"Taemin-ah, are you going out tonight?" Jonghyun asked concerned, observing Taemin brush out his chestnut brown hair in the mirror. "Y-Yes, hyung." his voice was hoarse; ever since two nights ago. "Hm. And what time will you be back?" the muscular man in the doorway asked. "I-I'm not sure hyung." the younger's voice was quiet. "Please try to make it back at least by 1:30 tomorrow morning. I don't like it when I watch you stumble through the door as I leave for work at six." Jonghyun said with a frown, thoughts of a certain dreadful night morning.About to leave for work, a breathless Taemin stumbles through the door, his legs barely stable enough to hold up his lean figure. Bruises up and down his arms; even a black and blue blotch on his jaw.

"Yes hyun-" Taemin let out a sporadic set of coughs out before just nodding at the man through the mirror.

Jonghyun shut the door to Taemin's room and rubbed the back of his neck with his hand, releasing a slow sigh. "How long will this go on for?" he asked himself in his own mind.

The long haired boy dropped his brush immediately when the door was shut, and began examining the blistering red lines on his shoulders with tears slowly making way to the surface of his eyes.

Taemin and Jonghyun met about seven months ago when their mutual friend, Jinki, introduced them to each other. Taemin was looking for a place to stay, and Jinki knew Jonghyun was renting a room in his apartment. They were both desperate; to find a renter and a safe haven.

A month after they met, Taemin moved into the new apartment with great happiness showing on his face. Both of them became really close friends with each other, telling secrets and watching movies together and did whatever roommates do. But they especially became closer when Taemin would come home bawling, just dying to be in somebody's arms; longing for the feel of being protected. But that was also, the time when Jonghyun got too close with his roommate. Feeling wise.

The younger boy never used to go out; he liked the comforting aura of the apartment. It all changed though, when tall man showed up unexpectedly with a mediocre smile across his face. Taemin was the one to answer the door, backing up slowly with a hand covering his mouth. He didn't say a word. Jonghyun was confused by the silence after he heard the door click open, so he took a peek from the kitchen and studied the unfamiliar man. "Who is that?" Jonghyun had asked. "M-My boyfriend." Taemin stuttered in amazement. The new man then, took Taemin outside in the hallway.

Apparently, Taemin and Minho were dating for one and a half years at the time, and that was all Taemin had told Jonghyun. The curious boy never really asked Taemin what that "talk" outside was about. But ever since that day, Taemin left the house almost every night, and came back early in the morning battered and bruised. Jonghyun questioned the boy about his damaged body, but the only answers he got from the sweet boy was "I'm fine.", "Please let me be.", or "Don't worry, I just fell a bit."

Yeah, this topic was on his mind a lot, but he wasn't going to force the younger boy to tell him what was up. Jonghyun believed him for a while, until the green and blue marks became more and more frequent and noticable with each night he went out with his boyfriend. He began to become a little skeptic. Something definitely was not right with this relationship.

An annoying "ding dong" interuppted Jonghyun's deep thinking session, but he got up anyway and walked to the door with an upside down smile. He knew exactly who was waiting behind the door. He opened it and greeted the tall and broad man bitterly, as he motioned a hand to come inside. Minho just smiled and took the invitation, coming inside of the toasty living area. 

Inside of his room, Taemin gasped at the sound of the doorbell. He bit his lip, flashing a look at the clock next to him which read "9:30". The boy's heart started racing wildly as he desperately searched his desk drawers for something. His fingers danced above the knick knacks that sprawled over the bottom wood, until he found what he was looking for. A pendant. A pendant that was supposedly blessed with love and luck, given to him from his late parents. He squeezed it in between the palms of his hands and shut his eyelids tightly, whispering a barely audible plead.

"Please, help me get through this nightmare."

Minho was propped up against a wall, and Jonghyun stood parallel to him, staring with piercing eyes. "Are you trying to intimidate me or something?" Minho joked, acting as if nothing was wrong at all. "No, just trying to see whats under that fake smile." he replied, crossing his arms over his chest. The taller man chuckled and shook his head. "This isn't funny." Jonghyun coldly said. "You act as if i've beat up your best friend." Minho joked. The words he said sent chills down Jonghyuns spine, that made his eyes widen in surprise. "Well, seems like it." he thought. Footsteps were heard in the distance. Well, not exactly steps; more in a way of reluctant dragging.

