Stranger
broken!ontae; pg+ ; drabble idek
Taemin stalks through the room, rudely brushing by people in his haste to get out of there. The sound of his name being called stops him in his tracks. Group picture? He smiles in answer, politely. Politeness didn’t come easy to him any more. Neither did smiles, but it was expected of him so he crowds with everyone around the table and smiles. Jinki squeezes his way beside him and Taemin can’t help his heart skipping a beat. Even after all this he can’t get his body to forget. Unlike dancing, where every fiber of his being is bowed to the control he exerts over it, his body is a mountain wildfire raging out of control when it comes Jinki.
When they pile into the van he’s first in line, settling into a single seat in the middle. He doesn’t even offer Jinki a passing glance. He can feel Key’s eyes boring into his skull, the disgust in them searing, but he doesn’t turn around, just plugs in his mp3 player and turns it up. He can feel Jinki climb into the seat directly behind him and his knees press against the back of his seat for a bit before he shifts away. Jinki can’t get comfortable without throwing his knees up onto the back of his seat, can’t get a moment of rest between the schedules, a moment he’s direly in need of but still he yields to Taemin’s anger and sits still. There’s a part of Taemin, a large part that’s screaming at himself. He’s the most despicable person in the world and he knows that. He also knows Jinki doesn’t think so and it’s killing him inside. Because he needs Jinki to hate him. To hate him for turning away.
He wonders when he became so calculative. When had he learned to make every word and action cut deeper at Jinki than any type of physical weapon could ever. But he knows it’s easy when he knows Jinki like he’s the only person who matters in the world. He knows where to cut to make his very hopes and dreams bleed out of him and slashes at him until there’s barely anything left but a mangled shell. With every slash Jinki’s brittle smile edges closer to shattering. With every breath Taemin doesn’t share with Jinki, it’s one less breath Jinki takes.
&
When Jinki finally shatters, 9 months after the first crack, he shatters into Taemin’s waiting arms. He cries for the first time in 12 months to Taemin about his fears and his feelings of powerlessness against management. He confides in Taemin for the first time in a very very long time and Taemin helps smooth the cracks in his shell and promises to fill him up with new dreams and new hopes.
Taemin stalks through the room, rudely brushing by people in his haste to get out of there. The sound of his name being called stops him in his tracks. Group picture? He smiles in answer, politely. Politeness didn’t come easy to him any more. Neither did smiles, but it was expected of him so he crowds with everyone around the table and smiles. Jinki squeezes his way beside him and Taemin can’t help his heart skipping a beat. Even after all this he can’t get his body to forget. Unlike dancing, where every fiber of his being is bowed to the control he exerts over it, his body is a mountain wildfire raging out of control when it comes Jinki.
When they pile into the van he’s first in line, settling into a single seat in the middle. He doesn’t even offer Jinki a passing glance. He can feel Key’s eyes boring into his skull, the disgust in them searing, but he doesn’t turn around, just plugs in his mp3 player and turns it up. He can feel Jinki climb into the seat directly behind him and his knees press against the back of his seat for a bit before he shifts away. Jinki can’t get comfortable without throwing his knees up onto the back of his seat, can’t get a moment of rest between the schedules, a moment he’s direly in need of but still he yields to Taemin’s anger and sits still. There’s a part of Taemin, a large part that’s screaming at himself. He’s the most despicable person in the world and he knows that. He also knows Jinki doesn’t think so and it’s killing him inside. Because he needs Jinki to hate him. To hate him for turning away.
He wonders when he became so calculative. When had he learned to make every word and action cut deeper at Jinki than any type of physical weapon could ever. But he knows it’s easy when he knows Jinki like he’s the only person who matters in the world. He knows where to cut to make his very hopes and dreams bleed out of him and slashes at him until there’s barely anything left but a mangled shell. With every slash Jinki’s brittle smile edges closer to shattering. With every breath Taemin doesn’t share with Jinki, it’s one less breath Jinki takes.
&
When Jinki finally shatters, 9 months after the first crack, he shatters into Taemin’s waiting arms. He cries for the first time in 12 months to Taemin about his fears and his feelings of powerlessness against management. He confides in Taemin for the first time in a very very long time and Taemin helps smooth the cracks in his shell and promises to fill him up with new dreams and new hopes.