There's A Symphony In Your Eyes
Title: There's A Symphony In Your Eyes
Pairing: Jonghyun/Key
Rating: PG
Word Count: 9,834
Request by: Anonymous [2]
Summary: Jonghyun's life revolves around music. The louder, the better. When his new neighbor enters his life, however, Jonghyun learns to appreciate the quiet. And in the quiet, he hears the most beautiful song in the entire world.
A/N: So I took two anon's prompts and smashed them together to make this 8) I hope you guys don't mind!! This was the prompt for deaf!key, mixed with a prompt about jongkey being neighbors. I'm really satisfied with the result! I hope you enjoy ^^
Jonghyun's life revolved around music. If he wasn't singing, he was listening to his iPod. If he wasn't listening to his iPod, he was scribbling lyrics messily in the margins of his homework. If he wasn't writing lyrics he was humming a random tune, committing it to memory to compose it later. And if he wasn't doing any of those things... well, he was in a bad mood.
The neighborhood he lived in didn't have any strict rules to abide by, save for the norm; no guns, no speeding, keep your dog on a leash and pick up after it, and when you mowed the lawn mow your part only and don't cross over the property line. This left Jonghyun to blare music in his home whenever he got home from school and his parents were away at work or otherwise - his sister didn't complain because she enjoyed the same past-times Jonghyun did, and it was a plus that they got along so well.
On one such day, Jonghyun was half doing his summer homework in one notebook, and half writing down lyrics in another notebook. He was on the porch swing out front, under the shade of the porch roof and in the company of the old maple tree just on the other side of the railing. It was the beginning of summer and Jonghyun considered his first year of college a success; he didn't flunk any classes, he didn't get arrested, and he qualified for financial aid for the next year. All was perfect.
As he used one foot to gently swing the bench, his other foot pulled up underneath his thigh so he could have a writing surface, he noticed a giant moving truck park across the street. Distracted from his work he watched the movers haul furniture into the house, and Jonghyun wondered what his new neighbors would be like. The old couple that had lived in that house before were... well, old. They didn't like Jonghyun's music or his dog or the way Jonghyun would walk out of the house in just his boxers to get the mail. No one else minded, why were old people so crabby?
Smirking to himself at the thought, his eyes roved over to a mini-van that pulled up behind the moving truck. Ah, the family. It was just a set of parents and a boy that looked Jonghyun's age, and he leaned forward a bit, trying to catch a glimpse of his new neighbors. The kid's hair was an unnatural blond - not quite honey, not quite golden - and he was dressed in skinny jeans and a graphic tee. Looked normal enough. Leaning back, Jonghyun scribbled down an equation and idly thought of the answer, keeping one eye on the family as they moved minor things into the house, small boxes probably containing dishes and other home décor.
Jonghyun finished his homework in the next hour and he stood up, ready to head inside where the music he had blaring was slightly muffled by the walls of his house. He caught sight of the new blond neighbor and the neighbor caught sight of him as well; Jonghyun gave a small wave and a smile, satisfied when the other boy gave him a polite wave in return.
His new neighbors didn't seem too bad, so far.
-
Jonghyun and Sodam were sharing the swing on the front porch, Jonghyun scribbling lyrics in his notebook, Sodam reading some book that she had picked up from a secondhand book store.
The neighbors hadn't made an appearance since the day they moved in a week ago. Well, they saw the parents going to and from work, but there was no sign of the boy. Jonghyun was mildly curious, Sodam couldn't be less interested, and life went on. It was nice to be able to blare their music with the front door propped open without the prying eyes of the old couple glaring at them accusingly.
“Should we get a house warming gift for them?” Jonghyun wondered aloud, tapping the end of his pen on his notebook.
Sodam glanced up and looked at the house across the way, “You mean like bake a cake or something?”
Jonghyun shrugged, pressing the butt end of his pen down on the notebook to make it click shut. “One of mom's casseroles or something.”
Sodam snorted, “Since when are you the caring, curious neighbor?”
He tried to look affronted, “I care!”, but Sodam's knowing laugh made him chuckle in turn. “I never see their son, he never leaves the house.”
“Maybe because he knows you're out here,” she suggested with a smirk, eyes returning to her book.
“I'll have you know I'm quite the character to meet,” Jonghyun primped. The scrutinizing silence between them made Jonghyun sigh and laugh. “I'm harmless.”
“Harmless enough,” Sodam shrugged, reaching up to tug on a lock of Jonghyun's hair. “But have you seen your face lately?”
Jonghyun's hands went up to his jaw defensively, before he scoffed and pushed his sister's shoulder.
“Or your arms? You're like a gorilla,” Sodam continued teasing, her fingers squeezing at Jonghyun's bare biceps. “A caveman. Short-statured with knuckle-dragging hands.”
Jonghyun snorted and flexed, “Yeah, you wish your boyfriend had a body like mine, this is perfection!”
Sodam rolled her eyes, “I think you need to spend less time at the gym and un-friend your mirror on Facebook.”
Standing up, Jonghyun put his lyric book and pen on the now empty space next to his sister. “I'll show you people want to know me.”
He felt Sodam's eyes following him as he hopped down the porch steps, the sun instantly heating his skin. His tank top was already clinging to his back with sweat and the shorts he was wearing weren't airy enough, but the trek across the street wasn't too long or grueling, and as he went up to the door of his new neighbor's house, he knocked on the door.
No answer came after a few moments, and Jonghyun tried knocking again, harder.
“No one wants to know you!” Sodam yelled across the street.
Jonghyun waved her off; only the dad was gone, the mom's mini-van was still in the driveway, and as he took a step back and idly examined the potted plants on the deck and the old-fashioned rocker chair, he wondered if his neighbors maybe didn't want anything to do with the rest of the neighborhood.
He didn't linger on that thought long, the front door opening and the mother peering out curiously.
Offering his brightest, most charming smile, Jonghyun waved, “Hi! I'm Kim Jonghyun, I live across the street.”
The mom gave a hesitant smile, “Hello. What can I do for you?”
“I was wondering if your son was home? Me and my sister were going to walk down to the record store and I notice he doesn't get out much, so I wanted to invite him along. Give him a bit of a tour of the neighborhood.”
The mom's smile waned a bit, “Ah, I'm sorry, he can't.”
She started to shut the door, and with the screen between them, Jonghyun couldn't do anything but splutter for her to wait. “Uhm - well uh. We're going to be having a neighborhood barbecue the last weekend of the month. You guys should come, it'll be over at the Choi's house,” he threw his thumb over the shoulder, gesturing to the house that was next to his. He was still smiling and the mother still looked like a frightened deer. He started to wonder if his sister was right. “All of us would really like to meet you.”
“We'll think about it,” the mother finally said.
“Alright,” Jonghyun was about to let her shut the door, before he shuffled a bit. “Um. Will your son come...?”
“Kibum?” The mom smiled a bit. “I'll see if he's up to it.”
Jonghyun's smile turned a bit relieved. “Alright. Thank you, Mrs...?”
“Kim.” And with that, the door shut, prompting Jonghyun to turn around and skip down their sidewalk, not even bothering to check for cars as he crossed the empty street.
His sister perked up when he returned, “Well?”
“They're the Kim's, and they might come to Minho's barbecue at the end of the month,” Jonghyun took up his space next to his sister again, clicking his pen and writing a few words down. “Their son's name is Kibum.”
“Was he home?” Sodam glanced across the way at the house.
“I'm pretty sure he was, but the way his mom talked about him,” Jonghyun frowned a bit. “He might be sick?”
Sodam nodded slowly, “Maybe he's allergic to the sun.”
Jonghyun snorted, “Would explain why he's never outside.”
“Don't laugh, sun allergies are serious!” Sodam elbowed him in the ribs, though she was smiling. “I'm sure he'll come around. You probably wooed his mother and she's probably in there right now: 'Kibum, that Jonghyun boy was so sweet and charming, he'd be good for you to hang out with, make friends!', et cetera et cetera that concerned moms ramble about whenever they move to a new city with a kid.”
Shaking his head and letting out a breath, Jonghyun twirled his pen between his forefinger and thumb. “I guess we'll see.”
“Meanwhile...” Sodam stood up and stretched. “I'm going to go make some popsicles.” She grinned, and then darted into the house.
Jonghyun spluttered and sprinted after her, effectively shut out by Sodam slamming the front door in his face and locking the door. “Nuna! That's not fair! It's fucking hot out here!”
He could hear her laughing as she went deeper into the house, probably to lock the back door as well. Used to this game, Jonghyun shook his head and went back to the swing, sitting down and yawning. She'd bring him out a popsicle anyway.
It's what sisters were for.
-
Shirtless and sweating like a pig, Jonghyun was out mowing the lawn a few days later with music blaring from his house when he caught sight of the mysterious Kibum. His new neighbor was on the front porch of his home, bent over the potted plants, presumably watering them. Not wanting to seem suspicious or anything, Jonghyun continued to mow the lawn, every pass he made facing Kibum's house allowing him to watch his neighbor without being too creepy.
Kibum was thin, but not abnormally so, in a plain tank top and some basketball shorts. His legs looked pretty toned from this distance and the curve of his hips was almost a bit exaggerated. Which was fine. Jonghyun could appreciate that. Maybe Kibum was a dancer? Or a swimmer. His shoulders were pretty broad and his torso tapered down to a slender waist.
Shaking his head to get his sweaty fringe out of his eyes, Jonghyun made another pass around the yard, and this time when he looked up, Kibum was at his mailbox, his head swiveling as he seemed to glance in every direction all at once. Was he worried about cars coming? Or did he not want to be seen getting his mail? Nah, he was acting pretty normal, save for the slight tense way he walked, and at Jonghyun's final pass, he shut off the lawnmower and leaned against the crossbar, smirking lightly.
“Yah, Kibum,” he called out. He was at the edge of his lawn and Kibum was standing at his mailbox flipping through the envelopes, so it wouldn't be hard to hear him.
Only, Kibum didn't turn around. Was he ignoring him?
Jonghyun straightened. There was no reason for Kibum to ignore Jonghyun, unless his mother told him Jonghyun was the freaky nosy neighbor and Kibum shouldn't talk to him because he might be a serial killer. Shaking his head, Jonghyun wiped his sweaty hands on his shorts as he headed across the street, trying again.
“Hey,” he said as he approached Kibum.
Only when he was a few steps away did the other boy turn towards him, his eyes widening a bit as if he hadn't expected Jonghyun to be there. Well, it's not like Jonghyun was being stealthy, so he was a bit confused as to why Kibum looked surprised.
“Um...” Jonghyun licked his lips, and noticed that Kibum's eyes immediately went to his mouth. “Hi, I'm Jonghyun.” He held out his hand.
Kibum's eyes raised from his lips to his eyes, and then he glanced down at Jonghyun's hand, shaking it carefully, his gaze returning to Jonghyun's mouth once more.
“You're Kibum, right?” Jonghyun asked, gently letting Kibum's hand go before he got creepy and starting caressing his soft skin.
Kibum didn't reply for a second, before he nodded and gave a shy smile, his eyes flickering from Jonghyun's to his mouth and back up again. Something about that act tugged in Jonghyun's brain, like he should know why Kibum kept waiting for him to talk so he could watch his lips.
And when Kibum didn't speak back to him, it clicked.
Kibum was deaf.
Jonghyun almost hit himself in the forehead. Of course, that's why he couldn't hear Jonghyun yelling or approaching, and he wasn't staring at his mouth, he was reading his lips. Smiling sheepishly, Jonghyun rubbed the back of his neck, drawing Kibum's attention back to his face. Where had he been looking befo-- oh, Jonghyun was still shirtless.
“Uh,” remembering that he should probably enunciate his words and speak properly so Kibum could understand him, Jonghyun raised a hand to his own ear and gestured towards it. “Sorry, I didn't know.”
Kibum shrugged, his smile growing a bit before his eyes dropped to Jonghyun's chest briefly. His smile widened and he shook his head, pulling a pen out of his pocket and ripping off a corner of one of the envelopes he was holding, writing quickly on it. Kibum handed the paper to Jonghyun, who read his slightly girly handwriting with a wry smile.
Nice to meet you. Jonghyun.
Good, he had understood Jonghyun's introduction; Jonghyun absent-mindedly put the paper in his pocket. He must be really good at reading lips. Patting his pockets, Jonghyun pulled out his cell phone and handed it to Kibum, who arched a brow at him.
