Part VIII

Key felt so comfortable. A little hot, but comfortable non the less. His eyes cracked open a bit to take in the light beaming into the room, the sun shining brightly in the sky and illuminating everything around it. Blinking a few times to adjust to the brightness, he finally realizes who was laying next to him. Jonghyun. Right, he remembered now.

He didnt know whether it was the right time to move or wiggle out of bed, but he wanted to stay in this position for the rest of his life. Not only was Jonghyun in the same bed, but his body was pressed up against Key's in the most way. His face was hidden behind the youngers neck, soft breathing coud be felt as Jonghyun's nose ever so lightly touched Key's skin.

Not only were the small puffs against his neck incredibly distracting, Jonghyuns torso as well as his bottom half was pressed up against Key's back and . If Jonghyun woke up now, it would break the spell he was currently under. The spell of Kim Jonghyun.

However, to the chef's dismay, the older started to stir awake. The arms that were holding the younger by the waist, squeezed him gently and pulled him closer to the singers body. As if it was even possible for them to get any closer, Key silently cursed himself for getting slightly arroused. He thought that this might be the perfect moment to wake the older up from his slumber. He really didn't need to wake up with a hard on right now.

"Jonghyun?" Key whispered, hoping for the CEO to hear his voice without trying to be too loud. 

"Mmmm..." The older let out a deep moan, his lips brushing against the youngers skin, making the latter shiver at the vibration that was sent down his spine.

"It's time to wake up." The chef said gently, his hands nudging on the muscular arms keeping him hostage. He looked at the clock on the nightstand which read 2PM. His eyes widened, they've been asleep for hours. 

"Don't want to." Jonghyun whispered, his lips still against Key's soft skin. The older kept his eyes shut as he fought the urge to finally wake up. He hadn't slept this well in a long time, and he thinks it might be because of the body laying next to him at this moment. He didn't know when he would get this opportunity again. To just sleep. Peacefully.

"Well you have to." A deep voice that did not sound like Key's rang through the room. The singer's eyes instantly opened as he felt Key sit up automatically. A pair of eyes watching them this whole time.

"Minho?!"

"Choi?"

"Yes, yes. That's my name, dont wear it out." Minho snickered at the confused couple staring back at him. 

"Don't forget about me!" Taemin came out from behind the assistant, waving and giggling as if the world's funniest joke was spoken. More like Choi Minho has spoken, but you get the idea. 

"What are you guys doing here so early?" Jonghyun grumbled as he moved to sit up, the blanket sliding off of his shirtless body.

"It's 2 in the afternoon, hyung." Minho grumbled at the olders confused state.

"By the way, what happened to your shirt?" Taemin teased, eyeing the couple on the bed.

Key's eyes widened at the question. He just realized the CEO was shirtless, his abs on full display. WHAT?! That was hugging him all night?! Key was going to have a panic attack at this point. No way was the older shirtless this whole time. He looked down at himself, relieved that he was wearing clothing at least. In no way did that shorten the embarassment he felt.

"Oh. I got hot and ended up taking it off." Jonghyun shrugged in a nonchalant way, as if it was normal for them to be laying together right now. Key was being driven mad as his face turned crimson.

"Do you guys usually sleep together?" Minho asked, with a mischievous undertone to his voice.

"No!"

Key didn't know why he was being so defensive when he shouted 'no', but he couldnt have Minho getting the wrong idea. They were both still employees to the same man...who he was currently laying with on the chef's bed. If favouritism was involved at the workplace, Key would have taken that first place prize home already.

"We're just teasing you, no need to shout." Taemin laughed, his brows wiggling suggestively at his best friend.

Key groaned, "I think we should get up. Sorry for sleeping in Tae." 

"No, no. Take your time. Minho and I will be right downstairs." Taemin winked, his hand moving to grab Minho's as they walked out of the bedroom, making sure to close the door behind them as well.

Suddenly, a wave of silence hit the room once the younger couple left. They were both sitting up in bed, almost facing one another as they were thinking of their next words. 

"I'm sorry."

"I'm really sorry."

