[F05] LIPS LIKE WARM COFFEE
Prompt Code: F05
Title: Lips Like Warm Coffee
Rating: NC-17
Side Pairings (if any): ChanBaek
Warnings: none
Word count: 6.7k
Summary: Kissing Kyungsoo is one of Jongin’s favourite things to do.
AN: I pray this fic will do the prompt justice ;A; anyways, I hope everyone will enjoy.. especially my recipient. Lots of love!!
On his 24th birthday, Sehun chooses to tell his best friend Jongin what’s been bothering him lately over the dining table- where every single thing they say is literally within every single person’s damn earshot.
“I don’t know man, it’s like you’ve transcended to another level of anti-socialism.”
“Oh, wow. Thanks a lot, I guess?” Jongin likes to blame it on Junmyeon, he really does. Ever since the old man has miraculously decided to quit smoking, run a lifestyle blog (which garnered many female viewers not because of the health protocols, but because of Junmyeon’s remarkable daddy looks and handsome set of friends), and pay Jongin a good amount to join his team as “official photographer”, Jongin has not pampered his social life the way he usually does before shootings and dance practices simultaneously begin to happen.
But Jongin, passive as he is, thinks that there’s really nothing to complain about. Jongin eventually finds out that spending some time alone in his apartment, doing heavy editing and some dancing, has distracted himself from serious internal conflicts and a very painful 3 year old break-up. Temporarily.
“What are you trying to say, Sehunnie?” Junmyeon, who is just 2 seats away from Sehun, peaks into the conversation. “Jongin is a very hardworking lad. His shots are great, and the viewers absolutely adore him! You know what, there’s one more spot left for a publication staff member if you’re interested..”
Sehun fights the urge to roll his eyes while Jongin deadpans, not wanting to make any innuendos.
The night seems to be going well, Jongin thinks. They’re having Chinese cuisine and the food tastes absolutely great, courtesy of Yixing. The party isn’t too crowded, considering Sehun only invited a few of his close friends, and Baekhyun hasn’t gotten drunk yet- which means there’s less fuss to worry about.
Jongin only notices that Chanyeol hasn’t really been around the whole night when the tall boy suddenly bursts in with that huge, creepy smile on his face.
“Hey, everyone!” Chanyeol takes long, heavy strides to the dining table and plops down, taking every single thing he sees on his plate. “Please forgive me.. I’m really hungry right now.”
Baekhyun’s protective-boyfriend-senses kick in, “Where the hell have you been, dumbass? I’ve been texting you the whole night!”
“Sorry, babe. Errands.” Chanyeol simply says, mouth leaking with food. Baekhyun scoffs in disgust and nearly smacks him. “Actually, Junmyeon hyung asked me to pick someone up.”
Sehun’s eyes widen in disbelief. “Excuse me?” He crosses his arms. “Who is this someone? Junmyeon, please be reminded that we’re celebrating my peaceful birthday party right now and I didn’t just invite anyone-”
“Ugh. Calm down, Sehunnie,” Junmyeon all but grins, flicking some invisible dust away from his shoulders. “This boy is no stranger to us all. I only want to interview him for an upcoming article, but unfortunately, he’s unreachable in social media and whatnot..”
In that exact moment, Sehun’s mahogany door opens to reveal neat-cut raven black hair and fair skin dressed in an apricot sweater and black skinny jeans. Do Kyungsoo, in his 5’8 ft. glory, erupts in a shy smile and lightly squirms, greeting everyone else from the living room.
“H-hi,” He croaks. “Nice to see you all!”
Baekhyun literally screams, running towards the doorway and engulfing his best friend in a tight hug that sends Kyungsoo gasping for air. Minseok and Yixing gladly guide him to the dining room, initiating small talk, while Jongdae laughs in surprise and greets Kyungsoo with their not-so secret handshake. Junmyeon greets and motions for Kyungsoo to sit next to him, and Sehun is torn between feeling extremely happy or extremely scandalized.
On the other side of the table, Jongin sits like a statue and doesn’t say anything.
Junmyeon lets everyone settle back into their seats before engaging Kyungsoo in a conversation. “How are you doing, Soo? It’s been years since we’ve seen each other..”
“I’m doing fine,” Kyungsoo’s smile never fades. “After getting my license from pre-med, I did voluntary work for experience then decided to take a year off before proceeding to med school.”
“Woah, you’re proceeding?” Minseok stands to fetch some beer from the fridge.
“I think that’s really great, Kyungie. We’ll be here rooting for ya!” Jongdae gives Kyungsoo a thumbs-up, to which the latter replies with a ‘thank you’.
Discreetly, Baekhyun huddles closer to Sehun and whispers in his ear, “Why didn’t you invite Kyungsoo?”
Sehun gives him a death glare, signalling Baekhyun to just hush about it. He whispers back anyway. “Baek, it’s a kind of a bro code thing, you know?” He twitches his lips, slowly pointing at Jongin who remains stoic by his side. “I love Soo, but I can’t have him and my best friend in one place.. not when Jongin’s still like this!”
