#another day of crying over jjong. whatever

[spohkh]

someone was tweeting abt how much taemin has changed since debut like how hes so much more openly affectionate nd confident compared to how timid and shy he used to be and how jonghyun would b so stupid proud of him and i was like hey...... THATS THE THING IM SENSITIVE ABOUT.

[5hining-aus]

Strawberry Kisses AU - Paper Leaves (Jonghyun X Reader)

Here’s a little fluffy Thanksgiving Strawberry Kisses AU for you!

Onew//Jonghyun//Key//Minho//Taemin

You frowned slightly as you gazed out the kitchen window. What had once been a gorgeous scene of warm red and golden trees was now snowy and cold.

I didn’t even get to do my tradition this year.

You see, you’d had this little Fall tradition that you had called “Leaf Day” ever since you were a kid. Every year, you would rake up all the fallen leaves (or, when you were a kid, have somebody rake up the leaves for you) until they were all in a big pile. Once they were all gathered together, you would have an absolute ball playing in them, throwing them around, and just generally enjoying all the fun fallen leaves could bring. 

You had kept the tradition going as you grew older, deciding that it was always nice to have something fun to look forward to, and had even gotten your husband, Jonghyun, involved in it. You smiled fondly as you remembered the previous year’s Leaf Day. You and Jonghyun had had a blast reliving childhood memories and playing around outside. Though, this year, snow had fallen early and you guys hadn’t had a chance to uphold your tradition before it happened.

Sighing and deciding that it was no use crying over spilled milk (or fallen snow), you turned back to your original task. You and Jonghyun had been busy making pies for your group’s Thanksgiving dinner, dividing the work and switching off baking duties every so often. It was proving to be a rather effective system.

Aaaaannnnnd, this pie is done! Now it’s my turn for a break. Couch, here I come!

Just as you were about to call out to your husband to tell him that it was his turn in the kitchen, he came shuffling into the kitchen, dragging a rather large garbage bag behind him and looking rather suspicious.

“Oh? Is the pie done, Y/N? It looks wonderful,” Jonghyun praised, trying (and failing) to subtly hide the garbage bag.

You smiled warmly at your husband.

“Thank you!” You paused for a minute. “Jonghyun, what’s in the bag?”

“Nothing,” he replied, too quick and far too nervously for it to be true. “I was...Cleaning out a bit of the house...Yeah...It’s just garbage, nothing to see here.”

Hyunie, you know you are a horrible liar, so why even try?

“Oh? Well then here, I’ll throw it out while you get started on your baking,” you “offered,” extending a hand towards him as if to take the bag.

“NOOOO!”

Now you were a bit confused. You already knew that it wasn’t garbage in the bag, but what could be such a secret that the very thought of you handling the bag made your husband shriek in terror.

“It’s...It’s,” Jonghyun stammered, obviously trying to come up with a way to explain his outburst. “It’s icy out there, really icy, I don’t want you to fall and get hurt, I’ll take care of it, don’t worry.”

You definitely weren’t convinced, but you were also pretty sure that whatever was in the bag wasn’t evidence to some heinous crime that your husband had committed, so you just let it go, pressed a smooch to Jonghyun’s cheek, and made your way to the living room.

About ten minutes after you had settled into your spot on the couch, remote in one hand and a mug of hot chocolate in the other, you felt something fall onto your head. Upon reaching up to grab it, you were surprised to find that it was a small group of construction paper leaves. Turning around, you were greeted by your husband reaching into his suspicious bag and pulling out another handful of the red, brown, orange, and yellow construction paper creations.

“Sweetheart, what’s this?”

You husband shot you a heart-fluttering smile.

“We didn’t get to celebrate Leaf Day with real leaves before it snowed, so I figured that paper leaves would be the next best thing,” he said, throwing another handful up into the air.

All you could do was smile at him and press a small kiss to his lips.

“You really are wonderful, Jjong.”

“You could even say that I’m unbe-LEAF-ably wonderful.”

“Aaaaannnnnd you just ruined the moment,” you teased.

“Sorry,” he chuckled softly, leaning in for another kiss as he tossed one final handful of leaves up into the air.

[rollercoasterwrite]

Guilty Pleasure.

One-shot written for the lovely Dee aka jjongyyu ~  

Au where Jonghyun works in the Creative Affairs department of an entertainment company and has a secret crush on Jinki who is the young handsome CEO of that company. Oh and Minho is Jonghyun’s bff/fuck buddy. 

Prompt/Plot : Jonghyun will be fired by his head department soon, so before he's kicked out he braves himself to ask his CEO (Jinki) out for a date.

Pairing : Jongyu

Genre : Romance, angst, slice of life

Word count : 8 k ~

Jonghyun didn’t know whether to laugh, cry or punch someone in the face. Of all the things he would’ve thought could’ve happened today, getting fired wasn’t one of them.

The tension in his face must’ve been clear, because then he heard, ‘’ If things could’ve been any different we would’ve kept you Mr. Kim, but with the merging of the two companies… we have to make some changes. ‘’

His eyebrow cocked. Changes? The word echoed in his mind in a loop, growing louder and louder until a clench was visible in his jaw. The unease he could read on the HR lady’s face only added to his anger.

‘’ Changes? ‘’ he finally spat out as he rose from his chair. A flash of fear crossed the woman’s face before him, but he went on nonetheless.

‘’ I’ve devoted almost 7 years of my life to this company and you’re now telling me that my presence here is just some kind of liability to the company’s growth? ‘’

His words rang loudly in the room, their release harboring all the rage and disbelief that had bottled up inside him.

A heavy silence followed them while an expression of fear hung over the woman’s delicate features. Jonghyun suddenly felt ridiculous for his outburst, but he didn’t just want to relent; not after all he had given over the years.

‘’ Look, Mr. Kim, ‘’ the long-haired brunette carefully uttered. ‘’ I know our CEO has planned to write letters of recommendation for all the employees who are being let go so that they can find jobs in similar companies. ‘’

‘’ You’ll be fine, ‘’ she ended with a tight smile.

Unbeknownst to her, only one word had been enough to make his anger drop. In its stead, longing and distress curled into a tight knot inside his stomach. His jaw fell slack and his gaze became unfocused as he let his mind go astray.

‘’ Mr. Kim? ‘’

The sound of her voice instantly snapped him back to attention. He shook off any distraction with a sharp cough and quick swipe of his hands on his blazer.

‘’ I understand, Mrs. Hwang, thank you. ‘’

After giving a quick bow in her direction, he walked towards the door and grabbed the knob. A sudden surge of imminent fear clawed at his insides, but he managed to exit the room with his dignity intact.

No one would see him falter.

                                                          ***

No one at work anyways, because as soon as he left his workplace, his phone was on his ear, ready to spill his heart out to the only one he trusted enough to do so.

He lucked out after three rings.

‘’ Is this a booty call? ‘’

The question wasn’t unusual, pretty regular actually, but in that moment, Jonghyun was totally caught off guard.

‘’ Woah… how about ‘’ hello, how are you? ‘’ ‘’

He heard the other snort.

‘’ Oh yeah, I remember when we used to have normal conversations… ‘’ the other answered, making Jonghyun sigh at the heavy sarcasm in his tone. ‘’ When you didn’t just need me for my dick, ‘’ he went on nonetheless.

Jonghyun sighed again, closing his eyes to regain the little composure he had left. ‘’ You know you’re more than that to me… ‘’ He ignored the click of the tongue he heard and said, ‘’ Something bad happened and I need to talk… ‘’

The soft tone in which his request had been made seemed to do the trick, because the next thing that came out of his friend’s mouth was, ‘’ Where do you want to meet? ‘’

The blonde’s lips stretched into a lopsided smile. ‘’ My place? ‘’

‘’ Fine. See you in a few, ‘’ the other settled before hanging up.

That only had Jonghyun feeling lighter. With a renewed energy, he got into his car and hit the road. One thing he had always enjoyed was how close he lived to his workplace, but his quick arrival to the apartment complex in which he lived in only reminded him that in two weeks he wouldn’t have that luxury anymore.

