“Minho? You still sleeping? Minho?”

His head is pounding in overwhelming pain; he lets out a groan and squirms, eyes shut tightly.

“Minho? You okay? Minho, wake up!”

He shakes his head and brings his hands to his forehead, in a weak attempt of soothe the pain with a gentle caress.

His forehead is wet from sweat. What the hell…

“Minho? Minho, what’s wrong?”

Wait. This voice… he knows it.

His eyes barely open in a painful squint and he yelps as the light kind of blinds him.

What blinds him even more is a very concerned, pretty face with blond tumbling curls.

His eyes open a little wider.

“… Minnie?”

The said boy exhales in relief, shaking his head.

“Gosh, I thought I’d find you in our bedroom, all fresh and waiting for me with arms wide open” he says, smiling lightly and still shaking his head.

But the other doesn’t take in those words. All that matters is that sight in front of him, the sight that he wishes is not an illusion.

“Minnie…”

“But then I called Jonghyun-hyung and he told me you went out with him to celebrate my birthday… you couldn’t wait for me to come home, could you?” he chuckles, bringing his hand to the Minho’s burning cheek and caresses it lightly; the older boy shivers.

Celebrate…

Party…

Jonghyun…

And then—

Oh …

“Minnie…” he whispers once again, his eyes unexpectedly welling up with tears.

The angelic boy laughs merrily, now poking at the laying boy’s cheek.

“I guess I can forgive you, if we celebrate it today—“

Minho cuts him by sitting up straight and clinging to the younger boy with all his might; he squeezes him, as if to make sure he’s real, as if to reassure himself of his presence.

“Minnie…” he mutters into the soft, blond hair and breaths in. Strawberries. God, it’s really him.

His lips graze the delicate, pale skin of the boy’s neck. It’s been so long, so unbearably long…

                                                           Are you here alone?

                                                           I… yeah, I’m with my friend only.

He nuzzles the soft flesh he knows so well, almost as well as his own; he hesitates when Taemin pulls away just a bit to look him in the eye and, kind of predictably, kiss him. But before their lips connect, Minho hides his face in the crook of the latter’s neck again and embraces him by his waist.

We… parted, just a couple of weeks ago. She said I wasn’t good enough for her.

She must have been an idiot then.

This song reminds me of her. You know, this whole indifference thing? It’s all about us. She won’t acknowledge me, won’t even pretend that she ever cared.

Forget about her. She didn’t deserve you. You were too good.

You don’t even know me.

Somehow I feel like I’ve known you for ages.

You know what’s funny?

What?

I could say the same about you.

Taemin sighs and pats Minho’s back.

“I’ve missed you too” he nothing but purrs in the latter’s ear.

The older boy shuts his eyes tightly, holding the other boy closer to him.                                                

You’re sure your friend won’t mind?

He’s round the corner. Probably chasing after his high school crush.

He feels Taemin’s lips graze his ear. He shivers uncontrollably, remembering the feeling of the other’s lips on his skin. How long has it been exactly…

I know it’s stupid and we only met a few minutes ago, but…

But?...

But I’ve never wanted to kiss someone so badly.

“Four months” he mutters and feels the tears coming to his eyes again. First weak sob escapes his throat and he hides his head in Taemin’s arm.

“Shh, I’m here, it’s okay, I’m back” the other boy sooths him with his gentle, quiet words, caressing his trembling back.

Minho’s crying, he’s crying harder than he ever had in his entire life, harder than when he failed at joining the team, harder than when his dog got hit by a truck. Harder than ever with no reason whatsoever.

Who’re you kidding, you’re a damn bastard, a worthless, sick bastard—

“Baby? Why are you crying? Shh, it’s okay, Minho, don’t cry, I’m here, I missed you too—“

He missed him.

Right, he missed him! That was the only explanation.  Otherwise he wouldn’t be capable of… that.

He was starving Taemin. That was the only reason.

/

The day passes by in an agonizingly slow pace. The breakfast lasts barely fifteen minutes but it feels like two hours at least, the talks they have with each other are filled with longing and affection but they’re unbearably draining; Minho blames it all on his hangover and, generally, on the fact that they’ve been apart for so long. It’s only normal they’re a bit awkward and slightly uncomfortable.

