To everyone else, it was just another piece of paper. Printed, signed, manhandled by a few and delivered to the mat under your letterbox. But to you, this was your last chance, folded neatly and begging to be torn open and shape out your future.  With frozen legs and shaky hands you stood staring at the envelope, hoping this was the one to change everything.

When your legs had finally begun to thaw, you stumbled into your room barely taking in your surroundings and almost knocking over this morning’s bowl of cereal, which now sat neglected on the coffee table. Plopping down on your dusty rug and giving the envelope another once over, your heart sank with the feeling of déjà vu.

This wasn’t the first time you had sat on your living room floor with your tea going cold, staring at envelope like you were trying to magically see through it. Oh no. You could restore whole forests with the amount of letters you had received from almost every Entertainment Company and agency in Seoul. Hell, you even had a few from creaky backstreet agencies in Daegu. All of them said the same thing. “We are currently not taking on any clients” or some form of decline starting with the words “We are sorry”- even though they were definitely not sorry in the slightest. They weren’t sorry that you had bills to pay and your crappy part time job barely covered rent. They weren’t sorry that you had spent all of your savings on your studies to be the best performer you could be. They weren’t sorry that every rejection you received had made your confidence dwindle a little bit more. How could they be sorry? To them you were just another girl trying to live her dream and in this industry you have to take criticism and smile, nod and then move on. Not sit weeping into bowls of ice cream and wishing your life was more like the west end shows you would die to star in.

But you were running out of options. Well, working full time in the supermarket was an option, but dreams to you were important, and you had your best friend to blame for that ‘so-called’ optimism.

Lee Taemin, the ‘boy-wonder’ himself. Owner of the most prestigious art gallery in Seoul and the man rubbing shoulders with the top artists on a daily basis. With his suits, intoxicating voice and his charming smile, there was no wonder he was being fawned over more than his paintings by women and men alike. But to you he was the dork you met in the university cafeteria trying to make ‘art’ out of his Kimchi fried rice. When you asked him what the hell he was doing, he just shrugged in reply, his tongue between his teeth, saying he was making an accurate portrait of his fine art professor; who had said that his representation of the ‘modern world we live in’ was ‘uninspiring’ and ‘frankly dismal’. With that kind of creativity and passive aggressiveness, who else would be his friend?

Whilst dwelling in thoughts of somewhat happier times, your fingers carried on with the opening and unfolding of what could be the best or the worst thing to happen to you so far. The tremors continued and your heart beat just that little bit faster and before your eyes began to scan the words on the page, you thought it would be kind of ironic if you got a call back and had a heart attack in shock.

But that didn’t happen. 

~*~ 

It was freezing. Literally below zero and here you were, sat in the park at 3am in a pair of sweats you’d owned since university; that were now frayed at the ankles and slightly threadbare at the knees along with the thinnest and biggest t-shirt known to mankind with an awful but adorable drawing of a kitten on the front that did nothing to protect you from the cold. You only kept the stupid thing because Taemin drew it before he flew off on one of his many journeys abroad and he’d insisted- yes insisted, that you wore it every time you felt sad whilst he was away.

The kitten worked 99% of the times you were ‘sad’, but this time it just wasn’t cutting it. It just didn’t numb the dull ache in your throat from crying or the heavy empty feeling in your stomach, and to be honest, you didn’t think anything ever could. Not even sparkling sunshine Taemin himself. That didn’t stop you from typing out a long and heartfelt message to him though, telling him how much of a stupid failure you were and how you couldn’t even figure out for a second why he still was around you, let alone your best friend.

So that was pretty stupid of you. Now you’re here, freezing your lady appendages off in a dimly lit park, in December, in clothing not even suitable for summer nights, waiting for him to run to you. Like he always would.

Your eyes fell to the phone that was trembling in your hands, the display lighting up as another message from Taemin arrived

From: Taeminnie

Where are you? Please tell me you’re still here. I’m here.

I’m here.

Of course he was here. He always was. He really shouldn’t be.

You replied with your location as quickly as your shaking hands could type. You didn’t even know how you ended up here. All you could remember was getting home from a late shift at the supermarket, finding the letter, and the ultimate feeling of rejection.

Ah, the rejection.

