This is the last station. Please check your belongings before leaving the train.

Taemin's eyes snapped open after hearing the announcement. He shook his head to clear up his mind. He noticed three things after he got rid of the sleep in his system and all of it means he's in big trouble.

Taemin was in the verge of a panic attack. Because one, he's lost. Two, it's late. And three, there's a handsome man sitting next to him which Taemin conveniently used as a pillow.

There are so many reasons why one shouldn’t sleep on the train. Not only because someone might take your things while you sleep. You might also unconsciously lean on the stranger next to you which is, in Taemin’s opinion, totally embarrassing. And lastly, (which is the worst) you could miss your stop and end up at the depths of the earth, stranded without any way of getting back home.

Taemin knew all those things. And yet, for someone who is as dead- tired as Taemin, he doesn’t really have a choice. His long commute to and from school and the long hours of dance practice drains the hell out of him that when he rides the train home he would always drift off to sleep.

It has been weeks since he started taking the same train home and Taemin despite being too tired to keep his eyes open for more than 30 minutes noticed a few constant thing every night.  One is the tall handsome boy who always take the same train at the same time as Taemin. The first time he saw the boy, Taemin was infatuated. But Taemin is too shy to open up a conversation so he never talked to the boy. Even if he had the courage to start a conversation Taemin knew he would just end up falling asleep right in the middle of introducing himself.

That Friday night, it had been the same. Taemin could feel his eyes drooping and he couldn’t keep the yawn from escaping his lips. The tall handsome boy was sitting right next to him and Taemin was a little tense. It was the first time they sat next to each other and Taemin was a little worried he would end up falling asleep, drooling and making embarrassing faces. He wasn’t too concerned about it before because the guy usually sits far from him and it would be hard to notice a sleeping boy specially when the train is too crowded. But now he was right next to him and Taemin is having some sort of mental breakdown.

30 minutes into the train ride Taemin could no longer keep his eyes open. His nerves (from being too close to the handsome guy) added more stress to his exhausted body and before he knew it, he was already falling asleep. Taemin gave up trying to stay awake convinced that maybe if he’s asleep during the entire ride, he didn’t have to worry about the handsome guy sitting next to him.

Taemin closed his eyes. He gripped his backpack tight for safety reasons then leaned his head on the glass window. Oblivious to the fact that the tall person sitting next to him was stealing glances at him once in awhile, Taemin finally drifted off to sleep.

~^^~

When Taemin woke up, it’s 2am. His wristwatch and the digital clock on the station tells the same time so he can forget about the possibility of his watch being broken.

“This is the last station. Please check your belongings before leaving the train.” That announcement, the rushing passengers and the realization that everyone were getting out and no one is going in made Taemin realize that he is in deep trouble.

“,” he muttered. He didn't care if the man next to him heard him swear. That is of the least importance at the moment.

If it’s the last station then that means he’s approximately 1000 miles away from home at 2 in the morning. Taemin wanted to break down and cry but he refused to do so because Lee Taemin never cries, not even that one time when he broke his arm during dance practice when he made a nasty fall after executing a difficult choreo. Certainly being stranded on a train station without a way of going back home is not worth his tears.

The sound of someone clearing his throat made Taemin glance to his right and he was surprised to see the tall handsome guy still sitting next to him. Taemin barely remembers leaning on someone’s shoulder when he woke up but he didn’t give it much thought but now that he realized whose shoulder it was, Taemin’s cheeks heated up embarrassed by his own actions.

Taemin tears his eyes away and muttered a soft ‘sorry’ before rushing out of the train towards the ticket booth so he could buy a ticket back to the city. Taemin resisted the urge to look back at the man and risk showing his flustered cheeks. He tried to forget the incident and tried to focus on the more pressing matters.

“One ticket to Seoul please,” Taemin said to the woman behind the counter who looks as bored and sleepy as Taemin had been during the start of his train ride. Now sleep is the last thing on Taemin’s mind. He just wanted to get home as soon as possible.

“The next train would be leaving at 5am.” Taemin cursed inside his head. Can his day get any worse? So much for hoping he could get home soon. “That would be 30,000 won,” the woman continued and Taemin’s heart sunk. Last time he checked he didn’t have that much money. Nevertheless he grabbed his wallet and counted his money up to the last cents. Taemin only managed to fish 20500 won from his wallet before he was groaning in frustration and giving the cashier his sweetest smile.

“Since I’m your first customer of the day, do you think I could… you know… get a discount or something?”

The woman gave Taemin a look that says, “are you ing kidding me?” that made Taemin curse for a hundreth time. All of this is happening just because he ing slept on the train.

