SBB 2016 ENTRY #22: REPUTACIÓN (2/2)
Title: REPUTAción (2/2)
Pairing: Onew/Key
Rating: PG-13
Genre: Romance
Warnings: Slight slutshaming (not by any main characters)
Final Word Count: 12,298
♫ No es dama la que se abstiene
Dama es la que se detiene cuando encuentra
Lo que tu encontraste aquí ♫
“That guy is so hot,” Key said bluntly. Jinki was pulled from his conversation with Youngho and his girlfriend Joo Eun with how emphatically the words were spoken. He followed his boyfriend’s line of sight and saw that there was an obviously attractive man working the bar. The man was tall and lithe and looked like he could be walking down a runway instead of down the bartop to hand someone their drink. He even had quirky ears that Jinki knew humanized the man enough to make him approachable. Jinki shrugged, losing interest quickly, and turned back to his conversation.
The two of them hadn’t been at the bar long; their dinner conversation had run longer than expected, with a few drinks tossed in there, and they rushed over to the bar where some of Key’s friends were celebrating someone’s acceptance into some program or other. Jinki hadn’t been filled in on the details, aside from Key assuring him that his extended circle of friends would love him.
That much had been true; Jinki automatically hit it off with several of Key’s friends and their conversation topics ranged from school work to how intensely they felt for animal rights. Even though they were seated next to each other in the booth, Jinki and Key hadn’t carried on any more of their dinner conversation. That didn’t mean that Key let his presence go unnoticed; there was a constant pressure on Jinki’s thigh where Key was resting his hand, gripping and releasing Jinki sporadically.
As it got later into the night, a few more drinks in, Key’s laugh became unrestrained and silly. Jinki knew that his boyfriend’s loud chuckles would attract attention of the bar patrons around them, but he didn’t anticipate that it would also be a beacon for the handsome bartender that previously hadn’t paid them too much mind. He was probably encouraged, however, by some of the appreciative glances that Key had shot his way.
The man approached their table with a tray full of shots and spared the table a quick glance before settling his gaze on Key. Key still had an enigmatic smile on his face, and Jinki knew exactly why the bartender had approached. When he had his defenses down and his happiness shone through his every pore, Key was simply irresistible.
Several of the people in the booth let out whoops at the drinks that were set before them, but Jinki simply reached forward and took the shot nearest to him.
“That was nice of you,” Key said, addressing the man before them. He still hadn’t taken his shot, but it was obvious that he knew why they had been brought over.
“Well, I thought it would serve as a good ice breaker,” The man laughed. Even his laugh was attractive, Jinki thought to himself. His timbre was low and smooth, making the sound feel like a caress. “What’s your name, beautiful?”
“Key,” Key answered with a smile.
With a slight smirk, the man reached his hand out towards Key. “Would you like to dance?”
Jinki turned to look at Key, wondering if his boyfriend was going to accept the invitation, especially since Jinki had not asked him to dance since they arrived over an hour ago. Key looked back at Jinki and smiled at him brightly.
“Not with you, but thanks for the offer,” Key replied. The guy in front of them must have figured out the situation because he shrugged and walked away from the table, taking back the mostly empty tray with him. “So, do you want to dance?”
A smile overtook Jinki’s face and he nodded. The rest of the table didn’t seem too interested in what had transpired, and Jinki knew that this sort of thing must’ve happened often for them not to be phased by random people bringing them free drinks.
While he could wax poetic about how Key’s flirtations and coy smiles didn’t define who he was or what Jinki meant to him, Jinki was just happy. Happy that he was the one that Key decided to be with, and that’s all that mattered.
♫ Si el pasado te enseño a tocarme así
Benditos los que estuvieron antes que mi ♫
If he was being completely honest with himself, Jinki knew that his addiction to Key was getting a little out of hand (even though he was glad that this problem seemed to be mutual). Ever since their first kiss, both of them had a hard time keeping their hands and lips off the other.
Now, with every greeting and farewell there was at least a five-minute kiss, unless they were in public (and even then they liked to push the boundaries of propriety).
The best thing about it was that these simple acts were completely addictive because of how good they felt and how good they made Jinki feel. It was nice to have a physical reminder of how much he was desired by his boyfriend, even when made their friends a little uncomfortable with how touchy they were.
Some of the afternoons they spent together were spent in complete bliss, wrapped around each other, making out fervently in the car, or on the couch, or in Jinki’s bed. And while they hadn’t gone past kissing and reverent caresses, Jinki was completely content with their situation.
Even more so when he found out what he’d been missing.
One evening, after a few drinks shared with friends at a bar nearby, Jinki and Key walked back to Jinki’s apartment hand in hand. The night had been really fun and full of good conversation and laughter. When it was near closing time, and most inhibitions had been lost by the amount they’d all had to drink, the topic of conversation had turned to sex. Obviously.
Who’d had it in the wildest places, who’d had the most awkward first time, and who’d had the best sex ever were the points that had turned to a competition with free drinks as the prize.
Key had taken the wildest place win, with him boldly admitting that he’d had sex in a government building, during the day. Taemin had taken the awkward first time, confessing that within the first thrust, he realized that sex had not been a thing for him. Surprisingly, at least to him, Jinki had taken the story about the best sex. He didn’t share too many intimate details about it, just that it had left him rattled and unable to function (or to even think clearly) for the remainder of the weekend.
Some hoots and hollering later, Key protested their friends’ insinuations and made it clear that he and Jinki hadn’t had sex. That had just brought about even more cheers and questions for Jinki who had laughed them all off and demanded his free drink be ordered before last call.
The conversation dwindled as everyone made their way home, so Jinki was unable to miss the way that his boyfriend looked him up and down with a hungry expression on his face. Jinki felt arousal stir in his groin, wanting very much to experience the promise that Key held in his eyes.
During their walk back to Jinki’s apartment, the two of them were quiet; the silence wasn’t awkward though, it was full of anticipation. Even though he hadn’t intended it at the time, Jinki intrinsically knew that Key had taken his story as a challenge and he couldn’t wait to see how the other man dealt with that.
It was clear that Jinki was sure to enjoy how Key worked through the challenge, with how he was pushed against the wall of the doorway as soon as his front door clicked shut. Key didn’t swoop down to kiss Jinki, however, the way he usually did when they found themselves desperate to be together. This time, Key hovered, his lips a hairsbreadth from Jinki’s, tempting the shorter man with the moist breath he felt against his lips.
Impatient and far too aroused already, Jinki tipped his chin up, leaning forward to kiss Key, only for his boyfriend to anticipate his move and remain so close yet too far. An unrestrained whine left Jinki’s lips, surprising him, but making Key’s lips quirk into a smirk before bringing his hands to cup Jinki’s neck. With Key’s long fingers resting on either side of his neck and his thumbs gently caressing his jaw line, Jinki’s breath shuddered.
Key pulled his lips away from the close proximity to Jinki’s, and raising up to plant the most delicate of kisses to his forehead. As Jinki’s eyes fell closed, Key’s lips descended upon his eyelids, then the tip of his nose, and then the corner of his mouth, until finally, finally, they landed on Jinki’s lips.
The anticipation had Jinki swelling to full hardness in his jeans, and Key had done nothing but kiss him. But once Key started to kiss him, Jinki felt like he was being devoured from the inside. The precise and delicious licks were familiar but still perfectly poignant in their effort to make Jinki fall apart. Jinki felt his knees weaken with the ferocity of Key’s kiss. The only way he maintained himself upright was that one of Key’s hands trailed down from his neck, caressing down his torso and pinning his body against the wall.
With a last swipe of his tongue, Key pulled back from the intense kiss and from leaning against Jinki’s body. Jinki felt the need to chase his boyfriend’s lips, wanting more of the passionate embrace. He didn’t know that someone could bring him so close to falling apart with the ease that Key seemed to have. Like Key had the power to elicit reactions from Jinki that others had never come close to provoking.
