WARNING:

STRICT LANGUAGE & !SLIGHT!

[I think everyone can handle it but just a heads up]

enjoy!

 

 

 

 

Chapter 11: Empty Rooms, Empty Faces

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“Swear to me Shin Changmin, swear it… you’ll never tell”

Changmin’s version blurred from the tears that welled in his eyes, obstructing the road ahead of him.

“I promise…” Changmin choked. “– but swearing me to secrecy, it only dilutes the real problem Kyuhyun…be aware that what you have done has consequences that not only you must live with.” Changmin heard Kyuhyun’s breathing hitch on the other end.

“I do too.”

With that Changmin hung up his phone throwing it to the seat beside him. He lifted his arms to wipe his tears on his cuff. How could his friend do this to him, how could his brother leave him with a puzzle that now has a missing piece? A puzzle that asked him to help him find that missing piece but he was hiding it all along.

Changmin tugged on his bottom lip with his teeth as he tried to calm himself down. He left her an hour ago in the airport, her life packed in two bags. Her eyes swollen and read but set in a firm line. Her facial features were not that of a broken girl but that of a determined woman.

She will find you Kyuhyun.

Changmin made his last turn to reach his destination and pulled into the dark driveway, lit by his car’s headlights. Turning the ignition off he locked his car and the slamming of the door echoed in the dreary street. 3 am was an awfully unwelcoming hour, and he was tired…more than physically tired, he was emotional drawn.

With a heavy heart and stepped inside, a light flicking on as he stood in the doorway.

.

“Skye-“

“What…what do you even have to say to me?” Skye’s bottom lip quivered as she glared down at him from the top of the staircase. Her arms crossed to keep his chest from pulsing and to control sobs that stayed caged inside her.

“You forgot…you misplaced your phone…you were busy…What the do you have to say to me Changmin before I kick your out, again.” Skye huffed her voice quivering as she spoke and her eyelids fluttering. .

“I did forget…I didn’t mean to, I just… I had a lot on my mind”

“You forgot about the person who rests beside you in bed…have I just become a warm body because that sure as hell is what our relationship, or whatever the this is, seems like to me!” Skye cursed turning her head away from Changmin.

“You promised me, you even went as far to tell me to trust you. Stupid me really, I believed you and look where we are. You are dragging your into my house at 3 am with petty excuses, no text, no call, just I forgot.”

“Skye-“

“Don’t Skye me”

Changmin felt himself withering under her words but he moved closer, stepping up the stairs to grab her wrist.

“listen, have you ever sworn to not do something to someone you cared about?”

Skye stopped mid thought and remembered a time not so long ago when she had first fallen in love. When she had promised to not tell anyone about what they were and in the end she was burned by the flame she concealed and loved. She swore from that day on she would be a sprout, and she would only fall in love with water. But her she was again, enticed by the dancing flames in Changmin’s eyes and the burning sensation that took over her when they touched, the embers that flickered in her heart when he spoke.

“Yes.”

“Then you know that your mind gets preoccupied and it is exhausting and right now…that is how I feel.”

Skye caught his words and thought closely trying to hear the unspoken words.

“Is it about Kyuhyun.” Skye didn’t blink, she remained still her wrist captured in his grasp, but her body remained stiff.

“No.” ing hell.

“Nini perhaps? Is that why you are late?” Skye craned her neck around to face Changmin and read him for who he was.

“Yes.” That isn’t a lie.

“Is she okay?” Skye’s voice now seemed stricken with worry and the best he could do was convince her she was fine.

“Yes. She’s okay, she will be fine…I think she has accepted the circumstances and I just wanted to stay with her till she had calmed.” This wasn’t a lie either.

 

“Changmin I could have gotten a taxi, Skye will be waiting. You shouldn’t have driven me all the way to the airport, never mind stay with me till I board.” Nini looked at him, she seemed collected cool even. She looked at him with serene eyes and he no longer could see the heart wrenching pain that was reflected in them earlier. She must have buried it and masked it with the confidence she held in her and Kyuhyun’s fate.

“Do you know my boarding time?”

