Baby
Taemin has been sulky and bratty for the past couple of days and it seems to be escalating the more they try to ignore it. At first they thought the kid may just be tired. Hell, they're all tired. So they let him be. However, as their busy days crawled on, Taemin's moodiness started to rub on them.
Jjong watches him curiously as he grudgingly prepares his breakfast that morning. Hair tousled from uneasy sleep and face drawn long. Jjong waits for him to lift his eyes and look at him, but Taemin deliberately ignores him. Jjong glanced at the other members. Minho and Onew exchanged worried looks before Jjong caught Onew's eyes. Onew shrugged his shoulders lightly with a gesture of I don't know! on his face. Jjong sighed heavily. Onew is closest to Taemin and if he doesn't know what the youngest is moping about...
He glanced at Key who is sitting on the floor beside him, busily prowling the internet for whatever it is that he is currently obesessed with. Jjong wonders how the diva is seemingly oblivious about Taemin's dark moods. Being Taemin's self-proclaimed mother, Jjong expected him to be the first to one notice these things about his baby.
That night, when the two of them were alone in the living room watching TV, Jjong nudged Key and said, "What's going on with Taemin?"
"Eh? What do you mean?" Key said, still half-mezmerized by the girl group dancing on the screen.
Jjong frowned at him and shook his head disapprovingly. I can't believe how dense you can be sometimes.
"He's been so quiet the past few days. He doesn't talk, doesn't smile, wouldn't even look at us! All he does is mope, mope, mope and I'm sick of it. What the hell is going on? Did you two fight?"
Key turned to him wide-eyed. "No! What the hell would we fight about? And even if we did, I wouldn't have let it go on for days."
True. Key hates stalling. If something bothers him, he confronts it immediately.
"Maybe you said or did something that you didn't know offended him," Jjong offered.
Key's brows lifted at him defiantly. "And why do you automatically think that it's me who offended him?!"
"We all know that you're the only prickly one in this house," Jjong said non-chalantly.
Kibum scoffed unbelievingly. "Now that's absolutely offensive. Hah. And I thought you're my best friend."
"Precisely because I'm you're best friend, that's why I'm sure of it."
Key's eyes grew wider as he stared at Jjong aghast. Lost for words, all that came out of his mouth was an airy Hah! as he searched his mind for something scathing to throw back at Jjong.
But Jjong just glared at him impatiently. "Don't bother, OK. You do not scare me."
Kibum seethed quietly as he stared daggers into Jjong, his eyes narrowed into slits.
"Talk to him alright?" Jjong said to get back to the topic.
"So since I'm the prickly one who has likely offended him, I should be the one to talk to him. Is that it?" Key remarked sarcastically. "Why don't you do it yourself? Or Jinki. If I am the one he hates, do you think he'd want to talk to me?"
Jjong sighed again exasperatedly. "It's because you don't talk to him that he's acting up like this."
"So Your All-knowing Highness, just how did you figure this out?"
"You're so dense sometimes."
"What?!"
"It doesn't matter, OK. Just talk to the kid," Jjong said irritably. "He's moping in bed right now. Go." He stood up and walked over to the front door.
"Where the hell are you going? It's late," Key said after seeing Jjong put on his shoes.
"Going to fetch Minho from the SuJu dorm. We'll be back before Jinki and manager-hyung comes back from the filming."
Kibum watched him leave, still annoyed. Suddenly, the dorm is too quiet. Jjong's words softly sank into him. For a while, he sat uneasily in the living room, staring inattentively at the TV, glancing periodically at the closed door of their room.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ o 0 o ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Kibum saw Taemin's shoulders go rigid when he heard him come into the room. He pretended not to notice it.
"Hey, Baby!" he said by way of difusing the tension that suddenly hangs heavy in the room.
He was totally ignored. This isn't going to be easy, he thought bitterly to himself. He breathed in deeply and approached the bed. Taemin is on his stomach, watching some anime on his laptop.
"What are you watching?" he tried again.
He was ignored again. But he waited. Seconds ticked by and Taemin still refused to acknowledge his presence. He breathed again and forced himself to remember just how much he loves the kid to prevent himself from smacking him on the head.
"It's getting late. We have an early flight tomorrow. You should go to sleep now," he said in a voice forced with gentleness.
