Rock My World (Chapter 6)
Pairing: JongKey
Rating: R
Genre: Rock musical!AU, Romance & Drama
Disclaimer: I wish.
Summary: When Onew leaves the Korean production of RoA, Jonghyun is promoted to lead singer in his place and a new actor is also hired. Sparks fly, drama ensues - Rock & Roll.
Rock and roll, hey
Don't you know, baby, we're all alone now
Give me something to sing about.
- Paramore, Crushcrushcrush
Prologue || 1 || 2 || 3 || 4 || 5 || 6 || 7 || 8 || 9 || 10 || 11 || 12 || Epilogue
__________________
Rock My World - Chapter 6
When Jonghyun woke up the next morning, it was to the sound of Kibum’s low chuckles and to the feel of his warm breath on his neck.
“I think we need to use your laptop again,” he spoke into the blond’s ear. Jonghyun frowned and turned his head towards the other who was still laughing quietly. Kibum merely pointed towards the foot of the bed and the elder’s eyes widened at once.
“Roo!” he scolded and he tossed the bed sheets to the side and lunged - still very much half-naked - for the puppy. She was playing with a small tube and had made a mess of the sticky substance leaking out of it. Key only laughed louder when Jonghyun fought with the growling dog to pull the bottle of lube out of her mouth - by the looks of it, she had almost emptied it.
Jonghyun looked at his soiled sheets and at his puppy’s sticky fur and sighed, his shoulders drooping.
“I knew we shouldn’t have gotten the flavoured one,” he mumbled.
“You said you liked cherry.”
“So does Roo.”
Kibum laughed again and crawled up to the blond, placing a small peck to his shoulder.
“I’ll wash the dog,” he said as he picked up the pup. “You change the sheets.”
Key soon found out that Roo didn’t particularly enjoy being scrubbed clean in a sink. He liked cute things, and Roo was definitely cute, but he was only doing this because it was Jonghyun’s dog. He was really beginning to wonder why the elder even had a dog when the blond walked into the bathroom, just in time to see the pup shake her soaked fur and spray Key’s topless form.
“Why do you even have a dog?” Kibum almost growled as he wrapped Roo in a towel. She was trying to lick his face when he felt a pair of hands settle on his bare hips.
“I was lonely.”
He turned around and was faced with a smiling Jonghyun, who then leaned in to kiss him, squeezing Roo between their chests. When he pulled away, Key was a bit short of breath and Jonghyun carefully took the puppy from his arms to place her on the floor before pulling the younger boy into the shower, only to kiss him some more.
Key left an hour later to go home and prepare for the show that evening. Jonghyun waved goodbye and felt something weighing down on his chest - he would miss running his hands through his styled hair and over those glossy pants backstage, but it was for the best. Besides, once back at Jonghyun’s apartment they were free to do as they pleased.
Jonghyun gave a better performance that night - and he was all the more thankful for it after having heard what sounded like his mother and sister screaming cheers in the audience. He also noticed the strange looks Jino and Jessica were giving Key. He had sort of figured a while ago that Jino wasn’t exactly fond of the boy, but to see Jessica stare at him with such dislike in her eyes angered him. She had no right to.
The lead rushed out of his costume and make up to meet his family at the artists’ entrance after the performance - he had spotted his parents and his sister in the auditorium while bowing at the end. His mother hugged him, followed by his sister and his father gave him a pat on the back.
“You did great,” his sister said with a smile. “I like the new song.”
His family didn’t go all that often, but they had seen enough of his performances to notice the altered scenes and script as well as the new cast.
“And I like the new singer,” she continued and Jonghyun didn’t need a hint to know who she was talking about (she was his sister after all). “You two are great together.”
He may or may not have blushed.
“Thanks, noona.”
He was too busy admiring his shoes to notice the knowing glint in her eyes - and to notice Key walk out behind him. Never before had Jonghyun seen his sister bow down so fast.
“You must be Key, yes?” she asked with a wide and almost too welcoming smile that made Jonghyun a bit wary.
“I am,” the boy said simply, moving to stand beside Jonghyun and looking at him expectantly.
“This is my sister,” the blond explained with a gesture, “and my parents.”
Key bowed and greeted each of them.
“You were amazing,” Jonghyun’s mother complimented. “I hope the cast and my Jonghyun are taking good care of you.”
“They are,” he replied and the slight twitch of his lips made Jonghyun smirk.
Jessica, as she was coming out of the building, spotted the small crowd and recognized the familiar faces - Jonghyun’s heart sank when she approached them smiling a bit too widely.
“Hello Mrs. Kim, Mr. Kim,” the girl said with a steep bow. Jonghyun hadn’t missed how she had completely ignored his sister, and by the look on the latter’s face she had noticed so too and was all but pleased.
“Hi, Jessica,” his mother greeted politely. “You did well tonight, as usual,” the woman praised and her husband remained mute, only nodding slightly.
“I haven’t seen you here in a while,” Jessica continued, throwing a sideways glance at Jonghyun who could feel Kibum stiffen beside him. “Does Jjongie not invite you anymore?” the girl added with a playful, kidding tone that only irked Jonghyun even more.
Kibum frowned at the use of the nickname.
“We’ve been busy,” Jonghyun’s sister answered and her voice was firm, her tone too assertive to pass of as casual. She was visibly annoyed and, for some reason, Key took to liking her at once.
“Did you enjoy it?” Jessica spoke again, unfazed by the older girl. “Jjongie’s been working really hard.”
