[Note: This is not edited as of yet. As of when it will be is unclear, but this note will be removed when it has been edited.]

Monday came too quick for Taemin's liking. He honestly wanted to avoid school all together, but being that he stayed with Kibum this weekend,  he had no choice but to go. Thankfully, Kibum's mother didn't mind covering up any visible bruising before Kibum and he left for school. It saved from a lot of people talking about them, or Minho seeing them. But it didn't keep people from noticing the much too visible swelling that his face has accumulated.

Especially his schools counselor, Mr. Cha Hakyeon.

Taemin sat in the chair across from Mr. Cha’s desk answering his questions diligently. He knew counselor’s all too well. They were quick to assume, had no shame when it came to digging too deep into your personal life, think that they know exactly what is wrong with you or with place blame on you and will almost always assume that every bruise on your body is caused by one of your parent’s. 

He should know. He has been in Mr. Cha’s office over a dozen times since he has been coming to this school and it’s either been about a new bruise or about the plenty of visits to his middle schools’ counselor.

“Be honest with me,” Mr. Cha says through his teeth, “are you being physically abused by one or both of your parents?”

“For the last time, Mr. Cha,” Taemin deadpans, “I got into a fight with my brother over something stupid. He stole something that belong to me, and didn’t give it back like I had asked, and it resulted in my face looking like a balloon.”

Mr. Cha balled his fist until his knuckles turned white. “And that’s it? That’s the story that you’re going to stick to?”

Taemin nods. “Can I go now? I have English first period and I don’t want to miss it.”

Mr. Cha heaves a sigh of frustration and motions for him to go. Taemin smiles with a bow and leaves the office, only to find Kibum with his ear against the wall. Kibum looks over at Taemin slowly and laughs awkwardly.

“I was just… ...cooling myself down with the coldness of this wall here.”

“Hyung, it’s twenty degrees outside. If anything, you’d be freezing your off.”

“I get hot sometimes, okay?”

“I’d agree if I didn’t see goosebumps on your arm.”

Just as Kibum was going to respond, the bell rang, and loads of kids started to slam their lockers in a rush to get to their first classes on time. Kibum sighed and heaved his backpack over his shoulder and looked as if he was praying that he made it through the crowd of pushing teenagers. Taemin, however, didn’t move. He was too focus on the worried face at the other end of the hall. 

“Come on, Taemin,” Kibum urges and grabs the youngers hand. “We are going to be late if you don’t move.”

And Taemin lets Kibum drag him along when he doesn’t make an effort to start walking himself. 

•

Lunch came faster than Taemin expected. It was like he was in class one minute and the next minute, it was lunch. He made an effort to avoid the cafeteria all together, completely skipping lunch. It's not that he wasn't hungry, he just didn't want to run into Minho or possibly being seen by him in there. So he decided to hide in the library until lunch was over.

But of course he failed in not being found by Minho.

"Hey," Minho greets, unimpressed by Taemin's avoidance. "Not hungry?"

Taemin shrugs, though, his stomach is screaming 'yes.' "How did you know that I would be here?"

"I seen you come in here."

"Oh."

"What happen to your face."

"I fell," Taemin answers flatly. 

"Bull."

Taemin felt like he was going to cry. How could he just come out with what happened and why? He couldn't. He couldn't risk anymore horrible outcomes. And if he told Minho of the reason behind his face, he could possibly lose him, and he just couldn't chance that. Minho was everything to him.

"I did fall," Taemin says, only going as far as telling half of what was really true. "I wasn't watching where I was walking and I fell. And it so happens the I was near some stairs too."

Minho stared at him, clearly not believing a word that he was saying. "Stairs did that to your face?"

"They don't have carpet on them. What do you think?"

"I think," he leans in close to Taemin and whispers, "that someone did that to your face."

Taemin was done talking; not specifically to Minho, just to people in general about his face. He was tired of his face throbbing when he replays the images of him getting his by his father in his head. He just wanted to be left alone, but Minho was making that impossible for him. So he gather up what little of his things that he brought with him to the library, got up, and turned to leave. If he couldn't avoid Minho, he simply would ignore him until he stopped asking about his face.

•

Ignoring Minho seemed a lot easier when he thought about it in school. Well, it was easier in school because he didn't have to see Minho but twice. But he also forgot that Minho made it a ritual to walk him home after school. It was nice, don't him wrong, but he wasn't feeling up to having a conversation with him or anyone really.

"Did some do it," Minho asks while they wait for the light to turn green, signaling that it was okay for them to cross the street. "Do I need to kick his sorry ?"

Taemin just shakes his head and continues to walk when the cars stop. 

Minho follows closely behind him. "Was it someone at school?"

"A lot of people are too afraid to do this to my face because they know that we are dating."

"Then who? Who beat the out of you?"

“My dad did, okay?” Taemin shouted at him and it honestly felt good. Just to shout and let out at least some pent up frustration - felt good. Taemin began to walk faster and faster, eager to get home before Minho continued to talk about this any further. But it unfortunately did work out like that. When Taemin sped up, Minho did as well and grabbed Taemin by the wrist, forcing him to turn around and face him. Taemin just stood there and took in how angry he looked. “What?”

“Your dad did that,” he asks, almost as if he wanted it to be a lie. “Your face looks like that because he beat you?”

“Yeah,” he answers and pulls his wrist from Minho’s grasp. “This was all my dads doing and I didn’t lie when I said I fell down the stairs. I just didn’t want to tell you that he was why I fell down them. Nor did I want you to know that he did this or that you kissing me was the reason for it.”
Minho looked mortified as he finally realized and took a few steps away from Taemin. “He seen us.”

“Yes, he saw us.”

“Taemin, I’m-”

“Hyung, don’t. It’s not your fault that my father is an abusive that hates the idea of his son kissing someone of the same . It’s not your fault that that he so happen to come home earlier that night. It’s not your fault, okay?”

But he could see that Minho didn’t believe it and Taemin, himself, felt bad for even thinking for a second that it was, indeed, his fault that his father lashed out on him. But even if the both of them thought that, it still didn’t make it true. Taemin’s father was abusive and he didn’t handle things like this very well. Well, take Taehoon for example. He doesn’t have feelings for men like Taemin does, he just wants to be a beautician because he likes it. And that was all. But could you explain that to their father? Obviously you couldn’t if he was will to abuse his sons like he does.

“Taemin, I’m really sorry that your dad did that because of what we did…”

“Hyung, don’t apologize. I would do it all over again if I had too.”

“Don’t say that. What your dad did was horrible.”

“But it’s true. I would do it all over again because I love kissing you and I don’t want to have to lie to my parents about what I am out doing. They may not like the idea of your existence in my life, but I feel loads better knowing that I don’t have to lie about you.”

Minho stepped closer to Taemin this time and gently took his head in between his hands. “That is utterly flattering, Taemin, but I don’t the reason for your pain and suffering. I don’t you risking your life just to go out to dinner with me or to see a movie with me. If your parents don’t want us to be together, maybe it’s best that we-”

And Taemin stopped him right then and there with the soft touch of his lips against Minho’s. He didn’t want to hear what they both knew was probably true. He just wanted to be happy with Minho, even if his parents couldn’t be happy for him.

Author's note:

Small spoiler: this is where things start to take a turn (and not for the good).

Anyways...

I feel bad that I make his dad abusive, but there is a reason for that I promise.

Thanks for reading~