You're Not Gay - Part 8
Title: You're Not Gay
Author: fiar22
Rating: pg-15
Genre: angst, romance, ?denial?, humor
Summary: If you asked Lee Taemin if he was gay, he'd probably just stare at you. He would rather die that unveil the secret that changed his whole life. However, if you asked Kim Jonghyun the same question, you'd probably wake up in his bed the next morning (regardless of gender). Two very different lifestyles that eventually collide.
Author's notes: Another chapter done! I'm on fiiiire~! I was going to do another side story chapter thingy between this chapter and the other one, but it can go after this chapter too, so it's okay. I think you guys with like this because it's got some JongTae action. Things are starting to build up. I'm really excited! :D I hope you guys enjoy this. (WARNING: In Key's part the language is a little strong.)
_____________________________________
Taemin lay on Jonghyun’s bed a couple hours later, awaiting the other boy’s return from the restroom. His lips were red and abused from previously being dominated by Jonghyun. He knew problems and other obligations awaited him somewhere in his near future, but for now he was going to enjoy being where he was and pretend none of the other hovering problems existed.
Just then, the other boy reentered the room.
“What took you so long?” Taemin inquired.
“Sorry,” Jonghyun started, “I was talking to my dad,” He crawled back onto the bed and then was hovering over Taemin the next instant, “Did you miss me?”
“Yeah,” Taemin muttered before bringing Jonghyun’s lips down into a kiss.
The older boy took lead quickly and cupped Taemin’s cheek in one hand while propping himself up with the other. He was so lovey. Taemin almost hated it, except he absolutely loved it. It reminded him, though not entirely, of Minho, but completely different. While Minho’s had been a bit unsure, yet protective and full of desire, Jonghyun’s was a bit softer, sweeter, and he was completely sure, meant every single thing his kisses said. It was comfortable, if anything else, and that was what Taemin needed.
Then, Jonghyun was pulling away and they were both taking a moment to breathe. Jonghyun let himself fall beside Taemin and tangle his fingers with the other’s so that they were still touching while separated.
“You’re sad,” Jonghyun pointed out after staring at Taemin for a while.
“Yeah,” Taemin confirmed.
“Why?” Jonghyun pressed further as he let his thumb soothingly rub the back of Taemin’s hand.
“It’s just,” Taemin paused to sort through his words, “You’re the second guy I’ve kissed.”
Jonghyun didn’t seem to be affected, but smiled in response, “Was the other one your secret boyfriend? Is he going to come and kick my ass?”
Taemin rolled his eyes, but replied seriously, “He was my best friend.”
“Was?” Jonghyun let himself become serious as well.
“Well, it’s sort of complicated.”
But Jonghyun seemed to be all ears, just awaiting the story.
“Okay, so I’d known him since we were like, I don’t know, three? And it wasn’t something we ever talked about, but we only hung out with each other from then on. I almost feel like there was no other option than for me and Minho to…” Taemin trailed off.
“His name was Minho?” Jonghyun asked.
“Yeah.”
“So,” Jonghyun prodded a little further, “What happened?”
Taemin pressed his lips together in thought for a moment and then continued, “There was this… girl, I guess you’d call her, who really liked Minho. I mean, you have to understand that everyone really loved Minho because he’s a really good guy and the captain of the soccer team, but this girl was crazy,” Taemin took an intake of breath, “she’d text him, call him, jump him after practice and at first she tried buttering me up to get closer to him, but she wasn’t an idiot and after a while of stalking Minho I think she sensed it from both of us.”
“That you were gay?” Jonghyun added.
“That we were gay,” Taemin confirmed. “And I think she hated him for it, more than me, I think she was really mad at him,” Taemin paused again as if thinking of something.
“So, what happened?” Jonghyun asked impatiently.
Taemin smiled a grim smile, “She caught us kissing under the bleachers, and snapped a picture I guess. I didn’t see her, but I should have known. Everything was fine for a day, more than fine, it was perfect.”
“So, everyone found out?” Jonghyun asked softly.
“Yeah,” Taemin answered in a choked tone, eyes getting watery.