What the hell? Kibum thought, and he really wanted to ask why Jessica was acting so weirdly and where that stupid pet name came from but kept his mouth shut, instead choosing to glare.
“I don’t doubt it,” Jonghyun’s mother answered, polite smile still in place.
To Kibum’s chagrin, their cast mate ended up staying for a few long minutes, chatting about the show with Jonghyun’s mother because everyone else kept quiet. It was really awkward and for the life of him, Key couldn’t figure out what had happened to her. Jonghyun kept glancing at him every so often, as if he was apprehending something. He knew the younger boy well enough to expect questions. Questions he didn’t quite want to answer.
When Jessica left, Jonghyun let out a sigh of relief, his chest deflating and he invited his family and Kibum to a small café nearby partly because he had missed his family and partly because he wanted to erase that frown from the younger boy’s face. Jonghyun’s parents showered him with questions about his health and diet and sleeping habits, forgetting that he would be turning twenty one this year and instead treating him like a twelve year old. Kibum snickered when his sister asked him if he had learned to cook anything else besides ramyeon and Jonghyun couldn’t bring himself to call her out on it because it had put a smile back onto the younger boy’s lips. The blond hadn’t seen his family in a few months and it was nice to see them again, all reunited - plus Kibum. His sister seemed to like him and it made Jonghyun’s chest swell with hope; hope that she would maybe, possibly understand and support him - them.
The conversation then turned to Kibum, who so far had been a quiet presence but was now left with no other choice but to talk. He was by no means a shy person, yet Jonghyun could tell he was a bit reticent to answer some of the questions that were thrown at him. The elder couldn’t blame him; his family (especially his sister) could be quite probing.
He realized Key had never talked about his past much and Jonghyun had never really thought to ask, simply. The past was the past and the blond boy didn’t like dwelling on it - besides, he preferred getting to know Kibum as he was now than getting acquainted with who he used to be. Still, Jonghyun learned that Key’s parents were originally from Daegu but that he had been brought up in Seoul. When asked about his academic record, the younger boy also said that he didn’t really remember any of the schools he had been too all that well considering he had changed schools a lot. In the end, he decided to pursue his dreams instead of sitting in classrooms; Jonghyun smiled. He could relate to that.
“Have your parents ever been to the show?” Jonghyun’s mother inquired.
“No.”
Jonghyun wanted to ask “why” but his sister beat him to it, instead asking Kibum about his favourite boy and girl groups. When Key started talking about the latter, the blond couldn’t help but add “You should see him dance” which made his sister cock an interested eyebrow.
It was almost midnight when they parted and Jonghyun’s mother had hugged both boys tightly, wishing them a good night and making her son promise to call her more often. Even his sister hugged them both, too, and his father shook Kibum’s hand. The black-haired boy seemed happy - the sight made Jonghyun feel at peace.
Key didn’t accompany the elder home that night because they were both so tired and needed to sleep before the next day’s show. It was only once Jonghyun had entered his apartment, alone (save for the small puppy), that he remembered their encounter with Jessica outside the theatre. He cringed at the memory because really, it wasn’t a pleasant one. He could only hope Kibum would forget all about it, but a part of him knew better than to hope for that.
The next day’s show went smoothly; Jonghyun’s voice was back to its normal brilliance and the audience seemed to enjoy the spectacle. Jessica was completely ignoring him. He was more than fine with that.
Kibum wasn’t. His eyes kept trailing after the girl when he thought no one would notice, as he was still trying to work out her behaviour the previous night. She knew Jonghyun’s parents? Granted they must have been regular visitors, but she had seemed familiar with them. Awkwardly familiar, but familiar nonetheless.
They were both sitting on Jonghyun’s black leather couch with the television on when Key couldn’t take it anymore and let the question slip from his lips.
“Why does Jessica know your parents?”
Jonghyun stayed stiff for a while, eyes still and fixed on the flashing screen. He couldn’t say he hadn’t been expecting it. Kibum deserved to know and he wanted to be honest even though it wouldn’t do much good. Kibum deserved to know.
“Jessica...” the half-blond boy started, tearing his gaze from the television to look straight into Key’s brown eyes, “Jessica and I, we sort of dated. Before.”
The black-haired boy didn’t move, didn’t even blink and Jonghyun’s heart started picking up its pace.
“It was nothing,” the elder added, feeling the need to explain himself. “Only a few dates. I didn’t really like her, it didn’t work out. I didn’t tell you because it meant nothing to me.”
Kibum’s expression was hard to read. The boy frowned and Jonghyun wanted nothing more than to reach out and smooth the creases between his eyebrows but he kept himself still. Jonghyun had never meant to deliberately keep things from him. It seemed like an entire hour had passed with them sitting stiffly on the couch when suddenly, the younger’s expression softened.
“Why didn’t you tell me before if it meant nothing?” he asked softly.
His tone wasn’t cross or even reproaching in the least, and that was what had Jonghyun feeling guilty the most.
“I’m sorry,” he said quickly. “I’m really sorry, I should have told you.”
Kibum stayed silent, playing with his fingers as he looked down at them like a confused child. The sight pained Jonghyun, who promptly scooted over to him and placed a warm hand beneath his chin to tilt it upwards.
“I’m sorry.”
They looked at each other for a short moment, the elder’s hand unmoving. Kibum’s eyes were dark yet soft as they seemed to search Jonghyun’s.
“It’s okay,” Key finally spoke. “I trust you,” he added, almost mumbling, as an afterthought.
