Best Friend - thirteen&fifteen;

Taemin doesn't know what this feeling is.

Taemin's first year of middle flies by and he's now a second year. He wants to say that the year flew by because it was fun, but then he would also have to admit that it was only fun because of Kibum, and he's just not that nice. To the older boy, that is, refusing to agree when Kibum teases him about it.

Kibum is entering high school. Taemin remembers what happened last time when Kibum entered a different school and is determined to not let it go that way again.

-

"High school is nothing like middle and elementary school, Tae-ah!" Kibum spazzes one Friday night as they're lounging around in Taemin's room. "If only you could skip two grades or something. We would have the most fun ever! Minho is too boring, ugh."

Taemin decides to go into unknown territory, "Hyung, do you like Minho hyung?"

Kibum stops kicking his feet in the air and rolls onto his stomach on Taemin's bed. His cheeks are pink, but Taemin isn't sure from what: anger or embarrassment?

"W-why?"

"Oh, I don't know," Taemin answers and flops down beside Kibum except in the opposite direction.

Kibum sits up and bites his bottom lip, looking down at Taemin. "What if I do, Tae-ah?"

"That's cute!" Taemin sits up also, coming face-to-face with Kibum. "Have you confessed?"

"No!" Kibum says immediately. "I don't think he likes me...like that," he adds and looks away.

"And why wouldn't he, hyung?" Taemin asks quietly.

"Because I'm gay, Taemin! Do you know what that means?!" Kibum whisper-shouts.

Taemin is stunned. "Y-yeah, I do."

"Then you know that it's not accepted, right? I'll just be asking for trouble if I tell him." Kibum folds his legs up to his chest and lays his head on his knees. "Besides, he likes this girl in our year."

"Hyung, I'm sorry," Taemin says immediately.

"What for, Tae-ah?" Kibum rolls his eyes and lies down again, this time in the direction that Taemin was a second ago.

Taemin stares down at his hyung for a second, admiring his pink, pouty lips, and dark eyelashes, and everything. His hearts loses its beat for a second.

"Hyung, everything is going to be alright. I promise you," he whispers before lying down also.

-

"Taemin-ah!" Minho's mother says brightly when she opens the door.

"Hello, Mrs. Choi," Taemin replies with his own smile.

"Come on in, Minho is upstairs."

Taemin bows and walks to the older boy's room. He opens without knocking and Minho looks in his direction from where he's lying on his bed, tossing a basketball in the air and then catching it.

"Yo," he says in his deep voice.

Taemin plops into his desk chair. "So, what's on the agenda today?"

"Honestly, I didn't think that far," Minho admits and sits up, placing the basketball on his lap.

"Then what did I come over for?" Taemin pouts.

"We can have some bonding time." Taemin's face scrunches up. "Or not. Fine, let's play some video games. I know you're crazy about the zombie one."

"Cool!" Taemin exclaims and waits excitedly for Minho to set everything up.

They've been playing for thirty minutes when Taemin's mind starts wandering. "Hyung, do you like someone?"

"Why you asking?"

Taemin decides to tell the truth, "Kibum hyung told me."

"Oh."

"Yeah."

There's a long pause.

"Her name's Yuri," Minho breaks the silence.

"Oh."

"Yeah. I think she likes me too."

"Are you going to ask her out?" Taemin asks, a strange feeling starting to form in the pit of his stomach.

"Maybe."

"What about Kibum hyung?" Taemin blurts out, anger starting to heat him up.

"What?"

"Kibum hyung? You know, our neighbor and best friend?"

"What about him?" Minho sets his controller down. "I don't know what you mean..."

"Quit playing dumb, hyung! He likes you! He likes you." Taemin is on the verge of tears.

Minho is shocked, "W-what? But that's, he's...Is he?" Taemin nods, not exactly sure of what Minho is asking but he gets the gist of it.

"He can't, I can't...what?"

"Are you going to break his heart, hyung?" Taemin demands. Minho doesn't answer and the silence is filled by the sounds of their characters getting killed by zombies and the announcer saying, "Game over."

"Are you sure Kibum said that?"

"Positive."

"I don't know how to..." Minho trails off and Taemin stands up.

"I'm going home," he announces and walks to the door. "Think about it, hyung. Think real hard about it." And he steps out of the room.

-

"Tae-ah!"  Taemin is shocked to find Kibum waiting outside the school gates for him. He's glowing.

"Hyung?" he asks once he reaches the older boy.

"Yes?"

"Why are you here?" Taemin asks, suspicion apparent in his voice.

Kibum smiles even bigger. "I'll tell you later. I'm treating you to ice cream."

"But it's Tuesday..."

"And?"

"Normal people celebrate on the weekends."

"When have we ever been 'normal', Tae-ah?" Kibum asks happily and links his arm with Taemin's. "Now, hurry up! My offer won't stand for long."

"Let's go!" Taemin shouts and starts running, dragging a complaining Kibum behind him.


"So?" Taemin asks, scooping a spoonful of ice cream into his mouth. They're sitting on opposite sides of a booth, sharing a large sundae.

Kibum on his spoon for a second, "We kissed."

Taemin pauses in scooping some more ice cream, "Who kissed?"

"Me," Kibum giggles, "and Minho."

"What?!" Taemin shouts. Kibum shushes him loudly. "Um, that's great, yeah, great."

"Isn't it?" Kibum says dreamily. "I thought he liked Yuri."

Taemin gulps because he knows Minho does. "How did it happen?"

"It was break and we were the only two in the bathroom," Kibum begins. "And then he mentioned that you said something about me liking him and I confirmed it." Taemin listens intently to the older boy. "Then I told him that if he had a problem with it to get over it," Kibum pauses and giggles. "We stared at each other for a couple minutes and then he leaned in. He leaned in! He kissed me! That means something, right?!"

"Wow," Taemin mutters and falls back in his seat.

"Yeah, I know. Wow."

"What happened afterwards?"

"The bell rang and we both ran to class."

"Have you talked to him about the," Taemin has a hard time saying the word, "kiss yet?"

"No," Kibum scoops a small spoonful of ice cream into his mouth. "I ran to the middle school to get you when school ended."

"Hyung," Taemin thinks aloud.

"Yeah?" Kibum asks, eyes trained on the melting sundae.

"Um, congratulations."

"Thanks, Tae-ah," Kibum looks up and gives Taemin a one-hundred watt smile.

Taemin feels his heart stop beating at the smile.

-

Kibum's crying, no, Kibum's sobbing.

"Hyung?" Taemin steps out onto his porch to pull the completely-drenched Kibum into a hug. Kibum wraps his arms around Taemin and starts wailing. "What happened?"

The rain is pouring down but Taemin can only hear Kibum's cries. "I hate him, Taemin. I hate him. I don't want to see him ever again."

"Who's 'he'?" Taemin asks, even though he has a pretty good idea.

"You want to know what he said?" Kibum mumbles into his shoulder. "He said that he isn't gay. That's his reason. Because he's not gay and I am."

"Kibum," Taemin says softly, unconsciously dropping the honorific. "I'm sorry." His heart is breaking in half along with the crying boy in his arms.


Taemin didn't know what that feeling was.

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HELLO~ quick update, no?

I hope you guys like this one!!! Also, school starts tomorrow and my birthday is tomorrow. What a horrible combination :(

OMG! I have subscribers for this story. Thank you so much. It means a lot to know that people are actually reading this piece of crap ;_;

I don't reply to you individually but please know that I read EACH AND EVERY SINGLE ONE of your comments and that I die a little EVERY SINGLE TIME I DO. Thank you all so much /ninety-degrees bow

<333

-hanny