A Man With The Wings
Title: A Man With The Wings [A Remake, 2min Version]
Pairing: TaeminxMinho
Rating: PG-13
Genre: AU, Romance, Drama, Angst, Fluff
Disclaimer: Taemin is my older sister, and oh, Key is my aunt. We used to live together.
Warning: This is 2min, means boy x boy love, don’t spill your disliking on this if you are not into yaoi ^_^ Also since I always prefer to write in English, so this is what you’ll get :]
Summary: With his memories which was like a piece of blank paper, Taemin started to live with a stranger, whom was, maybe, a kindest person he had ever seen.
Prompt: “Years will come, and years will go. The good days, bad days.” - Year of Us, SHINee.
A/n: So this is originally one of my old straight!fics, but since I have become a 2min stan I decided to write down a remake version with 2min as the main characters. I hope this won’t be utterly a major fail because it has been a while since I wrote oneshot. Also there will be scenes & ideas similar to my previous 2min chaptered fiction - Silent Words - because the basically it was half-inspired from this fic (actually this was the original plot before I changed it) ^_^
I see blood.
Blood.. is everywhere..
A petite, thin boy fluttered his eyes open and found himself laying in a bed, a stranger’s bed, where am I? He gulped as the fluorescent lamp shone through the room. He examined everything around him carefully, the room was rather clean and neat. He stepped down from the bed and his feet met with the cold, solid surface of the marmoreal floors. He blinked once, twice, thrice, and began wondering, where was he now. Why on earth am I being here..
The said boy’s eyes swept entire the room, learning the things straggle inside. He picked up a parfume, and he decided the owner was also a male. Nothing was familiar in his eyes - so he tried his best to remember everything, but nothing had registered on his mind until now, so he gave up.
He dragged his slender legs and drew out his right arm, rotating the knob and the door earned ‘click’ sound. He pushed the door quietly and was greeted by a sight of spacious living room. Not so far he saw a television and a davenport placed artistically. He walked again, drawing a closer distance -
“ So you’ve awakened.”
Someone was there.
He looked over his shoulder, as what he had expected. A male.
The smaller male fell in silence, watching the other person reading his newspaper. He seemed so cool, maybe couple years older than him. He blinked again, realizing something just now.
He is so beautiful, like a porcelain, or maybe a mannequin.
“ And what were you fucking doing earlier?” the older male asked coldly, suprising the younger one. He put his glasses on an escritoire and frowned, “ I brought you here. Yesterday you almost fell from the bridge, remember?” He blurted, crossing his arms against that broad chest. He stood up, walking over to the younger. “ You should not do that. Don’t commit a suicide, seriously, in front of me. Thank God I managed to pull you back.”
Suicide?
Now the man was already standing proudly in front of him. “ Your name is Taemin, right? Somehow I saw a paper written your name above - what exactly is that?”
The younger male stiffened. Taemin?
Seeing upon him stilling suddenly like that, the taller one tilted in curiousity. “ So what is it?”
But the younger male didn’t reply, he remained silent, bringing his head down, looking at the floors below him. The older frowned again - and shook his shoulder softly. “ Yah, what’s your problem?”
One second.
Two.
Three.
Four.
“ Who is Taemin..”
The older male’s eyes went wide. This was going on really weird, yet the younger was quite aware of this.
“ Your voice is..”
Whereas, as a vice versa, the younger opened his mouth again, still mouthing something inaudible,
“ Who am I..”
His voice never came out.
.
.
.
The next thing he knew, his name was Taemin.
Taemin stared at the man wearing a long sleeved white blazer, was about to get back work. He looked stunning as ever, flawless, and maybe would remain like that. His gallantry, prowress, might be ageless.
The older man pointed at kitchen and said, “ Don’t forget to prepare dinner. I’ll be back at 9 in evening, you can just heat up some foods.”
Taemin nodded and two minutes later, he had disappeared behind the front door to work. He only stared at that broad back, until he was off his sight. Taemin liked the thought of watching that brisket, owned by a man who was willing to resettle Taemin in his place for these past two weeks, and Taemin just could not be more grateful than this.
Taemin didn’t know that man’s job. He didn’t know his favorite song, didn’t know his birthday date, and neither what that man did outside there.
He only knew that male loved soccer, considering the playmatch he always made sure he would not ditch it accidentally.
Also, his name.
Taemin chanted mentally. Choi Minho.
Such a beautiful name.
Taemin walked towards the kitchen and began to take out some foods, he decided to cook kimchi to make Minho happy. At least he hoped he could vanish his exhaustion off by cooking delicious meals.
Three hours later Minho came home in time, just like his promise. Taemin greeted him by standing in front of the door with a little smile. Minho ruffled Taemin’s hair and they moved to dinning table, enjoying their dinner together.
Minho devoured the meals voraciously, while Taemin kept in silent eating his food. Minho noticed the voiceless boy looking little bit down and stopped his eating.
