Stardust Chapter 2 House of Eros Onew/Taemin
Title: House of Eros - Stardust - Chapter 2
Pairing: Onew/Taemin
Length: 3271
Genre: AU/Romance/Angst
Rating: PG13
Summary: Taemin is prepared for the Collaring Ceremony/reflects over Contract Negotiations/talks to Onew by phone/Meets Key
A/N: Maestro is an Italian word for Master. It is often given to a Master of an Art such as Music, Painting, etc. Here Taemin is using it in place of the English version. This is a Taemin centric chapter with lots of other stuff included. I stopped a little short because the next scene is the Collaring Ceremony and that's going to need it's own chapter. For details on Taemin's and Key's outfits go here.
A/N Old: Taemin is 20 in this, Onew is 27. The House of Eros is a combination dating service/scening facility/social club for the Kink Oriented. Piccolo stella is Italian for little star. Italian is one of the chief languages Opera is sung in. Title refers in a roundabout fashion to We Are All Made of Stars by Moby
Please also see my new Disclaimer of Doom if you like
Warning: None
Taemin stands in a little alcove of the suite at Eros that he and Onew will share later this evening and pushes the heavy damask drapes aside so that he can see down on the city street far below. The tiny ceramic tiles are cool against his bare feet and he smiles a little, remembering how he ended up at this point.
There'd been only one real hitch in their contract negotiations. His limits didn't even raise a flicker, it was only the part about maintaining his own residence that had stirred Onew to forcefully refusing. Onew had been vehement. Taemin had been frightened and disturbed by the reaction he was getting. Finally Taemin had got up from the table in despair and headed for the door.
He looks down and rubs his wrist. Even though there's no bruise, Taemin can still feel Onew's warm powerful grip. The older man insists on knowing just why Taemin is being so insisent over a subject that can only work to his own advantage. Taemin sighs and closes his eyes, a smile playing around his lips as he breathes in the fragrance of vanilla and saffron coming from his own skin.
....
Flashback
....
"Taemin?" Onew asks, a slight frown gathering between his eyes. It seems the more they talk, the more frightened Taemin gets. He reaches out as if to gather the other's slender form in against him, to soothe whatever haunting fears are making him so jumpy but Taemin moves too quickly.
He watches Taemin skitter towards the door and turn the knob, his heart wrenching at the obvious nervousness so amply portrayed by the way Taemin's grace seems to have all but deserted him. Onew isn't about to let the boy run away and he's immediately after him, catching hold of a thin wrist.
"Taemin?"
Onew's dark eyes are so warm and even affectionate when Taemin lifts his own to meet them. It almost hurts the way this man seems to want to shower him with every possible advantage and comfort. It also terrifies Taemin, which is what makes him wrench his wrist out of Onew's hold rather than letting that hand on his skin comfort him. He folds his arms tightly across his chest and glances around the room to where Mr Lee seems to be carefully paying them no attention.
"Can we...will you...I need a minute with you, in private," Taemin says, keeping his eyes completely away from Onew. If he looks at the other man, so beautiful, so powerful and so fucking kind, he thinks he might throw up.
"DongHae, could you please excuse us for a moment," Onew asks, lifting his voice slightly to make sure that DongHae knows that this is not merely a request. He never takes his eyes off of Taemin; He's far too aware that the boy is on the verge of running away.
"Of course," There's a brief rustle of papers and a scrape of the chair as DongHae gets up and Taemin moves away from the door so that the owner of Eros can get by without any contact between them.
In a moment, the door has closed with a soft snap and they are alone together.
"Taemin, tell me what's wrong please. I can't fix it, if you won't tell me the problem." Onew turns away then, moving towards the little seating area away from the conference table. He seats himself on the velvety chenille cushions in soft gray and then stretches out on the sofa with a long sigh. Perhaps this way, Onew will appear less intimidating, he thinks hopefully.
"I...you'll only be offended," Taemin says hopelessly, dropping his eyes and tangling his hands in the oversized green sweater he's wearing, pulling it even more out of shape.
