Okay, so before this begins, lemme explain. This is, overall, an Ontae story. But there are Onkey moments in here as well because I couldn't decide which couple I wanted to wind up with in the end.

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When Onew came back from abroad, Taemin was very, very different. He was once a sweet, innocent boy who would do anything for his friends. Now, he was a cold loner, who barely spoke. He was the smartest kid in his class, and he was universally disliked. Practically everyone in the school shied away when he walked down the hallway. Onew was bewildered. What had happened to Taemin?

Onew went up to the rooftop to eat his lunch, like he used to, and was startled to find Taemin sitting there, with a cigarette between his lips. He cautiously sat next to 'New Taemin', as he'd taken to calling him in his head, and took out his lunch. Taemin continued to take drags off his cigarette and blow it into the wind.

    "Don't come near me. Don't talk to me, don't act like you know me. It's better for both of us if you act like the innocent new kid you are," Taemin said out of the blue. Onew stopped eating, and swallowed the rice he had in his mouth.

    "Why?" he couldn't help asking. Taemin turned with a somewhat bitter smirk towards Onew.

    "You don't want to get involved with the school's , do you? I thought so," Taemin said after seeing Onew's shocked and (if Onew was being honest with himself) disgusted expression. He stomped on his cigarette end and walked back in the school, nearly reveling in the similar expressions on his classmates' faces.

Taemin had obviously changed a lot since Onew had seen him four years ago.

~
 

Taemin couldn't help the moan that escaped his lips when Jonghyun slammed him against the bathroom stall and attacked his lips. Jonghyun was the rare customer who paid well and gave a decent . And it was even better that he was a regular.

Jonghyun stuck three fingers in his mouth, barely giving him time to coat them in saliva good before taking them out and immediately shoving them in his hole. Taemin gasped at the feeling, still not quite used to it. Jonghyun hurriedly prepared him before shoving his entire into Taemin in one go. Taemin moaned, loving the feeling.

    "God, you're always so tight," Jonghyun moaned, before starting to his hips. Taemin moaned loudly as Jonghyun hit that special spot inside him, and hit it repeatedly. He attacked Jonghyun's lips, and bit down gently, earning a moan from Jonghyun. It wasn't long after that Taemin reached his , and unintentionally tightened around Jonghyun who followed. They cleaned themselves up, and Jonghyun handed Taemin a wad of cash.

"I'll be in touch," he said and walked away. Taemin sighed and shoved the money in his pocket. Well, at least he had enough to put in the bank this time. Taemin's parents were rarely at home, and he quickly became bored with the things they sent him in their absense. He had for the first time when he was 14, in his parents' bed, and he decided it was probably the most exciting thing he'd ever done. So, of course, he kept doing it. And soon, he got good enough people paid him for it. Word got around, and his popularity plummeted. ity was highly prized in his school.

He walked out of the bathroom, straightening his tie before walking back into the classroom. The teacher gave him a nasty glare, to which he responded in kind. He sat in his seat carelessly, not listening to a word the teacher said. He already knew the stuff anyway. His teacher didn't even bother making him answer anymore, since she knew he would answer correctly any time she asked him.

Onew saw Taemin walking through the school gates, lighting up a cigarette as he went. He ran to catch up to Taemin, who was heading in the same direction as Onew.

    "Hey wait," Onew finally caught up with Taemin, who speeded up. He started running again and spun Taemin around. "Hey, I asked you to wait."

    "I heard you the first time, Onew," Taemin said, blowing smoke in his face. Onew coughed a bit, and fanned in front of his face. He frowned.

    "Then why didn't you answer me?" he asked, and Taemin scoffed.

    "Didn't you hear me before? I said to stay away from me. Your innocent image cramps my style. And if people saw you talking to me... well, your friends would say 'byebye' and they'd hate you as much as they hate me," Taemin began walking away, whistling carelessly. Onew stood there, hurt and confused.

    "What happened to you, Taemin?" was not what he'd wanted to say. He hadn't really wanted to say anything at all, but his mouth had moved anyway. Taemin froze at the question. He turned back around, and Onew never wanted to see something like it again. Taemin's face was a blank mask, even his eyes were carefully blank. He gave nothing away.

