“Kibum. What’s this.”

Key looked up with bleary eyes over his coffee as his mother slid something across the breakfast table at him. He groaned when he saw what it was. His assignment that he had thrown away that had a huge fat C- on it. He should have known his mother would have found it.

“Kibum, you need to study more. How could you have gotten such a low mark? Your father and I expect so much more of you. You need to stop playing around and focus on your studies. This is important. You know that you're in a community college to get your grades up to get into a better college.How are you going to get a good job if you don’t study well now?”

Key groaned inwardly and rolled his eyes. The good grades lecture again. And she had told his father. Great.

“You need to try harder.”

“I am. You don’t need to keep reminding me, I know.” I’m trying the hardest I can but you wouldn’t even know how hard. All you know is how to lecture, you don’t know what it’s like to be me.

“Well, you’re not doing well enough. Stop being lazy and slacking off. You already slacked off so much in high school Why are you being like this? Is it because you’ve met someone? You shouldn’t be dating when you should be concentrating on your studies.”

Don’t tell me I’m not doing well enough. You’re my mother. Aren’t you supposed to encourage me instead of calling me lazy? Maybe ask me if I’m stressed? And when else am I supposed to meet someone. I’m 19, time is ticking. I’m nearly 20.

“Umma, I know. I’m sorry. It won’t happen again.”

“Kibum. You’re at an age where we can’t punish you. But your father and I moved to America so you could get a good education, and you will. You need to study harder.”

I always do and you never care, but of course when it’s the other way around you just have to jump on it. Why do I even bother.

“I will.”

Key wondered if his mother knew just how hard it was for him to bite his tongue and not argue back. But truth of the matter was, he was still living under their roof and didn’t have enough money to move out, and couldn’t afford to get kicked out.

“What do you think of Taemin?” he asked neutrally.

“Taeyeon’s nephew?” asked his mother, looking up excitedly. Oh no, she always looked like this when she had gossip.

“I felt so sorry for him when he ran out crying. But I hear he’s not a good boy. Haena’s umma told me that Taemin broke a window and was suspended, because Haena goes to his school. She said he was bad at classes too, not very smart and naughty. He’s a bad boy.”

“He’s not that bad,” said Key.

“Don’t hang around him Key, he’s bad news.”

Don’t call my boyfriend bad news.

“Taemin… Taemin..”

Taemin bolted upright in his seat, startled out of sleep. When he saw Onew’s concerned face in front of him he shielded his eyes, trying to come back to the world.

He had dreamt of his room. Not his room in America, but his one back in Korea.  It had been so real. Everything was there. His clothes on the floor, his school work all over his desk, pictures he and his friends had drawn and funny Korean comics tacked up on his walls. Everything. Everything was there, and it felt so real. And then a furry brown ball had run into his room and it had been Eve and he started petting her and she felt so soft that it couldn’t have been a dream.

He had thought it was real. Honestly, he had believed it.

But no. He had been rudely awakened to the hub of his English class, his empty exercise book in front of him as he sat in the back of the room with no one near him. Lacey had started sitting at e front of the class on the opposite side. He didn’t blame her, even he had thought he had been unnecessarily cruel to her. But everyone else was too scared to sit near him.

“Want to go to the nurses office and sleep? It’s lunch next, and you’ve been stressed lately. Taemin, you can go rest if you want,” said Onew kindly.

Taemin shook his head. This was his first day back at school since Taeyeon had thought it was a good idea if Taemin stayed home for a couple of days.

“Are you sure?” asked Onew, noting how Taemin still looked dazed. Taemin nodded his head, and looked so sad that Onew would not have been surprised if he had started crying. Of course Onew had a soft spot for Taemin and gave him special treatment, so he slipped him the piece of candy he had grabbed from his bag when he had seen Taemin asleep on his desk amidst the loud noise, feeling sorry for his little nephew in law. It always made him feel bad to see him sitting at the back of the class with people obviously avoiding him.

“Okay,” he said, patting his head as he walked back up to the front of the class, and Taemin unwrapped the candy and popped it in his mouth.

