At first, Kibum thought it was just filial affection.

That was why he patted Taemin's head affectionately when the younger man scooted towards him to cuddle in the sofa. The other members didn't seem to mind, too, ignoring them as they watched some cheesy drama on TV and used up a couple of tissue boxes.

Kibum wouldn't have minded if they did tease Taemin about being too clingy (it's just a goddamn drama!) and be noisy, because then Taemin wouldn't have the time to slide his hand lazily up Kibum's thigh, fingers massaging him casually over the satiny shorts. What was even more alarming was that Kibum didn't find the touch uncomfortable—he almost closed his eyes at the sensation—even though those long fingers were making their way towards uncharted territory. He gritted his teeth and wondered if he should scold the spoiled maknae loudly or let him be as long as he didn't cause trouble.

Jonghyun let out a loud sniff and looked over to Kibum, asking him why the characters in the drama are so evil before sobbing into his tissue. The two others glanced in his direction with amused looks, and Kibum sat up straight with a start, brushing Taemin's hand away from his thigh. Kibum flashed the younger man a stern look, but in return he only got a smile too innocent to be thinking of something else.

Or Kibum was just reading Taemin in an entirely wrong way.

 

● ● ● ● ● ●

It was Kibum's fault, really, that Taemin felt so much freedom in invading private spaces. He assigned himself as the boy's guardian even during trainee days and had attended to Taemin's every little need since then. Kibum helped pick out his clothes, prepare his food, take care of him when he was sick, and clean up after him. There was even a time when Taemin injured both of his hands (well, okay, some fingers) and Kibum had to do everything for him, including brushing his teeth (because Taemin whined about how his fingers cannot grip properly). Kibum didn't think much of the time Taemin moaned a little too enthusiastically while Key plunders his mouth with a toothbrush, but now that he remembered, he felt a surprising surge of electricity in his nerves. What was that about?

There were just little things, fleeting touches and sometimes a rub against his skin or two, but they became more frequent and Kibum was starting to be confused about the signs he's receiving. But a mother doesn't doubt and a mother certainly doesn't think about sons that way. So he decided to brush those small acts as harmless and just a part of an attention--Taemin phase.

● ● ● ● ● ●


“Umma,” Taemin whispered fondly against Kibum's ear, making the older guy yelp in surprise. He felt Taemin's hands snake under his apron and firmly settle around his waist, and Kibum's grip on the knife considerably tightened. “Umma,” Taemin repeated. “Will you make bulgogi tonight?”

Kibum sighed as he felt the younger rest his chin against his shoulder. “I can't, Taeminnie,” he sternly said. “I'm in a no-meat diet this week, you know that.” He chopped onions and tried to ignore the hands freely roaming under his apron. “Maybe you can ask someone to buy you some, but I'm not making them when I won't eat them.”

Taemin tsked and his breath tickled Kibum's neck. “How can a man survive not eating meat?” the younger man whined.

“It's not like I don't eat meat, I just don't want to right now,” Kibum explained, pushing away from Taemin's hands as he moved around the kitchen. “And I eat different kinds of meat, mind you.” He washed his hands and turned around, almost running into Taemin. Before he could snap at the younger boy for being in the way, he was stopped by the look in Taemin's eyes. He was smiling, but somehow his eyes are darker than usual. “What?” he whined. “If you're not going to help here, go sit there with your hyungs.”

Taemin smiled wide and gave Kibum a quick hug before running away. “I'd like it if Umma would take in some more meat!” Taemin shouted before bounding towards the living room, leaving Kibum slightly confused until he heard Jonghyun sputter into his drink.

● ● ● ● ● ●


“Maybe he likes you. Not as an umma but you know...like how I like Jinki.”

Kibum rolled his eyes and slapped Jonghyun's grin away. “Shut your sappy mouth, Jjong. Taem's a nice, innocent boy. Don't group him together with you.”

“Nah, I'm grouping him with Jinki,” Jonghyun said, raising his feet to rest them on the low table. “You know, those kind-hearted, good-natured ones who are actually so wild and awesome in bed and....” He sighed dreamily until Kibum punched his ribs. “Ouch! What did you do that for?”

“Are you really seeing Taem in that light? How could you!” Kibum crossed his arms over his chest. “He's still a kid. I mean...his room's dirty!”

Jonghyun laughed. “Sure, judge a man's maturity by how orderly his room is. Yours is pinkish and all girly, so how do we judge you?” When he earned a threatening glare from the other, he stopped picking at Kibum's room and answered about the problem at hand. “Kibummie. We all see it, okay. He is really into you. You might think it's all motherly stuff and all that you always think of when it comes to Taemin but...”

The door opened and a shuffling of shoes were heard. Taemin's voice rang clearly from the doorway, calling for Key's name.

Suddenly, Jonghyun has that wide, ty grin on his face. “Watch this,” he whispered before pushing a shrieking Kibum onto the couch and pinning his arms on his sides.

“Kim Jonghyun, what the are you doing?” Kibum shrieked as he tried to get away, but Jonghyun held his arms firmly. The older boy chuckled and leaned down to tell Kibum to stay still when Taemin—mop of delicious red hair and baggy shirt and tight pants—appeared, surprised at the noise.

“Umma, what...” Taemin stopped short as he took in the scene. Kibum was lying on the couch with Jonghyun leaning over between his legs in some sort of weird posture.

“Oh, Taemin-ah,” Jonghyun greeted as if nothing in the world like tossing Kibum down and rocking their hips together was happening. “I thought you'd be out late and...”

