Key stood at the porch of Taemin’s house in the morning, the straps of the shopping bags digging into his hands. He had been shocked when Taemin had run out of his house crying! He was upset at making Taemin upset- the boy had lost his entire family, of course he would be sad. He shouldn’t have expected to be happy and sociable. He felt so bad and he wanted to make Taemin feel better.

And he knew Taemin had felt better when Key had told him he could have his clothes- those eyes had sparkled and widened in amazement. That was the starting point that Key clung on to. Clothes made Taemin happy yesterday. Hopefully they would make him feel better today.

He rang the door bell. Taeyeon opened the door.

“Hi Key. What can I do for you?” asked Taeyeon warmly, smiling.

“I’m here to drop off the clothes I was going to give Taemin yesterday. He ran off without taking them but I know he wanted them and he said he didn’t bring much clothes over. Can I.., see him and maybe talk to him?” asked Key hesitantly. “I feel so bad. He was so upset…”

“I know. He’s just having a rough time. I hope you understand,” sighed Taeyeon. “Sit down on the couch and I’ll go see if he’s up.”

Key sat on the couch and let go of the heavy bags in relief as Taeyeon climbed the stairs.

“Taemin?” said Taeyeon said softly, pushing open the door.

She smiled when she saw Taemin sleeping on his stomach, snuggled up in his blanket, his face partially hidden in the pillow. His mouth was slightly open and his eyes were closed as he breathed deeply and regularly, his arm resting next to his face. Taeyeon couldn’t help thinking that he looked so cute and innocent, like a little baby.

“Taemin, Key’s here to see you,” she said. Her smile only grew wider when Taemin made no response, obviously still fast asleep.

“Have a good sleep, cutiepie,” she chuckled as she closed the door, wondering if Taemin could hear her in his dreams.

“He’s still asleep,” said Taeyeon to Key. “You can leave the bags here if you want and see him later.”

Key scowled. He bet Taemin didn’t want to see him and had made Taeyeon say this.

“But it’s 10am,” said Key. Everyone was up by 10. Taeyeon was definitely lying. Taemin must be mad at him.

“Well, he’s still in dreamland,” laughed Taeyeon.  “I talked to him but he didn’t wake up, but I don’t have the heart to do it. Is it okay if you come by a little later?”

Key hesitated. “Sure,” he said. Well, he had to say it. “Make sure you give Taemin these clothes.”

“Okay, see you!” said Taeyeon as she walked Key out the door.

Key felt unsatisfied. He had not completed his mission of seeing Taemin. Was Taemin still sad and angry because of him? He needed to see that he hadn’t done anything wrong, and if he did, he wanted to make it right immediately. And he must have done something wrong if Taemin had made Taeyeon lie to Key so that he wouldn’t see him. Did Taemin not like him?

Key felt a sort of dread build up in his stomach. Normally, he couldn’t give a about what other people thought about him. But Taemin… Taemin was different. Those large, sad eyes. That beautiful face, that slim body. Key wanted to know what made Taemin sad and make him feel better. Key wanted to know why Taemin had a bandage on his hand, and on his chest, whether it hurt, and make it stop hurting. He wanted to know what Taemin liked, what Taemin hated, who Taemin was. He had lain awake at night thinking about what sort of things Taemin would like. Did he like the colour blue and was a mellow, chill person? Did he like the colour red and was a fiery, vibrant person?

He had never felt this sort of attraction, and this sort of obsession, to anyone else before. And on their first proper meeting where they nearly could have gotten to know each other, Key had blown it and made Taemin run out of his house crying. He had made his crush run out crying!

Yes, he had a crush. And it had only been 3 days. Key hated himself sometimes. But he couldn’t let this carry on. He had to make things right with Taemin. Taemin had to forgive him, or else Key could not be close to him again.

Key decided to be bold and go into Taeyeon’s back yard to see if he could see Taemin’s window and to try talk to him.