He pulled out his phone.

Key Key Key. I am sad, he typed out in English and sent.

Taemin Taemin Taemin. Why why why? I will make you feel better. It will be okay! read Key’s message a few seconds later.

“Taemin, put that phone away,” said Onew from the front of the class. “Next time I see it, it’s mine.”

I wish it was lunchtime already so I could talk to you :(   typed out Taemin, trying to shield his phone with his textbook.

Just wait a while longer and then we can talk :) xx How is English going? If I was there I would give you a big hug <3

“Taemin.”

Taemin looked up to see Onew striding towards him, and the eyes of the class on him. He hated Onew’s teacher mode. Why couldn’t he be nice to him all the time. He looked all serious and stern as he reached the front of Taemin’s desk, his palm outstretched.

Taemin used to never get in trouble back in Korea. He only got in trouble here. He wished the teachers would just leave him alone and let him do what he wanted.

“Give me your phone, please.”

Taemin shook his head, curling his fist around his phone. No way was he surrendering it willingly. Onew would have to fight for his phone if he wanted it.

“Give me your phone, and I’m only going to ask one last time. Give it to me. You can get it at the end of class.”

Taemin still shook his head, clutching his phone in his hand on his lap.

“Detention,” said Onew.

I wish you were here to give me a hug too, sent Taemin when Onew turned his back.

Minho and Jonghyun exchanged looks as they saw Key smiling at his phone as they sat in the cafe.

“Who are you texting?” asked Jonghyun.

“No one,” said Key.

Minho reached over and snatched Key’s phone from his hands, scowling when he saw who he had been texting.

“Key. Please don’t tell me you’ve forgiven Taemin,” he said bluntly.

“Taemin?” questioned Jonghyun. “Don’t, Key! Why are you doing this?”

“He apologised, and said it was a mistake, and I forgave him,” said Key. “And what does it matter to you. Give me my phone back.”

“Uh- maybe because we caught him cheating on you? Not with a boy, but with a girl? He wasn’t just mocking everything about you Key, he totally broke your heart. Or do you not remember?” asked Minho as he handed back the phone.

“Yeah, well he didn’t mean it,” said Key. “He was just confused. He hasn’t had that much experience. He doesn’t really know if he’s gay.”

“Well, we’re your best friends, and we don’t approve,” said Jonghyun. “Taemin is a . He hurt you Key, and he doesn’t deserve all the love you give him. You have to be stupid to go back to him. And so quickly!”

“Don’t talk about my boyfriend like that,” said Key. “I know you don’t like him, but I really do. And he’s mine. So if you keep talking about him like this in front of my face then I won’t be there to hear it. It’s Taemin’s lunchtime. I’m going.”

Key grabbed his coat and bag and started to leave.

“Key, we have a lecture! Where are you going? You can’t miss this one,” said Minho, trying desperately to make him stay. “It’s important for our exam.”

“I’ll just look at it online,” said Key, shrugging and walking out. Sad Taemin was more important.

“Where do you think you’re going?” asked Onew as Taemin tried to walk out, grabbing his arm to stop him. “You have detention with me.”

“Hyung, it’s lunch, I have to meet someone,” whined Taemin trying to pull away.

“No, you’re staying with me. Detention doesn’t go away because you want it to Taemin.”

Onew locked the door and Taemin was shocked, repeatedly trying the handle to see if it was true. “Let me out hyung!” he cried. “I have to meet someone. I have to. They’re expecting me!”

“You should have thought of that before you pulled your phone out. Sit down and rest Taemin, feel lucky I’m soft on you and not forcing you to write lines and clean the whiteboard.”

“Let me out, let me out, you can’t do this to me!” demanded Taemin. He needed to see Key. Key would make him feel better. He wanted to get out. And he didn’t want Key to think he had stood him up. He wanted to see Key!

“I can, and I will,” said Onew calmly, sitting on his desk and pulling out his lunch.

“Hyuuuung,” cried Taemin, sliding down the door physically. He had to get out. Maybe he could fake needing the bathroom.

