Coming back home doesn't feel as dreadful as Taemin thought it would be- in fact he is relieved. It is old and ratty, but it is home. He switches on the lights and texts the group chat that he has arrived, knowing Jonghyun is extra worried after Taemin had called him up to help him book the next train ticket to Seoul the very afternoon that Kibum left. He wanted to stay in Pohang for the days originally planned out of pure spite, but he felt lonely and decided that he could not be a hypocrite and escape from his own life while urging Kibum to sort out his’. So he is back again, for better or for worse.

He stashes his belongings in his room and heads to the kitchen to make some instant ramen for dinner. Taemin’s thoughts start straying while he waits for the water to boil. The vacation has left him with more emotional burden and hurt than he had even started out with, but it still has been a somewhat cathartic experience for him, and he is grateful for that.

There are two more days before he had to go back to work again, and he has already planned out what to do. First, he is going to meet with his friends and have a meal together- he needs to make time for the people who matter to him. Secondly, he is going to look for a new job. All this time knowing how good of a dancer he is, he has always been aiming high. Prestigious groups, agencies- all the chances he missed, it didn’t have to matter. He could start out small, become an instructor, teach a class part time maybe, as long as he is still dancing, and if nothing worked out, surely he would get a better job than working at a convenience store. Besides, he needs the higher pay as well, which brought him to his third task- convincing the landlady for an extension on his rent. And as for Kibum- he will simply have to move on, even if his heart has already started aching at the sudden emptiness after the constant company in the past week, and the best way to do that would be to throw himself into work, which he is fully determined to do.

He wolfs down the ramen as fast as he can. Taemin feels a bit manic, he wants to change something about his situation but nothing he could do would give him instant gratification, so he does the next best thing- cleaning. There are too many chores he has been ignoring ever since his injury, and what better way to move on than to scrub out traces of it physically. He spends all night dusting and mopping, finally sleeping at around five after fighting the urge to check his phone to open his conversation with Kibum. It is another bad habit he needs to get rid of- even weeks before he had actually texted, he had gotten too used to opening it at random times and contemplating asking for the favour. When he wakes up in the evening, sleeping close to twelve hours- a new record even for him, he barely has the time to take a shower, slip on fresh clothes and rush for dinner with Jinki, Jonghyun and Minho, remembering to take his box of seashells at the last minute with a heavy heart.

They meet at the same bar they were hanging out in when Minho had revived the topic of saving Kibum, after years of Taemin pushing the thought down. It isn’t out of the ordinary- the joint is Jonghyun’s favourite because of the live music, so they frequented it quite a lot, but it felt ironic sitting at the same table, same position, but instead of Jinki and Minho looking at each other, all eyes were focused on him, waiting for him to start talking about his week.

“I got seashells from Pohang for all of you,” he says weakly, handing them the ones he had picked out for them, and keeping some of the ones he could remember Kibum had collected. He is going to have to move on and he really shouldn’t be storing them, but he does not have the heart to give them away.

Jonghyun holds the conch up to his ear almost immediately, making Taemin laugh.

"I can't hear anything," he pouts.

"That's because the music's too loud here," Minho jokingly rolls his eyes. It's true. There is a rock band playing tonight. Much like the night in Daegu, Taemin notes sullenly.

"Thank you for these," Jinki says, turning his head next to him and smiling sincerely. For some reason this breaks him, and he tears up, diving to rest his head on Jinki's chest, whose arms instinctively come to wrap around him.

He hears a chorus of concerned 'Taemin's which makes him burrow even deeper and wind his arms around Jinki, who soothingly rubs a hand on his back.

“Is everything okay?” He asks softly. Taemin knows he is trying hard not to let worry bleed through his voice, knowing that being overly prodding would not help.

He nods, giving him one last squeeze before lifting his head to face them, fighting the urge to hide again.

“Hey, what was that about?” Minho asks, eyes wide.

“Nothing. I just missed you guys. We haven’t met in a while,” Taemin tells a half truth. He really did miss them, but he is also feeling empty, and just needs someone.

“Oh.” Jonghyun, ever the sentimental one, frowns, “We missed you too Taemin.”

Jinki pats his shoulder reassuringly, and Minho stays uncharacteristcally silent. Taemin tries not to linger on it and presses on, talking about his trip as vaguely as possible. Jinki seems to be fine with his excuse of just staying in and relaxing in his room, Jonghyun true to his word, does not reveal what he knows, and as for Minho- Taemin can’t understand what to make of him. Minho knew him for much longer than anyone else, and even if they weren’t as extremely close anymore, he still knew all his tells. Taemin is uneasy by the time they are leaving the establishment, only feeling marginally better after a long hug from Jonghyun.