“And the bastard chickened out?” Jonghyun’s tone was a little darker, angrier.
“No,” Taemin corrected, “no, no, god no, it was, well, his mom never liked me that much to begin with.” Taemin’s eyes seemed to be far off in another world, “and my dad, he was gay too, but he left us when I was four and Jinki was seven. Sometimes, we’ll get a Christmas card with money in it, but mom got full custody because the court ruled one mom was better than two dads, so we can’t see him ever.”
Taemin could see Jonghyun’s eyes were full of concern and he looked pained, but Taemin went on, letting his tears fall free, “Anyway, everyone found out, the pictures were everywhere, and my mom said we were moving. At first, I told my mom to fuck off, but Minho’s family meant a lot to him and his mother more than forbid me to ever step within 100 yards of their house where Minho would be home schooled from then on. We moved a month later and I haven’t seen him since that day.”
When he finished his story, he let out a big sigh. Then, he felt Jonghyun wipe away one of his tears with his thumb and kiss his forehead, bringing him close to comfort him, “But it’s okay now. You’re here, now. I’ve got you.”
Taemin let himself relax into the older boy’s touch. They stayed that way for a long while.
Then, Taemin’s eyes shot open, “What time is it?”
“6:30, why?” Jonghyun replied absent-mindedly.
“Shit,” Taemin cursed, pushing away from Jonghyun’s hold and springing off the bed in search of his shoes. “I have a date.”
“A date?” Jonghyun asked incredulously.
“A date,” Taemin confirmed.
“With who?” Jonghyun was still disbelieving.
“My girlfriend,” Taemin said like Jonghyun was the stupidest person he knew, but when Jonghyun still looked confused, Taemin said, “Krystal.”
It suddenly hit Jonghyun and he said, “Oh,” before realization set in and he said, “Wait, you didn’t break up with her?”
“No,” Taemin replied with a scoff, “Why would I do that?”
But Jonghyun’s ‘are-you-serious?’ look answered that.
“Look,” Taemin said, closing his eyes and taking in a breath, “just give me time. I know we talked about not hurting her and that’s exactly why I didn’t break up with her yet, okay? I don’t want her to hate me and if I break up with her the day we started dating, she will and not to mention you for wanting me, So, just give me the benefit of the doubt and I will handle it.”
Jonghyun didn’t like it, not one bit, but he couldn’t help but feel that Taemin had a point. So, he would suffer through it, for now.
~
Key had been over and above homework for a long time now. He’d usually just bat his long lashes at one of those nerdy guys and be done with that, so he was bored when he got home. Usually, he’d just bug Jonghyun or text Krystal into submission to hang out with him, but Jonghyun was busy with Taemin and Krystal had a date with Taemin tonight. When he thought about it, it made no sense because how would Taemin be in two places at once? But Key didn’t dwell on that too long. His cousin’s secrets were safe with him, so that meant Taemin’s were too.
Anyway, that left him with a lot of nothing but laying in his oversized room thinking about that fucking Jinki. Key had come up with a lot of nicknames for Jinki (i.e. that hot guy, the creepy new kid, dick machine 3000), but right now he chose fucking Jinki because he made everything so complicated when all Key wanted to do was suck his dick for maybe the rest of his life as long as he wasn’t annoying or something. Honestly, Key had always been the “you’re my toy” type, but something about Jinki made him want something he’d never even considered wanting since as long as he could remember: a relationship.
Key sighed. It wasn’t fair that the only boy he’d ever wanted to date was a homophobic retard who was obviously gay, but gave him “I want your dick forever” looks from across the room because he was too chicken-shit to say it to Key’s face. Then again, Key probably didn’t deserve fair, but that wasn’t the point.
Then, Key’s phone was ringing.
“Hello?” he answered in a sweet tone. It was misleading to how he currently felt, but Key had a reputation to uphold.
Silence, however, was what he was met with.
He quickly let his irritation show, “is this a fucking joke?”
More silence, and he was about to hang up when he heard that honey-thick voice he’d been yearning for since the weekend, “Key.”
