Minho can tell Taehyun is upset. The prettiest face he ever saw in a man is slightly frowning now and then. Minho is worried. Their maknae is the most unique person he ever met. And the person occupies a big space in his heart.

Taehyun never speaks about his troubles unless asked, better said – pleaded to say what’s wrong. At first, Minho thought it’s because Taehyun doesn’t want to bother anyone with his problems but then he realized Taehyun is just like that – introverted. Keeps things for himself, piling them up until they eat him alive. Minho knows very well by now those are the times Taehyun is the saddest.  And then he gets all sad too.

He hates it. He wants Taehyun to smile. Because when Taehyun smiles, Minho can’t help but smile too.

Minho manages to finally catch him alone in his hotel room after another concert.

He knocks, his heart skipping a beat when Taehyun opens the door, little frown of bad mood persistently engraved on pale forehead. They performed together just an hour ago but it is always different for Minho when he is alone with Taehyun. He feels – like his bare soul lives only to love Taehyun.

He enters and places himself on Taehyun’s bed.

“What’s wrong?”

“Nothing.”

Taehyun sits at a desk and turns his laptop on.

“Taehyun please…”

“Nothing’s wrong, seriously.”

Minho stares helplessly at Taehyun’s back. A long time ago he would just get up and leave, Taehyun’s cold acting making him feel ignored. But now he knows Taehyun doesn’t intend to make someone feel unwanted, boy is simply oblivious to how he pushes people away, his mind all occupied with his own distressed world.

Minho gets up and sits on a chair next to Taehyun, shutting already blinking laptop down. Taehyun finally gives a blonde guy his attention. The latter gets closer placing elbows on knees, hands intertwined like he is praying.

“If you don’t want to tell me, that is fine. But Taehyun…”

He pauses on purpose to convince the boy as best as he can.

“Please don’t torture yourself.”

Taehyun stares at warm eyes feeling his chest getting heavier, making his breathing hard. He starts to inhale deeper and shuts his eyes. Minho sees it as if Taehyun wants to calm himself down. Maknae abruptly gets up, turning his back on Minho again, facing the opposite wall with his head looking down.

“It’s…”

He shuts up hand combing through soft hair like he can’t find the words. Minho gets up and stands behind Taehyun determined to help.

Taehyun hears Minho’s quiet steps and knows Minho stands close to him again, waiting. He turns around smashing his walls down with a hard swallow.

“It’s my grandma.”

Said words physically knock him down, he feels weak from the burden on his heart so he sits on the floor, leaning on the side of the bed. Minho sits right next to him.

“What’s wrong with your grandma?”

Taehyun looks up his lungs heavy again.

“She is in a hospital.”

“Oh Tae…”

Minho puts his hand on skinny shoulder squeezing lightly, hoping it gives some kind of comfort. Taehyun still looks troubled with what he wants to say.

“She needs to stay there permanently. But that’s not the problem. I mean…”

He sighs deeply and Minho stays silent giving him time not wanting to interrupt rare moment of Taehyun opening up.

“I know this will sound bad, but… I am not worried about her.”

He looks deep into Minho’s eyes thinking maybe Minho will judge him. Dark eyes only look back attentively. For a second he feels stupid – Minho would never judge him or think bad about him. It helps him to talk more.

“She has been sick for a long time now. We all knew it’s going to happen sooner or later. I guess I got accustomed to it. Like it already happened, you know?”

Minho reassuringly nods.

“It’s…

My mom is all alone now.”

Minho knows Taehyun’s brother lives in a dorm just like Winner does, trying to find his own star path and a full realization of Taehyun’s sad feelings hits him. Taehyun loves his mother as much as a son can. Hell, maybe even more since the woman had to be both parents to her children, their father leaving them. With Taehyun’s grandma in her final days and Taehyun and Donghyun living their lives, she has no one left. He pictures his parents who have someone to grow old with and Taehyun’s mother who isn’t so lucky. It seems so injustice to him, he can’t even imagine how Taehyun must feel.

After stating out loud what disturbed him for two days, Taehyun unconsciously falls even more, his head that suddenly felt incredibly heavy finds Minho’s shoulder to lean on.

Minho raises his hand and auburn hair just above the ear repeatedly, not wondering how the act comes so naturally to him.

“That .”

In all ugly feelings flooding his being, Taehyun finds Minho’s simple statement funny and the inward laugh breaks something in him.

He is lost in nowhere, wanting not to breathe, not to be.

He realizes he is in Minho’s embrace sobbing loudly, tears big as summer rain drops wetting Minho’s shirt. He is trying to get to his senses but he can’t, strong arms holding him so tenderly he feels he is safe to cry, he is allowed to break down like this.

Minho feels like someone rips a piece of his heart, Taehyun’s troubles becoming like his own. He is holding a boy tight, soothing trembled body with caresses where ever he touches.

After some time - Taehyun can’t tell is it five minutes or half an hour - the uncontrollable sobs are fading away leaving him a ton lighter. His mind slowly distinguishes their position. Although he is sitting on the floor, his head is on Minho’s chest and his knees gathered on Minho’s lap. Somewhere in some other time he would feel awkward but now he doesn’t care. He wants to stay like this, Minho’s arms wrapping him whole. No one ever held him like that, not any of his friends or girlfriends and especially no one in his family since he didn’t allow himself to break down in front of his mom – she already had enough problems.

His ear is an inch away from heart that drags his being into its rhythm. His sense of smell dives in the blend of a fabric softener from Minho’s shirt and a beautiful manly skin. Except the thumb on the younger’s neck, Minho doesn’t move – if Taehyun wants to stay like this the whole night that’s how it’s going to be. He wants to tell him everything is going to be alright but the phrase just doesn’t fit.

