Kibum couldn't say he knew Lee Changsun all that well. Hell, he couldn't even say he knew Lee Changsun. Despite having an ex in common in Kim Jonghyun, and despite the fact that Changsun's so close to his suitemate Jinki, Kibum and Changsun live in relatively different worlds and run in entirely different social circles. Changsun's a theater major like Minho, and is actually one of the most popular students of the program due to his sharp, chiseled features. While Kibum isn't nearly a slouch in the looks department, there's very little competition between the two. In fact, Kibum had been surprised when Jonghyun had even asked him out, considering how different Changsun had looked from him since the start.

When they had first started dating, Changsun was still hanging around in their vicinity. Not intentionally, but because he had just happened to be Jinki's roommate at the time. Why Jinki chose to live with him and stay with him when he was Jonghyun's ex was something only the elder knew, but he was exceptionally close with Changsun in a way that had even Jonghyun look on with a spark of envy. But when Jonghyun was dating Kibum, Kibum had already known that Changsun was a threat. He would flirt, never subtly, with anyone that so much as looked their way. And even though his relationship with Jonghyun had ended, was very brazen in his attempts to win Jonghyun's affections back.

Thankfully, it never worked. At first, Kibum was sure Jonghyun had said something to him; but it was Jinki who had physically stepped into the group and had Changsun step back with thinly veiled patience and a flimsy smile on his lips. It was like that between the two. Changsun would be wild and mannerless, but the moment Jinki were to get involved, he would back down immediately.

So throughout the majority of their relationship, Changsun more or less left Jonghyun alone; and as time went on and Jinki eventually decided to move in with his other friends rather than Changsun again, Kibum had thought it was over and that they would never have to see Changsun or his slimy face again.

Until the Friday that he shows up outside their suite door, knocking with a flat hand and a wide, mischievous smile on his face.

Kibum's the one who answers, because he just so happens to be the first home today, and he suddenly finds himself extremely relieved that that's the case. Minho, who is usually all smiles, seems to like Changsun even less than Kibum does - which is  a surprise. Minho likes everyone, so maybe it could and should be seen as a sign that he doesn't like someone as popular among the student body as Changsun.

"What are you doing here?" Kibum asks with flat eyes, not even bothering to hide the contempt in his voice. He's not dating Jonghyun anymore, and Changsun isn't someone he needs to be kind to simply because of the friend they have in common.

Changsun's eyebrow raises ever so subtly, and Kibum knows he's not imagining the little sneer that he's being given in response by the other boy. He's just about to shut the door in his face, in fact, when Changsun jams a foot in the doorway.

"I'm only here to talk to Jinki. I know he's almost done with classes for the day, so I figured I'd wait for him here." Changsun explains.

And Kibum rolls his eyes, because if he's come all this way to talk to Jinki, he's likely got a good reason for it.

"Fine." Is all he says with a curt nod, and he releases the door without another word. He abandons Changsun in the living room, ready to call either Jinki or campus police in the case that the strange boy wants to try or say something.

Changsun's actually still talking to his retreating back, but Kibum ignores it and hurriedly steps into his room. If he's going to be stuck here with Changsun of all the people in the world, he's going to need some sort of backup.

Kibum: When are you coming home?

He waits, biting on his nail as he feels the anxiety build in his chest. What is he supposed to do? Socialize with an exes ex?

Minho: My friends want me to go to dinner with them. Why?

Kibum decides not to answer. If Minho's got plans, it won't be fair to drag him away from them just because Kibum's feeling a little anxious. He scrolls through his messages. Taemin's busy rehearsing for his next performance with Jongin, which leaves...

Kibum: Hyung? Changsun's here looking for you.

As expected, there's no response from Jinki. He's really bad with technology and they've all known this, but that didn't make it easier to deal with the lack of communication with the elder.

Left with no choice, Kibum takes a deep breath.

Kibum: Sorry to bother you. Changsun's here. He won't leave until hyung comes home and I don't know when that is.

Thankfully, and not at all surprisingly like it possibly should've been considering he hasn't kept in contact with Jonghyun, Kibum's former partner's response is nearly instantaneous.

Jonghyun: On my way. Stay in ur room til i get there.

And Kibum is suddenly reminded of all the little things Jonghyun did that had won his heart with to begin with. He's exceptionally good with words, yes, but Jonghyun took it upon himself to know everything about a partner so he could be the most attentive one he can be.

So it's not entirely unimaginable that he would know how nervous being around Changsun makes Kibum. It's not like Kibum's ever kept it hidden from him.

