Author's Note: Well, well, well, look who it is. I'm back again! Sorry to not post last week - I was quite busy last weekend, and in light of the tragedy that happened in Seoul (which I was almost a part of), it doesn't seem appropriate to have posted then anyway. I'm optimistic I'll be back on track now though (fingers crossed), so I hope to see you guys again next weekend!
In the meantime, I hope you can enjoy this chapter ♡ (Recap: Taesun has just spotted Taemin and Jongin together, therefore I use the word "enjoy" lightly.)

Time seemed to slow down in that moment. It was like Taemin knew what was coming, saw it before it happened, and then watched it play out in slow motion. Why he didn’t do anything, he wasn’t sure. His body felt frozen, stopped alongside time, unable to react in any way but shock. He watched as his brother’s arm curved, fist clenched tightly as it took its aim and then, after what felt like the longest second of Taemin’s life, made contact with Jongin’s face.

Taemin wasn’t sure if it was the sound of the hit or the pained yelp that brought the world back to normal speed again, but before he knew it Jongin was staggering back and holding his face – while Taesun took a step forward, as though to attack again. Suddenly, it was Taemin’s heart that felt like it was stopping, feeling a terrifying sense of what was going to unfold before his eyes.

Now, Taemin wasn't stupid. Taesun was bigger than him – he always had been, and it has only gotten starker since his brother had done his military service. Whatever fitness regime he had picked up there, Taesun had continued ever since, meaning he was in good shape. Good enough to take down either of them – or possibly, both. Unlike Taemin, who never stepped foot inside a gym if he could avoid it (which he always could). So yes, he knew there was no way he could even stand a chance if Taesun him.

But Taemin was in love, and his heart overpowered his brain by a mile. Standing back, doing absolutely nothing and just watching Jongin get hurt? He'd rather take whatever pain his brother inflicted on him than see Jongin take it. So without a second thought, Taemin lurched forward and grabbed his brother by the arm, dragging him away with all his might. He managed to pull the older away from Jongin, which was good. At least, until Taesun him.

“What were you about to do?” Taesun barked, taking control again as he shook Taemin’s grip off and grabbed the younger in turn. His glare burned into Taemin’s eyes, looking seconds away from swinging again. There wasn’t a doubt in Taemin’s mind that his brother didn’t know exactly what he had been about to witness – what else could it have been? – but Taesun still snapped when he got no reply. “Answer me!”

Taemin gave no answer. Once again, he felt like he’d turned to ice under the flames of Taesun’s anger, and he couldn’t find his voice anywhere. In response to the lack of one he gave, Taesun grabbed him by the shirt again, the daggers in his eyes only sharpening.

“What the hell is going on between you two?! What has he done to you?” Silence. Taemin was unable to say it, despite the fact that they all knew. Worse, he couldn’t find the words to defend Jongin – it wasn’t his fault. I’m the one who caused this, not him…

“This isn’t you,” Taesun muttered, voice filled with disbelief. “This isn't you...” As he said it, he seemed to realize it was true, and Taemin thought his eyes changed – almost like he suddenly recognized his brother again through the haze of his anger. This is Taemin, he seemed to be thinking. He isn’t the enemy.

When he spoke again, the anger was still there, but he sounded a little calmer. “You need to come home. You need to get away from him. He's trying to tear you away from us, from God... he's a demon, Taemin, he's going to destroy you…”

“Taesun, please...”

At this, Taesun gave him a firm shake, as if to bring some sense into Taemin. “Do you think this is what God wants for you?” he asked incredulously, as if offended that Taemin couldn’t immediately agree with his logic. Maybe because the Taemin he once knew would have. Now, Taemin could only give a pained look. “He's a devil; he's trying to lure you into sin and you're letting him.”

“Taesun, it's not-”

“It is! It's exactly that!” The older cut him off, seeming to anticipate what Taemin wanted to say. Then he shook his head, his grip loosening on Taemin’s shirt. “I can't help you if you won't even listen to me. You're obviously too far gone.

“Get help, Taemin,” he added as he let Taemin go entirely, shooting Jongin one more glare. “Don't do this to us. To Mom and Dad...”

Taemin’s heart leapt into his throat at the mention of their parents. “Don't tell them. please…”

In response, Taesun merely shook his head again, the look of disgust turning back on Taemin. “You better fix this mess. That's all I'm saying.” Then he turned to Jongin and added, “And you stay the hell away from my brother. Don't say I didn't warn you both.”

