Bless you, Onew
Time Limit
"Mom, this is Jonghyun. He's my friend."
Minho introduces the scheduler to his mother, the woman smiles. "Nice to meet you."
"Nice to meet you too, ma'am." Jonghyun smiles.
"Aigoo, you have a handsome friend." The woman walks up to him in a gesture of giving him a hug, Jonghyun pulls on Minho's sleeve in a hurry, "Ah! Mom, no. He, uh, is not used to hugs. He's a heartless being."
"Omo!?" The woman exclaims, Minho laughs.
"Kidding mom! But he's just not comfortable with that."
The woman backs away from Jonghyun who apologizes with his puppy dog eyes, "Ah, I'm feeling a little faint." The woman sits on the couch, Minho glares at Jonghyun.
"We're gonna paint the garage now, mom!"
The taller boy grabs Jonghyun by the wrist, in which the shorter boy shakes off and they walk out to the garage.
"I TOLD YOU TO DON'T EVEN DARE GET MY MOM'S ENERGY!"
Jonghyun bows in apology, "I know I promised you but she didn't move immediately away from me! I told you I can't control it when a human is fairly close."
Minho squints then moves to the closet, "You say it like that but how come I don't feel faint now?!"
Jonghyun shakes his head, "You're unconsciously getting used to my presence that you don't even feel me stealing your life's energy."
Minho an eyebrow, "Really?"
"Yeah, but I still try not to take too much."
"Get to work." Minho hands him a paint brush, Jonghyun whines, "WHY DO I HAVE TO DO THIS TOO?!"
"Use your ing wings and reach up the high corners. Make yourself useful before you take my soul."
"Hmph!" Jonghyun grunts and then blows raspberry to Minho when he grabs the brush and paint can.
They start painting the garage in silence until the scheduler breaks it, "Why did you tell Taemin I'm your boyfriend?"
"I wanted him off my back easier."
"You really are mean."
Minho keeps painting, "It's a lesser heartbreak than giving him a chance then leave when I die. Besides..."
The human doesn't finish what he's saying when Jonghyun suddenly jumps on his feet and hides his wings, he scrambles as he dusts himself off.
"What is wrong with you?!"
"Keep them away from me." Jonghyun just blurts out and backs away a little to be hidden from instant view from the garage's entrance.
"Who?"
"CHOI MINHO! YOU BETTER EXPLAIN AND EXPLAIN WELL COZ YOU JUST RUINED MY DATE!!!"
Minho turns to see Key marching up to him with a pointed finger and a very accusing look, Jinki walking behind his boyfriend.
"What are you two doing here?!"
"Taemin just called me up crying and told me you have a boyfriend!? Why don't I know this guy?! Where were you hiding him!?"
"Right. I forgot you're his mother."
"Answer my question!"
Minho turns his back on Key and continues painting, his height obstructing Jonghyun from the couple's view. "I'm busy, Key."
"Just answer him, Minho or you'll never hear the end of it." Onew finally speaks.
"I just... fine!" Minho grabs Jonghyun and pulls him next to him. The scheduler gives a shy smile to the couple. "Uh, hello?"
"You're the boyfriend? Who are you?" Key marches closer, Jonghyun hides behind the human. "Are you scared of me?"
"Everyone who meets you are scared of you." Minho butts in, Key takes a step back. "Shut up, Minho."
"This is Jonghyun, we've been dating a long time secretly. Sorry you had to find out this way."
Minho half-expects the scheduler to play along with him since he can already feel the mischievous charm of the shorter boy but instead Jonghyun tries to shake his arm off Minho's grasp but the human tightens his hold of him. The scheduler struggles, but Minho won't let him go, making Key and Onew raise their eyebrows in confusion.
" Minho. Let go!"
Suddenly Key and Onew passes out in front of them, "WHAT DID YOU DO?!"
"You need to ing let go!"
"WHY?!"
Jonghyun pushes the human off and puts his wrist in front of Minho's face,
"YOU'RE BURNING ME!!!"
"I didn't feel anyhing..." He watches in surprise as Jonghyun's wrist scorches, "We're not supposed to be held by humans for a long time!! It ing hurts."
"I... I'm sorry." Minho apologizes, he tries to walk up to Jonghyun who flies up to avoid him, "Don't come near me, let me heal first." The scheduler tells him, "This will leave a mark."
"I'm really sorry. I didn't know." Minho apologizes again, Jonghyun just shakes his head, "I know. My fault too." Minho smiles then walks over to his passed out friends, "What do we do with them?"
