"Minho, I swear to God if you aren't listening to me I'll punch you on the face." Kibum scoffs out as he watches his lovesick friend staring at the usual direction, peeking at the subject of his obsession- observation, Minho would correct Kibum, if he wasn't so busy. The elder of the two takes a deep exhale to calm himself down before he'd turn violent to his best friend. Rather, he nonchalantly starts. "I kissed Taemin in a party at the weekend."

 

"Yeah? Cool." Minho mumbles, never tearing his gaze and his thoughts away from the pretty blonde boy with warm smiles and shining eyes. He's laughing right now and it gives Minho the wildest butterflies in his tummy and the urge to hold him and protect him from everything wrong in the world. Too bad the said person has no clue about his small crush on him.

 

"I'm thinking about asking him to be my boyfriend. What do you think?" Kibum pulls an eyebrow up, partly enjoying himself and partly wanting to strangle Minho to death because there's no way he can keep up his friend's attention when Taemin is nearby. Like it's totally impossible, he doesn't even understand himself for even trying.

 

"Sounds nice to me." Minho breathes out but he immediately loses his breath when Taemin's eyes and his smile remained on his lips from the laughing, turn to his direction and the boy shyly waves at him- him!- and Minho can't press anything more out of himself than a poor excuse of waving. Then he turns away from the sight, afraid of the younger boy may get to know about his crush on him and this is the all he wants to avoid.

 

" you, Minho." Kibum hisses and kicks the chair under Minho- truth to be told, his target wasn't the chair but Minho's leg- and finally he gets the deserved attention from the other. He looks up at the elder and they communicating through hard gazes and glazed eyes, without any words.

 

"Leave me alone, Kibum." Minho accepts the lose when he turns his gaze away. He couldn't bear the judging look any longer. Kibum just rolls his eyes, totally aware of the fact that he doesn't go far with ing about his spacing out.

 

"When will you drop the question?" He changes the topic so maybe he finally gets an answer- to when those two fool get together. Minho looks up at him with knotted eyebrows and questioning eyes but Kibum knows he's just acting.

 

"What question?"

 

"Don't act dumb at me, Minho. I know you've already bought the tickets for the prom." The younger boy turns away with a slight blush creeping up on his cheeks, feeling exposed by what supposed to be his secret. The downhill of being Kibum's best friend is that you have zero private life- he knows everything.

 

"He won't say yes." Minho murmurs with casted down eyes. He bought the tickets to have the illusion of asking Taemin out- but he clearly doesn't have the will and courage to do so.

 

"He'll say yes." Kibum says, so sure about it, yet Minho knows he's just bluffing and trying to trick him to ask Taemin out.

 

"No, he won't."

 

"So you won't even try?" Kibum arches an eyebrow. Minho shakes his head.

 

"Nope. I won't."

 

"You're a coward." The elder snickers at the peak of his agony. Minho can be the bravest out of the braves- but when it comes to Taemin, he loses everything along with his balls and becomes a whiny kid. Kibum snaps at the table to let his anger out and stands up with full force. "I have to take it in my hands."

 

"No!" Minho shoots up from his seat at the statement with a horrified expression. He walks to Kibum's side and puts a hand either of his shoulders, pushing him down to sit. "You won't do anything. You'll just sit here and enjoy yourself and leave my life alone. Don't try to ruin it."

 

"I'll Minho or else-" He turns to the direction of Taemin's table but Minho's tight grip on his shirt isn't letting him go.

 

"No. Don't! I'm fine like this."

 

The elder doesn't says anything.

 

"Pretty please!"

 

Kibum only murmured a string of incoherent sentences about Minho dying alone and how he's just trying to be a decent best friend for once and his efforts are wasted. But, well. Minho isn't listening anymore.

 

His attention is turned back to Taemin again.

 

 

*

 

 

Minho takes the wrapper of his sandwich to the trash can whilst thinking about what Kibum just said. He may be right. He won't know anything if he doesn't try. Who dares wins. He looks up to search for his best friend but seems like Kibum disappeared somewhere. The only time he wants to tell him he was right, he's not here. Too bad, his problem. He glances last time at the boy who causes him serious heart ache. Crushing on someone . Especially someone as gorgeous as Taemin.

