There were several crumpled up papers on the floor.

                The one Taemin was currently abusing laid on the desk in front of him. It was marked with hundreds of lines which had some sort of meaning only he understood. The empty spaces between were stained by tears.

                He was far past upset.

                He told Minho that he was through with waiting, that this was his ultimatum.

                It was now or never.

                Surely that would make some sort of impact.

                What was the response?

                “You’re getting annoying, just take your clothes off.”

                Now he was sitting here, trying with all his power to convince himself not to give up, not to leave Minho.

                Unfortunately, his power was losing.

                There was no use talking to Minho now, he was drunk, half conscious, and unwilling.

                But he’d get him.

                There was nothing that would hold him back anymore.

                That morning, ignoring the fact that the elder had woken up only moments prior and was most likely battling a hangover, Taemin approached.

                Besides his school bag, Taemin had another duffle bag tossed over his shoulder.

                Minho was standing at the counter, pouring himself some milk to join his cereal.

                “Minho.”

                “What is it?” He asked in an unfamiliar, sober tone.

                “I’m leaving you.”

                “What?”

                “I’m leaving you, I’m calling off our engagement. That’s it. I’m not you fiancé, your boyfriend, your anything anymore.”

                “Is this about the money again? Just give it a rest. It’s all sorted out. Don’t worry, Kitten. Let’s just talk about this later.”

               Upset, Taemin shoved his engagement ring against Minho’s chest, giving the boy only a few seconds to take it. “No, there won’t be any talking about it later. I’m leaving you. I’m going to sleep somewhere else for the next few days so that you can think this over and think over your reaction.”

                “You can’t be serious, Taemin. Here, take it back and-”

                “Consider yourself single. See you whenever the time comes.”

                With that, Minho watched Taemin walk out the door, no looking back, no smiling.

                “Taemin! Come back! What are you… What are you doing?!”

                Jongin walked in, already dressed, quickly packing himself a lunch.

                “He’s serious, Minho. You ed up.”

                With that, Jongin left as well.

                “What… he can’t just call off our engagement and walk off like that!” He yelled to no one in particular.

                Slamming his fist into the wall, he told himself that this was a dream.

                He was just drunk and passed out and now he was sweating in bed, going through this nightmare.

                Things were all good yesterday, so where did this come from?

                He couldn’t think of a reason.

                There was only one solution; he’d have to talk to Taemin about.

                Arriving at school, Taemin wondered where he’d sleep that night.

                If Minho bothered to look for him, he’d definitely check Ruki’s house first, then maybe Heechul’s next. Even if he stayed with Chansung, someone he barely knew, Minho might check there as well, knowing they have a connection.

                All of Taemin’s friends were also Minho’s, so where could he go?

                Shoving a book into his locker, he sighed.

                “What’s your problem so early in the morning?” Someone asked.

                Turning around, his eyes met Jiyong’s.

                “Jiyong!”

                “Don’t be so loud.”

                “Can I stay at your place for a few nights? Please, I’ll do anything!” He begged, grabbed the boy’s shoulders.

                “H-hold on! Why?” Jiyong questioned.

                “I don’t… really want to talk about it right now… Jiyong, I have nowhere else to go…”

                Taking a few seconds to think it over, the boy pulled out his phone, calling someone. Another few seconds later, he spoke. “Hi, Seunghyun? Yeah, about tonight. W-well, yeah, I was excited, but I have to cancel. I know, I know, I’m sorry. Something came up. It’s not important. Take Daesung with you. Yeah, I’m sorry. You know I never cancel, we can go next time. Okay. Yeah, okay. Sorry. See you at lunch, bye.”

                Hanging up, his eyes shot in Taemin’s direction. “Fine, you can stay.”

                The younger boy’s face lit up as he threw himself at Jiyong. “Thank you!”

                “Okay, just get off me!”

                He felt a lot more assured, going through the day with much more ease.

                It would be lying if he said he didn’t think about Minho, that he didn’t worry about him.

                He imagined the boy bursting into the room during the middle of his class and kissing him.

                “Taemin, I quit my job. I was stupid, I’m sorry I didn’t listen to you. I promise I’ll never do it again. We’ll be together and I’ll cherish you like I used to. I won’t get drunk, I won’t use you, please, come back to me.” Minho would proclaim.