Before the tears could even think about starting again, you caught sight of a dark shadow rushing in your direction, clad in a black suit and the thickest, richest woolen jacket. The black contrasting with the unnatural bleached blonde hair messily falling on top of his head. Ah, Taemin. You couldn’t tell with the sharp, high fashion look he adorned that deep inside he was a little bit of a loser. The loser who refuses to eat a meal if it doesn’t come with a hearty bowl of rice on the side, and won’t hesitate to pout until he gets it, even though it was an Italian restaurant and he had ordered a pizza. Loser. 

Your loser.

Looking over at your frame, hunched over and shivering, he didn’t pause for a second as he ed his jacket and rushed over to wrap it tightly around you; kneeling on the ground as he did so. 

“For the love of God, you’re gonna freeze to death. What do you think you’re playing at? Really? You could have come to my apartment. We could have eaten ice cream and watched whatever sad soppy movie you wanted. I’m always here for you. You’re my best friend and it’s my job.” He kept ranting on as he adjusted the jacket to cover every exposed part, before settling his hands on yours. “You scared the crap out of me”

He said the last words so quietly but with so much meaning you just couldn’t stop the floodgates from opening. You sobbed. Sobbed so ing hard and held onto his hands like he was the only thing anchoring you to the world. 

“I’m such a failure. I can’t do anything right. I can’t even treat you right. I can’t-“ You bawled and took a sharp intake of breath, the tears blocking your throat “I can’t do this anymore Tae. I’m useless. I’m a useless and I-“

Your voice was suddenly muted by the thin shirt covering his shoulder, his arms wrapped as tightly as they could around your back, one hand softly your hair.

“No. Just no.” He continued to simply hold you and soothe you with gentle pats to the head. When the sobs subsided slightly he pulled back. “Look me in the eyes and I’ll tell you the truth, because everything you just said about yourself is lies.”

His hands directed you to face him dead on, his thumbs wiping the trails of salty tears and you sniffed unattractively making him smile toothily.

“You are not useless. You could never be useless if you tried. I mean, technically you don’t really need to try to be useless, it kind of goes against the name…” He mumbled, losing track of the conversation. “You are a talented woman, and an extremely talented one at that. You can’t give up on that, sweetheart. You just can’t. I believe in you and I won’t give up believing in you until I see your name in lights. Even then I’m going to be in the front row of every show telling everyone how wonderful you are, and how proud I am to be your best friend.” 

His eyes were intense with desperation now, his words falling out like he sincerely felt that everything he was saying was fact. Or maybe it just that it was the middle of December and he was kneeling on the floor in a suit- that probably cost more than your apartments rent for the year, and there was a chance he was feeling the onset of hypothermia.  You really thought you weren’t worth the hassle.

“That won’t ever happen though, will it Tae? I mean, here I am on what feels like the hundredth rejection. There is no one else. Not a single soul. I spent so long dreaming of this. Maybe I’m not cut out for Theatre. “ You sighed, trying your best to force the lump of tears back into the depths of which they came. “My name will never mean anything to anyone.”

Taemin let go of your cheeks and let his hands drop to his sides. He rose up from the ground- not even bothering to wipe off the dirt and damp leaves stuck to his knees. You winced at the thought of laundry costs and prices of designer suits.

“There will always be someone. I can promise you that.” 

~*~

High-class soirées were not your thing. You would rather have instant rameyeon in front of Dream Team, in your apartment where you wouldn’t be judged when- not if, you spilled a bit on yourself. That’s why when Taemin asked if you would be his guest to his own gallery’s opening, you were a bit hesitant.  Not only were you worried you would show yourself up- you were slightly concerned that as soon as you fell flat on your face and dropped a glass of priceless champagne onto some CEOs lap- they’d find out you were Taemin’s- aka, the hosts date for the evening… The media would blow up, and you might as well move to some small island, and change your name to Bruce.

You looked up at Taemin from the kitchen as you made tea for the both of you. He was sat on your sofa flipping through channels on your TV and reading some newspaper at the same time. 

“I’m not good for that kind of thing. Why don’t you ask Gwiboon or something? I’m sure she would love to go; knowing her she would make a dress from scratch made of photos of your face if you asked her.”

Taemin chucked softly “I know. That’s why I won’t ask her. Plus she’s dating Minho. His face is the only one she sees now.” He flipped the page of the newspaper and sighed, “Besides, I don’t want a date anyway, especially one who wants to be the center of attention. I want someone more… More-” He stopped and glanced at you.

“Boring? Clumsy? Plain?”