It was easy for Jinki to lose himself in the swelling desire he felt for Key. Even when Key pulled back and quietly led Jinki to the bedroom with their hands tangled between them, Jinki couldn’t help but let the excitement mount. He knew that they were headed towards his bedroom but he knew that Key would be taking him out of this world in a few minutes.
After being proved correct, for a much longer amount of time than either of them had anticipated, the two of them laid together trying to catch their breaths.
“I’m not sure who taught you the thing with your tongue, or that thing you did during the second time, but I would like to send them flowers,” Jinki said after his stammering heart and overworked lungs settled.
Key laughed in response, “Just wait till I show you all my tricks.”
♫ Si otros han sido tu escuela
Yo seré tu graduación
Cuando incluyas en la cama el corazón ♫
Their sex life was… active, to say the least. Jinki and Key were compatible not only within their relationship, but also in the bedroom. Their first time had set, perhaps not expectations, but certainly a starting point.
The time spent in bed was both adventurous and comfortable for the two of them, if their post coital conversations had taught Jinki anything.
There had been one time, where after a few rounds and nearly two and a half hours of having sex, Jinki and Key had shared a look of incredulity and laughed for another fifteen minutes. The bliss they felt had been so uncontainable that when Minho had come over for dinner, he’d taken one look at the pair of them and turned back around.
“Yeah, you guys are gross,” Minho had said, closing the door behind him.
Jinki looked over at his boyfriend sitting across from him at the small table he had in his kitchen, knowing that his expression was full of the fond feeling he’d yet to put a label on. “I’m pretty sure he could sense what we were doing before he got here.”
Key shrugged. “He should’ve expected it. It’s not like he’s never walked in on me in the middle of it.”
“Oh my God,” Jinki laughed. With being Key’s best friend for years, Jinki could only imagine what Minho had walked in on over the years. “Poor Minho.”
“What do you mean, ‘poor Minho’? He’s learned more things from walking in on me than anywhere else,” Key chuckled.
“I wonder why he didn’t stay for dinner then,” Jinki pondered out loud. “If he’s used to stuff like that, why did he call us gross?” When he got no answer, Jinki looked at Key, who he found looking down at his hands that he had clasped on top of the table. “Key?”
Key cleared his throat and looked back up to meet Jinki’s gaze, and Jinki could see the same fond look that he saw when he looked in a mirror. “Its different this time.”
There was a light dusting of pink on the apples of Key’s cheekbones, something that Jinki had never seen despite their sex life and how public they were with their affections. It was physically less noticeable than the flush that overtook Key’s face when he was in the throes of pleasure, but it made Jinki’s heart pound harder than it ever had in the other man’s presence.
Jinki’s mouth felt like it had been stuffed with cotton, drying up completely, even though he was dying to prompt Key into more of an explanation. He swallowed the little saliva that seemed to be evaporating quickly, but before he could open his mouth, Key continued.
“I love you, Jinki.” Key said in a firm voice while his eyes were searching for something in Jinki’s own. “That’s why it’s different.”
“I love you, too,” Jinki replied, not even taking a second to think about it. He knew it was true. He had avoided thinking about his feelings because he had been afraid that Key didn’t feel the same. Sometimes when Jinki saw Key being a social butterfly who was comfortable with strangers and fearless, he didn’t know if they were meant to last, but seeing Key’s smile now, sharing those feelings, made him feel incredibly secure in their relationship.
And that night, as they were rocking together, bodies grinding together, sweat easing the friction between them, Jinki could still see the love burning bright in Key’s eyes.
♫ Dicen por ahí que tu terrible fama de ligera
Ha venido a pintarme un par de cuernos en la molleja ♫
Despite how happy Jinki and Key were with their relationship and with each other, there was always something looming over them. The constant need of other people to interfere and judge the two of them for what they had done in the past and what they could do in the future. While it was Key who usually dealt with the brunt of the judgment, it was Jinki who had to hear all the "well-meaning" opinions and interferences of the people around them.
It drove Jinki crazy that people thought that they were entitled to speak to them directly about their baseless concerns.
The worst part was that it wasn't even people who mattered who chose to speak up on the subject. Jinki's parents were completely enamored with Key and how well he treated their son. Key's grandmother, whom Key claimed was the only person whose opinion mattered to him, had also been quick to like and welcome Jinki.
Strangers and supposed friends alike thought it was their duty to warn Jinki about how things could go wrong in his relationship. From whispered comments not intended for his ears to confrontations, Jinki had heard all the people's concerns.
"He's just using you," a random stranger accosted Jinki in the bathroom of the geosciences building. He stood over Jinki, using his height intending to be intimidating.
"Um, what?" Jinki questioned as he tried to get around the stranger and get to the faucets in order to wash his hands.
"Your supposed boyfriend," the guy said, not moving out of Jinki's way. Jinki could see now that the guy was attempting to be imposing to get his attention.
Did this guy just wait here and hear me pee? Jinki thought to himself as he looked at the clear distaste on the man's face. "Okay, that's nice to hear."
"Don't you care at all?" The guy questioned; his slicked back hair not shifting a millimeter even when he shot a sharp look at Jinki.
"About what?"
"About Key using you to make himself more desirable." The guy answered as if it was the most obvious thing in the world.
"Oh, is that what he's doing?" Jinki asked, honestly a little grossed out that this guy wouldn't let him wash his hands.
"Well obviously. People want what they can't have and since he's off the market, he's the hottest commodity right now. I just wanted to let you know so that you're not hurt when he kicks your ass to the curb."
"Thanks for that," Jinki shrugged. It had come to his attention that for every person who was supportive of he and Key's relationship, there was two that were sure that there was some mischief going on. "Can I wash my hands now?"
The guy got out of Jinki's way finally, only to watch him through the mirror in front of the sinks. "I know he'll sleep with anything that moves, but I hope you don't honestly believe that he'd settle for someone like you."
With a scoff and a roll of his eyes, the guy left the bathroom.
Jinki shuddered; he didn't understand why all these people were concerned with him and how fragile (or stupid) they thought him.
"I just don't think he's a good influence on you," Jinki's friend Joon commented quietly. The two of them were sitting in one of the many dining halls on campus one afternoon, as Joon had invited his previously favorite dongsaeng out for a meal. They'd been talking about courses and workloads when the conversation changed abruptly.
"I don't see how I've changed," Jinki replied with a sigh. He could already feel the tension in his muscles begin to rise.
"Not yet," Joon murmured. "I'm just saying that I'm worried about how your relationship with him will affect you in the long term."
"Um, I'll be happier?" Jinki suggested, quirking an eyebrow up. He wasn't sure where this was coming from, seeing as Joon hadn't even met Key yet. "He makes me happy, hyung."
"Yeah, but for how long?" Joon asked. "How can you guarantee that you two will be happy for a long time to come?"
"I don't think anyone ever knows that when they venture into a new relationship," Jinki explained. "It's always a risk, but one I'm willing to take because of how I feel for Key."
Joon sighed and put his fork down, looking directly at Jinki with pity in his eyes. "Things won't work out if only one of you is putting forth effort."
"I don't know what you're saying, Joon-hyung," Jinki answered. He really didn't know where this concern was coming from, especially because Jinki and Key kept their relationship pretty private.
"Look, I didn't want to be the one to tell you this, but you're one of my favorite juniors," Joon prefaced. Jinki braced himself for the words that were sure to follow; words he'd heard over and over from people that didn't know what the hell they were talking about. "I think that Key is cheating on you. Or he will be soon enough."
Jinki cleared his throat, careful to keep his expression neutral. He'd heard this from several people, and in the beginning he'd argued against their claims only to be called delusional and naïve. "What makes you say that?"
"Well," Joon sighed again, as if it was a terrible burden that he was carrying. "There's this guy in my dance group…"
Jinki wanted to laugh already. He'd known that Key and Taemin had become nearly inseparable over the past couple of months and they never stopped discovering things they had in common. Jinki also knew that Taemin was ace. And aromantic.
"Uh huh," Jinki said, humoring his friend.
