30 days of writing challenge on/tae beginning day 5
Jinki looks back on that confused and strange few days and understands that he and Taemin started something new then.
830 words
Three weeks later, Jinki looks back on that confused and strange few days and understands that he and Taemin started something new then. It wasn't like returning to what they had been before. Instead it was and is a new beginning. Both of them are older, wiser, and know with painful intimacy how much they have to lose. He sits down on the couch and glances through the pile of notes and papers he's accumulated through the day but his mind is not really focussed on them. Instead, even though he and Taemin aren't even looking at each other, aren't touching... there's a finely woven thread that binds them together. It's thin like gossamer, but it's there and slowly growing stronger day by day.
Jinki smiles to himself, half listening to the low murmur of voices - Kibum, Jonghyun and Taemin watching Minho's drama and making nitpicky criticisms of the acting. Tomorrow Jonghyun will make some snotty remark on his twitter about it, egged on by Kibum and Taemin. Some inner observer has relaxed inside him though... the tight anxiety he felt for so long has eased...He looks away again, forcing himself to concentrate on work rather than on the state of his love life.
Taemin looks up and slides his gaze over to Jinki's profile, admiring the line of his jaw and lips, then down over his neck and adam's apple. No one can appreciate Jinki's beauty the way he does, he thinks with a small sigh. He stops listening to what Key is saying, all of his attention is on Jinki despite the fact that their leader is busy with the inevitable paperwork that comes from being the leader.
He and Jinki aren't together yet, but somehow there's the hope and understanding that they will be. He sighs and shifts, getting up off the floor where he's been perched to walk over to sit beside Jinki on the couch. He doesn't say a word but he does scoot over until he's leaning against the older man, half peering over Jinki's shoulder at the jumble of words on the piece of paper in his hand.
Jinki tries not to smile when Taemin joins him on the couch. He can't take it for granted, not one little touch - not one moment of the younger man's close contact. He knows now with a sharp and jagged clarity what it feels like to lose that sense of intimacy. He shifts a little, sliding down on the couch cushions until there's a more comfortable spot for Taemin's cheek to rest on his shoulder.
Their heads brush together and Taemin reaches out, making a stack of the pile of paper he assumes is the one for stuff Jinki's already read. "Is there anything I can do to help?" he asks quietly, swallowing against the comfortable awareness of Jinki's body against his own.
"You're doing it," Jinki answers with a smile. He turns his head the little bit necessary to brush a light kiss to Taemin's slanted cheekbone. "Stay here with me while I go through this. Then we can go to bed."
They stay like that for over an hour, murmuring together softly as Jinki finishes up the paperwork. They are oblivious to the smiles that Kibum and Jonghyun exchange at seeing Jinki and Taemin slowly growing back into closeness again.
Taemin stands first, sliding off the couch with boneless agility and stretching so that his oversized tee shirt rides up slightly on his chest. "I'm stiff now," he complains playfully, reaching out a hand to pull Jinki to stand up with him.
Jinki resists the temptation to tell Taemin that he knows ways to make him a lot stiffer. It's not that he doesn't feel sexually aware towards Taemin, it's rather that he thinks neither of them are quite ready to move ahead. Jinki knows that he isn't ready. There's still some small but still agonized pain left behind that just won't be healed. Not yet anyway.
He finds himself staring solemnly into Taemin's eyes, reaching out with one hand to push the soft mussed strands of the other man's hair off his brow. "You are really so beautiful," Jinki tells Taemin.
"Jinki," Taemin says and swallows, reaching out with both hands to gather up folds of Jinki's loose shirt.
"Are you ...." Jinki begins and then feels helpless to ask the question properly. He steps closer and leans his forehead against Taemin's.
"Don't worry." Taemin answers as if he understands anyway. He kisses Jinki's cheek. "Let it be what it is, okay? When it's time to be something else... it will be."
"Taemin," Jinki says and hugs Taemin's slender body in against his own for a long moment. "Come to bed," he adds, pulling away but taking Taemin's hand in his.
"Yes, hyung," Taemin says with a trace of his old eager willingness to please. He squeezes Jinki's hand and lets him lead him down the hall. Sleeping with Jinki, just sleeping seems perfect for right now.