Jonghyun felt the weight in his chest lighten at once, promising himself that he would work hard to give Kibum every reason to trust him in the future. He leaned in to kiss the younger boy and pushed away the thought that he didn’t deserve such kindness.
“I’m serious, though,” Jonghyun said after breaking the kiss to plead his case some more, “I really didn’t think to tell you because it’s not important - to me. I’m sorry.”
“Shut up.”
Kibum grabbed the front of his shirt a little forcefully to claim his lips once more and pretty soon, all thoughts of Jessica completely left Jonghyun’s brain to be instead replaced with warm, tanned skin, full lips, long, long legs, high cheekbones, lean muscles and red-streaked hair flayed out on his pillow.
***
Kibum was in the shower and Jonghyun was getting dressed when he heard the phone ring. He ran to the kitchen, almost tripping over Roo, to catch the call.
“Hello?”
“Hey, it’s me,” the voice of his sister greeted him.
“Hey,” Jonghyun said, wondering why his sister had suddenly decided to call him.
“How are you?”
“Good.”
“Tired?”
“No?” Jonghyun frowned to himself. It wasn’t unlike his sister to call him randomly, but somehow something felt off this time.
“Mm,” she hummed strangely, as though considering something. “Listen, I’ll cut to the point here. I’m calling about Key.”
Jonghyun could only roll his eyes: seriously? Sure they were siblings so it didn’t surprise him that she would be interested in him, but really, even for his sister that was a bit blunt.
“I knew you’d like him,” he said in a low voice, thinking out loud.
“Well, yeah, but that’s not... what I meant.”
Jonghyun was confused.
“What then?”
“I was just wondering... are you together?”
The blond choked on the air he was breathing. Was she psychic?
“What? How...” was all Jonghyun could utter. It didn’t even cross his mind to deny it.
“Jonghyun,” she said and made of point of sighing audibly, “you look at him as if you want to eat him alive. I’m your sister. I notice things - not that you were very subtle.”
Jonghyun was too dumbstruck to say anything. A part of him couldn’t believe he was really having this conversation and another part of him was going over their get-together at the café, trying to figure out what could have possibly given him away.
“And I called two nights ago, and last night again,” she continued when the other remained silent, “but you didn’t pick up. I assumed you were busy and apparently, I guessed right.”
“Woah there,” the boy replied, promptly regaining his ability to voice words. A soft blush was creeping up his cheeks and he was thankful that she couldn’t see him. “What if I was sleeping?”
“Oh so you didn’t get lucky?”
“What? No! Wait-”
“Which is it, then?”
The boy’s face was now completely flushed as only a grumble of words could be heard from Jonghyun’s end of the line.
“I was actually sleeping two nights ago...” he mumbled, this sentence more audible than the rest.
“He’s hot,” she interrupted and Jonghyun could hear her smile through her tone. “Keep him, he’s good for you. You seem really happy.”
Jonghyun stayed still for a moment, absorbed in his thoughts. To be honest, he was having a hard time remembering what his life had been like before meeting Kibum. He wasn’t sure if he wanted to remember it, either.
Key walked into the kitchen with wet hair falling into his eyes, studded piercings poking through the sleek black locks. He was wearing one of Jonghyun’s washed-out t-shirts and the blond could only smile when the boy looked at him inquisitively.
“I am.”
“Such a love-struck puppy,” she teased affectionately and her brother couldn’t even retort, because she was right. “Now put your boyfriend on the line, I want to talk to him.”
“Don’t scare him away,” Jonghyun warned, not entirely kidding.
“So little faith in me...” she spoke mockingly. “Just put him on, will you?”
The blond sighed and handed the phone to a perplexed but curious Kibum who took it right away.
Jonghyun decided to make some lunch (eggs, this time, because he felt bad always feeding Key the same old soggy ramyeon) and tried his best to eavesdrop on their conversation. He didn’t get much out of it, though, because most of the time Key would only reply with yes or no, his sister doing all the talking (she was studying to become a lawyer, after all).
When Jonghyun burned his second egg, Kibum hung up the phone and walked up to him, placing his chin on the shorter boy’s shoulder.
“I think they’re over-cooked...” was the first thing he said.
“It’s the intention that counts,” the blond replied easily.
Kibum leaned in to peck him on the cheek.
“And I appreciate it, yeobo,” he said before bumping his hip against Jonghyun’s to push him aside, “but I’ll cook.”
The elder handed over the spatula willingly, hoping that Key was a better cook than him. Then again, that wasn’t a hard feat.
“What did she want?” Jonghyun asked, curious as to what his sister could have possibly wanted to talk about. He had a feeling it would be embarrassing.
“Nothing much,” Key said with a shrug and frowned, “but it got weird when she asked me if you were good in bed.”
Silence.
“I said yes.”
Another silence.
“And she said that if you ever hurt me, she’d castrate you.”
“Well, that’s...” Jonghyun mused, still processing Kibum’s sentence, “good to know.”
“I like her,” Kibum admitted with a small smile.
“What about me?”
The younger boy's smile grew even wider as he threw Jonghyun a glance over his shoulder.
“I like you, too.”
It went without saying that Kibum’s cooking was much better than Jonghyun’s. The boys ate and pondered what to do for the rest of the day since they had it off. They ended up going to see a movie and Kibum had insisted on paying, claiming that it wasn’t fair to Jonghyun otherwise. Besides, he wasn’t a girl.
