Taemin had found over an expanse of two days, the people who he was introduced at the party were actually in some of his classes. Why Taemin had failed to notice them was entirely his decision. He didn’t pay attention to anyone, let alone a few handsome and beautiful people all congregated in a colorful corner. And there excuse, with a shrug from Heechul: they had failed to notice him. Besides the red hair and rather fair appearance, Taemin wasn’t an outstanding individual. Sure he had a nice symmetrical face, but his presence was so faded and white washed that people would recognize him as merely a ghost.

But this was different.

When Taemin had walked in, wearing the clothes Key had laid out for him, consisting of a black beanie, dark skinny jeans, and another oversized sweater people actually turned heads. He wasn’t sparkling but he was something to be recognized. Onew approached him, smiling, “Good morning, Taemin-ah.”

Taemin looked up from his seat in the back, a bit surprised because no one took the effort to talk to him before. But when he saw Onew he instantly smiled, recognizing him immediately, “Good morning Onew-hyung.”

Onew smile waned before he sat on the desks next to Taemin, “So why don’t you hang over in our corner with Heechul and the others? Now that they know who you are, they want to know about you.”

Taemin smiled, apologetic, “Well, to be honest, I want to take proper notes without bothering of Heechul-hyung.”

Onew nodded in total agreement before sighing, “Well we can always count on seeing you at lunch than.”

Taemin didn’t need to say hay or nay to that because it was already established and Onew was blissfully walking away from him towards the colorful corner. Heechul had pouted at him before taking his seat. Now that he was recognized, for the past few days he’s been eating with the colorful corner. They were animated and spontaneous in the way that they communicated. They all laughed around the same time, and they all wore casual clothes that made them shimmer and noticeable despite the thousands of students that wandered around them.

But one of them that Taemin had decided stood out more than anyone in the colorful group was Minho.

He wore rather dark clothes but they always accentuated some handsome aspect of him. From the glasses, to the scarf, and the jeans that seemed to hug his legs that never ended. Taemin can confirm that since the meeting they stuck together rather instantaneously especially when Minho actually made an effort to contact him and meet up with him.

Taemin wondered what a colorful person like him would possibly want with an outcast like himself.

And here he was, again, sitting outside with the ‘Colorful People’ and their idle chitchat. Taemin wasn’t much for a talker but he listened sipping on his banana milk that he had bought from the vending machine.

The weather was pleasant, the sun hidden a bit by the rather thick clouds in the sky, the wind blowing coolly. Taemin was staring down at his boots, the straw chewed on, the bottle already crushed in by his rather small hands.

His mind lapsed in a sort of trance, his mind opening up into dreamland or his subconscious. He had imagined green pastures with blue skies and big white puffy clouds. He was standing in the middle of it, the wind blowing against the high grass like an ocean wave and Taemin had decided he had liked it here.

But than in the distance he saw a figure dressed in dark clothes standing towards the horizon. The clouds began to darken, the grass shriveled into black strings, and the heat became unbearable. It was hard to breath, and there was a pain searing, throbbing on his neck like it was burned.

I hate you

“Taemin-ah?”

Taemin jolted from his daydream, his breathing harsh. The weather had brightened and the sun was beating down on them as the wind blew sweetly. Standing before him was Minho with a rather concerned look on his face.

“Minho-hyung, uh good afternoon.”

Taemin was a little shaken. That was rather real that daydream, he could practically feel the heat, the air heavy with death as if it-

“...do you want to come?”

Taemin looked up, “What?”

Minho huffed, a smile on his lips before he grasped his thin wrists and tugged him, “Instead of asking, I’ll just take you there.”

“Hyung! What are you doing?” Taemin was struggling to keep up, his bag flailing around him helplessly.

Minho looked back at him, the sun seeming to shine from behind him as he smiled, “A secret place.”

That secret place was the college greenhouse, opened to the college students. Taemin was hesitant at the door gripping his bag as he peered at Minho, “This is the secret place?”

Minho nodded disappearing behind a vast amount of ferns and flowers that blossomed before appearing farther back, “Secret only because no one ever visits here, save for the caretaker.”

Taemin was idling. Minho looked back, his eyes unreadable before asking, “Come with me, Taemin-ah. The plants aren’t going to bite.”

There it was. That sensually toned voice that seemed to lure him and appear trusting. Taemin took a step and pushed forward. While looking around he realized that the greenhouse was perhaps thirty feet in height, and the amount of plants and their growth was so overwhelming he couldn’t help but get lost.

Taemin paused at a particular blue flower which seemed to glow when the sun rays didn’t hit it directly. It reflected against his eyes and he reached out to touch the petals.

“They’re called Glory-the-Ice Warrior.” Minho’s voice was a whisper besides him.

“The Ice Warrior?”Taemin looked at the older male whose face seemed to daze.

