Youngwoong was curled in a ball sleeping. It seemed peaceful again. The reporters had stopped waiting for you to answer their every question and you were no longer in gossip magazines. With your lie, everything had cooled down. There was a knock on your door. Knowing it might not be him, you opened the door for Jaejoong. He was covered in snow. He walked in and shivered. “It’s really cold outside! Hello Youngwoong. Noona, do you have anything warm to drink?” Jaejoong picked up Youngwoong. He had woken up from Jaejoong’s noisy entrance. You removed Jaejoong’s coat from his shoulders and brushed the snow out of his hair. He had dyed it black again. Jaejoong took to your couch with Youngwoong while you made some tea.

“Was everything ok at home? Junsu seemed upset.” Jaejoong tickled Youngwoong’s belly. The gerbil chattered happily.

“Junsu was just mad that Yoochun said he couldn’t play soccer in the snow. I went over and took him to the park and made a snowman with him. He made a snow angel before leaving. I called it, ‘Angel Xiah.’ I am freezing from being out in the snow all day. It is really piling up out there! I was worried that they would close down the subway.” You smiled as he held Youngwoong up to his nose and rubbed them together. Youngwoong’s whiskers twitched.

“At least everything is fine and Angel Junsu is happy. What are you getting him for his birthday? He would probably love another soccer ball, maybe some manga… Bleach?” You stirred the tea you had made and handed it to Jaejoong. “His birthday is a few weeks away so you don’t have to worry too much, but don’t forget it.” You sat on the couch next to him and Youngwoong ran across your lap happily. He was excited to be out of the aquarium. He had momentarily distracted you from the problem in front of you. How would you make Jaejoong look at your ‘dating’ seriously? You were happy to be recognized publicly, but Jaejoong didn’t change at all. He said you were going out, but he made no effort to show the change. He wasn’t respecting your feelings at all.

Youngwoong scurried back over to Jaejoong and he picked up the little fur ball. Jae’s smile made your cheeks warm, but your heart was slowly freezing. Winter was knocking on your door.

Pull

You looked over your schedule for the next month, hoping there wouldn’t be anymore live broadcasts or interviews in front of audiences. Of course they all were one or the other. You didn’t have as many sessions as the last month, but you didn’t mind. You liked working with more breaks. You checked back on Junsu’s Birthday, making sure you would be able to celebrate with him. Luckily, your filming ended before one. You scanned the rest of the week and stopped on the nineteenth. On that day a famous soccer player was coming. You wondered….

Pull

“Sorry, but I have somewhere else to go this evening, maybe another time.” The other commentators had invited you out to go drinking. As much as you loved freezing your off, you really wanted to be there for Junsu’s tenth birthday. Yunho and Yooeun were going to visit. You hadn’t seen either of them much since their wedding and your whole work fiasco. From being harassed by your boss to being harassed by the media, you had protected your family well by staying away from them.

Pull

You and Jaejoong walked into the house. Jaejoong was carrying a cake he had made. It was a white cake with strawberries on top. A normal cake for December. You had a box of manga in your hands, wrapped up nicely in cute birthday paper. Jaejoong let you into the house first, and you held the door open so he wouldn’t drop the cake. You nasally laughed. He was ridiculous.

Junsu saw you and ran up to hug you. “Noona, what did you get me! Hyung, that cake looks delicious. Noona, noona!” He was so nosy! You set the present on a cabinet, trying to keep it away from him. Jaejoong did the same, and then he walked over to his mother and Yoochun. Junsu kept tugging on your shirt like a two-year-old. ‘You saw her, clutching her mother’s shirt, not wanting to let go. She was a cute little girl, her dark hair starting to cover her brown eyes. ’Junsu reminded you of Jaejoong more and more as he grew up, but he grew more energetically and happy. You hoped he wouldn’t follow in his foot steps and spiral into depression within the next two years.

You dragged Junsu away from his presents, promising him he could open them later. You saw Junsu’s school bag tucked away behind the sofa. You remembered how it was to be in school. All the ups and downs. You were glad it was behind you. Someone knocked on the door, with your parents already there; you knew it was Yunho and Yooeun. You skipped to the door. You opened it to see Yunho holding Yooeun’s hand. Yooeun was smiling brightly. She took a breath, the mist forming, and greeted you. You let them into the house and quickly hugged them.

The party really started. It wasn’t a fun one like when you were younger though. Junsu was the only one his age. He didn’t mind though. Everyone ate pizza and watched a movie called ‘Dating on Earth.’ You would have rather watched ‘Heaven’s Postman’ but it was Junsu’s birthday; he didn’t care about the actress Han Hyo Joo. He laughed at the hilarious characters and the ridiculous plot twist. He loved the bloopers the most. He wished that the deleted scenes had been included; they made the movie flow better. After the movie ended he rushed into the kitchen; waiting for everyone to follow so the cake would be cut.

You all sang to him and he blew out the candle that made was in the shape of an X. An X for Xiah, Jaejoong had explained to you earlier. He wanted to be the best soccer player in all of Asia. Junsu bit into his cake a let a squeal of pleasure escape from his frosting covered lips. You took a bite and almost did the same. Jaejoong had taken his baking to another level for his little brother. Everyone munched happily on the cake. You remembered the times when he made you cake, how happy you were. You wished for that time to return. You silently thanked that Jaejoong was just happy enough to not fret over Yooeun. You smiled, he had moved on from her. Jaejoong looked at you curiously. You your lip, mirroring what he was doing at the same moment. You both laughed, and he hid his mouth with his hand.

Pull

Junsu looked at the manga and tried to smile. He was happy, you knew, but you also knew that volumes of One Piece and Bleach were not the best presents. His other presents had almost been equally as disappointing. He was going to sigh, trying not to show his unhappiness, when you crushed him in a hug. “There is one more present from me.” You held up your work schedule. He looked at it in wonder. You pointed at his birthday and he nodded. You slid your finger across the calendar, one day, two days, three days, and landed on the nineteenth. His eyes widened and he thanked you widely.

Pull
“Congratulations! You finally got together with Jaejoong.” Yooeun was sitting on the couch next to you while Jaejoong, Junsu, and Yunho played out in the snow. The parents were doing something in the other room. You and Yooeun were staying in the warmth and catching up. “I knew you were determined enough to do it!” You averted your eyes from the happy woman. She didn’t know the whole situation. None of your family did.

“We’re not really like that. It’s just what we told the paparazzi so they would leave us alone. I wish it was true, but it isn’t.” Yooeun patted your shoulders in understanding. She gripped it tightly to tell you she was going to speak her mind.

“Then you need to make it true. What kind of journalist were you, lying to the public. You are an even worse political commentator with your lies. Just make it true and everything will smooth over. I’m rooting for you, hwaiting!” Yooeun pumped her fist encouragingly. You would make it true. You would make it all true.