And then he did something neither one expected him to do.

He kissed Onew.  

The first thing Onew thought was how soft the younger's lips were- even softer than he'd imagined. That was really all he thought actually, for as quick as the kiss happened, it ended.

Blushing hard and looking horrified with himself, Taemin stuttered out a string of aplogies.

"I'm sorry- I didn't mean for that- it was a mistake-just forget it happened- please forgive me!"

Onew just stood there, still as a rock, his mind seeming to have short-circuited. He watched silently as Taemin continued to repeat his apologies over and over again.

"Mianhe Hyung, mianhe Hyung, mianhe Hyung-"

What was this feeling? It was nearly foreign to him, but it wasn't possible that he was feeling that way again. It didn't make sense.

"Mianhe Hyung, mianhe Hyung-"

Why was he blushing, and his stomach full of butterflies? Why did his knees feel so weak?

"Mianhe hyung, mianhe hyung, mianhe hyung-"

Why was his heart beating it's way out of his chest? Why didn't he mind that kiss?

Why did he want to do it again?

"Hyung! Please, say something!" Taemin's pleas brought Onew back to reality (was this reality? Onew wasn't sure) and Onew finally noticed the scared look on Taemin's face.

"Taemin..." Onew trailed off, having no clue what to say. His feelings were to jumbled and confusing, he didn't know what he wanted anymore. Should I kiss him back?

"I really am sorry hyung. I was just so excited. I don't know what came over me. Mianhe hyung."

Right. Taemin was just excited about getting in. Onew was just a ert, thinking it was anything else. All the facts onew had momentarily forgotten reappeared, clear as ever. Taemin was too young, Onew was too afraid, and the whole damn country was against the two.

He couldn't. He couldn't hurt the younger like that, introduce him to the pain of ridicule. All the dancer knew was his parents. He hadn't had to see it in the eyes of every person who passed by and saw him holding hands with another man, hadn't had to hear the whispers as he tried to watch a movie with the one he loved.

Taemin had been through too much, and Onew was not going to be so cruel as to introduce him to the one part of life he was still mostly innocent too. He couldn't.

"It's okay, I understand. It meant nothing." The words hurt and stung his throat as he lied through his teeth, but it was necessary.

"Right, nothing." Taemin repeated, shoulders sagging. "Look, I, uh, actually have to go somewhere, uh.... I'll see you later hyung." Taemin raced out of the door as quickly as he'd come, leaving Onew behind to stare after him and wish he would return, but fearing what would happen if he did.

"Onew, could you bring me another cup of tea?" Said an old woman who had been all but invisible to Onew until now, and Onew nearly peed his pants at the sudden sound.

"Yes halmoni." Onew replied shakily, retrieving her drink and bringing it to her quickly.

"Thank you dear." Onew nodded silently, hoping against hope she hadn't seen him and Taemin, but as he was about to walk away, she stopped him with a small wrinkly hand placed upon his own.

"You two look very sweet together. Don't let him get away."

Anyone who saw Onew at that moment would have laughed at the look of shock upon his face. Onew himself felt he would have been less surprised if the old woman had turned into a hedgehog and started farting rainbows.

"You don't, you don't think it's wrong?" The woman shook her head, smiling slightly. "Love is love. Don't ever forget that."

"Thank you halmoni, I won't." Onew smiled, even though inside, his mind was still a mess.

"Yah, Taemin, what's wrong?" Jonghyun said after practice. Three days had passed since the incident, and Taemin had yet to gather the courage to return to the coffee shop. Despite the numerous texts  he'd received from the elder, Taemin couldn't do it. He couldn't stand seeing Onew while knowing the elder still thought of him as nothing  but a child.

"Nothing hyung. I'm just a little out of it today, that all." Jonghyun frowned at the young dancer. He knew that wasn't it, he'd talked to Onew and knew what had happened, but it wasn't his place to tell the younger that.

However, it was his place to do whatever he could to get those two together. In his opinion, Onew had been single for far too long, and even though no one could compare to his brother, Taemin had been proving to be a close second. He had seen the changes in Onew already from just knowing the boy for a few weeks, and for Jonghyun, that was a miracle in itself.