And with that, he stormed out of the store, leaving Taemin to slowly fill to the brim with blooming anxiety, his mind reeling. It had all happened so quickly, over in just a moment as though it had never happened at all.

After a moment of staring at the doorway where Taesun had left, it finally hit him that Jongin had been hurt. Realizing this made Taemin able to put his own concerns aside as his eyes flashed to his boyfriend, and then his feet were carrying him over to Jongin as quickly as they could take him. Jongin was holding the side of his face, looking a little stunned even now.

“Are you okay?” Taemin managed weakly, his hands moving to Jongin’s face and gently pushing Jongin’s hand out of the way. Red was blossoming on the left side, his eye looking like it was starting to swell. Taesun really hadn’t held back on that punch…

Before Jongin could answer, Jonghyun’s sister came in from the back room, a frown furrowing her features. “Is everything okay out here? I thought I heard yelling. Mom and I were taking the garbage out…”

She trailed off as she caught sight of Jongin, Taemin not knowing remotely how to explain what had happened but the woman taking over in an instant. Within seconds she was coming to examine Jongin’s face, calling for her mother to get some ice and wrapping it in a towel to gently apply to Jongin’s cheek. Her mother also brought some water for both the boys, having them sit down and patting Taemin’s back in comfort as she too asked what had happened.

“It- it was just an argument…”

Not one of them believed it, but no one asked any further questions. It was clear from the way Taemin could barely get the words out – sounding like he was on the verge of tears – that he didn’t want to talk about it. Instead, the women focused on taking care of Jongin and rubbing Taemin’s back as a way to soothe whatever distress he was feeling.

Finally, Jongin spoke up. “Thank you,” he told both of them. “And sorry for causing this in your store…”

“Don’t apologize,” Jonghyun’s mother replied immediately, shaking her head. She gave Taemin another pat. “Now, do you think you two will be okay to get that flight of yours?”

The flight… Taemin had forgotten about their trip altogether, and thinking about it now made him want to cry. There wasn’t much time – less than three hours, he saw as he checked his phone – and they still needed to go home. Would they even be able to make it? Was it right for them to go at all? What was right? What was he supposed to do?

“We’ll be okay,” Jongin assured on their behalf, not sounding nearly as doubtful as Taemin felt, getting to his feet and stretching out his hand to Taemin. “But we should get going…”

With that said, Taemin knew he should move, but he couldn’t will his feet to lift off the ground. Seeming to sense his heavy heart, Jonghyun’s mother stepped in and gave him a firm hug. For a minute, she was silent, offering wordless comfort. But then she told him with a final squeeze, “Remember that all of us here love you, dear.”

If she was trying to make him cry, she was on the right track. It was like she knew – and truthfully, she probably did; it couldn’t have been that hard to piece together – and there she was supporting him the way his own family likely never would. Taemin blinked away tears and gave a nod as she stepped back, letting Jongin take his hand and lead the way out. The last thing he heard was Jonghyun’s sister wishing them a good trip. Then they were entering into the busy street, and Taemin had to pretend that everything was normal.

It was a quiet trip home, Taemin’s eyes lingering on the slowly forming bruise around Jongin’s eye and cheekbone but his mouth unable to form a single word. Jongin didn’t seem to know what to say either, as he kept quiet himself and only held onto Taemin’s hand, his thumb the back of it for the length of the train journey. When they arrived back home, Jongin’s mother was preparing ice from the instant she saw her son, fawning over him and asking what on earth had happened. Taemin just left to grab their suitcases, filled with guilt and not wanting to show his own face.

It’s all my fault. I’m the reason your son is hurt. This is all I’ll ever bring to this family…

Wasn’t the whole point of a relationship to bring two families together? A happy union. And Taemin would never be able to do that with Jongin – his family would never support them, never want anything to do with Jongin’s. They would always be torn apart, incomplete, a source of pain and misery… It wasn’t what Jongin deserved, nor his mother, who probably felt alone enough as it was due to her own circumstances. The least Jongin could do was provide her with a new family to be part of, something Taemin could never offer.

He felt sick to his stomach at the latest blow to his confidence. Maybe they weren’t meant to be after all. It seemed like other relationships didn’t suffer hurdle after hurdle like this, and certainly not ones that shook them to their core so heavily. Surely it should have been smoother sailing than this. Of course it wasn’t going to be perfect, but…

“Taemin?”

Turning, Taemin saw the blurry outline of Jongin’s mother in the doorway and realized his eyes were full of tears. At some point, some of them had already slipped down his cheeks without his notice, but he didn’t even bother hiding the evidence. As if she wouldn’t know anyway.

