The simplest things are the hardest to deal with: this is something that Taemin earnestly believes. Waiting for the new school year to start and then, once it does there’s school work. Something which had required hard work, dedication and all that stuff parents rave about is a breeze; he’s finishing his homework with enough time to go for some noraebang. Separating from Minho, who’s burning eyes follow him, leaving trails of charcoal in the wake of his gaze. Becoming friends with Jinki, and eventually telling him how much he goddamn loves him is simple-- all it takes is a few words, but Taemin’s lost count of how many times those words have made him choke.

 

He still follows Jinki around, who now cracks smiles at him and calls him ‘his lost little puppy.’

 

Taemin can do puppy.

 

Yeah. He can do puppy.

 

...

 

 

 

Jinki easily discovers that he’s the sentimental type. This isn’t a new discovery, but he’s more anxious than usual for the nest in the tree next to his house. He wants to hear them chirping early every morning and use them as his alarm clock. He feels saddened when a little girl pulls tulips from the park’s garden beds. He sees their roots come up and he winces- the actions of kids can be wasteful. So wasteful. But she’s happy and Jinki’s conflicted.

 

He kind of wants to ask Taemin all sorts of questions. Like: what’s the point of beating him in their exams? What happened with Minho over their brief break before the renewal of school? Coke or pepsi? But he refrains himself, because Taemin doesn’t look like he wants to be asked.

 

 

 

 

Even though it’s really important to Jinki that Taemin drinks pepsi, because he thinks coke is gross. He’s not sure if they can remain friends if he drinks coke.

 

...

 

 

Studying together at a picnic table underneath the green branches of an old oak turns natural. Going home together takes more time, but as days grow longer and the more easily their smiles come, it too turns natural. Taemin sees Jinki’s room and finds himself right: Jinki’s room is an exhibit of who Jinki is. Plastered with soccer posters of various soccer players (Taemin asked Jinki about them and since his face lit up so much, Taemin asks him about a new poster every time he’s there), the room is also the right amount of existence. It’s not messy; it’s not organized; it exists in and of itself. There are books haphazardly piled on his bookshelf and half of his desk is occupied by a couple pencils and then a disorganized pile of papers. There are no clothes on the floor and Taemin spies an overflowing trash can in the corner.

 

Yeah. It’s Jinki alright.

 

Jinki, however, doesn’t even think about Taemin in his room or what it could possibly signify. He glances, every now and then, out his window. The honey locust tree that he, to be honest, can’t stand, now shades Minho’s desk. Sometimes he sees Minho there and he has trouble swallowing, because their time has passed and it’s hard to accept that. It’s hard to leave- what? His whole childhood? How can he leave that behind?

 

He probably can’t. When he plays soccer, Jinki tries to implement strategies he once had with Minho, but it doesn’t work as well as it once did. Because, well, Minho doesn’t play anymore and no one else on the team thinks like he does. No one else knows Jinki’s tells like Minho.

 

Jinki categorizes this as missing Minho.

 

 

...

 

College is approaching for their entire class and Jinki figures that this is as good a time as any to seriously start think about his future. College had never crossed his mind as anything more than a momentary thought to toy with, but now his parents are asking about how the application process is going, his teachers are desperately trying to make him apply to the upper echelons of colleges and Taemin, his new friend Taemin, is asking because he wants to attend the same college.

 

They can both get in to where ever they apply, Jinki’s sure. The problem is knowing where to apply. He also doesn’t question Taemin’s following him, considering it natural that of course they go to the same college. Aka, Taemin has successfully replaced Minho.

 

Maybe he’s successfully left his childhood best friend (who ditched him for who know’s what) and has moved on.

 

 

 

This is besides any point that Jinki can think of, but Taemin has a nice smile. It makes Jinki smile.

 

...

 

Taemin is tired of waiting; he’s never the most patient person. He wants to reach across the scant inches between their hands and hold Jinki’s square hands with his; he wants to press kisses to his cheeks and mouth and everywhere else. He wants to walk down streets in wintry London, an umbrella in Jinki’s hands in case of rain and they’ll take a boat across to France and stand in awe of the Arc de Triomphe, not the Eiffel Tower. They might go to Spain, to Barcelona, but Taemin’s not sure yet. Maybe Italy, go down to Tuscany and spend a week touring wineries. Maybe longer; maybe Taemin wants to get lost in Jinki while tipsy and they could spend forever in sunny Tuscany with rolling hills and tall, tall trees and sunsets with glasses of red wine, the liquid’s color spilling over the room as the light shines through.

 

He’s pretty sure that Jinki is much steadier than him and would be happy going to Jeju, or Japan if he’s feeling really crazy.

 

...

 

They hold hands naturally one day, Jinki pulling Taemin out of the street when it wasn’t time for them to cross yet. Jinki doesn’t let go and hell, Taemin’s not going to let go either.

 


When Jinki notices that they’re still holding hands and the giddy half-smile on Taemin’s face a block from his house, Jinki can only smile back. Because it feels right, you know?

 

He tells himself not to feel bad when he sees Minho watching them, standing at his mailbox at the other end of the block. His face is, as always, inscrutable. Jinki would like to ask him how he feels, but he’s felt for a long time that Minho has not exactly cared about how Jinki feels about anything. And that hurts. Jinki has Taemin now, and Taemin listens to him ramble about soccer and doesn’t mind trying to learn. Of course, he’s not as good as Minho, who was fiercely competitive and better than Jinki. But he’s getting there.

 

Their relationship is comprised of more than proximity and soccer too. It’s a mixture of soccer, school, tulips, cookies with milk, Charles Dickens and how they’re the same height.

 

 

 

 

...

 

 

 

They apply to college, they get into college and then it’s graduation. They’re standing outside the gym, all dressed up for the ceremony. Taemin is standing right next to him, and as Jinki glances over, he smiles widely. Jinki smiles back.

 

 

Jinki would like to categorize this as somewhere between love and a growing fondness for Taemin.

 

Right now, he’d like to kiss Taemin, but he’ll save that for later. For college, when they’re out on their own and no one will know the hours they’ll spend with each other in their rooms, doing god knows what. He’s looking forward to it.

 

By the look in Taemin’s eye, he is too.

 

 

 

....

 

and this is the end. thank you all for reading! I've been writing for a while, but this has been my first time posting on aff. again, thanks ^^