SHINee Fic Mix 2011 - meridianslair
Title: Death by Cupcake
Author: meridianslair
Pairing: Taemin/Minho
Rating: PG-13
Warnings: Character death
Original Work: The Big Question by yunho
Taemin waved his arms around childishly as he told the members a story of when he was roaming around backstage earlier. A simple event sounded like a grand adventure coming from his lips, making everyone listen to him intently, everyone except Minho. He was busy daydreaming about the younger boy, only to be snapped out of his daze when Taemin nudged him.
“Hyung, were you even listening?” the maknae questioned, pouting.
The words were caught in his throat. “I was thinking about how much you look like a girl, Taemin,” Minho said coolly.
“You’re so mean, hyung!” Taemin whined, “I don’t like you anymore.”
Minho’s heart couldn’t help but flutter at his words. Even if the younger meant something completely different, he felt the need to tease the younger. “Oh, so you liked me?” he asked, wriggling his eyebrows.
“Stop it, you’re ridiculous.”
They both couldn’t help but smile, oblivious to the other three members.
----
The maknae had hopped into the van with an object in his hand that definitely was not there a few minutes before. The neon frosted cupcake caught Kibum’s interest, especially since Taemin wasn’t allowed to eat sweets this early in the morning.
“Taemin, where’d you get that?” Kibum asked, voice laced in concern.
Licking the frosting of the cupcake, Taemin shrugged. “Just from one of the fans…”
Clicking his tongue in the driver’s seat, the manager said, “What did we tell you about accepting things from fans? It can be dangerous, Taemin. You need to be more careful.”
“Alright,” the maknae sighed, “I’ll just throw it out then.”
“No, go ahead and eat it, but if you get sick don’t come to me complaining,” their manager replied sternly.
Taemin nodded and continued lapping at the neon colored frosting.
----
Two days later, Taemin began noticing a large amount of ugly bruises around his body. He was also becoming increasingly tired, but he just knocked them down to probably being from his overbearing schedule. Hoping his hyungs wouldn’t notice, Taemin tried avoiding them as much as he could.
Unfortunately, Taemin’s current state went unnoticed by Minho. While Taemin was grabbing something to eat before bedtime, Minho noticed a large, purple bruise right above the younger’s elbow. Grabbing th earm, Taemin flinched away as Minho examined the bruise.
“Where did this come from?”
Taemin tugged his arm out of Minho’s grip. “I just slipped in the shower is all,” he lied.
“Oh,” Minho paused before ruffling the maknae’s hair, “Just be more careful; alright?”
----
Taemin could have sworn the room was spinning, but he knew he was sitting perfectly still. He was trying to focus on the plate in front of him, but it wasn’t working at all. A funny taste began forming in his mouth as his stomach suddenly felt unsettled. Jumping out of his chair, Taemin ran to the bathroom.
Leaning over the toilet, he released everything he had eaten that day. Closing his eyes, he put his hands over his face as he let a shaky breath. Footsteps were making their way to the restroom at a fast pace, Minho coming through the doorway.
His hyung knelt down next to him and rubbed his back. “Taemin, are you not feeling well?”
He nodded his head in response.
“Come on, get up and brush your teeth,” Minho said gently. Easing Taemin up, he was able to get him to brush his teeth and lay down in bed. Returning to the bathroom to clean up, he noticed something off.
“I-Is that blood?”
----
Kibum flipped through the channels with no particular interest. His body was entirely numb, just barely going through the motions. When he finally realized, he’d probably gone through all of the channels at least 5 times, he paused. The words scrolled across the top in big bold letters ‘LEE TAEMIN’S FUNERAL, WHAT WILL HAPPEN TO SHINEE NOW?’. Clenching his jaw, he clicked the TV off and lifted himself off the couch.
He needed sleep. The death of the maknae had been hard on everyone, but Kibum was especially worried about Minho. Every day, except for today when he had to attend the funeral, he’d just lie in Taemin’s bed. Shuffling into his bedroom, Minho was sitting upright with a journal in his hands.
“Minho, what are you doing?”
Choking back a sob, he tossed the journal aside. “I never got to say it back… I never got to tell him…”
Kibum’s own eyes began to water as he watched Minho. Picking up the journal, he spoke softly, “I think it’s time you go back to your room.”
----
Minho awoke one morning, still in a fog. He could’ve sworn someone was up and walking around in the hallway, but he knew the others were out visiting family. Getting up, he peaked out of his room to see a blonde coming out of the bathroom. Rubbing his eyes, he looked again. Minho’s eyes had to be tricking him because Taemin was standing right there.
“Taemin!” he yelled excitedly.
The maknae turned to Minho and made an odd face. “Minho? Why are you yelling?”
“Because, I’m not seeing things,” Minho ran up to Taemin and hugged him, the cold air going unnoticed by the older boy, “we thought you were dead! Why aren’t you…?”
