"I'll be the one, if you want me to."

Joonmyeon lies flat on his back, eyes skimming through the thick pages of the book entitled the traveller’s wife. He’s been so engrossed in reading the said book since the day he saw it up on sale at the bookstore outside their school, he purchased it without much second thoughts. He searches for his bookmark tuck between pages, all the while trying to be in his best comfort atop the cushion of the two seater swing. Fortunately, his small stature was able to fit itself in the limited space of the swing, his legs crossed and ankles propped over the armrest. He just hope he wouldn't be nursing a backache or a stiff neck tonight though.

It was a quite afternoon around August when the sun was yet to set on the horizon. Their classes were dismissed earlier than scheduled which conclusively made every student yip in joy. The moment he got home he made quick strides to the direction of their backyard, a little too eager to rest his exhausted body on the swing situated in the middle of his mother's beloved flower garden.

Head resting on his schoolbag as his improvised pillow, book on his heaving chest and ardent eyes taking in every text, it was silent. So calm and soothing save for the gentle rustling of the leaves and the flipping sound of pages being turned. Joonmyeon's in his very own comfort. He loves being in a sequestered place, somewhere serene and peaceful where he could be alone with his own thoughts and therapeutically, it puts him ease. He smiles contentedly, biting his lower lip in elation as he silently reads each word and let the protagonists speak to him. He rarely have a moment by himself these past few months so he'll be greedy enough today and soak himself in the moment's tranquillity.

He his chapped lips as he flips over another page. His heart aches for Clare, the heroine in the book who had to deal with Henry’s absences. It would hurt for anyone having their love one disappearing, Joonmyeon thinks he'll probably- "H-Hey!" he squeaks in utter shock, eyes widen in surprised when the book firmly held by his two dainty hands, was snatched from him. The said book that was just a mere three seconds ago within his grasp was now on the grass, pages clattering speedily as the implacable afternoon breeze weeps over it.

Joonmyeon audibly whines in frustration, helplessly flailing his arms as he eyed his book on the ground with longing. There's only one person who has the audacity to barge in, one person who loves meddling around and has a habit of disrupting his breezeless "me time" by that person's buoyant pitchy laughs and light-hearted smiles.

"Joonmyeon, what are you doing?" said the voice mischievously. Of course.

Joonmyeon's rounded eyes narrow in the slightest pique at the inverted fairly features of two smiling whimsical dark eyes and a mop of tousled raven locks. He takes a cursory glance at the latter's prominent jawline and those cheekbones that frames his boyish profile, and won't be missing that kittenish grin that naughtily tilts up at the edges of his lips showcasing the male's pearly teeth. Joonmyeon blinks for a moment or two as his senses shifts to something else, to that peculiar fresh mint fragrance coming from his boyfriend's slightly parted lips. The scent was beginning to fill his consciousness and he tries, he really tries to keep himself put together despite the sudden crazy beating of his little heart."J-Jongdae." he mumbles, staring up at his grinning boyfriend.

Jongdae had both of his elbows propped on the armrest, his beaming face hovering over Joonmyeon. The latter carefully bridges the gap between as the said teenager dips his head low and pressed a hello kiss on Joonmyeon's slightly parted lips.

In the midst of the cheerful sunflowers, the soft Geranium and the sweetest mixed scents of Lavender and Jasmine lies Joonmyeon and Jongdae, lips locked and eyes half closing and revelling in the austere faint pressing of their soft lips. Joonmyeon desirously glides the tip of his moisten tongue in between the seam of the latter's thin bow lips, his hand reaching and settling warily at the back of his lover's head and calmly threading Jongdae's unruly hair that inevitably draws an amused looking Jongdae further down unto him. He laboriously deepened their liplocking as their connected lips opens, making way for their tongues to touch tenderly against each other.

Joonmyeon swears he hears his heart exploding like fireworks against his ribcage. He pulls Jongdae further as if silently wishing for more than just kisses from his boyfriend.

From hushed eager moans to Jongdae's mischievous chuckles, the distinct slick sounds of their separating lips flutters Joonmyeon's eyes wide open without him recalling when he last closed them. Jongdae pulls back with a playful snicker, propping his elbows back on the armrest yet his smirking face stays above Joonmyeon, staring down at him with a bit more of amusement than flustered-ness in his eyes much to Joonmyeon's embarassment."That was rude. I was reading." Joonmyeon chose to clear his throat after finding how his hoarse voice made Jongdae laugh comically over him. He was meaning to say it in an angered tone but it sounded more like how he used to say an "I love you." to Jongdae. Breathy and soft around the edges. It made him growl in shame because Jongdae catches everything he's meaning to hide and his boyfriend is screaming his boisterous voice, walking his way around the swing in his unkept uniform. He stood at the other side, stirring the swing when he sits on the opposite end of the sitter.

"The house is quite." Jongdae comments after recovering from his laughing fit, head darting around the peaceful backyard and obviously ignoring Joonmyeon's what supposed to be annoyed expression. Joonmyeon sighed as he half sits to purposely reach down to get the poor book on the ground but frowns when Jongdae did it so him self, effortlessly plucking the book from where it was and putting it in a place Joonmyeon's hands can't reach.

"Kim Jongdae." he groans, firmly pronouncing his boyfriend's name and nagging him to hand the damn book over. Jongdae toes the book further away in return instead of actually listening to him. He's playfully grinning at Joonmyeon's miffed tone and frowning face. Like he's asking for a trophy of his deed or something.

"At work." Joomnyeon mindlessly says, crossing his legs that was now resting on Jongdae's lap. He lies back down again with a huff, lips sadly pursing. It's obviously pointless to even bicker with Jongdae. It will only elate the latter. Jongdae find's every situation that annoys Joonmyeon quite entertaining. So either way he'll still lose.

"At work huh. So we basically have the entire house to ourselves."

"Hm, yeah." Joonmyeon answered, eyeing a particular weltering sunflower. He mentally notes to water it before he goes inside their house. He doesn't like hearing his mother weeping over her precious dead flowers so early in the morning. His eyes turn back to the person sitting at the other end of the swing when he noticed Jongdae’s odd wordless demure for a minute now. That’s usually not normal when his boyfriend is concerned. Jongdae is never quite. He momentarily chokes when he finds Jongdae suggestively wiggling his eyebrows at him, his kittenish eyes gleaming so coquettishly too.

"Jongdae wait-" in a one swift motion Joonmyeon erupts in startled yelps and a little bit more of squirming when Jongdae had him caged in his lean arms and carries him bridal style. Jongdae scribbles fast into the confinements of Joonmyeon's house, laughing rather excitedly to no one and wheedling a chagrined smile on Joonmyeon’s face. He hides his blushing cheeks on the crook of Jongdae's neck.

There's only one person who's legally allowed, by Joonmyeon's law, to bother him when he's having his "me time." and that person will always be,"Jongdae the book!" Joonmyeon starts with a long whine, remembering the left out novel in the garden by the swing. His lips juts longing at the novel when Jongdae says,"Oh for heaven's sake forget the book!" he yammers, holding him securely in his arms. Jongdae sprints over the flight of stairs and rushes to Joonmyeon's room.

"Joonmyeon. I-I can't bear watching-"

Joonmyeon could only roll his eyes when Jongdae playfully argued how he couldn't stand seeing him behaving like a seductress stripper. What really made Joonmyeon explode in gleeful laughter though was how Jongdae's sitting so casually at the edge of his bed, hands pasted on his face in what seemed to be a disgusted gesture but those mirthful eyes of his lover were peeking through the tiny gaps of his fingers, observing the way Joonmyeon starts unknotting his necktie.

"Don't lie." Joonmyeon says with a disbelieving grin on his face. He threw his blazer and tie. He intentionally aimed the articles at Jongdae who, in turn, catches the articles mid-air like some assertive golden retriever.

Jongdae shakes his head stubbornly, smiling so wide as he propped his arms on the mattress and leans back, visibly excited for whatever comes next despite how he tries to make himself look calm and collected. Joonmyeon gingerly s for his belt and carefully unbuckles it. He’s feeling a bit evil today and decides to reel his boyfriend up for disturbing his intimate time with his books. Inwardly smirking, Joonmyeon lock gazes with Jongdae, holding his eyes in a bewitching spell as his fingers fiddles with the metal buckles. He drags the zipper down after fully removing his belt off the loops, enjoying Jongdae's nonchalant look painstakingly shattering when he teasingly eases off of his jeans and let it slide along his thighs all the way down down his milky legs.

When the metal belt clanks as it hits the floor, Joonmyeon wants nothing else but to jump around his bed in satisfaction for catching Jongdae flinching like a startled cat by the sudden thud. Starting to genuinely enjoy the reaction he's receiving, he steps out of the jeans pooling around his ankles and watch the uneasy bobbing of Jongdae's Adam's apple, unsteady feline eyes running from Joonmyeon's feet, cautiously moving up up up to his thighs, settling a bit longer on his dark printed boxers and by the time Jongdae's eyes reaches somewhere between Joonmyeon's neck and eyes, his face is as red as a ripe tomato. He could literally hear Jongdae gulping from where he’s standing. His sticking his tongue out to wet his drying lips. Joonmyeon's smothering his giggles seeing a profoundly flustered Jongdae.

"Stop!" Jongdae practically screams before Joonmyeon proceeds on unfastening the buttons of his dress shirt.

Jongdae's protesting outburst somehow causes Joonmyeon's jaw to slacken and his eyes to bulge from its sockets. He suddenly realized what he was trying to do. The burning sensation that clambers from his neck to the tip of his ears feels like he's being hit by a merciless thunderbolt."S-Sorry i was just fooling around." Jongdae's sharp rejection that’s slowly wallowing his heart made his voice weak and quaver. He thought of grabbing his jeans to cover himself up, deeply abashed how he probably looks foolishly awkward than y to Jongdae. He's aware he owns a body that couldn't even rouse any lustful intentions from anyone. His body is too small and a bit scrawny, his fair complexion though unblemished, is too pale he looks severely sick all season. Even if he spent all summer running around the wild his skin tone doesn't show any significant changes.

Jongdae definitely has a screwy taste for keeping him around.

"It wasn't just fooling around to me." Jongdae giggles, his pitchy voice causes a raucous noise in the room but his eyes were gentler. He might have heard Joonmyeon's thoughts of wanting to drape his entire body with the brown carpet, feeling too self-conscious at the time because he smiled that thoughtful grin of his. “Come here," he calls, voice now low and surprisingly husky. He places the clothes to his side and beckons Joonmyeon closer.

Joonmyeon stands mulling about for minutes before anxiously shifting on his feet. He toes his discarded jeans to the side and lumbers to Jongdae.

Joonmyeon nearly jumps off his skin when he felt Jongdae's warm hands rests tentatively on his thighs, using his careful grip to pull him closer and situating him between Jongdae's legs. Joonmyeon timidly smiles when he sees how Jongdae cranes his neck, staring up at him with a silly smile on his face.

"I looked dumb I know." Joonmyeon snickers, hiding his embarrassment by owning his imperfect assets ahead of anything. Jongdae glides both of his hands to the back of Joonmyeon's bare thigh, leaving the patches of skin shivering at its wake. He hauls him close, making him plant both of his knees on Jongdae's sides. The hands that were at the back of Joonmyeon’s thighs moves, caressing its way up his buttocks and circles themselves around his waist, bringing him pressed to Jongdae's heaving chest.

Joonmyeon breathe hitches when Jongdae fully settles him on his lap to literally straddle him. The proximity is doing some weird things to Joonmyeon's lungs, he's having a bit of a problem breathing and he hopes it's not his asthma."I didn't lie when I said I couldn't bear watching you," the negative thoughts that's been b his mind when Jongdae said so appallingly pricks his self-confidence even more. Now he wants to get off of Jongdae or maybe move an inch away just so there's a distance between them.

He tries not to let his emotions reflect in his eyes but Jongdae always has his ways knowing."Hey, why the long face? At least hear me finish before you assume anything." Jongdae says with a broad grin that tells him he's teasing. His dark charcoal eyes blinking in attempt to look sickeningly cute. It only made Joonmyeon laugh out loud, and maybe that's what Jongdae's wanted to achieve in the first place. To see him laughing.

Joonmyeon's places his hands on Jongdae's shoulders, half of his body leaning down so he could look fondly at Jongdae and patiently waits for him to finish."What i meant was," Jongdae's hand that was resting on the small of Joonmyeon's back is now cradling his rosy cheek, so warm and careful. He draws Joonmyeon's face down just before Joonmyeon's heart pries up with want. "I couldn't just bear watching you. I need to get a hold of you." he whispers.

Joonmyeon felt a trembling shiver ran down his spine when Jongdae brought their faces close. "I want to touch you like this." Jongdae allows their lips touch and press. His body slightly shudder with heat as he firmly sits on Jongdae's lap, leaving them at the same level. Jongdae's lips were as soft as he remembers them at the gardens, moderately flushed and moistened. How they were in the gardens, was just the same as they are now in Joonmyeon's bed. Their forehead pressed, nose brushing on warming skins, innocent kisses turning a little bit more than just a peck. Joonmyeon’s candle like fingers threads through raven strands, a hand wrinkling white crisp shirts. Jongdae tilts his chin in an angle which brings their tongues deeper into each other’s mouths, chasing the ugly thoughts away. Content moans escapes from their mouths after each between eager lips.

He felt the smile on Jongdae's lips when Joonmyeon heard himself mewl. He raised his legs, arranges himself so that he's got Jongdae's bony hips hedge around his lean legs, faintly eliciting a half repressed groan when Jongdae snakes a hand around Joonmyeon's nape and grabs him back, letting their lips meshed on each other leaving no area in Joonmyeon's mouth unkissed.

Joonmyeon's too immersed in nibbling on Jongdae's upper lip, of swallowing the traces of peppermint in Jongdae's mouth and tightening his legs around the latter's waist and grinds, that he apparently lost track of when Jongdae rid himself of his blazer and his tie or how he managed to lay him on his bed without him even minding. He found himself sprawled on his bed, legs still tangled around Jongdae's waist, fingers buried under his boyfriend's dark dishevelled hair and seemingly inebriated by Jongdae's natural scent sitting right under his nose. The peculiar taste of mint strewn inside his mouth with Jongdae's name at the very tip of his tongue.

"J-Jongdae." he whispers groggily, fingers slipping off of the latter's nape to clutch around Jongdae's collar. His were half closing as he sees Jongdae's tinged lips near him again, feeling its familiar warmth ghosting over his lips but barely touching.

"Help me with my dress shirt." Jongdae asks, his voice low and soft. Joonmyeon hears the silent plea in them when Jongdae's breathe bounces off his swelling lips just before a familiar heat covers his lips fully, kissing him full on the mouth.

Jongdae might have asked him to help him undress but he practically leaves him on his own the moment the tip of his fingers touches the buttons of Jongdae's shirt. He left him blindly fuddling in his quavering fingers while Jongdae's hands wander up and down Joonmyeon's side, searching, caressing familiar sensitive areas all the while nipping on Joonmyeon's lips and gulping each pleasured tunes Joonmyeon's subconsciously makes.

"J-Jongdae.."

Joonmyeon's starting to feel feverish, every patch of pale skin heating up in every meek brush of Jongdae's damp lips traveling along the side of his neck. When the last button was untucked, Joonmyeon pulls the articles off of his boyfriend's arms with Jongdae's hands came flying back to where they were laying before, on the sides of his parted thighs. When Jongdae’s finally free from his shirt, Joonmyeon lets his idled hands play along Jongdae's shoulder blades. His gentle pads dips along the line of Jongdae's spine till it reaches the loop his lover’s jeans. He laces his arms back around Jongdae's neck and giggles through their kiss for finding Jongdae's skin much more heated than his.

His boyfriend on the other hand still has his caramel trousers on while the rest of their uniforms hangs at the edge of Joonmyeon's bed and in danger of falling off the floor. Jongdae leans half of his weight over him, limb thrashing against crinkled sheets as he make his way on top of Joonmyeon." I think teachers should always dismiss us early like this, so everyone's happy." between leaving sweet pecks on his shoulder and a hand crawling its way inside Joonmyeon's shirt, Jongdae managed to utter those words cheekily. It made Joonmyeon laugh breathlessly at the corner of Jongdae's neck where he's been leaving his own lingering kisses.

"Why don't you suggest that on the next school's open forum?" Joonmyeon plays, dares. His free arms coming up around to twine his fingers behind Jongdae's neck, tiny fingers caressing the warm skin of his lover's nape. His round eyes stares up at Jongdae when the latter pulls back a little, charcoal coloured orbs curving in mischief as he smiles lovingly at him.

"Maybe i will." came Jongdae's solemn response, challenging eyes looking back at Joonmyeon with a wide smile forming across his cherubic face. Joonmyeon throws back a half smile and a snickers when Jongdae stuck his tongue out, making him laugh more than he's capable of. It always feels overwhelming like this. After having a torturous day at school, he'll be both relieved and happy knowing he always has Jongdae at the end of the day.

His laugher stayed stuck in his throat when Jongdae stops his little antics and looks at him with his smile evaporating from his goofy expression. What's left in there is a glimmer of tenderness in his deep dark eyes, his soft voice teeming with affection. On that heart thumping moment Joonmyeon knew he couldn't be any happier with anyone else.

Jongdae kisses him again and with it comes a familiar burning hunger that twirls around his belly. It happens every time he receives a kiss from Jongdae, be it a long liplock or even a teensy one at the corner of his lips. It permanently wakes an overpowering desire in him, taunting him in lucid whispers, telling him to tug Jongdae by the back of his head and kiss him, kiss him hard, feel him, want him and have him whole because Jongdae belongs to him.

"Jo-Joonmyeon?" Jongdae calls groggily, gulping back when he was able to create some distance between their lips since the moment Joonmyeon begun opening his boyfriend's mouth and kissing more out of him so desperately, so wanting. His fingers have been grappling the latter's raven locks with one telltale leg brushing up and down restlessly behind Jongdae's right leg.

Contrary to their peer’s relentless beliefs, it's Jongdae who has always been the patient one when they're becoming intimate under unfavorable circumstances. Always the one to slow their paces down, the one who teases before finally taking and the one who has enough self-restraint to retreat back during dire situations. Take for example that time when they were both attached skin to skin with practically nothing on as they moved along smoothly together, drowning in their own passionate pleasure. Jongdae had to call Joonmyeon's attention by pulling out from their torrid lip locking, saying he hears his parents walking their way to the house as we speak and insistently reminds Joonmyeon that them being seen ing on his father's favorite maroon long couch is not a great welcoming sight for the middle-agers. So being the bigger person he is, Jongdae hushes him with both of his hands cupping his frame, smiling so handsomely before kissing Joonmyeon full on the lips, just light brushes, and asking the need for them to stop things there for now before he losses his own head.

"My parents will be home soon." just before Joonmyeon could stop his mouth and what those words implies, Jongdae's already screaming in his obnoxiously dolphin-like laugher above him and convulsing rather exaggeratedly for Joonmyeon's liking. Joonmyeon groans depressingly at himself and at the situation he placed his own self in. He lets his slim limbs flop on his side tiredly because this is just getting so frustrating he wants to cry so badly.

"Jongdae," he can't believe he's whining, but he is.

"What?" Jongdae chortles, eyes sparkling under his beetling brows. Jerk acting so innocent.

Joonmyeon grunts out in frustration, squirming around. His restlessness stops Jongdae from creaking the bed with his overjoyed guffaw and prompts him to give Joonmyeon the attention he wants. Something that causes Joonmyeon to be aroused at any given moment, even when he's asleep.

"A-ah." Joonmyeon moans out suddenly, his eyes blown and arms automatically bringing themselves back behind Jongdae's neck in an almost plea of finding leverage as Jongdae begins with a shallow of his hips, allowing him to feel Jongdae's hardness through his caramel jeans. He bites hard on his lip, closing his eyes and relishing on the constricting pressure of his boyfriend's slow calculated s right between his spread legs, mewling every time Jongdae's crotch, his hard member presses on his own, hitting his core, and fitting just right against his pelvis. He keeps his thighs locked around Jongdae's hips, rocking along with him igniting that undeniable desire and want.

Jongdae rests his forehead on Joonmyeon, eyes barely open, and fingers working on unbuckling his belt while maintaining the slow movement of hips steady. Joonmyeon exhales weakly in Jongdae's mouth as their tongues glazes, pretending that the tiptoeing fingers that furtively unfastening the series of buttons on his dress shirt has nothing to do with the violent thumping and faster beating of his dear heart. Its rhythm was much more crazier now than the last time Jongdae have been so close like this, when he last held him so intimately like this, when Jongdae's last made love to him. It seems like every encounter between them sets a new record to Joonmyeon's heart. He wonders if it's the same with Jongdae too, does he have the same effect on him as well?

