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if you call, i'll come to you ; one-shot
Title: If You Call, I'll Come to You
Author: loudestoflove
Pairing: Kai/Kyungsoo
Rating: PG
Length: 5.6k words
Summary: college AU. Kyungsoo finds a lost dog and somehow, well, he kind of ends up with another.
A/N: for denise, as promised!! it's not quite what you prompted, but i hope it fits the bill!!
Author: loudestoflove
Pairing: Kai/Kyungsoo
Rating: PG
Length: 5.6k words
Summary: college AU. Kyungsoo finds a lost dog and somehow, well, he kind of ends up with another.
A/N: for denise, as promised!! it's not quite what you prompted, but i hope it fits the bill!!
He's late. He's so late and his vocal teacher is going to kill him and on top of it all, it's pouring rain. Kyungsoo's sneakers squelch with every step as he bolts down the street, and his jeans are soaked from the knee. He's in for a very long, very damp lesson.
Kyungsoo is two blocks from the studio, waiting at the corner for the light to change, ineffectually pushing his sopping bangs out of his eyes, when he hears it. It takes him a few seconds to place what that tiny whine is. There's a dog huddled up against a wall, fur plastered to its shaking body. It looks pathetic, head hanging down as it shivers.
Instinctively, Kyungsoo takes a step towards it, and out of the corner of his eye, he sees the light change. He hesitates. His coach hates it when he's late. The dog has a collar, surely its owner will find it soon. It won't be out here forever. He glances back at the flashing 'walk' signal, but the dog makes the decision for him.
It sneezes. It sneezes, and Kyungsoo gives in. How well can he sing if he's all damp, anyway? He approaches the dog carefully, bending down and holding out his hands. “Come here.” The dog eyes him cautiously, unmoving. Cold rain runs down Kyungsoo's collar and he grimaces. Doing good deeds sucks. He's freezing. “Come on, you mutt, let's go!”
Whether the dog feels threatened into coming to him or maybe thinks that Kyungsoo's jacket will provide a little more shelter, it tentatively steps towards him. It's a poodle, Kyungsoo realizes, and it comes up to about his knee. He reaches out for its collar. “Hello, Monggu,” Kyungsoo says, and the dog noses at his palm. He's kind of cute, in a half-drowned way. “I'm Kyungsoo. Nice to meet you.”
The dog does his best to hide from the rain underneath Kyungsoo's knees, and Kyungsoo sighs. “Alright,” he says, and straightens. “Let's get you home and then call your owner.”
He's got nothing he can use for a leash so he ends up hoisting the dog up into his arms. Monggu kind of smells up close, as most wet dogs do, but pressed up against Kyungsoo's chest like this, his shivering eases. He's surprisingly calm, Kyungsoo thinks, although that may have something to do with how cold he is. He wonders how long he'd been out there for.
When he finally makes it back to his apartment, his arms are aching and his toes are numb from the cold. What he wants to do is strip off all his clothes and jump into the shower, but first, he has to deal with the dog frozen in the middle of his kitchen, shaking and dripping all over the tile. The unfamiliar surroundings seem to be intimidating Monggu, which isn't exactly a bad thing. Kyungsoo carefully fences the dog into kitchen and then sets about looking after things.
After begging a bowl of dog food off his neighbour and towelling the poor thing off, Kyungsoo dials the number on Monggu's tags. The dog seems to have relaxed a little, skittering around on the slippery tile and happily digging into the kibble in front of him. Kyungsoo bends to ruffle Monggu's fur when the person on the other line picks up.
“Uh, hey, I found a dog down on – ”
“Oh my God, you found Monggu?” The guy sounds young and so utterly relieved that it makes Kyungsoo smile. “Thank God, he ran out the other day and I couldn't find him anywhere. How is he?”
It's a bit of a silly question, and Kyungsoo laughs, looking down at the dog. He's all fluffy from being towelled off, blinking up at Kyungsoo, his tail thumping against the floor. “He's doing pretty good,” Kyungsoo tells the guy. “I got him all dried off and fed.”
“He was out in this rain?” He sounds distraught.
Kyungsoo slides down to the floor, leaning back against the cupboards. Monggu is already warming to him, as the source of food and scritches under the chin, and he noses at Kyungsoo's pants. Kyungsoo watches as the dog turns in a few lazy circles before he sits down heavily next to him, body pressed up against Kyungsoo's thigh. “He's fine,” Kyungsoo promises. “Nice and warm now. Nothing to worry about.”
“Did you want me to come pick him up now? I'm just out of class so I could totally – ”
This kid is clearly incredibly attached to his dog. “It's still pouring out,” Kyungsoo interrupts him, trying to be gentle. Monggu yawns at him, tipping his head as he listens to him talk. “I mean, you can still come get him, if you want.”
“Oh.” As the pause stretches, Kyungsoo scratches Monggu behind the ear. He hopes his good deed doesn't leave him with fleas in his apartment. That would be a disappointment. When the guy speaks again, his voice is small. “Can I come anyway?”
Kyungsoo laughs. “Yeah, sure. He's your dog, isn't he?” And a cute one, at that. Kyungsoo doesn't particularly want to look after a pet, especially not a dog (too messy), but it's nice having this one, right now.
He gives the man, Jongin, his address, and then, finally, he gets to change into something dry and warm. He returns from his shower to find Monggu has knocked over the makeshift wall he'd put up to keep him fenced into the kitchen and is happily chewing on one of his wet sneakers. “Oh, come on.” They may have been damp, but they were still his favourite.
It takes him a couple of minutes to wrestle it away from Monggu (he thinks Kyungsoo is trying to play and he refuses to let go) and by the time he's got the shoe in hand, sticky and a little worse for wear, the buzzer at the door is sounding.
Jongin, it turns out, is tall and handsome and also soaked to the bone. He's got one full lip pinned between his teeth and his eyes are wide. “Hi,” he says. “Uh, are you Kyungsoo? I'm here – ” At the sound of Jongin's low voice, Monggu comes racing, skidding across tile and nearly knocking Kyungsoo over. Jongin immediately drops to his knees and opens his arms. The dog leaps at him, knocking him on his ass, but Jongin doesn't seem to mind at all. His smile is blinding as Monggu licks at his face, and Kyungsoo can't help but feel a little pleased to have had a hand in this reunion.
“I take it you're Jongin,” Kyungsoo says, amused. Jongin looks up from where he's got his face buried in Monggu's fur, and he nods. “You were fast.”
“Thank you,” Jongin says, and even though he's completely drenched and he has to be freezing, his whole face is lit up. He hasn't let go of Monggu, not for a second. “Thank you so much.”
Kyungsoo shakes his head. “I just dried him off and called you, it was nothing.” He tips his chin and looks down at Jongin. He's starting to shiver. “Speaking of. Do you wanna, uh, get warm? Before you go home.” Jongin looks a little pathetic, soaked and hanging on to his dog.
Jongin freezes and hesitates before he speaks. “Is that...okay?”
He's a lot younger than he looks, Kyungsoo realizes. “Yeah,” he laughs. “That would be why I offered.”
Kyungsoo digs out his biggest pair of pajama pants and a hoodie for Jongin to wear while his clothes dry and makes him a cup of tea. Jongin forgoes Kyungsoo's couch and armchair, choosing instead to park himself on the floor with Monggu. The dog climbs right up into his lap and Jongin smiles down at him, stroking his head.
