Posted on 29 April 2015

Taemin woke up the next day to find Jinki fast asleep on the couch. After what had happened last night, which still brought a shudder to his spine when he recalls it, Jinki must've been exhausted. Even more than that, Jinki hyung must have been worrying for him the last few days when he hung out a lot with Minho. Maybe the eldest already knew what Minho had in mind, but just couldn't raise his suspicions because he knew Taemin was growing fond of Minho. He realised that Jinki probably didn't want to hurt his feelings by making assumptions, but since he was right, it only made Taemin feel like a fool. And he hated how he so easily chose to believe in Minho, how he easily said something that would bother Jinki.

He gingerly brushed past him and slipped into the bathroom to change. As his fingers ed his top automatically, he kept his eyes on his reflection in the mirror. He was in a mess; his hair was unruly and he had a tiny drool stain on the left of his mouth. Taemin wondered how anyone could sleep so ugly like him. His eyes bulged when he saw the little blue swell on his chest, right above his heart. He felt disgusted when he imagined Minho kissing him there, and it made him want to claw out that part of his tainted skin. Taemin scratched on it repeatedly, then quickly got into the shower to wash all traces of Minho's touch on him. He the hot tap and the almost-scalding water made him want to cry, but he continued to scrub clean and hard.

When he was finally satisfied, he got out the tub to see the small bathroom was steamy all over and the fog on the mirror would be difficult to wipe. This time he didn't bother to clear the reflective glass, he knew he would hate to see the unwanted mark on him. Taemin put on a sleeveless and jeans for the day.

The difference in temperature inside and out the bathroom made the younger shiver as he stepped out. He quickly scooted to the closet to grab a jacket, one that could hide the sore from his husband. He jumped when he turned around to see Jinki awake and standing behind him, rubbing sleep from his eyes. The younger swiftly pulled the zip up, but not before Jinki caught the swell on his chest. It made the elder’s heart pound uneasily and words stuck in his throat. His mind whizzed to cook up an explanation.

"Tae, that mark-"

"Onew hyung! It meant nothing, I swear! Minho did it and I'm sorry I couldn't fight him off. It'll go away in a few days, I promise!" Taemin scurried to cut him off, afraid that Jinki would feel repulsed.

Jinki didn't know how to feel that Taemin had jumped to the conclusion that it was Minho who did it. Hell, Jinki would rip his lips off in a second if Minho did that. 

“Uh Onew hyung…aren’t you going to be late for work?” The younger tried to change the subject.

Jinki snapped back from his daze to look at Taemin looking at him expectantly. He felt a surge of remorse at the run of events that happened lately. He claims to be the one who would treasure Taemin more than anyone else, and the one who would protect him best, and the one who would love him most, yet it all proved otherwise. Jinki realized he had left Taemin alone, more than ever since he came back from his studies, since the day they married. It was not difficult to understand why Taemin had believed that Jinki chose and preferred work over him. He suppose he should at least make up for the lost time.

“Taemin-ah, I’m taking a week off of work and I would like to spend the free time with you.” He promised to call his appa later, “Is there a place in particular that you wish to go, or anything you want to do?”

Taemin could feel his heart ready to burst as he internalize what his hyung had just told him. Was it because of what he had said the other night, that made Jinki feel obliged to do this? He didn’t want to cause more bother than he already had been.

“Onew hyung, you-you didn’t have to do this for me! I’m sorry I said some unnecessary things!” The younger spoke in a fluster.

The other shook his head, “Tae, I figured I really have been spending too much time at work. I guess I need to take a break, and how would I ever be able to answer to Office Lee and your umma if something should happen to you because of my negligence?”

“I-I...you-you’re right, hyung.” Taemin nudged away from Jinki’s loose hug.

To say the truth, Taemin almost convinced himself that the reason Jinki wanted time with him, was him. Turns out it was really because Jinki felt responsible for him only because umma asked him to. But having Jinki already make such a huge concession for him, he shouldn’t be complaining like a spoilt child.