Baekhyun is quick to nudge Sehun when Kyungsoo turns his head to the latter and gently leans forward to greet the birthday boy.
“Our Sehun! Happy birth-”
And in the gradual pacing of seconds, Kyungsoo’s breath hitches when he catches sight of dark brown hair and familiar tan skin sitting too quietly beside Sehun, almost like it’s hiding. The presence is almost unmistakable.
It’s when Kyungsoo is unable to finish his sentence that Jongin’s eyes meet his.
Silence suddenly bites the room and stays there, becoming a very painful lull that makes Junmyeon’s head ache and Baekhyun want to vomit. The awkwardness is no less different. Chanyeol stops eating and everyone else feels a bit dithery.
Then, “Th-thanks, Soo!” Sehun almost cries, having decided to save the atmosphere from rotting. “Um, desserts, anyone?!”
The uncanny noise slowly returns to the dining area, yet Baekhyun doesn’t miss the forced smiles plastered all over his friends’ faces. He raises an eyebrow at Junmyeon, who seems to be the only person oblivious about the whole fiasco.
“Well, now that you two have finally seen each other, I guess it’s time for some proper introductions!” Junmyeon smiles widely.
“Jongin, this is Do Kyungsoo. He’s a registered nurse, and soon-to-be doctor. He’ll be our interviewee for the upcoming health maintenance article.”
Kyungsoo blinks, waiting. Jongin is hesitant to give him a smile.
“Hello, Mr. Do.” Jongin shows the slightest curve of his lips.
At the side lines, Chanyeol swallows his last piece of dumpling and stands up to stop Baekhyun from strangling Junmyeon.
“And Kyungsoo,” Junmyeon continues. “This is Kim Jongin, our team photographer. He’ll be with us next week for the documentation. He’s going to take a few portraits of you as well.”
Kyungsoo also tries not to feel bothered, carefully flashing Jongin a short grin. “Hi, Mr. Kim.”
Sehun watches them with empathy, rubbing his forehead in frustration. He is yet to decide whether this birthday party has happened for the best reasons, or the worst.
-
It doesn’t come off as a surprise why Jongin is trudging with his camera bag on an early Tuesday morning, waking Chanyeol up from his deep sleep in his very own private studio. Junmyeon had asked Jongin to come by 8 at their usual work area- an idle room that’s 20-70 square meters wide. He likes to use the space for photoshoots and interviews because ‘Let’s be resourceful Chanyeol, this is a condominium-sized worth of money. Better utilize it than let it crumble with our empty pockets.’
Jongin pauses and takes a deep breath before opening the door. Stepping inside, he is greeted by an ear-splitting smile from Junmyeon and an unreadable straight face from Kyungsoo.
“Um, hey. Morning.” Jongin almost chokes in his own saliva.
“Ah! We’re all here,” Junmyeon stands up and looks at Kyungsoo expectantly. “Shall we start? If we begin early, we can end things before lunch time.”
Kyungsoo is being interviewed by Junmyeon during the first two hours with Jongin silently taking pictures from the side. Sometimes, Jongin’s eyes would meet Kyungsoo’s. Most of the time, Kyungsoo would catch Jongin openly staring at him.
After neatly wrapping the interview and organizing the files in his envelope, Junmyeon gestures for Kyungsoo to stand in front of the plain black wall on the other side of the room.
“Jongin, I want you to take a few portraits of Kyungsoo. About a dozen will do. Kyungsoo, I just want you to relax and look at the camera and smile.” Junmyeon puts his arms on his hips.
Like programmed machinery, Kyungsoo approaches the black wall then poses before the camera, standing with practiced confidence and letting a smile adorn his round face. Jongin adjusts the lightings, attempts to focus on the shoot and almost fails- his hands are shaking from meekly trying to give Kyungsoo a couple of instructions, and it doesn’t help when he moves the shutter and sees Kyungsoo smiling like it’s only for him. Jongin doesn’t even remember the last time Kyungsoo smiled at him.
“Okay, cut.” Jongin finishes his count, breathing out an amount of air he didn’t know he was holding. He goes to Junmyeon to show him the photos, while Kyungsoo is left waiting and standing awkwardly, toes squirming in his leather shoes.
“Great,” Junmyeon remarks, eyes scanning through every photograph. “I want this.. this.. and, um, this.” Jongin takes note and fishes out a hard drive, setting the camera beside the PC. “Email them to Minseok for editing. I want it drafted not later than Friday.” Junmyeon says before approaching Kyungsoo with a grateful smile and thanking him for his time.
“Well, I guess it’s a wrap. How about we-”
The sudden ring from Junmyeon’s phone interrupts him. “I’m sorry, it’s an important call. I’m going to take this outside.” He mouths a ‘Wait for me’ and doesn’t take any questions before swiftly walking out of the room.
