February had come quicker than the previous year. JongHyun had the day off and was spending it with Onew and Key since the shop was closed for the day (something Onew liked to call essential to have once a month).

            “I want to go visit TaeMin today. I still haven’t even opened his Christmas gift for him,” JongHyun said, putting away the last of the dishes he’d just cleaned.

            “Do you want me to come with you?” Key asked.

            “Yeah, I want to take you out to lunch first.” JongHyun laughed when he saw Key blush and ruffled his boyfriend’s hair. His arm received a nice hard smack in punishment for ruining his do.

            Onew peaked out from his bedroom and asked, “Are you going to come back for dinner?”

“Yeah, I will.” He had wanted to say more, but Key was distracting him with the dance he was doing. Somehow he’d managed to turn the TV in the few seconds they had stopped talking. He’d only witnessed this scene once before and it had entertained him to no end. Key was like a male version of the girls he was imitating on the screen.

“How do you learn these dances?” JongHyun asked through his laughs.

            “I just watch them,” Key explained. He stopped moving and turned to JongHyun, lacing their fingers together. They chuckled together as Key tried to teach JongHyun some of the arm movements.

            They were quite enjoying themselves when Onew interrupted.

            “Are you two dating?” he asked. “I mean, this touching and laughing thing has been going on since Christmas and I’m really confused!” he exclaimed.

            Key giggled, only remember Onew being so distraught when the fried chicken joint closed down. His feline eyes focused their gaze onto JongHyun’s; a goody smile flitted over his lips. “We got together on Christmas,” he informed.

            Suddenly, JongHyun’s arm was slung across his shoulders.

            “This guy is too crazy for his own good! I had to ask him in fear of my life!” he teased.

            “Yah!” Key yelled, swatting his boyfriend’s chest. “You’re the crazy one!”

            JongHyun cackled at the reaction he received and pretended to cower away from him. “Help!” he screamed. “He’s going to kill me with hairspray and glitter!”

            “Kim JongHyun!”

            The signal for the elder boy to commence his getaway was activated and he bolted. It was a coyote and wild thing-like chase that ended with the using Onew as the buffering pillar for them to circle around.

            “Enough! I’m getting dizzy!” Onew whined, dramatically falling to the floor.

            The younger two kneeled beside him and pretended to be his doctors. The tom foolery continued on for several minutes afterwards until each boy was a perfect mess on the kitchen floor.

            Eventually, the time to leave came, though. JongHyun stood up first and helped the other two off the floor. He was already pulling on his shoes when Key joined him.

            “So where are you taking?” he asked.

            “The café, like usual,” JongHyun said.

            Key scoffed and pretended to be offended by the choice of venue. “You’re cheap,” he pouted.

            “Sorry, the fancy stuff comes after the second date,” JongHyun said. He grinned cheekily and squeezed Key’s hand before dragging him out.

            The date was quaint and pleasurable. They started with coffee and finished with a cinnamon flavoured kiss. It was the perfect boost of positive energy that JongHyun needed since he always got down after his visits with TaeMin.

            Walking to the hospital was enjoyable as well since Key talked enough to keep JongHyun distracted from any negativity to worm itself into his head.

          “TaeMin’s mom called me a few days ago. She said MinHo hasn’t left TaeMin’s side since he got bailed out.”

            “Does she know that he went to jail?”

            JongHyun shook his head. “She thinks he was just forced to go on vacation.”

            “It’s probably better that way… She loves MinHo and… It shouldn’t matter if I find him horrible or not…”

            “Forget about what he did, okay? He probably had reasons that neither of us will ever understand…” Key gave a gentle squeeze to JongHyun’s hand to reassure him. Hopefully it was enough for him to momentarily calm down since he knew MinHo was a touchy subject for JongHyun.

            Key was glad to feel JongHyun’s arm slither around his waist. He leaned his head against his shoulder and walked along at his pace. They stayed in the same position until they entered the hospital waiting room. JongHyun gave Key a quick kiss before slipping down the hallway to his best friend’s room.

            A part of him didn’t want to go in since he knew MinHo was probably at TaeMin’s bedside. There was a horrible feeling squeezing the air out of his lungs, too.

            Blank white tiles spattered with grey specks blurred beneath his feet as he walked. The flaps of his coat billowed out behind him, sending the sterile smell of hospital whirring around him.

