freefall [2/2]
I should have gone to sleep an hour ago. Instead, I finish my fic for elixien after four rewrites. I must be insane.
freefall / jongkey / pg-13
Key has always been afraid of heights, because when he falls, he’ll eventually have to hit the ground.
Part 1
Key decides that the spare room should be put to use. After all, it’s not fair to stay in the same room since everyone has different recording schedules; Minho is sometimes out for 16 hours at a time. Jonghyun volunteers, reasoning that he’s too heavy of a sleeper for Minho’s comings and goings to wake him up. It’s clearly a lie; they all know that, but no one calls him out, so Key accepts the excuse and helps them move two beds over.
That night, Taemin lies down and stares up at the blank ceiling.
“Everything feels different, doesn’t it?”
No one replies, but it’s clear the feelings are mutual. Sleeping in a room without Jonghyun or Minho felt strange. It wasn’t really the lack of their presence; it was just the feeling that without their beds, the room was bigger. They felt smaller.
The blond haired girl is back the next day, but Key’s prepared. He fakes a smile and compliments her outfit, then goes into the kitchen to cook. He’s not hungry, and it’s not a mealtime, but cooking calms him down, so he picks up a knife and focuses on chopping vegetables to distract from the talking just a few feet away.
He doesn’t even notice the cut on his hand until Jonghyun takes the knife away and start bandaging. Key starts to protest but it dies when he realizes the wound and the pain suddenly comes. He mutters a thanks and throws away the ruined carrots, moving on to the potatoes.
“Kibum…”
Reacting to the name before he could stop himself, Key looks up at Jonghyun who has a curious expression on his face. It’s not one he recognizes, and for that alone he’s uneasy. Jonghyun looks out into the other room uneasily and opens his mouth a few times, as if he wanted to say something but couldn’t.
“Can we talk later?”
Not trusting himself to talk-his voice could crack at any moment-Key nods and feels something light up inside when Jonghyun flashes him a goofy smile. He doesn’t remember much of what happens next, just that he learns the girl is a SM trainee and a dancer.
Taemin comes home from school soon after she leaves and sees the bandaged finger but doesn’t ask about it. It’s not like Key would have cared, but he gives the non-burnt piece of chicken to him anyway.
Everyone else has long since gone to bed, but Key finds this drama too interesting to stop watching now. A door opens and he feels the added weight on the couch, but Key doesn’t turn to see who it is. He already knows; who else would be up at 3 in the morning? Jonghyun sits there in silence, half paying attention to the drama and half paying attention to Key, looking for any opening, any chance to start talking.
He soon gets impatient-it is 3 in the morning-and quietly clears his throat to grab Key’s attention.
“About what’s happened…”
“Forget it,” Key’s reply surprised the both of them. He continues regardless, “If you like her, then you should go for her. I overreacted, you shouldn’t have to tell me everything, and it’s behind us. We’re still best friends, right?”
“Yeah.” Jonghyun paused, not sure how to go on. “You’re sure about it, that’s how you feel?”
“Positive.” No, not at all.
“Okay then. Um… what’s this one about?” He asked, gesturing to the screen.
Key made a sound and rolled his eyes. “Since when were you into dramas? Go to sleep, you don’t have to stay up with me.”
“But this one looks interesting. That girl, she’s supposed to like him, right?”
Key laughed and gives Jonghyun some of the blanket he’s using. Everything was going to be alright.
Sometime in the next month, Key dates four of the nine SNSD members. He even kisses Nicole once, before she pushes him and shakes her head, understanding but wishing not to be a part of it. He fakes apathy; she was the only one he’d been halfway serious about. It’s fine, though, because Key doesn’t fail to notice that Jonghyun and what’s-her-name would fight after each girl comes and goes. It doesn’t particularly make him happy hurting his best friend, but in this case, the end definitely justifies the means.
They shave Key’s hair, and he keeps it under a hat, cleverly hidden until that night. He spends extra time in the bathroom combing the hair so that it covers the bald spot and takes an extra ten minutes just looking at it. I look like G-Dragon is the first thought that enters his mind.
He steps out and Jonghyun, who has been waiting for the bathroom for the past fifteen minutes, sighs in relief. He looks at Key long enough to do a double take and forgets about needing to shower.
“Woah, what’d they do, give you a Mohawk?” Jonghyun lifts the hair up and sees the bare part. Laughing, he spikes Key’s hair up and starts playing with it.
“Minho! Did you see Kibum’s new hair?” He calls down the hall.
“Ah, hyung, you look just like Jiyong-hyung.” Minho remarks with a smile.
“Stop getting close to all those other hyungs, you might not have time to spend with us anymore.” He pushes Jonghyun into the bathroom and grabs Minho’s arm to watch the World Cup with him. Jonghyun looks at them with a slight frown lasting only a moment. Key doesn’t notice.
