[Fanfiction] - Title: GET LOST (With Me) - [Part 1/5]
100 Themes Challenge
Title: GET LOST (With Me) - [Part 1/5]
Pairing: OnKey, broken!MinKey, side/background!2Min
Rating: R-ish (Language and some Adult Themes)
Prompt: 50. Breaking the Rules
Genre: AU (College), Romance, Drama, Angst-ish
Words: Total of 36,882 words; this part 5,889 words.
Disclaimer: I do not own SHINee (oh the shame), unfortunately all I own is the fragments of my over imaginative mind.
Summary: He was weak and he had already led himself down the Garden path of rule breaking that Kibum skipped down so what the hell...
A/N: I’M BACK!!!! Sort of… I don’t know how this turned out like this -sobs- this was such hard work. This is crazy guys, like seriously out of control, I never knew it was going to turn into this massive one-shot. Haha. Anyway, back with my original/first SHINee OTP; OnKey. I’m going to split this into smaller parts, just so the posting is easier. Please enjoy… I think I’ll go insane if nobody likes this, haha. I actually feel quite attached to this now, which probably means no one will like it, loool. And OMG I ALMOST WROTE A LOVE SCENE!!!! But I chickened (chicken…? Hahahaha) out in the end, just like always (=^.^=). Please tell me if I should bother posting the rest, heh (=>.<=).
Anyways, I hope you guys enjoy this. Please comment, comments make me want to write more and get better and better, so please if you have the time please do comment. Thank you.
Also the alternative title for this is The Love I Can Give (You've Never Felt Before). I couldn't decide, I'm still not sure about my decision, but yeah... (=^~^=).
Sorry for any grammar and/or spelling mistakes.
It was common knowledge that Kim Kibum was a bitch; and an ultimate bitch at that. He loves to gossip, always flashes his expensive clothes and shows off at any chance he can get. It doesn’t help that his parents are rich and being an only child spoil him to the max. No one dares to cross him, not only because of the influence that his wealthy parents have with the College Council but Kim Kibum could take you down with just a few words. He may look as though butter-wouldn’t-melt but behind that feminine face and small figure a nasty piece of work brewed.
Therefore Jinki felt that the fear that strikes his chest at the sight of said Ultimate Bitch, or Almighty Key as he liked to be known was completely justified as the slim boy approaches him with a glint in his eye and a sway in his hips.
“Your Lee Junki right,”
It wasn’t a question and Jinki could tell by the flicker of boredom in the other’s eyes that he didn’t have time to waste or spend time to be seen talking to Lee Jinki anyway. He couldn’t even be bothered to get his name right.
“It’s Jinki, actually…” he corrects and Kibum stares at him with narrow eyes before saying, “What?”
“My n-name is Lee Jinki.” There’s a wave of a fine manicured hand and then Kibum carries on completely bypassing Jinki’s point. But like whatever.
“Right, well I need a favour from you.”
Jinki feels his heart sink into his gut at those words. This could only mean he was completely and utterly going to suffer.
“A f-favour…?” Jinki’s eyes widen and Kibum looks like he wants to slap him or something.
“That is what I said is it not.” Jinki kinda guesses that Kibum doesn’t want an answer to that almost-question and just nods, Kibum looks satisfied with this and smirks.
And Jinki knows he’s in trouble.
“I need you to help me get Minho back.” He says flippantly and it kind of catches Jinki off guard his mouth falling open with what he thinks was supposed to be an instant protest but then he just closes it again.
Ah. Yeah Jinki also forget to mention that like well Kim Kibum; the Ultimate Bitch - the Almighty Key, also dated his cousin the one and only Choi Minho, soccer extraordinaire and heartthrob, for around two years. Most of those two years Jinki and Kibum had never really spoken, sure they had been introduced once but Kibum wasn’t interested, why would he be interested with Jinki - the second from top in all his classes and chess champion. That wasn’t the sort of crowd that a rich kid like Kim Kibum hung around in.
Gulping Jinki looks away and frowns. “Get him back… didn’t you break it off with him?” Kibum’s finely shaped eyebrows twitch before arching in clear annoyance. “And your point is?”
Jinki arches his own eyebrows, “Well it’s just he said that you didn’t want to date him anymore so…” cutting him off Kibum waves his hand in the air again, “Yeah well now I do and you’re going to help me.”
