WARNING: SWEARING AND VAGUE MENTIONS OF...ADULT THINGS.

LMAO, but no, seriously. I would rate this chapter as PG-16? As opposed to previous chapters which are G to PG. Well, I think anyway. I'm not good with ratings OTL

Best Friend - fourteen&sixteen;

Taemin finds a name for the feeling in his last year of middle school.


Minho is moving.

It's a couple of weeks before school starts and Minho's family is moving. It's the day of the move and Minho gives them both a tight bear hug. Taemin has tears in his eyes and Kibum is crying. Before they drive away, Minho pulls Kibum out of view. When they come back, Minho is also crying. Kibum later tells him that Minho had apologized for everything and given him one last kiss. A bittersweet kiss.

-

"Tae-ah, I think I'm going to do it."

Taemin looks up from his homework. Kibum is sitting on his bed, a pillow trapped between his chest and pulled-up legs.

"Do what?"

"Come out."

Taemin blinks, "Oh."

"Yeah."

"What will happen then?" He abandons his homework and climbs onto his bed to sit in front of Kibum.

"I don't know," Kibum grabs Taemin's hand. "I'm scared."

"Don't be, hyung. I'll always be by your side, okay? Always," Taemin moves to sit beside Kibum and pull him into a hug.

-

Kibum's parents are shocked but understanding and they let him stay.

Taemin is relieved and even happier to know that his parents are fine with it. They watched Kibum grow up and nothing can stop them from loving him as their own son.

But Kibum. Kibum is a whole other story. He's different now. He's distant and cold and not the same warm and bubbly Kibum that Taemin grew up with. His heart is hurting again but this time, he's hurting alone.

-

Taemin meets a girl. She's new and she's extremely cute. Her name is Jieun. They exchange numbers and Taemin finds himself texting her constantly.


"Your smile is blinding me, Tae-ah," Kibum teases. They're sitting in Kibum's living room, watching a horror movie.

Taemin lowers his phone and stares at Kibum, puzzled. "What?"

"You two should go out. I've seen her and you match."

Taemin blushes, "Uh, thanks?"

"Are you going to ask her out?" Kibum asks.

"Well, since you mentioned it," Taemin answers unsurely, "maybe?"

"It's about time you stopped being single!" Kibum says with a smirk, eyes glued to the TV.

"Hyung!"

-

They've been dating for two months and Taemin is fixing himself up for their anniversary date. Kibum is helping.

"Aw, look at you all dressed up and fancy," Kibum coos.

Taemin scoffs, "I'm wearing jeans and a t-shirt, hyung. This is hardly fancy."

"It's fancier than your everyday wear," Kibum retorts and belly flops onto Taemin's bed. His phone vibrates on Taemin's desk and he demands for Taemin to hand it to him.

Jinwoon <3

"Who's Jinwoon?" Taemin asks, being nosy.

Kibum gives him a look, "Well, Mr. Nosy-pants, Jinwoon is my boyfriend."

"Oh? Since when?" Taemin is shocked. Kibum hadn't mentioned getting a boyfriend recently.

"Last month."

"Oh," Taemin turns back to his reflection and fixes a strand of hair back into place.

"You should let me dye your hair. You would look good in light brown or maybe even blonde."

Taemin watches through the mirror as Kibum fiddles with his own recently dyed brown hair. "Maybe," he agrees. "Oh, I have to go pick Jieun up," he adds when he notices the time.

"Aw, too bad neither of us can drive. I would be more than happy to act as your chauffeur." Kibum lifts an invisible hat off his head and bows his head in Taemin's direction. "Anyway, let me walk you down like those prom movies."

"But girls are the ones that get walked down," Taemin objects and opens his bedroom door.

Kibum jumps off his bed and latches onto his arm. "Unless you want me to invade the poor girl's house and walk her down the stairs to you, shut up."

-

come over

Taemin squints and rereads the text from Kibum before groaning and tossing his head back onto his pillow. The two-word text had woken him up from his peaceful Saturday morning slumber. He gets up sleepily and stumbles around his room until he locates the door and is able to twist the doorknob to release himself from his room.

Fifteen minutes later, he's padding barefoot next door. Taemin raises his hand to knock and jumps when Kibum suddenly opens the door and pulls him inside.

"You hungry?" Kibum asks while dragging him into the kitchen.

"Sure," Taemin mutters absently, attention focused on the way Kibum is walking a little bit funny. He's about to ask the older boy about it when he's pushed down into a chair at the table. Kibum flies around the kitchen before setting a plate of pancakes down in front of Taemin.

"What's the occasion?" he asks and accepts the fork Kibum offers him.

"I can't make pancakes for my best friend?" Kibum asks while fixing himself a plate.

"You can but you never do," Taemin answers and pours syrup over his pancakes before digging in. Kibum settles in beside him. "Where are your parents?"

Kibum gives him a look while pouring syrup over his pancakes, "Tae-ah, it's six in the morning. Why would they be awake yet?"

