northern downpour sends its love
title: northern downpour sends its love
pairing: jonghyun/kibum
rating: pg-13
genre: friendship, romance, sliceoflife!AU
word count: 7, 519
summary: A childhood friendship is a special thing; sometimes people grow out of them. And in Kibum's case, Jonghyun thinks, he has grown up well. Really, really well.
(a/n: inspired by Kiss Me Slowly by Parachute, Love Me & May Be by Yiruma.)
Jonghyun honestly hadn't expected a phone call from his mother in the middle of the night, telling him to be over at their house in the morning with some noodles to go with the kimchi.
But it comes, and the ring from his cell phone pierces the deafening silence of his apartment. When he asks why, (because she never really bothered to explain herself) she tells him that he needs his rest and he shouldn't be on the phone any longer. Right.
So he drops it, pegging it as one of the 'family lunch days' they have occasionally now that Jonghyun is twenty-one and lives on his own. He sleeps through the rest of the night with no interruptions, and he doesn't bother pondering over the subject any longer.
Jonghyun wakes up and realizes that he has no noodles and he'll have to go out to buy some. Slightly annoyed with himself, he curses the time as he checks his phone. It's eleven o'clock and his mother has called him fourteen times since nine. He'll need to be there by eleven thirty with the noodles, according to her voice mail, and he should also bring some snacks. Just in case.
He drags a hand over his face and groans. He throws on the first thing he finds, lazily tries to fix his hair, and rushes out of the door with his phone and jacket in hand.
He gets to his parents' home by eleven thirty-five, five minutes late, and his mother tells him he should learn to be punctual. Jonghyun ignores it and grabs three sets of utensils and plates in order to set the table.
"Oh no no no, Jonghyun," his mother scolds from the stove, pointing a ladle towards him in warning. "Grab an extra set. We have a guest."
"Guest?" Jonghyun's eyebrow rises, but he does as he's told. "Mom, please don't tell me it's another daughter of one of your co-workers. I told you, I--"
His mother chuckles a bit as she stirs the pot in front of her. "No, don't worry. It's someone you know."
Jonghyun finishes with the table and straightens, heading over to where his mother stands and running his hands under the sink faucet. His brows furrow in confusion. "Well, who is it then?"
"You remember our good friends from Daegu, the Kims?"
To be completely honest, the memories are a little hazy to Jonghyun. "I..think so? Maybe?"
"They have a son," she continues, "Kibum. You have to remember him."
Jonghyun does. They were the same age, sort of, but Jonghyun only saw him during the summer, when Kibum would be a two years younger than him. He'd known him since he was six, when his family used to visit them here in Seoul for two to three weeks of the summer. They'd stopped coming by the time Jonghyun we thirteen and, eight years later, the memories were all blurry.
"Kibum is here, staying with his grandmother for the time being. I spoke to his mother briefly, and she said that he's enrolled at a university here in Seoul, so he's here this summer to find his way around. I told her to invite him to come have lunch with us, and he'll be here in an hour."
Jonghyun groans inwardly, because he hates playing the role of 'the good neighbor.' That's why he didn't have a roommate.
He doesn't protest though, because she isn't asking him to show him around or anything, she just wants them all to have a civil welcoming dinner. He can do this.
The doorbell rings an hour later, ("You should be that punctual," Jonghyun's mother nags. He ignores it.) and Jonghyun's father is the one who answers it. Jonghyun lingers behind in the kitchen for a moment, watching his mother spoon the last bit of kimchi into the fourth bowl. Then she ushers him out of the door, telling him that it would be rude of him to not greet Kibum properly after not seeing him for so many years. He sighs and complies.
When he walks into the living room, his father's broad back is blocking the way of the door and he can't even catch a glimpse of the newcomer, who certainly won't know anyone else has entered the room beyond Mr. Kim's back. Jonghyun's steps beside his father and bows politely, putting on his friendliest smile as he rises and--
The person standing in front of him looks nothing like the twelve year old he had seen eight years ago. Jonghyun's mind goes blank for a second, because God, Kibum has been blessed with some looks. He recovers after a moment, hopefully before Kibum could notice his minor falter.
Kibum breaks out into a grin as he bows, and the baggy shirt his has on slips off his shoulder just a bit, giving Jonghyun a nice view of his skin. Jonghyun gulps. As Kibum rises, he uses one hand to fix one of the waves in his blonde hair, and the other to wave politely at Jonghyun.
The three of them enter the dining room without much more conversation, and Jonghyun sends up a silent prayer that his mother will talk her way through this lunch. She certainly doesn't let him down, as she fires Kibum questions from the start. Jonghyun isn't sure if Kibum will be able to finish the food on his plate, because his mother is barely giving him time to eat.