“ Taemin-ah, you know,” he called softly, “ It has been two weeks since we met and you make nothing better than a doll, you don’t voice up, don’t speak anything to me. Why can’t you talk, I wonder?”
A silence.
“ You..” Minho continued after taking a bite of his food, lowering the tone of his deep voice to make sure Taemin would not get offended, “ You haven’t gotten back your memories, have you?”
Taemin didn’t answer, because it was the truth. He wasn’t able to remember every single memories, it was completely blank, as white as a piece of plain paper. Minho took Taemin’s silence as the answer so he let the topic to slip off instead of forcing him to remember. It wasn’t entirely his fault, was it? So he asked Taemin to join him watching television, which the offer was welcomed by Taemin.
However Minho accidentally elbowed a sharp, knife-edged glass, drawing a blister on his arm. He winced seeing a blood run down past his skin, dripping onto the floor, stained it.
But what shocked Minho was something else. When he looked over, Taemin was staring at him in horror and fear, his body trembled terribly.
Taemin felt a pain sting in his heart, clenching it callously while it was actually pounding so fast after he saw the blood. Sweats leaked out of his skin, halfway gulping his saliva down.
He could not stand at the flushing blood.
Minho caught Taemin’s mixed up, scared expression, so he quickly assured Taemin he was okay. Taemin hurriedly took out a bandage of first aid box and wrapped it around the wound, trying to hold back his tears. Minho sighed and leaned forward, whispering, “ It’s alright.”
The words succeeded to soothe Taemin although he slightly still trembled, but he decided to put off all of his worries.
Minho, on the other hand, saw a kind of tv commercial aired while Taemin took care of his wound. “ Oh, look, Taemin-ah. A new commercial is pouring a lot of wings. They are scattered beautifully.”
And for the first time, Taemin’s eyes shone, radiating and drawing a high interest. He crawled over and admired the scene, it is indeed too beautiful.
“ Taemin, don’t get too near from the screen. It hurts your eyes.”
There was an obvious disappointment in Taemin’s doe eyes, Minho didn’t miss the opportunity to catch on before the shorter male retreated back in his seat.
And something, suddenly, clicked on Minho’s mind.
.
.
.
Taemin was stunned over what Minho just brought him back from his work.
A pretty silver necklace with pair of wings as the pendant.
“ For you,” Minho explained to answer Taemin’s questioning look on his face. He looked very suprised while holding a staring moment at the pendant. “ Yesterday you seemed so happy and amazed by those wings in the commercial so I decided to buy you one.” Minho placed the necklace on Taemin’s petite hand. Taemin could not take his eyes off the necklace, absolutely feeling happy.
“ Do you like it?”
Then a miracle happened, when Taemin lifted up his face.
He was smiling widely and nodded, maybe a little bit too eagerly.
But it could not explain how pleased Minho was, and who knows, attracted by the beautiful smile.
.
.
.
Day by day, Minho would learn something new about Taemin, and this time he found out that Taemin had a painting talent, they were not a joke. All of Taemin’s paintings were lovely and picturesque, so elegant and magnificent. So he bought the painting tools for him, as such canvas, paintbrush, watercolor, pallet, and stuffs. Then Taemin would create more and more beautiful, artistic work, but in every paintings there would be a pair of small wings, showing his mark and ownership, also many times Minho would get amazed with Taemin’s prodigious talent.
“ Taemin, you..” Minho put on his proud smile, “ You are a genius.”
Taemin giggled and received a soft caress on his hair, enjoying Minho’s warm touch. Minho sighed, but this time along with a pointless smile. “ You are still unable to talk to me, huh..”
Taemin, once again, didn’t answer, but smiled innocently.
As for Minho, there was a loud thump, inside his ribs. Minho could feel it, his heart pounding faster. His breath was detained - hard to inhale the oxygen. He drew out his hand, was about to touch the thinner male -
Knock, knock.
Minho cursed mentally. A good timing to tear down the moment, fuck. Taemin ran past him to open the door, and three figures were standing there cheekily.
“ Oh Shisus! Is this the guy Minho has brought over? So cute!” exclaimed the first guy, he looked really pretty with his feline eyes. Beside him there was a shorter man rolling his eyes, playfully muttered, “ Cut it down, Key! You might have scared him!”
“ Ups,” The so called Key guy grinned sheepishly, “ Sorry, Jonghyun. But I really want to squish this cute little boy, oh man~.. Minho, you don’t take advantage on him, right.”
Minho shot his best glare, making a annoyed appareance behind Taemin. “ Key, I am not a filthy person.”
“ Right. Said a male who keeps a cute human being and locks him inside his apartment,” Now a male, soft looking guy, with an eyesmile retorted, earning a loud chuckle from Key and Jonghyun.
“ Oh God, Minho, you suck, staying alone with this cute boy in this apartment. What else would be your second heaven?” Jonghyun mocked, throwing a last tease before getting strangled by the tallest male of the three. “ Shut up, you dino. Don’t. Mock. On. Me.”
And Jonghyun raised a white flag, pleading Minho to spare his still short life.
