Some Things Are Meant To Be; Minho/Taemin
Falling in love with your best friend should have been a wonderful thing. For Choi Minho, it wasn’t. But maybe, just maybe, it would be a wonderful feeling after all. A 2min fic about best friends, love and courage. Features broken/past taekai and bff/roommates minkey.
Falling in love with your best friend should have been a wonderful thing. For Choi Minho, it wasn’t. Because the moment he realised he loved Lee Taemin more than a friend was the moment his best friend introduced his boyfriend to him.
“I didn’t know you and Kai-” Minho couldn’t even finish the first sentence he wanted to say to Taemin after Kai had left because the younger had eagerly interrupted him.
“I didn’t know either, hyung!” Taemin nodded in agreement. “But he confessed to me yesterday and I couldn’t find a reason to turn him down so I thought, heck, why not?”
Minho stared at Taemin like he had just spoken some alien language. In all honesty, he had the urge to hit Taemin on his head in hope of knocking some sense into the 18 year old that he should reconsider the reason why he’s dating Kai but then Minho remembered this was his best friend he was talking about. The best friend that was in his own world for majority of the time, the best friend who still had an air of innocence about him, the very Lee Taemin who always wanted to know what love was but never found the answer. Perhaps dating Kai would just lead Taemin to the answer he’s been searching for when neither Minho nor the dictionary could help him.
Minho sighed to himself. There was no way he was going to throw cold water on an obviously ecstatic Taemin. He found it useless to go all logical with his best friend because what is love if it was too rational? Minho also decided that his now apparent feelings for his best friend didn’t matter at that moment in time because what good would it do to suddenly spring a confession on Taemin when he was all excited about his new relationship with Kai? Not only would his honesty confuse Taemin but it would also change their friendship (whether for better or for worse, it was a gamble Minho wasn’t up for yet). If Minho were to truly react the way he wanted to (whether it was to calmly reason things or to confess his true feelings), it would just dampen the younger’s spirits and that was the last thing Minho wanted to do. So eventually, Minho ignored the hollow feeling in his heart, placed on a genuine smile (no matter how fake it looked) and pulled his best friend into a hug.
“I’m happy for you, Tae.”
Although it hurt, it was the truth. Minho meant what he said.
*
“Choi Minho, what do you think you’re doing?”
Kim Kibum, Minho’s roommate, tried his best to smack away the hand that was on his chin but his attempts had failed, which explained why he ended up glaring at the owner of said hand. Kibum’s glare had no effect on Minho though because his hand was still lifting the blonde’s chin towards him.
“Kibum, do you like me?”
Kibum narrowed his eyes dangerously. “Right now, at this moment, no.”
“Do you ever see yourself falling in love with me then?”
“No, I know you too well, you’re like my best friend.”
At Kibum’s answer, Minho finally released his roommate’s chin and sat back down on his chair with a huge sigh.
“It’ll never work out anyway…” Minho mumbled to himself.
Kibum rubbed his chin and raised an eyebrow at Minho. “Why are you being so weird?”
“I like Taemin.” Minho’s reply was out of the blue but Kibum was always quick to catch on.
“You shouldn’t be telling me this. You should tell Taemin.”
“Taemin’s together with Kai. And I mean, in a relationship, they have been for almost 3 months.”
“Ah. Well, that clears everything up.”
“Kibum, life sucks.”
“Hasn’t it always?”
“If you can’t fall in love with me, Taemin can’t either.”
“What kind of reasoning is that?”
“I’m as close to you as I am with Tae.”
“Minho, you’re a wreck.”
“I know.”
Minho downed the rest of his beer and then dragged his feet back into his own room in hope of falling asleep so he could wake up to a better day.
*
“Hyung!”
Upon hearing his best friend’s voice, Minho paused the game he was playing and looked up from his PSP with a surprised expression.
“Hey Tae, what are you doing here? And how did you get in?”
Taemin waved a hello and dropped himself onto the couch right next to Minho. “Key hyung was just stepping out of the apartment when I arrived, and I’m here because I want to be here.”
If he knew his best friend well, something was up and Minho was going to find out.
“Taemin ah, what’s wrong?”
“Why does something have to be wrong?”
