–Two months earlier -

"We’re…" He felt pressed by a squeeze to his hand. "We’re together," Minho finally said, his eyes darting around the room.

The three young men, who had regrouped on one bed, looked at each other, confused. They weren’t sure what to say. Hearing something like that would render anyone speechless.

"You mean… you and Kibum are…" Taemin’s clumsiness caused the blonde to roll his eyes.

"Yes. We’re kissing, cuddling, ing… I mean all the things normal couples do," Key explained, not noticing the blush splattered across his lover’s face. Minho let go of his hand, using it to cover his face. The others just stayed silent, trying to digest the blonde’s blunt reply.

"What?" Key’s shrieking tone reverberated in the room as he got no answer. He was starting to get a little annoyed at his friends’ attitude. Couldn’t they just say that they were happy for them? Their shocked and slightly disapproving expressions weren’t what he had expected to see. Especially not from his best friend. He watched as Jonghyun shifted uncomfortably on the bed, clearly avoiding any eye contact with him. The blonde sighed loudly, wanting to make his displeasure evident, but he was still met with silence. Taking Minho’s hand, he dragged both of them out of the room, leaving the speechless trio alone.

"What the ?" Jonghyun’s voice had come out loud and vibrant, which made the two others laugh.

"It can’t be true… they’re probably pulling a prank on us," Onew proposed, glad he wasn’t the only one weirded out by the situation.

"I don’t think so. Did you see how they were looking at each other?" Taemin pointed out. "They’re in love." The other two nodded, realizing it couldn’t be a joke.

"Oh well, I guess we’ll just have to get used to it then", the leader said, smiling.

"Yeah…" the younger one shrugged.

Sloppy kisses, excessive touching and cheesy gestures weren’t something you got used to overnight. Especially when the people involved were two of your closest friends. That’s why Jonghyun and Taemin were now helping Onew move out his stuff from the room he had been sharing with the two lovebirds. The leader couldn’t stay in there anymore; it was driving him nuts.

"Omg, why do you have so much stuff?" Taemin asked, panting.

"Aish… I just have a lot of books", the leader replied, putting down one of his boxes. He let himself drop on his new bed, glad they were finally done. The bed shifted as the youngest did the same.

"I’m so glad you’re staying with us now." Taemin’s grin had the older one laughing. He was glad too. It was all for the best. A sudden groan made their eyes shift towards the door frame. Jonghyun was holding his foot, in pain.

"Why did you guys leave that box in the middle of the hallway?" he hissed. The only response he got was giggles so he just continued walking, promising himself to get back at them later. He stopped as he was met with the unpleasant sight of Minho’s tongue in his best friend’s mouth. He faked a cough to make his presence known, but it didn’t work. Minho’s arms wrapped tightly around the smaller one’s waist as he deepened the kiss. Jonghyun sneered. ‘This is getting ridiculous…’

"Your room is just a few feets away. Why are you doing this in the hallway?"

The sound of their friend’s voice made them part and they looked at him, embarrassed.

"Ah, Jjong… we’re sorry." Minho replied, uneasy.

"It’s okay… it’s just that you’re not alone. We’re still here," the singer said, before walking past them. Once again, he had to put off speaking with his best friend. He took his jacket and left for a walk.

"What’s wrong with him… he seems…" Minho couldn’t find the word.

"What’s the matter with you?" the blonde yelled, grabbing his arm. Jonghyun pushed his hand away, determined to leave the room, but he was once again stopped. Key’s arms were now around his waist, his head resting on his shoulder.

"Let me go…" the smaller one uttered angrily.

 "No." Key tightened his grip.

A whispered ‘I missed you’ against his ear made Jonghyun lose all resolve. He let his back press against the taller one’s body as a sigh left his lips.

 "It doesn’t seem like you did though… You’ve spent no time with me for the last few weeks and I just… well, I felt abandoned," the older one admitted. He was suddenly flipped around, eyes now staring into dark irises.

"Why didn’t you say so?" the blonde asked, gripping his toned arms.