The room is quiet save for the gentle humming of the AC. Jongin thinks that silence has never been this loud, and heavy.
“Why didn’t you tell Junmyeon that we know each other?”
Kyungsoo’s voice is like whiplash, pushing Jongin out of his trance and preventing him from continuing his work. His eyes widen, and there’s a feeling of nervousness in the pit of his stomach. What just happened?
“I’m talking to you, Jongin.”
Jongin swallows a lump and drags his gaze away from the computer screen, slowly, across the room, landing on Kyungsoo’s figure, then on his face.
“I-”
Kyungsoo’s face is placid, a mixture of anger and longing and something else distinct etching all over his soft features. Jongin wants to touch him, wants to feel his skin over his own. He wants to hold Kyungsoo and wrap his arms around him, wants to glue back the broken pieces he’s caused before.
“I didn’t think you’d want for him to know that.. that you knew me.. after what I’ve done to you.”
Jongin takes a step closer, waiting for Kyungsoo to take a step back. When he doesn’t, Jongin treads until they’re only centimetres apart, until they’re standing face to face, Kyungsoo being a few inches shorter.
“What makes you think that?”
“Don’t play games with me, Kyungsoo.” Jongin frowns, placing a hand over Kyungsoo’s arm. “I’m an asshole, you and I both know that. I just couldn’t act like I’m all fine and dandy when you showed up from nowhere after three years. You may be okay, but I’m not-”
Kyungsoo flinches at Jongin’s touch, but his head hurts more at Jongin’s statement. “Who says I’m okay? Jongin, if you think it’s been easy for me, you’re wrong.”
“I didn’t say it was easy for you, and I’m still sorry for being the reason behind it all. I just.. it feels like shit to know that we could’ve ended things smoothly and not act like.. this.”
“This?”
“Yeah, this.” Jongin’s mouth turns into a tiny scowl. “This awkward, bitter mess. Doesn’t feel good, does it?”
Kyungsoo wants to laugh. Sure, he’s hated Jongin for what he did, but right now he just doesn’t have the time anymore. He doesn’t know what the grand, colossal scheme of things has to offer for the both of them, or why life has drastically turned out this way, but for the sake of everything that’s been going tedious in his memoir, Kyungsoo might just want to find out.
“Jongin,” Kyungsoo gnaws at his bottom lip. “I don’t know what this means- us meeting again after a few years, bound by our mutuals and everything else. But it gets tiring in the long run, and it’s never too late to patch things up the way we want to.. we could still be friends if you want-”
There’s a muffled gasp, a magnetic pull, and then suddenly, Jongin’s lips are on Kyungsoo’s.
Jongin waits for any retaliation, for Kyungsoo to push him away and slap him on the face, but he receives nothing- just a person who’s too flabbergasted to do anything. Taking it as a sign to go further, Jongin deepens the kiss.
Kyungsoo wants to move, but he can’t. He’s stuck there, dumbfounded, and his mind still feels a little too light from registering the turn of events and the feeling of Jongin’s lips on his own. When Jongin pushes his mouth harder and wraps an arm around his waist, Kyungsoo starts to lose it.
They start making out heavily, in the middle of the room, with Jongin moving his hands all over Kyungsoo’s side and the elder letting out appreciative sighs. Kyungsoo wraps his fingers around Jongin’s neck, bringing him closer as if there’s more space left for their bodies to fill in.
“Soo,” Jongin croons, tracing his lips down Kyungsoo’s neck and leaving a huge hickey between his clavicles. Kyungsoo lets out a moan, just low enough for Jongin to hear.
Jongin’s hands travel down, lingering when they reach Kyungsoo’s crotch. Jongin lays a palm over his obvious bulge and slowly tugs on the zipper. Kyungsoo starts to breathe heavily, a little nervous because they’ve never gone this far before.
Suddenly, the door knob starts to jolt, and in a millisecond Kyungsoo is tearing his body away from the younger. Jongin clears his throat and goes back to the desktop, hiding a very straining hard-on, while Kyungsoo tries hard not to feel flustered as he fixes his clothes in an attempt to cover the painful erection in his pants.
“I apologize if I took so long,” Junmyeon enters the room, a bit cranky. “As I was saying, how about we go grab some lunch? It’s all on me.”
“It’s okay-”
Kyungsoo and Jongin answer at the same time. Junmyeon raises an eyebrow at the both of them, wondering why they’re so fidgety all of a sudden, but chooses to wave it away.
“I have dance practice after,” Jongin says.
“And I have a seminar to attend to,” Kyungsoo smiles, eyes landing on anywhere and anything but Jongin.
Junmyeon has that fishy feeling in his gut- more amused than skeptical, more curious than sympathetic. With a rejected expression, he exchanged courtesies with Kyungsoo one last time before letting him leave. He doesn’t miss the longing look on Jongin’s face when the nurse practically runs outside the room, yet he disregards this and tells Jongin to eat before he attends dance practice because he already looks hungry as fuck.