Everything had been so perfect and he was now losing it all. Jonghyun would’ve loved to say that the worst thing about this news was that he was going to lose his job, but it really wasn’t. He was losing the one thing he had been fantasizing about day in and day out for the last year and a half. He felt stupid, childish and a little delusional when he thought about it, but that hope had kept him going more than anything else.

The thought of that imminent loss made every step he took towards his apartment feel heavier. When he was finally in, he got out of his blazer, loosened his tie and fell back on his couch, shielding himself from his surroundings by the arm he brought up to cover his eyes.

This is so fucking shitty.

That statement translated into a groan in the outside world, a groan that held all his tiredness and frustration. He wasn’t one to admit it, but he didn’t like change. He didn’t like the idea of having to change up his routine even in the slightest, so the thought of having to change such a big part of his life was definitely one of the scariest things ever.

He wasn’t tall to begin with so having to jump over that big of a hurdle didn’t seem feasible to him. Images of him breaking a leg were already piling up in his mind, bringing a slight tremble to his hands.

He straightened up immediately to bring his focus elsewhere, anywhere, but he was saved the trouble as the doorbell suddenly rang.

Jonghyun jumped off the couch and ran towards the door, unlocking it quickly before turning the knob.

A grin cracked his lips as he pulled his tall friend inside and closed it. Before he could have the mind to greet him, his eyes zeroed in on the bottle the other had in his hands.

‘’ What’s that? ‘’

The brunette smiled. ‘’ Some Jack. ‘’

Jonghyun scrunched up his nose in slight disgust. ‘’ Why didn’t you bring rum? ‘’

The other’s smile instantly dropped. ‘’ Are you serious right now? ‘’

A twinge of guilt made Jonghyun realize how ungrateful he was being. ‘’ No, I’m not, ‘’ he immediately retracted. He extended a hand to squeeze the other’s free one. ‘’ Thank you. ‘’

Their eyes locked for a while, leaving place to an unspoken conversation that left the air around them heavy and tense.

Jonghyun pulled his gaze away first. ‘’ Minho… ‘’

His mind trailed down the usual road it went whenever he was around his best friend, but a sudden curve brought him elsewhere, leaving him on a road full of bumps that lead to a dead end.

‘’ I got fired. ‘’

The words stumbled out his mouth like a pile of rocks, crushing anything else between and around them.

Minho’s eyes doubled in size as his mind wrapped itself around what he had just heard.

‘’ Fired? ‘’ he all but yelled in the hazardous zone the other’s words had just created.

Jonghyun nodded before all the tension that had built up in his body left him with a sigh. The little energy he had left seemed to leave him too, so he turned away and found his way back onto the couch again. Sitting this time.

Minho followed suit and was right beside him a second later. ‘’ Jjong… ‘’

The brunette’s soft voice had the blonde looking his way.

‘’ How can this be? ‘’

Jonghyun’s lips thinned in a brief smile from the worry he could hear in his friend’s voice.

‘’ Remember when I told you there would be a fusion of our rival company with ours? ‘’ The other nodded instantly. ‘’ Well, unbeknownst to us, that also meant that they would have to make some cuts in the staff to be able to afford all the costs that came with that reorganization… ‘’

Another sigh left him again. ‘’ So they cut me… ‘’

A deep frown creased the other’s brow. ‘’ The fuck? ‘’

‘’ Yup. My exact reaction when I first got the news, but there’s no way around it, so… ‘’ He inhaled deeply. ‘’ I just have to be a man and accept it. ‘’

‘’ Or you can be a man and fucking kick their asses, ‘’ Minho rectified as his hands tightened into fists.

Jonghyun knew the other was seriously angry for him, but he couldn’t help but find the sight endearing.

A breathy laugh left his plump lips. ‘’ It’ll be fine, Minho, ‘’ he reassured. ‘’ I already feel better talking to you. ‘’ His hand slid on the other’s thigh before he gave it a soft squeeze.

He knew that had the desired effect when he saw the other’s features soften.

‘’ What about Jinki? ‘’ Minho asked in a whisper as his gaze settled on the hand the blonde had on his thigh.

Jonghyun flinched. ‘’ Mr. Lee, ‘’ he instantly corrected before retracting his hand.

‘’ Whatever, Jjong. We’re talking about the same person. ‘’

Jonghyun didn’t fail to hear the sudden edge in his friend’s voice. ‘’ What about him? I won’t be seeing him anymore anyways… ‘’

As much as he wanted that to put an end to the conversation, he knew there was no chance it would.

And it didn’t.

‘’ You’ve been fantasizing about this man for the last year and a half, Jjong. You can’t just act like it’s nothing. ‘’

Jonghyun fell silent as Minho peered at him intently. ‘’ What do you want to me say? ‘’ he uttered after a while, voice quiet.

‘’ I don’t want you to say anything, Jjong. I want you to do something, ‘’ Minho sighed.

The blonde’s eyes widened. ‘’ Do what? ‘’

A small smile brightened the other’s face. ‘’ You’re leaving that place anyways, so why not risk it all and ask your boss on a date? ‘’

Jonghyun seemed to forget how to swallow in that moment, because a second later air failed him and left him struggling through a coughing fit.

‘’ Are you crazy? ‘’ he shrieked when he finally recovered.

Minho chuckled. ‘’ Well, I’d say a little craziness never hurt nobody. ‘’ He then scooted a little closer, leaving little space between them. ‘’Plus, I’m getting tired of you moaning this man’s name whenever I’m fucking you. ‘’

Jonghyun felt his face burn with embarrassment, making him immediately look down. ‘’ That only happened once… ‘’

The words barely left his mouth, but Minho heard them loud and clear. ‘’ No, it happened twice. And if it happens a third time, I’ll start getting jealous… ‘’

Jonghyun looked up again, eyes lighting up with surprise. ‘’ But… we’re… ‘’ The rest of his words died in his throat, reluctant to see the light.

‘’ I know what we are, Jjong, ‘’ the brunette filled in. ‘’ So I’m telling you that you should pursue the one you really want before this thing between us starts getting complicated, ‘’ Minho advised, his words bearing the heaviness of an untold truth.

The blonde swallowed hard against his now dry throat. ‘’ Minho… I… ‘’

His attempt to respond was cut short by a finger pressing against his lips.

The brunette gave him a reassuring smile.

‘’ Don’t worry about me, Jjong. Just go for it. ‘’

Jonghyun wanted to protest, but in that moment, he could only nod.

                                                       ***

But actually going for it definitely wasn’t the easiest thing in the world. Jonghyun had started out with great resolve the next morning, but when he had actually set foot in the building again, every bit of courage he had mustered up on his way left him. He was reminded that this wasn’t just one of his colleagues he had to go talk to. No, it was the actual CEO of their company for god’s sake. And it wasn’t like he was running into him every day either, so he quickly realized that for this to work out somehow, he needed to actually ask for an appointment with him. Which…

… was more than terrifying.

Jonghyun could actually count the times he had talked to Mr. Lee.

The first time was almost two years ago when the man had been promoted to the CEO chair to follow in his newly retired father’s footsteps. Jonghyun had been so excited for the change because the first Mr. Lee had been a source of fear to all of them and had made the workplace a living hell.

The transition had been honored with a big event after work.

They all found themselves in one big room, impatiently waiting for the man’s first speech. A few minutes later, they were granted their wish. As soon as the new CEO stepped on stage to introduce himself, Jonghyun knew they were in for a great era. The handsome brunette was all smiles and frankly that made Jonghyun unable to focus on what he was actually saying. Never had a man left such a strong impression on him with his presence alone.

After the speech was over, all the employees scattered throughout the room to talk and rejoice while Mr. Lee took the time to introduce himself to everyone personally. Jonghyun didn’t actually think he would get to talk to him, but somehow the taller man found his way to him.  

‘’ And to who do I have the honor to be talking to? ‘’ Mr. Lee asked with a dashing smile as he stopped in front of him.

Jonghyun blinked a few times, mind stunned by the fact that this man was actually real and actually talking to him.

