“I can’t believe you, Choi. Is this our almost 14 years friendship mean for you?”

Minho rolled his eyes hearing Kibum’s comment, but it wasn’t enough to drop his mood down. He still cheerfully prepared the breakfast, not really minding Kibum who went on and on how he felt betrayed by Minho on his video call, with Jinki’s laughter and Jonghyun’s blabber as the background sound.

It was unintentional that Minho slipped out he and Taemin dated again. Kibum was video-calling him, discussing the plan about visiting Minho again for the long weekend at the end of the month, because they wanted to take Jonghyun to the new theme park at Seoul. Kibum was planning to reserve the ticket first through online application, pursuing the discount—typical Kibum, Minho thought—and Minho told him to reserve one more ticket for Taemin. Mentioning Taemin earned Minho a nagging from Kibum, who kept pressing him to try to chase after Taemin. Feeling tired by Kibum’s lecture, Minho then just blurted out that they had been going out for almost 4 months. Worse, the confession earned him another earful from Kibum, who half-mad, half-excited by the news.

“Alright, alright. I hear you, Kibum. I’ll call you next time if anything happened in my life, okay?” Minho half-heartedly responded Kibum’s complain. Deep down, he knew Kibum just care for him so much and he was just upset that Minho didn’t tell him something big like this.

“You better,” Kibum warned, but only in split a second, he beamed excitedly, “Oh God, thank you, finally this frog let go of his single status. Oh my God, this is so precious. I can’t wait to meet Taemin and about this.”

“Don’t,” Minho pointed the tip of the knife he was holding towards Kibum. “He is so shy. You will scare him!”

“Look this guy instantly go into protective mode,” Kibum complained to Jinki. Jinki just laughed it off. He appeared on the screen with Jonghyun in his arms.

“Congrats, Minho,” he said sincerely.

“Thank you, hyung,” Minho answered with the same sincerity.

“Uncle Minho,” Jonghyun suddenly jumped in. “Where is Taeminnie Hyung? I miss Taeminnie Hyung.”

“Hyung?” Minho stared at Jonghyun seriously. “You call me ‘uncle’, but you call Taemin ‘hyung’?”

“Because I like Taeminnie,” Jonghyun stuck out his tongue.

“Yah, this kid!”

Before Minho could scold him, Jonghyun had broken free from Jinki and ran away, made the laughter erupted from his parents. Jinki immediately go after Jonghyun, leaving Minho and Kibum alone again.

Done with his laughter, Kibum started to speak again, “Anyway, have you heard from Song Yi these days?”

Frowning, Minho stopped with his cutting and paid more attention to Kibum. “No, I think no. The last time we contacted each other…hmm…weeks ago I guess, when she asked me if I would come to her wedding or not.”

“Ah,” Kibum’s face came to realization. “Did you say something to her at that time?”

“Did I?” Minho racked his brain. “Ah, I told her to quickly tell Min Jae about his father. Apparently her father keeps trying to get update about her wedding plans through Min Jae and she is upset about that. She wants to confront her father to just leave her alone, so she asks me to visit her, you know, to accompany her and become moral support.”

“So you refused?”

“Of course I did. The one who should go with her is Min Jae, not me. I don’t want to cause any misunderstandings in her relationship. And…” Minho trailed off.

“And in yours too, right?” Kibum completed his words. Minho didn’t answer but he didn’t need to.

Breaking the short silence, Kibum continued, “She called me the other day, asking about you. She’s wondering if she did something that makes you avoid her and in her perspective, you’re trying to cut off your friendship.”

“What? That’s absurd.”

“Well, both of you are always together for 20 years, even after she rejected you, you still treated her the same. Maybe she isn’t ready with this change. Especially right now, when she is being stressful by her wedding, her father and her constant arguments with Min Jae.”

