“All that time you spend staring at yourself in the mirror, and this is the first time we’ve made it a concept in a photoshoot? Hard to believe,” Jonghyun mused as Key posed in front of the mirror. Key narrowed his eyes, but his stare remained fixed on his own reflection as the photographer continued to snap away.

            “Well sometimes there’s just nothing better to look at,” Key replied dryly, adjusting his hair.

            Jonghyun smiled. “Oh I don’t know about that, Key,” Jonghyun quipped, “I see plenty of things prettier than you around.” Feigning shock, Key abruptly turned to look at Jonghyun, his jaw dropped in insult. “What?” Jonghyun asked, lifting his hands and curling his voice upwards in a failed attempt at sounding innocent. If there was one thing Jonghyun was not, it was innocent.

Key was an exceptional beauty, Jonghyun thought, no point in denying that. His deep, shadowed eyes, sculpted high cheekbones, devilish pout, and body that moved deliberately and fluidly beneath a well-fitted wardrobe added up to the kind of androgynous y that normally made Jonghyun weak in the knees. But somehow, Jonghyun was immune to Key’s charms. The two of them had flirted in the beginning, but their awkward seduction ended only in giggles and gossip. They made far better cruising buddies than anything else, although Jonghyun often feared that Key’s penetrating good looks upstaged his more casual guile, an anxiety that frequently caused Jonghyun to act more ridiculous than he would have liked. But unfortunately, they often found that they had the same type, and while Key was not usually a backstabbing , there was a first time for everything.

Key had turned his attention back to the mirror, arching his back slightly as he stared at himself appraisingly. “Prettier things, Jonghyun?” Key asked, slight mocking in his tone. Jonghyun nodded soberly. “Then how come you’re the only one sitting here staring at me?”

Jonghyun looked around, and realized that save for the photographer and crew, he and Key were alone. Key saw his gaze shift and could barely suppress his laughter.

“Oh, hyung, you’re really something,” Key mocked.

"Where did everybody go?" Jonghyun asked, glancing around the room.

"What, am I your umma?" Key asked indignantly. Jonghyun shot him a look that said, um, duh. "Jinki had to make a phone call and I think Minho's in the next room," he sighed.

"And Taemin?" Jonghyun tried to sound casual, but the slight excitement in his voice was palpable, especially to Key’s well-trained ear. If there was one thing Jonghyun was, it was transparent.

"Maknae is in the trailer, he likes to read there. What's it to you?" Key asked. Key knew very well what it was to Jonghyun, but liked to torment him about it anyway.

"Just asking." Jonghyun shrugged off Key's question, shifting his attention to the scarf around his neck. He played with the fringe intently, pretending to be absorbed.

Key let out a small laugh. "Go. Get out of here. I'm trying to be gorgeous and you're distracting me. I can manage but you're boring me anyway."

Jonghyun made his way through winding corridors, mentally noting where all the darkest corners were. He felt a little silly doing so, but it was fun to think about, what sort of fun he could have in those secret shadowed spaces. He’d been doing a lot of that, lately. Thinking. Well, fantasizing, really. The busy summer schedule had brought many enticing sights before his eyes, but given him no opportunity to do anything about it. And on the off chance that opportunity presented itself tonight, he was sure as hell not going to miss out for lack of privacy.

At last he was able to breathe the fresh summer air, a welcome change from the stuffy old warehouse where the photoshoot was taking place. It was a mild evening for this time of year, but the ground still radiated with the day’s heat. Outside the night roared with the eerie cry of cicadas, and Jonghyun shivered as he made his way to the trailer. For someone who spent so much time around screaming girls and sound amplification equipment, the din of Seoul’s cicadas still sent an unearthly rattle through his chest.

Taemin glanced up from his book to see who had entered. He smiled to see Jonghyun’s blond hair as he came up the steps into the trailer. “Jonghyun hyung! What’s up? Do they need me?”

Jonghyun crossed to the boy and ruffled his hair playfully before sitting in the chair next to him. “No, it’s just me,” he said, smiling. “I wanted to see you. Whatcha doin’?”

Taemin put down his book, and looked at Jonghyun gravely. “Hyung, I’m so bored,” he whispered conspiratorially.

Jonghyun nodded. “I know how you feel,” he declared, spinning in the makeup chair. “I spent the past thirty minutes watching Key make eyes at himself in front of a mirror. I could cry.”

“Chinjja otteokae-yo?” The younger boy giggled at the disgusted face that Jonghyun made. “Jjong, we’ve been here for six hours already!”

 “But we’re nowhere near done. They haven’t even started Jinki’s solo shots yet. And you know he takes a long time.”

Taemin looked at Jonghyun dismally from underneath his mop of reddish brown hair. “Aigu! He is so awkward in front of the camera. You’d think by now he’d be used to it.”

Jonghyun laughed. “Yes, Jinki is awkward. But,” he added, leaning in to ruffle Taemin’s hair again. “One might also think that by now you’d be used to long photoshoots, pabo.”