He snorted loudly. “No, you big dumdum!” He stood, throwing down the newspaper and remote control after settling on some music channel. He made his way over to you, wrapping his arms around you as you stirred the milk into the tea. “I want someone who understands my dreams. Someone with more dimension, whom I am proud to stand with, and doesn’t want to just get into my pants.” He mumbled into your hair before placing a small kiss on your head.

You turned and passed him his tea and shoved a small brownie into his mouth. 

“Look at you, using all the words to get the girls. It doesn’t work on me, Taeminnie, and you know that.” You said picking up your own cup of tea, popping a few Pocky on the side of your saucer before slumping back into the living room, leaving him stood there with chocolate around his mouth. Dork.

“You kneugh meh tho.” He spoke though the layers of cake and pieces of chocolate. Swallowing, he winked “Forever the suave art genius.”

You almost split a lung laughing.

He came and fell down beside you before looking over at you with those eyes. “Please. Please~. I promise you can leave whenever you want. Just be there for the photos and the unv-“

You almost choked on you chai. 

“Photos! You said nothing about photos, Taemin!”

“It’s just a tradition. It’s just a photo of the host and their wonderful guest of honor, along with some high profile guests. It’s something for the press to talk about.” He shrugged off your concern and continued to give you the eyes of a lonely puppy. “Come on, princess please! You’re the only one I trust, and if I recall, you missed my last opening.”

There it was. The blackmail. Yes, you had missed his last opening. It was his first big profile opening. Owning a gallery- he had many, all of which you had attended, but the last one was his. His own work adorning the walls and standing proud around the rooms, and you had missed it; being half way across the country at an audition. Another failed audition.

“You said you would never bring that up. You know how sorry I was.” You said leaning onto his arm and rubbing your cheek against his sweater. “Anyway, if I recall, you were the one who told me to go! I was willing to cancel; which I probably should have done, in hindsight.”

He wrapped his arm around your shoulder and laid his head on top of yours, a little stray blonde hair landing in your eyes.

“I know, I was joking. But what is done is done.” He chuckled before nuzzling his nose into your hair, “But this time, I need you there.”

You looked up at him. How could you say no to such a sweetheart? A sweetheart who had personally driven you to said failed audition, before driving back 3 hours to attend his own opening.

“I wouldn’t miss it for the world, or any stupid audition for that matter.”

His eyes lit up and a huge -eating smirk plastered his face. 

“You mean you will?” His voice went up a few octaves, and you were sure that if you said yes, his voice would be so high only the dogs in Seoul would be able to hear him.

“I guess so. Just don’t expect me to be all demure and classy as you. I do mean classy very loosely in regards to you though.” You looked up to see another smile full of teeth and mushed brownie, “You can expect a voulevant in someone’s eye though.”

He made a strangled noise and the next thing you know he had jumped on you and you both fell off the couch laughing, covered in tea, brownie crumbs and the remnants of your pride.

Yeah. Classy.

~*~ 

Taemin might have an eye for colors and style, but he definitely did not pick out this dress. Midnight blue fitted lace that fell to the floor and glistened with the smallest of delicate crystals. It was perfect. Nope. This had to be someone else’s doing. You had found the dress on your coffee table when you’d returned from the hair stylist that of course, Taemin had arranged, saying it was a token of thanks for being his ‘non-date’ and not a form of bribery. Definitely not bribery. The note on top of the white box, which was sealed with a ribbon the exact color of the dress, may have stole your heart a bit.

For my wonderful princess,

Tonight you shall shine like the star you are.

       - Taemin x

Your eyes were filling up and you had to fan your face a little so you didn’t ruin the poker straight eyeliner you wore. If it weren’t for the tiny, ‘Don’t trip over the hem will you?’ written at the bottom, you would have probably sobbed your make-up off into oblivion.

You glanced at the clock beside the TV before looking back at the dress in your hands. In an hour a car would arrive to pick you up and take you to the gallery in the city. This gave you enough time to freshen up and squeeze into the dress and find a suitable pair of shoes for the night.

Walking into your bedroom you found another box on the bed. You gave your room a once over before going back to stare down the box. Slowly placing the dress onto the bed- because, God forbid, if something happened to a single crystal, you were sure the fashion police would abseil through your window for crimes against humanity.

Pulling off the bow and removing the lid, there was another note placed on top of a pair of shiny black heels with some designer name inscribed on the soles.

Every princess deserves the glass slippers

       -Taemin x

PS. Glass slippers are stupid and dangerous.