“Give me your number,” Jonghyun said, smiling a bit. “So we can text. Maybe we can hang out some time?”
Kibum's eyes were studying his lips as he spoke and Jonghyun felt himself blush a little, not that it would be noticeable with his body already flushed from the hot summer sun. Something about the way Kibum's eyes focused and concentrated whenever Jonghyun's mouth moved made Jonghyun's heart rate speed up.
Finally Kibum took Jonghyun's phone from his hand, programming his number in and handing it back. Giving a nod, he bowed slightly to signal that he was going to leave, and Jonghyun's smirk was a bit crooked as he waved his hand idly, turning around to head back to his yard.
Kibum didn't seem so bad. And he was so attractive up close, with those sharp eyes and those pouty lips that Jonghyun kind of wished would talk, because they must be quite the thing to see in motion.
Back at his house he started the process of putting the lawnmower back in the shed, but not before glancing back to watch Kibum disappear into his house.
Well, no one could say the new neighbors weren't interesting.
-
The next day Jonghyun was lying in bed after the sun had set, a dinky fan in his window the only reprieve from the stifling heat that seemed to creep around the house and suffocate everything. He was wearing only his boxers and had his laptop resting on his chest as he surfed the internet, not really doing much in particular - not having the energy to do anything, a radio in the corner of his room docking his iPod that was set on a relaxing playlist.
He glanced out of the gap in his window where the fan didn't meet the frame, and saw a light on in Kibum's house. A sudden urge came over Jonghyun and he picked up his phone, finding Kibum's number and typing a text to his new neighbor.
Hey, it's Jonghyun. Shouldn't you be asleep? he set his phone down on his chest in front of his laptop and let his fingers scroll over the mousepad idly.
His phone buzzed about a minute later.
Stalker, quit watching my house.
Jonghyun snorted. He had been wondering what Kibum's personality would be like. There was only so much he could gather in their brief meeting, and because Kibum had been so focused on making sure he understood Jonghyun, there were sure to be quirks that Jonghyun could only fathom of knowing.
There's nothing else to do. It's too hot and we have no air conditioning.
He started checking the school registry, briefly considering picking out his Fall classes - but he had all summer to do it.
Aw, poor baby. I'm under a blanket, our air conditioning is broken and the house is a freaking refrigerator.
Lucky, Jonghyun immediately typed back. You should share that igloo with the less fortunate. He smirked to himself, glancing out the window to see that the light in the house had shut off.
You'll have to earn that right.
Jonghyun blinked at the screen.
Kibum was... sassy. And quite easy to talk to, after all. It was a pleasant turn of events.
Alright. Jonghyun thought for a moment, the word on the screen looking lonesome and like it needed a charming sentence following it. Chuckling to himself, his thumbs tapped on the screen of his iPhone rhythmically. I'll take you out. Any place you want to go. He figured it'd be a dick move if he picked some place he wanted to go that Kibum couldn't enjoy, so it seemed natural to let the other choose, right?
This time the pause between texts was a bit longer than the previous times, and Jonghyun almost wondered if he crossed a line.
When his phone vibrated, his thumb slipped when he tried to swipe the unlock.
My mom says your house is always so noisy with music. Can I come over some time?
Jonghyun's brows furrowed a bit. He didn't want to be rude and say 'why would you want that when you can't hear the music?' but it was the first thing that entered his mind. His thumbs hesitated over the virtual keyboard, before he typed his reply.
You can come over whenever you want, our door is open.
He sent the text and felt like he'd done a good deed, inviting his neighbor to his house like that. It was the neighborly thing to do, right? It had nothing to do with the fact that Kibum had pretty, angular features and shoulders that Jonghyun sometimes wanted to flutter butterfly kisses over.
Nearly ten minutes passed and he didn't get a reply. Shutting down his laptop and rubbing his face, he stood up and put on some basketball shorts over his boxers, slipping his phone into his pocket as he headed downstairs. It was nearly midnight and the house was still stifling hot, Jonghyun's throat itching for some ice water. As the ice clinked in the cup and he filled it from the tap he heard a knock on his door, and he turned towards the front of the house with an arched brow and an amused smirk.
Keeping his glass in his hand, the dish quickly slicking with condensation, he ambled towards the front door and unlocked it, opening it to see Kibum on the other side. He was dressed in sweats and a tank top, a notebook and a pen in one hand as he gave Jonghyun a bit of a superior smirk.
Jonghyun waved a hand for Kibum to enter, the blond coming in through the screen door and stepping inside Jonghyun's house. He wasn't even wearing shoes, Jonghyun noted. He shut the door and locked it behind them, gently tapping Kibum's arm to get his attention. Kibum paused in looking around, turning to Jonghyun and tilting his head a bit.
Jonghyun held up his glass, smiling lightly. Kibum nodded and followed as Jonghyun moved to the kitchen, setting his glass down on the counter and starting to get a drink for Kibum. The ice clinked in the glass and the water from the tap was cool, Jonghyun turning around to hand the cup to Kibum. It was a good thing he was slow about it, though, because Kibum was occupied writing in his notebook. He waited for Kibum to finish and look up, holding out the glass to him, the blond taking it and sipping gratefully. The ice in Jonghyun's glass was already almost melted.
Kibum handed his notebook to Jonghyun, and it was a bit weird, all this quiet. Being in someone's presence without talking to them. Jonghyun was a chatterbox, he liked to talk people's faces off, silence sort of disturbed him. But he didn't really have a choice with Kibum. Not that he minded. He found that Kibum's presence itself was loud enough to make up for the words he didn't speak.
You have a nice house. Where is everyone?
Jonghyun wondered if he should write his response, but Kibum was looking at him expectantly. He opened his mouth to talk, and tried not to squirm under the pinning gaze of Kibum's eyes on his mouth.
“My sister is asleep, and my parents are on vacation.”
Kibum nodded, taking his notebook back and taking another sip of his water, eyes traveling around the kitchen. Jonghyun wondered what it was like to have a sense completely blocked out - wondered just how sharp the other senses became. Kibum was always aware of his surroundings and studying them with such care and precision, Jonghyun was pretty sure after being in one place for five minutes the blond could navigate it with his eyes closed.
Now that Kibum was here, Jonghyun wondered what they would do. Did Kibum watch television? Apparently Kibum must have felt Jonghyun's slight awkwardness, because he wrote something down on his notebook and handed it to Jonghyun.
Why aren't you listening to music?
Jonghyun didn't hide the confusion on his face as he stared at the words. How did Kibum know?
Kibum rolled his eyes and took the notebook back from Jonghyun, hastily writing. I can still feel things, idiot. I can feel vibrations of bass and stuff.
“Oh,” Jonghyun said dumbly. Of course, if music was playing at a reasonable level, Kibum would be able to feel it. Kibum's eyes were on his lips again, obviously awaiting an explanation. “I have a radio in my room that I listen to when it's... late. So I don't bother anyone.”
Nodding, Kibum left his notebook in Jonghyun's hands and finished his water, politely putting his glass in the sink before wandering out of the kitchen. Jonghyun gulped down the rest of his water and set the glass down on the counter, following after Kibum and wondering just where he was going. But Kibum was already halfway up the stairs and Jonghyun jogged to catch up with him, holding onto Kibum's notebook and trying not to stare at the curve of Kibum's ass as it bounced in front of him.
As if sensing Jonghyun's eyes Kibum glanced over his shoulder, arching a brow as a smirk curled the corner of his mouth. Jonghyun jerked his gaze away and cleared his throat, and as they reached the top of the stairs Kibum paused for a moment, before heading straight for Jonghyun's room.
Again, how did he know?
Once inside Jonghyun's room Kibum sat down on the edge of Jonghyun's bed, and when Jonghyun just stared at him, Kibum opened his mouth and let out a sound - the first sound Jonghyun had heard leave his lips.
A laugh.
It wasn't a normal laugh by any means, but it was Kibum's laugh, and Jonghyun wanted to hear more of it. The blond tapped his nose and then swirled his finger in the air, making the motion of sniffing. Jonghyun understood: Kibum found his room by scent. Another heightened sense. Jonghyun didn't know if he should be embarrassed; as far as he knew, he smelled like sweat and nothing nice because even after he had showered, the house was so hot he didn't stay clean for long.
Kibum pat the space next to him and Jonghyun sat down, Kibum reaching for his laptop without permission and opening it. It seemed Kibum was the 'I do whatever the fuck I want' type, despite his disability (could it even be called a disability? Kibum functioned so... normally). Jonghyun chuckled a bit as Kibum opened the laptop, and Kibum's head tilted towards him a bit before his eyes moved to Jonghyun's mouth. It looked like he was waiting for Jonghyun to speak, so Jonghyun closed his mouth and shook his head, reaching over to type in his lock password so Kibum could get to the main screen.
The first site Kibum went to looked like a blog of some sort; curious, Jonghyun leaned a bit closer, their shoulders brushing. Kibum had only been in the house for ten minutes but his skin already had a light layer of sweat on it, their skin sliding as Kibum pointed at one of the pictures. It was of an outfit on a mannequin; the outfit was a summer dress, rather simple and yet stunningly elegant at the same time. The background of the picture was a window and the edge of a bed was visible, various sketch pads and notebooks scattered on the floor. One familiar notebook drew Jonghyun's attention, and he glanced to the one in his lap.
“You make clothes?” Jonghyun asked, and then almost smacked himself when he noticed Kibum wasn't paying attention to him.
But he was surprised when Kibum glanced over, their faces a lot closer than Jonghyun remembered them being, and Kibum gave a small smile and a nod. Had he heard him? Impossible. Maybe he just heard the vibration of Jonghyun's voice since they were sitting so close and guessed what Jonghyun might have said.
Now Kibum was looking at Jonghyun's mouth, his eyes flicking tentatively between lips and eyes, much like he had during their first encounter, like he was unsure of something. He was clearly waiting for Jonghyun's reaction; Jonghyun smiled and nodded a bit.
“You're really good,” he said.
Kibum visibly relaxed, and they spent the next half our or so scrolling through Kibum's fashion blog, the blond showing Jonghyun various pieces he was working on or had completed. Jonghyun learned that Kibum wasn't going to school but he was building up a line to try his luck with a small-time local fashion magazine in Seoul. Jonghyun also learned that Kibum was younger than him and hadn't been to college yet (he didn't ask why), and Jonghyun also learned that Kibum used to live in Daegu. Trivial things, really, but Kibum seemed like such a guarded person, Jonghyun was holding every bit of information tightly to his brain and heart, committing it to memory.
Kibum sat back a bit and fanned himself, letting out a soft pant as Jonghyun gave him some space. The blond gave the older boy a look that clearly said 'how do you stand it?' and Jonghyun shrugged, shaking his head. He was used to it.
“You should take me to your igloo sometime,” Jonghyun joked.
The blond's gaze lowered a bit, eyes leaving indents as his gaze slid over Jonghyun's exposed collarbone. It took him a second to reply, but he finally gave a small nod, his eyes raising back up to Jonghyun's.
And really, in this vulnerable moment when Kibum seemed unsure about letting Jonghyun in his house, the elder couldn't help it. Kibum's lips were in the perfect shape, his eyes were considerably less sharp than they had been the whole night, and in this moment when Kibum wasn't trying to scrutinize everything around him so he could be in the loop, Jonghyun leaned forward and gently pressed his lips to Kibum's.
The reaction was immediate. Kibum's hands raised to Jonghyun's shoulders and pushed him back, the blond's cheeks flushed and his eyes wide, almost shocked, and before Jonghyun could catch up Kibum had shoved the computer onto the older boy's lap and stood up, taking his notebook and hurriedly exiting Jonghyun's room.
Fuck.
Jonghyun carelessly tossed his laptop onto the bed and scrambled after Kibum, catching him halfway down the stairs and reaching out to grab his wrist; Kibum whipped around and he was a few stairs below Jonghyun, his eyes wide and chest heaving as he gave the brunet one pained look before jerking his wrist free and heading down the rest of the stairs, unlocking the front door and almost slamming it behind him as he ran from Jonghyun's property.
Stuck on the staircase somewhere in the middle, Jonghyun stared at the front door, Kibum's scared eyes flashing in his vision like a faded hologram.
Well.