True to his words, Jonghyun arrives just minutes later. He's all the way across campus in the performance building, but he's always the most dependable in a situation like this. He knows it's Jonghyun because he just throws the front door open and questions Changsun with that loud voice of his, sparing no time for pleasantries.

Kibum makes it just in time to see Jonghyun's eyes just slightly narrowed in Changsun's direction with,

"And just what is it that you have to talk to hyung about today that it can't wait until Monday?"

Part of Kibum wonders if Jonghyun had actually come to rescue him or to question Changsun about his intentions with Jinki, but before he can investigate it further, the front door opens again.

Kibum's startled to see Minho standing there with his eyes widened in alarm as they fix on him with almost a sense of urgency. But when he sees Kibum, dragging his eyes up and down Kibum's now self conscious frame and decides he's okay, his gaze shifts over to where both Changsun and Jonghyun are staring back at him.

"Did you text him, too?" Jonghyun asks, his eyebrows ever so slightly furrowed like he has any real right to be annoyed by it.

"Too?" Minho asks, and Jonghyun's frustrations are shared on his own expression. It's only for a second, though; because his expression is schooled as it refocuses on the person he's probably suspected Kibum needed help dealing with.

"What are you doing here, Changsun?"

Changsun, for his part, seems all too amused by the trio,

"Did you rehearse this or what? All of you are asking me basically the same question."

Kibum's eyes dart over to Minho, though, in confusion. Why would Minho choose Kibum over his friends, anyway? And just because of a text of all things? And why did the very idea of being important enough that Minho would drop anything for him make his heart flutter and threaten to skip a beat?

And not just him, either. Sure, Jonghyun was the protective type to do this for anyone, but to actually leave everything behind for Kibum, who had broken up with him?

Jonghyun's cordial relationship with Changsun now is proof that amicable splits can exist. While they're nowhere near as they had been before they had dated, it was worth noting that the two had enough respect in each other that they can at least be civil together.

Or, they were civil. It's not really sure why Jonghyun's glaring so hard at him. Maybe it's because he's trying to protect Kibum, or maybe because he's worried about what Changsun wants from Jinki.

"We won't ask again." Minho says, a poorly made attempt to hide what is likely a threat from him. He's a gentle giant in most aspects, but his anger can be swift and incredibly destructive.

Even Jonghyun seems a little concerned by the taller boy's little threat, his eyes shifting quietly to Minho for just a moment. As quickly as he's looked over at Minho, however, his attention returns to Kibum. There's a question there, in his eyes, that Kibum finds he doesn't actually have an answer for.

He just knows that he hadn't expected to feel this safe, and around Minho of all people.

Minho is furious. Okay. Maybe furious is the wrong word. But he is jealous. He'd rushed out of a dinner that was extremely important, in which he was able to talk to a senior in his department named Changmin and get personal advice from the older student.

He'd rushed out, because Kibum stopped answering his messages, and he'd given a bumbling apology to the senior about why he'd needed to leave. And then he was sprinting across the campus because he was worried.

Only to find that Kibum had also texted Jonghyun for help. Which makes sense, now that he knows why Kibum had been looking for help; and Minho's sure the boy's also texted Jinki hoping that the elder would hurry home, but his heart still stings when he gets home and sees Jonghyun had arrived like the knight in shining armor.

Again. Just like always.

Jonghyun was always the knight in shining armor for Kibum, while Minho was always light years behind just waiting for his star to come into his orbit again. It was so unfair, so cruel --

And yet, Minho didn't want to be anywhere else.

"If you must know," Changsun says, which snaps Minho's attention back to him,

"I'm having a party tonight at my suite and wanted to ask him to pick up a keg."

Which is something they should've seen coming. Changsun is a heavy partier, and for whatever reason, Jinki was always there supplying booze and otherwise present at all of the other's parties even despite being such a heavy introvert.

But it's a little concerning how Changsun still needs Jinki to go and get a keg for a party he's not even throwing. They're of the same age, and both can legally acquire alcohol, but this is always something Changsun has had Jinki do for him.

Changsun tends to treat Jinki more like an errand boy than an actual friend, and judging by the slightest twitch of Jonghyun's jaw, Minho's not the only one who thinks so. Why the elder pair continues to associate with the unsavory character that is Lee Changsun is a mystery to Minho, but it certainly seems to be a regret to Jonghyun now.

Before anyone can say anything towards Changsun about what they think about his using Jinki, the front door to their suite opens, and in walks the very person they're talking about. He looks a little flustered, and his eyes are a little wide.

