Ignis 19/?
Title: Ignis/Chapter 19 - "We Need To Talk"
Author: kaybee38
Rating: PG-15
Word count: 3,875
Pairings: friendship!Jonghyun/Onew, Minho/Onew, Taemin/Sulli, eventual!JongKey, broken!Minho/Yuri
Genre: fantasy, sci-fi, boys kissing
Disclaimer: SHINee, Super Junior, DBSK and f(x) are owned by SM Entertainment only
Summary: Teneo are humans that live among us that have a genetic mutation that gives them the ability to live on indefinitely. They each have unique abilities and they don't physically age past 25. They all lead double lives since their "gifts" are a secret, some not even realizing that there are others like them. But someone has found a way to kill them. Jonghyun, with the help of a covert society has been secretly trying to warn and protect as many of his kind as he can before it's too late. Onew, Minho, Taemin and Sulli all end up joining forces with him to try to track down the killer before they can strike again. The bonds that grow between them along with their powers might be enough to save them, but the killer is closer to them than they realize.
A/N: I’m back and I feel much better. Thanks so much for all the well wishes! Ok this chapter is a mashup (Durarara-style) of almost all of the characters along with some plot twists. Sulli’s mad, Taemin’s confused, Minho’s pissed, Heechul’s flustered, Q’s a flirt, Jonghyun’s annoyed, Onew’s got a new attitude, and Key is plotting something. It's a long one, so sit back and enjoy.
Prologue [1] [2] [3] [4] [5] [6] [7] [8] [9] [10] [11] [12] [13] [14] [15] [16] [17] [18]
Chapter 19 - “We Need To Talk”
The bell rang after 4th period and Taemin headed towards the cafeteria. On his way he spotted Sulli talking with a few other upperclassmen girls and stopped in his tracks. They hadn’t really spoken since he kissed her 2 weeks prior, Taemin just couldn’t find the right words to say after his rather hormonal outburst. Now it was almost like…no…she really was avoiding him.
“Hey Sulli. Um…can I talk to you for a minute?” Taemin’s hand squeezed Sulli’s elbow gently.
Sulli’s smile faltered a moment as she turned to look at him.
“About what?”
Taemin looked at her as if to say,“Come on, you know about what.”
Sulli stared at Taemin a moment before she sighed, “Guys, I’ll catch up to you later.”
Sulli moved around Taemin and started walking towards the cafeteria, he quickly sped up so he could walk beside her.
“What do you want?” she snapped.
“Sulli…I…just. We need to talk.”
“We’re talking. What do you want?” Sulli said annoyed, not slowing her pace any.
“Well about what happened…”
“What are you talking about?” Sulli feigned ignorance, but her cheeks flushed and she stopped in the middle of the hallway so abruptly, Taemin’s loafers skidded a little across the linoleum as he tried to stop.
“The library…when we…when I…” Taemin was clearly not comfortable, he shoved one hand in his pocket and the other absentmindedly went to the back of his head and scratched a bit, forcing his backpack up on shoulder further.
“What Taemin? When we what?”
“Will you STOP cutting me off!” Taemin pulled Sulli by her elbow over by a row of lockers so the whole hallway didn’t have to hear their conversation. He didn’t let go of her arm for fear she’d make good on her facial expression and run off.
“I’m sorry. Look. I like you, I really like you ok? I know I’m not that good at showing it…”
“No. You suck at it actually…” Sulli said, arms crossed. Taemin’s cheeks were flush at this point.
“Sulli!” He stomped his foot.
“Sorry.” She rolled her eyes.
Taemin pinched the bridge of his nose, closed his eyes and sighed.
“I never really knew how I felt about you until I saw you looking at that Minho guy and then I guess I got…I don’t know…”
“Jealous?” Sulli hid her smirk well.
“Y-yeah.” The boy looked defeated. “Yeah, I guess so.” Taemin looked back up at her sheepishly.
“So what you’re saying is, I wasn’t important enough to you until you felt threatened by someone else.” Sulli’s eyes narrowed.
“What?” Taemin’s eyes snapped up to hers, confused. “Wait. No!”
Taemin was stunned. Sulli had never spoken to him like this before. She was usually almost as shy as Taemin. They’d always quietly flirted, fingers brushing, lingering looks and touches, quiet whispers, a careful sweep of fingers through hair but neither had seemed to be able to move beyond where they were. Each tethered by the fear of embarrassment or heartbreak, so things stayed as they were. Until the day his resolve snapped, and he kissed her.
“No. I just…”
“Taemin Lee, I will not allow you to toy with my emotions anymore.” Sulli glared at him.
“You can’t just kiss someone like you kissed me and then act like nothing happened. Like it was no big deal. It’s not fair!”
All of her pent up emotions over the past 2 weeks had her reeling, but Sulli willed herself not to cry with every fiber of her being. Taemin was rendered speechless and could only blink rapidly, his mouth opening and closing like a fish out of water. This was not the reaction he expected after he confessed.
“Sulli. I don’t understand. I just told you I liked you. What’s wrong?”
“What’s wrong?” Sulli spun on her toes and completely closed the distance so that Taemin was backed up against the lockers; heart racing as she lowered her voice almost to a whisper.
