Jonghyun thought he hated it, the noise. 

All in all Jinki was a good neighbor, he was nice and polite, clean and responsible.  Jonghyun clearly remembers the glowing smile he put on for Taemin and him the day they moved in. 

It was unfortunate that Taemin and Jinki never got along, because Jonghyun really liked the man. Thinking back maybe that was one of the reasons why Taemin despised the elder so much, the boy was always a little too possessive of Jonghyun. 

When Taemin broke up with him, Jinki was there to help him get over the pain. The elder would often show up at his apartment after work with take out food and a couple bottles of soju. He didn't let Jonghyun wallow in his sorrow, Jinki offered him an honest friendship and reminded him he wasn't alone. 

By the time Jonghyun declared himself past the grieving stage, Jinki and him were very much joined at the hip.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                             

That is until Minho entered the picture. 

Jinki met the guy at work and Jonghyun would often catch them leaving Jinki's apartment for an evening date or kissing goodbye in the hallways. Things bloomed quite quickly between those two and soon enough Minho was practically living with Jinki. 

Jonghyun should've been very happy for Jinki, the man was a really wonderful person and deserved someone who loved him and took care of him. He wanted to be happy for him, and he's sure he would've been if not for one tiny but annoying detail.  

Choi Minho was loud as . 

Ever since he was a teenager, Jonghyun had often experienced trouble to fall asleep. He wasn't sure if it was insomnia since the episodes were not that frequent and mostly happened when he was under a lot of stress from either work or school. He simply accepted the issue as part of himself even if it was bothersome. 

The last time Jonghyun went through one of those dreaded episodes was a few months before he moved out from his previous apartment, but ever since Minho started spending the nights with Jinki things got really nasty for him. 

It wasn't like Jonghyun expected the couple to be quiet all the time, he knew what being in a new relationship entitled, the passion and the excitement. But was it really necessary to dance around the living room at 1am? Or turn their midnight baths into karaoke sessions? Jonghyun didn't think so. Taemin was a professional dancer but they never felt the need to waltz across the house and as attractive as Minho's deep baritone tone was, the man couldn't hold a note to save his life. 

The first time Jonghyun tried to subtly bring out the subject during one of his conversations with Jinki, his neighbor seemed genuinely ashamed, what made Jonghyun feel like the biggest jerk on the planet but at least he promised to try to tone it down a bit. 

Ironically, that same night Jonghyun woke up to the sound of the table scratching the wooden floors as Jinki ed the living daylights out of Minho, who used that grating voice of his to scream and moan so high Jonghyun would be worried for his wellbeing had he not been absolutely livid. 

Needless to say that caused a strain in his relationship with Jinki.  

Jonghyun didn't blame Jinki for his endless nights of tossing and turning in the bed, or for the dark circles that were soon going to reach his jaw, but he still refused to answer his calls and actively avoided him in the hallways. It was might have been out of place but Jonghyun couldn't help but feeling a bit disappointed on Jinki for choosing bland, obnoxious Minho as a partner. 

It reached a point where Jonghyun was so angry and exhausted that the mere sound of Minho's loving whispers to Jinki would  make him burst into tears.  

A few months, some drunken one-night stands and a couple meaningful talks with Kibum later,  Jonghyun  was forced to accept that it wasn't the noises he disliked, but rather the fact that he wasn't the one making Jinki laugh so heartily or moan so blissfully. His new awareness made things somewhat easier for him, at least now he knew that the only way to have his life back was getting over his crush on Jinki. 

Jonghyun feels disgusting when he thinks about it now, but  when for the first time in ages there were no noises coming from Jinki's apartment, he celebrated. 

He had heard the fight, probably the entire building had. Minho screwed up and Jinki went mental, the angry screams could wake up the dead. Jonghyun even caught  the sound of china being shattered against the walls.  

Minho didn't set foot on Jinki's apartment  since that night and Jonghyun foolishly  expected things between him and Jinki to go back to normal, of course  that didn't happen.  

They had been apart for so long and Jonghyun didn't know how to cross the distance between them anymore. He simply observed Jinki go about his life with a frown etched on his face, his head down and his fists clenched at his sides; each day promising himself to pay him a visit the next morning only to break said promise a few hours later. 

The nights became even more unbearable for Jonghyun, the deafening quiet a constant reminder of how empty his life without Jinki was.  

Sometimes he would catch himself whishing for Minho to comeback, if only to make Jinki speak again. No matter if the words were of love or hatred, Jonghyun just needed to hear him again so he could fill the void in his heart. But even above his egoistic wants, he was desperate to know if the Jinki he knew was still there, if it was possible to ever see him smile again, even it that smile was for someone other than him. 

