Jinki made his way home with a confused jumble of elation and trepidation worrying at his gut. He walked, so it took him much longer than usual. Unfortunately, it didn’t help him unravel his concern about overstepping either. Lost in thought as he finally approached the house, he jumped when someone called his name. Looking up with wide eyes, he laughed in embarrassment. “Hey mom,” he waved, moving closer to wrap his arms around her in greeting hug.

                “Hey, love,” she smiled, hugging him back easily. He felt her arms loosen but when Jinki held on, she paused and tightened her embrace again. “What’s wrong?” she questioned, smoothing the back of his neck with one hand while the other patted his middle back comfortingly.

                “Nothing really,” he mumbled, closing his eyes and reveling in the embrace. She always gave such good hugs: firm and warm, like a weighted blanket that could sooth even the worst case of restlessness.

                She laughed quietly and shook her head. “Your sisters said you performed well tonight.”

                “Ugh,” he groaned, hiding his face in her shoulder. “Not really.”

                “Well, they said the audience liked you,” she persisted, a smile obvious in her voice.

                He snorted once. “They were being kind.”

                “And Kibum?” she pried gently, her hands stilling as she waited for the response.

                Since that was the source of his uncertainty at the moment, Jinki tensed and eased himself out of his mother’s embrace. “He’s fine. I’m fine. Don’t you have work to get to?” he asked, stepping back now to catch her hands in his as he met her gaze head on.

                She smiled back at him, the corners of her eyes wrinkling with a multitude of laugh lines. “I do, but it won’t kill them if I’m a bit later than usual,” she winked, freeing one hand to step close and thread Jinki’s hair behind one ear. “Besides, I’m a mother first and you can’t very well talk with your father since he’s out of the dome at the moment. So?” she pressed, cupping his cheek and looking up into his face intently.

                “I shouldn’t have kissed him,” he finally admitted unhappily after a delayed pause.

                Her response was not what he expected. “Oh? Progress I see.”

                “What?” he asked in bewilderment. “No! I mean yes, but-” he struggled to explain, floundering on the words he needed.

                His mother chuckled and patted his hand in both of hers before she gestured towards the bench in front of the house. “Let’s have a seat.” Her eyes darted towards the front door and she added, “Where no prying ears might listen in, aye?”

                Jinki gave a weak but grateful smile in return and nodded. He sat down first and waited for her to send the message to her work before she sat down in turn. At her prompting, he explained the general situation and what he was most worried about.

                She listened attentively, a small furrow between her brows and one hand resting on her chin thoughtfully. When he was finished, she nodded in understanding and then let the full weight of her gaze settle on him once more. “You’ve mentioned he was a skittish thing before.” He gave her a look at the word choice and she raised one hand in mute apology. “I don’t think you’ve overstepped here. And to be fair, he was the one that kissed you first,” she pointed out with a shrug.

                “But… he was… tipsy…” he mumbled, arguing with himself over it. He’d wanted to kiss Kibum many a time before tonight, and it just felt wrong that the first real opportunity came after they’d both been drinking at least a little bit. Granted, Jinki hadn’t felt tipsy and he knew that Kibum wasn’t drunk, but still…

                His mother’s expression was bemused and he wasn’t sure he liked it. “Well, if you’re worried that he thinks you took advantage of him, just ask. It’s what you’re good at,” she winked.

                “Mom,” he groaned, rolling his eyes at the comment.

                “What?” she asked, gesturing to either side of her in an open shrug. “I can’t help it if you’re the best communicator in this family,” she reminded him with a single laugh. “No idea where you get it from. Your father is terrible and I’ve never been very good at the speaking and listening part,” she admitted wryly. When Jinki gave her a deadpan look, she laughed. “Fine! So I’ve gotten better in my old age.”

                Jinki’s expression relaxed but his tension didn’t. “It’s not even the kiss,” he admitted, knowing that it was but not really. “It’s… him,” he gestured vaguely, not entirely sure how to put it into words. When he looked at his mother, her head was tilted to the side in a perplexed manner and he frowned. “Okay. Fine. Despite the fact he works at an exotic dance club, I don’t really think he’s done much dating or anything. I’m scared I’ll frighten him off or push too hard or too fast or… yeah,” he explained with a grimace.

