“Jaejoongie?” Yunho called his lover gently. “Say something to me, please? Anything at all.”

They had got down from the rooftop after crying like two crazy fangirls for a long while, and Jaejoong had brought Yunho into his apartment. They were lying on Jaejoong’s bed, still holding on to each other tightly. But Jaejoong hadn’t said a single word since Yunho grabbed him from the railing, and his anxiety rose with each passing second.

“If this is death, I think it’s not so bad,” Jaejoong whispered.

Yunho chuckled to hear his answer. “God, I miss you so much,” he whispered.

Jaejoong’s body went rigid, and Yunho realized that he had made a wrong move.

“Jaejoongie,” he called gently, putting a little distance between their body so that they could look into each other’s eyes. “I’m sorry, for everything I’ve done. I’m sorry, for making you choose between love and freedom. I’m sorry, for ignoring your calls and messages all these years. I was a coward and a fool, but now I’ve learnt from my mistakes.”

“I’ve realized that a life without you is nothing more than a vain illusion. It tasted like ashes in my mouth, bitter and stale. I’m nothing but a lost and broken man without you by my side,” Yunho felt his tears flowing as he drowned himself in Jaejoong’s dark brown eyes.

“Please give me another chance Jaejoongie,” he whispered. “Give me another chance to be with you, and I swear on my honor that I will never leave you again. I will stay beside you, taking care of you until you’re old and wrinkled. I won’t let anything separate us anymore, until death do us part.”

Jaejoong had cried from the start of Yunho’s long speech, and Yunho gently wiped the tears on his beautiful face with his fingers while calmly waiting for Jaejoong’s answer. He wouldn’t force Jaejoong for a straight answer. Heck, he wouldn’t even care if Jaejoong said no…he’d just had to keep on trying to win back Jaejoong’s trust. And he knew he would managed it in the end, they were each other’s half afterall.

+++

“Have you ever really tasted ash?” Jaejoong asked, sending Yunho into a fit of laughter. Jaejoong watched the laugh with delight as he noticed how it lighted up Yunho’s eyes. He hadn’t saw Yunho smiled and laughed like that for years. Not even from TV shows footing or magazine photographs.

“Believe it or not, yes I have. It’s a long story,” Yunho answered with a gentle smile. “See? I didn’t lie, even in my bouts of cheesiness.”

Jaejoong pouted unconsciously, sending Yunho into another fit of laughter.

“Stop pouting Jaejoongie, or I won’t be able to hold myself back from kissing you,” Yunho .

Jaejoong stopped his pout immediately, but he felt a surge of warm blood rushed to his face. He really hoped his bedroom had been dark enough to hide his blushing face.

“Yunho-yah, I had a terrible dream tonight,” Jaejoong said in a whisper, and he told Yunho everything about the “homophobic mob” dream.

“Are you sure they were a homophobic mob and not a zombie mob from Resident Evil movie?” Yunho asked after Jaejoong finished his story.

Jaejoong glared at him, and Yunho’s playful smile turned into a sad one.

“Jaejoongie, it was all a dream. Hong Suk Chun hyung had been an open gay celebrity for years, and he had never told us of any attack by a homophobic mob,” Yunho said gently while playing with Jaejoong’s hair.

“I can’t promise that no one’s going to hurt you if the public ever found out about our relationship. We live in  cruel world, baby. But I promise that I will always try my best to protect you from any kind of pain caused by that damn cruel world,” he whispered.

“I can take any kind of pain as long we’re not separated anymore,” Jaejoong said, feeling another tear fell to his face.

“Baby, I did promise you that I won’t let anything stand between us anymore, did I?” Yunho asked as he wiped Jaejoong’s tear for the umpteenth time. “And is that the answer to my question? Are you giving me another chance?”

“One last question before I answer that. What is going to happen to Changmin if I answer with a yes?” Jaejoong asked anxiously. He won’t let his baby maknae got hurt by the impact of their decision to come back together. And Yunho did promise not let anything stand between them, which surely include SME.

“Actually, we’ve talked about that this evening,” Yunho said with a smile. “I hope you don’t mind having two more members in your group.”

“Of course not,” Jaejoong laughed. “And the answer to your question is yes. Let’s give us another chance, Yunho-yah.”

“I hope you would forgive me too, for choosing my freedom over you. It was the biggest mistake I’ve ever made in my life, and I will never repeat it again. You are the most important thing in my life,” Jaejoong whispered solemnly.

Yunho smiled before he kissed Jaejoong’s forehead. “Apology accepted.”

“I love you, Yunho-yah,” Jaejoong whispered.

“And I love you too, Jaejoongie,” Yunho whispered back as he tightened their embrace.

They fell asleep not long after that, rested peacefully in each other’s warm embrace. The world would surely test their love again and again in the future. They would feel pain, sadness, and fear. But as long as they were together, they would be able to get through it all. They had to be able to get through it all.

After all, they were only going to live this life once. And being with the person you love was always the best way to spend your life, right?

THE END