Author's Note: This chapter is a little bit of a rollercoaster! Also, I'd like to warn in advance for some PG-13 content. Nothing too inappropriate, but dealing with some adult topics! Anyway, the first and second scene in this are polar opposites, so I'm sorry in advance for the whiplash, but I hope everyone will enjoy nonetheless ♡

The weeks passed, time seeming to fly as Christmas approached. Before it arrived, Jongin prepared his gift for Taemin. It felt like he needed to make up for the last two years in a big way, and the solution came to him when he was thinking about how to prepare for university. His test results had come back, and Jongin had applied to a few schools – including Taemin’s. His scores alone wouldn’t be enough to get him in the school – it was one of the top universities in the country, and he wasn’t nearly as brilliant as Taemin – but he could still try.

Regardless of what school he ended up at, Jongin would need new school supplies. Taemin already had a stack of notebooks he used for his classes, which were somewhat organized but – in Jongin’s mind – not as efficient as they could have been. It wasn’t the route he wanted to go, personally. Instead, he planned to use his father again. (Jongin wouldn’t even deny it if he were asked; he really did just go to his father – or the man’s secretary – when he wanted things. Their relationship didn’t exist otherwise, but he hadn’t been cut off yet, so he would continue until he was.)

And that was how he got Taemin’s Christmas present.

The day was a rather small event, just the two of them and Jongin’s mother having a nice dinner and then opening their presents. Jongin’s mother had been nice enough to get something for both him and Taemin (matching bath and skincare kits in different scents, to protect their youth in her words; or because we stink, as Jongin suggested alternatively), and the boys had both gotten her something in return too. Jongin had bought a somewhat extravagant vase, and Taemin had pitched in a beautiful bouquet of flowers to match, since Jongin knew she loved flowers. They had also taken turns writing in a card, their messages making her tear up a little.

Then it was Jongin’s turn to give Taemin his gift. He pulled a box out from under their small tree, unmarked except for the From Santa on the tag. As he passed it to Taemin, he said, “Here, I think it’s for you.” Taemin frowned, but then Jongin pulled out a second box, similarly wrapped with the same note. For a moment, Taemin assumed it was something more from Jongin’s mother, but she simply gave him a shrug when he looked her way. Only when Jongin nudged him to open it did he finally begin unwrapping the paper.

Tearing off the wrapping, Taemin got a peek at the box and let out a soft sound of surprise. “Oh, I think this is for you-” He looked to Jongin as he spoke, seeing the younger having opened his own “present” – a box with a shiny new, pure-white laptop. Which only served to stun Taemin more, as his present was the exact same thing, in a light shade of blue.

“Courtesy of my father,” Jongin explained as he caught Taemin’s look, starting to unbox the laptop excitedly. “I wanted one for school next year, and I thought it’d be better for you too, instead of all those books…”

Taemin stared, unsurprisingly speechless. A minute later he was sniffling, and Jongin abandoned his new gadget to scoot over and give him a one-armed hug. “No crying… Do you like it?” he asked gently, Taemin nodding and hugging his waist for a long moment. “What about the colour? I thought it would suit you.”

“Yes,” came Taemin’s soft, watery reply. Wiping his eyes on Jongin’s shirt (because Jongin really never cared), he pulled himself together and sat up straight. “Thank you. You always do so much for me. I don’t even know how to thank you…”

Jongin smiled, getting up and going to get the last gift from under the tree. “I got you something myself too. I mean, with my money,” he said, holding up the poorly-wrapped and very basket-shaped gift. He placed it in Taemin’s lap as the other gaped in shock at there being more. “Nothing crazy, promise.” Then he let Taemin open it, unveiling the basket full of a variety of chocolates – some of Taemin’s favourites, plus a few he’d never had that were a little expensive. (Jongin had tried not to overdo it, knowing Taemin might feel burdened, but he’d thrown in one or two nice brands.)

“Oh yay!”

Taemin’s face lit up at the sight of the snacks, hands running over them and instantly grabbing one of his favourites. “Thank you! I had really been hoping for something like this,” he admitted with a shy smile, hugging the basket to his chest. “Although it’s an awful lot… Are you trying to fatten me up?”

