The Finer Points of Studying 1/3
Title: The Finer Points of Studying 1/3
Genre: fluff, romance
Rating: PG-13-ish eventually
Pairings: 2min, JongKey
Word Count: 2842
Summary: Taemin undergoes examination preparation with Minho.
A/N: All three parts are written, betaed, and just need the final edit, so expect them over the next few days.
Part Two
Part Three
It had been a unanimous decision to place Minho in charge of Taemin's studying.
“You're the closest one to his age,” Jinki had said seriously. “You remember what it's like to go through examinations.” He'd been designated as head of the living room meeting, quietly called after Taemin had gone to bed.
This made no sense to Minho. “But Kibum is only three months older than I am!”
Kibum folded his arms over his chest, unimpressed. “Who makes the food in this place?”
It was true, Kibum was their umma; if he had to help Taemin study they'd be eating ramyeon for every meal. Minho switched tactics. “Well...why can’t Jonghyun?”
Jonghyun was looking shifty. “I didn't...don't...uh, I preferred music in high school.”
“He got bad grades,” Kibum clarified, nudging his hyung slyly in the ribs. “It's alright though Jjongie, I'm here to help you when you're confused, it doesn't matter that you're not too smart.”
Jonghyun growled, turning to punch Kibum in the shoulder. “Oh, lay off. I don't get confused.”
Minho wasn't sure why Jonghyun was being discriminated against while he wasn't. It wasn't like he'd gotten excellent grades either. PE had been his subject of choice and everyone knew it. However, upon stating this fact the only response he got was an eye-roll from Kibum. “You don't need to know everything, you just need to know enough keep Taemin focused. Jinki would end up getting convinced by him to go out for ice cream or something--”
“I would not!” Jinki cut in indignantly, blissfully unaware of his lack of attention span.
“--and Jonghyun would end up persuading him that movies are a good way to learn ancient history.”
“You lie!” Jonghyun was obviously forgetting about the fact that he consistently tried to claim that soaps and action flicks were good for teaching “various concepts”, meaning they had no relation to real life whatsoever.
Minho snickered. Jonghyun was all good intentions, but his quick boredom often prompted him to find the easy way out of situations like this one.
“So, it's settled,” Kibum finished, ignoring the various irritable mutterings from his bandmates. “Any more complaints? No? Then you can tell Taemin tomorrow that you're going to be taking him out on study dates, Minho.”
“Taking him out on study dates?!” Minho flopped back into the couch, suddenly realizing that on top of being forced to relive examinations he'd also have to try endure several one-on-one sessions with Taemin. How he was going to come out of this sane was beyond him.
“Yah, it'll be fun; you can take him out to coffee shops and parks and ice cream parlors!” Jinki was excited, much more so than Minho was.
“Mm,” Minho mumbled, trying for noncommittal. It wasn't that he didn't want to take Taemin out; in fact, that was the entire problem. He wanted to a bit too much.
The two had met each other when Taemin was fourteen and Minho was sixteen. It had been somewhat awkward, not at all the perfect introduction that he suspected many people assumed it had been. Minho had mistakenly called Taemin his hyung, and Taemin had stuttered and blinked more than anyone Minho had even seen or heard. But perhaps that was why he'd ended up liking him so much; that first meeting had broken the ice thoroughly and they’d fallen into camaraderie.
Oddly enough, the relationship formed between them through their mutual embarrassment only deepened over time. The contrast between vibrant Taemin and rooted Minho was perfect, and for a while they stayed just like that, hovering in the comfortable plateau of friendship.
Then, somehow, the skinship they shared had gradually begun to increase. All five boys were very comfortable with one another, not hesitating to do things like substitute one another as pillows, share small sofas, sleep in the same bed, etc. With Taemin, though, it had started turning into something different.
It was like a game of public dare. It didn't only happen out in the open, but that was when the emotions were most intense. In the beginning it was small. If they were onstage or at a fan meeting Minho would find a way to casually touch Taemin; perhaps let his hand linger on his shoulder if they’d touched. Then, Taemin would wait a minute before carefully nudging the older boy with his arm or his knee. With time it grew bigger; they'd hug, touch hair or a cheek, hold hands for a moment. The goal was to pass it off as being normal, but to see who could get the biggest win.
