(no subject)
The Bachelor (repost) 2/2
Part 1/2
The next night, he received a real lingering kiss from Minho, one that turned his knees into jelly.
About a week later, their kisses had evolved into heated make-out sessions. Minho couldn’t keep his hands off Taemin and was determined to find out all the ways he could make the boy moan.
It wasn't long until Taemin started staying over on weekends, Minho lowering him onto the silk sheets of his king-sized bed and waking him up with adoring whispers.
Their relationship progressed rapidly, because their bodies were extremely compatible and their minds were in sync. Taemin found himself in a bittersweet danger, falling deeper and deeper for the man and hating it. Every time he gasped out “hyung” instead of a name, a piece of him shattered.
But he was mature enough to stay patient, take all he could get without expecting for more.
On the other hand, Minho was starting to grow anxious as he only had four more weeks left of filming the show. After that, he was supposed to get married and live happily ever after. In the midst of discovering his feelings for Taemin, he had forgotten to think of an escape route.
Honestly said, he would have rather married Taemin than one of the girls. He didn't hate them anymore at that point, the four that had recently been moved to the main building for the sake of added tension were nice and friendly. They seemed to be intelligent enough to realize that Minho wasn't interested in them and didn’t pressure him. Still, the thought of spending his life, or even a few years with one of them didn't appeal to him.
Not to mention, that would mean he would lose Taemin. A high schooler in a secret relationship with a wealthy man few years older than him wasn’t such a big deal, Minho liked to believe, but keeping him on the side... Minho wouldn’t be able to destroy the teen with such cruelty.
Also, he wished more than anything to hear the teen say his name. Taemin seemed fine with the way things were, but Minho needed to be honest with him.
Maybe then, he should twist his father's words a bit, and present Taemin as his bride? Minho chuckled, quite fond of the idea. His father’s face would be priceless.
Thin arms wrapped around his torso from behind.
“What are you thinking about?” his lover asked in a voice hoarse from sleep or perhaps the activities from the night before. Minho turned around, letting Taemin rest his pretty little head on Minho’s shoulder.
“You,” he answered with a smirk, wrapping his arms around Taemin’s naked body and holding him close. “Only you.”
“I'd rather you entertain me.”
Minho glanced at the clock. On his schedule that day, were dates in the city with the four remaining candidates. Those were going to take place in the afternoon, though, so he had the morning was.
“Oh, how?” he demanded huskily, his hands roaming around under the covers-
Taemin smiled at him, shifting closer and nuzzling into Minho’s neck. “Mm, but I think you already got the idea...” he said before covering Minho’s mouth with his own. His breath was slightly stale, but Minho didn’t mind much, not with the teen warm and soft and pliant in his reach.
An excellent way to start the day it was, Minho thought, rolling over and settling down between Taemin’s parted legs, admiring the possessive love-bites he had left mere hours earlier.
He was in a fantastic mood for the whole day, replaying Taemin's expressions and reactions in his mind. It was unfair, the way everything Taemin-related made him powerless.
-
On the following Saturday they spent the whole night lying on the soft grass by the pool (Taemin still insisted on completing his duties before letting Minho seduce him), cuddling on a soft blanket Minho had brought. They looked at the stars and talked about nothing until the sun came up and the sprinklers were turned on.
Then they’d ran through the sprays of water like children, playing a rule-free game of catch between exchanging kisses.
By the time Taemin got home, his mother had already woken up and prepared breakfast. She laughed at the outfit he was wearing, both the sweater and the sweatpants a few sizes too big for him since they belonged to Minho. His own clothes were in a soaking wet pile on Minho’s bedroom floor.
Taemin ignored her umma’s pestering about his lovelife, scouring the pockets for his phone. He had promised to hang out with an old friend on that day and needed to call him up. But of course, he had left his phone at the villa.
Thus, Taemin changed into a pair of jeans and simple jacket before making his way back to the estate. He told the guards earnestly that he’d left something of his behind and because master Choi had given the teen special permission to come and go as he pleased (not that Taemin was aware of it), he was allowed to enter.
Searching for it in Minho’s bedroom was probably the best idea, but Taemin took a detour, curious about the recording.
It was a Sunday, an elimination day. The weather was beautiful so the event was held outside. Taemin sneaked closer to the set, amazed by the amount of cameras, microphones and filming crew. Then he caught sight of the ladies, gorgeous in their little cocktail dresses, the host, and finally, the main character of the show.
Choi Minho looked a lot like his cousin.
Taemin did a double take, recognizing the pattern on the suit and realizing that it was the same he had seen hanging in his hyung’s wardrobe. Their hair color was the same, so was their facial structure.
The dots connected in his head and Taemin felt nauseous, his stomach twisting and turning with dread.
This wasn't happening. He took a few steps back and shook his head, closing his eyes and praying that it was just an illusion. But when he opened them, his hyung, no, Choi Minho, a billionaire, was still there with a gentle smile, clasping an elegant necklace around one of the girls’ neck.
Forgetting about his purpose, Taemin fled. At first he ran, out of the garden, out of the workers’ gate, needing to get as far as possible. The sleeplessness and shock kicked in after a few minutes of sprinting, though, and he slowed to a steady limp.
His lower lip trembled but Taemin refused to cry out in the open so he pushed his body past its limits to reach the safeness of his room.
Oh, well, he thought when his eyes prickled threateningly. He knew this little fling had to end some day, anyway. That didn't make it any less painful, though.
He went home and was thankful when his mother didn’t question him. The woman simply hugged him after seeing his miserable state and let him go. Once he had locked the door, Taemin flung himself on his bed and clutched his pillow as he cried it all out.
The hints had been all there, so obvious. Minho, at least now he knew the man's name, was always busy during the day yet claimed to be on a holiday, was shocked when Taemin didn't know who he was. He could hang around the mansion and spend money freely without any worries because he owned all that.
Because he was Choi Minho.
Taemin had just been too blinded by his own foolish euphoria to notice the connections.
He wanted to kick something. Minho had so played him so well and he had trusted the man without a single doubt. Taemin would've followed Minho to the freaking pits of hell if the guy asked, that's how deep he had fallen for the man.
At least he found out about it before he made any more mistakes. Hiccuping, Taemin glared at the heap of clothes on his computer chair, as they reminded him of how blissed he’d been only a counted number of minutes earlier.
Fuck the car he wanted to buy. He was so quitting that job.
Snuggling deeper into his quilts, Taemin let the bitterness overwhelm him. He should probably buy himself a new cell phone, he thought, since he wasn’t planning to set foot on that estate ever again. And the rest of the money he could spend on partying. His friends would be happy since he’d been ditching them in favor of going to Minho’s place anyway.
He should have known better.
-
Minho finished filming for the day, and went up to his room, exhausted. Loosening the knot of his tie, he heard a shrill ringing coming from the hoodie Taemin had left behind. Fumbling around with the wet fabric, Minho found Taemin’s cell phone.
He chuckled at the teen’s forgetfulness and made a note to give it back to Taemin later. Then Minho stripped himself of his tux and slid between the cool sheets of his bed for a nap. It was kind of lonely without Taemin and he stared at the worn buttons of the teen’s phone before falling asleep.
