Originally written July of 2011.


3 MONTHS LATER

Key stumbled into the house late that night, shedding his soggy shoes in the designated area by the welcome mat. The building was dark, save for the moonlight flooding through the cracks in the curtains. Letting his eyes adjust slowly, Key slumped against the door, resting his head against its sturdy surface. His gazed wandered across the room, pausing on the couch. It was vacant. For a second, Key pondered about Jonghyun's whereabouts – was he out too? – but he quickly brushed it aside.

Suppressing a shiver, Key made his way to the bathroom. He prepared himself a hot bath, locking the door behind him just in case. No matter how many times Jonghyun assured him they had bathed together before, how was he supposed to just blindly accept this guy's statements?

Key slipped into the tub, relishing the feeling of the hot water against his chilled flesh. He sank beneath the surface for a few moments before coming up for air. He sat there, feeling his tense muscles loosen, quietly humming to himself.

He had just been in the park not too long ago. Thinking… that's what he had been doing. Not that he hadn't done plenty of that earlier. He had sat there on an empty bench, walked the paths, looked out at the lake… The original plan had been just to get some fresh air, to clear his head… but somehow, his mind always found a way to focus back on him.

Jonghyun.

Key sank lower in the bathtub, releasing a heavy sigh. Why was that man such a big mystery to him? The vocalist insisted that they were lovers, that they had done practically everything together – Key shuddered at the thought of what he could mean by that – and everyone else believed the same. Or they were simply playing along – but why would they do that? What would they gain by doing so?

After a good deal of soaking, Key exited the bathroom clothed in his bathrobe and boxers. He silently shuffled down the corridor to the bedroom, suddenly feeling incredibly sleepy. Turning the corner, he failed to realize he wasn't alone until he reached the bedside. Gasping, he realized Jonghyun had beaten him to the bed. Feeling a twinge of annoyance – or was it just surprise? It was hard to tell at such a late hour – he was about to object when he saw a small piece of paper lying on the covers besides Jonghyun.

Key slowly reached for it, holding it close to read in the dim lighting. By the looks of it, it appeared that Jonghyun had scribbled this note, and it was meant for him. "Sorry – didn't know when you'd be home. Feel free to kick me out of bed. Love you."

Key bit his lip, suddenly feeling somewhat guilty. He glanced towards the slumbering Jonghyun, whose back faced him. He placed the slip of paper gently on the nightstand, his fingers brushing it lightly. As he pulled back his hand, he caught sight of the multiple pictures layered beside it on the table. Though he knew they had always been there, that they consisted of him and Jonghyun together… he hadn't really spent the time to study them closely.

Key sat cautiously on the edge of the bed, taking a hold of one of the framed photos. This particular one had him and Jonghyun sitting in chairs, beside one another, with Key's hand in Jonghyun's. Jonghyun was holding Key's hand up to his chest, smiling widely as they made eye contact.* He grabbed another. This one featured them two wearing matching shirts in opposite colors with their hands held up in the usual V-shape.** Key felt the corners of his lips twitch upwards at their height difference.

Still. Shaking his head, Key set the pictures back in place, staring at his hands. What should he do? After all Jonghyun had done for him… though he still felt like a stranger… Key couldn't bring himself to kick him out of bed like he owned the place. Casting a peek over his shoulder, Key eventually bit his tongue and slipped under the covers without another second of hesitation. Jonghyun was asleep anyway. He could easily wake before the vocalist and act like he had slept on the couch the whole night.

Key laid his head into the soft downy pillow, half-lidded eyes grazing over Jonghyun's back. The older man's soft snores reached his ears, creating an oddly soothing rhythm. Though he was too tired to admit it, Key found himself being somewhat lulled to sleep. Absently, he found himself seeking warmth – the blankets were rather thin – and within a couple minutes, Key was out, his breathing slowed to a heavy, steady rhythm. His nose was tucked into back of Jonghyun's neck, tickled lightly by the baby hairs. His arms were tucked up to his chest, resting in the small of Jonghyun's back.

Though Key never realized, Jonghyun had awoken as soon as the younger man had sat on the bed. Now that they were in this position, he remained frozen, wanting to cherish this moment forever. As he closed his eyes again, a single tear rolled down his cheek, dropping onto his pillow.

-x-

Things had begun to progress in a smoother fashion as time progressed. Shows and interviews became more fluent and natural as Key learned to feign his regular companionship with Jonghyun. Practices weren't half bad either. Though on the day after Key had slipped into bed with Jonghyun for the first time (he had failed to wake up first, so he was painfully aware that Jonghyun knew about the whole ordeal), Jonghyun had sent a few looks Key's way, but he had ignored them as usual. Still, whether he was just tired or it was the lighting, he thought he saw a blush returning in the diva's cheeks.

They were currently on break. SHINee sat in their practice room in a circle, laughing and sharing bottles of water. Minho made a particularly hilarious joke, causing Onew – who was naturally clumsy with his condition – to choke and spill. The other members laughed good-naturedly, getting on their leader's case. Onew himself couldn't help but laugh, shrugging off the accident.

