Edited 11/17/14

Note: In the a/n of the last chapter I said this chapter was going to be from Onew's and Taemin's perspective. Well, I changed my mind, and now it's from Jonghyun's, Taemin's, and Minho's perspective.

Letting Onew guide him to a nearly empty section of the school's courtyard, Jonghyun mulled over what just happened. Okay, yes, he had looked at Key in a less than innocent manner, and, yes, he would tap that no questions asked, but it wasn't what he was aiming for. Not yet, at least. 

Jonghyun knew he probably came off as a hormonal to spectators, but they had no idea what was going on in his head, the target of his fancies included. Kibum had once said that Jonghyun knew nothing about him. Not necessarily true. 

Jonghyun knew that Kibum liked to draw, and had a genuine smile as he did so. Jonghyun deduced from his few encounters with Kibum's hyung that the two were incredibly close; loved each other to pieces. His body was all sharp edges but he felt so soft when Jonghyun had held the younger at the police station. His expressions were limited but you could find everything you needed in the way the brown of his eyes changed with his emotions. Jonghyun didn't know Kibum's favorite color, or the foods he despised, but he could tell you who he was if you asked. Kim Kibum was a closed, sheltered boy with a colorful personality trapped in a mind preventing him from blossoming into the spontaneous person Jonghyun knew he should be. God, he makes me sound so mushy and gross.

Jonghyun sat up against the bricks of the building and looked up at his hyung. "So... what's this about sensitivity I need to know about?"

Setting himself up next to Jonghyun, Onew said, "Everything, apparently. Kibum will hate you if you don't clean up real fast."

"Tsh, and just what do you propose I do? I know he's different, but how else am I supposed to convey affection? Draw him a picture? He'll run for the hills when he sees my horrendous skills."

Onew shook his head at Jonghyun's stupidity. "No, . You have to go slower. You need to be his friend before you try to be his boyfriend. Also, you better damn well make sure you're being the perfect gentleman."

Looking at Jonghyun, Onew made sure he was paying attention. "He doesn't need a macho man to give him a rush. He needs someone soft, Jonghyun, and you're... well, you really aren't."

Jonghyun stayed silent as Onew attempted to play love master.

"In all honesty, I don't think you two are the best match. Jonghyun, you're a great guy, but I don't know if you'll wait as long as he needs you to. You could end up severely hurting him."

Kicking dirt up with toe of his sneaker, Jonghyun gave the ground a somber look. "So, you're saying... I should let this go?"

Onew nodded. "Jonghyun, I know you like him, but this is high school. Your life won't end over a relationship that never started. Kibum isn't ready for this, and you may very well be over him by the time he comes around."

"I can do it!" Jonghyun insisted. "I know you think I'm an impulsive idiot, but I really want this to happen. I'll wait as long as he needs me to."

"Why?"

"Huh?"

"What's it about him that you like so much?"

Biting his plump lower lip, Jonghyun tried to find some sort of storybook answer. He didn't have one.

"I don't have any soul wrenching, earth shattering line. It's like... Well, why does Joon like you even though you're avoiding him as if he were the plague, huh? How come he keeps on going after you? It's the same thing. Kibum having some mental condition doesn't matter to me. I want him, and I'll fight to get him."

Onew soaked in Jonghyun's answer before mumbling, "Then be careful. If that's how you feel, then I can't change your mind. But think about it Jonghyun. Make sure you really mean that. If you're not positive, then don't you dare risk his feelings. He has enough trouble coping with things as it is, don't add a broken heart to that."

Offended, Jonghyun glared at Onew. "How come you have so little faith in me? I can be who he needs me to be. I just have to figure out who that is."

"Jonghyun, just look at what you've done so far. Your actions over the last few weeks have scared him into hiding," Onew pointed out. "Myungsoo told us day one we'd need to be patient, and you're doing the exact opposite."

Jonghyun pushed away from the wall and turned his back to Onew. "I get it. I'm a jackass. But that doesn't mean it's too late to fix things."

Looking over his shoulder, Jonghyun added, "Be prepared to eat those words. I'm going to prove you wrong."

Jonghyun stalked off on that final note. Grunting in frustration, Onew stood as well. He was willing to give Jonghyun the benefit of the doubt. That didn't mean he wouldn't hesitate to drill his head into the ground if he ed this up.

Taemin sprinted off to his locker after his conversation with Kibum. He wasn't sure what he was about to do would change anything with Minho, but it was worth a shot. It was also all he had.

Coming to halt in front of his locker located in an empty hallway, Taemin quickly turned the knob in the right pattern. Funny, it normally took him a minute or two to remember the combination. Taemin pushed the lock up and hoped the mess wasn't as bad as he remembered it. If it was, his gravestone would read 'Death by Avalanche'.

