I think this is a more light-hearted chapter and I had a lot of fun writing it, hope you enjoy!

Chapter 10

Key woke up later that afternoon with that uncomfortable jerk that comes from waking when you never intended to go to sleep in the first place.  Rather than a gradual release from sleep to wakefulness, it was more like a violent push into consciousness.

Suddenly very much awake, as well as very much disoriented, it took Key a minute to take in his surroundings before he realized that he must have fallen asleep on the couch.  Sitting up, he felt the blanket fall down his chest and pool at his hips.  It was the blanket from his bed.  Key smiled a bit and realized that Taemin must have gone and grabbed this from their room.  Taemin had been taking care of him more and more often lately.  Umma’s baby was growing up.

Wait –Taemin! Where’s Taemin?!  Key looked around in sudden panic, immediately awake and alert.  He knew that the dancer had been with him before he had fallen asleep.  This was not the time for him to be wandering around. 

Key’s heart raced as he threw off the blanket and jumped up from the couch.  He was planning on racing through the dorm, or through the streets, when he heard a murmur of voices from the kitchen.  Moving quickly he found Taemin sitting at the kitchen table, school books covering the table, and Minho and Onew sitting at the table as well, helping him out when he needed it, or talking quietly to each other when he didn’t.  Despite everything that was going on, Taemin still was a student and needed to focus on his homework and his studies.  He may be an idol, and have to act the part of the grown up a lot of the time, but it hit Key at that moment how young Taemin was.  He had taken on a lot of responsibility for someone his age – they all had – and despite what was going on in his personal life, something that would have thrown most students, he still had the presence of mind to focus on his studies.  Key knew that he was the older one, but he was also the more emotional one of the two.  More often than not, especially recently, Taemin was the voice of reason, and the one calming Key down.  The roles had reversed a bit.  Now Taemin was taking care of Key. 

At the moment, Onew was leaning over the table and helping Taemin with his English pronunciation.  Something about tricky vowel sounds that changed depending on their placements in the word.    

Minho looked up and saw Key standing in the doorway.  Minho snorted and ducked his head starting to laugh.  This caught the attention of Onew and Taemin who also looked up and saw Key.  Onew laughed as well while Taemin seemed to be trying to stifle his; rolling his lip inside of his mouth a little to try and hide his smile.

“What?” Key demanded.

Onew held his side laughing and gasped, “Your hair….”

While at the same time Minho snickered and revealed, “Your face…” with a pointed finger. 

“What?”  His hands going up and patting his face and head trying to figure out what was so funny.

Taemin just stood up and walked over to his hyung, he still had that little smirk on his face, but he grabbed Key’s hands and put them at his sides before reached up himself.  Key could feel Taemin’s fingers sorting through the mess his hair had become while he slept, which apparently included a stubborn section that didn’t want to remain down any longer if the slightly frustrated noise that Taemin made was any indication.  Key couldn’t get over the feel of Taemin’s fingers running over his head and scalp and closed his eyes to enjoy the slight message that he was receiving – all the while forgetting that their other members were there. 

Finally Taemin snorted out the laughter he was holding in and it seemed to break the spell that the room was under.  The laughs were renewed over by the table and Key’s eyes snapped open, seeing Taemin’s staring into his own with laughter and amusement dancing around in their depths.  “The couch did a number on your hair, but we’ve fixed that,” Taemin giggled, “but the fabric marks on your face are a different matter,” he laughed some more while gently placing his hand on Key’s cheek and ran his thumb along some of the offending creases.

Key pressed his lips together in something akin to annoyance, but still pressed his face into Taemin’s palm for a second before pulling away.

Pretending to be affronted, Key announced, “Fine!  I’ll just leave if you all want to be that way…” and with a dramatic turn, moved to exit the kitchen only to be held back by a tug on his hand from the Maknae. 

Minho couldn’t get over how normal the scene was.  It was just like the announcement had never happened.  It could have been any other day that the group had shared over their years together.  For a moment he forgot all of the drama and changes that their group had gone through and was able to just laugh with his friends again.  Looking around at the scene, it all seemed perfectly, amazingly normal. 

He came to the sudden sobering realization that things had always been this way; these two had always had this close relationship.  It wasn’t something that developed over time, but more like something that they had finally realized by themselves.  The only difference was that now they had a more accurate name to place on it.  Whatever changes he was thinking about, they were minimal and insignificant, because there had always been something between those two.  From day one, when they all met each other and the slightly over-bearing Kibum had attached himself to the shy Taemin determined to take care of him.  He couldn’t understand now why none of them had seen this coming.

Minho felt Onew’s hand on his shoulder and felt a slight pressure and Onew leaned forward.  Turning his head a little to see their leader, he could see in Onew’s eyes that Onew knew everything about the couple, but was also aware that Minho knew.  “Just seems right…doesn’t it?”  He asked with a fond smile being aimed towards the two.

Minho shared the smile; “Yeah…” he breathed out and turned his attention back towards the two who were always entertaining to watch. 

They saw Taemin trying and touch Key’s cheeks again and Key continually dancing out of reach, holding Taemin’s wrists and twisting about the kitchen.  The both we wearing wide smiles, their eyes sparkling with amusement and love.  Suddenly, Taemin pulled his arms back and since Key was holding the boy’s wrists, that pulled his body up flush with the dancer’s.  Key automatically blushed, which intensified when Taemin leaned forward and placed a swift peck to his cheek.

Key froze and his eyes darted over quickly to Minho at the table.  Taemin had followed his gaze, smiling at Minho and Onew and quickly moving back to Key, quietly, but loud enough for the others to hear, he stated, “Minho knows…he figured it out…”

Key let go of Taemin’s wrists but did grab one of Taemin’s hands and entwine their fingers together.  Looking over at the table, Key had a questioning look in his eyes.  He looked at Minho like a man on trail awaiting the judge’s verdict.

Minho was slightly surprised at that, Key always seems so strong and confident, but perhaps he was seeing the Key that Taemin saw.  One who was vulnerable.  Minho just smiled and said quite simply, “You know my PDA rule…” and everyone laughed.  Key smiled and actually broke in to a nervous laugh.  “But seriously, you take care of my little brother.” The athlete said in all seriousness. 

Key looked at Taemin with a level of fondness that actually made Minho ache inside, and returned a simple nod to Minho that explained everything.  “Don’t worry Minho, and you too Onew, I won’t let anything happen to him.”  Key squeezed Taemin’s hand a little and then, with a smile on his face, he pulled Taemin close to him and hugged him hard, placing his head on the boy’s shoulders and hide his face from the others, trying to stem the tears of joy that were threatening to fall. 

Taemin, knowing exactly what was going on without asking, just held him close and rubbed circles on his back.  They might be okay.