hands up! [2/3]
Title: hands up!
Author: salted_taiyaki
Pairing(s): Jonghyun x Key, Onew x Taemin
Genre: Romance, humor
Rating: PG-13
Word Count: 5972
Summary: After a break up, Kim Kibum encounters one too many people that screw his life up even more (for the better, at least). And while he's not one to drink, one evening, he faces a few repercussions, particularly one by the name of Kim Jonghyun. A love story filled with oddities, anything and everything that can make people fall in and out of life, and, yes, love.
chapter one |
a/n: I was so glad to see all that feedback, you don't even know omg ;A; thank you so much, guys ! seriously ~~ it's been so long, i almost forgot what i was supposed to write, and i thought i lost my general outline xD;; i freaked a bit, but i found it. thank god ;__; anyway, hope you enjoy! this chapter is really long to, uh...make up for the really, really long time it took to write it? lol idk life was too busy sighhh.
Taemin blew into the cup of tea that he held in his gloved hands, selfishly sucking in the heat for his iced fingers. It was about thirty minutes since he had stepped into the bookstore, and with the owner out to talk to her neighbor, the temperature had dropped drastically due to the sunless sky. He shivered in his seat, squirmed about some more for a spot that was at least somewhat warm near the window, and gave up as he saw Kibum jog down the street with a suitcase and coat in his hands. Taemin closed his eyes tightly before he stood up and walked to the door.
"Hey," Kibum greeted him, smile unfaltering as he leaned forward and chastely kissed him on the cheek. Taemin felt the spot burn uncomfortably.
He breathed, "Hyung, do you know--"
"By the way, I got this for you." As he struggled with his coat hanging over one arm, Kibum reached into his bag and pulled out a box cutely wrapped with pink and white ribbons. "I got this on the way down. Your favorite, right?" Forcing a smile, Taemin pulled out a chair and quietly thanked him.
"Hyung," Taemin started again, voice breaking with the one syllable, "I'm so sorry."
Kibum stiffened in his chair that was suddenly far too hard and angular for him to sit in. "Taemin-ah, don't start crying on me. I don't want to start a whole commotion over something so little."
With his hands busily rubbing at his reddening eyes, Taemin laughed, "But it's not little, hyung." He stopped with his irritating fingers when Kibum lightly tapped them away, and he looked up to see the calm figure straight in the eyes. "I told him. I mean, I told him that he shouldn't have, and you don't know how hard I've tried to let go." He bit his lip back, eyes slowly dropping down to the carpeted floor. "It's my fault. I didn't stop him."
A deep sigh breezed past his ears, and Taemin felt the thin layer of dust that seemed to have collected during his stay fly off his shoulders and hair. "It's no one's fault except for mine. I clung to him." The faint smile on Kibum's lips suddenly corrected itself to become a fitting line. "Don't become a mess over this. You know how much I hate that."
"But you've cried, haven't you?"
Kibum paused at the words as his fingers began to play with the rings he put on for the day, twisting and turning them with clumsy fingers. "Well, of course. Who wouldn't cry after--"
The door creaked open, and the two looked up to see the owner of the bookstore peek over a bookshelf that covered her view. "Oh! I'm sorry," she smiled, "I didn't know you were here, Kibum-ah. Go on talking, I'll be out in a second." She left the store with her back to the two of them. Taemin sighed.
"As I was saying," Kibum mumbled while a hand straightened out the sleeve of his shirt, "of course I cried. It's a natural reaction, Taemin-ah, and it was out of self pity and joy."
Taemin grimly frowned into the contorted reflection in his tea cup, where a stalk floated around the edge of the lip. "Jinki-hyung told me that you were mad." He flinched when Kibum snorted aloud.
"When am I never mad at that boy?" The jittery fingers finally calmed as they splayed themselves over the smooth surface of the table. "I was mad. I was upset. I told him to shut up and I didn't hear him through." Kibum chuckled lightly, not bothering to cover his mouth when he did so. "Just goes to show how horrible I was and still am to him."
"He said that he loved you dearly, though," Taemin tried as his hands covered the mouth of his tea cup. "He said that he loved you and that he was so scared to let go."
"He was just scared of my reaction, is all." With a laugh, the older man brushed his hair back behind his ear, a smile in place. "It's not your fault that you fell in love. It's not his fault that he found someone better. It's just my fault that I tried to--" He paused when he saw Taemin's red, puffy eyes, and he sucked in his cheeks hesitantly. "Look at you, making me get all cheesy here with these words." They laughed, as if doing so would push away the clouds of anxiety and discomfort that hung around them, until Kibum reached out and slipped his fingers through Taemin's covered hands.
"Taemin?"
"Yes, hyung."
"Will you love him for me?"
Taemin blinked, once, twice, before a bright smile found its way past his hardened features, and he laughed, "Yeah. Yeah, I will."
"Good," Kibum sighed. "Glad that's over with." He pointed at the untouched box with his elbow, his hands still busily linked and warming the gloved fingers in his. "Eat."
Obediently the boy tugged at the small ribbon and, at the sight of the slice of strawberry shortcake neatly topped off with a dollop of whipped cream, he smiled.
.
Sulli glanced at Kibum through her shades--oddly fitting for the rather sunny weather, despite the fact that they were eating sandwiches inside Kibum's house--and as she chewed slowly, formulating her questions, Minho flipped through his copy of The Little Prince. Kibum had brought it up in conversation days before, and he was willing to revisit the past.
"So," Sulli swallowed a piece of chewed up lettuce, "I usually give my customers a few days to breathe, y'know? I don't pummel them with questions about recent affairs." Kibum looked up at her with his eyebrows raised, a trademark reaction, she noted, and hummed a small note of curiosity. "You know. Taemin?"
Placing the sandwich back on the small china plate, Kibum laughed, "Oh, that. I was actually curious as to why you didn't ask me the other day." He breathed in slowly through his nose, just to draw out their reactions, because Sulli was on the edge of her seat -- while Minho did nothing, but that was expected of him -- and he enjoyed teasing her all too much. And then he replied, "It went well."
Sulli dropped her sandwich.
"Well, what did you expect?'
"I dunno," she spat with her arms crossed, "a cat fight? A duel? Bitching?"
"Sulli, I told you. He's a friggin' son to me and--"
"You said brother last time," Minho chimed in, his cup of water held to his lips.
Seething, Kibum ripped off a piece of bread and squished it with his thumb against the black table. "Thanks, Minho. You're a doll." The taller boy flashed him a smile as he continued to stare at the large lump in the snake's stomach. "Anyway, Sulli. Taemin is like my son. There's no way I'd bitch out on him, ever." She held her nose high in disbelief. "Really."
"Well then," she sighed as she pushed herself up in the sinking chair. "That's anti-climatic. We haven't gotten any interesting customers and their sob stories this week. Kinda sad. Right, Minho?"
"What?"
"Moving on." Sulli threw a discarded piece of ham at the boy, smiling wickedly at his frantic reaction. "However, we did have one lovely visitor."
Kibum, perched up on his chair, suddenly stood straight up on the cushioned seat. "What?"
Sulli ran her eyes up and down the lanky body in loose clothing, commenting, "You know, you're a slob for a classy interior designer." When he shot her a look of disinterest and impatience, Sulli gulped. "Well, your friend Jokwon or something like that, he was really flamboyant--"
"Oh Christ," Kibum grumbled as he sat back down in his seat. "What'd he say?"
"Well, he didn't say anything." Rummaging through her pockets, Sulli grumbled, "God damn it, where'd it-- oh, here." She pulled out a crumpled piece of paper, lined and pink -- "Typical," Kibum commented with a roll of his eyes -- and read aloud, "Kibum, baby, I found out some info on the cute guy you met the other day." She waited until the paper fluttered down to the surface of the table before she cackled behind two hands.