“Was he missing long?” Kyungsoo asks. Jongin has his hands full with Monggu so Kyungsoo sets his tea on the coffee table beside him.
Jongin looks distressed and bends down towards Monggu, whispering an “I'm sorry,” into the dog's fur. “Four days,” Jongin admits. “It was the worst, I had midterms to study for and I wanted to go out and look for him and – ”
He sounds like a worried kid. “He's alright now, isn't he?” Kyungsoo says. He settles on the couch with his own mug. “Midterms? You're a student too, then?”
Blinking, Jongin reaches for his tea. “Yeah,” he says, and he takes a sip. “I, um, I'm majoring in literature? I like to write.” He offers Kyungsoo another smile, this one a bit hesitant. Freshman. Has to be. Sweet, but Kyungsoo is starting to wonder if Monggu is his only friend.
“I'm in music theory. Second year.”
Jongin's eyes widen. “Oh! Do you know, um, he's Chinese, Lu Han?”
Thank God, the kid's got friends. “Yeah, I've had a few classes with him.”
Jongin nods, and when he presses his index finger to his bottom lip, it's an oddly shy gesture. “Thank you,” he says again, quietly. In his lap, Monggu yawns. The pajama pants Kyungsoo dug out are too short, riding up to expose a solid few inches of tanned ankle. “You're so thoughtful. The tea, and uh, the clothes and you even fed him...”
Embarrassed, Kyungsoo shrugs a shoulder. He was just trying to be nice. “It'd be rude to send you out into the rain again to catch a cold.” He gestures at the window with his mug. “See? It's letting up.”
Jongin wilts a little. “Oh, yeah,” he says. He has his tea in both hands now, drumming his fingers against the cup. “Don't worry, I'll be out of your hair as soon as my clothes are dry.”
No wonder he and Monggu get along so well, Kyungsoo thinks. Freshmen. Like puppies, all they need is a pat on the head. “Take your time.”
Tea finished, he goes to grab his history books. Might as well get some work done, if he wasn't going to vocal lessons. Jongin stays curled up on the floor with his dog, like he's afraid to take up more space, answering Kyungsoo's questions with his face still pressed to Monggu's fur.
When the timer dings to let them know that the dryer is ready, Jongin is up in a flash. “I'm sorry, I'm probably ruining your study time, I should've waited until it wasn't raining.” He looks kind of funny when he pulls his sweater over his head, his thick, still-damp hair completely untamed, no matter how he pulls at it.
“It's no big deal,” Kyungsoo says with a shrug. It wasn't, really, Jongin was a pretty unobtrusive kid. “I'm sure Monggu will be glad to get home.”
Jongin bends to clip the leash he'd brought to Monggu's collar. “Oh yeah, definitely,” he says. He takes his time tying up his wet sneakers as Monggu dances around him, excited at the prospect of going for a walk.
Kyungsoo deposits the mugs into the sink and when he comes back out again he finds Jongin lingering at the door. Monggu alternates between sniffing at the door and looking up at Jongin, an attempt to get him going. “So,” Jongin says, and Kyungsoo lifts his chin, watching him expectantly. Jongin licks his lips and swallows hard, hesitating. The silence stretches and Kyungsoo raises his eyebrows. A flush spreads across Jongin's cheeks and he ducks his head. “Uh. Thanks again. See you around.”
“Sure,” Kyungsoo says automatically. He doesn't expect he actually will, but it seems like the polite thing to say. “No problem.” He smiles at Jongin and returns his shy wave as he closes the door behind him.
Well, that was an eventful afternoon, Kyungsoo thinks, yawning and scratching his chest. Back to history.
-
Kyungsoo really doesn't even think twice about his encounter with the freshman and his poodle until a couple of weeks later. He and Chanyeol are studying at the coffee shop on campus, Chanyeol's long legs awkwardly folded underneath the little table, when Chanyeol straightens abruptly. “There's a freshman shouting your name,” he says. Turning, Kyungsoo spots Jongin, smiling hopefully and waving a little. “Since when do you know freshmen?” Chanyeol hisses.
“I don't,” Kyungsoo says. Jongin is playing with the cuffs of his worn sweater and biting his lip again, and Kyungsoo sighs, waving him over. “Chanyeol, this is Jongin. I rescued his dog a while back. Monggu, right?”
Jongin nods and pulls a chair from a nearby table to join them. “He's doing good,” he says. “Thank you, again.”
Chanyeol pushes his chair out noisily, folding himself over to rest his elbows on the table and his chin in his hands. “Ah, yes,” he says. “The lost puppy. Nice to meet you.”
“How are you, hyung?” Jongin is drinking something sweet, probably loaded with sugar, and again, he wraps his hands all the way around his cup, drumming his fingertips.
“I'll be better when finals are done,” Kyungsoo says. Jongin positively lights up when he doesn't object to the familiarity, and Chanyeol does his best to cover up his snort with a cough. “How are yours going?”
“Pretty good, I just have the one left.” Kyungsoo takes a second to scribble something down in his notes and drains the last of his coffee, and that's when Jongin speaks again. “Did you want something to drink, hyung?” Kyungsoo's eyes flick up and Jongin visibly squares his shoulders before he speaks. “My treat. I owe you, right?”
Kyungsoo's first instinct is to say no. He can afford his own coffee and besides, he doesn't particularly need anymore caffeine this morning. But there's something pleading in Jongin's eyes, and he supposes it wouldn't hurt. “Sure, can you get me a refill?”
Nodding quickly, Jongin is out of his seat and up to the counter in no time at all.
“Looks like you shouldn't have fed that stray,” Chanyeol laughs. He digs his elbow into Kyungsoo's side. “He seems to have adopted you.”
“I've always wanted a pet freshman,” Kyungsoo says absently, bending over his notes again. “Be nice. He's a sweet kid.”
Chanyeol makes a noncommittal noise, and when Kyungsoo looks up at him, he wiggles his eyebrows. “He seems real nice,” Chanyeol agrees. His tone is sly, so Kyungsoo punches him in the thigh. It's the least he deserves.
Jongin returns with his coffee, just as requested, but also a couple of pastries. Kyungsoo blinks at them. “I, uh, didn't know what you liked, and I just thought, you know, 'cause you found my dog and all...” Jongin's ears are turning red again.
“Thank you,” Kyungsoo says, cutting him off before he can ramble any more. “That's very thoughtful of you.”
“Super thoughtful,” Chanyeol agrees, grabbing one of the pastries and doing his best to shove the entirety of it into his mouth. “Thanks, bro.”
The way that Jongin's hesitant smile evaporates at the sight of Chanyeol devouring the pastry is so funny that Kyungsoo has to turn away to hide his smile. “You're welcome,” Jongin says darkly. Chanyeol smirks at him.
Kyungsoo reaches for his new coffee. Jongin's added too much milk and sugar, but it's not bad. It'll do. He turns back to his studying. “So,” Jongin says, after a few long seconds. “I have to get to class, but, um, maybe we could hang out some time?”
“Hmm?” Kyungsoo says. “Oh, sure, why not?”
The effect on Jongin is astounding. A grin stretches across his full lips and he scrunches his hands up onto fists against the table and then opens them again. Quickly, he pulls out his phone and holds it out to Kyungsoo. “Please?” he says.
Distractedly, Kyungsoo hands over his own phone and then quickly enters his number into Jongin's. “Good luck with your last exam,” he tells him.
