Too Much, Too Little; Minho/Taemin
A 2min oneshot written upon request from the lovely allafloat in light of the recent happenings between 2min in SWCII Taiwan. It somehow ended up as an insight to the different 2min moments we all saw from September 15th.
Dear allafloat, i know you wanted something along the lines of grand reunification with a moment to themselves, preferably fluffy, but i have to apologise because after reading through the fic myself, i don't think this is anything close to what you wanted. and if i did write some fluff, it was really short! :/ so if i did disappoint you, i am more than willing to write another story, hopefully good enough, to make it up to you! still, i'm crossing my fingers that you'll enjoy the story that i told and I'll be looking forward to hear your honest reaction to this. hehe. have a good weekend! ♥
Too much. Too little.
These two extreme opposites couldn’t describe how Minho and Taemin’s relationship currently stood any better. Too much time apart leading to too much pent up frustrations, too much emptiness, too much loneliness, too much insecurity, too much distance both emotionally and physically between each other, and too much of all of these all scrambled together obviously didn’t help the couple who were rarely apart from each other for extended periods of time. It all boiled down to one filming of a drama that brought them to where they were now. It was funny, actually, how all those too much were caused solely by just one too little of something - a something known as time. Minho and Taemin had too little time to spend with each other. In fact, you could say they barely had any alone time with each other until it was nearing the point that they were better off as star-crossed lovers.
With too little time came too little interaction; both Minho and Taemin had to deal with feeling like they lost a part of themselves, that a piece of their heart was missing. They both were missing that one person to share their knowing smiles or secrets with, the one to steal kisses from, the one to hug and steal warmth from, the one to squabble childishly with, the one to depend your whole heart on, the one to do whatever other silly little things lovers do together. It was cruel, how they both obviously had found that person in each other but their better half was currently out of reach. Yet, among the two, it was Minho who was affected the most severely. After all, Taemin still had his other hyungs, notably one other hyung who Minho jealously noticed he was busy getting all chummy with and shall not be named for fear of unnecessary conflict, but think about it, who did Minho himself have? No one. No one as close to him as his irreplaceable band members were. No one who particularly went by the name of Lee Taemin.
It was no wonder that the pressure of what little time they had with each other in Taiwan could do to Minho. Minho knew his schedule in Taiwan was extremely hectic, more hectic than the other members. Once he landed in Taiwan, he had to rush straight to the stadium for rehearsals that would take up more time than expected even after having done this so many times before because SHINee always chased after this thing called perfection. So by the time rehearsals were done, they only had what little time left to fill their stomachs and refresh themselves for the first night of the concert. And when they did finally get back to the hotel, Minho knew he was going to be dead beat. It was sheer hard work having to shuffle between being an actor and being one fifth of SHINee. He was already exhausted enough so it wasn’t hard for him to predict how he would probably just fall into a deep sleep once he hit the bed. That would mean a wasted night which left him only with the morning after but for Minho, that was already a little too late.
The rapper was vexed, very much annoyed with the fact that Taemin was finally within reach but they still couldn’t do anything. Sure, Minho could make the effort to spend some quality time with Taemin on the first night even if they were all exhausted but he really couldn’t be too sure of what would happen at night so why wait until then? Better safe than sorry. And so, during the car ride to join the rest of the members at the stadium, Minho made a decision. He made the decision to use the time within the concert to just simply have fun with his boyfriend. He decided to use every single second of whatever little time they had together, even if it was in the eyes of the public. And a brilliant idea it was, as declared by Minho himself, since not only could he have his little moments with the maknae he loves so deeply but he could also entertain the fans and give them what they loved the most - fan service.
Even before the concert began, Taemin had his suspicion that there was something up Minho's sleeve. This, Minho himself could tell by the way the dancer kept stealing glances at him and shooting questioning amused looks towards him. Yet, the rapper only simply smiled in response when he caught Taemin’s eye, refusing to spoil the fun out of what he planned to do and keep the maknae curious. From the instant Minho entered the concert venue to the moment rehearsal ended, the couple didn't have the luxury of any alone time since they were hurriedly whisked away by their managers and coordi-noonas to prepare for the concert. Moreover, very unfortunately, they were stuck backstage with the whole entourage. They couldn’t even hold a proper conversation to catch up with each other, only managing to say their hellos, discuss serious details about the concert, chat rubbish (in other words, gossip) with the other members and send encouraging words to each other. Besides, it had always been work before personal matters for Minho and Taemin so their priority during the “free time” they had was getting their act together for the first night of the concert.
