♪You're giving me what your girlfriend wants. Buying me new jewelry…♪

“Purrrrrfect.”

As Onew surveyed the results of his hard work, he couldn’t resist the sense of pride that bloomed in his chest. He had really outdone himself this time. Everything was ready; he just had to wait for Jong to walk through the door.

“Come on, Hubs, be on time for once,” Onew murmured. He suddenly burst out laughing, thinking of Jong’s reaction if he ever heard Onew’s secret endearment for him. “He’d probably have a .” Still, that’s how he thought of him. You didn’t live with someone for two years without feeling like they were yours. He wondered… Shaking himself, he took a deep breath to calm down. “Don’t even go there, JinKi. Stay in your happy place.”

And he was, happy that is. Once he’d gotten busy organizing the apartment, his mind had been cleared of all the Jong-Key troubles and he’d regained his earlier excitement. Now, he just looked forward to a romantic dinner with his honey and some dessert, on the table and in the bedroom if Jong was willing. It had been months since they’d made love. He wasn’t the complaining type but he did have an ego, which Jong seemed to completely forget. It was one thing for Jong to have feelings for Key but was he not attracted to Onew at all anymore? It hurt a lot more than his pride to think about it.

Just then, he heard the key in the lock. Jonghyun was home. Forcing a bright smile to his face, he rushed to his spot, which was directly across from the door with a ‘Happy Anniversary’ banner strategically hung right above him.

When Jong walked in and saw Onew waiting for him, he started to smile but as his eyes were drawn to the banner above, in addition to Onew’s yell of ‘Surprise!’, he froze. Oh , he’d forgotten. Forcing a wide grin, he casually strolled in, closing the door behind him, and placed his stuff on the sofa.

“What’s all this?”

“Pretty self-explanatory, I should think,” Onew quipped. He walked to where Jong stood, gently placed his hands on his chest and kissed him lightly on the lips. Smiling shyly, he met Jong’s eyes. “Happy Anniversary.”

As Jong gazed into Onew’s eyes, he asked himself, not for the first time, what he’d done to deserve someone so special. Then he thought of Key and wondered why he of all people had been fortunate enough to find love twice, and at the same time, when most people couldn’t even find it once. He felt like sighing but he found himself saying, “Happy anniversary” instead. Onew’s smile was bright enough to blind him and he was caught off-guard when Onew kissed him again, but it was brief. Onew grabbed his hand and dragged him off to the kitchen. “Come, let’s eat. I got all your favourites and I’m going to watch you eat until not a single crumb remains.”

Dinner passed companionably. They talked about their days, what they’d done, who they’d seen, although Onew made sure to omit that he’d run into Key. Everything was going well and that would only make things awkward. After dinner, Jonghyun offered to clear the dishes and load the dishwasher, since he said Onew had done so much already. Onew took that time to sneak into the bedroom and grab Jong’s gift. As Jong stood at the sink washing a few things, Onew snuck up behind him and shouted, “Tada!”

Jong jumped and almost slammed into Onew as he turned around to see Onew holding a box out to him. Onew chuckled at Jong’s reaction, shaking the box at him. “Come on, take it.”

Jong took a deep breath and opened the box. He was in trouble. He’d forgotten the date so of course he had no gift in return. ! He really didn’t want to hurt Onew, not tonight, not after all he’d done to make the day special. Was it possible to sneak out and buy something?

“It’s beautiful…” he whispered, staring down at the expertly crafted watch nestled in its cocoon of silk. The Swarovski crystals that rimmed the face twinkled at him. It really was a piece of art. Onew knew his tastes very well; his nickname in the group wasn’t ‘Bling Bling’ for nothing. He glanced from the watch, to Onew, then back down again. “It’s magnificent... Perfect.” His eyes met Onew’s again. “I don’t know what to say.”

Onew beamed like a puppy that’d been given a treat after learning a new trick. “No need to say anything. I can see how much you love it. That’s all I wanted.”

Jonghyun felt like the worst kind of scoundrel but he owed Onew his honesty, even if it was technically a lie. “I’m sorry but with work and everything lately, I didn’t have time to really look for anything. I’m really sorry…”

Onew’s face fell slightly but he brushed it off and forced himself to stay perky. Waving a hand indifferently, he said, “That’s okay. I’m not giving you a gift because I want something back. Having dinner with you tonight is gift enough. I feel like I hardly see you these days.” He hadn’t meant to sound accusing but some of his true feelings must have slipped through because he could hear it in his voice.

