this is my SHINee fic side-blog! you'll find a lot of soft Minkey here as well as the occasional Jongho (i might eventually get to Onho/2Min but we'll see)
Heavy raindrops dripped onto the tile floor from Minho's overcoat and umbrella, overly loud in the quiet, empty vestibule. Dark gray light from the rainy dusk seeped through the sheer curtains and chilled the hall. Despite the warmth of his overcoat, Minho shivered as he shook the raindrops off of his umbrella and stuffed it into the bin with the others. He stuffed his hands in his pockets and looked around, listening for which direction he was supposed to go.
When he heard the all too familiar cackle, he couldn't help but smile. Nor could he help but to follow the sound of it. A thought crossed his mind -- that Kibum's laughter would probably be his siren's call, if such a creature were to exist -- and it made him chuckle as he swept into the second gallery off the lobby.
Kibum's artwork adorned every wall, bright spots of color livening up the bland white room. Which, really, made sense to do for an art gallery, but Minho liked to think that his boyfriend's pieces were a step above the others that had graced the room before and after him.
Not that he was even remotely biased or anything...facts are facts.
Minho smiled to himself. He had always loved Kibum's work -- it had brought them together, after all. Who would have thought that him posing as a nude model for an art class for a little extra money would have found him the love of his life?
Life was funny that way. Not that he minded, of course.
He scanned the paintings as he passed them, having seen them all in detail as their apartment transformed into a mess of an art studio in preparation for Kibum's first art showing. As he stopped in front of one of the smallest pieces, he remembered the first day Kibum showed him his sketchbook.
"So," Kibum had said with a slight tremor in his voice as Minho flipped through the pages. "As you can see, my art style is like if Van Gogh and Yi Sumun had a love child that also painted."
He let out a nervous chuckle when Minho cracked a grin.
"That must make you the perfect artist, then." Kibum started to protest, but fell silent when Minho met his gaze. "These are really good, Bummie."
Even in the dim lighting of Kibum's apartment, Minho could see his face color. He smiled, his dimples appearing, and shook his head dismissively. "You're just saying that. To be nice."
Maybe it was the atmosphere that gave him the courage, or the glasses of wine he had had at dinner, but Minho reached out and slipped his finger beneath Kibum's chin, raising it so he could meet his eyes. "Why would I lie to you?"
When Kibum's gaze slipped from his eyes to his lips, Minho closed the distance between them.
A crack of thunder outside broke him away from the memory, and he cleared his throat as he looked around. No one seemed to notice that he got lost in the artwork -- not even Kibum.
He found his boyfriend across the room, talking to some of his guests about one of the pieces. He, like his art, stood out beautifully in any room he graced. Really, he was the focal point anywhere he went, given the confident way he carried himself and the vibrant clothes he wore.
Maybe that was his own bias talking again, but really, how could anyone ignore such a beautiful person like Kibum? He certainly didn't have the willpower...
Kibum looked his way, his polite demeanor breaking into fondness for just a second before he went back to talking to the guest. A potential buyer, hopefully. Kibum could do with a break after all of this. Minho knew he should look away -- they were in public, after all -- but he couldn't. Not right now. He just needed a few more seconds of watching Kibum in his element. When Kibum looked his way again, he gave him a smile, his eyes blinking slowly like Minho's cat used to do to convey "I love you" before his attention shifted back to his guest.
Minho turned back to the wall, his heart full as he looked at the next painting.
Ready or Not (~1500 words) read on AO3 // AFF (for @untangle-my-heart)
"Kibum," Minho said, his low, quiet voice stopping him in his tracks. "Come on, we have to talk about this."
Kibum took a deep breath, his eyes narrowing as he looked up at Minho. His attention shifted to the stylists who slipped past them in the narrow hallway and then to the nearest door. He grabbed Minho's sleeve, pulling him into the darkened room and closing the door behind them before he flipped on the first switch.
"It's not worth the risk."
"Bummie…"
"Don't fucking 'Bummie' me. It's not. It's not and you know it. Don't you want to live a normal life after all this? Don't you want to keep acting? Or did that suddenly change overnight?"
Minho deflated. "Of course I do, but…"
"No buts, Min. None. We may be the...nation's sweethearts or whatever the fuck they're calling us these days, but that doesn't mean we get to live the life we want. We have to do what's expected of us." He straightened his jacket, brushing off an imaginary piece of lint before he started to open the door.
Before he could open it more than a sliver, Minho reached over him, holding it closed, leaning into Kibum's space. "What happened to you, huh?" he asked, his voice a harsh whisper. "The Kibum I grew up with wouldn't hesitate to defy anyone and everyone's expectations."
"Yeah, well, things changed. We both grew up. We're not the same kids we were when we debuted. I could say the same thing about you." Minho's hand slipped from its firm position on the door. "Where's the kid who knew that a public, romantic relationship between two male idols was impossible? If I wasn't worth the risk to you back then, then I certainly am not now."
Kibum shoved his hand away and opened the door, slipping out into the bright hallway once more. Minho collected himself before he flicked the light off and followed him.
It was KM91's goodbye stage. With SHINee's next comeback looming before them with the return of Taemin from the army, Kibum was intending to focus on his solo albums and Minho returning in full-force to his acting career in the lull between comebacks. KM91 was just a fun project to keep them busy, conjured up one morning as they lay in bed soon after Minho's return from serving in the Marines.
They hadn't been dating for very long...At least, it didn't seem that way. A few months before the Story of Light comeback, once they returned to Korea from the concerts in Japan...that's when everything, officially, kicked off. Sure, there had been feelings beforehand...long, long beforehand, but none that they were willing to risk pursuing.
Until now.
It had been a while since they had truly argued like this -- a long while, Minho felt out of practice -- but Minho was ready now. Ready for the joys and challenges that would come with being an out and proud gay couple in Korea.
He bowed politely to those he passed on his way to the stage, and he hurried over to stand beside Kibum. He lightly touched the small of Kibum's back and glanced down at him as Kibum let out a long sigh.
"Are we good?" He asked as their musical cue started to play.
In the seconds they had to spare, Kibum glanced up at him, searching his expression before barely nodding. He stepped out, and Minho adjusted his in-ear as he followed him on stage. It was just the rehearsal, and they would get two run-throughs before their stage would be aired.
They got into position, their backs facing each other as they waited for their introduction to start.
The first notes of "Stick With Me" eased through the air, and Minho lowered his head just as he knew Kibum was lifting his. Kibum began to sing, dancing along to the sultry beat. Minho followed him, his back to him, mirroring every move Kibum made. The choreography matched the lyrics, describing a relationship where they just couldn't seem to let go of the other, no matter if the relationship was doomed to fail or not.
When it came time for him to sing, the choreography shifted, and he led, dancing back across the stage with Kibum at his back. When the chorus came, they turned, facing each other as their back-up dancers fanned out around them. Kibum's hand pressed over his heart, fisting in Minho's shirt just before he let go and turned back around.
They faced each other again when Minho started to rap, his eyes never leaving Kibum's as his hand ghosted over Kibum's shoulder, drawing him in. "I'm no longer frightened," he sang, caressing Kibum's face with his gaze. "I just want you, my dear."
Kibum, ever the professional, continued undeterred, though his gaze did linger on Minho before the choreography carried him away from him. When it brought them back together, Kibum grabbed his shoulder, pulling him closer. "It's not much to ask," he sang, holding Minho's complete attention with his gaze. "Just please, stick with me."
Minho's cue came but he failed to sing it. Instead, he found himself focusing on the silent conversation they were having. The music died in the air and Kibum laughed, shoving his shoulder before he let go of it. "Hey what was that?" The fans in the audience laughed with him, and Minho started to chuckle.
He bowed apologetically to Kibum, the fans, and the crew. "I'm sorry, I'll do my best!"
They got back into position and Kibum reached back and tapped his side. A silent "Are you okay?" Minho placed his hand over Kibum's, squeezing lightly before readied himself for their next run-through.
It went smoothly, their fans cheering them on as they danced and sang. Minho didn't miss his cue this time, and once he stopped singing, he held Kibum's gaze before his eyes slipped down to Kibum's lips. He let go of Minho's shoulder, turning to smile at the fans while Minho went over to where one of the coordinators was holding up water bottles for them. He took one, cracking it open before passing it to Kibum so that he could drink first.
"We'll miss you!" One of the fans shouted, garnering their attention as Kihum passed the water bottle to Minho.
"We'll be back with SHINee later this year!"
Smiling, Minho cleared his throat, "SHINe's back, back, back…"
Kibum and the fans laughed. "Hey, you've gotta be patient!" he said, smacking Minho's shoulder lightly. "Apologize for getting their hopes up."
"I'm sorry~," Minho said cutely, then glanced over at Kibum and cackled at his expression.
"This kid," Kibum shook his head as he went over to return the empty water bottle. "Why do you get after me for using aegyo if you use it so flippantly?"
"You told me to apologize? And at least I'm not, like -- " he took a breath, preparing himself to impersonate Kibum. " -- 'Bummie's hungry!" he said, latching onto Kibum's shoulder. "What to do?"
"You said you liked that," Kibum said as deadpan as he could.
Minho snorted in disbelief. "When have I ever…"
"Key, Minho…" one of their stylists backstage whisper-shouted to them. Right, final checks with their hair and makeup. They hurried off stage, letting their stylists do what they needed to in the minutes before they needed to be back on stage.
"Could you give us a minute?" Minho asked when his stylist was finished and Kibum's was just messing with a stubborn lock of Kibum's hair. When she left them, Minho reached out, arranging Kibum's fringe the way he knew he liked it.
"Are you sure?" Any of the jovial tone he had had on stage was completely gone. "Because there'll be no going back after this if we do."
Minho's hand fell away from Kibum's hair as he met his gaze. "It's up to you."
"Minho, Key, we're ready!"
Kibum turned to return to the stage, but Minho grabbed his arm, pulling him close to whisper in his ear. "You've always been worth the risk, sweetheart, I just was too scared to see that. I'm not afraid anymore."
"Key! Minho!"
"Yeah, we're coming!" Kibum held Minho's gaze, offering him a small smile before he turned to return to the stage.
Their final stage as a subunit went off without a hitch, until the very last lines when Kibum and Minho were supposed to sing "It's not much to ask, just please, stick with me." Instead of simply holding Minho's shoulder and singing his line, Kibum's hand slipped to the nape of Minho's neck, and to the fans' surprise, traced his jawline with his fingers before resting his hand on Minho's chest.
Minho smiled as he searched for permission in Kibum's eyes, and when he found it, he cupped Kibum's cheek, pulling him into a kiss. The stage, the fans, the crew, the whole world, even, melted around them, leaving only each other to cling to.
And, as always, that was more than enough for him.
"Take up your swords and partner up," Lord Wiwha said, crossing his hands behind his back as he stepped out of the pitch.
Like usual, for him, Kibum searched for Minho among the fellow hwarangs, meeting his gaze with an upturned eyebrow. Minho looked away with a smirk, which was more than enough of an answer for him. Kibum untied the strip of leather from around his wrist and stepped around the others, heading to the far back corner of the pitch. He gathered his hair up in a messy top knot, tying it off with the leather, and turned to watch Minho cross the pitch with two swords.
Once he reached him, he passed Kibum his sword. "Hair up? Really?" he asked, smiling cheekily as he twirled his sword at his side.
"I can't help it that you like to pull it when we spar."
The clanging of metal on metal filled the air, and Kibum glanced around at the other pairs who had already begun. "That was one time. Fucking years ago. And you said you forgave me, so…"
Kibum rolled his eyes and tapped the flat of his blade against his thigh before he lifted it, sliding it against Minho's blade. He grinned when Minho scowled -- he hated that sound -- and readied himself for Minho's first attack.
This was something they have done since they were very little with sticks they found in the forest behind their homes instead of swords. Kibum rarely won, as Minho was used to brawling with his older brother, but the few times he had, he lorded them over Minho, reveling in his exasperation.
He hoped that today he would get to see that again, but when Minho parried his defense, he began to doubt a bit. Still, maybe he should try to take this training more seriously. He probably would if he were paired with one of the other hwarangs, but since it was Minho, he didn't really --
"Hey!" he exclaimed when his sword fell to the ground.
He glared at Minho, who widened his eyes a little and then, through gritted teeth, said, "Come on, Bummie, we don't want to get a mark against us again, do we?"
To be honest that was the fault of the fates for putting them in the same room. At least he wasn't stuck in the same room as his brother, too. Kibum looked across the pitch, finding Jonghyun sparring with his roommate, Lee Jinki. Sighing, he bent over to pick up his sword. "Fine."
Minho tapped his blade against Kibum's, his eyebrows arching. "If you best me, I'll give you my portion of the meat at dinner tonight."
Kibum, who had been about to strike, lowered his sword a fraction. "Are you serious?" Minho's eyes twinkled as he nodded. "What do you get if you win?"
"I win every time. It's not special for me anymore."
Kibum's eyes narrowed as Minho grinned cheekily and blocked the first of Kibum's attacks. Each one was blocked or parried, though not always with ease -- much to Kibum’s satisfaction -- and the duel lasted longer than any of the others they had had. Sweat beaded on his face and neck, dampening his hairline and soaking into the collar of his hanbok. Still, he persisted and still, Minho deflected him, until…
With a deft twist of his wrist, Kibum evaded Minho’s blade and pressed the dull edge of his sword into Minho’s neck. They stood, frozen, their eyes holding the other’s gaze as they caught their breath. Minho was the first to look away, his gaze trailing down his face and focusing on his lips for the span of several rapid heartbeats before meeting Kibum’s eyes once more. Kibum’s gaze flicked down to Minho’s lips as well, but only for a second. He licked his own, gulped, and took a step back, lowering his sword from the side of Minho’s neck.
“Good, um, good job…” Minho said through labored breath.
“You too.”
Once the others were finished with their duels, they all returned their swords to the armory. They stood an awkward distance apart as they followed the rest of the Hwarang back to their rooms. They had two hours to clean themselves after the exertion of dueling and to rest before their history lesson with Lord Wihwa. When it came time for their room’s turn to shower, Kibum tried to stop his eyes from wandering over to where Minho was, his back to the rest of them while he cleansed himself, but ultimately, he failed. In the classroom, Minho was silent throughout, his usual quips under his breath to Kibum non-existent. At dinner, Minho wordlessly gave Kibum his bowl of meat as he sat down beside him, albeit a little further away than Kibum was used to.
“Are you upset with me?”
“No,” was Minho’s immediate reply.
He had been strangely quiet all day, even until lights out. He was already tucked into bed before Kibum could ask him what was bothering him.
Kibum couldn’t help but wonder why, and, with his thoughts so focused on Minho, he visited him in his dreams. They were back in the sparring pitch, just the two of them, fighting with sticks instead of swords this time. It was a perfect mirror to the earlier duel, even up to the end when Kibum bested Minho...but that was when it diverged.
When Minho’s eyes focused on Kibum’s lips, he dropped the stick, letting it clatter on the ground between them. Minho smiled, then, and Kibum leaned into his hand as he cupped his cheek, guiding their lips to meet.
Kibum woke with a start, breathing heavily as he took in the pitch-black room. It had been years...so many years since he had dreamed about Minho like that. Since he had allowed himself to. He gulped, his throat suddenly dry, and shifted in bed, moving to the edge and quietly slipping out of it. Out of habit, he peeked into Minho’s bunk above his bed, only to not find his familiar shadow. “Minho?” he whispered, his voice harsh in the night, He was met with the snores of their still-sleeping roommates, and nothing more. Was he out of bed, too?
He must have been because Kibum found the door ajar.
Kibum followed the length of the hall, his hand trailing along the wall to guide him through the darkness. He had been considering calling out for Minho when he saw him, sitting on the ledge of the pavilion overlooking the pond. Quickly, Kibum made his way over to him, not even bothering to announce himself as he sat beside him. If Minho was surprised by his presence, he made no move to display it. They sat in silence for a moment, listening to the lapping of the water against the bank and the singing of the cicadas in the surrounding trees. After a while, Kibum nudged their shoulders together, and Minho chuckled.
“I’m sorry.”
“For what?"
“Worrying you.”
Kibum scoffed. “I was thirsty and got up to get some water. I only noticed then that you were gone.” Minho made a low, slightly amused noise in acknowledgment, and nothing more for several moments. “What’s troubling you?”
“I…” His voice died, suffocated by the unusually awkward silence between them. “I don’t know how to say it.”
“It’s just me. Just us. There’s no one around.” Kibum found his knee in the moonlight, squeezing it gently until stilled beneath his touch.
“If you knew...if you knew you might never want to look at me again, let alone touch me.”
Kibum considered removing his hand but decided against it. Instead, he rubbed his thumb over the curve of Minho’s knee, hopefully soothing him somewhat. “What is it?”
“I think...I...I think I’m in love with you.”
Kibum’s thumb immediately stopped moving as he let Minho’s words sink in. “What…
“I’m in love with you,” he said, his voice fuller, bolder now.
“You think? Or you know.”
“I know. I have been for years, and -- “ He turned, then, finally meeting Kibum’s eye in the pale moonlight. “And I didn’t think it was even possible that you would feel the same way…”
“Until today.”
Minho nodded. “Until today.”
Kibum let out a huff of a sigh and reached out to tuck a lock of hair behind Minho’s ear. “Well, I’m sorry I made you wait so long.” Minho leaned into his touch as his finger grazed his cheek, then closer as Kibum guided him into a kiss.
A/N: Sorta inspired by the Friends episode where Chandler kept accidentally kissing Monica after they get back from London....so I'm sure you can guess where this is gonna go lol I swear I'm working on the next BMS chapter, but it's just been a super stressful week for me and I needed a quick one-shot to get me back in the writing mood lol
"It's gonna be weird, isn't it?"
"Hm?"
"Going home."
Minho sighed as he pressed his forehead into Kibum's shoulder, closing his eyes tightly. Right, their managers for Surprise Vacation would be coming to pick them up to go to the airport soon. Which, that was why Kibum was at his rented flat in the first place, so they wouldn't have to take two separate cars to the airports.
That was the only reason, as far as their managers were aware.
But, in reality, they were spending their last night together before they would have to return to Korea and the close-quarters of the dorm. This…development in their relationship was quite new, but the feelings behind it definitely were not.
After the cameras were off and they left the pizza place off of the ice rink, Kibum grabbed his hand and stole him away from the crew, and together they explored London for themselves. Truth be told, it was the best part of the entire trip, blessedly undocumented by the crew.
Some things were best kept to themselves.
Minho kissed along the plane of Kibum's bare shoulder, smiling when Kibum snuggled closer to his warmth.
"Isn't it?"
"What?"
Kibum scoffed. "Of course you weren't fucking listening to me."
"When do I ever?" Minho sniffed a laugh, his fingers toying with the waistband of Kibum's boxers. When did he put those on?
"All the time. You're really attentive, actually."
Minho blinked, his hand stilling on Kibum's stomach. This was part of the new development...more genuine compliments thrown into their usual banter. It was taking some getting used to, but he wasn't complaining. "Sorry, baby, I'm still tired."
He could hear the soft smile in Kibum's sigh. Another new thing...Kibum liked it when he called him baby. Minho relaxed on his pillow when Kibum started to turn around, doing his best to stay in Minho's arms. "You're not planning on telling the others, right?"
Minho shook his head. They had already discussed this, after their first kiss on the bridge overlooking the Thames that night they had snuck away. This would be their secret for as long as they could keep it. "Are you sure?"
Kibum searched his expression, his eyes dazzlingly beautiful for this early in the morning. "About?"
"That...that you want us to be together after we leave?"
His expression softened and he took Minho's hand in his, looking down at it as he started to fiddle with his hand. "Of course. I…" he shook his head, pursing his lips.
"What?"
Kibum grimaced. "It's stupid and cheesy." Minho grinned, shifting a bit closer to him. Kibum speared him with an exasperated look that melted into a shy smile. "Now that...we're together -- "
"Finally."
"Yes, finally, shut up, Min." Minho laughed and Kibum closed his eyes, shaking his head. "Now that we're together, I can't, like, imagine facing the world without you, you know, beside me." Kibum glanced up at him only to suppress his smile and immediately look back down at their hands between them. "Stop looking at me like that."
"Like what?" Kibum shook his head and Minho smiled, slipping his hand out of Kibum's limp grasp to raise his chin with an extended finger until their eyes met. "You're so cute when you get shy. I've always thought so."
"Shut up."
"Make me."
The mischievous glint in Kibum's eyes was Minho's only warning before he surged forward to silence him with a kiss. Minho smiled into it, holding Kibum close as he relaxed further into his pillow.
Honestly, if every morning began like this, he might be more of a morning person.
But, unfortunately, all good things must come to an end. The knocking of one of their managers pushed them apart, both hurrying to get pajamas on so their managers would be none the wiser.
And, so, it began.
The flight back to Korea was long and arduous. In between sleeping and eating, they both decided to work on the lyrics for their upcoming comeback. During the ManU game, Jeon Gandi emailed him the draft of Dream Girl, their next title song. He was supposed to write his rap for it, and after he finished eating his lunch, he got out his phone to start brainstorming ideas.
"Do you want my help?"
Minho glanced over at Kibum, noting the bags under his eyes and how sleepy he looked. He was a light sleeper, usually, so getting restful sleep on planes was more than a little difficult for him.
"It's okay, go ahead and try to sleep."
Kibum fought it, focusing instead on the lyrics Minho was starting to type...and backspace...and retype. He mumbled his ideas until he finally rested his head on Minho's shoulder, letting sleep claim him.
Minho smiled when he heard the first of Kibum's snores, and glanced down at the top of his head. After a furtive glance around, he placed a quick kiss on the crown of Kibum's head and refocused on writing.
It was a good song, really cute, in his opinion. He could already almost hear the upbeat tempo and the tune of it in his head. He read the lyrics again, and, maybe it was because their relationship was so new, but Minho couldn't help but think of Kibum.
"My heart makes me go after you in secret," he whispered aloud, glancing down at Kibum again. He read up to the point where his rap would come in, then reread it once more before he started to write his lyrics with Kibum fully in mind. The words flowed easily and once he was finished, he read over it again, making a few edits before he sent it back to Gandi.
Kibum stirred when Minho set his phone down. "Did you finish?"
"Mhm."
"Can I see?" Minho unlocked his phone and opened the email before passing it to Kibum. He watched his profile as he read over the rap, releasing a huff of a sigh when Kibum started to smile. "I like it."
"It's about you," Minho started to say but was cut off by the arrival of their manager bringing them a snack.
The comeback was a whirlwind of preparation that started almost as soon as they stepped off the plane. It swept them all up -- with regular meetings with him, Kibum, Jonghyun, and the other songwriters so they could finalize the tracks for the album, perfecting the choreography for the title track, photoshoots and the filming of the music video...it was a wonder they had any time to themselves to sleep or eat.
It wasn't a surprise that they had yet to be able to spend any time, alone, together, since their return to Korea. They did, however, tend to gravitate toward each other, no matter what they were doing, maintaining their connection through subtle glances and fleeting touches.
It was quite easy to hide their affection for each other from the others during a comeback. Everyone was too tired to focus on anything besides sleeping and how nice of a concept that was.
"Good night," Jinki mumbled as he pulled himself up from where he was nodding off on the couch. Minho glanced away from the television to watch him go before his attention shifted to Kibum, who was curled up in the chair by the hallway, reading a book.
"Night," Kibum said absently, and Minho went back to mindlessly playing his video game. Until Kibum's book snapped closed. He looked back, smiling as Kibum stretched in his seat. "I thought he'd never leave."
"Oh?"
Kibum smirked. "Mhm."
"We should probably go to sleep. Long day tomorrow."
"Today, technically."
Minho looked over at the clock. It was a little past midnight. "Yeah."
"Let's go to bed, huh?"
Minho nodded, turning off the TV and following Kibum down the hallway, turning sideways to move past him once Kibum stopped at his door. He grabbed Minho's hand before he got too far away. "What?"
"Aren't you coming?"
Minho blinked. "Where?"
"To bed." Minho blinked rapidly, his tired confusion clouding his mind. He pointed to his and Jonghyun's bedroom in answer. "I meant with me."
Minho's eyes widened. "What about Taemin?"
"He's with his parents tonight." Kibum cracked the door open and looked back at Minho with the same twinkle in his eye that had been there all those weeks ago in London.
Minho couldn't help but follow him inside.
* * * * * * * * * *
"So how'd you sleep?"
Kibum paused and glanced at Jonghyun before he took a tentative sip of his coffee. The question seemed innocuous enough, but there was something in his tone that made him slightly suspicious. "Fine. You?"
"Oh, you know me. Up later than I should be."
Jonghyun smirked, almost devilishly. Kibum squinted at him, the checked down the hallway when he heard footsteps. It was only Jinki. If Minho wasn't up in five minutes he'd have to go wake him up so they wouldn't be late for their schedules today.
They murmured good morning to each other as Jinki sat down beside him, grabbing the mug Jonghyun set down for him and staring at it blearily. A door opened and Kibum leaned back in his chair, smiling at Minho as he walked down to the bathroom at the far end of the hall.
"Hey, Jinki," Jonghyun said, glaring at the box of cereal on the top shelf of the cupboard. His favorite cereal. "Could you reach this for me?"
"I wonder who moved that," Kibum said, trying not to smile.
"Some tall asshole."
The door to the bathroom opened again, and Minho emerged in his running gear. He smiled sleepily at Kibum as he made his way toward him, and once he reached him, he said, "Good morning!" as he bent down to kiss him.
If this were any other situation, it would have been a sweet gesture. Kibum would have definitely kissed him back. But, instead, he just sat there in shock as Minho pulled away from him. His eyes were blown wide, and Minho's soon was too when he heard the clatter of a spoon in a bowl.
Both Jonghyun and Jinki were watching them, equally wide-eyed -- though Jonghyun was sporting a growing smile. Any possible excuse for Minho to be kissing Kibum that wasn't the fact that they were a couple completely left his brain. He would have stammered something, though, if Minho hadn't walked over to where they were, shaking his head slightly as he wrapped Jonghyun up in his arms.
"Good morning!" he said with strained cheer as he kissed him, and then again with Jinki. None of them moved after Minho left them, and Minho didn't turn around as he made his way toward the door. If his ears were anywhere near the color of his face, he was visibly embarrassed. "I'll be back! Taking a quick run!"
He took off before the door closed behind him, and Kibum's gaze immediately darted back to Jinki and Jonghyun.
"Well," Jinki said, picking up his bowl of cereal. "If I wasn't awake before, I certainly am now."
Before Jonghyun could comment, Kibum sprang from his seat and muttered something about going to get ready to leave.
As soon as he got into his room, his phone chimed. Kibum closed the door behind himself and went over to where it had been charging, unsurprised to find a flurry of texts from Minho.
Mino
5:13 // omg i'm so sorry
5:14 // i don't know what i was thinking i didn't even notice they were there at first
5:14 // were they mad at me?