Swinging the door open because, hey, no reason in prolonging the time it took the trash heap to kill him, Taemin discovered that it really was hell in there. As soon as the barrier between disaster and reality was breached, tons of wadded up paper, wrappers, and whatever the hell that thing was came tumbling out. Watch out children, here comes the flood!

Gapping at the horrific mess, Taemin reached down and picked up a crumpled packet. Smoothing it against the cold metal lockers, he looked over its contents. The Korean War. I knew I did this ing report! How the hell did it get in there? Why did the stupid teacher even assign it? We're not even a month in yet.

Taemin tossed the packet back to the ground as he fully intended on leaving the mess there, and shoved some of the wreckage around before pulling out a small replica of an antique Japanese chest his halmoni had given to him. Why keep it at school? Because his hyung, Taesun, was a snoopy son of a who, obviously, snooped.

The chest was wooden with a sort of gold and black design under the lid and on the sides.  It had a small lock that's key was kept hidden around Taemin's neck. 

Pulling it out, Taemin noted it was heavier than he remembered. Small really meant way smaller than the real thing but big enough. It actually barely fit into the locker because it was almost too long.

Taemin shut his locker and kicked trash off his feet before making his way down the hall. About seven seniors he knew the faces of but couldn't recall a name to match with had wondered into the hall, and, oh, the nasty looks they directed his way.

He wasn't stupid. He knew he came off that way, but he was actually a very observant person. That being said, you'd have to be something lesser than a rock to misinterpret the faces those boys were indiscreetly displaying.

Being , they lined up to block his way out the hall. Really? You guys are really gonna be those jackasses today?

"Excuse me," Taemin gritted out.

"What, the got somewhere to be?" The biggest one sneered out. Oh, here we go.

Taemin was relatively protected from this. Not many had enough balls to actually insult him to his face. They were too scared of Jonghyun and Minho. Taemin had to both commend and condemn their bravery. It would get them killed but if they didn't care neither did he.

"Let's face it boys, the only ones being fags are you guys. Picking on me because I'm not like you? Oh, how honorable. Your homophobic parents must be so proud. Now move."

Taemin's bully's faces turned visibly red. The big guys beefy hands clenched and unclenched as if he were thinking about nailing Taemin's pretty little face with them. He probably was.

"You gotta real big mouth, you know that? Probably useful to your guard dogs. Maybe you should get up off your knees and close it before it gets you hurt."

Taemin laughed. This was hysterical to him.

"Oh, the big guy has some wit! Props to you. If you're going to beat me, just do it already. I have something I need to do."

They lost some of their gusto with that. They wanted to hit him so bad but they knew what would befall them if they did. Oh, decisions, decisions.

After a solid minute of no movement, Taemin cackled, "What? Scared? Oooo, we got a badass over here!"

Shouldering past them, Taemin went to make his leave but not before he heard, "You better watch it, . You won't have your protection forever."

No, you es, why would you say that? Korea is going to go down in flames if it's full of people like you.  

"And if you know anything, you'll know you won't be here forever, seniors. Good luck beating me up in the poor university that picks you."

Flipping his hair over his shoulder like the classy he knew he was, Taemin strutted out of there like a boss. The trunk placed carefully under his arm, Taemin searched the campus till he found Minho sitting on a large rock with Joon. 

"Hey guys, what'cha doing?"

"Waiting for Onew to come back," Joon said. "He left to talk to Jonghyun, so I have no purpose for the time being."

"You, my chiseled friend, are pathetic," Taemin quipped. "Now, be a dear, and scram. I need to talk to le frog."

Minho watched Joon's retreating figure before turning to Taemin. The younger was holding a chest Minho had seen a handful of times but was never allowed to look in. 

"Shouldn't you be watching over Kibum or something?"

"Kibum is a big boy, I think he can manage," Taemin smiled.

Rolling his eyes, Minho turned away. He was a little mad. Taemin had ignored him all week for Kibum, and, when he finally finds him, he's sitting in the boy's lap getting his hair done. 

Minho would always wonder why Taemin even kept him around. He only seemed to want him when he was either being bullied or wanted banana milk. Everything was slowly but surely wearing Minho down. He didn't know how much longer he'd wait for Taemin, but he was sure it be long after he broke down that he'd let go. Love wasn't blind. It was stupid. Two completely different things.

"What do you want?"

"Wow, wonderful attitude. Would you look at me? I'm not going to do this to the back of your head."

With an agitated sigh, Minho twisted to face Taemin. He just needed a little bit of time for self-bashing and a pissy attitude. Could he not have that?

"Okay, what is it."

Pulling the box from under his arm, Taemin held it out to Minho. "Here. For you."

Minho gingerly took the box and peered at it as if it were foreign. He shook the chest and heard a light shuffle come from inside, but he couldn't open it to see what was inside.

"Um, and what's this?"

Clasping his hands behind his back, Taemin blushed furiously. "It's... my grand gesture."