Onew considers that. On one hand, it's clear Taemin has made the decision to come to him and that thought fills him with pleasure and hope. On the other, whatever bruises some fool has left on Taemin's mind and emotions - they are deep and painful even now. "Suppose I give you fifteen minutes to say anything you need or want to say to me, without consequences," he suggests after a pause.
Taemin blinks a few times in surprise. He licks his dry lips nervously and inches over closer to where Onew is lying and finally chooses a seat in the corner of the other sofa, set to form an l shape with the one Onew occupies.
"How could you be sure that you won't remember it later? And be angry with me?" Taemin asks carefully. He unwinds his fingers from his sweater though and just settles for crossing his arms again.
Onew turns his head and his eyes are filled with some blazing emotion. "Taemin, if I give you my word, you can be sure that I won't break it later. I know you haven't had someone you could really believe in...so you'll have to learn that I mean what I say. Try believing this one thing for now, yes?" He takes a breath as if gathering in his feelings on the subject and gives Taemin a smile.
For a long moment, Taemin doesn't say anything. Even if he feels he trusted Onew enough to explain, he still doesn't know how to explain, how to say the words burning in his mind. He fastens his gaze on his own shoe laces and first unties the bow on one foot then reties it. Taemin treats the second shoe the same way.
"What do you want?" He asks at last. "I mean, what is it you think...you can have from me if ...if you support me."
Sitting up slowly so as not to startle Taemin into fleeing, Onew lets his hands fist against the soft cushion for a moment. "Nothing," he answers simply. "Nothing that you don't give me in the terms of the contract." It's a struggle for the singer to keep his voice even and calm when the nearly overpowering anger is welling up in his mind and body.
The more he learns about his little novice who isn't a novice, the more he wants to take a bullwhip to the idiot who hurt Taemin so badly. The implications of Taemin's responses, his questions make Onew feel both hot and cold inside.
Taemin quickly drops his head, letting his long hair fall over his face so Onew can't see his expression. "Pr...Promise?" His voice is small and half-strangled but that can't be helped.
"I swear," Onew replies quietly. He stands then and lets out a silent sigh, brushing a hand over Taemin's hair before he moves away. "Are you ready now for me to call DongHae back?"
"Yes...Sir," Taemin answers.
....
End Flashback
....
So now, here Taemin is in a very plush and luxurious suite near the top of the Eros building. He's been in the building since the night before to be depilated, bathed, oiled, massaged, painted and have things done to his hair. He had time for a nap or two in all of that but he still feels tired and more than a little scared. Onew is not what he expected when he walked into Eros and yet...Taemin can't imagine truly signing a contract with anyone else.
He lets the curtain fall and sighs. He hasn't seen Onew since they signed the contract and they are supposed to be having a collaring ceremony in an hour or two. Taemin rolls his eyes a few times. He has already informed Onew that a ceremony for a short term contract is stupid, but Onew is very good at not listening and doing whatever he damn well pleases.
Taemin's lips twitch and he smiles at his own reflection caught in a mirror as he turns away from the window. He may complain about that to Onew's face, but in the quiet of his own head, Taemin has to admit that he finds so many things about Onew attractive. Including doing what he damn well pleases. Taemin giggles and pads on bare feet across the smooth cool ceramic tiles under them.
They are every shade of brown he could imagine from darkest chocolate to light sand, barely an inch wide. To Taemin's left is the bathroom, a sybarite's fantasy in dark brown stone and lighter toned fluffy Egyptian cotton towels. There's a sauna and a jet tub and Taemin's not sure he even knows what some of the spigots in there do. The mirrors covering a large portion of the walls make him blush every time he thinks about them.
His naked soles find the woven softness of the rug as he mounts three steps in a swish of completely impractical draperies. He carefully gathers them up so he can move a bit more freely, reminding himself not to crush the fragile fabrics in the process. Stopping in the center of the room, Taemin pivots. Although he's sure this room is meant for some kinktacular purpose, that purpose is well concealed behind polished cabinets and heavy damask curtains. He rolls his eyes a little and continues.
The bedroom lies past the mystery room and Taemin lets go of his veils to study the room again. The carpet here is inches deep, enough that he can curl his bare toes in the plush. This room is ...romantic, he decides with a small inward sigh.
