Kiss Me, Show Me, Really, Really Love Me [oneshot]
Title: Kiss Me, Show Me, Really, Really Love Me [oneshot]
Author:
choi_minju
Warning: There will be fluffy love and third person view. Ah, and I tend to swear, and my work tends to reflect that.
Rated: PG-13
Disclaimer: No one owns humans, unless you’re in some 18th century shit about peasants and slavery. Otherwise, this story is entirely mine and the imagination is from all this escalated stress.
Summary: NS Yoon G’s If You Love Me - “I wonder if you’re thinking the same thing as me.
Something about your eyes that look at me is different....”
Pairings: Minho / Key
Note: This is for
giveitupjessica because it was her birthday, and this counts as an extremely late gift due to studies. Happy birthday~!!! This song is really nice! ^^ I love Jay Park. *^* And NS Yoon G speaks almost fluently in English! :O Don’t like angst much but I tried playing with the song plot - hope you like this story! >.< P.S.: I am too much into tales lately....
A love like no other - nah, that’s bullshit. This was one of those cliche stories that end up with two strangers falling in love.
Once upon a time, there was a young tall man with black hair and big doe eyes. He had the looks of a prince, and that’s basically what he was - a royal prince from South Korea by the name of Choi Minho.
He was a bit of a romantic (mainly due to his last caretaker’s fault, Kim Jonghyun) and would pursue any woman he so desired. However, he was not spoiled into thinking he could have any woman he wanted to be betrothed to. He attended homeschooling every day and had the need to learn new things of the outside world of his mansion in Incheon. Minho was never physically brought outside the realms of his family property unless he had a soccer game to attend to or he had to travel with his family. The only outside source he had was Jonghyun, who could only commute 3 times a week.
As soon as he turned 18 years old, Minho announced to his parents and everyone in the mansion that he wished to travel alone abroad to expand his educational mind about the world. He always wanted to find that one true love that Jonghyun spoke of every night that he had to tell a bedtime story before sleeping. His parents were fine with it, considering their youngest son was the brightest and the most caring, yet curious with determination. They gave Minho a special kind of cellphone, of one that only directs calls to either his parents or elder brother, who would be the future heir to inherit their father’s position as the modern king of South Korea.
Minho had set forth outside the huge mansion in Incheon, where he basically lived throughout his life, for the first time, and he himself had to admit that he was a little scared, but his determination to seek knowledge of the world only grew more stronger than fear as he ventured out into the streets of Incheon.
To disguise himself, Minho had worn “commoner” clothing, which consisted of a regular white printed, long sleeved shirt with black skinny jeans and black high top sneakers. His luggage consisted of a big yet cute and sturdy backpack and a light blue rolling suitcase. He wanted to blend in and discover wonders of the world as a “commoner”, as his elder brother refers to the majority of people around the world who weren’t rich nor poor.
And so the young prince had set off, waving his family goodbye from a far away distance as he walked towards the nearest train station.
“Shit!”
About hours later, once Minho stepped off the train which led him to Seoul, South Korea, he set his heart out on finding his best friend and caretaker, Jonghyun. The young man had taken care of him for a good 5 years until he had to quit due to a rumour in the Choi mansion that he sold drugs and was a common street thief. Minho never believed in the rumours, but he was curious as to how Jonghyun actually did get laid off. It had only been 3 months since Jonghyun got fired, but the young prince had missed him, which was a trigger in his system to strongly convince his parents that he needed to travel outside the mansion grounds.
Which eventually led Minho to this moment, after wandering around the busy streets of Seoul and bumping into a complete stranger by accident and apparently made him curse. “Please don’t swear, sir,” Minho reminded the stranger.
The stranger had mostly blonde hair except for the sides of his head, but it was still blonde nonetheless. It seemed natural on the slightly smaller man, who had porcelain skin and feline-shaped eyes. Along with his hoodie and vest with jeans and sneakers, the stranger Minho had bumped into reminded him of a beautiful cat, who currently looks ready to scratch off his head.
“Did you just tell me to not swear? I’m sorry, but you don’t just bump into a person, causing him to spill his coffee, then tell him what to do! I can fucking cuss however I fucking want to! God!” The stranger ranted as he glared up at Minho. He grumbled other incoherent words, to Minho’s hearing, and eyed his stained hoodie jacket in disgust.
Minho was baffled beyond belief. Jonghyun had never warned him about people like him, who seem to not want to stop talking. Then again, Minho will never admit it, but Jonghyun used to go off like that, too. He betted all his inheritance at the moment that the short caretaker still does.
The young prince in disguise bowed a bit and apologized. “I am very deeply sorry for creating such a mess. It would be at my best courtesy to pay for your jacket.”
When he stood up straight again, he saw the stranger’s face contort into confusion and bafflement. “Are you mocking me? I’ve had this outfit for so long and you stained it! I don’t live well off, if you haven’t noticed! This is one of the few clothes I wear daily!” He shouted at Minho, making few people on the street stop to stare at them.
Innocently, Minho smiled and took out a wad of cash from his pocket, then giving it to the stranger. “Keep it as a token of my sympathies. Buy as many clothes as you desire, sir. There is plenty where that came from.” And with that, he bowed and waved goodbye before passing the stranger and moving forward, having no idea where to search for his favorite and only friend.
The stranger gawked at his retreating form and thought for a moment before sticking the wad of cash given to him in his hidden pockets of his vest. The blonde man had an idea which involved the tall frog-looking man. He took off after the tall stranger he had bumped into and grabbed him by the elbow. “Hey, you!”
Minho turned and looked down at a slightly panting person, the stranger who he had just met moments ago. “Yes?”
It took all of the stranger’s strength to look up at the tall man before him and look around him. “Dang, you walk fast! I just ran a block after you!”
The disguised prince looked around in confusion. “Block? Where?”
“......you must be new to the country or something.”
Minho shook his head. “This is a new city. I’ve been homeschooled and I’ve rarely come out of the home I lived in.” He explained to the stranger before him.
The stranger’s eyes widened. “Really?! Well....since you have this much cash on you, could you be my roommate in the meantime, if you have no place to stay around here? I’m almost behind on payment for the bills...” He suggested, a bit embarrassed. “Plus! I could show you around....”
Now, Minho knew what paying for the bills were for. He’s heard Jonghyun complain about working at an early age in his life rather than spending time in college. All he’s known of Jonghyun’s personal life is of his wisdom with the ladies, in life, and that he had to quit high school because in the meantime working to take care of Minho had been a high-paid job for Jonghyun to focus on fully. He had always wanted to help pay the bills with his saved up cash (from getting only money every holiday from all of his relatives over the years) but Jonghyun was a stubborn youngster who liked earning money.
Minho immediately agreed and stuck his free hand out, his other hand holding the handles of his rolling luggage. “I’d be delighted to share a room with you. My name is Choi Minho, and you are...?”
The stranger blinked at the gesture and hesitantly shook hands with him. “Sure. The name’s Kim Kibum, but call me Key for short.”
The young prince smiled at that. Key was very amusing to him.
The place Key lived in was far from where (and how) Minho lived in his entire life. The apartment only had one bedroom with one bed, and there was little furniture. Though, Minho was impressed with how everything in the house complimented each other despite the simplicities.