“ So what are you doing here?” Minho asked viciously, clearly looking unhappy. Before they got Minho’s permission, they already set themselves inside the living room and slumped in the cottony couch. “ Of course looking in you! Aren’t you supposed to feel grateful?! You played hooky yesterday, didn’t you? That’s why you didn’t come to work,” Key’s long speech made an ache in Minho’s head, “ Your customers were looking for you.”
This time Minho really wanted to kill the three, so he gave his wicked gaze to Key, hinting him to stop talking about his private work. Key, being labelled as Minho’s close friend, would not be called close for nothing. He caught the hint and changed the topic immediately. “ But I could understand you for not coming to work. Spending time with such a cutie pie like this was worth to pay off your hardwork.”
Yet the new topic didn’t make any good difference at all. Minho wanted to spit out and cry. Jonghyun shifted closer to Taemin and put his hands on the cheeks, albeit he was kinda slow to notice a death glare coming from Minho.
“ Wow, your skin is really soft, just like a baby - “ Jonghyun tilted, “ Are you still in highschool, Taemin-ah? Minho talked about you occasionally, though.”
Taemin didn’t say anything, and Minho sent a dipleased look to Jonghyun. The latter quickly got in the line and shut his mouth, feeling suprised. “ Oh, I forgot you can’t talk..”
“ It is not like he can’t talk,” Minho cut off, “ More likely ‘doesn’t want to’. I am sure he can.”
Jinki looked over Minho, a worry spread across his face. “ Minho, does he know?”
Minho raised his brow. “ About what?”
“ Well, you know what,” Jinki emphasized deliberately, “ Of what you do outside there.” Jinki kept his voice low, but Taemin managed to eavesdrop their conversation. Minho shook his head so Jinki complied to stop, but leaving Taemin to fall into a deeper curiousity. And the flower boy, Key, changed the topic and lightened up the mood. Their conversation was fun, most of them were talking about Minho, which was giving Taemin a question.
And thus, he realized about something.
He knew nothing about Minho.. didn’t he?
.
.
.
The next day Taemin decided to tag along Minho to his work, of course the plan was under the table. He would go after Minho secretively, so when Taemin made sure Minho had no idea he was trailing behind him surreptitious, then Taemin would make a move to keep up pace with him. At least this time he would figure out Minho’s job and know something about Minho beside his liking on soccer.
But place Taemin heading to was kind of a dark place, but full of elegant and dapper people passing by, also some of rich women and gangsters, then Taemin felt his nape of the neck was having goosebumps or something. He had never gone to this place before. What he knew was only a warm place to stay..
Minho’s snug apartment.
And there was nothing more he knew.
Taemin tried so hard not to get detached from Minho, but somehow he walked faster so Taemin didn’t recognize to where his feet were bringing him. So when he registered the place into his brain, he frowned deeply.
He acquired a flickering building, a lot of red bulbs dangling on the bricks wall. When Taemin was about to step inside, his hand was being pulled by a stranger. Taemin was startled and peeked over his shoulder. There was a handsome guy, half on his hangover, towering up and flaunting a infamous smirk.
“ Oh, are you a highschooler?” that guy chuckled evilly, “ You look really gorgeous - great. I love highschoolers, really my type. Do you want to sleep with me? I’ll pay any amount of money you wish for, how’s it? I’m getting bored by those whores and feeling inferior surrounded by perfect hosts.”
Whores?
Hosts?
What are they?
A train of thought raced briskly on his mind. The unfamiliar words, is it also Minho’s job?
But Taemin sensed a bad intention of the man. His hand crept, sneaking and touching Taemin’s exposed collarbone and milky white neck. Any word could not describe Taemin’s dread - he was too scared.
“ Taemin-ah!”
A loud sound of violent kick resounded inside the building right after a familiar voice called out Taemin, followed by a writhe in pain. Another man drew Taemin out of the fighting scene and Taemin’s eyes fluttered. It was Key, looking at him worriedly. “ Taemin-ah, are you okay? He didn’t harm you, did he?”
Taemin shook his head, ungainly, confused.
Where am I?
He also just became aware of the cigarettes reeking and alcohols, jumbled with a smell of stinging parfume which gave Taemin a queasiness feeling.
“ Taemin.”
That familiar voice snapped him and he looked up, stilling. Minho, never looked this mad before. His eyes reddened and his nose was full of sweat droplets, he clenched a fist.
“ Follow me,” he commanded while tugging Taemin’s hand out, sheering away from the place and they headed to a dark, cold alley. When they stopped, Minho turned round and his eyes flashed an obvious wrath, furiousity flaming awfully. Taemin gulped when Minho yelled, “ What are you doing here?!”
Taemin was taken aback. It was the very first time Minho ticking off and shouting at him, on the top of his lungs. Taemin took a step, flinching.
“ It is not a place for a kid!” he hollered again, and a red tint of fear stained Taemin’s face. Minho inhaled deeply and sighed, “ I’ll take you home and go back to work. Come on.”