He felt like he was breaking so many laws when he walked briskly into the yard, and could see Taeyeon’s washing line. It looked like an ordinary back yard, with a tree and some flowers. But this was not what he was looking for.

He craned his head and he could see two windows. One had light pink curtains and other’s curtains were drawn. Both had little balconies, so they had to be bedrooms- Taeyeon’s house was pretty much built like his was.

Key could see a little wooden fence thing that normally people used to grow their roses on underneath the balconies. But Taeyeon hadn’t used it.

Key couldn’t believe what he was considering doing. Wasn’t this breaking and entering? And what would happen if he fell and got caught?

YOLO, he thought to himself, reaching at the wooden fence and beginning to begin his climb up it. Several times he thought he was going to fall. His heart was beating so fast. This was so illegal.

His hand found the balcony and he pulled himself up, puffing slightly.

He hesitated at the French windows. He was going to break in! Giddily, he undid the old lock- he was always good at puzzles- and pushed the windows open silently, parting the heavy curtains, noting the silence.

Oh dear.

Taeyeon hadn’t been lying after all.

Key stared at the lump lying on the bed, brown hair messy on the pillow, sleeping breaths the only noise in the bedroom.

Key tried not to breathe as he tip toed to look at the lump better.

Damn, he’s hot were all the words that were running through his mind. Taemin looked adorable asleep. Key kept staring at Taemin’s face for what felt like minutes, feeling awkward and slightly erted but safe because Taemin was asleep.

And then all of a sudden, as if a switch had been flicked, Taemin started to move. Key stood rooted in fear as Taemin woke up, shuffling and stretching underneath his blanket. His eyes were still closed but they wouldn’t be for long. Key did not know what to do.

Taemin knew that Taeyeon had come into his room and talked to him, but all he remembered was that he couldn’t hear Taeyeon properly and he couldn’t open his eyes or wake up. He could practically feel himself asleep, and it had slightly amused him to think that he had actually slept through someone talking to him. He wondered if he would sleep through someone breaking into the house and stealing his stuff. He opened his eyes slowly, fluttering his eyelids, still drowsy.

“Aaaaahhh!” he screamed, his voice still not working properly from sleeping and scratchy. “What???”

He had woken up to find Key in his bedroom staring guiltily at him with his mouth open. How long had he been there? What was he doing here?

“I’m so sorry I’m so sorry,” blubbered Key, looking shocked himself.

“What are you doing here???” asked Taemin, his heart beating from the fright.

“Um, um, I thought you were mad at me and when Taeyeon said you were still sleeping I thought she was lying and so I came here to talk to you but you were still asleep,” explained Key quickly, trying to make it sound less creepy.

Taemin stole a glance at his bedside clock. 10:15am. It was still early! What was Key talking about?

“It’s 10:15! I don’t wake up until noon! What.. what?” Taemin was so confused. Why was Key here again? “Why would I be mad at you?”

“I just wanted to make sure you were okay after yesterday. I gave Taeyeon the clothes I was going to give you. I just wanted to talk to you,” said Key, flustered.

“You gave noona the clothes,” corrected Taemin sleepily. “I don’t want to talk. I am going back to sleep. But you can stay here if you want.”

“What?” asked Key.

“Goodnight hyung,” said Taemin, closing his eyes and rolling onto his stomach again.

“What…what should I do?” asked Key again into the silence. He was lost.

Taemin sighed. He wanted to go back to sleep, and Key needed to be quiet.

He was shocked when he felt a hand on his back, rubbing him. Taemin hadn’t been touched so intimately by someone he barely knew, but Key’s hand was big and warm, and the rubs were firm and soothing, and it felt nice. He was used to skinship, so he let it slide.

Key had always been a touchy feely person and it had felt natural to just reach out and rub Taemin’s back. Taemin’s shirt was warm from being slept in for so long, and he let his hand creep up. He played with Taemin’s hair, gently smoothing it into place.