                It was a nice thought, but also a bad one.

                He knew that he’d only have to hear one word from Minho and he’s easily go back to him, to go back to their broken relationship.

                That’s what love did.

                After school, Taemin found Jiyong.

                He asked to take a different exit, in case Minho felt like showing up.

                They made their way to his house through the back exit.

                Meanwhile, Minho left class early, standing in front of the school gate five minutes prior to when the bell would ring. Once it did, he gave Taemin a few minutes to get ready. Back when he used to pick the younger boy up, it was never more than ten.

                But ten minutes passed.

                So did twenty.

                And twenty more.

                Taemin didn’t come and he wasn’t answering him phone later.

                About an hour after school had ended, he saw Jongin leaving with who he presumed was a friend.

                “Jongin!” He called, “Where’s Taemin?”

                “He took a different exit. He was gone the moment he could be.”

                “Why didn’t you stop him?”

                “I’m not going to clean up after your mistakes.”               

                “W-well… where did he go?”

                “Clearly somewhere he didn’t want you to know about. Back off.”

                He’s mine, why should I back off?

                Taemin stepped into Jiyong’s room.

                He was greeted by clothes on the floor and an unmade bed.

                It wasn’t as messy as he expected it to be.

                “Just drop your bag over there.” He was instructed, so he did. “Do you want anything to eat?”

                “I’m a little peckish I guess.”

                “’A little peckish’, just say you’re hungry. My parents are out so all we have is… probably just ramen.”

                “I’ll have ramen, thank you.”

                Jiyong served the easily made meal.

                After they ate, they went to play some video games. That lasted a good few hours, the only break occurring when Jiyong’s parents came home and Taemin went to introduce himself. At one in the morning, they were finally kicked out and told to go to sleep.

                They didn’t go to sleep, but they did get into bed.

                Lying there in the darkness, sharing a mattress made for one, Jiyong finally asked.

“So why aren’t you home?”

                Hesitant, Taemin shrugged. “I… broke up with Minho. Anyways, I don’t want to be with near him right now.”

                “Woah, wait… like, actually?”

                “Like, actually.”

                “But weren’t you two going to get married or something?”

                “We were but… I guess that’s not happening anymore.”

                The conversation died after that.

                Maybe Jiyong didn’t know what to say, maybe Taemin didn’t care to say anymore.

                They both assumed that going to sleep was the next thing to come.

                Then, when the clock on the bedside table showed 11:42, Taemin heard shuffling.

                Opening his eyes, Jiyong’s face was millimeters away.

                Their gazes passed over each other and as the elder’s waist found itself between Taemin’s legs, their lips locked in a hot and passionate kiss that lasted longer than their lungs could perform. But Jiyong knew that, so occasionally he’d pull away, offering the younger boy chances to breath. When he decided he wanted to take things a bit further, he pulled the brunette into his lap, hands ready to undress him if the order was given.

                But he stopped.

                They both did.

                Pulling away, Taemin glazed his lips over with his tongue. “What… What was that for?”

                Blushing, Jiyong averted his eyes. “I don’t… know… I guess I just wanted to see what all the fuss was about. Minho wanted to marry you, Jongin is in love with you…”

                “I don’t think they want to for how long I can make out before passing out.” Taemin laughed.

                “Are you ?” The elder suddenly asked.

                “What? No… why would I be?”

                “Because… you’re gay and I’m a guy, so…”

                Sending him a questionable look, Taemin slowly shook his head. “That’s not how it works. Just because you’re a guy doesn’t mean I’m going to get hard. Besides, you’re my friend. What, do you get hard every time you’re around a girl?”

                “No…”

                “It’s the same for me.”

                “So… you’re not thinking of me or- or how it would feel to me?”

                “No. Why would I?”

                “Because I am. I mean, I’m kind of curious…”

                “Wh-what?”

                “So,” Jiyong began, “what makes you get hard? With… like, Minho?”

                “Well, anything when he wants to get me hard. If we’re… ‘in the mood’ than anything he does.”

                “But what specifically? There has to be something different because… you do it differently.”

