When studying and helping others, Jinki was honestly in his element. That was not the case when he was in places like The Stars Align. As promised, when he was finished helping Kibum with his studies – and honestly he didn’t seem as abysmal as the first year led on – they killed time until Kibum had to go into work. Well, Daejung killed time by roping them both into playing games with him, which he soundly kicked their butts in, but that was typical – the kid practically lived in the VR world when he wasn’t doing other things. At least for Jinki. Kibum didn’t take the losses quite so well.

                “Again!” Kibum shouted, affronted at having been bested yet again by the pint-sized terror.

                Siwoo and Doyun giggled almost manically at the display but didn’t say anything outright at a look from Jinki. Hajoon poked her head in to watch a couple rounds, and their mother even appeared at one point, breaking up the game long enough to meet Kibum who seemed flustered by her presence. “Don’t let him play all day,” she chided with a look at Jinki, her light brown eyes tired from sleep, crow’s feet crinkling noticeably at the edges. She brushed brunette curls out of her face and stifled a yawn, thin lips hiding behind a worn, age spotted hand. “But make yourself at home, Kibum honey,” she smiled, the expression the very essence of motherly. “Any friend of Jinki’s is a friend of ours.”

                Jinki was afraid that Kibum might shatter into a thousand pieces at the assurance, his body language incomprehensibly tense and the expression on his face as fragile as blown glass. “Yes, ma’am,” was a mere whisper of a response followed by the ghost of a bow.

                He stood up and placed a hand lightly against Kibum’s back, painfully aware of the way he inhaled sharply at the contact. “Thanks mom!” he said, focusing his attention on the aging woman who was all whipcord strength and concealed tiger fury when it came to her children. Almost coy, she waved her fingers back and stepped out of the doorway, giving them privacy once more. Jinki left his hand against Kibum’s back until the younger man moved of his own accord. There was more story there than he was willing to let on yet and while Jinki was determined to find out some day, this was not the one.

                Of course, he might have pressed a little harder if he’d realized Kibum wanted to kill him with his performance that evening. It was bad enough when he didn’t know who Almighty Key was. The effect was exponentially worse when he did. Reconciling the angled planes and biting humor of Kim Kibum with the illustrious and lithe magnificence of Almighty Key was no easy thing. Worse was the unexpected and dark flash of irritation when he heard others whisper appreciation of said person in turn. Oh, the odd shout and call of support could literally apply to any of the dancers, but when he heard Kibum’s alter ego name, his back tensed and he felt a very unreasonable desire to whisk the younger man away from such comments.

                It didn’t help that Psitassi showed up later with a full posse in tow, all excited to finally see Kibum perform. Not that they were a bad audience. Far from it. Their energy filled the room and really brought Ixo’s music to life, dancing and moving on the floor as the energy of the night sank into them. The upbeat tempo of the music got the performers and the audience moving, a living breathing organism that responded in tandem, but when the tempo shifted, becoming sultry and sensuous, so too did the atmosphere.

                Jinki was mesmerized, completely caught up in Kibum’s almost inhuman grace. The way his slightly muscled arms pulled his body up the pole was nothing in comparison to the pair of incredible legs winding around it, creating stiff pauses and sharp plains, illustriously augmented by a variant of his traditional red attire. A sudden sharp whistle at odds with the performance yanked him from his appreciation. He saw Kibum falter for a split second – only because he was watching so close, and then turned to look for who had caused the disruption. Noises weren’t banned, but the wolf whistle was highly frowned upon. His eyes scanned the crowds and… there! He spotted a group of second or maybe third years that had clustered at a table near the stage. They were stationed in front of Passeri and they fell silent after the first whistle, but Jinki knew them now. He started moving closer just in case.

                Another wolf whistle and a mocking jeer appeared, directed at Almighty Key. “Not bad, Kibum! Work it!” By itself, the words could have been a compliment, but the delivery was everything. Mockery and derision infused the tone and Almighty Key faltered just a touch. He slipped on the pole, sliding further than intended. His otherwise flawless performance suffered the shame of having to make an adjustment, hands catching his fall to contort into a roll, breaking his momentum. Rising, he effortlessly launched back to his position on the pole, but it was clear his confidence was at least slightly shaken.

                Jinki felt his anger rise and he started to move to confront the heckler. In his periphery, he thought he saw Psitassi’s group moving to do the same, but everyone in the immediate audience froze when a mountain of a figure seemed to materialize next to the offender. Jinki had never seen the owner of the establishment, had never had cause to, but Kibum had described him once. A Varium with a physique not unlike an old Earth Viking and striking blue hair – including the beard and mustache. He was not a figure to be trifled with.