He starts walking home, thinking of taking the long route back just to be able to enjoy the night a little bit more. Tomorrow he will have to look for jobs, and he is dreading going through listings and calling people up to look for openings.

“Taemin, wait!”

He turns back in surprise to see Minho running towards him.

“Did I forget something back there?” Taemin asks in puzzlement.

Minho shakes his head, panting for a few seconds before he speaks, “Is it okay if I walk with you for a bit? I wanted to talk to you.”

Taemin is wary, but doesn’t question it. He appreciates the company nevertheless.

“Of course,” he smiles, quelling some of his nerves.

The air is breezy for a summer night, and in the few minutes of silence between them, his mind drifts back to Kibum again, idly thinking of the numerous walks they shared within the past few days.

“Something happened on the trip didn’t it?”

Ah, sweet Minho. Always straight to the point.

Taemin tilts his head, “What makes you think so?”

He shrugs, “You’ve been acting differently. Like your mind’s far away.”

“I am always like that,” he jokes, though he knows exactly what he means.

“You are, but this time it’s different.”

“I don’t know. Guess I am just dazed. Feels a bit weird to go back to normal life.”

Minho hums, “Well what about the guy? Was he nice? You didn’t really tell us about him.”

Taemin gulps. He doesn’t want to talk about him.

“He was okay. Well mannered,” he answers neutrally.

“That’s it?”

His apartment block is in view and Taemin wonders how impolite it would be to end this conversation now and not invite him home. Before he can reply though, Minho is already bounding ahead of him and up the stairs.

“Oh well,” he mutters and follows him.

“Woah, you cleaned up. This looks great.” Minho grins once he opens the door, making Taemin cringe.

“I really wasn’t aware of how bad it looked last time you were here,” he says sheepishly.

“It was fine, but this looks better,” he reassures, making himself comfortable on the couch. Taemin follows suit, still not knowing what Minho wants to talk about.

Once he is seated, Minho’s expression immediately turns serious.

“Are you okay? Be honest with me Taemin.”

“I’m-” he falters, “I’m fine. I really am. You know how bad of a time I was having, so I did enjoy this break.”

“But something is wrong. This guy didn’t hurt you right? Tell me if he did.”

Taemin recognizes the hint of rage in his eyes, only having seen it once before when a man had been harassing Taemin at a club. Minho is generally a peace loving, kind man, but god forbid anyone even dared hurt his loved ones.

“No, no,” Taemin corrects him immediately, “He was great. Really caring, he treated me well.”

“Oh.”

“What?” He asks self consciously.

“You like him,” Minho says it so deadpanned- it’s not even a guess, just a statement.

Taemin feels like he has been er punched. People keep reading him like an open book.

“I guess I do,” he says, trying to act nonchalant. No use lying to him and making things look worse.

“So, what’s the problem? Why are you this upset? If he has shown interest in you then-”

He shakes his head, “I can’t tell him.”

“Why?” Minho asks teasingly, traces of earlier sternness gone from his face, “Is he married? Do you have a crush on a married guy? He did look older than you-”

“No!” Taemin whines, hiding his face in his hands, “You’re so embarrassing. God.”

“Then you should tell him.”

“Sure.” He says noncommittally. Taemin can’t tell him the reason behind it, so might as well just agree.

“Getting out with it helps,” he insists, “Just look at me and Jinki.”

“It doesn’t always help,” Taemin says quietly, looking down and playing with the stray strings on his ripped jeans, “I used to have a crush on you too.”

“I know.”

Minho is facing away from him, his face flushed red. Taemin had not expected that, but he feels relief wash over him. It is such a huge burden off his shoulders, one that he is finally tired of carrying around. In a way, he is happy with this, he’d rather not have him shocked, and it is calming to know Minho is still his friend despite knowing everything.

“How long did you know?”

“I had an inkling for a while, but then you are cute and affectionate with everybody,” he chuckles lightly, “But I understood that night when we were here, drinking together. Something about the way you looked at me reminded me of the way Jinki does.”

Oh. The time Taemin had told Minho about saving Kibum from the car accident because he wanted to distract himself from the thought of kissing him. Go figure.

“Well,” Taemin pauses, “I’m glad you know, and that it changed nothing between us.”

Minho smiles.

“I found my happiness Taemin, it’s about time you found yours.”

Minho’s words linger in his head long after he leaves and Taemin's tossing and turning on his bed. He keeps opening his conversation with Kibum, the last message being their selfie he had taken at the Temple. He already misses his stupid little smug face. Taemin forces himself to switch off his phone to get some sleep, the more he thinks about texting him the more it stresses him. He'd rather rest up for his long day tomorrow.