Well that’s the make-up ruined.

~*~

Around forty-five minutes later you had slipped into the dress; which fit way too perfectly, and after many reapplications of eyeliner- thanks to shaky nervous hands, and the little voice in your head calling you princess, you walk out your apartment. You see Taemin, leaning against his black sleek car wearing a very dark blue fitted suit, a white polka dot shirt and a long scarf that was almost touching his knees along with the thick, warm jacket he had so lovingly thrown around your shoulders that night weeks ago. He pushed himself from the car as soon as his eyes caught sight of you.

“Oh-“ He started, before walking over and settling his hands onto your lace covered arms. “You look-“

“Is it that bad? I can go do the make-up again if it’s wrong I-“

He silenced you by lifting a finger to your mouth. “No. No you look perfect, princess.” 

Your attention was caught by the pet name, which was strangely becoming more common. You looked up at him; even in the heels you wore you were still slightly shorter. His eyes continued to scan you as his smile grew wider.

“Really?”

“Oh, really.”

You smiled and he shook his head as his hands slid down your arms and took your hands in his. 

“Thank you.” You almost didn’t catch it; he had mumbled it so quietly.

“Whatever for?”

His eyes lifted up from your shoes and he smiled. It lacked something. The toothy grin he usually wore wasn’t there and in its place a slightly sad smile.

“For everything. For being my best friend, for being here all these years and for every little thing you have ever done, and would ever do for me. It means the world to me and I’m just-” He paused and shook his head “It doesn’t matter. Not right now anyway. Lets go, Princess, your carriage awaits.” 

There was the dorky Taemin again. But the tight churning feeling in your stomach as he was saying those words remained.

He stepped aside and opened the passenger door, waving his arm to guide you into the seat before closing it. In the 10 seconds it took for him to walk from your door to his, your mind raced over the words that fell from his mouth. Granted, it was almost identical to what you had text him that night in the park; telling him how much you were thankful you had him around. How you were even more thankful that you were as close as you were, and that regardless of how much you deserved him, you would hold onto him for life. He wasn’t just ‘there’. He was pretty much everything.

As he slipped into the drivers seat, you broke from your musings and changed the subject. 

“I thought you were sending a driver? You should be setting up all your wonderful works, not escorting me.” You sniffed as he started the car and turned the heat on full, a blast of hot air aimed directly at your face.

“I was going to. I just thought that I should walk in with my lovely date by my side. Make an entrance. And boy, in that dress it’s going to be an entrance. “ He chuckled deeply, his eyes slipping from the road for a second to scan over the dress with a smile. “Its just what I imagined it to be on you.”

“Yeah about that!” You shot at him, “Did you really choose this? I mean, really Taemin?”

He stopped at a red light and looked at you with a face of mock hurt. “Of course I did. I am an artiste after all. “ He smirked as the light turned green and went to face the road again. “I saw it in a window one day when I was strolling around the city, getting some inspiration you know, I was having a pretty bad day with…. things” His smile gradually left his face as he spoke, before a saccharine sweet grin replaced the tired smile. ”I thought it would suit, you so I bought it.”

You didn’t return the smile. Just stared at him. There was something he wasn’t telling you. You had been in his presence tonight for about thirty minutes, and you could already feel this disconnect. Like this was a different person. Granted he was always stumbling on his words- it was just part of his charm. But tonight he wasn’t himself. No snarky, adorable Taemin in sight. He seemed like an empty shell.

“Tae… Are you okay?” You whispered into the silence that had filled the car. It was thick and heavy. It was making you feel nauseous, but that may have just been the heat.

“Yeah I’m fine. Just nervous.” Even those words seemed fake. He wasn’t fine, and nervous? This was beyond nerves. Whatever it was had replaced his fiery soul with dimly lit tea light that was about to burn out.

You couldn’t reply to that and just settled with a soft nod before returning to look out of the window, at the lights that rushed by.

“I’m scared…”

Those words cut through the silence like a knife. They were so quiet and shaky that you couldn’t believe they had fell from his mouth. The Lee Taemin’s mouth. You turned to look at him in awe. 

“I’m really, really scared. Tonight is so important, and if I it up its not just me that’s going to feel the disappointment and the hurt.” He gripped the wheel tighter.

“Taeminnie, you won’t this up. How could you? You’re incredible and everyone loves you and your work. Tonight you and your talent are going to shine.”

