Airplanes in the Night Sky (1/2)
Title: Airplanes in the Night Sky
Pairing: Onew/Key, ot5
Rating: PG-13
Summary: A boy falls in love with someone who wishes on huge steel frames floating in the air with flaming jets.
Disclaimer: My story. The end.
A/N: I finally did it. It took months of writing, months of pounding the keyboard, but I finished. This is inspired by the movie My Love By My Side. This also incorporates some of the lyrics from B.O.B.'s Airplanes as well as SHINee's Life. All three productions are amazing, so you should check them out. I really do hope you enjoy.
Dedicated to: 2yearsapart , joiceechan , saikocchi and special thank you to acrosstherug for beta-ing. Also, thank you to lemon95 for reading it over. If there's someone I promised to dedicate, but forgot, please let me know!
Amidst the thumping of the bass, the yelling of the DJ's voice, and the roar of young people high off the whirl of flashing lights and gyrating bodies, one young man glanced wistfully at the dance floor. His finger traced light patterns on the marble bar he leaned against, and his foot tapped a slight rhythm against that of the pumping music. As the mob of swarming bodies continually grew, Onew sighed before ordering another drink, his fifth for the night.
Funny, he thought bitterly, I can down alcohol like none other, yet can't dance to save my life. As he chugged the glass of bitter vodka, Onew reminisced how he had ended up in such a situation.
Theoretically, Onew should have followed his daily routine and left for home as soon as the company clock struck five in the afternoon. After staring at multiple Excel spreadsheets and punching numbers into the computer for hours, this was the highlight of his day. However, because of a particularly well finished business meeting that day, in which Onew had somehow managed to strike a multi-million dollar deal with another company after singing a rendition of "A Whole New World," he had found himself smothered in his boss's arms and carried away to a club. Onew's "ingenious actions" had saved the company from financial crisis and for a reward, he got to dance the night away, all of which would be great if the guy had any control over his motor coordination. There was a reason why he preferred being holed up in his cozy two-room apartment with a nice book as opposed to being with people on the dance floor- he had the tendency to flood the local hospital's ER with patients complaining of broken bones.
So what is a guy like him to do except down glass after glass of liquor, watching the colourful strobe lights flicker on and off bodies and slowly losing himself in the thick air of sweat, alcohol, and music. Onew morosely deemed himself as incapable of having a normal social life and raised his hand to order another glass.
Which is why he was a bit perplexed when his outstretched hand did not meet the cold glass of liquor, but instead met a warm pale hand adorned with several rings. He stared curiously at the hand for a brief moment before glancing upwards to the sound of a small chuckle.
Perhaps it was the multi-coloured dance lights or perhaps even the effects of heavy alcohol, but Onew could have sworn he saw pink and purple sparkles dance in the feline eyes staring into his own. The almond-shaped orbs, heavily lined with kohl, crinkled in delight, complimenting a small pink smile. The male's hand gripped tightly to Onew's fingers, metal rings clinking against one another in a cold cacophony.
"No one should dance alone," a soft voice reached Onew's ears. It took him a moment to piece together that those words had come from the stranger's small lips, but by the time comprehension had occurred, Onew had been pulled halfway across the dance floor and surrounded by a mass of moving bodies. He developed a sudden case of claustrophobia as the gyrating mob grew closer around him, and felt an oncoming panic attack when suddenly, those small hands felt their way into Onew's own again.
Grasping Onew's hands in a firm and confident manner, the stranger lifted their arms above the crowd and swirled them in a circle, allowing for some movement to occur in time to the thumping music. Soon, the stranger was twisting his hips and twirling on the spot, matching the deep bass that seemed to shake the entire building. Onew watched mesmerized as the boy before him danced with a serene aura, caught up in his own world of movement and music, moving with the flow of sound as water might flow through a river- completely natural and just so right. With his eyes closed, his body swaying, and his beautiful face- pale, sharp, pristine, harsh, soft- an unforgettable face, Onew thought- the boy possessed a certain peaceful quality that made Onew's heart ache in longing.
"Why aren't you dancing?"
Onew blinked to see the stranger pouting at him with a slight scowl imprinted upon his face. Quickly, Onew shook his head and stepped back. The feline eyes narrowed slightly before the stranger grasped Onew's hands with even more vigor, pulling him back.
"No one should dance alone," he said again, his light voice carrying over even the deafening roar of the speakers. Onew nervously glanced around the room, eyes desperately searching for something, anything, other than the piercing orbs before him.
"Erm...I...I don't....dance," Onew mumbled, lightly tugging his hands out of the other's grasps. He gave a nervous smile before turning away.
"Everyone can dance," the soft voice continued. Onew turned back to see the other standing still in place. "Some people just take it for granted."
With the lights and bodies of dancers swirling around him, the boy looked so vulnerable and lost amongst the crowd. His piercing eyes slanted into tearful drops, echoing of an untold sadness. Taken back, Onew reached hesitantly towards the stranger.
"I didn't mean-" he started, only to be met with empty space. The boy whirled into the crowd, flickering lights where he was moments before.
---
As much as Onew hated to admit it, there was something nagging him. Perhaps it was the mounting pages of business calculations that flooded his desk or the growing creases on his face that signaled his distracted mind, but there was something that just wouldn't leave his thoughts.
Those darn eyes, Onew thought absent-mindedly while going over more company numbers. Ever since that night at the club, he had been unable to forget those feline eyes- piercing yet playful, serene yet dejected. There was a captivating quality about them that stirred Onew's memory each time, causing him to pause in whatever he was doing and reminisce back to the incident that occurred on the thumping dance floor.
After he accidentally poured coffee on his boss's new leather shoes and accidentally sent an important contract through the shredder, Onew decided he needed to rid himself of this distraction. It was taking a rather negative toll on his workplace, not to mention his personal life as well. His neighbors thought he had lapsed into a temporary coma when he had stared at their cat for hours on end while the bathroom door had numerous dents from where Onew had run into it in the midst of daydreaming about the boy's warm hands.
This distraction, this incessant thinking about the boy, such events had never happened to Onew before and needless to say, he was terrified by them. It failed all logic, why he should be constantly captivated by memories of a boy he saw for maybe ten minutes at the most, and without being able to come up with a decent explanation, Onew decided that a trip to the doctor was in order.
Perhaps a certified professional could explain why he dreamed of almond-shaped eyes twinkling under rainbow lights and awoke to a soft voice calling him to dance.
---
"I don't think it's a physical ailment," the doctor said, glancing over Onew's medical files before focusing on his own nails. "There's absolutely nothing in your system that would suggest you are even sick at all. In fact, the last time you were at this hospital was when you had bitten on a fork and torn up your front teeth."
The doctor let out a malicious giggle at this. Onew looked at his nametag. Kim Heechul.
Ah.
Onew had heard stories about this doctor.
"You're probably just overwhelmed with work. Try relaxing, maybe even get out once in a while. I would recommend going to a club and loosening your nerves a bit," Heechul said.
Onew tried to explain how he was at the hospital in the first place because he went to a club, but was quickly ushered out by nurse and the entrance of another patient. Dejectedly, Onew glared at the doctor's door, muttering about he doesn't know a thing...stupid giggle...I bet he's never been to a club, much less danced...who does he think he is...
"Hey."
Something stirred in Onew's mind as he froze to the sound of that soft voice. Cautiously, he turned his head ever so slightly to see feline eyes staring out from a pale beautiful face. Lowering his gaze, Onew's vision swept over thin hands adorned with silver rings.
Ah.
---
Clink. Key, as the boy had introduced himself, anxiously clanked his rings together. Onew watched silently as the sunlight glinted off the silver engraved metal.
"So...um, why are you here?"
Onew winced at the harsh undertone of Key's voice. Heart sinking a bit, he opted to stare at his shoes awkwardly.
"Sorry, I didn't mean to sound that way..." Key muttered.
"Almonds...bright lights...you...my workplace...spilled coffee on the boss," Onew began, trying to piece words into a coherent sentence. Key's nose crinkled as he tried to muffle his laughter. The rings stopped that nervous clanking and instead, the hands moved to cover his face as he exploded into loud, abandoned guffaws.
"But then even at home stop laughing ran into the bathroom door it's not funny no really stop laughing and then the cat wouldn't stop staring please stop laughing and the spreadsheets are all piling up what's so hilarious and my job is in jeopardy..." Onew trailed off hopelessly, watching as the boy before him collapsed onto the ground, shaking and crying in laughter.
"Wait," Onew suddenly said, realization occurring to him. Key wiped his eyes, glancing up at Onew as a last few chuckles escaped him.
"Why are you here?"
Onew had never anybody become so still and pale as Key did that instant.
---
When Onew went home that evening, he looked up amyotrophic lateral sclerosis disease on Google.
Motor neuron disease.
Muscles gradually weaken.
Paralysis.
Atrophy of muscles.
Lose ability to function independently.
Fatal.
Turns out, Key had a reason to dance.
---
Onew nervously licked his chapped lips, fingers tapping on his shaking knees. As discreetly as possible, he snuck a sidelong glance at the calm boy next to him.
"I know I have an amazing side profile, but really, the best stuff is in the front," Key chuckled, flashing Onew a cheeky grin. A flush fled across the latter's face.
Sighing deeply, Key flicked his hair and lightly nudged Onew. "So, what are you doing here at the hospital again? More problems running into doors and staring at cats?"
Onew let out a weak chuckle and nervously scratched his head. "N-no...I just...wanted to...you know..."
"If you're here because you pity me, I'd rather never see you again," Key interrupted. His eyes flickered in angry flashes. "I don't need some guy to pretend to be nice to me because I have some disease. If you're looking for a way to clear your conscience and get a ticket to heaven, try the chapel downstairs."
Onew took in shallow breathes, hands gripping his knees tightly. Crap, he thought miserably, the social guidebook definitely did not tell me how to deal with an angsty teen facing a life-threatening disease.
"But, if you're looking for a friend, I wouldn't mind seeing you...every once in a while that is," Key continued, that snarky grin back in place.
---
It was the second week since Onew and Key had met, and the seventeenth time Onew had visited the hospital. The nurses would twitter excitedly every time he walked in, gossiping about the "handsome young man" and taking guesses as to whom he was so infatuated with. Onew overheard these rumours and would only grin wryly to himself.
It was not so much he was infatuated with someone as much as he found a certain fascination for that person.
"Ah! You're here!" Key squealed. He literally squeals, Onew thought briefly. Key excitedly skipped his way over to the older boy and stuck out his hands like a child. "What did you bring me today?"
Rolling his eyes, Onew reached into his pocket and brought out a vegetable peeler, only to be immediately rewarded with a shriek.
"Oh my God! I haven't seen one of these since I was admitted into this hospital! This is so cool! And it has its own hand crank! What does it peel? Does it work on fruits too?" Key blabbed on, eyes sparkling as he examined the tool. Onew was enraptured by Key's excitement. The younger boy had been equally as excited when he brought back a stapler last time. In fact, every time Onew had brought seemingly meaningless and mundane objects, Key had seemed excited beyond belief.