It was all unspoken. Minho wasn't sure that Taemin always knew what he was doing, and he didn't want to bring it up for fear of losing what this small, unspoken agreement gave him. He’d come to expect the closeness, value it, even treasure it. Without it he would be lost.
At any rate, it wasn't that this study-date idea would cause him to suddenly not be able to control himself, Minho reasoned. He was just taking Taemin out to get out of the house so he could prepare more effectively for examinations. They wouldn't really be talking anyway; he'd bring his laptop and Taemin would bring his schoolbooks, and they'd sit in companionable silence for a few hours. Taemin would probably ask him some questions that he'd attempt to answer, but for the most part they'd keep to themselves. Their little game probably wouldn't even come into play.
Yes, he could do that. It wouldn't--couldn't--be that difficult.
By the following afternoon Minho had successfully managed to put all misgivings about supervising Taemin's studying away. It could actually be fun, although he'd decided that he certainly would not be taking him out to a coffee shop right away. They could work up to that. The kitchen table was a much safer option for right now.
When he told Taemin that he was going to be studying with him the boy looked quite pleased. “Where, outside?” he asked, gears already turning in his brain. “It's been nice lately; we could do that.”
Minho could imagine very well just how nice it would be outside. “No, in here,” he corrected, thankful he'd thought of this beforehand. “It'll be easier.”
Taemin pouted, but thankfully decided it wasn't worth arguing. “Next time.” Then he'd disappeared.
“Let me get this straight,” Kibum said a minute later, hands on his hips, looking more than a bit disgruntled with Minho and Taemin. “You want us to go out? I thought you two were the ones leaving.”
Minho jerked to look at Taemin. Had he told the others to go out? “No, we--”
But Taemin was already nodding earnestly. “Ne, I need quiet to study. You and Jinki and Jonghyun aren't exactly quiet. You do want me to pass, don't you, Kibum-ah?” The older boy managed to keep his disbelieving attitude for a full fifteen seconds, but finally capitulated. Taemin was the master at playing on his hyung's heartstrings, especially when he wanted something, and right now he wanted an empty house.
Empty besides him and Minho, that is.
Minho resisted the urge to pinch the bridge of his nose as Kibum followed Jonghyun and Jinki out of the door. “Do you have everything?” he asked Taemin almost sullenly, still annoyed that somehow his plan to study safely had been demolished with a quick word from Taemin.
Taemin was crouched down low in front of the refrigerator, slim arms shoving dishes and bowls aside. “Yeah, I think I…wait, we're all out of banana milk!”
Minho barely bit back a frustrated groan. “I'll call Jinki and tell him to pick some up on his way home.” He started to fish his phone out of his pocket.
“No, I can't study without it. Let's just go run and get some ourselves. It'll only take a minute.” He stood, stretching upwards to straighten his back and flashing a sliver of stomach beneath his graphic tank top before facing Minho. Knowing his hyung, he turned on the charm, tilting his head and smiling sweetly. “Please?”
Minho glanced away, clearing his throat. “Do we really need to?” But he already knew the answer. Yes, Taemin needed his banana milk, and they were going out to get it. Outside. By themselves. Almost like a date. Minho sighed, shaking his head. What was getting into him?
Taemin danced the door, smiling widely. “Let's get some candy too. It's no fun studying without something to eat.”
Minho followed him a bit begrudgingly. Why did he have to be right? It really was more enjoyable to eat while working. Why he didn’t know; it was just how it was.
It wasn't quite eleven in the morning, but the sun was beating down hot and radiant, only occasionally interrupted by a cottony cloud. Taemin was swinging his arms, soaking in the day like he'd never seen the light before. Minho found himself doing the same, though slightly less flamboyantly.
“We should study at the park next time if it's as nice as today,” the younger boy commented. “We could pack food.”
“That's called a picnic,” Minho told him dryly.
“Yeah, let's go on a picnic then!”
Minho found himself nodding, his head not quite moving in accord with his brain. “Sure, yeah.”
