Taemin was sitting on his couch putting sealing up the envelope with ‘rent’ written on the front when he heard a knock at the door, he knew it was Onew but the sudden sound still made him jump.

“tae” he heard onew say from the other side of the door “you locked me out”

Oh taemin thought, he got up and walked over to the door feeling bad for locking him out again.

He swung open the door and held it open as onew came in with key.

Wait… What?

Taemin shut the door and blinked a few times before he finally spoke up “Key?”

Key and onew turned around and both smiled at taemin, onew nodded and key waved then signed ‘onew invited me over’ to taemin who nodded still surprised slightly

“I told you he was coming” onew said “remember last night, just before bed”

“you know I never absorb anything at that hour…” taemin pressed his lips together and walked back to the couch “well ill stay out of your way then I guess” he said, going back to the money envelope.

“actually…” onew bit his lip “I wouldn’t mind if you helped out” taemin looked up and then at key who nodded

‘the conversation be smoother if you understand sign’ key signed

“oh so im a translator?” taemin raised his brows

“yes! Glad you agree” onew smiled and sat down with key

“uh- ok fine” taemin sighed and sat with them

“oh cheer up tae, you could help” onew patted his back with a warm smile

“with what?”

“key likes jonghyun”

Taemin looked at key who blushed

“really?” taemin asked with wide eyes and key nodded, taemin smiled incredibly bright and shuffled closer to key “well isn’t that exiting” taemin was overjoyed, he had never had friends so he never had the opportunity to help match-make.

“so you’ll help?” onew asked

“of course, id love to”

Taemin, key and onew dived straight into the jongkey thing, onew explained how they would be amazing together and taemin agreed telling key that if they didn’t end up together he would cry. Key said he didn’t even know if jonghyun liked him, onew and taemin laughed at this, then told key that there was no way he wasn’t interested in him. After a few hours it got dark and they had finally come up with a plan. They know that jonghyun and minho are close, and usually whenever key and him get together he comes from minhos place, and that was their plan… just go to minhos.

“Wait” taemin pressed his lips together in confusion “we can’t really just ‘rock up’ to minhos without an excuse, like we were in the neighbourhood don’t you think?”

Onew and key just looked at one another and gave each other a knowing smile.

*earlier that day*

‘so you know taemin pretty well don’t you?’ key wrote on his pad to onew and he nodded ‘minho seems to be comfortable with him’

“what do you mean” onew furrowed his brows, he knew exactly what he meant… minho liked taemin… but onew kinda liked taemin too so he played dumb.

‘I mean they seem to get along, you know, they like each other I reckon’ key smiled

“they do don’t they?” onew smiled

Key nodded happily

*back to the present*

“oh no no no no no no NO!” taemin figured it out “not happening, I am not an excuse!”

“what are you taking about? You have excuse written all over you tae” onew smiled

Key nodded with pleading eyes ‘what do you think of minho?’ he signed

Taemin looked down and blushed lightly “i- I don’t know he is… t-tall I guess” he avoided everyones eyes, his mind went back to when minho didn’t call the police on him, then when he thanked him for getting him inside, then again when he treated him and onew to a meal after onew had an argument with his manager.

Suddenly onew started laughing and key laughed silently too. Taemin snapped out of his daydream and looked up at them “what?”

“tall?” onew laughed

“hey!” taemin slapped him on the arm lightly and pouted with his arms crossed “tall is good, but its what popped into my head, sorry I haven’t fixed my social filter” he pouted and looked away

Key stopped laughing and smiled lovingly at taemin pouting and onew who was currently on his back laughing. He had never had friends like these, he had friends when he was a kid, but they left, then he had the odd friend in school, but it never lasted, he was alone mostly, he liked this, having friends.

Onew and taemin were in the same position as key though, all three were new to the ‘friend’ concept and they all loved it, taemin didn’t feel so ashamed, alone and destructive. Onew didn’t have anyone before, now he did, he had real people to talk to, not animals, and a place to stay, and for a homeless that’s a big deal.

Key suddenly leaned over and hugged the still pouting taemin, surprising taemin.

“key? Everything alright?” taemin asked and onew sat up finally. Key nodded and sat back smiling

‘thankyou’ key signed to taemin and then looked up at key with big eyes

“for what?”