A few hours later, Minho lounged by the poolside as usual, his expression growing serious when Taemin wasn’t on time. The teen hadn’t been late before.
Well, they had been up stargazing all night, so it wasn't impossible that Taemin had slept in, but the boy was usually very responsible. The longer he waited, the antsier, more paranoid Minho got.
He needed to make sure the teen was all right and something bad hadn't happened to him, Minho took his car without a second thought and drove to the house in which Taemin lived. The furthest he’d been was Taemin’s front door, on the rare instances he had the chance to send him home.
That night was a special case, though, and he rang the bell.
Taemin's mother opened the door in fuzzy slippers and a baby blue bath robe, grumbling under her breath about disrespectful guests at late hours.
“Good evening. Is Taemin home?” Minho asked pleasantly, shooting the sleepy woman a dazzling smile. She was about nag at him about the time and her son being a high schooler, but the words died out as she stared at the tall figure blocking her doorway.
Mrs. Lee had plenty of time after work and she loved to watch TV, be it dramas, documentaries or variety shows. “The Bachelor” had started airing three weeks ago, and the found it very interesting this far.
And now, suddenly, the bachelor himself was standing before her, politely asking for her son.
“Uh-oh, um, wow. Wait a-ah minute- would you... Would you like to come it? Take a seat?” she stammered with wide eyes so similar to Taemin’s.
Minho was horrified at having been recognized but he tried to not let it show on his face. He considered leaving, now that he knew that Taemin was safe and well. But Taemin was bound to be suspicious if his mother told him about Minho’s visit. Oh lord, he had fucked up well.
“No, I'd rather just wait here, if you could, please, call your son?” he pleaded, hoping that he’d get to explain the situation to Taemin before he hears it from the woman.
“Aah, oh. I’ll go. Get. Yeah.”
It took the women a while to wake up her son, and then some time to convince him to come down. After the initial shock had passed, Taemin had told her about what happened, only leaving certain facts out- the identity of his lover and how exactly they’d met. Now she saw the whole picture.
Pushing her still half-asleep son down the stairs, she wondered if she could sneak into the kitchen to make some popcorn.
This was way more fascinating that all of her favorite dramas!
Minho had stepped into the house while waiting and hoped that Taemin's mom hadn't mentioned the teen anything about his persona. All his thoughts and worries became irrelevant when Taemin shuffled closer to him, puffy eyes barely open.
The already familiar tightening in his chest he felt every time he was close to the pool boy that had became so much more to him, was back. Chuckling at Taemin's drowsiness he reached out the silver cell phone for the boy to take.
“Hey there, sleeping beauty...”
Taemin blinked, his lips stubbornly sealed. He snatched his phone, warm fingertips grazing Minho's cold palm. Without the usual smile and a chipper “Hello,” the teen turned to go back to his room, back to sleep, back to willing himself to forget.
Minho noticed Taemin's mom eyeing them from the kitchen so he tried not to be obvious about latching onto Taemin’s hand to hold him back.
Taemin shrugged him off.
“Taeminnie, is everything okay? What happened?” he asked, concerned and ready to turn every rock on earth upside down to see Taemin smile. Minho had seen a tired Taemin before, but at the moment he seemed more like pissed off than half-asleep. “What's wrong?”
The teen intended to escape without an explanation, to push all memories of Minho to the back of his head, but it seemed that a confrontation had to take place after all.
Well, might as well get it over with.
“You are wrong.”
Minho frowned, his brows knitted as he grabbed Taemin by the shoulders to flip him around, periodically peeking at the teen’s mother from the corner of his eye.
“I'm wrong? Me? What did I do? Tell me, I'll fix it, I promise. Whatever it is. You know I love you, yeah?” he insisted, voice dropping into a smooth whisper, searching Taemin’s face for answers but the teen remained closed off and cold.
“That's the problem,” Taemin muttered and Minho bowed his head to hear better. The younger heaved a sigh, hands making their way to Minho’s chest to put some space between them.
“I don't love you, Choi Minho-sshi.”
“What the-” Minho cut himself off. Taemin had finally said his name but not the way Minho imagined it. The words were said with an indescribable amount of venom lacing his sweet voice
“I'm sorry, but I’m in love with your cousin, sir.” the teen declared, not bothering to keep the volume down. He slipped out of Minho’s grip, pausing before storming up the stairs.
“And for the record, I quit.”
Taemin’s mother had seen it all play out and couldn't contain her excitement. She loved drama. And her son was perfect in the heartbroken damsel's role.
With her life experience, she understood the reasons of the conflict and decided to help. She had never seen Taemin as cheerful as he was, hurrying to his job and the woman knew it wasn’t because he enjoyed cleaning up after people. What a complicated situation the two had gotten themselves into, she mused.
She didn’t judge her son for being gay and having an affair with a man older than him and while she was upset at Minho for hurting the poor boy, she could see that the man was mentally beating himself up for being a conniving bastard. If the guy could make Taemin happy again, she was fine with this being his only punishment.
Stepping into the hall, Taemin’s mother placed a comforting hand on Minho’s shoulder, still kind of stunned by the fact that this man was filthy rich and in her house.
“Ssh, he can be quite the fireball. But if you really care for him, don’t give up. Taemin likes you a lot, that's why he's hurting so much.”
The world had just crumbled under Minho’s feet and now he was being consoled by a complete stranger - a part of him wanted to laugh. He didn’t always tolerate random people touching him, but this woman was Taemin’s mother, a dear person to someone very special to him so he put up with it, kind of flattered that the woman didn’t hate his guts yet.
Meanwhile, Taemin’s mother was quite proud of herself for giving birth to a son so beautiful and irresistible that he could get her such a handsome and famous possible son-in-law.
“You're right,” Minho acclaimed with determination. “I’ll win him back.”
Before he left mrs. Lee alone to spazz about the drama, Minho bowed to the lady deeply. “I’m very sorry we had to meet this way, ma’am. I’m very pleased to make your acquaintance and I promise to cherish your son if you allow me to.”
The woman all but squealed in delight, agreeing with everything and even offering her help at wooing her son.
Minho left, dejected but hopeful. He was reaching a breaking point in his life and he understood what he wanted. Now all he had to figure out was how to get it.
With a large smile on her face, Taemin’s mother sorted through her favorite romance movies and spent the whole night looking through old chick flicks, excited about the prospect of his son catching himself such a man.
Ah, young love. So good for the soul.
-
In a few days time, Minho found himself frequenting the girls’ rooms. The director poked fun at Minho, playfully telling him to be less obvious. All the crew members seemed to be holding their breaths, awaiting a scandal which never actually happened.
The girls were, as unbelievable as it sounded, his only allies at the moment and he needed their aid to get through the plan he’d hatched up on yet another sleepless night.
After the months they had spent together, the three were at ease around him and no longer tried to catch his attention with cheap tricks. Once Minho had come clean to them, they had been shocked, of course, but grateful since Minho spared them from the humiliation they’d have to face otherwise.
