Title: Will You Grow Out with Me?

Pairing: Jonghyun/ Onew

Chapter Rating: PG

Word Count: 548

Summary: Jonghyun has a crush on the French teacher and finally decides o do something about it.

Jonghyun walks down the hallway, hoodie pulled as far over his head as possible, hoping to a God he doesn’t even believe in that nobody will notice him.

“It’s a Saturday,” he reminds himself. “No one will be here. You won’t get caught.” Still he finds himself glancing over his shoulders to make sure the coast is clear before he sneaks into the classroom.

Jonghyun throws off his hood and flings his backpack onto one of the empty desks. It’s filthy, small piles of dust and stray chip crumbs littering the floor. He glances at the “I love Paris!” poster above the desk and has to mentally remind himself just why, exactly, he thought this would be a good idea in the first place. He makes his way over to the desk, placing the object on the desk before he can convince himself of otherwise, propping his letter in-between the keys on the keyboard.

The door opens and Jonghyun briefly considers folding himself under the desk but there really isn’t enough time.

“Mr. Kim?”

He knows that voice and he cannot believe he has been caught red handed. “Mr. Lee,” he manages, hand instinctively reaching for the card he just place on the other’s desk, “what are you doing here?”

Jinki adjusts his spectacles adorably and gestures to the plants that loiter the classroom. “I have to water the plants….”

Jonghyun fidgets in the silence, acutely aware of the unasked question hovering between them. He notices the way Jinki pulls at the strap of his leather satchel visibly as uncomfortable as Jonghyun is.

“I should probably get going…”

“What’s that?” Jinki asks, his eyes trained on the small potted plant sitting between the piles of books on his desk. His eyes crinkle into one of Jonghyun’s most favorite smile and, for a very brief moment, Jonghyun forgets his nervousness. He gently maneuvers himself around the other man, hands caressing the tiny leaves that have sprouted.

Jonghyun is praying now, hoping that, somehow, the object of his undying affection won’t see the small envelope nestled amongst the many graded quizzes.

But Jinki is tearing it open and Jonghyun can see the teacher’s face flush, even in the dim light of the open windows. The jig is up and Jjong decides that maybe it isn’t too late in the school year to start sending his application to the Seoul School for Boys. “I just saw it and thought of you.” He’s digging himself into an even larger hole but he can’t stop. “They’re African Violets. The shop keeper said they’re a good indoor plant. Which is good because these classrooms don’t really get much sunlight.” He’s rambling and he wishes Jinki would stop looking at the letter.

“I love it.” Jinki finally looks at him, a wide smile plastered on his face. “Thank you so much.”

Jonghyun makes his way to the door, trying to consul himself by ranking Jinki’s response as one of the best ways he has ever been rejected.

When he arrives to work on Monday, after a weekend of nursing a broken heart with both alcohol and a variety of his favorite ballads, the last thing he expects to see is a large, beautiful, painted pot filled with bromeliads. “I’d love to grow out with you.”