One Year On
Jun. 16th, 2014 07:25 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
sparklepoxTitle: Sing A New Song
Pairing: Junmyeon/Jongdae
Rating: PG-13
Word Count: 1930
Summary: There's a lot to celebrate, however far there still is to go.
Notes: Takes place one year after Make Them Hear You. READ THAT FIRST OR YOU'LL BE VERY CONFUSED AND ALSO SPOILED.
Their one year anniversary is also the anniversary of their arrival in their new home, so they celebrate that first with their roommates and the other Sirens who came after them. It's a good night with lots of laughter, and if it reminds them that one year later they're still stuck here in Canada, well, at least they're safely here and free and the world is changing, little by little. That's a lot to celebrate, however far there still is to go.
The next weekend, Junmyeon informs Jongdae that they're going somewhere for their own celebration but refuses to tell him where. "Bring comfortable clothes," is all he says, "and a jacket. We're staying overnight. Oh, and wear good walking shoes."
The last is suspicious, but Jongdae still has no idea what their destination is as they head off the next morning. "You're really not going to tell me where we're going? Even now?"
"Even now." Junmyeon is wearing his cheerfully stubborn expression and Jongdae knows from experience that no amount of whining will make him cave when he looks like that.
Junmyeon leads him not toward the main road but in the opposite direction. All there is that way is their landlords' house and then a whole lot of nothing. "Are you taking me out into the wilderness to kill me?" Jongdae asks dryly.
"You know me, always killing people and burying them out in the wilderness." Junmyeon smiles too widely at his own joke and Jongdae gives him a shove that sends him stumbling down the road.
"If you expect me to go hiking, you can at least give me a reason so I know it'll be worth it," Jongdae whines, even though he knows it's futile.
"You'll see when we get there." They've reached the end of the paved road, which turns to dirt and, after only a few minutes, dwindles into a narrow path.
"You're lucky I like you," Jongdae grumbles, but the truth is, he doesn't really mind. There's no guarantee that their destination will actually be worth the trek, but he does trust Junmyeon's intentions, at least.
They walk for a solid two hours along a winding path that's just barely visible, like it's rarely used. "Are you sure you know where you're going?" Jongdae asks when they pause to rest an hour or so in, and Junmyeon smiles in a way that's probably intended to look enigmatic but mostly just looks adorably smug.
They walk through woods for the last fifteen minutes, and Jongdae is starting to wonder if they really are lost when suddenly they step out into a clearing and he sees a cabin next to a small lake. "This is it?" he asks.
"This is it." Junmyeon smiles tentatively, watching Jongdae to gauge his reaction. He purposely frowns a little as he studies the cabin, but as soon as Junmyeon's face falls, he grins, and Junmyeon laughs. "I hate you."
"Come on, let's go in." Jongdae grabs Junmyeon's hand to pull him toward the door. "Whose is it?"
"The Thompsons'. I asked them about my plans and they said we could stay here for the weekend."
"That's nice of them." It's not surprising; their landlords look after all of them, but they're especially fond of Junmyeon. Everyone is especially fond of Junmyeon, and Jongdae can hardly fault them.
The cabin is small, a bedroom, dining area and kitchen all in one room and then a bathroom, but it manages to have electricity and running water despite being in the middle of nowhere. It seems like a nice enough place to spend a weekend.
After they look around, Junmyeon unpacks food from his bag onto the table. It's a sign of how often they eat at the cafe close to their apartment that Jongdae recognizes the food as being from there as soon as he opens the boxes, but he doesn't mind. There's a small cake too, and a bottle of wine. "Fancy," Jongdae teases, but Junmyeon just smiles.
They sit down together at the table, eating and drinking and talking comfortably. They both like to talk and conversation always flows easily between them. They linger over their meal, and by the time they finish, the sun is setting. It's chilly at night at this time of year, so they build a fire in the fireplace. There's some difficulty since neither of them has ever made a fire before, but in the end they manage, and they settle down in a pile of blankets in front of the fire.