“Hyung, I need to pee,” he said. “Please.”

“Are you telling me the truth Taemin?” said Onew, looking at him in the eyes. “Don’t lie to me.”

Taemin hated lying. He didn’t like doing it. He was against being fake, so he hated lying. He couldn’t bring himself to contradict his beliefs so he didn’t answer, burying his face in his hands. Key was going to have hurt feelings again wasn’t he? He just needed to see him so badly.

“I need to meet someone. I have to.”

Onew knew Taemin was talking about Key. He didn’t like the sounds of this relationship. Whoever Taemin was so hung up on was hurting Taemin majorly. Key sounded like he had an enormous amount of power over Taemin. In a way Onew was glad he had found an excuse to stop Taemin seeing Key, but he knew Taemin wouldn’t see it that way.

“He’s going to be so..” whispered Taemin to himself.

“So what Taemin?” asked Onew, worried. He knelt down in front of Taemin. “So what? If he’s a good friend, he’ll understand.”

Onew frowned as he saw Taemin shake his head in his hands.

Taemin saw on his phone it was nearly one. Oh my god, he really needed to get out of here. Who cared about lying, anything to get what he wanted.

“I need to go to the bathroom, please hyung,” he pleaded. “Please.”

“Taemin, I bet you’re going to run off the second I open this door,” said Onew.

“Hyung, you can come with me, I think I’m going to be sick, please,” said Taemin. “Please, I need to go the bathroom. I don’t feel well.”

“I can come with you?” asked Onew. If Taemin wanted him to come, maybe he really was sick.

Taemin nodded, looking so sad that Onew wondered if something really was bothering Taemin to the verge of him getting sick. He wondered if that something was Key. Was not meeting Key really this scary for Taemin?

“Need help getting up?” asked Onew.

Taemin wordlessly accepted Onew’s help, letting him pull him to his feet. Onew didn’t let go of his wrist as he unlocked the door.

Now was his chance.

Taemin bought the hand that was being held by Onew and bit down hard as he could on Onew’s hand.  Onew cursed and Taemin felt his fingers let go of his wrist. He tasted blood before he let go and dashed down the hallway.

Taemin ran toward the familiar figure as fast as he could, jumping up as he reached the person.

“Whoa,” laughed Key as Taemin jumped on him, propping up Taemin’s as he felt Taemin’s legs go around his waist. “What’s wrong, my love?” he cooed. “What’s wrong with my aegi..”

Taemin nestled his face into Key’s neck, already feeling comforted by his smell as he closed his eyes. Key started walking and he let him carry him to a more secluded part of the park.

Key sat down with Taemin in his lap, still making reassuring noises and hugging him, trying to make Taemin feel better. Taemin smiled and squeezed Key, and was happy to feel Key squeezing back. He felt a lot relaxed and comfortable with Key ever since they had slept together. He felt like Key had seen everything about him now, so there was no use trying to hide anything.

“I had a dream.. where I was back at my old room in Korea and it was so real. It really threw me off balance.” He explained. “But I got the hug that I needed. I’m so glad I got here.”

“What do you mean?” asked Key, kissing Taemin.

“I was in detention, but I bit Onew hyung and ran here,” said Taemin.

“You bit your Onew hyung?” asked Key disbelievingly.

“Yup,” he said, kissing Key’s cheek. “It was worth it.”

“I’m so flattered,” said Key. “That I have a dog as a boyfriend.”

Key laughed as Taemin made whimpering sounds and the side of his face.

“Cutie,” he cried, rocking them back and forth.

“Aren’t you afraid you’re gonna get in trouble?” asked Key.

“No,” said Taemin. “Seeing you was going to make me happy. I do things that make me happy. Other people may not like it, but in the end, I’m the one that’s happy and they’re the ones that are unhappy. I don’t really care, as long as I’m okay.”

“Wow,” said Key. “That sounds incredibly selfish.”

