30 days of writing challenge - on/tae - restless day 1
So a lot of writers seem to be partaking of this challenge and it seemed like just the sort of thing I could use to keep me going. The challenge originates here.
This is 758 words. Taemin always wakes up at the same time every night.
Almost every night, in the deadest and darkest part of the night - Taemin wakes up. And no matter how tired he is or how much he needs to sleep... he lies there. He kicks the covers off of himself in a irritable shift of his long legs and flops over on his stomach, trying to find a cool spot on his pillow.
In the next bed, Jonghyun snorts and mutters something about Key and Minho and then rolls over - obviously talking in his sleep. Taemin groans into his pillow because no matter how hard he tries to keep his mind completely blank and wills himself to drift off to sleep, it doesn't work. Because suddenly, just like always, Jinki is there in his mind's eye.
Crawling out of bed and rubbing the crustiness out of his eyes with the hem of his tee shirt, Taemin staggers into the kitchen for a drink of water. At least, that's what he tells himself he's doing. Their dorm is silent, which is kind of amazing considering how much noise all of them can make.
He stands at the sink, sipping his water, swallowing slowly. He tells himself if he can take five minutes to drink the glass full then he will be able to go back to bed and sleep.
And yet, he turns around with glass still in hand and tiptoes down the hall and into Jinki's room. They may tell the press and everyone that Jinki and Key and Minho share... but that's not how it really works out. Key and Minho have a thing and Jinki needs his space these days.
He parks his butt on the hard wood kitchen chair that found its way into Jinki's room, tucked right on the end of the dresser which also happens to be right at the foot of Jinki's bed. Taemin folds his legs up to his chest and wraps the hand not holding the glass around his shins.
Jinki usually sleeps like a butterfly in a cocoon, completely wrapped up and entangled with his blankets. But tonight, he's thrown some of the covers off in his sleep leaving the comforter half falling on the floor.
There's a night light in a plug in one corner of the small room and there's a little glow coming in from a street light through Jinki's window. It's enough for Taemin to be able to see the dark sweep of Jinki's hair across his brow and cheek and the pale gleam of his jaw.
Taemin sips water, holding it his mouth, staring at Jinki. He feels like some kind of creepy stalker or something to be sitting here in Jinki's room while he sleeps. It's not as if this is the first time either. The thing is, just hearing Jinki breathe, just being in the same small space makes Taemin's brain go quiet and calm.
He bites his lip, putting the glass aside and unconsciously raking his fingernails against his palms before folding them back against his legs. Taemin would give a lot to be able to just nudge Jinki over and curl up in the bed with him. It aches inside his chest, making him feel sick and hollow
But he's the one who wanted his space. He's the one who was restless and wanted to try things with other people. He's the one that made Jinki's heart break into a thousand pieces like a million years worth of bad luck on the kitchen floor.
If Jinki was awake, he'd give Taemin that stare... that slightly aloof challenging stare. He wouldn't be rude or mean but nevertheless Taemin would be reminded that he is locked out of the special little world of "Us" that he used to live in with Jinki.
He sighs and leans his head back against the wall, feeling the wave of exhaustion and longing and love sweep over him. His lids drop over his eyes.
"I love you, Jinki," Taemin whispers to the inside of his eyelids, to the silence in the small room broken only by Jinki's soft steady breathing. Taemin drifts off to sleep to that reassuring sound and the awareness that at least Jinki is here with him right now. Even if the elder doesn't really know about it.
In the morning, Jinki finds him there and sleepily brushes his fingers against Taemin's cheek wonderingly. They stare at each other for a long moment. "I miss you too, aegi," Jinki says quietly, then heads for the bathroom before Key can hog the shower.
prompt list:
beginning. accusation. restless. snowflake. haze. flame. formal. companion. move. silver. prepared. knowledge. denial. wind. order. thanks. look. summer. transformation. tremble. sunset. mad. thousand. outside. winter. diamond. letters. promise. simple. future.
