Distances and when to overcome them
Title: Distances and when to overcome them
Rating: PG
Pairing: JongYu (others as well, if you squint?)
Genre: General, fluff?
Summary: Jonghyun was now looking down at the city in silence, expressionless
A/N: Sequel to Heights and when not to be afraid of them. Can't wait for their comeback~ ♥
“You’re probably gonna lose it”
“This one isn’t that hard to find” Jinki said with half of his body inside the wardrobe.
“We better leave” Jonghyun hurried once the shower stopped running.
“Just a bit more-”
Jinki barely had time to close the door before Jonghyun grabbed the back of his tee and both ran to the living room, where they had conveniently left their game on pause. They did their best to fight off their grins as they waited for the grand moment.
“I’ll help you catch it again” Jonghyun threw in, still fervertly pressing the buttons.
“Huh?” Jinki lost the upper hand suddenly and Jonghyun let out a victory cry as he won the round.
“The moth” Jonghyun specified, laughing at Jinki’s dumbfounded expression to his loss.
“Oh” Jinki said, giving a small smile, “Okay-” They couldn’t hold back their laughs when they heard a loud crash followed by a yell.
Jonghyun was struggling to to concentrate into his assignment. The only light in the room came from the night lamp, everyone else was already sound asleep. His back was cramped from being in the same position for hours straight and his eyes were starting to get heavy. Sighing, he decided to leave the easiest exercises to finish at college. Flipping the page, he found another one of Jinki’s doodles, this time a chicken. Smiling, he drew a starved stick-man running after it.
“Jonghyun ah” He felt someone shake him. It seemed like he fell asleep over his book, none of the exercises he had intended to finish done. It was Jinki with eyes barely open, carrying a blanket around him.
“What time is it?” He asked, yawning. Jinki wrapped himself more in the blanket. Sleepily, Jonghyun wondered how warm it would be inside of it.
“Three and something” Jinki copied the yawn.
Jonghyun growled, closing his book and stretching. He staggered a bit when he stood up and he thought he felt Jinki’s hand at the small of his back.
He dragged his feet to his own bunk bed and made himself comfortable on his stomach. Kibum was facing the wall, Taemin lost within his own cocoon of blankets and Minho was snoring lightly from the bed below his. When he looked at Jinki, he found the boy staring at him. Startled, he blinked and Jinki was with his eyes closed.
“Hyung?” He whispered but Jinki didn’t move nor give any sign he was awake, but Jonghyun was sure he hadn’t imagined things. Jinki wasn’t wrapped inside his blankets, on top of that.
Just a bit annoyed - from the late hour or for something else, he wasn’t sure - and seeing he wasn’t going to succeed, he let his eyes close, sleep overcoming him strangely quick.
Jinki re-opened his eyes after some time, gazing up at Jonghyun’s relaxed face until he fell asleep as well.
Jonghyun woke up late, having forgotten to leave the alarm on and ended up arguing with Kibum for not waking him up even if he was still in the dorm, being the last one to leave.
“You can’t possibly let your frustration out on people like that” Kibum retorted, shoving Jonghyun’s bag at him with force and Jonghyun slammed the apartment door when he left, angry for not knowing why he was so angry.
The tutor’s voice was drowned at the back of his mind as he watched a dragonfly fly past his window. Vivid red, medium-sized and wings that ended in a blue-ish color. He recalled seeing one at Jinki’s insect collection.
When he thought about it, Jinki didn’t really look at him in the eyes when they talked. It was a fact Jonghyun stared more than the common standards, but it seemed as if Jinki extra-avoided eye-contact when silence overcame them, and he was almost sure Jinki didn’t behave quite like that with the others. Jonghyun didn’t suppose Jinki also inched away everytime someone got into his personal space, if Minho’s hand on his thigh when everyone sat together to watch the tv or whenever he and Taemin took a picture with shoulders aligned were any sign. Why all of that even mattered to him?
