Onew stepped out of the steamy bathroom, rubbing his hair with a towel, feeling warm, clean and relaxed. Well, as relaxed as he could be with the impending meeting with Lee Soo Man soon. He pushed that thought to the back of his mind as he headed to Key and Taemin’s room to ask if he could borrow their hairdryer.

The door was slightly ajar as he peeked in before knocking and what he saw made him hesitate. Taemin was lying on top of Key on his bed, his head resting on Key’s chest as he stared listlessly, Onew recognising Taemin’s anti depressant look. He was glad Taemin was taking his pills, but didn’t like the way Taemin spaced out. But that wasn’t what he was focusing on. They were so close. He could hear Key’s deep voice murmuring continuously, and see the way Taemin rubbed his cheek on Key’s chest, the way Key’s head was angled towards Taemin’s, the way Key’s hands were trailing intimately down Taemin’s back… they were in their own little world.

But Onew couldn’t tell if they were just being friendly or if it was something else. The atmosphere in that room, it was so comfortable, but yet very private. Onew felt like he was seeing something he shouldn’t. And he wondered why. It wasn’t possible for them to be together. But yet, Taemin and Key would never do this with anyone else.

Onew knocked loudly on the door, studying what their reactions would be. Taemin quickly rolled off Key and faced the wall, while Key sat up and grabbed his phone, fixing his hair and clothes.

“Hey! Can I borrow your hair dryer?” Onew asked, keeping his voice upbeat.

“Sure,” Key said, getting up from the bed, uncannily without a fuss and opening his drawer.

Onew focused his attention on Taemin.  “Taemin, going to sleep already?”

Taemin turned around. “Just resting,” he answered.

Onew could see a slight flush in the maknae’s cheeks. “Why are you turning pink?” he asked, seeing if he could pry anything out of him.

“Here you go,” Key interrupted, ing the hairdryer at Onew. “Just give it back to me tomorrow morning. Goodnight!” Key said as he shut the door firmly.

Onew stood there for a minute looking at the closed door. He was not going to let this go so easily…

Onew paid special attention to Key and Taemin. He had made sure he sat opposite them when they were eating so he could really see what was happening. Onew watched as Key kept picking up bits of food and depositing them on Taemin’s bowl whenever he had finished eating the previous morsel.

“Stop hyung, I can’t even see my rice!” Taemin protested.

“You guys are cute,” Onew said.

Time to test.

“It’s totally adorable how you act like his mother, Key. Umma and son forever! I don’t think I could ever see you as anything else.”

Onew felt a spark of anticipation as Key and Taemin halted for a bit and met each other’s eyes.

“That’s not right hyung,” Key answered slowly. “I don’t want to be his mother.”

“Oh? Then what do you want to be?”

Key laughed weakly. “What is this? Just concentrate on eating, hyung.”

Onew internally smirked. He could see them both squirming.

“Imagine if you got married… would you be Lee Kibum or would Taemin have to be Kim Taemin?”

“What the hell, Onew hyung?” yelped Taemin, obviously flustered. “What made you think about that?”

“What, are you offended about the thought of marrying each other?”

“Pssh, no! I wouldn’t mind being married to a cutiepie like him!” Key lamely joked in an unnaturally high voice. It fell flat as the table descended into silence. Minho had his head cocked, quizzically looking at Key. Jonghyun also looked confused. Taemin was blushing and shovelling down rice. Onew felt sorry for what he had done and decided to quickly diffuse the awkward situation. This was not the way he was going to find out.

“Haha, I was just thinking, how if I got married to Taemin, then neither of us would have to change our last names. Same with you and Jonghyun,” Onew laughed.

Key responded with an obviously fake laugh.

“I never thought about that!” Jonghyun exclaimed. “That’s so funny! Key, marry me now! No one would ever know!”

“Ahh, no thanks…” Key said. Onew could see Taemin concentrating on Key’s answer. “I think I would want to marry Taemin…”

“You have no idea what you would be missing out on,” Jonghyun responded. “But, luckily for you, you can’t have me if you tried. I’m pretty sure it’s going to stay illegal for years. Poor gay people.”

“They aren’t poor,” piped up Minho. “They’re cool. Don’t worry. I’m sure gay people will be allowed to marry soon. Gay people are so nice. They’re great.”

Onew saw Key cringing and Taemin staring at Minho with wide eyes. So Minho knew something… Onew knew he had to dig deeper.

“Wah! Wah! I won!” screamed Key. “Thank you Taemin! Oh my god! Oh my god!” Key excitedly squealed as he picked up Taemin and twirled him around.

“Cheater! Why did you give him your money, Taemin?” whined Jonghyun, monopoly money strewn all over the floor.

“Because he likes me the best!” crowed Key.

Onew once again zeroed in at the familiar way they were touching each other. They way Key’s arms were locked tightly around Taemin’s waist. The way that Taemin’s hand lingered on Key’s forearm. The way that they seemed to lean into each other as if relishing each other’s touch. Taemin was smiling happily and didn’t let go of Key, his eyes fixed only on Key’s face.

Onew deduced it was obvious that Taemin liked Key. However, he still wasn’t sure if Key liked Taemin as a mother hen or as something else.

“What’s up Taemin?” Onew asked, walking into his room. He knew Key was in the shower. Time to dig up some dirt!

“Nothing hyung,” Taemin said, removing his headphones and smiling innocently. “What do you want?”

“I just wanted to talk. I wanted your advice actually. About girls.”

“You really shouldn’t ask me hyung,” Taemin laughed. “I have no idea about girls at all. Ask Jonghyun hyung.”