Jinki frowns starting to get a little annoyed himself now as he stares at the sharp features of the younger boy in front of him, who quite frankly should be behaving a little bit more respectfully.
“Look, no offence but your relationship with Minho is nothing to do with me and I don’t want to cause any drama.” Kibum scoffs and rolls his eyes looking impatient as he shifts his weight from one foot to another.
“Listen here Lee Junki-”
“Jinki, its Jinki.”
“Whatever - I am asking you to do something and you will do it for me okay?”
Who the hell did this kid think he was… ah yeah the Almighty Key apparently.
“I have to do no such thing.” That makes Kibum’s eyebrows arch extremely high and Jinki notices the way the corner of his mouth twitches slightly as though he’s trying to keep composed.
“Are you being serious?” Kibum says with disbelief in his tone and Jinki starts to pack away his books full of notes he was using to silently study before the obnoxious presence of the younger boy came and ruined all that.
Jinki says nothing but just stares at Kibum before shaking his head when the other still remains silent and continues to pack away his stuff. He didn’t have to put up with that stuffy stuck up kid. He had far much more important things going down in his life without Kim Kibum making it any worse.
He walks away and is only a little bit surprised when no hand grabs at him or an angry voice calls him back.
Jinki has trouble sleeping that night and when he spoke to Minho after dinner he couldn’t stop thinking about what Kibum had said to him, asked of him. He was almost tempted to mention it to the tall boy but he refrained from doing so in the end, like he said he had more important things to worry about. But that didn’t mean that he forgot about it entirely and as he finally drifted off to sleep his mind betrayed him and wondered just what had gone on between his cousin and Kim Kibum.
-[]-
Jinki’s on his way to the Library to catch up on the hours he missed studying Yesterday, despite the fact that he spent most of the night last night reading notes after notes, he’s pretty sure he even read some more than once too so he probably didn’t even need to catch up but he just didn’t want to be surrounded by noisy people and the Library was perfect for some peace and quiet.
He’s just about to push at the doors when a bony but strong hand taps his shoulder and he closes his eyes, because he knows who it is, he doesn’t even need to turn around. He was expecting this; after all he wouldn’t be naïve enough to think that Kim Kibum would give up that easily.
“Hi.” The younger boy says simply when Jinki finally turns to face him and Jinki just stares at him blankly before Kibum starts to speak again. “Listen, we got off on the wrong foot Yesterday.”
Ha, you could say that again, Jinki laughs to himself.
“It’s just that I really do need help and you seem like the perfect person. I mean your Minho’s cousin and he adores you, I mean your even living with him at the moment right?”
Jinki frowns at that, Jeez, can nobody’s private business just stay as that - private.
Kibum holds his hands up and smiles, “hey, chill. I won’t say anything.”
Yeah of course you won’t, Jinki thinks as he internally rolls his eyes at this cheap act Kibum’s got going on.
“Look, I can’t help you. If you want to be with Minho you should just try talking to him.” Jinki says already starting to turn around but then Kibum’s grabbing him again but this time the slightly taller boy is tugging him in the opposite direction and Jinki thinks he’s going to get like freaking beaten up by all of Kibum’s jock friends in a dark corner of the College that he’d never seen before but then he’s just being shoved into what after a quick glance around leads him to believe is in fact a bathroom stall and he briefly wonders how the hell the younger boy got them in there that quick.
“What are you doing?” Jinki says a little agitated and Kibum chuckles slightly as he pats Jinki’s shoulder rather condescendingly. “Don’t worry I just wanted to speak somewhere more private.” Jinki almost wants to point out that the College Bathrooms aren’t exactly the epitome of private but whatever.
“I’m sorry if you think I am trying to force you into helping me, but listen I made a mistake with Minho and now I want to correct that and you’re the only person close enough to him to allow me to have a better chance of doing that.”
Blinking Jinki nods in thought as he rubs at the side of his face before pushing his glasses further up the bridge of his nose. “So in other words you want me to betray my cousin’s trust for your own benefit.”
Kibum frowns slightly, his nose scrunching up as he rolls his eyes at Jinki, “Well if you put it like that it sounds bad.” Jinki laughs, affronted and he can’t even pretend not to be in utter disbelief over the other’s arrogance.