Taemin liked this too. It felt nice, Key’s fingers combing through his hair. He always liked it when people played with his hair, but he had never let anyone apart from his family do it. Once, a girlfriend had tried and he had flinched back violently. He wondered why he let Key.
“Your hair is so soft,” he heard Key say soothingly. “I like the colour.”

Taemin dozed while Key continued to his hair. He didn’t realise he was asleep until he heard footsteps outside his door, jarring him awake and causing Key to stop his actions.

“Come to the mall with me,” Key said. “I should go now.”

“I don’t know,” he said.

“Please Taemin. I’ll ask Taeyeon if she’ll let me. I want you to come.”

“I don’t know,” said Taemin again, watching Key walk to the window.

“Please. I’ll drive us. And I’ll ask Taeyeon. Please! Hopefully I see you soon,” he said, walking out to balcony,.”Bye!” called out Key before closing the window.

Taemin wondered if what just had happened was real.

They sat in Key’s car in awkward silence. Key felt bad that he had practically forced the younger to come, and thought maybe he was being annoying.

“So, what’s your favourite colour?” asked Key sunnily.

Taemin didn’t answer, staring out the window at the powerlines.

Key wondered if Taemin hadn’t heard the question or was ignoring him, and was wondering whether he should repeat it or just shut up.

“Blue,” said Taemin finally. “Like the ocean.”

“Not red?” asked Key, trying to be friendly. “I thought you were a red sort of person.”

Key kicked himself for sounding like a stalker and was surprised when Taemin shuddered.

“Not red,” said Taemin quietly.

Key chewed his lip, stealing glances at the boy who was resting his chin in his hands and brooding out the window.

Taemin walked close to Key when they went to the mall, staring wide eyed at all the people.

“There’s so many white people,” he said in amazement to Key. “It’s like a movie.”

Key smiled, liking the way Taemin was pressed into his side. Maybe Taemin was the type that found it hard to open up to new people.

“Let’s go shopping!” exclaimed Key. “You have to go to school soon. We need to get you a new wardrobe!”

“Holy ,” panicked Key. “Holy, holy, holy .”

He had lost Taemin.

He craned his head around H&M, trying to spot the boy. But he couldn’t see anyone that looked like Taemin. Oh God. What was he going to tell Taeyeon? How was he supposed to find him? Heart pumping, he ran out of the store, surveying the mall. Where should he look? Taemin had followed him nicely until now. Where could he be?

He ran back into the store.

“Hey, did you see a Korean boy, skinny with brown hair?” he asked a retail assistant.

“That one over there?” said the girl, pointing at someone across the mall.

Key squinted and relief swam through him as he recognised Taemin’s back in front of another store.

“Thank you,” he said before sprinting over to Taemin.

“Yah, I nearly lost you!” he scolded in Korean when he reached Taemin.

“Mianhae hyung,” said Taemin looking at him with big eyes. “But look, there’s a poster of Micheal Jackson!”

“You like Micheal Jackson?” asked Key. That was weird. He never thought Taemin would like that sort of music.

“And a poster of Korn! And Linkin Park, oh my god...”

Key followed Taemin into the music store, watching Taemin flip through the posters in the frames.

“Taemin, pick what you want and I’ll get it for you.”

“It’s okay hyung,” said Taemin. “I’ve never had a poster before. I don’t need one.”

“Well, there’s a first time for everything. But you have to promise me something.”

“What?” asked Taemin, absentmindedly.

Key grabbed his hand to get his attention and Taemin snapped his eyes to Key.

“What?”

“You have to stay with me. Don’t wander off again. Stay with me, arrasso?” Key asked forcefully, staring into Taemin’s eyes to try drive the point home.

“Neh hyung,” said Taemin already distracted, pulling his hand out of Key’s grasp.

A/N I really want to get to the good stuff already but sigh, have to establish characters and everything before we can get into the juicy! And we know Taemin is going to break his promise aren't we.

Sorry for the long time it took to update! So so busy :X

I promise to update sooner next time! Please comment and tell me what you think! :)