Taemin had no choice except to obey.
.
.
.
A week had passed and the conversation between Taemin and Minho ceased like that, for some God-know-what reasons.
Taemin still cooked, watched TV, depicted a painting to kill some time while waiting Minho to come home.
But his paintings weren’t as beautiful as before. They gave an empty feeling. Those wings weren’t as white as they used to.
It was different from when Minho stayed beside him, escorting Taemin to paint.
Taemin hummed randomly, missing that time when Minho always talked to him. Now Minho didn’t come home at 9 anymore, but up to 10 or past. He came late - or even on the next day, the day after. Minho would go to work again when Taemin had not woke up. They also ate their dinner separatedly, it was always Taemin leaving a food for Minho to heat up. Also Taemin always smelled a different stinging women’s perfume, which gave Taemin worry.
What should he do?
Taemin sighed then chose to watch some dramas, which the plot was rather sad and depressing. About a girl feeling guilty at his boyfriend, and wailing terribly in front of him.
“ I am sorry.”
Then something clicked again. Taemin got an idea, probably, and he grinned widely. He glanced over the clock hanging up high on the wall. If he waited for Minho to come home, he would not know the exact time. Taemin thought hard to find an acceptable reason.
“ It is not a place for a kid.”
Taemin took a long stride to look at himself on the mirror, reflecting a plain image of him. Worn-out. No make up polish at all. No wonder he wasn’t allowed to go inside.
Then Taemin got a very brilliant idea.
.
.
.
Taemin checked on his appereance again - was he appealing enough? He wore a long, oversized white blouse, exposing more of his collarbone and a tight fitted leather pants, along with platform lace-up booties. He borrowed all of these stuffs from Minho’s neighboor, whom was apparently a fangirl over her neighboors (she said Taemin and Minho would make a cute couple, which was Taemin could not understand at all).
Actually this artistic work of his neighboor was rather satisfying. I don’t look like a little kid anymore, do I?
He pulled out a piece of paper which had been prepared earlier. Is this enough?
Taemin took a deep breath and start walking carefully. I hope with this I can apologize to Minho.
After he entered the building, he saw a room whose the interior design was scratched with every crimson red stuffs. The parfume's smell and smoke reeked tangy. There were lof ot women wearing mini dresses and skirts, while the gentlemen were indulging them by flying butterfly kisses and wrapping their strong arm around the woman. Taemin shivered a little and looked up, encountering with a man greeting him - he was Jonghyun. He almost failed to recognize Taemin, until he was popeyed, eyes almost bugging out of their place.
“ Taemin?!” he whispered in shock, and Taemin nodded, looking so happy and proud. He felt satisfied that Jonghyun almost didn’t recongnize him in the first place.
“ What are you doing here? Oh God.. Nevermind, now go home, Taemin-ah. Don’t get caught by Minho, or else he will end up blowing up again,” Jonghyun suggested, half flustered. He was nervous whether Minho would be able to see Taemin become this gorgeous or not, but coming here with that appealing look was definitely not a good choice.
But Taemin refused to be a good boy this time, he tried to break loose and shook his head. However Jonghyun insisted blocking him up. Being a frustated teen he was, Taemin desperately pushed Jonghyun with half of his might and when Jonghyun stumbled, he witnessed a familiar man in the middle of embracing a late 20s rich and beautiful lady, while counting an amount of money in his hand.
Taemin’s eyes goggled out. Minho.
“ Taemin-ah - “ Jonghyun gritted his teeth. Damn he knew it was already late, so no use to cover this up again. He shifted slightly, making Taemin could see Minho clearer, he repeatedly chanted that it was only a joke. There’s no way he is Minho.
Minho wondered why pairs of eyes one by one shifted their gazes, so he followed the action, and his heart almost jumped out of his ribs. How shocked he was seeing Taemin standing there, looking all stunning and gorgeous.. sinfully beautiful dressed up like that.
Spontaneously he broke the hug, shocks washing throughout him.
“ Taemin..”
But Taemin didn’t give any reaction, his expression was completely blank. He recalled what that perverted man had mentioned before.
Whores.
Hosts.
Taemin’s eyes swept the entire room - learning what the jobs might do with his limitation of memories. Slowly he caught on, grasping the meaning of their jobs and what they do.
To ‘comfort’ and ‘amuse’ the customers with their body.. or their touch?
So Minho is a host?
Tears were welling on his eyelids - is that so.
Sensing something occuring on Taemin’s mind, Minho got up and approached Taemin carefully, afraid he might have broken the younger male into pieces.
“ Tae - “ he pulled out his hand, wanting to touch Taemin, but the smaller one rejected it by flinching once, shutting his eyes tight. His body was trembling and when he opened his eyes, what Minho could see was a wave of fear swashing to pierce the elder man with his gaze.
Minho realized he was being rejected, something that he had never imagined it, never thought it could be this hurt, smiled sarcastically. “ Now what? Are you afraid of me?”
But Taemin remained still, he didn’t make a move even just a mere inch.
