Author's Note: I wrote this entire chapter today, forgive me if it's not the highest in quality 😭 A bit brief, but I hope everyone enjoys! ♡

“Did you end things with Jongin?”

The night after Taemin and Jongin had returned home from their vacation, Taemin’s phone had rang. Taesun, the screen read. After a moment of hesitation, Taemin had answered, hearing his brother’s voice on the other end. Taesun had asked him if he’d made it home safely, and then not wasted any time getting to his real point.

“Yes.” Taemin debated it for a minute, but then decided to just lie. He wanted this relationship too much to give it up, and he knew his brother would try to force it – by telling their parents, for example, or making God knows what other threats. “I did. Are you happy now?”

Taesun was quiet, just for a pause. “Did you really? I know when you’re lying, Taemin.”

It was a good thing Taesun couldn’t see him, because even Taemin could feel the way his cheeks grew pink. But for once, his mind was quick to think of solutions. “Yes, I did,” he repeated firmly. “Do you want me to go get Jongin? He’s in the next room right now and can tell you just the same.”

This was a lie. Jongin was sitting right beside him, listening to every word Taemin said. Still, for good measure, Taemin got up, crossing the room and opening the door before coming back to make it sound like he’d really moved. He held out the phone for Jongin. “My brother wants to talk,” was all he said. Jongin had to hold back a chuckle as he took the phone.

“What do you want?” Jongin asked snidely, tone instantly changing as he spoke to Taesun. Then he was listening for a moment before making an unpleasant face. “You think I’m gonna be respectful after the last time I saw you? Not to mention you ruining my relationship?” A brief pause to listen followed, and then, “Taemin broke up with me because of you. Are you happy now? Because I’m not.”

The thought of breaking up with Jongin tugged at Taemin’s heart a little, and it must have shown on his face because when Jongin glanced up at him, he gave a reassuring wink. Then he went back to listening for a moment, face pulling back into a frown.

“Oh off, what do you know about what’s good for him?” he said snappily, pulling the phone away from his ear in disgust and holding it back out to Taemin. “Take this. I have nothing to say to him.”

Taemin took the phone back, putting it to his own ear. “Satisfied?” he asked immediately. “We’re both miserable, so I hope you feel good about it.”

“It’s the right thing and you know it,” Taesun shot back at him across the line. “You better start going back to church and getting help, Taemin. I don’t want this happening again.”

Something about being told what to do by his brother set something off in him, and Taemin knew he needed to end the call before he escalated anything. “Whatever, I’m hanging up,” he said, doing so before Taesun could get another word in. Then he took a deep breath and exhaled slowly. “He’s so annoying…”

I don’t want this happening again. What was he, Taemin’s mother? As much as it got on Taemin’s nerves, it also scared him for what it was – a threat. If Taemin “messed up” again, in his brother’s books, there would be consequences. And that was likely Taemin’s real mother (and father) being informed. Taemin was grateful Taesun hadn’t spilled anything to them so far, but he could, anytime. And if that happened? Taemin would have to choose between kissing his family goodbye, or Jongin.

He moved back to the bed, taking a seat but nearly jumping back up as a voice came from the doorway. Jongin’s mother, who was peeking her head in.

“Boys? Is there something I should know about?” she wondered, worry barely hidden in her eyes.

“What- no! Mom, are you eavesdropping?” Jongin asked her accusingly, the remaining frown on his face now directed at her.

She stepped into the room a bit, grabbing the handle of the door and giving it a slight swing. “You two opened the door. Should I not take that as a sign that you wanted me to hear what you were talking about?”

Taemin hadn’t thought about that. She had been in the other room, just around the corner. She must have heard everything – or at least, enough. “No- my brother called,” he tried to explain, realizing that would mean very little to her. “He- he doesn’t want us together. So-”

“Don’t tell me you broke up because of that.” She sounded sad, hurt, as though she too were invested in their happiness. I wish my family could be like you, Taemin thought pitifully.

“As if I would let Taemin,” Jongin scoffed, reaching for Taemin’s hand – and then, surprisingly, holding it up. After a second, Taemin realized he was showing off the ring – on his wedding finger. “It was a lie…”

At this, his mother looked noticeably relieved. “Oh, that’s good then. I’m glad you accepted the ring, Taeminnie, Jongin was so worried about it-”

“Mom!”

