Doppelganger 4/?
Title: Doppelganger
Author: a_life_defiant
Genre: AU, romance
Pairing: OnTae, JongKey, friend!TaeKey
Rating: PG - 13 (a few curses but nothing else, but that will change in future chaps)
Summary: Taemin loves his life. Resembling a well-off dead guy will get you quite a few places, and quite a few things. But eventually you start to question things. How can you be sure if the people in your life want you for you, or if they want you for who you look like?
CH1 CH2 CH3
A/N: because I have had this craving for something I can't quite put my finger on...I'll never be able to explain it outright, so I figured I'd try to write it out ^^
The next day at work Minho still felt shaken up. His deskmate, Changmin, noticed immediately.
"What's wrong?" He laid a concerned palm on Minho's shoulder.
As usual, no response was given. Instead, Minho shoved his sketchbook at the older boy.
Changmin took it gingerly and began to flip through the pages. Everything was filled with drawings of Jangmin, except something was off. It was him, but it wasn't.
“Minho-ah, I thought we talked about this. You can’t keep holding on to someone who isn’t here anymore.” Changmin sighed heavily.
He had worried about his work partner after Jangmin had passed. He knew the younger boy was heartbroken. For the longest time afterward he was a mess, and it showed in his work. Now, just when Changmin thought that Minho was getting better it seemed like he had slipped back.
“I know that, hyung.” The doe-eyed boy whispered softly.
“Then why do this to yourself? Why draw him?”
“It’s not Jangmin. This is Lee Taemin.” Minho explained as he traced a finger over one of his sketches.
“But he looks just like…”
“I know.” Minho interrupted. “It really freaked me out when I saw him. I was just at the Market the other day, getting some fruit, and he walked right past me.”
“So what? You walked up to him and said ‘hey you look like my dead, sort-of-boyfriend’? I bet that went over well.”
Minho rolled his eyes as he slumped down in his chair.
“Not exactly. I kinda, sorta, maybe…..followed him.”
“You need help.” Changmin arched his brows as he tossed pencil at the artist.
“Shut up. You haven’t even heard the weirdest part yet. So this guy, boy actually, Taemin? He knows Park Jungsook.”
Changmin’s eyes grew three sizes as he jerked in his chair. “WHAT?”
“Yeah. Not only that….but he lives in Jangmin’s old loft.”
The older boy just stared blankly at Minho, blinking in silence. Minho’s light chuckle danced though the air softly.
“You look like I did for a good three hours yesterday.”
“The guy, Taemin…..what does he do for a living?” Changmin interrogated as he leaned across the desk; his teeth nibbling curiously at his lower lip.
Minho just shrugged. “I don’t know, I left pretty quickly. Why?”
“Just curious. Anyway, you’d better go get those boards up to the meeting floor. The representative for Nike is coming in for the Ad presentation soon.”
Minho nodded as he stuffed his sketchpad back into his leather messenger bag. He grabbed the ad boards and made for the door. He turned back toward his hyung; smoothing out the invisible creases in his tie and checking for approval. Changmin flashed him a smile and a thumbs up. Minho had no way to know that behind that smile a plan was forming.
***
Taemin got off work at 5 and swung by Jungsook’s apartment to drop off a trot record that she had been asking for.
“Minnie!” She greeted him with a warm hug.
Her powdery perfume clung to the air and swirled in Taemin’s nostrils; soft, comforting. She took the record out his hands gratefully, turning it over with a shaky grip.
“Thank you so much, I can’t wait to listen to it.Oh! And this reminds me….I have something for you in the other room. Wait here.” The older woman instructed as she took brisk, shuffling steps into her bedroom.
Taemin took this time to survey Jungsook’s apartment. He quietly pried open the refrigerator door to make sure she had enough food. Next he peeked at her mail. He knew it was wrong to open someone’s mail, but there was no harm in lookinga t already opened letters - was there? He only wanted to make sure that all her bills were being paid on time. His heart dropped into his stomach when his eyes caught the word ‘cancer’ on one of the pages. He picked the paper up like it was poison and began to skim the contents.
Jungsook had lung cancer. From the looks of things, she needed some pretty intensive and expensive treatments. Taemin felt like the world was falling down around him.He heard the faint swishing of Jungsook’s stocking feet against the floor and immediately put the paper back where it belonged. He regarded her with sad eyes. She didn’t look sick at all. Her eyes sparkled, and happy smile was stretched across her face.
