Nine.

Two years ago.

Hyoyeon texted asking a favor from Junsu. She accidentally deleted her three days four night long nonstop article compiling on third world countries appreciating their talented athletes articles and journals. She was in need of fast help for her current work. Junsu agreed to meet her after submitting his near deadline articles to Palgan scope, a well-established broadcasting media for both television and newspaper. Hyoyeon met him in front of Palgan scope newspaper head quarter. From there, Junsu helped her accessing and picking up any related sport-social culture news source and journals. She thanked him for helping by dragging him into her frequent beef stew eatery.

“I have dinner date with Changmin later.” Junsu whined. “Come on, Hyo. We don’t need this I-owe-you-thank-sorry bullsh*t. We are friends.”

“Just eat with me. Changmin and dinner can wait later. You’re going to dine with him for the rest of your life. Sit and eat well.” Hyoyoen glared.

“I’ll pay then.” Junsu insisted. He couldn’t let woman pay for meals unless it’s no option situation which usually includes wonder women league like Jaejoong's, Yoochun's, Changmin's and his mother.

Hyoyeon rolled the thick papers in her hand and hit Junsu with it. “Just eat, Junsu!”

Junsu complied in folded protesting face. He really objected on woman paying meal or drinks not that he’s against feminism or what but simply because he was taught to treat women well by his mother and his two extended mothers a.k.a Jaejoong and Yoochun’s moms.

“Thank you.” Hyoyoen beamed at him amidst their meal. “I tried calling Joong Ki, Kibum, Yoona and Mei Ling before but they were tangled up with either work or other matters. I was kinda pushy toward you. Thanks.”

“I thought we have settled this out.” Junsu scrunched his nose. “No thank you-I’m sorry between friends!”

Hyoyeon laughed happily. “Thank you anyway.”

He caught Yoochun’s passing figure heading to the opposite beverage corner a while before they finished eating. Hyoyoen went home finishing her report. Junsu followed Yoochun entering the bar/café. It’s five pm yet the place was already filled with people loosening themselves after tiring work day. Junsu spotted Yoochun and Seon Woo, Yoochun’s musician friend drinking in the long U shape table right before the bartender counter service. He facepalmed at Yoochun’s lately bad worsened drinking habit. Junsu had told jaejoong and mama Park that Yoochun’s drinking pace was bordering dangerous nowadays. They agreed but hadn’t actually done anything to warn Yoochun to slow it down.

He was feet away from their spot when he heard Seon Woo mentioned his and Changmin’s name. They were back facing him absorbed into their drinking that they hardly notice other people around them.

“Just tell Junsu or Changmin, Chun. You can’t ignore it like it doesn’t affect you at all. It does. Look at you now. You look awful.”

Yoochun emptied his shot skillfully. “How? Junsu is like Yoohwan older’s brother. I can’t tell him I’m sharing his eyes to Changmin. How great will it sound?”

“You can’t hide it forever.” Seon Woo pointed out. “You can act like you’re happy for them and blah but sooner or later they would find out you like Changmin too.”

Junsu’s face was as solid as the bar’s wall. He was shocked.

“I don’t mean to like or love him, really.” Yoochun poured more liquor into his glass. “I was surprised when I met Changmin again few months later from our short flirt and play. I did hope we would meet again soon but not in that situation where he looked so close to Junsu. I didn’t think Junsu and Changmin were dating. He told us about seeing someone but never told us who till I saw Changmin again.”

“You should have had told Junsu sooner.”

“Told him what? That his boyfriend and I were having great fun? It was before he dated Changmin and it’s over. It’s just a sidekick flirt and play, Seon woo. Nothing serious.”

Seon woo shrugged. “But you like him now.”

“I’m stupid.” Yoochun half threw his glass on the table. “It was just a fling. A play. I shouldn’t like him when it’s over.”

“Did Changmin know?”

Yoochun nodded. “We’ve talked about that once. He has no other thought about our play but simply a past done play. He said he’s glad he met me again as Junsu’s friend. He never thinks or recalls on our heatened kisses or dark corners anymore. It’s just me. He loves Junsu.”

Seon woo looked at his friend thoughtfully. “I still think you should talk about it to Junsu. He would understand and you’ll feel relieved.”

“Hah!” Yoochun growled a bit. “They are married soon. I can’t tell anyone about it, Seon Woo. I can’t be a party pooper on their upcoming wedding. I just need my feeling to go away soon before their wedding. It’s hard to act all the time whenever we’re together. Jaejoong has been asking me what’s wrong with me. Junsu also has noticed how much drinking I do these days. I need drink to keep me sane. I need to meet someone soon to get over this and sincerely be happy for them.”

“Why are you telling me these?” Seon Woo shook his head. “I can’t help you much.”