It's dominated by a large oversized bed that seems to hover between antique and merely vintage. It looks heavy and Taemin can't figure out how in hell it was placed in the room. The cover is satin and Taemin suspects it's real silk rather than imitation, judging by the way the fabric warms quickly to his own body temperature. There are three little steps beside the high bed and Taemin skips up them to plop himself as gracefully as possible on the exact center of the cover. There are pillows piled behind him in accenting colors and of every shape and size. There are curtains draping down from the bed posts and at that point, Taemin stops cataloging.
The house phone is ringing and after a moment of indecision, Taemin picks it up. "Suite 36," he answers in his best formal tones.
"Taemin!" Onew's warm voice comes through the telephone very clearly and it isn't difficult to picture his beautiful smile as well.
"Hello Maestro," Taemin answers, smiling as he speaks. "You've been reading too many romance novels, Maestro," he adds, glancing around the lovely bedroom.
Onew's chuckle greets his words and Taemin wrinkles his nose at his own reflection in the mirror above the dresser. "You think so, do you? You don't like the room?"
"It's lovely," Taemin admits truthfully. "But it seems a bit...frou frou. Do you like frou frou Maestro?"
"I'm an opera singer, Taemin. Of course I like frou frou, as you put it," Onew says with another laugh.
"Will I see you soon, Maestro?" Taemin asks, deciding not to comment further on the subject of frou frou.
"Not until the ceremony, piccolo stella. I have just fetched your collar from the jewelers," Onew adds, his warm voice making Taemin sway back into the pillows behind him.
"From the jewelers?" Taemin hears his voice rising and swallows, trying to calm himself. "Maestro...I..."
"Taemin, hush. It's my money, I'll spend it as I wish." Onew says and his voice is pleasant but Taemin still hears the steel beneath it.
"Yes, Maestro," Taemin answers dutifully, making a face at his own reflection.
He can hear Onew chuckle over the phone line. "Such a good boy I have," the singer says and then hangs up before Taemin can answer.
Taemin makes another face and then hurriedly checks his face and body that none of whatever kind of paint was used on his skin has not been marred. He was told that it would last a while without smudging but Taemin isn't sure he trusts that information. Especially if things get hot and sweaty later.
He feels a flush slide over his skin just thinking about that and nibbles on his lower lip before getting off the bed again and standing before the mirror, relieved when the soft fabric of his toga or whatever the hell it is seems to shake out without wrinkles. The attendants who dressed him should have known better than to put him in this get up so early in the afternoon.
Shaking his hair back, Taemin looks around in the living area in the suite until he finds the concealed stereo system in a tall cabinet. He slides a cd from his school bag into the slot and adjusts the sound. He has enough time to practice a little bit if he's careful not to start sweating.
Positioning himself in the center of the small purposeless room because it seems to have the best acoustics, Taemin starts to sing in a sweetly husky ripped silk sort of voice. He gets lost in the music until the doorbell of the suite and the slowly darkening day outside the windows tells him that time is passing.
"Just a moment please," Taemin calls and hurries to shut off the music before he detours to the door and opens it. There's a stranger standing there, one who is beaming at him with clasped hands raised to just beneath his chin.
"Ohhhhh, sweetheart, your picture does you no justice at all! Onew simply has to have new photos of you as soon as possible!"
Taemin blinks a little and holds the door knob tightly in his hand. "Um, excuse me, but who are you please?" He shifts his weight a little from foot to foot, undecided whether or not to let this person who seems to talk in nothing but exclamation points into the suite.
"Poor darling, I'm sorry, I forgot you wouldn't know me." The stranger announces and produces his cell phone from a rather stylish Prada bag. He presses a few buttons and someone answers after only a ring or two.
"Onew, it's Key. Would you please tell your charming Companion To Be that I am a trusted friend? He looks a bit uncertain and I don't blame him."
Immediately the stranger holds out the phone to Taemin and Taemin takes it since to refuse would be very rude. Especially if this person really is a friend of his new Maestro's.
"Hello?" he says quickly.
"Taemin, I apologize. I meant to tell you about Key before and forgot. He's one of my best friends and will stay with you until the ceremony. I didn't want you to be all alone up there in that frou frou suite, getting more and more nervous."