In Korea, it rains whenever you plan to go out. It also happens to rain whenever you want to go back home, which might explain why Jonghyun was soaking wet when he entered the dorm, only to find Key glaring moodily at the rain outside. He tries to sneak into the bathroom, but Key catches him halfway there.
“Hey! Take off your clothes; you’re tracking mud in here.” Key had just cleaned the floors too, so he figures he should go clean up the mess before someone slips on it. He turns around just far enough to see Jonghyun’s face and rushes to the kitchen for a bag of ice.
“Did you get in a fight or something? Damn, your face is messed up. Did anyone see you?” Jonghyun’s face turns away when Key tries to apply the ice. He mumbles something about not wanting to talk about it and Jinjoo and then walks to the bathroom in silence. His exit is just as quiet, except Key is waiting outside with an icepack, ready to shove it onto Jonghyun’s swollen cheek.
He’s surprised when Jonghyun’s weight falls onto him and arms wrap around him. There are no tears, no sobs; they just stay there, Key holding Jonghyun up and softly patting his back. At some point one-or both-of them must’ve fallen asleep, because Key wakes up the next morning in his bed trying to figure out if last night was a memory or a dream.
He figures it must be a dream, because he doesn’t remember how it started or how it ended, but reconsiders when he exits the room and sees the still-swollen bruise clear on Jonghyun’s face. Minho raises his eyebrow when Key enters the kitchen to ask about it, but Key can only shake his head. I don’t know either.
After breakfast, Jonghyun grabs Key’s hand before he can go elsewhere and drags him off to his unused bedroom, shared with Minho who had just left for a checkup. He doesn’t have time to think before Jonghyun pushes their lips together, and Key feels nothing. But then Key seals the gap again and suddenly he feels everything, everything he wanted to say but couldn’t.
It’s not perfect, what they have, they decide after sitting down and talking. They’re both very stupid people, but that’s okay. They have time to learn, Key says, and smiles when their hands accidentally meet. It’s not long before they’ve talked for four hours and it’s ten already and, crap, wasn’t Jonghyun supposed to meet the stylists an hour ago?
They’re still smiling when a manager lectures Jonghyun over the phone and tells him to hurry up, they’re already behind schedule.
Key meets up with Jessica later at a cute little café she likes and rolls his eyes as she laughs for a whole minute when he explains everything.
“Oh boys, only you two would be so stupid, and you, flirting with four of our members? At least it was all worth it, hn?” Key smirks and sips his coffee before answering.
“Ah, but wouldn’t you like to know.”
Key has always been afraid of heights, because when he falls, he’ll eventually have to hit the ground. But it’s not so bad, having someone there to catch him.
freefall / jongkey / pg-13
Key has always been afraid of heights, because when he falls, he’ll eventually have to hit the ground.
Part 1
Key decides that the spare room should be put to use. After all, it’s not fair to stay in the same room since everyone has different recording schedules; Minho is sometimes out for 16 hours at a time. Jonghyun volunteers, reasoning that he’s too heavy of a sleeper for Minho’s comings and goings to wake him up. It’s clearly a lie; they all know that, but no one calls him out, so Key accepts the excuse and helps them move two beds over.
That night, Taemin lies down and stares up at the blank ceiling.
“Everything feels different, doesn’t it?”
No one replies, but it’s clear the feelings are mutual. Sleeping in a room without Jonghyun or Minho felt strange. It wasn’t really the lack of their presence; it was just the feeling that without their beds, the room was bigger. They felt smaller.
The blond haired girl is back the next day, but Key’s prepared. He fakes a smile and compliments her outfit, then goes into the kitchen to cook. He’s not hungry, and it’s not a mealtime, but cooking calms him down, so he picks up a knife and focuses on chopping vegetables to distract from the talking just a few feet away.
He doesn’t even notice the cut on his hand until Jonghyun takes the knife away and start bandaging. Key starts to protest but it dies when he realizes the wound and the pain suddenly comes. He mutters a thanks and throws away the ruined carrots, moving on to the potatoes.
“Kibum…”
Reacting to the name before he could stop himself, Key looks up at Jonghyun who has a curious expression on his face. It’s not one he recognizes, and for that alone he’s uneasy. Jonghyun looks out into the other room uneasily and opens his mouth a few times, as if he wanted to say something but couldn’t.
“Can we talk later?”
Not trusting himself to talk-his voice could crack at any moment-Key nods and feels something light up inside when Jonghyun flashes him a goofy smile. He doesn’t remember much of what happens next, just that he learns the girl is a SM trainee and a dancer.
Taemin comes home from school soon after she leaves and sees the bandaged finger but doesn’t ask about it. It’s not like Key would have cared, but he gives the non-burnt piece of chicken to him anyway.
Everyone else has long since gone to bed, but Key finds this drama too interesting to stop watching now. A door opens and he feels the added weight on the couch, but Key doesn’t turn to see who it is. He already knows; who else would be up at 3 in the morning? Jonghyun sits there in silence, half paying attention to the drama and half paying attention to Key, looking for any opening, any chance to start talking.
