Taemin arrived, breathless, at Minho's apartment half an hour later. He hesitated a moment before knocking on the door, suddenly stopping to think for the first time since he'd left his brother at the police station. The last time he'd seen Minho was when he'd accused the older boy of planting the bomb at Kim Heechul's house. Taemin winced at the memory; he didn't think he'd ever been so angry in his life, and he certainly would never forget the hurt in Minho's eyes as he'd headed out the door on his way to the police station.

What if Minho hadn't forgotten, either? What if he didn't want to see Taemin? To be honest, Taemin wasn't exactly sure why he was there. He'd told himself there was nothing between himself and Minho, even before he'd mistakenly thought Minho was guilty. But whatever there was between them, Taemin couldn't deny that he owed the older boy his life. More than his life. He didn't know what he would've done if Minho hadn't taken him home from the hospital after he'd almost been killed in the explosion.

He had to apologize, at least. And tell Minho how grateful he was. And of course, there was that part of him that really, really wanted to see Minho again. But he'd think about that later...for now he'd just work on being able to knock on the door.

Come on, Lee Taemin, you're being a coward about this? After everything?

He knocked slowly but loudly enough, he hoped, for someone inside to hear. After a few moments he looked around awkwardly, wondering why there seemed to be no response from inside. He knocked again, more impatiently this time. He'd spent so much time trying to convince himself to knock he hadn't considered what he'd do if no one answered. As he raised his hand to knock for the third time there was a sound from behind him. He whirled around, startled, but it was only a middle-aged woman coming out of her apartment.

“Oh, did I scare you?” she said kindly, smiling at Taemin.

He pulled himself together and bowed politely. “No, it's fine,” he replied.

“If you're looking for Minho-ssi, I'm afraid you might be a little late, love,” she told him. Taemin raised his eyebrows.

“You know Minho hyung?”

“We've met a couple of times. Polite boy. But he said he was on his way to the train station...must have left about an hour ago. You're his friend? I remember you were staying here before. I'm surprised he didn't tell you...?”

Taemin just stared at her blankly. “T-Train station?”

“Yes, dear. He had a large suitcase - leaving Seoul for good, apparently. I suppose the poor boy wanted to get away from something.”

Taemin swallowed slowly, feeling his heart sink. Was it too late, after all? “Ahjumma, do you perhaps...did Minho hyung say where he was going?”

“Let’s see...he was talking so fast I could hardly catch what the poor dear was saying, but I think he may have mentioned something about his uncle’s empty house in Tongyeong?” she said. And then with a slight twinkle in her eye, “He can't have gotten a train straight away. If you hurry you might still catch your hyung.”

That's right; he couldn't give up just yet. Suddenly Taemin wished he hadn't smashed his mobile phone on his brother's wall...it would have been so much easier to call Minho at this point. But maybe it was better this way – what exactly could Taemin say over the phone? He quickly thanked the woman and set off down the stairs of the apartment building at a run, turning left when he got out onto the street and running towards the nearest bus stop.

He jumped onto the first bus that came along, knowing that they would all go to the station. “One single ticket please,” he said, breathing heavily.

“What is your destination?” asked the driver, an old man wearing big round glasses.

“Seoul Station,” Taemin said, trying not to sound too impatient.

“That will take over forty-five minutes, you know. You're better off getting a taxi.”

Taemin sighed. “I don't have the time to wait,” he said. The truth was that he hadn't had the time to grab his wallet that morning (not that there was much money in there anyway), so all he had were the few coins in his pocket. Not enough, unfortunately, for a taxi.

“Very well,” he said, printing out Taemin's ticket almost unbearably slowly. When he finally held it out, it took all of Taemin's willpower not to snatch it from the old man. He handed over the money, said thank you and took a seat near the back of the bus, staring out of the window anxiously.

Now that he finally had a moment to think, Taemin found himself getting extremely nervous. When he saw Minho – if he saw Minho – what exactly was he planning to say? After 'Thank you for saving my life', and 'I'm sorry I thought you were a terrorist', he hadn't really thought about what else he wanted from the older boy. Were they going to hug and become best friends, maybe...maybe more than that? Did Taemin want that kind of happy ending?

A part of him wanted to get off the bus and go back the way he'd come. After all, there wasn't much chance he'd catch Minho at the train station, and even if he did, maybe it was better for them both to go their separate ways.

But the part of him that wanted to see Minho was stronger.

