Chapter 13 - Comforting Arms
Title: Quasimodo
Rating: PG-13 (NC17 later)
Pairing: 2min
Genre: AU, angst, romance, humor, fluff
Summary: Up in the bell tower, high above the town, one lone boy rang the bells. One lone boy watched those who passed by on the streets below. One lone boy fell in love with another boy whose smile lit up his dark world
The cold, silent waiting room was disturbed as Taemin walked in, his head whipping back and forth frantically as he searched for Minho's lengthy form. When he spotted the shaggy head of hair and blank expression, he walked to him quickly, sitting down on the stiff green seat, the plastic cushioning making an odd sound as his weight landed on it. His small hand reached over, gently touching his hyung's shoulder to catch his attention. The blank look slowly disappeared from Minho's eyes and all the pain he was holding in rushed out.
The boy was pulled into a nearly bone crushing hug, but he merely rubbed Minho's back, trying to calm him down. The older male wasn't crying like Taemin expected, he wasn't saying a thing. He just silently held onto the younger male as his mind raced. He couldn't come to face the reality, not yet at least. The entire severity of the situation refused to sink into his mind. Minho couldn't wrap his thoughts around the possibility of losing his father, but he could feel it coming. The only thing anchoring him to sanity was Taemin who was carefully touching him and trying to make soothing sounds.
Minho pulled back, looking into the boy's brown eyes with earnest. He couldn't say anything for a moment as his heart felt a clench of pain before it was released from the painful hold that an invisible hand had on it. Though his eyes shone bright with unshed tears, Minho couldn't bring himself to cry. He still refused to full accept what was happening. But with Taemin there, looking right at him, cradled in his arms, he felt somewhat better about the emotions bombarding him.
"T-Taemin~ah..." His voice was broken, the feeling he was keeping at bay coming to fruition as he spoke. "I-I... What will I do?" He was so lost, so hopeless. Minho knew nothing of the world, he knew nothing of what could come. All he knew was crumbling around him and he was scrambling to piece everything together, but he couldn't, not without help. But with Taemin's gentle gaze, he felt the cracks filling in and though it looked as though he was going to collapse, he knew he had someone there to help piece it all back together when he needed someone the most.
Taemin was just as lost as Minho though. He had never gone through something like this. He didn't know what would happen or if he would ever see Minho again, but he just knew within himself he had to be there for the older boy. He gently reached down, wrapping his smaller hand around his hyung's much larger one and giving it a gentle squeeze, meeting his gaze. "I don't know what you should do Minho-hyung... But I am here for you and so is Key-umma and everyone else. We'll help you." He gave him a tiny smile and touched Minho's cheek softly.
All the unraveling that seemed to happen within Minho ceased for the moment and he pulled the boy closer to him again, just feeling the warmth of his against his chest. "Thank you Taemin~ah..." It was all his emotionally laden voice would allow him to say as he bit back a sob, his eyes still glazed over. He didn't want people staring or looking at them, but they were. Even strangers seemed to realize it was odd for someone like Minho to be emotionally distraught.
But the moment of calm was broken as a doctor with lightly dusted black hair walked in, heading straight to the young men. The male looked upon them with a sorrowful gaze, but kept his features as straight as possible. "Are you the son of the elderly man Choi Hyunsu who came in suffering from the stroke?" he asked softly. He never caught Minho's name, but he knew that a young man was waiting for the news on the old man. When Minho nodded slowly, the doctor gave him a small concerned look. "I'm Doctor Kwon and I saw him after he was brought in. He did suffer from a severe stroke in both hemispheres of his brain and this affected him greatly. Due to his health coming in and his age, this took a great toll on his body. I'm sorry to inform you that he has not survived and he will be sent to the funeral home of our choice since he is a worker of the government. I'm sorry for your loss." Though the man almost spoke coldly, Minho could tell his job was actually a hard one, having to inform people of their loved ones deaths.