“ You have seen it. This is my job,” Minho emphasized, his heart feels like being stabbed by thousands knife tearing him apart, “ I am a host. My job is to escourt these ladies and make them happy. Is that wrong?”
No, it is not wrong.
At first, Taemin thought he was only scared of Minho’s unexpected job - he imagined being host was something filthy and nasty - but no, it wasn’t the main matter.
He hated it.
He disliked the thought of seeing Minho together with someone else.
What with this feeling?
“ Now for what are you doing here?” Minho asked coldly, “ You see, you really annoy me a lot, Taemin-ah.”
Key, suddenly, came into the scene and shouted, “ Minho! How could you - “
But again, everything came too late. Taemin was stunned, his body petrified like a hard stone, he didn’t say anything, or even cry.
He only stared at the taller male - he said I am a annoying boy - his heart hurt, broken and torn apart - he could not take this. It was too much.
Taemin bit his lip and pushed Minho’s strong figure until the latter fell into the couch. Taemin threw a piece of paper he had prepared from home - tears welling up, shocked Minho until to his conscience - Taemin is crying. He wasn’t able to stop Taemin stroming off the place abruptly.
Everything made sense now.
Those stinging parfumes.
Taemin’s heart was broken into small pieces, shattered mercilessly. Jealousy washed all inner parts of him. Why was he running away? Oh right -
Now he didn’t have place to go.
“ You really annoy me a lot.”
He doesn’t need me anymore.
.
.
.
Minho slumped, resting his back against the couch annoyedly. He lost his control and let his anger taking over his sanity. He could not concentrate paying more attention at his customer. The image of Taemin getting dressed up like that - it haunted him.
He disliked.. it. Very much. It wasn’t like Taemin look horrible with those clothes or it didn’t fit him. In fact, because he looks so good in it..
While in the other hand, Jonghyun, Key, and Jinki tried to sit closer next to Minho. They were being extra careful not to awaken Minho’s beast side so he would not eat them up alive. At this rate, Minho was the last person they wanted to distrub.
“ Minho..” Jonghyun called out, “ Are you okay?”
Minho hissed. “ How can you ask whether I am okay or not. He has seen my job. He must really hate me now.”
“ But seriously, Minho,” Key cut him off, being a brave diva he was, he was daring enough to retort back the lion among them, “ Your words were harsh. You have no idea how much it hurts his feelings. You haven’t known yet right, the reason Taemin went back to this place?”
Minho groaned. “ Yeah right. I don’t know,” he kicked the table slightly. Jonghyun side-eyed Minho, sending a wonder look to him. “ Well, as far as I know, I believe we are the only hosts who don’t sleep with our customers. Only touching and kissing their jaws, forehead, etc. But after Taemin came to your life - “
“ You have not laid a single touch on them, except embracing,” Key added, and it struck Minho like a lighting swooping down to ground.
“ Are you, by any chance, jealous?”
Oh God. What a home run Jonghyun just created.
Minho sighed deeply, and Jinki, who had kept his mouth shut since the incident occured, finally spoke up. “ Didn’t Taemin throw something like a piece of paper at you? Why don’t you open it and take a look, Minho?”
It was indeed a piece of paper - Taemin folded up the paper into a tiny quadrilateral crease. Minho unwrapped the crease carefully, and was loss of words.
Hyung, I am sorry. I am still a kid and I have no idea if it bothers you me stepping into an adult world - now I have tried to get myself up in nice clothes. Do I look like an adult already?
Key, who was joining to read along the paper, choked on the message and shifted his gaze to Jonghyun and Jinki, giving disbelief look. “ He thinks Minho was mad because.. he is still a kid.”
“ Minho, that means.. He came here to apologize to you..” Jonghyun narrowed his eyes, a confusion striking his braincells. “ Isn’t that weird? Aren’t you two living together now?”
Minho closed his mouth with his hand, feeling like extremely a big jerk. Why did I act like such a douche bag? Taemin got dressed up, all was his try to please Minho. He just doesn’t know anything. Why didn’t he wait for Taemin’s effort to explain? He could not talk yet he was trying to convince this.
Jinki turned to look Minho and their eyes met. The elder knew how the sadness had washed Minho, that guy had been a mess since Taemin came. How he bottled up the feelings at the younger boy, Jinki could see through him.
So finally, he simply told Minho what he had missed now.
“ What are you waiting for? Now go, run after him.”
It wasn’t to reprimand Minho of what he had done.
Because actually, everything is simple, just like that.
“ Apologize to him.”
And in a second blink, Minho drifted off all at once, pouncing his long thick coat before infiltrated through the clarity of cold night.
.
.
.
Taemin was sitting on a curb, body curling into a ball. Actually he wasn’t really far from Minho’s apartment, but Minho would not look for him anyway. Taemin stoned on the same spot, watching how rides in front of him going by in a constant speed.
Speaking of which, where should he go now?