-
“What do you mean you kissed?!”
Kyungsoo frowns at the boisterous voice of Byun Baekhyun over the phone. They’ve been the best of friends since college, but since then, they never really had the time to see each other because of Kyungsoo’s hectic schedule. They make phone calls that last for hours from time to time, but apart from that, there’s never been any personal contact until Sehun’s birthday party.
“Yeah, um, we sort of.. made out.”
Kyungsoo hears disbelief from the other side of the line.
“Do Kyungsoo, you just met Jongin a week ago. Now you’re eating each other’s faces? Are you two back together again-”
“-No! Oh my god, no,” Kyungsoo almost screams.
“Kyungsoo, I can see you blushing madly from here..”
“Seriously, Baek, we’re not together.” Kyungsoo plays with the telephone wires. “We’re just.. friends? I mean, I guess we agreed on that before it- the kissing- happened.”
“Uh huh,” Baekhyun deadpans. “Friends don’t shove their tongues into each other’s mouths, Kyungsoo.”
“But-”
“Did anything else happen?”
“Well..” Kyungsoo starts to lick his bottom lip, trying to sound level headed. “We were about to.. you know, but Junmyeon suddenly came in. Plus, I wasn’t exactly ready for the real deal, you know.”
“What do you mean you’re not ready?!” Kyungsoo feels like his ears are about to explode from Baekhyun’s constant shouting. “You haven’t had sex with Jongin before?”
Kyungsoo blushes at the word.
“No.”
“Wow,” Baekhyun actually drawls. Blood rushes to Kyungsoo’s face at every passing second, making his toes curl.
“I mean, come on, Kyungsoo. You and Jongin have been together the whole time we were in college. I just thought that.. you know..”
“W-we both wanted it.. but I was never ready,” Kyungsoo runs a hand through his hair. “Sex wasn’t a big deal in our relationship, anyway.”
“Well it’s going to this time,” Baekhyun exclaims. “My parents are out of town this weekend, and Chanyeol and I are planning to throw a house party. I need you to come.”
“Baekhyun, we both know your evil plots aren’t full proof-”
“This is not an evil plot!” Baekhyun swears, but Kyungsoo could sense the underlying smile on his best friend’s face even if they’re kilometres apart. “Now that you’re kind of free, I just want all of us to have a good time while you’re still taking the year off.”
“But Baek-”
“Kyungsoo, you should know by now that I don’t take ‘no’ for an answer.”
Kyungsoo should’ve known that he is left with no choice to begin with, so he decides to comply with Baekhyun’s demand for the sake of his sanity.
“Alright, I’m going.”
“Yes!” Baekhyun is in genuine glee, and Kyungsoo can’t understand why. “See you on Friday at 9!”
“Yeah. See you, Baek.” Kyungsoo gingerly puts his phone down and starts to re-evaluate his life choices. In the warmth of his living room, Kyungsoo thinks of Jongin’s lips, Jongin’s fleeting touches, Jongin’s voice, just Jongin Jongin Jongin.
Kyungsoo briefly wonders what Jongin might be doing at the moment.
-
Friday night comes with neon lights that appear too flashy for Kyungsoo’s astigmatism, piles of red cups and heavy bass booming in every corner of Baekhyun’s house, and a whole lot of party crashers invading the place as their own.
Kyungsoo makes a beeline to Baekhyun’s bedroom where his friends are, drinking and playing a few card games. He wants to talk to Baekhyun, but the said man is nowhere to be found.
“Hey, Kyungsoo!” Jongdae raises a bottle of vodka when he steps in the room.
“Hi, everyone!” Kyungsoo smiles. He joins them on the table, laughing and occasionally receiving drinks from Sehun. His eyes scan around for one particular person.
In the midst of their game, Chanyeol swings the door open and shows an intoxicated Baekhyun holding his tall boyfriend for his dear life. With the owner dead drunk, Chanyeol is in charge of the house’s supervision.
“Soooo what are we playing, guys?” Baekhyun slurs and sits at the center.
“It’s only 10 and you’re wasted, Baek,” Jongin arrives soon enough, probably from drinking downstairs with Taemin. Kyungsoo tries to appear calm. Jongin sits across him, and his eyes widen just a bit when they meet Kyungsoo’s.
“Cards, obviously.” Minseok doesn’t look up from his stack.
“The fuck. That’s boooring,” Baekhyun takes the cards from Minseok’s hold and throws them somewhere. “Let’s play Truth or Dare.”
Baekhyun grabs an empty bottle and puts it on the table. He disregards the little protests from Sehun and Yixing and the side eye Kyungsoo is currently giving him.
The bottle spins, then slows to a stop; pointing at Chanyeol.
“Yeollie! Look! It’s youuu~” Baekhyun does a thing that’s half singing and half screaming, and everyone else (except for Chanyeol) is groaning in frustration.
“Yeol, truth or dare?”
“Hmmm..” Chanyeol ponders for a bit. “Truth!”
