Work Text:
Donghyuck was nervous.
Completely understandable, because not every day you have the opportunity to meet your idol, the artist who inspired you to become one.
If someone had told Hyuck that that day he would have the great opportunity to film a tutorial dance with Lee Taemin himself, he would have laughed at that person, but here he was…
He had just gotten up when his manager showed up to give him the news. He rushed him to shower and get ready as they would be filming the tutorial early as both Hyuck and Taemin had their own schedules in the afternoon.
Perhaps if he had had more time, Donghyuck would have dressed better. Isn't like he was looking bad, his blonde hair was neatly brushed and he was wearing an outfit suitable and comfortable for a dance practice.
Luckily he had run into one of his noonas stylists, who helped him by hiding his dark circles from his video game nights.
After that, he was guided by his manager to the practice room, where he was greeted by Taemin's manager, Euisoo, and the filming staff.
On one hand Donghyuck was grateful that he wasn't completely alone with Taemin, as he could possibly suffer from a heart attack, but a small part inside of him wanted a private moment with his idol.
And thinking of that person, Taemin appeared, wearing casual clothes just like Hyuck, which made him smile and feel more relieved about his own outfit.
The oldest was smiling widely and the first thing he did upon entering the room was to go straight to a shy Donghyuck and greet him by offering him his hand.
"Haechan, thank you very much for agreeing to film this tutorial with me." Taemin's eyes shone as he said those words "I'm sorry it was last minute"
"N-no problem, sunbaenim," he answered nervously, drying his sweaty palms before taking the other's hand "It is all an honor to help you."
"Please call me 'hyung'. You don't have to be so formal" Taemin's free hand went straight to his head, ruffling his blond hair gently.
Donghyuck shrugged shyly, his cheeks suddenly feeling hot after the last action of the older one to him.
The moment was interrupted by the director, who approached to notify them that they would start filming. Both young men released their hands, going to their indicated positions.
The video would begin with Hyuck dancing to MOVE with a veil on his head in reference to IDEA's teaser photos. Taemin would appear as if he had just arrived in the room and after greeting each other - for the second time that day - they would start the tutorial.
Donghyuck had heard about the incredible duality of Taemin on and off stage, especially from Taeyong and Mark who were lucky enough to be with him in SuperM, but it was not until now that he could confirm what was said by his groupmates.
Taemin was a completely different person from his stage alter ego. At first, Hyuck had been surprised to see that they were almost the same height and how young he looked without the heavy makeup and glamorous outfits he wore in most of his solo comebacks.
Despite being in the music and entertainment industry for over a decade, Taemin was just 27 years old. His fresh and jovial appearance fascinated Donghyuck, especially when he smiled at him in such a sweet, almost childlike way.
Taemin, the youngest member of the so-called "k-pop princes", SHINee, the "idol of idols", the "performance king", under all those titles, was a cute boy, casual, a little clumsy and yet still he managed to make Hyuck feel fascinated and shy, not so intimidated anymore, but still nervous about making a fool of himself in front of him.
It didn't help that the older one was so friendly, approaching him with complete confidence, hugging him lightly or holding his hand. The simple contact made Donghyuck's cheeks burn hotter and the strange -but pleasant- sensation in his stomach increased.
The younger Lee wasn't completely sure how he would be looking in front of the cameras, possibly his fans would be surprised to see this side of him, which was not exactly "new", Donghyuck had it very well hidden.
To make the things worse, Ten arrived in the middle of the filming, who from the beginning already had a half mocking smile crossing his lips, especially when he noticed the slightly flushed face of the youngest. Needless to say when Donghyuck started talking about how he had decided to audition for SM because of SHINee. The Thai did what he could to not laugh.
Although a part of Hyuck wanted to kick Ten out of the room for interrupting his "moment" with his idol, he was grateful for his presence, as it had helped to make the atmosphere more comfortable for the two Lee. It was precisely because Ten was there that he was able to confess being a fan in front of Taemin, who looked quite shocked and touched by his words.
In the short time Ten was there to film with them, Donghyuck noticed how close he had become with Taemin, understandable since they had been together as fellow SuperM members for a while. It was fascinating to see how Ten had gone from reacting like Hyuck, nervous and shy every time he was around Taemin, to holding his hand, whispering secrets in his ear and giving each other sweet smiles.
Suddenly another not so pleasant sensation settled in Donghyuck's stomach when he saw his two hyungs so intimate in front of him. It didn't last long as Ten had to withdraw to his own schedule, so once again he and Taemin were left alone.