Key gestured the couch to Minho. “I’m still planning to sleep on my bed, and I barely just met you, so you go sleep on the couch tonight.” He told the other as he took off his vest and hoodie, throwing it in the hamper.
Minho frowned and was about to retort as he turned around, but any coherent words left his lips once he caught sight of Key’s skinny frame. His torso was left bare while he looked for another shirt, and Minho couldn't help but lick his lips as he eyes the milky skin in front of him, noticing that Key did not have any abs like he did, but had a slim waist and a flat stomach.
“Why not stay in the same bed?” Minho voiced out and looked up at Key’s face for a reaction. He tilted his head innocently. “Why are you looking at me like that?”
Key was frozen in mid-air with his hand on a plain pink shirt, his facial expression showing between fear and a shock of disbelief. “Are you stupid, homeschooler?!”
Minho blinked. “Actually, I’ve been told I’m academically bright and if I were in a regular high school, I would have graduated at the top of my class.”
The blonde man scoffed and quickly put on his shirt. “Listen, wise guy, I don’t know who taught you that but we are NOT sleeping on a bed together! If you wanted the bed to yourself, you could have just said so!” He argued a bit.
The prince’s brows furrowed. “But you have porcelain skin - it would be such a waste for someone as fragile as you to be sleeping on the couch.”
That argument resulted with a stinging slap on the cheek on Minho’s face and a slam of the bedroom door.
“Seriously, why do you act like a gentleman?”
Minho stopped walking down the park sidewalk and turned to Key. “Because I am?” He answered in question innocently.
Key glared at him and gestured to Minho’s arms around him. Earlier Key had woke up in the morning refreshed and decided to take the tall man out to explore the city for a bit after making him breakfast, as a friendly gesture. Remembering what Jonghyun had taught him, Minho helped Key with the dishes after they ate and opened every door they bumped into for Key’s sake. It was alright for Key with the gentleman gestures the whole touring in the morning, but he eventually thought to himself that he is a man. And now they were walking in a park with Minho’s coat around his shoulders.
The blonde man squirmed underneath Minho’s arms. “Are you trying to get laid?”
Minho blinked and started laughing, his chest rumbling against Key’s back. “I’m not my caretaker - I’m an actual gentleman who won’t get laid with every pretty little thing I see.” He reassured him with the most sincere tone in his voice.
Faking a gagging gesture, Key punched Minho playfully on the chest and inwardly grinned as his cheesy smooth talk.
The blonde man would be lying if he said he didn’t like Minho’s odd but natural behavior. He immediately dismissed the mention of a caretaker - Key figured Minho was a typical rich boy from some rich company who wanted some freedom and knowledge of the world.
Much to Minho’s surprise, he had fallen in love with a man.
This same man had been teaching him how to cook for himself and how to clean the apartment loft. Despite the conditions of the building, Key’s place was the cleanest of them all. And Key intended on keeping it that way by making sure the pathway to his place was blocked with barbed wire and wooden furniture thrown around, topped with a painted sign that says DO NOT ENTER. The landlord, as Minho found out with shock, couldn’t care less as long as Key paid his rent every month.
For the past few months, Minho didn’t contact his royal family and used the money he had on him to pay half of Key’s bills. The blonde man was actually a somewhat prideful man, so he dared only asked Minho for half the payment, despite the latter wanting to pay fully for his new friend’s rent. “Yah, pabo, we’re not friends!” Key once yelled at Minho when the latter had bought him couple necklaces. They were at a pink jewelry shop because Key had his eye on a particular wedding ring. It just drew to him in a daze. Minho had noticed this and decided to buy something for Key in the shop, which resulted into him paying for couple necklaces. “And why are they for a couple?! If we’re friends - which we’re not - shouldn’t you be using the best friend charms over there?!” Key continued to rant and point at the section that did exist within the store.
He didn’t notice the light blush that crept onto Minho’s cheeks as the latter came up with an excuse. “Would you really want those kinds of charms, Key? I have a feeling that it’s not exactly up to your taste....” Key scrunched his nose up as he walked up to the aisle and looked carefully. To Minho’s relief, the blonde had bought the excuse and wore one of the necklaces in the end.
“So we’re friends?” Minho’s deep yet excited voice startled the man walking beside him. Key frowned. When did his voice get so deep? A thought ran through Key’s head right after he asked himself that.
“Pabo froggy, if we’re friends, we’d have to know each other more!” Key reasoned aloud and poked Minho’s chest. “We’ve been living together for 4 months now and I have no idea where you came from!”
Minho nodded understandingly and smiled. “Promise to keep it a secret if I tell you?”
Key blinked and warily stared up at him. “Depends on the secret....”
The tall man stopped walking and suddenly pulled Key into an empty alley, which did not reassure safety for the latter’s mind. The next thing from Minho’s mouth concluded his wary suspicions.
“I’m actually a royal prince of this country. I barely came out of my household to explore the wonders of the world.”
This was the first time in Key’s life that he had laughed so hard. He bent down slightly and clutched his stomach. “Prince! Oh my God, I thought you had some shady background like being a drug addict, but that takes the cake!”
Minho frowned and crossed his arms over his chest. “Fine then, you could have said you didn’t want to know about me.” He sighed and turned around to walk out of the alley.
“Hey, wait a minute!” Key quickly regained his self-control and ran after him. “Yah, froggy pabo! I’m sorry!” He shouted amongst the crowd, but he was slowly starting to lose his roommate as the latter kept walking.
Using drastic measures (though he doesn’t know why he can’t breath whenever Minho isn’t suddenly around him), Key cupped his hands over his mouth and yelled, “PINK! MY FAVORITE COLOR IS PINK!”
Not only did he grab his tall roommate’s attention, but he got the entire population on the sidewalk around him to..... stare and ogle at him.
To make things worse (for Key’s embarrassment), Minho simply blinked and pointed at Key’s fringe. “You dyed that part of your hair pink. I figured it was your favorite color.”
When Key blushed deeply and rushed over to cling to Minho the whole day to hide from the strange looks towards him, Minho decided that was his favorite side of Key: the bashful yet cute side.
By the fifth month since Minho became his roommate, Key started to think nonstop about him.
He couldn’t figure out how it happened. One morning, he just woke up and the first thing on his mind was if Minho was back from his early morning jog. During Minho’s stay, the latter had picked up a habit of waking up earlier than Key to take morning jogs around the block before coming back to shower and change. When Key took care of himself in the morning and started cooking, he’d think of what types of food Minho would like for the day. He learned also that Minho likes different combinations of cooked eggs - eggs benedict, scrambled eggs with sausage, sunny side up with bacon, oyster omelettes - every little combination.
Specifically, he caught himself thinking about Minho consciously when they went to look for jobs together. (It was Key’s second job search and Minho’s first.) They snagged an easy job of catering at a decent restaurant. For some reason, Minho refused to go to the expensive restaurants where waiters make the big bucks. Key was curious as to why, then that’s when he realized he’d been thinking too much about his roommate lately.
Key shook his head and looked out his apartment window. He met Minho in the fall and now it became winter. As he thought about the seasons changing, he wondered when Minho’s birthday would be, since the tall man had never told him much about his personal information other than the basic personality stuff, like what’s his favorite color and how his eyes widen almost as big as his mouth every time he looks amazed or shocked.