“Thanks, hyung,” Jongin says, and then he stands. “Nice to meet you,” he says to Chanyeol, a bit sharply, and that makes Kyungsoo smile as he waves him off.
“It's cute,” Chanyeol says. “How much of a crush he's got on you.” He's worked his way through all of the pastries Jongin had bought already. “Useful, though.”
Kyungsoo rolls his eyes. “I made him tea, he was just returning the favour.”
It's not until a lot later, when he texts, that Kyungsoo realizes what name Jongin had entered his number under. jonginnie ♥ flashes onto the screen and it takes him a second, and then he laughs. Sweet kid.
-
It's funny, but no matter how long it takes Kyungsoo to reply to one of Jongin's texts, he always gets an answer to one of his in a matter of minutes. They're not constant, but Jongin always sounds genuine. He enquires about Kyungsoo's classes and sends him pictures of Monggu sleeping on his feet. Kyungsoo has to admit, those are pretty cute.
It turns out that Jongin shares the same love of movies that Kyungsoo does, and after a bit of persuasion, one day, Kyungsoo opens his door to find Jongin with an armful of DVDs and an excited Monggu.
“You brought him,” Kyungsoo says, a bit surprised. He swings the door open wide and steps aside for the two of them to come inside. “I thought you were joking.” He doesn't mind, though. Monggu is friendly enough. As a precaution, Kyungsoo kicks his shoes into the front hall closet and slides the door shut.
Jongin stalls in the hallway, clutching the DVDs to his chest, looking uncertain. “I'm sorry,” he says immediately. Monggu pulls at his leash. “I thought – ”
“It's fine,” Kyungsoo assures him. Jongin is so jumpy. Gently, he pulls the DVDs out of Jongin's hands. “What did you bring?”
He starts rifling through the movies as Jongin takes care of his shoes. Monggu wanders into the living room with him, leash trailing behind him, lapping eagerly at Kyungsoo's hands. “Hello, you,” Kyungsoo says quietly, scratching him under his chin.
He settles on a horror movie he's been wanting to see, popping open the case and kneeling by the DVD player. When he looks up, Jongin is standing by the couch, shifting his weight from one foot to the other, one arm across his chest. “Well?” Kyungsoo says. “Make yourself comfortable. You've already been here once.”
“Yeah, sure, of course,” Jongin says automatically, a flush spreading across his high cheekbones. He sits down stiffly, right at the edge of the couch, back straight, and Kyungsoo shakes his head. For something that was Jongin's idea, he still seems so nervous about it.
Kyungsoo decides to solve the problem with some popcorn. He drops the bowl in Jongin's lap, then settles down at the other end of the couch. “Good to go?” he asks.
Monggu circles the coffee table a few times, eyes fixed on the popcorn bowl. He parks himself on Jongin's feet and Jongin tosses him a kernel. It's immediately snatched up. “Sure,” Jongin says with a brisk nod. “All set.” Kyungsoo folds his legs up underneath himself and presses play.
Before, Kyungsoo had thought he'd seen jumpy Jongin, but he really didn't know the half of it. Jongin startles at every single loud noise on the screen, gripping the popcorn bowl like a lifeline, eyes wide and nervous. After one particularly shocking moment Jongin actually lets out a little yelp, immediately pressing his hand to his mouth and looking embarrassed. “Hey,” Kyungsoo says quietly, and Jongin's head whips around to stare at him. “Is this – ” he waves a hand at the screen. “ – too much for you? We can turn it off.”
“It's fine,” Jongin whispers back, stubbornly, but Kyungsoo pauses it anyway. “Hyung, it's okay.”
Kyungsoo reaches for a handful of popcorn and looks at him, amused. “Why did you even bring it, if you don't like scary movies?”
He watches as Jongin lifts a foot, rubbing Monggu's belly with his toes. “'Cause you said you wanted to see it,” he mumbles, shrugging. “My roommate had the DVD, so I just figured, I dunno.”
Now that catches Kyungsoo off guard. If he mentioned the movie to Jongin, it'd been weeks ago, in passing. He can't believe Jongin remembered it. “That was forever ago.”
Jongin doesn't answer, just stares down at the popcorn bowl and shrugs again.
“Are you sure you want to keep watching?” Kyungsoo asks. He has to admit, he's kind of caught up in it now. He wants to know how it ends.
“I can handle it,” Jongin says.
When he starts the movie up again, Jongin slides the bowl onto the coffee table. Kyungsoo can see his hands in his lap, fingers locked together tightly. The next time a big scare happens, Kyungsoo is startled to find Jongin's fingers squeezing his wrist. He lets go almost as quickly as he'd grabbed Kyungsoo, ducking his head with embarrassment, but Kyungsoo just reaches for his hand again. Better that than leaving him with nightmares, he reasons.
At the end of the movie, Jongin reclaims his hand, tucking both of them between his knees. “Sorry,” he says. “I thought I could – I didn't mean to be all wussy.”
Kyungsoo shrugs, reaching out to grab one of the last pieces of popcorn left and feed it to Monggu. “You did pretty good,” he says. “You made it all the way to the end.” Jongin still looks embarrassed, so Kyungsoo flicks an unpopped kernel at him. “Congratulations! Gold star.”
“Thanks a lot, hyung,” Jongin groans. A little, shy smile pulls at his lips again, and Kyungsoo much prefers that.
The next one they watch is a straightforward action movie. Nothing scary about it. Monggu, disappointed by how they've finished off the popcorn, squirms around so that he's laying at Kyungsoo's feet, instead. There's a certain novelty to having a pet around, Kyungsoo thinks, bending to rub the dog's belly. They are nice.
This time, instead of jerking with every loud noise, Jongin is actually into watching the movie. He relaxes into the couch, leaning over to make sharp little asides about the idiocy of the bad guys or the probability of the hero making that narrow escape, and this is a side of Jongin that Kyungsoo likes. This is nice.
Near the end, Kyungsoo catches movement out of the corner of his eye. Assuming that Jongin is going to say something, he turns his head just a little to hear him, gaze still on the screen. Instead, he's startled by Jongin's head falling to rest against his shoulder. Has he really nodded off?
The soft sound of his deep, even breathing confirms it. Kyungsoo laughs softly, but he makes no move to dislodge him. If Jongin was tired enough to fall asleep in the middle of a movie, then he could probably use the rest. Jongin looks just as sweet in sleep, thick bangs falling down to cover his eyes, mouth hanging open. Hopefully he isn't a drooler.
Kyungsoo watches the rest of the movie by himself. Well, not entirely by himself. Monggu has his chin on his knee, too. The easier to get some attention, Kyungsoo assumes. His shoulder is a little stiff from holding still for Jongin, but he doesn't really mind.
The credits are running when Jongin snorts and straightens, automatically rubbing his fingers across his mouth and blinking. “Did I miss it?” he asks, his voice rough with sleep. “I didn't – oh. Sorry, hyung.” He holds out his hand to Monggu automatically, and the dog licks his palm obediently. “I can't believe I fell asleep on you.”
Kyungsoo laughs, grabbing the popcorn bowl and getting up. “You didn't miss much,” he admits. “Hero saved the day, got the girl, etcetera, etcetera.” He dumps the last of the unpopped kernels into the garbage and throws the bowl in the sink, and when he turns around again, Jongin is right there. He looks a little rumpled, pulling at the worn hem of his sweater, and there's a faint line on his cheek from where it had rested against Kyungsoo's shoulder. “Oh, whoa, hi. Well, I think we're about done with movies for the night, don't you think?”