Baekhyun pretends to think hard, playing with the beer bottle and spinning it a couple of times. “Park Chanyeol, do you like me?”
“Of course I like you, Byun Baekhyun.”
“Oh, how interesting..” Sehun rolls his eyes as hard as he could, wanting to change the game. “It’s so shocking, really.”
Baekhyun diligently ignores his friends’ whining and picks the bottle up to spin it for the second time. The bottle spins a little bit longer this time- taking its dramatic turn- and when it finally comes to a stop, Kyungsoo tries to stop the puke from coming out of his mouth.
The bottle is pointing at Jongin.
“Marvelous!” Baekhyun claps, the smile on his face purely evil. Chanyeol and the others are beginning to feel uneasy, Kyungsoo is sweating tons on his seat, and Sehun is throwing Baekhyun a very troubled look.
Jongin pleads. “Baekhyun, I think I’ll just pass for now-”
“Nope nope,” Unfortunately, Drunk Baekhyun appears to be unstoppable. “Everyone in this room must play. The bottle is pointing at you, Jonginnie. So.. what’s it gonna be? Truth or dare?”
Jongin, mind a bit hazy from the alcohol, tries to weigh the consequences as rationally as he can, except he can’t be fully rational at the moment because he’s already a tad bit tipsy.
He sighs, shoulders sagging heavily. “Dare.”
“I was really hoping you’d say that,” Baekhyun says, grinning at Kyungsoo before turning to everyone else. Kyungsoo hopes and prays his best friend wouldn’t do something stupid, even though the chances are already unlikely.
“Alright, anyone got a dare for our Jongin?”
“Strip dance! Strip dance!” Jongdae hollers from the back.
Baekhyun frowns. “Well, while it sounds really appeasing, we shouldn’t waste a dare on something Jongin would want to do,” He turns his head hastily in every direction. “Anything else? Something more exciting?”
When no one bothers to make a sound, Baekhyun takes this as his cue. “Okay, since no one is speaking up, I’ll do it.” He faces Jongin with obvious excitement. “Jongin, I’ll only say a few words: You and Kyungsoo. 7 minutes in heaven. In my bathroom. Now.”
Jongin and Kyungsoo can’t remember how they ended up being squashed together in Baekhyun’s toilet; doors locked, lights turned on, naked bodies rubbing against each other, wet tongues ruggedly fighting for dominance.
They go a bit wilder than the last time, Jongin having Kyungsoo backed up against the cold tiled walls. Kyungsoo’s head is shrouded with clouds, his heart filled with dynamites, and he swears he has never felt this turned on before.
Jongin keeps the kiss going, his fingers playing with Kyungsoo’s nipples, and they travel south until his hands reach the latter’s crotch. “Where were we?” Jongin coos against Kyungsoo’s lips. This time, the elder doesn’t hold back.
Jongin takes his time mapping every inch of Kyungsoo’s body with his mouth. “Mine,” Jongin says, proudly looking at the purplish-red blotches like they’re pieces of art. He kisses Kyungsoo’s neck and asks him to suck two of his fingers, to which Kyungsoo eagerly complies.
There are tears in Kyungsoo’s eyes when Jongin puts a slick finger in his hole, and a moan when Jongin puts two, the younger stretching him wide and eventually hitting the spot that drives Kyungsoo crazy and asking for more.
“Jongin, please,” Kyungsoo groans in frustration and want. “Need you. Inside me. Right now.”
Jongin doesn’t ask any more questions and takes possessive hold of Kyungsoo’s hips, switching his position so that Jongin can take him from behind. He spits on his hand and coats his hard cock with his saliva, smacking Kyungsoo’s ass before going inside with a sharp thrust.
“Shit, Soo,” Jongin grunts and breathes heavily through his nose, liking the way Kyungsoo’s walls are clenching around his dick with each thrust. “You’re so fucking tight, baby.”
Kyungsoo moans and pants heavily, loving the sensual friction and the feeling of Jongin’s cock inside him, filling him to the brim. It doesn’t take long before Jongin finds that spot again, hitting Kyungsoo’s prostate with much precision until the latter can’t think of anything but Jongin. Kyungsoo comes with stars in his eyes, and Jongin discovers that his hyung is quite the screamer.
The bedroom outside smells of beer and cardboard and has long been deserted, save for an already sober Baekhyun and a very uncomfortable Chanyeol covering his ears.
“What happened to 7 minutes, Baek?”
“Oh, please,” Baekhyun runs a hand through his hair. “They can take their time if they want to.”
Chanyeol raises an eyebrow. “You’ve been planning this all along, have you?”
“Maybe. Maybe not,” Baekhyun resists a smile. “Either way, I’m still going to make them clean their mess. No one wants to use their bathroom with someone else’s junk splattered all over the place.”
-
Jongin and Kyungsoo basically pick up where they left off. It’s started after Jongin had asked Kyungsoo for his number and they start talking and going on a few ‘dates’ again, most of which would ultimately lead to sex.
