Half an hour later after the supposed phone call, Yifan was lying on the couch, staring up at the ceiling when he heard a car pull up in the driveway.  He quickly got up, fixing up his hair so it didn’t seem as ruffled as it was from lying on the couch, and made his way to the front door.

He froze in his tracks.  He didn’t know what to say the moment they will come inside the house.

“Joonmyeon, I’m so sorry…for…everything? No…Joonmyeon-ah, I’m…Jongin.  Are you oka-…wait,” Yifan was tripping on his words, feeling a bit frustrated.

“Joonmyeon-ah, I’m hom- NO.”  Yifan had let that line spill out of his mouth without reservation.

There was a noise at the door as a key is inserted and jiggling with the doorknob.  Before Yifan could think up of a line, the door opened and Yifan saw a nervous Jongin and a sad Joonmyeon come in.

“Oh! Uncle Fan!” Jongin looked surprised and thrilled before running over to him with a fierce hug. 
 

No one saw the mixture of emotions that flashed on Joonmyeon’s face the moment Joonmyeon heard Yifan’s name and he saw him.

“Hey, Jonginnie,” Yifan replied with a small smile, looking down at him. He felt slightly restricted with his walking movements as Jongin was hugging him around the thighs.

Eeeeeeeeeeee…

The poor kid didn’t realize the feedback noise that was emitting from his hearing aid the moment he placed the side of his head against Yifan’s clothed stomach.  Chuckling, Yifan didn’t mind the noise as he ran his fingers through his nephew’s hair.  He wondered how Jongin would take the news when he finds out about his parents’ deaths. 

“Yi…Yifan?”

Yifan looked up at the sound of his name softly calling to him.  He watched his husband with remorse.

Tears streaked down Joonmyeon’s cheeks and Yifan felt even worse.

“Babe…I’m—“

Before Yifan knew it, Joonmyeon walked by him without a second glance and went upstairs.

“Babe, wait! Joonmyeon!”

Yifan couldn’t move because he didn’t want to make Jongin worried about the scene that had just happened.  A slam of the door responded back and Yifan felt Jongin flinch.

There was a brief of silence as Yifan stared in the general direction of where their master bedroom was upstairs.

“Uncle Fannie…what’s wrong with Uncle Myeonnie?”

Jongin’s soft voice brought Yifan back to the present, and the tall male patted gently on his nephew’s arms to tell him to let go.  Once free of the restraints, he hoists Jongin up by the armpits and seats him on his forearm, his free hand holding Jongin safely against his chest.

“Uncle Fannie?”

“Hm?”

“…Do my parents know that I’m spending the night with you?  Uncle didn’t tell me, because he only asked Sehunnie’s mom if he could take me to his house…and when I had to pack up, Sehunnie’s mom gave me a biiiiig hug.  I saw water on her cheeks.  I think she was crying, but she didn’t look sad.”

Yifan looked at his nephew, and his heart was slowly breaking.  Who knew it would be so hard to tell him with those eyes looking back, the epitome of innocence and naivety in his arms?  Tears were forming in his eyes.

“Uncle Fannie?  Do my parents know?”

Yifan almost lost it.  Blinking the tears in his eyes, he cradled Jongin’s head and brought him closer.  He caught a whiff of the sweet scent of raspberries and vanilla, before placing a kiss on Jongin’s temple.

“They now do…”

Jongin didn’t question further, hugging his uncle’s neck.  “I missed them when I was at Sehunnie’s house.  I told Uncle that I wanted to call them to hurry home so I could sleep in their bed with them,” — Yifan tried to swallow down the thick emotions in his throat — “but Uncle told me that they’re sleeping.  I thought it’s too early for them to be sleeping, and I told him I wanted to go home.  But Uncle said they wanted me to spend the night here, because they were already too tired to do anything, even play with me…”

Yifan couldn’t stop the tears falling, but he was thankful that Jongin couldn’t see him.  He held Jongin’s head in place as he sat down on the couch and arranged himself so he was lying on his back.

