Summer Dreams - Part 3/3
Title: Summer Dreams
Pairing: 2min
Rating: G
Summary: It's summertime.
previous part
“Taemin, run!” Minho called out. His friend obeyed, dashing across the grass, the yellow kite held high above his head. The spool of thread in his hand began to unravel, so quickly that all he could do was hold on with all his might.
“Okay, now let go.” They both tilted their heads and watched with baited breath as the wind pulled the yellow piece of plastic into the sky.
Taemin cried out with delight as the kite remained in the air, its red tail swinging haphazardly like a snake on sugar-high. The boy ran back to his side, a big grin on his face.
“I told you there would be wind,” Taemin said smugly. “Thank you, Aang, for using your air-bending powers to give us wind,” he added with a grateful glance towards the sky.
It was so typical of Taemin to pray to a cartoon character. There was no point arguing against the Avatar-obsessed boy, though, and Minho was simply relieved that the kite had finally stayed aloft after their fourth try.
“Hyung, can I try flying it?” Taemin asked eagerly. Minho took in the boy’s small, slight form, images of Taemin floating away flashing through his mind.
“I don’t…”
“Pretty please with chocolate sauce, sprinkles and a cherry on top?”
Minho sighed. He really needed to figure out how to resist those puppy-eyes. “Be careful, though.”
The kite remained fairly stable as Minho handed Taemin the spool. As soon as he was about to let out a sigh of relief, the wind swirled more violently around them. Minho watched with horror as Taemin was pulled across the grass by the force of the kite, his short legs barely able to keep up.
“Taemin, let it go!” he yelled as he struggled to catch up to his friend. Fear clamped down on his heart like a cold, metallic claw. What if Taemin were to fall, or worse, be dragged away by the wind?
“But it’ll fly away!” Taemin screamed, panic clear in his voice.
“It doesn’t matter!” As long as Taemin was safe, his whole house could blow away for all he cared.
A final gust of wind wrenched the spool from Taemin’s hands. The boy collapsed onto the ground and promptly burst into tears.
“Minnie, are you hurt?” Minho panted, dropping down beside the sobbing boy and began searching for injuries. His mind ran over the mental list of provisions in his backpack. There was no alcohol to clean any cuts, but he did bring a roll of bandages and a whole box of band-aids…
“I’m okay,” Taemin sniffed. “I just fell on my bum but…your kite…” Minho felt relief surge through his body as his eyes confirmed that Taemin was not mortally wounded. He wrapped his arms around the boy’s shuddering body, whispering soothing sounds in Taemin’s ear. When Taemin’s sobs finally became quiet whimpers, he leaned back and gazed into those large brown eyes.
“It’s not your fault, got it?” Minho said softly, gently brushing a piece of grass out of Taemin’s hair. “Aang must have gone for a washroom break or something, which was why the wind blew the kite away.”
“But…”
“The important thing is that you’re safe. It was just a kite, so I can always buy another one.”
“Won’t your Umma be mad?” Taemin hiccupped, brows knit in worry.
Minho shrugged. “Accidents happen.” When Taemin still looked unconvinced, he decided on distractions, rather than words of comfort. Taemin was young enough that his attention span was still rather limited.
“How about we go get some ice cream,” he suggested. As expected, Taemin’s face brightened considerably.
“Really?” the boy asked, using his small fists to wipe away the tears from his eyes.
“Yep, my treat. But only after we clean you up a bit. I don’t think the ice-cream man would sell anything to a boy covered in boogers.” At the word ‘boogers’, Taemin let out a watery laugh, and Minho knew that he was alright.
*****
When Minho had finally erased the last trace of snot from Taemin’s button nose, they set off. Taemin squealed with unrestrained joy as they ran down the hill, hand in hand. Minho, too, couldn’t keep a smile off his face as he felt the wind rushing through his hair. To be honest, he was actually thankful for the loss of the kite, since it was one less thing he had to carry.
They came to a stop before the ice-cream truck, parked conveniently at the foot of the hill. It was painted with an appetizing array of sundaes, milk shakes and ice-cream cones and had already attracted a swarm of children enjoying the first week of their summer vacation.
“One strawberry cone and one mint chocolate-chip,” Minho said, fumbling in his bag for his wallet. He diligently counted out the coins in his hand, glad that he had enough for two.
Taemin beamed when the man handed him the pink ice cream cone and quickly began licking away at the rounded top. Minho watched as the boy skipped happily away. Before he could cry out a warning, Taemin tripped on the ledge of the side-walk, the ice cream flying from his hands.
“Are you okay?” Minho asked, hurrying over to his friend’s side. Taemin nodded, tearing up and staring mournfully at the pink blob now splattered on the ground.