Taemin sighed, maybe he could sleep at a park or somewhere. What else he could do now? He had no place to stay. Minho had considered him as a gadfly in his life, no reason to return or continue living there, he thought.
He smiled bitterly whereas his heart felt a sharp twinge shattering him. When he saw Minho embracing a unknown lady, Taemin wanted to scream and wail, then spill the tears and tell Minho to get his hand off that coquettish woman. But he could not. His voice would not come out.
Taemin only missed Minho, they barely spent their time together. Now with Minho not wanting Taemin beside him, a pain in his heart grew bigger and hurt him more. He touched his hand, the hand which had pushed Minho off few moments ago. He was depressed and lonely, tears building again.. when he felt that, the time he had spent with Minho back then was like a dream.
It is even too beautiful to be those dreams.
If only Taemin could talk.
If only Taemin could remember everything.
This would not have happened.
“ Taemin-ah!”
Taemin must be hallucinating now - his eyes were wide-open - someone looked like Minho ran towards him.. I must have spilled tears too much. It can’t be him.
No way Minho would go after him.. would not he?
He winced, thinking Minho maybe felt guilty - but he shook his head again, convincing himself it was impossible, so he stilled. But when he made sure once again, that person is indeed Minho, Taemin got up immediately and took few steps backwards, before he ran away.
Taemin could not look at Minho right now. He hates me, why should I go back?
“ Taemin-ah! Wait! Don’t avoid me, you little - “
But Taemin’s paces didn’t stop, in fact he raced as if his life was hanging on the edge like that, he was too absorbed in running, he just didn’t pay more attention at something speeding up towards him.
“ Taemin-ah!!”
Taemin’s eyes went wide when he felt Minho pushing him off - and when he looked over, there is a car, Minho, be careful -
Taemin’s world had turned black, upside down as he saw the one he loved laying helplessly in agony on the cold road - what just happened?
Minho’s fingers moved faintly - Taemin’s knees gave away. His head and body were bleeding swiftly - there is a blood.
Blood, is everywhere.
Taemin felt his entire world really had just stopped harshly, at one time.
Flashes of images were being played on his mind, like pieces of memories returning and flashing like a fast-forwarded video.
I really like the shape of wings, they look so beautiful and lovely.
And that day -
Taemin’s body trembled, hand carressing Minho’s cheek shakily.
That night, when me and my parents were in the middle of going back home.
“ M.. Min - “
Then a tragedy I had never imagined before, happened right in front of my eyes.
A car crash.
Minho’s blood kept oozing out, staining the road. More and more people came frantically, giving Taemin endless worried questions.
But Taemin didn’t move even a inch.
Mom and dad died because they protected me.
Something blocked his throat, but Taemin was too shocked to even care.
He wanted to call that name, the person he loved.
Since that time I could not speak, I lost my voice.
“ Min.. Minho..”
But maybe this is the first time I finally can talk, after that day.
In front of Choi Minho, who has saved me, and sacrificed himself to protect me.
“ No, Minho, please don’t close your eyes - “
Why does everyone I love eventually go, one by one?
Will this be the second time?
And Minho still didn’t give a response.
“ Minho - “ Cries, “ No - Please! We still have to talk - Open your eyes - “
Taemin gritted his teeth, tears overflowing down his cheeks. His hands were stained with Minho’s blood - which he cared less - ..
Along with some of his tears too.
.
.
.
I can’t.
Taemin threw away his paintbrush which ended up hitting a corner of hospital’s room and falling onto the floors.
Then he realized he had just created a clamor so he shut his mouth tight, Minho had not opened his eyes yet, lying down unconsciously. He breathed heavily, then he put his canvas next to the window.
Weeks ago were like a nightmare to Taemin.
The young male squeezed his arm, feeling sorry and regretful. A guilt imprinted in his heart. There’s no way I can continue making more paintings.
When he heard someone knocking the door from outside, Taemin stumbled to reach the door.
Jinki was standing in front of him with a plastic bag of foods in his hand. He plastered a soft smile. “ Taemin-ah.”
Taemin responded with a weak smile and let Jinki to come in. “ Sorry I just got today to look in Minho. I was seriously busy and Jonghyun was being a retard, Key and I were overwhelmed with his actions. Are you fine looking after Minho alone? Don’t you feel tired at all?”
“ No,” Taemin attempted a smile, “ This is my duty, after all.”
Jinki sighed and ruffled Taemin’s head. “ Thank goodness you are able to talk again. You don’t know how happy I am when I heard from Kibum you can talk. Minho must be happy once he gathers back his consciousness.”
Hearing Minho’s name mentioned, Taemin’s body stiffened and spaced out, trying to sort out his thoughts.
“ Doctor said, he is safe from a critical condition..” Taemin whispered, “ I can’t be more grateful than this, Hyung, but..”
“ But what?”
Taemin closed himself, voicing out out the question that had been haunting him for the past two days. “ Will he wake up soon? If I didn’t run away - or no, if I managed to save him, then..”
“ Are you trying to say that, it is better that it would be you who ended up hospitalized here? No one will feel wonderful , Taemin. Minho would be a total mess, worse than before.”