Joonmyeon breathes deeply when the heating pressure starts pooling between his legs, heavy and becoming constrictively uncomfortable. All he could come up with is whimpering out Jongdae's name four times without pause as the said boy hastily fiddled with the remaining buttons at the end of his shirt and spreads it wide open. Joonmyeon pants hotly in Jongdae's mouth when his s increases by force over seconds, lips touching Joonmyeon's budding as Jongdae lowers his mouth and. "J-Jongdae, o-oh .." Joonmyeon’s writhes in pleasure, fervently. He felt Jongdae’s bare hand caressing around his right thigh before lifting his leg and securing it around his moving hips. Joonmyeon moves forward, his back tipping off his wrinkled sheets catching up with Jongdae's brisk movements with his want unrepressed. He grinds up so helplessly, both of them makes music out of their own harmonizing moans and euphoric grasps. The bed sheets ruffles and the bed creaks.

"You're the prettiest, the most beautiful Joonmyeon." he hears the male over him declares airily, breathing hard in his mouth he so sounded breathless, like he's been under the depths of the sea and it's the first time he's grasping up for vital air. Jongdae slowly rocks against Joonmyeon's core and kissing him almost everywhere within his mouths reach. Joonmyeon pulls his lover's mouth up to his when Jongdae had spent more of his attention along his jaw. He’s too eager to kiss Jongdae hard what with those earnest words and the sound of his name rolling off Jongdae's mouth makes Joonmyeon's heart beat zestfully all over. He tightens his lean thighs around Jongdae's waist and moans so loud. Their moving at the same passionate pace, bodies dryly, lewdly, humping together between withered clothes. Joonmyeon could explode by just doing this, he could reach his peak only by Jongdae's fervent kisses and brisk s.

Jongdae kisses him still, keeping his mouth enclosed with his, brushing his tongue and on it hungrily enough to tell Joonmyeon that both of them needs to be out of their pants and boxers pronto. He stubbornly whines, embracing Jongdae by the neck close in his selfish want to keep their lips connected while Jongdae tries to get his own belt fully unbuckled this time, though with a lot of difficulty, blame Joonmyeon's legs firmly clamp above Jongdae's waist and obscuring the latter's chances of removing his lower garments. "Joonmyeon?" Jongdae's happy snickers unintentionally breaks their lips apart and Joonmyeon made sure Jongdae and their entire neighborhood hears his dismay and a little pissed off groan. Joonmyeon couldn't believe Jongdae still has the nerve to giggle at how stuck up they both look when Joonmyeon couldn't even count on his own self control for holding his any longer.

"This won't do." Joonmyeon complains, grasping the little air his lungs could take up as he glances down at their groins. Two bodies appressed with both of their urgency forming in a comprehensible fact that they have to be quick. Jongdae's chuckles dies down when Joonmyeon complied and gave his lover some small space to undo his zipper and to roll off his pants. Joonmyeon grunts protestingly when Jongdae held his thighs for the purpose of freeing himself for a while.

"Why are you so impatient today?" Jongdae asks as he somehow magically managed to strip himself off of his pants with Joonmyeon body's still clinging close like a koala. Jongdae may sound playfully irked but Joonmyeon knows what those suggestive twinkling lashes and wide grin means so he rolled his eyes for the lack of words to say.

Jongdae kicks his trousers off the sheets before his keen fingers returns to Joonmyeon. He pulls him up and helps him get rid of his dress shirt in a dragging pace that Joonmyeon wishes to slaughter his own boyfriend for being a ridiculous tease at a time like this. Out of sheer frustration he pulls the other by his bare shoulder and kisses him deeply, wrapping his legs back again around Jongdae's waist and s his hips up immediately."N-no time. I'm close Jongdae stop playing-" now, apart from being a certified , Jongdae's a very attentive and giving to any of Joonmyeon's needs and wants no matter how he makes himself look devilish at times. Joonmyeon averts his lips from Jongdae so he can cry out in pleasure when he felt a hand griping on his hip and the other one fondling with his upper thigh, moist lips leaving delicate kisses on his cheek with a purposely hard of his hard member against Joonmyeon's own. By this point, the bed is creaking rowdy that if Joonmyeon's parent happen to be drinking tea downstairs they'll be choking by now.

Grinding against each other, moans muffled as they kissed through their urgent rocking, Joonmyeon thinks he'll get too intoxicated with Jongdae's minty breathe if he wouldn't draw back for a while to breathe but decides how he doesn't really care. He kissed him in a way he could let Jongdae feel how he wants him, let the violent lurching of his heart be palpable enough for Jongdae to know that he loves him so much he would give him his all without any reservations.

Joonmyeon's back arcs over the sheets, body clinging around Jongdae as the latter attempts to pull down his boxers."Jo-Jong-" garter's gingerly slipping off of Joonmyeon's buttocks and a warm palm cups one of his globe, squeezing it lightly, making Joonmyeon gasp. Jongdae's chooses that moment to snaps his hips forward without warning."Jongdae!“ he sobs when their mouths separates for a second while Jongdae's movement never ceasing. He'll have release soon, he can feel it coursing through his insides. Jongdae always has that power to make him come untouched without penetration and the pleasure is as heavenly.

Joonmyeon screams Jongdae name one last time before his vision blurs, pleasure surging up as he reached his peak. Jongdae continued to rock his hips, parting Joonmyeon’s legs even wider.”Joonmyeon.” he called him in a raspy tone. His eyes gaze at him with so much want and need that Joonmyeon can’t help but lock his ankles behind Jongdae’s back again and move along Jongdae’s body. He kisses Jongdae hungrily on his neck, whimpering in sensitivity when Jongdae quickens his . It was not long before he hears Jongdae’s loud groan beside his ear. Joonmyeon stills, feeling Jongdae shudder above him as his boyfriend hits his .

Joonmyeon closes his eyes momentarily, catching his breath. Jongdae carefully slid off of Joonmyeon and lies beside him with one arm curled over Joonmyeon’s hip. He giggles out suddenly when he felt Jongdae kissing him playfully on his right cheek. He turns and found his lover with his elbow propped on the pillow, eyes staring down at him so closely, his warm panting brushing on Joonmyeon’s face. “Did you know that you drive me crazy whenever i hear you calling my name when you come?” he says at bit breathless, wiggling his brows with a smirk on his lips.

“Stop.” Joonmyeon groans, hiding his face behind his hands in embarrassment. Jongdae has a bad habit of saying greasy lines just to see him squirming away. He turns and hides his face on his pillow because Jongdae wouldn’t quit.

“I mean it though.” Jongdae adds, shaking the bed with his laughter. Joonmyeon rolls his eyes, sticking his head under the covers to avoid facing his boyfriend.

Jongdae’s laughter dies down after awhile. Good. Joonmyeon was actually thinking of leaving him on his own if he wouldn’t stop for another minute.”Hey.” Jongdae murmurs, dropping a soft peck on Joonmyeon’s bare shoulder before gently pulling him out of the covers.

Joonmyeon greets the later with a scowl on his face. Jongdae laughs out loud yet again this time, shaking his face at that. Joonmyeon was supposed to be annoyed with all of Jongdae’s antics but seeing him with his unruly hair, flushed lips and warm whimsical eyes, he can’t help but smile back. His heart feeling warm.

Joonmyeon held his breath when Jongdae begun to lean on him. When their nose bumped and forehead pressed intimately close, Jongdae cups one hand on Joonmyeon’s face and smiles.”I love you.” he whispers so softly. Joonmyeon couldn’t smell and taste the mint on Jongdae’s mouth anymore but he figured that Jongdae’s words were far sweeter than anything else and is definitely his most favourite.

He took it upon himself to close the last remaining gap between them and kisses Jongdae in return. He could feel his and Jongdae’s heart drumming wildly in unison between them. He silently prays to have more memories such as these everyday with him.”I love you.” he whispers back with a hopeful heart.

Their moment was interrupted when Joonmyeon’s phone rang. He checks his phone and saw baekhyun calling. “Who is it?” Jongdae peaks over curiously.

“Baekhyun.” He reluctantly peels his sweating body away from Jongdae and answers his best friend’s call. "He-hello." he stammers over the line, clearing his voice in an effort to stop any unhappy tone from lashing out. Jongdae was making it difficult for him to actually form a sensible word, taking how the raven haired boy tickles the skin below his right ear with the tip of his nose, his hot breaths puffing on his cheek. He turns to push Jongdae away but stopped when he hears Baekhyun over the phone.

"J-Joonmyeon ..”

Joonmyeon's eyes narrows at the heavy raspy voice of the caller. If he haven't know it was Baekhyun he wouldn't recognize his bestfriend's voice."B-Baek?" he states uncertainly.

Joonmyeon's mind rings in alarm when he hears his friend stifling." Baek are you crying?" he felt Jongdae's kisses paused over his skin, feels the heaviness of his boyfriend's gaze settling on his face sharing the same concerned look.

"Ju-just come over please."

Without letting a minute pass Joonmyeon gets up from his bed, untangling himself from a sullen looking Jongdae with the intimate heat that's been burning, slowly dispelling off his skin. Jongdae came second, pouting as he rolls off the bed, his dark hair sticking out to different directions with his thin lips moderately swollen. If only Jongdae isn't looking so kinda hot in his boxers alone, Joonmyeon would have pounce on him by now but can't when he instantly remembers his best friend needing him.

"What did Baek say?"

Joonmyeon pulls a shirt and slips it on hurriedly, fingers grabbing a pair of fresh clothes and shuffling into them."He wants me to come over," he fixes his fair, finger combing while he checks his own reflection on the mirror and not staring at Jongdae's bare chest that could alter his line of thinking in half a second.

"But it's late." Joonmyeon saw how Jongdae childishly juts his lips, cutely blinking at Joonmyeon on the mirror as he sits at the edge of the bed, shoulders hunched despondently.

"Jongdae it's seven in the evening." he deadpans.

Jongdae puffs his cheeks, whole body squiggling around the sheets like a spoiled child in a fit of pique."I’m coming with you." he got off the bed in a haste, grabbed his schoolbag on the floor by the side of the bed and rummages inside, anxiously humming as he fishes a gray shirt.

"Baekhyun lives next door. You don't have to accompany me." he retaliates, the edges of his lips tugging into an amused smile as he observes his Jongdae pacing around dressing himself speedily, giving Joonmyeon an apathetic look with what he just said.

"Who knows, you could trip over a rock during those milliseconds of time walking, you're that clumsy you know." Jongdae argues insistently, earning a gentle push from a giggling Joonmyeon for acting like an idiot.

Jongdae held his hand as they made their way to Baekhyun’s house. Joonmyeon couldn't blow off the warming tint in his cheeks despite himself.

"Good evening Mrs. Byun." Joonmyeon greets Baekhyun's mother warmly. He had known the Byun's since they first moved in their neighbourhood. Joonmyeon was only eight. They have been very welcoming and friendly since then.

"Oh Joonmyeon! Come inside sweetie." Baekhyun's mother opens the door wide enough for them to trudge inside. She was probably preparing dinner, her pink apron and the strong scent of a homemade kimchi suspended in the air is making Joonmyeon’s stomach grumble.

"Hi Jongdae." she chimes the moment he saw Jongdae standing behind him. Everyone seems to have taken a certain likeness with his boyfriend. With Jongdae’s persona of being naturally good with people, it's no surprise he could enchant others in adoring him the minute they meet him.

"Hi Mrs. Byun! We're here to see Baek." Jongdae took the liberty to say it, grinning appreciatively at Baekhyun's mother who literally squeals at Jongdae's and blabs how handsome of a darling he is and Joonmyeon should thank the Gods for meeting such a charming boy. Joonmyeon pats away the ruddiness on his cheek, chewing on his button lip quelling any awkward comeback he has in mind.

"He's upstairs dear, in his room." the middle aged mother tells, ushering them to the living room while her eyes shines on both of them.

Joonmyeon felt a tug on his sleeves and a voice speaking behind the shell of his ear. "Go, I’ll wait for you here." Jongdae mumbles closely, leaning into him and inevitably making Baekhyun's mother squirm and giggle like a fangirl, muttering how cute they are together. Joonmyeon smiles shyly at the remark before climbing the flight of stairs to Baekhyun's room. Mrs. Byun's chirpy voice asking Jongdae to sit on the coach and, "Will you two stay for dinner sweetie?" with Jongdae kindly declining the offer was the last conversation he heard before reaching up then he urgently strides along the corridors towards Baekhyun's room.

Joonmyeon reaches Baekhyun's bedroom door. It was so quiet, but silence only made him worried recalling Baekhyun's heavy scratchy voice over the phone. He lifts a hand and knocks on his best friend's door, once to thrice.

Hearing no reply he goes to calling the other male’s name."Baek, it's me." Joonmyeon announces, ears pressing against the wooden barrier as he waits for a reply and only to receive a deafening stillness from the other side. That does it. Joonmyeon reaches for the knob and twiddles it with a bit of force he didn't even needed in the first place. He tumbles inside ever so heavily despite his light body nearly slamming his face flat on the floor. It was unlock after all.

He straightens his back after regaining his balance from his unexpected stumble, his knees tingling in minimal pain and face scrunching in discomfort as he rubs a hand over it. He closes the room behind him and searches for Baekhyun. He found his friend on the floor curled into a ball against the side of his bed."Baek?" he cautiously lumbers around and exclaims the second he saw his best friend slump limply on the floor, eyes staring blankly at the opposite wall with his knees brought up to his chest.

He kneels down and takes a sit beside Baekhyun. He gently places a hand on the latter's shoulder making the other boy flinch in surprise, like he didn't even heard him calling his name from outside."Baek, what's wro-" before his inquisitive words left his mouth Baekhyun tackles him down on the floor, clinging his slender limbs around Joonmyeon's chest, face buried. It took Joonmyeon two seconds for him to realize the shuddering figure of his friend and the sequence of broken sobs soaking his shirt. Baekhyun's crying.

"H-He broke up with me Joon."

The screeching noise of the metal gates clanking against metal disturbs Joonmyeon from his trance of thoughts."Good night mrs. Byun!" says his boyfriend who was sidling to his side, the latter's hand holding Joonmyeon's wrist with other one waving a jolly farewell wave towards Baekhyun's mother standing by the main door smiling so fondly at them. The women bid them a pleasant good night before closing the room.

"Did something happen? What's wrong with Baek?"

Joonmyeon inhales an air full of oxygen then sighs it out heavily, shoulders slumping gloomily without looking at Jongdae. Instead of giving his boyfriend a proper answer, he walks ahead of him, eyes looking down at the rock he's starts kicking as they made their way back to his house.

"Joonmyeon?"

Jongdae's pitter-pattering footsteps tailing behind him halts him on his tracks. Jongdae maybe loud and annoying when he wants to be but he's not one snooping on other people's business, though he only gets concern when it mainly involves Joonmyeon, even the trifle of things linking to him gets Jongdae all rile up. Joonmyeon sighs heavily, he knows for a fact that he appears so dispirited in front of Jongdae enough for his boyfriend to feel worried.

"Baekhyun's-" Joonmyeon doesn't know how he should phrase it without feeling mournful."Minho broke up with Baek." he finally states after a long considerate pause. Jongdae must have been thinking something far more devastating than what he just said which explains the worried lines on Jongdae's forehead slowly disappearing.

"O-oh." the raven haired boy says, appearing utterly uncertain whether he gave an appropriate reply to the situation. Joonmyeon ran a finger along his temples, giving it some soothing dabs in hopes of calming his nerves.

"Minho broke up with Baek after getting caught cheating with a college student."

"O-ooh." even Jongdae's lively voice sounded dejected, his expression doleful and sympathetic."I- that's- really awful."

Joonmyeon couldn't sleep that night. He couldn't stop thinking about Baekhyun. He called his friend uncountable of times before dinner, just to check, making sure Baekhyun isn't slitting his wrist or drowning himself in the bathtub like the last time. Instead of picking up his calls, Joonmyeon received some texts from his friend while they were having dinner.

From Baek: Joonmyeon. Stop calling ok? I'm fine. Really.

He sent a quick reply, insisting on accompany Baekhyun tonight because he doesn't really believe him. And what kind of a friend will he be? Letting his friend sink himself in self-pity and misery alone. He knows Baekhyun well enough that the brunette male likes having him over when he has problems.

From Baek: I know you and Jongdae will have tonight since its Friday and he gets to stay at your house. I don't want to ruin that ok? Stop worrying about me. I'll feel really worse if I keep popping inside your head while Jongdae's ing you hard on you're baby blue sheets. So stop calling I’ll be okay.

Joonmyeon gagged at Baekhyun's text, his phone almost falling into the chicken soup his mother serve over dinner. His eyes flew fast on his boyfriend who, according to Baekhyun's text, the boy who'd be ing him hard on his baby blue sheets tonight. The innocent Jongdae cocked his head to the sides, clearly wondering the reason behind Joonmyeon's sudden spate, giving him a quizzical look unaware of the viscous soup stain smearing at right corner of his bow lips.

Joonmyeon's mother looked terribly displeased at Jongdae's manners of eating.

"Stop thinking and go to sleep."

Joonmyeon slightly jerks at the sound of Jongdae's voice. They are now both back in his room, lying on his supposedly meant for one person bed. Despite the limited space, they both managed to fit themselves quite nicely. “You’re still awake ... “ he notes, adjusting his head on the pillow so he could face the other male. One of the curtains were drawn, allowing the faint hue rays of the moonlight slither through the permeable clothe, illuminating the room with its daintiest glow.

"You were thinking so loudly...” Jongdae replies softly, hooking an arm around Joonmyeon's waist and bringing him closer to him. Joonmyeon scooted forward, the tip of his plump lips curling up as he gets close enough to his boyfriend. He’s smiling vehemently once their noses bumps against each other, their warm breaths mingling.

"Sorry." Joonmyeon chortles, feeling Jongdae nod through the faint rustling of the pillow they're both sharing."Jongdae?"

"Hmm?" the latter answers, his thin airy voice now sounding a bit rough and lazy, obviously trying to keep himself awake, his voice beckoning Joonmyeon's eyes own to close. He can smell Jongdae's peppermint breath so fresh, calming and so close to him, nudging his nerves to steal a kiss and then maybe make love to him too.

Jongdae moves one idled hand behind of Joonmyeon, slipping it under Joonmyeon's shirt and grazes the skin there with his soft palm, encouraging Joonmyeon to talk. Jongdae's tiny gesture only made Joonmyeon gulp a non-existent lump lodged somewhere in his throat because the innocent touches suddenly makes his insides shake, his skin flushed."W-why do people cheat?" he finally asks, letting himself fall in the depths of Jongdae's warm skin, his gentle touches, his warm breathes that’s beginning to lull him to sleep.

Jongdae clears his throat after a long moment, taking ample of air before answering. “I-I don't really know. But in Minho and Baekhyun's case, maybe because he doesn’t like Baekhyun anymore? Or maybe this college dude is, umm.." Joonmyeon squints his eyes through the littlest light in his room. The minimal glow coming from his window outlines Jongdae's tightened jaw as he takes uneasy gulps. He looked utterly uncertain but then finishes it with a," maybe that person is better than Baekhyun ..." his voice trails off, fading, as if he himself doesn't know what he's saying. A warm palm runs to Joonmyeon's side, pressing, asking him to say something after a minute of silence.

Joonmyeon gets how Jongdae's being careful with his words. They're talking about Baekhyun, their friend. "Better than Baekhyun?" Joonmyeon says with a spite he didn't know he has the kindest nerve in his body to muster. Joonmyeon scoffs when he heard Jongdae nervously chuckle beside him before the male pulls him tight, desperate to pacify him.

"Or maybe!" Jongdae goes to add. “It was all a misunderstanding and the two of them just needs to talk to sort things out and then they’ll get back together." Joonmyeon understand how his lover's aiming to soothe his mood, but the images of his friend pouring all his tears on him and yelling words such as: He's a ing liar, I love him and now what? He gets to meet someone taller than me then him in his room for me to see then... Joonmyeon thinks he'll slap Minho in the face first thing on Monday. “Maybe it was just a one-time thing?" even Jongdae thinks his talking out of proportion for the sake of giving Joonmyeon some possible answers.

"Jongdae. They were caught." he presses, teeth gritting.

"What?" Jongdae asked, obviously feigning innocence and teasing Joonmyeon again. Jongdae just knows how he refuses to speak the words '' and 'ing' no matter how they have done it many of times over since Joonmyeon's nineteenth birthday. For him, such words sounded too.. Lustful, barbaric and obscene. Call him old fashion he doesn't really like referring what they do as that.

As cheesy and sickening it my sound to others, making love would be the better term to call it. "You two sneak into the storage room and often times in the empty locker rooms during breaks just to and here I am hearing you calling it,"Making love." You sound like a fifteen years old, wimpy conservative when I know, by how you loudly scream Jongdae's name at the top of your lungs during you two's intimate rituals, Joonmyeon you're totally not it." sometimes Baekhyun says a lot. About his and Jongdae's life.