Kibum sighed, fingers working at his hair. "It's not what it looks like, Sulli. I'm not-- Minho, don't laugh at me!" The boy hid his face behind the hard cover book, the tight clasp on the pages threatening to rip them out from the binding. "I didn't request any information, just so you know." He shot the two speculating looks.
"Oh, okay, sure," Sulli laughed as she doubled over, the chortles muted by her knees. "I can't take this seriously, honestly. You and your friend are just ridiculous."
"All right, shut up," the raven snapped is slight desperation, but he grabbed the paper and shoved it into his pockets anyway. "Look, are you gonna finish eating that friggin' sandwich?"
"Yes, mother." The two laughed, nudging each other with propped elbows. "Don't worry, we'll let it go."
But when Kibum pushed the door to their cafe open to find that the lights were switched on -- Sulli was sure that she had turned them all off before leaving, because it was "against her morals" to allow electricity to run for no significant reason -- he quickly stepped back. "Sulli?"
"What, a spider?" she sneered, pushing the stiffened figure out of her way. "Come on, just use your little foot, princess. And then--"
"Sulli." Minho grabbed her shoulder and peered over her head in interest. "Look."
And when realization dawned and panic struck, Sulli stuttered, "Oh. Well, shit."
The man spun around on his seat, a silly grin plastered on his face, stopping only when his eyes, by chance, landed on the huddled three at the doorstep. He paused mid-spin. "Uh." With a hand raised to rub the back of his neck, he awkwardly laughed, "Sorry, the door was unlocked. I left my hat here last time, and I didn't wait outside for long, so--"
"It's all right!" Sulli snickered into her sweater. "It's nice seeing you again, Jonghyun."
"Move," Minho whispered harshly against Kibum's ear, shoving him for the emphasis. But the raven refused to move, his feet planted onto the flat ground of the doormat, and let himself slowly melt at the sight of Jonghyun grinning at him.
"Hey wait," the man finally said as he stood up and walked towards the static designer, "you're that guy from the club, right?"
Oh Lord, Kibum cried to himself. "And you're Jonghyun." The cheery smile struck at Kibum's oddly aching heart, and he continued, "It's, uh, nice to see you again, really."
Jonghyun chuckled. "You haven't been driving around drunk, have you?" He reached out and grabbed Kibum's arm, and it was then when he finally felt his legs solidify and be blessed by the ability to function like a normal human being's. "You've been on my mind lately, not gonna lie. A hazard to the safety of our town."
"Funny," the designer choked, then wishing that he had been a loner instead, choosing the confines of his home instead of the partying atmosphere. "I-- I don't drink much, so it's been all right." They sat down next to each other, much to Kibum's disapproval, and the man looked up at him with laughing eyes.
"It's good to know that you're safe," and he patted Kibum on the back in a condoning manner. "Anyway, Sulli, happen to see my hat?"
Rummaging filled the dimly lit room before Minho popped back up on his feet. "Here." A beanie was tossed onto the counter top, and Jonghyun pulled it back into his pocket with a nod of thanks.
"So," Jonghyun started as he turned once more on the stool, enjoyment much too clearly written on his face, "what do you do for a living?"
At the moment, Kibum found it awkward that Jonghyun would be asking him such a question, especially since the two
employees were busily stifling their laughter with the tips of their aprons, but he replied, "I'm a small interior design--"
"Oh sure, he says small," Sulli cut in with a snort, "but he's probably the richest person in this friggin' district." He shot her a weary glare that she easily overlooked as she went on, "But he's really great. Lovely house and all." Jonghyun raised his eyebrows in amusement. Kibum then wished that he had never invited the two over.
Kibum finished, the overlaying tone of annoyance nearly visible, "An interior designer," and he drummed his fingers along the edge of the display case. He watched as Jonghyun's eyes comically lit up, an index finger pointed up to an idea that struck.
"It's funny, 'cause I'm a part time photographer!" As the tapping of spoons against mixers and cups continued, Jonghyun laughed, "I can feature you in some article or something if you'd like."
Feeling the need to sincerely smile back for once, Kibum shook his head. "I like staying low. Public attention always makes me nervous."
And as if he saw through the blatant lie -- Kibum was swinging his feet nervously, and his head was cocked to an odd angle to the left, away from the speculating eyes -- Jonghyun smirked. "Yeah, all right. That's believable." The designer feigned offense. "The magazine's small, anyway. You don't see a lot of people subscribing to it."
"Sulli probably does," Minho said as he plugged in the blender full of cubed fruits. "If it's one thing she's loaded with, it's magazines."
"Hey. We're doing fairly well with money, Minho." She slapped him on the backside with a thin chopping block. "You're just high maintenance, is all."
"My girlfriend was," he snapped back, eyes narrowed in distaste as he felt the sticky juices seeping through his shirt. He gingerly rubbed the thin stains, and Sulli threw her head back with a loud laugh. Kibum crossed and uncrossed his legs nervously, eyes completely trained on the distracted duo to calm his nerves.
"So what do you say? We could meet up in a couple of weeks for a small shoot." When Kibum felt a warm hand rest on his shoulder, he tensed. Jonghyun pulled away. "Or not," he suggested.
Kibum shook his head--when he stopped to refocus, there were twenty Jonghyuns, and in short, he felt quite happy--, muttered, "Sounds great." Involuntarily, he reached out for the man's hand and grasped it in an attempt to shake on it. "Sometime soon then."
Looking down at their clasped hands, Jonghyun cleared his throat. An awkward warmth rose to his cheeks before he mumbled under his breath, "I look forward to it."
Sulli sidestepped past Minho and threw a wink over her shoulder to Kibum, but Kibum couldn't quite catch it, what with him enveloped in a tingling, immature sensation coming straight from Jonghyun's hand. He hoped he wasn't being obvious.
"Mocha, two shots," Minho called out of habit as he set the paper cup down in front of the two of them. When neither made a move for the coffee, Minho looked up with narrowed eyes. "What-- oh." He silently went back to work.
Jonghyun cleared his throat, "Well, I have to go, so-- mind if I take it?"
"Go right ahead."
"Thanks." He flashed him a feeble smile and slid off the stool, face turned to stare down hard at the cup. "Well, Kibum, I think we can be great friends." A fleeting thought crossed his mind before the man shook his head, a bolder grin stretching its way across his face. "I'll give you a call."
He spun on his heels and left, hat threatening to slip out of his pockets once more, and then Kibum clenched the lone napkin before him in a lame attempt to dry off his slightly sweating fingers. It then occurred to him that they hadn't exchanged numbers and--
"Friends," the desperate figure groaned as he let his head drop, smack against the counter top. Minho hummed a note of condolences.
.
His eyes zipped down to the flashing screen in his hands which seemed to be growing farther and farther away as each blinking passed. He wasn't quite mentally prepared for the encounter, even if it was through black-and-white text -- though, his case, the color varied on his mood and tone.
"What am I, a fucking teenager?" he seethes to himself amongst a few empty half-pints of ice cream and discarded paper cups. There was a party going on, with only him and his wallowing conscience as guests. The phone vibrated again, and again, and again, and then when Kibum decided that stalling was enough, he flipped his cell open -- five new messages -- and hit "Read."
hey, it's jinki. are you all right?
what's wrong, taemin told me
sorry, message got cut off -- Kibum rolled his eyes at this one; typical -- but yeah, is everything ok? taemin told me that you're in a bit of a mess right now. did something happen? do you need to talk? i'm at work right now but i can text, or you can call me during my br
sry eunhyuk stole my phone. just txt me back
btw are you eating well?
Tonguing his cheek, Kibum felt the corners of his lips tug and stretch painfully. It was just like Jinki to text and throw his spare time away with careless abandon to check on others. He threw away the candy wrapper in his hand along with the unfurling feeling of guilt in his stomach. Swift fingers typed up a message before he could really think -- it's nothing really, and yes, i'm eating well, mom --, a response soaring through the air in a matter of minutes with the usual weight of no, you're bluffing, tell me what's wrong.
