“Jonghyun-ah… how did you and Kibum meet?”

Seunghee asked her son, who was currently where he seemed to always be – on his couch in front of the television, yet another film playing on the screen.

“Just a little incident at the mall. It was a small misunderstanding.” Jonghyun answers simply, not going to go into how Key crashed into the side of his car, and the altercation that followed. He was also not going to mention how they ran into each other the week after in the same location – Jonghyun was still honestly perplexed on how that could have happened. Jonghyun didn’t believe in chance, so when he hadn’t just ran into the blonde on more than one occasion at the mall, but now that their parents were also now business partners, the question was like an annoying buzzing in Jonghyun’s ears that wouldn’t go away: why?

Seunghee walked over to sit beside Jonghyun on the couch. “Are you sure it was small? Kibum didn’t seem too happy to see you.” She looked at her son, urging him to answer, a spark of worry flashing in her eyes.

Jonghyun sighed, but smiled because he could tell that his mother cared and was just worried for her son. “Yes, Umma. It was just a small misunderstanding, but you can see how Key’s personality can blow a small thing out of proportion.”

Seunghee chuckled, nodding her head in agreement. “That is very true,” She says, then pauses for several seconds, thinking of what to say. “I know you’re not really interested in the business, but I really hope you and Kibum can put whatever differences you have aside and get to be good friends. Not for the business, for…” Again, she pauses, careful of her words. “I just think it would be good for you. New friends are always good.”

Jonghyun tries not to roll his eyes, but smiles brightly at his mother. “Sure, Key seems like he could be a good person under all that sarcasm and feistiness.” Jonghyun almost snorts, even though something is sincere about what he says.

Once again, Seunghee chuckles, remembering the young man stomping to his room and slamming the door. However, he was respectful when he all but stormed out of the restaurant earlier this evening, bowing his apologies as he left. Seunghee agreed – she believed the blonde was a pleasant person under his sassy front.

“There you go,” She says, as if Jonghyun is seven-years-old and he did something well. “I think you will be thankful in the long-run.”

As she ruffles her son’s hair before rising to exit the room, Jonghyun can’t help but to think that she is hiding something.

~*~

Key hears his parents return home from the restaurant. It was now almost midnight, meaning they had been there for over four hours.  Key snorted. His and Jonghyun’s parents must be besties by this point.

He hears light footsteps outside his bedroom, followed by a loud, annoying knock that was opposite of the soft footsteps. The thumping alone got under Key’s skin.

“Kibum, we’re home. We should talk.” Eunah’s voice travels through the door, and Key flat out annoys her. He used to fake snore and act like he was asleep, but recently to piss his mother off he would purposely be obnoxious by jumping on the bed, banging on his desk, screaming/singing at the top of his lungs terribly off-key, or all of the above.

He could practically feel Eunah’s anger pour through the walls that separated them, and he smirked in accomplishment. "Kibum, I don’t appreciate this.”

“I don’t appreciate anything you do, either, so we are even!” He screams happily. Oh, Key being happy gets her pissed faster than anything it seemed.

“Hyobin, take care of your son.” Key hears his mother growl, as her once light footsteps become ones that would rival Bigfoot.

Seconds later, he hears his father’s familiar knock at his door. “Key—“

“Yes?” Key opens the door, his father looking especially exasperated in front of him. His father lets himself in, and goes over to sit at the end of Key’s bed. “Why do you have to do that?”

Key rolls his eyes. “Do you really have to ask?”

Hyobin sighs. “What happened to trying to be civil?”

“When was that ever an option with her?” Key asks, not trying to be sassy, only asking a legitimate question. His father just stares at his son, a pleading look in his eyes. Hyobin sighs, followed by Key sighing as well. They don’t say anything for several seconds, the silence making the air around them thick. Key’s father finally breaks the silence.

“How do you and Jonghyun know each other?” Hyobin asks curiously.

Key represses a snort, about to explain about how he and the shorter brunette met. However, he remembered Jonghyun’s comment from earlier in the evening about playing along.

“Little incident. Small misunderstanding.” Key says simply, his tone of voice letting his father know that he wasn’t going to elaborate.

Hyobin looks at his son, confused, but doesn’t press the issue. Instead, he says, “Huh. How strange. What are the chances?”