Minho told them about everything, starting from the real purpose of the show, of the pool boy who unknowingly ruined everything, of his feelings and his grand mess-up.
The girls took it better than Minho expected them to. They had gossiped about Minho possibly being gay, because he only gave out friendly, not I'm-attracted-to-you-vibes.
“So, you wanna win your little lover-boy back? That’s it? What's that got to do with us?”
Minho told them that they could split the prize money into three equal parts and basically end the show there without anyone winning. He even offered to add a little extra to the sum, just so he could get out of this, no strings attached.
“Are you... gonna do what I think you're gonna do?” Yuri asked, squinting her makeupless eyes, deep in thought.
“Uh, depends on what do you think I'm going to do?”
“Confess while filming?” That got the other two's attention and they visibly perked up. Women were such suckers for romance.
“Seriously? You are? Aww...”
Chuckling, Minho nodded. “Right now, that seems my best option. And I'm going to need you guys to cooperate.”
What started out as Minho informing the ladies that he wasn’t interested in them ended up with the three in a heated discussion about how to help him. Among the 20 ladies, he hadn't found a lover, but he did find some friends and he was glad they wanted to help him out.
-
Days passed intolerably slowly without Taemin there to brighten them up. He was constantly on edge, tempted to simply run back to Taemin’s house, fall to his knees and beg for forgiveness.
But no, he reminded himself. This time, he was going to win Taemin's heart as Choi Minho, not as coward pretending to be something he’s not.
It was probably the first time Minho was excited about filming and he was quite sure it was going to be the last. Climbing up to the wide podium where the elimination was supposed to take place, Minho was so nervous that his knees were shaking and palms were sweaty. Felt as if he was proposing already.
The three beauties stood at their respective spot and even they seemed more giddy than usual.
“Minho-sshi only has two necklaces with him today. And those will be given to the two ladies that will remain in the competition for his heart. The girl who does not receive a necklace has to go back to her room, pack her things, and leave immediately.” the host explained like he did every week, to the point that each person on the set knew that speech by heart. The camera zoomed out, showing the whole scene. “It must be tough to choose between these incredibly beautiful ladies, but...”
After what seemed an eternity and a half, the host gestured to the women with a fake grin. “Now, Minho-sshi, would you, please, take your pick and give us a reason why?”
On the table, in sleek black boxes, there were two gorgeous sparkling necklaces with crystal pendants. But there was another, concealed by the folds of the tablecloth, not visible to the cameras. Taking all three with his back towards the crew, Minho sucked in a breath.
This was it.
Without saying a word, Minho held out a box to the first girl. The host started spazzing, narrating the whole ordeal, but Minho didn't pay him any attention. He handed the second girl a matching piece of jewelry.
“Looks like the decision has been made, so now let’s hear-”
Minho stepped in front of the third girl, giving her what looked like a brief hug. The cameras concentrated on the girl's sullen face, so they didn't see him pushing her long hair out of the way and putting the necklace on smoothly.
As he moved away, facing one of the cameras, he could hear the host losing his mind on the background, loudly exclaiming that all the girls have necklaces.
“I'm sorry,” Minho said, staring straight into the lens. “But I have no intention of continuing with the show. I like the girls equally so it's only fair ithat they all win.”
The host basically bounced to him so he couldn't leave the scene that easily, dragging him back to the camera. Minho blanched, having almost forgotten about the second part of his master-plan.
“Minho-sshi, what did you mean when you said that you like the girls equally?” the old man asked, licking his dry lips and leaning closer to the billionaire. He smelled of sweat and expensive cologne, a disgusting mix.
Trying to picture Taemin in front of him Minho locked his eyes with the camera once more, moving away from the host, “What I mean is that I am not going to marry any of them, they are going to split the prize-money.”
“And...” he added as an afterthought. “This is all happening, because during the show my heart was stolen.”
Oh, that sounded so cheesy, but if he wanted to create a fuss, this was the best way. Minho stuck his hands down his pants' pockets, looking over the cameraman. Between the trees and bushes he could see a flash of glistening water.
The host lost his mind once again, sprouting questions about if it was one of the girls he eliminated, nearly spraying Minho with his saliva. Gross.
“Lee Taemin,” he said softly and sincerely, ignoring the man whose head was going to explode soon from all the unexpected twists he hadn’t been told of. “If you see this, I want you to know that I'm sorry. Everything else I told you, my feelings, my thoughts, are true. I'd do anything for you. So please, forgive me. I-I just. Don’t think I can do without you. So. I'll be waiting for you on Tuesday, at the park you showed me, remember? Exactly two pm. If you don't come, I'll take that as your answer...” he inhaled deeply, before adding an afterthought. “I love you.”
Taemin's mother glanced at her son sitting next to her, staring at the screen disbelievingly. A week had passed since she had seen Choi Minho, and the woman had restlessly waited for him to make a move every since.
Her son mostly spent time in his room, only eating when he had to and leaving for bathroom breaks. As days passed, she could see Taemin withering as he tried be strong and fight the longing.
Finally, on Sunday evening, a small package had been dropped into their mailbox with a letter to Mrs Lee, asking her to make Taemin watch the video. At first, it was like an ordinary episode of the Bachelor, with pretty girls fighting over Minho and mrs Lee was thrilled to see that her favorites had stayed in the game, but then came the elimination.
The woman fought back a grin, seeing his son get teary as the tape ended.
Way to go, Choi Minho.
Hugging Taemin close, she wondered if she should hide behind a bush on Tuesday. And bring a camcorder.
Minho had cleverly given Taemin a day to think about if he wanted to go or not. The teen wasn't sure. He could admit that he was happy, really happy, that Minho had gone to such lengths for him.
But could he be sure he wouldn't be deceived again?
Taemin kept replaying the end of the video over and over again, not noticing his mother staring at him with gleaming eyes and a satisfied smile. It wouldn't hurt to go and hear Minho out, right?
“I bet he's going to be in lots of trouble for ruining the show.”
Taemin spun around to stare at his mother who was casually washing dishes in the kitchen as if she hadn't said anything. As if she hadn’t just given Taemin the perfect excuse to go. Only because he was guilty, of course.
It was very amusing to see Taemin whizzing back and forth the next morning, finding his best clothes, fixing his fringe, grabbing some lunch, taking a shower. His mother hid her smile behind her coffee cup. She could swear the wind he was stirring up messed up her hair.
A few minutes before two o'clock, Taemin stood in front of the hall mirror, checking himself out one last time before leaving.
Mrs Lee followed him a few minutes after.
Taemin walked around in the seemingly empty park aimlessly, wondering if he had been fooled. Then he noticed a tall figure ahead, looking very out of place in the dark suit he was wearing.
“Taemin!” Minho called out, as the teen shuffled closer, looking down at the ground. Minho took a few fast steps to close the distance between them and wrap his arms around the boy.
“You came,” he murmured into soft auburn hair.
“Yeah, well, that... Uh. doesn't mean anything.”
Trying to wriggle out of Minho's embrace proved to be pointless, as the man only tightened his hold, done letting him run away.
