eleven 양화대교 - Zion.T

The taxi ride was a bit bumpy, filled with drowsy eyelids and clumsy hands.

The lights from the city reflected off the windows, distorting the view of the outside world as neon signs whirled past.

It’s the second Thursday of June, and Taemin’s doing the same thing he does when ever their anniversary rolls around.

He reminisces in the taxi, and as they drive by endless convenience stores, he thinks about Minho. He thinks about all the times they’ve bought a bunch snacks and talked the night away while driving aimlessly.  

If he closes his eyes, he can almost pretend the taxi driver is Minho.

Except Minho’s favorite album isn’t playing through the car speakers, and Taemin’s hand stays still at his side while the spaces between his fingers crave for something else completely.

twelve Love Dance - The Koxx

Minho stumbled awkwardly in the club, keeping his gaze down as the neon lights splashed around the room, cyan and magenta coloring the otherwise dim atmosphere. Bodies pushed against him and Minho winced as he felt a slimy texture run down his arm, he tried not to think about it too much.

And then, in the middle of the dance floor, Minho saw Taemin.

His skin was tinted purple with fluorescent, celestial blue stripes down his arms, his eyes sometimes changed to dark indigo, other times they were amber.

“Minho!” Taemin yelled, running forward to grab Minho’s hands, tugging him deeper into the club.

Minho tried not to blush but it seemed to be an impossible task as Taemin pushed up against him, laughing when Minho embarrassedly backed away.

“Why are you being so shy?” Taemin asked, wrapping his arms around Minho as they gently swayed to the beat of the music.

Minho swallowed thickly, completely and horribly captivated by Taemin.

“Stop looking at me like that, you’re making me flustered.” Taemin whispered in Minho’s ear, laughing when Minho started stuttering.

“C’mon then, lets go.” Taemin said, brilliant smile in place as he led Minho outside.

They reached Taemin’s motorcycle, and it took a few tries, but once Taemin kicked it a couple times, it started glowing. They quickly hopped on and rode away, a trail of light left in their wake as they drove across the city, with tall high rises against a star filled sky.

They reached Taemin’s apartment fairly quickly, and it wasn’t long until Minho started running his hands through Taemin’s hair, it wasn’t long until Taemin could taste Minho’s plush lips.

When they woke up the next day with legs entangled and sheets crumpled, Taemin started crying, hugging Minho close as Minho wordlessly rubbed circles onto Taemin’s . His fingers ghosted over Taemin’s spine, caressing Taemin as if he was something precious, something to be treasured.

“Please take me with you.” Taemin sniffled, burying his head into Minho’s neck as Minho let out a small sigh.

“Tae, it could be years until we come back. We’ll be thousands of galaxies away, I can’t do that to you.” Minho said, kissing Taemin’s cheek for comfort.

“I don’t care. I don’t care, Minho I’ll be with you. That’s all I want. I just wanna be with you, forever.” Taemin whispered, leaning up a bit to cradle Minho’s head in his palms as his eyes twinkled, shifting from dark violet to a warm yellow.

And Minho could see the person he fell in love with, back when they were around seven or eight. Minho was the new kid that always moved from planet to planet, and Taemin was this gorgeous creature who didn’t care much for titles, even though Minho was well underneath him.

“Okay.” Minho said with a small sigh, kissing the tip of Taemin’s nose, smiling widely as Taemin giggled, looking at Minho with pure love in his eyes.

And Minho knew they would be fine.

thirteen Can I - Alina Baraz & Galimatias

Taemin groaned as he fell to the ground, the blood from his wounds permanently staining his clothes. He tried his hardest to find it, to find the demon that’ll fix everything, his broken family, his dying sister.

But like always, Taemin had failed.

Taemin’s crystal like tears ran down his cheeks as he dragged his tired body to the edge of the river, where a waterfall crashed not too far away from where Taemin lay.

He briefly thought about drowning himself, playing with the idea of sinking underneath the rush of water. 

Then there was a gasp, from somewhere behind the waterfall. There was a flash a blue and suddenly cobalt eyes were staring at him.

Taemin squinted, trying to make out if he was hallucinating or not. A person with blue skin that seemed to ripple like waves, peeked out from behind the rushing water, as if the waterfall was simply a curtain.

They ran across the water, their wavy hair curling at their neck as they reached out a hand to Taemin, their eyes glistening, holding a movement of rolling currents—like the ocean.

Taemin, tired and hurt, decided that if this creature was going to kill him, then all the better, and didn’t think twice about taking their hand.

Taemin felt himself float onto the water, he felt the coolness of the small torrents, until his back hit rock, and he realized they were in a cave that was hidden by massive tropical plants and turquoise colored water.

The creature’s hands were cool against against Taemin’s hot skin, and Taemin nearly started crying when the creature brushed their lips against Taemin’s cheek, tenderly with the outmost affection. It felt strangely familiar.

“I’m Minho.” the creature said, undoing Taemin’s shirt to look at the wounds.

“Taemin.” He could barely choke out as Minho placed their hands on Taemin’s injury, humming something sweet underneath their breath.

“Can I?” Minho asked, the tips of their fingers glowing as they looked at Taemin curiously.

Taemin nodded weakly, not sure what to think when Minho’s gentle fingers touched his forehead. 

