“You’ll be dead in a minute!” Taemin snarled right at Key, forgetting his place as the maknae, “These are Nightlock, poisonous berries so toxic you’ll be dead before it even reaches your stomach!”

Key softened his glare at Taemin. So he was only trying to save his . Still glaring though because he after all Key was still older than him, some respect please! Especially in front of his boyfriend, how humiliating to be corrected by a younger.

This time Taemin totally saw the hurt in Key’s eyes. Jonghyun promptly raced to Key to check on him, holding his hand with a tight squeeze.

“I-I’m sorry hyung, I really didn’t mean to be rude. I-I just panicked.” Taemin looked at Key with his bright round eyes, playing some innocence into his face to soften Key.

Taemin looked down at his feet, his toes busy rubbing off each other.

“Taeminnie, it’s all right. You were trying to be helpful. Just remember to change that attitude towards Key, he’s your hyung no matter what.” Onew rubbed his palm on Taemin’s back, comforting him.

Taemin nodded, eyes still staring at his playing toes, feeling remorseful. Lips coming to a pout. He felt like he wanted to hide away into Onew, but he didn’t want to go into some stranger’s arms so quick.

It’s cute how he softened when Onew told him to. Normally he would’ve rebutted, since it was nowhere near his fault.

“Aigoo, Taebaby, I’m sorry. I just didn’t know, they looked so good.” Key started, walking away from Jonghyun’s protection towards Taemin to hug him, “I shouldn’t be so harsh, you’re so young. And you look so adorable when you pout!”

Key rubbed his right palm up and down Taemin’s back briefly, as if telling him that it’s all okay, he wasn’t upset. His mummy intuition.

“You’re a good boy, and I saw that you kind of miss your parents, ne?” Key looked into Taemin’s eyes and saw longing, “You can imagine me as your Umma and Jjongie as your Appa, we’ll take care of you! You’re too sweet and cute!”

“Key-hyung…” Taemin felt loved and gratified.

It really wasn’t because he missed his parents, he lived there for 19 full years and if anything it should be his parents missing him from him running around all the time, exploring and hiding in secret places only he knew of. It was just that today he met four new human faces, all being so kind and accepting to him he felt touched. He likes this relationship with people of his kind.

“Key-Umma!” Key corrected, voice sounding tender and loving, like a real Umma.

“Awwww now I have a baby, Taeminnie!” Jonghyun was satisfied of the happy ending.

Deep down he didn’t want people to give him nicknames. It made him feel weak, even his parents doesn’t call him those. But he really really liked the one Onew gave him. It made him feel all cute and doted on. He didn’t say anything though, not really wanting to hurt his new Umma and Appa.

Taemin’s eyes twinkled at his new-found parents.

After the fruits session, the sky already darkened. The 5 decided that they will just start the hunt tomorrow, when they could actually see what they are hunting and not walk into their own traps.

Since there was no technology, there was no lamps, no lights. The only thing that eased their eyesight was the brightly shining moon beam, coming in all the way from outer space into Taemin’s room, as strong as the morning sun.

Taemin let Jonghyun and Key sleep in his parents’ room. Since there won’t be space in his room, they were as good as Taemin’s parents, and the baby was sure his own parents wouldn’t mind.

The youngest respectful boy wanted to leave his bed for Onew hyung and Minho hyung, he himself would sleep in the wooden chair downstairs tonight.

Both the oldest and the youngest felt a hint of reluctance at such an arrangement, but also knew Taemin was just trying to be hospitable. Minho of course had no objection to this and lay comfortably on his side of the leaf-bed. He was pretty impressed by the comfort too, except for the occasional rustling and that icky banana smell. Onew laid still beside Minho, in the comfort of it all, his mind wandered to how uncomfortable Taemin must be crouching on the wooden chair trying to sleep. 

Aish jinjia, you readers are way to smart I can't even hang y'all off the cliff! Gosh. Right - Nightlock berries. The ones seen in The Hunger Games.

"You'll be dead in a minute!"

―Katniss, on the effects of nightlock

There you have it! Thanks for reading! ♥