"Key is always hanging around during practice and they always leave together, holding hands and just being really close," Joon explained. If his friend had stopped there, Jinki would have understood where the concern could have stemmed from and how Joon thought it was his duty as a friend to inform Jinki of a possible betrayal, but he didn't. "It's pretty obvious that everyone knows Key's history, and I don't doubt for a second that he is capable of cheating on you. People like him don't respect what it means to be in a relationship."
"Okay then," Jinki replied coolly while seething internally. Why did people always want to judge Key even though they didn't know him? It truly baffled Jinki, but he hoped that his love and care for the other man would eclipse all the shit and quick judgment that he got. "But I suggest you get to know my boyfriend before you go off making judgements based on gossip and rumor alone. And thanks for thinking that I’m so much of an idiot that I can’t make decisions for myself. Asshole."
♫ Que tengo que sacarte del barrio y del país
Si es que quiero darle a esta historia un final feliz ♫
"I'm just saying," Min laughed loudly. Jinki cringed at both her loud laughter and the comment that had come before it. They were out with some of Key's friends; all of them wanted to show support for Min's first time DJing at a local club even though Jinki wasn't a fan of the music.
"Way to ruin the mood," Minho said with a glare. "I can't believe I share half my name with you."
Key giggled and Jinki was glad to see he hadn't taken the comment to heart. He still squeezed his boyfriend's hand in reassurance, but he got a quick squeeze back that meant that Key was okay. They'd developed this kind of silent conversation with the realization that Jinki couldn't always tolerate hanging out with some of Key's … acquaintances for a long period of time.
First squeeze was to check in. One squeeze back was "I'm okay." Two squeezes were "Let's leave soon." One tight squeeze held was "Let's get the hell out of here now."
"It was just a joke," Woohyun assured everyone in their overstuffed booth.
Most of the people present were well on their way to being completely shit-faced, but Jinki had been elected designated driver by the people he carpooled with. That wasn't so bad for him, since tipsy Key was needy and cute as hell. Drunk Minho wasn't so bad either, he just made everything into a competition. Minho's boyfriend, Jonghyun, was probably the worst one. And only because he got weepy while he talked about all the things people should be doing to fight for social justice.
Jinki couldn't say the same for the rest of the people that were currently running up an incredibly high bar tab.
"It wasn't a joke," Min hiccupped, a smile still plastered on her face. Her blond hair had begun to stick to her face from the sweat of all the dancing and the alcohol overheating her body. "Key knows that it's the truth, that's why he wasn't offended, unlike the rest of you sensitive losers."
"Come on Min, cut it out," Amber said from beside her friend.
"No, listen, listen," Min kept going. Jinki felt Key let go of their entangled hands, only to slide his arm over the back of Jinki's shoulders. Jinki looked over to his boyfriend, loving the way that Key was slightly taller than him, making Jinki have to lift his chin the slightest bit to look at him directly. "Key has had a fling with or fucked like, like at least half of our campus…"
I love you Key mouthed to Jinki, not interrupting his friend's rather inappropriate rant. Jinki felt himself blush, but he didn't look away from the other boy's face.
I love you too Jinki mouthed in return, watching another signature blinding smile grace Key's face.
It was so easy to tune out all of the hate and nonsense that surrounded them for most of their lives if Jinki was looking at Key. Just looking at his boyfriend was enough to bring him joy and light and a bunch of other adjectives that he couldn't think of right now as Key leaned in to press a chaste kiss against his lips.
"If Jinki wants the fairytale ending that we all know he does," Min finished off, "he'll have to move Key far far away from here. Like, to Argentina or something."
♫ Si supieran la ternura inmensa que hay en ti
Y todo lo que haces por mi ♫
Jinki was in distress.
He was in the middle of midterms and things were just piling up around him; piling up so high that he couldn't seem to figure out how to get the hell out or even which way was up. He had four exams for three different classes and that was only part of his problem.
The real problem was that he was taking too many hours and had too much to do and not enough time in the day to be able to handle all of it. Not to mention that he still had to fulfill his work study hours and somehow remember to eat and sleep in between all of those things.
Needless to say, he wasn't faring so well.
For a very good reason, Jinki had never taken so much course work in a single semester. He'd wanted to pace himself so that he didn't have to deal with things like this, but unfortunately, his very demanding minor had different ideas.
Locked in his apartment for the entire weekend before midterm week was upon him, Jinki hadn't seen the sun in approximately 48 hours, much less his very precious, very attention starved boyfriend. It had also probably been disconcerting that he hadn’t been answering any phone calls or text messages, but he hadn’t had the time.
During a momentary mini-crisis on Sunday night in which Jinki was sure that he was destined to fail all his courses and somehow become a social pariah, he heard a faint knocking on his door.
"Jinki?" He heard a low voice call out. "Are you in here? Babe?"
"I-I'm in here," Jinki called back, a little surprised by how rough his voice sounded from disuse. He should have at least taken a water break, Jinki chided himself silently.
Key's surprised face appeared as Jinki's bedroom door opened. "Jinki, are you okay?"
The surprise quickly turned to concern as Jinki watched Key surveyed the state of the room and himself. "I'm just, you know, dealing with midterm stuff." Jinki tried to shrug or appear unaffected even though he was pretty sure the other boy could see right through him. It may have been the stacks of books and papers strewn all over his desk and bed, or the state in which Jinki found himself in, but Key rubbed at his temples in consideration.
"Okay then," Key replied. "Time for a break."
Jinki cringed when he heard the words spill from Key's mouth. "I really cannot afford to take a break," Jinki tried to explain. "I'm already behind on my studying and I have to review some of my essays and projects that are due this week."
"Your brain isn't functioning right now," Key insisted. "Let me think for you for a tiny bit."
"Key, -"
"Key nothing, get up, come on," Key instructed, beckoning Jinki towards him. "You're gonna grab a shower while I order some food."
"I don't see how that would help with the studying or the reviewing," Jinki pouted, a little annoyed that he'd been interrupted with inconsequential things like showering and eating real food (as opposed to the cereal bars he'd been surviving off of all weekend).
Regardless, Jinki allowed himself to be manhandled into the bathroom, where Key had helped him undress, encouraging him with soft kisses when he began to panic about the work he should be doing, but had not joined him in the shower.
After shampooing his hair, Jinki was starting to see what the benefits to a shower could be in the midst of studying. He was starting to feel better, a bit more like himself, as he washed his body and scrubbed away at the lingering distress that he could feel alleviating a bit. When he'd stood under the warm spray of the shower for far longer than he could excuse, Jinki finally took to drying himself and putting on the clothes that Key had left for him on the rack near the door.
When he exited the bathroom, Jinki felt himself get the tiniest bit emotional at the scene he saw there. Key was finishing clearing up one of his many work stations; this one was a pile of textbooks on the living room coffee table. The couch had also been cleared of the laundry Jinki had left there to be put away later.
Jinki was a little overwhelmed with how grateful he felt for his boyfriend who understood that basic human needs should come before overstressing oneself.
"There you are," Key said, catching sight of Jinki standing by the door of the bathroom. "I put your books in a pile by the window and don't worry I put bookmarks in all the spots where you had them open."
"Thank you," Jinki said simply. He swallowed the small lump in his throat, and he took a seat next to his boyfriend on the couch.
"You're welcome," Key replied as he moved to one end of the couch before patting his lap, summoning Jinki. When his head hit Key's lap, Jinki could feel himself unwinding with fingers carding through his wet hair. "The food will be here in a few minutes."
"Okay," Jinki acknowledged, but let his eyes fall closed at the careful ministrations that were ever so comforting.
"You should have called me," Key scolded lightly, still working his fingers against Jinki's scalp. "You didn't have to go through all of this by yourself."
"You have midterms too," Jinki reasoned aloud. "I didn't want to bother you."
Key scoffed, "We could have kept each other sane, Jinki."
"Mmh."
"And you know that I'll always be here for you," Key added.
In that moment, Jinki felt so loved and cared for that he allowed himself to relax enough to sleep. It wasn’t a very long nap, but it re energized him enough to start thinking clearly. When he woke to the smell of delicious food, his stomach grumbled demandingly, but Jinki smiled sleepily at his boyfriend. A lot of the time that Jinki spent with Key he spent amazed that someone could be so caring and sweet, but he was going to bask in it until Key had enough of him. With that thought, Jinki sat up and dug into the food that was already set up at the coffee table.