After a short conversation, where they played at making poems and Donghyuck was able to ask Taemin how it felt to promote as a soloist, they practiced one more move of the choreography -the SHINee member without missing the opportunity to flatter him- and finally finished.
"Thank you very much for helping me with this video, Haechannie." Taemin reached over to shake his hand and patted his back with his free one "And again I apologize that everything was so rushed."
"Thank you very much for choosing me for this." He bowed "And don't worry about it, hyung. I really enjoyed the time I spent with you, even if it wasn't much."
"Ten was right, you're so cute" Taemin commented, making him blush once more on that day. "Hmm, how about you give me your number? To stay in touch so we can schedule a date together or something."
"A-ah, sure!" With shaking hands, Donghyuck reached for his phone in his pocket and handed it to his senior to write down his number.
Taemin passed his to him to do the same. He added himself as "Haechan", using a sun emoji at the end of his name. The older one smiled when he saw that detail once his phone was returned to him.
"Taemin, it's time to go." said his manager, placing a hand on his shoulder to get his attention "You still have to finish recording the last songs."
"Oh yeah. Now I'm coming." Taemin handed his cell phone back to Hyuck "Well, I'll text you when I can, okay? Take good care of yourself, Haechannie."
"Yes! You too, hyung" he made his maybe twentieth bow that day and said goodbye to his senior, waving his hand until he disappeared through the door.
"We have to go too, Donghyuck. You have your agenda pending." His own manager reminded him.
"Oh, right..." he replied, still in a trance "Uh... but first, can I go to the bathroom?"
"Okay, but hurry up."
Once he left the practice room, Donghyuck ran to the bathroom, but instead of going into one of the cubicles, he wet his face a little to calm the heat in his cheeks and after drying his hands, he took out his phone, entering his contacts.
Taemin had added himself as "Taeminnie hyung" with a heart emoji next to him. Hyuck had thought to add said emoji himself, so again he felt embarrassed to think that perhaps it had been too obvious regarding his "crush" with the older man.
He tried not to dwell on the matter too much and returned with his manager, who was waiting for him.
*
Haechan was happy. Not only because a few days ago he had been lucky enough to interact with one of his idols -and that said idol had sent him a couple of messages wishing him luck with his activities-, but for other reasons that added to it .
NCT 2020 project Resonance part 1 had gone more than great, but it was their turn, for the unit 90's Love.
Hyuck not only loved the title track, he loved the concept of it and what they had seen from the demo for the choreography, but most of all, what made him so happy was the opportunity to promote alongside with Ten.
The unit 90's Love was unique. Made up of him, Mark, Jeno -his Dream groupmates-, the newly debuted Sungchan, and three WayV members, Winwin, Yangyang and Ten.
Hyuck still remembers how he was about to debut on NCT U along with the "The 7th Sense" unit. The song originally featured his voice, but a last minute change took him out.
He remembers how discouraged he was that day when the manager came in with the bad news. He also remembered his hyungs trying to comfort him, but none really succeeding, especially when they tried to cheer him up by telling him that he was still going to debut in two more units.
Donghyuck was fully aware that he still had 127 and Dream left, but he had put so much effort into the song, as well as the choreography. He had been so excited about the idea of performing The 7th Sense on stage that it had hurt that SM pulled him out of the unit at the last minute.
The youngest of the group didn't know how to explain that or rather he didn't want to have to. He wanted his hyungs to notice and understand his annoyance. It's not like they were forced to put up with his "dramas" though, so it was easier for him to just distance himself from others until he felt better.
He appreciated that his hyungs respected his request and gave him the space he needed, but there was someone who insisted on staying close to him.
Ten didn't leave him alone, constantly asking Hyuck how he was or how he was feeling, very attentive to his responses and his expressions. Haechan always lied convincingly.
One day however, Ten's insistence pushed Donghyuck over the edge, finally confessing how disappointed and hurt he felt with the decision to remove him from the first unit. But most of all, it had hurt that none of his hyungs stepped forward for him.
Donghyuck waited for Ten to try to comfort him or give him an advice that he hasn't asked or at least scold him, but none of that happened.
Ten kept quiet, just listening to Hyuck like no one had in a long time (if not ever).
That comfortable silence, Ten's hand caressing his back as he cried on his shoulder, letting all of his frustration out, was the real comfort Donghyuck needed.
