On one hand, Taemin’s birthday arrived before they knew it, but at the same time the wait seemed unbearably long.  The excitement rose in both parties, bubbling up to the rim, intensified by the nervousness upsetting their stomachs.  Neither boy slept a wink the night before.  When morning came, Minho sent Taemin a message before he left.  The younger boy hardly touched his breakfast that morning, which piqued the concerned curiosity of his parents, but he paid them no mind and retreated to his room to decide what to wear for their meeting.

Minho took a train to Taemin’s town.  His house was not far from the station, so he walked from there into Taemin’s neighborhood, observing the homes as he passed.  They were not too large, but not miniscule; they seemed just large enough to comfortably house families of three or four, possibly with a guest room to spare in some.  But Minho didn’t care about the houses themselves.  He cared about the house numbers, and the young inhabitant of one particular house, the object of his undying love and devotion.  He scanned over the numbers and quickened his pace as he drew closer to the desired location.

The nearer he got, the more swiftly he moved, and the more he began to sneak.  But as he approached what he believed to be Taemin’s house, a car backed out of that very driveway.  He ducked behind a tree on reflex and stared through the car’s rear window, trying to determine how many people it contained, and a lump rose in his throat.  Staring right back at him, face pressed to the glass, was a boy about his age.  He was beautiful, almost feminine, and his features seemed to have been formed from the same blueprint designed for angels.  It nearly took Minho’s breath away.  But what really did the deed was those eyes.

As his eyes locked with the boy’s, Minho knew without a doubt that it was Taemin.  Those eyes held sorrow, desperation, and a bone-chilling sense of fear that sent a shiver down Minho’s spine.  He had never before seen even one picture of his lover, nor had Taemin described himself in the past, but what made Minho so sure this boy was his boyfriend was the love and affection reflected in that gaze.  Those eyes staring back at him were filled with such love, a love that touched Minho’s soul and filled him with warmth.  Taemin’s eyes lit up with recognition as well, and Minho knew in his heart that this boy was the love of his life.  There was no way he would mistake this.  Love cannot lie, and in Minho’s heart, that love was crying out for help.

“Taemin!” he yelled, and he saw the younger boy’s lips move soundlessly against the glass, forming his own name in a useless reply.

Minho came to his senses and compelled his feet into obedience.  He ran as fast as his legs would carry him, and saw in Taemin’s eyes a twinkle of hope, but before a second went by, that hope had passed into oblivion.  Minho’s gazed was locked with those watery eyes as he ran, breathing heavily.  The driver sped up, and he wondered how much longer he could run.  His chest felt tight, pained from the exertion of his quickened breathing, but even more so from the pounding of his heart against his ribcage.  He was scared.  He was desperate.  He was in pain.  Nothing mattered to him more at that moment than the chance to hold Taemin in his arms.  He propelled himself further, pushing his limits and aiming for the impossible, fueled by his love and the longing of his heart.

Love can achieve great feats, but sometimes, fate has other plans.  The driver sped up even more, carrying Taemin just out of his lover’s reach.  Minho’s legs grew weak and he fell to his knees, reaching his arms toward Taemin and screaming in desperation.  Tears finally dripped from Taemin’s eyes, streaming down his cheeks and forming little droplets on his chin.  As they dripped from his face and shattered on the edge below the window, Minho felt his heart following, shattering into a million tiny pieces.  Then the car turned a corner, and Taemin was gone.

Tears were stinging Minho’s eyes.  He didn’t even bother holding them back.  His vision blurred and salty streams of liquid ran down his face, mourning the cruelty of fate.  They had been so close, and yet they were still so far apart.  A touch.  Just one touch; that was all Minho needed.  He had been given one chance to take it, and now he had lost that chance.  He had lost the love of his life.

Taemin’s parents found out about everything.  Their relationship, their feelings, the hours upon hours they spent talking on chats or calling each other on skype; if it happened, they knew about it.  And they certainly were not pleased.  Taemin was terrified of what his punishment might be, and rightly so.  His mother left everything to his father, but his father didn’t beat him.  He didn’t touch a single hair on his head, nor did he destroy his computer.  But the punishment he inflicted was much worse; of all the possibilities Taemin came up with in his head, this one had been the worst case scenario.  And like a good Asian parent, his father obliged.

All communication between the two boys was severed.  Not only that, but Taemin’s connection with the outside world was entirely cut off.  He had no internet access from his laptop; it was to be used solely for typing school papers.  He was not allowed to use his parents’ phone.  He couldn’t even watch television.  And sure, Minho had Taemin’s address, but even that didn’t matter anymore.  His parents knew his boyfriend was coming, and of course they had plans to stop it.

