Jumin was looking forward to V's visit. That's what it was. V was his childhood friend and they enjoyed spending time together, he told himself. That was why his chest felt tight and he couldn't seem to hold still. He sat on the couch, stood by the window, leaned on the bar, back at the window. He hadn't seen V in quite a while, not since the wedding between Saeyoung and MC. V was almost blind, and had given photography up for good. He was getting dangerously close to isolating himself, and hadn't logged into the messenger in over a week, which was why Jumin called him over. Jumin picked up Elizabeth the 3rd from her Chanel cat basket and stroked her magnificent head. She was so soft. Jumin wondered if V's hair was that soft. What? Where did that thought come from? He shook his head to clear it. He delicately put Elizabeth the 3rd back down and went back to the window.
The tight feeling in Jumin's chest intensified when he saw V's car in the driveway. The butler knocked on the living room door.
"Master Han? Master V has arrived. Shall I escort him in?" the butler's bored voice came through the door.
Jumin jumped. What the hell had gotten into him? Why was he so on edge? "Uh, yes, please bring him in here."
A few moments later the door opened and V walked into the room. Jumin's heart skipped a beat. He had never noticed how pleasing V's proportions were. His broad shoulders, the angle of his jaw, his large but nimble hands, everything was very...nice. Okay, Jumin, enough of this. Stop staring at your best friend and talk like a normal human being.
"Hello, V, it's a pleasure to see you again. Let's sit and catch up. I can send for some wine, I've recently acquired a new vineyard that has a fascinating array of Tuscan grapes." He managed to keep his voice calm despite the tightness in his throat.
"Thank you, that would be nice. I'm so glad you invited me over, Jumin. I've wanted to catch up with you as well." V held out his hand. Right. He was almost blind, and Jumin rearranged his furniture regularly. He needed to be guided to a chair. All right, just take his hand. You've touched this hand a thousand times, why are you nervous now?
The second his fingers touched V's, a spark of electricity short-circuited Jumin's brain. He froze for a second, then led V to a chair by the window. V's hand was soft and his fingers were slender. This was the delicate, graceful hand of an artist. Jumin didn't want to let go of that beautiful hand, but he forced himself. His cheeks were hot, and he was glad V couldn't see well enough to make out his facial expression.
Jumin called in the butler and sent for a selection of wine from the new vineyard. AS the butler went to fetch the wine, he turned to V.
"So, what have you been doing? You haven't been in the messenger, so I thought you might be busy." V wasn't able to use a touchscreen smartphone anymore, but he had text-to-voice software that allowed him to dictate messages and hear what everyone else was saying.
"To be honest, I haven't been doing much of anything. I'm not really sure what to do with my life now that I can't do photography any more.I've thought that maybe I should do more charity work, carry on the good parts of Rika's memory." His tone was happy, but his clouded eyes were sad.
Rika had died during treatment in a mental institution. The doctors had done all they could, but she was too far gone and managed to commit suicide when she was left alone for the night.
"V, have you given any thought to returning to drawing? I know it wouldn't be easy, but there are artists who manage to create despite…" he trailed off.
"Being blind?" the corner of V's mouth twitched up momentarily "I have, but i'm not sure if it's the right path. I just can't find anything to inspire me like before. I seem to have lost my muse."
"I don't see how one can lose artistic ability." Jumin said matter-of factly, "you still have the same skill you've developed through practice." Jumin thought about those deft hands moving across a piece of paper and shivered. The thought excited him for some reason.
The butler arrived with a cart and poured a glass of wine for each of them. Jumin drank it too quickly in an effort to calm his nerves. The butler refilled his glass without a word and moved off to stand out of earshot, but still able to see when to supply more wine.
V brought the glass under his nose and inhaled the sweet, mellow scent. His other senses were becoming stronger as his vision decreased, so he picked up every undertone of the expensive fragrance.