And when he felt the need to get back to his studies, Key stayed to edit his papers due later in the week, like the angel that he was.
♫ Sabrían que el camino andado antes de aquí
Era preparado para mi ♫
“Oh man, where did you learn to do that?” Jinki asked, amazed at the way that Key was chopping vegetables for a simple stew that they were cooking together.
“Um, I was sleeping with an aspiring chef for a while,” Key shrugged, continuing with his food preparation.
“Shit, that is so cool,” Jinki said for the fifth time. “Do you think you could teach me to do that too?”
Key laughed but nodded and pulled Jinki between him and the cutting board, showing him how to hold the knife against the next carrot.
This wasn’t the first time that Key displayed skills that he’d learned from one of the people he’d been with previously. It never ceased to amaze Jinki that his boyfriend was so good at learning things and perfecting them quickly.
Where Key was a pro in the kitchen, Jinki still struggled to make himself something that required any kind of skill. It was funny that they complemented each other in ways that made them work so well together.
When Jinki was headed to an internship interview, Key had come by to help him pick out something to wear. It had been a hectic hour; trying to get everything paired together with Jinki feeling confident enough that he knew the interviewer wouldn’t turn him away at the door based on what he was wearing.
“You’ve got to iron that,” Key said as they put the final selection out on a hanger. Jinki looked at the outfit and at Key in despair. He didn’t have an iron and only an hour left before he had to leave for the interview.
“I don’t own an iron,” Jinki all but whimpered. “I don’t know why I didn’t even account for that?”
“I don’t think there’s enough time for me to drive to my place grab my iron and come back,” Key said in a composed voice. Jinki knew that the interview was his, but he thought that Key would at least be a little bit worried about his dilemma. “Hey, your building has a dryer right?”
“Yes?” Jinki asked more than he responded. He didn’t understand why Key was thinking about that now. “I don’t see how that matte-”
Key waved his hands to shush Jinki before getting up off the spot on Jinki’s bed that he had been occupying for the last hour. “Go take a shower and I’ll take care of your clothes.” Jinki looked questioningly at his boyfriend, but he knew better than to doubt Key when he had a determined look on his face. “Just trust me. And don’t forget to put conditioner in your hair.”
Jinki gave Key one last skeptical before being ushered towards the bathroom door. Instead of worrying about what his boyfriend was doing, Jinki scrubbed away at himself, letting the warm water wash away some of his insecurities about the interview.
By the time he made it our of the bathroom, a cloud of steam coming out with him, Jinki felt a little bit better and a little more confident. It definitely helped that as soon as he walked out, Key was standing there holding his clothes that looked, while not as crisp as when ironed, good enough for an interview.
“How did you-” Jinki questioned as Key smiled at him brightly.
“There was this person I messed around with,” Key explained, moving forward and fishing underwear from Jinki’s drawers. “They didn’t like to go home in rumpled clothes and they told me that if you put wrinkled clothes in a dryer with a wet towel, something about the steam evaporating and pulling the wrinkles…”
“They were a genius,” Jinki proclaimed quickly and leaned in to give Key a quick peck on the lips. “And by extension you are a lifesaver. Thanks.”
Key simply smiled and thrust the clothes at Jinki. “I know, now hurry up, you’ve still got to get yourself put together!”
♫ Ven y abrázame sin miedos
Y dame un beso a la salud de los chismosos ♫
After Jinki got the internship position at the publishing firm, he was ecstatic. He’d been working on the literary magazine for a while, so getting to actually work with people who got to publish books for a living was incredible. As an intern he didn’t get to do anything particularly important, but he got to sit in on a lot of meetings that gave him a good understanding of what went on in the company.
He was flying high, with a majority of his courses lightening up in load before the end of the semester and his internship going well. Not to mention how great things had been going with Key, too. Jinki was pretty sure that nothing could bring him down, with how happy he was.
It only served to prove his point when one of his superiors at the publishing firm invited him and a plus one to a company retreat. Jinki felt like if he did a good enough job, he could be working his way up to a permanent position in the company. That would just be the icing on top of the proverbial cake of his life at the moment.
Jinki had, of course, gone home and invited Key immediately. Even though they had only been together for a few months, the two of them were constantly in one another’s apartments. If Jinki knew that Key had to work on a paper, he made his way to Key’s after class or after his internship to have dinner there. On the other hand, if Key wasn’t too busy with school work, then he went to Jinki’s after class because he had a bigger apartment and better takeaway restaurants nearby.
“Are you sure that it’ll be okay if I go?” Key had asked, the faintest bit of reluctance on his face.
“Yeah!” Jinki assured him. “I told my team leader that I would be bringing my boyfriend. And it’s not like there aren’t other gay people in the company.”
“Okay, I just wanted to make sure,” Key explained, a smile overtaking his doubt. “It’s just that this is so grown up, you know? Going to a company event with my boyfriend.”
Jinki had laughed and agreed that it seemed like they were adults even though they didn’t feel like it half the time.
On the day of the company retreat, Jinki went to pick Key up from his apartment since he was sure that his boyfriend would be packing much more than he would, even though the event was for a single day. He figured it would be easier to pick Key up than to have him travel to his apartment with everything he was sure to be carrying.
His assumptions proved to be correct as Jinki saw Key walking out of his building with two large tote bags, one in each of his hands.
Jinki pushed off his car, where he’d been leaning after Key assured him that he didn’t need to come up to his apartment since they were already running a little late, and walked towards Key to help him with the heavy looking bags.
“Oh look, there’s another one,” a woman said loudly as Jinki took one of the bags from Key. Jinki looked around to see what the lady was talking about loudly, but there were three older ladies sitting on a bench near the entrance of the building, so he wasn’t sure what they were talking about.
“Just ignore them, babe,” Key said, annoyance seeping into his words.
“Huh? What are they-” Jinki asked, confused but interrupted by the ladies speaking up.
“I don’t know why he lives in an area with families if he just keeps bringing random men to the apartment,” one of the women said.
“He’s so cheap looking too,” her friend added maliciously. “I’ve never seen a proper young man in such tight clothing.”
Jinki looked at Key, raising an eyebrow in question. His boyfriend wasn’t wearing anything remotely scandalous; Key was dressed appropriately for a company picnic where they would be playing games with Jinki’s coworkers. His jeans were definitely not the tightest Jinki had seen on him, and Key was wearing a sensible t-shirt and vest.
“Those ahjummas don’t have anything better to do than sit out here and judge others,” Key said loudly enough for the older women to hear what he was saying. “They like to pretend they’re better than everyone else.”
Jinki snorted and opened the trunk of his car to put in the tote bags.
“See, and he’s rude to boot.” A voice carried over to them. “That other young man at least looks respectable, I wonder what he sees in this riff-raff.”
With the bags safely in the trunk, Jinki walked over to where Key was clearly seething next to the passenger side door. Instead of trying to think of something to say to soothe Key, Jinki simply wrapped his arms around his boyfriend. He knew that Key genuinely didn’t care what people thought of him, but that he hated when people were mean gossips.
“Let's give them something to talk about,” Jinki said as he saw Key’s features relax as he gave in to the embrace. Jinki tilted his face up a fraction so that his lips would line up perfectly with Key’s, like they did every time. A smirk appeared on Key’s lips before he leaned down to catch Jinki’s lips between his.
As they heard the outraged squawks coming from somewhere behind them, Jinki enjoyed the feeling of not only Key’s kisses, but of everything in life coming together for him. And how it was just the beginning.