Key’s voice caught in his throat and his heart almost pounded out of his chest. He could only manage a whisper as he said, “Jinki.”
And then a dial tone.
“WHAT THE FUCK!” Key screamed as he looked at his phone and then threw it across the room. The fucking nerve! No one hung up on Key, the Kim Kibum. He was outraged and totally done with that stupid loser from fucks-ville nowhere. He crossed his arms and sat on his bed in anger for a while.
Then, seconds later he was across the room, picking up his phone to assess the damage, which was none, and quickly saved the number Jinki called from to his phone.
“I hate him,” Key huffed as he set his phone carefully on his bed and began a stare-a-thon with the petit device.
~
Krystal turned the corner onto Taemin’s street and let out a yawn. She’d decided to take a nap before her date, but was regretting that now.
For one, she felt worse after she woke up than before she went to sleep. Though, she wasn’t just physically out of it, she also had a small mental strain. She had a dream. Normally, she would have just blown it off as nothing, but the dream was about Taemin. Even that, though, wasn’t what caught her attention. It was the other guy.
“What was he like?” she tried to recall. “He wasn’t tall, but it seemed as if he was… looming? And he was charming, sweet even. His eyes showed deep devotion, but… it wasn’t for me.” Still, the figure seemed fuzzy in her mind.
It was weird to her mostly because the other guy seemed to be stealing Taemin away from her rather than her being stolen from Taemin. And then there was Taemin who was almost completely oblivious to her in the dream, except he wasn’t. He’d looked right at her and smiled, but it was as if his eyes were only for the other guy.
She turned onto Taemin’s driveway and turned off her car. “Great, now I’m having dreams about my boyfriend leaving me for some totally perfect guy,” Krystal groaned as she laid her forehead against the steering wheel.
Still, there was something else. She knew this guy, she felt. She couldn’t be sure, of course, because his image was so fuzzy that he could have been anyone, but she just knew him somehow.
“Alright,” she said to herself, “stop being crazy and get out of the car. You probably look creepy sitting in your boyfriend’s driveway.”
She got out of the car and straightened herself up before heading to the door. She had a quick dilemma of whether to knock or ring the doorbell, but decided ringing was safest for her first visit. She waited, waited, waited until she was about to have a heart attack and give up, but then it opened.
“Yeah?” it wasn’t Taemin, but Jinki who answered.
“Umm… hi, is Taemin here?” she asked while looking a little behind Jinki to peek at the house.
“No,” he answered and abruptly shut the door.
She stood there for a moment, mouth agape. It took a minute, but she finally turned around to leave when the door reopened.
“Wait!” and older woman called to her. She turned toward the woman and the woman said, “You must be Taemin’s girlfriend. It’s nice to meet you. I’m his mother. He’s not back from running some errands yet, but you’re free to wait in here.”
Krystal relaxed and re-tensed at the same time. She smiled her best smile. This was Taemin’s mother and that meant it was time to work that pretty girl magic. She happily followed the older woman into the house.
~
He was late. He knew he was late and that meant he needed to make a rush job of things, so Taemin wasn’t in the best of moods to stop and greet his mother when he got home.
He walked in the house, hair mused, looking a lot like he just got done having three hours of sex. He slammed open the door and was halfway up the stairs when he heard his mother yell, “Taemin, come down here.”
He inwardly groaned and used his trump card in attempt to get her to leave him alone, “Can’t, mom, got a date tonight.”
He was almost in his room with the door shut when she said, “I know. She’s here.”
He froze in step and let the words sink in. She was already here. He turned around only to meet eyes with Jinki, who was standing in his own doorway looking smug.
“You look like shit,” Jinki laughed as he looked Taemin over from head to toe.
Taemin took a deep breath, “For once in your life, Jinki, fuck off.”
The older boy merely rolled his eyes, but retreated back into his own room all the same.
Then, it was time for Taemin to take the walk of shame. He slowly crept down the hall, down the stairs and then into the living room where his mother and Krystal awaited him.