    "If you speak to me again, I'm going to assume you're interested in me, and I don't come cheap. Understand?" Onew nodded dumbly, unable to speak. Taemin started walking away, and this time Onew didn't say a word. He just started walking towards the bus that would take him home.
Onew sat all throughout dinner, staring. He ate, of course. It would look strange to his parents if all he did was sit there. As he laid down to sleep that night, he determined he would get through to Taemin no matter the cost.

~
 

The next day at school, people shied away from him in the hall. Onew frowned. He walked up to his friends, to try to speak to them, but they just looked at him. He tried saying a friendly 'hello', but they sneered.

    "You associate with that nasty freak, Taemin. You're definitely not our friend," they said and walked away. Onew sighed. Damn, someone had seen him talking to Taemin yesterday. He heard whispers in the hallway and turned to see Taemin, heading his way. There was a fierce expression on his face which Onew found himself by. ...Wait, what? He did not just think that about the guy who used to be his best friend.

    "I told you to stay away from me. Just what I said happened," Taemin slammed Onew against a locker. And God help him, Onew was never half as as he was by the sight of an angry Taemin. He tried hard not to let it show on his face but Taemin must have seen something because his anger melted and was replaced with a smirk. He put a thigh in between Onew's and nudged the hardening member.

    "So you are interested, after all. Imagine that," Taemin hauled Onew to the nearest bathroom and assaulted him as soon as the stall door was closed. Onew moaned, lost in a hazy lust. When Taemin started unbuckling his belt, and ped his pants, he snapped out of it. He took a step back and took a deep breath. Taemin just looked at him, shocked.

    "I may be interested, Taemin, but not in... this," he pointed to their surroundings. "I want something more than , and you clearly don't. And besides, I deserve for my first time to be somewhere better than a public school's bathroom stall. Thanks for the offer anyway, New Taemin." he spat out somewhat bitterly before zipping himself up and buckling his belt back. He stepped around Taemin and walked out of the bathroom.

Taemin blinked, confused. He'd just been rejected..? No guy in the school had ever rejected him. That had simply never happened before. He wasn't sure how he was supposed to feel. And what was all that about New Taemin? So what if he'd picked up a new hobby? It didn't mean his whole personality had changed. Deep down, Taemin knew he was telling himself these things to comfort himself, but on the surface, he believed them.

The bathroom door opened, and Jonghyun walked in with a signature smirk on his face. Ahh, a perfect distraction. Taemin jumped him as soon as he entered the stall.

Onew was proud of himself for resisting Taemin. He had meant every word he said in the bathroom, and honestly, he didn't think he could face Taemin for a few days. His raging hormones and emotions would more than likely get the better of him, and that was not something he wanted. He entered the classroom, ignoring all the whispers and jeers. He was good at that.

Taemin was actually slightly disappointed that Onew didn't come to the rooftop for lunch like he had yesterday. He had a few things on his mind that he'd like to say to Onew as well. He took a cigarette out of the pack that was always in his pocket. He lit it and took a drag, immediately feeling calmer. He really had to get Onew out of his head.

~
 

Onew was definitely not about to eat lunch on the rooftop. He was almost certain that Taemin would be there, and he did not want to see Taemin right now. He sighed before walking into a random abandoned classroom. He sat down at one of the desks and slowly unpacked his lunch. He was in the middle of eating when he heard a startled noise behind him. He turned around in his seat to see a boy wearing thick-framed glasses and a baggy jacket standing there. Onew offered a smile.

    "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to startle you," the boy gave a small smile in return.

    "It's okay. It's just that I'm so used to eating by myself in this classroom.. I'm kind of a loner," the boy said shyly. Onew patted the seat next to him.

    "Well, Loner Boy, sit down and let's eat lunch. Well, I'll eat what's left of mine, anyway," Onew said cheerfully. The boy positively beamed and sat next to Onew.

    "I'm Kim Kibum, but I prefer to be called Key," the boy offered. Onew grinned.

    "Hi. I'm Lee Jinki, but I prefer to be called Onew. Nice to meet you Key," Key smiled.

