It's the promised Minho's POV.  I had trouble with this chapter.  Usually when I sit down to write a chapter I get it all in one flow, which I think really helps in the story because it has a more cohesive quality.  This one on the other hand took me three different sessions to write because I never wound up happy with it.  I may just be overly critical, but I always find a ton of issues in my own writing.

Anyway, enjoy the next chapter of The Showdown

Chapter 9

Minho ducked away while the couple remained on the couch.  The thing about being the quiet one meant that sometimes the others would forget he was there.  That allowed him to be able to observe his dorm mates more, as well as allow him to leave the room without their notice.  That had come in handy in the past, and did so again now.  Without gaining the attention of either Taemin or Key, Minho was able to back out of the living room, down the hall and into their dorm room.

Minho plopped down on his bed and heaved a heavy sigh.  Lying back onto his pillow with his head atop his clasped hands, he tried to get his head around this new information.  And while he could not absolutely say that the two were a couple, all the evidence at this point pointed that way.

He didn’t quite know what do to with this information.  Their being a couple was going to affect this group no matter what.  Looking around the room that he was currently in Minho sighed, they’d have to change the sleeping arrangements if nothing else, because as much as he was trying to handle this situation maturely, there was no way he could comfortably share a room with a couple, of any sort.  It would just be way too awkward on too many levels for both sides. 

Honestly, their orientation wasn’t bothering him too much at the moment.  Yeah, it made him a little uncomfortable, but it was more because it was such a shock in the first place and he had no experience with gay people.  His parents, if they had an opinion on the matter, had never voiced it to him so he didn’t really have that as an influencing factor.  There wasn’t any hate directed at them, or their uality, it really was just a level of uncomfortably that he would have to work on living with, because there was no way to just ignore that it was there. 

Minho sighed again and turned over, now facing the bunk that the two shared on the other side of the room.  He loved those two.  They were family to him and if this is the way they chose to live their lives he would find a way to get behind them with it.  But it was not going to be easy.  He was just going to have to learn to live be being uncomfortable for a while.  Hopefully, over time that feeling would lessen at least, if not disappear entirely.

Minho clicked his teeth together, something he did when he was thinking, and thought about comfortability.  As hard as it was for him, how bad must it have been for those two?  Obviously they weren’t comfortable telling SHINee, because they hadn’t done so yet.  Minho had figured it out on his own, and he was pretty sure Onew knew as well if only for the bedroom incident this morning. 

How long had they been together?  How long had they been hiding?  Not feeling comfortable enough around the rest of them to clue them in on what was going on.  How uncomfortable must they have been on a daily basis, knowing that they had this big part of their lives that they didn’t think that they could share with the rest of their group?  Knowing that they would have to keep up their image. 

Minho had a sudden thought.  Two weeks ago they had appeared on Star King.  Before they had gone out on the stage their manager had told Key and Jonghyun to play up the Skinship more than they had been.  It seemed like Key had been laying off for a while.  Thinking back now, it was probably because he was together with Taemin – and isn’t it weird to be touching another boy when you’ve already got yourself a boyfriend?

Taemin and Key had been unusually quiet that day.  Key had followed their manager’s orders, but every time that camera went away, so did his smile and his big laugh.  How must he have felt, knowing that Taemin was literally sitting right next to him, while he had to touch another guy?  On their way back to the dorm Taemin and Key had claimed the back row of their van, something Key at least never did because he claimed motion sickness.  And while everyone else was talking about the show and what they had seen during filming, those two just talked softly to each other and didn’t join in.  Knowing what he does now, Minho assumed that Key was apologizing left and right, while Taemin was placating him. 

Minho rolled back onto his back and pressed the heals of his hands hard into his eyes.  It was so frustrating, looking back now on what he had acknowledged was unusual behavior, now knowing the reason.  He was suddenly angry at himself.  Who cares if he was uncomfortable?  Those two had kept this secret and acted as though nothing had changed in order to ensure everyone else would be able to continue their lives as normal, all the while they had sacrificed their comfortability.  Well, its about time that someone else did that for them.  And who else would be there to do so if not their fellow members?      

Minho furrowed his brow, but Jonghyun, their manager and their fans were a different story completely.  Jonghyun, he knew, would be able to keep up the façade in public that they were a cohesive group and not let on that there was something else, but he would likely make living together a living hell if the past 24 hours were any indication.  And he kept running off rather than dealing with the situation with the rest of the guys.  As much as there had already been a blow up with Jonghyun, there was probably another one looming in the future for the group.

As for their manager, well…there was going to be trouble, no matter what.  He was honestly a little scared of the man, and he couldn’t imagine what those two must be feeling right now.  In the SM Corporation, the managers had a lot of power, and they honestly could destroy a group quite easily.  And he was very hot-tempered.  Minho thought that Onew had been right to warn Taemin, but the same thing was going to have to go for Key as well.  The manager may only know about Taemin for now, but hearing about Key wouldn’t be far behind. 

The fans could go either way.  Honestly, there would be some who were so disturbed by the notion that they might stop following their group, while others might not care at all or even think that it’s cute and be even more interested in the group.  They would have to just wait and see.  Minho sighed, this really will change everything.

All of a sudden the door opened and Taemin came in quietly.  “Sorry hyung, but Key fell asleep on the couch; I don’t think he slept very well last night.”  Taemin then went over to the bunks and grabbed the blanket off of Key’s bunk.  “I’m just going to put this over him,” Taemin said as he turned to head out of the room.

Minho thought it strange.  This would have been typical Taemin behavior.  If he hadn’t known that the two were a couple, he wouldn’t have batted an eye.  But knowing what the two shared, Minho actually thought that it was sweet.  Minho shook his head a little; maybe there was some hope in this situation after all. 

Just as Taemin had reached the door Minho said, “Hey Taemin, you were right.”

Taemin just looked at their resident athlete with a confused expression on his face.

“About your boyfriend,” and Minho watched Taemin’s face pale a little bit, “I do approve.”

Minho couldn’t help but smile at the adorable expression that came over Taemin’s face, “You mean….you know...and…”

Minho just smirked a little and turned over, this time facing the wall, and closed his eyes “He’s probably getting cold out there on the couch, all alone…”

Taemin didn’t move for a minute, but he finally turned to leave the room and Minho knew that he heard it, “Thank you.”  And that meant everything in the world. 

Anyone else notice that my chapters are getting longer?

Thanks for all of the comments, subscriptions and readings that you all are doing.  I never would have imagined that people would like my story so much.  I never would have thought my viewcount could EVER get that high!  Thanks for having faith in my story and I hope that it meets your expectations.