He knew Onew would never forget about Kibum, but maybe, just maybe, Taemin could be the one to bring Onew back to his former self.

"It's okay, everyone has their off days. Hey, how about you and Jongin to to a club tonight? You guys look like you could use a little loosening up."

"I don't know-"

"Did someone say club?" Jongin appeared out of nowhere, scaring both Taemin and Jonghyun.

"Yah! I thought I told you to stop doing that!" Taemin yelled, hand over his heart.

"Sorry hyung. Now, what were you saying about a club?"

"I was just asking Taemin here if you so wanted to go to one in a little while."

"Sounds like fun! I'm in." The two turned to look at Taemin.

Taemin shook his head. "I don't know, I need to pract-"

"You've practiced enough. Come hang out for a night, loosen up."

The two stared at him, and the combined puppy eyes was too much to handle.

"Ugh fine. Just let me go home and get ready first, I'm not going anywhere looking like this."

Jonghyun and Jongin high fived while Taemin stalked off towards the car.

"Hey Jongin, wait for a moment. I have a plan."

"Is it to help Onew and Taemin?"

"Yes."

"I'm in."

"Okay, so here's the plan...."

It had been three days since Taemin had come to the shop, and Onew was going insane. Every time the doorbell rang, he would whip his head around to see who it was, only to go back to whatever he was doing before, even more dejected than before. He'd texted Taemin a couple times, but given up, not wanting to seem overly attached and creepy. He hadn't realized how much he'd begun to depend on Taemin's presence, and the lack of it was slowly eating away at his sanity.

Every night when he had to close up shop and face the fact that Taemin had yet again not come, it was another blow to his already tattered heart. As Onew headed upstairs to is apartment, he thought bitterly that he must really be an idiot, to be so cold to the world only to let someone in who left him after a few weeks.

He must look like the biggest joke in the universe.

Just as he was about to go to bed, the sound of someone knocking-more like banging- on the door caught his attention. Confused a to who would be here this late at night, he opened the door to reveal a red face Jonghyun, smelling strongly of alcohol.

Jonghyun stumbled in, looking drunk off his .

"Oneeeeeeew." He called, a stupid smile on his face.

"What the hell Jonghyun?" Onew looked at the singer, confused. Jonghyun wasn't much of a drinker, save for two days every year, so the sight was one he didn't expect.

"Taeminnie dances soooo nice."

"What?" What did Taemin's dancing have to do with this?

"Taeminnie and I went to a club. He dances soooo good. I might have to steal him from y-y-you." Jonghyun teetered and fell onto the couch, arms and legs sprawled.

"Wait, what?" Onew said down beside Jonghyun and handed him a glass of water.

Jonghyun leaned forward and placed a Hanson Onew's shoulder, attempting to look serious.

"Let-lemme give you some advice... Hyung. Give Minnie a drink, get-get a free ."

"Excuse me?"

"Minnie is a... Minnie's a ty drunk. Hahaha." Jonghyun began laughing madly, while Onew stared at him, eyes wide in surprise.

"Damn he was.. He was hot. But then... Then he started dancing girl dances. Like Bummie. It made me sad, so I left."

Onew stared at him. "So wait. Let me get this straight. You left him at a club? Alone?" Worry set in along with fear for the dancer.

"Yup!" Jonghyun obviously was too drunk to understand what he did wrong.

"Kim Jonghyun! You just left a naive 19 year old boy alone at a club full of strangers with no way home!"

Jonghyun gaped at him, realization hitting him hard. "Uh oh...."

Onew shot up like a bullet and ran to the door. Seeing Jonghyun was still sitting there stupidly, he yelled. "Hurry up! Are you going to help me find Taemin or not?"

"Uh...." Onew swore, realizing Jonghyun was probably too plastered to be of any help.

"At least get in the car and tell me what club you were at."

"Woo, car ride!"

Maybe Onew still wasn't sure what he wanted, but one thing was for sure. He couldn't lose Taemin.

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Hi! Damn this fic is getting long. It's officially longer than my other chaptered fic, and the longest thign I've ever written. Ever. And I'm not even halfway done....

Thanks for the awesome comments. You guys are the best <3