"! How could be just a spur of a moment?" he screams nosily, biting his tongue and sincerely hopes his parents didn't heard their well-mannered youngest son said that. His face heats up and Jongdae was just that kind of boyfriend who sniggers at him for bursting out, like he wants him too all the time. Joonmyeon grunts at the back of his throat and pouts perturbingly.

"Joonmyeon, Baekhyun had a lot of break up's before. He’s totally not new to this."

"But that doesn't mean its okay for him to get hurt all the time! It's unfair and-" his voice quietens when warmish fingers cradles his cheeks as Jongdae grabs him in, bringing their faces together. His eyes automatically fell closed at the first tender touche of Jongdae's lips that perfunctorily captures his quivering lips, shutting his words back down down his voice box till he forgot the words he was about to say entirely. He felt a sudden shift on the bed. He felt his body pressed on the cushion, his back dipping down on his mattress as Jongdae clambers his way on top of him and nudged his thighs apart with one knee. He placed himself between his spread legs as he kisses him fluidly.

Joonmyeon let's out tiny whimpers when Jongdae draws his lips back enough for them to inhale."I know. But Baekhyun will meet someone soon enough. Someone truly meant for him." Jongdae says, his hot breath washing over Joonmyeon making him sigh regrettably from the sudden halt of their kisses. He was inwardly distracted because Jongdae skin smells of fresh oranges, terribly so inciting he wants to kiss his skin all night.

"I- I guess you're righ-" fingers sorted themselves through Jongdae's disheveled dark hair as soon as the latter leans down to kiss Joonmyeon yet again. Their mouths parted by instinct. Jongdae's tongue darts inside Joonmyeon's carven, mildly on his swelling lips and marking every same corner he had trace thousands of times already. Joonmyeon feebly moans. He uses both of his hands to steady Jongdae's face as they kiss, diving his tongue to the other male's mouth as their lip locking turns urgent.

Joonmyeon tugged his tongue back after some moments when he realizes something. He turns his face away a bit reluctantly, willing the spreading heat waltzing all over his body to stop."Jongdae no, w-e we can't .." it took all of Joonmyeon's will power and the still sane part of his mind to push his lover back, breaking their connected lips ( because Jongdae tried to kiss him back by hooking a finger under his chin.) and their warming bodies.

"What? Why?" Jongdae cries incredulously, his face scrunching up unattractively. He wriggled his limbs in mixed awe and confusion, whining his pitchy vocals on top of Joonmyeon. The room was dimly lit but it was enough for Joonmyeon to witness the growing pout on his boyfriend's lips. He almost wants to ran his finger over it, and kiss it.

"Because.. " he sticks his tongue, swiping it across his lower lip trying to and swallow the remnants of Jongdae's peppermint taste. The action was for himself to gather his s and simply not to woo Jongdae into kissing him again which by the way, was a successful move since not even a second goes by and Jongdae's instantly a breath away from his mouth, his bow lips pursing so childishly as if longing to reach Joonmyeon's plump lips. "Bacause Baekhyun's heartbroken and we shouldn't be doing this." he weakly reasons, patting Jongdae's body gesturing for him to get off. He wasn't so sure if he was making sense himself, he probably wasn't.

"Bu-but, what about me?" Jongdae whimpers lowly, pulling his hair out in what looks like a ually frustrated teen.

"What .. " despite how many times they made love and how Joonmyeon wholeheartedly gave his innocence away to Jongdae that one fateful night in May, he was still oblivious with a lot of things. He stares at Jongdae's sadden form sitting rather tepidly between his thighs with his arms crossed. His eyes casts down to his lover's stomach, going further to the waist, and down down his boyfriend's pajamas. His heart chilled when he felt something probing in between his thighs when Jongdae presses his hips forward. It finally hits Joonmyeon that Jongdae's aroused and hard. It made him choked, followed by his gladdened giggles. There's these tiny little blush creeping from his neck to his cheeks as he stares back up at Jongdae.

"I- have you been ... all this time?" he stutters, biting his inner cheeks, fighting not to laugh because Jongdae looks so heartbroken.

Jongdae huffed out his annoyance, creating some flappy noises with his cheeks and lips, it was sort of adorable."Kinda?" he openly admits, faking his sobs and sniffling as his body leans back onto Joonmyeon, trying his luck for the last time only to fail.

Joonmyeon laughs as he pull himself from his boyfriend.

Jongdae groans in miffed, flailing his arms up and whining. Joonmyeon giddily laughs at how Jongdae threw himself beside him when it finally sinks in the poor boy's head that he's not getting any action tonight. Jongdae flops on bed, grabbing a pillow and sighing so disappointedly on his side. In order to placate his lover, Joonmyeon turns to lie on his side too, nudges Jongdae to do the same in which the latter did so grumpily. He inches forward, rests his chin atop Jongdae's shoulder while wrapping his arms around Jongdae's middle to cuddle. He could almost see the smile on his boyfriend's face when he nuzzles his face at the crook of the latter’s neck, contentedly exhaling as their body clings around each other, filling each curves and contours. As if they were moulded to perfect each other from the very beginning. "Good night.."

He could hear Jongdae affectionately smiling, his chin nudging atop his head with a hum."Good night." he answers, slipping his fingers under the back of Joonmyeon's shirt and drawing figures over his pale skin. Joonmyeon loves how Jongdae never seemed to forget this gesture of his, the warm brushes of shapes, his soft hums that lulls him to slumber.

Joonmyeon presses a kiss on Jongdae's neck, on that certain mole over his collarbone. And out of habit, he ever so teasingly dips his tongue on it and wiped it's dampness with his lips, humming as he did so. He felt Jongdae's Adam's apple bob, hears him thickly swallowing, the fingers drawing shapes on his back stops. Joonmyeon paused his ministration when he felt a hand caressing his hair and a shaky voice that says, “If you don't want to make love tonight, then please Joonmyeon. Stop seducing me and go to sleep." Jongdae grumbles in frustration.

Joonmyeon shudders into gale of laugher and all Jongdae could conjure was a despairing growl, shaking his head in disbelief."Okay, sorrry." he says unapologetically, now staying quietly still and keeping his lips to himself after getting a reprimanding, "Stop being naughty." from Jongdae.

He nods with a smile, hiding his face on Jongdae's chest and letting his heavy hooded eyes slowly shut. It helps, how Jongdae hums, the vibrating sounds reverberates over his skin and the strong beating of Jongdae's heart all feel like a beautiful lullaby, sending him to sleep and.

"Joonmyeon?"

"Hmm?"

"I love you."

Joonmyeon smiles, listening to the sweetest melody that is Jongdae's voice. He tightened his grip on Jongdae in reply. A finger tilts his chin to an angle he knows so well. Joonmyeon's lips blindly searches for Jongdae's. He felt the softest flushed of skin pressed itself at the corner of his lips, stealthily inching its way to the center where it lays, tender lips presses firmly on Joonmyeon's awaiting own. He shifts, inhaling his boyfriend's minty breath, meeting Jongdae's tongue by the hollow curve of his mouth, fingers digging on the other's boy's shirt, gripping on the article as he whispers Jongdae's name out of affection before finally finally letting his consciousness sink to sleep.

"So who's the new guy?"

Joonmyeon heard Jongdae asked, craning his neck to see Baekhyun's glittering aura. Its Monday, the hallways were chaotic at early seven as per usual. The three of them were on their way to their respective homerooms, walking through the sea of skidding students rushing to get to their first classes. Joonmyeon turns to Baekhyun, the petite male grinning from ear to ear, biting his bottom lip as he breathes out a dreamy sigh then giggles chirpily, daydreaming in his own world. He probably didn't hear Jongdae's questions so his lover repeats his question, screaming it out loud even. It didn't just caught Baekhyun's attention but the students walking by too.

Baekhyun went through numerous of break up's before, considering the number of random guys he dates every three months or so. Sometimes Joonmyeon haven't had the chance to officially meet Baekhyun's a week long boyfriend and then his suddenly be chatting about a new guy straight away because "It didn't work out." with the last guy as per Baekhyun's overrated explanation. So it wasn't a surprise when he hears Baekhyun talking way too sweetly over the phone during the entire duration of their bus ride and ending the conversation with an," I'll see you later then baby." insert nauseous kissing noises there.

Before Joonmyeon could hear the mysterious name of the boy Baekhyun's getting too crazy about this time around, he felt a warm hand circling itself around his wrist followed by a forceful tug that pulled him to the sides. He nearly trip by the sudden swept and knocks his head back against the walls,"Watch it!" he heard Jongdae angrily chided, glowering at one particular student standing a few space from them who, by the kind of books he was clutching in his arms, was an innocent trembling freshmen wearing thick rimmed glasses. The boy utters his apologies, profusely bowing when the said student saw Joonmyeon hidden behind a scowling Jongdae, hand holding Joonmyeon's, a stance shielding the shorter one defensively.

"Hey, it's okay." Joonmyeon says, at the student and sent the latter a smile so genuine that the young student was compelled enough to smile back, rubbing his neck and hiding a sheepish grin. The student was blushing blatantly it made Baekhyun chortle at the sides while Jongdae grunts, clearly annoyed.

"That was childish Jongdae." Joonmyeon glares unceremoniously at his boyfriend when the freshmen was out of earshot. Jongdae gapes at his condescending words then laughed sarcastically back, bemused.

"Well he wasn't being careful!" Jongdae hissed back, turning to face the hallways with sharp eyes glaring at everything. Baekhyun sees the opportunity to piss Jongdae more so. The petite male ever so carelessly blabbered about how Joonmyeon's gaining more and more underclassmen admirers, and how his creamy skin, pretty, angelic face and his natural kindness was the cause of it all.

"Shut up Baek." Jongdae glares. Joonmyeon agrees with his boyfriend. Jongdae doesn't really appreciate such words even if it were just mere jokes that Baekhyun loves to drop in every chance he gets. Baekhyun secondly mumbles something about Jongdae being too overprotective and possesive it was stupid.

Joonmyeon bumps his shoulder against Baekhyun, giving him a "Will you quit it?" because Jongdae went silent all of the sudden. He would've kiss Jongdae on the cheek and say it's not true if they were alone right now.

"His name is Yonjae." Baekhyun said simply, pulling the conversation they had earlier to chase the darkening aura between them. His small eyes were back on squinting into cheerful curves and voice singing a certain love song nobody heard of. Joonmyeon rummages the name inside his head because the name sounds oddly familiar and there's a blurry face flickering inside his head.

"What?! Cho Yonjae? The part-time barista at my mother's cafe?" Jongdae screeches, gardening more attention from the students. So that's why the name was familiar. Joonmyeon met the guy, an engineering sophomore working at the coffee shop Jongdae's mother owns. That tall, lean guy with dimples.

"Yeah so?" Baekhyun shrugs unaffected by Jongdae's exaggerated reaction. "He asked me out i said yes, he's a good kisser so we kind of clicked and now were dating." Baekhyun says excitedly, bobbing up and down his heel. Joonmyeon sighs beside his friend. Now, Minho is just another ex Baekhyun adds on his list. It's barely even a week since he witnessed Baekhyun crying his eyes out for the tall athletic male. He wonders whether Baekhyun ever gets tired of having spontaneous relationships and more importantly, having his heart broken over and over.

Jongdae hummed, stretching it too long that only indicates that he badly wants to say something, probably a snarky one but held himself back.

Not too long Joonmyeon felt a squeezing sensation around his left hand, a thumb fondling gently over the back of his hand. He drops his gaze. Only then did he realized that it was Jongdae’s naturally warm hand and long fingers perfectly interlaced with his."J-Jongdae.. " he murmured in a carefully low hush, anxiously scanning around if any student happens to see them. He suddenly felt too self-conscious as the three of them were about to take a turn around the corridors where a lot of student's are littering around at this early hour. There will be more student's watching him, judging him, and being seen holding hands with his secret boyfriend is clearly not a good role model material.

Baekhyun was still ranting about his new found love when Jongdae turns to him, confusion marring every corner of his face. Joonmyeon made a tugging movement with their connected hands making it clear to Jongdae that they talked about this and they shouldn't be acting all lovey dovey when their principal is keeping an eye on them. Jongdae puffs his cheeks low-spiritedly. Seems like his lover grew too accustomed to their physical closeness that he forgets not all living souls in their school can tolerate what they have. Their relationship.

Joonmyeon watched the sudden gloom on Jongdae's expression as he painstakingly pries his fingers off of his, lips pouting piteously in a humming whine as he shrugs grouchily. Joonmyeon sighs at Jongdae's reaction. He's sorry about how they have to act as mere friends at school. He feels empty without Jongdae's hand on his. He knows for sure how they both shouldn't be caught like this.

Joonmyeon heartily cast the longing thoughts away and gave Jongdae a subtle brush of his fingers against the other's middle finger, gracing his lover a weak consoling smile that had Jongdae faintly smiling back as he nods, because he understands. To the rest, the both of them were two student's hanging out under certain circumstances. Joonmyeon being the student body president and Jondae being one of the the school's chorale club officers. No one seems to suspect their relationship so far, well except for Jongdae's singing buddies and Joonmyeon's trusted subordinates who knows they've been secretly dating for two years and three months.

And well, there's their principal who knew about them but was considerate enough to be lenient. It still amazes Joonmyeon up to this point. Baekhyun suspects their principal is a lesbian though.

"I'll see you at Lunch." Jongdae whispers once they finally stood outside his homeroom.

Their classroom was in a ruckus with paper balls thrown here and there. Baekhyun yelled his ear piercing voice when a paper ball the size of an apple landed directly at his face. Joonmyeon snickered at his friend's outburst and did his outmost best to call his classmates attention. When he looks back at his lover, he heard himself grunting throatily at Jongdae because the latter was leaning way too close onto him. He pushed his boyfriend off to his own home room just around the corner. Jongdae chuckles, waving and winking playfully at Joonmyeon before he runs to his own class, backpack shuffling as the raven haired male sprints all the way to a particular room.

"Jongdae's nonexistent subtleness will get you two suspended." Baekhyun comments, back resting against the wall and smirking. Joonmyeon rolled his eyes, deep inside he thinks so too. The two of them walks towards their designated chairs as the bell rang.

"Hey Joonmyeon.."

Joonmyeon was gathering his history book and notes, stuffing them inside his bag when his head perks at first mention of his name. His eyes focused on the girl sitting over the desk before his. It was Im Yoona. The slim, tall and pretty Yoona who has this boyish personality that keeps their troublesome boys at their school in a trembling fit when she gives out her intimidating sharp glare, getting them in line. Joonmyeon couldn't asked for any other student to be his vice president. Yoona takes her responsibilities very seriously and the two of them agrees on that department."The principal wants to see you." she had her hair tied in a bun, eyes tiredly staring at him with bubble gum covering her bored expression as the gum inflates. Joonmyeon's head tilts at that in wonderment. The last time he was called was when he was caught making out with Jongdae in the library two weeks ago. Joonmyeon shivers at the memory, internally hoping the reason for this sudden call doesn't have something to do with his relationship. Maybe Jongdae was caught doing some prank on the freshmen's again? Joonmyeon groans. "Wonder want she wants?”

"Beats the hell, she didn't say." Yoona said, repressing a yawn by covering it with her hand. "Anyways, I’ll go ahead. Give me a call if it has something to do with the upcoming school festival." she shuffles past the nodding Joonmyeon, waving her hand from behind and walking out of their homeroom.

Joonmyeon cocked his head from side to side as he hoisted the straps of his bag over his shoulder. The day was finally about to end and he couldn't wait to pass by the principal's office to see what their principal wants. He so badly wanted to lay on his bed and just, sleep.

He fishes his phone on his way out, thinking of texting Jongdae's as his whereabouts or ask him if he had done something worser than drawing music notes doodles on his desk or getting caught listening to his mp3 while the lecture is ongoing or spreading viral video clip of their P.E teacher caught picking his nose during classes. He should at least ready himself of what's to come.

His thumb was a press away from calling Jongdae when he nearly had a head to head collision with the person he was about to call. "Ready to go home?" Jongdae asks perkily after steadying him on his stance. Jongdae had his lips curving so broadly at Joonmyeon's stunned look that his smile practically occupies his entire face.

"I can't go home yet .." he answers in his rare whiny tone. Jongdae's grin goes bigger at the sound of it, placing his right hand around Joonmyeon's nape giving it some relaxing light caresses that inevitably made Joonmyeon feel at ease, closing his eyes and momentarily forgetting where they are. He leans onto the sensation, every fiber of his body wanting to take. “The principal wants to see me."

"Huh? Why?" Jongdae asks, voice incredulous albeit Joonmyeon could hear chinks of gratification in the latter's thin mellow voice. He's obviously liking the fact that Joonmyeon's isn't dodging his advances in a public place.

"She didn't say." Joonmyeon puffs his cheeks. Pouting deeply from the retreating comforts of Jongdae's hand when the latter starts walking with him down the corridor. He felt his boyfriend's hand sledding down his spine in an affectionate brush, passing by his idle hand as if wanting for him to feel the lingering warmth of the his fingers grazing over his stealthily. Joonmyeon nibbles on his lower lip, discreetly touching the back of Jongdae's hand with his middle finger. He could almost see Jongdae smirking at that one hurried gesture of Joonmyeon wishing he can hold his hand too.

They quietly took a safe turn to the left where Joonmyeon could almost see the principal's office from a far.

"I’ll go with you." Jongdae exclaimed, adjusting the strap of his bag.

Joonmyeon was about to nod in affirmation when he remembers Baekhyun mentioning a meeting among music club members after classes. A gathering in which, his good and responsible friend Baekhyun wouldn't be attending because he has a date with his new hot boyfriend.

"Don't you guys have a meeting?" he asks, stopping on his tracks and looking over his shoulder towards Jongdae who just had his delighted grin tearing into a strained smile. Ah. The look of a kid getting caught doing naughty things. He gave the other a stern look,"Jongdae, you shouldn't skip meetings." he berates, squinting his eyes. Well, it always work on Jongdae.

"But club meetings is just Neil talking nonsense ninety seven percent of the time and then he... " Jongdae stomps his foot and grunts through his gritting teeth. "Fine I’ll go." Jongdae rambles after getting a good amount of pressuring glares from Joonmyeon."Just call me when you're done talking with the wicked witch so we can get home." Jongdae says, emphasizing each word with the wiggling of his brows. Joonmyeon swat Jongdae's shoulder for calling their principal names before the latter waves a hand.

"See you later!" before Joonmyeon could even say anything back, Jongdae stepped closer to him invading his personal breathing space and sprints as fast as he can after.

Joonmyeon was left dumbfounded. His right hand reaches for his opened lips where he's so sure he felt a light sensation pressing over it but appallingly disappears in a jiffy.

All he could do was close his gaping mouth and watched his Jongdae’s retreating figure, hurrying feet resounding through the halls as he prance all the way through then disappears around the corner. There's a burning feeling settling on his cheeks he couldn't quite suppress. And like how he couldn't control his own cheeks from blushing, his lips tugs across his angelic features brightening his face with a happy smile as he walks by himself towards the silent hall. Thinking about his opportunistic boyfriend who gives him kisses in a suspiciously empty lobby or whenever there's any chances. There's simply no reasons not to love him.

"Come in." Joonmyeon pushed the wooden door after having knocked twice. He instinctually bows at the very entrance of their principal's office, Ms. Kwon. Their middle aged principal was sitting on her swivel chair, hands busy arranging files on her table while she ushered Joonmyeon to come inside and take a sit.

Joonmyeon closed the door before taking a sit on the vacant chair. His eyes turns to the chair opposite his when he noticed someone in his peripheral vision. There's definitely another person in the room, a female sitting collectedly on the opposite chair, eyes looking back at Joonmyeon with a tiny lit of her small crescent shaped eyes. She was casually dressed in a cream tailored dress that ends just above her knees. She has that silky black hair, long and straight it reaches somewhere above her waist. A striking contrast with her fairly white complexion. Her face was small, lips a bud of pink and glossy and when she smiles so genially at Joonmyeon, her face radiates so beautifully she looks like a living doll. Pretty and feminine. Joonmyeon unseemly coughs on his , so uncommon of him to struggle for words.

"Joonmyeon, I want you to meet Bae Joohyun. She's a transferee student from China. She'll be attending her senior year here with us." Mrs Kwon introduces, pushing her glasses pass the bridge of her nose and looking pointedly at the two of them.

Joonmyeon scribbles to stand. Joohyun rose off her chair uprightly and bowed with Joonmyeon hastily mirroring her actions. Finally coming to realize the reason for this meeting, Joonmyeon starts to mentally bawl at this situation. He’s good with words yes, and he's excellent interacting with people. Unfortunately, he doesn't know any other languages besides his mother's. Sure they had mandarin classes before but he only did passed the said course due to some miraculous help. He barely even remember words aside from simple greetings. And the thought of guiding a Chinese student with his less than few mandarin vocabulary, it's going to be disastrous.

