From then onwards, not a day was wasted sitting idle. Jongin especially made sure he took Kyungsoo out somewhere every single day. Sometimes it was bowling, others it was skating, or going to the movies, or maybe even taking a walk in the park. A few times a week, the five of them would go out as a family. They tried their level best to make Kyungsoo as happy as possible before the day of the surgery arrived. If Kyungsoo were to describe it, he'd say they were preparing for the apocalypse or something. As much as he appreciated everything they did for him (including Jungah spoiling him rotten with all sorts of clothes, shoes and gadgets), he didn't like how everyone was so different, treating him like glass that could shatter at any given second. He started to feel more and more of an inconvenience with all the effort they been putting. I don't need all this to be happy, he thought. All he wanted was the fact that he had people who cared for him, people to rely on, which he knew they were. 

It was already the prime of December, and his surgery would be just a few days after New Year's. As the said day drew closer and closer, he couldn't help but feel his heart drop. Yet at the same time, his new family proved to him everyday more than the last that they would always be beside him, and even if it went wrong, he knew everything would be okay. He was fine as long as he had them. So much has happened in these few months, he thought. That day, Jongin was going to to take him to the karaoke which he had never gone to. Back at the time, one of the few ways of entertainment was listening to music. His mother would frequently play him some music and would ask him to sing for her, commenting about how he had such a beautiful voice just like his father. That, or he would listen attentively as she watched dramas on TV, and she would explain to him what was going on. Kyungsoo loved to sing when he had nothing else to do, and sometimes, even in this new house, he would find himself humming a random song that his mother used to play him.

"Mother..." He muttered. A word that meant so much to him before, now felt dull and lifeless as it left his lips. He sighed and pushed the thought to the back of his mind.

Later that evening, Jongin and Kyungsoo were at the karaoke bar and the younger was busy browsing through the song menu while the older looked around the cramped room. There was a flat screen TV, a karaoke system, and couch for the two to sit on. 

"Found anything?" The older asked.

"Wait... Ah! Girls' Generation's Gee!"

"Never heard it..." 

"You serious? It's the most amazing song in all of existence!" He exclaimed, exaggeratedly throwing his arms out.

"Sing it then." Kyungsoo smiled.

"Okay but you're next." Jongin grinned, clicking the song and waiting for it to begin. Kyungsoo watched in amusement as the younger boy cheerfully sang, sounding extremely girly but the elder knew he was doing it on purpose. 

"GEE GEE GEE GEE BABY BABY BABY." He began to point at Kyungsoo playfully as he sang, missing out half the song laughing at himself. The shorter boy couldn't help but smile. He knew Jongin was trying to make him laugh by being all silly, and it melted his heart. When the song was over, Jongin smugly bowed, muttering a 'thank you, thank you' while Kyungsoo clapped.

"Your turn, hyung. Just tell me the name of any song you know."

"Hm..." Kyungsoo tried to dig up all the songs he used to listen to. There were quite a lot, but nothing as cheerful as Gee. He mostly listened to ballads. Before he knew it, he was uttering the name of his favorite song, "Miracles in December."

Jongin looked slightly taken aback but nodded, typing in the name of the song. 

As the familiar piano riff began, he steadied his breathing, bringing the mic close to his lips. And then, he began to sing, just like he did when he was alone in his room at home. Just like he did when he sang for his mother. He closed his eyes and allowed the lyrics to leave his lips effortlessly, naturally, a melody that he had sung countless times but never got tired of. Right around the second chorus, he slowly opened his eyes, only to see another pair burning deeply into his. The elder boy kept singing as he stared at the younger, almost as if he was singing for him.. Jongin didn't look away, and neither could he. Everything just felt so surreal at that moment because even though the lyrics he was singing were sad, he was happy. So, so happy. And it brought back so many old memories and unspoken feelings that tears began to leave his eyes, but he didn't stopped singing, even when his voice cracked. Not until the very last line, when Jongin leaned in and gently wiped his tears away with his thumbs.

"Hyung... I told you I didn't want to see you cry again." The younger said softly.