But through the rapid question and answer session, Jonghyun finds out that Kibum is a student at the same arts university as him, although he doesn't mention his major. He's staying with his grandmother right now, learning his way around Seoul and hunting down a place of his own. And he's here because he was he was sick of Daegu. Jonghyun's mother doesn't press that subject any further.
Kibum chuckles as he tells them of his trip to Seoul, involving a long train ride next to a three year old girl with a tendency to scream whenever they passed a station. Jonghyun catches himself smiling and staring, and when he glances down at his plate he realizes that he hasn't gotten much eating done either.
An hour slips by, and Kibum bows slightly as he picks his plate up and asks to take the dishes to the kitchen. Jonghyun's mother quickly dismisses the idea. Kibum thanks her and stands, bowing from the waist down and thanking them for their kindness. When he turns to leave, Jonghyun feels a string of panic and want pull at his stomach.
"Hey, didn't you say you wanted to find your way around Seoul?" The words are out of his mouth before he can even stop them.
His father quirks a brow and his mother nearly drops the plate in her hands. Their son was offering to help someone?
Kibum doesn't seem very surprised at all, and Jonghyun thinks that his staring might have been a little more obvious than he would like to admit. Kibum grins again and nods slightly in confirmation.
"I'll show you around. Tomorrow's a Sunday, which is no good. But Monday, would you like for me to come get you?" Jonghyun groans to himself mentally. He's never sounded so eager about anything before in his life, but he's so nervous that he can't stop. He fights the blush rising to his cheeks and ignores the way his mother's jaw goes slack.
Kibum fishes his phone out of his back pocket and walks over to stick it in Jonghyun's palm. Jonghyun's fingers type three of the digits wrong, and he laughs nervously to cover up the sound of his rapidly beating heart. Kibum must either find it amusing, or he's too nice of a person to call him out for it, because he laughs along with him.
"I'll text you later so you'll have my number," Kibum says when his phone is returned to him. He bows once more to the adults in the room before giving Jonghyun a small wave as he exits the house.
Jonghyun's heart regulates itself once he's gone, and he scolds himself for letting Kibum get to him that easily. When he looks up, his parents are still looking at him with purely dumbfounded expressions.
The awkward atmosphere grows too thick too fast, so Jonghyun stands up, announcing his leave and that he's taking the left over kimchi with him. His mother spoons it onto a plate, still saying nothing, but staring at him oddly. Jonghyun briefly nods to his father, grabs his keys from the countertop, and makes his way over to the front door.
Just as it swings closed, he can hear his mother call, "I think he's cute, too!"
---
Jonghyun is at Kibum's grandmother's doorstep at exactly three o'clock, just as he had requested. (His mother would be so proud.) The neighborhood it's nestled in seems quiet and friendly, but it was about forty-five minutes away from the university, and as a student Kibum would need to be as close as possible.
Jonghyun nudges at a weed growing between the cracks of the stone walkway with the tip of his shoe, attempting to draw up some courage before knocking on the door. His knuckle meets the cool mahogany wood and he winces, hoping he doesn't disturb his grandmother in the process. He waits for a moment, and the door cracks open gradually. It's a small woman, pink dress covered by an apron and gray hair piled in a neat bun atop her head. She gives Jonghyun and warm, knowing smile, and he returns it genuinely.
"I assume you're Jonghyun, correct?" she questions, moving to the side and placing her hand on her hip to survey him.
"Yes ma'am," Jonghyun bows respectfully, but his nervousness shows when he rises and scratches the back of his neck sheepishly.
She smiles again. "I remember you. It's been a while, boy," she shakes a finger at him, and then turns and begins to ascend the stairs, presumably to fetch Kibum.
Jonghyun suddenly feels stupidly out of place, as though he should remember her as she remembers him. He had made an attempt to yesterday, going through all of the photo albums he could find in his apartment. The amount of photos of him with Kibum was surprising; there was at least one on every page. Memories cleared themselves and sprung to the front of his mind; he realized he actually had missed Kibum, in a way. He just had to be reminded of why. They had been such good friends when they were younger; why had that disappeared eight years ago?
His musing is interrupted when he hears footsteps against the wooden stairs; two sets. Although he and Kibum had been exchanging texts for the past few days, Jonghyun felt a bit of anxiety creep up into his chest. It diminishes once Kibum comes into sight, and he grins widely.
"Now Jonghyun," Kibum's grandmother states in a warning tone. "Kibum better be in one piece when you return him. Understand?"
Kibum's jaw drops, and he throws her a look of disbelief. "Halmeoni!" he breathes, "Don't say things like that to people!"
"No, no it's fine," Jonghyun interrupts before she can scold Kibum. "He'll be fine with me, I promise, Halmeoni."
