Changjo sighed as he pulled on a pair of sweatpants, rummaging in his bag for a t-shirt.  The day did not go the way he, the way any of them, had thought.  Shooting for the video ‘No Joke’ had been a blast up until a group of girls staying in their hotel had figured out who they were.  Well they only knew the boys were famous… somewhere.  They didn’t know their music, didn’t know their language.  The only one to be able to communicate with the three girls was Ljoe. 

Changjo never thought their fans were annoying, he loved hearing the cheers and screams for him and his other group mates.  But these girls were not fans, they just wanted to have a story to brag about to whoever would listen.  One girl in particular seemed to latch herself onto Ljoe.  Out of the three, she was the most persistent.  The first few days they had been there; busy with photo shoots, searching for the perfect spot on the beach for filming; she had been there, watching, flirting, touching Ljoe.

That’s what got under his skin the most.  The way she would touch his arm, laugh when he would tell a joke, kept her eyes pinned on him every chance she got.  Ljoe didn’t look uncomfortable with how close she would get, when her hand would slide over his arm, or tuck her blonde hair behind her ear.  Ljoe would smile, translate to the other members what she would say and do the same thing to her when they spoke.  Ricky and Niel had tried to speak English to her, she would try to humor them, but her attention always went back to Ljoe.  Changjo didn’t like it and Cap didn’t seem to care for her either.  Chunji had stayed quiet about it mostly, telling them both they were just being protective, but Changjo knew that was more Cap’s job then his.  Chunji had only laughed and patted him on his shoulder, asking if he liked the girl.  Changjo shook his head and refused quickly.  

SHE was not the one he liked.

Changjo had tried to forget what he was feeling, tried to forget the anger towards the girl.  She wasn’t even the one he was really angry with.  He wasn’t sure who he was angry at really.  So when the time came to shoot the fighting scene, something in him just couldn’t control the anger.  Ljoe had told him he wanted it to look as real as possible, to not hold back.  Changjo had nodded, but told himself he needed to hold back.  He wasn’t really one to be violent, but the way he was feeling, he wasn’t sure if he trusted himself.

Changjo rubbed his right hand, looking at the knuckles that were slightly bruised.  He still couldn’t believe that he had punched Ljoe.  He glanced over at the bathroom door, hearing the water being shut off.  Changjo ran a hand through his hair and hung his head.  He had apologized many times, bowing low, trying to help Ljoe in any way he could, but he still felt angry at himself for hurting the smaller male.  Yes, Ljoe was tough as nails, maybe even tougher then he was, but it still didn’t mean Changjo didn’t out-strength him.

“Changjo?” Ljoe asked from the door, the younger starting a bit, jerking his head up to look at the blonde.  Changjo had to force back a small blush, seeing the smaller male in only a towel, his skin still wet with water.  “You okay?”  Changjo opened his mouth to speak but closed it and just nodded.  Ljoe cocked his head to the side, looking a bit confused and grabbed a small towel, drying his hair.  Changjo watched the older male sit on the bed and sigh, working his fingers together nervously.

Ljoe’s phone buzzed on the side table, both males looking at it.  Ljoe leaned over, his lean body flexing as he grabbed the cell and checked it.  A small smile crept over his face as he started to text back.  Changjo felt the anger starting to rise in his gut as he watched Ljoe read another text.  He stood, rubbing his hands together pacing around the room.  Changjo closed his eyes and took in a deep breath when he heard Ljoe chuckle at something, most likely another text.  He wasn’t sure if he could take much more of it; he needed to know why Ljoe liked the girl.

“Ljoe?” Changjo asked as he turned, watching as the boy in question looked up at him.  Changjo ducked his head a bit, the boy’s nose still slightly bruised from the punch the younger had dealt.  “Can I ask you something?”  Changjo still looked at the floor, not able to look at him.

“You know you can, Jonghyun,” Ljoe stated as he stood.  “Are you sure you’re okay?” Ljoe took a step closer to Changjo.  Changjo glanced up at him, seeing worry on his face, and felt guilty for feeling angry.  No, anger wasn’t it.  Chunji was right, he was jealous.  But not because the girl was showing her feelings toward Ljoe and not him, it was that Ljoe was noticing her the way Changjo wanted the older to notice him.

“Do you like that girl?” Changjo asked, nodding toward the phone.  Ljoe looked down at cell, then back up at him, seeming confused that the younger would know who was talking to him.  “I mean, you seem happy when she’s around.  I don’t think I have seen you smile like this with fans before.”  Changjo felt like his heart was in his throat, as he watched Ljoe.  The elder looked at his phone before glancing back at Changjo.

“I think she’s cool,” Ljoe stated, smiling at him.  “It’s hard to explain.  You wouldn’t understand it really.”  Changjo felt his heart drop at the first statement, his head falling again.  The second statement, made all the anger rush back.  Before he knew he was he was doing, he felt himself push Ljoe, the boy stumbling back onto the bed with Changjo following him.

Changjo slammed both hands against the mattress beside the boy’s head and almost glared down at him.  He could feel himself shaking and pressed a knee to Ljoe’s stomach when the elder tried to get up.  Ljoe’s eyes were wide, but he didn’t fight.  He only watched Changjo, looking confused and slightly scared.