The tears that threatened to spill at any moment began to cascade down his cheeks as reality slowly sunk in. His father wouldn't be there for him anymore. His heart cried out to fill the hole that was forming quickly and it just made his entire body shudder with emotional pain. He felt Taemin's thin arms wrap around him tightly and he let himself be held as he cried openly into his hands. Sobs racked through his body and he paid no heed to the people who gave him apologetic looks. Minho wept for what he lost and the future that he would never have with his father. A piece of his heart went with the man that departed from the earth, but he knew that he had to hold strong, if not for his father's memory, but for himself. But he let the sorrow that threatened to compress his chest escape through his haggard sobs and tears.
Taemin sat there, hold his hyung, unsure of what to do. He couldn't bring himself to cry though he felt so bad for Minho. He knew the elder teen wouldn't appreciate to see him upset or sad, so he kept his tears in, only letting his eyes shine. It took what felt like an eternity before Minho finally stopped crying, sitting up slowly and rubbing at his red eyes with his hands. He gently pulled from Taemin's grasp, giving him a soft, watery smile. The lady at the receptionist desk had his number to call once the funeral home needed to make contact with the young man about the burial.
Minho let Taemin stand him up and lead him out of the hospital slowly. It wasn't even lunch and Minho's world suddenly felt very empty. But as he held onto the slender hand of the younger boy as they walked to the nearest bus stop, he couldn't help but feel that loneliness slowly ebb away. Taemin was fumbling in his pocket and pulled out his cell phone. He gave Minho a small smile and looked down the road to see if the bus was coming.
"Do you want to stay with me for a few days? Or I could stay with you? I don't know what you want to do... but I want to be there for you. I'll have to call Key so he knows or else he'll flip out and he'll probably want to make you lunch and dinner all the time now... So yea..." Taemin bit his lip, looking only slightly worried. He wasn't too sure if he was being too pushy with the entire situation or not, but he wanted to be there for Minho. Even if that meant that he would stay in the creaky old bell tower with no modern technology other than a television in the downstairs den.
But the sad look from Minho was enough to give him an answer. "I would appreciate it if you stayed with me in the tower... I'll have to start tolling the bells again tomorrow. Today they should rest in honor of my father." He gave a slight nod, his hand tightening around Taemin's slightly. He honestly wasn't sure if he could let the boy out of his sight right then. If Taemin were to suddenly disappear from his side, he would probably go insane.
The auburn hair bobbed up and down slightly and Taemin began to pull up Key's number. They stood there at the bus stop waiting, Minho looking down at their intertwined fingers as the other boy began to talk on the phone. "Key~ah... I'm okay... No I'm fine... No... Well yes I skipped school... Ah! It's for a good reason... Well... you see... Minho-shi's appa... well... Umma... he passed away not too long ago... You want to talk to Minho?" The boy paused and looked at the male standing next to him who shook his head. He wasn't ready to deal with Key just yet. "Umma... He's not really up to talking right now. I wanted to stay with him a few nights if that's okay?" There was another pause and Taemin flushed. "Yah! It's not like that already! Why would I do that anyway?" The boy huffed and grumbled slightly. "I gotta go umma, the bus is coming, I'll be home to pick up some clothes okay?" Then Taemin said his good byes and hung up, a pout prominent on his lips.
Minho looked at him, a small amused smile on his lips. He could only imagine what the older diva had said to Taemin, but the blush on his cheeks was cute enough to make him forget the world for just a moment. But the bus stopped in front of them, opening its doors and Taemin slowly led him up the steps, paying their fares before leading them back. He stopped half way and sat down in the window seat. They two kept silent, not really talking, unsure of what to really say about every thing. They just kept their hands clasped together throughout the entire ride.
Upon the arrival at the stop near Taemin's dorm, the boys got off and began to walk down the sidewalk. The younger male began to speak softly, afraid to disrupt the atmosphere they had. "You don't have to come up. Key's home and will probably try to attack you with food or cry or something... He's caring, but sometimes it can be really overbearing."
They began to head over to the elevator and Minho gave him a reassuring smile. "It's fine. I'll have to see him eventually, so that just means I'll have to deal with more later, I might as well get it over with now while you're with me." Taemin just let him grip his hand tighter as they stepped out of the elevator and made their way to his dorm. The boy punched in the code and walked in to smell food being cooked and the sound of someone moving frantically around in his room.
