Minho woke up to the sound of the alarm going off on his phone, even though the music was distinct he could still hear it. He stretched, deciding to get up as he was fully awake now. He looked towards the other side of the bed where his lover slept only in his boxers and the comforter that Minho had placed on him had been kicked to the side.

He smiled as he took in the spectral yet celestial sight his lover made, the black intricate tattoo of a vine an ornate for his pale skin. He had seen it many times before and each time he saw it, there was this surge of feelings in his heart. He gave in to the surge, leaned down and kissed along the vine. He gave soft kisses to the musical notes around the vine, the small ballet shoes- his favourite- the small flowers, the small butterflies. His smile widened when he felt Taemin stir.

“What are you doing so early in the morning?” Taemin mumbled sleepily.

Minho continued kissing along his spine, till he reached Taemin’s nape. He inhaled his personal intoxication, gave another kiss to his cheek.

“Go get ready, you have a class in the morning.” Taemin reminded him as he shifted.

Minho gave Taemin a final kiss on the lips and got up to get ready for the day.

One look at Taemin and you’d think he was one of those bad boys, his piercings and his tattoos spoke before he could express himself. In fact he was called a rebel, the rebel of the university, the rebel heart. Minho smiled at that, if only people knew what exactly Taemin was.

“I’m leaving.” Minho placed a small kiss on Taemin’s forehead which earned him a smile and a kiss on the lips.

-

On the way to the university Minho dropped by the cafe to pick up his coffee, the same cafe where Taemin worked, the cafe where it all began, the cafe where he had first met Taemin.

It had been in the night, almost the closing time of the cafe when he had stumbled in, his feat unsteady, his heart heavy. The pressure of studies, the pressure to get good grades, the pressure to become a doctor had gotten to him that fateful night. He ordered a cup of hot chocolate to soothe his aching heart. A touch of the hot syrup to his lips and tongue reminded him of the coldness he had been feeling inside and he couldn’t stop the tears that left him. He felt the waiter, Taemin, pat him on his back and give him a small smile.

The next night he went again, apologising for the night before. Taemin had waved his apology off and instead offered him a cup of hot chocolate and an ear and maybe a shoulder to lean on.

That night Minho found that there was something about Taemin’s smile that had him unwinding and sharing all his worries, all his insecurities. After he was done, Taemin held his hands, reassured him, told him it was alright, told him to do everything for himself and not for others, live his life how he wanted and not how others wanted him to live it. That night Minho went back with a heart devoid of anguish but filled with a buzz, an elation that rose because of Taemin.

Minho walked in the next night too, seeking the comfort of the man and the warmth of the hot chocolate. They introduced each other formally and found out they attended the same university but different departments, Minho belonging to health and sciences and Taemin, music and dance. They made up a plan of having lunch together the next day, and decided to continue their conversation over lunch.

The next day as Minho had lunch with Taemin in the cafeteria, he saw people staring at them, pointing out to them, he heard the hushes and the murmurs, each and everything unsettling his heart. Taemin gave him a smile when he expressed his uneasiness and told him he was used to it, used to all the rumors, all the harsh words since high school.

It was during high school that Taemin discovered that he didn't have the passion for maths or science his parents wanted him to have, in fact he found himself enjoying his music and dance classes more. He disclosed this to his parents, telling them about his dream to be a singer to only have him grounded and his music sheets taken away from him. This act by his parents angered him beyond belief and he found everything related to them irritating.

He tuned them out, stopped listening to their constant nagging and did what his heart desired. He dyed his hair the colour he desired, got a few piercings and the most important of all the tattoo of a vine along the knobs of his spine, the leaves and flowers occasionally surrounded with music notes and ballet shoes- the back bone of his life- and butterflies, signifying the excitement he felt whenever he danced and sang.

In the end, eventually after high school he ran away, ‘cause he knew he would never get to fulfil his dream if he stayed. He didn’t mind nor did he care if anyone thought he was an arrogant, rebellious son towards his parents. They would never understand him and the importance his music and dance held in his life.

-

The soft buzz of the vibration of his phone against his thigh had Minho waking up from the reverie he had fallen into. It was a message from Taemin informing him that he was done with his afternoon class and was heading to the cafe. Minho texted him back, telling him to wait by the library  from where they’d go to the cafe together.

-

“Hey there handsome.”

Minho felt arms winding around his neck, a pair of soft lips pressed against his own. A smile broke out on his face as he and Taemin waded through the crowd towards the gate. People never wanted to see beyond the piercings and the tattoos, never wanted to get know Taemin for what he was, only believing that he was a rebel, a rebel heart.

But Minho believed otherwise. He believed Taemin was brave, brave enough to follow his heart, brave enough to give in to his desires, brave enough to face each day, brave enough to live his life the way he wanted. Minho believed Taemin had a brave heart.