She nods approvingly, "Good. That's exactly what I wanted. Now, be sure to show my grandson everything he'll need to see, okay?" She casts Jonghyun a quick wink, one only he is able to see.
What she insinuates shocks him for a moment, but he gathers himself quickly and chuckles, "He'll know Seoul like the back of his hand, I promise."
"All right, off you go!" She pushes Kibum forward so Jonghyun had to steady him by grabbing his wrist. He has a feeling that he's really going to like this woman.
The fading of Jonghyun's nerves was gradual, but it did happen eventually. Kibum was lighthearted despite his cold exterior, and the ease of his personality really made Jonghyun wonder why they had never kept in touch.
Jonghyun had shown him around inner city Seoul today; the best restaurants to visit when time between classes is short and the streets are too crowded for the venders, the library that housed the best reference books for long reports, and the different stops for the subways and buses. Kibum had nodded though it all, jotting down street and store names in the notepad he kept clenched between his thumb and forefinger.
Jonghyun would sneak glances over at the other boy when they would pass an especially astounding store or monument. He couldn't help himself; the look of wonder that would come over Kibum face had him practically glowing. Of all the restaurants Jonghyun had shown him, he was surprised when Kibum picked out the quaintest one, without all the decorations and high end prices. Jonghyun promised he would take him to eat there one day, and Kibum eyes lit up.
Now the sun is beginning to disappear behind Seoul's neon lights and sky scraping business buildings. The crowds grow thicker and rowdier as the time passes, and Jonghyun hooks his index finger around Kibum's wrist so he will be able to keep up more easily. Kibum seems a bit surprised by the contact at first, but relaxes into it eventually and follows Jonghyun through the throng of people. Jonghyun feels a tug on his arm when someone runs into Kibum rather roughly, so he pulls him closer and tightens his hand around the small wrist.
They make it through eventually, and Jonghyun doesn't notice that he still has a firm grasp on Kibum's wrist. Kibum does, however, and he hesitantly glances down at it to see if Jonghyun will remember. When he doesn't, Kibum doesn't bother to tell him.
Jonghyun stops in his tracks suddenly, dropping Kibum's wrist so he can run that hand through his hair.
"Shit," he mutters, stealing a glance toward his watch. "It's only eight thirty, they probably haven't locked up." He continues to speak to himself.
"Hey Kibum," he spins on his heel to face him, "Can we take a detour real quick? It will only take a minute."
Kibum nods, "Yeah, that's fine. Halmeoni won't care."
Jonghyun gives him a thumbs up and leads the way across the road although there is no sign to indicate that he can do so. Kibum clicks his tongue in disapproval, but he keeps his thoughts to himself. He checks the street for vehicles before he crosses, and he wishes Jonghyun had turned around to see.
Jonghyun reaches for the handle of a large blue door to enter the stark white building. When the door doesn't budge, he presses his shoulder to the metal, and it glides open with a creak. The cool air from inside hits them straight in the face, and Kibum feels a shiver run down his back. He follows Jonghyun through a long white hallway, doors on either side closed firmly. The silence makes it seem eerie; Kibum wonders why Jonghyun would ever come to such a place and for what reason.
Jonghyun identifies the door he needs with ease, and he slips in without turning the light on. Kibum wrinkles his nose because, although he can see perfectly well with the moonlight streaming through a window, he still can't shake off the feeling the place gives him. He reaches for a switch, but Jonghyun dismisses it.
"We'll only be here for a few minutes," he says as he continues to the corner of the room, "Dont bother with the light."
Kibum casts him a weary look, but he follows him to the corner anyway, lead only by the light from outside. Jonghyun kneels beside something covered with a thick tarp and rummages through a black bag beside it. Kibum is close enough now to make out the musical notes on the sheet he pulls out; sheet music?
"What is that, Jonghyun?"
Jonghyun looks up quickly, as though he was surprised by Kibum's voice, but he smiles anyway. "Sheet music," he replies, dusting off his knees as he stands, "for this."
He removes the tarp from the object beside Kibum, revealing an onyx colored grand Yamaha piano, standing out against the pale colored walls almost painfully. Jonghyun lifts up the wood covering the keys and runs his fingers against them.
Kibum raises his eyebrow a bit in surprise. If Jonghyun was anything, he certainly didn't look like a pianist.
Kibum sits down on the stool in front of the instrument and pats the seat next to him. "Play," he says quietly, and Jonghyun obeys.
The first few soft notes fall from Jonghyun fingers like liquid, quick and neat and memorized. The tempo picks up soon, and Jonghyun's emotion can be heard through his playing and seen on his face. Kibum is shocked; Bernat Dorado's Jag behöver Sverige is a rather complex piece, and Jonghyun seems to play it with an aged ease.