 

Minho walks out of the cafeteria, thinking how he should approach Taemin when all he did in these three year was to watch the blonde boy from a well hidden place. He finally out of the suffocating room and he's in the courtyard of the school, taking a large inhale to fill his lungs and clear his mind. He sighs and runs his slender fingers through his messy black hair, shivering as the chilly wind blows through his thin T-shirt.

 

It's good to have calmness around him just once.

 

But it soon disappears when he hears light footsteps coming to his direction, thinking Kibum actually made up his mind and followed him out. Maybe he doesn't want to ruin Minho's life at all. Maybe Minho misunderstood him and his intentions- and he might feel bad for trying to make Minho do something against his will. And now he's here to comfort him. Of course, he'll play on it, he wants Kibum to feel bad for leaving him alone in those 2 minutes while he walked to the bin.

 

He's so wrong.

 

"Hey!" Minho realizes when he hears the cheerful voice, all lovely and soft for his ears. The voice he's been craving to hear for years now. The voice he only exchanged one small talk about a lost Chemistry book. Minho turns back with wide eyes and his gaze locks with Taemin's one- and he's ready to run before he makes a fool of himself. "Minho, right?"

 

Minho just manages a dumb nod and he already feels his cheeks burning up. He's not used to shower in the attention of this flower boy.

 

"I heard you want to ask me something." Taemin continues casually like he hasn't noticed Minho being wordless (and breathless for sure) because of his presence.

 

"Me?"

 

"Yeah. Kibum told so." Minho is going to kill Kibum. "Or you don't? Maybe I just misheard."

 

"I-" Minho is torn apart. One side of him wants to tell Taemin that Kibum was joking or something along the lines but the bigger part of him wants to continue talking with Taemin a little bit more. Like this is his first time to do so, it would be really good if it takes longer. "I-I do want to ask you something!"

 

"What would it be?" Taemin smiles up at him, brighter than the freaking sun and Minho needs all his self-control not to let his brain go auto-pilot and burst out a confession. He needs to concentrate- he needs to make up a lie.

 

"Will you-" He mutters out, unable to think of anything when Taemin is right here, in front of him. He drifts his eyes from the boy in hope, he'll see something- anything- what can help him. "Will you-"

 

"Yes?" If it's possible, Taemin's eyes shine brighter than before, cheeks turning into pale pink. Minho is silently praying that the ground would slip and take him- then his eyes find a poster, advertising the prom.

 

Bingo.

 

"Can you teach me how to dance?" Minho blurts out, scratching the back of his neck. He's so nervous, he can't even look straight into Taemin's eyes. "There's someone I want to invite to prom and he dances really, really, really well. I don't want to make a fool out of myself."

 

Taemin's smile drops and a soft, breathy "Oh." leaves his lips. That's not what he was waiting for.

 

"If you don't want to, I'll understand!" Minho quickly adds, seeing the reaction, silently cursing himself to be that stupid.

 

"No! Of course, I want to!" Taemin declares as he plasters a smile back at his lips. He plays with the hem of his T-shirt, looking down at the ground. He needs to take things into his hands to succeed. "I just thought you want to ask something else."

 

"What?" Minho asks dumbfounded, clearly not getting the signal. Taemin presses his lips into a thin smile, lips curving in the edge but eyes not smiling and he shakes his head slowly. He's got no bravery to say it out so he just murmurs out,

 

"Never mind." He runs his tongue on his dry lips to wet them, trying to think of something he can break the awkward silence. "When do you want to meet?"

 

"I-It only depends on you." Minho looks away from the beaming boy, trying hard not to look obvious with his huge crush on him and the desire of his twitching fingers which want to touch Taemin's silky, blonde hair; run through his smooth skin; intertwine with the other's one.

 

"Prom is quite close. I advise to meet every second day after school."

 

"Sealed."

 

 

*

 

 

Minho looks down at his watch- he's 10 minute early. Good. He can't help but feel excited about all of this. Knowing well he won't have space to do so later, he doesn't even try to suppress his idiotic, lovesick grin on his face until the moment Taemin walks in- so he still has 10 minutes to stay like this. He quickly push back a few stray strand of silky, black hair, grunting because he still doesn't look good enough for Taemin.

 

Minho looks at his reflection on the mirror wall, cursing his choice of wearing this T-shirt with those jeans because they clearly don't match.

 

(But what could he do when he spent more than an hour to find something wearable, until the moment he realized he'd had 3 minutes till the bus gets going and he was just standing here in briefs- so Minho just threw on the two thing which were closest to him.)

