Things cooled between the boys over the next several weeks, and Jiyong noticed it all; Seunghyun no longer sneaked into his room, or sat so close to him that their bodies touched. Seunghyun even stopped waiting for him after class, and that was the part he missed the most. He loved walking out of class and seeing Seunghyun with his back pressed against the wall and a smile that could melt gigantic glaciers.

      Everything changed the night Seunghyun hugged him, he could have swore that he saw Seunghyun’s eyes glisten and whenever he asked Seunghyun about it, Seunghyun always came up with a silly excuse like ‘Oh yes, I came down with something...Jiyong, you gave me pink eye’ and then they would laugh together but Jiyong knew better, something happened that night and Seunghyun didn’t want to share. After asking twice, he decided not to anymore, it was all for the best; Seunghyun being too close for comfort anyway, having to come in contact with someone you’re in love with was always a bad idea, especially when that person is your older brother and lives a few feet from you.

“Earth to Jiyong”, He snapped out of his thought and smiled at Lana, she was sitting opposite him, snapping her fingers to get his attention. They were both at Suzy’s house; both girls were browsing catalogs to find what to wear to prom that was in three days. That was it, high school was over and he loved every single moment of it, and at times he wondered why people didn’t, then he reminded himself of how Seunghyun helped him through it.

      Jiyong sighed, he should be happy, and in fact he wanted to be; his health was flawless according to his primary physician, he’d passed the worse stage of his sickle cell anemia, his blood count was great even without any more transfusions for the first time in his life. ‘Go ahead and celebrate Jiyong shi, you are now basically a healthy boy although you should still take your vitamins and be cautious.... but for now no more regular visits to the hospital unless it’s for your volunteer or feel uneasy’. Yes he should be happy but why wasn’t he? “Jiyong, do you think Seunghyun is going to ask me or should I just go ahead and ask him”? Lana asked, and he was instantly reminded of the reason.

“Whoa, that’s so bold” Suzy blushed, “Taemin hasn’t asked me either”

“I think we should ask them” Lana closed her laptop, “I know Seunghyun has liked me for a long time, it’s just that I was so wrong about him...I think I’m falling for him” It was hard to have any ill feeling toward Lana because she was so nice to him, but every time she mentioned Seunghyun, which was a lot, he had the urge to get defensive. Another problem was, Seunghyun did like her and so he had no right. “Jiyong what about you, who are you going with”?

“Uh...I don’t think I’m going.... it’s not really my thing” he lied, Seunghyun once suggested that they go together as brothers but thinking about it, Seunghyun may have been joking and he wasn’t about to embarrass himself by trying to remind him, especially if Seunghyun already had it in mind to ask Lana. He wasn’t sure if he’d be able to take the rejection.

“Jiyong if you don’t go, I wouldn’t go...and you know how long I’ve been looking forward to this”, He wasn’t surprised by her response, it was so Lana, “Me too, and you wouldn’t want to hold your best friends back would you”? Suzy added. “Jiyong you know there are open gay couples in school right, so don’t feel...”

“No it’s not that” It really wasn’t, two boys had actually asked him; Kangin and some other kid he’d only spoken to once, but he only had eyes for one person. He sighed again, “Fine... I’ll go. Solo” He only gave in easily because he knew there was no winning when Lana was involved, and he was just about done talking about prom.

“No way.... Why can’t you go with Minhyuk oppa”? “Oh yes, your oppa is very hot” Suzy squealed, “Yes Jiyong, go with him.....uh I’m so jealous of you”

Jiyong thought about it, yes Minhyuk was cool but Minhyuk would never ask him and Seunghyun still had a problem with the doctor, “No no, isn’t he too old to be at a high school prom”? He protested.

“What? Seunghyun looks older, plus you can just say that your date is in college, that’s always so cool,” Lana said and Suzy agreed. “Okay so you’re going with oppa... now can you please try to get Seunghyun to ask me” she pouted, “I don’t know what I’d do if he doesn’t… I don’t want to go with anyone else”

“Yes please, help me with Taemin” Suzy joined in, “You’re so close to the both of them. They listen to you”

                                                                       ***

By the time Jiyong was dropped of, he had two things in mind; ask Minhyuk to the prom, and get both Taemin and Seunghyun to ask out Suzy and Lana, he definitely had his work cut out for him.

“Hey” Seunghyun called out to him as soon as he walked into the kitchen, “How was Lana’s” Taemin asked, both boys were laying on the couch in the downstairs living room.

“It was okay, what are you guys watching”? He walked up to them. “I don’t even know” Taemin said before yawning, “We were supposed to go get our tux for prom but Seunghyun here is a moron, and forgot to book our appointment so we are going tomorrow”

“Yes about that” Jiyong found his cue, “....when are you guys ask out Lana and Suzy, prom is almost here” Jiyong wondered if he said something wrong when Seunghyun turned to face him and for a second he could see a disappointment in his face, “So you have a date”? And just like that, the disappointment was gone.

