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

 

“So, how did you manage it?”

 

“What?”

 

“To get in a huge fight with your friend the day before our week off school started?”

 

Jaejoong gave him a cross look. “Why are you here?”

 

“To check up on you.”

 

He rolled his eyes and let out a loud sigh. Leaning against the doorway, keeping a firm grip on the door knob, as if he was not ever going to let Yunho in his home, he said, “Really? Or are you here to rub it in my face or something?”

 

“Well, you won, right?”

 

“No. I didn’t. I’m suspended and grounded.”

 

“Well, that’s what fighting wins for you.” Yunho couldn’t help but smile, even when Jaejoong sneered at him. Tugging at the door, he gave him an indicative look.

 

“I have you, why did I think I would ever need an enemy.”

 

Yunho wiped the smile off. “Come on. I am only teasing. I am not trying to hurt your feelings.”

 

“My feelings are not hurt,” he snapped, his eyes forming slits.

 

“Can I come in?”

 

“No.”

 

“Come on, Jaejoong. I’m here to spend time with you. To make you feel better,” he said, extending his hand to lay his hand on his shoulder and run it up and down. The cotton of his sweater was soft and it distracted him. “Dude, so soft.”

 

“Huh?”

 

“You sweater. It’s nice.”

 

Jaejoong’s frown deepened. “Don’t you have chores?”

 

“I’ll leave when it’s time.”

 

“Go home, Yunho.”

 

“Only if you really, really don’t want me to come in.”

 

“Whatever,” he muttered, and stepped away from the doorway and let go of the doorknob.

 

Crossing his arm over his chest, he started walking in the house, heading for the kitchen in his slippers.

 

The house was exhilaratingly warm, just the right temperature, and had a sweet, delicious smell; Yunho ventured that it smelled of freshly made chocolate. Usually, Jaejoong’s house had a clinical feel to it, or felt like a display home. The kind you would see in magazines or in commercials. It was methodically decorated to be modern, modest, and sophisticated. It always lacked human touch. Jaejoong's room was the only difference. His room was always messy and a pigsty. But when winter rolled around, Yunho could always guess correctly what Jaejoong’s home would smell like—hot cocoa.

 

Jaejoong had had a big fight with Jaehyun. The news had been all over the high school.

 

Yunho did want to check up on his friend, but most importantly, he wanted to know why he had gotten into a fist fight with his friend in the middle of the ice-rink.

 

“So, what happened?”

 

“Water?”

 

“It’s negative seven degrees.”

 

He frowned at him and left out a soft growl.  

 

“Okay, dang; I am sorry for being hospitable.”

 

Drawing closer to where Jaejoong stood next to the stove pouring out his hot cocoa in the mesh that was placed in his mug. “Hot chocolate again?”

 

He flinched and flipped around to give him a mean scowl. “Yes, and?”

 

He smiled, lifted his hands, his palms facing Jaejoong, and took a small step back. “Nothing. Just saying.” Dropping his hand, adding more pressure to his smile. “May I have some, please?”

 

“I made enough for one person,” he groaned.

 

“You always drink my drinks.”

 

“Are you here to console me or piss me off?” He said, reaching for a mug from the mug tree.

 

“Yes, and no.”

 

“You’re not doing a good job.”

 

“Well, I do not know what I should say or do because you refuse to tell me what he did.”

 

“Why are you so nosy?” Jaejoong handed him the first mug he poured and dumped the rest of the hot liquid in the second mug, after placing the mesh in there.

 

“Well, since we’re friends, best friends, if I am to believe you, I’d rather hear the story from you then MeadowSecret.”

 

He glared at him. “Nothing happened.”

 

“That’s a lie.” He took a sip of the hot cocoa. “This is good.”

 

“I know.” 

 

“What is humility again?”

 

“I don’t know. I don’t practice it.”

 

“Obviously.”

 

They shared a grin; Jaejoong’s grin was smaller than Yunho’s.

 

Yunho shrugged. “You know, whatever the reason is, I probably will agree with you. I never liked Jaehyun.”

 

“You don’t like any of my friends.” He dumped the dirty dishes in the sink and grabbed his mug and made a beeline for his room. Yunho remained on his heels.

 

“Not really. I don’t know them.”

 

He gave him an impatient look. “You don’t even want to meet them.”

 

“I have you.” Their gaze locked for a few seconds of silence. “And I have met them. I just don’t need other friends, is that alright with you?”