Taemin smiled, his eyes turning up into small, happy moons. “Ok. Hey, let's cross!” They were nowhere near a crosswalk, but he grabbed Minho's hand anyway, linking his long, slender fingers through Minho's and pulling him out into the street. “Run!”
Minho ran, half pulling and half being pulled. The combination of the quick movement and Taemin's skin and the stupid idea to cross without a crosswalk, or even bothering to look for cars, had his heart thundering in his throat and his stomach swinging.
“That was a terrible idea,” Minho told Taemin when they reached the other side, thankfully both still in one piece. “If someone had been driving past we both could have been killed!”
Taemin wrinkled his nose and swung Minho's hand, gesturing that he still wanted to walk to the corner store. “It was fun though, wasn't it?”
The older boy rolled his eyes, refusing to answer. “I'm not buying you banana milk now.”
They stayed like that, holding sweaty palm to sweaty palm, until they separated at the corner store--Taemin to go find banana milk, Minho to find something that he thought Taemin would enjoy in the candy section.
It wasn't very difficult. Minho knew Taemin liked wrapped candies--mostly chocolates with caramel for variety--and directly on the end cap he saw a large bag of mixed toffees and chocolates in shiny red wrappers. Wincing slightly at the ridiculous price, he walked up to the register where Taemin was already paying.
“I got you a soda,” Taemin told him casually, nudging the frosty bottle with his elbow as he wrestled his money back into his wallet.
Minho felt a little rush of warmth in his stomach when he realized Taemin had bought him his favorite flavor. “Good, because I got you chocolates.”
The younger boy shuffled a little in a strange, pleased sort of dance before picking up the bag with the soda and banana milk. “I'll wait for you outside.”
They didn't hold hands when they walked back, but the repeated brush of forearm to forearm was clearly not accidental on either side.
Due to the sun nearly hitting the high point of the sky when they left the store, both Minho and Taemin were feeling sticky with sweat by the time they reached their doorstep.
“Ugh, it's way too hot outside for this time of year,” Taemin moaned, contradicting his earlier exclamations of it being a beautiful day. “I don't want to study, I want to take a shower and cool off.”
Minho didn't argue. A shower really did sound a lot better than sitting down with Taemin's stack of heavy textbooks. He was supposed to be keeping him on track though, and already he'd managed to waste nearly an hour of time simply because he couldn't say no when Taemin pleaded. “If Kibum comes back and sees that you haven't even opened your books he's not going to be very happy that you made him leave.”
Taemin stood in the middle of the walkway, rubbing at his sweaty face, clearly not enthused with the idea of studying.
However, the more Minho thought about it, the more he dreaded their umma’s potential reaction. Leaping on Taemin's indecision he shook the bag of candies, hoping to tempt him into doing some work. “Come on, Taemin-ah,” he wheedled, sitting down at the table. “We can eat candies and soda and banana milk. You'll feel cooler once you drink something.”
Taemin groaned, then deposited himself at the table in front of his textbooks to open the banana milk. “Alright, fine. Let's do...hm.” He ran a long finger down the spines of his books, chewing thoughtfully on his lip. Minho quickly uncapped his soda and took a long swallow. He did not need that image burned into his mind--beautiful fingers, soft lips. No.
“History!” Taemin finally decided, oblivious to Minho drowning himself in his drink next to him. “That's pretty easy.”
Minho set the soda down and nodded. “Good choice, I didn't do too terribly in that one.”
Taemin laughed as he pulled open the textbook and started slipping through the index, looking for something that looked interesting. “What's that supposed to mean? Is that your way of saying that you barely passed it or what?”
Minho pointedly ignored him, choosing instead to lean over the book, following where Taemin's finger was pressing. “Are you going to start from there?” he asked doubtfully. “It seems like you should start from the beginning, not the middle.”
“The beginning!” Taemin collapsed on the open book, his face squashed into the binding. “That's going to take forever!”
