Title: Falling for a poet (literally) 
Word count: 3,370
This is for you, Safi.
 

On a cold lonely night when the streets coated with a thick layer of white snow and the wind was a sharp slap in the face, Kyungsoo stood behind a glass window with a yellow beanie covering his honey-colored hair. His small hands covered with a pair of red velvet mittens, and a massive, fancy-looking camera cradled in his hands. A small smile began to form on his lips as he watched Kim Jongin, a simple, regular young man who was a rising poet who loved his life and everyone around him, chatted with the other artists.

Kyungsoo watched the young poet through the lens of his camera, unable to stop from smiling when Jongin laughed out loud rather joyously even if he looked lonely just standing there by himself amongst the bustling crowd. Behind the small young boy, the streets were alive, filled with passing cars and sometimes pedestrians passing by with cups of hot chocolate or tea in their hands. Clouds of white trickled out from Kyungsoo’s mouth in invisible smoke that caused the glass window in front of him to fog and become condensed. 

He wondered if he could get a word with the young poet, maybe even get his autograph. Even a quick, blurry picture of the man himself would suffice.

A few fans waited beside Kyungsoo with a small pastel blue-colored book with the name Kim Jongin written in cursive golden lettering. It was his first book filled with short poems. Little poems that Kyungsoo recited to himself every night before going to sleep; before he prayed to the heavens above that Kim Jongin was sleeping soundly in a comfortable bed and was keeping warm. 

The girl beside Kyungsoo cooed gently at the sight of Jongin posing beside a male artist that went by the name Byun Baekhyun. He had a voice of silk, very smooth and soothing. Kyungsoo was a fan, but only one out of three albums adorned Kyungsoo’s old bookshelf in his bedroom back home. He had met Baekhyun before at a fan sign, but he only caused the singer to laugh when his only question was, “Is Kim Jongin-sshi as dreamy as he looks on television?” Baekhyun couldn’t help but like this fan more out of everyone else. 

“Look! Jongin-sshi is coming this way!”

The crowd began to disburse as they all rushed around Kyungsoo, pushing against him to reach the entrance where Jongin approached the front doors to leave. Kyungsoo kept a firm grip on his heavy camera to avoid dropping it on the floor and causing a tragic scene to happen. He slowly breathed while smiling widely because the more they pushed against his back, the closer Kyungsoo got to his favorite poet. He took the moment to look down to the floor where his blue chucks came into his line of sight. Ah, his shoelaces had come undone, but there wasn’t much time to tie them up, or he would be trampled by the swarm of fans now surrounding him and the door. 

“Oof!” He fell forward, having tripped over his shoelaces and fell in between two fangirls who stepped to the side to avoid the mess that was Doh Kyungsoo. The young male ended up sprawled on his back, black camera held tightly in his hands, and his eyes shut tightly. The way he fell hurt his back and head, but the sudden gasps and high pitched screaming from the fans caused Kyungsoo to snap his eyes open. 

Kyungsoo gasped out loud because standing right in front of him, or better yet, hovering over him was Kim Jongin with his hands behind his back and a look of confusion in those dark eyes of his. Kyungsoo wanted to stand up, but just moving his head made a wave of dizziness sweep over him. He lets out a low groan as he brought his hand up to hold the side of his head. Of course, he was still staring up at the handsome man beside him, but he couldn’t move. All Kyungsoo saw was Jongin’s mouth moving as if he was speaking to him. 

“Hey,” Jongin was now closer than ever, crouching down to reach out to place his hands on the boy’s arms to help him up. He could hear all the screaming around him and the girls giggling at being so up close to him, but Jongin was more focused on the boy holding the camera. “Are you alright?” He smirked the slightest bit, upper teeth winking at anyone who caught sight of them. “I’ve never had someone fall for me literally,” he mused with a smile now stretching across his lips. 