                No. No he was not.

                Corded barrel arms crossed as he glowered down at the Terran offender with all the ominous presence of an encroaching thunderstorm. Said student balked in outright fright, eyes wide and arms cradled close in his fear. Garum, the owner, jerked his head to the side once, an unspoken command to leave. And the Terran did. With his friends in tow, figurative tails tucked between their legs.

                Almost comically, the vacated space was suddenly filled with Psitassi and her group who gave Garum an adoring look before they turned their energy towards the stage. From Jinki’s vantage, it looked as if Garum was actually bemused by the response of the group swarming around him. He was wearing a most peculiar smile as he looked at Almighty Key and then at Passeri. She noticed his glance and nodded once.

                Jinki was fascinated when Garum raised his hand to snap. It seemed an inconsequential and unnoticed sound, but shortly after, the music shifted. Passeri and Jackson retreated from the poles, backing up to the edges of the stage. A belated Almighty Key followed their example, elegantly frolicking off to join them when he realized what had happened. It was obvious he was confused, but Jinki was certain he’d never admit it outright.

                The music changed again, something with a heavy bass beat and an overlying trill in a faster tempo. The Moladhi and older Terran bolted for the outer poles, flinging themselves at the secondary stages with professional verve and enthusiasm. For a split second, Jinki saw the panic in Kibum’s eyes, the realization that he was supposed to take center stage. But just as quickly, his demeanor shifted and the performance took over, commanding him to do as the Muse of dance demanded. Almighty Key flung themself into the spotlight and soared in the half-gravity atmosphere. It took them a moment to find their rhythm, flailing limbs easily mistaken for erratic dance movements, mere precursors to their performance.

                As Almighty Key took center stage, a low roar of sound erupted from Psitassi’s group, their cries supportive and enamored but subdued in respect for the performers. Had it been his first viewing, Jinki might well have been caught watching them, but though he admired their appreciation, he was more interested in how the performers responded. Jackson preened, even though the cries of ‘Almighty Key’ were not meant for him. And Passeri had a particularly keen look on her face upon noticing the easily identifiable Moladhi in the group.

                But as for Kibum – Almighty Key, he shined. Born to command attention, he was at his best in the limelight. Jinki felt an inexplicable pride welling in him as he watched the younger student absolutely glow on stage, a feeling of secondhand accomplishment its own drug. He had no say in Kibum’s success here, obviously, but as his mentor… some of the joy could be shared.

                The rest of the evening passed in a sort of blur of amazement for Jinki. Tired from the day’s exertions and his usual endeavors with his siblings, he sat down on one of the cushioned seats to rest and… eventually realized that he’d dozed off.

                “Jinki.” A warm voice sounded very far away, echoing in a dark, empty chamber. “Jinki!” Louder this time and accompanied with a jostle. There was a quiet sigh and then a firm grab at his side that jolted him into wakefulness with a startled yelp.

                “I’m up!” he gasped, heart racing and eyes wide. The scene before him was a far cry from before. Oh, he was still in The Stars Align, but the room was almost entirely empty save for Almighty Key, no, Kibum standing directly in front of him and Passeri and Jackson cleaning up in the background.

                “Finally,” Kibum chuckled, a crooked smile tugging at one corner of his mouth.

                Jinki blinked hard and then it clicked that they were cleaning up. “Oh! You should have woken me earlier,” he gasped, making an awkward effort to stand up. But Kibum caught his shoulder and pressed him back down.

                “We’re almost done. Getting ready to head home actually,” he explained with a wink and a nod towards the door.

                He frowned in brief confusion and looked towards the entryway before turning back to meet Kibum’s gaze. “It’s okay. I’ll wait for you.” A flash of surprise flickered over Kibum’s face and he started to look back towards the other two but stopped himself.

                “You’ve got a longer ways to go and you’ve had a long day,” the performer reasoned, his tone trying to be convincing if Jinki was right.

                A wave of his hand banished that idea. “So have you, and the school is basically on the way. I really don’t mind.” Honestly, he didn’t, but Kibum was also trying to get rid of him for some reason and Jinki wanted to know if he could find out anything if he was stubborn enough about it.

                “Chicklet.” It was fascinating watching Kibum cringe at the name. “Why don’t you let the nice man who escorted you here and couldn’t take his eyes off you almost the entire performance walk you home?” Passeri sauntered over and paused to stand beside the younger Terran, glancing down at him as the skin at the corners of her beak tilted up.