♫ Si el pasado te enseño a besar así
Bendito sea el que estuvo antes de mi
No es dama la que se abstiene
Dama es la que se detiene cuando encuentra
Lo que tu encontraste aquí
Si el pasado te enseño a tocarme así
Benditos los que estuvieron antes de mi
Si otros han sido tu escuela
Yo seré tu graduación
Cuando incluyas en la cama al corazón ♫
Return to Part One
Pairing: Onew/Key
Rating: PG-13
Genre: Romance
Warnings: Slight slutshaming (not by any main characters)
Final Word Count: 12,298
♫ No es dama la que se abstiene
Dama es la que se detiene cuando encuentra
Lo que tu encontraste aquí ♫
“That guy is so hot,” Key said bluntly. Jinki was pulled from his conversation with Youngho and his girlfriend Joo Eun with how emphatically the words were spoken. He followed his boyfriend’s line of sight and saw that there was an obviously attractive man working the bar. The man was tall and lithe and looked like he could be walking down a runway instead of down the bartop to hand someone their drink. He even had quirky ears that Jinki knew humanized the man enough to make him approachable. Jinki shrugged, losing interest quickly, and turned back to his conversation.
The two of them hadn’t been at the bar long; their dinner conversation had run longer than expected, with a few drinks tossed in there, and they rushed over to the bar where some of Key’s friends were celebrating someone’s acceptance into some program or other. Jinki hadn’t been filled in on the details, aside from Key assuring him that his extended circle of friends would love him.
That much had been true; Jinki automatically hit it off with several of Key’s friends and their conversation topics ranged from school work to how intensely they felt for animal rights. Even though they were seated next to each other in the booth, Jinki and Key hadn’t carried on any more of their dinner conversation. That didn’t mean that Key let his presence go unnoticed; there was a constant pressure on Jinki’s thigh where Key was resting his hand, gripping and releasing Jinki sporadically.
As it got later into the night, a few more drinks in, Key’s laugh became unrestrained and silly. Jinki knew that his boyfriend’s loud chuckles would attract attention of the bar patrons around them, but he didn’t anticipate that it would also be a beacon for the handsome bartender that previously hadn’t paid them too much mind. He was probably encouraged, however, by some of the appreciative glances that Key had shot his way.
The man approached their table with a tray full of shots and spared the table a quick glance before settling his gaze on Key. Key still had an enigmatic smile on his face, and Jinki knew exactly why the bartender had approached. When he had his defenses down and his happiness shone through his every pore, Key was simply irresistible.
Several of the people in the booth let out whoops at the drinks that were set before them, but Jinki simply reached forward and took the shot nearest to him.
“That was nice of you,” Key said, addressing the man before them. He still hadn’t taken his shot, but it was obvious that he knew why they had been brought over.
“Well, I thought it would serve as a good ice breaker,” The man laughed. Even his laugh was attractive, Jinki thought to himself. His timbre was low and smooth, making the sound feel like a caress. “What’s your name, beautiful?”
“Key,” Key answered with a smile.
With a slight smirk, the man reached his hand out towards Key. “Would you like to dance?”
Jinki turned to look at Key, wondering if his boyfriend was going to accept the invitation, especially since Jinki had not asked him to dance since they arrived over an hour ago. Key looked back at Jinki and smiled at him brightly.
“Not with you, but thanks for the offer,” Key replied. The guy in front of them must have figured out the situation because he shrugged and walked away from the table, taking back the mostly empty tray with him. “So, do you want to dance?”
A smile overtook Jinki’s face and he nodded. The rest of the table didn’t seem too interested in what had transpired, and Jinki knew that this sort of thing must’ve happened often for them not to be phased by random people bringing them free drinks.
While he could wax poetic about how Key’s flirtations and coy smiles didn’t define who he was or what Jinki meant to him, Jinki was just happy. Happy that he was the one that Key decided to be with, and that’s all that mattered.
♫ Si el pasado te enseño a tocarme así
Benditos los que estuvieron antes que mi ♫
If he was being completely honest with himself, Jinki knew that his addiction to Key was getting a little out of hand (even though he was glad that this problem seemed to be mutual). Ever since their first kiss, both of them had a hard time keeping their hands and lips off the other.
Now, with every greeting and farewell there was at least a five-minute kiss, unless they were in public (and even then they liked to push the boundaries of propriety).
The best thing about it was that these simple acts were completely addictive because of how good they felt and how good they made Jinki feel. It was nice to have a physical reminder of how much he was desired by his boyfriend, even when made their friends a little uncomfortable with how touchy they were.
Some of the afternoons they spent together were spent in complete bliss, wrapped around each other, making out fervently in the car, or on the couch, or in Jinki’s bed. And while they hadn’t gone past kissing and reverent caresses, Jinki was completely content with their situation.
Even more so when he found out what he’d been missing.
One evening, after a few drinks shared with friends at a bar nearby, Jinki and Key walked back to Jinki’s apartment hand in hand. The night had been really fun and full of good conversation and laughter. When it was near closing time, and most inhibitions had been lost by the amount they’d all had to drink, the topic of conversation had turned to sex. Obviously.
Who’d had it in the wildest places, who’d had the most awkward first time, and who’d had the best sex ever were the points that had turned to a competition with free drinks as the prize.
Key had taken the wildest place win, with him boldly admitting that he’d had sex in a government building, during the day. Taemin had taken the awkward first time, confessing that within the first thrust, he realized that sex had not been a thing for him. Surprisingly, at least to him, Jinki had taken the story about the best sex. He didn’t share too many intimate details about it, just that it had left him rattled and unable to function (or to even think clearly) for the remainder of the weekend.
Some hoots and hollering later, Key protested their friends’ insinuations and made it clear that he and Jinki hadn’t had sex. That had just brought about even more cheers and questions for Jinki who had laughed them all off and demanded his free drink be ordered before last call.
The conversation dwindled as everyone made their way home, so Jinki was unable to miss the way that his boyfriend looked him up and down with a hungry expression on his face. Jinki felt arousal stir in his groin, wanting very much to experience the promise that Key held in his eyes.
During their walk back to Jinki’s apartment, the two of them were quiet; the silence wasn’t awkward though, it was full of anticipation. Even though he hadn’t intended it at the time, Jinki intrinsically knew that Key had taken his story as a challenge and he couldn’t wait to see how the other man dealt with that.
It was clear that Jinki was sure to enjoy how Key worked through the challenge, with how he was pushed against the wall of the doorway as soon as his front door clicked shut. Key didn’t swoop down to kiss Jinki, however, the way he usually did when they found themselves desperate to be together. This time, Key hovered, his lips a hairsbreadth from Jinki’s, tempting the shorter man with the moist breath he felt against his lips.
Impatient and far too aroused already, Jinki tipped his chin up, leaning forward to kiss Key, only for his boyfriend to anticipate his move and remain so close yet too far. An unrestrained whine left Jinki’s lips, surprising him, but making Key’s lips quirk into a smirk before bringing his hands to cup Jinki’s neck. With Key’s long fingers resting on either side of his neck and his thumbs gently caressing his jaw line, Jinki’s breath shuddered.
Key pulled his lips away from the close proximity to Jinki’s, and raising up to plant the most delicate of kisses to his forehead. As Jinki’s eyes fell closed, Key’s lips descended upon his eyelids, then the tip of his nose, and then the corner of his mouth, until finally, finally, they landed on Jinki’s lips.
The anticipation had Jinki swelling to full hardness in his jeans, and Key had done nothing but kiss him. But once Key started to kiss him, Jinki felt like he was being devoured from the inside. The precise and delicious licks were familiar but still perfectly poignant in their effort to make Jinki fall apart. Jinki felt his knees weaken with the ferocity of Key’s kiss. The only way he maintained himself upright was that one of Key’s hands trailed down from his neck, caressing down his torso and pinning his body against the wall.
With a last swipe of his tongue, Key pulled back from the intense kiss and from leaning against Jinki’s body. Jinki felt the need to chase his boyfriend’s lips, wanting more of the passionate embrace. He didn’t know that someone could bring him so close to falling apart with the ease that Key seemed to have. Like Key had the power to elicit reactions from Jinki that others had never come close to provoking.
It was easy for Jinki to lose himself in the swelling desire he felt for Key. Even when Key pulled back and quietly led Jinki to the bedroom with their hands tangled between them, Jinki couldn’t help but let the excitement mount. He knew that they were headed towards his bedroom but he knew that Key would be taking him out of this world in a few minutes.
