shut up!

Kim Kibum ; Lee Taemin ✩​​​​​​  N/A ✩ 920 words
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Tick. Tock. Tick. Tock.

The clock sounds loudly in the large bedroom. A small buzz from a mosquito overhead is annoying him slightly, but not enough for him to get up and kill it. Outside the windows the wind is rustling the leaves and from the living room is the faint sound of the television heard.

Kibum is still awake in the early night. He has learned to tune out most of the soft noises that is always around but tonight there is a loud disturbance nearby. Taemin lies in the bed in the opposite corner in the room, the two of them sharing the room, but even though his body is still, he’s not asleep. Kibum knows this because he can literally hear Taemin thinking.

It’s a thing he hasn’t told the members about. He never thought it important to mention that he can hear their thoughts and see their dreams and for the most part, Kibum has learned to tune it out. Like now with the soft golden filter in his vision that portrays Jinki’s sweet dreams and the bursts of black in the corner of his eyes that suggest Minho is having nightmares that doesn’t mean much anymore. It’s ordinary. It’s a comfort in some ways, knowing that things are exactly like they have been for the past 10 years they have been together.

But then there are Taemin’s thoughts that are very difficult to tune out tonight. He turns around in his bed and gently places the pillow over his ears but they only dim the outside noises and Taemin’s thoughts ring clearer. Kibum groans.

As a child, Kibum found it very intrusive. He had been hiding and throwing tantrums whenever in public, bombarded with thoughts that weren’t his. As a teenager, he’d found it somewhat helpful when it came to his crushes and he had learned how to tune out the ones that were irrelevant to him. The older he got, however, the more he realised the intrusion and he felt like he was doing something wrong by listening in. Ever since then, he has tried hard not to listen in on those around him. Kibum wants to trust that if people have something to tell him, they’ll say it to him out loud.

That’s not to say that Kibum doesn’t use his extraordinary gift in some cases. Like when his band members shared his displeasure but was too afraid to voice it or when he was bored in an interview and learned interesting things about the interviewer and the answers they expected.

Now, however, he just wants to sleep and Taemin is making it awfully difficult to do. Kibum changes his position again and slaps his hand weakly against the mattress. Taemin doesn’t react at all, still pretending to be asleep while he keeps thinking the same things over and over again.

Kibum almost wishes it was work-related because at least he can understand those, but this is just ridiculous and it really shouldn’t be this hard to be in love.

In the end, he gives up and sighs out loud. It’s loud enough to cause a small break in Taemin’s thoughts before they begin again.

“Taemin, shut up,” he says out loud and the younger man reacts surprised as he turns around in his bed. He stares at Kibum with wide eyes, face lit up by the small strip of moonlight that finds its way through the blinds.

“I’m not saying anything,” he mumbles in defence and Kibum bites his lower lip before he decides sleep is more important than keeping his secret.

“Stop thinking so loud, I can’t sleep.”

Taemin frowns and his bed sheets rustle when he changes his position so he lies more comfortably.

“I’m literally not making any noise, though,” he says and Kibum begs to differ.

“You are; you’re thinking and it’s so loud. Stop worrying about Jongin, ok, he’s not gonna hate you, just … go to sleep.”

Taemin puckers his lips in thought and Kibum thinks he might go insane if Taemin soon doesn’t stop thinking.

“Oh please, just say it out loud, I can hear it anyway!” Kibum almost screeches and the golden hue of his vision dims a little. If Jinki wakes up now, Kibum might have to leave the dorm for good tonight. It settles back in a few seconds later, however, and Kibum sighs relieved.

“You can … hear my thoughts? You’re crazy, hyung,” Taemin says and lifts an eyebrow before he pulls the covers up around him.

“Well, I will be soon if you don’t stop thinking so loudly!”

It has Taemin turning back towards him and they look at each other in the darkness of their room, eyes adjusted to the dim light.

“Since when?” Taemin asks and Kibum closes his eyes for a second or two.

“Since birth, but I can tune it out most of the time,” Kibum answers. “Right now, though, please stop thinking about Jongin.”

Taemin huffs like he’s offended and turns around again but by some miracle his volume actually lowers. Whether it’s because he doesn’t want to have Kibum hearing his thoughts or if he doesn’t believe him in the slightest doesn’t matter because now it’s just that silly little buzz and Kibum finally falls asleep.

author's notes

So I'm getting back into writing, I suppose. I didn't really know what to do with this prompt I found but it inspired me so I wrote this. Honestly, I really like Kibum, the one who can hear thoughts and see dreams. Oh well. 

Thanks for reading ^_^