"Minho, what is this?" Jinki said, stopping his work shining a vase, "Wait, is that Taemin on your back?" He asked as he squinted his eyes into tiny slits trying to make out the figure from where he was standing. The head butler then stepped closer to find Taemin's face hidden under the jacket's hood. "What happened?" 

 

"We found the photo at the furthest shop in Seoul, and while we were there, Taemin collapsed. I think he caught a fever since he walked through the rain." Minho said as he hiked Taemin's sleeping body up his back. "Can you call Key-"

 

"No need, I'm already here! Oh, Jesus. He's soaking wet!" Kibum said as he walked up to Taemin and cradled his cheeks, "Minho, you should've brought him an extra jacket!" He yelled and kicked Minho lightly on the shin.

 

"Yah!" The idol yelled. 

 

"Don't 'yah' me and hurry to his bedroom. We need to change his clothes and get him some medicine. Jinki-hyung," The motherly young man called, "get some of the maids to come down and help. Tell them to bring some medicine as well."

 

"Will do," Onew said as he reached for his radio located in his holster. The man held down the black button on the device as he watched Kibum lead Minho down the hallway, "Jessica and Sunny, please come downstairs to Taemin's room; bring fever medication." He ordered and then looked to his side to find a trail of water that dripping from the soaking men. "Yoona, grab a mop and rags, then meet me in the lobby."

 

Entering the wrecked room, Kibum found a towel on the floor and sprawled it out over the bed sheets for the wet boy to lay on. Minho sat the ill Taemin on the edge of the mattress, and gathered Taemin into his arms; laying him down carefully. To his left, a fluffy blanket sat jumbled up in it's own pile. The idol picked it up and tucked Taemin in like he was a small child again.

 

"Wow, Minho, I'm impressed." Kibum said as he made to the desk chair and sat with his long leg crossed over the other.

 

"What're you saying?" Minho asked with a sassy attitude peeling his eyes away from Taemin's face for only a second.

 

"I'm saying, that ever since Taemin told you off, you've miraculously turned into a better person." The older said as-a-matter-of-factly. "And I'm worried about you, since you've been acting kinder to Taemin lately. Could it be-"

 

"Don't even say it!"

 

"-that you're gay for him?"

 

The two maids, Jessica and Sunny, had just entered the room when Kibum finished his last sentence. They both giggled as they walked in, each carrying a basket of various medication.

 

"What? Did you hear that?! No, wait thats not true-" Minho started before Kibum cut him off right away.

 

"Ah, thank you girls so much. Go through Taemin's drawers for pajamas and get him out of those clothes while I Minho out. Alright?"

 

"Yes." The maids said simultaneously. Jessica headed for the wardrobe and Sunny started ing Taemin's wet shirt as Key grabbed Minho's arm and started dragging him out by his soaking long sleeve.

 

"Wait, why do I have to leave when I'm a man as well?!" The idol wondered out loud as he latched himself to the doorframe by his fingers.

 

"Well we wouldn't want to get an while he's being undressed, now would we?" Key smirked and finally pried Minho's fingers from the wood frame and shut the door with a loud slam.

 

"?" He whispered to himself, "Excuse me?!" Minho yelled and punched the door multiple times screaming, "Yah, let me in so I can beat you up!"

 

Then came an eruption of laughter from inside, becoming more obnoxious whenever the man would threaten the workers. After a while, Minho gave up completely and posted himself up against the door, waiting to be accepted back in or for his manager to come out. For a while, things were unusually serene inside of the bedroom, until one voice was slightly audible to Minho's ears.

 

"Key, what we heard earlier, is it true?"

 

Minho tried to match the voice to it's owner and assumed that it was Sunny's.

 

"Yeah, it really seems that Taemin is changing Minho. Don't you think that it's a bit weird? I mean, he's been giving us all less work lately." The other womanly voice had said; most likely Jessica's. The idol was about to object again, but realized that it wasn't going to do any good. He wanted to hear what Kibum was going to say. His manager promised never to spread a rumor like that if Minho never told anybody about his crush, Jonghyun, but that was voided long ago.