Taemin curled his fingers. “ Actually, I was scared..” he mumbled, “ When I imagined how he embraced someone beside me, how he kissed her, everyday smelling a stinging parfume sticking on his clothes made me feel uncomfortable.. I imagined how he..” sleeping with a woman, it is killing me alive.
Jinki stared at Taemin for a while, and he smiled.
“ Taemin-ah, do you know..” he muttered softly, “ Never once, in his life, Minho sleeps and steals a kiss on someone’s lips.”
Taemin turned his head, looking shocked. Jinki, then, continued, “ He got a pride as a real gentleman. He refuses to touch someone whose not his. Maybe it is only him, along with me, Key, and Jonghyun, who never takes a further step of touching our customers.”
Taemin blinked several times and Jinki chuckled. “ Suprised? But that is the real job of a host, to please and entertain them, not to satisfy their lust. They can just go to a brothel keeper if they want,” he laughed, “ And you know, Taemin? Again, never once in his life Minho had someone precious in his life.. until you came. His gaze turned soft and mild when it comes to you, don’t you realize it, Taemin-ah?”
Suddenly Jinki raised up his hand and pointed at something on Taemin’s neck. “ The necklace..” he grinned, “ That night, he dragged me to a jewelry shop, commanding me to choose something related to wings, and he bought that. Apparently later I found out, you like wings, don’t you, Taemin?”
Almost, how Taemin wanted to talk back to Jinki, he could not believe in what Jinki just explained. Was it all true?
Minho-Hyung..
“ Taemin, you are an important person to him..” Jinki whispered, “ and you.. love him.”
Love?
Taemin gasped when his mind clicked, he had something to do now. He got up and smiled. “ Thank you, Hyung. Now I know what to do.”
Jinki chotled. “ Well then, I excuse myself. Key will skin me alive if I don’t arrive in time at the club.”
Taemin nodded, maybe a little bit too eagerly. Jinki pinched Taemin’s chubby cheek, earning a small cry, and he went off.
When Jinki closed the door, he rested his head against the hospital’s wall and smiled to himself.
You’ve found a best person in your life, have you, Minho?
.
.
.
Taemin closed his eyes, letting the tranquil feeling to get into him slowly. When his eyes snapped back open, he took his paintbrush and the palette, in the face of him was a plain canvas, ready to delineate first incision.
He was imagining about what important to him.
Taemin inhaled a deep breath before his hand finally made a move. His eyes weren’t on the unconscious Minho, but his heart was different.
Yesterday he could not be able to paint, because he felt everything became so dark and cold.
But not now.
Taemin’s hand kept moving. An imagination of what he wanted to paint was plastered clearly in his mind.
Those wings,
And you..
Are the reason why I keep painting, even though everything isn’t the same again..
The next morning Taemin finished the painting and smiled in satisfication. He lifted up the canvas and put it ahead Minho, then he went back to the place he was sitting. Taemin collapsed his head into the bed, next to Minho’s long, muscled arm. Taemin’s fingers traced on Minho’s arm, and squeezed Minho’s palm softly, while staring at the painting quietly.
Please, wake up.
I hope this will be conveyed in his sleep.
Taemin’s eyes fluttered, he felt so tired and sleepy, the drowsiness striking him. Taemin yawned and slowly, his mind drifted off to a deep, peaceful slumber, bringing a hope into his dream.
Maybe, it was because he missed the elder man so much,
So then a single tear escaped, dripping onto Minho’s hand..
.. and slowly, a miracle happened.
They said in every tales, the princess would be always awakened by her prince.
But still, the tale wasn’t always true, was it?
.
.
.
Three years later.
The show-room was filled by a lot of people admiring the paintings of a new talented potraitist. One by one adored every single painting hanging proudly on the wall, and a pair of white wings would be notched on all of his artistic works. His paintings always drew attention after becoming one of the most gorgeous works in Seoul, and got sold in a high price.
But still, there was one painting attracting their attention, in every expo he held. The most, beautiful painting among them all, bearing a touching message which would leave a great impression. The painting wasn’t sold to anyone, even it had been offered with a highest price everyone would never guess.
The special painting, which contained a beautiful story between two people in love.
The title was, ‘A Man With The Wings’.
Not so long after people started admiring over the brilliant works, a man with a long sleeved white sweater came out of his red sportcar, readjusting his sunglassed on the bridge of his nose. He walked in, aware enough he had swept all attention of the visitors, but he decided to neglect them and continued searching someone.
But all pairs of eyes were fixed on that man, whispering a loud ‘no way!’, ‘it can’t be’, ‘oh God!’..
While looking at the painting which had drawn out their attention.
.
.
.
Taemin’s eyes fluttered open, blinking thrice before he got up and rubbed his eyes. When his hazy eyes could see everything clearer, his jaw almost dropped.
Was too stunned, seeing the man before him, whom Taemin was longing for his warmth since couple days ago, and the man was smiling.
