Nam Taehyun, Mino’s heart gave a painful kick as he recited the name in his head. He missed him more than he ever thought it was possible but his stubborn pride kept him from contacting him until now.

Mino had witnessed first hand how his parents who used to love each other so much each other once love was gone. He vowed never let himself to be so lost or that bitter. He knew how devastated his mother was but when the proceeding started all the hurt and claws just came out. It got so ugly that until this day his mother was still bitter and always telling Mino that there was no such thing as true love.

Mino never knew how one could actually fall so deeply and intensely for a person. It amazed him how one person could become so important that losing him would almost felt like he lost an arm or a leg.

It was almost unbelievable to him how just by being close to the younger guy could fill with so much hope and positivity that he never wanted to be without his presence. When Taehyun walked away from him, he knew that he had just lost the best thing that ever happened to him.

Mino was determined to do anything to gain his forgiveness, to win him back, anything just for him to be able to hold him again.

Taehyun may have rejected him out of pride at the very least. However, Mino had captured his heart once and he was sure he will capture it once again but only this time he vowed to never let it go no matter what. He will make sure that this time it will be different.

Taehyun was worried even though he had been reminding himself that he should not even care. It had been a week since he saw Mino at the campus. It was like he disappeared from the face of this earth. He could not help but pick his phone to dial the number he memorized even in his sleep but there was no answer. Feeling desperate, he called the one person who would know where Mino was, Jihoon.

“His mother passed away.”

Just like that, Taehyun dropped everything.

“His mother was and remained very bitter about the breakup of her marriage. So much so Mino grew up pretty much with the impression that one should not be so attached to relationship. The less you feel for someone the less you are going to hurt when it is all over. So this is how he got his barriers up.”

Mino was no where to be found he seemed to have vanished. Even Jihoon and Jiho had no clue where he might be and they were his closest friends.

Right now, Taehyun was willing to give up everything just for him to turn up in front of him. He just needed to know Mino was ok. That was all he needed.

Taehyun had no idea how long he sat at the front steps of Mino’s apartment building just waiting for the guy to make his appearance. He was numb with cold and despair. The thought of the older guy being alone in this moment of grief was eating him away and his body ached with unbearable grief. He trembled and wrapped his arm around himself and just waited.

Taehyun heard the sound of footsteps approaching, his heart began to hammer and his eyes flew open.

For a moment, Taehyun just stared. He rubbed his eyes and blinked to make sure they were not playing tricks on him. He felt everything sprang into life because the guy he has been longing to see was finally right in front of him. Though Mino looked tired but at least he was in one piece and Taehyun never felt happier to see him.

“Mino” He croaked, lurching to his feet and he began to shiver.

However, he was taking off his helmet and clearly did not hear him so he tried again.

“Mino!”

Mino froze and turned around. “Taehyun?”

For a moment Mino just stood where he was and stare at the younger guy. Taehyun caught a flash of raw unguarded emotion on his face and his legs automatic moved towards him.

Taehyun stopped a foot away from him suddenly at a complete loss of words to say.

“What are you doing here?” Mino said roughly as he looked at the younger guy up and down as though he could not believe the person that was standing right in front of him.

“How long have you been out here?”

“I heard.” Taehyun croaked and wrapped his arms around himself.

Mino frowned before he shrugged out of his jacket then helped Taehyun into it. The warmth enveloped him so achingly sweet that he was torn between launching himself at him or just simply giving Mino a hug of reassurance.

“Let’s go inside before you freeze to death.”

Mino could feel his body tensed as he saw Taehyun hesitated for a good ten heartbeats, a few seconds. However, to him it felt like hours. He let out a small sigh of relief when he saw the younger guy giving a small nod.

He wondered what Taehyun was doing over here. After all, he already got it all planned out how he was going to grovel his way back to him. He had consulted his friends and their girlfriends on how to go about winning him back. He knew nothing about relationships and courting let alone something as serious as love.

Silence was their best friend at they made their way to Mino’s apartment, their hands were within each other’s grasps. Both made no move to change anything, just wanting to savour the moment of being close together again.

“Let me get you a hot drink.”

Taehyun sat down nervously on the couch wondering if it was a good idea for him to turn up uninvited like this. Mino had invaded his senses and thoughts for enough times already. He really did not need the heightened awareness he had of the guy right now. He just wanted to make sure he was ok.

“Here.”

“Thank you.”

Their fingers touched briefly as he took the cup from him.

“How are you holding up?” He asked tentatively, afraid that Mino might push him away again.

Taehyun smiled sadly, his eyes full of grief understanding how hard it was to go through what Mino was going through at the moment.

It was because of this that Mino felt the tears prickling his eyes ever since finally found their release.

“She is gone. The worse part is I feel so relieved. What kind of a son am I?”

