“You guys have your Dates at the library very often, right?” Kai asks casually, a look of ease masking over his face evidently as they walk, hand-in-hand. This much reminds Taemin of a cliché teenage love story—what with the settings: a salmon and purple color beginning to engulf the baby blue sky as Taemin tries to come up with every possible implication that Kai might have.

It’s surprising when he actually doesn’t continue to speak, allowing a mockery slip past his lips as usual. He’s actually listening to Taemin, almost breathing, simply waiting for an affirmation. It’s... almost so foreign that Taemin has to choke back a gasp; refraining from reflexively clamping his fingers tighter around Kai’s from utter shock.

Taemin wonders if Kai has split personalities—but he reconsiders, because this is Kai. Kai whom he’s known for years before, forever, from the minute he came into this world and Taemin got to meet him for the first time. Kai was a sweetheart— has always been— still is for the fact, apart from his absolute idiocy and irresponsibility, of course. Taemin doesn’t want to admit it, and he probably never will, but Kai being himself, is taking a toll on Taemin and tweaking his little love nerves as gently as a clock hand turning for every second.

“Uh—” Taemin forgets to answer for a while, which makes things a little sheepish on his part. Kai chuckles to himself but keeps his gaze forward, as if smiling at the memory of something ridiculously cute from the happiness that screams from his smile. “Well, it isn’t always the library... only during finals period, really. Other than that we were either always out being a Gourmet, or exploring new parts of the city that we’ve never visited. But it’s rare. We stay at my home most days, out of some.”

“Wouldn’t watching a movie today be too boring as compared to the both of your activities?” Kai ponders aloud, eyes peering to look at the sky before they fall back onto the front, never dropping to the ground like attracted magnets, curious but mysterious. He hums again and Taemin an eyebrow.

“It’s kinda unfair if you say that,” Taemin begins slowly, but surely. He feels his skin starting to crawl from the night air, but he likes it. It’s nearly relieving, exciting but calming. “I’ve spent more days with Jongin than with you. Ultimately, our one day should hold a deeper significance for being rare, don’t you agree?”

“As long as I’m with you, I’m fine with whatever,” Kai mumbles softly, inaudibly, but Taemin catches it just fine with slightly more effort. Cautiously with a swelling heart, Taemin squeezes Kai’s hand gently but firmly. He wishes he’d gotten to see this side of Kai when they were younger—who would have known which of the twins would have ended up with who, then?

Frankly, Taemin despises doubting his relationship with Jongin especially when one of the factors include Kai when he’s being thoughtful and endearing. Kind of makes Taemin want to rip himself apart just to try and piece himself back together in a way of deciphering what he actually wants. He knows he still wants Jongin of course, but... if Kai keeps up with this genuine side of him, Taemin’s going to want him even more than he would like admitting. And it’s confusing and infuriating and exasperating.

But it’s just one day. Just one day. One fine day of being with Kai and relishing in his wonderful, responsible, adorable side before things resume as per normal, life with Kai, stressing over the last year of finals, despite the probable lack of normalcy, again.

“I think,” Taemin purses his lips into a straight line briefly just to dampen them slightly, thoughts working like cogs in a steady stream. “I just think... that, we... could’ve been the ones being a couple instead of the way things currently are—but that’s just what I think, I hope it doesn’t change the fact of reality, you know.”

“I think about that a lot,” Kai agrees instantly, swinging their comfortably linked hands to and fro with every step forward. “You’re right. I think even Jongin and Baekhyun feels the same way, actually. Not that we aren’t unhappy with our partners, you know?”

Taemin hums. “I think that this day is truly going to be a life changing one.”

“I don’t even know if it’s for the better,” Kai’s shoulders slump, and his ear hooks clash lightly against one another when he dips his head in utter confusion; his face spelling everything out openly, easily. “Sometimes I make the dumbest suggestions, don’t I?”

“If anything happens, just be assured that I’ll still be here. For you, and Baekhyun and Jongin if he’s fine with me, but I don’t believe our lives would change—yet, it still doesn’t change the fact that you do come up with the most idiotic suggestions though this one... might just be an exception.”

Kai grumbles and tugs on Taemin’s hand harder when he musters up a sudden load of determination. “Let’s think about the positive! No negativity shall invade our minds today! We’ll just make the best of today!”