5:15 // are you mad at me??
5:15 // did they figure it out???
Kibum smiled at his screen as he started to type.
5:16 // Jjong might have but i don't know for sure
5:16 // and no, i'm not mad at you
He paused, internally debating before he sent hurry back.
5:18 // thank god
5:18 // wait why is there something wrong?
He could picture him clearly, standing there on the sidewalk, his phone in hand and his brow furrowed with concern as he stared at his screen, waiting for Kibum's reply. And, before Kibum could second guess himself or talk himself out of it…
5:18 // i miss you
He tossed his phone away immediately, and it landed with a soft thump on his bed. A moment later, it chimed twice then fell silent. Kibum watched it, waiting for several minutes for another notification. When none came, he slowly made his way over to his bed, picking it up to peek at the texts.
5:19 // awwww~
5:19 // okay hold on
Kibum could feel the heat coloring his face as he tossed his phone back on his bed. He smiled as he sorted through his closet, picking an outfit that would be passable as fashionable enough for a radio show and a fan meet afterward. As he was fiddling with his beret in the mirror, figuring out its placement on his head, there came a knock on his door.
"Yeah."
The door opened, and a slightly breathless Minho poked his head in. "Hey, can you help me pick out an outfit?"
Kibum stared at him, then blink. "That was a really quick run."
"Someone asked me to hurry, so I did." He gave Kibum a cheeky wink and grin as he slipped away, probably heading for his bedroom next door. Kibum placed the beret without another thought and followed him. By the time he reached Minho's room, his shirt was discarded and he was sifting through his clothes. He smiled as Kibum stared, a little too smugly for Kibum's liking, but he couldn't tear his eyes away long enough to snap at him.
Sure, he had seen Minho shirtless before. Many times. They'd lived together as a group far too long for him not to. But, it was different now. Before, he wouldn't have been caught staring at him, not this blatantly. He didn't want to freak Minho out with his feelings for him, but now that he knew, and they were alone…
"Hey, my eyes are up here," Minho said, a smile in his voice.
"Yeah, I've seen them before." Minho snorted and Kibum finally looked up, sighing involuntarily. "Sorry."
"I don't mind. Come here." Kibum stepped further into the closet, his attention shifting from Minho to the clothes. "What about these?"
He held up two options that were clearly not designed to go together and he knew it, and Kibum sucked his teeth before playfully slapping Minho's shoulder. "Stop it."
"These?" Another terrible choice.
He rolled his eyes as Minho just laughed. "Fuck, just let me do it."
As Kibum stepped up to seriously inspect Minho's clothes, Minho slipped behind him and wrapped his arms around him before resting his head against his. Kibum hummed in appreciation at the warmth and closeness, but as he started to pick out some outfits, Minho started to distract him by kissing down his neck.
As much as Kibum would have liked to allow himself to get lost in the moment, in the security of being wrapped up in Minho's arms, in the way each time Minho's lips brushed against his skin made his heart flutter… They had places to be, and soon. He pulled a pair of skinny jeans, a black t-shirt, and a jacket off the rack and slipped out of his arms.
"You have to go shower or else we'll be late," he said.
"Okay."
Kibum searched Minho's expression, smiling softly at the affection radiating from his gaze. Before he could stop himself, he cupped Minho's face with both hands and pulled him into a kiss that was soon cut short by someone clearing their throat. They broke apart, both looking at a half-amused, half-confused Jonghyun.
"What the fuck is up with you two?"
"Nothing," they said at the same time.
"He's gonna go shower before the van gets here," Kibum said, hastily leaving the closet. "I'm gonna go finish my breakfast. What about you?"
"I was...gonna change out of my pajamas?"
"Good luck!" he said, slipping away from Minho, he patted Jonghyun on the shoulder, and after steeling himself, cupped his face much like he had just done with Minho and gave Jonghyun a firm kiss. "Okay, see you guys out...there…"
He hurried out the door, smacking his palm over his eyes after the door closed behind him. Yes, today was their first slip up since coming back from London, but there were bound to be more. Lots more… Something had to happen...change...if they were going to continue to be together.
And Kibum very much wanted that.
Maybe they should move out of the dorm. No, that would be way too suspicious, especially now. He started down the hallway toward the kitchen when he heard the jiggle of the knob behind him and he didn't look back when someone -- probably Minho -- walked out into the hallway.
If not one of them, then himself. It would be nice to have his own space. More room to fit his clothes, and all that. He stirred his now soggy cereal, grimacing at it. That was something to think about, but for now, he pushed the thought away.
It'd have to wait until the end of their comeback.
Hi! I love By My Side. Its one of my favorite works. I'm curious what would you name OnJongTae blogs individually playing on the jurisdiction theme you have with your other blogs? Kibumempire and Minhonation are great names.
oooh that’s a good question...I was actually thinking about that the other day and tbh I’m not quite sure. I really wanted keyland for obvious reasons, but it was taken. As for the others, off the top of my head, I’d probably do jjong-domain, jinkingdom, and taeminrealm
Also, thanks for saying that about BMS! It’s my favorite fic to write (even if it doesn’t seem like it ;;;) and I’m always happy to hear that people love it ^^ (OTL, sorry about how long it’s taken me to update, I’ve been very busy and stressed lately lol)
Out to Sea (~1500 words) read on AO3 // AFF (inspired by this conversation with @lockandminkey)
Beads of sweat rolled down Kibum's neck and into the collar of his uniform. He shivered at the sensation, despite the sweltering heat, and glared at the sun through his military-issued sunglasses. Grimacing, he adjusted his hold on the oars and kept rowing.
He knew he'd be coming away with blisters from this, littered all across his palm and stretching up over his fingers.
He didn't care.
It'd be fucking worth it.
The muscles in his arms, back, and stomach burned and pulled as he kept rowing across the sea. Sunlight glittered over the surface of the water. Every time he plunged the paddle of the oars into the water of the Pacific Ocean, a spray of water droplets splashed across his skin and clothes, but soon evaporated under the warmth of the sun.
The RKOS Dokdo was in view, which meant that this ordeal was nearly over.
He wasn't wearing a watch, nor did he have his phone turned on to check the time -- he had to conserve his battery now that he was out at sea -- so he wasn't sure how long it took for him to slip into the shadow of the Dokdo. Once there, he let out a relieved sigh and reached for the canteen of water he tucked beneath his bench, drinking it all in one draught.
With one hand on the hull of the Dokdo, Kibum guided himself over to the thin ladder leading up to the deck of the ship. In any other circumstances, the thought of climbing up such a ladder would have terrified him, but right now, he couldn't care less.
His soon-to-be-blistered hands burned with every rung he climbed. Ordinarily, that would have slowed his progress, but he was so close now….
Kibum clambered onto the deck of the ship, startling a few of the Marines milling about on the deck. Quickly, he stood, brushing himself off and standing tall as several of the Marines ran over, rifles in hand. He lifted his chin as they stood a few meters away, utterly refusing to quail under the barrels of their guns.
"Who are you? And state your purpose!"
Kibum lifted his hand in a salute, ignoring the way the barrels of the guns followed his movement. "Private First Class Kim Kim! Here to meet with Lance Corporal Choi Minho!" One of the Marines lowered his gun a little, pointing it above Kibum's head. Kibum reached up to take off his sunglasses, squinting in the glare of the setting sun. "I'm Key...from SHINee...his bandmate?"
Two more lowered their guns, but the one directly in front of him tightened his grip on his rifle. "Prove it."
With a heavy sigh, he started to hum Ring Ding Dong under his breath, matching the well-known choreography to the tempo of the song. By the time the chorus ended, the last Marine raised his rifle. "That looks like what we danced on Defense TV, right?"
One of the other Marines scoffed. "That's the dance and you know it. He tried to teach us, remember?"
Kibum held back a smile. Yeah, that sounded like something Minho would do. "Can I see him? It won't take too long, I swear."
"He's out on a training mission right now, but they're scheduled to be back soon."
"Here," the Marine to Kibum's left said, resting the barrel of his rifle against his shoulder. "You can wait in his cabin."
"Thanks."
He followed them across the deck, slipping his sunglasses back on until they were safely inside the ship. One Marine, then, stepped inside and motioned for Kibum to follow him down the narrow hallway. The others stayed behind, shutting and securing the door. The boom of the door closing reverberated down the dimly lit corridor.
"Not much further now."
They pressed themselves up against the wall, saluting every time someone higher ranking passed them by. Kibum thought he had used up his luck for the day by getting on board the Dokdo without getting shot, but the ranking officers didn't seem to see or care about his lack of matching uniform to the rest of the sailors or Marines.
The one leading him stopped before room 525. "This is it."
Kibum scoffed. "Did you guys do that on purpose?"
"Do what?"
He pointed at the number, and the Marine's brow furrowed in utter confusion. "Nevermind. Thanks for your help," he said, slipping inside after the Marine opened the door for him.
It only took one glance around the room to find Minho's bunk. Usually, he would just look for the tidiest space and that would be Minho's, but this was the military, so everyone was tidy. However, the plethora of gifts and notes from fans tacked to the wall of his bunk was more than enough to show him where Minho laid his head at night.
He went over to his bunk, slipping inside and sighing at the relief of laying down. After all that rowing, he knew he would sleep well tonight. He almost fell asleep right then and there, reading some of the notes and trying to decipher the languages he wasn't as familiar with. He would have, too, if the door hadn't swung open and Minho stepped inside.
"Bummie?"
Kibum sat up quickly, wincing when his head knocked against the roof of the bunk. "Yeah…"
Minho hurriedly closed the door behind him and tossed his helmet on his bed as Kibum slid off of the bed. He lightly rubbed the spot that Kibum had bumped before he pulled him into a tight hug. Kibum closed his eyes and smiled, leaning into it.
Wow, he had really missed this...
"What the fuck are you doing here?" Minho asked, patting Kibum's back before letting him go.
Right, time to do what he came here to do. "Listen," he said as he dug his phone out of his pocket and sank to the floor, leaning against the side of Minho's bunk. He turned on his phone as Minho slipped out of his boots and joined him on the floor, sitting as close as possible. "Okay, so, our son has been acting out since we've been away."
Minho's laughter filled the small room until it was almost bursting at the seams. He leaned into Kibum before shoving him away slightly, and Kibum cracked a smile as he unlocked his phone.
"What'd Taemin do now?" Kibum opened his gallery, and then his album of screenshots. "Wait," Minho said, chuckling. "Did you take leave just for this?"
"Sure did! Okay so…"
"Wait, why are his legs spread out like that?"
"And on national TV, too." Minho facepalmed and Kibum laughed. "Hold on, we're just getting started." He scrolled through the screenshots, letting Minho read all of the texts he had gotten from their friends in the entertainment industry that detailed everything that Taemin had been up to since they enlisted and he was left to fend for himself. He soon ran out of those, though, but luckily Minho had his phone on him. He opened his gallery as well, but instead of receipts, they looked through candids of them all that Minho had taken over the years -- "You really need to get an Instagram." "You can keep saying that, but it's not gonna happen." -- and Kibum switched albums on his phone so that he could do the same. He lost track of time, reminiscing with Minho, and he got so caught up in it that he jumped when an alarm rang out. Kibum looked up from his phone. "What's that for? Dinner?"
Minho sighed and smiled as he glanced his way. "That means it's time for you to wake up."
Kibum blinked. "What?" he asked, opening his eyes to find that he was back in his bunk. At his base. On land. He let out a quiet groan as he sat up.
"Something wrong?" Youngsoo asked from the upper bunk. Kibum shook his head as if he could see him. "Was it the Minho dream again?"
"Yeah…"
"When does he get his phone back?"
"At eight." Kibum rubbed his hands over his face, sighing. "Hopefully we can talk for more than fifteen minutes this time."
"Did your maknae really do that much since you last spoke?" he asked as he climbed down from the top bunk.
Kibum chuckled, glancing over at the picture of the five of them he tacked beside his pillow. "You're really underestimating Taemin and his ability to try my patience." He reached out, smiling softly as he touched each of his members with the tip of his finger before he slipped out of bed.
Even if it seemed like it right now, it wouldn't be too much longer until he was back with them.
The Book of Love (958 words) read on AO3 // AFF (for @untangle-my-heart)
A/N: This is based off of "The Book of Love" by Gavin James (link is in the title pls listen to it it's very soft). I was going for a bit of a different writing style than my usual, to match the feeling of the song. It's super short, I know, but I wanted to make up a bit for my lapse in posting By My Side (writer's block is a bitch and I'm sorry). I hope you enjoy it!
The summer breeze danced outside their bedroom window, rattling the panes of glass. Rain pattered against the roof of their house, a soft percussion that matched the beating of Minho’s heart against Kibum’s back. Warm lamplight filled the room, staining the walls it touched gold. The light painted shadows over Kibum’s chest from Minho’s arms that encircled him.
The rasp of a page being turned.
The clearing of Minho’s throat before he read on, his words a quiet rumble in his chest. A breath of a whisper beside his ear.
Another pause.
Another breath.
Another kiss to the shell of Kibum’s ear before Minho continued on that made Kibum melt just a little deeper into his embrace.
It had been a long day, staring at the diagrams and equations in the pages upon pages of technical jargon that gave him the headache he had until Minho walked through the door, smiling instantly when he saw Kibum.
If there were a way to put his smile in a capsule, Kibum was sure that it would cure the direst of diseases.
The page turned once more and Kibum let out a sigh. It was the end of a chapter. Just his luck. Minho stuck his finger between the pages when he spoke the last word.
“Another chapter or sleep?”
Kibum turned his head, reaching up to cup his face as he kissed his cheek. “It’s up to you.”
Minho smiled and inclined his head so he could capture Kibum’s lips with his own. Tenderly stealing his breath away. When he pulled away, Kibum leaned his head back on Minho’s shoulder, closing his eyes with a smile when he heard the book being opened once more.
* * *
They often danced.
Not at clubs or galas or balls. But in grocery store aisles or in their living room or in the rain.
Whenever the mood struck, they danced. Falling into each other. Leaning on the other for support in laughter and in love.
Which, really, is the same thing, if you think about it.
They were barely touching, now. Just a twist of their fingers tangled together as Kibum slowly turned. The living room revolved around him until he faced Minho once again.
It was moments like these -- when Minho held him ever so gently, his hands wrapped around his waist and the song he was humming seemed to be vibrating out of him -- that Kibum realized how deeply his feelings for his partner ran.
Deeper than any metaphor he could think of in his love-drunk haze.
When Minho’s eyes, warm and bright and mischievous and beautiful, were on him -- watching him, drinking him in -- he could think of little else.
And he didn’t mind that one bit.
Not when Minho pulled him close.
Not when they stopped swaying together, the air tingling around them in the tranquility of it all.
Not when Minho’s hand left his waist to cup his jaw, his thumb brushing over the cut of it. Kibum couldn’t help but lean into the touch.
“That song always makes me think of you,” Minho said before he guided Kibum into a kiss.
His eyelids fluttered closed, his eyelashes brushing against his skin as he breathed Minho in. Pulling him closer. Holding him tighter. “Which...which song?” he asked once their lips parted, though still touching as Kibum’s formed his question.
“Never Gonna Give You Up,” he said, laughing when Kibum shoved him away.
Only to pull him back in a second later.
* * *
If someone had told Kibum on the day he met Minho that he would be inseparable, he actually might have believed them.
They were five, playing in the playground of the park between their homes when one of the bigger boys knocked him down. He scraped his hands on the stones, his cries going unnoticed by his mother, for the moment. Minho had crouched beside him, holding out a flat stone with a thin white stripe cutting through it. As Kibum took and inspected it, Minho dried his tears with his scarf and patted his head before he settled beside him.
They played together until Minho’s mom called him to go home.
And, to this day, Kibum still had that rock. It lay in the drawer of his nightstand, a reminder of their shared history. Which was littered with gifts of friendship, companionship, and love.
A tiny heart-shaped box that once contained chocolate now held the dried remains of the first flowers Minho had ever given him. His face so flushed that Kibum could almost feel the heat radiating off of him.
A request. To be his boyfriend.
They were only sixteen, and they were in love. And from that day, their love only grew. Blossoming into the life they now shared.
They were married when they were barely twenty-two. A secret rendezvous that only few were privy to.
Too young, some might say, to know what was right. What was proper. What they needed in life. But, in the grand scheme of things, there are worse things than following your heart, no matter how young you may be.
And now, almost six years later, their love still rang true. Unwavering and resilient, despite what the world might say and think.
Kibum turned his hand, the sunlight gleaming off his wedding ring. “What are you thinking about?” Minho asked, his voice tinged with his usual lethargy of the morning.
He reached across the table, taking Minho’s hand in his. “You,” he said softly. His thumb brushed over his knuckles before he kissed his wedding ring. “And how lucky I am to have found you.”
Minho’s fingers tightened around Kibum’s hand, a sleepy smile coloring his voice. “I’m the lucky one.”
2:23 // will you kidnap me and take me anyway if I say no?
2:25 // first of all why would you say no?
2:25 // and secondly maybe I would
2:25 // ㅋㅋㅋ
2:26 // does that scare you?
2:26 // hmm
2:27 // I'd rather not say
2:32 // ㅋㅋ…..so?
2:32 // yeah, I'll be there
2:33 // when do we leave?
...
Saturday
A wave of humidity washed over Kibum as he followed the others out of the Jeju International Airport. Jinki had forged ahead, running to catch a taxi for them so they could drop off their meager luggage at the hotel before they went off in search of food. The wheels of Jonghyun’s suitcase rattled loudly in the lobby, but he didn’t seem to notice. His conversation with Taemin was too riveting, it seemed. Kibum smirked, then glanced behind him.
“Hey! What’s taking you so long?” Minho looked up at him from where he was tying his shoelaces, his eyes wide. “Come on, you can do that on the way!” He smiled and went back to tying his shoes, and Kibum rolled his eyes as he jogged to catch up with the others.
This impromptu vacation had been his idea, wholly and completely. He was so completely bored -- having been at the same job for over two years now, it had grown to be quite monotonous -- and he knew that his college buddies were probably feeling the same way.
It was quite by chance that they had come together, all those years ago. Kibum always thought it was kind of lucky that they all happened to meet in the theatre club -- Kibum, Minho, and Jinki wanted to act, Taemin wanted to be in the chorus, and Jonghyun wanted to compose his own plays. Unfortunately, for them, they were too late and the club was already at its full capacity. They, at Taemin’s suggestion, decided to drown their sorrows in pizza and beer, and by the end of the night, they were inseparable.
They still were, even now that they had left college. Sure, Kibum had returned to Daegu, Minho to Incheon, Jinki to Gwangmyeong, while Jonghyun and Taemin stayed in Seoul, but that didn’t mean they didn’t text or call each other as often as their schedules would allow.
The drudgery of everyday life had taken its toll on Kibum, though, which is why he decided to reach out, to see if any of the others wanted to escape for a little while. To remember what it was like to feel...to feel alive with the myriad of possibilities available to them.
He texted Jonghyun first, a strategic move. Jonghyun would be able to convince anyone to do anything, if he really, really wanted to. He skipped Taemin altogether since he knew that Jonghyun would take it upon himself to get Taemin to agree, and went straight to Jinki. It didn’t take much to get him on board -- the promise of all the cold beer and food he could want while laying on the beach was more than enough.
While he knew Minho would be easy to convince -- he missed everybody just as much as Kibum did -- he couldn’t help but hesitate. Kibum opened their messages, starting a text, only to backspace and try again. It took hours before he finally decided on we’re going to Jeju...wanna come? even though he wasn't quite sure why.
Well, that wasn't quite true...but, they were here now, all of them. Kibum stopped for a second in the automatic doorway, taking a deep breath of the warm, summer air. He smiled to himself, satisfied with the start of their weekend getaway.
“Kibum, come on!” Jinki called, taking Kibum out of his reverie. The door to a taxi was open, and Jonghyun was throwing his and Taemin’s luggage inside the trunk.
Minho, who had surpassed him now, looked back. His eyes were twinkling as he grinned. “Yeah, what’s taking you so long?” What a little shit. Kibum slowly returned his grin before Minho turned back around and picked up his pace, jogging to toss his backpack in the trunk before he slipped inside.
He stuffed his duffle bag beside Minho’s backpack and closed the trunk, squeezing into the backseat next to Minho. Jinki closed the door and hopped into the front. “Where are we going?” the taxi driver asked, and Kibum leaned into Minho as he reached into his back pocket for his phone, rattling off the address for the hotel.
Jonghyun stretched his legs out from where he was sitting on Taemin’s lap, resting his ankles across Kibum’s thighs. He closed his eyes and leaned back, his freshly-dyed -- as far as Kibum could tell -- platinum blond hair ruffling in the breeze of the open window. “Don’t you even think about it, Choi,” he said without looking up.
Minho’s hands froze over the rips in the knees of Jonghyun’s knees. “I wasn’t doing anything.”
“Mhm.”
Taemin and Kibum shared a look before Taemin reached out, slipping his hand beneath Minho’s, and tickling Jonghyun’s exposed skin. He pulled his hand back before Jonghyun sat up and Kibum pursed his lips to keep from laughing, looking out his window as Jonghyun started yelling at Minho, despite his protests.
The line of shops they were driving past came to an end, revealing the sea beyond. Blue, as far as the eye could see. The ocean melted into the distant horizon. Little puffy clouds were scattered like popcorn across the sky, casting their shadows on the calm sea and the beach and the roads. Kibum rolled down his window and leaned against the door. Behind him, Minho sighed.
“Thanks for doing this, Bummie,” he said, softly enough so only Kibum could hear him.
“Yeah, no problem.”
… … …
He was staring; he knew he was.
In his defense, it had been nearly six months since he had last seen Kibum and he was still so...so beautiful. Not that he was expecting him to change all that drastically in their time apart, but… His hair was longer now, the breeze toying with the many-colored strands. Minho worried his bottom lip as Kibum brushed it out of his eyes, his gaze not leaving the sea now that it was in view, and he looked away.
Jonghyun reached out, a smile in his eyes as he ruffled Minho’s hair. “So, when you’d do that?”
“Hm?” His eyes flicked up to Minho’s honey-blond hair and then back to meet his gaze, smiling fully now. Minho knew without having to check in the rearview mirror that his face was coloring. “A couple of weeks ago.”
“It’s a bold choice for you.” Taemin snorted, carding his fingers through his lavender hair. “What, it is!” Jonghyun said, smacking Taemin’s chest with a laugh. “I never thought he’d go this light!”
“I think it looks good,” Kibum said, still without looking away from the window.
Minho’s eyes widened, and he made the mistake of meeting Jonghyun’s knowing, slightly pitiful gaze. He lowered his eyes, smiling to himself. Of course, Jonghyun knew. “Thanks.” His hand found Minho’s thigh, and he patted it gently before he withdrew.
“I like how we all decided -- without telling each other -- that we’d dye our hair.”
“It just proves that we’re on the same wavelength, no matter how far away we are from each other,” Jinki said, turning around with a smile. “So, where do we want to eat?”
“I’ll look up some places,” Taemin said, reaching into Jonghyun’s pocket and pulling out his phone.
“What happened to yours?” he asked as Taemin typed in the pin, unlocking it.
“I forgot it at home, remember?”
“Oh, yeah.”
Minho started when Kibum grabbed his shoulder, pulling him close. He leaned into him, closing his eyes as Kibum’s breath tickled his ear. “Could they be any more obvious?” Minho bit back a smile, shaking his head when Kibum pulled away to look him in the eye. Kibum leaned back in. “Do you think they’ve told each other yet?”
He hummed in thought, turning his head to whisper in Kibum’s ear. “I mean, they live together, so…”
Kibum snorted softly. “That doesn’t mean anything, though.”
“I guess.”
“What are you two gossiping about?” Jonghyun asked, Minho looking his way with guiltily wide eyes.
Kibum’s hand slid off of Minho’s shoulder and down his arm, slowly pulling away at his elbow. “Nothing,” he said with a nonchalant shrug. “I was thinking we’d go to Hwaro Hyang, and I was just telling Minho what I read about it online.” Minho’s eyebrows shot up and he looked back at Kibum, whose eyes were twinkling as he avoided meeting his gaze.
He was always so quick on his feet -- it got them out of so much trouble during college. Kibum unlocked his phone, pulling up the restaurant website and passing it to Jonghyun. His eyes flicked to Minho’s -- he had been staring again -- and his cheeks dimpled with a small smile.
The rest of the ride to the hotel was fairly quiet. Jinki and the driver chatted about things to do while they were -- as if he’d be anywhere but their hotel or the beach -- while Taemin watched Jonghyun play a game on his phone, pointing at the screen when he thought he should make a move. Kibum went back to staring out the window, and Minho folded his hands in his lap, tapping his thumbs together as he stared blankly at the ocean.
“So, what’d you want to do today?” Kibum asked, leaning his head against the door and looking back at Minho. He blinked, refocusing, and searched Kibum’s expression. “We’ve got all day.”
“Just us two?”
Kibum shrugged, squinting when the sun shone in his eyes. “We can bring the others along if you want.”
Odds were that Jonghyun and Taemin would be lounging around today and would only want to leave the hotel once the bars were open. Jinki had been talking about napping ever since they met up at the Incheon airport this morning, so it would probably just be them this afternoon.
Not that Minho was complaining, of course.
“No, I’m good with that.” Kibum smiled, turning to look out the window again. “What’d you have in mind?”
… … …
“What floor?”
Kibum’s eyes followed Minho as he leaned across him to press the button of the elevator. Fifth floor. He tapped their room key against his palm, glancing over Minho’s shoulder at the others. “Are you sure you guys are fine with me having the single room?” Jinki asked, his hands wringing around the handle of his carry-on bag.
“You asked for it,” Kibum said, snorting.
Jinki sighed. “I know, but -- “
Jonghyun cleared his throat. “I mean, Taemin and I are roommates, so this isn’t new for us.”
“Yeah, and you know how hyper Kibum and I can get," Minho said as he slung his arm over Kibum's shoulder, pulling him snug against him. "We wouldn't want to bother an old man like you with our bullshit."
Jinki cocked his head with a glare, feigning exasperation. "Really? We're already starting with the old man jokes?"
Jonghyun covered his mouth to keep himself from laughing and turned to Taemin to hide his amusement when the elevator stopped. The door opened and a family of white tourists coming on. Americans, it sounded like, based on their accent. They huddled in the middle, and Minho moved him and Kibum to the wall, while Jonghyun, Taemin, and Jinki did the same on the opposite side. Jinki covered his mouth with his fist, his shoulders shaking in silent laughter.
"Should I tell them we're not laughing at them?" Kibum whispered to Minho when the mother kept giving them weird looks.
"It's up to you."
He couldn't decide by the time they reached the fifth floor, and Minho swept him away and into the hallway, the other three following them. Minho dropped his arm from Kibum’s shoulder, and Kibum let out an almost sigh, already missing the weight of his arm. “523...52 -- This way!” Jinki said, turning around and leading the four of them down the long, beige hallway.