"Jinki!" Changsun coos, pushing past the little group to get to Jinki and throw an arm around his shoulder,

"Just who I wanted to see. Come! Let's talk in your room!"

Without letting Jinki even have a moment to look at his roommates or say anything in response to Changsun just showing up at their suite, he's ushered into his single room.

Now that Changsun is out of view, Kibum releases a heavy breath. Minho's not even sure he's aware he's been holding onto it for so long, and he's not sure if Kibum just shares his sentiments on how rotten of a person Changsun is.

"Come on. Let's get you a drink." Minho suggests gently, placing a hand on the small of Kibum's back in an effort to guide him in the direction of their kitchen.

Kibum allows the touch and his feet move on their own; but when Minho turns in Jonghyun's direction to ask if he wants to join them, he sees that look on Jonghyun's face. It's of concern, possibly even fear. Even though he himself has dated Changsun back in the past and even though they're in good terms now, he's not blind to how Changsun treats people badly when he thinks of them as inferior. It's obvious he thinks that's the case for Jinki.

He wants to open his mouth. Say something comforting because Jonghyun doesn't need to worry over someone as strong as Jinki. But that's not something that can be helped, is it? Just like Minho had sprinted across the campus for Kibum's sake even over a vague text, Jonghyun's not going to leave the vicinity when someone he doesn't trust is alone with Jinki.

Shaking his head in fondness of the tense situation, Minho trails after Kibum into the kitchen. He's got a glass in the sink, and the tap is running, with water overflowing right into the drain. Silent, Minho reaches around his frame and shuts the tap off.

"Hey. Minnie?" Kibum calls out, his voice soft and unsure as he glances at Minho out of the corner of his eye,

"Did you really give up your dinner with friends for me?"

Minho feels his face turn red. How is he supposed to answer that? Especially when he's trying so hard to keep his feelings under wraps so that Kibum can take his time to heal from Jonghyun? It just wouldn't be fair to draw attention to it now, would it?

"It felt urgent." Minho replies as nonchalantly as he can manage, and he ducks his head from view as soon as Kibum's head starts turning in his direction.

Kibum's silent for too long of a moment, possibly to think about the answer Minho's given him, and then there's the quiet shuffle of footsteps behind him and a pair of slender arms wrapped around his midsection. He can feel the press of Kibum's head on his back, the heat radiating from his head. He wonders if Kibum can hear how loud his heart is beating as they stand there together.

"Sorry," the slighter mumbles, just barely heard from where his voice is muffled by Minho's sweater,

"I didn't want to bother you while you were with your friends so I ended up telling Jjong about it."

Which is an explanation Minho doesn't need to receive, but he's brought back to when he'd said Kibum was being pathetic out of nothing but jealousy and spite and he realizes just how hard Kibum must have taken his careless words.

Slowly, carefully, Minho turns around in his grasp, trying not to seem overly eager as he holds a hand up and hovers it above Kibum's head. He longs for nothing more than the ability to run his fingers through those brunette locks, but can't bring himself to touch him. Even with Kibum in his arms like this, he feels so utterly unattainable for Minho.

"Bummie. I will always drop everything for you." Minho swears, ducking his head so that his voice is pressing directly into Kibum's ears, like his words will get lost any other way,

"So please don't hesitate to call me. Or text me. Or anything that you need to get me."

Just stop running to Jonghyun for everything, he thinks to add, but he can tell by the shuddering breath Kibum takes that it's not necessary to bring up. Kibum's got the message loud and clear even without it. It might take some time for the words to fully sink in, but Minho is more than glad, and more than willing, to prove to Kibum no matter how long that it takes, that he's going to be the one that Kibum can depend on, not Jonghyun.

Jonghyun, who chooses that very moment to walk into the kitchen where Minho's still standing there with Kibum clutching onto him like he's going to fall apart otherwise. He says nothing, just eyes them for a long moment. When Kibum finally notices him, likely due to how tense Minho's gotten (because he's afraid of what Kibum will do when he sees the elder), the slighter clears his throat and pulls back just enough to give them both some breathing room.

Still, Minho notes, his hand his curled around the fabric of Minho's sweater like he can't even think about letting go.

"Did he leave?" Minho asks, as an attempt to diffuse the tension in the room.

Jonghyun looks over in the direction of the common area with a deep scowl set on his face, "Yeah, and hyung went off to buy a keg."

Which had been Changsun's true purpose of having come talk to Jinki anyway, but the distaste on Jonghyun's face is clear.

"I'm surprised you didn't go with him." Minho says with a scowl that matches, the irritation filling him as he remembers that Changsun just isn't someone he wants to associate with personally.

