AN: Next update, guys! I’m playing with two different plot lines, trying to determine which way I should take this story, so forgive me if it sounds unbalanced. But I hope you will enjoy!

TWO WEEKS LATER:

The past two weeks, in Kibum’s eyes, have been perfect. Taemin and Jinki were glued to each other’s sides, even going so far as to eat together and sit on top of each other. Kibum knew that Jinki had snuck Taemin into his room last night and this morning, found them cuddled up together in bed. It was absolutely adorable the way Taemin was following Jinki around now, wearing his sweatshirts and pestering the older for his hand and grinning when he got his way.

The surprise Jinki had given Taemin was a day in the park, just the two of them having fun together. The leader had even brought Taemin’s dogs with them so the maknae could walk them and relax.

The diva wasn’t sure what was said between them on that outing, but whatever is, obviously made them that much closer. What Kibum found absolutely hilarious now, was that any time Minho tried to in the middle of the two, Taemin would ignore him and clamber for the leader’s attention once again. He was sure the leader’s smiles made the room light up for Taemin.

Even now, despite the fact that their maknae was sick and pretty much lifeless on the couch, he was smiling because the leader refused to leave his side. Their recording for their album was finished, but due to the fact that Taemin was sick, they were all home for once instead of being separated for schedules.

Kibum watched Jinki move the maknae so that his head was on his lap and that made sure that the leader’s comforter covered him up.

“It’s okay, Taeminnie, it’s just a bad bug.”

“Hyunggg, it feels like I’m going to die.”

It would have been funny if it wasn’t for that fact that Taemin was clogged up and his nose was bright red from how much he had been blowing it. Kibum smiled when Jinki started to run his fingers through Taemin’s hair.

 “I’ll take care of you, you’ll be okay.”

Kibum turned into the kitchen then, set on making the maknae some soup to eat and tea to drink for his sore throat. Jonghyun was reading at the table and listening to the two in the living room.

“How’s Tae?”

“Miserable, but Jinki’s got him so he’ll be—”

Minho’s voice interrupted him, “Hey, Tae, why don’t you come lay down and watch a movie with me? Maybe that will make you feel better.”

Both Jonghyun and Kibum moved to watch from around the corner. Minho was kneeling next to the couch, his eyes glued to Taemin’s face and his hand reaching for the blanket. Jinki was glaring at the younger and Kibum could see the elder’s grip tighten around the sick dancer.

Taemin coughed, “N-no, it’s okay. I just want to sit with H-Hyung.”

“You'll get Jinki sick though, Tae. Come on and—”

“He said no. Are you deaf?” Jinki asked sharply.

Everyone’s eyes went to the leader when they heard the sharp tone and irritated words. Jinki only pulled Taemin closer.

 “I don’t care if I get sick. I’ll take care of him. Go hang out with Kibum and Jonghyun right now so you don’t get sick.”

Jonghyun was grinning widely. It seemed that the leader was growing a backbone. Taemin curled up closer to the leader and shut his tired eyes.

“Listen to hyung, I’m okay with him.”

Minho glared at the leader and stood up. “I’ll go make him some tea.”

The rapper left the room after that, brushing past Kibum and Jonghyun to go into the kitchen. The couple watched Taemin peer up at Jinki and hug his torso tightly, whispering something into the leader’s ear. Jinki only smiled at him in return and pulled him closer, urging him to relax and sleep.

Kibum walked into the kitchen and narrowed his eyes at Minho who was steadfastly making some tea.

“What do you think you’re doing?”

Minho didn’t bother to look up at the diva. He was still stewing about what happened last week and how now wherever Jinki went, Taemin was sure to be with him. He could feel the envy running through his veins at how easy it was for Jinki to make Taemin  so open and happy. He hated how Taemin looked up to the leader with stars in his eyes and felt the need to be by his side.

Wasn’t he good enough for the maknae? Why couldn't he pay attention to him for once? He felt Kibum shaking his shoulder.

 “YAH! I asked you a question, Minho!”