When he finishes, Kibum nods his head appreciatively. "That is one of my favorites, although I've never mastered it."
"You play?" Jonghyun asks, scooting down as an indication for Kibum to set his hands on the keys and play as well.
Kibum's fingers touch the keys softly, allowing them to gently emit the sounds of Yiruma's Love Me. Jonghyun smiles to himself as he hears him play. When he looks over, the moonlight is spilling onto the keys and shining off of the piano's top and onto Kibum's face, and God Jonghyun feels cheesy for even thinking that.
"You're good," Jonghyun compliments as he finishes, but Kibum only laughs it off.
"You're better," he says, standing to stretch and wait for Jonghyun to pick up his things again. "Why do you bother coming here for lessons? You're flawless."
Jonghyun chuckles as he leads the way back to the door and hallway. "I don't take lessons, I teach on Tuesdays."
"Really? So tomorrow then."
Jonghyun nods, "But I don't have any responsibilities for the rest of the week. Mind if I show you around a bit more?" He grins.
Kibum grins back. "Wednesday it is."
---
Wednesday passes by smoothly; Kibum remembers most of the tourist attractions in Seoul, but he loves revisiting them. He pulls Jonghyun along eagerly, and Jonghyun follows obediently, laughing as Kibum reads the locks at the base of the Seoul Tower and acts scandalized when one reads, "You give the best blowjobs ever."
"Romantic, isn't it?" Kibum rolls his eyes and Jonghyun watches as he moves to read more. Kibum really seems to enjoy the things, and Jonghyun scratches the back of his neck in thought. He would ask Kibum if he wanted to add one of his own, but he feels like that might seem a bit pushy. He watches as Kibum fingers the one in his hand in admiration, and decides screw it, he'll ask.
"Kibum," he says, wrapping his hand around the other boy's forearm. He hums in acknowledgement to his name.
"There's a vendor selling locks on the other side. If you want, we..." But he never gets to finish because Kibum is already pulling him in the direction.
Kibum picks a brightly colored blue one and borrows a marker from a cup on the vendor's table. Jonghyun tries to read over his shoulder, but Kibum snaps a bit and tells him not to. Jonghyun follows as he returns to the other side and places the lock firmly in place.
Establishing luck for the building of a friendship and the good things that will come from it.
Jonghyun smiles.
Later, when they're walking down the length of the Seoul Bridge, he doesn't notice when Kibum takes the key from his back pocket and lets it fall from his fingers into the water below. Kibum doesn't hear it hit the water, but it makes him grin anyway.
---
The next time Jonghyun is with Kibum is on Friday. Kibum had been firing questions about their school campus the night before, and Jonghyun told him that he would rather show him than tell him.
That's why Jonghyun is currently scaling the university's locked gates and Kibum is glaring at him disapprovingly. Jonghyun lands on his feet on the other side and unlocks the door for Kibum to slip through.
"When you said you'd show me the campus, I didn't expect that to mean that you'd break in," Kibum mutters as he slips past Jonghyun into the school grounds.
"How else would I show you? Besides, no one will care if I'm here. My dad used to be a professor; they know I'm not here to vandalize," he assures Kibum as he leads him further in. Kibum says something under his breath about killing Jonghyun if he gets him in trouble before he even starts, but Jonghyun ignores it.
Jonghyun shows him the essentials; the cafeteria is located near the east wing, the dorms opposite on the west wing, the library at the entrance. The darkness makes it difficult, but the streetlamps above the sidewalks make it a bit easier. On their way to the building containing the main office, a bush near them shutters from movement and Kibum's hand finds Jonghyun's out of fright. He never withdraws it.
Jonghyun leads him to a fairly large building on the far left of the campus; it has lettering going across the top, but Kibum can't read it. They feel their way up the stairway carefully, although Kibum nearly trips more than once. Jonghyun only chuckles at him. When Kibum asks what the building is used for, Jonghyun tells him he'll find out soon enough.
Jonghyun manages to open a door tucked away on the side of the building, and he was actually surprised to find that it was unlocked. He hits a light switch to his left, and the lights rise enough to show the stage.
"A performing arts center, I assume?" Kibum questions and Jonghyun nods his assent, humming as they descend the sides to make their way on stage.
"Primarily used by...?"
"Several departments," Jonghyun answers, scuffing the sole of his shoes against the stage's glossy wooden floor. "The drama department for plays, music department for shows, literature department for readings, design and art departments for galleries...most activities happen here."
"I guess I should have known," Kibum mutters, placing himself on the edge of the stage and allowing his feet to dangle into the red colored pit that separates the stage from the audience.