Kibum glanced around at the prints hanging on the walls, unsurprised to find picture after picture of the ocean or waves. His gaze fell to the royal blue carpet, and he smirked, leaning toward Minho. “I wonder where they got their inspiration for the decor.”
Minho took a quick cursory glance around, his eyes lighting with amusement before he looked Kibum’s way. “It’s unclear.”
“Mm. Maybe...just maybe...it has something to do with the sea.”
He hummed thoughtfully, stopping in front of their door as Kibum fiddled with the key card. “It’s possible. Or perhaps the ocean.”
“I see where you’re coming from. But I think it’s more from the sea.”
“But this is Ocean Suites, so…” His voice trailed off with a sarcastic lilt, and Jonghyun scoffed as he unlocked his and Taemin’s door on the other side of the hallway, letting Taemin head inside first.
“Text us when you want to eat,” he said to no one in particular, the door closing behind him.
“All I’m saying is that the ocean is more likely as a source of inspiration than -- “ Jinki sighed, his door slamming shut and making them both jump. “See, I told you you wouldn’t want to share a room with us!” Minho called out, and they leaned toward the door, waiting for Jinki’s laugh. When it came, Kibum grinned and slid their card into the slot and pushed the door open.
A blast of cool air caressed him as he walked inside, Minho closing the door behind him. “Right or left?” he asked when Minho followed him into the main room.
“Bummie, they’re separate beds.”
“Yeah, but -- “ Minho tossed his backpack on the left bed, leaving the one closest to the window for Kibum. “Thanks, you’re a total sweetheart.”
Minho blinked sarcastically. “Aren’t I just?”
Kibum shoved him, and Minho went limp as he fell onto his bed. He smiled then, dazzling as ever, and Kibum’s heart fluttered like it always did. He swallowed thickly, crossing his arms over his stomach as he sat on his own bed, facing Minho’s. “So, how have you been? It’s been a while.”
He rolled over onto his side, propping his cheek up on his fist. “We talk literally every day.”
“Not in person. It’s different.”
“Yeah.” Minho watched him for a second, his stare wandering until he blinked and met Kibum’s eyes again. “I’ve been okay. You?”
“Just okay?” Minho nodded, shrugging with one shoulder. “I’ve been fine.”
“Just fine?” Minho asked, mimicking Kibum’s tone. Smiling, Kibum nodded. A silent better, now that I’m with you hung in the air, waiting to be spoken. But some things were better left unsaid.
Back in college, Minho had been his almost, and there were moments -- like this -- where Kibum thought he might be aware of that fact. He had considered it, telling Minho how he felt, but when Minho said that his dad wanted him to come back to Incheon and work under him as his assistant coach… Kibum knew better than to interfere, knew better than to try his luck on a “what if.”
“I’m here if you need to talk about it,” Minho said, bringing Kibum back to the present. He shook the cobwebs of his college memories out of his head with a small smile.
“Thanks. Maybe later.” Minho started to sit up. "Did you eat breakfast?"
He nodded. "I mean, I could eat again, if you're hungry."
“Let’s go, then!”
… … …
“So, then you two broke up?” Minho asked, passing Kibum the cup of peach ice cream they were sharing. He nodded and Minho grinned, reaching out to ruffle his hair. “Is that why you dyed this, then? Emotional distress?”
Kibum scoffed, moving away from Minho and shaking his head, trying to get his hair back to its original style. “No, I just did this because I wanted to.” When he moved back to stand beside him, Minho reached over and brushed Kibum's fringe off his forehead. He smiled to himself as he took another spoonful of ice cream then passed it back to Minho. “I knew you’d tease me about my hair.”
“I’m glad I didn’t disappoint you, then.”
A sigh, and then Kibum reached for the ice cream, his fingers covering Minho’s as he took another spoonful. “But really, she and I just weren’t compatible. We were really only dating because our parents set us up.”
“Yeah, same.”
“Oh right, you broke up with Seulgi too, didn’t you?”
“Yeah, but that was months ago.”
Seulgi was one of the female soccer players that practiced after his dad’s team did. She had been wearing an oversized Park Jisung ManU jersey, and Minho had stopped to chat with her until both his dad and her coach were yelling at them to move on. The next time they saw each other was at a sports bar in town, and she drank him under the table. Their conversation slurred as the night went on, but when they made it back to her apartment, she had sobered up enough to push Minho out of her space, as they had been leaning on each other to be able to walk.
“Please don’t get the wrong impression,” she said as she fumbled with her keys. “I like you, but I’m not interested in you.”
Minho had been about to blurt out that he wasn’t interested in her either, when the door swung open, to reveal another woman, whose wide eyes met Minho’s when Seulgi’s inhibitions lowered enough for her to coo “Jagi-ya” at her as she stumbled in the house. Minho blinked, the term of endearment settling into his alcohol-addled. He smiled, his brow furrowing as he pressed his finger to his lips and nodded, and staggered off the porch and away.
“So, my parents want me to ‘find a nice boy and make him date me’,” Seulgi said once she pulled him aside before her practice started. A tired smile lifted her features. “Which is, you know, great for me.”
“Of course. I’m sure Joohyun is thrilled.”
Seulgi snorted. “So, listen...I was thinking…” Minho’s eyebrows raised and he glanced her way, already guessing where this was going. “Since I’ve got a girlfriend, and you’re still hung up on that Kibum guy…And since you’re the only nice guy I’ve ever met, I thought we could help each other get our parents off our backs.”
“As long as Joohyun is okay with it, sure.”
“Really?”
“We can date for as long as you need to, I don’t mind.”
She let out a sigh as she pulled him into a quick, tight hug. “You’re the best!” she called out over her shoulder, blowing him a kiss before she joined her team. Minho rolled his eyes with a smile.
Kibum snapped his fingers in front of Minho’s face, bringing him out of his memories. “Thought I lost you for a second.”
“Aww, were you worried you’d have to go on without me?” Kibum scoffed, his face coloring as he took the ice cream out of Minho’s hands. Minho grinned. “Did you miss me?”
“Yes,” Kibum said in a droll monotone. “Every moment that passes without you is a waste. Every second that you’re not beside me, I yearn for you.”
He grabbed Kibum’s arm, stopping him in the middle of the street, his expression one of faux agony. “I long for you with every breath that we're apart,” Minho said, finishing the lines from the play they had auditioned for, all those years ago. Kibum’s face scrunched up as he laughed and pushed Minho away, and Minho broke character, laughing with him. “God, what was that play?”
“The writers were just trying to invoke emotion.”
“At what cost?”
“Our sanity?” Kibum’s eyes met Minho’s then, and they both broke into a fit of giggles. He leaned on Minho to keep his balance. Once he had regained most of his composure, Kibum tossed the empty cup into the nearest garbage can, his spoon clattering onto the pavement. He bent over to grab it, and Minho put his own spoon into the garbage.
They started walking again, their shoulders bumping together. “I’m glad we decided to do this,” Kibum eventually said, his voice quiet. “To come here, I mean.”
Minho nodded. He had been surprised to get that text from Kibum that early in the morning. He had just been crawling into bed after playing video games until he was struggling to keep his eyes open. Truth be told, he had been relieved that Kibum finally texted him. It was strange to go almost a whole day without them really texting much, and he had been unsettled all day...until that moment. He sunk into bed, making himself comfortable before texting him back.
“Yeah, I really missed...you guys.” He gulped, glancing over to see if Kibum had caught his almost slip-up. “Honestly, we should do this more often.”
“I’m the only one who lives so far away, though. You four can still see each other more often,” Kibum said with an overly dramatic sigh. He grinned when Minho shoved him.
“Daejoon is probably the halfway point between us.” Not that he had looked that up or anything. Or checked out the restaurants there. Of course not. “We could always head there for the weekend. Or, you know, whatever works for you.”
Kibum looked at him, searching his expression with a suspicious twinkle in his eye. Oh shit, did he catch onto him? Before Minho could think of an excuse or explanation, Kibum’s phone chimed and he pulled it out. “Ah, Jjong is awake.” He texted him back, watching his screen until another message popped up. “They’re ready to eat.”
Minho glanced up, looking across the street to see Hwaro Hyang. He tapped Kibum’s arm and pointed at it, and Kibum nodded.
“Okay,” he said, Minho following him as he started to cross the street. “They’ll meet us there. We’ll get a table for us.”
When they said they needed a table for five, the hostess led them out onto the patio, bringing a chair over from one of the tables. “Your server will be right with you!”
“Thanks!”
The others arrived within a few moments of the bottles of soju and beer being brought to the table, and it wasn’t long before they ordered their fill of barbeque. As day transposed to night, and the comfortable haze of alcohol settled around them, Minho couldn’t help but stare at Kibum. He was dancing to one of f(x)’s older songs, the choreography sloppier than it should have been. He and Taemin and the group of girls who were also on the patio with them were having a great time dancing offbeat to the music blaring through the speakers.
He had asked Minho to dance with him, his fingers teasing down his arms as he reached for his hands. As much as he would have liked to, he was far more content to just sit back and enjoy Kibum’s uninhibited excitement.
He knew he was smiling like a lovestruck fool, but he just couldn’t bring himself to care.
… … …
“I bet he’ll confess by the end of the weekend.” Jonghyun pulled his beer away from his lips, frowning at Jinki until he nodded across the patio to where Minho was. He smirked then. “₩20,000 if he does,” Jinki said, holding out his hand for a shake of agreement.
Jonghyun took it, shaking it once. “They might not tell us, though.”
“True. But, we should be able to tell, right? They’ve never been great at hiding their feelings.”
“Yeah, to everyone except each other.”
Jinki laughed and took a swig of his soju. “I guess sometimes feelings are just more obvious to the people not wrapped up in them.”
Slowly, Jonghyun brought his beer back up to his mouth, hesitating for a second before he took a drink. His attention shifted from Minho and back to Taemin, his heart fluttering a little when he smiled his way.
… … …
Minho’s buzz had all but worn off by the time he dragged Kibum back to their room. Kibum, however, had had a few more bottles of soju before they left when the restaurant was closing. He was clinging to Minho like his life depended on it as he dug around for the key card in Kibum’s pocket, fishing it out and unlocking the door. It swung shut behind them as Minho maneuvered Kibum into the room and dropped him on his bed. He started to bend down to take off Kibum’s shoes for him when Kibum grabbed his hand, fiddling with his fingers.
“Stay with me,” he said, his slurred words ending with a giggle as Minho wiggled his fingers out of his grip.
“I am.” He pulled off one of Kibum’s shoes, tossing it toward the door. “We’re in the same room, Bummie.”
“No no no no no...no,” he stumbled over the words, shaking his head as he tried to sit up.
“Just lie down.” Minho tossed the other one aside before he stood and helped Kibum find his pillow. He pulled the covers over him, and Kibum grabbed his wrist before he could move away. He released him almost as soon as he grabbed him, but Minho didn’t pull back his hand. Not when Kibum’s fingertips grazed over his palm, a rash of goosebumps blooming across his skin. He laced their fingers together, squeezing his hand before his grip loosened.
But he didn’t let go.
“Stay with me.”
Minho opened his mouth, trying to think of a response.
His thumb brushed over the back of Minho’s hand, and he looked up, the light from the lamp gleaming in his eyes. “Please?”
Minho sighed, squeezing Kibum’s hand before he let go, his heartbeat pounding in his ears as he stepped into the bathroom. Deep breath in; long exhale out. His gaze flickered up, meeting his own eyes in the mirror before he shook his head slightly and grabbed two of the cups, filling them with water. After some digging into the drawers, he found some ibuprofen for when Kibum woke up.
He brought the cups and the pills out into the main room, his shoulders relaxing when he saw that Kibum was fast asleep, his arm stretched out across him. Minho set the cups down, one on each side of the nightstand, and then the pills closer to Kibum’s side. He checked to make sure that Kibum’s blanket was covering him before he turned off the light between them and settled into his own bed.
...
Sunday
Bright sunlight pierced the room, searing Kibum’s eyes as he started to open them. Groaning, Kibum curled up, pulling the covers over his head as he sank further into bed. “I’m never drinking again,” he mumbled to himself, pulling the covers back a fraction so he could see Minho.
Still asleep. Of course.
Kibum smiled despite the pounding of his head, his pained gaze flicking to the water and bottle of pills set out on his side of the nightstand. Slowly, he sat up, his stomach churning at the slight movement. He grabbed the cup of water and took a couple of sips before he picked up the bottle of pills and slid out of bed.
He braced himself on Minho’s bed as he walked past, being careful not to jostle it too much -- even if he knew Minho could sleep through a monsoon. Minho shifted, hugging his pillow a little tighter, and Kibum swayed for a second when he stopped, staring blearily. He smacked his lips in his sleep, his soft snoring continuing as he rolled over onto his back. A light rapping on the door drew his attention away, and Kibum staggered toward it.
Jonghyun grinned at him as the door swung open. “Get any sleep?”
Kibum started to nod but thought better of it. “Yeah.”
“Tae and I are heading down to breakfast, want to join us?”
“In a minute, gotta shower first.”
He let the door close and heading inside the bathroom. After he took his pills and drank the water, he turned on the shower. As much as he wanted to take a quick shower, once he stepped into the warm stream, he wanted to live in it. He sat on the floor of the shower, hugging his knees and closing his eyes as the water massaged his aching head.
How long he sat there, Kibum wasn't sure -- he just knew it felt amazing.
Once he stood, he washed his hair and body quickly and reluctantly vacated the shower. The bathroom was filled with steam, a sort of makeshift sauna. He wiped the mirror clean where his face was and he blow-dried his hair once he was dressed.
The ibuprofen must have taken effect because he felt marginally better as he stepped outside his and Minho's hotel room and started for the breakfast downstairs. He nodded to Jonghyun and Taemin, who were sitting on the same side of one of the tables -- Jonghyun sipping his coffee while Taemin was stuffing his face with a plateful of American food.
That actually...surprisingly...sounded good. He made himself a waffle and loaded up his plate with scrambled eggs and sausage links. He drowned it in syrup before he made his way over to Jonghyun and Taemin.
"Is Minho awake yet?" Taemin asked around his mouthful of food.
Kibum scoffed, cutting off the first bite of his waffle. "I know better than to try to wake him up." He smiled as he chewed, then swallowed. "As...funny as he is when he's grumpy, I'd rather not have that directed at me."
"Right."
"Like he'd ever really be grumpy with you." Kibum frowned mid-bite and looked at Jonghyun, who just laughed. "Forget it."
Jinki stumbled into the room, waving sleepily at them as he passed. “So, what’s the plan for today?” he asked once he sat across from Kibum with his own breakfast
Everyone turned to look at Kibum expectantly. He chewed quickly, swallowing. “Why is this on me?”
“It was your idea to come here?” Taemin said.
“I don’t know. I guess we could go to the beach?”
“Yeah, that sounds good.”
They ate quietly, Jonghyun picking food off of Taemin’s plate while they whispered back and forth to each other. Kibum watched them for a moment, amused, before he looked up to see if Jinki was paying any attention to them. He wasn’t.
Once Kibum finished eating, he got up to make a plate to take back to the room for Minho. By the time he finished with the waffle, Minho shuffled into the lobby, carding his fingers through his honey-blond hair. He sat in Kibum’s vacated seat, glancing his way with a sleepy smile. Kibum returned the smile and finished fixing him his coffee. He sat in the empty seat, setting Minho’s food in front of him, his smile growing when Minho looked up at him with adorably wide eyes.
“Thanks, Bummie,” he mumbled, picking up his fork and starting to eat. His hair was sticking up on one side, the wrinkles from his pillowcase indented on his cheek. “How are you feeling this morning?”
“Not as bad as I was expecting.” Minho nodded, cutting off another bite. “Thanks for setting out that stuff for me.”
Minho smiled, his eyes darting to meet Kibum’s for a second before they fell back to his plate. “Yeah, no problem.” He ate a couple more bites before he asked, “So, what are we doing today?”
… … …
"Ooo, watermelon." Minho glanced in the direction that Kibum was pointing. There was a small kiosk on the edge of the beach selling fresh fruit, ice cream, cold beverages. "That sounds good."
"Hm, it does," Jinki said absently, lifting his sunglasses so he could see better. "There are some empty spots in the shade over there." If Minho had been looking, he would have seen the empty lounge chairs under the umbrellas, but he was still focused on the fruit kiosk.
The others were already making their way over to the shade, quickly so no one else could snatch the vacant spots up, but Minho hung back, digging his wallet out of the pocket in his swimming trunks. Kibum called out to him when he got in line, and Minho waved him on to join the others. He was too far away, but Minho could almost hear Kibum sucking his teeth at him. Smiling, he turned back around, ordering a large platter of cut fruit and a couple of water bottles.
He carried it all carefully over to where Kibum, Jinki, and Taemin were making themselves comfortable, setting it by Jinki’s feet. “Woah, Min, what’s this for?”
Minho shrugged, opening one of the water bottles and passing it to Kibum. “I just thought it would be nice.” He avoided meeting Kibum’s eyes until he passed the water bottle back to him, his expression soft. Minho grabbed the bottle and took a sip, almost coughing it back up when Jonghyun clapped his hand on Minho’s shoulder, crouching beside him.
“Hey, wanna go play volleyball?” He turned and found the group of guys Jonghyun was gesturing at. Jonghyun hooked his arm around Minho’s neck, grinning at him. “I know it’s been a while since we’ve played, but I think we still have it in us.” He patted Minho’s chest before he stood, looking back at the other guys. “Anyone else want to come?”
Kibum scoffed, shaking his head as he snatched the water bottle from Minho’s hand. “Please, you guys were the dynamic duo.”
“Will you guys watch us?”
“From here,” Jinki said, pushing his sunglasses up his nose.
Jonghyun tugged on the back of Minho's tank top before he started running back across the sand, and Minho pulled off his sandals and sunglasses, setting them by the chair that Kibum was sitting in. “Hey,” he pulled out his wallet and handed it to Kibum who readily took it. “You mind watching this for me?”
“Not at all. Have fun,” he said, his dimples appear when he grinned. Minho started to smile, his drive to go join Jonghyun and the others dwindling. Until Jonghyun called him, that is. He let go of his wallet and jogged out onto the white sand.
… … …
It had been several years since Kibum had had the...opportunity to watch Minho play volleyball.
It was always just a recreational thing, since he played for the basketball and football teams at university. But, he liked to keep active, and it meant that Kibum always had something to do on the weekends because that’s when his games were and he always asked Kibum to come to watch him play.
Volleyball was his and Jonghyun’s game -- they dominated. Jonghyun’s slight stature always threw off new opponents, but he was a threat to be reckoned with. No one had better hustle than him on the court -- not even Minho -- and he could almost always perfectly set Minho up for the attack, no matter where he was on the court. There was a precision and fluidity to their movements that were unrivaled by anyone who dared oppose them.
Kibum’s breath hitched as Jonghyun set the ball up for Minho to attack, both of the guys on the opposite team jumping to block, and Minho tipped it across the net where it fell, untouched, in the sand.
He could hear their celebratory hollering from where he sat across the beach.
“Looks like they’re having fun,” Jinki said, grabbing another strawberry from the platter Minho had bought.
Kibum and Taemin gave unsynchronized hums in response. They had both been paying close attention to the game, but once Minho and Jonghyun's tank tops came off in the middle of the first match, they were both riveted. Not that Jinki minded, of course -- he had brought one of his books to read.
“Do you…” Taemin started to ask, his voice trailing off when Jonghyun moved to serve the ball.
“Do I what?” Kibum asked once the volley started.
“Do you think they need water?”
Oh...probably. It was a hot day and they’d been playing for a while...it’d only make sense. “We’ll be right back,” Kibum said, tapping the arm of Jinki’s chair. He picked up his and Minho’s half-drunk water bottle and Taemin did the same, and they ran out to them, standing on the sidelines. The ball was still in play, the longest volley of the match so far, both teams taking whatever attack the other could make. One, two, three, then over the net again until Jonghyun got the first touch.
For a split second, Jonghyun and Minho made eye contact -- Kibum assumed -- and Minho raced for the ball, lobbing it over on the second touch. It landed in-bounds on the backline of the opposite side, the other two guys scrambling to hit it and missing it by a hair. Taemin clapped loudly and Kibum let out an obnoxious cheer, drawing their attention.
Jonghyun jogged over first, taking the offered water bottle out of Taemin’s hands and taking a couple of quick sips before he drank almost all of it. Minho soon joined him, breathing heavily as he took the water bottle from Kibum.
“I think this is the game point,” he said between drinks. He bent over, grabbing his tank top from where he discarded it and wiped the sweat off of his brow and out of his eyes.
“Getting tired?” Kibum asked, holding out his hand for Minho’s tank top. He nodded, and Jonghyun huffed a laugh. “Are you having fun, at least?”
“Yeah,” Minho said with a small smile, and Kibum lowered his gaze, which locked onto his exposed torso.
“Well,” Taemin cleared his throat, crinkling the empty bottle that Jonghyun passed back to him. “You guys are doing great.”
“Thanks!”
Minho grabbed Kibum’s arm, pulling his attention away from Minho’s abs. “I think I have enough money, could you buy a couple more waters for us?”
“Uh, sure thing.”
Thanks, you’re the best.”
“I really am, aren’t I.”
Minho snorted and pulled Jonghyun’s attention away from Taemin with a pat to his shoulder. “Come on, we’re almost done.” He turned, and Kibum’s gaze lingered until Minho got into his ready position, glancing back over at them at the sidelines. Kibum immediately looked away, clearing his throat and discarding Minho’s tank top by his feet. When he looked back, Minho wore a cocky sort of smirk until Jonghyun served the ball.
Kibum rolled his eyes, huffing, and trudged back across the beach to where Jinki was lounging. “Did they win?”
He picked up Minho’s wallet. “Not yet,” he said, jogging as he ran over to the back of the line at the kiosk.
He opened Minho’s wallet, checking to see how much money he had before it came time to pay. Enough for three more bottles, it looked like. He was about to close it when he spotted a time-worn movie ticket stub. Curious, Kibum pulled it out.
Huh…
It was for Thor, the first one. He checked the date, his smile growing. It was the first movie they had went to together. Just them. The other three had already seen it, but Minho was busy studying when they went to the theater and he had asked Kibum to tag along with him. Afterward, they still didn’t want to head back to the dorm, so they hit the night market, eating as many samples as they came across.
Funny that he kept this…
“Sir?”
Kibum looked up to find that he was the next in line. He stuffed the ticket stub back in and pulled out the won he needed. “Hi, yeah, sorry…Three waters, please.”
… … …
"Good game!" Jonghyun called out to Sungwoo and Minhyuk, their opponents. Minho waved to them before he slipped his tank top back on and followed Jonghyun back to where the others were lounging in the shade. "Well, that was certainly fun," Jonghyun said, grinning up at Minho.
Minho slung his arm over Jonghyun's shoulders, holding him close for a second before releasing him. "I definitely missed playing with you."
"Same." He looked back to where the others were -- Kibum sliding into his seat and looking across the sand at Minho, holding up one of the bottles. Minho quickened his pace slightly, and Jonghyun hurried to keep up with him. "It was fun to show off a little, too."
He glanced down at Jonghyun before looking back at Kibum. "Yeah, it was."
Once they were back with the others, Taemin crossed his legs beneath himself and Jonghyun sat in the space he cleared for him. Kibum tossed Minho the water bottle he was holding. He sank down, sitting on the end of Kibum's lounge chair, his gaze slipping over to Kibum as he took a drink.
"Oh, you guys are back!" Jinki said, putting down his book to grab one of the wedges of watermelon. Minho grabbed the fruit platter, setting it between him and Kibum so everyone could finish it off. There were only a couple pieces left, and when Jonghyun took the last of it, he picked up the platter to return it to the kiosk.
Minho stretched his arms over his head, glancing out over the beach. Another volleyball game had already started -- two couples, it looked like. Seagulls cawed overhead as they searched for any scraps of discarded food. The breeze was warm, blowing through his still-sweaty hair. He turned his head, focusing on the cerulean waves washing ashore and the people chasing after them as they returned to the ocean.
He started to smile when he turned around, his eyes falling on Kibum who cocked his head in silent question. “Those are nice sunglasses,” he said, hoping his smile didn’t give him away.
“...Thanks? I just got them a couple of weeks ago, actually. They’re real Ray-Bans.” Taemin ooo’ed, and Kibum’s smiled at him. Minho held out his hand for them, and Kibum slowly took them off, squinting at Minho as he handed them to him.
His vision darkened when he slipped them on, the glare from the sun immediately going away. “Oh, they’re nice…” he said, flashing Kibum a smile before he jumped to his feet and started to run.
“Hey!”
There was laughter in his voice, and Minho’s smile turned into a grin as he ran through the crowded beach and to the water. The sand grew wet beneath his feet, a cool relief from the warmth of the dry sand, and water splashed around his ankles as he ran into the sea. The water was lapping around his knees before he started to turn around, only to be surprised by a splash drenching him.
"Come on, give them back!" Kibum said with a laugh, kicking more water at him as he turned fully around.
Minho took another step back, his eyebrows raising. "Come get them, then," he taunted, chuckling when huffed. He stepped back again, and again until the ocean reached his mid-thigh. Kibum followed him, raising his chin when he stood before him. For a split second, Minho was worried that Kibum was pissed at him, but it was soon eradicated by the appearance of Kibum’s dimples as he tried not to smile.
He took the sunglasses off, squinting at the sunlight shimmering on the surface of the water, and slipped them gently back onto Kibum’s face. “Better?”
“Yup.” Kibum smiled then, and if he hadn’t been wearing sunglasses now, Minho would have had a warning from the twinkle in his eye. He pushed Minho into the water, his laughter becoming distorted and warbled as Minho submerged. Minho wiped his face clean once he resurfaced and ran after Kibum before he got too far away. “No no no -- “ he chanted as he ran away, and he let out a yelp when Minho grabbed him from behind, picking him up in his arms. “What are you doing?” he yelled when Minho started to twirl him, water splashing around them.
He meant to just toss him into the water, really, he did, but Kibum didn’t stop clinging to him, and Minho tumbled into the water with him. Minho pulled them out of the water almost immediately, Kibum sputtering a laugh as he took his hands off from around Minho’s neck. Before he could think better of it, Minho reached out, adjusting Kibum’s sunglasses so they sat straight on the bridge of his nose.
Sighing, he sat back, creating a little bit more distance between them. Neither stood, the small waves rolling past their chests. Kibum stared behind him with a smirk. Minho turned to find Jinki, Jonghyun, and Taemin splashing around in the water a little ways away. “We should all go skiing,” he eventually said, and Minho looked back at him.
“Right now?”
Kibum snorted. “Sometime after Christmas. Don’t you think it’d be fun?”
“Have you ever skied?”
“Just water skiing.” Minho frowned in question, and Kibum smacked his shoulder. “Remember, I told you about that! It was a thing my parents liked to do during the summer.”
“Right...I’ve never skied.”
