A/N: Sorry it's a bit slow-paced. Taemin is surprisingly harder to write than the first three, probably because I have a less stable grasp of his behavior/character than the others. As always, thank you for the subscriptions and comments! Your feedback is very important for me as a newbie in the SHINee fandom, and gives me inspiration, so I'd be very happy if you could share your thoughts about this fic.

Thank you and happy reading!

Chapter IV

The two of them look like newlyweds.

It sounds ridiculous when he phrases it like that, but Taemin can’t think of a better analogy. Not when Jinki-hyung has this goofy, lovestruck expression as he stands closely behind Kibum-hyung, who is busy making pancakes for breakfast. He doesn’t miss their leader’s large hand curved almost possessively around Kibum-hyung’s slender waist.

Skinship is nothing new for Taemin. He’s had more than his fair share of the older members hugging and touching him at random intervals, and he’s done the same to them. Jonghyun-hyung, holding the self-proclaimed title of ‘skinship king’, has made it a point to be a crowd-pleaser by directing most of his attention to Kibum-hyung, in particular. The tactic works very well; Kibum-hyung undeniably has the most feminine vibe out of all of them, complementing Jonghyun-hyung’s more masculine character and appearance. Once on stage, the main vocalist turns up the charm, attitude openly flirtatious. If Taemin wasn’t part of SHINee, he would probably be one of many fooled into thinking that Jonghyun-hyung only has eyes for Key.

Every word that comes out of Jonghyun-hyung’s mouth, every stare, it’s all calculated inside his brain and acted upon accordingly. Jinki-hyung saves all his thinking for body gags, clever wordplay and amusing camera reactions, so he’s not nearly as prominent on the list of ‘SHINee couples’ that the fans have constructed.

Maybe that’s why Taemin notices those small, lingering touches all the more—they are the result of his body unconsciously reacting before his mind has a chance to filter possible options. The way Jinki-hyung does it is so subtle, most onlookers don’t even realize what he’s doing. Even if they did, they probably wouldn’t think anything of it.

Taemin knows better, though. He hasn’t seen the two of them interact like this in a while, or to be exact, since the articles about Jinki-hyung first started coming out. Rehearsals, practices and interviews were all fine and dandy, but inside the dorm he would excuse himself early from meals and shut himself inside his room. That must have been his way of coping with the situation, and Taemin has let it be, because cheering him up isn’t exactly his forte, and only Kibum-hyung has the ability to get their leader out of whatever funk he’s in.

Whatever he did must have worked, because the dreary air that’s been hanging over Jinki-hyung’s head has dissipated. Instead, there’s a weird lovey-dovey aura he’s emitting even as he’s lightly chided for being in the way, and the two of them exchange gentle smiles, as if sharing a private joke only they understand. Despite himself, he feels a sliver of envy at the sight. As a child, his parents had often traded knowing looks, not bothering to include him in their silent conversation. He experiences a jolt of déjà vu as he stares at the two figures in the kitchen, transfixed.

Kibum-hyung’s eyes finally catch his across the room, and he motions for Taemin to take a seat. “We should be finished soon,” the blond rapper says, and Jinki-hyung nods his agreement with a sunny smile. The table has already been set, the maple syrup and butter sitting at the center, along with a pitcher of fresh orange juice. He guesses Jinki-hyung must have been ordered to go through the oranges while Kibum-hyung prepared the batter and fired up the skillet. It’s quite the late breakfast at nearly 11 o’clock, but he isn’t complaining.  

Minho-hyung joins the four of them with a yawn and a low grunt that probably equates to ‘good morning’. He shakes his head when he spots Kibum-hyung and Jinki-hyung. “Nice work with the door,” he comments with a cryptic smirk. Jinki-hyung smiles back sheepishly.

“Ah, that was all me. Sorry about that.”

Beside him, Kibum-hyung scoffs. “I told you to do that, idiot.” Overcome by curiosity, Taemin ventures to ask what the three of them are going on about. It’s not much fun listening in to a conversation he can make neither heads nor tails of.

