Minho's skin was sweaty and glistened as he ran. The droplets of salty water traveled down his neck in little trails and streams. His mind was like troubled water, splashing over the edges of it's bed and flooding the rest of his body with ill thoughts and feeling. His legs felt odd and achey today. If their was any strength in his body, he couldn't find it no matter how much he explored himself. He looked and sought out all willingness he had to go out and run and in his small internal war, he had won, but not by much. In truth, he only ran to think.

Minho was a silent boy. His words were quite few, but the few he said were strong and meant something to people. People had a certain amount of respect to his words. The words he said were always the final words in a arguement. As he ran and let his legs move frantically and rapidly below him, he thought and thought again of the same young boy. Taemin.

He tried often to clear his mind of the fragile boys face, but the ghostly image of it always reappeared with greater strength. He was filled with it. The pale white skin and the rose petal lips of the youngers tinted every thought Minho had. But, Minho's thoughts were troubled by them. Behind all the thoughts of Taemin, bitter questions scurried across the expanse of Minho's mind, always trailing around the outskirts of his subconscious.

Why do I think of him so often?

Why does he make me feel like this?

Why do I dream of him so often?

Minho grunted as he ran because of these questions. Their were always the hardest to answer. Even as a child, he could never answer to all the "why" questions. When people asked him why he was so quiet, he could never fathom an answer. When his parents asked why he teased his youngers, he couldn't think of the reason. He didn't know... it just was.

He was nearing the dorms now. THe stark building was standing wearily before him. it had beaten down by the Seoul rain storms. it had been wet and weary lately. The stone was wet and the windows had small drops on them. Minho's shoes were even mostiened from splashing through thick muddy puddles. Even thought it was become darker as the small slivers of moonlight began to show, Minho still appreciated his late runs. Atleast he wasn't in the dorms.

He sighed as he walked into them through the sliding doors. His body aching from his already rigorous excercises he had to do. His running just made his lungs and legs burn more with exhaustion. He walked through the doors and took of his shoes. his socks were wet too. He groaned and started walking back into everyone's shared room to grab clothes to take a shower. When he went in the room, only Onew and Taemin were there. Both of them were lazily draped upon their bunks, quietly murmuring words together.

Taemin's crystalline laughter fell from his lips easily. Minho felt a bit angry that Taemin could give up such a sweet sound so easily to their dopey leader. He wished he could make the maknae laugh more. He would have to talk more to do so, however. He was envious of Onew's carefree and 

He grunted softly when they noticed his presence. He kept gathering his clothes not paying much attention to either. He especially didn't make much contact with Taemin. he didn't want to risk Taemin ahving too much of an effect on him. He left the room in silence and went to take his shower.

"Onew Hyung, why is Minho hyung always so quiet?" Taemin asked quietly when the other had left. Onew looked at him lazily from his bunk and shrugged his shoulders.

"He's always been quiet. Who are we to question someone's personailty?" He said indifferently. Minho's silence only enhanced their group. He was charismatic and strong, so Onew couldn't complain much.

"I guess so..." Taemin said thoughtfully. he knew Onew was right. He didn't ahve much of a right to say that Minho didn't talk enough. That was his personailty, and in all honesty, Taemin liked Minho's personality. He liked a lot about Minho. He continued to lay there upon his bed. After a while, Onew stood up and left to go check on everyone in the dorm.

Onew always felt it was his duty to check up on everyone and see what they were doing. He analyzed the rooms and as he walked down the hall, Minho was walking out the bathroom after his quick shower.

"How was your run, by the way?" Onew asked as their shoulders brushed.

"Okay." Minho said simply while walking back to the shared room. Onew just nodded and sighed as he went to find Jonghyun and Key.

Minho stalked into the room and collapsed onto his bunk. He sighed into his pillow. He laid face down, not caring much that he was being suffocated. he was too tired to care.

"What's wrong hyung?" He heard Taemin's sweet velvety voice drift into his ears. Taemin was still on the bunk above him.

"Sore." Minho grumbled, his voice was distorted and muffled by the fabric of the pillow.

"You work out so much, it's no surprise." Taemin said with a small giggle. Minho wasn't sure if he was happy or annoyed that he had made the younger laugh. He was laughing at me, wasn't he? He thought in annoyance.

Minho felt a jolt up his spine when he felt two saft hands touch his shoulders. They were soft and warm against his cold skin. The hands applied pressure and rubbed on his tense and aching shoulders.

"What are you doing?" Minho asked in surprise. he didn't trust himself to move.