ESP , like always. but really, it's nothing, just upset about a few things.
a "few things," Jinki replied, means a crap load of stuff in your world, kibum. what is it this time?
Kibum cringed at the image of Jinki actually laughing at his obvious lies. well, i met this guy.
His answer came a few minutes later than the rest, which wasn't exactly shocking to him as he spent his time anticipating the calming words with a piece of candy lingering in his mouth, turning it fuzzy with sugar.
really! congrats! what's he like?
idek i met him at some club, had a few drinks. he LECTURED me for christs sake. then i met him today at sullis cafe
and?
nothing. dont you have to broadcast a radio show right now
i have a few minutes. tell me.
Wiping his brow, Kibum muttered under his breath, "Fuck, what am I doing?"
he wanted to be friends with me. Kibum felt the awkward silence weigh heavily on his shoulders, and so he got up from his seat, knees creaking as he did so, and clambered into the kitchen after tripping over a displaced slipper. His fall was almost graceful (flailing arms hit the edge of the counter and he bellowed profanities that rocked the entire house down to its foundation), he noted to himself as he pulled out some yogurt from the back of the fridge. It was "real Greek yogurt," strawberry-flavored and low fat. Kibum raised his brow with his eyes glancing down to the slight bump under his sweater. He quickly grabbed a spoon and a headband which was, coincidentally, hanging from the handle of a ladle.
"Really let myself go," he mumbled around the spoon and when he passed by his buzzing phone--three new messages--Kibum dropped the yogurt and the fuzzy blue band.
did he now? well remember when we first started off? Looking away, Kibum tried his hardest not to smile at the warm memories. i was kinda stupid and told you that we'd be great friends. it only took you a week and a half to make it happen right?
js this guy doesn't know what hes in for. give it some time. he'll be running after you soon :)
you there? ok sry have to go, eunhyuk hyung is gonna kill me. call me later!
Kibum would have frowned--he was never a fan of pep talks--but the burning of his cheeks refused to give in with the persistent tugging on his lips. He didn't send a text in reply, thanking him. He shut his phone, slipped on the band and readjusted, and made his way down to the small weight room downstairs.
.
"Hey, it's nice seeing you again!" Jonghyun laughed loudly as he sat down between Kibum and Minho, arms stretched out before him. "It's been a few days, and I thought you just decided to ignore me or something."
Minho smirked into the muffin he held close to his lips, "Oh, no, that's impossible." Kibum wished his legs were long enough to kick him under the counter. But then Minho slid off his seat and retied the knot around his wait, eyes trailing over the way Kibum had his back hunched uncomfortably. He coughed, catching the raven's wavering attention, and declared under his voice, "I'll be back."
Their eyes meet for a fleeting second before Kibum's eyes zipped down to a cute, blue cupcake garnished with gold flakes, and involuntarily, his tongue swiped at his bottom lip. "Where's Sulli?" he stuttered in an attempt to cut through the silence, and Jonghyun shrugged, flipped a few strands of hair from his eyes with a cock of his head. The cupcake looked really, really good to Kibum at that moment.
"Hungry?" the photographer joked as he leaned over the counter to grab the china plate.
"Don't touch that!" Wide-eyed, Jonghyun glanced behind him at the equally as bewildered Kibum, and the two exchanged silent messages of "What the hell?"
"Up here." A loud tapping from upstairs caught their attention, and the two glanced up at Sulli from their awkward positions. "That isn't for you."
"Well, who's it for?" the man pressed for details with his head propped up against an arm. Kibum watched as Minho shuffled back in from the kitchen, a plate in one hand and a tea cup in the other. His eyes zoomed in on the syrup that decorated the small cream puffs--"J.K. and K--Minho!"--and in a second he swiped at the chocolate, a pinky finger dragged along the letters to distort the message, and Minho frowned down on him.
"That's boring." Kibum shot him a cold glare.
Sulli leaned against the railing, box set down at her feet, and she hummed aloud before replying, "Someone special." Jonghyun's eyes lit up at the message, but she simply waved the unspoken question away with her small hands. "Stop pestering me, will you?"
"Fine, but," Jonghyun licked his lips as Minho set down his plate, but the boyish smile soon fell at the smudged chocolate syrup. "Wait, what just happened?"
He glanced to the left just in time to see Kibum sucking on his finger, eyes wide in anything but innocence, and he pulled a feeble smile as best as he could.
Jonghyun's eyes narrowed. "You could've at least used a spoon or something, Kibum." The frown soon became a bright grin as he playfully thumped Kibum on the back, causing the designer to choke on his finger.
.
Kibum scolded himself throughout the entire trip through the museum, but the fact that Jonghyun was awkwardly walking with him and staring at the pieces was too much for him to keep the stupid smile from forming on his face. He laughed quietly and sheepishly ("So, have any siblings?" "Yeah, a sister. You?" "Only child." "Well, that explains a lot." "What's that supposed to mean?" "Just kidding, just kidding!") as conversation got itself tangled in the short distance between the two of them, eventually lagging and just dropping behind to leave the two be on their trek along the paintings and statues.
"Do you like art?" Jonghyun posed the question as a hand daringly reached out to touch the miniature model of Seoul, and Kibum slapped his hand away. "I take that as a yes."
"It's the only thing I have going for me," he grinned to himself with his hands clasped behind his back. "A bit sad, I guess, but I don't mind it that much." Kibum let his eyes study Jonghyun's solemn face, the structure of his jaw, his fluttering eyelashes. "Like, sometimes art can't supply everything I need."
"I guess that's true." The photographer faced him at an awkward angle but his eyes refused to meet Kibum's puzzled expression. He breathed in through his nose, chest puffing out a bit. "But it provides a lot."
Kibum couldn't help but laugh, and the outburst drew eyes to the two of them, the odd couple standing in front of a structure that didn't quite pertain to their subject anymore. "Sure. Why don't you come over for a bit before we head to Sulli's? I think I have a few books you'd like."
"Yeah, why not?" Jonghyun felt the corners of his mouth twitch upward as they stumbled through the hordes of people along the stairwell.
.
"What?" the two echoed as Sulli peered up from the baby blue visor resting between awkward braids and ponytails. The smell of cinnamon hit their noses uncomfortably, but Sulli didn't seem to notice the displeasure. "You're leaving?"
"Well yeah," she laughed, "I have a social life, too. Minho's got a soccer game." Sulli paused and untangled the strings of her hoodies, eyes half mast in speculation. "Don't you guys have work to do? I mean, geez, you're loitering around here as if you're unemployed."
Jonghyun shrugged. "I'm excused."
"I just don't have anything to do." Sulli and Jonghyun cocked their heads to the right where Kibum sat on his stool, sucking some of his milkshake through a straw. He raised a brow. "What?"
Stifling a giggle, Sulli shook her head left to right. "Just--just watch over the store then, won't you? You know everything about this place now, anyway." Minho appeared behind her with a jersey and shorts on, a pair of knee-high socks dangling from a propped arm. He smiled quietly at the two before he bent down to struggle and slip the wool on, almost tripping over his feet as he did so. Sulli waved him away with a kick of her foot. "You can close up at five."
"That's three hours of work," Kibum groaned and raked his fingers through his hair repeatedly, a tick he picked up once his diet became askew after continuous visits to the shop. "I don't think I can make it."
"We can do it." Jonghyun grinned and held up a fist in the air. "Just gotta work together is all." Rolling his eyes, Kibum slapped it away with a huff.
"We better get paid for this."
"I don't think so."
After two hours and thirty six minutes of groaning and lingering on the scattered furniture of the store--there were absolutely no customers even though the sun was shining brilliantly above the cutely decorated shop--Kibum finally stood upright, his arms leaving the comforting surface of the cold counter. His cheek was red as he grumbled, "Let's go get dinner."