                Taemin rolled his eyes. “Alright,” He began, his voice low and seductive. “I love it when he pounds me in the , or when he shoves his down my throat forcibly, or when he s me from behind. I love it when he makes me scream his name at two in the morning.” He felt something grow hard beneath him, pressing into his thigh. Shocked, he asked, “Jiyong, are you har-”

                “Shut up.”

                “I’m sorry, forget it. I’m going to sleep. Good night.”

                “Taemin…”

                “Y-yeah?”

                “Now that you’re single, um… next time I’m drunk, I’ll call you.”

                Taemin blushed, knowing that that sentence had a second meaning.

                The words ‘now that you’re single’ resonated in his head.

                “What if you got drunk now…?”

                “You wanna tonight?”

                Catching himself, Taemin said no, because he knew anything like that had long lasting side effects. with someone you knew was rarely a one-time thing.

                “Can I stay here for a few more nights?”

                “Will I get some sort of thank you… using these?” Jiyong asked, his thumb running over Taemin’s lips.

                “I thought you were straight.”

                “I’m curious what it would be like. I can be curious, can’t I?”

“Your tongue just assaulted my whole mouth and you’re still curious?”

“I usually need a few goes at something before I know all about it.” Then he laughed, “You’re a good kisser.”

Minho called in sick to work every day that week. He was hoping and praying that he could be lucky enough to bump into Taemin.

It was now evident that their marriage was at risk.

Finally, after four days, Taemin came home.

“Taemin, I’ve been waiting for you. Are you staying here now?”

“Yeah, I’m back.”

“Can we talk?”

“What’s there to talk about?”

“W-well us, our relationship, why you decided to leave all of a sudden and-”

“All of a sudden? Oh no. Oh no, no, no. You’ve had your chance to talk for the past three months, but what did you do? You got drunk and just had . So you know what, I don’t want to talk. The conversation was short and quick. I’m leaving you, the engagement is called off.” Taemin stated, heading for his room.

Minho grabbed his arm, keeping him there. “Listen, you can’t just call it off one-sidedly! We need to both agree to this!”

“Excuse me?! You don’t need to agree to anything! If I am unhappy with this relationship, I have the right to leave. You don’t deserve and explanation or a chance.”

The elder’s grip now increased and if it continued much longer, the skin would bruise. “Talk to me.” He said, putting emphasis on each syllable.

“I’ve been trying to talk to you for the past three months. Now you can go talk to a wall. Maybe then you’ll know how I felt.” The younger boy shot back in a mocking tone.

“Taemin, what’s wrong with you?!” Minho yelled back, growing upset with the unwillingness to cooperate.

“What’s wrong with you?! You don’t have the right to touch me anymore! Let go!”

“We’re not over!”

“Yes we are!”

“If I can’t have you, no one can!” The elder proclaimed, his eyebrows furrowed.

“What the hell, Minho?! That might be how your world works, but not how the real world works!”

Taemin’s back was slammed up against the wall as Minho followed, giving him little breathing room. The elder’s strong arms were on both sides of him, providing no escape. “I’m not going to let you leave.” Minho growled. “I’ll ing show you you’re mine!”

                Throwing Taemin over his shoulder, he carried Taemin to his bedroom. The kicking and screaming didn’t bother him whatsoever. He assumed the younger boy would be just as uncooperative in bed, but that was fine, he was used to working with a ‘tied up’ environment.

                Forcing him into handcuffs and several other restraining devices, he got down to work. Taemin hate that Minho was sober. This way, the was a thousand times better, but he didn’t want the to be good. He didn’t want the at all.

                He expected it to be rough and loveless, but it turned out to be the opposite. Minho seemed to be going slow, focusing on each place that made Taemin shake and shiver. The brunette was wet and dripping faster than he ever remembered. Knowing this was the man he was still so deeply in love with made it near impossible for his body to resist.

                He came halfway.

                Minho smiled at his work, but he hadn’t even entered yet. Rubbing against Taemin’s entrance, he earned moan after moan in Taemin’s high pitched, intoxicated tone.

                “Don’t you see how much I love you, Kitten?”

                The elder spend extra effort on stretching and preparing Taemin’s hole so that when the time came, he buried inside the boy in one swift .

                At that point, the brunette was shaking from the pleasure. Head to toe was drowned in euphoria. He still liked to tell himself that if Minho released him from all the shackles, he’d find the will to run away.