“No, I think you will be fine,” Onew said. “It’s not really about girls. More about love.”

“Okay,” Taemin said hesitantly. “But I still don’t think I can help you.”

“Just listen, okay? So there are hypothetically two girls that I both like equally. I don’t know which one I like the most. How do I choose?”

“Hmm.. well  who do you like better?”

“I don’t know… how should I measure it? How do I know which one I love?”

“Who are they?” asked Taemin curiously. “I didn’t know you were in the middle of a love triangle! Hyung, you ladykiller!”

“It’s a hypothetical situation,” Onew said.

“Then why do you want my advice?” Taemin said confusedly.

Onew hadn’t thought about that. “Okay, maybe it’s got a degree of reality to it. If you help me, I’ll tell you who it is.”

“Okay!” agreed Taemin. “Well... which one do you like to hang out with the most?”

“Both,” Onew answered. “They are both really fun.”

“They both might be fun, but which one gets your heart beating? The one that gives you that tingling, happy, sort of like flying feeling when you are going to see him? The one that… you want to touch and kiss, and want to like you back. The one that would make you cry if she said she didn’t love you…”

Onew smiled. Taemin had said ‘him’! The first slip up!

“How do I know she loves me?” Onew asked. “I mean, how would I tell that she is interested?”

“I really don’t know hyung. I guess… if she always is there.. and wants to know things about you and makes you feel like she will be there for you, and especially for you when everything is going wrong. People normally run away from trouble, but if she loves you, she will stay to be with you. You don’t mind telling her your secrets because you want her to see in your mind and be a part of you. And she knows how you’re feeling without you telling. Yes, that one! How she just knows how to make you feel better! He knows you so well that he knows when to hold you and when to let go.”

“You sound like you’re in love,” Onew said frankly, laughing gleefully inside. Taemin had said ‘he’ again! “Or at least, someone’s in love with you.”

Taemin opened and closed his mouth, his cheeks turning pink. “U-um, I-I,”

“I know you are Taemin. Don’t even try to deny it. But it’s okay. I don’t want to know who it is. But I want to know; does she treat you nicely?”

“Y-yes,” Taemin spluttered after a moment of silence. “S-she treats me like the most precious thing in the world.” Taemin paused. “But…I’m not sure if s-she is in love with me as much as I’m in love with her.”

“Why?”                                                                                                            

“Because I don’t know whether she pities me and feels obligated to. Or if she actually loves me.” Taemin said, his voice getting quieter and sadder. “I need her so much but she doesn’t need me at all.”

Onew digested this. “Well, maybe what she needs is you, and that’s why she’s with you. Because you said she has no other reason.”

“But why me? There are so many other fuss free guys out there.”

“And I’m sure there are more prettier girls out there. But you like her the most, right? Same thing might apply to her.”

“I’m still not sure.”

“Does she kiss you?” Onew asked bluntly.

Taemin blushed scarlet this time. “What, why should I tell you?”

“So she does. And does she initiate it? Does she say she loves you?”

Taemin choked, remembering a few nights before.

“And she does that too. She sounds like she’s got it bad for you, you don’t need to worry.” Onew chuckled.

Taemin still shook his head vehemently, his face on fire.

“What is your type Taemin?” asked Onew, trying to find a way to solidify his findings. “What do you find attractive?”

“Ah well,” Taemin started. “She has to be confident and individualistic-“

Check.

“Funny and outspoken-“

Check.

“But still be able to private and serious.“

Check.

“She has to take care of me and hold me together. Ideally she would be creative-“

Check.

“And really good looking. Smooth skin, strong arms, nice eyes.  I don’t mind if she’s a bit of a diva sometimes, as long as she has a heart of gold.”

YES. Onew was certain that this was Key.

“Thanks Taemin, you were a huge help,” sung Onew. “It was fun talking to you.”

“That’s okay. So who are the girls?” asked Taemin eagerly.

“Oh, I took it from Twilight when Bella has to choose between Edward and Jacob. I thought it would be funny to see what you would think.”

“It’s not about you!?!” shouted Taemin.

‘I told you it was hypothetical!” said Onew. “But whatever. I hope you tell me who your mystery lover is soon though,” Onew added, walking out the door and leaving an astonished Taemin in his wake.

Onew smiled to himself as he saw Taemin and Key together in the laundry room. Taemin was sitting on the dryer , Key standing in front of him, both pressed against each other and looking directly into the one another’s eyes. He watched as Key kissed Taemin on the nose as Taemin laughed.

“A cat,” he heard Key say.

“No, a dog!” Taemin replied. “Cats can’t do anything! At least a dog will protect the house and you can do stuff with one. And they always want a cuddle.”

 “You have me for that,” Key said.  “And it means there won’t be any other thing sapping up your attention when it should be only on me.”

Onew nearly couldn’t hold in his laughter at the cuteness of it all.

“We’ll have both then,” Taemin  said.  “But they can’t sleep on our bed.”

“Mmm, can’t wait,” Key whispered, Onew barely catching the sentence. He saw Taemin dip his head and Key lift his, and Onew quickly turned the corner and walked away. He didn’t want to see until Key and Taemin wanted him to.

How will Jonghyun find out? Omg, this story was only supposed to be 10 chapters long! I will make it....20 then. And maybe start a new story from the last chapter, because this story was supposed to be only about Taemin's depression! So no real in the rest of this story, only angst soon! I have to remember what this story was originally for! But Key still hasnt said why he was suspended they havent met with lee soo man aargh, why did i have to do such a complicated story :'(