Beauty & The Geek [jongkey, onkey, 2min] [6/?]
Title: Beauty & The Geek
Pairing: Jongkey, Onkey, 2min
Genre: AU, Romance, Drama, Angst
Rating: PG-15 [Language, Sexual Situations, Drug Abuse, Mentions of Suicide]
Word Count: 2,500
Disclaimer(s): I own nothing.
Summary: Office romances never come without drama.
A/N: Beta'd by the lovely & amazing siaht ! Warning for slut!Key.
Prologue | Chapter One | Chapter Two | Chapter Three | Chapter Four | Chapter Five
Beauty & The Geek : Chapter Six
Rose Colored Glasses | Please Don't Go | Storm | You Make Me Wanna
They don't exchange words. The cab driver glances back in his rear view mirror, sensing the tension and uncomfortable atmosphere. Jinki tries to ignore the inquisitive eyes, stare trained out the foggy window in an attempt to keep his flaring emotions under wrap. It's freezing in the cab and he's positive it's not because of the weather - the lazily drifting white flakes outside are nothing in comparison to the frigid presence of the man beside him.
“Here's your stop,” the cab driver voices meekly as he pulls over to the curb.
Jinki wordlessly pays the fare before stepping out into the night. Kibum pulls himself out as well and follows Jinki to his apartment. He remains a safe distance behind Jinki as they climb the high rise building. He keeps his arms folded across his stomach and he begs desperately to whatever higher being there is to allow him to just disappear off the face of the earth.
When they reach his flat, Jinki stops outside the door. He turns to face Kibum and his eyes are raw with emotion.
“Jinki, I--” Kibum stops, closes his mouth and swallows down the lump in his throat, “If you … don't want to be with me anymore, that's fine.”
Nails dig in to the sensitive skin of his palm as Jinki fights to keep control of himself. “Kibum … What exactly happened?”
Kibum remains straight faced. “Just what it looked like. I met Jonghyun at his hotel room and had sex with him.”
Jinki's dark eyes gaze up at the white ceiling of the hallway and he blinks furiously. Pain stabs at his heart. “Why?”
“Why what?” Kibum asks, and he can't keep himself from watching every shift on Jinki's face, the way his words affect him. “Why did I go? Jinki, I'm not who you think I am. I'm a good fuck that gets passed around - nothing will change that.”
“How can you say that?” Jinki roars and Kibum visibly flinches. He feels guilty instantly, but he can't bring himself to apologize because at least he got a reaction out of him. “I don't know why, but I thought if I were there for you - I thought I could help you, but look at you. No one can fix you but yourself and I don't know if that's even possible.”
Kibum winces. The words are searing with brutal honesty. “Well, don't worry. You don't need to try anymore. Just walk away now, I'll be fine.”
“Kibum, I love you.”
Feline eyes narrow to a deadly point. “You don't mean that.”
“Yes, I do,” Jinki declares, forehead wrinkling in frustration as he releases a small chuckle, “I just can't understand you. Why won't you accept it? I love you, Kim Kibum.” Kibum starts to shake his head, backing up as Jinki gains more momentum. “I love you for more than just your body, I love you for everything about you - that time we just talked? I still remember the way you finally relaxed, you told me about your family and how much you loved your grandmother. The way your eyes lit up talking about her, I'll never forget that look. So much devotion, so much care.”
“Lee Jinki, you don't know what you're saying,” Kibum groans, eye lids squeezing shut, “Go away, just leave me alone.”
Jinki closes the distance between them in a few short steps. Strong hands grasping Kibum's shoulders, he pulls the other man closer. “Kibum, listen to me - “
“No!” Kibum shouts, feverishly tearing away from his hold.
Shocked, Jinki lets himself be shoved away. He takes in the broken man in front of him, frayed at his perfectly refined edges and quickly unraveling. What choice does he have? If he pushes any further, Kibum will just fight him off harder. What happened? How did things change so suddenly?
The walls quake as Kibum slams the door shut to his apartment, slipping inside without Jinki even seeing.
Passing cars drag streaks of lights across the walls of the dim house. Days pass but it remains black inside the apartment, nothing but the occasional sound of a whistling tea kettle interrupting the vacant air. Jinki can't bring himself to flip a light switch, let alone open a curtain. He just sits, stares at the empty space on the couch beside him.