“You’ll probably be a natural at it, don’t worry.”
The breeze picked up, Kibum’s wet hair blowing into his face and sticking to the lens of his sunglasses. He tried to shake it off, but it wouldn’t budge. So, Minho reached out and brushed it away, fixing his part while he was at it. He couldn’t tell if Kibum was watching him when he dropped his hand -- the lens was quite dark and he couldn’t see his eyes. Minho cleared his throat when Kibum’s lips parted and lowered his gaze to the water between them.
“We should probably head back to the room and shower before we go out tonight.”
Minho’s brow furrowed. “Go out?”
Kibum’s lips curled up in a smile, and his attention turned back to the others. “Yeah, to the bar. Jinki mentioned it when you guys were playing volleyball.”
“Yeah, okay.” Minho pushed himself up, water dripping off of his clothes as he reached out to help Kibum up. Their joined hands lingered a second longer necessary as they made their way out of the water.
… … …
Thunder rumbled overhead, the promise of rain perfuming the air as Kibum and the others hurried into the Bluebird. Minho closed the bright blue door behind them, and they ventured into the main room.
A haze enveloped the room, the scent of old cigarettes clinging to the rafters and the gaudy red chandeliers. Colored lights cut through the haze, shining on the dance floor and the karaoke stage. Tall tables and supporting poles were scattered about the room, patrons roaming between the dance floor, the karaoke stage, and the bar for more drinks. Jonghyun and Kibum both looked at the current singer, cringing at how off-key they were. Minho laughed and pulled them away and toward the bar.
They ordered their drinks, setting up at the counter when Jinki started asking the bartender questions about the whiskey he had ordered. As soon as the last note played, Jonghyun shot up from the bar, abandoning his drink, and hurried to take the mic.
Three drinks later, and Minho had grabbed Kibum's hand, leading him away from the bar. He let go of him and hooked his arm around one of the poles, twirling around a couple of times until Kibum laughed. Then he grinned, stepped away from it, and took Kibum’s hand, letting him take him to the nearest open spot on the dance floor.
Kibum tried not to read too much into it -- they were both a little tipsy and just having fun, after all. But, it was a little hard not to get his hopes up with the way Minho’s hands kept slipping around his waist and pulling him closer. He had always been a tad flirtatious, especially after a few drinks, but...Kibum lost his train of thought when he met Minho’s eyes.
The blue light they were bathed in shifted to purple as Minho’s gaze caressed him, and he opened his mouth, starting to say something, only to clear his throat and look away. A small smile toyed with the corner of his mouth and he nodded to the empty stage. “You wanna?”
Kibum followed him up on stage and scrolled through the song choices. “Oh, they have Boa!”
“Of course they do,” Minho said as he adjusted the mic stand.
“Do you know Dangerous?”
“Just the choreography.” Kibum frowned his way and Minho just laughed. “We got drunk one night and instead of studying you showed me a bunch of live stages and we learned it.” Kibum selected it with a chuckle, the loud techno music booming from the speakers as the song began.
He did his best to sing and do the choreography with Minho, who was giving it his absolute everything. But when Jonghyun ran up to the stage, holding his phone like he was recording them, he couldn’t help but break and laugh. Minho stepped in, singing along slightly off-beat until Kibum could sing again. When the last note played, Minho held up his hand for a high five.
He grinned, tapping the back of his hand against Minho’s palm before he put the mic back on the stand. Kibum braced himself on Minho’s shoulder as they took the steps back down to the dance floor, and he followed him back to the bar through the crowded bar getting separated when a group of guys stepped between them.
Kibum stumbled over someone’s discarded shoe, reaching out to a nearby table to brace himself but accidentally grabbing the arm of one of the nearby patrons. “Sorry,” he said, patting their arm before he let go and started to move away. Only, someone grabbed his arm and whipped him around.
The guy was a little taller than Kibum, and about the same size, bulk-wise. If it came to that, Kibum could probably hold his own against him, as much as he detested the thought. He shrugged the man’s hands off of his arms only for him to grab him again, squeezing a little tighter this time.
“Hey, it was an accident, I didn’t mean to grab you.”
“Me?” The guy shook Kibum. “You touched my fucking girlfriend!”
“And I said I’m sorry?” Kibum batted his hands away again, his brow furrowing. “Obviously, I didn’t mean anything by it, so if you could just fuck off now so we can all move on with our night, that’d be great.”
He grabbed the front of Kibum’s shirt, pulling him a little closer. “No one touches my girlfriend without my say so.”
“I think you mean without her ‘say so.’ It’s her body, dude, not yours.” He tried to push him away, but his fist tightened in Kibum’s shirt.
“Junho, just leave him be,” the guy’s girlfriend said, trying to step between them. “I’m fine, nothing happened.” Junho shoved her away, and she stumbled into the table, catching herself before she fell.
Oh, fuck, the guy was belligerently drunk. Kibum wrenched himself free of his hold and backed away, standing between him and his girlfriend. A pair of hands slipped around Kibum’s waist. He didn’t even have to look up to know that it was Minho turning and guiding him back to the bar. Junho staggered forward, yelling something that Kibum didn’t quite catch.
The crack then tinkling of glass was unmistakable, however, but Kibum didn’t feel the blow. Instead, Minho slumped against his back and Kibum turned, catching him before he fell to the floor. “Min?” His eyes opened slowly, and he stared at the floor beyond Kibum. “Minho?”
The bar bustled to life around them, but Kibum didn’t pay them any mind. He cupped Minho’s face in his free hand, looking into his eyes until Minho focused on him.
“Let’s get you out of here.”
… … …
All was quiet in the bathroom of the bar, except for the dripping of one of the sinks. Minho leaned against the wall and Kibum sat crouched before him, holding the bag of ice he got from the bartender where the bump on the back of his head was. Minho kept his eyes closed, the dim light of the bathroom still too bright for him right now, and focused on the steady, soothing strokes Kibum’s other hand made against his side.
“You’ve gotta keep talking to me, Min,” he said, his voice strained.
He had already thrown up. Twice. Kibum stayed beside him both times, rubbing his back and dabbing the sweat from his brow with a wet paper towel.
“Thanks, Bummie,” he whispered.
He scoffed. “What are you thanking me for? I’m the one who got you hurt…”
“For...making sure I’m okay.” He opened his eyes then, barely, and Kibum immediately met his gaze. “And don’t blame it on yourself. It’s not your fault. Better me than you.”
“Hey, no, that’s not true. You think I like seeing you like this?” Minho sniffed, the need to cry building up and making his headache worse. He closed his eyes again and Kibum sighed, his thumb brushing away the first of Minho's fallen tears. "How are you doing?"
Before he could answer, the bathroom door creaked open and Kibum retracted his hand as quiet footsteps approached. "You doing okay, Minho?" Taemin whispered -- Kibum must have told him to stay quiet.
"Yeah."
"The bartender made you another ice pack and found some tylenol."
"What about the guy?" Kibum asked.
"He got thrown out."
"Okay, thanks, Tae." The door opened and closed once more, and Kibum carded his fingers through Minho's hair, massaging the crown of his head lightly.
"Are you mad at me?" Minho asked with a heavy sigh.
"Of course not. Here." The pills rattled together as Kibum opened the bottle and he grabbed Minho's wrist, opening his palm. "Take these." Minho slightly opened his eyes again, sipping the offered water and taking the pills in his hand.
Kibum leaned forward, pressing Minho's head until his forehead rested on his shoulder. "Just a second," he said, his breath ghosting over the shell of Minho's ear. Something wet splatted off to his right, and the new ice pack was pressed against the back of his head. "Lean back now."
His thumb caressed Minho's cheekbone, and he opened his eyes. Kibum started to pull away but Minho grabbed his hand and rested their joined hands in his lap, lacing their fingers together. "This is probably a weird time to say this but, uh, I'm really glad we got to come here. To Jeju. Together. I’ve been, well, pretty lonely since we all left college, but..." Kibum squeezed his hand, and Minho looked up at him. "This trip has been nice."
"Except for this part," Kibum said with a soft laugh.
Minho smiled then huffed when the throbbing of his head increased for a second. "This part is still nice. Being with you is...is nice."
Kibum searched his expression, his eyes brightening slightly in the dim light. Then, he smirked, looking down at Minho's chest. "I don't think you realize what you're saying."
"Because of my head?" Kibum nodded, his gaze slipping back to meet Minho's. "You're right. Maybe that's why I'm finally saying it, but -- "
"Finally?"
Minho sighed and reached back to adjust his ice pack. "I've missed you. A lot. Ever since I dropped you off at the train station so you could go back to Daegu." A small smile bloomed on Kibum's face. "That's...that's when I knew. For sure."
"Knew what?"
Minho squinted at him then smiled when he saw Kibum’s smirk. “Do I really have to say it?”
He shrugged, squeezing Minho’s hand. “Not if you don’t want to.” Minho’s gaze dropped to Kibum’s lips, just for a second, and when he looked back up he found that Kibum was doing the same. His eyebrows raised in silent question when Kibum’s eyes met his once more. In answer, Kibum’s hands gently cupped Minho’s face, holding his head steady as he leaned in.
The kiss was softer than Minho had expected their first kiss to be.
Perhaps it was because of his probable concussion, but Kibum was being extraordinarily gentle with him. He wanted nothing but to melt into Kibum’s arms, to relish in this moment that he’d wished for. That he’d dreamed of for years. When Kibum started to pull away, Minho reached out with his free hand and grabbed his shirt, pulling him back. Kibum smiled against his lips, deepening this kiss as he leaned as much into Minho as their positions would allow.
He pulled back, leaving Minho a little breathless, but didn’t lean away. Their noses brushed together as Kibum rested his forehead against Minho’s, and there was a smile in his voice when he said, “You have no idea how long I’ve wanted to do that.”
The door opened again, and Kibum scooted away from Minho and looked toward whoever it was while Minho adjusted his ice pack again.
"You doing alright?" Jinki asked, his voice echoing slightly.
"Yeah, I think the tylenol is starting to kick in."
"Good. Just say the word and I'll get you a taxi back to the hotel."
Kibum looked back at him with a small smile. "We'll be back in a minute," Minho said and Kibum turned back to Jinki, nodding.
"Okay." Jinki slipped out of the doorway, letting the door creak shut behind him.
… … …
"Are they doing okay?" Jonghyun asked Jinki as he returned to his place beside him at the bar.
Jinki smiled, swirling his beer around in his glass. "Yeah. I think I walked in mid-confession."
"Oh?" Jonghyun sat up, his attention snapping to Jinki. "Are you sure?"
"I mean, they looked like they were about to kiss…Or just kissed..." Jinki shrugged, then, with a bright smile, held out his hand to Jonghyun. Sighing, Jonghyun dug into his pocket for his wallet, fishing out ₩20,000 and passing it over to Jinki. "It's about time, don't you think?"
"Yeah," he said, glancing over to where Taemin was singing karaoke. "It is." He finished the rest of his beer, pushing away from the bar. "I'll be right back,"
If Kibum and Minho could finally admit their feelings for each other, then so could he…
Taemin smiled at him as he approached the stage, and Jonghyun returned it, stuffing his hands in his pockets while he waited for him to finish singing. When he did, Jonghyun held his hand out and Taemin readily took it, hopping off the stage.
"Hey."
"Hey...can we talk?"
… … …
“Woah…”
Kibum stopped, steading Minho when he swayed once he was standing. “You good?”
“Head rush. I’m fine.” He huffed a laugh. “God, I hate headaches.”
“We can leave as soon as you need to, okay?”
Minho started to nod, but instead said, “Okay.”
He guided him out the door and into the noisy bar, returning him to his spot on the bar. Minho’s hand settled on his thigh as Kibum ordered him a glass of water. Jinki turned to them and Kibum swiveled around on his stool, finding Jonghyun lead Taemin away from the dance floor and out the front door. “Oh, is it finally happening?”
Minho hummed in question and Jinki asked, “What?”
“Nothing.” He swiveled back to face Minho, finding him squinting in the light. “Here.” He took his sunglasses out of his pocket and gingerly put them on Minho. “Better?”
“Much.”
By the time Minho finished sipping his water, Jinki had gotten a taxi for them to head back to the hotel. Jonghyun and Taemin were waiting for them by the curb, both drenched from the drizzle. Both were grinning, though, despite their shivering. Kibum thought about asking them what happened, but the cab arrived. They filed inside and Jinki gave the driver the address and they were off.
Minho leaned his head against the window, wincing when there was a pothole. Kibum touched his arm and Minho looked over. He patted his shoulder and Minho slowly scooted over, resting his head on Kibum’s shoulder with a sigh.
Someone cleared their throat, and Kibum looked over to find Jonghyun watching them. He glanced at Minho then back to him, his eyebrows raising. Kibum nodded and Jonghyun grinned, then Kibum glanced pointedly at Taemin before looking back at Jonghyun. His grin turned to a shy smile, and Taemin leaned closer to him, distracting Jonghyun from his and Kibum’s silent conversation by whispering in his ear.
Kibum looked away, giving them a bit of privacy.
“You still doing okay?” he whispered when the lights from the hotel came into view.
“Yeah.”
“We’re almost there.”
The elevator ride seemed longer than normal, and Kibum helped Minho maintain his balance as they reached their floor. “So I texted Chinri,” Jinki said as they walked down the corridor. “And she said that it’s okay if you sleep with a concussion.”
“Okay,” Kibum answered for him. “Did she give any special instructions?”
“Maybe wake him up every few hours? Make sure he’s still doing okay.” He pulled out his phone, scrolling through the texts between him and his wife. “If you want to, Min, you can head home with me and she can check you out for free after her shift tomorrow.”
“Yeah, that works.”
“Let us know if you need anything, okay?” Jonghyun said once they stopped at their doors. Kibum nodded and unlocked the door, letting Minho go in first.
“Do you want the light on?” Kibum asked once the door closed behind him.
“Uh, I guess.” Kibum flicked it on as Minho walked into the bathroom, wetting his toothbrush.
He brushed his teeth and Kibum went to the main room to change into his sleeping clothes. He turned down Minho’s bed before he crawled into his own. As much as he would like to sleep in the same bed, he wasn’t quite sure if Mino was ready for that. All doubts, however, were eradicated when Minho came back into the main room, glanced at his bed, and walked over to Kibum’s with a question in his expression.
Kibum scooted over, trying very hard not to smile as Minho slipped beneath the covers with him. He curled into him, his arm draping over his stomach as he settled into bed. “Sleepy?”
“No.” He sighed, his breath tickling Kibum’s neck. “Okay, yeah...but I don’t want to sleep. I’d much rather talk with you.”
Kibum stroked Minho’s back, pulling him a little closer and kissing his forehead. “Go ahead and sleep. I’ll wake you in a few hours, and we can talk then, okay?” His eyes fluttered closed when Minho kissed his neck. He could feel his smug smile against his skin, and he shifted away so he could look him in the eye. Kibum brushed his hair off of his forehead, his hand cupping Minho’s cheek. “As much as I want to, you need your rest, right?”
“Yeah. It’s just…” Minho sighed sadly. “We’re going home tomorrow. And who knows how long it’ll be before we see each other again.”
“Hey, it’s okay.” He brushed his thumb over the scar on Minho’s cheekbone, his expression softening when Minho leaned into his touch. “We’ll figure something out, alright? Don’t worry.” Kibum closed the distance between them, guiding Minho into a tender kiss that led to another and another. They both sighed when Kibum pulled away, and he leaned over Minho to grab his phone from where it was charging on the nightstand. Quickly, he set a series of alarms and he placed his phone on his side of the bed.
He leaned back over him, flicking off the light and covering them in darkness. “Get some sleep, Min. I’ll see you in a few hours.”
Minho wrapped his arm around him again and nuzzled into his neck. “I already can’t wait.”
...
Monday
7:48 // I already miss you how pathetic is that?
7:49 // I would say very but then I’d be calling myself pathetic so
7:49 // you miss yourself? Self-absorbed much? Just look in a fucking mirror and move on with your life
7:51 // ㅋㅋㅋ obviously I was talking about missing you ㅋㅋ
7:51 // oh I know...it’s just nice to hear is all :-)
7:53 // ㅋㅋ you’re cute
7:53 // I’m well aware but thank you for noticing
7:55 // hey I'm boarding now so I’ve gotta go
7:57 // are we still meeting in Daejoon on Friday?
Pairing: Kim Kibum/Choi Minho (side: Kim Jonghyun/Lee Taemin)
Rating: N/R
Word Count: 14,647
Links: AO3 // AFF
Summary: The morning is still far away / And I didn’t fall asleep... Laying on this flat sofa / I have too many thoughts, I can’t sleep tonight...
A/N: this is based on my crack theory that “I’m Home” is a response to “One of Those Nights”
Chapter 1: One of Those Nights
The ticking of the clock was too loud, and Kibum couldn’t sleep.
Everything was too loud after the lights were turned off -- the clock, the settling of the house, the wind outside, the static from the muted television. Hell, even the silence.
It was too loud; too much.
Kibum rolled over on the couch, staring at the drama rerun as it played on the screen. It was nearly impossible to get comfortable enough to sleep out here. But, if he slept in his own bed, his mind would betray him with thoughts of...him. Kibum closed his eyes, sighing heavily before he opened them again.
It had been almost six months since he and Minho had broken up, and five since they had last seen each other on the subway. He had been doing fine, until that day...until he saw how run-down Minho looked. Thinner than either of them liked with prominent eye bags, distracting Kibum from fully meeting his ex’s eye.
Why? Why had Minho chosen his job over him? In hindsight, perhaps an ultimatum hadn’t been the way to go, but at the time, Kibum had thought that Minho would have picked him.
He hugged himself a little tighter, inhaling the trace of Minho’s cologne that was still on the hoodie he was wearing.
”Come on, please?”
Minho laughed, holding up the small bottle of Memo Inlé to his old sweatshirt. “Why, though?” Kibum rolled his eyes, which made Minho chuckle before he pressed a kiss on his cheek. “I’ll do it, baby, don’t worry. I’m just curious, that’s all.”
“You’re just leaving for New York tonight and...and I’ll miss you… Stop looking at me like that,” he said, as Minho’s expression softened. Kibum averted his eyes with a smile when Minho started spraying the cologne.
“You know,” Minho said, as he leaned across Kibum to set the hoodie on Kibum’s side of the bed. “There are several ways I could make sure you remember me while I’m gone.”
Kibum leaned back against his pillows, his smile growing. “Several, huh?” Minho hummed as he nodded, and rolled over so that he was laying completely on top of Kibum. His breath hitched as Minho started trailing kisses from his neck to his bare chest. “Do we have enough time?”
“Well,” Minho propped his chin on Kibum’s sternum, giving a smug smile. “If we don’t, then we can always pick up where we left off when I get home. How...does...that…sound?” he asked, punctuating each word with another kiss down from his chest to his stomach to his thighs until he was laying between Kibum’s legs.
He didn’t give Kibum time to answer his question.
Kibum shook his head, refocusing on the drama as the credits rolled. It wouldn’t do to reminisce about the sex...and how good it always was… Because it wasn’t just the sex he missed, he missed everything. The god-awful songs Minho would sing in the shower when he was getting ready for work, the coffee and breakfast in bed on the weekends, the organized clutter around the house, just...his presence.
The house felt so empty, now.
He pulled his phone out of his hoodie pocket, opening up his kakaotalk and then the messages between him and Minho. He read the last few, the stilted exchanges from after they broke up. Then, he started to type...not that he was intending to send it, of course, but he just needed to write what was going through his mind. His thoughts were meandering, but he wrote them all as they came, closing the app when he finished.
Blearily, he stared at the tv as the late-night home shopping show came on, watching the hosts ooo and ahh over gaudy jewelry until he couldn’t keep his eyes open any longer.
- - - - -
“Where do you want to hang the streamers?”
“Streamers?” Kibum asked, unable to keep the incredulous tone out of his voice. Both Jonghyun and Jinki watched him with wide eyes as he came out of the kitchen. “Why the fuck would you have streamers?”
“Because...it’s a...birthday party?” Jinki said, his gaze flicking between the other two as if he was unsure now what was actually happening.
“For a grown ass man…”
Jonghyun scoffed. “Pretty bold of you to assume that Taemin wouldn’t like streamers and balloons for his birthday. As the resident expert of what Taemin likes -- “
“Because he’s your boyfriend.”
“ -- I can confidently say that he would very much enjoy these. As well as sucking the helium out of the balloons that I have to go pick up...with the cake…”
“As long as there’s no helium in the cake,” Jinki said as he stood up on the couch to pin the streamer to the ceiling.
“Tape! Use tape!”
He dropped his arm, the streamer in his hand fluttering to the floor. “I’m not tall enough, anyway...I miss M -- “ Whatever he was about to say was cut off by a sharp look from Jonghyun.
As he had only been half-listening, Kibum glanced up at the awkward silence and squinted when Jonghyun gave him an uneasy grin. “What.”
“Jinki was about to say...the M-word.”
“Mud-blood?” Kibum frowned, looking up at Jinki. “I didn’t know you’ve seen Harry Potter…”
“What?” Jonghyun laughed. “No, Minho. He was about to say Minho.”
“Oh...oh, I mean...I’m fine, you can talk about him. I’m doing better, really…” he added when the other two looked unconvinced.
Jinki cleared his throat. “Where, um, can I find the tape?”
“Mi -- the office. The second bedroom,” he said, pointing over his shoulder to the dim hallway. Jonghyun twirled a bit of the streamer around his finger, and Kibum sighed. “Honestly, I’m okay. I wrote out my thoughts last night, and I think that helped a bit.”
“Where?”
He pulled his phone out of his pocket and held it up. “You can read it if you want to,” he said as he unlocked his phone. He cut Jonghyun off when he started to protest, opening the kakaotalk app. “I really don’t mind. It’s not a big de…”
Oh, fuck.
He had sent it. He had sent the message. Shit.
And, if that wasn’t already bad enough, Minho had read it, too. And not responded.
“Oh...my god.”
“What?” Kibum couldn’t respond, he could only pass the phone over to Jonghyun and sink into the couch as he read the text. “Oh no...Kibummie...were you drunk?”
“I wish! Then I could have an excuse!” He covered his face with his hands. “This is the worst possible scenario…”
“I found the tape!” Kibum didn’t move his hands, but he saw Jinki come around the couch through the slits between his fingers. “Do I even want to know?”
Kibum just groaned in response before finally sitting up and taking his phone out of Jonghyun’s hands. “I need more coffee. You guys -- ” he gestured to the room, hoping they would pick up on his wanting them to continue decorating.
He trudged into the kitchen, his heart heavy as he started to make another pot of coffee. Why hadn’t Minho responded? Did he really mean that little to him now? Did he ever?
“Do you know what I love most about you?” Minho asked, his fingers carding through Kibum’s hair as they caught up on Sky Castle.
“Hm?” He looked up when Minho didn’t answer right away and found him watching him. “What?”
“I swear, I had an answer, but now I just want to say ‘Everything’.” Kibum tried to suppress a smile but failed. “I can’t help it. You’re too amazing and I love you too much.”
Kibum squirmed, turning his head on Minho’s lap so he was facing the television. “Why are you so sappy today?”
“I missed you, so I’m allowed! Plus, you love it. Would you rather I be working?” he started reaching for the cascade of papers spilling out onto the coffee table. Kibum grabbed his hand, lacing their fingers together before holding their hands against his chest. “Oh no,” he said drolly, a smile in his voice. “Now I’ll never meet my deadline...”
“What a terrible thing, I’m so sorry,” Kibum said, just as sarcastically, kissing the back of Minho’s hand when he chuckled. After a moment, Minho shifted, and Kibum glanced away from the television. “Do you really have to work?”
“I probably should, yeah. But I can finish watching this episode, don’t worry,” he said, squeezing Kibum’s hand. Kibum nodded with a sigh as he looked back at the television.
He did love him, at one point, at least. That much he knew for sure. Kibum just wished that he could let go of Minho as easily as Minho had let go of him...
- - - - -
7:55 // Do you at least have coffee for me?
Kibum looked up with the subway pulled into the station and quickly pocketed his phone as he made his way onto the train with the jumble of people. Hopefully, Taemin would remember to look at his phone sometime between now and Kibum’s next subway stop. He sucked his teeth at the man who had just bumped into him without apologizing.
Suppressing an exasperated sigh, Kibum reached up and grabbed one of the overhead straps before the train started moving again. “It’s too early for this bullshit,” he mumbled under his breath, bracing himself as the train started. He scanned the faces in the crowd around him, his gaze trailing back when he thought he spotted someone familiar in the car just ahead of him.
He blinked, disbelieving. Minho? Kibum instantly averted his eyes, turning around in case he had seen him...only to look back a moment later. Minho was still staring off into space. Even at this distance, Kibum could tell that his usually bright and cheery eyes were dull...almost lifeless.
It was a wonder Kibum could recognize him at all.
And, it wasn’t as if Minho didn’t know his job was soul-sucking...he made that comment multiple times in the years they were a couple. As sad as Kibum was to see him like this, anger flared up within him as well. If the train hadn’t been moving, he might have barged into the next car and demanded Minho explain his decision.
But then, Minho yawned, and his eyelids drooped further still. The heat of Kibum’s anger dissipated. Was this his life, now? Just the constant drudgery of work? Jinki had mentioned that he had tried several times to hang out with Minho, after work, and while Minho always said he would, he would also always call several hours later to say that he had gotten caught up at work.
Kibum looked up when the woman over the intercom announced the next stop, and then back to Minho to find him rousing himself. Their eyes met briefly, but Kibum looked away and didn’t see if Minho kept looking at him or not.
The train came to a stop, and Kibum kept a hold of his strap while others exited, watching for Taemin to get on. He waved when he spotted him, and Taemin barely made it onto the train before the doors closed. “No coffee?” he asked once Taemin made his way over to him.
“No?”
“I swear to God, if you don’t start reading your texts...”
“I do!”
“Not just the ones from Jjong.”
“I don’t!” Kibum scoffed, looking over Taemin’s head to where Minho had been, only to find him gone. “Besides, we can always get some coffee at the cafe.”
“I suppose.”
Luckily, Taemin was able to distract him with their ongoing discussion about new choreography to teach the trainees. Once they were off the subway and had their coffee, they went upstairs to the dance studios, splitting up when their groups arrived. He worked with his first group, perfecting their technique and correcting their movements until their session was up.
It would be fifteen or so minutes before his next crew would arrive, so Kibum took the time to stretch his limbs while he waited. He glanced around the room before he met his own gaze in the mirror.
He hadn’t noticed Minho standing there while he practiced the new choreography in their bathroom mirror. Not until he cleared his throat. Kibum glanced over at him, his face instantly turning beet red as he looked back in the mirror. “Shut up.”
“I didn’t say anything!” Minho said, his amusement evident in his voice as he moved behind him in the bathroom to inspect his own appearance before he left for work.
“Yeah, but you were thinking it.”