-

Expectedly, the job market is not great for dancers- most hires had happened already, and summer classes were in full swing. Taemin does get an interview as a dance instructor for a class of teens but he isn’t too happy about that- he loves kids and he could deal with adults but teens are a demographic he simply isn’t ready to handle, but it is better than nothing, so he notes down the appointment anyway. He sighs, taking a break for lunch. All these phone calls have completely sapped out his energy, but he has ten more places to call before the work day ends. Taemin pads around his almost empty kitchen, missing the past days of high quality meals. After a lunch of boiled rice and kimchi, he goes back to calling again, feeling highly discouraged by the end of it. It was going to be quite a task to get a new job, but he is really determined to get one no matter how demotivating it is.

Next on his agenda was talking to the landlady, and while she is sweet and the kind who invited him for a meal every time she sees him, she is very strict on the rent front. She's an old widower and it is her only source of income, so Taemin feels bad asking for an extension, but he has to. Sure, he could crash at Jonghyun’s place if he is kicked out but with his current income situation trying to find a new place would be sapping. He trudges up the stairs, bracing himself to almost beg and knocks on her door. As usual, she welcomes him in with a smile which Taemin guiltily returns, sitting down on the sofa as she makes him tea.

“Ah Taemin, how nice of you to visit me. How did your trip go?”

“It was nice, thank you so much,” he says, helping her pour the drink into two mugs.

"You look so much better now," she compliments, "I saw you last week and you looked so sickly my poor boy." She pats his head and Taemin relishes in the mother-like affection.

"I might not be able to make this month's rent. If you can give me an extension I will pay it as quickly as I can," Taemin blurts out.

"What do you mean?" She asks, confused.

Taemin is puzzled.

"The rent?"

"But you already paid six months upfront?"

There has to be some sort of weird misunderstanding.

"I did?"

"Well not you, but the young man paid for you since you weren't back yet."

Taemin is already getting an idea of where this is going.

"Did the man have a scar on his eyebrow?" He asks, running a finger on his own eyebrow to indicate where it is supposed to be.

"Ah, yes he did have that. Funny thing, what a polite, good looking man. All your friends are quite good looking actually," she laughs. "Suits a boy like you."

If only he can return her laugh.

"Did he say anything else? When did he come by?"

"Not that I remember no. He came by yesterday afternoon actually. Did he not tell you?"

Yesterday afternoon- when he was sleeping like the dead after deep cleaning his apartment. Kibum had been right there, just a few storeys up. Taemin wants to scream.

"No he didn't. Thank you for the tea! I have to get going now, sorry!" He apologizes and rushes out to his flat.

He immediately calls Kibum, heart soaring when it rings once, twice- disconnected. He frowns and tries again, once again, disconnected. The third time the operator says the number is unreachable- Kibum has blocked him. Taemin almost throws his phone away only to remember at the last minute that he definitely can't afford a new one if this shattered. He goes out for a walk to clear his head of the anger tinting his vision. How dare Kibum do things for him and then pretend like he did not even exist. How dare he care for him in this short span of a time like no one had ever done before and act like nothing happened.

The following few weeks go by in a similar fashion. He starts work, which doesn't seem as unbearable as it had before, now that for once he is actually hoping to get a better job. Taemin calls up as many people as he can for an opening, and every night drops a single call to Kibum. Taemin is nothing if not persistent, and if Kibum wants to be stubborn, then he can be too. He doesn't know if Kibum can see if he received calls from blocked numbers, but he believes that one day he'll cave in and unblock him, and that's when Taemin will catch him. It has become a routine of sorts- a sad one, but it almost felt customary to hear the robot operator's voice before he goes to sleep.

He finally starts getting some call backs after the employers have checked out his frankly impressive resume and videos. Taemin skips the interview for the class of teens in favour of one for adults in advanced dance. He will be teaching with another instructor, who is the reason for the off season hire in the first place, because he can't handle the influx of students all alone. The interview goes really well- it's a good studio, decent pay, and he already likes his co-instructor Shownu.

Taemin is sure nothing in his life can beat the feeling of handing his resignation notice to his of a manager. He positively jumps and runs home that day, buying himself good takeout and a bottle of wine as a treat. He excitedly tells all his friends about it, feeling sad when it is his turn to call Kibum and hear the automated voice again. Kibum is one way or the other the catalyst to the chain of events that led Taemin to make these changes in his life, and he feels awful that he is not able to share it with him.

Thankfully, everything else works out enough to keep him busy, and the bad thoughts at bay. For the first month at his new job he spends most of his mornings with Shownu, coming up with routines for the students, whose classes were typically in the evening. He finds a new friend as well as a senior in him- he is a man of few words but very soft mannered and hard working, matching well in personality as well dancing style with Taemin. Except for a few of his students hitting on him, which always leaves Taemin flustered and out of his comfort zone, making him appear almost mean when he rejects their harmless advances, things were going pretty smoothly. Shownu even teaches him how to politely reject offers for dates, something he himself does almost on a daily basis in class, which is a skill Taemin never knew he needed, but comes in very handy. Shownu is a married man so for him it is easy to decline, but he never asks Taemin why he is so intent on dismissing their proposals despite knowing he is single, which Taemin appreciates. Regardless of his efforts in moving on from Kibum, he is still besotted with him and starting a romance with anybody would be unfair both to Taemin and his date.