“Kibum, your office feels bare today.”
Gathering the last of the blueprints into his leather bound brief case, the brunette doesn't bother to look up from his desk to meet the aged eyes on him. “Some of my employees are out on sick leave.”
The man chuckles, but can't keep his mind on the small talk. All he can see is the gorgeous man in front of him, bending over to pick up the last of his belongings.
“Well, should we go then?” Kibum questions and the empty stare he gives the man sends shivers down his spine - the feeling will pass once they're undressed.
Kikwang watches as Jonghyun downs yet another shot, slamming it back onto the counter top empty. They're in an upscale bar at the top of a very expensive hotel, so he knows exactly where this night is going to lead, but he doesn't mind. He can see the agony hidden behind the fake exterior Jonghyun has created and he wants to help ease the pain in any way possible.
“Shit,” Jonghyun mutters, fingers moving to massage his temples, “Must be the pills.”
Pulling Jonghyun's hands into his own, Kikwang ventures to try and lead Jonghyun away from the bar. “Why don't we go to our room?” He suggests, rubbing teasing patterns into Jonghyun's sensitive finger pads.
In no condition to argue, Jonghyun follows him blindly. It's disconcerting just how drunk he is, Kikwang has seen him drink dozens under the table, but he doesn't question it. It's not until they're back in their hotel room and Jonghyun's bent over the toilet, emptying the contents of his stomach, that Kikwang becomes truly concerned.
“Did you drink more before I came? I thought you only had a couple of shots?” He worries, hovering over Jonghyun.
The man can't bring himself to answer, instead fumbling for a bottle on the counter. Kikwang snatches it up before Jonghyun finds it and reads the label. How the hell did Jonghyun ever get a hold of this medication? Kikwang covers his open mouth with his hand as he stares down at the nearly empty bottle.
“Kikwang, give it to me,” Jonghyun groans, barely able to slur the words together.
“Why are you doing this to yourself?” He chokes out, tears pooling at the edge of his vision. “It's because of him, isn't it?”
Jonghyun doesn't answer, he's already passed out against the toilet seat. Kneeling onto the tile flooring, Kikwang tries to shake him awake, but he can hardly even pick up a pulse when he places two fingers to his neck. Shit. What should he do? Jonghyun's body falls to the floor, limp.
Kikwang pulls out his phone and calls the first person that comes to mind; he can't take care of this alone, he has no idea what to do.
“Hello?” The groggy voice echoes across the line and never before has Kikwang felt so relieved.
“Kibum! There's something wrong with Jonghyun.”
Silence rings into the speaker. Kikwang waits for the other man to respond, bouncing from foot to foot while gazing down at Jonghyun in despair.
“Kibum, please - “
“Where are you?”
Soundlessly, Kibum shuts his phone and places it into the pockets of the sweat pants he's shimmied into during the call. He cautiously lifts himself from the bed, holding his breath when a large hand grapples for a hold on his hip. The last thing he needs is Daeho waking up and discovering who he's going to see. Kibum slips out of the hold and into his waiting slippers.
After feeling his way through his apartment in pitch black, Kibum scoops up his boots and an oversized metallic gray coat. He might not look his best, far from it really, but at least it will deter from any unwanted attention. Kibum takes the elevator down to the lobby before exiting to the street. A great gust of wind blows at the exact moment he steps foot outside of the heated building and he has to jump to wrap himself up fully with his coat.
The cab ride to the Shilla Seoul is expensive, but Kibum figures he's using the company's credit card anyway, so what does cost matter? It doesn't take long for Kibum to get an escort to Jonghyun's suite and he's out of breath by the time Kikwng lets him in.
Kikwang can't conjure the strength to be shocked at Kibum's speedy entrance, instead motioning, nerves too on edge to process anything, to the man passed out on the bed. Taking the initiative, Kibum strides to the bed's side and begins shaking Jonghyun in hopes of waking him.
“How long has he been like this?” Kibum demands while keeping his eyes trained on Jonghyun.
“Um, uh, an hour? I don't know, he was like this when I called you…” Kikwang stumbles, overwhelmed.
“How much did he drink?”
“A couple of shots - It's the pills, he's been taking these pills.”
Kibum shoots Kikwang a narrowed glare, agitated with his incoherent words. “What pills?”