“It’s fine if you don’t want to talk now… we can talk when you’re ready.” Minho simply stated as he resumed his game and diverted his attention back to his PSP. Taemin remained silent, shifting to lie on the couch instead, resting his head on the armrest while he stretched his legs comfortably over Minho’s lap. The younger stared at the ceiling long enough for Minho to unlock a new level on his game before he finally broke the silence.
“Hyung…”
Recognising that the tone in Taemin’s voice meant his best friend was ready to talk, Minho placed his PSP aside and turned to look at the younger. “Yeah?”
“What do you think of Kai?” By then, Taemin was sitting upright with his legs crossed and body facing Minho.
“Well, I don’t know him as well as you do but I know him when he’s with you and from what I see, he’s a great kid.” Minho replied as he mirrored Taemin’s position.
“Why?”
“You trust him a lot… and you’re always happy when you’re with him. It’s like you have a permanent smile on your face when he’s around.” Minho explained and then added as an afterthought, “Plus, he’s respectful to me.”
Unexpectedly, Taemin scoffed. “You wouldn’t think that anymore if you knew about the argument we had recently.”
“What?” Minho was confused. “Why?”
“Well, for starters, he doesn’t even use your name when we talk, just refers you as ‘he’.”
Minho frowned. “Why would you two even be talking about me?”
“Because I’ll mention you when we do things together.”
“And why would you do that?”
“Because I can’t help but bring you into our conversation?”
“Taemin, you gotta be kidding me.”
“I don’t know, hyung, I always think about you. It’s like when I’m out with Kai at the movies, I’ll say stuff like Minho hyung would want to catch this movie, or if I’m with him at some eatery, I’ll be thinking about how I should introduce you to the place because I know you would like their food and Kai would get irritated because he says I relate everything to you, or some rubbish along that lines.”
“Tae, you shouldn’t say all this in front of Kai…”
“Why not?” Taemin crossed his arms stubbornly. “I know he’s jealous but come on hyung, you’re my best friend! He should understand!”
“Put yourself in his shoes, Tae.” Minho sighed. “If Kai keeps talking about his best friend in front of you, how would you feel?”
“Nothing.”
“Really Tae?” Minho had his doubts because from what he believed, two people in love shouldn’t have room for anyone else in the little world of their own.
“Really!” Taemin exclaimed, throwing his hands in the air. “I really couldn’t care less.”
Minho paused for a moment as he contemplated on whether he should be honest with his best friend. Eventually, he decided it would be better off to be blunt, not because he was selfish and wanted Taemin for himself but because he was Taemin's best friend.
“If that’s the case Tae, perhaps you should reconsider your feelings for Kai…”
“Actually hyung, I’ve been doing that ever since we started arguing.”
Taemin’s answer had certainly caught Minho by surprise. But if Taemin had continued to tell the whole story of their argument and that one statement that Kai had said which hit him the hardest, Minho would have been even more surprised.
*
“What is it this time, Choi Minho?”
Getting back to their apartment after a day’s worth of classes, Kibum was welcomed with the gloomy sight of his roommate staring into space and sitting as still as a statue on their couch. If he could, Kibum would have walked straight into his room and ignored Minho but he had this sense of duty that was preventing him from doing so (blame it on the fact that Minho was his closest thing to family in Seoul). Upon hearing Kibum’s voice, Minho blinked and slowly turned towards his roommate, moistening his dry lips before replying.
“Taemin and Kai broke up... and it hasn't even been half a year.”
Kibum raised an eyebrow. “Why the gloomy mood then? Shouldn’t you be happy the love of your life is available again?”
“Kibum…” Minho looked at his roommate reproachfully. “That’s just wrong.”
“Yeah, carry on being morally right and we’ll see where that will get you.”
“I can’t, Kibum. This is Taemin we’re talking about. He’s my best friend and-”
“You love him so you should tell him and then the two of you can finally live happily ever after. The end.”
“We won’t live happily ever after because Taemin doesn’t love me that way.”
“Tell me again what you said Taemin and Kai argued about.”
“Err, Kai said Taemin keeps talking about me?”
“Exactly.” Kibum nodded, looking expectantly at Minho and hoping he would get the drift.
Minho widened his eyes, suddenly shaking his head furiously. “That doesn’t mean Taemin loves me!”
