"Hey Hyung."

Minho looks tired, head lolled back against the wall, eyes closed. Jonghyun knows its not the busy schedule that has him so stressed. Slowly he takes Minho's hand, playing with his fingers like he usually does with Key, and thinks about this. This thing that's surely killing them. Chewing on his lip he thinks of how to fix this.
 

 

Minho watches him, watches him worry and stress over what he can't really change. Minho can't stop. Can't make him not love both of them. And he hates himself. But he doesn't voice any of it, just pretends to relax, eyes just barely parted to watch his Hyung.

 

Taemin finds comfort outside of the twisted love triangle he's found himself in. Mostly he clings to Key, the boy who is more his Umma than anything. But other times he goes to Kai. He never mentions these moments to Jonghyun or Minho. Because, to him, he doesn't really know what to make of them. Kai is his best friend outside of Shinee. Kai looks up to him. And he's already in love. So Taemin moves back. He just stops. He does what the others can't. He moves away, clinging further to Key and sometimes Onew. Desperately hoping to make sense of  the continuous tension.   
 

 

Key walks on thin ice around the dorm. Every step feels like he's about to fall. But he tries. One night, he hears sobs, broken and strangled and his heart throbs. Jonghyun.

Key has his own turmoil, but he hides it, because someone has to be there to pick up the pieces when this all shatters. He hopes it's not as bad as it seems. But he knows better.

So he holds Jonghyun, shushing him, and murmuring soft words, reassurances. All the while hiding his own silent tears.
 

 

Holding Minho up is Onew. Quiet, strong leader Onew speaks to him in hushed tones. He tells him the things he already knows, but it's honest and he's sure that's what he needs. So he doesn't interrupt. Instead he lays his head in his hyung's lap and stares at the ceiling as he nods and listens.

Onew doesn't want to be honest, doesn't want to remind him whats at steak, but he does it. Because he knows how this will effect them all. Onew is sad and solemn as he speaks, knowing Jonghyun is crying with Key, and Taemin has locked himself in his room. Like always he wishes he could carry more of their burden so they wouldn't have to.
 

 

Jonghyun comes clean a week later.

"I love you."

Minho's eyes go wide, and his breathing is lost somewhere where he can't reach. Because Jonghyun has just said the words everyone's afraid to. He holds up one hand, clearly not finished.

"I love you. So I'm letting you go."

Minho chokes. "What?"

Jonghyun only shakes his head. He is physically incapable of saying anything else, with the way his throat is closed up. Minho stares at him for a second longer, understanding everything he's not saying, and flees.

Jonghyun breaks down in the middle of their living room floor.
 

 

Minho is pissed. He can't believe how Jonghyun handed everything to him, just to take it away. But he knows he's right. They can't. They won't ever be anything. And this whole time Taemin has been hiding and crying on the sidelines. Minho has never hated himself more. He has never been this selfish. Why?
 

 

Taemin has cried himself asleep yet again in Onew's arms. He ranted and ranted about wanting to fix this and how helpless he felt. It was his fault. All his. Onew argued with him the whole time. Taemin didn't do anything wrong, but he hasn't done anything right either. He feels this is only getting worse. And now Minho has runaway. His Minho had, no, not his Minho. Taemin could physically pull himself away, but he couldn't make the feeling stop.
 

 

Key has literally found himself picking up the pieces. Minho broke a glass vase as he fled the house. And now Key is cleaning up the mess. Jonghyun is a crumpled heap on the couch, he has reduced to sniffles and sobs. Taemin had cried himself into oblivion and Onew and Key don't feel too far off. He wants to scream, he realizes. He wants to at them until this is resolved. But he feels so weak in comparison to how he normally is. But he loves Jonghyun, and the others, though differently. So he bites his tongue, and hugs the weeping boy and doesn't let go.
 

 

Onew waits for sunrise. That's the only way to put it. He waits for everything to calm down, because he knows it will work out. They've come too far together to give it all up. They care too much, love too much, and maybe that was the problem, but Onew doesn't believe that. So he holds the youngest in his arms and waits for the storm to pass.

---

An: Alright, who hates me? Just for the record, I did not want to portray them AS weak, but to show that love can MAKE one feel weak. So that was the point there. May or may not have another sequel to this. 

You can find the original/prequel here: http://www.asianfanfics.com/story/view/213111/to-tell-a-lie-2min-jongho-jongtae-shinee-taeminjong
And the final part here:http://www.asianfanfics.com/story/view/215371/1