Damn you, Choi Minho…

Kibum found himself cursing Minho for the hundredth time today. He adjusted the heavy metal blade in his hand because his wrists were beginning to cramp. When he looked up to the front, he found Minho smirking at him like the show-off he was. Of course, he would. He was up in front with the more expert sword fighters while Kibum was stuck way at the back with the ‘beginners’. It doesn’t help knowing that the both of them had started learning from scratch and Minho’s already this good over just a few days.

It’s not Kibum’s fault that swords were not his forte, right?

Kibum groaned as he started again, practicing the simple techniques that the sword master from Suwon had taught them. Today had not been one of the best days in Kibum’s life, he had to admit. It sure started out like it would turn out to be, but alas, it wasn’t. Kibum found his mind wandering back to this morning when he had woken up, the reason he was being so grumpy.

This morning began just like any other in Jonghyun’s house, with Kibum waking up wrapped in Minho’s ridiculously long limbs. Jonghyun had gone missing late last night and Kibum assumed that he was just tired of butting in between him and Minho. Kibum had been in a good mood and so he had taken advantage of Minho’s presence to steal little pecks from the other’s lips.

However, pecks turned into passionate kisses and before they knew it, they were both panting with Kibum straddling the other. They hadn’t even realized how hard they both were from their hips moving on their accords to create friction. Well, they realized all too soon when Kibum’s grandmother’s voice had carried into the room from outside, calling them to hurry for breakfast.

A cold bath had solved the problem in his pants. But the desire it had once again sparked in Kibum was too much to be brushed off. They hadn’t done anything remotely intimate since that night Minho came back and Kibum would never admit it out loud, but he found himself being a little… frustrated whenever he was alone with Minho. It has become more frequent recently, in fact, that whenever Kibum wasn’t busy practicing with the swords or reading up on war strategies, it was all he could think about.

Watching Minho spar every day didn’t do much to help with Kibum’s situation either. Seeing every muscle on Minho’s biceps and back flex to execute the techniques perfectly, was pure mental torture. And then of course there is the confident smirk Minho always wore as he fought, sweat dripping down his forehead and neck, that simply drove Kibum nuts.

Kibum could only focus on the matter at hand, which was to master the swords, to distract himself from other things. If only Minho knew what he was doing to Kibum by just existing, well… he wouldn’t shut up about it then, would he?

“Hyung, focus!” Taemin scolded Kibum, bringing him back from his musings. Kibum sighed before lifting the sword once again to swing it in the correct way.

After another hour of strenuous practice, they received an hour’s break before the final practice session in the evening after dinner. Kibum’s grandmother had insisted on bringing them their dinner despite everyone’s protest.

“Whose food is going to give you the energy to fight if not mine?” she had said when Kibum had nagged her for it. Especially because she came alone since Songdam noona was out with her friends.

“Whatever you say, halmeoni!” Kibum answered her, rolling his eyes exaggeratedly. He caught Minho approaching them in his peripheral vision. They were seated under a tree by the place where they had all been practicing earlier.

Kibum watched as people stared after Minho in admiration. It was like Minho was a god that had descended to Earth, the way they were ogling him. It has been like this ever since Jonghyun’s father introduced Minho and the other five military men formally to the villagers, also revealing in the process that they had British army on their side. The announcement surely did a lot to raise the people’s morale, knowing that they had a brighter chance at victory now.

“Halmeoni, you came alone? It’s really not safe for you to be-“ Minho was beginning to say when Kibum’s grandmother rolled her eyes in the same manner that he always does. Minho stopped in his tracks, eyeing that action. He looked at Kibum and then, his grandmother, and then again Kibum like he was amused.

“Oh save it, son for someone who would listen! I have young, strong men to feed. Did you want to me to ignore my duties?!” she said in a mock serious tone as Minho was taking his seat. Minho laughed, his eyes gleaming with joy, before he shook his head as a reply to her.

“I must warn you, halmeoni. This man might finish all the food you brought and then your beloved grandson will have nothing to eat!” Kibum said while his grandmother was taking the food out from the bag. Minho shot him a glare that was only half-serious.

