His Circumstances; Jonghyun/Onew
His Circumstances
655 words. PG-13.
- SHINee; Jonghyun/Onew.
author onew.
summary They meet many times, at many different lifetimes, each of them memorable to Jonghyun.
notes Title inspired by "His and Her Circumstances" (Kareshi kanojo no jijou). Written for a challenge at kpfw 9.0.
I don't know you this time. I don't really want to; I like when there's space to wonder. *
1. He first meets Jinki during the Renaissance. There everyone is, looking at him with such admiration, and if he just had the ability to move he'd be beaming and bowing to everyone for the time they've spent admiring his great beauty. It gets pretty boring after a while, though, just standing there in all his naked glory for everyone to see.
The price you have to pay for being famous.
"He's quite the interesting fellow," Jinki says, voice drifting off as he traces the length of Jonghyun's legs. "Such detail." Jonghyun almost flinches at the contact because he's never been held this way before, and the places where Jinki has touched him oh so lightly burn.
Jonghyun holds his breath and wears the same look he fashions everyday.
"Nice piece of art you have here," Jinki then tells the artist, and excuses himself. Jonghyun stays rooted on his spot, stone cold, frozen to the core.
Jinki moves him in a lot of ways.
2. The next time they meet, Jinki is a cat. Jonghyun knows because the way Jinki purrs is familiar, like a melody in his head, and the way Jinki touches him leaves scars on his skin, the same burning sensation running through his veins. Jonghyun knows because he hears Jinki calling out his name in his sleep, and because he'd like to believe this is Jinki he's touching and not any other cat.
3. Jonghyun's a sailor and he's just set off to conquer another big wave in his quest for something larger than life. His friends say he's suicidal, but he shrugs them all off, saying, "You don't understand." He isn't suicidal at all. If anything, he's just longing for a bit of adventure and the lingering touch of the cool ocean breeze. He knows there's always someone watching him in every expedition he undertakes, in every storm he braves, like an invisible hand helping him maneuver through the tempests and many other adventures.
Like a hovering presence, tipping him to the edge of his most adventurous desires only to reel him back in.
4. Jonghyun feels a bit incomplete like this, when he watches only from the night sky and cannot do anything but oversee things happening in the dark. From the window, he can see Jinki with a girl, undressing her, laying her on his bed, and he closes his eyes, opens them, then closes them again because he feels weird being a witness to this.
Stars aren't even supposed to feel anything at all.
"It's a falling star, Jinki! Make a wish-"
5. "Do I know you? Because I really think we've met before."
Jonghyun resists the urge to lash out at the stranger and say, please stop being a creeper, because you're creeping me out. Besides, he doesn't want to make a scene in the airport. So instead, he shakes his head and offers a small and strained smile. "No, really, I'm sure we haven't met before, because this is my first time in Korea and I've been living in California all my life."
"Oh," comes the stranger's reply. "Well, in that case-"
"You can be my first Korean friend, though?" Jonghyun rushes, awkward and unsure. "My name's Jonghyun. Jonghyun Kim. And well, yeah, it's my first time visiting Korea."
"Well then, I'll be your guide." The stranger laughs a little. "And my name's Jinki. Lee Jinki. Or Jinki Lee, if that's easier for you."
Jonghyun doesn't know why, but there is a familiar warmth in Jinki's touch when they shake hands. this nagging feeling of home in the comfort of Jinki's smile and laughter. He doesn't believe in destiny or coincidences, so he does his best to tuck the feeling at the back of his tongue.
He saves it for a later date, a much more clumsy enunciation. It's this kind of feeling that makes you say crazy things without thinking (and not regret a bit of it at all).