One-Shot blurb, no way in connection to previous one. 

More TaeKey fluff for RainStormRaider!

Taemin found Key on the couch, curled up in a ball, hugging his knees tight to his chest. Confused, Taemin dropped his school bag on the floor and took a step towards Key, only to halt when he saw the tears slipping down the older boy’s face.

“Key-hyung?”

Key’s eyes were glued to the television, but the older boy winced slightly at Taemin’s words.

Taemin then rushed to Key’s side, hurrying to sit next to the older boy and putting his arms around Key, hugging him and pulling him close, and he realized that Key was trembling slightly. What had happened?!

At the contact, Key slightly flinched, and then looked up at Taemin, and the tears that welled up and slipped down Key’s face hurt Taemin.

“Hey, what’s wrong?” Taemin whispered, searching the boy’s face for some sort of clue to why the hell Key was crying, and how the hell Taemin could get him to stop.

Key hiccupped slightly, and then let out another sob, shoulders wracking.

Taemin pulled Key closer and let Key cry into his shoulder, the tears wetting his shirt, and Key let out soft gasps, his soft cries leaving Taemin feeling helpless. Taemin kept his arms around Key, patting him slightly, trying to figure out what had left the boy in tears. No one else seemed to be home, so what had made Key simply start crying…

Taemin’s eyes found the television screen, and it was a rerun that was playing from last night’s show. Taemin frowned as the commercial came into play, and then repeated his question, as Key grabbed his shirt in his hands in a light grip, continuing to cry.

“What’s wrong, hyung?”

“He’s gone.” Key pulled back, face tearstained, eyes bloodshot, and lower lip trembling.

“Wh..what?” Taemin didn’t know what it was Key was talking about. Who was gone? Had Key fought with someone?

“He’s leaving, we’re lo-losing him,” Key gasped, hiccupping again as the tears continued to slip down his face, and Taemin hurried to brush the tears away from the beautiful boy’s face with his thumb, still searching Key’s eyes for some sort of hint as to what he was getting at.

“Who, hyung?” Taemin whispered, not wanting to see the boy cry anymore. It hurt, especially because he didn’t know why and-

“Jonghyun,” Key whispered, before burying his face in Taemin’s shoulder and letting out a shaky breath.

Ah. It clicked. Key must’ve seen the performance from last night – S.M Ballad. Jonghyun. Ah. Was that- was that…it was always Jonghyun.

Taemin pulled back from Key, looking the teary eyed boy in the eyes and forcing a smile, despite the resentment that had built up with the knowledge of how only Jonghyun could evoke such emotions from the older boy.

And Key let Jonghyun hurt him, over and over, despite the fact that the one who would never hurt him was right in front of him and why wouldn’t Key see that?

Taemin sighed as Key looked at him, tears still falling from those beautiful eyes that Taemin wished would never expel tears.  

“He’s leaving, we’re-we’re losing him, and-and, then we’ll- I’ll- I’ll lose him, I’m l-losing him, Taeminnie,” Key sobbed, continuing to hiccup and Taemin put one hand against the side of Key’s face, letting his other hand find Key’s hand and hold it.

“You won’t lose him, he hasn’t left us-“

“He has, though Taemin,” Key croaked out, continuing to cry. “I thought I lost him once, but- I can’t lose him again,” Key stressed, bowing his head and his shoulder shook with the sobs he was trying to hold back.

“Don’t cry, hyung,” Taemin mumbled, leaning forward and pressing his head against Key’s, unsure of what to do. “It’s okay.”

“I have no one, if not him,” Key whispered brokenly, looking up to meet with Taemin’s eyes, and the words cut through Taemin.

Was the older boy really that stupid?

Taemin didn’t hesitate, not this time, not the way he always did, and as Key swallowed the lump in his throat, trying to still his tears, Taemin leaned forward.

Taemin caught the older boy’s lips with his, and he felt Key intake breath sharply, presumably out of shock. Taemin didn’t pull away, but deepened the kiss, grabbing both of Key’s hands and continuing to kiss him.

It was an innocent kiss, not passionate at all, but gentle, soft, and Taemin felt the tears on Key’s face wet his own.

Key pulled his hands from Taemin’s light grasp and pressed against Taemin’s chest, pushing him back.

Taemin caught his breath and met with Key’s wide eyes briefly, before averting his gaze, feeling the blush creep up his neck. It had been impulsive, but Key had been crying over a boy that couldn’t care less, when he was right there and how many times had Key cried anyway-

“What was that?” Key breathed, softly, and Taemin snapped his gaze back up to meet with Key’s, uncertainly.

“I kissed you.” Taemin mumbled, suddenly regretting having done anything at all.

Key narrowed his eyes in confusion, frowning as well.

“Why?”

“Because…” Taemin swallowed, hating the confusion and disbelief in Key’s eyes, not sure how to get his point across. Key never really took him seriously anyway, half the time…

“You…what?” Key quickly reached up to brush away the tears, and continued to frown at Taemin in disbelief and what a relief it was that no one else was home.

“You’re always…crying over Jonghyun-hyung, and you always…make it seem as if he’s all you have…but…” Taemin swallowed again, and looked away from Key now, clenching his fists slightly. “But I’ve always been right here…for you. Always. And…I have no…” Taemin looked up at Key, meeting with the softening expression and his lips. “I have no intention of ever leaving you.”

Key blinked at Taemin, still looking dumbfounded.

“What?”

Taemin felt a rush of exasperation, and grabbed Key’s face in his hands, pulling him forward and pressing his lips against the older boy’s ones again, before pulling back, and looking Key in the eyes.

“I love you.”

Key blinked. Taemin let go of Key’s face, feeling his face warm up, and quickly got to his feet, only to have Key grab his hand.

“Really?” Key whispered, and Taemin paused, looking back to the boy who looked absolutely uncertain but more so curious.

Taemin smiled, feeling his eyes burn for some unfathomable reason,

“Of course, Key-hyung. I love you so much.”

And then Key had smiled at Taemin, a small smile, and Taemin couldn’t exactly read it.

But Key looked happy.

“I’m sorry, Taemin. I’ve been silly, haven’t I?” Taemin frowned at Key’s soft words, and the older boy got to his feet, stepping closer to Taemin and putting his arms around the younger boy’s waist, resting his head on Taemin’s shoulder. “Chasing after something when all I had was already here…” Key mumbled, and Taemin felt a warm sensation envelop his heart.

“Always here,” Taemin whispered, hugging Key back and holding him tightly.

And Taemin would always be.