The pair made their way back to Taemin's bedroom to see Key with a duffel bag and the closet opened. There were some clothes neatly stacked on the bed already and Key seemed to scan the closet with his hands resting on his hips. "Taeminnie will need some pajamas..." He looked thoughtful and tapped his foot a little. "Maybe I should tell him to take his own shampoo and shower gel too, I don't know what Minho has over there and it could make my baby smell weird."
"Umma~" Taemin said, stepping into his room after letting go of Minho's hand. "Minho-hyung doesn't smell weird. I can pack the rest of this, I probably won't need that many clothes... You should finish cooking hyung..." he said softly, giving Key a smile as he walked up to his bed to pack away the few outfits that were picked out already.
Key had turned, looking at Minho, reading his expression and posture. He knew that his dongsaeng was trying to hide his hurt and he was doing it well, but there was a sadness in his eyes that couldn't be masked and he knew that Minho needed his son right then. He wouldn't keep them apart, not while Minho looked so distraught. So he walked over to the younger male, giving him a quick squeeze and a small smile. "He'll keep you well yah?" he whispered in his ear as he hugged Minho before stepping back and wiping a stray tear from the corner of his eye. "I'm making you two lunch and I'll bring by dinner later... maybe you should stay until later tonight?"
Taemin looked at Minho, who appeared unconcerned with what happened. He wouldn't mind staying there for a little while, it would keep him from his home where all his memories were. Maybe give him some time to keep from grieving openly. He nodded a little and Taemin smiled when Key gave a little sound of delight. "Let me help you Taemin~ah..." he mumbled softly as Key walked into the kitchen.
The two boys began to pack Taemin's bag, talking just softly. They were trying to figure out when they wanted to return to the bell tower. The concluded they should wait until the next morning and let the bells go an entire twenty-four hours without tolling just to give Hyunsu a whole day of respect. It made Minho somewhat happier that he could stay with Taemin at home, but he hated to think what would happen when he would be left alone to tend to the bell tower when the boy was off to school the next day.
Rating: PG-13 (NC17 later)
Pairing: 2min
Genre: AU, angst, romance, humor, fluff
Summary: Up in the bell tower, high above the town, one lone boy rang the bells. One lone boy watched those who passed by on the streets below. One lone boy fell in love with another boy whose smile lit up his dark world
The cold, silent waiting room was disturbed as Taemin walked in, his head whipping back and forth frantically as he searched for Minho's lengthy form. When he spotted the shaggy head of hair and blank expression, he walked to him quickly, sitting down on the stiff green seat, the plastic cushioning making an odd sound as his weight landed on it. His small hand reached over, gently touching his hyung's shoulder to catch his attention. The blank look slowly disappeared from Minho's eyes and all the pain he was holding in rushed out.
The boy was pulled into a nearly bone crushing hug, but he merely rubbed Minho's back, trying to calm him down. The older male wasn't crying like Taemin expected, he wasn't saying a thing. He just silently held onto the younger male as his mind raced. He couldn't come to face the reality, not yet at least. The entire severity of the situation refused to sink into his mind. Minho couldn't wrap his thoughts around the possibility of losing his father, but he could feel it coming. The only thing anchoring him to sanity was Taemin who was carefully touching him and trying to make soothing sounds.
Minho pulled back, looking into the boy's brown eyes with earnest. He couldn't say anything for a moment as his heart felt a clench of pain before it was released from the painful hold that an invisible hand had on it. Though his eyes shone bright with unshed tears, Minho couldn't bring himself to cry. He still refused to full accept what was happening. But with Taemin there, looking right at him, cradled in his arms, he felt somewhat better about the emotions bombarding him.
"T-Taemin~ah..." His voice was broken, the feeling he was keeping at bay coming to fruition as he spoke. "I-I... What will I do?" He was so lost, so hopeless. Minho knew nothing of the world, he knew nothing of what could come. All he knew was crumbling around him and he was scrambling to piece everything together, but he couldn't, not without help. But with Taemin's gentle gaze, he felt the cracks filling in and though it looked as though he was going to collapse, he knew he had someone there to help piece it all back together when he needed someone the most.
