“Get used to it; you’re stuck with me now.”

 

Taemin furrowed his eyebrows together. “I never agreed to that.”

 

Jonghyun stared in shock. “You kissed me first!”

 

Taemin let out a whine and hid behind his hands. “I know it was stupid I wasn’t thinking straight and I’m just an idiot - ” He was cut off by Jonghyun giving him a quick peck on the lips.

 

“P-please, don’t do that...” Taemin said, staring down at his feet.

 

Jonghyun searched Taemin’s face, bewildered. “Sorry, did I just totally misread the situation?”

 

Taemin looked back up in alarm. “No, it’s not like that, I just - ” He paused to put his reeling thoughts into words, “ - please, just don’t kiss me out of nowhere.”

 

“Sorry.” Jonghyun apologized, biting his bottom lip. “Can I kiss you now, since I asked?”

 

Taemin tried not giggle at how cute Jonghyun was being. He was trying to be serious, goddammit. “Hyung, I don’t know how to kiss.”

 

Realization swept across Jonghyun’s face. “Oh, that’s right, you’ve never had a boyfriend.” Taemin nodded sheepishly. “And you’re afraid of what? Disappointing me?” Another sheepish nod, but this time Taemin’s face was a few shades darker.

 

“That’s so cute!” Jonghyun couldn’t help squealing, earning him a punch on the shoulder.

 

“Well, no need to worry.” Jonghyun said, rubbing his sore shoulder. “You can practice kissing on me anytime you want.”

 

“What? Why?” Taemin said, tilting his head to the side.

 

“Because I like you. I thought we already established this.” Jonghyun replied, raising his eyebrow.

 

Taemin flushed pink again. “N-no we didn’t!”

 

“Oh.” Jonghyun titled his head and peered up at Taemin, sporting his best puppy dog eyes. “Well I do like you. A lot.”

 

Taemin swears his face was a million degrees right now. He decided his shoes were very interesting at the moment and looked down at the floor. “I like you too.” He mumbled, barely audible.

 

“Now can I kiss you?” Jonghyun asked with pleading eyes. Taemin raised his head and swore Jonghyun looked like a begging puppy.

 

“You don’t actually have to ask.” Taemin rolled his eyes, before pulling Jonghyun closer by his shirt collar. Their lips met again, and Jonghyun tried to lead, forcing Taemin’s lips to move alongside his. Noticing Taemin struggling with his hands, Jonghyun chuckled deep in his throat before guiding them to rest on his hips. It took all of Jonghyun’s self control not to just melt into Taemin’s lips, they were so soft. He grabbed the back of Taemin’s head, trying to deepen the kiss, when -

 

“Dinner has been prepared.” The chef’s voice boomed over the intercoms set up around the mansion. Jonghyun and Taemin nearly hit each other’s foreheads as they jumped in surprise. They continued staring into each other’s eyes, breathing slightly labored, before Taemin cleared his throat.

 

“I should go.” Taemin said, looking at their hands still resting on each other’s bodies.

 

“Mhmm.” Jonghyun hummed, only half-listening in favor of revelling Taemin’s flushed cheeks and lips red from kissing. He could get used to this sight.

 

“I’ll um...see you later.” Taemin said, pulling himself away from Jonghyun and trying not to all-out sprint towards the kitchen. He needed to compose himself after this life changing event and Jonghyun was doing the opposite of helping.

 

“Goodbye~” Jonghyun sing-songed, watching Taemin as he disappeared down the hallway and totally not checking out his . Taemin looked back once, before snapping his head forward and blushing as he realized Jonghyun was still watching.

 

Yep, he could definitely get used to this.

 

 

---

 

 

Taemin nearly yelped in surprise when he was met with Jonghyun as soon as he opened his bedroom door the next morning. Like what the , it’s 7 am, no one should have a smile that big this early in the day.

