Chapter Text
Taemin seemed way too excited at the prospect of watching one of Minho's soccer games, especially because on this occasion it meant staying up on a school night without being scolded. Taemin was ready to go by 5pm, only to be reminded that Minho's game didn't start for 3 hours. He sadly shuffled off to complete his homework at Key's instruction.
Key was trying to remember why he'd agreed to another game. It had seemed like a good idea at the time, but today he was tired and the only appealing activity was a hot shower and an early night. Minho had checked with him at least 3 times in the last week that he still wanted to come, and he didn't want to see the disappointment on his face if Key said he didn't want to go anymore.
After they all ate dinner and tidied up, Minho went off to get changed and Taemin decided to watch TV to keep him occupied, though he was practically vibrating with excitement on the couch.
What a weird kid, Key thought.
At 7:30 the trio bundled themselves in their jackets and made their way out the door, with Jonghyun calling reminders after them not to stay and chat because Taemin needed to rest for school the next day.
Taemin walked ahead of them as Minho and Key walked side by side along the concrete. The sidewalk was damp from the day’s rain and the streetlights reflected in the puddles, forming wavy lines. Kibum was silently lamenting the damage being caused to his shoes from the muddy pavement as they wandered through the quieting streets of Seoul. A happy smirk painted Minho’s face as he readjusted his backpack, seemingly very pleased he’d managed to have Kibum accompany him not once, but twice.
They didn’t talk much on the way, listening to the sounds coming from the cafes they passed, wet tyres on wet roads, Taemin humming their new song. As they approached the park, Key could hear the other players warming up, their energy and excitement. It seemed to get Minho excited too as he started to walk faster.
“Go on, go ahead. We’ll catch up,” Kibum prompted, able to tell Minho was anxious to join his teammates.
Minho looked unsure for a moment but was startled by a particularly loud burst of shouts from his friends, “Okay, cheer loud for me!” He grinned before running off.
“Hyung, I’m cold,” Taemin complained not two seconds after they’d both seated themselves on the bench next to the pitch.
“You’re kidding, right? How many times did I warn you to put on layers?” Key scolded.
“I… I thought I’d be fine. The wind’s freezing.”
Kibum sighed, “They won’t start for a while yet, they’re still warming up. I’ll go get something hot from the convenience store.” He stood up and fished in his pockets for his wallet.
“Hobbang? Please?” Taemin looked up at Key expectantly.
“God, why do I put up with you? Fine. You owe me, though.” Secretly, Kibum just couldn’t say no to the maknae.
It wasn’t as much of a secret as he thought it was.
“Thanks hyung!” Taemin smiled happily, and turned his attention to watching Minho and his friends as Kibum trudged off toward the convenience store.
It was warm inside the small shop, and he bowed slightly as he entered and was greeted by the worker, hoping not to be recognised. The normality of it all was nice. His first stop was the drinks section, picking out a soft drink for himself that he hadn’t treated himself to in a while.
Minho likes this drink too , he thought, considering for a moment before picking up a second bottle.
Then he made his way to the hot foods cabinet, scanning the options. Taemin was right, it was a cool night with an icy breeze, hot food was just what they needed. Minho would be running hot anyway after sprinting his way up and down the pitch for an hour, but for the two of them sat stationary, they needed the extra warmth. He picked out two hobbang for himself and Taemin, and made his way to pay.
The worker totalled his purchases and Kibum flicked open his wallet to count out the cash, politely paying before heading back across the road to the park.
The game hadn’t started yet, but it appeared it was about to, so he quickly made for the bench and handed Taemin his dumpling. Taemin had fished Minho’s jacket out of his back and slung it over his shoulders; it was huge on him.
“Thanks hyung,” he immediately bit into the dumpling, steam pouring out and creating clouds in the cool air.
Kibum set down his own snack as well as his soft drink, sitting Minho’s next to his bag.
“I don’t get a drink?” Taemin pouted.
“Demanding maknaes don’t get a drink, you bought a water bottle,” Key stated, starting on his own hobbang just as the game got underway.
Right from the start, the game seemed even more fast paced than Key remembered. He was having trouble keeping track of where the ball was and which team was in possession. Minho occasionally ended up with the ball at his feet, but quickly would pass it off to a teammate, like he was waiting to make a break for it. This game, it seemed Minho was more engaged in the strategy than he had been at the last, calling to the other players to keep on top of certain opponents or to pass in a certain direction.
“Here, just a sip,” Kibum offered his drink to Taemin, who gladly took it. They both finished their dumplings quickly, basking in the temporary warmth it gave them.
Taemin cheered loudly next to Key as Minho’s team made for goal, standing up and calling out his support. Kibum glanced between Taemin and Minho, who was sprinting down the pitch, ball at his feet. He looked so focused and for some reason slightly angry when he was playing. His eyes were locked ahead of him, eyebrows furrowed and legs and arms pumping hard to propel him down the field.