As much as Minho prided himself in his work ethic, It was obvious how the rapper was paying careful attention for any little opportunity to have a moment with Taemin during the concert itself, so painfully obvious that Taemin couldn't resist reaching out to touch Minho on his chest and letting his fingers slide down almost seductively during Juliette when they were face to face to each other during the slight pause in their dance just because he desperately wanted to know what Minho was up to. Minho had been caught off guard for a moment but in the next, he sent a playful wink Taemin’s way, his confidence growing. Taemin’s little action had unknowingly spurred Minho on for the rest of the concert and well, basically set the mood for the night.
Obviously, that didn't mean Minho ended up obsessed over his desire to have any form of contact with Taemin. Both of them were still focused on putting on the best show for their fans. It was just that when they were allowed to play around on stage, they jumped at every opportunity to create their little magic moments. Note the term “they” because somewhere along the way, Taemin had figured out what Minho’s wink meant and let’s just say he was more than happy to volunteer himself in any way possible. Take for example, the moment they always shared during Love Like Oxygen, approaching each other intimidatingly but intimately, ignoring the concept of personal space, seemingly doing everything that fans could ever wish for but in reality doing nothing at all. Yet, there was something different this time round. Perhaps it was in the way their chests had bumped into each other, their hearts had reconnected all at once, and Taemin, unlike Minho who kept a poker face, had unprofessionally let a laugh escape his lips on stage. He couldn’t actually be bothered though. What mattered was that they were complete… everything was.
And jump at every opportunity they did. The next moment they had was in fact in the literal sense since Minho did indeed jump onto Taemin's back when the maknae offered a piggy back ride during Tie A Yellow Ribbon. Like always, they enjoyed being dorks around each other, treasuring every moment they could play around like kids; Taemin carrying Minho on his back and happily swaying to the music together from left to right. Call Taemin silly but he was truly happy that he could actually feel Minho’s weight on him because that made everything real. Minho was indeed back with SHINee, back by his side, and they were back performing together. It was the same for Minho as well, feeling Taemin below him made everything fall back in place. In fact, Minho almost enjoyed the moment too much that he was more than reluctant to end the piggy back ride, only crashing back into reality when Taemin stumbled a few steps forward under his weight. Still, he lived for moments like this. Moments where he could later use to tease Taemin that went along the lines of “How are you going to support me when we’re all grey and wrinkly when you can’t support me now?” or “Don’t worry baby, I’ll be responsible for supporting you this lifetime, even if I’ll be the one turning old first.”
And when it came to Stand By Me where Taemin and him were finally standing together and somewhat hidden in the darkness of the stage, Minho couldn't resist his urge to simply hold Taemin, arms all around the dancer’s shoulders and happily invading his personal space. When Taemin had naturally wrapped his arms around his waist, it was Minho's instinct to lean towards Taemin, his eyes dead set on the maknae’s irresistible lips. In that moment in time, Minho could only think about finally being able to feel and taste those lips he always had a craving for. Yet, when Taemin’s eyes widened, recognising the familiar desire in Minho’s eyes, he immediately turned away to prevent a disaster from happening (only because they both knew how hard it would be to stop the kiss once their lips connected since an intense make out session would be well on its way). With Taemin’s sudden avoidance, the next thing Minho registered was the music of Stand By Me and he instantly snapped out of his trance, thinking fast on his feet, and smoothly transitioned his true intentions into an act instead. It was even amusing how Taemin could still be shy when he closed the distance between their faces again. Luckily, the maknae was quick enough to catch onto his act and played along as well. Their chemistry with each other had always been that perfect. And well, finishing their “kiss” off with exaggerated expressions was the best way in covering up the truth that they would have kissed if not for the damned circumstances.
Minho was satisfied, in fact, beyond satisfied and feeling all accomplished that he had his moments with Taemin, deciding that that was enough for one night of concert. He was all ready to call it a night and walk away with those memories once the concert finished just like that but what he didn’t know was that Taemin, although unconsciously, was going to squeeze in just one more memory to take home. Taemin himself had no intentions of making this into what fans termed as a “2min moment” but he did just that when he spotted a busy Minho playing with the fans. With Minho’s body as the perfect target and a basket full of balls in his hands during Bodyguard, Taemin instantly decided he had to get back at the rapper for letting his true desire get the better of him, momentarily forgetting that they were in the midst of a show even if it only lasted seconds. The dancer’s lips curved into an evil mischievous smirk and in the blink of an eye, began punishing Minho by relentlessly throwing balls at him. He had every intention to send Minho the message that he ought to be disciplined for coming so close to putting their careers on the line. Then again, how effective can a punishment be when that person in question was more than willing and in fact, thrilled to accept punishment? Obviously, the answer was not effective at all. It also didn’t help that Taemin himself forgot his original intention and ended having too much fun as well especially when his lover happily pushed his butt out further and openly allowed the maknae to hit him right where he wanted. They were having a blast, and so were the fans, even though Taemin wasted so many balls on Minho when he should have been throwing them as gifts to them.