"Dont fall in," Jonghyun warns, "You might break your face." Kibum just scoffs, rolling his eyes.
Jonghyun continues his humming, fingering the dark, massive curtains that flank either side of the stage. His runs his fingers along the material and allows his voice to rise, becoming louder as be gets closer to Kibum.
Kibum seems to hear him just before Jonghyun reaches him; his ears perk up, and he smiles in his direction. Jonghyun throws himself onto the floor and slides to where Kibum is, bumping their hips together in the process. Kibum laughs wholeheartedly, but continues to listen to Jonghyun carefully.
Jonghyun suddenly feels kind of stupid and cliché; serenading an old friend that he kind-of-maybe finds really attractive in an empty auditorium. But then he hits a long, more difficult note, and the shine in Kibum's eyes makes him forget to care.
He finishes with a flourish and a bow, but Kibum continues to laugh and clap for him anyway.
Kibum chuckles gradually fade into yawns, and he stretches a bit before allowing his head to fit itself on Jonghyun's shoulder.
"Tired?" Jonghyun asks softly, feeling a bit guilty for making Kibum come out so late at night.
Kibum answers with a hum that sounds indifferent, and his hands find Jonghyun left arm so he can pull him closer. He adjusts himself until he's comfortable and lets out a contented sigh against Jonghyun's neck. The hairs on the back of Jonghyun neck stand up, and he tries to surpress the shiver that runs down his spine.
"You have a really nice voice," Kibum mumbles quietly, Jonghyun feeling the words more than actually hearing them. "I assume you're a music major."
Jonghyun nods gently in hopes of not disturbing the boy on his shoulder. "You haven't made it very obvious what you are yet."
Kibum laughs softly, "Really? People usually say they can tell by my personality. I'm an art and design major. I'll show you some drawings sometime?" He lifts his hand and sticks out his pinky, waiting for Jonghyun to loop his with it.
"Sure."
---
"You know, we have yet to really do anything to really 'celebrate' your arrival in Seoul," are the first words out of Jonghyun's mouth on Saturday night as they make their way down the sidewalks of the park near Kibum's grandmother's house.
Kibum raises an eyebrow. "I...suppose not," he agrees uneasily, not quite sure where Jonghyun is going with that statement.
"Well," Jonghyun grins eagerly, nudging him in the side with his shoulder blade, "There's a really nice bar around the corner, and--"
"Jonghyun, I'm nineteen," Kibum reminds him insistently.
"And I'm twenty-one," Jonghyun shrugs, "every age is legal in Seoul."
Kibum isn't sure if he likes the grin that spreads across Jonghyun's lips.
It must have been enough though, because Kibum finds himself pushing through a dance floor of sweating bodies not even an hour later. Jonghyun had been right about the age thing; they didn't even bother to check IDs here; Kibum could buy his own drinks. Somewhere in the back of Kibum's mind he thinks that's a bad thing, but he can't seem to push past the clouded haze in his mind enough to care.
Kibum stops in the middle of the floor and tries to concentrate, tries to remember exactly where he last saw Jonghyun. He could see him from where he was sitting a few minutes ago, but now that entire thought process had left him. His alcohol tolerance was worse than he ever thought it would be. He gives up and finds his way over to the bar, deciding that Jonghyun will just have to find his way to him.
The guy sitting on the stool next to him is (over) friendly enough to buy him another drink. Kibum thanks him politely, and they indulge in conversation. It's light and easy until the guy starts working his hand on Kibum's knee. He draws away, shifting in his stool a bit, but the guy edges his closer. All at once, Kibum is cursing a million things; Jonghyun for taking him here, alcohol for being so easy to get lost in, himself for being too attractive--
A hand on his shoulder interrupts his thoughts, and he tries to shake it off, automatically assuming it's the guy next to him. The hand persists, and Kibum spins around to tell him off before he realizes that it's Jonghyun.
Kibum smiles gleefully, although it is laced with drunkenness, and drags Jonghyun to the floor, far away from the touchy guy at the bar.
"Where have you been?" Kibum accuses him once they find a spot in the crowd, and Jonghyun chuckles.
"Kibum, this is a dance floor. Dance with me." He turns Kibum around so Kibum's back is against his chest, and he presses him closer when their hips align.
Kibum's rational side panics for a moment; then the alcohol manages to take over again and all rational thought disappears. He gets lost in the lights and the music and the heat and the push-pull of it all and
Oh.
His head tips back onto Jonghyun's shoulder, though not at all as innocently as it had been just the day before. Jonghyun takes this as an advantage, slipping his lips up the span of Kibum's neck and relishing in the way his body trembled beneath his fingertips. He finds a particular spot on Kibum's collarbone that he likes and allows his mouth to stay there, smiling as he feels Kibum's slim fingers dig into his thighs.