After being proved correct, for a much longer amount of time than either of them had anticipated, the two of them laid together trying to catch their breaths.
“I’m not sure who taught you the thing with your tongue, or that thing you did during the second time, but I would like to send them flowers,” Jinki said after his stammering heart and overworked lungs settled.
Key laughed in response, “Just wait till I show you all my tricks.”
♫ Si otros han sido tu escuela
Yo seré tu graduación
Cuando incluyas en la cama el corazón ♫
Their sex life was… active, to say the least. Jinki and Key were compatible not only within their relationship, but also in the bedroom. Their first time had set, perhaps not expectations, but certainly a starting point.
The time spent in bed was both adventurous and comfortable for the two of them, if their post coital conversations had taught Jinki anything.
There had been one time, where after a few rounds and nearly two and a half hours of having sex, Jinki and Key had shared a look of incredulity and laughed for another fifteen minutes. The bliss they felt had been so uncontainable that when Minho had come over for dinner, he’d taken one look at the pair of them and turned back around.
“Yeah, you guys are gross,” Minho had said, closing the door behind him.
Jinki looked over at his boyfriend sitting across from him at the small table he had in his kitchen, knowing that his expression was full of the fond feeling he’d yet to put a label on. “I’m pretty sure he could sense what we were doing before he got here.”
Key shrugged. “He should’ve expected it. It’s not like he’s never walked in on me in the middle of it.”
“Oh my God,” Jinki laughed. With being Key’s best friend for years, Jinki could only imagine what Minho had walked in on over the years. “Poor Minho.”
“What do you mean, ‘poor Minho’? He’s learned more things from walking in on me than anywhere else,” Key chuckled.
“I wonder why he didn’t stay for dinner then,” Jinki pondered out loud. “If he’s used to stuff like that, why did he call us gross?” When he got no answer, Jinki looked at Key, who he found looking down at his hands that he had clasped on top of the table. “Key?”
Key cleared his throat and looked back up to meet Jinki’s gaze, and Jinki could see the same fond look that he saw when he looked in a mirror. “Its different this time.”
There was a light dusting of pink on the apples of Key’s cheekbones, something that Jinki had never seen despite their sex life and how public they were with their affections. It was physically less noticeable than the flush that overtook Key’s face when he was in the throes of pleasure, but it made Jinki’s heart pound harder than it ever had in the other man’s presence.
Jinki’s mouth felt like it had been stuffed with cotton, drying up completely, even though he was dying to prompt Key into more of an explanation. He swallowed the little saliva that seemed to be evaporating quickly, but before he could open his mouth, Key continued.
“I love you, Jinki.” Key said in a firm voice while his eyes were searching for something in Jinki’s own. “That’s why it’s different.”
“I love you, too,” Jinki replied, not even taking a second to think about it. He knew it was true. He had avoided thinking about his feelings because he had been afraid that Key didn’t feel the same. Sometimes when Jinki saw Key being a social butterfly who was comfortable with strangers and fearless, he didn’t know if they were meant to last, but seeing Key’s smile now, sharing those feelings, made him feel incredibly secure in their relationship.
And that night, as they were rocking together, bodies grinding together, sweat easing the friction between them, Jinki could still see the love burning bright in Key’s eyes.
♫ Dicen por ahí que tu terrible fama de ligera
Ha venido a pintarme un par de cuernos en la molleja ♫
Despite how happy Jinki and Key were with their relationship and with each other, there was always something looming over them. The constant need of other people to interfere and judge the two of them for what they had done in the past and what they could do in the future. While it was Key who usually dealt with the brunt of the judgment, it was Jinki who had to hear all the "well-meaning" opinions and interferences of the people around them.
It drove Jinki crazy that people thought that they were entitled to speak to them directly about their baseless concerns.
The worst part was that it wasn't even people who mattered who chose to speak up on the subject. Jinki's parents were completely enamored with Key and how well he treated their son. Key's grandmother, whom Key claimed was the only person whose opinion mattered to him, had also been quick to like and welcome Jinki.
Strangers and supposed friends alike thought it was their duty to warn Jinki about how things could go wrong in his relationship. From whispered comments not intended for his ears to confrontations, Jinki had heard all the people's concerns.
"He's just using you," a random stranger accosted Jinki in the bathroom of the geosciences building. He stood over Jinki, using his height intending to be intimidating.
"Um, what?" Jinki questioned as he tried to get around the stranger and get to the faucets in order to wash his hands.
"Your supposed boyfriend," the guy said, not moving out of Jinki's way. Jinki could see now that the guy was attempting to be imposing to get his attention.
Did this guy just wait here and hear me pee? Jinki thought to himself as he looked at the clear distaste on the man's face. "Okay, that's nice to hear."
"Don't you care at all?" The guy questioned; his slicked back hair not shifting a millimeter even when he shot a sharp look at Jinki.
"About what?"
"About Key using you to make himself more desirable." The guy answered as if it was the most obvious thing in the world.
"Oh, is that what he's doing?" Jinki asked, honestly a little grossed out that this guy wouldn't let him wash his hands.
"Well obviously. People want what they can't have and since he's off the market, he's the hottest commodity right now. I just wanted to let you know so that you're not hurt when he kicks your ass to the curb."
"Thanks for that," Jinki shrugged. It had come to his attention that for every person who was supportive of he and Key's relationship, there was two that were sure that there was some mischief going on. "Can I wash my hands now?"
The guy got out of Jinki's way finally, only to watch him through the mirror in front of the sinks. "I know he'll sleep with anything that moves, but I hope you don't honestly believe that he'd settle for someone like you."
With a scoff and a roll of his eyes, the guy left the bathroom.
Jinki shuddered; he didn't understand why all these people were concerned with him and how fragile (or stupid) they thought him.
"I just don't think he's a good influence on you," Jinki's friend Joon commented quietly. The two of them were sitting in one of the many dining halls on campus one afternoon, as Joon had invited his previously favorite dongsaeng out for a meal. They'd been talking about courses and workloads when the conversation changed abruptly.
"I don't see how I've changed," Jinki replied with a sigh. He could already feel the tension in his muscles begin to rise.
"Not yet," Joon murmured. "I'm just saying that I'm worried about how your relationship with him will affect you in the long term."
"Um, I'll be happier?" Jinki suggested, quirking an eyebrow up. He wasn't sure where this was coming from, seeing as Joon hadn't even met Key yet. "He makes me happy, hyung."
"Yeah, but for how long?" Joon asked. "How can you guarantee that you two will be happy for a long time to come?"
"I don't think anyone ever knows that when they venture into a new relationship," Jinki explained. "It's always a risk, but one I'm willing to take because of how I feel for Key."
Joon sighed and put his fork down, looking directly at Jinki with pity in his eyes. "Things won't work out if only one of you is putting forth effort."
"I don't know what you're saying, Joon-hyung," Jinki answered. He really didn't know where this concern was coming from, especially because Jinki and Key kept their relationship pretty private.
"Look, I didn't want to be the one to tell you this, but you're one of my favorite juniors," Joon prefaced. Jinki braced himself for the words that were sure to follow; words he'd heard over and over from people that didn't know what the hell they were talking about. "I think that Key is cheating on you. Or he will be soon enough."
Jinki cleared his throat, careful to keep his expression neutral. He'd heard this from several people, and in the beginning he'd argued against their claims only to be called delusional and naïve. "What makes you say that?"
"Well," Joon sighed again, as if it was a terrible burden that he was carrying. "There's this guy in my dance group…"
Jinki wanted to laugh already. He'd known that Key and Taemin had become nearly inseparable over the past couple of months and they never stopped discovering things they had in common. Jinki also knew that Taemin was ace. And aromantic.
"Uh huh," Jinki said, humoring his friend.
"Key is always hanging around during practice and they always leave together, holding hands and just being really close," Joon explained. If his friend had stopped there, Jinki would have understood where the concern could have stemmed from and how Joon thought it was his duty as a friend to inform Jinki of a possible betrayal, but he didn't. "It's pretty obvious that everyone knows Key's history, and I don't doubt for a second that he is capable of cheating on you. People like him don't respect what it means to be in a relationship."
