C H A P T E R 2 3: Birthday surprise (part 3).

Jonghyun was sure that his body had started to tremble, as he was holding onto Kibum’s hand firmly, leading him to his front door.

“Jong—Jonghyun, don’t get offended by this, but are you shaking?” Kibum questioned with a somewhat hesitating voice, as they stopped in front of the door and the older boy used more time than necessary to find his house keys in his pant pocket and plug it into the lock.

“Um, I have been figured out,” Jonghyun joked dryly and forced a chuckle to leave his mouth.

Before he even got the change to turn the key around, the door went open by itself, leaving a surprised Jonghyun in front of it, still standing with his hand as if he was holding onto the key – but he wasn’t.

“Jonghyun sweetie, you—what is Kibum doing here?” His mother was standing in front of him. Holding onto the door handle as she eyed them both, eyes wandering until they landed on their intertwined hands, and almost made Jonghyun want to let go of the younger again, as a big approving smile formed onto her lips.

“It’s his birthday today mom,” Jonghyun explained and gently dragged Kibum with him inside, past his mother so she could close the door shut again. “I was just thinking that it would be kind of sad to spend it in the hospital so I invited him out.”

He fixed his eyes at the younger, as expected turned he his head towards the floor as a faint red color started to creep onto his face.

So cute,Jonghyun thought to himself and started as he pulled his shoes off.

“Okay,” his mother answered, sounding more than a bit skeptical about the decision.

“Do you mind?” He then added and tightened his grip around Kibum’s hand.

“Um, no of course not, but do the hospital know about this?” She questioned, looking a little bit uncomfortable about it.

“Well,” Jonghyun started and bent down to help Kibum getting his shoes off. “I told some nurses that we were going out for a bit, but that’s pretty much it – besides, it’s only for today; what harm can it possible do?”  

“Right, okay then,” his mother finished and changed the topic. “Have you guys eaten breakfast already or are you hungry?”

Jonghyun looked at Kibum – he was awfully silence right now. “Hungry?” He questioned.

Kibum eventually turned his head up. “A—A little, if it’s not too much of a trouble,” he answered.

“No of course not Kibum, I will go and make some right away,” Jonghyun’s mother answered and quickly retreated to the kitchen.

“Um, mom?!” Jonghyun shouted after her.

“Yes what is it darling?” She replied out from the kitchen, making Kibum giggle and Jonghyun want to face palm himself. Why did she have to call him all these things in front of his friends? Didn’t she understand how embarrassing it was?

“Is dad home?” His voice was a little bit muffled by now, seeing that if his father actually was home he didn’t wanted him to hear him.

“No, don’t worry about it! He left early for a business meeting!” His mom answered understanding and kindheartedly.

“Okay, thank you. We will be in my room,” Jonghyun stated and started to lead Kibum up the stairs and into his room.

As soon as the door was closed behind them – and Jonghyun had made sure that the younger securely was seated onto his bed – Kibum finally decided to speak up: “What is it with your father?”

Jonghyun hesitated faintly, thinking a little bit about it as he started to search through his dresser for some proper clothes that Kibum could wear. “Excuse me?” He finally questioned, biting down in his lips.

“Just the way you asked if he was home or not, you just seemed so relieved when you got to know that he was not,” he explained and randomly bounced a little up and down in the bed, as if he was testing the spring-quality of it, or something.

“Oh well,” Jonghyun started out. “It is just that my dad can be a bit judging sometimes, you know,” he answered truthfully.

“Judging? What do you mean?” Kibum continued.

Jonghyun sat down beside him in the bed, finally decided for some clothes. “He just have a really lot of attitudes, about a really lot of things."

“Like… homouality?” The younger guessed with a sigh.

“Yes that is definitely one of them,” Jonghyun replied and settled the pile of clothes down beside them, so he was able to take Kibum’s hand again.

“Oh, and I guess that you are pretty easy to misunderstand,” he continued and motioned for their hands, laughing a bit.

There is nothing to misunderstand Kibum; it is what it looks like– he just needed the right moment to tell him.

*

A peacefully silence filled the room and Jonghyun started to sketch small lazy circles onto his hand.

“I wonder what your room look likes,” he suddenly uttered.

Jonghyun chuckled before answering: “The same instants as you enter my room you wonder what it looks like, but you have never wondered what I looks like? – And you are supposed to like me? I am disappointed in you Kibum,” he mocked.

“W—What?” He questioned. “That isn’t true! I have often been wondering about how you look likes!” He bluntly defended himself.

Jonghyun stopped the circles as he questioned: “You have?”

Kibum nodded slightly – starting to be used to blushing in front of the elder.

“Then why have you never asked me about my look, huh?” He required to get to know.

“I didn’t dare too,” he admitted. “I mean, sometimes I just feel like a burden because I like you. I am selfish and you are always so sweet to me.”

“Kim Kibum, sometimes you can be so silly,” Jonghyun said, pausing, before adding: “It is sweet, you know?”

“W—What?” He questioned again and felt his hand being lifted from the bed, and placed on… soft baby skin. “Jong—Jonghyun, what are you doing?”

“If you want to know what I look likes then go ahead and find out,” Jonghyun answered and chuckled sweetly. “Look, this is my cheek, and my jaw. My other cheek, my nose and my forehead,” He explained him as he made his hand travel around his face and feel his features.

“Your skin is so soft,” Kibum mumbled, giggling a bit by Jonghyun’s awful explanations. “It feels nice.”

“Yes is does,” Jonghyun pleasantly moaned and leaned into his touch.

Kibum’s hand carefully traveled its way over the elder’s eyelids – confirming that the eyes were closed – and further until he reached Jonghyun’s hair. “Which hair color do you even have?” He asked sincerely curious.

“Oh, you don’t want to know,” Jonghyun answered.

“Oh, yes I would,” Kibum joked, slowly his bang near his face.

“But I know that you will laugh if I tell you,” Jonghyun said. “Or maybe scrunch your face.”

“How—how bad can it be?” Kibum asked – more himself than Jonghyun.

“Blond in the front, orange in the middle and brown in the back-bad,” he hurried to answer, and Kibum swear he had to stifle his amusement, before it got the chance to leave his mouth, because – Jonghyun was right; it sounded like a really strange combination.

“See, I told you, you would laugh,” Jonghyun whined.

“N—No, I wasn’t laughing—I was just—” Kibum was cut off as he felt Jonghyun grab onto his wrist again, making it stop the exploring of his face.

“—Bummie,” Jonghyun slowly muttered and moved his hand away from his face.

“W—What?” Kibum utter for the third time that day.

No answer was heard from Jonghyun as he shifted a bit in the bed, moving closer – Kibum was sure that he indeed just had moved closer. “Jonghyun, What are you doing?” He questioned softly, having a feeling that he would ruining an important moment by speaking loud.

His heart made a flip, as he felt the other breathe on his lips – no way – was he going to—was he really going to kiss him?

That question had to stay unanswered as a knock was heard on the door, and Kibum felt how Jonghyun hastily retreated from whatever it was he had been up to just now, making Kibum curse by himself, as the butterflies were going berserk in his stomach – because he was so sure that the love of his life just had been mere inches away from kissing him.

And his mind was too blasted to care about why.

“Boys, the breakfast is ready,” Jonghyun’s mom announced oblivious to what she just had ruined for Kibum.

“Yes mom, we will be down in a moment,” Jonghyun answered – and to his big pleasant was the elder seeming sincerely annoyed as well.