“Yeah, my mom and I are gonna make Taemin soup,” Jongin grinned, glad that Taemin was obviously happy about the gift. There was no going wrong with food, and he clearly felt better about the much cheaper items. To express this, he gave Jongin another hug, this time affectionate and squeezing him tightly.

“I’ll accept it,” he said when he pulled back. Now Taemin was the one getting up, going around the tree. Jongin had thought there wasn’t anything left, but then he pulled out a final present that had been carefully hidden out of sight. “I didn’t forget you,” Taemin told him with a grin of his own as he held the much more elegantly-wrapped present.

It was some sort of box, carefully wrapped up in a delicate, silk-like cloth with a ribbon holding it together. As Jongin took it in, Taemin owned up, “I got help with the wrapping…” This made more sense; Taemin was as clumsy as he was, Jongin couldn’t imagine him doing something so prettily. But that didn’t make any difference to Jongin. Even so, it was so beautiful he didn’t want to ruin it by opening it.

Reluctantly, he untied the nice packaging, then gasped as he saw the contents. “Wait, are these wagashi? Where did you get these?!” His eyes flew up to Taemin’s face, surprised being an understatement. It was so far from anything he would have expected – Jongin wouldn’t have even thought Taemin would know about the Japanese snacks.

Taemin also seemed a little surprised, for some reason. “Oh, you know about them? I thought I would have to explain…” He gave a slight laugh, seeming relieved. “My friend Jonghyun, his mom and sister have a… café? They make them and sell them, and they’re thinking about having classes next year. So Jonghyun and I were the test subjects.” He laughed again, gesturing to the box. “I did a few practice ones, and then thought it would be a good present for you. I mean, I’d been planning to just buy some for you anyway, but I thought making them would be more personal.”

How was he always so thoughtful? Not buying just any old thing, but even making a gift for him…

“Wait, you made them?” Jongin had to re-examine them, stunned at how well-done they were. Maybe Taemin was better with the arts than Jongin gave him credit for. Taemin nodded shyly in return.

“My first ones were terrible. But my friend’s mom was really helpful…” he confessed. “They were really patient and gave me a lot of time. Jonghyun told me you probably wouldn’t care that much since you’ll just eat them anyway, but…” He trailed off, but Jongin knew. Taemin could be a perfectionist at times; he wouldn’t accept anything less.

And they were perfect. Even Jongin’s mother peeked over at them and had to admire Taemin’s work. “They look even nicer than the ones we had in Japan,” she noted with a smile. “Jongin ate so many he made himself sick.”

“Mom! Please…” Jongin whined, not needing to be embarrassed like this.

At the revelation though, Taemin frowned worriedly. “Oh- then will you not want to eat them?”

“What, why would I not want to eat them?” Jongin looked at him in confusion. “I could eat a hundred of them. You’re gonna have to hook me up with that café. But let me try them first…”

As he opened the box, Taemin jumped up. “Wait! Let me take a picture. I said I’d send it to Jonghyun so he can show them…” He pulled out his phone while Jongin laughed, posing the box for him. But Taemin’s camera was pointed at Jongin too. “Smile!”

Jongin had one second to obey before the camera clicked. Then he chuckled again. “Satisfied customer review, huh?” he wondered, Taemin giving a nod and showing him the photo for his approval. “Let me take a picture too, so I can save them forever.” Setting them down on the table, he used his mother’s new vase as the background, then took a close-up shot as well. Once they were preserved in his phone, he opened the box once more.

“There’s one more thing,” Taemin said suddenly, the tone of his voice noticeably different. It sounded a bit… nervous. When Jongin glanced up, he was worrying on his lip. “Under the snacks…”

“Huh? What is it?” Jongin inspected the box once more, realizing the treats were on a little tray that could be lifted out of the box. Too impatient to wait, he grabbed one of the snacks and popped it in his mouth, chewing as he carefully pulled the tray out and humming in satisfaction. It tasted just like he remembered; if he wasn’t careful, they would all be gone before bedtime. These will have to be rationed.

This was a thought for later though, as now he was curious what else Taemin was hiding.

