PG-16. Also, I can't remove the 'M' from chapter 9 so in case it scared you away, NOTHING happens. It's kind of important so please read it before this if you skipped it.

nineteen&twentyone;
Taemin is an adult when he falls into the trap of benefits.


"Kibum, you know I like you, right?" Taemin asks one day as Kibum's heading out the door to his job at a fashion magazine office.

"Uh, yeah, I like you too, baby, but I have to go now. Bye," Kibum says back and shuts the door behind him. Taemin leans back on the couch and pouts.

It's been almost half a year since Taemin's disastrous relationship and he can say that he's completely over it. He still attends the academy, and so do the other two. They run into each other here and there but Taemin is always friendly to them, because, hey, he fell for his best friend, why can't Jonghyun and Jinki?

They're both still awkward around Taemin because of the words that had been exchanged but Taemin brushes it off because he's over it.

-

"You know what I realized?" Kibum asks, his body hanging out the window and a cigarette clipped in his hand. He had already cut the habit but still smokes whenever he's stressed. "You never call me hyung anymore."

"Hyung," Taemin says to tease Kibum, "I'm an adult now, I don't need to respect you."

"Uh, yeah you do." Kibum kills his cigarette using the brick wall outside and pulls himself inside before closing the window. He plops onto the couch beside Taemin and curls up against him. "I miss my respectful Tae-baby."

"I miss my adorable baby face too," Taemin agrees.

"Yah, you still have your baby face, so quit complaining." Kibum pinches both of Taemin's cheeks for good measure.

"Ow, ow, ow," Taemin brushes Kibum's slender fingers away and rubs his cheek roughly. Kibum sighs and lays his head on the armrest, thighs sitting on Taemin's lap. "Work?"

"Yeah," Kibum sighs loudly once again. "Stupid boss being stupidly stupid."

"Only person who's a bigger diva than you, Kibum," Taemin teases and flicks Kibum's nose lightly with his pointer finger.

"I'm not a diva," Kibum pouts.

"Unfortunately, yeah, you are," Taemin disagrees.

"I'm not." Kibum adds some eyebrow-furrowing to his pout.

Taemin smiles fondly down at Kibum before straddling him. "Yes, you are," he sing-songs against Kibum's pouting lips before placing a kiss on them.

Kibum responds back immediately and Taemin feels his arms circling around his neck before they pull him down. He lets Kibum hold him for a few more seconds and then breaks the kiss. Kibum stares up at him, eyes wide and innocent, lips red and abused, and hair completely mussed up, even though neither of them had touched it.

"You ain't getting any of this until you agree to be my boyfriend," Taemin says sternly. Kibum frowns at the words and pushes Taemin off of him and onto the floor. "Ow, that hurt."

"Serves you right, you little brat," Kibum snarls and stands up. "I have a date in a couple hours and I have to go get ready. Entertain yourself," Kibum concludes and dramatically catwalks out of the living room.

"Ugh, the one you're looking for is right here, you know!" Taemin yells from his position on the floor.

"When pigs fly!" Kibum replies.

"One day they will!"

"Then wait for that day, we shall!"

"Fine!"

"Fine!"

"Okay!"

"Okay!"

"Fantastic!"

"Shut up!" A comb comes flying into the living room and lands a good distance from where Taemin is lying and he laughs.

"Fail!"

-

"Kibum, I like you. Be my boyfriend," Taemin demands darkly as he watches Kibum get ready for a date.

"No."

-

"Be my boyfriend?" Taemin asks with puppy eyes and a box of Kibum's favorite chocolates.

"No," Kibum refuses with a pat to Taemin's head. "I'll take those chocolates though."

Taemin watches with sad puppy eyes and empty hands as Kibum walks out the door to meet his date.

-

"You know what would be awesome?!" Taemin blocks Kibum from exiting to apartment to go on his date. "You and me, together."

"You seem to forget that I'm stronger than you," Kibum pushes Taemin out of the way with his hips. "Bye, baby."

-

"Um, Kibum, I think someone is following us," Kibum's date comments.

Taemin curses and flies into an alley when he sees Kibum starting to turn around. A second later the older boy is in his vision and telling him to go home.

-

Taemin bursts into the movie theater and presses play on his iPod. It's hooked up to a portable speaker so the music is loud and clear. Kibum and his date are sitting in the back so Taemin dances all the way up to them.

Once he's standing in front of Kibum, he stops dancing and pulls a rose out of his back pocket. "Be my boyfriend?"

Kibum glares and breathes heavily through his nose. "No, Taemin."

-

"I'm going to serenade you next, Kibum. Just agree to be mine and I won't," Taemin tries to compromise with Kibum as he's getting ready for yet another date. Is the whole world single or what?