 

“Good morning!” Jonghyun greeted with a horribly cheerful tone as Taemin rubbed the sleep from his eyes. Only once they were focused did Taemin realize that Jonghyun was holding a breakfast tray out for him.

 

“The ?” Was all Taemin could muster, self-consciously pulling his robe tighter around his chest.

 

“I hope you like rice, because that’s the only thing here I can guarantee is mostly edible.” Jonghyun shrugged. Taemin regarded the tray full of food; there was rice, as Jonghyun had said, but there were also fried eggs, toast with jam, and slightly burnt sausages.

 

“Ah, who am I kidding, you’re Korean, of course you like rice.” Jonghyun said, pushing his way past Taemin towards the two loveseats in front of the window. He set the tray down on the glass table and took a seat in one of the chairs, gesturing for Taemin to sit in the other one.

 

“Did you...make this for me?” Taemin asked, inching towards the table, keeping his robe tightly closed the entire time.

 

“Yeah, I was making breakfast for myself, but I still had like an hour before anyone else woke up, so I thought I’d make something for you to pass the time.” Jonghyun scratched the back of his head, trying to hide his blush but not doing a very good job of it. “And I figured yesterday was kind of a big deal for you, so…” He gestured towards the food again. “Here.”

 

Taemin’s eyes widened, but he shrugged and sat down, grabbing a piece of toast. “I’m not sure how to thank you.” He said, crumbs falling into his lap as he took a bite.

 

“I can think of a few ways…” Jonghyun smirked, and Taemin rolled his eyes.

 

“Don’t be gross.” Taemin warned, finishing the toast in two big bites and grabbing the plate of eggs.

 

“Well, actually, I was wondering if you had any plans today.” Jonghyun questioned, looking pointedly at Taemin.

 

The prince made a face that was probably supposed to look disgusted but ended up looking adorable (at least, in Jonghyun’s eyes). “Uh, school?”

 

Jonghyun would’ve slapped himself if it weren’t for his crush sitting next to him. “Right. I knew that.”

 

Taemin let out a sharp laugh that was slightly muffled due to the egg in his mouth. “Sure, you did.” Jonghyun let out a forced chuckle; holy , he was the one ing driving Taemin to school in the first place. Now he had to rethink his entire plan.

 

Sensing Jonghyun’s disappointment, Taemin spoke up. “But I’m not doing anything after school.”

 

Jonghyun visibly lightened up at that. “Keep it that way; I’d like to take you out tonight.”

 

Taemin nearly choked on his egg. “Y-you mean like a date?” He coughed out.

 

“I don’t mean like a date, I mean exactly a date.” Jonghyun smirked, enjoying how easy it was to make Taemin flustered.

 

Taemin blushed like a schoolgirl and looked down at his hands. “I’d like to. I’d really, really like to.”

 

Jonghyun was so relieved he sprang out of his seat and hugged Taemin before he even realized what he was doing. Taemin froze with his hands in the air as Jonghyun held him close.

 

“Um, hyung, my food is gonna fall off my lap.” Taemin said.

 

“, sorry.” Jonghyun yelped before pulling away from the prince. He blushed again and pointed over his shoulder. “I’ll, uh, let you get ready.” He said, all but sprinting towards the door. Jonghyun waved as he made his way out and Taemin giggled behind his hand. While he finished his breakfast and got ready for the day, his thoughts were filled with imaginations of how his first date would go and how lucky he is to be going with a guy like Jonghyun.

 

 

---

 

 

“This Italian place looks nice, but does Taemin even like Italian food? Maybe I should stick with traditional Korean? Or is that too plain?” Jonghyun mumbled, scrolling through the list of restaurants in Seoul on his phone. He supposes he should have planned this ahead of time, but in his defense, he had confessed to Taemin only yesterday.

 

“What are you mumbling to yourself about?” Kibum asked as he plopped down next to Jonghyun on the leather couch, nearly giving Jonghyun a heart attack. He could’ve sworn he was alone when he entered the staff’s recreational room.