            Alas, he reached TaeMin’s door. It was already cracked open a bit (probably to let the passing nurses get an easier glimpse of the young as they passed). JongHyun could see the left side of TaeMin’s body from where he stood. Machines still beeped around his still body and the breathing tube was still firmly attached to his body. What he wasn’t able to see was MinHo – he didn’t mind that, though.

            Upon fully opening the door, however, the criminal boy came into view. His head lay by TaeMin’s legs and his hand was entangled with his needle laden one. Had JongHyun not held the dislike for MinHo that he had now he would have found this moment serene – cut even. But now that he knew of the darkness inside of MinHo he only felt cautious.

            He was glad to see his present unopened on the windowsill. Before grabbing it he moved to MinHo and jostled him awake.

            “MinHo,” he murmured. “Wake up…”

            Groggy brown eyes opened and slowly took in their surroundings. He raised his head to stare at JongHyun. It seemed like he lost all his size. Instead of looking like the broad shouldered, nearly six foot tall guy that he as he appeared to morph into ant sized proportions. It was like he was waiting to be squished under one of JongHyun’s newly sneakered feet (courtesy of Key).

            “Sorry… I kind of fell asleep,” MinHo apologized.

            “It’s fine… TaeMin’s mom told me you hadn’t left here in a while,” JongHyun forgave.

            MinHo’s head dropped and his chin touched his chest. “She’s a nice person…” he whispered, sorrow blanketing his words like fresh snow sugared the ground.

            “She is…” JongHyun agreed. From then on he kind of dismissed the younger boy. He moved to his present. Save for the flattened tissue papers it was in top condition. Grabbing it firmly between his hands he brought it over to the side of TaeMin’s bed that MinHo wasn’t hogging.

            “I know you’re probably thinking I shouldn’t have bought you anything, but I can’t just not get my best friend a Christmas present,” JongHyun said. He caught MinHo staring at him and said, “The doctor said it’s good to talk to coma patients.”

            “I know; I talk to him all the time,” the other responded.

            With that out of the picture JongHyun began unwrapping TaeMin’s gift. He tugged tissue paper out of the top of the bag until finally he reached the item inside.

            “I got you Michael Jackson’s DVD thing. You kept on whining that your mom wouldn’t buy it for you so here it is.” The DVD was placed gently on his lap. In his mind JongHyun could picture TaeMin’s face lighting up in delight while holding his gift. He could see the crystal clear picture of the gaping look of disbelief on his face as he thanked him repeatedly.

            In reality, the only reaction he received, though, was the machine monitoring TaeMin’s heart rate beeping continuously. He supposed it was better than a flat line.

            “He would have liked that,” MinHo said.

            “I know he would have,” JongHyun answered. “I should head back; Key is waiting for me.”

            “Key?” MinHo echoed, his eyes bugging out of his head more than usual. “Is he okay?”

            “He’s fine… He’s forgiven you and for the life of me, I can’t figure out why.”

            MinHo’s head bobbed up and down in a simple nod. His hands moved uncomfortably in his hands as he tried to figure out how to act around JongHyun.

            “I’ll see you later…” JongHyun mumbled. He gave a final longing look towards TaeMin. With his heart sore from his best friend’s unchanging condition he left the room.

            The one thing keeping JongHyun from drowning was seeing Key in the waiting room. He oculd picture his smile as he came into view and could feel his hand already twining itself into his.

            Every single one of his fantasies came crashing down, though, when he saw the short woman standing next to TaeMin’s mom.

            “JongHyun!” she exclaimed, running towards the stunned boy. HE stood in a stiff, rigid as his mother’s arms wrapped around him.

            How had she found him? He thought. Only TaeMin and his family knew where he was living so that meant…

            “You told her?” JongHyun whispered to TaeMin’s mother. She was riddles with guilt. The carbon dioxide she was exhaling was tainted in guilt, the tear stains on her cheek were all full of guilt. And yet all JongHyun could feel was anger.

            “She’s my best friend JongHyun… We’ve been talking for a while and trying to figure out ways to approach you… It wasn’t until now – with TaeMin sick and all – that we decided it was the right time,” the woman embracing him said.

            Overwhelmed in emotion that he couldn’t handle JongHyun felt the need to escape take over. From somewhere outside his body he watched himself raise his hands and create distance between himself and the woman who had given birth to him. His brown eyes gazed down on the scene completely blank of emotion. The last thing he saw before falling back into his body was Key’s hand squished in his as he bolted away.