{ only human } boa/minho
only human
2,506w
pg
Minho's eyes are shining just for her.
a/n: omg i love these two so much that i had to write them. i tried to do them justice but i... failed :| hard
WHYYYY ARE THEY SO ADORABLE this is real life ok
moved from → original
When she first meets him, he's sixteen years old. Minho is tall for his age, and he moves cautiously, slow, like he's not exactly sure what to do with all those extra inches of his torso and legs and arms. He's very polite when he greets her, but when he looks up, there's a mischievous spark in his eye. It speaks of dreams and wishes and hopes, lights shining and fireworks exploding and thousands of fans, screaming his name.
Boa tries to remember what she was like when she was his age; she thinks she might have had the same kind of fire in her own eyes.
In 2010, Boa returns to Korea, all too grateful to let her native language slide over her tongue. She would be exhausted, would be tired, would crawl into bed for weeks straight, but she's not that kind of person. Instead, she throws herself into her new album promotions -- she has an exhilarating kind of pride running through her veins, and she's not exactly ready to give up her crown yet.
She meets SHINee again, in the waiting room just before her comeback. She's not nervous - she's calm, although her heart is pounding a little harder than usual. They all bow to her, of course, introducing themselves again since she can barely even recognize them. Taemin's all grown up, his hair long and his face smooth and mature. She wonders if she herself grew up that fast (she and Taemin did debut at almost the same age, after all). Jonghyun and Key are louder than before, the shyness and young of newcomers having faded already. Onew has grown into his role as their leader, with a gentle, but confident look in his eye, that she knows all too well (Yunho, Eeteuk, Taeyeon).
And Minho. Minho is tall. Very tall. He's tall, and has a little smile on his face and his eyes are clear and he's easygoing, energetic, with all the all the intensity of a young man. Taemin seems to have grown from an eager little kid to a earnest, serious teenager, but Minho seems to have done the reverse: he's grown up, definitely, but she feels like there's something in him, something like an overwhelming excitement for life itself, that is bubbling just under his skin, coming off of him in waves.
One thing she recognizes, though, is familiar shine in his eyes. It never left, had maybe even gotten stronger, want and determination and ambition all swirling around in his dark irises, and she can't help but blush when she realizes that he's staring at her.
"I really admire you, noona," he mumbles to her one day. He has a funny little smile on his face and he can't seem to look her in the eye, instead fiddling nervously with the long, gaudy necklace that goes along with his stage outfit.
She smiles. "One day, I'll be the one admiring you, you and shining SHINee," she says affectionately, gesturing to his other members, who are currently getting their hair and make up done.
Minho shrugs, seems to pause before he says: "I meant...as a person, too. Not just as Boa, but as...you," he finishes lamely, flushing so hard that she can see the red tint on his cheeks through his make up.
"Thank you, Minho," she tells him. "That means a lot."
Minho has a crush on her.
It's obvious. When they sit on the couch and talk before both of their respective performances, he never takes his gaze off her her. He ducks his head down when he chuckles shyly, boyishly, and she can't even deny the jittery, warm feeling in her chest when he smiles at her. He's endearing in the way that an eager, affectionate puppy is, his eyes wide with admiration.
He marvels at her multiple earrings and praises her new song and compliments her, bashful and just a tad awkwardly, on her stage outfits. He teases her like a little boy, pointing out their difference in height whenever he can, bugging her and constantly trying to catch her attention. He follows her like a shadow, always ready with a bottle of water or an mp3 player when she's bored or noona, our fans sent us these fruit tarts, do you want to share? Sometimes, though, he just simply nudges her shoulder: for strength, for good luck, for all the things that she knows he wants to say.
There's the very obvious problem that they're both idols, of course. There are millions of fans watching their every move, and there's the threat of both their careers going down the drain. As all too many idols know (Donghae and Jessica, Boa thinks sadly. Siwon and Liyin, Junsu and Taeyeon), fans can rip them apart behind lit up screens and worn out keyboards. It's the company's golden rule, the one thing that everyone obeyed: Date, go ahead, but never make it public. Never make it known, never be seen.