"They're your friends, do what you need to do."
"You made them pass out! Help me out here."
Jonghyun flies higher, "How about, NO?"
Minho uses his height to his advantage and reaches out his hand to grab Jonghyun by the leg when the scheduler hovers above him, "LET GO!!! YOU PUNY HUMAN!"
"I won't! I'll let you burn if you don't help me out!"
"Let go and I'm flying back down." Jonghyun tells him firmly, Minho releases him and the scheduler lands on his feet.
"I just told you I can't touch them!"
"Then how come I was able to dance with you last night?!"
Jonghyun laughs, "Gloves. Coat. Come on. But hey, it did burn a little."
Minho carries Key to his friend's car all the while ignoring Jonghyun. He carries Onew next, the human gets on the driver's seat, Jonghyun walks up to the car. "Do I come with you?"
"... Whatever you want." Minho tells him coldly, Jonghyun doesn't ask anymore and gets in the passenger seat.
A good ten minutes pass and the scheduler just won't take it anymore, "Tell me why you're ignoring me right now."
Minho doesn't respond, Jonghyun asks him again, and a thousand times more when the human keeps his silence.
"Shut up!"
"Answer my damn question!"
"Because I felt stupid for thinking that something must have been special between us last night. Something different, not this. You went to just see me and tease me so you could tell me about my impending death."
Jonghyun turns silent, Minho's obviously angry, "I'm sorry if I made you feel that way." The scheduler apologizes, Minho parks the car for a moment then looks at the being beside him.
"Jonghyun..."
"Yeah?"
"I think I'm gonna pass out..." And without warning, Minho passes out in front of Jonghyun, the scheduler laughs so hard he almost tears up, "Good job Minho. Tell me how I'm gonna take care of the three of you."
"Jonghyun, stop being stupid and get out of the goddamn car!" Someone shouts, the scheduler turns to see an older scheduler in a white suit glaring at him from the outside. Jonghyun exits the vehicle and walks with the other being.
"Jaejoong-sunbaenim. Why are you here?" He asks calmly when the two of them are in an alley a few feet away from the car.
"I've been watching you. I know that you're to watch over the scheduled, but you weren't supposed to be friendly with him!"
"I know, but he insisted I stay."
"I've been telling them that it's still too early for you to do this! You still got some humanity in you!"
Jonghyun smiles weakly, "Isn't it the reason why I'm doing this? To give my remaining human soul to him should I believe that he is to be given the choice?"
Jaejoong bows his head and sighs, he faces Jonghyun a few seconds later. "Right. You're right, I just can't let you involve more humans than you should."
Jonghyun scratches his head, "I know. I'll tell Minho about it."
Jaejoong pats Jonghyun's shoulder, "You can do it. This is the last of your test before you become a full-pledged scheduler like me."
"I can't wait." The shorter grins, "Can't wait til I'm fetching the souls of the big guns!" He laughs, Jaejoong does a little too.
"I'm going. I'll check on you from time to time." Jaejoong casually tells him then walks away from the alley. The older man turns again, “If you don’t leave now, you’ll be late with the other guy.”
“Oh, right!” Jonghyun runs to the car and shakes Minho awake, careful not to get in contact of the human's bare skin.
Minho grunts, "My head hurts..."
"I have to go. Take your friends to their homes. I'll come by soon." Jonghyun immediately tells him and before Minho can comprehend him completely, Jonghyun's gone in front of him.
The human blinks a few times, he tries to clear his head with what has happened then drives away again.
"This is really weird..." He mumbles under his breath. His thoughts are cut off when he hears his friends grunt in the back seat as they both wake up.
"Ugh, what happened?" Key complains, "MY JACKET!!!" He screeches thereafter when he finds paint splattered on his spanking new pink leather jacket.
"Okay, very typical of you, Key." Minho responds.
"Where is he?" Onew mumbles as he scratches his eyes, "Who?" Minho asks.
"Your friggin' boyfriend! And why the hell are we in the car!? Weren't we in your garage?!" Key yells, Minho and Onew cover their ears.
"Time for you to go and continue your date. I dropped him off home." Minho lies.
"No, no, no, no. You tell us more about him now!" Key tells him authoratively. Minho scratches his head, stalling as he conjures up a question-free fake story that will make his friend believe.
"Well?"
"First of all, Key, why is this such a big deal? And next, I think I'm not obliged to tell you if I'm dating or not."