"Oh...Well, that was thoughtful of you Maestro." As Taemin talks, he steps away from the door and gestures Key to enter and closes the door behind him. "I appreciate the thought," he adds, not sure what else to say really.
"It's my job to think of your needs, piccolo stella," Onew says simply. "I'll see you soon."
With that, Onew hangs up and Taemin offers Key back his phone. "I'm sorry about...before," he offers a tiny bit awkwardly. This get up he's wearing has no pockets for fidgety fingers which has him again swaying slightly foot to foot.
"Can I get you anything? Perhaps some soda or a glass of wine? I'm not sure there's much here in the way of snacks but I could call downstairs..."
"Taemin, you lovely thing...no need for anything like that." The stranger, Key, is studying Taemin intently and the dark fey look in those eyes has Taemin feeling even more nervous. Key's hair is cut sleekly by an expert and there's a stripe of his head shaved completely bare on one side. Key is dressed in a very nice tailored suit in a pearl gray color but with it he is wearing a bright hot pink feather boa and every single slim finger seems to be decked in a giant cocktail ring.
Stepping out of hot pink shoes that match the boa and then draping the boa around a lamp for now, Key plops down on the giant cushiony sofa covered in some fabric which Taemin suspects is silk velvet in dark brown and curls his long legs indian style.
"My, my, they certainly did an excellent job on you. Onew will have a very hard time keeping his hands to himself for five minutes." Key comments making Taemin blush before he settles down in one corner of the same sofa demurely.
"I...um...I assume that Maestro ordered the...everything," Taemin waves a hand at himself. For some reason Key seems to see him almost too clearly and he's not at all sure he likes that feeling.
Key grins at him. "Knowing Onew as I do, I'm quite sure he did. Onew rarely misses a detail."
"Oh...well...that's good," Taemin replies, peering at Key's face which seems to be more pretty than handsome with sensitive looking eyes and fine high cheekbones and a rather soft mouth. Curiousity lights up like a flame in Taemin's mind and he starts to wonder how Onew knew Key. Had they...been together?
A chuckle, really almost a giggle rings in the quiet of the room. "I know what you're thinking," Key sing songs with a lift of one wagging jewel bedecked finger. "Are you jealous?"
"That depends," Taemin answers slowly and honestly.
Key giggles again. "Well, relax. No, we weren't together. No, we have never scened together. We are literally childhood friends, okay?" He smiles companionably at Taemin. "I'm ...between engagements, at the moment," Key adds with a little twist of his lips as if to say that's not entirely his choice.
He leans closer to Taemin and whispers, even though there's no one else in the room. "Onew has promised me that there will be some sexy prospects at your soirée this evening. So I plan to be on the look out. I doubt you two will be at the reception for longer than half an hour anyway."
Taemin can't help but laugh, there's something humorous and sweet about Key and the way he talks. He relaxes a little around this stranger and smiles. "Tell me more about Maestro please. He's ...very quiet sometimes. What is his favorite food, favorite color, favorite..."
"Sex position?" Key suggests and then laughs at Taemin's flushed expression. He runs one perfectly manicured fingertip down the side of Taemin's face. "I have no idea, but dearest you really are so pretty. I'm so jealous."
"Thank you," Taemin drops his eyes for a moment then lifts them once again. "So what about his favorite color?" he asks eagerly.
Key keeps Taemin busy talking until the suite phone rings to tell Taemin it's time for him to take his place downstairs. Taemin's face pales and he shivers despite the comfortable warmth of the room as he hangs up. Automatically he informs Key of the reason for the call and pads into the bathroom for a quick wash of his feet before he steps into the pair of white sandals that were left for him.
Automatically he primps in front of the mirror, adding a little more lip gloss and checking that his garment hangs straight before sighing. Key comes in behind him, again fabulous with his fuschia boa and shoes.
"Don't worry, precious. I'll be right there with you until the ceremony begins," Key says seriously and wraps Taemin in a cape of soft lambswool. Nobody needs to see Taemin's veils who isn't invited to the ceremony, Key explains.
Hand in hand, they start for the elevator and Key never flinches from Taemin's white knuckled grip.