“Besides, it’s hopeless anyway.” He voices, his eyes staring straight back at Kibum’s dark orbs that flicker with anger and confusion.
“What do you mean?” The younger boy questions as he puts a hand to his hip. “Minho’s not single anymore.” Jinki tries not to enjoy the flash of surprise that flickers in those cat-like eyes and tries not to feel bad about the uncharacteristic way that the other is making him act. He’s not usually this careless with his words, doesn’t really enjoy other’s misfortune but something about the younger boy in front of him with all his fancy clothes and jewellery, flamboyant appearance and personality and privileged background was making him unusually hostile.
“W-what?” Kibum almost splutters and Jinki shrugs, “I thought you would have known.” He voices with disinterest. “Who, who is he with?” Kibum’s in his face now and Jinki steps back slightly and shakes his head. “It’s not my place to say.”
“Like I said, I’m sorry I can’t help you Kibum.” For the second time during a real conversation with Kibum Jinki walks away again.
-[]-
“Nichkhun,”
Jinki looks up with a blank expression on his face as Kim Kibum’s voice fills his ears and he feels his insides shrivelling up in dread. “What?” He says with confusion on his face and Kibum leans his upper body down over the table Jinki’s currently sat at, a look of determination on his features.
“It’s him right,” when Jinki continues to stare at Kibum with bewilderment filling his face Kibum sighs impatiently and bangs his hand down on the table slightly. “Who Minho’s seeing, it’s him right?” Jinki feels the amusement bubbling up in his chest at not only Kibum’s wild accusation but the expression on his face.
“What are you talking about?” He says and Kibum frowns. “You said that Minho was no longer single.” Kibum suddenly looks a little flustered as he looks around the outside seating area and sits down self-consciously.
“Yeah and?”
“Well I just-” Kibum pauses as he looks at Jinki weirdly.
“Came to the conclusion that he’s dating his best friend from childhood,” Jinki pauses in carrying on Kibum’s sentence as he smirks, “who is also very much straight and has a Girlfriend who he has been dating for as long as he has been friends with Minho.”
Kibum stares at Jinki and if it wasn’t for the fact that Kibum looks down Jinki could have sworn that he saw a pink hue fill Kibum’s sharp cheeks.
“Okay, yeah fine I get it.” Kibum runs a hand through his dark hair that has hideously bright streaks splattered through it.
Jinki didn’t get fashion nowadays.
“And besides, Nichkhun isn’t really Minho’s type now is he?” It was a rhetorical question but Kibum still says “what do you mean?” much to Jinki’s annoyance. “Well he dated you didn’t he, you must be aware of what his type is.” Kibum’s face is blank for a few seconds before his gaze lands on Jinki’s face again.
“I didn’t really think he had a type.” Kibum shrugs as he says this and Jinki doesn’t really know what to add to this weird conversation. In fact these little meetings or whatever you could call them with Kibum were all rather strange and Jinki was becoming more and more uncomfortable and unsettled about them. He was also getting a little tired of Kibum’s constant way of disturbing him.
“Well now that we’ve got the fact that Minho and Nichkhun are not dating sorted out would it be possible for me to continue with what I was doing…” It wasn’t really a question so Jinki didn’t bother to change the tone of his voice but Kibum stayed put and Jinki just glanced at him.
“What!?” Kibum voices as though offended. When Jinki just raises his eyebrows Kibum scoffs slightly, “it’s not like you’re doing anything important.” How dare he make that assumption, Jinki was rather busy actually and more busy lately than ever before since Kibum kept bugging him. Maybe he should actually have a word with Minho; this was starting to get a little out of hand.
“I do believe that studying is important-” Jinki says rather affronted at the other’s words. “That is if you actually want to Graduate.” He adds with a grin and then picks his pen up before saying “if you don’t mind…” and digging his head in his books again. Jinki didn’t need to look up to know that Kibum probably had a shocked expression on his face; the silence told him all he needed to know. Kim Kibum was rarely quiet and when he was it was because he didn’t know what to say.
There was a childish huff and then Jinki felt the other’s presence leave the table and his shoulders felt less tense all of a sudden. The silence however wasn’t quite as comforting as it used to be.
-[]-
In the middle of a rather interesting chapter of his Physics textbook Jinki groaned when a familiar floral but musky fragrance filled his senses and a flash of rainbow streaked hair flittered into the corner of his eye.