“Think you can do me a favor?” Jonghyun proposed in monotone, expression unreadable. Kibum didn’t protest nor make any question. He didn’t remember the last time he had seen Jonghyun like that. They took the opportunity to leave when Taemin caught a cold and Minho stayed to make him company as Jinki was out buying medicine.
Jonghyun brought them to the roof of their apartment building. The air blew strong and chilly, carrying away their hot breaths rapidly. Jonghyun walked forward, his steps growing scarcer and slower as they reached the borders. The city from up there seemed so small, the people were barely noticeable on the streets, unaware they were watched.
As expected, Jonghyun had his eyes closed, hands tight in fists by his sides when Kibum looked at him. He just waited in silence, a bit apprehensive. He wanted to say anything to break that horrible thick atmosphere there, but he knew Jonghyun would snap, given the place they were currently in.
When he had least expected it, absorbed in the scenery below them once again, Jonghyun grabbed his hand. Kibum knew it wasn’t only for the weather that Jonghyun’s hand had gone so cold. He held onto it, aware to any reaction. He prayed Jonghyun wouldn’t break down, not like it happened several years ago. Kibum had never been so scared in his life, not able to do a thing for him.
Jonghyun was now looking down at the city in silence, expressionless. Kibum didn’t know if it was a good or a bad thing.
“Let’s go” Jonghyun tugged on his hand. By the time they were on the streets to watch a movie, Jonghyun was already talking him into buying ice cream for him, and if his eyes seemed a little distant, Kibum didn’t say anything. He resolved it was better to leave it alone for now.
“Oh hi mom-” Jonghyun picked up the call just when Kibum’s high-pitched scream echoed from the bathroom. He had a hard time explaining to his mother there wasn’t any girl in their dorm while he shielded behind Jinki from Kibum trying to skin them alive.
They didn’t try to scare Kibum a third time. It was already enough Jinki ended up with bruises and Jonghyun with his hair almost dyed purple- he would have used his shampoo without a second thought if he hadn’t known Kibum better.
They had been trying to catch a certain butterfly for almost an hour. Taemin had tried to help for a while but Kibum dragged him back home to get his homework done if he had so much time to spare.
“Got it!” Jonghyun gasped after what seemed an eternity, sitting heavily on the grass, accomplished. The butterfly batted its wings wildly, tingling his palms.
“Haven’t see this one in years” Jinki told him once they got the butterfly inside the glass, mesmerized, “Thanks, Jonghyun ah”
Jonghyun was able to catch the end of a glimpse Jinki gave him. Clenching his hands to himself, Jonghyun tried not to think much about it for the rest of the night, but wished Jinki would look up at him just like in that other occasion instead of having his face turned to Taemin’s side.
He hadn’t planned anything beforehand, the thought had just struck him and he couldn’t let go of it until his feet dragged him there, to the apartment roof yet again. He wanted to know what the big deal was, what was ticking him off so much as he walked towards the end of the building, without no one for him to hold onto. Cold clammy hands, blood pressure going slower, stomach turning, vision blurred- When he stared at the city it all came down. His vision went black as his legs gave out and he felt cold, too cold.
Shuffling sounds didn’t even register in when arms came around him, preventing Jonghyun from falling out of the building. His stomach felt horrible and his ears hurt as his vision came back to him. The sky above had turned a light shade of blue as some stars started shining. Jinki had lied him on the ground, looking down at him with a warm hand against his cold face. His eyes looked slightly watery, like Kibum’s when he was watching his favorite drama, when Taemin didn’t get a good grade on a test or whenever Minho received a call from his father overseas.
“What were you trying to do, idiot” Jinki had never called him that before or anyone for that matter, being too nice to say such words out of nothing like he, Minho or Kibum often did.
Instead of replying, Jonghyun held onto the hand that was previously in his face and Jinki’s eyes showed slight panic, as if he didn’t know what to do now that Jonghyun looked straight at him. Had it always been like that, whenever Jonghyun wasn’t looking, whenever they stopped with their goofiness?