Minho slid the book out from beneath Taemin's face, wincing as his forehead thunked woodenly against the table. “I'll give you candy if you work hard from the beginning.” He paused. “And if you prove to me that you've actually studied.” Living with Jonghyun had caused Taemin to pick up some habits from the older boy, one of them being a tendency to try get away with little things. Unfortunately for the maknae though, living with Jonghyun had also taught Minho that phrasing was very important in situations like this one.
“Urghhmph.” Taemin picked his head up, dragged the book toward him, and flipped it to the beginning. Minho chose not to comment on violent manner in which the task was accomplished, instead opting to slide him a chocolate. It didn't really matter how the task was accomplished as long as it did in the end.
Half of the bag of candies was devoured in this fashion, Taemin reading, Minho flicking him candies and occasionally asking him what was going on, before Jinki, Jonghyun, and Kibum came home. Taemin leaped up, desperate to stop studying. “You're back!”
“It's so hot!” Jonghyun collapsed on the kitchen floor, face pressed to the cool tiles. “That was cruel of you to send us out there today, Taemin-ah.”
Kibum sat down next to him, pressing his palms to the floor. “It was horrible. The air conditioning broke in the van and Kibum refused to open the windows.”
Minho paused from clearing away the mess of wrappers Taemin left. “He wouldn't let you open the windows?”
Kibum shrugged nonchalantly. “The last time I opened them a bug flew down my throat. That was worse than being hot, so I put on the window lock so they couldn't roll them down. I don't know why they're moaning anyway though; the mall was air conditioned.”
Jonghyun flipped his face over to cool the other cheek, not impressed. “You don't drive for thirty minutes both directions in a mall.”
Laughing, Minho walked into the kitchen. The smile lingered on his face as he deposited his trash. He was pleased; the afternoon hadn’t been terrible at all. The alone time with Taemin had been quiet, and he’d managed (mostly) to keep his mind off of the younger boy’s pouting lips, his slender shoulders, the way his low cut tank top had displayed a stupid amount of smooth, summer-tanned skin.
Minho took a deep breath, shaking himself. Turning to look out the kitchen window he gave a humorless little chuckle. Oh, yeah, it hadn’t been bad at all--and if this kept up he was going to lose it.
How many more days until exams?
Genre: fluff, romance
Rating: PG-13-ish eventually
Pairings: 2min, JongKey
Word Count: 2842
Summary: Taemin undergoes examination preparation with Minho.
A/N: All three parts are written, betaed, and just need the final edit, so expect them over the next few days.
Part Two
Part Three
It had been a unanimous decision to place Minho in charge of Taemin's studying.
“You're the closest one to his age,” Jinki had said seriously. “You remember what it's like to go through examinations.” He'd been designated as head of the living room meeting, quietly called after Taemin had gone to bed.
This made no sense to Minho. “But Kibum is only three months older than I am!”
Kibum folded his arms over his chest, unimpressed. “Who makes the food in this place?”
It was true, Kibum was their umma; if he had to help Taemin study they'd be eating ramyeon for every meal. Minho switched tactics. “Well...why can’t Jonghyun?”
Jonghyun was looking shifty. “I didn't...don't...uh, I preferred music in high school.”
“He got bad grades,” Kibum clarified, nudging his hyung slyly in the ribs. “It's alright though Jjongie, I'm here to help you when you're confused, it doesn't matter that you're not too smart.”
Jonghyun growled, turning to punch Kibum in the shoulder. “Oh, lay off. I don't get confused.”
Minho wasn't sure why Jonghyun was being discriminated against while he wasn't. It wasn't like he'd gotten excellent grades either. PE had been his subject of choice and everyone knew it. However, upon stating this fact the only response he got was an eye-roll from Kibum. “You don't need to know everything, you just need to know enough keep Taemin focused. Jinki would end up getting convinced by him to go out for ice cream or something--”
“I would not!” Jinki cut in indignantly, blissfully unaware of his lack of attention span.
“--and Jonghyun would end up persuading him that movies are a good way to learn ancient history.”
“You lie!” Jonghyun was obviously forgetting about the fact that he consistently tried to claim that soaps and action flicks were good for teaching “various concepts”, meaning they had no relation to real life whatsoever.