Jinki, on the other hand, being a stick-in-the-mud man he was, couldn’t exactly comprehend. He thought Taemin would’ve been happier, like he was on their picnic date. He sometimes wonder what he had missed while he was away from Taemin, he couldn’t read his mind like he could before, didn’t know what he was thinking or what was troubling him. Jinki wondered if Taemin felt like he could no longer confide in him, which was also why the whole Minho episode came about in the first place; he was confident nothing had really changed, he was still the same how Taemin knew him. Had Taemin grown out of him? But the things Taemin did, he also couldn’t tell why the younger did them. First, he was upset that Jinki wasn’t spending enough time with him, and now he was upset that Jinki was paying him more attention. It’s so confusing it’s frustrating!

***

“Onew hyung, I know where I want to go!” Taemin hopped into their room on the Sunday afternoon Jinki’s week-off started, “Can you…bring me to Seoul? Where you studied, I want to see.”

“Seoul?” Jinki put down the book he haven’t finished reading, “Why do you suddenly want to go there?”

“Because, umma never lets me leave town,” Even when I missed you so terribly I wanted to see you, “I thought if you were the one to bring me, she might actually allow it!”

Jinki chuckled at the hopeful looks and smiles Taemin was directing his way mercilessly. How does one say ‘no’ to an adorable request like this? But it’s not that easy to leave so suddenly, though it’s in the same country, they had nothing in Seoul to depend on. The only one Jinki could think of immediately was Jonghyun – his roommate while he was there. How they met would be for another time, but at once Jinki thought this dongsaeng could probably book a hotel for them since his family owned a chain of luxury hotels. He also thought about the places where he wanted to bring Taemin to. In the four years he was there, he didn't really made effort to go around, since his only objective was to study and hurry back home where Taemin is.

Would the boy like to visit the theme park or the botanic gardens? The zoo or the museums? Given that they haven't got all those in the small town they resided in, Jinki didn't really know what would interest Taemin most. Sure, he must've read books, saw pictures, and heard people say, but now that Taemin can expect himself to actually be at those places, Jinki was at a lost on how to create the perfect first-trip for the younger.

As soon as the boy left after that to meet with Kibum who had just came back, Jinki quickly went online to do a little research, and also to chat up Jonghyun again. He hasn't spoken to him since the time he returned, what with the wedding, work and all.

On the other hand, Taemin was excited to see Kibum again, especially since he had been gone for a while. He couldn't wait to tell Kibum everything that has happened - his daily visits to Jinki's office and the little affections he got, his unpleasant encounter with Minho and finally his trip to Seoul. Well, Jinki hasn't exactly promised him, but it'll probably happen, anyway. It's not as if Taemin had a special hold on Jinki, but the younger knew he usually gets what he wants with his Onew hyung. (Which was mostly why Taemin was thrown off when Jinki said 'no' without hesitation to his sleepover at Minho's. Even when Jinki was out of town studying, the three had frequented each other's for sleepovers. Thinking back, Taemin shuddered at what Minho might have been thinking then.)

"I'm so sorry, Taemin!" Kibum covered his mouth in shock when Taemin meekly retold the incident, "If I had known he was such a ert I wouldn't have introduced you to him!"

"Oh Lord, I’d kill myself if something happened to you because of him."

Taemin laughed at Kibum and his usual habit to exaggerate. On the bright side, at least that got him to realise the wolf Minho was, and how Jinki cared for him.

"Well, I'm fine now, aren't I?" Taemin giggled, glad that at least Kibum seems like the good friend he is.

After all, he knew Kibum for a longer time, and that Kibum had always been very straightforward and open with him. Taemin would probably dare bet that he knew more about the other than Key about him.

"You just came back from Seoul right, Key? Tell me more about it!" Taemin beamed, excited to add more to his imagination.

It may not really be the place that he's thrilled about, it's more of that he's going out of the familiar small town to somewhere new, and with Jinki to boot. What more could he ask for? So he spent the rest of the afternoon to evening bombarding Kibum with questions such as the places of interest, what they could do and what they could eat. He was asking so much that the exasperated Kibum barely had any chance to talk about his - more interesting, he says - art exhibition.

Annyeong................OTL I'm sorry guys:( 
I just got so caught up in my studies this was neglected:( 

I'll work harder:( I love y'all <3 

Thanks for reading! :D