‘’ So should I assume you have no name then? ‘’ Mr. Lee teased with a soft laugh.

It had taken him a few more seconds, but Jonghyun had finally managed to remember his name before the man had continued with his round of greetings.

The second time they had talked was during a congratulatory dinner that had been arranged to celebrate the great work the Creative Affairs department had been putting in to keep their company on the map.

That night, Jonghyun found himself in the spotlight for his ideas to the grand displeasure of their team manager, baby face Mr. Lee as they liked to call him, but that didn’t dampen his pride one bit, especially when Mr. Lee called for a toast in his honor.

Jonghyun felt his heart flip inside his chest when he locked eyes with the man who was sitting at the opposite end of the table, but he swiftly diverted his attention to his glass, emptying its content in one swift gulp.

The night went on with pleasant conversations as they ate and drank more than they could handle, Jonghyun being one of the only reasonable ones. Being a light drinker, he kept himself in check, sipping slowly on his second glass of rum as he fell back into more of an observant role. The one thing he found himself watching the most was his team manager sucking up to their CEO. He had always hated that little brat and he knew the feeling was mutual, but his over the top reactions towards everything the older man said only solidified that feeling.

After a while, Jonghyun decided to give himself a break by going out for some fresh air, without knowing that this would turn out to be the best decision he could have made. In a strange twist of fate, Mr. Lee came into his line of sight a few seconds later with another one of his irresistible smiles.

‘’ Do you mind if I keep you company for a while? ‘’

Jonghyun shook his head. ‘’ Not at all… ‘’

He nervously watched as the brunette plunged his right hand into one of his black dress pants pockets and took out a packet of cigarettes. The shock must’ve been visible on his face, because then Mr. Lee said, ‘’ I gotta admit… I can’t shake off this bad habit. ‘’

The airy laughter that followed his words had Jonghyun feeling weak in the knees and in that moment, he found himself thinking that this man couldn’t possibly be human.

‘’ Do you want one? ‘’ Mr. Lee asked.

Jonghyun shook his head again, slightly embarrassed, which earned him another melodious laugh from the other.

‘’ Hmm, you’re one of the wise ones then… I see you didn’t drink much tonight, ‘’ the older man observed.

Jonghyun inadvertently scrunched up his nose. ‘’ I wouldn’t say I’m wise… ‘’

‘’ Do you have a bad habit then… or should I say a guilty pleasure? ‘’

Yeah, gushing like a little schoolgirl over a man I barely know.

‘’ Is that really the kind of thing I can admit to our CEO? ‘’ Jonghyun pointed out instead with a bashful smile.

Mr. Lee then graced him with a smile even brighter than any of the ones he had seen before, making Jonghyun suddenly fear that he would lose his sight.

‘’ I was right then. You are pretty wise. ‘’

Jonghyun had thought at that moment that this was going to be the end of him, that he was going to die right this instant, but somehow he had managed to stay alive to finish the conversation nicely and get back to work the next day. He had found himself with even more motivation to push himself and give his all to the company.

The last time they had talked was a little over a month ago when there had been the first announcement about the merger between LJ entertainment and KK entertainment.

That day, a special meeting was called with all employees and a few hours later they were listening with worry and anger at the news. Jonghyun was worried and angry too, but once again, Mr. Lee’s presence provided his mind and body with great distraction.

Once the tense meeting was over, they all went back to their offices, but as soon as Jonghyun settled back in his chair, he received a call from the CEO’s secretary telling him that Mr. Lee wanted to see him. Jonghyun had no clue why that would be, but he didn’t question the request and immediately started walking towards the feared location. He had never actually set foot in his office before since his team manager was the one talking on their behalf, so he felt terrified. Especially after such news.

When he finally entered the man’s office and closed the door behind him, he felt like this was going to be his final moment.

‘’ Sit down, Mr. Kim, ‘’ Mr. Lee indicated with a smile as he crossed his arms on top of his desk.

Jonghyun wasn’t reassured one bit by that smile; he had had plenty of occasions to witness them and he now felt confident in knowing when they were genuine and when they were forced. This one definitely fell in the latter category.

The blonde still sat, his body tense as he waited for a catastrophe to come. He waited patiently, fearfully, but silence dragged on as the man facing him looked down to the table he was leaning against.

Jonghyun grew even more scared, which made his heart do a painful flip in his chest when Mr. Lee looked up again.  

‘’ Do you think I made the right decision, Mr. Kim? ‘’

The blonde’s eyes widened, surprised. ‘’ Eh? ‘’

Mr. Lee’s face relaxed as he laughed. ‘’ I’m sorry, Mr. Kim. I should explain myself better, ‘’ he realized as he straightened up some more.

‘’ I’m talking about the merger of LJ with KK, ‘’ he then specified with a retrieved seriousness.

Jonghyun’s brows creased in a deep frown, still confused by the other man’s inquiry.  ‘’ I don’t understand, Mr. Lee… you’re the CEO, we trust you know what’s best for the company. ‘’

His words made the older man sigh. ‘’ Can I be honest with you, Mr. Kim? ‘’

The blonde’s teeth dug into his bottom lip, mind still fear-ridden, before he nodded.

‘’ Being the CEO of a company doesn’t mean you have all the right answers, ‘’ he immediately shared in a way that revealed to Jonghyun the burden he was carrying on his shoulders.

‘’ I didn’t take this decision lightly, but I now fear the consequences, ‘’ the brunette went on, gaze still digging into his.

‘’ I’m sure you made the right decision, ‘’ Jonghyun instantly reassured. He didn’t know that to be true, but he did trust in the man facing him.

The ghost of a smile danced across the older man’s lips. ‘’ I don’t want you to tell me what you think I’d like to hear. I want you to tell me what you honestly think. ‘’

Jonghyun tensed up even more at that, body paralyzed for a few seconds. When he finally managed to remember that he was a human being and not a static object, he said, ‘’ But… why me, sir? ‘’

Mr. Lee really smiled then. ‘’ Because as I once told you before, you seem to be a wise man. ‘’

Jonghyun felt himself blush and looked away. ‘’ Sir, I’m not… ‘’

‘’ And I don’t know the whole spectrum of business management so I’m really not in a good position to-

‘’ I didn’t call you here for that, ‘’ Mr. Lee interjected. ‘’ I’m asking for your opinion because your work here tells me that you’re a man with great vision and intuition. You constantly seem to be thinking outside the box and that’s what our company needs more of. ‘’

Jonghyun froze in a state of shock again. To hear this man say those words to him… It was…

‘’ If there is one thing I definitely regret is not talking about this with you first, ‘’ the other man added more quietly.

Jonghyun’s gaze instantly shifted to his face as his heart fluttered. The look he saw on it gave him every indication that he was not joking.  

Upon the other man’s insistence, he had managed to share his true nuanced thoughts, leaving him feeling distraught and grateful when he had finally stepped out of his office half an hour later that day.

Now, all this seemed to be part of another life; a life that was ending in a few days. Jonghyun knew his time was now or never, but he really couldn’t see himself actually taking that step.

He was utterly terrified.

                                                         ***

Another few days passed and Jonghyun now knew that he would be leaving the company and Mr. Lee behind forever. He had been too caught up in making sure the projects and ideas he had been working on would be carried out in the way he had intended them to, to actually plan out how he was going to confess to their CEO.

And there was no need to, really. Entertaining that thought had been childish all along and it really wasn’t viable in their adult corporate world. Jonghyun knew there had never been a chance for him to actually get a date with their CEO. This wasn’t some romance story that created unlikely situations to fulfill the reader’s desires. This was real life; his life.  

And in his life, he was now three days away from being released from his current duties and falling into an abyss full of anxiety and rum. He still didn’t understand how something like that could’ve happened to him, but there he was, going through his files to reminisce over all that he had created over the years. It wasn’t his property to take and leave with, but it was proof that he had made a difference here.

A difference that didn’t seem to matter in the grand scheme of things, but a difference nonetheless.

Jonghyun was just about to go on his lunch break when the phone on his desk rang. He frowned at the unfamiliar caller ID, but answered anyways.  