The bus pulled up at Seoul Station just over forty minutes later and Taemin quickly jumped off without so much as a wave to the elderly driver. He was instantly swallowed up in the immense crowd and struggled desperately to see over the heads of the businessmen, families, students and other random people that swarmed the outside of the station. Slowly (and not without a lot of shoving on Taemin's part) he managed to get through the massive glass doors and into the building. It turned out he hadn't made much progress, however, since this part of the station was still incredibly busy.

Finally he burst through into the centre of the station, where there were less people to obstruct his view. He looked around, hoping by some miracle to catch a glimpse of the person he was looking for. Taemin almost laughed at himself; how had he been so naïve as to think he'd find Minho here? Even if he hadn't already boarded a train, it would be impossible to search for him amongst all these people. Still, there was a chance...

He made his way to the giant board which announced the train times and platforms and began scanning it, searching for some clue as to Minho’s whereabouts. It wasn’t long before he noticed something was wrong...the announcements for approaching trains weren’t changing at all, and the times made no sense. The most recent train had apparently left three hours ago. Taemin furrowed his brow in confusion as he continued to stare at the numbers – if the board was to be believed, the last train to Tongyeong had left at four o’clock that morning and there wasn’t going to be another one for five and a half hours. That couldn’t be right, could it?

A member of the station staff approached and put a hand on Taemin’s shoulder, making the boy jump. “Announcements haven’t been working since this morning, son,” he said with a chuckle. “You can stare as hard as you want but the numbers ain’t gonna change any time soon.”

Taemin turned to look at him, feeling more than a little bit stupid. “Ahjusshi, do you know when the next train to Tongyeong leaves?” he asked frantically.

“Sorry, I ain’t no computer,” was his reply. “But I s’pose if you’re looking for train times you could go to the office over there.” He indicated with a tilt of his head and Taemin thanked him with a quick nod, weaving in and out of the crowd until he reached the queue for the ticket office. Taemin’s heart sank a bit as he saw the length of the queue; it would take at least fifteen minutes that he couldn’t afford. So on a sudden impulse he did something he’d never done in his life – he jumped the queue, pushing past elderly tour groups and students with large backpacks, receiving dirty looks from businessmen in their freshly-ironed suits and outraged protests from tired-looking mothers with screaming babies. When he reached the booth slightly out of breath, the gum-chewing, greasy haired young woman that sat behind the desk was too bored to care that he’d skipped the queue. However, when she took in Taemin’s appearance she immediately sat up and became a lot more interested.

“How can I help you, sweetheart?” she said in a sickly-sweet voice, biting her lip flirtatiously. “You look so lost for someone so young.”

Taemin sighed. “Could you tell me when the next train to Tongyeong leaves?” he said as patiently as he could manage.

“Tongyeong? Why on earth would a young man like you want to go to Tongyeong when you have the whole of Seoul at your fingertips?”

“I...I’m looking for someone. It’s kind of urgent, so please...” Taemin was starting to get nervous now. If Minho’s train hadn’t left before he’d arrived at the station, it certainly would have by the time he was finally able to find the platform. He silently willed the woman to hurry up.

“Lots of Tongyeong trains running today,” she said, lazily making conversation. “Must be getting popular. Can’t for the life of me see why. So many fish...ugh.”

“Um, excuse me but the next train, could you...” Taemin dug his nails into the palm of his left hand anxiously, biting the inside of his cheek to stop himself from snapping at the woman.

She looked up at him at laughed. “Wow, don’t get your knickers in a twist, love,” she reprimanded him playfully. “Guess this person you’re looking for must be important. A girlfriend, is it? Anyway, next train leaves from platform thirteen, if you must know.”

Taemin almost growled. “And the time?” he asked.

“Should be leaving in...approximately two minutes. I’d hurry up if I were you; platform thirteen is the furthest one away from here.”

He didn’t need to be told twice, turning on his heal and making his way back through the crowded queue of impatient customers as fast as he could, suddenly completely alert now that he had a goal. Luckily the station’s signs were better than their train announcements and it didn’t take long for Taemin to figure out which direction he needed to go in. Platform six, platform seven, oh God, where was it? The station seemed more crowded here than ever as he tried frantically to push past slow-moving people in an attempt to go faster. Platforms eight, nine, ten...Taemin looked at his watch and saw that it had been more than two minutes already, but he couldn’t stop, he wouldn’t give up hope. And old man stopped to shout at him, muttering something about rowdy teenagers and lack of respect, but Taemin ignored him and carried on, relieved when the crowd began to thin as he got to the more deserted part of the station. There were only small groups of people in his way now...platform eleven, platform twelve...