"From where?" Jonghyun moaned, arms shooting up to grab at the image of food spinning before his eyes. "I can't move, Kibum, I don't want to leave this spot."
Kibum had to admit, the way Jonghyun was sprawled out on the couch in the far left side of the shop, with his arms hanging over and legs dangling on the floor, looked oddly promising. Jonghyun busily linked his fingers with strings of plastic bugs that hung from the couch, Sulli's attempt at bringing a warmer spring. "Can you just--let's just go out for some dduk bbok gi. It can't be too far off."
The two shivered as a chilly breeze was splashed in their faces the moment the door opened.
"I regret this. I regret this a lot." Kibum snorted. "I can't stand the cold. I mean, it's the one thing I would never go through for my girlfriend."
With an arched brow, Kibum mused, "Really now? Some boyfriend you would be. What would you do during Christmas week, then?" He kicked a pebble to distract himself from the thinking expression that adorned Jonghyun's face then, and the hood pulled tightly over his head barely hid the tingling blush that reached his ears.
"Well, I'd just invite her to my house," he smiled cheekily to himself. "It'd be warm there, for sure, and we could sit in front of the fireplace and--yeah." Jonghyun glanced at Kibum for a nod of approval, but when he got none, he just shuffled his feet a bit quicker and purposely bumped his shoulder against the designer's. "You?"
Kibum tensed. "Well, I don't think--"
"Look!" Jonghyun interrupted him (and Kibum let out a sigh of relief once he had his back turned) and his arms shot up in excitement. "Food!"
Before Kibum could even feign offense, Jonghyun scrambled his way through the small throng of people and settled into a plastic chair, a look of pure bliss replacing the chilly red that nipped his nose. He beckoned Kibum over with a few flicks of his wrist, and, chuckling, Kibum plopped down into the seat.
"You can't get drunk on me," Kibum pointed out as the first bottle of soju came to their table, the old lady wearing a ridiculously large smile as she placed the shots down. "I can't drive drunk people home."
Jonghyun smirked cockily, a habit that he had which Kibum managed to note the fourth time they met at the cafe, and he mumbled under his breath, "Speak for yourself, Kibum-ah." He poured himself a glass and downed it in one go, the sated sigh leaving his chapped lips and sneaking its way into Kibum's thumping heart.
He suddenly felt very, very nervous.
"Kim Jonghyun," Kibum tittered a bit as his tingling fingers traced the lip of his glass, "h-how many shots so far?"
The photographer remained silent, what with the buzzing in his head proving to be a bit too distracting, until he cleared his throat and grunted, "I lost count."
"God damn it!" Giggling after the outburst, Kibum poured himself another glass, accidentally missing his mark and splashing Jonghyun's limp hand with the ice cold beverage. "I don't know either."
"Whatever," Jonghyun grumbled and he took another swig from Kibum's glass, earning a whine of disapproval as it clattered against the glass. "So, you never answered my question."
Kibum tried to think back ("You know, about Christmas break?" "Ohh.") and then his mind hit the small fragment of memories floating about in his head. "Right, right. Umm."
"What would you do for her?" Jonghyun waited patiently, and it didn't occur to Kibum that it was particularly odd for a drunk man to be sitting so still with his hands clasped together. The serious look on the man's face failed to register as well.
"Well first off," Kibum declared, "I'm gay."
Jonghyun froze and his eyes followed the sly hand that tipped the green bottle once more into the tiny cup that couldn't hold anymore alcohol for its dear life. Kibum tutted. "Can I get another bottle here?"
"Wait, wait," Jonghyun uttered slowly as a hand batted away the fingers dancing in the puddles of soju. "You're what?"
"Gay," he slurred again. "Gay. I don't like girls." Kibum tried to suck his fingers and get the fizzing alcohol off, then started, "I had a boyfriend once. He was a sweetheart. But then he broke up with me." Jonghyun tried to follow with all of the hiccuping in the middle, entirely focused on the way Kibum's red lips moved to form loose words, so when the raven threw his hands up in the air, Jonghyun nearly fell back in his chair.
"He left me! Because I was such a bitch to him." Kibum's head hit the surface of the table in an attempt to muffle the buzzing and popping in his brain, in an attempt to stop himself from rambling. "I didn't deserve him, didn't, not at all."
"That's nice," Jonghyun whispered to himself, but when Kibum's eyes flickered up to meet his, he stuttered, "I mean, I'm sorry. I--are you guys still friends?"
Kibum made a slight whirring sound under his breath. "I guess. I still love him and all, and he says he loves me, he just isn't in love with me. D'you understand that, Jjong? Huh?"
"I don't--no, I don't think I do." Jonghyun tugged at the collar of his shirt. "Kibum, you're really drunk. Let's get you home."
"Stop!" He snickered into the bend of his arm, waved his hands a bit too dramatically. "Stop, stop. We're having too much fun. Let's--I don't want to leave." A crooked smile fluidly slipped on his awkwardly rough features. Kibum clenched and unclenched a fist, let another wave of unusually cold air blow over them, and finally breathed in through his nose when he thought the time was right.
"Remember when we first met?"
Jonghyun twiddled his thumbs a bit before replying. "Yeah."
"I thought," Kibum paused and rubbed his face with his gloved hands and the pain slipped through his fingertips before he could feel it, his cheeks too numb to sense anything, even the warm glow that lit his face, "that you were kind of a miracle. Like, you came at the perfect time to make my life amazing."
He frowned. "I guess I was wrong, though. You're. You're straight, or something. I don't think you could--I don't think I could--"
"Yeah," Jonghyun quickly intervened because he desperately wanted Kibum to stop talking, to stop implementing ideas in his mind. "It wouldn't work."
Then Kibum looked at him, eyes round. "Right? That's what I thought." He tried his best to wear a smile, but his eyes and the muscles in his mouth failed him as watery tears slipped, one, two, then too numerous to count. "Didn't want to, but I guess that's how it is."
"Yeah." Jonghyun flexed his fingers under the table.
"Y'know what I told Sulli and Minho that following day?"
"What?"
"That you--That you stole my heart or something. That you were the friendliest cop I'd ever met--for stopping me from drinking and all, I mean, before I killed someone on the streets. That you took it and put it on probation."
"Well, that's pretty cheesy."
"Yeah, I guess."
Kibum stared down at his lap. "Do you... Do you still want to borrow that book from my house?"
A slight pause caught the breath in his throat.
"Tonight's a bit inconvenient for me. Why not sometime during the weekend?" Kibum looked up, but not at Jonghyun; his eyes fell to the sign that read "Weekend Special! A meal for two for only 1500 won", refusing to even catch a glimpse of the large eyes at glared holes into the table. "I think that'd be best."
"All right."
"I'll drive you home," Jonghyun offered with a small smile, and the raven shook his head (ever the gentleman you are, Jonghyun) as he stood up from his chair.
"It's not too far from here. I'll be fine." He withdrew his hands to the confines of his rough pockets, and he cocked his head to the left. "I'll, uh--I guess I'll see you soon or something." Jonghyun nodded, sniffled a bit under his hand, and then stood up to follow Kibum out before waving and going the opposite way Kibum headed.
Sulli texted Kibum with "where r u?" the following Saturday, and Kibum only chucked his cell phone across the bedroom, a satisfying clunk ringing in the silence.
--
i have the slightest feeling that this will be four parts, not three.