                “So you’re worried about then?” she asked, being intentionally obtuse.

                “Mom!” he groaned, slapping his face with his palm.

                “Oh, you’re so cute when you’re embarrassed,” she teased, laughing in quiet delight as she poked at one of his cheeks. When he turned a frustrated glare at her, she raised both hands in immediate surrender and smoothed her expression. “For what it’s worth,” she started, reaching out to put her arm around his shoulder and give him a squeeze. “I think you’re doing a great job. I both love and hate that when you fall for someone, you do so quite hard,” she admitted with a sad smile on her face. “Have you ever asked him about it?” she wondered gently, reaching up to grab his chin and lightly turn his face more towards her.

                Jinki raised one brow and snorted. “Up until recently, he was still my mentee.”

                “Right,” she nodded in understanding. “The ‘no dating the mentee’ rule. But he’s not a mentee anymore and though you’re ridiculously busy, as per usual, you do somehow manage to find time for him,” she smiled with a wink.

                He laughed without offense. “True enough.” Jinki took another breath and then nodded as if to himself. “I think Henry’s a bit more jealous than usual too.”

                “You think?” his mother chuckled, giving his shoulder a pat. He turned a pitiful look at her and she shook her head. “It’s never easy feeling like you’re being replaced, even when you know you’re not.”

                “He knows that!” Jinki exhaled in frustration, recalling the way he’d acted earlier this evening.

                His mother sighed and tapped her head with one finger. “The mind knows that, but the heart,” she explained, patting her chest where her heart would be, “is not so easily convinced. You know… it wouldn’t be the end of the world for your sisters if you didn’t go to every practice you could with them. That way you could spend a little more time with other people or even just by yourself.”

                “But it might feel that way to them,” he argued weakly, knowing it was not a strong defense.

                She raised her brow and laughed once, shaking her head in silence. “Well, love. It does seem like you’ve got a fair bit to get sorted out in the meantime.” His mother paused and raised her hand in front of them. “Speaking of getting things sorted… have you decided on a focus for your last two years yet?”

                Jinki groaned loudly. “No.”

                “You might want to get on that,” she teased, poking at his cheek again.

                “Mom!”

                “What? This break won’t last forever you know,” she reminded him, chuckling to herself as she stood up and stretched lightly.

                Jinki remained seated and looked down at the space between his feet. “What if I can’t get it figured out?” he worried. He heard his mother sigh and then flinched when her shadow fell over him, casting him into semi-darkness.

                “Then I’ll be here to help you,” she promised, cupping his face in both hands and placing a motherly kiss on the top of his head. “And your father. And your sisters. And probably Daejung too. Though I don’t know how much help he’d be right now. All he seems to know are video games,” she laughed.

                It was enough to conjure a smile and a weak laugh from Jinki too. Likely as intended. “You never know,” he admitted, looking up with a fragile expression of hope. His attention shifted beyond his mother’s face to center on the night sky above them, dimmed from the dome’s protective surface but still faintly clear in the distance. “I think…” he trailed off, seeing his mother turn to follow the direction of his gaze. “I think I might want to see the stars,” he finally whispered, a small smile tugging at the corners of his mouth.

                “Huh,” was the only response he got from his mother. That and a knowing look as she turned her attention back to him. “Well, whatever you do decide, you’ll have my support no matter what,” she assured him, reaching down to grab his hand and give it a gentle squeeze.

                Jinki smiled when he met her gaze. “Thanks mom,” he responded, squeezing her hand back before letting go and stretching. “Goodness. It’s getting late, isn’t it?” he wondered, giving her a side eyed look to which she laughed.

                “Too responsible by far,” she scoffed, nudging one of his raised hands and then shaking her head. “But yes. I have work and you need sleep. I expect your sisters will run you ragged tomorrow, but such is your life,” she teased, wrinkling her nose at him before leaning close to give him one more quick kiss on the top of his forehead. “Love you, son. Sleep well and see you tomorrow,” his mother added before she started to walk off, slowing enough to turn and give him a final wave.

                “Bye, mom! Don’t work too hard,” he advised while waving in response.

