So this got a lot more angsty than I had originally planned and there is mention of a past death in the family if you find that triggering. 

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Jinki and Taemin continued to meet for lunch for almost a semester until Jinki asked Taemin if he wanted to hang out sometime outside of their daily appointment. Taemin happily agreed, and the next Saturday they walked downtown to get lunch for a picnic.

Taemin knew of a spot a few blocks from the food place so they walked there, sandwiches in hand. Jinki didn't know what to expect, but after he followed Taemin down a trail to a secluded area under some trees and next to a small waterfall and pond he was pleasantly surprised.

"This is beautiful!" he exclaimed, "How did you find this place?!!"

They both sat down at the water's edge and took their shoes off to dangle their feet in the water.

"About a year ago," Taemin said, "I was walking down here alone looking for a place to do homework. I didn't expect to find anything this nice though."

They took out their sandwiches and smiled at each other before digging in.

Both being men of few words they reveled in the peaceful atmosphere as they ate, silently enjoying each other's company.

Jinki was the first to talk.

"If you're not busy tomorrow night my a cappella group's got a concert." he said shyly.

"You never said you were in a group," Taemin said, "That's awesome! What time?"

"6:30." Jinki smiled.

Taemin smiled back. "Do you have a solo?"

Jinki's smile turned mischievous. "Maybe."

He dug his foot into the water and kicked it, splashing Taemin.

“Yahhhh!” Taemin splashed him back and soon enough they’d stood up in the water and were full on wrestling, trying to push the other into the water.

Jinki was fast, but Taemin was faster. His foot came out of nowhere, tripping Jinki and causing him to fall face first into the water. He emerged, laughing, and Taemin saw a freeness in his friend’s face that he hadn’t seen before. As he stuck out his hand to help Jinki up he felt a tug as the other boy sneakily yanked him into the water too.

The wrestling recommenced until the two were tired. Soaked, they crawled out of the water and lay down on the bank, catching their breath.

“Your reflexes are way too good.” Jinki said once he was able to breathe again. “Are you trained in martial arts or something?”

Taemin snorted. “No, can you imagine?” He paused for a second.

“I’m a dancer.”

Jinki sat up to look down at him, “You’re kidding.”

Visibly upset, Taemin turned over to face away from Jinki. “Well, I know it’s kind of weird for guys to be dancers but...”

Jinki reached down to touch Taemin’s shoulder as he cut him off. “No, I meant “you’re kidding” because that’s awesome! I’ve always wanted to be good at dancing! What kind do you do? I did ballet as a kid but I was awful, I have two left feet.”

Taemin reluctantly sat up to face Jinki. “Are you serious? You’re not making fun of me? This is kind of important to me.”

Jinki looked at him seriously. “Why would I make fun of you? We’re friends. Anything that’s important to you is important to me too. Tell me more. When did you start, anything?”

Looking relieved, Taemin lay back down. It was difficult for him to talk about himself and look at someone else. Instead he talked to the sky and watched the tree branches above them sway in the wind. He felt like he could trust Jinki, could tell him the truth. If anyone would listen it would be Jinki...

“I started dancing when I was little. My mom took my brother and I to see the Nutcracker when we were in preschool and we begged her to put us in class after that. I can still remember the show, watching the dancers float. I thought they were flying.

My mom was a bit reluctant at first; she made us wait until we were five to start classes. I was a year older so I got a head start, but as time went on everyone realized my brother was a better dancer and he got moved into the same level classes as me. I’m ok at dancing, but he had a gift. He was my inspiration. I always stayed for extra rehearsal cause I wanted to be as good as him.”

Taemin paused as if he were making up his mind whether or not to continue the story. Jinki spoke up.

“You don’t have to talk about it if you...” He didn’t get to finish.

“It’s ok,” Taemin said, his voice returning to the soft tones from when the two of them first met.

“We lost him the summer before my senior year. He was on the bus home from an audition. We got the call from the hospital minutes after the call saying he’d been accepted.”

Taemin’s voice broke and Jinki held his hand out for Taemin to hold. Their hands were still wet from the water, but Taemin held on to Jinki as if his life depended on it and Jinki could feel Taemin’s body shaking through his hand. Taemin gulped.

“It was here, this college. They had a program for high schoolers that usually led into going here as a fulltime dance major. He...he would have been so excited. He’d wanted to go here for years. After we lost him I couldn’t dance for almost a year. I couldn’t see the point. I applied to schools for pre-med. It was so awful. I knew my first day that it was a bad choice.

After that I only saw one path. I put all my energy into rehearsing and I barely auditioned and got into here in time to transfer. I just...I feel like I have to do this for him...but it’s so hard. I’m not like him. It feels like I have to try twice as hard as everyone else, and no matter how much I practice I never feel like I get any better.

That’s what I was upset about the night you found me. I’d been so stressed I hadn’t been sleeping right and I was so messed up.” He finally turned to face Jinki, “I can’t explain how much what you did meant to me.”

Jinki sat up, “ Come here.” He gestured.

Taemin sat up, wiping tears from his face and let Jinki wrap his arms and legs around him and tuck his head into the crook of Taemin’s neck. He held Taemin close as Taemin cried and Taemin felt the back of his shirt become damp as Jinki shed a few tears of his own.

“Taemin,” Jinki started softly, talking into Taemin’s back, “You don’t have to be alone again. Whenever you’re upset, you can call me. Please. I don’t want you to hurt anymore.” He squeezed Taemin even tighter.

“As much as I’ve helped you you’ve helped me too. I used to come to the same place to cry. I’m so pathetic. All I want to do is study music but my parents think it’s a bad idea and I’m so scared I can’t even fight for what I love and tell them the truth. I feel like I’m being eaten alive from the inside out, and I’ve been so lonely at this stupid college before I met you I didn’t see a point in doing anything.”

Taemin turned around in Jinki’s arms to wrap his arms around the other boy and they sat like that for a while, rocking back and forth, comforting one another. They didn’t speak the whole way back to campus, but they kept their hands tightly clasped together, each not wanting to let go of the other. 

I still consider what they have to be platonic love, and that's how I plan to keep it, with them being really close friends, but things could change. We'll see. ^^ What would you like to happen? I think there aren't enough stories about strong platonic love. 

Also, I know the place where they go to eat seems too idealized, but I've been to a place like this. :)