Best Friend - seventeen&nineteen;

Taemin is a high school senior when he joins Kibum in going against the norm.


"Oh my god, hyung. Tell me how you did it. Tell me how you graduated," Taemin whines and groans on Kibum's new bed in his new bedroom in his new apartment.

Kibum is sitting on the floor, folding empty boxes down. "I honestly don't know how I did it, but having you there helped, Tae-ah."

"I need another me in my life. If only I was born a twin," Taemin sighs in regret and Kibum throws a ball of wadded up tape at him.

"Stop being so cocky."

Taemin sits up and starts picking at the tape. "I can't believe you moved out."

"Well, believe it."

"Am I that bad? All my neighbors are running away from me," Taemin pouts.

Kibum sighs and sits down beside Taemin. "The Parks, well, they were old so the move was probably for the best, Minho moved because of his father's job, and I'm not running away, I'm just starting another chapter of my life."

"But you can do that there also."

"Actually, no I can't," Kibum claps his thighs once before getting up and gathering the folded boxes, "I'm an adult now, Tae-ah. I can't live with my parents anymore."

"What about me?" Taemin asks even though Kibum had already exited the room.

When he comes back, Taemin is still sulking on his bed. "I have a spare room, Tae-ah. It's yours when you're ready for it."

"...I'll think about it," Taemin says quietly, playing with a loose thread hanging from Kibum's new black sheets.

-

"How does it feel?" Taemin asks one day as he and Kibum are sitting in Kibum's apartment, watching Saturday cartoons.

"How does what feel?" Kibum asks, book in one hand and a cigarette in the other. He had never been able to shake off that habit.

"Um," Taemin hesitates, fiddling with the hem of his shirt.

"Spit it out, Tae-ah," Kibum sort of sing-songs, eyes glued to his book.

"Boys."

Kibum gives him a look over the glasses perched on his nose. "And what do boys have to do with feelings?"

"How does it feel to like boys?" Taemin spits out, eyes clenched shut. "I mean, instead of girls," he uselessly adds.

Kibum sighs quietly before laying his book down and pushing his glasses up. "It feels normal, I guess. I've never liked girls so I don't know. Why do you want to know all of a sudden?"

"No reason," Taemin quickly replies.

"Right," Kibum takes a puff. "I assume you are getting the hots for someone?"

"No!"

"I also assume it's that Jinki dude from your academy," Kibum adds before stubbing out the rest of his cigarette.

"It's not," Taemin denies because it's only partly true. The biggest reason being the boy sitting beside him.

"Ugh, why do you have such strange tastes?" Kibum asks with his face scrunched up.

"Don't remind me," Taemin says too quiet for the older boy to hear even though he's exactly who he is thinking of.

-

"Say what?" Kibum asks and cups a hand to his ear in Taemin's direction.

"I said I'm dating someone," Taemin repeats. Kibum drops his hand and nods, eyes going back to his plate of food.

"Is she pretty?"

Taemin pokes his stir-fried noodles with his fork. "It's a he."

"I knew it!" Kibum stands up from his seat excitedly before composing himself and sitting back down. "Ahem," he clears his throat, "anyway, who?"

"...Jinki."

"I knew it!" Kibum repeats his words and action. "I mean, that's adorable."

"You think so?"

Kibum nods absently before looking at Taemin. "Be careful, Tae-ah. I don't want you to get hurt."

"I won't."

"Good baby." Kibum opens his arms and Taemin leans over the table to accept the hug.


Taemin was a high school senior when he joined Kibum in going against the norm.

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short update today, everyone. the reason this is so short is because it's not even supposed to be a chapter D: but it has an important role so here it is~

alsooo, since I skipped TWO years, here's the showdown: Key graduated!!! Yay~

After his pep talk with Taemin, he got himself together and graduated~ I'm so proud of you, baby ;_;

Also, also, also, I made everything so chill and stuff when Key found out about OnTae but I think it's alright because Key IS his BFF so he SHOULD know by now that Taemin's not completely straight XD

So yeah, Taemin's now with Jinki. I didn't write about him telling his parents or anything so please forgive me for skipping over that very important part. (But they were okay with Kibum so I can only imagine that they will be as well with their own son)

BLAH BLAH BLAH. I HOPE YOU LIKE~

A LITTLE FUN FACT: I adore adore adore Taemin and Key in the ages seventeen and nineteen, respectively. Like, ugh, I don't even know why. I just love them and I always center my stories around those ages, well kind of. Just to give a visual, Taemin and Key were around 17&19 in 2010. Lucifer era~

OKAY BYE MY LOVELIES~

OMGOMGOMG EDIT: Key's personality in this story is going to be all over the place. Sometimes he'll be overexcited and fawn over Taemin like a mother and then other times he'll be nonchalant and distant. Please keep in mind what he has gone through and how it has affected him. He can't always be happy and cheerful but he's not always emo and indifferent either. ^^

-hanny