“You were there with me and Changmin when we did it.” Yoochun reasoned. “You understand me because you know what Changmin and I had at that event.”

“Yeah.” Seon woo admitted. “You’d known how risky it was to mix work with pleasure yet you did it anyway though I couldn’t blame it solely on you. He liked and enjoyed it as well. You two had the nerve making out during the most chaotic period then laughed at the enraged yet embarrassed organizer staff, boy, you played really well.” He recalled. “I did think you two look good together.”

“I need to forget that.” Yoochun clenched his fists. “Changmin and Junsu are happily in serious relationship now and going to get married soon. I must forget Changmin and our short fling asap. I hate myself.”

Junsu left the beverage corner in shaking legs. Yoochun never told him. Yoochun never said a thing to him. Changmin and Yoochun hit it off right away when Junsu brought his now fiancé to meet Jaejoong, Yoochun and some other close friends. He didn’t know Yoochun had history with Changmin. Changmin told him Yoochun and Changmin met few months before Changmin met and fell for Junsu in a work situation. He really had no clue they had shared mutual great time together.

“Su.” Changmin touched Junsu’s cheek. “What are you thinking about? Me? I’m right beside you.” He teased. Junsu’d been quieter than usual at their dinner date.

Junsu’s eyes came to life from wandering away. “Nothing. I’m thinking about Yoochun. His drinking is worrying me.”

Changmin purposely pouted. “You always put your friends first than me.” He protested. “I’m your fiancé, helooo. Can I get a little of your attention?”

Junsu smiled thin. “I’m thinking about you too.”

“Yeah?” Changmin beamed. “What? About what?”

“About how great fiancé you are.”

“I am.” Changmin pats his own chest. “Should I prove how good I am now?”

Junsu chuckled pushing Changmin’s chest aside. “I know how good you are, Shim Changmin. I haven’t known how bad you could be yet.”

“I could prove it too. Now?” Changmin smirked.

Junsu looked at his loving fiancé’s eyes. He loved Changmin. He did. He couldn’t express how Changmin made him feel or how Changmin made him find the sides of him he didn’t know he had.

“What’s with that look? Hm?” Changmin scooted closer. Too close already. “You are thinking how bad you could be?”

Junsu couldn’t help the pain in his heart. His gaze lowered avoiding Changmin’s dark brown eyes flooding him with feels just by looking.

“Suu~~” Changmin pouted. “What is it?”

Junsu shook his head. The pain in his heart took turn with his love for Changmin. “I shouldn’t fall for you.” He muttered. “I should fall for someone else.”

Changmin bit Junsu’s jawline. “Not funny, Kim Junsu.” He bit Junsu’s cheek softly. “You can’t change your mind now. We are marrying next year like it or not. You aren’t going anywhere. Stay where you are.”

“I’m not food, Min.” Junsu leaned away from his fiancé. “Stop it!”

“Stop talking nonsense.” Changmin pulled Junsu close to him again. “What’s actually bothering you, baby?”

“You.” Junsu tapped his finger on Changmin’s lips. “You’re too tall, too tanned, too charming. I want someone less tall, less eye catching, less snarky and less lovable.”

“No offense.” Changmin bit Junsu’s tapping finger playfully. “But I’m grown this tall to compensate on your height.”

“I’m not food!!”

“Kiss? I promise I won’t bite you anymore.” He puckered. “Tonight.” He added cheekily after Junsu kissed him shortly.

Junsu rolled his eyes. “I really shouldn’t fall for a patisserie baker.”

Changmin pecked his fiancé’s curled lips. “You couldn’t resist me.”

Junsu kissed back. Not real kiss. This wasn’t the way they kissed. This was only talking. Kissing was totally different case.

“Min.”

“Hm?” Changmin loved playing with Junsu’s fingers, hair, nose, cheek, chin, jaw, eyes, lips and the other whole part of Junsu. His fingers were playfully bouncing on and off Junsu’s palm now.

“What do you think of Yoochun?”

Changmin looked up. “Yoochun your musician friend?”

“Yes. That one.” Junsu shifted so he faced Changmin and looked at his fiancé in the eye. “What do you think of him? Honestly?”

“He’s a good person.” Changmin answered without thinking. “He talked to anyone smoothly and charmed them off their feet like it’s snack for him. He made people do things for him without asking them directly. I should learn that trick from him soon. You could be hard to be convinced at times.”

“He charms you too?”

Changmin shrugged. “He’s your friend, baby.”

“If he’s not?”

“No difference.” Changmin played with Junsu’s palm and fingers again. “I like you better.”

“So you like him too. You just like me better. Maybe if I didn’t take the ice skating coverage you’d date and engaged to him. You met him first.”

