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He goes dancing by himself one night. For once he doesn’t want to see Taemin’s look of disappointment when he has a drink and he loves Onew and Minho to pieces but he doesn’t want them near him when he puts it on tonight. He wants to dance until he drops and maybe get adequately drunk on the side, and no one’s stopping him.

Except that he goes to a club owned by GD and TOP – they have excellent taste of dance music – and is held at the door. He thought he’d done a good job, disguise-wise, but when Jiyong cackles and pulls off the black wig he guesses no, apparently I didn’t.

He is quite blatantly ordered to party with the rest of BIGBANG and he figures that as long as there’s dancing and booze, he’s not going to complain.

They end up in some back room, Jiyong’s expensive suit shinning with its silver lining. Seunghyun hasn’t even touched alcohol and he’s remarkably ridiculous in his soberness, hogging Jiyong as much as he can. It’s in Key’s half inebriated mind that he realises Seunghyun is hogging Jiyong because Jiyong is Seunghyun’s to hog, and with another tequila shot he’s spilling his guts on his hyungs’ expensive leather sofa.

“The is so good but it's not the only thing I want,” his voice is a whine as he hangs over the back of the couch from where he drunkenly tumbled over after Youngbae-hyung had unsuccessfully tried to lift and twirl him. He hadn't mentioned how Jonghyun always lifted and twirled him perfectly, but with Youngbae now passed out on the couch it probably wouldn't have mattered much either way.

“? Tell us more about that Kibum-ah!”

Seunghyun throws a bottle Seungri's way and the boy falls flat on his face trying to make his escape. They hear Daesung laugh flatly from another corner of the room and then Seunghyun and Jiyong look his way with a seriousness that really isn't befitting for how completely wasted Key is.

“Seunghyun is leading Bom on,” Key doesn't even know how everyone apparently knows about this thing Jonghyun and he have – had just hurts too much – but he doesn't even care at that point.

“I'm not leading Bom on,” Seunghyun's nostrils flare and he rolls his eyes.

Jiyong is tucked into his side, and the gesture speaks epistles of how close they really are.

With a huff Jiyong clarifies: “they're not really dating. Everyone just thinks they are.”

“I like her,” the words draw a glare from the leader and Key snorts, flopping ungracefully over the back and into the cushions of the sofa, “just not in that kind of way.”

“You have to watch your back Kibum-ssi,” Jiyong has a kind look in his eyes, his words suddenly remarkably sober, “a cover-up goes a long way.”

Key thinks he might just be right – but if Jonghyun was ever genius enough to think of a way to have their backs, he was perhaps equally as idiotic for not letting Key know about it.

Somehow Key ends up in his bedroom with Jiyong and Seunghyun draped across his bed. They have soju and somewhere along the road even Seunghyun lost his inhibitions, joining in on the fun that was found in alcohol and dance. He's a little red-faced but somehow Key has grown to respect his hyung more than he ever thought he would – they don't often spend time with YG artists – because if anything, he's possibly just everyone's desired boyfriend. The way Seunghyun takes care of Jiyong unconditionally, even with his own muddled mind, is adorable, if not enviable.

Every single move radiates pure, unadulterated love and in that way it's kind of sickly sweet.

“Wouldn't he have told me?” Key thinks aloud, handing TOP an old, too big hoodie.

He wants to believe he put himself in this position by not having enough fate in Jonghyun and the fact that he is just trying to look out for them. It's just that it sounds so unlikely – Jonghyun is not an idiot, Key is sure he is smart enough to realise what it looks like... Except that maybe, considering it's Jonghyun he's talking about, he might just not.

“Words can be overrated,” Jiyong throws his jacket and dress shirt in a pile on the floor, baring his pale chest and giving Seunghyun an encouraging nod before stripping off his pants, “Is it alright if Hyunnie uses your bathroom?”

It's funny how, just like that, Jiyong's point is proven.

“Second door on the right,” Key smiles and Seunghyun disappears, “but…”

“Ask him,” Jiyong crawls into the single bed in nothing but his branded boxers, his muscles flexing and Key looks the other way – because Jiyong looks good but Jonghyun is just better, “you have a right to know.”

“And if…” Key doesn't know what he wants to ask, but Jiyong knows the answer anyway.

“I'm not too drunk to say that there is honestly no doubt that Jonghyun loves you. Like,” he lowers his voice as if they're conspiring, “really loves you. The Hyunnie kind of love.”

The idea that Jonghyun loves him like Seunghyun loves Jiyong is absolutely divine and equally absurd.

Key crawls into bed after changing into sweats, only to have a tired hyung immediately draped across his side – the colourful locks of his weave tickling into his flesh.

“Hyunnie!” the note of excitement colours Jiyong's voice beautifully, like when he's on stage and he doesn't just sing, he lets the music carry him away, “Hug Kibum-ssi! He needs our love until Jonghyun returns.”

Key is too tipsy to blush in embarrassment.

Seunghyun smirks and then they're squeezing tightly together in Key's single bed. They're just kind of molten into one another and Key feels safe again, warm, like before, when he hadn't yet kicked Jonghyun out of his bed, when he didn't yet close the door to make his point clear.

“He gets nervous about his skin,” Jiyong mumbles into Key's neck, but it's not like when Jonghyun does it, it's not shivery-tingly down his spine, “You can't weigh that much and not have marks. It's kind of perfect, his imperfections.”

Key feels Seunghyun's smile against his cheek and at the same time he feels the peaceful exhale of both Jiyong as Seunghyun, tickling his skin. They're so in sync it's insane.

They fall asleep – pass out – pressing together and holding on as if they'll die if they let go.

And that's okay. That's good too.

---

“Is he ?”