Minho adjusted his tie pin, making eye contact with Kibum in the mirror. “Maybe I was thinking you’re the cutest, you ever consider that?”
“Were you?”
“Maybe.” He shrugged. “Maybe not,” he added with a twinkle in his eye as he turned to Kibum, raising his eyebrows in question.
Kibum reached up and adjusted the knot of his tie before patting his chest. “Have a good day, I’ll see you later.”
He cupped Minho’s cheek with his hand as he leaned in to kiss him goodbye. “Missing you already,” he said, smiling into another kiss before he left Kibum’s side.
The door to the dance studio opened, and Kibum blinked as he looked away from the mirror. He scrambled to his feet, bowing in greeting to the trainees as they filed into the room.
“Alright.” He cleared his throat, trying to drive any thought of Minho from his mind. “Let’s pick up where we left off.”
- - - - -
As soon as the door clicked shut behind him, Kibum leaned against it, and let out a heavy sigh. Lights from the city illuminated the darkened living room, and Kibum kicked off his shoes and shucked his jacket before he flicked on the lights.
His house was still in disarray after Taemin’s surprise party -- twisted streamers rocking back and forth because of the ceiling fan, the helium balloons drooping as they started their slow descent, and the mess of confetti covering everything.
It’s not like it mattered, that his house was a sty. He was the only one who ever saw it anyways...
Huffing, Kibum stepped forward, grimacing at the confetti that stuck to his bare feet. He went over to the side table and turned on the television, instantly relaxing at the sound of static and someone else’s voice filling the empty space. The fridge light was bright as he opened it, and he leaned against the door. “Fuck, I need to get groceries.”
There was literally only two plates of Taemin’s leftover birthday cake. Kibum grabbed one of the plates and went back into the living room, swiping some of the frosting and sucking it off of his finger as he plopped down on his couch. While he didn’t necessarily enjoy Running Man, he wasn’t in any mood to change the channel.
It had been...almost a week since he had seen Minho in the subway.
If he had been having a problem keeping Minho off of his mind before...it was nothing compared to how he was now.
Quite frankly, it was ridiculous. He was being ridiculous.
Maybe he needed to ask one of the others to set him up on a date. It was time, right? Seven months was long enough..he was just being pathetic at this point. He set his plate of cake down and pulled out his phone, checking the last message he sent him.
Still read. Still not responded to.
Kibum pursed his lips, tossing it into the pile of confetti on the couch. Tomorrow. Tomorrow he’d talk to Jonghyun about a blind date. He started brushing the confetti off of the couch so he could lay down. After a second, he stopped.
No.
It was time to actually sleep in his own bed, not the most uncomfortable couch on the goddamn planet. He grabbed his phone and stood, freezing mid-step when he heard a knock at the door. 11:46? Who the hell would be coming here this late?
Slowly, he approached the door, peeking through the peephole. Wait...Minho? Kibum leaned back, rubbing his eyes before he looked through again to make sure. Yep, it was him.
He jumped when there was another knock at the door.
Kibum, pressing his hand to his chest to soothe his erratically beating heart, took a deep breath and reached for the doorknob. Once he pulled the door open, Minho immediately met his eyes. He still looked exhausted but perked up as Kibum leaned against the door jam. “Hey,” he said softly.
“Hey...”
“Can I come in?” Minho asked, his eyebrows raising. Any defenses that Kibum had been building came crashing down, and he pushed the door open a little wider.
Chapter 2: I’m Home
The figures on the sales report blurred together and Minho rubbed his eyes, attempting to refocus. It wasn’t like it was that late. He grabbed his phone, blinking slowly when he tapped the screen. Okay, so maybe it was. Still, he should finish reading over these reports, since he had that meeting with investors in the morning.
Yawning, Minho tossed his phone aside and stood, heading for the kitchen to make himself yet another cup of coffee. He tied his robe loosely around his waist, and he found only find one of his slippers on his way to the kitchen. The clock on the oven blinked 3:05 when he glanced at it on his way to his Keurig. He found the darkest roast he had and popped the pod it and started it brewing.
He grabbed the full cup of coffee, and replaced the new pod with a new, lighter roast. Minho doctored his coffee to his liking before the other cup finished brewing, and he stirred in the two teaspoons of sugar, just the way…
Oh, right. Kibum wasn’t here.
Maybe he should just go to sleep. Play catch up tomorrow.
He held the coffee cup over the sink, poised to pour it down the drain.
”Minho?”
He grinned at Kibum’s incredulous expression, holding up the coffee he had gotten for him. “Surprised?” He glanced down the hall when Kibum tried to peek over his shoulder. For the moment, there was no one to watch out for. “We’re good, I think.”
Kibum nodded for Minho to come inside his dance studio, taking both coffees from his hands and setting them on the chair halfway across the room. “I thought you weren’t going to be back until tomorrow?”
“I took an earlier flight,” he said as he closed the door behind him. “I missed you too m – hey…” He couldn’t help his dopey smile as Kibum slipped into his personal space. Kibum wrapped his arms around Minho’s waist, pulling him just that much closer. “Did you miss me, too?”
“Maybe a little,” Kibum muttered into his skin as he left a trail of kisses up his neck. Minho couldn’t hold back his sigh, and Kibum chuckled as he leaned away to look into his eyes. “When do you have to go back?”
“To work?” Kibum hummed his answer, his eyes dropping to Minho’s lips for a second. “They still think I’m in New York.”
Kibum’s gaze instantly flicked up to meet Minho’s eyes. “Oh?”
“So…that means I have tomorrow off…”
“Hmm…we’ll have to think of something fun to do.”
Minho smiled when Kibum’s cheeks dimpled, and he carded his fingers through the hair on Kibum’s neck. As he leaned in, he stopped a fraction away from Kibum’s lips. “I’ll see you after you get off, baby.” Closing the distance between them, Minho kissed Kibum, smiling as Kibum pulled him closer, the kiss deepening…until…
The doorknob beside them jiggled, and they instantly broke apart. Kibum wiped his lips as Minho went over to grab his coffee from the chair. He smiled at the trainees as he passed them on his way out the door. “Who was that?” one of them asked Kibum.
“My roommate,” Kibum started to say as Minho closed the door behind him.
Sighing, Minho set Kibum’s cup of coffee aside and took up his own. He flicked the kitchen light off on his way back to the living room, taking an experimental sip of his coffee as he made his way back to the couch. He took another sip and glanced at his phone before he started to arrange the reports on the coffee table.
Wait…he had a notification?
He stared at the blinking orange light for a second. Who would be texting him right now? Maybe work…actually, probably work. His sense of duty was the only reason why he put down his coffee and picked up his phone.
But…it wasn’t work.
The Yeobo with the blue heart emoji after it burned into his eyes. Why had Kibum texted him? After all this time?
The Yeobo was a joke he had made almost a year ago when he had gotten home from work to find that Kibum had dinner waiting. It had embarrassed Kibum, which was adorable. So, he made quite the show of changing his name for him on kakaotalk, and…after they broke up, he hadn’t had the heart to change it back to Kibum.
Oh, he tried to several times, but every time he did, he would read through their old messages and he just…couldn’t.
The screen went black, and Minho unlocked his phone, immediately opening the message.
Yeobo 💙
3:07 // Honestly it’s stupid. It’s stupid how much I miss you. Even though you’re not here beside me, you are. Will I ever be able to get rid of you? As much as I want to or would like to, I can’t. I think you’re a part of me and you always will be. Do you miss me, too? Even a little bit? I hope so. I hope I irritate you with how much you think about me and I hope you remember us. What we were. What our future could of been. I’m trying hard to be strong, but the nights are long without you here. So are the days. Maybe I’m just lonely.
Minho’s grip tightened around his phone as he reread the message again and again. Did Kibum mean to send this? It didn’t seem like something he’d willingly admit unless he was drunk.
And even then.
Still, Minho started typing a response. I miss you too, so much it hurts. I wish we had never ended… He stopped, letting out a sigh as he started to backspace. Even though Kibum sent it, it felt like an accident. Like, he didn’t intend for Minho to read it. So, Minho exited out of the app and set his phone aside. He grabbed his coffee again and picked up the stack of reports.
* * * * *
Ring-ring…Ring-ring
Minho stirred, stretching to fumble with his alarm clock. With a shiver, he dropped his head back on the throw pillow, curling in on himself for a little extra warmth.
Ring-ring…Ring-ring
Yawning, Minho peeked over the arm of his couch, locating his phone before he picked it up. “Hello?”
“Oh good, you’re awake,” his father said into the receiver. Minho held back a scoff. Barely… “I wanted to discuss the meeting before you get here.”
Minho closed his eyes, setting his phone on his lap as he sat up. “Okay,” he said once he held up the phone again.
Why was his father so chipper in the morning? Maybe his secret was that he actually slept at a normal time. He listened as his father talked on and on about his expectations for him during the meeting, and switched from the living room phone to the one in his bathroom.
Minho looked into the mirror, his fingers tracing the bags under his eyes. He set the phone down, filling his hands with cool water and splashing it over his face. Hopefully, that would help. He picked up his phone again as he brushed his hair back with his fingers as his dad kept talking.
“Do you think you can do that?”
“I’ll do my best.” He flinched at his tone and braced himself as his father went silent on the other end.
“You haven’t been spending time with that Kibum again, have you?” When Minho didn’t answer him right away, his father took that to mean that he was. “I didn’t have to promote you, you know. You’re lucky Minseok started his own company so that you could do something with your life.”
“Father, I haven’t…I haven’t been.”
“I’ll see you when you get here.” The click on the other end signified the end of their discussion.
As much as he wanted to throw the receiver across the room, Minho walked it over to its place on the wall. He went into his walk-in closet, then, inspecting the sparse assortment of suits hanging there. Minho reached for the gray Givenchy suit, caressing the darker stripes with his thumb.
“I swear, if you don’t at least try on this fucking suit, I will dump you.”
Minho looked around, checking to see if the attendants were paying them any attention before he booped the tip of Kibum’s nose. “No, you wouldn’t.”
“Okay, you’re right…but…think of the baby,” Kibum said, jutting his bottom lip out in the barest hint of aegyo.
Minho threw his head back, laughing hard enough for Kibum to shush him so he didn’t disturb the other customers. “Fine, I put it on, but just for you.”
“Why won’t you buy it?” Kibum asked as he trailed behind Minho on his way to the fitting room, sitting outside when Minho closed the door behind him
“My father said not to be too flashy with what I wear.” Minho smirked when Kibum started to laugh as he slipped out of his t-shirt and jeans. “Don’t you start.”
“I’m sorry, I just don’t see what’s so flashy about wearing black all the time.”
Minho zipped up his slacks, glancing at the closed door. “What? You think I should change?”
“I think…you should wear what makes you happy and confident.”
He finished tucking in his shirt then undid the top button before he shrugged on the jacket. “What do you think?” he asked, opening the door to let Kibum see. His boyfriend sat still, staring unblinkingly at Minho where he stood in the doorway. Minho could feel a smile curl his lips upward, and he unbuttoned the second, tugging at the collar to let just a bit more of his chest show. “Do you have any thoughts, or…”
“I…think…that we should buy this and go straight home.”
Gulping, Minho let go of the Givenchy suit, grabbing his plain navy one instead.
* * * * *
It had to be a trick.
His eyes must be deceiving him. Unsurprisingly, he hadn’t gotten a whole lot of sleep last night, so perhaps his brain had conjured up exactly what he wanted to see. Who he longed to see.
Kibum was there, just in the other car on the subway. Their eyes met for the briefest of seconds, and he looked away. But it was him. Looking healthy and as beautiful as ever. He blamed the tears stinging his eyes on his exhaustion, even if he knew that was just a lie he was telling himself. He blinked, driving them away, as the other passengers started to deboard the subway.
Oh, right, this was his stop. He had a plane to catch.
The journey to the airport, and even through security as well as boarding the plane, passed by in a blur. He had done it so many times, now. Too many. Minho stuffed his carry-on bag into the overhead bin, not even reacting when something fell out of the side pocket, bouncing off of his arm and onto the ground. He slid into his seat, slowly reaching down to grab it, only to find that one of the stewardesses got to it first.
“Is this yours?” she asked, holding up the little black box.
“Yes,” he said, his voice almost too quiet for her to hear, judging by the way she squinted an leaned closer to him. He held out his hand, and she placed it in his palm.
The ring box bit into his palm as he tightened his fist around it in his pocket. “Please, Minho, sit. We have a lot to discuss.”
He stared at his father, a silent plea in his gaze. A silent plea that was being firmly ignored. Minho took a deep breath, steeling himself, and sat down in the armchair opposite his father. “How did you know?”
“Your mother saw you two. At the mall. She said that you and…he were hanging all over each other.” Minho averted his eyes, his face heating. “I think it goes without saying that we don’t approve of your little tryst.”
Wow, what a huge surprise…He had no idea that would be the case.
“Do you…love him?”
“More than anything in the world,” Minho answered without thinking. His eyes widened a second later…he probably shouldn’t have said that… “What do you want from me?”
“What do I want with you? Nothing. ‘What do I expect from you?’ should have been your question.” Minho gritted his teeth, refusing to ask. “I expect that you’ll break it off with him immediately, and never see him again, or – “
“Or?”
“Or I will tell his boss that Kibum is a homosexual. I am friends with Sooman, after all. I’m sure you remember that.”
He did. Fuck…
“As long as you do that, I’ll keep the information to myself. I wouldn’t want you to cause any more shame on the family, as it is.”
Minho cursed himself as tears filled his eyes. Stay with Kibum, and risk poverty and ostracization for them both. Let him go, and rest assured that Kibum would be safe. When it came down to it, the decision was easy.
“Okay,” he said, raising his chin as he met his father’s eyes. “I’ll do it.”
The stewardess walked away, and Minho’s gaze slipped to the ring box. He remembered that day vividly – the day he had bought the ring. Jinki was there with him, as Jonghyun and Taemin could not be trusted with any secrets ever. It was a hard decision, narrowing down his choice for the perfect ring for Kibum. In the end, he decided on a thin silver band, five tiny diamonds etched into the top.
Honestly, it had been an impulse buy. He and Jinki had been at the mall to pick out a new coat for Jinki before the winter hit on one of Minho’s rare days off. But when they passed by the jewelry shop, Minho couldn’t help but stop and look at one of the rings that caught his eye, and they ended up scouring the selection to find the perfect one. He hadn’t been planning on proposing, not quite yet, but now that he had the ring…why not? Jinki entertained him for the rest of their time at the mall, coming up with ridiculous scenarios for Minho to propose.
He had almost forgotten that he carried it with him, still. It was a little piece of Kibum – even if he wasn’t aware of its existence – a little reminder of what they could have been.
The flight attendants started their safety spiel as the plane started to taxi onto the runway. Minho leaned back in his seat, his eyes closing. Hopefully, he would dream of happier times.
* * * * *
Deliberations in New York took longer than they needed to. They always did.
Minho opened his eyes when the elevator dinged, stepping forward and down the hall to his condo. His briefcase swung back and forth at his side, tapping against his leg as he fished in his pocket for his keys. Once the door was unlocked, he trudged inside, tossing the briefcase on the nearby sofa. He flopped down on the other, tucking himself easily into the curve of the couch.
If it wasn’t already enough – the neverending hours at work, the long flights, the general lack of sleep, the soul-crushing silence of the empty room – he hadn’t been able to get Kibum off of his mind. Not since the subway.
If he could only…see him again…speak with him one last time…beg for his forgiveness…then he might be satisfied.
He didn’t dream of happier times. Not on the flight, not when he tried to sleep in his hotel room. Not ever.
”So,” Kibum said, his previously impassive expression faltering with a quiver at his chin. “Which will it be?”
“Kibum…I – ”
“It shouldn’t be a hard decision, Minho. Me…or your job.”
Minho gulped, his shoulders sinking as his gaze fell to the floor. Ah, his time was up. When his father told him to break it off, he tried. He genuinely did. It was just…wanted to be selfish. To live on borrowed time, for a while. He knew their days were numbered, and he wanted to savor every he could with Kibum, memorizing everything.
But it was over now. He had driven him away.
He took as many hours as he could at work, barely making any time for Kibum. His Kibum. The sudden productivity from his son seemed to surprise Father, and he got a promotion at work. And with that, came more flights to and from the states and more responsibilities…and less time with his boyfriend.
It was only a matter of time before this day would come. When he’d have to say goodbye.
Not that he was ready, of course. But it was time.
Minho met Kibum’s eyes and held his gaze, burning the curves and lines of his face into his memory. “I’m sorry.” Kibum’s bottom lip quivered until he clenched his jaw, turning his face away from Minho. It took a moment for Minho to summon the courage to stand, to walk past Kibum on his way to the door. “If I could make one last request,” he said, his voice quiet in the strained silence stretching between them.
When Kibum didn’t answer, Minho looked back and found that he hadn’t turned his head to watch him go. But he was listening.
“Please, don’t hate me.”
As he opened the door, Kibum’s head twitched toward the noise and Minho froze, waiting. “That’s the thing. I could never hate you.” And, with that, Minho closed the door behind him.
Minho rubbed his eyes, driving the reverie away.
It’s not like he could do anything about it. He couldn’t go see Kibum, which meant he couldn’t apologize and try to make amends. It would be pointless.
His cell phone buzzed in his pocket, and he dug it out, the ring box falling out with it. As Minho sat up, he took up the ring box and opened it. He stared at the gems, and they seemed to stare back, teasing him, taunting him. Minho snapped the ring box closed and carried it with him to his closet, setting it down among his glasses..
Maybe, his traitorous mind thought, and he pushed it away as he stood in front of his suits. What if, it continued as Minho pulled out the Givenchy suit. He had yet to wear it, to work or otherwise. It wasn’t long before he had stripped out of his travel-worn suit and slipped into the designer suit. Why he put it on, he wasn’t sure.
“You’re being selfish,” he said to his reflection, as he adjusted his tie pin. Was it worth throwing their safety away? Just for a moment of weakness? He dragged his hand across the nape of his neck, sighing heavily, as he stared at the ring box. It didn’t matter that he felt like he was deteriorating on the inside. It didn’t matter that his heart ached every second they had been apart.
It didn’t matter what he wanted. Or needed.
Minho grabbed the ring box, taking it back into the living room and sinking into the sofa. He had to be strong…for both of them. As he flipped the box over in his hand, his mind wandered to the text message Kibum had sent him.
I think you’re a part of me and you always will be.
No matter how much he tried to be strong, he was always so weak, when it came to Kibum. His fist tightened around the ring box, and he shot up from the couch, running for the elevator.
“Where to?” the taxi driver asked, suppressing a yawn as Minho buckled up.
Home.
Minho rattled off Kibum’s address without a thought, and he leaned back in his seat as the car pulled forward. He stared out the window, watching the city lights pass him by as he took deep, calming breaths.
For better or for worse, he had to be selfish this one last time.
Chapter 3: Unchained
“Can I come in?”
It was only when the door was closed behind him that Kibum remembered the state of his house. “Shit,” he muttered under his breath, glancing at the back of Minho’s head and waiting for his reaction to the remnants of the party.
“This was for Taemin, right?” Kibum blinked in surprise. “Jinki invited me to come a couple of weeks ago.” That fucker…Jinki didn’t mention anything about the extended invitation. “I was scheduled to be in New York…” Minho’s voice trailed off as he sighed.
“Why are you here, Minho?” He turned around, then, meeting Kibum’s inquisitive gaze. There was warmth there, still, in those tired eyes. Warmth and hope and a silent plea for understanding. Kibum looked down at the spread of confetti on the floor, then brushed past Minho as he followed the path through it to the couch. He sat in his spot, looking up at Minho expectantly. “Well?”
“I didn’t think I’d get this far…Not quite sure where to begin, to be honest.”
“How about sitting down.” He was more curious than anything else, now. Had he dressed up in that suit specifically to see him? Or was that just a random choice for his day at work? Kibum followed Minho’s progress around the room, and he grabbed the remote as Minho sat on the opposite end of the couch to turn the volume down several clicks.
Minho brushed more of the confetti off and onto the floor as he made himself comfortable, pointedly avoiding Kibum’s gaze. He picked one of the pieces up, twirling it around his finger as he looked up. “You could never irritate me.” Kibum’s brow furrowed in confusion. They irritated each other frequently in the many years they had known each other, especially when they were a couple. “Thoughts of you – of us – could never irritate me.”
Oh god…the text message. Was that why he decided to come? Kibum started to apologize for sending that, but Minho continued.
“Those were the happiest moments of my life. The ones with you.”
“Which ones?” Kibum found himself asking.
“All of them.” He gulped as Minho looked down at his hands again. “I missed you so much, ba – Bummie.”
If he could physically reach into his chest and stop his heart from swelling, he would. He needed to be strong, not only for his own sake but also for Minho’s as well. For a moment, his gaze drifted away. “Then why did you leave?” His eyes snapped back to meet Minho’s when he looked up. “Why did you wait so long to see me again, if you missed me so much?”
“I had to.”
“Had to?” Kibum smirked when Minho nodded. “Ultimatums aren’t that serious. You didn’t have to stay away.” Hurt flashed in Minho’s eyes, and Kibum almost broke his stony demeanor and apologized. He knew…he knew he was being unfair. He had been the one to make him choose. The one to make him leave.
“You don’t understand.”
“Is that why you’re here, then? To explain?”
Minho started tearing the confetti in his hands into little shreds, his voice low and quiet as he told Kibum about a conversation he had with his father. The threat of blackmail, of their relationship – and Kibum’s sexuality in particular– being exposed. How he decided to drive Kibum away, to make him want to let go of what they could have been, because he couldn’t.
“I’m weak, when it comes to you,” Minho said after a stretch of silence. “I know I was being selfish, and for that, I deeply apologize, but I knew…when it came down to it, that I wouldn’t be able to say goodbye to you.”
Kibum swallowed past the lump in his throat. “Why tell me all this now?”
“When I saw you in the subway,” Minho chuckled, shaking his head. “After knowing that you missed me too, I knew I wouldn’t be able to rest until I saw you. One last time.” Last time…no… “I’m sorry for any trouble I caused you,” he said, standing and bowing to Kibum as he started for the door. “I won’t disturb you again.”
“It’s late.” Minho stopped in his tracks. Just let him go. He’s trying to move on with his life. Don’t ask him to – “Stay. You can always take a taxi or whatever home in the morning.”
Minho turned, hope twinkling in his eyes. “Where will I sleep?” Kibum patted the couch. “What about – “
“I still have some of your old t-shirts…and the blankets are where they always have been.” Minho nodded as Kibum stood, and started for their – no, his room. He grabbed his pajamas, as well as Minho’s t-shirt he wore most often to sleep in, and went back out to the main room. “Here.” Kibum tossed the shirt in Minho’s general direction, glancing over to find him cleaning off the entire couch before he laid the fleece throw down. “Goodnight, Min.”
“Goodnight.”
He’d be a fool to miss the longing in Minho’s voice.
Distracted now, he went into the bathroom to brush his teeth, completely forgoing his face washing routine. He flicked off the bathroom light and walked down the hall to see that the light and the television were turned off. Kibum stared into the darkness for a moment, before he turned and went into his bedroom.
“You’d think after that couch, this bed would be much more comfortable,” he murmured to himself, pulling the blankets up to his chin. He tossed and turned, curling up around his pillow and then lying bone-straight on his side, then his back, then his other side…then face down.
Kibum rolled over, lying on his back to watch the shadows shift on the ceiling with passing cars. How was Minho faring out there? He could always sleep anywhere, no matter what, so he was probably fine…but…no… He couldn’t bring Minho in here; he couldn’t cross that line. Not yet! Or ever!
His body, however, seemed to have a different idea. Kibum slipped out of bed, tiptoeing to the entrance of the hallway overlooking the living room. “Minho.”
“Yeah?” he whispered after a second of hesitation.
“Do you want to come to bed?”
In the darkness, he saw Minho’s silhouette peeking out over the back of the couch. “Are you sure?”
“If you don’t want to, then…whatever.” He turned and headed back to bed, his heart sinking as he slipped back under the covers. Closing his eyes, he turned over on his side, hoping to force himself to go to sleep.
The bed dipped and rocked as Minho crawled in, being careful not to disturb Kibum, who had started to smile. It only took a few minutes for Minho’s breathing to steady and for the first of his snores to come. Kibum’s eyes stung with tears that he blinked away as he rolled over to face Minho. The city lights from the far window gilded his silhouette, his shadow stretching out toward Kibum.
Minho snored again, and Kibum pursed his lips to stop a chuckle. He didn’t think he would miss that, and yet… Eventually, his eyes drooped, and he nodded off into a restful sleep.
As dawn broke, he stirred, feeling overly warm. Kibum barely opened his eyes, inhaling the fresh laundry scent right in front of his nose. There was just white, and as he looked up, the beautiful tan of Minho’s skin. He was in Minho’s arms, and him in Kibum’s. They were holding each other close, as though even in sleep, they were afraid of letting each other go again. Sighing, Kibum snuggled closer still and closed his eyes, drifting off again.
* * * * *
It was mid-morning by the time Minho woke, and the bed was empty.
Wait…bed?
He opened his sleepy eyes, taking in the familiar room. The random collection of art hanging on the walls, the same covers on the bed, several of the drawers in the dresser across the room always slightly open, and the light on in the walk-in closet. Minho took a deep breath and let it out slowly, looking over at the rumpled sheets beside him. Cool now, it seemed. He pulled his hand back, his eyes widening as Kibum walked into the room with just a towel wrapped around his waist.
“Is this a dream..?” Kibum started at the sound of Minho’s voice, his hand instantly going to his towel to make sure it didn’t fall open.
“You’re awake.”
Minho could barely nod as Kibum moved further into the room. He could only stare at Kibum, drinking in the sight of him. This felt too real to be a dream. Minho blinked as Kibum swung the door closed – though not shut – after he stepped into the closet. When he reappeared, he was dressed in dark wash skinny jeans and an oversized sweatshirt. His eyes instantly met Minho’s, his expression softening slightly.
“How’d you sleep?” He asked as he sat on the foot of the bed.
“Better than I have in a long…long time.”
Kibum laced his fingers, folding his hands together in his lap as Minho sat up, mirroring the motion. “So…” Minho raised his eyebrows, cocking his head to the side. “I was thinking…I should come out to my boss.” He blinked, taken aback. “That way, at least your dad has nothing against me.”
“Will…will you be alright?” he whispered. Unfortunately, he remembered all too well what happened when Kibum came out to his parents. He had been sitting in the other room while they argued with Kibum, trying to make him see how wrong his life was. His choices. He remembered the angry tears in Kibum’s eyes as he stormed out of the room, he remembered the vice-like grip on his hand and he dragged Minho out of the house and to their car.
That had been years ago, and he still had yet to reconcile with his mother. His father, since their divorce, luckily had come around.
“It’s just a job. If I get fired…” he shrugged, meeting Minho’s eyes for a second before he dropped his gaze to his hands.
