When Mino woke up the next morning, he had to comb his way through a big cloud of happiness and exhaustion. His thoughts were soft streams of affection towards the guy he had loved so much the last night.

He basked in that feeling, that beautiful hangover. Mino felt nothing except that warm, woolly light of radiant contentment. Sighing softly, he nuzzled towards the happiness around him and a part of his mind found the happiness caressing him softly, gently on his cheek and shoulder. That happiness was none other than Nam Taehyun.

As his thoughts drifted towards the light, the caressing became more substantial, like a gentle breeze of a summer’s wind. Goosebumps started to rise and when he opened his eyes, he found the younger guy staring back at him, his brown eyes were filled with warmth and love …

The caressing continued as the younger guy snuggled deeper into the covers of the bed, his gaze never leaving his. Finally, Mino’s hand caught his and brought it up next to Taehyun’s head. He felt their fingers intertwine and each other - and the scent of last night immediately started tingling on his soul.

Grasping his fingers to still them, Mino slid upwards to hover above his partner’s body and kiss him gently.

“You are perfect.” he whispered, his face just hovering above Taehyun’s.

Blushing immediately, Taehyun squeezed his eyes shut. “Mino…” and Mino protested.

“What?” he asked, clutching the younger’s hand tighter and kissing first his nose before moving to his lips.

When Mino opened his eyes again, he saw Taehyun laying there, trying to hide his blush in the crook of Mino’s neck, his lips red and swollen.

It had not been enough with just once. Taehyun’s soft body moving under him, his breathing against Mino’s ear, the younger guy being so deliciously warm and alive. The sighs, the soft moans and the joy spoke volumes.

He had never thought about that.

Well, he had thought about that a lot of nights before going to sleep. He had thought about Taehyun, but fantasy paled when looking at the real thing. The younger’s eyes were wide, as he experienced for the first time those feelings, his lips slightly parted, a myriad emotions dancing behind his eyes, as Taehyun savored every feeling, as his breathing grew more erratic - and as Mino fought the rising doubts: What if he doesn’t feel as strongly as I do? What if?

However his hands on Mino’s cheeks, the overwhelming feelings that left the younger speechless afterwards, his sudden need for closeness, as Taehyun snuggled into him, when he held him…

Mino had woken the younger twice in the night, each time slower and more passionate than the previous one.

“Taehyun,” Mino whispered, cuddling his partner tightly against his chest. “I have been such a beast to you.”

Taehyun smiled. “Yes, you have,” he said immediately as his fingers playing with Mino’s.

“Did you really think I didn’t love you?”

Startled, Mino looked up at the younger guy, only to find him smiling at him. “I - why … why are you asking this?”

“Because that was how it seemed,” he said. “It was as if to prove something to me.”

“Did I manage to prove it?” Mino whispered, his fingers playing lazily with Taehyun’s lower lip.

Taehyun rolled his eyes and wriggled under him. “Ah, seriously...”

“I did, didn’t I?” Mino asked. He did not have to pin Taehyun down; Mino’s own weight was enough. Kissing the spot just beneath his ear, he whispered again. “I did, didn’t I?”

His lips trailed down towards the younger’s jugular vein, the spot where his neck met his shoulder and finally stopped at his clavicle, where Mino gently nibbled his skin.

“Mino…” He breathed. “Moments before you were feeling bad because you were such a beast to me,” he said, trying to sound reproachful, but it did not work out that well at all.

Taehyun’s sudden breathlessness betrayed him.

Mino chuckled against the side of his chin, when he felt the younger’s heartbeat quicken and his breath against his temple. “I did prove it,” Mino said, and this time, he had pushed the limit too far.

“Aishh!” Taehyun growled, slipped out from beneath him and managed to find his boxers and undershirt to put on. “Sometimes you are just impossible…” The younger guy grumbled and aimed for the bathroom.

Mino laughed softly and followed him. “But you love me anyway, don’t you?”

“You need to ask?” Taehyun wanted to know as he picked up the toothbrush, trying to sound as calm as possible.

Taehyun tried to regain his composure. Mino was already . The younger guy thanked the god silently that his partner had the decency to put on his boxers. He knew he was being old-fashioned but he could not help but feel the shyness.

They were already up late and he was absolutely sure that with no doubts that Mino’s parents were waiting at the breakfast table, not to mention probably half of the palace.

Oh the horror and embarrassment...

Taehyun squeezed his eyes shut as thoughts ran freely through his head. He can picture so clear the embarrassing conversation that how was going to have with Mino’s family later on.