“Au contraire, my love, that means everything.”
“Did you meet any aliens on the way or something? Jesus, who the hell stole your brain and replaced it with cheese?” Taemin asked grumpily as Minho led him to a small park bench. Minho wasn't romantic. Or good with words. Usually he blurted stuff out without thinking it through.
Placing a finger on Taemin's lips, Minho shushed him. “You're special. I'm even willing to embarrass myself for you.”
Taemin raised his eyebrows sarcastically, uselessly smothering the happiness bubbling up from just being around MInho.
“There was a reason why I called you here.” Minho said softly, his eyes drifting away from his lover. Did he imagine it or had the bushes just moved? Nevermind, turning back to Taemin, the no-shit-look the teen was giving him made him burst out laughing.
Minho cleared his throat a few times before continuing. “There's something I really want to ask you.”
He heard a small gasp and scanned the park quickly. No, they were alone. Must have been the wind.
Taemin coughed impatiently and Minho looked at him. Really looked at those soft strands the wind loved to play with, those dark cleverly twinkling eyes, that cute button nose, and the lips pressed into a delectable pout.
Yeah, this was what he wanted.
“Well?”
Caught staring, Minho averted his gaze, clearing his throat once more for good measure before gently taking the teen's hand. He could swear he heard a squeal, but it may have been only his imagination.
“So... I want to ask you something. I kind of said that already, didn't I? Uh, yeah, so, the question. I should ask it now. If you wanna hear if course. Do you?” Taemin blinked at him, making Minho even more uncomfortable than he was.
“Okay, yes. So I was thinking. A lot. About you and me. Um, us. Because I really love you and stuff. And I lied to you because I was scared you'd be afraid or intimidated of me or something. You weren't and that was so... So nice. And, and I didn't want to ruin it... Did I say I was so, so sorry already?”
“Get it on with,” Taemin said with little airy giggles. Now this was the Minho he knew and loved. Not loved. Okay, just a bit loved. Or not just a bit. Smiling softly to himself, he knew he was fighting an already lost battle. He had missed Minho so bad. Yeah. Maybe it was time to give up.
“Yeah, I will. The question, yeah. Okay, I have to do this right. I have to say, this is so not the way I imagined this happening.” he cleared his thoughts once more before raising from his seat and falling onto one knee in front of Taemin, not caring if his specially tailored suit got dirty.
Taemin's eyes widened. There was no way. He wasn't-
Was he?
“So, um. I love you. I do. Taemin. Lee Taemin. Marry me?”
Blink. Taemin blinked again. Was he still sleeping? Something vibrated in his pocket and he welcomed the interruption that gave him a moment to process it. He had a new text. Holding up a single finger to Minho, who was watching his movements with a very strained smile, Taemin opened the message his mother had just sent him.
what r u wating 4? SAY YES!!!1
Taemin laughed despite himself, but he had to admit that his mother was, as usual, right. What the hell was he still waiting for, when Minho was right there and had already given up so much for him?
So he dropped his cell and leaned forwards, kissing Minho on his cheek like the man had during their first unofficial date. When Minho didn't react, Taemin kept placing butterfly kisses on his face, tangling his fingers in the man's long curly hair.
“I can't wait to say I do.” he whispered and Minho finally moved.
“Really?”
When Taemin nodded into his shoulder he stood, jerking the teen up with him and cradling him close. “I'm never letting you go.”
Unable to keep the silly grin off his face, Taemin hugged him back. Then, something dawned to him.
“Hey... By the way, where's my ring?”
Minho released the teen and Taemin stumbled back as the man searched through his jacket's pocket, revealing a small black box. “Yeah, sorry, I guess I forgot.” he said, giving it to his lover without opening it.
The ring was gorgeous with white and yellow gold and tiny diamonds. Simple, not too eye-catching, but beautiful.
“You have to put it on,” Taemin said hushedly because the silence seemed too sacred to be broken.
Large hands grabbed smaller ones, and the ring slid onto the correct finger. It was a perfect fit. Their eyes met and it was almost as if they were already in front of the altar. The park was peacefully quiet, and the moment seemed to last forever.
Or not.
“Will I still have to clean the pool?”
Taemin seemed to have inherited his ability to ruin the moment from his mother, who appeared just as Minho was about to burst out laughing.
“Oh my god. So sweet, I can't stand it anymore, I just, wow. Show me that!” Taemin's mother suddenly climbed out of the bush she was hiding in and practically running to her son and grabbing her hand. “That is just goooooorgeous! I’m so happy! Are you happy? I am!”
“Hey, Mrs Lee.”
The middle-aged lady gave him a sharp look. “You should start calling me 'umma', young man.” she said before pulling them both into a huge group hug.
-
Without knocking or alerting any of the staff, Minho's father entered her son's villa, finding Minho in the dining room, sipping on some coffee and thumbing his way through newspaper.
“I heard some interesting news.” the stern man said, making Minho splutter and almost pour the hot drink on himself.
The look his old man was giving him scared the crap out of Minho.
Actually, Mr Choi didn't know much, only that his son had done something scandalous and had refused to properly finish filming the show. He had been on a business trip and his assistants had been too terrified of his famous temper to tell him.
“Your time is up. I'm here to meet your bride.” he declared, stepping further into the room, certain that Minho will start apologizing and protesting.
But his son simply stood from his seat. “As you wish.”
Choi Yungyum hid his surprise flawlessly, following his son to the master bedroom. At first glance, the room seemed empty, but then Minho pulled aside the heavy curtains of their shared four-poster bed, revealing a small figure curled up in sheets.
“Ssh,” Minho said, when his father opened his mouth to ask something, frowning. The old man shut up, wondering about when had his son grown a backbone. He peeked at the person again, realizing that it's a male.
“Are you sure?”
Minho nodded with a grim expression, prepared for a scolding, even getting hit. He had no idea how his father would react to the fact that his son is gay. Well, only for Taemin, but still.
Mr Choi smiled at the possessiveness Minho portrayed towards the boy. The kid was a beauty, he had to admit. Oh well. At least Minho was getting tied down.
The man turned around and Minho's face fell, thinking that his father must be too furious to say a word. Shit. But then the man turned around, gesturing for Minho to follow him into the hallway.
As soon as the bedroom door closed, Choi Yungyum offered his son a rare smile. “Congratulations. I am in a hurry right now, I only came to see what you have been up to. I want you back in the business. You’re starting on Monday so be ready. And, I'll be dropping by for dinner soon to meet your little bride. Farewell.”
Minho could only gape when the man gave him a strong pat on his shoulder and just walked out of his son’s villa.
That... Went a lot better than he expected.
After standing in the same spot for minutes and collecting his thoughts, Minho waltzed back into his and Taemin’s bedroom.
Breakfast could wait, this called for some major celebration.
a/n: honestly said, this was a bitch to edit. took me three days and i got lazy and uncaring at the end part, aish. i never wanna see this fic again, though i still think it's not as good as it has potential to be.
dedicating the repost to thisisxtina, my precious noona, for old times' sake, even thought she's pretty much out of the fandom already. i will never forget our wednesday mornings ;A;
Part 1/2
The next night, he received a real lingering kiss from Minho, one that turned his knees into jelly.