“Make it two tickets. I’ll pay for his,” a deep voice said next to Taemin. It was the same guy from the train and Taemin was too grateful to question how the guy ended up being on the same predicament as him.

~^^~

Taemin doesn’t like being indebted to anyone specially to a stranger he doesn’t know anything about.

“Can I have your number?” Taemin asked the guy and then regrets it as soon as the words left his mouth. There is another reason why someone would ask for someone’s number and judging from the smirk on the guy’s face he knew exactly what Taemin meant but was purposely ignoring it. “I need it so I can pay you back for the tickets,” Taemin explained unnecessarily.

“You don’t have to pay me but sure you can have my number.” Grabbing Taemin’s phone he typed his number then he returned it back to Taemin who saved it as ‘tall hot guy from the train’. He quickly placed his phone back in his bag because there is no way he’s gonna let the stranger know that he thinks of him as hot.

The stranger sat on the only bench available at the station and Taemin knowing he doesn’t have a choice but to sit on the same bench chose the opposite edge away from him determined to keep enough distance between them.

Taemin closed his eyes hoping he could get some sleep before 5am. It would be a good way to pass the time specially since Taemin hates waiting. But unfortunately the nap on the train had Taemin fully awake the rest of the night.

"Are you okay?" The stranger asked when he noticed Taemin massaging his temples like he was having a terrible headache.

Taemin sighed and didn’t answer the question. Although he was grateful to the guy for buying him a ticket home, he was still a little angry at the guy for not having enough sense to wake him up. They’ve been riding the same train home and if only he was paying attention he should have known what station Taemin gets off to and have the decency to wake him up. But no, he didn’t even bother. Either he wasn’t as observant as Taemin gives him credit for or Taemin isn’t someone he would pay attention to. The latter hurts a little if he would be honest to himself. But more than that, Taemin has more pressing matters to worry about like being stranded in the middle of nowhere with nothing but a stranger (a tall good-looking stranger but Taemin decided not to dwell too much on that fact) to keep him company.

Taemin wished he had enough money to book a hotel but he couldn’t even afford a train ticket so a hotel room is definitely out of the question. Looking at the stranger made Taemin realize the tall guy is just as broke as he is. If he didn’t pay for Taemin’s ticket, he would probably be at some hotel by now and not on a train station cold and hungry.

Now that he’s calmer, questions started to form in his head. How the tall boy managed to get stuck in the same station as Taemin is beyond his understanding. In Taemin's defence, he was exhausted and fell asleep - a good enough reason to miss his stop. But the tall boy doesn't have any of that, or at least Taemin thinks he doesn’t.

Taemin was itching to start a conversation but he didn’t wanna look stupid when just minutes ago he was ignoring the stranger’s efforts to do the same.

“I’m fine,” Taemin answered the taller guy’s earlier question. They both know it was a bit late but the guy didn’t seem to mind because by then he was giving Taemin a smile that melted the boy’s heart and got him thinking that maybe it wasn’t so bad being stuck in the middle of nowhere if the stranger was there to keep him company.

~^^~

Another long silence ensued and the stranger seemed to be losing his patience as well. “Look, Lee Taemin.”

"How did you know my name?" Taemin asked, surprised that the guy knew his name. He was pretty sure he never mentioned it.

"It’s on your uniform."

‘Oh right’ Taemin thought as he gaped at him stupidly before looking away embarrassed. He forgot he was still wearing his school uniform, the same clothes he was wearing during practice. He probably smells awful right now with the sweat and all. Taemin was surprised he even worry about how he smell because that should be the last thing on his mind.

But thinking about waking up and realizing he was leaning comfortably to the stranger making the guy's shoulder his pillow and all the time smelling awfully like sweat, Taemin couldn't help the blush painting his face.

“You really don’t talk much do you?” the guy asked when Taemin didn’t say anything again. “Maybe you don't like talking to me but I don't really have much choice because in case you haven't noticed there's just the two of us in here so bear with me alright?”

Taemin rolled his eyes. that was probably the longest he ever said and taemin wasn't a bit surprised at his sudden outburst. he couldn't blame the guy because being stranded in the middle of nowhere could make anyone go crazy. And maybe, the guy was right. Maybe it would do both of them good if they started making a conversation.

“You know my name. Don't you think it’s unfair that I don't know yours?” Taemin finally said which made the taller guy smile and taemin finds himself melting, the butterflies in his stomach at a rampage. , how could one freaking smile do that to him?

“Choi Minho. That's my name.” God, even his name is hot.

~^^~

Taemin realized minho could be a blabbermouth if given the chance. he talked about everything from his hobbies which involves everything about soccer (watching soccer games, playing in the school soccer team) to his friends teasing him because he looks like a frog (in which taemin finds funny because Minho really does look like one- a handsome frog to be honest)

At one point Taemin had to tell him to shut up. Like a stubborn kid, Minho crossed his arms and leaned back on the bench, a pout never leaving his face.

