Just a few steps more.

Changmin swallowed hard as his feet moved faster to minimize the distance between him and the brunette walking away from the school building,following the flowing river of students heading towards the school gates.Several bodies moved against his and just a mere second before two schoolmates could come in between him and the other boy,Changmin managed to quickly get a hold of Jaejoong's wrist and had the older one turning around in confusion.

"You are Yunho's brother,right?" The question rendered Changmin speechless,all the words he had combined into proper sentences earlier now gone with the wind as he stared at the older boy dumbly.

The lack of response only had Jaejoong's eyebrows raising higher as he slowly tried to free himself from the other's grip,only to have Changmin tightening his hold on him as he got back to his senses upon feeling the slight movement underneath his fingers.

"C-Can we talk?Alone?"

Seeing the other nodding in agreement,Changmin could feel himself relaxing some more before he made sure to lead Jaejoong out of the crowd and towards the soccer field far away from chatting schoolmates.A slight tug at his hand had him blushing a crimson red before his fingers detached themselves from around Jaejoong's wrist,the fingertips marked through the surface of the older's apparently new silver bracelet.

After several nervous glances towards their surrounding ensured that no one was near them,the younger boy finally found the courage to stare directly into Jaejoong's large orbs.

All the nervousness he believed to have willed away was now back,tightening the knot in his throat and having him struggle to find the right words.His body trembled slightly,the heat in his cheeks increasing with every other second Jaejoong was staring at him.

"I-I...I like you."

How much Changmin wished that someone else would've blurted out those words,but unfortunately...the voice which carried the confession into the cold winter air was his very own and the embarrassment only grew when he caught the way Jaejoong was staring at him.

He didn't know what to do.

He wanted to scream in frustration,apologizing to Jaejoong for confessing in such a weird and unromantic way...so far from what the other deserved.But he didn't scream.Sharp teeth bore themselves into his bottom lip,his whole body burning in shame.

And then...everything about him felt so light...so numb.

It was as if his body wasn't really his anymore and not even when he stumbled forward to press his lips against Jaejoong's did he understand what he was doing.And yet he closed his eyes slowly...carefully,allowing himself to enjoy the softness of the other and the sweet,piercing taste of mint which Jaejoong has once sworn to hate but was so pleasant on the plump patterns.

But the chaste kiss ended way too soon for Changmin's liking as Jaejoong pushed him away with a look of horror.

Jaejoong was obviously at loss for words.

His abused lips opened and closed several times,eyes blinking repeatedly as he tried to figure out what he should do next and when he finally composed himself a few seconds after,Changmin was almost scared to listen to what he had to say.

"I'm sorry..." And nothing about the way Jaejoong was looking at him proved those words to be anything but genuine as Changmin stood rooted on the spot to eye the sunbae with a broken heart."But I'm taken already."

Nothing more was said to him as Jaejoong gave him one last glance of apology,feet carrying him further away from the young boy who could do nothing but stare at his crush's retreating back.

##

When he returned home one hour later,his brother's laughter and Kang Hodong's voice booming from their TV greeted him and although those sounds combined would've made him laugh along on any other day,they had no real effect on him today.

The way home had been hell for him,tears repeatedly threatening to escape from his eyes and Changmin found himself wishing for his brother's presence every once in a while,cursing his brother's math teacher for falling sick and being the cause for his brother's unusual early return home today.He would've loved to have Yunho near him after his heart had been broken by the boy who possessed absolutely everything Changmin adored in people...except an unoccopied heart.

"Yunho hyung,I'm home."

"Welcome home."

Letting out a soft sigh,Changmin slowly took his jacket and shoes of before throwing his rucksack onto the small comode next to the front door,his feet soon dragging him towards the living room where he saw his brother laying on one of the couches with his legs halfway dangling down from it.But then his eyes wandered up to where Yunho's face was and at first he didn't know why,but he couldn't help but stare at how the head of the candy cane slowly disappeared between Yunho's bow-shaped lips before the shimmering silver around his brother's wrist caught his attention.

It looked oddly familiar.

And suddenly,memories of this morning's happenings hit him in great waves,throwing him back into the past and making him see what he had missed.

##

"If you don't want my shoe in your small face,you better move."

Even before he turned around to look at the source of the ruckus,Changmin could already recognize the owner of the voice.

Kim Jaejoong's usually pale face was red with annoyance as he glared at the boy standing infront of him."And keep that thing away from me."

A push against Yunho's right hand brought the candy cane between the basket ball player's tanned fingers further away from Jaejoong's nose,much to the pale sunbae's pleasure.But everything he got as a vocal response was another laughter from Yunho as well as a provocative smirk before Yunho's free hand got a hold of his to drag him away and no matter how much Jaejoong struggled,the other's strength eventually forced him into submission.

"Where are you taking me?"

"Just wait and see.Patience is a virtue,doll face."

"Y-Yah!" Jaejoong protested,his bottom lip jutted out into an adorable pout as the red on his face got even darker around his cheeks."I told you not to call me that!"

The booming laughter of Yunho rang through the loud crowd as the two disappeared behind a corner,the last Changmin saw of Jaejoong being his soft locks.

##

And he looked down onto his fingers once more,the fading pattern of Jaejoong's bracelet still visible...the perfect twin to the wavy pattern gracing Yunho's wrist.

A soft chuckle,bitter and sad.

He finally understood.

Of course Jaejoong could not be claimed by him anymore.He already belonged to someone else...just like the sweet,piercing taste of mint on his lips.