board
noun
a long, thin, flat piece of wood or other hard material, used for floors or other building purposes.

{Minho keeps Taemin's gifts safe.} | 665w

A/N: I'm terrible with this, I'm sorry to have kept you waiting. I've been.. just not in a mood to do anything.

“I got you something,” Taemin admitted meekly.

Minho would've been more surprised if he hadn't suspected it when he saw the younger boy enter the house. He didn't greet him with the usual bear hug and he kept at least one hand out of sight when they made their way into the living room.

“Tae, you didn't have to..” Minho lowered himself onto the large reclining sofa, watching the other linger shyly by the coffee table.

“I know.” He pursed his lips, fingers fiddling with the objects hidden behind his back. “But I wanted to."

Minho sighed, wondering why they'd ever agreed to a 'no gift' policy for their month-aversaries. Taemin always broke the rule and Minho would end up feeling guilty for not reciprocating the gesture.

“Fine. Come here.” Minho raised his arms toward Taemin, beckoning him over with a wiggle his long fingers.

Taemin lit up instantly and skipped forward, bringing two things into view as he plopped onto his lap.

Instead of looking at the gifts, Minho wrapped his arms around Taemin's slender figure, face nuzzled in the crook of his neck, and squeezed him as tightly as he could, smiling at the comfort of the other's familiar warmth.

“Minho, you're gonna crush it!”

He felt Taemin wriggling in his grasp and he laughed against his neck, earning a bite on the shoulder.

“Ow! Okay, okay!” He pulled away, but left his hands on the younger's waist.

Taemin scoffed. “Ow? I'm harmless. You, on the other hand... you're lucky I'm quick. Here.” He presented Minho with a black band and a blue envelope. He watched as Minho took the bracelet and turned it over on his hand, admiring the thick stitching on the strip of leather.

Minho's eyes found Taemin's wrist and he smiled. “You got us matching bracelets.” He loosened the string and slipped it on, nudging the other's arm affectionately with his forehead as he tied it. Taemin helped.

“Do you like it?”

Minho held up his wrist and cheerfully hummed a 'yes' in response, then moved on to the envelope. “What's this?” he asked with a quirk of his eyebrows.

Taemin puckered his lips, twisting them so his nose was crinkled. “A letter, obviously.”

The elder rolled his eyes. “Gee, I never would've guessed.”

“You ask– Don't read it now!” he shouted when the elder lifted the unsealed flap. “We should get going, actually.” He snatched the envelope and took off, making a beeline for the front door.

“Hey, give it back!” Minho pushed himself off the sofa and ran after him, almost slipping because socks on hardwood floor tends to make that happen. “I promise I won't read it, just let me put it away before we leave!”

“You said you wouldn't read it,” Taemin said, announcing his presence at the doorway of Minho's room.

“I didn't.” Minho peered over his shoulder from where he sat by his bed and found that he was crossing his arms, clearly annoyed. “Really,” he insisted.

Taemin squinted with suspicion.

“I was putting it away and I got caught up... going through these.” Minho looked up at Taemin with crescent-shaped eyes when he heard him come up behind him.

“Oh.”

It was all Taemin could manage when he saw the small stack of colorful envelopes on the floor. They were placed next to numerous ticket stubs, a bandana, photo strips, a dried flower, and that pen he knew he hadn't lost.

Minho let out a quiet laugh. “Yeah.” He began to tuck the items back into the space in front of him. “I knew about this for years, but I never had anything special enough to put in it. Now I do.”

Taemin remained silent, feeling his heart swell like a balloon because he finally knew why he never saw the things he gave him lying around in his room. He kept them hidden and safe under the floorboard.