"I’ve never seen you so happy before… I just thought I shouldn’t ruin it."

"Well excuse me, but your y attitude and long faces kinda tipped me off." Key pointed out. "You’re not a very subtle man, Kim Jonghyun," he teased, messing his hair affectionately.

"Yah!" he protested, before his lips cracked into a smile. He couldn’t stay mad at his best friend. "So… you never told me how you two got together…" he mused as they both sat on his bed.

"You never asked!"

"I know… I was just so surprised. I’m sorry."

A sigh left the younger one’s lips. "There’s not much to say… It just kinda happened."

"So you two just woke up one morning and said ‘hey let’s be together?" Jonghyun slapped his arm. "Tell the story right, Kibum!"

The blonde stared at his friend in disbelief. "Aish..." He winced, rubbing his arm. "That hurt…"

"I don’t care, just go on with it!" The older one crossed his arms as he stared at his friend. He was really eager to know all the details, because that couple still didn’t make sense to him.

After a few more minutes of beating around the bush, the blonde finally spilled the beans, leaving the other one speechless.

"Wow, okay… You two are really something." He laughed and put a hand on his friend’s thigh. "I really hope he takes this relationship seriously."

Key frowned. "I’m sure he does."

"You told them?!" Minho gasped.

"Well yeah, I want all my friends to know. What’s the problem?"

"Bummie, you can’t just go around telling everyone."

Key rolled his eyes. He knew his boyfriend was right, but he was just so happy that he hadn’t been able to keep it in. "I’m sorry."

Minho sighed, pacing back and forth. He didn’t like it at all. He didn’t want to get mad at him or anything, but he was pissed.

"I really am," the blonde said putting a hand on his shoulder. "But maybe what I’ll say will cheer you up." He grinned. "We’re going on a double date tonight!"

"W-what…" Minho couldn’t believe it. "With who?"

"Hyeong Seop and his new girlfriend. I don’t like the girl, but it could be fun," he said excitedly.

"Are you sure that’s a good idea?"

"Um… I don’t see what harm it could do." Key took a step closer to him. "Stop being so grumpy," he added, caressing the other one’s cheek.

"Okay…" Minho smiled and lowered his head to kiss the blonde. Their lips met for a few seconds before he pulled back. "I’m going for a jog. When are we supposed to meet them?"

"At 8, so don’t stay out too long," the other one replied.

"Okay."

Key left the room and a few minutes later, Minho was in his sportswear, ready to go. A brisk wind brushed his face as he took a first step out. He liked it when it was windy; it made the run easier. He started on their street and turned at his right when he reached the end. A familiar figure made him slow in his tracks and he stopped completely when he recognized the man approaching.

"Hyung?"                                         

"Why are you so surprised?" the older man asked.

"Well, you don’t live in the neighborhood…"

"Well I wanted to see you." Changmin gave his friend a bright smile. "I was going to your dorm, but I’m glad I met you here instead." He paused and looked back. "There is a park nearby; maybe we could find a bench and talk."

Minho frowned. "Okay..." They walked side by side, not saying a word until they were both sitting down.

"I’ll go straight to the point," the older one started. "I talked to Kyu and he told me about you and… Key."

Minho looked down to his feet, suddenly feeling uneasy. "And?" he asked, nervous.

"Well… I wanted to hear it from your own mouth. Are you guys… going out?"

"Y-yes." He turned to look at the other one. The look he saw on his face made his heart sink. It was a look of disgust.

"I’ve known you for a long time now and I know how shy you get around girls so…"

"No, that’s not it. I love Kibum," Minho interrupted.

"Ah, I see. Well, if you ever change your mind… I know a few girls that would be more than willing to go out on a date with you," the older one said as he got up. "Oh and, think how this could affect your career if fans were to know,"he added.