When he lifted out the snacks, he noticed what looked like… a braided rope? It was small and white, with a loop on one end and a silver piece on the other. Simple, pretty, and interesting, but…

Seeming to read Jongin’s thoughts, Taemin explained, “It’s a bracelet. I- I made it too.”

“Ohhh,” Jongin said as he understood, picking it up and looping it around his wrist. “Wow, were you always so artsy?” he wondered as he tried to hook the ends together. After some struggle, he succeeded, looking it over fondly.

“Not really…” Taemin was still looking worried, unsure of Jongin’s reaction. “Someone was hosting this bracelet-making thing at my school last month. They said it would make a good friendship bracelet, so I thought I’d try.”

Hearing this made Jongin’s heart flutter. So Taemin had seen this, and he was the one he’d wanted to give it to? “Thank you. Now I wanna make you one.” If they were friendship bracelets, then Taemin needed one too, after all.

Unexpectedly, Taemin started blushing. “Actually…” He reached into his own pocket, pulling out a similar rope – this one dark navy with a gold end. “I wasn’t sure if you would like the idea, but I made one for me too,” he admitted quietly with a sheepish smile.

“Oh- perfect!”

Jongin was going to ask why Taemin thought he wouldn’t like it, but then he realized exactly why – and with his mother there, he wasn’t going to bring it up. But Jongin did like it – even if it was cheesy and a little bit couple-y, it was just such a Taemin thing that he couldn’t not like it. (And anyway, friendship bracelets were a normal thing.) So he was quick to help Taemin get his on, holding up his arm beside Taemin’s after to see them together.

“They’re really pretty,” he praised, noting the way the colours suited their skin tones so well. When they had first met, Taemin had been much more tanned – from all the time he spent outside, no doubt – but apparently he was naturally fair-skinned, and his past two years spent studying indoors had brought this out. (Jongin, meanwhile, was naturally tanned, sun or no sun. But he thought their contrast now was quite nice.)

As he was admiring, he noticed something on Taemin’s bracelet. As the light glinted off the gold bit, he realized there was a T engraved into it. “Hey, did you get yours engraved?”

“Yes… I did yours too.” Taemin’s cheeks went a telltale pink, but Jongin was too busy looking his bracelet over to notice. Finally, Taemin flipped his bracelet for him, revealing a J on the other side of it.

“Oh… Duh. Did you do that yourself too, then?” Jongin wondered, catching Taemin’s blush when he looked up. Oh. It occurred then that the engraving did make them much more couple-y, but Jongin refused to make a big deal out of it. It was just their initials; not even a T+J or a heart or anything. Just a nice, personal touch, that was all.

“I’m not that talented,” Taemin was saying, breaking Jongin from his thoughts. “I brought them to a shop after to do that.” The worry in his eyes hadn’t faded at all, voicing his concerns as he quietly added, “Is it too much?”

“No way! It feels more special now,” Jongin assured him immediately. “Like it’s mine. Not that it wasn’t special anyway, but – I like it.” He didn’t want Taemin to feel insecure about a gift he had put a lot of thought, time and money into. And anyway, it was really pretty. It fit Jongin’s style well. “Thank you, really.”

“Jongin’s lucky,” his mother chimed in, getting up and patting his head. Then she gave Taemin’s a pat too, her affection not limited to her son. “You’re a very thoughtful friend. And it seems like I won’t have to get any snacks for you two now,” she added playfully.

The boys laughed and protested, but Jongin secretly agreed with her about Taemin. He was beyond lucky to have a friend like him.

*

It wasn’t long before Jongin’s birthday rolled around again – and he was officially an adult. His birthday party was celebrated with drinks and a fun night out (though his other friends couldn’t have any alcohol). Jongin made Taemin promise to take him out drinking properly sometime, which Taemin agreed to without hesitation. They made a plan the first weekend following Jongin’s birthday, Jongin eagerly looking forward to it.

On Saturday night, they got ready together. Taemin dressed simply, just a black t-shirt and plain jeans under his winter coat, while Jongin tried to put something a little more sophisticated together. In the end he settled for something similar, just going to the bathroom and using his mother’s hairspray to give himself a more mature look. When he offered it to Taemin though, Taemin just waved his hands.

