Jonghyun is in his third year of university when he first meets Kim Kibum. He is at a frat party with a bunch of friends, and he is so sloshed that it takes him several minutes to understand that his roommate wants to introduce him to someone. With a certain amount of reluctance, he allows said roommate to drag him away from the beer pong game he’s been playing.

“Jjong, this is my friend Kibum,” Jinki introduces with one of his signature bright smiles. “We’re in the same world lit class. This is my roommate Jonghyun.”

The boy in question smiles shyly. Though he is taller than Jonghyun, he exudes an air of delicateness. He is thin and everything about him is graceful, from his milky white neck, put on display by his low-cut shirt, to his long fingers, nervously wrapped around a plastic cup of beer. His eyes are deep, so deep that Jonghyun loses himself in them without even realizing it.

Jonghyun’s hand comes out before his mind can form words, but eventually his mouth remembers how to work. “Hi, Kibum.”

The taller male’s shy smile widens and he accepts the proffered hand. Even though he is taller than Jonghyun, his hand is smaller and more feminine. It seems to fit perfectly in the older male’s. “You can call me Key,” he says with a cute of his head.

Jonghyun feels a smile tugging at the corner of his lips, and his fingers clamp down automatically around Key’s. “Key, then.” There is this strange fluttering in his stomach that is not altogether unpleasant. “I’m Jonghyun.”

“So I heard,” Key chuckles, and his hand is warm and comfortable in Jonghyun’s.

Jinki smiles and puts a hand on each of their shoulders. “I’m going to get another drink. You guys want anything?”

“Sure, I’ll take another one,” Jonghyun says, as his cup is pretty empty by this point and there are three kegs set up in the kitchen. Key nods and drains what’s left in his cup.

When Jinki disappears into the kitchen, Key gives Jonghyun’s hand a playful squeeze. “Do you want to go somewhere a little more private?” He blushes. “I mean, it’s just so loud in here.”

And, probably because he’s had so much to drink, Jonghyun smiles and nods and the two of them escape out the back door to the patio. There are several couples making out or smoking cigarettes there, but the two manage to find a spot near the railing that is decently private.

“So you and Jinki have class together?” Jonghyun asks.

Key nods, their fingers still tangled together. Neither moves to break the contact. “Yeah. I’m a history major. What about you?”

“Photography,” Jonghyun admits, watching Key’s face closely for his reaction to this. It’s how he typically judges people.

When Key’s face splits into a genuine smile, Jonghyun feels that flutter again and he knows he’s found something special in the slightly-younger male. “Really? That’s amazing! I would love to see some of your work sometime!”

“Sure,” Jonghyun finds himself saying, too inebriated to be thinking correctly.

The sliding glass door to the house opens and Jinki steps out, holding two cups of beer and wearing an apologetic expression. The cause of his apologetic expression quickly becomes apparent as a pretty girl with long hair and short shorts follows him out.

“Jjongie!” she sighs in relief, coming right to him and wrapping her arms around his waist. She’s clearly also inebriated, so she doesn’t seem to notice that his and Key’s hands are linked. With his heart pounding, he quickly disentangles their fingers. “There you are! I’ve been looking for you!”

Jonghyun tries not to be annoyed, and when that is impossible, he tries not to let it show. “What are you doing out here? I thought you were singing karaoke with Minyoung upstairs?”

“I was, but I got tired,” she whines, nuzzling her face into his chest. Then she glances up and notices the other male for the first time. “Hi,” she chirps, giving him a genuinely friendly smile. “I’m Jonghyun’s girlfriend, Sekyung.”

Key’s expression goes from startled to completely blank. Jonghyun tries to give him a silent apology but Key refuses to even look at him. “Hi,” he says after a too-long pause. “I’m Key. I’m Jinki’s friend.”

“It’s really nice to meet you,” she beams, resting her head on Jonghyun’s shoulder. “I’m sorry to be a party-pooper, but I’m really tired. Can we go home now, Jjonggie?”

Jonghyun doesn’t particularly want to go, but the cool look on Key’s face tells him there’s no reason to stay. He sighs. “Sure,” he gives in. “Go wait by the car. I’ll be there in a minute.”