He sighed and pressed the heel of his hand to his forehead.
He fucked that up.
-
Two days passed and Kibum hadn't left his house. Jonghyun had mowed the lawn again, arranged the sprinklers and changed them every hour, and he hadn't seen hide nor hair of the blond. The light in his bedroom wasn't even on at night.
Which, of course, caused Jonghyun to sulk around.
“So.” Sodam was sitting on the porch swing, Jonghyun's head in her lap. Normally she would have complained about the extra body heat on this humid day, but she was doing her sisterly duty, and Jonghyun couldn't be more thankful for that as she carded her fingers through his sweaty hair, the walls of the house shaking from the music blaring inside. “Were you even sure he likes boys?”
Jonghyun's eyes were closed, and his brows furrowed. “He designs clothes and wants to be known for it.”
“Don't be a stereotypical douche, Jjong.”
Jonghyun opened his eyes, staring at the roof of their porch. He let out a sigh, “I don't know. I mean he never said it and I never said it but the way... I'm pretty sure we were flirting?”
“Ending that sentence in a question isn't helping your situation, little brother,” Sodam said, her tone amused. “What's he like?”
“For being deaf, he has a really loud personality,” Jonghyun commented with a scoff.
Sodam laughed out loud, covering her mouth and pausing in her gentle caressing of Jonghyun's scalp. “Wow. Alright, so I can see why you might have thought he was gay.”
Jonghyun didn't know how to properly express his thoughts and emotions in words. At least not without sounding like a dick. Guys didn't act like Kibum acted unless they liked dudes. Or maybe liked dudes and girls. Kibum wasn't flaming, as far as Jonghyun could tell, but then again they had only been in close proximity for less than an hour and Jonghyun had made a move on him and Kibum had fled the scene.
Maybe he was straight.
“Yah.” Sodam flicked Jonghyun's forehead. “Why don't you just talk to him? Apologize.”
“I'm not sorry for kissing him,” Jonghyun pouted childishly. “I liked kissing him.”
Sodam rolled her eyes, “You could be sorry for kissing him at the wrong time.”
Why was his sister so wise and yet such a bitch?
Jonghyun sat up, glancing over at Kibum's house.
He wouldn't tell Sodam she was right.
-
The heat wave was broken by a thunderstorm a few days later. It was still hot as hell, but the rain falling from the sky brought Jonghyun out of the house, the water pouring over him as he just stood in his front yard and watched the lighting show on the horizon. His tank top got soaked, his shorts were starting to stick to his thighs, but he stayed outside, listening to the thunder rumble and the lightning crack. Music wasn't blasting from his house for once, and he could fully appreciate the sounds of nature. He lowered his gaze from the sky and was surprised to see Kibum doing pretty much the same thing, his eyes closed and his arms spread out to the sides slightly.
Jonghyun wondered what a thunderstorm would be like for Kibum. Seeing these fantastic things and actually being able to experience it - feel the rain dancing on his skin, feel the ground shake from the thunder, feel the jolts of electricity as lightning crashed in the sky. It must be a beautiful thing, to be able to experience it with your whole body. Jonghyun sort of felt like he could feel what Kibum could; Jonghyun's eyes slowly closed and he let out a breath, relaxing his body, and then jumped a bit when a particularly loud clap of thunder rolled right above him.
He heard a sound under the sheets of rain, a familiar but muffled sound, and saw Kibum laughing at him across the street. Jonghyun couldn't help but smile, and he waved Kibum over out of curiosity, surprised when the blond took his invitation. Kibum didn't seem privy to wearing shoes, his bare feet splashing in shallow puddles as he crossed the asphalt, toes disappearing in the grass as he approached Jonghyun. They both sat on the bottom step of the porch so the rain could still hit them, by now both of them soaked through - their clothes, their hair, everything.
He was glad Kibum wasn't pissed at him anymore. Well, maybe he was, and was just deciding to be nice because they were the only weirdos standing out in the middle of the thunderstorm. He glanced over at Kibum and bit his lip when Kibum was looking right back at him.
Kibum raised a finger to the sky, and opened his mouth. His words were a bit distorted, from the fact that he couldn't hear himself talk and the fact he probably rarely talked at all, but Jonghyun heard him clear as day.
“This is music.”
Jonghyun nodded, and agreed. He had spent his entire life listening to music, picking apart songs and lyrics and melodies, but this...
This was a symphony.
-
Over the next days Jonghyun and Kibum resumed hanging out. It consisted of Kibum walking into Jonghyun's house unannounced, of them sitting on the porch with Jonghyun working on papers that were due before the end of summer and Kibum sketching new designs in his notebook, of Sodam butting in every now and again, and of course, it consisted of Jonghyun hearing more and more of the sounds Kibum made - when he was happy, when he was sad, when he was angry.
Jonghyun didn't try kissing Kibum again. They didn't bring it up. It was brushed under the rug and Jonghyun was ok with that.
“Do you want to go into town?” Jonghyun asked Kibum. He had learned the rhythm of when he could talk without needing to get Kibum's attention, because every once in a while Kibum would glance over at him, alert as ever.
Kibum bit his lip idly in thought. Jonghyun went into town all the time, but Kibum never tagged along, and as far as Jonghyun knew, Kibum didn't leave the safety of the neighborhood. Which was understandable - Jonghyun couldn't imagine what it would be like adjusting to a busy environment.
“We can get iced coffee,” Jonghyun said with a knowing smirk. He had learned about Kibum's little vice just the previous day.
Kibum was obviously weighing the pros and cons in his head, but he finally nodded. Jonghyun stood up off of the porch swing and stretched; it was a bit cooler today so they were actually dressed in real clothes, Kibum in skinny jeans and a v-neck and Jonghyun wearing regular jeans and a band tee.
“Come on,” he said, gently tapping Kibum's knee before calling up to the house. “We're going into town!”
He heard Sodam yell something in return but didn't know what he said - it was probably a request to bring her some ice cream, which Jonghyun would probably ignore. Kibum stood up and they headed into the street, walking juxtapose on the sidewalk that headed into town. Their neighborhood has a corner store and a few little shops, but just a little farther than those neighborhood conveniences lie downtown. It wasn't the big city, but it wasn't podunk either - Jonghyun quite liked where he lived. A twenty minute drive would lead them to the next city over, but there was really no need when everything they needed was right here.
Kibum's head was swiveling, processing everything around him at a million miles an hour, per usual. Jonghyun wished there was some way for Kibum to just relax and enjoy his surroundings instead of worrying about what was lurking silently. Kibum was used to being alone, so maybe...
Jonghyun linked their arms together, and when Kibum's eyes turned to his mouth, he smiled lopsidedly. “Don't worry so much. I'll take care of you.”
Kibum quickly averted his eyes, but didn't remove his arm. His eyes stopped surveying their surroundings and scrutinizing everything, and Jonghyun could see his posture visibly relax. That was much better.
As they got into town he felt Kibum tug on his arm, and they had forgotten to bring his pocket-sized notebook, so their communication consisted of gestures and facial expressions, since Jonghyun knew next to nothing about sign language. It seemed he didn't need to learn it, anyway, because Kibum rarely used it (though sometimes Jonghyun saw him signing to his mother). He watched with mild amusement as Kibum's eyes got all sparkly and big, his gait slowing down in front of a fabric store. Jonghyun chuckled and steered Kibum inside, opening the door for him and letting go of his arm.
While Kibum browsed the fabrics and other sewing materials, Jonghyun wondered how Kibum shopped for this stuff otherwise. Clearly he hadn't been into this store before... so maybe his mother got stuff for him? Then again, Kibum hadn't showed Jonghyun anything new, just sketches and concept drawings. Maybe Kibum hadn't made anything since he moved here?
Jonghyun stuck his hands in his pockets and wandered around as Kibum flitted to and fro. He had never been inside a fabric store before, and he wasn't really impressed by anything because he didn't quite know how to appreciate this sort of thing. But he turned around and saw Kibum fingering a roll of royal blue fabric, his energy solely concentrated on feeling the fabric between his fingers, unrolling a bit of it and holding it up, letting his eyes scan over it.
This was something he could appreciate, Jonghyun thought idly as he watched Kibum.
Kibum pulled the spool off of the rack and tucked it under his arm, and turned around to the section behind him, fiddling with things that Jonghyun had never seen before. Figuring he probably looked like a creep standing there and admiring Kibum from afar, Jonghyun approached the blond and was surprised when Kibum turned and stretched the fabric out over Jonghyun's chest, eyes calculating.
Jonghyun froze as Kibum smoothed his hands over his chest, and then brought the fabric up higher to his neck, apparently to see how the color looked against Jonghyun's complexion. Blinking stupidly, Jonghyun only stared after Kibum as the blond smirked and headed over to the cutting counter. Five minutes later and Kibum had such-and-such yards of fabric paid for and bagged, and Kibum linked his arm with Jonghyun's again, dragging him out of the fabric store. Once outside Jonghyun squinted, the sun assaulting his eyes after being in the relatively dim fabric store.
There were all sorts of kiosks selling various items, and Jonghyun pulled Kibum to a stop next to a sunglass hut. He smiled at Kibum and picked up a random pair, putting them on Kibum's face and giving him a judging look, before shaking his head and taking the sunglasses off, putting them back. Kibum let out that unique laugh of his and stepped forward, fingers walking along the many rows of sunglasses before pulling up a pair of square red frames with black lenses, putting them on Jonghyun's face.
Jonghyun gave a dorky smile and Kibum covered his mouth, silently laughing. Jonghyun turned back to the counter and picked up a pair of round stunner shades with rhinestones at the outer corners, putting them on Kibum's face and tilting his head a bit. They actually looked really good - like they were Kibum's style, despite being ostentatious and sparkly. Well, maybe those things were what made them Kibum.
Kibum found a mirror and peered into it, and for a second he didn't smile. Jonghyun felt his heart pound - there he goes again, assuming Kibum's sexuality and just playing into it like it was no big deal. But Kibum turned to Jonghyun and nodded, adjusting the glasses on his nose like he already owned them.
After paying the stand manager, they ripped off the tags and threw them in the garbage, sporting their sunglasses proudly as Kibum slid his arm back into the crook of Jonghyun's elbow. They went from kiosk to kiosk, Kibum fascinated by every little thing they came across. It was hard to resist buying everything on the street for Kibum, especially with the way his eyes lit up at a small hand-made necklace, or the way his laugh rang in Jonghyun's ears as he picked up an obnoxiously decorated phone charm.
The coffee shop was finally their next stop and Jonghyun pulled Kibum inside, the air abuzz with conversation and the sound of coffee grinders. Kibum inhaled and Jonghyun knew he was absorbing the scent of coffee, and a small smile filtered over Kibum's lips as his eyes raised to the menu. But the peace was lost when Kibum's brows furrowed and he glanced up at Jonghyun nervously - how would Kibum order?
Glancing around, Jonghyun grabbed a hand held menu off of a nearby table, handing it to Kibum and feeling quite accomplished that he got over that obstacle all on his own. Kibum was grateful as he scanned the list, his finger pointing to a simple iced caramel latte. When it was their turn Jonghyun ordered Kibum's coffee and his own frappuccino, paying despite Kibum's huff of disapproval, nudging Kibum towards the next counter. Kibum added some extra sugar to his coffee and stirred it before taking a sip, giving a satisfied smile.
They decided to sit outside at a table under an umbrella, Kibum sitting and gracefully crossing his legs as his eyes took in the scenery, his lips pursing around the tip of his straw. Jonghyun watched for a second before catching himself, busying himself by stirring the whipped cream into the rest of his drink.
Kibum's finger tapped on the table, garnering Jonghyun's attention. He looked up at the blond and saw the look of thought flickering over Kibum's face; clearly the blond wanted to communicate, but wasn't sure how to without his notebook and pen. Jonghyun leaned forward a bit and tilted his head, nodding a bit.
“Try me,” he said.
Kibum's mouth opened, and Jonghyun's mind tricked him into thinking that the blond was going to speak. Instead, a huff of air came out and Kibum used a hand, gesturing between the two of them.
“Us?” Jonghyun ventured.
Kibum nodded, and then gestured around them.
“This?” Jonghyun's head tilted.
Kibum nodded again. He seemed to struggle for a second, before he finally tapped his sunglasses, and the his coffee, and pointed at Jonghyun.
