♦The Silent Cries of Taemin's Heart♦

.01

The streets of Seoul were alive with rumoured words bouncing from mouth to mouth, pedestrians whispering in hushed excitement to one another at the sight of a cluster of cameras and suspended microphones following after a group of people who shone like stars suspended across a night sky.

The enigmatic aura that surrounded those people drew the attention of every civilian in sight, whether they were known by the onlookers or not, the radiant glow emitting from their physical beings was strong enough to leave awe and wonder in their wake.

SHINee had just finished a days worth of filming in the Studio, and were now making their way leisurely through the city, cameras tailing them in hopes of collecting footage for the TV Show 'Celebrity Life' they'd recently been signed onto.

It was a new program just out and making it's debut, and SM had jumped at the chance to promote SHINee when they were offered to star in the very first season.

Minho's spaced thoughts fell back down to Earth at the sound of his other members conjoined laughter, having missed whatever Jonghyun was going on about. He threw a glance over to his hyungs, a small smile appearing at the sight of their animated conversation.

He wasn't really listening in too hard, but the mention of Onew's name followed by a quick protest from said person was all he needed to hear to know that Key and Jonghyun were once again giving their Leader a hard time.

Those three had always been the loudest of the group, especially when conversing together. Often times Minho would join in on the banter if he found a good opening, but he didn't object to just sitting back and watching it unfold either.

It seemed Taemin had similar thoughts, as Minho noticed him trailing a little behind the rest of the group, the back of his shoes almost trampled by the large steps of the camera crew pushing behind him in an effort to get closer footage on the obnoxious trio.

Worry creased his manicured eyebrows as Minho silently watched over his maknae. He was probably one of the more observant members, so where others would see Taemin's quiet smile as nothing to be concerned about, Minho knew better.

The thing with Taemin is that he's always smiling, very rarely has Minho ever seen the youngest member without one. But with smiling so much comes many different versions; versions that Minho has learnt to read over the years of working together.

As his gaze roamed over the boy only a few inches shorter than himself, Minho found he'd automatically shortened his strides so they were more or less side by side.

Taemin didn't seem to notice, large chocolate brown eyes downcast to the pavement beneath his auto-piloted feet, their shine considerably dim compared to his usual boisterous gleam. His shoulders were subtly hunched forward and the toes of his shoes scuffed the cement with every uncoordinated step.

His maknae was usually so fluid in the way he moved, born with a natural grace that carried his dancing abilities higher than all the rest and set an impossible bar to beat.

But it was Taemin's smile that really gave it all away, the corners of his bubblegum tinted lips curled up just enough to deceivingly throw you off from guessing at his inner thoughts. Occasionally they would stretch higher, a false play of actually listening in on the other members whenever they laughed boisterously enough to cut through his wandering attention, before falling back to that same misguiding expression.

Minho pursed his lips in thought, hands diving into his trench coat pockets for warmth. He wanted to confront his maknae about it, to find out what's been troubling him since the shooting, but he knew Taemin wouldn't appreciate being called out on camera.

So Minho spent the rest of their free afternoon twiddling his thumbs, waiting for a chance to be left alone long enough so he could pull Taemin off to the side and away from prying lenses.

It was quite late in the day when SHINee decided to stop in at a local park to rest after wandering the malls for the last few hours.

Minho had temporarily distracted himself from his worries over Taemin with Onew, their casual conversation turning to chastising the unruliness of his other two hyungs while they parked themselves on a nearby bench.

The two were sitting with their backs against the connected wooden table, Minho's arms stretched out along the length of it as he sagged in his seat, finally starting to feel the aching in his feet after traversing from one shop to the next.

They watched on as an unsuspecting Jonghyun scaled the mini rock climbing wall which connected to the side of the children's playground, unaware of the fact that Key was already on the platform above and hiding eagerly behind a colourful wall for the chance to strike.

Minho and Onew shared amused looks, not feeling the need to interrupt for once as they settled back and waited for it all to play out.

Jonghyun let out a victory cry as he reached the last stretch of the wall, hand darting up with renewed vigour to grab the next red 'rock' jutting out from the side of the navy blue wall.

