Taemin’s POV

I twist my head around uncomfortably as Minho shakes me.

“Taemin, wake up,” he murmurs. I open my eyes and jerk away as my sight lands on Minho’s lips.

“Good morning,” I mutter as I rub my eyelids. He scoffs and turns my chin so that I’m staring right into his eyes.

“You were out for four hours. Are you hungry?” he asks. I blush and shake my head.

“Did you eat?” I ask. He nods and Yoogeun pipes up behind him.

“They gave us pizza and brownies and the fizzy fizz!” Yoogeun announces. I look to Minho for a translation.

“They gave us soda,” he clarifies. I frown disapprovingly.

“That’s not good for your teeth,” I scold. Yoogeun whimpers and Minho chuckles as he bends forward until our lips are almost touching.

“But it makes my mouth taste damn good,” he teases, his voice low so that Yoogeun doesn’t catch onto the curse word. I scowl and push Minho’s face away.

“Jerk,” I snarl as I get to my feet. I wobble and fall backwards, right into Minho’s lap. He catches me and turns me against my will so that I’m straddling him.

“You look good for someone that spent the last four hours my name,” he taunts. I let out a growling scream of frustration, hitting his chest with my palms.

“Release me, you stupid-“ He clamps a hand onto my mouth before I can say the rest. He smirks and moves his hand to cup my cheek.

“Are you really so sure you want that?” he whispers. Against my will, my eyes train themselves on his plush, pink lips. I whimper and try to pull away as he leans forward, but something jolts.

“What was that?” I shriek. He chuckles as the “fasten seatbelt” sign comes back on. We’re still in flight.

“Surprise,” he growls playfully. I screech and beat his chest again, this time with my fists. He pulls my head forward and clamps his mouth over mine. I let out muffled screams as his tongue bombards my teeth.

“Jerk!” I shout as I rip my mouth from his. He laughs out loud.

“That’s not what you called me in your dream,” he teases, pulling my head forward so he can hiss in my ear.

“Appa didn’t say anything when he went sleepy,” Yoogeun says, confused. I smirk as Minho scowls.

“See?” I mock as I roll off of his lap. “Don’t lie. Yoogeun will catch you.” I smile as Yoogeun smiles proudly.

“I’m Liar Police,” he announces proudly. I reach across a grumpy Minho to ruffle Yoogeun’s hair.

“Yes you are,” I coo. Yoogeun beams.

“Are you hungry?” Minho asks suddenly. His intensely dark eyes turn to me and I feel my stomach churn of its own accord. I nod a little and he smirks.

“Yah, don’t give me that look,” I snarl, blushing. I Minho presses a button on his seat and a stewardess comes running.

“Yes?” she asks, her cheeks flushing. Minho smirks and stands up, despite the shuddering plane. He takes her by the waist and drags her to the section in the middle of the plane, closing the curtain. I feel an aching in my heart.

Why? Why would he go with her now?

Why do I even care?

Minho’s POV

“Can you help me?” I ask as soon as the curtain closes. I turn to see her closing the other curtain, and then smiling at me coyly.

“Help you with what?” she asks, sliding up close to me and pressing her body to mine. I gulp and try to keep myself in control.

I’m a changed man. I’m a changed man. I a changed ing man, I think desperately. I push her away gently.

“I actually just need you to help me get a meal for my friend,” I say. She pouts.

“You could’ve just asked at your seat,” she grumbles as she turns and stretches up. A little skin peeks out from the back of her skirt and I force my eyes away.

I love Taemin, I think fiercely. I look back to see her holding out a tray of frozen pizza, brownies, and a cup.

“What would your friend like?” she sneers. I take the tray.

“Milk,” I say, trying to seem nonchalant about being in a small, enclosed space with an admittedly hot flight attendant. She scowls and pours some sloppily, and then slams the carton back onto the refrigerator.

“And could you heat it up?” I ask, trying to smile nicely. She snarls and snatches my tray.

“,” she mutters as she shoves it ungracefully into the microwave. Suddenly, she doesn’t seem so pretty. The smell of pizza and brownies and rich, deep chocolate fills the air. She pushed the hot tray into my hands and I nearly drop it.

“Thanks,” I manage to say courteously. I leave, the scowl on her face burning into my neck.

What did I ever see in women?

I sit back down next to Taemin and hand him the food. He nods gratefully and bows his head to start on his meal. The cheesy pizza leaves his lips shiny and greasy, and his pink tongue occasionally pokes out to and leave a sheen of saliva. I don’t realize I’m staring until he looks at me.

“What’s up?” he asks, his lips once again.