 

"I'm really not sure, but it seems like it, right? Either way, I'm happy that Taemin came to straighten him out. It's better for him like this." The girls "ooh'd" together, which made them all giggle a bit. "Although, they do look good together, right?" He then said, with both of the girls agreeing.

 

Not enough work? So should I give them more, just so I can prove to them that I don't like Taemin?! He thought to himself with an incredulous face, and then cleared his mind again so that he could continue to eavesdrop.

 

"Not to be selfish or anything, but I really don't want to fertilize the garden tomorrow. I hope somebody will take the job away from me; it's so much hard work and I literally break my back!" Sunny whined. "There's so many steps to complete when doing that."

 

"But you know that you can't change your schedule unless Onew, Minho, or I assign your job to somebody else." Kibum said a bit louder than how the maid vocalized it. 

 

Hard work? Fine, if they think I'm going too easy on everybody, I'll show them who is boss. He thought. "Put me into place? That squirt never would, even in a million years." He scoffed before knocking on the wood behind him.

 

"Sunny?" Minho called." A familiar "Yeah?" replied to him. He was right about matching their voices to faces and names. "Don't worry about the garden; I'll get Taemin on that, first thing tomorrow."

 

An excited yell turned into a long groan, when Minho announced that her replacement job would be to clean all of the bathrooms in the house. "In fact, I'll be adding more chores to all of your schedules." He smiled with satisfaction when he heard even more whimpers from the girls inside. "Then, I'll see you all tomorrow morning!" With that, Minho fished the picture out of his pocket and slid it under the door, then started for his room.

 

"Looks like your girls' plan just backfired on you a bit." Kibum said to the girls as he noticed the photo and went to pick it up. The man unfolded it and set it on the nightstand next to the bed. He smiled softly at the picture, and then looked to Taemin when he started to the boy's knotted hair out of his eyes.
"Our group kind of expected it, but at least we got to our goal." Sunny said almost absent mindedly, reading the different labels of fever medication and choosing one in a red bottle.

"I seriously hope our plan goes right, or else we were granted ourselves more work than we already have." Said Jessica, who was at the foot of the bed, slipping a pair of socks over Taemin's feet. "There," she started with a quite accomplished attitude, "It was like playing dress up with dolls again." She laughed with her hands on her hips.

 

"Well I hope it goes well, too, because it will be hilarious to watch Taemin and Minho's reactions to everything." Key said as he held his hand out for the bottle of liquid medication. He read the label and directions over once, and then finally decided to treat the ill person.

 

"Taemin-ah," He cooed in a soft voice, "Taemin-ah?" The already drowsy boy started to stir in his sleep and soon popped his eyes open, smiling happily up at the familiar faces. Without a single problem, the sick worker took his medicine and fell back to sleep in a matter of minutes with nothing but the feeling of relief and joy.

