Sweet Talk

 

Taemin wriggles out of Key’s arms and gets out of bed, only to be tackled from behind as he tries to leave the room. The shriek shocked out of him makes Key laugh raucously as he tugs the maknae back onto the mattress.

 

“Where you you think you’re going?” he demands, arms still wrapped around Taemin’s chest.

 

“I just needed some water.” He reassures the elder, but all he gets is a look that tells him he isn’t being believed.

 

“Don’t even try. I know something’s been bothering you, recently.” Key hesitates on the last word because what he really means to say is ‘since we finally admitted to ourselves that we are in a polyamourous relationship with the rest of our band mates’. The tentativeness in his hyung’s voice and the way Key’s arms fall from around him makes Taemin look up from where he’s been studying the blankets.

 

Key’s doing that thing where he’s trying so hard not to let his real feelings show through. Most people would be fooled but Taemin isn’t most people, no thank you, not when it comes to his lovers (he still feels a thrill fire through him when he thinks of them like that, now he’s finally gotten permission to do so). So, Taemin knows when Key is censoring his words and concealing his true emotions, and as he digs past the shields Key has put up, he’s hit with the realisation that, “Oh. No, hyung it’s not. I don’t regret it.”

 

The relief that lights up Key’s face before he regains control of his expression makes Taemin feel so disappointed in himself because how had he even let Key think that?

 

“Kibum-hyung, the moment we all agreed to this…this thing we’re doing? That was one of the best moments in my entire life.” He hopes his eyes are effectively conveying his sincerity. Judging by the way Key lets his features slip from carefully neutral into slightly embarrassed fond, Taemin’s eyes are doing something right.

 

“I was just,” Key worries his bottom lip with his teeth, “frightened. That this isn’t want you want. Taemin-ah, you’re so young. You’ve hardly been able to mess around, experiment or anything like that, and. I really don’t want you to feel like we’re…like we’re pressuring you into this. ‘Cause we love you and, speaking for everyone, we want you to be happy, even if that means you aren’t in a relationship with us-“

 

Taemin smacks his right hand over Key’s mouth and grips Key’s forearm tightly with his left, “Don’t. Ok, stop right there. Do you really think I’m weak-willed enough to be forced into a relationship? Not just a normal relationship, but a homoual, polyamourous relationship with my band mates?” Key has the decency to look ashamed. Taemin softens his voice, leans in closer, forces Key to meet his eyes. “I know you’re trying to look out for me, I know I’m young but I also know that I’ve never wanted anything more. Well,” Taemin amends ruefully, “Except maybe to debut. But! Apart from that, I like you. I really like all of you.”

 

Ok, so maybe Taemin hasn’t quite worked up the courage to say ‘I love you’ yet, but, as Key has so kindly reminded him, he’s young and wholly inexperienced, so he knows they don’t expect him to just declare his heart with the confidence that Jonghyun or Jinki or Key do. (Minho point-blank refuses to admit he loves them, to the extent where it’s become a game for the others, who can make Minho say it first. Even though they all know that he was actually the first one to confess it, only they had all been sleeping. Sometimes Taemin pretends to fall asleep with his head on Minho’s lap just to hear Minho’s gravelly voice whisper ‘I love you Taem-ah’).

 

Key leans forward, hardly any way since their faces are so close already, and kisses his cheek. Taemin can’t help but grin, especially when he sees that, despite Key’s blasé self-confidence and easy loving, his hyung is flushed pink when he pulls away.

 

“Now, I need that water-“

 

Again Key thwarts Taemin’s plans to escape, hand shooting out to curl around Taemin’s bicep, fingers digging in so that Taemin whines as he falls back onto the bed.

 

“Now that’s sorted,” Key says, as though he wasn’t the one who was worried, “Why don’t you tell me what’s actually bothering you?”

 

Taemin shakes his head firmly. “It’s nothing. It’s just stupid.”

 

“Are you sure baby?” Key notes the way Taemin’s muscles spasm beneath his hand, the way he stumbles over his inhale.

 

“Yeah, don’t worry about me anymore, hyung. Geez, at this rate I’m gonna be responsible for knocking ten years off your life and I really don’t want that kind of guilt.”

 

Key checks to make sure he’s right. He purses his lips and puts on his best I’m-still-worried-but-I-trust-you face. “Ok, sweetheart, if you’re sure.” Again Taemin twitches, although if Key weren’t looking he wouldn’t have seen the tiny, subtle movement. Key decides to be blunt. “Ok, do you have something against endearments?”

 

If the way Taemin’s eyes widen like a deer caught in headlights, his whole body jolting, is anything to judge by, Key just found the crux of the problem.

 

Taemin seems to consider the word carefully before it passes out of his pink lips, yet it still comes out questioningly. “No~?”

 

Key rolls his eyes, releases Taemin’s arm to slink across the room to close the door, then turns back to give Taemin a spill-the-beans glare.

 

“Care to expand?” He asks from the door. Taemin flops onto his back, fixing his gaze on the ceiling. Key waits patiently, walking slowly back to the bed.