Jonghyun slowly stood up and faced the border again instead of the door leading back to the building, to safety. There was only one thing he needed to confirm now.
“What-” Jinki started but Jonghyun was already on his feet, determined, the bad sensations coming back to him again.
“Can I hold onto you?” Jonghyun asked quietly, not looking directly into his eyes.
Jinki only nodded. Jonghyun felt his heart leap even more when his arms found place around Jinki and he contemplated the city again, skyscrapers illuminated, speeding cars heading to their homes. He didn’t know until then how distinctly beautiful that view could be.
Jinki was holding him back as if afraid if he only let Jonghyun have a hold onto him he'd suddenly fall again. He could feel Jinki’s heartbeat, a tad faster than it should normally be and when Jonghyun looked straight into his eyes, he knew what it had been all along. Before Jinki could look away, Jonghyun shortened the height gap by leaning up and kissing him. This time it wasn’t out of an accident.
Kibum’s expression to their linked hands was unimpressed, as if telling ‘it was already time, you two slow idiots’, but he also seemed relieved. Taemin stared the most but not in disapproval, and Minho simply smiled at them acknowledging before turning back to cooking.
Before going up to his bed, Jonghyun stole a goodnight kiss from Jinki, much to Kibum’s exasperation (-not in front of everyone, for God’s sake!), Taemin’s amusement and Jinki’s embarrassment, who covered himself up until not even his hair was left outside the blanket.
Half an hour and counting later Jonghyun peeked down, finding Jinki staring up at him, 90 centimeters separating them. Instead of feigning asleep or averting his gaze, Jinki blinked his momentary embarrassment away and clasped his hand when Jonghyun reached for him, smiling at him.
Jonghyun smiled back, a bubbling sensation in his stomach and his heart doing somersaults. That was certainly a fall he didn’t mind taking.
--
For anyone interested to see how the dragonfly looked like: HERE
<< 'Heights and when not to be afraid of them'
Rating: PG
Pairing: JongYu (others as well, if you squint?)
Genre: General, fluff?
Summary: Jonghyun was now looking down at the city in silence, expressionless
A/N: Sequel to Heights and when not to be afraid of them. Can't wait for their comeback~ ♥
“You’re probably gonna lose it”
“This one isn’t that hard to find” Jinki said with half of his body inside the wardrobe.
“We better leave” Jonghyun hurried once the shower stopped running.
“Just a bit more-”
Jinki barely had time to close the door before Jonghyun grabbed the back of his tee and both ran to the living room, where they had conveniently left their game on pause. They did their best to fight off their grins as they waited for the grand moment.
“I’ll help you catch it again” Jonghyun threw in, still fervertly pressing the buttons.
“Huh?” Jinki lost the upper hand suddenly and Jonghyun let out a victory cry as he won the round.
“The moth” Jonghyun specified, laughing at Jinki’s dumbfounded expression to his loss.
“Oh” Jinki said, giving a small smile, “Okay-” They couldn’t hold back their laughs when they heard a loud crash followed by a yell.
Jonghyun was struggling to to concentrate into his assignment. The only light in the room came from the night lamp, everyone else was already sound asleep. His back was cramped from being in the same position for hours straight and his eyes were starting to get heavy. Sighing, he decided to leave the easiest exercises to finish at college. Flipping the page, he found another one of Jinki’s doodles, this time a chicken. Smiling, he drew a starved stick-man running after it.
“Jonghyun ah” He felt someone shake him. It seemed like he fell asleep over his book, none of the exercises he had intended to finish done. It was Jinki with eyes barely open, carrying a blanket around him.
“What time is it?” He asked, yawning. Jinki wrapped himself more in the blanket. Sleepily, Jonghyun wondered how warm it would be inside of it.
“Three and something” Jinki copied the yawn.
Jonghyun growled, closing his book and stretching. He staggered a bit when he stood up and he thought he felt Jinki’s hand at the small of his back.
