Wingman
Wingman
Pairing: Jonghyun/Taemin, Kibum/Taemin
Rating: PG-13
Summary: Jonghyun was waiting. No, that wasn’t it. Kibum was waiting.
“Here goes nothing,” Jonghyun muttered into his ear encouragingly when Kibum straightened his back, placing the book he’d been reading on the park bench next to him, a finger between the pages.
“Taemin?” the older teen asked with gentle curiosity, his hair and clothes as flawless as ever, wisps of pink falling over his eyes. “You wanted to talk to me about something?”
Taemin stood in front of Kibum stiffly, sweaty palms hidden in the pockets of his hoodie.
“Yeah,” was all he could force out after a moment of uncomfortable silence. Kibum was strangely patient - though considering the special treatment he always gave Taemin, it shouldn’t have come as a surprise.
“Yeah?”
Through the tiny earpiece Taemin was wearing, he could hear Jonghyun sigh.
“Take a deep breath, relax. It’s all gonna turn out okay, you hear me? I wouldn’t have let you drag me away from falling fucking angels if I had no faith in this. And believe me, it was the season finale so I’m sacrificing a lot here. You can do this,” Taemin’s best friend and partner in crime assured him and the corners of Taemin’s lips curved upwards just slightly. Jonghyun always knew what to say.
“Okay, so, uh, repeat after me- oh, and make eye contact!”
But Kibum’s gaze was too caring and confused and intense that Taemin’s already rosy cheeks darkened by a few tones and he found it much safer to stare at the pebbles by his feet instead.
“Yeah, okay, nevermind. You could close your eyes? So it would look like you’re focusing and stuff. Sincere. Take a deep breath.”
Jonghyun coughed, the audio receiver crackled and Taemin winced.
“Are you okay, Taeminnie? Do you want to sit down?” Kibum asked, concern audible in his voice. Taemin shook his head, not trusting himself enough to speak for himself at that moment.
“I have something to tell you...”
“I have something to tell you,” Taemin said obediently, his voice breaking in the middle. He could hear Jonghyun chuckling but he was too nervous to care, letting his eyes fall shut and recalling the lines he had written down a few days ago, the very ones Jonghyun was about to help him recite.
"Please don’t interrupt, I need to get this out in one go. See, the thing is, you’re a wonderful person and I really like being friends with you..."
“... I’m- I’m very happy we became friends, still kind of amazed by that, to be honest. To sum it up, I think you’re everything I’m not, everything I strive to be, everything I couldn’t even hope to become. A-and because of that, I have an endless amount of respect for you, hyung...”
”... You have taught me so much, whether you know it or not. You’ve shown me how to learn from my mistakes, how to laugh at the darkest times and turn my misery into happiness. You’ve made me very happy without trying. And I’m very grateful. You’ve always been there when I’ve needed you...”
“... So this is it. I think, at one point, I started to enjoy your company a bit more than I should. Um, and though it’s dumb, I kind of really like all your little habits - like the way you bend over when you laugh and slap things-”
“-and the way you always try to act strong even if you don’t have to, the way you nag about the littlest details while being a complete slob at other times.”
“I like everything th-that makes you... You.”
Taemin could hear Kibum taking quick excited breaths over the staticy sound of his receiver and for some reason, the ecstatic anticipation he’d been buzzing with since arriving at the park fizzled into a dull ache in his chest. He knew what was coming next. Jonghyun snorted and Taemin could only guess he was making a weird expression. Then his best friend swallowed heavily - Taemin imagined him smiling wistfully, squinting at a wrinkled scrap of paper to read Taemin’s nearly unintelligible writing - before reading the last line.
“I love you.”
The summer breeze was warm on his face. Kibum shifted. The aged wood under him creaked quietly.
Taemin thought of the smile Jonghyun had worn a few weeks ago, announcing that he had a new girlfriend, that he was serious about her. He remembered the night he spent going through his best friend’s facebook, itching to unfriend, itching to untag himself from all the pictures, to cause drama and fight because it wasn’t fair. The little cut on his hand from when he had not accidentally broken a frame containing a photo of him and Jonghyun had healed and the scar was no longer visible.
There were kids squealing on the swing sets, and some old lady was talking on the phone rather loudly, passing them by.