There's a scoff this time that comes from Jonghyun's mouth, and he strolls forward to get a glass of water for himself.

"Jinki said it's a seedy little bar that he gets the alcohol from and he doesn't want to stick out by bringing someone with him," Jonghyun explains, which is a cause for alarm all on its own.

While Changsun doesn't care for anyone's safety or happiness other than his own, Minho knows how much Jinki's risking himself for the man's whims. They all do. And while Jinki wants to protect Changsun, the rest of them only care about protecting Jinki.

Minho looks over at Jonghyun, then back down to where Kibum's standing with a pensive look in his eye. He's still holding onto Minho, but there's an idea swirling around in his pretty little head and Minho can just see the steam building.

He's about to poke and prod at the slighter, but then Kibum's looking up at him with a little challenging glint in his eye, "I never thought I'd say this, but how about we crash a party tonight?"

Which, in all honesty, should probably not be as hot as it is to Minho. 
 

Jonghyun: We're crashing a party hyung is going to.

Jonghyun: If ur not busy u shud come.

Jonghyun: Bring Jongin. 

Taemin thinks he's being sly when he drags his gaze from his messages to Jongin's face, but Jongin's just leaning on the glass mirror of the dance studio with his arms crossed and the world's most infuriatingly patient smile on his face.

He clears his throat and looks away like he hadn't just been caught in the act.

Things are a little awkward. For Taemin, anyway. Jongin's got a lot more experience in dating so it's not entirely a surprise that he's just waiting for Taemin to call the shots, but Taemin isn't really sure where to go from here.

Sure, they've kissed. They've also held hands. And they've been friends for so long that there's no real nervous energy between them the way other new couples would have it.

But -- what's next? Jongin's seemingly content with letting Taemin decide on their pace. But Taemin just -- would rather be told what Jongin wants out of a relationship (?) with him.

Taemin clears his throat again, tucking his cellphone back into his pocket. He's wringing his fingers out of nervousness now. A nervousness he hasn't felt until just now. Would this technically be a date? Is their first date really going to be at a college party?

He looks back over to Jongin, slower this time. There's an expectancy in his eyes as he stares back, his eyebrow twitching upward.

"Spit it out, Taem." Jongin murmurs as he pushes himself off of the wall.

Chuckling, or just plain forcing himself to laugh, Taemin answers with, "Well, Jonghyun invited us to a party and I wanted to ask you to go with me but isn't that kind of weird for a first date? I mean I'd rather do the whole cheesy restaurant and flowers thing and walk together under the moonlight and-"

He's cut off when Jongin reaches him, reaching his hand out to tip Taemin's head back and brush their lips together briefly. It's an attempt to keep Taemin from rambling and he knows it, but he can't say he minds when their lips part and Taemin's eyes flutter open to find Jongin giving him that amused look.

"How about we pop in at the party for your friends' sake, and then we go on that date?" Jongin offers, and Taemin's brain answers with a pleased hum that alerts Taemin to how much better of an idea that is in comparison to just spending a night surrounded by drunk college kids.

He doesn't always act like it, but Taemin's almost as big of an introvert as Jinki is. It's just that he works a little harder to be social than the elder.

"I like the way your brain works." He blurts out, and then he's just standing there and gaping at a surprised Jongin.

He tilts his head back and laughs in that captivating way that always drove Taemin's mind into overdrive. Even now, he longs to keep hearing that laugh, and longs to be the reason behind it.

When the laughter dies down and Jongin tilts his head back down to see why Taemin's so silent, he clears his own throat and looks away. Taemin must be looking at him with more intensity than previously believed. Jongin's fighting off a blush, turning back towards the mirror to go and grab his bag.

"No. Come here." Taemin chides, his voice soft and playful as he latches onto Jongin's wrist and tugs until Jongin is willingly pulled back into his chest.

Just as Jongin had done just moments prior, Taemin gently places a hand on the side of Jongin's neck, using it to tilt Jongin's head just slightly and leaning in to kiss him nice and slow. Jongin goes with it easily, his arms coming up to wrap around Taemin's waist as his lips move seamlessly against Taemin's.

The studio is entirely silent, so all that Taemin can hear is the sound of their breaths intertwined, and of their heartbeats in their steady rhythm. Jongin's cologne is strong yet subtle, feels like it's sinking into his skin and just overwhelming him in the best of ways. One of his hands is in Jongin's hair, feeling the soft curly locks that Jongin always tries so hard but fails to tame.