Minho fell into deep thought by Kibum’s words. Minho knew that Song Yi leaned on him more than her indifferent parents. The fact that she was the only child just drew her closer to Minho. For Minho, Song Yi used to be the most important person in his life and his top priority. It gradually changed over times, but the fact that they were best friends never change for Minho, and the protective feeling to her would always be there. He started to slowly step back the moment he knew Song Yi’s relationship with Min Jae was growing serious, to let Min Jae take his role as Song Yi’s guardian little by little. But it seemed Song Yi misunderstood his action, and Minho couldn’t help but feel sad about it.

“It’s okay,” Kibum was quick to comfort Minho. “I’ve tried to explain it to Song Yi. She understood it, though she hasn’t fully accepted it. Maybe she needs time to digest everything. She also has a wedding on the way, so maybe she put the issue to her later priorities.”

“You’re right,” Minho agreed, though he still looked concerned. “I’ll try to contact her later.”

Kibum was about to say something again, but the sound of knock on Minho’s door stopped him. He immediately sent a teasing smile to Minho. “Taemin, isn’t it?”

Minho ignored his teasing. Instead, with wide smile, Minho said, “That’s your cue to leave. Bye!” and before Kibum could say anything—he was going to complain, Minho was sure—Minho quickly ended the call.

Almost running, Minho made his way to the front door. When he opened the door, he was welcomed by the smiling Taemin, looking beautiful as always. Grinning wide, Minho held out his hand which Taemin instantly took as he went into Minho’s house. He just closed the door behind him, when Minho suddenly pulled him into his embrace.

“I told you, you don’t need to ring the bell. You know my passcode anyway,” Minho said as his hand moved to caress Taemin’s hair, his new, favorite habit.

“Who knows what you’re doing when I suddenly brag in? What if you…” Taemin trailed off, didn’t want to finish his sentence.

“Hmmm? ‘If I’ what?” Minho pressed, sensing the shyness from Taemin.

Taemin buried his reddened face on Minho’s chest, “What if you just finish shower like at that time Kibum and the others here? That was so embarrassing,” Taemin mumbled, but Minho still caught that.

“Why? I’m yours so you have the right to look,” Minho teased.

“Minho!” Taemin pulled back as he hit Minho’s chest in frustration, breaking the hug a little but not completely because Minho’s arms caged him.

“Do you know your shy face like this very adorable?”

Taemin whined, ready to hide his face on Minho’s chest again, but Minho stopped him by placing his fingers under Taemin’s chin, titling his face up.

“Very endearing,” he said, smiling, before he leant forward to take Taemin’s lips in his, surprising Taemin a little, but Taemin quickly relaxed and kissed Minho’s back.

Getting response from Taemin, Minho happily kissed Taemin harder and deeper. His hand traveled to caress Taemin’s back, as his other hand kept getting lower and lower, made Taemin shiver.

“Min,” Taemin whispered between their kiss.

“Hmm?” Like being enchanted, Minho’s lips couldn’t stop moving against Taemin’s lips, even when Taemin pulled his head back a little to break their kiss, Minho kept following him to reconnect their lips.

“Work,” Taemin managed to say through their intense lip-locking. “Late.”

“Okay,” Minho replied, but didn’t stop what he was doing.

Until Taemin pinched his waist hard.

Minho yelped in pain, finally broke away their kiss and let go Taemin’s body.

“Tae!” Minho protested, rubbing the sore skin, but Taemin pinched Minho again, this time on his arm.

“We’re going to be late, you !” Taemin stuck his tongue out and escaped to the kitchen before Minho could do anything.

Still rubbing the place Taemin pinched him, Minho chased him, pretending to be mad, but inside he just felt happy.

Pouting and sulking Taemin was always adorable for Minho, made him can’t help but kept glancing to his boyfriend. They were supposed to have a picnic on the park today, spending their precious Sunday together, especially both of their works had been very hectic lately, but it had been raining since morning. They decided to wait the rain to stop, but until late afternoon, the rain was still pouring hard. Minho knew Taemin was very disappointed because he never went picnic before and he had been waiting for this since forever, so Minho pulled out Taemin’s favorite mint-chocolate ice cream, gathered Taemin in his arms with blanket over them, and played the movie Taemin loved, Titanic. But it seemed it didn’t really work out for cheering him.