Trailing into the room after them, Monggu plonks himself down on the tile by Kyungsoo's feet. He stares up at Kyungsoo imploringly until Kyungsoo drops to his knees and pets him. “Um, maybe we could go get something to eat?” Jongin suggests. “Monggu could use the walk, and there's that stall with the really good tteokbokki, like, four blocks down?” He looks so hopeful. “My treat?”
“I can't let you keep buying me food,” Kyungsoo tells him. “Your debt has been paid, I promise.”
“What if I want to?” Jongin asks determinedly. He's looking at a point just left of Kyungsoo's head, hands pressed flat against his thighs. He's so earnest. It's a little bit charming.
Kyungsoo gently grabs Monggu's head with both of his hands, looking down at him. “What do you think?” he asks the dog.
“He thinks it's a good idea?” Jongin says, his eyebrows raised hopefully. Monggu licks Kyungsoo's nose.
Straightening, Kyungsoo laughs. “Okay,” he says. “Why not?”
Jongin smiles at him, fast and bright, and they grab their jackets. It's hard to put their shoes on, Monggu winding his way around their legs in his excitement to go on a walk. When Kyungsoo clips the leash onto him and holds it out to Jongin, Jongin shakes his head. “No,” he says. “Why don't you take him? He likes you.”
“Alright,” Kyungsoo agrees, amused, leading the way out of his apartment and closing the door behind them. “You totally just want your hands free for food, don't you?”
“No!” Jongin protests, and he's blushing again. “I mean. That's not the only reason!”
Their laughter echoes in the stairwell as they make their way out to the lobby. Jongin holds open the door for them, and as Kyungsoo passes by, he feels Jongin's big hand settle on the small of his back. Hmm. Monggu is pulling but Kyungsoo stays slow, lets Jongin catch up, looking at him sideways. That's interesting.
Jongin sneaks a look at him, gauging his reaction. After a few seconds, he pulls his hand away, pushing it into his pocket and ducking his head like nothing happened, and Kyungsoo doesn't miss it, he really doesn't.
It just makes him think.
-
His recital is at the end of the month, and Kyungsoo buries himself in practice. This solo is what he has been training all year for, and in the last few weeks, he steps it up. It's a fine line, between practising every available minute and pushing himself too hard, but he thinks he's got it covered.
It does, however, mean that he doesn't see Jongin for a while. They still text on occasion, but Kyungsoo just doesn't have the time for it anymore. Jongin's understanding, which is nice. He still sends Kyungsoo pictures of Monggu with his nose in an abandoned cereal box, or encouraging notes. The little hyung hwaiting!! in his inbox every morning is nice.
Of course, he mentions the recital to Jongin. It's all he's thinking about lately, after all. Still, when he walks offstage, buzzing with adrenaline and the knowledge that he'd nailed it, the last thing he's expecting to see is Jongin waiting for him, one rose in his hands, his finger pressed to his bottom lip. He's even dressed up, which Kyungsoo didn't even think was possible, but his button up shirt makes his shoulders look broader and his slacks make his legs look so long. “You were amazing,” he tells Kyungsoo breathlessly, and it's Kyungsoo's turn to flush, because he's sounds so utterly sincere. “Like, I knew you're a singer and everything but this is the first time – hyung, you were amazing.”
“You're laying it on pretty thick now,” Kyungsoo cautions him, but he can't help but feel a little pleased with the flattery. “How did you even get back here?”
Jongin beams, just a little bit smug. “Lu Han got me in,” he says. “He owes me.” He looks down at the flower in his hand, like he'd just remembered it was there, and then holds it out to Kyungsoo. “I could only afford one,” he admits. “Roses are expensive.”
Carefully, Kyungsoo takes it from him. He rubs the red petals between his fingertips. “You didn't have to get me anything, you know,” he says.
Jongin shrugs. “Isn't that what you do to congratulate someone on a good performance?” He fidgets with his cuffs, not quite managing to look Kyungsoo in the eye. That's not all, though. Jongin is so nervous, opening and closing his hands now that he has nothing to occupy them.
“Is that the only reason you decided to give me a rose?” Kyungsoo asks quietly.
The way that Jongin juts his chin out is almost defiant. “No,” he admits. “I mean, aren't flowers what you give someone? If you, um. If you like them?” He's turning so red it's almost impressive.
Kyungsoo bites his lip, tracing his thumb against the stem of the rose. “Is that what this is, then?” he asks, even though he's sure he already knows the answer. It's not his fault that Jongin's cute when he squirms.
“Hyung,” Jongin says, plaintively, and Kyungsoo relents.
“You're sweet,” he tells Jongin, and Jongin stares at him, unsure. Before he has a chance to leap to any conclusions, Kyungsoo catches him by the elbow and stretches up on his tiptoes to press a gentle kiss to Jongin's mouth. His lips are soft and he tastes faintly like peppermint gum. “Thank you for coming to see me perform.”
Jongin looks shell-shocked, and not a little delighted. “Oh wow.” He laughs, his fingertips coming up but he doesn't quite touch his lips. “Does this mean, um, I can kiss you again?” he asks. “Like, maybe more than once?” His eyes widen. “If you want, I mean. Do you want?”
“I think you want,” Kyungsoo says dryly. In all honesty, Kyungsoo wouldn't mind it. Jongin has a nice mouth, he's always thoughtful, and his butt looks pretty good in just about anything he wears. “Let me think it over.”
“Oh.” Jongin's shoulders droop and he nods. “Yeah, of course.”
Kyungsoo holds out his hand and hesitantly, looking surprised, Jongin takes it. His hand is bigger than Kyungsoo's, warmer too. It's nice. “Maybe you can get me dinner? Help me make up my mind?”
Jongin lets Kyungsoo tug him away, following him towards the green room so he can gather his stuff before they leave. “I think that's cheating,” he says. The joke is cautious, just like the smile that's starting to pull at his lips.
“Is it?” Kyungsoo asks. “I'm pretty sure it's only fair.” Jongin makes a shocked noise, but it's playful, and his hand never pulls away. Kyungsoo looks down at their hands, Jongin's long fingers laced between his. Yes, this may be something worth exploring. “You look nice, by the way.”
Jongin follows Kyungsoo into the green room. Looking down at himself, he tugs at his shirtfront. “Yeah? My mom helped me pick...I mean...”
Kyungsoo freezes, one arm in his jacket. “Your mom?” he says, and Jongin flushes all over again. It's kind of endearing. “Oh my God.”
“Hyung,” Jongin whines again, and Kyungsoo grins. This could be fun.
“Your mom helped you pick your clothes,” Kyungsoo repeats. He's gentle with the rose, holding it carefully as tries to put his arm in the other sleeve. Jongin comes to his rescue, holding his coat for him. “Thanks.”
When Kyungsoo's dressed, Jongin steps away again, tucks his hands into his pockets. “Yes, she did. I wanted to look good.” For you. He bites his lip. “If I buy you dinner, can it count as like, a real date?”
The word buy jogs Kyungsoo's memory. Of course, the single rose, street food. Jongin's just a freshman. He probably doesn't have a lot of money. “Maybe we could make dinner instead?” When Jongin's eyes widen in alarm, Kyungsoo snorts. “Don't worry, I know what I'm doing. I won't let you burn the place down.”