---
"I never take life for granted," Key had said one time Onew had visited. "Well, not since I found out I had this disease thing. You start seeing everything in a different light....like, everything seems to sparkle and shine and you just want to take it in all and never leave anything alone because....because, well, you never know when you're going to see it again."
Wise words coming from a twenty year-old boy who had only graduated from high school. "I wanted to go into college with all my friends, but the doctor told me I wouldn't probably get through it all. I had a better chance getting treatment and living a little longer in this overly sanitary place," Key said, making a face. "The walls are so drab here....I mean, they matched white with white," he deadpanned. "It's like they can't wait for us to get to heaven or something."
The boy had wanted to go into fashion when he graduated. "I would have totally beaten out Versace and all of them. My designs are so much more fabulous. By the way, Onew, you have a terrible sense of fashion," Key teased. And ever since they met, Key had taken it upon himself to dress Onew, drawing him outfits to wear the next time he would visit.
Onew had a suspicion feeling that his boss gave him that promotion because of his new wardrobe. Though really, two-hundred dollar pants were ridiculous, regardless of what foreign country they came from.
"And if the fashion world didn't work out, I would have probably auditioned for an entertainment company or something," Key would go on, a wistful look coming over his face. And that's where he would stop, shooing Onew away, telling him to go home and go study or something.
As Onew would walk away from the hospital, he would turn around to see Key standing on the rooftop, staring at the stars, wishing a dream only he knew.
---
"I want you to meet my friends," Key said the fourth week since Onew had started visiting.
"Um....sure?" Onew replied, staring at his palms hesitantly. Key grabbed his hand.
"Don't worry, they don't bite. I mean, one or two might stab you with a needle, but nothing past that. Except for that one time, when Taemin had grabbed the scalpel..." he said, leading a sweating, shaking Onew down the hallway.
They stopped in front of room 1200B. Key paused and stared at Onew.
"Look, I know you suck at socializing with people so I'm going to give you some advice. These kids are not found in your "How to Deal With People" guides. They have more problems, they're more angsty...and they definitely cannot be read like a book. So just, chill and try not to do anything stupid," he said before opening the door.
It was a moderate sized hospital room with six beds, three against each sidewall. The two large windows were adorned with brightly coloured curtains that seemed lined with ruffles. Two study desks were located in the corners of the room, one with a laptop and the other cluttered with various books.
Before Onew could finish looking around the room, a short boy with brown hair bounced into his view. His bleached blonde streaks grabbed Onew's attention immediately.
"Dude! Key, you brought a guest?" the boy said excitedly, wide eyes blinking like a puppy's. "We haven't met anyone in forever. Well, not counting that pizza delivery guy from last week."
"Jjong, don't get too excited," Key warned, looking at his friend in a worried manner.
"Key, it's fine-" Onew tried.
"Is this that guy you won't stop talking about? The one you met at that club when you snuck off in the middle of the night and I had to cover for you? The guy who you wait until five thirty practically every afternoon to visit?" JongHyun rambled on, oblivious to Key's growing red face.
"Jjong! You're not supposed to say-" Key interrupted, only to be cut off by a snarky laugh. Jjong erupted into a peal of laughter, grasping his side.
"Hehe..." Onew tried. He snuck a glance at Key, who looked anxious. "There's no offense taken, Key. In fact, I think he's not laughing at me...so I'm good."
Key shook his head. "That's not what I'm worried about. It's-"
JongHyun suddenly collapsed onto the ground, clutching his chest. His laughs turned into desperate gasps as his bright eyes shook with alarm. Key ran over to his side.
"Jjong! Hey, focus! Breathe! Don't stop, keep breathing...that's it, let it pass...just keep on breathing," Key repeated, clutching his friend's hand. "Minho!"
Onew watched as another boy ran into his view, tall and lanky, long dark hair covering his face. He quickly knelt next to JongHyun, connecting a breathing mask to the blonde boy's mouth.
"It's going to be fine, hyung," Minho said, surprising Onew with the deep bass of his voice. "You were just laughing too hard." He pumped more air into the mask.
After a few minutes, JongHyun's gasps died down into weak breaths. "Sorry guys," he muttered through the mask. "I'm all good now."
The room released a collective sigh, Onew's own being the loudest. He nervously ran his fingers through his hair, eyes still trained on the slow rise and fall of JongHyun's chest.
"Congrats, dude," JongHyun said, the teasing sparkle back in his eyes. He ripped the breathing mask from his face, regardless of Key's protests. "You have just witnessed a near-death experience. Takes asthma attacks to a new level, doesn't it?"
Onew weakly smiled. Just then, a nurse ran into the room, quick eyes taking in the scene.
"KIM JONGHYUN!" she shrieked, stomping over to the cowering boy. "This is the third attack you've had this week! Do you really want to die, or are you just trying to drive me insane?"
"I think I'm leaning towards option two..." JongHyun muttered. The nurse threw him a menacing look before grabbing his arm. After checking his pulse and putting the mask back on his face, the nurse flung him onto a hospital bed.
"One more time, JongHyun," she warned. "One more attack and I swear..."
"Jesus," JongHyun grumbled as she marched out of the room. "You would think I was suicidal or something by the way she overreacts."
"Not suicidal, just stupid," Key mumbled.
"Whatever," JongHyun waved off, turning his attention back to Onew. "So, as you've figured out, I'm JongHyun. I've been here for about, eh, a year and a half and I have COLD."
"Right...." Onew replied, trying his best to smile.
"It stands for chronic obstructive lung disease," Key said. "Just think of asthma to the extreme."
"And don't forget the possibility of lung cancer," JongHyun cheerfully added, making a peace sign. Key rolled his eyes before gesturing to the boy with long hair.
"That's Minho," he said. The boy nodded in Onew's direction, huge eyes washing over his face.
"I've been here for...about a year and two months," Minho said, hesitantly looking over at Key. "I think..."
Key nodded, smiling lightly. "Yeah, that's right, Minho." Onew gave him a questioning glance, only to be met with pursed lips. "I'll explain later," Key whispered.
Minho returned to his own bed, settling himself with a book.
"And the last one of our bunch," JongHyun said. "He is-"
"God! Do you people ever just shut up?" a voice broke out. Onew whirled around to see a boy, Is he in middle school? Onew thought, on the bed closest to the window. For a second, he was entranced by the boy's brown locks, caramel in the sunlight and black in the shadows. His pale skin contrasted sharply with his hair colour, but not as contrasting as were his eyes. They were piercing, intense, wide, and absolutely pitch black. A shudder ran down Onew's spine from the coldness of those orbs.
"I can't get five minutes of peace before one of you idiots run off your fat mouth or get another fucking attack. Really, you've got legs- find another room and fucking get out of my face!" the boy yelled, angry pants coming from his small body.
"Ah," JongHyun smiled. "That's Taemin."
--
"We're a group of circus freaks, really," Key half-heartedly joked. He walked Onew back to the hospital lobby with slow, heavy steps. "Yeah...I kind of hoped it would turn out better than that. Ah, well."
Onew had nothing to say. His mouth opened and closed with empty words, trying to find something to utter.
"What's up with Minho?" he finally managed to say, wincing at the harshness of his words. "Wait, I didn't mean to sound-"
"It's cool," Key replied, smiling slightly. "He's got retrograde amnesia. Fun stuff, that is. He can't remember anything before his accident, but everything afterwards, it's as clear as day."
"Accident?" Onew asked.
"He was beaten half to death by his drunken father. I guess, it's sort of a good thing he doesn't remember that," Key replied. Onew winced, wondering how such parents existed.
"The drunk killed Minho's mom first, then went after him. Luckily, the neighbors heard the gunshots and called the cops in time," Key continued.
"Gunshots?" Onew murmured.
Key stared at the floor with hard eyes. "Self-defense." Onew felt dizzy.
"Here, we've all got our sob stories, our tragedies, so don't get too surprised by what you hear," Key said. "Because the sad truth is, if we were all fine and dandy, we wouldn't be here for this long."
As they neared the hospital exit, a silence overcame the pair. Little beeping sounds and quiet murmurs floated around their ears.
"So...how are you doing?" Onew said awkwardly. "I mean, you know....your..." He gestured at Key's body.
"Ah," Key smiled. "Well, nothing major has happened yet. I suppose I'm lucky, since my legs are supposed to be goners by now." Key nervously shuffled in his spot. "Which is why I wanted to ask...erm.. I'm going to the club tonight. Want to join?"
"Oh," Onew said. He took a step back. "Well...that's..."
"It's fine, you don't have to. I mean, I'm not like desperate or anything." Key made a face.
Onew blushed. "I know, it's just that..."
"You don't dance," Key finished. He gave a sad smile. "Just, promise me that you'll dance with me one time before..." There was a pause. "Before...this disease gets to my legs." He stuck his pinky out. "Deal?"
Onew slowly grasped the other's pinky, feeling the softness of Key's skin that contrasted with the hardness of his rings. "Deal."
---
"Hey, you!"
Onew whirled around to see Jonghyun walking towards him with a huge smile. The shorter male lightly shook his blonde hair before staring at the other. There was a bizarre contrast between his bright hair and the pale drab of his hospital gown.
"I haven't seen you in our rooms in a while. Well, actually since that first day. Hope Taemin didn't scare you away," JongHyun said.
"No, it was fine. Actually, I just haven't been able to visit the hospital in a while because work piled up," Onew said. JongHyun's smile turned into a frown.
"Wait, so you haven't heard about Key?" he said with a tight voice.
---
"It's not a big deal really," Key said, giving Onew his snarky grin. "I'm not like dead."
JongHyun snorted from his bed. Key gave him a glare, only to receive a pointed look.
"Yeah, paralysis of the legs is no big deal at all. In fact, it happens all the time. Oh look, it's my time right now," JongHyun said bitingly.
"Shut up, Jjong," Key muttered from his bed.
Onew looked down at the boy. It looked so wrong, seeing the confident, larger-than-life Key sitting in a hospital bed. White legs against white sheets, he thought morbidly. He looked up to see JongHyun staring at his friend with a mix of sadness and agitation. Glancing over, Onew saw Minho staring at Key with a worried gaze.
"I knew this was coming. In fact, the doctor predicted it a while back so honestly, it's all good," Key said again, glancing down at his legs. He gave them a little poke.
"Oh yeah, it's all good until you die," a voice said. Taemin looked over at the group, his eyes a fiery black. "So tell me, Key hyung, how does it feel not being able to walk?"
Key looked away from the cold eyes of the boy. His fingers picked at the strands of his bed sheets.
"Isn't it absolutely wonderful?" Taemin prodded on, his mouth turned up into a sneer.
"Quit it, Taemin," JongHyun growled.
"Do feel dependent, like suddenly you can't do anything on your own?" Taemin continued, oblivious to the room's stiff atmosphere. "Have you been wheeled down in front of everyone yet, with people staring and gaping at your legs, wondering what could possibly be wrong with a healthy teen?"