 

He's about to search for someone as lanky as he is (maybe Chanyeol?) to switch his whole attire when the door opens and reveals Taemin in sweatpants and tank top, eyes widening as he sees that Minho is already here.

 

"Oh? You're early." Taemin utters with an amused expression, dropping his belongings on the floor, then push them away with his feet. It's clearly Taemin's habit and while he's a clean freak, he finds it adorable. Double standards very much.

 

"I-I was excited to come." Minho confesses, feeling fidgety all of the sudden. Taemin nods seriously, face blank while his gaze lingers a moment too long on the other's features. Minho watches as the golden boy's face turns into a bored one- is it a facade?- and he feels a pang in his heart since Taemin is hardly anything but bubbly around others. Does he- does he not like him even a bit?

 

"I don't even know why you need help with your dancing when prom is usually about grinding at each other." Taemin says while stretching his legs out, warming them up, doing anything but looking at the other boy.

 

"I want to learn waltz." Minho states determinedly as he spent all of his night what should he ask for to learn.

 

"Waltz? Are you serious? During the slow jams, most of the student body won't even be able to stand on their feet because of the spiked punch- and you're planning to waltz?"

 

"I-I know. But I don't want to drink that night. I want to enjoy every minute spending with him with a clear mind." Unaware, his lips curl into a tender smile. "You know how I'm imagining this? Outside. In the parking lot. Because it's too hot inside and outside it's just perfect with the cold breeze. The stars will shine, the streetlight will shine on us, the music will be heard outside softly and we'll hum along with it."

 

When he finishes, there's a moment of silence and then he turns to Taemin who is looking at him with an unreadable expression.

 

"I'm sorry. I was taken away." Minho awkwardly scratches the back of his head. See, he's just a loser in love, in the most awkward, most head-over-heels, cheesiest way possible.

 

"Wow, you're a hopeless romantic." Taemin says softly while a dreamy smile appears on his own plump lips.

 

"No. I just really like this someone and I want to make him a memorable night." The elder shrugs."Am I really that hopeless?"

 

"No, you are not." Taemin says with soft eyes and while he feels remotely bitter about the situation. He can't be angry at someone who makes Minho this happy- suggesting that it's not only a simple crush he has on this somebody. "This someone must be amazing."

 

"You'd be surprised."

 

For a few moment, silence falls between them.

 

On one hand, Minho curses himself for making a lovesick fool of himself in front of Taemin- totally ignoring the fact that he is one- and he just doesn't know what topic he should bring up to fill up the silence.

 

On the other hand, Taemin is deep down in his thoughts, not really realizing the heavy silence. He only does so when he looks up and finds his gaze locked with a big pair of nervous orbs. He clears his throat and plasters a smile on his face.

 

"Then uhm- let's start, I guess!"

 

Minho dumbly nods, not really sure what the blonde means by starting. He suddenly doesn't know what to do with his hands, he pulls them into a fist, then he relaxes it. He waits for Taemin to tell him what to do- but all the boy does is to finish his warming up. When he stands up, he looks a Minho with curious eyes.

 

"What are you waiting for?" Taemin asks and beckons the taller one to him. "One hand on my waist, one hand in my hand."

 

Minho stares at the reached out palm, feeling the way his soul leaves his body.

 

This is not good.

 

His own palms are sweaty and he clearly didn't think it through. He has to touch the boy and while every cells of his body are craving to touch Taemin, in the same time, he doesn't know if he's allowed to touch him- even if he allows it. He knows, he's being ridiculous. Taemin is a teenager boy- just like him- and not a saint, yet the thought of touching him scares the out of him.

 

But he needs to come over his fear before he makes a bigger fool of himself.

 

"Minho? I don't bite." Taemin jokes as Minho steps closer centimeter by centimeter. "Come on, how will you dance with your crush if you're afraid to dance with me?"

 

Minho grimaces.

 

He really has no clue.

 

Minho stops in front of Taemin, holding a good distance because he's not really sure about it. Truth to be told, right now, he's not sure about anything. The blonde boy watches the scene, truly entertained and chuckles when Minho won't step any closer.

 

Taemin rolls his eyes, and grips on Minho's T-shirt and pulls him closer until he thinks he's close enough. He misses the burning tips of the taller boy's ears.

