Taemin had always liked Minho. He’d liked Minho’s charisma, Minho’s handsome features, Minho’s gentle hands and warm hugs… He’d always liked Minho.

However, this might be the closest Taemin had ever come to not liking Minho.

Class B5, the class that Taemin and Minho were in, the class that had all of Taemin’s friends in it, had decided to go on a field trip to the zoo. The 6 and 7 year olds had all lined up in a very nice little queue outside the boss, and were now boarding the vehicle.

“Teacher! Onew-teacher!” one of the little boys piped up. It was Jonghyun, who was older than Taemin. Taemin stretched up on his tippy-toes, his bouncy black hair shining on his small little head. His pouty lips became tightly clamped between his shiny white teeth as he struggled to look over his classmate’s heads.

“What’s wrong?” Onew asked, and Taemin could see his teacher bend down next to short little Jonghyun. Taemin’s heart caught in his chest as he saw the top of Minho’s head over the sea of hair and baseball caps and felt hoods. Minho had always been taller than most kids.

“Minho stole my hat!” Jonghyun complained. Taemin’s jaw fell like a trapdoor. There was no way Minho would ever do that!

Jonghyun’s a liar! He’s definitely a liar! Taemin thought furiously. He tightened his little fists. Minho was a nice person. He never took anything from anyone. NO WAY.

“Taemin, what’s going on?” Key asked softly. He was Taemin’s buddy for the day, and they had been standing with their fingers clasped for the last five minutes. Taemin hissed angrily as he watched, and Key stretched up as well to catch a glimpse of whatever what going on.

“Did you take Jonghyun’s hat?” Onew asked strictly. Taemin’s heart stopped when Minho nodded. No way! He couldn’t have! Minho’s head turned a fraction of an inch and Taemin saw him smirk proudly. Taemin chewed his bottom lip nervously as Minho turned back.

“Make him give it back,” Jonghyun whined. Once the fiasco was sorted out, the class boarded the bus, and one by one, the buddies settled on the cheap mahogany plastic.

“I can’t believe Minho would be so mean to Jonghyun!” Key exclaimed, his face becoming red with indignation.

“Minho wasn’t mean!” Taemin argued back shrilly. Key’s eyes narrowed and let go of Taemin’s hand, turning to the window and clenching his jaw. Taemin’s heart became a little heavier from Key’s anger, but he couldn’t let anyone insult Minho, because he knew that Minho was a good person. Minho would never be mean. Not ever.

“Okay, remember, come back to the gate at exactly 3:00,” Onew instructed as the children stood on the border of the boring parking lot and an adventurous collection of exotic animals.

“Why should we?” a voice piped up from the back. Taemin winced. Minho was shouting out at Onew? Taemin had to stretch up and twist around to see Minho, and his heart fell when he realized that Minho was misbehaving. Key huffed at the solid proof that Minho was being mean, and Taemin whimpered. Minho’s eyes met his, and Taemin flared up when he saw Minho smirking proudly.

“He is being mean,” Taemin muttered as he stood flatly on his feet. Key sighed and patted Taemin’s back before holding his hand again.

“It’s okay,” Key said as the group dispersed. Taemin and Key separated at the monkey’s exhibit, Key going to go look for Jonghyun to comfort him. Taemin just stood there, looking at the furry animals with a sniffle.

How could Minho be like that? How could Minho be so mean? Taemin was nearly in tears as he thought about it.

“Hey there, Taemin,” Minho greeted cheerfully as he jogged up to Taemin’s side. Taemin clenched his fists, angry at Minho for betraying his feelings by being such a bully. He chose to keep focused on the small chimpanzees as Minho stopped next to him, cheeks rosy.

“Why were you being so mean?” Taemin asked, still watching the animals with angry eyes. Minho’s head tilted.

“Well, because-“

“I don’t like you when you’re mean!” Taemin shouted, turning suddenly to Minho. Minho’s eyes widened.

“But that one time I was at your house, you said that you liked the tough guy,” Minho half-whispered. Taemin’s eyes narrowed.

“But you were mean to your friend,” Taemin snarled, eyes filling with tears. Minho’s jaw clenched as he stared into Taemin’s watery eyes.

“But I did it because…” Minho’s voice trailed off, and for a furious moment, the two young boys glared at each other. Then Taemin pushed Minho away, his hands thumping on Minho’s chest before the taller boy stumbled back.

“I hate it when you’re mean!” Taemin screamed loudly, running away and ignoring Minho’s calls. He didn’t like this mean Minho. He didn’t like him one bit.

Taemin ended up at the bird house, crying in earnest by this time, and he had to wipe his eyes before he opened the door and slid inside. It was dark inside, with lit up exhibits and multicolored birds hopping along on wooden perches.

“You guys understand, right? You don’t like mean people, right?” Taemin asked as he touched the glass on a display of two peacocks. As if in response, the large male one spread his multi-colored tail and strutted about. Taemin let out a little sob and sat on the cold bench in front of the two birds.

