While gentle breezes blew across the crystal blue water beneath him, Junsu watched his friends with an overwhelming sense of joy. Jaejoong’s paralyzing fear of the ocean and going sailing had dissipated like magic after only a mere hour at sea. He looked completely at home and at ease playing on the deck of the luxury sailboat with his new found family. Junsu would have never guessed that the simple words of encouragement he uttered to Jaejoong on the dock would have been just enough to give Jaejoong the courage to fight the fear of the ocean he had harbored most of his life. To see him now completely at home on the water made Junsu feel very happy.

As the day slowly passed on, the four friends spent their time together relaxing in the sun, talking, joking around, and laughing while being completely oblivious to their chaotic lives back in Seoul. Today was just a day for them, to be together, and to have fun. In the early afternoon, Yunho instructed the sailboat’s captain to anchor off the shore of a small island in the bay, for a couple hours, so that the group could sit down to a peaceful lunch. Afterwards Yunho, Junsu, Jaejoong, and Yoochun, sat down to lunch on the deck of the ship and looked in awe at the spread that had been provided by the resort. The perfectly packed picnic lunch was full of fresh fruits, cheeses, crackers, vegetables, finger sandwiches, several bottles of sparkling grape juice and Perrier water, and included everything thing they would need for a picturesque picnic -right down to the red and white blanket.

“This is so neat.” smiled Jaejoong as he helped the group lay out their lunch.

“It’s very sweet.” laughed Yoochun.

After lunch, Yoochun decided to do a little fishing off the back of the sailboat while Jaejoong and Yunho chose to take a nap in the sun. After an hour had passed, Junsu stood on the bow of the ship, leaning against the safety railing, and gazed off towards the horizon. As the memory of Jaejoong’s moment of panic on the dock from early in the day came back to him, he smiled and scoffed gently. Junsu would have never admitted it to anyone, but Jaejoong wasn’t the only one at that time that was afraid of going sailing. He had been a little scared too.  Junsu had been on smaller boats before, when he was younger, but they had always been on small lakes. This was the first time he had ever been out on the open ocean and he was just as nervous as Jaejoong. When he saw him so paralyzed with fear, Junsu decided that he would cheer Jaejoong on, and in doing so, he gave himself a little encouragement as well.

“I'm so glad we did this.” sighed Junsu as he looked out at the horizon “It’s so peaceful here.”

Leaning his head back and staring up at the fluffy white clouds encased in a soulful blue sky above him, Junsu took in a deep breath and exhaled slowly as the feeling of utter contentment washed over him. Lowering his head once more, Junsu turned his attention back the deck of the ship and leaned his back against the safety railing. As he scanned the scene before him, he couldn’t help but smile when his eyes landed upon Yunho and Jaejoong. Yunho was leaning up against the wall of the sailboat’s main cabin, sunning himself, and brandishing a contented smile while sleeping peacefully. Yunho’s right hand was resting gently on the shoulder of Jaejoong, who had fell asleep with his head resting on a pillow in Yunho’s lap. Junsu smiled happily as he watched his two dearest friends napping with one another and couldn’t help but wish he had a camera with him at that moment.

“Precious.” whispered Junsu just as he noticed Yoochun walking up to him.

“They’re cute together, aren’t they?” questioned Yoochun as leaned against the railing beside Junsu and motioned towards Yunho and Jaejoong.

“Yes they are.” agreed Junsu.

“You know this is going to end up being a problem, don’t you?” asked Yoochun boldly.

“It doesn’t have to be.” dismissed Junsu with a wave of his hand.

“We both know exactly what you’re trying to do here, what you want to happen, but do you think that this is really wise?” questioned Yoochun as he looked at Junsu’s face.

“I mean… If this gets handled wrong…” stammered Yoochun as he watched Junsu roll his eyes and sigh at his words.

 “Ok.” sighed Yoochun in frustration “Don’t get me wrong. You’re absolutely right about all of this but do you think they will…”

“We’ll have to wait and see.” interrupted Junsu.

Yoochun, completely frustrated at his difficulty to express his true feelings about the situation, stopped talking for a few moments and just stared at Junsu.

“There has been something that has been bothering me for a while.” sighed Yoochun as he decided to change his tactics “Do you really think that Jae can save Yunho?”

