A/N: Anyonghaseyo!!

People I'm back. UHUH.

So as if it wasn't enough that I have litle time to write, my computer decided to go bipolar and I lost all i have written for this chapter and had to start all over again. I had already written half of it. FRUSTRATION FRUSTRATION

But I persevered and TADAAAM: new chapter is here, and a really long one for that matter. +does mini celebratory dance*

Angsty and cuteness (at the end) came together in this chapter ^^

But it is basically a chapter where I, as the author, do what I please with the story and kick the bad guys out because I'm needyyyyy and in need of cuddles and so I want to make my characters happy and fluffy and weeee. (guys this thing of moving away even if it only for some moths is messing with my sanity and giving mixed feelings and i wanna go but i wanna stay too and i'm gonna miss my cat =( - bipolar mode on)

Big, ENOURMOUS decision: SHOULD I INCLUDE (also known as le smexy time) IN THIS STORY? opinions needed.

Thans everyone for being such loyal and caring readers.

Much sarang for you all <3

            “This better be a life or dead situation. If not I will murder you for waking me up at this unholy hour.” Junsu mumbled to his phone as he picked it up after ignoring the previous four calls.

“Oh, you were asleep?” Yunho said on the other side of the line, trying to play innocent.

“Of course I was asleep. The sun isn’t even up yet. What do you want?”

“I need to talk to someone about what happened between me and Jaejoong yesterday.”

“Seriously? Couldn’t that have waited a few more hours?” Junsu whined.

“Nooo. I could barely sleep. I kept replaying it in my head.” Yunho said and giggled to himself.

          “Why don’t you go bother Changmin then?” Junsu asked and as Yunho didn’t reply he smirked and said: “Uhhh, is our Yunho afraid of the mean side of Changmin?”

“It’s not that I’m afraid… but you know how he can be evil. I prefer to live without looking over my shoulder all the time, waiting for his revenge.”

Junsu laughed.

“Can you be a sweetie and call Yoochun instead? I would really like to go back to sleep.”

“I called him. He didn’t pick up.” Yunho answered in a lower voice.

“I wonder why…”

“Junsu-ah, please. I feel like something big happened yesterday and I need to share it.”

“Ok, ok. Talk to me then. But leave the dirty details out.”

          “Yah, who said there were any dirty details?” Yunho whined and ignored Junsu’s chuckle as he continued: “Well, I didn’t really go home. I waited for him outside. I couldn’t just leave after something like that, right??”

Junsu thought to himself how well Yoochun knew their friend, but made no comments and let Yunho talk and talk and talk until he ended with:

“And then I kissed him!” Yunho’s voice was more high-pitched than normal due to the excitement.

“Uhh… and then?” Junsu encouraged the older guy to continue.

“And then what?”

“What happened next?”

“Uhh, nothing. I just kissed him and then we went our separate ways to our houses. But I really, really, reaaaallly didn’t want him to go.”

“Ohhh, you must be kidding me. I thought we were getting to the juicy part and you tell me you just kissed him and let him go? Nothing else?”

          “Juicy part? YAH you ert. Where is the sweet and cute Junsu I know? Who is this erted guy I’m talking to? You know what? I blame Yoochun for this.” Yunho complained. For him that kiss was the best damn thing that had happened in a decade.

          “Hyung, I know having Jaejoong back and getting close to him again is very important for you. But when you spend almost twenty minutes describing how Jae’s bangs fall in front of his eyes or how his jaw line is perfectly sculpted, I can’t help but feel a bit disappointed when you tell me all you did was kiss him.”

“You don’t understand.” Yunho sighed. He didn’t know how to explain to his friend how much that kiss meant to him.

           As he kissed Jaejoong all his body reacted. Not in a physical or lustful way. No. He felt that tingling sensation that Jae always caused on him when they touched, spread through his whole body. It was like his body was rejoicing. All the longing Yunho had felt for Jaejoong was being satiated with that simple touch. Yunho wanted him closer like that at all times.

            He felt like a huge weight was lifted of his shoulders, that they could overcome all the things that happened in the past without fearing them or constantly feel the need to make up for it. Even though to anyone else it was just a kiss, for him, and he was sure for Jaejoong too, that was somehow the mark of a new beginning.

                “Anyway, I’m happy things are working out for you hyung.” Junsu ended up saying. It was true that he couldn’t understand exactly what Yunho felt. Even though he had witnessed  the relationship of his two friend’s develop since the very beginning, it was hard for anyone who wasn’t Yunho or Jaejoong to understand the strength of the feeling that brought both of them so much pain when they were forcefully separated but at the same time kept them longing for each other over the years.

                “I’m kind of nervous now. I don’t really know how to act when I meet him again…” Yunho confessed, his embarrassment was distinguishable on his voice and reminded Junsu of how the manliest of his friends was also the cutest at times.

                “Don’t be silly. Just act naturally. Kiss him again if you feel like it.” Junsu said with a chuckle.