Minho suddenly stood up and placed himself before Taemin, his wide frame blocking Taemin's lithe one. However, Taemin looked around Minho, his small body straining off the bed.
"But you don't really have anything to worry about, Key," he continued. "After all, it's only a little bit until that disease creeps up your body. Soon, you'll be breathing out of tubes and then, it's a pump, until one day-"
There was a loud crashing sound. Onew wondered why everyone was staring at him until he looked down to see a broken vase in his hands, shattered pieces mingling with the red blood of split skin.
"Oh..." he mumbled. "I...I..."
Key's mouth widened into an "O" shape, almost as big as his surprised eyes. Onew heaved a huge sigh.
"I guess I'll pay for that then," he said.
---
"I now know why Key befriended you," JongHyun said, handing Onew a cup of coffee. He joined Onew in leaning over the railings, watching people run in and out of the hospital.
"You're as much of a freak as any of us," JongHyun laughed. He pointedly glanced at Onew's hands, which were roughly bound in tissues.
"I don't really know what happened," he mumbled. "I mean, I didn't even know I broke it until....well, it hurt."
JongHyun gave a snigger. "Well, you're a big boy, so it's going to be all right," he said. There was a pause before he continued. "But I do have to say thanks, for doing that. I mean, Taemin's not usually that...talkative. I don't know what happened, maybe he just cracked today or something, but I'm glad you stopped him anyway."
Onew remained silent, feeling the warmth of the coffee seep into his sore hands.
"He was at the club, you know," JongHyun said, looking at the railing. "Key said that he felt like he had to go that night. It was that last day you had visited."
"Did Key ever tell you anything about his disease?" he asked, glancing over. Onew shook his head.
"He told me what he had, but I figured out the rest on Google," Onew sheepishly admitted. JongHyun smiled.
"That's Key. He would never tell anyone about the bad things. He's really optimistic about his disease too. He would never say anything hurt, and even when the doctor told him that he had possibly less than a year to live, he was still that snarky kid. Which is why he was freaky that night, so serious and sad. And after missing out on the clubs for weeks, he decided to go. He said that...that it felt like it would be his last time there so he couldn't miss out."
JongHyun paused. "And the idiot collapsed on the street on the way home. On the street. The police didn't even find him until early morning. Key was half frozen to death, and when he woke up, he stared at his legs and asked for crutches. I don't think he even blinked twice."
"I didn't know that," Onew muttered. JongHyun laughed. It caught his breath at the end, causing him to hunch over, loud coughs wracking his frame. Alarmed, Onew touched JongHyun's arm, only to be shaken off.
"I'm good," he said. After a moment, he continued with a softer, more tired voice. "Most people never see that side of Key, the more vulnerable side. He's always got to be so cocky and composed, that little brat."
"Who are you calling a brat, you raspy dinosaur?" Key snapped as he made his way over to the pair. His feline eyes creased into a frown but his mouth still held that characteristic smirk. "Since I can't walk without these," he motioned to his crutches, "shouldn't I be receiving some pity or whatever? Don't talk shit about the invalid now."
"Whoa, careful Key," JongHyun smirked. "Don't be so rude in front of our young friend." He threw an arm over Onew's shoulders.
"Whatever," Key retorted. "I'm sure he hears worse than that in high school."
"Um, high school?" Onew sheepishly asked. Both Key and JongHyun simultaneously rolled their eyes at him.
"Duh, it's where you go to study. You know, where you spend your days as a student?" Key said.
"Actually..." Onew started.
"Come on, Onew. Don't tell me you're really like twenty something and have a job and you're older than all of us," Key laughed. JongHyun joined in with a chuckle.
Onew remained silent, contemplating if the two boys were serious or if this was one of their little games.
JongHyun stopped laughing. "Wait, you're not serious?" he asked incredulously. Onew gave a small nod.
Key promptly fell onto the ground, crutches clattering around his legs.
"Well shit," JongHyun muttered.
---
"I cannot believe you're older than me," Key deadpanned.
After the initial shock, and assisting Key up from the ground, JongHyun had left for a doctor's appointment while Key demanded Onew explain everything (What everything, Onew thought).
"Oh my God, you didn't even get your hand properly checked out?" Key cried hysterically, pointing at Onew's poorly bandaged hands. "We're in a hospital. We're surrounded by so much sterile equipment that you can't even have babies and yet you didn't get your hands fixed?"
Onew sheepishly smiled at Key's exasperated face. The younger boy sighed and pulled out a first-aid kit from behind him, gently grabbing Onew's hand.
"You carry around a first-aid kit?" Onew said, dumbfounded. Key smirked lightly.
"No. But I figured you weren't smart enough to properly sterilize your hands so I brought it along," he replied. There was a silence as Key carefully peeled away the bloody wrapping, lightly dabbing at Onew's wounds with alcohol.
"I guess I have to call you hyung now, huh?" Key broke the silence. He tightly wrapped fresh bandages around Onew's hands, his fingers lightly lingering on Onew's palms.
"Um, well, if it bothers you so much, though we might get a few looks in regards to the whole senior and respect thing, but then again I don't really have that many people who seem to care, and well, you never noticed, and I guess everyone else also assumed-" Onew blabbered, only to get smacked in the arm.
"So, who are you exactly, hyung?" Key said, warm fingers still on Onew's arm.
Onew shrugged. "Just a normal guy. There's nothing really special about me."
Key sighed. "Okay, let's start simple then. Job?"
"Business accountant. I work with numbers and tell the boss when he's getting more money and when he's about to go bankrupt."
"Age?"
"23."
"God, how in the world do you have such amazingly young skin..."
"E-excuse me?"
"Nothing."
Onew laughed sheepishly. "I'm kind of boring...there's nothing really interesting about my life...it's kind of-" He paused. "Lifeless."
Key smiled sadly, fingers tracing Onew's bandages. "Lifeless, huh?" he murmured.
"Help me up, please," he suddenly said.
While confused, Onew grabbed Key underneath his armpits and lifted the boy, carefully setting him on his feet.
"Want to walk me back to my room?" Key asked, setting his crutches in place. Without even waiting for an answer, he began walking, leaving the other to catch up.
"Taemin loves to dance," Key said.
"What?" Onew replied, the sudden statement catching him off guard.
"He used to be amazing, a prodigy and all. Like, he could move his body in ways that trained dancers couldn't. And he was so good, he got casted on the spot." The hall was silent with only the click of Key's crutches on the marble floor. "And then, he got polio from God knows where."
He paused, leaning against a wall while panting heavily, frustration etched on his face.
"I mean, who the hell gets polio these days? Don't they have like vaccines and all for that?" Key spat out. He slammed his crutch against the wall. "Is life so cruel that it takes away a kid's dream?"
Onew watched as a trail of tears made its way down Key's porcelain face. Embarrassed, the younger boy quickly wiped away his tears and continued his way down the hall.
"I'm not giving an excuse for the way Taemin is," Key said. "He's just...he's too young and..everything is just messed up."
When he reached the end of the hall, Key turned towards Onew. "Taemin's a great kid, I'm sure. I hope you don't think badly of him."
As he watched Key hobble around the corner, Onew saw a thin boy in a wheelchair reside in the shadows. With his head down, the boy could be anyone if not for his tossed hair, caramel in the dim light.
---
"Save yourself!" JongHyun yelled, jumping onto Onew's back. Startled, Onew flailed before falling onto the ground.
"Ow," JongHyun groaned. "Hyung, you're supposed to hold me up, not fall on top of me."
"You're going to scare away Onew hyung one day," Minho said, walking over to the pair. He lifted up the two boys with a fond smile.
"Nah, hyung cares too much about a certain someone to leave this hospital," JongHyun cheekily grinned. The comment went unheard by Onew, while Minho gave a knowing look.
"Er, hello," Onew smiled, rubbing his sore back. He looked over at JongHyun. "What am I supposed to be saved from?"
"Ah," JongHyun smiled. "If you run away before Key catches you, I promise you will thank me later."
"Hyung," Minho scowled.
"Fine," JongHyun sighed. Grabbing Onew's hand, he led the older boy down the hall, Minho's tall frame in tow. "So, Key's been practicing his walking for the past...since he's been in crutches. Now, trying to regain sense to his legs is all fine and dandy, except when he insists one of us has to be with him."
Onew looked from JongHyun's devastated expression to Minho's blank face.
"I don't really see what's so bad about that," Onew mumbled.
"Watching Key walk the same steps over and over again for hours at a time can be a bit much," Minho softly said. "I've been in there three hours once. JongHyun hyung's had the worst though- five hours."
"I skipped a meal!" JongHyun wailed, clutching Onew's arm. Suddenly, the blonde boy cheered up as they reached a door.
"And now, it is your turn to suffer!" JongHyun smirked, shoving Onew into the room.
"Good luck, hyung," Minho's deep voice echoed before the door slammed shut.
"Er..." Onew said, a slight foreboding overcoming his senses. Quickly, he pulled out the object in his pocket, an airplane figurine. He figured this little object would appeal to Key as well as any other.
"Are you going to just stand there or help me?" a light voice grumbled.
Onew turned to see Key standing. He clutched two rails on either side of him, using them to uplift his body. Sweat ran down his face, drenching his shirt in dark patches. Key's arm shook and his face grimaced into a frown. "Quickly," he whispered.
Alarmed, Onew darted towards the younger, only to trip and land on his face with an oomph. Groaning, Key collapsed onto the floor next to him.
"Key! Are you-" Onew started, rubbing his sore forehead.
"You are absolutely hopeless!" Key shrieked, grabbing Onew and inspecting his head. "A cripple is in need here and I have to help you!"
He continued to grumble as he gently rubbed Onew's forehead in little circles. Key's cold fingers soothed the pain, but did nothing to help the increasing red colour of Onew's face as he realized exactly how close he was to the other. Up close, Key looked flawless, something too beautiful to exist in reality. Drops of sweat looked like crystals, traveling along the sharp yet smooth planes of Key's face.
"And what took you so long to visit? Do you realize it's been three weeks? What could possibly be so interesting about counting numbers that you couldn't even spare to see me? Are you even listening?"
Onew broke out of his trance and shifted his gaze from Key's face to the floor.
"My boss promised me an extra long vacation if I could finish up this project for him. It took a while, sorry," he mumbled. He took a quick peek to see Key's eyes soften. Taking it as a good sign, Onew grabbed the airplane and shoved it into Key's hands.
"Here. It's something I found in my room the other day," he said.
There was a long silence; only the older's shallow breathing could be heard, with not a single movement from the other. Key's hands and eyes were frozen over the small object.
"Is it too childish?" Onew anxiously asked. "I mean, I thought..."
His voice trailed off as Key quickly turned to look out the window. Regarding the dark night sky, Key grabbed his crutches and motioned to Onew.
"Help me up," he urgently said. "Now!"