I am fail at spotting. Please consider yourselves spotted if I didn't put a spot for you
Pairing: Onew/Taemin
Length: 3271
Genre: AU/Romance/Angst
Rating: PG13
Summary: Taemin is prepared for the Collaring Ceremony/reflects over Contract Negotiations/talks to Onew by phone/Meets Key
A/N: Maestro is an Italian word for Master. It is often given to a Master of an Art such as Music, Painting, etc. Here Taemin is using it in place of the English version. This is a Taemin centric chapter with lots of other stuff included. I stopped a little short because the next scene is the Collaring Ceremony and that's going to need it's own chapter. For details on Taemin's and Key's outfits go here.
A/N Old: Taemin is 20 in this, Onew is 27. The House of Eros is a combination dating service/scening facility/social club for the Kink Oriented. Piccolo stella is Italian for little star. Italian is one of the chief languages Opera is sung in. Title refers in a roundabout fashion to We Are All Made of Stars by Moby
Please also see my new Disclaimer of Doom if you like
Warning: None
Taemin stands in a little alcove of the suite at Eros that he and Onew will share later this evening and pushes the heavy damask drapes aside so that he can see down on the city street far below. The tiny ceramic tiles are cool against his bare feet and he smiles a little, remembering how he ended up at this point.
There'd been only one real hitch in their contract negotiations. His limits didn't even raise a flicker, it was only the part about maintaining his own residence that had stirred Onew to forcefully refusing. Onew had been vehement. Taemin had been frightened and disturbed by the reaction he was getting. Finally Taemin had got up from the table in despair and headed for the door.
He looks down and rubs his wrist. Even though there's no bruise, Taemin can still feel Onew's warm powerful grip. The older man insists on knowing just why Taemin is being so insisent over a subject that can only work to his own advantage. Taemin sighs and closes his eyes, a smile playing around his lips as he breathes in the fragrance of vanilla and saffron coming from his own skin.
....
Flashback
....
"Taemin?" Onew asks, a slight frown gathering between his eyes. It seems the more they talk, the more frightened Taemin gets. He reaches out as if to gather the other's slender form in against him, to soothe whatever haunting fears are making him so jumpy but Taemin moves too quickly.
He watches Taemin skitter towards the door and turn the knob, his heart wrenching at the obvious nervousness so amply portrayed by the way Taemin's grace seems to have all but deserted him. Onew isn't about to let the boy run away and he's immediately after him, catching hold of a thin wrist.
"Taemin?"
Onew's dark eyes are so warm and even affectionate when Taemin lifts his own to meet them. It almost hurts the way this man seems to want to shower him with every possible advantage and comfort. It also terrifies Taemin, which is what makes him wrench his wrist out of Onew's hold rather than letting that hand on his skin comfort him. He folds his arms tightly across his chest and glances around the room to where Mr Lee seems to be carefully paying them no attention.
"Can we...will you...I need a minute with you, in private," Taemin says, keeping his eyes completely away from Onew. If he looks at the other man, so beautiful, so powerful and so fucking kind, he thinks he might throw up.
"DongHae, could you please excuse us for a moment," Onew asks, lifting his voice slightly to make sure that DongHae knows that this is not merely a request. He never takes his eyes off of Taemin; He's far too aware that the boy is on the verge of running away.
"Of course," There's a brief rustle of papers and a scrape of the chair as DongHae gets up and Taemin moves away from the door so that the owner of Eros can get by without any contact between them.
In a moment, the door has closed with a soft snap and they are alone together.
"Taemin, tell me what's wrong please. I can't fix it, if you won't tell me the problem." Onew turns away then, moving towards the little seating area away from the conference table. He seats himself on the velvety chenille cushions in soft gray and then stretches out on the sofa with a long sigh. Perhaps this way, Onew will appear less intimidating, he thinks hopefully.
"I...you'll only be offended," Taemin says hopelessly, dropping his eyes and tangling his hands in the oversized green sweater he's wearing, pulling it even more out of shape.
Onew considers that. On one hand, it's clear Taemin has made the decision to come to him and that thought fills him with pleasure and hope. On the other, whatever bruises some fool has left on Taemin's mind and emotions - they are deep and painful even now. "Suppose I give you fifteen minutes to say anything you need or want to say to me, without consequences," he suggests after a pause.