“Jae is the only one.” answered Junsu “You have to trust me Chunnie.”

“I would have never introduced them to each other if I wasn’t absolutely sure.” added Junsu “It will work.”

“How can you be so sure?” questioned Yoochun

“It already is.” nodded Junsu.

“How so?” Yoochun asked puzzled.

“Have you not seen a change in Yunho over the last few months?” sighed Junsu in disbelief.

“You’re right.” agreed Yoochun as he looked across the deck of the ship at Yunho once more “He has become a lot more kindhearted, respectful, and in-touch with other people’s feelings lately. He doesn’t fight with his managers or his company. He’s quit drinking, oversleeping, and he seems to be much happier.”

“And he hasn’t spoken of Min Hee in months.” added Junsu.

“That’s true.” agreed Yoochun.

“It’s all because of Jae.” nodded Junsu.

“But no matter how kind and caring Jae is …” started Yoochun “do you really think this will help?”

“We’ll have to be patient…” sighed Junsu “and watch.”

“Alright.” said Yoochun “But, if this plan of yours backfires and something goes wrong, they both will fall to pieces and you know that.”

“I know.” admitted Junsu sadly “But, that’s a risk I’m willing to take, for both of their sakes.”

“No matter how much we want this to work, we can’t force it.” added Junsu “It has to come naturally, or else, it will end in disaster. We just need to make sure we do everything we can to help them along the way.”

“Agreed.” answered Yoochun as he turned and looked out towards the horizon “I just hope you know what you’re doing.”

Junsu turned back to face the calm ocean before them and sighed heavily. He knew very well that Yoochun was right to worry. He, himself, was just as worried about Yunho’s future. His plan, what he wanted to do, would either make or break Yunho one way or another. He knew he was taking a big risk, but after everything Yunho had been through the last few years, Junsu couldn’t just stand by and watch it any longer.  As Junsu and Yoochun watched the sun slowly setting in the west, Yoochun just shook his head before he muttered “I’ll trust you.”

“Thank you.” whispered Junsu.

“The sun’s going down.” grumbled Yoochun with a drawn out sigh “We should start heading back to shore before it gets too dark.”

“Yeah.” agreed Junsu.

As their sailboat slowly began to pull back into port several hours later, Junsu leaned down and gently patted Yunho on the head and whispered “Wake up Yunnie.”

“Ok.” sighed Yunho as he slowly began to open his eyes.

Yunho looked up at Junsu and smiled softly before he reached down and slowly ran his fingers through Jaejoong hair as he continued to sleep peacefully in Yunho’s lap.

“How long were we out?” questioned Yunho softly.

“About four hours or so.” laughed Junsu “You two sleep too much.”

“It’s because we’re on vacation.” moaned Jaejoong as he rolled on his back and looked up at both Yunho and Junsu.

“Go back to sleep.” sighed Yunho as he patted Jaejoong on the head “We don’t have to leave just yet.”

“It’s alright. I need to sit up.” laughed Jaejoong as he shook his left hand violently “My arm’s asleep.”

“Ok.” laughed Yunho.

When the sailboat had finally docked and the mooring lines were secure, the four friends walked down the gang plank and made their way towards their beach house. Jaejoong and Junsu walked side by side talking about how much fun they had sailing, while Yunho and Yoochun walked silently behind them. Suddenly, Yunho felt Yoochun grab him by the shoulder and pull him back away from everyone. Yunho looked back to see Yoochun flashing him that all too familiar look of “Can we talk?” and knew something was bothering him.  Yunho slowed down, and as Junsu and Jaejoong got further and further away from them, he turned to Yoochun and whispered “What is it?”

“Can I talk to you about something?” questioned Yoochun.

“Now?” asked Yunho a little surprised.

“Please?” begged Yoochun.

“Alright.” answered Yunho as he glanced back up at Jaejoong and Junsu who had suddenly stopped and were looking in their direction.

With a wave, Yunho silently told Junsu that he and Yoochun needed to be alone for a little while and for them to go on ahead without them.

“Looks like they want to talk.” whispered Junsu as he turned and looked at Jaejoong.

“Come on, let’s go.” ordered Junsu softly “Let’s race to see who gets back to the house first.”

