Time Limit - Minho x Jonghyun - 10/?
Title: Time Limit
Chapters: 10/?
Author: paranoiascreams
Genre: Fluff, Angst, AU, Fantasy
Warning: unbeta’d
Rating: PG-13
Pairings/Characters: Minho x Jonghyun, Onew x Key, Minho x Taemin (onesided)
Synopsis: Minho meets a mesmerizing stranger during his prom, only to wish that he never had.
Disclaimer: Loosely based on these gifs: here and here. Edits by braintraitor (technically, the blog cannot be found, if she had moved, credits to her still.)
[01] [02] [03] [04] [05] [06] [07] [08] [09]
"I don't know." Jonghyun replies rather coldly.
"I'm just curious, you know." Minho continues to pack his things, "it must be boring up there."
Jonghyun laughs nervously, "I love to fly, so really, I don't get bored. And I have lots of souls to get sometimes that I become so busy."
"You seem to have a lot of time right now."
"Think of it like... I'm in college. You're my major and the other souls are my minor subjects. I'd have to focus on you more."
"I'm a subject?"
"You're not getting it, Minho!" Jonghyun unconciously raises his voice, the human stares at him, "I-i'm sorry. I can't answer your questions, it's pressuring me."
"I'm sorry too." Minho whispers, Jonghyun shakes his head, "It's okay."
Their conversation gets cut when there are knocks on the door, "Let's go guys!"
"We're coming, Onew-hyung!" Minho calls out as he just throws the last of his stuff inside his bag and walks out of the room with Jonghyun following him.
They're both silent on the car on the way back to Seoul, it's for three hours and if they aren't talking Jonghyun thinks he should just let the human sleep. "Minho?"
"Yeah?"
"Want me to drive? You can sleep."
"... I have a week left. Let me live my life more without sleeping. I don't wanna forget these roads, these scenes..."
Jonghyun sighs, "I understand..."
"Jonghyun?"
"Yeah?"
"Promise me one thing when I become a scheduler..."
"Do you really want me to? I can't tell you about your past if you're making me promise that."
He can. He just doesn't want to. And he's not ever supposed to.
Minho shakes his head, "No... Not my past. I just want you to promise me that you're the last person I see when I die, and the first scheduler I meet when I wake up again."
"...Why?"
"I'd have to keep the reason to myself."
Because I want to feel the same thing I did when I first saw you across the room at prom.
"Okay... I promise."
They become silent again and seconds turn to minutes and Jonghyun unconsciously sings to himself as he looks out the window. Minho looks at him peripherally, "You have a beautiful voice."
"Thanks. When schedulers gather - which rarely happens - they make me sing."
Jonghyun keeps singing, Minho listens as he tries to know what the song is. "Is this an old song?"
"I don't know." Jonghyun shrugs, "I just end up singing this song most of the time."
"Ei, Jonghyun?"
"Yeah?"
"Are schedulers chosen? How?"
Jonghyun turns to him with a smile, "I just knew you'd end up asking me this question one day."
"So, you have an answer for me then?"
"I do. But, it's not like I'll tell you."
"So you won't?"
Jonghyun ponders for a moment. He's been breaking Their rules left and right for Minho, what's another? However things end up for his human - as a scheduler or not - he won't remember a thing when he wakes up. Unless he becomes a scheduler then they'd have to explain things to him again.
"It's quite simple really." The scheduler starts, "I died years ago when you were born. At the exact date and time. Even the seconds counted. I took my last breath the same moment you cried years after."
"That's it?"
"Yeah. But it's not always that you find two circumstances that way."
Minho pauses for a moment as if to think, "How many years ago?"
"I don't know. Could be 50. Or a hundred. Who knows?"
"Does that mean all schedulers are young?"
Jonghyun shakes his head, "Not really. But everyone's death is somehow predetermined," Jonghyun pauses, he can't tell Minho that he can choose to live again, "So when the time comes for a scheduler's partner to go, we are sent out."