Though just as he was about to pull himself to the top Key suddenly sprung forth, grinning wickedly down at the shocked Jonghyun with a bundle of collected autumn leaves in his arms.

Minho doubled over with laughter as Jonghyun was suddenly buried under a massive wave of crinkly brown and red, causing him to lose his grip while trying to wave them away and fall flat on his behind.

Onew soon joined in with him. Minho swayed to the side as he gasped for air, once thundering laugh nothing but pitiful wheezes as he leaned against Onew for support. The Leader was also in a fit of hysterics, pushing back with just as much force as he clapped loudly for Jonghyun's graceless landing.

The two were quickly brought to an abrupt halt though when a shower of autumnal colours fell over them.

“Hey!” Onew exclaimed loudly, jumping from the bench to brush himself off, leaving Minho without any support. He fell spectacularly on his side before his could catch himself.

Pushing up, he watched as Onew chased after the other two, messy bundle of leaves in his grasp as he legged it across the grass in hopes of catching up to the fleeing Key.

Minho was just about to jump up and join in on the chaos, but the sight of the camera crew rushing off to catch it all suddenly reminded him of something he'd forgotten.

It took him not a moment longer to leave the bench and his hyungs behind as he searched for his missing maknae. He hadn't noticed under all the frantic playing that the fifth member wasn't actually present, and guilt clawed at him because of it.

The park wasn't too big however and it didn't take long to spot the head of strawberry blonde hair off in the distance, white attire also standing out against the wilting greenery.

As Minho got closer he noticed Taemin rolling a large, orange object between his hands, occasionally tossing it to the cement and bouncing before holding onto it again.

Minho's spirits immediately fell and his feet carried him just a little faster towards the basketball court, slinking soundlessly through the metal linked gate and closing it behind him.

“Taemin ah...”

The boy visibly flinched at his voice, sparing him a glance before casting his gaze back to the black rimmed ball in his hands.

“Ah, Minho hyung...”

They stood in the quiet for some time, many feet between them, before Minho finally decided to take action. He couldn't stand to see his maknae looking so deflated. Getting a confession out of him would be hard, but he had determination on his side.

Without a word he silently strolled up to the boy in one easy stride, hand flying out and grasping the sphere of orange. He easily swept it into his own hands, twirling as he bounced away to face his opposer.

Taemin stood there for a moment, jaw gaping as he tried to process what'd happened. Minho watched on as Taemin's dark eyes flicked down to the spinning ball on his fingertip, a hint of burning fire suddenly alight as they trailed back up to meet his own gaze.

“Give back the ball, hyung.” A blur of strawberry blonde suddenly shot forward, arm outstretched in anticipation of taking back what he'd had first. Minho easily brushed the frontal attack off, back grazing with Taemin's shoulder as he spun away effortlessly.

“Come on then, Taemin ah, come and get it!” He was provoking his maknae deliberately in hopes that he'd be riled up enough to play the game.

It didn't take much prodding before the two were flitting around the courtyard, all low crouches and beady eyes trained on each other, not willing to give the other even an inch of room to score.

Minho had held onto the ball the entire time so far, constantly teasing Taemin with experimental drops to the ground, luring the smaller boy in before sweeping it back up and dancing away again.

He could tell the other member was getting frustrated, but he knew that would only further ignite the competitive streak in him. That's what he was going for.

A blur of white suddenly invaded his vision, having been caught unawares, and he stumbled back on wobbly legs. His grip on the ball shifted and all of a sudden he didn't have it anymore, fingers groping the air for something to clutch.

The pressure on his shoulder ceased and he straightened up as the mass of white suddenly danced away on his toes, his moves airy and light as he carelessly bounced the ball around him.

Taemin smirked over at Minho with smug satisfaction, a rare thing to see on the maknae's face.

Now the game had begun.

Minho shot forward in hot pursuit of his opposer. He leapt to the side to intercept, but Taemin swiftly ducked and weaved around him. They pushed and pulled at each other, gliding back and forth across the cement as Minho tried to reclaim the ball while Taemin attempted to get closer to the hoop.

Neither one even considered the idea of giving in, both hell-bent in coming out on top.