“Promise?” Jongin asks. The growing confidence, it's cute.
“Promise.”
When they walk out into the cool spring night, Kyungsoo has his rose in one hand and his pinky curled around Jongin's. He's still riding the rush of being onstage, and it looks like his night is only going to get better. Jongin looks over at him, squeezing his finger tight, and Kyungsoo smiles at him. He likes where this is going.
Kyungsoo is two blocks from the studio, waiting at the corner for the light to change, ineffectually pushing his sopping bangs out of his eyes, when he hears it. It takes him a few seconds to place what that tiny whine is. There's a dog huddled up against a wall, fur plastered to its shaking body. It looks pathetic, head hanging down as it shivers.
Instinctively, Kyungsoo takes a step towards it, and out of the corner of his eye, he sees the light change. He hesitates. His coach hates it when he's late. The dog has a collar, surely its owner will find it soon. It won't be out here forever. He glances back at the flashing 'walk' signal, but the dog makes the decision for him.
It sneezes. It sneezes, and Kyungsoo gives in. How well can he sing if he's all damp, anyway? He approaches the dog carefully, bending down and holding out his hands. “Come here.” The dog eyes him cautiously, unmoving. Cold rain runs down Kyungsoo's collar and he grimaces. Doing good deeds sucks. He's freezing. “Come on, you mutt, let's go!”
Whether the dog feels threatened into coming to him or maybe thinks that Kyungsoo's jacket will provide a little more shelter, it tentatively steps towards him. It's a poodle, Kyungsoo realizes, and it comes up to about his knee. He reaches out for its collar. “Hello, Monggu,” Kyungsoo says, and the dog noses at his palm. He's kind of cute, in a half-drowned way. “I'm Kyungsoo. Nice to meet you.”
The dog does his best to hide from the rain underneath Kyungsoo's knees, and Kyungsoo sighs. “Alright,” he says, and straightens. “Let's get you home and then call your owner.”
He's got nothing he can use for a leash so he ends up hoisting the dog up into his arms. Monggu kind of smells up close, as most wet dogs do, but pressed up against Kyungsoo's chest like this, his shivering eases. He's surprisingly calm, Kyungsoo thinks, although that may have something to do with how cold he is. He wonders how long he'd been out there for.
When he finally makes it back to his apartment, his arms are aching and his toes are numb from the cold. What he wants to do is strip off all his clothes and jump into the shower, but first, he has to deal with the dog frozen in the middle of his kitchen, shaking and dripping all over the tile. The unfamiliar surroundings seem to be intimidating Monggu, which isn't exactly a bad thing. Kyungsoo carefully fences the dog into kitchen and then sets about looking after things.
After begging a bowl of dog food off his neighbour and towelling the poor thing off, Kyungsoo dials the number on Monggu's tags. The dog seems to have relaxed a little, skittering around on the slippery tile and happily digging into the kibble in front of him. Kyungsoo bends to ruffle Monggu's fur when the person on the other line picks up.
“Uh, hey, I found a dog down on – ”
“Oh my God, you found Monggu?” The guy sounds young and so utterly relieved that it makes Kyungsoo smile. “Thank God, he ran out the other day and I couldn't find him anywhere. How is he?”
It's a bit of a silly question, and Kyungsoo laughs, looking down at the dog. He's all fluffy from being towelled off, blinking up at Kyungsoo, his tail thumping against the floor. “He's doing pretty good,” Kyungsoo tells the guy. “I got him all dried off and fed.”
“He was out in this rain?” He sounds distraught.
Kyungsoo slides down to the floor, leaning back against the cupboards. Monggu is already warming to him, as the source of food and scritches under the chin, and he noses at Kyungsoo's pants. Kyungsoo watches as the dog turns in a few lazy circles before he sits down heavily next to him, body pressed up against Kyungsoo's thigh. “He's fine,” Kyungsoo promises. “Nice and warm now. Nothing to worry about.”
“Did you want me to come pick him up now? I'm just out of class so I could totally – ”
This kid is clearly incredibly attached to his dog. “It's still pouring out,” Kyungsoo interrupts him, trying to be gentle. Monggu yawns at him, tipping his head as he listens to him talk. “I mean, you can still come get him, if you want.”
“Oh.” As the pause stretches, Kyungsoo scratches Monggu behind the ear. He hopes his good deed doesn't leave him with fleas in his apartment. That would be a disappointment. When the guy speaks again, his voice is small. “Can I come anyway?”
Kyungsoo laughs. “Yeah, sure. He's your dog, isn't he?” And a cute one, at that. Kyungsoo doesn't particularly want to look after a pet, especially not a dog (too messy), but it's nice having this one, right now.
He gives the man, Jongin, his address, and then, finally, he gets to change into something dry and warm. He returns from his shower to find Monggu has knocked over the makeshift wall he'd put up to keep him fenced into the kitchen and is happily chewing on one of his wet sneakers. “Oh, come on.” They may have been damp, but they were still his favourite.
It takes him a couple of minutes to wrestle it away from Monggu (he thinks Kyungsoo is trying to play and he refuses to let go) and by the time he's got the shoe in hand, sticky and a little worse for wear, the buzzer at the door is sounding.
Jongin, it turns out, is tall and handsome and also soaked to the bone. He's got one full lip pinned between his teeth and his eyes are wide. “Hi,” he says. “Uh, are you Kyungsoo? I'm here – ” At the sound of Jongin's low voice, Monggu comes racing, skidding across tile and nearly knocking Kyungsoo over. Jongin immediately drops to his knees and opens his arms. The dog leaps at him, knocking him on his ass, but Jongin doesn't seem to mind at all. His smile is blinding as Monggu licks at his face, and Kyungsoo can't help but feel a little pleased to have had a hand in this reunion.
“I take it you're Jongin,” Kyungsoo says, amused. Jongin looks up from where he's got his face buried in Monggu's fur, and he nods. “You were fast.”
“Thank you,” Jongin says, and even though he's completely drenched and he has to be freezing, his whole face is lit up. He hasn't let go of Monggu, not for a second. “Thank you so much.”
Kyungsoo shakes his head. “I just dried him off and called you, it was nothing.” He tips his chin and looks down at Jongin. He's starting to shiver. “Speaking of. Do you wanna, uh, get warm? Before you go home.” Jongin looks a little pathetic, soaked and hanging on to his dog.
Jongin freezes and hesitates before he speaks. “Is that...okay?”
He's a lot younger than he looks, Kyungsoo realizes. “Yeah,” he laughs. “That would be why I offered.”
Kyungsoo digs out his biggest pair of pajama pants and a hoodie for Jongin to wear while his clothes dry and makes him a cup of tea. Jongin forgoes Kyungsoo's couch and armchair, choosing instead to park himself on the floor with Monggu. The dog climbs right up into his lap and Jongin smiles down at him, stroking his head.
“Was he missing long?” Kyungsoo asks. Jongin has his hands full with Monggu so Kyungsoo sets his tea on the coffee table beside him.
Jongin looks distressed and bends down towards Monggu, whispering an “I'm sorry,” into the dog's fur. “Four days,” Jongin admits. “It was the worst, I had midterms to study for and I wanted to go out and look for him and – ”
He sounds like a worried kid. “He's alright now, isn't he?” Kyungsoo says. He settles on the couch with his own mug. “Midterms? You're a student too, then?”