Suddenly his entire body was tingling, a pleasant sensation ran up his spine and down his arms as Minho started to sing. 

“Who are you?” Taemin asked, mesmerized by Minho’s smile.

“I’m no one of importance, but you, you are everything, you are life itself, and you don’t even know it.” Minho whispered, smiling fondly as Taemin fell asleep, completely exhausted.

Hurry up and remember me, Minho thought just as Taemin’s skin flickered to a greenish tone before reverting back to normal.

fourteen 니가 맘에 들어(Talk to You) - SHINee

Taemin hummed lazily as Minho ran his hands through Taemin’s hair. Minho was talking endlessly about nothing, syrupy words filling the entire apartment as Taemin struggled not to fall asleep.

Endless stories blurred by like seconds, plush lips pursing in the sweetest of ways around countless syllables until eventually they were silenced. Until Minho’s lips were pressed flush against Taemin’s neck, tilting upwards playfully.

“You’re not listening to me.” Minho mumbled into Taemin’s jaw, shifting on the couch to lay next to Taemin properly, peppering feathery kisses to Taemin’s hair.

“I like the way you talk.” Taemin murmured, wrapping his arms around Minho’s torso and snuggling up to Minho’s side.

“Really?” Minho asked, mostly to humor Taemin, mouth twisting into a lazy smile as Taemin whined.

“I like hearing your voice. It’s nice.” Taemin said, opening his eyes to see Minho’s bright sepia colored eyes looking right at him.

“Won’t you sing me to sleep?” Taemin asked, pulling Minho even closer, tangling their legs as Minho laughed.

“Anything for you, Tae. Anything.”

fifteen Mind Mischief - Tame Impala

The air is hazy, filled with smoke. Everyone’s rubbing up against each other, bursting into a fit of giggles because of the alcohol that’s being passed around. They say they’re preaching free love, and emphasize it with cheap drugs and Minho swears he’s going to be sick.

Minho doesn’t know why he’s here really, doesn’t know why there’s a tug at his heart, but then Minho sees him. He’s a dancer, with long hair that tumbles past his shoulders, tawny like his eyes. He has thousands of bracelets and multicolored cloths twisted around his wrists, he has flowers braided through his hair and he’s dancing lazily to the music they have on, drunk smile on his face.

Everyone wants him, everyone wants the beautiful dancer named Taemin, the one that flourishes underneath wandering hands, whose voice is said to be sweeter than honey.

And it’s amazing, because even with all the lingering eyes, the lustful stares, at the end of the day Taemin wants Minho, of all people. A kid who came from a stereotypical suburban family, youngest child of three. 

Minho doesn’t think there’s anything quite special about him, he’s not as brilliant as Taemin, never will be.

But Taemin leans in close, telling him about the ocean he sees in Minho’s eyes, the mountains that run down Minho’s spine, and the meadow that blossoms right in between Minho’s ribs. 

And just for a moment, Minho feels beautiful too.

Taemin’s progressively getting touchier, getting even more drunk as seconds and sweet words twist together, and suddenly Minho’s finding himself stumbling into his hotel room with Taemin’s lips latched onto his neck.

When Taemin wakes up, it all comes rushing back to him. He feels the slightest bit of joy, but it switches to anger and he feels nauseated, but mostly it’s hysteria that bubbles up Taemin’s throat. And Taemin swears he’s about to vomit.

He remembers Minho, he remembers dancing with him in that meadow, he remembers Minho leaving him, he remembers Minho dying in the fire, he remembers Minho moving on, he remembers. 

Minho, who was sleeping soundly next to him, groans a bit. He shifts in a way that the blankets pool around him, exposing Minho’s back. And god, Taemin can still remember seeing the same back walking away from him, the edges of his shoulders seared into a memory Taemin’s tried so hard to forget.

Taemin shakes Minho harshly as tears run down the valleys of his face in desperation. Minho lazily opens his eyes, yawning a bit as Taemin sobs softly into his palm.

“Taemin?” Minho asks, concern lacing his voice as Taemin looks at him, hurt glazing over his features.

Minho thinks Taemin’s regretting last night, and rushes to apologize but Taemin cuts him off, voice getting higher as more tears rushed down his cheeks.

“You were, and we were—you left, you always left—why?” Taemin asks, nose red and cheeks flushed.

Minho blinks in confusion, head pounding as Taemin angrily scrubs the tears off his face. Minho reaches over in hopes of comforting the boy, only to be pushed violently away.

Sniffling slightly, Taemin quickly pulls on his clothes. He can’t go through it again, he can’t deal with the heartbreak again.

“Wait!” Minho calls out, just as Taemin runs out the door, and Taemin doesn’t dare look back.

A few moments pass and Minho leans back, his head falling tiredly onto his pillow. There’s another tug on his heart, and Minho has the lingering feeling that it wasn’t the first time seeing Taemin, nor the last.

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what even is this mess, i dont even know ;A; anyway, as always thank you guys so so so much for reading! and if you didn't catch it, mind mischief is set in the same au as i have friends in holy spaces c: (also curiously, mind mischief is also set in the 60's because i'm a such a nerd for that era and i'm a huge er for flowers and braids lmao)
 

ah if there's any typos please, please, please point them out^^