"Do you like it here? I wasn't sure you would." Junmyeon looks so hopeful that Jongdae would be charmed even if he wasn't actually happy.
"I do," Jongdae assures him. His inner romantic appreciates spending some time alone like this, since real alone time is hard to come by in their shared apartment. "I'm surprised, though. I would've thought your kind of anniversary celebration would be more like going into the city for a nice dinner or something."
Junmyeon flashes him a sheepish smile. "I did think about that, but...there's a reason, actually, that I wanted to come to a place like this."
"Oh?" Jongdae looks at him curiously.
"I asked the Thompsons if there was somewhere we could go where we could be alone for sure, and they suggested this cabin. They said they see a lot of wild animals here, but never people."
"What do you have against people?" Jongdae teases lightly. Of course they have reason to be careful, but they've been doing fine in their small town, isolated but not entirely alone. There's no need to hide out here in the middle of nowhere.
"The thing is," Junmyeon continues, ignoring his question, "I've been thinking..." He turns and takes Jongdae's hands, meeting his eyes with an embarrassingly and yet charmingly earnest expression. "I've never heard you sing. Not really, anyway. I know it's not a good idea, usually, but there's no one around to hear except me, and you won't do anything to me."
"What?" Jongdae's blood runs cold. He's a year out of the Siren camp and the world has changed around him, but singing is as taboo as it was when it would get him locked in solitary confinement, and even if it wasn't, the fear is too ingrained in him to be easily overcome. He still slips sometimes, like he always has, but for Junmyeon to actually want him to sing...
"You don't have to if you don't want to," Junmyeon hurriedly adds. "Of course you don't have to. But I thought..." He frowns briefly and squeezes Jongdae's hands a little tighter. "I remember seeing you sing in solitary, back when I first met you. I thought, 'Wow, he must really love singing to still be doing it now.' So I thought maybe you'd like to, and I'd love to hear you, but you don't have to."
Jongdae draws in a shaky breath, trying to calm his racing heart. Junmyeon is right; he does love singing, and the chance to do it without being afraid is an amazing present. The fact that Junmyeon realized that and gave him this opportunity is amazing too. It's just a little terrifying, that's all.
Junmyeon's frown deepens. "Sorry, maybe I shouldn't have—"
"No," Jongdae cuts him off. "It's wonderful. You're wonderful. I just..." He pulls a hand out of Junmyeon's grip and rubs it over his face. "I can't remember the last time anyone asked me to sing. Or, well, I can, but it was my last Siren test and that's not exactly... Just give me a second."
Junmyeon looks confused more than anything else at this point, but he waits patiently while Jongdae gathers himself. "You're sure?" he asks Junmyeon. "You really want me to sing?"
"Do you really think I'd drag you all the way out here if I wasn't sure?" Junmyeon's smile is soft and gentle and Jongdae's heart swells at the sight. He can't be afraid, looking at that.
He takes one more deep breath in and out and then starts to sing. He doesn't even know the name of the song, but it was one of his mother's favorites, before, and he remembers most of the words and can fake the rest. He's sung it to himself before, behind the soundproof walls in solitary confinement, but never in front of anyone else. His voice comes out shaky at first and he closes his eyes to focus, sitting up straighter so he can breathe more deeply. He's never learned how to sing, but experience has taught him what works.
It's strange, maybe, that after everything it's associated with in the era of Sirens, after everything he's suffered because of what his voice can do, Jongdae still loves to sing. By all rights, he should want to lock his voice away forever so he can pass as a normal human and not worry about hurting anyone. But in spite of everything, even if it would be better if he didn't, he loves it. The way the sound resonates in his throat, the strain of his muscles as he holds out a note, his own voice reaching his ears from inside and out.
When he opens his eyes at the first chorus, after his voice has steadied, Junmyeon is watching him, captivated. He stumbles over the next note, afraid that they were wrong about his voice having no effect, but then Junmyeon smiles, eyes alive and aware and not controlled, and Jongdae's voice rises as he finishes the chorus. It feels good to let go, and better still to have Junmyeon beaming at him, proud, like Jongdae singing is a good thing, not a mistake he's going to have to pay for.
