A/N: Short update before the end of my week-break from school. I couldn't put it up sooner because mom is having our dining room (which is directly below my room) redone and the entire house is freaking noisy. Anyway, happy reading.

“Tae, what’s wrong?” Jongin asked. They were seated under a tree behind a bush at their neighbourhood’s park.

In all of their years together this is, by far, the most troubled he’s seen Taemin be. That was of course because he failed to notice how troubled the other was that time that he kept gushing about his first crush.

“I-It’s nothing. It’s just that... Minho hyung has grown colder towards me.” Taemin replied with a heavy sigh. Jongin picked up on the slight hesitation in his voice but decided to wave it off in favour of listening to Taemin. “I dunno. Maybe he’s grown tired of me.”

Jongin’s eyes doubled in size at what he heard and he turned his head to his right to glance at Taemin. But soon, he found his gaze lingering on the shorter. Who could ever grow tired of Taemin? He wondered if it was even possible.

His eyes trailed down to Taemin’s jaw line and down to the corner of his lips where he knew Taemin was giving off his sad smile. The way he sees it, Taemin was the most precious ball of treasure anyone would have the pleasure of having.

This was not okay at all.

Jongin watched for the next several weeks but he’s seen no improvement on Taemin.

Taemin would only smile around him now, which was a telltale sign that things have gotten worse. So he stayed by him; if only to keep giving him a reason to smile. Jongin can never bear to see him sad. He stayed by him even during dance class, when Taemin tried to cover up his problem with Minho, from Key.

Given how Key mothers Taemin, he’d go ballistic if he found out; and that’s what he and Taemin were trying to prevent.

Finally, when he’s had enough of seeing Taemin with such low spirit, he decided on confronting Minho himself. He was gonna give the older a piece of his mind because no one treats Taemin that way. Not on his watch.

“Minho, what’s up with you and Tae?” Jongin decided on leaving out the honorific, a small price Minho has to endure in return for what he’s putting Taemin through. “You better not be cheating on him.”

Minho gave a cold chuckle. “I knew he’d try to protect you from this.” He said, rolling his eyes at Jongin; who, by now, was looking more confused than ever. “Taemin and I are on a break for a good two weeks now.”

“What? Why? How could you?” Jongin fired back, not bothering to watch the tone of his voice.

“You see Jongin; I understand that you guys are childhood friends. I get that, believe me.” Minho began explaining calmly. “But I’m here now as his boyfriend. This is not just the competitive side of me speaking; but I thought that there should be a new number one in his book. We’ve talked about this a number of times already and no matter what, you’re still number one for him. You share too much familiarity that you’re in almost everything that he does and I feel like there’s no room for me.”

“So this cool- off... This is your ultimatum for Tae? Don’t you care about how he’s feeling?” Jongin found his anger diminishing. Partly, he feels for Minho, because for months now, that’s how he’s been feeling; that there was no more room for him since Taemin already has Minho.

A greater part of him though, feels really happy. Taemin was protecting him.

“I don’t mean to be cruel and I know this may seem like I’m making him choose between me and you, but I just want him to understand my side.” Minho cut Jongin off from his reverie.

“No Minho, it doesn’t just seem like it. It’s exactly what you’re doing.” Knowing Taemin, Jongin knew that their cool-off lasted this long because he wouldn’t even consider choosing between Minho and him. He couldn’t help but feel elated knowing that Taemin can’t bear to lose him; though the situation prevented him from showing that through his facial expression. “Whatever. Just stop putting Tae through all of this and fix it.”

With that, he left Minho in the coffee shop they met in.

The next time Jongin sees Taemin, which was a four days after he confronted Minho, he notices him smiling more. He seems less burdened and a little more upbeat than how he’s been lately.

“Jongin... We’re not too close for other people’s comfort are we?” Tae asks out of the blue, as he rested his head on Jongin’s shoulder.

“No, I don’t think so.” He replied, smile evident in his voice and Taemin lets out a relieved sigh.

“I thought so too. And even if we were, I don’t plan on changing it. People can either learn to deal with this or they can go, it’s they’re choice.” For the first time since he realized his feelings for Taemin, Jongin has never felt happier than he is now after hearing this from him.