Immediately, his mother’s face fell when she saw the state he was in. “Where were you?” she all but gasped.
However, Taemin opted out of answering right away and instead looked to Krystal to assess her feelings. She looked more than amused. He saw the way she currently held herself in the “pretty-girl” mode, but it was cracking and she looked more like she wanted to laugh, or cry from laughing.
That was when he calmed down and sent a wink her way, saying, “A friend’s house.”
Krystal giggled, which seemed to startle his mother, who looked between them like they were both crazy.
“You ready?” Krystal asked, getting up from the couch.
“Yeah,” he replied. He grabbed her hand as she walked passed him and she lead him out the door.
“How rude,” Jinki said from the stairs when the door shut, which earned a glare from his mother.
~
“Sorry about my mom,” Taemin said when they arrived at the park.
Krystal just smiled, “She’s your mom. You can’t be sorry about her. Plus, she was perfectly nice.”
“She’s probably so ecstatic about me having a girlfriend that she’s forgotten about earlier completely.”
Krystal pulled into a parking space and turned off the car. “She’s probably just glad you got a hot mamacita like me,” she teased before getting out of the car, Taemin following suit. “Let’s go to the swings first,” she suggested, taking off at the speed of light before Taemin could say anything.
He smiled and ran after her. When he got to the swings, she was putting on the pretty-girl face again. “Why do you do that?” he asked when he got near.
“Do what?” she asked and all traces of it vanished.
He shook his head, “Nothing.” Then, he neared the swing she was sitting on and stepped in front of her. He grabbed bother sides of the chain and looked down at her. “You’re really pretty.”
“I’ve been told,” she said looking up at him, her eyes trying to figure out his point.
“You really are.”
She smiled, “I know.” They stared at each other for a while, feeling each other’s presence for the moment. Then, she corked an eyebrow, “I wish I could say the same about you.”
Before he knew it, he was laughing and on the ground and she was laughing too, but still sitting on the swing. When he calmed down a bit, he playfully pushed her knee so the swing swayed backwards a little.
“Really,” she asked, “what happened to you?” she tried her best to stifle her giggles.
He looked up at her and smiled, “Wouldn’t you like to know? Well, I’d tell you if I could.”
She looked playfully upset, “Hey, you can’t keep secrets from your girlfriend.”
“Sure I can,” he was getting bold now, “how else am I supposed to cheat on you?”
Her mouth fell open. “Wow, you’re a jerk just like your brother!” she exclaimed while half-heartedly kicking towards him.
“It was a joke,” Taemin said softly while smiling. “Besides, what’d Jinki do to you?” he asked half because he was worried about what Jinki may have done and half because Jinki was still his brother and he had to defend him.
“Slammed the door in my face for one,” she said and then thought, “And kicked me out of a place to sleep in Kibum’s bed after that party, but I don’t think Taemin knows his brother is gay.”
“Jinki,” Taemin sighed, “well, he’s just Jinki and you kind of have to just go with it. He’s really not that bad.”
“Ahh,” Krystal said, “sibling love. Don’t you just love it?”
Taemin smiled, “We do what we gotta do.”
Krystal smiled and then changed the subject, “I have a favor to ask.”
Taemin just looked up expectantly.
“Sulli,” Krystal began, testing the waters first, “she’s been bugging me lately and I’d feel guilty if I didn’t ask, but I’m also a little curious… Do you have any friends back where you’re from?”
Taemin kept his smile, but suddenly looked uneasy. He shifted a bit before saying, “Well, I don’t think Sulli would be interested in anyone from there,” then he abruptly stopped and rethought, “Well, one person, but I don’t know that he would be interested back.”
She gave him a look of gratitude and something else that beckoned him to come closer to her as she said, “It wouldn’t hurt to try.”
Taemin was off the ground and standing in front of her again, face only a few inches from hers. “Maybe,” he spoke in a way that said “it’s not going to happen”, but Krystal didn’t really care right now.
Then, everything was all kisses and it was sweet, so sweet, sweeter than Krystal remembered. Before she knew it, she was up off the swing and being brought god-knows where, but Krystal didn’t care.
