June 30, 2010

Even though he knew he wouldn't be able to see Kibum, Minho still walked to the window, staring out at the night. His grip tightened on Kibum's t-shirt, which he had yet to set aside since he apparated away.

"I should pack it," he said aloud to no one. Before Dad got back to check if he was ready to head out.

Reluctantly, he turned away from the window, the glass orb Kibum had given him years ago catching his eye. He picked it up too on his way to his suitcase, wrapping the t-shirt around it. He placed it gently inside, surrounding it with his other clothes to cushion it.

Just in case. And just in time, too, since Dad came up as soon as he finished rezipping his suitcase.

"Ready?"

He nodded, still not trusting his voice, and grabbed the handle of his suitcase, joining Dad on his trek downstairs. Both Mom and Minseok were waiting for them at the front door. His heart sank as he drew closer to them, and he averted his eyes as Minseok took his suitcase for him, heading outside to the car. Mom slipped her arm around him as they followed Minseok, and Dad flicked off the light and closed and locked the door behind them.

The drive to the train station was somber. Subdued. And not just because they were awake when the rest of the world wasn't.

"Call me when you land," Mom said, giving Dad a quick kiss before she turned her attention to Minho. "Keep in touch with us as much as you can. I know it can't be as often as I would like, but don't go silent on us like you would at that school."

She said it with a wink and a smile, but Minho didn't feel up to returning it. He barely felt like returning her hug.

Minseok ruffled his hair when he stepped away from Mom, grinning at him. "Enjoy it while it lasts, kid." Minho rolled his eyes, allowing himself a small smile as Minseok hugged him. "You'll be okay. It's not as bad as you're imagining " he whispered before he pulled away, clapping him roughly on the shoulder.

Mom pulled him into one last hug, kissing him on both cheeks before she let him go. He trudged after Dad and hopped onto the train behind him, sitting beside him after he had stowed both of their luggage.

The new day was barely starting to dawn as the train carried them from Manchester to London. Hopefully, they'd pick up breakfast before boarding their shuttle to the airport. He glanced at Dad, who was snoring loudly beside him.

Kibum was probably asleep right now, or at least he should be...Even so…

Minho stood, digging around in his backpack for the notebook and a pencil. He leaned away from his still sleeping father, covering the page of it with his arm. Dad is snoring really loudly. He glanced around at the others in the compartment. People are staring.

I was just gonna ask.

Why are you still awake???

He could imagine Kibum's loud scoff filling the quiet compartment. Because I'm still thinking about you, why else? Minho smiled, pulling his open notebook closer. You're not upset that I came over, right?

Minho's brow furrowed. Why would I be?

I don't know...

Sweetheart, don't worry about it. I'm really glad you did. "I just wish you could have stayed…" But that didn't need to be said. It was understood. You really should try to sleep, though...

You should, too, but you're probably waiting for the plane for that, huh?

Yeah. Kibum started to write something but scratched it out before Minho could get much of an idea of what he was going to say. Go ahead and sleep. I'll still be here when you wake up.

Okay. Minho pressed the head of his pencil, forcing the lead back in as he tapped the tip of it on his thigh. I hope your flight goes well. I love you!

I love you, too. Sleep well~

You too~

Minho closed the notebook with a small smile. He tucked it into his backpack again and stored it overhead once more.

Dad didn't wake until they were five minutes from King's Cross. They gathered their luggage, getting swept up with the crowd on their way to the street. Minho caught a glimpse of Platform 9¾, but the bustle of the morning crowd shifted, hiding it as Dad asked him where he wanted to go for breakfast.

They grabbed a breakfast sandwich from Kiosk on their way outside to where the Heathrow shuttle was waiting. There were several other people in there with them, plus all of their luggage. An Extension Charm would come in extremely handy right now, but, sadly, it was impossible. So they all sat crammed together, the American tourists boisterously talking about their exciting tour of London.

They were stuck with the tourists, which ended up being quite a large family, until they were through security at Heathrow and up until they reached the massive wall of screens depicting the arrivals and departures.