"Hello, I’m Bae Joohyun. Pleased to meet you Joonmyeon." She cheers albeit shyly. Her words were perfectly polished and Korean accented that Joonmyeon's surprise was written all over his face, he's helplessly holding the urge to chuckle. She seemed to have noticed his internal struggle because Joohyun starts laughing at how Joonmyeon practically roars in relief. Her laugh is just as pleasing as her smile is.

Joonmyeon's relieved knowing he doesn't have to use sign language, ugly faces or something to communicate with her. "I'm Korean," she explains sheepishly, "My family moved to China when i was little so I grew up there." her voice sounded so solemn, the perfect epitome of gentleness. Joonmyeon had to smile back at her, smile kinder than his usual.

The past two seconds he met the other, Joonmyeon admits how Joohyun looks absolutely beautiful. The kind of beauty that would make the entire male population gaze dreamily at her whenever she walks by the halls. She would be everyone's crush, underclassmen boys will love to call her "Noona." in admiration. Her beauty could stir envy and jealousy among females.

"Kim Joonmyeon. Student body president." he states, accepting her hand and giving it a light shake. They sat back shortly, exchanging smiles with each other.

"Joonmyeon, will it be okay for you to Ms. Bae around campus and give her a head start?" their principal inquires, eyes staring at Joonmyeon and waiting for his reply. Joonmyeon smiles wholeheartedly. Of course, he's the president and he can't really say no to someone who knows about him and Jongdae.

"Yes." he replies in his most genuine intentions. He felt Joohyun's smile from across him.

Joonmyeon and Joohyun walked side by side around campus, falling into a lively chatter about protocols and the school's history. Joohyun wasn't as aloof and reserved as Joonmyeon had thought she'll be. Her quick replies and shy giggles makes her a girl with the combination of wit and feminine beauty. And her voice is so gentle when she talks, mostly enchanting when she laughs.

"Do you play any particular sport?" Joonmyeon asked, leading Joohyun out of their auditorium. It was way past class’s hours and only few students were left behind to do some school related group activities. Many did threw curious glances at him for walking with an unfamiliar face. And as a good student body president he is, he introduced the new girl to some who dared to ask who the pretty lady in a cream dress was. Joohyun was heartily smiling as she exchanged greetings with them. Profound Delight was written on her face.

"Um. No, I don't really play any sport. My body isn’t.. up for it." she giggled sheepishly, tugging a loose strands of her long dark locks behind her ear. “I do love singing though." she added with a smile that crinkles up the corners of her round eyes, catching enough of Joonmyeon's attention.

"Singing you say?"

"Yes." Joohyun mumbles. He smiled at her. He knows perfectly where to bring her. He took the lead and ushered her to the left wing of the building.

They haven't even reached the particular place where Joonmyeon wanted to take the Joohyun and yet he could already hear the raising voices and frightful clatters coming from the Music club's selfishly proclaimed room. The walls trembled at the blaring lyrics of a reggae song that Joonmyeon can only guessed to be Bob marley's 'Is this love'. Joohyun looks over at him with questioning eyes. Joonmyeon stares back at the girl beside him, scratching his cheek awkwardly.

"This is where musically inclined student's hangs out. Um.. " he momentarily peeks inside the room before returning his attention back to the latter with a crooked smile."Sorry for the noise," he mutters, staring at Joohyun's screeching face because someone was kind enough to change the upbeat song to a metallic deafening music that made the two of them stepping back with hands covering their ears.

Joonmyeon's was already having second thoughts about this but Joohyun said she doesn't mind the noise and wants to meet the others.

When knocking obviously wouldn't be necessary, Joonmyeon twiddles with the knob and invited himself inside tugging Joohyun along.

To say that the Music club members are the noisiest people he have ever met (best friend and boyfriend included) in his life wouldn't be enough to fully define them. The infamous songbirds of their school are bunch of hyperactive teenagers with an obsession of singing live along the serene hall of the library and holding an a cappella in the cafeteria during lunch breaks as if they own it. To add to that, the group tends to do weird, inexplicable things that could only make any better sense to those who are welcomed in their circle. He's been coming in and out of the said room and got to know most of the members through Jongdae. They weren't really that bad as how the dance club, the number one archenemy of the said group labels them as such.

The music got even more unbearably loud as they walked through the entance. The blaring beat and incomprehensible lyrics were penetrating and painful to listen to that Joonmyeon's fights the strong urge to unplug the damn stereo for crying out loud who could bear to listen to such music in that loud volume?

Joohyun looked way uncomfortable and reluctant to even take another step inside the said room. Her rounded eyes unfocused and shoulders tense but tries to hide it by smiling encouragingly at him. Joonmyeon feels the need to congratulate himself for successfully giving his boyfriend's group of friends a bad impression on Joohyun.

Joonmyeon sighed heavenly to himself as the both of them sauntered in. Their footsteps came unheard to the horde of people inside who were completely lost in their own world. Joonmyeon's steps pauses as his mind took a fraction of seconds to take in the sight before him. The entire room was in a mess. There were music sheets everywhere. The musical instruments were poorly kept and all the chairs were pushed back against the wall. And he couldn't seem to fantom as to why the singing members were all sitting on the floor at the center of the room, gathering themselves in a circle.

Recovering from his shock, Joonmyeon walks closer to the others, cocking his head as he nears to them. He sees Jongdae's classmate and close friends Neil and Soojung siting beside each other with a bag of bonitos on hand. He could recognize some of the members as his classmates. They were mumbling amongs themselves. It's quite intriguing how they could even discern what the other is saying with how loud the speaker practically shakes the entire building.

"Um... guys?" much to Joonmyeon's amazement, despite the heavy music resounding through thick brick walls, the seemingly oblivious horde of people snapped their heads and turned to Joonmyeon. He smiles awkwardly at them.

"Oh Joonmyeon!" Neil exclaimed, putting the bag of junk foods on the floor and nudging Sulli beside him for her to turn the volume down. Before the said girl gets up on her feet, Siwan, who was sitting near the stereo turned the speaker off entirely for her.

"What.. are you guys doing?" Joonmyeon asks, inwardly thanking the God's someone turned the stereo off, but it leaves a ringing after effects in his ears. He gets his attention back by gazing on the cans of coke, some take out fries and fast foods stewn on the floor. There was a blue paper with unreadable scribbles placed in the middle of their circle with color pens, glues and is that a box of marbles littering on the floor?

"We? Oh were just having a meeting." the fair skinned male born with one handsome smile said. Joonmyeon recognized the guy as Im Siwan. Yoona's distant cousin. Newly addition to the group and he's in Jongdae's film class.

Joonmyeon stares at them blankly. "You were having a ... meeting?" he skeptically asks. Who in their sane damn mind would guess a number of people in a concert like sound system with some arts material children in kindergarten enjoys with plus the room is in deep chaos, and they were eating junk foods, are actually having a club meeting?

"Yeah." Yoona was actually a member of the dance club so it was a surprising thought of seeing her in the room. Music club members and the club that do the groves and moves don't usually interact. If they ever do, it'll only lead to fighting and arguing of who's the more talented group.

"Oh .. I-I'm sorry i thought you guys were- never mind I’ll just go."

"No it's okay, we're almost done.” Neil says, sipping on his milk drink. "What brings you here by the way?"

Soojung rolls her eyes." We all know who and what he is here for." she smirks, giving him a teasing wink.

All of them knew about his relationship with Jongdae. They accepts them without judgment, making them the only people who could possibly understand and bear with the sight of Jongdae boldly kissing him on the lips, hugging him from behind and in worst cases when everyone's heading home and someone brisk back to get something forgotten, walking in on them making out on top of the piano since everyone's gone and music room is the only safe place for them to touch each other. It’s empty and Joonmyeon gets a little needy and who is Jongdae to say no to his boyfriend's plea?

Joonmyeon coughed embarrassedly. It was always Soojung who gets to witness how Jongdae's hand moves under his dress shirt while they share a messy kiss. They do it so expertly like it's all they're living for. Joonmyeon paled. Soojung did promised to not tell anyone about it but she didn't really swear not to when she has the chance.

Seulgi gets up and tidies the trash in a bin, Niel and Sulli discussed something with a paper on hand while Luna and the Im cousins curiously look over at Soojung as she throws herself on the floor and laughs loudly at how Joonmyeon looks like he badly wants to cry out for his mother.

"Who's that behind you?" the rest of them stop moving around, even Soojung.

Joonmyeon exhales laboriously. He took a tiny step to his left, hand pulling Joohyun for the rest of the glee club members to meet. "Guys, this is Bae Joohyun. She's a transferee student from China. She'll be with us from now on."

The mention of her name, Joohyun steps out front, tilting her head shyly. “Hi." her curly black hair sways as she greets her newly acquaintances in simple English, her lips sending a pleasing smile that might've captured the hearts of their school’s songbirds. How they stare at her with opened mouth and daze look was enough of a proof.

In a blink of an eye all of them scampers to stand. They made a run of who will be able to shake the Chinese girl's hand first. Their voices were raising as they introduced themselves all at once, fighting for Joohyun’s attention. Joohyun looked utterly overwhelmed, wrinkles of confusion etched across her forehead as she tries not to mistaken the person who says he's Neil's to that one who introduced himelf as Siwan and vice versa.

"No, the hot guy with delicious pouty lips is me. Neil. The ugly boy here is Siwan." Neil points, grabbing the gritting Siwan by the collar and pointing out their differences. The unamused Siwan shrugs off the latter’s hands and introduced himself properly.

"I'm Soojung." she flips her hair, grinning with sass. "This is Sulli and Luna." she points. They exchanges smiles and friendly shakes.

"I'm Yoona." extending her hand which Joohyun took halfway gladly. Repeating her name making sure to remember. "You're pretty." Yoona bluntly says, after scrutinizing the new girl with her hawk eyes making the others giggle in amusement. Joohyun laughs in her soft merry voice, her cheeks coloring in pinkish shades.

Joonmyeon stood at the side, watching the others crowding Joohyun around, bombarding her with basic questions. It was a little bit later that Joonmyeon's forehead puckers in confusion when he didn't noticed a raven haired boy with feline eyes who should be introducing himself in his loud voice too. “Has anyone seen Jongdae? I thought he's here?" he's beginning to think his lover skipped the meeting again like he did the last time.

"Oh he was here." Siwan says.

"He went out to fetch you." Luna pulls a chair and sat, crossing her legs. “He said you were taking too long. The evil witch might've done something bad to you."

"You know how he gets all antsy when you're away for long." Niel rolls his eyes in playful mockery of 'Jongdae's ridiculous addiction over Joonmyeon.' as he himself quoted once.

Joonmyeon bit his lips, rosy hues crept on his cheeks. To avert himself from further teasing he fishes his phone, thinking of notifying his boyfriend where he is. His eyes widen upon seeing 10 unread messages and 6 missed calls. “I’ll go get him." he excused himself, earning a nod from the others. He trudges towards the door hurriedly. He shierks on the spot when something gets knocked against his forehead sending him on his knees. He begun whimpering at the pain, his breathing shallows. He finds himself immediately being haul up with the help of his assailant.

"! I'm sorry Joonmyeon." that familiar mellow voice was what urges Joonmyeon to open his eyes. He was met by Jongdae's warm peppermint breath as the raven haired male fretfully checks his forehead, brushing his locks to the side grunting in regret at the sight of reddish blotches on his forehead.", I’m sorry!"

Joonmyeon stared at Jongdae through his blurry eyes."Jongdae." he blames the thing that hit his face for making his voice whiny, and Jongdae in spite of his worrying self, marvels at Joonmyeon's particular voice with his clingy hands resting on his hips.

Jongdae kept tilting Joonmyeon's chin, checking his every skin to see if there's any serious bleeding. Joonmyeon smiles, the pain was slowly weaning. Might be due to how his lover his cheek or the way he handles him with sheer caution. He couldn't determine what exactly. “I’m okay. No worries." his reassurance doesn't seemed to have any effect on Jongdae.

"I just knock you off with my camera." the thing that blew him off was the cam recorder, the one he gave on Jongdae's birthday. It was now left on the floor. He hopes it wasn't broken or something. "That was not okay." Jongdae retaliates softly.

"I told you I’m okay. The snow that you threw at me years ago was far more painful than this." Joonmyeon says mindlessly, pressing a finger on his forehead. His face crinkles at the stinging pain.

Jongdae chuckles, jutting his lips and blows warm minty puffs on the reddened skin."You made it sound like I did it on purpose. You'll never let that go huh?" Joonmyeon shakes his head vigoriouly, grinning at the sound of his lover's resentful, piteous whine. He chuckles stop when Jongdae embraces him and kissed him on the forehead.

Joonmyeon can't help but sweetly smile at this. Jongdae steps back and checks it again after a moment. “You’re healed now." He says almost too proudly, hand Joonmyeon's neck as he laughs.

"Oh and that one over there that's Kim Jongdae." those words was all it took for Joonmyeon to realize they weren't alone in the room and the rest of the guys probably have seen them in their loving gestures. He blushed so hard while Jongdae glances at the others and sticks his tongue out at Niel, his unturned lip morphing into a permanent smile like the carefree of a person he is. Never worrying on something. Joonmyeon see’s how the catlike orbs of his lover narrows as he eyes an unfamiliar face.

"She's a transferee student from china." Joonmyeon supplies in a whisper. "The principal asked me to show her around." Jongdae nods, picking his camera before the two of them lumbers to where the others are gathered.

"You're Chinese?" Jongdae asks, grinning. His clear thin voice reaching a higher note in that simple question. Joonmyeon knows that voice. Jongdae unconsciously speaks in squeals when he's excited and couldn't contain it. He smiles at how Jongdae was looking straight at Joohyun with interest in his eyes, cocking his head as he waits for the Chinese girl who was oddly staring unblinkingly for a minute before timidly nodding.

"Kim Jongdae. I hope you'll enjoy it here. Don't worry, the people here are nice. We'll, except for Niel. He's a freak sometimes so don't hang out with him much okay?"

There's a long uneasy silence. Joohyun had open for a pregnant moment of processing what Jongdae just said, the tip of her lips ascending in a lovely smile before enthusiastically talking back in a language she had gotten used to. Jongdae replies back animatedly, laughing in between his words. The rest of them were gaping like a fish looking back and forth between the two, listening to phrases that doesn't make any sense because.

"What the Jongdae you speak Mandarin?!" Neil's shilling voice broke the puzzling silence. His eyes widen, facial expression astonished by the fact that Jongdae just exchanged lively conversation with Joohyun in suave Mandarin. His diction and words were clear and way too fluent for someone who was born and raised in Korea or so they all thought. The rest of the gang were no different.

Except for Joonmyeon. He knew Jongdae's bilingual from the very start.

"Yeah. I'm half Chinese you see." Jongdae announces, intending for his voce to sound boastful with a smug smile to complete the formula of pissing his friends off.

"Hey!" Joonmyeon shrieks in surprise at the sight of Neil wildly latching on his boyfriend and violently swatting Jongdae's head as he curse the latter to death. The crowd broke and split. Soojung was pulling Jongdae to a safe distance while Joonmyeon was standing in front of his guffawing boyfriend. Joohyun on the other hand was standing in the middle, all shocked and speechless.

"No wonder you hogged all the high scores in foreign languages last year. You actually know the how to speak it! I asked you for help you little dimwit and... My mother- " Neil screams, face red in furry. Body wanting to get off the vice grip of his giggling friends and choke Jongdae who was stupidly enjoying this more than anyone in the room.

Feigning an apologetic face, “Sorry man, it was really fun seeing you fail during midterms last year." Jongdae sputters in laughter, needless of the fact that Neil's more likely to kill him after. Joonmyeon jabs his lover on the side. Jongdae laughing just grew louder every time his dear furious friend struggles hard to reach him but failed in the end, thank the arms that were firmly holding him back.

Joonmyeon groans, Jongdae was leaning on his back. Tongue sticking out and pestering Niel even more. See how he lives his life as Jongdae's boyfriend. He often feels like he's dating an elementary student rather than a high school senior. “Sorry. They're crazy like this." he sent an apologetic smile towards Joohyun.

"It's really okay. They're actually fun to watch." she smiles that stunning smile of hers.

After of what seemed to be an hour of Neil and Jongdae’s brawling, all of them gets tired of holding the two back and just gave Neil the freedom to punch Jongdae in the arm to put the sanity of an enraged teenager to rest."Damn! Joonmyeon it hurts." feline-like eyes both welling fake tears, Jongdae relentlessly whines behind Joonmyeon, playing hurtful sobs and sniffles, his lips wobbly and injured arm nudging on Joonmyeon begging for him to give him some loving comfort here please. Joonmyeon rolled his eyes and pats where Jongdae wants him to touch him. Such a baby.

"You deserved it ." the now satiated Neil says, happy seeing Jongdae frowning at Joonmyeon's lack of affection.

"Hey Joohyun! Do you sing?" Soojung bounces on the latter, excitement lacing in her voice.

Before Joohyub gets to answer, Joonmyeon told them of the latter's interest in singing and was hoping for them to hear her sing."Okay then, as the music club president you may stand in the middle of room and show us what you've got." he ordered the rest to grab a sit.

"Excuse me? Who appointed you as the president?" Soojung raised her brow, arms crossed and face displeased. By this time Jongdae stopped whining like a child and pulled a chair, grabbing Joonmyeon along and murmuring for him to sit on his lap. Joonmyeon glares at Jongdae for actually being reckless in wanting for him to just casually sit on his lap while Joohyun, someone who is more likely a total stranger to them, is in the room and could actually see them.

"Well excuse you, your sister graduated like two years ago she's no longer here. And, my voice can reach higher notes than your sister or Taeyeon noona ever could." Neil brags, laughing at how Soojung's ear burns in anger.

"My sister is actually way talented than you which is why no one ever elected you as president when she was around." Soojung shot the latter one piercing glare.

"Alright no need to glare at me honey." with raised hands in surrender Neil turned his back on the seething girl and shakes his head nonstop,"This is why I hate California girls. They talk way too much english when they're pissed." he whispers to Yoona. Yoona snickers, grabbing a chair and anticipating Joohyun's voice as the transferee student stood at the centre of the room, hands a little bit trembling to due nervousness but manages to relax her nerves by smiling.

"No." Joonmyeon says firmly with enough determination to never fall for his boyfriend's little pleas again. He side eyes Jongdae sitting on a chair, cap worn backwards and eyes shimmering in a begging sparkle. No. It's a no. His whiny of a lover was asking him to sit on his lap. Again. Heck no.

"But she won't see us anyway!" Jongdae reasons. True enough, they were the only persons sitting behind the rest. But Joonmyeon just can't take any risks. “If she's gonna be one of us then she's bound to know about us so stop worrying." Jongdae tries his luck again, fingers lacing around Joonmyeon's wrist and pulling him."Oh c'mon, please?"

Joonmyeon rubs his face with his palm. A persistent Jongdae is an annoying one. He ever so grumpily sat on his lover's lap. He sighed deeply upon hearing Jongdae cackles so happily behind him.

When two lean arms circles themselves around his waist, chest pressing against his back, his anxieties starts to ebb away. His eyes tentatively closes by themselves at the tickling warmth of Jongdae's skin sipping through his uniform vest and unto his skin. In a moment, his squirming's came into a complete halt, he leans back and presses his cheek against Jongdae's who had his chin on his shoulder, occasionally snuggling to him and tightening his arms around his waist.

Joonmyeon smiles because he hears his heart beating rather strongly in his chest when Jongdae steals two pecks, unabashed by the sneaky smirks Soojung's been sending them. “Stop it." he admonishes, pinching Jongdae's arm and giggled when Jongdae groans.

"Fine." Jongdae grumbles.

“So, what song are you gonna sing?" Siwan cheerfully inquired.

Her face gingerly glows as it breaks into a grateful smile. “I will. I'll be singing it in mandarin if it's okay with you guys?"

The rest of them nodded dumbly, still in a daze of speechlessness.

The only thing that stopped Jongdae from whispering teasing remarks right at Joonmyeon's ear was the beautiful voice of someone singing. They all stared at Joohyun. Her eyes were closed. Her voice reigning the four walls as she sung with her heart.

Joonmyeon felt his lover's arms slacking around his waist. His eyes fixated at the girl singing. Joonmyeon turns to him, catching the look of someone captivated by a lovely voice.

"Oh my freaking God!" Both Luna and Soojung shouts when Joohyun was done.

"Your voice, is heaven. You're in. You're one of us now." before Joohyun could say her thanks, the rest of the crew gibber praises at her, overwhelming her with jovial cheers.

Something throbs in Joonmyeon’s chest when Jongdae muttered, “You have a lovely voice.” Joohyun’s cheeks redden at the compliment.

"Thank you Joonmyeon." Joonhyun grateful words drove the weird feeling, shoving it somewhere behind his oblivious heart.

"You're most welcome."

"Don't take too long."