 

~~~~~

 

There Taemin was. Once again embracing that dark-haired and white-winged male again. The tears rolling down his face were wiped away by Minho's thumbs, as the man leaned in for their foreheads to touch. "Taemin-ah," He said in a low voice, "Taemin, wake up!" The audio now seemed too loud for it to be in his dream.

 

"Yah, I have a lot for you to do today! You're lucky I let you sleep in because you were sick yesterday!" Minho's voice yelled and was followed by static right after. 

 

Taemin shook his head back and forth lightly, trying to keep the voice from invading his sleep. Unfortunately, it didn't work out because the man repeatedly called for him to get up and answer him. With his eyes still seeing nothing but darkness from the inside of his eyelids, he turned his head to where the sound was coming from; to his right side.

 

Why the is Minho in my room waking me up? No, why is he even in my room period? He thought to himself, too tired to even add anger into his conscience's tone.

 

Lazily the boy lifted his heavy eyelids to find his radio sitting on his sidetable. ing . The boy thought as he reached his right arm out of the wooly oven if his blankets and grabbed the device with a shaky hand. When he retracted his arm, he decided that his morning started off well with a mute greeting from his mother. But then suddenly questions flooded his mind, as he couldn't recall finding it at all. Was it just a dream? It couldn't be, because he distinctly remembers walking out in the rain and being picked up by Minho. 

 

His thinking and reasoning was momentarily postponed, changing his attention now to the speaking box that he held in his hand. Before speaking, Taemin yawned and raised both arms over his head, a sigh of pleasure escaping his lips. "The do you want?" Taemin said with no enthusiasm at all.

 

"Yah, that's no way to be talking to the person who carried you through town last night!" Minho shot back, "Hurry andcget up. It's already lunch time and you need your energy to recover and for the job I want you to do."

 

"What the hell? W-Who told you to pick me up and bring me home!" Taemin stuttered as he imagined the happenings from last night.

 

"Well what else could I do? You collapsed right in the store! I couldn't leave you, as much as I wanted to though because the ahjussi was right there. Trust me, you would've woken up somewhere else if you didn't faint in the place." Minho said with cockiness.

 

Taemin scoffed at that reply, knowing that Kibum would have never allowed that. The older has taken too much of a liking in him, for Minho just to leave him like that. Minho would have gotten for months if that ever happened.

 

"Whatever. That doesn't make sense! Why would I go to eat to energize my sick body, only to be wasting it on a chore hours later!" Taemin argued, trying to buy himself enough time for him to sleep in. Truth is, he felt fine. He wasn't lightheaded nor queasy, but just a bit drowsy from the drugs he had taken last night.

 

"Oh please; I bet you aren't even sick anymore. We only keep the strongest and highest quality meds in the house; the strongest fevers barely even last a day or two." Minho explained, "Now hurry, before I come to drag you out of bed and asign more work than I usually would."

 

Sick and tired of that annoying voice, Taemin switched off the radio to make sure that no connection would be held during his only time of peace. It's pretty sad how his only time for relaxing is changing in the morning as well as night, bathroom breaks, and in his sleep. (When he's not being haunted by Choi Minho) 

 

Just like routine, Taemin made no effort into quickening his pace no matter how late he may be. It was finally ten-to-fifteen minutes later when the worker was fresh, clean, and ready to take on the day. Excelt not really; he had no will power. But in another case, his body was.

 

Seeing that it was already lunch time, the long banquet table had been set just like every day, but with an extra plate located at the top of the table. Well who ever decided to sit there is going to get an earfull of Minho today. Taemin sighed, I hate yelling first thing in the morning- I mean afternoon?

 

Taemin peeled back his white sleeve and took a gander at his watch which read "12:20," the time that all of the workers gathered for lunch.

 

In small groups, they came through the doors and sat at their usual seats, including Taemin. All was normal; the boys sat in their group of four at the top of the table, while the remaining girls filld their spots. The intoxicating scent of the international food were literally calling for Taemin; making his tastebuds moisten with every inhale of the smells, but there was some odd reason that nobody had started eating yet. Taemin looked to Jinki who sat next to him, noticing how the man's eyes were drawn to the fried chicken; taunting him. 

 

Weird. Onew-hyung is usually the first to start eating, and then everybody digs in after him. That was when he noticed the empty seat at the curved tip of the table. I guess Hyoyeon miscounted again. Next, he looked across from him to see Jonghyun and Kibum happily conversing with each other; obvious blushes tinting their skin tone. Observing now down the rest of the table, Taemin saw that the girls were looking a bit suspicious with how they kept sneaking glances at him, but he ignored it. A full minute passed, and Taemin was close to speaking up when the door swung open and in walked the casual Choi Minho.

 