"What if I'm to die at fifty?"
"Then you're a scheduler at fifty."
"Then you would've lost all your humanity by then. I mean picking up from some of the things you've told me... You know?"
"Yes. But by then it wouldn't matter anymore."
Schedulers still have some sort of system anyway. Only those who are 18 to 30 are given the choice, anyone younger are directly taken to the Gate and those who are older are not given second chances in life, they become natural schedulers - taking care of the souls of other living things such as animals and plants - those who become old before they die aren't given the tasks given to the likes of Jonghyun, moreso to the likes of Jaejoong.
It's cruel, but it's just how it is. Schedulers aren't gods.
"I need to leave tonight by the way." Jonghyun changes the subject, a soft 'hmn' is Minho's only reply. "I'll come back Saturday. Maybe."
"You must."
"Uh-huh." Jonghyun ends the conversation and watches the scene changing before him.
Minho keeps on driving. From time to time he'd steal a glance towards Jonghyun and sigh to himself. It hurts, it really hurts to have someone you want, someone you love so near, yet undeniably so far, so unreachable.
This must have been what Taemin had felt each time he tries to ignore and be nonchalant about the younger's feelings for him. He's a very cruel person, he's lying to Taemin now and if he finds out that what he has with Jonghyun was done to pretend and keep him away from Minho, no amount of apologies will be enough. This must be his karma - to feel what Taemin had and take it to his death.
They're 2 hours on the road when Onew's car takes a stop at a gas station. "Let's rest for a bit, guys." The oldest calls out to everyone, Key and Taemin follows him out. Minho nudges Jonghyun to come with him. The group buys coffee and Jonghyun refuses the drink. "Allergic to caffeine. Sorry, guys." He lies, everyone except Minho buys it.
"We should have stayed longer and stretched it through the weekends." Taemin complains, Key eyes him. "No, Taeminnie. We stay there longer, it would be bad for my complexion."
The maknae pouts, "But the beach is so fun. Jonghyun-hyung didn't even completely enjoy it."
Onew snickers next to Key, "I'm sure they enjoyed it differently, right Minho-yah?"
"Yeah." Minho blatantly agrees, he only realizes what Onew meant when Key gasps, scandalized and Jonghyun laughs next to him.
"Oh, god. Hyung! What the actual f-! No!"
"No take backs, Minho-yah."
Jonghyun just smiles next to him, it's nice to have friends. He wonders if he never really had some people like them when he was still alive.
"Let's go?" Key asks as he stands up, everyone agrees and they go back to their cars. "This headache is killing me." Taemin comments as he walks with Onew, Jonghyun scoots further from the three.
"You okay?" Minho asks the moment they're alone in the car again. Jonghyun shakes his head 'no'. "What's wrong then?"
"Everything."
"What?"
"Minho, this is wrong. You really can't take me anywhere with your friends, I'm unconsciously eating their energy. I'm hurting them..."
Minho sighs, "Okay. We won't hang out with them anymore. Will that be better?"
Jonghyun nods like a little child, "But you can go with them. Spend more time with them, Minho. You have a week..." The scheduler is apprehensive to say the last sentence because he's afraid he'll offend Minho again, and when the human stays silent, he knows he said it wrongly again. "I'm sorry, Minho."
"Jonghyun."
"Yeah?"
"Is it wrong that I...?"
"That you?"
Minho clears his throat, "That I actually want to spend more time with you than with anybody else...?"
'Wrong. Very, very wrong.'
"... Don't be that way, Minho." Jonghyun shifts on his seat, "Be considerate."
Minho sighs, "I knew you'd say that. But... That's what I wanna do."
Jonghyun looks out the window, he doesn't miss the guy in the white suit appearing next to all the trees they pass by. "I have to leave, Minho."
"Right now? We're in the middle of the highway, and the others will notice."