Before he knew it, Taemin was being forced to pack a bag of clothes and other necessities, and within fifteen minutes, they were out the door.  They drove off just in time for the two boys to see each other, but as close as they got that day, they were still too far apart, separated by a mere layer of glass and a few feet of air.

At least I got to see him before it ended, Taemin thought as he desperately searched for a way to be optimistic.  But it didn’t work.  He only found himself crying harder, because he knew.  He knew that he might never see his love ever again.  He might never be able to touch him, all because they had been greedy, and tried to meet too soon.  That was honestly what Taemin blamed the whole disaster on; everything went wrong because they were greedy.  They took their connection for granted, and they wanted more.  If only they hadn’t tried to meet up, Taemin thought, maybe he would at least still have his hyung’s voice.

But all the regret in the world wouldn’t bring him back.

Minho had to be honest with himself, and with his friends.  He was worried about Taemin.  The three older boys all knew about the situation within hours of its occurrence, and not one of them was spared from Minho’s griping.  But it wasn’t their relationship or Taemin’s feelings that he was worried about.  Minho was quite aware of his boyfriend’s family situation, and he didn’t like one bit of it.  Sure, strictness is a good thing in parenting, but to a certain extent.  ‘Everything in moderation’ was one of Minho’s mottos.  But Taemin’s parents were very controlling, and if they had found out about their relationship as Minho suspected they had, there was no telling what they might do.  He didn’t know if the boy’s parents had ever physically harmed him, but he definitely wouldn’t put it past them.

Taemin’s feelings, on the other hand, Minho was quite confident about.  He wasn’t sure why, he could just feel it.  It felt as if they had a bond that neither time nor distance could sever, and through that bond, he could feel that Taemin’s love for him would never diminish, and his own would remain strong as well.  Their love connected them in a way not even touch could.   The deepest chasm, the darkest night, the fiercest ocean, the hottest fire…even the cruelest death couldn’t pull them apart.

However, despite his surety that Taemin’s parents wouldn’t allow him to use the internet, Minho didn’t just give up.  He couldn’t stop there, when he hadn’t put his all into it.  His heart, his soul, his whole being needed Taemin by his side, and if he couldn’t have him, he at least wouldn’t come out of this with any regrets.  So he fought, in the only way he knew how: the internet.  Every day he left a message somewhere online, searching for Taemin, and begging him to contact him if he ever saw it.  He left several messages strewn across every website he could find.  People ridiculed him, and made fun of him, but he persevered, because Taemin was the love of his life, the most priceless gem in the world.  He was worth it.

On the contrary, Taemin was perfectly confident in Minho’s well-being.  He wasn’t one bit concerned, because he had met Minho’s friends, at least in voice.  His hyung could take care of himself.  And if he ever couldn’t, his friends would do it for him; he was in good hands, and Taemin was confident of that.  However, he was quite insecure about their relationship, because while he still considered Minho his boyfriend, he was scared it would no longer be mutual.  It wasn’t that he thought Minho would cheat on him, or even stop loving him.  No, that same bond that Minho felt, Taemin sensed as well.  He could feel their love connecting them across the miles between them.  The distance and the silence failed to separate them, and only the lovers knew.

But despite all this, Taemin still felt a fear brooding inside his heart.  Minho was handsome; he’d seen him well enough through the glass that day to have his appearance branded into his memory.  He was handsome, and he must have been popular, because looks like those never go unnoticed.  In addition, Minho’s personality was amazing.  In Taemin’s eyes, even Minho’s imperfections only served to make him that much more perfect.  If he moved on, he could easily find someone else, and the fear in Taemin’s heart was telling him just that.  Although he could feel their love as strongly as ever, he was afraid Minho couldn’t feel it.  He was afraid Minho would think he forgot, and would lose hope and move on.

But Taemin wouldn’t lose hope.  He resolved to be the best son he could possibly be in his parents’ eyes, and as soon as he could leave home, he would find Minho.  It didn’t matter how hard he had to search, or even how long it would take him.  He was determined to find the love of his life, because he needed him.  His heart, his soul, and his whole being needed Minho.

A year later came a turning point in Taemin’s life.  He graduated high school with honors, and of course, his parents expected him to continue on to university.  But Taemin didn’t want that.  All he wanted was to carry out his plan.  He packed up his belongings, took the bit of money he had saved up from his part-time job, and left home, heading straight for an internet café, because what better place could there be to start his search than the very place where they had met?