There are so many things going on at once, and Taemin is aware of all of it like he's seeing them from outside their perspective. Why had they taken so long to get to this point? The rest might be complicated. The dates and the words. But there's nothing complicated about being with Jongin.

Jongin, who'd been his best friend for years and could tame his wildest tides. Jongin, who has so much confidence and poise and still leans back with the most bashful smile on his face when they part like Taemin's the one who is being unexpectedly endearing.

"We should go if you want to go to the party." Jongin says, a decent attempt at changing the subject as he tries to extract himself from Taemin's embrace.

But Taemin doesn't let him get away that easily. He pulls Jongin back one more time, leaning forward to playfully nip at Jongin's bottom lip and then letting himself kiss it tender when Jongin gasps just the softest way.

"I changed my mind about the party," Taemin says. His head is bowed forward and leaning against Jongin's, and his eyes are closed as he breathes the boy in again.

"Oh?" Jongin asks, and there's a dreamy lilt to his tone like he wants to just float away.

"Go on a date with me instead." Whereas he'd felt so uncertain about it just a little while ago, things always snap into place when Jongin's so close to him. How could they not? Taemin's known for a long time already that Jongin balanced him out in every way needed.

"Since when have you been such a romantic?" Jongin questions, and Taemin's eyes open to see the teasing flicker of Jongin's eyes.

Taemin answers with a grin and a peck and a,

"Apparently all I've ever needed to be a romantic is you."

Baffled by the turn of events and even more surprised by his friend's blunt admission, Jongin just stares. He blinks and stares some more. He might even be getting a little teary eyed, to Taemin's fond amusement.

"Stop it, Taem." Jongin nearly whines, as he finally manages to get out of Taemin's arms and makes a dash for his things like Taemin is following,

"It's embarrassing to blush this much."

And sure, it really might be. Taemin's been blushing a lot too, though, so he kind of thinks Jongin is being a little over dramatic about it.

But it's also kind of cute to see Jongin acting like a lovestricken high school girl, as twisted as that may seem.

So, just as Jongin gets to the door exiting the dance studio, Taemin dashes after him, taking the boy's hand in his own and lacing their fingers together as they leave the room.

Jongin looks down at their joined hands with a smile tugging at the corners of his lips, but he doesn't say anything regarding them. He just lets them swing between them.

They still have to go shower and change if they really want to go on their date, but they're enjoying a companionable silence as they head in the direction of Jongin's dorm.

All too soon, their walk is over. The moon is already starting its ascent into the night sky and the lamp posts going up and down the walkways are turning on all at once. It's a tranquil kind of night. Everyone's already either at their dorms or with their friends or even at whatever party Jonghyun had messaged him about.

And despite knowing they're only parting for a little while before their impromptu date, they linger. Jongin has rosy cheeks as his eyes dart from Taemin's to the ground, Taemin has red ears as he does the same.

"So. About that date."  Taemin says, because he doesn't want to keep putting it off. This is something that really matters to him.

Jongin grins, his shyness easing up as he lifts his gaze again to meet with Taemin's,  "Am I coming to get you or are you coming to get me?"

This, Taemin realizes. Being with Jongin, like this, is always going to be so easy for him.

There aren't many things that Jonghyun can think back on and truly regret in his life, but one of the things he truly regrets is dating Lee Changsun. They had met through Jinki, because the pair had known each other since they were in diapers.

Jonghyun hadn't really been interested in the guy, except he'd ended up with proximity disorder after wanting to learn more about Jinki. Changsun might not have been good for Jonghyun, but there was no denying that he knew Jinki better than Jonghyun did.

But it really was a relief when he and Changsun had split. His ex was crass and mannerless, and liked to point out and fixate on flaws. He had grown up rich, too, which made him oblivious and entitled at times.

And, he really doesn't like the way Changsun treats Jinki. Jinki, beautiful and kind Jinki, with more patience than anyone deserved to receive from him, had a tendency to remain oblivious even in the face of Changsun's worst treatments of him. But Jonghyun always notices.

He notices when Changsun makes an off handed remark about Jinki's hair. He notices when Jinki's favorite shirt that he took extremely good care of suddenly appeared in his closet with holes in it. He notices when Changsun throws all of his own belongings in Jinki's half of their shared room.

But Jinki is the type who needs to see it in person. He can't be told things about people, because he believes in seeing the best of anyone until he just happens to see the worst. It's a frustrating aspect of his personality. Jonghyun had tried, especially in the early days following his split with Changsun, to get Jinki to split from him, but Jinki had defended Changsun with a soft, hurt, 'I know he doesn't always act like it, but Channie is a good person, Jjong.'