They fooled around throughout the movie, giggling at each other’s stupid comments, more than once inhaling their drinks through their noses and breaking into coughing fits only to make the other laugh even louder. Sometimes, Jonghyun had this urge to lean forward and kiss Kibum, to press him hard into his seat but he fought against it, biting his lip instead. He did however let his hand travel up the boy’s thigh.
By the end of the movie, Jonghyun couldn’t recall most of the plot, but it didn’t matter because what he could remember were Key’s lame jokes, the way his eyes lit up when he smiled and the way his lips curled into delicious looking smirks. To onlookers, they looked like a pair of bubbly - and stylishly eccentric - teenagers.
That was when Jonghyun realized that beneath all the blatant physical attraction, Kibum was more than just a lover. He was a genuine friend.
They wandered about the busy city with no particular destination in mind and it proved to be no less entertaining. Jonghyun lost count of the number of times Kibum clutched his arm or leaned on his shoulder for support as he caught his breath because he was laughing too much. Occasionally, they would get strange looks from passer-bys and it only made them giggle even more as they clutched onto each other all the more tighter.
There was one passer-by that stopped and smiled at them though.
“Kibum?” a young but tall man said. He had long orange-ish hair, not unlike an idol’s.
Key froze, eyes widening at once as he took in the person they had run into. He didn’t let go of Jonghyun’s arm.
“Dongwoon?” the black-haired boy asked while the blond kept glancing between them, obviously missing something.
“It’s good to see you,” the tall boy said with a friendly smile. “It’s been a while.”
Jonghyun was expecting Kibum to release him but instead felt him tighten his grip slightly on his arm.
“Jjong, this is Dongwoon,” Kibum said quickly, gesturing between them before the outsider could place another word. “Dongwoon, Jonghyun.”
The blond bowed in greeting, wondering how he should introduce himself.
“I’m his... friend,” he settled on. Kibum seemed a bit relieved.
“Cool. I’m his childhood friend from back in Daegu, right Kibum?” Dongwoon said with a big grin. Key nodded. “Though we haven’t talked much since you left.”
Jonghyun was a bit puzzled by the boy’s statement but let it go: it didn’t feel like the right time to ask questions.
“Yeah, I know, but I’ve been busy,” Kibum said.
“Did you find a job?”
“Yeah,” the black-haired boy said, patting Jonghyun’s arm before letting his hand fall to his side. “We’re in a musical together.”
“A musical? That’s great!” the other said. “I’d love to come and watch.”
“We have a performance tomorrow night,” the elder suggested. He didn’t see why not - Dongwoon seemed like a nice guy.
“I’ll call you later to tell you when and where exactly,” Key spoke quickly when his friend nodded. “Still the same phone number?”
“Alright - and yes,” the bright-haired boy agreed. “So, how are things?”
“Good.”
“How’s your grandma?”
“She’s fine now.”
“Really? I’m glad.”
There was a short silence and Jonghyun felt kind-hearted - probably a side effect of having spent an afternoon laughing with Key hanging off his arm - so he offered Dongwoon to join them for dinner at a restaurant.
“I’m sorry, I have something tonight. But call me, Kibum, alright?”
They parted after short goodbyes, Dongwoon rushing off to wherever he needed to be. Kibum was much more quiet all of a sudden and it somehow bothered Jonghyun. For the life of him, he couldn’t figure out why the boy was suddenly keeping to himself. He settled on small talk to get the other talking again.
“So...”
“Hmm?” The boy’s eyes swept furtively across the blond’s face before focusing on the path beneath their feet again.
“When was the last time you saw Dongwoon?”
Jonghyun didn’t really know why he asked that, specifically. He just wanted to start a conversation and was quite curious about the boy who claimed to be an old friend of Key.
“A year ago,” the younger boy said. “He went to school with me.”
“In Seoul?”
“Yeah, but we met in Daegu.”
Jonghyun nodded to himself as they fell silent once again. His thoughts then drifted to Kibum’s unmentioned grandmother and in an attempt to salvage their conversation, he inquired about her, hoping it wasn’t a sensitive topic.
“Was your grandmother sick?” The blond had deduced this much from the old friends’ dialogue.
“Yeah,” Key answered rather meekly and Jonghyun instantly felt bad for asking. It obviously brought back bad memories.
“I’m sorry for asking, you just never talked about her,” he added, using a sweet tone that didn’t sound reproachful in the least. He wasn’t blaming Kibum for it or anything; he simply understood.
“I know. She’s still in Daegu,” the boy explained, “but she’s fine now.”
“Oh. We could go visit her if you like?”
A smile swept across the younger boy’s lips as he turned to face the elder, pecking his cheek swiftly because they were in a public place.
“Yeobo, you’re so cute,” he said, making Jonghyun smile like an idiot, “but no, it’s okay. I call her often enough. Besides, I’m not going to drag you all the way to Daegu for a day just to meet my gran.”
“Why not? I’ve never been to Daegu,” the blond spoke with big round eyes. Kibum rolled his own at Jonghyun’s ridiculous impersonation of a talking puppy. A talking puppy with a bleached-blond fringe and a studded jacket.
“It’s a boring city. I’d rather visit London - or Tokyo,” the boy said, sticking out his pink tongue to humour the blond boy, who stuck his own thick pink one back out like the kid he was.
Previous || Next
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A/N: I still don’t have a name for Jonghyun’s sister. Hence, she shall be known as “his sister”. Abrupt end is abrupt but yeah, the chapter was getting long xD. Thank you for reading!
Also, I actually wrote that last scene a long time ago, before Paris and Japan and London. I’m psychic!
