Orrery (TaeKey; pg-13)
Title: Orrery
Author:a_life_defiant
Rating: PG-13 (for now)
Paring: Taemin/Key
Genre: AU
Summary: Love will remain a mystery, but give me your hand and you will see; your heart is keeping time with me.
A/N: I've had this on my phone forever....I'm kind of hoping that by posting, it might inspire me some more. I think it will be probably a threeshot, if I can decide what I want to do. Let me know if you think it's worth continuing. ALSO! If you haven't read vyplum's TEST YOUR MIGHT oneshot - you should. It's a delicious little fluffy band!fic that is INSANELY hilarious. I highly recommend it.
***
Time passes. In steps, in breaths, periods of joy and sorrow. It also passes in heartbeats. Kibum knew this all too well.
He liked to sit by the water fountain during his work break. The cool streams of liquid, that looked much more like plastic instead, cascaded gently into the bottom. He would let his mind wander as the sound of the rippling water assaulted his auditory sense. During those moments it felt as though time would slow down ever so slightly. In those moments of clarity Kibum was certain of two things. One, time was a freight train of honesty. It always passed and it never stopped. It wouldn't lie and it made no illusions or pretended to be something it wasn't. This is why he fixed watches and clocks for a living. Two, people couldn't be trusted. They cheated, schemed, lied, and betrayed. They would steal your heart against any protest, only to break it and throw it in the trash. This is why he was adamantly single.
Kibum was satisfied with time being his only companion. Not to say he was alone- he had friends. He just didn't get deeply involved with anyone, be it romantically or platonically. Kibum was right about what he knew, but he neglected the fact that every rule, every certainty, has an exception. Time passes, true. But it is always accompanied by change. People were lying douchebags, also true. BUT, there is always that one person who comes along after the long parade of assholes that will prove your theories wrong.
Today was the day that Kibum's life would be irrevocably altered - he just didn't know it.
***
Key let his eyes go cross as he stared into the glassy abyss that was the water fountain. He let the image of the glistening surface blur in and out of focus as he daydreamed. He was pulled out of his dreamland and back into reality by a person blocking his line of sight. He looked up to see a boy, probably a few years younger than him, peering down at him curiously.
"Can I help you?" Key inquired as he blinked rapidly, trying to get his eyes to focus properly.
"He lives!" The younger boy chirped excitedly as he waggled his fingers outward.
"Excuse me?" The older boy frowned.
"We thought you were dead. Well, I didn’t think you were. Minho thought you had an aneurysm or something."
Key furrowed his brow, still semi confused.
The other boy waved at someone across the fountain, beckoning them closer. Key took a moment to analyze the boy he was speaking to. Slender, lithe to be exact. Pretty features that were handsome, yet bordering on feminine. A tall, dark-haired boy came to stand next to the smaller one.
"See, he's alive. You owe me ten bucks." The blonde boy smiled brightly.
"What's your name, by the way? I'm Taemin and this is Minho."
"Kibum...did you just bet on me being dead or alive??" He questioned in disbelief.
"Yep." Taemin answered, popping the 'p' at the end as he snatched the money from Minho's hand. "And now I'm going to take my hard-earned cash and take you out for ice cream Kibum."
The taller boy looked forlorn at Taemin's statement. The shorter boy immediately waved him off without a second look.
"Don't put that face on, Minho-hyung. You have to go by Changmin's job anyway to pick him up."
"I like ice cream too." The tall boy muttered as he walked off.
Taemin grabbed hold of Key's hand and tried to pull him to his feet.
"So what kind of ice cream do you want? I think I'm going to get strawberry."
Taemin looked back when he felt resistance against his grip. Key was standing, but he was rooted to his spot.
"Are you on drugs? I just met you. I'm not going to wander off somewhere under the promise of ice cream so you and your giant frog can murder me." Key protested.
"Kibum-hyung, the ice cream stand is about 50 feet away from us. That's not really wandering very far." Taemin smirked.