Taemin searched all over the internet, everywhere he could think to look, and he was astonished by how much he found.  There were so many messages that were unmistakably left for him.  Minho had to have been sending them this whole time to achieve such an amount.  Tears sprung to the boy’s eyes and he clutched at his heart as it ached with longing.  Minho was so devoted to him.  Minho was so beautiful.  Minho was an angel, the best of the best, and Taemin knew he was the luckiest boy alive, because Choi Minho was his.

“Hyung…”  Taemin sobbed.  “Hyung, I miss you, so much.  Wait for me just a little longer.”  As he desperately wiped the tears from his eyes, he noticed it, the message that would give him the hope he needed.  His eyes scanned over it three or four times, just to be sure he didn’t mistake anything.  The message was dated three weeks ago.  Minho had moved to Seoul.  Taemin stood up and grabbed his things, throwing his bag over his shoulder and rushing from the café as if his life depended on it, because it did.  Minho was his life, and Taemin knew this could be his last chance.  He was determined to give it his all.

Minho had moved to a small apartment in Seoul, just big enough to house two people, in the hopes that one day Taemin might join him.  He had found a job at a bookstore around the corner from his apartment complex, right near one of the busier parts of the city.  His reasoning was that there he might be more likely to come across his love if he ever visited Seoul.  Minho was busier during those first few weeks, but although he was tired every night when he went home, he faithfully left a message every time, hanging on to that small hope he still held in his heart.  And every day, as he managed the cash register and the bookshelves and certain impossible customers, he kept an eye out for Taemin.  He watched and waited, hoping that maybe, just maybe, he might catch a glimpse of a bigger hope.

“Do you have the keroro manga?”

Minho was looking over the store’s inventory list.  He changed direction and scanned for manga.  “Keroro Gunsou?”

“Yes, that’s right.”

The silky voice sounded incredibly familiar, and Minho had a feeling he should recognize it.  It was in a far off memory, as if from a dream.  His heart fluttered as the sound graced his ears, but he just couldn’t place its owner.

“I’m sorry, we don’t have-”  As he looked up, Minho stopped breathing mid-sentence.  He could hardly believe his eyes.  He felt like crying, dancing, and cheering all at once, but all he could do was sit there and stare.  Before him stood the voice’s owner.

Lee Taemin.

“That’s okay, you’ll do instead.”  A smile spread across Taemin’s lips.  “My pabo Keroro.”

Minho slowly rose to his feet and stepped around the counter, staring at Taemin’s smiling face, soaking it all up like a sponge that had spent a year in an arid desert.  “Taemin,” he whispered.  The younger boy nodded and stretched out his hand.  His smile widened, but above it his eyes began to water.  Minho reached his hand toward Taemin’s, but froze just before they touched.

“This is it,” he mumbled, biting his lip.  “The moment I’ve waited so long for.  This is it, Taemin.”

As Minho took Taemin’s hand, both boys felt a warmth wash over them, and comfort filled their hearts.  After so long, their love had finally brought them together, leading them here to this moment.  And as they looked into each other eyes, Taemin began to cry.  Minho pulled him close and wrapped his arms around him, burying his face in his lover’s hair as he shed a few tears of his own.  The two boys stood like that for what was probably hours, embracing and sobbing, enjoying that feeling they had both longed for, the touch they had desired for so long.

Finally, Minho pulled away to look into Taemin’s eyes.  There he found reflected back to him all the love and admiration he felt in his own heart.  And slowly, he lowered his lips to Taemin’s, pressing against them softly.  It was a small and simple kiss, romantic and affectionate.  It was everything they had hoped for.

“Our second kiss,” the elder whispered against his lover’s lips.  They shared a smile, and both their hearts swelled with joy.

“Hyung…I love you so much.”  Taemin sniffed.  “Thank you for waiting for me.”

“Anything for my Tae baby."

When you have something dear to you, grab on and hold it close to your heart, because if you let it slip out of your reach, you might never get it back again.

And holding on is just what they did, forever.

A/N: And it took me forever to finish this. ;;___;;  I'm so happy to be finally done, I could cry.  Too bad I missed the deadline by months. XD;

The quote in the title here is unfortunately less relevant after I changed my plan for the end.  They were going to slow dance.  I decided it didn't flow well with the story. =3=;

Please leave some sort of comment.  I've worked too hard for silence. ;.; ♥