rim
noun
the upper or outer edge of an object, typically something circular or approximately circular.

{Minho wishes upon a star.} | 1034w

A/N: Late update bc busy with mother's day (shout out to all your moms shout out to your mom. to your one mom. unless you have more than one, in which case I was right on the first try. ┐(´∀｀)┌ <333)

also I didn't think this up soon enough but pls enjoy pls

There were many things Minho had stopped believing in by the time he was fourteen. One thing he never let go of, however, was wishing upon stars.

His grandmother would huff out a halfhearted laugh whenever she caught him with his eyes closed and mumbling to himself on evenings when the sky over their farm was devoid of clouds. “You remind me of your mother,” she’d say with a smile that didn’t quite reach her eyes. Minho would pout while trying to convince her that he did it out of habit more than anything.

Truly, Minho took comfort in whispering his hopes and dreams, whether big or small, to a foreign body that was untouched by the world’s troubles. Surely the stars, with their brilliance and longevity, could work some type of magic to make his life a little better. He had yet to ask the right star, but he remained hopeful because there were so many.

That afternoon, the sun lowered itself beyond the horizon, leaving behind neatly blended layers of peachy yellows, oranges, and pinks that joined a pale azure which stretched into a royal blue that was speckled with the night’s first stars. Minho was cooped up in the small alcove in his room, watching the conclusion of yet another dull day.

When the sun’s crest finally disappeared behind the distant gray hills, he scanned the endless sky for a sparkling point he hadn’t bothered before. He had no real way to tell which ones he’d already wished on, but he was working his way across the expanse from left to right, like the way one reads a book.
 

Spotting a particularly bright star, he scooted closer to the dusty window and watched it glimmer before he sorted through his thoughts and decided on what to ask for this time.

Minho was always tempted to simply list everything he wanted, but he never did. He kept it to three things maximum so that he wouldn’t push his luck, assuming he had any.

He shut his eyes tight and concentrated on the one thing he’d chosen, slowing his breathing just because he thought that he should.

Perhaps a minute went by until Minho opened his eyes again. He was going to thank the star before going to bed, but he didn’t because he couldn’t believe what he was seeing.

The shimmering dot had grown; it was huge in comparison to the others! It took a moment for Minho to realize that it wasn’t only growing, but getting closer. His eyes became large, almost mirroring the moving object in the sky.

The comet – the only thing he could think to call it at the moment – seemed to be heading straight toward the house. Closer and closer it got, screeching like a firework. Indeed, it did resemble a giant sparkler with a luminous indigo tail by the time it shot over the barn. It fell fast and ended up plummeting into the soft ground with a hollow clap and a blinding flash.

“M– Grandma!!” he shrieked, “Grandma, did you hear that?!”

He hopped off the cushion, grabbed a sweater off the floor and slipped on his beaten-up sneakers, tripping as he went.

“Hear what?” the old woman called from her bedroom. “Minho?”

“N–Nothing!” He took the stairs down two by two. “Just getting some water!”

“No need to wake the cat!” she yelled. “Go to bed as soon as you’re finished!”

“Sure thing!” Minho darted past the living room and through the kitchen, only stopping to quietly open the back door and screen.

As soon as he was outside, he leapt off the porch and followed the trail of vapor that was left behind. Down the hill he ran, picking up speed and dust, ignoring every instinct that told him to go back.

That was something he simply would not do. Chasing after this thing may very well put his life at risk, but it was worth it when he considered every single mind-numbing day he’d endured for the past year.

Minho got to the lake, skidding to a halt when he saw a car-sized hole in the bank. He inched toward it, his heart hammering against his ribs and breath coming and going through flared nostrils.

He peeked over the rim of the crater and what he saw made him regret making fun of people who believed in aliens.

“I'm not an alien!”

Minho almost collapsed. It could read his mind. It could speak his language. And it was .

“Stop staring! And I'm not brainless!”

Minho was sure he would collapse. His mind became overloaded with everything that had just happened and with what was right in front of him: a boy. A boy with glowing skin like moonlight and tousled platinum blond hair with ends the same color as the celestial body's tail.

“Well help me out!” The boy rose from his hands and knees, dusting himself off before beginning the small climb up the steep walls of the hole.

Minho moved forward and stretched his arms below, feeling something between being too stunned to disobey and smart enough not to question. The boy reached up and took his hands, surprising Minho when his skin wasn't as icy as it appeared.

“I just traveled in a blazing star, of course I'm not cold.” He felt Minho's grip slightly loosen from yet another shock of mind-reading. “Don't you dare drop me.”

“Sorry...” He frowned. “You need to stop doing that.” Minho grunted when he pulled the smaller figure up and out of the crater.

“I will. Eventually. For now, I'm stuck hearing every senseless thing that goes on in your head.”

He said it as if he were the victim. Incredible. Minho bit his tongue when the boy shot daggers at him with his dark-as-night eyes. “Sorry.”

“Yeah, me too.”

Minho didn't ask. Instead, he shrugged off his sweater and put it around the boy. “Do you have a name?”

He nodded, happily pulling the zipper up to his neck. “Taemin.”

Minho smiled when the other shimmied under the loose-fitting garment. “I'm Minho. Welcome to Earth, Taemin.”