Taemin’s POV

I stood frozen as Key hyung just rushed pass me. What was that? Where did he go? Just then I heard someone behind me.

“Where did he go?” I turned around to find Jinki hyung standing behind me, looking in the direction Key hyung ran off. He looked so handsome dressed casually in a black T-shirt layered with a printed jacket and denims.

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Jinki's Outfit 

“Emmm….I’m not really sure…” I told him nervously. Will he believe me? Or will it be like last time? Key hyung did say that he informed Jinki hyung that I wasn’t involved in the plan he cooked with Woohyun hyung but….

“Are you busy Taemin?” I jumped as I suddenly heard him ask. He was quite close to me and leaning down at me, smiling at me softly. Too close! Way too close!!! I quickly jumped back even though I wanted nothing more than to hug hyung! Me and my crazy mind! Can’t you stop up all this imagery?! I started fidgeting my hands as I grew nervous. “Taemin-ah?” Jinki hyung asked again, this time holding both my shoulders and stepping even closer than before!!!!!

“NO! No plans hyung! I’ll probably go home and sleep!!! Hahaha” I blurted out in a squeaky voice. I’m fairly sure I was blinking rapidly again and that’s when I realized that I had unconsciously gripped Jinki hyung’s arms quite tightly!!!!! ! I immediately let go and tried to get out of hyung’s hold. But he was holding me so firmly that I could barely move! Just then, he let go of one of my shoulders and as I thought that he’d finally let me go, he moved his hand to my waist and smoothly slid next to me! At this point my brain had stopped working and now I would be blindly saying yes to hyung!!!!! He started guiding me forward and said,  

“Great! Then I hope you don’t mind staying awake with me tonight!” he exclaimed excitedly. EHHH???!!!! What is this about?! Awake with hyung?!!!! AWAKE WITH HYUNG TONIGHT??!!!

I knew I was openly gawking at him but I must have shown most of the surprise and shock that I was feeling because hyung started laughing and while ruffling my hair he said,

“I was thinking about taking you out for that food I promised you. Well it won’t exactly be lunch, but I think between the two of us, a private dinner date is far more appropriate. That is if you don’t mind?” he asked me, giving me that freaking eye smile which somehow managed to look both sweet and mischievous!!! Why do you have to smile that way??? My brain is already not working! Do you want to stop my heart and take my breath too?!!! That smile always makes me weak in the knees!

“Well I…I don’t mind. It’s not like I had any plans….” I managed to squeak out!

“Sweet! Let’s go then~ ” he said now pulling me even closer so that it was almost as if he was hugging me and started  walking in direction of parking lot. Just then I saw Taeyeon noona cornering Kai who looked like he really wanted to be rescued!

“Hyung wait, what about Taeyeon noona? Didn’t she drive with you here?” I asked him. Turning around he said-

“Taeyeon had something to do; she will not be accompanying us.”

“Oh! If that’s the case then let’s go, I’m kind of hungry…” I told him sheepishly. Hungry for your company I said to myself. He just laughed shaking his head.

We walked to his car and it was when he opened the passenger side door for me that I realized that hyung had what seemed to me like a possessive hold on my waist the entire time!!!!! It’s scary how natural it seemed to be held by him and how quickly I got used to it! I sat in the passenger seat and hyung quickly walked over to the driver’s side. He closed the door and suddenly leaned towards me!!!!! WHY IS HE LEANING TOWARDS ME ?!!!!\\\>/// He leaned closer and closer and closer still till our noses almost touched! All the while he was looking deeply in my eyes as if trying to get to the very core of my soul! Then, he moved his hand and slowly moved it up, past my waist, past the side of my chest, past my neck, past my head, never really touching. But the warmth was very much tangible! He moved his hands again, tracing the same path downwards and across me and suddenly, he moved away and I heard a ‘click’! That broke my trance and looked down to see that I now had the seat belt across myself! He was just putting on my seatbelt for me!!!!! Now I’m really feeling silly! He was now properly seated in his seat and he had managed to put on his seatbelt sometime when I was out in that trance! He then looked at me and said in a serious voice that seemed more teasing than serious, “ Taemin-ah, seatbelt is important. It keeps you grounded when situations turn crazy!” Did he know just how crazy it was for me just now?! Did he do that purposely?! Or was he genuinely just trying to be careful?! AAAH! Molla!!!!!!