“Minhyuk hyung” ‘Oh God no’, he didn’t mean to blurt it out but Suzy and Lana had been talking about it all day, and Minhyuk’s name was stuck in his head. He really wanted to say that he was thinking of sitting it out. “I was going to ask Lana tonight, I’m taking her on a date” Seunghyun said before turning away, “Really”? He was surprised when Taemin’s voice echoed with his, “Yeah, I just texted her” Seunghyun smiled, not his usual smile though.

Taemin shot to his feet, “Why didn’t you tell me”?

“I guess I just assumed you already asked Suzy… plus I didn’t want you stealing my moves”

“YOU IDIOT”! Taemin quickly ran for the door, but stopped to ask one last question, “Ji does she have someone in mind”?

“Nope. Just you”, Jiyong smiled reassuringly before Taemin ran out, he knew Taemin was referring to Suzy. “So hyung...”

“Yeah”?

“Are you angry with me… did I do something wrong”? He promised he wasn’t going to ask anymore but he couldn’t help himself.

“No why”? Seunghyun was talking to him, but also texting someone. “Nothing” he turned to leave but Seunghyun spoke once more,

“So Minhyuk huh”? Seunghyun walked up to him.

“Yes why”?

“Nothing” Seunghyun smiled and walked past him, “I have to go get ready for my date” Was he jealous that Seunghyun and Lana were going on a date? Yes. Actually he was more than jealous, maybe Minhyuk was right. Maybe he was setting himself up for a broken heart, and he was thinking about taking Minhyuk’s offer.

Minhyuk was living in a medical school student apartment and the suite Minhyuk and his friend stayed had a free room. Minhyuk was going to ask the landlord for permission for an undergrad to move in.

      Seunghyun finally got his letter of acceptance and wasn’t moving out of the house but now maybe he was, he needed out. He took out his phone and called Minhyuk,

“Hyung”?

“Yes champ, how are you”?

“Good... um hyung”? He knew he was blushing, “I was wondering if you’re free on Friday night”

“Yes I am actually, why”?

“I was wondering if you would go to prom with me”

“Really? I’d love to”

“WHAT”? Jiyong choked, he thought it would take more than just the question; he was even ready to grovel.

                                                                     ***

      Prom quickly arrived and Seunghyun had managed to avoid Jiyong as much as possible, he hated the way Jiyong made him feel. He was still angry that Jiyong forgot that they were supposed to go to the prom together, and on top of that, Jiyong was going with Minhyuk. Minhyuk of all people, and now he was going to have the worst possible prom ever. “Mom I’m about to leave... Lana’s waiting”

“Wait, you have to take a picture with Jiyong, Minhyuk is picking him up soon”

“My point exactly” he muttered, “Sorry mom, but I’ll definitely see them there”. He had a rose, a limo, the whole nine yards of the whole prom thing. “Bye mom” he gave her a kiss before walking out.

“Hey Seunghyun” Seunghyun rolled his eyes when he heard the voice; he was face to face with the doctor holding a red rose, behind him a hummer stretch.

“Wow, you’re really going all out”

“Jiyong deserves the best, don’t you think”?

Seunghyun lowered his head; “Well you should have known that Jiyong’s favorite flowers are peonies” he walked away. ‘Great, he got a hummer stretch. Jiyong is definitely going to like it’.

Prom was a bad idea, Jiyong was everywhere, arm in arm with the doctor. He hated it, “Seunghyun they’re about to announce the prom King and queen” Taemin and Suzy walked up to where he and Lana were sitting. He already knew who was going to win, he knew the people in charge of the ballot and called in a favor, so Jiyong was going the prom king.

“Listen up everyone”! One of their professor was at the podium, “It is time to announce the prom king and queen”.

     Lana was queen as expected, with Suzy and some other girl as runner-ups, and when Jiyong was called for prom king, the crowd went wild with excitement. The look on Jiyong’s face when he realized he was the only Kwon Jiyong in the vicinity, it was the reason he did it. Plus, Jiyong deserved it more than him; Jiyong had managed to start high school in the scariest phase of high school, and also ended up wining his fight with sickle cell anemia.

     Of course he and Taemin were runner-ups. “Time for the prom king and queen to have a dance”. Jiyong looked amazing with the crown. Lana and Jiyong danced first, then Minhyuk took Jiyong while he took Lana. Even though Lana was in his arms, he couldn’t help staring at Jiyong, he hated how comfortable Jiyong looked in the doctor’s arm.

