Jonghyun's heart leapt at the whistle declaring the end of soccer practice, sprinting back to the locker room to get changed. He pulled his shirt over his head quickly, throwing his dirty clothes into the locker, happy to finally be out of his filthy clothes. He grabbed his bag, rushing out before he could run into Minho. He didn't want to have another conversation like the one at lunch. He wasn't at all eager to be forced to address his relationship with Key.

He didn't want to think about whether or not Key liked him. He didn't want to think about whether or not it was possible for him to date a boy. He didn't want to think about the possibilities of a potential relationship.

He just liked being with Key. There was no need to think beyond that point or complicate it further. It was just that simple.

Turning the corner, he found himself face to face with the very boy he had been nervous about seeing all day.

"Good! You're finally here." Key announced. Jonghyun grinned proudly at the fact that Key had been waiting for him.

"And before you say it, I know, I'm slow. I'm always slow." Jonghyun said. Key grinned, leaning up against the wall.

"You read my mind, Jjongie." Jonghyun blushed. It was hard to remember how arrogant Key was when he acted this cute. "Let's go, at your pace we'll never get there." He said, starting to walk quickly. Jonghyun glided up and rejoined him at his side.

"And where is 'there', exactly?" He asked.

"You know I'm not going to answer that."

"Well it was worth a try."

The walk lasted a short ten minutes as Key and Jonghyun talked about school, their friends, their lives. Jonghyun became completely entranced at the animated manner in which Key spoke, his eyes lighting up and his expressions changing rapidly.

"We're here!" Key said excitedly. Jonghyun snapped up, so transfixed on Key that he had forgotten to look where they were even going.

"Ice skating?" He asked. Key was so, so unbearably cute to choose a place like this.

"Yep! Let's go!" He said enthusiastically. Jonghyun chuckled.

"I hope you know I can't ice skate. At all."

"That's about what I expected. Seems like you can't do much other than sing and be a nerd." He said. Jonghyun sighed, accepting the statement without argument. He was starting to get used to Key's constant insults. Perhaps Jonghyun was a masochist, but he almost liked hearing them from Key.

Key took it upon himself to get the ice skates for both of them. Jonghyun's clumsy fingers took an exceptionally long time to lace them up, earning him an impatient groan from Key.

"J-just give me a second! This is really difficult!" He said, fingers fumbling with the loose strings. Key folded his arms exaggeratedly, reminding Jonghyun that yes, he was completely incompetent. Finally finishing, he stood up, holding his arms out for balance on the thin skates. He wobbled uneasily toward Key.

"We're not even on the ice yet."

"I… I don't have great balance."

"This is obvious."

"Make as many snarky comments as you want, I don't care." He said, hobbling slowly toward the rink. He paused at the gate, staring at the ice. He touched his toe tentatively to the ice, retracting it quickly in fear.

"Let me go first." Key said, slipping past Jonghyun and gliding out onto the ice. He floated effortlessly a few feet from the gate, beckoning Jonghyun to follow him. Jonghyun watched several children pass by him easily. If they could do it, why not him? He slowly put one foot on the ice, following shortly after with the other. He stayed motionless, his knees bent and his arms extended, scared to move even the slightest. He breathed a sigh of relief when he realized he had not, in fact, tripped and fallen over himself.

"Look! I did it!" He shouted triumphantly.

"Great." Key said, smirking. "Now just skate out to me." Jonghyun glanced down at his feet, trembling slightly in their skates.

"…How?" He asked. Key sighed.

"It's almost like walking. Just push off of each foot. It's easy, I promise."

"Like walking. Got it." He hesitated, planning out each movement in his head. He stretched his foot out, taking a slow, doubtful step just inches in front of him. He became completely imbalanced as soon as he shifted his weight to his front foot, his arms flailing wildly as tried to level himself out again. "Key, this is impossible!" He shouted after finally regaining his balance and clutching for dear life against the wall.

"You barely even tried!"

"I tried enough!"

"Well try harder." Key said. It was becoming something of a catchphrase when he was around Jonghyun.

Frowning in the face of such a daunting task, he took a few more small steps, gaining confidence until his feet slipped completely out from underneath him. He shut his eyes before he felt the impact of his full weight slamming on the ice. He stayed there, dazed, until he slowly opened his eyes to see Key standing over him.

"Wow!" Key said. "That was impressively embarrassing." Jonghyun groaned, rotating from his sore back to his side.

"I think I'll just stay here for a while…" He mumbled, in too much pain to move.

"Absolutely not. We came here so you could have fun and that's exactly what you're going to do." Key said, extending his hand. Jonghyun blinked a few times, not believing the gift that had been dropped into his lap. Not trying to show just how eager he was, he reached up as slowly as his body could manage, clasping his hand in Key's. Key braced himself, pulling a groaning Jonghyun back up to his feet. "Ready?" He asked. Jonghyun just nodded as Key squeezed his hand tightly.

