Dinner was a fairly subdued meal, Key’s quips before dinner having been the last light hearted words spoken amongst the four. It would have been obvious to anyone that entered the dorm room that each boy was occupied with his own thoughts and plans for the near future. 

Taemin picked at his food, his nerves causing his stomach to preform acrobatic feats that the youngest thought were good enough to preform in Cirque du Soilel. Meeting Jinki while the elder was unconscious was one thing, but meeting him when he was awake was something else. 

That and the fact that if everything did turn out to be true, he would soon also be meeting his parents. Parents that, according to Jinki’s notes, missed him and would be overjoyed to have their youngest son back. It was more terrifying than any move he had made in America and meeting them was more nerve wracking than meeting each new foster family. 

He never had good luck with new families and by the time he had been assigned the last one, Taemin had faced every sort of horror a boy could be subjected to. It didn’t leave him with a good feeling, biological family or not, considering he was raised to believe that he was worthless, unimportant and deserving of all the abuse suffered on him. His self confidence was beginning to be more real and less fake, but it was still hard to contemplate the idea that there were parents out there that wanted him. Wanted him not as a scapegoat, punching bag or as a means to fulfil their worst fantasies; but as a proper member of the family, a proper son. 

He chewed his food slowly, tasting nothing. It was a mechanical movement that wouldn’t have happened if his friends weren’t there and if Key wasn’t watching him with eagle eyes. Taemin simply wouldn’t have eaten if he didn’t know that it would upset his friends. As it was, he only finished about half of his plateful before he couldn’t eat anymore. 

Volunteering to do the dishes, Taemin forced the other three out of the kitchen. Jonghyun and Key decided to go, Jonghyun realizing that Sulli and Amber would have likely heard the news about Jinki by then and that they had been go and explain what they knew before the girls heard anymore second hand information. 

Taemin felt awful about forgetting his other girl friends. He had been so worked up from Heechul that he couldn’t process anything more than telling Minho. Hoping the girls wouldn’t be too angry at him, Taemin told his oldest two friends to apologize to Amber and Sulli. 

“The girls will be pissed,” Jonghyun said with a grin, “but considering we’re always ‘forgetting’ to tell them things, I’m sure they’ll be more pissed to find out you’re Jinki’s brother.” 

Taemin groaned, he’d forgotten that too. 

“They’ll get over it.” Key said as he began to drag Jonghyun out of the dorm. “I know how to sooth those girls, don’t worry about that.” Jonghyun grabbed the doorknob as they exited and closed the door with a bang. 

Turning the water on as hot as he could stand, Taemin filled the sink and began to scrub. He couldn’t help but hold up some bubbles to the light and watch them sparkle before blowing them to float in a big clump away. He was too engrossed in his bubbles that he missed Minho staring at him from the doorway. 

Turning back to the dishes, Taemin also missed the enamoured smile that Minho had as he watched the younger. It wasn’t until he was almost finished washing and was in the process of rinsing the suds off that he noticed Minho had started pacing.

Taemin watched Minho pace the rest of the room getting glimpses of his body each time he passed the kitchen doorway. On what was about to be the last pass, Taemin was so caught up in looking at Minho that he ended up slopping a pot full of water down his shirt. He swore and pulled at the soaked fabric, cursing himself and his distracted mind. 

“Are you okay?” Minho’s deep voice came from behind him and Taemin jumped, his fingers dropping his wet shirt and causing it to land again on his stomach. 

“Fine.” Taemin croaked. “Just wet.” He turned to show Minho the mess he had made of himself. 

The fabric clung to Taemin’s stomach. It wasn’t toned or strong like Minho’s, but it caused something to flash in Minho’s eyes. The older moved further into the kitchen, eyes trained on Taemin’s body. 

“Minho?” Taemin asked as he watched his roommate move towards him. There was a predatory look in his eyes that brought heat to Taemin’s face.  

“Sorry.” Minho murmured as he reached Taemin.

Taemin opened his mouth to ask what for but the words caught in his throat as Minho tugged at the hem of Taemin’s wet shirt. He pulled the fabric up and Taemin lifted his arms with it. As soon as the shirt cleared Taemin’s head, the younger crossed his arms over his stomach and chest in embarrassment. 

“Don’t hide.” Minho murmured, dropping the shirt to the floor and standing closer to Taemin. “Is this okay?”

“I’m covered in scars.” Taemin missed the question but said sadly, “I have stretch marks and its not pretty.”

Minho’s eyes roamed over the revealed flesh. Stretch marks on his hips and stomach were faint, pale lines that signified the younger had grown taller very quickly. Tiny round scars reminded Minho of the cigarette burn Jinki had on his hand from the one and only time they had tried smoking. Other faint lines told tales of the abuse that Taemin had suffered but didn’t speak much of. 

“They’re not media pretty.” Minho agreed, “but they tell your story. They say who you are and what you’ve overcome. They’re badges of strength and courage. They’re not pretty, but you are.” Minho raised his hand to cup Taemin’s face. “You’re so much stronger than I am.”

“I’m not…” His words trailed off as Minho lowered his head. Their lips touched and Taemin’s arms slowly went from around his own body to around Minho’s. The feel of Minho’s shirt buttons against his skin was uncomfortable and before Taemin could consciously realize what he was doing, the younger began to Minho’s shirt. 