A long silence ensued until Taemin realized he hated the silence more than the noise Minho was making earlier. He looked sideways and saw Minho with his eyes closed obviously trying to sleep.

Heaving a sigh, Taemin tried to do the same. He closed his eyes and imagined himself back home lying in the comfort of his soft bed. But when he realized it’s not working, he gave up trying to sleep and instead decided to practice his dancing. He could save time and maybe if he's exhausted enough he could finally be able to sleep.

So he started dancing. He danced until he heard Minho complain, “Lee Taemin, I can’t sleep.”

Taemin paused for a while but when he realized it doesn’t have to do with him, he ignored the guy’s complaints and kept on dancing. If the frog-face can’t sleep then that’s his problem. Taemin had enough of his own.

“Yah! I said I can’t sleep.”

Taemin had to stop once more so he could face Minho and his unreasonable whining. “What does that have to do with me?” he demanded.

“Your dancing. It’s distracting.”

“Then close your eyes so you won’t get distracted,” Taemin said as if that was the most obvious thing to do. He didn’t even have a music to go with his dancing and except for the tapping of his foot on the pavement, Taemin was not making any noise.

“I can’t.”

“Why the hell not?”

“Because you dance so well I can’t keep my eyes off of you.” Taemin pretended the blush on his face weren’t because of those words.

~^^~

Taemin got tired of dancing and Minho, after being deprived of his entertainment, started singing. Taemin noticed he has a deep baritone voice and taemin refuses to admit he finds it y. He started singing along because there isn't really much to do in a god-forsaken place such as the one they ended up in.

“You should be a singer. You sing so well.” Taemin said which earned him another smile from Minho.

“Nah. It won’t work since you’re the only one who thinks so.”

“They’re the stupid ones.”

“Or maybe you’re just weird.”

“Minho, you shouldn’t insult a guy who just given you compliment.”

“Fine. Thanks for saying I have good voice. But I still think you’re weird.” Minho said with a smirk and Taemin gave up. He could only roll his eyes.

~^^~

“Minho...” Taemin said after a while. It’s still a few hours before daybreak and they still have a lot of time to spare.

“Hmmm?”

“How did you end up stranded here with me?”

“You were sleeping with your head on my shoulder.”

“So? You could have woken me up.” And maybe if he did, Taemin could have only missed a few stops and didn’t have to end up at the last station.

“You looked so peaceful in your sleep, I hate waking you up.”

“You’re stupid,” Taemin mumbled before looking away to hide the blush on his face.

~^^~

“What are you doing?” Minho asked when he noticed Taemin typing on his phone.

“Texting my mom that I won't be home tonight,” Taemin explained.

“What did you tell her?” Minho asked curious on what kind of story Taemin came up with. He doesn’t seem like the type who would actually tell the truth.

“That I'll be staying over at a friends house.”

“That wasn’t very creative,” Minho said with a chuckle.

“What do you expect me to say? That I’m stranded on a train station with a hot guy? Although it’s true, you know I couldn’t just tell- what are you grinning about?” Taemin’s statement was cut short when he noticed the ear splitting grin on Minho’s face.

“You think i'm hot?”

. Taemin and his stupid mouth.

“Yeah, got a problem with that?” Taemin replied with a glare because he should really stop being a blushing mess every time Minho says something stupid.

“No. Because I also think you're pretty.” And of course that made Taemin’s cheeks burn and a blush appeared instantly just when he swore not to be affected by Minho’s words again.

~^^~

“Where are you headed?” Minho asked. They were now on the train back to the city.

“Myeogdong.” Taemin replied before stifling a yawn. He was sleepy again and he wonders why he’s always sleepy when he’s on the train. “i'll take a nap. Wake me up, Minho.” He gave his best puppy eyes that earned a chuckle from Minho.

“Alright.”

Temin knew it was a bad idea sleeping again on a train but then maybe he's starting to trust minho a little bit more. So he slept while leaning on his favorite pillow which happened to be minho's shoulder. He figures minho didn't mind because he noticed the smile on the taller guy's face before he closed his eyes

Taemin woke up from a light shake on his shoulder.

“We're here," he heard minho whisper

Taemin blinked trying to get rid of the sleepiness in his eyes. It was then that he noticed it wasn't his stop. It will be three more stations to go.

"This isn't my stop, Minho"

"But it's mine. So would you like to come with me?"

Taemin thinks that maybe it wouldn’t be a bad idea to have breakfast with Minho before heading home.

~END~