“I’m making tea for Tae.”

“He doesn’t need it right now. He’s passed out on the couch with Jinki.”

Minho ignored him and continued to make the tea. He was pissed off that the two were even touching right now. He knew Taemin had been staying in Jinki’s room lately. How come Jinki had it so damn easy when it came to the maknae? He’d kill just to hug Taemin and feel the luscious curves of his hips on his. He didn’t realize he was dreaming about the dancer until he felt the familiar slap from Kibum’s spatula on his head.

“Aish…”

“Do not ignore me! I told you he’s asleep right now! Stop daydreaming about Jinki’s boyfriend and leave them alone!”

Minho turned sharply at the word he heard and narrowed his eyes. “Excuse me? What did you call them?”

The diva only rolled his eyes. It was best to get this through Minho’s head now instead of later. Taemin and Jinki would no doubt get together soon. Hell, they may be together now. If they were, it was their business and they deserved some time alone. Minho, however, took the tea he had made into the living room and glared at the two. Taemin was breathing lightly in Jinki’s arms and the leader had his attention on the television.

“Yah, Taemin.”

Jinki snapped his attention to the rapper, “Let him sleep.”

Minho ignored him. He kneeled down and nudged the maknae.

Taemin opened his eyes and groaned, “Go away, Hyung…”

“I made you some tea.”

Taemin coughed as he took it, sitting up with Jinki’s help to drink it. He ended up coughing bitterly and setting down the hot cup to cuddle back into Jinki’s arms.

“Too sour.”

Minho sighed and stood up to sit down next to the maknae’s feet on the couch. Jinki pulled Taemin closer so that his head was resting against the leader’s warm chest. “Go back to sleep, Minnie.”

The maknae sniffled as he stared up at Jinki.

“Hyung, I can’t sleep…”

Minho watched the two interact with each other as if he wasn’t even there. How could Taemin just ignore him?

“Do you need something, Minnie?”

Both leader and maknae froze at the nickname from the rapper. Taemin only liked it when Jinki called him that name. It felt weird coming from Minho of all people. Jinki just shook his head trying to brush off the irritation of having his nickname for Taemin stolen by Minho.

“How about I sing you to sleep?”

“Neh, Jinki-ah…”

Jinki did just that, murmuring a soft lullaby into Taemin’s ear. A soft smile spread over the maknae’s face as he let Jinki’s soothing voice help him drift off into dreamland. Once the leader was sure that Taemin was asleep again, he adjusted the maknae so that he was warm and comfortable. He didn’t meet Minho’s glaring eyes, choosing to continue watching his show as he ran his fingers through Taemin’s hair.

Minho grumbled to himself as he heard Kibum snickering from around the corner. It wasn’t fair. It wasn’t fair that Jinki was able to so easily sway the maknae into his arms. Jinki didn’t know how to romance someone! The leader was clumsy and way too timid for someone like Taemin.

Jinki, on the other hand, continued to clutch Taemin tighter. He was ticked that Minho was trying to his way into taking care of Taemin. Didn’t he understand that he wasn’t wanted here? Ever since he had given Taemin those roses, he had gotten closer with the youngest. Taemin was more open about telling him the secrets and hopes he hadn’t already known. In return, Jinki admitted to Taemin that he had a crush on someone and hoped he had the courage to tell the person soon.

When he had said those words, everything changed. It made the maknae stick to the leader like glue, always making sure that his attention was on him. Jinki didn’t mind this though, it was only giving him the courage to tell Taemin his feelings. In fact, he was planning on saying something to the youngest after he was over this dreadful cold.

“I don’t get it.”

Jinki looked over at Minho now who was scowling at him in return.

“What?”

“How can he like you when he can have someone more willing to be adventurous with him? We’re closer in age, and we have more in common.”

Jinki wanted to roll his eyes, but he kept himself from doing so. He had things in common with Taemin, too. Just because he was older didn’t mean a thing. If anything, it meant that he could protect Taemin better and give him more happiness. Sure, the youngest liked to be adventurous, but Jinki did as well—only if he was with Taemin.