“Here, I think he’d want you to have it.” Jungsook placed an iPod Touch in his hand.
Taemin’s eyes became saucers. “Sookie, I can’t take this!”
“You can and you will.” She stated sternly.
“But….don’t you want it?” Taemin caressed the sleek black edges of the device.
“What is an old lady like me going to do with that?! I don’t even know how it works really.” Jungsook laughed freely.
“Thank you. Really. This is too much, but thank you.” Taemin hugged her tightly and made a promise to himself right then and there.
No matter what, he was going to find a way to take care of Jungsook.
***
Jinki picked the phone up and set it back down again.
“That’s the seventh time you’ve done that, hyung. Call him already. The sooner that painting is out of my life the better.” Jinki’s roommate growled from across the apartment.
“Shut up and go drink some more soju. Oh wait that’s right, someone drank it all last night.”
The other boy flipped his middle finger up and went back to his drawing. Jinki stuck his tongue out at the back of the other boy’s head and took the phone into his room. He paced a groove in his floor for a solid ten minutes before working up the nerve to dial.
Taemin answered on the second ring.
“Hello?”
“Uh….hi. It’s Jinki…” He trailed off lamely.
“Jinki-sshi, I’m glad you called.” The other boy replied brightly, making Jinki blush.
“So I was thinking I could drop your painting off at 3 tomorrow and then we could go get that coffee.” The older boy rushed out nervously.
“Sounds good to me.” Taemin chirped enthusiastically from the other line.
Jinki breathed out a relieved sigh as he flopped down onto his bed, bouncing lightly upon impact. He knew he looked very much like a love-struck schoolgirl, but he didn’t care.
“Ok, see you then Taemin-ah. Goodnight.”
“Goodnight.”
Jinki hugged his phone to his chest tightly, smile still plastered ion his face. Tomorrow couldn’t arrive soon enough for him.
TBC....
A/N2: I know, no JongKey this chapter, mianhe........nnnngghhhh this feels like it's going so slow, but there's lots of things that need to happen. I hope I'm not disappointing you guys.
Author: a_life_defiant
Genre: AU, romance
Pairing: OnTae, JongKey, friend!TaeKey
Rating: PG - 13 (a few curses but nothing else, but that will change in future chaps)
Summary: Taemin loves his life. Resembling a well-off dead guy will get you quite a few places, and quite a few things. But eventually you start to question things. How can you be sure if the people in your life want you for you, or if they want you for who you look like?
CH1 CH2 CH3
A/N: because I have had this craving for something I can't quite put my finger on...I'll never be able to explain it outright, so I figured I'd try to write it out ^^
The next day at work Minho still felt shaken up. His deskmate, Changmin, noticed immediately.
"What's wrong?" He laid a concerned palm on Minho's shoulder.
As usual, no response was given. Instead, Minho shoved his sketchbook at the older boy.
Changmin took it gingerly and began to flip through the pages. Everything was filled with drawings of Jangmin, except something was off. It was him, but it wasn't.
“Minho-ah, I thought we talked about this. You can’t keep holding on to someone who isn’t here anymore.” Changmin sighed heavily.
He had worried about his work partner after Jangmin had passed. He knew the younger boy was heartbroken. For the longest time afterward he was a mess, and it showed in his work. Now, just when Changmin thought that Minho was getting better it seemed like he had slipped back.
“I know that, hyung.” The doe-eyed boy whispered softly.
“Then why do this to yourself? Why draw him?”
“It’s not Jangmin. This is Lee Taemin.” Minho explained as he traced a finger over one of his sketches.
“But he looks just like…”
“I know.” Minho interrupted. “It really freaked me out when I saw him. I was just at the Market the other day, getting some fruit, and he walked right past me.”
“So what? You walked up to him and said ‘hey you look like my dead, sort-of-boyfriend’? I bet that went over well.”
Minho rolled his eyes as he slumped down in his chair.
“Not exactly. I kinda, sorta, maybe…..followed him.”
“You need help.” Changmin arched his brows as he tossed pencil at the artist.
“Shut up. You haven’t even heard the weirdest part yet. So this guy, boy actually, Taemin? He knows Park Jungsook.”