Jonghyun shakes his head because the guy in white suit's still appearing in the scheduler's visions, "I'll be back here before you reach Seoul." The younger grabs on Jonghyun's arm, "Stay."
Jonghyun smiles, "I promise I'll be here faster than you know it." The scheduler removes the human's grip from his arm then he disappears, Minho hears his wings flapping softly until it fades completely.
-----
"That's creepy, Jaejoong."
Jaejoong crosses his arms, "Jonghyun, stop seeing him."
"You promised me."
Jaejoong tsks and shakes his head, "I did. I was concerned about you, but I'm more concerned about your human. He's in love with you."
"What the hell? Of course he's not." Jonghyun defends, though he's got the idea that Minho could be.
"Stop fooling yourself. Go back to him, leave tonight. Say goodbye, see him when he's unaware of your presence, but leave him alone. Stop being seen by him."
"I can't." Jonghyun argues, Jaejoong takes a step forward, "You can. You don't want to."
"Jaejoong..."
"No. Stop seeing him. That's final."
Jonghyun glares at the older scheduler, "Who are you to say what I have to do and not?!"
"I am your senior, I need to take you back to the right path! You're making everything complicated to the both of you!"
Jonghyun sighs, "Fine... Fine. Just, okay."
"Jonghyun, do it. Before everyone up there takes notice."
"... I am going now. I'll just... Go." Jonghyun doesn't say anything more then just disappears from Jaejoong.
-----
"Just in time." Minho comments once Jonghyun is back inside his car. "Yeah, yeah..." Jonghyun sighs then just turns to the window.
"Is something wrong?" Minho asks, Jonghyun just shrugs. "Please, don't mind me Minho."
The human overtakes Onew's car that's pulling over Taemin's driveway, "We're going ahead, guys!" Minho calls out, Jonghyun waves them goodbye. The other three smiles and waves to them as well. The younger drives away on a steady speed, and steals glances to the fidgety scheduler seated next to him.
"What? Got scolded?" Minho tries to break the ice, and Jonghyun scoffs, "I'm too old to be scolded, Minho."
"Then what is it?"
"I said don't mind me, right? Can't a guy think in peace?"
"Are you actually angry?" Minho asks with a raised brow, Jonghyun puffs then faces the human with a glare, "Maybe I am, Minho. Please, let me think."
The taller of the two laughs at the display of annoyance, Jonghyun hits his arm, "What the hell is wrong with you?!"
"I just think it's a little funny."
"Me? Me being angry is funny?"
"It's cute." Minho boldly says with the back of his hand over his mouth but Jonghyun hears it loud and clear, and he's a bit offended.
"So, I don't only look funny when I'm angry, I'm also cute? You are so weird!" Jonghyun hits Minho's arm harder for good measure and to get his message across that he is actually annoyed at the comments.
Minho laughs harder this time, fortunately the road is quite empty and Minho can be a little careless. "We're fighting like a real couple. You're acting like a cute girlfriend, Jonghyun."
"GIRLFRIEND!? Wow, you asshole. First you tell me I'm funny, then I'm cute and as cherry on top, I'm the girl in this relationship too?!" Jonghyun punches Minho on the shoulder before turning away from the human and focuses on the view outside.
Minho sighs as he steadies his breath then continues driving back to his place. He's glad that he's able to make Jonghyun ease up a little, evidently because at the corner of his eyes, he can see Jonghyun's smiling a bit and he can hear him humming the same song from before.
A few minutes later, they arrive at Minho's place. The human has parked his car in the garage, he and Jonghyun step out of the vehicle. The younger is about to make his way inside when Jonghyun speaks, "I won't be back until Thursday."
Minho takes a 180•degree turn and faces him, "What?"
"Look, I have to." Jonghyun stays nonchalant about it, trying his best to look like he doesn't really give a fuck if he's leaving until Minho's time is up. The taller takes a few steps until he's in front of Jonghyun, he crosses his arms across his chest and glares at the scheduler. "At least give me a reason why. I don't wanna hear a fucktard lame excuse that you just have to."