“No thank you, I’m not really that fancy…”

“Let me use a little on you, it’ll look good!” And it didn’t take much more convincing before Jongin was sprucing up Taemin’s hair too. Soon it was pushed back off his forehead a bit, easily adding some maturity to Taemin’s appearance as well. Now they were like real adults.

(Jongin’s mother was nice enough not to let them know that they both looked exactly like schoolboys still, not wanting to break their spirits. She merely told them to be safe and home at a reasonable hour.)

They made the trip over the river, heading to the most popular spot for college students to spend their weekends. Taemin shyly led the way to the bars he was most familiar with, and Jongin didn’t miss the way some eyes lingered on them (though mostly on Jongin). He was used to this in school, but it his ego a bit to experience it somewhere like this. That wasn’t what they were there for though, so he focused on his best friend instead.

Soon they were ordering bottles of soju in a somewhat-crowded room. Everywhere, people were dancing, chatting, sitting at tables and sipping drinks. Taemin paid for their first two bottles, though Jongin refused to let him pay after the first round. Then Jongin watched in surprise as the older poured them shots and started backing them – never having imagined such a side of his friend.

When Taemin caught his eye, he gave a shrug. “Better to get it out of the way early,” was all he had to say, throwing back his third shot and making a face. Jongin had to laugh, trying to follow his lead while secretly admiring him. Who knew Taemin could be so cool – and without even trying; it was completely natural. And he was right. Sure enough, within the hour they had gone from buzzed to full-on tipsy, and then things started to get really fun.

The alcohol flowing through his system, Taemin seemed to lose his inhibitions. Jongin found them in the middle of the dancefloor before long, moving to the beat of song after song, but finding himself a bit mesmerized as he watched Taemin. His friend was able to move and follow the rhythm of the music so languidly, so entrancingly, and seemingly with no effort whatsoever. Now, here, people’s gazes were drawn to him, though Taemin didn’t seem to notice them in the slightest.

Who was this guy? Taemin felt like a stranger. In fact, if Jongin had come out on his own and seen him, he felt like he wouldn’t even recognize his own best friend. It was as though Taemin had a twin, and Jongin had to admit he liked this side of Taemin too. He was cool, charming even. Sometimes Jongin would stop and just watch him, until Taemin pulled on his arms or sipped from his own drink, or suddenly beamed up at Jongin.

“It feels surreal having you here,” Taemin told him, leaning in to speak in his ear over the blaring speakers. Jongin grinned and nodded in response, feeling the same. Part of him couldn’t believe he was really out there partying – but also, that he was doing so with Taemin. He wanted to tell Taemin the things on his mind, but it was too loud, And anyway, it would probably make Taemin shy or self-conscious, so Jongin just silently enjoyed experiencing him.

“Show me somewhere else,” he encouraged after a bit, wanting to explore more before the night ended.

They ended up bar hopping, and eventually made their way into a club, where Jongin found himself the object of some girls’ interest. He politely rejected them though, again sticking to Taemin as he had no interest in any one-night relationships. Then his mind started pondering on Taemin. It did seem like some girls might be interested in him, but what good was that doing?

Opportunity struck when they left the club and passed by a place – slightly off the main street, but visible in the alley – with a neon-lit symbol hanging outside the doorway. Jongin had never seen it before, but he had definitely seen half of it, and could figure out what it meant. In an instant, he was grabbing Taemin’s hand and tugging him to the side, Taemin giving him a wide-eyed look of concern.

“What’s wrong?”

“Nothing’s wrong,” Jongin assured him, realizing he might have been a bit strong and that Taemin hadn’t been in on his thought process, clearly wondering why Jongin was pulling him up an alley all of a sudden. Ignoring this, Jongin nodded to the club with the sign. “Do you wanna go in there?”

Taemin looked around, scanning the place. “Oh- I’ve never been there. Do you wanna check it out?” His tone was too innocent, and Jongin realized he probably didn’t understand, or hadn’t seen the symbol. For a second, Jongin opened his mouth to explain, but then he clamped it shut again.