They both laughed lightly as they spoke at the same time for the second time that day. "You don't need to apologize, I should be thanking you." Key whispered, his voice almost giving out as his eyes remained on the bed sheets. He felt a little self-consious at the fact that Jonghyun had to sleep with him because of a nightmare. He thought he was 30, not 10 years old.

"Why would you thank me? I'd do it anytime." Jonghyun smiled at the shy demeanor of the young chef. Seeing the younger nod gently and smile, the singer moved to lift Key's bangs out of the youngers eyes. "Do you want to tell me about your nightmare?"

"No!....No, I mean....oh god...I dont know what I mean..." Key groaned as he hid his face in his palms. 

The older chuckled at the youngers cuteness, "Hey, you dont have to if you dont want to." He removed the chef's hands away so his face wasn't hidden anymore. "Just make sure to come to me next time. Dont go through those nightmares alone. My door is always open."

Key looked up, his gaze falling onto soft brown puppy eyes. He smiled. This Jonghyun was so different then the one in his nightmare. This Jonghyun...cared about him. "Thank you..." 

The singer smiled at his tiny achievement. He hoped Key would lean on him whenever he could, and anytime he could. The older just wanted the younger with him at all times. He didn't know when this feeling started, but he definitely needed to hold on to Kim Kibum. 

"I should at least wash up. I'll go and give you some space." Jonghyun said as he stood up, his sweatpants falling near his v-line and showing off his muscular body. Key trying his best to avoid looking, followed the older until they reached the door of his bedroom, as if to bid him farewell. Call him attached but he already misses the older near him. 

"Thank you again, for staying with me last night." Key mumbled, his cheeks still pink from the humiliation he put upon himself. 

"Of course." Jonghyun smiled gently as he peered at the younger standing near him. 

A silence overcame them as they weren't sure what to say next. If there was a move to make or if there wasn't, none of them knew. They both met one anothers eyes and chuckled. "Okay, I'll go now."

The young chef nodded, his smile wider now as Jonghyun's hand moved to touch Key's forearm before making his way out of the bedroom. They acted as if they've never kissed before, yet here they were. Key silently shut the door behind the singer, making sure to lock it in case Taemin decided to rush in and ask questions.

Sighing, the chef decided he should at least wash up and make some brunch for the four of them. They all must be hungry...Jonghyun must be starving. So, after making sure he washed his face and brushed his teeth thoroughly, he changed his clothing into something more appropriate. He didn't need to be made fun of by Taemin for wearing teddy bear pajama pants. The fact that Jonghyun already seen him in them, added a whole lot of heart palpitations and blood rushing to his face.

Taking a deep breath in and out, he finally left his room. The young chef didn't want any of his friends waiting any longer than they should. As he made his way down the stairs, laughter can be heard coming from the kitchen. The smell of delicious home made breakfast pouring through the villa. Confused, Key stopped and moved closer to the railing of the stairs, his eyes falling on the assistant and his best friend cowering over whatever Jonghyun was doing. 

"So, does this mean you'll be our personal chef from now on? I kind of prefer Key's cooking." Key heard Minho snicker.

"It doesnt mean anything. Key needs to rest right now." Jonghyun retorted as he plated the food in four seperate plates.

"How many times has this been, hyung? The third breakfast you've made him? In a row?" Taemin replied, smirking and eyeing the older.

"Yeah, you've never even made me anything. I'm a little hurt, ya know?" Minho dramatically placed his hand on his heart, pouting at the CEO. Key felt like he shouldn't be eavesdropping like this, it was starting to make him feel nervous. Unsure if he really wanted to know what the older singer would reply, a bit of disappointment washing over him as he heard Jonghyun speak.

"It's just a nice gesture. You don't have to eat if you don't want to." Jonghyun teased the young couple as they watched him plate the dining table.

'A nice gesture.' Everything Jonghyun did was a nice gesture, the chef thought. Jonghyun was just a nice person. He didn't know why he kept trying to find hints of something more, when the older has been nothing but kind to him. It truly shocked Key how the CEO was still single. He must have had people falling to their knees, just like Kim Kibum. The younger just wasn't a special case.

Deciding it was best to make his presence known, he walked down the stairs only to meet the older's eyes. A smile instantly flashed on Jonghyun's face making Key blush furiously. The chef wanted to slap himself.