Random link: I love Key's shirt here.
Rating: R
Genre: Rock musical!AU, Romance & Drama
Disclaimer: I wish.
Summary: When Onew leaves the Korean production of RoA, Jonghyun is promoted to lead singer in his place and a new actor is also hired. Sparks fly, drama ensues - Rock & Roll.
Rock and roll, hey
Don't you know, baby, we're all alone now
Give me something to sing about.
- Paramore, Crushcrushcrush
Prologue || 1 || 2 || 3 || 4 || 5 || 6 || 7 || 8 || 9 || 10 || 11 || 12 || Epilogue
__________________
Rock My World - Chapter 6
When Jonghyun woke up the next morning, it was to the sound of Kibum’s low chuckles and to the feel of his warm breath on his neck.
“I think we need to use your laptop again,” he spoke into the blond’s ear. Jonghyun frowned and turned his head towards the other who was still laughing quietly. Kibum merely pointed towards the foot of the bed and the elder’s eyes widened at once.
“Roo!” he scolded and he tossed the bed sheets to the side and lunged - still very much half-naked - for the puppy. She was playing with a small tube and had made a mess of the sticky substance leaking out of it. Key only laughed louder when Jonghyun fought with the growling dog to pull the bottle of lube out of her mouth - by the looks of it, she had almost emptied it.
Jonghyun looked at his soiled sheets and at his puppy’s sticky fur and sighed, his shoulders drooping.
“I knew we shouldn’t have gotten the flavoured one,” he mumbled.
“You said you liked cherry.”
“So does Roo.”
Kibum laughed again and crawled up to the blond, placing a small peck to his shoulder.
“I’ll wash the dog,” he said as he picked up the pup. “You change the sheets.”
Key soon found out that Roo didn’t particularly enjoy being scrubbed clean in a sink. He liked cute things, and Roo was definitely cute, but he was only doing this because it was Jonghyun’s dog. He was really beginning to wonder why the elder even had a dog when the blond walked into the bathroom, just in time to see the pup shake her soaked fur and spray Key’s topless form.
“Why do you even have a dog?” Kibum almost growled as he wrapped Roo in a towel. She was trying to lick his face when he felt a pair of hands settle on his bare hips.
“I was lonely.”
He turned around and was faced with a smiling Jonghyun, who then leaned in to kiss him, squeezing Roo between their chests. When he pulled away, Key was a bit short of breath and Jonghyun carefully took the puppy from his arms to place her on the floor before pulling the younger boy into the shower, only to kiss him some more.
Key left an hour later to go home and prepare for the show that evening. Jonghyun waved goodbye and felt something weighing down on his chest - he would miss running his hands through his styled hair and over those glossy pants backstage, but it was for the best. Besides, once back at Jonghyun’s apartment they were free to do as they pleased.
Jonghyun gave a better performance that night - and he was all the more thankful for it after having heard what sounded like his mother and sister screaming cheers in the audience. He also noticed the strange looks Jino and Jessica were giving Key. He had sort of figured a while ago that Jino wasn’t exactly fond of the boy, but to see Jessica stare at him with such dislike in her eyes angered him. She had no right to.
The lead rushed out of his costume and make up to meet his family at the artists’ entrance after the performance - he had spotted his parents and his sister in the auditorium while bowing at the end. His mother hugged him, followed by his sister and his father gave him a pat on the back.
“You did great,” his sister said with a smile. “I like the new song.”
His family didn’t go all that often, but they had seen enough of his performances to notice the altered scenes and script as well as the new cast.
“And I like the new singer,” she continued and Jonghyun didn’t need a hint to know who she was talking about (she was his sister after all). “You two are great together.”
He may or may not have blushed.
“Thanks, noona.”
He was too busy admiring his shoes to notice the knowing glint in her eyes - and to notice Key walk out behind him. Never before had Jonghyun seen his sister bow down so fast.
“You must be Key, yes?” she asked with a wide and almost too welcoming smile that made Jonghyun a bit wary.
“I am,” the boy said simply, moving to stand beside Jonghyun and looking at him expectantly.
“This is my sister,” the blond explained with a gesture, “and my parents.”
Key bowed and greeted each of them.
“You were amazing,” Jonghyun’s mother complimented. “I hope the cast and my Jonghyun are taking good care of you.”
“They are,” he replied and the slight twitch of his lips made Jonghyun smirk.
Jessica, as she was coming out of the building, spotted the small crowd and recognized the familiar faces - Jonghyun’s heart sank when she approached them smiling a bit too widely.
“Hello Mrs. Kim, Mr. Kim,” the girl said with a steep bow. Jonghyun hadn’t missed how she had completely ignored his sister, and by the look on the latter’s face she had noticed so too and was all but pleased.
“Hi, Jessica,” his mother greeted politely. “You did well tonight, as usual,” the woman praised and her husband remained mute, only nodding slightly.
“I haven’t seen you here in a while,” Jessica continued, throwing a sideways glance at Jonghyun who could feel Kibum stiffen beside him. “Does Jjongie not invite you anymore?” the girl added with a playful, kidding tone that only irked Jonghyun even more.
Kibum frowned at the use of the nickname.
“We’ve been busy,” Jonghyun’s sister answered and her voice was firm, her tone too assertive to pass of as casual. She was visibly annoyed and, for some reason, Key took to liking her at once.
“Did you enjoy it?” Jessica spoke again, unfazed by the older girl. “Jjongie’s been working really hard.”