“Okay.” Sekyung presses her lips briefly to Jonghyun’s cheek and gives the others a smile. “See you guys later. It was nice meeting you.” Then she’s gone, back inside the house.

There’s an awkward pause and then Jinki quickly excuses himself. He makes up some lame reason to go, but neither Jonghyun nor Key are listening to it. And then they are alone again, though this time the atmosphere is tense.

“Your girlfriend seems nice,” Key finally says, both hands wrapped around his cup now.

Jonghyun nods. He’s too embarrassed to look at the younger male, so he settles on staring out at the yard with his hands shoved deep in his pockets. “Yeah, I guess so.”

Key swallows something. “How long have you been dating?”

Jonghyun wants to cringe but he doesn’t. “Two years.”

There is another silence, and when Key speaks again his voice is tightly controlled. “Well you should probably get going. You don’t want to keep your girlfriend waiting.”

Jonghyun hesitates another moment, then nods, defeated. “Yeah, I guess you’re right. It was really nice to meet you.”

“You too,” Key smiles, but it’s obvious that he is lying.

Three months pass before Jonghyun sees Key again. It’s a freezing January morning and he has a free hour and a half between classes, so he goes into the university’s student union building for a coffee to while away the time. He’s paid for his coffee and is looking for a place to sit in the crowded cafeteria when he sees Jinki waving at him from a booth in a corner.

He smiles and makes his way over, loaded down with his school bag and his expensive camera and his steaming coffee. It isn’t until he’s standing right in front of the booth that he realizes the person sitting with Jinki is none other than Key.

“H-hi,” Jonghyun stumbles over his words, his face flushing slightly as he looks down at the younger male. “Long time no see.”

“Yeah,” Key answers, meeting Jonghyun’s gaze. It isn’t angry or upset or hurt; it’s more blank than anything. “How have you been?”

“Fine,” Jonghyun answers, sliding onto the bench beside his roommate. “Just going to class and working. What about you?”

“The same,” Key answers.

“I’m glad you showed up, Jjong,” Jinki grins. “I’ve got to get to class and I didn’t want to leave Key here alone.”

Key blushes a little bit. It only makes him more adorable, Jonghyun thinks. “It’s okay. I’ll be fine.”

“I don’t mind,” Jonghyun says, grateful for the opportunity to get to know the other a little bit. “I mean, if you don’t.”

Jinki doesn’t even give him a chance to answer. “Great. I’ll see you in class, Key! Jjong, I’ll see you at home!” And then he’s climbing out of the booth and leaving, and the two are left alone.

Jonghyun clears his throat awkwardly. “I really wanted to apologize about that party last October.”

Key picks halfheartedly at the bagel sitting in front of him. “There’s nothing to apologize about. Your girlfriend seems really nice.”

“She’s not my girlfriend anymore,” Jonghyun blurts out. “I-I broke up with her. After that party, actually.”

Key’s fingers falter for a brief moment, but that’s the only indication that Jonghyun’s words mean anything to him. “Oh? That’s too bad. I’m sorry.”

Jonghyun frowns. He doesn’t know what he was expecting, but this isn’t it. He clears his throat again. “It’s fine,” he finally says, playing with his cup of coffee. “We weren’t good together. I’ve moved on.”

“Are you dating anyone?”

Jonghyun feels his heart begin to race with hope. “Nope, not right now. I’m waiting for someone.” He gives Key a meaningful look but the other either doesn’t notice it or doesn’t care.

“That’s nice,” he says. “I should be going. I’ve got some stuff to do before class. I’ll see you around.”

The elder blinks a couple times. “Oh. Okay. Yeah, it was good to see you again. Have a good day.”

“You too,” Key says shortly, gathering up his things. He pauses before he leaves, giving Jonghyun a brief smile. “Good luck with your photography.”

Jonghyun is left by himself at the table with only his quickly-cooling coffee to keep him company. He chews on his bottom lip in frustration. 