‘’Hello? ‘’

‘’ Hello, Mr. Kim. This is Mr. Lee. ‘’

Jonghyun froze, once again petrified by the only idea that this man wasn’t just some kind of unreachable mirage.

‘’ Mr. Kim? ‘’

A quiet exhale left him as he was brought back to the reality of the moment. ‘’ Y-yes? ‘’

‘’ I need to ask you a favor. ‘’

Jonghyun’s eyes widened in surprise and slight confusion. ‘’ A favor? ‘’

‘’ Yes, ‘’ the other man confirmed before taking a slight pause that had Jonghyun sliding to the edge of his chair, alert. ‘’ I would like you to have dinner with me tonight. ‘’

Jonghyun’s shock came out in a string of coughs that had him lowering the phone to actually get himself back into a normal breathing state.

He finally glued the phone back onto his ear after a few seconds. ‘’ E-excuse me, sir? ‘’

A breathy laugh ensued. ‘’ I guess I should work more on my communication skills before I actually get one of my employees killed. ‘’

The jest had Jonghyun feeling more relaxed, a foolish smile cracking his lips. ‘’ I wasn’t expecting that, sir… ‘’

‘’ Well I don’t aim to be predictable, Mr. Kim. ‘’

The man’s smooth answer had Jonghyun’s heart racing despite the unforgettable formality of their relationship.

‘’ I can see that… ‘’

‘’ So, will you join me for dinner? ‘’ the older man reiterated.

Jonghyun chewed on his bottom lip as one of his fingers curled around the phone’s cord, mind reeling with what could be behind that request. It was a few more seconds before he realized that losing an opportunity to spend more time with the man he longed for would be beyond stupid.

He needed to make the most of the little time he had left in his presence.  

‘’ Yes, sir, ‘’ he finally answered.

                                                        ***

Jonghyun looked slightly in awe and disbelief at his surroundings as the waiter guided him through a dimly lit hallway, lined on each side with sliding shōji doors. He had been in Japanese restaurants before, but never had he been in one of those private dining rooms he had seen many times in the movies.

They finally stopped in front of one of them. Jonghyun had no time to even think about bailing out as the waiter slid the door open and gestured for him to enter. Jonghyun gave him a quick parting bow before he stepped into the room. The sound of the door sliding shut instantly made fear rise fiercely inside him and the eye contact that quickly followed did nothing to help his distress.

The warm chocolate eyes he looked into suddenly disappeared behind a resplendent smile.

‘’ Good evening, Mr. Kim. ‘’

‘’ Good evening, Mr. Lee, ‘’ the blonde shyly reciprocated, barely moving an inch.

‘’ Are you just going to stand there? ‘’ the brunette bantered, chuckling.

Jonghyun felt his face heat up and quickly moved to divert his attention from the sensation. He took seat on the mat settled in front of the table, bringing him to eye-level with the taller man.

‘’ I’m glad you could make it, Mr. Kim, ‘’ the young CEO acknowledged with a gentler smile.

Jonghyun’s teeth dug slightly into his bottom lip, gaze expectant. ‘’ Why am I here, sir? ‘’

‘’ I will tell you soon, ‘’ Mr. Lee reassured. ‘’ But first, let’s order some food. ‘’

The blonde slowly nodded and took the menu that was handed to him. He glanced at the options that were on it, but his discomfort prevented him from really giving them any real thought. Here he was, alone with the man that had been the object of his desire for an excruciatingly long time now, and he had no idea how to act.

‘’ Did you make a choice? ‘’

The question snapped him back to attention and he found himself embarrassed by his lapse in focus.

‘’ Um… no… I don’t really know what to choose, ‘’ he admitted.

‘’ Hmm, well I know what’s good here… ‘’ Mr. Lee briefly pondered. ‘’ Do you mind if I order for us both? ‘’

Jonghyun shook his head vigorously, more than happy to relent control. ‘’ No sir, not at all. ‘’

A few seconds later, the waiter came back in and took the order before leaving them be again.

At that moment, Mr. Lee reached into a bag that Jonghyun hadn’t noticed before and took out a bottle and two glasses. Once they were all settled between them, the blonde finally saw what the bottle was.

‘’ Vieux domaine? ‘’ he immediately gasped as his eyes doubled in size.

A prideful smile lit up the other man’s face as he grabbed the bottle to open it. ‘’ Yes, I couldn’t help but notice that you always went for rum, so I thought I’d bring one of my favorites. ‘’

The blonde’s look of surprise went from the bottle to him as his heart fluttered. He couldn’t believe this man had paid attention to his drink of choice. He couldn’t believe this man was even paying any attention to him.

Mr. Lee gave him another warm smile before pouring some of the drink in each glass. Once he set the bottle down onto the table again, he asked, ‘’ Would you mind if we went on a first name basis? ‘’

The question did nothing to relax the other’s expression, making him look back at the other man as if he had just said that he wanted to bend him over the table and fuck him.

The brunette chuckled. ‘’ Am I asking for too much? ‘’

‘’ No, sir… it’s just… ‘’ Jonghyun’s eyes darted downwards. ‘’ It’s just… we’re not… ‘’

‘’ I know what we are… Jonghyun. ‘’ The emphasis on his name had the blonde look up again, his face still unable to conceal his bewilderment. ‘’ But right now, I want this conversation to feel more comfortable, more… open, ‘’ the older man pinpointed in a tone that felt utterly honest.

Jonghyun slowly nodded as the other man’s words started registering in his mind. He knew calling his boss by his first name wasn’t going to be comfortable, but he felt honored to have that privilege.

‘’ Okay… Jinki, ‘’ he tried, before instantly cringing. Saying it in the privacy of his apartment was one thing, but saying it to the actual man was another. It didn’t feel right.

‘’ Jonghyun, ‘’ the other firmly called as he watched his employee recoil in a hunched stance.

The latter looked up again, embarrassed. ‘’ Relax, please, ‘’ the brunette insisted. He then took his glass into his hand. ‘’ Let’s drink. ‘’

The warm smile he was given then did help Jonghyun relax a bit and he picked up his own glass. Watching the other raise his glass, he did the same and brought it to his lips after a shared smile. He hummed in contentment as the different accents of warm spices mixed in with the rum danced across his taste buds before continuing their voyage down his throat.

‘’ I haven’t had that one in a while, ‘’ Jonghyun shared. ‘’ Thank you, si- ‘’ He bit his lip. ‘’ Jinki, ‘’ he rectified in a voice that had a little less assurance.  

Jonghyun didn’t miss how the one facing him tried to restrain himself from laughing. ‘’ It’s my pleasure, ‘’ Jinki finally replied.

The door slid open at that moment and in came a group of waiters and waitresses carrying various plates of food. By the time everything was displayed on the table, Jonghyun was left wondering how they would possibly be able to go through all of it.

Once the restaurant’s employees made their way out and slid the door shut again, the blonde finally voiced his concern.

‘’ Um… this is a lot of food… ‘’

The brunette grinned. ‘’ Yes, it is, ‘’ he agreed before picking up chopsticks and grabbing a maki with them. Jonghyun watched as his boss’ cheeks puffed out as he chewed, thinking in that moment that there probably was no cuter sight than this one.

He followed suit by picking up his own chopsticks, but he first went for a strip of wagyu beef. He couldn’t help the moan that left him as a different set of flavors invaded his mouth. He felt his stomach grumble for more and immediately went for a few other strips before going through a few of the other dishes, momentarily forgetting about everything else.

His stomach finally let some space for his mind to think again when he felt an intent look on him. He paused and looked at his boss with worry, but the latter just smiled at him.

‘’ Seems like we both have quite an appetite, ‘’ the brunette playfully noted.

Jonghyun felt the heat of a fierce blush creep up his neck and cheeks.  

‘’ I’m sorry. It’s just really good, ‘’ he said quietly.

Jinki’s face brightened up even more. ‘’ I’m glad you think so. It’s my favorite restaurant. ‘’

The blonde’s heart flipped. Favorite restaurant?