He facepalmed himself as he settled by the window. He just caught himself thinking about him again.
“Where is the Choi royal family’s young heir?”
Key was serving a group of elderly folks near the window when he accidentally overheard the conversation dancing amongst them. He was curious (especially since the surname was similar to the man’s surname of whom he’s starting to like lately) so he asked, “Pardon me, but there’s a royal family with a surname like Choi? So he’s Korean?”
The elderly ladies smiled up at him and nodded simultaneously. One of them spoke to him. “There is still a royal family here in this country, specifically in Incheon, and last I heard their younger son decided to travel for some time on his own. Said something about learning the world outside of his mansion.” She shook her head and drank her tea, with the expression on her face showing pity. “The poor boy was home schooled and was never let out except on rare occasions.”
Key’s mind froze, then went on replay to those times when he’d remember Minho talking about himself. “Um, when did the young heir travel?” he ended up asking the elderly.
Another lady from the group swallowed the piece of toast she was chewing. “About 5 months ago, young man,” she answered him. “His older brother luckily became the natural heir to the throne, but I hear the future king is already trying to find him. Turns out the youngest son hadn’t been in contact since he left the mansion!”
“Omona, do you think something happened to him?!”
Key had been too busy thinking about something that happened three months ago. He stayed rooted to his spot while the elder women continued to chat amongst themselves.
Key just came back from his first job as a fashion consultant at a shop. He made enough money for half his rent and food supplies, as well as part of his shopping needs. However, with Minho around, he was able to save up more money with his second job doing well as a waiter.
He was tired and hungry, so he decided to simply make ramen. He recently found out that Minho rarely had ramen as a kid, so he continued to make the simple way of noodles with a slight ambition in his backbone.
Suddenly a classic ring of a telephone played on the kitchen counter. Curious, Key lowered the fire on the stove in the midst of making ramen and glanced at Minho’s cellphone. The screen lit up and shown ‘Siwon hyung’ with a picture of said person, which Key mentally thought of as a handsome fellow.
Before he could reach for it, a hand jot out and grabbed the phone, immediately turning off the phone. Key looked up to see Minho fresh from the shower, in nothing but a towel. If Key wasn’t so curious with the phone call, he would have eyed Minho’s body more and memorized every curve and shape of his abs and waistline, as well as his legs and skin complexion.
Instead, he was more worried of Minho’s unreadable facial expression.
Before Key could bring it up, Minho avertedly changed topics and sniffed the air purposely. “What is that wonderful smell?”
The blonde bit his tongue and internally sighed, deciding not to ask more about his personal life and instead give him a deadpanned expression. “It’s just ramen, Minho. Jeez! You really need to know almost everything, don’t you?”
Minho’s sheepish smile was worth not mentioning his personal life anyways.
Minho really had some explaining to do.
The first thing Minho saw as he got home from his shift from his job was a fuming Key sitting atop the couch. Oh fuck.
Minho gulped and took off his shoes. “Uh, Key? Are you okay - ”
“Why didn’t you tell me you were from a royal family?!”
Oh, was that was he was worried about? Minho shook his head and sighed. “I did, remember? That was when I learned your favorite color.”
“......oh.”
“Yeah.”
Key awkwardly shifted his legs and looked up at Minho as the latter drew closer. “Why don’t you contact your family then?” The question made Minho stop walking.
After more silence, a whisper broke out, barely audible but Key had heard it clearly like pin needle dropping onto the floor.
“I believe that my brother was the cause of my caretaker’s contract being terminal.”
“Next time, tell me everything, okay? I’ve told you everything about me, so why didn’t you say anything about Kim Jonghyun?”
“Technically, you didn’t tell me everything, considering up until now I didn’t know you knew my best friend.”
“Well I didn’t know my ex-boyfriend from high school would interest you much!” Key shot back as he and Minho walked down a shady neighborhood. “Besides, although he has no experience with drugs or alcohol, I didn’t tell him about you because I thought you’d be attracted to him if I informed you about him....”
Minho looked purely confused. “Why would I be attracted to my caretaker and best friend?”
Key sighed and shook his head as he walked up the steps to a small rickety house. Minho noticed that although the neighborhood was dark and littered with junk, the property they were standing in front of was the cleanest. He looked back at Key and gasped at the sight of his roommate (and crush) picklocking the doorknob. “Key!”
“What?”
“What are you doing?!”
“Relax, I do this all the time.” Key shrugged and went back to work, cheering a bit as the doorknob clicked unlocked. He pushed the door open and walked in, not bothering to take off his shoes for once.
Minho hesitantly followed him into the house and looked around, chuckling. The place was slightly messy, even the kitchen - save for the composition sheets tucked neatly on a music stand in a corner of the living room with a guitar and a piano. The place screamed ‘Jonghyun lives here’.
Key stood still in the kitchen and screamed. “KIM JONGHYUN! CLEAN UP YOUR SHIT!” Minho had to clamp his hands over his ears in shock. He still couldn’t get used to Key’s random yelling.
The two men heard shuffling from the short hallway and out popped a short muscular man in boxers and a blanket wrapped around his body. He shivered until he looked up in surprise at Key and Minho. “K-Kibummie? K-Kerroro?” he stuttered out, eyes widening like a puppy.
At the sound of Jonghyun’s nickname for Minho, Key bursted out laughing. Minho frowned momentarily at the blonde man before running up to his best friend like a lost puppy. “JONGHYUN HYUNG!” He shouted in glee, glomping him into a hug. Jonghyun decided to cling more to Minho for warmth and beckoned Key to come closer. “Need warmth, Kibummie~” he cooed cutely, and Key reluctantly dragged himself into the group hug.
“Wait, so you haven’t contacted your folks since 5 months ago, Kerroro?” Jonghyun asked after he sipped warm tea that Key volunteered to make, as well as clean up the entire place.
Same man who made the tea grumbled loudly as he scrunched up his nose at the socks he picked up. “See, this is why I broke up with you! You do not know how to take care of yourself!”
Minho chuckled then turned back to Jonghyun, shaking his head. “I knew Siwon hyung never liked you the moment you became my caretaker. When I left a few months ago to come out here, the only one who was somewhat against it was him. He kept arguing that I would end up caring for commoners or something...” He sighed and ran his hand through his hair. “Just.....how did you get fired?”
It was Jonghyun’s turn to sigh as he leaned back against his old couch. (“I told you to throw that out!” Key screeched as he started scrubbing suspicious stains on the wall. “Ew, wasn’t this when we used to - EW!” Key had a habit of cleaning too much. It’s times like these that it’s necessary for his condition to be that way.) “Prince Siwon framed my ass with a stash full of weed and drugs. I have no idea where they came from, and I was out all day with Kibummie - don’t give me that look, Choi Minho, I was forced to shop with him - and then the next thing I knew, my bags were packed and I was asked to leave formally. I asked one of the maids why and she told me it’s because the royal king found my ‘stash’ in my bedroom. I wasn’t even aware that I had stash at all!”