Shaking his head, Taemin’s eyebrows furrowed. “You need to go back to sleep. Now.”
Minho’s face was mixed with confusion and hurt. “Why? I don’t want to sleep if you’re here.”
“Go back to sleep, Minho, I’ll tell you why later.”
Slowly backing up, he nodded. Walking back to his room, he kept turning around to make sure Taemin was still there. And surely, he was.
----
All four members sat at the table, leaving the empty chair to Jinki’s right, alone. Or at least, to everyone but Minho it was empty. Kibum set the table for five on accident, well, more like habit. Jonghyun helped by putting the rest of the food on the table. Minho tilted his head for a moment and looked at Taemin, who depressingly stared at the food.
“What about Taemin?”
Silence followed as the other members stiffened.
Jinki was the first one to speak, repeating Minho’s question back to him. “What about Taemin?”
“There’s no rice. You know he doesn’t like to eat without rice,” Minho replied normally.
Kibum coughed and looked at the other three. They gave him the same look back, Jonghyun shrugging in return. “I guess it looks like I’ll be making some rice then,” Kibum sighed.
Taemin sat across the table, shaking his head.
----
“Kibum, I can’t do it anymore,” Jonghyun whispered. “I can’t sleep in the same room as him. Minho, he… he keeps thinking I’m Taemin.”
Covering his eyes with the back of his hand, Kibum laid on his bed. “I know, I fucking know dammit! This situation has gotten out of control.”
“Just tell him please, hyung!” Taemin begged both Jonghyun and Kibum. He had been listening from his bed the whole time.
“We have to tell him,” Kibum said, the serious tone almost threatening.
“You know we can’t, Kibum. It would be like ripping his heart out for a second time.”
Kibum sighed. “Fine, you can move your stuff in here and tell him Taemin is rooming with him now.”
Jumping off his bed Taemin cried, “No! You have to tell him! I can’t stand seeing him this way!”
Grabbing things off of his shelf, he tossed them onto the floor. They weren’t listening, couldn’t listen, it was more than frustrating for Taemin. Both Jonghyun and Kibum jumped in shock. They watched in awe as things came crashing down by themselves one by one.
“What’s going on in here?” Minho asked, frantic, “I heard Taemin screaming.”
Looking at Jonghyun worriedly, Kibum told Minho it was nothing and that he should go back to watching TV. Jonghyun looked at the mess at the floor and kicked some of it with his toes. “This is turning into a mess,” Jonghyun said gloomily.
“It’s been a mess…”
----
Minho watched Taemin look longingly out at the ducks. His expression was so depressing, he felt bad for bringing Taemin out.
“I love you, Taemin. You know that, right?”
The younger boy nods, turning to give a small smile. “I know, hyung.”
----
“Minho, you need to stop this,” Taemin whispered while his hyung petted his hair. Their naked bodies were pressed together under the covers, both completely sated.
Minho wrapped his other arm around Taemin’s waist and kissed his cold lips. “Stop what?”
Taemin pulled away. In the dark he couldn’t quite see Minho’s face, only the reflection bouncing off his big, round eyes. He hated watching Minho suffer like this, hated watching Jinki, Jonghyun, and Kibum confused and in pain. Why could only Minho see and hear him? It wasn’t right; it was only torturing both of them.
“You know what, Minho. Quit acting like you don’t!” Minho didn’t say a word back, the only recognition that he was still awake was the blinking of his eyes.
----
“Minho, I’m sorry. I can’t see you like this anymore, goodbye,” a voice whispered into Minho’s ear.
“No, don’t leave me,” Minho said sleepily.
A light kiss was placed on his cheek the words ’I love you’ were heard before he fell back into a slumber. Minho couldn’t tell if it was all a dream or a nightmare. Taemin wouldn’t leave him again, would he?
----
Darting straight up, Minho looked at the bed opposite of him. Empty. “No, no, no,” he chanted. Running out of the room he almost tripped on everything in the dark. His heart was beating so face, he thought he was going to have a heart attack. Minho felt like his insides were going to explode with worry.
He turns almost every piece of furniture carelessly looking for Taemin. He’s trying to be quiet as possible and he just knows he should wake up the other members. But he won’t, not yet anyways. With every moment he doesn’t know where the maknae is, is every moment he feels like he’s going to die.
Scrambling to open the last door, the other members’ door, he flicks on the light. The three are a mess, blinking and rolling over as soon as the light is turned on. “I can’t find him,” Minho says in a hysteric voice.
Jonghyun is the first to react. “Minho, calm down, he’s just-“
“You don’t understand,” Minho growls dangerously, “I can’t find him.” Falling onto the floor, he shatters into a million pieces. He rocks back and forth, tears spilling over. “Where is he?”
The other three watched him with pained expressions, kneeling down next to him to try and calm Minho down. But he kept repeating those same words that left a sting in their hearts.
“Where is Taemin?”