"We're arriving in Incheon, right?"

Dad nodded, not taking his eyes off the screens. "We'll be staying with my brother until you're enlisted."

Gulping, Minho looked back up at the screen, scanning the I's. He pointed at Incheon when he spotted it. "Gate A25." Minho glanced around, glancing at all the signs for the different directions. "This way," he said, pointing to the right. "Looks like we have to take the train."

"Let's go, then."

They arrived at their gate with about an hour to spare, giving Minho enough time to nod off for a few minutes. Dad woke him to watch their stuff while he used the restrooms and then insisted that Minho go as well before they boarded. Everyone was already starting to line up by the time Minho was coming back, so he joined Dad in line for boarding.

Once they were situated in coach, Minho opened up his backpack, grabbing his notebook and pencil. He scribbled Boarded now, I'm gonna go to sleep for a bit before he stuffed it away again.

"Is that your journal?" Dad asked.

Minho's eyes widened as he froze mid-zip. "Yes."

"Good idea. It's good to document this new chapter of your life. I'm sure you won't regret it." Minho looked up at him, offering him a small smile. Dad sighed into a smile of his own. "Go ahead and sleep, you look exhausted."

"Okay."

Minho finished tucking his backpack under his seat and made sure he was buckled before he made himself as comfortable as he could in plane seating. Dad was saying something to one of the stewardesses, but with everything else going on, Minho could barely hear him.

It wasn't until he had almost drifted off that he realized what it was his Dad had asked for. A soft red blanket was being draped around him, and Minho's eyes barely opened to see Dad tucking him in.

"Go back to sleep," he whispered, softly ruffling Minho's hair before he sat back in his seat. Minho's eyes slipped closed again, the stewardess's instructions lost on him as he finally fell asleep.

* * * * * * * * * *

July 24, 2010

"Kibum, wake up. We're almost there."

He squinted, rubbing his stinging eyes as he looked over at Mom. “What?” She repeated what she said, and Kibum turned, pulling open the window of the plane to peer outside.

The Atlantic Ocean stretched out before him, though not as far as he had been expecting. There, on the not too distant horizon, lay the sprawling coastline of America. New York City’s city line was not quite distinct, yet, but it was unmistakably there. Kibum sat up combing his hair out of his eyes.

“Is my bag up top?”

Mom shook her head. “It’s under the seat in front of you.”

“Right.”

He grabbed it, unsurprised to hear fluttering pages. Hopefully, he hadn’t kept Minho waiting for too long.

Good morning~ Having to wake up at 5 every morning is so weird, hopefully I’ll get used to it. It’s only been two days so, I guess that’s too early to expect me to be used to it by now ㅋㅋㅋㅋ I’d better go now, though. Obviously, the Marines are pretty strict when it comes to schedules ㅋㅋ Hopefully, I can talk to you soon! And I hope your flight went okay and that you were able to sleep! Love you! ♡

“How is he doing?” Mom asked as she dug a pen out of her purse for him.

“Okay, I think,” Kibum said, scrawling a quick I hope training goes well for you today! Love you, too~ before he snapped his notebook shut and stuffed it back into his bag.

The pilot soon spoke, telling them the current weather and time in New York City, where they would be landing shortly. Kibum gathered his garbage, waiting for the stewardess to pass by with her bag. He caught a glimpse of the Statue of Liberty as he sat back in his seat, his brow furrowing. That had been the last time he had been out and about with Dad--their day trip to Ellis Island to see the Statue of Liberty. They had been planning on going to Staten Island as well, but Dad was getting tired, so they went back to their hotel.

Maybe coming to New York wasn’t the best idea…

He tensed as a scraping sound filled the air, relaxing when Mom patted his arm. “It’s just the landing gear, hon.”

As they drew nearer to the runway, he winced in preparation for touchdown, bracing himself before he was too jostled by the landing. He groaned as he stood when it was finally their turn to exit the plane, stretching away some of the ache from the seven hours of sitting before he trailed after Mom. “Baggage or customs first?”