"Woah there, buttwipe. You tend to forget that I am not human and I have a lot of other things to do, so your intimidation won't work on me." Jonghyun backs away a little, Minho grabs him by the arm. "Damn it, Minho, that burns!"
"Can't you stay?"
"With the way you're acting, I won't!"
Minho retracts his grip from Jonghyun's arm and places it to his side, "I'm sorry."
"Why are you being like this anyway?"
Minho scratches the back of his neck as he tries not to look at Jonghyun, "It's becoming an instinct."
Jonghyun raises an eyebrow, "Oh? An instinct?"
"I-it's becoming a reflex for me to hold on to you when you're about to fly away and disappear."
Jonghyun sighs, "This is just wrong, Minho. You weren't supposed to be this attached to me."
Minho looks down and locks his gaze on the scheduler, "So you're leaving instead?"
"Why are we even having this argument, Minho? I don't need to ask permission from you." Jonghyun rolls his eyes and backs away, "I'll see you when I - " he doesn't finish anything because Minho pulls him back, he's easily turned around and before he knows it, his lips are burning - his human is kissing him.
Jonghyun pushes him off with all his strength, he covers his mouth with the back of his hand, "WHAT THE HELL?! What the fuck did you just do?! You think it's funny to leave me burn marks, ON MY MOUTH?!"
Minho shakes his head, "I really just wanted to kiss you. I mean, you're leaving, and I might not be able to see you again, physically at least until that day so I just..." The human scrunches his face, the sudden headache shoots at him, and he feels like throwing up, or fainting, he doesn't feel good, long story short.
Jonghyun shakes his head, "Don't do this Minho. Go back to your room, you'll faint."
"You won't be here when I wake up."
Jonghyun shakes his head, "Just go back inside."
Minho steps forward again and hugs Jonghyun. He doesn't say anything more before reluctantly going back inside his house, albeit a bit wobbly. He doesn't make it to his room and collapses on the couch.
-----
Jonghyun decides that the only way he can hide ther burning marks on his lips is to avoid all the other schedulers in their domain by flying past them, ignore them when they call and somersault in the air so the others will leave him alone. Except for one.
"You'd best just haul yourself somewhere isolated if you want to hide those burns."
Jonghyun stops spinning and faces Jaejoong, "You're a creepy stalker, hyung."
"It saves you the trouble of explaining to me, though."
Jonghyun shrugs and just flies higher, Jaejoong follows him up, "Tell me I wasn't wrong about your human's feelings for you."
"Fine. You're right and I'm doing what you want me to, can you just leave me alone?" Jonghyun grunts and flies higher, Jaejoong - being a stronger and more experienced flier just breezes through the wind as he catches up to the younger scheduler, "You feel the same way."
"That's stupid, Jaejoong. We're schedulers, we don't feel any human emotion."
"Do you know why I'm making you stay away from him?" Jaejoong asks with a raised brow, Jonghyun scoffs, "Because he's in love with me and I'm becoming more human. How many times do I have to hear it?!" The younger crosses his arms and stays in his place, flying away from Jaejoong is definitely unnecessary because he'd just catch up to him until he finishes whatever he wants to say to Jonghyun.
"Love isn't limited to humans, Jonghyun."
"Yes. I know. Animals too. I'm not a friggin' rookie."
"... It's not limited to us either." Jaejoong admits to Jonghyun before flying back down, leaving the younger scheduler dumbfounded and rooted to his spot.
-----------
Author's Notes: I know it took me a year and almost 2 months before I updated this and it's fairly short. I apologize deeply because I honestly forgot some of the things that are supposed to happen, EXCEPT for the ending. I had to wing it, and reread all the previous chapters just to write this one.
One more thing, this had been drafted around March last year too, but I kind of stopped and got busy with work and other fandom (I'm so sorry!). Anyway, it's here now.
