SHINee - "Unspoken" [PG]
Title: Unspoken
Chapter: 1/2
Fandom: SHINee
Pairing: Minho/Key
Rating: PG
Summary: Minho longs for Key to notice him
Oblivious to everything around him, Key fussed over Taemin before his first day of high school. Fixing his tie, smoothing out the invisible wrinkles in his clothes, running fingers through his unruly hair. He kept at it until Taemin whined and pushed away his hand. Key glared down at the youngest until he sighed and let him continue what he was doing.
Taemin spotted Minho a foot away, fixing his own clothes.
"It's Minho hyung's first day too," he said pointing a finger.
Key didn't even look up as he placed a neatly folded handkerchief into Taemin's pocket and replied, "He's fine."
Minho's hands froze for a second but then they were back to polishing his shoes. He was fine. Always fine.
On the way to school, Taemin whined about the lunch Key had packed.
"I'm too old for this," he pouted, holding up a bright red lunchbox with cartoon animals. "And would it kill him to make something new? I've been eating this same meal for the past year."
Minho nodded sympathetically and patted Taemin's leg. Meanwhile, his other hand traced the sides of his own red lunchbox. He eased his fingers over the smooth plastic until they created friction. As the heat spread over his skin, he could almost pretend it was lingering warmth from the hands of the boy who had spent all morning cooking.
Snickering and whispers filled the classroom as Minho look out his lunchbox. He could feel eyes boring into his back but he smiled as he took off the lid. The moment the plump egg-roll entered his mouth, his eyes fell shut and he sighed at the familiar comfort sweeping through him. He could eat this a hundred times and it would never stop making him feel like he was coming home.
"Hyung!" Taemin slammed his pencil onto the table.
"Leave him alone," Onew called out as Key continued to hover over Taemin's shoulder while he did his homework.
"What? I was just making sure he did it right."
"At least let him finish first," Jonghyun added. "You don't need to smother him."
"I am not sm-"
"Key," Minho said suddenly. "Can you help me with this problem?"
"Just a minute," Key replied. "Taemin's pencil broke."
Minho swallowed hard as Key rushed around the room trying to find a pencil sharpener.
"Do you want me to help?" Onew asked from his bed.
"No, it's okay Hyung. I'm fine," Minho replied.
Fine. He was always fine. He almost didn't notice the aching in his heart this time. It was just a dull pain that would pass. It always did.
"Good night, everyone," Key called out as he shut the bedroom lights. As always, on his way back he stopped by Taemin's bed and lightly kissed his forehead. Smiling, he climbed up to the top bunk as Minho watched from below with glistening eyes.
Why did he always do this to himself? Why did he let it bother him? Minho squeezed his eyelids shut as all his suppressed emotion threatened to burst out in a sob. He was fine, he told himself over and over again until he finally fell asleep against the damp pillow.
Minho tossed under his covers as he was pulled out of sleep by a strange noise. Groaning with tiredness, he peeled open his eyes and looked around the dark room. Onew, Jonghyun & Taemin were all fast asleep but the noise continued. He sat up and listened carefully until he realized it sounded like a muffled whimper. Minho quietly stood up and peered over Key's bed. At first it looked like he was okay but when he leaned closer, Minho noticed the wrinkled eyebrows and tense muscles. Key cried out softly and buried his face deeper into his pillow.
Instinctively, Minho reached out and brushed Key's cheek before resting his hand on the other boy's forehead. He brushed back the hair that had fallen into his eyes and gently stroked the silky strands until Key's body relaxed and the wrinkles in his forehead disappeared. When his breathing returned to normal, Minho pulled away and couldn't help smiling at the peaceful face in front of him.
Even if Key never looked at him the way he wanted him to, his feelings would never change. He'd accepted that now. He once thought he could get over it. He tried so hard to fight it but one glimpse of Key's smile was all it took to make his knees go weak. No matter how much it hurt him, Minho just couldn't stop hoping.
Every day, every look, every moment together killed him. His heart had shattered so many times, he'd memorized the shape of each piece and spent every night putting it back together. Tomorrow would be just like every other day. He would be strong and he would pretend he was okay. He would smile for the cameras. He would joke with Jonghyun and laugh at Onew. He would sympathize with Taemin as he complained about the over-attention Minho was dying for. He would be what they expected him to be.
But most importantly, he would be what Key needed him to be. The strong tree that shaded and protected without expecting anything back. Maybe one day, Key would look back and realize he had been there all along. Maybe.
Until then, he was fine.
Just fine.