Ten and he became closer that day. They were closer than anyone else thought they knew. It was true that they sometimes argued, especially when Donghyuck liked to tease Ten until he exploded; But outside of all that, they both had a lot in common and understood each other perfectly.
Haechan was so fond of Ten, it hurt him when he stopped promoting with them and moved to other dorms with the WayV members.
Not only that, Ten traveled to China to start promoting there with the group and the little Hyuck knew about him was through Mark or Johnny, since they were the only ones that Ten seemed to still be in contact with, something that hurt him thinking that the Thai didn't care to hear from him.
He would soon discover that Ten always asked Johnny about him, knowing they shared a room. Sometimes he even called only to find out about the younger, although Johnny couldn't understand why Ten didn't ask him for Donghyuck's number to talk directly with him.
Well, it didn't matter now, it was in the past.
Donghyuck was so thankful for the NCT 2020 project as he had Ten and his other hyungs back in Korea and working together.
The fact that he and Ten ended up in the same unit made him happier, especially having parts together in the promo song Even sharing a long note!
They hadn't even started promoting, but Donghyuck was more than happy to be able to spend more time with Ten and didn't miss any opportunity to tease him to get his attention.
He was hopeful that this project would strengthen their relationship and the bond they had.
*
It was just the second day of practice and Donghyuck, like the rest of the group, had already learned the choreography completely. The first part yesterday and the second today.
The choreographer was pushing them to make the dance perfect and neat, something that was already easy for everyone from years of experience.
After hours of learning each step and movement in sync, they were finally given a chance to rest for 20 minutes, although they were basically done for the day.
Donghyuck reached out with his fellow Dream members, who were watching some Tiktok videos. They wondered which move of their dance would be chosen as a challenge by SM.
On the other hand, Ten was in his own world, sitting in a corner while he looked at his phone. Apparently he was talking to someone by messages and they seemed to be talking about something funny, because he laughed low from time to time and his smile didn't leave his face.
Donghyuck, who was watching him from afar, was about to get up and go to where his hyung was, but Jeno called his attention to see something on his phone.
"Excuse me, hyung, can I go to the bathroom?" The Thai boy suddenly asked his choreographer.
"Sure." The adult answered vaguely, as he was taking a call.
Once approval was given, Ten disappeared out the door, without anyone paying attention to him, not even Donghyuck who was too busy annoying Mark with some fan-made meme of the canadian.
"Well guys, I want us to practice the choreography one last time before we finish for toda." his choreographer announced.
"Uhm, Ten isn't back yet." Yangyang pointed out and that's when Donghyuck finally paid attention to his surroundings.
Just as Yangyang had said, Ten hadn't returned.
"Took a long time already" The older man murmured, while he looked at the time on his wristwatch "Somebody go see him, please."
"I'm going" the younger Lee offered without thinking, as he got up from where he was sitting.
"Go get him quickly, please and thank you."
Donghyuck just nodded and hurried out of the practice room, heading to the restrooms on that floor.
He entered the bathroom kicking the door trying to scare his hyung, but to his surprise, Ten wasn't there.
That was strange. If Ten wasn't locked in a cubicle suffering from diarrhea -his theory about why he was taking so long to come back-, then where was he?
A little concerned, Haechan started walking through the hallway looking for any sign of the older boy. Due to the pandemic, there were hardly any employees in the building, so he wasn't surprised to find them completely empty.
Starting to believe that Ten might already be back with the others, Donghyuck decided to return as well, when he noticed the door of one of the practice rooms, slightly open.
No other group or artist was supposed to be practicing now or Donghyuck was sure he hadn't seen any of his seniors around when he and the rest arrived.
As he got closer, he finally started to hear voices coming from within, conversing in low tones. When he recognized one of the voices as Ten's, Donghyuck peered slightly through the small opening, looking inside the room.
"Shouldn't you go back already? You're going to get in trouble with your manager." That was Taemin talking, sitting on the couch that all practice rooms included.
"I know, but I want to stay with you a little longer" Ten replied, his head resting on his senior's lap, who was brushing his black hair tenderly "I've missed you so much, hyung."
"Come on, we've seen each other just a few days ago" Taemin decided to tease, gently squeezing his junior's cheek.
"Ah, why are you like this?" Ten straightened up, sitting on Taemin's lap and crossed his arms, pretending to be offended.
The older one giggled, then wrapped one of his arms around the other's waist and pressed the Thai against his body. Ten's hands rested on his chest.
"And I missed you, Tennie" Taemin smiled fondly, before leaning forward, brushing their noses "You don't know how much."
