His heart beating fast, his cheeks crimson, Key looked at Jonghyun for a while before running off to close the shop.

For Key, it was a welcome distraction. The tedious task of locking every door and every window for the night took as long as he remembered, but it made him feel like be was finally back.

Back where he belonged.

Studying in America was great, but he missed Korea quite a bit. They say that there is no place quite like home, and Key was now a firm believer in that.

He considered Jonghyun and the café his home, and when his home was half way around the world, out of reach, it's a saddening feeling.

Having closed all doors except one, Key hung his apron on his hook in the kitchen.

He was glad to be back, he didn't feel like the awkward foreigner who everyone wanted to be friends with because he was interesting.

He was back to being just Key.

And there was nothing wrong with just being Key.

Being Key meant that he could spend all day at the café and have the smell of coffee cling to him.

Being Key meant that he could go shopping with Taemin and make him try on dresses because he looked pretty in them, although he was quite a bit manlier than he was three years ago.

Being Key meant that he could hang out with Minho and complain about getting dirty while attempting to play soccer.

Being Key meant that he could hang out with Jinki and practically trade chicken for advice on life matters, and indirectly, advice about Jonghyun.

What Key thought was the best thing about being Key was the fact that on Friday nights, he could lock up the café, and head up to the roof with Jonghyun.

Still hanging onto the fabric of his black apron, a nervous smile tugged at his lips.

Jonghyun was still waiting for him upstairs, pile of blankets and pillows on the seat next to him.

Key was nervous, it had been so long since he had gotten to be Key with Jonghyun.

It was a long time since he had been Bummie with Jonghyun.

Would he even still call him that?

He remembered the first time he had heard his best friend call him that. It had been shortly after they had met Onew, back then Jinki. The elder kept calling him by his real name, Key always complaining that he hated it. The truth was, Key only liked his name when Jonghyun said it.

It was a rarity for Jonghyun to call him Kibum. To Jonghyun, he had almost always been Key. He was the one who gave him his nickname, after all.

Key had studied English since he was very little, he still remembers carrying around a pack of flash cards with him as a child. Each one had a picture of something with the word written in English. He treasured those cards, but now he only had two. The stack dwindled down over the years, cards lost, cards worn and thrown away, but here were two that were so precious to him, that he took them with him to the other side of the world.

The first was the 'dog' card. It was his favorite.

I had Jonghyun's name written on the back of it in his six year old writing.

The second was the 'key' card. It was Jonghyun's favorite.

It had Kibum written on the back of it in Jonghyun's seven year old writing.

The first time Jonghyun called him Key was the day that they became friends.

Their parents made them play together since they were very young, they were always around each other since they were babies.

That didn't mean they liked each other.

Jonghyun ignored Key completely when they started school.

That was until he saw Key getting bullied.

Children were cruel, and Key had known that first hand.

The boys didn't like him because he was quiet, and the girls didn't like him because he was a boy.

He spent recess sitting alone on the grass looking at his flash cards.

Jonghyun would never admit it now, but he used to run to the swings once they were let out because, if he swung high enough, he could see Key sitting on the grass alone.

The day Jonghyun saw a boy throw Key's cards, he couldn't ignore him any more.

From the swing, he saw Key's cards fall around him like rain drops.

And he saw him cry.

Jonghyun got off the swing and ran over to Key, pushing the bully out of his way.

He protectively wrapped his arms around Key and yelled at the small group of kids that were forming around them.

When they were called to go back inside, Jonghyun and Key were allowed to stay out a little longer to pick up his cards.

Key only retrieved twenty-five cards out of the twenty-six.

Key thinks he lost 'heart' that day.

Jonghyun was the one who picked up the twenty-fifth card.

It was 'key'.

Six year old Jonghyun looked at it a long time, wondering what the three little symbols said.

They were so unfamiliar, but he knew what was on it was a key.

Jonghyun, in his own little mind, couldn't fathom that one, normal, everyday thing could have more than one name.

To him, a key had always been 열쇠.

Yeol se.

Jonghyun was suddenly curious to know it's other identity.