Blinking, Jongin reaches for his tea. “Yeah,” he says, and he takes a sip. “I, um, I'm majoring in literature? I like to write.” He offers Kyungsoo another smile, this one a bit hesitant. Freshman. Has to be. Sweet, but Kyungsoo is starting to wonder if Monggu is his only friend.
“I'm in music theory. Second year.”
Jongin's eyes widen. “Oh! Do you know, um, he's Chinese, Lu Han?”
Thank God, the kid's got friends. “Yeah, I've had a few classes with him.”
Jongin nods, and when he presses his index finger to his bottom lip, it's an oddly shy gesture. “Thank you,” he says again, quietly. In his lap, Monggu yawns. The pajama pants Kyungsoo dug out are too short, riding up to expose a solid few inches of tanned ankle. “You're so thoughtful. The tea, and uh, the clothes and you even fed him...”
Embarrassed, Kyungsoo shrugs a shoulder. He was just trying to be nice. “It'd be rude to send you out into the rain again to catch a cold.” He gestures at the window with his mug. “See? It's letting up.”
Jongin wilts a little. “Oh, yeah,” he says. He has his tea in both hands now, drumming his fingers against the cup. “Don't worry, I'll be out of your hair as soon as my clothes are dry.”
No wonder he and Monggu get along so well, Kyungsoo thinks. Freshmen. Like puppies, all they need is a pat on the head. “Take your time.”
Tea finished, he goes to grab his history books. Might as well get some work done, if he wasn't going to vocal lessons. Jongin stays curled up on the floor with his dog, like he's afraid to take up more space, answering Kyungsoo's questions with his face still pressed to Monggu's fur.
When the timer dings to let them know that the dryer is ready, Jongin is up in a flash. “I'm sorry, I'm probably ruining your study time, I should've waited until it wasn't raining.” He looks kind of funny when he pulls his sweater over his head, his thick, still-damp hair completely untamed, no matter how he pulls at it.
“It's no big deal,” Kyungsoo says with a shrug. It wasn't, really, Jongin was a pretty unobtrusive kid. “I'm sure Monggu will be glad to get home.”
Jongin bends to clip the leash he'd brought to Monggu's collar. “Oh yeah, definitely,” he says. He takes his time tying up his wet sneakers as Monggu dances around him, excited at the prospect of going for a walk.
Kyungsoo deposits the mugs into the sink and when he comes back out again he finds Jongin lingering at the door. Monggu alternates between sniffing at the door and looking up at Jongin, an attempt to get him going. “So,” Jongin says, and Kyungsoo lifts his chin, watching him expectantly. Jongin licks his lips and swallows hard, hesitating. The silence stretches and Kyungsoo raises his eyebrows. A flush spreads across Jongin's cheeks and he ducks his head. “Uh. Thanks again. See you around.”
“Sure,” Kyungsoo says automatically. He doesn't expect he actually will, but it seems like the polite thing to say. “No problem.” He smiles at Jongin and returns his shy wave as he closes the door behind him.
Well, that was an eventful afternoon, Kyungsoo thinks, yawning and scratching his chest. Back to history.
-
Kyungsoo really doesn't even think twice about his encounter with the freshman and his poodle until a couple of weeks later. He and Chanyeol are studying at the coffee shop on campus, Chanyeol's long legs awkwardly folded underneath the little table, when Chanyeol straightens abruptly. “There's a freshman shouting your name,” he says. Turning, Kyungsoo spots Jongin, smiling hopefully and waving a little. “Since when do you know freshmen?” Chanyeol hisses.
“I don't,” Kyungsoo says. Jongin is playing with the cuffs of his worn sweater and biting his lip again, and Kyungsoo sighs, waving him over. “Chanyeol, this is Jongin. I rescued his dog a while back. Monggu, right?”
Jongin nods and pulls a chair from a nearby table to join them. “He's doing good,” he says. “Thank you, again.”
Chanyeol pushes his chair out noisily, folding himself over to rest his elbows on the table and his chin in his hands. “Ah, yes,” he says. “The lost puppy. Nice to meet you.”
“How are you, hyung?” Jongin is drinking something sweet, probably loaded with sugar, and again, he wraps his hands all the way around his cup, drumming his fingertips.
“I'll be better when finals are done,” Kyungsoo says. Jongin positively lights up when he doesn't object to the familiarity, and Chanyeol does his best to cover up his snort with a cough. “How are yours going?”
“Pretty good, I just have the one left.” Kyungsoo takes a second to scribble something down in his notes and drains the last of his coffee, and that's when Jongin speaks again. “Did you want something to drink, hyung?” Kyungsoo's eyes flick up and Jongin visibly squares his shoulders before he speaks. “My treat. I owe you, right?”
Kyungsoo's first instinct is to say no. He can afford his own coffee and besides, he doesn't particularly need anymore caffeine this morning. But there's something pleading in Jongin's eyes, and he supposes it wouldn't hurt. “Sure, can you get me a refill?”
Nodding quickly, Jongin is out of his seat and up to the counter in no time at all.
“Looks like you shouldn't have fed that stray,” Chanyeol laughs. He digs his elbow into Kyungsoo's side. “He seems to have adopted you.”
“I've always wanted a pet freshman,” Kyungsoo says absently, bending over his notes again. “Be nice. He's a sweet kid.”
Chanyeol makes a noncommittal noise, and when Kyungsoo looks up at him, he wiggles his eyebrows. “He seems real nice,” Chanyeol agrees. His tone is sly, so Kyungsoo punches him in the thigh. It's the least he deserves.
Jongin returns with his coffee, just as requested, but also a couple of pastries. Kyungsoo blinks at them. “I, uh, didn't know what you liked, and I just thought, you know, 'cause you found my dog and all...” Jongin's ears are turning red again.
“Thank you,” Kyungsoo says, cutting him off before he can ramble any more. “That's very thoughtful of you.”
“Super thoughtful,” Chanyeol agrees, grabbing one of the pastries and doing his best to shove the entirety of it into his mouth. “Thanks, bro.”
The way that Jongin's hesitant smile evaporates at the sight of Chanyeol devouring the pastry is so funny that Kyungsoo has to turn away to hide his smile. “You're welcome,” Jongin says darkly. Chanyeol smirks at him.
Kyungsoo reaches for his new coffee. Jongin's added too much milk and sugar, but it's not bad. It'll do. He turns back to his studying. “So,” Jongin says, after a few long seconds. “I have to get to class, but, um, maybe we could hang out some time?”
“Hmm?” Kyungsoo says. “Oh, sure, why not?”
The effect on Jongin is astounding. A grin stretches across his full lips and he scrunches his hands up onto fists against the table and then opens them again. Quickly, he pulls out his phone and holds it out to Kyungsoo. “Please?” he says.
Distractedly, Kyungsoo hands over his own phone and then quickly enters his number into Jongin's. “Good luck with your last exam,” he tells him.
“Thanks, hyung,” Jongin says, and then he stands. “Nice to meet you,” he says to Chanyeol, a bit sharply, and that makes Kyungsoo smile as he waves him off.
“It's cute,” Chanyeol says. “How much of a crush he's got on you.” He's worked his way through all of the pastries Jongin had bought already. “Useful, though.”
Kyungsoo rolls his eyes. “I made him tea, he was just returning the favour.”