    "It's nice to meet you too, Onew," he said and unpacked his lunch. Onew and Key chatted all lunch about random things. When the bell that ended lunch rang, Onew and Key were startled to find that time had flown by so fast.

    "Wanna hang out after school, Key?" Onew asked. "I don't really have anything to do." Key smiled widely.

    "Yeah. I'd love to. Now I'm really sorry, but my class is all the way at the end of the building, so I gotta go," Key apologized and started walking in the opposite direction. Onew whistled cheerfully, excited about after school.

Taemin was very irritated that he couldn't shake thoughts of Onew from his head. He was heading out of the school gates when he felt someone wrap their arms around him from the back. Ah, another distraction. Perfect. He turned to find Jonghyun again, and was surprised. Jonghyun didn't usually come around but once a day. He smiled devilishly before taking Jonghyun's hand and leading him to the nearest alley and getting down to business.

Onew was waiting for Key at the classroom like they'd planned. He frowned when he looked at his phone and it read 3:10. School had already been out 10 minutes, and Key was nowhere to be found. He heard faint whoops and yells, and curiosity got the best of him. He walked towards the sounds, noticing with a lead weight in his stomach that the noises were coming from the gym.

He walked in the gym, noticing that the sounds were coming from the locker room. His steps seemed heavier and heavier. And as he entered the locker room, he was infuriated by the sight before his eyes. A boy was on the floor, curled into a ball while 5 other guys trashed his things. His gym uniform was on the floor in tatters. Onew stood frozen until one of the guys aimed a kick at the boy.

    "You wanna pick on someone your own size?" he said sharply and the guys snapped their heads towards Onew. The shouts and whoops turned into sneers.

    "Aw, man, it's that guy that hangs out with Taemin," one of them said. Onew simply stared at them.

    "If you guys can be pricks and beat up someone weaker than you, then I guess I can stand to be a prick just this once, too," Onew cracked his knuckles before punching the living daylights out of the guy closest to him. In his head, he was silently thanking his mom for making him take all those self-defenses classes back in the United States. He beat the other guys down before going over to the boy on the floor. He gently touched his shoulder, his heart breaking when the boy flinched.

    "Hey, it's okay. They're not going to do anything to you anymore," Onew said gently. When the boy uncurled himself, Onew was only slightly surprised to find Key staring back at him with tear stains on his face. He'd had a feeling that it was Key.

    "Thanks Onew," fresh tears pooled in Key's eyes and he hugged Onew tightly. Onew returned the hug and smiled.

    "Why don't you change and we'll go get something to eat, hmm?" Onew suggested gently, and Key nodded. 

~
 

Taemin was not happy when he noticed that Onew had become attached to the loner, Kim Kibum. He refused to say he was jealous because that would mean admitting to himself that he liked Onew. And he didn't like Onew. He was too innocent, and kind, and sweet, and he had the nicest smile-- ARGH. Taemin smacked himself in the forehead a couple of times, trying to get rid of the thoughts of Onew.

    "You look stupid when you do that," Jonghyun commented. Taemin just glared at him, not saying anything. Jonghyun had become, for lack of a better word, clingy. Taemin didn't understand the change, but it was welcome. He still got paid for the , but lately, it seemed like Jonghyun wanted more. He actually went places with Taemin outside of school and paid for dinner. It was almost as if Jonghyun was asking him to be his boyfriend without actually asking. Pffft. Cause, yeah, the hottest guy in school wanted to be with the tiest guy in school. The idea was laughable.

Onew and Key had become best friends after Onew saved Key from being bullied. Word had gotten around that he had beaten the crap out of five basketball players, and people mostly left them alone. They still ate lunch in the abandoned classroom and Onew couldn't have possibly been happier. When Key came up behind Onew and covered his eyes, he smiled. He was so different from the first day they'd met. At first, he'd been painfully shy, but once Onew convinced him to open up, he turned into a diva. Onew was highly amused by the change in attitude.

    "I made you something," Key said, his shyness and nervousness getting the best of him. Onew chuckled. He'd found that Key liked to cook and was often the guinea pig for how things tasted.

    "What is it this time? Pickeled omelet?" Onew said, reaching in his mind for something he hadn't tried. Key swatted his arm lightly, blushing.