Jonghyun asked shyly what the card said, and Key blushed.

Even then, Jonghyun liked the color pink on Key's cheeks.

Key, back then only Kibum, softly whispered, "Key."

Jonghyun smiled, and said, "Like in your name."

Key had never thought about it that way, but he nodded at Jonghyun.

As they walked back into their classroom, twenty five cards in Key's pocket and one in Jonghyun's, they were quiet.

Jonghyun, being done with ignoring the other boy, suddenly asked, "Key, will you be my friend?"

All Key could do was nod in consent and blush. 
 

Key grabbed a basket of food and drinks he had prepared earlier in the day, and slowly made his way up the stairs to the second level.

Jonghyun was nervously waiting, Key having been gone for almost half an hour.

Thoughts kept running through his head, wondering what would happen that night.

What if he said something wrong?

What if Key saw?

His terrifying thoughts were suddenly cut off by the pause of his heart.

Key was standing there, at the top of the stairs, giving him a sweet smile.

Jonghyun's heart fluttered back to life, faster and faster with every beat.

"Ready, Jjong?" Key asked.

"Ready." Jonghyun responded. 
 

It was a particularly nice night.

All the rain clouds from the day had been cleared away to star studded skies.

The weather was warm, and everything was quiet on the roof save for the sound of crickets on the ground several stories below.

Jonghyun and Key sat on blankets on the rooftop, a basket of goodies between them.

They had come up onto the roof chatting quietly, and after setting up everything in their usual spot, they settled into a comfortable silence.

That was until Key decided it was time to talk and tell Jonghyun how much he really meant to him.

"You know, I missed your annoying short . I couldn't find anyone in America with a laugh as obnoxious as yours." Key grumbled, leaning his back on the short wall at the edge of the roof.

"That's too bad, maybe if you had you could've dragged them shopping with you instead of me. I wouldn't have to carry so many bags then." Jonghyun smiled, teasing Key as easily as he always had.

"I had plenty of people do that for me! I'm just that likable! Woohyun and I used to go shopping all the time! He didn't complain!" That struck a cord with Jonghyun.

He had been associating that name with the term 'best friend stealer' for almost two years.

Jonghyun stayed quiet, a little angry at Key for bringing him up when it was only their time.

After all, if he had fallen in love with his best friend, what was there to stop anyone else from from falling for him too?

"You don't like Woohyun very much, do you? I know he is somewhat of an , I'll give you that, but he was one of my very few real friends in America." Key was tentatively looking at Jonghyun, hoping that he would say something funny so they could let go of the awkward subject.

"Key, he left you alone."

"Jjong, that was only once. And I told him it was fine! He wanted to get that girl's number, I found my way back to my dorm just fine anyway!" Jonghyun hated remembering that night. It was only about a month after Key had left.

Key had gone out with friends and he had to get back to his school's dorm before two in the morning.

Woohyun lived in an apartment with a couple of other friends, so he didn't have a curfew.

Jonghyun had gotten a frantic call from Key that evening.

He was crying.

Scared.

Jonghyun had talked to him until Key got back to his dorm, a conversation that lasted more than half an hour. Needless to say, Key's phone bill was a monster at the end of the month.

Jonghyun had to comfort Key while Woohyun was being a bastard.

That's what made Jonghyun weary of him at first.

His dislike for the boy he didn't know grew over the years.

He tended to discard people when he grew bored of them, friends or not.

"I know you think he's a bastard, Jjong, but he's like me-"

"You're nothing like him, you're so much better. You deserve better. Better friends, better people to take care of you."

"You mean like you, Jonghyun? I already have you. You're my best friend, there's a good reason for that. There are actually millions, but I needed someone. Anyone. It was a little lonely, being on my own." Key took a breath, and Jonghyun gave him time, knowing he had plenty more to get off his chest.

"Woohyun is only the way he is because he had no one when he got there. His parents just dumped him in America when he was a kid because they didn't want to bother dealing with a kid and a business. I was lucky, I went willingly. He didn't have anyone when he got there, he told me what it was like. I could relate." Key took a deep breath, and Jonghyun was itching to fling an arm over Key's shoulder.