At this point in Jonghyun’s story, Key sat beside Minho on the loveseat and leaned in closer. “How do you know that the future king of South Korea framed you?” He asked Jonghyun. The latter noticed the way Minho would unconsciously entwine his hand with Key’s and vice versa. Jonghyun rubbed his cheek a bit and shrugged. “I saw him in this neighborhood once. We have a church around here, but it was a church that I would never go to, even if I believed in God.” He shivered involuntarily upon thinking about it. “I saw him go in and out of the church quickly with a briefcase, but really, who would believe me if I tried telling this to the authorities?”
Minho squeezed Key’s hand and Jonghyun had enough of the awkward skinship that involved his best friend and ex-boyfriend/friend. “Okay, what is up with you two?”
Both men looked up at him in confusion. Key wrinkled his nose. “What’s up with what, dinosaur?” Minho chuckled deeply, causing Key to slightly blush at the deep tone.
Jonghyun pointed at their hands still tightly clasped together. “That! You two looked like you’ve barely confessed to each other before coming here!”
Both men continued to blush immensely and awkwardly. Jonghyun blinked. “Oh..... oh.”
Key frowned and threw a pillow at Jonghyun’s face hard before abruptly leaving his house. Minho’s eyes widened at Key’s quick leave and quickly stood up to bow in front of Jonghyun. “Sorry, hyung, I know Kibum can be a bit of a handful - ”
“Kibum?” Jonghyun repeated, interrupting the taller male in the room as he walked over to place the pillow back where it came from. “He lets you call him Kibum? Damn, he must care for you a lot....”
Minho grew confused and tilted his head slightly. “What?”
“Aish, Prince Kerroro - just answer me this: Do you love him?” Jonghyun stood up straight, slightly glaring at Minho. Despite his height, the shorter male looked just as intimidating as the young prince.
It took Minho less than a heartbeat to answer that.
“I love him so much that I’d give up the throne for him.”
Knowing what Minho meant, Jonghyun’s eyes widened slightly then grinned. “Then go get him, tiger. He hates the dark anyway, so he’ll be near a street light.” He glanced at the window as he said those words and whistled lightly. “It’s pretty much night time already.”
Minho smiled and hugged Jonghyun briefly before taking off after Key. A few minutes later, he managed to find Key standing underneath a flickering street light post. The blonde man continued to grumble to himself and kick the dirt beneath him on the gray pavement.
The prince chuckled and jogged towards him. He paused, however, as he heard Key rant out one particular line to himself, not noticing that Minho was there.
“That stupid idiot - I was planning on confessing later! Dammit!” Key cursed more while kicking a soda can on the ground. His eyes stared at the can rolling until it bumped into familiar black boots that he specifically bought for one man during Christmas because it looked good on him. He slowly looked up at Minho’s shocked face with his own pale one in fear of rejection. “Minho, I can explain - OOF!”
Minho stalked over within a couple of seconds and pulled Key into a heartwarming kiss. Key’s eyes lit up with shock and excitement, eventually closing his eyes in bliss.
Much to Key’s slight resistance, he has to admit in his mind that this was the perfect confession displayed in the most romantic way.
The next time Key saw his ex-boyfriend was the next week when he and Minho had a day off from work.
There was a knock at the door and Key had been the one to open it while Minho continued eating the blonde man’s cooking. That morning Key decided to make oyster omelets.
He was surprised to find Jonghyun standing outside his door. “Jonghyun?”
Instead of a usual greeting of hello like a normal human being, the short man truffled into the apartment until he spotted Minho eating in the kitchen. Out of nowhere, he blurts out words that Minho didn’t want to deal with at 8am.
“DON’T GIVE UP THE THRONE! YOU’RE OUR ONLY HOPE!”
Key looked confused and didn’t hit Jonghyun for yelling, for once in his life. “Give up the throne? Minho, what the hell is rottweiler here talking about?”
Minho sighed and rubbed his temples after settling his chopsticks down at the table. “Fuck, I really didn’t want to deal with this right now....” He mumbled.
“Of course you have to deal with this! News reports are going out right now, wondering where the hell is Prince Choi when his older brother, who was previously in line for the throne, got caught and arrested in prison for leading a mafia boss into dealing drugs for him!” Jonghyun reported with excitement as he sat in front of Key’s plate, helping himself with an oyster omelet. “Ooh~ I’m starved! Thank you, Kibummie!”
Said man grumbled and folded his arms across his chest, glowering at Jonghyun. “No problem.” He switched his mood to confusion as he stared at a sleepy Minho, who stood up and plucked the bouquet of yellow roses from the vase on the middle of the dining table. “But why thinking about giving up the throne?” He voiced out his curiosity.
Jonghyun swallowed the food in his mouth before replying nonchalantly. “Oh, even though Minho loves you and vice versa, yada yada - if Siwon had become the royal king, then he would be able to create his own set of rules, and he hates homosexuals.” He scooped up rice and made airplane noises to himself. “Minho was going to give up being royalty to escape with you to another country and get married and adopt kids and stuff!” He swooped in to eat his rice like a little kid.
Key’s eyes widened at Jonghyun, his focus lost away from Minho, who had time to drink his water and grab a small box from one of the kitchen drawers. “Give up royalty.... for me?” He voiced out again in shock.
“I’ll admit that I had some part into helping capture my brother,” Minho spoke softly, grabbing Key’s attention as he turned towards him. “And I’ll also admit I fell in love with you at first sight, really.” Key blushed at those words.
Minho cleared his throat a bit and walked towards him, smiling softly while holding up the bouquet of yellow roses towards him. “Now that I’m practically the next king, I can set my own rules, which involves a certain blonde man and a wedding.” Jonghyun giddily hummed a pop song involving weddings as the future king got down on one knee in front of Key, giving him the bouquet. “Will you marry me?” He popped the question while opening the small box in his hands, revealing the most shiniest silver ring Key had ever seen.
“Omo...” Key sniffled and tried hiding his face behind the bouquet and nodded rapidly. Minho beamed at him and stood up slowly, taking the ring out and managing to put it on Key’s left ring finger.
Jonghyun squealed like a little boy on Christmas and clapped wildly. Ignoring the loud short man in the kitchen, Minho whispered sweet words into Key’s ear. “Only you can be the home I rest in, and without you, my road is a crooked path.”
Key wrinkled his nose and slapped Minho’s chest, eliciting a chuckle from him. He turned to a cheeky smiling Jonghyun. “I blame you for his cheesiness! Those lines are from a song, aren’t they?!”
“Hm? What’s this?” Key mumbled to himself as he took off his engagement ring and wiped it clean.
He accidentally made a chocolate spill in the grand kitchen of the Choi mansion. Key blushed as he realized he had been distracted by Minho’s sweaty form from the window, watching him play soccer with Jonghyun and the rest of the children at the nearby orphanage.
Moving into the Choi mansion with Jonghyun as practically family (even though they dated long ago) was the best decision he ever made with Minho shortly after the engagement. Key became in charge of everything around the mansion, making sure everything was clean and whatnot. Minho had become king and spent less time with Key, but the two still loved each other despite petty arguments and squabbles.
He shook his head and continued to clean his engagement ring, which took Minho all his earnings from working in jobs to pay for. He smiled at the heart shaped diamond sparkling right at him, then drew his attention at a strange inscription underneath the band of ring. “Eh? That’s not a scratch?” His eyes squinted at the inscription, then smiled softly as he read it clearly.