‘’ Sir… ‘’ Fuck. ‘’ I mean, Jinki, ‘’ Jonghyun started again. ‘’ I don’t want to sound like a broken record, but… why am I here? ‘’

There was a sigh first, before Jinki’s expression became grave. ‘’ Because what I feared became a reality… I made a mistake. ‘’

Jonghyun’s brow cocked as a mix of surprise and confusion seized him. ‘’ What mistake? ‘’

‘’ The merger, ‘’ Jinki instantly replied, voice tense.

‘’ How is it already a mistake? ‘’ the blonde asked, still confused.

‘’ Because the company is losing you because of it. ‘’

The intensity with which the answer came sent chills down Jonghyun’s spine. Searching the other’s eyes, he realized that the decision had not been run by him beforehand.

‘’ Who made that decision? ‘’ he inquired as an answer immediately formed in his mind.

Jinki sighed again. ‘’ I… I gave each team manager the liberty to make their cuts, since they know their team members best … ‘’ His gaze wavered briefly. ‘’ I never thought for a moment that you’d be cut in the process. ‘’

Jonghyun’s lips thinned into a tight line as his jaw clenched. The thought of kicking his manager’s non-existent butt was very strong, but he managed to rein in his anger as he took hold of his glass and gulped down the rest of its content.

Looking again at his boss, he said, ‘’ Manager Lee never liked me, so his decision makes perfect sense. ‘’

‘’ I should’ve anticipated that, ‘’ Jinki remarked. ‘’ A man with your talent is inevitably going to make other people envious. ‘’

Jonghyun’s anger immediately melted from the heat the other man’s praise created in his body.

‘’ I’m not that talented… ‘’ he abashedly noted.  

‘’ Yes, you are, ‘’ the older man immediately countered. ‘’ And if it wasn’t for the sake of impartiality, I would’ve bypassed his decision and kept you anyways. ‘’

Jonghyun looked back at him in disbelief, convinced that if this kept on this way, he would meet his end.

‘’ I’m trying to fix my mistake, Jonghyun, ‘’ Jinki went on before pausing to take in some of his drink.

‘’ I’ve been making some calls to people I know for the past few days and I found you a similar position in another company, ‘’ he then revealed as he looked at the younger one earnestly.

Every muscle in the blonde’s body tensed up as a strong sense of unease grew inside him.

‘’ Sir, ‘’ Jonghyun voiced, before cursing himself once more for the slip. ‘’ Jinki… I can’t accept that from you. ‘’  

The older man’s face lit up with surprise. ‘’ Why? ‘’

‘’ Because I think you’re not making a wise choice putting so much faith in me like that… you don’t know me… ‘’

They locked eyes, darker ones still glowing with surprise as paler ones dimmed with worry.

‘’ I have everything I need to make a wise decision, ‘’ Jinki stated with conviction. ‘’ Your work speaks for itself. ‘’

Jonghyun looked away, crushed, realizing that the only interest the other man had in him was for his work. He should’ve been happy to be noticed for that, but it became even more clear to him in that moment that it would never be enough.

He looked up again. ‘’ You did say you wanted this conversation to be more open, right? ‘’

Jinki nodded. ‘’ Yes, I want you to be able to say what’s on your mind. ‘’

Jonghyun acknowledged his words with a nod of his own, teeth digging into his lip again as a spike of fear stabbed his chest. He knew he was about to make a fool of himself, but he also knew there would never be another opportunity like this for him.

He had to seize it.

‘’ Jinki… ‘’ he started quietly. ‘’ There is something I want more than a job right now. ‘’

‘’ Oh… what is it? ‘’ the other asked with genuine interest.

‘’ I… ‘’ Jonghyun took a deep breath. ‘’ I want to get to know you on a more personal level. ‘’

Jinki smiled. ‘’ I’ve been wanting that too, that’s why I wanted us to have a more comfortable conversation. ‘’

‘’ But… you probably mean that in a friendship type of way while I don’t… ‘’

His confession had him looking away, eyes darting downwards to his crossed legs to prevent himself from seeing the utter disgust on his boss’ face.

There was a pause, a long pause, leaving the blonde to wonder if he should just apologize and leave, but before he could actualize those actions, the silence was broken by the other’s voice.

‘’ You mean… you want us to be more than friends? ‘’

The older man’s soft and quiet tone had Jonghyun’s eyes flicking upwards. They searched his face, but it gave him no further clue. His expression was unreadable.

‘’ Yes, ‘’ he admitted with as much strength as he could pull out from himself in that moment.

The brunette’s chest heaved with a deep inhale before he released that breath through a quiet sigh. He wasn’t looking at Jonghyun anymore, instead, he directed his attention to his glass before picking it up and downing it like the other had previously.

When Jonghyun saw him fill their two glasses again, he realized the door wasn’t being shut in his face. He still had space to speak.

‘’ I’ve wanted to ask you out on a date for a very long time now… ‘’ he said with a little more confidence.

That seemed to bring the other man out of his bubble. ‘’ Jonghyun… ‘’ His voice sounded unsure, vulnerable, making Jonghyun’s brow furrow with concern.

‘’ If the circumstances were any different, I’d say yes to you. I’ve had these thoughts too, but… I’m in a difficult position… ‘’

Jonghyun felt a little soothed by Jinki’s saddened expression and sincere tone, but it did nothing to lessen the sorrow that spread through him.  

‘’ You mean… because you’re a CEO? ‘’ he croaked as the feeling menaced to spill out of him.

Jinki just nodded, eyes glinting with a pain of his own.

‘’ It doesn’t have to be known… ‘’ Jonghyun spontaneously offered as his mind grasped at any little thread of hope it could possibly find.

Jinki looked at him, stunned. ‘’ I can’t ask you to be a secret, Jonghyun… ‘’

‘’ You’re not asking, I’m offering, ‘’ Jonghyun asserted. ‘’ I can’t believe I’m even saying this myself, but if there is no other way, I’m fine with it. I just want to be close to you. ‘’

Jinki pondered the thought, eyes zeroing in on his glass again. When his eyes fell back on the blonde’s face, he felt his chest tighten.

‘’ I don’t want to say no to you… ‘’

‘’ Well don’t then, ‘’ Jonghyun instantly threw back.

‘’ But what if… ‘’ Jinki stopped himself.

Before he could continue, Jonghyun jumped in. ‘’ Let’s not think too far ahead. Let’s just start with a date, alright? ‘’

Jinki’s shoulders relaxed slightly as he slowly wrapped his mind around the idea. ‘’ Alright. ‘’

The blonde’s lips twitched upwards at the unexpected turn of events before his hand curled around his glass again. ‘’ Should we toast to that? ‘’

Jinki’s brows furrowed in confusion. ‘’ To what? ‘’

‘’ To you bringing me to another fancy restaurant for our first date, ‘’ Jonghyun half joked, half decided.

That had the other’s face lighting up brightly again as he laughed a frank laugh. ‘’ Why should I be the one treating you? You asked me on a date, so it should be the other way around. ‘’

The blonde’s lips curled into a cute pout. ‘’ I’m going to be jobless soon, remember? ‘’

Jinki ignored the leap his heart took inside his chest at the endearing sight and said, ‘’ Not if you take that job I was telling you about. ‘’

Jonghyun scrunched up his nose at the idea. ‘’ I’ll think about it… ‘’

‘’ What could possibly stop you from saying yes? ‘’ the older man wondered, confounded.

‘’ A few things, but… there are many ways you could persuade me right now… ‘’ Jonghyun hinted in a tone that held no subtlety, before choking back a chuckle at the other’s flustered expression.

Clearing his throat, the brunette said, ‘’ This is a business meeting, Jonghyun. Not a date. ‘’

That was all it took to have Jonghyun’s eyes glinting with hope. ‘’ So you mean that next time… ‘’

‘’ I don’t mean anything, Jonghyun, ‘’ Jinki immediately dismissed.

‘’ You certainly are comfortable to say what’s on your mind now, ‘’ he then observed with a slight note of annoyance.

‘’ Well that’s what you wanted, wasn’t it? ‘’ Jonghyun reminded, not without some defiance.

