No one said anything at breakfast. The only thing that could be heard was the clinking of metallic forks against the glass plates and soft chewing. It was awkward. Taemin didn’t like awkward. He looked over at his brother who was rubbing his temples. He looked like . He was wearing the same clothes from last night. His hair was messed up and he had dark circles under his eyes. Taemin could smell him from across the table. If Onew looked this bad Taemin could only imagined what he felt like.

Onew, however, knew exactly what he felt. His head felt like it was being spilt open. Every sound echoed 20 times louder in his ears. He wanted to puke. His body ached. But it was all worth it. As long he was with him he would put up with pretty much anything. He had been in town for a week and Onew was already head over heels for him.

Onew forced himself to eat so as not anger his parents anymore than they already were, but not before their dad noticed.

"See, Taemin,” Their dad said turning a page in the newspaper. “That’s why you shouldn't drink."

Onew rolled his eyes."Something on your mind?" Their dad asked catching Onew’s attitude.

"Yeah.” Onew said putting his fork down. “Why do you talk like you never drank before? If I remember correctly from mom’s stories, you were quite the party animal back in the stone ages."

Taemin looked at his food to keep from smiling.

"Yes, I know what alcohol can do, which is why I don't like seeing you do the same."

“I guess some of us learn better from self experience.” Onew shot back.

"Yah, just because you're no longer a minor doesn't mean you can do whatever you want." His Dad scolded. "As long as you live under my roof, you'll live by my rules, arasso?!"

“I’ll be out of here soon enough so don’t worry about it anymore.”

It was silent again. Like the calm before the storm. “Where did we go wrong with you?” The elder man asked narrowing his eyes. “Why can’t you be more like your brother?”

There it was.

“I’m sorry; I can’t be as perfect as him.”

His father ignored the elder’s responses. “I don’t want you hanging out with that bunch you call fiends. Some friends. All a bunch of alcoholics and drug dealers. You’re going to end up in jail because of them.”

Onew stayed quiet and stood up, no longer in the mood to shove food down his throat.

“Are you listening?” 

 “I heard you.” Onew said, walking over to the kitchen and tossing his plate into the sink.

“Where are you going?”

“To work." Onew groaned.

“Be sure to give Taemin a ride to school,” Their dad instructed.

“It’s okay, Dad. I can walk-” Taemin tried to say.

“No, Onew will take you.”

Onew didn’t say anything. Instead he just grabbed the jacket from behind his chair and headed out.Knowing Onew wouldn’t wait for him, Taemin finished off his banana milk and placed his plate in the sink.

"Bye mom. Bye dad.” Taemin said quickly giving them both kisses before running after Onew.

The car ride was quiet too. Neither brother said anything. They didn’t have a lovey dovey hyung and dongsaeng relationship the way people thought, but they didn’t hate each other either.Since little they were inseparable, but as they got older, they drifted apart. Onew had started hanging out more and more with his friends, leaving Taemin behind to his studies.

As the years passed Onew picked up a lot of bad habits. He stared getting in trouble at school, fighting, stealing, drinking, and smoking. It didn’t take long for him to build up a bad reputation.

While Taemin did the exact opposite. Every other day he would come home with 100% on his test or an award of some kind, he was involved in every club you could imagine and apparently had a secret talent for singing and dancing.

Everyone knew who Taemin was.

Everyone knew who Onew was too, he was everything Taemin wasn’t.

Despite how people saw Onew, he loved Taemin. What a lot of people didn’t know was that a lot of the fights Onew was in, was because of Taemin. He refuse to let any of the older kids pick on him when they were younger.

Onew knew Taemin was favored when it came to his parents. He didn’t really mind. With the way he had turned out, he couldn’t really blame them. He just wished his parents would do him the courtesy of not showing it whenever they were both around.

"I'm sorry," Taemin said breaking the silence.

“For what?” Onew asked

“I should’ve walked you to your room last night. Then maybe you wouldn't have gotten caught.”

"Don't worry about it,” Onew smiled. “I brought it on myself honestly."

"Dad didn't mean what he said,” Taemin said.

Yeah he did.Onew thought to himself “Yeah, you're right. We bump heads all the time. He’ll get over it.”

Onew pulled into the parking lot of the school. "Study hard," Onew chirped as Taemin got out of the car. "Lord forbid, you end up like me."

"Hyung, if I'm ever to turn out like anyone I hope it's you… except, you know…smart." Taemin joked.

“I don't know whether to take that as a compliment or an insult,” Onew smiled.

“Both,” Taemin smiled back.

“Need a ride after school?” 

“Nah, I’m gonna go to the movies with Kai and D.O.”

“Oh Tae, do me a favor and call my phone when you get a chance. Tell whoever answers that

I’ll be by later to pick it up.”

“Arasso.. and hyung?”

Onew looked at Taemin with soft eyes, but Taemin couldn’t bring himself to say those 3 words.

“Never mind. I’ll see you at home,” With that Taemin closed the door and watched his brother drive away.

I love youwas what Taemin really wanted to say. He wanted Onew to know. He needed his brother to know, but at the same time he just couldn’t bring himself to say it. They weren’t those kind of affectionate showing brothers.

Taemin loved his brother and because of that he was worried about him. Onew not only had a bad reputation, he was also known for self harming. No one knew. No one except Taemin.

Taemin knew how Onew used to cry himself to sleep at night, how there were days on end when he wouldn’t eat.  Taemin never said a word. After walking in on his hyung slitting his wrists one night, Onew made his swear to never to tell a soul.

Every night he would kneel at his bed and pray that Onew would stop and he did...for a while. But that didn’t make the scares on his wrists go away.

Taemin also knew that there was someone Onew was head over heels for. Call it what you wanted. To Taemin it was just brother intuition and seeing some of Onew’s text messages when Onew wasn’t looking. Taemin had never seen his hyung so happy.

The day went by fast. Taemin did his best to pay attention in class, but his friends were no help. They were goofing off and giving the teacher a hard time.

The last bell of the day rang and everyone was let of the prison called high school. Taemin made his way down the steps, but stopped and pulled out his phone. He remembered he had to call Onew’s phone.

Taemin hoped whoever answered wasn’t a creep. He pressed the green ‘call’ button and held his breath.

Malkom’s Note
Chapter 2~ No this isn’t !
I realized that I might have come off like that a bit but it’s not lol
I am thinking about writing 2min however but idk yet
Not much to say about my life for those that care, but
I’m thinking about making an official comeback :D
We’ll see tho~ ♥
comments are loved!