could have sworn his heart seized. He’d never seen anything so beautiful in his entire life.
He was in deep.
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It was the night of the fifth day after the confrontation that Onew finally got around to asking Key about his sleeping habits.
The young Halfling had admitted that he slept in Onew’s room to feel safe; afraid others in the house would attack him. Onew had thought that since the talk Key would start sleeping in his own room, but something seemed off.
It was true that Key no longer snuck into Onew’s room at night - something he was aware of because his fireplace was always on in the morning, his laptop was where he left it and, embarrassingly enough, he didn’t sleep as well without the other presence in his room - but the heir couldn’t help noticing how Key’s bed always seemed so perfectly made and how the other boy always looked terribly tired.
They had finished dinner a few hours before (Onew enjoyed a vegetable and pasta dish while Key near devoured a plate of grilled steak - bloody - with raw carrots, broccoli and green beans) and were lounging in the sitting area of Onew’s rooms. Onew was writing an email to the family accountant and Key sat curled in an armchair, drawing something in a sketchpad. True to his word, Onew hadn’t looked at any of the other’s drawings despite the fact that Key’s nonstop sketching aroused serious curiosity. Also, his frustration at trying to adapt to using human drawing tools was sort of adorable. Onew knew that back on Agrius, Feline Halflings usually used sticks or tied together hair dipped in paint made of berries and drew on dried animal hides, so switching to paper and charcoal must have been truly annoying. Still, he couldn’t fight the smile that spread across his face when he heard the blonde let out another aggravated sound.
“Key,” Onew called softly. He let out a huff and put his sketchpad and charcoal stick down on the arm of the chair abruptly, glaring at it momentarily before perking his two blonde ears up again and turning toward his master.
“Yes, my lord?”
“I think I’ll go to bed,” the older said and stood from his chair, stretching. “You can always keep drawing if you want.”
“No, thank you, my lord. I think I am done,” Key responded and once again glared at the innocent pad of paper, his ears lowered into his hair.
Onew smiled and bid the other goodnight, turning to head toward his bedroom. At the last minute he remembered something and turned back around to see Key hadn’t moved an inch. He hesitated to bring it up, wondering if perhaps Key was being kept up by nightmares of his past or something else he didn’t want to talk about. But the fact was, Onew was in a position to possibly help ease Key’s mind and situation. And he really wanted Key to be as happy and comfortable as he could be.
“Actually, Key, I was wondering something.”
“Yes?” Key perked up and waited attentively.
“Have you been sleeping well?”
“Excuse me?”
“I’ve just noticed you seem very tired lately and your bed looks unused,” Onew added.
Key remained silent but his lips pursed in the same way they always seemed to when he was keeping something in and his black eyes averted themselves to the floor.
“Key?” Onew pressed gently.
“I have not been sleeping in my room,” the Halfling admitted quietly, his voice sounding almost guilty.
“Do you not like it?”
“No! It is very nice to have my own room and I am very thankful to my lord for being so kind to me…”
“But?”
“I… my lord, I know I am safe here but I cannot stop fearing for myself. It is a habit, I believe. I am scared and I have never slept by myself before. In my village my family slept together in our hut. At the camp and on the ship and at the Keeper’s all Halflings slept together.”
“The camp?” Onew asked, confused.
“Where we were kept before we were brought to Earth.”
“Right, of course,” Onew nodded in understanding. He decided it would be best not to press the matter and to instead focus on his original question. “Where have you been sleeping then?”
“Here, my lord. In the sitting area of your rooms. I slept very well when I slept in your bedroom but I understand that is not polite, and this area is not bad,” Key gestured to the area before the fireplace.
Onew chewed his lips softly as he thought. There was an embarrassingly obvious solution to their problem, but Onew knew it was somewhat dangerous. To have Key so close? In the dead of night? But, then again, he wanted the other to be comfortable and happy. Surely not getting enough sleep wouldn’t help the situation.
“Would you like to sleep in my room?” the heir finally asked, clearing his throat before adding a bit more quietly, “with me?”
“Would… would this be appropriate, my lord?” Key questioned hesitantly. It was obvious by the stilling of his fluffy tail and the twitch to his ears that he was very much interested, which caused Onew to barely contain a smile.