"That's what they all say! Don't you watch TV? That's exactly what the murderer says to trick the victim into trusting him. And who said I was your hyung? I didn't tell you my age." The taller boy finished with a frown.
"TV rots your brain, so no, I have no idea what you're talking about. I'm always the maknae in any group. I'm a 94-liner, there is no way you're younger."
"Yah! Are you calling me old????" The older boy pouted, looking very diva-esque.
"If the shoe fits...." Taemin giggled while attempting to look innocent.
"91-line is not old!" Kibum shrieked as he swatted at the younger boy.
Taemin was a ball of laughter as he tried to shield himself from the playful attack.
"Black raspberry chocolate chip." Kibum blurted out after a moment of silence.
"What, Kibum-hyung?" Taemin's brows furrowed together slightly.
"That's the flavor I want. I'll sit here and wait for you. This way we still get ice cream and no one gets killed." The older boy chuckled.
Taemin shook his head with a laugh. "Kibum-hyung you are strange...."
The younger boy got up to get the ice cream when an interjection from Key stopped him.
"Yah! It's Key-hyung by the way. Call me Key."
Taemin smiled so brilliantly that Key had the urge to shield his eyes with his hand, but he couldn't move if he tried. It was almost like a solar eclipse or something. You know you aren't supposed to look, but you keep trying anyway, even after your eyes are burning and you're terrified that you might go blind. Key stared on as Taemin trotted happily over to the ice cream stand. He shifted impatiently back and forth from one foot to the other as he waited in line. Key wondered if he really should be doing this. He fought with himself internally if he should stay or go. However, the thought of the frown that would overtake Taemin's face if he were to leave sat uncomfortably with Kibum. He was so lost in thought that he hadn't noticed the younger boy's return. It wasn't until the ice cream cone was being waved directly in front of his face that he registered the rest of the world again.
Bubbly laughter filled his ears as he finally took the confection from the other boy.
"Where did you go, hyung? You seemed like you were on another planet."
"Just....thinking." Key stated without further explanation.
He took a long lick up the side of his ice cream and moaned slightly as the flavor melted on his tongue. It wasn't often that he indulged in such sweets, but that made him appreciate the times when he did even more.
"This is...." He started but trailed off, unable to form his thoughts into a coherent sentence.
Taemin swirled his tongue around the top of his cone. "Yeah. I know."
For the next few minutes the only sounds exchanged were soft slurps, lip-smacking, and the occasional mewl of pleasure. Taemin bit at his waffle cone, the crunch cutting through the silence.
"So Key-hyung, do you work in the mall? I think I've seen you around here before."
"Ne. I work at Timeless on the second floor. I fix clocks that are broken and help adjust ones that are running fast or slow."
"That sounds.....really boring." Taemin giggled as he licked the ice cream off his lower lip. "No offense, I just think staring at clocks all day would make me want to bash my head into the wall."
Kibum nodded with a sly smile. "That's only because you don't know much about how clocks work. You see, on the outside they can appear plain. Or an annoying reminder of something you're late for; maybe even something you're putting off. On the inside though, there's all these little pieces. A million tiny cogs and gears that are working just beneath the surface to make everything else seem effortless. You never know what you're really dealing with until you rip the face off of it and expose what's inside."
Key noted the serious look that had overtaken Taemin's pretty features; making him appear somber. He wasn't sure what he'd said that could've earned such a reaction, but he suddenly had the urge to do anything in his power to bring back the boy's sunny smile. Key threw the rest of his cone in the trash and then did the same with Taemin's.
"HEY! I was still eating that." The younger boy pouted, his full bottom lip poking out and making him look even more juvenile.
"You were almost done. Besides, I have something I want to show you." Key explained with a shrug as he pulled the smaller boy to his feet.
Key felt Taemin thread their fingers together and looked up to see that his smile had indeed returned. He didn't give himself any time to think as he pulled Taemin along beside him.