Inside the ring, Minho’s name had been carved with a heart beside it, along with the words, “Forever in your heart”.
Author:
choi_minju
Warning: There will be fluffy love and third person view. Ah, and I tend to swear, and my work tends to reflect that.
Rated: PG-13
Disclaimer: No one owns humans, unless you’re in some 18th century shit about peasants and slavery. Otherwise, this story is entirely mine and the imagination is from all this escalated stress.
Summary: NS Yoon G’s If You Love Me - “I wonder if you’re thinking the same thing as me.
Something about your eyes that look at me is different....”
Pairings: Minho / Key
Note: This is for
giveitupjessica because it was her birthday, and this counts as an extremely late gift due to studies. Happy birthday~!!! This song is really nice! ^^ I love Jay Park. *^* And NS Yoon G speaks almost fluently in English! :O Don’t like angst much but I tried playing with the song plot - hope you like this story! >.< P.S.: I am too much into tales lately....
A love like no other - nah, that’s bullshit. This was one of those cliche stories that end up with two strangers falling in love.
Once upon a time, there was a young tall man with black hair and big doe eyes. He had the looks of a prince, and that’s basically what he was - a royal prince from South Korea by the name of Choi Minho.
He was a bit of a romantic (mainly due to his last caretaker’s fault, Kim Jonghyun) and would pursue any woman he so desired. However, he was not spoiled into thinking he could have any woman he wanted to be betrothed to. He attended homeschooling every day and had the need to learn new things of the outside world of his mansion in Incheon. Minho was never physically brought outside the realms of his family property unless he had a soccer game to attend to or he had to travel with his family. The only outside source he had was Jonghyun, who could only commute 3 times a week.
As soon as he turned 18 years old, Minho announced to his parents and everyone in the mansion that he wished to travel alone abroad to expand his educational mind about the world. He always wanted to find that one true love that Jonghyun spoke of every night that he had to tell a bedtime story before sleeping. His parents were fine with it, considering their youngest son was the brightest and the most caring, yet curious with determination. They gave Minho a special kind of cellphone, of one that only directs calls to either his parents or elder brother, who would be the future heir to inherit their father’s position as the modern king of South Korea.
Minho had set forth outside the huge mansion in Incheon, where he basically lived throughout his life, for the first time, and he himself had to admit that he was a little scared, but his determination to seek knowledge of the world only grew more stronger than fear as he ventured out into the streets of Incheon.
To disguise himself, Minho had worn “commoner” clothing, which consisted of a regular white printed, long sleeved shirt with black skinny jeans and black high top sneakers. His luggage consisted of a big yet cute and sturdy backpack and a light blue rolling suitcase. He wanted to blend in and discover wonders of the world as a “commoner”, as his elder brother refers to the majority of people around the world who weren’t rich nor poor.
And so the young prince had set off, waving his family goodbye from a far away distance as he walked towards the nearest train station.
“Shit!”
About hours later, once Minho stepped off the train which led him to Seoul, South Korea, he set his heart out on finding his best friend and caretaker, Jonghyun. The young man had taken care of him for a good 5 years until he had to quit due to a rumour in the Choi mansion that he sold drugs and was a common street thief. Minho never believed in the rumours, but he was curious as to how Jonghyun actually did get laid off. It had only been 3 months since Jonghyun got fired, but the young prince had missed him, which was a trigger in his system to strongly convince his parents that he needed to travel outside the mansion grounds.
Which eventually led Minho to this moment, after wandering around the busy streets of Seoul and bumping into a complete stranger by accident and apparently made him curse. “Please don’t swear, sir,” Minho reminded the stranger.
The stranger had mostly blonde hair except for the sides of his head, but it was still blonde nonetheless. It seemed natural on the slightly smaller man, who had porcelain skin and feline-shaped eyes. Along with his hoodie and vest with jeans and sneakers, the stranger Minho had bumped into reminded him of a beautiful cat, who currently looks ready to scratch off his head.
“Did you just tell me to not swear? I’m sorry, but you don’t just bump into a person, causing him to spill his coffee, then tell him what to do! I can fucking cuss however I fucking want to! God!” The stranger ranted as he glared up at Minho. He grumbled other incoherent words, to Minho’s hearing, and eyed his stained hoodie jacket in disgust.
Minho was baffled beyond belief. Jonghyun had never warned him about people like him, who seem to not want to stop talking. Then again, Minho will never admit it, but Jonghyun used to go off like that, too. He betted all his inheritance at the moment that the short caretaker still does.
The young prince in disguise bowed a bit and apologized. “I am very deeply sorry for creating such a mess. It would be at my best courtesy to pay for your jacket.”
When he stood up straight again, he saw the stranger’s face contort into confusion and bafflement. “Are you mocking me? I’ve had this outfit for so long and you stained it! I don’t live well off, if you haven’t noticed! This is one of the few clothes I wear daily!” He shouted at Minho, making few people on the street stop to stare at them.
Innocently, Minho smiled and took out a wad of cash from his pocket, then giving it to the stranger. “Keep it as a token of my sympathies. Buy as many clothes as you desire, sir. There is plenty where that came from.” And with that, he bowed and waved goodbye before passing the stranger and moving forward, having no idea where to search for his favorite and only friend.
The stranger gawked at his retreating form and thought for a moment before sticking the wad of cash given to him in his hidden pockets of his vest. The blonde man had an idea which involved the tall frog-looking man. He took off after the tall stranger he had bumped into and grabbed him by the elbow. “Hey, you!”
Minho turned and looked down at a slightly panting person, the stranger who he had just met moments ago. “Yes?”
It took all of the stranger’s strength to look up at the tall man before him and look around him. “Dang, you walk fast! I just ran a block after you!”
The disguised prince looked around in confusion. “Block? Where?”
“......you must be new to the country or something.”
Minho shook his head. “This is a new city. I’ve been homeschooled and I’ve rarely come out of the home I lived in.” He explained to the stranger before him.
The stranger’s eyes widened. “Really?! Well....since you have this much cash on you, could you be my roommate in the meantime, if you have no place to stay around here? I’m almost behind on payment for the bills...” He suggested, a bit embarrassed. “Plus! I could show you around....”
Now, Minho knew what paying for the bills were for. He’s heard Jonghyun complain about working at an early age in his life rather than spending time in college. All he’s known of Jonghyun’s personal life is of his wisdom with the ladies, in life, and that he had to quit high school because in the meantime working to take care of Minho had been a high-paid job for Jonghyun to focus on fully. He had always wanted to help pay the bills with his saved up cash (from getting only money every holiday from all of his relatives over the years) but Jonghyun was a stubborn youngster who liked earning money.
Minho immediately agreed and stuck his free hand out, his other hand holding the handles of his rolling luggage. “I’d be delighted to share a room with you. My name is Choi Minho, and you are...?”
The stranger blinked at the gesture and hesitantly shook hands with him. “Sure. The name’s Kim Kibum, but call me Key for short.”
The young prince smiled at that. Key was very amusing to him.
The place Key lived in was far from where (and how) Minho lived in his entire life. The apartment only had one bedroom with one bed, and there was little furniture. Though, Minho was impressed with how everything in the house complimented each other despite the simplicities.