Doing so, Onew followed the other as he hobbled down the hall. They passed rooms, doors, halls, stairs, weaving their way around and around- How does a guy in crutches run? Onew thought incredulously- until they arrived at the hospital rooftop. Throwing open the door, Key finally slowed down, carefully making his way to a bench.
"What do you see?" Key whispered. Onew glanced around before regarding the sky. The pitch-black night sent shivers down his spine; not even the moon was out to shed light.
"Nothing," he murmured. "It's kind of...well, dark."
Key laughed. "Wait a little bit."
Onew expectantly gazed around, anticipating for some miracle, some light from above to suddenly shine down on the both of them. Instead, he was met with continuous silence. The still night seemed to go on too long, causing Onew to doze off. Then, Key grabbed his hand.
"Look!" he fiercely whispered. Pointing at the sky, he picked out a single light, traveling towards the pair with growing speed. As the gleam grew closer and closer, it shot across the sky with sparkles of red, yellow, and orange, as if like a shooting star.
"Make a wish," Key murmured. He closed his eyes and his fingers twitched as his lips shaped words in a fervor.
I want to know what you're wishing, Onew thought, watching the thin boy.
---
"I can almost walk!" Key shouted in glee, tackling Onew in a hug. "All that practicing, and it finally pays off! Look, look!" He excitedly let go of his crutches and carefully leaned against the wall. With slow baby steps, his feet shuffled lazily. After a few minutes, Key had made it halfway done the hall. Sweat dripped from his face as his limbs trembled in fatigue, but a bright smile shone through his exertion.
"That's...amazing," Onew breathed. Key beamed and grasped his arm for support.
"Well, it's not just all me," Key sheepishly said. "I mean, you stayed with me all those weeks to help me, so thanks."
Onew flushed, a pleased grin breaking out.
"And, thanks for bringing me that little airplane," Key softly continued. "It means a lot."
Heaving a tired laugh, Key leaned against the wall. "When you're faced with a fatal disease, there's little to hope for," he sadly said. "You stop having faith, stop believing...so, you start doing. You start making your own decisions, start taking control, and start making your own wishes, on anything and everything."
He lightly nudged Onew. "I could use a wish, don't you think?"
Onew grinned in agreement.
"That's why I pretend that airplanes in the night sky are like shooting stars. I figure if airplanes can resemble stars, they're as good as anything else- I make all my wishes on huge steel frames floating in the air with flaming jets." Onew snorted a chuckle, which Key soon joined.
"Just you wait," Key continued. "I'll be the first ALS patient to overcome this goddamn disease. I'll beat it!"
He punched his fist into the air, thin fingers curled into a tight grip.
"Key," Onew quietly said, "what do you want to do when you can walk again?"
The younger boy laughed, excited sparkles flitting in his eyes. "I suppose the selfish answer would be to dance forever," he replied. "To go out onto the floor and just go on and on...."
His voice wistfully died out before being replaced with a stronger tone. "But before that, I'm going to walk in front of Taemin. I'm going to show him that there's hope, that there's always something worth living for."
Onew hesitantly reached out his hand before lightly placing it on Key's head. The younger boy's rainbow-streaked hair flowed in smooth ripples through Onew's fingers as Key leaned tiredly into Onew's touch.
How are you so brave, Onew wanted to ask. How do you keep living, for you, for others, when the easiest choice seems to be giving up?
"I better keep practicing," Key softly said, reaching out for his crutches.
"I'll go with you," Onew offered. Key gently stopped him, holding him back with surprisingly strong hands.
"No, I can do this now," he smiled. "Check back later though. Who knows, maybe I'll running around."
With a wink, Key hobbled down the hall and disappeared from view.
"So," JongHyun said, popping up beside Onew. The latter yelped and promptly smacked his face against the wall, earning a look of pity from the other.
"How...how long where you there?" Onew gasped, rubbing his sore face.
"Long enough," JongHyun smirked, eerily similar to Key's own grin.
"So, Key's almost walking now. About time, considering how much he's hobbled around on those metal crutches," JongHyun said. Onew hummed in agreement.
"Did he say anything much?" JongHyun asked.
"Aren't you his best friend?" Onew asked, sending a sideways glance at the other, only to be met with a glare. Stifling a grin, Onew gave in. "He said he was doing this for Taemin, to prove that everyone has something worth living for."
"That's so Key, the idiot. He fusses so much over other people that he doesn't even realize how messed up his life is," JongHyun sighed. "He's lost weight, practicing all the time, and that disease keeps eating him. And yet, he won't stop trying everytime Taemin shows up."
"Why does he care so much?" Onew asked.
"I don't really know. He's got like this mother complex thing going on, always protecting and fighting for others," JongHyun grinned. "I can't even count how many times he's taken care of me since I've gotten here. He's like a brother to me. I'd do anything for him."
"With the amount of care he's given others, I think everyone here owes him at least something, and that includes you," JongHyun smiled.
He suddenly cast a sideways glance at Onew. Grinning with his teeth, he playfully nudged the older. "That reminds me. Think you could do something for Key...and me?"
---
"Hyung," JongHyun said, gazing at Onew with loving eyes. "I officially want to marry you."
"Shut up!" Key shouted, wacking his best friend across the head. "Just because he brought you some food, you throw around marriage proposals?"
Onew grinned sheepishly as he watched the pair fight. As it turned out, JongHyun's favor was to ask Onew to bring them some food.
"The hospital gunk is disgusting," JongHyun had cried. "Please....just real food!"
And so, Onew had cleared every food stand and fast food center from his workplace to the hospital, all within forty minutes, entering the boys' room with arms laden full of every snack, meal, and beverage possible- not to mention the deliveries on their way. It had taken a large chunk out of his paycheck, but the warm feeling in his chest took over any reluctance he held.
"You brought dumplings!" JongHyun said with glee. "And those vanilla eclairs from the bakery down the street! I heard they literally melt in your mouth." Eagerly, he shoved two of the pastries into his mouth, smile curving with pleasure.
"Stop being such a pig!" Key screeched, wacking his friend once more.
"The creme cakes are really good. Thanks hyung," Minho said, eyes smiling. "I haven't had these in a long time."
"Anytime," Onew replied. He watched with satisfaction as the boys dug in. All except one, he realized. A certain small boy was missing from the group. Grasping the small container he held, Onew quietly left the room and wandered around the hall.
"You would think they starve us here or something by the way they're acting," a voice said. Taemin rolled out of the shadows to regard the other with a titled head. "I mean, the rice is kind of hard and sometimes the soup is too salty, but we haven't died yet."
Onew returned Taemin's wry grin with a tilt of his head. "I didn't mean to offend the hospital cafeteria," Onew said. Why am I explaining myself to a middle-schooler, he vaguely thought. "They...it just seemed like they could try something different."
Taemin's laugh echoed, as empty as the hallway. "Something different- yeah, I guess you could call it that."
He eyed the box in Onew's hands. Noticing, the older boy carefully made his way over and gently placed it on Taemin's lap.
"Something different for you," Onew mumbled. Taemin carefully lifted the lid. Five different flavours of ice cream were nestled together in small cube of containers. "I read somewhere that ice cream is equivalent to swallowing your sorrows, leaving nothing but sweetness in your life. It's a little corny, but...yeah."
Small fists dug into the box. Hastily, Taemin shoved the ice cream into his mouth, barely pausing before scooping in more and more. Dark brown, pink, white, and yellow dripped down his chin, mingling with the clear liquid of his tears. Hiccups ran together as Taemin attempted to swallow, shoulders trembling.
When your life collapses around you...you're willing to believe in anything...willing to do anything...if it means there's hope... that there's someone who cares...
Key's words echoed in Onew's head.
Wordlessly, Onew reached in and grabbed some chocolate ice cream with his hands. As wet eyes gazed at him, Onew gave a small smile and continued to pile ice cream into his mouth.
---
"Taemin likes you," JongHyun told Onew one week later. The blonde boy's eyebrows furrowed together as he scrutinized Onew's face.
"Oh," Onew replied. "Well."
"Well..." JongHyun grumbled. "Well what?"
"I...it's...well."
JongHyun snorted. He tapped his fingers against the wall, and after a few moments, quickly paced around the room.
"Stop that," Onew mumbled. JongHyun paused and abruptly turned towards the older. He grabbed Onew by his shirt, allowing the older to see a fierce, red glare in those usually soft eyes. Frustrated, JongHyun let go, harshly pushing Onew back.
"Don't mess with Key," JongHyun growled before storming out of the room.
The heater hummed dully as light rain began to patter softly against the windows.
I need to talk to Key, Onew decided. He rushed out, making his way down the hospital halls.
"Hyung," a voice called out. Onew whirled around to see bright auburn hair and shy eyes in his vision. Taemin gave a smile, so innocent and hopeful, so young and endearing.
But so wrong.
"Hey," Onew responded. He gave a smile in return- that felt so wrong- that dulled his heart. It made him feel sick, feel fake- he needed to get away. He needed something, someone, else.
"I've got to go," he rushed. Onew quickly ignored the questioning look in Taemin's eyes and hurried away. He continued his search around the hospital, before landing himself on the roof just as the rain began to intensify.
"Took a while," Key called out. "You usually find me quicker than that."
Onew rushed over and grabbed Key's arm. "It's raining. You're going to get sick staying out here."
Key tugged Onew's hand down, motioning for the other to sit. 'It's not that bad yet. Just stay a little longer...the rain, it feels good on my skin." Key closed his eyes and turned his face to the sky. "It's like...a million hugs, to cheer you up. Or maybe a million tears, to wipe away your own."
Thunder rumbled in the distance, but a calm aura filled the air. The dull feeling in Onew's heart drifted away, leaving a satisfied beat drumming in time to the falling rain. He watched in fascination as the water created crystal trails down Key's face.
"Take care of Taemin," Key said, his eyes still closed. "He's young and a little hard-headed, but a great kid. He's got a sincere heart...don't break it."
Onew gave a nervous laugh, the dull feeling back in his chest. "You sound like I'm about to marry him or something," he joked half-heartedly. Key remained silent.
"If this is about Taemin liking me," Onew slowly continued, "I don't think I can-"
He stopped talking as Key opened his eyes, crystals too warm and too wet to be rain dotting his high cheeks. Onew reached out to wrap his arms around the other, hands firmly supporting the frail body.
"I'm cold...and tired," Key whispered as Onew's fingers brushed his wet hair.
"I told you not to stay out here," Onew lightly scolded, tapping Key's head. "I swear, if you get a cold, the nurse is going to skin me alive. And then who will you talk to all the time?"
There was silence.
"All right," Onew continued. "I guess JongHyun might listen to you, maybe even Minho because God knows he never talks, but I think I do the best at tolerating your rants," he chuckled. "Besides, I'm the only one who knows about wishing on airplanes, so if we want to continue that, I do believe it's in your best interest for me to be alive."
There was silence.
"And if you get sick, the nurse won't let you practice walking anymore. You'll be bedridden- what's going to happen to fighting this disease? You were going to dance again...with me."
Onew paused, panic taking over.
"Hey...we were going to dance together...Key..."
