They walked in silence through the trees, Taemin clinging tight to Con's hand like he was afraid Con would slip away—abandon him in the darkening forest like Snow White. The trees pressed in around them, leaning crookedly over the meandering trail. 

Con wondered if this place was beautiful in the spring. He tried to picture the trees shrouded in green and flowers sprinkled around their trunks, but found it impossible. It was just too dreary, everything in shades of grey and brown.

It was still creepy as hell, but there were no butterflies to be seen. Plus, he wasn't alone this time. Or losing his mind. Con peered out of the corner of his eye to find Taemin watching him, an inscrutable expression on his face.

"What?"

Taemin started, like he hadn't realized he'd been caught looking. He gave a sheepish grin, lowering his head so his hair hid his eyes. "I just..." He chuffed a nervous laugh. "I didn't expect you to actually chase after me like that. I...I've never had someone...do something like that."

Surprised, Con tripped over a root snaking to the surface in the path. He recovered, blushing furiously. "I'm not sure I believe that," he mumbled with a pointed look at Taemin. 

With his lovely dark eyes, high cheekbones and full lips, Taemin was absolutely beautiful. Almost unreal, especially here in the diffused, silvery light of the storm-covered forest. Every bit the dark, fairy tale creature his sister was.

"It's true." Taemin's voice was light, and he heaved a sigh. "Eventually people..."

Con tilted his head as the other man trailed off. He furrowed his brow when Taemin kicked a stone on the path, sending it flying into the trees. "Eventually?" he prodded, brushing his thumb over the back of Taemin's hand.

His throat bobbed and he kept his eyes on the trail winding ahead of them. "Eventually people find out too much and they run away." He lifted his free hand to his face, fingers spread out to hide his features. "The mask falls away and they don't like what's underneath." His hand fell, fingers folding into a fist.

With that, he lengthened his stride, trying to slip out of Con's grasp. He was nearly surprised enough to let him, just barely snagging the tips of Taemin's fingers before he got fully away. Con pulled him to a halt. Taemin stood with his back to him, his head slightly lowered.

A moment inched by, followed by another. Gently, Con pulled him back, putting his hands on his shoulders to turn him. Taemin lowered his head more. The only sound was a rustle of leaves.

With a deep, fortifying breath, Con slid his hands up to cup Taemin's face. "I'm not."

Taemin blinked but didn't look up. He was trembling, though Con couldn't tell if it was from some emotion he couldn't name or simply the cold. Con bent his knees and tilted his head, coming up to press a soft kiss to Taemin's mouth.

"I'm not...running away," Con said, a weird, shivery mix of fear and elation buzzing in his chest and making his words shake. "I don't want to."

Finally, Taemin looked at him, a pinched, defensive expression around his eyes.

"I don't want to run from...either of you," he whispered, forcing himself to loosen his grip when he realized his nails were digging into the skin of Taemin's neck. The confession ricocheted through him, but he didn't bother to second-guess himself. He'd spent enough time doing that already.

Taemin's eyes were huge, black as sin against his milky complexion. His throat bobbed and he placed shaking hands on Con's waist, fingers knotting in his shirt.

"I want..." Con licked his lips. "I want... Okay, I don't know exactly what I want. Or...or how to even begin making this work. And if you don't, I get that. I mean, I know what you said. And what Ella said. Which is really... I'd like to, if both of you are really okay with it. But...but if you decide that you didn't actually mean it, then...then I guess we'll work it out one way or—"

His babble was cut off when Taemin rose up onto his toes and kissed Con's forehead. He was struck by a sudden bout of stupidity, and found he couldn't do much more than stare at Taemin.

A frown wrinkled Taemin's brow as he brushed a few strands of hair off Con's forehead. Blinking several times, Con managed to pull in a breath. Blood rushed to his cheeks and he tried to push away from Taemin, suddenly overwhelmed by a shyness he hadn't felt in years. A laugh gusted from Taemin and he grinned, wrapping his arms around Con's waist so he couldn't get away.

"Stop." Con pushed lightly at Taemin's shoulders. "Let go," he muttered, the blush starting to creep down his neck to his chest.

Taemin shook his head, resting his chin on Con's shoulder. "I don't want to."

Con stood stiffly for another second before giving in and wrapping his arms around Taemin's shoulders. He played with the soft hair at the nape of Taemin's neck, making him shiver. Thunder rumbled, the shadows deepening as the storm continued to gather overhead. Vaguely, Con thought they should hurry back to the hotel if they wanted to avoid a drenching. 

Then Taemin started kissing his neck and he rapidly found himself incapable of more rational thought. He tilted his head, fingers gripping Taemin's hair as his teeth scraped the sensitive skin just below the corner of Con's jaw.

Carefully, Taemin took a step, then another, guiding Con back until he ran into a tree. The rough bark of the huge elm scraped the skin over his spine through his clothes. His other hand made its way to Taemin's hair, tugging at it until Taemin finally let out a low growl and moved his mouth to Con's.

It would be worth it, getting caught in the coming rainstorm. 

His breath came faster as Taemin's hands slid up under his shirt. Con turned them until it was Taemin against the tree. Thunder rippled the air, making the hair on the back of his neck and on his arms stand up.

A sudden thought occurred to him and he broke the kiss, looking up just as lightning ripped across the sky. Bright spots dazzled his vision and he blinked hard, trying to clear it. Taemin was giving him a look of dazed outrage, hand hooking around Con's neck as he dragged him back into a kiss.

"W-Wait," Con murmured against his lips. He pulled away as far as Taemin would allow. "We're going to get electrocuted." 