The car rumbled to a stop in the car park of his gallery and he turned to face you, but kept his eyes low.

“Just, please-“ His voice was breaking so badly, you didn’t hesitate to move over the center console and wrap your arms around his neck, embracing him tightly. “Please stay by my side?”

“I’ll always be by your side. I promise.”

~*~

There were so many cameras. So many men in sharp suits with women on their arms, dressed head to toe in expensive jewelry and the finest designer dresses. Everyone was standing around and laughing at the smallest things. You did what every ‘supposed non-date’ of the host of the evening could do. You stood in the corner with a glass of champagne watching Taemin introducing himself to almost everyone. There were people, mainly ladies, hanging off his arm and asking him about almost every piece of artwork occupying the walls.

They were incredible. Photo realistic and breath taking landscapes of areas you knew well. There was one of a beautiful lake, the lake by the university campus, which you and Taemin would frequent; to have small picnics and vent about the days failings. There was large sculpture of a church; the one he would attend every Sunday without fail. It was a mish-mash of inspirations- but that was Taemin, finding the beauty in the smallest of things.

You were admiring a large oil painting of a feminine silhouette looking over a balcony, when you felt a pair of arms embrace your waist from behind. You wanted to turn around and throw your arms around his neck and tell him how proud you were, but this was his big night, and you didn’t want to embarrass him. Especially not in front of the many cameras and high profile people in the room. 

“Taemin-ah, these are wonderful. You’re so talented” You gushed. You swore you wouldn’t, but there was almost leakage. From the eyes, of course.

“Ah, I’m nothing without the inspiration, Princess.”

You blushed tomato red. It was bad enough when he called you that on a piece of paper, but out loud? Nope. You carried on studying the painting in front of you whilst trying to block out the feeling in your gut. The female was stood in front of a French window, completely in darkness in contrast to the bright blue sky behind her.

“What’s this one called?”

“Sleeping Beauty.” He mumbled into your neck before looking up at the painting itself. 

“But she’s not sleeping.” You laughed. “Unless she is, then she better get away from that balcony before she becomes ‘Dead Beauty’.”

He chuckled heartily, totally contrasting the smiles he gave on the journey here.

“No she’s not sleeping. I was.”

You turned to look at him confused. “I don’t understand. How can you paint whilst sleeping?”

Smiling, he leaned back. “Think about it.” He stepped away and smiled before being manhandled by two women and a tall man, who were begging him to show them around. You shook your head and stepped away from ‘Sleeping Beauty’ and made your way to the opposite corner. There was a small stage with a band playing smooth jazz and to the right of it stood a large object covered by a red velvet sheet. You turned back to look at Taemin, hoping that he was free so you could pester him about the mysterious lump taking up majority of the main area. But when you found him in the crowd he was still with the girls and the boy, who were hanging off his arm as he explained an abstract painting of a red curtain.

Just as you turned away from him, you felt a presence beside you and almost jumped back when you saw whom it was.

Kim Jonghyun. The Kim Jonghyun of Kim and Lee Productions, was stood right beside you. He was the co-owner of one of the largest music companies in Korea, or perhaps even the world- but you were sure his ego couldn’t take it if the words ever fell from your lips. Your mouth dropped to the floor when he turned to you and smiled.

"Well, hello."

The silky smooth tones of his voice washed over you- like being bathed in the finest oils. You could see clearly why he was one of the most renowned figures in his career, with his shocking white blonde hair and sculpted face. You wondered why he had given up the limelight to produce and publish music behind the scenes.

“Oh my- Mr. Kim… Hello.” You stuttered with a low bow, almost spilling the contents of the glass you clutched in your hand all over his shoes.

“Jonghyun, please.” He held out his hand for you to shake. His palm felt warm, and you savoured the feeling, before he lifted your hand to his lips, placing a small kiss to the back of your hand. “And who may you be? A pretty girl like you in a place like this, alone.”

You were blushing scarlet and almost keeled over. You opened you mouth to introduce yourself, almost stuttering out your name when a voice spoke behind you. Feeling an arm winding its way around your waist, you looked up to see Taemin, his eyes intensely fixed on Jonghyun.

“Jonghyun-hyung, what are you doing here?”

“I wanted to cheer on my favourite dongsaeng.” He smiled, not matching the stern look on Taemin’s face. “-and I wanted to check out theawful music you supplied. Jazz, Taemin? Really?” He giggled.