“Me... paying for those things?”
Kibum blushed and looked away. Jonghyun laughed a bit, and then tapped Kibum's wrist gently to get his attention.
“Are you asking if this is a date?”
Kibum's lack of reply was a 'bingo', and Jonghyun's smile seemed to grow so impossibly wide he could feel his ears lifting with all of the muscle movements. Kibum's eyes were still on Jonghyun's mouth, and Jonghyun was sure he was waiting for a reply; he licked his lips lowly, and watched the blush on Kibum's cheeks darken - the blond's foot shot out and kicked Jonghyun in the shin, making the elder yelp and scoot back, laughing and setting his frappuccino down before he spilled it.
Waving a hand, Jonghyun leaned forward again, all the while keeping his legs out of kicking distance. “Do you want it to be?”
Kibum huffed with his entire body, the action so hugely exaggerated that Jonghyun couldn't help but chuckle again. The blond picked up his coffee and bit down viciously on the straw, and Jonghyun scooted his chair around the table, sitting as obnoxiously close to the younger as he could. Kibum didn't move his chair, but bodily leaned away when Jonghyun leaned in.
Jonghyun grabbed the coffee from Kibum's hand, setting it down on the table before using the same hand to use chilled fingers to tip Kibum's chin towards him, making damn sure Kibum was paying attention.
“This is a date.”
Kibum's eyes lifted to Jonghyun's, and they were round in honesty, his cheeks still dusted with that light flush. And if they weren't in public, Jonghyun would really kiss Kibum this time and mean it with every fiber of his being - Kibum lowered his chin a bit but didn't take it out of Jonghyun's grip, letting the elder's fingers linger for a few seconds more before he tipped his head away, lifting his coffee to his lips once again.
Chuckling, Jonghyun left his chair next to Kibum's for the rest of their stay at the coffee shop.
Kibum didn't mind.
-
“Why won't he let me in his house?” Jonghyun whined, rolling around on the hard wood floor of his living room.
Sodam walked by and kicked him in the ribs, “Why aren't you worried about why our parents are never home?”
“Irrelevant side characters,” Jonghyun said, swiping at her ankle.
She stuck her bare foot in his face, “Why don't you just ask him?”
“I feel like I'd be overstepping a boundary,” Jonghyun whined again.
Sodam crouched down, poking Jonghyun in the forehead. “Since when are you, Kim Jonghyun, afraid of 'crossing boundaries'? You kissed him the first night you met. You took him on a guerilla date. You're shameless.”
Jonghyun blinked up at her, eyes sparkly. “Nuna, you're the best.”
She shrugged and stood up, resuming chewing on her popsicle stick as she went upstairs, “I know. Next time you let my advice go to waste I'm charging you five bucks.”
Five minutes later Jonghyun was standing on Kibum's door step, face-to-face with Kibum himself.
“Hey,” Jonghyun said unnecessarily. “Can I come in?”
Kibum clearly hesitated. He hesitated so visibly his hand wrung the doorknob a few times and his fingers tapped on the screen door, and when Jonghyun put on his best puppy pout Kibum rolled his eyes and opened the door in a 'oh my God stop it' sort of way.
Internally celebrating, Jonghyun entered and took his shoes off, glancing around. Kibum's house was nice - tidy, it smelled good, but it was sparse of decoration or furniture. Kibum was already headed up the stairs and Jonghyun caught up with him, reminded of the first time Kibum had invaded his space. And just like last time, Jonghyun was watching Kibum's ass within the confines of Kibum's skinny jeans - and just like last time, Kibum glanced over his shoulder, though instead of sending a saucy smirk he reached behind him and pushed violently at Jonghyun's head, nearly sending him toppling back down the stairs.
Kibum's room was unlike the rest of the house. It smelled better, though, some incense burning in the corner. Like the pictures Jonghyun had seen, Kibum's room had things littered everywhere in an organized mess. Notebooks and folders were in his work space, in the corner by the window with a mannequin torso in the center of the space. His bed was big and looked cozy, his desk had a fancy Mac hooked up, and the spacious closet didn't have any doors. Scrap fabric was scattered on the floor and Kibum's room was... Kibum.
The boy himself was standing off to the side looking a bit fidgety. Jonghyun flashed him a smile and gently touched his arm, before he moved forward into Kibum's workspace, not quite infiltrating it because he wasn't sure how Kibum would react to that. Instead he looked at what Kibum had on the mannequin - it was the deep blue fabric that they had gotten at the fabric store, and it was fashioned into a stylish v-neck shirt. It was simple and beautiful all at once, the hemlines neat, the stitching looking like it had been done by a machine.
Kibum was suddenly next to Jonghyun, reaching forward and taking the shirt off of the mannequin. Jonghyun was confused for a second, before Kibum draped the shirt on his shoulder and reached forward, tugging the hem of Jonghyun's shirt up. A bit startled, Jonghyun's hands raised in defense, but when Kibum merely tried to tug his shirt up further, Jonghyun got the hint and took the hem in his own hands, pulling his shirt up over his head and tossing it onto the bed. Kibum smiled in satisfaction, handing the blue v-neck to Jonghyun and gesturing for him to put it on.
“For me?” Jonghyun asked, pointing to himself.
Kibum rolled his eyes and smacked Jonghyun's shoulder. Of course it's for you, dumbass, his gestures screamed. He wiggled his fingers impatiently and Jonghyun followed the command, putting the shirt on.
It fit... perfect. It hugged him in the right places but was loose in all the others, the v-neck dipping well below what would be considered modest. Jonghyun didn't really wear shirts like this, they weren't his style, but this shirt... this was his style, with the sleeves a bit shorter than a normal v-neck, the waist a bit more fitted. Somehow Kibum had taken Jonghyun's style and morphed it into the fabric and morphed it into something that was part of Kibum's signature collection, his collection that screamed its originality.
“Kibum...” Jonghyun whispered, glancing up and ready to get the blond's attention. But Kibum was already looking expectantly at Jonghyun, wringing his hands together, and before Jonghyun could say another word Kibum was pushing him towards the full length mirror on the other side of the room.
He could appreciate the shirt fully now, seeing the way it fitted to his body, the color complementing not only his skin color but his hair color as well. With no measurements and no real insight to Jonghyun's wardrobe, Kibum had somehow magically managed to create this shirt, and sure it was a simple v-neck at first glance, but as Jonghyun looked over to Kibum with a smile, he knew otherwise.
Kibum could do anything.
-
The last weekend of the month finally came, all of the neighbors gathering in the Choi's backyard, where three barbecues were set up and mothers were busy setting various side dishes out on the tables. Jonghyun decided to wear the shirt Kibum had made him - he hadn't had a good reason to show it off yet - his only pair of skinny jeans plastered to his skin as he grabbed a soda from the cooler. Sodam was already off gossiping with the girls, although she looked a bit out of place in her jeans and t-shirt, the other girls wearing skirts and fancier clothes.
There was no sign of Kibum or his family, and Jonghyun wondered if they would come. Kibum might have adjusted well to the neighborhood but his parents were still missing most of the time.
“Hyung!”
Jonghyun turned to see Minho approaching.
“Minho,” they had seen each other just yesterday, but Jonghyun acted like an uncle that hadn't seen his nephew in years. “When will you stop growing?” He asked, putting his hand to his forehead before raising it up to Minho's, the height difference almost painful.
Minho laughed good-naturedly. “Where's Kibum?” The two had met briefly when Kibum interrupted a conversation about what team they wanted to win the Cup. Kibum had been shy around Minho, but Minho was quiet by nature, so the two sort of fell into an easy friendship. It made Jonghyun happy, anyway, to see Kibum open up even slightly to someone other than him or Sodam.
“I invited him and his family but I'm not sure if they'll come,” Jonghyun said, trying to sound like there was nothing odd about that.
Minho nodded in understanding, “I was hoping Kibum would show up. I wanted to ask him something about plants.” He gestured towards some new bushes that were lining the fence, their state of foliage a bit worse for wear. “Kibum's whole yard and all of his plants are the greenest on the block.”
Jonghyun snorted, “Of course, Minho. You want to ask Kibum about his green thumb.”
Minho shrugged, and Jonghyun had always thought it charming in a way that Minho was not only so simplistic about what he wanted and needed, but honest about it as well.
The pair stood where they were for a few minutes, sipping their sodas and watching the adults interact, Jonghyun dubbing their conversations with completely inappropriate topics, Minho snickering and adding his own bits here and there. A tug on the hem of his shirt made Jonghyun glance behind him, and there Kibum was, looking out of place and uncomfortable around the crowd of overly-friendly people.
Jonghyun smiled brightly to greet Kibum, who gave a small smile back. He was dressed in a v-neck similar to Jonghyun's - a pale, washed out red color - his skinny jeans rolled up to his knees to expose his legs and his bare feet.
Minho turned around as well, and Kibum greeted him with a small incline of his head.
“Hungry?” Minho asked, while he had Kibum's attention.
Kibum nodded a bit, and Jonghyun had gotten so used to the pushy know-it-all that it was a bit weird to see Kibum reverted back to this shy, unsure person.
Nudging Kibum's arm a bit, Jonghyun gave him a reassuring smile. “They don't bite.” Kibum's eyes shimmered in a certain way and it was really quite odd how over the month Jonghyun had spent so much time with Kibum, he had learned to read Kibum like a book, communicate with him without words or gestures or even that notepad that he saw tucked into Kibum's back pocket. “They don't think you're different, either.”
That seemed to lift some tension off of Kibum's shoulders and he straightened, glancing around. Jonghyun lifted up his soda to him, and before he could offer to get one for Kibum the blond grabbed it and took a long swig, handing it back with a familiar smirk. Laughing, Jonghyun casually and comfortably put his arm around Kibum's waist, pulling him closer.
Minho coughed and jerked his head towards the side where another neighbor boy was currently talking to Mr. and Mrs. Choi, and Jonghyun nodded and watched as Minho walked over to the boy. Taemin, if Jonghyun remembered correctly. Still in high school.
Kibum's arm moved across Jonghyun's back as well and Jonghyun was about to relish in the contact before Kibum started walking him forward and into the thick of things. The way he was walking was determined, and Jonghyun immediately understood what Kibum wanted. Adults and kids alike greeted Kibum, making sure to wave and speak clearly, simple greetings like “hello” and “nice to meet you”, and Kibum was nodding his head in return, even shaking a few hands, his other hand occupied by wrinkling the fabric of Jonghyun's shirt in a death grip. They made their way through the crowd and finally to the food table where people were starting to dish up, and Kibum let out a breath.
Jonghyun turned to him with a big smile and cupped Kibum's face in his hands, shaking it side to side and squishing his cheeks. “That was great, Kibummie!”
Kibum blushed accordingly and swatted Jonghyun's hands away, grabbing a plate and pushing Jonghyun out of the way so he could get in line for food.
Jonghyun laughed and followed suit, feeling his heart swell with pride and a few other emotions.
Kibum could do anything.
-
After the barbecue people were milling about the neighborhood, hanging out in people's lawns as the sun set and twilight set in, the stars barely twinkling, conversations about summer vacations and kids and all sorts of things backing up the symphony of crickets.
Kibum and Jonghyun sat on Jonghyun's porch swing, Kibum's foot on the ground and idly rocking them back and forth. From where they were they could see the first stars, and Jonghyun couldn't help it - he put an arm around Kibum's shoulders and brought him into his side. Kibum didn't even stiffen, he just sort of melted into Jonghyun, his head tilting a bit towards Jonghyun's, and Jonghyun saw it as a small victory.
And a bit cliché but shh, let him have his moment.
A hand on his leg made him glance down from the sky, and he saw Kibum's hand lying face-up on his thigh, fingers spread. Jonghyun's unoccupied hand reached over and fitted against Kibum's, their fingers lacing together and resting right there on his leg. The rocking slowed and eventually Kibum's foot stopped moving, and they both moved their heads at the same time to look at each other, their noses brushing in the process.
Kibum was looking into Jonghyun's eyes and he looked content, he looked happy - he looked like everything he should.
Jonghyun spoke, even though Kibum wasn't looking at his mouth.
“Kim Kibum, you're the most beautiful song I've ever heard.”
And Kibum heard him, their lips pressing together softly, smiling against each other's mouths as the sun finally disappeared behind the horizon.
Jonghyun had a feeling Kibum could hear every word he ever said to him.