“Nicole said she kissed Minho at this party a couple of weeks ago.” Is announced and Jinki couldn’t be less interested.
Jinki kept his eyes fixed on the text filling his book but the words were beginning to blur however he was determined not to get himself into this conversation.
“So it’s probably her then,” Jinki feels his eye twitch as he tries and fails to shut out the other’s voice.
“Right?”
Jinki’s other eye twitches and he tries to take a discrete inhale of breath but then Kibum’s talking again.
“Right…?”
The precious Physics book goes crashing down on the table as Jinki’s eyes bore into Kibum’s relaxed face opposite him.
Shit.
“Teenagers kiss each other all the time.” Jinki says then bored and slightly tense and Kibum chuckles, “You say that as if you aren’t a teenager yourself.” Kibum points out, something Jinki doesn’t appreciate and just blanks him before grabbing at his textbook again only for long fingers to snatch it from his reach before he gets the chance.
“That’s mine.” Jinki voices and Kibum smiles at him all sparkling eyes and quirked lips. “And you’ll get it back.” Inspecting the book, Kibum turns it over and his eyes scan across the cover with disinterest. “Believe me I don’t want it.” Kibum mutters whilst scrunching up his face as though he had just tasted something bad.
Realising that he’s already lost and somehow been dragged into another one of these mindless conversations that keep occurring, he just sits back in his chair and stares at Kibum, trying to project how much he does not appreciate the other boy’s company.
“So, Nicole…” Kibum smiles slow and lazy as he leans forward in his chair his long arms resting on the soft varnish surface, he knew he had won. “As I was saying, at this party-” raising a finger in the air Kibum smirks “- which must have been terrible as I wasn’t there, apparently a kiss between her and Minho happened, so is it her?”
Rolling his eyes, Jinki sighs. “How would I know.” He shifts in his chair, “and besides it seems that nowadays kissing someone doesn’t mean you’re dating them.” He finishes with distaste on his face and Kibum looks amused by this.
“You’re weird.” Kibum comments randomly and Jinki scoffs to himself.
I’m weird, have you looked at yourself recently. He thinks in the back of his mind.
“I’m not the one that keeps talking to me.” Jinki says “and at least I don’t look like a rainbow vomited on my head” and Kibum gives him a funny look before fiddling with a strand of his crazy coloured hair and patting it almost as to comfort it from Jinki’s words, a smooth chuckle leaves his lips as he rolls his eyes. “Yeah definitely weird.” He says and while his guard is down Jinki takes that opportunity to grab at his book and successfully get it back. Settling in his chair with a smile he opens the book to the marked page and carries on reading.
“Hello, is that all you’re going to say?” Kibum says after a few seconds and Jinki not even removing his eyes from the textbook, the words that he is no longer even taking in, replies with a simple “Yup.” A harsh puff of air the reply from Kibum who stays seated for almost five minutes before giving up and walking out of the Library. For some reason Jinki doesn’t even feel like reading anymore and he packs up and makes his way to his next lesson with a frown on his face and at least fifteen minutes early. Jinki likes being prepared.
-[]-
“Oh my God, I don’t know why I didn’t realise this before!”
A twitch starts in his eye and Jinki seriously considers face planting his own head into the tree he is currently sitting under. A location that he had hoped would be obscure enough for a certain loud and obnoxious younger boy not to be able to locate him in. Clearly that had been rather stupid of him because said loud and obnoxious younger boy was now rather rudely sliding down the rough bark to sit next to him.
He can’t believe Kibum hasn’t got bored yet; seriously it’s been almost four weeks of this now. The younger boy adding Kim Soohun, a boy that Minho helped with his football skills, Jung Hyeon the School Principals Daughter and apparently Kibum’s ultimate nemesis, oh apart from Jessica and her girly gang that is, to his list of potential ‘new-lovers’ for Minho. Jinki didn’t understand because Kibum could have spoken to Minho by now and cleared all this up. Why did he have to keep bothering Jinki?
“Aren’t your friends wondering why you keep disappearing during lunch?” Jinki questions rather annoyed and Kibum frowns, “Why would they do that?” Kibum voices as though Jinki just said something completely stupid and Jinki just stares back at the other with confusion and questioning in his eyes. The silence doesn’t last long though because Kibum’s opening his mouth again.