Hyung started driving the car and as we headed to the restaurant, he suddenly spoke,

 “Emm….Taemin-ah”

“Yes Hyung”

“I’m really sorry for the last time. I shouldn’t have blamed you for Kibum’s actions. It’s not an excuse, but you know how much I worry about him after what he has been through. I just want my brother to be happy.” he said sincerely. He looked so conflicted. He does worry about Key hyung a lot. We all do. I hope someday you’ll think of your happiness to hyung. It’s not only Key hyung who deserves being happy. You do too.

“It’s ok hyung, I forgive you. I know how much you worry about Key hyung. And trust me, I won’t do anything that will ruin his chance of being happy. Jonghyun-ssi is a nice person. I understood that the day I met him and he managed to eat my ramen! And somewhere in his heart, Key hyung knows this too. He just needs time to accept this fact. Just to let you in on a secret, today’s song was dedicated to Jonghyun-ssi!” I told him giggling softly. He laughed as well and said-

“I thought so. The moment he started singing, the lyrics caught my attention. It didn’t take a genius to figure out who it was meant for.”

With that we drove in silence for a while. It was really peaceful in the car with just the both of us! Suddenly, he started fiddling with the music player and a song started playing. ‘My eyes were looking for you! So I found you. Well, I know you’re there. Show me your eyes, don’t hide! Eojjeonji non jom mwonga dallasseo, naega neon ireol jul arasseo. Namdeulgwaneun dareun jom teukbyeolhan mwongareul bunmyeong neon gatgo isseul jul arasseo!.......My eyes on you~, My eyes on you~, Odd eyed it’s you’ Hyung started singing SHINee’s Odd Eye along with the song all the while glancing at me! AAH! What am I supposed to make of this?! Once Odd Eye was done, he started playing View and singing along with it! “Neomu areumdaun dau daun daun View!” he said while looking at me!!!!! I didn’t think I could ever blush hard enough to feel as if I’m burning but in that moment, I did!

I just shyly kept looking at hyung and blinking rapidly. Throughout the drive, Jinki hyung kept playing songs like these and kept glancing and smiling at me! We finally reached the restaurant and I couldn’t wait to get out of the car before I lost control and jumped on Jinki hyung, shyness and consequences be damned!

Soon we had settled ourselves in a cozy quaint restaurant. We were sitting at the very back in a corner that almost hid both of us from others. I sat in the seat besides the wall and hyung sat in front of me. The fresh air had helped clear my mind a bit so I wasn’t as jittery as I was in the car. Plus, the whole thing was probably the result of my imagination and daydreaming anyways…. After we placed our order and our drinks and side dishes were placed, hyung suddenly cleared his throat and looked at me,

“Order all you want Taemin. It’s hyung’s treat for your superb performance!  And now that we are on the topic, why don’t we talk about your performance?” he said, me smirking. I was instantly on high alert! What do I do now?! It was one thing being bold on stage and another when it’s a face to face with him! Somehow I always find courage in expressing my feelings with dance, but when it comes to words….Ehhh! I’ll just play it cool! As if I don’t know what he is saying!

“What about it hyung? You know how I feel when it comes to dance. I never understood why people divide it by gender. Dance is an expression.” I told him boldly, or I thought it was bold enough. He knew I was bluffing, and his next sentence proved it.

“Oh really! Well that’s not what I meant when I asked you though. I meant your gaze. Why did you keep staring at me?” he asked raising his eyebrow. He was clearly enjoying it!

“Tha…That’s just to focus, as this was a new form, I was nervous…..” he just kept staring at me with that piercing gaze. I can’t stand it! Also, is that hyung’s foot on my feet or am I hallucinating?!

“Ex…Excuse me I’ll just use the restroom and be back” but before I could even get up from my seat, hyung had held my hand so that I couldn’t get up. I am trapped!