Needless to say, spirits were high when the first night of SHINee World II in Taiwan had ended. Everyone was drained as they never failed to give their all in every show, and knowing that there was a long day ahead of them the next morning, everyone was sensible and responsible enough to know a good night’s sleep was absolutely needed. Minho and Taemin knew this too. Yet, this didn’t stop them from making use of every minute before they actually did succumb to sleep. It also helped that adrenaline was still rushing though their veins. And so, when they had finally settled down in bed, lying next to each other with minimal space in between their bodies, skin touching each other for warmth to be shared, legs tangled under the sheets in a playful fight for control and hands moving and feeling every inch of the other’s body, hearts beating steadily almost in unison, eyes connected in a way that meant they were in a little world of their own, Minho breathed in, absolutely thankful for everything life has brought him, and tilted Taemin’s chin up towards him.
“Taem, out of everything that has happened tonight, I’m most happy that I finally get to wake up to you in the morning.” Minho smiled so captivatingly that it could make anyone’s knees go weak but it was nothing Taemin couldn’t handle.
In fact, the maknae even rolled his eyes and scoffed. “You don’t say.”
Minho laughed a low throaty chuckle and pinched Taemin’s chin. “You need to stop hanging around Kibum so much when I’m away.”
“Just Key hyung?” Taemin asked, his eyes sparkling with mischief.
Minho sighed, leaning his forehead against his lover’s. “Taem, I trust Jonghyun hyung.”
Taemin hummed in response and added, “Like how I trust Jinri.”
“That’s not a good comparison.” Minho commented with a frown.
“It is.” Taemin insisted.
“I don’t think so.”
“Come on, we both know nothing will ever happen in both instances.” Taemin pointed out. “But you did kiss Jinri… I, on the other hand, did not kiss Jonghyun hyung.”
Upon hearing this, Minho moved his forehead away from Taemin’s and said in all seriousness, “Okay, you really need to stop hanging around Kibum. His childishness is rubbing off you as well.”
Taemin rolled his eyes again and slid his hand behind Minho’s neck, pulling him back closer and asked demandingly, “Would you just shut up and kiss me?”
“Did Jonghyun hyung teach you this?”
“No, Jinki hyung did.”
“What?!” Minho widened his eyes disbelievingly.
“I’m just kidding.” Taemin replied, all calm and collected.
Minho let out a breath exasperatedly and groaned. “Taemin-ah…”
This brought out a smile in Taemin as the dancer then closed the remaining distance between them, allowing their lips to finally meet in a gentle touch before what was the simplest of all kisses became urgent as emotions went haywire and desire overwhelmed them. Still, as much as they were hungry for each other, they kissed slowly, passionately, intensely and savoured the taste of each other and the feeling of such blissful contact between not just their lips, tongues but also their bodies as hands roamed everywhere they could go to make the moment all the more pleasurable.
“Shall we?” Taemin’s hand hovered around the waistband of Minho’s boxers and although he asked, he was more than ready to push it down.
“I only have tonight with you, Tae, what do you think?” Minho gazed intently at Taemin as he ran his thumb along his lover’s swollen lips.
Taemin smiled innocently. “I thought it’ll be nice of me to ask first.”
“If you wanted to ask, you should have done that before you kissed me because we all know we would never stop at that.” Minho stated rather seriously.
Taemin sighed and murmured a complaint, “You talk too much.”
“And we’re wasting too much time now.” Minho smiled, looking at Taemin adoringly, before he reconnected their lips and picked off from when they left off.
One night together was all that was needed to bring back the balance in their life. And when everything was perfect, both Minho and Taemin loved being obvious with how much happiness filled their lives. This undoubtedly explained why they had no qualms of sharing even more moments on stage the very next evening of the concert. They might as well have shouted at their top of the voices to the whole world how much they loved each other, which of course, they’ll never be able to do (at least not in the near future) but Minho and Taemin found joy in these simple moments they created together. And there was only many more to come. Just wait and see.