                “You’re one to talk!” she called back but nodded in understanding. And then she made it to the hoverbike and took off with practiced ease.

                Jinki watched the lights of her bike disappear in the distance. Only when he couldn’t see them anymore did he finally get up and wander back inside. He was still a little unsettled but getting things out in the open always helped. Now all that was left was to follow up. After tomorrow anyway. His sisters probably would run him ragged…

 

                The following few days were busy and generally unchanged from whatever Jinki expected. Training sessions wore him out completely, each sister had some kind of event to attend in quick succession, including Hajoon’s semi-finals match, and he had little time or energy to worry about anything else. He exchanged frequent messages with his circle of people, and especially Kibum, though they both seemed content to skirt the topic from the other night. Well, Jinki at least wanted to discuss it in person and not by text or voice chat. It also didn’t help that he found himself tailed by new additions of ‘fans’ who had enjoyed his performance at The Stars Align either. How did Kibum handle the constant attention?

                By the end of the week, he was almost well and ready to seriously consider his mother’s suggestion of maybe trying to claim a little more time for himself. Maybe it was just too much of everything, but he simply felt so worn out and stretched thin. Even the thought of trying to meet up with his friends brought no measure of joy. The added stress, albeit minor, of thinking about his future plans and how to interact with Kibum after their kiss only compounded the problem.

                In the end, maybe Jinki was the only one that was really caught completely off guard when he suddenly came to in his bed with no recollection of how he’d gotten there. He groaned softly and opened sensitive eyes, wincing even at the dim light in the room. “Huh?” he mumbled, disoriented confusion surfacing when he saw his mother sitting on the edge of the bed next to him.

                “Welcome back,” she laughed once, leaning forward enough to rest the back of her hand against his forehead.

                “Mom?” he whispered with a furrowed brow.

                “You’re still a little warm, but everything else seems alright. The scanner says you’re good at least,” she explained before looking down at him with a sigh.

                Still confused, Jinki asked, “What happened?” The last thing he remembered was eating supper with everyone in the dining room and then…

                “You, my dear, fainted,” she answered, tilting her head to the side as if she was disappointed.

                “Eh?”

                His bafflement made her laugh again and she took another breath. “Our thoughts exactly,” she murmured dryly, placing one hand against her chest. “One moment, we’re all eating and finishing up, and the next you’re collapsing on the dining room floor after standing up.” Jinki cringed at the recap and glanced at the door. His mother followed his gaze before she added, “Your siblings are probably listening in from the outside but they’ve promised not to bother you while I’m here.”

                “Ugh,” he groaned, digging the heels of his palms into his eyes.

                “How are you feeling?”

                “Tired,” he admitted with a quiet sigh, letting his hands drop slowly. “How long was I out? It’s still Friday, right?” he asked in a sudden panic, worried he might have slept far longer than he should have.

                His mother rolled her eyes with a groan. “Yes, it’s still Friday. You’ve only been down for about an hour. But you’re staying in bed at this point.” Jinki opened his mouth to argue and she laughed once, interrupting anything he might have been trying to say. “I’m pulling the mom card and you are going to get a full night’s rest or so help me,” she threatened vaguely.

                “Mom…” he pouted, pitiful in his bed.

                “Don’t you mom me,” she chided, shaking her finger at his nose. “I can’t even remember the last time you passed out so no buts.”

                “Last summer. Hajoon’s pre-championship training session,” he mumbled as if by rote. She gave him a look with a raised brow and pursed lips. “Sorry,” he apologized, shrugging his shoulders and stretching his neck.

                “Here,” she offered, reaching to the side end table beside his bed. “Take this. It’s an Immuno-booster,” she explained, handing him a glass of water as soon as he sat up enough to take it.

                “Thanks,” he mumbled, swallowing the tablet with a quick grimace.

                “I feel like I should say I told you so, but knowing you…” she trailed off, crossing her arms over her chest.

                “Mom,” he groaned plaintively.

                “You should just be glad I’m still here right now. Had this happened much later, I’d be gone for work and your sisters would have to take care of you,” she explained, tossing her arms up in helplessness. Jinki wrinkled his nose at that but didn’t comment. “I’ve let your father know and he’ll check on you whenever he gets back this evening.”