Kibum suddenly turns around in his arms so he can face him fully. He eyes Jonghyun for a moment, as if he is assessing him for something, but Jonghyun's mind is too foggy to see anything clearly and he is too lost to care.
He drags Kibum forward and uses his thumb and pointer finger to secure Kibum's chin in place, lifting it slightly. Something flashes in Kibum's eyes but Jonghyun presses forward too soon to take it into account for anything. At first Kibum seems a bit taken aback, perhaps a little shy, even, but then something clicks and the hesitant kiss moves on to something easy and natural. Jonghyun can taste the alcohol on Kibum lips, even in his mouth as he goes deeper, and he's sure Kibum can taste the same on him. Jonghyun is determined to find something else though, and soon he can taste the mint and coffee milk and all the things he'd thought Kibum would taste like. The kiss becomes slicker, slower, and the hands Jonghyun has set on Kibum's hips tighen and he can hear Kibum's breath hitch, feel the way his back arches and
~
That's as far as Jonghyun can remember the next morning.
The first thing he does in glance around his room; there are no extra clothes, no Kibum, and he is completely clothed in his own bed.
Good. They must have both gotten home then.
His momentary panic becomes relief, and he digs the heels of his hands into his eyes in hopes of relieving some of the pain from the growing headache he has beneath it. He feels like crap; he had way too much to drink, way more than normal, and his memories of last night are proof of that.
He decides to text Kibum and check on him, because it's something that he feels obligated to do after his actions last night. When he reaches for his blackberry on the nightstand, the light at the top is already blinking an angry red.
'my grandmother could smell me as soon as i got in. she's not very fond of the nice hickey on my neck. or you, for that matter.'
Shit.
---
It takes Jonghyun five days of begging to finally get Kibum to meet him at that cafe Kibum liked so much. Kibum's grandmother had no idea, of course; she was under the false pretense that he had gone to the library to work on a summer reading assignment.
Jonghyun is already waiting at a booth when Kibum gets there; he slips in and looks down at his hands, which are laced firmly in his own lap.
"Uh," Jonghyun says dumbly, trying to save the from the stiff silence, "How have you been?"
Kibum eyes him curiously before shrugging, "I've been well. A bit bored though."
"Oh."
They continue on in silence until the waitress comes to take their orders. During the meal, Jonghyun looks up as Kibum leans forward and notices the fading purple mark on his clavicle. Jonghyun covers his face in shame and groans.
"I am so sorry. That normally doesn't happen. I...I don't know what was wrong with me and. God, I suck. Not like suck suck, I mean like suck as a person, or at life and--"
Kibum fixes his shirt so it covers the mark again and he laughs softly. And flood of relief surges through Jonghyun's bones.
"It wasn't just your fault; I knew better than to drink, but i did anyway. I'll admit, I was pretty mad at first; mostly because Halmeoni was ready to rip me apart," Jonghyun cringes at that, "but then she complimented me on it, kind of, and said at least you were handsome." He shrugs and Jonghyun beams.
All tension is gone then and lighthearted jokes keep the comversation light and natural. Jonghyun worries that they'll run out of topics soon, so he asks why Kibum stopped coming during the summer all those years ago.
This was possibly his worst move yet.
Kibum's eyes darken considerably, and he lets his spoon fall onto his plate with a clatter.
"For the same reason I'm here for college instead of Daegu," he says sadly, focusing his eyes on his hands again.
"My parents just recently underwent a divorce," Kibum mutters softly, and Jonghyun's eyes widen. His parents had always seemed so happy when they visited; always holding hands and complimenting each other, they were the ideal couple.
"The winter before we stopped coming was when they started fighting; it escalated to the point where I would see them both with bruises in the mornings. They hid it from me for a while though," he sighed, resting his elbows on the table top and pinching the bridge of his nose.
"They tried so hard to fix it, but they had no luck. It got so bad that it was at a point where they weren't sleeping in the same room. I thought if I came here, they could both move on. I would be one less thing to fight about."
"Kibum," Jonghyun tries softly, reaching a hand out to the other boy.
"I should go," Kibum says dismissively, bowing curtly before exiting.
Number of times Jonghyun can mess up within a week: two.
---
Jonghyun messages Kibum constantly throughout Friday, to the point that he's sure he's pestering him. He gets ignored in return.
Guilt eats at the lining of his heart like acid. He should have asked his mom before he went on to ask such a personal question, to see if she knew any details. Then again, how was he supposed to know?
He presses his palms to his eyes and releases a sigh, casting a glare toward his phone on the nightstand and the clock next to it. It reads one o'clock in the morning; he had spent his entire Friday worrying over Kibum. Lovely.