That desperation leads up to this moment right here. To Jonghyun knocking on Jinki's door at 11pm, wanting to finally act as the friend he's supposed to be. 

Provided that Jinki would open his door sometime this week. 

Jonghyun is sure Jinki's home, he saw him arrive from work and drag himself inside not two hours ago and the door has remained closed since then. He knows all this because he's spent almost the entire day stalking the man and trying to find the courage to talk to him. 

He's aware that Jinki is no light sleeper, but still, Jonghyun has been slamming his fist against the door  for fifteen minutes, he must have heard something. 

Worry starts to seep through his judgement and suddenly he recalls all those shows on the ID channel Taemin loved to watch; stories about people who suicide after being dumped, or are killed by their husband's lover, or kill themselves after taking out their ex-boyfriend's entire family.  

To say it simply, the lack of sleep finally catches up with him and Jonghyun loses it.   

The door bursts open with a loud crack  when Jonghyun does his best to make his taekwondo instructor proud and kicks the thing with all the strength he can muster. 

For a moment it seems like his panic is justified, for Jinki is sprawled on the carpeted floor mumbling pitifully, but after a closer  look or rather a closer sniff, Jonghyun finally understands the reason why Jinki couldn't answer the door. 

"You're drunk." Jonghyun deadpans. 

Jinki frowns and glares with unfocused eyes. "You broke my door." 

"Sorry," Jonghyun says as he kneels next to Jinki. "You wouldn't open and I panicked. I was scared for you."  

"I can't get up," the elder admits with a cute pout, and Jonghyun chuckles. 

"Did you hurt yourself when you fell down?" 

Jinki wiggles his feet and waves his arms in the air, then he glances at Jonghyun and shakes his head. "Nope. I just can't get up." 

Smiling, an amused Jonghyun pulls Jinki up and helps him sit on the couch. "There you go," he says as he moves to occupy the place next to Jinki. 

The elder lets his head drop on the armrest and rubs his face tiredly. "I'm still alive, you can leave me now," he murmurs, pointing a trembling finger at the broken door. 

Jonghyun's smile falls and his heart clenches, how silly of him to expect something other than resentment from Jinki, after his immature behaviour. 

He stutters on his awkward apology, feeling vulnerable under Jinki's suddenly hard stare. "I'm sorry I didn't come sooner, I just didn't know how-" 

"How to tell me you were glad Minho cheated on me and left?" Jinki provides bitterly. 

Jonghyun's jaw drops for a moment and then he's shaking his head frantically. "No. God, no. I-" 

"Please," Jinki scoffs, "you hated the man. Don't lie to me, I'm done with all the lies." 

"I disliked Minho, but I'm not happy he betrayed your trust, " Jonghyun hurries to explain, desperate to make Jinki understand. "I know I've been a terrible friend but-" 

Jinki stops his apology by patting his thigh, the scowl on his brow relaxing into an understanding gaze. 

"It's fine," Jinki assures him, bumping him playfully with his shoulder. "I kinda smiled when Taemin moved out," he confesses with a grin. 

They remain silent for a few minutes, subtly moving closer to one another until Jonghyun can feel the warmth emanating from Jinki's skin permeating his body and coloring his face with a light blush. It is peaceful, and it reminds Jonghyun of their happy days. Seating so close to Jinki he feels like there might be hope to make things right again, with a little luck maybe make them even better than before. 

"How are you, Jinki?" 

Jinki grimaces when he hears the whispered question. 

"Don't do that." 

Jonghyun frowns. "Do what?" 

The elder sighs and cards a hand through his messy hair. "Ask about my feelings." 

Jinki notices how Jonghyun deflates at his words and he tries to say something but the younger doesn't let him.  

"You're right," Jonghyun concedes with a weak smile, "this is not the time for such talk." 

The elder rolls his eyes and lets out a deep laugh. "This," he says gesturing to his face,  clearly referring to his inebriated state, "is not about a Minho, if that's what you want to know." 

Jonghyun doesn't buy it. He lets his gaze soften and places a comforting hand on his neighbor's shoulder. "Jinki, it's fine if-" 

The hand is shaken away when Jinki lets out an exasperated growl and stands up abruptly. 

"I quit my job, Jonghyun," he reveals with a bored expression. 

The man sways dangerously as he paces about the room, explaining the details to Jonghyun. 