“I almost died, and in the hospital I realized that life is too short to spend waiting around for the things you want, the experiences you want, or the people you love to come to you.”
By the time Taemin had recovered from her words, all he could see was Sulli’s long hair flying behind her as she rounded the corner to the cafeteria.
Love?
Taemin’s phone buzzed then, waking him out of his trance.
Uncle O: Meet me at the diner by Minho’s bookstore after school. It’s IMPORTANT!
Minho sat waiting on the park bench for close to thirty minutes absentmindedly feeding the ducks with stale bread he slowly was ripping to shreds with his fingers, before tossing them haphazardly into the pond. It was cool out for early fall, and he wrapped his long navy chunky knit scarf around his neck tighter, covering the lower part of his face as he did so, sliding his tweed newsboy cap lower on his head. He shivered suddenly, not from the weather, but from a sudden drop in temperature brought on by a familiar presence behind him.
“Mr. Shim, how have you been?” Minho asked, without even turning around.
Minho felt the wooden slats of the bench dip a bit as the man took a seat on the other end.
“I’m well Minho, and you?”
A creature of habit, Minho wasn’t fond of breaking routine, but when his old mentor had called him out of the blue for one of their “meetings” he dropped what he was doing and came. He was indebted to this man. Changmin Shim had saved his life after all.
“They found him you know. They think he’s close by.”
Changmin looked sharply in his direction but said nothing, urging Minho to continue with his persistent gaze.
“Leader Jonghyun wants to kill him and…”
“Leader?” Changmin couldn’t believe what he was hearing.
Tell me you didn’t.
Changmin suddenly reached for Minho’s left arm, tugging up the sleeve harshly to reveal the silver armilla. He closed his eyes and sighed disappointedly, his shoulders dropping as he dropped Minho’s arm.
“Why, Minho?”
“I-I didn’t want to look suspicious. And they just sprung it on me and Onew, what was I supposed to do? I just…”
“Wait. What did you just say?”
“They sprung it on us.”
“Us who Minho?” Changmin had slid across the bench and was all in Minho’s personal space now.
“Me and Onew. The other new teneo in the group.” Minho said flailing a bit. Changmin looked as if he'd seen a ghost.
“Why? Do you know him?” Minho was curious now.
“Not directly. I knew…I knew his family.” Changmin said quietly.
I knew his mother.
“His mother? How?” Minho sat straight up then remembering the time he had been allowed to probe Onew’s mind. There was never a biological mother present. “He doesn’t even know his own mother how…”
“Stop it Minho.” Changmin pointed a long index finger at Minho and shot him a look that stated very clearly that he didn’t appreciate having his thoughts read without permission.
“I’m sorry. But you’re pretty intense right now, it was hard not to.”
The elder slid back to his side of the bench, crossing his long legs and running a hand through his short brown locks before rubbing his chin, deep I thought. Without reading Changmin’s mind Minho could tell that the man was internally struggling with something.
I can tell that you want to tell me something. I’ll respect your privacy though and wait for you to tell me. Minho said to his elder telepathically.
Changmin turned to look at Minho long and hard, before he sighed again.
“You can’t let them kill Kibum, Minho. Yunho wants him.” Minho’s eyes went wide and his eyebrows pushed into his hairline.
“Okaaaay…Um…and how am I supposed to do that, since I’m now a card carrying member of the organization that has sworn to assassinate the man?”
“I never told you to do that Minho.” Changmin’s eyes narrowed ever so slightly. It was Minho’s turn to sigh then, as he stared at the ground, wide-eyed and unblinking hoping the pavement might give him another option.
“Alright. I’ll do what you ask. I can make it look like he’s dead, but just realize that I might end up on a stretcher next to him.” Minho said leaning forward and resting his elbows on his knees before blowing on his hands trying to warm them a bit.
“I know it’s a lot to ask…” Changmin trailed off.
Minho looked at him suddenly.
I can feel that you’re not telling me everything.
Changmin closed his large eyes for a moment before he looked back at Minho in earnest.
“We also think Kibum killed Yuri.”
Minho physically reeled and slumped against the back of the bench as if he’d just been sucker punched in the gut by some invisible force. He shook his head violently, taking a deep breath as if he wanted to make sure he was truly lucid and that his mind wasn’t playing tricks on him.
“What?”
“I’m sorry. I’m so sorry.” Changmin shook his head apologetically, and cringed, waiting for Minho’s response. It didn’t take very long.
“Y-you knewthis..and…I trusted you.” Minho said, his voice low, angry and deep. He was shaking at this point, and not from the chill in the air.
“I loved her…shit youloved her like your own daughter!” Minho jumped to his feet and faced Changmin, forcing the older man to look up at Minho’s darkened facade.
“I did. I do. Minho it’s more complicated than you realize.”
“How complicated could it be? He killed her. We kill him!” Minho was shouting at this point.
“Jesus Minho, calm down!” Changmin jumped to his feet then looking around nervously as he did so.
“I will NOT calm down! Just like I will NOT help save the life of the man who killed my fiancé!”
“Minho please.” Changmin was speaking to the wind at Minho’s back at this point, as the younger teneo stomped off furious and hurt.
Onew jogged around the corner into the alley and slowed to a walk, trying not to look too rushed. He had nothing to be excited about. He simply wanted to help a friend out with his broken clock.