Jonghyun is becoming desperate at this point. He'll do anything to have Kibum talk to him, anything
And then it hits him.
He throws a small rock at the window that he's hoping is Kibum's, not hard, but enough to make an audible click. He waits for a moment, but he gets no response. He throws a second rock, this time bigger and harder than the last. He waits with baited breath until he see the faint flicker and glow of a light, perhaps from a lamp or candle.
The window slides open a few moments later and Jonghyun can feel his heart jump into his throat. It is Kibum, thankfully, dressed in an incredibly oversized red t-shirt and some black sweatpants. Jonghyun smiles and calls to him, waving playfully from his place on the ground.
Kibum sighs and crosses his arms, leaning against the pane of the window.
"You just don't give up, do you?" he asks, shaking his head with a light chuckle. Jonghyun shakes his head and motions for him to come down to him. Kibum's eyebrow quirks up.
"Jonghyun, you and I are both dressed in t-shirts and sweatpants. It is one thirty in the freaking morning. If you are expecting me to go somewhere, I'm --"
"Kibum," Jonghyun smiles, "Just get down here."
Kibum seems to think about slamming the window until he remembers his grandmother downstairs. He resigns back into his bedroom to grab some shoes and head downstairs. He descends rather quickly until he sees his grandmother on the couch, fast asleep. He slows and stops to bring the blanket up to her neck before he wishes her an unheard goodbye and makes his way through the door swiftly.
Halmeoni cracks open one eye once she hears the door shut and smiles.
Kibum falls into step beside Jonghyun without saying anything, looking toward the ground at the way their footsteps automatically sync with one other.
"I want to show you something," Jonghyun mumbles lowly as he takes Kibum's hand in his. Kibum can feel the heat rising in his cheeks as his collarbone burns, reminding him of that day not even a week ago; would they never try to work out the whole thing?
He pushes his other thoughts away as Jonghyun leads them the opposite way through the park, the direction that leads them out of town.
"Where are we going?" he questions, squeezing Jonghyun's hand a bit to get his attention.
You'll see soon enough," Jonghyun answers without even looking at him. He continues to face forward with a ridiculously large grin on his face.
Jonghyun let's go of his hand once they round a corner and, although random trees cover spots here and there, Kibum can still see the city lights through their branches. He looks at the small lake in front of them and his eyes widen when he sees Jonghyun climb onto the small wooden dock.
"Jonghyun, what--"
Jonghyun rids himself of his shirt almost immediately, and Kibum lets out a sound of protest.
"Jonghyun, really, it is insanely cold out here. You can't honestly expect me to get into the water."
Jonghyun is already submerged fairly deep; the blue water comes just above his abdominal area. Admittedly, the liquid lapping languidly at his elbows is a bit cold. It's not completely unbearable though, and all Jonghyun wants is for Kibum to forget about his troubles for the moment. He wants him to stop mulling over things like his parents, his tuition, his future. He wants Kibum to focus on this one section of time: the water, the moon, on him.
He sighs and climbs out of the water in what seems like surrender. Kibum smirks at him coyly, thinking that he had won him over. Jonghyun relishes in the shriek he makes whenever his strong arms wrap around his tiny waist as he drags him into the water.
Kibum's first reaction is to swat Jonghyun's
hands away, wrap his arms around himself, and sulk. The glare he shoots Jonghyun can't be considered a warm one, but Jonghyun is too busy staring at his mussed appearance to really care.
"I hate you," he says eventually, teeth chattering as he speaks. "It is like sixty damn degrees outside and you just pulled me in water that is like fifty degrees. My choices are to either stay in here where the tempture stays at this level, or stand outside and let the breeze freeze my ass off. I hate you," he ends bitterly.
Jonghyun reaches out for him and Kibum tries to pull away determinedly. He eventually stills and accepts his fate, assuming that the sooner Jonghyun is over this, the sooner he can go home to warmth.
He is a bit surprised to feel himself being pulled flush up against Jonghyun, and memories of Saturday night fill his head as he fights a blush from his cheeks.
Jonghyun laughs at him softly and explains, "Body heat is better."
Jonghyun's hands slip from Kibum's waist to his thighs, lifting him, causing him to emit a soft squeak. Jonghyun chuckles at the noise and begins to rub his thumbs in small circles on Kibum's thighs.
"Relax," he murmurs, smiling when he feels Kibum wrap his legs securely around his waist and position his hands at a rest on his shoulders. Kibum nods and bites his bottom lip.
"About yesterday," Kibum begins, looking down shamefully.
"Don't sweat it," Jonghyun interrupts him as he begins to sway gently in the water, causing small waves to rock against them. "My mother told me about it."
Kibum sighs and leans closer to him, causing their foreheads to touch as he closes his eyes.