Closing the distance between them, Taemin gently placed his lips on the others, starting to move them eagerly once he felt Ten's hand on the back of his neck, seeking to deepen.
Behind the door, unable to believe his eyes, Donghyuck watched the entire scene.
Yes, it was true that he had noticed a clear intimacy between his two hyungs that time during the dance tutorial, but he never imagined that they had that kind of relationship.
Were they dating? Or was it something informal?
Donghyuck asked himself those and more questions, the possible answers making him feel a knot in both his stomach and his throat.
He felt an annoying pressure on his chest that grew more intense as he continued looking at the young couple and even so, Donghyuck was unable to take his eyes off them.
The kiss became more intense when Ten gently bit down on Taemin's lower lip, causing him to gasp against his mouth.
Ten began to move gently onto his senior's lap. Taemin immediately hugged his waist now with both arms, pulling him closer to his body, if possible.
Donghyuck swallowed thickly as he watched Taemin's playful tongue entering Ten's mouth, in a now hungry and hot kiss.
Perhaps the moment would have increased in temperature, if hadn't it been for the tone of an incoming call that interrupted the moment.
"Ah, it's mine." Ten pulled away from Taemin to reach for his phone in his pocket "It's Markie."
"I'm sure he's calling you because they're waiting for you." Taemin pretended to scold him, but without letting go of his waist.
"Hey, Mark... Yes, I'm sorry. It's just that I didn't feel good of the stomach." Taemin snorted and Ten had to cover his mouth with his free hand "Sure, I'm going ther— What?"
The older Lee raised an eyebrow as he noticed a confused expression on the Thai's cute face.
"Yes, I'm going back." he hung up the call.
"What happened? Why did you make that face?" Taemin asked as he stroked the back of Ten's neck.
"Mark said Hyuckie was sent to find me..."
Hearing his name, Donghyuck couldn't help but feel nervous, especially when in a clumsy movement, he caused the door to swing open a bit, making a squeak in the process.
If the sound caught the attention of his two hyungs, Donghyuck didn't stay to find out. He quickly escaped, back to the practice room with the rest of the group.
"Hyuckie!"
Just as he was about to turn on a hallway, he heard Ten's voice behind him.
Donghyuck turned slowly, a little scared to see Ten's accusing gaze, but instead, it was his warm smile that he encountered.
"He-hey... Hi, hyung" he smiled back, trying to hide his nerves "I was just looking for you."
"Yes, I'm sorry for the delay" the older boy apologized with a slight bow "I think the breakfast didn't sit very well on my stomach"
Lies.
"Don't worry, but we'd better hurry back or the choreographer hyung will be mad at us" Donghyuck warned before starting to walk.
Ten simply nodded and started following him back to the practice room.
Although the walk back was short, it felt eternal to Haechan and the awkward silence that had formed between them wasn't helping.
Although Donghyuck couldn't see Ten's face, as he was walking in front of him, he could feel his gaze burning the back of his neck. His hyung must have been surprised by his strange behavior, after all, whoever knew Donghyuck well, knew that he was anything but a quiet person.
"Hey, Hyuck..."
Hearing the voice of the Thai man about to speak to him -possibly to ask him what was happening-, it encouraged Donghyuck to speed up his pace, until he finally found himself face to face with Mark, who was waiting for them along with Yangyang outside the room.
Back with his group, Donghyuck took refuge with his fellow Dream mates and did his best to avoid looking at Ten, of course, until he had to do the choreography where they had a small duet during the bridge.
When they finally finished their practices for that day and it was their turn to retire, Donghyuck practically fled the room, fearing that Ten would want to talk to him.
It wasn't easy, but Donghyuck was sure that he could avoid Ten, for the rest of the month.
*
Avoiding Ten was impossible when they were about to promote together. What had once been a long-awaited activity, was now torture for the young vocalist.
Perhaps the worst of the situation is that Donghyuck wasn't exactly discreet about it. Ten was starting to notice the distance between them and although at first he had tried to get closer to Hyuck, now he was giving him his space.
Donghyuck knew he was being a hypocrite by feeling hurt by it when it had been him who decided to walk away from Ten, but every time he saw his hyung's face, he remembered that scene of him sitting on Taemin sunbaenim's lap, sharing a fiery kiss.
Every time he thought about it, Hyuck felt a painful pressure on his chest and the pleasant tingling in his stomach turned to a strange feeling of emptiness.
He knew what it was. He was jealous, but the real problem or question was that he didn't know if it was of Ten or Taemin. It could easily be of both and just considering that made Donghyuck feel pathetic.
