It was already dark when Minho opened his eyes. He could see the soft yellow glow from the star lamp hanging above his head.

Another Sunday wasted. But not really, he’s been really tired with practice all week- Sunday was when he could sleep without interruption. And it was one of those Sundays where he just wanted to sleep and sleep. And sleep some more. Especially when he had been having a sweet dream like the one he just had, he wouldn’t want to wake up so quick. He blushed a little bit just thinking about it. Good thing no one was at the dorm that day. Everyone had left to visit their families or out with other friends. Minho only wanted to spend that day alone. Well, maybe with that someone but… it wasn’t like he could ask that someone to spend the day with him anyways. Not after the dream he just had. No.

Minho sat up. Ouch. His back hurts. Yes, definitely the practice for the coming evaluation. His head hurt just thinking about it. Practice. Dance steps. Evaluation. Music cues.

All he wants to do is to make music and rap. That’s it. That’s all.

And maybe food. He could smell something delicious in the air- a hint of something sweet, maybe cinnamon? The inviting smell was definitely wafting from the kitchen but he didn’t know there was someone else in the dorm.

The sweet scent became more prevalent when Minho opened his bedroom door. He could hear someone humming in the kitchen too.

“Hello?” Minho’s sleepy voice echoes.

“Ah, hyung! You’re awake!” A cheery voice replied him from the kitchen.

. Not him.

“Oh. You’re here? I thought no one was home,” Minho saw Taehyun, in his black sleeveless tshirt and shorts, in the kitchen meddling with something. The younger one had his back to him, so he couldn’t tell what he was doing.

Taehyun hummed as a response, it looked like he’s really busy with something.

“What are you doing?” Minho noticed the freshly baked cupcakes on the kitchen counter. The oven door was opened and there were dirty bowls everywhere.

“Icing,” Taehyun replied short.

“Ice what?” Minho sneaked up behind him to get a better look at what Taehyun was doing.

“I’m making icing for these cupcakes. I want to bring them to the studio tomorrow.”

“For me too?” Well, Minho was hungry after all.

“For everyone!” Taehyun turned his head facing Minho, he grinned. Minho saw the smeared flour on Taehyun’s left cheek. He thought it looked cute.

“But you can have two,” Taehyun tilted his head to the side slightly and smiled. His droopy eyebrows sloped cutely above his squinting eyes.

Minho seriously thought he’d never seen anyone cuter.

“Umm… can I have one now?” Minho cleared his throat, distracting his thought from the white stripe away from Taehyun’s cheek.

“Not now!” Taehyun was back mixing his icing, folding it carefully so it wouldn’t spill from the bowl. “After I put icing on it, okay?”

Without asking, Minho proceeded to grab one freshly-baked cupcake from the counter. “Okay, this one. Put some white cream on it so I can eat it.”

“Hyung, it doesn’t work like that,” Taehyun shook his head. “And it’s called ‘icing’ – not white cream.”

“Okay, icing please? Taehyun-ah, I haven’t eaten all day…” Minho started to sulk.

“It’s not my fault you slept the whole day,” Taehyun chuckled but still focused on finishing his icing.

“It’s not my fault your baking woke me up hungry. I could have slept until tomorrow morning. But you were making cupcakes and I got hungry so—“

“Okay, fine. Give me that one,” Taehyun stopped and glared at Minho.

“You’re the best maknae. Ever,” Minho grinned while handing Taehyun the warm cupcake.

“Now, wait.” Taehyun started to put some icing on the cupcake while Minho watched from his side. He never knew Taehyun could bake let alone decorate a cake.

Taehyun grabbed the smallest spoon near him and started to pile the soft icing on top of the slightly warm cupcake. His eyebrows furrowed, concentrating on not smearing them all over the little cake. Minho’s sight shifted from the sweet dessert to the other sweet thing- he observed how Taehyun’s lower lip was caught between his teeth. Taehyun had never looked so adorable, or so Minho thought.

“Wait. Hyung, can you—“ Taehyun handed the half-done cupcake back to Minho. The older boy just received the cake and stared at it blankly- was he allowed to eat it or...

But before Minho could ask, Taehyun grabbed another small bowl filled with melted chocolate and he swirled some on top of the icing. When some of the dark chocolate liquid spilled on his fingers, Minho froze. .

“Just hang on, hyung. This cupcake has to be eaten the way it is meant to be eaten…” Taehyun seemed so focused on his creation that he didn’t notice how Minho was staring at him intently. And how Minho was swallowing hard.

“There. All done. Enjoy!” Taehyun put the bowl down and he grinned again at Minho.

But the older boy was still frozen on his spot- holding a delicious looking cupcake with buttercream icing swirled with melted chocolate on top.

“Hyung?” Taehyun was his own thumb from the chocolate when he realized Minho had been staring at him.

Minho wasn’t really thinking when he did what he was about to do. His right index finger swooped some of the icing from the cupcake and smeared it on Taehyun’s nose.

“Hyung!” Taehyun took a step back, he was giggling. Immediately, he dipped his own finger to the chocolate bowl and straight away smudged some on Minho’s cheek.

And reacting on instinct, Minho scooped the rest of the icing and he settled the cupcake on the counter.

“Hyung, don’t… I spent hours making these cupcakes…” Taehyun was slowly taking a few steps back but one of his hands was grabbing the spatula he was using to mix the icing.

“You made me wait for the cake and then smudged me with cream,” Minho squinted his eyes teasingly.

