Things really couldn't be worse. At least, that's how Kim Jongin felt when he yet again made a mistake during his dance practice. 

"Concentrate, if you keep this up you won't improve at all," his instructor scolds.

Funny, my vocal coach told me the exact same thing when I couldn't hit the high notes.

But even so, he steeled his resolve and started from the top.

 When he finally collapsed from exhaustion, his instructor informed him that they were done for the day. Jongin only nodded at this, opting to remain on the cool wood to catch his breath. His body was coated in sweat and he was breathing heavily. He didn't want to move. Not yet at least.

He found himself musing over what he was doing here in the first place. About why he chose to be a singer. To sign his life away to a business that might eventually lead to his downfall. He might never become famous.

He might not ever debut at all.

That's when the reality of his situation really hit home.

Nothing was set in stone. Just because he had been accepted into SM as a trainee it didn't mean anything. His career might not ever be a career if the company didn't feel he was good enough to debut under their label.

Lost in his own thoughts, he didn't notice that he'd started crying, nor the fact that someone had entered the practice room.

"Hello?" A soft voice called out.

Jongin sat up and quickly wiped the tears from his face. He then gave a sideways glance at the person who'd just walked in. It was a boy not much older than him, and a fellow trainee.

"Lee Taemin?" He says, unsure if he got the boy's name right.

The boy smiled brightly. "Yes, that's me. And you're Kim Jongin, right?"

"Yeah. So what are you doing here this late? I thought practice hours were over already?"

"I should ask you the same thing. Why are you still in here?" Taemin asks.

"Don't answer my question with another question. Answer mine first then I'll answer yours."

Taemin rolls his eyes and sits cross-legged on the floor beside Jongin. "I came to get in a little extra practice, but then I found you in here. And now we're having this conversation."

Jongin gives him a half smile. "Wow. You're dedicated."

"Of course I am. Why wouldn't I be?"

Jongin looks away, feeling a bit self conscious. "Aren't you afraid that you might not debut, like, ever?"

Taemin tilts his head. "No, why?"

Jongin bites his lip. "I just... the reason I stayed in here is because I started to think that it might be impossible for me to get any better than I am now. That I might not be good enough to debut." 

Taemin moved in front of him suddenly and looked him in the eyes, placing both of his hands on the sides of Jongin's face. "Don't talk like that. Don't be so down and out." 

Taemin's gaze was unwavering against his own, and Jongin found his eyes become blinded by tears. Taemin seemed taken aback by this. 

"H-hey, don't cry..."

Taemin lifted a careful hand and wiped the tears from Jongin's face, gently, ever so gently.

Jongin looks into Taemin's eyes, seeing his genuine concern for him. Why? They had only just formally met, yet here he was comforting him, wiping away his tears.

Something stirred inside of him then; a feeling he didn't yet know and couldn't descibe. But he knew that this feeling was enough. Enough to remind him if what he wanted to achieve. 

"Taemin."

"Yes?"

"Will you stay by my side?"

Taemin stares at him for a long moment, and Jongin is afraid that Taemin misinterpreted his question. "A-as my friend, I mean."

Taemin then smiles, a smile so bright that Jongin can't help but me mesmerized by it. He heart might have even skipped a beat.

"Of course," Taemin responds before standing. He then takes Jongin by the hand and pulls him to his feet. 

"What are you doing?" Jongin asks.

Instead of giving him a verbal answer, Taemin pulls him into a tight hug. "Everything will be okay," he whispers into Jongin's ear, and it's then that Jongin realizes that Taemin was slightly shorter than him.

Taemin then pulls away. "Come one, let's practice together. We might be able to help each other."

And that's how their friendship began, with a late night conversation and impromptu dance practice. It also just so happened that they'd fallen asleep in the practice room together, something that became a habit and a secret that the two of them shared. 

Jongin's fondess of Taemin only continued to grow, and he knew that with someone like that at his side, everything really would be okay.

Well. I hope you enjoyed that word barf/short drabble. This is dripping Taekai, and I have no regrets. How can this be so Taekai even though there wasn't even romance? Easy. They just had to be in the same room. This was on the serious side, but I hope you liked Sad!Jongin and Comforting!Taemin. 

Until next time :)

~AeZSiA