Taemin was visibly irritated, scratching his head with undisguised hostility. But he stopped what he's watching and turned off the laptop. After putting the laptop under his bed, Taemin laid on his back and pulled the covers to his chest.
Kibum watched him through it all in silence, his earlier impatience slowly giving way to a sharp pain in his heart. Why is he acting this way? Is this what Jjong was talking about? How come I didn't notice this before? He swallowed down the lump that was slowly building up in his throat.
Without thinking, his left had reached out to push away Taemin's fringe from his eyes. Taemin's right hand quickly darted out to slap it away. Kibum was shocked and the sharp pain in his heart dug a few centimeters deeper.
"Don't touch me! Don't you ever lay your filthy hands on me!" Taemin hissed at him, his face contorting with distaste.
His mind went numb at Taemin's harsh words. What the hell did I do? he wanted to say, but somehow he lost his voice.
He sat there stupefied, mouth agape, just staring. Not understanding. His vision starts to blur as tears gather in his eyes and threatens to spill. Taemin must have seen it too because his expression changed, as if he just realized what he just said.
Key could feel his lips start to tremble and just then, his phone sounded its message alert. It's as if he was shaken awake by the sound. It still it took him a few heartbeats to will himself to get to his phone from across the room and read the message.
WooHyun. He gasped as relief wash over him. The thought of WooHyun thinking of him right that very minute was such a comfort that his heart hurt even more. He didn't notice that Taemin sat up on his bed, watching him with frantic eyes, on the verge of tears himself.
"Who is it?!" he demanded of Key.
This time it was Key who ignored him. His chest hurts so much he feels like he's going to have a heart attack. He was gasping for breath, struggling to keep himself from crying. He fought the trembling of his fingers as he dialed WooHyun's number.
Hey! How are you? A happy, warm voice against the cold sweat on his hands.
"Where are you?" he said breathily. In the background, Taemin keeps screaming, "Who are you talking to?!"
Are you OK? Who is that screaming? What's going on?!
Key detects worry in WooHyun's voice. "Can I come over please? Or can you meet me? Anywhere, I don't care."
WooHyun couldn't hear him over Taemin's screaming so he walked to the door. Just then, he felt a pillow hit his back. Angered himself this time, he turned to face a livid Taemin.
"I hate you. I hate you!"
Key gaped at him in disbelief, equally furious but unable to express it. It took all his strength to make himself turn around and get out of the room.
Taemin got up from bed and went to follow him. He could hear Key just outside the half-open door and he caught the end of their conversation. "I'll explain later," Key said in hurried words. "Thank you. I'll be there in thrity minutes."
Key almost bumped against Taemin when he reentered the room.
"Where are you going?!"
"What do you care, Taemin? Didn't you say you hate me? So it doesn't matter where I go, as long as you don't see me, right?"
Key manuevered away from him and went for the closet. He cursed at his trembling hands and at how he somehow cannot find the clothes he needs. Finally deciding to hell with it, he just grabbed the first pair of jeans he could put his hand on and proceeded to take off his pajama pants. He succeeded in getting his pants on but neglected to do the top button as he searched his closet for a shirt.
"That's him, isn't it?! You're going to him!"
Suddenly, Taemin was beside him, sweeping his tidily folded clothes out of the cabinet. Key watched in disbelief as Taemin spilled all his belongings to the floor. A part of him wants to punch the lights out of him, but another part keeps reminding him that this is Taemin, your baby. He wanted to scream at him, You son of a bitch! Instead, what came out was, "You. Ssspoiled. BRRATT!!!"
He rushes to get away from the kid, before he does something he will later regret. He grabbed a jacket nearby. Whose is it, he didn't care. He stepped on his scattered clothes as he made a dash for the door. He was halfway there when Taemin got to him. He mentally braced himself to get thrown against the wall or any similar assault. He wasn't quite prepared when nothing happened. Taemin just basically stood there, his thin arms holding him in place, with all the strength he can muster. Key tried to wiggle his way out of Taemin's confining embrace, but the younger one tightened his hold on him.
"Let me go," Key said calmly in a voice that betrays his barely restrained anger.
He heard a sniffle against his back and felt Taemin shake his head sideways in response.
"Let me go, Taemin!" he said again, more forceful this time.
Taemin's arms tightened around him even more. "No," he said in a voice muffled against Kibum's pajama shirt.