Jonghyun is dying to see Key again, but he doesn’t know how to get in touch with him other than asking Jinki - which he absolutely won’t do because his roommate would never leave him alone about it. His only other option is to friend him on a social networking site, but that seems stalkerish (even though he has looked at the other male’s profile quite a few times) so he doesn’t do that either.

It’s March before he sees Key again. It’s finally starting to warm up, and Jonghyun is taking advantage of the blooming flowers. He is crouched on one knee near the science building, his camera in hand, adjusting the manual zoom to bring the dainty flowers into focus.

It is through his camera lens that he sees Key walking nearby. He has his bag slung over his shoulder, loaded down with books, and he seems a little stressed. Jonghyun stands up and waves without even thinking about it. “Key!” he calls.

Key glances up, a little surprised, but a small smile tugs at the corner of his lips and he makes his way over. “Hi Jonghyun,” he says, his voice melodic and sweet and downright perfect. He gestures at the camera in the older male’s hands. “Taking pictures for class?”

“They’re just for my portfolio,” Jonghyun answers, switching the camera off. “I’m graduating this year and I want to build up my portfolio for when I try to get a job.”

Key nods. “That sounds smart.” He pauses. “You know, you never showed me any of your work. You promised that you would.”

“I did, didn’t I?” Jonghyun smirks. His heart is fluttering but that seems normal when he is around Key. “I guess you’ll have to come over to mine and Jinki’s apartment one night and I can show you.”

Key meets his gaze and his smile widens. “That sounds like a good idea.” He checks his watch. “Oh, I’ve got to get to class. I’ll see you around, Jonghyun.” He smiles again and starts to head off.

“Key!” Jonghyun calls again, and he doesn’t realize he’s spoken until Key turns around with a questioning look. He swallows something hard in his throat. “You know, I was thinking...I need a model for one of my classes. Is there any way...Would you mind modeling for me sometime?”

Key hesitates, long enough that it makes Jonghyun regret ever asking, but then he smiles again. “Sure. That sounds like fun.” He pulls a pen from his bag and scribbles his phone number down on Jonghyun’s palm. “Call me when you want to meet up.” He smiles again and disappears.

Jonghyun looks down at the number on his hand and feels a bit like fainting. 


He tries to call Key three times over the next two weeks and loses his nerve every time, hanging up the phone before the call can even connect. He’s such a chicken. He doesn’t even know what he’s waiting for.

In the end, it’s Jinki who comes to his rescue. Without knowing about Jonghyun’s request for Key to model for him, he invites the long-legged beauty over to work on an assignment for a class they have together. When Jonghyun lets himself into the apartment after a long shift at the café where he makes overpriced drinks for hassled college students, he finds Jinki and Key sitting around their round coffee table, books and notes spread out in front of them.

“Oh, there you are, Jonghyun!” Jinki exclaims. “I invited Key over to work on homework. I hope you don’t mind.”

Of course Jonghyun doesn’t mind. In fact, he’d be pretty pleased if Key never left. Instead of saying that out loud, he simply nods. “Uh, sure. Great.”

“We ordered pizza if you want any,” Jinki says, returning to his assignment. “I’ll let you know when it gets here.”

That’s how Jonghyun ends up shut away in his bedroom, pacing back and forth as he waits for the inevitable ringing of the doorbell that will announce the arrival of the pizza and his chance to hang out in the living room with Key. He’s got his own homework he should be doing, but he can’t concentrate. Not when Key is sitting in the living room just ten feet away.

Eventually the doorbell rings and Jonghyun has to fight the urge to race into the living room. He takes a deep breath and strolls in casually, pretending like he hasn’t been waiting for this exact moment ever since he got home.

After paying for the pizza, Jinki goes into the kitchen to fetch drinks for the three of them while Jonghyun settles down on the sofa near – but not too close to – Key.

“Oh, I was thinking,” Key says as he takes a bite of cheesy pizza. “Since I’m here, I’d like to see some of your photography work. You know, since I’m going to be modeling for you and everything.”

Jonghyun’s hand is shaking so much that he has to put down his piece of pizza. “Yeah, sure…” he stammers out.

