There Jongin was, in Taemin's house, sitting on Taemin's couch. Feeling as out of place as humanly possible. He was sitting between Taemin and Minho, the later kinda creeping him out with his enthusiastic passion for sports. Taemin had said something about how Minho did any kind of sport in his free time, and about his competitive nature (not that Jongin listened for long before tuning Taemin out and focusing on the television instead. Taemin noticed, giving an exasperated sigh and shutting up for good.) 

It wasn't that Jongin had wanted to stay. After all, his house was a few steps away, living next to each other and all, but the fact is that Taemin's dad suddenly come out to see what was happening outside and when he saw Jongin he lightened up like a Christmas tree and ushered him inside, not letting enough time for him to say that he couldn't stay. 

And now, here he was. 

Not giving a crap about what Minho kept on talking about animatedly next to him. The guy probably expected an answer but Jongin wasn't in the mood to entertain him, much less talk about something he wasn't very much into. 

As he looked around, he noticed that nothing much had changed from the last time he had come. The place was exactly the same, even that drawing Taemin and he did when they were young on one of the walls. 

Taemin's parents weren't too happy when they saw it but they hadn't felt like doing anything to cover it up either so the uninteligible scribbles that two five years old did in the days they were still pretty much attached to the hip were still in place as if time hadn't really gone by at all. 

Jongin tore his gaze away from the wall and looked over the place. Framed pictures adorned the whole living room, as similar as it used to be before, but they weren't the same as before. Now, pictures of an older Taemin with friends Jongin didn't know nothing about, without counting Minho, decorated the place. There were a few Jongin remembered from years before, as he would always stop and look at them whenever he came to play with Taemin. 

There were others Jongin, not only remembered from seeing them but from having lived them. On his left, right in the middle of a small cupboard, was a picture of a smiling young Jongin holding hands with and equally small Taemin. 

Jongin knew by heart when they had taken that picture. He remembered it as if it had been yesterday. 

It had been on Taemin's sixth birthday, not long before the other had to go away but they hadn't known that yet. Jongin, as expected, had been coming over with a present in hand. He was really, really excited to give it to Taemin as he was sure the other boy would love it since it was something they both enjoyed. 

It had been a happy day overall, and after everyone went home and Jongin stayed behind, as he always would, Taemin's mother had come and told them to pose for a picture. 

They had both looked at each other before smiling brightly and took a hold of each other's hand. Taemin's mother had smiled and told them to look over before taking the shot. 

Jongin smiled slightly after remembering that day, but didn't last long as he saw Taemin casting a glance in his direction before looking at were he was staring. He suddenly turned over, startling Taemin and glaring at him. 

Taemin frowned. "What?"

Jongin continued to glare some more before his features softened and looked elsewhere. "Nothing."

Though Jongin wasn't looking at him, Taemin still kept his gaze towards him, inspecting every counter of his features and burning them to memory. It wasn't everyday he got to be so close to the other without Jongin's face contorted into a frown or a glare, and directed towards him nonetheless. But now, he was sitting right next to him. Face relaxed and without any facial expression. Just a blank stare that probably meant the other was thinking something (most likely on how to get the hell out of the house but Taemin didn't dwell much on that).

Before Taemin could think of anything else, his parents came out of the kitchen and told the three of them to come and eat since dinner was ready. 

Minho was the first to go over, having been saying before that he was actually pretty hungry. Jongin looked over as he walked over the kitchen and he was left with Taemin, alone. Jongin wasn't sure how to go about getting up. It felt awakward to suddenly stand and go over the kitchen leaving Taemin behind. It really felt like bad manners so he waited for Taemin to move or do something but the other didn't seem like he was about to do anything. 

Jongin sighed before practicing in his head how he should go about telling the other to get his up so he can do the same too. 

Before he could think of any pleasent way to tell Taemin to get his moving without being rude, the other probably read his mind because he stood up and looked down at Jongin. "Let's go to eat."

Jongin was about to say something along the lines of 'I already wanted to go, jackass, but didn't because of you.' but promptly shut up since he didn't want to cause an uproar in front of Taemin's parents. It would be really rude (though they were being rude too when they did it in front of Yunho but who cares about minor details).

Before long, they were all seated at the table, Jongin again in between Taemin and Minho. He felt like some prisonier who was being kept on watch just in case he even thought about trying to run for his dear life, never for them to be seen again. The idea didn't seem too bad to Jongin but he was sure either Taemin or Minho would end up catching him and he was sure he wasn't ready for that yet.