Taemin gave him a blank look, like he didn't understand what Con was getting at.

He huffed a laugh and slung his arm over Taemin's shoulders, pulling him away from the tree and back toward the trail. It wound up a small roll of land covered in dead leaves and grass, dark grey in the wan light, the pale dirt of the trail silvering as it disappeared over the top of the ridge.

"You're not supposed to stand under a tree during lightning," he said to a grumbling Taemin. "It's dangerous."

"So am I," Taemin said around a pout that belied his words. "But you don't mind being around me." He blinked and bit his lip, tilting his head to peer uncertainly at Con. "Do you?"

Con had to bite his lip to keep from laughing. His levity died away as he studied the worried slant of Taemin's eyebrows and curve of his mouth. Insecurity clung to him, slipping through the confident curtain he hid behind. It hurt Con to see the cracks in Taemin's heart as he remembered Ella's words once again.

We get our hearts broken easily.

In spite of another crack of lightning that washed out the trees and blackened their shadows, Con stopped walking and kissed Taemin's cheek, right beside his mouth. "I don't mind," he whispered. "I want to be around you, Taemin." Then he tried something he'd been wanting to since he heard Ella say it. "Taeminie."

Now it was Taemin's turn to be at a loss for words. He opened and closed his mouth several times before seeming to give up. He shook his head, bewildered, and stuffed his hands into the pocket of his hoodie. Con had to scramble to catch up when Taemin started walking, stride long as he climbed the low, rocky hill.

"Taemin."

The only response Con got was a small hesitation in his walk and hunched shoulders.

"Taemin." Con lunged forward, catching his wrist and dragging him to a halt once again at the top of the hill.

The forest spread out around them, the thin trail weaving through the naked trees back toward the hotel and the real world.

Taemin was twisting his arm, trying to free himself from Con's grip. He squeezed harder, fingers pressing into the delicate bones of Taemin's wrist. "Stop. Explain to me what I said wrong."

He got a response of muttered Korean before Taemin performed a tricky flip of his wrist, flowing out of Con's grip like water. But he didn't walk away. Con watched in confused silence as he raked his hands through his silver hair several times, making it stick up in frustration.

Con's fingers twitched with the sudden desire to smooth the ruffled strands back into place. Like his hair being back in order would somehow calm him and make him communicate.

"Nothing," Taemin finally spat. "You never say anything wrong."

A derisive snort burst from Con and he crossed his arms, raising a brow. 

Taemin gave him a droll look, crossing his arms as well. "Okay, maybe not never—"

"Good," Con retorted. "Otherwise I've set the bar way too high."

That earned one of those cute, chuffing laughs that Con was really starting to adore. Biting his lip, Taemin walked slowly back to Con. When he was close enough, Con lifted his hands, delicately smoothing Taemin's hair back into place. He waited in silence for Taemin to explain himself, luxuriating in the texture of his hair—soft like fur, but silky.

A sound like a cat's purr rose from Taemin, his eyes falling half-closed as he moved closer. A sigh lifted his chest.

"You didn't say anything wrong," he whispered. Con just continued to fix his hair, sensing that hurrying this conversation would be impossible and end with nothing more than a sullen Taemin and frustration. "I just didn't know what to do when you actually said what I wanted to hear."

Unsure what to say, Con just nodded, dropping his hands. He scratched nervously just behind his ear. A branch cracked in the distance, ripped down by a sudden burst of freezing wind. By unspoken consensus, they started walking again, shoulders brushing every few steps.

The first splatters of rain began to make their way to the forest floor. Con looked up just to get a rain drop in the eye. A few leaves that had managed to cling to the lower branches were knocked down by the fat, heavy drops, spiraling to the ground.

"I'm not actually very good at this," Taemin said suddenly.

Con sent him a questioning look.

"Fall..." Taemin took a nervous breath. "Falling in love?" His words lilted up into a question, his eyes flicking between Con and the dirt beneath his feet. "Are you...falling in love with me?" he asked, his voice small, painfully uncertain.

The wind played a trick through the remaining leaves, making it sound like a soft giggle came from somewhere behind Con. He resisted the urge to turn around to make sure it was just the wind and nothing more. Taemin's gaze darted past his shoulder, a frown there and gone before he turned his attention back to Con.

Con didn't speak at first, knowing he absolutely couldn't give a light answer to such a heavy question. The answer that finally came to mind wasn't exactly the answer he wanted to give, but he knew Taemin would appreciate the truth more than kindness.

"I think I'm starting to," he said. "But not just with you."

Taemin looked down, hands going back into his hoodie pocket. Con held his breath, hoping his instinct was right.

"That's...um...good?" He looked at Con, like he was expecting some kind of guidance. Con just shook his head, raising a bemused brow. He had no damn idea if it was good or not.

Taemin frowned, nose wrinkling. He kicked at another pebble, the sound of it hitting a tree hollow in the wet air. "Good," he said firmly. "Because I... Because she's my sister. And I love her. And I want her to be happy." He swatted at the branches of a bush that was attempting to inch into the path. He hissed when the branches recoiled, slapping against his leg. "I don't want to...take anything from her. She's had too much taken away. But I...I don't want to give you up either."

Now, Con nodded, glad that they were on the same page. Or—at least—equally confused and uncomfortable with the situation.

But not uncomfortable enough to flinch away.

"I don't want to choose between you," he said—the simplest answer he could give.

When Taemin slipped his hand back into Con's, he couldn't hide his smile. 

Artwork done by my sister! You can find more of her works on DeviantArt under the username Jiimn