About a week later, their kisses had evolved into heated make-out sessions. Minho couldn’t keep his hands off Taemin and was determined to find out all the ways he could make the boy moan.
It wasn't long until Taemin started staying over on weekends, Minho lowering him onto the silk sheets of his king-sized bed and waking him up with adoring whispers.
Their relationship progressed rapidly, because their bodies were extremely compatible and their minds were in sync. Taemin found himself in a bittersweet danger, falling deeper and deeper for the man and hating it. Every time he gasped out “hyung” instead of a name, a piece of him shattered.
But he was mature enough to stay patient, take all he could get without expecting for more.
On the other hand, Minho was starting to grow anxious as he only had four more weeks left of filming the show. After that, he was supposed to get married and live happily ever after. In the midst of discovering his feelings for Taemin, he had forgotten to think of an escape route.
Honestly said, he would have rather married Taemin than one of the girls. He didn't hate them anymore at that point, the four that had recently been moved to the main building for the sake of added tension were nice and friendly. They seemed to be intelligent enough to realize that Minho wasn't interested in them and didn’t pressure him. Still, the thought of spending his life, or even a few years with one of them didn't appeal to him.
Not to mention, that would mean he would lose Taemin. A high schooler in a secret relationship with a wealthy man few years older than him wasn’t such a big deal, Minho liked to believe, but keeping him on the side... Minho wouldn’t be able to destroy the teen with such cruelty.
Also, he wished more than anything to hear the teen say his name. Taemin seemed fine with the way things were, but Minho needed to be honest with him.
Maybe then, he should twist his father's words a bit, and present Taemin as his bride? Minho chuckled, quite fond of the idea. His father’s face would be priceless.
Thin arms wrapped around his torso from behind.
“What are you thinking about?” his lover asked in a voice hoarse from sleep or perhaps the activities from the night before. Minho turned around, letting Taemin rest his pretty little head on Minho’s shoulder.
“You,” he answered with a smirk, wrapping his arms around Taemin’s naked body and holding him close. “Only you.”
“I'd rather you entertain me.”
Minho glanced at the clock. On his schedule that day, were dates in the city with the four remaining candidates. Those were going to take place in the afternoon, though, so he had the morning was.
“Oh, how?” he demanded huskily, his hands roaming around under the covers-
Taemin smiled at him, shifting closer and nuzzling into Minho’s neck. “Mm, but I think you already got the idea...” he said before covering Minho’s mouth with his own. His breath was slightly stale, but Minho didn’t mind much, not with the teen warm and soft and pliant in his reach.
An excellent way to start the day it was, Minho thought, rolling over and settling down between Taemin’s parted legs, admiring the possessive love-bites he had left mere hours earlier.
He was in a fantastic mood for the whole day, replaying Taemin's expressions and reactions in his mind. It was unfair, the way everything Taemin-related made him powerless.
-
On the following Saturday they spent the whole night lying on the soft grass by the pool (Taemin still insisted on completing his duties before letting Minho seduce him), cuddling on a soft blanket Minho had brought. They looked at the stars and talked about nothing until the sun came up and the sprinklers were turned on.
Then they’d ran through the sprays of water like children, playing a rule-free game of catch between exchanging kisses.
By the time Taemin got home, his mother had already woken up and prepared breakfast. She laughed at the outfit he was wearing, both the sweater and the sweatpants a few sizes too big for him since they belonged to Minho. His own clothes were in a soaking wet pile on Minho’s bedroom floor.
Taemin ignored her umma’s pestering about his lovelife, scouring the pockets for his phone. He had promised to hang out with an old friend on that day and needed to call him up. But of course, he had left his phone at the villa.
Thus, Taemin changed into a pair of jeans and simple jacket before making his way back to the estate. He told the guards earnestly that he’d left something of his behind and because master Choi had given the teen special permission to come and go as he pleased (not that Taemin was aware of it), he was allowed to enter.
Searching for it in Minho’s bedroom was probably the best idea, but Taemin took a detour, curious about the recording.
It was a Sunday, an elimination day. The weather was beautiful so the event was held outside. Taemin sneaked closer to the set, amazed by the amount of cameras, microphones and filming crew. Then he caught sight of the ladies, gorgeous in their little cocktail dresses, the host, and finally, the main character of the show.
Choi Minho looked a lot like his cousin.
Taemin did a double take, recognizing the pattern on the suit and realizing that it was the same he had seen hanging in his hyung’s wardrobe. Their hair color was the same, so was their facial structure.
The dots connected in his head and Taemin felt nauseous, his stomach twisting and turning with dread.
This wasn't happening. He took a few steps back and shook his head, closing his eyes and praying that it was just an illusion. But when he opened them, his hyung, no, Choi Minho, a billionaire, was still there with a gentle smile, clasping an elegant necklace around one of the girls’ neck.
Forgetting about his purpose, Taemin fled. At first he ran, out of the garden, out of the workers’ gate, needing to get as far as possible. The sleeplessness and shock kicked in after a few minutes of sprinting, though, and he slowed to a steady limp.
His lower lip trembled but Taemin refused to cry out in the open so he pushed his body past its limits to reach the safeness of his room.
Oh, well, he thought when his eyes prickled threateningly. He knew this little fling had to end some day, anyway. That didn't make it any less painful, though.
He went home and was thankful when his mother didn’t question him. The woman simply hugged him after seeing his miserable state and let him go. Once he had locked the door, Taemin flung himself on his bed and clutched his pillow as he cried it all out.
The hints had been all there, so obvious. Minho, at least now he knew the man's name, was always busy during the day yet claimed to be on a holiday, was shocked when Taemin didn't know who he was. He could hang around the mansion and spend money freely without any worries because he owned all that.
Because he was Choi Minho.
Taemin had just been too blinded by his own foolish euphoria to notice the connections.
He wanted to kick something. Minho had so played him so well and he had trusted the man without a single doubt. Taemin would've followed Minho to the freaking pits of hell if the guy asked, that's how deep he had fallen for the man.
At least he found out about it before he made any more mistakes. Hiccuping, Taemin glared at the heap of clothes on his computer chair, as they reminded him of how blissed he’d been only a counted number of minutes earlier.
Fuck the car he wanted to buy. He was so quitting that job.
Snuggling deeper into his quilts, Taemin let the bitterness overwhelm him. He should probably buy himself a new cell phone, he thought, since he wasn’t planning to set foot on that estate ever again. And the rest of the money he could spend on partying. His friends would be happy since he’d been ditching them in favor of going to Minho’s place anyway.
He should have known better.
-
Minho finished filming for the day, and went up to his room, exhausted. Loosening the knot of his tie, he heard a shrill ringing coming from the hoodie Taemin had left behind. Fumbling around with the wet fabric, Minho found Taemin’s cell phone.
He chuckled at the teen’s forgetfulness and made a note to give it back to Taemin later. Then Minho stripped himself of his tux and slid between the cool sheets of his bed for a nap. It was kind of lonely without Taemin and he stared at the worn buttons of the teen’s phone before falling asleep.