Startled into silence, Kikwang hands him the empty bottle he had taken from Jonghyun earlier. Studying the bottle with a critical gaze, Kibum bites at his bottom lip in worry. Shit, what has Jonghyun gotten himself into? He stuffs the prescription into the duffel bag setting on the bed beside Jonghyun, assuming it's his. He had told himself what he'd seen Jonghyun take before was nothing, maybe just something for his frequent migraines, but no one takes tranquilizers for headaches.
Kikwang takes a step forward. “Can I help-”
“You can leave,” Kibum orders curtly while landing a few solid slaps across Jonghyun's face in an attempt to wake him.
There's no argument. Kikwang leaves wordlessly, albeit bitterly. Kibum doesn't notice as Jonghyun finally shows some signs of life, swatting at Kibum's stinging hand drowsily. Kibum takes this opportunity of semi consciousness to heft Jonghyun to his feet, one arm slung over his shoulder to support his dead weight.
“Jjong, c'mon,” Kibum grunts as he slings the duffel bag over his free shoulder.
The older man babbles nonsense against his neck, dry lips reeking of alcohol, but he does aide in supporting his own weight. Kibum has to continuously goad him along as they make their way to the hotel's lobby and out to a cab. He tries to ignore just how comfortable he is with all of this, wishing Jonghyun wasn't so natural to him even in this state.
Consciousness doesn't come easily and when he does finally wake it's to a skull splitting migraine. Jonghyun scrubs his hand over his face while trying to swallow past the Sahara desert climate in his throat and mouth. Thankfully, the room is basked in complete darkness, so he doesn't have to worry about his sensitive eyes needing protection. He blinks and smacks his lips together, trying to gather his bearings despite the blank he's drawing on the past night's events.
“There's water and aspirin beside you.”
Jonghyun would jump if he had the energy, but instead he settles for a startled expression shot in the voice's direction. Kibum's face remains stony and unreadable from his position leaning against the wall next to the bedroom door. He looks like hell warmed over.
“What the hell are you doing here?” Jonghyun asks gruffly, words harder to get out than expected. He reaches over to take the glass of water and pill for some relief.
Kibum pushes off the wall and takes a step closer to the bed, arms folded indignantly against his chest. “I had to drag your ass back here because your little boy toy couldn't handle you.”
Jonghyun's brows furrow together. “What do you mean?”
“What I mean,” Kibum parrots, eyes rolling heavenward in a silent prayer for patience, “Is that after your dumb ass self tried to commit suicide, Kikwang had to come running to me to take care of you. Do you ever think with more than your dick? What were you thinking, mixing medications, which you shouldn't even have, with alcohol?”
The fierce gaze Kibum has trained on him makes his skin crawl, with what he can't quite determine. Jonghyun shuts down at the accusatory questions, turning over in his bed to face the opposite wall. “I didn't try to kill myself.”
“Then what the hell were you doing?” Kibum snaps angrily. Jonghyun doesn't see the way his fists are balled at his side, nails digging deep just to stop the rage of emotions whirling around inside.
“Why the fuck do you care?” Jonghyun retorts, still refusing to look at the other man. “You've done your good deed for the year, just get out. Go find your boyfriend - or whatever the hell you want to call that guy.”
Silence takes over. Jonghyun wonders whether Kibum really did leave, but then his bed dips and there's added weight beside him.
“Just … talk to me, Jjong,” the words are said as a soft plea, catching Jonghyun off guard, “You're normally irrational, but this? It's just too reckless to be you.”
“Things change, Kibum,” Jonghyun says and the words ring with truth and finality.
Jonghyun waits for the soft foot falls alerting him to Kibum's departure. The younger man has never been one for discussing feelings, at least, not with Jonghyun. When a pair of thin arms wind their way around his middle and a warm body presses flush against his, he has to remember if the meds he's been taking list delusions as a side effect. Jonghyun stays completely still, frozen against the shockingly comforting touch. He's never witnessed this side of Kibum, let alone experienced it.
Their breathing settles into a rhythmic synchronization, Kibum's chest rising and falling against Jonghyun's back and hypnotizing him. Neither one dares to break the contact that they both need so desperately.
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A/N:
I'm really pumped for the response to my new comm. Please, if you haven't already, watch brightside_here for all of my fics and announcements. Thank you!
Picture credit toonesummerago @ deviantart.com