Key moved slowly, shifting his weight back and forth, dragging an unsteady Jonghyun along behind him.

"You have to actually move your feet, you know." Key said. "I can't just drag you the whole time."

"It seems to be working pretty well to me." Jonghyun replied, now clasping Key's arm with both of his hands, his back nowhere near straight as he remained in his half hunched over position.

"You look like a freak. Come on." Key pulled Jonghyun up next to him, wrapping his arm around his waist. "Take small steps, okay?" Jonghyun did his best to ignore the fact that Key's hand was holding on firmly to his own hip, taking small steps that matched Key's. Jonghyun felt a grin spread out across his face as they picked up speed. He almost lost his balance once again when he heard a slight giggle escape from Key's lips, a sound more pure than any music he could hope to create.

Key released Jonghyun's waist, clasping his hand once again in Jonghyun's. Jonghyun shifted his grip, intertwining their fingers together. He glanced at quickly at Key, satisfied when he saw a shy smile spread across the younger boy's lips.

The two exchanged eye contact briefly before Jonghyun looked away shyly, his breathing hitched as he admired the way his fingers fit perfectly in line with Key's. His body filled with warmth despite the cold temperature of the ice skating rink as he decided there wasn't anything, there couldn't be anything, better than that moment.

At that moment, everything was completely perfect.

Jonghyun's moment of bliss was interrupted as he slipped once again, clinging firmly onto Key's entire arm.

"Jonghyun, caref-" Key was cut off when Jonghyun's legs completely gave out, his entire body plummeting to the ground as he dragged Key along with him. Jonghyun felt the wind get knocked out of him as his back hit the ground, Key toppling down after him, landing right on his stomach.

The air in Jonghyun's lungs escaped for the second time when he realized how close Key was to him, their chests barely touching as Key fell on top of him. He stared directly into Key's eyes, just inches away from his own.

If someone had asked Jonghyun what exactly was going through his mind at that moment, he wouldn't have been able to tell them. All he knew was that he didn't want to separate himself from Key. His mind completely blank, he snaked his arms up and rested them on Key's lower back. Key seemed to soften, arching his back slightly under his touch, letting his hips melt over Jonghyun's. He glanced upward at Key's flushed face, most likely a similar color to his own. His eyes were slightly wider than usual, not moving away from Jonghyun's stare.

He was suddenly aware of the heat he was feeling in his lower region. He stayed still, praying Key wouldn't notice his increasingly apparent problem.

"Jonghyun." He thought he heard Key whisper. He looked up, waiting for him to continue. "I-"

"Hey mister, are you okay?" Jonghyun's eyes snapped away from Key's, landing on a young boy kneeling next to him. "You fell really hard!" Key scrambled back to his feet, brushing himself off quickly and leaving Jonghyun to fend for himself.

"Y-yeah!" Jonghyun said, finally managing to get back on his feet after a few failed attempts. "I'm fine! I didn't fall too hard!" The young boy gave a crooked grin.

"You were lying there so long, I thought you died!" He exclaimed. Jonghyun blushed vibrantly, scratching the back of his head. He heard Key giggling from behind him.

"From your skating skills, that was a definite possibility." He said.

"Oh shut up, Key!" He whispered. He turned back around to face the young boy in front of him. "I'm fine, don't you worry." He said, patting his head. "Go run along back to your parents, okay?" The boy nodded and skated away in a more graceful manner than Jonghyun could ever hope to achieve.

Jonghyun stood awkwardly, unable to face Key. Both boys were silent, not exactly sure how to address what had just happened.

And what exactly was it that happened? Was the tension just a product of Jonghyun's imagination? Had Key not even thought about it the way Jonghyun had?

"Um… my feet are killing me!" Jonghyun shouted, blurting out the first thing that came to mind just to end the stifling silence between the two.

"Fine, let's go." Key skated up beside him, looping his arm around Jonghyun's and leading him slowly back to the gate, making completely sure that Jonghyun wouldn't have another accident like the one before. They removed their skates and returned them to the counter, stepping out into the fresh air again.

"So I guess I'm not too good at skating, am I?" Jonghyun said after a brief silence.

"Well that's quite an understatement…" Key said. Jonghyun elbowed him in the side, earning himself a small giggle from Key.

"I had a lot of fun, Key." He admitted quietly. Key's eyes lit up.