You know what? He’ll find out soon enough.

“Yeah, let’s go!” And then he was quickly and confidently pulling Taemin by the hand.

At the door, the bouncer looked them over, and Taemin tried to pull his hand away. But Jongin wouldn’t let him go, acting casual until the man had checked their IDs and waved them in. Only once they were through the door did Jongin release Taemin’s hand, though he kept him close. And it was a good thing too, because it quickly became clear how Taemin could be eaten up there in an instant.

There were a few things Jongin noticed right away. First, the place was full of guys. Second, both he and Taemin became the interest of numerous gazes the moment they walked in. And third, it might have been a little more than he had gambled for.

“Oh-” Taemin froze in place as he started noticing things too. Then he turned to Jongin, eyes wide as saucers. “Jongin, I don’t think we should be here…”

“Why not?” Jongin asked, playfully oblivious. As if he couldn’t see the way the guys here were dancing on each other, blatantly making out, and some definitely being outside the bounds of appropriate. As if he didn’t understand the reason the thirsty eyes of other men were practically drinking them up.

Taemin’s cheeks were flushed, visible even in the club lighting. His teeth sank into his lip, leaning into Jongin and saying, “I- I think this is… a gay club.” Then he pulled back, looking worried and almost apologetic.

“I know.” He shot Taemin a mischievous smile. “I thought we could see…”

Maybe they could find someone for Taemin. Or maybe Taemin could at least get to experience being around other guys like him. It might help him feel better about his own uality, Jongin thought.

“You knew?” Taemin looked stunned, and then all the more uncertain. But Jongin wasn’t having it; he grabbed Taemin’s hand and pulled him to the bar to order them some drinks, then brought them back onto the floor to dance. “Wait, Jongin-”

Jongin turned and met Taemin’s gaze firmly with his own, knowing the older wanted to protest and refusing to allow it. “Taemin, it’s fine. You just went to a bunch of clubs full of straight people with me, I can come to one gay club with you. It’s fine,” he repeated as Taemin opened his mouth again, worries still evident in his eyes and the lines in his brow. Jongin just gave him a soft smile and held up his drink as if in a toast. “I can handle it.”

And if Taemin had any further concerns, he didn’t let it show. Instead, he threw back his drink and then nodded resolutely, Jongin finding it very cute. The two of them started dancing again, and Jongin was able to let go even with the burning of various gazes lingering under his skin. Some guys came to join them in dancing, others taking it a step further and dancing on the two of them from behind. When it first happened to Jongin, he was so surprised that he could only laugh. Initially, he told the guy he was straight, but when it happened again he decided to just go along with it. It was only dancing, after all, and he didn’t want to ruin any chances for Taemin by scaring everyone off.

For Taemin, it seemed to be a bit more of a challenge. Something about him evidently attracted the other men here – probably the fact that he was quite pretty, something that Jongin was really taking in himself for the first time – and he had a harder time saying no. Jongin could always read him though, and he didn’t hesitate to step in the moment Taemin looked uncomfortable. Mostly though, when it was just the two of them (or when people were buying them drinks), Taemin continued to dance, drink, and let loose. Yet again, almost a different person from the one Jongin knew. Almost.

“Do you see anyone you like?” Jongin asked him after a while, but Taemin just shook his head. Taemin hadn’t exactly been looking – he seemed too shy to lift his gaze half of the time, and part of Jongin wondered if maybe coming here had been a mistake. Was it too much? Taemin had lived a pretty conservative, sheltered life, but Jongin had figured he must have been exposed to more since he’d started going out with his other friends the past year. Maybe jumping so heavily into a hive of gay activity wasn’t quite the same, though.

At the same time, Taemin didn’t seem to be making much of an effort to explore these things himself. Maybe this was the push he needed. Who knows, it might align his fate up with some cute guy he never would have met otherwise. Jongin needed to stay optimistic. Surely someone here would have good intentions…

And indeed, a lot of men were willing to buy Taemin drinks, and some even asked for his number. Taemin only gave it to a couple, Jongin internally taking note of the ones who seemed to pass Taemin’s standards – tall, young, well-dressed, nice eyes. Taemin would blush when Jongin about it, but didn’t say anything more. That was okay; they lived together, Jongin had plenty of opportunity to ask later.