Changmin’s eyes grew three sizes as he jerked in his chair. “WHAT?”
“Yeah. Not only that….but he lives in Jangmin’s old loft.”
The older boy just stared blankly at Minho, blinking in silence. Minho’s light chuckle danced though the air softly.
“You look like I did for a good three hours yesterday.”
“The guy, Taemin…..what does he do for a living?” Changmin interrogated as he leaned across the desk; his teeth nibbling curiously at his lower lip.
Minho just shrugged. “I don’t know, I left pretty quickly. Why?”
“Just curious. Anyway, you’d better go get those boards up to the meeting floor. The representative for Nike is coming in for the Ad presentation soon.”
Minho nodded as he stuffed his sketchpad back into his leather messenger bag. He grabbed the ad boards and made for the door. He turned back toward his hyung; smoothing out the invisible creases in his tie and checking for approval. Changmin flashed him a smile and a thumbs up. Minho had no way to know that behind that smile a plan was forming.
***
Taemin got off work at 5 and swung by Jungsook’s apartment to drop off a trot record that she had been asking for.
“Minnie!” She greeted him with a warm hug.
Her powdery perfume clung to the air and swirled in Taemin’s nostrils; soft, comforting. She took the record out his hands gratefully, turning it over with a shaky grip.
“Thank you so much, I can’t wait to listen to it.Oh! And this reminds me….I have something for you in the other room. Wait here.” The older woman instructed as she took brisk, shuffling steps into her bedroom.
Taemin took this time to survey Jungsook’s apartment. He quietly pried open the refrigerator door to make sure she had enough food. Next he peeked at her mail. He knew it was wrong to open someone’s mail, but there was no harm in lookinga t already opened letters - was there? He only wanted to make sure that all her bills were being paid on time. His heart dropped into his stomach when his eyes caught the word ‘cancer’ on one of the pages. He picked the paper up like it was poison and began to skim the contents.
Jungsook had lung cancer. From the looks of things, she needed some pretty intensive and expensive treatments. Taemin felt like the world was falling down around him.He heard the faint swishing of Jungsook’s stocking feet against the floor and immediately put the paper back where it belonged. He regarded her with sad eyes. She didn’t look sick at all. Her eyes sparkled, and happy smile was stretched across her face.
“Here, I think he’d want you to have it.” Jungsook placed an iPod Touch in his hand.
Taemin’s eyes became saucers. “Sookie, I can’t take this!”
“You can and you will.” She stated sternly.
“But….don’t you want it?” Taemin caressed the sleek black edges of the device.
“What is an old lady like me going to do with that?! I don’t even know how it works really.” Jungsook laughed freely.
“Thank you. Really. This is too much, but thank you.” Taemin hugged her tightly and made a promise to himself right then and there.
No matter what, he was going to find a way to take care of Jungsook.
***
Jinki picked the phone up and set it back down again.
“That’s the seventh time you’ve done that, hyung. Call him already. The sooner that painting is out of my life the better.” Jinki’s roommate growled from across the apartment.
“Shut up and go drink some more soju. Oh wait that’s right, someone drank it all last night.”
The other boy flipped his middle finger up and went back to his drawing. Jinki stuck his tongue out at the back of the other boy’s head and took the phone into his room. He paced a groove in his floor for a solid ten minutes before working up the nerve to dial.
Taemin answered on the second ring.
“Hello?”
“Uh….hi. It’s Jinki…” He trailed off lamely.
“Jinki-sshi, I’m glad you called.” The other boy replied brightly, making Jinki blush.
“So I was thinking I could drop your painting off at 3 tomorrow and then we could go get that coffee.” The older boy rushed out nervously.
“Sounds good to me.” Taemin chirped enthusiastically from the other line.
Jinki breathed out a relieved sigh as he flopped down onto his bed, bouncing lightly upon impact. He knew he looked very much like a love-struck schoolgirl, but he didn’t care.
“Ok, see you then Taemin-ah. Goodnight.”
“Goodnight.”
Jinki hugged his phone to his chest tightly, smile still plastered ion his face. Tomorrow couldn’t arrive soon enough for him.
TBC....
A/N2: I know, no JongKey this chapter, mianhe........nnnngghhhh this feels like it's going so slow, but there's lots of things that need to happen. I hope I'm not disappointing you guys.