Today was a good day.
Author: fiar22
Rating: pg-15
Genre: angst, romance, ?denial?, humor
Summary: If you asked Lee Taemin if he was gay, he'd probably just stare at you. He would rather die that unveil the secret that changed his whole life. However, if you asked Kim Jonghyun the same question, you'd probably wake up in his bed the next morning (regardless of gender). Two very different lifestyles that eventually collide.
Author's notes: Another chapter done! I'm on fiiiire~! I was going to do another side story chapter thingy between this chapter and the other one, but it can go after this chapter too, so it's okay. I think you guys with like this because it's got some JongTae action. Things are starting to build up. I'm really excited! :D I hope you guys enjoy this. (WARNING: In Key's part the language is a little strong.)
_____________________________________
Taemin lay on Jonghyun’s bed a couple hours later, awaiting the other boy’s return from the restroom. His lips were red and abused from previously being dominated by Jonghyun. He knew problems and other obligations awaited him somewhere in his near future, but for now he was going to enjoy being where he was and pretend none of the other hovering problems existed.
Just then, the other boy reentered the room.
“What took you so long?” Taemin inquired.
“Sorry,” Jonghyun started, “I was talking to my dad,” He crawled back onto the bed and then was hovering over Taemin the next instant, “Did you miss me?”
“Yeah,” Taemin muttered before bringing Jonghyun’s lips down into a kiss.
The older boy took lead quickly and cupped Taemin’s cheek in one hand while propping himself up with the other. He was so lovey. Taemin almost hated it, except he absolutely loved it. It reminded him, though not entirely, of Minho, but completely different. While Minho’s had been a bit unsure, yet protective and full of desire, Jonghyun’s was a bit softer, sweeter, and he was completely sure, meant every single thing his kisses said. It was comfortable, if anything else, and that was what Taemin needed.
Then, Jonghyun was pulling away and they were both taking a moment to breathe. Jonghyun let himself fall beside Taemin and tangle his fingers with the other’s so that they were still touching while separated.
“You’re sad,” Jonghyun pointed out after staring at Taemin for a while.
“Yeah,” Taemin confirmed.
“Why?” Jonghyun pressed further as he let his thumb soothingly rub the back of Taemin’s hand.
“It’s just,” Taemin paused to sort through his words, “You’re the second guy I’ve kissed.”
Jonghyun didn’t seem to be affected, but smiled in response, “Was the other one your secret boyfriend? Is he going to come and kick my ass?”
Taemin rolled his eyes, but replied seriously, “He was my best friend.”
“Was?” Jonghyun let himself become serious as well.
“Well, it’s sort of complicated.”
But Jonghyun seemed to be all ears, just awaiting the story.
“Okay, so I’d known him since we were like, I don’t know, three? And it wasn’t something we ever talked about, but we only hung out with each other from then on. I almost feel like there was no other option than for me and Minho to…” Taemin trailed off.
“His name was Minho?” Jonghyun asked.
“Yeah.”
“So,” Jonghyun prodded a little further, “What happened?”
Taemin pressed his lips together in thought for a moment and then continued, “There was this… girl, I guess you’d call her, who really liked Minho. I mean, you have to understand that everyone really loved Minho because he’s a really good guy and the captain of the soccer team, but this girl was crazy,” Taemin took an intake of breath, “she’d text him, call him, jump him after practice and at first she tried buttering me up to get closer to him, but she wasn’t an idiot and after a while of stalking Minho I think she sensed it from both of us.”
“That you were gay?” Jonghyun added.
“That we were gay,” Taemin confirmed. “And I think she hated him for it, more than me, I think she was really mad at him,” Taemin paused again as if thinking of something.
“So, what happened?” Jonghyun asked impatiently.
Taemin smiled a grim smile, “She caught us kissing under the bleachers, and snapped a picture I guess. I didn’t see her, but I should have known. Everything was fine for a day, more than fine, it was perfect.”
“So, everyone found out?” Jonghyun asked softly.
“Yeah,” Taemin answered in a choked tone, eyes getting watery.