“But you love that job, right?” Kibum nodded. “Is it worth the risk?”
Kibum looked up, searching Minho’s concerned expression until his attention shifted to Minho’s lips and then to his eyes. “So, I was an idiot, and I didn’t go grocery shopping last week…or the week before…so I don’t have any coffee for you.”
“That’s okay…” He smirked, and before he could think better of it, he said, “Just seeing you gives me more than enough of a boost.” Kibum bit his bottom lip in an effort to keep from smiling too wide. “Too soon?”
“Maybe a little…but I can’t say I mind.”
He smiled then, softly, but enough to make the dimple appear on his cheek. Minho’s shoulders drooped as he sighed. Kibum’s hands were still folded together, his thumbs tapping a rhythm together. Minho clenched his own fists in the sheets, longing to reach out and brush his fingers through Kibum’s hair, that was still slightly damp from his shower. Or, to hold him close in his arms. To feel his warmth, each intake of his breath. Anything to let him know that this was real.
“Are you sure this isn’t a dream?”
Kibum’s smile grew. “Do you often dream of me?”
“If I dream, you’re always there.”
He stared at him, his gaze growing tender until he blinked and averted his eyes. “Anyways, I should get going. I’m already almost late for work as it is.”
“Kibum.” Minho shot out of bed as he stood and turned for the door. “Do you want me to come with you?”
A heavy sigh. “Sure.”
Minho rushed to get ready, pulling on his slightly rumpled suit and brushing his teeth with a spare toothbrush before he met Kibum at the door. The journey to SM Entertainment was somber. Quiet. Neither of them seemed to mind that.
Ordinarily, a packed subway would have been irritating, but in this case, the physical closeness to Kibum was a soothing balm on his aching heart. A tingle danced along his skin every time he reached out to steady him, his touch lingering a second longer than necessary.
It wasn’t much, but it was more than Minho could have ever hoped for.
They stayed an arm’s length apart as they ventured into the cafe, Kibum instructing Minho to stay there until he came to find him. And…then he left. Minho watched him disappear down a long hallway, long to run after him, to hold him close and give him whatever strength he could.
The minutes stretched on, and eventually, he had to distract himself so he didn’t just fidget until Kibum reappeared. He bought himself a coffee, taking tiny sips of it as he waited.
And waited.
Twenty minutes had passed before Kibum walked into the cafe, meeting Minho’s inquisitive gaze immediately. A subtle nod and Minho was on his feet, following Kibum back down the hallway. Neither spoke as Kibum led them toward the dance studios.
His hands were trembling as he pulled out his keys, and it made it hard for him to unlock the door. Minho reached out, one hand instinctively slipping around Kibum’s waist and the other taking the keys to open the studio. Once inside, he led Kibum over to the closest chair before he hurried back to close and lock the door.
When he made his way back to Kibum, he knelt before him, taking his hand in his as Kibum took deep calming breaths. “I’m okay,” he said after several minutes. “It went better than I was expecting.”
“What happened?”
“I told him the truth.”
“Sooman?”
Kibum nodded. “He said as long as I didn’t let it affect my work and I didn’t try to turn the trainees – “ Minho grimaced. “ – yeah…he said he didn’t care.” Sighing, Minho leaned forward, pressing his forehead against their joined hands. After a minute, Kibum’s other hand patted Minho’s head, his fingers carding through Minho’s hair. “Now, there’s at least one thing that your dad doesn’t control.”
Minho slowly opened his eyes and stared at Kibum’s knee just beyond his nose. God, he really was an idiot…of course that’s why Kibum did this. They would never be able to return to how they were – maybe not today, or tomorrow, but someday – if Kibum didn’t come out first. His father would tear them apart in whatever way he could. Whether by blackmail, which Kibum just annulled, or other means – he would not want to lose his control over Minho.
If Kibum could be brave – marching into uncharted territory unsure of the outcome, for them, for their possible future – then so could he.
“When’s your next class?”
Kibum’s hand stilled in Minho’s hair, dropping to his lap when Minho looked up. “Soon. I’m sorry, I don’t mean to kick you out – “
Minho released Kibum’s hand. “It’s okay. Can…can I see you later?” Smiling, Kibum nodded, and Minho stood and started for the door. “Do you still get off at six?”
“Yeah…”
“Okay.” Minho turned the handle looking back at Kibum for a moment. “I’ll see you soon.”
It wasn’t long until the skyscraper that housed Choi Conglomerate came into view. He stepped inside, breezing through the rotating doorway and walking right past the front desk. The elevator ride up to his office was a quiet one as if none of the employees knew what to say with him present. He raised his chin as the elevator reached his floor, and he walked out, passing Seohyun, his secretary on his way to his office.
“Sir?” she said, following him inside his office. “Your father has been trying to contact you all day.” Ah, that’s what he forgot to grab when he left his condo – his cellphone.
“I’m sorry if it caused you stress.”
“Don’t worry about me, sir. Are you alright? You’ve never been this late before.”
Minho smiled to himself, and Seohyun sat in one of the chairs across from him. “I’m doing better than I have been in a while.”
“That’s a relief to hear.”
Minho met her eyes, and she smiled at him. “Do you know what my father’s schedule is like today?”
She pulled out her cellphone, probably bringing up her messages between herself and Jieun, his father’s secretary. “He’s currently in a meeting, but he wanted to see you whenever you got in. Apparently, he’s not…very happy.”
“Wow, what a huge surprise.” Seohyun chuckled, then covered her mouth when Minho looked up. “Why don’t you go ahead and take the day off?”
“Really?” Minho nodded. “Are you sure?” Laughing, he nodded again. “Thank you, sir.”
“Do something fun! And, Seohyun?” She stopped, looking back at him from the doorway. “Thank you for everything.” She gave him a shy smile before she closed the door behind herself. Once she was gone, Minho called his father’s office, and Jieun answered. “This is Minho.”
“Ah, Mr. Choi. Your father wishes to see you.”
“When is he out of his meeting?”
“He just got back.”
“I’ll be right there. Thank you, Jieun.” He hung up the phone and by the time he made it out the door, Seohyun was nowhere to be found.
As he walked to his father’s office, he thought about what he wanted to say and how he wanted to say it, but his mind was coming up blank. Even as he stepped inside his father’s office, he didn’t know how to begin. He walked up to the desk, standing between the armchairs as his father glared at him behind the desk. He was talking on the phone with someone, but he soon cut them off and hung up.
“Where were you? You’re never late.”
“I overslept.” For once in seven fucking months, he had actually slept a normal amount of time. His father started to speak, but Minho spoke over him. “I quit.” Silence rang in Minho’s ears as his father stared at him. “I’m tired and I hate this job. I just want out. Give it to Minseok, for all I care. I know you’d rather that, anyway.”
“Why quit now?”
“I can’t live like this anymore. I’m miserable, and you know it. You exploit it, even.”
“If this is about that…Kibum – “
“Would you do the same for Mom?” His father’s jaw clenched. “If there were obstacles in your way, keeping the two of you apart, would you fight for her?” Minho sighed when his dad grimaced. “I’m tired. I miss him and I’m tired of not being with him. So, I quit.”
As he turned to leave, his father said, “If you walk out that door, I never want to see you again.” Minho picked up his pace, not even bothering to turn around to look at his father one last time.
He felt lightheaded and slightly dizzy as he made his way back downstairs and onto the street. What would he do now? Where would he go? It was only a matter of hours before he would be locked out of his condo, so he made his way there, first, grabbing the few personal possessions that he couldn’t do without. He turned in his key at the front desk, his heart feeling lighter than it had in a long while.
This must be what freedom felt like.
Minho meandered through Seoul on his way back to SM Entertainment, scouring the shop windows for We’re Hiring! signs. He spotted a few, making mental notes of them all, and soon he was sitting in the cafe with a fresh iced coffee, watching the clock as he waited for Kibum.
Blessedly, it didn’t take too long for him to show, his smile growing as he spotted Minho. “Do…do you want to go grocery shopping with me?”
“Of course,” Minho said immediately.
It was just like old times – why wouldn’t it be? Minho followed Kibum around the store, a basket in hand, and pulled things that he pointed at off the shelf. Kibum vented about the dumbass trainees as they shopped, and Minho listened eagerly, adding his own comments when he could and smiling when they made Kibum laugh. They walked home, their arms full of groceries. As Kibum put them away and started dinner, Minho started to clean up the remnants of Taemin’s party. He made good progress before dinner was ready, but after eating and helping Kibum with the dishes, he didn’t want to do much else but sit.
“So, you quit.” Minho nodded, tapping his thumb on the handle of his mug, the tea inside steaming. “What will you do?”
“I haven’t decided yet. I don’t know if I should look for a job or a place to live first…”
“Job.” Minho slowly met Kibum’s eyes, his eyebrows raising in question. “You can stay here.”
“Are you sure?”
“I don’t say things I don’t mean, Min. You should know that by now.”
He nodded.
Once he was finished showering, Kibum turned off the TV and met him by the bedroom door. “You can sleep in here, it’s okay,” he said as Minho tried to go past him and into the living room.
“I don’t want things to be awkward between us.”
“I know.” He leaned against the door jam as Kibum looked down at the carpet between them. “I know it’s probably asking too much. I don’t know about you, but…but I’m not ready for anything more right now.” As much as Minho longed to return to the way they were before, he knew that wouldn’t be wise. Patience and trust would be key to navigating themselves back into a relationship like the one they had had. “Even…even so, I missed you.” He met Minho’s eyes then. “I missed you so much, and I don’t want to be…to be apart from you again. It’s up to you,” he said, glancing into the bedroom. “If you want to sleep here, or not. I don’t want you to feel uncomfortable at all.”
Kibum swallowed thickly before he stepped inside the bedroom. He had already crawled into bed by the time Minho flicked off the light and followed him inside.
- - - - -
“So, let me get this straight…” Kibum didn’t look up from his phone and the stream of memes Minho was sending him, but he hummed in question when Jonghyun paused. “You’re not dating, but you’re living together again. Sleeping in the same bed – “
“Just sleeping.”
“And cuddling, I assume.” Kibum blushed, scrolling down when Minho sent him another meme. “Basically spending every waking moment you can together for a month…”
“Yeah? And?”
“How…no, why not just date again? Have you guys even kissed yet?” Kibum shook his head, rolling his eyes when Jonghyun scoffed. “If I hadn’t seen Taemin in seven months…”
“The world would end as we know it, I know.”
Min~
12:04 // okay, I have to go back to work now~
12:04 // bye~
Kibum pocketed his phone, rejoining Jonghyun’s rant on how everything good in this world would cease to exist if he and Taemin didn’t see each other every day. “Honestly, you should be grateful to us – “
“Oh, I am,” Kibum said sarcastically as he picked up his chopsticks to resume eating his lunch. “We’re just…taking things slow, that’s all.”
“I feel like slow is an understatement.”
“When you’ve known each other as long as we have, you learn to be patient.”
He stirred his noodles, coating them with sauce before he took a bite. He and Minho had known each other since they were kids in middle school, but they didn’t start dating until their second year of college. Had…had they really been dating for eight years? He hadn’t really thought about it since they split.
No wonder they had slipped right back into their old routine so easily.
It only took about a week for Minho to find a new job, the sales manager at Times Square Mall in downtown Seoul. While it was fast-paced enough to keep Minho occupied and engaged, it was nowhere near the levels of stress and dedication he had to endure at his dad’s company.
About a month had passed since Minho quit his job and their lives intertwined again. Was that enough time? Was he taking too long to make up his mind? They had a solid relationship before the split, trust built and maintained easily. But, even now, he hesitated. It was hard, deciding to make the leap of faith, to reach out and begin things again.
He hated his own hesitation. He hated how each morning when he woke, he snuggled closer to Minho, leeching the warmth and comfort he was unknowingly giving. He hated how he didn’t linger, didn’t wait for Minho to stir and realize he was holding Kibum like his life depended on it. He hated how he doted on Minho, bringing him coffee just the way he liked it as soon as he was waking up, and he hated the sweet, sleepy smile Minho would give him every morning. He hated how easily domestic they were, as though they had never been apart.
He hated that he loved every second of it.
Why couldn’t he cross that line?
Ah, he was terrified. Of what would happen, should they be forced to split again. Those months without Minho were the darkest he had ever faced, and he faced them alone. And now…now that he was back, even though the sun was shining on them again, the darkness lurked in his mind.
Jonghyun just didn’t understand…neither did Taemin nor Jinki. Sure, they were there for him in those months, but they couldn’t understand.
“Speaking of Taemin,” Kibum said, stirring his noodles again. “When does he get back from Japan?”
Jonghyun sighed heavily. “Not soon enough.”
By the time Kibum was home for the night, Minho had been home for a while, judging by the state of the kitchen. Kibum walked in, smirking as he flipped through the recipe book. “Need any help?” he asked, startling Minho, who turned around to look at him.
“No, I think I got it. Thanks, though.”
The fried rice was a bit too crunchy for Kibum’s taste, but he ate it all, thanking Minho for the food. As they cleaned up the kitchen together – Kibum insisted on helping, this time – his mind started to wander to his and Jonghyun’s earlier conversation.
“Min.”
“Hm?”
“Are you happy?”
Minho’s hands stilled in the dishwater, and he glanced over at Kibum. “Of course I am.”
Nodding, Kibum set the pan to dry.
His birthday came and went, Minho planning a surprise party that Kibum was actually genuinely surprised by. After they all left, he even helped Kibum wash the cake and buttercream off his face and out of his hair. His hands lingered, on his cheek and when they cupped the back of his head. They were so close, just a little push and the line would have been crossed.
But, there would be no way to go back, if they did. So Kibum stayed still, his gaze trained on Minho’s lips, wishing he had the courage to leap.
The next morning, Kibum once again woke with the sun, relishing in the warmth of Minho’s embrace. He stared sleepily at the expanse of Minho’s skin just beyond his nose. As his eyes closed, he wrapped his arms around Minho’s waist and nuzzled into his neck. He pressed a chaste kiss where his neck met his shoulder, then another, and another until he reached Minho’s jaw.
Minho hummed contentedly, and Kibum sat back, still in his embrace, to see if he was awake yet. Not quite. He brushed Minho’s wavy hair off of his forehead, watching his face as the morning sun stretched across his skin, setting it aglow. He caressed his cheekbone with his thumb, smiling as even in his sleep, Minho leaned into the gentle touch.
He missed mornings like this, lazy and soft and filled with nothing but their love. This thumb stilled on Minho’s cheek. Love? Yes, love…as if he ever stopped loving Minho, even when they were apart. No matter what, he didn’t think that would ever change.
When Minho finally stirred and opened his eyes, Kibum hadn’t moved away. Minho’s eyes slowly widened when he realized how close they were, that Kibum was in his arms. “Good morning, sweetheart.” Minho’s lips parted, either in surprise or because he had something he wanted to say, but Kibum took it as an invitation and closed the distance between them.
The kiss started slow and lazy…almost tentative. But, as Minho became more awake, it grew hungrier, needier…desperate, even. Kibum smiled into it as Minho rolled them over so that he was on top of him, his fingers digging into his back as Kibum carded his fingers through Minho’s hair. He opened his eyes when they broke the kiss to breathe, Minho pressing their foreheads together.
“I missed you so much, baby.”
I missed you, too danced on the tip of his tongue, waiting to be spoken. But instead, Kibum smirked. “Prove it.”
He was so thankful that it was a Sunday because they had so much to catch up on.
* * * * *
Minho brushed the snow out of his hair before he bent down to untie his boots. It had been a long day at the office, what with the Christmas rush starting. He glanced at his phone before he plopped down on the couch, flicking through the channels to find that nothing good was on. He left it on Please Take Care of My Refrigerator but turned the volume down before he tossed the remote across the couch.
He sighed, picking himself up and going to the bedroom to change into something comfier than a suit. Kibum would be home from work soon, and he knew when the other three would be over for their weekly – when their schedules aligned – game night. He changed into jeans and a sweatshirt, throwing his work socks into a hamper and putting a pair of polka dotted ones on instead. When his phone vibrated, he looked to see that it was just a text from Kibum, letting him know that he was on his way home.
Minho grabbed his charging cord, setting his phone on his nightstand before he opened the drawer. There, with the take-out menus, condoms, and the bottle of lube, was the ring box he had bought so long ago. Almost a year, now that he thought about it. He pulled it out before he closed the drawer, popping the box open.
It was too soon, he knew, to ask Kibum to marry him. Not that they could, anyway, but…someday…someday they’d get there. He’d just have to be patient.
Luckily, that was something he had a lot of practice in.
Smirking to himself, he set the ring back in the drawer and went back out into the kitchen to get the snacks and table set up for the arrival of the others.
Minho’s attention flew to the door when it opened to reveal Kibum, and he smiled as he stomped in, grumbling about the snow. When Kibum looked up from untying his boots, Minho was there, waiting for him to stand so he could hug him. Kibum sniffed a laugh as Minho pulled him out of the entryway and away from the melting snow, hugging him all the while. “Did somebody miss me?”
“Maybe a little.”
“Hmm. Cute.” Kibum kissed his cheek before he took himself out of Minho’s arms. “What games did you pull out?”
“Monopoly…Clue…”
“Let’s start with Clue. We’ll still want to be friends with the others afterward. Plus, we can cheat…”
“You mean observe closely and win,” Minho said, smiling as he put that box on top of the others.
“Yes, of course.” Kibum returned to his side, slipping his arms around Minho’s waist. He held him close, savoring the moments before the other three would arrive and they’d have to play host for the night. Not that he minded, of course. It was just, since they were dating again, he had decided to savor every moment he could with Kibum.
He pressed a kiss to Kibum’s temple, then another when Kibum’s arms tightened around him. “I love you.”
Smiling, Kibum looked up at him. “I love you, too,” he said, glancing down at Minho’s lips before he leaned in. Just as they were about to kiss, the doorbell rang at the same time as someone knocked on the door. Minho hesitated. “They can wait.” Minho smiled into the kiss, the incessant knocking disappearing as he melted into it.
For one blessed moment, the world was just he and Kibum, and nothing else mattered.
Epilogue: Colorful
“When will you be back?”
“Two hours at the latest.”
Kibum smirked, his gaze slowly taking Minho in as he shrugged on his jacket. He could feel the twinkle in his eyes when Minho met his gaze. “Hurry back,” he said, smiling sweetly from his cocoon of warmth in bed as Minho bit his lip with a sigh. As he left the room, Kibum inclined his head, listening. He was putting on his shoes…the grabbing his keys…unlocking the door…
“Love you!”
“Love you, too!”
The door slammed shut and locked, and Kibum jumped out of bed. Two hours was more than enough time to find his birthday present. Minho said he hadn’t gotten his present yet, but Kibum didn’t believe him.
He scoured the closet, opening the drawers, looking behind clothes, pulling out their luggage and checking inside. Nothing. Kibum hummed after he had put everything back in its place, his eyes scanning the room before he dropped to check under the bed. It was…surprisingly empty. Hall closet, empty. Pantry, empty. Linen closet, empty. Coat closet by the door? Fucking empty.
“What the fuck, Choi.”
There was no way he got better at hiding presents in the time they spent apart; he had always been able to find them, even when they were kids. Kibum walked out of the closet after going through it again, sitting down on Minho’s side of the bed to catch his breath. Where could it be? He glanced at the nightstand, then looked again. It could be something small. His eyebrows raised expectantly, Kibum scooted over, slowly opening the drawer.
Was that…He pulled out the small black box, his breath catching as he popped it open.
Minho was going to propose.
The silver ring was cool against his skin as he slid it on his ring finger. Of course, it fit perfectly, why wouldn’t it? He held his hand out, inspecting the sparkle of the diamonds in the natural light of the room. Was it too soon? They had only been back together for a year – well, almost. The day after his birthday would mark a full year.
No, now that he thought about it, the timing was perfect…barring the fact that they legally couldn’t get married yet. The trust between them had been established again, almost stronger than it was before their split if that was even possible.
Smiling, Kibum slipped the ring off of his finger and put it back in the box, which he then returned to the drawer as if he had never seen it. Thoroughly satisfied, Kibum slipped back into bed, making himself comfortable before Minho made it back from his meeting.
When his birthday arrived, Kibum’s anticipation was high. When would he ask? Over breakfast?…no, but he did get breakfast in bed. Before the other three arrived?…no, but they were making out until the doorbell rang, with the promise of picking it up later. After the candles on his cake were blown out?…no, but Minho did smear frosting across his lips before he started cutting a slice off for him.
Maybe during the actual presents-opening…Kibum decided that must be the case when Minho hurried into their room when Taemin presented the gift from him and Jonghyun.
“What..?” Dog collars? One was a teal and the other a red. He squinted at them, then back up at Taemin and Jonghyun. “I don’t know what you guys are into…but…”
Jonghyun snorted. “No, oh my god.”
“They’d be too small, anyway.”
Minho reappeared in the living room, holding a much bigger box than the ring box. Much bigger. And, it barked. Twice.
Momentarily, the ring was forgotten as Minho came around and sat next to him on the couch. “Are you serious?” Kibum asked, his voice several pitches higher than normal as a tiny red poodle poke its head out of the top of the box, followed by an adorable black one. He took them both out, speechless as they started wriggling in their excitement.
“Happy birthday, baby,” Minho said, kissing his cheek before he took the black one out of his arms, so he could focus on the other. For the moment, the ring was forgotten, as they now had Comme Des and Garçons to worry about and take care of.
Their anniversary came and went without a proposal, as did Chuseok…and Halloween…when Christmas rolled around, Kibum was sure it would happen.
It didn’t.
There was no change in Minho’s behavior, and there hadn’t been since Kibum discovered the ring. He acted as though the ring just…didn’t exist.
Kibum kept glancing at his phone, checking the time as the seconds ticked by. Surely, he’d propose as the clock struck midnight…Minho loved to do romantic bullshit like that, because he knew Kibum would eat it up. But, there were two minutes to go and Minho was making no move. Whatsoever. He tapped Kibum’s foot and Kibum tucked the foot Minho had been massaging under his thigh and set the other on Minho’s lap so he could start on that one.
Maybe he already had the ring in his pocket? He watched him carefully, sighing when Minho’s eyebrows shot up with a smile. “Happy new year!” As he looked over at Kibum, his smile drooped. “Did I do something wrong?”
Huffing, Kibum got up and went into their room, being careful not to disturb the sleeping puppies as he grabbed the box from Minho’s drawer. He went back to the couch, holding the ring box up. Minho’s eyes widened as he sat down.
“Did you buy this just because you liked how it looks in your drawer?”
“What?” Minho scoffed. “No.” Kibum sighed, and Minho’s expression softened. “When did you find it?”
“The day before my birthday.”
“Ah…”
“Were you ever planning on proposing, or..?”
“I mean,” his eyes dropped to the box in Kibum’s hands before he met his eyes again. “I bought that a while ago, so it’s been at the back of my mind for…”
“When?”
“Hm?”
“When did you buy it?”
“Sometime in 2017, I don’t remember exactly.” Kibum deflated a little, and he looked at the ring box. So, before the split. And he kept it that whole time. “I didn’t think you’d want to be engaged until we could legally get married. That’s why I haven’t proposed yet.” Kibum fixed him with a droll glare that made Minho laugh as he leaned forward, taking the box out of Kibum’s hands. “I see now that I was wrong.”
He popped the box open, and Kibum instinctively looked down at the ring before he met Minho’s eye again. “Kibum…”
“You don’t have to if you’re not ready, sweetheart, I’m so – “
“Will you marry me?” he asked, his eyes smiling. “Will you live forever with me?”
Tears stung Kibum’s eyes and he sniffed, blinking them away. “I don’t know, this is so unexpected.” Minho’s face scrunched up as he laughed, leaning into the couch, and Kibum couldn’t help but grin. “Of course, I will.”
Minho scooted forward, slipping the ring on Kibum’s finger. “I’m sorry I made you wait so long,” he said, leaning forward to kiss him.
Kibum laid back, pulling Minho with him as they relaxed into the couch, their kiss turning lazy as Kibum threaded his fingers thought Minho’s hair, his thumb and forefinger lightly rubbing Minho’s earlobe. “You know,” he said, turning his head with a sigh as Minho started to kiss him along his jaw. “You could make it up to me.”
Minho chuckled before he pressed a kiss just below his ear. “I’ll do my best,” he whispered, his low voice sending a shiver down Kibum’s spine.
- - - - -
It started off as a joke.
They were in the supermarket, shopping for groceries, when Kibum said, “You know, this would be a good place to get married.” Minho had snorted at the time, which made Kibum grin. “Because of the aisles.”
It was a shame they were in public, because Minho would have kissed him for making that stupid joke. Instead, he just laughed and grabbed their favorite wine from off the shelf. It became a running joke, then, whenever they went out to find the perfect place to get married.
Not that they could, or really even would, but it was a nice thought.
Within the week that followed their engagement, Kibum bought a ring for Minho, making it officially official, as he liked to say. It matched Kibum’s ring, and he couldn’t help but smile every time he looked at it. Like he was doing now.
“Thinking about your husband?” Jonghyun asked as he slid back into his seat across from Minho, passing him his coffee.
“We’re not married, Jjong.”
“So?” Minho glanced up at him before he grabbed his coffee. “Fuck the government, honestly.” Minho almost spat his coffee out. “Who cares if you can’t be legally married? You guys are more married than my parents are.”
“Yeah, because they’re divorced.”
“Taemin’s parents, then.” Minho nodded, conceding. “You could always have a ceremony, and then when you legally can do it…”
“Do you think he would go for that?” Jonghyun leveled him with a glare. “Okay, I know, stupid question…I just don't…” Jonghyun’s eyebrows raised, and Minho sighed. “I don’t want to fuck up again. Or disappoint him. I've…” he twisted the cup around on the table, avoiding Jonghyun’s eyes. “I’ve hurt him so much already – “
“Hey, look at me.” Jonghyun waited until he did. “If it had been up to you, you never would have left him, right?” Minho shook his head. “And you know he doesn’t hold it against you at all?” He nodded. “I totally get why you’re anxious about this, but I’ve never met anyone who rivals your love for each other.”
Minho cleared his throat as he gave Jonghyun a small smile. “Not including you and Taemin, I assume.”
Jonghyun waved his hand between them dismissively. “That goes without saying.”
“Of course.” Minho let out a deep breath before he took a long drink of his coffee. “What if…” Jonghyun perked up, an eyebrow raising in question. “…we surprised him?”
He held up his hand before Minho could say another word. “Leave it to me. I know the perfect place.”
“Oh?”
“What about this Tuesday?” Minho’s brow furrowed for a second before he realized what day it would be. Their first anniversary – May 25th. That would only give them four days to prepare.
“Can you do it by then?”
Jonghyun already had his phone out, checking his and Taemin’s schedule, probably. “If you can get Kibum to Yeouido Park by like…seven – “
“At night, I hope.”
“Twilight is the most romantic time of day. Anyway, yeah, seven…we’ll make sure you find us.”