 

"You're really shy, aren't you? You don't really talk much." The blonde looks up at him with lower lip jutting out while he observes- while Minho is pretty sure he's drowning in those dark, twinkling orbs.

 

"Kibum would say otherwise." Minho smiles halfheartedly. His best friend most likely would laugh into his face if he was here to see the whole scene. He'd make fun of Minho- and honestly, Minho wouldn't even protest. He's being an idiot right now.

 

"Oh? Then, is it just me?"

 

Minho doesn't reply because he's sure it'd surely give him away. Rather, he chooses actions over words and grabs the younger by his waist and takes his hand in the other. And then it happens. The moment their skins touch electricity runs through him- and judging by the expression the blonde has on, he feels it too. Taemin's breathe hitches as it happens and their gazes lock.

 

And Minho does the unthinkable.

 

He runs.

 

 

*

 

 

Minho runs through the extinct halls and bursts into one of the classrooms.

 

His heart is erratic, his mind is clouded and he's surely losing his remained sanity.

 

He collapses on the top of a desktop, trying to calm himself down from the crash of waves that are his emotions right now.

 

There's a stupid grin lingering on his lips.

 

 

*

 

 

Taemin stares at the door where Minho just rushed away and he doesn't know what to feel. He felt something burning up between them in that friction of second, yet he can't really name it. He likes Minho- that's a fact.

 

But he's not really sure if it's returned.

 

He thought that Minho likes him.

 

He's seen him the way he looks at him, like he's something precious, something very important. Something special. At least, it does make Taemin feel special.

 

But it turns out he was wrong all the way.

 

Taemin sighs, feeling emotionally and physically drained all of the sudden. He slides down to sitting position, face buried into his knees and hands clasping on his heart. The blonde boy is wondering if heartbreak feels like this- but it's stupid, Minho didn't directly tell him he can't return his feelings. Yet it feels like rejection.

 

Liking someone truly .

 

 

*

 

 

Minho comes back a bit later, an apologizing smile on his lips, as awkward as ever. Taemin doesn't ask why he ran away but he still tells a limitedly believable lie.

 

"I suddenly remembered that I left a book in the homeroom."

 

Taemin nods but doesn't say anything. He doesn't trust his voice enough to talk- he's afraid it'll crack and will give him away. It's funny how his friends call him coldhearted because they've never seen him crying but an incident like this can bring him the verge of tears- but he never shed them after all.

 

"Try again?" Minho reaches out both of his hands, the same smile still curls on his lips. He tries to make up his mind before another breakdown. The blonde boy takes his hand and the same happens- but Minho stays calm. Tries to stay calm. Taemin stops for a second as he stares into Minho's eyes, into Minho's soul searching for something the elder can't really grasp.

 

"Are you-" He starts but he changes his mind and purses his lips into a thin line.

 

"Hm?"

 

"Never mind." Taemin takes his other hand and leads it to his waist. They stand here like this, drowning in the silence but they don't really mind it anyway. Minho notices the way the blonde boy furrows his eyebrows and when he asks why, he gets the answer, "You're standing too far from me. If this is the way you'll hold your crush, it'll make him believe you don't like him."

 

"You think I don't like you?"

 

"You're distant with me. You don't talk, you stands too far and you just seem somehow- off." Taemin speaks softly, pulling his lips aside. Then he looks up at Minho. "You don't give me a reason to think that you like me even a bit."

 

"Please don't think that I don't like you. It's far from the truth. It's just weird." Minho tells slowly, dragging the words.

 

"Will you tell me why?"

 

"I'm not ready. Sorry."

 

Taemin thinks for a moment but then nods.

 

"I'm relieved." As the blonde boy sees the arched eyebrow, he continues. "That you don't hate me."

 

"I wouldn't ask for your help if I hated you in the first place." Hey, he starts to be better at this. Full length sentences without blushing, stuttering or looking aside. His lips curl into a cheerful smile- he suddenly remembers he's here with Taemin, he has to enjoy his sweet time with the golden boy. "So, tell me how to stand to not suggest you that I don't like you?"

 

Taemin mirrors his expression. The atmosphere changes between them when they don't try to look too deeply into the situation. Sometimes it's good to act careless. The younger grabs the other's waist and pulls him at least one step closer. Their bodies are centimeters from each other, closer than before. Sensing that Minho would move away, scurry back to his empty classroom where he can calm his poor, little heart down a bit, he tightens his grip so the taller can't move at all.