HRRRGHT anybody hate cliche story lines as much as i do? so why am i writing this? idefk.
this is all supposed to have happened over a few weeks, not a few days, and i didn't want to get into so much detail so lkjsf oh god i am regretting writing this so much sigh
i'm sorry if this chapter was anti-climatic and not what you were looking for D: sigh
feedback, positive or negative, is always welcome ; ;
Author: salted_taiyaki
Pairing(s): Jonghyun x Key, Onew x Taemin
Genre: Romance, humor
Rating: PG-13
Word Count: 5972
Summary: After a break up, Kim Kibum encounters one too many people that screw his life up even more (for the better, at least). And while he's not one to drink, one evening, he faces a few repercussions, particularly one by the name of Kim Jonghyun. A love story filled with oddities, anything and everything that can make people fall in and out of life, and, yes, love.
chapter one |
a/n: I was so glad to see all that feedback, you don't even know omg ;A; thank you so much, guys ! seriously ~~ it's been so long, i almost forgot what i was supposed to write, and i thought i lost my general outline xD;; i freaked a bit, but i found it. thank god ;__; anyway, hope you enjoy! this chapter is really long to, uh...make up for the really, really long time it took to write it? lol idk life was too busy sighhh.
Taemin blew into the cup of tea that he held in his gloved hands, selfishly sucking in the heat for his iced fingers. It was about thirty minutes since he had stepped into the bookstore, and with the owner out to talk to her neighbor, the temperature had dropped drastically due to the sunless sky. He shivered in his seat, squirmed about some more for a spot that was at least somewhat warm near the window, and gave up as he saw Kibum jog down the street with a suitcase and coat in his hands. Taemin closed his eyes tightly before he stood up and walked to the door.
"Hey," Kibum greeted him, smile unfaltering as he leaned forward and chastely kissed him on the cheek. Taemin felt the spot burn uncomfortably.
He breathed, "Hyung, do you know--"
"By the way, I got this for you." As he struggled with his coat hanging over one arm, Kibum reached into his bag and pulled out a box cutely wrapped with pink and white ribbons. "I got this on the way down. Your favorite, right?" Forcing a smile, Taemin pulled out a chair and quietly thanked him.
"Hyung," Taemin started again, voice breaking with the one syllable, "I'm so sorry."
Kibum stiffened in his chair that was suddenly far too hard and angular for him to sit in. "Taemin-ah, don't start crying on me. I don't want to start a whole commotion over something so little."
With his hands busily rubbing at his reddening eyes, Taemin laughed, "But it's not little, hyung." He stopped with his irritating fingers when Kibum lightly tapped them away, and he looked up to see the calm figure straight in the eyes. "I told him. I mean, I told him that he shouldn't have, and you don't know how hard I've tried to let go." He bit his lip back, eyes slowly dropping down to the carpeted floor. "It's my fault. I didn't stop him."
A deep sigh breezed past his ears, and Taemin felt the thin layer of dust that seemed to have collected during his stay fly off his shoulders and hair. "It's no one's fault except for mine. I clung to him." The faint smile on Kibum's lips suddenly corrected itself to become a fitting line. "Don't become a mess over this. You know how much I hate that."
"But you've cried, haven't you?"
Kibum paused at the words as his fingers began to play with the rings he put on for the day, twisting and turning them with clumsy fingers. "Well, of course. Who wouldn't cry after--"
The door creaked open, and the two looked up to see the owner of the bookstore peek over a bookshelf that covered her view. "Oh! I'm sorry," she smiled, "I didn't know you were here, Kibum-ah. Go on talking, I'll be out in a second." She left the store with her back to the two of them. Taemin sighed.
"As I was saying," Kibum mumbled while a hand straightened out the sleeve of his shirt, "of course I cried. It's a natural reaction, Taemin-ah, and it was out of self pity and joy."
Taemin grimly frowned into the contorted reflection in his tea cup, where a stalk floated around the edge of the lip. "Jinki-hyung told me that you were mad." He flinched when Kibum snorted aloud.
"When am I never mad at that boy?" The jittery fingers finally calmed as they splayed themselves over the smooth surface of the table. "I was mad. I was upset. I told him to shut up and I didn't hear him through." Kibum chuckled lightly, not bothering to cover his mouth when he did so. "Just goes to show how horrible I was and still am to him."
"He said that he loved you dearly, though," Taemin tried as his hands covered the mouth of his tea cup. "He said that he loved you and that he was so scared to let go."
"He was just scared of my reaction, is all." With a laugh, the older man brushed his hair back behind his ear, a smile in place. "It's not your fault that you fell in love. It's not his fault that he found someone better. It's just my fault that I tried to--" He paused when he saw Taemin's red, puffy eyes, and he sucked in his cheeks hesitantly. "Look at you, making me get all cheesy here with these words." They laughed, as if doing so would push away the clouds of anxiety and discomfort that hung around them, until Kibum reached out and slipped his fingers through Taemin's covered hands.
"Taemin?"
"Yes, hyung."
"Will you love him for me?"
Taemin blinked, once, twice, before a bright smile found its way past his hardened features, and he laughed, "Yeah. Yeah, I will."
"Good," Kibum sighed. "Glad that's over with." He pointed at the untouched box with his elbow, his hands still busily linked and warming the gloved fingers in his. "Eat."
Obediently the boy tugged at the small ribbon and, at the sight of the slice of strawberry shortcake neatly topped off with a dollop of whipped cream, he smiled.
.
Sulli glanced at Kibum through her shades--oddly fitting for the rather sunny weather, despite the fact that they were eating sandwiches inside Kibum's house--and as she chewed slowly, formulating her questions, Minho flipped through his copy of The Little Prince. Kibum had brought it up in conversation days before, and he was willing to revisit the past.
"So," Sulli swallowed a piece of chewed up lettuce, "I usually give my customers a few days to breathe, y'know? I don't pummel them with questions about recent affairs." Kibum looked up at her with his eyebrows raised, a trademark reaction, she noted, and hummed a small note of curiosity. "You know. Taemin?"
Placing the sandwich back on the small china plate, Kibum laughed, "Oh, that. I was actually curious as to why you didn't ask me the other day." He breathed in slowly through his nose, just to draw out their reactions, because Sulli was on the edge of her seat -- while Minho did nothing, but that was expected of him -- and he enjoyed teasing her all too much. And then he replied, "It went well."
Sulli dropped her sandwich.
"Well, what did you expect?'
"I dunno," she spat with her arms crossed, "a cat fight? A duel? Bitching?"
"Sulli, I told you. He's a friggin' son to me and--"
"You said brother last time," Minho chimed in, his cup of water held to his lips.
Seething, Kibum ripped off a piece of bread and squished it with his thumb against the black table. "Thanks, Minho. You're a doll." The taller boy flashed him a smile as he continued to stare at the large lump in the snake's stomach. "Anyway, Sulli. Taemin is like my son. There's no way I'd bitch out on him, ever." She held her nose high in disbelief. "Really."
"Well then," she sighed as she pushed herself up in the sinking chair. "That's anti-climatic. We haven't gotten any interesting customers and their sob stories this week. Kinda sad. Right, Minho?"
"What?"
"Moving on." Sulli threw a discarded piece of ham at the boy, smiling wickedly at his frantic reaction. "However, we did have one lovely visitor."
Kibum, perched up on his chair, suddenly stood straight up on the cushioned seat. "What?"
Sulli ran her eyes up and down the lanky body in loose clothing, commenting, "You know, you're a slob for a classy interior designer." When he shot her a look of disinterest and impatience, Sulli gulped. "Well, your friend Jokwon or something like that, he was really flamboyant--"
"Oh Christ," Kibum grumbled as he sat back down in his seat. "What'd he say?"
"Well, he didn't say anything." Rummaging through her pockets, Sulli grumbled, "God damn it, where'd it-- oh, here." She pulled out a crumpled piece of paper, lined and pink -- "Typical," Kibum commented with a roll of his eyes -- and read aloud, "Kibum, baby, I found out some info on the cute guy you met the other day." She waited until the paper fluttered down to the surface of the table before she cackled behind two hands.