    "No. I made you chicken," Key said. Onew's eyes lit up and he nearly cried with joy. His favorite food was chicken and he'd only told Key once. He hugged Key tightly, thanking him profusely. Key took out a container and put it in front of Onew. Onew opened the container and noticed a note sitting on top of the chicken. He looked at the note, then shot a curious glance at Key who was blushing a tomato red.

    "Just read it," he muttered, scratching the back of his neck. Onew shrugged his shoulders, and read the short note.

'Onew
Do you like me as much as you like chicken? I like you as much as I like cooking.
In other words, I like you. Will you be my boyfriend?
Key'

Onew smiled at the cute note and looked back at Key, who was still tomato red.

    "Aww, Key, you're so cute," he cooed. "You didn't have to ask. Of course I like you as much as I like chicken. And yeah, I would love to be your boyfriend." Key squeaked in delight and kissed Onew.

~

Taemin knew there was no point in lying to himself anymore. He liked Onew. He was insanely jealous of Kim Kibum. And Jonghyun was making it perfectly clear that he wanted Taemin to be with him. As in, boyfriend. Taemin liked the idea immensely, but he at least had to tell Onew how he felt.

He walked up to Onew in the hall, not even noticing the sneers and nasty glares anymore. He tapped him on the shoulder, and smiled weakly at the confused stare he got.

    "Taemin? What brings you here?" he asked curiously. Key wrapped his arm around Onew's waist.

    "Can I talk to you a minute? Alone, please, if you don't mind," he said and walked to a secluded place in the hallway. He took a breath. "Onew, I like you. I denied it for the longest time, but seeing you with Key makes me so jealous I can't stand it. If you don't feel the same way, I understand, but I really just needed to get this off my chest."

Onew stared at Taemin. Had he really...? Onew was overjoyed. He liked Taemin, he did, but he had Kibum. He smiled sadly at Taemin.

    "Taemin, I like you too. But I have Kibum, and I'm sure you have someone too," Taemin nodded in response. "Let's let this play out before we do anything, okay?" Taemin walked off without a response. The fact that Onew would wait for him was all the answer he needed.

~(Time Skip)

Onew was working part time at a bakery while attending college. Key's love of cooking had rubbed off on him over their shared years of high school. He looked up from kneading the dough and smiled. He had fond memories of Key, and they had parted amiably after high school ended. They were just headed in different directions. He went back to kneading the dough, and he heard the bell chime, signalling someone had entered the bakery.

    "Hello, and welcome to-- Taemin?" he asked, incredulously. After high school, Taemin had gone to school for dancing. He hadn't expected to see Taemin at all after high school. Taemin smiled gently at Onew.

    "Hello, Onew. Are you busy?" Onew dumbly shook his head. He yelled in the back that he was taking a break and received a noncommittal grunt from his boss. He went outside and took a pack of cigarettes out of his pocket, lighting one up.

    "That's a really hard habit to break, ya know," Taemin said a bit flatly. Onew smirked.

    "Should you really be lecturing me on that?" he asked and Taemin grinned.

    "Guess not," he said. There was a long period of silence before Onew spoke up.

    "After high school, me and Key... we broke up. On good terms, and we're still friends, but we were going different places. We were both probably different people than when we started dating too," he turned to Taemin. "How bout you and that Jonghyun guy?" Taemin's eyes were sad.

    "I came back to my house to find him in bed with someone else. He begged me to believe he'd never do it again but of course, he did.  So, even though I loved him, I let him go," Taemin shook his head, trying to clear the memories. Onew smiled.

    "My shift ends at noon, how about we go grab some lunch and catch up?" Onew offered. "I'll pay." Taemin slowly smiled.

    "I'd like that," he said, and before Onew could turn to go back inside, Taemin had grabbed him and pressed their lips together. "I missed you, Onew." Onew's smile grew wider.

    "I missed you too, Taemin," he said and leaned down to kiss Taemin in response.

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So there's the requested Ontae. :D I hope it's alright because frankly, I think it's utter crap.

Anyway, thanks for reading. -bows-

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Til next time, fair readers. ^o~ ♥♥