Platform thirteen. Here it was. Taemin stopped for a moment to catch his breath and closed his eyes, preparing for the worst. Of course there was always the possibility that Minho was long gone, that the train had left or even that he’d taken an earlier train. But he’d come this far and he had to check. He ran past a class of nursery-school children and with a last deep breath he reached the barriers to the platform. Seeing that there was no member of staff present, he looked around furtively and climbed over with ease, finally arriving at his destination.

And then as he got the chance to survey his surroundings for the first time, his heart sank. There was no train. No passengers waiting. He was too late...the train had left and so had his opportunity to catch Minho. He had prepared himself for this but he’d never actually considered what he would do if the worst happened...this was it, he thought to himself, time to go home. But where exactly would he go? There was nowhere left, he realised.

If he’d been just a bit faster, if he’d realised the truth sooner, maybe this wouldn’t have happened. He cursed himself once again for destroying his mobile phone and not being able to call Minho when he’d had the chance. Because now he was completely alone; his brother had been arrested and the one other person who said he cared had left him. Taemin had always had somewhere to go, someone to look after him, even if it wasn’t much; when Key had died he thought he’d lost that until Minho came along and saved him, and now Minho had left as well, and Taemin was truly alone...

He found himself remembering the first time they’d met, the way Minho’s strong arms had wrapped around him and he’d instantly felt safe, protected, loved. The twinkle in Minho’s eyes as Taemin had introduced himself; he had actually seemed interested. His soft brown hair, his tanned skin; Taemin remembered every detail but he could already feel Minho slipping away from him, becoming a memory, and it was only then that he truly began to appreciate his feelings for the older boy. Minho had come into his life when it was at its very worst, and now he’d left before Taemin could fully realise that it was Minho he needed, Minho who could make everything better. You don’t know what you’ve got until it’s gone. And now he had nothing.

Taemin continued to stand there, fixed to the spot, his eyes closed as he tried desperately to grasp what was happening to him. So much had occurred in the past couple of weeks, so fast that he’d never really been able to process anything; it felt like he’d just woken up from a dream and he wouldn’t be able to get out of bed until worked out exactly what it meant. As soon as he’d woken up in that hospital bed Minho had been an instant calming presence, someone to look after him and sort it all out and Taemin didn’t have to worry as long as the older boy was there. But Taemin had run away, and now Minho was gone, and he would give anything for the brown-haired college student to be there with him in that moment, to wrap his strong, comforting arms around the scared teenager and whisper that everything would be okay...but a tear slipped down his cheek as he came to the realisation that it would never happen, he’d never look into those deep, dark eyes again and see that previously indecipherable expression of affection and care.

And then...

“Pabo,” a voice said quietly in his ear, “Don’t tell me you’re crying because of me?”

Before Taemin had time to breathe, he felt two very familiar arms slip around his waist from behind and surround him in a warm embrace, and his whole body stiffened, ready to pull away. But the strong arms held onto him securely and so he was frozen in place, his eyes widening in surprise as he swallowed his tears and whispered the name he thought he’d never get to say again... “M-Minho?”

“I couldn’t do it, Taemin,” Minho said slowly. “I couldn’t leave Seoul. I couldn’t leave you.”

It was him. It was really him. Taemin wasn’t dreaming, he wasn’t going crazy, and Minho hadn’t left. Minho was here, and Taemin was suddenly crying again as he turned around and buried himself in the older boy’s chest, throwing his arms around Minho’s neck and clinging onto the back of his shirt as if he had no intention of ever letting go. Which he didn’t. His heart was beating faster than it ever had before; faster than when he’d first set eyes on Minho, faster even than when they’d had their first kiss.

“I’m sorry,” Taemin sobbed into the taller boy’s chest. “Hyung, I’m so sorry...”

“Hey, Taemin, don’t...” Minho responded softly, pulling away from the embrace. Taemin wanted to pull him back, to tell him not to let go, but he restrained himself. Minho placed one hand on either side of Taemin’s face and gently wiped away the tears on his cheeks. When Taemin’s vision was no longer blurred he blinked to see that Minho’s eyes too were b with tears. “I thought...I thought you hated me.”

“Hyung...”

“I wouldn’t blame you if you did. I lied to you, and...” Minho closed his eyes for a second, letting a single tear spill over onto his tanned cheek. Hesitantly, Taemin reached up to it away, and his hand lingered on the older boy’s soft skin momentarily before falling back to his side. Minho watched it fall. “Taemin, I’m so sorry, I couldn’t protect you and I’m...”

