It was doomsday and Key certainly felt like that. Doomed. He had thought and he had thought, turned out the dates did not make anything easier at all. It made things much, much worst as he had loved both the dates in completely different way. In weak laughter he feebly asked himself 'Both?'. But having both wouldn't be fair on anyone in the long run or possibly even the short run. He had to get this over and done with - once and for all. 

What would Batman do? He asked himself - that did not come up with any good answers. He had only two options, two paths to choose and it was damn hard, he had to wonder if there was a third. And he couldn't have both he quickly reminded himself.

 

Then he made the smartest decision he had made pretty much all year, he used a help-line. Phone a friend.

---

Mr and Mrs Choi had never seen anything like this, their house was in chaos or at least it seemed like from all the pacing back and forth. They were half surprised they weren't wearing out the floor from underneath them and travelling into the foundations, that was not all Minho just could not seem to keep still and he fidgeted like mad as if he could not bare not doing something with himself - more than often he ended up picking something up and leaving it somewhere completely different only to pick it up and put it back from where he had got it.

They just did not understand what that happened to them all of a sudden, it was like waiting for something big to happen but never quite knowing what or when for the parents. They were half wondering when they should move out as most of them were nearing or where young adults now - normally they would not have thought it but acting like this they had seemed to taken over the whole house they could not go into any room without any peace not to mention how the food seemed to disappear super fast this day due to eating because it was something to do. It was a bit like a nightmare so they decided they would go for a nice drive and hope desperately the house would be intact and looking like how they left it.

Jonghyun felt like crying, the wait was killing him and crying seemed like the most reasonable thing to do at the moment considering his mixed bundle of emotions that he had at the moment, he was the one doing most of the pacing. He could not bear the wait and so obviously couldn't Minho due to his constant messing with stuff, their attitudes seemed to have spread onto everyone else from Onew to even Heechul there was an air of impatience. Taemin had decided to do the smart thing and just zonk out until it was time and was currently resting his sleeping head on Heechul's lap, Heechul looked as if he wanted to join Minho in just doing something but stayed still to allow Taemin to sleep so was instead furiously destroying fruit and the likes on his phone with his lower arm moving like crazy whilst he tried keeping his lower body as still as possible. It was an interesting sight.

Onew was washing dishes, which would not be bad if he not washed the same dish at least seven times already. In fact it was no wonder the parents felt they had to leave for a little peace. Overall waiting for an answer was infuriating especially considering how impatient everyone had built themselves up to be. Minho was currently looking at a book he had randomly picked up but not really reading it, for one thing it was upside down. Jonghyun was humming the most irritating little buzzing noise which made Heechul twitch a little more than half tempted to throw his phone at the younger. Taemin was drooling and Onew was on a glass for the ninth time before putting it on the draining board. Finally Heechul had enough.

"That's it!" He almost yelled but sort of quietened himself half way through remembering Taemin was asleep on his lap. He took a deep irritated breath. "We're all going for a walk." He finished, they had to go do something before they all drove him mad. Thanks to his commanding tone they all were quick to agree thankfully, well aside from Taemin considering he hadn't woke up yet so they left him there in a blanket and a hastily scribbled note saying they all went for a walk as it seemed a shame to wake them.

The walk soon ended up as a jog and then a run considering all the pent energy everyone seemed to have much to Heechul's chargin. Running was just too much effort for him but it stopped them driving him crazy so he deemed it a success. They returned back tired out and drained from their run (they had looked a bit like a pack of dogs chasing a squirrel Heechul had to think) and Heechul was thankful. Taemin had not seemed to have awoken and it was not time yet but it would not be too long yet until it was time. Time for the decision. To be honest no one had any idea who Key would choose which had mostly worked them up in the first place. Overall Heechul thought that this all was stupid, too much stress and emotions riding on one guy was not that healthy for any of the parties... he just couldn't bear the thought of the heart-break he felt sure was going to happen. He did not want to see the outcome but then again he was too curious which was why he was even there in the first place. 

As the time for Key grew nearer Heechul just felt worst and worst, he could not think of it ending in anything but disaster. Why couldn't they not fall for the same guy, especially seeing as they lived in the same house. Oh the tension Heechul dreaded, the tension. Taemin was going to have to visit him as Heechul sure as hell was not going to visit here if the tension and awkwardness was going to be as he predicted.

---

Key had rung his mother. His mother had always gave good evidence such as her mother before her and her mother before her. He had to think if it was a genetic thing for the women in his family or just a thing about mothers overall. She had told him a lot to think about and called him daft of course for getting himself in this mess, taking it slow is the right way to go she had always told him but he had just rushed in head first. He had to agree with that, he had been rushing himself trying to quickly like them back and decide who to like best so he did not disappoint but he was going to disappoint someone either way. Once he calmed down the answer became clear to him.

---

There was the sound of the door bell and everyone was up. Including Taemin who had woken up recently. Heechul took control and opened the door to show a determined looking Key who gulped lightly seeing as they had all pretty much piled in the door way. They must have been a lot to handle, Heechul gave a frustated sigh before shooing them all into the living room to give Key some breathing space.

Key gave Heechul a thankful smile, Heechul just shrugged and forwarded him in so he could shut the door as it was getting drafty. Key sat on a settee on one end of the living room whilst everyone else sat opposite him on another one as if it was some kind of interregation. All aside from Heechul who decided that he could not handle this and left the room.

Key took a deep breath, this was going to be hard. 

"We should all calm down." Key finally admitted "Love is not something to be rushed, it's not a do all or die. First love may feel like that sometimes as it's all very new and overwhelming but we need to let love grow naturally and gradually. I can say that I am fond of you all... even you Heechul even if you are an ." Key breathed out, he knew Heechul was listening in the passageway. "But I'm not sure if I love any of you like that and that's okay because it does not mean I like you any less but I'm just not ready for all of this - feeling forced into something so I don't hurt feelings but in the end it's only going to hurt everyone's feelings if I make a rash decision. Emotions are crazy I know. What I'm trying to say is... we should not take this as seriously as we have. It's not life or death. I want to be friends first, get to know everyone properly and if feelings develop fully then they develop. What you may feel is love or feels like it but... I cannot accept it until I've sorted myself out and grew into who I am. It may hurt but I cannot offer more without lying to myself." 

"What kind of love encyclopaedia did you steal that one off?" Heechul asked from the hallway leaning against the door frame, Key smiled sheepishly.

"My mother."

---

What Mister and Mrs. Choi had to agree on was that Key was the perfect choice in 'babysitter' as everyone had sort of grew up around him as Key himself grew up. In the end what they had to admit to themselves was that none of their children where little kids anymore but rather they were grown adults but they had sort of stuck to the children roles even having a baby sitter and half of that was not giving them any responsibility or allowing them to grow up in cases. No matter what though they would always be their children even when they all left the nest.

 

 

[THE END]

 

 

 

...

 

Wait what? I'm not even sure if this is a good point to leave it or if I'm cheating but I would like to finish it here even if I'm not sure about the end part about them growing up... ahh I'm not sure in anything.... but I guess this is the end.

Love the author.