After a little more dancing, being flirted with, and watching Taemin slowly get more and more intoxicated, Jongin had to interrupt his fun for a bathroom break. He left Taemin, promising to be back in a moment, and headed off to the bathroom. May some cute guy use the chance to talk to him alone, he prayed.

The bathroom turned out to be a great deal more than Jongin had bargained for, though, as people were even more explicit here. One couple was making out against the wall, and he could tell that someone in one of the stalls was on their knees – and he didn’t think they were throwing up.

Thank God Taemin’s missing this, Jongin thought to himself as he hurried in and back out again as quickly as he could manage, now awkwardly avoiding eye-contact. Without Taemin, he felt very out of place, because people were definitely assuming he was gay and he didn’t feel so brave on his own. This only made him want to get back to his friend that much faster.

When he returned for Taemin though, he found the older was no longer where he’d left him. Jongin’s eyes scanned the bar, not seeing him there either and suddenly feeling a tiny bit worried. Heavily intoxicated at this point, Jongin registered things rather slowly, soon looking around to try and spot Taemin. There! Soon he noticed his friend, but was hardly able to be relieved as he saw Taemin with another man.

Oh… Taemin had been so quick to abandon him, huh? This was literally what you just asked for. This is the whole reason you wanted to come here in the first place! Even so… It stirred a strange feeling in him – very similar to the way he felt when he would lie in bed at home waiting for Taemin to come back. Was this what it was like for Taemin all those nights, when Jongin had been all alone? Seeing Taemin with someone else made him feel oddly alone again. Completely deserted, just like that, and here he was – no one to dance with himself, no one to go home with, no one to spend all his time with.

Once again, he felt… possessive? Jongin had been enjoying their evening together, just him and Taemin. He didn’t want to share. It wasn’t fair; it wasn’t like Jongin had his own girlfriend. Why was Taemin abandoning him like this? This wasn’t part of the script. They were supposed to find partners at the same time so he wouldn’t feel left behind…

But at the same time, seeing Taemin with a partner didn’t sit right with him. Jongin was so used to Taemin being at his side, the two had become so attached that it only seemed natural. And honestly, he probably didn’t spend all his time away from Jongin alone – Jongin knew he had other friends he hung out with, but for some reason he’d never actually imagined it. In his mind, the things that happened outside of his vision didn’t really happen. Whenever he was with Taemin, he was the centre of Taemin’s attention (or, his drunk mind wanted to imagine as much). However, now…

All Jongin could do was stare for a moment, thoughts swirling around very slowly. Once he finally got out of his thoughts and started paying attention though, he noticed things.

It would be one thing if Taemin seemed to be having fun with him. They were across the club, near the wall, the stranger having all but forced Taemin into a corner. However, even from this distance, Taemin’s distress was clear – the man kept trying to touch his hands, his arms, his face, and Taemin would not-so-gently push his hands away. As Jongin watched, he saw Taemin snap and yell at the stranger – behaviour Jongin had never seen from his friend before – and then just as fast witnessed the man’s reaction as he pushed Taemin against the wall.

What the … Jongin’s mind was working slowly, but the sense of wrong was immediate. Drunk as he was, even he could tell that Taemin had obviously rejected the man – and just as obviously been ignored. Still, it took a minute for Jongin to get himself in gear, too tipsy to easily make his way across the room but gradually making his way through the crowd. By the time he made it, his anger levels had caught up to the situation, knowing that someone was daring to cross Taemin’s boundaries and seeing red as he watched Taemin try to struggle away.

Grabbing the man, Jongin yanked him away from his friend as the guy continued to try to harass him. Perhaps in a wave of adrenaline, Jongin shoved him so hard that he stumbled back onto the floor, some people looking their way in shock and confusion before carrying on dancing, just as quickly unbothered. Jongin too turned away, moving to Taemin and throwing a protective arm around his waist.

“Are you okay?” he asked, looking Taemin over. Though Taemin was a little shaken up, he gave a nod, throwing his arms around Jongin and leaning heavily against him.