“Uh, should I?” Changmin stuttered at the obscure question.

“12:04 am…the same time Kyuhyun’s watch at home is stuck on.” Nini grinned sincerely. She really believed in this whole fate thing. Changmin had to bow down to her because if he were in the same position he would not hold up as strong or remain as determined. He would have thought the person running from him hated him and would stay miles apart, furthering himself from them. Erasing what they were and everything they had. It was easiest this way.

“Look, I know how stupid I sound, but I won’t just let him slip away from me. I want to live my life to the fullest even if it means travel halfway around the world in search of a man I fell in love with too easy.”

Changmin understood her thirst for life. Kyuhyun gave that to her. To her he was a new colour on a paint pallete, and she as an artist loved to paint with this new colour. But when the paint dried out she felt the need to search everywhere for this one colour of paint because without it the mural of her life would not have this brilliant colour she so dearly wanted to paint her story in.

Changmin once was like her. He craved to taste the world so here we was a bachelor, a player, he had seen many things, experienced even more, tasted flavours of the world. Yet he unlike Nini did not have a destination. Maybe he should have before his quest ever started.

“Look, time for me to board. Thank-“

“Wait!” Changmin jerked a crumpled piece of paper from his pocket with a phone number and an address.

“Look call them to rent an apartment, they are really kind, family friends to say the least, tell them you know me and that you need an apartment. Also the apartments are near where Kyuhyun used to live, you may manage to spot him on the street or run into him. This is all I can help you with. This is all I can do. I wish I could do so much more but-“ Nini pulled his arm, forcing him to bend forward and she placed a sweet peck on his cheek.

“Thank you Changmin” She smiled wide and turned tugging her suitcase behind her.

“Till we meet again.”

~

“I am really sorry I worried you, I didn’t mean to startle you or break the small amount of trust you have given me. I treasure your trust and your heart, please believe that” Changmin bent down to press his forehead to Skye’s and cupped her face securely.

“Please, don’t be mad at me, I’m just not myself tonight, tomorrow I will be okay and the day after, just don’t make me leave you” Changmin begged for the second time tonight, rubbing his thumb over Skye’s cheek.

“You are an idiot, and I hate you” Skye groaned and pouted. He took the opportunity to clasp his mouth to hers kissing her passionately and desperately. I need you, I want you to show me that we are still us.

It was amazing how a kiss spoke on so many different levels. Skye felt her blood simmer but her heat rose to her face as she grabbed a hold of Changmin’s shirt. She could read his lips, she knew what he wanted, what he needed and she had found it within herself to forgive him. Though he made her feel uneasy at times she couldn’t take her chances of pushing him out the door for the third time and dragging him back in. It wasn’t fair to him, nor her.

To error is human.

“Bedroom” Changmin whispered in her ear, breaking the kiss as his hands roamed down her chest and cupped her behind gingerly. Lifting her without a word he carried her to her room, setting her down on the bed roughly, her legs locked around his waist firmly. His lips crashed into hers once more but this time with more thirst and desire. His hunger grew as she rocked herself against his nether region, the tightening in his groin drove him over the edge of sanity.

“As cute as you look in these…” Changmin motioned towards her pajamas she just bought. “I rather them off of you” He grinned tugging them off her forcefully. He tugged her shorts off leaving her bare chest and in her underwear. Skye hissed as his palm scooped under her back and felt along her spine sending chills over her skin. She aggressively ripped off his button up shirt, a few buttons popping out of place. Both of their thirst to drink from the fountain of their own s was too potent for such minor details to interfere.

Changmin really had to admit makeup was one of the world most unspoken pleasures. It was rawer and the most welcomed apology in his mind. He looked down at Skye whose eyes had just fluttered shut on his chest. With a sighed he cocked his head to the side to look at her now peaceful face.

The truth you don’t know cannot hurt you and sometimes its better that way.

 

*~*~*~*~*

 

Nini was prepared to be overwhelmed by South Korea but when she stepped out of the airport she quite literally couldn’t believe her eyes. Possibly the fact she had packed herself up and travelled her in search of a boy made the entire reality of this surreal but here she was and without a doubt, she felt lost.