What the hell? Kibum thought, and he really wanted to ask why Jessica was acting so weirdly and where that stupid pet name came from but kept his mouth shut, instead choosing to glare.
“I don’t doubt it,” Jonghyun’s mother answered, polite smile still in place.
To Kibum’s chagrin, their cast mate ended up staying for a few long minutes, chatting about the show with Jonghyun’s mother because everyone else kept quiet. It was really awkward and for the life of him, Key couldn’t figure out what had happened to her. Jonghyun kept glancing at him every so often, as if he was apprehending something. He knew the younger boy well enough to expect questions. Questions he didn’t quite want to answer.
When Jessica left, Jonghyun let out a sigh of relief, his chest deflating and he invited his family and Kibum to a small café nearby partly because he had missed his family and partly because he wanted to erase that frown from the younger boy’s face. Jonghyun’s parents showered him with questions about his health and diet and sleeping habits, forgetting that he would be turning twenty one this year and instead treating him like a twelve year old. Kibum snickered when his sister asked him if he had learned to cook anything else besides ramyeon and Jonghyun couldn’t bring himself to call her out on it because it had put a smile back onto the younger boy’s lips. The blond hadn’t seen his family in a few months and it was nice to see them again, all reunited - plus Kibum. His sister seemed to like him and it made Jonghyun’s chest swell with hope; hope that she would maybe, possibly understand and support him - them.
The conversation then turned to Kibum, who so far had been a quiet presence but was now left with no other choice but to talk. He was by no means a shy person, yet Jonghyun could tell he was a bit reticent to answer some of the questions that were thrown at him. The elder couldn’t blame him; his family (especially his sister) could be quite probing.
He realized Key had never talked about his past much and Jonghyun had never really thought to ask, simply. The past was the past and the blond boy didn’t like dwelling on it - besides, he preferred getting to know Kibum as he was now than getting acquainted with who he used to be. Still, Jonghyun learned that Key’s parents were originally from Daegu but that he had been brought up in Seoul. When asked about his academic record, the younger boy also said that he didn’t really remember any of the schools he had been too all that well considering he had changed schools a lot. In the end, he decided to pursue his dreams instead of sitting in classrooms; Jonghyun smiled. He could relate to that.
“Have your parents ever been to the show?” Jonghyun’s mother inquired.
“No.”
Jonghyun wanted to ask “why” but his sister beat him to it, instead asking Kibum about his favourite boy and girl groups. When Key started talking about the latter, the blond couldn’t help but add “You should see him dance” which made his sister cock an interested eyebrow.
It was almost midnight when they parted and Jonghyun’s mother had hugged both boys tightly, wishing them a good night and making her son promise to call her more often. Even his sister hugged them both, too, and his father shook Kibum’s hand. The black-haired boy seemed happy - the sight made Jonghyun feel at peace.
Key didn’t accompany the elder home that night because they were both so tired and needed to sleep before the next day’s show. It was only once Jonghyun had entered his apartment, alone (save for the small puppy), that he remembered their encounter with Jessica outside the theatre. He cringed at the memory because really, it wasn’t a pleasant one. He could only hope Kibum would forget all about it, but a part of him knew better than to hope for that.
The next day’s show went smoothly; Jonghyun’s voice was back to its normal brilliance and the audience seemed to enjoy the spectacle. Jessica was completely ignoring him. He was more than fine with that.
Kibum wasn’t. His eyes kept trailing after the girl when he thought no one would notice, as he was still trying to work out her behaviour the previous night. She knew Jonghyun’s parents? Granted they must have been regular visitors, but she had seemed familiar with them. Awkwardly familiar, but familiar nonetheless.
They were both sitting on Jonghyun’s black leather couch with the television on when Key couldn’t take it anymore and let the question slip from his lips.
“Why does Jessica know your parents?”
Jonghyun stayed stiff for a while, eyes still and fixed on the flashing screen. He couldn’t say he hadn’t been expecting it. Kibum deserved to know and he wanted to be honest even though it wouldn’t do much good. Kibum deserved to know.
“Jessica...” the half-blond boy started, tearing his gaze from the television to look straight into Key’s brown eyes, “Jessica and I, we sort of dated. Before.”
The black-haired boy didn’t move, didn’t even blink and Jonghyun’s heart started picking up its pace.
“It was nothing,” the elder added, feeling the need to explain himself. “Only a few dates. I didn’t really like her, it didn’t work out. I didn’t tell you because it meant nothing to me.”
Kibum’s expression was hard to read. The boy frowned and Jonghyun wanted nothing more than to reach out and smooth the creases between his eyebrows but he kept himself still. Jonghyun had never meant to deliberately keep things from him. It seemed like an entire hour had passed with them sitting stiffly on the couch when suddenly, the younger’s expression softened.
“Why didn’t you tell me before if it meant nothing?” he asked softly.
His tone wasn’t cross or even reproaching in the least, and that was what had Jonghyun feeling guilty the most.
“I’m sorry,” he said quickly. “I’m really sorry, I should have told you.”
Kibum stayed silent, playing with his fingers as he looked down at them like a confused child. The sight pained Jonghyun, who promptly scooted over to him and placed a warm hand beneath his chin to tilt it upwards.
“I’m sorry.”
They looked at each other for a short moment, the elder’s hand unmoving. Kibum’s eyes were dark yet soft as they seemed to search Jonghyun’s.
“It’s okay,” Key finally spoke. “I trust you,” he added, almost mumbling, as an afterthought.