Minho laughed. “You’re not even gonna let me in on it?”
Jonghyun gave him a smug smile as he sipped his coffee. “Absolutely not.”
“I assume you’ll want the same treatment when you finally propose to Taemin.”
“Obviously.”
The days until their surprise wedding dragged by, and Minho could barely contain his excitement. He was almost constantly distracted, which did not go unnoticed by his coworkers or Kibum himself, though his fiancé didn’t comment on it. No, he just gave him suspicious looks whenever Minho seemed too cheery or on edge.
On the day of, Jinki called him when he was out taking the kids – Comme Des and Garcons – for a run. Both he and Kibum had taken the day off to celebrate their anniversary, but he had left Kibum tucked in bed with a book and a kiss goodbye before he decided to go exercise for a little while. Anything to get rid of his pent-up energy.
“Seven, right? That’s when you’ll be there?”
“Like, at the park at seven? Or at the location by seven?”
“Uh…” he voice trailed off for a second. Probably checking his texts. “The location.”
“So…”
“Just take the first right at the fifth entrance and you’ll be able to find us. Taemin is setting up markers for you to follow.”
Minho stopped walking, tugging lightly on the leashes to get the puppies to stop walking for a minute. “I can’t believe you guys are doing this for us.”
“Of course, man. Anything for you two.” Garcons barked at another dog as it passed, Comme Des joining in. Minho shushed them. “Dress nice!” Jinki said as he hung up the phone. Minho pocketed his and finished his run.
“Honey, I’m home!” he called out as he stepped inside, smiling when he heard Kibum snort in the other room. He unclipped the puppies leashes and looked up to find Kibum emerging. “Hey, so I had a thought…”
“Wow, I’m so proud of you.”
“Shut up. What if I told you that I made a reservation at Ole tonight?” Kibum’s eye brightened, and Minho’s smile grew. “It’s for eight, but I was thinking we could walk around the park a little bit before that.”
“That sounds like a ploy to get me to exercise.” Minho laughed, hanging the leashes up on the hook in the coat closet. “I’ll do it, but I’m still on to you.”
“Are you, now…” Kibum inspected him, a small smile gracing his features before he nodded once. It’s a good thing Minho would never cheat because Kibum would catch him within minutes.
When it came time to leave, Minho stopped Kibum at the door, straightening the knot of his tie and kissing his cheek before they walked outside. His palms were sweaty, and he tried to resist the urge to wipe them off on the knees of his Givenchy suit. He knew…he knew he was anxious for no reason, but that didn’t stop him. Kibum seemed to sense his mood since he frequently glanced over to check on him as he drove.
They reached the park with five minutes to spare. Kibum linked his arm through Minho’s and set the pace, walking leisurely down the path through the forest. His eyes were on the sky, and he made a comment about how beautiful the sunset was going to be. As much as Minho wanted to look up and admire it for himself, he couldn’t. Instead, he scanned the bushes and trees and the tiny fences lining the path for any sort of marker that Taemin would have left.
He almost stopped walking when he saw it – the teal ribbon tied around the branch of a tree. There was another one, just down the path, so Minho guided Kibum toward it and found another a few meters ahead of them.
Just ahead, strings of lights wrapped around the columns of the pavilion overlooking the pond flickered on. It captured both of their attention, Kibum leaning toward Minho to say, “That’s new.” As they drew near, a soft piano song started to play, that Minho soon recognized as Yiruma’s “It’s Your Day.” Minho bit back a smile, glancing over to see if Kibum realized that the shadowy figures in the pavilion were their friends.
When he did, he stopped in his tracks, his grip on Minho’s arm tightening. “What…”
“Come on, come on, hurry,” Jinki said, glancing both ways down the path. They picked up the pace, Taemin passing his phone to Jonghyun for a second – was he filming this? – so he could stick bunches of wildflowers in their lapels.
“Stand over here,” Jonghyun said, guiding Minho and Kibum under the pavilion, away from the path. Jinki stood at the far end, keeping watch to make sure they weren’t disturbed, and Taemin took his phone back from Jonghyun, staying at his boyfriend’s side so he could film.
“We’re gathered here tonight – “ Jonghyun started to say.
Kibum laughed silently, latching onto Minho’s shoulder for support. “Is this what you were planning?” Minho just smiled and reached out to straighten Kibum’s flowers.
“ – and it may not be official, but when has that ever fucking stopped us before.”
“Jjong, honestly,” Jinki murmured behind them, and Taemin started to laugh.”
“Choi Minho.” Jonghyun looked up from the script on his phone at him. “You are becoming the husband of Kim Kibum. Do you promise to love Kibum, to respect him, take care of him, in joyful and in hard times, in healthy times and in sick times, every day, forever?”
Minho swallowed past the lump in his throat. “Yes, I promise.”
The piano music stopped playing, and Jinki quickly fished his phone out of his pocket, starting it again.
“Kim Kibum.” Minho looked over at him, smiling as he brushed away Kibum’s tears with his thumb. Kibum took his hand then, squeezing it tightly. “You are becoming the husband of Choi Minho. Do you promise to love Minho, to respect him, take care of him, in joyful and in hard times, in healthy and in sick times, every day, forever?”
“Yes, I promise.”
“Perfect.” Kibum let out a watery chuckle, and Minho stepped a little closer to him, his cheeks starting to hurt from smiling. “Then, by the power vested in me by absolutely nobody, I pronounce you husband and husband.” He gestured between them, tears welling up in his own eyes. “You can kiss each other now.”
“I can’t believe you did this,” Kibum whispered as Minho pulled him into his arms, and he smiled as Kibum wrapped his arms around him, kissing him tenderly. He broke the kiss faster than Minho was expecting, though it could have been because of their small audience, but he didn’t move away. Instead, his arms tightened around him, rubbing Minho’s back.
Minho closed his eyes with a smile, leaning into the embrace. “I love you…so much,” he said, turning his head to kiss Kibum’s cheek. Kibum hummed contentedly, and Minho sighed. He didn’t think he would ever or could ever be this happy in his life.
And yet, he knew this was only the beginning of happier years to come.
Here are the links to all the individual stories, but, if you’d rather, below the cut is a list of them in order (with a link to Ch 23 for chronological reading purposes lol)
Summary: Minho and his family move to England for his father’s job. Before he can even adjust to the move, he gets a letter telling him that he’s a wizard and he’s been accepted at Hogwarts – whatever that is.
Kibum comes from a family of Hufflepuffs and is excited to start his first year at Hogwarts and carry on the legacy his parents and grandmother set.
They met on the train, and the rest is history...
lol don’t worry, I’m not putting all 75 chapters under the cut...just the links to them ^^
First Year - Muggle-born // Sorted // First Day // Homesick // Hallowe’en // Deck the Halls // Possibilities // Belonging // Exceedingly Acceptable // Return to King’s Cross
Second Year - Diagonally // Taking Flight // Ten Points // All That Glitters // Holly Jolly // Push and Pull // Shooting Stars // Special Treat // Sleepover // Promises Made
Third Year - Promises Kept // Troublesome Tea // A Little Change // Peaches and Cream // I’ll Be Home For Christmas // Alone and Afraid // Creature of Dirt // Bad News // Be Your Light // Reluctant Return
Kibum squeezed his eyes shut as Minho sat up, jostling the bed beneath them. “Everyone has a favorite color, Bummie.”
He was thankful for the surrounding velvety darkness of night for hiding his growing smile. “Everyone is a lot of people,” Kibum wanted to say, “and I didn’t know you spoke for them all.” But, he bit back his retort when Minho let out an amused huff.
“Bet I could guess it.”
Kibum shifted, rolling over to face Minho. The warm glow from the nightlight behind him gilded Minho’s silhouette. He tucked his arm under his pillow as he smiled up at Minho, who was lying propped up on his elbows.
“Doubtful.”
“We’ve been best friends our entire lives. I’m the best authority on Kim Kibum that there ever will be. What’s my favorite color?”
“White,” Kibum said without any hesitation. “You like the clean simplicity of it.” Minho sighed and Kibum froze, his eyes widening. “What? Did I get it wrong?”
Minho shook his head as he settled back on his pillow, inching a little closer to Kibum. “No, it was exactly right.” He found Kibum’s hand in the darkness, lacing their fingers together before he kissed the back of Kibum’s hand.
A moment of silence – except for the soft sound of their mingled breaths – stretched between them. Kibum could feel Minho’s eyes on him as he thought. Just how serious was he taking this? He was about to ask, but when Minho took a deep breath, Kibum held his tongue.
“Yellow.”
Yellow? Of all the colors he could have chosen, Minho picked yellow? Kibum blinked, about to correct Minho’s guess until he thought back to their childhood.
The roses.
The rose bushes between their front yards were yellow. He first met Minho there, peeking through the leaves and the thorns at his family’s car as they hauled their belongings inside their new home. Minho had spotted Kibum, watching him and his family, and he set the backpack in his arms down on the ground before he bounded over to where Kibum stood watching. He introduced himself with the brightest grin Kibum would ever see, and Kibum couldn’t help but return it.
Yellow adorned the walls of Minho’s childhood bedroom. It was covered by posters of movies and athletes, but the color still bled through, absorbing the sunshine seeping through the blinds.
It was the color of the scarf Minho lent him one autumn’s day, when the wind was chilled and Kibum had lost his own at school. “Just give it back to me tomorrow,” Minho had said. They both forgot, but Kibum tucked it away, rediscovering it when Minho went away to college. It stayed under his pillow then, a constant reminder of Minho’s warmth, even in his absence.
If sounds had colors, Minho’s laugh would be yellow. A garish, obnoxious yellow that made you smile whenever you heard it, and maybe even join in. His laugh was infectious in the best way…
Yellow was the color of the chamomile tea that Minho would bring to him in bed on Sunday mornings because he knew that he didn’t want coffee. There were even thin slices of lemon floating inside, just the way Kibum liked it.
All the notes Minho writes for him – around the house, in his lunch, or when he is gone – are written on yellow post-it notes. Little reminders about his day or stupid jokes to make Kibum smile…or even just a simple I love you…
Yellow. The color of warmth and happiness and sunshine and friendship and unconditional love.
The color of Minho.
“Did…did I guess right?” Minho asked, his voice soft, sleepy, and adorably concerned that he had made a mistake.
“Of course, you know me too well.” He hummed, seemingly pleased with himself. Kibum nestled his face deeper into his pillow and smiled. “For a second I thought you were gonna say it was pink.”
Minho scoffed. “That phase only lasted for a couple of weeks and ended when that girl you hated from fifth-year dyed her hair pink.”
“Oh right, I forgot about that.” Minho yawned, taking his hand out of Kibum’s hold to cover his yawn. “Get some rest, babe.”
“You too,” he said through his yawn.
Minho curled inward, resting his head on his arm. Kibum watched him for a moment, his own eyes drooping with exhaustion, before he reached out and lightly cupped Minho’s chin, caressing his jawline with his thumb. In response, Minho turned his head slightly, leaning into the touch, before his head rested back on his arm.
Once the soft, telltale snores came from Minho’s side of the bed, Kibum withdrew his hand and tucked it beneath his pillow. “Goodnight, my sunshine.”
Minho blinked, his gaze darting from the cake to the prince’s eyes. There seemed to be an amused sort of twinkle in them, though that could just be Minho’s imagination. “Is there something wrong with it, your Highness?”
The prince huffed quietly and he squinted. “It could be poisoned, you never know.”
- - - - -
Chapter 1 - Let Him Eat Cake
The royal family took their meals at the same time every day, without fail. Minho’s mother, the palace’s long-time head cook, was always a stickler for consistency, especially when it came to serving the royal family. As one of the doormen and the occasional guard, it made Minho’s job a little bit easier.
This afternoon, however, he was late for tea.
It was his own fault, really. he had snuck one of the books from the library up to his room and then proceeded to stay up all night reading it. He had almost been late for the breaking of the fast, but he had glanced out the window in time to see the sun had already risen. After the morning meal, he returned to his room – shirking his other duties, just for the moment – to finish his book. There were only a few pages left; he could read it fast and be on his way.
Or, so he thought.
Minho woke up way past noon, his face planted in the book. “Fuck,” he whispered, his heart beating out of his chest as he wiped the little bit of drool from off the page. “Fuck, fuck, fuck.”
Tea was already taken, by now, and his lack of presence at his post had definitely been noticed. He snapped the book closed and tossed to the head of his bed, straightening his uniform as he ran to the door of the dining hall. Breathing heavily, he peeked inside the crack of the slightly-open door and met eyes with Ki – no, the prince.
Gulping, Minho backed away from the crack and stood with his back facing the door, his posture rigid. After a moment, his breathing calmed and his heartbeat returned to normal. He scanned the wall opposite him, attempting to find the brick he left off on. “Ah, three-hundred-sixty-eight, three-hundred-sixty-ni – ”
A light rapping on the door behind him surprised him, and Minho turned to see warm brown eyes of the prince himself. His heart stuttered to a stop momentarily. “I need you to come in and taste this for me.”
“What…I mean,” he cleared his throat when the prince’s brow furrowed in either confusion or anger. “Yes, your Highness.”
The prince stepped away from the door to let Minho inside. Despite his many years roaming the palace, Minho had only been inside the royal dining hall once, and that had been years ago. Mother had been setting up for a banquet for visiting nobility and Father could not watch him for the day. As Minho stepped inside now, he looked all around, taking in as much as he could.
Three fireplaces roared with life, a cross of swords and the royal family crest hanging over the center mantel. A collection of other weapons hung on the walls around them, whether they were just for show or not, Minho wasn’t sure. Crystals gleamed in the candlelight on the chandeliers hanging above the long table, sending myriad tiny rainbows across the walls, table, and floor. Tapestries depicting the histories of their nation hung along the walls, dust collecting on their threads.
The prince coughed and Minho started, realizing then just how long he had been looking around the dining hall. He was already back at his seat, the first chair to the left of the king’s, and was watching Minho expectantly. He bowed, cringing as he did. “My apologies, your Highness. It won’t happen again.”
“I expect not. Now, come here.” Minho hurried to obey, folding his hands behind his back when he reached the prince’s side. He took his fork and cut off a bit of the cake that had been served with the afternoon tea and held it out to Minho. “Taste this.”
Minho blinked, his gaze darting from the cake to the prince’s eyes. There seemed to be an amused sort of twinkle in them, though that could just be Minho’s imagination. “Is there something wrong with it, your Highness?”
The prince huffed quietly and he squinted. “It could be poisoned, you never know.” Minho’s eyebrows shot up. They both knew that was a blatant lie. Kib…the prince was very much aware that Minho’s mother was the cook and had been for longer than either of them had been alive. Minho looked down at the cake and suppressed a small smile.
It was his favorite – a dark chocolate cake with raspberry mousse between the layers of cake and a rich chocolate ganache covering the outside.
He licked his lips and looked back at the prince, the cake wobbling a little as he shook the fork toward Minho. Bending forward a little, Minho took the fork from the prince’s hand and held his own below it to catch the cake in case it fell.
It – fuck, it was so good – reminded him of his childhood, sitting at the servant’s table in the kitchens and eating the last piece of cake while his mother finished cleaning up for the day.
Sometimes, when Kibum…the prince…was done with his studies for the day, he would join him and they would share whatever Minho’s mother would give them to snack on. They were the best of friends, back in the day, before Minho moved to the country with his father when he and his mother split up. Minho had been back in the palace for a little under a month now, but he and the prince had yet to exchange words until, well, now.
“So? Is it safe to eat?”
Minho licked at a bit of ganache still on his lips and nodded. “Yes, Ki – your Highness.”
The prince’s eyes brightened as he took the fork back from Minho. He cut off a piece for himself, savoring it as he ate it. Minho looked back to the door, checking for movement in the sliver between the doors. The sound of tea being poured drew his attention again, and Minho bowed slightly again. “If that’s all you need, your – ”
“The tea might be poisoned, too.” Minho scoffed before he could hold it back, and the prince smirked. He waited for the prince to pass him the steaming teacup, confused when it did not happen right away. “One does not take tea while standing,” he nodded to the chair beside him, and Minho gulped. “Go on. Sit.”
“Is…is that all right?”
A laugh bubbled out of the prince, and Minho melted a little. “I say it is. Sit.”
The legs of the chair squeaked against the stone tiles as Minho pulled the chair on the other side of the prince out. He sunk into the plush cushion and wrung his hands in his lap. The prince cut off another bite of cake before he set the plate between them. He offered Minho the empty fork when he had taken his bite, shaking it a little when Minho did not look over right away.
“Something the matter, Min?” Minho blinked and met the prince’s gaze. He smiled – somewhat bashfully, for him – and held out the fork. “What? Did you think I would forget you?”
Minho almost choked on his own saliva and ended up having to grab the tea to clear his throat. Kibum poured him – or them, Minho wasn’t sure – another cup of tea, his brow furrowed slightly in what seemed to be concern. “I’m not sure what I expected, your….Ki…Kibum.“
“I guess I can understand that,” Kibum said, his cheeks dimpling and coloring as his smiled. “You’ve grown up since you’ve been away.”
Minho could feel Kibum appreciative gaze, and he took the opportunity to indulge himself as well. The prince was now almost as tall as he was, he guessed, because they were both sitting. His hair was beautifully styled and scented with lavender oil. Kibum raised a scarred eyebrow when Minho met his eyes, and Minho quickly lowered his gaze to the table. He chuckled and twirled the fork between his fingers before he cut off another bite of cake.
“Yes, well,” Minho said, internally cringing in preparation for negative backlash. “That’s what happens when time passes.”
Kibum clicked his tongue before he exhaled lightly. “You still haven’t changed though. I like that.” Minho’s eyes widened as he looked up, and he relaxed when he saw the fondness in Kibum’s smile. “How is your father?”
“He…well, he died.” The prince reached out and rubbed his shoulder. Minho tried very hard not to lean into the touch. “I’m all right, really. We were all surprised that he lived as long as he did.”
“Is your brother tending to the farm, then?”
“Yes, for now.”
“Well,” Kibum dropped his hand from Minho’s shoulder and took up the fork again, dragging the tines through the ganache. “I am truly sorry for your loss, but I’m…glad you’ve returned.”
Minho froze, staring blankly at the cake as Kibum cut off another bite. Was…was it possible that…no, it couldn’t be…
Years ago, the night before Minho left, Kibum had stormed into his room and dragged him up to the tallest tower in the castle. He had brought blankets and they wrapped themselves up as they stared at the night sky. They talked of everything and nothing, both avoiding the subject of Minho’s imminent departure in just a few hours. As the night drew on, Kibum took his hand in his, interlocking their fingers.
Then – and this, Minho would never forget for as long as he lived – he kissed the back of Minho’s hand and whispered, “Please, don’t go.”
They fell asleep in each other’s arms, tracks of dried tears staining their cheeks. Once the sun rose, Minho helped Kibum back to his room and tucked him into bed. He had to pry Kibum’s fists off the front of his tunic, but before he left, he pushed the prince’s disheveled hair off his forehead and kissed him there.
Minho glanced up at Kibum, who was pointedly looking at the cake. Was it possible that his feelings hadn’t changed in all these years? Everything in the room seemed lighter now – the air, the lights, even his own heart.
Gulping, Minho reached out and took the fork from Kibum’s, their fingers brushing together. “I bet the, uh, the stars will be pretty tonight.”
The smallest hint of a smirk graced Kibum’s lips, and Minho’s heart skipped a beat. “They’re pretty every night.”
“I agree.” Minho took another bite of cake before he set the fork down. Kibum’s fingers twitched toward his hand as Minho pushed away from the table. He bit back a smile as he moved toward the door, and did his best to school his features before he faced Kibum again. Their eyes met before Minho bowed deeply. “If there isn’t anything else you need, I’ll be returning to my post.”
Kibum shook his head, his eyes wide in what Minho thought might be confusion.
“Will I be seeing you later, Your Highness?”
A playful smile curled the prince’s lips, and he raised his chin. “Yes, I think you will.” With that, Minho closed the door, his own grin spreading so wide that he couldn’t contain it anymore even if he wanted to.
Chapter 2 - Worth The Wait
There is a phenomenon that occurs when one is waiting for a certain moment to arrive. What happens is that time itself seems to crawl by, each second dragging on much longer than it should and each minute overstaying its welcome.
For his part, Kibum thought that dinner might never arrive tonight. Or that the sun might never set. Or even that night might never come.
Once the bell was rung for dinner, he bolted out of his room. He would have run down the stairs had it not been for the many servants milling about the corridors. So, he forced himself to calm and slowly made his way down to the dining hall.
When he reached the top of the stairs, he caught a glimpse of the dining hall door and smiled.
Minho was at his post.
He stood stoically still, his blank gaze fixed on the opposite wall as Kibum’s family and whatever visiting nobility filed into the dining hall. Kibum hurried down the steps and made his way over to him. He tried to catch Minho’s eye like he always did since his return to the castle. As usual, he did not meet Kibum’s eye….however, this time he tried to suppress a smile. It was faint – barely an upward curl of his lips – but it met his eyes. Kibum’s heart started beating so fast that he thought he was going to die.
But, he didn’t, and he stepped through into the dining room, and Minho closed the door behind him.
Dinner was droll, to say the least. His eyes kept flicking to the closed door in the hopes that he might be able to see even a sliver of Minho. Mother snapped her fingers, her stern gaze darting to the daughter of the visiting duke before she went back to her dinner. With a heavy sigh, Kibum made some polite conversation with her for the rest of the meal.
He ate light – too nervous and excited about seeing Minho afterward – and when Father eventually rang for dessert to be served, the servants brought out the cake from afternoon tea. His hands shook as he reached for his fork and cut off a bit of the cake.
Torchlight flickered on the walls, the dancing shadows making Kibum think that the door opened.
“Something the matter?” the duke’s daughter asked, and Kibum glanced over at her.
He let out his pent-up breath and sat back in his chair, smiling as he shrugged. “No, everything is fine.”
She reached for the fork in Kibum’s hand, taking the bite he had cut off for herself. “You just seem distracted, that’s all.” She smiled as she passed him back his fork.
It took everything within him to keep his disgust from being too apparent. “Uh, keep it,” he said, pushing his cake toward her. “I’m finished.” Standing, he bowed to the room and then his father. “If you would excuse me, I think I’m going to turn in for the night.”
“Rest well, son.”
“Thank you, I will.” He bowed once more when he reached the door, and he rapped the door lightly with his knuckles. The door opened, and he walked outside. He stepped out of the way for Minho to close the door behind him.
“Is…dinner finished?”
Kibum looked up at him, smiling as soon as he met Minho’s eyes. They were blown wide, like they used to be whenever Kibum would tell Minho about whatever new fact his tutor had just taught him. It was adorable then and it was adorable now.
“No, but I am. I think I’m going to turn in for the night.”
His smile shifting to a sort of smirk before he started for the stairs. As he walked, he could feel Minho’s eyes on him the whole time, and when he turned at the top of the stairs, Minho’s head quickly snapped to the opposite wall. Even from this distance, Kibum could see the concentrated furrow in his brow.
Chuckling, he returned to his room and he slumped against his door once he closed it. “Fuck…” He slipped his boots off and tossed them across the room as he made his way over to his bed, falling face first into the blankets. Kibum banged his head on the mattress before he rolled over, and covered his eyes with the crook of his arm.
What if…he was just imagining things? What if Minho did not feel the same way? This afternoon could have been just a figment of his imagination. Did Minho think of the night that he left as often as Kibum did? He must since he had been the one to bring up the stars…
“You’re just over-thinking this,” Kibum mumbled to himself.
Sighing, he sat up and looked around his room. The night would be cool, not cold – it was early summer, after all. He should change into something more comfortable than his current formal attire. After some internal debating, Kibum decided to change into a warm pair of his nightclothes. He grabbed the comforter off his bed and hurriedly made his way up to the tallest tower.
“Oh…my god?”
The breeze whisked away his whispered words, but Kibum stood frozen in the doorway, his hand clutching at his heart. The sun was almost set, its golden rays gilding the arched windows. Unlit candles were scattered on the banisters and the floor and several blankets were neatly folded atop one that was spread out on the ground.
If he were being honest with himself, Kibum was not quite sure what he had been expecting out of tonight. It certainly had not been this. He giggled, then covered his mouth with his hand, as if someone had heard him. Sighing, he wrapped his comforter around his shoulders and made his way around the candles and to the opposite side of the tower. Kibum could feel the stupid love-struck smile on his face as he watched the sunset, but he could not really help himself.
The sun had dipped below the horizon and the stars were glittering brightly overhead before Minho joined Kibum in the tower. Kibum turned when he heard his rushed footsteps echoing in the stairwell, and he was breathless when he reached the doorway.
“Hello,” Kibum said eventually, smiling when Minho took a step closer.
“I came as fast as I could,” Minho said as he dug into his pocket for his matchbox. A couple scratches, and soon a soft golden halo illuminated Minho’s face and hands. “I’m sorry I made you wait.” He cupped his hand around the first candle as he lit the wick, doing the same with the next. “That wasn’t my intention.”
“You were worth the wait.”
Even in the darkness, Kibum could see Minho’s blush. “I hope you don’t mind the extra light,” he said as he moved to the other end of the tower, striking a fresh match. “I…I thought it might be nice.”
Kibum folded his hands on the banister and watched Minho bustle around to try to make this perfect. It was cute, really, how hard he was trying when all Kibum wanted was him to show up. The effort Minho made, however, put whatever doubts Kibum had had to rest.
Almost ten years had passed since their last night spent together in this tower, but the feelings remained the same. It was more than Kibum dared to even hope.
Once all the candles were lit, Minho stilled and looked around once more. When Kibum reached out and patted the banister beside him, Minho’s shoulders relaxed slightly, and he moved to join him. “You were right.”
“About what?” Minho asked.
“The stars. They’re beautiful tonight.” Minho looked up at the night sky and Kibum looked over at him.
The faint light from the stars and from the glowing moon etched his profile in silver against the night. It was simply breath-taking. A lock of hair fell into Minho’s eyes, and without a second thought, Kibum reached out to brush it back for him. He froze when he realized what he had done, but Minho’s calloused hand took Kibum’s and he held it gently between them. Soon, Minho started tracing lines into the back of his hand.
When Minho finally spoke, his voice was so soft that Kibum almost missed it. “I missed you, you know. Not a day went by that I didn’t think of you.”
Kibum laced their fingers together, smiling when Minho started to trace circles around his knuckles. “It was the same for me.”
“Really?”
He nodded and Minho sighed. His grip tightened on Kibum’s hand as he brought it up to his lips and pressed a kiss to the back of his hand. Kibum took a step closer, his hand cupping Minho’s face as he brushed away a fallen tear. “It’s only ever been you, Min.”
Minho’s eyes opened slowly, meeting Kibum’s. He leaned into Kibum’s palm as he continued to caress his cheek. “I – uh,” Kibum’s gaze darted down to his lips. When Minho inclined his head, Kibum surged forward to meet his lips.