"The beautiful prince has finally arrived." Taemin teased. His hand reached out to grab Key's arm, leading him to sit on one of the chairs. If looks could kill, the chef would have murdered the mischievous casanova.

"Yeah, you look really pretty Key. Did you do something different today?" Minho gestured, sitting across from the chef right next to where Taemin sat.

"No?" Key said, his eyes furrowing at the strange behaviour the young couple was exerting. 

"Kibum always looks good." Jonghyun said, his voice almost too quiet but was heard none the less. The chef's eyes widened at the comment, watching the older as he placed the last dish on the table, it was the stew. Key's eyes softened. Unbeknownst to them that the younger couple of the two were watching the whole time.

"Thank you for the food. It smell's delicious." Key said. 

Jonghyun smiled as he took the last empty seat next to Key, their thighs and knees gently brushing against one another. "I hope you like it." A snicker was heard from the other side of the table yet was ignored at the same time. 

Finally digging into the brunch Jonghyun made, Key couldnt help but notice the singer only devouring the stew from last night. It made the young chef's heart swell watching the singer happily eat the stew even though he spent so much effort into making food for the other three. Smiling to himself, he continued on eating the delicious food the older created.

"So Key, have you been seeing anyone lately?" Minho asked out of the blue making said chef almost choke on his food.

"W-what?..." Key replied, stuttering. What a random thing to ask, and as if the assistant didn't already know.

"You know, like...have you had any interest in anyone recently?" Minho egged on. 

Key's eyebrows furrowed in suspicion. "W-why?" He wanted to shoot himself for stuttering so much. The heat of the singers body near him, as well as his overall presence, was making Key nervous. This was not the time and place to be talking about this. Minho and Taemin knew this. He couldn't even bring himself to look at the singer.

"Actually....um...if this isn't too much to ask while we're eating..." Where the hell was Minho going with this? And why wasn't Taemin stopping him? Key's thoughts were going haywire. "I was hoping I can take you out! How about a dinner?" Minho finished, almost too pleased with himself.

"Dinner?" Key hesitantly asked, his eyes moving to meet Taemin's unbothered ones. 

"Yeah. I was hoping I wasn't being too obvious but I hope you'll say 'yes'."

"W-what do you mean? Too obvious..." Key said slowly. He could feel the tension beside him, yet the couple in front of him acted as if this was normal. Key knew about Taemin and Minho...yet why were they doing this? The chef had a bad feeling.

"Oh— I thought you knew." Minho chuckled, his hand going to rub the back of his neck awkwardly. "I really like you Key. I was hoping you noticed already. Silly me." The assistant laughed wholeheartedly to himself.

"It's okay Minho hyung. Key can be very clueless sometimes. What do you say, Key? Don't leave him hanging like that." Taemin concluded, a smirk plastered on his face.

Man, these two deserved oscars for their performances, Key thought. He finally understood what they were playing at, and he didn't like it one bit. Not at all. "Um...Minho. I dont know what to say other than—"

The sound of a chair screeching against the floor was heard as Jonghyun moved to stand up. All eyes following his movements as silence hit the room. "Dont mind me, I just forgot something in my room." He announced as he walked away. A hint of annoyance was laced in his voice as he trudged up the stairs and away from the unexpected scene. 

"What do you both think you're doing right now?" Key seethed at the younger couple.

"Oh, whatever do you mean?" Taemin replied nonchalantly, shrugging his shoulders as he leaned back feeling more than a little accomplished.

"Don't play dumb with me right now." 

"And you should continue playing dumb, hyung." Minho spoke up, wiggling his brows suggestively.

"Whatever you guys think you're doing right now, stop it. It has nothing to do with you." Key replied, stuffing his face with the food his Jonghyun made. 

"But it does. Once you start dragging us into your love life, then it has everything to do with us. For now, just play stupid and we'll take care of everything." Taemin huffed, rolling his eyes at his 'in denial' best friend.

"Fine. I'll stop calling you about him, okay? I've already accepted that he doesnt feel the same way, he's just a really nice guy and I got way too caught up. Let's just end it at that."