Love me again, guys?
Chapters: 10/?
Author: paranoiascreams
Genre: Fluff, Angst, AU, Fantasy
Warning: unbeta’d
Rating: PG-13
Pairings/Characters: Minho x Jonghyun, Onew x Key, Minho x Taemin (onesided)
Synopsis: Minho meets a mesmerizing stranger during his prom, only to wish that he never had.
Disclaimer: Loosely based on these gifs: here and here. Edits by braintraitor (technically, the blog cannot be found, if she had moved, credits to her still.)
[01] [02] [03] [04] [05] [06] [07] [08] [09]
"I don't know." Jonghyun replies rather coldly.
"I'm just curious, you know." Minho continues to pack his things, "it must be boring up there."
Jonghyun laughs nervously, "I love to fly, so really, I don't get bored. And I have lots of souls to get sometimes that I become so busy."
"You seem to have a lot of time right now."
"Think of it like... I'm in college. You're my major and the other souls are my minor subjects. I'd have to focus on you more."
"I'm a subject?"
"You're not getting it, Minho!" Jonghyun unconciously raises his voice, the human stares at him, "I-i'm sorry. I can't answer your questions, it's pressuring me."
"I'm sorry too." Minho whispers, Jonghyun shakes his head, "It's okay."
Their conversation gets cut when there are knocks on the door, "Let's go guys!"
"We're coming, Onew-hyung!" Minho calls out as he just throws the last of his stuff inside his bag and walks out of the room with Jonghyun following him.
They're both silent on the car on the way back to Seoul, it's for three hours and if they aren't talking Jonghyun thinks he should just let the human sleep. "Minho?"
"Yeah?"
"Want me to drive? You can sleep."
"... I have a week left. Let me live my life more without sleeping. I don't wanna forget these roads, these scenes..."
Jonghyun sighs, "I understand..."
"Jonghyun?"
"Yeah?"
"Promise me one thing when I become a scheduler..."
"Do you really want me to? I can't tell you about your past if you're making me promise that."
He can. He just doesn't want to. And he's not ever supposed to.
Minho shakes his head, "No... Not my past. I just want you to promise me that you're the last person I see when I die, and the first scheduler I meet when I wake up again."
"...Why?"
"I'd have to keep the reason to myself."
Because I want to feel the same thing I did when I first saw you across the room at prom.
"Okay... I promise."
They become silent again and seconds turn to minutes and Jonghyun unconsciously sings to himself as he looks out the window. Minho looks at him peripherally, "You have a beautiful voice."
"Thanks. When schedulers gather - which rarely happens - they make me sing."
Jonghyun keeps singing, Minho listens as he tries to know what the song is. "Is this an old song?"
"I don't know." Jonghyun shrugs, "I just end up singing this song most of the time."
"Ei, Jonghyun?"
"Yeah?"
"Are schedulers chosen? How?"
Jonghyun turns to him with a smile, "I just knew you'd end up asking me this question one day."
"So, you have an answer for me then?"
"I do. But, it's not like I'll tell you."
"So you won't?"
Jonghyun ponders for a moment. He's been breaking Their rules left and right for Minho, what's another? However things end up for his human - as a scheduler or not - he won't remember a thing when he wakes up. Unless he becomes a scheduler then they'd have to explain things to him again.
"It's quite simple really." The scheduler starts, "I died years ago when you were born. At the exact date and time. Even the seconds counted. I took my last breath the same moment you cried years after."
"That's it?"
"Yeah. But it's not always that you find two circumstances that way."
Minho pauses for a moment as if to think, "How many years ago?"
"I don't know. Could be 50. Or a hundred. Who knows?"
"Does that mean all schedulers are young?"
Jonghyun shakes his head, "Not really. But everyone's death is somehow predetermined," Jonghyun pauses, he can't tell Minho that he can choose to live again, "So when the time comes for a scheduler's partner to go, we are sent out."
