Chapter 15 - A Bit Brighter
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
Minho heard the footsteps below and suddenly became very wary. Who would just walk into the bell tower without warning? Maybe someone who wanted to make some trouble for him or better yet, criminals escaping the law. Minho had heard several scenarios from his father as he grew up in the bell tower and it just made him wary. Taemin was a fluke, normally people didn't even come into the tower. Even if they did, they weren't kind hearted teenage boys that wanted to escape the rain because they easily caught colds. No... most people avoided this place like the plague, scared off by the stories that even Taemin had believed in.
With great trepidation, Minho stood from his spot at the desk, making sure his eyes were dry as he slowly approached the door and then travelled down the stairs slowly. There was mumbled talking, hushed tones of people that didn't want to be heart. From the sounds of it, there were two of them... But he couldn't identify who they were. So he slowly made his way down, cringing at every little sound his feet made on the floor. If they were criminals, then he wouldn't be able to take them.
Minho felt a pang of hurt, thinking he could be completely vunerable to cruel people after he lost his father, but he had to risk it. He had to run these people out of his home before it got too dangerous. He crept quietly, heading towards the voices that wafted from the kitchen and he felt slightly confused for a moment before he heard a, "Yah! Pabo! You're doing it wrong! Go stand in the corner until you learn how to follow directions."
The bell keeper stood up straight, nearly chuckling as he walked into the kitchen. Key was unpacking some bags filled with containers that held enough food to feed a small army. Jonghyun was standing in a corner, glaring at the joint in the wall as he crossed his arms, grumbling about unfairness of the entire situation. "Pabo... I'll show you the pabo..."
A laugh tumbled from Minho's mouth before he could hold himself back. The way that Jonghyun was scowling and pouting at the same time gave him the true appearance of a dinosaur. It finally struck the tallest why he had the nickname Pabo Dino. "You really do look like a dinosaur when you scowl hyung..." It was in good nature how he was laughing, but when Jonghyun scowled even more, the boy wound up doubling over with laughter.
"Told you that you were a dino Jjongie..." Key smirked, letting all the food sit on the counter as he leaned against it. He waited for Minho to stop laughing before he began to talk again. "Minho~shi... what do you do all day? I mean... Jjong and I decided to stay with you while Taemin~ah was at school so you wouldn't be too lonely."
Minho looked at the two of them, shrugging. "There's really nothing to do... there's a television in the den and I have books to read, other than that, I don't have much to do..." he said, looking unconcerned.
Key looked shocked, his mouth opening in an 'o' and his eyes going wide. "Then how have you entertained my son? I know he's been coming here for two weeks, so how do you keep him happy? You don't let him do anything here!" The diva was starting to look a bit pissed off but Jonghyun stepped forward and wrapped an arm around the smaller male's shoulders.
The tall bell keeper blinked, stepping back a little from the overreactive hyung. "We just... talked and Taemin would take me out of the bell tower... I got to see more of the city then I ever thought possible because of him. I let him help me with the bells too... I just... I'm sorry my living isn't quite as advanced as yours." Minho stuttered out.
Key let his glare soften as he realized just what happened between the dongsaengs. It was almost poetically romantic. He relaxed a bit and smiled at the taller boy with a tiny smile. "It's alright... so... I'm going to go out and bringing back some... board games or something. Jjong... don't burn down anything you pabo..." Key patted the other male on the head before walking out of the bell tower and back towards the dorm. It was going to be a long day.
~
It was afternoon by the time that Taemin showed up to the bell tower. He was tired and grumpy and just ready to see his hyung. Everyone that saw Minho dropping off Taemin that morning asked so many questions that the boy's head still swam in confusion. He wasn't even sure himself if they were boyfriends or just starting out. He just knew that he really liked Minho and hoped that his hyung could walk him to school every morning from then on. The thought alone made him smile to himself as he walked down the sidewalk.
The tiny male walked into the bell tower, kicking off his shoes before he headed for the stairs. He heard voices coming from the bell tower and gave a wide smile, knowing that Key was unable to keep away from someone who needed help. The maknae bound up the rest of the stairs and walked into the loft area, towards Minho's room. He broke out into a grin as he saw his three hyungs sitting on the floor playing a board game. Minho looked like he was concentrating everything he had on the board while the other two tried to figure out a way to catch up. Taemin had learned early on that Minho was a very competitive person and that fact made him smile.
