“Mmmm..” Taemin moaned quietly, rubbing his eyes. What time was it? He had to get up soon to do his schedule…

Then he remembered. He covered his face with his hands. He just wanted to disappear. Fade away so he wouldn’t cause anyone more trouble.

“Hey, hey is that my sleepy Tae Tae? I wonder if he’s awake?” cooed Key as he tried to tug away Taemin’s hands. “Come on, come on, the world isn’t that bad today…”

Taemin refused to let Key sway him, covering his face with all his might. He was scared that if he saw Key he would start crying again. Key was so concerned, so nice and he knew Key would have that pitying, poor baby look in his eyes.  And he didn’t want Key to treat him like a child. But he did, because he felt like and he just wanted someone to fuss over him and tell him everything was okay. But that was so pathetic, so pathetic of him to even think that..

“Please Taemin, let me see your beautiful face…” sang Key as he Taemin’s hair and continued to try pry off his hands.

“No…” Taemin whimpered. He hated the way he sounded. Weak.  So pathetically sick and needy and insecure. Exactly what he felt like. He was so ashamed.

Wordlessly, Key pressed Taemin’s head into his shoulder and into a tight hug. Taemin closed his eyes behind his hands.

“I’m not going to let go until you take your hands away. We can spend the whole day like this if you want. But I’m not going to let you go.”

Taemin inwardly laughed. If he had it his way, he would spend the rest of his life like this. If only Key knew!

Taemin felt so warm and comfortable in Key’s embrace that he started getting drowsy again, his head nestled into Key’s shoulder and Key continuously rubbing his arm. Key felt a warm tingle in his chest as Taemin forgot he was covering his face and his hands dropped away. Not wanting to make Taemin notice he kept his arm.

“Ready for some food?” Key asked as Taemin sleepily blinked. He gently pulled Taemin up into a sitting position like so many times before, and Taemin let him carry out the familiar movement

Key quickly took the tray of food that Taemin hadn’t noticed before off the bedside table and into Taemin’s lap.

“Some porridge.  Because that’s the easiest to eat, and it’s what sick people eat to get well soon.”

Taemin made no indication he had heard Key and stared listlessly at the bowl.

“The spoon’s over here.” Key pointed out.

Taemin still didn’t move,  chewing at his lip with his eyes downcast.

“Taemin. Don’t be stupid. Eat.”

‘I don’t want to eat.” Taemin whispered.

“Taemin, I thought you would have learnt your lesson! Eat! What’s stopping you?”

“I just…can’t.”

“Why?”

Taemin chewed at his lip again.

“Tell me Taemin. I won’t let this drop. I’ll get Onew hyung and Jonghyun hyung and Minho here and we can all question you until you tell me why you won’t eat.”

“Don’t do that, please don’t!” begged Taemin, still looking down. Key felt bad. Honestly, Taemin looked like he was going to burst into tears and he hadn’t missed the wavering tone in his voice.

“Just tell me,” Key urged. “I won’t tell anyone. I won’t do anything.”

“I….” Taemin felt like vomiting with nervousness. He had never told anyone this, never said it out loud. He wanted to believe that if he didn’t say it out loud, then it wouldn’t be true. He didn’t know how to word it, but he wanted Key to know. He was sick of pretending everything was fine. He squirmed, gathering up courage. His brain knew Key wouldn’t ridicule him, knew Key do anything bad but the rope around his heart and stomach were getting tighter and choking him up.

“I don’t think..I don’t want to eat. I don’t want to eat because I keep thinking I shouldn’t. I guess I think I don’t deserve it. No, that sounds bad.. I just want to be in the background, I just want people to forget about me so I won’t…I just don’t want to e..exist.” Taemin stuttered, his heart pounding. He didn’t dare look at Key. His eyes and throat were on fire and he could feel the heat of tears gathering in his eyes. Don’t cry, don’t cry, he willed himself, gulping fiercely. But the more he thought about it, the more sniffing he had to do.