"Okay then," Jinki replied coolly while seething internally. Why did people always want to judge Key even though they didn't know him? It truly baffled Jinki, but he hoped that his love and care for the other man would eclipse all the shit and quick judgment that he got. "But I suggest you get to know my boyfriend before you go off making judgements based on gossip and rumor alone. And thanks for thinking that I’m so much of an idiot that I can’t make decisions for myself. Asshole."
♫ Que tengo que sacarte del barrio y del país
Si es que quiero darle a esta historia un final feliz ♫
"I'm just saying," Min laughed loudly. Jinki cringed at both her loud laughter and the comment that had come before it. They were out with some of Key's friends; all of them wanted to show support for Min's first time DJing at a local club even though Jinki wasn't a fan of the music.
"Way to ruin the mood," Minho said with a glare. "I can't believe I share half my name with you."
Key giggled and Jinki was glad to see he hadn't taken the comment to heart. He still squeezed his boyfriend's hand in reassurance, but he got a quick squeeze back that meant that Key was okay. They'd developed this kind of silent conversation with the realization that Jinki couldn't always tolerate hanging out with some of Key's … acquaintances for a long period of time.
First squeeze was to check in. One squeeze back was "I'm okay." Two squeezes were "Let's leave soon." One tight squeeze held was "Let's get the hell out of here now."
"It was just a joke," Woohyun assured everyone in their overstuffed booth.
Most of the people present were well on their way to being completely shit-faced, but Jinki had been elected designated driver by the people he carpooled with. That wasn't so bad for him, since tipsy Key was needy and cute as hell. Drunk Minho wasn't so bad either, he just made everything into a competition. Minho's boyfriend, Jonghyun, was probably the worst one. And only because he got weepy while he talked about all the things people should be doing to fight for social justice.
Jinki couldn't say the same for the rest of the people that were currently running up an incredibly high bar tab.
"It wasn't a joke," Min hiccupped, a smile still plastered on her face. Her blond hair had begun to stick to her face from the sweat of all the dancing and the alcohol overheating her body. "Key knows that it's the truth, that's why he wasn't offended, unlike the rest of you sensitive losers."
"Come on Min, cut it out," Amber said from beside her friend.
"No, listen, listen," Min kept going. Jinki felt Key let go of their entangled hands, only to slide his arm over the back of Jinki's shoulders. Jinki looked over to his boyfriend, loving the way that Key was slightly taller than him, making Jinki have to lift his chin the slightest bit to look at him directly. "Key has had a fling with or fucked like, like at least half of our campus…"
I love you Key mouthed to Jinki, not interrupting his friend's rather inappropriate rant. Jinki felt himself blush, but he didn't look away from the other boy's face.
I love you too Jinki mouthed in return, watching another signature blinding smile grace Key's face.
It was so easy to tune out all of the hate and nonsense that surrounded them for most of their lives if Jinki was looking at Key. Just looking at his boyfriend was enough to bring him joy and light and a bunch of other adjectives that he couldn't think of right now as Key leaned in to press a chaste kiss against his lips.
"If Jinki wants the fairytale ending that we all know he does," Min finished off, "he'll have to move Key far far away from here. Like, to Argentina or something."
♫ Si supieran la ternura inmensa que hay en ti
Y todo lo que haces por mi ♫
Jinki was in distress.
He was in the middle of midterms and things were just piling up around him; piling up so high that he couldn't seem to figure out how to get the hell out or even which way was up. He had four exams for three different classes and that was only part of his problem.
The real problem was that he was taking too many hours and had too much to do and not enough time in the day to be able to handle all of it. Not to mention that he still had to fulfill his work study hours and somehow remember to eat and sleep in between all of those things.
Needless to say, he wasn't faring so well.
For a very good reason, Jinki had never taken so much course work in a single semester. He'd wanted to pace himself so that he didn't have to deal with things like this, but unfortunately, his very demanding minor had different ideas.
Locked in his apartment for the entire weekend before midterm week was upon him, Jinki hadn't seen the sun in approximately 48 hours, much less his very precious, very attention starved boyfriend. It had also probably been disconcerting that he hadn’t been answering any phone calls or text messages, but he hadn’t had the time.
During a momentary mini-crisis on Sunday night in which Jinki was sure that he was destined to fail all his courses and somehow become a social pariah, he heard a faint knocking on his door.
"Jinki?" He heard a low voice call out. "Are you in here? Babe?"
"I-I'm in here," Jinki called back, a little surprised by how rough his voice sounded from disuse. He should have at least taken a water break, Jinki chided himself silently.
Key's surprised face appeared as Jinki's bedroom door opened. "Jinki, are you okay?"
The surprise quickly turned to concern as Jinki watched Key surveyed the state of the room and himself. "I'm just, you know, dealing with midterm stuff." Jinki tried to shrug or appear unaffected even though he was pretty sure the other boy could see right through him. It may have been the stacks of books and papers strewn all over his desk and bed, or the state in which Jinki found himself in, but Key rubbed at his temples in consideration.
"Okay then," Key replied. "Time for a break."
Jinki cringed when he heard the words spill from Key's mouth. "I really cannot afford to take a break," Jinki tried to explain. "I'm already behind on my studying and I have to review some of my essays and projects that are due this week."
"Your brain isn't functioning right now," Key insisted. "Let me think for you for a tiny bit."
"Key, -"
"Key nothing, get up, come on," Key instructed, beckoning Jinki towards him. "You're gonna grab a shower while I order some food."
"I don't see how that would help with the studying or the reviewing," Jinki pouted, a little annoyed that he'd been interrupted with inconsequential things like showering and eating real food (as opposed to the cereal bars he'd been surviving off of all weekend).
Regardless, Jinki allowed himself to be manhandled into the bathroom, where Key had helped him undress, encouraging him with soft kisses when he began to panic about the work he should be doing, but had not joined him in the shower.
After shampooing his hair, Jinki was starting to see what the benefits to a shower could be in the midst of studying. He was starting to feel better, a bit more like himself, as he washed his body and scrubbed away at the lingering distress that he could feel alleviating a bit. When he'd stood under the warm spray of the shower for far longer than he could excuse, Jinki finally took to drying himself and putting on the clothes that Key had left for him on the rack near the door.
When he exited the bathroom, Jinki felt himself get the tiniest bit emotional at the scene he saw there. Key was finishing clearing up one of his many work stations; this one was a pile of textbooks on the living room coffee table. The couch had also been cleared of the laundry Jinki had left there to be put away later.
Jinki was a little overwhelmed with how grateful he felt for his boyfriend who understood that basic human needs should come before overstressing oneself.
"There you are," Key said, catching sight of Jinki standing by the door of the bathroom. "I put your books in a pile by the window and don't worry I put bookmarks in all the spots where you had them open."
"Thank you," Jinki said simply. He swallowed the small lump in his throat, and he took a seat next to his boyfriend on the couch.
"You're welcome," Key replied as he moved to one end of the couch before patting his lap, summoning Jinki. When his head hit Key's lap, Jinki could feel himself unwinding with fingers carding through his wet hair. "The food will be here in a few minutes."
"Okay," Jinki acknowledged, but let his eyes fall closed at the careful ministrations that were ever so comforting.
"You should have called me," Key scolded lightly, still working his fingers against Jinki's scalp. "You didn't have to go through all of this by yourself."
"You have midterms too," Jinki reasoned aloud. "I didn't want to bother you."
Key scoffed, "We could have kept each other sane, Jinki."
"Mmh."
"And you know that I'll always be here for you," Key added.
In that moment, Jinki felt so loved and cared for that he allowed himself to relax enough to sleep. It wasn’t a very long nap, but it re energized him enough to start thinking clearly. When he woke to the smell of delicious food, his stomach grumbled demandingly, but Jinki smiled sleepily at his boyfriend. A lot of the time that Jinki spent with Key he spent amazed that someone could be so caring and sweet, but he was going to bask in it until Key had enough of him. With that thought, Jinki sat up and dug into the food that was already set up at the coffee table.