“Anyway like I said, it’s obvious. It’s Donghae!” The younger boy looks so pleased with himself and Jinki thinks that’s a little strange seeing as Kibum apparently wanted to get Minho back, so it was a little weird that he was so excited about thinking he knew who his former Boyfriend was now dating.
“Donghae? As in Lee Donghae?” He asks and Kibum nods firmly. “You see at first I thought it was a girl because Eunjin told me that she had seen Hyorin with Minho on what looked like a date a few Months ago and before that that thing with Nicole and I mean everyone knows Minho’s Bi right, so I thought maybe after two years of being with a guy he wanted to be with a girl or something but then I heard something about Donghae being gay and I was like ‘WHUT’ because seriously I did not see that and was also not informed may I add, then when I was walking past the football practice area Minho scored a goal and Donghae was all like ‘Oh my God, Well done Minho’ and was like jumping all over him and shit and Minho looked so happy and it hit me, they were having a secret affair all along!”
With an open mouth Jinki just stares at Kibum with a rather glazed over expression, he swears even the Bird that had been sitting in the tree and tweeting away ever since Jinki came and sat down here has lost the will to live as now an icy silence fills the void around them despite it being in the middle of summer and Jinki can feel the sweat under his hear line, to be honest Jinki’s not sure he is even living anymore.
“So it has to be him.” Kibum says finally and Jinki can’t believe he’s not even out of breath.
He’s not quite sure he understands Kibum’s reasoning there. The relationship between Minho and Donghae was completely platonic, nothing more than really good friends. Besides the fact that Donghae was gay and Minho was Bi-sexual didn’t mean that any form of contact between them meant that they were in some sort of romantic relationship. Plus Jinki knew the only reason why Donghae came out was because he had been in a relationship since High School with a fellow teammate and had finally decided it was no longer fair to him to carry on hiding their relationship because he was too frightened of what people would think or say about him. And he only knew all this because Minho had informed him so just last week, when Jinki had been excruciatingly tempted to tell Minho about his crazy Ex-Boyfriend who was now sort of stalking him in a twisted attempt to get the other back.
“It’s not Donghae.” Jinki says with an uninterested tone that is mirrored with his expression.
“What?” Kibum says with surprise on his features and Jinki sighs. “Minho is not in a relationship with Lee Donghae.” He says in a more clear tone and Kibum blinks at him, a frown marring his face as he tucks a strand of his cleanly styled but still distractingly colourful hair behind his ear. “But I was so sure…” the younger boy’s sentence trails off as he looks in the distance.
“Why because they are both attracted to men and when Minho scored a goal Donghae hugged him,” Jinki sighs, “I am pretty sure that a lot of the other teammates hugged him too you know.” Kibum looks slightly annoyed before he smiles in a totally fake way that Jinki is surprised he sees right through.
God, this boy confuses the shit out of him.
“Yeah, you’re probably right.” He says and that definitely takes the older boy by surprise, he’s just about to reply when a tall shadow appears over the corner of his eye.
“Jinki-Hyung…”
SHIT!
Jinki knew that voice.
Looking up like a deer caught in the headlights he gulps as a young, but pretty as well as boyish face fills his view. All long legs and tall skinny form bending at the knees slightly to get to Jinki’s eye level.
“I was looking for you. I can’t get hold of Minho; it’s just that I won’t be able to meet up Tonight.” The young boy says, a shy smile on his face and Jinki almost chances a quick glance in Kibum’s direction but he is sort of freaking out and he doesn’t even know why but for some reason he suddenly felt terribly aware of the younger boy beside him.
OH MY GOD! O.H M.Y G.O.D!!!!
He goes into meltdown, his Adam’s apple jumping in his throat as all words seem to leave his mind.
“Hyung?” He feels a gentle hand on his knee and his eyes focus again as Lee Taemin, the actual identity of the person that had stolen Choi Minho, his cousin’s heart smiles up at him with all his sparkly eyes and fresh faced boyish innocence.
“Uh-” for some reason all he can hear is his heartbeat banging frantically behind his flesh and bones and it makes him feel a little delirious and it’s silly really because why should he feel like this? It wasn’t his responsibility or his fault, Kibum wasn’t his responsibility.