“That’s alright! Look at this, Kibummie-“ his grandmother reached for Minho’s hand and brought it up, pointing at his bulging bicep, “-This needs a lot of energy to maintain. He can have all the food he wants!”

Kibum put on an offended expression, crossing his arms on his chest. Minho burst out laughing until he started tearing up. Kibum’s grandmother simply looked like nothing had happened as she started looking out for Jonghyun and Taemin for whom she had also packed dinner. But neither of them were around, meaning that Minho took all their portions as well, gladly. He did offer a very ‘generous’ amount to Kibum, but Kibum had refused it politely (meaning that he shot Minho down with a glare.)

Kibum was acting like he was peeved but really, he was feeling so very happy. Minho was laughing merrily as his grandmother fawned over him like the loving woman she was. Kibum liked seeing the man laugh such carefree, boisterous laughs at everything Kibum’s grandmother was saying (probably something embarrassing about Kibum but that’s not important right now.) He liked seeing Minho being babied by his grandmother when a grain of rice got stuck on his chin and she wiped it away. It was all nice to see. It was like they were all one family. One very happy family.

“Looks like someone enjoyed dinner a little too much today,” Kibum had mused out loud while they were taking a walk afterwards. Kibum’s grandmother said she would wait for their practice to finish so that they could go back home together. Meanwhile, she was already starting a huge gossip crew with the other old ladies around there. Minho had suggested that they take a walk before practice started and so here they were, walking around the grounds they were practicing at earlier.

“Looks like someone is jealous…” Minho said, clasping his hands at the back.

“Psshh… Me? Jealous? Never heard of the term!” Kibum replied indignantly. Minho smirked his way, turning into an empty alley way. Kibum quickened his steps to keep up.

“Really? ‘Cause it looks like someone is upset that they are no longer halmeoni’s favorite…”

“Yah! So she likes your muscles! Big deal!” Kibum said, scoffing at the end.

“Don’t you like it too?” Minho asked bluntly, his expression showing that he already knew the answer.

“N-no. I have no particular interest in such things because physical appearances do no-“

Minho to Kibum, trapping him up against the nearest wall with both his arms at each side of Kibum’s head. Kibum totally lost track of what he was saying.

“You were saying?” Minho whispered, his lips only a breath away from Kibum’s.

“I was saying that I do not-“ Kibum’s words were cut off by Minho’s nose grazing the skin behind his ear while breathing hot air against it.

“I’m afraid-“ Minho pecked the skin teasingly, “-that I am not catching what you’re trying to say…”

Kibum shuddered, his arms coming up to Minho’s chest to grab onto the material of his shirt.

“Minho-yah… stop teasing me…” Kibum said honestly. Minho drew back just far enough to let Kibum see the need in his eyes too. The mischievous atmosphere from before immediately shifted into a more intense one at that.

“I can’t come home tonight. Kim ahjusshi wants me to visit base camp to relay something…” Minho informed him, resting his forehead against Kibum’s. Kibum tried very, very hard not to whine since he knew that what Minho had to do was really important. But he really couldn’t help twisting his fingers into the cloth even more tightly, as if he was not prepared to let go of the other.

“Minho… I want to… I really need… I need…” Kibum didn’t know exactly how to phrase himself so that the other would understand his dire need for Minho.

“I know, love. Me too... But we can’t tonight…” Minho said. Kibum nodded weakly, understandingly.

“Maybe… Maybe when I get back, we could try something. Do something?” Minho said, but the words came out more like a question. They were not even touching each other in any ual way yet and Kibum could already feel the blood rushing south at Minho’s words.

“Something like what?” Kibum asked him back. Minho didn’t answer right away. Instead, he removed one of his hands from the wall behind Kibum and cupped his cheek for a moment, before moving lower.

“Something more intimate than anything we’ve tried. Something that will make you all mine…” Minho said in a very deep voice that sent tremors down Kibum’s spine. Or it could be Minho’s fingers trailing his spine that was causing the tremors, but he really couldn’t care less when the words Minho was saying were still registering. And when it did, it shot straight south as well.