The room died down to a silence as Minho scooted himself in at the table and placed his napkin on his lap. "Go ahead everybody; eat." He said forking himself a slab of steak. Immediately, the workers attacked the serving platters like a bunch of cannibals who haven't eaten in years, leaving barely enough for Taemin to scoop onto his own plate. How can girls act so delicate, but then eat like it's as if their last chance ever? The younger man thought, as he shoveled a piece of pork and rice into his mouth. He then chuckled in his mind as he watched the girls eat nonstop.

 

Fifteen minutes had probably passed by then, but Taemin wasn't counting. Who could, when there was all of this scrumptious food inviting you for a taste? Just before people started slowing down and all together stopping, Minho had gotten everybody's attention and announced his leave. Well, their leave.

 

"Wonderful food. It was great dining with you all, but we will be leaving now. Come on, Taemin." Minho said as he pushed back his chair and headed for the door.

 

"What, me?!" Taemin wondered a bit confused, since he still had a green bean in his mouthin the process of being made into mush.

 

"No, the other Taemin working here." The idol said sarcastically, "Yes you. I'm putting you to work already, since you slept in."

 

"You said that you let me!" The worker argued, about ready to fling his mashed potatoes on Minho's shirt. "Let me eat, I'm sick." He lied.

 

"Such a lie. You made me carry you through town last night! Hurry, before I work you to death!"  Minho threatened and tugged at Taemin's sleeve, pulling him away from the other workers. 

 

"A-Ah-Yah! But I'm still hungry!" Taemin complained, being forced to leave his food without another bite and be dragged out the door.

 

As soon as they left the dining hall, Taemin shook himself from Minho's hold and insisted that he could walk on his own. "What's the big idea? Why can't I finish my food?!" He raised his voice as he was directed out to the backyard following Minho to the beginning of the paved garden pathways. The weather was the complete and total opposite than what it had been the day before with humidity and heat on full blast. Seriously, is this even possible?! Taemin wondered as Minho began to talk again.

 

"You're going to need a head start if you want to make it for dinner tonight. It's hard work, you know?" The older said and took a sharp right towards at least twenty planter boxes with a sprouting variety of vegetables.

 

"But I just got out of a fever! Why are you trying to make me do hard labor? This doesn't make sense!" said Taemin who was trying to figure out the job Minho had in store for him today. The two of them stopped in front of the first row of boxes and examined the surroundings. There were barely any trees around the area, which meant for less shade from the scorching sun but a healthier growing season for the plants. To the left was the exact model of the lawnchair used by Minho the day the two first met, and a circular shaped shadow made from an umbrellea that shrouded the seating.

 

The last thing that Taemin noticed were four bags of manure stacked atop each other, a pair of gloves, and tools. "Are you kidding me right now?" Taemin asked while resting his hand on his hip. Minho only held a hand out to the fertilizer and walked away with a smirk across his face. The younger pouted at his situation and released a sigh as he looked out to the boxes, waiting to be fed their neutrients. "Aish, really." He murmured to himself while fitting the gloves on his hands and beginning to rip a corner of one of the bags.

 

It took a bit of strength to be able to lift the heavy soil, but in the end, Taemin got the hang of carrying it around and tried distributing the contents evenly. By the time Taemin got to his fifth box, the sun was already beating down on him and creating beads of sweat that dripped down his forehead. Yesterday it was pouring, and today it's as hot as a desert. Why me?! His conscience screamed as he glanced up from under his bangs to spot Minho sitting comfortably in the shade of the umbrella.

 

From the time that he was able to examine him, Taemin found that the man was reading a book and sipping on a cup of something light brown; most likely iced tea. The familiar items brought back thoughts of their first meeting which replayed through the workers head as he dumped the rest of the manure out into the sixth box of tomatoes. Taemin crumpled up the bag threw it ahead of him over to the other supplies. He looked up to the merciless, billion-year-old star in the clear blue sky.

"Minho, I need to take a break." Taemin panted and sat on the next tightly packed package of soil.

 

"I don't think so. Keep going until you reach halfway; maybe I'll let you rest then." The idol sang without looking up from the words of his page.

 

Taemin wondered if he should just grab that drink out of his hand and soak Minho with it again, but the outcome wouldn't be that pretty. There wasn't any point to doing it anyways; Minho wouldn't be able to fire him and would just continue to pile stress and work for Taemin.

 

He wasn't going to let that happen with how he's already in a bad shape. There's no telling how much worse college could bring to him so it was best to just follow Minho and avoid further conflict. But that does, of course, not pertain to when Minho makes him do ridiculous things or is being unreasonable. Right now would be one of those times, and why does he even need to be there to supervise him?

"Yah, why do you have to keep following me around and watch me do my work? Leave me alone." The worker said as he patted his forehead with a rag that he found next to a gardening hoe.

 

Minho then shut his book and laid it in his lap, trying to look superior, "To make sure you don't slack off, of course. Why, don't like me here?" he said.

 