Joonmyeon his head, hand dearly clutching on his phone for it not to slip from his grasp. He exhales, trying his best not to chuckle in the middle of the library where any type of noise should be kept to a minimum."I'm just gonna borrow some books that I need then I'll be there by five thirty." he reassures his boyfriend who's been bugging him to leave the library the very minute he said he'll be dropping by to get some books. Jongdae retorts with volunteering to search whatever it is that Joonmyeon's looking for online. Faster and convenient he says. Joonmyeon stifles a laugh. He knows well that his boyfriend is suspecting him of borrowing scifi books rather than anything related to world history.

He was right though."I won't." he says, voice suspiciously louder and gleeful through the mouthpiece as he pulls a book authored by Mitch Albon. The five people you meet in heaven. He mouths the title, covering his mouth upon realizing that his boyfriend is still well and alive on the other line.

"You're not trying to sneak a one hundred six pages of a novel behind my back are you?"

Joonmyeon sighed at the sound of Jongdae accusing voice. He begun jutting his lips at the book he's longing to read."Just one?" he flips the book and reads the back page of the book silently.

"Just one."

Joonmyeon chuckles, quelling his cheery giggles with his palm when students sent him a look. He hears Jongdae gibbering something on the other line after hearing his delighted reaction."I'll be there." he nods to himself, muttering his low tuned goodbyes before ending the call and keeping his phone in his pocket.

"I'm gonna read this tonight." he declares, smiling impishly by himself. He diverted his eyes towards the other lined books, his fingers hover over one novel that was widely written by the same author. He hums in contemplation on ways of hiding it from Jongdae. In the end he took more than two books, coming up with a solution of asking Soojung to keep it for him for awhile. Jongdae wouldn't notice a thing. Flawless.

With a happy beat of his footsteps, Joonmyeon yelps in surprise when he bumps with someone just when he was about to take a turn by the shelves. He bents down hurriedly to gather the books he collected, nodding considerately to the person chanting his sorry.

"Hyung...”

Joonmyeon gazed at the latter who had one hand proffering one book that Joonmyeon was meaning to borrow."Koo Junhoe?" he utter the name skeptically. His plump lips parted in awe as he seizes the other wholly.

The said boy scratches the back of his head rather shyly."Hi hyung." Junhoe cackles at how Joonmyeon practically google at him.

"Koo Junhoe. June! You’re taller than the last time we met." Joonmyeon comments in awe. He was only a sophomore when he met the latter. He could still recall how cute and adorable he looked for a freshmen, appearing so lost and helpless. The said male automatically clings to Joonmyeon for help. And by how June towers over him, the said boy certainly gained some height. He sometimes thinks that the cafeteria noona's are serving food that spurs up people. And probably not since his height didn't made progress since the other year.

"Yeah. You were too busy to notice me hyung." there's a sad pout on the other's face that Joonmyeon desperately wanted to wipe away. His voice sounds even deeper now. "But i understand. You're a senior and you guys are the busiest."

Joonmyeon smiles in relief, patting the taller male’s shoulder as they saunters along the aisle. Damn this child really grew taller, Joonmyeon mentally says."Hyung, do you have time? I really need some extra help with my math. Bobby isn't helping.

Joonmyeon shakes his head vigorously. Finding the younger really adorable with his downcast look."Okey, let's take a sit over there." Joonmyeon points at a particular empty table and the younger one beams at him in genuine happiness with a slowly redding of his ears that were hidden from Joonmyeon's eyes.

They sat beside each other and scans the sophomore’s notes together. Tentatively forgetting that there's a raven haired male fussing over his unanswered calls.

"I'm doomed." He frets, his fingers tapping furiously over the keys of his mobile. Jongdae generously flooded his inbox with messages saying it's six and where are you now? Joonmyeon gnaw on his lips. He got too carried away tutoring June that he forgot his boyfriend is expecting him to be at his mother's coffee shop of about thirty minutes ago. He's so gonna hear endless agitated words from Jongdae.

"Thank you so much hyung."

"Oh yeah. Sure it's nothing. You can ask for my help anytime June." he says back without sparing the younger one a glance. He was too preoccupied ringing Jongdae's number that the latter by the way, didn't pick up. Frustrated, he puffed his cheeks and thinks of hailing a cab to get to the said cafe faster.

He didn't noticed the taller boy staring at him as he pouts his lips lost in his own thoughts on how to placate Jongdae when he sees the latter."Hyung, I'd really want to take you out for coffee. You know, like.. “

The younger didn't even get to finish his sentence and he's already being dragged towards a parked taxi by Joonmyeon."Right now??" June asked, greatly astonished. He was slumped at the passenger seat beside's Joonmyeon who instructed the driver to where they are headed too.

"We can drop you off to your house if-"

"Today's great Hyung." Junhoe interjected almost immediately. Joonmyeon smiles as he leans back. He pulls his phone and speedily texted his boyfriend.

To: troll: I'm on my way :)

From: troll: Hmpt. Whatever.

To: troll: ;((

From: troll: I'm gonna perch you up on the counter and kiss you hard for making me wait this long. >:(

To: troll: Yea sure. You can do that.

Joonmyeon chuckles, having fun taunting Jongdae while his at it. He kept his phone onto his pocket when the familiar coffee shop, his favorite coffee, came to view.

The bell chimes indicatively above the wooden door as it swings open. Joonmyeon trundles inside with Junhoe following shortly. The cafe was usually packed with customers so Joonmyeon was a bit surprised seeing the place nearly empty. He went straight to the counter where (he expects to be perch and kiss thoroughly) he expects to see him boyfriend.

"Hi Joonmyeon!" the cashier with short black hair and a kind smile shrills at the sight of Joonmyeon and squeals even more seeing Junhoe.

Joonmyeon leans onto the counter and smiles back at his friend."Hi Luna." the said girl works part time after classes. Joonmyeon looks around and saw a certain table where the familiar grinning faces of Soojung and Neil was there sitting at a secluded area. They already had their own beverages and were merely waiting for him."Hey, where's Jongdae?" he whispers discreetly, eyeing Junhoe who was busy looking at the menu.

"Your highness is inside his chamber throwing a tantrum." she chirpily whispers back making Joonmyeon laugh in hysterics. He turns to Junhoe to ask the younger what he'll be having. The taller boy politely orders a white caramel coffee, smiling so charmingly at Luna that the short haired girl cooed in admiration. Just when Joommyeon was about to pull out his wallet, Jongdae came trudging out from his mother's office and gapes at the sight of Joonmyeon standing beside someone he barely knew.

"No hyung it's okay, it's all on me. It's my treat." June insisted on paying for the cups of coffee, offering his money to Luna that always gets to be shove away by Joonmyeon's persistence of paying for it himself and Junhoe just have to save his money.

Junhoe whines and nudges Joonmyeon to let him pay saying it's his way of showing his gratitude. Luna was staring at the both of them with an exhilarated smile on her face as she finds the whole ordeal cute. Jongdae on the other hand was now standing beside Luna, arms crossed, jaw clenched and eyes twitching in annoyance of seeing and hearing the two bicker lightheartedly with each other.

The noisy banter only stops in a snap when Jongdae unceremoniously snatched Junhoe's cash and gave it Luna before he retire wordlessly to his mother's office.

Soojung and Neil who were both enjoying the show at the back chokes at Jongdae's little tantrum party. Joonmyeon pouts low spiritedly on how Jongdae's dramatically walked out on them.

He pulls Junhoe to the general direction of his friend's table. Unable to see the disappointed frown on the younger male’s face.

After fifteen minutes of introducing the sophomore to the other two, another staff came out with a tray of two coffees and Joonmyeon's favorite blueberry cheesecake he didn't even ordered in the first place, nevertheless he enjoyed every spoon of it, smiling appreciatively as the taste settles in his tongue. He looks over at the room where his boyfriend disappear to and wishes for him to join them.

Not awhile later, the said boy walked stompingly to their table, pulling a chair harshly and plopping his on the chair beside Joonmyeon, face scowling. Joonmyeon happily introduced the latter to Junhoe. Secretly wanting to add a "He's my boyfriend." to his introductions but held all the words in.

Junhoe happily shook Jongdae's hand with the latter briefly humming. Soojung and Neil were both nudging themselves as Jongdae scowls at his own reflection across the crystal wall of the cafe. Joonmyeon sighs despondently and reaches out for Jongdae's hand under the table when the remaining three people were busy talking about warcraft.

"I'm sorry. I was caught up. But hey I'm here now." he really tries to get Jongdae to respond to him up to the point of resting his chin atop Jongdae's shoulder, a gesture he will never try to pull with other people around. Jongdae quietly stares at him for awhile and looks back away, his face frowning.

Junhoe suddenly sat up with his phone in hand. He turns to Joonmyeon told him how he needs to go before his mother goes berserk in worry. Joonmyeon smiles his usual smile and sent the younger off after a minute.

"Who was that?" He hears Jongdae asking their friends crudely when he got back.

"Koo Junhoe. Sophomore." Soojung supplies, blowing over her coffee before zipping on the rim cautiously.

"He talks too much." Jongdae crosses his arms and grumbles.

"As if you're not so yourself." Soojung says in mockery. “He was actually kinda hot.” now it was Niel’s turn to roll his eyes.

"I'm sorry." Joonmyeon says in an autopilot the moment he sat beside his mulling lover. Jongdae squints those feline shaped eyes of his and eventually grins a little. Joonmyeon knows his forgiven when Jongdae's fingers found his under the table and laces them together.

"Oh my god you two are not faces in front of me right now are you? Luna! Do you have a bucket? I feel like hurling the coffee i just had i feel sick." Neil whines, hands covering his eyes. Soojung was gazing dreamily at both Joonmyeon and Jongdae sitting besides each other with goofy smiles after sharing an innocent peck on the lips.

There's another ring of the bell and a girl in a casual green dress came in hesitantly. Neil's eyes practically lights up like a bulb upon seeing the newly arrived customer."Joonhyun! Here!" he screams.

Joonmyeon carefully slips his hand off Jongdae. Jongdae looks taken aback for a moment but relaxes when Joonmyeon throws him an uneasy smile. Jongdae nods, averting his eyes quickly. Joonmyeon bit his lips at Jongdae’s reaction.

"Sit here." Jongdae politely pulls a chair for Joohyun to sit. The said girl giggles at how Neil frets over her asking her what she wants. Her smiles goes softer when her eyes settles at the raven haired boy laughing incredibly loud beside her.

"Were you jealous?"

Jongdae had changed into his casual blue faded jeans, his blue white and black stripes shirt and a pair of sneakers. On the other hand, Joonmyeon was still in his uniform. He took off his vest not wanting for anyone to recognize where he attends school. They were on their way to the bus stop when Joonmyeon tugs Jongdae's sleeves, eyes blinking curiously at the other who finds his question a bit unnecessary. They were actually both in haste of going home to finally lodge in their beds, but Jongdae took some time to stop walking and looks straight into Joonmyeon's eyes with a dumbfounded gaping of his mouth.

"Wasn't I obvious enough back there?" Jongdae sneered, brows perched. He looked like he was just insulted.

Joonmyeon sighed, eyes downcast as he marvels the sight of the ground. "Jongdae there's nothing to be jealous about. He was just grateful and wanted to treat me a cup of coffee." he rationalizes, his lips quivering too much for wanting to chuckle at Jongdae for rolling his dark eyes with sass.

Jongdae shakes his head dismissively. Not really buying Joonmyeon excuse that only came from his own point of view."It's not you that I'm worried about." he professes soothingly. Joonmyeon watched his boyfriend turns, eyes looking forward. "Joonmyeon, tell me. How many people at school knows about us?" he inquires without looking at Joonmyeon who finds his boyfriend's question a bit confounding.

"Well... There's Neil, Soojung, Baekhyun, Luna and-" Joonmyeon's fingers were shrouded by Jongdae's bigger warm palms when he tries to count the few people who knew about them.

"You can basically count all of them with your ten fingers."

Joonmyeon closes his eyes momentarily. Seeing Jongdae's despondent face shows how it saddens him as they face each day trying to hide their relationship. It's never easy, and Joonmyeon would do anything to reassure Jongdae that they'll no longer have to hide the special bond they share with each other.

His lips curls as he sees Jongdae's hand caress his arm. Its warmth seeps through his skin, making him sighed. His touches are are always comforting. They always set him at peace."Just bear with it a little longer. Hmm?" he asks, his heart feels lighter seeing his lover's thin shaped lips does an upturn. Never failing to remind Joonmyeon that Jongdae's worth his everything.

Jongdae looks up to the dark cloudy evening sky as he spoke, though never letting go of Joonmyeon's hand."There's a rumor spreading around campus of you dating a senior student you know."

"What??" Joonmyeon shrieks because isn't he supposed to be the president? Was't he supposed to know this too? He starts teetering on his heel anxiously.

"Uhuh." the latter nods,"I don't care who's creating a ruckus about you dating, but what concerns me was when they started speculating who you're dating with. They have suspicions of you dating that freshmen girl who has a weird with scarfs. Some even thinks you're crushing on our swimming instructor who wears mismatched sneakers every Friday. I mean, can you imagine how mortified I was??" Jongdae spurted, forehead marring with unpleasant wrinkles.

Joonmyeon nimbly giggles his airy voice as he watched Jongdae's facial expression changes in mix shades of looking offended to officially disconcerted."Jongdae. I think it's best for you to stay away from the gossiping corner at school and stop eavesdropping like a woman." he suggestively says out of his purest concern for Jongdae's well being. Really. There's that particular corner at their school where all the nosy students loiters every after first period. Baekhyun actually likes hanging out in that particular area.

"The point is!" Jongdae's head bobs,"I'd really hug the living day lights of someone who gets to figure out that it's me you're dating with. Me! It really pisses me off hearing them making assumptions of you going out with some complete lunatic." he catches his breath, his thin rowdily voice drops a note sounding so depress about it."So you better stop hanging out with other people and just stick with me got that?"

Joonmyeon nods dumbly."Okay." doesn't really remember the last time he went socializing with people who aren't Jongdae's friends and his.

His simple nod seemed to have appease Jongdae's freaking out state as the raven haired male side eyes him with prominent happy lines at the corner of his catlike eyes. He lifted his left hand and held it out to Joonmyeon who stares at it skeptically."What?"

Jongdae gobbles at the reaction he got."What do mean what? You have to hold my hand till we reach home. It's a small punishment for your reckless behavior of going out for coffee with a sophomore who obviously has a crush on you. You think i'll forgive you that easily?" Jongdae flails his limbs, grumbling unintelligible words Joonmyeon hardly understand. Joonmyeon dauntlessly took one step closer to the latter, he tilted on his tiptoes despite the small height difference they have and pressed his plump lips at the small corner of Jongdae's naturally curled up lips.

The light peck effectively puts an end to the latter's endless blabbers. Joonmyeon's thoughts of drawing back became a futile attempt when Jongdae snakes an arm around Joonmyeon's and pressed their body against each other."I mean it Joonmyeon." Jongdae spoke breezily below Joonmyeon's ear, tickling the tiny strands there."I'm your boyfriend. You're not allowed to like someone else that isn't me." Joonmyeon smile on Jongdae's neck, forehead leaning when Jongdae tilts his chin and soulfully plants a chaste kiss on his forehead.

Joonmyeon hums in response. It's not just about liking someone else. His love for Jongdae have already reached to a point where Joonmyeon couldn't picture out his future with someone else who isn't Jongdae.

It's with him or no one else.

"You know sometimes i have doubts about your feelings for me." lean arm engulfs Joonmyeon in a tender hold as the two of them lumbers with all other people along the streets.

"What?" Joonmyeon squeaked at Jongdae, finding it a little bit unbelievable for Jongdae to even question the feelings he has for him.

Just because he doesn't get jelous doesn’t mean his feelings for Jongdae isn’t enough to be considered as love.

They stood idly at the corners of the street, patiently waiting for the traffics lights to turn green."Well. For as long as our two years and three months and a half relationship is concerned, you haven't actually gotten jealous over someone."Jongdae mumbles, settling his arm slung around Joonmyeon's right shoulder.

Joonmyeon's shoulder heaves."What can i say? I'm not the jelous type I guess." their green cue blinks and the rest of the clutter of people begun traipsing along the pedestrian crosswalk, gliding pass unknown faces as they too mindlessly walk across to the other street. Joonmyeon begun moving his limbs after clasping his hand fitly with Jongdae when the latter tugs him across the lane.

"Or maybe." Jongdae smoothly swerves direction to avoid knocking on a total stranger. Joonmyeon was sidling with him as they were about to walk pass the center of the crosswalk."Maybe you don't really like me enough that you're-"

Joonmyeon paused on his steps, refusing to lift another step further till his words reaches his lover's ears."Jongdae." he calls above the stuffy noise of the people. He tugs the twined hands connecting them to draw his lover back to face him."Jongdae, I don't just like you, I love you." he confessed wholeheartedly right in the middle of a pedestrian crossing with people skidding carelessly pass each other. Jongdae was left rooted on his steps, his back slowly turns to gaze at Joonmyeon.

There's something about the way the street gradually empties, how the people disperse to either side leaving only the two of them at the heart of a crowded street, how the ray of bright headlights of idled vehicles at either side of the street illuminates Jongdae's handsomely features, his dark disheveled locks, his gently flawless face, and those warm shimmers in Jongdae's deep dark eyes staring back with Joonmyeon's own image perfectly reflecting in them that suddenly, all Joonmyeon could see was just Jongdae taking careful unhurried steps towards him. Coming so up close that he feels and relish the scent of warm minty breaths coming out of between Jongdae's elongated lips."Okayc." Jongdae says before they pressed their lips towards each other simultaneously. Eyes hooded and body close.

At the very moment when everything came into a bleak standstill. Except for two hearts thumping in a synchronized beats, lips leisurely kissing and soaking in each other's hot breaths, Jongdae draws Joonmyeon impossibly near with Joonmyeon a handful of Jongdae shirt behind his back as he concentrates on trapping Jongdae's lower thin supple lips between his, kissing and bitting on it alternatively till Jongdae pulls back, kissing Joonmyeon's forefinger that has been tracing the latter's thin cheery lips Joonmyeon just properly kissed.

Joonmyeon paused, catching his breath as he tries to recover from the kiss. He stops when he suddenly remembers something.”Earlier, at the café when Joohyun came and-“ Jongdae smiles weakly at that, probably recalling how he deliberately snatched his hand away as if burnt upon seeing Joohyun.”Jongdae, I’m sorry. It’s just that, I’m not yet comfortable to-“

“I know. I get it. I understand.” Jongdae says hurriedly, grinning. Joonmyeon knows it’s not fine. He can see through Jongdae’s cool façade that he hates being held back. But Joonmyeon was still not ready to let his guard down around Joohyun. She doesn’t seem to be the judgemental type but there is still that reluctance looming over Joonmyeon’s head whenever she’s around. It could be due to the fact that she’s new. “Stop worrying.” Jongdae teased, forcing Joonmyeon to smile.

Maybe, over time, he’ll be at ease.

"Tell you what. On our high school graduation day, I'm gonna kiss you in front of so many people and you can't do anything about it."

Joonmyeon swats Jongdae's shoulder, chuckling at his lover's antics before muttering a sincere "Okey."

"Really?! You'll really go with it??" Jongdae squirms. Face stunned but with a hint of a devilish smirk at the very corner of his lips.

Joonmyeon laughs raucously at that,"Ugh. Jongdae let's get home." he urges the other to start walking because they were the only two people left standing in the way of vehicles beeping mercilessly at them. He drags Jongdae away from the crossroad since the latter was caught up in a daze staring solely at him and also because he's too in love with Jongdae, despite his annoying sorry at times, to ever let a three wheeler truck ran his enthusiastic boyfriend over.

Indeed, Joonmyeon held hands with Jongdae until he's safely standing outside their gate and finds that his very so called small punishment has never been so heart fluttering.

“I don’t like her.”

Joonmyeon stopped drinking his soda mid-air to stare at Baekhyun in bewilderment. He tries to pinpoint who Baekhyun seems to be so detested this time. He looks around and realizes it was Joonhyun, the soft spoken girl who was walking gracefully towards Neil and the rest of the music club member’s table.

“What? But everyone likes her.” he tries to argue.

Baekhyun snorts, brutally stabbing his sausage with the fork, his expression taking a shade darker than his eyeliner."I don't really care if the entire people worships the ground she's walking on. I don't like her." he frankly says with a bite in his tone, he averted his eyes from drilling holes at the unsuspecting student and focused his attention on tearing the poor sausage apart.

"You said that too when Soojung first got here. And now the two of you are siting together in one table." Joonmyeon's says as he placed his fork down and reaches for his mineral water. He barely finished his meal, he suddenly lost his appetite.

"What?" Soojung splutters, passing the mineral bottle that was on her side to Joonmyeon who's been trying to reach it."Why? Because I'm so beautiful and everyone has a crush on me?" she giggled at her own words, sassily flipping her hair back and laughing with her entire body. Baekhyun groans out in disapproval.