                Kibum blinked, a delightful furrow wrinkling the space between his brows, and then looked back at Jinki. “Almost the whole performance?” he practically purred, the question likely meant to be suggestive and possibly embarrassing.

                It worked. Jinki forgot the vision ability of a Moladhi and how lights almost directly in their eyes didn’t necessarily cause the blindness it did in Terrans. He floundered to think of a response and suddenly blurted, “It was the first time I’d seen him center stage!”

                A dramatic sigh escaped said performer and he pretend fainted with the back of his hand to his forehead. “Likely a one and done scenario. Thanks for the heads up, by the way,” he grumbled, tossing an annoyed glare at the Moladhi beside him.

                “You did fine,” she praised, actually patting him on the head, the natural silvery gray of her short feathers bright against his raven strands.

                “Passeri,” Kibum groaned, frantically pushing the hand away while he stepped to the side.

                “Not so fast,” the other Terran laughed, ruffling Kibum’s hair almost like a mild punishment for escaping the Moladhi.

                “Jackson!” The cry this time was more of a shout, complaining and put upon.

                Jackson rolled his eyes in a mimicry of something Jinki had seen Kibum do dozens of times. “Go home, Kibum,” he shooed, snatching the nano cloth from his hand and nudging him towards Jinki. “We can handle the rest. By the looks of it, you’ve had a longer day than either of us,” he added, gesturing between him and Passeri with a sharp look at Kibum’s face.

                Reactively, Kibum raised his hands to touch his fingertips to the mostly clean skin, a slightly worried frown crinkling it. He pouted, bottom lip jutting out just a bit more than the top one, and turned to ask Jinki. “Do I look like I’ve had a long day, Jinki?”

                He was not expecting such a reaction. By the looks in his periphery, neither had Passeri nor Jackson. But that didn’t get him off the hook for trying to answer. The wheels in his head turned while he inspected Kibum’s face, noticing the dark circles under his eyes that had gotten better but were still there; the paleness of his complexion that was no longer almost ghost-like but would benefit from the kiss of the sun more often; the look of his skin pulled just a little too taut over the sharp angles of prominent bones…

                Kibum covered his face with both hands in the ensuing silence, a tiny grunt of complaint escaping from behind the shield. “You didn’t say no so silence means yes,” he explained, still keeping his face hidden while his shoulders rose and fell from the deep breath he took.

                “That’s not-” Jinki immediately tried to say before one hand flashed in front of him, an obvious silencing gesture.

                For a second, it looked as if Kibum might not say anything. The trio around him exchanged quick, curious looks, and then flinched when he his heels and started walking off. “I’m going home.” Passeri and Jackson’s heads turned at the same time to follow Kibum’s progress before swinging back to Jinki. Again in sync, they gestured at him with their closest hands and shifted them to motion after Kibum, a mute ‘What are you waiting for, go follow him,’ command if he’d ever seen one.

                Scrambling from the sofa, Jinki called out, “Wait up, Kibum!” For a wonder, he didn’t suffer one of his clumsy moments but that could also have been because Passeri reached out to stop him briefly.

He looked up at her curiously and she leaned close to murmur, “Tell the Moladhi that came today that I’d like to meet her sometime.”

                “Huh?” both Jinki and Jackson grunted at the same time, sharing equally confused looks.

                “Calm down,” she laughed once, reaching out to brush her fingers against Jackson’s cheek reassuringly.

                “You mean Psitassi?” Jinki wondered, recalling seeing more than one Moladhi in the crowd but only one that had come from the school this evening. The second-year student that had left with the intimidated Terran didn’t count.

                “So that’s her name,” Passeri hummed to herself, nodding in understanding and confirmation. “Yes. Now off you go,” she continued, giving Jinki a nudge to get him moving after Kibum again.

                He stumbled forward, catching snippets of quiet words flowing between the pair behind him. He had no idea why Passeri wanted to meet Psitassi. Considering she was a friend of Kibum’s and a worker at The Stars Align, he didn’t see the harm in at least passing the message. But that was for another day as he still had to catch up to Kibum.

                The establishment felt so very different when everyone was gone, quiet and almost hallow in its solitude. Ironically the backstage area had a similar atmosphere, muffled by layers of dark cloth and soft padding, but disconnected from the open vibrancy of the front. Whispers of sound escaped, fabric sliding with a hissing rustle. Jinki didn’t think anything of it before he stuck his head into the back and noticed Kibum pulling his uniform shirt down over his head. “Sorry!” he yelped, automatically lurching back behind the curtain.