Jongin removed himself from the crook of Yifan’s neck and looked down at his uncle.

“…I forgot my backpack in Uncle’s car.”

Yifan didn’t know whether to cry or laugh at Jongin’s state of mind.  He settled for a chuckle and ruffled Jongin’s hair.

“Let’s watch a movie, okay?” Yifan grabbed the remote on the floor and the tv.

“Yay!”

The first movie that came up as Yifan browsed the channels was about an old man and a young boy with a house that was carried by balloons.  It was a fun movie, what with all the adventures the two of them had.  Yifan had seen the movie, and he was glad they had not seen the beginning, because he didn’t need to be reminded.

“I’m gonna go check on your uncle, okay?”

Jongin nodded, engrossed with reading the subtitles on the movie and laughing at the scene with the talking dog.  Yifan couldn’t help but smile.

Once upstairs, Yifan had made his way to the master bedroom door and was about to open the door when the handle didn’t budge.

…Oh man… Yifan bit on his lip.  “J-Joonmyeon-ah?”

He heard sobbing in the room, and Yifan was slightly thankful the movie was loud enough to cover it up.

“Joonmyeon…please. Let me in,” Yifan spoke with a soft tone.

“J-Just go away, Yi-Yifan…I need to be alone.  I can’t…deal with you right now.”

Yifan’s spirits sank.  “Joonmyeon…I’m sorry.  I really am sorry about everything that’s happened tonight… I’m sorry that you had to find out about your si-“ Yifan’s breath hitches in his throat, “sister and her husband’s deaths, and I’m sorry that I walked out on you tonight.”

Yifan leaned his forehead against the door.  “I’m sorry for being jealous when I wasn’t supposed to be, I really stepped out of line tonight… I’m sorry that you’re having a hard time, but I don’t want you to go through it alone… Jongin will be like you soon when he finds out…and we need to be strong for him.”  He tugged at the doorknob.  “Please, babe, you’re not feeling well.  Just let me in, and I can help y-”

“NO!” A soft thud surprised Yifan as Joonmyeon threw a pillow at the door.  Yifan was shocked Joonmyeon could throw such a tantrum.  He worried for Jongin, hoping that his hearing aids didn’t catch his uncle’s sudden shout.  “JUST L…LEAVE ME ALONE. PLEASE. P-Please…I…I ju-…I just need to be alo-…” Wrecked sobs took over and Yifan can only hear Joonmyeon in anguish.  “Just leave me be, Yifan…I don’t want to talk to you right now…”

Yifan sighed sadly.  “I love you, Joonma,” Yifan said with emotion.  He thought of Jongin’s parents and how deeply in love they were, just like Yifan and Joonmyeon.  He cleared his throat.  “I really do.  Nothing will ever change that.”

There was a reply of silence, and Yifan stood there, waiting for Joonmyeon to speak.

“…Joo-“

“I love you, too…Ben-Ben.”

Yifan smiled.  It was a thing the two of them had, silly nicknames suggested by Yifan and selected by Joonmyeon.  Feeling a little elated, he said, “Good night, babe.”

He missed a “Good night, love” from Joonmyeon.

When Yifan came down, Jongin was fast asleep on the couch, the even breathing and the rise and fall of his chest visible.  He gently petted Jongin’s hair, and muttered sadly, “Sweet dreams, Jongin…”

Yifan grabbed the remote and turned off the tv.  He settled for the floor, taking a few pillows from the couch and laying them down.  Tomorrow’s going to be a different day for you, Jonginnie… Yifan made that last thought before he joined Jongin in slumberland.

- -

The next morning, Joonmyeon woke up, feeling a little groggily, his eyes less puffy from the wails and cries.  Out of habit, his hands searched for a warm body, but he was alone.  For a moment, he panicked that he was really alone, and that Yifan left him.

The second thing that came to mind was that he was wearing hearing aids