The is a grand gesture?

"Um, okay," Minho said in a confused tone. "Thanks for the un-open-able box."

With a glare, Taemin smacked Minho's head. "Don't be a or I'll take it back!"

"Ow, Jesus Christ," Minho whined, rubbing the side of his head.

Taemin stood without remorse, arms crossed. "Done being an ?"

"My God, yes ma'am."

Grabbing a thin chain Minho never noticed around his neck, Taemin pulled a necklace over his head and handed it to Minho. Looped onto the tiny links was a small key the undoubtedly went to the trunk in Minho's lap.

"I know you think I don't really care about you, and you think you're a replacement for Kai, so... I hope this changes your mind."

Holding the little key between his thumb and index finger, Minho looked at Taemin, unsure. "Do you want me to open it now?"

"Duh."

Positioning the key in front of the lock, Minho gently inserted the item and twisted it till he heard a small click. When Minho lifted the lid he was honestly surprised by the box's contents.

On the top was three little stuffed toys: a green bunny, a purple cat, and a blue bear. Minho remembered them. He was playing at a claw machine and somehow become God and got three things in one grab. He'd given them all to Taemin. He had never seen them after that, so he assumed Taemin had thrown them away.

Below the animals was a ton of neatly folded papers. Pulling one out, Minho recognized the horrid little heart drawn on the outside. It was his confession. He didn't have the guts to tell Taemin how he felt to his face, so he wrote it down. Strange, Minho knew Taemin didn't like him then. Underneath the miniature mountain of notes they passed back and forth over the years was something Minho really thought he wasted a ton of money on. 

A necklace, two monkeys holding a yellow gem in the middle, lay at the bottom. The silver monkey on the right was encrusted with white topaz all along the body, its tail wrapping around a little diamond. The golden monkey and the left was just a simple gold monkey that's tail also wrapped around a diamond. Minho thought the cutest part of the piece was that you could adjust the monkeys' position. He'd worked his off so hard to get that. Why... did he keep all of this?

"W-Why show me this?" Minho fumbled out.

Taemin scratched the back of his head. "Actions speak louder than words, ne? I thought... if I showed you that I liked you rather than just telling you ... that maybe you'd believe me."

Minho pulled the monkey necklace from the box and held it up. "If it meant so much how come you never wore it?"

"I was afraid of losing it or it being stolen."

Minho returned his gaze to the monkeys, seemingly accepting the answer. Putting the box down on the ground, Minho stood and undid the hook on the necklace. He reached around Taemin's neck with a smile and clasped it at the base of his neck.

"I like it better here."

Playing with his fingers, Taemin looked at the ground and giggled. Oh meh God, that's adorable. Someone, shoot me now!

"So, do you believe me?" Taemin questioned hopefully.

Minho bit his lip. What Taemin did was sweet, but it's hard to let go of years of uncertainty. That would be like making it out of No Man's Land and immediately feeling safe once you were hidden in the dirty walls of the trenches. 

"I'll try to..."

"That's a terrible answer considering I just let you look in my secret box," Taemin pouted, circling his arms around Minho's neck.

Sitting back down on the boulder, Minho pulled Taemin down into his lap and nuzzled his shoulder. He inhaled the boy's vanilla scent and... felt the urge to fall asleep. Taemin made him feel serene inside.

"Sooooooo, are we dating or what?" Minho heard Taemin mumble next to his ear.

With a sleep softened voice, Minho said, "Mmm, ne. If you want to."

"'Bout ing time," Taemin grinned, kissing Minho's temple.

That's when some jackass decided it was his given duty to ruin the moment by opening his Goddamn mouth.

"Get a room, homos!" some shouted.

Being the understanding couple they were, both Minho and Taemin held a mighty middle finger to whoever the guy had been. This was their moment. No bastard with enough time on his hands to worry himself with them was going to ruin that.

Annnnnddddd done. This chapter was shorter, but whatever. Minho and Taemin are together, yayyyyy! Kibum and Jonghyun... are pretty much starting over. Now, this wouldn't be my author's note without pictures and useless explanations, so without further adieu!

Green Bunny Toy

Purple Cat Toy

Blue Bear Toy

Monkey Necklace

Replica Japanese Chest (don't know if is actually a replica, so lets pretend)

I think those are all the pictures... I'm just going to say yes.

So, stupid explanation. No Man's Land is referring to the space between two enemy trenches in trench warfare in... either WWI or WWII. I think WWI. It was called a no man's land because, as the name implies, the area between two trenches belonged to neither side. It was a very dangerous place to be as you had no protection from enemy fire. Okay, stupid explanation over. 

Alright, all done. Thank you guys to reading! Much obliged. Sorry for mistakes, please comment, and next chapter will be posted... ya know, in the future. Bye bye guys :D Love ya, betches!!!!!