Kyungsoo scrunched his eyebrows, wincing at the slight pulse coming from the back of his head. “Correction, Jongin-sshi, I didn’t fall for you. Someone pushed me, and I fell. There’s a difference between falling for someone and falling on the ground. You’re a writer, shouldn’t you know that?” 

Jongin couldn’t believe his ears as he laughed out loud, grinning to himself. He looked down at the boy as he secured his arms around the boy to straighten him up again. 

Kyungsoo blinked stupidly for who knows how long, long enough for the dizziness to stay and for him to sway forward, yellow beanie resting against a broad chest. “I’m…dizzy,” he sniffled, snuggling further into the person holding him. He could feel a vibration coming from his cheek and a low voice speaking to someone.

There was a sudden movement of the body Kyungsoo rested his head on, and two gentle hands were steadying him as Kyungsoo was lead through the sea of people now surrounding the entrance with wide eyes and gaping mouths. Still, the fans screamed for Jongin’s attention but the poet merely smiled at a few before tending to the short male. 

Once they were away from the bustling crowd and in a more secluded area surrounded by Jongin’s bodyguards, Jongin looked down to his chest, where the boy wearing the yellow beanie still leaned against him. “Hey, are you still feeling dizzy?” He asked in a gentle voice,  not knowing where to put his hands. Finally, and eventually, he decided to place them on the boy’s shoulders to slowly pull him away from his chest to take a look at his face. 

Kyungsoo moaned at the light pulse coming from the back of his head and reached his hand out to grab the end of his beanie, where he felt underneath the material, gently caressing the slight bump on the back of his head. He blinked as he sniffled again, scrunching his nose to which he heard a soft coo coming from a few inches above him. That was when he realized that someone had spoken to him asking if he was okay and looked up only to widen his eyes almost comically because it was Kim Jongin who was staring down at him with a worried look. “Huh?” He uttered in a daze, perhaps further embarrassing himself and making himself look like a fool. 

Jongin chuckled, shaking his head as he patted the boy’s shoulders to get his attention. It was cold outside, the chilly wind was biting at their cheeks today, but Jongin wanted to think that the redness slowly filling his tan cheeks was because of the little flakes of minuscule-sized snow falling from the heavens above and not the male in front of him. “I asked if you were okay,” he repeated himself, lifting his head to take a look around them. The elegant looking lampposts had and now illuminated the damp streets with a cold white light. 

The soft color danced above the boy’s cheeks, illuminating the glossiness of his lips when a pink tongue darted out of a warm mouth to wet with saliva. Jongin caught himself staring down at soft pink lips and his own, chewing on his bottom lip. 

“Oh,” Kyungsoo took a step back to distance himself from his favorite poet. Even if all he wanted to do was be in his arms. That didn’t sound right in Kyungsoo’s mind. A little strange, he supposed, but Kyungsoo had manners. “I have a small bump on the back of my head, but it’ll go away soon, I hope,” he muttered the last part more to himself. 

“But are you still dizzy?”

Kyungsoo hummed, blinking rapidly to brush the snowflakes away from his lashes. “I’m sure when I get home, I’ll just go to sleep or something,” he said, pausing to mumble to himself, “if my dad does not emotionally abuse me.” And then he smiled up at Jongin before looking down to grab his phone from the pocket of his coat. “If you don’t mind, will you sign the back of my phone, please?” Kyungsoo’s asked timidly. 

Jongin looked around the street they were in, noting that the private car he had arrived in was already parked beside him, waiting for Jongin to get inside. “I have something better in mind if you’re up to it.”

Kyungsoo’s eyebrows furrowed as the wind swept through his hair. “You’re not taking me to the hospital, are you? I promise I didn’t get brain damage and also the bills are a pain in the to deal with,” Kyungsoo whined to himself, putting the strap of his camera around his neck to let it hang while he tucked his phone back inside his pocket. 

“No hospital, but I’d like to take you over to my place if that is alright with you.”