A few fleeting touches, narrowly dodged strikes and brushing arms later and the two were still pretty much stuck in the same place they'd been for the last five minutes.

Minho had tried using his height to his advantage, stalking close and leaning over his maknae in hopes that he'd cave under the pressure and drop the ball. But Taemin was as crafty as ever, easily slipping out of every situation with fluid movements and a graceful ease that the older boy could only dream of possessing.

“It's not too late to surrender, Tae!” Minho called, leaning forward to place his palms against his bent knees. His eyes trailed after Taemin as he bounced from foot to foot, his water-like movements holding more of a wobble in them than usual.

Both of the members were nearing exhaustion, their strained breaths unbearably loud in the space between them. Minho wiped at the collected sweat on his brow as he straightened up again, swinging his arms up and around until he heard a satisfying pop.

“Hah,” Came Taemin's breathy reply, his feet coming to a stand still as he braced himself against the concrete. “You only say that because I'm the one with the ball!”

Minho felt a growl stir deep within his chest, lips twisting into a dangerous smile as his competitive spirit suddenly pulsed through his veins like adrenaline, lighting him up inside like a firecracker.

“Not for long!” He bellowed, launching forward and feet kicking off the cement as he found his second wind.

Taemin's eyes widened in horror, not having expected his hyung to come flying in his direction so suddenly. He regained his composure just in time to leap out of the way, shaky toes sluggishly carrying him to a safe distance, or so he thought.

Minho had expected the dodge, expertly twisting on his foot to follow after his maknae without losing any speed.

The youngest member cried out as the ball was suddenly slapped from his slack grip, chest colliding painfully with the taller boy's hunched shoulder as he rushed by.

Minho, completely blinded by his competitive fury, kept going without a single glance back, leg muscles bunching and back arching as he sprung towards the other end of the court, arms raised and ball slam dunked cleanly through the tatty white net.

He gripped the bright orange hoop with both hands, dangling in the air long enough to watch the ball dribble away before dropping clumsily back to the court. He stumbled on his feet, landing unevenly as his ankles twisted uncomfortably.

The rapper was too tired to pull himself back up as he fell sideways, hip grazing the rough ground. He groaned at the throbbing in his side, prodding gingerly at the sore spot as he glanced around the courtyard for his maknae.

Taemin still stood where he'd left him, hand rubbing slow circles around the left side of his chest. Minho's brows fell at the sight, worry blooming in his gut at the thought of possibly hurting his friend.

“Hey, Tae...are you all right?”

The dancer swung his dark gaze Minho's way, flicking layers of hair from his face as he trudged over silently.

Minho his teeth as he watched his maknae stumble over, a yelp of surprise crawling from his tired lungs as a smooth, creamy hand abruptly seized his shoulder and pushed him roughly.

He fell huffily onto his other side, the thick trench coat cushioning most of his fall. Minho struggled out of his heavy top layer of clothing, a little too warm after all the running around. The breezy autumn chill hanging in the air left a pleasant sensation against his heated skin.

The rapper watched as the other member also pulled off his own coat, oversized white removed to reveal a pearly coloured turtle-neck. It was obvious Key had been the one to dress him that day, as Taemin was known for not having a single fashion bone in his body, much to the diva's displeasure.

Minho pressed his back to the cool cement, folding his hands under his head and staring up at the grey sky. A mop of soft blonde soon joined him, tousled locks brushing carelessly against the bare skin of his arm.

The two laid there in relative silence, only daring to speak when they felt like pointing something out in the stretch of heavy clouds above.

“Hey hyung, doesn't that one look kind of like you?”

Minho rolled his eyes to follow the long, slim finger pointing up over them, easily finding the cloud in question.

“What are you talking about? It looks like a dog to me,” He disagreed, waiting for the other boys response. But when he received none he finally caught on to what his maknae was implying. “Oi!”

He turned his head to find the biggest grin plastered across the dancer's face, all pearly whites and large eyes twinkling cheekily as his chest shook with silent chuckling.

“What happened to respecting your elders?” Minho huffed, pulling a hand out from behind his head to land a feeble hit to the idol's shoulder, breaking his silence and giving way to the contained laughter.