Taehyun is finally calm, his breathing slowing down. Hi lifts his head, in all the sadness looking a little embarrassed. He palms Minho’s shirt where his head was.

“It’s wet.”

The blonde merely smiles and lifts his hand to cup Taehyun’s cheek. He dries the last tear with his thumb when his face suddenly lights up like in cartoons.

“I got it! She’s gonna live with us in the dorm! We’ll ask Sajang-nim for her to be our manager!”

At first Taehyun blinks, then sees optimistic goofy face. A smile forms on his lips, growing to his ears to become a silent laugh till it finally bursts out loud. Minho is so happy Taehyun laughs, he goes on.

“How is her fashion taste? She could be our styling counselor!”

Taehyun suddenly pictures his mother telling displeased Seungyoon his shirt is not nice. He laughs so hard he needs to hold his tummy with one hand.

“Stop, stop please…”

Minho laughs along, their laughter ringing against walls. When they finally quiet down, Taehyun glances at the older with hesitation on his face.

“Will you sleep here tonight?”

He doesn’t want to be alone after this. Why is he afraid to ask Minho that? He knows the answer though - it can be understood in wrong way. Through his puberty years he got so used with people thinking he is gay, he had no problems even joking about it on the live shows. So he shouldn’t be afraid. It’s not the truth. The last thought stucsk unpleasantly in his mind lingering there for unknown reasons.

The idea of Minho not being comfortable with his request is swept away with a man’s simple smile.

“Sure.”

Taehyun smiles inwardly and climbs up the bed on the other side freeing the first half for his hyung.

Minho lies on his back and Taehyun turns sideways towards him after covering them both with blanket. They don’t touch anymore but Taehyun is somehow relieved with the blonde guy’s presence.

“Minho?”

“Yeah?”

“Will you go with me to the hospital when we get to Seoul?”

“Of course.”

--

Back at Korea Taehyun wakes up. He is still tired but he gets dressed anyway. Winner is finally home for a deserved rest but he has things to do.

After the visit to the bathroom he finds out from Hoon that Minho went out pretty early. He finds it strange since they agreed yesterday to go and visit his grandma together at 10 am. It’s ok. Minho is a man of his words.

At 9:20 he is still not worried.

At 9:45 he knows Minho will come in fifteen minutes.

At 10:02 he is upset. Where is Minho?

He paces up and down his room angry as hell.

How could Minho ditch him like this? He leaves the dorm at 10:15 determined to forget about the blonde guy’s existence all together.

--

Sweat sticks to Minho’s hair as he is running like a mad man. Taehyun won’t forgive him for this. He was out since 7 o’clock and he missed the bus to get to the dorm in time. He even thought of calling their manager to give him a ride but then he would have to explain things. It was much easier moving through Seoul incognito.

At 10:20 he storms in the dorm nearly knocking Jinwoo down with doors.

“Where is Taehyun?”

“He left.”

Crap.

He goes into maknae’s room and waits. When Taehyun finally gets back from the hospital in the late afternoon he is almost asleep on Taehyun’s bed but at the sound of doors clicking he jumps like a squirrel.

“Taehyun.”

The latter just passes by him to take his jacket of. Minho knows that’s his punishment – complete ignore that could last on for days. He silently places a brochure on the desk in front of Taehyun who doesn’t spare one glance to it. Minho doesn’t give up – he takes the shiny piece of paper and shoves it to Taehyun’s face. That can’t be ignored.

Taehyun sees a big CC logo nicely shaped and reads the words Creative Club.

“For your mom.”

Taehyun frowns, forgetting he doesn’t talk to Minho anymore.

“What is this?”

“It’s a club where people socialize and have workshops for anything that interests them, from drawing, sewing, acting to learning in crafts. Don’t think it’s some kind of a home for elders. Here people of all ages create projects that are active in different spheres of society. Last year the club made original displays for Seoul Flower Artshow in which members participated. And it’s not so far from where your mother lives.”

Taehyun slowly realizes what Minho is saying. He silently contemplates over the idea and concludes it is really good. He looks up all his decisions to not show interest or caring gone.

“Where were you?”

The accusing tone cold as ice pierces through Minho’s ears. He looks the younger straight in the eyes.

“At home..

To ask my parents about this place. I remembered our neighbor joined the club and I wanted to know what’s it like. But I missed the bus.

I’m sorry.”

Taehyun stares at a regretful face.

“And? What did you find out?”

Minho smiles happy the younger talks to him.

“Our neighbor said it’s the best decision she could make. It’s never boring and everyone can come and go whenever they please.”

Taehyun is silent. The more he thinks the more he likes Minho’s idea. His mom won’t say no to her oldest son’s request. She could really have fun there not feeling lonely. He suddenly realizes something.

“You went all the way home just to ask about this?”

“Well… It’s for you mom. I needed to be sure.”

Taehyun stares at handsome face for long time. His heart is swelling up opening horizons of a better world where one can have faith in being loved unconditionally.

 He suddenly hugs Minho so tight it almost hurts the blonde guy, then quickly separates a little embarrassed about the act. Minho expectedly looks a little surprised but he doesn’t say anything.

A small smile appears on Taehyun’s lips.

“Ok.”

Minho feels like he won some kind of medal seeing that smile.

Because when Taehyun smiles, Minho can’t help but smile too.

--My dear subscribers I’m sorry it took so long. Writing in present time was much harder for me then I thought. Thank you all for waiting :)

And a brief info about The choice – I didn’t abandon it or anything; I just need to find more time for vent of namsong feels. XOXO