He holds out the last note and they're silent for a few moments after he breaks off, the sound ringing in the air. Then Junmyeon kisses him, hands coming up to Jongdae's cheeks. "You're amazing," he says, pulling away just enough to speak. "Your voice, it's incredible."
It's the first time since he was a little kid that anyone's complimented Jongdae's voice, and he finds himself grinning stupidly wide, embarrassed and pleased at the same time. There are a lot of other emotions mixed in too, because as much as he wishes it were, it's not this simple, but mostly he's happy, happy to sing and happy to have Junmyeon hear him and happy to be here with Junmyeon, in spite of everything that's happened.
"Thank you," he murmurs, closing the small distance between them in another kiss. "Have I mentioned that you're wonderful?"
"Once or twice, but I don't mind if you say it again." Junmyeon's smiling so wide his eyes have disappeared, the expression Jongdae loves best on his face.
"You're wonderful and I love you," Jongdae tells Junmyeon, kissing him again. He says it a little jokingly, even though it's true, because it's scary how attached he is to Junmyeon in the uncertain mess that is their lives, but the knowing smile Junmyeon wears when they pull apart this time says that he understands.
"I love you too. Happy anniversary."
"Happy anniversary," Jongdae echoes. "I'll take you out for a nice city dinner for the next one. Maybe in Seoul, even."
A hint of sadness creeps into the corners of Junmyeon's eyes, but he says, "Anywhere. I'll go anywhere with you." Then he laughs, light and happy. "Sing me another song? I haven't had enough yet."
Jongdae matches his smile for just a moment, then opens his mouth and sings.
Pairing: Junmyeon/Jongdae
Rating: PG-13
Word Count: 1930
Summary: There's a lot to celebrate, however far there still is to go.
Notes: Takes place one year after Make Them Hear You. READ THAT FIRST OR YOU'LL BE VERY CONFUSED AND ALSO SPOILED.
Their one year anniversary is also the anniversary of their arrival in their new home, so they celebrate that first with their roommates and the other Sirens who came after them. It's a good night with lots of laughter, and if it reminds them that one year later they're still stuck here in Canada, well, at least they're safely here and free and the world is changing, little by little. That's a lot to celebrate, however far there still is to go.
The next weekend, Junmyeon informs Jongdae that they're going somewhere for their own celebration but refuses to tell him where. "Bring comfortable clothes," is all he says, "and a jacket. We're staying overnight. Oh, and wear good walking shoes."
The last is suspicious, but Jongdae still has no idea what their destination is as they head off the next morning. "You're really not going to tell me where we're going? Even now?"
"Even now." Junmyeon is wearing his cheerfully stubborn expression and Jongdae knows from experience that no amount of whining will make him cave when he looks like that.
Junmyeon leads him not toward the main road but in the opposite direction. All there is that way is their landlords' house and then a whole lot of nothing. "Are you taking me out into the wilderness to kill me?" Jongdae asks dryly.
"You know me, always killing people and burying them out in the wilderness." Junmyeon smiles too widely at his own joke and Jongdae gives him a shove that sends him stumbling down the road.
"If you expect me to go hiking, you can at least give me a reason so I know it'll be worth it," Jongdae whines, even though he knows it's futile.
"You'll see when we get there." They've reached the end of the paved road, which turns to dirt and, after only a few minutes, dwindles into a narrow path.
"You're lucky I like you," Jongdae grumbles, but the truth is, he doesn't really mind. There's no guarantee that their destination will actually be worth the trek, but he does trust Junmyeon's intentions, at least.
They walk for a solid two hours along a winding path that's just barely visible, like it's rarely used. "Are you sure you know where you're going?" Jongdae asks when they pause to rest an hour or so in, and Junmyeon smiles in a way that's probably intended to look enigmatic but mostly just looks adorably smug.
They walk through woods for the last fifteen minutes, and Jongdae is starting to wonder if they really are lost when suddenly they step out into a clearing and he sees a cabin next to a small lake. "This is it?" he asks.
