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Ten wasn’t used to people fighting for him. At least people outside his closer circle. When Ten met someone, things often became too difficult and fell apart. Nothing ever felt genuine with people he met. Most times, they tried to get close to Ten — either because they wanted something from him, or just the fact he had money. And Ten was never interested in artificial relationships, so he stepped back. He was content with the friendships he had, even when they all lived in different countries. Ten didn’t feel any special need for anyone new to bring into his life for all of his life.
And then he met Jaemin again.
Jaemin, who disappeared from his life at one point, but came back, promising to never leave again. Who, as promised, made sure they kept in touch. Jaemin who tried to get to know Ten as much as he could, even though it was over the phone. And when his father really agreed to send Jaemin overseas to open the new hotel branch here in Bangkok — Jaemin made sure his busy schedule fit in Ten somewhere, even for a five-minute coffee break.
After the first month since Jaemin moved there, Ten was sure it would stop — understandably so. Jaemin was busy, especially since it was the beginning of the project. It needed time. Jaemin needed time. After the second month, Ten started to get used to the attention, and by month three he wasn’t sure if he would be able to ever live without it again.
They fell into each other’s routines, sometimes their scheduled meetings changed, but usually everything followed the same scenario. They met in the café near Ten’s office where they got coffees before work, they texted practically all day, they met for lunch or late dinner, and at the end of the day Jaemin met him at Ten’s dance studio as he was finishing with his choreography.
It just all made sense. And sometimes they were exhausted, but they still tried to see each other even for a moment. And if that didn’t work, then there was always a FaceTime.
They were still in the pre-relationship stage, but Jaemin made sure that Ten wanted to stick around and linger for more. Whether Jaemin did it on purpose, or not. Ten was enchanted.
******
It was true, Jaemin had a lot of studying to do. Running a business wasn’t easy, especially since he didn’t have his father to rely on in person. And while Ten tried to help the best he could, sometimes he felt it wasn’t enough.
Jaemin spent most days reading and doing research. Followed by learning the Thai language, and trying his best to adjust to a whole new country and culture. Ten thought that Jaemin was very brave, as it was the same kid that decided he wanted to move continents to study all by himself, which of course his parents agreed to.
Jaemin, just like Ten, was stubborn. He was unstoppable once he set his mind on something that was important to him. It just so happened that Ten was on that list, too.
Jaemin was also a very capable student when it came to learning a whole new language and writing system. Jaemin tried speaking with Ten— first it was some random words here and there, mixed with Korean or English sentences. With time, he grew to be capable of putting together a full sentence. Sure, it may have started with something basic like ‘where can I find the bathroom’ or ‘do you speak English or Korean’ but he was a fast learner and Ten couldn’t be more proud. He also seemed very interested in knowing the new culture he was now living amongst.
So of course, it had Ten hoping Jaemin wouldn’t run away once he was done and once the hotel opened.
******
It was late Friday evening when Jaemin was still finishing with his work and Ten was keeping him company. It was the most common way for them to spend time together.
Ten was looking through old magazines stacked on the desk when something interesting caught his eye.
“Jaemin?”
“Hm?”
“Why is your name on like four of these articles?”
“Oh, that?” Jaemin shifted his full attention to Ten and the business magazine he was holding.
“They asked me to write something. I wasn’t sure what topic to focus on, so I sent them a few so they could pick. I didn’t know they would use all of them.” Jaemin shrugged as if that was nothing. Ten sometimes struggled with writing, even if it was just one coherent article that was still edited by at least five other people. Jaemin, however, was just good at it.
“I’m impressed.” Ten huffed, looking through the magazine.
“So were they, apparently. Because they keep sending me emails to write for them regularly. They and some other magazines.”
“You’re just that good, huh?”
“What can I say? I’m this amazing.” Jaemin smirked as he was talking, and Ten couldn’t help but roll his eyes, the amusement never leaving his face.
“Nice.” Ten grinned, moving closer, “Well, mister famous and amazing, can I ask for your autograph?” Ten asked, expecting a witty comeback or a laugh. But instead, Jaemin inched closer, placing a quick kiss on Ten’s cheek.