Jinki quietly snapped, “You should go tell that to your many flings. I’m sure they all heard the same thing from you.”

“Stop insinuating that all I want is to Taemin.”

Jinki hissed at the words, “But that is all you want. You look at him like he’s a piece of meat and not a person who deserves an actual man who loves him!”

Minho stood, “Taemin’s old enough to choose who he wants. Let him.”

Jinki saw the challenge in Minho’s eyes. He thought Taemin would choose him over the leader. He wanted to play this game? Fine, he could play. Jinki gently lifted Taemin up and laid him back down on the couch. The youngest whimpered at the loss of warmth and curled up into a ball.

Minho smirked at Jinki, “Conceding?”

“No. Go ahead and try to take care of him. I can guarantee he won’t let you.”

Jinki walked away at that point, grabbing his phone and wallet and disappearing from the room. He threw Kibum and Jonghyun a frown before shutting the door lightly behind himself.

Minho continued to stand over Taemin’s head, wondering if he should take over Jinki’s spot. Instead he sat back down and pulled the maknae’s feet into his lap and rubbed them softly.

Minho was quietly calming down when the feet he was rubbing were snatched out of his hands.

Taemin was sleepily looking at him, “Yah, why are you touching me, Hyung? Where’d Jinki-ah go?”

“He had to run out, so I’m going to take care of you.”

The maknae’s eyes went wide.

“UMMA!”

The diva strutted his way into the living room with an amused smirk on his face.

“Yeah, Tae?”

Taemin was panicked. Why did Jinki leave?

“Wh-where’d Jinki go?! He said he would be here when I woke up!” 

Kibum shrugged, “He didn’t say when he would be back or where he went. But Minho-ah will take care of you.”

The diva went to leave the room when the maknae snatched his hand.

“Call Jinki! I want Jinki!”

Minho was finding it hard not to snap at the youngest. Why the hell was he so attached to Jinki of all people? Jonghyun smiled as he made his way into the living room.

“I think Jinki said he was going to see Luna or someone from F(x).” 

That made the maknae pale even worse.

Minho patted his head, “Forget about Jinki-hyung. I’ll take—”

Taemin stood up shakily from the couch with Jinki’s comforter around him as he dashed for the door. Kibum raced after him, trying to pull him back inside.

“No! Let me go after him! I have to talk to him before he does it!”

“Does what, Tae? Jinki---”

The maknae was in tears by now, burying his head into Kibum’s chest.

“Jinki said he had a crush on someone! A-a-and he said he wanted to tell them soon and I don’t want him to tell them!”

Kibum was secretly praising the gods for Jinki doing this. Minho was standing stock still in his spot, trying to figure out what the hell he should do. Kibum rubbed the maknae’s back.

“So? We should be happy for him then.”

“NO! He can’t be in love with someone else! He’s mine!”

Minho’s mouth dropped. He cursed Jinki’s name, wondering if this was some attempt to only push the younger into the leader’s arms.

Kibum couldn’t contain the smile on his face, “Oh, Tae…”

Taemin was crying now, his eyes red and bloodshot as he tried to breathe through his stuffy nose. He glared at Minho, “You ruined my chance with Hyung! What did you say to make him leave?”

“I-I…”

Kibum shut the door and dragged Taemin through the living room.

 “Come on, Tae-baby, you need to rest otherwise you’ll get even sicker.”

The maknae let the dorm umma lead him back to the couch and settle him down.

“I’m sure Minho didn’t mean to make him leave.”

“Actually, I—”

Kibum glared at the rapper.

“But he will take care of you until Jinki comes back.”

Minho nodded, leaning forward to reach for the youngest when Taemin shook his head.

“NO. JUST LEAVE ME ALONE!”

He curled up under the leader’s blanket and shied away from everyone’s grip. Kibum stood up and peered at Minho.

“You really want to continue this?”

Minho hissed, “Nothing’s happened yet. You two just leave and let me take care of him.”