There was silence.
Part 2
Pairing: Onew/Key, ot5
Rating: PG-13
Summary: A boy falls in love with someone who wishes on huge steel frames floating in the air with flaming jets.
Disclaimer: My story. The end.
A/N: I finally did it. It took months of writing, months of pounding the keyboard, but I finished. This is inspired by the movie My Love By My Side. This also incorporates some of the lyrics from B.O.B.'s Airplanes as well as SHINee's Life. All three productions are amazing, so you should check them out. I really do hope you enjoy.
Dedicated to: 2yearsapart , joiceechan , saikocchi and special thank you to acrosstherug for beta-ing. Also, thank you to lemon95 for reading it over. If there's someone I promised to dedicate, but forgot, please let me know!
Amidst the thumping of the bass, the yelling of the DJ's voice, and the roar of young people high off the whirl of flashing lights and gyrating bodies, one young man glanced wistfully at the dance floor. His finger traced light patterns on the marble bar he leaned against, and his foot tapped a slight rhythm against that of the pumping music. As the mob of swarming bodies continually grew, Onew sighed before ordering another drink, his fifth for the night.
Funny, he thought bitterly, I can down alcohol like none other, yet can't dance to save my life. As he chugged the glass of bitter vodka, Onew reminisced how he had ended up in such a situation.
Theoretically, Onew should have followed his daily routine and left for home as soon as the company clock struck five in the afternoon. After staring at multiple Excel spreadsheets and punching numbers into the computer for hours, this was the highlight of his day. However, because of a particularly well finished business meeting that day, in which Onew had somehow managed to strike a multi-million dollar deal with another company after singing a rendition of "A Whole New World," he had found himself smothered in his boss's arms and carried away to a club. Onew's "ingenious actions" had saved the company from financial crisis and for a reward, he got to dance the night away, all of which would be great if the guy had any control over his motor coordination. There was a reason why he preferred being holed up in his cozy two-room apartment with a nice book as opposed to being with people on the dance floor- he had the tendency to flood the local hospital's ER with patients complaining of broken bones.
So what is a guy like him to do except down glass after glass of liquor, watching the colourful strobe lights flicker on and off bodies and slowly losing himself in the thick air of sweat, alcohol, and music. Onew morosely deemed himself as incapable of having a normal social life and raised his hand to order another glass.
Which is why he was a bit perplexed when his outstretched hand did not meet the cold glass of liquor, but instead met a warm pale hand adorned with several rings. He stared curiously at the hand for a brief moment before glancing upwards to the sound of a small chuckle.
Perhaps it was the multi-coloured dance lights or perhaps even the effects of heavy alcohol, but Onew could have sworn he saw pink and purple sparkles dance in the feline eyes staring into his own. The almond-shaped orbs, heavily lined with kohl, crinkled in delight, complimenting a small pink smile. The male's hand gripped tightly to Onew's fingers, metal rings clinking against one another in a cold cacophony.
"No one should dance alone," a soft voice reached Onew's ears. It took him a moment to piece together that those words had come from the stranger's small lips, but by the time comprehension had occurred, Onew had been pulled halfway across the dance floor and surrounded by a mass of moving bodies. He developed a sudden case of claustrophobia as the gyrating mob grew closer around him, and felt an oncoming panic attack when suddenly, those small hands felt their way into Onew's own again.
Grasping Onew's hands in a firm and confident manner, the stranger lifted their arms above the crowd and swirled them in a circle, allowing for some movement to occur in time to the thumping music. Soon, the stranger was twisting his hips and twirling on the spot, matching the deep bass that seemed to shake the entire building. Onew watched mesmerized as the boy before him danced with a serene aura, caught up in his own world of movement and music, moving with the flow of sound as water might flow through a river- completely natural and just so right. With his eyes closed, his body swaying, and his beautiful face- pale, sharp, pristine, harsh, soft- an unforgettable face, Onew thought- the boy possessed a certain peaceful quality that made Onew's heart ache in longing.
"Why aren't you dancing?"
Onew blinked to see the stranger pouting at him with a slight scowl imprinted upon his face. Quickly, Onew shook his head and stepped back. The feline eyes narrowed slightly before the stranger grasped Onew's hands with even more vigor, pulling him back.
"No one should dance alone," he said again, his light voice carrying over even the deafening roar of the speakers. Onew nervously glanced around the room, eyes desperately searching for something, anything, other than the piercing orbs before him.
"Erm...I...I don't....dance," Onew mumbled, lightly tugging his hands out of the other's grasps. He gave a nervous smile before turning away.
"Everyone can dance," the soft voice continued. Onew turned back to see the other standing still in place. "Some people just take it for granted."
With the lights and bodies of dancers swirling around him, the boy looked so vulnerable and lost amongst the crowd. His piercing eyes slanted into tearful drops, echoing of an untold sadness. Taken back, Onew reached hesitantly towards the stranger.
"I didn't mean-" he started, only to be met with empty space. The boy whirled into the crowd, flickering lights where he was moments before.
---
As much as Onew hated to admit it, there was something nagging him. Perhaps it was the mounting pages of business calculations that flooded his desk or the growing creases on his face that signaled his distracted mind, but there was something that just wouldn't leave his thoughts.
Those darn eyes, Onew thought absent-mindedly while going over more company numbers. Ever since that night at the club, he had been unable to forget those feline eyes- piercing yet playful, serene yet dejected. There was a captivating quality about them that stirred Onew's memory each time, causing him to pause in whatever he was doing and reminisce back to the incident that occurred on the thumping dance floor.
After he accidentally poured coffee on his boss's new leather shoes and accidentally sent an important contract through the shredder, Onew decided he needed to rid himself of this distraction. It was taking a rather negative toll on his workplace, not to mention his personal life as well. His neighbors thought he had lapsed into a temporary coma when he had stared at their cat for hours on end while the bathroom door had numerous dents from where Onew had run into it in the midst of daydreaming about the boy's warm hands.
This distraction, this incessant thinking about the boy, such events had never happened to Onew before and needless to say, he was terrified by them. It failed all logic, why he should be constantly captivated by memories of a boy he saw for maybe ten minutes at the most, and without being able to come up with a decent explanation, Onew decided that a trip to the doctor was in order.
Perhaps a certified professional could explain why he dreamed of almond-shaped eyes twinkling under rainbow lights and awoke to a soft voice calling him to dance.
---
"I don't think it's a physical ailment," the doctor said, glancing over Onew's medical files before focusing on his own nails. "There's absolutely nothing in your system that would suggest you are even sick at all. In fact, the last time you were at this hospital was when you had bitten on a fork and torn up your front teeth."
The doctor let out a malicious giggle at this. Onew looked at his nametag. Kim Heechul.
Ah.
Onew had heard stories about this doctor.
"You're probably just overwhelmed with work. Try relaxing, maybe even get out once in a while. I would recommend going to a club and loosening your nerves a bit," Heechul said.
Onew tried to explain how he was at the hospital in the first place because he went to a club, but was quickly ushered out by nurse and the entrance of another patient. Dejectedly, Onew glared at the doctor's door, muttering about he doesn't know a thing...stupid giggle...I bet he's never been to a club, much less danced...who does he think he is...
"Hey."
Something stirred in Onew's mind as he froze to the sound of that soft voice. Cautiously, he turned his head ever so slightly to see feline eyes staring out from a pale beautiful face. Lowering his gaze, Onew's vision swept over thin hands adorned with silver rings.
Ah.
---
Clink. Key, as the boy had introduced himself, anxiously clanked his rings together. Onew watched silently as the sunlight glinted off the silver engraved metal.
"So...um, why are you here?"
Onew winced at the harsh undertone of Key's voice. Heart sinking a bit, he opted to stare at his shoes awkwardly.
"Sorry, I didn't mean to sound that way..." Key muttered.
"Almonds...bright lights...you...my workplace...spilled coffee on the boss," Onew began, trying to piece words into a coherent sentence. Key's nose crinkled as he tried to muffle his laughter. The rings stopped that nervous clanking and instead, the hands moved to cover his face as he exploded into loud, abandoned guffaws.
"But then even at home stop laughing ran into the bathroom door it's not funny no really stop laughing and then the cat wouldn't stop staring please stop laughing and the spreadsheets are all piling up what's so hilarious and my job is in jeopardy..." Onew trailed off hopelessly, watching as the boy before him collapsed onto the ground, shaking and crying in laughter.
"Wait," Onew suddenly said, realization occurring to him. Key wiped his eyes, glancing up at Onew as a last few chuckles escaped him.
"Why are you here?"
Onew had never anybody become so still and pale as Key did that instant.
---
When Onew went home that evening, he looked up amyotrophic lateral sclerosis disease on Google.
Motor neuron disease.
Muscles gradually weaken.
Paralysis.
Atrophy of muscles.
Lose ability to function independently.
Fatal.
Turns out, Key had a reason to dance.
---
Onew nervously licked his chapped lips, fingers tapping on his shaking knees. As discreetly as possible, he snuck a sidelong glance at the calm boy next to him.
"I know I have an amazing side profile, but really, the best stuff is in the front," Key chuckled, flashing Onew a cheeky grin. A flush fled across the latter's face.
Sighing deeply, Key flicked his hair and lightly nudged Onew. "So, what are you doing here at the hospital again? More problems running into doors and staring at cats?"
Onew let out a weak chuckle and nervously scratched his head. "N-no...I just...wanted to...you know..."
"If you're here because you pity me, I'd rather never see you again," Key interrupted. His eyes flickered in angry flashes. "I don't need some guy to pretend to be nice to me because I have some disease. If you're looking for a way to clear your conscience and get a ticket to heaven, try the chapel downstairs."
Onew took in shallow breathes, hands gripping his knees tightly. Crap, he thought miserably, the social guidebook definitely did not tell me how to deal with an angsty teen facing a life-threatening disease.
"But, if you're looking for a friend, I wouldn't mind seeing you...every once in a while that is," Key continued, that snarky grin back in place.
---
It was the second week since Onew and Key had met, and the seventeenth time Onew had visited the hospital. The nurses would twitter excitedly every time he walked in, gossiping about the "handsome young man" and taking guesses as to whom he was so infatuated with. Onew overheard these rumours and would only grin wryly to himself.
It was not so much he was infatuated with someone as much as he found a certain fascination for that person.
"Ah! You're here!" Key squealed. He literally squeals, Onew thought briefly. Key excitedly skipped his way over to the older boy and stuck out his hands like a child. "What did you bring me today?"
Rolling his eyes, Onew reached into his pocket and brought out a vegetable peeler, only to be immediately rewarded with a shriek.
"Oh my God! I haven't seen one of these since I was admitted into this hospital! This is so cool! And it has its own hand crank! What does it peel? Does it work on fruits too?" Key blabbed on, eyes sparkling as he examined the tool. Onew was enraptured by Key's excitement. The younger boy had been equally as excited when he brought back a stapler last time. In fact, every time Onew had brought seemingly meaningless and mundane objects, Key had seemed excited beyond belief.