“Yes, it’s very much appropriate, Key. I’ve invited you,” the older gave a warm grin.
Key smiled back and bowed in thanks. Onew congratulated himself on a problem well solved.
--------------
Correction: Problem not well solved.
In fact, another problem seemed to have popped up in the other’s place. It wasn’t until Onew emerged from the bathroom in his sleep clothes and Key returned from his own bedroom in pajamas that the caramel haired boy realized his mistake. Key headed directly for the leather chairs and Onew stopped him only to realize that he hadn’t thought of where exactly Key would be sleeping.
“You’ll sleep in my bed, Key. I’ll set up some comforters and pillows on the floor for myself,” he suggested easily enough.
Key looked a bit scandalized and Onew thought offhandedly that perhaps he and Minho weren’t so different after all. “I cannot let you sleep on the floor, my lord. I will sleep there and you will sleep on the bed.”
“Key,” Onew said exasperatedly because it was getting late and he was so very tired and he had to wake up early to meet with his French tutor in the morning. And because somewhere, in the back of his mind, he was fighting down the fantasy of finding a way to get both of them into his bed; of falling asleep with the Halfling in his arms and waking up to see sunlight filter across blonde hair and brown tipped ears. But, after all, he wasn’t so sure Key would be okay with such contact. Not after all he’d been through. “It’s not good for you to sleep on the floor or chairs. You should sleep in a bed. I can do with one night on the floor and tomorrow we’ll have another bed brought in here.”
Key seemed chastened by the tone and his ears lowered into his hair. Onew’s chest tightened in regret at being so short with the other. It was unlike him, and it certainly wasn’t Key’s fault that long dormant desires seemed to be springing up.
“I’m sorry,” he offered softly. “Let’s just go to sleep and I promise we’ll figure something out tomorrow.”
Key nodded obediently, lowering his eyes to the floor. But his lips did that pursing thing again and Onew just couldn’t ignore it.
“What's wrong?” came gently, mindful of not upsetting the other.
“My lord…” Key began slowly, taking in a large breath and huffing it out. “This may be inappropriate, but I would like to share the bed.”
Onew could swear he just choked on air. Almond eyes grew wide in shock, and his mouth dropped open with nothing to say, and Key’s ears drooped further into his hair in misunderstanding.
“I apologize, my lord, it was rude of me to ask-“
“No!” Onew was far too eager to stop the other but embarrassingly enough realized how hard it was to rein in. “I had thought you wouldn’t feel comfortable sharing a bed with me.”
Key smiled delicately, causing Onew to smile back. “I trust you, my lord. It is a large bed so we do not have to touch.”
Onew didn’t trust his words so he nodded dumbly. Key’s eyes lit up immediately and he quite literally hopped onto Onew’s mattress, bouncing a bit on the soft material. Two blonde ears instantly perked up and his fluffy tail began swaying back and forth as the Halfling explored the bed, crawling around and touching the comforter, the sheets, the pillows. He leant more weight on his arms and watched in fascination as the material indented underneath him.
“All humans sleep on these?” Key asked incredulously.
“Beds? Yes,” Onew nodded and sat on the edge of the mattress. He smiled amusedly as he watched the other roll back to the other side of the bed. “They’re not all so big or soft, though.”
“Amazing,” Key murmured and curled up in a ball, resting his head on a throw pillow.
“Key,” Onew chuckled at the Halfling’s pure fascination at something he took for granted. “You don’t sleep on these. You sleep on these bigger pillows,” he said as he tossed the decorative pillows from his side of the bed to the floor and lowered the sleeping pillow that matches his sheets so it rested flat on the mattress. “And you sleep underneath these,” he added, pulling back the thick comforter and top sheet.
Key slid from the bed and copied his master’s movements carefully, piling the decorative pillows neatly beside the bed. He slipped underneath the sheets and sat, staring in interest at how the bed was so big three full sized pillows fit along the top, side by side, without overlapping. Onew was sitting on his own side with plenty of room left between them.
“Just get comfortable and lie back,” he instructed gently as he did the same.
Key lay back slowly and rested his head on the fluffy pillow. A smile overtook his face and he pressed his head further back into the soft material, wiggling around a bit, pulling the covers up to his chin.