Minho snickered. Jonghyun was all good intentions, but his quick boredom often prompted him to find the easy way out of situations like this one.
“So, it's settled,” Kibum finished, ignoring the various irritable mutterings from his bandmates. “Any more complaints? No? Then you can tell Taemin tomorrow that you're going to be taking him out on study dates, Minho.”
“Taking him out on study dates?!” Minho flopped back into the couch, suddenly realizing that on top of being forced to relive examinations he'd also have to try endure several one-on-one sessions with Taemin. How he was going to come out of this sane was beyond him.
“Yah, it'll be fun; you can take him out to coffee shops and parks and ice cream parlors!” Jinki was excited, much more so than Minho was.
“Mm,” Minho mumbled, trying for noncommittal. It wasn't that he didn't want to take Taemin out; in fact, that was the entire problem. He wanted to a bit too much.
The two had met each other when Taemin was fourteen and Minho was sixteen. It had been somewhat awkward, not at all the perfect introduction that he suspected many people assumed it had been. Minho had mistakenly called Taemin his hyung, and Taemin had stuttered and blinked more than anyone Minho had even seen or heard. But perhaps that was why he'd ended up liking him so much; that first meeting had broken the ice thoroughly and they’d fallen into camaraderie.
Oddly enough, the relationship formed between them through their mutual embarrassment only deepened over time. The contrast between vibrant Taemin and rooted Minho was perfect, and for a while they stayed just like that, hovering in the comfortable plateau of friendship.
Then, somehow, the skinship they shared had gradually begun to increase. All five boys were very comfortable with one another, not hesitating to do things like substitute one another as pillows, share small sofas, sleep in the same bed, etc. With Taemin, though, it had started turning into something different.
It was like a game of public dare. It didn't only happen out in the open, but that was when the emotions were most intense. In the beginning it was small. If they were onstage or at a fan meeting Minho would find a way to casually touch Taemin; perhaps let his hand linger on his shoulder if they’d touched. Then, Taemin would wait a minute before carefully nudging the older boy with his arm or his knee. With time it grew bigger; they'd hug, touch hair or a cheek, hold hands for a moment. The goal was to pass it off as being normal, but to see who could get the biggest win.
It was all unspoken. Minho wasn't sure that Taemin always knew what he was doing, and he didn't want to bring it up for fear of losing what this small, unspoken agreement gave him. He’d come to expect the closeness, value it, even treasure it. Without it he would be lost.
At any rate, it wasn't that this study-date idea would cause him to suddenly not be able to control himself, Minho reasoned. He was just taking Taemin out to get out of the house so he could prepare more effectively for examinations. They wouldn't really be talking anyway; he'd bring his laptop and Taemin would bring his schoolbooks, and they'd sit in companionable silence for a few hours. Taemin would probably ask him some questions that he'd attempt to answer, but for the most part they'd keep to themselves. Their little game probably wouldn't even come into play.
Yes, he could do that. It wouldn't--couldn't--be that difficult.
By the following afternoon Minho had successfully managed to put all misgivings about supervising Taemin's studying away. It could actually be fun, although he'd decided that he certainly would not be taking him out to a coffee shop right away. They could work up to that. The kitchen table was a much safer option for right now.
When he told Taemin that he was going to be studying with him the boy looked quite pleased. “Where, outside?” he asked, gears already turning in his brain. “It's been nice lately; we could do that.”
Minho could imagine very well just how nice it would be outside. “No, in here,” he corrected, thankful he'd thought of this beforehand. “It'll be easier.”
Taemin pouted, but thankfully decided it wasn't worth arguing. “Next time.” Then he'd disappeared.
“Let me get this straight,” Kibum said a minute later, hands on his hips, looking more than a bit disgruntled with Minho and Taemin. “You want us to go out? I thought you two were the ones leaving.”
Minho jerked to look at Taemin. Had he told the others to go out? “No, we--”
But Taemin was already nodding earnestly. “Ne, I need quiet to study. You and Jinki and Jonghyun aren't exactly quiet. You do want me to pass, don't you, Kibum-ah?” The older boy managed to keep his disbelieving attitude for a full fifteen seconds, but finally capitulated. Taemin was the master at playing on his hyung's heartstrings, especially when he wanted something, and right now he wanted an empty house.