“Why wouldn’t I understand?” Changjo asked, his voice raising a bit.  “Is it because I’m young you don’t think I would understand how it feels to have feelings for someone?  Or to watch the person you like, smile and laugh for someone else?”  Ljoe’s eyes were wide as he watched Changjo speak.  Changjo was panting by the time he was done, his fingers curling around the bedding underneath them.

“No,” Ljoe stated, his voice soft, his hands pressing against Changjo’s forearms.  “When I moved to America for those five years, it was hard for me to fit in.  It took time, and I changed a lot.  I was very loud in Korea, but I was quiet here.  I didn’t fit in as much I used to.  But then going back to Korea, it was like I had to relearn the culture.  It felt hard to fit in there as well.

I know she doesn’t know who we are, she’s not a true fan, but it makes me feel more comfortable that way.  She doesn’t have pre-conceived ideas about who we are or how we are supposed to act.  I don’t feel like I have to live up to anything.”  Changjo could feel tears burning at the corner of his eyes.  It was hard to hear why Ljoe liked the girl, wanting to hear the older boy say he didn’t like her; he wanted Ljoe to like him. 

Changjo was about to pull away when the smaller male grabbed his arms, just above his elbows and held him in place, lifting himself up a bit.  Changjo’s eyes pinned themselves on the boy as he closed the distance, the elders soft lips pressing against his.  Changjo’s eyes went wide, his body seeming to freeze in place, almost not believing that the male he had liked for years, was now kissing him.

Changjo locked eyes with Ljoe as the elder pulled back, a slight blush on his cheeks.  Changjo wanted to know why he kissed him, but couldn’t find the words, only able to stare at him.

“She isn’t the one I like,” Ljoe stated, his hands moving up at Changjo’s cheeks.  Changjo slipped his knee down, taking the pressure off of Ljoe’s stomach and pressed it against the sheets between the elder’s legs.  “You are.  You are the one I like.”  Changjo blinked at him, feeling the tears he had been holding back from rushing to his eyes.  A tear slipped down his cheeks, Ljoe biting his bottom lip as one of his fingers brushed the tear away.  “I didn’t know you liked me, that’s why I never said anything.  But what you just said confirmed it, it explains why you have been acting weird that past few days and I’m figuring it was the reason you didn’t pull your punch.”  Changjo closed his eyes and hung his head, feeling soft lips press to his crown.  “It’s fine, Jonghyun.  I would have done the same if I was you.”

Changjo slowly moved his head back up, watching Ljoe, wondering how the male could be so forgiving.  It had been his fault that the filming had to be stopped that day, why their schedule had been pushed back a bit.  Ljoe’s thumb moved over his bottom lip, making him focus on the elder.  Changjo almost wanted to punch himself.  He had always want the male to be touching him, kissing him and now that he had it, he was thinking about the past.  Changjo shook his head slightly and surged forward, pressing his mouth against Ljoe’s.

Changjo hadn’t kissed anyone before, well besides Niel, and he suddenly felt shy.  It didn’t stop him from deepening the kiss, though.  Ljoe’s arms s around Changjo’s neck, holding him close as the elder’s lips parted, inviting the younger in.  Changjo wasn’t sure how he knew what to do, but slowly he slipped his tongue into the older male’s mouth, mapping the area.  Ljoe almost clung to him as his body arched up toward Changjo, wanting more contact. 

Changjo pulled back when he felt his lungs were about to explode, both males flush and panting as they stared at each other.  Ljoe his swollen lips and smiled up at Changjo, making the younger blush even more.

“You do like me right?” Ljoe asked, the tone set between teasing and real wonder.  Changjo leaned down, pressing his forehead to the smaller male’s forehead, letting of his hands move to Ljoe’s cheek, finger slowly brushing over the pale skin.

“Yes,” Changjo simply stated, not being one for many words as it was.  “For a while now.”  Ljoe smiled more at him, Changjo finally smiling down at him as both started to laugh.  Changjo wasn’t sure why he was laughing.  Maybe he was just happy and couldn’t find another way to let out.  He continued to chuckle as both males climbed under the covers, Changjo, holding Ljoe close him, the smaller male’s back flush against his chest.  Changjo wound his arms protectively around the smaller male and kissed his shoulder.

“I don’t know what to do now,” Changjo admitted, pulling Ljoe closer.  Ljoe glanced back at Changjo, his smaller hands pressing over the latter’s larger forearms.

“Whatever we want,” Ljoe stated, his fingers moving over Changjo’s arm gently.  “Don’t try to force anything.  It will come naturally.”  Changjo nodded, nuzzling into the boy’s shoulder.  He felt scared; scared of what the other members would think, scared of what their manager would say.  He knew they would have to keep their relationship a secret from the fans and watch how they acted with each other in public, but he shocked himself by not caring too much.  As long as at the end of the day, he knew Ljoe still had feelings for him and the elder was in his arms, he didn’t care what obstacles were in front of them.  Maybe it was because he was so young and didn’t have a clue of what he was doing, but he felt as long as they had each other, everything was going to be okay.