                “Should I? I don’t know if I should. I mean, I don’t know if we are exactly in that type of relationship now…”

                “Hyung, stop overthinking things.” Junsu said, using Jae’s words from the previous night, before saying goodbye and hanging up.

                “Yoochun-ah, can I come in?” Jaejoong called from outside his room-mate’s bedroom and knocked softly on the door, barely making any noise.

                “Chunnie, are you awake?” he called again, already inside the room and still using his sweet and innocent tone.

                “No!” Yoochun mumbled from under a pillow. Jaejoong chuckled and went to sit on the side of his friend’s bed. The still half asleep boy turned around when he felt the extra weight on his bed, so he could face Jaejoong. “What do you want?”

                “Why do you assume I want something?” Jaejoong asked trying to look offended.

                “Pff, when you are being all cute and sweet like you just were it means you definitely want something from me. Unfortunately for me it works or I wouldn’t be awake at six a.m. talking with you.”

                Jaejoong smiled and gave a half hug to the other.

                “I just need to talk to someone.” He explained.

                “And I bet Yunho wants to talk about the exact same thing.” Yoochun said with a knowing grin and showed his phone to his friend. He had 3 missed calls from Yunho.

                “Don’t answer him. He can go bother Changmin. You’re my roommate, I have some rights.” Jae quickly argued. Yoochun chortled:

                “Spill it then.”

                “Yesterday when I left the coffee shop Yunho was hiding in some corner like a stalker, waiting for me.” Jae started.

                “Naturally…” Yoochun chuckled.

                “… he kind of confessed to me and we kissed.” Was Jae’s small report of what had happened.

                Yoochun smiled softly. Jaejoong was almost expressionless but he knew his friend was just trying to hide his excitement. The fact that he had woken him up so early was proof of it.

                It was just that contrary to Yunho, who could voice his feelings very well, Jaejoong’s life had molded him into being someone who doesn’t know how to express what he is feeling and even hide it afraid of giving in too much and ending up getting hurt.

                Yoochun knew that Yunho could spend one hour talking about Jae’s lips only. As for Jaejoong he could summarize exciting events of a whole day into one simple sentence, like he had just done. It didn’t mean Jaejoong cared for Yunho less than Yunho cared for him.

                The fact that Jae was so reserved in describing what had happened actually meant he cared for Yunho more than he cared for anyone else. Jaejoong had always kept the important details and the emotions he had felt to himself when it came to something important. It was when he started blabbing nonstop that people knew he didn’t have strong feelings about that subject.

                With those words, or the lack of them, Yoochun knew that his two friends were finally making real progress in the direction of being happy again. And that made him extremely happy too, because there was no way he could explain anyone who hadn’t witnessed how to people had such a stronger connection and how they were bound to be together even after 9 years and after so many things were against them.

                “I’m happy for you, Jae-ah.” Yoochun simply sad making Jaejoong blush and feel like someone had just seen into his soul.

                “I’m just… thinking… what if Yunho… doesn’t care?” Jae mumbled, shyly.

                Instantly Yoochun smacked him on the back of his head:

                “Yah, stop being stupid. Of course he cares. Do you think he calls me this early every day? Even if he didn’t call or talk about his with anyone, of course he cares. I bet he barely slept. Babo! As much as he tried he never forgot you. You saw how he changed, how he became so passive, so uninterested about what surrounds him, he lives a boring life. Yunho wasn’t like that and you know it. He was the poster boy for energetic and innovative.” Yoochun paused, letting Jae thinking about his words. “You weren’t the only one who changed Jae-ah, and I trust that you two will bring the good sides of each other that were lost back”.

                Yunho knew Jaejoong didn’t use to take weekend shifts in at the coffee shop. He did night shifts during the week and save the weekends to rest and do some works for school or just study. Still, a couple of hours after he talked with Junsu, he left his house and went there.

                He wanted to meet Jaejoong as soon as possible. Not only did he miss him more than ever but he also wanted to meet him away from their friends and the teasing that would surely come. He wanted that the first time he met Jaejoong, after that kiss that meant so much to him, was in a place where they could talk.

                So he was on his way to the coffee shop were Jae worked, to ask him if they could have some time alone.

                “Hello. How may I help you?” a chirpy girl asked, as soon as Yunho approached the counter. It took him some time to notice that the girl was talking to him, he was distracted scanning the place.

                He mumbled his order and went back to searching for Jaejoong. The coffee shop was almost empty, it wasn’t hard to see if someone was there or not. But Yunho wanted to make sure.

                As she prepared Yunho’s order, the girl glanced at the handsome guy by the counter trying to remember where she knew him from. Then she remembered: he had been there before, searching for Jaejoong!

                ‘Just my luck, two perfect guys and totally out of my reach…’ he sighed as she thought to herself.