“I care about you too now hyung,” said Taemin looking startled. “Now, I want to make sure you are happy, even if it means others aren’t. And I was scared that if I didn’t turn up then you might feel bad. So if it means Onew has to feel some pain, then so be it. I would rather him be mad and you happy than the other way around.”

“Hmmm, thanks,” said Key, running his hands up and down Taemin’s waist. “I don’t know whether to be happy or disturbed.”

“Be happy hyung,” said Taemin snuggling into him. “Because it means that I will do anything to make you happy.”

“You have a busy little brain,” said Key, playing with his hair.

“A selfish little brain,” said Taemin dreamily. “A stupid, rude, horrible little brain.”

“I didn’t mean it like that,” said Key shocked. “Don’t talk about yourself like that.”

“But that’s what I am hyung,” said Taemin. “I am stupid and selfish and rude and horrible. I can say that about myself, so I don’t care when others say it to me.”

“Baby, you’re not. From what I see you’re just protecting your heart. It’s like you have a little armour around yourself, and you really don’t want to be upset or sad, and freak out when you do. You’re not that bad. You have such a bad view of yourself.”

“I am bad,” said Taemin softly. “But its true. Whenever people call me names I just… pretend I’m bulletproof. And when you think about it more, it’s like it’s true. It’s like reflecting off me… and bouncing on to the person. Because how can they call me horrible when they are being horrible to me…”

“Who’s been calling you names?” asked Key fiercely, hugging him protectively. “I’ll beat them up.”

“No one, “ laughed Taemin. “But in elementary I had a hard time. Pretending I had an armour got me through.”

“Aww,” said Key, kissing his nose. “You don’t have to do that now baby. You have me.”

Taemin smiled and leaned in to kiss his boyfriend.

Onew looked at his hand with a bandage on it, sighing.

“So he bit you?” asked Taeyeon again.

“Yes,” said Onew.

They both started giggling at the weird situation.

“Oh, as much as that is funny, he’s in a lot of trouble,” said Taeyeon as she chopped carrots.

“He still needs to do a detention. Such a difficult kid,” said Onew. “I don’t think the situation with Key is helping him at all. I think most of his problems stem from that.”

“I know,” said Taeyeon. “I have to ban him from seeing Key. He’s going to hate me, but it’s for his own good and safety.”

“I think you need to,” said Onew, rubbing Taeyeon’s back. “I don’t want to see Taemin in contact with someone like Key. He’s just a child, and so lost, and this Key is manipulating him.”

“Speak of the devil,” said Taeyeon, staring through the kitchen window seriously.

Onew could see Taemin and who must be Key walking hand in hand down the street. Key was quite handsome and really thin, just like the first time he saw him. He felt himself boiling with rage when he thought about how Key was hurting Taemin.

“Bye Taemin.”

“See you hyung.”

Onew saw Key hug Taemin before they started kissing softly. He might have thought it was cute it wasn’t his little nephew and someone who was manipulating him.

“Kibum!”

Key and Taemin both broke the kiss as they were interrupted by Key’s furious mother.

“Kibum, what did I tell you this morning?”

“Umma, calm down,” said Key. “I was kissing my boyfriend goodbye.”

“Boyfriend?” she screeched. “Why Kibum? Why him?”

“Umma, not in front of Taemin-“ he tried to say.

“I thought I told you he was bad news, “ continued his mother like Taemin wasn’t there. “He’s a bad kid. Come inside Kibum. Let go of him.”

“Umma-“

“Taemin-ssi. Be so kind and let go of my son.”

When Taeyeon had seen Key’s mother come out her eyes had widened. But when she heard what she was saying she ran out of the house, livid, light brown hair streaming behind her followed by Onew.

“Don’t talk to my nephew like that!” she yelled.

“Taeyeon-ssi, I thought your nephew would be well behaved. Clearly I was wrong! I hear all sorts of rumours about him. He broke a window at his school on purpose didn’t he? You need to teach him better, because his bad ways are influencing my son too!”

“Taemin isn’t a bad kid! He’s been through so much! And he has nothing to do with Key. Key’s older isn’t he? He should be able to take care of himself. Don’t you dare yell at my nephew!” said Taeyeon.