Key doesn’t say anything, because that very question had been slowly eating away at him since he ran into Jonghyun the second time at the mall. And then meeting him tonight, as his parents’ new business partners’ son, Key couldn’t fabricate a story that seemed to effectively describe how something like this could happen, and it was driving him crazy.

“Well, I’m not sure how to say this, Key, but I really hope you guys can get along. You didn’t seem to be happy to see him, but your mother and I would really enjoy if you guys could become friends.” Hyobin says.

Key snorts this time. “Why should we? The business arrangement is between the parents. We have no role. What is it going to help if we are friends?”

Hyobin stands and sighs. He makes his way for the door, and turns around before he leaves. “It would be for your own good, Key. Something big is going to happen, and I hope it goes as smoothly as possible for you. Having a friend like Jonghyun wouldn’t be so bad to have around.”

~*~

“Excuse me what?”

Key is the first to speak up. Jonghyun wasn’t surprised just how quickly he retorted. He was unbelievably shocked himself, but he just sit and blinked as he always did when he wasn’t exactly sure if people were being serious.

“We decided that we will all be going on a weekend camping trip – this coming weekend. Because of the holiday, we do not have to work on Monday, so we will all have three days to bond.”

Even hearing it for the second time, Jonghyun still isn’t sure if he as understood properly. Even Key is silent, which Jonghyun then gathers that this is definitely as bad as he thinks it is.

Their parents all look at Key and Jonghyun questioningly, all waiting for some kind of response. When none come for several seconds, Seunghee shifts worriedly. “Kibum? Jonghyun-ah?”

“Absolutely not.” Jonghyun manages to spit out. Key snaps his neck in Jonghyun’s direction, somewhat shocked but also thankful and relieved that Jonghyun and he are thinking on the same page.

“What do you mean, absolutely not, Jonghyun-ah?” Seunghee clears uncomfortably, not being used to the one with the son being rebellious.

Jonghyun blinks, trying to formulate words that got his feelings across without being disrespectful. He looks to Key’s parents, ignoring his father’s gaze burning into him. “I don’t think that is the… best idea I have ever heard. If you guys wish to do that, then that would be great. But I think I can speak on behalf of Key as well when I say that this will not be happening for us.”

Key’s eyes widened in surprise when Jonghyun speaks for him as well. He goes to ask who he thinks he is, speaking for anyone but himself, but he has this strange urge to keep his mouth shut and let Jonghyun try to get them out of this.

Jonghyun’s father is the first to speak after his son. “Here’s the thing, Kim Jonghyun. You guys aren’t really going to have a choice. We have already decided that the six of us will go, and that’s final.”

Jonghyun opens his mouth to say something, but nothing comes out. Key sees Jonghyun’s reaction from his father’s words, and for some reason Key is pissed. He always pegged Jonghyun’s father as an , but at least his thoughts were confirmed. He reminded Key of his mother, and knowing what is was like to deal with someone who seemed to think they were God, Key stood up for Jonghyun.

“Mr. Kim.” Key began, proud of the self-control he was exercising as his voice was level. Yechan’s eyes traveled from his own son to Key, and Key shivered on the inside. “I’m very sorry to spoil your and my parents’ plans, however, Jonghyun is right. I will not be going. And I’m not sure how you think that Jonghyun and I do not have a choice, because as far as I can see,” He looks over himself dramatically, holding up one leg at a time, then one arm at time. Then his gaze moves to Jonghyun, where he does the same thing, and looks Jonghyun up and down, from head to toe. Jonghyun lowers his eyes to the floor, not able to deny feeling the least bit self-conscious.

“We are both grown adults, who are capable and allowed to make our own decisions.”

Jonghyun’s eyes remain on the floor, unable to raise his gaze to the parents without risking to catch eye-contact with his father. He is glad that Key has stood up for him, but he is worried for the aftermath that his father will give Key.

Before Yechan can say anything, Eunah stands up, glaring right at her own son. “Kibum.” She mutters through gritted teeth. “Sit down.”

Key does not listen, and Jonghyun is immediately regretful of where this has gone. He stands, taking his place beside Key.

“We don’t mean any trouble. We just do not wish to be a part of this little outing.” Jonghyun says, nodding his head slightly in apology.

Yechan and Eunah are clearly furious – Yechan looking as if he might throw something and Eunah’s chest rising and falling faster than anyone’s breathing should be.