“I think you should dance with your brother” Lana led him to the other couple, and others were starting to join them on the dance floor, “Oppa, let Jiyong and Seunghyun have a dance”, and just like that he was left standing in front of Jiyong, “So...” he took Jiyong in his arms all of a sudden the music slowed, and the lights were turned down, he cleared his throat but went with it, “Are you having fun”?

“Yes” Jiyong cleared his throat, “You”? Jiyong seemed tense, far different from how he looked while dancing with the doctor.

“I guess”

“You guess”? Jiyong tried avoiding Seunghyun’s eyes, they were too intimidating, “I thought you liked Lana”

“I do... but I wanted to be here with someone else instead but he dumped me” he lifted Jiyong’s head slowly, “I didn’t want to say anything, but we were supposed to go together Jiyong”

“But hyung I thought...”

“You thought wrong. And of all people to be here with, you’re here with the doctor” Seunghyun scoffed.

“Hyung....”

“Can I take Jiyong back now” The doctor appeared behind them, “Sure” Seunghyun smiled stiffly.

“Seunghyun, want to get out of here”? Lana asked with a suspicious smile on her face, he knew what she had in mind. It was prom anyway; the night girls gave themselves away to their dates or to the boy of their dreams. For certain people, their entire high school life built up to this one night but not Seunghyun, plus his ity was long gone, thanks to his cousins. He didn’t want to, not with Lana, not tonight, and maybe not ever. It was ironic; there was a time not too long ago that offer like that could only be an act of God but not now…..

     There was only one person he wanted to take far away from here, but that person was looking up to another, a doctor whom even spent his free time volunteering, and did all sorts of good. He took another look at Jiyong smiling up to the doctor, “Yeah, let’s get out of here” There was no use competing with the doctor, especially when he wasn’t sure of his own feelings, he couldn’t even get himself to admit his feelings for his own brother just because of the absurdity of the whole situation, plus he wasn’t even gay.

     He’d been showering with his teammates since he was a freshman and not once had he felt something, but fireworks exploded in his chest whenever Jiyong called him ‘hyung’ with his usual pouty face. The entire situation was just plain ridiculous, and maybe one night with Lana was going to help him, and it wasn’t like he was settling, he’d been in love with her for the longest time anyways. He was still in deep thoughts when Lana’s lips crashed on his, he kissed her back, and it was an okay kiss. “Let’s go” Seunghyun took her arm his and pulled her, but she stopped him, apologized and ran off to speak with her cousin.

    Minhyuk was nice, dancing with him was good but he couldn’t help but stare at Seunghyun; he looked like a celebrity in his tux. ‘Ugh, they look so good together’ Several people had commented earlier, and yes they did. Seunghyun and Lana was like that couple that was perfect in every sense, they even looked good on paper. He was jealous.

“You know...” Minhyuk spoke, removing him from all thoughts about Seunghyun, “if you keep looking over there, you’re going to get caught”. Jiyong’s eyes widened,

“What do you mean”? He feigned indifference.

“Common Jiyong, it’s obvious”

“I..” he wasn’t sure what to say. He wondered how many people knew, their parents? Lana? Seunghyun?... He shook the thought, there was no way Seunghyun knew.

Seunghyun couldn’t possibly know.

“Jiyong, you shouldn’t be feeling like that towards your brother. It’s wrong” Jiyong was looking at the floor, too embarrassed to face Minhyuk, “Imagine how your parents would feel, imagine how Seunghyun would feel... it might make him uncomfortable”

It was true, he’d didn’t think about anyone but himself as always. Seunghyun wasn’t even gay, “Hyung I’m trying very hard but he’s just there all the time and I can’t help it”

“Yes you can” Minhyuk lifted Jiyong’s head, “I already gave you a way out. You can try it out for the summer, and if you don’t like it, you can move back home” Jiyong nodded, “Jiyong there’s nothing to be embarrassed about, you can’t help who you like... there are times when it doesn’t even make any sense but the more you try to reject it, the deeper you fall” Jiyong could have sworn Minhyuk wasn’t just talking about Seunghyun anymore, he was about to ask if the doctor was in love but Lana interrupted,

“Oppa can I talk to Jiyong”? Lana asked and pulled him away before getting a response, “Thank you so much for getting him to ask me” she enveloped him in a tight hug, “I really didn’t do anything”

“Jiyong the next time you see me, I’m going to be a woman” she hugged him tighter, “I’m so excited”. He could nothing but hug her back, after tonight, he would have lost Seunghyun forever, even though he never had him to begin with. “Good luck” he said before she ran off to Seunghyun who was in deep conversation with his friends, he took one last look at Seunghyun but turned away when he saw Seunghyun turning to look at him.

“Hyung I don’t feel like dancing anymore” he said to Minhyuk and they both walked to a nearby corner, Jiyong took one look around the crowd, most couples were already starting to file out. “Hyung can you please take me home”. There was supposed to be an after party but all he wanted was to go home.