"What if I'm to die at fifty?"
"Then you're a scheduler at fifty."
"Then you would've lost all your humanity by then. I mean picking up from some of the things you've told me... You know?"
"Yes. But by then it wouldn't matter anymore."
Schedulers still have some sort of system anyway. Only those who are 18 to 30 are given the choice, anyone younger are directly taken to the Gate and those who are older are not given second chances in life, they become natural schedulers - taking care of the souls of other living things such as animals and plants - those who become old before they die aren't given the tasks given to the likes of Jonghyun, moreso to the likes of Jaejoong.
It's cruel, but it's just how it is. Schedulers aren't gods.
"I need to leave tonight by the way." Jonghyun changes the subject, a soft 'hmn' is Minho's only reply. "I'll come back Saturday. Maybe."
"You must."
"Uh-huh." Jonghyun ends the conversation and watches the scene changing before him.
Minho keeps on driving. From time to time he'd steal a glance towards Jonghyun and sigh to himself. It hurts, it really hurts to have someone you want, someone you love so near, yet undeniably so far, so unreachable.
This must have been what Taemin had felt each time he tries to ignore and be nonchalant about the younger's feelings for him. He's a very cruel person, he's lying to Taemin now and if he finds out that what he has with Jonghyun was done to pretend and keep him away from Minho, no amount of apologies will be enough. This must be his karma - to feel what Taemin had and take it to his death.
They're 2 hours on the road when Onew's car takes a stop at a gas station. "Let's rest for a bit, guys." The oldest calls out to everyone, Key and Taemin follows him out. Minho nudges Jonghyun to come with him. The group buys coffee and Jonghyun refuses the drink. "Allergic to caffeine. Sorry, guys." He lies, everyone except Minho buys it.
"We should have stayed longer and stretched it through the weekends." Taemin complains, Key eyes him. "No, Taeminnie. We stay there longer, it would be bad for my complexion."
The maknae pouts, "But the beach is so fun. Jonghyun-hyung didn't even completely enjoy it."
Onew snickers next to Key, "I'm sure they enjoyed it differently, right Minho-yah?"
"Yeah." Minho blatantly agrees, he only realizes what Onew meant when Key gasps, scandalized and Jonghyun laughs next to him.
"Oh, god. Hyung! What the actual f-! No!"
"No take backs, Minho-yah."
Jonghyun just smiles next to him, it's nice to have friends. He wonders if he never really had some people like them when he was still alive.
"Let's go?" Key asks as he stands up, everyone agrees and they go back to their cars. "This headache is killing me." Taemin comments as he walks with Onew, Jonghyun scoots further from the three.
"You okay?" Minho asks the moment they're alone in the car again. Jonghyun shakes his head 'no'. "What's wrong then?"
"Everything."
"What?"
"Minho, this is wrong. You really can't take me anywhere with your friends, I'm unconsciously eating their energy. I'm hurting them..."
Minho sighs, "Okay. We won't hang out with them anymore. Will that be better?"
Jonghyun nods like a little child, "But you can go with them. Spend more time with them, Minho. You have a week..." The scheduler is apprehensive to say the last sentence because he's afraid he'll offend Minho again, and when the human stays silent, he knows he said it wrongly again. "I'm sorry, Minho."
"Jonghyun."
"Yeah?"
"Is it wrong that I...?"
"That you?"
Minho clears his throat, "That I actually want to spend more time with you than with anybody else...?"
'Wrong. Very, very wrong.'
"... Don't be that way, Minho." Jonghyun shifts on his seat, "Be considerate."
Minho sighs, "I knew you'd say that. But... That's what I wanna do."
Jonghyun looks out the window, he doesn't miss the guy in the white suit appearing next to all the trees they pass by. "I have to leave, Minho."
"Right now? We're in the middle of the highway, and the others will notice."