                Jinki nodded in understanding and scooched back down to lie in bed once more. “What about tomorrow?” he asked, looking at her from the corner of his eyes.

                “Boy,” she warned, raising her hand like she was going to swat his leg under the covers.

                He laughed even as he flinched, and she giggled in response, setting her hand down and looking away briefly. “I know, mom. Rest, right?”

                “Exactly.”

                “Okay.”

                “Good. I’ve gotta head out in a couple hours, but if you need anything before then, just let me know.” Jinki nodded and managed a half-smile. “And don’t let your siblings bother you this evening. You have my permission to kick them unequivocally out of your room tonight,” she added with a quick wink.

                “Got it, mom,” Jinki snorted, gesturing with one hand to gently urge her to get moving.

                “Ungrateful brat,” she teased with a bemused smile. He grinned back at her unrepentantly and she leaned over to kiss his forehead. “Get some rest and I’ll check on you when I get back in the morning, alright?”

                “Okay,” he confirmed, giving her a thumbs up before shooing her away again.

                She didn’t stay much longer after that. When she was gone and the door was safely closed behind her, Jinki took another breath and grimaced. It had been a while since he’d passed out unexpectedly. How embarrassing that it happened over supper… And that it meant tomorrow was going to be a bust. He’d had plans to tentatively meet up with the others but that was not going to happen anymore.

                Conjuring up his personal comms, he sent a general text message to the group. Gonna have to cancel tomorrow guys. Sorry!

                He wasn’t expecting an immediate response, but he wasn’t entirely surprised by Ercite’s single, ?, in answer.

                How to explain without being too direct? Hmm… I’m apparently a bit more tired than I realized and my mom has effectively grounded me. XD

                Larad sent a laughing emoji and Henry finally commented, She can’t ground you. You’re not even a kid anymore.

                It was followed immediately by a private message from Kibum though. Are you sick?

                Jinki smiled at the questions and responded to Kibum’s first. I’m fine. I just passed out earlier and need a bit more rest is all.

                He turned his attention back to the main group and started typing a response. She’s my mom. Of course she-

                Are you okay?

                What happened?

                Should I come over?

                Each message popped up in quick succession, interrupting his typing as Kibum fired back a set of rapid responses. It made Jinki smile harder. -can. He finished sending the last message. Really, I’m fine, Kibum. Just a bit… overworked. Hopefully that was general enough.

                Sure, sure. Moms have that power. You good though? Henry pressed, following up.

                I bet this is your sisters’ fault. Do I need to come scold them? Kibum sent and Jinki could picture him perfectly, the way one hand would be on his hip with the other shaking at his sisters.

                Yes. I’m good. I promise, he sent to the group at large. I’ll let you know when I’m out of purgatory and we can maybe catch up on Sunday. Yeah? To Kibum, he messaged, Probably but no. They’re likely already feeling guilty.

                Okay. You better take care of yourself, Jinki! Henry responded, a shaking fist suspiciously absent in the message.

                Get lots of rest and we’ll see you when we see you, Larad added.

                Sleep well! That from Ercite.

                Good. They should be. The message from Kibum made Jinki snort as he scratched at his cheek, a half-smile tugging at the corner of his mouth. He thought that might be the end of it and he was going to send a good night message himself, but then he got a brief message that popped up and was immediately recalled. It was followed by … and Jinki frowned.

                What? he asked when no other message came through.

                He could practically feel Kibum’s hesitation as the seconds ticked by with no immediate response. At last though, he saw: Can I come over?

                Jinki’s brows raised and he blinked in confused surprise. Now? As soon as he sent it, it felt like a silly question.

                Yes.

                That confirmed it. He really was okay and it didn’t seem right to ask him to come over right now. It wasn’t late yet but the distance was a bit far. You don’t have to.

                Can I? was all he got back but Kibum’s frustration was almost palpable.

                Jinki rubbed his chin with his fingers and took a small breath. Sure. If you want to.

                I’ll be there soon.