That’s what friends do right? They help each other. Right. Ok.
But as he approached the little bookstore in the alley, he realized that the lights were off and that the “Closed” sign was in the window. Onew knocked a few times, hoping, wishing, that Minho was in the back or maybe had run up to his apartment for a minute. He stepped to the right of the store and pressed the buzzer in the little doorway next to the door with security bars on it several times.
Nothing.
Where could he be?
Taemin slid onto a stool at the counter letting his bag fall from his shoulder, bounce off the stool next to him and hit the floor with a thud.
“Girl troubles?”
A friendly busboy who was wiping the counter off in front of him said. He had kind, almond-shaped eyes that reminded Taemin of a cat he used to have.
“Yeah. How did you know?” Taemin answered with a sigh.
“Because whenever guys your age get that look on their face, there’s usually a female that put it there.”
The busboy said with a smirk as he folded the rag and dropped it into the plastic tub behind him.
“How about a banana milkshake to cheer you up?”
“Thanks.” Taemin smiled then, banana milkshakes were his favorite.
The young man started to gather the ingredients to make the drink as he spoke.
“So, you wanna talk about it?”
“Well, there’s not much to talk about, I just…I confessed, I even kissed her, but now it’s like she’s mad at me or something. But she told me she loved me. I don’t get it.
“Hmmm.” The busboy said, starting the blender and thinking, as the machine’s noise paused their conversation for a minute.
“Did it all happen in that order?”
“Well, not exactly, I guess I kissed her first, and that was a couple of weeks ago, and then today…”
“I see your problem.” The boy interrupted. Taemin looked confused for a minute, but watched as the busboy carefully poured the shake into a fountain glass.
“You can’t wait that long after kissing someone to tell them how you feel.”
The busboy was facing the kitchen as he put the glass down but still held the blender pitcher absently. His voice was a bit sad suddenly, as if he was remembering something, or more specifically, someone.
“Even if they run away, you chase after them until they understand. Don’t give up that easily, otherwise you might lose them forever.”
When the busboy turned back around with the milkshake in hand, his face and voice were bright and friendly, as if nothing had happened.
Taemin thought about his words carefully, and thanked the busboy for the drink. As Taemin reached for the drink his shiny armilla slid down his wrist, hitting the side of the glass with a clink. The busboy’s eyes flashed with recognition for a moment, but he kept his face stoic as Taemin took his first sip of the shake.
“Wow this is really good.”
“Thanks. It’s one of the few cold things I can actually make well.” The busboy said smiling back, he really had a friendly face, and Taemin wished for a moment that they were the same age, so they could hang out in school together.
“I hope I helped, I don’t know how good I am with advice. But working with all these girls.." he gestured over Taemin’s shoulder.
"I get to hear a lot.”
Taemin followed his gaze, watching two other waitresses serving customers at tables as he took a sip of the shake.
“Yeah. I guess you do.”
When Taemin turned back around he saw the busboy staring at his bracelet. He quickly pushed it back up under his school uniform sleeve.
The young man knew he was caught then.
“May I ask where you got that bracelet?” He looked straight at Taemin as he spoke, still friendly, but obviously guarded.
“It was given to me.” Taemin answered. But his training had taught him well, and he knew there were only a couple of reasons why a perfect stranger would be able to recognize a Watcher’s bracelet. Either they were a Watcher themselves, or they were a Teneo seeking sanctuary.
“Oh.” Was the busboy’s curt answer, as he began to move away.
“Why? Have you seen one like it before?” Taemin asked quickly. He wanted to help the boy, who seemed to be getting more and more nervous by the second.
“Well, it’s just…um…a friend once told me, that…” He leaned in and lowered his voice as he pretended to wipe at an invisible spot on the counter. “…if I was ever in trouble, that I should look for someone with that kind of bracelet.
Taemin’s eyes widened. Was this young man a Teneo? Was he in trouble? Taemin had never brought someone into the order on his own, and he knew that he would instantly get Leader Jonghyun, Leader Heechul, and even his Uncle’s approval and respect if he, alone, was able help guide a Teneo to sanctuary.
“Really? Who was your friend?” Taemin asked.
Taemin jumped suddenly whipping his head to his right as a hand clamped onto his shoulder.
“Hey Taemin, you got here early! Wanna get a seat?” Onew stood to his right smiling that dumb smile he always wore.
When Taemin looked back to where the busboy had been standing the young man was gone.
“Taemin, I think it’s time we had a talk.” Onew began, after they sat down.
“Um…ok… about what?”
“About how you’ve been acting lately.”
“Yeah?”
Even with Taemin looking down, hair falling in his face, sipping his shake, Onew could tell Taemin was rolling his eyes.
“Yes. Now what’s going on? Why all of the animosity all of a sudden? You’re acting like one of us hurt you or something.”
Fearing the worst, and thinking back to his own sordid past, Onew’s face paled as he grabbed Taemin by the arm and made him look up at him confused.
“No one hurt you did they? At school maybe? Touched you I mean.. like?” Onew flailed his other hand in the air in a gesture that made him look like he’d injured his hand or something. Taemin’s eyes widened comically in shock, before he grimaced as he registered what his uncle was trying to say.