Jonghyun shakes his head because the guy in white suit's still appearing in the scheduler's visions, "I'll be back here before you reach Seoul." The younger grabs on Jonghyun's arm, "Stay."
Jonghyun smiles, "I promise I'll be here faster than you know it." The scheduler removes the human's grip from his arm then he disappears, Minho hears his wings flapping softly until it fades completely.
-----
"That's creepy, Jaejoong."
Jaejoong crosses his arms, "Jonghyun, stop seeing him."
"You promised me."
Jaejoong tsks and shakes his head, "I did. I was concerned about you, but I'm more concerned about your human. He's in love with you."
"What the hell? Of course he's not." Jonghyun defends, though he's got the idea that Minho could be.
"Stop fooling yourself. Go back to him, leave tonight. Say goodbye, see him when he's unaware of your presence, but leave him alone. Stop being seen by him."
"I can't." Jonghyun argues, Jaejoong takes a step forward, "You can. You don't want to."
"Jaejoong..."
"No. Stop seeing him. That's final."
Jonghyun glares at the older scheduler, "Who are you to say what I have to do and not?!"
"I am your senior, I need to take you back to the right path! You're making everything complicated to the both of you!"
Jonghyun sighs, "Fine... Fine. Just, okay."
"Jonghyun, do it. Before everyone up there takes notice."
"... I am going now. I'll just... Go." Jonghyun doesn't say anything more then just disappears from Jaejoong.
-----
"Just in time." Minho comments once Jonghyun is back inside his car. "Yeah, yeah..." Jonghyun sighs then just turns to the window.
"Is something wrong?" Minho asks, Jonghyun just shrugs. "Please, don't mind me Minho."
The human overtakes Onew's car that's pulling over Taemin's driveway, "We're going ahead, guys!" Minho calls out, Jonghyun waves them goodbye. The other three smiles and waves to them as well. The younger drives away on a steady speed, and steals glances to the fidgety scheduler seated next to him.
"What? Got scolded?" Minho tries to break the ice, and Jonghyun scoffs, "I'm too old to be scolded, Minho."
"Then what is it?"
"I said don't mind me, right? Can't a guy think in peace?"
"Are you actually angry?" Minho asks with a raised brow, Jonghyun puffs then faces the human with a glare, "Maybe I am, Minho. Please, let me think."
The taller of the two laughs at the display of annoyance, Jonghyun hits his arm, "What the hell is wrong with you?!"
"I just think it's a little funny."
"Me? Me being angry is funny?"
"It's cute." Minho boldly says with the back of his hand over his mouth but Jonghyun hears it loud and clear, and he's a bit offended.
"So, I don't only look funny when I'm angry, I'm also cute? You are so weird!" Jonghyun hits Minho's arm harder for good measure and to get his message across that he is actually annoyed at the comments.
Minho laughs harder this time, fortunately the road is quite empty and Minho can be a little careless. "We're fighting like a real couple. You're acting like a cute girlfriend, Jonghyun."
"GIRLFRIEND!? Wow, you asshole. First you tell me I'm funny, then I'm cute and as cherry on top, I'm the girl in this relationship too?!" Jonghyun punches Minho on the shoulder before turning away from the human and focuses on the view outside.
Minho sighs as he steadies his breath then continues driving back to his place. He's glad that he's able to make Jonghyun ease up a little, evidently because at the corner of his eyes, he can see Jonghyun's smiling a bit and he can hear him humming the same song from before.
A few minutes later, they arrive at Minho's place. The human has parked his car in the garage, he and Jonghyun step out of the vehicle. The younger is about to make his way inside when Jonghyun speaks, "I won't be back until Thursday."
Minho takes a 180•degree turn and faces him, "What?"
"Look, I have to." Jonghyun stays nonchalant about it, trying his best to look like he doesn't really give a fuck if he's leaving until Minho's time is up. The taller takes a few steps until he's in front of Jonghyun, he crosses his arms across his chest and glares at the scheduler. "At least give me a reason why. I don't wanna hear a fucktard lame excuse that you just have to."
