Summary: Dongwoon can hear heartbeats.
Pairing: Dongwooncentric (Kiwoon, Dooseob, Junseung and hints of Doowoon)

 

Dongwoon can hear heartbeats. 

Dongwoon hears it, the tiny yet powerful organ that gives people life; he hears its call, their steady thumping noise that makes people alive. Sometimes, he hears its agony, joy, nervousness; one can say that he hears emotions. Funny thing is, he can hear others' heartbeats, but not his. He can't hear his heartbeat, no matter how many times he covers his ears. He can't hear his own. 

The first time he discovers his unusual ability, is when he hears Hyunseung's heartbeat. He accidentally hears it, during his late midnight snack need. Junhyung and Hyunseung are fighting; Dongwoon guesses it's about Junhyung dating Hara. 

Hyunseung's heartbeat is so loud, pounding with anger that the beats are increasing and increasing, getting louder and louder as if it's ready to explode. Dongwoon covers his ears; it's painful to hear.

"What's so ing great about her?" he hears Hyunseung yell with bitterness and pain, and Hyunseung's heart loses its angry beat. It slows down, because it’s breaking. "Just leave me alone! I like her and that's that!" Junhyung says, and it's another heartbeat that Dongwoon hears unwillingly. Junhyung's heartbeat tells the maknae that he's lying, with its unsteady nervous beatings. Dongwoon presses his hands on his ears harder as tears trickle down on his dry cheeks.

He doesn't understand why it's complicated for the both of them; if they love each other so much then what holds them back? Why does Junhyung need to lie to Hyunseung and why can't just Hyunseung tell Junhyung his feelings? He can't understand, that's why he cries. He cries, because he can hear their hearts' call that it hurts. He cries since that's all he can do.

*

The first time he hears a heart shattering is when he witnesses Doojoon and Yoseob kissing. He doesn't know where he hears it, but he's aware that it's close, closer than he can ever think of. And he hears Doojoon and Yoseob's heartbeats, it's wonderful, thumping and booming with fireworks, and it's beautiful that he begins crying, because both of them are in sync. As he watches them with smiles on their faces, he smiles too; but not with happiness like the two of them, instead, it because he finally hears his heart, and it is his that he hears shattering.

He wonders if hearts can heal. He supposes that it can, but it can never regain its old health back. It's funny and strange at the same time, because it always heals yet it can never be the same old heart, but it can be born as something stronger and better. What doesn't kill you makes you stronger, they say. Dongwoon thinks it's right.

*

The last time he hears another heartbeat (and somehow he's tired of hearing that he wants to cut his ears off), he marvels at its beautiful thumping sounds. It is relaxing and calm that he almost falls asleep hearing it. Often, that distinct heartbeat will go loud when he's near him, it'll thump, jump and do a lot of somersaults and Dongwoon smiles and laughs because it's entertaining. He knows whose heartbeat it is, because well, he's the only one who can produce such beautiful sounds.

"I'll tell you a secret," Dongwoon whispers as he pulls that person on a corner.  The man smiles amusingly, and Dongwoon listens to that beautiful sounds again. He hears his do fireworks, too. 

"I can hear heartbeats." he says, and his favorite person raises an eyebrow. Dongwoon only smiles. He leans in, and the man's heart beats so loud that Dongwoon almost gets deaf; he whispers, "I can hear yours too, Gikwang-hyung. I like you too."

And after that, Dongwoon stops hearing heartbeats, simply because the ability is a secret, and all marvels and magic disappear if discovered.