Jonghyun felt the weight in his chest lighten at once, promising himself that he would work hard to give Kibum every reason to trust him in the future. He leaned in to kiss the younger boy and pushed away the thought that he didn’t deserve such kindness.
“I’m serious, though,” Jonghyun said after breaking the kiss to plead his case some more, “I really didn’t think to tell you because it’s not important - to me. I’m sorry.”
“Shut up.”
Kibum grabbed the front of his shirt a little forcefully to claim his lips once more and pretty soon, all thoughts of Jessica completely left Jonghyun’s brain to be instead replaced with warm, tanned skin, full lips, long, long legs, high cheekbones, lean muscles and red-streaked hair flayed out on his pillow.
***
Kibum was in the shower and Jonghyun was getting dressed when he heard the phone ring. He ran to the kitchen, almost tripping over Roo, to catch the call.
“Hello?”
“Hey, it’s me,” the voice of his sister greeted him.
“Hey,” Jonghyun said, wondering why his sister had suddenly decided to call him.
“How are you?”
“Good.”
“Tired?”
“No?” Jonghyun frowned to himself. It wasn’t unlike his sister to call him randomly, but somehow something felt off this time.
“Mm,” she hummed strangely, as though considering something. “Listen, I’ll cut to the point here. I’m calling about Key.”
Jonghyun could only roll his eyes: seriously? Sure they were siblings so it didn’t surprise him that she would be interested in him, but really, even for his sister that was a bit blunt.
“I knew you’d like him,” he said in a low voice, thinking out loud.
“Well, yeah, but that’s not... what I meant.”
Jonghyun was confused.
“What then?”
“I was just wondering... are you together?”
The blond choked on the air he was breathing. Was she psychic?
“What? How...” was all Jonghyun could utter. It didn’t even cross his mind to deny it.
“Jonghyun,” she said and made of point of sighing audibly, “you look at him as if you want to eat him alive. I’m your sister. I notice things - not that you were very subtle.”
Jonghyun was too dumbstruck to say anything. A part of him couldn’t believe he was really having this conversation and another part of him was going over their get-together at the café, trying to figure out what could have possibly given him away.
“And I called two nights ago, and last night again,” she continued when the other remained silent, “but you didn’t pick up. I assumed you were busy and apparently, I guessed right.”
“Woah there,” the boy replied, promptly regaining his ability to voice words. A soft blush was creeping up his cheeks and he was thankful that she couldn’t see him. “What if I was sleeping?”
“Oh so you didn’t get lucky?”
“What? No! Wait-”
“Which is it, then?”
The boy’s face was now completely flushed as only a grumble of words could be heard from Jonghyun’s end of the line.
“I was actually sleeping two nights ago...” he mumbled, this sentence more audible than the rest.
“He’s hot,” she interrupted and Jonghyun could hear her smile through her tone. “Keep him, he’s good for you. You seem really happy.”
Jonghyun stayed still for a moment, absorbed in his thoughts. To be honest, he was having a hard time remembering what his life had been like before meeting Kibum. He wasn’t sure if he wanted to remember it, either.
Key walked into the kitchen with wet hair falling into his eyes, studded piercings poking through the sleek black locks. He was wearing one of Jonghyun’s washed-out t-shirts and the blond could only smile when the boy looked at him inquisitively.
“I am.”
“Such a love-struck puppy,” she teased affectionately and her brother couldn’t even retort, because she was right. “Now put your boyfriend on the line, I want to talk to him.”
“Don’t scare him away,” Jonghyun warned, not entirely kidding.
“So little faith in me...” she spoke mockingly. “Just put him on, will you?”
The blond sighed and handed the phone to a perplexed but curious Kibum who took it right away.
Jonghyun decided to make some lunch (eggs, this time, because he felt bad always feeding Key the same old soggy ramyeon) and tried his best to eavesdrop on their conversation. He didn’t get much out of it, though, because most of the time Key would only reply with yes or no, his sister doing all the talking (she was studying to become a lawyer, after all).
When Jonghyun burned his second egg, Kibum hung up the phone and walked up to him, placing his chin on the shorter boy’s shoulder.
“I think they’re over-cooked...” was the first thing he said.
“It’s the intention that counts,” the blond replied easily.
Kibum leaned in to peck him on the cheek.
“And I appreciate it, yeobo,” he said before bumping his hip against Jonghyun’s to push him aside, “but I’ll cook.”
The elder handed over the spatula willingly, hoping that Key was a better cook than him. Then again, that wasn’t a hard feat.
“What did she want?” Jonghyun asked, curious as to what his sister could have possibly wanted to talk about. He had a feeling it would be embarrassing.
“Nothing much,” Key said with a shrug and frowned, “but it got weird when she asked me if you were good in bed.”
Silence.
“I said yes.”
Another silence.
“And she said that if you ever hurt me, she’d castrate you.”
“Well, that’s...” Jonghyun mused, still processing Kibum’s sentence, “good to know.”
“I like her,” Kibum admitted with a small smile.
“What about me?”
The younger boy's smile grew even wider as he threw Jonghyun a glance over his shoulder.
“I like you, too.”
It went without saying that Kibum’s cooking was much better than Jonghyun’s. The boys ate and pondered what to do for the rest of the day since they had it off. They ended up going to see a movie and Kibum had insisted on paying, claiming that it wasn’t fair to Jonghyun otherwise. Besides, he wasn’t a girl.