                Kibum’s startled inhale quieted quickly. When he spoke next, his voice was calm control and almost dismissive. “It’s fine.” Silence followed paired with the sound of clothes rustling again. “Aren’t you going to come in?” came the curious question after a pause.

                “Not until you say it’s okay,” Jinki answered playing with his fingers in front of him, a furrow knitting itself between his brows. “It’s rude otherwise.” He hadn’t meant to walk in on him but now he couldn’t ignore the way Kibum’s ribs had pressed against his skin, gentle waves and valleys demarcating the space between each piece of bone instead of a single plane. No wonder he’d seemed so amazed in front of the food processor today…

                There was a soft laugh at that and then the fabric beside Jinki shifted as a pale hand stuck through. Kibum’s head followed immediately after, his habitual smirk in place. “I did.”

                Jinki was starting to recognize it as a mask and at that moment it bothered him. But there was a time and a place for everything. Once again, now was not it. “Ah,” he grunted instead, mouth open with a single nod. “Shall we go?”

                Kibum looked around and lifted his hand up once. “See you for the next shift!”

                Passeri and Jackson whirled around, acting for all the world like they hadn’t been leaning in to hear what the two were talking about. “Remember, Jackson won’t be here and we’ll have one of the other part-timers filling in for his spot,” the Moladhi reminded him.

                Jackson pouted, an expression that seemed wholly at odds with his muscular physique, when Kibum responded with little more than, “Yeah, yeah.” The smirk on his face softened to something closer to an actual smile.

                “Ungrateful brat!” Jackson scowled, shaking a loose fist in his direction. “I hope you sleep your grumpiness away,” he added for good measure, outrage breaking into a genuine laugh.

                Jinki could see a response forming, the slight narrowing of Kibum’s eyes as he decided how to respond, and that was enough for him. “Sleep is a cure for many things!” he exclaimed, ever so gently pushing Kibum’s upper arm to get him to start moving towards the back. “Thank you for a great performance!” he added, waving to the two still in the main room as he guided a strangely agreeable Kibum along.

                When they reached the outer area, Kibum gave a soft snort and stuffed his hands in his pockets. “I wasn’t going to say much of anything.”

                A raised brow was all Jinki could muster at first. Then he shook his head and laughed once. “Maybe not, but you looked like you were gearing up for an exchange and sleep really is a good idea. For all of us,” he added, pointing at himself intentionally.

                “Fine,” the first year huffed, crossing his arms briefly and then loosing them to hang lightly in front of him. He looked slightly defeated, his shoulders a bit slumped and head tilted forward. Without a word, he began walking in the direction of the school.

                Jinki fell into step beside him, casting quick glances like he was a puzzle to be figured out. The crowds at this hour – sometime after three in the morning – were thinning out as the patrons sought their beds or other establishments that had longer hours. All the streets were well lit, lighting glowing from the surface itself in tracks and dotted periodically with an overhead light to mark alleyways or intersections. “How was it to be the main performer tonight?” he finally asked, hoping that was a safe enough topic for now.

                They were nearing the platform rise for the school now, heading into the heart of the city where the leaders and politicians mostly gathered and worked and deliberated. The university didn’t sit immediately over city center, but it was close. Those in power would have had a conniption fit if the shadow of such a building was perpetually cast over them. Needless to say, the businesses and rentals directly beneath the school were listed for cheaper prices.

                “It was nice.” The answer was almost a whisper, soft and a little sad, his voice barely carrying through the distance between them.

                Prodding just a little bit, Jinki spoke, “You don’t sound like it.”

                Kibum’s lips thinned and he gave a familiar side-eyed look. “It was probably a one-time thing.” At Jinki’s confused look, he took a breath and added, “Garum explained it was basically a play to shove it in their faces.” When he didn’t elaborate on ‘their’, Jinki was forced to ask.

                “As in…?”

                A flash of frustration flickered over Kibum’s face but his voice remained free of it. “Crawven and friends?” he answered, posing the question like it should have been obvious.

                “Ah… so, sort of like trying to make your outing… backfire?” he offered hesitantly while they slowed at the entrance. It was a large structure that had a levitating platform the size of a house which could be raised and lowered for the purposes of bringing in supplies or large groups of people. A series of smaller individual platforms lined it on either side though and most students used them when returning at odd hours or leaving in general.

                Shoulders shrugged in a fluid motion and Kibum snorted, “Maybe.” They both glanced at the platforms and he spoke first. “Well, we’re here. You should go on,” Kibum encouraged, gesturing in the direction of Jinki’s house.