He was jealous of his two hyungs and the "relationship" they had, whether it was just friends with benefits or a romantic one, was more than Donghyuck could ever imagine having with any of them.
Every time Donghyuck looked at Ten from afar, smiling at his phone while reading his messages, he knew exactly who he was chatting with and could only think that he wanted something like that for himself.
(It had been several days since his last message with Taemin and he didn't dare to send a message himself for fear of being left unseen.)
To make things more complicated, the date for the comeback was a couple of days away. The mv would be released, the album would come out on different platforms and promotions would begin in various music shows.
Normally Donghyuck would be very excited to return to the stage to dance and sing along with his friends, but he could only think that he would no longer be able to avoid Ten, not without the rest becoming suspicious and starting to ask him questions that he didn't want to answer.
That was the last day of practice, as both his choreographer and his manager wanted them to rest properly before the big day.
They had already finished and all the members of the unit were leaving the room after thanking the choreographer hyung for his hard work and patience. Hyuck was the last one, making a long bow, but just when he was about to leave following Mark and Jeno, he was intercepted by the last person he wanted to talk to.
"Could you come with me for a moment, please?" Ten asked as he put a hand on his shoulder.
Donghyuck could hear a certain fear in Ten's tone, as if he expected Hyuck to run away from him like he had done that last week.
The younger Lee couldn't help but feel guilty. He hadn't realized how he had hurt Ten by avoiding him.
"Sure." He finally replied after several seconds.
Ten smiled more calmly, removing his hand from the other's shoulder and made a gesture for Hyuck to follow him.
As they made their way down the hall, Donghyuck quickly recognized where they were a heading to, increasing his nerves.
Finally they both stopped in front of the door of the familiar practice room. Ten knocked the door lightly before opening it.
"I brought him." He spoke to the person inside.
"Perfect, let him in." The recognizable voice of his senior answered.
"I-Is that Taemin sunbaenim?" he asked the moment he felt his cheeks start to burn.
"Yes. He wants to talk to you" Ten turned to see him followed by placing a hand on the younger boy's shoulder "Sorry for not telling you. I knew you weren't going to agree to come with me if I mentioned him."
And he was right. Donghyuck would have refused to follow him knowing that Taemin wanted to talk to him, but he knew, in that moment, that he could no longer step back.
"I understand." he sighed defeated.
"Calm down. You have nothing to worry about." Ten pulled his hand to fully open the door and let Donghyuck finally enter.
"Are you not coming?" He asked, noticing Ten standing outside.
"He wants to talk to you alone." Hyuck's face turned slightly red, making the shorter one laugh "Everything will be fine." those were his last words before closing the door behind him.
Donghyuck swallowed, trying to calm himself as Ten had advised him, but it was hard knowing that he was now alone with his idol. No cameras, no managers, just the two of them in a practice room.
Finally the music reached his ears. He had been so busy dealing with his nerves that he hadn't noticed.
Taemin was practicing a solo. It was an intense choreography, but his smooth and graceful movements made it look more softer. The music seemed to be a remix of Criminal.
The solo ended up with Taemin kneeling on the ground, just as Donghyuck turned to see him. Their gazes met in the large mirror.
Taemin smiled when he noticed it and quickly got up from the ground, turning to face him.
"Haechannie, I'm glad you came" he approached, running his hand through his black hair to side his bangs "Take a seat while I finish here."
Shyly, Donghyuck smiled at his senior, bowing properly, then headed to the couch there. Meanwhile Taemin walked over to his backpack on the other side of the room.
Donghyuck watched from his place as Taemin grabbed a bottle of water that was on the ground and took a couple of drinks. Such a simple action, but somehow, his senior made it look so elegant.
Before approaching Hyuck, Taemin pulled out a towel from his backpack to wipe the little sweat on his forehead and neck. It was as if he was getting ready before going over to talk to him, but Donghyuck immediately dismissed the idea from his mind because it was just ridiculous.
"I'm done. Sorry to keep you waiting." Taemin's voice snapped him out of his trance and before he knew it, he was sitting next to him "I was feeling a little hot."
"It's okay" he smiled shyly. The older one was sitting quite close to him, compared to the time they'd done the tutorial "Uhm... What do you want to talk to me about, sunbaenim?"
"Ah, Haechannie, I thought I told you to call me 'hyung', remember?" he ruffled his blond hair, just like the last time.