                “Here is your order.” She announced, placing the food Yunho wanted in front of him on the counter. He turned around for a second to say thank you but his mind was still set in making sure that Jae was or wasn’t there. “He doesn’t work on weekends, you know?”

                The girl risked saying. Yunho looked at her with a confused look.

                “Jaejoong-oppa, I mean. You seem to be looking for someone and I have seen you with him before so I assumed…” she explained, now a bit embarrassed by her own forwardness.

                Yunho smiled to make her feel more comfortable and said:

                “I know he doesn’t usually work on weekends but I was hoping he might stop by to have breakfast or something…” going to Jae’s place and bother him that early on the morning seemed a bit excessive so he was expecting to ‘accidentally-on-purpose’ find Jaejoong on the streets.

                “When you serve coffees 5 nights a week to cranky clients having breakfast in that same place on your day off doesn’t seem very appealing.” The girl said, making a good point.

                Yunho thanked for the coffee, picked it up and went to sit on a table by the window. He knew the chances of meeting Jaejoong there where slim, but he stayed there anyway because the shop was close to Yoochun’s and Jaejoong’s place and he would be able to see Jaejoong through the window if he was to leave his house and go somewhere.

                He kept sipping on his coffee while his eyes were glued to the window. He was thinking about what he would say to Jaejoong once they were finally alone and had time to talk. Remembering the happenings of the previous night, Yunho might just take Junsu’s advice and kiss Jaejoong if he felt like doing it.

                He chuckled to himself at the thought, totally lost in his thoughts and oblivious of everything around him.

                A big expensive car parked right outside the coffee shop and two guys wearing suits got out of the front seats and went to help a third man get out of the backseat. This last man was older than the other two, wearing an expensive suit, a golden watch and dark sunglasses that covered a big part of his face.

                Yunho watched this people through the window for a while but quickly lost interest in them. His mind went back to wonder about Jaejoong. He didn’t even notice how those three men had entered the coffee shop and were now chatting with the girl who had just served him.

                “I’m sorry sir, I don’t know. But if you really need to find him you could ask that man over there. He’s a friend of Jaejoong. His name is Yunho.” The girl said and at the mention of his and Jaejoong’s name she gained Yunho’s attention.

                He turned around to look at the people by the counter. The way the two bigger men stood at the sides of the older man made it clear that they were his bodyguards.

                Looking at that man closely Yunho had the feeling he had seen him somewhere else. As for the man, as soon as he laid his eyes on Yunho his body went stiff. He slowly took off his sunglasses as if to check if he was really seeing who he thought he was seeing.

                When he did that Yunho’s heart skipped a beat in fear.

                With a simple glance they recognized each other.

                Yunho was now taller, stronger, his face was not of a schoolboy anymore and he was certain he had changed a lot. But the man recognized him quickly.

                That man was so much older than Yunho remembered. Nine years had passed but it seemed like he had aged twenty. His skin was wrinkled and his hair was almost completely white. Yunho tool a look at his clothes and accessories again as well as the bodyguards. It was obvious that the man had climbed up on his firm. He transpired success and power. And that frightened Yunho.

                The two of them stared at each other for a while. None of them moving, both of them thinking of what they should do next.

                Yunho thought that even if he wanted to move he wouldn’t be able to. The look of hatred the man was sending him was pinning him to his chair, making him feel like he was a teenager again that could do nothing against the older man.

                Finally the old man mumbled something to his bodyguards and the three of them exited the shop, entered the car and drove away.

                Yunho felt like he had been holding his breath the whole time an took a deep breath.

                “If that come comes back don’t tell him a thing!” Yunho warned the waitress before he left the shop running. The girl mumbled an ‘okay’, confused.

                “Pick it up, pick it up, pick it up…” Yunho kept saying to his phone. He was running to Jae’s house as he was calling Yoochun.

                He kept looking around making sure that no one was following him. He felt a bit paranoid, but it’s better to be safe than sorry and he wanted to make sure that he didn’t lead those men straight to Jaejoong.

                “Hello?” Yoochun finally picked up.

                “Yoochun, thank god… I’m on my way to your place. We…. we have to take Jae… Jaejoong out of the house…” Yunho said, his uneven breath from the running was making it hard to talk.

                “What? Why? What’s happening? Why do you look like you just ran a marathon?” Yoochun asked, starting to get concerned.

                “Yoochun, his father is here!”

                Yoochun froze on his place. That simple sentence made it pretty clear why there was so much urgency on his friend’s voice. Like Yunho he felt like he had been transported back nine years and like he was an adolescent boy again, trying to defend his friend from his own father. Knowing how it had ended the first time he was afraid. They couldn’t fail Jaejoong again.

                He quickly ran through his whole house only to find that Jaejoong wasn’t there. So he ran outside, meeting Yunho a breathless Yunho on the stairs of the building.

                “Where’s Jae?” Yunho asked, grabbing his aching belly from the exertion and trying to catch his breath.