But Minho is brash, he's young and he's reckless (Boa wonders, briefly, if this is the first time he's been in love, but she brushes the thought away quickly) and he showers her with affection. It's a little subdued in front of the cameras, but it's there all the same -- the hugs, the tender smiles, him hovering behind her. Some fans write it off as just him being a good hoobae, obvious traits of a good friendship, but she's not fooled, she's old enough to realize -- she knows exactly what's going on.
So when Minho kisses her, soft and sweet but sure, in an empty hallway in the MBC building, she closes her eyes for a second and just pretends. Pretends that maybe, she and Minho are out somewhere - New York, maybe, she likes it there, or even Tokyo - where nobody cares, they're just a pair of lovers, nothing out of the normal. But here, in the present, there are too many things in the way, too many responsibilites that they just can't let go.
They break away slowly and Minho bows his head, his eyelashes barely brushing against her cheek. His breathing is slightly uneven, and she's still locked in his light embrace, nervous, unsure.
"No, Minho," she says softly, "You know that...that this isn't a good idea."
Minho looks up at her, and he looks like he already knew what she was going to say. "Nobody has to know," he pleads quietly. "Noona, I really - I really like you. You're an amazing person."
"And I'm older than you, too," she reminds him. "There's still time for you to find someone, in a couple of years it'll be okay. This is just too risky."
"What if I don't care?" Minho says, defiant now. "What if I just want to be with you?"
"Minho," she says. "You know it's not that easy. You're still young, you haven't seen - you haven't seen what happens to the others who have tried dating. It's hard."
"I don't care," Minho says again. His eyes are glittering stubbornly, his jaw tight. "I really like you, and I want to try. I'll take good care of you," he adds earnestly, the hope returning back to his face. "You know I will. I'll be a good boyfriend, I think," he says, with childish pride.
Sometimes, she wishes she could be his age. She wishes that she still had the hope, had the spirit, had the invincibility of being young and whole. Boa is 23 years old and spent the last ten years in show business, which is definitely not one of the kindest industries. She looks at Minho, and she thinks that she'd rather him keep that youth for as long as he can. She would only bring heartbreak and frustration and worry, inevitable as long as this went on.
"I'm sorry," she says finally, "I just don't have time for a relationship," she adds, and it's true. But it doesn't stop her heart from sinking when Minho the smile drops off his face, crestfallen. He nods, shrugs numbly, kicking his feet again the tile. Quietly, as if on impulse, they both turn and start walking back to the waiting room, hearts heavy, their feet dragging, as if to prolong the time they have with eachother, before returning to the real world.
She's collapsed, sweaty and exhausted, on the floor of the practice room, her song still on full volume from the stereo, when Jonghyun walks in with two paper cups of shaved ice.
"Jonghyun!" Boa says, surprised. "What are you doing here?"
"I'm part of the refreshment committee, obviously," Jonghyun jokes, and he gives her one of the shaved ices. She sticks a spoon into it and lifts it to the her mouth - it's cold and perfectly sweet, cherry flavored, absolutely perfect.
"How's it been?" Jonghyun asks her, his own spoon stuck between his lips. He's just in a plain shirt and his brown hair is sticking up in disarray - he looks like a teenager. "Everything going okay?"
"Everything's good," she responds, ice crunching between her teeth. "One of my backup dancers pulled a muscle, but he's been healing nicely. Song's doing pretty good on the charts."
"Of course," Jonghyun says. "You are the queen of Korea, after all."
Boa rolls her eyes, and the two of them eat their snack quietly for a moment. They're watching her backup dancers arm wrestle on the floor when Jonghyun says, "How are you and Minho?"
She licks the syrup off of her tongue, as she contemplates her answer. "What do you mean? We're alright, as always."
"Noona," Jonghyun says, looking at her pointedly. "Come on."
"I don't know what you're talking about."
"He really likes you, you know," Jonghyun tells her. "He sings Hurricane Venus in the shower. Erectronic manic supahsonic bionic ehnergy. It's terrible, really."
"Are you sure you should be telling me this?" Boa says dryly.
Jonghyun shrugs, scooping melting ice into his mouth. "Just trying to help out. Minho's a good guy, really."
"Jonghyun," Boa says. "You know how hard it is to date."