"Yes it's true. I'm sorry, hyung" he apologized, bowing.
"Seriously, you should stop being so formal with me." said Taemin, giggling at the other's red cheeks "But anyway, I wanted to talk to you about Tennie."
Again the nerves were present in Donghyuck's body and mind, causing him to remember what he had seen a few weeks ago.
"What about Ten hyung?" he asked innocently.
"I don't know, you tell me," Taemin stared at him "You've been avoiding him lately."
Donghyuck's eyes widened in surprise. Suddenly feeling like it was hard to breathe.
"I-I don't know what you're talking about..." he blatantly lied.
Beyond getting annoyed, Taemin smirked.
"Really?" He arched an eyebrow "So Ten lied to me when he said that every time he tried to get close to you, you ran away from him?"
Hyuck couldn't help but feel small at Taemin's piercing gaze. He felt like when he was a kid and his parents saw through his lies after doing some mischief.
Guilt. Guilt for denying it. Guilt for doing it.
"No, he didn't lie..." he answered, keeping his gaze down "I've been avoiding him."
"May I know exactly the reason for this?" Taemin questioned.
Perhaps if it was another situation, more importantly, it was someone else, Donghyuck would have counterattacked by asking Taemin why he was meddling in his "affairs" or why he was speaking for Ten, but he couldn't.
All the strength that characterized him had left his body when he entered that room.
"I-I... I don't know... I can't..." Donghyuck tried to think of some coherent answer or some convincing lie, but the longer he took to answer, the more his nerves got the better of him.
"What can't you tell me, Donghyuck?" Taemin cocked his head "That you saw Ten and me making out?"
Hearing those words, Donghyuck went from blushing to losing the colors of his face, as if he was about to pass out.
"Oh my God, God, God... Y-you saw me." Hyuck started to move away from Taemin, wanting to escape.
The older one noticed his intentions and gently took his hand, holding him in place.
"It's okay, Hyuckie. Take it easy" Taemin gently stroked the back of his hand with his thumb "Breathe Slow."
Donghyuck did as his senior instructed him, inhaling and exhaling until he finally began to feel his heartbeat slow down, though not completely, as Taemin's hand was still holding his.
"Better?"
He nodded, although he still refused to look at him.
"How did you know...?" he asked once his tongue allowed him to formulate words again.
Taemin smiled slightly.
"How could I not notice those curious eyes watching us from the door?" He said in a playful tone.
Already feeling guilty, now Donghyuck also felt ashamed, both of having stalked his hyungs, and being caught by one of them.
"I'm so sorry, hyung" he said in a shaky voice, as if he was going to cry.
"Hey Hyuckie" Taemin tried to get his attention, but Donghyuck refused to take his gaze off the ground "Look at me" He took his chin, lifting his face.
When their gazes met for the second time, all the shields and barriers that sought to protect Donghyuck's sensitive heart, fell one by one and all due to the way Taemin was looking at him, so lovingly.
Maybe it was his imagination.
"Don't be embarrassed. I'm not mad at you if that's what you think."
"Ah, no?" He asked, between surprised and confused.
"Not. Rather, I'm... Intrigued" He released his chin, dropping the hand on his knee "Why didn't you tell anyone what you saw?"
"Why would I tell anyone?" Donghyuck asked back "That would be intruding on your privacy. In the first place, I shouldn't have been spying on you two, much less would I have divulged what you were doing knowing that it would surely get you both into a lot of trouble."
Taemin smiled softly.
"I see. Thank you so much for respecting it, Donghyuck" he lightly squeezed his knee "But you still don't answer my first question. Why have you been avoiding Tennie?"
Donghyuck gulped, feeling nervous again, but Taemin's hand that was still on his knee calmed him down a bit.
"It's just...that every time I looked at Ten hyung, I remembered what I saw" he finally confessed.
"And remembering what you saw made you feel uncomfortable? Did it bother you to think about that?"
"What? N-no!" he denied with his hands "At least not the way you're thinking" he shyly played with his fingers.
"What do you mean?"
"I just..." Donghyuck bit his lower lip, seeking the courage to tell the truth without feeling ridiculous "I felt jealous."
"Oh" Donghyuck blushed more when he saw the smirk that played on his senior's thick lips "Now everything starts to make sense, but just to clarify, were you jealous of Ten or me?"
Donghyuck was surprised by that last question. He had believed that Taemin would just assume that he was jealous of Ten for being in a "relationship" with his longtime idol, but he had actually asked him that.