                There was no additional response and Jinki nibbled on his bottom lip. It would be the first time he’d seen Kibum in person since… the gathering. The realization had him on pins and needles while he waited for the other man to arrive. Why was it so important for Kibum to come see him now? He didn’t have to wait too long to find out though. He was just dozing off when he heard a chime at his door, indicating someone was outside. “That was fast,” he whispered, reaching over to press the activation button beside his bed.

                The door swished open with Kibum standing in the doorway before he flinched. It was clear he’d been looking… no, glaring at someone nearby. Probably Jinki’s siblings. His focus shifted though and he stepped inside quickly. As the door closed behind him, he made a beeline for Jinki’s bed, a stormy expression on his face. “I told you your schedule was too full,” he chastised, stopping short of the bed with his hands balled into fists and a cloud of worry and concern hanging over him.

                It wasn’t what Jinki expected and it made him laugh. “Nice to see you too.”

                Kibum flailed awkwardly and then knelt beside Jinki’s bed, grabbing the nearest hand in his and holding firm. “Are you sure you’re okay?” he worried, a tense furrow etched between his brows as he looked at Jinki’s face and then up and down his body like he didn’t believe him.

                “Really. I’m fine, Kibum,” he promised, the burst of amusement fading as he realized that the other man was genuinely worried about him. He’d worn that expression often enough to know what it should look like. For a second, he tried to sit up in bed, but Kibum stopped him.

                “No!” he commanded, reaching out to press on his nearest shoulder and back to the surface of the bed. He stood up enough to sit on the edge of the bed, but could hardly sit still, fidgeting and looking at Jinki before looking away and then back again.

                Kibum’s hold on his hand wasn’t a vice but he could feel the younger man’s concern. “Hey. It hasn’t happened in a while but it’s not the first time I’ve passed out,” he tried to explain.

                It was clearly not the right choice of words. Kibum’s eyes grew wide in his face and he paled further. “That’s not a good thing!”

                Jinki winced. Probably not. “I’ll be fine when I’ve gotten a bit more rest. Mom’s made sure I’m staying home tomorrow anyway.”

                “Damn right you are,” Kibum grumbled under his breath, the grip on Jinki’s hand tightening.

                As cute at the response was, it felt a little strong to Jinki. “What’s wrong, Kibum?”

                Kibum’s gaze turned shaky and he looked everywhere but at Jinki. His grip, however, remained firm. When Jinki shook the held hand to draw his attention back, Kibum exhaled through his nose, his shoulders drooping. “I got… scared… when you said you… passed out,” he finally admitted, looking at the space directly next to Jinki’s face but not at him.

                “Sorry,” Jinki apologized, wrinkling his nose. “I shouldn’t have told you.”

                “No!” Kibum denied immediately, gaze fixating on the other man. “You should have. I just…” he trailed off, clearly at a loss of what to say or not sure how to say what he wanted to. “I don’t know,” he blurted, looking away and wiping at his cheek with a quick shoulder swipe.

                This time, Jinki refused to be pushed back down when he sat up to meet Kibum’s eyes, one hand holding his and the other pressing against his chest. “I’m sorry for worrying you,” he murmured, grabbing Kibum’s hand on his chest and holding it gently.

                “Don’t… just apologize,” he mumbled, looking down and shaking his head. “It doesn’t change anything,” he frowned, breathing a little harder than he needed to, clearly at least a little upset.

                “You’re right,” Jinki agreed after a brief pause, feeling guilt settle in his chest while he stared at the other man’s profile. “Hey,” he called softly, leaning over a bit to try and move himself into Kibum’s view.

                Kibum glanced up and mumbled, “I’m glad you’re alright.”

                “Me too,” Jinki promised, freeing his left hand so he could cup Kibum’s cheek and turn his face towards him. “Thank you for worrying about me,” he smiled, watching to see how he would react.

                “Of course I worry about you,” Kibum said immediately, still looking to the side. “I li-” he started to say before he met Jinki’s eyes squarely and stopped short, trapping the words behind his teeth as if he was afraid to set them free.

                There it was. Jinki’s face softened and he shifted his hold to grab the back of Kibum’s head so he could pull him close into a loose embrace. “I like you too,” he whispered, taking a leap of faith on what he thought Kibum was going to say. Kibum’s wiry arms wrapped around him then and he buried his face in Jinki’s shoulder, simply holding tight.