A few hours later, Minho lounged by the poolside as usual, his expression growing serious when Taemin wasn’t on time. The teen hadn’t been late before.
Well, they had been up stargazing all night, so it wasn't impossible that Taemin had slept in, but the boy was usually very responsible. The longer he waited, the antsier, more paranoid Minho got.
He needed to make sure the teen was all right and something bad hadn't happened to him, Minho took his car without a second thought and drove to the house in which Taemin lived. The furthest he’d been was Taemin’s front door, on the rare instances he had the chance to send him home.
That night was a special case, though, and he rang the bell.
Taemin's mother opened the door in fuzzy slippers and a baby blue bath robe, grumbling under her breath about disrespectful guests at late hours.
“Good evening. Is Taemin home?” Minho asked pleasantly, shooting the sleepy woman a dazzling smile. She was about nag at him about the time and her son being a high schooler, but the words died out as she stared at the tall figure blocking her doorway.
Mrs. Lee had plenty of time after work and she loved to watch TV, be it dramas, documentaries or variety shows. “The Bachelor” had started airing three weeks ago, and the found it very interesting this far.
And now, suddenly, the bachelor himself was standing before her, politely asking for her son.
“Uh-oh, um, wow. Wait a-ah minute- would you... Would you like to come it? Take a seat?” she stammered with wide eyes so similar to Taemin’s.
Minho was horrified at having been recognized but he tried to not let it show on his face. He considered leaving, now that he knew that Taemin was safe and well. But Taemin was bound to be suspicious if his mother told him about Minho’s visit. Oh lord, he had fucked up well.
“No, I'd rather just wait here, if you could, please, call your son?” he pleaded, hoping that he’d get to explain the situation to Taemin before he hears it from the woman.
“Aah, oh. I’ll go. Get. Yeah.”
It took the women a while to wake up her son, and then some time to convince him to come down. After the initial shock had passed, Taemin had told her about what happened, only leaving certain facts out- the identity of his lover and how exactly they’d met. Now she saw the whole picture.
Pushing her still half-asleep son down the stairs, she wondered if she could sneak into the kitchen to make some popcorn.
This was way more fascinating that all of her favorite dramas!
Minho had stepped into the house while waiting and hoped that Taemin's mom hadn't mentioned the teen anything about his persona. All his thoughts and worries became irrelevant when Taemin shuffled closer to him, puffy eyes barely open.
The already familiar tightening in his chest he felt every time he was close to the pool boy that had became so much more to him, was back. Chuckling at Taemin's drowsiness he reached out the silver cell phone for the boy to take.
“Hey there, sleeping beauty...”
Taemin blinked, his lips stubbornly sealed. He snatched his phone, warm fingertips grazing Minho's cold palm. Without the usual smile and a chipper “Hello,” the teen turned to go back to his room, back to sleep, back to willing himself to forget.
Minho noticed Taemin's mom eyeing them from the kitchen so he tried not to be obvious about latching onto Taemin’s hand to hold him back.
Taemin shrugged him off.
“Taeminnie, is everything okay? What happened?” he asked, concerned and ready to turn every rock on earth upside down to see Taemin smile. Minho had seen a tired Taemin before, but at the moment he seemed more like pissed off than half-asleep. “What's wrong?”
The teen intended to escape without an explanation, to push all memories of Minho to the back of his head, but it seemed that a confrontation had to take place after all.
Well, might as well get it over with.
“You are wrong.”
Minho frowned, his brows knitted as he grabbed Taemin by the shoulders to flip him around, periodically peeking at the teen’s mother from the corner of his eye.
“I'm wrong? Me? What did I do? Tell me, I'll fix it, I promise. Whatever it is. You know I love you, yeah?” he insisted, voice dropping into a smooth whisper, searching Taemin’s face for answers but the teen remained closed off and cold.
“That's the problem,” Taemin muttered and Minho bowed his head to hear better. The younger heaved a sigh, hands making their way to Minho’s chest to put some space between them.
“I don't love you, Choi Minho-sshi.”
“What the-” Minho cut himself off. Taemin had finally said his name but not the way Minho imagined it. The words were said with an indescribable amount of venom lacing his sweet voice
“I'm sorry, but I’m in love with your cousin, sir.” the teen declared, not bothering to keep the volume down. He slipped out of Minho’s grip, pausing before storming up the stairs.
“And for the record, I quit.”
Taemin’s mother had seen it all play out and couldn't contain her excitement. She loved drama. And her son was perfect in the heartbroken damsel's role.
With her life experience, she understood the reasons of the conflict and decided to help. She had never seen Taemin as cheerful as he was, hurrying to his job and the woman knew it wasn’t because he enjoyed cleaning up after people. What a complicated situation the two had gotten themselves into, she mused.
She didn’t judge her son for being gay and having an affair with a man older than him and while she was upset at Minho for hurting the poor boy, she could see that the man was mentally beating himself up for being a conniving bastard. If the guy could make Taemin happy again, she was fine with this being his only punishment.
Stepping into the hall, Taemin’s mother placed a comforting hand on Minho’s shoulder, still kind of stunned by the fact that this man was filthy rich and in her house.
“Ssh, he can be quite the fireball. But if you really care for him, don’t give up. Taemin likes you a lot, that's why he's hurting so much.”
The world had just crumbled under Minho’s feet and now he was being consoled by a complete stranger - a part of him wanted to laugh. He didn’t always tolerate random people touching him, but this woman was Taemin’s mother, a dear person to someone very special to him so he put up with it, kind of flattered that the woman didn’t hate his guts yet.
Meanwhile, Taemin’s mother was quite proud of herself for giving birth to a son so beautiful and irresistible that he could get her such a handsome and famous possible son-in-law.
“You're right,” Minho acclaimed with determination. “I’ll win him back.”
Before he left mrs. Lee alone to spazz about the drama, Minho bowed to the lady deeply. “I’m very sorry we had to meet this way, ma’am. I’m very pleased to make your acquaintance and I promise to cherish your son if you allow me to.”
The woman all but squealed in delight, agreeing with everything and even offering her help at wooing her son.
Minho left, dejected but hopeful. He was reaching a breaking point in his life and he understood what he wanted. Now all he had to figure out was how to get it.
With a large smile on her face, Taemin’s mother sorted through her favorite romance movies and spent the whole night looking through old chick flicks, excited about the prospect of his son catching himself such a man.
Ah, young love. So good for the soul.
-
In a few days time, Minho found himself frequenting the girls’ rooms. The director poked fun at Minho, playfully telling him to be less obvious. All the crew members seemed to be holding their breaths, awaiting a scandal which never actually happened.
The girls were, as unbelievable as it sounded, his only allies at the moment and he needed their aid to get through the plan he’d hatched up on yet another sleepless night.
After the months they had spent together, the three were at ease around him and no longer tried to catch his attention with cheap tricks. Once Minho had come clean to them, they had been shocked, of course, but grateful since Minho spared them from the humiliation they’d have to face otherwise.