"Taemin, I'm tired of this. How many times are you going to chase away my dates?"

"Until there are no more except for me."

"Why, Taemin? Why?"

"I like you."

"Exactly! You like me. Why try so hard if you only like me? Even if I say yes, the maximum we would last is a month. Are you really that willing to chance our friendship if it doesn't work out?"

"We've lasted this long, Kibum," Taemin reasons.

"As best friends, not lovers."

"Well, I have a confession. I've liked you since I was thirteen. Six years. Six years of trying to fight the feelings but they're still here. You've been by my side as a best friend, but I've been by your side as a lover."

"Lover, right," Kibum scoffs. "Jieun? Jinki? What about them?"

"Tried to fight the feelings and failed," Taemin explains nonchalantly.

"Whatever. I have to go," Kibum grabs his coat and walks out of his room. Taemin follows.

"Think about it, Kibum. Please."

Kibum falters at the door before sighing and walking out. Taemin collapses onto the couch, physically and emotionally tired.


Taemin is peacefully sleeping when his door is thrown open and light from the hallway filters in.

"What the?" he sits up and rubs his eyes, sleepy and confused.

Kibum is standing in his doorway, eyes wide and teary.

"You little brat."

"What?" Taemin manages to say before he's tackled by Kibum.

"Because of you my date went horrible! The guy left me alone in a restaurant. A ing restaurant where everyone can see," Kibum growls and straddles Taemin. "They think I'm crazy. Everyone thinks I'm crazy. I'm crazy, Taemin. Haha, I can't believe I let you do this to me." Kibum sniffs. "Why?" he whispers.

Taemin feels a drop of water hit his cheek. Kibum's crying.

"I love you."

"You don't."

"I love you, Kibum."

"You don't! Shut up!" Tears are starting to make trails on Kibum's cheeks. Taemin reaches up to wipe them away.

"I do, Kibum. I love you, Kim Kibum."

"I hate you, Lee Taemin."

"You don't," Taemin smiles at his use of the older boy's words.

"I hate you so much for doing this to me. Why can't we just stay as friends? Isn't it enough? Why? Why?"

Taemin rolls them over so that he's on top. "I love you so ing much, Kim Kibum. And it hurts that you keep pushing me away."

"I have to," Kibum whispers and looks away.

"No, you don't. Accept it. Let me love you."

"I can't," Kibum says but it's barely audible.

"You can."

"I can't, Taemin! I've been hurt so many times by the people I thought cared about me. If I get hurt by you, I don't know what I'll do. I can't chance it."

"I won't hurt you."

"That's what they all say."

"I'm not them. I'm Lee Taemin, your best friend of fourteen years. A decade and a half. Don't you trust me?"

"No."

"Trust me."

"No." Kibum starts struggling but Taemin pins his arms down.

"Trust me."

"No!"

Taemin leans down to shut the older boy up.

"Mmph! Taem--top it--no--e can't---n--" Kibum mumbles around Taemin's lips.

"No," Taemin continues to press kisses onto the older boy and eventually he relaxes into them.

"Taemin," Kibum suddenly cries and Taemin pulls away to look down at him. "Please don't hurt me."

"I won't," Taemin says firmly.

Kibum stares into his eyes for a long minute before wrapping his arms around his neck and pulling him back down.

The kiss is slow this time. Slow with no tongue or teeth, only passion. Distantly, Taemin registers the fireworks exploding behind his eyelids and the angels singing in his ears.


"Good morning, boyfriend," Taemin says when he opens his eyes and sees Kibum staring down at him.

"Mm," Kibum bites his bottom lip and looks away.

"What's wrong?" Taemin asks and sits up, body completely bare except for the blanket covering his lower half. He notices that Kibum's fully dressed already.

"I'm sorry. You can't be my boyfriend."

"What?"

"Anything, anything but my lover."

"What do you mean?"

"Be my friend, roommate, shoulder, or even friend-with-benefits. Anything but a lover. I can't," Kibum cuts himself off and starts gasping for breath. Taemin pulls him into a hug.

"It's okay, Kibum, I understand."

"I'm sorry, I'm so sorry," Kibum cries into the crook of his neck.

"One step at a time, baby. One step at a time."


Taemin was an adult when he fell into the trap of benefits.
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Hi everyone. Still on my sister's computer D:

Anyway, hope you enjoyed this update and I'm sorry that it turned out this way. It's gotta get worse before it gets better. 

Which brings me to some sad news: this is ending! There's still some chapters left but, oh! My baby is ending ;_; This story  is probably my favorite out of everything I've written. Yep. 

Okay, long A/N is long. I'll end this here.

Bye, my lovelies~

-hanny