“I thought you might be upset,” she uttered, crossing the room and taking his face in her hands. Her thumbs rubbed delicately at the tear streaks. “This isn’t your fault, sweetheart. I hope you aren’t blaming yourself…”

Taemin’s voice barely croaked out when he tried to speak. “It was my brother. He saw us together…” he explained, knowing he didn’t need to say anything more for her to understand. She gave a knowing nod, meeting his tear-filled eyes.

“That’s not your fault,” she repeated slowly. “Or Jongin’s. You aren’t responsible for anyone’s reaction to you. Your brother made that choice, and I’m sorry he made the one he did.”

A few more of Taemin’s tears fell, and the woman was quick to pull him into a hug. It was admittedly a little strange, but Taemin was so overwhelmed by his feelings that he could only take solace in her comfort at the moment. “I feel so pathetic,” he sobbed after a moment of trying and failing to keep things in, unable to stop the tears any more than he seemed to be able to control anything else in his life.

Jongin’s mother rubbed his back, her movements slow and gentle but somehow feeling like they were holding him together. “You aren’t pathetic, honey. You’re strong, and brave, and doing so well even though you’re doing something that’s so hard. Both of you have a lot to be proud of, and it’s the world that’s unfair for not even letting you celebrate the way you deserve.

“But I’m proud of you both,” she added, hugging him a little tighter. “And I know I could never replace your family and what you really need is to hear it from them, but until that happens I want you to know that I love you like a second son, Taemin. I’m so glad Jongin found you, and that you found him.”

Something about this broke his heart and healed it at the same time. Hearing her say that she was happy about him finding Jongin, knowing his family would never feel that way… If they ever knew, like Taesun, he was certain they would see his meeting Jongin as a curse. Nothing to be happy about, that was for sure. So for Jongin’s mother to be happy for him too…

She didn’t say anything when he broke down into an inconsolable mess. Nor did she mention it when Jongin appeared in the doorway, although Taemin soon felt it when Jongin wrapped an arm around him too. It was a little embarrassing, to be crying to Jongin’s mother like this. But it was also somewhat comforting – knowing that he might not have his own mom, but at least he had someone to love him like this still.

“It’s okay, Taem,” Jongin murmured after a while. “Forget about him…”

“That’s his family, baby, he’s not going to just forget,” his mother noted. Then she added to Taemin, “But we’ll be here for you no matter what he thinks, or anyone else. You both have all my support.”

And Taemin appreciated it, he really did. He just wished he had his own family’s too.

*

The whole ordeal utterly drained Taemin of all his energy, and he ended up passing out the moment they sat down on the plane. That had been another added stress, having to rush to the airport after he’d finally calmed down and just barely making it to the gates before they were closed. The only bright side to Jongin’s shiny new black eye (and Taemin’s swollen red ones) was that they gained some sympathetic looks from the staff, rather than angry ones. After rushing through, they made it to their seats, Jongin taking Taemin’s hand and not letting go for the whole ride, and Taemin using his shoulder as a pillow.

It was a short trip, and then they were hopping in a cab for another jaunt out to a slightly more remote spot on the peaceful island. Upon entering the hotel, they were welcomed by a glistening chandelier in a spotless entrance hall, everything looking new and pristine and stunning. There was no doubt about it – Taemin had never been anywhere so fancy and expensive, probably in his whole life.

Despite the beauty which would usually have captivated Taemin’s mind though, check-in was a blur. Taemin was grateful that Jongin did all the talking, because he felt like opening his mouth might trigger his tears again. Hearing the staff notify them that the room had only one bed, and asking if they were okay with it, was the only thing that pulled him out of the clouds, making him laugh a bit internally.

“It’s a queen bed, right?” Jongin asked as if they cared, earning a nod from the well-dressed staff. “That’ll be fine.” And then they were wheeling their suitcases to the elevator, making a silent journey to the top floor. It was pretty high up, and Taemin had to admit that he was quite impressed by the whole thing, even if he couldn’t fully appreciate it in that moment. That said, there was no hiding his reaction when Jongin swiped the key card on the door and let them in, revealing the room on the other side.

In his memories of the time he and his family had traveled, the room they had stayed in had been… small. Dingy. Two double beds with covers that looked like they’d never left the eighties, that were scratchy and uncomfortable. Plus a bathroom with a constant smell, that was no more than a toilet and a small square for showering. But as his father had said, the hotel wasn’t what they were there to see, so it didn’t matter how great it was there. Hotels didn’t have to be beautiful, and for that reason, Taemin had always sort of believed that they never were.