Kyungsoo felt the blood rush and settle on his cheeks and neck. "Aren't you moving a little too fast, Jongin-sshi? I'm only eighteen-years-old, and you're probably really old."


"Excuse me; I'm twenty-three, which makes me six years older than you. Age is just a number, so if you think I have ill intentions because I want to invite you over to my place, then you are mistaken."


Kyungsoo gave the poet a guarded, unimpressed look. "If you can't take a joke, then I'm going to go home and try to stay away from my father. Thank you for your time, Jongin-sshi. It was great to meet you in person finally." Kyungsoo smiled at the poet whose facial expression had changed in the blink of an eye.


"Forgive me..." Jongin trailed off, lifting an eyebrow to get the younger's name.


"Kyungsoo."


"Forgive me, Kyungsoo. Look," he sighed and then leaned in, firstly looking around for any suspicious eyes, but when he found none, he directed his look back to the young male who was cradling the black camera, "if you won't accept my offer then how about I treat you to some tea?"


"Well," Kyungsoo chewed on his bottom lip, ignoring the continuous vibration coming from his phone. It was most likely his father demanding him to go home, but Kyungsoo thought that maybe once in a while, he should break the rules and do what he wanted. Do what would make him happy. "You know, that doesn't sound like a bad idea at all, Jongin-sshi."


Jongin gave Kyungsoo a warm smile as he placed his hand behind the small of Kyungsoo's back to lead him to the car that had been waiting for his arrival. "I'm sorry if I'm touching you without permission, but you did fall hard and hit your head."


Kyungsoo couldn't help but laugh, cheeks burning red. It was nice to be cared for when his father didn't. It was nice to feel special for just a little while. "Are you concerned about your fan?" He asked as he climbed first into the car, shyly waving his hand to the driver in the front.


After shutting the door behind him, Jongin nodded at the driver in the front. "Hey, Sehun, take us to the nearest tea shop or whatever it's called. I kind of promised Kyungsoo here that I would treat him to some tea."


Upfront, Sehun nodded his head, clearing his throat to speak into a little microphone inside of his ear. There was some unintelligible murmuring before the car set off, and Jongin was back to his conversation with Kyungsoo. 


"To answer your question, yes, I am concerned for you, Kyungsoo."


The driver in the front spoke up then before Kyunsoo could say anything. "You should feel special that this kid here is giving you a ride to some tea shop."


Kyungsoo had his hands folded on his lap because the nervousness was creeping up from behind again. He knew he was in a private car with no other than Kim Jongin and his driver Sehun, but it still didn't stop the blush from appearing on Kyungsoo's cheeks. "What makes you say that?" He asked, smiling at the offended 'Hey, I'm not a kid!' coming from Jongin beside him.


Sehun chuckled, rolling his eyes as the car took a left around the corner. "Jongin's a huge introvert. I don't even know how he managed to become a poet or get you inside this car."


Jongin grumbled quietly to himself, and Kyungsoo gently patted Jongin's hand in comfort.


"It's okay because I'm an introvert as well. I'm surprised I am even in here." Kyungsoo smiled, taking his hand away only to let out a soft gasp when Jongin entwined their fingers. Kyungsoo couldn't help but look down at his lap.


"Then I'm sure you and Jongin here will get along just fine," Sehun said and then stopped talking altogether.


After a while spent in comfortable silence, Kyungsoo finally spoke up again.


"Why?" Kyungsoo questioned while looking at the older male with a curious look, their hands still locked together. "I've never had someone care enough about me to be concerned, so why you?"


Jongin snorted to himself, shaking his head as the city lights created shadows inside of the car, "You have been talking with the wrong people for you ever to think a stranger like me would not care about you. Sure, you're just my fan, but you're also someone with actual feelings, so it's just something natural for me to be concerned about you, Kyungsoo."


Kyungsoo felt his cheeks flush and kept silent for the rest of the car ride. After that, his thoughts all over the place but with a warm feeling in his chest.