 

“No, I don’t have a problem,” Taemin tilts his head back, exposing his neck to meet Key’s inquiring gaze with sparkling eyes, “If anything I…like it too much?”

 

There is a pause, then Key snickers, “Are you telling me you have an endearment kink? Are you seriously-?”

 

Taemin shoots upright, “No! God, why do you always twist my words like that?” He glares at Key, who just winks back undeterred. Key sits on the bed beside him, tugs him down so they’re both lying on their sides, legs tangled together, watching each other. Well, Key’s watching Taemin. The maknae is too embarrassed, stare fixed on the collar of Key’s shirt. Key thinks it’s adorable how Taemin blinks so much when he’s talking about - yuck - feelings.

 

“It just makes me all warm…and tingly…and happy.”

 

Key surges forward and presses a kiss to Taemin’s forehead, “That’s good.” Taemin’s eyes are wide and relieved when he finally stops pretending the buttons on Key’s shirt are worth his attention and meets Key’s gaze. “So what is it then?” Key encourages.

 

Taemin blushes, shuffles forward so his nose is cold on Key’s collarbones. “I just got all worked up ‘cause I couldn’t think of things to call you guys.”

 

Key can’t stop the amusement that bubbles in his chest and burst into peals of laughter.

 

“Hey!” Taemin draws away, punching Key’s arm. “You can’t laugh!” He’s chuckling though.

 

Key face-plants into the duvet, the blankets half-muffling his giggles. When Key manages to stop laughing so hard, he coos, “My lovely boy, our beautiful boy” and Taemin kind of blossoms under the light of Key’s smile, but also kind of shrinks into himself in shyness. “What magic do you use? How are you this adorable?”

 

Taemin’s cheeks are still red when he shifts closer to Key once more. “Not magic.” He mumbles into Key’s chest, toes curling with delight when he feels Key wrap an arm around him and hold him close.

 

“What’s your dilemna?” Key laughs softly in his ear.

 

Taemin’s glad Key can’t see his face for this. “I just really wanna show how much I like you, especially now I can, like, officially. Because I honestly feel so…loved, when you call me baby or Jinki calls me sweet-cheeks or, did you know Jonghyun calls me ‘baby-cakes’?” Taemin didn’t think his face could go any redder but he can feel his cheeks warming up. “Isn’t that awful? But I kinda love it.” He pouts.

 

“But it’s awkward ‘cause you’re older. You’re all older and I’m scared you’ll think I’m being rude or patronising if I call you something like that, not to mention the fact that I’m literally the world’s most uninventive person ever. Jinki really isn’t a ‘sweet-cheeks’, is he?” Taemin’s almost grumbling and Key tries to stop his body shaking with the force of his laughter as he hides a huge grin in Taemin’s hair. “You’re not exactly my ‘baby’, are you?”

 

Key shivers uncomfortably at the endearment coming from Taemin’s mouth because the younger man is right. Key is Minho’s baby but he sure as hell isn’t Taemin’s. He bites his lip.

 

“Ok, I can see where you’re coming from.” Taemin groans. “Hey! I wasn’t finished.” More groaning. Key ignores him. “Firstly, don’t think you can’t call your boyfriends endearments just ‘cause we’re older, ok?” Taemin hesitantly nods, his hair brushing the underside of Key’s chin as the elder tuts. “Geez, I can’t believe you seriously thought that. Being serious for a second, when in recent years has one of us yelled at you for being disrespectful? You’re so polite, and we’re kinda guilty for spoiling you. By the way, the latter is only going to get worse now we have the excuse of ‘boyfriends’ to justify it.”

 

“Got it, hyung.” Taemin’s got them all wrapped around his little finger anyway.

 

Key huffs. “I should hope so. Now about the creativeness issue, I am more than happy for us to pool resources and brainstorm together.”

 

“Really?”

 

“On one condition. Cuddles. Maybe later.”

 

“Deal.” Key can’t see Taemin’s face where it’s smushed against his chest, but he can hear the maknae smiling.

 

---

 

“How about we think about what everyone calls you and me already. You know, for reference.”

 

“Jonghyun…kind of calls me any random combination of ‘sweetheart’ and ‘baby-cakes’.”

 

“Darling.” Key says, a smile stretching subconsciously across his face.

 

Taemin dutifully scribbles them down in a neat little table. “Jinki?”

 

“Jinki-hyung calls me…Bummie?”

 

“I’m just Taemin-ah.”

 

Key clicks his tongue, “Why are you having this conversation with me? Seems like Jinki-hyung has a problem with endearments too!”

 

“Wait, no, that’s a lie. Sometimes it’s ‘sweet-cheeks’.” Key pouts.

 

“Yah, Jinki, where’s my nickname.” He mutters as he rests his chin on Taemin’s shoulder, wrapping his arms around Taemin’s waist (the youngest of them has never explicitly admitted to having a weakness to them touching his waist, whether just a graze of fingers or an arm slung around it, but they aren’t stupid and the way Taemin shivers slightly and leans into the touch sort of gives it away).