Taemin was just as lost as Minho though. He had never gone through something like this. He didn't know what would happen or if he would ever see Minho again, but he just knew within himself he had to be there for the older boy. He gently reached down, wrapping his smaller hand around his hyung's much larger one and giving it a gentle squeeze, meeting his gaze. "I don't know what you should do Minho-hyung... But I am here for you and so is Key-umma and everyone else. We'll help you." He gave him a tiny smile and touched Minho's cheek softly.
All the unraveling that seemed to happen within Minho ceased for the moment and he pulled the boy closer to him again, just feeling the warmth of his against his chest. "Thank you Taemin~ah..." It was all his emotionally laden voice would allow him to say as he bit back a sob, his eyes still glazed over. He didn't want people staring or looking at them, but they were. Even strangers seemed to realize it was odd for someone like Minho to be emotionally distraught.
But the moment of calm was broken as a doctor with lightly dusted black hair walked in, heading straight to the young men. The male looked upon them with a sorrowful gaze, but kept his features as straight as possible. "Are you the son of the elderly man Choi Hyunsu who came in suffering from the stroke?" he asked softly. He never caught Minho's name, but he knew that a young man was waiting for the news on the old man. When Minho nodded slowly, the doctor gave him a small concerned look. "I'm Doctor Kwon and I saw him after he was brought in. He did suffer from a severe stroke in both hemispheres of his brain and this affected him greatly. Due to his health coming in and his age, this took a great toll on his body. I'm sorry to inform you that he has not survived and he will be sent to the funeral home of our choice since he is a worker of the government. I'm sorry for your loss." Though the man almost spoke coldly, Minho could tell his job was actually a hard one, having to inform people of their loved ones deaths.
The tears that threatened to spill at any moment began to cascade down his cheeks as reality slowly sunk in. His father wouldn't be there for him anymore. His heart cried out to fill the hole that was forming quickly and it just made his entire body shudder with emotional pain. He felt Taemin's thin arms wrap around him tightly and he let himself be held as he cried openly into his hands. Sobs racked through his body and he paid no heed to the people who gave him apologetic looks. Minho wept for what he lost and the future that he would never have with his father. A piece of his heart went with the man that departed from the earth, but he knew that he had to hold strong, if not for his father's memory, but for himself. But he let the sorrow that threatened to compress his chest escape through his haggard sobs and tears.
Taemin sat there, hold his hyung, unsure of what to do. He couldn't bring himself to cry though he felt so bad for Minho. He knew the elder teen wouldn't appreciate to see him upset or sad, so he kept his tears in, only letting his eyes shine. It took what felt like an eternity before Minho finally stopped crying, sitting up slowly and rubbing at his red eyes with his hands. He gently pulled from Taemin's grasp, giving him a soft, watery smile. The lady at the receptionist desk had his number to call once the funeral home needed to make contact with the young man about the burial.
Minho let Taemin stand him up and lead him out of the hospital slowly. It wasn't even lunch and Minho's world suddenly felt very empty. But as he held onto the slender hand of the younger boy as they walked to the nearest bus stop, he couldn't help but feel that loneliness slowly ebb away. Taemin was fumbling in his pocket and pulled out his cell phone. He gave Minho a small smile and looked down the road to see if the bus was coming.
"Do you want to stay with me for a few days? Or I could stay with you? I don't know what you want to do... but I want to be there for you. I'll have to call Key so he knows or else he'll flip out and he'll probably want to make you lunch and dinner all the time now... So yea..." Taemin bit his lip, looking only slightly worried. He wasn't too sure if he was being too pushy with the entire situation or not, but he wanted to be there for Minho. Even if that meant that he would stay in the creaky old bell tower with no modern technology other than a television in the downstairs den.
But the sad look from Minho was enough to give him an answer. "I would appreciate it if you stayed with me in the tower... I'll have to start tolling the bells again tomorrow. Today they should rest in honor of my father." He gave a slight nod, his hand tightening around Taemin's slightly. He honestly wasn't sure if he could let the boy out of his sight right then. If Taemin were to suddenly disappear from his side, he would probably go insane.
