Minho’s favorite part of the day is when the world turns from bright and vibrant to soft and muddled. When the day is falling into the night, but it’s not an exploding sunset. When the day simply gets a little darker, with hints of soft lilac, maybe a dusty rose. When the day softly goes away, and gently lulls its clouds back and switches from blue to a whole different color, a color thats only shown for a couple of moments, a simple sliver of time.

He’s with Taemin now, they both have booked schedules in about a half an hour or so, and they’re probably wasting time as they watch the city light up. But Minho doesn’t really mind wasting time, at least—not right now. 

Taemin’s playing with his fingers, curling them and flattening them out against his palm, kissing the very tips of them. Minho suppresses a grin when Taemin kisses his wrist, he feels absolutely giddy when Taemin stands up, stretching his arms high above him, like he’s reaching towards the moon.

Taemin looks absolutely brilliant with the city lights around him, when the world is a soft violet and Taemin’s blond hair looks like it’s colored blue. Taemin twirls around a couple of times, smiling a bit as he walks on the roof they claimed as theirs the day they moved into the dorms. 

Minho’s mind gets lost in bits of nostalgia, so much so, that he doesn’t realize Taemin getting closer until he leans down and pecks Minho’s nose.

“Are you okay?” Taemin asks, his hands are folded behind his back and he looks at Minho with an expression that’s laced with worry and vulnerability. 

It leaves Minho in shock at how utterly in love he is with this boy. When Taemin leans down, his eyebrows furrowing, Minho feels something reverberate in his chest. It was like his whole heart was expanding with every breath he took, singing soft harmonies into his constricting ribcage.

“Yeah. Just thinking.” Minho responds, watching as Taemin’s hair turns from blue to mauve, a little darker now. The night seems to be creeping up towards the clouds, consuming the skyline first, before bleeding onto the sky. They only have a couple more seconds of a soft blue world before the sunset breaks out from the night unfurling itself.

“Oh. Are we—we’re okay right?” Taemin asks casually as the first streaks of orange become visible through the sky. He bites his lips and blinks twice and Minho feels the tips of his lips quirk upwards.

“We’re okay.” Minho responds, sighing as he watches the muscles in Taemin’s back smooth out, relaxing until they’re nothing less than rolling hills and deep valleys. 

“Cool.” Taemin says as his eyes close, opening them a couple of heart beats later to find the world much darker and the lights so, so much brighter.

He sits right next to Minho, on their little spot in the roof, watching as the city lights twinkle like stars.

A soft breeze passes by, it ruffles their hair, kisses their cheeks and sends tiny shivers down Minho’s spine. Shoving his hands into his jacket pockets, he leans over until his head is tucked snuggly into the crook of Taemin’s neck. 

“We have to head back.” Taemin says a while later, feeling his eyes get a little sleepier, a little droopier.

(Later throughout the night, Taemin will drink some caffeine and he’ll be alright. The jittery energy will follow him home though, serving as the perfect crash. He’ll fall asleep in the car, just like he always does. And Minho will wordlessly drag him to his bed, tucking him in and kissing his forehead, whispering something Taemin’s too afraid to say out loud, still.)

Minho groans a little, because he doesn’t want to move really, the city is far too beautiful to miss and Taemin’s sweet and warm and everything Minho’s ever really wanted. In this short, few seconds of the day, it feels like they’ve created their own little universe. Where time wasn’t a thing and they could do anything they ever wanted. They could rest and they could smile and they could kiss without worrying about any repercussions, because in their world everything’s still okay. In their world they don’t have to hide.

Taemin chuckles and Minho feels it more than anything, and it feels like strength and like bubbles—it feels like home. 

The world gets even darker now, so much so that even the car lights start to look like falling stars. They should leave right now really, but it’s only when it’s almost reckless for them to stay, that Minho cups Taemin’s wrist and whispers, I love you, right into Taemin’s neck.

And Taemin tenses, tight and rigid and Minho allows himself to smile because he knows Taemin and he knows his heart and he knows how tentative and scared Taemin is.

Minho isn’t expecting a response back, doesn’t really want Taemin to forcibly say something just for the sake of not coming of as rude. He gently kisses Taemin cheek before getting up and brushing off his palms on his black skinnies.

He squints at the darkness of night until his eyes properly adjust. There’s neon green and magenta coloring the ground now, and Minho thinks this is beautiful too, maybe just a bit different than what he’d wanted but still, very beautiful.

“Minho.” Taemin says, his voice is apologetic and worried, and instantly Minho spins around. He tenderly cups Taemin’s face, lazily rubbing circles into Taemin’s cheekbones with his thumbs. And Taemin physically deflates with relief when he knows Minho isn’t mad at him.

They walk down dimly lit stairs hand in hand, breaking away once they reach ground level, where Minho swears he can almost touch the colors that are emitted from glowing shopping signs. He wonders if he can tuck them in his pocket for later, for when he’s alone with Taemin again and nothing matters except for them two.

The ride to the studio is somewhat bumpy but Taemin doesn’t mind, not even when Minho’s nose digs into his collarbone, or when Minho’s head hits Taemin’s chin with every mile that passes.

It’s quite late now, even though they still have to work. But Taemin finds himself feeling a little more content now, less scared.

To the soft city lights, Taemin whispers I love you, a thousand and one times in his mind, hoping that maybe Minho will hear it. Or that a star might be kind enough to pass the message.

Twenty minutes pass and they’re still in traffic. Jinki is next to their manager talking lowly about something, while Kibum is sleeping against the car window and Jonghyun is staring outside.

Slowly, Taemin rests his head on top of Minho’s, feeling a wave of drowsiness wash over him like high tide.

They fall sleep with their hands laced together and soft lilac entwined in their hair.

--

hey guys! alright so i am making this into a longer series, probs around a three shot? maybe a bit more idek idek. 

anyway this is hella un-edited and im hella tired so i really dont think this makes any sense but lmao i hope you guys enjoyed it regardless ♡♡