"And see? That's why we can't stop. Your denial in going to be the death of you, Key." Minho said. For once, Key couldn't retort to that statement. He knew how he'd been acting. His anxiety driving him mad, not letting him sleep, not letting him breathe properly, giving him nightmares...he just didn't want to lose Jonghyun.

He knew the CEO was adored all over the globe, he knew how many people loved the artist. Why would Jonghyun choose him of all people when he had so many bending over for him? So many willing to love him...like Key. He wasn't anything special. Jonghyun was just kind, like he must be with everyone he meets.

The chef remembered the first time they had met. It was so rushed and brief, yet it made Key feel so many emotions. Anger, hatred, annoyance....love. It all led him to fall so much deeper for the singer. Something that he didn't think he should have had the ability to even do. Once Jonghyun didn't need him anymore, he would be out of here. As fast as he moved in, he'd be gone even faster...and that brought Key to become distressed. He felt too strung out for all of this.

"You know he can't be without you...right?" Minho said, his voice seemingly more quiet. 

Steps could be heard coming down the stairs as Jonghyun made his way back to the table. He seemed a bit off but Key couldnt quite keep his attention in one place, the other two sitting in front of him going back into character and switching up the mood.

"I brought us a couple of games to play after we finish eating! It'll be super fun, right hyung?" Taemin said ecstatic, nudging Minho's side who nodded happily in reply.

"You should join us Jonghyun hyung, it's Sunday and there's nothing for you to do other than be here!" Minho said, his chin motioning to the vast villa around them.

"Are you sure?" Jonghyun asked the trio, his eye's slowly lowering to where Key was sitting, as if he needed to ask only his permission. Key gulped, he's never seen this side of the CEO. Never this shy and nervous. It was truly endearing and Key hated himself for finding something else to love about the older.

"Of course, hyung! Plus it only works if there is four of us." Taemin clapped happily.

—

"That's a lot of alcohol, no? It's not even 7pm yet." Key said, a bit unsure about the slight turn of events. They were all currently sitting in a circle on the living room floor. The coffee table pushed to the side as alcohol in different bottles and cans were splayed out in front of them, four shot glasses sat in front of each one of them. 

"First of all, you can never have enough booze. And second, it's never too early to drink." Taemin replied.

"And this will be a great way for us to get to know one another. Right Key?" Minho said, making sure to wink at the chef. The latter couldn't help but roll his eyes, denial wasn't going to be the death of him, Taemin and Minho were.

"What are we going to play?" Key asked hesitantly, his eyes trying to avoid a certain singer seated across from him. 

"Truth or dare." Taemin said, his eyes giving off a mischievous glint. "We'll start off easy! I'll go first. I'll spin the bottle and we'll each take turns in a circle to ask one another questions. Not too hard right?"

"...right." Key whispered to himself, almost regretting waking up this morning. He wished he could just rewind to the part where he was cuddling Jonghyun, that seemed a lot less traumatizing then whatever this was. Peeking at the man sitting in front of him, puppy eyes caught his feline ones as they silently spoke in agreement. They were both in deep trouble.

—

After a few rounds and one too many shots, the four friends became a bit too rowdy. It started off slow, some innocent questions here and there like 'would you rather do 100 pushups or the toilet', Minho decided it was best to do the pushups. Or when Key was asked if he'd ever pole danced, and he felt like taking a shot was better than asnwering the question. The chef didn't think his boss needed to know that type of information. No matter how badly he'd dance around a certain singer's 'pole' anytime.

All of a sudden, Taemin asked a very not sober Key, "Truth or dare?"

"Truth."

"Have you ever had feelings for a co-worker?"

Key could feel the gaze of the older on him as they waited for an answer. The young chef's tipsy mind was too unclear to create a proper sentence, so he decided it was best to take a shot instead. It was either live in denial or live in embarrassment, so denial was his best friend after all. 

This action made all but Jonghyun smirk and let out a knowing giggle. The silence of the man sitting in front of him was driving Key mad, maybe the singer wasn't much of a drinker, however, the empty bottles beside him said otherwise. Key needed to switch the conversation off of himself.