"You remember what it was like when we were kids? Everyone fought over the shiny new toy because it was interesting. It wasn't like the rest, I wasn't like the rest. Everyone wanted to be my friend, just because I was the new, interesting Korean student. Woohyun understood that and he actually treated me like a person. Please give him some slack, Jjong. He's been through a lot."

There was a reason why Jonghyun disliked Woohyun so much.

It was because Key liked him a little too much.
 

They were quiet a while longer, Jonghyun still hurt.

There were containers of food spread out on the blanket in front of them, all courtesy of Key's amazing cooking skills.

He felt like he was somewhat replaced, like Woohyun could be another Jonghyun to Key.

The silence was there, but it wasn't very comfortable anymore.

"You're jealous of him, aren't you?" Key said, clutching a thermos of coffee tightly in his hands.

Jonghyun was surprised and he felt his cheeks turn pink, had Key somehow caught on to his feelings?

"He did get to spend three years near you that I didn't." Jonghyun felt bad for holding onto the subject for so long, but he needed to get his frustrations out.

"You're an idiot, you know? He wasn't replacing you, no one's ever going to replace you." Key leaned over, and before Jonghyun even realized it, he had smacked him on the side of his head.

"I interrupted my beauty sleep for Skype calls with you, you stupid dino. I wouldn't do that for anyone else, except maybe for Taemin. Maybe." Key offered the thermos to Jonghyun, who eagerly took a drink, sleep already invading his senses.

"Why are you so quiet? You usually never shut up, have you already forgotten what we do up here? C'mon, don't you remember the time when you thought you were moving away? We came up here and hid, crying the whole night." Key smiled a little, remembering his eight year old self sitting on the same roof, a crying, sniffling, sobbing Jonghyun in his arms.

"Cry if you need to, I know you're still a big cry baby, I'll still be here to rub your back and give you all my damn tissues. Just try not to get any snot on my jacket, it's designer."

"I'm not gonna cry, Kibum." Jonghyun chuckled and Key cutely scrunched his nose when he heard his name.

"It's just that I've already done so much of that up here... It's just strange having you back here again. I'm used to being alone up here. While you were gone, I didn't let anyone else come up here with me. This was just my spot to be with you when you weren't here." Jonghyun thought he could be saying a little too much, but why not give Key a hint? He had already committed to stealing his best friend's heart.

"Yah, stupid dino, if you're gonna be so sickeningly sweet, I may as well push you off." Key said, smacking Jonghyun's arm.

"Keeeeey," Jonghyun whined, "you're gonna leave a bruise! I bet people hated you because of your violent tendencies! I'm the only one who can put up with it!"

"WHAT VIOLENT TENDENCIES? I DON'T HAVE VIOLENT TENDENCIES. I DARE YOU TO REPEAT THAT, KIM JONGHYUN." Key yelled, standing up in front of Jonghyun.

Hands on his hips, feline eyes just as threatening as his voice.

"Well, you did hit some lady's arm at during a m-" Jonghyun was abruptly caught off guard as Key marched up closer to him, shoving him out of the way to look at the short wall behind him.

"What the hell is this, Jjong?" Key whispered, pulling his phone out and turning on the flashlight.

Crap, was all Jonghyun could think.

 

~~~~~

A/N: Helooooo my lovelies! 
This chapter seems a little longer than usual... I CAN FEEL IT. I decided to cut it and leave you with a cliffhanger! *cackles madly*

I decided to do a 'question of the chapter' and I expect ALL OF YOU to answer it!

QOTC: What do you think Key saw and why do you think JJjong's nervous? 

QOTC 2: WHAT DO YOU THINK OF WOOHYUN? 

UNTIL NEXT TIME, LOVELIES!

A chapter of fluffiness and a little jealousy on Jonghyun's part was requested by Marjory (@shinee_su.key on Instagram)! HOPE YOU LIKED IT!

If you want to request a chapter, I'll have small contests every once in a while on my Instagram! Try your luck and keep an eye on me! :D

*aggressively plays the banjo*