''

The dinner went by fairly well, nothing like the disastrous thing that happened when they were over at Jongin's house. That definitely couldn't be called dinner as it was more a war between heated glares and awkward glances. 

This time, however, both Taemin and Jongin were being decent with each other. Not glaring at one another, neither insulting or trying anything funny. Minho was surprised they could behave so well, but he guessed Yunho was more understanding of their relationship since he wasn't that old, in comparison with Taemin's parents who were already in their mid-forties and were calm and collected people. 

He guessed they didn't really want to appear as two immature five years old kids who couldn't understand what order meant. They were big boys now and they had to act like their age (in the presence of adult people, at least, Minho thought. Yunho obviously didn't seem to be an adult in Taemin's and Jongin's eyes though.)

And so, they kept a relatively lively dinner. Question asked here and there. Most of them were from Taemin's parents towards Jongin, haven't seen him in so long, it wasn't a wonder. 

Along the night, there was an interesting question that came up. Something expected yet surprising at the same time. It definitely had both Jongin and Taemin choking. 

Jongin, it wasn't really unexpected, but Minho didn't understand why Taemin choked as well. For that reason, the older kept on looking at him for any other reactions that could help him understand the situation at hand. 

''

"So Jongin, tell us, is there any girl in your life right now?"

And that was the question of the year. 

Not something extremely rare nowadays, especially asked for parents towards someone who was as much a son as their real one. 

Jongin looked wide eyed in their direction, feeling embarrassed for some reason. He didn't have anyone like that, not that he payed much attention to girls in general. The only person who could come up in his mind was Chanyeol, but he was, obviously, not a girl so he guessed that didn't count, and it wasn't like he liked the guy in that way, did he?

Jongin stoped his train of thoughts there and smiled nerviously. "Not really."

Taemin's mom smiled knowingly towards him and Jongin sweated in his seat. He felt like he wouldn't really like what she was about to say next. 

"And what about a boy?"

That was definitely not something expected, at all.

Minho, who until then had watched Taemin expectantly, choked on his drink and had a hard time to breath properly. He sure wasn't really prepared for that question. Not that he thought it would come up. 

Taemin, Jongin and even Taemin's dad, all three of them had wide eyes and looked at Taemin's mom as if they had seen a ghost, while the woman smiled innocently as if what she had asked wasn't anything out of ordinary. 

Not that it was, but it sure wasn't something they had felt coming. 

Jongin, who by then was feeling ready for the earth to swallow him whole, felt his cheeks rising in heat, pretty sure he had a mad blush right now. He wasn't sure how to answer that, though he didn't really have anyone but for some reason, it left him feeling all kind of emotions he had never really felt before.

Taemin's mom didn't help much either as she kept on looking at him, expecting an answer and not backing down even when Taemin's dad told her that may had been a too personal question. 

Taemin's mother's reply had been simple yet full of conviction. "But we're practically family, right?" And she directed her gaze towards Jongin, and the later for some reason, felt really bad all of a sudden.

"Umm, I don't really have anyone."

That, didn't convince anyone, if Jongin had to be honest, not even himself. 

It felt as if he had suddenly told a big fat lie, but it wasn't like he told anything wrong since he didn't really like anyone, be it girl or guy. Or so he had thought until that moment since he was suddenly feeling rather confused with himself but he shrugged it off. 

Taemin had been looking at Jongin the whole time. He felt like that question aftected him greatly for a reason he didn't quite understand yet. But when his mother had asked Jongin whether he had a guy he liked, his heart suddenly plumeted in his chest, feeling every second pass like an eternity to know whether Jongin really had someone or not. 

The answer didn't really make much to stop his growing nagging chest. He felt like there was more the other didn't say and an image immediately come to his mind. 

He stopped all movement for a moment to think it through and he guessed there could be a possibility. When he looked up at Jongin, he felt like he should do something to make sure he wasn't imagining things. 

After all, who else was there that was close to Jongin?

On the other hand, we have an amused Minho. Thought the question came as a surprise, he couldn't help but feel like it was really funny. Jongin's reaction was the funniest by far. The guy was like an open book and you could see he probably had someone but there was the possibility that even he, himself, didn't really know about it. Or maybe, he was too stubborn to admit. 

Thought Minho wondered whether it was one or another. Taemin could be an option but there was another one too. 

