TAT (10/?)
10
When the first wave hits, you probably aren’t as strong as you thought
Minho wiped the counters down. He sprayed the antibacterial 409 all over the area. It smelt like citrus fruits and clean kitchen. He was dozing off; keeping the best balance he could by leaning on the tables and stools. On the bright side, he had a lot of presents to open tomorrow.
He put the chemical bottle under the sink and threw the dirty rags into the laundry room. He trudged up the stairs. Each level seemed to take twice as long in sleepy land. His hand held onto the railing as he climbed the last step. He rounded and corner and walked down the hallway. He paused at his door and relished at the thought of getting some shut eye. He tugged on the knob; locked.
“Disgusting.” He rolled his eyes and walked down to the bathroom.
Of course, he would need to brush his teeth and do his nightly routine before finding another bedroom to go to sleep. His feet felt heavy and he wondered if putting water on his face would wake him up more than he wanted. He heard a few muffled noises from his parents’ bedroom. They were still there. He instantly straightened up and got himself excited for some real hang out time with his friends.
But once he opened the door he surprised himself. He took a step in, watching the sorrow faces and the mood of the whole place. What happened while he was gone? Obviously something, but who could do something so drastic?
He closed the door behind him and looked at Jessica. She was glued to the leather loveseat next to the bookshelf, her arms crossed tightly over her chest. Yoona had a tightened lip and tense, sympathetic look to the boys.
And the boys; they were the worst. Kibum was sheltered in Jonghyun’s chest, heaving loudly. He was in fetal position with his legs up and arms clinging onto Jonghyun. Jonghyun looked ice cold. His eyes were like stones, his arms were wrapping protectively around Kibum while one hand supported the small of Kibum’s back. It looked like he wanted to cry, too; but he didn’t and that pained Minho.
He looked at Yoona for some sort of information but she was deprived of life at the moment. She simply shifted and took her gaze elsewhere. When Jessica turned her head, too, Minho got frustrated.
“Can someone please tell me what’s going on here?!” he blurted out.
Jessica and Jonghyun exchanged some nods and mouthing. It was quiet again. Minho sat down next to Kibum and rubbed his shoulder blade with a caring hand. Kibum stirred, as if he took a nap, and turned his head slightly.
Minho gasped at how red and puffy he looked. The always beautiful, clean and clear face was swollen and tired. Jonghyun shot him a death glare before Kibum’s head reverted into the chest again.
Minho turned his head annoyed at Yoona. “Yoona! Tell me, come on!”
She was fighting it, Minho knew that face well; the one where you wanted to tell it all, crash and step over the bottle, but you couldn’t, because it wasn’t your story to tell.
“It’s alright, Yoon, just… God…” Kibum started.
Jonghyun touched the back of Kibum’s hand. “Are you sure about this?”
“He deserves to know like everyone else.” he turned to face Minho, his eyes wearily drowned down, his mouth twitching. “Jonghyun and I… we… I love him, and he loves me, I-I don’t know why… but Taem-Minho, we love each other more than friends.”
Minho looked like he couldn’t breathe. Kibum immediately took that as another blow to the heart and squeezed onto Jonghyun like a leech. But, Minho came closer, his expression was unreadable.
“I know that already, stupid.” He said, his eyes were dreamy and twinkling.
“WHAT?!” came Jessica from her arm lock.
Minho nodded and at that moment Kibum collapsed on him. “What, but, where, how?! Minho!”
“I saw you guys at the sleepover… I think you were sleeping… and Jonghyun was sleep talking or something. He said he loved you, I knew from then, but I never said a word.” He hugged the older boy back.
“I love you Minho!” they stayed like that for a few minutes before Kibum backed off and sat on his own. He stretched his back out; that position was like sitting in a FedEx box for three days.
Minho folded his arms, hiking his long sleeves up. “So… why was everyone so dramatic earlier?”
Jonghyun looked away once again and Jessica slid off her chair.
“Taemin blew up. He slapped Jonghyun in the face and beat the crap out of Kibum.” Yoona said quietly, as if the whole situation would come alive as soon as you spoke of it.
Minho shook his head. “That’s not him, he would never do that…”
“Uh… yeah, he could, he did.” Jessica claimed.
“Is he okay? Where is he?”
“Home? Your room? We obviously wouldn’t know anything… he stormed off after calling out Jonghyun.”
“Wait, wait, who told him?”
“We don’t know!” Kibum yelled, throwing his arms in the air. “He said we were having sex!”
“And we aren’t.” Jonghyun justified. Kibum tucked back into fetal position,” He just… I didn’t know he was that kind of person, you know?”
Minho nodded in agreement,” I don’t know why he would pin you guys down like that, I mean, it’s not like he doesn’t have any feelings.” He stood up, his head fuming.
“Where are you going?”
“I’m going to have a talk with that magnae.” He heard Kibum cry out a whine but he kept moving until he was out into the hallway.
Taemin always went to his bedroom when he was feeling troubled-or at least before Kibum showed up and they became the best of friends. So when he tried the knob again it was still locked. He wasn’t surprised in the least.
He knocked calmly but his voice was stern. “Unlock the door, Tae.”
“Go away!”
“It is my room, if you haven’t forgotten.”
The door unlocked with a small click.
Minho opened it, watching Taemin retreat to the bed with his pillow suffocated between his arms.
“So I guess you’ve heard.” Taemin grumbled bitterly.
Minho slumped against the closed door, nodding slowly. “Yeah, and I heard you did some bad things, said some things, too.”
“Whatever, I hate them.” The young one said icily. He picked at a loose string, tugging at it little by little.
“You do not.” Minho said curtly,” You might hate what they did, but you don’t hate them.”
“They aren’t any better than trash. They’re a big pile of trash.”
“Hey!” Minho screamed this time standing up to show authority. “How could you say that? What happened to respect, you used to live by that! I don’t know what happened to you, but, I don’t like it. You need to stop this, Taemin. Remember who you are.”
He almost didn’t make it through those sentences. “You used to be quiet, and sweet, but ever since freshmen year… you’ve changed… A LOT!”
“And what about you?! We were supposed to be together at all times! We were soooo close! But you… you left me and I didn’t know what to think anymore. I just… we were the cute younger kids, you know?! You grew up without me; and now you’re even making me the bad guy in this situation!” Taemin let it all out, he was flushed and he threw the pillow at Minho’s head at some point during the lecture.
Minho shook his head, he was disappointed; in himself and in what Taemin grew into.
“Being in love… Taemin, it shouldn’t matter, alright? If they love each other then let them do it, it isn’t your life to control.”
“IT’S WRONG, IT’S SO, SO, SO WRONG!”
Minho could almost feel the vein in his forehead pop up, throbbing with every word he heard. “Just because you might not see a man as your wife… doesn’t mean everyone will go by your way. You can’t just slap everyone that loves the same sex!”
Taemin pointed to the door stubbornly. “I never said that!”
“But you meant it! And that’s what I’m getting at, Lee Taemin.”
“I’m not bad!” he looked at his hands, the stinging on the string just pronounced it. A line of red was visible, wrapping around his pointer finger. “Can’t you see it?! They are so disgusting.”
Minho blinked. “Taemin.”
Taemin looked up briefly, then turned away and started rubbing his heels against the bed sheet.
“Taemin.” He repeated.
“Hyung! There’s nothing wrong with me, it’s them you should be giving a talking to!” he exclaimed.
Minho had enough of this. He walked to the door, gripping onto the knob. “Grow up.”
He could sleep on the couch tonight.
A/N: Based off of 3B by pooltides; A JeTi storyline.