A/N: A year passed and peoplestill take the time to read my silly story? How lucky am I? =D

So the whole fandoom is either crying rivers (from hapinness) or just celebrating like there is no tomorrow because of Jae's and Yun's litle reunion. Christhmas really did come earlier for us =p That gives all authors new energy to write DBSK fics =)

 =)  THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME AND KIND WORDS AND FOR JUST SHARING THE SAME SILLY INTERESTS AS ME =)

=) =) =)

P.S: Oh, i forgot to say: IN YOUR FACE SM!

Chapter 15: A Chance for Change

“Hi, guys.” Yoochun greets Jaejoong, Changmin and Junsu, sitting in one of the outside tables of the picturesque coffee shop they chose to meet in. He promptly took the seat next to Junsu, pulling his chair as close as possible to his. He noticed Jae’s little smirk and Min’s rolling of eyes and stoically ignores them when Junsu searches for his hand under the table, the latter oblivious to the effect of their lovey-dovey actions have on their friends.

                The summer had arrived and the sun invited everyone outside. It had been a while since the group of five had spent some quality time together so Jaejoong, in a very motherly fashion, ordered, yes ordered, everyone to meet in the only day of the week they all had off, or else… Nobody wanted to know what the ‘what else’ might entail, not even the grumpy maknae who had to sacrifice a whole afternoon of gaming to be there. Jaejoong would probably drive them crazy with his nagging. Besides, they did miss each other.

                “Yunho-hyung?” Yoochun simply asks when he notices his absence. Changmin chuckles and says:

                “Wrong costume.” Earning a hit in the head form the older one at the table.

               Yoochun smiles when he finally sees Yunho approaching them, wearing what might be his only non-sporty, not bought in his own store, summer outfit.

               “Much better.” Jaejoong mutters when he sees the person he was missing so, even though they had spent the night together, approaching. Wearing dark jeans that look great in his long legs and a white shirt with some green writing on it which V-neck showed his perfectly sculpted collar bones and barely hid a red mark on his skin, courtesy of Jaejoong.

          Yoochun chuckles. Only Jaejoong could make Yunho go all the way back home, change his clothes, come back and still look like he had done Jaejoong a huge favor.

          Yunho walks to his friends thinking the weather was way too hot for jeans and he looked perfectly fine in his basketball shorts.

         The closer he gets the more he forgets that idea for the 4 men casually chatting in the colorful scenario definitely look like nothing but movie starts, their skin glowing in the sun and their sunglasses giving them a sophisticated look. Anyone watching them could tell it was a private gathering, an event closed to anyone else but the 5 of them. They were in a world all of their own. A world of private jokes, shared stories and collective memories.

         A smile appeared in Yunho’s lips just as he thought of how lucky he was to be there. To be there with them. A smile mirrored in Jaejoong’s lips.

            “Hyung, finally. I’m so thirsty and no one would let me order a drink before you arrived.” Junsu whined and absentmindedly pouted, his antics closely followed by Yoochun’s attentive eyes that seemed to shine at the younger’s every move and action.

            “Don’t complain. I could be home, in the shade, away from this awful heat, doing something productive. And I certainly wouldn’t be starving to death as I am right now.” Changmin complained too, making Yoochun start a lecture in what was considered productive and 6 hours of non-stop gaming with Kyuhyun weren’t productive in his dictionary.

             “Bring us five iced teas and three pat bing su’s for now.” Jaejoong asked the waiter, taking care of his friends needs, knowing just what to order without having to ask.

             “I regret having pushed everyone away.” Yunho suddenly whispered in his hear. Jaejoong turns to look at him. Yunho is still smiling but his eyes show a whole other emotion.

             Jaejoong frowns. He did too. He went to bed every night imagining what it would have been like if they had grew up together. He desperately missed a life he didn’t actually have.

             In the end he just shakes his head and whispers back: “We are all here, now!”

            And that was enough because with just those words Jaejoong said that there is no way to change what has passed, no good comes from dwelling in what you can’t change and no one should ruin the present with ‘what could have been’.

             Yunho smiles again. For years he felt so unbalanced. He knows why. Because Jaejoong wasn’t with him. Because he needs Jaejoong to simplify and beautify his world with just one sentence like he just did. He smiles a smile that now reaches is eyes and that makes Jaejoong feel at peace.

          “Hyung, order me another one.” Changmin demands their attention just as he finished his desert. The older ones laugh before passing theirs to the youngest.

              “You said you had something important to tell us…” Yoochun says to Jaejoong, gaining everyones attention.

              “He does? I thought we were just gonna hang out for a while.” Junsu adds, voicing the confusion in Yunho’s and Changmin’s faces.