He walked in, waiting for Minho to make his move before Jonghyun and Key began to squabble about how to beat him. Taemin squatted down next to the tall, large eyed boy and gave him a timid smile. "Annyeong hyungs..." he said softly, smiling as Key and Jonghyun didn't really seem to notice him and only Minho looked over, his eyes lighting up.
"Taemin~ah, you're back..." The elder boy sounded happy, standing up and bringing Taemin up with him so he could hug him again, pulling him close against his chest. As they hugged, Minho looked at the clock on the wall and gave a soft groan. "Time to toll the bells Minnie~ah... do you want to help?" he asked, smiling down at him. The boys head bobbed as he nodded, letting Minho take his hand as he led him over to the levers.
Jonghyun and Key both saw this, raising their eyebrows at one another. Every motherly instinct within Key's body screamed for him to follow them through the bells, but he knew that the couple needed the time alone, much to his annoyance. But he hadn't seen Minho look that happy all day and he was willing to let his son go for the boy that needed him more.
Minho led Taemin over to the fourth lever, smiling at him with a small smile. They stood close together, looking at one another shyly before they moved into the position they had grown used to. Together they pulled the lever and soon the bells began to chime out, sounding much brighter and cheerier than they had that morning. Their songs were sweeter and the world seemed more colorful to Minho as he looked down at Taemin that stood pressed against his chest. How could the world seem like such a bad place with such a beautiful person in it? Minho couldn't seem to provide an answer for his own question because there was none.
Time stood still for a moment as the two looked at one another, the bells ringing out in the background, then a repeat of only a few days before occurred. Minho's large hand gently cupped the side of Taemin's face, pulling him forward to seal their lips together in a tender, heart warming kiss. They stood there, Taemin's arms looped around Minho's neck while he kissed him slowly, eyes closed.
The two kissed sweetly for a few minutes, just letting themselves become reacquainted physically. They finally pulled apart when Key cleared his throat loudly from the other side of the room. "Wow... It sure does take a long time to ring those bells!" he said loudly, making Taemin blush brightly and duck his head. Minho gave him a shy smile, pulling away and taking his hand as they walked back to the other hyungs. He couldn't seem to think so negatively anymore with Taemin there. Everything just felt so much better.
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
Minho heard the footsteps below and suddenly became very wary. Who would just walk into the bell tower without warning? Maybe someone who wanted to make some trouble for him or better yet, criminals escaping the law. Minho had heard several scenarios from his father as he grew up in the bell tower and it just made him wary. Taemin was a fluke, normally people didn't even come into the tower. Even if they did, they weren't kind hearted teenage boys that wanted to escape the rain because they easily caught colds. No... most people avoided this place like the plague, scared off by the stories that even Taemin had believed in.
With great trepidation, Minho stood from his spot at the desk, making sure his eyes were dry as he slowly approached the door and then travelled down the stairs slowly. There was mumbled talking, hushed tones of people that didn't want to be heart. From the sounds of it, there were two of them... But he couldn't identify who they were. So he slowly made his way down, cringing at every little sound his feet made on the floor. If they were criminals, then he wouldn't be able to take them.
Minho felt a pang of hurt, thinking he could be completely vunerable to cruel people after he lost his father, but he had to risk it. He had to run these people out of his home before it got too dangerous. He crept quietly, heading towards the voices that wafted from the kitchen and he felt slightly confused for a moment before he heard a, "Yah! Pabo! You're doing it wrong! Go stand in the corner until you learn how to follow directions."
The bell keeper stood up straight, nearly chuckling as he walked into the kitchen. Key was unpacking some bags filled with containers that held enough food to feed a small army. Jonghyun was standing in a corner, glaring at the joint in the wall as he crossed his arms, grumbling about unfairness of the entire situation. "Pabo... I'll show you the pabo..."
A laugh tumbled from Minho's mouth before he could hold himself back. The way that Jonghyun was scowling and pouting at the same time gave him the true appearance of a dinosaur. It finally struck the tallest why he had the nickname Pabo Dino. "You really do look like a dinosaur when you scowl hyung..." It was in good nature how he was laughing, but when Jonghyun scowled even more, the boy wound up doubling over with laughter.
"Told you that you were a dino Jjongie..." Key smirked, letting all the food sit on the counter as he leaned against it. He waited for Minho to stop laughing before he began to talk again. "Minho~shi... what do you do all day? I mean... Jjong and I decided to stay with you while Taemin~ah was at school so you wouldn't be too lonely."