“Eeeewww! No Uncle Onew!”
Taemin yanked his arm away then, shuddering. Onew sighed in relief then, and studied Taemin’s face trying to figure out what could be the problem. Then he thought back to the night he’d seen Sulli in the hospital and how the two of them were holding hands.
“Is it Sulli?” Taemin looked up so quickly, that he knocked his shake a bit spilling a little over the edge.
Bingo
“Uncle, you ever realize that you really care about someone, but you just don’t know what to do to make them believe you?” Taemin asked shyly.
Onew softened then, as he thought about Minho and how he just couldn’t get him off of his mind since that day in the bookstore. He knew that he was attracted to the man, and he reasoned that Minho, being a mindreader and all, probably knew it too. That was what was making everything so difficult. That and the fact that Onew didn’t want to blow a perfectly good friendship, because he couldn’t keep his hormones in check.
“Yes, yes I do Taemin.” Onew said, nodding sadly. Taemin took that as his cue to change the subject.
“So what did you have to talk to me about so urgently that it couldn’t be handled by phone or text?”
“Oh! That. Well…um…” Onew turned flush then.
“I need your help with something.”
When Jonghyun opened the door to the study, he heard Heechul stumble away from his desk. When he looked up, Q was leaning against the desk with a smirk on his face, as Heechul turned red as he fixed his glasses and straightened his tie. Jonghyun could feel the elevated heart rates…and…well…other…elevated…things in the room and rolled his eyes.
“I’ll just…uh…I thought I heard one of the first year’s calling me. So I’ll just…” Heechul couldn’t seem to get out of the room fast enough. Jonghyun looked back at Q and grimaced.
“Do you think that maybe once you could not fuck one of my friends?”
Q stood straight up at that point, looking offended. “Why Jonghyun! I never…..”
“….never cease to amaze me I swear.” Jonghyun interrupted as he dropped his coat on a chair.
Q smiled then, as he walked towards the door.
“Noooo. That’s not what I was going to say.”
“Well what then?” Jonghyun said exasperated, crossing his arms.
“I was going to say…” He paused to push his signature dark aviators onto his face then.
“I never thought that Heechul was one of your friends.”
Q closed the door behind him quickly and laughed as the loud smack of a hardcover book was heard hitting the other side of the old wooden frame and falling to the floor with a thud.
Onew wasn’t completely sure what Taemin told the hairdresser to do, or why foil and a ring shaped light orbiting his head were involved. He waved at Taemin in the mirror trying to get his attention, when the young man looked up, Onew mouthed, “Are you sure about this?”
Taemin nodded grinning.
“I can see you, ya know.” The snarky hairdresser responded, one hand on his hip, the other holding the rat-tail application brush which he spun in his hand like a switchblade. Taemin stood quickly, coming to his Uncle’s defense.
“JoKwon please excuse my Uncle, he’s never had his hair dyed or been in an establishment as fine as yours before. He’s a newbie.” He then directed his attention to Onew in the mirror.
“Who do you think dyed my hair red Uncle? JoKwon is the best in the city.”
“Didn’t you almost get kicked out of school for that?” Onew asked, not convinced.
The hairdresser’s face softened then, and the hand on his hip flew to his chest tapping it dramatically as he spoke a mile-a-minute.
“Oh-em-gee! A virgin?! In my chair? How wonderful! Don’t worry sweetie, Kwonnie’s got you.”
And with that the hairdresser spun the chair around away from the mirror so fast, Onew thought he might bring up his chicken special lunch he’d had at the diner. An hour later, when JoKwon spun Onew back around to look at the finished result, he almost didn’t recognize himself. His long black center-parted locks were gone, having been replaced by an asymmetrical cut dyed light brown with subtle blond highlights. Parted on the side, with the longer locks hanging in his face, he looked more like a teenage idol than a 107 year-old Grand Uncle.
“Whoa Uncle! You look hot!” Taemin said excitedly, with a face-splitting smile.
“Doesn’t he? I still can’t believe you’re old enough to be his Uncle, you guys look like brothers!” JoKwon eyed Onew appreciatively as Onew stared gaping at the mirror for a couple of minutes. Apparently it was a minute too long however, and JoKwon’s face dropped as he bit his thumbnail.
“Oh no. You hate it don’t you?”
Ever so slowly, the corners of Onew’s mouth turned up into a smile so wide, that his eyes disappeared into little half moons, pupils barely visible.
“I love it.” Onew said quietly, biting his plump bottom limp, giving himself an appreciative once over in the mirror. The gesture made JoKwon gasp and flush, but before the swooning hairdresser could recover, Onew had jumped out of the chair and grabbed a stunned Taemin by the arm, dragging him out of the salon backwards so fast, he barely had time to leave JoKwon’s tip with the receptionist.
“Let’s go buy some clothes!”
A/N: Hey folks. Sorry for the wait, but I’m feeling much better. So to push the story a long a bit, I strung together a few plotlines together in this one. Y’all know who the busboy is right? Ok good. A lot isgoing to be happening in the next few chapters, so pay attention! Oh, and if you wanna know how Changmin knows Minho, go back and read Ortus: Disturbed Part1 and Part 2. That covers Minho’s backstory and what happened when he got his powers. As always, comments are love!
