Taemin was kissing him.

 Hang on, what?!

Taemin was kissing him?!?!

Taemin’s hands made their way tentatively around his waist and pulled him closer. The kiss was simple, almost just a prolonged peck, but it left Kai absolutely dumbfounded. He couldn’t help but think of how soft and gentle the kiss was, like Taemin was afraid something would go wrong at any minute. Taemin pulled away slowly, his eyes still closed and his arms still around Kai’s waist.

‘Good luck, Kkamjongie’ he whispered, and before Kai knew it Taemin had disappeared into the green room and the harassed-lady had re-appeared and was shouting at him for being late. He joined the other members in the wings.

‘Where were you?!’ Baekhyun hissed.

‘I-I’ll explain later.’ he said, still feeling a little dazed.

‘Right get on stage you lot, you’re up!’ whispered the harassed-lady.

And so, for the first time, EXO-K made their way onto the Inkigayo stage.

---

Kai felt exhilarated. Their performance had gone down well, the fans had loved them and he’d even heard some of them screaming ‘Kai oppa!’
As he made his way off stage and to the green room he heard Suho shouting ‘Well done guys!’ He smiled as their sunbaes crowded around them to congratulate them.

That’s all very well, he thought, but I’m looking for one sunbae in particular.

Throughout the whole performance he couldn’t get the kiss out of his mind.  What had Taemin meant by it? Was it just a way of saying good luck, or did it mean something more?

And if it did, said a niggling voice at the back of his head, how do I feel about that?

He slipped away from the crowds in the green room and made his way back upstairs. He knocked on SHINee’s changing room door. No answer. He gently nudged the door open to find that there was no-one in there. The other hyungs were in the green room congratulating the rest of EXO-K on their debut, but where was Taemin?

Resigned to speaking to him later, Kai made his way back to EXO-K’s changing room. He didn’t feel much like being in a crowd. He pushed the door open expecting to find it empty but instead found Taemin sitting on top of the dressing table, smiling at him.

‘You were amazing’ he said ‘Just like I said you would be.’

‘Err… thanks’ Kai scratched his head awkwardly. He wasn’t sure what to say now he was actually here. ‘Listen, Taemi-‘

 ‘I’ve wanted to do that for a long time you know’ Taemin blurted out.

‘D-do what?’ Kai asked, although he knew perfectly well what Taemin was talking about.

‘Kiss you.’ He sighed and looked down ‘I don’t know if you realised Jongie, but I’ve felt like… that about you for a long time.’

‘Like what?’ Kai asked stupidly, and mentally facepalmed.