                “It’s alright. It’s no trouble to walk you to the dorms,” Jinki responded, keeping his voice intentionally light. There he went again. Trying to get rid of him.

                “Really. I insist,” the first year stated firmly, his expression determinedly neutral.

                “I couldn’t come pick you up this morning so I should at least see you back safely.” He would do the same for anybody else, but Jinki had to try and craft the sentence so it wouldn’t come off as pushy or something like that.

                Even so, Kibum’s nose wrinkled and he sighed, a small, frustrated sound. “Just go home, Jinki!” he finally snapped, looking to the side so he wouldn’t have to meet the other man’s eyes.

                The sharp words and tone made his gut twist uncomfortably. Jinki hated it when people were upset with him and that was certainly what this sounded like, but… he took a steadying breath and asked as gently as he could, “You don’t actually live in the dorms, do you?”

                A dismissive scoff answered him. “Where else would I live?” Jinki wasn’t even sure if Kibum was aware of it, but his body tensed noticeably and those slender fingers tangled together in front of him, apparently trying to hold him together lest he fall apart.

                “Yes or no?” Jinki pressed, staying exactly where he was but letting the full weight of his attention fall on Kibum. The first year ducked his head further, like he wanted to hide, but said nothing in response. Jinki winced and took a breath of his own before calling up his personal screen. Dark eyes flashed as Kibum glanced over to see what he was doing. “You didn’t say yes so silence must mean no in this instance.” He downloaded a virtual token with a decent amount of funds on it, the coin sized image materializing in front of him before he held it out to Kibum. “I won’t ask you where you’re staying, but,” he paused looking up to make sure Kibum was looking at him. “-it is late and you have had a long day so please. Take a cab home.”

                Kibum looked at the small coin on Jinki’s palm, his expression unreadable. “I…”

                “Take it,” he repeated himself, more firmly this time.

                One of Kibum’s hands started to rise, getting stuck in the distance between them. “Jinki,” he murmured, almost a whimper really.

                Jinki sighed and carefully reached out to grab Kibum’s hand with his free one. “No repayment needed or expected,” he explained, pressing the coin into Kibum’s palm and curling his fingers around it. “Just one friend helping another,” he promised, a warm smile pulling at the corners of his mouth and crinkling his eyes.

                That seemed to be the right thing to say. Kibum gave a tiny nod with the barest of sounds confirming he understood.

                “Can I walk you to the cab station?” he asked then, brows pulled down and eyes slightly narrowed. Kibum held his hand up in mute objection and Jinki nodded. “Okay.” He took a step back to give Kibum a bit more space. “You really did good tonight,” he praised, relieved when the first year finally looked at him, an expression more than discomfit meeting his gaze. It was like he could breathe again and some of the tension bled away with the single nod he gave back. “Well. I hope you sleep well and… I’ll see you on Monday?” he asked for confirmation.

                “Yeah. You too,” Kibum finally spoke, conjuring the barest hint of a smile to tug one side of his mouth up, the effects reaching to the very edges of his eyes.

                Despite not being allowed to go with him, Jinki stayed where he was and watched Kibum take the lift to the cab station. They drove on the third layer of traffic with the other hovercars so it was just easier to go up to that shelf. He waited until the cab drove off with Kibum in tow – hopefully anyway. And only when it was finally out of sight did he start to make his own way home.

                “Yikes!” he grimaced with a glance at his watch. It might almost be daylight by the time he got back… His siblings were going to kill him with questions. The thought alone was enough to make him facepalm and groan. Well, they’d have to wait for him to wake up first at least. So long as he got home soon anyway. “Let’s go!” he encouraged himself, pausing just long enough to send Kibum a personal contact message. Sleep well and good night. 😊

            Was it a little odd that he was sending daily and nightly messages to his mentee? Especially when he didn’t do the same for some of his other mentees or students for tutoring. Maybe… Did he think Kibum needed them? Yes. Today had only reaffirmed that. The young man was a bevy of secrets that must have been weighing down on him and Jinki was determined to lighten that load any way he could. One secret at a time.

 

(a/n: Apologies for the delay but Happy New Year and belated happy holidays! I hope everyone had a good and/or restful time at home or at least not working too hard. I got to go home for the first time in two years so I was a little busy (quite the understatement actually haha) and getting back into the swing of things after returning is always a little bit of a challenge. But I do hope that you enjoy the update and I'll see if I can get back into a pattern of regular postings (more or less) in the weeks to come! As always, if you have any questions, suggestions, or thoughts in general, they're quite welcome, but happy reading and please look forward to the next chapter! Thank you! <3)