“Baggage,” she said, a touch distractedly, since she was reading the signs. “We’ve got to register our wands before we leave.”

It turned out to be quite the process for both the Muggle -- or No-Maj, as he heard some of the witches and wizards in the wizarding customs line say -- and the magical customs. Between exchanging their money and certifying his student visa for the Muggles and registering his wand and getting his temporary open carry permit that he would have to renew by the beginning of next year, they didn’t leave JFK until night had fallen.

Mom hailed a taxi, and they were on their way to Times Square. They got a quick bite at McDonald’s before Mom, to Kibum’s surprise, took him to a cell phone store and told him to pick out whichever one he wanted. He wandered the store, half-listening as she discussed the phone plan with the employee behind the counter. It took him a few minutes to find it, but he stopped in his tracks when he spotted a phone that was nearly identical to Minho’s.

“Mom! This one!”

They left the store soon after, heading then to their hotel for the night. “We’re just here for tonight,” she said as Kibum fell back on his queen bed after plugging in his phone. “I’ve rented a flat in Salem Boulevard until you start school.”

Kibum sat up, frowning in curiosity. “Salem Boulevard?”

“You don’t remember?” Kibum shook his head. “It’s basically New York’s Diagon Alley.” He squinted, wracking his travel-tired mind for any hint of a recollection., and shrugged. “No matter, you’ll become very acquainted with it pretty soon.” He sniffed a laugh, falling back on his bed again. “Do you want to shower first?”

He shook his head. “I can go second, I don’t mind.”

“Okay.”

Kibum opened his eyes when the bathroom door clicked shut and locked, sitting up when the water started running. He reached for his bag, pulling out his notebook. His heart sank when he opened it to find no new messages from Minho. He probably hadn’t come back to his room yet since he had sent the first one.

Kibum grabbed one of the pens from the nightstand, smoothed the page on his knee, and wrote, Made it to our hotel room for the night. Mom got me a cell phone, which will be nice. My number is... His brow furrowed as he tried to remember, but he ended up having to grab the box to see what the employee had written on the back. …(212)326-4936, so if you want to text or call me when you get your phone again, you can. He stared at Minho’s last message, sighing heavily. I hope you’re having a good day and you’re not too stressed out.

He stared at the page, debating what to write next, knowing that what he wanted to write would only make himself and Minho sad. He looked up when the bathroom door opened, steam billowing out as Mom emerged, towel-drying her hair.

"Your turn."

Kibum set aside his notebook and gathered his pajamas, heading in. He showered quickly, the warmth of the steam and the massaging water pressure reinforcing just how tired he was. He dressed lethargically, half-heartedly brushing his teeth before he returned to his bed.

Mom was already sound asleep in her bed, curled away from the light on his side of the room. He slipped under the covers, checking his new phone to see if it had enough charge to turn on. It did, so he held down the power button, watching the screen come to life.

No calls, no texts. What time was it in Korea, anyway?

Kibum sighed heavily, reaching over to switch off the light before he tried to relax enough to fall asleep. It didn't take him too long, despite the few hours he had gotten on the flight over, though it seemed like he was woken a moment later to loud vibrations and an obnoxious ringtone.

"What the--" Kibum blearily sat up, squinting in the dim morning light as he fumbled with his phone.

The screen was lit up, the number +82325309434 displayed. Kibum frowned, hitting the green answer button.

"Hello?" he said in greeting, glancing over at Mom, who was somehow still sound asleep. The line was nothing but static. "Hello?" he asked again.

Just as he was about to pull the phone away to hang up, Minho's soft voice filled his ears. "Hey."

Kibum's eyes widened. "Merlin's beard," he murmured without thinking, his heart somersaulting when Minho chuckled. "I...hi…"

"Were you not expecting me to call?"

"Your call woke me up, that's all. I'm still not quite awake yet."

"Oh , I'm sorry."

"Hey, , if you think I didn't want to wake up to the sound of your voice you're very mistaken." Minho laughed. Kibum couldn't help but grin at the familiar, welcome sound. He cast a glance at Mom, who was starting to stir. He slid out of bed and crossed the room to let himself out onto the balcony overlooking Manhattan. "How was training?"