Restless, Accusation, Tremble, Intervention
830 words
Three weeks later, Jinki looks back on that confused and strange few days and understands that he and Taemin started something new then. It wasn't like returning to what they had been before. Instead it was and is a new beginning. Both of them are older, wiser, and know with painful intimacy how much they have to lose. He sits down on the couch and glances through the pile of notes and papers he's accumulated through the day but his mind is not really focussed on them. Instead, even though he and Taemin aren't even looking at each other, aren't touching... there's a finely woven thread that binds them together. It's thin like gossamer, but it's there and slowly growing stronger day by day.
Jinki smiles to himself, half listening to the low murmur of voices - Kibum, Jonghyun and Taemin watching Minho's drama and making nitpicky criticisms of the acting. Tomorrow Jonghyun will make some snotty remark on his twitter about it, egged on by Kibum and Taemin. Some inner observer has relaxed inside him though... the tight anxiety he felt for so long has eased...He looks away again, forcing himself to concentrate on work rather than on the state of his love life.
Taemin looks up and slides his gaze over to Jinki's profile, admiring the line of his jaw and lips, then down over his neck and adam's apple. No one can appreciate Jinki's beauty the way he does, he thinks with a small sigh. He stops listening to what Key is saying, all of his attention is on Jinki despite the fact that their leader is busy with the inevitable paperwork that comes from being the leader.
He and Jinki aren't together yet, but somehow there's the hope and understanding that they will be. He sighs and shifts, getting up off the floor where he's been perched to walk over to sit beside Jinki on the couch. He doesn't say a word but he does scoot over until he's leaning against the older man, half peering over Jinki's shoulder at the jumble of words on the piece of paper in his hand.
Jinki tries not to smile when Taemin joins him on the couch. He can't take it for granted, not one little touch - not one moment of the younger man's close contact. He knows now with a sharp and jagged clarity what it feels like to lose that sense of intimacy. He shifts a little, sliding down on the couch cushions until there's a more comfortable spot for Taemin's cheek to rest on his shoulder.
Their heads brush together and Taemin reaches out, making a stack of the pile of paper he assumes is the one for stuff Jinki's already read. "Is there anything I can do to help?" he asks quietly, swallowing against the comfortable awareness of Jinki's body against his own.
"You're doing it," Jinki answers with a smile. He turns his head the little bit necessary to brush a light kiss to Taemin's slanted cheekbone. "Stay here with me while I go through this. Then we can go to bed."
They stay like that for over an hour, murmuring together softly as Jinki finishes up the paperwork. They are oblivious to the smiles that Kibum and Jonghyun exchange at seeing Jinki and Taemin slowly growing back into closeness again.
Taemin stands first, sliding off the couch with boneless agility and stretching so that his oversized tee shirt rides up slightly on his chest. "I'm stiff now," he complains playfully, reaching out a hand to pull Jinki to stand up with him.
Jinki resists the temptation to tell Taemin that he knows ways to make him a lot stiffer. It's not that he doesn't feel sexually aware towards Taemin, it's rather that he thinks neither of them are quite ready to move ahead. Jinki knows that he isn't ready. There's still some small but still agonized pain left behind that just won't be healed. Not yet anyway.
He finds himself staring solemnly into Taemin's eyes, reaching out with one hand to push the soft mussed strands of the other man's hair off his brow. "You are really so beautiful," Jinki tells Taemin.
"Jinki," Taemin says and swallows, reaching out with both hands to gather up folds of Jinki's loose shirt.
"Are you ...." Jinki begins and then feels helpless to ask the question properly. He steps closer and leans his forehead against Taemin's.
"Don't worry." Taemin answers as if he understands anyway. He kisses Jinki's cheek. "Let it be what it is, okay? When it's time to be something else... it will be."
"Taemin," Jinki says and hugs Taemin's slender body in against his own for a long moment. "Come to bed," he adds, pulling away but taking Taemin's hand in his.
"Yes, hyung," Taemin says with a trace of his old eager willingness to please. He squeezes Jinki's hand and lets him lead him down the hall. Sleeping with Jinki, just sleeping seems perfect for right now.
Restless, Accusation, Tremble, Intervention