- - - -


Seated comfortably but in a little bit of discomfort, Kyungsoo smiled when Jongin told him about something he read about the planets the other night while looking outside of his balcony. Kyungsoo listened intently, paying close attention to the poet because he knew that after this night had ended, Kim Jongin would be entirely off-limits. And that brought sadness back into Kyungsoo's heart because he wanted to talk to the older man every day, get to know him and possibly, maybe even have the chance to fall for the poet.


"Hey, are you listening?" Came a low chuckle from the handsome man sipping on his green tea, a teasing smile on his lips.


Kyungsoo cleared his throat in embarrassment. He must have been spacing out and most like staring at Jongin with an intense look. "No, I wasn't," he answered honestly, knowing full well that there wasn't a point in lying. "Sorry," he apologized quietly, chewing on his bottom lip, already feeling bad for not listening to someone who genuinely wanted to converse with him.


"Is there something on your mind that is bothering you?" Jongin asked with concern, lacing in his voice. He had now put down his cup of lukewarm tea beside the napkin dispenser to give his full attention to the fan seated in front of him with a ton of emotions flickering in his eyes every few seconds that passed. "If there is something you want to talk about, Kyungsoo, you can say it if you want. I won't force you because, after all, I am just a stranger you just met, but maybe I could be of help?"


Kyungsoo didn't know what to say, but he didn't want to dampen the mood with his angsty thoughts or his sudden silence. It had just been so long since Kyungsoo had someone want to sit down with him to chat about little things and drink some tea. It had been so long that he couldn't help but to bask in this little paradise that wouldn't last for too long because Jongin was going to leave, and Kyungsoo would be back to watching him from behind the screen of his laptop. He was going to go back to hide in his room, hoping that his father wouldn't find him and threaten to take away the only book Kyungsoo cared about. "Can I be honest with you?" He asked instead of answering Jongin's previous questions.


Jongin nodded his head, leaning in to rest his elbows and forearms on the table. "Sure, of course, you can."


"Would you believe me if I told you I was in love with you?" Kyungsoo sighed heavily then, biting his lower lip as Jongin remained silent. "Would you believe if I told you that after this night is over, I don't want you to go?" He sighed again, slowly stirring his tea around before taking a quick second to glance up only to meet Jongin's eyes.


The older man had a smile on his lips but still didn't dare to speak. He knew Kyungsoo had more to say.


"I don't want you to assume I'm just a crazy fan confessing my undying love for you, Jongin-sshi. I don't want you to think that of me," he sighed shakily, shaking his head as he brought his hand up to wipe his eyes. He couldn't believe he was about to cry in front of Jongin. "I have watched all of your interviews, all of your fan signs when I couldn't attend because of some problems, and I saw you smile at everyone, but I took notice that you had a different smile for each fan that greeted you. You were kind, always grinning and laughing at their jokes. You were sweet, handing them tissues when they would start crying. But most importantly, you were so loving. How do you do that?"


"How do you do what?"


"How do you love so many even if you don't know them, nor had ever spoken to them?"


For the second time in the day, Jongin cheeks turned red. "Do you want to know?" He asked, sliding his cell phone out of his pocket to check the time. It was already nearing closing time, and there was a notification on the screen alerting him of a text message from Sehun telling him that he was already waiting for him outside.


Kyungsoo nodded his head, moving closer to Jongin when the older man beckoned him to come closer to him. 


"Come back with me to my place. Maybe then you can figure out if I'm worth falling for."


Kyungsoo couldn't stop the smile from spreading across his lips. It was a shy smile, but he nodded his head, grabbing Jongin's outstretched hand and allowed the older man to lead him outside where they went back to Jongin's apartment.


To the poet's apartment where Jongin decided that he would very much love to fall for Kyungsoo. And where Kyungsoo agreed that it was worth falling for a poet.