Seunghee is the one that speaks up, always being the peacemaker between the parents and their sons in these situations. “Kibum, Jonghyun-ah, we just wish to take this time so we can all get to know each other a little better.” She then rises from her chair and crosses the room to the young men, speaking softly so now only they can hear.

“Please, boys. Don’t make this difficult. Eunah and Yechan have short tempers, and I really wish to have things run smoothly. I know something happened between the two of you when you met, and I don’t expect you guys to get along. But just please try not to make too many waves. I promise I’ll try to get the others not to make you guys participate in the business too much after this weekend, if you guys go and try your best to get along with all of us.”

Key and Jonghyun look at her questioningly, both wearing expressions of confusion and surprise as neither of them were expecting her to say anything along those lines. Key glances at Jonghyun, unsure of what to say, hoping he will say something to his mother. Finally, Jonghyun nods at his mother, and Key feels Jonghyun’s elbow ram into his ribs softly. Key nods as well, shoving his own elbow into Jonghyun’s side in retaliation.

Seunghee exhales a sigh of relief, her kind brown eyes lighting up for a brief moment. Key decides that he really likes Jonghyun’s mother, and his belly aches for the longing of a kind woman like her to take care of him, as his own mother did not. She touches both of them on the arms lightly in a tender, affectionate way, and motions them that they should take their leave. They both get the hint, and nod a small bow in goodbye, neither of them wanting to worry about how she will handle the others.

Once they are outside, Key and Jonghyun awkwardly turn towards each other, both clearly having something to say.

Jonghyun motions Key to speak first, and Key shakes his head, willing Jonghyun to start. Key didn’t want to admit what he was going to say, so perhaps what Jonghyun had to say would override the conversation.

“Um,” Jonghyun stares at the ground, clearing his throat, unsure of what to say. “I. Uh…. Thanks for sticking up for me back there, after, you know, my father said what he did.”

Key bites his lip, trying to hide his smile. He watched Jonghyun run his fingers through his styled brown hair. He doesn’t respond for several seconds, and Jonghyun worries that he is going to say something sarcastic in response.

“Your father reminds me of my mother. People like them think they are God. Everyone should agree with them and do what they want.” Key explains, trying hard to ignore how adorable the shorter man looked with his hands stuffed into his pockets. When Jonghyun doesn’t say anything for what seems like hours, Key simply says: “Don’t worry about it.”

Jonghyun’s lips curl into a bright smile, one that resembles his mother’s and once again Key tries to ignore the thoughts in his head, saying how gorgeous of a smile he has.

They sit in silence for a couple minutes, which is beginning to get to be the usual aspect of their interactions. Some talking, both holding back on things they want to say, and stretches of silence that neither wish to break for fear of seeming overly friendly.

During this time, Key tries to work up the courage to thank Jonghyun for taking the lead to start out with in there. Key doesn’t understand why it’s so difficult – Jonghyun just thanked him, and even though he adorably shuffled his feet and mumbled before he spit it out, he still did it. Key sighs, hating himself for not being able to talk to anyone about his feelings.

“Hey, um. Jonghyun?”

Jonghyun turns to look at Key, and Key begins to second-guess if this was a good idea. Key turns away, and stares straight ahead, then at his shoes – everywhere but back at Jonghyun. All this time, Jonghyun waits patiently, never urging Key to speak up.

Finally, Key splutters. “In there, at the beginning, um… when you took the lead after I, you know, kind of freaked out after they said it the first time…. Thanks for that.”

Jonghyun flashes his vibrant smile once again, and simply nods.

With this, Jonghyun sees Key’s lip twitch, and for a second Key is smiling. But just as quickly as it was there, it was gone.

At that moment, Key decides that Jonghyun wasn’t as bad as he thought he was. Something about the way he didn’t push Key and the way he waited patiently and just listened made Key want to get to know Jonghyun better.

“How did we get into this mess? Now we have to go on a bonding trip?” Jonghyun muses in a light tone, trying to ease the tense feeling that they were both feeling towards their parents.

“Honestly, I don’t know what sounds worse to me. Camping, or having to bond with you.” Key snorts, but when Jonghyun turns to look at him, he has a smirk playing across his face, his brown eyes burning with a playful fire.