COMMENTS are LOVE. Seriously, I am not critiquing your comments. :)
This is 758 words. Taemin always wakes up at the same time every night.
Almost every night, in the deadest and darkest part of the night - Taemin wakes up. And no matter how tired he is or how much he needs to sleep... he lies there. He kicks the covers off of himself in a irritable shift of his long legs and flops over on his stomach, trying to find a cool spot on his pillow.
In the next bed, Jonghyun snorts and mutters something about Key and Minho and then rolls over - obviously talking in his sleep. Taemin groans into his pillow because no matter how hard he tries to keep his mind completely blank and wills himself to drift off to sleep, it doesn't work. Because suddenly, just like always, Jinki is there in his mind's eye.
Crawling out of bed and rubbing the crustiness out of his eyes with the hem of his tee shirt, Taemin staggers into the kitchen for a drink of water. At least, that's what he tells himself he's doing. Their dorm is silent, which is kind of amazing considering how much noise all of them can make.
He stands at the sink, sipping his water, swallowing slowly. He tells himself if he can take five minutes to drink the glass full then he will be able to go back to bed and sleep.
And yet, he turns around with glass still in hand and tiptoes down the hall and into Jinki's room. They may tell the press and everyone that Jinki and Key and Minho share... but that's not how it really works out. Key and Minho have a thing and Jinki needs his space these days.
He parks his butt on the hard wood kitchen chair that found its way into Jinki's room, tucked right on the end of the dresser which also happens to be right at the foot of Jinki's bed. Taemin folds his legs up to his chest and wraps the hand not holding the glass around his shins.
Jinki usually sleeps like a butterfly in a cocoon, completely wrapped up and entangled with his blankets. But tonight, he's thrown some of the covers off in his sleep leaving the comforter half falling on the floor.
There's a night light in a plug in one corner of the small room and there's a little glow coming in from a street light through Jinki's window. It's enough for Taemin to be able to see the dark sweep of Jinki's hair across his brow and cheek and the pale gleam of his jaw.
Taemin sips water, holding it his mouth, staring at Jinki. He feels like some kind of creepy stalker or something to be sitting here in Jinki's room while he sleeps. It's not as if this is the first time either. The thing is, just hearing Jinki breathe, just being in the same small space makes Taemin's brain go quiet and calm.
He bites his lip, putting the glass aside and unconsciously raking his fingernails against his palms before folding them back against his legs. Taemin would give a lot to be able to just nudge Jinki over and curl up in the bed with him. It aches inside his chest, making him feel sick and hollow
But he's the one who wanted his space. He's the one who was restless and wanted to try things with other people. He's the one that made Jinki's heart break into a thousand pieces like a million years worth of bad luck on the kitchen floor.
If Jinki was awake, he'd give Taemin that stare... that slightly aloof challenging stare. He wouldn't be rude or mean but nevertheless Taemin would be reminded that he is locked out of the special little world of "Us" that he used to live in with Jinki.
He sighs and leans his head back against the wall, feeling the wave of exhaustion and longing and love sweep over him. His lids drop over his eyes.
"I love you, Jinki," Taemin whispers to the inside of his eyelids, to the silence in the small room broken only by Jinki's soft steady breathing. Taemin drifts off to sleep to that reassuring sound and the awareness that at least Jinki is here with him right now. Even if the elder doesn't really know about it.
In the morning, Jinki finds him there and sleepily brushes his fingers against Taemin's cheek wonderingly. They stare at each other for a long moment. "I miss you too, aegi," Jinki says quietly, then heads for the bathroom before Key can hog the shower.
prompt list:
beginning. accusation. restless. snowflake. haze. flame. formal. companion. move. silver. prepared. knowledge. denial. wind. order. thanks. look. summer. transformation. tremble. sunset. mad. thousand. outside. winter. diamond. letters. promise. simple. future.
COMMENTS are LOVE. Seriously, I am not critiquing your comments. :)