 

"Stay where you are. Don't step back." Taemin's hot breathe lingers on his neck- Minho realizes their perfect height difference. Kissing the boy seems too tempting.

 

"O-Okay." Minho mentally slaps himself for stuttering. Back to the roots. Blame the beautiful blonde boy for making him weird.

 

"And now, look at me." Taemin orders.

 

"I thought you'll teach me how to dance." The elder mutters mindlessly, gathering all of his self-control- so when he looks down, he won't give into the urge to kiss the boy.

 

"I will. But you need to have a solid base." Taemin states. "Now, will you look at me?"

 

"A-Aren't we a bit too close to waltz? I've seen a few video and they were never this close."

 

"For Pete's sake, Minho! We aren't preparing for a competition! I try to make it as romantic as I can but you're making it so damn hard!" The petite boy snaps at him with pouty lips and furrowed eyebrows and while Minho is utterly surprised, he finds him limitlessly cute. "Now, stay where you are and look at me!"

 

Minho obeys and locks their gazes- and then the magic happens.

 

Both of them burst out in giggles.

 

"I'm sorry." Minho says with a toothy smile.

 

"Alright, alright. Now, hands on me."

 

This sounds so wrong.

 

But Minho does what he was told to do, sneaking his arm around the slim waist and grabbing the smooth hand. This.

 

This is what Minho's been craving for.

 

Taemin is beautiful. Blonde hair messily curling here and there, giving a slight glimpse at his forehead. And here comes Minho's soft spot. Taemin's eyes. The dark brown bottomless pools which are twinkling with life. Softly arched nose and gorgeous, pillow like lips.

 

Oh, how he wishes he was able to capture them.

 

But not now, it's not the time.

 

"Minho," Taemin starts but never finishes it. Their bodies and faces are so close, Minho's scent alone makes him drunk and the warmth he gives off makes him lull into safety. If he stands on the tip of his toes, just a little bit, he would be able to kiss Minho.

 

But not now, it's not the time.

 

On the other hand, Minho somehow feels braver than ever- mostly because Taemin also stares at his lips, who knows what this means- so he leans closer, pressing their foreheads together.

 

"Is it okay to you?" Minho whispers, afraid if any loud noise would snap them out of this comfortable, harmless bubble.

 

Taemin just hums, approving it.

 

The boy closes his eyes and starts humming an unknown song- made up at the spur of the moment. They don't move, they stay like this- both of them too busy to calm their irregularly beating hearts and enjoying the moment. Truth to be told, Minho has never in his life- or in this few years prior- thought he would be able to be this close to Taemin. But he's here, so- so close. Even though the first time their skins have met and he ran away, this is like a 180 degree turn. It's calm, it's shooing for his soul.

 

Even if his heart beats so fast, he has never felt something like that.

 

Taemin's skin is just as soft as it seems and the warmth radiating from him makes Minho's mind spin. His scent alone could make him go crazy but this all, all of him- it's just overwhelming. Minho flutters his eyes open, just to find one pair already staring at him.

 

This moment is just perfect.

 

Like the one picture he detailed to Taemin.

 

But every dream has to end.

 

Minho's dream ends with an annoyingly loud ringing which fills the room and they jerk back, the momentary perfection slipping out of their hands. Minho breaths in and plasters a sheepish grin on his face as he watches Taemin to be so lost as he's suddenly not sure where he is.

 

"Won't you- won't you pick up?" He asks as he realizes it's not his ringtone and motions toward the source of noise. Flustered, Taemin just nods and rushes to his phone.

 

"Yes?" The blonde boy says into his mobile and immediately a loud scolding can be heard from the other side of the phone. His eyes darting at Minho and then back at the ground and turns away from him but the mirror wall does no justice for him- the taller boy sees him flush in a deep shade of red. "S-Sorry, I was caught up."

 

He waits a moment, while biting his lips.

 

"I'll be there in a second. Sorry again. Bye!"

 

Taemin sighs as he hangs up the phone.

 

"Got something to do?" Minho asks because he's a hundred percent sure the blonde forgot about his existence- and he's right, judging from the shudder. Taemin turns back to him with an unsure smile.