Minho sighed. He had been anticipating the ice-cream as much as Taemin had, but how could he eat it now, with Taemin looking as if his favourite goldfish had just died.
“Here,” he said, holding his own cone before Taemin. “You can have it.”
“But what about you, hyung?”
“My stomach doesn’t feel that great,” he lied, wishing Taemin would just take the cone before he changed his mind.
“You’re the best, Hyung,” Taemin said with a winning smile.
Minho smiled back. A happy Taemin was worth an empty stomach any day.
*****
Taemin blinked rapidly, trying to keep his eyes open. The sky had become a mix of reds, orange and yellows, a lot like that time he had dumped the three colours on his paint tray and stirred the blobs with his brush.
A slight breeze ruffled his hair and he shivered slightly in his thin t-shirt.
“Are you cold?” Minho asked. Taemin nodded, watched as his hyung fumbled in his backpack and pulled out their picnic blanket. After dusting off the grass and bits of dirt clinging to the fabric, his hyung draped it over his shoulders. It was much too long, the ends dragging on the sidewalk, but Taemin instantly felt warmer.
“Thanks. Look, I’m Super Man,” he murmured, raising a fist into the air before stumbling over his feet from fatigue. In fact, he was so tired that he almost tripped over Minho, who had squatted in front of him.
“Put the backpack on and climb on,” Minho ordered.
Taemin did as he was told, sighing happily when Minho stood and the weight was taken off his aching feet. His hyung was always so nice to him, never complaining when the kite had flown away, pretending he had a tummy ache so that he could give Taemin his favourite mint chocolate-chip ice-cream. Even now, he was giving Taemin a piggy-back ride even though he was probably exhausted.
“Did you have fun today?” Minho asked as Taemin pressed his cheek against Minho’s warm back.
He nodded. “Today was the best-est day of my life.” True, he had cried a lot and his butt still hurt from falling, but Minho-hyung had been with him every single moment of the day.
“Me too. The best-est day of my life.” He couldn’t see Minho’s face, but he could tell by the tone of his voice that his hyung was smiling.
Taemin smiled too, as he felt his eyes droop and sleep beginning to take over his weary mind. If Jiminy Cricket was right and dreams really were wishes from his heart, then there was nothing he was going to dream about tonight. After all, everything he wished for was right here.
Pairing: 2min
Rating: G
Summary: It's summertime.
previous part
“Taemin, run!” Minho called out. His friend obeyed, dashing across the grass, the yellow kite held high above his head. The spool of thread in his hand began to unravel, so quickly that all he could do was hold on with all his might.
“Okay, now let go.” They both tilted their heads and watched with baited breath as the wind pulled the yellow piece of plastic into the sky.
Taemin cried out with delight as the kite remained in the air, its red tail swinging haphazardly like a snake on sugar-high. The boy ran back to his side, a big grin on his face.
“I told you there would be wind,” Taemin said smugly. “Thank you, Aang, for using your air-bending powers to give us wind,” he added with a grateful glance towards the sky.
It was so typical of Taemin to pray to a cartoon character. There was no point arguing against the Avatar-obsessed boy, though, and Minho was simply relieved that the kite had finally stayed aloft after their fourth try.
“Hyung, can I try flying it?” Taemin asked eagerly. Minho took in the boy’s small, slight form, images of Taemin floating away flashing through his mind.
“I don’t…”
“Pretty please with chocolate sauce, sprinkles and a cherry on top?”
Minho sighed. He really needed to figure out how to resist those puppy-eyes. “Be careful, though.”
The kite remained fairly stable as Minho handed Taemin the spool. As soon as he was about to let out a sigh of relief, the wind swirled more violently around them. Minho watched with horror as Taemin was pulled across the grass by the force of the kite, his short legs barely able to keep up.
“Taemin, let it go!” he yelled as he struggled to catch up to his friend. Fear clamped down on his heart like a cold, metallic claw. What if Taemin were to fall, or worse, be dragged away by the wind?
“But it’ll fly away!” Taemin screamed, panic clear in his voice.
“It doesn’t matter!” As long as Taemin was safe, his whole house could blow away for all he cared.
A final gust of wind wrenched the spool from Taemin’s hands. The boy collapsed onto the ground and promptly burst into tears.
“Minnie, are you hurt?” Minho panted, dropping down beside the sobbing boy and began searching for injuries. His mind ran over the mental list of provisions in his backpack. There was no alcohol to clean any cuts, but he did bring a roll of bandages and a whole box of band-aids…
“I’m okay,” Taemin sniffed. “I just fell on my bum but…your kite…” Minho felt relief surge through his body as his eyes confirmed that Taemin was not mortally wounded. He wrapped his arms around the boy’s shuddering body, whispering soothing sounds in Taemin’s ear. When Taemin’s sobs finally became quiet whimpers, he leaned back and gazed into those large brown eyes.