“Are you okay?” Taemin questions with worry in his voice as he places a hand on Jinki’s forehead and then places the same hand onto his own skin. “You feel a little hot Hyung.” Jinki thinks that’s probably because he’s potentially having some sort of anxiety attack, oh yeah and that he’s wearing a massive wool jumper that is already two sizes too big for him in what feels like 60 Degrees Celsius.
Then it happens, Taemin’s eyes flicker over to Kibum and Jinki feels his heart sink.
“Oh, sorry I didn’t see you there!” Taemin announces cutely as he smiles all teeth and puffy cheeks and really the younger boy was adorable but right now Jinki wanted to get him to leave as soon as possible.
When Jinki doesn’t hear Kibum’s voice he turns and looks and the expression on the other’s face is one of shock and wonder, as dark narrow eyes are unusually wide and unblinking as he stares between Jinki and Taemin. It’s the bright pink highlighting the sharp edges of his cheekbones that strike Jinki though.
He reacts before he thinks and he’s pulling Taemin up as he rushes to stand. “I’ll err, see you later.” He says to Kibum, the first time he’s ever said anything like that when they parted ways from these strange little meetings and he doesn’t know why exactly but he’s running, like actually running away from Kibum and Taemin has to grab onto his hand to keep up with him, the fingers linking in the process, the two backs facing Kibum therefore missing the deep scowl on the sharp features as his eyes narrow further.
-[]-
It’s weird because Jinki hasn’t seen Kibum for almost a week and before that thought would have been like a dream but now for some reason he could feel nothing but disappointment when he had spent the past three days in the Library and had actually been able to study. He tried to suppress it and blatantly deny it to himself but no one knew better than himself just how he felt. It was silly really, it was probably just because the younger boy was such a character, such a big personality that it was easy for him to attract people’s attention and keep a hold on it. He just guessed that either Kibum had grown bored of his company or - oh God, yeah maybe he had been offended when Jinki had run off that day. The boy was pretty temperamental; Jinki knew that from first-hand-experience. He hadn’t even thought of that, they hadn’t spoken since then; in fact Jinki hadn’t seen the other around at all since that day. The bell rang loudly and that severed him from his thoughts as he rushed to get to his lesson, realising that this would be the first time he was going to turn up not on time for a lesson…
And it was all Kim Kibum’s fault.
Yeah he was probably better off without the kid.
-[]-
Another hot day has Jinki moaning in the back of his head at his excessive clothes and unnecessary layering. He decides to be brave and take his jumper off leaving him in a baggy band t-shirt that is long enough to cover his skinny jean covered thighs and for the arms to almost reach down to his elbow. It’s certainly cooler with it being the only article covering his upper body though and he settles back into the bench he’s sitting on after spending his free period before lunch finishing off the essay that had to be finished off for next week, but whatever, he liked being prepared and early. It was one less thing he had to do now anyway, so surely that was a positive. He could be sitting around and messing around with friends (well Minho’s friends) but would that get his work done. No it would not so yeah Jinki was quite content with his lack of a social life.
He’s trying to wipe the sweat off his forehead when the sun is blocked from his view and he relishes that moment for a few seconds before actually wondering what the hell had done so and feeling his chest tighten - weirdly - when Kibum’s slim figure is standing in front of him, his thin arm stretched out in what appears to be to offer Jinki the water bottle clasped in-between his smooth hands, the liquid obviously wonderfully icy cold by the way the plastic is all fogged up and dripping from Kibum’s long fingers.
“Hey,” Kibum says playfully and Jinki is sort of lost for words as he stares at the younger boy as though he had just offered him a bomb or grown another head but then he suddenly becomes aware of the way the sun catches the other’s shiny hair and the first thing out of his mouth is, “Your hair…”
Kibum cracks up his white and straight rows of teeth also glistening in the bright summer’s day. “Yeah, I got tired of the rainbow vomit.” The younger boy voices with a smirk as he twirls a lock of his now bright blonde hair around his fingers. Jinki doesn’t know why but his words set something inside him a light in the strangest way. He can’t help but appreciate the way the new haircut frames the younger boy’s angular face wonderfully. The slightly shaved sides his natural black and the longer bangs at the top a vibrant blonde. It fit him perfectly.