'Hm, this is going to be fun.'

''

There was nothing better than to arrive home and just run up to your room before throwing yourself on your comfortable bed.

As Chanyeol rolled around from one side to the other, he thought about the day he had. It hadn't been anything special. Just him fanboying over Jongin and making innocent plans to make Jongin his. 

Typical day. 

The odd thing had been Yunho. 

For a moment there, Chanyeol almost shivered at all the evil that the older guy's smile seemed to be giving off. He wondered what the other was thinking, thought after a while he guessed he was better off without knowing. 

After all, who would walk straight ahead knowing there may be traps everywhere, but in the end, curiosity did kill the cat so it wouldn't be a surprise he ended up in whatever Yunho had in mind. 

Leaving aside Yunho for a moment, he thought back to that day and how it had been one of the most unproductives days ever (though if he was to be honest, Chanyeol spent most of his time daydreaming of a future were he and Jongin would be totally in love, were no one would be there to break them apart and they would live happily ever after, as cliche as that sounded). 

In his defense, however, he could blame his 'supposed' stomach ache, or how most people knew it, 'heart ache' (contrary to popular belief, calling 'heart ache' by 'stomach ache' was the new thing, just so you all know, or so is said in Chanyeol's new and shiny dictionary).

Before Chanyeol could go on with things mostly he understood, his phone vibrated in his pocket and he groaned, not in the mood to talk to anyone right now. He was very much blissful in his own world so why come back to the real one? 

With utmost effort, Chanyeol rolled on his bed, took out his phone and looked at his screen. Once the name he saw was clear enough for his brain to catch up to, he immeadiately sat up on bed, eyes glistening like some character from your typical manga and grin streched all across his face. 

Everyone would know who it was that talked to him just by observing the scene. 

Yes, ladies and gentlemen, just like you had expected, the sender was none other than Jongin himself with a simple text that said 'heeeeeeeeeelp !!!'.

Chanyeol frowned when he read that, not sure if it was help as in 'help me, I want this thing that's one centimeter away from me but too lazy to take it myself' or help as in 'HELP, I'M GONNA BE MURDERED!'. 

Though, if Chanyeol had to be honest, it seemed more like the first option rather than the second, so he settled on sending Jongin back a message asking what was wrong.

It wasn't long before a reply came and his heart dropped to the ground. The text said 'i'm at taemin's house, help me get out.'

Chanyeol dropped his phone on the bed and pouted, feeling really sad suddenly. 

He wasn't in the mood to daydream anything anymore, nor to talk to Jongin in particular. He sighed and grabbed his phone again, typing a reply quickly before tossing it somewhere around his bed and getting ready to sleep. 

''

Jongin looked at his phone with a frown. 

He had thought that Chanyeol was the perfect person to help him out in this situation but he seemed like he wasn't up to helping him at all if the text he got in reply was anything to go by. Just a simple 'i'm going to sleep' and nothing else, which made Jongin sure that something was definitely wrong with his friend. 

That's when that morning came to Jongin's mind. Having gone through all kind of things that day had made him forget about some things such as Chanyeol's stomach ache. Even though he had looked fine the last time Jongin saw him, being all giggly and bright, Jongin supposed maybe it had come back and was feeling worse. 

As he continued to think about what could have happened to Chanyeol, frown growing by the second, Taemin kept on glancing towards Jongin. 

They were on the sofa again, the dinner having finished a few minutes before and Taemin's parents going to their own bedroom. 

Minho and Taemin decided that they should stay some more on the living room and so without another option Jongin had to stay with them, having been invited to sleep over and all. Not that he had any want to do just that, and reason why he contacted Chanyeol, but it seemed like it would happen if he didn't do anything. 

This time, Taemin and Minho sat next to each other on the sofa and Jongin on a small chair that was right next to it. 

The clock kept on ticking and Jongin still didn't know how to make it so that he could go home, and Taemin didn't stop stealing glances at him either. 

Ever since his mother's question, Taemin kept on looking over as if looking at Jongin's face would bring him the answer he needed desesperately for some reason he just didn't understand yet. 

Not that it helped much. All Taemin got from looking at Jongin was different types of faces, which Taemin recalled was something typical of Jongin as the latter had a lot of expressions and it was always entertaining just staring at him. 

This time, Taemin didn't find it funny, but rather it just made him more anxious and he still didn't get why he was acting like that. With a heavy sigh, Taemin shifted his glance towards the TV which was playing some kind of show he hadn't been paying attention to and wondered when he had started to have this kind of feeling inside himself, and why he had never felt it before. 