He dragged his feet to his own bunk bed and made himself comfortable on his stomach. Kibum was facing the wall, Taemin lost within his own cocoon of blankets and Minho was snoring lightly from the bed below his. When he looked at Jinki, he found the boy staring at him. Startled, he blinked and Jinki was with his eyes closed.
“Hyung?” He whispered but Jinki didn’t move nor give any sign he was awake, but Jonghyun was sure he hadn’t imagined things. Jinki wasn’t wrapped inside his blankets, on top of that.
Just a bit annoyed - from the late hour or for something else, he wasn’t sure - and seeing he wasn’t going to succeed, he let his eyes close, sleep overcoming him strangely quick.
Jinki re-opened his eyes after some time, gazing up at Jonghyun’s relaxed face until he fell asleep as well.
Jonghyun woke up late, having forgotten to leave the alarm on and ended up arguing with Kibum for not waking him up even if he was still in the dorm, being the last one to leave.
“You can’t possibly let your frustration out on people like that” Kibum retorted, shoving Jonghyun’s bag at him with force and Jonghyun slammed the apartment door when he left, angry for not knowing why he was so angry.
The tutor’s voice was drowned at the back of his mind as he watched a dragonfly fly past his window. Vivid red, medium-sized and wings that ended in a blue-ish color. He recalled seeing one at Jinki’s insect collection.
When he thought about it, Jinki didn’t really look at him in the eyes when they talked. It was a fact Jonghyun stared more than the common standards, but it seemed as if Jinki extra-avoided eye-contact when silence overcame them, and he was almost sure Jinki didn’t behave quite like that with the others. Jonghyun didn’t suppose Jinki also inched away everytime someone got into his personal space, if Minho’s hand on his thigh when everyone sat together to watch the tv or whenever he and Taemin took a picture with shoulders aligned were any sign. Why all of that even mattered to him?
“Think you can do me a favor?” Jonghyun proposed in monotone, expression unreadable. Kibum didn’t protest nor make any question. He didn’t remember the last time he had seen Jonghyun like that. They took the opportunity to leave when Taemin caught a cold and Minho stayed to make him company as Jinki was out buying medicine.
Jonghyun brought them to the roof of their apartment building. The air blew strong and chilly, carrying away their hot breaths rapidly. Jonghyun walked forward, his steps growing scarcer and slower as they reached the borders. The city from up there seemed so small, the people were barely noticeable on the streets, unaware they were watched.
As expected, Jonghyun had his eyes closed, hands tight in fists by his sides when Kibum looked at him. He just waited in silence, a bit apprehensive. He wanted to say anything to break that horrible thick atmosphere there, but he knew Jonghyun would snap, given the place they were currently in.
When he had least expected it, absorbed in the scenery below them once again, Jonghyun grabbed his hand. Kibum knew it wasn’t only for the weather that Jonghyun’s hand had gone so cold. He held onto it, aware to any reaction. He prayed Jonghyun wouldn’t break down, not like it happened several years ago. Kibum had never been so scared in his life, not able to do a thing for him.
Jonghyun was now looking down at the city in silence, expressionless. Kibum didn’t know if it was a good or a bad thing.
“Let’s go” Jonghyun tugged on his hand. By the time they were on the streets to watch a movie, Jonghyun was already talking him into buying ice cream for him, and if his eyes seemed a little distant, Kibum didn’t say anything. He resolved it was better to leave it alone for now.
“Oh hi mom-” Jonghyun picked up the call just when Kibum’s high-pitched scream echoed from the bathroom. He had a hard time explaining to his mother there wasn’t any girl in their dorm while he shielded behind Jinki from Kibum trying to skin them alive.
They didn’t try to scare Kibum a third time. It was already enough Jinki ended up with bruises and Jonghyun with his hair almost dyed purple- he would have used his shampoo without a second thought if he hadn’t known Kibum better.