Jinki’s jaw tensed, but not from anger. ‘’ I’m still your CEO, behave. ‘’

‘’ Hmm, right, ‘’ Jonghyun hummed. ‘’ I only have to wait a few more days... ‘’

That had Jinki shaking his head as he bit back a smile. ‘’ You are something else. ‘’

‘’ Well now that I know that my desire wasn’t completely foolish, I’m not going to hold back. ‘’

Jinki looked up to find the blonde’s eyes and shivered from the intensity in them. It was a few seconds before the energy in the room shifted into a more relaxed atmosphere as the latter’s eyes brightened with a soft smile.  

Grabbing his glass again, Jonghyun asked, ‘’ Can we make it official with a toast now? ‘’

‘’ Yes, sure, ‘’ Jinki agreed as he found himself spellbound by the other.

‘’ To our first date, ‘’ Jonghyun said, grinning.

‘’ To our first date, ‘’ Jinki echoed as he returned the smile.

They broke contact briefly to drink before locking eyes again, matching smiles dancing on their lips.

It was a little more than an hour later when Jinki voiced that he should be taking his leave. By then, they had cleared most plates on the table and had gone through almost all the bottle of rum.

The brunette got up swiftly, making Jonghyun do the same, although a little more clumsily. 

'' Well, I guess it's goodnight then, '' the younger one said first despite his desperate want to spend more time with the other. 

'' You know we can leave this place together, right? '' Jinki reminded, a slight note of amusement lacing his tone.

The remark had the blonde biting his lip in embarrassment. 

'' Right... ''

Jinki smiled fondly at the cuteness he was faced with before taking a few steps to close the distance between them. 

Looking into the other's bright eyes from such a close distance made his heart stop for a moment before its rate quickened to an unsustainable pace.

Before he could tell himself not to, he pulled the smaller man in for a kiss, his strong hands grabbing at his small waist.

Jonghyun's eyes widened in shock before his lids slowly fell over his eyes. He kissed back softly, one hand settling at the back of the taller one's neck, right before a quiet moan left him as he savored the feeling of Jinki's soft and sweet lips on his.

Jonghyun wanted more, but before he could claim it, the other pulled back a bit.

Jinki tried to speak, but found himself lost in the intensity beaming from the other's gaze. Not able to resist, he pressed his lips once more against his, relishing the soft sound it brought out of the other.

But before he could lose himself even more, he pulled back again, this time taking a step back to put more distance between them.

'' I'm sorry, '' Jinki said, eyes darting to the floor.

'' There is no need to be, '' Jonghyun instantly replied as he took in the brunette's troubled expression.

That didn't seem to reassure the other one as a long sigh left him.

Jonghyun's throat tightened with worry, but before that feeling could incapacitate him, he stepped closer to the taller one and said, '' I don't want you to feel guilty about this. ''

Jinki looked up, eyes dark with his own load of worry. '' I know... It's just... I really like you and I didn't expect the night to take that turn and... '' He paused to catch his breath. '' And I guess I'm just a little overwhelmed right now. ''

Jonghyun felt himself melt at that. '' You're so cute, '' he couldn't help but say before smiling at the subtle blush his words created on the other's face.

'' I get it, Jinki, " he finally addressed. '' But like I said, let's just take it one step at a time. ''

Jinki nodded, shoulders relaxing. '' Yes, you're right. ''

That was enough to get them going and a few minutes later, they finally stepped out of the restaurant.

'' So it's really goodnight, then? '' Jonghyun said again, lightly rocking his body back and forth, as they stopped in front of Jinki's car.

'' Yes, but we'll see each other very soon, '' Jinki promised with a smile.

Jonghyun returned the smile before stepping back. He reluctantly waved him goodbye when he finally settled in his car seat and started the engine.

Once he walked away and entered his own car, he couldn't help but fear that this night had all been a dream.

It was only the next day that he got confirmation of how real it had been when the HR lady called him in and told him that there had been a mistake and that he wasn't going to be cut after all. 

Jonghyun left her office feeling beyond relieved, astounded and even more enamored with the man that would remain his CEO after all.  

 _____________________________________________________________________________________________

AFF  AO3

[angeljonghyun]

so, my therapist said something important to me today, I think, and I’d like to share that with you. (warning: this is long)

first of all, shes very supportive and sweet towards me atm although I’m not doing much. I’m basically just at home, grieving and feeling unwell when going out so I try not do do that. I should do it and I do it every now and then, but not as regularly as I should. Yet, she said that shes already happy seeing me cry, knowing that I do better than I did a few years ago when my mom died and that I do things, but I can’t do certain things properly because they were all connected to Jjong (drawing and writing, but even gaining weight and going to the gym… my whole recovery is actually connected to him) and I’m doing good despite feeling like I’m failing all the time again. Grief is.. very tough and it drains you, but as long as you do your best to function and actually do little things from time to time, you are doing amazing. If you let yourself feel the pain then youre doing great. If you manage to get out of bed, out of your safe space then you are doing good.  That doesnt mean that your struggles and problems are suddenly invalid bc youre ‘doing good’, but theres no need to beat yourself up over how long you mourn and how hard it is for you to function well. I can barely get ready and go out, I’m always crying. If I deserve to be told that I am doing well while not feeling well at all, yeah, then you deserve to be told that too. You are doing well. Another thing.. (wow these always get too long I put too much personal things into my posts, but thats the only way I like it) This is really important to me, because it is similar to what I’ve been thinking for the last couple of days. Until now I wasn’t able to put it in words, but now I guess I can or I try.. I probably fail. You know that suicide is something extremely aggressive, not only towards oneself, but also towards everyone around the person who does it, everyone who is dependent, every person who likes that person. My therapist is so.. mad at him for what he did, because she sees how many people suffer from it (actually first hand too) what I understand, because I myself was pretty mad at him for his decision before.  Thats normal, just to say that, before you judge me or others. It is more than normal to be mad and disappointed and even necessary to feel that way to ‘get over’ the happenings. Well, I was mad because of personal reasons. (btw im not mad at him directly I have a very bad relationship to that great thing called depression and what it makes out of people, including him. to this day I still dont recognize him in his letter. I do not see his true self speaking and my anger is directed towards whatever he had turned into due to his illness) What jonghyun did to all of us with his decision.. is questioning all of ours health and happiness. Hear me out. He left us feeling a certain way and now all of us start to question if our situation is still as good as we thought it was. When I first heard the news, for like a week straight I was insanely suicidal again, thrown back into old manners and my old disgusting self generally. I started to question whether I feel good and thought I was lying to myself. Suddenly, I was overwhelmed by everything I had left behind and I see that this is happening to many of us and what sucks is that not everyone has the opportunity to go to therapy to get better again.  If you havent been feeling better, then of course, the happenings make everything even worse. Suicide attracts people… sadly. it saddens me so much. really. I havent been only crying about Jjong, but what all of this is doing to us and the people close to him. Im not here to talk dirty about jjong, I love him dearly, with all my heart, but you cant sugar coat everything. He wasn’t perfect and he made a big mistake many people had to witness and it affects many people in all kinds of ways. What I want to say is: Please don’t be hard on yourself, be gentle, try to love yourself a little more, appreciate what youre doing each day, because you doing these things each day or wanting to do things, having passion, thats the real you and not some sickness speaking for you. And another persons death never means life is over. Your life is not over because of it. It gets insanely hard and if youre like me then you need to reconstruct your whole existence and find a new reason to live.  But we can do it. We have been able to do it once when we weren’t feeling good and so we can do it again. Most of us are still so young. Please stay strong, feel, take your time. you.. are doing so so well <3

[whisperwoofwoof]

Golden Ch 4

Rating: Mature Pairing: JongKey Chaptered/WIP | 1.2k words Warnings: Language, occult, supernatural Prompt: Dish soap, Children climbing a tree, Whistling, A sex scene, Holy water (PENDING)

1  2  3  4  5  6  7  8  9  10  11  12

The apartment was still smoky when the Fire Department appeared.