"Because you’re conceited and you kept on interacting with people in English when you actually know how to talk and curse in Korean, who wouldn't get pissed." Baekhyun rolls his eyes that eventually made Soojung laugh even more, throwing herself against Baekhyun to annoy him. Baekhyun shakes his head, muttering a,"She's crazier than her sister i swear" to Joonmyeon.

"Why don't you like her Baek?" Joonmyeon asks after Soojung's laughters had quitted down.

From what he could recall, people crowded themselves around Joohyun on her first day at school. She's in the same section as Jongdae, Neil and Soojung (Joonmyeon knows because he was the one who walked Joohyun to her homeroom) and they greeted her with much enthusiasm even fighting over who she gets to sit with. In the end she got the spot besides Jongdae who welcomed her with an elegant bow as a comical joke. Never mind Niel who shouted atop his lungs to get the transferee girl's attention. So Joonmyeon basically doesn't get why Baekhyun's getting all reeled up every time Joohyun's around.

“She’s too nice. She’s too girly. She’s too –“

“- perfect?” Soojung supplies, shaking her head.”Oww. Don’t worry yourself too much Joon. Our little Baekhyun here is just jealous.” she says, all the while giving Baekhyun a comforting pat on the shoulder. “Jealous? Me?” Baekhyun scoff before looking pointedly at Joonmyeon. “What?” Joonmyeon asks. Baekhyun was giving him chills by how he stare at him intensely.

“Don’t be too complacent will you?” Baekhyun mumbles all too quietly that Joonmyeon nearly missed it. Soojung seemed to have never heard it. He was about to ask him what he meant but stopped when he saw the latter gazing over the other table where the rest of their friends were at. He must have been too engrossed in talking with his two friends he didn’t notice Jongdae was actually sitting with the others and talking contentendly with Joohyun.

He glance back at baekhyun who was now staring at him with those prodding eyes, as if waiting for something. “I don’t understand.” he says, feeling lost.

Baekhyun rolled his eyes and waves his hand dismissively. “Nevermind.”

Joonmyeon feels even more comfused. He was about to ask his bestfriend to say things more clearly rather that giving his cryptic words when a hand suddenly lands on his shoulder. It was his boyfriend.

“What are you guys eating? I’m starving.” Jongdae groans, pulling Joonmyeon out of his muddled thoughts when Jongdae sneakily grabbed his hand under the table. Their topic was soon forgotten.

It started out as a gnawing pain at the back of his head, crisscrossing along his throbbing temples and nesting somewhere in his forehead. The piercing pain radiates through his skull so damn hard his eyes starts watering, his nose becoming a shade of apple as he sniffs the fluid pooling inside his nose. His limbs feels weary and his back stiff for slouching too long on his chair. He can blame it all on the wintry weather that doesn't seem to have any intentions of leaving any time sooner, or he could just blame all the stress that been plunging his system for the past days. He's so stressed out, so exhausted that even something so natural as breathing is a pain.

Their school's annual festival is coming up two months from now and with it comes Joonmyeon calling out committee meetings nearly every day that Baekhyun's even suggests for him to make a permanent residence at the student council room, since it's where he ever goes now right after dismissal. It’s not like he has any other options. He needs to check on everyone's club representatives, have to appoint more leaders, update the faculty and on top of everything else he better be in the middle when someone starts biting each other's faces off because of a little disagreement. Everyone is excited for the annual festival, a much awaited event that gives students a single day to run around and enjoy the lined up performances, participate activities hosted by different clubs and visit class booths. The reeling excitement is much obvious when all members of the council have their lists of ideas laid out on the table sparing them time for brainstorming, it's a relief. If only they all could agree on the same thing that is.

"We're planning to hold a theatre play," Mijoo, the drama club's president says. They've been at the council room for an hour now, discussing performances and drafting a lined up program.

"Again? You guys already had done that last year, do you even have enough time for rehearsals?" Yeri, the dance club's vice president replies fast before anyone could open their mouths.

"Yes and we don't have any plans on using the school's auditorium every day for practices if that's what you're worrying." Mijoo spats sarcastically, giving Yeri a once over.

"That's not what I’m getting at, all I’m trying to say here is that everyone wants to perform."

Joonmyeon pressed his forefingers on his thrumming temples, forcing the harsh groan down down down his throat. He understand where Yeri is coming from. Last year the drama club presented a rather lengthy stage performance, too begrudgingly long that the other clubs had too little time to do theirs. Every students takes this event very seriously and Yeri was only one of those pissed off club leaders Joonmyeon managed to calm down before everyone make a run for a huge brawl back stage.

"I know we had outdone ourselves last year, but everyone enjoyed our little play thank you." Mijoo shrugs, smiling too smugly, garnering lowly whispers among other leaders. She dismisses the pleading look's Jin, the science club president, is sending her.

"Joonmyeon?" Yeri is looking at him now, eyes hard as if saying he better think back of what happened last year before he makes some impulsive decisions. He opens his mouth, then glances at the drama rep who's staring just as menacing as Yeri.

All eyes are on him, brows arch expectantly, it makes Joonmyeon want to scream, want to step out of the room because it’s suddenly feels too stuffy inside. Looking straight he sees the scrawled words across the board, he squints his eyes, digging a finger nail against the wooden table as he holds an exhausted groan. There's still plenty of things to discuss. They're barely made it halfway through their agenda and Joonmyeon's feels a huge argument is already on its way to the council's table if he makes one decision that could offend other clubs.

He breathes, closes his eyes as if doing so can relieve one out of hundreds of nerves frisking in agitation in his body. When he opens them he almost forgot everyone's waiting for him to speak up. “It’s okay, as long as it doesn't cut short other's clubs performance time." he says as softly as he still can, looking back and forth at the two leaders pleadingly. Mijoo grinned in triumph, blatantly giggling as she sways on her swivel chair, eyeing a disgruntled looking Yeri from across the table.

Murmurs and voice of protests raised one then other. Joonmyeon gives his best to calm everyone even if he couldn't even stop his own hands from shaking. He averted his gaze when Yeri shot him a dark look that picks up the room's temperature by degrees high and gives his final say.

It doesn't end there because right after everyone decided to continue everything else tomorrow, Yeri waited for him to be alone before grunting out an angry."You're too lenient I can't believe you let her! She was obviously making it too personal between us, can't any of their members think of anything else to perform than a play?" there's been that gossip going on around campus of Mijoo and Yeri’s deep hate for each other for some unknown reason. He doesn't know much about their personal argument but by how Mijoo tramp every possible means for Yeri to propose their clubs chosen performances, it could actually be true.

"He's being considerate. Besides, theatre play is something not just the teachers, but even parents are looking forward to every year. Joonmyeon can't just cut it off, the faculty made it clear for every club to participate." Baekhyun's standing by the door, scrutinizing Yeri in a way that zips shut when she was about to say more. Joonmyeon doesn't remember the last time he was so happy to see his best friend.

"Fine, but if she ever take even a minute from our performance I’m not buying any of your sweet talks again Joonmyeon." she warns, her fiery eyes were making Joonmyeon nervous in his own skin. He could almost imagine the things she'll do if things turn out to be too unfortunate for him to fix.

He nods with vigor before he watched her march out of the council's room hot on her heels, darting a sharp glare over his shoulder at Baekhyun before slamming the door shut behind her.

"I feel horrible." Joonmyeon says, sliding limply back on his chair and burying his face in his hands.

"You look horrible." Baekhyun so happily giggles, forcing him up to his feet and slinging the strap of his bag on his shoulder for him. Joonmyeon couldn't agree more to that. He's been remarkably drained lately, his head feels like it's being hammer by a rock twenty four seven that no amount of sleep could ever melt it away. Even his body feels too heavy for himself to carry. The cold he recently caught made everything worse. “You look horrible that I can't even stop my face from grimacing whenever I see you. I think you need to have some good dose of , you know. Stress reliever."

Joonmyeon chokes out some incoherent sounds, bumping his feet against a chair."Baek!" he hisses, his eyes hurts but he still made an effort of glaring at his friend. Who is by the way, chortling like a clown at him.

"Speaking of , where's Jongdae?" Baekhyun's hauls him up, drags him out of the room and into the half empty corridors. Joonmyeon felt a warm heat creep up along his neck at the word and his boyfriend's name because Baekhyun utters them like one would say ham&cheese, one would be much more perfect with the other. He's actually glad Baekhyun's here, he can't trust his own feet to get him to the math's club room in one piece. He still needs to talk to Jonghyun with some papers they have to look over together.

He thinks of something to say to get back to the latter, but his steps became shaky, his head prodding in pain that before he gets to construct a sentence, he's stopping by the nearest pillar and leaning against it for a moment. Baekhyun's shuffles to his side, eyeing him helplessly as he suddenly erupts in a clutters of coughs that hurls out from his throat. Baekhyun palms his shoulder almost sympathetically, wordlessly waiting for him to calm down before urging him to start walking before it get's even too late get home."He's with the guys, they're taking Joohyun to the flower market center today." he breathes, shallow and weak. He reminds himself that he has brought an inhaler stuck somewhere inside the small pocket of his backpack. He's beginning to fear an asthma attack coming.

"And you just let him?!" the incredulous huff that came from his best friend mouth startles Joonmyeon more than the cough that sneaks between his lips. Baekhyun's brows are lining into one pulling him to a pause on his unsteady feet just so he could perfectly hear the accusation in his voice. Joonmyeon inhales again, trying to steady his breathing as much as possible. Baekhyun looks and sounded just like Yeri minutes ago.

"Well, yeah. He wanted me to go and I can't," he reasons, eyes a little downcast. The guys had been touring Joohyun around town and Joonmyeon had already missed a lot of them, even feeling a bit left out when they all starting talking about the fun they had. He knows Jongdae can feel how bad he felt about it, but being a student council president has obligations."He has his own life Baek, and even if he insist on not going because I can't, I can see how much he wanted to go. I'm not going to be the boyfriend who'll tie him with me all the time. He needs his own fun too," he paused to take another long breathe, then adds, “..without me." he rebukes, getting on his steps.

"And I hope you're not the type to be too lax of a boyfriend either." Baekhyun says dryly.

"What's that suppose to mean?" he bites back, beginning to lose his patience. He had a long day and there are chains of fatigue tightening around his limbs weighting him down to the cold ground. He's parched and he badly needs a soothing drink and his friend rants isn't helping. He doesn't have any ample of time and energy left to decipher Baekhyun's riddles he sporadically drops from time to time.

Baekhyun glances at him, eyes seizing him up before he amiably relaxes, smiling a bit as if he had read his mind and he's suddenly feeling sorry. The brunette male goes to shake his head dismissively and chose not to say anything more after that.

They walked down the hall quietly, only their footsteps patter along the flooring. The night sky is slowly chasing away the hue of orange patches from across the late afternoon sky that by the time they both made it to the math club's room, it was already getting dark. He sees his classmate Jonghyun sitting alone on his chair, his torso throw all over his table with his head resting on his arm, dozing off. Before Joonmyeon's feet made it beyond the door, his phone starts blaring.

The tiresome gloom that's been fuzzing his senses slowly lifts at the sight of the name blinking on the mobile's screen. He bit his tongue as fumbles with the keys, his insides bustling in excitement and he answers.

"Is everything alright?" was what Jongdae says before Joonmyeon's gets to say a short hello to his boyfriend he so wanted to be where he is now. “Are you okey?" Jongdae added in a haste, almost speaking in panic if Joonmyeon's hearing isn't failing him just yet."Baekhyun says you're not looking well. Tell me what's wrong."

Joonmyeon can hear the worry in his boyfriend's voice, it's there in every word he says and it's clear for him to swoon for a little while. He almost missed it by a second there because his eyes are searching for his best friend who suddenly disappeared from his side. “It’s- It's nothing. I'm just tired and-" his words were cut mid-sentence. His hand was too late to cover up his mouth when his lungs decides it's the perfect timing for him to heckle in coughs. He bit a small flesh of his upper lip when he's able to gather his composure after a moment, waited with breath held back for whatever words Jongdae's sure to fire at him now.

"You have a cough." Jongdae's breathing deeply through the mouthpiece, sounding like he's been controlling himself after a long beating silence of waiting for his coughs to susbside.

"It's just a cough." Joonmyeon says quite dumbly with a forming pout. He finally sees Baekhyun sitting beside a drowsy looking Jonghyun with his fingers on his phone, his best friend is arching a brow at him, nonverbally telling him he doesn't have any chance for excuses or lies.

"We both know it won't be just a cough later Joonmyeon, where are you? Are you home?" Jongdae's voice is getting louder on the other end as he starts bombarding him with more questions, all the while seemingly trying to hold his hysterics low. Joonmyeon grips on his phone. Jongdae will throw a fit if he tells him he's still at school. Just when his about to cover it all up by an excuse, the screeching sound of chairs break his chances. Baekhyun's enthusiastically kicking a chair like its some football, side eyeing him with a devilishly curve of his lips. Friends are supposed to be supported. What the hell.

"What are you still doing at school? Joonmyeon it's late and it's cold. You're in no condition to be walking around like that." Jongdae's voice has reached a higher note, he’s not holding back that golden thunderous voice of his. He's practically yelling at him over the line. It makes Joonmyeon cower away from his phone and whine like some admonished child.

"But I have a meeting with the-"

"I don't really care with whatever club meeting it is you have to be at this hour." Jongdae cusses, breathes harshly through the mouthpiece and paused for a good measure of silence enough for Joonmyeon to be conscious of a lot of people talking all at once in the other line he recognizes as their friends. He can faintly hear Jongdae talking to Neil in the background. He couldn't quite comprehend the words clearly but his ears catches Neil asking the latter where he's heading to before his boyfriend is breathing through the line again. “Stay there, I’m coming to get you." Jongdae grunts, voice commanding.

"No!" Joonmyeon squeals, eyes wild as he pace around anxiously, scratching a finger at the side of his neck. Despite the need to have Jongdae near him is terribly tempting, he doesn't want to spoil his partner's fun. And Jongdae, without a single doubt, will surely leave the rest of their friends for the sake of dragging him home safely. “You don't need to come, I’ll go home now, with Baekhyun." he says fast and in panic. He wished he sounded convincing enough for Jongdae to reconsider.

Jongdae sighs long that could only be something out of relief. “You better. I'll call your Dad in fifteen minutes and check if you're home."

Joonmyeon relaxes at the sound of that and laughs belatedly. “Okay Mom ..." he mocks, sniffling as he smiles broadly when he finally hears Jongdae crack a small giggle.

They ended the call after another minute. He apologize to Jonghyun for waiting too long. The other male rolls his eyes at him, saying he’s not in the mood to talk about number-related anyway, and scurries off with a farewell wave behind his back. Joonmyeon crosses his arms over his chest, his glaring eyes piercing at Baekhyun."What?" the brunette male gushes out, playing quite the angel. “He should know that while he's out there having fun with his gang his boyfriend is walking around campus like some corpse searching for his coffin."

"Thanks for the concern Baek." he huffs, pinching the latter's side when Baekhyun breaks into a ball of laughs, pulling him by the arm to the direction of the school's exit.

"Hi."

Joonmyeon's lips curls to a smile. He cradles his next to his ear close so he can hear more of Jongdae’s mellow voice resonating through the earpiece. He's home now, all ready for sleep and is sitting on his bed with his back resting against the headboard. "Hi." he mumbles back, his own voice sounds awfully rough and ugly. He begun coughing when he tries to clear his throat.

Jongdae lets out a long sigh from the other line. “Did you take some meds already?" he asks slowly.

"Yes. So how was the flower market? Did Joohyun like the flowers?" He pulls his blanket over his chest and curls to his side, his phoned pressed between his ear and his pillow. He eyes his wall clock, watch the how the hands of time tick and tock as he waits for Jongdae's reply which was taking too long. Did he feel asleep?

"I want to see you."

Jongdae's words were nothing of any relation to what he just asks, but the traces of need in the other male's voice makes Joonmyeon smile either way. “You’ll see me tomorrow." He wants to see Jongdae too, wants him by his side specially now, when he's feeling ill and he needs someone next to him that isn't either of his parents. But he doesn't want to see Jongdae's eyes glinting with pity, or hear his plaintive voice once he sees the state he's in.

Jongdae begun humming to him, like when he's helping sleep, making him yawned in response. “Sleep ...” Jongdae's voice go low and soft, coaxing his lids to drop.

"In a minute, tell me about the flower market first." Joonmyeon stubbornly murmurs, rubbing his eye to keep them open and awake.

Jongdae chuckles amusedly. “Tomorrow. Get some rest for now."

"Fine." Joonmyeon grumbles, shifting on his back, hand holding his phone close to his ear. He stares at his ceiling and imagines he's under someone else's roof, glowing stars spread across the dark planes of the ceiling and there's a warm body holding him close. “Good night Jongdae." he whispers, eyes carefully hooding.

"Feel better tomorrow. Good night Joonmyeon."

A faint smack tune rings through the line before it cuts in consecutive beeps. Joonmyeon's expressionless at first, then he sniggers on himself under the covers for finding Jongdae rather silly for giving him a peck through the phone. But then maybe he’s sillier because he did the same thing.

He placed his phone under his pillow with a smile on his face. He turns to his side when he felt something prodding on his shoulder. He threw a reluctant glance at the thermometer lying on his bed. He looks at the flashing digits regrettably.

38.8 degrees Celsius

Neither of them will get enough sleep tonight if Jongdae knew how his body temperature has spiked faster than the panic lines ever made it halfway across his mother's forehead when she catches him leaning weakly against Baekhyun's side. He really hopes he's all mend and better by tomorrow.

Unfortunately for Joonmyeon, he didn't.

It's nearly seven in the morning. The sun is carefully claiming its reign up across the chilly morning sky, gracing its golden glow inside Joonmyeon's room and making out shapes on his carpet as the light passes through the adorning lines of his curtain. Joonmyeon squirms in his unmade bed, pulls his knees up his chest as he twirls his fidgety fingers around the edges of his blanket, his round filmy eyes fixed at his doorknob in sheer dread. Jongdae's downstairs, he can hear the all knowing timbre of his voice as he talks to his parents and more likely finding out how they barely had enough wink of sleep looking after him. He was so wrong into thinking that sleep could make it all better, even his usual medications only did little for his cough and colds to lay low. He wonders what Jongdae could be thinking right now. Is he mad? Upset? He was so overwrought in his own disturbing thoughts to hear the faint click and twirling of the doorknob.

"Joonmyeon.."

Joonmyeon jolts in his seat, fingers digging tight on his sheets, surprised. He looks straight and sees Jongdae standing by the door. He's in his cream coloured uniform, blazer ed with one strap of his bag hanging off of his shoulder. His expression is solemn, but his eyes were looking broodingly at him, makes Joonmyeon want to look the other way in guilt. “Why didn't you tell me you were having a high fever last night?" he asks, his loud voice sounding oddly quite today.

He was expecting Jongdae to be angry at him, scold him for being like this again like how he does whenever he gets ill and never say a word about it to him, but today his words were careful, his steps feather light over the carpet as he pads toward him. The sheets wrinkles, dipping as Jongdae's weight settles on the mattress a space facing him. As Joonmyeon bravely look at his boyfriend, he notices the usual shimmer of joy in Jongdae's deep dark eyes were faint today, his lights of smile a little misplaced. Joonmyeon drops his gaze low, berating himself for it. "I- I didn't want to worry you." he mumbles, his chest twisting in discomforts.

There's no amusement on how Jongdae's voice quirks, it sounds bitter, almost as if he's in pain himself. Joonmyeon's heart sunk deep in his stomach, drowning. “Hearing it late doesn't make me worry less." Jongdae mumbles, and then when Joonmyeon attempts to sneak a tentative glance he found Jongdae smiling at him, fondness lining along the soft curl of his lips.

Joonmyeon is enamoured by that smile so much. It makes him feel all sort of things. Confidence when he's at his lowest point. Happiness when he's lonely, courage when he's in great need of it, and then there's love, love and love, and so much more. He feels a sense of pride to that certain thought, that feeling knowing that that peculiar smile, that gleam in his eyes and tint shades of red painted on his lips as he smiles, is for him. It's his and his alone.

The hand that gently untangles his fingers around the blanket makes his heart beat race inside his chest, bursting through his ribs. His stomach fluttering akin to his beating heart at the first of Jongdae's thumb on the warm flesh of his hand as he held it over his lap. “I brought you something." Jongdae utters softly, blinking with a grin. Before Joonmyeon takes a note of the excitement he sure he heard in Jongdae's voice, his boyfriend is turning around to grab a hold of his bag. Slowly ping them he pulls something out, something that made Joonmyeon smile at the initial sound of a rustling wrapper.