”I love you,” Jonghyun repeated himself, his voice low and raspy, softer. Taemin was aware that this was the last time he’d hear his friend say the words to him.
”Say it.”
Taemin didn’t want to. He suddenly didn’t feel like saying anything. But he owed it to Jonghyun for ruining his plans to watch that episode of Supernatural he’d been whining about for ages. Jonghyun was waiting.
No, that wasn’t it. Kibum was waiting.
“... I love you,” Taemin choked out after a few more seconds of awkward silence, not knowing who his confession was meant for. He expected Jonghyun’s laughter and loud exclamations of ‘you did it, see!’ but they never came.
There was irregular breathing and at this point Taemin wasn’t sure if it belonged to him, Kibum or Jonghyun. He felt like he just made the biggest mistake he’d ever done, something even worse than making his older brother take the blame for the glass he stole from the burger joint downtown.
Kibum was easy to love. He called Taemin pet names and had a soft spot for him. It hadn’t been difficult to set him as a target of affection, change his own mind and pretend that there had never been a tightening heat in his chest when Jonghyun turned his way.
“Open your eyes,” Jonghyun ordered mirthlessly and with a click of the older’s fingers, the connection between them ended. It was suddenly very quiet and Taemin did as he was told. His heart was telling his legs to run, his arms to reach for the silver-haired man he knew was heading towards the park’s gates without looking back.
Taemin didn’t give in, he was used to denying his heart it’s desires.
He lifted his eyes from the ground with self-pity and humiliation. The feelings he’d recklessly forced into the back of his mind had bubbled to the surface at the worst time and he was sure Jonghyun could guess why he had hesitated at the most important part.
Once Taemin had managed to compose himself enough to look up, Kibum was watching him with tear-filled eyes, sitting on the very edge of the bench, his book long forgotten. He really did look lovely with his studded jacket and dyed hair.
Taemin regarded him fearfully, awaiting the accusations of dishonesty or, at least, words of rejection.
“Oh, Taemin,” was all Kibum said, though, before jumping to his feet and pulling the startled teenager into his embrace. “Oh, Taeminnie.”
a/n: just a little thing i just wrote, dedicated to the loveliest shesalluring, who still hasn't given up on me and who i love very very much for that <3
Pairing: Jonghyun/Taemin, Kibum/Taemin
Rating: PG-13
Summary: Jonghyun was waiting. No, that wasn’t it. Kibum was waiting.
“Here goes nothing,” Jonghyun muttered into his ear encouragingly when Kibum straightened his back, placing the book he’d been reading on the park bench next to him, a finger between the pages.
“Taemin?” the older teen asked with gentle curiosity, his hair and clothes as flawless as ever, wisps of pink falling over his eyes. “You wanted to talk to me about something?”
Taemin stood in front of Kibum stiffly, sweaty palms hidden in the pockets of his hoodie.
“Yeah,” was all he could force out after a moment of uncomfortable silence. Kibum was strangely patient - though considering the special treatment he always gave Taemin, it shouldn’t have come as a surprise.
“Yeah?”
Through the tiny earpiece Taemin was wearing, he could hear Jonghyun sigh.
“Take a deep breath, relax. It’s all gonna turn out okay, you hear me? I wouldn’t have let you drag me away from falling fucking angels if I had no faith in this. And believe me, it was the season finale so I’m sacrificing a lot here. You can do this,” Taemin’s best friend and partner in crime assured him and the corners of Taemin’s lips curved upwards just slightly. Jonghyun always knew what to say.
“Okay, so, uh, repeat after me- oh, and make eye contact!”
But Kibum’s gaze was too caring and confused and intense that Taemin’s already rosy cheeks darkened by a few tones and he found it much safer to stare at the pebbles by his feet instead.
“Yeah, okay, nevermind. You could close your eyes? So it would look like you’re focusing and stuff. Sincere. Take a deep breath.”
Jonghyun coughed, the audio receiver crackled and Taemin winced.
“Are you okay, Taeminnie? Do you want to sit down?” Kibum asked, concern audible in his voice. Taemin shook his head, not trusting himself enough to speak for himself at that moment.
“I have something to tell you...”
“I have something to tell you,” Taemin said obediently, his voice breaking in the middle. He could hear Jonghyun chuckling but he was too nervous to care, letting his eyes fall shut and recalling the lines he had written down a few days ago, the very ones Jonghyun was about to help him recite.