They fooled around throughout the movie, giggling at each other’s stupid comments, more than once inhaling their drinks through their noses and breaking into coughing fits only to make the other laugh even louder. Sometimes, Jonghyun had this urge to lean forward and kiss Kibum, to press him hard into his seat but he fought against it, biting his lip instead. He did however let his hand travel up the boy’s thigh.
By the end of the movie, Jonghyun couldn’t recall most of the plot, but it didn’t matter because what he could remember were Key’s lame jokes, the way his eyes lit up when he smiled and the way his lips curled into delicious looking smirks. To onlookers, they looked like a pair of bubbly - and stylishly eccentric - teenagers.
That was when Jonghyun realized that beneath all the blatant physical attraction, Kibum was more than just a lover. He was a genuine friend.
They wandered about the busy city with no particular destination in mind and it proved to be no less entertaining. Jonghyun lost count of the number of times Kibum clutched his arm or leaned on his shoulder for support as he caught his breath because he was laughing too much. Occasionally, they would get strange looks from passer-bys and it only made them giggle even more as they clutched onto each other all the more tighter.
There was one passer-by that stopped and smiled at them though.
“Kibum?” a young but tall man said. He had long orange-ish hair, not unlike an idol’s.
Key froze, eyes widening at once as he took in the person they had run into. He didn’t let go of Jonghyun’s arm.
“Dongwoon?” the black-haired boy asked while the blond kept glancing between them, obviously missing something.
“It’s good to see you,” the tall boy said with a friendly smile. “It’s been a while.”
Jonghyun was expecting Kibum to release him but instead felt him tighten his grip slightly on his arm.
“Jjong, this is Dongwoon,” Kibum said quickly, gesturing between them before the outsider could place another word. “Dongwoon, Jonghyun.”
The blond bowed in greeting, wondering how he should introduce himself.
“I’m his... friend,” he settled on. Kibum seemed a bit relieved.
“Cool. I’m his childhood friend from back in Daegu, right Kibum?” Dongwoon said with a big grin. Key nodded. “Though we haven’t talked much since you left.”
Jonghyun was a bit puzzled by the boy’s statement but let it go: it didn’t feel like the right time to ask questions.
“Yeah, I know, but I’ve been busy,” Kibum said.
“Did you find a job?”
“Yeah,” the black-haired boy said, patting Jonghyun’s arm before letting his hand fall to his side. “We’re in a musical together.”
“A musical? That’s great!” the other said. “I’d love to come and watch.”
“We have a performance tomorrow night,” the elder suggested. He didn’t see why not - Dongwoon seemed like a nice guy.
“I’ll call you later to tell you when and where exactly,” Key spoke quickly when his friend nodded. “Still the same phone number?”
“Alright - and yes,” the bright-haired boy agreed. “So, how are things?”
“Good.”
“How’s your grandma?”
“She’s fine now.”
“Really? I’m glad.”
There was a short silence and Jonghyun felt kind-hearted - probably a side effect of having spent an afternoon laughing with Key hanging off his arm - so he offered Dongwoon to join them for dinner at a restaurant.
“I’m sorry, I have something tonight. But call me, Kibum, alright?”
They parted after short goodbyes, Dongwoon rushing off to wherever he needed to be. Kibum was much more quiet all of a sudden and it somehow bothered Jonghyun. For the life of him, he couldn’t figure out why the boy was suddenly keeping to himself. He settled on small talk to get the other talking again.
“So...”
“Hmm?” The boy’s eyes swept furtively across the blond’s face before focusing on the path beneath their feet again.
“When was the last time you saw Dongwoon?”
Jonghyun didn’t really know why he asked that, specifically. He just wanted to start a conversation and was quite curious about the boy who claimed to be an old friend of Key.
“A year ago,” the younger boy said. “He went to school with me.”
“In Seoul?”
“Yeah, but we met in Daegu.”
Jonghyun nodded to himself as they fell silent once again. His thoughts then drifted to Kibum’s unmentioned grandmother and in an attempt to salvage their conversation, he inquired about her, hoping it wasn’t a sensitive topic.
“Was your grandmother sick?” The blond had deduced this much from the old friends’ dialogue.
“Yeah,” Key answered rather meekly and Jonghyun instantly felt bad for asking. It obviously brought back bad memories.
“I’m sorry for asking, you just never talked about her,” he added, using a sweet tone that didn’t sound reproachful in the least. He wasn’t blaming Kibum for it or anything; he simply understood.
“I know. She’s still in Daegu,” the boy explained, “but she’s fine now.”
“Oh. We could go visit her if you like?”
A smile swept across the younger boy’s lips as he turned to face the elder, pecking his cheek swiftly because they were in a public place.
“Yeobo, you’re so cute,” he said, making Jonghyun smile like an idiot, “but no, it’s okay. I call her often enough. Besides, I’m not going to drag you all the way to Daegu for a day just to meet my gran.”
“Why not? I’ve never been to Daegu,” the blond spoke with big round eyes. Kibum rolled his own at Jonghyun’s ridiculous impersonation of a talking puppy. A talking puppy with a bleached-blond fringe and a studded jacket.
“It’s a boring city. I’d rather visit London - or Tokyo,” the boy said, sticking out his pink tongue to humour the blond boy, who stuck his own thick pink one back out like the kid he was.
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A/N: I still don’t have a name for Jonghyun’s sister. Hence, she shall be known as “his sister”. Abrupt end is abrupt but yeah, the chapter was getting long xD. Thank you for reading!
Also, I actually wrote that last scene a long time ago, before Paris and Japan and London. I’m psychic!
Random link: I love Key's shirt here.