Blue and Black Stemmed Rose (minkey)

Stories of Scars

For two weeks Minho and Kibum had been getting every chance they could to just sit and have conversations with each other.  They talked so naturally to one another, like they did it thousands of times before.  With those conversations they got to learn more about each other.  With these talks Kibum saw more sides of the king of the Underworld than before.  Instead of the cold being that he was led to believe the other was, Kibum saw a humanity in the other that nobody had ever had the chance to see.  Though Kibum doesn't talk about his life fully to the other man he feels like he wants to do it anyway because of how much trust he has in Minho.  Even as he is bathing by himself in the bronze tub full of warm water he can't help but think back to the last time they were talking.

That time Kibum baked a pastry for the king, using the fruit from his garden and some other supplies from the kitchens.  He couldn't taste it so he just hoped it wasn't too bad.  Minho ended up eating the whole thing, telling Kibum that it was the best pastry he had ever tasted.  It had made Kibum blush at the compliment.  When asked how he knew how to bake the young god explained how he taught himself and that it took several tries until he managed to actually cook or bake anything that wouldn't make anyone throw up after tasting it.  They then spent the rest of the night talking about what kind of things they were/weren't good at.

As Kibum laid there in the tub, reliving the memory, he didn't realize that someone knocked on the room door until someone opened the door that led to the bathing room.  That someone turned out to be Jinki.  Upon seeing Kibum in the bathtub the half breed immediately flushed and rushed to cover his eyes.  He then quickly said, "I'm so sorry, I thought you heard me when I knocked on the door." This got a chuckle out of Kibum, "It's okay, just remember to knock a second time if I don't answer at first." Jinki nodded.  The young god then asked, "Do you mind handing me a towel and turning around, I think I'm clean and I would like to get out." "As you wish." Jinki responded as he uncovered his eyes and did as what was asked of him.  Making sure that Jinki wasn't going to suddenly turn around any time soon Kibum raised himself from the tub and started drying off.

When he was dressed in a robe he told Jinki, "You can turn back now." Turning to face Kibum the young god noticed that the flush now faded only a little bit.  However he decided not to dwell on it, instead he ended up asking, "Why are you here?" Seeming to get a hold of himself Jinki responded, "Minho, has requested your presence in his study." Kibum nodded in understanding.  He then told Jinki, "Tell him I'll be right over." Jinki nodded before he left the room.  After the other left Kibum started looking through his improved wardrobe.  Until he decided to just go with a lavender kimono before meeting with the king.  He then looked at himself in the mirror after dressing, only to frown.

It's not that he thought he looked bad, far from it, he thought he looked good.  It was just he felt mad at himself for how he was acting.  He hadn't forgotten about the wager and what would come out of it if he won.  However with only the first month almost over with he felt different than from when he first came to this place.  He felt more happy and free than when he was on Olympus.  One half of himself wanted this thing to be done with so he could see his brother and be home again, but the other half was wanting something completely different.  It wanted him to stay in the Underworld, to forget about going back and explore the fluttering feeling that always appeared whenever he was in Minho's presence.  This was a selfish part of him he didn't want but it wouldn't go away.  Lately, because of this it would cause him some sleepless nights where those two parts were always at war with one another.  Even now as he looks at his reflection he feels the two parts bicker at each other in his head.  The things the first part pointed out made him feel horrible and ashamed while the other was trying in vain to tell him that he out of anyone deserves to be happy.  When he felt tears flooding his vision he closed them tightly and forced down the two parts to make them quiet.  After they become silent he took a few shaky, deep breaths before feeling calm again.  Not giving the reflection a second glance he moved to get out of there as fast as he could.