You’re the only awkward one, idiot

That’s why Taemin doesn’t question him about anything connected with the last night; he knows that Minho rarely drinks and when he does, he gets drunk pretty easily and suffers the day after. He’s really understanding and caring, soothing Minho’s pain with gentle on his face and arms. The latter can’t fight the uneasiness of it all, he feels strange and unsure. He avoids the touch, avoids the kisses.

But the of it all comes when the light are out already and Minho’s slowly drifting off to sleep, only to be interrupted by a very temptingly, freshly smelling, barely clothed body suddenly covering his own. Before he has any chance to speak, there’s a pair of soft lips covering his own and a tongue pressing against them, them slowly. Minho sighs involuntarily which gains the younger boy the access to the other’s hot cavern. The moment their tongues touch something breaks in Minho and he responds to the kiss with all his passion.

He hasn’t kissed (almost) anyone in those past four months, hasn’t touched (almost) anyone in the way he’s being touched now. Taemin’s greedy hands slide down his sides and dig into his hipbones, drawing circles on them. Minho groans into the younger boy’s mouth.

He doesn’t turn them over, for now he just enjoys the warmth,, the closeness of another human’s body- a person that he loves- pressed against his own, pinning him with its weight to the bed.

The kiss quickly becomes an eager, sloppy battle of tongues and teeth, something almost animalistic in its force. Minho feels unbearable heat overwhelming his senses and then—

                                                                       Oh God, right there, right t-there…

                                                                       Do you think they can hear us?

                                                                       Do you care?

                                                                       … no, I don’t.

And then he winces uncontrollably, feeling a stream of disgust- self-disgust- coming trough him, shaking him. He pushes Taemin’s arms, forcing him to pull away from the kiss, which the boy does, groaning in disapproval.

“Minho, what—“

“You have biology exam tomorrow” Minho breathes, sounding like making a very valid point here. Though his lover doesn’t seem to think so.

His lover.

His lover of over three years.

                                                                       How long have you been with her?

                                                                       About eight months.

                                                                       She was your first?

                                                                       …

“Hey, it’s not like I’m not the biology genius yet. I mean, that scholarship I got, that trip to Japan was only because I’m kind of the best—“

“Minnie, I never doubted your genius, I just think you should take a little rest. Okay?” Minho cuts him, trying to sound genuinely concerned and not scared and disgusted with himself.

Even in the darkness he can see Taemin’s cute pout. He bits his lower lip.

“If I hadn’t known you better, I’d think you’re just trying to make any excuse” he finally says, chuckling merrily. Minho gulps.

“But since it comes from your sincere, caring heart… well, I guess I can only obey” he sighs, slowly rolling his body off Minho’s. The older boy sighs in relief, still not saying anything.

Taemin stares at him for a few seconds and then he smiles widely and pecks Minho’s forehead.

“But, remember, this weekend you won’t escape. We gotta make something like a honeymoon. You know, you, me, red wine, our bed” he kind of smirks and pauses, waiting for Minho’s reaction. All he can do is nod, maybe a bit too eagerly.

“We have a lot to catch up on. It’ll be just the two of us. Forgetting about the whole world for two entire days. How does that sound?” Taemin whispers, not smirking anymore, but just gazing longingly into his lover’s glistering eyes. Minho nods once again.

“Perfect. It sounds perfect.”

“I’m glad” he replies and smiles, once again pecking Minho’s forehead chastely. “Goodnight, Minho” he adds, turning his back to his lover.

Don’t think about her. Just don’t think. Don’t think of anything at all.

I won’t, I won’t, just kiss me aga—

Stop thinking, let it go, just… just like me. Don’t think.

There it is again. That tiny little voice, each time a bit louder than before.

Minho curses it in his mind and throws his arm around Taemin’s slender waist. He scoots closer, until his chest is pressed to the boy’s warm back.

Taemin hums lowly in his throat when he feels Minho’s hand searching for his own, entwining their fingers together.

He tightens the grip on his hand so strongly that Taemin slightly protests in one moment; only then he’s hold weakens a bit.

He wants the boy to melt in his embrace, to feel loved and cared for. The only one.

                                                                                  Are you here alone?

                                                                                   I… yeah, I’m with my friend only.

He needs to make sure he won’t meet that guy ever again.