“We can make love…” Minho said, his voice low and hoarse. Kibum’s perked up with anticipation and excitement and coyness.

“W-we can?” Kibum asked, shuddering once again as Minho went back to trailing his lips along his jaw in little kisses.

 God, how Kibum wanted to do things he himself could not comprehend to Minho so badly. Anything. Anything at all just so long as they were together like this.

“Yes, love. We can…”

For a while, the two of them just stood in the alley way, exchanging not-so-subtle, lingering touches. They kissed once or maybe twice but mostly, they were busy mapping out each other’s body with their hands just to get them through the night being apart. That is, until they were forced to return to practice where they would have to work their butts off.

Tonight’s going to be a long night, Kibum thought to himself, dreading going to sleep alone that night after without being embraced by a certain warmth.

The art of war, Kibum was learning, is not as easy as it sounds. It is not simply ‘gather your men, get your weapons and kill’ like Kibum had so naively presumed. Nevertheless, it was a strategy that he was determined to come up with and that is exactly what he would do.

Kibum flipped to a new page on the book entitled ‘The Art of War’ by a Chinese military general turned philosopher that he was reading. He crossed his legs beneath him and leaned against the huge bookshelf in Jonghyun’s father’s study. He was so glad that Jonghyun’s father had allowed him to use the room even when he was not around. It gave Kibum the chance to read up on all the books about war and strategy planning.

It goes without saying that there were a lot of these books, along with books of other genres too. Sometimes, Minho would sit in here with him and read other books that were of interest to him. However, since Minho was still not back from his base camp since yesterday evening, it looked like it would only be Kibum here alone tonight.

Kibum was musing about how the book said that all warfare was based on deception. How they were supposed to lead the enemies on to thinking that they were winning and that they had the upper hand, just to let the enemies’ egos grow until it started affecting their own strategies. How they should always appear weaker and deceive their enemies with what they see until the right moment comes to strike back. How a victory in war is not determined by the number but rather the unity of the men.

It was then that he heard the sound of music carrying into the room from upstairs. It was odd because the Kims never switched on the radio that they owned. Besides, even if the music was from the radio, it would come from the direction of the kitchen where the radio was and not upstairs. That leaves only one possibility.

Jonghyun.

Kibum immediately stood up from where he had been sitting on the floor. He closed the book and put it back to where he took it from. Then, he made his way to find the source of the music.

When Kibum reached Jonghyun’s room, he opened the door without even knocking and let himself in. Kibum found his hyung perched on his window sill with his guitar resting on a thigh as he played an unfamiliar tune. Jonghyun continued humming to the music even after Kibum made his presence known and walked over to his side. What he was not prepared to see was the thousand watt smile lighting up Jonghyun’s face that looked like it would split the corners of his mouth with its intensity.

Jonghyun was happy. Very, very happy, if his smile was any indication. And he did nothing to hide it from Kibum.

Kibum waited until Jonghyun was done playing to bombard the other with all the questions swimming in the head. Unconsciously, he found himself smiling and swaying to the upbeat rhythm that the other was playing.

“What happened? Your face looks like it’s gonna crack any moment now from all that tension from smiling…” Kibum commented offhandedly.

Jonghyun looked out the window and sighed, the smile on his face decreasing in brightness to an acceptable level for Kibum’s eyes to take in. He looked like he was drugged, the way his eyes were hazy and focused in the middle distance. As clichéd as it may sound, Jonghyun totally looked like a lovestruck teenager (which he was, Kibum supposed.)

“I’m happy, Kibum-ah…” Jonghyun stated the obvious. Kibum rolled his eyes but it’s not like the older man noticed anyway.

“Wow, thanks for telling me that hyung! I really couldn’t tell from your humming…” Kibum said sarcastically.