 

“Lies. You have your group of friends. By the way, you also refused to let me hang out with them when they’re with you.”

 

“We don’t really hang out. I hang out with you.”

 

“Lies,” Jaejoong said, the corner of his lips curving up. He ran his palm down the side of his face, head down. “You’re trying to butter me up. I’m not telling you anything.”

 

“You don’t have to. I mean, I’ll know sooner or later. MeadowSecret.”

 

He gave him a look filled with chagrin.

 

They entered Jaejoong’s room. He went to his bed and relaxed against the head post and started swiping through his phone as he sipped on his drink. Yunho took his desk’s chair.

 

“If it’s any consolation: I am truly sorry for whatever Jaehyun did to you. You have a lot of faults, but you’re a good friend.”

 

“Not always.”

 

“Who said that?”

 

He looked up and fixed his eyes on him. “You?”

 

That stung. Yunho blinked over at him in confusion. “What? Never.”

 

“I mean, yes, you never explicitly said it—”

 

“But I implied it. When? No. Matter of fact, don’t answer. I’m sorry. Truly.”

 

Jaejoong dropped his gaze. “You don’t have to apologize.”

 

“I kind of do, Jaejoong.” He searched for his gaze. “I’ve sort of been a horrible friend.”

 

“No, you haven’t. You’ve been great. You’re the best buddy I’ve ever had. And believe me, I have a lot.” Jaejoong sat up, placing his mug between his thighs. “Too many,” he muttered under his breath.

 

Yunho chuckled. “I’m glad to hear that. So, what happened.”

 

Jaejoong chuckled. “Stop asking.”

 

Yunho paused and studied Jaejoong. He really was upset. He decided to not bother his friend anymore and do what he said he came over to do. “Before I drop this, I want to let you know that, again, Jaehyun deserved whatever you gave him. He is pretty ty and thinks little of you.”

 

“What?” he asked, sitting up. “What makes you think that?”

 

“We’re dropping this. Just stating my piece. Want to play games?”

 

“Not in the mood and you won’t get out of this. Tell me?”

 

“Movie?”

 

“Yunho!”

 

“Okay, dang. Can we trade?”

 

“No. What did Jaehyun do to make you think ‘so little of him’?” He made quotation marks with his fingers in a somewhat mocking way. “Did he...Oh my gosh. That piece of !”

 

“No. No!” Yunho said, noticing Jaejoong’s tight, trembling fists.

 

“Then tell me.”

 

“Lord. Jaejoong, a few weeks back he just had a lot to say.”

 

“Such as?”

 

He was burning with an insatiable rage. Yunho was seeing a different side of Jaejoong. He now saw what Jaehyun had to put up with.

 

“Just about, you know?”

 

“Bro., I don’t know! Tell me?”

 

Inhaling, Yunho gazed into Jaejoong's furious eyes, taking in his heaving chest. Jaehyun was not a nice person, and he decided given how upset Jaejoong appeared, he might as well save him the trouble of going through this again when he found out his so-called-friend hated everything about him.

 

Leaning forward, intertwining his fingers, Yunho placed his elbows on his knees and dropped his hand between his opened thighs. “About the rumor, Jaejoong. And he said something about you being gay. He doesn’t seem like an accepting, non-bigot, so I assumed he probably was never a true friend.”

 

“No, he was not, Yunho.” He and bit his bottom lip. It looked painful. “I wished you had told me from the very beginning.”

 

“Umm, I tried.” Yunho didn’t like his accusatory tone.

 

“Not try, be more frank.”

 

“I was frank.”

 

“Yunho.”

 

“As much as I could, Jaejoong, without coming between you two. Plus, I didn’t want to appear too judgemental.” He winked.

 

Jaejoong glowered at him. “How can you joke at a moment like this?”

 

“What? It’s my default setting.”

 

Jaejoong sighed and ramed his fingers through his hair, pushing his fringes back. “He was never a friend, Yunho. There was nothing to come between. I would have talked with him.”

 

“Hey,” Yunho said, getting up. He dropped down next to him on his bed, making him grab his mug to stop it from spilling. 

 

He looked over at Jaejoong. Smiling at him, he gingerly touched his shoulder. He was not truly certain of what he was doing. He wasn’t sure if he was calming Jaejoong down, or he was giving in to his need to touch him.