{C}
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Pairing: Jonghyun/Key
Rating: PG
Word Count: 9,834
Request by: Anonymous [2]
Summary: Jonghyun's life revolves around music. The louder, the better. When his new neighbor enters his life, however, Jonghyun learns to appreciate the quiet. And in the quiet, he hears the most beautiful song in the entire world.
A/N: So I took two anon's prompts and smashed them together to make this 8) I hope you guys don't mind!! This was the prompt for deaf!key, mixed with a prompt about jongkey being neighbors. I'm really satisfied with the result! I hope you enjoy ^^
Jonghyun's life revolved around music. If he wasn't singing, he was listening to his iPod. If he wasn't listening to his iPod, he was scribbling lyrics messily in the margins of his homework. If he wasn't writing lyrics he was humming a random tune, committing it to memory to compose it later. And if he wasn't doing any of those things... well, he was in a bad mood.
The neighborhood he lived in didn't have any strict rules to abide by, save for the norm; no guns, no speeding, keep your dog on a leash and pick up after it, and when you mowed the lawn mow your part only and don't cross over the property line. This left Jonghyun to blare music in his home whenever he got home from school and his parents were away at work or otherwise - his sister didn't complain because she enjoyed the same past-times Jonghyun did, and it was a plus that they got along so well.
On one such day, Jonghyun was half doing his summer homework in one notebook, and half writing down lyrics in another notebook. He was on the porch swing out front, under the shade of the porch roof and in the company of the old maple tree just on the other side of the railing. It was the beginning of summer and Jonghyun considered his first year of college a success; he didn't flunk any classes, he didn't get arrested, and he qualified for financial aid for the next year. All was perfect.
As he used one foot to gently swing the bench, his other foot pulled up underneath his thigh so he could have a writing surface, he noticed a giant moving truck park across the street. Distracted from his work he watched the movers haul furniture into the house, and Jonghyun wondered what his new neighbors would be like. The old couple that had lived in that house before were... well, old. They didn't like Jonghyun's music or his dog or the way Jonghyun would walk out of the house in just his boxers to get the mail. No one else minded, why were old people so crabby?
Smirking to himself at the thought, his eyes roved over to a mini-van that pulled up behind the moving truck. Ah, the family. It was just a set of parents and a boy that looked Jonghyun's age, and he leaned forward a bit, trying to catch a glimpse of his new neighbors. The kid's hair was an unnatural blond - not quite honey, not quite golden - and he was dressed in skinny jeans and a graphic tee. Looked normal enough. Leaning back, Jonghyun scribbled down an equation and idly thought of the answer, keeping one eye on the family as they moved minor things into the house, small boxes probably containing dishes and other home décor.
Jonghyun finished his homework in the next hour and he stood up, ready to head inside where the music he had blaring was slightly muffled by the walls of his house. He caught sight of the new blond neighbor and the neighbor caught sight of him as well; Jonghyun gave a small wave and a smile, satisfied when the other boy gave him a polite wave in return.
His new neighbors didn't seem too bad, so far.
-
Jonghyun and Sodam were sharing the swing on the front porch, Jonghyun scribbling lyrics in his notebook, Sodam reading some book that she had picked up from a secondhand book store.
The neighbors hadn't made an appearance since the day they moved in a week ago. Well, they saw the parents going to and from work, but there was no sign of the boy. Jonghyun was mildly curious, Sodam couldn't be less interested, and life went on. It was nice to be able to blare their music with the front door propped open without the prying eyes of the old couple glaring at them accusingly.
“Should we get a house warming gift for them?” Jonghyun wondered aloud, tapping the end of his pen on his notebook.
Sodam glanced up and looked at the house across the way, “You mean like bake a cake or something?”
Jonghyun shrugged, pressing the butt end of his pen down on the notebook to make it click shut. “One of mom's casseroles or something.”
Sodam snorted, “Since when are you the caring, curious neighbor?”
He tried to look affronted, “I care!”, but Sodam's knowing laugh made him chuckle in turn. “I never see their son, he never leaves the house.”
“Maybe because he knows you're out here,” she suggested with a smirk, eyes returning to her book.
“I'll have you know I'm quite the character to meet,” Jonghyun primped. The scrutinizing silence between them made Jonghyun sigh and laugh. “I'm harmless.”
“Harmless enough,” Sodam shrugged, reaching up to tug on a lock of Jonghyun's hair. “But have you seen your face lately?”
Jonghyun's hands went up to his jaw defensively, before he scoffed and pushed his sister's shoulder.
“Or your arms? You're like a gorilla,” Sodam continued teasing, her fingers squeezing at Jonghyun's bare biceps. “A caveman. Short-statured with knuckle-dragging hands.”
Jonghyun snorted and flexed, “Yeah, you wish your boyfriend had a body like mine, this is perfection!”
Sodam rolled her eyes, “I think you need to spend less time at the gym and un-friend your mirror on Facebook.”
Standing up, Jonghyun put his lyric book and pen on the now empty space next to his sister. “I'll show you people want to know me.”
He felt Sodam's eyes following him as he hopped down the porch steps, the sun instantly heating his skin. His tank top was already clinging to his back with sweat and the shorts he was wearing weren't airy enough, but the trek across the street wasn't too long or grueling, and as he went up to the door of his new neighbor's house, he knocked on the door.
No answer came after a few moments, and Jonghyun tried knocking again, harder.
“No one wants to know you!” Sodam yelled across the street.
Jonghyun waved her off; only the dad was gone, the mom's mini-van was still in the driveway, and as he took a step back and idly examined the potted plants on the deck and the old-fashioned rocker chair, he wondered if his neighbors maybe didn't want anything to do with the rest of the neighborhood.
He didn't linger on that thought long, the front door opening and the mother peering out curiously.
Offering his brightest, most charming smile, Jonghyun waved, “Hi! I'm Kim Jonghyun, I live across the street.”
The mom gave a hesitant smile, “Hello. What can I do for you?”
“I was wondering if your son was home? Me and my sister were going to walk down to the record store and I notice he doesn't get out much, so I wanted to invite him along. Give him a bit of a tour of the neighborhood.”
The mom's smile waned a bit, “Ah, I'm sorry, he can't.”
She started to shut the door, and with the screen between them, Jonghyun couldn't do anything but splutter for her to wait. “Uhm - well uh. We're going to be having a neighborhood barbecue the last weekend of the month. You guys should come, it'll be over at the Choi's house,” he threw his thumb over the shoulder, gesturing to the house that was next to his. He was still smiling and the mother still looked like a frightened deer. He started to wonder if his sister was right. “All of us would really like to meet you.”
“We'll think about it,” the mother finally said.
“Alright,” Jonghyun was about to let her shut the door, before he shuffled a bit. “Um. Will your son come...?”
“Kibum?” The mom smiled a bit. “I'll see if he's up to it.”
Jonghyun's smile turned a bit relieved. “Alright. Thank you, Mrs...?”
“Kim.” And with that, the door shut, prompting Jonghyun to turn around and skip down their sidewalk, not even bothering to check for cars as he crossed the empty street.
His sister perked up when he returned, “Well?”
“They're the Kim's, and they might come to Minho's barbecue at the end of the month,” Jonghyun took up his space next to his sister again, clicking his pen and writing a few words down. “Their son's name is Kibum.”
“Was he home?” Sodam glanced across the way at the house.
“I'm pretty sure he was, but the way his mom talked about him,” Jonghyun frowned a bit. “He might be sick?”
Sodam nodded slowly, “Maybe he's allergic to the sun.”
Jonghyun snorted, “Would explain why he's never outside.”
“Don't laugh, sun allergies are serious!” Sodam elbowed him in the ribs, though she was smiling. “I'm sure he'll come around. You probably wooed his mother and she's probably in there right now: 'Kibum, that Jonghyun boy was so sweet and charming, he'd be good for you to hang out with, make friends!', et cetera et cetera that concerned moms ramble about whenever they move to a new city with a kid.”
Shaking his head and letting out a breath, Jonghyun twirled his pen between his forefinger and thumb. “I guess we'll see.”
“Meanwhile...” Sodam stood up and stretched. “I'm going to go make some popsicles.” She grinned, and then darted into the house.
Jonghyun spluttered and sprinted after her, effectively shut out by Sodam slamming the front door in his face and locking the door. “Nuna! That's not fair! It's fucking hot out here!”
He could hear her laughing as she went deeper into the house, probably to lock the back door as well. Used to this game, Jonghyun shook his head and went back to the swing, sitting down and yawning. She'd bring him out a popsicle anyway.
It's what sisters were for.
-
Shirtless and sweating like a pig, Jonghyun was out mowing the lawn a few days later with music blaring from his house when he caught sight of the mysterious Kibum. His new neighbor was on the front porch of his home, bent over the potted plants, presumably watering them. Not wanting to seem suspicious or anything, Jonghyun continued to mow the lawn, every pass he made facing Kibum's house allowing him to watch his neighbor without being too creepy.
Kibum was thin, but not abnormally so, in a plain tank top and some basketball shorts. His legs looked pretty toned from this distance and the curve of his hips was almost a bit exaggerated. Which was fine. Jonghyun could appreciate that. Maybe Kibum was a dancer? Or a swimmer. His shoulders were pretty broad and his torso tapered down to a slender waist.
Shaking his head to get his sweaty fringe out of his eyes, Jonghyun made another pass around the yard, and this time when he looked up, Kibum was at his mailbox, his head swiveling as he seemed to glance in every direction all at once. Was he worried about cars coming? Or did he not want to be seen getting his mail? Nah, he was acting pretty normal, save for the slight tense way he walked, and at Jonghyun's final pass, he shut off the lawnmower and leaned against the crossbar, smirking lightly.
“Yah, Kibum,” he called out. He was at the edge of his lawn and Kibum was standing at his mailbox flipping through the envelopes, so it wouldn't be hard to hear him.
Only, Kibum didn't turn around. Was he ignoring him?
Jonghyun straightened. There was no reason for Kibum to ignore Jonghyun, unless his mother told him Jonghyun was the freaky nosy neighbor and Kibum shouldn't talk to him because he might be a serial killer. Shaking his head, Jonghyun wiped his sweaty hands on his shorts as he headed across the street, trying again.
“Hey,” he said as he approached Kibum.
Only when he was a few steps away did the other boy turn towards him, his eyes widening a bit as if he hadn't expected Jonghyun to be there. Well, it's not like Jonghyun was being stealthy, so he was a bit confused as to why Kibum looked surprised.
“Um...” Jonghyun licked his lips, and noticed that Kibum's eyes immediately went to his mouth. “Hi, I'm Jonghyun.” He held out his hand.
Kibum's eyes raised from his lips to his eyes, and then he glanced down at Jonghyun's hand, shaking it carefully, his gaze returning to Jonghyun's mouth once more.
“You're Kibum, right?” Jonghyun asked, gently letting Kibum's hand go before he got creepy and starting caressing his soft skin.
Kibum didn't reply for a second, before he nodded and gave a shy smile, his eyes flickering from Jonghyun's to his mouth and back up again. Something about that act tugged in Jonghyun's brain, like he should know why Kibum kept waiting for him to talk so he could watch his lips.
And when Kibum didn't speak back to him, it clicked.
Kibum was deaf.
Jonghyun almost hit himself in the forehead. Of course, that's why he couldn't hear Jonghyun yelling or approaching, and he wasn't staring at his mouth, he was reading his lips. Smiling sheepishly, Jonghyun rubbed the back of his neck, drawing Kibum's attention back to his face. Where had he been looking befo-- oh, Jonghyun was still shirtless.
“Uh,” remembering that he should probably enunciate his words and speak properly so Kibum could understand him, Jonghyun raised a hand to his own ear and gestured towards it. “Sorry, I didn't know.”
Kibum shrugged, his smile growing a bit before his eyes dropped to Jonghyun's chest briefly. His smile widened and he shook his head, pulling a pen out of his pocket and ripping off a corner of one of the envelopes he was holding, writing quickly on it. Kibum handed the paper to Jonghyun, who read his slightly girly handwriting with a wry smile.
Nice to meet you. Jonghyun.
Good, he had understood Jonghyun's introduction; Jonghyun absent-mindedly put the paper in his pocket. He must be really good at reading lips. Patting his pockets, Jonghyun pulled out his cell phone and handed it to Kibum, who arched a brow at him.