“You started it and it’s called ‘icing’…” Taehyun responded, pointing his spatula at Minho. By then, they were already walking away from the counter and started to make their way to the dining room.

“Taehyun-ah, you know what this means, right?” Mino gave the most devious smirk Taehyun had ever seen. And right after Minho delivered his threat, Taehyun was already backed up against the dining table.

Crap.

“Hyung, please!” Taehyun tried to keep his laughter in by pointing the spatula again and vainly tried to swoosh Minho away.

Within seconds, Minho already surged forward and pressed Taehyun’s body against the table. Using one hand, Minho hugged the other boy- disabling him from fighting back. Taehyun dropped the spatula and tried his best to wiggle his way out from Minho’s hold. But Minho had always been the stronger one, so in the end, Taehyun just helplessly giggled and turned his face away as Minho giddily smudged the icing all over Taehyun’s face.

Minho loosened his hold when they were both out of breath from laughing. Taehyun got some icing all over his eyes, nose and lips while Minho got away basically unscathed with just a dried-up smeared chocolate on his cheek.

“Oh my god, hyung…” Taehyun flopped himself on the chair closest to him, he was trying to get some of the icing off from his eyes while trying to calm his breathing.

“I’m sorry, Tae. Your face was just asking for it, man. You were very focused and— here, let me help you,” Minho took some paper towel from the table and cleaned some icing from Taehyun’s face.

Taehyun sighed- already feeling the tiredness from slaving away making cupcakes alone the whole day, so he just sat there and let Minho wiped the icing away from his eyes, nose and lips. The younger boy had his eyes closed and his head facing up towards Minho who was standing in front of him. Again, Minho had to swallow hard. He thought he’d never seen anything cuter than Taehyun with his eyes closed, droopy brows and a slight smile on his face.

“There. All done,” Minho pushed Taehyun’s fringe aside and tucked it behind his hair. He could feel Taehyun slightly leaned into his palm. Or maybe that’s just him.

“Thanks, hyung. But now, you only have one cupcake left,” Taehyun wrinkled his nose as he teased back nonchalantly.

But Minho wasn’t hungry anymore.

“Wait, you still have some—“ Minho gestured, so Taehyun naturally closed his eyes again. But Minho wasn’t thinking straight anymore. He brushed the pad of his thumb under Taehyun’s eyes even though there was nothing there left to clean . And Minho lowered himself slightly as he added, “And some over here…”

Minho’s face was already close to Taehyun’s, it was impossible that Taehyun didn’t feel anything. But the fair-skinned boy was just sitting there, with his eyes still closed, still calm, still waiting.

So, Minho moved gently forward, pressing his lips gently against Taehyun’s. He could taste the leftover sweetness from the icing earlier. Unexpectedly, Taehyun only sighed, a near-silent hum left his throat. And then, Minho could feel Taehyun slowly parted his lips.

Minho had never felt his heart beating this fast or this loud. Not even when he performed for the very first time on that dingy stage. Not even when he got the news that he passed an audition. This moment didn’t have any audience but this moment elevated him further than winning first place in a competition.

When Taehyun slightly tilted his head sideways, Minho let his tongue to at the seam. That small moan made itself known again. Minho liked hearing it and he wanted hear more. Minho lightly traced his tongue on Taehyun’s and suddenly Taehyun’s hands were tugging his sleeveless tshirt. Taehyun wanted more. Minho broke the kiss so he could kneel down and levelled himself, he could see Taehyun had this blush on his cheek- dusty pink on the fair smooth skin. Just when Minho thought he’d seen Taehyun at his most adorable, he was proven wrong once again.

“You look perfect,” Minho blurted out and Taehyun blushed even more, “With the icing and all.”

Taehyun was blushing so much that he had to turn his face away.

“Hey…” Minho tugged his chin with his thumb and index finger. Taehyun looked back into his eyes, biting his lips and more prominent rosy cheeks. Minho his lips as he smirked and he surged forward to claim Taehyun’s perfect lips again.

The kiss was not so gentle this time, it was hungrier but Minho was taking his time. He’d never heard Taehyun making all these cute noises and Minho knew there and then that he’s hooked. He wouldn’t be able to forget about this for a very long time. And he didn’t want to. The way Taehyun’s lips moved against his own, the way Taehyun possessively bit his lower lip after he the roof of Taehyun’s mouth and the way Taehyun’s fingers felt grasping on his nape.

“Minho hyung…” Taehyun whispered when they parted for air.

“Hmm?” Minho rested his forehead against Taehyun’s.

“I still need to put icing on those cupcakes. I promised Hanbin.”

“Hanbin?” Minho had to chuckle. He kissed Taehyun’s nose after the question.

“And we have to clean up.”

“We?” Minho pulled away- he squinted his eyes at Taehyun.

“Yeah. Why did you think I kissed you? I need someone to help me clean up,” Taehyun didn’t wait for any reply, he surged forward and gave Minho another passionate kiss. Taehyun kissed with more confidence now and Minho let his tongue to explore every corner. Minho could feel his spine tingling when Taehyun surprisingly his tongue, and then, it was Mino’s turn to moan. And, he could feel Taehyun smiled into this kiss. It made him smile too.

“Please?” Taehyun pulled away first, pouting his lower lip and trying to get Minho to agree.

“Fine. But, next time, you can’t just kiss me and just make me do things for you. Promise?” Mino sighed in defeat.

Taehyun nodded and he grinned mischievously, “Of course, I won’t”

=====