Author: kaybee38
Rating: PG-15
Word count: 3,875
Pairings: friendship!Jonghyun/Onew, Minho/Onew, Taemin/Sulli, eventual!JongKey, broken!Minho/Yuri
Genre: fantasy, sci-fi, boys kissing
Disclaimer: SHINee, Super Junior, DBSK and f(x) are owned by SM Entertainment only
Summary: Teneo are humans that live among us that have a genetic mutation that gives them the ability to live on indefinitely. They each have unique abilities and they don't physically age past 25. They all lead double lives since their "gifts" are a secret, some not even realizing that there are others like them. But someone has found a way to kill them. Jonghyun, with the help of a covert society has been secretly trying to warn and protect as many of his kind as he can before it's too late. Onew, Minho, Taemin and Sulli all end up joining forces with him to try to track down the killer before they can strike again. The bonds that grow between them along with their powers might be enough to save them, but the killer is closer to them than they realize.
A/N: I’m back and I feel much better. Thanks so much for all the well wishes! Ok this chapter is a mashup (Durarara-style) of almost all of the characters along with some plot twists. Sulli’s mad, Taemin’s confused, Minho’s pissed, Heechul’s flustered, Q’s a flirt, Jonghyun’s annoyed, Onew’s got a new attitude, and Key is plotting something. It's a long one, so sit back and enjoy.
Prologue [1] [2] [3] [4] [5] [6] [7] [8] [9] [10] [11] [12] [13] [14] [15] [16] [17] [18]
Chapter 19 - “We Need To Talk”
The bell rang after 4th period and Taemin headed towards the cafeteria. On his way he spotted Sulli talking with a few other upperclassmen girls and stopped in his tracks. They hadn’t really spoken since he kissed her 2 weeks prior, Taemin just couldn’t find the right words to say after his rather hormonal outburst. Now it was almost like…no…she really was avoiding him.
“Hey Sulli. Um…can I talk to you for a minute?” Taemin’s hand squeezed Sulli’s elbow gently.
Sulli’s smile faltered a moment as she turned to look at him.
“About what?”
Taemin looked at her as if to say,“Come on, you know about what.”
Sulli stared at Taemin a moment before she sighed, “Guys, I’ll catch up to you later.”
Sulli moved around Taemin and started walking towards the cafeteria, he quickly sped up so he could walk beside her.
“What do you want?” she snapped.
“Sulli…I…just. We need to talk.”
“We’re talking. What do you want?” Sulli said annoyed, not slowing her pace any.
“Well about what happened…”
“What are you talking about?” Sulli feigned ignorance, but her cheeks flushed and she stopped in the middle of the hallway so abruptly, Taemin’s loafers skidded a little across the linoleum as he tried to stop.
“The library…when we…when I…” Taemin was clearly not comfortable, he shoved one hand in his pocket and the other absentmindedly went to the back of his head and scratched a bit, forcing his backpack up on shoulder further.
“What Taemin? When we what?”
“Will you STOP cutting me off!” Taemin pulled Sulli by her elbow over by a row of lockers so the whole hallway didn’t have to hear their conversation. He didn’t let go of her arm for fear she’d make good on her facial expression and run off.
“I’m sorry. Look. I like you, I really like you ok? I know I’m not that good at showing it…”
“No. You suck at it actually…” Sulli said, arms crossed. Taemin’s cheeks were flush at this point.
“Sulli!” He stomped his foot.
“Sorry.” She rolled her eyes.
Taemin pinched the bridge of his nose, closed his eyes and sighed.
“I never really knew how I felt about you until I saw you looking at that Minho guy and then I guess I got…I don’t know…”
“Jealous?” Sulli hid her smirk well.
“Y-yeah.” The boy looked defeated. “Yeah, I guess so.” Taemin looked back up at her sheepishly.
“So what you’re saying is, I wasn’t important enough to you until you felt threatened by someone else.” Sulli’s eyes narrowed.
“What?” Taemin’s eyes snapped up to hers, confused. “Wait. No!”
Taemin was stunned. Sulli had never spoken to him like this before. She was usually almost as shy as Taemin. They’d always quietly flirted, fingers brushing, lingering looks and touches, quiet whispers, a careful sweep of fingers through hair but neither had seemed to be able to move beyond where they were. Each tethered by the fear of embarrassment or heartbreak, so things stayed as they were. Until the day his resolve snapped, and he kissed her.
“No. I just…”
“Taemin Lee, I will not allow you to toy with my emotions anymore.” Sulli glared at him.
“You can’t just kiss someone like you kissed me and then act like nothing happened. Like it was no big deal. It’s not fair!”
All of her pent up emotions over the past 2 weeks had her reeling, but Sulli willed herself not to cry with every fiber of her being. Taemin was rendered speechless and could only blink rapidly, his mouth opening and closing like a fish out of water. This was not the reaction he expected after he confessed.
“Sulli. I don’t understand. I just told you I liked you. What’s wrong?”
“What’s wrong?” Sulli spun on her toes and completely closed the distance so that Taemin was backed up against the lockers; heart racing as she lowered her voice almost to a whisper.
“I almost died, and in the hospital I realized that life is too short to spend waiting around for the things you want, the experiences you want, or the people you love to come to you.”