Jonghyun ducked his head in shame. “I’m sorry…” And he really was. Between work, the group and Key, he hadn’t been paying Onew the attention he so richly deserved. Onew wasn’t one to complain or share his feelings, unlike Key, which made it even easier to assume everything was fine, that he was content, but clearly, he wasn’t. “I should run out now and get you something. It’s not too late.”

He started to walk towards the door but Onew laid a hand on his arm and stopped him. “No… I told you, it’s okay. You can get me something tomorrow or whenever. I’d much rather just have you home right now.” Onew slipped his arms around Jong’s waist and laid his head on Jong’s chest. He inhaled his rich scent, burrowing his face into the softness of Jong’s cotton shirt. It had been so long since he’d been that physically close to him. Just acknowledging that told him how much in disrepair their relationship was.  What had happened? Why had they come so far from what they used to be? He felt Jonghyun’s arms wrap around him and his heart sang. Snuggling closer, he wondered if maybe, just maybe, Jong had missed this as much as he had. Maybe Jong wasn’t as into Key as Onew had thought.

He didn’t know how long they stood like that but eventually he pulled back and looked at Jong’s face. Although he smiled, he could still see the fatigue and strain around Jong’s eyes. Though he’d wanted a full night and had hoped for more, everything had gone well enough that he would be content to cuddle in bed. Reaching up, he gently traced Jong’s dark circles with his thumb. “You should go take a shower and relax. You’ve been working too hard.”

Jong laughed. “Is that your way of telling me I smell and I’m starting to look my age?” Jong teased, poking Onew in the rib playfully.

Onew scoffed and slapped him on the arm, pushing him towards the bedroom and adjoining bath. “Oh shush. Go on with you.”

While Jong was in the shower, Onew tidied up. Just as he was about to hang Jong’s coat up, something fell out of a pocket and onto the couch. It was a jewelry box. Onew glanced quickly at the bedroom then back at the box. He could still hear Jong in the shower so it was safe. Picking up the box, he sat and stared at it for a few seconds. Was it possible that Jong had been acting before? Had he really bought something and was planning to give it to him later? Suddenly, Onew remembered that in the beginning of their relationship, Jong had often surprised him with little trinkets of affection, always when he least expected it. The memory made him smile. Maybe Jong hadn’t been as unaware of Onew’s feelings as he’d assumed. Perhaps he too was tired of the distance between them and wanted to mend it.

“Should I?” he questioned aloud. Maybe he should just wait for Jong to give it to him but curiosity was eating at him. He couldn’t resist so he decided to give in but promised that he’d put on his best surprise face when Jong presented it to him later. Holding his breath in anticipation, he unhooked the tiny gold clasp and lifted the lid.

An audible gasp filled the air. It was beautiful. An intricate white and yellow gold locket nestled on a bed of black satin. He glanced up at the bedroom door again to ensure that it was closed before picking the locket up. It truly was stunning. It looked customized, which made his heart lift even more. How long had it taken Jong to design something so precious? Hooking the accompanying gold chain around his fingers, he the surface of the locket tenderly. It was then that he realized that there was something inscribed on the opposite side. Turning it over, he saw that there was a protruding design on the back. It looked like a musical note or a trumpet. A trumpet? Weird… He held it up to the light to get a better look at it and then he realized what it was. A key. That was even more confusing. A frown had settled between his brows before it finally clicked in his mind. Key. It wasn’t meant for him after all, was it? Jong hadn’t been too busy to shop for his gift, he’d forgotten their anniversary altogether.

Onew started to feel sick. His dinner threatened to come back up, forcing him to take a few calming breaths. There was one way to know for sure. He could open the locket, there was bound to be something inside after all. He told himself he should just get it over with but a tiny part of him still held hope that the gift really was meant for him. Taking a huge gulp of air, he pressed the teensy latch release and watched as the locket swung open. What he saw was enough to send him running to the kitchen sink where he couldn’t hold back his dinner any longer.