Kibum sighed, fingers working at his hair. "It's not what it looks like, Sulli. I'm not-- Minho, don't laugh at me!" The boy hid his face behind the hard cover book, the tight clasp on the pages threatening to rip them out from the binding. "I didn't request any information, just so you know." He shot the two speculating looks.
"Oh, okay, sure," Sulli laughed as she doubled over, the chortles muted by her knees. "I can't take this seriously, honestly. You and your friend are just ridiculous."
"All right, shut up," the raven snapped is slight desperation, but he grabbed the paper and shoved it into his pockets anyway. "Look, are you gonna finish eating that friggin' sandwich?"
"Yes, mother." The two laughed, nudging each other with propped elbows. "Don't worry, we'll let it go."
But when Kibum pushed the door to their cafe open to find that the lights were switched on -- Sulli was sure that she had turned them all off before leaving, because it was "against her morals" to allow electricity to run for no significant reason -- he quickly stepped back. "Sulli?"
"What, a spider?" she sneered, pushing the stiffened figure out of her way. "Come on, just use your little foot, princess. And then--"
"Sulli." Minho grabbed her shoulder and peered over her head in interest. "Look."
And when realization dawned and panic struck, Sulli stuttered, "Oh. Well, shit."
The man spun around on his seat, a silly grin plastered on his face, stopping only when his eyes, by chance, landed on the huddled three at the doorstep. He paused mid-spin. "Uh." With a hand raised to rub the back of his neck, he awkwardly laughed, "Sorry, the door was unlocked. I left my hat here last time, and I didn't wait outside for long, so--"
"It's all right!" Sulli snickered into her sweater. "It's nice seeing you again, Jonghyun."
"Move," Minho whispered harshly against Kibum's ear, shoving him for the emphasis. But the raven refused to move, his feet planted onto the flat ground of the doormat, and let himself slowly melt at the sight of Jonghyun grinning at him.
"Hey wait," the man finally said as he stood up and walked towards the static designer, "you're that guy from the club, right?"
Oh Lord, Kibum cried to himself. "And you're Jonghyun." The cheery smile struck at Kibum's oddly aching heart, and he continued, "It's, uh, nice to see you again, really."
Jonghyun chuckled. "You haven't been driving around drunk, have you?" He reached out and grabbed Kibum's arm, and it was then when he finally felt his legs solidify and be blessed by the ability to function like a normal human being's. "You've been on my mind lately, not gonna lie. A hazard to the safety of our town."
"Funny," the designer choked, then wishing that he had been a loner instead, choosing the confines of his home instead of the partying atmosphere. "I-- I don't drink much, so it's been all right." They sat down next to each other, much to Kibum's disapproval, and the man looked up at him with laughing eyes.
"It's good to know that you're safe," and he patted Kibum on the back in a condoning manner. "Anyway, Sulli, happen to see my hat?"
Rummaging filled the dimly lit room before Minho popped back up on his feet. "Here." A beanie was tossed onto the counter top, and Jonghyun pulled it back into his pocket with a nod of thanks.
"So," Jonghyun started as he turned once more on the stool, enjoyment much too clearly written on his face, "what do you do for a living?"
At the moment, Kibum found it awkward that Jonghyun would be asking him such a question, especially since the two
employees were busily stifling their laughter with the tips of their aprons, but he replied, "I'm a small interior design--"
"Oh sure, he says small," Sulli cut in with a snort, "but he's probably the richest person in this friggin' district." He shot her a weary glare that she easily overlooked as she went on, "But he's really great. Lovely house and all." Jonghyun raised his eyebrows in amusement. Kibum then wished that he had never invited the two over.
Kibum finished, the overlaying tone of annoyance nearly visible, "An interior designer," and he drummed his fingers along the edge of the display case. He watched as Jonghyun's eyes comically lit up, an index finger pointed up to an idea that struck.
"It's funny, 'cause I'm a part time photographer!" As the tapping of spoons against mixers and cups continued, Jonghyun laughed, "I can feature you in some article or something if you'd like."
Feeling the need to sincerely smile back for once, Kibum shook his head. "I like staying low. Public attention always makes me nervous."
And as if he saw through the blatant lie -- Kibum was swinging his feet nervously, and his head was cocked to an odd angle to the left, away from the speculating eyes -- Jonghyun smirked. "Yeah, all right. That's believable." The designer feigned offense. "The magazine's small, anyway. You don't see a lot of people subscribing to it."
"Sulli probably does," Minho said as he plugged in the blender full of cubed fruits. "If it's one thing she's loaded with, it's magazines."
"Hey. We're doing fairly well with money, Minho." She slapped him on the backside with a thin chopping block. "You're just high maintenance, is all."
"My girlfriend was," he snapped back, eyes narrowed in distaste as he felt the sticky juices seeping through his shirt. He gingerly rubbed the thin stains, and Sulli threw her head back with a loud laugh. Kibum crossed and uncrossed his legs nervously, eyes completely trained on the distracted duo to calm his nerves.
"So what do you say? We could meet up in a couple of weeks for a small shoot." When Kibum felt a warm hand rest on his shoulder, he tensed. Jonghyun pulled away. "Or not," he suggested.
Kibum shook his head--when he stopped to refocus, there were twenty Jonghyuns, and in short, he felt quite happy--, muttered, "Sounds great." Involuntarily, he reached out for the man's hand and grasped it in an attempt to shake on it. "Sometime soon then."
Looking down at their clasped hands, Jonghyun cleared his throat. An awkward warmth rose to his cheeks before he mumbled under his breath, "I look forward to it."
Sulli sidestepped past Minho and threw a wink over her shoulder to Kibum, but Kibum couldn't quite catch it, what with him enveloped in a tingling, immature sensation coming straight from Jonghyun's hand. He hoped he wasn't being obvious.
"Mocha, two shots," Minho called out of habit as he set the paper cup down in front of the two of them. When neither made a move for the coffee, Minho looked up with narrowed eyes. "What-- oh." He silently went back to work.
Jonghyun cleared his throat, "Well, I have to go, so-- mind if I take it?"
"Go right ahead."
"Thanks." He flashed him a feeble smile and slid off the stool, face turned to stare down hard at the cup. "Well, Kibum, I think we can be great friends." A fleeting thought crossed his mind before the man shook his head, a bolder grin stretching its way across his face. "I'll give you a call."
He spun on his heels and left, hat threatening to slip out of his pockets once more, and then Kibum clenched the lone napkin before him in a lame attempt to dry off his slightly sweating fingers. It then occurred to him that they hadn't exchanged numbers and--
"Friends," the desperate figure groaned as he let his head drop, smack against the counter top. Minho hummed a note of condolences.
.
His eyes zipped down to the flashing screen in his hands which seemed to be growing farther and farther away as each blinking passed. He wasn't quite mentally prepared for the encounter, even if it was through black-and-white text -- though, his case, the color varied on his mood and tone.
"What am I, a fucking teenager?" he seethes to himself amongst a few empty half-pints of ice cream and discarded paper cups. There was a party going on, with only him and his wallowing conscience as guests. The phone vibrated again, and again, and again, and then when Kibum decided that stalling was enough, he flipped his cell open -- five new messages -- and hit "Read."
hey, it's jinki. are you all right?
what's wrong, taemin told me
sorry, message got cut off -- Kibum rolled his eyes at this one; typical -- but yeah, is everything ok? taemin told me that you're in a bit of a mess right now. did something happen? do you need to talk? i'm at work right now but i can text, or you can call me during my br
sry eunhyuk stole my phone. just txt me back
btw are you eating well?
Tonguing his cheek, Kibum felt the corners of his lips tug and stretch painfully. It was just like Jinki to text and throw his spare time away with careless abandon to check on others. He threw away the candy wrapper in his hand along with the unfurling feeling of guilt in his stomach. Swift fingers typed up a message before he could really think -- it's nothing really, and yes, i'm eating well, mom --, a response soaring through the air in a matter of minutes with the usual weight of no, you're bluffing, tell me what's wrong.
