Officially pooped after that lunch outing, JongHyun was relieved when Onew said that they’d be heading back to the store. He was still packed full of false energy so he set about doing his work at a quick pace.

            The other two watched in bizarre fascination. Who knew someone so short could move so fast?

            Onew felt concern flying all around him. There was something bothering both of his employees. The way JongHyun was skittering about like a nervous animal was troublesome. And Key being as silent as he was now was definitely not normal. Usually he was very loud and always complaining about one thing or another.

            “Hey! Watch it!” Key suddenly yelled.

            Onew turned to see JongHyun spurting a quick apology before racing off again. This was getting too weird…

            “Why don’t you two go home?” Onew suggested.

            They both stopped in their tracks like a train would when using their emergency breaks after going at their fastest speeds. Their eyes fixed on their boss disbelievingly.

            “But we still have work to do,” Key protested first.

            “You guys are driving me crazy and there hasn’t been a rush that I can’t handle – go home,” Onew repeated.

            It took a while for it to set into their brain but soon Onew was shoving their belongings at them and bustling them towards the exit.

            Key let out some cries of protest but one look from Onew told him that he should just go along with it.

            “Hyung! You didn’t give me my umbrella!” Key whined.

            A pink parasol was tossed at him. Key flailed for a moment but managed not to drop it. He harrumphed, opening it up before twisting to face JongHyun.

            “Relax guys! I’ll see you later!” Onew called, disappearing back into the store.

            They stared at each other. All the feelings each of them held cracking like snap candy in the space between them. Eventually, Key sighed, walking in the direction he often saw JongHyun walking in after work.

            “Where are you going?” JongHyun asked, still rooted to the spot where he was standing.

            “Your place,” Key answered. If he’d been staring at his co-worker her would have seen his eyes bugging out of his head.

            “Uhm, why?” he asked, jogging up to catch up with him.

            “Because I have a whole day to kill all thanks to you.”

            JongHyun started to panic. The caffeine in his body kicked his anxiety about his home up a couple notches until he was nearly fluttering with how fast his arms were waving. There was no way he could let Key see the way he lived. Not even TaeMin had seen how bad his living conditions had been lately.

            If he didn’t think of an excuse soon then he would be subjecting himself to ridicule… He couldn’t let that happen… Especially not with Key. God, really not with Key.

            He didn’t know why he was so worried about it, but there was something about Key that made him wan to be the best ever. Showing him where he lived would be everything horrible in the world plus more.

            You don’t want to show him where you live because you know he’ll make fun of you, JongHyun thought.

            “We can’t go to my place!” JongHyun suddenly blurted, cutting in front of Key.

            He watched as one of his perfectly shaped eyebrows arched upwards like it was asking: “And why the hell not?”

            “I’m uh… Having the carpets cleaned… So I can’t go… Until… Uh… Six,” he quickly lied. He was almost certain that Key didn’t believe him. His face practically shouted disbelief right at him. But thankfully he didn’t say anything. Instead, Key turned in the opposite direction with JongHyun’s wrist clasped as best as he could get it in his casted hand.

            “Then we’ll go to my place,” he said.

            As gobsmacked as he was, JongHyun could do nothing but follow. He trailed after Key, feeling his hand disappear from his arm when he was certain that the other wasn’t going anywhere.

            The busy street faded as they walked and transitioned into a quaint little town area.

            “I live here,” Key declared, stopping at the edge of a driveway.

            It was a very nice house; with red brick and a white garage door. It reminded JongHyun of TaeMin’s house even though this one wasn’t quite as big.

            “I thought you were like, twenty… Why do you still live with your parents?” JongHyun asked as they walked up to the house.

            “I’m nineteen… This is only temporary since my mom is sick,” Key explained.

            “Oh… I’m sorry,” JongHyun apologized. He felt guilt prick at his belly. He hadn’t known that his mom was sick…

            “It’s fine. I wouldn’t expect a dino brained guy like you anyway.” The small grin waving on his lips told JongHyun that he was kidding around with him.

            The older boy smiled himself, finding his grin infectious. Which was surprising because up to this point he had viewed him as infectious in negative ways.