"I knew you would!" He said. Jonghyun laughed at Key's ever-changing moods. Key cleared his throat. "Remember when we met at the coffee shop?" Jonghyun nodded thinking back on the embarrassing, yet fond memory. "Remember how I recognized that you went to the same school as me?" Jonghyun pretended to think hard, as if he didn't quite remember. In reality, he knew every detail of their first conversation, having played it over thousands of times in his head. "How do you think I knew that?"

Jonghyun paused. "You said my hair was noticeable, right?"

"Well… that was partly it." Jonghyun gave him a confused look, signaling for him to continue. "I definitely noticed you first because of your hair. But I saw you a lot in the hallways you know. And every time I saw you, you looked so sad." Jonghyun looked down at his feet as he shuffled along slowly next to Key. He didn't even realize this until now. "In all those times I saw you I don't think I ever saw you smile. I used to wonder why you were so sad all the time." Jonghyun stared at Key, completely shocked that he had noticed something this small. Key never seemed like the type to be concerned over other people's feelings.

"I'm… I was, really caught up with schoolwork all the time. My parents are really strict, you know. They were always pushing me. I didn't really have the energy to be happy." Key nodded slowly.

"I know. But when you came into the shop and asked me what to give you, I got so excited. I thought, here's my chance to make this guy smile, even if it's just for a moment." Key said. Jonghyun bit his lip subconsciously, taken aback by Key's words. "And the next day when those kids were bullying me, I saw you eating in the courtyard. And I got excited again because… oh fuck this sounds seriously creepy now that I'm saying this out loud… I just thought maybe I could see you smile again." Jonghyun bit his lip, trying to hold back the wave of emotions overcoming him. "You don't deserve to be depressed all the time. It's not fair."

"I didn't really have a reason to be happy until now." Jonghyun said. Key just scoffed.

"Oh, shut up!"

"No, seriously!" He said. "You make me laugh, you make me smile, you're housing me after I got my stupid ass kicked out of the house for god's sake…"

"Emphasis on 'stupid'."

"What I'm trying to say is…" He continued, ignoring Key's comment, "you make me happy. So… thank you." His words felt clumsy as they stumbled out of his mouth. "People don't usually care enough about me to even try." He saw Key suppress a grin, turning away from Jonghyun's stare.

"Whatever, I shouldn't have even told you, you're such a sap." Jonghyun laughed at Key's stubbornness. He was unable even to accept a simple thank you. But that's what Jonghyun loved about him. He was stubborn to the point of absurdity.

He still couldn't believe Key had noticed something as insignificant as that. Key would never know just how much it meant to him that he had. Key would never know how much he meant to him, period. He reached across Key and draped his arm across his shoulder, longing to feel his warmth against his arms again. He didn't bother looking at the younger boy, knowing full well that he was most likely rolling his eyes at him. His heart fluttered when he felt Key's hand reach up, placing a light hold on Jonghyun's hip. They walked silently back to Key's house, arms wrapped around each other all the while. At that point there were no words in the world that could match the high Jonghyun felt just from a simple touch.

Key released his grip on Jonghyun when the reached the door to his house and he swung it open wildly with a bang. Jonghyun didn't really understand why Key felt the need to open every door in such a violent manner, but he didn't question it. The moment Jonghyun stepped in the house a delicious scent wafted into his nose, reminding him just how hungry he was.

"Great, dinner's ready." Key said, walking to the kitchen. Jonghyun stood up straight when he saw Key's mother and step-dad in the room, becoming nervous immediately. "Jonghyun and I are going to eat upstairs, okay?" Key said, grabbing a plate off the table. His mother leapt up.

"Not today you're not!" She said. "Come eat at the table with us, I want to get to know Jonghyun!" Key groaned, obviously angered by his mother's eccentric behavior.

"Let's eat with them." Jonghyun said, trying his best to make a good impression. Key frowned, mumbling something under his breath before reluctantly putting the plate back on the table. He took a seat next to Jonghyun, folding his arms stubbornly while his mom and step-dad served the food.

"Why are you being so rude to them?" Jonghyun whispered to Key. Key pursed his lips together, refusing to answer.

"So." Key's mother said, taking a seat at the table. "When did you meet Key, Jonghyun?"

"At work." Key said, lifting up his food and inspecting it carefully, reminiscent of what Jonghyun had done before trying Key's cooking.

"Let Jonghyun talk! I want to get to know him better!" Key grumbled again, shoving food into his mouth dramatically. "Jonghyun, sweetie, go ahead." Jonghyun looked at Key, then back to his mother. The similarities were really quite striking. They had the same large eyes, the same full lips.

"Umm… well there isn't much more to say. I met him at the coffee shop and we became friends after that." Jonghyun said quietly. Key's step-dad's face lit up.

