It should not be hard to be in love. Jonghyun had always thought love should be simple. It’s between two people and in his idea of love -- it had always just come down to being in love and it was simply between the two. Somehow -- love had ended up complicated for the teen though. He had fallen hard for Sungjong -- somewhere between being snuck beer and late night conversations -- and he still did not know exactly when or how it had happened.

At first it was easy. He was so in love with Sungjong but then other people found out. It became complicated when it should have been simple. Their friends had skillfully planted seeds of doubt and mistrust and then buffeted them with obvious disapproval. It took it’s toll on both of them. Jonghyun had become sure that Sungjong was in love with someone else and that he was simply a way to waste time, to fill the loneliness or simply a vice to make that other person jealous.

Maybe it was illogical or immature to be so easily swayed but what was once simple, young and innocent love had turned out to be something darker. The sadness and hopelessness grew as the days passed and Jonghyun spoke to Sungjong less. He withdrew and shut the older boy out -- forcing him away. He blockaded his heart, trying to ward off the fatal blow to his first love that he knew was coming.

It didn’t come. Sungjong did not understand what had caused Jonghyun to change but his love was true. He pushed and prodded and tried his best to work his way back into his boyfriend’s heart. It was not easy. Jonghyun was stubborn and the idea had been lodged into his brain now and he did not easily believe Sungjong when the other spoke of his love. He couldn’t bring himself to leave him, though.

Slowly, though it took time, the way that Jonghyun had walled himself off did slowly push Sungjong away. No amount of perseverance or prying had been able to break through to him and the elder felt shut off and isolated. Even had become less intimate and more routine, centered on getting off rather than making love.

They were still so in love even as they drifted apart. Pushed apart by animosity of others and the seed of doubt that had taken root in Jonghyun’s heart. There was nothing to be done about it. They could not untangle the threads of doubt. They could not simplify their love again. Jonghyun couldn’t stop doubting, his thoughts and heart darkened and stained with it. Jaded.

Sungjong left.

Jonghyun swore never to fall in love again. The ideal thought that love was simple, that love could be true had been stripped away. Little did he know that it had been -- and it was he himself that had tainted their love with doubt that was undue and unfounded.

He could have had happily ever after but happily ever after didn’t come.