“It’s not your fault, got it?” Minho said softly, gently brushing a piece of grass out of Taemin’s hair. “Aang must have gone for a washroom break or something, which was why the wind blew the kite away.”
“But…”
“The important thing is that you’re safe. It was just a kite, so I can always buy another one.”
“Won’t your Umma be mad?” Taemin hiccupped, brows knit in worry.
Minho shrugged. “Accidents happen.” When Taemin still looked unconvinced, he decided on distractions, rather than words of comfort. Taemin was young enough that his attention span was still rather limited.
“How about we go get some ice cream,” he suggested. As expected, Taemin’s face brightened considerably.
“Really?” the boy asked, using his small fists to wipe away the tears from his eyes.
“Yep, my treat. But only after we clean you up a bit. I don’t think the ice-cream man would sell anything to a boy covered in boogers.” At the word ‘boogers’, Taemin let out a watery laugh, and Minho knew that he was alright.
*****
When Minho had finally erased the last trace of snot from Taemin’s button nose, they set off. Taemin squealed with unrestrained joy as they ran down the hill, hand in hand. Minho, too, couldn’t keep a smile off his face as he felt the wind rushing through his hair. To be honest, he was actually thankful for the loss of the kite, since it was one less thing he had to carry.
They came to a stop before the ice-cream truck, parked conveniently at the foot of the hill. It was painted with an appetizing array of sundaes, milk shakes and ice-cream cones and had already attracted a swarm of children enjoying the first week of their summer vacation.
“One strawberry cone and one mint chocolate-chip,” Minho said, fumbling in his bag for his wallet. He diligently counted out the coins in his hand, glad that he had enough for two.
Taemin beamed when the man handed him the pink ice cream cone and quickly began licking away at the rounded top. Minho watched as the boy skipped happily away. Before he could cry out a warning, Taemin tripped on the ledge of the side-walk, the ice cream flying from his hands.
“Are you okay?” Minho asked, hurrying over to his friend’s side. Taemin nodded, tearing up and staring mournfully at the pink blob now splattered on the ground.
Minho sighed. He had been anticipating the ice-cream as much as Taemin had, but how could he eat it now, with Taemin looking as if his favourite goldfish had just died.
“Here,” he said, holding his own cone before Taemin. “You can have it.”
“But what about you, hyung?”
“My stomach doesn’t feel that great,” he lied, wishing Taemin would just take the cone before he changed his mind.
“You’re the best, Hyung,” Taemin said with a winning smile.
Minho smiled back. A happy Taemin was worth an empty stomach any day.
*****
Taemin blinked rapidly, trying to keep his eyes open. The sky had become a mix of reds, orange and yellows, a lot like that time he had dumped the three colours on his paint tray and stirred the blobs with his brush.
A slight breeze ruffled his hair and he shivered slightly in his thin t-shirt.
“Are you cold?” Minho asked. Taemin nodded, watched as his hyung fumbled in his backpack and pulled out their picnic blanket. After dusting off the grass and bits of dirt clinging to the fabric, his hyung draped it over his shoulders. It was much too long, the ends dragging on the sidewalk, but Taemin instantly felt warmer.
“Thanks. Look, I’m Super Man,” he murmured, raising a fist into the air before stumbling over his feet from fatigue. In fact, he was so tired that he almost tripped over Minho, who had squatted in front of him.
“Put the backpack on and climb on,” Minho ordered.
Taemin did as he was told, sighing happily when Minho stood and the weight was taken off his aching feet. His hyung was always so nice to him, never complaining when the kite had flown away, pretending he had a tummy ache so that he could give Taemin his favourite mint chocolate-chip ice-cream. Even now, he was giving Taemin a piggy-back ride even though he was probably exhausted.
“Did you have fun today?” Minho asked as Taemin pressed his cheek against Minho’s warm back.
He nodded. “Today was the best-est day of my life.” True, he had cried a lot and his butt still hurt from falling, but Minho-hyung had been with him every single moment of the day.
“Me too. The best-est day of my life.” He couldn’t see Minho’s face, but he could tell by the tone of his voice that his hyung was smiling.
Taemin smiled too, as he felt his eyes droop and sleep beginning to take over his weary mind. If Jiminy Cricket was right and dreams really were wishes from his heart, then there was nothing he was going to dream about tonight. After all, everything he wished for was right here.