 

Jonghyun sighed. “Just trying to find a good restaurant to go to tonight. You wouldn’t happen to know any, would you?”

 

“But you can’t go out tonight!” Kibum whined, leaning across the couch into Jonghyun’s personal space.

 

“And why not?” Jonghyun raised an eyebrow, inching away from Kibum.

 

“Because you need to drive me and Minho to Paolodemaria for our date!”

 

“Since when was I driving you anywhere?”

 

“Since just now!”

 

“You never even asked me!”

 

“I’m asking you now!”

 

“Why don’t you just take the bus?”

 

“That’s not romantic!” Kibum pouted, crossing his arms. “Please, hyung? I want this to be special.”

 

Jonghyun sighed, looking back at his phone so he wouldn’t have to make eye contact with the man next to him. “Kibum, you and I both know you’re doing this for the wrong reasons”

 

The silence after that question was like a vacuum, creating a sense of emptiness. “What?” Kibum asked, hiding his confusion under a forced smile.

 

“I mean, you had with him not even a day after kissing him for the first time...hell, you probably would’ve ed him in the bathroom if I hadn’t stopped you.” Jonghyun took a deep breath. “I know how fast you go through ual partners, Kibum, and I don’t think it’s right for you to do this to a nineteen year old, let alone Taemin’s best friend.”

 

Kibum stood, looming over Jonghyun like a shadow. “You know what? Forget about driving me anywhere.” He stomped off, stopping once his hand reached the door handle. “You don’t even know anything about me and Minho, so you can go yourself.” He slammed the door, making Jonghyun wince.

 

That probably could’ve gone better.

 

 

---

 

 

“What are you wearing?” Jonghyun and Taemin asked each other at the same time. They were standing in front of King Jinki’s mansion, Jonghyun waiting by his limo so he could drive Taemin to their first date. However, there was a stark contrast between Jonghyun’s suit and bow tie and Taemin’s ripped jeans and flannel, so obviously, one of them had to change.

 

“Oh, I didn’t realize we were going someplace super fancy.” Taemin shoved his hands in his pockets and rocked on his heels. “I’m pretty sure Kibum-hyung put some suits in my closet, so I’ll go change into one of those.”

 

“Would you like me to help?” Jonghyun called out, causing Taemin to pause as he made his way back into the mansion.

 

They held eye contact for a good three seconds before Jonghyun turned red and looked to the side. “I meant help you choose a suit, not...um…”

 

Taemin just laughed and walked backwards to the front door. “Maybe some other time.”

 

He watched Taemin enter the mansion before he realized exactly what Taemin had just said. Wait, did he mean I could help him choose a suit some other time, or help him get changed some other time?

 

He sincerely hoped it was the latter.

 

 

---

 

 

When they arrived at the restaurant, Taemin felt much like he did the first time he visited his Uncle Jinki’s mansion. The polished wine glasses lining the walls, the cushioned leather chairs, and the candles decorating each table were quite the contrast to his go-to restaurant; Burger King.

 

Normally, Taemin would’ve just shied away as Jonghyun talked to the staff about his reservations, maybe play with the hem of his shirt a bit, but he didn’t want to look as out of place as he felt. He kept a poker face and kept his hands at his sides as the server led them to their table at the back of the restaurant (“To keep anyone from taking pictures of the royal prince on his first date,” Jonghyun had said), although the other customers didn’t seem to pay him any attention at all. Maybe in their worlds, they were just as important as any royalty. Or maybe they were so old they didn’t recognize him. Probably both.

 

They sat down at their table for two and Taemin let out a breath he hadn’t realized he had been holding. He was so overwhelmed with emotions he didn’t even notice the server asking what he wanted to drink.

 

“Can we tell you in a few minutes? Thanks.” Jonghyun said to the server and reached across the table for Taemin’s hand as soon as she was gone.