Ten’s eyes got bigger, and he could feel his heart hitting his ribs, while an unbothered Jaemin went back to his work as if nothing had happened. Ten turned back in his seat, trying to hide the small smile on his lips while placing the magazine down. The tingling on his skin from where Jaemin kissed him wasn’t going to leave him for a while after that.
******
The first time Jaemin kissed Ten, he was stunned. Yes, it was only a kiss on the cheek, as a goodbye after their little date. But it was enough for Ten to think about for the rest of the day. And how nice it felt.
Jaemin liked to kiss Ten, it seemed. Whether it was after a hug to cheer him up, or just because he felt like it. And yes— it was never on the lips, as they were taking it slow. Ten ultimately let Jaemin take the lead, but sometimes he couldn’t stop thinking of Jaemin’s lips and how they would feel against his. It came to the point when Ten could sense when Jaemin would place a kiss on his face, and he grew moody when it didn’t happen, This in turn led to an amused Jaemin who would tease him a little before finally kissing him as he desired. Ten sometimes felt like he was the younger one, but neither of them seemed to mind the age difference. He liked to be taken care of, while Jaemin was the one who took care of him. They balanced each other out perfectly.
******
Memes were one of the ways they flirted without actually flirting.
Despite Ten being in a relationship before, he was really not good at flirting. Luckily, Jaemin was a master without really having to try.
Ten truly hated how his heart fluttered and how a smile tugged on his lips when Jaemin so much as sent him an innocent, flirty meme.
Ten never minded his single life, but after Jaemin, he realised how much he liked that part of relationships. The stage where you kinda get to know one another, learn all about each other, and make sure you two really match together. Those were the little fluttering moments that made him want more.
And despite both of them loving their careers, Ten really thought they would be good together for the long term. He tried not to think about it too much, to not get his hopes up. But he liked the thought of them becoming a couple for a long time. He only hoped Jaemin thought so too.
*******
Clingy Jaemin was as welcome to Ten’s as clingy nature was. When he was sleepy or too tired from the amount of tasks, he often complained to Ten, who sat near him and coddled him.
Hugging Jaemin when standing was the favourite part of Ten’s days. This way, he could rest comfortably on his chest, closer to his heart, and couldn’t help but smile when he hugged his waist as tightly as Jaemin did.
And yes, Ten knew pretty fast just how head over heels he was becoming for this boy.
******
Ten was certain he'd been losing his mind. Why was he anticipating Jaemin’s call since the early morning, he couldn’t pinpoint exactly. All he knew was that Jaemin promised to call after the meeting, which could end 6pm at the earliest, and 9pm at the latest. This, however, didn’t explain why Ten was anticipating the call—all since he had woken up at 9am. It was difficult for him to focus on anything.
It was worse since Ten had a day off that day, and didn’t really plan on being the type of clingy-not-even-a-boyfriend-yet type of person, but there he was, simping for Jaemin.
He blamed it on the fact that the last time he was in a relationship was years ago, and it wasn’t necessarily good. Unless, however, someone considers a cheating gaslighter good.
So Ten cleaned his flat as well as online shopped for some plants and toys for his cats. He looked through videos from his dance practises to double-check the choreography before posting them on social media. Despite all these tasks, Ten still had a few more hours before Jaemin would be calling.
God, if Yuta and Johnny could see him, they would definitely be making fun of him. At some point, he turned into Taeyong, who had always been needy and clingy towards Kun since the very beginning. And now, Ten had become clingy towards Jaemin. Which wasn’t that bad, however, because Jaemin was clingy right back.
Were they becoming the next Kun and Taeyong?
“Shut up.” Ten whispered under his breath, not letting the thoughts drill into his brain. Being similar to Taeyong and Kun wasn’t necessarily a bad thing, as those two were made for one another. And Ten slowly hoped that maybe he and Jaemin would be the same.
When his phone finally rang, Ten almost jumped out of his seat, reaching for his device from the coffee table at record speed. He took a deep breath before answering, trying to sound as calm as ever.
“Hi there.”
“Hi, sorry it’s so late. I had more meetings than I initially thought, and I left my phone in my office. I’m an idiot. I’m so sorry.”
“It’s okay, don’t worry. You aren’t even that late. So how were the meetings?”
“Not terrible. Exhausting, but at least we got the majority done this week, so now I’m free and all for you.”
