Taemin anxiously toyed with the hem of his white cotton t-shirt as he waited outside his apartment complex for Henry. A mixture of nervous and excited feelings stirred about in his stomach at the very thought that he, Lee Taemin, was going to go out on a date. Despite being a freshly graduated student, Taemin didn't go out very much, aside from going to work and occassionally getting together with his friends at the café. Needless to say, going on a date was quite and event for him, to the point that his parents had actually seemed as excited as he was at the fact that their son's social life was moving forward.

Since childhood, Taemin had never really been one to get out in the world. Where many of his classmates enjoyed weekly parties and daily trips to the mall after school, Taemin was content to simply come home, work on a new dance routine, finish his homework, draw or watch a movie. He even preferred individual sports, such as running and didn't involve himeself in more aggresive team sports.

Although his parents were proud and supportive of their only child- Taemin was a good student, after all, and stayed out of trouble- they did wish that he would try and make more friends and go out sometimes, "like a normal young man" his age. Taemin, in return, wished that they wouldn't think such things. Sure, it might not be "normal" that he would rather keep to himself, but there was nothing wrong with his preference. He was happy, after all, and although he appreciated his friendships with Kibum, Jonghyun, Jinki and now Minho and his soccer team, he never wished that he had more friends or was more popular.

In situations such as going out on his first date, however, not having a very rich social life proved to be a bit of an Achilles' heel. Taemin had absolutely no idea what he was going to say to Henry, when he arrived, nor what he should do while they went out. Wanting to keep the date activities a surprise, Henry hadn't told him what he had planned for the day, so Taemin was completely at a loss of what to expect. 

Kibum and Jonghyun had assisted him in preparing for his date, helping him decide on an outfit and giving him advice, although they themselves weren't much more knowledgeable on dating. But, even with their help, he felt as if he was plunging into an unfortunately unknown and unpredictable situation.

All he could do was hope that he didn't say or do something ridiculous that would make Henry feel as if he was dating a  complete loser.

Another few minutes passed (in his nervousness, Taemin had come outside much earlier than necessary), until Henry showed up, on foot, rather than in a sleek, well-maintained vehicle, as Taemin had expected him to. 

Admittedly, Taemin was pleasantly surprised and quite glad that it seemed as if Henry either couldn't drive or didn't think that driving was the most important skill that one could possess. Taemin had unfortunately become quite used to his parents bugging him about learning to drive and the daunting fact that all of his friends, and most others his age, had a driver's permit. It was a breath of fresh air, in more ways than one, to see Henry walking on the pavement, instead of behind the wheel of a vehicle.

"Are you ready to go?" Henry asked, with his usual cheerful smile as he stopped in front of his date.

Taemin smiled back and nodded.

"Sorry; I don't have a driver's license," Henry shared as they began to walk. "But we won't have to walk too far," he quickly covered.

Taemin smiled broadly.

"It's okay. I can't drive either," he said, feeling a little less alone.

"Really? I thought I was the only one," Henry laughed. "Actually, I tried to take my driver's test last year, but I failed," he admitted, candidly, making Taemin laugh.

They had a very pleasant conversation as they walked, the brightly shining early afternoon sun adding to the warmth of their interactions. Much to his surprise, Taemin was finding it quite easy to talk to Henry.

They stopped in front of a newly opened public botanical garden. Taemin had been wanting to visit ever since he had heard about it opening.

"I hope you like flowers," Henry smiled, a little nervously. In all honesty, he had really taken a wild leap with the gardens. He wasn't even sure if Taemin liked plants, but Leeteuk had recommended the site, as he had recently taken Kibum to the garden.

"I've been wanting to come here for a while," Taemin beamed, and Henry let out an inaudible sigh of relief.

-----

The two had toured half of the garden and were strolling through the rose exhibit, when Taemin realized that he and Henry were holding hands. He blushed remarkably as he took note of their joined hands, glancing at Henry to see if he noticed.

Sure enough, Henry was looking straight at Taemin.

Taemin's blush deepened, but he couldn't deny the fact that he liked the feeling of Henry holding his hand.

"Taemin...I really like you," Henry began, knowing that he probably sounded as if he'd been pulled straight out of a teenage romance film, but he wanted Taemin to be clear about his feelings for him.

Taemin in a breath. Now was not the time to be insanely shy.

"I really like you, too," he smiled, surprising himself with his uncharacteristic burst of confidence.

The wonderful smile on Henry's face was well worth the courageous confession.

In response, Henry gripped Taemin's hand a little more tightly as they finished their round around the gardens. Dinner that night was Moroccan food from a street stand, with an evening walk around town that followed.

By the end of the evening, Taemin was very sure that he was in love.

His feelings solidified when, as they stood outside Taemin's apartment building, Henry kissed him, quickly. Recovering quickly from his initial shock, Taemin pulled Henry back for another deeper, more meaningful kiss.

"I'll see you tomorrow, then?" Henry smiled, arms still around Taemin's waist.

The younger nodded, before they shared a final good night kiss.

Taemin went to bed, grinning broadly, that night.

Note:

Another cheesy date! ^^ Next chapter will return to the primary Jongho focus, then, a few chapters later, I'll probably insert the Jinki x Ryeowook. I think it's safe to say that Ryeowook has won the poll ^^

Thanks to all who have read, commented and subscribed!

x Angela