Taemin can’t help the quirk of his mouth at the way Kai straightens and can’t remember the last time Kai looked so adorable and determined. But he has no objections. In fact, he wants more of this, more of Kai, more of the both of them which is both scary but undoubtedly intriguing.

“How are we going to make the best of this day?”

“Watch a movie, feed each other, kiss and cuddle until tomorrow comes,” Kai nods with a look of affirmation pulled up, nose scrunching adorably that it’s no wonder Taemin always sees the baby in him sometimes. He is, a few minutes younger than Jongin after all, who behaves exactly the way a child does. “And just—the movie hasn’t even started but I’m already anticipating its end.”

The both of them do make it out of the cinema some time slightly past the time at the second half of the day, with surprisingly activated energy threatening to burst their veins. At least, Taemin’s all up for adventures but Kai can’t be said the same for when he’s becoming clingy and whiney which, after having known him for so long, could only mean he’s not restless and he’s in for some cuddles instead.

At this rate, Taemin doesn’t know if he’d rather a Kai who was disturbingly y with the aura of delinquency spreading in waves or a Kai who cherished affection a lot more when Taemin was involved. So far, the former Kai hasn’t surfaced. In fact, Taemin would’ve utterly forgotten about the way Kai actually portrays himself to be, if he hadn’t gone on trying to pinpoint the spectrum of slight to vast difference between Little Boy Kai and Bad Boy Kai.

Bad Boy Kai would go on adventures and bring endless excitement that came from taking risks and being adventurous without a single hint of hesitance because danger is his drive but Little Boy Kai? Just the once pure, once innocent Kai that everyone used to know up until before things went haywire in the person he wanted to be.

The urge, it seems, to cuddle doesn’t last in the ‘must contain’ segment of Kai’s dictionary because when Kai decides that it’s time to cuddle, it had been during their little walk around a bed store when Taemin was gently pressed onto the bed with a mischievous Kai hovering above him, the proximity of their faces dangerously close. Taemin doesn’t forego the number of times he thinks he wanted to reach up and push a kiss onto Kai’s lips.

No matter how many times Taemin believes it’s inappropriate and stupid to show Public Display of Affection around Jongin, Kai seems to make him forget about his own beliefs as he leans down to connect their lips briefly, before falling onto Taemin’s side and sliding an arm across the older male’s slender waist to pull him closer.

“The shop owners are going to look at us weirdly,” Taemin begins to say, and he has plenty more things to point out but as Kai nuzzles his face into the crook of his neck and presses his lips on Taemin’s sensitive skin, it makes him forget what else he supposedly wants to say. The words have completely drowned in his throat and he doesn't feel like saying anything else.

“I’m glad, Taem,” Kai begins with a contented tone, so contented that Taemin has to hold his breath instead of producing a hitched sound. “Really, that we got to choose this opportunity to become closer and for me to realize actually just how much I... adore you.”

 “Y-Yah,” Did Taemin just stutter? “Don’t be so cheesy, cheese is unhealthy for our health.” He’s simply unable to ignore the flip his heart just did at Kai’s words. Despite contradicting his own words, Taemin really doesn’t want Kai to stop, at all. In the air, Taemin’s hand is tentative about whether or not he should rest card his fingers through Kai’s hair, but he decides on it when he feels Kai smiling against his skin, spreading warmth throughout his body.

Warmth that even reaches his heart.

“Can we go home?” Taemin mumbles. “I prefer my privacy, since unlike you, I’m not the slightest bit an exhibitionist.”

“Okay, hyung,” Kai laughs, so bubbly and young that Taemin feels himself fall a lot harder for the boy next to him. He doesn’t deny it anymore. “More cuddles and kisses and—”

“Yes, so move your already!”

hello gorgeous people! just wanted to drop by and drop this chapter to say that I'm still alive and working on this fic as much as my busy schedules are against it. this was meant to be updated two weeks ago but i decided to reconstruct this chapter which took a while so here ya go! I'll try my best to update this sooner, if time allows, but there are no promises u_u if you guys have anything you wanna say about the plot, let me know! these days I've been trying to think of how to end this fic so hoho c: let's see how it goes! just a few more chapters away from the end~