She waved a hand at him, shaking her head. “Oh, you’re so sensitive,” she muttered, starting to close the door. “I’m glad everything’s okay!” And then she was gone, the door shut tight behind her, leaving them alone.

For a moment, it was quiet. Then…

“So-”

“Don’t.”

Taemin giggled, looking to Jongin and finding him blushing now. “Your mom knew about the rings?”

“Oh… That – I wasn’t sure if it was too soon, so I asked her opinion,” Jongin mumbled, lacing his fingers with Taemin’s now they were alone. Taemin gave him an affectionate smile, finding it so endearing, but Jongin just pouted. “Don’t-”

“It’s sweet, that you were worried,” Taemin told him, laughing at how shy Jongin was about the whole thing. It warmed Taemin’s heart though, thinking about the amount of thought Jongin had put into it, cherishing the ring that much more. He turned to kiss Jongin on the cheek, but then Jongin was turning as well and stealing the kiss fully.

“I just… I know you don’t want to be public yet,” Jongin murmured before kissing Taemin again. “But I want to show you off. Even just a little… And the ring makes it feel like- it’s a tiny claim to you, a little reminder that you’re mine. I can handle that for now. Until you’re ready.”

This had Taemin’s heart swelling further, a mix of feeling so loved and just as much filled with love for Jongin. Jongin was proud of him, of them? Even if he wasn’t ready for everyone to know still, it felt so comforting to know that Jongin wasn’t ashamed of their relationship, but would have shouted it from the rooftops if he could.

One day, he hoped, though he had no idea when that would be. It took weeks for Taemin to not be afraid of being seen in public with Jongin, overly paranoid that somehow, Taesun would know. He had to ask Jongin to stay away from his work for a while, because Taesun knew where it was and he was scared of a repeat of his birthday. So for a while, their relationship was confined solely to their apartment.

Eventually though, Jongin got tired of this. They would go out for the night, and Jongin started dragging him to gay clubs again – Taemin fearful at first, but Jongin promising him things were fine.

“It’s okay,” Jongin would assure, squeezing his hand or putting a protective arm around him. “No one’s judging us here…”

But it was only after Taemin scanned the entire club to make sure he never saw a familiar face that he could start to ease up, his eyes staying on the door to watch every new person who came in. He drank less, not wanting to get too drunk and let his guard down. Meanwhile, Jongin seemed to drink more, progressing from dancing to dancing with Taemin to trying to make out with him.

Only after a lot of (very cute) begging would Taemin give in, dragging them to the back of the room or somewhere secluded and letting Jongin have his way with him. Never too far though – if it started getting ual, Taemin would suggest they go home; it was safe there, not here. But this led to other problems.

Jongin missed the way Taemin had been on their vacation. Loud, uninhibited. They couldn’t do as much with Jongin’s mother sleeping in the next room. This much really wasn’t Taemin’s fault, but it still frustrated Jongin. Not knowing what else to do, he did what he thought the most logical solution to ual problems was – turned to Baekhyun for advice.

“Damn, you guys are hooking up for real, huh?” Baekhyun said when Jongin came by, sounding impressed. With Jongin being straight and Taemin a when the three had met, Jongin supposed it was a big change. But…

“No- not exactly,” he admitted before waving it off. Now was not the time for Baekhyun’s teasing and nonsense. “That’s not the problem though. Even if we were – we can’t because, I mean, my mom’s right there. And she already warned us ages ago.”

Baekhyun gave a sage nod, apparently understanding the severity of being unable to do rated things in a parent’s household. “Yeah, that’s why I moved out on my own,” he hummed, gesturing around to his place.

This made Jongin think. A place to themselves… It would be good, but there were downsides. Affording to buy somewhere was probably out of the cards, and he couldn’t imagine his father being that generous. That meant renting, but neither he nor Taemin made that much money. Not to mention his mother wouldn’t be there to cook for them or look after them… All in all, he just wasn’t mature enough to be living on his own yet.

(He also couldn’t help wondering when Baekhyun had moved out on his own, because Jongin was just sure that he had been early on. How had he done it? And how did he survive like this?)

“Any chance you’d let us borrow the place?” he proposed, only half-joking. Baekhyun broke out into laughter.