Practice started up again as normal. They drilled through their routine – luckily Key's skills had stuck with him – sweaty yet satisfied. They were nearing the end of their session when Taemin asked if they could run through it once more, just to make sure they had it completely together. The other members were fatigued, but agree that Taemin had a point.

Everything was going smoothly, their moves were synchronized, their voices blending well – until Key's foot slipped in the small pool of water left behind by Onew's blunder, sending the young diva crashing to the floor. Jonghyun saw it happen too late, diving towards his fallen member desperately with a cry. Everything seemed to occur in slow motion. Taemin gasped, Minho rushed for help, and Onew sunk to his knees.

"Key? Key!" Jonghyun held the unconscious young man in his arms, cradling his head. The vocalist was frantic, his eyes wide with terror. "KEY!" Jonghyun's voice was shrill as he constantly stroked Key's face, hoping for any sign of life. Sure, his heart was still beating, but he couldn't help but feel terribly overwhelmed by the sensation of déjà vu. He wasn't responding. It was happening again.

"KEY! NO! PLEASE, WAKE UP!" Jonghyun was sobbing now, unrestrained tears freely flowing. "Wake up, wake up," he kept repeating, over and over. Their manager and medics were now by Key's side, tending to the diva. They requested that Jonghyun back away so that they could work without being crowded, but he refused to budge. He blindly pushed them all away, solely intent upon staying by Key's side.

This time, he wouldn't leave. He'd forsake food, water, and sleep to be with him.

He wasn't going to lose him again.

-x-

Just like he said he would, Jonghyun remained by Key's side the entire time, escorting him to the hospital and keeping watch by his bedside. Occasionally he'd accept the snacks the nurses or other members of SHINee would offer him, but he wouldn't leave. He watched as Key lay there, sleeping, just as he had a couple months ago following the first accident. Jonghyun brushed his fingers through the diva's fine hair, hoping at any moment Key would open his eyes and smile at him once again.

Jonghyun crossed his arms on the side of the bed, resting his forehead upon them. He was dry of tears by this point. Instead, he was swallowed by an empty feeling worse than loneliness. He had tried to remain optimistic to soothe the panicked Taemin and worried Minho and Onew, but even they realized his façade. Closing his eyes, Jonghyun begged sleep to take him before his mind wandered further and brought up possible heart-breaking scenarios.

-x-

Jonghyun stirred; someone was touching him – that was probably why he had awoken. Were they trying to get his attention? No… it felt more like they were stroking him, a soothing gesture rather than an attention-grabbing one. It was comfortable and gentle; he was afraid that if he moved, it would go away. He involuntarily hummed appreciatively, still half asleep. This resulted in a small, soft chuckle, a tinkling sound pleasing to the ear. Jonghyun smiled – such a nice sound… and a familiar one at that.

Why was it so familiar?

Curious, Jonghyun forced his eyes to open. Blinking as he turned his head, he tried to make out who exactly was in front of him. He was still pretty groggy, but he could tell it was a young man looking down at him, smiling serenely. Jonghyun frowned – who was this? It wasn't… no, it couldn't… how could it…

"Key?"

Key leaned further back into his pillows; though his body showed signs of being fatigued, his eyes sparkled with bright compassion and happiness. "Jjong," he whispered feebly.

Jonghyun sat up abruptly, staring. Key raised an eyebrow weakly, partly surprised, as Jonghyun looked him over. "Jjong?" he whispered again, and it was then that Jonghyun realized Key was back to normal. He was his regular self again – he was his Key.

"Jonghyun, what's–" Key was cut off as Jonghyun gently – it took all of his restraint to not be rough – grabbed either side of his face and pulled him in for a kiss. Key was taken aback, widened eyes betraying his surprise, before he let out a content sigh, returning Jonghyun's kiss. Jonghyun was hungry, months of holding back being released in that one moment, his hands roaming through Key's hair, neck, chest, arms, stomach, anywhere he could grab. When they began to feel Key's lower half, Key took a quick breath, pushing Jonghyun away quietly.

"Eager as always," Key muttered knowingly, a slight smirk playing on his lips. "I have a headache, babo, so please calm down." He expected Jonghyun to snort and try for another kiss, but Key's smile faltered once he saw his lover's eyes wet with tears. "J-Jonghyun?"

Jonghyun bit his tongue, pulling Key into an embrace. He wrapped his hands around Key's head and shoulders, holding him tightly to his chest. He buried his nose into Key's hair, breathing in his sweet, seducing scent. "Don't leave me ever again," he murmured through clenched teeth, the aching feeling in his chest returning at the thought of Key being forever absent in his life.

Key hesitated, unsure of what to say. "B-Babo," he said, feebly reaching up to stroke Jonghyun's hair again. When Jonghyun finally pulled away, the diva reached up with his delicate fingers to wipe away the vocalist's tears. "You're always crying…" he whispered, a half smile gracing his face. "It's like… like you haven't seen me in months."

Jonghyun grabbed Key's hand, squeezing it. "It's because I haven't."