Joonmyeon's pale chapped lips is probably bleeding, the stinging pain that rips the delicate skin off his lips tells him he is for smiling too wide for his own good. He can't help but be besotted at the sight of one, two, six, ten yellow, white, pink, and red bunch of flowers in his arms. They were all bundled attractively by a thin paper the color of a lovely lavender, stealth and tied by a velvety ribbon. Each flower has its petals budding so beautifully in a single stem, they feel so delicate at the touch. He can't smell them in his condition, but he's almost sure their fragrance smells just as heavenly.

"Its Persian buttercup, do you like them?" Jongdae asks, leaning a bit closer with an eagerness in the way his lips lifts, tilting his head to the side, like he's taking a peep at the smile Joonmyeon's sporting as he looks down at the flowers admirably.

"My mom will like these." Joonmyeon says, befuddled.

"Hey, I didn't buy it for her!" Jongdae is screaming violently loud as soon as those words leaves Joonmyeon's lips. He looks like he's ready to throw Joonmyeon's study table out of the window if he doesn't take what he said back in two seconds.

Joonmyeon's tumbling over his bed, hugging the bouquet of flowers as he laughs at Jongdae's mortified expression. “I was kidding." he pulls himself back on a sitting position and breathes deeply to swallow a cough down. “They’re pretty Jongdae. Thank you." he says sheepishly, covering his mouth and gulping again. His cheeks might be as beet as the soft petals of the red Persian buttercup because he sees Jongdae smiling proudly at the corner of his eye.

Joonmyeon's glances down at the flowers and takes a second to admire them one more time. He pokes each precious petals and smiles to himself when he feels them so tiny, so soft. He imagines Jongdae purchasing it for him, whining at the saleslady to give him another three stem of flowers for free, stomping his foot when the lady says no. His heart so brightened at the thought that he's taken aback by the weight that latched into him, more so by the familiar supple of lips that presses an innocent peck on his own unguarded lips. His protest of "Jongdae I’m sick you shouldn't be kissing me." was of late. Jongdae had already marked him with a kiss and is now drawing back with the slightest distance between their faces in favour of looking straight into his eyes.

His protest were left unspoken. Joonmyeon's cheeks are starting to flame. He momentarily worries he might cough in Jongdae's face really, but that soon fades when he felt a hand feeling his forehead. “I-I- t-he fever’s gone." he shamelessly stutters, or maybe he's wrong since his body temperature seems to have risen a digit above normal to every inch of space Jongdae bridges between them.

"I can feel that." Jongdae smiles, his hand retracting but his body never inching a mark back.

Joonmyeon inhales almost painfully. Having Jongdae this close and looking into his dark charcoal eyes this near squeezes his windpipes. He doesn't want to push him back though, so he stays content with having his boyfriend this close even if it means he needs to stop breathing for a while. His eyes darts at his wall clock tentatively, and that's when he realized."Jongdae you're running late! You should go!" he frets, surprising Jongdae.

He can't believe Jongdae's rolling his eyes instead of actually sprinting out for a run."In a while, I need to do something first." Joonmyeon stare at Jongdae in confusion as the other male rose from his bed and walks out of his room, leaving him gaping in wonder.

Jongdae returns with a bowl of steaming hot porridge in his hands. Joonmyeon wants to bury himself permanently in his pillow."Jongdae i can feed myself. You don't have to do this. You're gonna be late!" Joonmyeon's grumbling, fussing around on his sheets and dogging the spoon that's been trying to get inside his mouth like some airplane. He's being treated like some child.

"This is not my idea but you're father's," Jongdae excuses, whining, his feline shape eyes blaring but Joonmyeon could almost tell how a lame lie that is just seeing Jongdae scooping another spoon ever so happily when he managed to feed him a spool full while he's trying to say something with his mouth cracked open. “And i know you, when you're ill. You barely eat anything." Jongdae's scooping another one, coming closer and coming when Joonmyeon opts to back up against the headboard of his bed.

"All people don’t like eating that much when their sick Jongdae." he huffs, his arms crossed with a scowl.

"That's not true! When I’m sick I eat double than when I’m healthy!"

"That's because you only use your illness as an excuse to eat everything you whine to have. You eat everything that is edible." he says back after taking his third spoon, discreetly leaning against Jongdae's touch when the said boy cradles his chin to wipe a spilled liquid under his bottom lip.

"Which is why I get better fast, so you should too.” Jongdae singsongs, smiling when he was successful enough to make him finish everything after.

When's Joonmyeon's mostly done brushing his teeth and is now heading back under his sheets lazily, Jongdae steals a kiss on his cheek before pulling back right away. “I’ll be back later," he croons, leaning down on him and raking his eyes all over his face as if he's having a hard time leaving him behind. “You rest okay?" it's almost like he's begging for him to not do anything stupid.

Joonmyeon nods fervently. He watch his boyfriend's retreating figure. Jongdae gave him one last look and a smile before closing the door behind him. Joonmyeon spreads his arms on his sheets. He felt a sense of happiness filling him when he finds the flowers by the window. A reminder.

His sudden illness has reached the ears of his counsel members at the speed of twenty seven minutes later, flooding him texts of get well soon Pres!!!! that feels more like a demand by the excessive amount of exclamation marks if anyone asks him really. Jongdae's friends expressed their concern through calls, wishing for his fast recovery and we miss you Joonmyeon-ah! when it hasn't been a day he's been remotely gone. Baekhyun says he'll drop by later today and see how ugly he looks like, all red nose and teary eyes. Joonmyeon could only shake his head as he listens to his friend blundering over the phone, a soft smile on his face because he hears Baekhyun's platonic affection and concern in spite how he hid them behind his mocking remarks. Jongdae sent him random texts all day, commenting about the terrible food served in the cafeteria to complaining how Mr. Lee, their science lab prof, suddenly gave them the tiest pop quiz in high school history. Joonmyeon cackles by himself, sending a stop texting me! You're in class! With a smiling emoji.

He spent most of his time in the confinements of his room, bored as he flicks through old films and documentaries with a box of tissues on his lap, a glass of water, piled books and lined inhalers on his bedside table. He writes anything that goes around his head on the empty pages of his notebook when the boredom does get overbearing. His parents made sure he'll take every pill after his meals, the ones their family doctor prescribed for him to take.

He knows the pills are kicking in when he suddenly feels himself drowsy half way through Star wars VI. Surrendering to the pull of sleep, he took a quick nap after lunch, lying to his side after tidying up the clutters of soiled tissues on the floor and making himself comfortable under his sheets. He's awaken an hour and a half later by a warm puffing air fanning over his nape and a weight that clings around his waist. The weight was actually a hand, he notes. He curiously peeks through his hazy sleepy eyes under his blankets and sees an arm slung over his stomach, lean fair skinned limb and long fingers, warm and gentle, loosely gripping on his shirt. A hand that could only belong to Jongdae's because of that familiar mole carved inches lower between his thumb and forefinger.

The warmth that draws from Jongdae's fingertips seeps deep into his skin, wakes his senses and makes him feel queasy in his stomach specially when he peeps over his shoulder and finds his visitor lying close by his side, spooning him as he sleeps. His eyes are closed, his thin pinkish lips curled slightly parted. His cheek pressed deep on its side Joonmyeon’s sure I’ll leave some red lined marks on his skin later. The latter’s tousled dark raven hair is sharing a space on Joonmyeon's pillow. His visitor's still in his cream-kissed uniform, his blazer open haphazardly and tie unknotted. His socks are still on with one foot tuck between Joonmyeon as if seeking comfort there.

Joonmyeon's smiles as he shifts and turns in Jongdae's arms to face the latter, saving a safe distance between their mouths. He doesn't want to risk the male's own health. But he so wanting to kiss his sleeping boyfriend is another matter to be argued with. Jongdae's freshly mint breath blowing over his chapped lips as the latter inhale and exhales steadily is a temptation Joonmyeon still has a hard time resisting till now.

He can't help a lone finger of his to run down the contours of Jongdae's face as he eyes those tiny moles scattered at the different corners of his boyfriend's profile. He pokes one at the bridge of Jongdae's nose impishly, biting back a smile when Jongdae wrinkles his nose, swallows on nothing and exhales a bit heavily. The slight disturbance didn't rouse him enough from his nap though. Joonmyeon carries on tracing down the prominence slope of Jongdae's nose, feeling the wrinkled flesh smoothens under his fingertip till he reaches the hollow dip of the latter's upper lip, his heart is pounding in his ears by then, one lip between his teeth as he lost his own soul from being mesmerized by the suppleness of Jongdae's lips. He moves his finger with his heart crazily singsonging, following the line of Jongdae's lip till it curves to the sides. It makes him wonder how they tastes like today. Maybe just as minty sweet as how his mouth smells like. The thought makes his own mouth going really dry.

He pulls his finger and braves his eyes to navigate somewhere away from Jongdae's lips before he gives in to his urges. He inches a bit closer as he looks close to Jongdae's eyes lashes. They’re quite long and darkly curving on his skin, it has that smallest tilt at the tips making his eyes sharp when angered or annoyed, a look that twinkles when Jongdae's amused and happy. Faint when his having the blues, and then that pinning look so intense and piercing when they're doing something that only requires their hearts and bonded bodies. He really loves Jongdae's eyes, they're captivatingly attractive and he loves how he gets to see not just that but all of Jongdae like this.

"It seems to me that you're rather enjoying yourself."

"What." he jolts back, almost falling off his bed and screaming.

"It's okey, no need to be too shy for being caught staring." came Jongdae's hasten response, rubbing a fist on his eye and smiling amusedly, so bright and big that Joonmyeon feels like the entire sun is smiling at him. Too flashy and possibly blinding his retinas. “You can stare all you want you know, I don't mind."

Joonmyeon groans, hiding his face behind his hands and dying in his own way of dying. “I- I wasn't staring! Wh-What are you even doing here still in your uniform?" Joonmyeon's blabbing like a baby who had caffeine for breakfast and he's dead positive that's the main reason why Jongdae's laughing his face off on his favourite pillow right about now.

"Joonmyeon, you're blushing and you're so cute!" Jongdae makes those grabby fingers, tempting to pinch his cheeks that makes Joonmyeon feels a dozen of ants are feasting their way under his shirt. He rolls off his bed to get away, that was his master plan before Jongdae happens and manhandles him back down his bed practically squealing his dolphin like voice and pins him in place underneath him.

"Jongdae I’m sick get off ..." he whines, carefully jutting out his lower lip and pushing Jongdae's heavy limbs off his small frame.

Jongdae pretends to think about it for a moment as he chains both of Joonmyeon's wrangling hands in his, he his head to the side contemplatively, drawling an “A-h, noopeee!" right after, then guffawing all his voice away that it's quite possible anyone from down the fifth street can hear him.

"Seriously Jongdae you're heavy." he thrashes his legs around, trying to push Jongdae off again who really weights three persons when he's quite lean in every angle of his body. He doesn't understand how Jongdae's metabolism works.

Jongdae ignores his whines, or it could also be that he got used to Joonmyeon's tricks for the longest time they've been together. It got Joonmyeon nervous when Jongdae stops laughing in favour of coming close to his face, wedging one leg between Joonmyeon's thighs and parting them so he can situate himself in the middle. Joonmyeon can't breathe."Never heard you complaining when we’re having-"

"Don't you dare say-" Joonmyeon half-cries, finger pointing at Jongdae's nose and half out of his mind.

"... ." the husky tone of Jongdae's voice below his ear quakes Joonmyeon's sanity making him crumble like some broken bricks.

"Can't believe you just said a crude joke to-"

"Wasn't a joke. I love having with you." Jongdae says, quite eloquent and quite smug, a brow arched and a grin huge and proud.

"Kim Jongdae!" he shrieks in terror, hitting Jongdae's obnoxiously smug face with his throw pillow and watch him tumble over like a rag. Take that. Well, someone should give Jongdae an award for giving someone who had 39 degrees body temperature the other night, the strength to kick a person off of his bed. Jongdae can be so vulgar and a credited ert.

Joonmyeon groans, covering his face with his hands again as he turns his back on his boyfriend who’s having a circus of laughter on the floor. Jongdae's an embarrassment why is he even in love with the guy? Joonmyeon mopes. “You feel warm." He hears Jongdae comments when his back spooning him from behind as if claiming his rightful position, caressing a hand over Joonmyeon's bare belly that bristles all of his baby hairs on that particular patch of his milky like skin.

Joonmyeon rolls his eyes, swatting the hand out of his shirt despite the pleasure he feels of having Jongdae's skin on his. “I wonder why." he grumbles a bit sarcastically, wiping the crimson dusk off his cheeks with his blanket. He hears Jongdae make these silly incoherent noises behind him before he feels a rather familiar hand back on his hips once again, slowly slanting down below his belly like a thief and under-

"Stop it! My parents is like downstairs and they could hear us and-" Jongdae silenced him with an earful of laugh that reverberates down down Joonmyeon's bones making him flinch in his own skin.

"You're dad knows were doing it, I think." Jongdae declares, like his merely commenting about a certain indie film he finds quite fascinating. That comment though made Joonmyeon turn his pale face to look at Jongdae with bigger rounded eyes in matter of a second.

"You're kidding." he reels, forehead a bit sweaty, one hand gripping tight on his blanket of sanity.

Jongdae props his head with his hand and cast his dark eyes down on Joonmyeon's with the most serious look he ever muster. “No, really. I mean, he saw me one time buying condoms. You know that one drug store down the street? The one with the fussy fat lady cashier? Yeah her, I was lining up with a box of flavoured condo - AW!" Jongdae boisterously screams out in a loud pained whine, his mouth hanging so wide open that Joonmyeon can almost count all of his teeth. He has a hand protecting his injured arm, face going from being collected to a piteous kitten.

"I was just messing around." Jongdae half-cries, whining. “When did you become so violent? You're so mean now.”

Joonmyeon breathes out a relief sighed hearing that because he won't be able to look straight in his father's eyes ever again if it were true. Jongdae’s looking like a kicked cat parading his big teary eyes and pink thin pouting lips. Joonmyeon grunts to himself because he can't help but indulge the latter and reach out to nurse the arm he had hit. Jongdae grabs the opportunity by pulling their bodies close, his eyes crinkling as he breaks into different shades of whimsical smiles. Oh he knew it.

Joonmyeon's found himself returning the smiling as well, smiling wide when Jongdae grabs a hold of his hand and laces their fingers together. His heart is leaping off his chest again. He's happy. His throat threaten to closes up when Jongdae stares at him, charcoal dark eyes affixed somewhere in his face though Joonmyeon's precisely sure it's his lips he's looking at. The hairs at the back of his neck bristles as a hand snakes around his nape, hauling him closer and closer till there's barely anything between them.

Joonmyeon's eyes are closing despite the red warnings, his tongue across his drying lips. "You're not supposed to kiss me I’m sick." He says in a whisper, with no traces of conviction.

"And I'm not supposed to listen to you all the time." Jongdae's words slip out fast between his lips before coming close. He kissed him chastely, almost too sweet.

Joonmyeon's grabbing a hold of Jongdae's collars to pull him much more closer as they share a kiss that's far different from the deep kisses Jongdae gives him when they're alone and on bed. The way he presses his lips were all light and lovely, almost too shy for someone who kisses him on a regular. Joonmyeon wouldn't have the will to fight against this anyway, no matter how he thinks he could. He's been dying to kiss Jongdae anywayl.

"So, are you gonna tell me what happened at the flower market centre last night?"

Jongdae smiles, showing all of his pink gums and pearly teeth as he chuckles. He begun retailing the little things they had done the other night. Joohyun loved the flowers. Neil's been meaning to buy them for her but was too shy to give it himself thus asking Jongdae to do it. Soojung blurted it out before it even happens. Neil spent the majority of time looking red while Joohyun reassures him that it's okay. They had fun, he can hear the mirth and how enjoyable it had been in the way Jongdae's eyes perks as he talks. Joonmyeon wished he was really with them when things such as Soojung purchasing five pots of gernamium and making Neil carrying it home, happens. But he's here instead, on his bed and having a high fever. But having Jongdae near now, hearing him talk while holding a pink Persian buttercup, made him realized that this is not that bad after all.

"Next weekend, I’ll take you there."

Joonmyeon smiles. “With the guys?"

"No, just the two of us."

"Are you asking me out on a date?"

Jongdae bites hard on his lips, the thing he does when he braves himself not to smile too hard when he's feeling all sheepish. “Will you go out with me?" Jongdae asks, his voice tiny but squeaking in a silly way. It makes Joonmyeon smile merrily.

"I'll think about it," Joonmyeon casually says, schooling a contemplating expression before Jongdae's loud protesting.”Hey!" splits his facade and made him laugh like some elderly man with his hackle coughs getting in the way of his cheekiness.

"It's a date then," he finally gives a sincere reply in the most decent voice he can say it. Jongdae smiles, the one that showers anyone on the receiving end with so much warmth.

Joonmyeon will make sure he's healthy and opt for a date by the next weekend.

Except that two more days had gone by and he's still not feeling anywhere near better.

"Let me check you're temperature."

Joonmyeon shakes his head, his disapproving whimpers stifled by Jongdae's shirt where his face is currently burrowed. “You checked it like three minutes ago." he croaks, his words mostly muffled by the mask he decided to wear since yesterday. He doesn't want to admit it, but he's feeling worse day after day. His parents had begged him, even Jongdae, to go to the hospital. Joonmyeon hates being in the hospital, it's the last place he wants to go. He knows he's acting beyond stubborn this time, but he assures them that he'll be fine at home. No one is falling for his pretentious pleases of course, but he managed to coax them out somehow.

"I just want to check it again Joonmyeon, you feel hotter and-" Jongdae's peeling himself away from Joonmyeon's arms to reach for the thermometer on the table. Joonmyeon flails his legs around with a scowl, groaning in peeved, his thrashing limbs almost sent the laptop off the bed if Jongdae wasn't sitting close to it.

"What for? I took a pill already, I’m fine." he drags out a whine in annoyance, his eyes narrowing in on Jongdae who's sighing long and heavily beside him, looking over him with a gleam of something sad in his eyes. Joonmyeon's aware he's being too hard to deal with and the look Jongdae's giving him makes his stomach twists in knots but he doesn't need anything else besides some time inside his room with just Jongdae.

"I-I know but," Jongdae presses one palm that feels ice cold on Joonmyeon's forehead, the latter's eyes growing sadder when Joonmyeon so earnestly leans in to his boyfriend's touch and asks for Jongdae to "Please lie down next to me I feel cold Jongdae."

Jongdae visits him after classes, bringing his laptop, snacks and any movies for them to watch till dinner time. Joonmyeon either failed to watch it till the very end because he's drifting off to sleep with Jongdae's arms around him as his comfort blanket, or he finds Jongdae's serious face as he follows the scenes on his laptop rather entertaining than the movie plot itself. He finds joy in doing both anyway. Jongdae doesn't seem to mind and indulges him in whatever he wanted to have and do, even letting him read any books he failed to finish but grabbing it away from him when he's spent more than two hours on it. Jongdae says he still doesn't like being ignored over a book.

His body temperature is skyrocketing every morning leaving him all fussy, unreasonable and needy for the rest of the day. Joonmyeon can't help but be frustrated each passing day. He’s been missing his classes, his responsibilities and he's awfully been missing Jongdae too even if his boyfriend visits and calls him whenever he can, which includes the fleeting short minutes before Jongdae's morning classes, sometime during lunch, and rushing up to him after classes that Joonmyeon wonders if Jongdae's doing anything else besides being with him when he's available. Joonmyeon, in his sick state, savors the extra attention Jongdae's been showering him.

It's childish for him to tear up, but the stinging liquid that swims at the rim of his lids was enough for Jongdae to fall back down to his side in hastes, winds his arms around him and holds him close and tight. "Okay," Jongdae whispers against his forehead, planting a kiss in between Joonmyeon's furrowing brows and gathering him closer to his chest. “Do you still want to watch another movie or do you want to take a nap? Are you hungry?" Jongdae inquires, his voice soft and small as he tips Joonmyeon's chin so they're looking in on each other’s eyes.

Gazing at Jongdae straight in his dark eyes makes Joonmyeon's cry a little too hard inside. He can't believe Jongdae's nothing but understanding to him. He can't believe how he's able to tolerate how a pain in the he is, but he does. He takes care of him, takes in all of Joonmyeon's mood swings and without a single complain. He's been so patient around him despite how he's been constantly acting up lately. He asks himself if there's even a day Jongdae didn't make him fall harder in love with him in hundreds of different ways and realizes that nope, there wasn’t. “Are you sure you're just sick? I mean, maybe you're actually carrying my child?" Jongdae pops the incredulous question between carding Joonmyeon's fringes away from his moistly eyes. He pulled his mask down to his chin, baring his chapped lips to Jongdae's hovering ones.

If Joonmyeon could actually bear kids, they already have ten mini me’s running around the house already. Joonmyeon feels his now exposed lips widening across for a smile, his eyes feels hot and wet. Jongdae spent a second of his time to plant a single kiss on his rounding cheek that leaves Joonmyeon's heart racing. Jongdae Joonmyeon's chin up, his dark charcoal eyes looking up and down between Joonmyeon's teary eyes and his lips like he can't decide which one he more likely loves to pour his attention to firsts. “You wish.” Joonmyeon grumbles, flushed tinges in his cheeks made his embarrassment so obvious under Jongdae's delighted eyes.