"Ah!" Key exclaims with eyebrows raised.
"Before the both of you get into this argument, I'm hungry. Let's do this somewhere we're not moving." Onew cuts in.
"Fine." Key tells them crossing his arms over his chest.
Minho sighs and drives to the nearest Mexicana chicken he can find to Onew's delight.
-----
"Spill." Key tells him as they wait for their orders to be served.
"How did we pass out though?" Onew cuts in again.
"Nevermind that, hun." Key tells him lovingly as he pinches his boyfriend's nose.
"Ew." Minho reacts causing death glares to come his way from his friend.
"SPILL, DAMN IT!"
"Have you been checked? I think you're completely bipolar." Minho stalls again, Key throws him a ball of napkin in retaliation.
"I met him 3 months ago, okay? We started dating. The end."
" you. I need something better than that!"
"Why are we friends again?"
Before Key can even retaliate their food arrive and Onew attacks the chicken as quickly as he can.
"Don't mind me, I'm just gonna listen." Says the oldest as he eats with lightning speed.
"Three months ago. Me and my mom went to my aunt's dinner party in Busan and she introduced Jonghyun to me."
"Jonghyun's his name?"
"No. Jong-hun. I said Jonghyun, right?"
"Go on!"
"She's my aunt's bestfriend's nephew. He and his aunt were invited to the dinner and I found out he studies here in Seoul too. He just went to Busan for the dinner as well."
"And then?" Key loses his impatience, he's now curious, a small smile drawing on his face.
It's working.Minho thought, he grins slightly.
"His aunt and my mom decided to stay a day more in Busan but both of us had to return back to Seoul for school so we flew back together here. I guess, we found out a lot about each other on the way."
Key grabs a piece of chicken and eats it with delicacy, "Then why did you dance with a stranger last night? And you came dateless!"
Mino smirks, "Who said he's a stranger? That was my boyfriend."
"And he left you passed out behind the gym, some boyfriend he is!"
“That’s why he was in my room today. He said I passed out and he had to look for help, come on, didn’t you see his small frame but when he came to where I was, I wasn’t there. Didn’t you know how worried he was?!” Minho acted angry on that part.
“Well, sorry if we were curious and followed you!” Key raises an eyebrow again.
Minho’s eyes widen, “WAIT! Hold up. Followed me? YOU FOLLOWED ME?!”
“Don’t worry, we got there and you’re already passed out. We didn’t hear a thing.” Onew assures him, Minho sighs in relief.
“You’re one suspicious boy, you know.” Key tells him, Minho squints to this remark as he stares at his friend, “Key, is your raised eyebrow tattooed? It’s too prominent and looks like it has no plan of going down.”
“Leave my perfectly arched eyebrow alone.”
Onew laughs, then both follow. They are that kind of friends, they can banter all day long and in the end, they’ll just have a good and hearty laugh.
“Are you crying?” Onew asks Minho, who didn’t realize that tears brimmed his eyes, “Too much laughing.” The tallest lies again, he actually did feel a little pain in his heart because he’ll miss this, terribly miss this. He’d have to ask Jonghyun if his memories will fade once he dies.
He fears to be forgotten, more so, to forget.
Key turns quiet and serious, “What do we do with Taemin? He’s just a kid, I told him enough times to let you go, he just wouldn’t listen and now that you actually have a boyfriend left him really heartbroken.”
“He’s one of the reasons why I couldn’t introduce Jonghyun to you…” Minho lies again, he’s getting good at this, he thought.
“I understand that. I just hoped you told us earlier.”
“I was planning on introducing him to you guys last night, but things happened. Sorry.” Minho scratches his head, that’s the end of his story, if Key asks more again; he might as well confess everything.
“Well, how about…” Key starts, It’s coming. my life. I’m really doomed to die. Minho worries inside his head.
“How about we leave Minho alone now, Key? We’ll deal with Taemin some other time.” Onew asks.
Bless you, Onew.
“Fine.” Key pouts, his boyfriend gives him a loving smile.
“I’ll drive you guys to my home again and you can get your car back.”
-----
The drive back to Minho’s place is actually quite normal than he expected – normal meaning Onew and Key are seriously in need of their own room right now. They didn’t have to get inside the garage either since Onew’s car is just outside. Minho bids them goodbye and he’s glad they’re both males or else he’s afraid that Key will be spawning his little evil divas.
Minho enters the garage to find Jonghyun resting against the wall, panting.
“What happened to you?”
“Come closer.”
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