Key blinked, waiting for him to add a "just kidding" or something. When it didn't come, Key's expression turned worrisome. "What do you mean… you haven't?"

Jonghyun's brow furrowed. How could he say this to make Key understand? "You… I…" With some minor difficulty, he locked gazes with his boyfriend. "A few months ago… there was an accident. We – no, I was driving, and I wasn't paying attention… so though we both lived, you slipped into a coma for about ten days. When you finally awoke… you weren't yourself." Jonghyun's eyes saddened considerably. "You remembered everything… except me." Jonghyun closed his eyes. "Taemin described it as retrograde amnesia… you've been living with it for a couple months now, and yesterday, you hit your head, so I guess now… you're back to normal…"

Key's eyes searched Jonghyun's while he listened to the entire explanation. His genuine shock proved to Jonghyun that Key hadn't faked anything and only made him want to hug and kiss him all the more.

"I… I don't understand," Key finally managed, clutching his chest. "How could I… I don't… all I remember was being in the car with you, we were going to dinner…"

Jonghyun blinked. "You… remember from that long ago?"

Key nodded slowly. "It… feels like I just woke up." Jonghyun saw the diva's eyes begin to shine with wetness. "And it was our… our anniversary."

Jonghyun could think of nothing to say. Key's devastated expression only broke Jonghyun's heart further. Feeling inclined to comfort him, Jonghyun slipped under the covers beside Key. Key gladly obliged, snuggling close and settling his face in the crook of Jonghyun's neck. His warm, shallow breath ghosted over Jonghyun's collarbone, sending slight shivers down the vocalist's spine. Oh, how he had missed the times when they could cuddle like this and Key wouldn't be sent into a furious frenzy.

They stayed like that for a moment, basking in each other's comfortable silence. They were finally reunited at last, and neither could be happier. Jonghyun rested his cheek on the top of Key's head, trailing his fingers across Key's jaw, down his neck, and stopping to rest on his chest. He felt Key's faint but steady heartbeat, echoed by the monitor at the bedside.

"Key?" Jonghyun suddenly asked, swallowing.

"Hmm?" Key hummed softly, pressing his nose into Jonghyun's neck.

"I, um… remember when we first met, our first day as SHINee… we always joked about how our last names were both Kim?"

"Mhmm," Key hummed again.

"And how people always joked that we were already like a married couple?"

Key giggled slightly. "Someone's feeling nostalgic today."

At that moment, Jonghyun stiffened slightly, causing Key to worry slightly. "Jjong?" He felt Jonghyun place a finger under his chin and lift it so that they were gazing into each other's eyes. "W-what's wrong? Are you okay? Did I say something wrong?"

Jonghyun shook his head, planting a tender kiss on Key's pink lips. "No, nothing's wrong. In fact, it couldn't be better. It's just…" He took a deep breath – he looked so nervous, like he could be sick at any moment. "I, uh… it's just… Key, before the accident, before the whole amnesia factor came into our lives… there was something I was going to ask you. I'm absolutely no good with any of this stuff, so, please forgive me, it's probably nothing like you imagined, so I–"

Key placed a single finger over Jonghyun's trembling lips. "Babo, I don't understand what you're saying."

"What I'm saying is…" Jonghyun inhaled deeply, sitting up and taking Key's hands in his. Maybe now wasn't the right time to be doing this, but he couldn't wait a moment longer – he wasn't taking any chances. "Like I said, regarding the joke about us acting like a married couple…" The vocalist paused, reaching into his pocket and pulling out a small, black box wrapped neatly in silver ribbon. He slowly opened it, revealing its contents.

Inside lay a simple yet elegant silver-gold ring.

"How would you like to make that joke a reality?"

Key gasped, his hands flying to his mouth. Tears began to form at the corners of his eyes, and a choked sob escaped from his lips.

"Kim Kibum… would you marry me and become my–"

Though he was in a weakened state, Key managed to muster the strength to throw his arms around Jonghyun's shoulders and hug him tightly before slipping his tongue into his lover's mouth. Their tongues clashed against one another, roaming the other's mouth as Jonghyun gently lowered Key onto the pillow so that he was now topping.

"I take that as a yes?"

Jonghyun slipped the ring out from the box and held it between them.

"Yes." Jonghyun placed the engagement ring on Key's finger. Key held up his left hand, admiring it and smiling wider than ever before.

"It's official," Jonghyun whispered, rubbing noses with Key, who laughed before kissing his new fiancé.

"And it's about time!"

Jonghyun and Key's heads snapped towards the new voice only to find Onew, the speaker, as well as Minho and Taemin standing, beaming, in the doorway.

"Congratulations~" Taemin sang happily, rushing towards the couple. "Oh, umma, I'm so happy!" Taemin himself had tears streaming down his cheeks, though they were mostly ones of joy. He laughed, his eyes shining as his hyungs embraced him. Onew and Minho moved forward and added their congratulations, equally as glad to see Key on the road to a full recovery. Their SHINee family was back again, stronger and closer than ever.

Nothing would ever come between any of them again.