Kibum sighed. “Fine, even if doesn’t mean Taemin loves you, you can’t deny that he should at least have some feelings for you since he seems so hopelessly attached to you…”
“Kibum…”
“Yeah?”
“I’ll kill you if your deduction turns out all wrong.”
“Please, I’ll even let you chop off my pretty head and sit on it.”
“Deal.”
As much as Minho would love to chop off Kibum’s head for all the times his roommate made his life a living hell with his powerful nagging skills, he wished he didn’t have a legitimate reason to do so this time round.
*
“Hyung, not that I’m complaining but why are you giving me so much banana milk?”
Taemin looked at the transparent plastic bag filled with bottles of banana milk that was placed down on the table he was sitting at in a café he had arranged to meet Minho at. He then looked at said person he had been waiting for and who had just gifted him with bottles of his favourite drink.
“Sorry, I’m late.” Minho chose to apologise first as he settled into the chair opposite Taemin before answering his best friend’s question. “I just thought… it’ll be the best way to cheer you up?”
“Me?” Taemin pointed at himself. “Do I need cheering up?”
Minho cleared his throat awkwardly. “Well… you and Kai…”
“But Minho hyung, I’m not upset that we broke up.”
“You aren’t?” Minho raised his eyebrows.
“Yeah, we both agreed we’re better off as friends, no hard feelings.” Taemin shrugged. “Besides, I still love him… just not that way.”
“Oh.” Minho nodded slowly and looked at the plastic bag that was almost occupying the entire table. “What should we do with the banana milk then?”
“I’ll still take it of course!” Taemin grinned. “But for now, let’s eat. I’m starving!”
“Sure.” Minho smiled adoringly at his best friend.
At that moment, he wished he could tell Taemin his true feelings, he wished he had the courage to let Taemin know he was in love with him, he wished Taemin wasn’t only his best friend anymore but his boyfriend as well but these were only Minho’s wishes that weren’t coming true at that moment or anytime soon as long as Minho didn’t dare take the gamble. Looking at his best friend who was enthusiastically telling him what was good to order at the café, Minho told himself that until the day he found the courage to confess his feelings for Taemin, he rather not lose what they had now.
*
“Taemin?” Kibum opened the door to find his roommate’s best friend slash crush standing at the door of their apartment and frowned in confusion. “Minho’s not at home… he has classes now, I thought that’s something you should know?”
“Yeah, I know…” Taemin smiled nervously as his fingers fiddled with the hem of his jacket. “I have nothing on for the rest of the day so I thought of just coming here first and hang out with Minho hyung later. Do you mind if I come in and wait?”
“Of course not Tae!” Smiling, Kibum resisted the urge to ruffle the younger’s hair and moved aside to give way for Taemin to walk into the apartment. “You didn’t even have to ask, I was just puzzled because you don’t normally come unless you know for sure Minho’s at home…”
“Yeah…” Taemin let out an awkward laugh. “Sorry if I’m bothering you, Key hyung.”
“Save that for the times you play those soccer games with Minho.” Kibum replied jokingly and gestured for Taemin to sit on the sofa while he walked to the fridge and grabbed drinks for the both of them. “Banana milk for you, Tae?”
“You have that?” Taemin asked incredulously, wondering at the same time if his love for banana milk was known by everyone around him.
“Of course, Minho always stocks the fridge up with that for you…” Kibum answered matter-of-factly as he joined Taemin on the couch with drinks, passing the bottle of banana milk to the younger guy.
“Thanks Key hyung.”
“No problem.”
It wasn’t awkward between them, it never was because Kibum and Taemin knew each other considerably well. Minho and Taemin had been best friends since they were young, practically growing up together, so when Minho had taken up his offer to share rent for an apartment they both could call their own while they were studying in the same university, it didn’t take long for Taemin to be introduced to Kibum. Kibum liked the kid because you really couldn’t hate Taemin just by looking at him alone and if you got to know him better, it’ll be even harder to find something to dislike about Taemin. It had already been almost three years since he first met Taemin and if the years he got to know Taemin better taught him anything, Kibum knew there was something up with the maknae especially from the way Taemin kept stealing glances at him.
“Taemin, you know you can talk to me about anything right?” Kibum decided to initiate the conversation because one, he was the hyung and two, he was never the type to beat about the bush.
“Actually, Key hyung…” Taemin’s eyes lit up. “There’s something I want to ask you…”
“Shoot.”