Taemin raised his hands up in defense, legs lifting from the ground for a moment as he curled into himself and rolled onto his side and away from his hyung, poorly restrained giggles peeling from the grinning lips that Minho could no longer see.

Despite himself, the rapper found a smile twitching it's way onto his face, unable to be mad after hearing such a contagious, heart-melting laugh.

Rolling back over, Taemin stretched himself out again, feet brushing the other's leg as he rolled his ankles and laced his fingers across his stomach.

They fell into another silence, but Minho barely had any time to think up a way to break it before the other had already beaten him to it.

“My family.” Came Taemin's soft voice, suddenly a lot quieter than the bubbly chuckles he'd been in just moments ago.

“Hm?” Minho hummed, rolling his head so he could clearly see the other boy, immediately noticing that same smile from earlier on in the day was back.

“I miss my family,” The youngest clarified, clearing his throat as his voice became laced with thick, suffocating emotion. Minho's heart ached for him, knowing how hard it was for Taemin to express how he felt clearly. Out of everyone in SHINee, Taemin was – ironically enough – the least likely to cry in any situation out of all five members, Jonghyun being officially dubbed – by his fellow members and fans alike – as the group's crybaby. “It's been months since I've last seen them...”

Taemin was right, it had been months, almost nine to be exact, since he'd last had a chance to go back to his family.

None of them had visited home in a while due to their busy schedules, but the separation always hit Taemin the hardest. He was so young when they were first recruited to form SHINee, and Minho knew all too well how hard it'd been on him back then, he was still only a child after all, barely in his teens when they'd started their years of practising.

After their debut, their fame and popularity had sky-rocketed at an impossible rate, meaning they were worked to the bone to meet the expectations of their growing fan-base.

Now four years later and their numbers were still rapidly climbing. This year in particular had been extremely busy, leaving them almost no room for personal time. The usual days they were granted permission to go and catch up with friends and relatives were crammed full with work, work, and more work.

There was no time to take a breather, no time out of the lights and cameras. Even now, on their very first 'afternoon off' they were still being tailed by camera crews, meaning Taemin had to give up on the hopeful idea of seeing his family for the sake of their own privacy.

Minho's mouth pulled into a frown, brows furrowing in pity as he caught the whisper of melancholy in his friend's rich brown eyes, glistening gaze locked on the gloomy sky. Taemin wouldn't cry, that wasn't his style.

So the rapper decided to do what any caring hyung would and pull his maknae closer, tucking him into his side and gliding his fingers through his voluminous head of hair, short nails gently running across his scalp in silent comfort.

Taemin squirmed under his hold, wriggling out an arm to drape across the other member's chest, dainty fingers digging into his loose navy blue tank top and entwining themselves so far in the material that he thought they'd be stuck there forever.

Minho tried not to flinch at the tickling sensation of the dancer burrowing his head into the crook of his arm, feeling the long, deep gusts of breath brush against his clothed ribs every time Taemin exhaled shakily.

He stretched his other arm out to cradle the youngest closer to his side, fingertips dancing breezily across his slim back in an effort of showing some form of support. Minho wanted Taemin to know he could rely on him whenever he needed someone to lean on.

He wanted to be that person Taemin could turn to in his extremely rare times of weakness.

The two stayed like that for the duration of SHINee's visit to the park, only stirring from the warm embrace and separating to face the quickly descending night's air when they were discovered by the other three members and urged into getting up so they could all head home.

Minho stayed close to the shorter boy's side, wrapped up in his trench coat once again as SHINee and camera crew trekked the dark streets of Seoul, venturing back to their dorm to sleep off the busy day.

“Are you okay?” He whispered in a hushed tone to the maknae of the group, dropping back a step to lean down into his ear.

Taemin bunched his small shoulders up beneath his cashmere pea coat in a subtle shrug, turning to glance up at his hyung with a small, grateful smile tugging at his rounded lips. “Yes, I am now.”

Minho visibly sagged with relief, grinning earnestly before throwing his arm across Taemin's shoulders and pulling him closer.

They silently revelled in each others warmth as they listened on to the loud antics of the other members up ahead, glad they'd had that chance in the basketball court to bond just a little bit more and further cement what was already an unbreakable friendship between them.