Taemin blinks a few times in surprise. He licks his dry lips nervously and inches over closer to where Onew is lying and finally chooses a seat in the corner of the other sofa, set to form an l shape with the one Onew occupies.
"How could you be sure that you won't remember it later? And be angry with me?" Taemin asks carefully. He unwinds his fingers from his sweater though and just settles for crossing his arms again.
Onew turns his head and his eyes are filled with some blazing emotion. "Taemin, if I give you my word, you can be sure that I won't break it later. I know you haven't had someone you could really believe in...so you'll have to learn that I mean what I say. Try believing this one thing for now, yes?" He takes a breath as if gathering in his feelings on the subject and gives Taemin a smile.
For a long moment, Taemin doesn't say anything. Even if he feels he trusted Onew enough to explain, he still doesn't know how to explain, how to say the words burning in his mind. He fastens his gaze on his own shoe laces and first unties the bow on one foot then reties it. Taemin treats the second shoe the same way.
"What do you want?" He asks at last. "I mean, what is it you think...you can have from me if ...if you support me."
Sitting up slowly so as not to startle Taemin into fleeing, Onew lets his hands fist against the soft cushion for a moment. "Nothing," he answers simply. "Nothing that you don't give me in the terms of the contract." It's a struggle for the singer to keep his voice even and calm when the nearly overpowering anger is welling up in his mind and body.
The more he learns about his little novice who isn't a novice, the more he wants to take a bullwhip to the idiot who hurt Taemin so badly. The implications of Taemin's responses, his questions make Onew feel both hot and cold inside.
Taemin quickly drops his head, letting his long hair fall over his face so Onew can't see his expression. "Pr...Promise?" His voice is small and half-strangled but that can't be helped.
"I swear," Onew replies quietly. He stands then and lets out a silent sigh, brushing a hand over Taemin's hair before he moves away. "Are you ready now for me to call DongHae back?"
"Yes...Sir," Taemin answers.
....
End Flashback
....
So now, here Taemin is in a very plush and luxurious suite near the top of the Eros building. He's been in the building since the night before to be depilated, bathed, oiled, massaged, painted and have things done to his hair. He had time for a nap or two in all of that but he still feels tired and more than a little scared. Onew is not what he expected when he walked into Eros and yet...Taemin can't imagine truly signing a contract with anyone else.
He lets the curtain fall and sighs. He hasn't seen Onew since they signed the contract and they are supposed to be having a collaring ceremony in an hour or two. Taemin rolls his eyes a few times. He has already informed Onew that a ceremony for a short term contract is stupid, but Onew is very good at not listening and doing whatever he damn well pleases.
Taemin's lips twitch and he smiles at his own reflection caught in a mirror as he turns away from the window. He may complain about that to Onew's face, but in the quiet of his own head, Taemin has to admit that he finds so many things about Onew attractive. Including doing what he damn well pleases. Taemin giggles and pads on bare feet across the smooth cool ceramic tiles under them.
They are every shade of brown he could imagine from darkest chocolate to light sand, barely an inch wide. To Taemin's left is the bathroom, a sybarite's fantasy in dark brown stone and lighter toned fluffy Egyptian cotton towels. There's a sauna and a jet tub and Taemin's not sure he even knows what some of the spigots in there do. The mirrors covering a large portion of the walls make him blush every time he thinks about them.
His naked soles find the woven softness of the rug as he mounts three steps in a swish of completely impractical draperies. He carefully gathers them up so he can move a bit more freely, reminding himself not to crush the fragile fabrics in the process. Stopping in the center of the room, Taemin pivots. Although he's sure this room is meant for some kinktacular purpose, that purpose is well concealed behind polished cabinets and heavy damask curtains. He rolls his eyes a little and continues.
The bedroom lies past the mystery room and Taemin lets go of his veils to study the room again. The carpet here is inches deep, enough that he can curl his bare toes in the plush. This room is ...romantic, he decides with a small inward sigh.