They had been trying to catch a certain butterfly for almost an hour. Taemin had tried to help for a while but Kibum dragged him back home to get his homework done if he had so much time to spare.
“Got it!” Jonghyun gasped after what seemed an eternity, sitting heavily on the grass, accomplished. The butterfly batted its wings wildly, tingling his palms.
“Haven’t see this one in years” Jinki told him once they got the butterfly inside the glass, mesmerized, “Thanks, Jonghyun ah”
Jonghyun was able to catch the end of a glimpse Jinki gave him. Clenching his hands to himself, Jonghyun tried not to think much about it for the rest of the night, but wished Jinki would look up at him just like in that other occasion instead of having his face turned to Taemin’s side.
He hadn’t planned anything beforehand, the thought had just struck him and he couldn’t let go of it until his feet dragged him there, to the apartment roof yet again. He wanted to know what the big deal was, what was ticking him off so much as he walked towards the end of the building, without no one for him to hold onto. Cold clammy hands, blood pressure going slower, stomach turning, vision blurred- When he stared at the city it all came down. His vision went black as his legs gave out and he felt cold, too cold.
Shuffling sounds didn’t even register in when arms came around him, preventing Jonghyun from falling out of the building. His stomach felt horrible and his ears hurt as his vision came back to him. The sky above had turned a light shade of blue as some stars started shining. Jinki had lied him on the ground, looking down at him with a warm hand against his cold face. His eyes looked slightly watery, like Kibum’s when he was watching his favorite drama, when Taemin didn’t get a good grade on a test or whenever Minho received a call from his father overseas.
“What were you trying to do, idiot” Jinki had never called him that before or anyone for that matter, being too nice to say such words out of nothing like he, Minho or Kibum often did.
Instead of replying, Jonghyun held onto the hand that was previously in his face and Jinki’s eyes showed slight panic, as if he didn’t know what to do now that Jonghyun looked straight at him. Had it always been like that, whenever Jonghyun wasn’t looking, whenever they stopped with their goofiness?
Jonghyun slowly stood up and faced the border again instead of the door leading back to the building, to safety. There was only one thing he needed to confirm now.
“What-” Jinki started but Jonghyun was already on his feet, determined, the bad sensations coming back to him again.
“Can I hold onto you?” Jonghyun asked quietly, not looking directly into his eyes.
Jinki only nodded. Jonghyun felt his heart leap even more when his arms found place around Jinki and he contemplated the city again, skyscrapers illuminated, speeding cars heading to their homes. He didn’t know until then how distinctly beautiful that view could be.
Jinki was holding him back as if afraid if he only let Jonghyun have a hold onto him he'd suddenly fall again. He could feel Jinki’s heartbeat, a tad faster than it should normally be and when Jonghyun looked straight into his eyes, he knew what it had been all along. Before Jinki could look away, Jonghyun shortened the height gap by leaning up and kissing him. This time it wasn’t out of an accident.
Kibum’s expression to their linked hands was unimpressed, as if telling ‘it was already time, you two slow idiots’, but he also seemed relieved. Taemin stared the most but not in disapproval, and Minho simply smiled at them acknowledging before turning back to cooking.
Before going up to his bed, Jonghyun stole a goodnight kiss from Jinki, much to Kibum’s exasperation (-not in front of everyone, for God’s sake!), Taemin’s amusement and Jinki’s embarrassment, who covered himself up until not even his hair was left outside the blanket.
Half an hour and counting later Jonghyun peeked down, finding Jinki staring up at him, 90 centimeters separating them. Instead of feigning asleep or averting his gaze, Jinki blinked his momentary embarrassment away and clasped his hand when Jonghyun reached for him, smiling at him.
Jonghyun smiled back, a bubbling sensation in his stomach and his heart doing somersaults. That was certainly a fall he didn’t mind taking.
--
For anyone interested to see how the dragonfly looked like: HERE
<< 'Heights and when not to be afraid of them'