Ontae Cuddling

“I’ll let you go when you tell me the truth Taemin-ah”

“Tru…truth?!”

“Yes, truth. Why did you keep looking at me as you danced?”

“I…I told you…it’s so I could focus. You are someone familiar to me!” ! That is his leg! Great! Now I can’t get up and my brain also won’t function!

“Really….Your sister sat right next to me Tae. Isn’t she more familiar than I am? Yet you kept your eyes on me. I know you can do better than this. So let me ask again. Why did you keep staring at me Tae?”

“You’ll laugh if I tell you” I told him in small voice. I could feel tears leave my eyes. Why was he doing this to me? That’s when I felt him lift my chin-

“Hey..hey, why are you crying. I’m not upset or angry Tae and you know I won’t laugh. You can tell me anything. I’m really sorry for not believing you last time. But I’ll do better, I promise. Why don’t you try telling me.” He told me softly. Well it’s now or never. Taking a deep breathe I told him-

“I….I li…like you hyung. That dance was for you, so you could see me as Adult and not as a Child. Since I was 16 I had this crush on you. But you never saw me as anything more than a Kid who played with your brother. With that dance I wanted to prove you that I’m not a kid.” Now I’m done for! I know hyung is kind but I definitely don’t want to take advantage of that. Throughout my speech, hyung’s hold had loosened considerably so I quickly jerked out of it and tried to dash away! I wouldn’t let hyung feel awkward and uncomfortable because of my feelings! But just as I attempted to slide past him, before I could even take a step away from our table, he caught my hand and pulled me toward him. I lost my balance and I fell straight on his lap! He instantly put his arms around my waist, locking me in place.

“Hy..hyung….What are you doing!!?? Let me go, someone might see!!!!!” I told him, pushing at his shoulder. But it had reverse effect. He tightened his hold on me.  I looked at him from under my lashes. He was looking at me with a soft smile. Then he said, “Taemin-ah, as Kibum keeps calling me, I am indeed an old man with a poor hearing. Mind repeating that again?” He looked at me with that sweet yet mischevious smile and started running his hands along the small of my back! Just what was happening?! This is a dream right?! I must be dreaming! I must have fallen asleep in the car at some point! I just stared at him with wide eyes and a slightly open mouth! That’s when his gaze shifted from my eyes to my mouth, his hands now rubbing slow circles all across my back!

“Taemin, answer hyung. Repeat what you just said. I want to hear it properly.” He said in a gentle yet commanding voice and shifted me in his lap so that I was even closer!

“I love you Jinki hyung….” The words automatically flowed out of my mouth on his command and now that I said it, I could just peek at him blushing wildly!

“See…it wasn’t hard right?” he said mischievously. As I looked at him, shocked! He laughed and said-

“You are cute when you are nervous Tae. And I knew you had a crush on me. Bum kind of told me once in his drunken blabber.  I wanted to see how long it takes you to open up. And just to tell you, I love you too.” The way he said it, with so much ease, as if it was something he said to me every day, I couldn’t believe my ears!

“EHHH!!!” I yelled as I tried getting up from his lap. He laughed as he pulled me back and nuzzled his face in my neck.

“Why are you shocked? Is it that hard to believe that I reciprocate your feelings Taemin?” he whispered in my ears.

“N…no it’s just I never thought…” All this is TMI!!!! Too much TMI at a time!

“What, that I was Gay or that I like you?”

“Ummm….well you never showed you’re feeling about your preference” I told him honestly. “I never thought I had any chance.”

“To tell you the truth, I never thought about it till Bum told me about your crush. That was when I got thinking. That’s when I started seeing you as more than a kid. But I never did anything about it because it’s not right Tae. We have a huge . Plus you are my best friend’s brother. Your parents helped me raise Bum when I had no one. I was conflicted. I didn’t know if it was right or not.” He told me earnestly.

“Then what changed now hyung? Why did you decide to tell me now?” I asked him.

“Because I want to be happy too.” He told me looking in my eyes.

