Author’s Note: This story is set in an alternate universe, in an imaginary town and country, and during an ambiguous time period.

 

Jaejoong was spending the night over at Yunho’s house.

 

Yunho hadn’t had a sleepover in years, since he was eleven, honestly. He felt weird about the whole thing. They were not tweens anymore. The only consolation was that they hadn’t talked about it and decided to have a sleepover—that would have been too cheesy. It organically happened. 

 

Yunho at Math, and Jaejoong was really, really good at Math. It was only natural that Jaejoong helped him study for the test that they had the very next day, especially given they were in the same Calc. class and Yunho was actually failing; plus, Jaejoong felt indebted to Yunho who had been helping him figure ‘himself’ out—Yunho didn’t understand the gratitude when the only help he had been offering was advice Jaejoong refused to take, a listening ear, and a sealed mouth.

 

Since they had their heart-to-heart, their relationship had changed. But for the better.

 

They didn’t interact much at school. Yunho still disliked Jaejoong’s friends, and they still hang out mainly at Yunho’s place; however, their interactions have shifted. It was like they were back to how they used to be, but things were...different. They were more equal now, and not just Jaejoong with Yunho as his sidekick.

 

Yunho wasn’t sure if he could give in yet, but he felt that he was starting to want to trust Jaejoong again and see him as a “good” friend.

 

Yunho felt like whenever they were together, they had fun. 

 

Just as they did that evening, right before they piled in his bedroom and attempted to begin studying. They were in a good mood. They had helped his grandparents put out the halloween decorations while feasting on his grandmother’s freshly baked chocolate chips cookies. And, though laborious, it was a lot of fun.

 

Studying was a bust so far, and Yunho should have known to expect that. He knew Jaejoong the best and should have known that there was no way the study sessions would be linear. They went off on too many tangents.

 

“My friends think you hate them,” Jaejoong said, reclining on his chair, popping chunks of poptarts in his mouth and chewing loudly with his mouth open.

 

Yunho sighed, relaxing the tight grip on his pen. “Please close your mouth; I do.”

 

Jaejoong grinned and winked at him. He made a huge display of swallowing first with his lips firmly shut before he asked, “Want me to tell them?”

 

Yunho glared at him. “They already know,” he said, and shrugged.

 

Jaejoong shrugged, too. “It’s almost the season of being thankful and for giving. Why can’t you just—”

 

Yunho stopped him. “Before that it’s the season of being vindictive and gore. No.”

 

Sighing, Jaejoong took his sock-feet off the rim of Yunho’s study desk and dropped them on the carpeted floor. Sitting up, Jaejoong his teeth and studied Yunho with a serious expression. “Why not? They used to be your old friends, you know.”

 

“What?” He frowned at him.

 

“Yeah; most of them are—”

 

“No, they weren’t. Jaejoong, we were friends, and they were your friends. I didn’t even know them.” He peered at him. “I don’t even know them.”

 

Yunho knew Jaejoong knew that he was not as bright and as charming as he. He was nothing but a mere moth that flew to the brightness of Jaejoong’s personality, like the rest had. 

 

Yunho had just been part of the friendship deal. If they wanted to befriend Jaejoong, they had to put up with him. But no one had ever said Yunho had to put up with them. He had always ignored them like the plague. He and Jaejoong would hang out, but he almost never hung out with the rest of Jaejoong’s friends.

 

Yunho felt his temper flaring.

 

“I never liked them to begin with. Why do you think I would like them now?” He turned his head to glare openly at him.

 

Jaejoong held his gaze, appearing as if he was not even blinking. 

 

He said in a soft, controlled voice, “Okay. You’re right. I’m sorry.”

 

“Thank you. Now, can you help me study, please.”

 

Crossing his arms on the table, he dropped his face on them and sighed loudly. “Okay.”

 

“Could you please look at this question for me?”

 

He nodded. 

 

Yunho held his breath when Jaejoong leaned in close to him to properly look at his paper. He smelled nice. But he always smelled nice, as if he had just swam in the cleanest, clearest lake in nature. He had a woodsy, citrusy fragrance that seemed to clung to every one of his pores.

 

 “Okay.” Jaejoong said in a breathless murmur. “This is an easy equation. Let me show you what you have to do,” he said, reaching for a pen from the cup overflowing with pen, pencils, and highlighters on Yunho’s desk. 

 

They studied for a little bit, and then Jaejoong said out of the blue, “It’s not like I’m insecure. At least, I don’t think I am. But, is it them, or is it me?”

 

“What?”

 

“I don’t know, Yunho.”He inhaled loudly, and said wistfully, “If feels as if you’re still uncomfortable to be seen with me around town and—”

 

“Stop. At my own pace. We already had that conversation”

 

Jaejoong nodded thoughtfully. “Okay. Halloween is two days ago and you still haven’t said yes or no to the party.”

