It had been a day since Kyungsoo and Jongin had been sitting at a cafe and chatting. Today, the elder was sitting at home watching tv, some historical drama. "Watching" wasn't exactly the proper term to describe his actions though, since he wasn't exactly paying close attention to the program. The only thing on his mind was whether or not it would be a good idea to contact Kim Jongin. Celebrity's don't just hand their numbers to anyone but then again...how could Kyungsoo even be sure it was actually Jongin's number? Maybe it's all a joke.

 

He lifted his phone up off his lap, determined to see if his prediction was true but then he froze. What if it /IS/ a real number though? What would he say? How would Jongin react? Was it too soon-

It dawned on him how ridiculously he was acting, and without much hesitation, he sent the younger boy a short message.

 

To: Jongin

From: Kyungsoo

Hey! It's Kyungsoo.

 

He pushed his phone aside, trying to pay attention to the screen in front of him and it worked for minute. That is, until his phone made a little two-beat tone and lit up. He picked it up and read the incoming message.

 

To: Kyungsoo

From: Jongin

ah hyung! i was wondering if youd ever text me

 

 

 

To: Jongin

From: Kyungsoo

Well actually...I'd like to, but I'm a bit busy today. Maybe tomorrow if you want.

 

To: Kyungsoo

From: Jongin

YES!!! anything to get me out of this awful dorm. 11am same place as last time?

 

To: Jongin

From: Kyungsoo

Sure! Sounds good Jongin-ah.

 

At eleven, they meet for the third time and they act more like friends than acquaintances. This time Kyungsoo orders an Americano and a brownie, or he texts Jongin what he wants and Jongin orders. Kyungsoo pays and the same table they were at last time is open once again. 

 

Unbeknownst to them, this afternoon hot chocolate and coffee session would become a habit of theirs. Despite the sometimes difficult communication, they manage to work things out. Jongin loves the fact he's treated normally by Kyungsoo, while Kyungsoo enjoys the fact he has a friend. He was always a likeable person, but since his muteness, keeping friends and meeting new people has been a bit harder. Having Jongin makes him happy, and he's glad he's formed a bond with the younger one, even if that means he's been paying for their coffee every single time they go out. Jongin always repays him in smiles and laughter.

 

As for Jongin, though he'll hardly admit it, he's falling for Kyungsoo's charms. The young man is in denial about it all. Recognising one's feelings means one must actually do something to satisfy those feelings. It's something he's not ready for yet, especially since he believes he's just over thinking his thoughts for his friend. Maybe it's just because his hyung takes such good care of him. Yes, a brotherly love. Wait...love? No. Love is a strong word, a word which Jongin uses with the utmost care. Because love can break someone, its not always mutual, nor is it always of the romantic sort, but it's always a test, and it's one of the most powerful emotions. Love isn't simple, love is a maze.

 

So...Jongin decides to call this a brotherly...relationship. Jongin's mind spins, and he decides to push memories of a widely smiling Kyungsoo out of his head.

 

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The air is dry and the trees are bare, as January comes to an end. It would be a nice day with the sun out, but wind makes everything more chilly. Luckily, piping hot cocoa can warm even the coldest people, like the currently defrosting Jongin as he sits across from Kyungsoo. The mug is in between his hands to warm them and he half listens as his friend pouts at him for not wearing adequate clothing. Jongin thinks braving the freezing outdoors without a heavy jacket is worth it to see that exact pout. It makes him warmer than the rich chocolaty drink he enjoys a few times a week. 

 

It's been almost two months since they first met. Jongin's condition continues to deteriorate, but at a slow pace. Most of the time Kyungsoo doesn't even notice, and that's something Jongin is more than grateful for, because he can feel the muscles in his legs become weaker and weaker.

 

Today Jongin doesn't say a word about his most recent doctor visit, nor anything about sports, or anything relating to his "old life". Instead he questions, "So tell me more about yourself, Do Kyungsoo."

Kyungsoo raises an eyebrow before looking down and quickly typing a message on his phone.

 

"TELL YOU? Is that some sort of sick joke?" he shows Jongin his message with a smile on his face, the memory of when they first met flashing into his mind.