He soon gets impatient-it is 3 in the morning-and quietly clears his throat to grab Key’s attention.
“About what’s happened…”
“Forget it,” Key’s reply surprised the both of them. He continues regardless, “If you like her, then you should go for her. I overreacted, you shouldn’t have to tell me everything, and it’s behind us. We’re still best friends, right?”
“Yeah.” Jonghyun paused, not sure how to go on. “You’re sure about it, that’s how you feel?”
“Positive.” No, not at all.
“Okay then. Um… what’s this one about?” He asked, gesturing to the screen.
Key made a sound and rolled his eyes. “Since when were you into dramas? Go to sleep, you don’t have to stay up with me.”
“But this one looks interesting. That girl, she’s supposed to like him, right?”
Key laughed and gives Jonghyun some of the blanket he’s using. Everything was going to be alright.
Sometime in the next month, Key dates four of the nine SNSD members. He even kisses Nicole once, before she pushes him and shakes her head, understanding but wishing not to be a part of it. He fakes apathy; she was the only one he’d been halfway serious about. It’s fine, though, because Key doesn’t fail to notice that Jonghyun and what’s-her-name would fight after each girl comes and goes. It doesn’t particularly make him happy hurting his best friend, but in this case, the end definitely justifies the means.
They shave Key’s hair, and he keeps it under a hat, cleverly hidden until that night. He spends extra time in the bathroom combing the hair so that it covers the bald spot and takes an extra ten minutes just looking at it. I look like G-Dragon is the first thought that enters his mind.
He steps out and Jonghyun, who has been waiting for the bathroom for the past fifteen minutes, sighs in relief. He looks at Key long enough to do a double take and forgets about needing to shower.
“Woah, what’d they do, give you a Mohawk?” Jonghyun lifts the hair up and sees the bare part. Laughing, he spikes Key’s hair up and starts playing with it.
“Minho! Did you see Kibum’s new hair?” He calls down the hall.
“Ah, hyung, you look just like Jiyong-hyung.” Minho remarks with a smile.
“Stop getting close to all those other hyungs, you might not have time to spend with us anymore.” He pushes Jonghyun into the bathroom and grabs Minho’s arm to watch the World Cup with him. Jonghyun looks at them with a slight frown lasting only a moment. Key doesn’t notice.
In Korea, it rains whenever you plan to go out. It also happens to rain whenever you want to go back home, which might explain why Jonghyun was soaking wet when he entered the dorm, only to find Key glaring moodily at the rain outside. He tries to sneak into the bathroom, but Key catches him halfway there.
“Hey! Take off your clothes; you’re tracking mud in here.” Key had just cleaned the floors too, so he figures he should go clean up the mess before someone slips on it. He turns around just far enough to see Jonghyun’s face and rushes to the kitchen for a bag of ice.
“Did you get in a fight or something? Damn, your face is messed up. Did anyone see you?” Jonghyun’s face turns away when Key tries to apply the ice. He mumbles something about not wanting to talk about it and Jinjoo and then walks to the bathroom in silence. His exit is just as quiet, except Key is waiting outside with an icepack, ready to shove it onto Jonghyun’s swollen cheek.
He’s surprised when Jonghyun’s weight falls onto him and arms wrap around him. There are no tears, no sobs; they just stay there, Key holding Jonghyun up and softly patting his back. At some point one-or both-of them must’ve fallen asleep, because Key wakes up the next morning in his bed trying to figure out if last night was a memory or a dream.
He figures it must be a dream, because he doesn’t remember how it started or how it ended, but reconsiders when he exits the room and sees the still-swollen bruise clear on Jonghyun’s face. Minho raises his eyebrow when Key enters the kitchen to ask about it, but Key can only shake his head. I don’t know either.
After breakfast, Jonghyun grabs Key’s hand before he can go elsewhere and drags him off to his unused bedroom, shared with Minho who had just left for a checkup. He doesn’t have time to think before Jonghyun pushes their lips together, and Key feels nothing. But then Key seals the gap again and suddenly he feels everything, everything he wanted to say but couldn’t.
It’s not perfect, what they have, they decide after sitting down and talking. They’re both very stupid people, but that’s okay. They have time to learn, Key says, and smiles when their hands accidentally meet. It’s not long before they’ve talked for four hours and it’s ten already and, crap, wasn’t Jonghyun supposed to meet the stylists an hour ago?
They’re still smiling when a manager lectures Jonghyun over the phone and tells him to hurry up, they’re already behind schedule.
Key meets up with Jessica later at a cute little café she likes and rolls his eyes as she laughs for a whole minute when he explains everything.
“Oh boys, only you two would be so stupid, and you, flirting with four of our members? At least it was all worth it, hn?” Key smirks and sips his coffee before answering.
“Ah, but wouldn’t you like to know.”
Key has always been afraid of heights, because when he falls, he’ll eventually have to hit the ground. But it’s not so bad, having someone there to catch him.