 

Yunho’s heart fluttered. Dropping his gaze, he played with his pen. “It’s two days away. My test is tomorrow.”

 

Jaejoong looked at him with that wistful look again. “Okay.”

 

Three minutes later, Jaejoong said, “Are you reluctant because you’re scared of people finding out that you’re gay?”

 

Yunho’s heart thudded so hard it hurt. “Presumptuous of you to ask such a thing.”

 

Jaejoong sighed once more, and florishly closed his eyes and bit his full bottom lip. “I didn’t mean it that way.”

 

Yunho’s eyes followed the innocuous action. His brain started to slowly turn into mush. He felt his heart rate picking up. Jaejoong had really attractive lips, something Yunho had only recently noticed. And he promptly looked away and made a mental check to never look at Jaejoong’s mouth again.

 

“Jaejoong, stop overthinking. I just don’t like your friends.”

 

“And that’s it?” He said crossly.

 

“No, I also don't want the whole of Green Meadow talking about us.”

 

Jaejoong gasped. Yunho laughed. “I’m joking. They’ve already done all of that.”

 

 “What?” Jaejoong looked hurt.

 

Sighing, dropping his pen on his opened notebook, he fully turned around and said to Jaejoong, “What’s on your mind?”

 

Jaejoong shrugged. “Yunho, we’ve done a lot of opening up to each other lately. I’ve, you know, shared with you very important…stuff, but I…why don’t you talk to me about your past?”

 

“What?”

 

“Tell me about what you used to do before you moved back here, or anything, truly.”

 

“Aah. Jaejoong, you know me. I don’t like to talk about myself.” 

 

He rolled his eyes and glared at him. “I do, but I’ve told you so much about me. Things I’ve never told anyone else. What’s wrong with you telling me a little bit about you?”

 

“Why? Are you flirting with me?”

 

His cheeks reddened, but he was glaring at Yunho, and looking like he wanted to throw a chunk of poptart at his smirking face.

 

“No, limp . We’re friends. Right?”

 

“Jaejoong, stop trying to guilt-trip me.”

 

“What?”

 

“We’re friends. I keep saying it.”

 

“Then act like a friend. Stop shutting me out. Talk to me.” He sounded too intense and it made Yunho more aware and uncomfortable.

 

“Okay.”

 

“I open up to you all the time. In fact, I tell you too much. But you just keep everything to yourself.”

 

“God, Jaejoong! What do you want to know?”

 

Jaejoong paused, surprised he won. “Will you really answer all of my questions?”

 

He shrugged. “I’ll try.”

 

“Try?”

 

“Yeah. Don't get too invasive.”

 

“In what context?” Jaejoong laughed. Yunho liked the sound. It was rich and hearty. It made the corner of his lips quiver up. He relaxed.

 

Grinning, Yunho said, “Like, you know, the size of my—”

 

Jaejoong lit up like a christmas tree in a dark room. “Never. Boundaries.”

 

They both started laughing.

 

“So. What were you like?”

 

“The same.”

 

“Okay. What was your schedule like?”

 

“What? Weird question.”

 

“I want to imagine a day in your life.”

 

“Cool. School, work, home. And on days off, I would meet up with my friends. We were in a band.”

 

“What?” He shouted, the corner of his eyes stretching, his face lightening up. “You play an instrument.”

 

“Well, I try. I am not good.”

 

“See, there’s a lot I didn’t know about you.”

 

“Now you’ll know. Ask away.”

 

“Which?”

 

“Guitar.”

 

“Cool! I wished I were more musically inclined.”

 

“You’re good at sports.”

 

“So are—were you. What happened?”

 

“Rude.” He smiled.

 

“You know what I mean.”

 

“Do I?” Inhaling, Yunho said, “I played sports for you. Well, because you played sports and wanted me to. As friends, I want to be there and support you.”

 

Jaejoong broke their gaze. “And you say I say the darndest things.”

 

“What?” Yunho said, feeling self conscious, like he said something wrong.

 

Jaejoong slumped on his desk, pressing his cheek on the surface and twisted his head to face Yunho. “You were such a great friend, and I was such a horrible friend. I’ll make it up to you, okay?”

 

Yunho laughed and cleared his throat, trying to temper down his embarrassment. It was the gentle light in Jaejoong’s eyes and his kind tone.

 

“You should have told me you liked music.”

 

“Well, I didn’t. I just got into it because my friends wanted to start a band and I was down.” He shrugged again. “I had, have, no strong feelings.”

 

“I’m jealous that you effortlessly call them ‘your friend’.”

 

Yunho laughed at his blunt statement.

 

It was his turn to feel his cheeks heating up. “You’re teasing?”

 

“No.”

 

“Do you not want me to call them that?”

 

He sat up and shook his head. “Are they on your secret instagram?”

 

Yunho chuckled. “What secret instagram?”

 

He shrugged. “Joking.”

 

“I’m just not a huge picture person.”