Finally, Kibum thought as the blanket around his shoulders dropped away and Minho pulled him closer. Kibum’s fingers carded through the wavy hair at the nape of Minho’s neck and he stepped up on his tiptoes, bringing them closer still. All those years of waiting; all those years of sitting through awkward conversations with the women his parents wanted him to marry.
All those years…and it was worth it.
Kibum could not help but smile when he broke the kiss and Minho chased his lips, kissing the corner of his mouth with a sigh before Kibum captured his lips once again. And again. When they parted, Kibum left light kisses to the few freckles on Minho’s cheeks.
Their breath mingled as Minho leaned his forehead against Kibum’s, his hands fisting in the fabric of his nightshirt. “I love you,” he said all at once, melting in Kibum’s arms a little when he kissed the tip of his nose.
“I love you, too. Of course I do.”
The breeze picked up around them, and Kibum shivered involuntarily. Minho rubbed some warmth into his arms. “Let’s sit,” he said, kneeling to grab Kibum’s blanket as Kibum went over to the one spread out on the floor. They bundled up, holding onto each other beneath the blankets.
The stars twinkled in the night, and Kibum stared at them with a sleepy smile as Minho trailed soft kisses from his temple to his cheekbone to his dimpled cheek. His hand found Minho’s under the blankets, and he brought their joined hands to his chest. Sighing, Kibum snuggled closer to Minho, relishing in the warmth of his embrace.
“Finally,” he whispered, and Minho hummed in agreement. Finally, indeed.
Summary: Minho has a cold and he is in denial...luckily, Kibum is there to help.
- - - - -
Ting-a-ling!
Kibum’s gaze darted toward the door of the cafe, his breath hitching and releasing a second later when he saw that it wasn’t Minho. Sighing, he looked back at his half-drunk tea and swished it around.
Why was Minho late? He was never late…especially not on their one shared day off. Maybe he picked up a shift at the restaurant, but he would have said something, right?
He dug his phone out of his pocket and unlocked it, opening it to his and Minho’s messages.
Min
9:47pm // ugh
9:47pm // okay
9:48pm // ??
9:55pm // so these assholes come in, right? and the first thing they do when they sit down is joke about how they’re gonna walk out and I’m just like “k thanks this is just my livelihood nbd your food comes out of my tips if you do so obviously i don’t need this to pay rent but sure joke about that its fine i don’t mind” and then as soon as i bring their apps out they complain about me not being quick enough and the food not being hot enough all while i’m standing there burning my hand on this fucking scalding plate…ugh…then there was a hair in the food that was clearly theirs because all the guys have short BLACK hair in the boh and it was a BLUE hair and the fucking lady at the fucking table had fucking blue hair and they just fucking stared at me like i was supposed to do something about it and then of course Jinki comped their food because that’s what managers do and they didn’t even fucking tip
9:55pm // i’m just tired
9:55pm // :((( I’m sorry, buddy that fucking sucks
9:56pm // to top it all off Taem is sick AND at work so yeah
9:56pm // [ ± _ ± ]
9:57pm // lol yeah
9:57pm // hey i just got sat I’ll text you when I’m off
9:58pm // good luck
12:24am // hey I’m off
12:24am // you’re probably asleep so good night ^^ rest well ^^ I’ll see you tomorrow ^^
Kibum smiled fondly at the last text before he set his phone down. So, he still was planning on seeing him today. He probably overslept. Kibum took a sip of his lukewarm tea before he picked his phone up again to call Minho. Just to see if he was awake. Part of him wished that the phone call would wake him up, because a sleepy Minho was an adorable Minho.
And, being who he was as a person, Kibum would never say no to having more adorable Minho in his life.
Five long rings later, Minho picked up. “H…..hello…”
Kibum’s hand tightened on his phone as he grinned. “Good morning, sleepy head…or, I should say, good afternoon.”
There was some rustling on the other end of the phone, and Minho groaned. “Damn, I slept really late,” he sniffed, and then he blew his nose.
Kibum pulled his phone away from his ear for a second. “Are you sick?”
“What? No! I never get sick!”
“Minho…”
“Name once in my – “ he coughed, and it almost sounded like a seal barking, “ – life that I’ve ever been sick.”
“Right now.”
“Nope.” He sniffed again, and his teeth chattered as he said, “Choi’s don’t get sick.”
“Do you have a first aid kit at your place?”
“I…can’t remember.” There was some more rustling – it sounded like he was arranging his blankets around himself. Maybe.
“Stay in bed, okay? I’ll be there in like an hour or so.” Minho mumbled something and Kibum hung up the phone. “God, how is he that cute when he’s sick.”
Kibum could hear Jonghyun’s voice as he hurried to take his cup back to the counter. “You’ve got it bad, kid. Just fucking ask him out already. He’ll probably say yes.” He rolled his eyes. Probably. Probably was the operative word. See, Minho was nice. Nice and sweet and kind and good. But, he was that way to everyone he ever interacted with. Jonghyun always said there was a difference when it came to Kibum, but they had been best friends since forever! Of course there would be a difference.
He wrapped his jacket around him as he went outside into the rain, walking down the street to the first convenience store he could find. He bought a thermometer, some cold medicine, cough drops, and an armful of ramen before he hurried along to the nearest bus stop.
Soon, he was on his way to Minho’s apartment in Busan.
It had almost been a year now since Minho got a second job serving at Seorae in addition to working at his parent’s grocery store and his school work. When he first started, he got burned out really quickly, because he didn’t take any days off from either school or his jobs. It didn’t take long for Kibum to suggest that he take one day off every week and do whatever he wanted to do.
At the time, Minho agreed, and soon they fell into a routine where they spent that one day together.
It was nice – Kibum always looked forward to Mondays now, because it meant he got to spend the day with Minho. And, he was not about to let a little cold take that away from him.
The bus let him off just in front of Minho’s apartment complex, and Kibum ducked under the awning and out of the rain. He made his way to Minho’s front door and shook off the rain before he knocked. No answer. He knocked again, waiting, but still nothing. Kibum flipped over the doormat and snorted when he saw the spare key lying there.
“You’ve got to find a better place to hide that, babe…”
Kibum let himself inside and closed the door quietly behind him. All the lights were off inside, and he could hear Minho snoring from his bedroom. He set the plastic bags full of groceries down on the couch before he tiptoed into Minho’s bedroom.
He was sprawled out, his bare foot hanging out from under the heaps of blankets. His phone was still to his ear, and it was covering the only part of his face that wasn’t smashed into his pillow. Kibum bit back a smile before he went in and rearranged the blankets around him. He took his phone and set it on the nightstand and pressed the back of his fingers against Minho’s forehead. A little warm, but that could have just been all the blankets. Kibum could wait to take his temperature until he was actually awake.
Minho shifted in his sleep, and Kibum tucked the blankets around him again before he left the bedroom.
It didn’t take long for Kibum to unpack the groceries, and he dug around in Minho’s cupboards for some tea. When he found some, he set the kettle on and went out into the living room to look through Minho’s many movies. The kettle was singing by the time he picked some out, and he went back into the kitchen to finish making the tea.
There was a thump! from Minho’s room, and Kibum looked up, waiting to see when Minho would step through the door. When he did, he was brandishing one of his soccer cleats and looking about as menacing as a kitten, with his hair sticking out from sleep and the way he was still all wrapped up in his blankets.
“Oh,” he croaked, then coughed. “It’s you.”
“Yeah, it’s a good thing it’s just me. Imagine if I were a murderer.” Minho sniffed, blinking at Kibum as he dropped the cleat. “How are you feeling?”
“Fine-d.”
“Uh-huh.” Kibum turned, trying to keep himself from grinning too broadly as he set the kettle back down on the stove. No one should ever be this adorable when sick…like, it should be against the law…god… He took a deep breath and made his way over to Minho. “You want to watch something? I picked out a couple of things, but we can watch whatever.”
“Kiki?”
“For sure.” Kiki’s Delivery Service was their favorite movie to watch since they discovered it like, twenty years ago, so of course, it had been Kibum’s first pick. “Sit down, I’ll put it in.” Minho shuffled over to the couch and flopped down on it.
“Damn, I forgot my tissues.”
“I’ll get them.” Kibum closed the DVD player and raised his voice when he went into Minho’s room. “I thought you said you weren’t sick.”
“I’m not. It’s just allergies.”
Kibum smirked. “Yeah, okay.” He held the box of tissues out to Minho, who was fumbling with the remote. “Have you eaten at all today?” Minho shook his head and pulled out a tissue. “I’ll make some ramen.” He ruffled Minho’s hair as he passed, pausing as he brushed his fingers against his forehead. “Wait, let me take your temperature.”
“Bummie, I’m fine-d.”
37.8 C
Kibum winced and pushed Minho’s hair back. “I’ll get you some medicine, first.” He put the thermometer on the counter as he went back into the kitchen. He dug around in one of the bags for the Dimetapp, unscrewing the bottle and pouring out a dose.
“If I ever got a black cat, I’d name it Jiji.”
“Mm-hmm. Too bad you’re allergic.”
Minho folded his arms over his chest, coughing once. “Don’t remind me.”
Smiling, Kibum came back into the living room and passed Minho his medicine. “Sorry.”
“Speaking of, why didn’t you bring the kids?” Minho asked as Kibum rinsed out the now-empty cup of medicine.
“I thought we were gonna meet at the cafe like usual, so I just left them at home.” Minho tore his eyes away from the TV and looked over at Kibum as he put the kettle back on. “Don’t you dare apologize, Min, I’m happy to be here to take care of you.”
“I’m still sorry, though.”
“Don’t be.” Kibum took a sip of his tea and leaned up against the counter, watching Minho as he waited for the kettle to whistle. He could feel himself smiling. But, he couldn’t help it. Jonghyun, if he were there, he would definitely be making fun of his love-struck smile.
The kettle whistled, snapping Kibum out of his trance, and he poured the water into the bowl of ramen. He set it down on the coffee table in front of Minho before he climbed over his stretched-out legs and sat beside him on the couch. Minho shifted in his seat, leaning on Kibum once he was settled.
“I wish I could fly.”
Kibum smiled, glancing over at Minho, who was watching the movie intently. Kiki was flying high over the ocean on the way to her new town. It was the same conversation they had every time they watched this movie. “Would you really want to fly on a broom though? I feel like it would be uncomfortable.”
“Just because you’d rather have wings like Howl does sometimes doesn’t mean the rest of us do.”
“Rest of us?”
“Shut up.” Minho tried to dig his elbow into Kibum’s side, but it was too cushioned by his many blankets. “You know what I mean.”
Laughing, Kibum leaned forward and stirred Minho’s ramen. When he sat back, he relaxed into the couch and Minho moved so his head was leaning on Kibum’s shoulder. By the time Kiki had gotten her job at the bakery, Minho was fast asleep. Kibum rearranged the blankets over his shoulders and pressed a light kiss into his hair before he went back to watching the movie.
The movie finished before he woke up, but Kibum couldn’t bring himself to get up and change out the disc for something else. All the lights were off in the apartment, and with the heat radiating from Minho, Kibum almost drifted off himself. He leaned his head on Minho’s but forced himself to stay awake when Minho started to stir.
He untangled one of his arms from his blanket and wrapped it around Kibum’s side. “Sorry…”
“For…for what?” He mumbled something into Kibum’s shoulder. “What?”
“For getting sick on our anniversary.”
“Okay, so now you’ll admit that you’re si – ” Kibum stared unblinkingly at the bouncing logo on the TV. “Wait, what anniversary?”
“Okay, so it’s technically not an anniversary, but we’ve been dating for six months today…”
Kibum’s eyes widened, and he stared straight ahead, trying to remember what happened six months ago that would have led Minho to believe that they were dating. If he remembered right, that was about when they started setting time apart for each other every week. Well, if Minho thought they were dating, then who was he to disagree with him?
“I didn’t know it’s been six months already.” He cupped Minho’s fever-flushed cheek and kissed his warm forehead. Minho hummed contentedly and snuggled a little closer to him. “It feels like it hasn’t been any time at all.“
The steady static ended with a soft click, and Minho roused from his half-sleeping state. Jonghyun stood at the television, his small frame outlined by the light from the blank screen. He glanced back at the group, his eyebrows raising in surprise when he met Minho’s eyes.
“Oh, you’re awake.” Minho nodded and watched Jonghyun fit the disc back into its case. “Can you try to wake up Jinki? I’m going to take him home.”
Yawning, Minho looked around at the others. Jinki sat curled up on his right side, his head leaned back against the couch. He also happened to be snoring – rather loudly, in fact. Minho was surprised that it had not awakened him sooner. Taemin sat at the coffee table amidst half-empty soju bottles and the three pizzas they had ordered. His face was buried in his crossed arms and Garçons lay at his side.
Minho glanced down to Kibum’s head, which was resting on his lap. He was covered in the blanket Minho had grabbed for himself before the movie started, and Comme Des lay curled up on his chest. Minho removed his hand from Kibum’s hold and gave Jinki a gentle shake.
“Hey, hey Jinki,” he said. “Wake up.”
No response.
Minho’s sigh turned into another yawn. “Hey,” he shook Jinki’s arm a little harder. “Jjong is gonna take you home.”
Jonghyun turned the television off and set the DVD down on the TV stand. “You don’t have to be so gentle with him. Hey,” he said once he reached them, patting Jinki’s other shoulder then shaking it when he did not respond. “Hey!”
Jinki woke with a snort. “Wha – “ He glanced between Jonghyun and Minho, smiling sleepily. “Good morning.”
“Good mo – “ Minho started to say but Jonghyun cut him off when he picked Jinki up by his shoulders.
“Are you going to be able to take care of the other two?” Jonghyun asked, leading Jinki to Kibum’s front door. He glanced back when Minho did not answer right away. “Min?”
“Yeah, we’ll be fine.”
Jonghyun huffed as he struggled to open the door. “Text me when you get home, all right? For my own peace of mind.”
“I will.” The door closed behind Jonghyun, and Minho sat still, listening until he heard his car drive away. Minho shifted on the couch and Kibum curled up a little tighter next to him. He held Kibum’s head steady as he slipped off the couch and reached for the pillow at the far end to rest his head on.
Comme Des and Garçons were awake now, and they trailed after Minho as he went to the kitchen in search of his Gatorade. He was not sure how many he had left – none in the fridge – at Kibum’s apartment. He opened the pantry and found an unopened case on the bottom shelf. Picking a red one, he opened it and took a sip as he shuffled back to the living room.
Soju bottles clinked together as he picked them up. The sound roused Taemin, who sat up, blinking slowly. “How are you feeling?” Minho asked, handing his Gatorade to Taemin when his response was something indistinguishable. “Drink it. You’ll feel a little better.”
”Mm.”
Minho set down the bottles for a second and crouched down by Taemin to unscrew the lid. Taemin took a couple of sips as Minho collected the soju bottles again. Once he returned to the living room, Taemin had finished almost half of the Gatorade.
Taemin looked up when Minho came in and took another bite of cold pizza. “Hey.” The single syllable seemed to be drawn-out a little too long.
“Are you awake enough to do things?”
“Depends on the things.”
Minho smiled and glanced down at Comme Des and Garçons. He shook his wrist so that his watch faced him. 12:37am. “Can you take the puppies out? And make sure that they don’t bark?” Taemin blinked once…twice…and then took a sip of his Gatorade. “Taemin?”
“Yeah, I can do that.”
“Okay.” He gathered the rest of the bottles and padded back to the kitchen. The front door opened and closed as he tossed the empty soju bottles into the trash.
Minho came back into the main room with the trash bag full of their garbage from the night. He stacked the empty pizza boxes and tucked them under his arm. He set them by the front door and wiped his hands off on his jeans before walking back to the couch where Kibum was still asleep. He touched Kibum’s shoulder, and Kibum curled into his pillow even more. Minho nibbled at his bottom lip, debating how to wake his best friend up.
“Bummie,” he said, patting his shoulder. Kibum’s brow scrunched as he let out a quiet sort of whine. Minho covered his smile with his hand. “So cute…” He closed his eyes and inhaled deeply. “Ah…focus, Minho.” He slipped his arm underneath Kibum and supported his head with his other hand as he sat him up on the couch. Kibum roused slowly as Minho sat next to him, still holding him up.
“What’s going on?” Kibum asked, his voice husky. He cleared his throat and blinked at Minho.
“How are you feeling?”
Kibum frowned and stared over Minho’s shoulder as he decided. “Groggy.”
“Ah,” Minho said with a laugh. “Do you want to go to bed?”
Kibum’s gaze slid to Minho, his frown deepening. “I was already asleep.”
“Yes, but not in bed.” Kibum shrugged, sighing heavily. “Come on.” Minho helped him stand and slung Kibum’s arm over his shoulders. Kibum stumbled as Minho started them to his bedroom and he wrapped his other arm around Minho’s waist.
He rested his head on Minho’s shoulder, yawning. “Yosmulnizz…”
Minho glanced down at Kibum as he pushed open his bedroom door. “Hmm?”
“You smell nice.”
“Oh?” Minho set Kibum down on his favorite side of the bed.
“Mmhm. Like those Cinnabon stores we walk past in American airports.” Minho laughed. Kibum closed his eyes with a sleepy smile. “It makes sense, I suppose. You’re basically a cinnamon roll.”
Minho bit back his smile as he helped Kibum slip underneath the covers. “How so?”
Kibum patted an indent into his pillow before sinking his head into it, closing his eyes. “You’re sweet. And warm. Everybody loves you.”
“Well, they should,” Minho said, his tone joking.
The subtlety was lost on the half-asleep Kibum, who agreed with a single nod. Minho slid off the bed to turn off the light. Before he could get far, Kibum grabbed his wrist. “Where are you going?”
“I’ve got to finish cleaning up and take Taemin home.” Kibum released Minho from his hold with the tiniest hint of a pout. “I’ll be right back, okay?”
“Okay.”
Minho nodded and went to the door, leaving it slightly ajar behind him. Once he returned to the living room, Comme Des and Garçons greeted him with wagging tails and wet kisses on his hands. He picked both puppies up and grinned as they licked his face.
“Are we leaving soon?” Taemin asked after he finished hanging up the leashes in the hall closet.
“Yeah.” He nodded to the stack of garbage by the door. “Take those out and then wait for me in the car. My keys are in my jacket pocket. I won’t be too much longer.”
Taemin grabbed Minho’s jacket from the closet before he closed the door and slung it over his shoulder. Minho went back into the hall as Taemin picked up the garbage and opened the front door again. He set them down on the floor by the door and pushed it open with his foot to let them inside. He peeked in to make sure they got safely up onto the bed before he shuffled away.
Minho wetted a washcloth and wiped down the counters before heading into the living room to wipe down the coffee table. He folded the blankets and tucked them into their place in the linen closet in the hallway. He rearranged the pillows and cushions on the couch and armchair. Picking up the washcloth, he walked back into the kitchen and folded it over the sink. He shook out the trash bag as quietly as he could and relined the bin.
“Am I done?” He looked around for something else to clean. Nothing really stood out to him. Humming to himself, Minho grabbed a glass and filled it up with water. He turned off the light in the kitchen and went into Kibum’s bathroom to grab a bottle of Tylenol.
Minho walked down the hallway, halting when he noticed a lamp on in his office. He set the glass and pill bottle down on the desk and reached over to turn off the lamp. He froze when he noticed what Kibum was working on. It looked like sketches of outfit ideas for them for their concerts. Minho shuffled through the papers, looking for Kibum’s outfit for him.
It was a simple suit with a thin stripe down his leg and what appeared to be a black shirt under the jacket. Lipstick, Don’t Stop, Tell Me What To Do, Diamond Sky, and Beautiful was written at the top of the page, just under his name. Burgandy is a good color for him, one of the notes said. But honestly, he looks great in any color. Also, another said, with arrows pointing to the stripe on the leg. This should be velvet in a matching shade (or in black). Minho smiled, sifting through the other sketches.
Minho picked up a sharpie, debating whether he should add his own thoughts. He decided against right away – he did not want Kibum to get mad at him for fucking with his sketches – so he capped the sharpie. When he reached up to turn off the lamp once again, his gaze fell on a disheveled stack of blank papers.
Uncapping the sharpie, he scrawled a quick note and tucked it under his arm. He grabbed the Tylenol and water glass and flicked off the light. He closed the office door behind him before he headed back into Kibum’s room.
His soft snores filled the room as Minho tiptoed into the bedroom and set the note down on his nightstand. He placed the pill bottle on top of the note and the glass of water closer to the edge of the nightstand.
“Hey, I know you’re sleeping,” he said, crouching next to Kibum’s bed. “But you need to remember to drink this water as soon as you wake up, promise?” He hooked his pinky with Kibum’s, glancing up to see if he woke him, before he sealed the promise with their thumbs. “Okay.” He took his hand back and pushed Kibum’s hair off his forehead. “There’s some Tylenol too, in case you have a headache in the morning.” His phone buzzed in his pocket and he dropped his hand from Kibum’s face.
Minho stood, stretching his back before he turned to leave, and looked down at the note.
“Another thing,” he said, worrying his bottom lip. He looked between the note and Kibum, smiling. “Well, I guess you’ll see tomorrow.”
He walked over to the door, turning around to look at Kibum one last time before he flipped off the light.
- - -
Beep! Beep! Beep! Beep!
Kibum blinked himself awake. There was an unfamiliar vibrating sensation in his pocket that he felt was the most confusing thing. He rolled over, rousing his puppies from their sleep, and felt around in his pocket for what turned out to be his phone. Once he silenced his alarm, he rolled back over and covered his throbbing head with the cool side of his pillow.
He squeezed his eyes shut, hoping against hope that he would force himself to go to sleep once again.
It was, of course, to no avail.
He brought his phone up to the edge of his comforter and squinted at the brightness when he tapped his screen. 7:32am. Sighing, he flipped his phone over and sat up on his elbows. He reached for the glass of water on his nightstand and drank half of it before he noticed the bottle of pain pills.
“Way to go, drunk me,” he mumbled as he grabbed the Tylenol. He dumped three pills into his palm and popped them in his mouth, taking them all together with one drink.
Comme Des climbed into his lap as he finished his water. He nudged at Kibum’s elbow when he set it back down on the nightstand next to a note. He picked Comme Des up and held him to his chest, kissing his wet nose. Wait, note? Kibum leaned over and grabbed the sheet of paper.
Kibum-ah, I love you ♡ by Choi Minho
Kibum smiled and set his chin on the top of Comme Des’ head as he read the note over again. He brushed his thumb over the messily scribbled heart. Minho’s penmanship was usually better than this…maybe he was still drunk when he wrote this? Or perhaps just in a hurry?
He looked over the note at the empty glass and the open bottle of Tylenol. Ah, it must have been Minho that left those for him this morning. It was just like him – honestly, he should have known.
Garçons trotted into his bedroom and Comme Des wriggled his way out of Kibum’s hold to join his brother on the floor. Both puppies scampered out into the hall. Kibum soon followed them, setting Minho’s note on his dresser before he left the room. They pranced by the front door as he approached the coat closet. Kibum grabbed their leashes, clipping them on and letting them lead him outside.
Kibum held both leashes in one hand and checked his notifications with the other. Three texts from his mom , one from Jjong, and two from Min. He tapped on Minho’s name.
Min
1:28am // Taemin and I made it home safe
1:29am // I meant to send that to Jonghyun, sorry
“Well, it’s still nice to know.” He opened Jonghyun’s message next.
Jjong
12:43am // Thanks for having us over last night. I had a lot of fun and I know the other’s probably did as well ^^ We should hang out together more often ^ㅂ^
Smirking, Kibum opened his texts from his mom. He looked over the top of his phone to make sure the puppies were doing their business.
♡ Mom ♡
6:22am // can you check and see when you have some extra time in your timing table
6:23am // *schedule
6:23am // Your father and I are planning a trip and we would love it if you were able to come with us, if possible
7:49am // That sounds fun, mom
7:49am // I’ll see what I can do
His puppies tugged on their leashes, eager to go back inside. Kibum unclipped their leashes once the door was closed and pocketed his phone. He kicked off his slippers and followed Comme Des and Garçons into the kitchen. They sat waiting by their food and water dishes, their tails wagging. His phone vibrated in his pocket as he scooped their kibble.
Patting their heads, he straightened and grabbed his phone. He set it on the counter – it buzzed again – next to his coffee pot and got it started before he checked his new notifications.
Min
7:54am // How are you feeling?
7:55am // Did you drink the water?
Kibum smiled at his phone, a warm, fuzzy feeling blooming in his chest. For a moment, he thought about just texting him back. He tapped the phone icon and waited for Minho to pick up.
“Hello?”
He sounded sleepy. Knowing him, he probably did not get to sleep until around 2am.
“Morning,” Kibum said, tucking his phone between his ear and his shoulder as he poured his coffee. “I’m feeling okay, actually. Just a little bit of a headache. Thanks for setting out the Tylenol and water.”
“Yeah,” Minho said, his voice smiling. “No problem.”
Kibum took his cup of coffee to the living room to assess the damage from last night, only to find that there was none. “Did you clean up too?”
“Taemin and I did.” Kibum pressed his phone over his heart, sighing. He – and Taemin, of course – was just the sweetest. He said as much to Minho, who chuckled. “Like a cinnamon roll?”
“Cinnamon…roll?” Kibum asked, confused. Minho laughed again and Kibum took a sip of his coffee as he meandered down the hallway to his bedroom. “But really, you didn’t have to clean up.”
“It’s fine, I don’t mind.”
“I know, but,” Kibum stopped in front of his dresser and straightened Minho’s note as he read it again. “Thank you.”
Kibum set his phone to speaker. He let Minho talk as he got ready for the day, interjecting occasionally when he asked Kibum a question. Once he changed out of his clothes from last night into a fresh outfit, he switched the speaker off. “Hey Min, I’m gonna go.”
“Oh, all right. Are you gonna make it to practice?”
Kibum groaned, rubbing his free hand over his eyes. “Yeah, I’ll probably be a little late though.”
“Okay, I’ll tell the others.”
“Thanks.” He plopped down on his bed, and turned to look at the empty glass. “Oh, and Minho?”
“Hmm?”
“I love you, too,” he wanted to say, the words heavy on the tip of his tongue. He cleared his throat. “I’ll see you later.”
Minho laughed again, Kibum smiling at the sound. “Okay, bye.”
He hung up and glanced at the door when he heard the clicking of his puppies footsteps approaching. Garçons appeared in the open doorway first, and Kibum patted his bed for him to jump up. His tail thumped against Kibum’s leg as he scratched his tummy.
Kibum opened his Instagram and scrolled through his feed as he finished drinking his coffee. He set the mug aside once he finished it and opened his front-facing camera. He adjusted his snapback before he went back to Instagram.
He cleared his throat as he tapped camera in the top left corner and shifted on the bed to find a good angle before he went live.
theartofmadeline
ellievsbear
tangentwithtanner
dededos
titsay
origamiaround
gummygunk