He was out of his own thoughts when Minho nudged his knee and Taemin looked up at him from where he was sitting, body tilted to one side with his head down. 

"What?"

Minho didn't say anything for a few seconds, just looked at him as if searching for something. "Are you okay?"

Taemin blinked a few times before a small smile made his way on his face. "Just dandy."

Minho frowned, though Taemin didn't see that as he looked down again, but didn't say anything else and just shrugged it off. If something was bothering the smaller guy, and Minho was sure that something was indeed bothering him, specifically Jongin's boy matter (Minho was one hundred and a half sure) Taemin would tell him himself, without Minho having to pry it out of him.

Jongin, on his part, was totally oblivious to Taemin's and Minho's interaction, mind still swirling with possible situation in which Chanyeol was about to die and Jongin, here, in Taemin's house not doing anything to be there with him. Not that he could find any good excuse to get out of Taemin's house however. No matter how much he thought about it, nothing that sounded completely legit came to mind and he was starting to give up on trying since it seemed like a fruitless feat if he had to be honest. 

It wasn't long before he looked to his side only to see that one of the two people who were supposed to be there had disappeared. Minho was nowhere in sight and Jongin wondered whether the older man had gone to sleep or something. He was in the middle of cursing him for leaving him alone to deal with Taemin when he saw Minho walking towards them from another room with a book or something equally similar in hand.

Jongin looked at it for a few minutes before guessing that probably was Minho's portfolio where he kept all of his pictures much like Chanyeol had something similar but much bigger with him almost all the time ("For inspiration purposes you know?" Jongin frowned. "What?" Chanyeol smiled slightly. "The sketch book, I mean." Jongin made an 'o' motion with his mouth before speaking again. "So you just paint whenever the urge comes to you or...?" Chanyeol chuckled. "Pretty much, yes!").

He wondered why he had brought it with him. Unlike Chanyeol, it wasn't like those would really make a difference whether Minho had them with him or not, much less in that kind of situation. 

The curiosity that dwelled inside Jongin couldn't be contained for long before he asked the other man his inquiries. "What's that for?"

Minho looked at him before a brief smiled passed his lips. "Just some pictures I took a few years ago when Taemin became my model." 

Jongin nodded, kind of interested in the subject before he looked surprised at Taemin who had groaned when he heard what Minho had in his hands. He burried his face in his hands and curled up on the sofa. "Not those, please. I think I told you to throw them after ripping them apart." 

Minho laughed at the other's misfortune before shaking his head. "And I told you I would most definitely not do it."

Another groan could be heard from the ball that Taemin had apparently become. Jongin looked between them for a moment, enjoying Taemin's suffering before he moved from the chair and in the sofa, next to Minho. "Can I see them?"

Minho raised an eyebrow but shrugged it off, giving his portfolio to Jongin. The later took it and opened it immediately. 

It wasn't long before both Minho and Jongin were both cackling at different pictures that came up. Minho more than happy to keep telling Jongin the story behind all the pictures. Jongin enjoyed himself quite a lot just looking at what was suposed to be 'y' poses that Taemin didn't quite manage to make. Rather, it looked like Taemin was really bad at this at first if the pictures Jongin had in his hand were anything to go by.

In the end, both Minho and Jongin were teasing Taemin nonstop while the later kept on glaring at them. At one particular moment, Taemin took one of the sofa's pillows and started to attack the other two. Not much damage was made but Taemin wasn't one to back out from it and kept on hitting them. It wasn't long before Minho and Jongin grabbed a pillow of their own and started what they called the most epic pillow fight in history. 

After a whole half an hour, the three of them were on the sofa again. Sprawled limbs everywhere and pillows long forgotten, overjoyed smiled stretched across their faces and panting a bit from all the exertion they used. 

If Jongin had to be the tiniest bit honest with himself, it had been quite a lot of fun, especially the part were he was able to tease Taemin for his horrible model skills, but unfortunately his pride wasn't so overjoyed so he wasn't up and about to spill that out yet. 

They stayed like that for a few more minutes and afterwards decided that it was late enough to go to bed already. Expecially since both Jongin and Taemin had classes the next day so it would be best to get some sleep done. 