Minho told them about everything, starting from the real purpose of the show, of the pool boy who unknowingly ruined everything, of his feelings and his grand mess-up.
The girls took it better than Minho expected them to. They had gossiped about Minho possibly being gay, because he only gave out friendly, not I'm-attracted-to-you-vibes.
“So, you wanna win your little lover-boy back? That’s it? What's that got to do with us?”
Minho told them that they could split the prize money into three equal parts and basically end the show there without anyone winning. He even offered to add a little extra to the sum, just so he could get out of this, no strings attached.
“Are you... gonna do what I think you're gonna do?” Yuri asked, squinting her makeupless eyes, deep in thought.
“Uh, depends on what do you think I'm going to do?”
“Confess while filming?” That got the other two's attention and they visibly perked up. Women were such suckers for romance.
“Seriously? You are? Aww...”
Chuckling, Minho nodded. “Right now, that seems my best option. And I'm going to need you guys to cooperate.”
What started out as Minho informing the ladies that he wasn’t interested in them ended up with the three in a heated discussion about how to help him. Among the 20 ladies, he hadn't found a lover, but he did find some friends and he was glad they wanted to help him out.
-
Days passed intolerably slowly without Taemin there to brighten them up. He was constantly on edge, tempted to simply run back to Taemin’s house, fall to his knees and beg for forgiveness.
But no, he reminded himself. This time, he was going to win Taemin's heart as Choi Minho, not as coward pretending to be something he’s not.
It was probably the first time Minho was excited about filming and he was quite sure it was going to be the last. Climbing up to the wide podium where the elimination was supposed to take place, Minho was so nervous that his knees were shaking and palms were sweaty. Felt as if he was proposing already.
The three beauties stood at their respective spot and even they seemed more giddy than usual.
“Minho-sshi only has two necklaces with him today. And those will be given to the two ladies that will remain in the competition for his heart. The girl who does not receive a necklace has to go back to her room, pack her things, and leave immediately.” the host explained like he did every week, to the point that each person on the set knew that speech by heart. The camera zoomed out, showing the whole scene. “It must be tough to choose between these incredibly beautiful ladies, but...”
After what seemed an eternity and a half, the host gestured to the women with a fake grin. “Now, Minho-sshi, would you, please, take your pick and give us a reason why?”
On the table, in sleek black boxes, there were two gorgeous sparkling necklaces with crystal pendants. But there was another, concealed by the folds of the tablecloth, not visible to the cameras. Taking all three with his back towards the crew, Minho sucked in a breath.
This was it.
Without saying a word, Minho held out a box to the first girl. The host started spazzing, narrating the whole ordeal, but Minho didn't pay him any attention. He handed the second girl a matching piece of jewelry.
“Looks like the decision has been made, so now let’s hear-”
Minho stepped in front of the third girl, giving her what looked like a brief hug. The cameras concentrated on the girl's sullen face, so they didn't see him pushing her long hair out of the way and putting the necklace on smoothly.
As he moved away, facing one of the cameras, he could hear the host losing his mind on the background, loudly exclaiming that all the girls have necklaces.
“I'm sorry,” Minho said, staring straight into the lens. “But I have no intention of continuing with the show. I like the girls equally so it's only fair ithat they all win.”
The host basically bounced to him so he couldn't leave the scene that easily, dragging him back to the camera. Minho blanched, having almost forgotten about the second part of his master-plan.
“Minho-sshi, what did you mean when you said that you like the girls equally?” the old man asked, licking his dry lips and leaning closer to the billionaire. He smelled of sweat and expensive cologne, a disgusting mix.
Trying to picture Taemin in front of him Minho locked his eyes with the camera once more, moving away from the host, “What I mean is that I am not going to marry any of them, they are going to split the prize-money.”
“And...” he added as an afterthought. “This is all happening, because during the show my heart was stolen.”
Oh, that sounded so cheesy, but if he wanted to create a fuss, this was the best way. Minho stuck his hands down his pants' pockets, looking over the cameraman. Between the trees and bushes he could see a flash of glistening water.
The host lost his mind once again, sprouting questions about if it was one of the girls he eliminated, nearly spraying Minho with his saliva. Gross.
“Lee Taemin,” he said softly and sincerely, ignoring the man whose head was going to explode soon from all the unexpected twists he hadn’t been told of. “If you see this, I want you to know that I'm sorry. Everything else I told you, my feelings, my thoughts, are true. I'd do anything for you. So please, forgive me. I-I just. Don’t think I can do without you. So. I'll be waiting for you on Tuesday, at the park you showed me, remember? Exactly two pm. If you don't come, I'll take that as your answer...” he inhaled deeply, before adding an afterthought. “I love you.”
Taemin's mother glanced at her son sitting next to her, staring at the screen disbelievingly. A week had passed since she had seen Choi Minho, and the woman had restlessly waited for him to make a move every since.
Her son mostly spent time in his room, only eating when he had to and leaving for bathroom breaks. As days passed, she could see Taemin withering as he tried be strong and fight the longing.
Finally, on Sunday evening, a small package had been dropped into their mailbox with a letter to Mrs Lee, asking her to make Taemin watch the video. At first, it was like an ordinary episode of the Bachelor, with pretty girls fighting over Minho and mrs Lee was thrilled to see that her favorites had stayed in the game, but then came the elimination.
The woman fought back a grin, seeing his son get teary as the tape ended.
Way to go, Choi Minho.
Hugging Taemin close, she wondered if she should hide behind a bush on Tuesday. And bring a camcorder.
Minho had cleverly given Taemin a day to think about if he wanted to go or not. The teen wasn't sure. He could admit that he was happy, really happy, that Minho had gone to such lengths for him.
But could he be sure he wouldn't be deceived again?
Taemin kept replaying the end of the video over and over again, not noticing his mother staring at him with gleaming eyes and a satisfied smile. It wouldn't hurt to go and hear Minho out, right?
“I bet he's going to be in lots of trouble for ruining the show.”
Taemin spun around to stare at his mother who was casually washing dishes in the kitchen as if she hadn't said anything. As if she hadn’t just given Taemin the perfect excuse to go. Only because he was guilty, of course.
It was very amusing to see Taemin whizzing back and forth the next morning, finding his best clothes, fixing his fringe, grabbing some lunch, taking a shower. His mother hid her smile behind her coffee cup. She could swear the wind he was stirring up messed up her hair.
A few minutes before two o'clock, Taemin stood in front of the hall mirror, checking himself out one last time before leaving.
Mrs Lee followed him a few minutes after.
Taemin walked around in the seemingly empty park aimlessly, wondering if he had been fooled. Then he noticed a tall figure ahead, looking very out of place in the dark suit he was wearing.
“Taemin!” Minho called out, as the teen shuffled closer, looking down at the ground. Minho took a few fast steps to close the distance between them and wrap his arms around the boy.
“You came,” he murmured into soft auburn hair.
“Yeah, well, that... Uh. doesn't mean anything.”
Trying to wriggle out of Minho's embrace proved to be pointless, as the man only tightened his hold, done letting him run away.
“Au contraire, my love, that means everything.”