Kibum thought everything happened too quickly, but he managed to witness Taemin furrowing his brows, and with a slight nod, whipping out of the living room to his bedroom, slamming the door after him.

He didn't notice when Jonghyun let him go and patted his shoulder. “Well, there you have it, my dear.” Laughing, the older guy left, but not after having an earful about how Kibum will have his revenge, like maybe he'll also climb into Jinki's bed. Or or or maybe replace Jonghyun's toothpaste with superglue.

But it seemed he didn't have to exact revenge. Someone tied Jonghyun's shoelaces together that he fell headfirst into the door when he tried to walk. Then someone who was apparently so scared of the usual darkness of the room (because he saw a ghost, he said) started sleeping in Jinki's room every night, ruining all midnight seduction-turned-romps that had been carefully planned. Then, all the energy drink he'd been storing for his perusal were all gone. Then, Jinki somehow received an envelope containing pictures of Jonghyun with various women...and men. The guy was livid, but Kibum said he deserved it and that all of those pictures were found in Youtube anyway.

“I swear to god, Kim Kibum!” Jonghyun was shouting when they were left alone in the dorm again. “I swear I will tie you up and offer you to Taemin myself just so he'll leave me and Jinki alone!”

● ● ● ● ● ●


“Haha, this magazine is saying that boys tend to go for girls who resemble their mothers, especially when they've been motherless for a long time,” someone from behind their row was saying, but Kibum couldn't turn around or hear clearly to pinpoint which of the SNSD said it. Anyway, Kibum's main concern was that it could be that Taemin was just missing his real mom. That's why he was so clingy.

Right?



“I got ice cream!” Taemin was gleeful as he entered the car and settled next to Kibum in the middle seats. “You want some, umma?” Taemin was grinning again, yet he let the honorific roll on his tongue as if he didn't really mean calling Kibum his mom at all.

Kibum ignored it anyway and helped open the pint. “Oh, but we have no spoons,” he observed. “We should wait until we get home.”

Taemin shook his head. “No, we can eat like this!” He scooped ice cream with his finger and placed it in his mouth, shivering a little at the cold sensation. “See? It works.”

“Ew,” Kibum said, looking at his finger and then the pint of ice cream in disgust. “Why would you---oomph!!”

Taemin laughed as he plunged his ice cream coated finger in Kibum's mouth. “See, I told you it's okay.” He removed his finger from the other's mouth and scooped more ice cream, forcing his finger back in Kibum's mouth.

Kibum on the finger before letting it go with a pop. “It's delicious but this is disgusting.”

But he yielded anyway. Soon, he was off ice cream from his own finger and Taemin's, giggling as they got melting ice cream all over their chin and hands. He was about to put his ice cream laden finger into Taemin's mouth for the first time when someone growled from the front seat.

“Jesus Christ, can't the wait until we get home?” Minho cried. “This is a public place!”

"We're not doing anything wrong!" Key cried and Jonghyun chuckled from behind them.

“Five people isn't the public,” Taemin quipped before wiping Key's mouth with his hand and laughing. Kibum giggled despite his embarrassment and started fishing tissue out of his bag.

Minho cradled his face in his hands and looked around for allies. Jinki was asleep on Jonghyun's shoulder. Jonghyun was pointedly ignoring the scene in front of him. “Hyung, make them stop,” Minho pleaded.

Jonghyun waved him off. “Let them be. I don't care as long as Kibum gives me the leftover ice cream later. I have reasons.”

Taemin glared at Jonghyun before sticking his tongue out at Minho and Kibum briefly wondered how sticking out one's tongue could be so y.

Suddenly, thoughts about the magazine article returned to him. That maybe Taemin was just missing his mom.

But this kind of thing wasn't really something you'd do with a mom, right?

● ● ● ● ● ●

It took a few more weeks, with a lot of nudging from Jonghyun, exasperated looks from Minho and blinking, innocent stares from Jinki, before Kibum realized that no matter how motherly he thought of Taemin and no matter how platonic he thought his relationship with Taemin was, it wouldn't work.

At least, not anymore.

Well, in his defense, who would be able to hold on to their resolve when every single day was met with Taemin blinking cheerily at him, or Taemin suddenly hugging from behind, or Taemin suddenly wanting to share messy food, or Taemin rubbing his foot under the table, or Taemin biting his lip as he asked for certain favors? It was like motherly walls came tumbling down to be replaced by a different sort of affection, something that involved, well, more.

Like kissing Taemin's forehead and letting the young man breathe onto his neck.



Like grasping Taemin's shoulders and keeping him steady.



Like pushing his hand further down Taemin's pants and squeezing gently.



“Oh, god, hyung,” Taemin was whispering—almost whining—even though he was the one who had Kibum pinned against the wall. “I'm sorry I...”

“Sshh,” Kibum was saying, reveling in the way Taemin's mouth went slack as he made magic with his hands. “Let it go, aegi.” He smoothed Taemin's red hair with his free hand and felt the younger man shudder into his hand.

Taemin fell forward and rested his head on Kibum's neck, the older guy his hair that fell on his nape. “Oh god,” Taemin muttered again, still feeling the aftershocks.

“Good boy,” Kibum murmured as he withdrew his hand and grabbed a tissue from his pocket. “Now, can we go back...” His breath hitched in his throat as Taemin straightened up.

The boy had his usual boyish smile, but his eyes were darker than usual and his hands were traveling up Kibum's torso, undoing his shirt. “We still need to deal with yours,” Taemin thickly said.

As he watched Taemin pounce on him, Kibum wondered where he had gone wrong as a mother.



Or maybe he was just right on track after all.


.end.