“What, so you can bone while I’m gone? No way, man!” Baekhyun shook his head, but then a look crossed his eyes. “Maybe if you let me watch…”

It took a second for Jongin to get what he meant, and then he was immediately yelling and smacking him. “What is wrong with you!?” he exclaimed as Baekhyun ducked and snorted.

“I’m kidding! Mostly, I mean, I wouldn’t say no…”

“ert,” Jongin muttered, giving Baekhyun a heavily judgemental glare. Baekhyun merely winked. “I don’t know what to do, then. I need a cheaper option than renting…”

The lightbulb that went off in Baekhyun’s mind was practically visible. He looked off for a moment, and then his eyes widened just slightly, eyebrows raising. Then his face went neutral again, looking to Jongin with a shrug as though Jongin hadn’t witnessed the whole moment. “Use a motel then. There’s tons of them around, especially by the gay clubs.”

Motels. By that he meant by-the-hour places. Love motels. The places young couples went to hook up, and yet had somehow never crossed Jongin’s mind. It was perfect. Except…

“I dunno if Taemin would let me take him,” he confessed. It had been hard enough to encourage Taemin to return to the clubs, but bringing him somewhere that was blatantly and only for ? That would be an uphill battle to say the least.

But Baekhyun just offered another shrug. “Surprise him.”

*

Late one evening – or rather, late night – around the end of September, Jongin pulled Taemin out of a club. They had been getting handsy, and Jongin was losing the power to control himself the way Taemin wanted. Nearly two in the morning, it was a nightmare trying to get a cab at this time, especially around all the clubs, so they usually wandered down to a less crowded spot. Tonight though, the plan was different.

Jongin tugged Taemin through a nearby alleyway and then paused, pulling Taemin in and wrapping his arms around his waist. Even with no one around though, Taemin was gently pushing Jongin back.

“Not here,” he breathed, the same response he always gave. For once though, Jongin didn’t let him go so easily.

“Come inside then,” he murmured, and all of a sudden he was pulling them back through the low-hanging curtains behind them.

It had been intentional, stopping there. Jongin had scoped out the area beforehand, knowing exactly where all the closest motels were and having chosen the one he thought looked most decent without being too flashy. The location was nice enough without being busy, meaning no one to see when they disappeared inside.

Taemin’s eyes widened as they slipped behind the curtains, a parking lot and a glass door to the building awaiting them. “Wait- I don’t think we should be here…”

Rather than speaking, Jongin led the way to the door, heading inside and refusing to let go of Taemin’s hand even when Taemin tried to pull it back. Inside, the staff at the front desk didn’t bat an eye.

“Can I get a room for…” Jongin glanced to a sign over the woman’s shoulder, listing the prices per hour. If he was being realistic, they wouldn’t need more than an hour. But he was being romantic (not to mention intoxicated), and the rate for three hours was better, so it made sense to him. “Three hours. A nice room, please…”

The staff turned her back to grab a “menu” of the different room types, and as she did, Taemin was jerking on Jongin’s arm. “What are you doing?” he whispered, looking just slightly panicked as the situation seemed to be dawning on him. Jongin had no time to answer though, as the woman turned back and began showing them the rooms.

Let’s not go crazy, Jongin told himself; but it was hard. He wanted to spoil Taemin, as always, not to mention show off. Look at how well I treat my boyfriend… Having to remind himself that this girl didn’t even know them and problem couldn’t care less, Jongin chose a room from the upper-mid tier. Then he was paying, getting their key and being offered complimentary condoms. These he declined, but it had Taemin’s face going beet red as they walked to the elevator.

“Jongin, what are we-”

Jongin turned to him, not caring in the slightest as he leaned in to kiss Taemin. They had been doing so not moments earlier – with far more passion than this – but now Taemin froze, eyes wide when Jongin pulled away.

“I need you,” Jongin replied simply, pulling back and calling the elevator. Taemin’s eyes immediately flitted to the staff, but she was already focused on a book in her hand. “I can’t book us another vacation; I can’t wait that long…”

And it was sweet, endearing, but Taemin couldn’t believe how absolutely open he was being right now. Even in a slightly shady motel, it was still public. It wasn’t home…

The elevator doors opened with a ding, the two of them slipping in and Jongin pushing the floor number. It was a silent ride up, and nearly as quiet to their room – only disrupted by the sounds of one or two other couples as they passed their doors. Something about it made Taemin feel a little filthy, and by the time they got into their room, he was trembling.