 

“Taeminnie, are you okay? You seem kinda out of it.” Jonghyun asked, rubbing small circles on Taemin’s hand with his thumb.

 

“Huh? No, I’m fine, I just need a moment to get used to this atmosphere.” Taemin replied, shaking his head to clear his thoughts.

 

“We can go somewhere else if you want.”

 

“At least let me look at their wine first.” Taemin said, grabbing the menu in front of him. Reading the list of wines and champagnes helped ground him to reality.

 

“You sure do love alcohol.” Jonghyun mused, before realizing that could be taken the wrong way. “Not that that’s a bad thing.” He added.

 

“Well, you’re paying, right? I intend to take full advantage of this opportunity.”

 

“When did I ever say I was paying?” Jonghyun leaned back and crossed his arms. “I mean, I am, but when?”

 

Taemin peered over the top of his menu. “When you were the one that asked me to go on a date and when you’re the one with a job.”

 

“Oh that’s right, I do have a job, don’t I?” Jonghyun said, feigning ignorance. “In fact, my job is taking care of you. I should be getting paid for this.”

 

“I don’t have any cash.” Taemin responded, setting his menu down.

 

“You can pay me in kisses.” Jonghyun puckered his lips and leaned across the table.

 

Taemin pushed down on Jonghyun’s head until he was settled back into his seat, making Jonghyun stick out his lower lip. “Do you take IOU’s?”

 

“For you, yes.”

 

 

---

 

 

The rest of the date was filled with more lame flirting attempts from Jonghyun, soft jazz from the band next door, and just enough champagne to give them both a slight buzz. Jonghyun was really good at hiding his shock when he saw the receipt for their seafood dinner. He might’ve even fooled Taemin if he hadn’t asked for his earlier statement about being paid in kisses to be revoked.

 

The night had been virtually perfect until they stood underneath the awning of the restaurant to shield them from the rainstorm.

 

“I didn’t even notice it was raining while we were inside.” Taemin said, holding his arms around himself with a slight shiver.

 

“Me either; must’ve been too distracted by the pretty boy sitting across from me.”

 

Taemin pushed Jonghyun’s arm playfully. “Stop trying to make me embarrassed.” He sighed. “Is it safe to walk to the limo? I don’t want our suits to get dirty, they’re ing expensive as hell.”

 

The light shuffling sound to his right made Taemin snap his head towards Jonghyun, before immediately looking away.

 

“W-why are you taking your jacket off?” Taemin asked, blushing. In response, Jonghyun held his jacket above Taemin’s head, creating a barrier from the chilly rain.

 

“Hold this up, I’ll go get the limo and drive it to the entrance.” Jonghyun explained, and ran off into the pelting rain.

 

True to his word, in less than a minute the limo was parked a few steps from of Taemin. He had to leave the safety of the awning, but thanks to Jonghyun’s jacket, not a single drop landed on him.

 

Taemin hopped into the passenger seat and quickly closed the door, throwing the soaked jacket into the back seat. “Thanks for letting me borrow your - oh, Jesus.”

 

He only looked at Jonghyun for a second before he snapped his head to the other side. Jonghyun’s white button down was basically completely see -through and clung to every part of his body. Taemin wasn’t sure if he should thank or curse the rain.

 

“Huh?” Jonghyun asked, searching the car for what could’ve possibly made Taemin look away in horror. When he saw the state of his own clothes he let out an airy laugh.

 

“Oh come on, Taemin-ah, you’ve seen me shirtless before.”

 

“It’s different now.” Taemin mumbled, refusing to look away from the window.

 

“Different how?” Jonghyun said, starting to drive down the block.

 

“Back then we weren’t…” Taemin swallowed; his throat was suddenly very dry. “We weren’t....”

 

“Boyfriends?” Jonghyun offered. Taemin whipped his head back towards Jonghyun. Holy , Jonghyun just made us official.

“Yeah.” Taemin smiled weakly. “Boyfriends.”