"No, your presence agitates me. And because of you, I might faint of dehydration or exhaustion." Taemin sat up from his spot, and managed to haul the bag over his shoulder and made way to the planter box that he had left off on. The man lifted a leg and propped it up on the edge of the square and rested the fertilizer on his knee as he ripped off the top.

 

"Agitate you?" Minho scoffed, "I'll show you how annoying I can get." he said as he set aside his book and refreshment at the end of his chair. As he stepped out into the sun, the taut shirt he had chosen to wore began to moisten with sweat. The older began to flap his shirt up and down to fan his white and chiseled stomach, attracting attention from Taemin who was only a couple feet away. Minho watched as Taemin's mouth dropped and eyes widened as he looked his way and then tried to occupy himself again with the task that he was trying to perform.

 

Stay calm, stay calm. It's not like he's taking his shirt off. Taemin tried to tell himself until he was proven wrong only a couple seconds later.

 

"Damn it's really hot out right now; what's wrong with this weather lately?" Minho said to himself as he pulled the bottom hem of his shirt above his head. Taemin took in every detail and crevice as he stared down the older's perfect body. His stomach was just a tad bit lighter than his arms, six bumps of muscle expanded and deflated and rippled under his skin with every breath he took. The quickly forming sweat moistened the man's skin and made it glisten under the sun's rays, creating a sort of godly look to him.

 

Taemin never thought that he would ever get to see Minho's abs other than from a photo over the internet. The worker knew that he shouldn't be staring, or even care about this at all. Why would he, when he totally dropped Minho the day before and vowed to sever any emotional ties to him as a person and artist? Or that's at least what he thought. If that were true, if he had really stopped being a fanboy for him, why was he still looking? Why was his pulse racing? Why was there such an intense burning sensation inside of his stomach?

 

"I-I, uh-" Taemin stuttered and began to continue his work once again but at a slower pace of pouring, "M-Minho! Put that back on. You're seriously being annoying and distracting for me. Go away!" Taemin yelled without making any eye contact with the man.

 

"Minho? No, you are to call me master or hyung! Have you forgotten?" The idol reminded Taemin. "Why does it matter? We're both guys-" Minho stopped himself after he answered his own question in his mind. 

Oh, Taemin is a fan. I forgot. He chewed on the inside of his cheek, Well he should be appreciating the up close fanservice right now. Which sparked an idea.

 

A smirk decorated Minho's lips now, realizing that this would really be something to have fun with. "Ah, I need to stretch~" He sang and lifted his arms above his head, revealing his tame underarm hair and toned arm muscles that once held Taemin's body. Of course, there was no way Taemin would pass up this chance, even if he denies that he's a fan, this is something that doesn't happen so often. Easily, the boy snuck peeks from the corner of his eye while doing pouring the fertilizer. Taemin's breathing hitched as he admired the way Minho threw his head back in pleasure of the stretch.

 

It was too much for him to watch the idol purposely pose in a way which showed off every impressive part of his body; the rolling sweat adding an additional spike of appeal.

 

"I said for you to go away!" Taemin filled a handfull of the fertilizer and chucked it all over Minho while the dirt stick in place due to the damp parts of his body. Oh, . He thought to himself, as he examined the competitive expression that was making an appearance on Minho's face. Taemin immediately dropped the bag and made a dash for the only way out of the area. 

 

Minho brushed off most of the dirt from his body and then grabbed the abandoned bag of manure sitting on the ground. "Get the hell back here!" Minho screamed as he trailed after the slower boy, catching up pretty fast despite the additional weight he was carrying. Passing up Taemin in a flash, he stopped right in front of the boy and sent the younger crashing into his chest. Taemin's hands each landed on his pecks and trailed their way down his abdomin absent mindedly as he pulled away.

 

It was weirdly surprising for Minho, though. For some reason, it felt nice having somebody touch his body like that. Well, specifically Taemin. He's gotten full body massages from both men and women and rubbing his carved surface never phased him one bit like this has. How could somebody that made Minho feel so angry, also make him feel good? Especially when that somebody wass the person he claimed to hate. For a moment, Minho's heart thumped faster than usual and he wished to God that Taemin could not hear it. This was something to be kept to himself for now, and at this time, he needed to pull himself together.

 

The two stood there in shock; both from their breif skinship and feelings, until Minho cleared his voice and resumed with dumping the manure over Taemin's head nonchalantly. The surprising move caused the worker to gasp and flee away from his chuckling attacker.
"Yah! I'm going to get you!" There was no way that Taemin could hide the smile growing on his face, as he swiftly ran for another bag of the neutrients. And here started the war.

 

Both men had to admit, that this was one of the funnest times they had ever experienced. Which also goes for the most unique too, as the sped away after each other with playful threats and whole hearted laughter. For once, they weren't actually fighting or cussing at each other. It was plain innocent fun as if they were kids again playing in a school yard.

 