"I had a misunderstanding with my boss some time ago and he's been trying to screw me over ever since. Then that bastard goes and s his cousin's husband, " Jinki spits out with contempt.  "As you can imagine I've had so much fun these past months. But I'm finally free now, from both of them s," he finishes with a victorious smirk 

Guilt washes over Jonghyun again, knowing Jinki has been forced to deal with all those problems by himself because he had been too busy being jealous and afraid. 

"Jinki, I-" 

The elder interrupts him again with a dismissive gesture. 

"Don't do that either" he asks to a crestfallen Jonghyun. "Don't apologize. I did it on purpose so I don't blame you for being mad at me." 

It takes Jonghyun a moment to understand what Jinki seems to be implying and when he finally does his face scrunches with disbelief.  "The noise?" 

Jinki nods slowly. 

"Why?" 

The elder seems to assess him carefully before moving towards him, leaning down until his face is dangerously close to Jonghyun's. 

"You like me," he states with a gentle voice and a smug smile. "You like me a lot." 

Jonghyun can tell by the way Jinki's eyes flicker and how his body seems incapable to stay still, that that this is definitely not a good time for confessions, but even if  the alcohol is the only thing making Jinki talk like he does, Jonghyun is too selfish to let the moment pass. 

"I do." 

Jinki laughs and Jonghyun can almost taste the vodka in the gush of warm breath that fanned over his face. "Can I tell you a secret?"  

The younger replies with a quick nod of his head.  

"I've wanted you since you first walked into this building, " Jinki all but purrs, his  body bending even lower, making Jonghyun fear he's going to fall on him any time now.  

Jongyun had never seen Jinki drunk before tonight, and the differences between the man he'd come to know through casual meetings and the mischievous creature standing in front of him right now, scare him a bit.  

He wants to believe what Jinki tells him even if his voice is unusually sultry and his behavior is a little random, but everything is moving too quickly and his instinct tells him he needs to be cautious.  

Jinki's notices Jonghyun's hesitation and his smirk falters for a second, unsatisfied with the younger's lukewarm reaction. He changes his strategy and pulls back, giving Jonghyun some space to breathe and put his thoughts in order without the bitter smell of alcohol and the alluring scent of Jinki's cologne clouding his brain. 

"I can't believe this surprises you," Jinki says plopping unceremoniously onto the floor, barely managing to sit upright with a little help from Jonghyun, who quickly moves to crouch by his side, "I  used to flirt with you all the time." 

Jonghyun laughs out loud throwing his head back because that much is true. But it happened a long time ago, when they barely knew each other. 

"I thought you only did it to spite Taemin for that one time he forgot to take his red socks out of  the washer when you were doing your whites." 

Jinki snickers and his cheeks turn a darker shade of pink. "Well, yes. But I wouldn't have done it if I didn't think you're hot." 

They share an embarrassed chuckle and let their eyes meet, holding gazes longer than appropriate between friends. 

"Do you think I'm cute?" Jinki whispers suddenly, biting his lip and grazing his thumb across Jonghyun's cheekbone. 

"The absolute cutest," Jonghyun replies without qualms. 

Jinki beams at him and it's like the past year was just a bad dream. His heart aches no more and the world is wonderful again 

"You're so sweet," Jinki says, cupping Jonghyun's face with his hands and leaning closer, much closer, impossibly closer. 

It is a knee-jerk reaction, the way Jonghyun turns his face away when Jinki is about to kiss him. "Not tonight, Jinki," he mutters quietly, torn between being proud and frustrated with himself. 

"When?"  

Jinki whines and Jonghyun wants nothing more than to kiss his pout away, but he knows better. 

"When I'm sure you won't forget in the morning." 

"I'm not that drunk!" Jinki responds outraged, unfortunately his little outburst makes him lose his balance and he fall back with a thud. 

Jonghyun arches a brown and scoffs. 

"Yes, you are. And now I'm taking you to bed so you can sleep it off."  

When Jinki stumbles on his feet as they walk, Jonghyun saves him from breaking his noise against his coffee table by pulling him into his arms. A minute later the elder giggles and whoops as he is carried to his room, locking his hands behind Jonghyun's neck, wagging his eyebrows suggestively and winking. He looks ridiculous and adorable but mostly beautiful and Jonghyun can't stop himself from pecking him on the nose, which earns him a playful nip on the jaw that makes his ears turn a bright red. 

"Sweet dreams, Jinks," Jonghyun says softly as he tucks him into bed, again giving in to his urge of smoothing his lips across the elder's forehead. 

"Stay with me ?" Jinki asks, taking hold of Jonghyun's wrist as he makes to stand up. 

"Sure, I'll stay with you as long as you want."