“Hm, interesting.” Ten tried to sound nonchalant, even if his heart was a bird trying to set itself free from his chest.
******
There were many perks of Jaemin living in Thailand., The main one being that Haechan was keen on frequently visiting his dearest cousin. And where Haechan went, Taeil followed. This gave Ten the perfect opportunity to talk about his life and feelings to his friends face to face instead of over FaceTime or long messages.
“You really fell for him, huh.” Taeil grinned while sipping from his glass. Ten shrugged, not answering.
“I’m not exactly sure what it is for now.”
“Bro, you were crying because he didn’t call when promised!”
“I wasn’t crying!” He exclaimed, taking a sip from his drink and looking to the side instead of towards Taeil, “I was just worried.”
“About what, that he had forgotten about you?”
“Oh, shush.”
Taeil admittedly was somewhat right, but Ten wasn’t about to admit it. He still felt as if he had attached himself too quickly, as if it was all too good to be true. And sometimes, he caught himself waiting for the moment it all came crashing down.
“You know he really likes you, right? I swear, this boy is obsessed with you just as much as you're obsessed with him.”
“What makes you think that?”
“Because he never shuts up about you when talking to Haechan.” Taeil sighed as Ten raised an eyebrow.
“Don’t tell Jaemin, I told you. I’m pretty sure Haechan was supposed to keep it to himself.”
“Couple things, I guess.” Taeil shrugged as if it was nothing, which made Ten giggle. He did feel more at ease after hearing that.
“Yes, and don’t worry, I’m sure Jaemin will tell you all about my and Haechan’s love life too—once you two are together.” Taeil blew him a kiss as he finished speaking.
“Oh, be quiet.”
******
Jaemin liked art in all its forms, much like Ten did. So when he was asked on a date to an opera house, Ten didn’t even hesitate to say yes.
They sat in a filled hall, the surrounding crowd anticipating the show. Ten, however, was more fascinated by the way Jaemin’s eyes moved around the hall, scanning everything and becoming fully absorbed within the atmosphere. It was his first time in Opera Siam, of course he was excited. His eyes sparkled as he looked at every detail. His smile was so mesmerising— of course, Ten was more fascinated by him than the theatre. Much more than whatever was happening, outside the little bubble he had created. A bubble where only he and Jaemin existed.
The spectacle started and Ten forced his gaze away from Jaemin, but was quickly turned back when he felt a soft hand placed on top of his. Jaemin’s fingers slid so delicately between Ten’s, as if it wasn’t the first time he had done that. The soft touches were burning, and it was difficult for Ten to not focus on anything else, He glanced at Jaemin, who was spotting a smirk. Ten gently tugged at Jaemin’s palm and returned his attention towards the show. Jaemin only squeezed his hand back, mirroring the same energy. Their hands only broke apart when intermission came around. And when they sat back down, Jaemin once again held Ten’s hand - like it was the most natural thing to do. Ten didn’t mind it one bit.
After the spectacle, they took a walk despite the promises of rain. For the time being, however, the night appeared cloudless and clear. They both wished they could make the night last a bit longer before the rain would start to pour.
As it turned out, they had less time than they both thought.
The downpour started with the wind picking up speed, the gentle breeze quickly turning into something that heeded a warning. But before they could think anything of it, the rain started to pour, soaking them immediately. Thankfully, they found shelter underneath a little bus stop on the street. Despite the frigid temperature, they burst out laughing. The good mood wasn’t leaving them, nor was the weather doing anything to dampen it
Both of them tried to catch their breaths. Ten giggled and began looking around.
“You know, if this was a romantic film, then we would be dancing in the rain now.”
Jaemin looked at him thoughtful, grasping his hand before speaking.
“So, what are we waiting for?” Jaemin smirked and pulled Ten towards the empty street.
Ten didn’t protest— just let Jaemin lead the both of them. He only laughed when Jaemin grabbed both of his hands and placed them on his shoulders, Ten’s breath hitching when Jaemin’s hands wrapped around his waist. Despite their wet clothing, his skin was burning.
They swayed for a while to the music that didn’t exist, using the sounds of rain and cars passing by as their only instruments. They stopped moving soon after, but their position remained unchanged. Jaemin looked at Ten with a familiar glimmer in his eyes.
Ten loved those eyes so much.