“I honestly had other things on my mind.” Taemin mumbled in reply, his eyes dropping to the floor. Your arm found its way around his back, patting it gently. He turned to you and gave a gentle smile.

“So…” Jonghyun started, taking a large gulp of the amber liquid, swirling it around in his tumbler. “Are you going to introduce this fine lady, or are you just to stand there, looking like a guard dog?”

Taemin looked at you hesistantly, then shot a look back to Jonghyun. “Oh, this is my date for this evening-‘ he broke off, looking around as a man in a tailored suit tapped on his shoulder and whispered something into his ear. Looking flustered, Taemin turned to us, “I’m sorry, a guest is interested in ‘Sleeping Beauty’.” He takes my hand in his and places it down to my side before catching my gaze, “I’ll be right back, but this is Jonghyun, my, urm-“ Jonghyun’s face was of pure amusement, watching the artist struggle with his words. “He kinda dates my sister. I’ll explain in a sec!” He calls back whilst being ushered across the room.

Well that was a bombshell. You knew Taemin had a sister. But Eunsook was and always has been a little bit of a loner. She was the kind of girl who would prefer to read medical textbooks than bother about trivial things such as ‘dating’.

“Oh. Wow. That’s quite an achievement, Mr. Kim. Eunsook has always been the quiet type.”

“Call me, Jonghyun, please; you make me sound old.” His smile was softer now at the mention of his obviously beloved girlfriend, eyes sparkling. “But yes, she is quite a wonderful woman and I’m very lucky. Much like Taemin over there.” Turning to find Taemin seemingly engulfed in a crowd of drunken businessmen, his smile turned mischievous. “He never told me he had such a beautiful girlfriend though.”

If you weren’t blushing before, you were now. You took a small glance at the returning Taemin, whom- slightly dishevled, caught the latter of the conversation and started spluttering out incoherent words and turning a fine shade of pink.

“I- urm, no. She’s my best friend. I erm-“ He stuttered, looking as if he would rather be anywhere else than here.

“Of course she is. Because all best friends watch each other from across the room and don’t hesitate to hold them from behind. Sure.” Jonghyun’s voice was laced with amused sarcasm. He nodded towards to band playing in the corner. “Now, can I please shut them up and put some real music on?”

Taemin nodded. You knew he was quite partial to the jazz, but he would rather let Jonghyun make the band play trot versions of Britney Spears’ hits than have him around any longer.

When Jonghyun left, with a nod he turned to face you, although his eyes didn’t really meet yours. He was nervously shifting his feet and running his fingers around the rim of his champagne flute.

“I’m sorry about him. He can be a bit… much” He sighed, looking beat and exhausted.

“Hey, it’s alright. He was just being a bit like a big brother-in-law. Though less intimidating.”

“Yeah well, he should keep his hands to my sister and not blatantly flirting with-“ He stopped, “You know what, lets forget it. He’s a anyway.”

Just as he said that, you heard the obvious intro to Toxic played on a saxophone, you almost spit the contents of the glass you had been sipping from all over Taemin’s shirt.

“I knew it.” You had both said it at the same time. You looked at each other with disbelief before bursting out laughing.

“Come on, lets see if we can find something to eat that isn’t voulevants. We don’t need any accidents now.” Taemin smirked, his arm falling onto your shoulder, steering you away past the red velvet covered lump and past the stage. Jonghyun was now crooning into the microphone drawing in a large crowd.

~*~

You watched over the balcony, Taemins suit jacket over your shoulders to shield you from the chill. You and he had had the ingenious idea to have a McDonalds meal. No one had noticed that the host was missing. No one even paid attention as you shiftily walked back through the front doors, the both of you clutching extra large milkshakes in your hands.

Looking down at the main area below, taking a long, obnoxiously loud slurp of your drink, you saw Taemin making his way over to the large item that was still covered in the rich red fabric. He was passed a microphone, which he proceeded to tap on, mumbling a; “Is this on?” before being given a thumbs up by Gwiboon, who was standing close to the front, clutching onto an extremely tall man by her side.

“Ah- Good evening ladies and gents. I am Lee Taemin and I would firstly like to thank you all for attending tonight. It’s more than I deserve, but I am no less thankful.” He took a deep bow and the room was filled with a series of claps and murmurs of disagreement at his statement. “I have been given an incredible opportunity to show you works of many artists of this fine city over the years, and even though I have shared my works before, I feel that tonight you can see the true side of my art. I hope so anyway.” He chuckled nervously, blinking rapidly. He looked up and your eyes connected as you leaned over the balcony, giving him a thumbs-up.