By the time Taemin had recovered from her words, all he could see was Sulli’s long hair flying behind her as she rounded the corner to the cafeteria.
Love?
Taemin’s phone buzzed then, waking him out of his trance.
Uncle O: Meet me at the diner by Minho’s bookstore after school. It’s IMPORTANT!
Minho sat waiting on the park bench for close to thirty minutes absentmindedly feeding the ducks with stale bread he slowly was ripping to shreds with his fingers, before tossing them haphazardly into the pond. It was cool out for early fall, and he wrapped his long navy chunky knit scarf around his neck tighter, covering the lower part of his face as he did so, sliding his tweed newsboy cap lower on his head. He shivered suddenly, not from the weather, but from a sudden drop in temperature brought on by a familiar presence behind him.
“Mr. Shim, how have you been?” Minho asked, without even turning around.
Minho felt the wooden slats of the bench dip a bit as the man took a seat on the other end.
“I’m well Minho, and you?”
A creature of habit, Minho wasn’t fond of breaking routine, but when his old mentor had called him out of the blue for one of their “meetings” he dropped what he was doing and came. He was indebted to this man. Changmin Shim had saved his life after all.
“They found him you know. They think he’s close by.”
Changmin looked sharply in his direction but said nothing, urging Minho to continue with his persistent gaze.
“Leader Jonghyun wants to kill him and…”
“Leader?” Changmin couldn’t believe what he was hearing.
Tell me you didn’t.
Changmin suddenly reached for Minho’s left arm, tugging up the sleeve harshly to reveal the silver armilla. He closed his eyes and sighed disappointedly, his shoulders dropping as he dropped Minho’s arm.
“Why, Minho?”
“I-I didn’t want to look suspicious. And they just sprung it on me and Onew, what was I supposed to do? I just…”
“Wait. What did you just say?”
“They sprung it on us.”
“Us who Minho?” Changmin had slid across the bench and was all in Minho’s personal space now.
“Me and Onew. The other new teneo in the group.” Minho said flailing a bit. Changmin looked as if he'd seen a ghost.
“Why? Do you know him?” Minho was curious now.
“Not directly. I knew…I knew his family.” Changmin said quietly.
I knew his mother.
“His mother? How?” Minho sat straight up then remembering the time he had been allowed to probe Onew’s mind. There was never a biological mother present. “He doesn’t even know his own mother how…”
“Stop it Minho.” Changmin pointed a long index finger at Minho and shot him a look that stated very clearly that he didn’t appreciate having his thoughts read without permission.
“I’m sorry. But you’re pretty intense right now, it was hard not to.”
The elder slid back to his side of the bench, crossing his long legs and running a hand through his short brown locks before rubbing his chin, deep I thought. Without reading Changmin’s mind Minho could tell that the man was internally struggling with something.
I can tell that you want to tell me something. I’ll respect your privacy though and wait for you to tell me. Minho said to his elder telepathically.
Changmin turned to look at Minho long and hard, before he sighed again.
“You can’t let them kill Kibum, Minho. Yunho wants him.” Minho’s eyes went wide and his eyebrows pushed into his hairline.
“Okaaaay…Um…and how am I supposed to do that, since I’m now a card carrying member of the organization that has sworn to assassinate the man?”
“I never told you to do that Minho.” Changmin’s eyes narrowed ever so slightly. It was Minho’s turn to sigh then, as he stared at the ground, wide-eyed and unblinking hoping the pavement might give him another option.
“Alright. I’ll do what you ask. I can make it look like he’s dead, but just realize that I might end up on a stretcher next to him.” Minho said leaning forward and resting his elbows on his knees before blowing on his hands trying to warm them a bit.
“I know it’s a lot to ask…” Changmin trailed off.
Minho looked at him suddenly.
I can feel that you’re not telling me everything.
Changmin closed his large eyes for a moment before he looked back at Minho in earnest.
“We also think Kibum killed Yuri.”
Minho physically reeled and slumped against the back of the bench as if he’d just been sucker punched in the gut by some invisible force. He shook his head violently, taking a deep breath as if he wanted to make sure he was truly lucid and that his mind wasn’t playing tricks on him.
“What?”
“I’m sorry. I’m so sorry.” Changmin shook his head apologetically, and cringed, waiting for Minho’s response. It didn’t take very long.
“Y-you knewthis..and…I trusted you.” Minho said, his voice low, angry and deep. He was shaking at this point, and not from the chill in the air.
“I loved her…shit youloved her like your own daughter!” Minho jumped to his feet and faced Changmin, forcing the older man to look up at Minho’s darkened facade.
“I did. I do. Minho it’s more complicated than you realize.”
“How complicated could it be? He killed her. We kill him!” Minho was shouting at this point.
“Jesus Minho, calm down!” Changmin jumped to his feet then looking around nervously as he did so.
“I will NOT calm down! Just like I will NOT help save the life of the man who killed my fiancé!”
“Minho please.” Changmin was speaking to the wind at Minho’s back at this point, as the younger teneo stomped off furious and hurt.
Onew jogged around the corner into the alley and slowed to a walk, trying not to look too rushed. He had nothing to be excited about. He simply wanted to help a friend out with his broken clock.