Empty besides him and Minho, that is.
Minho resisted the urge to pinch the bridge of his nose as Kibum followed Jonghyun and Jinki out of the door. “Do you have everything?” he asked Taemin almost sullenly, still annoyed that somehow his plan to study safely had been demolished with a quick word from Taemin.
Taemin was crouched down low in front of the refrigerator, slim arms shoving dishes and bowls aside. “Yeah, I think I…wait, we're all out of banana milk!”
Minho barely bit back a frustrated groan. “I'll call Jinki and tell him to pick some up on his way home.” He started to fish his phone out of his pocket.
“No, I can't study without it. Let's just go run and get some ourselves. It'll only take a minute.” He stood, stretching upwards to straighten his back and flashing a sliver of stomach beneath his graphic tank top before facing Minho. Knowing his hyung, he turned on the charm, tilting his head and smiling sweetly. “Please?”
Minho glanced away, clearing his throat. “Do we really need to?” But he already knew the answer. Yes, Taemin needed his banana milk, and they were going out to get it. Outside. By themselves. Almost like a date. Minho sighed, shaking his head. What was getting into him?
Taemin danced the door, smiling widely. “Let's get some candy too. It's no fun studying without something to eat.”
Minho followed him a bit begrudgingly. Why did he have to be right? It really was more enjoyable to eat while working. Why he didn’t know; it was just how it was.
It wasn't quite eleven in the morning, but the sun was beating down hot and radiant, only occasionally interrupted by a cottony cloud. Taemin was swinging his arms, soaking in the day like he'd never seen the light before. Minho found himself doing the same, though slightly less flamboyantly.
“We should study at the park next time if it's as nice as today,” the younger boy commented. “We could pack food.”
“That's called a picnic,” Minho told him dryly.
“Yeah, let's go on a picnic then!”
Minho found himself nodding, his head not quite moving in accord with his brain. “Sure, yeah.”
Taemin smiled, his eyes turning up into small, happy moons. “Ok. Hey, let's cross!” They were nowhere near a crosswalk, but he grabbed Minho's hand anyway, linking his long, slender fingers through Minho's and pulling him out into the street. “Run!”
Minho ran, half pulling and half being pulled. The combination of the quick movement and Taemin's skin and the stupid idea to cross without a crosswalk, or even bothering to look for cars, had his heart thundering in his throat and his stomach swinging.
“That was a terrible idea,” Minho told Taemin when they reached the other side, thankfully both still in one piece. “If someone had been driving past we both could have been killed!”
Taemin wrinkled his nose and swung Minho's hand, gesturing that he still wanted to walk to the corner store. “It was fun though, wasn't it?”
The older boy rolled his eyes, refusing to answer. “I'm not buying you banana milk now.”
They stayed like that, holding sweaty palm to sweaty palm, until they separated at the corner store--Taemin to go find banana milk, Minho to find something that he thought Taemin would enjoy in the candy section.
It wasn't very difficult. Minho knew Taemin liked wrapped candies--mostly chocolates with caramel for variety--and directly on the end cap he saw a large bag of mixed toffees and chocolates in shiny red wrappers. Wincing slightly at the ridiculous price, he walked up to the register where Taemin was already paying.
“I got you a soda,” Taemin told him casually, nudging the frosty bottle with his elbow as he wrestled his money back into his wallet.
Minho felt a little rush of warmth in his stomach when he realized Taemin had bought him his favorite flavor. “Good, because I got you chocolates.”
The younger boy shuffled a little in a strange, pleased sort of dance before picking up the bag with the soda and banana milk. “I'll wait for you outside.”
They didn't hold hands when they walked back, but the repeated brush of forearm to forearm was clearly not accidental on either side.
Due to the sun nearly hitting the high point of the sky when they left the store, both Minho and Taemin were feeling sticky with sweat by the time they reached their doorstep.
“Ugh, it's way too hot outside for this time of year,” Taemin moaned, contradicting his earlier exclamations of it being a beautiful day. “I don't want to study, I want to take a shower and cool off.”
