Late update is late.  But real life keeps happening. 

Onew tried to simply brush off Minho’s odd behavior, however when the same thing happened the next day, he cracked. 

"Jonghyun what did I do?  He is avoiding me!  Actively avoiding me!  The date went so well so I just really don't understand!"  Onew’s face clearly showed how upset he was over the situation.  The dark circles under his eyes broadcasted the significant lack of sleep from the night before.

"Well maybe it didn't go as well as you thought?"  Jonghyun said, giving Onew a worried glance, the older boy hadn’t touched his food and his pale complexion made him look sickly.

"I guess it is a possibility but I really thought it went well.  Like, definitely a second date kind of good.  So I don't understand," Onew replied sadly.   

"Maybe he hasn't come out of the closet yet and he is just scared because the date went so well?"  Jonghyun suggested, attempting to be sensitive to Onew's feelings for once.

"You really think so?" 

"No. You did drop a soda in his lap.  Hardly what I would call a good first impression, but it is a possibility!"  Jonghyun said jokingly, trying to pull a smile from the older boy but at the defeated look on his hyung’s face he stopped. 

"Should I just give him some space?  Or should I like, corner him in the hallway and force him to talk to me?"  Onew questioned.  

"Hyung, if he is too scared to go out with you than he isn't worth your time," Jonghyun responded seriously.   

"That is actually really good advice Jong," Onew remarked, surprise evident in his tone.

"I know.  We are friends for a reason.  I feel like you forget this sometimes," Jonghyun said with a fake pout. 

"But I just don't even understand!  We were only hanging out as friends to begin with!  Why would he freak out?"  Onew asked, running his hand through his hair in frustration. 

"It sounds suspicious hyung.  I say corner him and drag a confession out of him.  That's the quickest way to get over whatever the hell this is.  Then you can be on your merry way, screwing each other in the band room of something," Jonghyun said with a smirk.

"God you are just so vulgar all the time," Onew responded, rolling his eyes but a smile was pulling at his lips. 

"Is Minho aware of what a prude you are? Poor kid is never going to get laid if he decides to date you," Jonghyun chide.

"I will not apologize for having standards!  Just because I'm not as promiscuous as you doesn't mean I'm a prude," Onew countered.

"Hyung you've never even kissed anyone!"  Jonghyun exclaimed but he was happy to see that Onew was smiling once again.

Onew opened his mouth to protest but Jonghyun immediately interjected, cutting him off, "Don't even think about bringing up the third grade hyung!  You tripped and fell on top of her.  Regardless of if your lips touched, it doesn't count." 

"Does so," Onew muttered childishly. 

"Hyung you broke her nose!  Nothing about that qualifies as a ual experience.  Besides, you were like 9.  Even if we were to include that fiasco, you haven't touched anyone one in almost a decade."

Onew scowled, annoyed with the direction of the conversation. 