It's not until a lot later, when he texts, that Kyungsoo realizes what name Jongin had entered his number under. jonginnie ♥ flashes onto the screen and it takes him a second, and then he laughs. Sweet kid.
-
It's funny, but no matter how long it takes Kyungsoo to reply to one of Jongin's texts, he always gets an answer to one of his in a matter of minutes. They're not constant, but Jongin always sounds genuine. He enquires about Kyungsoo's classes and sends him pictures of Monggu sleeping on his feet. Kyungsoo has to admit, those are pretty cute.
It turns out that Jongin shares the same love of movies that Kyungsoo does, and after a bit of persuasion, one day, Kyungsoo opens his door to find Jongin with an armful of DVDs and an excited Monggu.
“You brought him,” Kyungsoo says, a bit surprised. He swings the door open wide and steps aside for the two of them to come inside. “I thought you were joking.” He doesn't mind, though. Monggu is friendly enough. As a precaution, Kyungsoo kicks his shoes into the front hall closet and slides the door shut.
Jongin stalls in the hallway, clutching the DVDs to his chest, looking uncertain. “I'm sorry,” he says immediately. Monggu pulls at his leash. “I thought – ”
“It's fine,” Kyungsoo assures him. Jongin is so jumpy. Gently, he pulls the DVDs out of Jongin's hands. “What did you bring?”
He starts rifling through the movies as Jongin takes care of his shoes. Monggu wanders into the living room with him, leash trailing behind him, lapping eagerly at Kyungsoo's hands. “Hello, you,” Kyungsoo says quietly, scratching him under his chin.
He settles on a horror movie he's been wanting to see, popping open the case and kneeling by the DVD player. When he looks up, Jongin is standing by the couch, shifting his weight from one foot to the other, one arm across his chest. “Well?” Kyungsoo says. “Make yourself comfortable. You've already been here once.”
“Yeah, sure, of course,” Jongin says automatically, a flush spreading across his high cheekbones. He sits down stiffly, right at the edge of the couch, back straight, and Kyungsoo shakes his head. For something that was Jongin's idea, he still seems so nervous about it.
Kyungsoo decides to solve the problem with some popcorn. He drops the bowl in Jongin's lap, then settles down at the other end of the couch. “Good to go?” he asks.
Monggu circles the coffee table a few times, eyes fixed on the popcorn bowl. He parks himself on Jongin's feet and Jongin tosses him a kernel. It's immediately snatched up. “Sure,” Jongin says with a brisk nod. “All set.” Kyungsoo folds his legs up underneath himself and presses play.
Before, Kyungsoo had thought he'd seen jumpy Jongin, but he really didn't know the half of it. Jongin startles at every single loud noise on the screen, gripping the popcorn bowl like a lifeline, eyes wide and nervous. After one particularly shocking moment Jongin actually lets out a little yelp, immediately pressing his hand to his mouth and looking embarrassed. “Hey,” Kyungsoo says quietly, and Jongin's head whips around to stare at him. “Is this – ” he waves a hand at the screen. “ – too much for you? We can turn it off.”
“It's fine,” Jongin whispers back, stubbornly, but Kyungsoo pauses it anyway. “Hyung, it's okay.”
Kyungsoo reaches for a handful of popcorn and looks at him, amused. “Why did you even bring it, if you don't like scary movies?”
He watches as Jongin lifts a foot, rubbing Monggu's belly with his toes. “'Cause you said you wanted to see it,” he mumbles, shrugging. “My roommate had the DVD, so I just figured, I dunno.”
Now that catches Kyungsoo off guard. If he mentioned the movie to Jongin, it'd been weeks ago, in passing. He can't believe Jongin remembered it. “That was forever ago.”
Jongin doesn't answer, just stares down at the popcorn bowl and shrugs again.
“Are you sure you want to keep watching?” Kyungsoo asks. He has to admit, he's kind of caught up in it now. He wants to know how it ends.
“I can handle it,” Jongin says.
When he starts the movie up again, Jongin slides the bowl onto the coffee table. Kyungsoo can see his hands in his lap, fingers locked together tightly. The next time a big scare happens, Kyungsoo is startled to find Jongin's fingers squeezing his wrist. He lets go almost as quickly as he'd grabbed Kyungsoo, ducking his head with embarrassment, but Kyungsoo just reaches for his hand again. Better that than leaving him with nightmares, he reasons.
At the end of the movie, Jongin reclaims his hand, tucking both of them between his knees. “Sorry,” he says. “I thought I could – I didn't mean to be all wussy.”
Kyungsoo shrugs, reaching out to grab one of the last pieces of popcorn left and feed it to Monggu. “You did pretty good,” he says. “You made it all the way to the end.” Jongin still looks embarrassed, so Kyungsoo flicks an unpopped kernel at him. “Congratulations! Gold star.”
“Thanks a lot, hyung,” Jongin groans. A little, shy smile pulls at his lips again, and Kyungsoo much prefers that.
The next one they watch is a straightforward action movie. Nothing scary about it. Monggu, disappointed by how they've finished off the popcorn, squirms around so that he's laying at Kyungsoo's feet, instead. There's a certain novelty to having a pet around, Kyungsoo thinks, bending to rub the dog's belly. They are nice.
This time, instead of jerking with every loud noise, Jongin is actually into watching the movie. He relaxes into the couch, leaning over to make sharp little asides about the idiocy of the bad guys or the probability of the hero making that narrow escape, and this is a side of Jongin that Kyungsoo likes. This is nice.
Near the end, Kyungsoo catches movement out of the corner of his eye. Assuming that Jongin is going to say something, he turns his head just a little to hear him, gaze still on the screen. Instead, he's startled by Jongin's head falling to rest against his shoulder. Has he really nodded off?
The soft sound of his deep, even breathing confirms it. Kyungsoo laughs softly, but he makes no move to dislodge him. If Jongin was tired enough to fall asleep in the middle of a movie, then he could probably use the rest. Jongin looks just as sweet in sleep, thick bangs falling down to cover his eyes, mouth hanging open. Hopefully he isn't a drooler.
Kyungsoo watches the rest of the movie by himself. Well, not entirely by himself. Monggu has his chin on his knee, too. The easier to get some attention, Kyungsoo assumes. His shoulder is a little stiff from holding still for Jongin, but he doesn't really mind.
The credits are running when Jongin snorts and straightens, automatically rubbing his fingers across his mouth and blinking. “Did I miss it?” he asks, his voice rough with sleep. “I didn't – oh. Sorry, hyung.” He holds out his hand to Monggu automatically, and the dog licks his palm obediently. “I can't believe I fell asleep on you.”
Kyungsoo laughs, grabbing the popcorn bowl and getting up. “You didn't miss much,” he admits. “Hero saved the day, got the girl, etcetera, etcetera.” He dumps the last of the unpopped kernels into the garbage and throws the bowl in the sink, and when he turns around again, Jongin is right there. He looks a little rumpled, pulling at the worn hem of his sweater, and there's a faint line on his cheek from where it had rested against Kyungsoo's shoulder. “Oh, whoa, hi. Well, I think we're about done with movies for the night, don't you think?”
Trailing into the room after them, Monggu plonks himself down on the tile by Kyungsoo's feet. He stares up at Kyungsoo imploringly until Kyungsoo drops to his knees and pets him. “Um, maybe we could go get something to eat?” Jongin suggests. “Monggu could use the walk, and there's that stall with the really good tteokbokki, like, four blocks down?” He looks so hopeful. “My treat?”