“I think I need exorcism or something like that,” Taemin mumbled.

Hearing the absurd, sudden remark made Minho laughed loudly.

“I’m serious,” Taemin pouted. “I have been very unlucky on weekends. Remember the water incident? The sudden summer rain? And another tons of unfortunate events happening to me, like I lost my phone that one time on our late night movies? It happened on weekend too! The time I was bitten by a dog at the park? And now! It’s raining hard when we’re supposed to go picnic!”

Holding back his laughter, Minho caressed his boyfriend’s hair softly to comfort him. “Well, it’s not really unfortunate, isn’t it? We get to cuddle all day.”

“But still…”

“We can go next week, Tae. I promise.”

“Promise?” Taemin held out his little finger.

As smiling at his boyfriend’s childish but adorable act, Minho linked his finger with Taemin’s. “Promise.”

Finally smiling, Taemin whispered, “I love you.”

It was amazing those three words were enough to bring Minho to the sky. He bent down and took Taemin’s lips with his, whispering ‘I love you’ over and over again. Taemin giggled by the sweetness, but those giggles slowly turned into whimpers and whines as Minho attacked his lips with no mercy. Minho’s heart hammered hearing the sounds. They had been very, very intimate lately, and Minho had the thought, the intention, the urge to make Taemin his completely, but the timing was always off. Is this the right time?

Overwhelmed by the possibilities, Minho started to lower Taemin on the couch. The latter seemed didn’t mind—or he didn’t realize?—as he just focused on Minho’s lips which traveled to his neck. Minho tried hard to control himself, peppering Taemin with soft kisses and gentle touches. He wanted this to be slow, and loving. He wanted this to show how much he loved Taemin.

A little trembling, Minho’s hand started to sneak under Taemin’s shirt, earning soft mewl from Taemin as his cold hand made contact with Taemin’s sensitive skin. Minho was just about to take the shirt off, when the sound of passcode entered, followed by the door opened, surprised both of them.

“Minho!”

Startled, Minho pulled himself away from Taemin. Taemin’s eyes had gotten wide. Minho turned around to find the reason.

Taemin was right.

Taemin sat on Minho’s bed silently as he looked ahead to the closed door of Minho’s bedroom. His head was a jumble mess. His heart felt heavy. Taemin hugged himself, trying hard to reminisce the warmth from Minho’s touches and kisses before the Song Yi’s sudden appearance, because right now he felt cold. He didn’t know if it was from the weather, or from the fear.

It was awkward.

No.

Awkward was an understatement.

It was more than that.

When Song Yi barged in with suitcase on her hand—she clearly knew Minho’s habit of password too, Taemin noted jealously—Taemin felt his heart stopped. He couldn’t say anything, even when Song Yi repeatedly apologize for intruding, saying she didn’t know Taemin would be here. He couldn’t say anything when Minho interrogated Song Yi for her unexpected arrival, when she was supposed to be in French preparing her wedding. He couldn’t say anything when Song Yi announced she had called off the wedding, ran away from home, and asked Minho if he could let her crash at his place for a while. He couldn’t say anything when the two best friends started to argue, louder and louder. He also couldn’t say anything when Minho softly asked him to wait in his bedroom, realizing Taemin shouldn’t see this horrible scenes. Taemin just nodded and complied.

So here he was, alone, while listening Minho and Song Yi shouted to each other. He tried hard not to listen, but he couldn’t help it. They were fighting loudly. Minho scolded Song Yi for her rash decisions, telling her to grow up. Song Yi accused Minho forgetting their friendship, kept being absence when she needed him the most, and leaving her alone in her miserable times. Taemin pressed his palms on his ears as he closed his eyes, trying to block everything. All of sickening thoughts raced into his minds.