                “He’s not here. He mentioned he wanted to meet you. Let’s try your place.” Yoochun said and the two started running again. On the way Yoochun kept trying to call Changmin to warn him, but no one picked up.

                They arrived at Yunho’s building in a short time. Yunho felt panic spreading through his body when he noticed the dark and immense car parked not far away with no one inside.

                “Yunho, come on…” Yoochun almost screamed and pulled his friend by the arm. Yunho was losing the strength on his legs and his breathing was becoming even more irregular.

                When he thought things were starting to work out, that Jaejoong was finally able to live his life the way he wanted and that he was lucky enough to be part of it; when he thought they could put the past behind and stop aching or worrying about it… the past comes knocking on their door.

                “Yunho… Yunho?” Yoochun called when he saw his friend leaning against the wall and not moving. Yunho was feeling dizzy and afraid. How could it be possible that he wanted to protect the one he loved so much but at the same time he was petrified by the thought that he might not be able to? “Yunho?” Yoochun called one more time as he held his friends face between his hands. When Yunho didn’t respond Yoochun slapped him with all his strength in the face. It had the effect that Yoochun wanted; Yunho became more alert and focused on something besides his fear: “Don’t break down now. Think of Jaejoong. We don’t have to fear that man anymore. We are no longer kids and he can’t play our or Jae’s life as he wants.”

                Yunho looked into Yoochun’s eyes and saw how sincerely his friend wanted to help Jaejoong and him. If he was grateful for one thing in his life it was for his friends who always carried him through his darkest periods.

                He nodded in agreement and ran after Yoochun, up the buildings stairs until they reached the floor of Yunho’s apartment.

                The entrance of Yunho’s house was blocked, two huge men stood there besides a smaller man: Jaejoong’s father.

                The door was open and Yunho could see Jaejoong and Changmin standing there, Changmin had a red mark under his eyes that was quickly turning into a bruise.

                No one seemed to notice Yunho’s and Yoochun’s arrival.

                “Jaejoong, you’ll come with me and that’s final.” Mr. Kim in a deep voice that hadn’t been altered by time and that Yunho knew very well.

                Changmin turned furious when he heard those words and tried to charge over Jaejoong’s father and his men. Yunho figured that was how he gained that black eye. Jaejoong stood in front of the door, between Changmin and his father. He didn’t want his friend to get any more hurt.

                Yoochun pulled Yunho and they opened their way between the bodyguards to enter the apartment and stand next to Jaejoong. The later was expressionless and didn’t even react to the arrival of his two friends. Yunho knew too well that he was putting on a mask to conceal his true feelings.

                Jaejoong’s father, on the other hand, reacted to the arrival of Yunho and Yoochun with:

                “The gang is all here. After so many time I didn’t expect to meat so many familiar faces…”. His voice was controlled and paused, like he was just stating a meaningless fact. It didn’t let out what the men was truly feeling and for a moment Jaejoong started hoping that maybe he’s father was more flexible and comprehensive now. Maybe he didn’t hate him and his friend as much as Jaejoong had thought.

                Yunho was about to respond to those words but Jae put a hand on his arm shushing him.

                “Appa, why do you want me to go with you? Does omma want me to go home too?” Jae asked in a voice that made him sound like a little child asking for forgiveness after doing something wrong.

                Yoochun, who had been trying to attend Changmin’s bruised eye, and the younger stopped what they were doing and stared at Jaejoong in disbelief.

                Yunho was panicking.

                The three of them noticed that tiny hope flourishing inside Jaejoong. After all he was just a son looking for his father’s approval. But they knew pretty well Jae’s father wasn’t there with good intentions, he wasn’t there to apologize or even because he missed his soon.

                The three of them knew it, but Jaejoong was momentarily blind to that.

                “Your mother knows I came here. You’ll come with me because your place is with your family. We have been apart long enough. You’re my only son and I want you to come with me…” Mr. Kim started saying.

                Yunho grew even more worried because Jaejoong could interpret those words as the ones of a father missing his child. Because he wanted so much for that to be true he wasn’t even noticing the cold tone of his father’s voice or how he spoke like Jaejoong had no other option but to do as he said.

                “Jaejoong-ah…” Yunho called him, he wanted to try and make Jaejoong see his father’s real intentions before he was too deep in love with the idea of going back to his parents. The hint of a small smile was forming on Jae’s lips and Yunho’s heart ached. Mr. Kim interrupted him:

                “You will come with me because I’m tired of making excuses to my partners to justify your absence. I’m almost at the top of the company known and people are starting to ask who will fill my place when I retire. As my son you should do it…”

                “I know nothing of business, appa. I’m studying music.” Jae said but his father seemed to not even hear his words.