“Glory of the Ice Warrior. The legend goes that an Ice Prince, ruler of winter season, was given these flowers by his close friend, and despite the harsh winter and devastating moods that affected his ice kingdom, it did not wilt or die. The Ice Prince treasured these more than anything else.”

“Did you know the Ice Prince?”

Minho’s eyes widened when he looked at the youth. His red hair and pale skin glowing against the backdrop of greens and the sun.  Minho shook his head, his gaze back on the flowers, “There’s no way that I would. The Ice Prince is just a fairytale anyway, Taemin-ah. Besides, Amber knows about it more than I do.”

Taemin looked back at the flower, it’s petals before confessing, “If I were the Ice Prince, I think I would treasure them too.”

Minho watched him.

=-=

When Taemin had gotten home it was already past six and the sun was dimly lit in the horizon. His grandmother was making dinner.

He poked his head and murmured, a slight bow, “Good afternoon, grandma.”

She looked up and nodded her small head, “Taemin-goon, you’re home. How was school?”

He smiled placing his bag down and heading into the kitchen, “It was okay, the same as always.”

She smiled nodding her head. Taemin washed his hands already preparing to help her in the kitchen like he always did. He cut the ingredients that she had laid out, as she began to stir the pot. A good time of the cooking was spent like this, before she asked, peering into the pot, “Taemin-goon has been coming home a lot later than usual. Do you have a girlfriend now?”

Taemin’s blanched a sprinkle of color on his cheeks before he whined, “I-I don’t have a girlfriend.”

She chuckled, her small eyes twinkling, “Than, a boyfriend perhaps?”

Taemin stared at her as his face redden, before confessing, “It’s a friend, grandma! Just a friend!”

“Oh, a friend is it? How boring.”

Taemin openly gaped at her before flushing.

“Well, is he nice?”

Taemin stared down at the chopped ingredients, a flash of Minho’s smile bombarding his senses and he nodded, “He’s nice. Really nice. And he’s cool to. Way cool.”

Taemin pursed his lips before grumbling, “I don’t know why he likes to hang out with me though.”

Silence flittered through the air before his grandmother rested her small hand on his arm, “You should invite him to dinner one day. I’d like to meet your friend.”

Taemin bit his lip before nodding, “Hn.”

She smiled an eye smile before turning away and waddling to the pot.

“Taemin-goon, set the table for me.”

When dinner was finished and Taemin had finished cleaning up he took a glass of water to his bedroom. He sat on the floor of his room and stared at the glass that seem to shimmer in the moonlit night. He flicked his finger upwards, and with little effort the water shot up from the glass and solidified, leaving a mini mountain of jagged crystals.

He bit his lip as he moved his finger and the crystals liquefied and fell into the glass again. He touched the glass and it frosted. He stared down at it and noticed he made ice cubes. A smile graced his lips before he stood up and set the glass on his desk.

When he closed his eyes, he remembered the time he spent with Minho that afternoon.

“Do you believe in it?” Minho asked him, when they walked out the greenhouse.

Taemin looked up at him, “Believe in what?”

“Fairy tales.”

Taemin looked away, perhaps at the sky before shoving his hands in his pockets, “Well, fairy tales come from some basis of truth doesn’t it? At least the main parts.”

When he looked at Minho, he was chuckling. Taemin cocked his head to the side, “Hyung?”

“Sometimes, Taemin, you say some weird stuff.”

Taemin flushed, clearly put out, “Eh! I’m not weird; you’re the one that’s weird.”

Minho voice was deep, “Oh, how so?”

Taemin rubbed his arm, clearly embarrassed, “You’re a person who’s absolutely perfect, and you’re opting to hang out with me. All the time.”

Taemin whole body stiffened when he felt Minho’s arm snake around him pulling him close before the heat of his mouth greeted his ear, “It’s because I want to.”

Taemin shuddered, “W-Why though…”

Minho pulled away all too quickly. They stood before each other, but Taemin couldn’t look at his face.

“You would run away, if I told you.” Minho confessed.

Taemin looked up to see a flash of an unreadable emotion in Minho’s eyes before he grinned. A mask, Taemin thought.

“Come on I’ll take you home. You take the train right?”

Taemin nodded.

Taemin sighed staring out his bedroom window, his eyes sad, and murmured, “Why would I want to run away?”

A/N:  Hello guys and new subscribers! Great apologies for being absent on here. But literally living in a hospital worrying over a family member that was suppose to be visiting for happy times and sunshines distracts me from everything else.

But no worries!

I'll update as soon as I can. I usually update my status on here, saying if I'm going to update later tonight or tomorrow ecetera.

Also the flowers that were mentioned earlier do exist although they are called Glory-of-the-Snow. Beautiful things, really.

Please comment and review for any mistakes. You're awesomeness is greatly appreciated! :D