“Does Minho hyung talk to you about relationships? Like has he ever told you that he’s interested in someone or if he has been, is or wants to be in a relationship with anyone? Because I’m best friends with him but I’ve never heard him talk about relationships or about a person he likes so I’m just curious if he does that with you…” Taemin would have continued to blabber on if not for the amused expression on Kibum’s face.
“He hasn’t said anything to you before?” Kibum couldn’t help but double check.
“Nothing. Absolutely nothing.” Taemin sighed. “I’m starting to believe Minho hyung isn’t interested in getting into relationships at all… at least not in the near future.”
Kibum laughed. “Nah, I can vouch that that isn’t true.”
“You can?”
Kibum nodded.
“Does that mean Minho hyung talks to you about relationships?”
Kibum nodded again.
“Why doesn’t he tell me anything about that then?”
Kibum smiled. “It’s not that he doesn’t want to, Taemin, he can’t.”
“Why not?”
“Why do you want to know anyway?” For the sake of Minho, Kibum decided it was better for him to change the topic. Besides, he was curious about Taemin’s motive of asking such questions too.
Taemin crossed his arms and pouted. “I’m his best friend. I should know stuff like this.”
Kibum shrugged, accepting the answer even though he had a hunch there was more to it than just that and replied. “Well Tae… I can only say, best friends have their own secrets too.”
Taemin had more questions to ask but the look on Kibum’s face told him that he wasn’t going to say anything more. Their conversation had ended and Taemin was left to think about the vague answers Kibum had given him.
*
“Minho hyung?”
Upon hearing his name being called, Minho stopped in his footsteps and turned around to the direction where the voice came from. There, he saw Kai coming towards him and then bowing a hello when he had reached where he was.
Minho returned the greeting, as formal as Kai had greeted him. “Hey Kai, I haven’t seen you in a while… what have you been up to?”
“The usual… school, dancing… besides that, nothing much.” Kai answered politely. “You?”
“About the same as you, just minus the dancing and add the sports.” Minho smiled. “The life of a university student isn’t really interesting actually.”
Kai nodded and laughed. An awkward silence surrounded them before Minho decided to break it with something he had been meaning to say to Kai after he found out about his break up with Taemin. Now that the chance had presented itself albeit a little too late, Minho decided it was better late than never.
“Hey, listen Kai, I heard about you and Taemin and I think I owe you an apology.”
Knowing that Taemin hardly kept anything from Minho, Kai knew exactly what Minho was apologising for. He immediately shook his head and stopped Minho from going on.
“No hyung, there’s nothing for you to be sorry about… and if there’s any apologies to be made, Taemin has already said enough. I can never hold it against him anyway. He just didn’t know how he truly felt.”
“Yeah… that’s Tae for you… always living in his own world.”
Kai and Minho shared a smile at the thought of their common friend.
“Well, it’s good that he’s clear about his feelings now.” Kai said with a look that Minho couldn’t understand and as if that wasn’t enough, he had to confuse Minho even more as he went on to say, “And at least I know you’re someone I can trust.”
Minho’s expression was enough to tell Kai that he was hoping the younger would explain his words but Kai chose to pretend not to see it, choosing instead to bow goodbye to Minho.
“Sorry hyung, i’ve got to go now. I’ll see you around!”
Minho could only watch as Kai waved and turned around, walking back in the direction where he came from. He didn’t miss the smirk on Kai’s face though. He had the urge to pull Kai back or at least run after him but his rational side prevented him from doing so. If Kai had wanted to explain himself, he would have done so instead of leaving. Minho knew this and so, he could only carry on with his journey home, puzzled with Kai’s words.
*
Upon reaching home, Minho threw his keys on a nearby table, kicked off his shoes and was about to head back to the comfort of his own room when he spotted Taemin sleeping on the couch in a rather awkward position. He had the back of his arm pressed on his forehead while his leg hung off the sofa. Amused, Minho walked towards the living room instead and stood next to the couch, looking down at his sleeping best friend. His eyes travelled from the long lashes that rested on Taemin’s chubby cheeks to his cute button nose and then finally stopping at the alluring full lips that were always out to tempt him. This time was no different as Minho’s heart stopped as well. He gulped, licking his own lips nervously and forcing himself to freeze in his position as he willed himself to not bend down and feel how soft and warm Taemin’s lips could be with his own. Minho had unconsciously clenched his fists tightly at his sides as he compelled himself to look away. After taking in a deep breath and ensuring he was in the right mind, Minho reached out a hand to gently nudge his best friend awake.