The second month is much more relaxed- he has most of his mornings free, their studio signs in a few celebrity clients, who he instructs part time and really enjoys the higher pay, and even gets an offer to star in a music video with an artist as her love interest, which he happily accepts. Her agency pays for him to get his hair dyed and cut, and he can’t believe how good he looks with platinum blonde hair descending into lavender coloured tips- much, much better than the time he tried to bleach his hair by himself and had to wear a cap for a week till he managed to buy black hair dye.

Everything is falling into place for him, and he wonders how Kibum is. Even when he goes to a fitting for the shoot, the stylists puttering about him, he is reminded of him, and how he would shine in a job like this. The downside of being this busy for months on end is that Taemin never actually gets a chance to progress past his infatuation, his brain turning Kibum into the perfect daydream to think about when he is vacant.

On Sunday afternoon, Taemin is sitting on his newly replaced couch, eating homemade spaghetti- he has recently taken up cooking now that he had the time and the money, it is a hit or a miss, mostly misses, but the motivation of not living off take out is much more greater. The doorbell rings, breaking him out of his action movie marathon. It is probably Jonghyun, who has taken it upon himself to drop in unannounced on the weekends, citing changing locations drawing more inspiration for his songs, but Taemin calls bull- he is just here for the cuddles and hogging Jongin's old room to himself. He pauses Netflix and gets up, muttering to himself and opens the door to-

Kibum.

He feels like all the breath has been knocked out of him.

"Every night. Every goddamn night you had to call me for three ing months. Do you know how hard it was to ignore you?" He accuses angrily, walking towards him and poking a finger on his chest until Taemin's back hits against the wall. He belatedly notices the suitcase in Kibum's hand, which he promptly drops on the floor once he's crossed the threshold.

Taemin has so many questions, so many of them that his head is spinning, but the only thing he can think of is how close Kibum is, and how pretty his lips looked.

Boldy, he grabs on to his waist and tips his face up to kiss him. Kibum is stunned for a split second until he's kissing back with enthusiasm, resting his hands onto Taemin's shoulders and pressing him between himself and the wall. Taemin smiles into the kiss, running his hands on Kibum's sides and slipping in his fingers beneath his shirt. Kibum breaks away to kiss his jaw, tugging on his hair to get better access, making Taemin moan, and then blush in embarrassment.

"Interesting. I will store that information for later," he mumbles against his lips, and Taemin flushes even more, pushing him away.

"Why did you block me? Couldn't you just have answered my calls? Then I wouldn't have to call you every single day!"

"You taste of burnt garlic," he replies bluntly instead.

"Oh. I cooked spaghetti today. Left it on the stove too long."

Kibum throws his head back and laughs, and Taemin grins. He has missed that cackle so much. Kibum looks back at him tenderly, and Taemin leans into his touch when he his hair softly.

"You look so good blonde. Even hotter than usual."

"You're ignoring my question," he tries to be stern but he simply can't wipe the smile off his face long enough to.

"I had to block you because I was taking care of things. Breaking away from a Syndicate does not happen overnight you know."

Taemin gasps, "No way."

Kibum nods, "Not all police can be bought. Not by my family anyway- some are bought by our rivals," he smirks, his hands now running on Taemin's face, making it hard for him to concentrate on his words, "I used my nest of information- detailed accounts and records, all now property of the government. And me? A free man under their protection, at least until my cousins are stripped off their power."

"You actually listened to me," he says in awe.

"I looked through the photos I took of you when I got back home, and I realised I liked you enough to take the risk."

Taemin can't help it anymore, he switches their positions and kisses him hard against the wall, and this time Kibum doesn't hold back, tugging on his hair and biting on his lips until Taemin is left looking like a mess.

"So you like me?" He whispers breathlessly.

Kibum looks down bashfully, "Yeah. Yeah I do. I started liking you since the day you saved me. Why do you think I never changed numbers?"

Taemin laughs softly, "Oh I like you too, I like you so much."

"If the offer is still up, I'd like to stay with you, Lee Taemin. I want to get enrolled in university again, I want to live my life the way I want to, just like you said."

Taemin kisses him again.

"Welcome home."

-

"Oh good you replaced the couch. The last one was so bad. I've stashed away some savings. Now that I'm here, I'll change the whole look of this place."

"Hey Kibum?"

"Yeah?"

"Shut up and kiss me."

"Sure your majesty."