Listen to this song while reading: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zW-TZJqH8hc&feature=channel

“Hyung! What am I supposed to wear to something like this?” Key asked for what would probably be the six billionth time that night.

            “I told you already! It’s formal so wear something like I’m wearing!” JongHyun answered in exasperation.

            “That doesn’t help me!” Had JongHyun known any better he would have thought Key to in a life or death situation.

            Coming up the stairs with a laundry basket balanced on her hip, Key’s mother chuckled. Her eyes lit up in the same way Key’s did. Clearly she was amused with this, unlike JongHyun who was fretting over the time.

            “He’s quite a handful of a boyfriend, isn’t he?” she asked.

            JongHyun’s head bobbed in agreement, oblivious to what she had just said. “Yeah, he can be really frustrating sometimes – whoa, wait, what?” he ended up stumbling when the end of the sentence train had finally reached the boarding station.

            That melodious laugh left Key’s mother once again.

            “You heard what I said, JongHyun. Did you think I didn’t know?” she asked, not bothering to conceal her amusement.

            “D-did Key tell you?” JongHyun asked, suddenly feeling more nervous about this than the dinner party he was supposed to be heading off to.

            “He hasn’t told me anything involving his boyfriends; he rarely does. If he does than he hides it and says it’s a girl, but I’m not dumb and I’m not blind. I know that Key isn’t the least bit interested in having any affiliations with a girl.”

            “But how did you know it was me?”

            “It wasn’t that hard to tell, JongHyun!” She chuckled. “I mean, Key studied like crazy to get up a year in college so he could be in your class. When he’s not working he’s still at your place and if he’s not at your place than he’s out somewhere with you or you’re here.”

           “Oh…” JongHyun couldn’t say much more to that. He’d been stunned into silence by one woman. Although, he had to admit that he hadn’t really been all that sneaky now that he looked back on it all.

            “It’s fine, JongHyun! I have nothing against you being with Key! I would just like to become acquainted with your parents one day,” Key’s mother assured him.

            “I-I’ll… I’ll work something out,” JongHyun promised.

            No more words were exchanged as Key poked his head out of his room at that time and interrupted their conversation.

            “Hyung! Is this outfit good enough?” he asked, stepping into the doorway. His body was clad in formal attire. His torso clothed in a baby pink button up that tucked into a pair of sleek, black slacks. A chic white belt kept them from falling down his narrow hips to his ankles and at the same time it coordinated with his white tie, knotted perfectly after much trial and error JongHyun assumed.  The cherry on top of the whole classy look was the way Key had styled his light hair so that it was flipped and swept back like he’d been caught in the wind. The only thing missing was the makeup, but he guessed Key wanted to go for the more masculine and natural look when meeting his family for the first time.

            “You look amazing!” Key’s mother gushed, setting aside her basket of clothes. “I’m sure you’re driving your boyfriend crazy right now!”
            “Mom!” Key shouted, totally baffled at how blunt she’d just been. “H-he’s not my boyfriend!” he rejected.

            “Oh, don’t be silly Kibum! You don’t have to hide it from me anymore!”

            Key launched a discombobulated look in JongHyun’s direction. The answer he received in return was a nonchalant shrug paired off with a goofy smile.

            “I know where you go your brains from now,” he teased, loving the blush he obtained at his words.

            “JongHyun confirmed everything I already knew so no more hiding, all right? Life’s too short to live in secrets.” Key’s mom tapped his cheek lightly before shoving him off to JongHyun. “Get now! I think you’re already late for whatever get together you’re going to! Get! Get!”

            The two boys were ushered all the way down the staircase and were only left alone when they had their shoes slipped over their socked feet and on their way out the door.

            “Enjoy yourselves!” Key’s mother called as they disappeared into the taxi.

            “She’s so embarrassing sometimes,” Key admitted in shame.

            JongHyun laughed at his boyfriend’s behavior and gripped his hand. “I like her,” he said. He leaned over to place a loving kiss on Key’s lips just as the taxi driver set off for their destination.

            TaeMin’s house was bustling with activity despite not hosting nearly as many people as usual. There were a good half dozen cars surrounding the contours of the property which meant that the two boys were not the first to arrive. JongHyun wasn’t the least bit surprised about this as Key had made them late by a good half hour. If one were to ask the fashionista, though, he would just brush it off as being fashionably late.

            The pair stood at the end of the winding driveway after paying the driver. Dull music could be heard faintly humming from where they were positioned; the lulls in the melody being filled in with ripples of boisterous belly laughs.

            “Are you ready?” JongHyun asked, glancing over at Key.

            “Are you ready?” Key retorted.

            “I’m ready if you are.”

            “Then I’m ready, too.”

            “Then why aren’t you moving?”

            “Why aren’t you moving?”

            “Because I’m waiting for you to move.”

            “Then let’s move.”

            “Okay.”

            “Yah! Hyung! Stop being stupid,” Key wailed when he felt his brain getting dizzy from their conversation.

            “I love you…” JongHyun said quietly.

            Key’s eyes widened to the size of saucers. The declaration had completely caught him off guard as they had not yet confessed those words to each other.

            The opposite boy took Key’s hesitation negatively and scrambled to make up for his blunder. “I just wanted to tell you that in case things went bad tonight and you decided to leave me and never talk to me again because I know I’m a bit screwed up and all. But, you know, never mind what I just said. Forget it all. I’m just really, really… Stupid. Yeah, stupid seems like the right word.”

            “I love you, too, stupid,” Key suddenly blurted. “And you look handsome tonight. Blue suit you. I like it. It looks good.” He rambled much like JongHyun just had, knowing his whole face was probably blushing the same colour of red of the chemise he had debated about wearing earlier. Those words felt so nice rolling off his tongue and when they were meant just for JongHyun…

            A fluffy pause padded the time that lapsed between them. They both were thinking that it was a side effect from exchanging their feeling verbally, but it was also a sort of mental preparation for them as they prepped themselves for what was to come next. A silent pep talk, courage from one another until they were tied together by an invisible bond.

An evening of crazy was surely waiting for them behind the closed door.

With a final exhalation of breath, JongHyun laced his hand with Key’s. What didn’t break them here would only make them stronger.

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2 chapters left! I know, I'm very sad, too! But good news! I have up to chapter 6 written in The Baby Mill so as soon as this story finishes, that one will be updated!

Also, since this is one of the last chapters, I've decided to hold a question and answer period. You may ask me any question you wish and I will answer as best as I can either at the end of the update, in a new note or in my profile biography (depending on how many questions I receive). The questions can be personal or not personal (example: how old am I? What inspired me to write my stories? etc. etc.).