"Minho, it's your turn. Truth or dare?" Key asked, hoping to get the spotlight off of himself.

"Truth." Minho said proudly, his competitiveness ready to overcome any question.

"Do you actually like me?" If this question wasn't going to bring down whatever plan the assistant and Taemin had, Key didn't know what will. He hoped the alcohol in his system was giving him enough liquid courage.

"Of course! Who doesn't like you?" Minho answered in triumph. Key asked him such a generic question, it was almost laughable. Taemin and Minho giggled as they made eye contact from across one another. A certain puppy eyed male however, didn't seem to get the hint as his teeth gnawed persistently at his gums.

Key scoffed, this wasn't the answer he was looking for. He should have been more specific. Like, 'are you and Taemin ing' type of question. He wanted to bury his head in the ground and run away forever. He was never gonna get these two off of his back.

"Okay, let's switch it up a bit. No more truths cause that's all everyone's picking." Minho announced. "This time, its all going to be dares."

"Me first!" Taemin smirked, "Minho, I dare you to kiss Key on the cheek."

Eyes widened all around staring back at the young casanova's dare. Was he serious right now? "Minho already went, shouldn't you pick someone else?" Jonghyun asked, his eyes forrowing in uneasiness. 

"Okay then, I dare you to kiss Key on the cheek instead." Taemin replied, his smirk growing bigger. 

"I-I dont...think—" Jonghyun started.

"What? Can't handle a dare? I can do it no problem." Minho said, ready for the challenge. Key was dumbfounded at the turn of events.

"You wouldn't." Jonghyun responded.

"Oh, I would." As if to challenge the singer even more, Minho moved closer to Key who was seated right next to him and pecked the chef on the cheek. "And I did." He said right after. Key wanted to smack the younger couple. The kiss was innocent, however the intentions were not.

They were trying to bring something out of Jonghyun and he can see it was working. No matter how much he hated their plan, it was actually either working or pissing the older off for no reason. He wasn't sure, but the buzz he got from the alohol, gave him a special reason to think it may be the first option.

"I think it's time for me to call it a night." Jonghyun suddenly announced, making a move to stand. 

"Wait, hyung! You can't go until you do your turn." Taemin said as he motioned the older to sit back down. 

"It's okay Tae, I have an early start tomorrow. You guys have fun." Jonghyun's voice sounded eery and strained.

"Hyung, we don't start until noon. Come on, one last game!" Minho said firmly, unwilling to let the older leave.

Key wanted to strangle the untrustworthy couple. "I think we should let him sleep guys." The chef concluded, in hopes they would listen to him. He was surprisingly shocked at how sober he sounded. He could only thank the water he secretly mixed into all their drinks while the rest were not looking, he didnt need a repeat of whatever drunk disaster decided to unravel this time.

 "Since the both of you want to leave, let's do one that you both can do!" Taemin said, almost too happily.

"I didnt—" Key started, but was heavily interrupted and Jonghyun only sighed in disbelief. 

"That's a great idea, Tae. What should the dare be?" Minho said, fingers rubbing his chin as if to think of something.

"Oh! I know! I dare the both of you to spend 5 minutes in the upstairs closet." Taemin suggested proudly, arms crossed as if he was pleased with himself.

"And not any closet. The one in the hallway upstairs." Minho concluded, his eyebrow raised slightly in a suggestive manner.

The closet located in the hallway upstairs, was the only closet that had enough room for a vacuum and a dust pan. Astonishingly to Key's dismay, Jonghyun decided it didn't need to be any bigger as he had walk-in closets all over the house. Now if you ask Key if he's ever disagreed on a layout design, this would be one of the circumstances.

Jonghyun and Key could only stare at the young couple seated next to them. A bit apprehensive at the request, they remained in their positions, unsure if it was smart to accept this dare. 

"You have no choice, all the alcohol is done so you can't take a shot to pass." Taemin shrugged his shoulders, his eyes scanning the way Key was looking for more alcohol. He knew the chef wanted to strangle him in that moment and it brought so much happiness to the young casanova.

Taemin had never worked this hard to get his best friend a man. But this wasn't any type of man, this was Kim Jonghyun. A man Key was clearly obsessed with; and if he had to admit it, the certain singer was head over heels too.

