Hello everyone! It's been a while! 

This fic was supposed to be for the taekai fic fest, but it obviously never was completed in time. So instaed of trying to finish it one go, I decided to make in multichaptered! This way I can make it more detailed and write more whenever I can! (sorry to recipient T____T)

I hope you guys like this! Don't let this prologue fool you, not all chapters will be this short.

Thanks again everyone~

“Jongin, are you sure you want to do this?” Junmyeon asked for the seventh time, watching as Jongin refused to look at him while he packed his bags, he had nowhere else to go anyway.

“I have nothing to lose,” Jongin shrugged, pulling the last of his shirts from his closet inside and stuffing them in, Junmyeon catching his wrist before he could zip it up.

“You know you always have a home here, you know you don’t need to go.” His voice was soft, speaking in that calming way he did when he wanted to persuade someone, steer them off the wrong path. Junmyeon is a social worker, the most hardworking ing social worker Jongin has ever known. The man that helped him get out of juvie when he was caught, the man that volunteered every weekend in Jongin's new "home" after he was sent, the man adopted him, sheltered him, protected him, loved him for years and years.

Jongin sighed, shaking the older man’s hand off gently before zipping his bag closed. “I’ll call.”

“Jongin--”

“I’m not your charity case anymore!” Jongin almost yelled, throwing his bag into the corner of the room. He didn't want to this, watching the hurt crumble in his father's face when he first told him he was leaving was enough, but he had to. There was no other way Junmyeon would let him go. “I’m not the same little boy you took care of in the orphanage, I’ve grown up, let me go.”

“You know I can’t let you go back there, Jongin, I can’t let you go back to them.”

“They’re my family.”

“I’m your family!”

“Hyung,” Jongin took a step closer, bringing the shorter man to his chest, enveloping him into a tight hug. “Thank you for taking care of me, honestly, but it’s my time to go.”

Junmyeon shook his head, holding Jongin even closer. He knew he couldn’t do it anymore, Jongin was too old, Junmyeon was too old. He knew Junmyeon wanted to settle down, start a family, but he knew he couldn’t when he had Jongin. He knew he was burden, but Junmyeon would never let him know, Jongin knew that. Junmyeon would keep him for as long as he could, the man talking about college, something Jongin has never even thought about before.

“Promise me you’ll take care of yourself, promise me you’ll call at least once week, promise me you’ll be safe.”

“I’ll try hyung,”

He couldn’t make that promise.

Junmyeon made a sad sound, inhaling deeply before pulling away and looking at Jongin, he had tears in his eyes. It made him remember all the times Junmyeon had cried for him when he was younger.

“If you ever need anything, I’ll always be here, ok.” Junmyeon whispered, even when he knew this was probably the last time he would ever see him. Junmyeon was smarter than this, he knew the statistics. “Anything at all.”

“I know, bye, hyung.” he picked up his bag, looking at Junmyeon for the first and last time before opening the door and leaving.

He had to make it fast; rip it off like a band aid.