"I don't know" he was honest "At first I thought it was of Ten, but then also of you. Maybe both of you?" He looked shyly at the other, smiling embarrassed as he scratched the back of his neck.
His senior returned the smile.
"Interesting." Taemin removed his hand from Hyuck's knee, but kept the short distance between them "and does Ten know you like him?"
"W-what?" The younger Lee almost jumped out of his place in surprise "Why do you think I like him?"
"You just said you're jealous of both of us, didn't you?" Donghyuck pursed his lips "I don't think your jealousy is platonic because of what you've told me."
"Taemin sunbaenim is really smart" Donghyuck thought, looking at the dark haired one with surprise and some admiration.
In this short conversation, he had demolished all of Donghyuck's defenses, he had gotten into both his mind and his heart and read it as if it were an open book.
Lee Donghyuck never thought he was this weak. Or maybe Taemin was that good at reading people.
"Even if I liked Ten, would it really matter?" He murmured a little discouraged. Taemin looked at him confused "He likes you, hyung. And I don't blame him, I like you too. The two of you make a good couple."
A silence formed in that room, with the breathing of both Lee being the only thing that was heard.
"Haechannie, do you know why I asked you to do the video tutorial with me?" Taemin spoke first.
The blonde who had kept his gaze on the ground, raised his face to pay attention to his senior.
Now that Taemin asked that question, Donghyuck was very curious to know what led the older one to choose him to make the video when he was able to choose any other NCT members that he had interacted with before and that he knew admired him too. Jisung for example.
He finally shook his head.
"Ever since Ten and I started working together at SuperM and became closer, he always talked to me about you." Donghyuck's eyes widened "You were the only one he actually talked about and whenever he did, there was that gleam of pride and affection in his eyes. It was not difficult to realize how important you are to him."
Not knowing how to react or respond, Donghyuck just lowered his head, trying to hide the blush on his cheeks.
" The more he talked about you, the more my curiosity and desire to meet you grew. The IDEA tutorial was the perfect excuse" he smiled slyly "Ten had tell me that you were a fan of SHINee, but he didn't mention that I was your idol, much less that our group had been the reason you decided to join SM, so I was very surprised when you mentioned it."
Hyuck smiled shyly, trying to see his senior, who once again reached out a hand to take his.
"I wanted to confirm everything Ten said about you and I was surprised to find that he hadn't exaggerated anything." Taemin tightened his grip "You are an extremely talented boy, charming, full of confidence and above all, cute."
The blush on Donghyuck's cheeks grew more intense and spread to his ears.
"Hyung... I don't understand where you're going with this."
"I'll explain then. The time you were avoiding Ten, he looked really hurt. He wondered if he had done or said something wrong that would have bothered you" Taemin noticed the guilty expression on the boy's face "When I told him that I saw you that day we kissed, his reaction was one of complete horror. He kept worrying about what you were thinking of him. I tried to reassure him about it."
//
"You've known Donghyuck longer than me, however I trust that he won't tell anyone anything, if that's your concern." Taemin tried to relax the younger one.
"It's not that!" he exclaimed in a tone of frustration "He... He admires you so much. No, he feels more than admiration for you and I have broken his trust by being with you. He must hate me, that's why he's avoiding me."
"Ten, my love, calm down." Taemin took him by the shoulders "Listen to me, I highly doubt that he hates you. I repeat, you know him longer. You two trained and grew up together, you have a special bond that I doubt will be broken by something as silly as jealousy."
"But..." Ten was about to complain, but his partner silenced him with a chaste kiss.
"Haechannie adores you, just as I know you adore him." Taking advantage of the closeness, Taemin grabbed Ten by the chin and made him look straight at his eyes "Just as I know you like him"
"How...?" Ten asked, his expression of complete shock.
"The way you see him, that look, I know it well." Taemin smiled "It's the same one with which I see you."
//
"T-Ten... hyung likes me?" Asked a dumbfounded Donghyuck. Taemin nodded smiling "And you don't mind?"
"Well, Ten and I aren't dating. In case you believed it" he clarified "We thought about making it official, but we're taking time to test this kind of no-compromise relationship" Taemin smiled again "During this time I learned that I care about Ten more than I thought and that I would do anything to make him happy and if that includes you, I don't mind."
Donghyuck couldn't believe what he was hearing. Taemin's words had surprised him too much, but he was also touched to realize how much Taemin really cared about his hyung. For the same reason he could not help but feel guilty believing that he was interfering in their relationship.
