Jonghyun's tasteful bedroom was awash in the sunlight of the new day.  As Key's bleary eyes opened against it, and adjusted, he was momentarily startled and confused.  It had been so long since he'd slept anywhere but his own bed, that he'd forgotten where he was.  He looked to his right and nearly jumped, making a comical sound of surprise when he saw that the eyes of his brunette lover were partially open.  But his movement stirred Jonghyun, who suddenly blinked a few times as he came into true wakefulness.

"Something the matter?"  Jonghyun asked, his voice thick with sleep.

Key gestured at Jonghyun's eyes with a finger.  "Your... your eyes..."

"Oh, yeah."  Jonghyun rubbed at them.  "I have a tendency to sleep with my eyes open a little bit.  Not sure why."

"Oh."  Key tilted his head a few times.  "Ok.  That's not creepy at all."

Jonghyun chuckled, then reached out and pulled Key closer.  Waking up to someone was such a nice change, and he found Key to be quite charming in his natural state, with his messy hair and morning breath.  "Are you, uh, feeling ok?" 

The feline shifted, and groaned a little.  "I'm a little hungover, my body aches a bit, and my feels like... well, like it took a pounding."

Jonghyun rolled with laughter, and Key couldn't help laughing with him.  Jonghyun rolled on his side and wrapped an arm around the slender waist, pulling the other close enough that he could smell the bouquet that was Key's natural scent.  "Tell you what.  You lay here and relax, and I'll get you some aspirin and run you a bath.  Sound good?"

Absurdly touched by the gesture, Key leaned over and planted a loving, lingering kiss on Jonghyun's lips, and adding a softly spoken, "Kamsahamnida."

"You're welcome," Jonghyun returned, just as softly.  He pushed the covers from his body, the rush of cool air giving him goosebumps as he left the comfort of his bed to fetch the aspirin.


Key surfaced after several seconds of submersion in the hot, scented water.  Jonghyun had added rosemary epsom salts to the water, and Key's body wept with relief as the aches and pains began to slowly melt away.  He relaxed back, resting his head on the side of the tub while his eyelids sank.  He'd just begun to slip into a light doze when the door opened.  Key craned his neck a little and smiled at a sweatpants-and-T-shirt-clad Jonghyun.  "This bath is just what I needed.  Thanks, again."

Jonghyun smiled and nodded in acknowledgement.  He sat on the edge of the tub, looking pensive for a moment.  "Um, so, I know it's kind of strange to ask after-the-fact, but... um, are you clean?"

"Uh, well," Key looked around the tub, caught off-guard by the question.  "I haven't actually washed yet, because I wanted to soak for a bit, first."

Jonghyun was shaking his head.  "No, no, no, I didn't mean like that.  I mean, are you clean in terms of... STDs?"  He specified with an insufficient amount of hesitation and tact.

Key blinked.  "Why are you asking me that?"  He asked blankly, but he already knew.  Even before Jonghyun had finished speaking, a hole began to grow in Key's stomach.  "I'm pretty sure you don't make a standard of asking everyone you sleep with, so why are you asking me?"  The hole grew ever bigger.

"Well, because you're a stripper," came the simple, insensitive reply.  For however observant Jonghyun was capable of being, he was equally capable of missing crucial, obvious things, like the apprehension in Key's voice when he first replied.  Or the brittle edge when he followed up with his second question.  Or the quiet pain and fury in those chatoyant eyes when Jonghyun answered.  Jonghyun hadn't said it maliciously, but he also didn't think about how he sounded.  Those five words, spoken lightly and absently, were heavy with implication.  

With a somber shake of his head, and pursed lips, Key rose.  He was still shaking his head as he grabbed a towel and stepped out, shoving past a confused Jonghyun.  When the latter followed the former into the bedroom, a question on his lips as he touched Key's elbow, Key whirled on him.  His eyes were embers of fury and hurt.  "How do you walk, Jonghyun?"

"I-- what?"  Jonghyun sputtered.

"You heard me," Key spat.  "How.  Do.  You.  Walk?"

The question made no sense to Jonghyun, and his tongue twisted on itself as he tried to answer.  "I, I'm not following, Ki--"

Key's voice was as cold and clear as ice.  "How do you walk when your foot is shoved so ing far down your throat that you're ting leather?"

And that's when it dawned on Jonghyun.  He shut his eyes tight, his raised hands .  "," he whispered to himself.  Opening his eyes was a mistake, as he found himself looking into eyes that were layered with insult, anger, and hurt.  "Key, I didn't think--"

"That's right," Key interjected, his voice cracking like a whip.  "You didn't.  But let me tell you something, ."  Key took two slow steps toward Jonghyun.  He tried to keep his gaze angry, but the anger was threatening to crumble under the weight of the pain.  For a moment, he lost his edge, and his eyes closed in such a way that it looked like he would cry. But he found his edge again and clung to it.  When he opened his eyes again, they were like steel, but he didn't raise his voice.  "I may be a stripper, but I am not a ."

There was such venom and hurt in the tone, that Jonghyun would have much preferred being yelled at.  He was unable to find appropriate words as Key began yanking on his clothes with jerky movements, and he found himself with his palms up and mouth open, wanting to say something, but completely unable.  The damage was done, and there was nothing he could say to repair it.  He didn't have anything intelligible to say until he saw Key storming to the front door.  His brain kicked in, and he ran to put his shoes on, nearly falling over in his haste.  "I'll drive you home," he said quickly.

"I'd rather walk," was Key's terse reply.  He swung the door open and started to step out, then paused.  He turned and looked Jonghyun square in the eyes.  "You know, it's because of things like this--people like you--that I've been celibate for three years.  Thanks for reminding me."

And with that, he stepped out and slammed the door behind him.


Key huddled into his jacket as he walked briskly down the sidewalk.  The winter sun was bright, but offered no warmth, and his skin burned from the cold as he wiped tears away.  He sniffled, his nose red and raw, and he kepts his eyes down as he marched home.

Was there something about how he looked?  

Did he look like... easy?

Was it how he dressed?

Was that why Jonghyun, and others, treated him like this?

No, that wasn't it.  It was because he was a stripper.  Because he danced and took his clothes off.  Because he fueled ual deviances.  It didn't matter that he danced and took his clothes off to keep food on the table and a roof over his head.  It didn't matter that he fueled ual deviances to pay for keeping his own, bigger dreams alive.

He was a stripper, and that came with a mother of a stigma.

Once he made it to his door, he struggled with the lock.  His eyes were puffy and gunky from the cold and crying, and he cursed under his breath when he couldn't see it clearly.  After a few tries, the key finally slid in, and he shouldered the door open roughly.  He breezed through, never breaking his stride as he tossed his coat over a chair and headed straight for the bathroom.  He undressed and promptly threw himself under the shower.  All he wanted, at that moment, was to wash the once-pleasant scent of Jonghyun the off.  As he scrubbed, he thought bitterly of how that lovely bouquet turned putrid with one simple question.


The whole experience had been a painful reminder of why he avoided entanglements.




 

** A/N:
My dear readers, I don't even know where to begin with my apologies.  Author-nim went MIA for so many months, and I feel terrible for it.  Part of it was because I was burnt out, but then there was a house to remodel, a move to make, and my outlines had gotten lost for a time.  But, upon finding them today, I knew that I needed to update with all haste.  I can promise you that I won't be taking a hiatus like this for the remainder of this story.  I'll try to update at least weekly, m'kay?

So, yeah... Jonghyun.  *smh*

Anyway, thank you so much for staying loyal; you have no idea how much it means to me!  Don't forget to comment, and tell your friends. ;)

Narcotica out.  **