"Yeah, it's hard, but that doesn't mean it's impossible," Jonghyun points out. "Have you seen the way he looks at you? He talks about you all the time too, like, oh, noona is doing so well on the charts! Noona is so admirable! Boa is so funny and nice in her interviews, no wonder everybody loves her. Ah, I want to be closer to her!" Jonghyun imitates in a high pitched tone, gestulating wildly, something Boa knows that is the exact opposite of what Minho would do (and sound like).
"I don't think Minho would think that you're helping him out very well," Boa tells him, and he laughs his awkward, halting laugh, rubbing at the back of his neck.
"Okay, seriously then," Jonghyun says. "Minho is my favorite dongsaeng, and you're my favorite noona, and he would treat you well and you would be happy and then he would be happy so then I would be happy, doesn't that make sense?"
"No, not really," Boa laughs, shaking her head.
"Just think about it," Jonghyun says, patting her on the shoulder for emphasis. "Just because you're old doesn't mean that you have to deprive yourself of being happy. Is this the reality you imagined? Being old and completely successful, queen of Korea, and you don't even have somebody to love?"
"I'm not old," Boa says defensively. "And I have a lot of people to love! I have my friends and my family and my fans and--"
"You know what I mean, noona," Jonghyun says.
Boa sighs, long and loud. "There's a high chance that we wouldn't even work out," she says.
"Yeah, maybe," Jonghyun shrugs. "But how would you know if you don't try? Being idols doesn't make us any less human. Sometimes, we just need to do things for ourselves, not for our fans or anybody else."
Boa stays quiet.
"What are you so scared of?" Jonghyun asks gently. "Have you seen the way he looks at you? He can't take his eyes off of you. It's like the sun comes out of your ass, or something."
She smacks him hard on the shoulder, and he rolls around laughing on the floor, clutching at his stomach. She feels the corners of her mouth twitch upward, warmth pooling in her chest. Boa feels all the barriers falling down, everything she's so carefully told herself, built up over the years. It all crumbles down slowly as she imagines Minho's face in her mind, smiling that beautiful smile, and for once, she feels like one of those thousands of girls completely, desperately, in love with him.
"You're only human, noona," Jonghyun says bluntly, looking up at her from his position, sprawled out on the ground.
"Why are you giving your sunbae advice?" she chastises playfully, fondly hitting him on the knee.
"Because I'm your favorite hoobae, of course," he replies, grinning wide.
"Among the male hoobae?" Boa says into the microphone, a little smile playing on her lips. "Ah, that's difficult."
"You're close to a lot of people," Shindong adds. "I'm looking forward to hearing your answer," he snickers.
Boa pretends to think for a second. "Jonghyunnie?"
"Ah, why?!"
"He brought me shaved ice after practice," she says casually.
Thank you, Jonghyun.
The stadium is loud, fans are screaming loudly and the sound system is blaring. She can feel the sweat on the back of her neck and her jacket is a little constricting, but she can't suppress her happiness. This is her family, she thinks, as Heechul puts an arm around her, as she takes Luna's hand.
Minho is running around, the broadest of grins on his face as he waves his arms at the audience. He shoves cake in her face and giggles childishly as he dabs it off, eyes wide and adoring. He swoops in to throw her over his shoulder and spin her around. He's ecstatic, radiant, burning brighter than the sun, fueled by the love all around them.
It's at the end of the concert when she feels something burning into her, and she looks up; Minho staring at her, hard and blazing, and she knows there's a question there. I don't care, they scream at her, and she's coming undone, bit by bit as she takes in his determined face. I don't care, I want to be with you. His eyes are shining, just for her.
And suddenly she's running, her legs flying underneath her, sprinting across the stage. Yes, yes, her mind is whispering to her as she moves and Minho's eyes don't leave hers, and in a single moment, they crash together, his arms wrapping around her and lifting her up and suddenly, she's flying.