Jongin flicked on the lights, revealing a spacious room filled with crimson reds, golds, and blacks. The wall which the bed was against was all mirrors, and across from it were thick, dark red curtains covering the windows. Despite the kind of place it was, it didn’t feel cheap. It was practically a regular hotel – except for the packet of complimentary lube, body oil, and extra condoms on the bedside table.

Even so, Taemin was hesitant to sit on the bed. Noticing how tense he was, Jongin pulled him over to it and sat them both on the edge, looking him over seriously. “You’re worried… What are you thinking about?”

“We shouldn’t be here…”

“Taemin.” Jongin took both of his hands in his own, looking the older in the eye. “No one was in the alley. No one saw us come in here. Even if they saw us turn onto this street before, they wouldn’t know we came here. It’s fine. It’s just you and me, baby…”

The pet name softened Taemin a little, but he remained tense, nerves on end. “I’m scared…”

At that, Jongin’s hands slid up Taemin’s arms to his face, cupping his cheeks. “It’s okay. I’m gonna take care of you. I’ll make you forget all about it…”

And he tried. Taemin let him, and it must have been close to half an hour before he was able to relax and start enjoying it. On top of that, Jongin was fairly drunk, so the whole thing ended up being a little sloppy, but by the end of it they were both a blissful mess, worries momentarily forgotten. Jongin’s head was filled with all of Taemin’s moans – not as loud as he had been in Jeju, but at least it was something – and Taemin was replaying all Jongin’s touches in his mind.

“Next time at least warn me,” Taemin murmured as they laid on the big, rather comfortable bed, his head on Jongin’s bare chest.

“If I warned you, you’d say no,” Jongin noted in return, making Taemin giggle.

“You’re probably right…”

Jongin pouted playfully, running his fingers through Taemin’s hair. “Did I make it up to you?”

Pretending to think about it, Taemin hummed. “Hmm… I guess so.” Considering Jongin had decided to make the most of their time and brought him to a second , Taemin didn’t have much in the way of complaints. “I’m still not convinced we should be here though…’

“Look, Taem… I already am only limited to what you’ll do with me in our room, and that’s limited by my mom being around,” Jongin told him, sounding a little frustrated before he changed to a gentler tone. “And that’s – that’s okay, but I can’t handle it. I need more. I need you, Taemin.

“I feel like I’m going crazy,” he admitted, the frustration returning, though it wasn’t directed at Taemin. “It reminds me of when we were younger and would go around doing all that crazy stuff and trying not to get caught – except now we’re adults, and we should be allowed to do whatever the hell we want. I hate feeling so restricted…”

As he spoke, his voice grew into more of a mumble, but Taemin still caught every word. He felt sorry, knowing it was he who was holding Jongin back, clueless as to what to do. “So what are you saying?” he asked weakly.

Not missing the worry – almost fear – in Taemin’s voice, Jongin’s hand was there, his hair again soothingly. “Nothing, nothing. I just… I need this kind of freedom to keep me going.”

Oh. Jongin wasn’t breaking up with him then, as Taemin’s mind had immediately jumped to. That was a relief, and a silly assumption, he realized in hindsight. But at the same time, Jongin was suggesting that… this become a regular thing for them. And though Taemin wasn’t completely opposed, the idea made him nervous. It was just more and more risk, anytime they came to a place like this…

It’s okay. We’ll be okay. This is all going to work out. He had to tell himself this, or he was going to break down crying, and that was the last thing either of them needed right now. Instead, he slowly spun the ring on his finger, that he hadn't taken off in months.

We’re meant to be. Right? It’ll all be fine…

Author's Note: Taesun has been successfully lied to, but that doesn't mean he isn't continuing to haunt Taemin - and now, Jongin (sort of). Meanwhile, welcome back Baekhyun for just a second! No clue why both of them think he's the best person to go to for advice, but it ultimately had a happy ending again (ehem) so I guess they know more than me. If you have some tips or advice for Taemin too, please share them and I'll pass them along to our poor boy so he can stop living in fear 😭 Your capricorn boyfriend needs to show off more than this, darling, please give him a chance! ♡