Clueless to Onew’s suffering, Jong took his time with his shower. It felt good to stand under the hot spray of the jets and let the water wash away the tiredness of the day. It also gave him time to think. It was obvious what Onew wanted and he was seriously considering giving it to him. It wouldn’t take much effort to get aroused, he was a guy after all, but although he loved Onew, he wasn’t in love with him anymore. He’d finally admitted it to himself. As a result, he didn’t, couldn’t, think of him ually. If he gave into Onew, he felt like he’d be cheating on Key. He was the first to admit that it was a messed up way of thinking considering that he was in a live-in relationship with Onew but that was how his heart felt. He may have been too chicken to break up with Onew but his heart had no such qualms and had already moved on.

Just then, he felt an urgent need to see Key. He missed him, the feel of him, his scent… It had been days since they’d been together, more than 24hrs since they’d last spoken, and his body craved what only Key could give him. He reached for his phone on the nearby counter and typed a quick text. “Hey baby, can I see you tonight?”

When five minutes passed without a reply, he sent another. “Honey, you ok? What’s up?” Another five minutes went by, still no response. By then he was out of the shower, halfway between being worried and being ticked off. Key always replied to his texts as soon as he sent them, answered his calls as soon as the phone rang. Was he playing some kind of game for Jong’s not telling Onew about them? If so, he really wasn’t in the mood for his immature antics. He realized he was getting riled up and forced himself to calm down. There was a simple way to solve the situation: he’d just go over there and have a little talk with his beloved. Nodding to himself, he sent his third and final text. “Are you punishing me? Not cool, Kibum. You know I don’t like games. I’m coming over.”

He walked into the bedroom and threw on a quick change of clothes. He grabbed his car keys from the dressing table and went out to the kitchen but Onew wasn’t there. He slowed down long enough to search the apartment, calling Onew as he went. There was no reply but he eventually found him curled up on a sofa in the back alcove, the room pitch black except for the light from the moon and stars that shone through the terrace doors.

“What are you doing here in the dark?” he asked, walking over to the sofa.

When he spoke, Onew’s voice was low and husky. “I don’t feel so good. One of my migraines, you know?”

Onew had been plagued with migraines the entire time he’d known him so it was nothing new but Jong’s heart still went out to him. He laid a gentle hand on Onew’s forehead. He couldn’t see his face but he could feel the unusual warmth of a fever. It was almost enough to make him reconsider his mission and stay home to take care of the man who did everything for him. Almost.

“I’m sorry babe… I just got a call from work asking me to come in for a little bit. I won’t be long though.” He felt horrible lying to Onew, especially in his condition, but what other explanation could he give? “Do you want me to get you anything?”

Onew shook his head. “No… I’ll be alright. You go ahead. Be safe.”

For a fleeting moment, Jong wondered if Onew knew the truth of where he was going. Something in his voice… Telling himself he was being overly paranoid, he shook it off, bent down and kissed Onew on the forehead. “I’ll be back soon, okay?”

Onew wasn’t stupid: he knew exactly where Jong was headed. He listened to him go, tracking his movements by the sound of his heavy footsteps. When he could hear them no more, he pushed himself up and went to the kitchen for a drink. He didn’t have a migraine but he did feel like crap, which was just as bad. After taking a bottle of water from the fridge, he went into the front sitting room. He was surprised to see Jong’s coat. For a split second he wondered if he’d been wrong in his assumption that Jong had gone to Key’s. Could he really have been called into work? Key didn’t live far, his condo was exactly two blocks and five minutes away, but the weather was chilly at this time of year and Jong rarely ever left the apartment without a coat. Since the office was next door on campus, and perhaps he didn’t expect to be there long, he may have thought that he didn’t need one. Once again, the same curiosity that had over-taken him earlier reappeared. Not even bothering to try to resist this time, he picked up the coat and stuck his hands in the pockets.

The box was gone.

A hysterical laugh burst forth from his mouth, followed by another and then another. Before he knew it, he was cackling. He felt like the tethers of reality had been cut and he was floating. Is this what insanity feels like, he wondered. There was nothing holding him here, he was just drifting. Suddenly, as quickly as the feeling had come, it disappeared, and he came crashing back to the here and now. Clutching the coat to his chest, he buried his face in the soft material and wept.

A/N: Since chapter 2 was so short...

FYI: the quotes at the beginning of each chapter are lines from the song/video that inspired the fic. Link is in the Foreword.