His arms are tight around her, and she can feel his smile against her neck. She's not afraid of jumping anymore, because she has a feeling that he'll always be there to catch her.
i'm so sorry ;____;
inspired this and this, he absolutely adores her, it's so obvious.
the jonghyun shaved ice thing is from this :)
2,506w
pg
Minho's eyes are shining just for her.
a/n: omg i love these two so much that i had to write them. i tried to do them justice but i... failed :| hard
WHYYYY ARE THEY SO ADORABLE this is real life ok
moved from → original
When she first meets him, he's sixteen years old. Minho is tall for his age, and he moves cautiously, slow, like he's not exactly sure what to do with all those extra inches of his torso and legs and arms. He's very polite when he greets her, but when he looks up, there's a mischievous spark in his eye. It speaks of dreams and wishes and hopes, lights shining and fireworks exploding and thousands of fans, screaming his name.
Boa tries to remember what she was like when she was his age; she thinks she might have had the same kind of fire in her own eyes.
In 2010, Boa returns to Korea, all too grateful to let her native language slide over her tongue. She would be exhausted, would be tired, would crawl into bed for weeks straight, but she's not that kind of person. Instead, she throws herself into her new album promotions -- she has an exhilarating kind of pride running through her veins, and she's not exactly ready to give up her crown yet.
She meets SHINee again, in the waiting room just before her comeback. She's not nervous - she's calm, although her heart is pounding a little harder than usual. They all bow to her, of course, introducing themselves again since she can barely even recognize them. Taemin's all grown up, his hair long and his face smooth and mature. She wonders if she herself grew up that fast (she and Taemin did debut at almost the same age, after all). Jonghyun and Key are louder than before, the shyness and young of newcomers having faded already. Onew has grown into his role as their leader, with a gentle, but confident look in his eye, that she knows all too well (Yunho, Eeteuk, Taeyeon).
And Minho. Minho is tall. Very tall. He's tall, and has a little smile on his face and his eyes are clear and he's easygoing, energetic, with all the all the intensity of a young man. Taemin seems to have grown from an eager little kid to a earnest, serious teenager, but Minho seems to have done the reverse: he's grown up, definitely, but she feels like there's something in him, something like an overwhelming excitement for life itself, that is bubbling just under his skin, coming off of him in waves.
One thing she recognizes, though, is familiar shine in his eyes. It never left, had maybe even gotten stronger, want and determination and ambition all swirling around in his dark irises, and she can't help but blush when she realizes that he's staring at her.
"I really admire you, noona," he mumbles to her one day. He has a funny little smile on his face and he can't seem to look her in the eye, instead fiddling nervously with the long, gaudy necklace that goes along with his stage outfit.
She smiles. "One day, I'll be the one admiring you, you and shining SHINee," she says affectionately, gesturing to his other members, who are currently getting their hair and make up done.
Minho shrugs, seems to pause before he says: "I meant...as a person, too. Not just as Boa, but as...you," he finishes lamely, flushing so hard that she can see the red tint on his cheeks through his make up.
"Thank you, Minho," she tells him. "That means a lot."
Minho has a crush on her.
It's obvious. When they sit on the couch and talk before both of their respective performances, he never takes his gaze off her her. He ducks his head down when he chuckles shyly, boyishly, and she can't even deny the jittery, warm feeling in her chest when he smiles at her. He's endearing in the way that an eager, affectionate puppy is, his eyes wide with admiration.
He marvels at her multiple earrings and praises her new song and compliments her, bashful and just a tad awkwardly, on her stage outfits. He teases her like a little boy, pointing out their difference in height whenever he can, bugging her and constantly trying to catch her attention. He follows her like a shadow, always ready with a bottle of water or an mp3 player when she's bored or noona, our fans sent us these fruit tarts, do you want to share? Sometimes, though, he just simply nudges her shoulder: for strength, for good luck, for all the things that she knows he wants to say.
There's the very obvious problem that they're both idols, of course. There are millions of fans watching their every move, and there's the threat of both their careers going down the drain. As all too many idols know (Donghae and Jessica, Boa thinks sadly. Siwon and Liyin, Junsu and Taeyeon), fans can rip them apart behind lit up screens and worn out keyboards. It's the company's golden rule, the one thing that everyone obeyed: Date, go ahead, but never make it public. Never make it known, never be seen.
