2Min [One-shot]
‘HYUNG!!!’ Taemin yelled while sprinting down the corridor, his long golden hair flowing out from behind. Minho looked up from the book he was reading in time to see the maknae of the group turn into the dance studio he and the other members were in, breathing hard.
‘Yes Taemin?’ Minho was the only one to have acknowledged his presence when he entered. He shot a grateful smile to the older boy, and continued his announcement. ‘We’re up on stage in 5 minutes.’
Minho noticed how the younger boy was breathing hard, and how, although it was an air-conditioned room, he had managed to work himself into a sweat, trickling down his face, neck, and well toned arms. His hair was beautifully long, nicely framing his high cheek bones, and looked so real although they were only extensions of the real length of his hair.
‘Ok…’ Onew began the final preparations before they headed out. ‘And so, we must do our best today, and perform without any regret. After all, this is our comeback stage, and I’m confident everyone will do our best. So let’s go out there and blow Korea away.’ This was accompanied by cheers from the other members.
Before they went up on stage, the boys gave each other hugs and well wishes and words of encouragement. Minho went up to Taemin. ‘Hey, you’ve worked hard for this. I’m sure you’ll do well.’
‘Thanks hyung,’ Taemin replied, looking up into the older boy’s eyes. He saw something in them, and recognized it almost immediately. It was the same look Minho had when he injured his leg on dream team. The same look of sadness he had when the doctor announced that he would not be able to dance and perform with the rest of the group for their comeback. The same look he had while they were rehearsing and filming the music video, the look of determination on his face, how he gritted his teeth in pain while dancing the highly difficult dance steps to the song LUCIFER. Taemin knew, because he watched his hyung everyday.
He gently reached up and touched Minho’s face lightly with the tips of his fingers. He felt electricity zip through them, so shocking and yet beautiful.
Minho immediately looked away, wincing as if he had been burnt with that simple touch. Taemin’s face fell visibly at his hyung’s actions. Minho looked back at the younger boy and smiled encouragingly. ‘All the best Taemin.’
The boys were up on stage, and there was everything they knew so well, and missed dearly. The screaming fans, the blasting music, and the adrenaline rush they felt on stage… Minho sat in a chair, further away from the rest of his band mates dancing their hearts out on stage. He felt saddened, and his heart ached. He noticed Taemin, the dancer in the group, with his slim lithe body, becoming one with the music. He felt a pang in his chest. ‘Taemin sure has grown up. He doesn’t need me like he used to anymore.’
The performance ended with a bang. It was a success. SHINee was officially back in the industry after all the delays, and more well-received than ever. Taemin ran through the throngs of staffs and performers crowding the backstage. He was looking for Minho. None of the members had seen him after the performance, and Taemin wanted to congratulate him for the wonderful performance.
‘HYUNG…’ Taemin yelled through every room along the corridor, but he could not find Minho. After fifteen minutes of searching, Taemin was almost ready to give up. That’s when he spotted a certain room, so dark and dreary he was sure none of his band mates would have dared entered. He heard a sniff, and then another one coming from the room. Someone was crying inside. He carefully walked into the room, and blinked a few times to adjust his eyes to the darkness.
‘Taemin? What are you doing here?’ Taemin jumped slightly and turned around, peering almost comically into the darkness.
‘Minho hyung? Where are you?’
Minho laughed lightly. ‘Behind you Taemin.’
Taemin turned and spotted his hyung seated in a corner in the room on the floor, looking away from the younger boy. Through the darkness, Taemin saw the swollen eyes and red nose, and knew Minho had been crying. He gasped. Minho hyung never cried. Never.
‘HYUNG!!!’ Taemin gasped in shock. ‘WHAT HAPPENED??? Did someone bully you, or do something, or…or…’ he immediately reached out a hand to cup Minho’s face and examine it for any bruises
They both felt the electricity again, and Taemin quickly let go, afraid of Minho’s reaction to his touch. But Minho quickly grabbed the younger boy’s wrist and pulled him to sit next to him on the cold cement floor.
In the way, the two just sat in silence, with Minho’s hand on Taemin’s arm, and the older boy staring at the ceiling. ‘Taemin, I…’
Taemin shushed him. ‘That’s not important hyung. But for one minute, just let me take care of you, like how you’ve always taken care of me.’ Taemin slowly entwined his fingers with Minho’s and rested his head on the older boy’s shoulder.
Minho turned and breathed in the scent of Taemin’s hair. ‘So Taemin didn’t forget,’ he thought to himself happily, and buried his face in the younger boy’s hair.
As the two sat in the silence of the dark room, forgetting for a minute the worries of the outside world, they painted a picture in their heads. A picture of a perfect world, with only the two of them in it.
OMY. This is crap. So sorry for the hopeless fluff. 2Min didn’t come out exactly how I wanted them to.