Taemin silenced him the only way he knew how; with a kiss. Their lips met cautiously at first, a mixture of warm breath and salty tears and soft flesh, familiar and comforting but at the same time careful and so fragile, neither wanting to go too far out of consideration for the other. Taemin wrapped his arms around Minho’s taller frame, seeking his warmth, and Minho responded by running his fingers through Taemin’s soft, silky hair as his tongue slid into the other’s mouth. No one was around to see them on the deserted platform and the two boys wouldn’t have cared either way; they weren’t capable of focusing on anything other than the person before them. Taemin had forgotten how beautiful Minho truly was, how handsome and flawless and perfect...or maybe he’d just never stopped to notice before. He relished the taste of the older boy’s lips on his as their kiss deepened, and nearly whined when Minho eventually pulled away, kissing the younger boy’s cheek instead and then his forehead, and then stopping altogether just to look at Taemin.

“I love you,” he said breathlessly. “I’ve loved you from the start, but you never knew, you thought I was just being nice...you don’t know how hard that was for me, Taemin-ah...and then you left and I knew you would never feel the same about me, I knew it was over. I can’t imagine how hard these past few weeks have been for you and I told myself I should just leave, I should let you live your life because staying would be selfish. But I couldn’t do it, I really don’t think I can be without you...if you don’t feel the same then there’s nothing I can do, but...”

“Pabo,” Taemin chuckled through his tears, allowing himself a small smile. “You think I’d be here if I didn’t love you too?”

Minho swallowed before laughing out loud and throwing his arms around Taemin again, a grin on his face. “Seriously?” he asked. “You love me?”

Taemin nodded into his chest. “Let’s go away together, hyung,” he softly. “There’ll be another train...let’s just take it and get away from Seoul forever.”

The older boy sighed. “As good as that sounds,” he said honestly, “I can’t just kidnap a 15-year-old kid and take him away from his hometown without expecting some consequences.”

The younger boy just grinned. “You know what day it is today, hyung?”

“What...day? Huh?”

“18^th of July. My birthday, as it happens. Which means...”

“What?”

“I’m not underage anymore,” he smirked, watching for Minho’s reaction. The older boy’s eyebrows twitched slightly but he was careful not to show what he was thinking.

“Well...” Minho finally said. “Happy Birthday, kiddo. But we’re still not going anywhere, at least until we pack your belongings and get you some more clothes. Let’s just take it slow, okay?”

“Fine,” Taemin grumbled, but he still couldn’t help smiling up at his hyung as the older boy took his hand and the two of them walked back towards the platform barriers. They received a few strange looks as two tear-stained teenage boys holding hands, but the crowd no longer bothered Taemin now that he had Minho, because at that point nothing mattered more than getting back to the older boy’s apartment and collapsing onto the sofa with an arm wrapped around his body to keep him safe.

He couldn’t say quite yet that he was happy, or that he’d gotten over everything that had happened over the last month. The fact remained that he was still in shock from the aftermath of the explosion that had torn his life apart, the explosion that had killed his best friend and brought his brother back, only to expose his guilt and take him away again. But with Minho came the chance to get his life back on track, to come to some sort of acceptance. And Taemin began to see a future that wasn’t so bleak, a future with someone who loved him and was prepared to share his pain, to provide him with the security he needed until they could both manage to move on. And when they did move on, when they came out the other side, Taemin knew there would be happiness waiting. It was only a matter of time...because now he had something he’d never had before. Minho.

And there was no doubt in Taemin’s mind that his life was going to get much, much better from now on.

A/N: So first of all, it's been over three months and I must be the worst updater in the history of updating. I really am sorry. I have no excuses, except for stupid schoolwork and writer's block and too many goddamn Korean dramas...okay that's a lot of excuses...ahem. Anyway, I'M REALLY SORRY ;__; Please feel free to hate me. 

If any of you still care about this story, then thank you and once again I apologize for keeping you waiting. BUT HERE'S THE LAST CHAPTER! :D I did promise you for an epilogue which is why I'm not marking the story complete yet...you'll just have to wait a tiny bit longer for the final part, I'm afraid. And I know this is cheesy and not very good, so again, sorry T^T I really do fail at life.

HOWEVER...COMMENTS ARE THE MOST BEAUTIFUL THINGS ON EARTH. I know I don't deserve any, but they really make my day...even if it's a death threat telling me how terrible my story is (okay I'm joking, no death threats, I beg you). A nice comment, pwetty please? DO IT FOR 2MIN!!!!! ^-^

Finally, to all readers and subscribers, I love you more than you can ever imagine <3