“ Good morning,” he greeted, “ Had a nice sleep, Taemin, baby?”
Droplets from his eyes spilled and dripped, dampening the sheet, but why would he care? Taemin broke into tears and crashed his body against the man - chanting his name repeatedly.
“ Minho-Hyung.. Minho-Hyung..” he cried, “ You are awake..”
Minho stroked Taemin’s hair with an affection and buried his face onto the crook of Taemin’s neck. “ I’m sorry for making you worried.. You must’ve been really waiting for me..”
Taemin sobbed while nodding, grasping more the fabric cling on Minho’s back.
He must tell Minho, that he had gotten back his memories now.
“ Back then, Hyung.. I always painted with mom and dad.. They were the ones who make me love the wings so much.. And they died because of a car accident.. They saved me.. They.. sacrificed their life to protect me.. That’s why I was unable to talk and lost my memories.. and..”
“ And I found you,” Minho whispered, “ the boy who almost fell down from the bridge. You don’t know I almost got a heart attack, right?”
“ Yes..” Taemin nudged closer to feel more and more Minho’s warmth, “ My name is Lee Taemin, Hyung..”
Taemin could feel a smile formed on his neck. “ Then you already know that, my name is Choi Minho, Taemin-ah.”
Taemin indulged himself by inhaling Minho’s sweet, gallant smell. “ Minho Hyung..”
“ You will be staying beside me from now on, right? In your new life, not cracked by the same sadness and grief..”
Of course.
The hands that have pulled me out of the darkness, giving me a better, brighter chance of life.
“ I love you, Hyung,” Taemin finally confessed, shyly, after mustering up courage.
Minho lifted up his face to meet Taemin’s innocent eyes, and he smiled cheekily.
“ I am older than you by couple years.. I am a very impatient person, too. Also once I get something I’ve been wanting for, you’ll never be able to escape from me, Taemin-ah. Are you ready? I’ll never let you go.”
Taemin replied with a tougher, determined smile.
“ You bet.”
“ Fuck, you chose it,” Minho laughed, pulling Taemin closer so their faces were only five centis apart. “ Be prepared. Adults are not as nice as what you think.”
Then Minho leaned forward, capturing Taemin’s lips this time, they kissed until they needed a break time to breathe. Taemin lied on top of Minho, funny how they felt so perfect, as if they were two puzzles made to fit for each other.
“ The painting..” Minho murmured, “ Is that me?”
Taemin replied with a wide smile and started kissing Minho’s forehead, his eyes, his cheeks, his jaw.. exchanging a soft, loving gaze before he answered,
“ What do you think?”
Minho laughed again and claimed Taemin’s lips, whispering a soft “ I love you so much.”
.
.
.
The man who had been walking for couple minutes already drew out whole attention and people began comparing him with the figure in the beautiful painting.
They looked so similar from all aspects.
But the man kept walking towards someone, apparently the painter who owned this one day gallery, and shot a smile when he get closer to the painter.
“ Taemin-ah!”
The painter looked over his shoulder and grinned, approaching the elder and he asked, “ Did you just arrive here?”
“ Mm, yes,” the taller male smiled, “ Now, let’s go for our date? Just leave the rest to the three stupid hosts there.”
“ YAH!” A shortest male among the three, shouted from one corner of the show-room and yelled, “ WE ARE NOT STUPID! AND WE ARE EX-HOSTS, YOU TOO, DUMBASS!”
“ CHOI MINHO I CAN JUST SKIN YOU ALIVE WITH MY SPATULA, YOU WICKED DICKHEAD!”
And the last guy, wearing a glasses, just laughed and put his hand on the man with feline eyes. “ Just give in, yeobo. Let Minho have his lovely time with Taemin, okay?”
“ But Jinki,” Key whined.
“ Now, now.”
Jonghyun snorted. “ Why am i the only single here?”
Minho rolled his eyes while Taemin giggled. “ You’ll find yourself a good person, Hyung.”
“ In million years? Blah!”
Minho tugged Taemin’s hand and whispered, “ Come on.”
Taemin nodded and clung on his boyfriend’s hand, waving twice to the three before drifting off the show-room.
They exchanged a smile before heading to Minho’s car, ignoring all whispers from their back.
When there were three women who began guessing the mysterious male, the three ex-hosts made a sudden, dashing appareance, flashing their gentle smile.
“ That man is Lee Taemin’s boyfriend, also the owner of the luxury bar at the main district in Seoul, ‘Red Rose’.”
Of course, they got dazzled by the ex-hosts’ daintiness and melted instantly because of three perfect-like-scluptures men.
Oh well, a natural gift would never be able to get vanished, hm?
And so, in the other hand, Choi Minho walked hand in had with the one he loved, Lee Taemin, who had become brilliant, awesome figure of a painter.
‘A Man With The Wings’.
The painting had explained everything about their story, which will be continously flowing for the rest of their life.
About the existence of Choi Minho, for Lee Taemin, the one who will be staying with him forever, and their endless love.