“I’d met a lot of people before we met. Are you going to pair me up with all of them too? Does it matter how many people I’d met before I met you?”

But they weren’t Junsu’s best friend. Yoochun was different. Yoochun was Junsu’s super best friend along with Jaejoong.

Changmin didn’t like the reflection he saw on Junsu’s eyes. His fiancé wasn’t usually this unreadable. He had told Junsu he knew Yoochun at a nearly failed event. He explained that Yoochun and him had been close before due to the poor situation which his fiancé was eagerly made fun of him later on. Junsu hadn’t ask stupid useless thing like he did just now.

“I like Jaejoong also. Would you say I’d date him if I met him in ice skating ring? I like Yoochun and Jaejoong because they are good people and most importantly because they are my fiance’s best friends.” Changmin crossed his arms. “You three are so close I have to literally pull you far away from them so you would notice me. You weren’t born side by side together and made pact when you’re babies, right?”

“Perhaps we were.” Junsu stuck his tongue out.

“Then you must remember you had made a life time pact with me too when we were still in our moms’ womb.”

“I didn’t even know you till this June.” Junsu protested. “How did I make pact with unborn fetus?”

“You just did.” Changmin persisted. “This is the proof of your sworn pact.” Changmin slipped his ring off his finger. “See what’s written inside? Kim Junsu promised to be with Shim Changmin for good.” He flashed their engagement ring before Junsu in smug face.

“How many cakes did you bake today?” Junsu snorted. “Or sugar you tasted?”

“Not enough yet. Are you volunteering?” He grinned suggestively.

“Do I look like a sack of sugar to you?”

“It depends.”

“CHANGMIN!!” Junsu screamed. Changmin was biting his shoulder part near his collarbone. “You promised no more biting!”

The tall man looked hurt to be yelled at. He made distance from Junsu, back turned against Junsu, shoulders squared up showing he’s offended, lips half curled, sulking.

Junsu usually would kick him or slap him or throw him off the chair for acting so childish but tonight he simply stared at Changmin’s back till his tall fiancé turned around facing Junsu again.

“You know I’m going to Insa on Friday morning.” Changmin’s whining tone matched with his pouting lips. “I won’t see you till next Tuesday or Wednesday. Don’t be so mean. I wouldn’t pick your calls or reply your text when I’m busy working there. I’m just taking small incentive from you now.”

“Friday is two days ahead.” Junsu pulled Changmin to him. “I know how busy your kitchen routine is. Doesn’t mean you could bite me.”

“It’s forty eight hours plus three hours from now.”

“I’m glad you’re good in Math.” Junsu snorted.

Changmin moved invading Junsu’s space. His lips were an inch from Junsu’s. “I’m not good at being away from you longer than two days.”

“It’s four days only. Two time two?”

Changmin’s clear dark brown orbs were so close to the pair of beady eyes. “You mustn’t go to places without telling me. No out of town excursion. No long drive or ride outside Palgan. No playing soccer but with your friends. No eating out late but with Jaejoong, Yoochun, Minho or Kyuhyun.”

“I don’t know Minho and Kyuhyun that well!”

“Don’t. Jaejoong and Yoochun are enough problems already.”

Junsu pressed Changmin’s nose. “You know Jaejoong and I are still not talking.”

“You’re worried over Yoochun too much. It’s his own money, his own body, let him drink some. Worry about us instead. We are preparing for our wedding. Well, our families are actually the busy and nosy ones but still.” Changmin’s lips went a millimeter closer. “You mustn’t do foolish things or I’ll speed up the preparation twice.”

“Aren’t you being too noisy now?”

“Your ears rarely listen to me.” Changmin tilted his head. “I have to repeat it till I’ve planted it in your head.”

Junsu knew what’s coming next. He took it first. He captured Changmin’s lips teaching them not to speak too much.
They kissed. The real one that dismissed the surrounding elements leaving only two of them here. They kissed deeper and longer, unable to part from the other’s lips for too long. They breathed from the other’s lung. They exchanged each other’s tasting sense till it’s become too burning and demanding that they slowly kissed the heat down.

It took time. Both of them wanted more. Wanted to take everything with them and keep it. Wanted to play their willingness to love and care, to give and grow, to draw their matched hearts with two different love colors but it all had to wait. They had promised no further bed involvement till D day.

“Will you drop by the store tomorrow?”

Junsu wanted to say no. “Aunt said it’s not good to meet too often before the actual wedding day.”

“Aunt and uncle live in wrong era. They should have had been born as my great great great grandparents.”

Junsu kissed the complaint away. “I would. But I’ll wait outside the store.”

“Why?”

“I love your aunt and uncle too, Minnie.”

“How about me? You don’t love me enough to get in the kitche