It was recommended for Jonghyun and Kibum to stay in a hotel for the rest of the night. Dressed only in their bedclothes, they drove to the nearest hotel and checked in. They were exhausted, both from lack of sleep and the events that had just occurred. Still, as they shifted around the dimly lit hotel room, neither found themselves sleepy.

Jonghyun groaned as he sat at the desk chair, cradling his head in his hands.

“What the hell was that, Kibum?”

Kibum didn’t answer, opting to sit at the corner of the bed.

“It was on fire. On YOUR bed. We all checked the doors and windows, so nobody broke in and put it there.”

Jonghyun’s voice was raspy and stern. It almost reminded him of being scolded by his father, but Kibum couldn’t bring himself to speak up. They both witnessed the same thing, but he was not ready to admit it.

He suddenly felt hands covering his own. Kibum looked up to find Jonghyun kneeling in front of him, concern crossing his face. Kibum felt as moisture dropped from his own chin onto his lap. He hadn’t realized that was even crying.

“Kibum, please tell me what is going on here. We may be lovers now, but we’ve been friends for longer. I’m here to listen, just please trust me.”

With Jonghyun’s sincerity, Kibum finally broke down. As the floodgates opened, Jonghyun leapt up and tightly curled his arms around the other man. He held him as the tears fell, calming him to the best of his abilities.

Kibum told him the entire story, about what happened with his parents, about trying the board with his friends, about it knowing Jonghyun’s old nickname, about the board going missing and prompting the cleaning session. Kibum was worried about what Jonghyun would say. He wasn’t the least bit spiritual, so he feared that Jonghyun would accuse him of lying and say that Ouija boards weren’t really behind all this. He was worried that after all this, Jonghyun would leave him too.

However, the yelling and accusations never came. He braced himself for it once he finished with his story, but the other man shushed him, tracing patterns across his back.

“Shhh, it’s going to be okay. I’m here with you. We can get through whatever the hell that is,” he spoke so softly and sweetly that it almost made Kibum want to cry again.

“But Jjong, I thought you didn’t believe in any of that stuff.”

Jonghyun pulled himself back, grasping Kibum by the shoulders and looking into his eyes.

“I don’t usually believe in what science can’t prove, but I do believe what I see. What I saw back there was not normal and right now, I’ll believe anything that can explain it.”

The two men hugged as Kibum dried his tears. They both calmed down enough to fall into a slumber, if only on top of the bed sheets. As the exhaustion took its toll, the men were shut off from the rest of the world.

They were groggy the next morning, or rather a few hours later, but managed to grab bagels and orange juice from the breakfast area in the lobby. They gathered the stuff they had and checked out of their hotel room. As Kibum put his card back into his wallet, he found the business card with the name of that New Age shop worker. Suddenly, asking this man for help didn’t seem to be too far of a stretch. As Jonghyun revved up the car engine, ready to leave the parking lot, Kibum passed his finger over the raised lettering.

LEE JINKI

-

He never opened the store too early on Sundays, citing that sleeping in was good every once in a while. However, he never actually slept in and arrived at the store the same time as every other day. He unlocked the back door, greeting the room with his sunny attitude as he walked in. He quickly shoved his bag in the backroom, and walked out front to make sure everything was in place. As he scanned the store to see what needed to be restocked, he took notice of a book in the store window. He remembered the two men that he met the day before and that he gave one of them his business card.

Jinki picked up the book that the man had been reading and saw that it was about Ouija boards. He felt his stomach drop slightly as he took in the signs: a newbie to his shop who was there for one thing, yet left a little too quickly. He thought it was curious, but with the content he was reading, it began to make sense. The man from the day before was another person who needed help, but was too proud to ask for it. He sighed as he put the book back down, telling himself that the man knew where the shop was located and even had his phone number.

Lee Jinki was well versed in various modes of spirit communication.

Many in the witchy community claimed that he was a try hard, or someone who tried to take his craft in too many directions, rather than have a single concentration. He tried his best to push those comments aside because his vast knowledge has helped him run his own store, and help people along the way. It was common for people to not do their research, playing with communication as a party game, yet with the intent of making contact. Thanks to his effort, those who wished for his help had walked away satisfied.

He was busy sweeping the floor when an older car pulled up to the curbside.  He stopped to look as the same two men from the day before stepped out, clearly dressed in night clothes. One of them made a beeline for the door, groaning as the lock caught the knob. Jinki recognized him as the one who was reading the book.

“Babe, it’s still closed,” he spoke to the other man, who Jinki presumed was his boyfriend.

“We probably should have called first. Are you sure he can help us?”

Jinki straightened out his hair and leaned the broom against the store wall. He took to the locks and opened the door to find some tired-looking customers. His heart felt heavy once he saw them, noticing by their energy that neither of the two were doing well. He was prepared for anything and he just wanted to do something that would give these guys a normal life.

“How can I help you folks?”

The closer man stepped forward. His eyes were bloodshot, as if he had been crying. The bags under his eyes showed that he had gotten very little sleep. His hair was disheveled and he seemed very tense. Naturally, Jinki thought it was the workings of a playful spirit, which was something he could handle. He had dealt with many different things, so surely this would not be a problem.

“I think I released a demon.”

Okay, he needed his morning coffee for this.  

[onewfantaesy]

7-Eleven

Taemin can feel his grades dropping as he slouches behind the counter. He can’t believe he agreed to switch shifts with Amber the night before his midterm. He should be studying - going over notes and the Google Doc that some kid from his lecture sent everyone. But no, he’s stuck in this scratchy red shirt and absorbing the smell of day-old hot dogs still revolving in the hot box.

After he rings up the high school students who come in every Tuesday night like clockwork, the 7-Eleven is empty. It’s the boring time of the night, and no one’s going to come in for at least another couple hours. And they’ll probably be stoned out of their minds, Taemin realizes with a groan. He can’t wait to have to make them a shitty pizza and pick out their shitty hot dogs and ring up all their shitty chips. 

“I’m going in the back to take a nap, don’t bug me,” Shindong says five minutes later.

“What if someone comes in and wants cigarettes? Or a beer?” Taemin asks.

“Just ring it up for them, I don’t care,” Shindong says. “Now don’t bug me.”

“Some manager you are,” Taemin scoffs under his breath, but when the door swings shut behind Shindong, Taemin leans against the counter and takes out his phone.

Shindong is back there for literally at least two hours. Taemin swears he can hear him snoring, and he rolls his eyes as he texts Amber all about it.

i cna’t believe i’m putting up with shindong’s dumbass for u

Omg is he sleeping in the back again? Go kick his ass until he comes back out!!

he would crush my pour innocent soul i’m not going anywhere near his snoring ass

Then suck it up weenie

i’m going to pretend that u didn’t just call me a weenie when i’m literally covering for u the night before a midterm

Love you you’re the best I’ll buy you an XL slurpee next time I see you!!!

that’s only like $2 u better buy me a bag of chips to go with it

Fine now leave me alone I’m on a hot date and you’re Interrupting

bye have fun use a condom

Suck my dick Taemin

only if u put a condom on it

  🖕 

🙃

With his only source of entertainment now thoroughly ignoring his texts, Taemin resorts to looking at the different Snapchat filters. He sends at least three dumb videos of himself to his brother, and he’s in the middle of making a fourth video when the door opens and a ding rings throughout the store.

He shoves his onto the counter and pretends that he wasn’t just making a dumb face at it and saying something stupid in a dumb voice. The man who walks in just sends him a tight smile, and Taemin returns the gesture. 

When the man starts going to browse the drinks in the back, Taemin goes back to playing with his phone. He promptly deletes the video that only got half-way filmed, and checks his Twitter feed instead.

Minho’s watching some soccer game on TV and getting way too into live-tweeting the score, Jinki is studying in the library like the good little senior-nerd he is, Kibum is at dance club and didn’t invite Taemin how rude, and Jonghyun is crying over a candle his sister sent him in a care package. What the hell, Taemin wishes his brother would send him a care package. Maybe he should text his mom about it, she would definitely send her sweet adorable youngest child a care package while he’s a whole 30 miles away at college.

The more Taemin thinks about it, the more he realizes that Jonghyun’s sister probably sends him shit because his family lives like 200 miles away. 