‘being my friend’ key signed and smiled warmly

Taemins mouth fell slightly open and then he smiled back

“no key” taemin held his hands “thankyou”

“ok whats happening?” onew asked still calming down from his massive laughing fit

“we were both just appreciating the whole ‘ having friends’ thing” taemin smiled at onew with teary eyes, onew noticed and stood up

“so shall we go?” onew helped key up and smiled

Key nodded and taemin stood up too, key walked out followed by onew then taemin locked the door behind him while wiping a stray tear away.

.  .  .

“you seem tired” minho said passing jonghyun a sandwich, jonghyun was lounging on his couch with bags under his eyes, yawning every so often.

“yea, my manager made me work all night on this new song” he yawned

“I thought it was done”

“so did I, but its not romantic enough, but I dont know about that stuff!”

“why don’t you just write it like its for key?” minho knew he just pushed a button

“WHAT?! WHY!? I HAVE NO ROMANTIC INTEREST IN HIM!” jonghyun jumped up and grabbed his collar

“jeez, why so defensive?” minho chuckled

*knock knock knock knock*

Minho and jonghyun looked over at the same time.

Jonghyun let minho go and minho went to answer the door.

He opened the door to find onew, key and taemin smiling at him.

“uh hi guys” he said

“so we were just in the neighbourhood and thought we’d pop by onew said. Taemin shot him a quick glare because he brought up him and minho and wasn’t even going anywhere with it.

“taemin, you live in the building next to me” he pointed out

“same difference” taemin pouted and onew and key laughed silently

“well come in” minho said and both onew and key took notice at how relaxed minho was when he was at home.

“thanks” onew smiled and walked in, key and taemin followed then minho closed the door and followed them into the lounge room where jonghyun was.

Key saw jonghyun and blushed lightly as he waved and jonghyun did the same back. Taemin minho and onew rolled their eyes and shuffled out to the kitchen to leave the two on their own.

“hey, sorry for running out the other day” jonghyun scratched the back of his neck awkwardly “but the meeting was important” he felt awful for lying but he had to, he was never going to admit he was thinking about key in a romantic perfect way.

‘its not a problem’ key wrote ‘but I think there is something in the air at the bakery’

“why?”

‘first minho freaked out, then you’ key smiled and jonghyun laughed, the awkwardness between them seemed to disappear and key sat down next to him on the couch and they started talking like good friends.

“will they be okay?” taemin asked onew in the kitchen

“yeah, they better be, because im leaving for work soon” onew smiled and looked at the time “whoa more like now sorry, youll be fine right?”

Taemin looked at him with the ‘don’t leave me alone with him please’ look and pleaded him not to go but onew gave him a smile then said bye to everyone and left.

“so…” taemin bit his lip and minho smiled at his shyness

“were you really just in the neighbourhood?” he chuckled

“no, it was onews idea” taemin blushed, cursed his face and looked down.

“oh well im glad you’re here I guess”

“you guess?”

“uh- I mean I know, you know”

“yea” taemin laughed and minho joined in.

.

“they seem to be having fun” jonghyun said when he heard the laughter, though he was silently freaking out because onew had left for work.

‘yea’ key wrote and freaked out silently too

“so even though I haven’t seen you in a while I learnt some more sign language” keys face lit up

‘do you understand this?’ key signed

“all I got was understand” jonghyun laughed and smiled while key lit up more

“your cute when your happy” jonghyun blurted out then blushed and spun around and buried his face in his hands angry with himself.

Key put an arm on his shoulder but jonghyun flinched away, keys face dropped, he was so confused.

‘are you okay?’ he wrote and showed jonghyun

“yea” he said as he turned back around “sorry I just- I don’t know”

‘its okay, don’t stress about it okay?’ key wrote with a warm smile

“your too nice you know” jonghyun “wait… you know why im stressed?”

Key shook his head to say no and pouted ‘but its okay, I don’t need to know’ he smiled

“thanks” jonghyun smiled and decided to change the subject “so im writing a song for my album and wondered if you wanted to hear it?”

Key nodded and jonghyun got out his guitar and started playing.

.

“he plays?” taemin asked minho when he heard the guitar

“yea and he’s pretty good too” minho said

After a few seconds of awkward silence taemin spoke up

“you seem more comfortable”

“what?”