"This is it." Junmyeon smiles tentatively, watching Jongdae to gauge his reaction. He purposely frowns a little as he studies the cabin, but as soon as Junmyeon's face falls, he grins, and Junmyeon laughs. "I hate you."
"Come on, let's go in." Jongdae grabs Junmyeon's hand to pull him toward the door. "Whose is it?"
"The Thompsons'. I asked them about my plans and they said we could stay here for the weekend."
"That's nice of them." It's not surprising; their landlords look after all of them, but they're especially fond of Junmyeon. Everyone is especially fond of Junmyeon, and Jongdae can hardly fault them.
The cabin is small, a bedroom, dining area and kitchen all in one room and then a bathroom, but it manages to have electricity and running water despite being in the middle of nowhere. It seems like a nice enough place to spend a weekend.
After they look around, Junmyeon unpacks food from his bag onto the table. It's a sign of how often they eat at the cafe close to their apartment that Jongdae recognizes the food as being from there as soon as he opens the boxes, but he doesn't mind. There's a small cake too, and a bottle of wine. "Fancy," Jongdae teases, but Junmyeon just smiles.
They sit down together at the table, eating and drinking and talking comfortably. They both like to talk and conversation always flows easily between them. They linger over their meal, and by the time they finish, the sun is setting. It's chilly at night at this time of year, so they build a fire in the fireplace. There's some difficulty since neither of them has ever made a fire before, but in the end they manage, and they settle down in a pile of blankets in front of the fire.
"Do you like it here? I wasn't sure you would." Junmyeon looks so hopeful that Jongdae would be charmed even if he wasn't actually happy.
"I do," Jongdae assures him. His inner romantic appreciates spending some time alone like this, since real alone time is hard to come by in their shared apartment. "I'm surprised, though. I would've thought your kind of anniversary celebration would be more like going into the city for a nice dinner or something."
Junmyeon flashes him a sheepish smile. "I did think about that, but...there's a reason, actually, that I wanted to come to a place like this."
"Oh?" Jongdae looks at him curiously.
"I asked the Thompsons if there was somewhere we could go where we could be alone for sure, and they suggested this cabin. They said they see a lot of wild animals here, but never people."
"What do you have against people?" Jongdae teases lightly. Of course they have reason to be careful, but they've been doing fine in their small town, isolated but not entirely alone. There's no need to hide out here in the middle of nowhere.
"The thing is," Junmyeon continues, ignoring his question, "I've been thinking..." He turns and takes Jongdae's hands, meeting his eyes with an embarrassingly and yet charmingly earnest expression. "I've never heard you sing. Not really, anyway. I know it's not a good idea, usually, but there's no one around to hear except me, and you won't do anything to me."
"What?" Jongdae's blood runs cold. He's a year out of the Siren camp and the world has changed around him, but singing is as taboo as it was when it would get him locked in solitary confinement, and even if it wasn't, the fear is too ingrained in him to be easily overcome. He still slips sometimes, like he always has, but for Junmyeon to actually want him to sing...
"You don't have to if you don't want to," Junmyeon hurriedly adds. "Of course you don't have to. But I thought..." He frowns briefly and squeezes Jongdae's hands a little tighter. "I remember seeing you sing in solitary, back when I first met you. I thought, 'Wow, he must really love singing to still be doing it now.' So I thought maybe you'd like to, and I'd love to hear you, but you don't have to."
Jongdae draws in a shaky breath, trying to calm his racing heart. Junmyeon is right; he does love singing, and the chance to do it without being afraid is an amazing present. The fact that Junmyeon realized that and gave him this opportunity is amazing too. It's just a little terrifying, that's all.
Junmyeon's frown deepens. "Sorry, maybe I shouldn't have—"
"No," Jongdae cuts him off. "It's wonderful. You're wonderful. I just..." He pulls a hand out of Junmyeon's grip and rubs it over his face. "I can't remember the last time anyone asked me to sing. Or, well, I can, but it was my last Siren test and that's not exactly... Just give me a second."
