It did not take long for the other members to notice the changes in Taemin and Minho. They started to touch each other more on shows. They were cuddling on the couch every day. Most of the band members didn’t mind, but Onew had been in love with Taemin since he first met the younger boy, and it broke his heart to see him with another man, especially another member.

It was awkward when they first met the youngest boy. Taemin was shy and had a weird haircut, similar to the shape of a bowl. He was the last boy to enter the band, but when he was first brought to Onew’s room, he could tell that this boy was going to be different.

“Hello, my name is Taemin. I will try hard to be the perfect maknae and member of this group,” he said, bowing at a 90 degree angle. Onew smiled at the youngest boy, before walking over and patting his head. The maknae looked up with his dark, deep eyes, and smiled. That smile made Onew’s heart melt, and at that moment, he knew that nothing was ever going to be the same again.

Taemin was just a child then, but now he had matured into something so much more than that. He had become a man, and Onew was falling in love with him more and more with each passing day.

Taemin could do the littlest things that would make Onew’s knees buckle. It was the way that he whined his name when he needed help on his homework. It was the way he would rub the leader’s shoulders after his musical. It was the way he would hug him when they would win awards. Whatever it was, Onew loved every second of it.

After years of keeping his forbidden love buried, it was forcefully released in a matter of minutes. 

Onew and Taemin had been home alone, while the other members were busy with schedules. It was close to lunch time, so the leader was making some noodles for the two boys. While he began to boil the water, he felt a pair of hands wrap around his waist. He jumped at the sudden contact of skin, causing chills to slide down his spine. He turned his body around to see Taemin’s face inches away from his own.

“W-w-what are you doing, Taemin?” Onew stuttered, shaking as he could feel the body heat radiating off of the younger boy’s body.

Taemin didn’t say anything. He just stared into Onew’s eyes that were full of worry, confusion, and lust. Taemin dropped his hands to his side, before standing on his toes and brushing his lips against the older boys. He could feel Onew’s hesitation at first, but it didn’t take long for Taemin to feel Onew’s hands sliding up his back.

But like something clicked in his head, Onew pulled from the kiss and pushed Taemin back, causing the younger to gasp.

“Hyung. What is the matter?” Taemin questioned, feeling as if he had done something wrong.

“I can’t do this, Minnie. You are with Minho now, and I do not want to cause anything bad to happen between you, so I don’t think that we should continue this any further,” Onew said, with little to no confidence. It is not really what he wanted to say. He wanted to tell the younger boy how much he loved him, wanted to be with him, wanted to kiss him, but he had to do what was right instead.

Onew was struck by the sudden laughter coming out of the maknae’s mouth. Onew started to get embarrassed as Taemin continued to laugh. Onew tried to push his way past the younger boy, before he felt a strong grip on his wrist.

“So you noticed? Were you jealous?”

Of course, I was jealous. “Not at all.”

“Do you like kissing me?”

More than anything.  “No, I don’t.”

Taemin’s began to get shaky with each passing question.

“Do you like me?”

I love you. “Nothing more than a friend.”

Onew could not look the boy in the eyes. His love was forbidden for a reason. Taemin was the maknae and Onew was the leader. It was just not morally correct for them to date or be in love, and Onew knew this.

Onew finally revived his courage and looked at the younger boy. Taemin was playing with his fingers, what he often does when he is upset. It doesn’t take long for Taemin to feel Onew’s eyes on him. He slowly pulled his head up and made eye contact with the leader. Taemin began to feel something wet slide down his face, and he realized that he was crying.

Onew’s heart shattered knowing that he was causing his love to cry, right in front of him. He grabbed the boy’s wrist and pulled him into a hug, trying to comfort him in any way he possibly could. He could feel his shoulder began to get wet from the tears dripping from Taemin’s eyes.

“Hyung.”

“Yes, Minnie.”

Taemin pulled his head off of Onew’s shoulders and looked into his eyes, still gripping onto the sides of Onew’s shirt.

“I don’t like Minho. I made him act like that with me.”

Onew’s eyes grew with confusion.

“Why? Why would you do that?” the leader, mumbled out.

“Because I was trying to make you jealous. I see how you always are with Key or Jonghyun and I get jealous. I don’t like to see them hugging you. Or holding your hand. Or cuddling with you. I makes my heart hurt. I have wanted that to be me since the first day I met you.” Taemin was crying so hard that he could barely finish his last sentence. “I love you, hyung.”

Onew could not believe what he was hearing. He had only dreamt that this day would come. A day when Onew could confront his feelings about Taemin. A day when Onew could tell Taemin how much he loved him and wanted to be with him. That day was today.

Onew pulled the younger boy back into a hug, before whispering into Taemin’s ear.

“I love you too.” Onew said, as he placed kisses on his cheeks, next to the marks that were formally tears.

Onew knew that they were going to face tough times ahead, but it was going to be worth as long as he had Taemin by his side.