Jonghyun stuck out his tongue, to show that he was only kidding, but Taemin still pouted slightly. “I came prepared. I have my book.”

“Then what are you complaining about?”

Taemin let out a huff. “Fine.” He picked up the book and opened it sharply. He buried his nose in it and pretended to read, blocking Jonghyun’s view of his face.

Jonghyun sat back and crossed his arms, letting out a long, loud sigh of exasperation. Taemin didn’t take the bait, and instead emphatically flipped a page. Jonghyun smiled at this, he liked how playful Taemin was. Jinki and Minho were all business, and Key…well, Key was Key. But Taemin was different; he embraced his role as impish maknae wholeheartedly, and in the process somehow managed to keep others from taking themselves too seriously, something Jonghyun was forever grateful for. In return, the older boy had helped his nervous friend find his way as a singer, and in the process discovered that there was a lot more to Taemin than just a sweet smile and fast moving hips.

…not that Jonghyun didn’t appreciate those, as well..

Jonghyun made a grab for Taemin’s book, but Taemin quickly pulled it away. When Jonghyun made a second move for it, Taemin swiveled his chair to the side and out of Jonghyun’s reach. Slightly annoyed but largely amused, Jonghyun extended his right leg and gently poked Taemin with the toe of his boot.

No response.

He poked him again. This time, Taemin raised his eyes to meet Jonghyun’s.

“Hyung, can’t you see I’m reading?” he asked.

Jonghyun shrunk back into his seat in mock embarrassment. Again he began to braid the strands of scarf fringe, but quickly lost interest. He lowered himself to the floor, and slowly crept in front of Taemin, who pretended not to notice the tuft of yellow hair rising up from behind his book. But when Jonghyun’s arched eyebrows and wide-open eyes appeared, he couldn’t help but burst out laughing. Seeing Taemin distracted, Jonghyun wrestled the book from Taemin’s fingers and gently tossed it across the room.

“Hyung!”

“Pay attention to meeeeeeeeeee,” Jonghyun whined in full on aegyo mode.

Taemin looked cross. “And I’m the pabo?”

Jonghyun reached out to grab Taemin’s hand, but Taemin swatted it away. Jonghyun pouted, slightly dejected, and sat back down in his chair. He stared at Taemin, who returned his pout. They sat there, staring at one another, until Taemin couldn’t take it anymore and burst into giggles.

“Taemin ah, I’m so bored.” Jonghyun tried to mirror his tone.

“Hmmm…” Taemin pondered, searching the room for ideas. His eyes finally landed on the volumes of cosmetics laid out on the vanity behind Jonghyun. “Let’s play makeover!”

Jonghyun eyed him suspiciously. “Coordi-nuna won’t like that very much!”

Taemin leapt to his feet. “But I wanna play with some of Key hyung’s makeup.”

Jonghyun’s jaw dropped.  “Andwae! You know how Key is about us touching his things. He’d kill us.” Jonghyun shook his head at Taemin, but the thought of how annoyed Kibum would be made him want to do it even more.

Taemin furrowed his brow at Jonghyun. “Well, I guess I could just go read.” He stood up and walked in the direction of where Jonghyun had flung his book and began to noisily rummage around for it. 

Jonghyun took in a deep breath. “Fine,” he conceded, trying not to sound too enthused.

“Hooray!” Taemin was back in a flash. He adjusted Jonghyun’s chair so it was facing away from the mirror. “No peeking,” he cautioned. He then went over to Key’s makeup box and rifled its contents, eventually grabbing a smokey black eyeliner, a deep violet mascara and a palette of glittery eyeshadow. “Close your eyes,” he said to Jonghyun, who complied.

Taemin frowned slightly as he surveyed his work. He had hoped to make Jonghyun look ridiculous, with all that glitter and eyeliner. Instead, the Jonghyun in front of him looked…better? Different? Prettier? Taemin couldn’t quite place it. He didn’t look like a girl, at least not like any of the idol girls that Taemin was used to seeing. But he also didn’t really look like other idol boys. Well, except for Key. But Jonghyun didn’t really looked like Key, either, Taemin decided. He still looked like Jonghyun – his features were less delicate that Key’s, and with makeup they took on a new intensity, a roughness-meets-softness that Taemin finally decided was best described as incredibly y. 

Jonghyun searched Taemin’s face for some sort of meaning. “What have you done to me?” he asked, seeing Taemin’s puzzled expression.

Taemin snapped out of his daze as Jonghyun moved to look in the mirror. “Hyung, no! Not yet. I’m not done.” He grabbed Jonghyun’s shoulder and forced him back down in to the seat. He let his hand slide up to Jonghyun’s cheek, tilting the older boy’s face up to meet his gaze. “It doesn’t look bad! Just let me finish, okay?”