It's dominated by a large oversized bed that seems to hover between antique and merely vintage. It looks heavy and Taemin can't figure out how in hell it was placed in the room. The cover is satin and Taemin suspects it's real silk rather than imitation, judging by the way the fabric warms quickly to his own body temperature. There are three little steps beside the high bed and Taemin skips up them to plop himself as gracefully as possible on the exact center of the cover. There are pillows piled behind him in accenting colors and of every shape and size. There are curtains draping down from the bed posts and at that point, Taemin stops cataloging.
The house phone is ringing and after a moment of indecision, Taemin picks it up. "Suite 36," he answers in his best formal tones.
"Taemin!" Onew's warm voice comes through the telephone very clearly and it isn't difficult to picture his beautiful smile as well.
"Hello Maestro," Taemin answers, smiling as he speaks. "You've been reading too many romance novels, Maestro," he adds, glancing around the lovely bedroom.
Onew's chuckle greets his words and Taemin wrinkles his nose at his own reflection in the mirror above the dresser. "You think so, do you? You don't like the room?"
"It's lovely," Taemin admits truthfully. "But it seems a bit...frou frou. Do you like frou frou Maestro?"
"I'm an opera singer, Taemin. Of course I like frou frou, as you put it," Onew says with another laugh.
"Will I see you soon, Maestro?" Taemin asks, deciding not to comment further on the subject of frou frou.
"Not until the ceremony, piccolo stella. I have just fetched your collar from the jewelers," Onew adds, his warm voice making Taemin sway back into the pillows behind him.
"From the jewelers?" Taemin hears his voice rising and swallows, trying to calm himself. "Maestro...I..."
"Taemin, hush. It's my money, I'll spend it as I wish." Onew says and his voice is pleasant but Taemin still hears the steel beneath it.
"Yes, Maestro," Taemin answers dutifully, making a face at his own reflection.
He can hear Onew chuckle over the phone line. "Such a good boy I have," the singer says and then hangs up before Taemin can answer.
Taemin makes another face and then hurriedly checks his face and body that none of whatever kind of paint was used on his skin has not been marred. He was told that it would last a while without smudging but Taemin isn't sure he trusts that information. Especially if things get hot and sweaty later.
He feels a flush slide over his skin just thinking about that and nibbles on his lower lip before getting off the bed again and standing before the mirror, relieved when the soft fabric of his toga or whatever the hell it is seems to shake out without wrinkles. The attendants who dressed him should have known better than to put him in this get up so early in the afternoon.
Shaking his hair back, Taemin looks around in the living area in the suite until he finds the concealed stereo system in a tall cabinet. He slides a cd from his school bag into the slot and adjusts the sound. He has enough time to practice a little bit if he's careful not to start sweating.
Positioning himself in the center of the small purposeless room because it seems to have the best acoustics, Taemin starts to sing in a sweetly husky ripped silk sort of voice. He gets lost in the music until the doorbell of the suite and the slowly darkening day outside the windows tells him that time is passing.
"Just a moment please," Taemin calls and hurries to shut off the music before he detours to the door and opens it. There's a stranger standing there, one who is beaming at him with clasped hands raised to just beneath his chin.
"Ohhhhh, sweetheart, your picture does you no justice at all! Onew simply has to have new photos of you as soon as possible!"
Taemin blinks a little and holds the door knob tightly in his hand. "Um, excuse me, but who are you please?" He shifts his weight a little from foot to foot, undecided whether or not to let this person who seems to talk in nothing but exclamation points into the suite.
"Poor darling, I'm sorry, I forgot you wouldn't know me." The stranger announces and produces his cell phone from a rather stylish Prada bag. He presses a few buttons and someone answers after only a ring or two.
"Onew, it's Key. Would you please tell your charming Companion To Be that I am a trusted friend? He looks a bit uncertain and I don't blame him."
Immediately the stranger holds out the phone to Taemin and Taemin takes it since to refuse would be very rude. Especially if this person really is a friend of his new Maestro's.
"Hello?" he says quickly.
"Taemin, I apologize. I meant to tell you about Key before and forgot. He's one of my best friends and will stay with you until the ceremony. I didn't want you to be all alone up there in that frou frou suite, getting more and more nervous."