TBC?
Author:a_life_defiant
Rating: PG-13 (for now)
Paring: Taemin/Key
Genre: AU
Summary: Love will remain a mystery, but give me your hand and you will see; your heart is keeping time with me.
A/N: I've had this on my phone forever....I'm kind of hoping that by posting, it might inspire me some more. I think it will be probably a threeshot, if I can decide what I want to do. Let me know if you think it's worth continuing. ALSO! If you haven't read vyplum's TEST YOUR MIGHT oneshot - you should. It's a delicious little fluffy band!fic that is INSANELY hilarious. I highly recommend it.
***
Time passes. In steps, in breaths, periods of joy and sorrow. It also passes in heartbeats. Kibum knew this all too well.
He liked to sit by the water fountain during his work break. The cool streams of liquid, that looked much more like plastic instead, cascaded gently into the bottom. He would let his mind wander as the sound of the rippling water assaulted his auditory sense. During those moments it felt as though time would slow down ever so slightly. In those moments of clarity Kibum was certain of two things. One, time was a freight train of honesty. It always passed and it never stopped. It wouldn't lie and it made no illusions or pretended to be something it wasn't. This is why he fixed watches and clocks for a living. Two, people couldn't be trusted. They cheated, schemed, lied, and betrayed. They would steal your heart against any protest, only to break it and throw it in the trash. This is why he was adamantly single.
Kibum was satisfied with time being his only companion. Not to say he was alone- he had friends. He just didn't get deeply involved with anyone, be it romantically or platonically. Kibum was right about what he knew, but he neglected the fact that every rule, every certainty, has an exception. Time passes, true. But it is always accompanied by change. People were lying douchebags, also true. BUT, there is always that one person who comes along after the long parade of assholes that will prove your theories wrong.
Today was the day that Kibum's life would be irrevocably altered - he just didn't know it.
***
Key let his eyes go cross as he stared into the glassy abyss that was the water fountain. He let the image of the glistening surface blur in and out of focus as he daydreamed. He was pulled out of his dreamland and back into reality by a person blocking his line of sight. He looked up to see a boy, probably a few years younger than him, peering down at him curiously.
"Can I help you?" Key inquired as he blinked rapidly, trying to get his eyes to focus properly.
"He lives!" The younger boy chirped excitedly as he waggled his fingers outward.
"Excuse me?" The older boy frowned.
"We thought you were dead. Well, I didn’t think you were. Minho thought you had an aneurysm or something."
Key furrowed his brow, still semi confused.
The other boy waved at someone across the fountain, beckoning them closer. Key took a moment to analyze the boy he was speaking to. Slender, lithe to be exact. Pretty features that were handsome, yet bordering on feminine. A tall, dark-haired boy came to stand next to the smaller one.
"See, he's alive. You owe me ten bucks." The blonde boy smiled brightly.
"What's your name, by the way? I'm Taemin and this is Minho."
"Kibum...did you just bet on me being dead or alive??" He questioned in disbelief.
"Yep." Taemin answered, popping the 'p' at the end as he snatched the money from Minho's hand. "And now I'm going to take my hard-earned cash and take you out for ice cream Kibum."
The taller boy looked forlorn at Taemin's statement. The shorter boy immediately waved him off without a second look.
"Don't put that face on, Minho-hyung. You have to go by Changmin's job anyway to pick him up."
"I like ice cream too." The tall boy muttered as he walked off.
Taemin grabbed hold of Key's hand and tried to pull him to his feet.
"So what kind of ice cream do you want? I think I'm going to get strawberry."
Taemin looked back when he felt resistance against his grip. Key was standing, but he was rooted to his spot.
"Are you on drugs? I just met you. I'm not going to wander off somewhere under the promise of ice cream so you and your giant frog can murder me." Key protested.
"Kibum-hyung, the ice cream stand is about 50 feet away from us. That's not really wandering very far." Taemin smirked.