 

"Haha, very funny~. You know what I mean." Jongin's lips pressed against his cup and he took a large sip, warmth melting into his body. "What do you like to do most of all?" he quips, looking up at a pensive Kyungsoo. "Other than watch me dance." he adds cockily.

 

The other gives him a playful, but accusing look, and quickly types a response. "Listen to music, mostly."

 

"That's definitely something we have in common! What kind of music do you like?" he drinks more of his chocolate as he watches the swift movements of Kyungsoo's fingers on the touchscreen.

 

"Anything! Lots of R&B, jazz, some indie, rap. A large mix. Based on what I feel like listening to. Now you answer me something."

 

"Okay." Jongin waits curiously, swirling the cocoa inside of his mug.

 

"Why were you so angry the first time we met? And before you say you already answered that, you didn't. You skirted around the question. Did you get bad news from the doctors?"

 

Jongin answers immediately. "No. Well.....no. Just a bad day I guess. I mean, my back was still sore and it was making me irritable."

 

"Are you always this bad at lying?"

 

He's caught off guard by Kyungsoo's response and slowly lifts his gaze from the phone on the table to his friend's expression.

"I'm not lying." Jongin counters as confidently as he can, but he feels there must have been a hint of fear when he spoke by the way the other man's face becomes soft and empathetic. Relief spreads over him when Kyungsoo decides not to question him any further about it, although Kyungsoo would like to. There's an awkward silence between them for a moment before Jongin carefully asks, in an attempt to change the topic off of himself, "If you don't mind me asking...how did you become mute? Or we're you born this way?"

 

Kyungsoo's fingers tap at the circumference of the cup of coffee he holds between his hands in thought. A sip of Americano and a long session of typing later, the screen was flips to face his dongsaeng who nods in understanding.

 

"Vocal cord nodules... Wasn't there a famous singer that had something like that?"

 

"There were a few of them, actually." Kyungsoo nodded as he thought and listed the names of a few artists to himself.

 

"So I guess it must be weird to not be able to talk anymore..." he gazes at his friend who simply shrugs, his expression vacant as he gazes at his coffee.

 

 

For another hour they joke around with each other, Kyungsoo doing everything he can to make Jongin laugh. There is something very pleasing to Kyungsoo about Jongin's laugh...it's innocent, although mostly low in pitch, and it plainly sounds like happiness. Oh and it has a nice rhythm, staccato, a repeated pattern of a particular beat that was musically appealing as well. It could almost be a song, a song that Kyungsoo would love to sing to.

 

Kyungsoo finds that it's easy to make younger boy laugh, and he wonders how he's able to do it. Being unable to talk, it's kind of hard to joke around and tell funny stories, but Jongin laughs because he finds Kyungsoo's little jokes quite funny. Someone else could tell the joke, but it'd always be funniest when coming from his hyung.

 

 

Times at the cafe were best, because for that hour or so, he could forget the cold reality that he was moving towards.

 

The truth was this: his world might completely overturn and then be stomped on a million times. Everything he worked for, all that he had become, could be put to waste in just a few months. He didn't dwell on it, at least he tried not to, but meeting with Kyungsoo was the best distraction.

 

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Jongin found he liked having Kyungsoo close by and since the other didn't seemed to mind, their friendship grew stronger.

Despite spending a lot of time together, it was still hard for Jongin to decipher Kyungsoo's messy handwriting if he used paper to communicate.

 

"Jeez, are you blind too?" he joked as he attempted to read a long response from his friend.

"Well then learn sign language and then you wouldn't have to deal with my ty writing! I promise it isn't that difficult. I learned in about a year."

 

"Are you serious? You think I have time to learn sign language?"

 

Kyungsoo stood, leaning over the small table and grabbing Jongin's hands in his own. Their eyes met and Kyungsoo tried his best to gesture to his friend what he was up to. Jongin understood...sort of. So he was a little taken back when the older boy began moving his hands, almost as if he was a puppet. He tried to understand the motions and was sort of following along and then warmth left his hands as Kyungsoo let go, scribbling on the paper, "Look. Just follow my actions."

Jongin nodded, watching as Kyungsoo slowly began to sign to him.