“Nothing,” I respond as I look away quickly, turning my attention to Yoogeun, who’s sleeping. I put an arm around him and keep him securely at my side. He murmurs a little and worms into my side. I his hair as Taemin eats. Then Taemin puts a hand on my shoulder and I turn to him. His head nuzzles into my neck and he yawns.

“Thanks for the food,” he says. His arms twine around my bicep and he snuggles into me one more time before falling asleep. I can’t even begin to process how cute he looks, with a little chocolate smeared on his upper lip and his face placid in dreams.

“I love you,” I whisper before kissing him. I lean my head back and sleep, trying not to think as I drift away to somewhere where Taemin and I can start over and fall in love the right way.

The airport’s loud and crowded, as usual. Even though I’ve never been here before, the reactions of the employees as they blandly deal with screaming children and impatient old people wielding canes tells me more than enough.

“This way,” Taemin says, dragging me by the arm. I adjust Yoogeun’s small body as I keep him hoisted, pushing the luggage cart with my other hand.

“Hang on. I only have two arms and they’re occupied,” I snarl. Taemin rolls his eyes.

“I told you to pack less, but would you listen?” he snaps rhetorically. I sigh and pinch the bridge of my nose with the hand that’s supposed to be pushing the luggage cart. Taemin immediately snatches it away and pushes it to the left, huffing as he goes. I follow him, my head already pounding. This is going to be a long trip.

“So what happened with you and your family?” I ask, trying to change the topic. He stiffens and doesn’t answer. I remember too late that it’s a sensitive topic, and I bite my tongue.

“How’s Yoogeun doing?” he asks instead. I look at my son, who’s fast asleep again.

“He’s doing fine,” I say as Yoogeun’s head rests on my shoulder. I watch the way Taemin’s lean body moves under his clothes. His long, thin legs glide almost effortlessly as he makes his way to the terminal. I catch up to him so that I won’t have to stare at his for the next few minutes. We pass through the terminal into the chilled air. I look at the yellowing leaves, and Taemin seems to enjoy the view for a moment before a limo pulls up.

“Taemin?” the driver asks. “Is that really you?” Taemin stiffens as the window rolls down and a man’s face pokes out. The driver’s features are so feminine, it’s almost ridiculous.

“Hey Heechul,” Taemin says as he starts to load the baggage. He turns to me as he shoves my suitcase into the trunk. “Get in the car.” His voice is firm and demanding. I don’t argue it, and I instead slide into the back, waiting for him to join me.

“Who is this guy?” I ask him as he shuffles in and closes the door. Taemin sighs.

“My old…”

“Friend,” Heechul finishes.

“Employee,” Taemin snarls. Heechul smirks.

“Don’t be bitter just because I’m the one who-“

“Shut up and drive,” Taemin barks, looking out of the window on his side of the car with unmatched irritation. I look from Taemin to Heechul and then at Yoogeun, who doesn’t look any less confused than me. Taemin looks over at me and sighs.

“Give me him,” he murmurs. I hand over Yoogeun silently, and as Taemin balances Yoogeun silently on his lap, I study Taemin’s face.

His features aren’t soft, like they usually would be. Even when he’s furious, his face has always carried a strain of softness. Now, his face is completely walled off by anger, and I feel like it’ll cut me if I touch it. I reach over and brush a stray lock of hair from his cheek. He leans into my touch slightly, his eyes closing.

“Is this your boyfriend?” Heechul asks with just a hint of a sneer. Taemin glares through the mirror and grits his teeth.

“No,” Taemin snarls. “He’s just a friend.”

“A pretty good friend, from the looks of it,” Heechul chuckles. I look from Taemin to Heechul and back to Taemin.

“What’s going on?” I ask in a low voice.

“Oh, Taemin’s just a ,” Heechul sings. Taemin’s hands fly to Yoogeun’s ears.

“You , can’t you see there’s a kid onboard?” Taemin hisses. Yoogeun starts to whimper and Taemin’s attention immediately goes to my son.

“Wh-why did that man call appa a bad word?” Yoogeun sniffles. Heechul laughs.

“You’re a dad? I thought you didn’t like girls,” he snickers. Taemin’s eyes narrow.

“Yoogeun’s not my kid. He’s Minho’s,” Taemin snarls, jerking his head towards me. Heechul makes icy eye contact through the rear-view mirror.

“Hey there, Minho,” he greets cheerfully, but I already don’t like this guy. No one can treat Taemin like that and be a good guy.

“Hi,” I return with cold indifference. He chuckles.

“So, you’re Taemin’s new boytoy?” he asks. Taemin covers Yoogeun’s ears again.