     It took a while for Jiyong to convince Minhyuk that he would be fine by himself. Only a few workers were at the house. His argument had been, ‘If you don’t think I can stay home by myself, then you surely don’t expect my parents to let me go off by myself do you’, and that really seemed to do it. Jiyong tidied up his room a little, he needed to keep busy. He was soon done and he’d manged to clean every speck of dust in his room.

It was the end of spring so it was a bit warmer, Jiyong sat on the swing unable to keep the tears from falling out and he did nothing to stop it. Maybe getting it out of his system was what he needed, starting tomorrow, he was going to protect his heart. He was an adult, not some lovesick fool, maybe that was why Seunghyun never took him seriously, Lana would never be sitting on some swing crying over unreciprocated love.

Graduation dinner. He was going to propose he moving out during their graduation dinner, after graduation, he was no longer a child. He looked at the house again, and tears poured out more, he missed I already but it was something he had to do. Unable to take it anymore, he bowed his head. Just this one night, he was going to let himself cry.

“I knew I might find you here”, Jiyong looked up, although he knew it wasn’t necessary, he would be hear Seunghyun’s voice wherever he was. “Hyung”!

Seunghyun smiled and squatted before Jiyong, “Whoa, look at all those tears” he wiped it off with both thumbs, “Why are you crying Jiyong”? He asked seriously, “Who could make my Jiyong cry”?

My Jiyong, Jiyong allowed himself drown in it. “What are you doing here”? Their eyes were locked, “I thought you were with Lana”

“Is that why you crying”? Seunghyun couldn’t keep from smiling, “NO”! Jiyong quickly looked away, “I was crying because everyone left me at prom”

“So you didn’t enjoy prom”?

“I did... I just. Hyung why aren’t you with Lana”? Jiyong wasn’t sure what he wanted to hear, but he wanted to hear it.

Seunghyun smiled again, “I don’t know... I was going to take her to a hotel and....anyway I took her home” He took the swing beside Jiyong, his eyes ever leaving Jiyong. “I didn’t feel like it”

“Oh” Jiyong pouted, it was funny how he was in total anguish a minute ago, now he felt like the happiest person in the entire world.

“So… prom king huh”? Seunghyun loved the smile on Jiyong’s face, the fact that he was the one responsible for it put him at ease, “How does it feel”?

Jiyong closed his eyes, a smile on his lips, “It feels so surreal… amazing but surreal. Now I know why you like it so much… how did you manage to get so many crowns”? He was suddenly so talkative; he didn’t want Seunghyun to leave.

“I’ve always felt like someone was biased toward me, but tonight’s coronation seemed legit. You deserved it” Seunghyun finally tore his eyes off Jiyong.

      There was a comfortable silence for a while, the Jiyong spoke, “Hyung, I’m sorry I didn’t go with you… I thought you wanted to go with Lana”

Seunghyun scoffed, he wanted to forget his disaster of a prom, “It’s fine, and it seemed like you had fun”. His mind drifted to the moments with Lana, and to what most of his friends were doing, what Jiyong may or may not have done, “So what about the doc”? He cleared his throat.

“What about hyung”?

“I bet he couldn’t resist kissing you before sending you off... not with how good you looked tonight, and always look” He wasn’t sure why he said that, it kind of just slipped out. Jiyong’s head was spinning, ‘Am I dreaming’? Seunghyun just told him he was attractive. “No he didn’t...I’ve never kissed anyone, plus... I wouldn’t kiss him. He’s not my type”. Seunghyun noted the blush on Jiyong’s face, and for a brief moment, he was sure Jiyong still liked him. He had to.

“Never”? He wanted to be sure.

“Never” Seunghyun stood up, and squatted before Jiyong like he’d done earlier, “Never”? He asked again.

   “Hyung I told you I...haven’t” Jiyong looked away, the talks about kissing was making him a little uncomfortable.

     “But it’s prom…you have to have kiss someone, maybe not your date” he shook the image of the doctor and Jiyong kissing, “Maybe someone dear”

Someone dear, Jiyong gazed at Seunghyun’s lips and wondered if he’d ever be bold to do it… to kiss Seunghyun then and there and say something witty afterward like, ‘Well brother, you did say to kiss someone dear’.

“Don’t say I never gave you anything Jiyong” Seunghyun’s words pulled him back to reality, just in time to feel Seunghyun’s lips on his.

A/N: Okay what's up with AFF!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Its so hard to upload my update :(

Hi <3 How was your holiday? Mine's good, I'm in Nigeria spending time with my family, but will be leaving soon :( So sorry for the late update but HEY progress right?

p/s, don't be confused, the previous chapter was chapter 8, and this one is chaper 9