But Minho is brash, he's young and he's reckless (Boa wonders, briefly, if this is the first time he's been in love, but she brushes the thought away quickly) and he showers her with affection. It's a little subdued in front of the cameras, but it's there all the same -- the hugs, the tender smiles, him hovering behind her. Some fans write it off as just him being a good hoobae, obvious traits of a good friendship, but she's not fooled, she's old enough to realize -- she knows exactly what's going on.
So when Minho kisses her, soft and sweet but sure, in an empty hallway in the MBC building, she closes her eyes for a second and just pretends. Pretends that maybe, she and Minho are out somewhere - New York, maybe, she likes it there, or even Tokyo - where nobody cares, they're just a pair of lovers, nothing out of the normal. But here, in the present, there are too many things in the way, too many responsibilites that they just can't let go.
They break away slowly and Minho bows his head, his eyelashes barely brushing against her cheek. His breathing is slightly uneven, and she's still locked in his light embrace, nervous, unsure.
"No, Minho," she says softly, "You know that...that this isn't a good idea."
Minho looks up at her, and he looks like he already knew what she was going to say. "Nobody has to know," he pleads quietly. "Noona, I really - I really like you. You're an amazing person."
"And I'm older than you, too," she reminds him. "There's still time for you to find someone, in a couple of years it'll be okay. This is just too risky."
"What if I don't care?" Minho says, defiant now. "What if I just want to be with you?"
"Minho," she says. "You know it's not that easy. You're still young, you haven't seen - you haven't seen what happens to the others who have tried dating. It's hard."
"I don't care," Minho says again. His eyes are glittering stubbornly, his jaw tight. "I really like you, and I want to try. I'll take good care of you," he adds earnestly, the hope returning back to his face. "You know I will. I'll be a good boyfriend, I think," he says, with childish pride.
Sometimes, she wishes she could be his age. She wishes that she still had the hope, had the spirit, had the invincibility of being young and whole. Boa is 23 years old and spent the last ten years in show business, which is definitely not one of the kindest industries. She looks at Minho, and she thinks that she'd rather him keep that youth for as long as he can. She would only bring heartbreak and frustration and worry, inevitable as long as this went on.
"I'm sorry," she says finally, "I just don't have time for a relationship," she adds, and it's true. But it doesn't stop her heart from sinking when Minho the smile drops off his face, crestfallen. He nods, shrugs numbly, kicking his feet again the tile. Quietly, as if on impulse, they both turn and start walking back to the waiting room, hearts heavy, their feet dragging, as if to prolong the time they have with eachother, before returning to the real world.
She's collapsed, sweaty and exhausted, on the floor of the practice room, her song still on full volume from the stereo, when Jonghyun walks in with two paper cups of shaved ice.
"Jonghyun!" Boa says, surprised. "What are you doing here?"
"I'm part of the refreshment committee, obviously," Jonghyun jokes, and he gives her one of the shaved ices. She sticks a spoon into it and lifts it to the her mouth - it's cold and perfectly sweet, cherry flavored, absolutely perfect.
"How's it been?" Jonghyun asks her, his own spoon stuck between his lips. He's just in a plain shirt and his brown hair is sticking up in disarray - he looks like a teenager. "Everything going okay?"
"Everything's good," she responds, ice crunching between her teeth. "One of my backup dancers pulled a muscle, but he's been healing nicely. Song's doing pretty good on the charts."
"Of course," Jonghyun says. "You are the queen of Korea, after all."
Boa rolls her eyes, and the two of them eat their snack quietly for a moment. They're watching her backup dancers arm wrestle on the floor when Jonghyun says, "How are you and Minho?"
She licks the syrup off of her tongue, as she contemplates her answer. "What do you mean? We're alright, as always."
"Noona," Jonghyun says, looking at her pointedly. "Come on."
"I don't know what you're talking about."
"He really likes you, you know," Jonghyun tells her. "He sings Hurricane Venus in the shower. Erectronic manic supahsonic bionic ehnergy. It's terrible, really."
"Are you sure you should be telling me this?" Boa says dryly.
Jonghyun shrugs, scooping melting ice into his mouth. "Just trying to help out. Minho's a good guy, really."
"Jonghyun," Boa says. "You know how hard it is to date."