Kyungsoo wouldn’t admit it to Baekhyun- not even to himself- that apart from the whole sex thing (which is undeniably amazing), he still feels something else for Jongin, something that keeps him going. Jongin still has that effect on him, and while Kyungsoo knows it by heart, he also knows he can’t tell anyone about it anytime soon.
Jongin has gone back to dancing with much happier feet, and he knows it’s because of one person who has made a way back into his life. Taemin doesn’t forget to comment on his weird behaviour every dance practice, but Jongin always waves him off with a stupid smile on his face, confusing his dance partner even more. Dancing is happiness. Kyungsoo is happiness.
The first and last time Jongin has decided to bring Kyungsoo along with him during dance practice was when Taemin ran to the convenience store to buy them drinks and Kyungsoo chose that moment to give Jongin a blowjob.
Kyungsoo, although inexperienced, knows how to use his mouth efficiently- that’s what Jongin had thought when he came all over Kyungsoo’s face. The elder didn’t forget to swallow everything ’til the last drop.
Sehun and the others are deliberately keeping track of Jongin and Kyungsoo’s relationship aka their obvious flirting, and Junmyeon would always wonder why the two are always together.
Jongdae asks them one cold evening on a cookout in Junmyeon’s house if they’re back together again. Jongin and Kyungsoo shake their heads in unison.
“We’re just friends!” Kyungsoo smiles. Jongin sits beside him and playfully starts to bump his knee against Kyungsoo’s. Soon enough, they’re engrossed in a small game of footsie under the table, getting touchy-feely and thinking nobody would notice. But Chanyeol, who’s right across them, notices. Everyone does.
“I’m so tired of this ‘Just Friends’ bullshit,” Baekhyun helps Yixing with the marinade. “They’re acting like high schoolers!”
The Chinese male puts on his signature gentle smile, getting the grill ready. “Except they’re not,” Yixing proceeds to cut the pork belly in strips. “They’re adults now. Confused adults. I’m a hundred percent sure they’ll figure out their feelings soon.”
-
The week after, Kyungsoo invites Jongin to a children’s party in which his 6 yr old nephew, Seungbi, is attending. His brother Seungsoo has to go to Busan for a business meeting, and he’s personally asked Kyungsoo to babysit his son because his wife still has to teach the students at university.
Seungbi quickly becomes fond of Jongin, and it sends butterflies to Kyungsoo’s stomach seeing the two of them bond over spaghetti and teddy bears and colourful balloons. While the kids are busy playing a few parlor games, Kyungsoo and Jongin run to the nearest bathroom and lock themselves in; the elder siting on the sink and spreading his legs wide for Jongin, who is happily eating him raw. Kyungsoo has to cover his screams because Jongin’s tongue is that skilful, and it makes the younger proud to see Kyungsoo coming blissful and undone under his own ministrations.
“You taste wonderful,” Jongin whispers against Kyungsoo’s neck before fucking him on the auburn tiled floors.
As the days pass by, Kyungsoo and Jongin become practically stuck to each other like super glue. Baekhyun can’t stand the sight of Kyungsoo limping almost everyday without knowing the details behind it, so he asks Sehun to interrogate Jongin while he himself takes care of Kyungsoo.
“What’s with you and Jongin?”
Baekhyun catches Kyungsoo offguard. “We’re just friends, Baek-”
“Oh spare me the crap, Kyungsoo,” Baekhyun wails. “Are you two fucking around?”
“Well, technically yes,” Kyungsoo doesn’t know where the conversation is coming from. “Why? I thought you’re okay with it.”
“I didn’t say I’m completely against it. I just want to know what you’re feeling about all this. You like him, he obviously likes you, so why not-”
“I don’t like him,” Kyungsoo purses his lips. “And I know he doesn’t like me either.”
Baekhyun’s jaw slides open. “What kind of shit are you saying, Kyungsoo?”
“Baek, I don’t want to expect anything from him, okay?” Kyungsoo’s face is serious. “I just want to enjoy what I and Jongin have right now. He might leave me, or I might leave him, and that can happen anytime soon. If it does, I just want to end things without anyone getting hurt.”
Baekhyun doesn’t understand the context behind it all, because he knows the both of them will get hurt in the end anyway, but maybe he’s failed to understand Kyungsoo’s pain when Jongin left him three years ago. Baekhyun wants to help his best friend, but he doesn’t know where to start.
Sehun, on the other hand, decides to start off by being a pain in Jongin’s ass.
“Jongin. Hey. Jongiiiin,”
“What?”
“Are you and Kyungsoo fucking each other?”
The food in Jongin’s mouth goes in the wrong pipe, and he has to fetch a glass of water before he can answer Sehun back.
“What is it to you?”
“I don’t know,” Sehun plays with his apple. “Maybe you shouldn’t complicate things and just be.. official already?”
