it hadn't been much of a surprise to jonghyun when he'd heard of the falling-out between his parents. there were symbolic events which happened before, jonghyun knew it was coming. maybe it was bad of him to sort of anticipate their separation? maybe. he didn't know. it had been quite some time since they had a honest chat with him. due to the lack of time or some sort. not that it proved to be any bad, jonghyun had friends. the good ones. the bad ones. the romantically-involved ones and the non-romantically-involved ones.

girls. yeah? it wasn't that jonghyun disliked girls or that he was gay (or because he indeed was one), they just didn't really mix around them that much. it was just amber and occasionally some other girls she brought along during lunch. he did notice how much heavier the atmosphere would be whenever the presence of females would so very kindly grace them with (again, amber and whoever she brings does not count), so he didn't like them. it was tedious trying to keep up with their daily news, how much they'd spent on their manicure and obviously not how their brazilian waxing had went. he did get better though. he used to oppose to sitting on the same bench with them.

boys. jonghyun liked dating boys. he wasn't fruity or anything, but he just liked boys. they kept things simple and everything they did would be kept within themselves and be confined in their room. he liked sporty guys. despite being rather hunky himself. it wasn't that he was into bear or whatnot but he liked guys who were well-built. and just after a recent summer fling with that guy from the track team -- taecyeon (who was obsessively convinced that jonghyun needed to learn some hygiene), he'd been officially introduced to the newly-appointed quarterback of the football team -- minho or what was his name? yeah. he liked him. although jonghyun had a feeling that the feeling wasn't mutual. but it all starts out like this, doesn't it? as in it's always a one-sided commitment but the love or what spreads out to the other? "idunno." he'd always say.

jonghyun. he wasn't the one to always declare his confessions in a crowd. he was a hopeless romantic, sure, but none of the guys had ever made him swoon with just a smile and tremble under his gaze. minho was an exception. those big eyes coupled with a humble smile and defined veins on his neck and arms popping up under strenuous situations during a game of football. he looked like he'd been adonis resurrected from his death. he wonders if minho ever questions the reason why jonghyun had always been caught peeking at him during lunch or when they were in the locker room. he couldn't help it. it was like dropping bits of chocolate into the pond and not expect the chocolate-eating fish to eat it (what? jonghyun watches the news, okay?).

minho. he sure as hell notices the way jonghyun stares at him and he does like the attention. despite the very way girls would treat him like a malady and would stare but never once approaching him. there were rumors of that jonghyun didn't like girls hanging around his clique. that was pretty true, he'd supposed; of so many weeks being together with them, minho had never seen any girl (other than amber and maybe jessica and krystal) clinging around the arms of the other guys (so he'd jump to the conclusion that they were all gay. hop on board the queer yacht and we might just get some  as what his gay dads would dance out to.) he guesses that he probably was ready to give gay a go? or would that have sounded better if he said he wasn't one to find love based on gender? whichever way, it was the same.

jonghyun would've been lying if he said he wasn't at least excited when minho had him cornered in the locker room. hey, it was a warm afternoon and it was, to jonghyun's very surprise, empty except for the two of them. warm afternoon. cooling bath. two hot guys. or maybe one hot guy and another extremely willing hot guy. steamy situations, anybody? the possibilities of anything. anything.

the close proximities between them allowed jonghyun to take in the smell of the grass, gently enshrouded by the musky scent of his cologne. it was nothing less than exhilarating.

"yes, minho?" jonghyun couldn't stop his eyes from travelling back and forth between minho's lips and the water droplets dripping down his chest.

he couldn't make eye contact with him. oh, no. jonghyun might as well fall onto his knees and do what he's best at. he just couldn't look right into the other pair of determined eyes staring down at him.

"i suppose you know what this is all about," minho starts, voice deep and hoarse from all the shouting in the field, "i do take notice about my surroundings," he drops a hand to muss up jonghyun's hair, "everything. and do you not look at me, a lot?" he whispers.

jonghyun nodded, seemingly unable to comprehend if that had been a literal or metaphorical question. either way works.

"i see." minho chuckled.

"i'll be waiting for you after school. we'll go grab something simple and head over to my place, fine with you?"

jonghyun nodded again.