 

"Sorry, we need to halt our lesson. I forgot I'd promised Jonghyun to accompany him in the afternoon." Taemin says hurriedly as he packs his things into his backpack. Somehow Minho feels like their roles changed between them- while Minho slowly calmed down in Taemin's presence after the rather rocky start, Taemin became the awkward one between them after their so called 'dance'.

 

"Then I see you the day after tomorrow, I guess?" Minho can't help but ask.

 

"Look, I-" Taemin starts but not finishes, looking a bit troubled. Rather than finishing his sentence, he plasters an obviously fake smile on his face and nods like he hasn't said anything before. "Yes. See you!"

 

Minho waves but Taemin doesn't look back.

 

 

*

 

 

 

"Jonghyun!" Taemin yells at his impatiently waiting friend and runs toward him. The said boy looks at the nearing form of the blonde boy and rolls his eyes. There's no one around, why does he have to scream? "Jonghyun! I'm here!"

 

"Took you enough." Jonghyun murmurs and push his phone into his back pocket. The blonde boy stops, glad that he's actually wearing training clothes, his breathing is uneven from all the running. He grimaces as he tries to even it. "God, you seriously need to start exercising."

 

Taemin decides to let this comment slip.

 

"Sorry for being late, I was caught up-" The younger tries to explain himself but Jonghyun waves him off and nudges his side with his elbow.

 

"Yeah, yeah. I heard it. Busy being a lover boy, right?" He has a smirk on his face and his eyebrows do that weird thing which annoys the hell out of Taemin. The boy knows it supposed to be a friendly banter but somehow he feels his heart drop- because honestly, what was that? What was that between him and Minho?

 

It almost felt like they share the same feeling.

 

Almost.

 

Because rationally thinking-

 

"Minho- he likes someone, really, really much." Taemin mutters more to himself than to Jonghyun with a crooked smile and his friend doesn't miss the bitterness of his voice. Jonghyun pauses in his track and looks unbelievably at his friend. "I don't think I should continue staying close to him."

 

"W-Why do you think this?" Jonghyun furrows his eyebrows. He's taken aback because of Taemin's statement- he clearly remembers that Kibum and him change information about Minho's big, fat crush on Taemin and vice versa. Kibum's never told about a new development.

 

"He said it. He wants to bring him to the prom. The only thing I know is that he's a great dancer and surely makes Minho weak to the knees."

 

Oh.

 

So there's no development.

 

"You're a fool." Jonghyun states. When he sees Taemin puzzled expression, he continues. "You can't give up now when you're so close!"

 

"You don't understand it, Jonghyun! Even I don't understand it!" Taemin sighs and runs his hand through his luscious honey strands. "He likes someone else. I'm not sure if I want to continue like this with the knowledge he likes someone who's not me. I don't want to get my hopes up."

 

Jonghyun pats his friend on the shoulder in a comforting way.

 

His friend is an idiot.

 

Taemin looks at him with big, pain filled eyes and Jonghyun can't help but wonder if being in love is really that difficult with many, many hardships or they are the ones who makes it be. Fools in love, indeed.

 

"I'm happy I can be close to him- but I don't want to be the one who gets hurt in the end." Taemin thinks back to the intimate moment between them- when it was just him and Minho in their little world, with no other crush or difficulties. For Minho, it could be an opportunity to practice for the prom. For Taemin, it was more.

 

He's afraid falling deeper, only to be hit by the ground.

 

 

*

 

 

As for the next dance session, Minho tries not to stress over the slightest things. He can't really do that either since his mind is totally occupied by the thoughts of Taemin- his sense numbing scent, his soft skin, his warmth, his beautiful, beautiful eyes. He's ten minutes early again but he doesn't mind it. He has time to prepare his heart for the meeting.

 

He's tying his shoelace when he hears the door crack open and he can't help the big smile blooming on his lips. Yesterday made him feel like he has a chance with Taemin. It gave him confidence to maybe drop the question now or maybe in the next dance lesson, just to be a bit more with the boy.

 

He just hopes he'll say yes.

 

Minho stands up with a bright smile but the greeting dies on his lips.

 

It's not Taemin.

 

It's Kibum.

 

"What the ? What are you doing here?" The taller boy yelps, looking at his best friend like he's an alien and where is Taemin? He's seen Kibum all of his life, he wants to see- no, he right away craves to see- the blonde boy.