                “… I will get you the finest education and you will have a great life like I always meant to give you. Your mother agrees with me.” Jae’s smile grew a bit wider when his father showed the smallest interest in him. But he was smart enough to ask what his friends were thinking:

                “But you don’t like me. Neither does mom. You don’t like the person I’ve become… nor the people I like…” he said and glanced at Yunho. “Do you really want me to go back?” his voice full of hope. He wished he would finally have his parents’ approval and acceptance. He would finally belong to a family in the normal concept of the word.

                His father spared a look at Yunho, who was still by Jaejoong’s side in a protective way, Yoochun and Changmin before saying:

                “I though time would take care of it…

                “…it?” Jae asked confused.

                “… I thought you would come to your senses as you grow older and get over this… phase.”

                Yunho couldn’t listen any longer:

                “What exactly are you referring to?? The fact that he doesn’t want to become a greedy old man like you who was always so focused in his ‘company’ he didn’t even have a moment to spare his son and realize he was absolutely lonely from moving to a new house every six months? Or the fact that he is actually pursuing something he likes and that makes him happy like singing instead of the business you want to force onto him? Let me guess: it’s the fact that he’s gay, right?” he burst, not able to control his anger any longer. He was almost shaking with rage and if Jaejoong wasn’t firmly holding onto his wrist he would probably go for physical violence.

                Mr. Kim looked at him with despise, like it was a bother to even hear him talk.

                “But seeing that you are still a bit… lost, your mother and I will help you get on the right tracks.” The older man said, talking to his son.

                “Oh my god, you’re laughable. Your son is a great man despite everything you did to him over the years. And he also happens to be gay. Do you think you can change that?” Yunho was now inside the house and yelling.

                Jaejoong looked at his father. He wanted to know the answer:

                “I will cure my son.” The man said and that was it for Yunho. He ran in the direction of the door, ready to do some damage to that hateful man.

                “Yunho, stop…” Yoochun begged him as he held his friend by the shoulders. “Don’t make things harder for Jaejoong!”

                Yunho only stopped fighting when he heard Jaejoong say:

                “Appa… I thought…. I hopped you could at least try to accept me for who I am, I don’t even ask for you to like it just overlook it. But I see that’s something you can’t do.” he paused, looking at his father with pure sadness in his eyes. “So I won’t go with you.” He finished.

                Yunho felt a bit relieved that Jaejoong wasn’t giving in to his father’s manipulative games but he shared the pain Jaejoong was feeling never the less.

                Mr. Kim sighed and his composed posture changed. He looked bored and tired of the pointless conversation.

                “Bring him.” He said in an authority tone to his men.

                Yunho ran for the door, this time Yoochun didn’t stop him, instead he joined him as well as Changmin; even before the bodyguards could make a move. But Jaejoong was till at the door and he opened his arms barring his friends’ passage. He didn’t want to see anyone hurt but his father’s men didn’t seem to have any idea of disobeying their boss so the three younger guys would defend Jaejoong even if they had to forcefuly move him from that spot.

                “Mr. Kim…” a new voice called, interrupting the hostilities about to happen. Everyone turned to new arrivals: Junsu, who had talked, and Kyuhyun. Kyuhyun was wearing a suit that made him look older and very serious.

                Jaejoong’s father looked a bit surprised when he saw yet another familiar face.

                “I see you remember me. Well, I can’t say it is a pleasure to meet you again.” Junsu continued, talking in a cold tone that was very not like him.

                “Whatever. I just came here to take my son, not to pay a visit.” The man said, not seeming a bit bothered by Junsu’s words. He signaled his man to continue what they were about to do. One of them already had a hand around one of Jae’s wrist. The latter didn’t seem willing to even fight back.

                “It just so happens that your son, an adult and independent person, perfectly capable of making his own decision, doesn’t want to go with you…” Junsu added.

                “He doesn’t know what’s better for him…” the older man said but Junsu ignored him.

                “In the lights of that, if you go ahead with forcefully taking your son with you it can be considered kidnap. I’m sure Jaejoong’s lawyer here agrees.” Junsu gestured to Kyuhyun who nodded in agreement. “How would you like to see ‘Powerful business man uses his influence and hires lackey to kidnap his own son’?”

                Junsu’s words seemed to have an impact on the man.

                “I’m sure your business associated wouldn’t be very pleased, you might even risk losing your position, the one you worked so hard for and that you treasure over everything. Even your son!” Junsu looked apologetically at Jae for his harsh words, but he had to create fear on the man and he was succeeding. “A picture of my friend’s bruised face would capture lots of attention too, don’t you think?”

                “Who do you think you are? I can crush you like an insect. Do you think you scare me? I’m doing nothing wrong. He’s my son and he’ll do as I say. Besides, as you said, I’m a powerful man, I can use my influence to avoid a scandal.” Mr. Kim said.

                Jaejoong was looking down, feeling disgusted with the awful person his dad had become and feeling totally lost as he couldn’t understand why his father wanted to drag him with him if he didn’t even care for Jae.

                Yunho could read Jaejoong like an open book and just wished for everything to be over soon. It was causing too much pain too Jae.