A two finger salute, small hand coming down to rest on his chest, tapping the index and middle finger of one hand to that of the other in front of him, and finally the same pair of fingers coming up to his lips before being gestured away from himself.
Jongin's eyes were frozen on him and it made Kyungsoo a bit shy, so he tilted his head and nodded, encouraging Jongin to do copy him.

 

"Hmm? Okay, so repeat what you just did? Let's see..." The actions were messy and unconfident but it got the point across...sort of.

The two repeated this until Jongin was signing more fluently. Kyungsoo clapped and smiled before picking up the pen and scribbling the last part.
"Now the last part is spelling your name."

"There's more?" Jongin's jaw dropped a bit when his friend nodded but he watched carefully as Kyungsoo very slowly spelt out his name.
His first few attempts were awful and Kyungsoo helped him a little along the way. Within twenty minutes, Jongin was able to sign both parts, albeit he signed fairly slowly.

"So does that mean 'Hi I'm Kim Jongin'"?

"Hello, my name is Kim Jongin." Kyungsoo wrote.

"Wow that only took me twenty minutes to learn one sentence! I'll learn this in no time!" Jongin pouted nibbled on a cookie and his hyung rolled his eyes.

"Hey I'm not forcing you to learn anything. We communicate fine like this, don't we?"

"Yup! As long as you write clearly enough for me to read." Jongin teased and this time it was Kyungsoo who pouted, grabbing the paper from in front of Jongin and examining it carefully before responding.

"Is it really that bad? ㅠ ㅠ"

Jongin shrugged, "I could get used to it." His straight face broke and a smile replaced it.

Kyungsoo looked away shyly, pretending to check the time, and realised he was going to be late for an appointment with his signing teacher. He didn't want to leave her waiting like he had the last few times. Kyungsoo looked up at Jongin for moment before picking up the pen to explain.

 

"Sorry I have to go. I'm going to be late."

"Ah... I understand." Jongin finished the last bit of his cookie and and watched his hyung stand and put on his jacket. "Hyung."

 

Kyungsoo turned his attention from his jacket's zipper to Jongin.

"Text me later, okay?"

Wide eyes blinked and Kyungsoo nodded in understanding before hustling out of the quiet cafe.

Jongin collected the paper Kyungsoo had written on and neatly folded it before putting it in his pocket. It had become a habit of his to save all of the older boy's responses. A good way to look back on their fun times together. Jongin sat by himself in the cafe longer than usual because that day, his legs felt weaker.

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Jongin is busy doing physical therapy exercises when he receives a text from Kyungsoo.

To: Jongin
From: Kyungsoo
So what's up?

To: Kyungsoo
From: Jongin
i'd like to ask you something...

To: Jongin
From: Kyungsoo
Okay? Well what is it?

To: Kyungsoo
From: Jongin
Would you like to see me dance?

To: Jongin
From: Kyungsoo
I'd love to! ^^ Did you even have to ask?!

To: Kyungsoo
From: Jongin
i was just making sure! can you come tomorrow...? meet me in front of the cafe at 1 and we can walk to the studio. is that ok?

To: Jongin
From: Kyungsoo
Got it! I look forward to it!

Kyungsoo was excited and Jongin was nervous. He felt sick to his stomach. The last time he had performed was a mess... And that was before, when his legs were stronger than they were now. Jongin just hoped he wouldn't make a fool of himself. He knew Kyungsoo wouldn't laugh, so that comforted him somewhat... In the back of his mind, it was evident that this could be his last performance, so he wanted it to go right.

 

Jongin knew one day his career would end, though he never figured it would be so soon, and he always wanted to go out with a bang. It wasn't necessarily going to be the performance of a lifetime, but it Jongin figured it would have to do.

 

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A/N: Whoo! That's a tad long for me! I meant to get this up yesterday, but I couldn't do it. Anyways I hoped you enjoyed the semi-fluffiness~? They've begun recognising their feelings~ Such sweet love! ^^ Tell me what you think! I'll edit this some other time, but I'm pretty sure everything is fairly good... Thank you for reading as usual and I love you all~!

(also idk about the title, i couldn't think of anything OTL)