"Let's, watch another, let's watch another movie." he says in his scratchy voice before Jongdae gets too close to his lips enough for them to share a meaningful kiss. He watch his boyfriend move spaces away from him, obediently setting up another random movie, even if they both knew Joonmyeon won't be able to keep his eyes open.

Jongdae's crawling back beside him when the films starts rolling. Joonmyeon's already yawning in Jongdae's shirt, his thrown and crumpled mask forgotten and hidden somewhere under Jongdae's pillow. His lids are closing after the opening credits, nuzzling his face deep in Jongdae's neck and breathing in the tiniest of Jongdae's fresh scent his senses can catch on, drinking in the thought of lying so close to his boyfriend who's just as heedless as he is to worry about being sick too. Joonmyeon can feel Jongdae's eyes on him sometimes, can feel a familiar finger a line along the side of his neck, feel the gentle shudder of Jongdae's thin voice humming so softly, so close to his lips like he is all too aware of the fact that Joonmyeon's just trying to distract him with the movie but it's okay, he'd rather have him sleeping soundlessly in his arms than doing anything else like reading.

It's somewhere in the of the movie, Joonmyeon thinks, when Jongdae's phone starts ringing, buzzing violently on the table and startling him from his light nap. The sheets ruffles as Jongdae cautiously moves to grab the thing. “Hello?" Joonmyeon hears Jongdae’s voice sounding so careful, careful not to wake him.

"Where are you man?"

It's Neil, Joonmyeon notes.

“At Joonmyeon’s. What’s up?”

“Awww. Still babysitting your beloved?” Joomyeon hears Siwan cooed over the line in which his boyfriend groans and might actually be rolling his eyes too.

“ off. What do you want?”

“Well, for starters, we went to Joohyun’s house this evening and met her parents.”

“Finally meeting your future in laws, are we? “ Jongdae giggled quietly. Joonmyeon discreetly smiles at that.

“Yeah. And I’ll be happy to tell you that my future father in law is a film director!”

The bed shook when Jongdae burst in excitement, entirely disturbing Joonmyon’s “sleeping” state. Jongdae curses when he saw him wide awake. He was about to tell his boyfriend that it was fine to talk to Niel when Jongdae hastily ended the call saying he’ll call him later.”I’ll talk to him after dinner. Go back to sleep” he coax.

Joonmyeon nods and goes back to snuggle. He can only imagine how the two’s conversation will go. Jongdae’s been dying to meet a film director for years. He’s fairly certain that Jongdae will beg Joohyun to meet her father too. He hopes Mr. Bae will be able to withstand the eunthusiam of his aspiring film maker boyfriend.

Joonmyeon thank the heavens when his fever had finally subsided after five gruelling days of being stuck at home and on medication. His only consolation then was having Jongdae by his side and being able to have ample of rest. Now, he was confident that he’s well enough to go back to his school life and his responsibilities. Howerver, his positive mindset plummets after having a private talk with their math faculty teacher, Mr. Sims. That unexpected meeting left him in a daze and led him infront of the school’s theatre.

He's been standing there with one uncertain hand on the door knob for a matter of ten minutes if anyone even dared to question. He breathes deeply just before he twisted the knob, hoping his anxious mind would stop worrying for a second.

He was met by a loud heavy music blaring in every corner of their school's theatre with a person on the stage banging his head as he sings the fast lyrical message of a rock song. His voice was pitchy and clear, reaching higher tones with ease making every moping audience stare in awe.

"Will you ing stop that?!"

Everyone winces at the ear shattering sound of the squeaking microphone stumbling on the floor when the music student Neil strode towards the the aspiring rockstar, Jongdae, and hits him with a rolled newspaper at the back of his head, causing the latter to stumble in an agonizing fall on the floor. Pretty soon the fussing noise was soon forgotten by the scene of two boys exchanging mocking remarks at each other.

Joonmyeon makes himself comfortable on one of the aisle seats in the first row. He shakes his head profusely, laughing along with the rest of the music club members loitering at the back. Neil stood in horror as he watched Jongdae snatching the mic as if attempting to sing again but thought better of it and goes to place it back to it's stand precariously. Neil punches Jongdae playfully. The assaulted person rolled his eyes in mock before scribbling off the stage.

"Jongdae is .." Joonmyeon turned and found Joohyun sitting next to him with her school bag on her lap. Her eyes both set at the said person who goes to annoy his club mates.

"Noisy? Loud? Crazy?" he supplies, chuckling at his own descriptions of his obstreperous boyfriend. Because they're true. Every student would identify Jongdae with those words, except the literal meaning of his last word part of course.

She stares at him with a smile, her chime like voice echoes softly as she giggles."I was about to say charming.. and," she looks back at the boy they're talking about, bitting her lower lip as if sheepishly reluctant with her words, there’s a flicker of emotion beneath her dark curly lashes, something tender and warm."Handsome ..." her answers, voice timid and faint, like a little girl who just spieled her only deepest secret to a trusted lad.

Joonmyeon was wordless for a moment as he looks at her. The years he had know Jongdae, he grew accustomed to people admiring his boyfriend. He's handsome and adorable, talented with a sensible wit. A bit sarcastic and snarky but he can be the sweetest one of the bunch. But hearing it from Joohyun though, Joonmyeon couldn't quite wrap it around his head but he feels unsettled for some unkwon reason. He brushes off the thought and felt the need to ask the latter how she was adjusting to her new environment when he was cut off by a bellowing voice came trotting to their seats enunciating his name in every single syllables possible.

"How long have you been sitting here? You should've called me or something."

Joonmyeon swallows the thick lump lodged in his throat. He was bidding some time before he calls Jongdae. He knew the latter would go asking about the meeting he just attended. And it's a kinf of news his boyfriend wouldn't like. His parents and brother might, they could even be proud of him to be a part of something. To Jongdae though, Joonmyeon's certain his boyfriend wouldn't be in his best supportive self about the matter he's about to tell him. Joonmyeon is even undecided about it.

"Um-"

“Joohyun!" the three of them turns at the female student jogging towards them.

"Mrs. Kang is looking for you." Soojung says, a little breathless. Joohyun nods and gathers her belongings. She smiles as she excuses herself. Jongdae pats his hand on the latter's shoulder as she passes by.

Soojung turns to them, eyes focusing more on Joonmyeon."So, did you tell him already?" she asked, voice impatient as she nudges Jongdae in the ribs.

Joonmyeon gulps as he watched the changing reaction on Jongdae's face. His every charming features cripple in confusion, eyes staring at the girl standing next to him."Tell me what?" he turns to Joonmyeon, daring him to say something he should start telling now.

When he finally had the courage to say it himself, Soojung goes to speak ahead of him thinking it's a heroic deed to save Joonmyeon from being tongue tied."He was chosen to compete for the upcoming regional mathematics competition!" she revealed, her long brown hair bounces as she jumps on her heels enthusiastically."With me!" she was squealing with excitement in contrary to the blunt look Jongdae had on his face.

"Six seniors were chosen and one junior. I'm so excited! And oh, before-".

"You're not going." was all it took for Joonmyeon to shank back on his chair and sulk.

Joonmyeon was about to reason out but Soojung beats him up to it. “What?!" she shouts in enlish, her eyes bulges in a way she always does whenever she finds any given situation astonishing. If both Baekhyun and Niel were an earshot away from them, they would've strangled Soojung with her long brown hair. They find her too annoying every times she speaks any well punctuated English."What do you mean he's not going?!"

"It means i'm not letting him participate. Is that clear enough for you?" Jongdae sits beside a slightly jittery Joonmyeon. His words were sharp and snarky to anyone who would've heard it. Sometimes Joonmyeon forgets that there's a chunk of Jongdae's persona that usually gets them to argue. He's a boy with a sharp tongue. He could send anyone running to the very last stall and bawl for his sarcastic remarks.

Even Joonmyeon. He couldn't count the times he cried because his sensitive heart couldn't take Jongdae's spiteful words whenever they're fighting. But it always ends up with Jongdae wiping his tears away with gentler words of,"I'm sorry, i didn't mean to shout at you i was just so angry." And they'll be okey after that.

"B-But Jongdae. It's the regional mathematics competition! Our group could end up competing for internationals we never know!" Soojung flops on a seat one row ahead, her body turned as she pouts at the sourly looking Jongdae. She was trying too hard to convince him. Like he was Joonmyeon's parent or something.

"You're just worried Joonmyeon might meet some hot and handsome rich kid from a rival school." she huffs, flipping her long tresses. Joonmyeon face palmed, he could feel a mocking chuckles from the way Jongdae's lips tugs to form a sly grin. She shouldn’t have said that.

"Oh the more I wouldn't let him. You know well how a jealous boyfriend I can be." Jongdae chortles. He said the words humorously, but Joonmyeon knew by experience how Jongdae usually veil his prank words behind his jokes. Jongdae can be very possessive in a way that had Joonmyeon's heart swelling.

Soojung's slacking shoulder and pleading eyes encourages Joonmyeon to find his voice. He rested a hand on top of Jongdae's, squeezing it as he tries to woo his lover into letting him. Unfortunately, Jongdae's strong at heart. Even his snippets of whine that usually crumbles Jongdae'a inhibitions were futile.”Jongda-"

His lover turns to him and Joonmyeon's tongue deliberately recoils in submission."No. Joonmyeon, you just got back from being sick for five days! You think forty degrees celsius was a complete joke? I'm serious, you need to rest more. Tell them to take someone else." his chiding voice softens at the very end of his sentence, reminding Joonmyeon of a bundle of dark mob of hair and worried feline eyes curled up so close to him, embracing him, unmaliciously sharing the natural body heat that his body was desperately trying to conjure.

Jongdae had stayed with him whenever he was vacant. For five straight days without complaint.

Joonmyeon found himself nodding silently, realizing that he doesn’t have anything to argue with that.

Soojung heaves a defeated sigh, throwing her arms up in the air and turning her back on them.

"I’ll only be gone for a week."

Jongdae groans, his bed creaks as he shifts to lay on his side. Back facing Joonmyeon with his undivided attention focused on the mangga he's been reading for an hour now whilst Joonmyeon stares at the glowing stars up on the ceiling. He’s been cajoling his boyfriend to let him go without going all upset and bitter about it.

"Either way, my mom would still force me to go even if I don't want to." his mother always wanted him to be active at school. Wanted him to work hard to graduate with high honors like he's older brother did in his years. Jongdae never liked that about his mother, says she's asking too much from him when he’s already doing enough. But Joonmyeon couldn't defy his own mother, knowing I'll make her proud one day.

"If it's those hot and handsome rich kids that you're worried about then...” Jongdae shuffles, dropping his mangga on the floor. He lied on his back, tucking a hand behind his head and gazes up, looking at the same star shaped figures above but didn't say anything back. Joonmyeon turns to his side, slightly sniggering at the scowl in Jongdae's face.

There was a pondering silence. When he thinks he's given Jongdae enough time to reconsider, he heaves his upper body up as he clambers on top of Jongdae because he's feeling a bit sleepy waiting for Jongdae's answer. He's mother will throw a nerve-wracking fit if he's not at home on time. He lay atop Jongdae, their chest flushed in proximity. Joonmyeon traces the wrinkled lines on Jongdae's forehead, smudging them away with the palm of his index fingers.

Jongdae wasn't looking at him but at the stars on the ceiling, he’s avoiding his gaze with a tight lip. Joonmyeon snickered, he hooks his leg on the latter's waist and slowly, he moves for his entire body, his every limp to be on top of Jongdae's. He lined his face to the other, obscuring Jongdae's chances of averting from his eyes.

Jongdae was staring up at him with a blunt look in his eyes, as if the way their body that's only an article in between the other isn't affecting him. Joonmyeon decides to be intuitive tonight so he leans down even more closer to Jongdae. He thinks he's mission of persuading Jongdae is bitting him back in the because oh dear God every patch of his skin can feel Jongdae's heated flesh irradiating through the thin layer of his clothing making a total mess of his thoughts."P-Please?" he feels every curve of their body fitting out perfectly with the other.

Jongdae never showed him any hits of ending his silent charade so Joonmyeon slowly moves forward, his chap lips hovering over Jongdae's. His eyes momentarily fluttering close at the peppermint scent, it's warm. The inciting scent was making it difficult for him to keep his intentions straight, hence he carried on."Jongdae." Joonmyeon shuts his eyes completely. His pair of wanting lips landed on two thin supple ones. He moderately parted his lips, his upper lip urgently prying in between Jongdae's opened ones with his lower one under, firmly keeping Jongdae's lower lip in his mercy.

He pokes the tip of his tongue on the soft warm lip his holds captive, sighing in eagerness as his senses taste the lips he indulges himself into fervently kissing everyday. He goes to experimentally nip on it, taking only a tiny amount of it's sweetness from what more awaits inside of Jongdae's mouth. He pulls back a little, they haven't even starting a proper kiss but Joonmyeon's breathing is beginning to rag already. For a person who couldn't walk away from him with any form of skinship that is Jongdae, Joonmyeon should really congratulate his boyfriend for being less responsive tonight. He never knew he has that much self-control in himself. Jongdae always act on impulse around him, especially in public.

Joonmyeon merely drops a peck on the latter's upper lip, a quick one with lingering desires. Their faces were so close that they're practically inhaling the same feverish air. Their forehead and the side of their noses brushing, with only a tiny distance in between their opened lips. Joonmyeon mentally smiles. He feels a hand running along the broad area of his back, slowly slipping under his shirt and lightly touching the arched curve of his spine. Joonmyeon gulps thickly at the tentative touch, taunting him to break out a pleased moan. Before any words were said he parts his mouth, sensed Jongdae doing the same as he breaths in the heat warmth of his lover's breath where it's so near and just, there.

The moment their tongues clashes Joonmyeon finally let out his pleased mewls, breathing in the scent of Jongdae's skin and the peppermint fragrance seeping pass his curling lips as they kept their lips on each other, tasting each spaces, inhaling every minty fragrance with their hands roaming on each others body as if searching for something. Joonmyeon's skin heats up as he draw all the warmth he could ever take away from Jongdae's mouth. He hears Jongdae's throbbing heart, he could feel its hard pounds racing with his own beneath the crumple material of their undershirts. The slick sounds they make at every parting touches of their lips and tongues, the grasping breathes and the yearning to dive back again were all tangled in greedy groans and slipping down of clothes. Just kisses will never be enough now.

Joonmyeon whines from the sudden lost of his Jongdae’s tongue mouthing his own. Jongdae tips chin to his side, baring his neck."You're a temptress. I'll never let you get away." Jongdae whispers below Joonmyeon's jaw. He didn't kissed it like how Joonmyeon expected his lover too. He merely ran his breaths along the curve of his neck, before tipping Joonmyeon's chin back for Jongdae to look only at him. Joonmyeon smiles, his heart shills. Jongdae's emotionless face was whisks away, replacing the face of a teenager troublesome boy Joonmyeon falls in love with every day.

"So?" his voice was shaky.

Jongdae stared at him hard for a long moment. Joonmyeon blinks his eyes in a way that makes Jongdae weak, confident he could get his way around despite Jongdae's no's. After a minute of merely staring at each other like lovesick fools, Jongdae wiggles his lower limp and grunts. A conceding sigh of defeat left his parted lips was what comes next, causing Joomyeon to victoriously squeal. He dips down and kisses the latter again and again and again. How could he not? When Jongdae permanently puckers his thin bow lips for him to kiss childishly over and over. That playful affection. They convulse in a series of laughers, rolling around ending with Jongdae now on top. Joonmyeon sinks his head on Jongdae's palm that was cradling the back of his head. It's so warm and Jongdae looks nothing else but so benevolently charming.

Joonmyeon reaches up, his forefinger grazing along the thin supple curve of Jongdae's lips memorizing every detail up to the very cutely curled end of the other's lips. He smiles at the lips he spent hours luxuriantly kissing as it presses back to him, his fingers behind the latter's head as they share yet another kiss. It's deep and sensual. He hears a click not too far and the next moment he opens his eyes, all was dark and the only remaining light he sees were the small stars illuminating above Jongdae. Above them.

Jongdae carefully falls back beside him, one hand sliding under Joonmyeon's neck to hauls him close to him. Joonmyeom happily complied, resting his head on Jongdae's chest and eyes looking at their very own starry starry night.

"Promise me you'll take care of yourself." Jongdae whispers, tilting his chin up again and pressing a kiss on the forehead this time. "And stop being too awesome all the time."

"I promise." Joonmyeon laughs and eventually turns to quieting giggles. They both reached for each other at the same time, crashing their lips together.

Sunday morning had Joonmyeon sauntering his way in front of their school’s tall gates where the chosen students who'll be competing for the National Mathematics Comp were expected to gather. It’s the day they'll be leaving. Joonmyeon's mother incessantly reminded him to be in his very best. Nailing in he's head the goal of winning the golden trophy and coming home with it. He walked out of their home with his duffle bag saying he'll try. His mother didn't liked the word try.

There's a clutter of people outside the tall gates. Mostly from the Math faculty present to send them off with encouragements. Their principal was also in the midst of the crowd, she smiled fairly wide seeing Joonmyeon walking ahead. Before he even got to return it with one of his, his brow furrowed when their principal's wide smile morphed into a hard bitter frown."Principal Kwon looks ten years older whenever she gives me that offensive look on her face, which is everyday by the way."Jongdae sneered, antagonizing the said principal further by slinging an arm around Joonmyeon's shoulder.

"Aw!" Jongdae wails, running a comforting rub on his right earlobe where Joonmyeon unkindly tweaked."Why?" he whines, eyes squinting.

"She's our principal." Joonmyeon points, voice condescending and feet halted on his tracks to glare at Jongdae.

"I think she has a crush on you." Jongdae mumbles, his lower lip puckering as he ends his sentence in sequels of whiny hum. Joonmyeon looked scandalized enough to even say something back."The exact reason why she hates us dating. She's jealous."

"You think everyone has a crush on me."

"It's true though!"

Joonmyeon shook his head after giving Jongdae an incredulous gaze. He doesn't know who thinks the worst, Baekhyun who assumes their principal is a closet lesbian, or Jongdae stating their respectable principal is crushing on her student.

He was at arm reach into caressing Jongdae's earlobe that looks more like a potato when a shill calls out for him."Joonmyeon-ah!"

In the midst of the horde of people, a squealing voice that is all too familiar skims through the crowd and prances towards them. It was Soojung. The person probably the happiest one knowing Joonmyeon will be participating for the maths.

Joonmyeon greeted her with his usual smile, patting the newcomers shoulder for desperately gathering air to feel her gasping lungs."I'm so happy you're here!" She drapes her long slender arms around Joonmyeon's shoulder, pulling him over as she all the way clings to Joonmyeon till they reached their friends.

"Finally you're here." Baekhyun exasperated, shaking Joonmyeon's shoulder."Thought you'll ditch the entire group because you're boyfriend said so." he smirks.

"If you weren't so much of a clingy boyfriend around Yonjae then probably Joonmyeon wouldn't be gone for a week in the first place." Jongdae barks back.

"Oh hush. I had enough of numbers running through my head since freshmen year. Our group needs a new face." He petted Joonmyeon's head affectionately."And besides, it's best for me to stay behind. You know, to keep watch." he said, his calculating eyes looking past everyone. Joonmyeon lock gazes with his best friend. Baekhyun's last words sounded more like a warming.

His confounded thoughts were out on hold when a breathless Joohyun came hunched on her knees.”Joonmyeon, good luck on the competition.” She cheers, giving Joonmyeon a brief hug which Joonmyeon returned genuinely.

“Thanks Joohyun.”

An hour later, they were all ushered to the bus. Before Joonmyeon trundges inside, he faces Jongdae and smiles. “Please don’t get into trouble while I’am away.”

Jongdae rolled his eyes.”I’ll try.”

“And please, help Joohyun around okay?” he adds, glancing momentarily at the said girl. He won’t be around to assist here when she needs one.

“Don’t worry about her. I’m pretty sure Neil got it all covered.” he cackles, before turning serious.“Come back to me with or without a tropy.” he looks at him adoringly.

“Yes.” Joonmyeon said with a promise.

*****

Yes this is a Suchen flashback memory. And yes, the two of them were teenagers back in the day haha. Kidding aside, hey guys! I know I’ve been gone for 4 years and I’m so sorry. But I’m back now and needs all your love again. Thank you so much to my new subbies and also to those people who patiently waited, and messaged me, you guys are golden! I hope I somehow made you happy with this update. This is only the first part and it already reached 34k words! So I decided to cut it into two parts. Prepare your hearts on the next chapter though. A comment will be deeply appreciated!

Lots of love,

k.