Key gestured the couch to Minho. “I’m still planning to sleep on my bed, and I barely just met you, so you go sleep on the couch tonight.” He told the other as he took off his vest and hoodie, throwing it in the hamper.
Minho frowned and was about to retort as he turned around, but any coherent words left his lips once he caught sight of Key’s skinny frame. His torso was left bare while he looked for another shirt, and Minho couldn't help but lick his lips as he eyes the milky skin in front of him, noticing that Key did not have any abs like he did, but had a slim waist and a flat stomach.
“Why not stay in the same bed?” Minho voiced out and looked up at Key’s face for a reaction. He tilted his head innocently. “Why are you looking at me like that?”
Key was frozen in mid-air with his hand on a plain pink shirt, his facial expression showing between fear and a shock of disbelief. “Are you stupid, homeschooler?!”
Minho blinked. “Actually, I’ve been told I’m academically bright and if I were in a regular high school, I would have graduated at the top of my class.”
The blonde man scoffed and quickly put on his shirt. “Listen, wise guy, I don’t know who taught you that but we are NOT sleeping on a bed together! If you wanted the bed to yourself, you could have just said so!” He argued a bit.
The prince’s brows furrowed. “But you have porcelain skin - it would be such a waste for someone as fragile as you to be sleeping on the couch.”
That argument resulted with a stinging slap on the cheek on Minho’s face and a slam of the bedroom door.
“Seriously, why do you act like a gentleman?”
Minho stopped walking down the park sidewalk and turned to Key. “Because I am?” He answered in question innocently.
Key glared at him and gestured to Minho’s arms around him. Earlier Key had woke up in the morning refreshed and decided to take the tall man out to explore the city for a bit after making him breakfast, as a friendly gesture. Remembering what Jonghyun had taught him, Minho helped Key with the dishes after they ate and opened every door they bumped into for Key’s sake. It was alright for Key with the gentleman gestures the whole touring in the morning, but he eventually thought to himself that he is a man. And now they were walking in a park with Minho’s coat around his shoulders.
The blonde man squirmed underneath Minho’s arms. “Are you trying to get laid?”
Minho blinked and started laughing, his chest rumbling against Key’s back. “I’m not my caretaker - I’m an actual gentleman who won’t get laid with every pretty little thing I see.” He reassured him with the most sincere tone in his voice.
Faking a gagging gesture, Key punched Minho playfully on the chest and inwardly grinned as his cheesy smooth talk.
The blonde man would be lying if he said he didn’t like Minho’s odd but natural behavior. He immediately dismissed the mention of a caretaker - Key figured Minho was a typical rich boy from some rich company who wanted some freedom and knowledge of the world.
Much to Minho’s surprise, he had fallen in love with a man.
This same man had been teaching him how to cook for himself and how to clean the apartment loft. Despite the conditions of the building, Key’s place was the cleanest of them all. And Key intended on keeping it that way by making sure the pathway to his place was blocked with barbed wire and wooden furniture thrown around, topped with a painted sign that says DO NOT ENTER. The landlord, as Minho found out with shock, couldn’t care less as long as Key paid his rent every month.
For the past few months, Minho didn’t contact his royal family and used the money he had on him to pay half of Key’s bills. The blonde man was actually a somewhat prideful man, so he dared only asked Minho for half the payment, despite the latter wanting to pay fully for his new friend’s rent. “Yah, pabo, we’re not friends!” Key once yelled at Minho when the latter had bought him couple necklaces. They were at a pink jewelry shop because Key had his eye on a particular wedding ring. It just drew to him in a daze. Minho had noticed this and decided to buy something for Key in the shop, which resulted into him paying for couple necklaces. “And why are they for a couple?! If we’re friends - which we’re not - shouldn’t you be using the best friend charms over there?!” Key continued to rant and point at the section that did exist within the store.
He didn’t notice the light blush that crept onto Minho’s cheeks as the latter came up with an excuse. “Would you really want those kinds of charms, Key? I have a feeling that it’s not exactly up to your taste....” Key scrunched his nose up as he walked up to the aisle and looked carefully. To Minho’s relief, the blonde had bought the excuse and wore one of the necklaces in the end.
“So we’re friends?” Minho’s deep yet excited voice startled the man walking beside him. Key frowned. When did his voice get so deep? A thought ran through Key’s head right after he asked himself that.
“Pabo froggy, if we’re friends, we’d have to know each other more!” Key reasoned aloud and poked Minho’s chest. “We’ve been living together for 4 months now and I have no idea where you came from!”
Minho nodded understandingly and smiled. “Promise to keep it a secret if I tell you?”
Key blinked and warily stared up at him. “Depends on the secret....”
The tall man stopped walking and suddenly pulled Key into an empty alley, which did not reassure safety for the latter’s mind. The next thing from Minho’s mouth concluded his wary suspicions.
“I’m actually a royal prince of this country. I barely came out of my household to explore the wonders of the world.”
This was the first time in Key’s life that he had laughed so hard. He bent down slightly and clutched his stomach. “Prince! Oh my God, I thought you had some shady background like being a drug addict, but that takes the cake!”
Minho frowned and crossed his arms over his chest. “Fine then, you could have said you didn’t want to know about me.” He sighed and turned around to walk out of the alley.
“Hey, wait a minute!” Key quickly regained his self-control and ran after him. “Yah, froggy pabo! I’m sorry!” He shouted amongst the crowd, but he was slowly starting to lose his roommate as the latter kept walking.
Using drastic measures (though he doesn’t know why he can’t breath whenever Minho isn’t suddenly around him), Key cupped his hands over his mouth and yelled, “PINK! MY FAVORITE COLOR IS PINK!”
Not only did he grab his tall roommate’s attention, but he got the entire population on the sidewalk around him to..... stare and ogle at him.
To make things worse (for Key’s embarrassment), Minho simply blinked and pointed at Key’s fringe. “You dyed that part of your hair pink. I figured it was your favorite color.”
When Key blushed deeply and rushed over to cling to Minho the whole day to hide from the strange looks towards him, Minho decided that was his favorite side of Key: the bashful yet cute side.
By the fifth month since Minho became his roommate, Key started to think nonstop about him.
He couldn’t figure out how it happened. One morning, he just woke up and the first thing on his mind was if Minho was back from his early morning jog. During Minho’s stay, the latter had picked up a habit of waking up earlier than Key to take morning jogs around the block before coming back to shower and change. When Key took care of himself in the morning and started cooking, he’d think of what types of food Minho would like for the day. He learned also that Minho likes different combinations of cooked eggs - eggs benedict, scrambled eggs with sausage, sunny side up with bacon, oyster omelettes - every little combination.
Specifically, he caught himself thinking about Minho consciously when they went to look for jobs together. (It was Key’s second job search and Minho’s first.) They snagged an easy job of catering at a decent restaurant. For some reason, Minho refused to go to the expensive restaurants where waiters make the big bucks. Key was curious as to why, then that’s when he realized he’d been thinking too much about his roommate lately.
Key shook his head and looked out his apartment window. He met Minho in the fall and now it became winter. As he thought about the seasons changing, he wondered when Minho’s birthday would be, since the tall man had never told him much about his personal information other than the basic personality stuff, like what’s his favorite color and how his eyes widen almost as big as his mouth every time he looks amazed or shocked.