“Kibum-ah, have you ever felt so happy that your heart seems like it going to burst into a million pieces and then, your body explodes too because you just can’t contain it?” Jonghyun wondered out loud, ignoring Kibum’s sarcasm. Kibum knew the feeling all too well but he pretended not to.

“Sounds gory, hyung…”

“Oh you know what I mean! I feel that way now…” Jonghyun said.

“Why, hyung?” Kibum asked, on the brink of bursting from curiosity himself.

“Because I-“ Jonghyun stopped abruptly. His expression clouded over with insecurity and worry.

“Tell me hyung. You know you can tell me anything!” Kibum prompted him.

“I…I…ImetJinkihyungtoday…”

Kibum blinked, still catching up to the fast train of words. He was sure that he heard Jinki’s name somewhere in there.

Aha! So this was all about Jinki!

Kibum found a smirk creeping up to his lips but he suppressed it, fearing the Jonghyun might shut up and spare him the details if he showed any expressions. Jonghyun looked like he was expecting Kibum to smirk and make fun of him but when he didn’t, Jonghyun heaved a sigh of relief.

“So what happened?” Kibum asked casually.

Jonghyun swallowed nervously, tapping his fingertips against his guitar habitually.

“I apologized to him. I realized that… that I might have been a little harsh on him. And he…-“ that blinding smile was back on Jonghyun’s face as he seemed to be picturing something, “- Yeah, he forgave me…”

It was as obvious as the sun in the day that Jonghyun was not telling Kibum everything. No one smiled like that for being forgiven by a friend. And although Kibum saw this coming the whole time, he just had to wonder- what exactly did Jinki do to make Jonghyun smile like this?

“Did you two do something?” Kibum asked bluntly, just to see Jonghyun’s reaction. When the older man started coughing and slapping his own chest to get air into his lungs at a regular rate again, Kibum knew for sure that something had happened. This time, he really couldn’t suppress the grin growing on his face.

“Do what?!” Jonghyun asked, wide-eyed.

“It’s just that, you were gone for the whole day today. And yesterday. I mean, did you guys go somewhere or something?” Kibum stated, feigning innocence.

“Yah! Whatever you’re thinking, it’s not like that!” Jonghyun said, frowning a little. The blush tinting his cheeks suggested otherwise, though, and Kibum kindly left this out from being said out loud. Jonghyun was probably just getting used to this whole thing and Kibum didn’t want to jeopardize anything by teasing him too much.

Kibum would save it for later, when Jonghyun finally decides to come out about it.

“I never said anything, hyung. I’m just happy you’re happy. You’re even playing your guitar again…” Kibum told him honestly. Jonghyun seemed to relax again at this, strumming a few chords on his guitar.

“I play it all the time, Kibum. Just not in front of you…” Jonghyun said before starting on another tune. Kibum sat down beside him, listening to the song he was playing. Kibum liked listening to Jonghyun play. It reminded him of less complicated times when the biggest things Kibum had to worry about was the storm ripping a hole in the roof of his barn. Or his grandmother scolding him for coming back late at night after hanging out with Jonghyun and Taemin.

“I’m sorry, Kibum…” Jonghyun said suddenly when the song ended. Kibum turned to face him but the older man wouldn’t look him in the eyes.

“I was mean. Both to you and Minho. No matter how much I was against you two, I shouldn’t have acted so rashly…”

Finally! Jonghyun was coming around to understanding him. Where is that Jinki? Kibum wanted to thank that guy for bringing his best friend to his senses.

“Minho… Minho’s not such a bad guy, I guess. I mean, he must be at least like 10.5 percent good if he had rescued your life before right?” Jonghyun said, awkwardly.

“Only 10.5 percent, hyung?” Kibum . Jonghyun pointedly turned to the window again to hide his face.

“Thanks for saying that, hyung. Minho would have liked to hear that…”

Jonghyun still wouldn’t look at him but at least now, his shoulders were no longer tensed and his hand was no longer gripping the neck of his guitar tightly.

“HYUNGS!” Taemin came barging into the room just then, slamming the door wide open. He was crying.

