For the next two weeks, life passed rather quietly. Jongin's only problem was that Sehun kept coming by his apartment. He didn't necessarily mind his best friend's presence, it was the fact that his friend was so blatantly interested in Taemin. He knew he shouldn't really care, but something about it just bothered him. 

Jongin absentmindedly ruffled his hair, watching Sehun talk to Taemin, eyes bright with excitement at everything the other said. Jongin couldn't help but to wonder if Taemin knew Sehun's intentions, but instantly brushed the thought aside. Of course he knew, it was obvious. But did Taemin return Sehun's interest? Jongin couldn't tell, and he wasn't sure he wanted to know. 

"Yeah, Jongin hasn't had anyone here with him since Kyungsoo."

Jongin snapped to attention at the sound of his name. 

"What, Sehun?" His voice was cold. 

His friend gulped. 

"I'm sorry, bad topic, um..."

Jongin got up from where he was sat on his couch. 

"...please don't be mad?" Sehun squeaked, shuffling towards the door. 

"I'm not. But I think you should go now." 

"Jongin, you have to-" 

"I don't care, Sehun. Just please go." Jongin suddenly felt tired. He didn't want to have this conversation right now. 

Sehun didn't say anything more, just slunk out of the apartment, closing the door lightly behind him.

"Jongin?"

He'd completely forgotten that Taemin was there. 

"Uh, right. Sorry. I- he brought up a sensitive topic." 

"Oh. Do you want to talk about it?"

"Why do you think I kicked him out? Of course I don't!" Jongin threw up his hands, exasperated.

"Right..." Taemin bit his lip nervously. "It could help though, you know. I just want to help." 

"You can help by leaving me alone about it." Jongin started walking to his room. 

"Jongin, please. Something's been bothering you for a while now, it would be better for you if you could just get it off your chest."

He stopped walking. 

"Is it that obvious?"

Had Taemin really been able to pick up on the fact that there was something on his mind? Of course, he couldn't tell him about what was actually bothering him, that would make things weird between them, but would it really hurt to tell Taemin who Kyungsoo was? Maybe it would finally relieve him of the intense guilt constantly weighing on his mind. Hoping he wasn't going to regret this later on, Jongin came to a decision. 

Taemin was silent behind him. 

Jongin sighed. 

"Okay. I'll tell you. It won't make a difference though, I hope you realize that."

Taemin shrugged before heading over to the couch, sitting down and patting the cushion beside him. 

Having no alternative, Jongin found himself next to Taemin on the couch, feeling much too close to the other boy.

"Kyungsoo is... was, I guess, actually," Jongin's voice cracked. "He was my partner. We were going to get married, but then he got sick, so we decided to put it off until he got better. As you can guess, he didn't get better. That's actually why I'm still in college, I left school for two years to work and take care of him."

Taemin was silent. 

"It's okay if you don't know what to say. I wouldn't either." Jongin got up, beginning once again to walk back into his room. 

"I'm sorry. Is that why you're so closed off all the time? Oh no, and I've been staying with you here for a while too. I've probably overstayed my welcome, you probably feel like I'm intruding, I-"

"-It's alright," Jongin cut him off. "But it is why I'm closed off. It's been a rough time for me, but I've adjusted, for the most part. I'm still trying to find a way to be happy, you know? It's- it's... hard without him." 

Taemin was standing behind Jongin now, fiddling with his hands, not knowing what to do. 

"You'll get there, Jongin. It just takes time, as all things do. Just as you told me once, you can be happy again." 

"Yeah. Thanks."

"I'm sorry, I wish I could help you more..."

Jongin didn't say anything, closing the door to his room.

*****

"Hey, Jongin, Taemin, we're going out for drinks, wanna join us?" 

Jongin looked up at Baekhyun from his phone screen.

"I don't know, I don't really drink..." Taemin's uncertain voice drifted through the staff room door. 

"C'mon, it'll be fun!" Baekhyun insisted. 

"Alright, I guess I'll come." Taemin gave in, and Jongin inwardly sighed. Now he had no option but to go with, there was no way he'd let Taemin go alone with their coworkers to a bar. The poor kid would die. 

"What about you, Jongin?" Baekhyun prodded, and Jongin rolled his eyes.

"Sure." 

"Wow, you've never come with us before!" 

Jongin ignored him, standing up from the folding chair in which he was seated. 

"So are we going?"