                Moments later, he came again.

                “I must have not been very good at this lately, huh? I’m finally properly sober and I’ve gotten you to come twice. I’m sorry for being so sloppy all this time. I’ll try my best to drive you to insanity each time I’m inside.”

                The bed creaked louder than it ever had as the two made love like animals, heaving and screaming.

                Minho proudly decided he was ready to release and pulled out, moving upwards to straddle Taemin’s chest and rest the tip of on the younger boy’s lips. “Can you swallow for me?” He asked.

                Taemin nodded. He went a step further and on the meat that might as well have already been in his mouth. Minho groaned, his twitching against the brunette’s tongue. When he felt the elder was about to fill him, Taemin looked up, locking eyes with him.

                “Minho?”

                “Yes, Kitten?”

                “Jongin’s going to me the next time we’re alone.”

                Minho was appalled, but that expression didn’t last long as he came down Taemin’s throat moments later. Regardless of whether it felt amazing or not, the elder’s anger was translated in the way he shoved his whole length into Taemin’s mouth, causing him to choke and suffocate

                Taemin’s eyes teared up and he tried to push Minho away but there was no way he’d find the strength. With that in mind, he slowly began to accept death as the final outcome.

                Then, just as he swore he’d lose consciousness, Minho pulled out. Taemin rolled onto his side, shielding himself as he gasped for air. Minho took a fistful of the brown locks, pulling their close.

                “You both better pray to god that I don’t see him lay a single finger on you. You’re still mine and if either of you think for a second that you’re not, I’ll make love to you while he watches to get that point across.” Then he smiled. “See, Kitten? Wasn’t that amazing? Only true love can make that great.”

                The younger boy shook his head. “That’s the worst round of I’ve ever had in my life.”

                Coughing and wheezing, Taemin shoved Minho off, trying not to cry, but the moment he left the room, he balled his eyes out.

                His throat hurt.

                His head hurt.

                His waist hurt.

                His heart hurt.

                Later that afternoon, Jongin came home. He walked in on Minho making something to eat. Usually, neither of them would say hi, but this time, the elder turned towards him. “Listen Jongin, Taemin’s mine. Don’t even think about touching him.”

                Irritated, Jongin shot him a benevolent glance. “Well you know what? He’s single, I’m single, we share a bed. If my ends up somewhere near or in his , well, whoops. Good thing that’s what single guys can do.”

                “He’s not single. He belongs to me.”

                “He’s not your property so leave him alone. You want to know something else?”

                “What?”

                “I had his down my throat. You know, it has this addictive taste to it. Maybe that was just the precum though. And the way he moans, that’s nice too, isn’t it? I’m not gunna lie, the next time we start playing around, it won’t end until it’s three o’clock at night and my is dripping out of his little, pink hole.” He received immense satisfaction from how angry Minho looked. “That’s right, Hyung. Those sights aren’t exclusive to you anymore. Try to swing your fist once and I’ll call the cops.”

                Before a fist fight erupted, Jongin jogged upstairs. He went to his room and found it empty, but the way everything was out of place, he knew Taemin was there. His eyes flew from the crumpled papers, to the pile of clothes, to the chair lying on its side, to the Kleenex box on the floor, accompanied by a trail of tissues leading beneath the bed.

                Getting on his knees, he laid himself down on the carpet, getting comfortable while his eyes locked onto Taemin’s. The brunettes cheeks glistened with tears that had dried long ago, stopped halfway on their journey to his chin.

                “Hyung…” Jongin whispered.

                That’s all it took to cause Taemin to break down again, crying hysterically.

                “Jongin…” He cried.

                “I’m here now, Hyung.” The younger boy said, offering his hand. Taemin quickly took it.

                “Jongin… I’ve never been so scared of him in my whole life…”

                Squeezing the elder’s hand in his own, Jongin crawled in under the bed to join him. “Taemin, would you let me protect you? Would you let me steal you away from him and make you happy?”

                “Yeah.”

                “Okay.”

                They slept under the bed that night, tied up in each other.

                But Minho didn’t care what they did.

                He tried for the next month, he tried to get Taemin alone every moment he could.

                But for the next month, Taemin was never in his sight.

A/N: FINALLY BACK HOME!!!