Subway Nini, you need a subway.

Nini remembered Changmin’s annoying ranting in the car advising her on what to eat, how to travel the city, where to not go, to stay out of harm’s way. He went from trying to convince her to not go, into the overprotective brother who was not only overprotective but overbearing too. All in all she was thankful for his pieces of information because she needed a guide and she didn’t have one, only mental notes.

The subway ride seemed long and she needed to switch again once she arrived in Seoul. Looking desperately over a metro map she tried to match up the numbers of the railroads to take to get to her destination.

“Umm…Miss-“ Nini jumped turning around but fumbling her pamphlet, the paper slipping onto the track. With a sigh that jostled her hair out of her eyes she turned to face the stranger who startled her.

“Are you lost?” He looked at her serenely, his eyes were dark and had this sense of purity to them. He was wearing a dark brown coat and a collared sweater. He was well dressed and polite, bowing to her after she forgot to respond.

“Oh uh- yeah I’m lost.”

“Well…do you know which way you are heading?” She smiled kindly and took a small step closer showing her his metro map on his smart phone. Useful app, she thought to herself as she scanned the screen.

“Here” She jabbed a finger at the screen and the stranger smiled softly.

“It’s not that direct of a route, I can you there if you like? I mean you seem very lost, what brings you here?” The stranger was more than friendly and Nini waited for her internal alarms to go off but none rang. He seemed fairly safe and genuinely concerned for her being so clueless and lost.

“I would appreciate a guide but I don’t want to put you off.” Nini scrambled not willing to accept his offer so easily.

“Ah, I just finished my morning shift for work, I got the entire day off. I would be more than happy to guide you around. We wouldn’t want a pretty thing like you getting snatched up by a group of erts. Besides I’m going the same way .” He laughed quietly and motioned Nini forward to step into the open subway doors.

“So what brings you to Seoul? Oh… I’m Lee Donghae by the way… you?”

“Nini Nguyen” She replied almost too quickly but she thought Donghae’s name suited him. It sounded sweet and fit a well mannered man like him.

“Please call me Donghae, don’t worry about honorifics” Donghae smiled at her brightly and slipped into a window seat, patting the spot beside him.

“So you never answered Nini Nguyen, what brings you to Seoul?” He cocked his head expectantly waiting for your answer. Nini chuckled lightly, he reminded her of a puppy in the way he acted.

“I’m uhh…here to find my boyfriend” Donghae raised an eyebrow at her suspiciously.

“I’m not a stalker, he had to leave suddenly and came back to Korea, I just want to tell him how I feel, crazy I know-“ Nini shrugged and sighed in defeat.

“Hey! I think that is pretty admirable of a girl, normally it’s us men who are running back and begging at your girls’ feet, kissing the ground you stand on.” He jostled her lightly swinging his arm around Nini’s shoulder till she shoved it away.

“Sorry” He chortled nervously. 

“No, sorry I just-“

“No need to apologize, our first stop is here, follow me, we have someone to meet up with.” Donghae led the way half running out of the station.

“Meet someone? But…DONGHAE!” Nini shouted after him but couldn’t help but laugh at the excited man she had just met. He really did remind her of a puppy.

Running up the stairs she saw Donghae tackle another man of a similar stature from behind. His hair was a peachy washed out red and the cursing that escaped his lips shocked Nini till the pink haired man noticed who was straddling him.

“Lee Donghae you idiot! I just had a heart attack” He grimaced, obviously scolding his friend.

“Hyukjae this is Nini Nguyen…I’m guiding her to her destination today” Donghae motioned back towards her.

“Hello” Nini bowed frantically not knowing how flexible this Hyukjae was with formalities.

“Nice to meet you” He grinned and spoke with a heavy accent.

“So Hyung are you going to join us on our venture?” Donghae smiled his small dimples surfacing as he looked at the elder male.

“When you beg like that Lee Donghae I really have no choice.” He chuckled lightly with a wide gummy smile. The friendship she could visibly see between the two was very strong and Nini felt almost like an intruder. Which in any other situation under the same circumstances she more than likely would but Donghae insisted she was more than welcome and he was as pleased as ever to make a new acquaintance.

“Come on Nini!” Donghae turned to her in a chipper manner hooking his arm with hers and tossing his other arm over Hyukjae’s shoulders snuggling him close. Hyukjae laughed along with Nini and Donghae but there was a slight hint of dismay in his voice. Maybe Nini was imagining things but he looked fairly uncomfortable and the way his eyes looked at Donghae, you were left questioning what kind of friendship theirs truly was.

“He is like an over grown puppy isn’t he?” Hyukjae smiled directing the question at Nini, snapping her from her thoughts.

“I was thinking this when I first met him an hour ago.” Nini replied and watched Hyukjae’s feature change drastically as they made eye contact. Crap maybe I answered too fast. Nini chewed her lip but batted her lashes innocently at Hyukjae, trying to conceal her inner thoughts to her utmost ability.

“Nini…” His voice lingered on your name.

“Your name doesn’t ring a bell but you seem fairly familiar, does she not Donghae-ah?” Hyukjae slowed their pace to look at her longer with inquisitive eyes. Nini’s skin crawled from being examined thoroughly. The only person who looked over her in such fine detail was Kyuhyun. Thinking of his stare and even his name cause the make shift stitches in her heart to pull at their threads little by little.

“I thought she looked really familiar too, that is why I approached her but I soon realized she was a foreigner and lost.” Donghae gleamed at Hyukjae and then back to Nini who walked slowly, her eyes trained on the sidewalk beneath her.

“Oh so wise Lee Donghae, let’s approach a stranger and offer to be a tour guide, it isn’t like anything wrong could happen.” Hyukjae spoke in a castigating tone and rolled his eyes at his friend, possibly best friend? Maybe even his lover? Nini shook her head to rid herself of the nonsense and conclusions she was jumping to with people she had only been with for mere minutes.

“I… I’m not dangerous, I’m just here to find my boyfriend” NINI WHERE THE HELL DID THAT COME FROM? Her conscious scolded her and smacked her mentally for admitted her motives out loud.

“That sounds a little odd” Hyukjae raised his eyebrows but his laugh was light and authentic sounding so he was just playing it off as a joke. Yet to Nini’s ears, she did sound like a stalker, a stalker who flew half way across the world in hopes of getting a man who left her abruptly back.

“It does” She laughed a long and stepped onto another subway, following the two friends leads. Sitting down by the window, Donghae joined her, shifting close. Hyukjae opted to stand, and from the corner of her eye she watched him. Where his eyes landed and how his eyelids fluttered when Donghae exhaled deeply.

There was something else to their relationship, and Nini didn’t know what it was nor should she even contemplate asking, but it was intriguing. She thought about what is would be like to be in love with your best friend but know that he didn’t like you back. Possibly he did but society wouldn’t accept it, or you didn’t accept yourself for how you felt about your best friend.

All of those thoughts bounced in her mind until Donghae’s grip lifted her from her seat and walked her out of the subway.

“Whoa, where are we-“ Her voice trailed off as she stepped up from the tunnel to bask in bright sunlight.

“It’s a nice area you picked to live. The apartments are meticulous and there are stores for everything in walking distance. You had to have had a friend set you with such a deal, no inexperienced foreigner would have made their way to this part of the city.” Donghae mused and eyed the medium sized apartment complex.

“It is a really nice complex” Hyukjae’s mouth was agape as he stared at the building as well.

“I guess I should probably get myself fixated in my new space huh?” Nini’s heart accelerated being this close to her new home. Nini didn’t want to rush off her more than friendly acquaintances but she needed to just drop everything and breathe.

“Yes, you look tired” Donghae raised his hand up to place his palm on her forehead. “It’s also a little chilly so dress warmer and sleep.” He grinned and Hyukjae smiled wide once more handing her a small slip of paper.

“It’s both of our numbers, if you need us or if you just need some people to entertain you since you don’t really know anyone besides your missing boyfriend, just…let us know” He grinned again, his eyes seeming much softer then when she originally met him.