-------------
Edit: Don't worry guys, MinKey is my ultimate SHINee OTP so there's no way I could leave them sad like this. I have a followup planned that will be lighter and more romantic :)
Chapter: 1/2
Fandom: SHINee
Pairing: Minho/Key
Rating: PG
Summary: Minho longs for Key to notice him
Oblivious to everything around him, Key fussed over Taemin before his first day of high school. Fixing his tie, smoothing out the invisible wrinkles in his clothes, running fingers through his unruly hair. He kept at it until Taemin whined and pushed away his hand. Key glared down at the youngest until he sighed and let him continue what he was doing.
Taemin spotted Minho a foot away, fixing his own clothes.
"It's Minho hyung's first day too," he said pointing a finger.
Key didn't even look up as he placed a neatly folded handkerchief into Taemin's pocket and replied, "He's fine."
Minho's hands froze for a second but then they were back to polishing his shoes. He was fine. Always fine.
On the way to school, Taemin whined about the lunch Key had packed.
"I'm too old for this," he pouted, holding up a bright red lunchbox with cartoon animals. "And would it kill him to make something new? I've been eating this same meal for the past year."
Minho nodded sympathetically and patted Taemin's leg. Meanwhile, his other hand traced the sides of his own red lunchbox. He eased his fingers over the smooth plastic until they created friction. As the heat spread over his skin, he could almost pretend it was lingering warmth from the hands of the boy who had spent all morning cooking.
Snickering and whispers filled the classroom as Minho look out his lunchbox. He could feel eyes boring into his back but he smiled as he took off the lid. The moment the plump egg-roll entered his mouth, his eyes fell shut and he sighed at the familiar comfort sweeping through him. He could eat this a hundred times and it would never stop making him feel like he was coming home.
"Hyung!" Taemin slammed his pencil onto the table.
"Leave him alone," Onew called out as Key continued to hover over Taemin's shoulder while he did his homework.
"What? I was just making sure he did it right."
"At least let him finish first," Jonghyun added. "You don't need to smother him."
"I am not sm-"
"Key," Minho said suddenly. "Can you help me with this problem?"
"Just a minute," Key replied. "Taemin's pencil broke."
Minho swallowed hard as Key rushed around the room trying to find a pencil sharpener.
"Do you want me to help?" Onew asked from his bed.
"No, it's okay Hyung. I'm fine," Minho replied.
Fine. He was always fine. He almost didn't notice the aching in his heart this time. It was just a dull pain that would pass. It always did.
"Good night, everyone," Key called out as he shut the bedroom lights. As always, on his way back he stopped by Taemin's bed and lightly kissed his forehead. Smiling, he climbed up to the top bunk as Minho watched from below with glistening eyes.
Why did he always do this to himself? Why did he let it bother him? Minho squeezed his eyelids shut as all his suppressed emotion threatened to burst out in a sob. He was fine, he told himself over and over again until he finally fell asleep against the damp pillow.
Minho tossed under his covers as he was pulled out of sleep by a strange noise. Groaning with tiredness, he peeled open his eyes and looked around the dark room. Onew, Jonghyun & Taemin were all fast asleep but the noise continued. He sat up and listened carefully until he realized it sounded like a muffled whimper. Minho quietly stood up and peered over Key's bed. At first it looked like he was okay but when he leaned closer, Minho noticed the wrinkled eyebrows and tense muscles. Key cried out softly and buried his face deeper into his pillow.
Instinctively, Minho reached out and brushed Key's cheek before resting his hand on the other boy's forehead. He brushed back the hair that had fallen into his eyes and gently stroked the silky strands until Key's body relaxed and the wrinkles in his forehead disappeared. When his breathing returned to normal, Minho pulled away and couldn't help smiling at the peaceful face in front of him.
Even if Key never looked at him the way he wanted him to, his feelings would never change. He'd accepted that now. He once thought he could get over it. He tried so hard to fight it but one glimpse of Key's smile was all it took to make his knees go weak. No matter how much it hurt him, Minho just couldn't stop hoping.
Every day, every look, every moment together killed him. His heart had shattered so many times, he'd memorized the shape of each piece and spent every night putting it back together. Tomorrow would be just like every other day. He would be strong and he would pretend he was okay. He would smile for the cameras. He would joke with Jonghyun and laugh at Onew. He would sympathize with Taemin as he complained about the over-attention Minho was dying for. He would be what they expected him to be.
But most importantly, he would be what Key needed him to be. The strong tree that shaded and protected without expecting anything back. Maybe one day, Key would look back and realize he had been there all along. Maybe.
Until then, he was fine.
Just fine.
-------------
Edit: Don't worry guys, MinKey is my ultimate SHINee OTP so there's no way I could leave them sad like this. I have a followup planned that will be lighter and more romantic :)