The pitch got louder and louder with shouts from all the players, Taemin, the few other spectators and eventually, Kibum too as Minho edged toward the goal. Just like last time, he pulled his leg back and kicked hard, rocketing the ball towards the goal.
The goalkeeper dived.
The ball brushed the keeper’s fingertips, but not enough for him to hold on, the ball flying past and into the back of the net.
The screams and shouts echoed through the park, Minho throwing his arms up in triumph and running across the pitch. Even Key joined in next to Taemin, jumping up and down and calling Minho’s name.
Minho heard their shouts, adjusting his course toward them, running straight into them with a hug, holding them both. “You’re both good luck charms!” he cried, grinning.
“You gotta keep playing, dork, don’t celebrate too soon!” Key shouted, but Minho was too busy jumping around with Taemin. “Go!” Key grabbed the back of his shirt and pushed him back toward the field.
“Go hyung! The best hyung!” Taemin was shouting.
“Hey! I bought you food!” Key elbowed him, to which Taemin replied by shrugging with a cheeky smirk.
The opposing team managed to score an equalising goal, before Minho’s team made a spectacular play and gained the lead with a second score. Even Kibum was on the edge of his seat.
With just a few minutes left of the game, play had gotten intense, with one team attempting to level the scores and Minho’s trying to extend their lead. Tackles were messy, passes were being intercepted left and right due to misjudged aims, tensions were high. Key could see Minho heaving breaths between calling out to his teammates and racing to the ball.
How does he keep going when he’s like that? He wondered.
Minho found the ball at his feet with 90 seconds left of the game, running harder and faster than Kibum had ever seen, weaving and dodging skilfully.
“Go, Minho hyung!” Taemin called, on his feet, watching closely.
“C’mon, Minho-yah,” Key murmured to himself, crossing his fingers.
Past one defender, past another.
One remaining between Minho and the goalkeeper.
The defending player charged, as determined to stop Minho as he was to evade him. They seemed to lock eyes in silent challenge. Friendly, but serious.
Minho rolled the ball to his other foot, trying to fool the defender, weaving the ball as his spun his body to change his path to the opposite direction.
Unfortunately, it didn’t go as planned.
The defender anticipated the movement, sticking his leg out, aiming for the ball between Minho’s feet but miscalculating. His foot collided strongly with Minho’s ankle, and Minho fell to the ground, his shout not heard above all the other player’s calls.
Key stood up the second it happened, eyes fixed on Minho. Taemin had stopped shouting.
Minho hadn’t moved, lying on his side in the grass.
Kibum’s heart pounded. Was he just playing? Spent of energy with just the few seconds left?
The other players continued until their timer signalled the end of the game.
“Minho, you good?” One of Minho’s teammates called to him as he shook hands with an opposition player.
Minho groaned, rolling onto his back. Pain was exploding through his ankle, sharp, hot and blinding. So much so it was making his eyes water.
“He’s not okay,” Kibum stated, grabbing Taemin’s sleeve and running onto the pitch toward Minho.
The other players had also realised this wasn’t normal behaviour for Minho, the defender who had tackled him rushing to kneel next to Minho as Taemin and Kibum reached them.
“I’m so sorry, Minho, I didn’t realise I’d kicked so hard, I was aiming for the ball,” he was pleading.
“It’s okay, I’m fine, don’t worry about it,” Minho was saying, though his voice cracked.
Key’s eyes darted to Minho’s ankle. Though his sock and boot covered most of it, Kibum could see the faint purple and blue marks starting to bloom.
“Minho, you’re not fine, don’t try and pretend.”
“Did anyone bring a first aid kit?” One of Minho’s friends asked.
No one replied.
Key bent down near Minho’s ankle, “Taemin, go get a water bottle from the convenience store. A cold one. Ice, if you can.”
Taemin started to move, but the defending player stopped him. “No, no I’ll get it. I hurt him, let me help.” The man ran off toward the store.
“How bad does it hurt?” Key asked Minho, who’s eyes were scrunched shut, “Be honest.”
Minho let out the breath he’d been holding, “Pretty bad.”
If Minho was actually admitting he was in pain with little nagging from Key, it meant it was bad.
“Key, should I call Jinki-hyung?” Taemin asked quietly.
“No, not yet. We’ll call if we need him, let me think.”
“He- he should probably elevate it,” one of the players said.
“Right,” Key thought, “Taeminie, can you get Minho’s bag from the bench?”
Taemin quickly retrieved the bag, Kibum readjusting the contents before lying it next to Minho’s foot.
“Okay, let’s put this under it, let me help you lift it,” Key went to take Minho’s calf and lift it, but Minho objected.
“I- I’m fine, I can do it.”