 

"Calm down, lover boy. I'm glad to see you too." Kibum says bitterly and rolls his eyes as usual. "Taemin had to stay behind to study because tomorrow he's having a test. He asked me to tell you he can't make it today."

 

"Where is he?" Minho asks as he grabs his backpack and walks to Kibum, waiting for an answer. His friend furrows his eyebrows, looking weirdly at him.

 

"In the library. Why?"

 

"Suddenly, I have to study too."

 

 

*

 

 

Taemin is apparently trying to figure out why he has to study Algebra, like he has no clue what's with the letters and numbers and what is that even? He's not the one to be considered stupid and neither a genius but he's pretty smart, except this. He has to sweat blood to get a B in this.

 

He puts down the book and rubs his eyes. He's tired and pretty sure he's getting sick, judging from the dull headache he's having now. He lays his down for a second to gather his remained energy.

 

"Hi!" Taemin's eyes shoot open at the voice. He's not really sure if he should pretend he's sleeping or look up- but he chooses the latter and looks up, to find Minho in all his glory standing in front of him, a cup of coffee reached out to him. He pinches himself under the table. No, he's not dreaming. "I hope you like latte?"

 

"Hi." Even Taemin is surprised how husky and tired his voice is and he takes the cup, offering a glad smile. "You're amazing! I really needed this!"

 

"Can I sit there?"

 

Taemin nods as he takes a sip, enjoying the hot beverage to slide down on his throat.

 

"What are you studying?"

 

"Algebra." Taemin whines, dragging the word while burying his face into his hands. He wants to learn this, he needs to learn this- but he can't learn this. Not now because he had a really long day and his mind is too tired to learn.

 

Minho scrunches his nose.

 

"I really hoped it's something I can help you out."

 

Taemin just shakes his head.

 

"Never mind. I wouldn't get it anyway." He closes the book. He'll get up early to look it through. "I'm sorry for neglecting our lesson. The second, right away."

 

"No problem. Your studies are more important." Minho lays his head on his hand, monitoring the way the blonde boy looks at him. He scans Taemin. His eyes are droopy, lips a little chapped and over all, he's a bit pale.

 

"I'm still sorry."

 

"Don't be. Anyway, prom is near. I'm just wondering, are you going with anybody?" Minho asks nonchalantly, like his heart isn't about to burst and he's not close to run away again- he needs to cut this habit.

 

"Hm? I've got a few invitation but I don't know if I'm going." Taemin says plainly. He doesn't really want to talk about it, especially not with Minho. Through this week, he's been asked time to time- over all six times- if he's free but he turned them down. He wants to go with Minho- if it's not him, he doesn't want to attend.

 

"Why?"

 

"The right one hasn't asked yet." Minho wonders what Taemin's heavy eyes on him means- if it's suggesting him to ask or to not. Being only 18 years old, his experience with flirting is quite the minimal.

 

Minho just hums.

 

Maybe he'll ask the next time.

 

 

*

 

 

 

Despite getting a bit closer- with baby steps but Minho doesn't really mind as long as he's moving forward- the dance lessons have become a bit more distant than the first one. Minho keeps his hands to himself or at least, the right places and Taemin doesn't tell him to come closer which the taller finds a bit odd but doesn't comment on it- even though, there's a huge difference between the first lesson and the following ones.

 

Second, third, fourth, fifth lessons come and go and Minho still hasn't asked the question yet.

 

He's not really sure if he ever will.

 

It turns out, Taemin is a great teacher because despite Minho is having two left leg and Taemin finding all of this unnecessary because he still thinks that proms aren't that romantic to waltz, he knows the steps and sometimes even earns a praise from the boy. Along the way, he lost count how many times he stepped on Taemin's toes but the boy didn't complain just told him to concentrate more- which is nearly impossible because hey, there's a beautiful boy to stare at.

 

On the end of the sixth lesson, Taemin looks at him with an uneasy and an unreadable expression which just makes Minho uneasy too. To the end of the dance lesson, Taemin stands a bit too far, feels a bit too cold and stares at the ground intensively- all of this makes Minho's heart miss a beat. The taller boy asks what's wrong.

 

"I think we should stop the sessions. You're doing just fine. Your partner will love it." His voice sounds sad but Minho's not sure if it's true or he just imagines it. But he decides it is sad because it's now or never- and he doesn't want to chicken out of the situation. Plus having Kibum to smack his head helped a lot.