            When the door opened, JongHyun was greeted with the heavenly smell of baked goods. There was a hint of cinnamon in the air mixed with the aroma of melting chocolate.

            “Mom! I’m home,” Key called, kicking off his shoes.

            “I’m in the kitchen!” a woman’s voice answered.

            JongHyun followed Key shyly as he strutted towards the kitchen. A petite woman stood by the counter mixing a bowl filled with batter by the looks of it. She had a bit of flour stuck in her hair which was up in a sloppy bun with strands falling around her v-shaped face.

            “You’re home early,” she noted.

            “Onew hyung sent us home since the store was getting no business,” Key said while grabbing a cookie off a tray resting on the edge of the counter.

            “He’s such a nice young man… I hope he’s not working himself too hard; running a business can’t be easy.”

            “He’s fine. How are you feeling today?”

            “I’m feeling great actually! That new medication really seems to be working. I’m so full of energy and – Kim Kibum! Why didn’t you tell me your friend was here?” The young woman put down the wooden spoon she held and turned to face off with her son, a hand on her hip and her feline eyes narrowed. It was a very strange – scary – resemblance to the way Key looked at times when he was annoyed.

            “I didn’t want to interrupt you,” Key explained.

            “Well, introduce me now! I’m done talking.” She wiped her hands on her apron and straightened herself up while she waited for her son to start the introductions.

            “Mom, this is the guy I work with. JongHyun hyung, this is my mom. We’re going to go up to my room, okay?”

            Before either JongHyun or Key’s mom could say anything, Key had left the room and made for the stairs. Both of the people left in the room were left a little baffled. JongHyun over being called ‘hyung’ by Key for the first time and his mom for seeing Key leave in such a rush.

            Finding that it was getting a bit awkward JongHyun bowed to Key’s mom and followed Key to the area he had disappeared to.

            The stairs that JongHyun took led up to a small hallway that had three doors. One he could see led to a bathroom, one was closed and the other was open with Key framed in the middle of the doorway.

            “Don’t just stand there, come in,” the diva ordered.

            JongHyun followed the command since he knew how crazy Key could be when angered. Stepping into the room he saw posters of girl groups and boy bands. There was a desk by the bed covered in text books that looked strangely familiar to JongHyun. The pile of books and papers scattered out to the bed where a dishevelled pink bed spread was barely visible.

            Taking a step closer JongHyun realized why the books had stirred something in his memory. He had read these books for his second semester course at the university he went to.

            “Are these yours?” he asked Key. As far as his knowledge extended, Key didn’t g to school. He was curious to figure out why he had all these books.

            Without even looking away from his closet, Key said, “Yeah.”

            The blunt answer left the short male unsatisfied. If he wanted answers he would have to push on with more questions.

            “Why do you have them?” he asked.

            “Because I’m studying for an entrance exam.”

            “Why?”

            With a huff, Key turned away from his overflowing collection of clothes and said, “Because I’m trying to get into university, duh.”

            “But these are advanced books… They’re not the things you need to study for an entrance exam,” JongHyun said, clearly confused.

            Key debated whether or not to tell JongHyun about how he was applying for an advanced program so he could be in the same program as him… Because as much as he couldn’t stand the puppy he had this growing affection inside of him that was begging him to get closer to JongHyun. That thing was to blame the impulsive actions he had taken today and for that angry feeling he had had during the coffee break.

            “I’m applying for an advanced program,” Key ended up confessing.

            “You must be crazy,” JongHyun said, picking up a textbook. “Which university?”

            “The same one you go to.”

            At this, JongHyun couldn’t suppress his surprise. “Really?” he asked incredulously.

            “It’s a good school and close by.” Key gave a shrug as if to say no big deal but inside his heart was racing. This was it. JongHyun would think he was a stalker!

            You don’t care what JongHyun thinks, Key reminded himself. You’re just… Sick… With this poisonous thing…

            “Want me to help you? I mean… It would have to be during work or on Sunday afternoons, but I did all this last y ear so I know it pretty well,” JongHyun offered.

            “Sure… That’d be cool.”

            Key felt his heart race again, confusing him even more than a bit.

            This is not for the dino dog! He had to keep reminding himself that. But deep down he knew that wasn’t true…