“Minho, let me help,” Key said firmly, and Minho relented, letting Kibum gently lift his leg and slide the bag under it, slowly lowering his foot.
The defender showed up, panting next to them, holding a water bottle and a cup of ice, “Got it.”
“Thanks-” Key took them from him.
“Sung Ho.”
“Thanks, Sung Ho.”
“Ki- Kibum? Is there anything else we can do?” another player asked.
“I… I don’t think so, not right now. Taemin, come hold this for Minho,” Key instructed as he emptied some of the water bottle into the cup of ice. Taemin took it, gently placing it on Minho’s ankle.
Minho winced as the cup touched his ankle, making Taemin jump back. “Sorry! Sorry, Taemin, it’s okay, thankyou.”
Taemin looked at Minho and at Key for reassurance, before once again, even more carefully, lying the cup on his foot.
“Hyung… I don’t think I’ll be able to walk home,” Minho said quietly, looking at Key.
He never calls me hyung. Never. It really is bad.
“Yeah… umm… I don’t know what to do.”
“We… we could probably help him home, if that would work?” one of the other boys offered.
“It’s a long walk,” Key said, “Probably best if we get a lift, thanks though.” Kibum gave the boy a small smile.
“Manager hyung has a car,” Minho suggested.
“True. Okay, I’ll call him,” Kibum stood, “Don’t move. Taemin, move the ice to different spots occasionally, it’ll stop the swelling.”
Taemin nodded as Kibum walked a few steps away from the group, pulling out his phone. Thankfully, their manager answered quickly.
“Hyung? It’s Key.”
“Key. What do you need?”
“Umm… Minho hurt his ankle at soccer. Taemin and I are here, we put ice on it but he says he can’t walk on it. Could you take us back home?”
There was a moment with no reply, some muted sounds of frustration, then, “Of course. The park near SM?”
“Yeah.”
“I’ll be there in 5 minutes. Don’t let him put any weight on it.”
“I won’t. Thankyou hyung.”
Their manager hung up the phone. Boy, was Minho going to get a lecture in the next few days for injuring himself right before they started comeback preparations. But right now, that didn’t matter.
“Our manager’s going to pick us up in 5 minutes,” he told the group as he returned.
“I’ll be okay, you guys should go,” Minho said to his teammates.
They all looked at eachother, “If… there’s nothing else we can do?” one said.
Key nodded, “We’ll look after him until our manager arrives.”
“Okay, well… hope it’s not too bad Minho. Text us and update us,” the players bowed to him and waved goodbye, as did the opposing team.
“I’m really sorry for hurting you, Minho, you know it was an accident, right?” Sung Ho hung back from his team.
“I know, don’t worry, it’s fine,” Minho smiled.
“Hope it heals quickly. Let me know if there’s anything I can do!” Sung Ho followed his team off the field.
“I’m sorry your night ended like this, guys,” Minho frowned, placing his hands behind his head.
“It’s not your fault, hyung,” Taemin carefully moved the ice to another spot.
“Does it really hurt?” Kibum asked.
“It’s kind of numb now because of the ice. It really hurt a lot before, I couldn't see straight.”
“We’ll find some painkillers at home,” Key sighed and sat down on the grass next to Minho, who pulled himself up to a sitting position, careful not to move his leg.
“Jinki’s gonna kill me.”
“No, he’s not. It’s not like you got hurt on purpose.”
‘He’ll be mad though, I’ve probably screwed things up for the comeback now.”
“Don’t worry about that, we’ll deal with it if that’s the case.”
“Jinki hyung’s no fun when he’s mad,” Taemin added.
“Taemin…” Key threw him a look. Taemin dropped his eyes. “He might seem like he’s mad, but it’s really because he’s worried, usually. Hyung doesn’t get properly angry very easily.”
Minho looked up at the sky, “Can’t believe I didn’t get that last goal.”
“Seriously?” Kibum looked him up and down, “That’s what you’re thinking about? You still won!”
“Yeah…But I wanted to score another goal. I was so close!”
Key suppressed an eye roll.
“Boys!” their manager’s voice rang out from across the pitch, one of the company cars visible behind him.
Key stood up and greeted him, “He hasn’t gotten up, we’ve had ice on it the whole time.”
“Good. Right, let’s get you into the car. Can you two help him up?”
Kibum and Taemin wrapped their arms around Minho’s shoulders and back as he tried to stood up without flexing his ankle or accidentally bumping it. Easier said than done, it turned out, as he knocked his foot against his opposite shin and winced, making a quiet noise of pain that he gritted his teeth through.
“Careful,” Key warned.
“Okay, come on,” their manager led the way as the trio slowly progressed across the field, Minho hopping, leaning on the other two for support.
Sliding into the car seat turned out to be another difficult task, as Minho once again knocked his ankle against the side of the car getting in, scrunching his eyes shut.