Taemin chokes. "It's six?!" He hadn't bothered the check the time when he was getting ready as the sun was already up and he had assumed it was around nine or ten.

"Yes, baby."

"Why'd you wake me up if it's only six?!" Taemin whines and throws a tantrum in his chair.

Kibum gives him a glare before taking a small bite of his pancakes. "Now, is that any way to behave at the table, young man?" Taemin pouts. "Good, now finish your breakfast. I worked hard on it."

Taemin angrily stuffs his mouth with the rest of his pancakes, not bothering to take the time to taste them. He finishes and sits the rest of the time silently staring out the window, waiting for Kibum to finish his pancakes. Twenty minutes later, Kibum is finally done and angrily gathers their plates to dump in the sink. Taemin continues to pout at the table while Kibum cleans the kitchen and washes the dishes.

Once done, Kibum silently leaves the kitchen and stomps to his room. Taemin sits for five more minutes before getting up to follow the older boy.

Kibum is lying face down on his bed, face buried in his pillow.

"Hyun-"

"You are such an ungrateful little brat! I was up at five a.m. making you those stupid pancakes and you didn't even appreciate them! All my fingers are burnt and I am now an identity-less person because I have no more fingerprints but that doesn't matter because someone didn't get their stupid beauty sleep!" Taemin stands frozen in Kibum's doorway. "If you don't want me to care, then just tell me. I'll stop, I will."

"Kibum, I-"

"No! Don't say anything!" Kibum sits up and tears are flowing down his face. "I don't care if you don't care, I just need someone right now because, goddamnit, I messed up. I messed up bad and I-" Kibum hiccups once and Taemin moves to sit beside him, hand gently patting his back.

"What happened, Kibum?" Taemin says quietly. Kibum raises a hand to wipe his tears before turning to pull him into a hug.

"I slept with him, Taemin," Kibum explains, barely understandable. "I came home afterwards and he texted me at four in the ing morning to say that it's over, that we're over. Is that all I am, Taemin? A ? Is that all I'm worth?"

Taemin tightens the hug. "No, never, Kibum. You're priceless. You're worth everything to me, Kibum. Everything."

"Don't lie," Kibum's voice breaks.

Taemin feels his own tears coming out. "I'm not, Kibum. I promise."


"He was my first," Kibum whispers. They're lying side by side, facing each other on Kibum's bed. Taemin doesn't know what to say. "How are you and Jieun? Not as messed up as me and Jinwoon, I hope." Kibum looks up at Taemin from under his eyelashes when he receives no reply. "What's wrong, Tae-ah? Cat got your tongue?" he teases.

Taemin just stares at Kibum, wondering how he can still be so strong.

"Do I have something on my face?" Kibum self-consciously brings a hand up to cup his cheek. Taemin places his hand over Kibum's and moves it away from his lips before leaning in. Kibum moves back. "What are you doing?" he whispers.

Taemin doesn't answer and just looks at him in the eye for a long moment before closing the distance. Kibum's mouth is parted and he breathes warm air onto Taemin's lips. It's a innocent peck and Taemin pulls away shortly after.

"Why did you do that?" Kibum asks, tearing up again.

"Don't cry," Taemin says softly, thumb brushing over Kibum's cheek.

"Why?"

Taemin doesn't know how to answer so he decides to tease the older boy, "Because if you do, the last few hours that I've spent comforting you would go to waste. Also, my shirt is already wet enough from your previous waterworks."

Kibum smiles and punches Taemin in the arm gently. "Brat. Where'd my baby go?"

"I'm right here, hyung," Taemin whispers and pulls Kibum closer to him. He notices Kibum flinching at the honorific.

-

Taemin breaks up with Jieun the next day.

When Jieun and the people around him ask why, he says it's because it wasn't working out.

When Kibum asks him why, he says it's because of love. Kibum doesn't get it but he does and that's all that matters.


Taemin found a name for the feeling in his last year of middle school.

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Okay, now that you have finished reading, let's talk about some things, 'kay?

First of all, I know that I didn't write very realistically (or at all) about the hardships that Kibum went through because of his orientation, so please forgive me. It seems as if he had it all good and that everyone accepted him, but really, no, they couldn't and wouldn't have. But because I'm an not that deep of a thinker/writer, I can't write all of that. I'm sorry D: Please, please, please forgive me for sugar-coating everything. I honestly hate that part too. -.-

Sorry for the blinding red font, everyone. I just feel like this is a very important thing that I need to point out.

But now that that's done, let's talk about happier things: today's my birthday!!! WHOOP WHOOP! shamelessly promoting my aging

Also (this is very exciting for me, guise), I'VE FINISHED WRITING THIS. Now it's just a matter of editing and posting. curse you school

blahblahblah, I hope you enjoyed this update and until next time, my lovelies~

ADJSFJASKF!!! FORGOT TO SAY THIS: WAHH, THEY KISSED <3

-hanny