                “You don’t respect your son, the person he is or the choices he makes. Why do you want to drag him with you? We will only have an unhappy life!” Junsu tried to reason, sounding much more like a friend. Bu soon after went back to the cool person who was trying to intimidate Mr. Kim. “And about you being able to silence a scandal with your influence, I bet you would be capable of that. But I have very strong proof of what you tried to pull here today. Such as a recording of our entire conversation.” Junsu pulled a small device out of one of his pockets.

                Mr. Kim’s face turned much paler as he finally understood the power of the friendship all those guys had for Jaejoong.

                “Leave now and we will pretend nothing happened.” Kyuhyun spoke.

                The man hesitated for a while but them ordered his men to leave. He turned his back on his son without another thought but Jaejoong called him and he turned back to look at his son:

                “Appa, I know you don’t like this person I’ve become and can’t understand how I can be happy like this. I’m not asking you to try to understand anymore. I’m just asking you to let me be. I’m still your son. If you care for me at least a bit as a father should care for a son, you will leave me alone. If you can’t accept me then pretend I don’t exist and don’t search for me again. Please! Do that for me.”

                Yunho wanted to shake Jaejoong and tell him to stop being so humble and submissive to his father. He wasn’t the one who was acting wrongly. He shouldn’t be the one getting hurt…

                Mr. Kim uttered:

                “What I would risk to loose is bigger than what I could gain, anyway.” The man said as he walked away with the his men.

                Yunho was incredulous with the cruelty of that man. Had he just said, to his own son’s face, that his power and status were more important than his only child?

                “How did you know what was going on?” Yoochun asked as he pulled Jaejoong, Junsu and Kyuhyun inside the house.

                “We met by coincidence on the stairs. I was coming to ask Changmin if he wanted to come with me to this fancy pants event that some friends organized, hence the suit.” Kyuhyun explained “We heard what was going on when he neared your floor but the idea of making me a lawyer and threaten that bastard with a lawsuit was all Junsu’s idea.”

                “Kyu! It’s still his father.” Junsu scolded Kyuhyun for calling Mr. Kim a bastard. The younger glanced at Jaejoong to see if he was offended but he was spacing out. It was impossible to know what was going on in his mind.

                “That was genius, baby.” Yoochun pulled Junsu into a half hug and kissed his forehead, making the latter feel a bit proud.

                “We should take care of your eye, Min. How did you get it anyway?” Kyuhyun asked as he started inspecting the swelling around his friend’s eye.

                “Well, when two giants like that appear at your front door and inform you that they are here to take Jaejoong and Jae starts panicking at the sight of them I couldn’t just stand there and do nothing right? So an elbow met my eye while I tried to push them away.” Changmin explained.

                “How brave of you!” Kyuhyun said, half serious half mocking, while he went through the freezer to get some to put on Min’s eye.

                They were all more relaxed now, feeling like they had won that battle and like they were able to protect their friend. Nobody seemed to quite notice how Jaejoong was sitting on the sofas arm, looking down at his hands, almost lifeless. Nobody but Yunho who was feeling Jae’s every pain as if it was he’s own.

                The other four kept talking happily, praising Changmin’s bravery and Junsu’s quick thinking, when they heard the front door close with a bang. They looked around and saw that Jaejoong had left.

                Yunho ran to his room to get two coats and ran out the door right after.

                “We are a bunch of insensitive pricks!” Yoochun mumbled as he saw his friends leave the house without a word. The other’s felt guilty as well.

                Jaejoong started walking aimlessly. He just wanted to walk, hear the noise of the street, be distracted by people doing their things and not think about the complete rejection from his father.

                He was so torn up. On one side he wanted to have a family with loving parents like everyone else, he wanted to feel part of a home and make his parents proud. He wanted what every little boy wanted: the warmth of belonging to a family who cares.

                On the other side he wanted to make his own decisions, the ones that would make him happy. He wanted to feel fulfilled. He wanted to be surrounded by people who thought like him and he wanted to be free to love who he loved.

                What was causing him so much pain was the fact that those two scenarios were incompatible. He would never have both. And he thought he had become okay with it over the years. ‘Why did he have to appear now and make me full like this again?’

                Jae felt bad he couldn’t be the son his parents wanted. He even felt guilty. The only thing that made him able to not drown in that guilt was the thought that his parents never ever tried to get to know him, accept him. Hell, when he was little they didn’t even have time to spend with him and transmit him the values they believe in. he grew up on his own, learned his values from random kind people that he met along the way and became the only man he could ever be.

                ‘No, Jaejoong. You are not a bad person. You do not have to feel guilty. If they had the courage to try to get to know you they would realize that, even if you are not the person they would like you to be, you are still a good person. Yes, you will focus on that. If you can’t have it all you will learn to not be hurt over the part you can’t have and become happy with the people that do care about you.’ Jaejoong kept thinking to himself.