             Jaejoong’s breath quickens a bit. He had only told Yoochun about that. It was a touchy subject so he needed his friends on his side. But he was nervous to how Yunho would react.

               Slowly he pulls a paper out of his bag. It’s a copy of the original form he had filled. The original had already been submitted.

               After taking a last look at it, he hands it over to Yunho.

               The latter looks at Jaejoong, intrigued, and then at the paper. Not one word is heard at the table. Yunho’s expression changes bit by bit and Jaejoong studies it trying to figure out what he is feeling.

             “If no one explains it to us…” Changmin sighs and pulls the paper out of Yunho’s hand, who doesn’t even struggle. He is now looking at Jaejoong. His expression unreadable for not even him knows how he feels about that. “Wow!” Min exclaims when he finally understands what that piece of paper is and hands it to the other couple.

           When Junsu figures out what it is he wants to jump up and congratulate Yunho but Yoochun holds him in place and whispers something in his hear that makes him understand the complexity of the situation.

                Yunho finally talks:

                “You already submitted it, didn’t you?”

                “Yes!” Jaejoong says, trying not to show his nervousness. He really doesn’t want to make Yunho mad.

                “Why not talk with me first?”

                “You would just reject the idea. It would be a waste of time.” Jaejoong explains.

                “How can you be so sure of that?”

               “Because I know you.” Jae says with all confidence and they stand there for what seems like long minutes, in a staring match that makes the other three uncomfortable but keeps them glued to their seats.

                “Oh, wow. You applied to be a dance teacher at the university?” the waiter comes back with more food and takes the liberty to comment the paper he sees on top of the table. “It’s really difficult to get in. It’s quite a prestigious position because the university works with people from the outside, directly with the music industry. Maybe we’ll see one your choreographies in a new MV one of these days.” The waiter is being nothing but extremely nice and still all the eyes at the table locked on him like he had just said a blasphemy, making the boy quickly retreat to the inside of the store, not knowing what he had done wrong.

                More minutes of uncomfortable silence pass until Changmin decided enough was enough.

                “Oh for gods sake…. Enough with the drama already.”

                “Be quiet maknae.” Yunho mumbled, not in the mood for the younger’s opinion.

                “NO. You don’t get to treat me like a child when you don’t like what I have to say. We have to talk about this so…. Let’s talk.”

             Junsu timidly nodded in agreement and Yoochun looked at Jaejoong, waiting for him to start. It was Yunho the one to open the hostilities, though:

                “Did you really have to drop this bomb like this? With all the guys here? In the middle of the street? Are you trying to corner me into having no other option but to accept?”

                “No.” Jaejoong said. All of him calmness and confidence. “I brought us all out because I wanted to spend time together. I decided to tell you in front of them because I know you will need to hear someone else’s point of view regarding this matter besides mine. We need an impartial opinion. They are here to provide it.”

                “They can hardly be considered impartial…”

                “The three of them love you, they honestly want what is best for you and they are not afraid to tell you the truth even if it is not pretty. Maybe they are not what you would call impartial but they are definitely the right people to give you advice because they would gladly do anything for your sake.” Jaejoong said knowing every one of his words to be true.

                Yunho looked at the three younger men who returned a look full of honesty and yes, love.

                “I still don’t understand why you had to go ahead and do this behind my back…”

             “Remember the last time we talked about you doing something else in your life? We are not good at talking Yunho. We are not good at discussing important things. We let emotions get in the way and get hyped and everything escalates to a huge argument that more often than not is resolved in bed without anything being resolved at all.” Jaejoong says without a break for air. Yunho blushes slightly at the mention of how they resolve their issues but he knows Jaejoong is telling the truth. “We need them to help us sort things like other people do. We go from love to hate, from yelling to making love with no in between…”

                “Jaejoong, that’s enough…”

                “…we need them to help us with the things in between.” Yunho hears Jaejoong and sighs.

                Yoochun looks at Jaejoong and can’t help but feel proud of his friend. All the people in that table know Yunho and Jae’s relationship is chaotic. But that’s just how it is, that’s just how they love each other. The fact that the shy teenager he once knew is now a grown man who can recognize that and search for his friends, rely on them for help, is a huge testimony of how much he has grown.

                “Why do you hate the idea so much? You love to dance. We all knew you in a time that was something that defined you. Are you just giving up on all that?” Junsu asked, after another moment of silence.

                “Su-ah…” Yunho sighed. “I… I don’t know.”

                “But… but why?” Junsu insisted.

                When it was obvious Yunho wasn’t gonna answer, Changmin intervened, as always, with honesty:

                “He’s not going anywhere now. He’s here.”

                Yunho looked at him in confusion. Jaejoong knew exactly what the younger meant.