---
"I never take life for granted," Key had said one time Onew had visited. "Well, not since I found out I had this disease thing. You start seeing everything in a different light....like, everything seems to sparkle and shine and you just want to take it in all and never leave anything alone because....because, well, you never know when you're going to see it again."
Wise words coming from a twenty year-old boy who had only graduated from high school. "I wanted to go into college with all my friends, but the doctor told me I wouldn't probably get through it all. I had a better chance getting treatment and living a little longer in this overly sanitary place," Key said, making a face. "The walls are so drab here....I mean, they matched white with white," he deadpanned. "It's like they can't wait for us to get to heaven or something."
The boy had wanted to go into fashion when he graduated. "I would have totally beaten out Versace and all of them. My designs are so much more fabulous. By the way, Onew, you have a terrible sense of fashion," Key teased. And ever since they met, Key had taken it upon himself to dress Onew, drawing him outfits to wear the next time he would visit.
Onew had a suspicion feeling that his boss gave him that promotion because of his new wardrobe. Though really, two-hundred dollar pants were ridiculous, regardless of what foreign country they came from.
"And if the fashion world didn't work out, I would have probably auditioned for an entertainment company or something," Key would go on, a wistful look coming over his face. And that's where he would stop, shooing Onew away, telling him to go home and go study or something.
As Onew would walk away from the hospital, he would turn around to see Key standing on the rooftop, staring at the stars, wishing a dream only he knew.
---
"I want you to meet my friends," Key said the fourth week since Onew had started visiting.
"Um....sure?" Onew replied, staring at his palms hesitantly. Key grabbed his hand.
"Don't worry, they don't bite. I mean, one or two might stab you with a needle, but nothing past that. Except for that one time, when Taemin had grabbed the scalpel..." he said, leading a sweating, shaking Onew down the hallway.
They stopped in front of room 1200B. Key paused and stared at Onew.
"Look, I know you suck at socializing with people so I'm going to give you some advice. These kids are not found in your "How to Deal With People" guides. They have more problems, they're more angsty...and they definitely cannot be read like a book. So just, chill and try not to do anything stupid," he said before opening the door.
It was a moderate sized hospital room with six beds, three against each sidewall. The two large windows were adorned with brightly coloured curtains that seemed lined with ruffles. Two study desks were located in the corners of the room, one with a laptop and the other cluttered with various books.
Before Onew could finish looking around the room, a short boy with brown hair bounced into his view. His bleached blonde streaks grabbed Onew's attention immediately.
"Dude! Key, you brought a guest?" the boy said excitedly, wide eyes blinking like a puppy's. "We haven't met anyone in forever. Well, not counting that pizza delivery guy from last week."
"Jjong, don't get too excited," Key warned, looking at his friend in a worried manner.
"Key, it's fine-" Onew tried.
"Is this that guy you won't stop talking about? The one you met at that club when you snuck off in the middle of the night and I had to cover for you? The guy who you wait until five thirty practically every afternoon to visit?" JongHyun rambled on, oblivious to Key's growing red face.
"Jjong! You're not supposed to say-" Key interrupted, only to be cut off by a snarky laugh. Jjong erupted into a peal of laughter, grasping his side.
"Hehe..." Onew tried. He snuck a glance at Key, who looked anxious. "There's no offense taken, Key. In fact, I think he's not laughing at me...so I'm good."
Key shook his head. "That's not what I'm worried about. It's-"
JongHyun suddenly collapsed onto the ground, clutching his chest. His laughs turned into desperate gasps as his bright eyes shook with alarm. Key ran over to his side.
"Jjong! Hey, focus! Breathe! Don't stop, keep breathing...that's it, let it pass...just keep on breathing," Key repeated, clutching his friend's hand. "Minho!"
Onew watched as another boy ran into his view, tall and lanky, long dark hair covering his face. He quickly knelt next to JongHyun, connecting a breathing mask to the blonde boy's mouth.
"It's going to be fine, hyung," Minho said, surprising Onew with the deep bass of his voice. "You were just laughing too hard." He pumped more air into the mask.
After a few minutes, JongHyun's gasps died down into weak breaths. "Sorry guys," he muttered through the mask. "I'm all good now."
The room released a collective sigh, Onew's own being the loudest. He nervously ran his fingers through his hair, eyes still trained on the slow rise and fall of JongHyun's chest.
"Congrats, dude," JongHyun said, the teasing sparkle back in his eyes. He ripped the breathing mask from his face, regardless of Key's protests. "You have just witnessed a near-death experience. Takes asthma attacks to a new level, doesn't it?"
Onew weakly smiled. Just then, a nurse ran into the room, quick eyes taking in the scene.
"KIM JONGHYUN!" she shrieked, stomping over to the cowering boy. "This is the third attack you've had this week! Do you really want to die, or are you just trying to drive me insane?"
"I think I'm leaning towards option two..." JongHyun muttered. The nurse threw him a menacing look before grabbing his arm. After checking his pulse and putting the mask back on his face, the nurse flung him onto a hospital bed.
"One more time, JongHyun," she warned. "One more attack and I swear..."
"Jesus," JongHyun grumbled as she marched out of the room. "You would think I was suicidal or something by the way she overreacts."
"Not suicidal, just stupid," Key mumbled.
"Whatever," JongHyun waved off, turning his attention back to Onew. "So, as you've figured out, I'm JongHyun. I've been here for about, eh, a year and a half and I have COLD."
"Right...." Onew replied, trying his best to smile.
"It stands for chronic obstructive lung disease," Key said. "Just think of asthma to the extreme."
"And don't forget the possibility of lung cancer," JongHyun cheerfully added, making a peace sign. Key rolled his eyes before gesturing to the boy with long hair.
"That's Minho," he said. The boy nodded in Onew's direction, huge eyes washing over his face.
"I've been here for...about a year and two months," Minho said, hesitantly looking over at Key. "I think..."
Key nodded, smiling lightly. "Yeah, that's right, Minho." Onew gave him a questioning glance, only to be met with pursed lips. "I'll explain later," Key whispered.
Minho returned to his own bed, settling himself with a book.
"And the last one of our bunch," JongHyun said. "He is-"
"God! Do you people ever just shut up?" a voice broke out. Onew whirled around to see a boy, Is he in middle school? Onew thought, on the bed closest to the window. For a second, he was entranced by the boy's brown locks, caramel in the sunlight and black in the shadows. His pale skin contrasted sharply with his hair colour, but not as contrasting as were his eyes. They were piercing, intense, wide, and absolutely pitch black. A shudder ran down Onew's spine from the coldness of those orbs.
"I can't get five minutes of peace before one of you idiots run off your fat mouth or get another fucking attack. Really, you've got legs- find another room and fucking get out of my face!" the boy yelled, angry pants coming from his small body.
"Ah," JongHyun smiled. "That's Taemin."
--
"We're a group of circus freaks, really," Key half-heartedly joked. He walked Onew back to the hospital lobby with slow, heavy steps. "Yeah...I kind of hoped it would turn out better than that. Ah, well."
Onew had nothing to say. His mouth opened and closed with empty words, trying to find something to utter.
"What's up with Minho?" he finally managed to say, wincing at the harshness of his words. "Wait, I didn't mean to sound-"
"It's cool," Key replied, smiling slightly. "He's got retrograde amnesia. Fun stuff, that is. He can't remember anything before his accident, but everything afterwards, it's as clear as day."
"Accident?" Onew asked.
"He was beaten half to death by his drunken father. I guess, it's sort of a good thing he doesn't remember that," Key replied. Onew winced, wondering how such parents existed.
"The drunk killed Minho's mom first, then went after him. Luckily, the neighbors heard the gunshots and called the cops in time," Key continued.
"Gunshots?" Onew murmured.
Key stared at the floor with hard eyes. "Self-defense." Onew felt dizzy.
"Here, we've all got our sob stories, our tragedies, so don't get too surprised by what you hear," Key said. "Because the sad truth is, if we were all fine and dandy, we wouldn't be here for this long."
As they neared the hospital exit, a silence overcame the pair. Little beeping sounds and quiet murmurs floated around their ears.
"So...how are you doing?" Onew said awkwardly. "I mean, you know....your..." He gestured at Key's body.
"Ah," Key smiled. "Well, nothing major has happened yet. I suppose I'm lucky, since my legs are supposed to be goners by now." Key nervously shuffled in his spot. "Which is why I wanted to ask...erm.. I'm going to the club tonight. Want to join?"
"Oh," Onew said. He took a step back. "Well...that's..."
"It's fine, you don't have to. I mean, I'm not like desperate or anything." Key made a face.
Onew blushed. "I know, it's just that..."
"You don't dance," Key finished. He gave a sad smile. "Just, promise me that you'll dance with me one time before..." There was a pause. "Before...this disease gets to my legs." He stuck his pinky out. "Deal?"
Onew slowly grasped the other's pinky, feeling the softness of Key's skin that contrasted with the hardness of his rings. "Deal."
---
"Hey, you!"
Onew whirled around to see Jonghyun walking towards him with a huge smile. The shorter male lightly shook his blonde hair before staring at the other. There was a bizarre contrast between his bright hair and the pale drab of his hospital gown.
"I haven't seen you in our rooms in a while. Well, actually since that first day. Hope Taemin didn't scare you away," JongHyun said.
"No, it was fine. Actually, I just haven't been able to visit the hospital in a while because work piled up," Onew said. JongHyun's smile turned into a frown.
"Wait, so you haven't heard about Key?" he said with a tight voice.
---
"It's not a big deal really," Key said, giving Onew his snarky grin. "I'm not like dead."
JongHyun snorted from his bed. Key gave him a glare, only to receive a pointed look.
"Yeah, paralysis of the legs is no big deal at all. In fact, it happens all the time. Oh look, it's my time right now," JongHyun said bitingly.
"Shut up, Jjong," Key muttered from his bed.
Onew looked down at the boy. It looked so wrong, seeing the confident, larger-than-life Key sitting in a hospital bed. White legs against white sheets, he thought morbidly. He looked up to see JongHyun staring at his friend with a mix of sadness and agitation. Glancing over, Onew saw Minho staring at Key with a worried gaze.
"I knew this was coming. In fact, the doctor predicted it a while back so honestly, it's all good," Key said again, glancing down at his legs. He gave them a little poke.
"Oh yeah, it's all good until you die," a voice said. Taemin looked over at the group, his eyes a fiery black. "So tell me, Key hyung, how does it feel not being able to walk?"
Key looked away from the cold eyes of the boy. His fingers picked at the strands of his bed sheets.
"Isn't it absolutely wonderful?" Taemin prodded on, his mouth turned up into a sneer.
"Quit it, Taemin," JongHyun growled.
"Do feel dependent, like suddenly you can't do anything on your own?" Taemin continued, oblivious to the room's stiff atmosphere. "Have you been wheeled down in front of everyone yet, with people staring and gaping at your legs, wondering what could possibly be wrong with a healthy teen?"