"I say throw your morals and insecurities out the window and just jump that boy the second he walks out the gate after school.  Trust me, your deized self will thank you later."

~~~

But Onew doesn't go looking for Mnho after school. In fact, he does the opposite, rushing out the back exit in hopes of avoiding the younger boy.

In Onew’s mad rush to get away from school, and also Minho, he was, for once, on time to his tutoring session with Taemin.  He managed to get into the designated room and was in the process of unpacked his supplies when the younger boy walked in, a look of shock and confusion on his face at the sight of Onew.

“Hyung why are you here so early?”  Taemin asked, pulling out his cell phone discretely to check the time.

“Oh no reason Minnie.  Just happened to get out of class early, that’s all,” Onew said with a small smile.

“Are you okay hyung?  You don’t look so good,” Taemin asked, worry was clear in his voice.

“I’m fine Taemin-ah, I just didn’t sleep well last night,” Onew responded, trying to keep things light.

“Oh okay.  Well how was you date?  Are you all ready to go riding off into the sunset together?”  Taemin said with a bright smile.

Onew’s face fell.  “I don’t really want to talk about it.”

“Oh hyung what happened?”

“I don’t know!  I thought it went really well but he has been avoiding me ever since.”

Taemin’s eyes flashed dangerously.  “He did what?”

“He did nothing.  That is the problem.  He won’t even look at me; he even changed seats so we don’t have to talk to each other.  I would hardly call it subtle,” Onew mumbled in a downcast tone. 

“Hyung.  I need to tell you something,” Taemin said after a pregnant pause.

“Oh okay.  What is it?”  Onew responded, surprised by the suddenness of his statement.

“I want to tell you why I was gone for so long and why I transferred schools.”

Onew looked at him, confused.  It seemed like an odd time to bring that up but the look of determination of Taemin’s face kept him from questioning it. 

“I was having a bit of trouble with bullies at my old school.  My brother was really popular at our school and everyone loved him.  Well, they loved him until he started dating this guy from his gym class.  When he came out he lost just about everyone, but instead of confronting hyung, these guys decided that I would be an easier target.  They were right.”

“Oh Minnie I’m so sorry,” Onew said, sympathy and anger washing over him at the thought of someone trying to hurt Taemin.

“There is more hyung.  My brother took it rather personally that they would attack me, especially since they did it to hurt him.  He has always been over-protective like that.  So he kind of bashed their heads in.  He got expelled and I transferred to a school where no one knew my brother or me.  The only problem now is that he still feels responsible and thinks he has to protect me by hiding who he is.”

“Well that is silly.  It isn’t his fault that people are so close-minded!”  Onew interjected. 

I know hyung, but nothing I say or do will get him to change his mind.  But now his stubbornness is hurting you.  And I won’t let his fear keep him from having happiness,” Taemin said, giving Onew a pointed look.   

“Wait, what?”  Confusion etched into Onew’s face.

“Hyung you are kind of slow sometimes.  Did you know that?”  Taemin said with a chuckle.

“Minho is your brother?  But… wait, what?”

“Yes hyung.  Minho is my stepbrother.” 

“Oh.  I see,” Onew said absentmindedly.

“Hyung?”  Taemin asked worriedly at Onew's dazed look.

“I’m just processing,” he responded with a vague smile.

“Well now you know.  I’m sorry I didn’t tell you sooner but I didn’t want to get inbetween you two.  But Minho hyung really likes you.  I can see it in his eyes.  When he got home this weekend, I don’t think I had ever seen him smile so bright.  You make him happy.  But he was really scared for me and for himself after what happened.  He doesn’t think anything is worth going through that again.” 

“I think I understand.  I guess I should just feel lucky that he even gave me the time of day, he was so adamant about being a loner and all when he first got here.” 

“No hyung, I don’t think you understand at all.  You can’t give up on him!  I won’t let him give up on someone he cares about because of me!  It already happened once and I will be damned if I let him do it again.  He likes you and you like him.  This isn’t some overrated Shakespeare play.  There is no reason you can’t be together.” 

“Taemin, I can’t force him to go out with me,” Onew said with a sad smile.

“You can and you will,” Taemin said firmly but his face faultered as he looked at Onew.  “Hyung, are you okay?  You look a little green.”

“Taemin!  I can’t believe you picked out those pants knowing I was going on a date with your brother!”  Onew screeched as the thought suddenly popped into his head. 

The look of horror on Onew’s face made Taemin double over in a fit of laughter.

So there we go.  Plot progression.  I tried to give Minho a legitimate reson for being the way he is without make it super angsty and sad.  Because this story isn't sad in any way.  Hope it worked. 

And Jong wasn't completely worthless in this chapter.  For once.  Stupid Dino...

So now Onew just has to figure out how to drag Minwhore out of the closet so they can get it on and make some beautiful babies... but not really.  Because I will never write mpreg.  But you get my point.

Also, my spell check really hated the made-up word "deized."  Screw you Microsoft.  I quite like it.