"Please don’t interrupt, I need to get this out in one go. See, the thing is, you’re a wonderful person and I really like being friends with you..."
“... I’m- I’m very happy we became friends, still kind of amazed by that, to be honest. To sum it up, I think you’re everything I’m not, everything I strive to be, everything I couldn’t even hope to become. A-and because of that, I have an endless amount of respect for you, hyung...”
”... You have taught me so much, whether you know it or not. You’ve shown me how to learn from my mistakes, how to laugh at the darkest times and turn my misery into happiness. You’ve made me very happy without trying. And I’m very grateful. You’ve always been there when I’ve needed you...”
“... So this is it. I think, at one point, I started to enjoy your company a bit more than I should. Um, and though it’s dumb, I kind of really like all your little habits - like the way you bend over when you laugh and slap things-”
“-and the way you always try to act strong even if you don’t have to, the way you nag about the littlest details while being a complete slob at other times.”
“I like everything th-that makes you... You.”
Taemin could hear Kibum taking quick excited breaths over the staticy sound of his receiver and for some reason, the ecstatic anticipation he’d been buzzing with since arriving at the park fizzled into a dull ache in his chest. He knew what was coming next. Jonghyun snorted and Taemin could only guess he was making a weird expression. Then his best friend swallowed heavily - Taemin imagined him smiling wistfully, squinting at a wrinkled scrap of paper to read Taemin’s nearly unintelligible writing - before reading the last line.
“I love you.”
The summer breeze was warm on his face. Kibum shifted. The aged wood under him creaked quietly.
Taemin thought of the smile Jonghyun had worn a few weeks ago, announcing that he had a new girlfriend, that he was serious about her. He remembered the night he spent going through his best friend’s facebook, itching to unfriend, itching to untag himself from all the pictures, to cause drama and fight because it wasn’t fair. The little cut on his hand from when he had not accidentally broken a frame containing a photo of him and Jonghyun had healed and the scar was no longer visible.
There were kids squealing on the swing sets, and some old lady was talking on the phone rather loudly, passing them by.
”I love you,” Jonghyun repeated himself, his voice low and raspy, softer. Taemin was aware that this was the last time he’d hear his friend say the words to him.
”Say it.”
Taemin didn’t want to. He suddenly didn’t feel like saying anything. But he owed it to Jonghyun for ruining his plans to watch that episode of Supernatural he’d been whining about for ages. Jonghyun was waiting.
No, that wasn’t it. Kibum was waiting.
“... I love you,” Taemin choked out after a few more seconds of awkward silence, not knowing who his confession was meant for. He expected Jonghyun’s laughter and loud exclamations of ‘you did it, see!’ but they never came.
There was irregular breathing and at this point Taemin wasn’t sure if it belonged to him, Kibum or Jonghyun. He felt like he just made the biggest mistake he’d ever done, something even worse than making his older brother take the blame for the glass he stole from the burger joint downtown.
Kibum was easy to love. He called Taemin pet names and had a soft spot for him. It hadn’t been difficult to set him as a target of affection, change his own mind and pretend that there had never been a tightening heat in his chest when Jonghyun turned his way.
“Open your eyes,” Jonghyun ordered mirthlessly and with a click of the older’s fingers, the connection between them ended. It was suddenly very quiet and Taemin did as he was told. His heart was telling his legs to run, his arms to reach for the silver-haired man he knew was heading towards the park’s gates without looking back.
Taemin didn’t give in, he was used to denying his heart it’s desires.
He lifted his eyes from the ground with self-pity and humiliation. The feelings he’d recklessly forced into the back of his mind had bubbled to the surface at the worst time and he was sure Jonghyun could guess why he had hesitated at the most important part.
Once Taemin had managed to compose himself enough to look up, Kibum was watching him with tear-filled eyes, sitting on the very edge of the bench, his book long forgotten. He really did look lovely with his studded jacket and dyed hair.
Taemin regarded him fearfully, awaiting the accusations of dishonesty or, at least, words of rejection.
“Oh, Taemin,” was all Kibum said, though, before jumping to his feet and pulling the startled teenager into his embrace. “Oh, Taeminnie.”
a/n: just a little thing i just wrote, dedicated to the loveliest shesalluring, who still hasn't given up on me and who i love very very much for that <3