“So, what now?” Ten whispered, too afraid to ruin the moment, too scared it would pass too quickly if he spoke any louder.
Jaemin’s hands tightened on Ten’s waist. He could feel his heart moving to his throat,
“Now I really wish to kiss you.”
The world became quiet when the words escaped Jaemin’s mouth. Ten couldn’t focus on anything else, just Jaemin. Jaemin’s lips. Jaemin’s lips on Ten’s.
“Why don’t you?”
Ten prayed the other boy couldn’t hear just how fast his heart was beating as Jaemin slowly leaned in to close the space between them. Or, maybe he could hear him. Maybe it wasn’t just the raindrops hitting the shed, maybe Jaemin could feel his heart beating dangerously fast.
Millions of thoughts were running through Ten’s head, rendering him useless. And when he finally felt Jaemin’s soft lips against his, everything suddenly became quiet. At first, it was just a gentle brush, as if he was testing the waters. And Ten suddenly wanted more. He moved his hands from Jaemin’s shoulders to his nape, and pulled him in. This time, the kiss was deeper, although still gentle. Ten could feel his knees going soft underneath him. He was happy Jaemin was there, stabilising him. Jaemin held him as close as possible, as if he wanted Ten to melt into him. And Ten, of course, didn’t wish for anything else.
******
Not much changed after the kiss. A few days passed and things were nearly the same. Ten became used to it. Although, there were small differences. Jaemin was even more clingy and caring than usual. And sure, Ten could be content with it. But about a month ago, Ten had lost the game against him, when he promised that Jaemin would be the first one to ask about being boyfriends. And since the question wasn’t asked just yet, Ten chose to wait patiently. However, the patience was slowly running out. Ten wanted more. More kisses, more touches, more everything. But he couldn’t ask for any of it, not before he knew they were both on the same page and the same status. Ten knew it was silly, but also knew that it was important for Jaemin. And whatever was important to Jaemin, was also important for Ten.
They spent Saturday evening at Ten’s place. First, they had dinner and later planned on watching a film. But this, however, got pushed back because Ten’s cats (Louis, Leon and Levi), wanted attention. And who would Jaemin and Ten be if not up for playing with cats?. Jaemin planned on raising a cat or two as well but for now, he was too busy It would be a shame to leave them for the whole day unattended. So for now, Ten’s babies had to be enough, and Ten was more than happy to share.
They both sat on the floor with all the toys scattered around them, all three cats playing happily. Ten was using the string to play with Leon, when he suddenly sensed a pair of eyes on him. His heart began to race as his gaze met Jaemin’s dark eyes. Jaemin watched him with a smile dancing on his lips.
“What.”
“Nothing, you just look really happy, I like seeing you like this. So carefree.”
“Stop, you won’t make me blush.” Ten laughed to hide his nervousness and attempted to stop himself from blushing.
“You’re wonderful.” Ten heard Jaemin whisper, and yet again locked eyes with him.
With how intense Jaemin’s gaze was, Ten had to quickly turn away and instead focus on Leon. He tried his best to ignore the heat spreading across his cheeks.
“You should be my boyfriend.”
Ten’s head snapped back towards Jaemin. “What did you just say?”
“I-” Jaemin swallowed, clearly nervous. “I want you to be my boyfriend, please?”
“Oh, you’re so cute when I make you nervous.” Ten cooed as he leaned in to pinch his cheeks, as Jaemin groaned.
“Can you answer me, please?” He pleaded, as Ten only nodded in amusement.
“Of course, I will, Jaemin.”
“Oh, thank god,”
“Please, you should know that much is true.”
“Doesn’t mean I wouldn’t be nervous.”
“I know. And you’re adorable when you're blushing,” Ten giggled while Jaemin rolled his eyes, pretending to be annoyed.
“That’s it, I’m going home.” Jaemin began to rise, but Ten’s hands were faster— making sure the boy - his boy , would remain seated.
“I’m sorry!” Ten laughed, seeing as Jaemin wasn’t really angry. “You know I would love nothing more than have you all to myself and to be your boyfriend.”
“You’re reading my mind.” Jaemin smirked and leaned in, placing a kiss on Ten’s lips.
And Ten was so sure, no matter how many times they would kiss, his heart would still flutter. And this was something he was ready to prove as the years would pass by with them together.