Minho suddenly stood up and placed himself before Taemin, his wide frame blocking Taemin's lithe one. However, Taemin looked around Minho, his small body straining off the bed.
"But you don't really have anything to worry about, Key," he continued. "After all, it's only a little bit until that disease creeps up your body. Soon, you'll be breathing out of tubes and then, it's a pump, until one day-"
There was a loud crashing sound. Onew wondered why everyone was staring at him until he looked down to see a broken vase in his hands, shattered pieces mingling with the red blood of split skin.
"Oh..." he mumbled. "I...I..."
Key's mouth widened into an "O" shape, almost as big as his surprised eyes. Onew heaved a huge sigh.
"I guess I'll pay for that then," he said.
---
"I now know why Key befriended you," JongHyun said, handing Onew a cup of coffee. He joined Onew in leaning over the railings, watching people run in and out of the hospital.
"You're as much of a freak as any of us," JongHyun laughed. He pointedly glanced at Onew's hands, which were roughly bound in tissues.
"I don't really know what happened," he mumbled. "I mean, I didn't even know I broke it until....well, it hurt."
JongHyun gave a snigger. "Well, you're a big boy, so it's going to be all right," he said. There was a pause before he continued. "But I do have to say thanks, for doing that. I mean, Taemin's not usually that...talkative. I don't know what happened, maybe he just cracked today or something, but I'm glad you stopped him anyway."
Onew remained silent, feeling the warmth of the coffee seep into his sore hands.
"He was at the club, you know," JongHyun said, looking at the railing. "Key said that he felt like he had to go that night. It was that last day you had visited."
"Did Key ever tell you anything about his disease?" he asked, glancing over. Onew shook his head.
"He told me what he had, but I figured out the rest on Google," Onew sheepishly admitted. JongHyun smiled.
"That's Key. He would never tell anyone about the bad things. He's really optimistic about his disease too. He would never say anything hurt, and even when the doctor told him that he had possibly less than a year to live, he was still that snarky kid. Which is why he was freaky that night, so serious and sad. And after missing out on the clubs for weeks, he decided to go. He said that...that it felt like it would be his last time there so he couldn't miss out."
JongHyun paused. "And the idiot collapsed on the street on the way home. On the street. The police didn't even find him until early morning. Key was half frozen to death, and when he woke up, he stared at his legs and asked for crutches. I don't think he even blinked twice."
"I didn't know that," Onew muttered. JongHyun laughed. It caught his breath at the end, causing him to hunch over, loud coughs wracking his frame. Alarmed, Onew touched JongHyun's arm, only to be shaken off.
"I'm good," he said. After a moment, he continued with a softer, more tired voice. "Most people never see that side of Key, the more vulnerable side. He's always got to be so cocky and composed, that little brat."
"Who are you calling a brat, you raspy dinosaur?" Key snapped as he made his way over to the pair. His feline eyes creased into a frown but his mouth still held that characteristic smirk. "Since I can't walk without these," he motioned to his crutches, "shouldn't I be receiving some pity or whatever? Don't talk shit about the invalid now."
"Whoa, careful Key," JongHyun smirked. "Don't be so rude in front of our young friend." He threw an arm over Onew's shoulders.
"Whatever," Key retorted. "I'm sure he hears worse than that in high school."
"Um, high school?" Onew sheepishly asked. Both Key and JongHyun simultaneously rolled their eyes at him.
"Duh, it's where you go to study. You know, where you spend your days as a student?" Key said.
"Actually..." Onew started.
"Come on, Onew. Don't tell me you're really like twenty something and have a job and you're older than all of us," Key laughed. JongHyun joined in with a chuckle.
Onew remained silent, contemplating if the two boys were serious or if this was one of their little games.
JongHyun stopped laughing. "Wait, you're not serious?" he asked incredulously. Onew gave a small nod.
Key promptly fell onto the ground, crutches clattering around his legs.
"Well shit," JongHyun muttered.
---
"I cannot believe you're older than me," Key deadpanned.
After the initial shock, and assisting Key up from the ground, JongHyun had left for a doctor's appointment while Key demanded Onew explain everything (What everything, Onew thought).
"Oh my God, you didn't even get your hand properly checked out?" Key cried hysterically, pointing at Onew's poorly bandaged hands. "We're in a hospital. We're surrounded by so much sterile equipment that you can't even have babies and yet you didn't get your hands fixed?"
Onew sheepishly smiled at Key's exasperated face. The younger boy sighed and pulled out a first-aid kit from behind him, gently grabbing Onew's hand.
"You carry around a first-aid kit?" Onew said, dumbfounded. Key smirked lightly.
"No. But I figured you weren't smart enough to properly sterilize your hands so I brought it along," he replied. There was a silence as Key carefully peeled away the bloody wrapping, lightly dabbing at Onew's wounds with alcohol.
"I guess I have to call you hyung now, huh?" Key broke the silence. He tightly wrapped fresh bandages around Onew's hands, his fingers lightly lingering on Onew's palms.
"Um, well, if it bothers you so much, though we might get a few looks in regards to the whole senior and respect thing, but then again I don't really have that many people who seem to care, and well, you never noticed, and I guess everyone else also assumed-" Onew blabbered, only to get smacked in the arm.
"So, who are you exactly, hyung?" Key said, warm fingers still on Onew's arm.
Onew shrugged. "Just a normal guy. There's nothing really special about me."
Key sighed. "Okay, let's start simple then. Job?"
"Business accountant. I work with numbers and tell the boss when he's getting more money and when he's about to go bankrupt."
"Age?"
"23."
"God, how in the world do you have such amazingly young skin..."
"E-excuse me?"
"Nothing."
Onew laughed sheepishly. "I'm kind of boring...there's nothing really interesting about my life...it's kind of-" He paused. "Lifeless."
Key smiled sadly, fingers tracing Onew's bandages. "Lifeless, huh?" he murmured.
"Help me up, please," he suddenly said.
While confused, Onew grabbed Key underneath his armpits and lifted the boy, carefully setting him on his feet.
"Want to walk me back to my room?" Key asked, setting his crutches in place. Without even waiting for an answer, he began walking, leaving the other to catch up.
"Taemin loves to dance," Key said.
"What?" Onew replied, the sudden statement catching him off guard.
"He used to be amazing, a prodigy and all. Like, he could move his body in ways that trained dancers couldn't. And he was so good, he got casted on the spot." The hall was silent with only the click of Key's crutches on the marble floor. "And then, he got polio from God knows where."
He paused, leaning against a wall while panting heavily, frustration etched on his face.
"I mean, who the hell gets polio these days? Don't they have like vaccines and all for that?" Key spat out. He slammed his crutch against the wall. "Is life so cruel that it takes away a kid's dream?"
Onew watched as a trail of tears made its way down Key's porcelain face. Embarrassed, the younger boy quickly wiped away his tears and continued his way down the hall.
"I'm not giving an excuse for the way Taemin is," Key said. "He's just...he's too young and..everything is just messed up."
When he reached the end of the hall, Key turned towards Onew. "Taemin's a great kid, I'm sure. I hope you don't think badly of him."
As he watched Key hobble around the corner, Onew saw a thin boy in a wheelchair reside in the shadows. With his head down, the boy could be anyone if not for his tossed hair, caramel in the dim light.
---
"Save yourself!" JongHyun yelled, jumping onto Onew's back. Startled, Onew flailed before falling onto the ground.
"Ow," JongHyun groaned. "Hyung, you're supposed to hold me up, not fall on top of me."
"You're going to scare away Onew hyung one day," Minho said, walking over to the pair. He lifted up the two boys with a fond smile.
"Nah, hyung cares too much about a certain someone to leave this hospital," JongHyun cheekily grinned. The comment went unheard by Onew, while Minho gave a knowing look.
"Er, hello," Onew smiled, rubbing his sore back. He looked over at JongHyun. "What am I supposed to be saved from?"
"Ah," JongHyun smiled. "If you run away before Key catches you, I promise you will thank me later."
"Hyung," Minho scowled.
"Fine," JongHyun sighed. Grabbing Onew's hand, he led the older boy down the hall, Minho's tall frame in tow. "So, Key's been practicing his walking for the past...since he's been in crutches. Now, trying to regain sense to his legs is all fine and dandy, except when he insists one of us has to be with him."
Onew looked from JongHyun's devastated expression to Minho's blank face.
"I don't really see what's so bad about that," Onew mumbled.
"Watching Key walk the same steps over and over again for hours at a time can be a bit much," Minho softly said. "I've been in there three hours once. JongHyun hyung's had the worst though- five hours."
"I skipped a meal!" JongHyun wailed, clutching Onew's arm. Suddenly, the blonde boy cheered up as they reached a door.
"And now, it is your turn to suffer!" JongHyun smirked, shoving Onew into the room.
"Good luck, hyung," Minho's deep voice echoed before the door slammed shut.
"Er..." Onew said, a slight foreboding overcoming his senses. Quickly, he pulled out the object in his pocket, an airplane figurine. He figured this little object would appeal to Key as well as any other.
"Are you going to just stand there or help me?" a light voice grumbled.
Onew turned to see Key standing. He clutched two rails on either side of him, using them to uplift his body. Sweat ran down his face, drenching his shirt in dark patches. Key's arm shook and his face grimaced into a frown. "Quickly," he whispered.
Alarmed, Onew darted towards the younger, only to trip and land on his face with an oomph. Groaning, Key collapsed onto the floor next to him.
"Key! Are you-" Onew started, rubbing his sore forehead.
"You are absolutely hopeless!" Key shrieked, grabbing Onew and inspecting his head. "A cripple is in need here and I have to help you!"
He continued to grumble as he gently rubbed Onew's forehead in little circles. Key's cold fingers soothed the pain, but did nothing to help the increasing red colour of Onew's face as he realized exactly how close he was to the other. Up close, Key looked flawless, something too beautiful to exist in reality. Drops of sweat looked like crystals, traveling along the sharp yet smooth planes of Key's face.
"And what took you so long to visit? Do you realize it's been three weeks? What could possibly be so interesting about counting numbers that you couldn't even spare to see me? Are you even listening?"
Onew broke out of his trance and shifted his gaze from Key's face to the floor.
"My boss promised me an extra long vacation if I could finish up this project for him. It took a while, sorry," he mumbled. He took a quick peek to see Key's eyes soften. Taking it as a good sign, Onew grabbed the airplane and shoved it into Key's hands.
"Here. It's something I found in my room the other day," he said.
There was a long silence; only the older's shallow breathing could be heard, with not a single movement from the other. Key's hands and eyes were frozen over the small object.
"Is it too childish?" Onew anxiously asked. "I mean, I thought..."
His voice trailed off as Key quickly turned to look out the window. Regarding the dark night sky, Key grabbed his crutches and motioned to Onew.
"Help me up," he urgently said. "Now!"
Doing so, Onew followed the other as he hobbled down the hall. They passed rooms, doors, halls, stairs, weaving their way around and around- How does a guy in crutches run? Onew thought incredulously- until they arrived at the hospital rooftop. Throwing open the door, Key finally slowed down, carefully making his way to a bench.