*****

Jongin was lost in a blur of tightly packed people, all laughing, talking, drinking. He couldn't see anyone he knew, but then again, he could barely even see the people directly in front of him, as his vision was much too blurred to be able to clearly make out anyone's features. He didn't know how many drinks he'd had, he couldn't even remember how he'd gotten there or who he'd come with. His stomach burned, and he felt dizzy as he stumbled blindly through the sea of people and tables. 

He could barely stand, and each step was a struggle. Jongin stumbled, knocking into someone, who shoved him in response, shouting angrily. He found himself on the ground, and stayed there, dazed. He thought he could hear someone calling him over the talking and the live music that resounded throughout the bar, adding to the throbbing in his head. 

"Jongin!"

There was someone in front of him, they were familiar, but he just couldn't get his eyes to focus enough to make out who they were. But wait, he knew who it was! 

"K-kyungsoo," He hiccuped. 

"No, Jongin, I'm not Kyungsoo. I'm Taemin."

"Oh, Taemin. Taemin. You... you don't know what you do to me, Taemin. You drive me crazy."

"You're drunk, Jongin. We're going home." 

Jongin felt an arm circle his waist, another grabbing his wrist to sling his arm across a pair of slight shoulders. He was hoisted off the ground, and he tripped over his own feet as he was pulled forward, the only thing keeping him from falling again was the tight grip Taemin had on him. 

"Taemin," Jongin slurred, enjoying the smooth feeling of the other's name on his tongue. "Taemin, Taemin, Taemin. You're so handsome, Taemin. Have I ever told you that? You're absolutely stunning. I'd just love to see you ..."

"You're drunk, please just stop talking."

"But you don't understand," Jongin whined. "You live with me, and I have to see you every day, and I can't do anything to stop Sehun from flirting with you, and it makes me so mad. You're mine. He can't have you, but I can't stop it from happening. But I can't date you because that would be bad, because Kyungsoo,"

Taemin glanced down at Jongin, not that he caught it in his heavily intoxicated state. 

"Kyungsoo..." Jongin whispered, and the promptly burst into sobs. 

"God, I hate drunk people." Taemin muttered under his breath, but that too, was ignored by the now weeping Jongin. 

*****

Finally, they made it home, but not before Jongin had to puke all over the sidewalk outside the apartment complex. And on the stairwell on the way up. And right in front of the neighbor's door. 

Taemin dumped him in front of the toilet, wrinkling his nose at Jongin, whose sides were beginning to heave once again. 

"If you're going to throw up, at least get it in the toilet. I don't feel like cleaning your bathroom because you were dumb enough to get yourself this hammered."

Jongin gripped the toilet seat, pitching forward as he emptied his stomach. 

Taemin stood outside of the bathroom, arms crossed, waiting for a half an hour until Jongin finally seemed to be done throwing up. 

"Alright, now off to bed. You're definitely not going to work tomorrow morning." 

"Taemin, sleep with me," Jongin breathed, grabbing onto the other as he guided him to his bedroom. 

"No. You don't know what you're saying. You're drunk."

"But I do know," Jongin whined, grasping the collar of Taemin's shirt, tugging it down just enough to see his collarbones. He lowered his head, placing a sloppy kiss on the bare skin he'd just revealed, but was quickly pushed away. 

"Jongin, stop. You don't want this, and I don't either. Please, just listen to me and go to sleep." Taemin's voice was weak and desperate. 

"C'mon, Tae. You know you want to."

They had reached Jongin's bed, and Taemin helped him lay down on his side. 

"For the last time, no. Go to sleep." 

Jongin let out a whine of protest, but didn't do or say anything more. 

Taemin got up and closed the door to Jongin's room before going back to sit on the floor in front of his bed. Jongin was already fast asleep, worn out from the alcohol. Unfortunately for Taemin, he couldn't just leave Jongin there, lest he happen to roll onto his back and drown in his own vomit. Taemin knew he was about to have a very long night.

It seemed that neither one of them would be going in to work tomorrow. 

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

A lot happened in this chapter, wow. Haha! I hope you liked it. It's unedited, and it's really late as usual, I should really work on getting these done earlier, oops. 

I have news! I just published a Xiuchen fanfic, so if anyone is interested in that, you should go check that out, it's called Play God . The first chapter will be out soon! :D

Thanks for all the feedback and support!! I love reading what you guys have to say in the comments! :)

Thanks for reading! <3

-H