“Thank you,” Taemin replied, barely audible over the music. Relief seemed to radiate off of him. “He wouldn’t go away. Don’t leave me alone again…”

Jongin had no plans to, letting Taemin know as much immediately and refusing to let him go. For some reason, he found himself breathing hard, the anger refusing to subside. Even Taemin noticed it, glancing up at him and giving him a little squeeze.

“You’re all tense,” Taemin mumbled, Jongin taking a deep breath and feeling the strain in his muscles. “I’ve never seen you mad like this before…”

It wasn’t often that Jongin really got mad, truthfully. Annoyed? All the time. But actually angry? This was rare. The thought of the stranger crowding Taemin against the wall flashed in his mind again though, and it made him want to punch something. He could have handled it if they had been bothering him, but not Taemin. Taemin was too nice, too good for such filthy scum.

“Relax,” Taemin leaned into say firmly in his ear. Then he pulled back to give Jongin a reassuring half-smile. “It’s okay, really.” Sighing, Jongin nodded slowly and tried to let it go. If Taemin wasn’t that bothered, he had no reason to be either. (He told himself this, but it still took him several minutes to really calm down again.)

The music soon slowed down around them, making it easier to just hold onto his best friend and sway back and forth. He didn’t want anyone touching Taemin anymore, he decided. No one else knew how to treat him, to be gentle with him, to give him the care he deserved. Until Taemin found someone who met his standards, Jongin wasn’t allowing anyone else near him.

After the music started to pick up again, Jongin checked the time. Past two in the morning already. “We should get home,” he announced, leading the way out and getting them a taxi. He didn’t let go of Taemin’s hand until they were inside the apartment, the two quietly kicking off their shoes and making their way to their room. Too drunk to really care, they just pulled off their clothes and went to bed in their underwear, Jongin pulling Taemin as close as he could get him. Not that anyone could take him away now, but… Jongin wasn’t risking anything.

“This was fun,” Taemin murmured, eyes closed but looking content. “Thank you for taking me to that club… and helping me with that guy…”

Jongin wanted to promise to take him again sometime, but after the encounter, he was firmly against Taemin going to a place like that again. If he wanted to meet someone, it needed to be somewhere upstanding, with classy, well-mannered people who could treat him right. (And even then, Jongin wasn’t sure. Intoxicated as he was, he felt like his insides were swimming with jealousy.)

So instead he replied, “I won’t leave you alone again. I’ll always keep you safe…” This made Taemin smile, mumbling something that Jongin couldn’t really understand before falling asleep.

As Jongin watched his expression relax, listening to his breathing grow rhythmic and feeling the way the tension left him, Taemin's words eventually absorbed into his hazy, alcohol-filled mind. His heart gave a solid thump, smiling at them and letting his own mind find peace, reassured that he had nothing to worry about just yet.

I love you.

Author's Note: I have so much to unpack here. Let me start with the gifts from Taemin. For those who don't know, wagashi (or 화과자 in Korean) are these and I'm obsessed with them, so I thought they'd be a cute add (and will be bringing them back in the future~). As for the bracelets, my inspiration was this, though obviously simpler (and not Prada) ^^

Then, after that cute and heartwarming scene... We finally get to see a bit of Drunk Taemin at play - and yes, Jongin, Taemin can in fact be charming too! (Even though he really didn't do anything that special, Jongin. Just say you're whipped.) And in the span of thirty seconds we also got to see Hypocrite Jongin too. (Jongin, going to the bathroom: sure hope someone dances with Taemin. Jongin, coming back from the bathroom: wow, is that Taemin dancing with someone else? Top Ten Anime Betrayals) But how do you think Sober Taemin will react to Drunk Taemin's confession in the morning (if he even remembers; they are such different people, after all)?

People have been hoping for Jealous Jongin to come through, and he's finally popped up on the scene. And (checks notes) yes, I can assure he's here to stay! (Alongside Protective Jongin, which is quite necessary for our sweet Innocent Taemin.) Let me know all your thoughts on the absolute RIDE this chapter has been, and as always, wish Taemin and Jongin luck to get through all I have in store for them ♡