One.
Always By Your Side (There I Stay)
It's Tuesday morning and Kibum lies in a pathetic pile on his bathroom floor, cellphone pressed against his clammy cheek as he listens to the dial tone for a few seconds. It breaks the silence and hurts his head as he waits for someone to answer.
"Jjong," he says when the person he's calling greets him. "It's me. You don't need to pick me up today; I'm not going to school."
"You're not? Are you sick?" Worry is clear in his voice.
"I must have the stomach flu or something. I still have cram school though, and mom will have my neck if I miss so close to finals."
Kibum hears Jonghyun click his tongue on the other end of the line. "That's what your mom is most worried about? Is she already at work? I'll come over and take care of you."
"She got called in early, so she doesn't even know I stayed home, but the school will call her anyway. Speaking of which, you better get to school too. You can't afford to skip again, Jonghyun. Do you even realize what your class ranking is?"
"I know you're fourth."
"That's not what I asked."
"Well, no, I don't know, but it doesn't really matter, does it? I have a spot at my dad's business already. It doesn't matter if I'm first or last."
Kibum rolls his eyes. "That doesn't give you the excuse to be a hoodlum."
"Whatever, 'Bum. I'll be at your place in fifteen minutes. I'll bring some soup or something... Bye. I love you."
"Yeah, love you too, Jjong. See you..."
True to his word, Jonghyun is knocking on the door of Kibum's apartment. Kibum doesn't stand up to open the door however. Jonghyun knows that there's a spare key sitting on top of the door frame, and in only a few seconds, he's standing in the doorway of the bathroom. There's a plastic bag in his left hand, and Kibum assumes it's some sort of soup like he promised on the phone.
"See? You wouldn't have lasted if I didn't come by," Jonghyun props Kibum up against the side of the bathtub, holding his shoulders to support him. "What's wrong? Have you been sick?"
"Before, yeah... I don't know what's wrong with me. I woke up just... sick and weak and crappy. It's kind of passing already, but I'm still nauseous. It's probably just the stomach flu. That's why you need to leave. You'll catch it too."
Jonghyun waves a hand, dismissing the thought immediately. "I never get sick, Kibum."
"And yet, you're never in school."
"I'm in school a lot! I just... leave early and occasionally skip class," he pecks Kibum's temple. "And sometimes, my goody-two shoes boyfriend skips with me."
"It's pretty cliche, huh? Fourth in the class falls for a senior that's a bad boy."
Jonghyun pats his hair. "Other than doing bad in school, I don't do many "bad boy" things, do I? Now, come on. Get up. I can see the libes from the tile on your cheek. Were you sleeping in here?"
Kibum staggers to his feet with Jonghyun's help, making his way to his bedroom slowly. "Mom woke up at four for work, and I was trying to fall asleep, but I felt sick. I think I fell asleep on the floor for a little while after that and woke up right before I called you."
"Why don't you take another nap, yeah? I'll heat up this soup for when you get up. I'd offer to get the work you missed from school, but the principal will have my neck if I show my face after skipping."
Kibum crawls into bed, pulling his covers tight around him. "I don't even feel like arguing with you right now. Make sure I'm up by two. Cram school is at four, and I need to shower and get across town."
"Go, go, go... Alright, I'll make sure you're up."
---
Jonghyun finds Kibum at his locker four days later.
"You still look sick," Jonghyun observes, slamming Kibum's locker shut before he was finished. "You were fine last night, weren't you?"
"Yeah, it's just when I get up. I've been exhausted," Kibum sighs, rubbing the hair out of his eyes. "I slept past my alarm and almost missed you coming by."
"Do you want to go to the doctor after school?" Jonghyun asks before remembering that Kibum has cram school, continuing in unison with him. "Cram school... Right. They won't miss you, will they? I think your health should come first just this once."
Kibum reopens his locket and grabs Jonghyun's lunch money from the top shelf of his locker where it's always stashed. "Here. Go eat lunch. I'll meet you out by your car after sixth period, got it? We can go then, and then I could still get to cram school. I'll only miss gym anyway. Now, go eat. And you better get to class too, Jonghyun. I'll see you later."
Jonghyun pecks Kibum's lips before hurrying off toward the lunch room, money in hand.
---
Jonghyun is leaning against the hood of his car when Kibum makes his way outside. He's trying to shove a notebook into his backpack when Jonghyun takes him into his arms and squeezes him tightly.
"How was school?"
"Fine," he sighs in response. "Did you go to class?"
"I went to math."
"Just math? You have that class fifth period. What about sixth period?"
Jonghyun shrugs. "I had English, but you can just help me with that, can't you? Your English is the best, you know. One class won't hurt."
"It wouldn't hurt if you actually only missed one class, Kim Jonghyun."
"Shh. The devil is in the details, so keep quiet. I was worried about you anyway. I can't learn foreign languages worrying." Jonghyun slides his hand into the hem of Kibum's pants, fingertips brushing over his hip bones.
Jonghyun feels extra skin near Kibum's stomach but doesn't say anything. Jonghyun assumes Key is only gaining some weight (which he needs) or muscle (which he wants).
"Fine. You're going to fail at this rate."
Jonghyun gets into the car, grinning stupidly as Kibum buckles his seat belt. "Then I'll be in the same grade as you."
"Not funny, Jonghyun. Just drive..."
Frowning softly, Jonghyun reaches to take Kibum's hand. "You're a little snippy today."
"I don't feel good."
"We'll get you checked out, yeah? They'll probably give you some medicine and you'll be fine by the weekend."
"I hope so. Having a stomach ache is worse than having a cold. I've barely eaten since that soup you brought over. It kind of ."
---
"Are you ually active?"
Kibum blushes hard at the doctor's question, thanking every deity in the sky that Jonghyun -or worse, his mother- wasn't in the room with him. He nods in affirmation, tearing the paper that he was sitting on on the table.
"I'll take some blood for blood work, just to check up on you. Let's move into the next room over."
"Will you have results soon?"
"We're backed up at the moment, so it'll take a day or two, but I'll call you as soon as the results come in. Are you here with a parent?"
Kibum shakes his head. "Boyfriend... He's paying for the visit."
"Such a young person coming with a significant other. You'd think you're pregnant."
At that comment, Kibum falters slightly. His stomach drops further, and he think he may vomit right there in the hallway. He swallows the lump in his throat (and his pride) as he follows the doctor into the adjoining room.
Suddenly, he's never been so afraid of needles.
---
Jonghyun talks Kibum into skipping class to come to his lunch period. Instead of eating in the cafeteria, Jonghyun purchases a bag of chips to munch on and wanders around the campus with Kibum. They end up at the soccer field, sitting on the bleachers, just out of sight from anyone looking on from the school. It's there that Kibum gets the call, when Jonghyun is kissing and nibbling on Kibum's shoulder.
The call doesn't last long, no longer than two minutes, but Jonghyun doesn't look at Kibum until he catches the cellphone fall from his hand and smash on the ground. Jonghyun pulls away. Kibum treated that phone like a child, for it was one of the few things his parents bought him. He'd never drop it if it wasn't something serious.
"Kibum, what's wrong? What happened?"
Kibum shivers; Jonghyun feels it. Before he can ask another question, Kibum is scrambling onto his feet. He takes one look at Jonghyun (and Jonghyun can see the tears) before he takes off in the opposite direction.
Jonghyun doesn't chase after him immediately. Doing so would only make the younger more upset, he already knows.
He hops off the bench and picks up his phone, a spider web crack going throughout the screen. Jonghyun makes a mental note to buy Kibum a new phone before his parents see it because Jonghyun knows they wouldn't be happy.
Jonghyun slides the phone safely into his pocket and picks up Kibum's bag, curiosity getting the better of him. He can't imagine what riled Kibum so much. Had it been the doctor, calling yo tell him something bad? What had the blood work shown?
Jonghyun begins his search of the school soon after, checking all the places the younger could have run off to. The bathrooms, his car and the library were among his first choices, but no one had so much as seen Kibum pass through. Jonghyun is left to search each classroom, peeking into the homerooms as he passes with no sign of him. He even checks the gym and the weight room, but he knows Kibum would be crazy to go there. He isn't even in the nurses office or in any of the extracurricular rooms, so Jonghyun is forced to check the roof.
Before he even pushes open the heavy steel door, he hears Kibum crying. He knows it's his voice; it pains him to admit he knows what it sounds like.
Kibum is standing near the ledge, back to Jonghyun as he holds himself tightly. Jonghyun doesn't say anything for a second, but Kibum turns anyway when he hears the door swing shut, more startled than anything. Jonghyun makes his way toward Kibum, arms held out to show peace as he approaches his boyfriend. Kibum, thankfully, doesn't flinch.
"My life is over," Kibum sobs, hands shaking as he reaches out for Jonghyun. "My parents are going to kill me, and my life is going to be over, Jonghyun."
"Kibum, calm down. What are you talking about? Was that the doctor who called?" Jonghyun sighs when Kibum nods. "What'd he say, babe?"
Kibum shakes his head slowly, backing out of Jonghyun's arms. "You'll hate me too."
"Don't be like that, Kibum; just tell me."
"He called to tell me I'm pregnant, Jonghyun. From what I told him, about twelve weeks. I-I'm going to have a baby... our baby. Oh my God, I'm going to be sick... Jjong, I need some time... to think. I'll... call you. Don't call me... I'll call you, okay? I need to think about this."
Kibum grabs his bag from Jonghyun quickly, hurrying toward the exit. Jonghyun want a to call out to Kibum, but he can't find his voice. He's just as shocked as Kibum probably is, but the reality hasn't quite hit him.
Somehow, the only thing Jonghyun finds himself worrying about are the finals Kibum needs to take in eight weeks.
---
Kibum doesn't talk to Jonghyun for the next three days. He doesn't leave his bedroom and refuses to attend school. His mother screams at him every morning from the other side of the locked door, but Kibum doesn't react. It's not until the night that Kibum actually decides to stay up for him that the storm rolls in.
Kibum barely gets past the fact that he and Jonghyun had slept together before his mother shoves him out of the apartment. He hears the door click, and he knows he's been locked out. He bites his lip, struggling to keep tears at bay as he turns and heads toward the elevator to catch the next ride down to the lobby.
It's pouring and cold outside, but he has no choice but to walk to Jonghyun's apartment near the school. It's a ten minute ride by car, but Kibum doesn't have money for a taxi. By foot, it takes Kibum nearly a half hour, and he's soaked to the bone by the time he stands outside of Jonghyun's apartment building, one that's so much nicer than his own.
He opens the gate and makes his way up to the eighth floor, water dripping onto the hardwood from his hair as he waits for the door to open. Jonghyun's mother answers the door, and Kibum immediately bows, remembering that he had not yet met Jonghyun's parents officially. Usually, when he came over Jonghyun's place, both of his parents were out of the house until the left.
"U-uh, hi... I was wondering if Jongh--"
Kibum stops speaking when Jonghyun walks up behind his mother, touching her shoulder before walking to Kibum and hugging him tightly.
"Kibum..."
"Jjong, I--"
"My parents know everything," Jonghyun hooks an arm around Kibum's waist and pulls him inside. "Mom, get him a few towels... We'll be in my room."
"They know?"
"They're not thrilled, but they're not... They don't hate me."
"Mine hate me..." Kibum smiles bitterly
Jonghyun helps Kibum into a dry outfit. "Is that why you walked here?"
Kibum nods. "Mom kicked me out..."
Jonghyun stands when his mother comes to the door with towels, using one to start drying Kibum's hair. "You can stay here."
"No, I can't..."
"You can. Until your parents cool down."
"You know they're not going to cool down, Jonghyun. You know what they're like. They'll easily dump me off... This just gave them a reason."
Jonghyun sighs softly, wrapping his arms around Kibum's waist. "Are you going to keep it?"
"I-I'm not going to kill it... but adoption is the only option."
"Only?"
"I'm sixteen, Jonghyun. You're seventeen. We still have our whole lives ahead of us. A baby would ruin everything."
"Hm..."
"Is your mom making dinner? I smelled food. Is... it alright if I eat here?"
Jonghyun pulls him against him again, rubbing his back. "Of course you can... But you're still so cold. You know where the bathroom is. Go take a hot shower and meet me here, and we'll get you something to eat. Then we can sleep. Well talk properly in the morning."
~
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