cold black hearts (don't do crushes)

but they do love

Kyungsoo watches the game between the other kids with a stoic expression, eyes following the ball as it is tossed in the air from team to team with consistent speed.

Everyone else is playing in the field, but Kyungsoo is alone, sitting on one of the benches with his legs swinging in the air because he isn’t tall enough for his feet to reach the ground while sitting. Yet.

You see, Kyungsoo doesn’t exactly fall under the ‘normal’ category. Aside from his big eyes that seem to creep everybody out, paper-white skin and reserved disposition, he also belongs to a family that has been regarded as ‘abnormal’ and ‘strange’.

His father has a strange fascination with explosives and death. His mother, meanwhile, prefers the thorny stem of the roses she gets everyday over the flowers themselves. His younger brother, Seungsoo, has survived more electrocutions than all the serial killers combined, and their Grandma still practices witchcraft. They also happen to have a misshapen butler, a dismembered hand that walks on its fingers they call ‘Thing’ and an Uncle who resembles a corpse risen from the ground.

Collectively, they all have macabre interests, always wear black, and are inclined to like things most people wouldn’t, making them a strange bunch.

Kyungsoo is aware that if it weren’t for his family’s generous donations to charities and causes, society would have completely shunned them away already.

It should bother him, that every time he’s around, hallways immediately clear out and whispers follow him everywhere. That people give him odd looks and rumors about his family circulate like wildfire daily.

But he doesn’t care.

Kyungsoo never liked interacting with other people anyway. They were disgusting and only mean to each other.

“E-excuse me?”

Kyungsoo looks up. A boy with dark skin stands before him, nervously sliding up his glasses perched on top of his nose and looking shorter than he really is with the way he slouches.

“Can I sit with you?”

Kyungsoo is surprised but there’s no indication on his face that he is. This boy clearly has no idea who he’s talking to, or if he did, was desperate for company.

Then, he vaguely recalls that they have a newcomer in school, some kid who just moved from Busan or something.

“Yes you may…”

“Really? Thanks! I’m Jongin.” He offers a handshake but Kyungsoo only gives him a long look. He eventually drops it.

“Kyungsoo.” He replies curtly, crossing his arms together before turning back to the game at hand. Kyungsoo stops himself from smiling when he sees that loudmouth Park Chanyeol getting hit on his face by the ball.

The boy sits some distance away from him on the bench and they stay silent for awhile, but during a particularly boring stretch, Kyungsoo opts to look at his companion.

Jongin isn’t even watching the game. His eyes are on the ground and his ears and nape are suspiciously red.

Interesting…

“Why did you move here?” Kyungsoo breaks the silence.

Jongin is a little startled when he speaks and looks up at Kyungsoo with a shy expression. “My family’s business got big and mom wanted me to enroll in a private school since she thought it was better.” He makes a face. “I never wanted to attend though, everyone in here is such a snob.” Jongin lapses into silence before his eyes get wide and he tacks on a frantic. “Except you of course.”

“Why aren’t you playing?” Kyungsoo asks next, gesturing towards the game in front of them.

“I’m asthmatic. I’m also allergic to almost everything. Peanuts, bee stings, shrimps and dust. You name it.” He smiles sheepishly. “I could die anytime.”

At the mention of death, Kyungsoo inches just a little closer towards Jongin.

[+]

Because he's forbidden to play and is horrible at socializing, it's only normal when Jongin is lumped together with Kyungsoo and his brother, Seungsoo.

He sits with them at lunch, and although they barely talk, Jongin doesn't seem to mind the silence.

Of course, because he keeps company with the Dos and is seen as weak by many, Jongin becomes an easy target for bullies preying the school.

He sometimes arrives at their table with his glasses broken, or his books gone and probably rotting in some trashcan.

One time, Jongin arrives without his lunchbox and he forlornly mutters that some kid called Baekhyun took it from him.

Kyungsoo only slides his lunch bag towards Jongin without a word, as he eyes Byun Baekhyun across the room.

Needless to say, Kyungsoo starts bringing an extra sandwich to school everyday.

[+]

"Kyungsoo! Kyungsoo! Guess what?"

"What?" Kyungsoo shoots back as Jongin sits beside him, lunch bag in hand.

"Baekhyun apologized to me today! Can you believe it?"

"Really? That's good." Kyungsoo says nonchalantly.

"You know what else he said? He said I'm lucky to have a friend like you." Jongin stares at him and smiles. "Did you do something to scare him, Kyungsoo?"

For the first time, Kyungsoo feels blood creeping up his cheeks and neck. He blushes and diverts his attention towards the table. "I didn't do anything." He says, before drinking from his cup of bitter coffee.

What he’s really saying is, You don't need to know.

[+]

Kyungsoo lets his family meet Jongin after a while. He brings the younger to the foreboding Do mansion on top of the only hill in the neighborhood and introduces him to all of his family.

His mother and father are accommodating as ever, though oblivious as to how invading and strange some of their questions can be.

Jongin, meanwhile, takes it all in stride, shy but willing to please Kyungsoo's family nonetheless.

During dinner, he answers all of their questions and even manages to catch Mr. Do's attention when he tells them about his father always golfing.

"Really, does he break his neighbor's windows too?"

Jongin only answers with a mystified expression.

They eat and converse, but when the main course is served, Jongin pokes at his food and looks up at Kyungsoo.

"Ugh...why is the food moving?"

"It's a cat's heart, dear. Freshly butchered just for you." Kyungsoo's grandmother answers with a smile.

Jongin promptly goes green and passes out, and when he does, Kyungsoo smiles.

[+]

Years pass and both Jongin and Kyungsoo eventually grow into adolescence. Kyungsoo has now lost his baby fat but remains the same in other aspects. Jongin has sprouted almost a head taller than him, much to his dismay, has outgrown his round spectacles in favor of contact lenses, and has grown lean due to all the dancing he does--it's the only exercise he can do without collapsing because of an asthma attack.

He has also gotten a lot of friends in their new school, but still sits with Kyungsoo during lunch even though the conventionally popular kids invite him over at their table. He spends a lot of time in the Dos' mansion and always forces Kyungsoo into visiting his house, even though his parents still find Kyungsoo strange and disapprove of their friendship.

Throughout this, Kyungsoo grows fonder and fonder of Jongin. The dancer is the only one who can make him smile without looking like he's planning something sadistic. Jongin never leaves him even though Kyungsoo constantly scares him and is perfectly capable of getting himself a new set of friends. He is the only one capable of forcing out a lullaby from Kyungsoo during their late night calls. He becomes the only exception to everything.

One is never without the other.

They become a package deal.

[+]

"What took you so long?" Kyungsoo asks as he puts his book down. He's been sitting on the floor of the dance studio for about fifteen minutes, legs stretched out and crossed at the ankles.

Jongin shrugs and hands him a box of chocolates. "Had to take care of something."

"What's this? You've been bringing a lot of stuff lately." Kyungsoo asks, opening the box and examining the assorted set of chocolates lined up in perfect arrangement. He's never been fond of sweet things, but Jongin has been giving him a lot of them lately. Has been giving him books to read and even flowers.

"Chocolates." Jongin deadpans. Much of Kyungsoo's dry sense of humor has rubbed off on him but he's never really gotten the hang of delivering sarcastic answers quite like Kyungsoo does.

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