That was before he saw their room. The moment Jongin flipped the lights on, everything was revealed, bathed in soft, warm lighting. Everywhere Taemin looked was pure white with gold accents, and he was fairly sure he had never seen anywhere so clean before. The bed looked so welcoming, with half a dozen fluffy pillows awaiting them. As he passed it, Taemin ran his fingers over the cover, finding it soft and smooth, even better than their blankets at home.

The room wasn’t just a bed though. There was a kitchenette with a small glass dining table, and a very large TV hanging from one wall. The remaining two walls of the room were all windows with flowy white curtains, pulled back to reveal the endless view of the dark blue ocean shimmering under the moonlight that stole Taemin’s breath away. He gaped wordlessly as he stared out, his feet carrying him toward the window to see it in full. When he looked down, he caught sight of a sandy beach far below, and then he was turning as he felt Jongin moving beside him, seeing the slight smile playing on the younger’s lips.

“It’s alright?”

Alright? That was far from the word Taemin would use. “This- this is the most beautiful place I’ve ever seen,” he said, turning to look at Jongin fully and watching his smile brighten.

“Good.” Jongin grabbed his hand, tugging on it. “Let’s check out the bathroom, it’s supposed to be pretty nice too…”

As if the whole place wasn’t already beyond nice. Taemin didn’t even know what to expect from the bathroom, but he was yet again stunned when he caught sight of it. One wall was a continuation of the windows from the bedroom, giving more ocean views. But more importantly, there was a very, very sizable bowl-shaped tub – that could easily fit two people at least.

“It’s a jacuzzi,” Jongin noted, gesturing to a panel on the wall beside it with a few buttons and knobs. “I thought it would be… romantic…”

With those words, Taemin didn’t even have a chance to take in the rest, missing the massive shower on the other side, and the silky soft bathrobes and slippers awaiting them. Jongin was thinking about romantic things? For them?

Taemin’s cheeks turned pink. But when he looked to Jongin again, all he could see was the purple around his eye, courtesy of Taesun. Because his brother had found out about them, and hit Jongin.

Swallowing thickly, Taemin gave his best attempt at a smile. “It’s perfect,” he said quietly, but his voice was robbed of emotions. Jongin didn’t miss it, his grip tightening around Taemin’s hand.

“It’ll be even prettier in the morning,” Jongin assured, pulling Taemin back toward the bedroom. “Let’s get unpacked and relax for now, hm?”

And so they did exactly that, changing into their pajamas and filling the place with their belongings. Then they were climbing into bed, getting lost in the excessive amount of pillows but soon finding one another and cuddling up together while Jongin threw on a movie. Neither of them was really immersed in it, though.

“I’m sorry about what happened today,” Jongin said after a few minutes, breaking the silence between them.

Taemin’s eyes flashed to him in disbelief, spotting his black eye again and having to shake his head. “You’re sorry about what my brother did to you?”

“It’s my fault,” Jongin explained in return, giving Taemin a squeeze. “I should have been careful. I’ve just been so excited about this… I wasn’t thinking.”

Sure, Jongin should have probably exercised more caution. But… “I knew better,” Taemin replied, shaking his head and sinking into Jongin a little more. “I knew he was there…”

He wanted to blame himself, feeling like it was really his own fault, but then he remembered what Jongin’s mother had said. You aren’t responsible for anyone’s reaction to you. So instead, the words that came out were, “It was always going to be like this. They were never going to support me…”

He didn’t say who he meant, but he didn’t need to. The idea of his family turning on him, the way Taesun had today, broke him to his core – badly enough that he didn’t want to put it into words. Jongin seemed to sense it, leaning over to kiss Taemin’s temple.

“Let’s not talk about it. We’re in a beautiful place, on vacation, and I just wanna enjoy our time together while we can. All of the bad stuff can wait until later, yeah?”

The way he worded it made Taemin chuckle. Oh, how he wished he could just put his feelings on hold the way Jongin could. But Jongin was right, so Taemin was going to have to try his best. He didn’t want to ruin their first ever trip together, especially in a place like this.

“Sure,” he hummed, resting his head on Jongin’s shoulder and returning his attention to the movie. By this point, he had missed what was happening and couldn’t find the energy to try and figure it out anymore. Thus, barely another twenty minutes passed before his head was growing heavy, and Jongin was becoming his pillow.