Jinki feels like maybe he should apologise but then Kibum’s speaking again and he just swallows his nervous words back down.
“Here, drink this. You look like you could use it.” Jinki nods silently and gently takes the bottle from Kibum’s slimmer hands, the soft digits brushing against his own for mere seconds and he ignores the buzz that breaks out on his skin over the contact.
“Thanks,” he says awkwardly and takes a small sip from the bottle, enjoying the way the cold liquid flushes down his throat and does that weird thing where it feels like it’s rushing in his chest but then flowing through his whole body. It does wonders for his overheated flesh and he sighs. Kibum laughs and Jinki looks at him again.
“So I have a proposition,” the words pique his interest and he sits up a little straighter. Kibum smiles at him and takes a seat, his long legs sliding over each other rather gracefully. “I was thinking about how I could get some dirt on Minho-” Jinki rolls his eyes in his mind, because seriously they were going to go through all this again, “-and I have come to the conclusion that we should date.”
In the process of taking another sip of water Jinki nearly kills himself as he inhales and chokes rather embarrassingly. “W-what?” He splutters a scandalised look on his face as he looks up at the younger boy from his crouched over position.
“I said-” Jinki puts a hand up as he pulls himself up into a normal sitting pose and swallows a little harshly in an attempt at getting his breathing to calm the hell down. “I heard what you said.” He says interjecting the other’s sentence. “But I am still trying to work out if you are being serious.” He glares in the other’s direction a little and Kibum unfazed just chuckles a little before flicking his bangs to the side slightly and nodding.
“When am I ever not serious?” He says and Jinki grinds his teeth, -smartass- he thinks.
“It’s impossible.” Jinki voices and shakes his head a little too harshly and he has to blink a couple of times to see clearly again.
Kibum pouts and places his hand on the table and fiddles with one of the chunky rings on his finger. “It would be the perfect way to get a reaction from Minho though.” Kibum reasons and Jinki thinks that Kibum must be freaking crazy because this Kid’s logic was absolutely bat-shit.
“Is that all you care about?” He questions and his voice is a little rougher than he would have liked. “Because if it is then go play with someone else. I am not going to be part of this game and I am not going to betray my own cousin just so you can get a rise out of him. I already told you that you should just go and talk to him.”
“I can’t!” Jinki is shocked at the flicker of desperation that glows in Kibum’s eyes and makes the other’s voice rise.
“Look Kibum, I can’t help you like that.” Jinki looks at the table in thought; his head feels like it’s going to explode with the way so many things are flying around in it.
“Is it because of that boy?” Jinki’s a little confused there and he looks up at Kibum in confusion. “I know it’s a lot to ask, but maybe if you explained to him why he would understand. He knows Minho too right? And he seems like a nice enough guy…” Kibum trails off and Jinki stares at the younger boy blankly as he watches a flash of - is that sadness? - wash over Kibum’s face.
“Wait, what are you talking about?” Looking at the younger boy a little puzzled he moves closer. Kibum shrugs his shoulders and turns to face Jinki with an expression that he has never seen on the other’s face. “Last week. That boy that came to find you.” It hits Jinki and he almost says Taemin’s name but then he suddenly feels like he shouldn’t instead he just says, “What about him?”
“You’re seeing him right?” Jinki’s so shocked that he can’t even reply and he just sort of stares with wide eyes as Kibum continues to talk. “But if you agreed to this then you could explain it to him, let him know that I am no threat and it’s not like we would be in a real relationship, just get Minho to think we’re a lot closer than we are.” Jinki watches the other speak as though he can’t even understand what he’s saying.
“Wait, no. I - you’ve got it wrong.” Jinki’s trying to explain but it’s like the words are knotted around one another and instead he just stops talking and shakes his head.
“Please?” Kibum almost begs and Jinki is at a complete loss for words and he knows he will regret it later, he’s already regretting it and the words haven’t even come out of his mouth.
“Fine.” He mumbles and he feels like hitting himself. He can’t even explain to himself why the hell he just did that. Why he didn’t just tell Kibum that Taemin is with Minho, why he hadn’t just told Minho about this situation with Kibum earlier. Why he ever answered Kibum when the younger boy first approached him. He’s in a big mess now and he knows it’s only going to get murkier and he also knows he’s only got himself to blame.
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Part Two: