[fic] Taemin/Key – SHINee – The Frozen

[rabenhorst]

Title: The Frozen
Author: fonulyn
Rating: PG13
Pairing: Taemin/Key
Other characters: Jonghyun, Onew, Minho
Warnings: --
Wordcount: 6176
Disclaimer: I own no one, only my dirty imagination.
Summary: The forest is covered in ice and frost when Taemin first finds Kibum. Never has a winter changed Taemin’s life like this one does.
Comments: here, I bring you a random wintery AU :) maybe because I’m freezing all the time now, haha, it’s at least inspiring.
this was requested by linnhe over a year ago and I officially suck, I am so so sorry :( prompt was this song. I don’t know if she wants it anymore but here it is, and I hope someone will find it enjoyable! (I sort of did, haha)

The forest is eerily silent. That has never really frightened Taemin, but now even he feels a slight chill go down his spine, making him shudder. He’s used to treading these paths alone and he knows when the quiet around him is normal, knows when it’s temporary and will be soon replaced by a burst of life. Yet now… there’s not a single sound. No birds chirping, no wind blowing, and it feels like the whole world around him has paused, waiting. It’s so unnerving that Taemin begins to unconsciously stomp his feet a bit louder, tries to step on every dried twig and every frost-covered leaf to make noise, to fill the air with sounds of any kind. He clears his throat too, and is just about to begin singing any random tune he remembers from his childhood. That is when he finally hears something. It’s like a squeak at first and he freezes in mid-movement, thinking of rabbits or squirrels, his hand automatically flying to the bow tied to his back. But as it sounds again it’s obviously not an animal sound. It’s a sob. Quickly Taemin bolts into motion and jumps over the tree trunk lodged firmly between two birches that are still standing. He almost slips on the moss, only regaining his balance in the nick of time. He knows exactly where the sound comes from and he knows it’s where he’s set several traps for small animals. Usually people of his village didn’t come this far but there’s still a chance someone wandered off and ended up here. What he sees when he finally pushes aside a young spruce makes him stop, again. Thankfully no one hasn’t stepped into his traps, at least judging by the first glance he casts around. Instead there’s a hunched form sitting on the riverbank, carefully nurturing their foot that seems to be bent at an odd angle. “Hey,” Taemin calls softly, his instinct to help making him act automatically. His mother isn’t the healer of their village for nothing, he knows enough about these things. “Do you need help?” The figure startles at his voice and in a split second, Taemin is looking straight into a pair of deep brown eyes, widened in sheer panic. Now he can see it’s a young man, maybe around his age, pale and thin, clearly malnourished. His black hair is overgrown, even underlining the whiteness of his skin. He looks like a frightened animal and Taemin just wants to calm him down. “Don’t worry,” Taemin tries again. “I’m not here to hurt you. You… bent your ankle, is that it? Can I see?” He makes a slow move to get closer, but that startles the other boy and he tries to jump up. Only the second he gets on his feet he lets out another choked sob and quickly falls down again, curling around his broken foot. When Taemin approaches him this time, he doesn’t run away. He keeps looking at Taemin with huge, scared eyes, but he allows him to get closer and doesn’t fight when Taemin places a warm palm on his calf. The boy is clad only in a short tunic and thin pants, his shoes definitely not fit for winter as they’re simple summer slippers. “It’s not really broken,” Taemin says after examining the damage. “It’s just twisted. You should be careful for a while.” He looks up and smiles, as disarmingly as he can. Usually it makes everyone melt and he hopes it has the same effect on this stranger. It doesn’t. But the boy looks a bit less inclined to run away the first chance he gets. Encouraged by that, Taemin slips one arm underneath the boy’s and hoists him up the best he can. They’re almost the same height, almost the same build too although Taemin suspects the other boy is only so thin because of the lack of food. There’s something about him that draws Taemin in, though. Something that piques his curiosity and makes him want to know more. “Let me take you home, okay? Do you have a home?” Taemin asks, smiling that genuine smile of his, hoping that it’ll get across his good intentions. He knows he can’t take the boy into his village, not when he has literally no idea who he is. He’s not given an answer but the boy begins walking, slowly and leaning heavily on Taemin for support. Taemin supposes that’s the biggest sign of trust he could ask for, under the circumstances. The next day it’s even colder, but Taemin has no intention of letting that stop him from going to see the boy where he left him last night. He sneaks out already before anyone else is awake, greeted only by the pale sun fighting to rise above the horizon. It’s almost like the light is lingering in the distance, not quite intense enough to warm anything, not anymore. There’s even more frost on the ground than before, thick clouds hanging low on the sky as if a promise of snow later on. The strap of his bag digs into Taemin’s shoulder as he ventures onwards, heading straight into the same part of the forest he went to last night. He makes sure to take detours and not leave a trail heading straight there as he doesn’t want anyone to follow him. This is something for him, not for anyone else. There’s excitement bubbling in the pit of his stomach, along with a hint of nervousness, and it makes him quicken his pace automatically. It feels like a small eternity before Taemin stops in front of the rocky mountainside, looking carefully for the opening he knows has to be there. This is where he left the other boy, helped him into a small cave that looked like it was possibly where the boy lived, permanently. It doesn’t take long and he slips inside. There’s a small fire crackling leisurely, creating dim lighting around it, reflecting from the walls and the carefully built formation of small stones that somehow makes Taemin’s skin crawl. He hasn’t had the courage to ask what it is, yet. It’s easy to spot the hunched form beside the wall, bright eyes looking straight at Taemin, filled with caution. Taemin smiles, as encouragingly as he can, crouching down to seem less intimidating. Although he’s pretty sure intimidating isn’t what he’d be described as even on a good day. “Hey,” he greets carefully. “I brought you stuff.” He drops the bag next to himself, the other boy flinching barely noticeably. Instantly Taemin rummages through it, making a victorious little sound as he finds the dried meat he rolled up in a softened piece of rabbit skin. Easily he opens the knots and finds a strip of meat, holding it out for the other one to take. “It’s good,” he urges, but nothing happens. The boy simply keeps on blinking at him, looking ready to bolt, despite his twisted ankle. Taemin sighs, taking a small bite out of the meat. “See? Here, it really is good.” The boy looks at him for a moment, considering. Then quickly he snatches the meat from Taemin’s hands, practically inhaling it as if he’s never seen food before in his life. It makes Taemin laugh and he instantly peels another strip of meat off the larger chunk, offering it up. “Wow you really like it, don’t you?” Somehow his talking seems to calm his companion so he keeps it up, even if he feels a little stupid for being the only one saying anything. “I also got you some berries we’ve dried and mixed, it makes for a really good porridge. I can show you how to make it later. You’ll need a pot but I got you one, and I got you a bowl too, and a spoon.” As he speaks he keeps digging out the items from his bag, organizing them neatly next to the fire. “You must be cold here, right? I thought you’d like some of the skins we have so I brought two. They’re fluffy and warm, my mom made them when I was little. They’re worn now though so we don’t use them, no one will notice they’re missing.” Taemin doesn’t really know why he feels like it’s his responsibility to ensure that this boy will survive, especially when he doesn’t even know him. He finishes his explanations off with the last items he digs out of the bag, before leaning back a bit. The boy is still looking at him, curiously now, contrary to the haunted and scared look in his eyes earlier on. There might even be a hint of a smile somewhere there, and it makes Taemin ridiculously happy, even if it might be his imagination. “You understand me, don’t you?” He asks, tilting his head. The answer he gains is a clearer smile, along with a slight tilt of the boys head. Taemin laughs, almost a little giddy. “You don’t want to talk, though? It’s okay, I can be patient. But I would really like to know your name.” There’s no answer, the boy only reaches out to grab a little more meat to chew on, all the while smiling barely noticeably. The silence is comfortable, even if Taemin feels a little sting at the lack of verbal response. He tells himself that he needs to give it time, needs to make the boy trust him first. Taemin stays for the whole day, babbling or just sitting there, keeping the other boy company. He shows how the porridge is made. He checks the boy’s twisted ankle and tries to even bandage it somewhat, as soon as he gets past the suspicious stare he first gains. When Taemin is about to leave, he hesitates. He grabs the empty bag, throws it over his shoulder and smiles. “Okay, so. I’ll come again. Not tomorrow, maybe, I think I’m needed home too but I can sneak off pretty often and –” He stops speaking when he’s cut off by a creaking sound. A word, maybe, but he can’t really wrap his mind around the fact that the boy might’ve spoken to him. He gapes for a second, before collecting himself. “Sorry?” This time, the boy takes a deep breath, his smile slightly nervous. “Kibum.” His voice is choked, almost breaks at the end of the second syllable, and it sounds like he hasn’t spoken in years. Yet there’s clear effort to it, and that is more than enough to bring a splash of warmth in Taemin’s chest. Taemin beams. “Nice to meet you, Kibum.” It becomes a routine for them. Whenever Taemin gets the chance he leaves the village behind and finds his way to the cave and to Kibum. Sometimes it takes him long to get away but then he always tries to stay a little longer too, to spend a day with Kibum instead of only a few moments. As soon as Kibum’s ankle is healed enough, Taemin drags him out whenever he can. They never spend much time in the cave. Something about it makes Taemin’s hackles curl and he rather wants to stay outside as much as possible. Kibum never protests. They go through the traps Taemin has set, spend time fishing, dig under the layer of snow to find whatever edible there still is. At first Taemin thinks Kibum is completely useless at finding food, wondering how the boy has survived all this time in the wild if he can’t even set a simple trap. Turns out that Kibum is really good at catching fish, though, and knows some edible roots that Taemin only vaguely remembers seeing in the baskets full of dried and rarely used things his mother keeps just in case. Most of it doesn’t taste very good but if the main goal is survival, it’s good enough. He resolves he’ll start asking his mother for advice, not only with the healing plants but also with the edible ones, as soon as he’s back. Most of the time they work side by side in silence, but when time passes Kibum begins uttering single words. First it’s only yes and no, and it takes an incredible amount of patience from Taemin not to try speed the process up somehow. Not that he could. There’s literally nothing he can do to make Kibum talk more, or sooner, except trying to talk to him as much as he can to maybe remind him of how easy it should be, to encourage him that he can. Some time later few words follow, still single words, hardly ever even two of them in a row. Yet it makes Taemin happy, helps him believe that anything is possible. He thinks it’s worth sneaking away from the village time and time again, worth the strange looks he gets from his family and friends for avoiding them even more than usual. He blames the winter, says it makes him restless, and he’s left alone again without questions. He hopes his good luck will last. “You’ve been spending a lot of time in the forest lately.” The statement is simple and innocent on its own but the implications in it make Taemin’s blood run cold for a second. He doesn’t reply, instead keeps his eyes focused on the netting he’s trying to sort out. A couple of steps from him Jinki is crouched down, rolling the untangled end of the fishing net around a carefully carved staff to keep it from slipping and making their work useless. There’s a short silence, before Jinki goes on again. “I know you always loved spending time there, Taemin. But lately you haven’t even brought any food back. What do you keep doing out there?” No, Taemin thinks, he hasn’t brought any food back since he knows someone who needs it much more than he does. It’s hard enough to find anything to eat at this time of the year and he really doesn’t need to make things even worse for Kibum. Not after it seems like he’s been living out there for god knows how long. “There’s not much there to catch,” he says instead. It’s not a lie, either. “No, there isn’t,” Jinki agrees. “I wouldn’t want to be left alone out there. I wouldn’t last through the winter, not even a kind one like this.” Taemin’s interest perks up, immediately, but he tries not to show it. “Has anyone ever lived out there? Alone, I mean,” he asks, faking nonchalance as he sets out to sort through a quite impressive knot. Maybe Jinki knows something about Kibum. “Not that we know of.” There’s a short pause in which Taemin feels his heart sink, but after managing to tie the weights on the end of the netting Jinki goes on, slowly. “There’s no worse punishment than to be sent out there, told to never come back. You remember Hyein? She didn’t survive even a month before we found her down the shore.” Yes, Taemin remembers the woman who went crazy with grief after losing her husband and burned down a quarter of their village, starting the fire right beside the sleeping places of her children. Only the charred remains of the three boys were ever found and thinking of it, the eerie silence and the smell, the haunted look in her eyes, still makes Taemin shudder. “It’s better to banish her than to kill her, right?” Taemin asks, voice tight, and somehow the words taste ashen in his mouth. They’re supposed to sentence people to death even less, only when there’s no redeeming factor to the circumstances. Yet it seems to happen more often, as Taemin has seen more than one execution to this day. There haven’t been many cases of banishment in Taemin’s lifetime, only this one he remembers, the history knows of much more, has seen very different times. “Before that, before the fire, I hadn’t seen anyone get closed off,” Jinki ventures forward, careful. “But my brother told me they had to do it three winters ago.” That re-captures Taemin’s interest. Jinki’s brother doesn’t live in their village but in the next one, a six-day walk away. They used to play together as children but then Jungsu got married to the daughter of the Park tribe chief and moved away, only visiting them when they all gather around to celebrate the midsummer. It makes so much sense, now, Taemin thinks, that Kibum might be from the other nearby camp instead of theirs. “What happened?” he asks, looking up and straight into Jinki’s eyes. The answer is a shrug. “I only know what Jungsu told me. One of the young hunters stabbed his mentor sixteen times. He claimed that the old shaman had been abusive towards his best friend for years, but none of it was ever proven, and no one believed either of them. He was sentenced to death, but before the execution he ran away with his friend. Neither of them has ever been seen after.” Slowly, Taemin nods. “So, if they’re out there still and try to come back one day? To their village, or to ours?” “They’ll both be executed immediately.” Jinki smiles, but there’s only sadness glimmering in his eyes. “But they aren’t. No one can survive these woods alone for three winters.” The discussion with Jinki brings a whole new resolve to Taemin’s mind, and he is even more determined to keep Kibum alive through the winter than he previously was. He keeps visiting, as often as he can. He wishes he could do it every day but he knows that would be foolish, it would lead to him – and Kibum along with him – being caught rather sooner than later. Yet he does his best, brings Kibum food and other things he deems necessities, even though Kibum always huffs a little, amused, as if saying he did fine without them thus far. The best part is that Kibum starts talking more. Maybe he only now remembers enough words for it, or maybe he only now gets used to the chatter again as opposed to constant silence and no human contact. Taemin loves it. He loves that he can tell a long story and Kibum might actually comment on it with more than two words at once. He loves that he gets to hear Kibum laugh, even though he sounds as if he hasn’t laughed in years. “You really should do that more often,” Taemin points out as the last peals of laughter die down slowly. He’s grinning widely, as watching Kibum laugh is even more entertaining than hearing it, for he has the tendency to fall over with the force of it. It’s endearing, and Taemin rewards Kibum with an extra large scoop of the rabbit stew he’s cooked up from today’s prey. Kibum seems confused, a frown appearing between his brows. “Do what?” He accepts the food gratefully, digging in with his fingers already before Taemin manages an answer. Kibum has managed to gain a little bit fullness around his bones, no longer looking like he might snap in half if Taemin as much as breathes towards him too harshly. “Laugh,” Taemin answers. He knows he has to, since if he doesn’t answer Kibum will pester him about it for as long as it takes to gain a reply from him. “I like seeing you laugh.” There’s still some of the confusion colouring Kibum’s features, but he doesn’t seem opposed to the idea. He falls silent for a while, focuses on his food, and it gives Taemin a chance to fill himself a bowl too. It’s pretty good, Taemin compliments himself, and takes a moment to appreciate the fact his mother was very excited when he showed interest, and taught him the plants used for food and seasoning. Only when Kibum is done with his portion he lets his hands fall on his lap, still holding on to the bowl. “I thought I forgot how to laugh.” His voice is silent, accompanied by the crackling of the fire, and at first Taemin thinks he heard wrong. Kibum goes on though, obviously not done speaking. “I laughed when I wasn’t alone.” “What happened?” Taemin asks carefully, his food forgotten. He thinks he knows Kibum is one of those young men Jinki talked about but he wants to hear it from Kibum, wants confirmation for his suspicions. “He died,” Kibum begins, only to stop again, as if saying the words make him realize something. He looks at the pile of stones near the wall, carefully arranged and obviously maintained as not a single stone is out of place. “He fell ill. We thought we’d make it. But he fell ill. I couldn’t help him.” The pain is still fresh in Kibum’s voice and Taemin wonders how long ago this happened. It has to have been longer, or Kibum wouldn’t have gotten so used to being alone in silence. Yet it can’t have been instantly after they ran. He doesn’t ask, though, only waits in silence. “He was,” Kibum almost chokes on the words, “my friend. He was my only friend.” For a second he looks like he might cry but then he turns to Taemin and smiles instead, a faint smile that makes Taemin ache in a way he never thought was possible. It’s not his loss, it’s not his friend lying in the ground, but he feels like it could as well be. Taemin wants to be there for Kibum, wants to take the pain away and wants to help him through the harsh winter, and the next one, and all the upcoming winters for as long as he can. Carefully, Taemin shifts closer. Kibum flinches a little but doesn’t move away, so Taemin places chilly fingers on Kibum’s wrist and gives it an encouraging squeeze. “I’m your friend, Kibum.” He smiles. “I’m your friend.” One thing Taemin never understands is how Kibum seems to be almost immune to the coldness. Taemin has to bundle himself up in layers of clothing to be able to spend hours outside like he does, and Kibum still mostly wears his thin clothes and seems completely fine. At least he’s given up on walking barefoot, after Taemin all but forced shoes on him. Taemin still keeps bringing warm blankets or warm clothes to Kibum, even though he makes sure they’re all old and worn and something no one else should miss. Taemin still doesn’t know much about Kibum, but Kibum has started sharing little tidbits about his life before. He mentions his grandmother once, and how she taught him to find edible roots even from underneath the snow. He tells his parents died when he was very young, and he ended up as the apprentice of the shaman. He doesn’t talk more about that though, not even when Taemin asks, and Taemin supposes it’s not a good memory. Most of their time they spend either trying to find enough food or sitting near the fire, trying to get warm again. Taemin notices how Kibum keeps coming closer to him, bit by bit. At first he always sat on the other side of the little campfire, but now he’s migrated all the way to sitting next to Taemin, even leaning closer to him as if in search of warmth. Or human contact, Taemin isn’t sure. Once, he grabs Kibum’s palms between his own and rubs warmth into their fingers, and it seems to make Kibum happy so he keeps on doing it, more and more often from then on. They don’t always talk when they sit like that, and Taemin is almost falling asleep when he more feels than hears a silent murmur against his shoulder. “His name is… was Minho.” At the very instant Taemin is awake and he glances at the pile of stones, wondering if it’s his friend Kibum just mentioned. Or maybe it’s the old shaman, or someone else from his previous life. He doesn’t need to even ask though. Kibum twines their fingers even tighter together, leaning closer against Taemin’s side. “He saved me. Even though it meant killing, and he hated blood on his hands. They sentenced him to death for it.” This is more confirmation that Taemin needs to link Kibum’s story to what Jinki told him. He keeps quiet, only rubs his thumb against Kibum’s palm to let him know he’s listening. The silence is heavy in the air, almost too thick to breathe, but it seems to dissipate when Kibum inhales sharply. “We ran away,” Kibum says, hurriedly, like remembering the escape, the running, being hunted. “We didn’t have much but we ran. He said we would make it. He said we would survive. He said… he’d never leave me.” Taemin can’t take any more than that. He detaches one of his hands from Kibum’s grip and slides it around Kibum to pull him into a one-armed hug. He knows it’s not much, it certainly isn’t enough to take away the pain of losing someone so important to you, and yet he knows it’s the only thing he can give right now. It makes him feel inadequate, but that’s nothing he can change. Immediately Kibum burrows his face into Taemin’s neck. His nose is icy against Taemin’s skin, his breaths short and panicked. When he finally speaks, it’s in a whisper. “They sentenced him to death. I was the one who killed him.” “No,” Taemin says firmly. “No you didn’t. The winter did. The people who chased you away did. You only tried to help him. You only tried to survive. And now? You will. The winter is almost over, it’s already getting warmer, and during the summer everything will be easier.” He grins, even though he’s aware that Kibum can’t see it. “And you’ve got me.” No more words are exchanged that day, but Taemin feels like the short and mostly one-sided conversation has brought them closer than ever before. It’s a huge sign of trust from Kibum to tell him about his past, and he knows how to appreciate it. And he swears, he will do whatever he can to make sure he’s worth that trust. The signs of spring in the air make Taemin happy. It’s raining more often than snowing, and he knows that’s the first sign of the winter’s edge breaking. It’s still going to be tough for a while, the relentless coldness hasn’t gone anywhere, but it fills everyone with hope and the whole village turns more lively again, like raised from the dead. Unfortunately, the signs of spring also make Taemin careless. He’s spent the whole winter visiting Kibum and no one has ever found out his secret so he doesn’t cover his tracks so carefully anymore, he doesn’t take long rounds to get to his destination but instead a straighter route. What could happen anymore at this point, right? Wrong. Taemin spots Kibum already further away, standing by the entrance to the cave, and he sprints the last of the way, enthusiastic to show Kibum the bird that got into one of his traps earlier. “Look!” he exclaims, excited. “We can make that stew today, the one you like so much! And I got some dried berries, I’m sure mom won’t see they’re missing, so it’ll be a feast!” He’s rewarded with laughter and a set of sparkling eyes, as he hands the bird over. “We could walk to the river later, if you’d want,” Taemin goes on, his heart thrumming in his chest. He’s not sure why, he’s never felt it before, but he knows it has something to do with Kibum. “Taemin?” Kibum’s expression turns confused, and he’s not meeting Taemin’s eyes any longer. Instead he’s looking over his shoulder, the frown deepening even further. “Is he a friend?” “Is he –? Who?” Taemin barely manages to utter the questions before it dawns on him. He can feel the colour drain from his face, his heart stopping cold, and his first instinct is to run. Slowly, he turns around though, and by now it’s not only one person standing there but a whole bunch of men emerging from the thicker parts of the forest. The village leader is the one who steps forward, his mouth set to a stern line. “Taemin. I don’t know whether I should punish you for your disobedience, or thank you for bringing this to our attention.” His gaze shifts over, to Kibum, turning even colder if possible. “Which one are you? The one who slaughtered his mentor? Or the one who caused everything with the baseless accusations?” Taemin risks a quick glance at Kibum, and he can see the defiance burning in those eyes. Kibum bites his lip and doesn’t say anything, though, but keeps his chin high and stares right back at the leader. He’s obviously not going to answer, so Taemin steps in hurriedly, hoping to save what he still can. If he still can. “He’s not the one you think he is,” he begins. And that is as far as he gets. “Silence!” The leader spits. “Not another word if you want to avoid your punishment. Now, take him away.” At the words, a bunch of men approaches Kibum, quickly capturing him as he’s already practically trapped between them and the mountainside. There’s not much of a fight, and Taemin stands rooted to the spot, paralyzed. The only thought that runs through his mind, in an endless loop, is that he allowed this. He made this happen. He ruined everything. He failed Kibum. The council meets that night. It’s short, not many people speak, and everyone agrees on the verdict. The prisoner has committed a crime punishable by death in their neighbouring village, amongst their sworn brothers, and that is what they will do. Come morning, they will end what should have ended years ago. Taemin doesn’t try to utter a word. He knows nothing he can say would make any difference. Instead he retreats as soon as the meeting begins, finds a quiet place to make his plan and sneaks around the village to gather everything he needs. He only packs lightly in two bags, aware that too much would only slow them down. They cannot afford that. He knows where Kibum is kept, not even brought in for questioning, and that’s where he heads next. It’s dark, only the moon in the sky and he has to use all of his talents in moving silently as the village quiets down for the night. Then, he hides in the shadows, waiting, until the guard changes into a person he knows he can trust. Jonghyun has been his friend for all his life, and no one else but him and Jinki would even listen to what Taemin has to say. Slowly, he approaches. He thinks he’s being stealthy, all the way until Jonghyun speaks up without even turning around. “Stop trying to sneak, Taemin. Just tell me what you want.” He’s crouched down right next to the door, carving something out of the block of wood he has in his hand. Admittedly Taemin feels more than a little caught as he steps into light sheepishly, grateful when Jonghyun at least looks up at him, only lazily twirling his knife. “I want you to let me in. And then I want you to let us out.” There’s no reason to beat around the bush. There’s no way he can word this that’d make it sound less idiotic. Jonghyun arches an eyebrow. “And why would I do that?” “Because he did nothing wrong!” Taemin almost raises his voice but then remembers to bring it down to an agitated whisper instead. “He only helped his friend and tried to survive out there. How is that a crime punishable by death?” He crouches down as well, meeting Jonghyun’s gaze straight. “Please.” “They would know it was me,” Jonghyun points out slowly. “How do I know they won’t punish me instead of him?” That is something Taemin hadn’t thought about. He panics, as his frantic mind tries to come up with a solution and draws nothing at all. “Would they?” he asks, mostly to buy himself a few seconds more to think. Jonghyun only looks at him, then shakes his head. “Bring me tea.” “Tea!?” Taemin’s eyes fly wide and this time, he’s sure his voice is way too loud. “Yes,” Jonghyun repeats, “tea. How else am I going to sleep through your escape?” Under normal circumstances, Taemin would want to punch him for the smug grin that accompanies the question, but he’s way too ecstatic to even be annoyed by it. Instead he flashes Jonghyun his most brilliant smile and runs to find the leaves he needs for a good, knock-out mixture of tea. It’s not more than a few minutes later that Jonghyun raises a wooden cup to his lips, pausing just before taking the first sip. “I hope you know what you’re doing,” he says, dead serious. It’s almost scary to see Jonghyun like this, instead of his usual charming, dorky or cocky self. The serious Jonghyun only makes appearances rarely, only when it matters. “I do,” Taemin answers, easier than he thought he would. “I have to.” “You do know we will come after you as soon as I wake up?” A nod. “Yes.” Jonghyun returns the nod. “Then run. Don’t look back. And don’t take the easy route or we’ll find you.” He doesn’t say anything else, but chugs down the contents of the cup in one go. He’s out cold within seconds, but Taemin still spends a moment collecting himself. He knows he’s in eternal debt to Jonghyun, and that he won’t ever be able to pay it back. Yet he wasn’t lying when he said he has to. Quietly Taemin opens the door, to be greeted with nothing but darkness in the small hut. All but one of the windows are covered, and only the small rustling sound from the corner tells him where to go. “Kibum?” He whispers, and the rustling seems to stop completely. And then he spots Kibum, tied up and thrown near the wall, staring at him with wide eyes. “Shh. I’m here to help.” Taemin’s fingers are shaking when he digs the knife from his pocket and kneels down right next to Kibum. He places a hand on Kibum’s elbow to hold him still, before cutting through the thick ropes as fast as he possibly can without inflicting serious injuries on either one of them. As soon as Kibum is free he sits up, stumbling, and tries to scramble further away until his back meets the wall. It makes Taemin’s heart clench, but he braves moving forward and even placing a hand on Kibum’s knee. “We need to go. We don’t have much time and we need to get far away from here before morning. It’s the only way they won’t catch us.” Kibum looks wary. It’s obvious he doesn’t trust Taemin quite as blindly as he used to. He doesn’t say anything, he doesn’t move, and in a frustrated burst of anger Taemin grips his knee harder and shakes him a little. “Which part did you not understand!?” he hisses. “We need to go. Now.” Quickly, Kibum shakes his head. “You won’t survive.” The words are barely audible, but they still stun Taemin into momentary silence. “What do you mean?” he asks when he finds his voice again. “You did.” Kibum’s answer is another rapid headshake. “Minho didn’t.” He squeezes his eyes shut, and flattens himself against the thick wall behind himself. “He was strong.” It takes a lot of effort but Taemin forces the frustration to the back of his mind. He breathes in deep, finding calmness in himself he didn’t know even existed. He places his palm on Kibum’s cheek, gently makes him turn his head so that they’re looking at each other. “He might’ve been strong,” Taemin says, slowly, to let the words sink in. “But I am a healer.” With every single second that follows, their chances of making it out alive get slimmer. Yet Taemin can see how the resistance melts off Kibum, how he slowly sways in his decision and gives in. It feels right when Taemin finally grabs Kibum’s hand and pulls them both up from the floor, guides them outside and towards the edge of the forest. They’ll have to move slow at first, cover their tracks, and the night is way too short and dark for someone like them. Especially as Taemin knows they’ll be chased after. He knows he’d be safe in the village, but with Kibum he’s going to be hunted down or dies the first rough winter. Kibum’s fingers are ice cold but Taemin just grips them tighter. It’s already turning towards spring, it won’t be long before the snow melts, and it gives him hope that they might actually make it out alive. Maybe. He knows they’re both fighters. They run.

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so finally I get something done ;; I’ve been craving to write taekey for ages and yet this thing managed to give me feelings not only for taekey but also for minkey and jongtae and even ontae and idk my mind is a mess.

I’m also officially the worst person in the world to deliver requests so late :( I don’t even know if there are some I forgot about gdi.

BUT YEAH. I hope you liked this!

Comments

[mhn77.livejournal.com]

KEYTAEEEEEEEE ☆*･゜ﾟ･*\(^O^)/*･゜ﾟ･*☆
omg I've missed this ;A; no actually I've missed your KeyTae ♥
no matter the setting I just love the way your KeyTae seems to have a..idk tenderness or connection or something I really like between them. they never disappoint, never.
I deliberately didn't listen to the song before reading, but I think it fits the mood really well.and idk for some reason I had the winter images from Dances With Wolves running through my head while I read this, just less Indians, more Koreans xD

you do realize this screams sequel, right? right??!

♥♥♥

[fonulyn.livejournal.com]

oh bby I've missed this too and I'm so glad you enjoyed this! ;;♥ I feel so bad for neglecting the pairing lately too. I'm sort of planning to do a couple of drabble-challenge thingys so maybe I can manage to include taekey into them~ :3

I dunno why but these two are somehow so incredibly easy to write. like. they just do whatever they please and I'm along for the ride, haha. plus with this one, the winter-y atmosphere sorta made it all easier since I am freezing my nose off as we speak.

I DO REALIZE THAT ;____; BUT I DON'T KNOW. it'd turn into a monster of a fic if I'd try to write a sequel and I am afraid of monster fics right now. that's why I'm looking at drabble challenges since I want something short I feel I can handle ;; but... maybe? never say never. who knows if I get inspiration once IT HAS HAPPENED BEFORE.

you do realize I love you, right? ♥♥♥

[salome620.livejournal.com]

This is tragic. Although I want the story to go on, to find out what happens next. But the other part of me don't want it to continue because I'm almost sure they will not survive and that would be heartbreaking.

It's beautiful. Sad, but beautiful all the same. Their survival in their rustic life is very admirable. They are guided only by the basic needs and emotions.

Thanks for sharing.

[fonulyn.livejournal.com]

There's always a chance that they survive, though! :) Who knows what life will bring for them from now on, maybe they'll get really lucky and manage to travel further, and get to somewhere they can live on. I sort of want to imagine that, since otherwise I'd be crushed, haha.

Thank you, sweetie! ;; For reading and for commenting! ♥

[linnhe.livejournal.com]

i'm so glad you tagged this on tumblr! :D thanks, that was hella thoughtful

He makes sure to take detours and not leave a trail heading straight there as he doesn’t want anyone to follow him. This is something for him, not for anyone else.
it was almost cute how taemin makes kibum into his personal little project at first

The boy is still looking at him, curiously now, contrary to the haunted and scared look in his eyes earlier on.
i thought this was so telling, in that kibum had been mistreated before

Yet he does his best, brings Kibum food and other things he deems necessities, even though Kibum always huffs a little, amused, as if saying he did fine without them thus far.
i liked this little spark of defiance in kibum, he was starving and doomed to die when taemin found him and yet his spirit remains intact. what a badass

Kibum has managed to gain a little bit fullness around his bones
heee ^-^

“He fell ill. We thought we’d make it. But he fell ill. I couldn’t help him.”

The pain is still fresh in Kibum’s voice and Taemin wonders how long ago this happened. It has to have been longer, or Kibum wouldn’t have gotten so used to being alone in silence. Yet it can’t have been instantly after they ran. He doesn’t ask, though, only waits in silence.

“He was,” Kibum almost chokes on the words, “my friend. He was my only friend.”
this and all following lines of kibum describing what happened to him and minho really touched me.. it's such a heartbreaking story

At first he always sat on the other side of the little campfire, but now he’s migrated all the way to sitting next to Taemin, even leaning closer to him as if in search of warmth. Or human contact, Taemin isn’t sure.
the way you portrayed the human condition here was my favourite

“He saved me. Even though it meant killing, and he hated blood on his hands. They sentenced him to death for it.”

“We ran away,” Kibum says, hurriedly, like remembering the escape, the running, being hunted. “We didn’t have much but we ran. He said we would make it. He said we would survive. He said… he’d never leave me.”
ughhh. minkey :((

Slowly, he approaches. He thinks he’s being stealthy, all the way until Jonghyun speaks up without even turning around. “Stop trying to sneak, Taemin. Just tell me what you want.”
clever jonghyun <33 it made me a little sad knowing taemin was running towards a life without friends like jonghyun

this was a beautiful and touching story and i'd like to thank you for writing it ♥ i thought it fit the song wonderfully and now i'll always have this pretty story to accompany it when i listen to it in the future

[fonulyn.livejournal.com]

no problem, really! it's been so long that I wasn't even sure how active you are on livejournal but I thought I'd seen you on tumblr a couple of times so I figured it might be the way to go x) I really am sorry for taking so long with this :( I don't even know what happened!

i liked this little spark of defiance in kibum, he was starving and doomed to die when taemin found him and yet his spirit remains intact. what a badass
I didn't want him to be completely broken, even though he's been through a lot :) haha, and his stubbornness shows.

this and all following lines of kibum describing what happened to him and minho really touched me.. it's such a heartbreaking story
I'm really glad to hear it worked ;; I hoped it'd be even somewhat emotional, and it's so good to know it worked!

clever jonghyun <33 it made me a little sad knowing taemin was running towards a life without friends like jonghyun
it makes me sad too, he's leaving so much behind, and such good friends, too. haha jonghyun might've been my favourite to write tbh XD

just, thank you so much for your comment! ;; it's so wonderful, and totally made my day when I checked my mail this morning and saw the notification! so, thank you ♥

[koukaiaru.livejournal.com]

first of all omg i was like, certain i had commented on it o_O weird stuff, must have been on skype too.

That is when he finally hears something. It’s like a squeak at first and he freezes in mid-movement, thinking of rabbits or squirrels, his hand automatically flying to the bow tied to his back. But as it sounds again it’s obviously not an animal sound. It’s a sob.
honestly if i were him i'd shit my pants, just saying.

He looks up and smiles, as disarmingly as he can. Usually it makes everyone melt and he hopes it has the same effect on this stranger.
i'm melting. what oh what did i do to deserve such intense tae feels lately. speaking of which i really like his character here. i mean that he is a self sufficient hunter, i think it fits him~

There’s a small fire crackling leisurely, creating dim lighting around it, reflecting from the walls and the carefully built formation of small stones that somehow makes Taemin’s skin crawl. He hasn’t had the courage to ask what it is, yet.
i like the atmosphere this builds. i mean i really love the atmosphere of this whole fic, the mystery, the cold forest, everything <3.

Although he’s pretty sure intimidating isn’t what he’d be described as even on a good day.
lmao i love this xD

i really like all of your descriptions of how wild kibum is it's all very convincing, you did a truly great job <3.

Yes, Taemin remembers the woman who went crazy with grief after losing her husband and burned down a quarter of their village, starting the fire right beside the sleeping places of her children. Only the charred remains of the three boys were ever found and thinking of it, the eerie silence and the smell, the haunted look in her eyes, still makes Taemin shudder.
i really like your descriptions, wow. and all of this reminds me slightly of this movie with adrien brody... the village? it was a similar amount of creepy.

“I like seeing you laugh.”
ugh right in the feels.

“I thought I forgot how to laugh.”
“I laughed when I wasn’t alone.”
god, am i cry or am i cry jbhxdkfznjsa.

“He fell ill. We thought we’d make it. But he fell ill. I couldn’t help him.”
hoooooooooo ;___;

Taemin notices how Kibum keeps coming closer to him, bit by bit. At first he always sat on the other side of the little campfire, but now he’s migrated all the way to sitting next to Taemin, even leaning closer to him as if in search of warmth. Or human contact, Taemin isn’t sure.
hfdjkslma. kibum breaks my heart.

Unfortunately, the signs of spring also make Taemin careless. He’s spent the whole winter visiting Kibum and no one has ever found out his secret so he doesn’t cover his tracks so carefully anymore, he doesn’t take long rounds to get to his destination but instead a straighter route.
YOU IDIOT CHILD

“Taemin?” Kibum’s expression turns confused, and he’s not meeting Taemin’s eyes any longer. Instead he’s looking over his shoulder, the frown deepening even further. “Is he a friend?”
i know i read it before but my heart still skipped a beat gdfknjlmsa.

Jonghyun arches an eyebrow. “And why would I do that?”
because you love taemin, jonghyun. please excuse this hopeless jongtae stan lmao

“Yes,” Jonghyun repeats, “tea. How else am I going to sleep through your escape?”
i love him

Jonghyun returns the nod. “Then run. Don’t look back. And don’t take the easy route or we’ll find you.” He doesn’t say anything else, but chugs down the contents of the cup in one go. He’s out cold within seconds, but Taemin still spends a moment collecting himself. He knows he’s in eternal debt to Jonghyun, and that he won’t ever be able to pay it back.
i like legit seriously love him
i love your jonghyun
you always write him so well

ibfvdjkdsfknj but yeah anyway, i really liked this bhfvjkndsnk it's very original and the atmosphere is executed perfectly, great job as always bb <3

[fonulyn.livejournal.com]

we talked about it on skype so it could very well be x) and d'awwh, bb I can't thank you enough for all these lovely comments ;;

honestly if i were him i'd shit my pants, just saying.
taeminnie is a tougher nut than either one of us 8)

i'm melting. what oh what did i do to deserve such intense tae feels lately. speaking of which i really like his character here. i mean that he is a self sufficient hunter, i think it fits him~
I don't like taemin being written as this... little kid dependent on others, so I try to make him an active and capable person XD it's one thing (amongst others) that I really loved in your jongtae ;; taemin was so capable there.

i like the atmosphere this builds. i mean i really love the atmosphere of this whole fic, the mystery, the cold forest, everything <3.
just. thank you, for the millionth time ;__;

i really like your descriptions, wow. and all of this reminds me slightly of this movie with adrien brody... the village? it was a similar amount of creepy.
haven't seen that, unfortunately. I should, maybe :) or then not, haha, knowing how easily I have nightmares XD

because you love taemin, jonghyun. please excuse this hopeless jongtae stan lmao
lmao of course he loves him XD tho as a friend in this particular fic, sorreeeh 8)

i like legit seriously love him
i love your jonghyun
you always write him so well
did I already drown you in 'thank you's? ;; ansjxkdfgnhkn means a lot. and I rly enjoy writing jjong!

asnjdfgnhkjnkn ilu ♥