Both the women were red in the face and Onew tried placing a calming hand on Taeyeon’s arm. He looked at Taemin, who was wrapped up in Key’s arms still, his eyes closed as they argued.

“Bulletproof,” whispered Key into his ear. “I’m your armour. They’re reflecting off me, not you. We’re bulletproof.”

“Well, it might be to do with the way you’re looking after him. He must be picking up your morals. You’re a single woman living by yourself and your boyfriend comes by and parks his car throughout the night and leaves in the morning. You’re not even married. What Taemin must be learning in your house-“

Just as Onew was going to yell back, he was beaten to it by Taemin.

“You’re pathetic,” said Taemin calmly, looking Key’s mother straight in the eye, shaking his head. “Really sad. This is how you get your kicks? By insulting my noona and I? Wow, you really have a nice life. Do you get some sort of satisfaction from insulting others? Because if the only way you can feel happy is by making others unhappy, then you need to look into your own life instead of looking into my noona’s and mine. Don’t you dare judge my noona. I bet you feel so good, talking bad about an orphan. Leave noona alone!”

Key’s mother looked shocked, opening and closing as she clearly didn’t know what to say.

“Kibum. In the house.”

“Bye babe,” said Key, kissing him on his cheek and smiling apologetically. “Sorry. Tonight,” he whispered in Taemin’s ear.

Taemin nodded and kissed him back before watching him leave.

Taemin, Taeyeon and Onew sat on the couch.

“I can’t believe that woman! I’ve been living next to her for 2 years and I always thought she was nice. What a !”

“I’m sorry I didn’t do anything,” said Onew. “I didn’t want to get in between when I didn’t know her. But they seem like a dysfunctional family.”

“They’re just really protective of Key. And it’s okay, because I have my brave guy here, don’t I?” said Taeyeon, smiling and hugging Taemin. “Thank you for sticking up for me, sweetie,” she said, kissing his forehead.

“That’s okay noona,” Taemin said shyly. “It’s because well… I know we’ve only known together for three months but..you know. I.. like you a lot.”

“Aww, I know what you mean sweetie. I like you so much too,” she said, hugging him. “Can I see your phone for a second Taemin?” she asked.

Confused, Taemin handed her his phone.

“This is mine until this time next week because you bit Jinki. And you are banned from seeing Key, understood? I’m not going to let him hurt you. And Jinki isn’t either. So you are banned from going to see him at lunchtime. If you don’t listen to me, then I’m going to have to take more drastic measures.”

Taemin gaped. He was being punished???

“Apologise to Jinki, Taemin.”

“Will I get my phone back and allowed to see Key?”

“Apologise to Jinki first.”

“I’m sorry, Onew hyung,” he said. He didn’t mean it. “I won’t bite you again. Can I have my phone back now?”

“No,” said Taeyeon.

“This isn’t fair!” yelled Taemin. “I helped you! Why are you punishing me?”

Taeyeon kissed him on the forehead. “That’s your reward,” she said. “And you are getting punished because you bit Jinki. And banning you from Key is for your own safety, sweetie.”

“For the last time, he doesn’t hurt me!” he yelled. “And you can’t stop me from seeing a person! You can’t make me have detention every day and stop me from having lunch!”

“No,” said Taeyeon. “But I can move us, and you will have to follow by law, Taemin. I’m not going to stay here if you’re going to keep getting hurt. I’m not even sure living next door to him is a good idea. You’re so afraid of him sweetie, and you don’t even see it. So listen to me Taemin. If I find out you are seeing Key, we are moving away. I’m not risking your safety.”

“Please don’t make us move noona! I just got here I don’t want to move again!”

Taeyeon had not considered how traumatised Taemin might be for moving. “I don’t want to move us sweetie, but I will if I have to,” she soothed, rubbing his back. “And we won’t, if you promise you won’t see Key again.”

After a moment’s silence, Taemin sighed. “I promise,” he said quietly, and ran up the stairs to his room.