"alright, see you later, hyung." minho grins, breaking all tension and leaves the locker room.

the resounding footsteps shuffled around, replaying to jonghyun over and over.

"what have i gotten myself into," jonghyun curses, "this is ed up." not forgetting a couple of extra expletives.


--


"josephine liu," kibum hissed out the last name uncomfortably.

"ha-ha. i didn't ask for tha- hey, give it back!" she reached to the edge of the table and grabbed the leather wallet.

"but, 'amber josephine liu'? seriously?" jessica snorted at the other end.

"why don't they just call you ching chang chong or something simpler?"

"you guys are in' asses, alright? and stop saying tong chung or the likes, we don't even say that in mandarin." amber rebuts, fingers tapping against the plastic table impatiently.

"for the records, i said ching chang chong, josephine." krystal took a sip out of her orange mocha frappuccino and batted her eyes flirtatiously at the enraged girl.

"whatever."

there were a couple of bystanders when jonghyun and minho marched into the cafeteria together, hands linked and bodies pressed close together as though there had been a fight for warmth. not one person had missed the way minho had his arms around jonghyun's waists, fingers curling in deep enough to leave marks and claims on possession. wasn't that there weren't any marks on his neck that didn't exhibit the likes already.

this time, was different however. instead of the usual way of how the guys would cling to jonghyun and slobber all over him, it was jonghyun that did the exact (excluding the slobbering, of course. despite taecyeon's claims, he was still pretty hygienic.). the way he would trace minho's arms and draw shapes on his clothed chest was pretty obvious as to how head over heels he'd been in love with the mentioned.

"disgusting." taemin cringed as he saw the way minho had tucked jonghyun's hair behind his ear.

which didn't go unheard by the couple. "excuse me," jonghyun glared at the cowering boy.

"don't you think the both of you are too old for this?" kibum groaned.

"the appreciation of your loved ones never gets old, kibum." jonghyun merrily said, eyes twinkling when minho pulled him closer.

"where did you hide jonghyun-oppa, you alien? oppa hates the public display of affection, and you're the exact opposite of him!" krystal cries out, fingers wiping at mock tears.

"ha. but no guys, can't you see? what minho and i share is real, and i guess it's true -- they say love makes one blind." jonghyun looks up at the other set of eyes staring back down at him.

"yeah," minho speaks up, momentarily shocking everyone. it wasn't often that they heard minho speak when they were together. jonghyun did all the speaking, and minho would seat next to him.

"if you're just worried that i might mistreat hyung or something, then none of you would have to worry."


--


"you're an , you know that, minho?" jonghyun threw another book at him.

"jonghyun-ah, we can talk this over!" minho ducks every hard-covered book headed toward him.

"no! you are a ing !"

of course, the both of them had to give a perfectly sensible explanation to the fretted librarian who could do nothing but watch how her books were treated like trash. despite the closest poster was of a 'treat your books like your friend!'.


--


the whole table was in silence as they watched how the fuming boy tried to ignore the flirty smiles directed at him now that he was finally back in the market.

"minho-oppa would totally tell them off if he was here..." krystal trailed off, fingers twirling her luscious locks.

"well, if you miss your minho-oppa so dearly, none of us here is stopping you from going." jonghyun hissed, "and stop throwing these paper balls at my table you jerks! can't you see i'm in my mourning period now?" he barked.


--


no one could blame him though. minho was at a frat party. and everyone knew what frat parties were for. a couple of girls and a dozen of guys. everyone also knew for a fact, jonghyun hated such parties. because they were unethical and anyone who goes to one is automatically blacklisted. for another fact was that, funny story, jonghyun had found minho's tongue shoved down another girl's throat and her hands were shoved down somewhere he wished he hadn't known.

from: jerkface

message:
baby, cmon u know i didnt do that on purpose i was drunk.

received at 17:53 9/10/11


it was excruciating to ignore his messages, and he knew he couldn't be doing so for the rest of his life. or maybe just the rest of college. but still! it would be 3 years! he quickly typed a reply, but his fingers hovered over the 'OK' button. was whatever he called 'love' worth the humiliation he would be put through if minho was to repeat the same mistake again? jonghyun had too big of a pride and there was no way he'd be letting it go any time.

"i'm sorry minho, there'll always be a second if there's a first." he whispered and clammed up his phone, message sent to his drafts.