“I bet I’ll get there before you do!” challenged Jaejoong as he gently gave Junsu a push, turned, and suddenly sprinted down the pier towards the beach.

“Hey! No fair!” yelled Junsu as he took off after him.

As Yoochun and Yunho watched them take off towards the beach house, Yunho turned to his closest friend and looked at him with a concerned look.

“What’s up?” asked Yunho “Is there something wrong?”

“Don’t you think?” started Yoochun before he trailed off.

“Think what?” asked Yunho perplexed.

“Don’t you think that you and Jae are a little…” stammered Yoochun as he looked up at Yunho.

“A little what?” questioned Yunho as he quickly began to feel a bit frustrated “Spit it out already.”

“A little too hands on?” blurted out Yoochun “You two spend an awful lot of time together, and you seem a little too comfortable with one another sometimes.”

“Is this about Jae sleeping with his head in my lap today?” laughed Yunho.

“Yes and no.” answered Yoochun “Look I know you two feel safe around each other, so you let your guards down, but this skin ship thing you’ve got going on will end up giving people the wrong impression if you’re not careful.”

“If your fans see you two acting so close…” scolded Yoochun “They might think…”

“Enough!” growled Yunho “You know better.”

“Jae and I understand each other well.” said Yunho “We are close friends and nothing more.”

“I know that! We all do!” retorted Yoochun “But the fans and the media, don’t!”

“I just don’t want to see you, or Jae, get hurt because some lowlife sees how you two interact with each other and decides to start a malicious rumor.” added Yoochun “I’m just trying to look out for you two, is all.”

“Not to mention what that kind of rumor would do to your career.” grumbled Yoochun softly.

“I know and I understand your concern.” admitted Yunho as he motioned Yoochun to follow him down the dock “Don’t worry.”

“Besides.” added Yunho as they stepped off the dock onto the sand “Jae and I know better than to act as close as we are in public.”

“I’m just worried about you.” sighed Yoochun.

“I know.” smiled Yunho “You’re such a great brother. You’re always looking out for me. Thank you.”

As Yoochun and Yunho slowly made their way down the beach towards their beach house, Yoochun couldn’t help but think about what he and Junsu had talked about earlier. He contemplated telling Yunho what Junsu was really up to, when it came to Jaejoong, but decided it against it in favor of the hope that he felt for Yunho’s future. As he silently walked beside Yunho, Yoochun couldn’t help but really wonder what was going on between Jaejoong and Yunho, underneath the surface.

“How close are you two really?” questioned Yoochun in his mind.

When they arrived, Yunho and Yoochun found Junsu kneeling next to Jaejoong who was stretched out on the couch with his arm over his eyes and a cold wash cloth on his forehead.

“What’s wrong?” questioned Yunho in a worried tone as he walked over to the couch and looked down at Jaejoong “Are you feeling ok?”

“I think he just got a little too much sun today.” sighed Junsu “He’s feeling a little faint after running back to the house.”

“I’m alright.” growled Jaejoong “The room’s just spinning on me a bit.”

“I’ll be fine in a few minutes.” dismissed Jaejoong in a hateful tone.

“You don’t look fine.” argued Yunho “You look a little pale.”

“You sure we don’t need to take him to the hospital?” questioned Yoochun softly as he grabbed Yunho by the shoulder to get his attention.

“I don’t need to go to the hospital.” growled Jaejoong with a tinge of fear in his voice “I just got too hot. Let me cool off and I will be fine.”

“But…” interjected Junsu.

Jaejoong dropped his arm from across his eyes and flashed Junsu a very nasty look of both hatred and irritation.

“Ok.” agreed Junsu with a heavy sigh.

Jaejoong slowly pulled himself up on the couch and stood up. Pushing away the outreached arm of Yunho that was offered as a help up, Jaejoong walked out of the room and down the hallway towards his bedroom without another word. Walking across the bedroom and then into the bathroom, Jaejoong the shower and set it the temperature to as cold as he could stand it, then quickly undressed and hoped in.

Yunho stood in the living room, completely dumbfounded at what just happened. Jaejoong was never someone to be so hateful to Junsu, but all of sudden it was like someone had flipped a switch in his personality.

“What was that all about?” questioned Yunho.

“I’m worried about him.” sighed Junsu “He never gets like that unless he’s really feeling bad.”