                One of those people that did care about Jaejoong was following him without him even noticing. Yunho was walking a couple steps behind Jaejoong. He didn’t want to disturb his thoughts, he wanted to give him space. But he still followed the older to make sure he was okay.

                They were walking for quite a long time now.

                It was already a bit past lunch hour and Jaejoong stopped for a while when he felt the scent of freshly cooked food coming out of a restaurant. He was hungry. He checked his pockets for his wallet but it wasn’t there. It was on his jacket pocket, the same jacket he had left at Yunho’s place in his hurry to leave.

                Yunho noticed him stop and stopped right next to him, looking at the delicious food displayed in the restaurant’s window. Only then Jaejoong noticed Yunho had been so near him. He looked away a bit ashamed for having stormed out of the house like that.

                Jaejoong didn’t start a conversation so Yunho didn’t either. Instead he just pulled Jae into the restaurant and ordered food for both of them. They ate quietly. Yunho paid and they left.

                They started walking without a place to go once again. This time they were walking side by side and Jaejoong was letting Yunho guide the direction.

                When they found themselves in the Han River they noticed what a great distance they had walked. That place was nice though and they walked along the stream of water for quite a long time.

                Jaejoong still didn’t seem eager to talk and Yunho didn’t interrupt his thoughts by starting to chat.

                The day was coming to its end. It was not very late yet. It was the middle of the winter so the days were very short and around 6pm the sky was totally dark.

                They started walking back. Yunho put one of the jackets around Jae’s shoulders. The silly guy would be freezing walking on the streets at that time of day when the weather was so cold it might snow.

                It took them a long time to reach their neighborhood and when they finally did, they were really tired and very hungry again. Yunho was expecting to see Jaejoong taking the direction of his own house but instead the older started walking to Yun’s and Changmin’s place.

                Yunho hid his surprise and let Jaejoong lead the way. When they entered the building Jae let Yunho get up first to open the apartment’s door.

                Junsu, Yoochun and Changmin were on the kitchen sharing a pizza and wondering where the other two might be. They saw Jaejoong enter first and make his way to Yunho’s room without a word followed by Yunho who looked at his friends and waved in greeting before following Jaejoong.

                The three that were eating looked at each other confused. Changmin put the rest of the pizza on a plate and went to give it to Yunho. He knocked on his roommate’s door and passed him the plate as soon as Yunho opened the door.

                Jaejoong was sitting on Yunho’s bed.

                Yunho sat beside him and showed him pizza:

                “Changmin must be sick, he is actually sharing food.” He tried a joke. He felt relieved when Jae chuckled and started nibbling on a piece of pizza.

                They didn’t say anything else until they finished the food.

                “Can I lie down?” Jae asked, speaking for the first time since they had left the house in the morning. Yunho nodded affirmatively feeling good that Jae came to him for comfort and at the same time feeling excited to have him so close.

                Jaejoong made himself comfortable on the side of the bed most far away from where Yunho was standing, leaving space for the latter to lie down too.

                Yunho lied next to him, feeling electricity spread through his body every time he would slightly touch Jaejoong.

                Both were lying on their sides facing each other. Yunho kept reminding himself that Jaejoong was there because he was hurting and he needed someone to talk to or even to cry with. He was enjoying having Jaejoong so close way more than he should, considering the circumstances.

                “Are you okay?” he asked cautiously. He didn’t want to make Jaejoong talked if he didn’t want to.

                Jaejoong nodded a no and Yunho’s chest tightened. Without thinking he went a bit closer to the older man and wrapped one arm around his shoulders. He wanted to comfort him, he wanted to be that comfort.

                “But I will be.” Jae said with a smile making Yunho smile to. “Somehow I’m a bit relieved.”

                “What do you mean?” Yunho asked.

                “All this years I knew sooner or later my parents would come for me. They made it pretty clear when they called me and searched for me no matter how I tried to hide. As he was expecting time to fix my ‘problems’…” Yunho frowned at that word. Jaejoong to him was flawless. Jae smiled slightly and put a finger between the other’s brows, undoing the wrinkle that had formed there. Yunho relaxed immediately at the touch. “He was expecting with time I would become what he wanted me to be. I was expecting the same: I hopped that my mom and he would somehow change a bit and accept, if not all, at least a part of me. But today I saw that won’t happen no matter how much time passes. For a minute there I thought he was different…”

                “I know.” Yunho said, remembering how Jae had looked at his father full of hope and how he had worried for Jaejoong.

                “… but given that he hasn’t changed I like how things ended today. I’m okay with the fact my parents and I are basically not related anymore. I thought I had closed that chapter a long time ago but apparently I was just keeping up a façade. Today gave me total closure thought.”

                Yunho heard Jae’s every word giving him his all attention. Jaejoong looked sad but Yunho could no longer see the crippling pain from earlier. It seemed Jaejoong had really closed the chapter related to his parents and was starting to move on. It was indeed a relief.