“Now that Bum has a chance at being happy again, I want to find my chance at happiness too. Will you give that chance to me Taemin? Will you go out with me?” He asked me with that serious face. I couldn’t help these butterflies in my stomach. I could feel a huge smile bloom on my face! I was feeling too giddy!!!!

“YES….Oh YES Hyung. I would love to go out with you!” I mean who wouldn’t? He just laughed at me while kissing my cheek softly. “That’s good to hear. I was scared that you’ll reject this old man” I couldn’t help but blush. What old man?! If he is old man then I am a chicken. Though I wouldn’t mind being a chicken considering how much hyung loves it! Yikes, what am I thinking!!! I blushed even harder and from the look on hyung’s face, he had probably guessed what I was thinking! That’s when we heard someone clear their throat. We both looked up to find the waiter standing with our order looking at us shyly. I stood up like something scalded me and went to seat at my seat. As soon as he left us after serving the food, we looked at each other and couldn’t help but giggle.

“Well we already had our first embarrassing moment!” hyung said laughing.

“Tell me about it. Wait you said you found out from Key hyung right. Aish Key hyung can never keep a secret.” I told him clinching my fist, to which he laughed and said-

“Well what do I say; Bum gets chattier when drunk. You have no idea what all I have found out from his drunken babble” he told shaking his head fondly.

“Then tell me. Tell me something which I can use against him!” I asked him. Key hyung you just wait and see. Someday I’ll have my revenge on you.

“Against him? I assure you Taemin, you will not have the time to think about using anything that I say against him, much less actually use it.” And with that, he got up from his seat and sat next to me. Then, he swiftly pulled me into his lap once again and placed one of his hands at my waist! Dang it hyung!!!!! It seems to be hyung’s agenda to keep making me look like a strawberry and make sure my brain didn’t work! He then picked up a piece of the tonkatsu we were eating at held it in front of me. Is he feeding me?!!!!

“Open up Taemin-ah.” He said gently and I couldn’t help but obey. I took a bite of that piece and as I was chewing it down; I saw hyung eat the same piece!!! That’s an indirect kiss!!!!! I indirectly kissed hyung!!!! This is how we both ate our meal. I took a bite of whatever Jinki hyung fed me and he ate the rest. Once we were done with our meal, hyung paid and we left the restaurant and reached his car. This time too, hyung opened the door for me and swiftly put the seatbelt around me. Then he walked over to the driver’s side and sat in the car. He quickly turned the car on and swiftly drove. All the while he didn’t say a word. What happened?! Why isn’t he saying anything?! Isn’t he happy?? Did I somehow make him angry? Was I supposed to talk?! Suddenly, the car stopped. Hyung had parked the car at the side of the highway and it was quite empty. Did the car break?! Don’t tell me it’s because I touched it!!!! Then, Jinki hyung turned towards me and leaned in till our noses were touching. Oh! So hyung wasn’t angry and most probably I hadn’t wrecked hyung’s car! He then spoke, “Taemin, baby, thank you for telling me your feelings and agreeing to date me. Although I know that I’m not experienced in dating, I will put in my utmost efforts, care and love in this relationship.” He then held my face in both his hands and softly rubbed his nose against mine. He then tilted his head a bit and placed a kiss on my forehead! He shifted one of his hands to now hold the back of my head and softly kissed my nose! Then, he slowly turned his face downwards and kissed the hollow of my neck and whispered in my ears, “I love you Taemin. I promise to always treat you with respect and care. Thank you for accepting me as your lover.” He took both my hands in his and placed a soft kiss on both the hands, looked at me in a loving way and then turned towards the front and started the car. Throughout our drive back, he held one hand of mine and kept driving.

During the drive back home, we talked about a lot of things; my dance, my college, his work, my work, Key hyung, Jonghyun ssi and many other random topics. Just like that, we reached hyung’s home. That’s when we saw Key hyung getting out of a white Lamborghini! So he sorted things out with Jonghyun ssi! I smiled widely at hyung and after hyung turned off the car, both of us got out of the car to greet Key hyung and Jonghyun ssi, hand-in-hand.