“If he’s really sick, we shouldn’t leave him by himself.” muttered Yoochun.

“Leave him be for now.” softly ordered Junsu “Let him relax and rest a bit, and then we can check on him later.”

“If we bother him now…” added Junsu “well, it won’t be pretty.”

After an hour of worrying over Jaejoong, Yunho couldn’t stand the wait any longer and ventured into their bedroom to check on him. When he walked in the room, he noticed that Jaejoong had showered and changed into a light tank top and shorts and was sleeping, uncovered, on his side. Yunho felt a cold chill crawl across his shoulders as he looked across the room and noticed that the patio doors were wide open. The cold late-night ocean breeze blew softly throughout the room making it feel quite chilly. Worried that the coldness of the room would make Jaejoong even sicker, Yunho grabbed a small throw blanket from the nearby dresser and gently covered him up. Reaching down and feeling Jaejoong’s forehead, Yunho could feel that he was running a slight temperature but not enough to be seriously concerned. “He must be feeling better.” thought Yunho as he sat down on the edge of his own bed and looked at Jaejoong “Good.”

Yunho stretched out on his bed and sighed deeply. He thought about everything that had happened today and how much fun he had with his brothers. Today was such a great day. He finally got to relax after working so hard for the past three months and Jaejoong looked as if he truly enjoyed every minute of it. Content with himself, Yunho slowly drifted off to sleep.

Jaejoong sprinted across the deck of the sailboat as the harsh winds and torrential rains pelted down on his face. With a growing sense of panic, he called out for Yunho, but heard only the thunder screaming back at him. As the lightning flashed across the chaotic sky and the relentless waves tossed the boat back and forth, Jaejoong stumbled to find his footing. He couldn’t understand how he got back on the boat, or why he was suddenly alone in the middle of the turbulent ocean, but he knew he had to find Yunho. Screaming and screaming Yunho’s name over and over, Jaejoong’s growing sense of urgency and panic quickly turned into feelings of dread.  Feeling that his life was truly in danger, he made his way across the deck of the ship towards the cabin doors, trying not to stumble and fall, in hopes of finding Yunho inside. When he reached the door, he stretched out his hand and tried to grab the door handle, but it was slippery from all the rain. Fighting with it for a few seconds before establishing a strong grip, he frantically turned the handle trying to get the door open.  As the door came open, a violent wind blew past him and blew the door out of his grasp. As the door slammed violently against the cabin's outter wall, Jaejoong glanced into the cabin and froze in horror as his eyes fell upon his former master, Ji-Young, standing in front him brandishing a lustful and sinister smile.  

As Ji-Young reached out to grab him, Jaejoong instantly came to and shot up from the bed with his heart pounding violently. Grabbing his head in disbelief, Jaejoong gasped for air trying to catch his breath and calm down his overwhelming sense of horror. Realizing that he was in his room, he glanced over to see that Yunho was sleeping soundly in the next bed. As he looked at Yunho, he suddenly felt extremely light headed, as if he was being suffocated. “I need some air.” thought Jaejoong as quietly got out of bed. He slowly crossed the room, and snuck outside through the patio doors. Fighting the fear that had overwhelmed him moments before, Jaejoong slowly slinked his way around the patio trying to fight the growing feeling of faintness that seemed to stalk his every step.

 It had been years since the last time he had a nightmare about Ji-Young and he had no idea what had brought it on this time. “Why now?” questioned Jaejoong in his mind as he slowly stumble around the patio, stopping every once in a while to try and clear his head. As he rounded the back corner of the swimming pool, he glanced down at his reflection in the water and sighed deeply, trying to quell his feelings. No matter how he tried to fight those horrible memories of his dark and devastating past, an old memory of Ji-Young viciously assaulting him cruelly flashed across Jaejoong’s mind, causing Jaejoong to grimace as his heart pounded erratically and tears began to flow unheeded down his face. His overwhelming fear and sorrow suddenly over took him, and as his vision quickly began to dim, Jaejoong resounded to his feelings. Closing his eyes, Jaejoong let go of everything that was plaguing him and collapsed. With his final breath, Jaejoong called out Yunho’s name mere seconds before he felt the coldness of the pool water hit his skin and saw his world go completely black.