“And the bastard chickened out?” Jonghyun’s tone was a little darker, angrier.
“No,” Taemin corrected, “no, no, god no, it was, well, his mom never liked me that much to begin with.” Taemin’s eyes seemed to be far off in another world, “and my dad, he was gay too, but he left us when I was four and Jinki was seven. Sometimes, we’ll get a Christmas card with money in it, but mom got full custody because the court ruled one mom was better than two dads, so we can’t see him ever.”
Taemin could see Jonghyun’s eyes were full of concern and he looked pained, but Taemin went on, letting his tears fall free, “Anyway, everyone found out, the pictures were everywhere, and my mom said we were moving. At first, I told my mom to fuck off, but Minho’s family meant a lot to him and his mother more than forbid me to ever step within 100 yards of their house where Minho would be home schooled from then on. We moved a month later and I haven’t seen him since that day.”
When he finished his story, he let out a big sigh. Then, he felt Jonghyun wipe away one of his tears with his thumb and kiss his forehead, bringing him close to comfort him, “But it’s okay now. You’re here, now. I’ve got you.”
Taemin let himself relax into the older boy’s touch. They stayed that way for a long while.
Then, Taemin’s eyes shot open, “What time is it?”
“6:30, why?” Jonghyun replied absent-mindedly.
“Shit,” Taemin cursed, pushing away from Jonghyun’s hold and springing off the bed in search of his shoes. “I have a date.”
“A date?” Jonghyun asked incredulously.
“A date,” Taemin confirmed.
“With who?” Jonghyun was still disbelieving.
“My girlfriend,” Taemin said like Jonghyun was the stupidest person he knew, but when Jonghyun still looked confused, Taemin said, “Krystal.”
It suddenly hit Jonghyun and he said, “Oh,” before realization set in and he said, “Wait, you didn’t break up with her?”
“No,” Taemin replied with a scoff, “Why would I do that?”
But Jonghyun’s ‘are-you-serious?’ look answered that.
“Look,” Taemin said, closing his eyes and taking in a breath, “just give me time. I know we talked about not hurting her and that’s exactly why I didn’t break up with her yet, okay? I don’t want her to hate me and if I break up with her the day we started dating, she will and not to mention you for wanting me, So, just give me the benefit of the doubt and I will handle it.”
Jonghyun didn’t like it, not one bit, but he couldn’t help but feel that Taemin had a point. So, he would suffer through it, for now.
~
Key had been over and above homework for a long time now. He’d usually just bat his long lashes at one of those nerdy guys and be done with that, so he was bored when he got home. Usually, he’d just bug Jonghyun or text Krystal into submission to hang out with him, but Jonghyun was busy with Taemin and Krystal had a date with Taemin tonight. When he thought about it, it made no sense because how would Taemin be in two places at once? But Key didn’t dwell on that too long. His cousin’s secrets were safe with him, so that meant Taemin’s were too.
Anyway, that left him with a lot of nothing but laying in his oversized room thinking about that fucking Jinki. Key had come up with a lot of nicknames for Jinki (i.e. that hot guy, the creepy new kid, dick machine 3000), but right now he chose fucking Jinki because he made everything so complicated when all Key wanted to do was suck his dick for maybe the rest of his life as long as he wasn’t annoying or something. Honestly, Key had always been the “you’re my toy” type, but something about Jinki made him want something he’d never even considered wanting since as long as he could remember: a relationship.
Key sighed. It wasn’t fair that the only boy he’d ever wanted to date was a homophobic retard who was obviously gay, but gave him “I want your dick forever” looks from across the room because he was too chicken-shit to say it to Key’s face. Then again, Key probably didn’t deserve fair, but that wasn’t the point.
Then, Key’s phone was ringing.
“Hello?” he answered in a sweet tone. It was misleading to how he currently felt, but Key had a reputation to uphold.
Silence, however, was what he was met with.
He quickly let his irritation show, “is this a fucking joke?”
More silence, and he was about to hang up when he heard that honey-thick voice he’d been yearning for since the weekend, “Key.”