 

("You are so stupid!" Kibum really smacks his head- the only one who's actually has the courage to hit him and he's the only one Minho doesn't hit back. He's a bit too intimidating. "Ask him already!"

 

"He's going to say no!" Minho whines, his face is buried into his pillow.

 

"He won't!"

 

"How do you know?"

 

"He likes you, you're just too stupid to notice it!")

 

"Truth to be told, I still don't have a partner." Minho scratches the back of his head, smiling sheepishly. His smile wavers as he looks at Taemin who deadpans but he doesn't let to get him. He feels his cheeks turn into red and he feels the burning in the tip of his ears but he continues- he needs to do this.

 

"What?"

 

"I haven't asked him yet."

 

"But there's like two weeks until the prom! What if he has a partner already?" Taemin furrows his eyebrows in confusion. All of his effort goes down like this? He didn't suffer with heart ache and sleepless nights for this.

 

"Trust me, he doesn't have one." Minho's eyes smile and twinkle with excitement. "I'm planning to ask him out now."

 

Taemin sighs and nods, he doesn't really know what to say to him. He tries to calm himself down and shoo his heartbreak- at least, he's expected this. He tries not to notice the stinging feeling in his eyes. No. He won't cry in front of Minho.

 

"I'll leave now." Taemin says and turns around.

 

"Oh, wait a minute."

 

The blonde boy turns back to him with expectant eyes.

 

"I wanted to ask you if you want to dance with me." Minho says in a light tone, fighting down his urge to laugh on the even more confused face he's making. Now, that Minho knows that the boy likes him, he feels light headed and happy, it's hard not to go and hold the boy close to him.

 

"You want to practice for the last time? I really need to catch the bus." Taemin reasons, why he doesn't want to stay here. He's suffocating, he doesn't want to be there. He needs to get out before he may or may not cry. Minho isn't helping at all.

 

"No, not really. I want to dance with you at the prom." The elder emphasize the last few word so they would catch the boy's attention. But in the same time, Taemin really looks like he has no clue what he's referring to. He runs through his golden hair with a frustrated look.

 

"But what if your partner will be jealous- oh." So Taemin does understand him. His eyes widen, mouth hanging a bit open, cheeks start flushing into a deep shade of pink as his mind registers the meaning behind Minho's words. He doesn't move for a few seconds, still trying to comprehend that oh my goodness, Minho is asking him out.

 

Minho chuckles.

 

"So- do you want to dance with me?" Minho repeats his question lightheartedly, entertained by the golden boy's antics. After all, after watching the reaction for his words, he knows the answer to his question.

 

What Minho hasn't expected to have Taemin clashed into his chest, arms sneaking around the taller boy's neck, pulling him into a tight, bone-breaking hug. He buries his face into Minho's chest so he doesn't have to face with him but the other can still feel the hotness of his cheeks through his thin T-shirt. Minho slowly, unsurely pats the blonde boy's head- and holy , his hair is as smooth and silky as he imagined!

 

"You are so stupid!" Taemin murmurs into his chest and pulls him a bit closer.

 

"Why?" Minho laughs freely. Is it a dream or the reality? The former, he's sure.

 

"You even have the nerve to ask me why?" Taemin lightly punches him, looking up at him with an intended angry expression but it comes out more pouty than he really wanted to. "I knew you liked me. But instead of asking me out, you managed to make me all confused and uncertain if you really like me or like someone else with this teaching . If I knew this, I'd have asked you out weeks before! I hate you!"

 

"I'm sorry." Minho sincerely says as he renders the hug, arms around the other- feeling how small and thin he is and how real all of this is. Hard to believe but real.

 

"You better be." The blonde boy says jokingly and after a moment of consideration, he stands on the tip of his toes- why is Minho so damn tall?- and breathes a kiss on the corner of Minho's mouth. Which makes the boy smile like an idiot. "But yes."

 

"Hm?" Still a bit light headed from the kiss, Minho only manages a low hum.

 

"I want to dance with you."

 

 

---

an// omgomgomgomg there were moments when even I cringed and you can imagine that. Long -originally, I intended to it to be 1-2000 words but it grew arms and legs. (At least for me, it's considered long.) Been writing this since May but somehow never managed to finish it.

Please comment and/or upvote if you liked it because I have no motivation to write if i get no feedback. (Sorry if I'm selfish)