And that had been the end of it. Jinki doesn't really hang out with his former roommate now that he's living with the others, but there are the occasional parties and such that Jinki feels obligated into going to simply for the fact that he doesn't want Changsun doing something stupid enough to get him kicked out of college.

Like tonight, with Jinki wheeling a keg of questionable beer into Changsun's suite as the music blares in their ears around him. He hates that this is Jinki's role, and that Jinki is willing to get himself into trouble for someone who wouldn't do the same for him.

He also hates it when he glances over from where he's talking to Taeyeon and Tiffany and sees Jinki leaning back against the wall with Changsun hovering over him, a hand placed on the wall beside the red-haired boy's head like he's planning on leaning in to kiss him.

He doesn't know why, but the very thought of them kissing makes Jonghyun's blood feel like it's boiling beneath his skin. He doesn't really know if it's unease because of Changsun's character or jealousy, but knows it's unpleasant in nature.

"Jjong?" Taeyeon asks, and she lifts a hand, placing it gently on his shoulder as if to ground him with it.

Jonghyun's gaze flickers back to her in embarrassment. She's a kind person, and someone Jonghyun's always gotten along with since they both started as first years. She's got a vocal range that is extremely difficult to maintain, and takes extreme pride in her musical talents.

"Sorry. What were you saying?" He asks her. She doesn't buy his pathetic attempt to redraw attention to their conversation, but she doesn't say anything about it. Her eyes just sparkle knowingly, and she just continues on with their conversation. She does turn just a little, though, so that Jonghyun can have a little better of an angle to watch Jinki and Changsun from behind her.

Minho and Kibum are at the party somewhere, too. They're both social butterflies in their own rights, but he'd seen Minho keeping a close eye on Kibum. He's not entirely sure what's going on between them, but it doesn't hurt him to know that Kibum's moving on.

Especially now that they're actually seeming to be moving on from their joint past, at least a little bit. It'll take time, but he's got the confidence that their bond is worth more.

By the time he glances back over Taeyeon's shoulder to where Jinki had been, the elder is missing. His heart nearly seizes in its chest. He had just looked away for a moment, so where could Jinki have gone in that time?

"Tae I have to get going. Hyung disappeared." Jonghyun says under his breath, reaching out to place a hand of comfort on her slim shoulder.

Taeyeon grins knowingly, though Jonghyun isn't actually sure of what she knows about the situation.

"When are you going to tell him you love him?" Taeyeon asks, just as he pulls his hand off of her to turn away and look for him.

He freezes where he is, eyes wide like a deer caught in the headlights of a vehicle. Just what in the hell is she even talking about, anyway?

"I think the better question is when is he going to realize he loves Jinki?" Tiffany says like she's trying to correct the other girl.

They're both snickering, and Jonghyun simply shakes his head as he turns and continues on his search for Jinki.

Loving Jinki?

He'd never even thought of that as a possibility for himself.

Why would Jinki ever want someone like him, anyway?

When he eventually catches up to Jinki, the elder is outside in the darkness of the night alone. It's very reminiscent of the day they had been outside after Jonghyun's first performance of the year. He'd been curious about it, about Jinki's monodrama.

He had also been a little jealous about the elder's monodrama. While Jinki has dated in the past, his relationships never lasted more than a week or two at a time, and he was always saying he was waiting for someone special to come along so he could give away his heart.

So hearing that Jinki wanted to give his heart to someone who apparently didn't want Jinki's heart in turn stung Jonghyun in more ways than it should have. After all, if someone didn't want Jinki's heart, Jonghyun would gladly take it.

Wait. He catches his line of thought with a frown and a wrinkle of his nose. Since when have his thoughts about Jinki been like that? Jinki, whom he respected and wanted the best for with all of his heart?

Is this another of the things that Jonghyun hadn't caught up on before someone else brought it to his attention? But how in the world would that be possible when of the pair, Jinki's typically the oblivious one and not himself?

He watches silently for a moment as Jinki digs something out of his pocket, his shoulders sinking with disappointment when he realizes it's a pack of smokes. Jinki, who felt like his sense of self was gone with his ability to sing, was willing to damage his vocal chords more with something as dangerous as a cigarette?

Just as Jinki pulls a lighter out of his pocket to light the damn thing, Jonghyun crosses the distance between them, yanks the offending object out of Jinki's mouth, and tosses it somewhere in the grass beside them. He'll have to dig around for it later. Right now his attention is on --

"Jjong what the ?" Jinki asks in bewilderment, thrown by the very fact that Jonghyun had followed him outside just to throw his innocent cigarette away.