The auburn hair bobbed up and down slightly and Taemin began to pull up Key's number. They stood there at the bus stop waiting, Minho looking down at their intertwined fingers as the other boy began to talk on the phone. "Key~ah... I'm okay... No I'm fine... No... Well yes I skipped school... Ah! It's for a good reason... Well... you see... Minho-shi's appa... well... Umma... he passed away not too long ago... You want to talk to Minho?" The boy paused and looked at the male standing next to him who shook his head. He wasn't ready to deal with Key just yet. "Umma... He's not really up to talking right now. I wanted to stay with him a few nights if that's okay?" There was another pause and Taemin flushed. "Yah! It's not like that already! Why would I do that anyway?" The boy huffed and grumbled slightly. "I gotta go umma, the bus is coming, I'll be home to pick up some clothes okay?" Then Taemin said his good byes and hung up, a pout prominent on his lips.
Minho looked at him, a small amused smile on his lips. He could only imagine what the older diva had said to Taemin, but the blush on his cheeks was cute enough to make him forget the world for just a moment. But the bus stopped in front of them, opening its doors and Taemin slowly led him up the steps, paying their fares before leading them back. He stopped half way and sat down in the window seat. They two kept silent, not really talking, unsure of what to really say about every thing. They just kept their hands clasped together throughout the entire ride.
Upon the arrival at the stop near Taemin's dorm, the boys got off and began to walk down the sidewalk. The younger male began to speak softly, afraid to disrupt the atmosphere they had. "You don't have to come up. Key's home and will probably try to attack you with food or cry or something... He's caring, but sometimes it can be really overbearing."
They began to head over to the elevator and Minho gave him a reassuring smile. "It's fine. I'll have to see him eventually, so that just means I'll have to deal with more later, I might as well get it over with now while you're with me." Taemin just let him grip his hand tighter as they stepped out of the elevator and made their way to his dorm. The boy punched in the code and walked in to smell food being cooked and the sound of someone moving frantically around in his room.
The pair made their way back to Taemin's bedroom to see Key with a duffel bag and the closet opened. There were some clothes neatly stacked on the bed already and Key seemed to scan the closet with his hands resting on his hips. "Taeminnie will need some pajamas..." He looked thoughtful and tapped his foot a little. "Maybe I should tell him to take his own shampoo and shower gel too, I don't know what Minho has over there and it could make my baby smell weird."
"Umma~" Taemin said, stepping into his room after letting go of Minho's hand. "Minho-hyung doesn't smell weird. I can pack the rest of this, I probably won't need that many clothes... You should finish cooking hyung..." he said softly, giving Key a smile as he walked up to his bed to pack away the few outfits that were picked out already.
Key had turned, looking at Minho, reading his expression and posture. He knew that his dongsaeng was trying to hide his hurt and he was doing it well, but there was a sadness in his eyes that couldn't be masked and he knew that Minho needed his son right then. He wouldn't keep them apart, not while Minho looked so distraught. So he walked over to the younger male, giving him a quick squeeze and a small smile. "He'll keep you well yah?" he whispered in his ear as he hugged Minho before stepping back and wiping a stray tear from the corner of his eye. "I'm making you two lunch and I'll bring by dinner later... maybe you should stay until later tonight?"
Taemin looked at Minho, who appeared unconcerned with what happened. He wouldn't mind staying there for a little while, it would keep him from his home where all his memories were. Maybe give him some time to keep from grieving openly. He nodded a little and Taemin smiled when Key gave a little sound of delight. "Let me help you Taemin~ah..." he mumbled softly as Key walked into the kitchen.
The two boys began to pack Taemin's bag, talking just softly. They were trying to figure out when they wanted to return to the bell tower. The concluded they should wait until the next morning and let the bells go an entire twenty-four hours without tolling just to give Hyunsu a whole day of respect. It made Minho somewhat happier that he could stay with Taemin at home, but he hated to think what would happen when he would be left alone to tend to the bell tower when the boy was off to school the next day.