"Okay. I'm very sore."

"I can imagine."

Minho hummed in thought. "I like the, uh, the physicality of it though. It's a nice challenge."

Kibum snorted. "You would."

"Shut up."

"Make me."

Minho sighed, his longing painfully evident. Kibum worried his bottom lip, resting his chin on his fist as he surveyed the street below. "How was your flight?"

"Not as bad as I was imagining."

"Which one do you like better?"

Kibum's eyebrows rose in interest. "Hm?"

"Muggle planes or broomsticks."

"That depends, would you be with me on the broomstick?"

"Of course."

Kibum slowly started to grin, anticipating Minho's reaction to his answer. "Planes, then."

"Hey!" Kibum threw back his head, laughing out loud. "That's fine, I didn't want to fly with you anyway!"

"There's no need to lie, Min."

"Whatever," he said drolly, but there was still a smile in his voice. "What time is it there?"

"Uh…" Kibum pulled his phone away from his ear, checking the screen. "Seven-fifty. In the morning."

"Oh, , okay. It's nine-fifty at night here." Oh, damn. "We have to turn in our phones in ten minutes."

"Do you need to go?"

"No, I called my parents first, since they were waiting up for me to call them."

"Ah."

"Got to talk to Minseok, too. He's dating that girl. Felicity Spinnett?"

Kibum's brow furrowed. "I don't--"

"Remember? That girl he was talking to before we boarded the train? She was on Ravenclaw's Quidditch team."

"Oh yes, because I paid such careful attention to Ravenclaw's Quidditch team."

Minho huffed a laugh. "Yeah, well, anyway, he still hasn't told Mom and Dad."

"Can't say I blame him."

"Me neither." There was a long stretch of comfortable silence. Kibum closed his eyes, blocking out the noises of the bustling city below as he tried to focus on the sound of Minho's quiet breathing. "Will this be an okay time to call you?"

"Yeah, I think so. Do you call your parents every night?"

"I mean, it's only my second day--"

"Right."

"I doubt I will every night, though. If you're okay with it…"

Kibum chuckled, opening his eyes again and squinting in the morning light. "Why the would I want my boyfriend to call me every morning? What a terrible thought. I can't believe you'd even suggest that."

Minho was smiling again. "Yeah, sorry, I wasn't thinking. We'll never speak again."

"Works for me." Kibum cracked a smile when Minho laughed quietly, only for it to wane a second later when a bell sounded on Minho's end. "Do you have to go?"

"Yeah, sorry."

"It's okay. I'll be back in my room soon and we have about thirty more minutes before lights out comes so…"

"Notebook?"

"Yeah."

Kibum let out a relieved sigh. "Okay." As nice as it was to actually hear Minho's voice, the notebook would give them a bit more time every day. A bit more time that he would savor every second of. "Bye for like two minutes, then."

Minho smiled again. "Yeah, be right back."

The line went dead and Kibum lowered his phone, swallowing thickly. The world was so loud, now. Car horns honking, people a floor or two above him yelling, construction going on a block away. He stuffed his phone in his pajama pants' pocket and went back inside, crawling into his bed again and sitting up against the headboard. He grabbed his notebook and the waiting pen, opening it to the page where he and Minho left off on.

They could do this, he was sure of that now.

It would be hard, he would never deny that. But they could do it.

He doodled aimlessly on the page, waiting for Minho's familiar scrawl to appear. What's that? Minho eventually asked, and Kibum immediately stopped drawing.

You know the rules~ Guess~~

He started drawing the blob again, adding inconsequential details here and there, waiting for Minho's guesses to pour in. Just like they used to do in school.

Ameoba

No

The Black Lake

Kibum smiled. No

Come on, give me a hint!

No ♡

Minho scribbled his frustration, and Kibum covered his grin with his fist as he added a series of unconnected lines to the doodle of absolutely nothing.

Yeah, they'd be just fine.