So, after they’ve finished the pizza, Jonghyun goes and grabs his portfolio from where he’d left it on his desk. “It’s a work in progress,” he says nervously, handing it over to Key.

Key is quiet as he flips through the portfolio, examining each picture for far too long. Jonghyun has never wanted anyone’s approval as much as he wants Key’s; it’s almost like waiting for a professor’s review, watching Key closely inspect each photograph.

“This is really good stuff,” Key finally says when he finishes looking through it. “Like, really good.”

Jinki beams, clapping Jonghyun on the shoulder almost like a proud brother. “He’s the top of his class, you know. He’s already sold a lot of his photographs. Give it ten years and he’ll be taking all the best pictures in Korea.”

Jonghyun is suitably embarrassed by this praise. “Don’t say it like that,” he grumbles. “You’re going to jinx me.”

But it doesn’t seem like much of a jinx when, while Jinki is in the kitchen cleaning up their dinner mess, Key looks straight at Jonghyun and says, “When did you want me to model for you?”

Their first modeling session is a flurry of nerves and bumbling actions. He trips over cords and nearly knocks over the standing lights. He comes close to ripping down the backdrop in the photography studio.

For the most part, Key is a total natural. Though he insists that he’s never modeled before, he settles into well-rehearsed poses and perfect pouts with an ease that Jonghyun has never seen before. It’s obvious that he’s entirely comfortable in his own skin, and Jonghyun admires that a great deal.

“So what made you want to get into photography?” Key asks during their third session together. It’s almost the end of the semester and Jonghyun has been working like crazy to finish his portfolio before the end of the semester review.

Jonghyun adjusts the focus on his camera. “I just always loved it,” he says from behind the lens. “I like to be able to capture pretty things on film. I feel like everyone should be able to enjoy the beauty that I see.”

“So are you saying I’m beautiful?” Key teases.

Jonghyun glances over the top of the camera, meeting Key’s gaze. “You’re the most beautiful thing I’ve ever seen,” he answers honestly.

There’s a long silence that follows this admission – which, if Jonghyun is perfectly honest with himself, he hadn’t been planning on saying – and a faint dusting of pink blooms across Key’s cheeks.

“You’ll have to let me see the photographs when they’re done,” he changes the subject. “And let me know how your senior review goes.”

Of course the photographs come out fantastic – how could they not with someone as fabulous as Key for a model? Jonghyun is impatient to show Key his final portfolio, the one he’s submitting to the department for his senior review. He’s ended up using more of the photographs of Key than he had originally intended because they’d all come out so perfect.

In the end he breaks down and steals Key’s address from Jinki’s handphone – he’s much too proud to ask his roommate for it. He’s feeling very proud of himself when he shows up in front of Key’s apartment and knocks on the door, his portfolio cradled protectively in his arms.

He’s quite surprised – and, if he’s perfectly honest, a bit alarmed – when a guy he’s never seen before opens the door. The guy is tall and muscular, with dark hair and strong features. He towers above Jonghyun, who suddenly feels quite inadequate.

“Yes?” the guy says, and even his voice is deep and melodic and downright mesmerizing. “Can I help you?”

“I’m looking for Key,” Jonghyun manages to get out. “Maybe I have the wrong apartment…”

“No, he’s here,” the guy says, standing aside so Jonghyun can enter. “Oi, babe! There’s someone here to see you!”

“Who is it, Minho?” comes Key’s muffled voice from somewhere at the back of the apartment.

“I don’t know,” the tall guy, Minho, shouts back. Then he glances down at Jonghyun. “What was your name?”

Jonghyun suddenly wants to be anywhere other than there. His hands, tightly gripping the portfolio, are hot and sweaty. “J-jonghyun,” he manages to get out, and his voice sounds strange and high-pitched and foreign.

“He says his name is Jonghyun!” Minho shouts back.

A second later, Key skids into the entryway, nearly stumbling out of his slippers. His face is flushed. “J-jonghyun,” he says. “What a surprise to see you here.”

“Sorry, I got your address from Jinki,” Jonghyun says, and there’s this strange pain in his chest. “I-I finished my portfolio and I just wanted to show you. The pictures turned out really good.”