That’s what friends do right? They help each other. Right. Ok.
But as he approached the little bookstore in the alley, he realized that the lights were off and that the “Closed” sign was in the window. Onew knocked a few times, hoping, wishing, that Minho was in the back or maybe had run up to his apartment for a minute. He stepped to the right of the store and pressed the buzzer in the little doorway next to the door with security bars on it several times.
Nothing.
Where could he be?
Taemin slid onto a stool at the counter letting his bag fall from his shoulder, bounce off the stool next to him and hit the floor with a thud.
“Girl troubles?”
A friendly busboy who was wiping the counter off in front of him said. He had kind, almond-shaped eyes that reminded Taemin of a cat he used to have.
“Yeah. How did you know?” Taemin answered with a sigh.
“Because whenever guys your age get that look on their face, there’s usually a female that put it there.”
The busboy said with a smirk as he folded the rag and dropped it into the plastic tub behind him.
“How about a banana milkshake to cheer you up?”
“Thanks.” Taemin smiled then, banana milkshakes were his favorite.
The young man started to gather the ingredients to make the drink as he spoke.
“So, you wanna talk about it?”
“Well, there’s not much to talk about, I just…I confessed, I even kissed her, but now it’s like she’s mad at me or something. But she told me she loved me. I don’t get it.
“Hmmm.” The busboy said, starting the blender and thinking, as the machine’s noise paused their conversation for a minute.
“Did it all happen in that order?”
“Well, not exactly, I guess I kissed her first, and that was a couple of weeks ago, and then today…”
“I see your problem.” The boy interrupted. Taemin looked confused for a minute, but watched as the busboy carefully poured the shake into a fountain glass.
“You can’t wait that long after kissing someone to tell them how you feel.”
The busboy was facing the kitchen as he put the glass down but still held the blender pitcher absently. His voice was a bit sad suddenly, as if he was remembering something, or more specifically, someone.
“Even if they run away, you chase after them until they understand. Don’t give up that easily, otherwise you might lose them forever.”
When the busboy turned back around with the milkshake in hand, his face and voice were bright and friendly, as if nothing had happened.
Taemin thought about his words carefully, and thanked the busboy for the drink. As Taemin reached for the drink his shiny armilla slid down his wrist, hitting the side of the glass with a clink. The busboy’s eyes flashed with recognition for a moment, but he kept his face stoic as Taemin took his first sip of the shake.
“Wow this is really good.”
“Thanks. It’s one of the few cold things I can actually make well.” The busboy said smiling back, he really had a friendly face, and Taemin wished for a moment that they were the same age, so they could hang out in school together.
“I hope I helped, I don’t know how good I am with advice. But working with all these girls.." he gestured over Taemin’s shoulder.
"I get to hear a lot.”
Taemin followed his gaze, watching two other waitresses serving customers at tables as he took a sip of the shake.
“Yeah. I guess you do.”
When Taemin turned back around he saw the busboy staring at his bracelet. He quickly pushed it back up under his school uniform sleeve.
The young man knew he was caught then.
“May I ask where you got that bracelet?” He looked straight at Taemin as he spoke, still friendly, but obviously guarded.
“It was given to me.” Taemin answered. But his training had taught him well, and he knew there were only a couple of reasons why a perfect stranger would be able to recognize a Watcher’s bracelet. Either they were a Watcher themselves, or they were a Teneo seeking sanctuary.
“Oh.” Was the busboy’s curt answer, as he began to move away.
“Why? Have you seen one like it before?” Taemin asked quickly. He wanted to help the boy, who seemed to be getting more and more nervous by the second.
“Well, it’s just…um…a friend once told me, that…” He leaned in and lowered his voice as he pretended to wipe at an invisible spot on the counter. “…if I was ever in trouble, that I should look for someone with that kind of bracelet.
Taemin’s eyes widened. Was this young man a Teneo? Was he in trouble? Taemin had never brought someone into the order on his own, and he knew that he would instantly get Leader Jonghyun, Leader Heechul, and even his Uncle’s approval and respect if he, alone, was able help guide a Teneo to sanctuary.
“Really? Who was your friend?” Taemin asked.
Taemin jumped suddenly whipping his head to his right as a hand clamped onto his shoulder.
“Hey Taemin, you got here early! Wanna get a seat?” Onew stood to his right smiling that dumb smile he always wore.
When Taemin looked back to where the busboy had been standing the young man was gone.
“Taemin, I think it’s time we had a talk.” Onew began, after they sat down.
“Um…ok… about what?”
“About how you’ve been acting lately.”
“Yeah?”
Even with Taemin looking down, hair falling in his face, sipping his shake, Onew could tell Taemin was rolling his eyes.
“Yes. Now what’s going on? Why all of the animosity all of a sudden? You’re acting like one of us hurt you or something.”
Fearing the worst, and thinking back to his own sordid past, Onew’s face paled as he grabbed Taemin by the arm and made him look up at him confused.
“No one hurt you did they? At school maybe? Touched you I mean.. like?” Onew flailed his other hand in the air in a gesture that made him look like he’d injured his hand or something. Taemin’s eyes widened comically in shock, before he grimaced as he registered what his uncle was trying to say.