“I RAN AWAY FROM HOME! I’M NOT GOING BACK TO THAT PRISON!” Taemin said between sobs before he ran straight into Kibum. Kibum was too shocked to say anything for a while but he regained his senses quickly. He wrapped Taemin up in his arms, letting the frail boy cry his heart out on Kibum’s chest.

Kibum looked at Jonghyun over Taemin’s shoulder and saw him smiling. Jonghyun reached out to tousle Taemin’s hair soothingly. It was an unspoken agreement to not remind Taemin that he had not actually run that far away from home. There was also no need to say it out loud that come morning, Taemin would go back home on his accord, just like every other time he ‘ran away’ from home.

Things were finally going back to normal. Or as normal as it gets before the war that was waiting to happen in this village. The calm before the storm, some would say.

“A guerilla war?” Jonghyun’s father asked, curiously.

“Yes, ahjusshi. It’s a strategy used when one force is outnumbered by the other. In this strategy, the outnumbered military has a hidden agenda to break down the first line of offence without sparing their soldiers…” Kibum waited to see if Jonghyun’s father would have anything to say.

Then, he continued with his explanation. Kibum told the village head everything he knew about this war strategy that he only recently read about. But it had so much potential on their part to bring them victory. And so Kibum had immediately brought this topic into light with Jonghyun’s father.

“Wow, Kibum. You found out all of this by yourself?” Jonghyun’s father asked after Kibum had finished. Kibum scratched the back of his neck awkwardly before nodding slightly.

Jonghyun’s father had then given his thoughts about the idea and for a few more minutes, they went back and forth with exchanging questions and answers until the older man was satisfied with what he was hearing.

“I must admit, Kibum, that this is a very elaborate and clever plan to have been put together by someone as young as you. Nonetheless, it’s brilliant no matter who or where it came from. I’ll just have to discuss this with the other- Wait-“ Jonghyun’s father paused to look back up at Kibum, “-How about you explain this to them yourself?”

Kibum blinked stupidly for a few seconds.

“No one could explain it better than the person who came up with it himself,” the older man said.

“But I-“

“No buts. Tomorrow, I’ll have the village heads here in the house and you can explain this to them how you did to me.”

His tone was final and there was no way that Kibum could refute that. He didn’t know how a group of elders will react to someone so young telling them what to do. But if Jonghyun’s father wants him to do it, then he must, right?

“Oh, Kibum!” Kibum stopped at the door where he was just reaching for the handle to leave.

“You should probably know that the General would have to be here too,” Jonghyun’s father said seriously. Kibum nodded, gulping nervously. The last thing he saw before he left the room was an encouraging smile on the old man’s face that did next to nothing in calming down the nerves Kibum was beginning to feel.

“Looks like my boyfriend turned into a war strategist in the short while that I was gone…”

It hit Kibum then just how much he had missed that voice. When he turned around, it hit him just how much he missed that smile.

“Minho!”

(A/N) Chapter 29!!! Yeah, I'm so fast!! XD Hehehe... Looks like I managed to bore a subscriber to death that they simply had to unsubscribe but Imma still celebrate cause.... it's Deepavali tomorrow!! (For those who don't know what the heck that is- It's the Festival of Lights that Indians celebrate..) All the good food awaits me!!! ^^

Anyway, I digress... Just thought that I might share with you guys where exactly I get all this ideas about war and such for this fic, especially since I have never seen one myself (and I hope I never do) Like I said in my foreword ages ago, it's all from a historical story about my own country. Although the events concerning the war is almost similar to the one in my story, the Minkey tale woven in is all purely imagined by the craziness I call my brain... Actually I don't even know why I'm telling you guys all of this... Oh wells... :D

Thank you all for reading and subscribing and COMMENTING!!!! Please give my new fic 'Almost Heaven' a try too... (pretty pleeeease??) Also, don't forget to vote for Shinee in Mama!!! They're leading in the best dance category so let's keep it that way, shall we??!!

P.S. Next chappie will be one that you guys may or may not have been anticipating.... *walks away whistling innocently and leaving your minds to wander*