~~~~~

 

"Look at those two, Jinki-hyung," Kibum crossed his arms with his radio held tightly in his right hand, "I can't believe they don't see it yet." 

 

"I'm pretty sure they've been feeling it for a while, but are denying it- or maybe theyhaven't given much thought to it yet." Onew replied with a huge white-teeth bearing smile. Just then, a twig snapped to their right, and both Key and ther butler's head rotated simultaniously to find the careless Jonghyun.

 

"Hey guys, how are the- Wait," He said as he stopped next to Jinki, and squinted at the colorful bag that Minho was carrying. "is that..."

 

"Animal ." The trio said together before Kibum hushed them.

 

"Hold on, I think they just ran out. Be quiet." He ordered the other two and hid behind the tree which was next to him. Jinki and Jonghyun scrambled to find a hiding place as the unsuspecting pair headed down the path towards the main backyard.

 

"Damn it Minho, I'm filthy now. I'm going to take a shower." Taemin said as he patted his now brown longsleeve and revealing a patch of white.

 

"You started it. And I am too." Minho replied and shook out his hair, making a small rainstorm of dark clumps of dirt.

 

Upon those key words, the manager of the idol smiled to himself and brought the walkie talkie up to his mouth. He clicked the 'talk' button on his device and said, "Commence with the next stage. You all know what to do. " A series of "yes" came shortly later, and all three of the hiding workers watched as the couple talked amongst themselves as they made their way back to the mansion.

 

 

A/N: I'm sorry for not updating as much lately! It's Thanksgiving break for me right now and I want to give myself kind of a break. I hope you all don't mind ><;; I hope you're all voting for SHINee in the MAMA's by the way! We are really catching up to SUJU in  the dance division, please please please, vote vote vote! Until next chapter!
          Annyeonghigaseyo!~ Queen S