"Why are you being so self destructive?" Jonghyun demands, his voice going up in volume as his frustration takes hold of it,

"Letting Changsun take advantage of you? Exercising to the point where your body is falling apart? Staying up for hours every single night? And now smoking? What the is going on in your head?"

But before Jinki can even open his mouth to argue back, Jonghyun continues with,

"I get that things are hard for you right now, hyung. But do you know how hard it is to watch you do all this to yourself? I don't even know how to help you!"

Jinki recoils visibly, his mouth opening and shutting multiple times as he works through some sort of explanation or excuse or something similar to the two. He looks hurt all of a sudden.

"Why are you yelling at me?" Jinki asks, his voice quiet, maybe even a little shaky as he holds back tears that are probably stinging at the corners of his eyes.

And, Jonghyun realizes, he doesn't really know. He doesn't know why he's so furious all of a sudden. He doesn't know why he's so mad about Jinki's recent choices that he'd follow him out of a party just to yell at him.

But it's too late to even process it.

Jinki is frozen there for a second, then says, "I think I'm going to leave so you can have some time to clear your head. I don't know why you're mad at me but we can talk about it when you're not anymore."

And he's speechless to stop Jinki, torn because of his own indecision.

Jinki's the first one back in the suite, his heart crushed and his mood spoiled. All over a pack of cigarettes, he realizes with a bitter chuckle. He tosses the whole pack into the garbage can, then feels his hands clenching at his sides as he remembers Jonghyun's treatment of him.

Just what crawled into Jonghyun's beer and died that made Jonghyun so angry that he would take it out on Jinki, anyway?

He sniffles despite his best efforts to keep from crying. Damn that Jonghyun, he thinks as he rubs at his eyes. Was he just angry because he'd seen Minho and Kibum flirting in a corner at the party? If that's the case, why take it out on Jinki rather than the pair of them?

The front door of their suite is thrown open, and Jinki knows without checking that it's Jonghyun, but he refuses to even talk to the younger unless he's proven that he's given himself time to think and calm down.

But it comes unavoidable when Jonghyun starts knocking on his door with an open palm. Jinki's lips are pressed as he tries to stare through the door, to assess the younger's intentions on whether or not he's going to yell at Jinki some more.

"Jinki," Jonghyun calls, and there's remorse in his tone, his words pleading to Jinki's ears,

"Open up. Please?"

Jinki takes a quick glance in the mirror, noting his eyes are still red from crying and his nose is just a little pink. He doesn't want to be seen like this, and least of all by Jonghyun.

"Are you going to yell at me again?" Jinki asks, and he cringes at how nasally his tone sounds after crying. It's embarrassing for him to cry so hard because of someone at his age, isn't it?

"Oh, Jinki." And Jonghyun's voice is cracking ever so slightly as his knocking stops. Jinki can already imagine the way Jonghyun is now fully leaning against the door with his eyes shut tightly to hold his own tears back.

"I'm not going to yell, Jinki." Jonghyun tells him through the door, his tone now soft, gentle,

"Please let me in?"

So, after a brief moment of hesitation because he really hates being vulnerable around other people, Jinki swings the door to his bedroom open. His eyes are fixed on a point just beyond Jonghyun's head because he's a little ashamed about crying over whatever small things Jonghyun had said because of his own hurt.

"Oh, Jinki." Jonghyun says again, and all of a sudden his slightly smaller hands are on Jinki's face, so warm against his skin and so gentle like Jinki's about to shatter like glass.

And despite the fact that Jonghyun is the one that made him cry to begin with, Jinki can't pretend he doesn't feel worlds better just standing there in the threshold to his bedroom with Jonghyun's thumbpads gently brushing his tears away. Which is probably a little pathetic. But still, Jinki accepts it. Jinki accepts it, let's his sadness seep out of him as he watches the beautiful Jonghyun with his overly expressive face bite at his lower lip as he diligently wipes the remainder of Jinki's tears away.

"I hate the way Changsun treats you." Jonghyun admits quietly, his eyes avoiding Jinki's like he's entirely ashamed to even bring it up.

"How Changsun treats me?" Jinki echoes in his confusion, swallowing a thick lump. He realizes that the others think of him as the oblivious type, but had that noticed Changsun treating him badly enough that even Jinki's missed it before?

"Like you're beneath him, Jinki." Jonghyun says, his tone carefully blank like he's restraining his emotions,

"And you enable it. I mean, are you kidding? You went and got the keg for his party?"