"Besides..." Taemin leaned closer to Donghyuck, bringing his free hand to one of his red cheeks, gently cupping his face "I'm really interested in you, Haechannie.~"
Before Donghyuck could even do or say anything, his senior's lips gently touched his. Taemin was kissing him, Lee Taemin, his idol of years, was kissing him and it was the sweetest and most perfect kiss that Donghyuck had received in his 20 years of life.
Not knowing what to do, Donghyuck could only close his eyes and tried to reciprocate in the best way, suddenly feeling inexperienced.
He could feel Taemin smile against his lips, before breaking the kiss, slowly pulling away from him.
"W-What just happened?" he muttered, still in complete shock.
Taemin just chuckled, hiding his smile with the back of his hand.
"Like I told you a few minutes ago, Ten and I haven't made our thing official yet and we still won't because we want to include you" Taemin explained, looking intensely at Donghyuck.
The youngest couldn't answer. He was dumbfounded, it felt like a dream. Too beautiful to be true.
"Me...?" he could barely say.
"Yes, although you don't have to answer right away. Take the time you need" Taemin stroked his shoulder "In case you agree, we can do a trial month, leaving the relationship open. If you end up being convinced, then we will make it official. Otherwise, if you don't like it, it would be a little disappointing, but we will both understand it perfectly."
"Do you really want to include me in your relationship?" Donghyuck asked again, still not believing his senior's request.
"Of course!" Taemin gently pinched one of his cheeks "Do you need another kiss to be sure?" He said flirtatiously, causing Hyuck to blush.
"Hey! I'm here too!" Ten spoke, leaning out of the door "You two aren't having fun without me, are you?"
"If you don't come close, then we will." Taemin warned jokingly.
Quickly, Ten walked over to where the two Lees were, sat down, and looked shyly at the younger one.
"Hey~"
"Hi, hyung" Donghyuck said feeling a bit embarrassed all of a sudden "So... Taemin hyung told me that you like me."
"That's right. Do you like me?" Donghyuck nodded "So is everything okay between us?" Ten asked, looking down.
"Yeah, more than fine." Donghyuck smiled, feeling more confident now.
Noticing that Ten was still a little insecure - something that didn't surprise him at all, since they had both mistaken their feelings for something brotherly-, Donghyuck leaned, closing the distance between his faces at the same time that he closed his eyes.
Ten looked surprised for a moment, but ended up closing the remaining distance, finally bringing their lips together.
Both Donghyuck and Ten had feared that the kiss was awkward, but luckily, it wasn't. It felt good, it felt right. Like something they should have tried a long time ago.
It was the sound of a camera and a flash that made them part. They both opened their eyes and turned to see Taemin, who was smiling mischievously with his phone in hand, after taking a picture of them.
"Wow, this will be a perfect wallpaper" he said, followed by winking at his juniors.
Both boys blushed to the fullest, but it was Ten who threw himself into trying to take the phone from Taemin.
"Delete that photo immediately!" Ten demanded, who was practically on Taemin's body.
The oldest in the room just laughed, then hugged Ten by his waist and stealed him a kiss. The Thai melted into his arms, returning the gesture.
"How easy you fall for my kisses" Taemin teased, licking his lips seductively.
"With those lips you have, who doesn't?" Ten asked flirtatiously, but before attacking his partner's mouth again, he turned to see Donghyuck, who was watching them, sitting, red and quiet.
"It seems that Hyuckie is one of those who likes to watch." the soloist teased, making him blush more.
"I-It's not like that!" Donghyuck tried to defend himself.
"Then come here for hugs and kisses," Taemin invited, extending an arm, to give him access.
Donghyuck didn't think twice and threw himself into Taemin's arms, being greeted with kisses by both dancers. Hyuck smirked, feeling his hyungs' lips on his cheeks, jaw, and neck.
"Didn't I tell you he was adorable?" Ten whispered into Taemin's ear, but Donghyuck could hear him.
"And boy is he~" Taemin squeezed Donghyuck's waist, pulling him closer.
"Hyung, do you really want to be in a relationship with me?" He asked, pouting "You hardly know me."
"True, but I have all the time in the world to get to know you better." Taemin kissed his pout and Donghyuck eagerly replied, now showing his experience.
The three young men lay in that practice room, their bodies tangled in a messy but warm embrace.
Ten and Donghyuck held hands just above Taemin's chest, feeling the older one's excited heartbeat as he held his two "not official" -yet- boyfriends in his arms.
And so Donghyuck got what he wanted and even more.