"Yeah, it's hard, but that doesn't mean it's impossible," Jonghyun points out. "Have you seen the way he looks at you? He talks about you all the time too, like, oh, noona is doing so well on the charts! Noona is so admirable! Boa is so funny and nice in her interviews, no wonder everybody loves her. Ah, I want to be closer to her!" Jonghyun imitates in a high pitched tone, gestulating wildly, something Boa knows that is the exact opposite of what Minho would do (and sound like).
"I don't think Minho would think that you're helping him out very well," Boa tells him, and he laughs his awkward, halting laugh, rubbing at the back of his neck.
"Okay, seriously then," Jonghyun says. "Minho is my favorite dongsaeng, and you're my favorite noona, and he would treat you well and you would be happy and then he would be happy so then I would be happy, doesn't that make sense?"
"No, not really," Boa laughs, shaking her head.
"Just think about it," Jonghyun says, patting her on the shoulder for emphasis. "Just because you're old doesn't mean that you have to deprive yourself of being happy. Is this the reality you imagined? Being old and completely successful, queen of Korea, and you don't even have somebody to love?"
"I'm not old," Boa says defensively. "And I have a lot of people to love! I have my friends and my family and my fans and--"
"You know what I mean, noona," Jonghyun says.
Boa sighs, long and loud. "There's a high chance that we wouldn't even work out," she says.
"Yeah, maybe," Jonghyun shrugs. "But how would you know if you don't try? Being idols doesn't make us any less human. Sometimes, we just need to do things for ourselves, not for our fans or anybody else."
Boa stays quiet.
"What are you so scared of?" Jonghyun asks gently. "Have you seen the way he looks at you? He can't take his eyes off of you. It's like the sun comes out of your ass, or something."
She smacks him hard on the shoulder, and he rolls around laughing on the floor, clutching at his stomach. She feels the corners of her mouth twitch upward, warmth pooling in her chest. Boa feels all the barriers falling down, everything she's so carefully told herself, built up over the years. It all crumbles down slowly as she imagines Minho's face in her mind, smiling that beautiful smile, and for once, she feels like one of those thousands of girls completely, desperately, in love with him.
"You're only human, noona," Jonghyun says bluntly, looking up at her from his position, sprawled out on the ground.
"Why are you giving your sunbae advice?" she chastises playfully, fondly hitting him on the knee.
"Because I'm your favorite hoobae, of course," he replies, grinning wide.
"Among the male hoobae?" Boa says into the microphone, a little smile playing on her lips. "Ah, that's difficult."
"You're close to a lot of people," Shindong adds. "I'm looking forward to hearing your answer," he snickers.
Boa pretends to think for a second. "Jonghyunnie?"
"Ah, why?!"
"He brought me shaved ice after practice," she says casually.
Thank you, Jonghyun.
The stadium is loud, fans are screaming loudly and the sound system is blaring. She can feel the sweat on the back of her neck and her jacket is a little constricting, but she can't suppress her happiness. This is her family, she thinks, as Heechul puts an arm around her, as she takes Luna's hand.
Minho is running around, the broadest of grins on his face as he waves his arms at the audience. He shoves cake in her face and giggles childishly as he dabs it off, eyes wide and adoring. He swoops in to throw her over his shoulder and spin her around. He's ecstatic, radiant, burning brighter than the sun, fueled by the love all around them.
It's at the end of the concert when she feels something burning into her, and she looks up; Minho staring at her, hard and blazing, and she knows there's a question there. I don't care, they scream at her, and she's coming undone, bit by bit as she takes in his determined face. I don't care, I want to be with you. His eyes are shining, just for her.
And suddenly she's running, her legs flying underneath her, sprinting across the stage. Yes, yes, her mind is whispering to her as she moves and Minho's eyes don't leave hers, and in a single moment, they crash together, his arms wrapping around her and lifting her up and suddenly, she's flying.
His arms are tight around her, and she can feel his smile against her neck. She's not afraid of jumping anymore, because she has a feeling that he'll always be there to catch her.
i'm so sorry ;____;
inspired this and this, he absolutely adores her, it's so obvious.
the jonghyun shaved ice thing is from this :)