“Give me your number,” Jonghyun said, smiling a bit. “So we can text. Maybe we can hang out some time?”
Kibum's eyes were studying his lips as he spoke and Jonghyun felt himself blush a little, not that it would be noticeable with his body already flushed from the hot summer sun. Something about the way Kibum's eyes focused and concentrated whenever Jonghyun's mouth moved made Jonghyun's heart rate speed up.
Finally Kibum took Jonghyun's phone from his hand, programming his number in and handing it back. Giving a nod, he bowed slightly to signal that he was going to leave, and Jonghyun's smirk was a bit crooked as he waved his hand idly, turning around to head back to his yard.
Kibum didn't seem so bad. And he was so attractive up close, with those sharp eyes and those pouty lips that Jonghyun kind of wished would talk, because they must be quite the thing to see in motion.
Back at his house he started the process of putting the lawnmower back in the shed, but not before glancing back to watch Kibum disappear into his house.
Well, no one could say the new neighbors weren't interesting.
-
The next day Jonghyun was lying in bed after the sun had set, a dinky fan in his window the only reprieve from the stifling heat that seemed to creep around the house and suffocate everything. He was wearing only his boxers and had his laptop resting on his chest as he surfed the internet, not really doing much in particular - not having the energy to do anything, a radio in the corner of his room docking his iPod that was set on a relaxing playlist.
He glanced out of the gap in his window where the fan didn't meet the frame, and saw a light on in Kibum's house. A sudden urge came over Jonghyun and he picked up his phone, finding Kibum's number and typing a text to his new neighbor.
Hey, it's Jonghyun. Shouldn't you be asleep? he set his phone down on his chest in front of his laptop and let his fingers scroll over the mousepad idly.
His phone buzzed about a minute later.
Stalker, quit watching my house.
Jonghyun snorted. He had been wondering what Kibum's personality would be like. There was only so much he could gather in their brief meeting, and because Kibum had been so focused on making sure he understood Jonghyun, there were sure to be quirks that Jonghyun could only fathom of knowing.
There's nothing else to do. It's too hot and we have no air conditioning.
He started checking the school registry, briefly considering picking out his Fall classes - but he had all summer to do it.
Aw, poor baby. I'm under a blanket, our air conditioning is broken and the house is a freaking refrigerator.
Lucky, Jonghyun immediately typed back. You should share that igloo with the less fortunate. He smirked to himself, glancing out the window to see that the light in the house had shut off.
You'll have to earn that right.
Jonghyun blinked at the screen.
Kibum was... sassy. And quite easy to talk to, after all. It was a pleasant turn of events.
Alright. Jonghyun thought for a moment, the word on the screen looking lonesome and like it needed a charming sentence following it. Chuckling to himself, his thumbs tapped on the screen of his iPhone rhythmically. I'll take you out. Any place you want to go. He figured it'd be a dick move if he picked some place he wanted to go that Kibum couldn't enjoy, so it seemed natural to let the other choose, right?
This time the pause between texts was a bit longer than the previous times, and Jonghyun almost wondered if he crossed a line.
When his phone vibrated, his thumb slipped when he tried to swipe the unlock.
My mom says your house is always so noisy with music. Can I come over some time?
Jonghyun's brows furrowed a bit. He didn't want to be rude and say 'why would you want that when you can't hear the music?' but it was the first thing that entered his mind. His thumbs hesitated over the virtual keyboard, before he typed his reply.
You can come over whenever you want, our door is open.
He sent the text and felt like he'd done a good deed, inviting his neighbor to his house like that. It was the neighborly thing to do, right? It had nothing to do with the fact that Kibum had pretty, angular features and shoulders that Jonghyun sometimes wanted to flutter butterfly kisses over.
Nearly ten minutes passed and he didn't get a reply. Shutting down his laptop and rubbing his face, he stood up and put on some basketball shorts over his boxers, slipping his phone into his pocket as he headed downstairs. It was nearly midnight and the house was still stifling hot, Jonghyun's throat itching for some ice water. As the ice clinked in the cup and he filled it from the tap he heard a knock on his door, and he turned towards the front of the house with an arched brow and an amused smirk.
Keeping his glass in his hand, the dish quickly slicking with condensation, he ambled towards the front door and unlocked it, opening it to see Kibum on the other side. He was dressed in sweats and a tank top, a notebook and a pen in one hand as he gave Jonghyun a bit of a superior smirk.
Jonghyun waved a hand for Kibum to enter, the blond coming in through the screen door and stepping inside Jonghyun's house. He wasn't even wearing shoes, Jonghyun noted. He shut the door and locked it behind them, gently tapping Kibum's arm to get his attention. Kibum paused in looking around, turning to Jonghyun and tilting his head a bit.
Jonghyun held up his glass, smiling lightly. Kibum nodded and followed as Jonghyun moved to the kitchen, setting his glass down on the counter and starting to get a drink for Kibum. The ice clinked in the glass and the water from the tap was cool, Jonghyun turning around to hand the cup to Kibum. It was a good thing he was slow about it, though, because Kibum was occupied writing in his notebook. He waited for Kibum to finish and look up, holding out the glass to him, the blond taking it and sipping gratefully. The ice in Jonghyun's glass was already almost melted.
Kibum handed his notebook to Jonghyun, and it was a bit weird, all this quiet. Being in someone's presence without talking to them. Jonghyun was a chatterbox, he liked to talk people's faces off, silence sort of disturbed him. But he didn't really have a choice with Kibum. Not that he minded. He found that Kibum's presence itself was loud enough to make up for the words he didn't speak.
You have a nice house. Where is everyone?
Jonghyun wondered if he should write his response, but Kibum was looking at him expectantly. He opened his mouth to talk, and tried not to squirm under the pinning gaze of Kibum's eyes on his mouth.
“My sister is asleep, and my parents are on vacation.”
Kibum nodded, taking his notebook back and taking another sip of his water, eyes traveling around the kitchen. Jonghyun wondered what it was like to have a sense completely blocked out - wondered just how sharp the other senses became. Kibum was always aware of his surroundings and studying them with such care and precision, Jonghyun was pretty sure after being in one place for five minutes the blond could navigate it with his eyes closed.
Now that Kibum was here, Jonghyun wondered what they would do. Did Kibum watch television? Apparently Kibum must have felt Jonghyun's slight awkwardness, because he wrote something down on his notebook and handed it to Jonghyun.
Why aren't you listening to music?
Jonghyun didn't hide the confusion on his face as he stared at the words. How did Kibum know?
Kibum rolled his eyes and took the notebook back from Jonghyun, hastily writing. I can still feel things, idiot. I can feel vibrations of bass and stuff.
“Oh,” Jonghyun said dumbly. Of course, if music was playing at a reasonable level, Kibum would be able to feel it. Kibum's eyes were on his lips again, obviously awaiting an explanation. “I have a radio in my room that I listen to when it's... late. So I don't bother anyone.”
Nodding, Kibum left his notebook in Jonghyun's hands and finished his water, politely putting his glass in the sink before wandering out of the kitchen. Jonghyun gulped down the rest of his water and set the glass down on the counter, following after Kibum and wondering just where he was going. But Kibum was already halfway up the stairs and Jonghyun jogged to catch up with him, holding onto Kibum's notebook and trying not to stare at the curve of Kibum's ass as it bounced in front of him.
As if sensing Jonghyun's eyes Kibum glanced over his shoulder, arching a brow as a smirk curled the corner of his mouth. Jonghyun jerked his gaze away and cleared his throat, and as they reached the top of the stairs Kibum paused for a moment, before heading straight for Jonghyun's room.
Again, how did he know?
Once inside Jonghyun's room Kibum sat down on the edge of Jonghyun's bed, and when Jonghyun just stared at him, Kibum opened his mouth and let out a sound - the first sound Jonghyun had heard leave his lips.
A laugh.
It wasn't a normal laugh by any means, but it was Kibum's laugh, and Jonghyun wanted to hear more of it. The blond tapped his nose and then swirled his finger in the air, making the motion of sniffing. Jonghyun understood: Kibum found his room by scent. Another heightened sense. Jonghyun didn't know if he should be embarrassed; as far as he knew, he smelled like sweat and nothing nice because even after he had showered, the house was so hot he didn't stay clean for long.
Kibum pat the space next to him and Jonghyun sat down, Kibum reaching for his laptop without permission and opening it. It seemed Kibum was the 'I do whatever the fuck I want' type, despite his disability (could it even be called a disability? Kibum functioned so... normally). Jonghyun chuckled a bit as Kibum opened the laptop, and Kibum's head tilted towards him a bit before his eyes moved to Jonghyun's mouth. It looked like he was waiting for Jonghyun to speak, so Jonghyun closed his mouth and shook his head, reaching over to type in his lock password so Kibum could get to the main screen.
The first site Kibum went to looked like a blog of some sort; curious, Jonghyun leaned a bit closer, their shoulders brushing. Kibum had only been in the house for ten minutes but his skin already had a light layer of sweat on it, their skin sliding as Kibum pointed at one of the pictures. It was of an outfit on a mannequin; the outfit was a summer dress, rather simple and yet stunningly elegant at the same time. The background of the picture was a window and the edge of a bed was visible, various sketch pads and notebooks scattered on the floor. One familiar notebook drew Jonghyun's attention, and he glanced to the one in his lap.
“You make clothes?” Jonghyun asked, and then almost smacked himself when he noticed Kibum wasn't paying attention to him.
But he was surprised when Kibum glanced over, their faces a lot closer than Jonghyun remembered them being, and Kibum gave a small smile and a nod. Had he heard him? Impossible. Maybe he just heard the vibration of Jonghyun's voice since they were sitting so close and guessed what Jonghyun might have said.
Now Kibum was looking at Jonghyun's mouth, his eyes flicking tentatively between lips and eyes, much like he had during their first encounter, like he was unsure of something. He was clearly waiting for Jonghyun's reaction; Jonghyun smiled and nodded a bit.
“You're really good,” he said.
Kibum visibly relaxed, and they spent the next half our or so scrolling through Kibum's fashion blog, the blond showing Jonghyun various pieces he was working on or had completed. Jonghyun learned that Kibum wasn't going to school but he was building up a line to try his luck with a small-time local fashion magazine in Seoul. Jonghyun also learned that Kibum was younger than him and hadn't been to college yet (he didn't ask why), and Jonghyun also learned that Kibum used to live in Daegu. Trivial things, really, but Kibum seemed like such a guarded person, Jonghyun was holding every bit of information tightly to his brain and heart, committing it to memory.
Kibum sat back a bit and fanned himself, letting out a soft pant as Jonghyun gave him some space. The blond gave the older boy a look that clearly said 'how do you stand it?' and Jonghyun shrugged, shaking his head. He was used to it.
“You should take me to your igloo sometime,” Jonghyun joked.
The blond's gaze lowered a bit, eyes leaving indents as his gaze slid over Jonghyun's exposed collarbone. It took him a second to reply, but he finally gave a small nod, his eyes raising back up to Jonghyun's.
And really, in this vulnerable moment when Kibum seemed unsure about letting Jonghyun in his house, the elder couldn't help it. Kibum's lips were in the perfect shape, his eyes were considerably less sharp than they had been the whole night, and in this moment when Kibum wasn't trying to scrutinize everything around him so he could be in the loop, Jonghyun leaned forward and gently pressed his lips to Kibum's.
The reaction was immediate. Kibum's hands raised to Jonghyun's shoulders and pushed him back, the blond's cheeks flushed and his eyes wide, almost shocked, and before Jonghyun could catch up Kibum had shoved the computer onto the older boy's lap and stood up, taking his notebook and hurriedly exiting Jonghyun's room.
Fuck.
Jonghyun carelessly tossed his laptop onto the bed and scrambled after Kibum, catching him halfway down the stairs and reaching out to grab his wrist; Kibum whipped around and he was a few stairs below Jonghyun, his eyes wide and chest heaving as he gave the brunet one pained look before jerking his wrist free and heading down the rest of the stairs, unlocking the front door and almost slamming it behind him as he ran from Jonghyun's property.
Stuck on the staircase somewhere in the middle, Jonghyun stared at the front door, Kibum's scared eyes flashing in his vision like a faded hologram.
Well.
He sighed and pressed the heel of his hand to his forehead.