Taemin could hear Onew and Taeyeon discussing whether they were being too harsh on Taemin and if he was okay by himself and whether they should check up on him. To be honest, he  didn’t care that he had been banned from seeing Key at lunchtime. He would still see Key every night.

Plus. Did Taeyeon think that a cellphone was going to keep him and Key apart? It was called Facebook. He logged on and waited to see when Key was going to come online. He buried underneath his covers, angry at Taeyeon and wondering how he was going to make them see that Key was good.

He heard heavy footsteps outside his door and covered his head with his sheets with a groan. It had to be Onew hyung. Well, this wasn’t going to be awkward.

“Taeminnie?” he heard Onew ask tentatively through the door.

“Taemin,” Onew repeated again as he let himself in, and Taemin felt the bed dip as Onew sat on it. Why did Onew act so familiar with him? It wasn’t like they were friends or family.

“Taemin, are you okay?”

Taemin didn’t answer.

“I know you’re probably upset, and Taeyeon told me not to bother you, but I need to get something off my chest. “

Taemin waited, huffing with impatience. This was a waste of his time. He stared at the white cotton sheet, and he was surprised when Onew gently pulled the sheet down.

“You guys had , didn’t you.”

It wasn’t a question.  Taemin could feel his face fall and his stomach drop and twist. How did Onew know? This was horrible! How did he know, how did he know??

“How..how..” he stuttered.

“I saw you limping and how you were wincing, and the way you were lying down. I’m not an innocent, Taemin. Did he force you? Did he hurt you like that too? You can tell me.”

Taemin felt his mouth hanging open. This was not happening! ”I, I-“

“Did he hurt you?”

“No!” Taemin screeched. “No! I had because I wanted to, okay? It just happened! It’s not a big deal-“

“Yes it is,” said Onew seriously. “Taemin, you’re a schoolkid who’s only been here for a few months! is something you should do with someone you love. You don’t even know him! Were you guys safe?”

“Yes,” snapped back Taemin. “This is none of your business hyung! And I do know him. Sure, I wasn’t planning on doing it so early, but it just happened, I can’t rewind time. No matter how many times I think about it, or if I regret it, it’s not going to change anything. It was fine. I like him so much hyung, it doesn’t even matter that I don’t know everything about him.”

“But you should,” said Onew. “You should.”

“Why do you even care?” hissed Taemin. “Go away and leave me alone,” he grumbled, pulling his covers over his face again.

“Because Taemin, I care about you.”

“You can’t say that.”

“Taemin…Taeyeon treats you like her little son so I can’t help seeing you like that too. I do care a lot about you Taemin, Taeyeon does so much as well. You heard how she would choose you over me. We both want to protect you, and I know it’s weird because we haven’t known each other for long but I am starting to…like you a lot.”

“Just because you like me doesn’t mean you have to care,” said Taemin snottily.

“I think we know the word I want to say,” said Onew softly.

“So why can’t you understand.. when I say that I like Key hyung. More than like. Because I know him better than I know you or Taeyeon. I just like being with him. I like him so much. He doesn’t hurt me, he doesn’t me. I wish you would stop thinking that, because it’s wrong.”

“Then where did you get those bruises? Why were you so upset?”

“One day I’ll tell you, but I can’t right now,” said Taemin. “I promise I will. Can you just leave now.”

“Such a problematic child,” Onew sighed. “It’s like you’re trying to convince the world you’re a bad when you’re really quite smart and thoughtful. I wish you would show it in class.”

“Stop it hyung!” Taemin protested as Onew started tickling him. “Go away!”

“Fine I will,”said Onew, and Taemin felt something soft push at his forehead through the sheets.

“Yuck! Did you just kiss me?” shrieked Taemin.

“From what I saw I thought you were fine with boys kissing you. Good night!”

A/N I feel like, because they're not in SHINee, that their characters seem so new. But it's already chapter 15 and I need the story to progress! 

I'm not getting any taekey feels from my story yet. I need to write in feels, and fast. Hopefully with a plot twist, I can write some feeellss!!

Tell me what you think and thanks for reading! :D :D <3