He facepalmed himself as he settled by the window. He just caught himself thinking about him again.
“Where is the Choi royal family’s young heir?”
Key was serving a group of elderly folks near the window when he accidentally overheard the conversation dancing amongst them. He was curious (especially since the surname was similar to the man’s surname of whom he’s starting to like lately) so he asked, “Pardon me, but there’s a royal family with a surname like Choi? So he’s Korean?”
The elderly ladies smiled up at him and nodded simultaneously. One of them spoke to him. “There is still a royal family here in this country, specifically in Incheon, and last I heard their younger son decided to travel for some time on his own. Said something about learning the world outside of his mansion.” She shook her head and drank her tea, with the expression on her face showing pity. “The poor boy was home schooled and was never let out except on rare occasions.”
Key’s mind froze, then went on replay to those times when he’d remember Minho talking about himself. “Um, when did the young heir travel?” he ended up asking the elderly.
Another lady from the group swallowed the piece of toast she was chewing. “About 5 months ago, young man,” she answered him. “His older brother luckily became the natural heir to the throne, but I hear the future king is already trying to find him. Turns out the youngest son hadn’t been in contact since he left the mansion!”
“Omona, do you think something happened to him?!”
Key had been too busy thinking about something that happened three months ago. He stayed rooted to his spot while the elder women continued to chat amongst themselves.
Key just came back from his first job as a fashion consultant at a shop. He made enough money for half his rent and food supplies, as well as part of his shopping needs. However, with Minho around, he was able to save up more money with his second job doing well as a waiter.
He was tired and hungry, so he decided to simply make ramen. He recently found out that Minho rarely had ramen as a kid, so he continued to make the simple way of noodles with a slight ambition in his backbone.
Suddenly a classic ring of a telephone played on the kitchen counter. Curious, Key lowered the fire on the stove in the midst of making ramen and glanced at Minho’s cellphone. The screen lit up and shown ‘Siwon hyung’ with a picture of said person, which Key mentally thought of as a handsome fellow.
Before he could reach for it, a hand jot out and grabbed the phone, immediately turning off the phone. Key looked up to see Minho fresh from the shower, in nothing but a towel. If Key wasn’t so curious with the phone call, he would have eyed Minho’s body more and memorized every curve and shape of his abs and waistline, as well as his legs and skin complexion.
Instead, he was more worried of Minho’s unreadable facial expression.
Before Key could bring it up, Minho avertedly changed topics and sniffed the air purposely. “What is that wonderful smell?”
The blonde bit his tongue and internally sighed, deciding not to ask more about his personal life and instead give him a deadpanned expression. “It’s just ramen, Minho. Jeez! You really need to know almost everything, don’t you?”
Minho’s sheepish smile was worth not mentioning his personal life anyways.
Minho really had some explaining to do.
The first thing Minho saw as he got home from his shift from his job was a fuming Key sitting atop the couch. Oh fuck.
Minho gulped and took off his shoes. “Uh, Key? Are you okay - ”
“Why didn’t you tell me you were from a royal family?!”
Oh, was that was he was worried about? Minho shook his head and sighed. “I did, remember? That was when I learned your favorite color.”
“......oh.”
“Yeah.”
Key awkwardly shifted his legs and looked up at Minho as the latter drew closer. “Why don’t you contact your family then?” The question made Minho stop walking.
After more silence, a whisper broke out, barely audible but Key had heard it clearly like pin needle dropping onto the floor.
“I believe that my brother was the cause of my caretaker’s contract being terminal.”
“Next time, tell me everything, okay? I’ve told you everything about me, so why didn’t you say anything about Kim Jonghyun?”
“Technically, you didn’t tell me everything, considering up until now I didn’t know you knew my best friend.”
“Well I didn’t know my ex-boyfriend from high school would interest you much!” Key shot back as he and Minho walked down a shady neighborhood. “Besides, although he has no experience with drugs or alcohol, I didn’t tell him about you because I thought you’d be attracted to him if I informed you about him....”
Minho looked purely confused. “Why would I be attracted to my caretaker and best friend?”
Key sighed and shook his head as he walked up the steps to a small rickety house. Minho noticed that although the neighborhood was dark and littered with junk, the property they were standing in front of was the cleanest. He looked back at Key and gasped at the sight of his roommate (and crush) picklocking the doorknob. “Key!”
“What?”
“What are you doing?!”
“Relax, I do this all the time.” Key shrugged and went back to work, cheering a bit as the doorknob clicked unlocked. He pushed the door open and walked in, not bothering to take off his shoes for once.
Minho hesitantly followed him into the house and looked around, chuckling. The place was slightly messy, even the kitchen - save for the composition sheets tucked neatly on a music stand in a corner of the living room with a guitar and a piano. The place screamed ‘Jonghyun lives here’.
Key stood still in the kitchen and screamed. “KIM JONGHYUN! CLEAN UP YOUR SHIT!” Minho had to clamp his hands over his ears in shock. He still couldn’t get used to Key’s random yelling.
The two men heard shuffling from the short hallway and out popped a short muscular man in boxers and a blanket wrapped around his body. He shivered until he looked up in surprise at Key and Minho. “K-Kibummie? K-Kerroro?” he stuttered out, eyes widening like a puppy.
At the sound of Jonghyun’s nickname for Minho, Key bursted out laughing. Minho frowned momentarily at the blonde man before running up to his best friend like a lost puppy. “JONGHYUN HYUNG!” He shouted in glee, glomping him into a hug. Jonghyun decided to cling more to Minho for warmth and beckoned Key to come closer. “Need warmth, Kibummie~” he cooed cutely, and Key reluctantly dragged himself into the group hug.
“Wait, so you haven’t contacted your folks since 5 months ago, Kerroro?” Jonghyun asked after he sipped warm tea that Key volunteered to make, as well as clean up the entire place.
Same man who made the tea grumbled loudly as he scrunched up his nose at the socks he picked up. “See, this is why I broke up with you! You do not know how to take care of yourself!”
Minho chuckled then turned back to Jonghyun, shaking his head. “I knew Siwon hyung never liked you the moment you became my caretaker. When I left a few months ago to come out here, the only one who was somewhat against it was him. He kept arguing that I would end up caring for commoners or something...” He sighed and ran his hand through his hair. “Just.....how did you get fired?”
It was Jonghyun’s turn to sigh as he leaned back against his old couch. (“I told you to throw that out!” Key screeched as he started scrubbing suspicious stains on the wall. “Ew, wasn’t this when we used to - EW!” Key had a habit of cleaning too much. It’s times like these that it’s necessary for his condition to be that way.) “Prince Siwon framed my ass with a stash full of weed and drugs. I have no idea where they came from, and I was out all day with Kibummie - don’t give me that look, Choi Minho, I was forced to shop with him - and then the next thing I knew, my bags were packed and I was asked to leave formally. I asked one of the maids why and she told me it’s because the royal king found my ‘stash’ in my bedroom. I wasn’t even aware that I had stash at all!”
At this point in Jonghyun’s story, Key sat beside Minho on the loveseat and leaned in closer. “How do you know that the future king of South Korea framed you?” He asked Jonghyun. The latter noticed the way Minho would unconsciously entwine his hand with Key’s and vice versa. Jonghyun rubbed his cheek a bit and shrugged. “I saw him in this neighborhood once. We have a church around here, but it was a church that I would never go to, even if I believed in God.” He shivered involuntarily upon thinking about it. “I saw him go in and out of the church quickly with a briefcase, but really, who would believe me if I tried telling this to the authorities?”