Minho looked at the two of them, shrugging. "There's really nothing to do... there's a television in the den and I have books to read, other than that, I don't have much to do..." he said, looking unconcerned.
Key looked shocked, his mouth opening in an 'o' and his eyes going wide. "Then how have you entertained my son? I know he's been coming here for two weeks, so how do you keep him happy? You don't let him do anything here!" The diva was starting to look a bit pissed off but Jonghyun stepped forward and wrapped an arm around the smaller male's shoulders.
The tall bell keeper blinked, stepping back a little from the overreactive hyung. "We just... talked and Taemin would take me out of the bell tower... I got to see more of the city then I ever thought possible because of him. I let him help me with the bells too... I just... I'm sorry my living isn't quite as advanced as yours." Minho stuttered out.
Key let his glare soften as he realized just what happened between the dongsaengs. It was almost poetically romantic. He relaxed a bit and smiled at the taller boy with a tiny smile. "It's alright... so... I'm going to go out and bringing back some... board games or something. Jjong... don't burn down anything you pabo..." Key patted the other male on the head before walking out of the bell tower and back towards the dorm. It was going to be a long day.
~
It was afternoon by the time that Taemin showed up to the bell tower. He was tired and grumpy and just ready to see his hyung. Everyone that saw Minho dropping off Taemin that morning asked so many questions that the boy's head still swam in confusion. He wasn't even sure himself if they were boyfriends or just starting out. He just knew that he really liked Minho and hoped that his hyung could walk him to school every morning from then on. The thought alone made him smile to himself as he walked down the sidewalk.
The tiny male walked into the bell tower, kicking off his shoes before he headed for the stairs. He heard voices coming from the bell tower and gave a wide smile, knowing that Key was unable to keep away from someone who needed help. The maknae bound up the rest of the stairs and walked into the loft area, towards Minho's room. He broke out into a grin as he saw his three hyungs sitting on the floor playing a board game. Minho looked like he was concentrating everything he had on the board while the other two tried to figure out a way to catch up. Taemin had learned early on that Minho was a very competitive person and that fact made him smile.
He walked in, waiting for Minho to make his move before Jonghyun and Key began to squabble about how to beat him. Taemin squatted down next to the tall, large eyed boy and gave him a timid smile. "Annyeong hyungs..." he said softly, smiling as Key and Jonghyun didn't really seem to notice him and only Minho looked over, his eyes lighting up.
"Taemin~ah, you're back..." The elder boy sounded happy, standing up and bringing Taemin up with him so he could hug him again, pulling him close against his chest. As they hugged, Minho looked at the clock on the wall and gave a soft groan. "Time to toll the bells Minnie~ah... do you want to help?" he asked, smiling down at him. The boys head bobbed as he nodded, letting Minho take his hand as he led him over to the levers.
Jonghyun and Key both saw this, raising their eyebrows at one another. Every motherly instinct within Key's body screamed for him to follow them through the bells, but he knew that the couple needed the time alone, much to his annoyance. But he hadn't seen Minho look that happy all day and he was willing to let his son go for the boy that needed him more.
Minho led Taemin over to the fourth lever, smiling at him with a small smile. They stood close together, looking at one another shyly before they moved into the position they had grown used to. Together they pulled the lever and soon the bells began to chime out, sounding much brighter and cheerier than they had that morning. Their songs were sweeter and the world seemed more colorful to Minho as he looked down at Taemin that stood pressed against his chest. How could the world seem like such a bad place with such a beautiful person in it? Minho couldn't seem to provide an answer for his own question because there was none.
Time stood still for a moment as the two looked at one another, the bells ringing out in the background, then a repeat of only a few days before occurred. Minho's large hand gently cupped the side of Taemin's face, pulling him forward to seal their lips together in a tender, heart warming kiss. They stood there, Taemin's arms looped around Minho's neck while he kissed him slowly, eyes closed.
The two kissed sweetly for a few minutes, just letting themselves become reacquainted physically. They finally pulled apart when Key cleared his throat loudly from the other side of the room. "Wow... It sure does take a long time to ring those bells!" he said loudly, making Taemin blush brightly and duck his head. Minho gave him a shy smile, pulling away and taking his hand as they walked back to the other hyungs. He couldn't seem to think so negatively anymore with Taemin there. Everything just felt so much better.