Whatever, Taemin still wants a care package. He’s totally texting his mom about it in the morning.

 Taemin almost forgets that there’s a customer in the shop until a small slurpee is put down in front of him. He definitely did not flinch, definitely not.

“Is this all, sir?” Taemin asks, putting his phone in his pocket and looking up.

The man just grunts.

“O-kay,” Taemin says. “That’ll be $1.28.”

He hands Taemin a five-dollar-bill, and Taemin moves back so he doesn’t get jabbed in the stomach when the register opens.

Taemin is about to start picking out the change when a gun is held up to his chest. His mouth goes dry as he lifts his head up, and he stares at the hooded man. He lifts his hands up above his head, and he shuts his eyes while the man throws a bag on the counter.

“I’ll give you all the money, just don’t shoot me,” Taemin pleads. “Please, I have a midterm tomor- actually, maybe- no, please don’t shoot me.”

Taemin can’t believe he just almost asked a robber to shoot him to get out of a midterm. Sure, it’s something he jokes about with his friends, but he it’s not something he should actually try. God, he’s so stupid sometimes, he can’t believe himself.

The man barks for Taemin to put the money in the bag, and Taemin is quick to take all the money out of the register and shove it in the bag.

“Now the other one,” the man says, jerking his gun towards the register to Taemin’s left.

“Okay,” Taemin says in a strangled voice.

“Hurry up!”

“Oh my God, I’m hurrying,” Taemin whines. “God, don’t shoot me, man, I have dogs. They’re not gonna understand why I don’t come home.”

“You have dogs?” 

Taemin looks up and stares at the man like he’s an idiot. Is he really going to ask Taemin about his dogs while he points a gun at him.

“Yeah,” Taemin says, opening the register and shoving his hand inside.

“What are their names?”

“Adam and Eve,” Taemin says through clenched teeth.

This is fucking unbelievable. The man starts fucking laughing at him.

“That’s cute,” the man says. “Hey, don’t short change me, asshole, get it all in the bag.”

“Oh my God, I’m doing it, I’m doing it,” Taemin squeaks.

“You better not have hit any silent alarms or that bullshit.”

“That shit’s only in banks, dude.”

Taemin regrets his lack of filter when the gun gets jerked towards his chest again. Taemin backs up against the cigarette case when the man takes the safety off.

“Oh my God, I’m sorry, I’m sorry,” Taemin whines. “I thought we bonded over the dogs, dude, please don’t.”

Taemin ends up having to open the cigarette case and shove them inside the bag. Where the hell is Shindong while this is all happening, Jesus Christ.

Taemin thinks he’s home free when he shoves the bag back over the counter for the man to take, but a group of people come through the front door before yelling and running back outside.

“You said no silent alarms!”

The gun gets held up to Taemin’s chest again.

“Jesus Christ, there is no silent alarm!” Taemin screams. “You’ve been watching me the whole time, when could I have pressed some make-believe button?”

Taemin closes his eyes and holds his hands above his head. 

“The dogs, man, the dogs,” Taemin says.

Taemin is actually very surprised at the speed at which cops storm into the shop. He would prefer it if they weren’t so damn loud, because he swears his just flinched half his life away. They keep talking to the man about how he doesn’t want to shoot the boy behind the counter, how there’s no where for him to go, and how a murder charge is a lot more of a pain in the ass than armed robbery.

“Thanks,” Taemin spits. “I’m so glad my life comes down to whether or not it’s a pain in the ass.”

“Taemin what the hell?” 

Taemin turns his head to see Shindong staring at everyone in the shop, a line of dried drool on his chin.

“Oh, now you’re awake?” Taemin screams at him. “Goddammit! I don’t get paid enough for this shit, dammit, I want a bonus if I don’t die tonight!”

A shot goes off, and Taemin falls onto the floor hiding his head in his hands and he swears his did not just let out the girliest shriek he’s ever heard. There’s a lot of shuffling and shouting, but when Taemin peers over the counter, he sees the man being taken away in handcuffs. He falls back on the floor and leans against the counter, closing his eyes and thanking God and Jesus and Mary for the fact that he’s not currently dead.

“Taemin, get up,” Shindong says, walking behind the counter.

“You were just sleeping through a robbery, asshole, give me five fucking minutes!” Taemin shouts.

A female cop comes over and sits with Taemin, asking him questions and jotting down his answers on a notepad. She then starts telling him that he’s probably in shock, and it would be best if he called someone to come pick him up and take him home.

“He still have three hours left for his shift,” Shindong says.

“He also almost just got shot,” she says back.

Taemin likes this lady very much.

“I’m gonna,” Taemin chokes out, “I’m gonna call a friend. To come get me.”

“Taemin-”

“I have a midterm tomorrow, asshole, let me go home,” Taemin seethes at him.

The cop and her partner stay with Taemin until Jinki comes running inside.

“Oh my God, are you okay?” Jinki asks, coming over to Taemin and holding him close. “This is why you shouldn’t work here, shit.”

“Can you just take me back to my apartment?” Taemin asks, leaning his forehead against Jinki’s shoulder.

“Yeah, yeah,” Jinki says, putting an arm around Taemin’s shoulders and leading him outside.

“Taemin, you can’t just leave!” Shindog argues.

“I’m gonna tell Sooman about your naps, you jerk!” Taemin shouts back, but Jinki just keeps taking him back out to his car.

“Jjong said he and Key would come get your car,” Jinki tells him. “You can crash at mine and Jjong’s tonight if you want.”

“Please,” Taemin whispers. 

The second Jinki pulls out onto the road, Taemin feels his hands start shaking. By the time they get to Jinki and Jonghyun’s apartment, Taemin has started dry-heaving, and Jinki is hurrying him into the bathroom in case he actually starts puking.

“Holy shit, are you okay?” Kibum asks, rushing into the bathroom behind them.

“Did you get shot?” Jonghyun asks.

“Dude,” Kibum hisses, nudging Jonghyun in the ribs.

After Taemin stops choking over the toilet, he sits back on the floor and leans against the tub.

“So do you think I can get out of my midterm tomorrow for this?” Taemin asks.

Jinki taps Taemin’s shoulder, but all of them start laughing. 

When Jonghyun and Kibum come back from getting Taemin’s car, they also come back with bags of McDonald’s in their hands.

“Did you get me a large Sprite?” Taemin mumbles from where he’s lying down against Jinki on the couch.

“Yes, Your Majesty,” Kibum says, holding up the drink-holder. “Jeez, you almost get shot and suddenly you’re the ruler of the world.”

“I hope you got me some nuggets and a hashbrown, too,” Taemin mumbles.

Jonghyun puts the bags on the couch and tells Taemin to pick out whatever he wants. When Taemin pulls all three of the bags to his chest, they all start telling him what a little shit he is, and he just laughs as he pulls out a box of nuggets and a thing of sauce.

“Oh fuck yes, you got the sweet ‘n sour sauce,” Taemin hisses. “You’re the best.”

Kibum just pulls the bag away from him and takes out one of the things of french fries and tells him to eat as much as he wants.

“I’m totally getting out of my midterm tomorrow,” Taemin says through a mouthful of nugget. “I’m gonna email my professor right now and everything, someone hand me my phone.”

He does, in fact, get his midterm postponed to the following week after he sends a copy of the police report.

And Amber high-five’s him next time she sees him and buys him an extra large slurpee and an entire pizza for getting Shindong fired after ratting him out to the owner.

“He deserved it,” Taemin says, his lips wrapping around the straw. “He literally slept through me almost dying.”

“I know, you were very heroic,” Amber tells him. “Now can I have a slice of the pizza that I bought?”

“Excuse you, this is my I-was-almost-shot pizza,” Taemin says. 

“And I bought it, so hand over a slice.”

“Fine,” Taemin huffs, and he moves away from where he was shielding the pizza.

“I’m never working another night shift again.”

“Sure you aren’t.”

Taemin only takes an obnoxious slurp of his slurpee and huffs as he turns to go help the customer who’s looking at the lottery scratchers.