And part of Jinki wonders if Jonghyun might just be a little jealous. Because in all honesty, why does it matter if Jinki's doing something like picking up a keg for someone's party? Sure it's not entirely legal, but if any of Jinki's friends had asked him to do such a thing, he'd gladly do it just to feel like he can be of use to them.

"Oh. That?" Jinki asks, and he remembers that he'd expressly told Jonghyun that the younger couldn't go with him to get it. He must have been worried.

"The owner is a family friend," Jinki explains with a little shrug, and he's quietly noting that Jonghyun had yet to remove his hands from the elder's face,

"He said he'll keep it quiet as long as I don't go around advertising his kegs. I didn't think he'd appreciate it if I brought anyone along, sorry, Jjong."

Jonghyun doesn't seem entirely too mollified by the explanation, but he relents with a sigh, finally removing his hands from Jinki's face. The elder has to bite back the urge to follow him, to close the distance that Jonghyun keeps creating between them.

"You don't have to worry about me, Jonghyun." Jinki reminds the younger, lifting his own hand and letting it ruffle Jonghyun's hair, which feels soft and silky beneath his fingertips.

"I know none of you are actually crazy about Changsun, but I wouldn't let him do anything that would put me or you -any of you- in danger."

And he hopes the conviction in his voice is strong enough to convince Jonghyun. While Changsun is a generally good person who goes out of his way to help people, he has a pretentious air about him and often rubs people the wrong way.

Jinki had taken it upon himself to keep Changsun out of trouble, if only because their parents are friends and he doesn't want to explain to the elder's parents why their son is in a hospital bed. But it doesn't change the fact that even Jinki himself thinks Changsun can be too much occasionally. He had been livid when Jonghyun had ended things with him and Changsun had persisted just because his ego wouldnt let him let it go. He's been even more annoyed when Changsun went out of his way to make Kibum uncomfortable just because he liked that kind of control; and had nearly punched the elder himself in his face once when his theatrics had gone so far that he nearly made Kibum of all people cry.

Jonghyun's shoulders finally drop, and the younger of the pair takes a deep sigh, releasing it so hard that it looks like it can hurt him. Jinki wants to comment on it, but his mouth is then left feeling dry when Jonghyun turns his attention back to his face. There's something flickering there in his face that makes Jinki lose track of his concentration.

"Is he... is he the one?" Jonghyun asks now, full of trepidation. His fingers are fidgeting, but he's got his hands clenched tight and he's fighting the urge to shove them into his pockets the way he always does in a moment of duress.

'Is he the one?' The one? What even -- and then he's brought back to that night a few weeks ago, where he had heard Jonghyun's song Monodrama for the first time and had let it slip why he felt as though he could relate to it so strongly. Was Jonghyun asking out of jealousy? Would Jinki be an awful person if he wants Jonghyun to have asked out of jealousy? Even if he has absolutely nothing to be jealous of?

"Why are you asking, Jonghyun?" He questions, his eyebrows furrowing in confusion. Jonghyun's never shown an interest in his lovelife until recently, and part of Jinki wonders if it's just to be a distraction because of how things ended with Jonghyun and Kibum.

Will he ever stop feeling like he's just a placeholder while Jonghyun grieves between relationships that end? He'd felt like a placeholder at the end of Changsun, too. It wasn't really Jonghyun's fault, but Jinki had been hurt that Jonghyun kept coming to him with a broken heart like he couldn't tell how much he was breaking Jinki's heart in turn.

Jonghyun at his lips, and he's utterly quiet as his eyes rake over Jinki's form. He himself seems to be a little confused as to why he's wondering about the answer to that question.

Jinki, feeling pathetic and like he's wearing his heart on his sleeve, utters, "No. He's not the one, Jonghyun."

'You are,' is what his mental voice continues with, but he doesn't dare utter the words, doesn't dare give them form becase he knows he'll only regret telling Jonghyun.

Because the last time he'd confessed his feelings to Jonghyun, the younger had laughed right in his face.

hiii. welcome to chapter 6. i didn't get many comments from the last chapter so i'm not sure if everyone was just too busy or just didn't know about it or just didn't like it. rip. my anxiety got to me real bad. but i love this story even if it's not very popular. it pulls at my heart in ways that remind me of how much i loved writing growing up. i want to thank all of my readers, old and new, for joining us on this journey and being patient with me as i write it. i really appreciate each and every one of you. i hope to hear some more feedback on how it's going, but i hope you enjoy this chapter! i'll see you next weekend. :-)