Jonghyun pulled Kibum away, bringing the diva into the kitchen.

“Leave them. Jinki will fix it when he gets back.”

TWO HOURS LATER:

“GO AWAY MINHO.”

“I’M JUST TRYING TO TAKE CARE OF YOU!”

“I DON’T WANT YOU! I WANT JINKI!”

Kibum rubbed his aching head, hoping that Jinki would come back soon and alleviate the screams from the maknae. Jonghyun had his head buried in his arms and was trying to sleep through the arguments. During the two hours Jinki had disappeared, the maknae refused to let Minho get close to him and stayed curled up in Jinki’s blanket.

When the front door opened and closed, Kibum all but shot out of his seat. Jinki shrugged off his jacket, a bag in his hand.

The diva grabbed his head, “Thank god you’re back.”

Jinki scowled, “Did Tae actu—”

“STOP TOUCHING ME, HYUNG! I TOLD YOU TO LEAVE ME ALONE UNTIL JINKI GETS BACK!”

“HE’S NOT COMING BACK BECAUSE YOU’RE BEING A BRAT! HE TOLD ME TO TAKE CARE OF YOU!”

“UMMA!! CALL JINKI-HYUNG!!” 

The leader stalked into the living room then with Kibum on his heels. The maknae was curled up in the leader’s comforter, hissing and scowling at Minho who was trying to tug the blanket away. Jinki dropped his bag on the floor.

 “Minnie?”

The maknae snapped his head up at the leader’s voice and all but flew off the couch and into Jinki’s open arms.

“Don’t ever leave again, Hyung! I got scared you were going to tell your secret and you left me with Minho and he wouldn’t stop bugging me!”

Jinki closed his arms around the sick maknae, “Have you slept?”

He felt the dancer shake his head and shiver in his embrace. Jinki grabbed his bag and then hoisted the boy into his arms, chuckling at the squeal he let loose.

“Come on, let's get you into bed.”

The maknae sniffled as Jinki carried him off, “Can I sleep in your bed, Hyung?”

“Neh, Tae. Come on, I got you some stuff to make you feel better.”

The three other members followed after Jinki as he took the maknae to his room and let him lay down in his bed. Once Jinki was sure that Taemin was comfortable, he removed some Kleenex from the bag along with some medication and banana milk.

Taemin smiled wearily at him, “Thank you, Jinki.”

The leader flashed a grin at him in return.

“I got you something else, too.”

He pulled out a small stuffed rabbit, with long white floppy ears and a pink nose. Taemin’s eyes widened and he took the rabbit.

 “Really? It’s for me?”

“Neh. I saw it and thought you might like it.”

Taemin snuggled with it and cuddled further into Jinki’s bed. The three watched the leader sit next to the youngest and wrap his arms around him.

“Sleep, Minnie.”

The maknae heeded the elder’s words and shut his eyes. “Hyung?”

“Neh?”

“I only like it when you call me, Minnie. It makes me feel special to you.”

“You are special to me, Tae. No one will ever replace you.”

He waited until the maknae had passed back out, his tiny snores filling the silence of the room. He then turned his attention to the door where the three were still standing. He leveled his gaze at Minho.

 “I told you.”

The rapper glared, but stomped off before he was yelled at further. Jonghyun followed after him, deciding to use this moment to lecture the rapper for his inappropriate behavior.

Kibum lingered, “You'd better tell him soon. He was deathly worried you were telling some noona that you were in love with her.”

That made Jinki soften considerably. Taemin cared? Is that why he was clinging to him lately? Did that mean Taemin felt something in return as well? That made things extremely better for him.

“Thank you Kibum. I’ll tell him soon.”

The diva smiled and shut the door, listening to the leader softly hum to the sleeping maknae. Jinki had done himself a favor by accepting Minho’s challenge. Maybe soon, they would be together and Minho would back off. Kibum knew that Jinki was winning the battles so far, but the war was surely far from over.

AN: Okay, I think I have an idea of where to take this story next. Hope you all enjoyed!