When they arrived in Taemin's room, a new problem emerged. Where was it that Jongin would sleep? Neither of them was so sure but Minho had some plan he had thought about some time earlier. He smirked slightly and shoved Taemin and Jongin on Taemin's bed, the two of them surprised beyond belief before landing messily one on top of each other on the bed. 

Minho laughed while seeing their expressions but didn't give them much more credit before he went to sleep on the makeshift bed he had in Taemin's room. There was no way he would sleep next to Jongin in the little sorry exucuse that was his supposed bed, not that they had much space anyway so that option was out of the question. 

Without any other room available nor any spot on the ground to take, the best place would be Taemin's bed which was plenty of big. In all honesty, Taemin had actually asked whether Minho would rather sleep in the bed with him but the latter refused since Taemin's sleeping habits weren't the best to say the least. Though, really, the kid moved too much so Minho wasn't going to risk having an armful of shoves everywhere in his body. 

Minho wasn't sure Jongin knew of Taemin's sleeping habit but he didn't care either, he would have to live with it. 

And so, when the three of them settled on their positions, sleep was the next course of action. 

Or for Minho, at least. 

''

To say that Chanyeol had the worst night ever, would be the biggest understatement of the year. 

He hadn't been able to sleep a wink all through the night thinking of different possible outcomes of Jongin staying the night over at Taemin's. 

Every possibility ended in Chanyeol being heartbroken, however, so he really wasn't sure whether he was being the tiniest bit paranoid or whether it was a signal that something bad would happen. 

His question was answered when he saw Jongin come up to university with Taemin. Both of them not looking at each other in the slightless and at every little contact they had they flinched heavily and jumped a few feet away from each other. 

Chanyeol frowned. Not sure what to make out of what he was seeing. All the wrong ideas entering his mind. 

Before he could go on with his thoughts, Jongin spoted him and made his way towards him. When he arrived in front of Chanyeol his expression was wary. "Hey, are you okay?"

Chanyeol nodded, unsure why Jongin would ask that. 

Jongin smiled slightly. "Thank god, I really thought something happened to you when I received your text yesterday night."

Chanyeol's expression fell and he was starting to feel guilty for making Jongin worry while he was just being jealous. He mumbled a tiny 'sorry' before Jongin laughed and shrugged him off. 

It didn't last long for Chanyeol to notice something was wrong with Jongin, however, as he kept on rubbing his back and arm. He frowned wondering what had happened and for a moment he was having a cold sweat thinking maybe Jongin's back pain had come back. Chanyeol grabbed Jongin's shoulder and almost shrieked. "Is something wrong with your back?!?!?"

Jongin blinked at him in surprise, not having expected that and not sure why Chanyeol looked like he was about to kill someone. "Not really. I'm just a bit sore from yesterday..."

Chanyeol sighed, relieved. He almost had a heart attack right there and then thinking something bad had happened to Jongin without him knowing. 

His relief was short-lived, however, when Jongin's words made sense in his head. He stopped dead in his track as he started to sweat profusely. "Sore? From yesterday? As in, when you were at Taemin's house?"

Jongin looked back at his friend before nodding hesitantly. "Well, yes. That kept me up all night. I barely slept at all."

Chanyeol looked up at Jongin with the most heartbroken look in his face. "All night... I see.."

Jongin frowned before approaching Chanyeol. "Are you okay? You look pale."

Chanyeol swallowed before he laughed uneasily. "Me? Why but yes..." And, having said that he muttered quitely to himself in the most venomous way possible, "just peachy.".

Jongin nodded, not quite believing him but not stressing the subject either. "So, should we go towards our classes?"

Chanyeol nodded and started to walk along side him. Jongin noticed he was slumping and wondered if something really wrong was happening to his friend but before he could ask the other again whether everything was alright, Chanyeol spoke first. "So what did you do yesterday?"

Jongin was about to answer, thinking about the fun he had while teasing Taemin before something else come to mind. He blushed slightly and cleared his throat. "Nothing much."

Chanyeol, who saw everything, paled completely before feeling like his knees were buckling. He crumbled to the floor while muttering 'nothing' and feeling like crying and laughing, all at the same time. 

_____________________________________________________________________________

haaaaai everyone T^T cas/shukaku speaking here! it's been a while since i actually got to leave an author's note xD anyway, for those who may notice, in this chapter, jongin uses his phone, which was supposed to be in yunho's car but we've changed it for different purposes xDDD and that's about it! hope you enjoy this chapter and HASTA LA VISTA!