“Taemin ah… Tae… don’t sleep here. Sleep in my room instead.”
“Hmm…” Taemin slowly opened his eyes, rubbing his face and then grinning when he saw Minho looking dotingly at him. “Hey hyung.”
“You didn’t tell me you were coming over… Kibum let you in?”
With the help of Minho, Taemin got up from lying down and nodded, “Yeah, I talked to him for a bit and then he had to go out so I fell asleep.”
“Obviously…”
Minho laughed, sitting down next to Taemin as the younger smacked him on the arm.
While Taemin took the time to adjust back to being awake, Minho let out a breath and leaned back into the sofa, turning slightly to look at the younger as he spoke. “I met Kai on the way back just now.”
“You did?” Taemin instantly sat upright and looked directly at Minho.
“Yeah, he said some stuff that I can’t quite figure out…”
“You too?” Taemin’s eyes widened.
“What me too?”
“I was talking to Key hyung and he told me stuff that got me thinking...”
“What were you two talking about?”
“Umm, nothing important… just you know, life and all.” Taemin laughed it off and quickly diverted the attention back to Minho. “What about you and Kai? What did he say to you?”
Minho looked at Taemin for a few moments, deciding to credit Taemin’s weirdness to his normal usual oblivious self before he answered his best friend’s question. “Kai thinks I’m someone he can trust.”
“Why would he say that?”
“Beats me.” Minho shrugged. “I thought you would know since you’re close to Kai…”
Taemin instantly shook his head.
“Oh well, maybe I’m just thinking too much into things…”
“Maybe you are, hyung…”
Minho nodded and shared a smile with his best friend.
Sometimes in life, it would be better not to read so much into things but for Minho, it would have done him good if he had probed more because he would have found out Taemin had lied to him, that Taemin actually knew why Kai had said that to Minho. Yet, Minho wouldn’t find out… at least not for the time being.
*
“Minhooooo~”
At that high pitched drawn-out squeal, both Minho and Taemin immediately stopped what they were doing individually in Minho’s room (Minho was trying to complete his assigned readings on his bed while Taemin was using his laptop at his desk) and looked at each other. They had only locked eyes for one second when the door to Minho’s room flew open and revealed a rather flushed Kibum with the brightest smile that showed all his teeth prancing towards Minho like there was no stopping him. And indeed, nothing had stopped him because before Minho knew it, Kibum had jumped onto the empty space beside him on the bed and grabbed him by his shirt with two hands to pull him so close that Minho could smell exactly what Kibum had drunk from his breath.
“Minhooo~ Kibummie just drank~~”
“I know…” Minho helplessly replied as he tried his best to create some distance between Kibum and himself.
“You’re so cute like this.” Kibum giggled, moving to straddle Minho to stop him from struggling.
True enough, Minho stopped all movement when Kibum ended up sitting comfortably on his thighs with the most satisfied smile on his face ever. Minho let out a sigh and decided to look at Taemin for help. However, he knew he wasn’t going to get any when all he saw was his best friend frozen like a statue with an unreadable expression on his face. Actually, it wasn’t that unreadable because Minho suddenly remembered he had seen that expression before. It was the exact same look Taemin had when his attention got caught by a dancer they came across in a street one day and if Minho remembered correctly, the exact words that Taemin had muttered was ‘I wish I could be him’.
At that moment in time, Minho could understand Taemin’s expression (because Taemin always wished his shy self had the guts to dance in public) but now, in his room with Kibum so close to him, he couldn’t. He didn’t even have the time to ponder anyway because Kibum had pouted and released his grip from Minho’s shirt to grab his face, turning it back so that Minho’s eyes were directly on him.
“Bummie’s right here! Look at me~” Kibum demanded with a whine.
“Kibum, how much did you drink tonight?” Minho asked, his curiosity clouding his previous thoughts, while his hands held onto Kibum’s waist to keep him still because his roommate had seemingly lost his sense of balance.
“A lot!” Kibum laughed and swung his arms around. “But I still want more!”