"I've missed days like these, Jumin. Something about sitting here with you now just feels...right." V was drawn to Jumin in a way he couldn't explain. He wanted to be close to Jumin, more now than ever before. He turned to feel the sun on his face as it streamed through the window. The sun. His muse, his inspiration. He had always compared Rika to the sun, but who would be his sun now that she was gone? Would he ever feel inspiration shine into his brain like the sun lighting up a room? He pushed the thought aside and turned to Jumin, who had remained quiet.
Jumin was lost in thought as he stared at V. The light from the window glinted off his mint-colored hair. Such a unique color, and it suited V so well. There was no one like V. He was so intelligent and refined, but he always stayed true to himself. He looked like he was enjoying the sunlight coming in through the window. Jumin wondered what it would be like to lie in the sun with V. They had done it several times as children, watching the clouds and talking about everything and nothing. What would they talk about if they were doing that again? Jumin imagined reaching over and grasping V's hand, gently lacing his fingers between….Get a grip, Jumin. The wine must have gone to his head. He should find something to talk about. Maybe that would help him focus.
"The other day I took Elizabeth the 3rd to a different groomer than usual." Jumin spoke casually, "She was not pleased with it."
"Hmm?" V said as he sipped his glass of wine, "What was so different about this one?"
"Well, for starters, this groomer didn't condition her fur properly…."
They went on talking about their family businesses, recent developments in the news, this and that, going through several bottles of wine as they conversed. By sunset, both men were red-cheeked and not particularly steady on their feet. V checked the time on his watch with raised numbers.
"Oh, is it that late already? I should probably be leaving soon." He stood up, a bit unsteady. Jumin, though not much better off, stood up and offered him a hand. V's hand was warm and his grip was gentle. Jumin felt a heat in his cheeks that had nothing to do with the alcohol. His composure was threatening to crack.
"I'll have my driver take you home." he turned to the butler. "Have driver Kim bring the car around for V."
"Yes, Master Han." THe butler said flatly.
When the door closed, Jumin became acutely aware of the fact that he was alone in a room with V. This was nothing new, they had been alone with each other countless times. But now, something felt...different. Jumin looked at V, studied his familiar features. His flushed cheeks, those lips. His lips looked soft and delicate, like butterfly wings. Jumin found himself moving closer to those lips, drawn to them. The alcohol had dulled his sensibilities enough that he gave in to the feeling that had been tugging at his heart all day.
His lips met V's, and V gave a gasp of surprise. He hadn't seen Jumin coming, but something in the kiss felt...right somehow. Like finding the one spice missing in a special recipe, or that one picture that completes a collage. After the initial gasp, he returned the kiss. Jumin tasted like wine and coffee, like luxury.
Jumin's rational thought left him the second he met Vs lips. V's lips were just as soft as they looked, and he tasted like wine, with an odd tinge of peppermint. Exactly how V should taste.
Their kiss was chaste and short, but it felt like forever. When they broke apart, Jumin's heart was hammering against his ribs, and V's cheeks had flushed several shades darker.
When V opened his eyes, he felt...warm. Not just from the kiss, though he was, but warm like the sun was shining on him. The sun was Jumin. He suddenly felt sad. He couldn't see Jumin. He wanted to look at the sun in all its radiance. He realized that he wanted to see Jumin's expression right now. Not just now, but every expression he ever made. He wanted to take in that sharp jaw, the sweep of his black hair, read the thoughts behind those dark eyes. Every subtle twitch of his lips and eyebrows, V wanted to treasure it. But he couldn't. His vision was reduced to a dense fog of colors with no shape. Tears gathered in his eyes and one slipped down his cheek.
"I'm sorry, V, "Jumin babbled, "I didn't meant to do anything to hurt you, I'm not sure what got into me, probably too much wine, I should really have learned by now to be better-"
Jumin's gabbling was stopped as V reached toward his voice, finding his shoulder and laying his hand on it.
"Jumin, who was that doctor you said would be able to fix my eyes?"
Jumin was stunned. V had been so stubborn about leaving his eyes as they were, likely his way of punishing himself for what happened with Rika. Now, something had shifted. V wanted to be happy for himself now, not live in the troubled past. Jumin smiled.
"I'll give you his number and schedule an appointment."