"That's what they all say! Don't you watch TV? That's exactly what the murderer says to trick the victim into trusting him. And who said I was your hyung? I didn't tell you my age." The taller boy finished with a frown.
"TV rots your brain, so no, I have no idea what you're talking about. I'm always the maknae in any group. I'm a 94-liner, there is no way you're younger."
"Yah! Are you calling me old????" The older boy pouted, looking very diva-esque.
"If the shoe fits...." Taemin giggled while attempting to look innocent.
"91-line is not old!" Kibum shrieked as he swatted at the younger boy.
Taemin was a ball of laughter as he tried to shield himself from the playful attack.
"Black raspberry chocolate chip." Kibum blurted out after a moment of silence.
"What, Kibum-hyung?" Taemin's brows furrowed together slightly.
"That's the flavor I want. I'll sit here and wait for you. This way we still get ice cream and no one gets killed." The older boy chuckled.
Taemin shook his head with a laugh. "Kibum-hyung you are strange...."
The younger boy got up to get the ice cream when an interjection from Key stopped him.
"Yah! It's Key-hyung by the way. Call me Key."
Taemin smiled so brilliantly that Key had the urge to shield his eyes with his hand, but he couldn't move if he tried. It was almost like a solar eclipse or something. You know you aren't supposed to look, but you keep trying anyway, even after your eyes are burning and you're terrified that you might go blind. Key stared on as Taemin trotted happily over to the ice cream stand. He shifted impatiently back and forth from one foot to the other as he waited in line. Key wondered if he really should be doing this. He fought with himself internally if he should stay or go. However, the thought of the frown that would overtake Taemin's face if he were to leave sat uncomfortably with Kibum. He was so lost in thought that he hadn't noticed the younger boy's return. It wasn't until the ice cream cone was being waved directly in front of his face that he registered the rest of the world again.
Bubbly laughter filled his ears as he finally took the confection from the other boy.
"Where did you go, hyung? You seemed like you were on another planet."
"Just....thinking." Key stated without further explanation.
He took a long lick up the side of his ice cream and moaned slightly as the flavor melted on his tongue. It wasn't often that he indulged in such sweets, but that made him appreciate the times when he did even more.
"This is...." He started but trailed off, unable to form his thoughts into a coherent sentence.
Taemin swirled his tongue around the top of his cone. "Yeah. I know."
For the next few minutes the only sounds exchanged were soft slurps, lip-smacking, and the occasional mewl of pleasure. Taemin bit at his waffle cone, the crunch cutting through the silence.
"So Key-hyung, do you work in the mall? I think I've seen you around here before."
"Ne. I work at Timeless on the second floor. I fix clocks that are broken and help adjust ones that are running fast or slow."
"That sounds.....really boring." Taemin giggled as he licked the ice cream off his lower lip. "No offense, I just think staring at clocks all day would make me want to bash my head into the wall."
Kibum nodded with a sly smile. "That's only because you don't know much about how clocks work. You see, on the outside they can appear plain. Or an annoying reminder of something you're late for; maybe even something you're putting off. On the inside though, there's all these little pieces. A million tiny cogs and gears that are working just beneath the surface to make everything else seem effortless. You never know what you're really dealing with until you rip the face off of it and expose what's inside."
Key noted the serious look that had overtaken Taemin's pretty features; making him appear somber. He wasn't sure what he'd said that could've earned such a reaction, but he suddenly had the urge to do anything in his power to bring back the boy's sunny smile. Key threw the rest of his cone in the trash and then did the same with Taemin's.
"HEY! I was still eating that." The younger boy pouted, his full bottom lip poking out and making him look even more juvenile.
"You were almost done. Besides, I have something I want to show you." Key explained with a shrug as he pulled the smaller boy to his feet.
Key felt Taemin thread their fingers together and looked up to see that his smile had indeed returned. He didn't give himself any time to think as he pulled Taemin along beside him.
TBC?