Nimble fingers worked quickly and soon he was pushing the open shirt from Minho’s shoulders. The elder only releasing his hold on Taemin for the brief length of time it took for the shirt to completely leave his body. 

They stood chest to chest, lip to lip, in the kitchen. Their kisses were slow, slightly less awkward than they were under the desk but still new. It was only when Taemin shuddered from the chill in the air that they broke apart. 

“Was that okay?” Minho asked, taking a step back to look at Taemin’s swollen lips and rosy cheeks. The slightly dazed look in his eyes was endearing but Minho still hoped that it was a good dazed and not a stricken one. 

Swallowing hard, Taemin nodded and moved forward again. Kissing Minho was stabilizing. When their lips touched Taemin felt that the earth stood still and that all of the dizzying thoughts that had been occupying his mind for the last few weeks came to a stand still. Kissing Minho gave him something to physically hold onto in his constantly changing world. 

Minho nipped at Taemin’s bottom lip, his tongue moving to lave at the tiny hurt. They kissed in the kitchen softly for a few moments, losing track of the time until Taemin shuddered from the cool air on his bare skin. 

Minho pulled back, holding Taemin’s face in his larger hands. “Are you cold?” 

Taemin nodded, rubbing his face into Minho’s palms. The skin was roughened from Minho’s gym and sports habits but it felt nice against Taemin’s skin. “I’ve never been held so nicely before.” The younger said without thinking. 

Minho’s fingers twitched like he was about to let go but he held on. Taemin continued, “I was never… I never had a first kiss until you.” His voice was soft, he couldn’t bring himself to be ashamed or embarrassed. “You know that I didn’t really have friends before coming here and that I didn’t have the best foster families, we know thats probably for a reason now, but I don’t ever remember feeling a nice touch.” 

“I…” Minho couldn’t find the words, he hadn’t really thought that he was Taemin’s first kiss. Taemin wasn’t his, not his first or even the first time he’d kissed a boy, and it wasn’t the first time he’d been given someone’s first kiss. But Taemin was different. There was something about the boy that Minho noticed even when he was pissed that the school had replaced Jinki with him. 

“Don’t worry about it.” Taemin pulled away, arms moving to cover himself again. “I’m going to go shower.” He moved quickly out of the kitchen and to the bathroom, leaving Minho standing in the kitchen. 

Rubbing his fingers through his hair, Minho sighed. What was he doing with Taemin? Jonghyun had asked that exact question while Taemin and Key were cooking. Minho couldn’t answer him considering he didn’t know. He could guess what he wanted, but without knowing what Taemin was really thinking, Minho didn’t know how far they could go. 

Was this turning into a relationship? Could this turn into a relationship? What was Jinki going to think when he woke up and found out?

He was so consumed with his thoughts that he missed Taemin’s return from the shower. The younger clad in pyjamas that Key had bought for him, they were baggy and the arms reached down over his hands. The sight of the younger made Minho smile, he couldn’t believe that his first thoughts of Taemin were simply to get rid of the intruder in his room. 

“Minho? Why are you still standing there?” Taemin moved into the kitchen. 

“Thinking.” Minho answered honestly.

“About what?”  Taemin walked hesitantly over to his friend. 

“About you, about us, about Jinki. Just about everything.” Minho shrugged and then his eyes widened as he watched Taemin loose all the colour in his face. 

“Is it that I’m a boy?” Taemin asked, the worry that had been floating in the back of his brain since their first kiss finally getting a voice. 

“No.” Minho shook his head. “You’re not the first boy I’ve kissed, but you are the first that’s been related to one of my best friends. I like you Taemin and I want to but don’t want to. I’m afraid that when Jinki wakes up, he’ll get all your time and I’ll be jealous and angry at my friend. So it’s a lot to think about.” He moved to Taemin and took his hands, drawing them out of the long sleeves. “But it’s worth thinking about.”

 “Is this a relationship?” Taemin asked, biting his lip and looking up at Minho’s face through his eyelashes. 

Minho squeezed Taemin’s hands, “I’d like to try. I haven’t really felt feelings for anyone in a while, Jinki’s attack took all my time for the few months before you arrived, but I’d like to try.”

Taemin smiled so wide as he looked up, gazing into Minho’s eyes. “Even though you have doubts?”

“Everything comes with doubts.” Minho pulled Taemin into his arms. “I have so many doubts but that doesn’t mean we shouldn’t try.”

“So boyfriends?” Taemin’s voice was hopeful but nervous. 

“Seal it with a kiss?” Minho said as he nodded, leaning in to breath the words against Taemin’s lips. “Boyfriends.”

They kissed softly for a moment before Taemin pulled back with a teasing little grin. “So this means you should take me out on a date now.”

Minho laughed. “How about Thursday? We’ll head off campus after classes end and maybe see a movie? Grab dinner. All proper date like.” 

“I’d like that.” Taemin leaned his body into Minho’s, relaxing. “And then on Saturday, we’ll go see my brother.”

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As always let me just say how much I love each and every one of you guys! You are all amazing for reading and subscribing and commenting and even just lurking :) Thank you!

Short note is short this week!

Loves to you all

Kat