                Eventually, he shifted to rest his chin on Jinki’s shoulder and sighed. “You were so good at taking care of me, but you’re terrible at taking care of yourself, you know.”

                It made Jinki laugh as he ran a soothing hand up and down Kibum’s back. “Does that mean you’ll take care of me?” he asked, half in jest.

                “If you won’t,” came the all too sincere response as his arms tightened and his fingers dug in harder.

                “Thank you,” he whispered, turning his head to press a gentle kiss against the side of Kibum’s head before he pulled back so he could finally get a look into his face once more. Kibum nodded with an unreadable expression, eyes searching Jinki’s face. “It’s getting late. Are you going to go back to the dorms tonight or…?” he trailed off, leaving the question hanging between them. Kibum didn’t say anything but his hands tightened on Jinki’s noticeably. “You can stay if you’d like,” he offered, leaving that possibility open.

                Kibum nodded hesitantly. “Just until you fall asleep,” he added, scooching back a bit and shifting his hold to grab Jinki’s hands instead.

                “Okay,” Jinki smiled, eyes nearly disappearing when he did so. It was gratifying seeing an answering response from Kibum before he shifted and laid down on his side, pulling one of Kibum’s hands close against his chest as he did so. He raised the other man’s fingers to his lips and placed a chaste kiss upon them.

                That was all it took for Kibum to shift off the bed so that he could kneel beside it and rest his chin on the surface, looking back in mute adoration. “I’ll be here,” he whispered with a tremulous smile on his lips and hope in his eyes.

                Reassured by the promise, Jinki curled his hands around Kibum’s and let himself close his eyes. It was still light in the room but there was something soothing about having the other man nearby that helped him slip into a peaceful slumber for the evening. And really, he wasn’t even half surprised when he woke up sometime during the night to see that Kibum was still there, sleeping on the side of Jinki’s bed and one hand held loosely in his own.

                Oh so carefully, he freed his hand so that he could trace the outline of Kibum’s hairline, etching his sleeping face into his memory. The sleeper stirred slowly, face scrunching when he felt the phantom fingers touching his hair. Sleepy eyes opened one after the other before focusing on Jinki in front him and a warm smile lit his face up. It slipped though when he apparently realized that it was no dream and that he’d stepped into reality, before sitting up abruptly, lips pursed in silent embarrassment.

                “Hello,” Jinki smiled, unperturbed.

                “Hi,” Kibum echoed in a quieter voice, his smile hesitant but genuine.

                “I’m glad you’re still here,” he assured the other man, resting his hand atop Kibum’s.

                Kibum shrugged and looked away. “I meant to go-”

                “It’s alright,” Jinki interrupted, tugging at the hand he’d just captured, an open invitation.

                Kibum’s brows rose on his forehead, his expression contemplative. He pursed his lips again but stood up and cautiously lowered himself into the curve of Jinki’s body as he settled on the bed on top of the blankets that separated them.

                Content, Jinki wrapped his right arm around Kibum’s waist and embraced him close as he rustled his nose in the soft dark hair. It smelled of his shampoo, a slightly floral scent. “You smell good,” he whispered, feeling Kibum tense at the comment. “It’s nice,” he added, tightening his hold and lightly gripping Kibum’s shirt.

                It took a second but he felt the tension bleed from him soon after. Kibum’s hands rose to tentatively entrap the one holding onto his shirt. “You… make me feel… comfortable,” he whispered in a very quiet voice, like he was trying the words on his tongue.

                Still half-asleep, Jinki murmured back, “You too.” And then he groaned softly and hugged him tighter, willingly letting himself drift back into unconsciousness.

 

(a/n: I'm apparently slowly getting my muse back. haha She's attempting to pull me in other directions too but this is still my primary focus. Progress on their relationship front as well! Woot!

And if you haven't noticed, I do adore writing in at least somewhat positive parent representations too - especially when they can be frustratingly embarrassing for their children. XD So much fun! heh

Anyway, I hope you've enjoyed the latest update and that you're looking forward to the next one. If you have any thoughts or questions, I'm all ears but thanks again and happy reading!)