Key’s voice caught in his throat and his heart almost pounded out of his chest. He could only manage a whisper as he said, “Jinki.”
And then a dial tone.
“WHAT THE FUCK!” Key screamed as he looked at his phone and then threw it across the room. The fucking nerve! No one hung up on Key, the Kim Kibum. He was outraged and totally done with that stupid loser from fucks-ville nowhere. He crossed his arms and sat on his bed in anger for a while.
Then, seconds later he was across the room, picking up his phone to assess the damage, which was none, and quickly saved the number Jinki called from to his phone.
“I hate him,” Key huffed as he set his phone carefully on his bed and began a stare-a-thon with the petit device.
~
Krystal turned the corner onto Taemin’s street and let out a yawn. She’d decided to take a nap before her date, but was regretting that now.
For one, she felt worse after she woke up than before she went to sleep. Though, she wasn’t just physically out of it, she also had a small mental strain. She had a dream. Normally, she would have just blown it off as nothing, but the dream was about Taemin. Even that, though, wasn’t what caught her attention. It was the other guy.
“What was he like?” she tried to recall. “He wasn’t tall, but it seemed as if he was… looming? And he was charming, sweet even. His eyes showed deep devotion, but… it wasn’t for me.” Still, the figure seemed fuzzy in her mind.
It was weird to her mostly because the other guy seemed to be stealing Taemin away from her rather than her being stolen from Taemin. And then there was Taemin who was almost completely oblivious to her in the dream, except he wasn’t. He’d looked right at her and smiled, but it was as if his eyes were only for the other guy.
She turned onto Taemin’s driveway and turned off her car. “Great, now I’m having dreams about my boyfriend leaving me for some totally perfect guy,” Krystal groaned as she laid her forehead against the steering wheel.
Still, there was something else. She knew this guy, she felt. She couldn’t be sure, of course, because his image was so fuzzy that he could have been anyone, but she just knew him somehow.
“Alright,” she said to herself, “stop being crazy and get out of the car. You probably look creepy sitting in your boyfriend’s driveway.”
She got out of the car and straightened herself up before heading to the door. She had a quick dilemma of whether to knock or ring the doorbell, but decided ringing was safest for her first visit. She waited, waited, waited until she was about to have a heart attack and give up, but then it opened.
“Yeah?” it wasn’t Taemin, but Jinki who answered.
“Umm… hi, is Taemin here?” she asked while looking a little behind Jinki to peek at the house.
“No,” he answered and abruptly shut the door.
She stood there for a moment, mouth agape. It took a minute, but she finally turned around to leave when the door reopened.
“Wait!” and older woman called to her. She turned toward the woman and the woman said, “You must be Taemin’s girlfriend. It’s nice to meet you. I’m his mother. He’s not back from running some errands yet, but you’re free to wait in here.”
Krystal relaxed and re-tensed at the same time. She smiled her best smile. This was Taemin’s mother and that meant it was time to work that pretty girl magic. She happily followed the older woman into the house.
~
He was late. He knew he was late and that meant he needed to make a rush job of things, so Taemin wasn’t in the best of moods to stop and greet his mother when he got home.
He walked in the house, hair mused, looking a lot like he just got done having three hours of sex. He slammed open the door and was halfway up the stairs when he heard his mother yell, “Taemin, come down here.”
He inwardly groaned and used his trump card in attempt to get her to leave him alone, “Can’t, mom, got a date tonight.”
He was almost in his room with the door shut when she said, “I know. She’s here.”
He froze in step and let the words sink in. She was already here. He turned around only to meet eyes with Jinki, who was standing in his own doorway looking smug.
“You look like shit,” Jinki laughed as he looked Taemin over from head to toe.
Taemin took a deep breath, “For once in your life, Jinki, fuck off.”
The older boy merely rolled his eyes, but retreated back into his own room all the same.
Then, it was time for Taemin to take the walk of shame. He slowly crept down the hall, down the stairs and then into the living room where his mother and Krystal awaited him.
Immediately, his mother’s face fell when she saw the state he was in. “Where were you?” she all but gasped.