Ever since they had gone on the double date, Key had noticed a change in Minho’s behaviour. To put it simply, he was distant. The blonde didn’t even remember the last time they had gone out on a proper date. He didn’t ask much, he just wanted to feel loved again. He had tried to talk to him about it, but the younger one always found some way to cut the conversation short. So instead, he spent most of his free time with Jonghyun to distract his mind from Minho. The older one didn’t mind and did his best to comfort his friend, which was why they were now both heading to an ice cream parlor. He knew how much the blonde loved ice cream.

"Yah, Jonghyun! We shouldn’t be eating this. We’re on a diet," Key reminded.

"Who cares? It’s not like we eat it every day. Plus, it’s a necessary crime." He winked and turned to the lady behind the counter. A few minutes later, they were both stepping out with a cone in their hands.

Jonghyun watched as his friend took his first and laughed when a smile cracked his lips. "I knew that would make you feel better."

The other one snorted and went back to his treat. Right now, all that mattered was that cone. Oh and maybe the shorter man that was walking by his side. But mostly, the ice cream. He didn’t want to think about anything else.

Unfortunately, something always had to bring him back to reality and he silently cursed his friend for asking how things were with Minho.

"You know how things are," he sighed. "They’re bad. We barely speak to each other anymore." His arm fell to his side as drops of melted ice cream hit the sidewalk.

"He’s been acting strange for weeks now. You really need to sit him down and have a talk." Jonghyun put a hand on his shoulder. "I can’t bear to see you so sad."

"To be honest, I’ve been avoiding having a serious talk with him… I’m afraid of what he’ll say," he admitted as his eyes filled up with tears.

"I’m sure it’s nothing bad. Maybe our hectic schedules are really getting to him," he pointed out, wiping his friend’s tears away.

"Yeah, maybe you’re right."

_________________________________________________________________________________________________________

For days now, thoughts of leaving Kibum had been haunting him. He hated himself for it, but he couldn’t help it. Ever since he had talked to Changmin, constant doubt hovered in his mind. Images of their time together in London popped up as he sat down in the living room. It all felt like a dream. He wasn’t the Minho he had been over there. He wasn’t as free and relaxed. Now that he was back home, he had to take some matters more seriously. He couldn’t keep on feeling uncomfortable around everyone by fear of their judging looks. Yes, he was very fond of the blonde, but he was starting to question if he had ever really loved him. The more he thought about it, the more it felt like he had gotten into this to fill a void. He had found someone who truly loved him and saved him from his loneliness. To be so close to someone had brought some life back into him, but now, he had to let it go. It was for the best.

Getting up from his chair, he stood still for a while. Even though he knew what he had to do, he was really scared. He still didn’t want to confront the blonde. He started walking towards the hallway, but the door suddenly opening had him stopping in his tracks. He turned around, nervous. The sight of his boyfriend made his stomach churn. He faked a smile, before turning around again.

"Minho…" The serious tone made the rapper freeze. "Y-yes," he replied, looking back at the other one.

"We need to talk." Key took a few steps forward and stopped in front of him. "Let’s sit," he said, pointing to the sofas. Swallowing hard he followed the older one into the living room.

It was the moment he had dreaded. Key wasn’t going to let him go this time. He rubbed his neck, nervous. "What’s going on?"

"I should be asking you the same question. You’ve been avoiding me for weeks now and I can’t put up with it anymore. So you tell me what’s going on." The blonde crossed his arm as he slouched back on the sofa.

"I already told you… there is not-"

"Cut the crap, Minho. I’m not stupid."

A loud sigh passed the younger one’s lips. "Okay. You’re right. Something’s wrong." He felt his heart race. "I made a mistake."

 "What do you mean?" Key asked feeling his hands turn cold.

"I… I can’t do this anymore." Minho replied, looking to the ground.

"Excuse me?" The blonde couldn’t believe what he was hearing. He was tapping his foot on the hardwood floor, trying to calm down.

"I-It felt right in London, but here… I don’t know… I don’t think it’ll work."

"What won’t work, Minho?" Key already knew the answer, but he was going to play dumb until the end. Until the words left his lover’s mouth.