“Did you meet any aliens on the way or something? Jesus, who the hell stole your brain and replaced it with cheese?” Taemin asked grumpily as Minho led him to a small park bench. Minho wasn't romantic. Or good with words. Usually he blurted stuff out without thinking it through.
Placing a finger on Taemin's lips, Minho shushed him. “You're special. I'm even willing to embarrass myself for you.”
Taemin raised his eyebrows sarcastically, uselessly smothering the happiness bubbling up from just being around MInho.
“There was a reason why I called you here.” Minho said softly, his eyes drifting away from his lover. Did he imagine it or had the bushes just moved? Nevermind, turning back to Taemin, the no-shit-look the teen was giving him made him burst out laughing.
Minho cleared his throat a few times before continuing. “There's something I really want to ask you.”
He heard a small gasp and scanned the park quickly. No, they were alone. Must have been the wind.
Taemin coughed impatiently and Minho looked at him. Really looked at those soft strands the wind loved to play with, those dark cleverly twinkling eyes, that cute button nose, and the lips pressed into a delectable pout.
Yeah, this was what he wanted.
“Well?”
Caught staring, Minho averted his gaze, clearing his throat once more for good measure before gently taking the teen's hand. He could swear he heard a squeal, but it may have been only his imagination.
“So... I want to ask you something. I kind of said that already, didn't I? Uh, yeah, so, the question. I should ask it now. If you wanna hear if course. Do you?” Taemin blinked at him, making Minho even more uncomfortable than he was.
“Okay, yes. So I was thinking. A lot. About you and me. Um, us. Because I really love you and stuff. And I lied to you because I was scared you'd be afraid or intimidated of me or something. You weren't and that was so... So nice. And, and I didn't want to ruin it... Did I say I was so, so sorry already?”
“Get it on with,” Taemin said with little airy giggles. Now this was the Minho he knew and loved. Not loved. Okay, just a bit loved. Or not just a bit. Smiling softly to himself, he knew he was fighting an already lost battle. He had missed Minho so bad. Yeah. Maybe it was time to give up.
“Yeah, I will. The question, yeah. Okay, I have to do this right. I have to say, this is so not the way I imagined this happening.” he cleared his thoughts once more before raising from his seat and falling onto one knee in front of Taemin, not caring if his specially tailored suit got dirty.
Taemin's eyes widened. There was no way. He wasn't-
Was he?
“So, um. I love you. I do. Taemin. Lee Taemin. Marry me?”
Blink. Taemin blinked again. Was he still sleeping? Something vibrated in his pocket and he welcomed the interruption that gave him a moment to process it. He had a new text. Holding up a single finger to Minho, who was watching his movements with a very strained smile, Taemin opened the message his mother had just sent him.
what r u wating 4? SAY YES!!!1
Taemin laughed despite himself, but he had to admit that his mother was, as usual, right. What the hell was he still waiting for, when Minho was right there and had already given up so much for him?
So he dropped his cell and leaned forwards, kissing Minho on his cheek like the man had during their first unofficial date. When Minho didn't react, Taemin kept placing butterfly kisses on his face, tangling his fingers in the man's long curly hair.
“I can't wait to say I do.” he whispered and Minho finally moved.
“Really?”
When Taemin nodded into his shoulder he stood, jerking the teen up with him and cradling him close. “I'm never letting you go.”
Unable to keep the silly grin off his face, Taemin hugged him back. Then, something dawned to him.
“Hey... By the way, where's my ring?”
Minho released the teen and Taemin stumbled back as the man searched through his jacket's pocket, revealing a small black box. “Yeah, sorry, I guess I forgot.” he said, giving it to his lover without opening it.
The ring was gorgeous with white and yellow gold and tiny diamonds. Simple, not too eye-catching, but beautiful.
“You have to put it on,” Taemin said hushedly because the silence seemed too sacred to be broken.
Large hands grabbed smaller ones, and the ring slid onto the correct finger. It was a perfect fit. Their eyes met and it was almost as if they were already in front of the altar. The park was peacefully quiet, and the moment seemed to last forever.
Or not.
“Will I still have to clean the pool?”
Taemin seemed to have inherited his ability to ruin the moment from his mother, who appeared just as Minho was about to burst out laughing.
“Oh my god. So sweet, I can't stand it anymore, I just, wow. Show me that!” Taemin's mother suddenly climbed out of the bush she was hiding in and practically running to her son and grabbing her hand. “That is just goooooorgeous! I’m so happy! Are you happy? I am!”
“Hey, Mrs Lee.”
The middle-aged lady gave him a sharp look. “You should start calling me 'umma', young man.” she said before pulling them both into a huge group hug.
-
Without knocking or alerting any of the staff, Minho's father entered her son's villa, finding Minho in the dining room, sipping on some coffee and thumbing his way through newspaper.
“I heard some interesting news.” the stern man said, making Minho splutter and almost pour the hot drink on himself.
The look his old man was giving him scared the crap out of Minho.
Actually, Mr Choi didn't know much, only that his son had done something scandalous and had refused to properly finish filming the show. He had been on a business trip and his assistants had been too terrified of his famous temper to tell him.
“Your time is up. I'm here to meet your bride.” he declared, stepping further into the room, certain that Minho will start apologizing and protesting.
But his son simply stood from his seat. “As you wish.”
Choi Yungyum hid his surprise flawlessly, following his son to the master bedroom. At first glance, the room seemed empty, but then Minho pulled aside the heavy curtains of their shared four-poster bed, revealing a small figure curled up in sheets.
“Ssh,” Minho said, when his father opened his mouth to ask something, frowning. The old man shut up, wondering about when had his son grown a backbone. He peeked at the person again, realizing that it's a male.
“Are you sure?”
Minho nodded with a grim expression, prepared for a scolding, even getting hit. He had no idea how his father would react to the fact that his son is gay. Well, only for Taemin, but still.
Mr Choi smiled at the possessiveness Minho portrayed towards the boy. The kid was a beauty, he had to admit. Oh well. At least Minho was getting tied down.
The man turned around and Minho's face fell, thinking that his father must be too furious to say a word. Shit. But then the man turned around, gesturing for Minho to follow him into the hallway.
As soon as the bedroom door closed, Choi Yungyum offered his son a rare smile. “Congratulations. I am in a hurry right now, I only came to see what you have been up to. I want you back in the business. You’re starting on Monday so be ready. And, I'll be dropping by for dinner soon to meet your little bride. Farewell.”
Minho could only gape when the man gave him a strong pat on his shoulder and just walked out of his son’s villa.
That... Went a lot better than he expected.
After standing in the same spot for minutes and collecting his thoughts, Minho waltzed back into his and Taemin’s bedroom.
Breakfast could wait, this called for some major celebration.
a/n: honestly said, this was a bitch to edit. took me three days and i got lazy and uncaring at the end part, aish. i never wanna see this fic again, though i still think it's not as good as it has potential to be.
dedicating the repost to thisisxtina, my precious noona, for old times' sake, even thought she's pretty much out of the fandom already. i will never forget our wednesday mornings ;A;