The grin on their tallest member’s face is positively wicked when he answers. “Kibum told me to lock him and Jinki-hyung inside the room, so I did.” Taemin laughs at Kibum-hyung’s expression, torn as it is between distress and horror. Jinki-hyung rests his chin on Kibum-hyung’s shoulder, regarding him uncertainly.

“…Is that true, Kibum?”

“That’s only because you were avoiding me!” The blond man shoots back defensively, cheeks coloring a light pink. “And Minho, don’t you dare point fingers after messing up the timing.” Minho-hyung snorts, but doesn’t reply. Kibum-hyung eyes their leader worriedly, even as he expertly flips a pancake. “Look, Jinki, you’re not angry—“

Jinki-hyung shushes him, enveloping the younger man in a back hug. The way he nuzzles Kibum-hyung’s neck makes Minho-hyung cough awkwardly and Taemin quickly avert his gaze. He doesn’t understand why, but it feels embarrassing to watch their public displays of affection any further. They really do look like newlyweds, he thinks again to himself, and he and Minho-hyung unlucky fellows who have chosen to visit right in the middle of the honeymoon phase. The vibe between Kibum-hyung and Jinki-hyung has always been a little different, especially after the media and fans started labelling them as the mother and father of SHINee, and Taemin as their baby. He supposes his own role can’t be helped, being the youngest of the group, but being partnered together has given the two of them an unexpected intimacy that sets them apart from the others.

Thinking back on it, Kibum-hyung started referring to Jonghyun-hyung and Jinki-hyung as ‘darling’ during the Hello Baby filming in 2010. That in itself is a little out of the ordinary, but as Taemin himself has admitted, Kibum-hyung suits the role of ‘mother’ extremely well, enough that him going around yelling ‘darling’ doesn’t disturb him as much as he thought it would. If he’s in the mood to play house, he usually starts referring to either of the two as ‘darling’, although it’s been a while since he called Jonghyun-hyung that endearment. It’s usually Jinki-hyung who goes along with Kibum-hyung’s sudden flights of fancy, after all, and vice-versa. In a way, they’re each other’s most willing victim.

Taemin snaps back to reality just as two plates of hotcakes are laid down on the table. “Time to eat!” Kibum-hyung exclaims, and automatically he spears himself two pieces. He slathers butter all over the first slice. Before he can ask for the maple syrup, Jinki-hyung has already placed the bottle in front of him. Smiling gratefully, he murmurs his thanks and practically drowns the plate in syrup.

“Delicious,” he manages to mumble around a mouth stuffed full of pancake. Kibum-hyung beams and looks pleased with himself, while Jinki-hyung simply smiles in contentment. Minho-hyung grunts his own assent. Taemin soaks in the peaceful silence, happy in the knowledge that the group dynamic is back to how it was before. He is hopeful that after Jonghyun-hyung gets back from surgery, that he and Kibum-hyung can solve whatever problem it is they’re having.

Taemin is the last to leave the dorm. He passes by Kibum-hyung’s room with its door left ajar, and unable to resist the temptation, sneaks inside. The room is strewn with articles of clothing, which is normal considering his hyung’s obsession with fashion. What isn’t normal, however, is spotting Jinki-hyung’s hoodie and pajama pants mixed in with the mess. It’s happened occasionally, since the two of them share clothes more than the other three members, what with having the same height, but he doesn’t think Kibum-hyung would stoop to stealing their leader’s pajamas. Or would he?

Setting the question aside for now, Taemin examines the door and immediately discovers what Minho-hyung has been talking about. The doorknob has been completely wrenched off on this side, no doubt due to Jinki-hyung’s desire to open the door. It’s a strength that he rarely displays, except when he’s required to in variety shows. Kibum-hyung’s really lucky, not to have been subject to the devastating pain of Jinki-hyung’s forehead flicks.

His phone rings, and hurriedly he exits the room. “Taemin, get your down here, or we’ll leave without you!” Without waiting for his response, Kibum-hyung hangs up.

Jinki-hyung’s strange behaviour and whatever happened while he and Kibum-hyung were locked inside the room must be related, he muses. He casts one last look at the open door of Kibum-hyung’s room before he steps out of the apartment and turns the key in its lock.