 

Jaejoong looked more rattled. He teared his gaze away from where Yunho touched him and stared in his eyes. 

 

His touch wasn’t working, but Yunho was persistent. “I’m sorry, but I just didn’t, I don’t know. I felt like I already did enough damage.”

 

“Yunho, I’m a bad judge of character. You know that!”

 

Yunho sounded amused as he said, “No, I don’t. I guessed as much,” he winked at Jaejoong, and then he said tenderly, “I...every friendship is different, and you know that.”

 

They made eye connections. Staring at each other in silence, the moment feeling momentous. 

 

A few seconds later they both were laughing.

 

Jaejoong dropped back on his headboard. “I am sorry. I am such a bad judge of character, it’ not even funny.”

 

“You’re right about me, though. I think my character is amazing.”

 

Jaejoong looked at him under his lashes and said, “But only you.”

 

There was that itching feeling again. 

 

Yunho wanted to let loose and lean in and do what he had been wanting to do for a while now. He knew, however, that there was no going back once he’d taken that chance and crossed that line. There would be no undoing it. Yunho might have fanciful bouts of thinking, but he was not certain of Jaejoong’s feelings—or if there was any to begin with.

 

There was the undeniable flirting. Those moments when he would spot the spark and the unmistakable heat in his gaze. But then, just like a christmas tree, there would be a switch and all the lights would go out. Complete darkness. Nothing but amiable friendship and friendly, comfortable banter.

 

If there was anything,     Jaejoong was confused and didn’t want to risk their friendship again. 

 

Yunho cleared his throat, and he looked away. “Aki is a really nice girl.”

 

“Huh? What about her?”

 

“Your judgment of her character was not amiss.”

 

Jaejoong paused, and frowned at him. “Do you have a crush on her or something?”

 

Yunho chuckled. “If I were straight, I could see that definitely happening.”  

 

He said softly, “But you’re not.”

 

Yunho simply shook his head.

 

They fell silent again. Jaejoong looked away first, taking a sip from his mug.

 

Sitting this close to Jaejoong, smelling his cologne, seeing his chest moving with each breath he took brought that feeling. The uncertainty was driving him mad. 

 

After what felt like a comfortable minute of silence, Yunho asked once more, “What about that movie?”

 

Pressing his lips together, Jaejoong rubbed them, and then shrugged. “Okay. That would be fine.”

 

“Want to see anything?”

 

“No. You choose.”

 

“Hey, is Minah coming tomorrow?”

 

“No.” He looked at his wristwatch. “She’ll be here in three hours.”

 

“Really? I'm excited to see her.”

 

Jaejoong gave him an indecipherable look, then he shrugged, and cast his eyes down. “Okay.”

 

“Before she comes, want to tell me the reason behind your fight?”

 

“No,” was his swift and decisive response.

 

“It looks like you’re challenging me.”

 

Jaejoong gave him a leveled, mullish lookover. “What? No.”

 

“I know your weak points.”

 

Jaejoong’s eyebrows went up in curiosity.

 

Yunho ambushed him. Jaejoong was on his bed twitching, laughing uncontrollably, with Yunho on top of him delivering relentless rounds of attacks.

 

“Stop,” Jaejoong said, voice coarse. He reached up to grab his hands.

 

It happened then.

 

There was no more laughter, or any other movements other than their rhythmic breathing. They could not tear their gazes apart.

 

Yunho knew he was being stupid and was making a mistake the moment he started tickling him. He knew wasn’t thinking straight and he would regret this. But, for the first time in forever, he let himself unwind.

 

Shaking with nerves, Yunho leaned in and their faces were inches apart. Jaejoong’s pupils were dark and enormous. They were breathing so hard, they were panting and the sound filled Jaejoong’s quiet room.

 

Yunho opened his mouth to say something, anything, instead Jaejoong lifted his head a few centimeters off his bed and their lips connected. 

 

Jaejoong gripped his arm, his fingers digging into Yunho’s skin, marking him. And he closed his eyes, yanking Yunho down with him on the bed.

 

Yunho let out a sigh. Everything just disappeared. All of his worries, his fears, and the gravity of what they were doing just disappeared and Yunho felt free. 

 

The world simply stopped moving, but he and Jaejoong kept on moving, moving faster than light. And the only person keeping him intact and grounded was Jaejoong. Jaejoong’s lips, and his soft skin, and his soft heat.