“It’s not that easy, Sehun,” Jongin says. “I don’t have feelings for Kyungsoo, and I know he doesn’t either.. not after what I did to him.”
Sehun, being the emotionless and unsympathetic person he is, goes back to poking Jongin in all the wrong places. “That’s got to be the biggest bullshit I’ve ever heard, honestly,” He throws a meatball in Jongin’s glass. “It’s pretty much the most obvious thing in the world that you two still like each other-”
“Just-” Jongin cuts him off. “Just stop it, Sehun. I don’t want to hold on to these hopeless things.”
Sehun is about to say something he hopes would lighten the atmosphere just a bit, bu Jongin stands and storms out of the kitchen, leaving his plate unfinished.
-
In the midst of Jongin’s dance rehearsals and Kyungsoo’s self review for the entrance exam in Medicine, the both of them still look forward to Wednesdays- their ascribed date night. Kyungsoo has been bugging Jongin all week long about a movie he wants to see, and Jongin can’t really say no when it comes to him.
Kyungsoo invites Jongin in his apartment and makes dinner for the both of them. They get comfy on the couch after; snuggling against each other’s sweaters while ‘500 Days of Summer’ complacently plays on the TV screen.
“I think Zooey’s character is a huge bitch,” Kyungsoo comments.
Jongin laughs and gives Kyungsoo a playful flick on his forehead, “I beg to differ.”
Kyungsoo groans, frowning at Jongin when he feels a tiny sting resounding in his head. Jongin slowly leans in; pressing a chaste kiss on Kyungsoo’s lips.
Kyungsoo blushes on reflex, and Jongin thinks it’s the most adorable thing in the world. He leans in again, kissing the elder a couple of times until Kyungsoo can’t hold it any longer and ultimately bursts into laughter.
“Just so you know, kissing you is one of my favourite things to do.” Jongin winks.
“Oh really?”
“Yeah, really,” Jongin snuggles closer. “I like your lips. They’re soft.. reminds me of warm coffee. On a Sunday morning.”
Kyungsoo smacks him, embarrassed. “Stop it,” He buries his head between Jongin’s broad shoulders. “You really love teasing me, don’t you?”
Surprisingly enough, Jongin and Kyungsoo don’t end up having sex. Instead, they end up sleeping on Kyungsoo’s couch- Jongin being the bigger spoon, legs tangling and chests heaving peacefully against one other.
-
In the warm days of July, heat engulfs Seoul like acid rain- almost toxic when there’s too much exposure.
Junmyeon curses at the AC for being dysfunctional at this hour of the day, while Minseok busies himself with researching ideas for a summer special article. Jongin has just finished editing when his phone suddenly beeps, signalling him of an unread message.
Jongin sighs.
“You guys fighting?” Minseok’s voice is laced with concern.
“I wish,” Jongin puts the phone back in his pocket, “He’s not even replying to any of my messages.”
“Maybe he’s busy.”
“Yeah, he’s busy alright,” Baekhyun chirps, eyes never leaving his PSP. “Didn’t Kyungsoo tell you? He’s with Ravi right now.”
“Rav who?”
“Ra-vi. You know, that childhood friend of his. He’s visiting Seoul for a week before he heads back to the States. Kyungsoo used to have a crush on him..”
Jongin flinches. “Have they been together the whole day?”
“I really don’t know,” Baekhyun shrugs. “You should call Kyungsoo, though. That Ravi guy is pretty cute.”
Jongin feels anger and disappointment and guilt bottling up in the pits of his stomach. He knows the feeling too well, having caught up in its strings until he’s stuck in an infinite web of invidiousness. The only difference this time is that Jongin knows he doesn’t have the right to feel such things, no matter how inevitable they are.
“But well, if I’m not mistaken..” Baekhyun keeps the act going. “You two are just friends, right? So I’m guessing it’s not really a big deal to you if Kyungsoo hangs out with another..?”
By the time Baekhyun finishes his sentence, Jongin has walked out of the work room.
“Byun Baekhyun,” Minseok shakes his head. “What did Jongin and Kyungsoo do to deserve an awful person like you?”
“That’s not my problem,” Baekhyun stands up, slowly stretching his limbs. “Jongin and Kyungsoo have to fix things between the two of them if they don’t want to die alone.”
Kyungsoo has that worrisome feeling clouding his head, a sentiment in his veins telling him that something’s wrong, because it’s nearing midnight and Jongin hasn’t answered even one of his calls.
His phone had run out of battery when he went out for lunch with Ravi earlier in the day, so he guesses Jongin would’ve understood because he’s texted Baekhyun to inform the younger of his whereabouts. Unless, Byun Baekhyun had said something else (which is entirely possible).
Kyungsoo is not counting, but on the 13th attempt, he breathes a sigh of relief when Jongin finally answers his call.
“Hey.”
“Hey,” Kyungsoo frowns at Jongin’s voice. He seems tired. “You okay?”
“Yeah.”
“Are you mad at me?”