“Eeeewww! No Uncle Onew!”
Taemin yanked his arm away then, shuddering. Onew sighed in relief then, and studied Taemin’s face trying to figure out what could be the problem. Then he thought back to the night he’d seen Sulli in the hospital and how the two of them were holding hands.
“Is it Sulli?” Taemin looked up so quickly, that he knocked his shake a bit spilling a little over the edge.
Bingo
“Uncle, you ever realize that you really care about someone, but you just don’t know what to do to make them believe you?” Taemin asked shyly.
Onew softened then, as he thought about Minho and how he just couldn’t get him off of his mind since that day in the bookstore. He knew that he was attracted to the man, and he reasoned that Minho, being a mindreader and all, probably knew it too. That was what was making everything so difficult. That and the fact that Onew didn’t want to blow a perfectly good friendship, because he couldn’t keep his hormones in check.
“Yes, yes I do Taemin.” Onew said, nodding sadly. Taemin took that as his cue to change the subject.
“So what did you have to talk to me about so urgently that it couldn’t be handled by phone or text?”
“Oh! That. Well…um…” Onew turned flush then.
“I need your help with something.”
When Jonghyun opened the door to the study, he heard Heechul stumble away from his desk. When he looked up, Q was leaning against the desk with a smirk on his face, as Heechul turned red as he fixed his glasses and straightened his tie. Jonghyun could feel the elevated heart rates…and…well…other…elevated…things in the room and rolled his eyes.
“I’ll just…uh…I thought I heard one of the first year’s calling me. So I’ll just…” Heechul couldn’t seem to get out of the room fast enough. Jonghyun looked back at Q and grimaced.
“Do you think that maybe once you could not fuck one of my friends?”
Q stood straight up at that point, looking offended. “Why Jonghyun! I never…..”
“….never cease to amaze me I swear.” Jonghyun interrupted as he dropped his coat on a chair.
Q smiled then, as he walked towards the door.
“Noooo. That’s not what I was going to say.”
“Well what then?” Jonghyun said exasperated, crossing his arms.
“I was going to say…” He paused to push his signature dark aviators onto his face then.
“I never thought that Heechul was one of your friends.”
Q closed the door behind him quickly and laughed as the loud smack of a hardcover book was heard hitting the other side of the old wooden frame and falling to the floor with a thud.
Onew wasn’t completely sure what Taemin told the hairdresser to do, or why foil and a ring shaped light orbiting his head were involved. He waved at Taemin in the mirror trying to get his attention, when the young man looked up, Onew mouthed, “Are you sure about this?”
Taemin nodded grinning.
“I can see you, ya know.” The snarky hairdresser responded, one hand on his hip, the other holding the rat-tail application brush which he spun in his hand like a switchblade. Taemin stood quickly, coming to his Uncle’s defense.
“JoKwon please excuse my Uncle, he’s never had his hair dyed or been in an establishment as fine as yours before. He’s a newbie.” He then directed his attention to Onew in the mirror.
“Who do you think dyed my hair red Uncle? JoKwon is the best in the city.”
“Didn’t you almost get kicked out of school for that?” Onew asked, not convinced.
The hairdresser’s face softened then, and the hand on his hip flew to his chest tapping it dramatically as he spoke a mile-a-minute.
“Oh-em-gee! A virgin?! In my chair? How wonderful! Don’t worry sweetie, Kwonnie’s got you.”
And with that the hairdresser spun the chair around away from the mirror so fast, Onew thought he might bring up his chicken special lunch he’d had at the diner. An hour later, when JoKwon spun Onew back around to look at the finished result, he almost didn’t recognize himself. His long black center-parted locks were gone, having been replaced by an asymmetrical cut dyed light brown with subtle blond highlights. Parted on the side, with the longer locks hanging in his face, he looked more like a teenage idol than a 107 year-old Grand Uncle.
“Whoa Uncle! You look hot!” Taemin said excitedly, with a face-splitting smile.
“Doesn’t he? I still can’t believe you’re old enough to be his Uncle, you guys look like brothers!” JoKwon eyed Onew appreciatively as Onew stared gaping at the mirror for a couple of minutes. Apparently it was a minute too long however, and JoKwon’s face dropped as he bit his thumbnail.
“Oh no. You hate it don’t you?”
Ever so slowly, the corners of Onew’s mouth turned up into a smile so wide, that his eyes disappeared into little half moons, pupils barely visible.
“I love it.” Onew said quietly, biting his plump bottom limp, giving himself an appreciative once over in the mirror. The gesture made JoKwon gasp and flush, but before the swooning hairdresser could recover, Onew had jumped out of the chair and grabbed a stunned Taemin by the arm, dragging him out of the salon backwards so fast, he barely had time to leave JoKwon’s tip with the receptionist.
“Let’s go buy some clothes!”
A/N: Hey folks. Sorry for the wait, but I’m feeling much better. So to push the story a long a bit, I strung together a few plotlines together in this one. Y’all know who the busboy is right? Ok good. A lot isgoing to be happening in the next few chapters, so pay attention! Oh, and if you wanna know how Changmin knows Minho, go back and read Ortus: Disturbed Part1 and Part 2. That covers Minho’s backstory and what happened when he got his powers. As always, comments are love!