Minho squeezed Key’s hand and Jonghyun had enough of the awkward skinship that involved his best friend and ex-boyfriend/friend. “Okay, what is up with you two?”
Both men looked up at him in confusion. Key wrinkled his nose. “What’s up with what, dinosaur?” Minho chuckled deeply, causing Key to slightly blush at the deep tone.
Jonghyun pointed at their hands still tightly clasped together. “That! You two looked like you’ve barely confessed to each other before coming here!”
Both men continued to blush immensely and awkwardly. Jonghyun blinked. “Oh..... oh.”
Key frowned and threw a pillow at Jonghyun’s face hard before abruptly leaving his house. Minho’s eyes widened at Key’s quick leave and quickly stood up to bow in front of Jonghyun. “Sorry, hyung, I know Kibum can be a bit of a handful - ”
“Kibum?” Jonghyun repeated, interrupting the taller male in the room as he walked over to place the pillow back where it came from. “He lets you call him Kibum? Damn, he must care for you a lot....”
Minho grew confused and tilted his head slightly. “What?”
“Aish, Prince Kerroro - just answer me this: Do you love him?” Jonghyun stood up straight, slightly glaring at Minho. Despite his height, the shorter male looked just as intimidating as the young prince.
It took Minho less than a heartbeat to answer that.
“I love him so much that I’d give up the throne for him.”
Knowing what Minho meant, Jonghyun’s eyes widened slightly then grinned. “Then go get him, tiger. He hates the dark anyway, so he’ll be near a street light.” He glanced at the window as he said those words and whistled lightly. “It’s pretty much night time already.”
Minho smiled and hugged Jonghyun briefly before taking off after Key. A few minutes later, he managed to find Key standing underneath a flickering street light post. The blonde man continued to grumble to himself and kick the dirt beneath him on the gray pavement.
The prince chuckled and jogged towards him. He paused, however, as he heard Key rant out one particular line to himself, not noticing that Minho was there.
“That stupid idiot - I was planning on confessing later! Dammit!” Key cursed more while kicking a soda can on the ground. His eyes stared at the can rolling until it bumped into familiar black boots that he specifically bought for one man during Christmas because it looked good on him. He slowly looked up at Minho’s shocked face with his own pale one in fear of rejection. “Minho, I can explain - OOF!”
Minho stalked over within a couple of seconds and pulled Key into a heartwarming kiss. Key’s eyes lit up with shock and excitement, eventually closing his eyes in bliss.
Much to Key’s slight resistance, he has to admit in his mind that this was the perfect confession displayed in the most romantic way.
The next time Key saw his ex-boyfriend was the next week when he and Minho had a day off from work.
There was a knock at the door and Key had been the one to open it while Minho continued eating the blonde man’s cooking. That morning Key decided to make oyster omelets.
He was surprised to find Jonghyun standing outside his door. “Jonghyun?”
Instead of a usual greeting of hello like a normal human being, the short man truffled into the apartment until he spotted Minho eating in the kitchen. Out of nowhere, he blurts out words that Minho didn’t want to deal with at 8am.
“DON’T GIVE UP THE THRONE! YOU’RE OUR ONLY HOPE!”
Key looked confused and didn’t hit Jonghyun for yelling, for once in his life. “Give up the throne? Minho, what the hell is rottweiler here talking about?”
Minho sighed and rubbed his temples after settling his chopsticks down at the table. “Fuck, I really didn’t want to deal with this right now....” He mumbled.
“Of course you have to deal with this! News reports are going out right now, wondering where the hell is Prince Choi when his older brother, who was previously in line for the throne, got caught and arrested in prison for leading a mafia boss into dealing drugs for him!” Jonghyun reported with excitement as he sat in front of Key’s plate, helping himself with an oyster omelet. “Ooh~ I’m starved! Thank you, Kibummie!”
Said man grumbled and folded his arms across his chest, glowering at Jonghyun. “No problem.” He switched his mood to confusion as he stared at a sleepy Minho, who stood up and plucked the bouquet of yellow roses from the vase on the middle of the dining table. “But why thinking about giving up the throne?” He voiced out his curiosity.
Jonghyun swallowed the food in his mouth before replying nonchalantly. “Oh, even though Minho loves you and vice versa, yada yada - if Siwon had become the royal king, then he would be able to create his own set of rules, and he hates homosexuals.” He scooped up rice and made airplane noises to himself. “Minho was going to give up being royalty to escape with you to another country and get married and adopt kids and stuff!” He swooped in to eat his rice like a little kid.
Key’s eyes widened at Jonghyun, his focus lost away from Minho, who had time to drink his water and grab a small box from one of the kitchen drawers. “Give up royalty.... for me?” He voiced out again in shock.
“I’ll admit that I had some part into helping capture my brother,” Minho spoke softly, grabbing Key’s attention as he turned towards him. “And I’ll also admit I fell in love with you at first sight, really.” Key blushed at those words.
Minho cleared his throat a bit and walked towards him, smiling softly while holding up the bouquet of yellow roses towards him. “Now that I’m practically the next king, I can set my own rules, which involves a certain blonde man and a wedding.” Jonghyun giddily hummed a pop song involving weddings as the future king got down on one knee in front of Key, giving him the bouquet. “Will you marry me?” He popped the question while opening the small box in his hands, revealing the most shiniest silver ring Key had ever seen.
“Omo...” Key sniffled and tried hiding his face behind the bouquet and nodded rapidly. Minho beamed at him and stood up slowly, taking the ring out and managing to put it on Key’s left ring finger.
Jonghyun squealed like a little boy on Christmas and clapped wildly. Ignoring the loud short man in the kitchen, Minho whispered sweet words into Key’s ear. “Only you can be the home I rest in, and without you, my road is a crooked path.”
Key wrinkled his nose and slapped Minho’s chest, eliciting a chuckle from him. He turned to a cheeky smiling Jonghyun. “I blame you for his cheesiness! Those lines are from a song, aren’t they?!”
“Hm? What’s this?” Key mumbled to himself as he took off his engagement ring and wiped it clean.
He accidentally made a chocolate spill in the grand kitchen of the Choi mansion. Key blushed as he realized he had been distracted by Minho’s sweaty form from the window, watching him play soccer with Jonghyun and the rest of the children at the nearby orphanage.
Moving into the Choi mansion with Jonghyun as practically family (even though they dated long ago) was the best decision he ever made with Minho shortly after the engagement. Key became in charge of everything around the mansion, making sure everything was clean and whatnot. Minho had become king and spent less time with Key, but the two still loved each other despite petty arguments and squabbles.
He shook his head and continued to clean his engagement ring, which took Minho all his earnings from working in jobs to pay for. He smiled at the heart shaped diamond sparkling right at him, then drew his attention at a strange inscription underneath the band of ring. “Eh? That’s not a scratch?” His eyes squinted at the inscription, then smiled softly as he read it clearly.
Inside the ring, Minho’s name had been carved with a heart beside it, along with the words, “Forever in your heart”.