Take Me Away 

>I'm here

                     Coming to get you now<

Taemin let out a long breath as he stared down at the phone in his hands. He had spent a better part of the day trying to forget everything that had happened the night before. Practically willed himself to just erase it all away. The past, the present, the future . . . he didn't want to think about any of it. 

Taemin looked up and gazed at the now darkened windows of the coffee shop across the street. Tonight had been particularly busy, which he was thankful for. The more distractions the better and it made the time go by faster. Some people may find release from stress in a good movie, a great book, or simply a steaming perfectly brewed cup of coffee, but for Taemin, you can probably already guess what he does to escape. 

And at this point, it had only been a couple days without it and he was already at a boiling point. Like an itch that won't cease no matter how hard you scratch it. It's not until you feel the skin under your nails and the see the blood starting to seep out of fresh wounds that you realize just how far you've gone.

Just how deep you've sunk.

And Taemin knows he can either keep sinking or he can look up and take the hand being offered towards him. He can take the warm, strong hand that belongs to the boy in his dreams. The boy who looks at him in a way that's familiar yet different, which is comforting yet scary all at the same time.

Still, Taemin slips his smaller hand into the larger one and allows Jongin to pull him to his feet. But he can't help but take in a deep breath. Because for whatever reason, even though he's being brought up from the depths, he still feels like he's about to be swept out to sea. Taken away by the wave that is Kim Jongin. 

And just the thought brings a smile to Taemin's face and he giggles once his feet are firmly planted on the ground.

"What's so funny?" Jongin asks, his deep voice a welcome warmth in the emptiness of the night.

Taemin laughs again and shakes his head at his own foolishness, the loose strands of his pony tail giving way and flying across his cheeks. "Nothing. Just really itching to get moving, I guess."

Jongin nods and smiles as his hand slips out of Taemin's and into the front pockets of his hoodie. "As expected of a true dancer." 

Taemin meets Jongin's deep and thoughtful eyes. "You never get tired of it, right?" He asks.

Jongin shrugs. "When you live it twenty-four seven, you would think so. But It's kind of like . . ." Jongin trails off as he looks at a spot over Taemin's head. What is dancing like? It's a tool isn't it? It's the beginning to the end. It's . . . "The yellow brick road."

Taemin laughs. "Huh?"

Jongin blushes slightly and runs a hand across the back of his neck. "You know, the path that leads to Oz."

"Ah!" Taemin nods. "Like a rainbow, dancing is like a rainbow."

Jongin tilts his head curiously and looks at Taemin. "What? No. How is it a rainbow?"

"When you follow the rainbow, you'll find the pot of gold at the end, right?"

Jongin shakes his head completely dumbfounded, but finds he can't help but smirk at Taemin's logic. "Ok, sure, but my analogy is better."

But now Taemin's the one shaking his head. "Definitely not. The yellow brick road wasn't just the path to Oz, everybody knows that."

Jongin's eyes spark instantly. He can't help but feel a little excited by the challenging tone in Taemin's voice. He crosses his arms over his chest. "Ok, genius, enlighten me then."

Taemin feels a little hot under Jongin's burning gaze so he looks away and starts to play with the sleeves of his shirt. "The yellow brick road was never about the ending," Taemin says softly. He would know, he's seen the movie countless times. 

"It was about .  . . getting there . . . together." Taemin looks up, his eyes sparkling in the dark from the streetlights surrounding the school entrance. "It was about the journey."

Jongin lets out a heavy breath. He moves forward and cups Taemin's face in his hands. His eyes searching the others, wanting to understand how such a person could exist.

Taemin's a bit startled at first and his hands reach up to grasp lightly onto Jongin's wrists. His eyes equally searching and for a split second he thinks Jongin might kiss him so he can't help but his lips in anticipation.

Jongin doesn't miss the cute pink tongue that smooths across the pretty puckered flesh. He thinks he might be ADD for how quickly his mind is distracted by those glistening and parted lips, just waiting to be into his mouth. But he shakes his head to clear it. He looks into Taemin's pure and sweet eyes wondering if the boy really did come from a place of complete and total optimism. Suho had mentioned before that Taemin used to be bullied . . . so how is it that he's not jaded by all that pain?

Jongin frowns, wanting to understand. "I wish I could see things like you do," he says, voice low and soothing as the pads of his thumbs make circles against Taemin's silky skin.

Taemin's parted mouth falls open a centimeter more before he blinks and laughs. He refuses to overthink everything that Jongin says to him. Otherwise, they'll never get anywhere. "Hey, you never know. You keep hanging around me, I just might rub off on you," he teases, feeling it strangely necessary in this suddenly charged atmosphere.

And Jongin smiles back lazily and unassuming. "I hope so," he answers simply before inclining his head. "Come on." 

Taemin stays still for a moment and just revels in the way Jongin's fingers trail slowly off his cheeks. He watches Jongin's tall form walk slowly up the steps towards the school entrance. He closes his eyes and feels a shiver rush through him. Be it excitement or nervousness, Taemin doesn't know, he just shakes it away and skips off in the direction of the other, ready to start dancing.

And as Taemin and Jongin make their way through the deserted halls of the school and round the corner, they notice the light in the practice room is still on. 

Jongin frowns and stops. He glances at Taemin and motions for him to wait as he goes ahead. Taemin nods and stays hidden in the hallway as he watches Jongin walk up to the door and peek in.

The next thing you know, the lights in the practice room go out and Jongin is suddenly hit in the chest by a smaller person.

"Oh! Sorry, Jongin." 

Taemin watches the altercation from his spot a few feet away. A tiny girl with long blonde hair, wearing a black leotard and pink tights grasps onto Jongin's bicep to steady herself after bumping into him.

Jongin blinks down at his dance partner, whom simply smiles back up at him. 

Hyoyeon doesn't remove the hand on Jongin's arm as she tucks a stray strand of hair behind her ear. "Late practice, huh?"

Jongin nods. 

Hyoyeon glances quickly into the now darkened studio behind her before looking back up at Jongin. "I just finished, but I could stay if you need some help?"

Taemin feels a strange stinging sensation start to prick his entire body. His face falls as he unconsciously clutches the jam of a closed door by his side. That's Jongin's dance partner? The one he didn't think was pretty? Was that a joke? 

Jongin takes Hyoyeon's hand that is resting on his arm. "Thank you for the offer but-" he looks at Taemin, "I have someone I've been working with." 

Hyoyeon's eyes follow Jongin's gaze and land on the tiny figure partly obscured by the darkness of the unlit hallway. 

"Taemin," Jongin's deep voice calls softly.

Taemin sees two sets of eyes staring at him expectantly and he suddenly feels like the shy kid on presentation day. He swallows and wills himself to move forward. 

Hyoyeon's eyes widen as the tiny figure materializes before her. Like a flying wraith, his black sneaker-clad feet move across th