Taehyun wrapped his arms around him and leaned in close to Mino.

“I think it is ok to feel this way because she can be truly happy now.”

Without breaking the eye contact, he dipped his lips to the younger guy. Even before his lips touched Taehyun’s, he knew it was the right thing to do. It was the right decision he made. As his lips brushed the guy beside him, it confirmed the truth he knew all along.

Taehyun was not moving away from him.

Mino deepened the kiss pulling Taehyun closer to him. He matched the intensity of the kiss turning it into a frenzied meeting of the lips.

Mino knew where they were headed even though it felt like he was chopping off a limb but still, he broke the kiss.

“Stop.” He ordered.

“I was wrong.”

Stunned, Taehyun stared into his eyes, looking for deceit.

“I don’t understand you.”

“Can you forgive for the things I have done? The things I said?”

“I don’t know.” He murmured honestly, looking down their clasped hands.

“You have hurt me too many times. I am not sure if I can take the risk or if I want to take it.”

Mino let go and Taehyun pulled away from him and stood up putting a distance between them that he felt he needed to. Mino stayed where he was on the couch and dropped his head to his hands.

“I will do whatever it takes for you to forgive me.”

“It is not that easy.”

Because Taehyun could not say no even though he knew he should. He shook his head the pain from their fight still haunted him.

“I understand.” Mino said as he digested the meaning of the younger’s words.

“You know despite how my mother acted. She still loved him a lot that was why she never moved on. I finally learnt that now.”

It was then he remembered what Jihoon told him, “He is a hard nut to crack but he loves you. He just has not realized that yet.”

Just like that Taehyun knew.

“No flirting when you are at the club.”

Mino turned to look at the younger guy, waiting, hoping and praying.

“Definitely not.”

“You must make time to meet my family.”

“I will set a reminder in my calendar.”

“No second chance, if you screw it up. That is it.”

“Yes but…”

“But?”

“I will screw up.”

“You will?”

“It is because I know more about hurting than loving someone.”

Mino smiled bitterly with a hint of self-loathing.

Taehyun gave him a smile with such sweetness that Mino felt his heart slowly beating fast again.

“Then show me all of it whether it is broken or otherwise.”

Something in the air changed between them and both of them felt it. Mino carefully wrapped his arms around the younger guy. The feel of him was so comforting and so right. Taehyun felt his sense go haywire and his knees went weak when their lips met once more, just like how it was when they first kissed.

Caught up in a sizzling kiss, a kiss full of love and promise, they both felt the pull of desire bubbling within them. They kissed like lovers, long, hard and intimately building up the wanting.

They forgot who they are and who they were. They forgot everything else as they remembered each other. It had been way too long since they held or touched each other like this.

Taehyun was so beautiful as Mino explored every nook and cranny, re-familiarizing himself with the feel of the younger’s body beneath him. He wanted to lavish all the attention on him because he meant so much to him.

As Mino took them beyond whatever they have shared before, Taehyun was floored. He could not believe that  there was something even better than what they have experienced previously.

They lay in each other’s arms, silently savouring. Then still basking in that same comfortable silence, they loved again.

Taehyun woke up to find Mino looking deeply at him as though he would disappear if he blinked.

“Good morning.”

His fingers slowly traced his features still afraid that the younger guy would disappear again.

Still drowsy with sleep, Taehyun gently caressed his cheek, “I don’t know why I love you but I just do.”

Mino wrapped his arms possessively around him.

“You make feel like the strongest and most powerful yet you weaken me.”

He drew the younger into the loving circle of his arms and proceeded to show how much Taehyun meant to him.

It has been two years since, they were still together. Mino has changed but he was still a little rough around the edges. More importantly, he was no longer a douche which was acceptable for Taehyun.  He could live with that.

They were having dinner at their own place they found together when Mino suddenly took his hand, it gently; making the twin rings they wore touched lightly.

“I remembered what you said about being unrealistic to be asking for forever.”

“Did, I? I don’t remember but what about it?” Taehyun asked feigning innocence.

“I want you to know that I think forever is something realistic now, for us I mean.” Mino said, trying to look and sound as nonchalant as possible.

“You think so?” Taehyun’s expression was blank as usual as he chewed his food thoughtfully but there was this twinkle in his eyes that was saying otherwise.

“I know so.” Mino said firmly, earning a small laugh from Taehyun because he knew it was Mino’s own way of saying “I love you”.

“I love you too.” Taehyun smiled radiantly as he interlaced their fingers together.

~~~~~~~~~~

Hihi, this is the end.. like THE actual end.... I am a er for happy endings... LOL but if you like how Pride ended then that was also the end.. so this could be treated like a standalone... let me know your thoughts! love to hear from you!!