“Hi, Taemin!” Key greeted cheerfully, sitting next to Taemin. He noticed Taemin’s tears and hugged him tightly. “Was Minho mean to you?” he asked softly.

“No,” Taemin sobbed. “I just hate him when he’s that mean… I hate it!” Taemin shouted, muffled in Key’s arms.

“Oh, poor baby,” Key murmured, rocking back and forth. Taemin sobbed into Key’s chest, opening his eyes a few times to blink away stray tears. Finally, with a sniffle, he sat up and rubbed his eyes.

“K-Key,” Taemin said finally, watching the blurred peacock strut around its cage, “Why is the peacock so full of himself?”

“Well,” Key said, but he obviously had no answer. He rubbed his thighs and sighed, letting out a long breath. Finally, he looked long and hard at the birds before his face split into a wide smile. “You want to know what I think?”

“What?” Taemin asked, sniffling. He rubbed his eyes and fixed them on the bird. Key cleared his throat as if about to give an important lecture.

“I think… Minho’s a peacock!” Key announced, his face an image of pride. Taemin blinked and looked at his friend.

“Um… Minho doesn’t have feathers…” Taemin said slowly. Key shook his head with sagely wisdom.

“See the peacock?” Key asked. Taemin nodded, watching as the colorful bird strutted in front of the dull peahen.

“Yeah, it’s big and colorful. Minho isn’t either of those things,” Taemin sighed, not exactly understanding what Key was getting at. Key grinned.

“It’s walking around and showing off to impress the girl, kind of like what Minho’s doing!” Key shouted excitedly. Taemin looked up at Key blankly. Then he felt his own chest. Then he felt himself between the legs. Yep, there was definitely something there. Just to be sure, he hit it. Yep, there it was… And it hurt now, too.

“Hyung, I’m not a girl,” Taemin said finally, looking up, with a voice that had been raised about an octave. He grabbed his crotch until the pain dulled, bent over in agony.

“That’s not the point,” Key said nonchalantly, paying no attention to Taemin’s plight. “Minho must like you, and he’s showing off to you.” He said this all as if it should’ve been obvious, not bothered at all by the doubled-over child next to him.

“But he’s being so mean!” Taemin protested, his voice cracking as the pain kept throbbing. Oh, he was a boy alright.

“Well, maybe that’s what he thinks you like,” Key said. Taemin opened his mouth to protest, but remembered Minho’s earlier statement.

“But that one time I was at your house, you said that you liked the tough guy.”

“Oh my goulashes!” Taemin exclaimed, putting his hands in front of his mouth in shock and completely forgetting about the pain in his crotch. “That means Minho…”

“Likes you!” Key finished, triumphantly, looking very proud for being able to solve a pre-pubescent, socially frowned-upon, unbelievable cute relationship. Oh yes, he was one accomplished fellow. Taemin, on the other hand, had quite a job to do in order to get the relationship started. He stood up and tried to run off, and it was then that the pain came back. His knees buckled and Key had to catch him.

“Hyung?”

“Yes, Minnie?”

“Never make me check if I’m a boy again…”

Taemin found Minho by the zebras, crying quietly and hiding his face. He could never hide those tears from Taemin, though. Taemin could see through his friend as if the boy had been made from glass.

“Stop crying,” Taemin demanded, sitting down next to Minho with a firm pout. Minho looked up with a tear-streaked face and looked like he might break down at any moment. Maybe Taemin could’ve started with some nicer words?

“You hate me, though,” Minho said softly, shuffling away. Taemin scooted closer, intent on making things clear with Minho.

“I don’t hate you,” Taemin said. He swallowed hard, knowing that he’d done a pretty mean thing. He lurched into a hug, wrapping his arms around his friend. “I don’t hate you… In fact, I like you!” Taemin’s body ached from the fact that all of his weight was on one thigh, but he didn’t really care.

“You like me?” Minho asked, his voice teetering on tears and happiness. Taemin nodded, not caring anymore that Minho had acted mean. All he cared about was the fact that there was a hint of happiness in Minho’s voice.

“A lot, Minho. I like you a lot,” he whimpered. Minho hugged him back, unbelieving. It must have been a result of finding that penny three weeks ago, or maybe cheating the clover by adding an extra leaf…

“I like you too,” Minho said. Taemin pulled away and beamed.

“Are you my boyfriend now?” he asked. Minho nodded and hugged Taemin again.

“I’m sorry,” Minho murmured. Taemin pulled away and looked Minho dead in the eyes.

“If you’re ever mean again, I swear, I’ll prove that you’re a boy.” No explanation was requested, and none was given. Instead, the field trip was spent with hugs and hand-holding, and Taemin really liked Minho.

He really, really did.

A/N – For Tris’s birthday, as well as for Sica’s contest. <3

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