He fucked that up.
-
Two days passed and Kibum hadn't left his house. Jonghyun had mowed the lawn again, arranged the sprinklers and changed them every hour, and he hadn't seen hide nor hair of the blond. The light in his bedroom wasn't even on at night.
Which, of course, caused Jonghyun to sulk around.
“So.” Sodam was sitting on the porch swing, Jonghyun's head in her lap. Normally she would have complained about the extra body heat on this humid day, but she was doing her sisterly duty, and Jonghyun couldn't be more thankful for that as she carded her fingers through his sweaty hair, the walls of the house shaking from the music blaring inside. “Were you even sure he likes boys?”
Jonghyun's eyes were closed, and his brows furrowed. “He designs clothes and wants to be known for it.”
“Don't be a stereotypical douche, Jjong.”
Jonghyun opened his eyes, staring at the roof of their porch. He let out a sigh, “I don't know. I mean he never said it and I never said it but the way... I'm pretty sure we were flirting?”
“Ending that sentence in a question isn't helping your situation, little brother,” Sodam said, her tone amused. “What's he like?”
“For being deaf, he has a really loud personality,” Jonghyun commented with a scoff.
Sodam laughed out loud, covering her mouth and pausing in her gentle caressing of Jonghyun's scalp. “Wow. Alright, so I can see why you might have thought he was gay.”
Jonghyun didn't know how to properly express his thoughts and emotions in words. At least not without sounding like a dick. Guys didn't act like Kibum acted unless they liked dudes. Or maybe liked dudes and girls. Kibum wasn't flaming, as far as Jonghyun could tell, but then again they had only been in close proximity for less than an hour and Jonghyun had made a move on him and Kibum had fled the scene.
Maybe he was straight.
“Yah.” Sodam flicked Jonghyun's forehead. “Why don't you just talk to him? Apologize.”
“I'm not sorry for kissing him,” Jonghyun pouted childishly. “I liked kissing him.”
Sodam rolled her eyes, “You could be sorry for kissing him at the wrong time.”
Why was his sister so wise and yet such a bitch?
Jonghyun sat up, glancing over at Kibum's house.
He wouldn't tell Sodam she was right.
-
The heat wave was broken by a thunderstorm a few days later. It was still hot as hell, but the rain falling from the sky brought Jonghyun out of the house, the water pouring over him as he just stood in his front yard and watched the lighting show on the horizon. His tank top got soaked, his shorts were starting to stick to his thighs, but he stayed outside, listening to the thunder rumble and the lightning crack. Music wasn't blasting from his house for once, and he could fully appreciate the sounds of nature. He lowered his gaze from the sky and was surprised to see Kibum doing pretty much the same thing, his eyes closed and his arms spread out to the sides slightly.
Jonghyun wondered what a thunderstorm would be like for Kibum. Seeing these fantastic things and actually being able to experience it - feel the rain dancing on his skin, feel the ground shake from the thunder, feel the jolts of electricity as lightning crashed in the sky. It must be a beautiful thing, to be able to experience it with your whole body. Jonghyun sort of felt like he could feel what Kibum could; Jonghyun's eyes slowly closed and he let out a breath, relaxing his body, and then jumped a bit when a particularly loud clap of thunder rolled right above him.
He heard a sound under the sheets of rain, a familiar but muffled sound, and saw Kibum laughing at him across the street. Jonghyun couldn't help but smile, and he waved Kibum over out of curiosity, surprised when the blond took his invitation. Kibum didn't seem privy to wearing shoes, his bare feet splashing in shallow puddles as he crossed the asphalt, toes disappearing in the grass as he approached Jonghyun. They both sat on the bottom step of the porch so the rain could still hit them, by now both of them soaked through - their clothes, their hair, everything.
He was glad Kibum wasn't pissed at him anymore. Well, maybe he was, and was just deciding to be nice because they were the only weirdos standing out in the middle of the thunderstorm. He glanced over at Kibum and bit his lip when Kibum was looking right back at him.
Kibum raised a finger to the sky, and opened his mouth. His words were a bit distorted, from the fact that he couldn't hear himself talk and the fact he probably rarely talked at all, but Jonghyun heard him clear as day.
“This is music.”
Jonghyun nodded, and agreed. He had spent his entire life listening to music, picking apart songs and lyrics and melodies, but this...
This was a symphony.
-
Over the next days Jonghyun and Kibum resumed hanging out. It consisted of Kibum walking into Jonghyun's house unannounced, of them sitting on the porch with Jonghyun working on papers that were due before the end of summer and Kibum sketching new designs in his notebook, of Sodam butting in every now and again, and of course, it consisted of Jonghyun hearing more and more of the sounds Kibum made - when he was happy, when he was sad, when he was angry.
Jonghyun didn't try kissing Kibum again. They didn't bring it up. It was brushed under the rug and Jonghyun was ok with that.
“Do you want to go into town?” Jonghyun asked Kibum. He had learned the rhythm of when he could talk without needing to get Kibum's attention, because every once in a while Kibum would glance over at him, alert as ever.
Kibum bit his lip idly in thought. Jonghyun went into town all the time, but Kibum never tagged along, and as far as Jonghyun knew, Kibum didn't leave the safety of the neighborhood. Which was understandable - Jonghyun couldn't imagine what it would be like adjusting to a busy environment.
“We can get iced coffee,” Jonghyun said with a knowing smirk. He had learned about Kibum's little vice just the previous day.
Kibum was obviously weighing the pros and cons in his head, but he finally nodded. Jonghyun stood up off of the porch swing and stretched; it was a bit cooler today so they were actually dressed in real clothes, Kibum in skinny jeans and a v-neck and Jonghyun wearing regular jeans and a band tee.
“Come on,” he said, gently tapping Kibum's knee before calling up to the house. “We're going into town!”
He heard Sodam yell something in return but didn't know what he said - it was probably a request to bring her some ice cream, which Jonghyun would probably ignore. Kibum stood up and they headed into the street, walking juxtapose on the sidewalk that headed into town. Their neighborhood has a corner store and a few little shops, but just a little farther than those neighborhood conveniences lie downtown. It wasn't the big city, but it wasn't podunk either - Jonghyun quite liked where he lived. A twenty minute drive would lead them to the next city over, but there was really no need when everything they needed was right here.
Kibum's head was swiveling, processing everything around him at a million miles an hour, per usual. Jonghyun wished there was some way for Kibum to just relax and enjoy his surroundings instead of worrying about what was lurking silently. Kibum was used to being alone, so maybe...
Jonghyun linked their arms together, and when Kibum's eyes turned to his mouth, he smiled lopsidedly. “Don't worry so much. I'll take care of you.”
Kibum quickly averted his eyes, but didn't remove his arm. His eyes stopped surveying their surroundings and scrutinizing everything, and Jonghyun could see his posture visibly relax. That was much better.
As they got into town he felt Kibum tug on his arm, and they had forgotten to bring his pocket-sized notebook, so their communication consisted of gestures and facial expressions, since Jonghyun knew next to nothing about sign language. It seemed he didn't need to learn it, anyway, because Kibum rarely used it (though sometimes Jonghyun saw him signing to his mother). He watched with mild amusement as Kibum's eyes got all sparkly and big, his gait slowing down in front of a fabric store. Jonghyun chuckled and steered Kibum inside, opening the door for him and letting go of his arm.
While Kibum browsed the fabrics and other sewing materials, Jonghyun wondered how Kibum shopped for this stuff otherwise. Clearly he hadn't been into this store before... so maybe his mother got stuff for him? Then again, Kibum hadn't showed Jonghyun anything new, just sketches and concept drawings. Maybe Kibum hadn't made anything since he moved here?
Jonghyun stuck his hands in his pockets and wandered around as Kibum flitted to and fro. He had never been inside a fabric store before, and he wasn't really impressed by anything because he didn't quite know how to appreciate this sort of thing. But he turned around and saw Kibum fingering a roll of royal blue fabric, his energy solely concentrated on feeling the fabric between his fingers, unrolling a bit of it and holding it up, letting his eyes scan over it.
This was something he could appreciate, Jonghyun thought idly as he watched Kibum.
Kibum pulled the spool off of the rack and tucked it under his arm, and turned around to the section behind him, fiddling with things that Jonghyun had never seen before. Figuring he probably looked like a creep standing there and admiring Kibum from afar, Jonghyun approached the blond and was surprised when Kibum turned and stretched the fabric out over Jonghyun's chest, eyes calculating.
Jonghyun froze as Kibum smoothed his hands over his chest, and then brought the fabric up higher to his neck, apparently to see how the color looked against Jonghyun's complexion. Blinking stupidly, Jonghyun only stared after Kibum as the blond smirked and headed over to the cutting counter. Five minutes later and Kibum had such-and-such yards of fabric paid for and bagged, and Kibum linked his arm with Jonghyun's again, dragging him out of the fabric store. Once outside Jonghyun squinted, the sun assaulting his eyes after being in the relatively dim fabric store.
There were all sorts of kiosks selling various items, and Jonghyun pulled Kibum to a stop next to a sunglass hut. He smiled at Kibum and picked up a random pair, putting them on Kibum's face and giving him a judging look, before shaking his head and taking the sunglasses off, putting them back. Kibum let out that unique laugh of his and stepped forward, fingers walking along the many rows of sunglasses before pulling up a pair of square red frames with black lenses, putting them on Jonghyun's face.
Jonghyun gave a dorky smile and Kibum covered his mouth, silently laughing. Jonghyun turned back to the counter and picked up a pair of round stunner shades with rhinestones at the outer corners, putting them on Kibum's face and tilting his head a bit. They actually looked really good - like they were Kibum's style, despite being ostentatious and sparkly. Well, maybe those things were what made them Kibum.
Kibum found a mirror and peered into it, and for a second he didn't smile. Jonghyun felt his heart pound - there he goes again, assuming Kibum's sexuality and just playing into it like it was no big deal. But Kibum turned to Jonghyun and nodded, adjusting the glasses on his nose like he already owned them.
After paying the stand manager, they ripped off the tags and threw them in the garbage, sporting their sunglasses proudly as Kibum slid his arm back into the crook of Jonghyun's elbow. They went from kiosk to kiosk, Kibum fascinated by every little thing they came across. It was hard to resist buying everything on the street for Kibum, especially with the way his eyes lit up at a small hand-made necklace, or the way his laugh rang in Jonghyun's ears as he picked up an obnoxiously decorated phone charm.
The coffee shop was finally their next stop and Jonghyun pulled Kibum inside, the air abuzz with conversation and the sound of coffee grinders. Kibum inhaled and Jonghyun knew he was absorbing the scent of coffee, and a small smile filtered over Kibum's lips as his eyes raised to the menu. But the peace was lost when Kibum's brows furrowed and he glanced up at Jonghyun nervously - how would Kibum order?
Glancing around, Jonghyun grabbed a hand held menu off of a nearby table, handing it to Kibum and feeling quite accomplished that he got over that obstacle all on his own. Kibum was grateful as he scanned the list, his finger pointing to a simple iced caramel latte. When it was their turn Jonghyun ordered Kibum's coffee and his own frappuccino, paying despite Kibum's huff of disapproval, nudging Kibum towards the next counter. Kibum added some extra sugar to his coffee and stirred it before taking a sip, giving a satisfied smile.
They decided to sit outside at a table under an umbrella, Kibum sitting and gracefully crossing his legs as his eyes took in the scenery, his lips pursing around the tip of his straw. Jonghyun watched for a second before catching himself, busying himself by stirring the whipped cream into the rest of his drink.
Kibum's finger tapped on the table, garnering Jonghyun's attention. He looked up at the blond and saw the look of thought flickering over Kibum's face; clearly the blond wanted to communicate, but wasn't sure how to without his notebook and pen. Jonghyun leaned forward a bit and tilted his head, nodding a bit.
“Try me,” he said.
Kibum's mouth opened, and Jonghyun's mind tricked him into thinking that the blond was going to speak. Instead, a huff of air came out and Kibum used a hand, gesturing between the two of them.
“Us?” Jonghyun ventured.
Kibum nodded, and then gestured around them.
“This?” Jonghyun's head tilted.
Kibum nodded again. He seemed to struggle for a second, before he finally tapped his sunglasses, and the his coffee, and pointed at Jonghyun.
“Me... paying for those things?”