Smiling, he took a deep breath, in hopes of controlling his blinking. “This season, unlike the last, I have found that my inspirations for my work have become singular, even though it doesn’t look like it. Everything you see tonight, every single thing, are excerpts of my dreams. The dreams that I wish were real when I wake up in the morning. The dreams that confuse me and make me question the things I’ve never dared question before.” He took a deep breath, eyes scanning the room, watching over the guests who were hanging onto his every word. “So far I’ve been extremely lucky. I’ve been able to follow my dreams, and I’m thankful to every person who believed in me and never gave up on me.

“You’ve all had a chance to see some of my inspirations tonight through many media, like religion through sculptures and dreams through oil paintings. But there’s one inspiration that just overshadows all of them. Nothing compares to the feeling I get when I’m-“ He stopped again. The room was fully silent and you realised that you had stopped drinking your milkshake, too entangled in his words.

“A long time ago, I met a girl.”

Your ears piped up. He had never mentioned a girl in all your years. Well, there was Gwiboon, but that was before he met you, and that failed miserably.

“She never questioned my dorky ways of making my so called ‘art’. She never cared when I turned up at her apartment, covered in marble dust and ruined her brand new rug. She never, ever puts herself above anyone and I just-… She’s the reason I wake in the morning with a smile on my face. She’s the inspiration I found I was lacking, without even realising it.

“She gave up on her dreams recently and I feel so responsible. I’m obviously not doing a good enough job as a ‘friend’. Every night, when she would call and tell me she was losing hope in her talents, I’d work double hard in my studio on this.” He motioned to the covered item before looking up to the balcony where you stood.

You were crying, but you couldn’t even feel the tears anymore. Every word was snaking round your heart and you were torn between rushing down there and telling him he was crazy, or rushing down there and throwing yourself at him. But you just settled for standing, frozen in place.

“Tonight, you may have met her, and can see that she’s truly wonderful, but I know she doesn’t see that, not like I do. So I may have made this, to show her how I see her. How I’ve always see her, even if she’s wearing that stupid cat t-shirt.”

He was crying now. In the five years you had known him, you’d never once saw him cry. You had seen him low, upset and in fits of rage, but never had he shed a tear.

“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to- .” Wiping his eyes furiously, he took a step back and laced his hand through the crimson fabric. He was mumbling under his breath, words that didn’t make sense to you. None of this made sense. “How could I have been so blind? I’m so stupid.”

You were afraid, but the realisation hit you like a freight train transporting iron bricks. All the nights he spent by your side and all the times he’d listened to you cry. All the nights he held your hand by the lake, talking about how proud he was of you, and how he never missed any of your recitals. Even the times you’d sit with him in his studio, making lame jokes and feeding him homemade brownies, as he hammered away at large lumps of rock ‘till some stupid A.M. You didn’t do that because you were ‘just friends’.

Oh, no.

It had gone way beyond that, and it had just struck Taemin hard in the gut, as he stood in front of hundreds of his seniors and journalists whilst you swayed on the balcony, close to throwing up.

Jonghyun joined Taemin on stage, taking the microphone away from him and placing it on the ground, before wrapping his arms around him. Whispering took over the room as Jonghyun quietly spoke with Taemin, the latter nodding. You stared, not really knowing what to do, Taemin backed up and slumped down the wall; burying his face into his knees, his back heaving as he sobbed, Jonghyun walked up to the red veil and pulled it off in one sweep. Your reaction came out a strangled gasp, your hand flying up to your mouth as you took in the sight before you.

Stood in the centre of the room was a life sized marble sculpture of a girl, her arms reaching upwards, with her flowing dress falling down to the floor as if it was made of the finest fabric and not the hardest stone. The familiar lace, delicately carved over her décolletage and arms.

It was like looking into a mirror. The only difference being your tear stained face wasn’t reflected in the stone, instead replaced with a look of pure happiness and euphoria as she reached out to the heavens.