“I can't let you keep buying me food,” Kyungsoo tells him. “Your debt has been paid, I promise.”
“What if I want to?” Jongin asks determinedly. He's looking at a point just left of Kyungsoo's head, hands pressed flat against his thighs. He's so earnest. It's a little bit charming.
Kyungsoo gently grabs Monggu's head with both of his hands, looking down at him. “What do you think?” he asks the dog.
“He thinks it's a good idea?” Jongin says, his eyebrows raised hopefully. Monggu licks Kyungsoo's nose.
Straightening, Kyungsoo laughs. “Okay,” he says. “Why not?”
Jongin smiles at him, fast and bright, and they grab their jackets. It's hard to put their shoes on, Monggu winding his way around their legs in his excitement to go on a walk. When Kyungsoo clips the leash onto him and holds it out to Jongin, Jongin shakes his head. “No,” he says. “Why don't you take him? He likes you.”
“Alright,” Kyungsoo agrees, amused, leading the way out of his apartment and closing the door behind them. “You totally just want your hands free for food, don't you?”
“No!” Jongin protests, and he's blushing again. “I mean. That's not the only reason!”
Their laughter echoes in the stairwell as they make their way out to the lobby. Jongin holds open the door for them, and as Kyungsoo passes by, he feels Jongin's big hand settle on the small of his back. Hmm. Monggu is pulling but Kyungsoo stays slow, lets Jongin catch up, looking at him sideways. That's interesting.
Jongin sneaks a look at him, gauging his reaction. After a few seconds, he pulls his hand away, pushing it into his pocket and ducking his head like nothing happened, and Kyungsoo doesn't miss it, he really doesn't.
It just makes him think.
-
His recital is at the end of the month, and Kyungsoo buries himself in practice. This solo is what he has been training all year for, and in the last few weeks, he steps it up. It's a fine line, between practising every available minute and pushing himself too hard, but he thinks he's got it covered.
It does, however, mean that he doesn't see Jongin for a while. They still text on occasion, but Kyungsoo just doesn't have the time for it anymore. Jongin's understanding, which is nice. He still sends Kyungsoo pictures of Monggu with his nose in an abandoned cereal box, or encouraging notes. The little hyung hwaiting!! in his inbox every morning is nice.
Of course, he mentions the recital to Jongin. It's all he's thinking about lately, after all. Still, when he walks offstage, buzzing with adrenaline and the knowledge that he'd nailed it, the last thing he's expecting to see is Jongin waiting for him, one rose in his hands, his finger pressed to his bottom lip. He's even dressed up, which Kyungsoo didn't even think was possible, but his button up shirt makes his shoulders look broader and his slacks make his legs look so long. “You were amazing,” he tells Kyungsoo breathlessly, and it's Kyungsoo's turn to flush, because he's sounds so utterly sincere. “Like, I knew you're a singer and everything but this is the first time – hyung, you were amazing.”
“You're laying it on pretty thick now,” Kyungsoo cautions him, but he can't help but feel a little pleased with the flattery. “How did you even get back here?”
Jongin beams, just a little bit smug. “Lu Han got me in,” he says. “He owes me.” He looks down at the flower in his hand, like he'd just remembered it was there, and then holds it out to Kyungsoo. “I could only afford one,” he admits. “Roses are expensive.”
Carefully, Kyungsoo takes it from him. He rubs the red petals between his fingertips. “You didn't have to get me anything, you know,” he says.
Jongin shrugs. “Isn't that what you do to congratulate someone on a good performance?” He fidgets with his cuffs, not quite managing to look Kyungsoo in the eye. That's not all, though. Jongin is so nervous, opening and closing his hands now that he has nothing to occupy them.
“Is that the only reason you decided to give me a rose?” Kyungsoo asks quietly.
The way that Jongin juts his chin out is almost defiant. “No,” he admits. “I mean, aren't flowers what you give someone? If you, um. If you like them?” He's turning so red it's almost impressive.
Kyungsoo bites his lip, tracing his thumb against the stem of the rose. “Is that what this is, then?” he asks, even though he's sure he already knows the answer. It's not his fault that Jongin's cute when he squirms.
“Hyung,” Jongin says, plaintively, and Kyungsoo relents.
“You're sweet,” he tells Jongin, and Jongin stares at him, unsure. Before he has a chance to leap to any conclusions, Kyungsoo catches him by the elbow and stretches up on his tiptoes to press a gentle kiss to Jongin's mouth. His lips are soft and he tastes faintly like peppermint gum. “Thank you for coming to see me perform.”
Jongin looks shell-shocked, and not a little delighted. “Oh wow.” He laughs, his fingertips coming up but he doesn't quite touch his lips. “Does this mean, um, I can kiss you again?” he asks. “Like, maybe more than once?” His eyes widen. “If you want, I mean. Do you want?”
“I think you want,” Kyungsoo says dryly. In all honesty, Kyungsoo wouldn't mind it. Jongin has a nice mouth, he's always thoughtful, and his butt looks pretty good in just about anything he wears. “Let me think it over.”
“Oh.” Jongin's shoulders droop and he nods. “Yeah, of course.”
Kyungsoo holds out his hand and hesitantly, looking surprised, Jongin takes it. His hand is bigger than Kyungsoo's, warmer too. It's nice. “Maybe you can get me dinner? Help me make up my mind?”
Jongin lets Kyungsoo tug him away, following him towards the green room so he can gather his stuff before they leave. “I think that's cheating,” he says. The joke is cautious, just like the smile that's starting to pull at his lips.
“Is it?” Kyungsoo asks. “I'm pretty sure it's only fair.” Jongin makes a shocked noise, but it's playful, and his hand never pulls away. Kyungsoo looks down at their hands, Jongin's long fingers laced between his. Yes, this may be something worth exploring. “You look nice, by the way.”
Jongin follows Kyungsoo into the green room. Looking down at himself, he tugs at his shirtfront. “Yeah? My mom helped me pick...I mean...”
Kyungsoo freezes, one arm in his jacket. “Your mom?” he says, and Jongin flushes all over again. It's kind of endearing. “Oh my God.”
“Hyung,” Jongin whines again, and Kyungsoo grins. This could be fun.
“Your mom helped you pick your clothes,” Kyungsoo repeats. He's gentle with the rose, holding it carefully as tries to put his arm in the other sleeve. Jongin comes to his rescue, holding his coat for him. “Thanks.”
When Kyungsoo's dressed, Jongin steps away again, tucks his hands into his pockets. “Yes, she did. I wanted to look good.” For you. He bites his lip. “If I buy you dinner, can it count as like, a real date?”
The word buy jogs Kyungsoo's memory. Of course, the single rose, street food. Jongin's just a freshman. He probably doesn't have a lot of money. “Maybe we could make dinner instead?” When Jongin's eyes widen in alarm, Kyungsoo snorts. “Don't worry, I know what I'm doing. I won't let you burn the place down.”
“Promise?” Jongin asks. The growing confidence, it's cute.
“Promise.”
When they walk out into the cool spring night, Kyungsoo has his rose in one hand and his pinky curled around Jongin's. He's still riding the rush of being onstage, and it looks like his night is only going to get better. Jongin looks over at him, squeezing his finger tight, and Kyungsoo smiles at him. He likes where this is going.
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