“No, I’m just his friend.” My heart clenches as I say it, but if it’ll help get this guy off of Taemin’s back, I’ll say it a thousand times.

“Really? You seemed really close a couple of seconds ago,” Heechul observes with a self-satisfied smirk. This guy is an !

“Yes, really,” I say, purposely edging away from Taemin. “The only thing that keeps the two of us from killing each other is Yoogeun. Other than that, there’s no relationship.”

Taemin’s POV

I flinch as he says that. No relationship? I know he’s just acting, but still… it hurts.

“So appa isn’t gonna marry appa?” Yoogeun asks with wide, frightened eyes. I shush him gently and hold his head to my chest.

“Stay quiet for now, okay?” I murmur. He sniffles and buries his face into my body, seeking comfort htat I readily give him.

“So that’s your kid?” Heechul asks. I look at Minho as he nods.

“Taemin raised him for a while,” Minho says. Out of sight from the mirror’s perspective, he brushes his foot against mine and I nudge him back.

“Why didn’t you raise him?” Heechul asks. I see Minho’s jaw clench.

“I didn’t know him,” he answers, his hands forming fists on his legs. I want to hold them so badly… To them gently and tell him that it’s alright, but I can’t for two reasons. One is that I know what Heechul will do if I so much as touch Minho and two is because I know that it won’t be alright.

With our destination, it couldn’t possibly be alright. I glance at Minho again and see him peeking at me. He gives me the same kind of reassuring smile that I want to give him, and I can see his own frustration bubbling under the surface.

“Give him to me,” Minho murmurs gently. I hand Yoogeun over with a grateful, tired smile. As I do, Minho brushes his hand against mine. I feel the tingle all the way up to my spine, and I withdraw to my corner with a shudder of delight.

“Appa, what’s going on?” Yoogeun whimpers. Minho shushes him tenderly.

“Nothing,” he says softly. I hear him adjust Yoogeun on his lap. “Everything’s fine.”

“Then why is that lady-man being mean to appa?” Yoogeun asks. I smirk a little.

That’s my son,I think proudly. Take that, lady-man.

“Did your kid just call me a lady-man?” Heechul asks, a bit irked. I hear Minho’s infamous chuckle of victory.

“I don’t know, do you look like a lady?” he asks. Heechul purses his full lips, not really saying much because he knows that my son has completely pwned him.

Of course, that only makes him more intent on irking me.

“So, Taemin, what’ve you been up to, lately?” Heechul asks with a devious grin, giving his full attention to making me snap.

As if you don’t know,I think bitterly. You’re the one that dumped me at the ing train station. Out loud, I just say, “Nothing.”

“Nothing at all? Gee, how have you been living?” he asks with mock concern. I grit my teeth.

“Very well, thank you,” I snap.

“That one thousand won was put to good use, I assume?” he chuckles cruelly. I can feel Minho’s questioning eyes on me, and I scowl.

“Great,” I retort sarcastically. It got me some groceries and a night at some cheap motel with no running water and a y owner who took way too long to let go of my room key.

“Are you excited to see your parents again?” he asks with a smirk. I roll my eyes, knowing that he’s hit a sensitive topic, and turn my attention to the dingy city sweeping by us.

Apartment building painted dusty pastel colors form wall after wall of dust and crumbling brick. The streets are paved with gravel that looks like the shell of a burnt pie. Children run around in nothing more than a pair of khaki shorts, throwing rocks at each other and crying when they get hit. Adults sit in front of their family-owned stores, selling ice cream and cheap drinks and fanning themselves with straw paddles. My limo sticks out like a sore thumb among the human-drawn carts.

I’m home.

“I can hardly contain myself.”

A/N – I can’t express how sorry I am that this was not up sooner. I’ve been so super busy lately OTL I’ve had to take my midterms early (took my English and History ones today) and I’m going to China for a week on the 21^st. Plus, I’m no longer forever alone (interpret that as you will) and this chapter’s been bouncing between my derpy laptop, my Chinese – language laptop (OTL please destroy this infernal machine) and my school computer (My school librarian give me a weird look whenever I go in now…)

But anyway, but so yeah…

Heechul’s an , Taemin’s family history might be revealed soon (MIGHT!? I’m sorry, HOW LONG did you think you could put this off? OTL Talking to myself again…)

The city that Taemin describes is based off of the place I live in when I’m in China. It’s a place in Shanghai near the Bridge of Nine Turns. Shanghai’s a pretty weird place, so expect to see dingy apartments one minute and huge skyscrapers the next.

Why am I even telling you this?

Anyway…

More to come! Comments are love!

And Yoogeun loves love :3