ESP , like always. but really, it's nothing, just upset about a few things.
a "few things," Jinki replied, means a crap load of stuff in your world, kibum. what is it this time?
Kibum cringed at the image of Jinki actually laughing at his obvious lies. well, i met this guy.
His answer came a few minutes later than the rest, which wasn't exactly shocking to him as he spent his time anticipating the calming words with a piece of candy lingering in his mouth, turning it fuzzy with sugar.
really! congrats! what's he like?
idek i met him at some club, had a few drinks. he LECTURED me for christs sake. then i met him today at sullis cafe
and?
nothing. dont you have to broadcast a radio show right now
i have a few minutes. tell me.
Wiping his brow, Kibum muttered under his breath, "Fuck, what am I doing?"
he wanted to be friends with me. Kibum felt the awkward silence weigh heavily on his shoulders, and so he got up from his seat, knees creaking as he did so, and clambered into the kitchen after tripping over a displaced slipper. His fall was almost graceful (flailing arms hit the edge of the counter and he bellowed profanities that rocked the entire house down to its foundation), he noted to himself as he pulled out some yogurt from the back of the fridge. It was "real Greek yogurt," strawberry-flavored and low fat. Kibum raised his brow with his eyes glancing down to the slight bump under his sweater. He quickly grabbed a spoon and a headband which was, coincidentally, hanging from the handle of a ladle.
"Really let myself go," he mumbled around the spoon and when he passed by his buzzing phone--three new messages--Kibum dropped the yogurt and the fuzzy blue band.
did he now? well remember when we first started off? Looking away, Kibum tried his hardest not to smile at the warm memories. i was kinda stupid and told you that we'd be great friends. it only took you a week and a half to make it happen right?
js this guy doesn't know what hes in for. give it some time. he'll be running after you soon :)
you there? ok sry have to go, eunhyuk hyung is gonna kill me. call me later!
Kibum would have frowned--he was never a fan of pep talks--but the burning of his cheeks refused to give in with the persistent tugging on his lips. He didn't send a text in reply, thanking him. He shut his phone, slipped on the band and readjusted, and made his way down to the small weight room downstairs.
.
"Hey, it's nice seeing you again!" Jonghyun laughed loudly as he sat down between Kibum and Minho, arms stretched out before him. "It's been a few days, and I thought you just decided to ignore me or something."
Minho smirked into the muffin he held close to his lips, "Oh, no, that's impossible." Kibum wished his legs were long enough to kick him under the counter. But then Minho slid off his seat and retied the knot around his wait, eyes trailing over the way Kibum had his back hunched uncomfortably. He coughed, catching the raven's wavering attention, and declared under his voice, "I'll be back."
Their eyes meet for a fleeting second before Kibum's eyes zipped down to a cute, blue cupcake garnished with gold flakes, and involuntarily, his tongue swiped at his bottom lip. "Where's Sulli?" he stuttered in an attempt to cut through the silence, and Jonghyun shrugged, flipped a few strands of hair from his eyes with a cock of his head. The cupcake looked really, really good to Kibum at that moment.
"Hungry?" the photographer joked as he leaned over the counter to grab the china plate.
"Don't touch that!" Wide-eyed, Jonghyun glanced behind him at the equally as bewildered Kibum, and the two exchanged silent messages of "What the hell?"
"Up here." A loud tapping from upstairs caught their attention, and the two glanced up at Sulli from their awkward positions. "That isn't for you."
"Well, who's it for?" the man pressed for details with his head propped up against an arm. Kibum watched as Minho shuffled back in from the kitchen, a plate in one hand and a tea cup in the other. His eyes zoomed in on the syrup that decorated the small cream puffs--"J.K. and K--Minho!"--and in a second he swiped at the chocolate, a pinky finger dragged along the letters to distort the message, and Minho frowned down on him.
"That's boring." Kibum shot him a cold glare.
Sulli leaned against the railing, box set down at her feet, and she hummed aloud before replying, "Someone special." Jonghyun's eyes lit up at the message, but she simply waved the unspoken question away with her small hands. "Stop pestering me, will you?"
"Fine, but," Jonghyun licked his lips as Minho set down his plate, but the boyish smile soon fell at the smudged chocolate syrup. "Wait, what just happened?"
He glanced to the left just in time to see Kibum sucking on his finger, eyes wide in anything but innocence, and he pulled a feeble smile as best as he could.
Jonghyun's eyes narrowed. "You could've at least used a spoon or something, Kibum." The frown soon became a bright grin as he playfully thumped Kibum on the back, causing the designer to choke on his finger.
.
Kibum scolded himself throughout the entire trip through the museum, but the fact that Jonghyun was awkwardly walking with him and staring at the pieces was too much for him to keep the stupid smile from forming on his face. He laughed quietly and sheepishly ("So, have any siblings?" "Yeah, a sister. You?" "Only child." "Well, that explains a lot." "What's that supposed to mean?" "Just kidding, just kidding!") as conversation got itself tangled in the short distance between the two of them, eventually lagging and just dropping behind to leave the two be on their trek along the paintings and statues.
"Do you like art?" Jonghyun posed the question as a hand daringly reached out to touch the miniature model of Seoul, and Kibum slapped his hand away. "I take that as a yes."
"It's the only thing I have going for me," he grinned to himself with his hands clasped behind his back. "A bit sad, I guess, but I don't mind it that much." Kibum let his eyes study Jonghyun's solemn face, the structure of his jaw, his fluttering eyelashes. "Like, sometimes art can't supply everything I need."
"I guess that's true." The photographer faced him at an awkward angle but his eyes refused to meet Kibum's puzzled expression. He breathed in through his nose, chest puffing out a bit. "But it provides a lot."
Kibum couldn't help but laugh, and the outburst drew eyes to the two of them, the odd couple standing in front of a structure that didn't quite pertain to their subject anymore. "Sure. Why don't you come over for a bit before we head to Sulli's? I think I have a few books you'd like."
"Yeah, why not?" Jonghyun felt the corners of his mouth twitch upward as they stumbled through the hordes of people along the stairwell.
.
"What?" the two echoed as Sulli peered up from the baby blue visor resting between awkward braids and ponytails. The smell of cinnamon hit their noses uncomfortably, but Sulli didn't seem to notice the displeasure. "You're leaving?"
"Well yeah," she laughed, "I have a social life, too. Minho's got a soccer game." Sulli paused and untangled the strings of her hoodies, eyes half mast in speculation. "Don't you guys have work to do? I mean, geez, you're loitering around here as if you're unemployed."
Jonghyun shrugged. "I'm excused."
"I just don't have anything to do." Sulli and Jonghyun cocked their heads to the right where Kibum sat on his stool, sucking some of his milkshake through a straw. He raised a brow. "What?"
Stifling a giggle, Sulli shook her head left to right. "Just--just watch over the store then, won't you? You know everything about this place now, anyway." Minho appeared behind her with a jersey and shorts on, a pair of knee-high socks dangling from a propped arm. He smiled quietly at the two before he bent down to struggle and slip the wool on, almost tripping over his feet as he did so. Sulli waved him away with a kick of her foot. "You can close up at five."
"That's three hours of work," Kibum groaned and raked his fingers through his hair repeatedly, a tick he picked up once his diet became askew after continuous visits to the shop. "I don't think I can make it."
"We can do it." Jonghyun grinned and held up a fist in the air. "Just gotta work together is all." Rolling his eyes, Kibum slapped it away with a huff.
"We better get paid for this."
"I don't think so."
After two hours and thirty six minutes of groaning and lingering on the scattered furniture of the store--there were absolutely no customers even though the sun was shining brilliantly above the cutely decorated shop--Kibum finally stood upright, his arms leaving the comforting surface of the cold counter. His cheek was red as he grumbled, "Let's go get dinner."