"I still shouldn't have reacted so badly," he apologizes, "I'm sorry."
Jonghyun only nods as an answer, because having Kibum this close to him is doing weird things to his mind. He has a stirring urge to kiss him again, sober this time, but he's not sure if can can bring himself to. He swallows and clears his throat.
"Kibum?" he asks timidly, getting a low hum in response; it seems like Jonghyun slow rocking has nearly put Kibum to sleep.
"Is it all right..if I kiss you? Sober this time, I promise."
Kibum eyes widen at that, because although he was expecting it, he wasn't exactly expecting it that soon. He nods anyway.
Jonghyun isn't sure how to start, at first, and he thinks that maybe asking first was a bad idea and it should have been a surprise and
Lips press against his and he realizes that he just thinks entirely too much. He smiles into it in spite of himself, and he's glad to feel Kibum do the same thing. The kiss is much slower in the beginning this time, giving Jonghyun the chance to relish in the texture of Kibum's lips. They're chapped from the cold and his own are slightly numb, but it's still perfect.
He presses an insistent nip to the right corner of Kibum's mouth, and Kibum lets out a small noise that sends his mind and heart racing as he opens up for him. Alcohol clouds nothing today, Jonghyun can taste Kibum completely as the kiss deepens.
At some point, Jonghyun thinks he might feel a few rain drops fall into his hair, but he ignores them and continues to press forward. One of his hands secures itself under Kibum's thigh as the other slips up to his small waist and into his shirt, somehow managing to press their bodies closer.
Jonghyun takes Kibum's lower lip between his teeth and tugs. Kibum arches into him and lets out a low whimper, tightening his legs around his waist and threading his fingers into Jonghyun's hair.
A low rumble of close thunder and a sharp crack of lightening is what it takes to get them apart. Jonghyun lifts himself onto the dock first, before reaching down to Kibum to help him out.
"I would walk you home, but my apartment is closer and --" a sharp clap of thunder cuts his sentence in two, "Well, that."
Kibum had showered first once they got in; he is now sitting awkwardly on Jonghyun's bed in his much-too-large clothes. He wraps the string of the sweatpants around his finger and tilts it down, watching as it unravels itself against his palm.
It surprises him when Jonghyun suddenly steps out of the bathroom; he had expected to hear the hair dryer first, but apparently Jonghyun thought he would just go to bed with it wet. Kibum scoffs.
He stands and points at the spot he previously occupied. "Sit," he orders, and Jonghyun obeys although he is completely confused.
Kibum leaves the room only to return with a towel in his hand a few minutes later. He sits behind Jonghyun on his knees, pressing them against his sides and he tells Jonghyun to lay back against his chest.
"Kibum, you don't--"
"You've been in the rain and a lake in sixty degree weather today. You'll definitely get sick if you sleep on your hair with it wet," Kibum scolds as he begins moving his hands in soothing circles. Jonghyun no longer feels obligated to argue.
Kibum makes small talk, low in Jonghyun's ears, and he struggles to stay awake. In his defense, it is nearly three o'clock in the morning and the way Kibum's moves his fingers is almost thearaputeic.
Jonghyun had nearly fallen asleep when he feels Kibum remove the towel from his head with as soft, "Done," as if he's afraid he'll wake him.
Jonghyun raises himself enough to grab Kibum's waist and push them both down into the mattress. He hears Kibum laugh as he pulls the comforter around them, the warmth welcomed after the cold they had endured for the past few hours.
Jonghyun watches Kibum as he relaxes into the pillows, stares as the lightening outside lights up his features. With the aid of the bright light, he sees the small red mark on Kibum's bottom lip and frowns.
"I'm sorry," he mumbles tiredly as he drags a finger across it, "I probably seem abusive." To make his apology seem even more sincere, he leans down and presses a few small kisses to the fading purple mark on Kibum's clavicle.
"Its okay," Kibum says a bit breathlessly. Jonghyun smiles and allows his right hand to lie on Kibum's hip when he comes up to lay his head down on the pillow.
"You want to know something?" Kibum breaks the silence after a few moments, voice unsure.
"Hmm?" is Jonghyun's reply as he moves forward, placing his lips against the edge of Kibum's jaw in something that is a kiss but not really.
"I've actually liked you since I was ten."
Jonghyun traces his fingers in patterns along Kibum's hipbone, and if there is ever a moment where he could freeze time, God this would be it. This would be it.
He presses a small, almost nonexistent kiss to the corner of Kibum's lips and mouths against them
"I've decided it's time to take on a roommate."
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a/n: Thanks for reading! To anyone wondering, this is the song that Jonghyun played.
I actually wrote this in the summer of 2011. Still, it's my first post. Enjoy
!