“This is your first time on a bed?” Onew asked amusedly.
“Yes, my lord,” Key murmured before rolling onto his stomach and stretching, letting out a short sound of comfort. “It is like being on a cloud.”
“What did you sleep on in your village?”
“We piled dry grass together in a large mat and covered it with animal skins. There was only one for the family.”
“It was comfortable?” the caramel haired boy asked, turning onto his side to watch the other.
“It was,” the blonde nodded and then grinned. “But it was nothing like this mantriss.”
“Mattress,” Onew corrected quietly.
“Yes, my lord,” the other murmured but it sounded as if he was already half lost to sleep, his eyes already closed.
Onew grinned and turned off the lights, watching the firelight dance along Key’s features. His cheekbones seemed to be ten times more prominent and his skin glowed in the warm lighting.
“The fire, my lord,” Key spoke suddenly and Onew near jumped out of his skin in surprise. Two black eyes opened slowly and blinked lazily at the other.
“Excuse me?”
“My mother taught me fires should not be left burning while you are sleeping. It is dangerous, my lord,” he answered simply.
“Is that why you always turned my fireplace off?” Onew asked, referencing when Key used to sneak into his room.
“You are kind to me, my lord, and I did not want anything to happen to you,” Key said nonchalantly as if the admission didn’t cause Onew to feel suspiciously warm inside.
“You’re right, Key,” the young heir said and reached over to push the button on the remote on his bedside table. He didn’t bother explaining that fires like these couldn’t easily get out of control and that, even if they did, they had the most sophisticated fire alarm system available which sent robots immediately to extinguish the flame. The room plunged into complete darkness and Onew didn’t bother holding in his grin anymore. “Goodnight, Key.”
“Goodnight, my lord,” the other hummed back, already more than halfway to dreamland.
Onew settled, letting the grin tug his lips a little further, and watched Key’s ears twitch in what little lighting came in from the windows.
---------------
When Onew awoke the next morning, his first thought was that he was thankful he was still lying on his own side of the bed. He’d been concerned his body would seek out Key’s in the night and the last thing he needed was to cause a rift between himself and the other.
His second thought was that his blanket was extraordinarily warm this morning. And then he registered the weight starting on his ribs and ending in a small hand on his sternum, the chest rising and falling against his back, the leg pushed between his own, the tail that curled over his hip and settled on his stomach. Oh.
Onew was suddenly very awake and it was as if all the breath had been knocked out of him at once. He was proud that he hadn’t been the one to curl himself around the other, but the fact that Key had been the one to cross the entire bed to get near him made him all - dare he think it? - giddy.
He had to fight the urge to roll over and hold the Halfling in his arms. He’d never touched the blonde before (did this count as touching?) but he knew Key had probably made the move in his sleep and his best option was to lie still and enjoy the feeling. It was not a common one and he probably wouldn’t feel it again soon or, possibly, ever. Besides, he had a good ten minutes before he actually had to get up.
Suddenly the body behind him stretched itself out, pushing its - oh my God - hip bones straight into Onew’s backside. A forehead pressed softly into the space between Onew’s shoulderblades and two soft ears tickled the back of his neck. Something akin to the feeling of a yawn wracking through a body erupted behind him and then Key’s entire body went stiff. Onew slammed his eyes shut in half a second, waiting with baited breath to see what Key would do.
A small sound emitted from the Halfling, a word Onew had never before heard and he could only assume it was from Key’s native language. Then slowly and gently, apparently afraid of waking his master, Key began pulling away, limb by limb. When he was free, and the two were no longer touching, Key rolled back over to his side of the bed.
Even under his heavy blankets Onew suddenly felt very cold.
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HAI GAIZ! so uh... yeah this was pretty much just fluff? two reasons: one, is key has begun to feel more comfortable around onew and craves affection he hasn't had in a long time and onew can barely contain his hormones and two, i just really wanted to write fluff like omg onkey just need some happiness after everything am i right? this was actually part of a longer update but it got so long i cut it in half... the next part will be up maybe in a week, possibly less? don't quote me on that >_> is this really bad? omg be honest lol please let me know what you think!!
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