"Fine." Key stated, confidence and a sudden urge to prove himself suddenly took over. They just needed to go into the closet, they werent 15 year old kids, they were mature adults. It's not like anything was going to happen, because the chef wasn't going to let anything happen. Nothing at all. 

Three shocked faces turned towards him as if to question whether what they heard was real. "Kibum, its fine. We don't need to do this." Jonghyun said, trying to sound stern yet failing. However a slight fire churned in Key's stomach, he wasn't competitive at all, but if someone pressured him enough, his ego would instantly strain and try to prove something.

In this case, he wanted to prove he wasnt a little . Maybe it was the buzz he felt, but he didn't let that stop him. "Let's go Jonghyun." Key grabbed the olders hand, dragging the singer up the stairs to the closet hidden in the corner. Jonghyun following limply behind him.

Once they entered the cramped closet, Key closed the door behind the older, leaving all the light to instantly vanish, darkness enveloping them with heat radiating off of their bodies. If Key didn't think he was ever claustrophobic, now was the time. Their chests slightly touching as they continuously bumped into one another, their breathing mixed and their noses almost touching in contact.

"You really didn't have to do this, Key." Jonghyun whispered, his eyes gazing at the defenseless looking chef in front of him. A sudden urge to hold his waist, yet the thought was relinquished in an instant.

"It's only five minutes. Plus, it gets Taemin and Minho off of our backs. You must be tired so we'll be out of—"

"Do you like Minho?"

The question came unexpected as Key's eyes widened in shock. Did he just hear that right? "W-what?" He whispered.

The singer sighed, "He's a really nice guy...actually he's someone I respect a lot. If you like him, I think you should go for it."

"W-why are you...saying that?" Key didn't know why Jonghyun would utter something like this. The older must be crazy to think that he liked Minho like that. 

"Honestly I thought he liked Taemin, but I guess I thought wrong. Of course he would like you." Jonghyun chuckled in distaste.

"Well I hate to break it to you, but he doesnt like me." Key stated, his eyes lowering almost as if he was convincing himself of the older's feelings and not Minho's. 

"Are you going to say 'yes'?" Jonghyun continued with his questions, his voice rough as the heat in the closet grew. It was becoming too intimate too fast.

Key was silent for once. He wanted to say no but he also wanted a clear answer from the singer. He wanted him to say what he's been dying to hear this whole time. "Do you want me to say 'yes'?" His feline eyes meeting the puppy eyed stare peering down at him.

It felt like forever as they gazed at one another, question left unanswered. Their breathing becoming more fervid and their bodies felt as though they needed to touch, so touch they did. Jonghyun moved to wrap his arms around the youngers waist, bringing his body to collide against his. Plump lips meeting heart shaped ones as they kissed breathlessly and passionately. 

Key's arms reached up towards the olders chest up to his face, palms cradling Jonghyun's cheeks as they kissed roughly. They felt as though they were in heaven, maybe this was why teenagers called it seven minutes in heaven. Yet they did it in less than five.

Lips grazed against one another as they breathed each other in, their noses bumping while they continued to ravish and relish in the feeling. The sound of rough and eager kisses filled the room; tongues battling one another as lips continued to brush against lips. Key couldn't help but let out a moan, his head in the clouds and his mind turned into mush. He wanted this to last forever.

As if he spoke to soon, Jonghyun's lips parted from his, only their noses brushing as they tried to catch their breathes. The older placing one last peck on the chef's bow shaped lips, "I hope that answers your question." He whispered.

Key couldn't help but smile, dimples fully on display. "I think I need to hear you say it." He whispered back, his lips gently brushing against the singer's.

"Don't go. Stay with me." Jonghyun said, his eyes closing as he leaned down to kiss the spot Minho claimed on the younger's cheek as well as the dimples he loved so much. Now it was his to claim, and his only.

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Hiii! Part 8 is finally here! I hope you guys like it <3

You're comments make me SO FRICKIN HAPPY! I cant even comprehend the amount of love I feel from you all.

Please stay tuned for Part 9 coming soon! I LOVE YOU ALL SO MUCH <3

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