“Oh, so this is your photographer friend you told me about!” Minho says delightedly. “Let’s see the pictures then!”

So the three of them sit down on the couch, Minho and Key sitting close enough that their thighs are touching while Jonghyun perches himself on the far edge, far enough away that he can barely see the photographs. He doesn’t need to see them anyway; he’s stared at them enough by now that each image is permanently etched on the backs of his eyelids.

Minho and Key are silent as they look through the photographs. Jonghyun knows that this usually indicates someone is impressed, but at this point he doesn’t even care what they think about the pictures. He just wants to get the hell out of there, maybe nurse his broken heart with a beer – or twelve.

When Key looks up again, his admiration is genuine. “These are really amazing, Jonghyun,” he says softly.

“Of course they are,” Minho agrees with a lazy grin, throwing his arm around Key’s shoulder. “They have to be since you're in most of them.”

Key flushes and looks down at his hands. He looks almost as awkward as Jonghyun feels.

Jonghyun manages to make up some excuse to leave before too long, gathering his belongings with barely-disguised relief.

“It was nice to meet you,” Minho says, and the honesty in his voice makes Jonghyun want to cringe.

“Yeah, you too,” he says, but it’s a pretty obvious lie.

Minho disappears back in the direction of the kitchen, presumably to continue dinner, while Key walks Jonghyun to the door. “Sorry, I was a little unprepared for company,” Key says awkwardly, gesturing to the sweatpants and t-shirt he’s wearing.

“It’s fine. You look good no matter what you wear,” Jonghyun says without thinking, and then he mentally face-palms. Giving compliments so freely is not something one does to someone who is most likely in a relationship. He gestures toward the kitchen, where they can hear Minho banging around happily with the pots and pans. “He seems nice.”

“He is,” Key agrees softly.

Jonghyun swallows the lump in his throat. “How long have you guys been together?”

This time, Key’s voice is so quiet that Jonghyun almost doesn’t hear him. “About seven months. Since last November.”

Jonghyun wants to lash out. He wants to demand why Key hadn’t told him about Minho even though they’d been seeing each other the whole time Key had been working with Jonghyun. But he doesn’t. He keeps his bitter thoughts to himself.

“Well, I guess I’ll see you around,” he says shortly.

Key’s smile is forced. “Yeah, see you around Jonghyun.”

They both know that they’re lying.

Jonghyun tries to forget about Key. He finishes his senior review and graduates university with an outstanding GPA and a good recommendation from several teachers. These good recommendations – which mostly center around what fabulous work Jonghyun had done with Key – lands him a job with a magazine headquartered in Seoul, where he gets to spend all day shooting models against various beautiful backgrounds.

It’s a good job, and he loves the newfound freedom his job affords him. He even tries to date, but for some reason he always ends up comparing his new potential partners to the one he lost.

“You need to start dating,” Jinki tells him one evening after his girlfriend has left. She always leaves claiming that she’s got things to do, but Jonghyun knows it’s because she doesn’t want him to feel like a third wheel with her and Jinki.

Jonghyun rolls his eyes. “Sunyoung doesn’t have to leave, you know. She’s perfectly welcome to stay as long as she wants. I can go to my room if you guys want alone time.”

Jinki rolls his eyes. “That’s not what I’m talking about and you know it.” He sighs. “You seem lonely, Jonghyun. You haven’t dated anybody since Sekyung, right? It’s been almost three years since then. I’m not saying you need to go out and get laid or get married or anything, but for god’s sake, man, at least go hang out with somebody.”

Jonghyun just shrugs noncommittally. It’s not that he hasn’t tried to meet someone, because he has. He just has a hard time connecting with people.

He goes into work the next day feeling down and depressed. His manager is waiting for him in the staff room. “This is yours, right?” she asks, holding up a photograph.

Jonghyun can’t help but cringe. Even though he hasn’t looked at the photograph in about two years, of course he recognizes it. It’s one of the best ones he’d taken of Key for his senior portfolio back in college. “Yeah,” he mutters. “That’s mine. What are you even doing with that?”