Looking as if a light bulb lit above his head upon Kibum’s exclamation, Minho’s eyes shone with hope because he finally figured out how to deal with his whiny and clingy roommate.
“Then how about you go check if we have any more in our fridge?” Minho suggested, although he knew their fridge had anything but alcohol in it. The trick was that an intoxicated and high Kibum wouldn’t be able to think straight and realise that they hadn’t stocked up on alcohol recently.
“You’re right!” Kibum squealed in glee and rolled himself off Minho.
True enough, Kibum jumped off the bed and in less than a minute, Minho and Taemin were left alone in the room all over again as if nothing had happened. Minho’s laughter filled the silence in the room as he sat upright and smoothed out the creases on his clothes before looking at Taemin. As soon as his eyes met Taemin’s unfocused ones, Minho stopped laughing. There was just this sadness and anger in Taemin’s eyes that Minho had never seen before for all the years he had known Taemin. Somehow, it gave Minho an impression that this was how his best friend should look like if he had his heart broken. Yet, to Minho’s understanding, that obviously couldn’t be the case so why on earth would Taemin’s eyes convey such a message? Minho’s mind was in overdrive and so, in the next second, he found himself linking this thought to the previous expression he saw on Taemin when he wanted to ask him for help and all of a sudden, everything clicked.
“Tae?”
Minho’s voice instantly brought Taemin out of his reverie and the maknae looked at his suddenly serious best friend. Taemin recognised the tone in Minho’s voice; it was a tone he only used when something grave happened.
“What’s wrong?” Surprisingly, it was Taemin who asked the question that Minho had been meaning to ask.
“Please tell me that I’m wrong to think you like Kibum.” Minho said in one breath.
Taemin choked on air and when he finally recovered from his coughing fit, he stared at Minho with eyes so big that they looked like they were about to pop out.
“Of course you’re wrong!” Taemin shouted as he sprung out of the chair. “Why on earth would you say that?!”
“I don’t know, I just saw the expression on your face and you looked miserable like you were jealous when you saw Kibum so close to me and I-“ Minho stopped himself, swallowing back what he originally wanted to say, when a sudden thought surfaced in his mind.
Minho gulped, looking straight at Taemin who was looking right back at him with the same expression Minho knew was on his face as well. It was an expression that was mixed with realisation, excitement, fear, anxiety and hope. And if the years they’ve known each other as best friends meant anything, that complicated expression alone was more than enough to reveal that they both understood the meaning behind it.
“Tae… you…” The keywords that formed his question were floating in his mind but somehow, Minho lost the ability to string them all together to form a proper sentence.
“Yes. You.” Taemin breathed out, looking down on the floor like he was pleading guilty for a crime, and mumbled his confession. “It’s you.”
Although Taemin was no better than Minho, at least he could still get his message across clearly.
Minho sat on the edge of his bed, unable to move from the ground-breaking statement Taemin just made. It was two words but it was enough to tell Minho that he was right. It wasn’t Kibum who Taemin liked, it was him. That explained Taemin’s behaviour. He was jealous when he saw Kibum so close to Minho that he got upset because it wasn’t him who shared that sort of closeness with Minho. And for that moment in time, Taemin actually believed Minho and Kibum had something going on. Minho wanted to shake Taemin just to punish his best friend for having such ridiculous thoughts but he stayed where he was because he himself had to try to calm his racing heart. Besides, he had the time to do so since Taemin had found his courage to look up and storm his way towards him.
Standing directly in front of Minho, Taemin huffed and decided to let everything he had kept to himself out.
“Hyung, trust me, I was as shocked as you are now when I realised how I felt about you… I know we’re best friends and I shouldn’t be feeling this way and that’s why I didn’t tell you about how I felt. I didn’t plan for you to find out like this either but when Key hyung was all over you just now, I just felt so envious that you guys could actually be that close to each other. It made me so afraid that I was going to lose you and I guess I didn’t manage my expressions well so you saw right through it and now I’m just a blabbering mess and could you please say something before I leave and we end up not talking or seeing each other for as long as I can’t find the courage to face you because this is so embarrass-“
Taemin’s eyes grew wide as Minho suddenly stood up and grabbed his shoulders. The next thing he knew, his body was turned around and pushed to lie down on the bed while Minho bent down, hands still firmly on his shoulders, and hovered above him. The elder remained silent and just simply stared down into Taemin’s eyes.