Minho didn't argue. A shower really did sound a lot better than sitting down with Taemin's stack of heavy textbooks. He was supposed to be keeping him on track though, and already he'd managed to waste nearly an hour of time simply because he couldn't say no when Taemin pleaded. “If Kibum comes back and sees that you haven't even opened your books he's not going to be very happy that you made him leave.”
Taemin stood in the middle of the walkway, rubbing at his sweaty face, clearly not enthused with the idea of studying.
However, the more Minho thought about it, the more he dreaded their umma’s potential reaction. Leaping on Taemin's indecision he shook the bag of candies, hoping to tempt him into doing some work. “Come on, Taemin-ah,” he wheedled, sitting down at the table. “We can eat candies and soda and banana milk. You'll feel cooler once you drink something.”
Taemin groaned, then deposited himself at the table in front of his textbooks to open the banana milk. “Alright, fine. Let's do...hm.” He ran a long finger down the spines of his books, chewing thoughtfully on his lip. Minho quickly uncapped his soda and took a long swallow. He did not need that image burned into his mind--beautiful fingers, soft lips. No.
“History!” Taemin finally decided, oblivious to Minho drowning himself in his drink next to him. “That's pretty easy.”
Minho set the soda down and nodded. “Good choice, I didn't do too terribly in that one.”
Taemin laughed as he pulled open the textbook and started slipping through the index, looking for something that looked interesting. “What's that supposed to mean? Is that your way of saying that you barely passed it or what?”
Minho pointedly ignored him, choosing instead to lean over the book, following where Taemin's finger was pressing. “Are you going to start from there?” he asked doubtfully. “It seems like you should start from the beginning, not the middle.”
“The beginning!” Taemin collapsed on the open book, his face squashed into the binding. “That's going to take forever!”
Minho slid the book out from beneath Taemin's face, wincing as his forehead thunked woodenly against the table. “I'll give you candy if you work hard from the beginning.” He paused. “And if you prove to me that you've actually studied.” Living with Jonghyun had caused Taemin to pick up some habits from the older boy, one of them being a tendency to try get away with little things. Unfortunately for the maknae though, living with Jonghyun had also taught Minho that phrasing was very important in situations like this one.
“Urghhmph.” Taemin picked his head up, dragged the book toward him, and flipped it to the beginning. Minho chose not to comment on violent manner in which the task was accomplished, instead opting to slide him a chocolate. It didn't really matter how the task was accomplished as long as it did in the end.
Half of the bag of candies was devoured in this fashion, Taemin reading, Minho flicking him candies and occasionally asking him what was going on, before Jinki, Jonghyun, and Kibum came home. Taemin leaped up, desperate to stop studying. “You're back!”
“It's so hot!” Jonghyun collapsed on the kitchen floor, face pressed to the cool tiles. “That was cruel of you to send us out there today, Taemin-ah.”
Kibum sat down next to him, pressing his palms to the floor. “It was horrible. The air conditioning broke in the van and Kibum refused to open the windows.”
Minho paused from clearing away the mess of wrappers Taemin left. “He wouldn't let you open the windows?”
Kibum shrugged nonchalantly. “The last time I opened them a bug flew down my throat. That was worse than being hot, so I put on the window lock so they couldn't roll them down. I don't know why they're moaning anyway though; the mall was air conditioned.”
Jonghyun flipped his face over to cool the other cheek, not impressed. “You don't drive for thirty minutes both directions in a mall.”
Laughing, Minho walked into the kitchen. The smile lingered on his face as he deposited his trash. He was pleased; the afternoon hadn’t been terrible at all. The alone time with Taemin had been quiet, and he’d managed (mostly) to keep his mind off of the younger boy’s pouting lips, his slender shoulders, the way his low cut tank top had displayed a stupid amount of smooth, summer-tanned skin.
Minho took a deep breath, shaking himself. Turning to look out the kitchen window he gave a humorless little chuckle. Oh, yeah, it hadn’t been bad at all--and if this kept up he was going to lose it.
How many more days until exams?