"Oh...Well, that was thoughtful of you Maestro." As Taemin talks, he steps away from the door and gestures Key to enter and closes the door behind him. "I appreciate the thought," he adds, not sure what else to say really.
"It's my job to think of your needs, piccolo stella," Onew says simply. "I'll see you soon."
With that, Onew hangs up and Taemin offers Key back his phone. "I'm sorry about...before," he offers a tiny bit awkwardly. This get up he's wearing has no pockets for fidgety fingers which has him again swaying slightly foot to foot.
"Can I get you anything? Perhaps some soda or a glass of wine? I'm not sure there's much here in the way of snacks but I could call downstairs..."
"Taemin, you lovely thing...no need for anything like that." The stranger, Key, is studying Taemin intently and the dark fey look in those eyes has Taemin feeling even more nervous. Key's hair is cut sleekly by an expert and there's a stripe of his head shaved completely bare on one side. Key is dressed in a very nice tailored suit in a pearl gray color but with it he is wearing a bright hot pink feather boa and every single slim finger seems to be decked in a giant cocktail ring.
Stepping out of hot pink shoes that match the boa and then draping the boa around a lamp for now, Key plops down on the giant cushiony sofa covered in some fabric which Taemin suspects is silk velvet in dark brown and curls his long legs indian style.
"My, my, they certainly did an excellent job on you. Onew will have a very hard time keeping his hands to himself for five minutes." Key comments making Taemin blush before he settles down in one corner of the same sofa demurely.
"I...um...I assume that Maestro ordered the...everything," Taemin waves a hand at himself. For some reason Key seems to see him almost too clearly and he's not at all sure he likes that feeling.
Key grins at him. "Knowing Onew as I do, I'm quite sure he did. Onew rarely misses a detail."
"Oh...well...that's good," Taemin replies, peering at Key's face which seems to be more pretty than handsome with sensitive looking eyes and fine high cheekbones and a rather soft mouth. Curiousity lights up like a flame in Taemin's mind and he starts to wonder how Onew knew Key. Had they...been together?
A chuckle, really almost a giggle rings in the quiet of the room. "I know what you're thinking," Key sing songs with a lift of one wagging jewel bedecked finger. "Are you jealous?"
"That depends," Taemin answers slowly and honestly.
Key giggles again. "Well, relax. No, we weren't together. No, we have never scened together. We are literally childhood friends, okay?" He smiles companionably at Taemin. "I'm ...between engagements, at the moment," Key adds with a little twist of his lips as if to say that's not entirely his choice.
He leans closer to Taemin and whispers, even though there's no one else in the room. "Onew has promised me that there will be some sexy prospects at your soirée this evening. So I plan to be on the look out. I doubt you two will be at the reception for longer than half an hour anyway."
Taemin can't help but laugh, there's something humorous and sweet about Key and the way he talks. He relaxes a little around this stranger and smiles. "Tell me more about Maestro please. He's ...very quiet sometimes. What is his favorite food, favorite color, favorite..."
"Sex position?" Key suggests and then laughs at Taemin's flushed expression. He runs one perfectly manicured fingertip down the side of Taemin's face. "I have no idea, but dearest you really are so pretty. I'm so jealous."
"Thank you," Taemin drops his eyes for a moment then lifts them once again. "So what about his favorite color?" he asks eagerly.
Key keeps Taemin busy talking until the suite phone rings to tell Taemin it's time for him to take his place downstairs. Taemin's face pales and he shivers despite the comfortable warmth of the room as he hangs up. Automatically he informs Key of the reason for the call and pads into the bathroom for a quick wash of his feet before he steps into the pair of white sandals that were left for him.
Automatically he primps in front of the mirror, adding a little more lip gloss and checking that his garment hangs straight before sighing. Key comes in behind him, again fabulous with his fuschia boa and shoes.
"Don't worry, precious. I'll be right there with you until the ceremony begins," Key says seriously and wraps Taemin in a cape of soft lambswool. Nobody needs to see Taemin's veils who isn't invited to the ceremony, Key explains.
Hand in hand, they start for the elevator and Key never flinches from Taemin's white knuckled grip.
I am fail at spotting. Please consider yourselves spotted if I didn't put a spot for you