"It's really nice to see Key meeting new people, isn't it?" He said. His mother nodded in agreement. Jonghyun gave a half-hearted smile. He wasn't used to being around such nice parents and it made him a little uneasy. A long silence settled over the table except for the clinking of plates.

"So," his mother said again, ending the silence between them, "when did you two start dating?" Jonghyun completely choked on the water he was drinking, almost spitting it out in shock. He bent over to the side of the table to disguise his coughing fit.

"MOM!" Key shouted, his face turning bright red.

"What? I just want to know!"

"We're NOT dating!" Key yelled.

"You're not?" She asked.

"No." Key said. Jonghyun continued coughing, absolutely sure he had destroyed his windpipe somewhere along the way. He remained hunched over, his back shaking from his violent spasms. "Great, you killed Jonghyun. Are you happy now?" Key said, throwing his hands up in the air.

"I'm sorry, you two just seemed so close!" Key put his elbows on the table and covered his face with his hands, too embarrassed to speak. Jonghyun finally managed to regain himself, sitting upward and placing his hand on his throat, rubbing it soothingly.

"N-no, Mrs. Kim," he choked, "we're n-not dating."

"Well why not?" His mother exclaimed. "Jonghyun is adorable, Key! What are you waiting for?" Jonghyun felt his face burn from Key's mother's words.

"ALRIGHT, THAT'S IT." Key slammed his hands on the table, standing up quickly. "Jonghyun and I are going upstairs. Bye."

"No, stay downstairs with us!" His mother said.

"Nope. Not doing that."

"But Key, I'm not done eating!" Jonghyun whispered.

"Then take the damn plate with you!" He yelled, snatching Jonghyun's plate and storming upstairs.

"Th-thank you very much for dinner!" He yelled before following him upstairs. He opened the door to Key's room, seeing Key lying face down on the bed, Jonghyun's plate placed on the nightstand. He picked it up and continued eating, watching Key as he sulked.

"They are so embarrassing sometimes, I swear…" He mumbled into his bed sheets, unable to make eye contact with Jonghyun. Jonghyun just laughed.

"A little." He admitted, sitting down on Key's bed. "But they want you to be happy. I think that's sweet."

Key unwedged his head from the bedsheets, turning to face Jonghyun. "Are you saying dating you would make me happy?" Key asked. Jonghyun chuckled again, patting Key on the back.

"That wouldn't just make you happy, that would make you the happiest man in the world." He joked. Key scoffed, placing his head back in his sheets. Jonghyun rested his hand on Key's back, enjoying the warmth he felt in the palm of his hand.

"You're more arrogant than I thought I guess…" Key mumbled. Jonghyun rubbed circles in Key's back, letting his fingers roll over the neckline of his shirt, his fingertips lazily grazing the exposed skin. He cleared his throat.

"I mean, it wasn't crazy that your mom thought that. We spend a lot of time together, so it's natural she could have assumed it…" He said quietly. He secretly enjoyed the fact that he had been confused for Key's boyfriend. He wanted to continue pretending, just for a little longer.

"But she didn't have to announce it at the dinner table like that!"

"Well… I don't mind." Jonghyun said quietly. He felt Key shift slightly under his touch, eventually rolling over completely on his back to face Jonghyun. Jonghyun didn't move his hand, now resting it on Key's chest. "I mean, is the idea of dating me that embarrassing?"

What am I doing?

He knew he was crossing a line, but he couldn't stop. Not now.

"Oh c…come on, that's not what I was saying!" He protested. "You know what I meant!"

"Then… elaborate for me." Jonghyun whispered. Key's eyes travelled downward, noticing Jonghyun's hand firmly positioned on his chest. His eyes snapped up back to Jonghyun, who didn't move his gaze from Key's for even a second. Key swallowed blankly, opening his mouth several times to speak, but in the end only producing cracked gasps.

"I…I… umm…" He started. He yelped suddenly, sitting up and jumping off the bed. "Has everyone gone crazy except for me?" He said, waving his hands angrily. Jonghyun laughed.

"Sorry Key, I can't help myself. You're funny when you're angry." Jonghyun said. Key groaned audibly.

"I'm going to take a shower!" Key shouted, walking out of his room and slamming the door loudly as he always did.

Jonghyun giggled, flopping down on Key's bed, enjoying the image of a flustered Key now replaying in his head. Suddenly Key popped his head back through the door.

"And you know that's not what I meant! You'd be a great boyfriend. Any girl would be lucky to have you!" He said quickly. Too quickly. It didn't sound all that genuine. Jonghyun smiled. Key was so cute.

"I know I would be." He responded.

"You really have gotten arrogant…" Key mumbled.

"I guess I've been hanging out with you too much." He responded quickly. Key groaned again, slamming the door shut and scampering down the hall.

Yep.

So, so cute.