"There he is." Minho smiled, watching his boyfriend shuffle toward the shoes near the door. Taemin took a knee to the floor, slipping out of his slippers, and into the first sneaker. Nothing but an awkward silence was heard, as the standing boys watched the one on the floor tying up his laces. Once he finished with the the second shoe, he stood up and avoided meeting his boyfriends glance. "Let's go then." Minho said in a cold voice that replayed in Jonghyun's ears, surprised at the sudden change of tone. Minho grabbed the skinny boy's wrist, and he let out a small whimper as he was dragged out of his haven.

~~~~~

It was 2:30 in the morning, and still no sign of Taemin. "I told him no later than 1:30." Jonghyun thought, catching a look at the numbers on the bottom right corner of his laptop screen. "Damn it, I really need to talk to Min-" a slam was heard from the opposite side of the front door. Familiar sobs were filling Jonghyun's ears and processing in his brain. "T-Tae?" he said in a loud voice, hoping the person outside could hear. Jonghyun waited a coupld of seconds for a response, and an almost silent "Hyu-ung." ghosted through the door. Shoving his laptop to his side, Jonghyun ran to the door and pulled it open to find Taemin laying in the now open doorway. Jonghyun assumed that he propped himself against the door.

"Taemin-ah, i'll help you up." the helpful boy extended a hand to the one on the floor. Taemin just shut his eyes and knocked out right there. A low "Aigoo" sounded from Jonghyun as he watched the angelic boy sleep right there. He then carried his roommate to his room, and lied him on his bed. "Should I.... Change him?" Jonghyun thought blushing.

"Uh, shirt. Shirt." he began searching his drawers for a clean shirt for him to wear. Choosing one randomly, he walked back to Taemin's side to aid him. "Omo, what if he has abs? And I get to see them!" fantasies and imaginary pictures popped up into the mans head. Shaking them away, he needed to concentrate on the problem in front of him.

Slowly, the nervous boy reached for the bottom hem of his roommate's shirt. What he saw hidden under his dongsaeng's shirt wasn't just abs. The end of the shirt slipped between his frozen fingers and he felt as if his heart dropped to the floor and shriveled up. Worse than small cuts and bruises, numerous gashes were found, decorating the pale body. Red. Red everywhere. The boys body reeked of the smell of blood. Jonghyun ran a finger along the puffy edges of one of the swollen cuts, startled when Taemin winced at his touch. "How could anybody damage such a precious temple like this?" endless questions flooded his mind.

Jonghyun knew for sure Minho had something to do with this.

~~~~~

Taemin knew what Jonghyun had done for him, but he couldn't bring himself to thank him until the wounds were almost healed. Either that, or he needed time to make an excuse. "Thanks for cleaning me up a couple nights ago." Taemin smiled at his hyung. "Where did you get the wounds from. And don't you dare tell me that 'you fell a bit'." Jonghyun asks sternly.

"I-I was. Jumped when Minho left to pull the car around at the club." 

"Really now?"

"Really." he replied, looking into his black cup of coffee.

The man across the table sighed and rubbed the side of his mug of tea. "Whatever you say."

The next few hours, both of them lounged around the house doing their own thing, until Taemin walks into the living room, and takes a seat next to the half awake, half asleep Jonghyun.

"Hyung? Can you leave the apartment for a couple hours tonight?" he asked. "For what?" Jonghyun rubbed his eyes and stretched his legs into Taemin's lap. Taemin rested his arms over his friend's legs and reluctantly replied, "Um, Minho wants to hang out over here for a change." Jonghyun sent his roommate an "I hate that " look. Taemin disregarded it and added a couple "Please"s. A loud groan left the older's voice as he tossed and turned  and rubbed his face in his hands. "Sure."

"Thanks hyung." Taemin said with zero enthusiasm. "Yeah yeah. Hey, if you don't mind me asking, do you even like Minho?" Jonghyun asked Taemin. He was caught off guard with this question and just stared at Jonghyun's clothed back; wondering what to say.

An unexpected warmth wrapped itself around the lonely Jonghyun's body. "Stop asking questions hyung, just sleep." Taemin sighed into his hyung's shoulder. "Y-Yah! Isn't this considered cheating?" Jonghyun bursted out. Taemin pretended he was deaf, and drowned out his roommate's voice, only concentrating on his distinct smell and the warmth rising from his body. In his mind, Jonghyun really didn't care that he was cheating; Taemin needs somebody like him, instead of Minho.

Both caught up in the moment, Taemin and Jonghyun's fingers interlaced each other's, as they entered a world of their own.

A/N: This was supposed to be a oneshot, but i'm too tired to finish the rest right now. Sorry everybody! But tomorrow the other half will definitely be up. I apologize for the shortness, and lack of other things. Please keep in mind, I usually write fanfics at 11:30 at night. LOL. Thanks!