"I'm giving you a massage, hyung. DUH~." Taemin said with a laugh. His voice was closer to his ear. Minho could feel the younger's breathe on his neck. Goose bumps spread across skin. THey were raised and small. He felt every single one explode on his skin in bursts. He was eager to tell the boy to stop, but the warmth and sweet pleasure it brought him was hard to decline.

He just relaxed and grunted as a response. He felt the bed dipping with the light weight of Taemin. His senses were hyper aware of every feathery touch the younger made across his body. He felt the other's small hands roll across his back, stopping just at the edge of the small of his back. He could feel his fingers trace his spine and graze the hollows of his neck.

It felt good. Too good. Minho felt relaxed for once. When Taemin squeezed softly at his shoulders just at the right places, Minho couldn't help but let out an audible sigh of relief. His cheeks lit up a bright red in embarrassment at the sound he was making.

"Does that feel good, hyung?" Taemin said innocently. Minho's face became even redder. He had imagined Taemin saying that in his dirties fantasties. He didn't even want to respond. He just wanted to curl up into a ball and dissappear into the covers. He just nodded his head softly and left it at that.

Taemin seemed happy with this response and continued to rub his hyung's back. Minho just wanted to melt into the covers on his bed.

Why are you making me suffer like this?

After a few more minutes of Taemin's smooth hands gliding across his back, Onew walked in and froze at the sight before him. Taemin was practically ontop of Minho with his hands gripping onto him.

"Um.... I think it's time to go to sleep you guys...." Onew said awkwardly. The two youngers turned to look at him. Taemin hopped off of Minho's bed and climbed into his own. Minho couldn't help to heave a sgh of relief.

---♥---

It was raining hard that night. The streams of rain came down in heavy sheets, smothering the city of seoul with it's cold tears. Minho couldn't sleep. Or rather, he couldn't sleep without having those dreams that only Taemin could give him. But now, those dreams were becoming more vivid. They didn't just have mindless or delusions, they ahd story lines and showed the two being together. Together like a couple.

That was of course something Minho could only dream of.

Minho sat in their living room, late in the night, drinking tea from his mug. He hoped that drinking tea would lull him to sleep like it did when he was a child. He let the warm liquid relax him. But sleep couldn't come. He stared out the window in the living room and watched the stormy night sky let down it's heavy load.

He started to count the raindrops, as if he was counting sheep.

One drop of crystal rain. One thought of Taemin. A second drop. His black raven hair. A third drop. His doe eyes. A fourth drop. His cream skin. One, two, three. Taemin, raven, eyes, cream. One, two, three, one, two, three. Him and me. His smile, laugh. My smile, laugh. One two three. One two three. One two three.

One thought of Taemin.

One drop of crystal rain.

The thoughts and numbers swirled and twirled in his mind.

"I don't know anymore." He spoke to himself quietly. He could hear rustling behind him. He turned to find a sleepy Taemin rubbing his eyes and walking to him. Minho took in the sight of the boys face being graced by sweet moonlight.

"What are you doing awake, Minnie?" Minho said kindly to the boy.

"I was thirsty..." Taemin said, stifling his yawn with his small hand. Minho smiled at the boy and offered his drink to him. Taemin took it into his hands and drank greedily from the cup.

"Why are you awake, hyung?" He said with the cup still in his frail hands.

"couldn't sleep." He said simply.

Taemin nodded softly and sat on the couch next to the older. Minho stiffened slightly when he felt Taemin's head rest on his shoulder.

"The rain is beautiful at night." Taemin said into the quietness of the room. Minho wasn't sure if his ears were meant to hear the younger's soft spoken words.

You're beautiful too, He thought.

"I'm cold, hyung..." Taemin whined in a cute manner.

Minho couldn't resist but to put his own warmed arm around the boy. This gave Taemin access to Minho's chest.. He laid his head upon it, snuggling close to the older. Minho felt butterflies swarm his insides.

"Goodnight, hyung." Taemin said innocently. Minho's heart was warmed by the words.

"Goodnight, minnie." He said quietly to the boy. Taemin felt happy at his hyung's words. He leaned up and kissed Minho on the cheek softly. His lips barely brushing the skin there. Yet, Minho's cheek flushed red and he felt his heart exploding in his chest.

Minho fell asleep that night with Taemin in his arms. He didn't have trouble sleeping that night.

(A/N):

Aloha~!

Small update for you! Shinee's comeback is coming, so I am excited! I know all shawols are happy though, am I right?

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