And when he felt the need to get back to his studies, Key stayed to edit his papers due later in the week, like the angel that he was.
♫ Sabrían que el camino andado antes de aquí
Era preparado para mi ♫
“Oh man, where did you learn to do that?” Jinki asked, amazed at the way that Key was chopping vegetables for a simple stew that they were cooking together.
“Um, I was sleeping with an aspiring chef for a while,” Key shrugged, continuing with his food preparation.
“Shit, that is so cool,” Jinki said for the fifth time. “Do you think you could teach me to do that too?”
Key laughed but nodded and pulled Jinki between him and the cutting board, showing him how to hold the knife against the next carrot.
This wasn’t the first time that Key displayed skills that he’d learned from one of the people he’d been with previously. It never ceased to amaze Jinki that his boyfriend was so good at learning things and perfecting them quickly.
Where Key was a pro in the kitchen, Jinki still struggled to make himself something that required any kind of skill. It was funny that they complemented each other in ways that made them work so well together.
When Jinki was headed to an internship interview, Key had come by to help him pick out something to wear. It had been a hectic hour; trying to get everything paired together with Jinki feeling confident enough that he knew the interviewer wouldn’t turn him away at the door based on what he was wearing.
“You’ve got to iron that,” Key said as they put the final selection out on a hanger. Jinki looked at the outfit and at Key in despair. He didn’t have an iron and only an hour left before he had to leave for the interview.
“I don’t own an iron,” Jinki all but whimpered. “I don’t know why I didn’t even account for that?”
“I don’t think there’s enough time for me to drive to my place grab my iron and come back,” Key said in a composed voice. Jinki knew that the interview was his, but he thought that Key would at least be a little bit worried about his dilemma. “Hey, your building has a dryer right?”
“Yes?” Jinki asked more than he responded. He didn’t understand why Key was thinking about that now. “I don’t see how that matte-”
Key waved his hands to shush Jinki before getting up off the spot on Jinki’s bed that he had been occupying for the last hour. “Go take a shower and I’ll take care of your clothes.” Jinki looked questioningly at his boyfriend, but he knew better than to doubt Key when he had a determined look on his face. “Just trust me. And don’t forget to put conditioner in your hair.”
Jinki gave Key one last skeptical before being ushered towards the bathroom door. Instead of worrying about what his boyfriend was doing, Jinki scrubbed away at himself, letting the warm water wash away some of his insecurities about the interview.
By the time he made it our of the bathroom, a cloud of steam coming out with him, Jinki felt a little bit better and a little more confident. It definitely helped that as soon as he walked out, Key was standing there holding his clothes that looked, while not as crisp as when ironed, good enough for an interview.
“How did you-” Jinki questioned as Key smiled at him brightly.
“There was this person I messed around with,” Key explained, moving forward and fishing underwear from Jinki’s drawers. “They didn’t like to go home in rumpled clothes and they told me that if you put wrinkled clothes in a dryer with a wet towel, something about the steam evaporating and pulling the wrinkles…”
“They were a genius,” Jinki proclaimed quickly and leaned in to give Key a quick peck on the lips. “And by extension you are a lifesaver. Thanks.”
Key simply smiled and thrust the clothes at Jinki. “I know, now hurry up, you’ve still got to get yourself put together!”
♫ Ven y abrázame sin miedos
Y dame un beso a la salud de los chismosos ♫
After Jinki got the internship position at the publishing firm, he was ecstatic. He’d been working on the literary magazine for a while, so getting to actually work with people who got to publish books for a living was incredible. As an intern he didn’t get to do anything particularly important, but he got to sit in on a lot of meetings that gave him a good understanding of what went on in the company.
He was flying high, with a majority of his courses lightening up in load before the end of the semester and his internship going well. Not to mention how great things had been going with Key, too. Jinki was pretty sure that nothing could bring him down, with how happy he was.
It only served to prove his point when one of his superiors at the publishing firm invited him and a plus one to a company retreat. Jinki felt like if he did a good enough job, he could be working his way up to a permanent position in the company. That would just be the icing on top of the proverbial cake of his life at the moment.
Jinki had, of course, gone home and invited Key immediately. Even though they had only been together for a few months, the two of them were constantly in one another’s apartments. If Jinki knew that Key had to work on a paper, he made his way to Key’s after class or after his internship to have dinner there. On the other hand, if Key wasn’t too busy with school work, then he went to Jinki’s after class because he had a bigger apartment and better takeaway restaurants nearby.
“Are you sure that it’ll be okay if I go?” Key had asked, the faintest bit of reluctance on his face.
“Yeah!” Jinki assured him. “I told my team leader that I would be bringing my boyfriend. And it’s not like there aren’t other gay people in the company.”
“Okay, I just wanted to make sure,” Key explained, a smile overtaking his doubt. “It’s just that this is so grown up, you know? Going to a company event with my boyfriend.”
Jinki had laughed and agreed that it seemed like they were adults even though they didn’t feel like it half the time.
On the day of the company retreat, Jinki went to pick Key up from his apartment since he was sure that his boyfriend would be packing much more than he would, even though the event was for a single day. He figured it would be easier to pick Key up than to have him travel to his apartment with everything he was sure to be carrying.
His assumptions proved to be correct as Jinki saw Key walking out of his building with two large tote bags, one in each of his hands.
Jinki pushed off his car, where he’d been leaning after Key assured him that he didn’t need to come up to his apartment since they were already running a little late, and walked towards Key to help him with the heavy looking bags.
“Oh look, there’s another one,” a woman said loudly as Jinki took one of the bags from Key. Jinki looked around to see what the lady was talking about loudly, but there were three older ladies sitting on a bench near the entrance of the building, so he wasn’t sure what they were talking about.
“Just ignore them, babe,” Key said, annoyance seeping into his words.
“Huh? What are they-” Jinki asked, confused but interrupted by the ladies speaking up.
“I don’t know why he lives in an area with families if he just keeps bringing random men to the apartment,” one of the women said.
“He’s so cheap looking too,” her friend added maliciously. “I’ve never seen a proper young man in such tight clothing.”
Jinki looked at Key, raising an eyebrow in question. His boyfriend wasn’t wearing anything remotely scandalous; Key was dressed appropriately for a company picnic where they would be playing games with Jinki’s coworkers. His jeans were definitely not the tightest Jinki had seen on him, and Key was wearing a sensible t-shirt and vest.
“Those ahjummas don’t have anything better to do than sit out here and judge others,” Key said loudly enough for the older women to hear what he was saying. “They like to pretend they’re better than everyone else.”
Jinki snorted and opened the trunk of his car to put in the tote bags.
“See, and he’s rude to boot.” A voice carried over to them. “That other young man at least looks respectable, I wonder what he sees in this riff-raff.”
With the bags safely in the trunk, Jinki walked over to where Key was clearly seething next to the passenger side door. Instead of trying to think of something to say to soothe Key, Jinki simply wrapped his arms around his boyfriend. He knew that Key genuinely didn’t care what people thought of him, but that he hated when people were mean gossips.
“Let's give them something to talk about,” Jinki said as he saw Key’s features relax as he gave in to the embrace. Jinki tilted his face up a fraction so that his lips would line up perfectly with Key’s, like they did every time. A smirk appeared on Key’s lips before he leaned down to catch Jinki’s lips between his.
As they heard the outraged squawks coming from somewhere behind them, Jinki enjoyed the feeling of not only Key’s kisses, but of everything in life coming together for him. And how it was just the beginning.
♫ Si el pasado te enseño a besar así
Bendito sea el que estuvo antes de mi
No es dama la que se abstiene
Dama es la que se detiene cuando encuentra
Lo que tu encontraste aquí
Si el pasado te enseño a tocarme así
Benditos los que estuvieron antes de mi
Si otros han sido tu escuela
Yo seré tu graduación
Cuando incluyas en la cama al corazón ♫
Return to Part One