However, Taemin opted out of answering right away and instead looked to Krystal to assess her feelings. She looked more than amused. He saw the way she currently held herself in the “pretty-girl” mode, but it was cracking and she looked more like she wanted to laugh, or cry from laughing.
That was when he calmed down and sent a wink her way, saying, “A friend’s house.”
Krystal giggled, which seemed to startle his mother, who looked between them like they were both crazy.
“You ready?” Krystal asked, getting up from the couch.
“Yeah,” he replied. He grabbed her hand as she walked passed him and she lead him out the door.
“How rude,” Jinki said from the stairs when the door shut, which earned a glare from his mother.
~
“Sorry about my mom,” Taemin said when they arrived at the park.
Krystal just smiled, “She’s your mom. You can’t be sorry about her. Plus, she was perfectly nice.”
“She’s probably so ecstatic about me having a girlfriend that she’s forgotten about earlier completely.”
Krystal pulled into a parking space and turned off the car. “She’s probably just glad you got a hot mamacita like me,” she teased before getting out of the car, Taemin following suit. “Let’s go to the swings first,” she suggested, taking off at the speed of light before Taemin could say anything.
He smiled and ran after her. When he got to the swings, she was putting on the pretty-girl face again. “Why do you do that?” he asked when he got near.
“Do what?” she asked and all traces of it vanished.
He shook his head, “Nothing.” Then, he neared the swing she was sitting on and stepped in front of her. He grabbed bother sides of the chain and looked down at her. “You’re really pretty.”
“I’ve been told,” she said looking up at him, her eyes trying to figure out his point.
“You really are.”
She smiled, “I know.” They stared at each other for a while, feeling each other’s presence for the moment. Then, she corked an eyebrow, “I wish I could say the same about you.”
Before he knew it, he was laughing and on the ground and she was laughing too, but still sitting on the swing. When he calmed down a bit, he playfully pushed her knee so the swing swayed backwards a little.
“Really,” she asked, “what happened to you?” she tried her best to stifle her giggles.
He looked up at her and smiled, “Wouldn’t you like to know? Well, I’d tell you if I could.”
She looked playfully upset, “Hey, you can’t keep secrets from your girlfriend.”
“Sure I can,” he was getting bold now, “how else am I supposed to cheat on you?”
Her mouth fell open. “Wow, you’re a jerk just like your brother!” she exclaimed while half-heartedly kicking towards him.
“It was a joke,” Taemin said softly while smiling. “Besides, what’d Jinki do to you?” he asked half because he was worried about what Jinki may have done and half because Jinki was still his brother and he had to defend him.
“Slammed the door in my face for one,” she said and then thought, “And kicked me out of a place to sleep in Kibum’s bed after that party, but I don’t think Taemin knows his brother is gay.”
“Jinki,” Taemin sighed, “well, he’s just Jinki and you kind of have to just go with it. He’s really not that bad.”
“Ahh,” Krystal said, “sibling love. Don’t you just love it?”
Taemin smiled, “We do what we gotta do.”
Krystal smiled and then changed the subject, “I have a favor to ask.”
Taemin just looked up expectantly.
“Sulli,” Krystal began, testing the waters first, “she’s been bugging me lately and I’d feel guilty if I didn’t ask, but I’m also a little curious… Do you have any friends back where you’re from?”
Taemin kept his smile, but suddenly looked uneasy. He shifted a bit before saying, “Well, I don’t think Sulli would be interested in anyone from there,” then he abruptly stopped and rethought, “Well, one person, but I don’t know that he would be interested back.”
She gave him a look of gratitude and something else that beckoned him to come closer to her as she said, “It wouldn’t hurt to try.”
Taemin was off the ground and standing in front of her again, face only a few inches from hers. “Maybe,” he spoke in a way that said “it’s not going to happen”, but Krystal didn’t really care right now.
Then, everything was all kisses and it was sweet, so sweet, sweeter than Krystal remembered. Before she knew it, she was up off the swing and being brought god-knows where, but Krystal didn’t care.
Today was a good day.