Key's anger slowly dissolved at the sound of Taemin's continoous sniffles, much to his dismay. He scolded himself inwardly for letting the kid manipulate him so easily but he knows by experience that giving in is always the less painful option when it comes to Taemin.
"Let me go, Baby..," he coaxed, hoping Taemin would trust him enough to loosen his grip on him.
Which worked. Being called Baby seems to be Taemin's weakness when it comes to him. Taemin slowly, but warily, let go. Key turned around to face him.
Taemin's head was bowed in shame and remorse. Kibum still does not understand what all these is all about, but his weakness for Taemin caused him to automatically wrap him in his arms. He felt Taemin's arms circle his torso as he hid his face on Key's shoulder. All his offenses forgotten, Key pulled Taemin closer, kissing his damp temple, and soothingly rubbing his back.
When his quiet sobs subsided, Key pulled Taemin back to his bed and slid beneath the covers with him. They stared at each other silently. Key remembered that this used to be their nightly ritual - him putting Taemin to bed, as if he's really a baby. It took only a few minutes of his hand lazily caressing Taemin's hair to lull the younger one to sleep. Just when Taemin's eyes start to get heavy with sleep, Key would kiss him good night on the forehead, on his eyelids, the tip of his nose, on the cheeks. Over the years, the kisses slowly evolved to swift smacks on the lips. Later on, the swift smacks turned to lingering soft kisses. Chaste kisses that were addicting, so much so that even in day time, Key obsessed for the next time it happens.
It must have been addicting for Taemin too because sometimes in their waiting room, he would turn to Key for his kisses when he's happy or excited, heedless of the other people around. Kibum started to wonder what it all means. Their relationship is definitely changing. Their kisses are no longer innocent or brotherly. Well, for him that is. It started to confuse and unsettle him because how can he be kissing his baby like that? Then he started to fear. What if Taemin thinks of it only as a part of their brotherly love? What if he forgets himself, does something stupid, and ends up traumatizing the kid for life?
In the midst of his unfolding emotions (and hormones), he decided to take a step back from Taemin. The kid is growing up and it's not helping his idol image to be constantly seen as Key's baby. He needs to socialize with other kids his age instead of staying under the protective shadows of his SHINee brothers. It was around the same time that he met WooHyun. Their new-found friendship was a welcome distraction from the incessant arguments in his head so he threw himself wholeheartedly into it. It was a welcome change to be the one doted on, taken care of.
As if on cue, his phone started ringing. Key knew who it was even before he saw the number.
"Hey." He initially planned to go out of the room as he talked to WooHyun on the phone, but he saw Taemin's worried wide eyes looking up at him so he decided to stay put.
Where are you now?
"I'm still at the dorm. I'm sorry but I'm not coming over anymore."
There was a heavy silence on the other end of the line. Key felt a pang of guilt.
"I'm sorry for making you worry needlessly."
No problem. Uneasy pause. Trouble over?
"Yeah. I think."
Well, some other time then?
"Yeah." Key wants to kick himself for his lame responses. "I'll explain later, OK?" He heard WooHyun laugh softly before they finally say their goodbyes.
When he put down the phone, Taemin is still staring up at him with questioning eyes. Key bent down to give him a soft chaste kiss. When they break apart briefly, Taemin put his arms around Key's neck and pulled him back down for another kiss. The kiss went on and on until Key felt himself getting dizzy for lack of oxygen and overload of tingling sensations.
He broke the kiss, gasping, "Oh Baby." Shit, this is bad.
Taemin doesn't seem to be listening as he is pre-occupied with suckling on Key's lower lip, bringing Key to a maddening arousal. A long-drawn groan escaped his lips. At the back of his hazy mind, he wondered, Is he deliberately doing this? Does he know how he's driving me crazy?
As if reading his mind, Key got his answer when Taemin stretched languidly and rubbed himself against him.
Ow shit! Now I'm truly in trouble!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ o 0 o ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
It was past midnight when Jjong and Minho returned. They frowned questioningly at each other at the sight of Key's scattered belongings. They took note of the two occupants on Taemin's bed. They sleep facing each other, Taemin's head is pillowed on Key's right arm as his hand clutches at Key's pajama shirt, Key's jeans-clad legs tangled with Taemin's.
Jjong glanced at Minho, who shrugged innocently at him. Jjong sighed as they both start to clean up the mess on the floor.