Jonghyun looked up at Taemin skeptically, but relaxed beneath his touch. He couldn’t deny the maknae anything, and besides, there was something about the way that Taemin looked at him that Jonghyun found intriguing. He wasn’t sure, but when Taemin’s eyes scanned his face just now, Jonghyun swore he saw something new flickering in them. His dilated pupils shone with…desire, maybe? The thought caught like a lump in Jonghyun’s throat.

Taemin returned to Key’s makeup box, and after a moment of searching its contents, he returned. He turned his attention to Jonghyun’s lips, running his thumb along along the older boy’s bottom lip, appraising their color. No wonder he’s always touching them, Taemin thought, as he contemplated the delicious way the flesh tilted out to meet his touch. Clear gloss, Taemin decided, not wanting to alter the sweet pinkish hue of Jonghyun’s full and flushed pout. Suddenly Jonghyun shifted his gaze up to meet Taemin’s eyes – wordless, just his piercing, deep stare full of wanting and curiosity. Captivated but nervous, Taemin gulped in a way that was clearly visible along his pale, slender throat, and this made Jonghyun crack into a half-smile.

“What is it, maknae?”

“Um, I…”

Taemin stood, frozen for a moment, not knowing what to say.

“You’re beautiful, Jonghyun,” he finally managed to squeak, before turning away slightly embarrassed. He wasn’t sure what made him say that. He was aware that the two of them had grown closer the past few months, flirtatious even. Taemin had long admired the older singer, loved their whispering closeness and the way Jonghyun’s “alpha male” front softened in his presence. But something was changing, and Jonghyun’s long hugs now quickened Taemin’s heartbeat, the gentle rub of Jonghyun’s fingers in Taemin’s hair sending shivers throughout his body. He was slowly coming to accept the fact that he wanted Jonghyun, but suddenly a new thought crept into his mind: he wanted Jonghyun now.

It was a moment before Taemin became aware of Jonghyun’s hand tugging at his own. He turned to look in Jonghyun’s direction again, only to be met again by his deep brown eyes, now lined and shadowed and hungry. “So are you,” he purred.

Without warning, Taemin leaned in to kiss Jonghyun, whose surprised lips parted gently beneath his cautious kiss. The excitement of Jonghyun’s mouth moving across his own was even more than Taemin had anticipated, and he quickly wrapped his arms around Jonghyun’s neck, pulling him in more deeply. Jonghyun responded by reaching out for Taemin’s hips, lowering the younger’s body closer onto his own. Taemin struggled for moment to find comfortable footing and not break their liplock, moving one knee onto the chair beside Jonghyun. The increased contact of their bodies caused a soft moan to escape from Jonghyun’s throat, a low, guttural approval. Taemin had never heard Jonghyun, normally a precise and powerful singer, make such a sound before, and the maknae quickly decided that it was the best sound he’d ever heard.

No longer nervous, Taemin s his tongue into Jonghyun’s mouth, gasping as Jonghyun’s arms wrapped around him, fingertips sliding into the hollow of his back. He had felt those arms around him so many times before, but as they now explored his narrow frame, Taemin couldn’t help but get lost in the newness of the sensation. He pulled his lips away from Jonghyun just long enough to unravel he scarf from around his neck, and as he adjusted his body, the older looked up, wide-eyed and breathless.

A gentle smile spread across Taemin’s face as he surveyed Jonghyun’s flushed expression. Jonghyun bit his lip slightly, “What is it?”

“Nothing,” Taemin replied, leaning down to touch noses with Jonghyun. “Just…” His voice trailed off as Jonghyun met his lips, and his gentle murmurs were lost in their kiss. But Taemin didn’t mind, he hadn’t really intended to finish that sentence, anyway. And as far as he was concerned, this was much better than talking.

Taemin left the trailer first, as Jonghyun had to fix his hair, which currently stood straight up like some sort of frizzy golden crown. Lucky Taemin, Jonghyun thought, his hair looks good tousled. Jonghyun struggled to smooth his locks into something resembling his usual hairstyle before turning attention to his face. He hadn’t had a chance to look before Taemin jumped him, but now he looked at his eyes and smiled. Not bad. Taemin clearly didn’t have much experience putting on makeup, but Jonghyun liked what he saw. He decided to leave it on. There was no time to fix it now, and anyway, they were always trying out different looks, and this was certainly a better idea than those “Romeo” outfits.

“Jonghyun, what did you do?” Key shrieked, prancing over to greet him as he entered the room. Jonghyun’s eyes widened, and he wanted to run away. Did Key know? How could he? Was his shirt on inside out? Did Taemin say something?

            Key peered intently at Jonghyun, squinting at his face. “Are you wearing my eyeshadow?” he asked, one eyebrow raised.

            “Uhhh, yeah,” Jonghyun exhaled, relieved. Maybe Key didn’t know anything after all. “I, uh –“

            “You look good,” Key cut him off, clearly losing interest. “Whatever it is, you should do it more often.” And then, just like that, he pranced off to preen himself.

            “Thanks,” Jonghyun called after him. “I think I will.”