"I-I'm crying out of happiness, Jongin. I just... I'm just so thankful to all of you and I-"

"Shhh... It's okay." Jongin wrapped his arms around the elder boy, tapping his back comfortingly as the other cried into his shoulder. "Don't thank us. We are just as happy to have you here with us. Watching you learn and explore... It's been heart-warming to all of us. I'll admit I wasn't to hyped when mom said that someone was going to live with us all out of the blue. I had plans to just ignore you but the moment I saw your face... your eyes... the sadness in them... everything just changed. You were so broken, Kyungsoo, but we watched you heal up your own wounds. You think it's us but it's all you. So thank yourself, Hyung. More than anyone else, you need to be grateful to yourself, for being so strong and treading this difficult and unfamiliar path bravely without even turning back. I know it mustn't have been easy and frankly I don't think I could've done half of what you did these past few months. That's why I admire and respect you so much. We care about you a lot, Hyung, We... We love you." Jongin paused, letting a tear of his own escape. "I love you." 

Kyungsoo froze as he processed the information that had just been given to him.

We love you.

I love you.

But what is love? How do I know I love you, too? I wish I could say back but the only love I've ever known was the one I felt with mother... But it was all a lie...

"Jongin-ah-"

"Last time, you asked me what love was." Jongin pulled away from the hug and stared deeply into his eyes. "And I think I now have the answer. Love is the tingles I feel all over when I touch you. Love is the way I always want to comfort you. Love is how I always want to kiss away your tears. Love is how all I want to do is spend every second of my day with you. Love is how I feel jealous when other people steal you away from me. You feel this?" Jongin brought Kyungsoo's hand up to his chest, letting him feel his racing heart. "This is love. I love you, Kyungsoo, and not in the way you love your parents or your siblings, but in the way one would their lover. I loved you the moment I saw you. And you don't have to say it back but... I know you feel something too. Don't you, Hyung?"

Kyungsoo was speechless. He wasn't really used to the idea of a man loving another in that way, because he'd been taught all his life that a man could only love and marry a woman. But he knew Jongin was right when he said he felt something too. He didn't know what it was, but it was something nonetheless.

"I-I think so..." 

Jongin smiled and wiped away at his own tears. "Close your eyes." He whispered. The older male complied and did as he was told. He could then feel Jongin leaning closer to him at an agonizingly slow pace, until his breath was ghosting across the older's lips. Kyungsoo couldn't help but lean in too, longing for the touch of the younger. He could feel his own heart pumping hard against his chest, amplifying when their noses slightly touched/

"Kyungsoo-yah..." The younger whispered, sounding strained and almost in pain. "I love you." And then he connected their lips in soft, innocent, gentle kiss. Kyungsoo felt an overwhelming spur of emotions, and not just his own, but Jongin's too. It was as if he could feel everything the younger was feeling. Something was spurring up in his stomach, the same way it did whenever the younger just so much as touched him, but this time it was unbelievingly stronger. Kyungsoo could basically feel all the pent up love the younger so desperately wanted to release just through the contact of their lips. Suddenly, the whole world disappeared. It was just him, and Jongin. 

He wanted to say he loved him back but he couldn't. He just wasn't sure of it yet. But he was sure of one thing though- that Jongin made him feel things no one else could. The younger pulled away, slowly opening his eyes and locking them with Kyungsoo's. The latter couldn't help but smile shyly at the ground.

"What's on your mind?" Jongin softly asked, gently rubbing the elder's cheek and pressing their foreheads together.

"I... I'm just so happy." Came the equally soft answer, "You?

"I'm just wondering which is more beautiful... your eyes or your voice?" Kyungsoo simply blushed and buried his face into Jongin's chest. 

"I'm sorry I can't say it now but... I will one day. When I'm sure."

"It's okay." Jongin squeezed his hand reassuringly, "I'll wait as long as it takes. I just didn't want to waste any more time hiding my feelings."

And so, the two sat there, cuddled up against each other, singing a few more songs during what was left of their two hours, both in equally pleasant state of bliss. God is kind, Kyungsoo thought, smiling silently to himself. So, so kind...

X X X

I'm sorry it took me so long to update but I kept writing and re-writing this chapter T_T But I think it turned out okay in the end. A little dramatic but fluffy. Sooo the story is gonna be over soon! Just a few more chapters to go! Thank you guys so much for all the supportive comments and you are what really pushed me to keep writing. This is only my first fan fiction and I hope to keep growing and improving for the many more to (hopefully) come.  So, thank you all and have a wonderful day ^_^

Sammie