“you know, here, at home. You’re not so… on edge you know”

“oh- well its ho-“

“your safe place right?”

Minho froze

“uh- y-yea” minho was frozen “how-“

“its obvious”

“…”

“well for me, I mean you kept saying, take me inside, when you had your attack you know”

Minho relaxed, he thought everyone would have caught on

“well thanks again for that”

“seriously don’t, theres no need to thank me”

“yea there is”

“please, really there isn’t”

“why is it a problem?” minho asked and taemin looked up

It was a problem because taemin was alone and ashamed of his life for almost his whole life and he did something he thought he had to, but really… he believed that he didn’t deserve to the thanked at all.

“b-because I just don’t think its needed” taemin didn’t want him to press further, but he didn’t know that minho was oblivious and determined in every way.

“well I think it is” minho stepped closer

“ok but I wont accept it”

“why not?”

“please just drop it”

“no” minho felt like a jerk but he wanted to know, and needed taemin to accept his thankyou

“if I say ill accept it will you drop it”

“yea”

Taemin sighed because he knew he was a terrible liar and couldn’t get away with it here and now.

“but you can lie can you” minho said

“no” taemin mumbled “why do you need to me to accept it anyway?”

“because I want to be your friend, not just some guy you know” minho was honest there

“well if you want to be my friend, you would drop it right?”

“I uh-“

Taemin felt himself getting mad, at minho which made him even more mad, because he only got mad at himself, he couldn’t stand getting mad at someone else which made his more mad. Confusing I know.

“exactly!” taemin spat minho stepped back

“sorry I don’t know how to do this I-“

“I KNOW! You don’t know how to do this ‘socialising’ thing because you never leave this place!”

Key and jonghyun went quiet and listened curious as to why there was yelling, from quiet taemin

“you sit in the same place day after damn day doing nothing and not learning how to just DROP SOMETHING!”

This made minho mad

“why are you so against people thanking you anyway!?”

Jonghyun and key had now moved to the door way and is now watching in shock

“b-because I just-“

“just what?!” minho fumed “its polite to accept it, especially after what you did?”

“what I did wasn’t something big! It was something I wanted to do, I wasn’t in it for a thankyou!”

“that makes no sense!”

“you make no sense! You have a dam safe place but you go out anyway!!”

“don’t even try to understand me!!”

“why not?!” taemin felt tears coming but fought them back “that’s not fair, your pressing so hard trying to understand me!”

“because its something ridiculous!” minho was so mad he was a little red “ive lived with mine for my whole life!”

“AND YOU THINK I HAVENT?!” taemin practically screamed “you think I haven’t had to live with this!?”

“and what exactly is ‘this’ huh?”

“ME!?”  taemin screamed and minho went silent

“are you kidding me?” minho said quietly “I envy you”

“well that stupid!”

“no you can break into houses, scale buildings, risk your life! I cant even step outside for heavens sake!” minho raised his voice a little “you are braver than ill ever be!”

“brave?” taemin finally cracked and tears rolled down his cheeks “that not brave! That’s stupid! Hell the bravest thing ive ever done is keep on living, when all I wanted to do was die!”

Taemin covered his mouth after he realised what he said.

The room was silent and minho felt like he had been hit with a wall.

Taemin got so angry at himself he needed to run, so he spun around and ran out, barging past onew who was just getting back after work ended early.

“taemin…” minho said after him still frozen

Onew walked in and looked at everyone

Key and jonghyhun pointed at minho

Onew marched over and shoved him “what the hell did you do?”

“im sorry”

“yea, ill go make sure he is okay” onew said and turend to run after him

“what was that about?” jonghyun asked

“don’t… just go please” minho sat down depressed with his face in his hands.

Jongkey shuffled out of the apartment and started walking to keys.

.  .  .

“tae?!” onew ran into the apartment and heard a smash from the bathroom. “TAE!” onew ran in and saw taemin sitting below the sink clutching his bloody hand and crying. onew looked up at the smashed mirror and the pieces of mirror in the sink and on the floor.

“oh my god tae are you okay?” onew ran to him with a cloth to wrap up his hand

“I just got so angry” taemin buried his face in onews chest and forced himself to sleep

_____________________________________________________________________________________________

sorry for the wait, school has been a

but enjoy :)