Key couldn’t believe his ears. He stared dumbfounded at the teenager who was hunched over in defeat, his heart twisting as he watched Taemin try vainly to stop crying. But.. he couldn’t believe it. How could he had not seen this? He had a little crush on the boy, for god’s sake. He knew his favourite colours, his favourite foods, his entire life story. He knew what Taemin was thinking and doing without even looking at him. Or maybe not.  Key had been blinded. By what? Love? He hadn’t been paying attention at all! He still thought that Taemin was still like the little 12 year old he had met nearly a decade ago, that he was still easily made happy and sad. Sure, he knew Taemin was growing up, but he never really thought Taemin was ‘grown up’.  But then again, he didn’t think he himself was grown up.

It was just plain and simple. He hadn’t been paying attention. How could he even think that he loved Taemin when he didn’t even have a clue what was going on in Taemin’s head? It was obvious. Taemin had been a ghost of the cheeky, smiley cutie prankster he normally was.

He was jolted out of his shock by Taemin’s voice.

“I’m sorry hyung, I’m sorry..please don’t be mad, I’m so sorry,” Taemin cried, silently, his words coming out in strained whispers.

“It’s not your fault, it’s mine Taemin,” Key yelped, grabbing Taemin in a fierce hug. “It’s all mine.. I didn’t see, and I’m supposed to be your friend. Don’t worry. I’ll make it better. Key hyung will make it better…” soothed Key, rocking them both softly.

When Taemin finally stopped choking on his sobs, he let Key feed him, hating how he was acting like a baby.

“How long have you felt this way Taemin?” Key asked delicately.

“I.. I don’t know…it just grew on me..” Taemin trailed off. “You’re not going to tell anyone right? No one!”

Key leaned his forehead against Taemin’s and forced the younger to look into his eyes.

“It will be better, I promise with all my heart. I will always be there for you.”

Taemin’s heart gave a surprised little skip and he was suddenly aware of every bit of Key’s body that was touching his, including their hair. The moment felt incredibly intimate and he knew he was blushing. One moment you’re crying over your life and the next you’re swooning over Key. Lee Taemin you are a mess… but.. does this mean he likes me?

“Let’s play Snakes and Ladders!” exclaimed Key, breaking the moment.

Taemin's mind hadn’t felt this light since he could remember. He giddily played along with Key and listened to Key’s ramblings. Telling him had felt good. He even cracked a smile when Key made fun of Minho’s eyes. Maybe it would get better.

“Don’t you have a schedule today, hyung?” wondered Taemin.

“ Nope. Manager gave me a week off too!” chirped Key.

“Really? Why?” asked Taemin.

“Aaahh.. that’s for me to know and you to never find out,” Key said. “But that’s great, because it means I can hang with you every day. Now it’s your turn to roll the dice, Taemin!”

I’m sorry for what I’m about to do Taemin, thought Key.You are going to kill me. But it’s the only way you can get better..

Hello! So anyway, what I have planned is some happy, real Taekey action up ahead (because i'm sick of Taemin always seeming to cry in my story...:P) And it Taemin keeps up with the constant crying, then it wouldn't have the same effect as it would when he has a major breakdown later on. And I mean a hyperventilating, gaspy on the floor breakdown. I have weird taste :/. Maybe I'm a sadist-masochist and like watching people suffer? i DO love watching surf life rescuing shows where the people get saved from drowning... BUT it might be because the show is mainly hot built guys running into the ocean with red shorts and then reviving poor little half drowned people. So manly! And yet so caring! And ew I had to do a surf lifesaving course once. Torture. I'll just let the red shorts save me if I'm drowning.

OMG I'm a rambler. Please comment and tell me what you think! And comment if you've nearly drowned before, i'm SO curious (yeah~)

OMG DID YOU SEE WHAT I DID THERE I TOTALLY MADE A PUN WITH SHINee's NEW SONG!!  all of them are such cuties! taemin's extensions I thought were a bit weird.. but i <3 him anyways :) but hooray they're back :'''') did you like the mv?

p.s. but i AM curious though! please tell me if you have haha