When Taehyun opened his eyes again, Mino had already pleaced the toothpaste on his toothbrush.

Their eyes met when Mino moved to hug him from the back, wanting the savor the feel of holding the younger guy in his arms.

“You do not look too happy. Did I pressure you?” Mino asked.

“No,” Taehyun shook his head as he answered. Leaning back, he placed a tiny kiss against Mino’s cheek. “You did not. You were … gentle. I imagined it to be much, much worse.”

“And now?”

“Now …” Taehyun thought about his question, his hand touching his chin and his cute pair of eyebrows drooped, his mouth cutely pouted as his gaze lifted to the ceiling. It was the typical Taehyun-is-thinking-gesture.

Sometimes, the younger guy surprised him. There were the strangest and darnedest things coming out of his mind something; things that were just so peculiar and unexpected.

“Now … I know what it is like. It hurt a little bit - and I am afraid we were at times a bit too excited and too enthusiastic, Mino." The younger guy said, his voice was really calm and full of scientific analyzing.

Mino stared at Taehyun in the mirror. “You… you think?”

“Yes.” Taehyun nodded.

Their eyes met in the mirror again, as Mino’s arms slowly crept around his waist.

“I’m afraid it takes a lot of practice to perfect everything.” Taehyun made sure he understood.

“A. Lot. Of Practice.”

Even as they stood in front of the mirror after Taehyun’s declaration, their mouths covered with foam, Mino’s left arm around Taehyun’s waist while the younger playfully hit him in the chest. It was the happiest teeth brushing Mino has ever experienced.

Mino practically dragged Taehyun into the shower with him and then later cursed at Choi Seunghyun, who knocked at their door, being suitably worried.

“It is not his fault.” Taehyun whispered, laughing at the prince’s dark face, as he glanced over to the door.

“It is. Do we really have to leave this room?” Mino asked miserably.

Taehyun was and always going to be his voice of reason. “Yes,” the younger replied, stealing a last glance at the mirror. His clothes were immaculate, as usual.

“Let’s go. We have to give my parents the opportunity to shoot you.”

Mino’s laughter could not help but to come out a bit tensed as he followed Taehyun and Seunghyun towards the private, huge living room of the Palace Quarters.

It definitely did not come as a surprise to the two of them that all of three Winner members were here. As Mino previously mentioned, there were tons of free food after all.

The Queen and the King looked at bit overwhelmed at the open display of youthful energy evaporating around them but were nonetheless pleased.

Mino kissed his mother and half-hugged his father the way sons and fathers do it, while both of them embraced Taehyun happily.

“His parents would arrive for dinner,” Seunghyun told him, smiling. “Grace period.”

Mino just glared as he sat down, calmed by the reassuring hand Taehyun had placed on his arm.

There were knowing grins and winks and overly happy hyungs and grinning noonas.

Fuji Mina greeted them good-naturedly, as did Jiyong, hugging his brother and his unofficial youngest brother. Taeyeon, however, embraced them both excitedly as though her favorite drama has arrived at the happy ending she has been clamoring for before leading them to their places.

Seungyoon and Jinwoo as usual were bickering being all happy and vomit-inducingly sweet. Seunghoon invited Minhyuk over and announced to everyone present that he beaten him twice in an arm-wrestling match and the poor pretty boy sat beside and sulked, much to everyone’s amusement.

Mino smirked as he took in the sight of the happy faces all around him then proceeded to behead his egg.

And that was that…

About two years later…

“Are you nervous?”

“Yes. Are you?”

“Yes.”

“Technically, we just have to go over there and say ‘I do’. Which I think is a waste of time because to me, we are already married.”

“But only on paper, Mino. People want to see a wedding.”

“Your members just want an excuse to party, our mothers just want to cry and Jinwoo wants to have one with Seungyoon after attending ours.”

“True.”

“We could just skip to the honeymoon, you know, Nammie? It would save us a lot of time, not to mention taxes of the good people of Korea.”

“You sound like a tax accountant.”

Mino chuckled. “At least one of us does.”

“Hm.”

“Hm?”

“Are you willing to be bribed to go through with this?”

“With what?”

Taehyun grinned naughtily as he moved over to fix Mino’s tie.

“Well, say strawberries with fresh cream, chocolate syrup and me?”

“Done!” 

~~~~~~~~~~

Hihi, this is the last chapter of this fic to tie everything nicely *i hope*.... another one ended... i am so sad... but i had most fun out of all my stories with this piece... Please let me know any thoughts you might have... there is always room for improvement... thank you all once again for taking the time to read this little piece of mine. *bows*