Chapter Text
Minho was already fast asleep when the doorbell rang. At first, he thought it was part of his dream—every time he dreamed about confessing his love to Taemin, something interrupted him before he could get the words out. But as the ringing continued—and intensified, it seemed—he realized that this wasn’t part of his dream.
He grunted, now fully awake, and got out of bed. “I’m coming, I’m coming!” he said loudly as the bell kept on ringing—he was afraid it would wake up the neighbors at this point.
As he walked through the hallway of his house, a yawn escaped him, and it took him a few seconds to recognize the person behind the door as he opened it.
“Taemin?”
“Minho!” Taemin answered back and launched himself into his arms. Minho mechanically held him back, still not sure why his friend was at his place.
“What—what’s happening?” he asked as Taemin moved back with a red hue on his cheeks.
“I—uh—can I come in, first? It’s cold,” Taemin muttered.
Minho let him in and walked into the kitchen, then started some tea as Taemin sat at the counter. “I’m sorry to bother you this late,” his friend said.
“You look distraught—what happened?” Minho asked. Taemin seemed nervous, with his crazy eyes and jittery hands that loosely held… his sweatshirt. So that was his reason.
“You forgot this,” Taemin said and handed him the piece of cloth.
“It couldn’t wait?” Minho asked as he took it in his hands. He brought it to his face—as he always did when Taemin returned one of clothes after wearing it—and took in his scent, only to realize that this time, he had done it in front of Taemin.
“There was something in the pocket,” Taemin continued, and he laid his iPod on the counter—Minho froze. “I’m surprised you’re still—using it,” he continued. It seemed like words didn’t want to get out of his throat.
“Did you… look in it?” Minho asked. He feared the answer, but he had to know. If he was about to lose Taemin over the feelings he had for him, he would at least like to know.
“I did.”
Minho sat down next to him, the tea long forgotten. He was so stupid. Why did he keep something like this? Why did he bring it with him to the party? Taemin had a right to be mad at him.
“I’m sorry—Taemin—Please tell me it doesn’t change anything—”
“Hey—” Taemin interrupted him. He got up from his chair and came closer—too close for Minho’s comfort—and grabbed his hands in his. “Okay—I—I’m doing this—” he whispered.
“Doing what—”
“I love you, Choi Minho,” Taemin said in a breath, his voice shaking. Minho finally looked up into his eyes, only to find them wet and afraid. His heart skipped a beat. “I have for a long time, I was just too afraid to lose what we had.”
“Are you serious right now?” Minho asked in disbelief. “If you’re joking, please stop—”
“I’m not,” Taemin said back. He moved slightly closer until his stomach touched Minho’s legs, took a deep breath and closed his eyes for a second. “Please tell me you feel the same,” he said in a breath as his hands squeezed Minho’s.
Minho suddenly got up from his seat. It felt like something was guiding him, something that didn’t care about appearances and what people might think. “Come here,” he whispered and wrapped his arms around Taemin. He felt some resistance at first, but then Taemin buried his nose in his chest, taking deep breath after deep breath.
“Are we really this stupid?” he said as a laugh took over him.
“I guess so,” Taemin mumbled while his head bobbed up and down as he followed Minho in his laugh.
“Do you want to stay the night?”
Taemin suddenly let go of him, a frown on his face.
“I’m not thinking about that!” Minho added quickly, feeling his cheeks get hot. “I just—suppose you want to talk about it, and I’m tired so I was thinking my bed was the best option,” he explained, his heart beating like crazy in his chest. “But I understand if you don’t want to—”
“I want to stay,” Taemin said softly. “There are a lot of things left unsaid that we should say to each other.”
The look Taemin gave him made him want to kiss him. Could he do it? Was he allowed? As he kept staring at him, Taemin let out a small chuckle.
“Yes, you can kiss me,” he said in a breath as if he had read his thoughts.
And so Minho came closer, until their lips touched, and gently kissed them. Taemin breathed out against his mouth, and he instantly decided that it was his new favorite thing.