“Don’t hesitate, okay?” Donghae shook his finger at Nini and she nodded her head. She would text them, they were two strangers but they were nice. Saying their goodbyes they turned around and walked together. She watched as their fingers intertwined and Hyukjae tried to hide it with his body. Nini couldn’t help but chuckle at how childish but pure the action was, and as she waited for the elevator her mind wandered over the two. Still unsure of what their relationship was but more than content with admiring how happy they were together.

Nini slid her access key in the slot and stumbled into the well furnished apartment. The furniture was tasteful and the rooms were accented in golds and hints of reds. The kitchen counter was onyx black marble and in the middle of the bedroom was a large bed, adorned in multiple pillows with no use. Nini let her shoulders slack and her suitcase drop, as she slithered down the back of the door. She let out a heavy sigh and continued to look over the room. Though the apartment was filled with tasteful things and it was absolutely stunning, Nini had never been in such an empty room.

 

~*~*~*~*~

 

Skye was awake first, her vision blurry and she had to resist the urge to push herself off of Changmin’s chest even though she wanted to. Her heart felt torn but she couldn’t stay awake last night to think much of it either. Yet his words and expressions haunted her dreams and even in the early morning hours she couldn’t escape them.

Looking up at him she saw a beautiful jaw line, and pert lips. She saw smooth skin and long eyelashes. She saw the face of a man who undoubtly lusted after her but when the words ‘I love you’ spilled from his mouth, her heart faltered. These words, how much every single person wanted to hear them, how she wanted to hear them directed at her for longer than she would like to admit. Yet when they were said, the words that held so much meaning came from a face that seemed so empty, so emotionless. It was like a poet reciting to an audience of deaf people. His face was blank, the words weren’t heavy, they were just floating above them. Such precious words to the human race are so easily proclaimed but also easily become a lie.

Skye trusted Changmin, she did, but when he whispered inches from her face that he loved her. She felt her trust crack just a little. Something seemed false, it didn’t fit. He lusted for her, he didn’t love her. Skye came to this conclusion early on and was willing to accept that in time he could possibly love her, but if this was love to him than everything she had ever dreamed for them would become a distant memory and she would have to face herself in the mirror and realize she is sleeping with a corpse not a warm man who loves her.

I need to trust you, but you show me the bedroom when I want to be shown the world.

 

Skye let her index finger trail his jaw.

“I need you to show me” Skye whispered closing her eyes again on his chest.

 

*~*~*~*~*

 

Kyuhyun had his chair angled towards the window to stare out at the city lights of Seoul. Thinking of how far away he was from her. She whose name he had tried to erase from his head but couldn’t. Occasionally he found himself scribbling it in the margins of his paper work.

“Why can I not forget you.”

Because you don’t want to.

“But you will forget me, so shouldn’t I do that same?”

You can forget names and faces but not feelings.

Kyuhyun ran his fingers through his hair and rested his face in his palms.

 

“If you let go of something and it comes back to you it was meant to be that way, and if it doesn’t it was never yours to have in the first place.”

Every fiber in Kyuhyun believed in fate, he secretly wished that one day he could return to unlock the door he shut when he returned home. He found himself dreaming that along his route in like he would find his serendipity. Un-expectantly bumping into her shoulder on the street, or accidentally dropping his package of 99 cent ramen into her grocery cart.

There has to be something more than this, there needs to be a continuation of once was a great thing.

I wish I could find you Nini Nguyen, I just can’t.

 

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AN/

GAH! I haven't updated in so long but I seriously love this story.

Anyways, you may notice chapters getting increasingly longer due to more characters being added and character development.

Since ther eare essentially two split timelines the ( *~*~*) seperates them.

ALSO a heads up, MORE SUPER JUNIOR (YAY! EUNHAE) and we will also be introducing some EXO aswell.

I am trying to keep it limited to SM artist (esp. after the SNSD cameo)

So please anticipate more lovely characters and plot twists!!!

THANK YOU!

~Authornim Skye

PS.....enjoy the cute lil donghae gif.