She comes back.

She is upset.

Minho won’t let her be upset.

He will do anything.

Anything.

She was always his priority.

Taemin didn’t know how long he sat like that. He just tried hard to push away all of the horrible thoughts that appeared.

“Tae?”

Taemin startled by the gentle touch on his shoulder. He opened his eyes and let his hands fell to his lap, finding Minho looked at him with full of worry on his face.

“Are you okay?” Minho whispered.

“Yeah,” Taemin replied, though he wasn’t sure.

“It’s okay, she just left,” Minho pulled Taemin up and hugged him tightly. “I’m sorry you have to witness that.”

Taemin shook his head. “It’s okay.”

They stayed like that for awhile, before finally let go of each other.

“I’m thirsty,” Taemin said. “And cold.”

Minho chuckled. “C’mon. I’ll make something warm for you.”

Taemin smiled, felt relief slowly crept in. Minho was here, he wasn’t going anywhere.

The lovers went out of the bedroom hand in hand, fingers intertwined tightly. Both had smile on their faces, but it wasn’t as bright as their usual smile.

The loud thunder made Taemin jumped a bit. He instantly looked toward the windows. It was raining very heavily outside. Taemin hated himself but he couldn’t help but worry. He glanced at Minho, and he knew Minho felt the same. No, he was more than worried.

“It’s stormy outside, Min,” Taemin’s voice was so small.

“Yeah.”

“She said she didn’t have anywhere to go.”

“She will be fine. I know it.”

Taemin knew Minho was lying.

Hesitantly, Taemin let go of Minho’s hand. “It’s okay,” he whispered, uncertain. “You can go after her. She needs you right now.”

Minho shook his head. “No, she will be fine.”

Taemin hated Minho’s worried look was as clear as crystal, despite he kept saying she would be fine. He hated himself for being humane right now. He wanted to be selfish.

He wanted it so bad.

But…

“You know she has bad immune. She was even drenched when she arrived,” Taemin hated how every single words he said killed him inside.

“But Tae…”

“It’s okay, Minho. You won’t be able to sleep peacefully tonight if you keep being like this,” Taemin joked lightly, surprising himself for being a good actor. A very good one.

Minho took one last look towards the window, welcomed by lightning which was followed by another loud thunder.

“I’m sorry, Tae. I’ll be back in no time,” Minho finally said. He grabbed his car key and coat as he dashed towards the door.

Taemin’s eyes never left him.

And his eyes widened in confusion when Minho stopped right in front of his door. He looked at Minho, puzzled, when the latter turned around, walked towards him and stopped right in front of him.

“Min?”

Minho didn’t say anything. Instead, his hands enveloped Taemin’s small ones.

“Will you…” Minho stopped, hesitant was clear in his voice, as he kept looking down at their joined hands. “Will you…be here when I come back?”

It was only a whisper, but despite the loud rain outside, Taemin could still hear it.

Those words brought mixed feelings inside Taemin. He took a deep breath before answered, “Of course. I’ll be here.”

Minho finally looked at him, but Taemin couldn’t make out the meaning behind Minho’s eyes on him.

Squeezing Taemin’s hand lightly, Minho said, “Thank you,” before he let go and finally left.

Taemin stared at the door for awhile. It was stormy outside, it was stormy as well inside Taemin’s head and heart.

Taemin finally moved. He took a seat on the couch. This time, he looked ahead to the TV in front of him. The screen showed the scenes of Titanic where they had paused it. The magnificent ship was sinking, the loophole drown it down into the deep, dark sea.

OMG, how long since the last time I updated this?

I am sorry for the sloooow update. I had important exam last week, and my study had gotten hectic again as the finals come nearer and nearer.

This should be longer, but I'm not sure I can write more this week or next week because I will be very busy, so like before...cutting it here to at least give a little update.

Sorry for the errors, I am half-asleep right now.

Enjoy everyoneee

XOXO