“For someone who plays a lot of sports and dances for a living, your coordination is terrible,” Kibum mumbled as he slid into the back seat with Taemin.
Getting him up the stairs at the dorm presented even more challenges. Of course, their dorm didn’t have a lift and SHINee didn’t live on a low floor. It was a tiring climb usually, but injured after playing a full soccer game, Minho thought he might pass out as he slowly hopped up one step at a time.
By the time they reached the landing outside their dorm, Taemin and Kibum were practically holding Minho upright.
“Right. Get him to bed, keep putting ice on it, don’t let him try and stand on it. I’ll organise a doctor’s appointment for tomorrow,” their manager rattled off, rubbing his own eyes with tiredness.
“Okay. Thanks for picking us up, hyung,” the three bowed slightly as their manager began to descend the stairs.
“Hyung,” Minho stopped Key as he was unlocking the door.
Wow he’s really throwing that around tonight, Key thought. Secretly, it was kind of nice.
“Please don’t let Onew hyung yell at me tonight, I’m too tired, I can’t take it.” As it was, Minho was struggling to keep his eyes open.
“I won’t. I don’t think he would anyway, it wasn’t your fault. You only get told off if it was your own doing.” Key unlocked the door and wrapped his arm back around Minho’s torso as they all squeezed through the doorway.
“Did you have fun?” Jinki’s voice called from the living room, out of sight.
“Yeah… uhh…” Key started.
Jinki could tell something was up immediately and made his way into view, stopping when he saw Minho perched between the pair, one foot lifted.
“You got hurt?”
Minho nodded, eyes downcast. “I’m sorry, hyung.”
“Are you okay?” Jinki’s tone was soft, worried.
“I… I don’t know.”
Jonghyun slid into the hallway behind Jinki, eyes wide at Minho’s state.
“How did you get home? Please tell me you didn’t walk all that way.”
“I called manager hyung to pick us up. He said he’d organise for Minho to go to the doctor tomorrow,” Kibum explained.
“At least tell us you won,” Jonghyun commented.
“He did! And hyung scored a really cool goal! He nearly got another one when…” Taemin trailed off from his excited rambling.
Jinki smiled, “Alright, you go get ready for bed Taemin, you still have school tomorrow. I’ll help get Minho settled.”
Taemin pouted but relinquished his hold on Minho, leaving Minho leaning most of his weight on Key.
“God you’re heavy, stop working out so much,” Key complained while helping Minho hobble out of the entryway and to his bedroom. The hallway wasn’t wide enough for Jinki to be any assistance.
Jonghyun fetched some painkillers and water while Onew and Kibum sat Minho down.
“Now, we need to take your boots off so you can sleep. It’s probably going to hurt,” Onew explained, kneeling in front of Minho.
“I can take it.”
As slowly and gently as he could, Jinki undid his shoelaces and pulled the soccer boot off his foot, glancing up any time Minho winced or contorted his face, checking if he should stop.
“Your sock needs to come off too.”
Minho forced a deep breath, “Do it.”
Onew rolled the mud-covered sock carefully and slid it off, revealing a spectacular pattern of purple, yellow and blue splotches all over Minho’s skin.
“Wow, you really did a good job of that,” Jonghyun noted, entering with the supplies he’d gathered.
“Jesus, Minho, no wonder you were in so much pain,” Key was incredulous. Minho hadn’t even shed a single tear, despite the clearly serious injury.
“Right, let’s get you something to get changed into, then it’s bed. You look like you’re about to pass out,” Onew worried, Minho looked more pale than he remembered.
“I… I don’t like bruises and stuff, especially when it’s on me.”
Key rubbed his shoulder, “You’re okay. You’re home now, you can rest it so it heals.”
Minho nodded, “Thanks, Kibum. I probably would’ve just walked home on it if you and Taemin hadn’t been there.”
“I know, you’re stubborn like that.”
“Really though, thanks hyung,” Minho smiled at Kibum, who smiled back.
“Hyung?” Jonghyun whispered (not as quietly as he thought) to Jinki as he was rifling through Minho’s closet.
“Don’t bring it up, he’ll get all defensive. He’s had a rough night,” Onew whispered back.
“Hyung?” Jonghyun whispered, shocked, to himself again as he left the room.
15 minutes later Minho was all set up in bed, foot elevated and iced, under strict instructions not to move it if he could avoid it. Jinki and Jonghyun left to sleep, and Key was just about to follow.
"Oh! One more thing!" It suddenly popped into Kibum's head; he raced off down the hallway to his bag.
He returned holding the second bottle he'd bought earlier at the convenience store. He held it out to Minho, "Bought you a drink."
Minho smiled a tired, but happy smile, "Thanks, Kibummie-omma."
"Cheeky. Get some rest, Minho-yah." He switched off the light and closed the door behind him.