Light pounds behind Key's eyelid as a warning of the upcoming headache and Key’s body shoots upright in bed automatically at the sound of the voice suddenly alerting him.

Immediately two pairs of arms wrap around his waist and he is pulled back into the soft, warm, comfort of the bed.

“What...?” Key's eyes flutter and his voice is hoarse with strain.

He groans a little and Jiyong snickers into his chest. With Seunghyun snuggling into his side, the man's wayward bed hair tickles Key's neck.

Key tries getting up again, this time lifting himself halfway up on his elbows.

In the doorway, his four fellow members are gathered. Taemin cowers behind Minho, and Onew looks a little concerned. Jonghyun, is noticeably livid.

“I'm sorry hyung,” he tries to look adequately guilty and thinks he fails, “we have no schedule so I figured...” he shrugs his shoulders and Jiyong’s grips loosens as he outstretches his arms in a yawn.

“O-of course,” Onew nods adamantly, “You can always...” the leader hesitates, eyes shifting from Jiyong to Seunghyun nervously, “bring over... guests.”

“Ah, Onew-ssi,” Jiyong gets up lazily, cracking his shoulders and pressing Key into his side with a muscular arm, “you're so generous! And you've taught your members well, Kibum was very good to us!”

Key rolls his eyes at the blatant provoking, Jiyong's white teeth glimmering with his broad grin. Seunghyun chuckles darkly and turns in the bed, burying his face deeper into the pillow.

“I am sorry for worrying you Dubu,” Key worms out of the embrace and the cocoon of blankets and covers his skin with his robe, tying it tightly around his waist “I'll make breakfast now, alright?”

“Don't worry Onew-ssi,” Jiyong smiles, gets out of bed and stretches again as if purely to aggravate Jonghyun – or just to impress SHINee with his hot body – grinning in the oldest boy's direction, “I'll get Seunghyun up and we can be gone in five minutes!”

“Oh no,” Onew is watching Key leave the room and kind of glances at Jiyong before following his blonde band-mate, “please stay for breakfast. Kibum…”

He's already busy with pans and eggs because he's not sure he wants to hear what Onew has to say.

Actually he doesn't say anything and they all just sit there, watching him.

“Can I use your bathroom?” Seunghyun needs words with Key, and he gratefully leaves to change after a confirming nod.

Jiyong, rumbled shirt and smoothened suit jacket and all, places himself behind Key instead of sitting down, leaning his chin on Key's shoulder to watch him cook – it was Jonghyun's place, but Key was too amused to complain.

“You should visit us more often,” Jiyong hums, doesn't make room for cracking the eggs, “bring your friends. Not you though,” he lifts his head to look at Jonghyun, square in the eye and suddenly Key feels a whole lot less pleased, “if it's a cover-up you should just say so.”

“Jiyong!” everyone sits there in shock and Key can't look at Jonghyun.

“Okay,” Jonghyun shrugs, drinks orange juice and stares right back at Jiyong, “I will.”

There is only silence next, and Key thinks his knees will buckle or his heart may explode. It hurts more than he thought it ever would.

Seunghyun joins with a smile until he sees all the serious faces and he runs a hand through his tangled hair with a deep, knowing sigh.

“Ji... What did you do?”

“We're taking Kibum home with—“

Key shakes his head and laughs, loud and borderline psychotic but laughing feels so much better than crying.

“Let's just have breakfast hyung,” he feels some sort of sting in his chest where he figures his heart is, but he doesn't care – so Jonghyun played him? His own dumb fault for trusting him – and adds cut cabbage to the omelette, “I can see your home another day. Didn't Youngbae say you have dance class this afternoon?”

He didn't, but Jiyong and Seunghyun get it anyway.

Jiyong fixes Seunghyun's crooked tie, and it's all so very domestic, nobody needs to be drawn a picture to understand the situation.

They have breakfast in an uncomfortable silence that only the bickering Seunghyun and Jiyong make bearable. Onew is constantly throwing looks his way but he keeps his eyes on his bowl and his smile modest because if he doesn't, Jonghyun will know all about the whole broken heart thing and it's the last thing he needs. Jonghyun knows enough of his weaknesses already.

Afterwards Taemin offers to clear the table and Key lets his hyung out. There's an exchange of numbers and a whole lot of cuddling – Jiyong gets easily attached, but Key admired his honesty on the matter – making him feel no better, but the gesture is admirable.

Key sleeps restlessly that night, tossing and turning. He admits he's been crying, silencing his sobs in the pillow because his leader and maknae have their bedrooms close to his and he'd never live it down. They'd be all sweet and comforting and he'd only feel even more degraded.

He wakes from uncomfortable slumber when a stripe of light is thrown on the wall. Key doesn't have to turn to know who it is. Displeased is not the least of what he feels.

“Out,” he sounds sleep-deprived – relatively correct – but there's no room for discussion with how stern his voice is, “now.”

“Kibummie,” the light disappears when the door is closed, Jonghyun ignoring the command.

Within seconds the bed dips in and then Jonghyun is pressing into him, hard all along his back. Key wants to escape from the embrace but Jonghyun is holding him and breathing into his neck and it's been so long since they've slept together and he misses it, so much.

“You said we'd be friends,” Jonghyun's voice presses into Key's cheek, “you're my friend. I don't want your bed smelling of other friends.”

Key wants to mention how normal friends don't usually kiss each other all along the jaw line, but he keeps his mouth shut and falls asleep surrounded by the older boy, protecting him from all the dangers of the world and keeping him locked in with an iron grip.

It's not really friendship, it's ownership and they both very well know it.

AN: I love GTOP probably as much as I love JongKey. And I love bringing BIGBANG into a SHINee fic and making them all bubbly and happy and friends.

I'm too tired to be uploading this. Look at me, livin' life on the edge~