 

“Instagram offers a bit more than just pictures.”

 

“Ooh, really? Likel. what?”

 

Jaejoong laughed and then Yunho started laughing, too. 

 

After downing some water, Jaejoong said, “Anyways, that takes me back to my questions. Why are you back?”

 

The smile dropped off Yunho's face and he shrugged. “Idk. My mom sent me back.”

 

“Idk?”

 

“What? I speak in text language. Leave me alone.” He grinned at him.

 

“Okay. So, where’s your mom?”

 

He knew he would ask, but it still left him reeling. Clearing his throat, he grabbed his pencil and started flipping it. “She sent me back first.”

 

Jaejoong read his body language and understood that he would not divulge any more than what he had said.

 

“She’s coming to live here, too?”

 

He shrugged. “I guess.”

 

“Don’t your shoulders hurt?”

 

“Huh?”

 

“From shrugging.”

 

Yunho laughed. “You think you got jokes, huh?”

 

“Yeah.”

 

“Well, okay then. It is my turn now.”

 

“Turn?”

 

“You asked me many questions. Now I get to question you.”

 

“First of all!” he wagged a playful finger, “you’ve done all the asking and you know everything about me already, and I am not done yet.”

 

Yunho groaned and rolled his eyes, stopping short of shrugging. “One more question, then it is my turn.”

 

“Okay. How many boyfriends have you had?”

 

“Invasive.”

 

“I have told you all about my romantic and ual life.”

 

“I never asked, that’s the big difference.”

 

“Bro., show some reciprocal support.”

 

“Gosh. You’re so needy,” he teased. “But, let me preface this: I don’t kiss and tell.”

 

“Whatever,” Jaejoong openly groaned.” 

 

“My little whiny one,” Yunho teased, squishing Jaejoong’s cheek. He glared at a chuckling Yunho. “Just one serious relationship.”

 

“What’s up with you and the ‘serious’ label? It was a relationship or it wasn’t!”

 

Yunho slowly smiled and winked at him. “Are you jealous or something?”

 

“What?” He flushed. Yunho loved every time Jaejoong blushed against his will. It was funny and...cute.

 

He retracted his hand and scooted as far away from Jaejoong as he could without looking ridiculous.

 

Jaejoong rolled his eyes. “Nevermind,” he breathed out. “How many non-serious ones?”

 

“Well, I haven’t counted.”

 

Jaejoong’s eyes grew as large as saucers. “Casanova!”

 

“Wow, didn’t know you were a prude.”

 

“I should have known the moment you started going on about serious and non-serious relationships.”

 

Yunho couldn’t help but laugh. “Jaejoong, I’m joking.”

 

He paused and frowned at him. “What do you mean?”

 

“I like to kiss around a bit, but that’s just it.”

 

“So you’re a ?”

 

Yunho smirked, saying, “Very, very invasive. This really doesn’t feel like bro. talk at all.”

 

“You’re being ridiculous. You’re sixteen. You’re a teenager.”

 

Yunho snorted. “I consider myself as still being a child. Just because that’s all you think about doesn’t mean I do so, too.”

 

“Low blow. And that’s not all I think about!” Jaejoong gave him the side eye. 

 

“Okay. Are we done here? I really do need help studying.”

 

“You don’t want to ask me questions anymore?” 

 

Yunho looked at Jaejoong, studying his face and the way he couldn’t hold his gaze and the wat his Adam Apple was bobbing as he swallowed nervously. Inhaling, he said, “One question and then we study.”

 

“You don’t have to ask me. I was just trying to be fair.”

 

“I want to.”

 

“Okay. Shoot.”

 

“Well, you’ve told me everything about you, except for one thing.”

 

“Really? I thought I was a complete open book.” His eyes twinkled.

 

“Not completely. So, you’ve been a little weird about…How is it going with figuring out your uality?”

 

“Why are you being mean?” He asked, sitting up. He crossed his arm over his thick chest, his thick bicep flexing and stretching the soft, cotton material of his t-shirt.

 

Yunho tried to not stare for too long and attempted to focus on slowing down his heart rate and making sure his mind remained clear and razor focused.

 

“What?”

 

“I’m not being weird.You’re the only person I am even talking about this to. I just…” he stuttered. “I don’t really like talking about it.” Dropping his gaze, he lifted his legs and planted the sole of his feet on the soft cushion of his chair. 

 

“And, how am I supposed to help you?”

 

“I’ll come to you when I need help, I guess.”

 

Yunho was silent as he think. “Are you shutting me out because I didn’t answer a question how you wanted?”

 

“What? No. I’m not someone like that.”

 

“Okay then.”

 

“Can we study?”

 

Yunho sighed loudly. “Just because we’re friends doesn't mean we have to share everything.”

 

“I do, though.”

 

“We’re no longer eleven, Jaejoong.”

 

“Right.” His expression was a mix between regret and hurt.

 

Yunho chose to ignore it.