                “I’m sorry things had to be this way. I wish I could put some sense into your father’s head. I’m glad you are getting over it though. Even if I couldn’t do much to help…” Yunho said; the last sentence barely a whisper.

                “You did help.” Jaejoong retorted. They were so close now; Jae could hear Yunho’s every whisper. Yunho raised a brow confused. He felt impotent and unable to do anything for Jae. He didn’t know how he had helped.  Jaejoong continued:

                “If my father had come searching for me last year I would most certainly go with him. I thought I was doing well, that I had my life in my hands and I was over with trying to get every one’s approval. But today showed I was just kidding myself. To be honest I was ready to run to my parents arms if he so showed the least bit of affection to me. If this had happened before we met again, before Yoochun and Junsu became my friends, I think I would just have gone with him and go back to an unhappy life of being ordered around and trying to act like someone I’m not.”

                “I don’t understand…” Yunho mumbled, still not getting how he had helped. Jae chuckled.

                “You gave me a reason to not want to go back to that life.” Yunho’s eyes widened. “I was trying to gain my parents affection so much that I would go with him even knowing that I would be miserable just because I had nothing else. You and those dorks out there gave me a sense of belonging somewhere and a purpose to live my life and be happy the way I want to.”

                Yunho smiled softly. It made him feel good to hear Jaejoong talk like that. Everything he wanted was the make the other man happy. Knowing that he was somehow accomplishing it made him feel fulfilled.

                “You had Hyunjoong.” Yunho suddenly remembered the person who was Jae’s only family throughout the years. Jaejoong nodded in agreement.

                “Yes, he was always by my side and god knows how I love him for all he has done for me.” Yunho felt the sting of jealousy but he could not deny that he was incredibly grateful to Hyunjoong to. “But having you back… it’s different.”

                “Good different?” Yunho asked a bit hesitantly.

                “Very good different.” Jae said and chuckled when he saw the satisfied grin on Yunho’s face. “With Hyunjoong I can talk about everything he will always understand me or give me the right advice. Much like with Yoochun. But with you… you know what I’m thinking, what I want or what I need without me even having to say it. It’s like I feel what you feel and you feel what I’m feeling.”

                Yunho was practically beaming. After so many years, such a long time, he had Jaejoong back in his arms and the smaller man was talking like they belonged to each other. He could not be happier. He pulled Jae closer until his head was resting on Yunho’s chest, and kissed the top of his head.

                It was so strange that in a couple of days they had gone from hurt and frightened to lost in each other’s arms. And at the same time it wasn’t. It felt right, it was the way it was supposed to be.

                “Yunho?” Jae called after a few minutes of silence.

                “Hmm?” the other mumbled. His eyes were closed as his chin was resting on top of Jae’s head. Jae smelled good and familiar. Yunho felt intoxicated.

                “If you had read my letters sooner… what would have you done?”

                Yunho tensed up a bit as the well-known guilt came back to him.

                “Relax. I’m… I’m just curious. I don’t wanna make you feel bad… I just wanna talk about it without feeling sad. A few years from now I don’t want us to look back and still have bad feelings about that summer.” Jae explained.

                ‘A few years from now? Us?’ Yunho repeated the words in his mind. After so much time missing Jaejoong knowing that they had all the time in the world to be together now, and hearing Jaejoong speak of a future where they were indeed together made Yunho melt instantly and tighten his hold around Jaejoong.

                “I would have come for you. And if I didn’t find you, I would search every corner of the world until we were finally together again.” Yun said. He picked up Jae’s hand that was resting on top of his chest and started playing with it absentmindedly; putting his fingertips against Jae’s, grazing the back of Jae’s hands with the tip of his own fingers until Jae interlaced their fingers and squeezed Yunho’s hand in his.

                “I hate that you didn’t read my letters and I hate that I stopped looking for you because I thought you were done with me. But it feels really good to know that if things had gone a bit differently you would have fought for me. I would have run away to meet you if I knew you wanted me too.” Jae said.

                “What would we do next?” Yunho started wondering. “Would you accept that empty room at my house?”

                “No. I couldn’t stay there. My parents would come look for me and I was a minor so I would have to go with them.” Jae said and frowned. “We could hide somewhere. Only your parents and your sister would know where we were. We would change schools and find a tiny place to live and a part time job to be able to afford it…. I could cook. You could…. Well not do much actually, you mama’s-boy.” Jae chuckled.

                Yunho had a huge grin on his face:

                “Sounds good!” he said. “He can have that now.”

                Jae smiled and nodded affirmatively.

                “Jae?” Yunho called making the other move a bit to look up to him with an interrogative expression. “Can I kiss you?”

                Jaejoong smiled widely before shifting his position to be able to kiss Yunho. First, tenderly. Then eagerly.

                Both of them welcomed the electricity that woke every cell in their bodies.