All That Jazz

Introduction Jongho

Park Jongho liked to be alone. He needed to be alone sometimes, human interactions were scary and exhausting and if there was no need for them he was more than fine without them. However, to be friends with Jung Wooyoung didn't help his introverted nature at all.

"Please! Come on, just this one time!!"

Jongho didn't have to take a look at the platinum blonde boy who was draped over his bed, arms and legs spread in all directions and taking every space he could get on Jongho's small dorm bed, to know that he was pouting. Good thing Jongho still had law homeworks to do because he would have thrown Wooyoung off his bed if he would take away time from his well-deserved sleep (he definitely didn't get enough of now the first finals were almost around).

"You say that every time and then you ask again even though you said it's the last time." "But you always have fun right?!" Wooyoung whined, rolling around to look at him. Jongho leaned back on his office chair, giving his best friend an annoyed look. "Last time I said yes to something you dragged me to a drag show and at least 20 different men tried to get into my pants." Jongho still didn't get over this horrific experience. Having a fun night out with his friends was one thing but being almost harassed by several strangers he didn't know was a whole other story. There was a reason he didn't like going out, or being around people in general. The night had ended with him, Seonghwa and Hongjoong cuddled up in his brother's apartment, a tub of ice cream on the nightstand and Jongho being even more terrified of people than he already was before.

"That was one time, I apologized around 20 times already for that night and I did get kicked out of the club because I punched one of the guys in the face, so you can't blame me on that!" Wooyoung stood up from his previous position on Jongho's bed to go give his best friend a back hug, lying his head on the other's broad shoulders, "Its just a musical performance at the college this time, nobody is going to hit on you and if they do or if you get uncomfortable we can go, ok? Something like the thing in the drag club will never happen again, I swear." The boy pressed a wet kiss on Jongho's cheek which made him cringe, wiping the wet spot away with his sweater sleeve. He was never a fan of any display of affection but that was another thing he couldn't get away with since his best friend was Jung Wooyoung.

Jongho sighed again, leaning his head against Wooyoung's. "I know, i'm not mad at you anyways. And if it's really just an Musical I will go. But no funny businesses afterwards or i'm gone and you can find another best friend!" He warningly pointed his finger at his best friend but Wooyoung was already all over the place, turning him around and throwing himself on the younger boy's lap, suffocating him with his strong embrace.

"You wont be disappointed! Yeosang is a great actor and his cousin plays in this play as well. When I worked with Yeosang he only said really good things about the theatre kids, especially his cousin so it will be bomb!" Jongho couldn't surpress a chuckle at other's enthusiasm, wrapping his arms loosely around his waist before turning back to his homework, knowing the other boy wouldn't leave his arms for the next 30 minutes.

Anyone who didn't know them would assume that they were a couple of some sorts at the way Wooyoung would cling to Jonghos arm every time they went somewhere or how he would casually sit himself on the younger's lap when there was no seat available. Or at how they linked pinkies when they went through more crowded places so they didn't lose each other. But these were just their antics. None of them felt anything other than platonic love for each other.

Besides, Jongho wasn't gay. Well, he was, but nobody knew that except for Wooyoung, his older brother Seonghwa and Hongjoong, his brother's best friend and a brother figure for him. He didn't come out to anyone else besides them - well he technically didn't come out to Hongjoong but he just looked right through him one day while he did his makeup at Seonghwa's place, casually telling Jongho, who was lying on his brother's bed while the older got ready, that he didn't had to hide anything from him and that he would always support him, no matter what would happen and he gave him the most knowing and loving look Jongho got in a long time. Jongho would be a liar if he said he didn't break out in tears when Hongjoong hugged him afterwards. – and he didn't feel like he would come out to anyone else any time soon. He just couldn't talk about it, to insecure within his own thoughts to share them with anyone else he barely knew. And his friends always told him that that was okay, that he didn't have to come out if he wasn't ready, and he also knew that himself, but he still felt like he couldn't live his life to the fullest, he couldn't live out his whole self. This part of his identity was still in a tiny box in the back of his mind and if it was his decision it would stay like this for a long time. He didn't know how long yet.