If Jongin minded, he didn’t let it show, holding Taemin a little tighter and focusing on the movie himself. The time slipped by, and then all too soon the movie was coming to a close. As the credits appeared on screen, Jongin peeked at the time – and then he was gently shaking Taemin awake.

“Taemin…”

Squinting out at him, Taemin lifted his head as he glided back into consciousness, and then laid back in the pillows. “It’s over?” he wondered as he noticed the black and white scrolling onscreen. “That was fast…”

“You just slept through it all, silly,” Jongin mused. He rolled over to face Taemin fully, and then cupped Taemin’s face in one hand, tilting his head so their eyes could meet. In this lighting, Taemin could almost imagine the bruise wasn’t there.

“You’re really beautiful,” Taemin murmured, his mind not functioning enough to filter his thoughts before he spoke them. “You belong in a place like this.”

This had Jongin chuckling. “Thanks. I could say the same about you,” he returned, thumb Taemin’s cheek fondly. “That’s why I wanted to bring you here.”

Blinking his eyes sleepily, Taemin gave his head a small shake – not so much as to lose the touch of Jongin’s hand, but enough to let his disapproval know. “That’s not true…”

“I mean, I wanted to bring you for your birthday too,” Jongin admitted with a playful grin. And then, before Taemin could argue it any further, Jongin was glancing off at something, and then he leaned in to press a long kiss to Taemin’s lips that stole any thoughts left in his mind. His eyes closed under the pressure of Jongin’s lips against his, and soon it was all he could feel. Until Jongin pulled away again.

“Speaking of… happy birthday.”

Taemin’s eyes opened again, gaze connecting with Jongin’s and finding himself lost in it for several seconds. The feeling it gave him was one he wanted to chase after for the rest of his life – temptation of the devil or not; maybe it was the fires of Hell burning inside him, but it made him feel warmer than anything else he’d ever felt. He was so caught up in that feeling that it took a moment for him to process what Jongin had said. Then his gaze was turning to the clock.

Midnight. It was officially his birthday.

“Did you plan this?” he couldn’t help but wondering as his eyes returned to Jongin. The younger smiled and bent to kiss him again.

“I didn’t,” Jongin admitted. “But the timing was really good, I’m impressed myself. Anyway – you’re twenty now, congrats on leaving me behind in the teens. Any wishes?”

Taemin gave a snort at his comment, but then grew serious. Wishes? The things he wanted were endless. But the number one… “Just you,” he breathed, his hand finding Jongin’s on his cheek and covering it as a means of keeping him close. As if he could hold onto him this way forever.

“Yeah?” A smile tugged at the corner of Jongin’s mouth, and Taemin sensed a little bit of pride. Why did he act like he didn’t know he was everything Taemin ever wanted? Taemin didn’t have time to ponder on this as Jongin continued, “Should I take off my clothes now then?”

“Hey!”

The comment had Taemin giggling, but also blushing (because he wouldn’t put it past Jongin). He couldn’t do anything more though, as Jongin laughed and kissed him again several more times. They started off playful, but grew more intent with each, turning from pecks to lingering kisses, until soon enough Jongin wasn’t pulling away and Taemin was growing lightheaded.

“I know you’re pretty tired tonight,” Jongin breathed after a while, not backing off and continuing to kiss Taemin between words. His hand trailed down the older’s neck, fingertips tracing blindly over the veins under his skin, leaving Taemin shivering. “So I’ll save your present for tomorrow…”

Taemin’s heart skipped a beat. His present? Considering what they had just been talking about, he couldn’t help but wonder what exactly Jongin meant by that.

“And… and what would that be?”

Their eyes met again, and Jongin’s were burning with – something, that for once Taemin couldn’t read. But his response was more than enough of an answer.

“Me.”

Author's Note: This chapter felt like a lot, so I was a bit surprised to see it wasn't actually that long when I got to the end!
Anyway, for those wondering about the title of this chapter, when I read it over I just felt like there were so many different kinds of love in this one - not just Taemin and Jongin's love, but also the love from Jonghyun's family and from Jongin's mom, Taemin's love for his family, and even the love from Taesun. I know everyone will be thinking "what love??", but Taesun's reaction really does come from a place of love. Unfortunately, it's a toxic kind, but that is still love (just not one we want!). So yeah, many different portrayals of love this chapter ♡
Back to Taekai - their vacation is off to a bit of a bumpy start, but let's see how Taemin's birthday goes. Maybe his presents will help him forget... ♡