"Woah there, buttwipe. You tend to forget that I am not human and I have a lot of other things to do, so your intimidation won't work on me." Jonghyun backs away a little, Minho grabs him by the arm. "Damn it, Minho, that burns!"
"Can't you stay?"
"With the way you're acting, I won't!"
Minho retracts his grip from Jonghyun's arm and places it to his side, "I'm sorry."
"Why are you being like this anyway?"
Minho scratches the back of his neck as he tries not to look at Jonghyun, "It's becoming an instinct."
Jonghyun raises an eyebrow, "Oh? An instinct?"
"I-it's becoming a reflex for me to hold on to you when you're about to fly away and disappear."
Jonghyun sighs, "This is just wrong, Minho. You weren't supposed to be this attached to me."
Minho looks down and locks his gaze on the scheduler, "So you're leaving instead?"
"Why are we even having this argument, Minho? I don't need to ask permission from you." Jonghyun rolls his eyes and backs away, "I'll see you when I - " he doesn't finish anything because Minho pulls him back, he's easily turned around and before he knows it, his lips are burning - his human is kissing him.
Jonghyun pushes him off with all his strength, he covers his mouth with the back of his hand, "WHAT THE HELL?! What the fuck did you just do?! You think it's funny to leave me burn marks, ON MY MOUTH?!"
Minho shakes his head, "I really just wanted to kiss you. I mean, you're leaving, and I might not be able to see you again, physically at least until that day so I just..." The human scrunches his face, the sudden headache shoots at him, and he feels like throwing up, or fainting, he doesn't feel good, long story short.
Jonghyun shakes his head, "Don't do this Minho. Go back to your room, you'll faint."
"You won't be here when I wake up."
Jonghyun shakes his head, "Just go back inside."
Minho steps forward again and hugs Jonghyun. He doesn't say anything more before reluctantly going back inside his house, albeit a bit wobbly. He doesn't make it to his room and collapses on the couch.
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Jonghyun decides that the only way he can hide ther burning marks on his lips is to avoid all the other schedulers in their domain by flying past them, ignore them when they call and somersault in the air so the others will leave him alone. Except for one.
"You'd best just haul yourself somewhere isolated if you want to hide those burns."
Jonghyun stops spinning and faces Jaejoong, "You're a creepy stalker, hyung."
"It saves you the trouble of explaining to me, though."
Jonghyun shrugs and just flies higher, Jaejoong follows him up, "Tell me I wasn't wrong about your human's feelings for you."
"Fine. You're right and I'm doing what you want me to, can you just leave me alone?" Jonghyun grunts and flies higher, Jaejoong - being a stronger and more experienced flier just breezes through the wind as he catches up to the younger scheduler, "You feel the same way."
"That's stupid, Jaejoong. We're schedulers, we don't feel any human emotion."
"Do you know why I'm making you stay away from him?" Jaejoong asks with a raised brow, Jonghyun scoffs, "Because he's in love with me and I'm becoming more human. How many times do I have to hear it?!" The younger crosses his arms and stays in his place, flying away from Jaejoong is definitely unnecessary because he'd just catch up to him until he finishes whatever he wants to say to Jonghyun.
"Love isn't limited to humans, Jonghyun."
"Yes. I know. Animals too. I'm not a friggin' rookie."
"... It's not limited to us either." Jaejoong admits to Jonghyun before flying back down, leaving the younger scheduler dumbfounded and rooted to his spot.
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Author's Notes: I know it took me a year and almost 2 months before I updated this and it's fairly short. I apologize deeply because I honestly forgot some of the things that are supposed to happen, EXCEPT for the ending. I had to wing it, and reread all the previous chapters just to write this one.
One more thing, this had been drafted around March last year too, but I kind of stopped and got busy with work and other fandom (I'm so sorry!). Anyway, it's here now.
Love me again, guys?