The crowd’s reaction filled the room. You felt suffocated by the applause and cheers of approval. You took a glance at Taemin who was just looking up from his knees, his teary eyes meeting your own. Breaking eye contact and stepping back from the balcony, you ran as fast as your legs could carry you in the heels you wore. You only stopped to throw them off as you pushed your way through the double doors, and into the icy winter night. The small garden behind the gallery was deserted and you found solace in front of the fountain there, Taemin’s jacket slipping off your shoulders as you fell to the ground. The sobs that racked your body were loud, and no longer concealable by the splashes of the fountain, or the loud ruckus of the gallery behind you.

Thoughts of you and Taemin flooded your heart. All the memories of nights spent laughing under blankets, now had other feelings, hidden behind ice cream and entwined hands. They were always there. The little butterflies that found their way into your throat, as fingers were brushed through hair and kisses placed to temples. You were simply happy with him just being there, so blinded by his presence that you failed to interpret the meanings behind every little gesture. Had Taemin always felt this way? Looking back, after the evening’s revelations, you felt a lump rise into your throat, passed all the tears.

You loved him.

My God, you loved him. All the small things, from his nervous blinking, to the way he would never fail to text you ‘Good morning’. He was wonderful, and you loved him.

The more you repeated it in your head, the more it made sense. You felt like a sleeper spy, who had just been given the password and their mind had unlocked to all the secrets of the universe.

The door behind you opened, the loud hum of the crowd indoors increasing in volume for a second, before dulling down with a quiet close of a door. You didn’t even need to turn round to know it was Taemin. You could hear his breathing, and after nights of falling asleep beside him on your tatty couch, it was unmistakable. The memory of his sleeping figure made your heart race slightly.

Blind. So Blind.

“Princess?”

His voice wasn’t steady, nor was it loud, but it carried the distance between you and you couldn’t help but turn to him. His eyes were red and as he walked towards you, you couldn’t help but notice the anxious look behind them. Standing, you wiped your eyes, not even caring if you were sporting the panda look. It’s not like he hadn’t seen them before.

“I’m sorry.”

Sorry. You had never heard those words spoken to you with truth. He was sorry. He shouldn’t be, but he was. You stepped forward, the damp of the grass seeping through your stockings.

“I love you.”

The words slipped passed your lips so easily you didn’t even feel them. After being repeated in your head, over and over for the past few moments, they were natural, and 100% truthful.

“I always have, and I’m sorry. I’m just so stupid and dumb and I don’t deserve you, but , I love you. All of you, Taemin-ah and I can’t-“

A cushion of soft lips colliding with yours cut off the words, his hand finding its way to the side of your face and a thumb swiping away the tear tracks. Your hands curled into the front of his shirt, not wanting to let go for a second in fear of falling from the earth. You fit like puzzle pieces, every curve meeting its match. He pulled back for the shortest of seconds to breathe, his forehead on yours and as he struggled to breathe.

“I love you, too. Always you. Only you.” His eyes were closed, in an attempt to keep the floodgates closed, but the words had no less meaning. Your head found home in his neck as you mumbled incoherent words of affection.

You don’t know how long you stood there; his body heating yours, small kisses confirming unspoken words. You didn’t even feel the cold night air anymore, just the warmth of his fingertips mapping out you spine.

“Sing for me.” Taemin whispered into your hair with a slight nuzzle of his nose. Pulling back slightly, you smiled.

“Seriously? Right now?”  Chuckling, he nodded, and you couldn’t really say no to those eyes as they shone with content.

You lay your head on his chest, his arms circling around your frame as you sang. Love songs were your favourite, but you never thought in a million years you would sing one to someone like Lee Taemin.

Beautiful, wonderful Lee Taemin.

When the last note trailed off, the silence in the air was broken by the sound of clapping. Taemin turned and you peered over his shoulder to see a short man clapping with a slight smug look on his face.

“Best friends, my .”

You laughed as Taemin buried his face in your neck, his sigh sending a wave of shivers through your whole body.

~*~

The next morning you woke up with a start to the loud sound of your phone, on your sofa in your thickest pajamas, a blanket slung over your legs. Kicking the blanket off, you disturbed the sleeping man behind you, his arms around your waist tightening. You turned and smiled at his sleeping face, his nose wrinkling at the loud sound your obnoxious ringtone.  Leaving over, his arm slipped from your waist, a chill meeting the skin it exposed.

From: Jonghyun-Oppa

I’m still thinking of that song you sang last night. Please let me write for you. I promise you that Taemin will like it ;)

The dreams of Broadway may no longer feel right, but the dreams of making Taemin happy, felt perfect.

Just like the smile that met you when you woke Taemin with a kiss.