“This guy is here today,” the manager says, her face splitting into a grin. “He’s going to be modeling some of the new winter-wear. Since this is the photograph that made me want to hire you, I want to see how you work with him now.”

She seems quite pleased with herself, but Jonghyun’s heart has dropped somewhere in the vicinity of his toes, perhaps even lower.

Key? There? At the studio? No, this can’t be happening. Jonghyun hasn’t seen Key in two years, and he’s spent the majority of that time actively trying not to think about his former model. And now, completely unprepared, he’s going to have to face him again? He doesn’t think he can do it.

Only the manager isn’t giving him time to back out. “Go, go!” she urges. “The studio is already set up. Just go do your thing.”

Jonghyun’s hands are sweaty and shaking as he heads into the familiar studio, the same one that he has used for several hundred shoots over the past couple of years. And there, standing against a backdrop of pure white, dressed in a furry coat and jeans that are so sinfully tight they shouldn’t be allowed, is Key.

He’s talking to one of the assistants and doesn’t notice Jonghyun right away, but it’s obvious the second he does. His body stiffens up and whatever words he’d been saying trail away. The assistant stares at him when he suddenly stops talking.

“Let’s get started,” Jonghyun says briskly, trying not to acknowledge the enormous elephant in the room. “Start with some natural poses and we’ll go from there.”

Key stares at him for a moment longer, as if surprised that Jonghyun isn’t rushing over to catch up, but then he nods and complies.

He has gotten to be an even better model in the years since Jonghyun first shot him. He flows from one pose to the next with an innate gracefulness that can’t be taught. Everything from the slight slouch of his body to the way he puffs out his lips just so is perfect. Jonghyun knows that these will be his best photographs yet.

He finds himself getting into his groove, worshipping Key from behind his lens. And then, all too soon, one of the assistants is suggesting that they take a break.

Jonghyun is sweating from a mixture of concentration, hot stage lights, and pure nerves. He makes his way over to the table in the corner where food and drinks are set up, digging a bottle of water from one of the coolers and draining half of it in one go.

“I always knew you’d become a professional photographer.”

Key’s voice is so unexpected that Jonghyun chokes on his water and has to quickly wipe some off his chin. “Uh, yeah. Thanks,” he mumbles, staring down at his bottle. He doesn’t have to look up to know how close Key is; he can feel the younger’s body heat radiating towards him. He swallows audibly. “So you decided to become a model, I guess.”

“Yeah,” Key agrees, taking a bottle of water himself. “It’s all thanks to you, really. Because of you, I realized that I had real talent for it. So…thank you.”

Jonghyun just nods a little. He’s so nervous that the bottle of water in his hands is shaking uncontrollably.

“I broke up with Minho,” Key says suddenly, out of the blue. “A long time ago, in fact. Almost two years ago.”

Jonghyun glances up at him. “Why are you telling me that?”

Key blushes and shrugs, looking down at his shoes. “I don’t know. I guess I just wanted you to know. I felt bad. I was dating him when I was in love with someone else, and I knew it wasn’t fair to him. To anybody.”

Jonghyun doesn’t answer. The conversation feels strangely familiar, like the time he’d told Key about breaking up with his girlfriend.

“So…” He nervously wets his lips. “Are you seeing anyone?”

“No,” Key answers quickly, almost too quickly. “I’ve been, you know, waiting for the right person to come back into my life.”

When Jonghyun looks up again, Key is looking directly at him with a look that says volumes.

Jonghyun swallows again. “Yeah, me too,” he agrees.

Key’s face breaks into a relieved sort of smile, but it only lasts for a fraction of a second before he closes the distance between them and plants a chaste kiss on Jonghyun’s lips. “I’ve been wanting to do that for a really long time,” he admits in a whisper, minty breath ghosting over Jonghyun’s lips.

“Well do it again,” the elder demands, and this time he’s the one leaning up and connecting their lips. 

So I started this absolutely ages ago and it's just been languishing on my computer - along with about a hundred other stories - so I thought I'd finally post it. Jongkey was one of my first OTPs and I still ship them so hard. 

So I hope you guys like this one! Thanks for reading!