 

Taemin says, “It’s ‘baby’ for both you and Minho, although Minho usually adds ‘baby-Tae’ so…”

 

“Minho calls me ‘baby’ too. And you…?” Taemin glances up at Key, who has taken his arms away from Taemin’s waist to scratch his chin thoughtfully. “What do you call me?”

 

“Kibum-hyung?”

 

Key scowls hideously. “Glad to know you care that much about me.”

 

Taemin hits Key’s arm, earning him an even darker glare before he reminds his hyung, “That’s why we’re having this conversation, remember?”

 

By the time Minho calls them for dinner, Taemin and Key still haven’t figured anything out. They have had though, so at least they ticked one thing off the list.

 

“Oh God.” Minho says when they walk into the living room. “Couldn’t you have taken a shower? You both reek of .”

 

They both have the good grace to blush but neither apologise.

 

“Don’t get come on the furniture.” Jinki warns as he sets down the food.

 

Taemin screws up his nose. “Hyung, we did wipe up, we’re not that dirty.”

 

“Not in that way.” Key adds in the same pleading, slightly indignant tone. Jonghyun smacks him and Taemin snorts into his rice.

 

---

 

Taemin wakes up with a crick in his neck; he’d fallen asleep with his head on Key’s thighs. He sits up and looks around him at the carnage from last night. Firstly he and Key had showered together, under strict instructions not to have , although they knew that already, still traumatised from the time the drain had become blocked that one time after Jonghyun had had shower with Jinki. Then, Minho and Taemin had played video games whilst the other three discussed upcoming activities, until Key couldn’t deal with their whoops and screeches anymore and pushed them off the sofa, yelling at Jonghyun to put a film on.

 

Jonghyun had duly put on the latest horror film that Key had bought. Predictably, Key had screamed constantly throughout, wriggling himself into the corner of the sofa and making Taemin sit between his legs so he could hide behind him. Whilst Key shrieked, Taemin laughed raucously. Sometimes they all worried for Taemin’s mental state. Despite such a disturbance, Minho had dragged his duvet in from his room and had managed to fall asleep on the floor. Jonghyun and Jinki meanwhile sat next to each other, pretending they weren’t scared at all and ignoring it when they flinched.

 

“There is no way I’m sleeping by myself tonight.” Key had threatened, clutching onto Taemin when he tried to stand up. Jonghyun had declared, in a loud voice, that he was only staying to protect Key. Jinki nodded along enthusiastically in the background. Minho had shuffled off to bed, rolling his eyes at them all.

 

“Kibum-hyung?” Taemin says, gently shaking Key’s shoulder. He’s worried that Key will hurt his back again; last time they had fallen asleep on the sofa, Key had had to go to the masseur and physical therapist for a fortnight afterwards. “L-love?” Taemin tries. Key groans and swats his hand away. Taemin sighs. “Hyung, I don’t want you to hurt yourself again.” Key mumbles something unintelligible. “Huh?”

 

“Said I’ll move if you call me love again.” Taemin feels his whole face flush red.

 

“Right. Well, um, ok, then.” Key cracks open one eye to glare at him expectantly. Taemin doesn’t know how Key manages to give such a good stare whilst half-asleep, and then quickly decides it’s probably not the most desirable skill to have anyway. “Lo-I can’t.”

 

Through one eye, Key can see that Taemin is utterly distraught. Feeling sorry for him, Key sits up anyway, pulling him into a hug. “It’s ok, baby. It’s fine if you find it a little harder to become casual with names.”

 

Jonghyun’s head appears over the side of the sofa - he had fallen asleep tangled up with Jinki - with a sleepy smile on his face. “That’s what’s been bothering you?”

 

Taemin groaned into Key’s shoulder. Key tuts, “Told you everyone knew something was up.”

 

“What’s up?” grumbles Jinki into Jonghyun’s armpit.

 

“Tae’s sad ‘cause he can’t think of nicknames for us.”

 

“Huh?”

 

Key nods, “Exactly. So silly.”

 

“They’ll come naturally, don’t stress.” Jinki says, snuggling closer into Jonghyun’s side when Jonghyun rearranges the blanket and Jinki’s feet become exposed.

 

“But I feel so…” Taemin bites his lip and Key rubs soothing circles over his shoulder blades.

 

Jinki murmurs, “We know you love us without them.” Jonghyun’s eyes widen and he looks to Taemin for confirmation. Key can feel Taemin physically relax under his hands and Jonghyun pouts.

 

“That’s definitely not something you need to worry about, sweetheart.” Jonghyun smiles when Taemin nods, lying back down and nuzzling his face into Key’s chest.

 

“Yes, we know, baby.” Key kisses his forehead and smiles fondly at Jonghyun over the maknae’s hair.

 

When Jinki snuffles, “Love you all”, Taemin lets himself be smothered by Key and doesn’t feel worried anymore.

 

It can wait for the morning.