CURTAINS: Chapter 4
CURTAINS
Chapter 4
Pairing: Jonghyun/Minho
Rating: PG-13
Genre: Angst
author's note: second to last chapter, and it's kind of short. derp.
Minho picked up the last of his belongings from around the hospital bed. He tugged his backpack on. It was still extremely early in the morning- the sun hadn’t even show its face yet. But Minho wanted to leave- so he wouldn’t have to see…
He stood in front of the curtain, just staring at the blurry silhouette of the bed.
“Jonghyun,” he thought in his mind, “thank you for everything. You’ve done so much for me these last weeks, and I don’t think that I can ever repay the favor.” He stood for a little while longer, before turning to leave.
“Minho.” The voice was so faint, he could barely hear it. “… Minho.”
Minho turned back to the curtain. He opened his mouth to say Jonghyun’s name- to tell him all of the thoughts he had locked up in his mind- but nothing came out.
“Minho. I know you’re awake. You’re trying to run away from me.” A half-hearted laugh masking a cough. It was going to be one of the bad days for Jonghyun. There was a silence.
“Can you come over here? I want to talk to you.”
Minho hesitated before walking through the curtain. The tough vinyl scratched his arms as he passed through.
He had never seen Jonghyun bed-ridden before, and it was no coincidence. Behind the curtain, everything was so much simpler. He didn’t have to face the truth behind that pearlescent blue screen of heavy vinyl. Now that he was seeing Jonghyun like this for the first time, it was… sad. Jonghyun had always been so big- not stature wise- but he had a big personality. Big hands. Big smile. Big laugh. But here he was, so small.
“Minho? Can I ask you a favor?” Minho nodded. “You would be a great soccer player, but even greater as a singer.”
He paused. “Will you try to get your voice back?”
Minho had always hated this kind of optimism. What were the chances of him getting his voice back? Then after that- what were the chances of him being able to sing like used to? Combine that with the average person’s chances of making it into the business, there was virtually no shot for him. And Minho hated getting his hopes up when he knew that he was going to lose. But as he looked at Jonghyun’s face, the pale skin, dark, half closed eyes, and bald head, he couldn’t help but give a solemn nod.
“It’s just a small white lie,” Minho thought to himself, although his hear constricted with guilt as Jonghyun broke into a smile.
“Another favor.” Jonghyun said, smiling weakly. “Don’t come see me again today. I don’t like you seeing me like this.”
Minho hesitated slightly before nodding.