"What do you see?" Key whispered. Onew glanced around before regarding the sky. The pitch-black night sent shivers down his spine; not even the moon was out to shed light.
"Nothing," he murmured. "It's kind of...well, dark."
Key laughed. "Wait a little bit."
Onew expectantly gazed around, anticipating for some miracle, some light from above to suddenly shine down on the both of them. Instead, he was met with continuous silence. The still night seemed to go on too long, causing Onew to doze off. Then, Key grabbed his hand.
"Look!" he fiercely whispered. Pointing at the sky, he picked out a single light, traveling towards the pair with growing speed. As the gleam grew closer and closer, it shot across the sky with sparkles of red, yellow, and orange, as if like a shooting star.
"Make a wish," Key murmured. He closed his eyes and his fingers twitched as his lips shaped words in a fervor.
I want to know what you're wishing, Onew thought, watching the thin boy.
---
"I can almost walk!" Key shouted in glee, tackling Onew in a hug. "All that practicing, and it finally pays off! Look, look!" He excitedly let go of his crutches and carefully leaned against the wall. With slow baby steps, his feet shuffled lazily. After a few minutes, Key had made it halfway done the hall. Sweat dripped from his face as his limbs trembled in fatigue, but a bright smile shone through his exertion.
"That's...amazing," Onew breathed. Key beamed and grasped his arm for support.
"Well, it's not just all me," Key sheepishly said. "I mean, you stayed with me all those weeks to help me, so thanks."
Onew flushed, a pleased grin breaking out.
"And, thanks for bringing me that little airplane," Key softly continued. "It means a lot."
Heaving a tired laugh, Key leaned against the wall. "When you're faced with a fatal disease, there's little to hope for," he sadly said. "You stop having faith, stop believing...so, you start doing. You start making your own decisions, start taking control, and start making your own wishes, on anything and everything."
He lightly nudged Onew. "I could use a wish, don't you think?"
Onew grinned in agreement.
"That's why I pretend that airplanes in the night sky are like shooting stars. I figure if airplanes can resemble stars, they're as good as anything else- I make all my wishes on huge steel frames floating in the air with flaming jets." Onew snorted a chuckle, which Key soon joined.
"Just you wait," Key continued. "I'll be the first ALS patient to overcome this goddamn disease. I'll beat it!"
He punched his fist into the air, thin fingers curled into a tight grip.
"Key," Onew quietly said, "what do you want to do when you can walk again?"
The younger boy laughed, excited sparkles flitting in his eyes. "I suppose the selfish answer would be to dance forever," he replied. "To go out onto the floor and just go on and on...."
His voice wistfully died out before being replaced with a stronger tone. "But before that, I'm going to walk in front of Taemin. I'm going to show him that there's hope, that there's always something worth living for."
Onew hesitantly reached out his hand before lightly placing it on Key's head. The younger boy's rainbow-streaked hair flowed in smooth ripples through Onew's fingers as Key leaned tiredly into Onew's touch.
How are you so brave, Onew wanted to ask. How do you keep living, for you, for others, when the easiest choice seems to be giving up?
"I better keep practicing," Key softly said, reaching out for his crutches.
"I'll go with you," Onew offered. Key gently stopped him, holding him back with surprisingly strong hands.
"No, I can do this now," he smiled. "Check back later though. Who knows, maybe I'll running around."
With a wink, Key hobbled down the hall and disappeared from view.
"So," JongHyun said, popping up beside Onew. The latter yelped and promptly smacked his face against the wall, earning a look of pity from the other.
"How...how long where you there?" Onew gasped, rubbing his sore face.
"Long enough," JongHyun smirked, eerily similar to Key's own grin.
"So, Key's almost walking now. About time, considering how much he's hobbled around on those metal crutches," JongHyun said. Onew hummed in agreement.
"Did he say anything much?" JongHyun asked.
"Aren't you his best friend?" Onew asked, sending a sideways glance at the other, only to be met with a glare. Stifling a grin, Onew gave in. "He said he was doing this for Taemin, to prove that everyone has something worth living for."
"That's so Key, the idiot. He fusses so much over other people that he doesn't even realize how messed up his life is," JongHyun sighed. "He's lost weight, practicing all the time, and that disease keeps eating him. And yet, he won't stop trying everytime Taemin shows up."
"Why does he care so much?" Onew asked.
"I don't really know. He's got like this mother complex thing going on, always protecting and fighting for others," JongHyun grinned. "I can't even count how many times he's taken care of me since I've gotten here. He's like a brother to me. I'd do anything for him."
"With the amount of care he's given others, I think everyone here owes him at least something, and that includes you," JongHyun smiled.
He suddenly cast a sideways glance at Onew. Grinning with his teeth, he playfully nudged the older. "That reminds me. Think you could do something for Key...and me?"
---
"Hyung," JongHyun said, gazing at Onew with loving eyes. "I officially want to marry you."
"Shut up!" Key shouted, wacking his best friend across the head. "Just because he brought you some food, you throw around marriage proposals?"
Onew grinned sheepishly as he watched the pair fight. As it turned out, JongHyun's favor was to ask Onew to bring them some food.
"The hospital gunk is disgusting," JongHyun had cried. "Please....just real food!"
And so, Onew had cleared every food stand and fast food center from his workplace to the hospital, all within forty minutes, entering the boys' room with arms laden full of every snack, meal, and beverage possible- not to mention the deliveries on their way. It had taken a large chunk out of his paycheck, but the warm feeling in his chest took over any reluctance he held.
"You brought dumplings!" JongHyun said with glee. "And those vanilla eclairs from the bakery down the street! I heard they literally melt in your mouth." Eagerly, he shoved two of the pastries into his mouth, smile curving with pleasure.
"Stop being such a pig!" Key screeched, wacking his friend once more.
"The creme cakes are really good. Thanks hyung," Minho said, eyes smiling. "I haven't had these in a long time."
"Anytime," Onew replied. He watched with satisfaction as the boys dug in. All except one, he realized. A certain small boy was missing from the group. Grasping the small container he held, Onew quietly left the room and wandered around the hall.
"You would think they starve us here or something by the way they're acting," a voice said. Taemin rolled out of the shadows to regard the other with a titled head. "I mean, the rice is kind of hard and sometimes the soup is too salty, but we haven't died yet."
Onew returned Taemin's wry grin with a tilt of his head. "I didn't mean to offend the hospital cafeteria," Onew said. Why am I explaining myself to a middle-schooler, he vaguely thought. "They...it just seemed like they could try something different."
Taemin's laugh echoed, as empty as the hallway. "Something different- yeah, I guess you could call it that."
He eyed the box in Onew's hands. Noticing, the older boy carefully made his way over and gently placed it on Taemin's lap.
"Something different for you," Onew mumbled. Taemin carefully lifted the lid. Five different flavours of ice cream were nestled together in small cube of containers. "I read somewhere that ice cream is equivalent to swallowing your sorrows, leaving nothing but sweetness in your life. It's a little corny, but...yeah."
Small fists dug into the box. Hastily, Taemin shoved the ice cream into his mouth, barely pausing before scooping in more and more. Dark brown, pink, white, and yellow dripped down his chin, mingling with the clear liquid of his tears. Hiccups ran together as Taemin attempted to swallow, shoulders trembling.
When your life collapses around you...you're willing to believe in anything...willing to do anything...if it means there's hope... that there's someone who cares...
Key's words echoed in Onew's head.
Wordlessly, Onew reached in and grabbed some chocolate ice cream with his hands. As wet eyes gazed at him, Onew gave a small smile and continued to pile ice cream into his mouth.
---
"Taemin likes you," JongHyun told Onew one week later. The blonde boy's eyebrows furrowed together as he scrutinized Onew's face.
"Oh," Onew replied. "Well."
"Well..." JongHyun grumbled. "Well what?"
"I...it's...well."
JongHyun snorted. He tapped his fingers against the wall, and after a few moments, quickly paced around the room.
"Stop that," Onew mumbled. JongHyun paused and abruptly turned towards the older. He grabbed Onew by his shirt, allowing the older to see a fierce, red glare in those usually soft eyes. Frustrated, JongHyun let go, harshly pushing Onew back.
"Don't mess with Key," JongHyun growled before storming out of the room.
The heater hummed dully as light rain began to patter softly against the windows.
I need to talk to Key, Onew decided. He rushed out, making his way down the hospital halls.
"Hyung," a voice called out. Onew whirled around to see bright auburn hair and shy eyes in his vision. Taemin gave a smile, so innocent and hopeful, so young and endearing.
But so wrong.
"Hey," Onew responded. He gave a smile in return- that felt so wrong- that dulled his heart. It made him feel sick, feel fake- he needed to get away. He needed something, someone, else.
"I've got to go," he rushed. Onew quickly ignored the questioning look in Taemin's eyes and hurried away. He continued his search around the hospital, before landing himself on the roof just as the rain began to intensify.
"Took a while," Key called out. "You usually find me quicker than that."
Onew rushed over and grabbed Key's arm. "It's raining. You're going to get sick staying out here."
Key tugged Onew's hand down, motioning for the other to sit. 'It's not that bad yet. Just stay a little longer...the rain, it feels good on my skin." Key closed his eyes and turned his face to the sky. "It's like...a million hugs, to cheer you up. Or maybe a million tears, to wipe away your own."
Thunder rumbled in the distance, but a calm aura filled the air. The dull feeling in Onew's heart drifted away, leaving a satisfied beat drumming in time to the falling rain. He watched in fascination as the water created crystal trails down Key's face.
"Take care of Taemin," Key said, his eyes still closed. "He's young and a little hard-headed, but a great kid. He's got a sincere heart...don't break it."
Onew gave a nervous laugh, the dull feeling back in his chest. "You sound like I'm about to marry him or something," he joked half-heartedly. Key remained silent.
"If this is about Taemin liking me," Onew slowly continued, "I don't think I can-"
He stopped talking as Key opened his eyes, crystals too warm and too wet to be rain dotting his high cheeks. Onew reached out to wrap his arms around the other, hands firmly supporting the frail body.
"I'm cold...and tired," Key whispered as Onew's fingers brushed his wet hair.
"I told you not to stay out here," Onew lightly scolded, tapping Key's head. "I swear, if you get a cold, the nurse is going to skin me alive. And then who will you talk to all the time?"
There was silence.
"All right," Onew continued. "I guess JongHyun might listen to you, maybe even Minho because God knows he never talks, but I think I do the best at tolerating your rants," he chuckled. "Besides, I'm the only one who knows about wishing on airplanes, so if we want to continue that, I do believe it's in your best interest for me to be alive."
There was silence.
"And if you get sick, the nurse won't let you practice walking anymore. You'll be bedridden- what's going to happen to fighting this disease? You were going to dance again...with me."
Onew paused, panic taking over.
"Hey...we were going to dance together...Key..."
There was silence.
Part 2