Unable to handle the intense look Minho was giving him, Taemin fidgeted in his trapped position and mumbled, “I asked you to say something, not do something…”
A smile crawled onto Minho’s face. He reached out to tilt Taemin’s face to the front and slowly minimised the distance between them, only stopping when he could lean his forehead against Taemin’s.
“Before I kiss you, Tae, I think you should know I like you too.”
“Wh-“
Silence. And golden it was because the time for Minho to finally feel with his own lips how truly soft and warm Taemin’s lips were had finally arrived, and Minho could now even add that Taemin’s lips were addictive as well. Their first kiss was nothing but simple, it was just a light press of Minho’s lips to Taemin’s that lasted for a few seconds before Minho pulled away enough to look into Taemin’s eyes, but it was nothing short of spectacular.
“Was that… alright?” Minho asked uncertainly in that low sexy voice of his.
Taemin wrapped his hands around Minho’s neck and grinned, his eyes shimmering with tears that had unconsciously formed. “Hyung, alright isn’t good enough a word.”
“But I barely did anything…” Minho frowned.
“You didn’t have to.” Taemin smiled. “It just has to be you.”
Minho sighed and let out a laugh at the same time. “Why couldn’t I see that you love me this much?”
“Right back at you, hyung.” Taemin pulled Minho down, both of them rolling to their sides so that they were now lying down and facing each other on the bed before reaching out to touch Minho’s face. “Why couldn’t I see that you love me the same way I love you?”
Minho grabbed hold of Taemin’s hand and held it tightly in his but before he could say anything, someone, of whom could only be one other person, had very rudely interrupted their moment, feeling no shame at all as he announced his presence.
“Because you’re both stupid!”
Kibum stood at the door with his arms crossed and a mocking grin on his face and then going on to exclaim, “And Kibummie is the smartest!”
He even flashed a peace sign in a way he thought looked adorable at the couple who was now staring at him as if he had grown another head.
Minho messed up his hair in frustration, and pointed at Kibum. "You!"
"Me? What about me?” Kibum smiled like an innocent little kid.
"Get out of my room now!" Minho shouted.
Taemin instantly looked at Minho, completely taken aback that his best friend (and maybe something more now) had actually lost his temper. This was definitely one of Minho’s rare moments when he lost his cool.
“Minho hyung...” Taemin stroked Minho's back in an attempt to soothe the older. However, Minho ignored Taemin, opting instead to send silent death threats to his roommate through his eyes.
“Fine!” Kibum sniffed. “You didn't have to shout, Choi Minho. Good night!”
And with that, Kibum left but not before he slammed the door tightly shut with all his might.
Now that peace and quiet were here to stay, Minho fell back onto his bed in relief. “Thank god he's finally gone.”
Taemin bit on his bottom lip as he tugged on Minho’s shirt. “Hyung… should we check on Key hyung?”
Minho immediately shook his head. “He's fine, he won't even remember anything tomorrow morning.”
“Now, where were we?” Minho beamed as he took Taemin's hand and placed it on his own waist. “This isn't weird for you, is it?”
Taemin shook his head as a blush appeared on his cheeks. “Actually... I've dreamed of stuff that you won't believe I could dream about…”
“Like what?” Minho asked, more than curious to know what went through Taemin’s mind.
“Well…” Taemin cleared his throat. “It involved me, you, and umm, our hands, our bodies... naked.”
Minho coughed, his body freezing up and he couldn't even look at Taemin in the eyes! The exact same Taemin who was now rubbing his neck sheepishly with a smile that tilted unevenly towards the right…
“Maybe I shouldn't be too honest with you...” Taemin chuckled nervously.
“No Tae, being honest is good!” Minho quickly said. “In fact, I wanna know how you realised you loved me… you know, more than a friend… a best friend.”
“If I tell you, will you tell me?”
“Of course!”
“Alright then... It's actually because of Kai.”
Minho smiled. “Would you believe me if I told you Kai's the reason why I realised I love you too?”
Taemin widened his eyes, clearly showing he didn't expect that at all.
And the new couple shared a laugh with each other, among other things that they would share with each other in the coming future together, not only just as best friends, but something more than that too… a love that was unbreakable.