Kibum blushed and looked away. Jonghyun laughed a bit, and then tapped Kibum's wrist gently to get his attention.
“Are you asking if this is a date?”
Kibum's lack of reply was a 'bingo', and Jonghyun's smile seemed to grow so impossibly wide he could feel his ears lifting with all of the muscle movements. Kibum's eyes were still on Jonghyun's mouth, and Jonghyun was sure he was waiting for a reply; he licked his lips lowly, and watched the blush on Kibum's cheeks darken - the blond's foot shot out and kicked Jonghyun in the shin, making the elder yelp and scoot back, laughing and setting his frappuccino down before he spilled it.
Waving a hand, Jonghyun leaned forward again, all the while keeping his legs out of kicking distance. “Do you want it to be?”
Kibum huffed with his entire body, the action so hugely exaggerated that Jonghyun couldn't help but chuckle again. The blond picked up his coffee and bit down viciously on the straw, and Jonghyun scooted his chair around the table, sitting as obnoxiously close to the younger as he could. Kibum didn't move his chair, but bodily leaned away when Jonghyun leaned in.
Jonghyun grabbed the coffee from Kibum's hand, setting it down on the table before using the same hand to use chilled fingers to tip Kibum's chin towards him, making damn sure Kibum was paying attention.
“This is a date.”
Kibum's eyes lifted to Jonghyun's, and they were round in honesty, his cheeks still dusted with that light flush. And if they weren't in public, Jonghyun would really kiss Kibum this time and mean it with every fiber of his being - Kibum lowered his chin a bit but didn't take it out of Jonghyun's grip, letting the elder's fingers linger for a few seconds more before he tipped his head away, lifting his coffee to his lips once again.
Chuckling, Jonghyun left his chair next to Kibum's for the rest of their stay at the coffee shop.
Kibum didn't mind.
-
“Why won't he let me in his house?” Jonghyun whined, rolling around on the hard wood floor of his living room.
Sodam walked by and kicked him in the ribs, “Why aren't you worried about why our parents are never home?”
“Irrelevant side characters,” Jonghyun said, swiping at her ankle.
She stuck her bare foot in his face, “Why don't you just ask him?”
“I feel like I'd be overstepping a boundary,” Jonghyun whined again.
Sodam crouched down, poking Jonghyun in the forehead. “Since when are you, Kim Jonghyun, afraid of 'crossing boundaries'? You kissed him the first night you met. You took him on a guerilla date. You're shameless.”
Jonghyun blinked up at her, eyes sparkly. “Nuna, you're the best.”
She shrugged and stood up, resuming chewing on her popsicle stick as she went upstairs, “I know. Next time you let my advice go to waste I'm charging you five bucks.”
Five minutes later Jonghyun was standing on Kibum's door step, face-to-face with Kibum himself.
“Hey,” Jonghyun said unnecessarily. “Can I come in?”
Kibum clearly hesitated. He hesitated so visibly his hand wrung the doorknob a few times and his fingers tapped on the screen door, and when Jonghyun put on his best puppy pout Kibum rolled his eyes and opened the door in a 'oh my God stop it' sort of way.
Internally celebrating, Jonghyun entered and took his shoes off, glancing around. Kibum's house was nice - tidy, it smelled good, but it was sparse of decoration or furniture. Kibum was already headed up the stairs and Jonghyun caught up with him, reminded of the first time Kibum had invaded his space. And just like last time, Jonghyun was watching Kibum's ass within the confines of Kibum's skinny jeans - and just like last time, Kibum glanced over his shoulder, though instead of sending a saucy smirk he reached behind him and pushed violently at Jonghyun's head, nearly sending him toppling back down the stairs.
Kibum's room was unlike the rest of the house. It smelled better, though, some incense burning in the corner. Like the pictures Jonghyun had seen, Kibum's room had things littered everywhere in an organized mess. Notebooks and folders were in his work space, in the corner by the window with a mannequin torso in the center of the space. His bed was big and looked cozy, his desk had a fancy Mac hooked up, and the spacious closet didn't have any doors. Scrap fabric was scattered on the floor and Kibum's room was... Kibum.
The boy himself was standing off to the side looking a bit fidgety. Jonghyun flashed him a smile and gently touched his arm, before he moved forward into Kibum's workspace, not quite infiltrating it because he wasn't sure how Kibum would react to that. Instead he looked at what Kibum had on the mannequin - it was the deep blue fabric that they had gotten at the fabric store, and it was fashioned into a stylish v-neck shirt. It was simple and beautiful all at once, the hemlines neat, the stitching looking like it had been done by a machine.
Kibum was suddenly next to Jonghyun, reaching forward and taking the shirt off of the mannequin. Jonghyun was confused for a second, before Kibum draped the shirt on his shoulder and reached forward, tugging the hem of Jonghyun's shirt up. A bit startled, Jonghyun's hands raised in defense, but when Kibum merely tried to tug his shirt up further, Jonghyun got the hint and took the hem in his own hands, pulling his shirt up over his head and tossing it onto the bed. Kibum smiled in satisfaction, handing the blue v-neck to Jonghyun and gesturing for him to put it on.
“For me?” Jonghyun asked, pointing to himself.
Kibum rolled his eyes and smacked Jonghyun's shoulder. Of course it's for you, dumbass, his gestures screamed. He wiggled his fingers impatiently and Jonghyun followed the command, putting the shirt on.
It fit... perfect. It hugged him in the right places but was loose in all the others, the v-neck dipping well below what would be considered modest. Jonghyun didn't really wear shirts like this, they weren't his style, but this shirt... this was his style, with the sleeves a bit shorter than a normal v-neck, the waist a bit more fitted. Somehow Kibum had taken Jonghyun's style and morphed it into the fabric and morphed it into something that was part of Kibum's signature collection, his collection that screamed its originality.
“Kibum...” Jonghyun whispered, glancing up and ready to get the blond's attention. But Kibum was already looking expectantly at Jonghyun, wringing his hands together, and before Jonghyun could say another word Kibum was pushing him towards the full length mirror on the other side of the room.
He could appreciate the shirt fully now, seeing the way it fitted to his body, the color complementing not only his skin color but his hair color as well. With no measurements and no real insight to Jonghyun's wardrobe, Kibum had somehow magically managed to create this shirt, and sure it was a simple v-neck at first glance, but as Jonghyun looked over to Kibum with a smile, he knew otherwise.
Kibum could do anything.
-
The last weekend of the month finally came, all of the neighbors gathering in the Choi's backyard, where three barbecues were set up and mothers were busy setting various side dishes out on the tables. Jonghyun decided to wear the shirt Kibum had made him - he hadn't had a good reason to show it off yet - his only pair of skinny jeans plastered to his skin as he grabbed a soda from the cooler. Sodam was already off gossiping with the girls, although she looked a bit out of place in her jeans and t-shirt, the other girls wearing skirts and fancier clothes.
There was no sign of Kibum or his family, and Jonghyun wondered if they would come. Kibum might have adjusted well to the neighborhood but his parents were still missing most of the time.
“Hyung!”
Jonghyun turned to see Minho approaching.
“Minho,” they had seen each other just yesterday, but Jonghyun acted like an uncle that hadn't seen his nephew in years. “When will you stop growing?” He asked, putting his hand to his forehead before raising it up to Minho's, the height difference almost painful.
Minho laughed good-naturedly. “Where's Kibum?” The two had met briefly when Kibum interrupted a conversation about what team they wanted to win the Cup. Kibum had been shy around Minho, but Minho was quiet by nature, so the two sort of fell into an easy friendship. It made Jonghyun happy, anyway, to see Kibum open up even slightly to someone other than him or Sodam.
“I invited him and his family but I'm not sure if they'll come,” Jonghyun said, trying to sound like there was nothing odd about that.
Minho nodded in understanding, “I was hoping Kibum would show up. I wanted to ask him something about plants.” He gestured towards some new bushes that were lining the fence, their state of foliage a bit worse for wear. “Kibum's whole yard and all of his plants are the greenest on the block.”
Jonghyun snorted, “Of course, Minho. You want to ask Kibum about his green thumb.”
Minho shrugged, and Jonghyun had always thought it charming in a way that Minho was not only so simplistic about what he wanted and needed, but honest about it as well.
The pair stood where they were for a few minutes, sipping their sodas and watching the adults interact, Jonghyun dubbing their conversations with completely inappropriate topics, Minho snickering and adding his own bits here and there. A tug on the hem of his shirt made Jonghyun glance behind him, and there Kibum was, looking out of place and uncomfortable around the crowd of overly-friendly people.
Jonghyun smiled brightly to greet Kibum, who gave a small smile back. He was dressed in a v-neck similar to Jonghyun's - a pale, washed out red color - his skinny jeans rolled up to his knees to expose his legs and his bare feet.
Minho turned around as well, and Kibum greeted him with a small incline of his head.
“Hungry?” Minho asked, while he had Kibum's attention.
Kibum nodded a bit, and Jonghyun had gotten so used to the pushy know-it-all that it was a bit weird to see Kibum reverted back to this shy, unsure person.
Nudging Kibum's arm a bit, Jonghyun gave him a reassuring smile. “They don't bite.” Kibum's eyes shimmered in a certain way and it was really quite odd how over the month Jonghyun had spent so much time with Kibum, he had learned to read Kibum like a book, communicate with him without words or gestures or even that notepad that he saw tucked into Kibum's back pocket. “They don't think you're different, either.”
That seemed to lift some tension off of Kibum's shoulders and he straightened, glancing around. Jonghyun lifted up his soda to him, and before he could offer to get one for Kibum the blond grabbed it and took a long swig, handing it back with a familiar smirk. Laughing, Jonghyun casually and comfortably put his arm around Kibum's waist, pulling him closer.
Minho coughed and jerked his head towards the side where another neighbor boy was currently talking to Mr. and Mrs. Choi, and Jonghyun nodded and watched as Minho walked over to the boy. Taemin, if Jonghyun remembered correctly. Still in high school.
Kibum's arm moved across Jonghyun's back as well and Jonghyun was about to relish in the contact before Kibum started walking him forward and into the thick of things. The way he was walking was determined, and Jonghyun immediately understood what Kibum wanted. Adults and kids alike greeted Kibum, making sure to wave and speak clearly, simple greetings like “hello” and “nice to meet you”, and Kibum was nodding his head in return, even shaking a few hands, his other hand occupied by wrinkling the fabric of Jonghyun's shirt in a death grip. They made their way through the crowd and finally to the food table where people were starting to dish up, and Kibum let out a breath.
Jonghyun turned to him with a big smile and cupped Kibum's face in his hands, shaking it side to side and squishing his cheeks. “That was great, Kibummie!”
Kibum blushed accordingly and swatted Jonghyun's hands away, grabbing a plate and pushing Jonghyun out of the way so he could get in line for food.
Jonghyun laughed and followed suit, feeling his heart swell with pride and a few other emotions.
Kibum could do anything.
-
After the barbecue people were milling about the neighborhood, hanging out in people's lawns as the sun set and twilight set in, the stars barely twinkling, conversations about summer vacations and kids and all sorts of things backing up the symphony of crickets.
Kibum and Jonghyun sat on Jonghyun's porch swing, Kibum's foot on the ground and idly rocking them back and forth. From where they were they could see the first stars, and Jonghyun couldn't help it - he put an arm around Kibum's shoulders and brought him into his side. Kibum didn't even stiffen, he just sort of melted into Jonghyun, his head tilting a bit towards Jonghyun's, and Jonghyun saw it as a small victory.
And a bit cliché but shh, let him have his moment.
A hand on his leg made him glance down from the sky, and he saw Kibum's hand lying face-up on his thigh, fingers spread. Jonghyun's unoccupied hand reached over and fitted against Kibum's, their fingers lacing together and resting right there on his leg. The rocking slowed and eventually Kibum's foot stopped moving, and they both moved their heads at the same time to look at each other, their noses brushing in the process.
Kibum was looking into Jonghyun's eyes and he looked content, he looked happy - he looked like everything he should.
Jonghyun spoke, even though Kibum wasn't looking at his mouth.
“Kim Kibum, you're the most beautiful song I've ever heard.”
And Kibum heard him, their lips pressing together softly, smiling against each other's mouths as the sun finally disappeared behind the horizon.
Jonghyun had a feeling Kibum could hear every word he ever said to him.
{C}
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