“What? No, of course not.”
Kyungsoo bites his lips. He knows something else is off, and he knows Jongin isn’t telling him the truth.
“My phone died earlier. I’m sorry I couldn’t text you.”
“It’s okay,” Jongin’s tone is passive. “At least you had a great time with that Ravi guy.”
Something in Kyungsoo clicks, and he doesn’t know why he feels like he’s suddenly being attacked. “What’s that supposed to mean?”
“Nothing. I’m just glad your lunch went well today.”
“Kim Jongin, are you jealous?”
“You know I don’t have the right to be, Soo.”
“What-”
“Baekhyun was right,” Jongin is shaking. “We both agreed that we’d stay as friends.. even though it already pains me to see you with someone else. I guess I just deluded myself into thinking you’re mine just because we do things ordinary friends wouldn’t do. I don’t have the right to feel jealous, Kyungsoo.. even though I really like you. Even though I really love you.”
Kyungsoo doesn’t understand why this is happening all of a sudden, but he understands pain. He knows Jongin is hurting, and it’s hurting him too. “Jongin, I’m so sorry-”
“No, I’m sorry.. for being selfish. Unless you feel the same way, Kyungsoo, then I don’t think it’s right to keep this thing going between us. whatever this is.” Kyungsoo is gripping the phone with immense strength, afraid that if he lets go, Jongin would disappear with it. It seems all too familiar, yet to his dismay, Jongin had already hung up before Kyungsoo can even give him his answer.
Jongin is leaving him. Again.
-
Kyungsoo has always wondered how Baekhyun would never run out of visitors with these silly parties of his, but he can’t really care about Junmyeon who is currently being bombarded by a lot of girls downstairs. The evening isn’t fiery, the moonlight is gorgeous, and he feels perfectly fine sitting alone on the rooftop without all the noise and cheers from people he doesn’t even know.
It’s been weeks, and Kyungsoo has been slowly coping up ever since; keeping in mind that it’s definitely bearable the second time around, though it doesn’t make things any less painful. Kyungsoo finds out that he doesn’t miss Jongin when he’s alone in his room at 3:00 am- Kyungsoo misses him when he’s busy reviewing, when he’s visiting his favourite bookshop, when he’s walking down the bustling streets of Seoul during rush hour. Kyungsoo misses Jongin everywhere he goes.
The sudden sound of leaves rustling and Baekhyun’s windows shuffling catches Kyungsoo in horror, and for a second he thinks of all the bad things that can happen when he’s on a rooftop with a criminal. Kyungsoo doesn’t see an evil facade, or even a bloody knife- but he doesn’t expect a tall figure, sun kissed skin beneath the moonlight, broad shoulders, and deep brown eyes either.
Kyungsoo sees Jongin standing in front him.
“Hi,” The younger smiles.
“Hey,” Kyungsoo is out of breath, and he can’t even comprehend what is happening at the moment. “Wha-what are you doing-”
“To get some fresh air,” Jongin carefully sits beside him. “Chanyeol told me you’re here.”
There’s a pregnant pause, an awkward silence, and there’s Jongin and Kyungsoo quietly sitting side by side like there’s a huge barrier built between the two of them.
“I miss you.”
“Jongin,” Kyungsoo clenches his fists. “Please don’t.”
“I do,” Jongin is facing him. “I’m sorry for being an asshole, Kyungsoo. I’m sorry for always leaving you behind.”
“You’re always saying sorry, Jongin. I wasn’t even able to apologize the last time we talked.”
“You don’t have to apologize for anything.”
“No, Jongin, I’m sorry..” Kyungsoo doesn’t know why he finds it hard to look at Jongin in the eyes. “I’m sorry because I keep on holding back. You had every right to feel everything, just so you know. You had every right to feel such things because I.. I love you too. More than you’ll ever know.
And it hurts, because it’s too late to say these things. I’m still not okay, but everything will be alright eventually- I’ll get through this!” Kyungsoo tries to smile, tries to laugh, tries to blur out Jongin’s face because it’s hurting him, piercing through his heart in all the vital places.
“We can still be friends if you want, Jong-”
“No,” Jongin stops him, locking him in a tight embrace. “Aren’t you tired of hearing the same thing, Soo? I’m tired of pretending. We’re in love with each other, why can’t we just let it be?”
Kyungsoo looks up and sees Jongin looking at him like he’s the most precious thing in the world, and it makes him think that he’d be really stupid if he lets this man go. Jongin smiles and playfully flicks Kyungsoo on his forehead, telling him how much he loves him and how much he likes to stay by his side if only Kyungsoo would let him.
“That sounds really nice, actually.”
Jongin holds Kyungsoo close, mindlessly counting the stars while he feels every heartbreat echoing through their chests. He thinks of dogs and babies and Sunday mornings and warm coffee and all the good things in life- yet he knows nothing would ever really compare to the thought Kyungsoo, who remains to be his most favourite thing in the entire universe.