"From where?" Jonghyun moaned, arms shooting up to grab at the image of food spinning before his eyes. "I can't move, Kibum, I don't want to leave this spot."
Kibum had to admit, the way Jonghyun was sprawled out on the couch in the far left side of the shop, with his arms hanging over and legs dangling on the floor, looked oddly promising. Jonghyun busily linked his fingers with strings of plastic bugs that hung from the couch, Sulli's attempt at bringing a warmer spring. "Can you just--let's just go out for some dduk bbok gi. It can't be too far off."
The two shivered as a chilly breeze was splashed in their faces the moment the door opened.
"I regret this. I regret this a lot." Kibum snorted. "I can't stand the cold. I mean, it's the one thing I would never go through for my girlfriend."
With an arched brow, Kibum mused, "Really now? Some boyfriend you would be. What would you do during Christmas week, then?" He kicked a pebble to distract himself from the thinking expression that adorned Jonghyun's face then, and the hood pulled tightly over his head barely hid the tingling blush that reached his ears.
"Well, I'd just invite her to my house," he smiled cheekily to himself. "It'd be warm there, for sure, and we could sit in front of the fireplace and--yeah." Jonghyun glanced at Kibum for a nod of approval, but when he got none, he just shuffled his feet a bit quicker and purposely bumped his shoulder against the designer's. "You?"
Kibum tensed. "Well, I don't think--"
"Look!" Jonghyun interrupted him (and Kibum let out a sigh of relief once he had his back turned) and his arms shot up in excitement. "Food!"
Before Kibum could even feign offense, Jonghyun scrambled his way through the small throng of people and settled into a plastic chair, a look of pure bliss replacing the chilly red that nipped his nose. He beckoned Kibum over with a few flicks of his wrist, and, chuckling, Kibum plopped down into the seat.
"You can't get drunk on me," Kibum pointed out as the first bottle of soju came to their table, the old lady wearing a ridiculously large smile as she placed the shots down. "I can't drive drunk people home."
Jonghyun smirked cockily, a habit that he had which Kibum managed to note the fourth time they met at the cafe, and he mumbled under his breath, "Speak for yourself, Kibum-ah." He poured himself a glass and downed it in one go, the sated sigh leaving his chapped lips and sneaking its way into Kibum's thumping heart.
He suddenly felt very, very nervous.
"Kim Jonghyun," Kibum tittered a bit as his tingling fingers traced the lip of his glass, "h-how many shots so far?"
The photographer remained silent, what with the buzzing in his head proving to be a bit too distracting, until he cleared his throat and grunted, "I lost count."
"God damn it!" Giggling after the outburst, Kibum poured himself another glass, accidentally missing his mark and splashing Jonghyun's limp hand with the ice cold beverage. "I don't know either."
"Whatever," Jonghyun grumbled and he took another swig from Kibum's glass, earning a whine of disapproval as it clattered against the glass. "So, you never answered my question."
Kibum tried to think back ("You know, about Christmas break?" "Ohh.") and then his mind hit the small fragment of memories floating about in his head. "Right, right. Umm."
"What would you do for her?" Jonghyun waited patiently, and it didn't occur to Kibum that it was particularly odd for a drunk man to be sitting so still with his hands clasped together. The serious look on the man's face failed to register as well.
"Well first off," Kibum declared, "I'm gay."
Jonghyun froze and his eyes followed the sly hand that tipped the green bottle once more into the tiny cup that couldn't hold anymore alcohol for its dear life. Kibum tutted. "Can I get another bottle here?"
"Wait, wait," Jonghyun uttered slowly as a hand batted away the fingers dancing in the puddles of soju. "You're what?"
"Gay," he slurred again. "Gay. I don't like girls." Kibum tried to suck his fingers and get the fizzing alcohol off, then started, "I had a boyfriend once. He was a sweetheart. But then he broke up with me." Jonghyun tried to follow with all of the hiccuping in the middle, entirely focused on the way Kibum's red lips moved to form loose words, so when the raven threw his hands up in the air, Jonghyun nearly fell back in his chair.
"He left me! Because I was such a bitch to him." Kibum's head hit the surface of the table in an attempt to muffle the buzzing and popping in his brain, in an attempt to stop himself from rambling. "I didn't deserve him, didn't, not at all."
"That's nice," Jonghyun whispered to himself, but when Kibum's eyes flickered up to meet his, he stuttered, "I mean, I'm sorry. I--are you guys still friends?"
Kibum made a slight whirring sound under his breath. "I guess. I still love him and all, and he says he loves me, he just isn't in love with me. D'you understand that, Jjong? Huh?"
"I don't--no, I don't think I do." Jonghyun tugged at the collar of his shirt. "Kibum, you're really drunk. Let's get you home."
"Stop!" He snickered into the bend of his arm, waved his hands a bit too dramatically. "Stop, stop. We're having too much fun. Let's--I don't want to leave." A crooked smile fluidly slipped on his awkwardly rough features. Kibum clenched and unclenched a fist, let another wave of unusually cold air blow over them, and finally breathed in through his nose when he thought the time was right.
"Remember when we first met?"
Jonghyun twiddled his thumbs a bit before replying. "Yeah."
"I thought," Kibum paused and rubbed his face with his gloved hands and the pain slipped through his fingertips before he could feel it, his cheeks too numb to sense anything, even the warm glow that lit his face, "that you were kind of a miracle. Like, you came at the perfect time to make my life amazing."
He frowned. "I guess I was wrong, though. You're. You're straight, or something. I don't think you could--I don't think I could--"
"Yeah," Jonghyun quickly intervened because he desperately wanted Kibum to stop talking, to stop implementing ideas in his mind. "It wouldn't work."
Then Kibum looked at him, eyes round. "Right? That's what I thought." He tried his best to wear a smile, but his eyes and the muscles in his mouth failed him as watery tears slipped, one, two, then too numerous to count. "Didn't want to, but I guess that's how it is."
"Yeah." Jonghyun flexed his fingers under the table.
"Y'know what I told Sulli and Minho that following day?"
"What?"
"That you--That you stole my heart or something. That you were the friendliest cop I'd ever met--for stopping me from drinking and all, I mean, before I killed someone on the streets. That you took it and put it on probation."
"Well, that's pretty cheesy."
"Yeah, I guess."
Kibum stared down at his lap. "Do you... Do you still want to borrow that book from my house?"
A slight pause caught the breath in his throat.
"Tonight's a bit inconvenient for me. Why not sometime during the weekend?" Kibum looked up, but not at Jonghyun; his eyes fell to the sign that read "Weekend Special! A meal for two for only 1500 won", refusing to even catch a glimpse of the large eyes at glared holes into the table. "I think that'd be best."
"All right."
"I'll drive you home," Jonghyun offered with a small smile, and the raven shook his head (ever the gentleman you are, Jonghyun) as he stood up from his chair.
"It's not too far from here. I'll be fine." He withdrew his hands to the confines of his rough pockets, and he cocked his head to the left. "I'll, uh--I guess I'll see you soon or something." Jonghyun nodded, sniffled a bit under his hand, and then stood up to follow Kibum out before waving and going the opposite way Kibum headed.
Sulli texted Kibum with "where r u?" the following Saturday, and Kibum only chucked his cell phone across the bedroom, a satisfying clunk ringing in the silence.
--
i have the slightest feeling that this will be four parts, not three.
HRRRGHT anybody hate cliche story lines as much as i do? so why am i writing this? idefk.
this is all supposed to have happened over a few weeks, not a few days, and i didn't want to get into so much detail so lkjsf oh god i am regretting writing this so much sigh
i'm sorry if this chapter was anti-climatic and not what you were looking for D: sigh
feedback, positive or negative, is always welcome ; ;