Junmyeon looks confused more than anything else at this point, but he waits patiently while Jongdae gathers himself. "You're sure?" he asks Junmyeon. "You really want me to sing?"
"Do you really think I'd drag you all the way out here if I wasn't sure?" Junmyeon's smile is soft and gentle and Jongdae's heart swells at the sight. He can't be afraid, looking at that.
He takes one more deep breath in and out and then starts to sing. He doesn't even know the name of the song, but it was one of his mother's favorites, before, and he remembers most of the words and can fake the rest. He's sung it to himself before, behind the soundproof walls in solitary confinement, but never in front of anyone else. His voice comes out shaky at first and he closes his eyes to focus, sitting up straighter so he can breathe more deeply. He's never learned how to sing, but experience has taught him what works.
It's strange, maybe, that after everything it's associated with in the era of Sirens, after everything he's suffered because of what his voice can do, Jongdae still loves to sing. By all rights, he should want to lock his voice away forever so he can pass as a normal human and not worry about hurting anyone. But in spite of everything, even if it would be better if he didn't, he loves it. The way the sound resonates in his throat, the strain of his muscles as he holds out a note, his own voice reaching his ears from inside and out.
When he opens his eyes at the first chorus, after his voice has steadied, Junmyeon is watching him, captivated. He stumbles over the next note, afraid that they were wrong about his voice having no effect, but then Junmyeon smiles, eyes alive and aware and not controlled, and Jongdae's voice rises as he finishes the chorus. It feels good to let go, and better still to have Junmyeon beaming at him, proud, like Jongdae singing is a good thing, not a mistake he's going to have to pay for.
He holds out the last note and they're silent for a few moments after he breaks off, the sound ringing in the air. Then Junmyeon kisses him, hands coming up to Jongdae's cheeks. "You're amazing," he says, pulling away just enough to speak. "Your voice, it's incredible."
It's the first time since he was a little kid that anyone's complimented Jongdae's voice, and he finds himself grinning stupidly wide, embarrassed and pleased at the same time. There are a lot of other emotions mixed in too, because as much as he wishes it were, it's not this simple, but mostly he's happy, happy to sing and happy to have Junmyeon hear him and happy to be here with Junmyeon, in spite of everything that's happened.
"Thank you," he murmurs, closing the small distance between them in another kiss. "Have I mentioned that you're wonderful?"
"Once or twice, but I don't mind if you say it again." Junmyeon's smiling so wide his eyes have disappeared, the expression Jongdae loves best on his face.
"You're wonderful and I love you," Jongdae tells Junmyeon, kissing him again. He says it a little jokingly, even though it's true, because it's scary how attached he is to Junmyeon in the uncertain mess that is their lives, but the knowing smile Junmyeon wears when they pull apart this time says that he understands.
"I love you too. Happy anniversary."
"Happy anniversary," Jongdae echoes. "I'll take you out for a nice city dinner for the next one. Maybe in Seoul, even."
A hint of sadness creeps into the corners of Junmyeon's eyes, but he says, "Anywhere. I'll go anywhere with you." Then he laughs, light and happy. "Sing me another song? I haven't had enough yet."
Jongdae matches his smile for just a moment, then opens his mouth and sings.
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Date: 2014-06-16 11:04 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2014-06-17 12:54 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2014-06-16 01:33 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2014-06-17 12:57 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2014-06-16 04:02 pm (UTC)awww so cute > u < i really enjoyed reading make them hear you,and this epi-epilogue(haha) is just too sweet :)
oh my,jongdae promising to take junmyeon out on a date someday(maybe in seoul!!!) kinda broke my heart :'(((
gahdjfkd i just want them to be happy ; u ;
hashtag feels
haha <3
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Date: 2014-06-16 05:36 pm (UTC)When Junmyeon asked Jongdae to sing for him, my heard melted. ♥ The only thing that would have made it better, was them singing together ;)
Thank you so much for this cute little sequel!! :D
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Date: 2014-06-17 01:03 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2014-06-29 09:43 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2014-09-27 12:01 am (UTC)