                “Jaejoong-hyung. You kept postponing every good thing in your life because of him. I didn’t even know his name, the name of the guy that made you like this, but even I could tell you were waiting for him to come.”

                “Changmin stop that. That’s ridiculous. You’ll make Jaejoong feel guilty for something that’s not his fault.” Yunho said in an angry, admonishing yet fatherly tone.

                “That’s not what I’m trying to do and he is smart enough to know that.” Jaejoong nodded in agreement. “Be honest with yourself for once: at some level you were punishing yourself because you weren’t able to help Jaejoong accomplish all his dreams. You thought you didn’t deserve to accomplish yours…”

                “Changmin, seriously, stop!”

                “It was stupid and cowardly of you. If you thought about it for a while you would have realized Jaejoong would want you to be happy no matter what, just like you wanted him. Now he finally found you and you are barely a reflection of the Yunho he used to know. You tried so hard not to change so he could find you, you ended up leaving the Yunho he knew behind…” Changmin continued, leaving everyone astonished with his harsh words.

                “Stop…” Yunho practically growled.

                “But now you have no more excuses. He is here. He is with you. He found you and he wants you to resume your life were you left it. Don’t you see that by living this way, like nothing matters, like life is only a succession of days and nights spent at the counter of a store, you are the one making Jaejoong feel bad? You’re the one making him feel bad because he thinks you became this… nothing because of him?”

                “Changmin…”

                “Now you are just scared and have no more excuses to hide that. You’re behaving like a coward because the thing you fear most is change even when everyone around you assures you that what matters, what really matters, won’t change. You’re not a kid anymore. Face your fears once and for all and stop putting that responsibility on Jaejoo…”

                “HAS CHANGE EVER BROUGHT ME ANYTHING GOOD?” Yunho finally yelled, clenched fists and shaking from anger as he abruptly got up from his sit spilling the rest of his drink all over the table and walked away without sparing a single look at anyone else.

                The 4 left watched him walk away.

                “Changmin-ah, that was too much!” Yoochun reprimanded the younger who had his eyes fixated on his hands and was feeling truly awful.

                Jaejoong got closer to the maknae and hugged him from the side.

               “You did well, Minnie. Don’t feel bad.” He said as he planted a kiss on top of Changmin’s head and left to go find a hopefully calmer Yunho. “See you guys later.”

                “Do you think he will be angry at me for too long? Should I search for another apartment?” Changmin asked Yoochun and Junsu when there was only the three of them left. His eyes, when he finally looked at his friends, looked truly troubled and even afraid. Junsu took his hand from across the table:

                “We were all surprised that you could say all those things without a blink. But they had to be said. Everything will be okay by the time you get home. Just let them sort things out.” Yoochun nodded in agreement regretting his previous words. Not in a million years would he have the courage to shock Yunho like that, even if it was terribly needed. Jaejoong was right: Changmin did well and know he was looking more vulnerable and younger than ever. But what are friends for?

                Jaejoong wasn’t even surprised to find Yunho in his apartment. He didn’t even thing to look anywhere else. He knew Yunho wouldn’t go to his own place for a while so not to meet Changmin.

                What surprised him was where in the house he found Yunho: sitting in the kitchen floor, refrigerator door open and his back against the cold the machine provided.

                “I needed to cool my ideas.” Yunho explained matter of factly and Jaejoong couldn’t help but smile.

                “Come on, before you get a cold.” Jaejoong helped his lover up and took him to his bed where Yunho laid down with his head in Jaejoong’s lap.

                “Changmin is wrong. Changmin is so wrong. Nothing of this has to do with you. If I know he made you feel guilty I will make him homeless as of today…” Yunho was more calm but still battling with his thoughts. There was no power or real intention behind his threat and deep down he knew Changmin had brought to light things he didn’t even realize about himself.

               “He didn’t make me feel anymore or any less guilty about anything. But he isn’t wrong. You know what he said is true and the way you snapped just proves it.”

              “Hey, I didn’t snap.” Yunho complained. Jaejoong chuckled and then silence settled. Jaejoong kept brushing Yunho’s hair with his fingers, feeling him let go of the anger he previously felt and giving him time to accept what Changmin had confronted him with.

              “Why are you still so afraid of doing anything new?” the older one finally asked after some time.

           “Change never brought me anything good. The only thing it did was take the best thing I had away from me. It was the worst time of my life, Jaejoong. In my mind change turned into a synonym of all this evil.” He practically whispered.

             “It doesn’t have to be like that anymore. I overcame everything that was bad in my life and you did too. You just need to take this last step to totally break with those monsters of the past. I’m not going anywhere!” silence again and this time Jaejoong let Yunho be the one to break the silence.

               “I waited for so long Jonggie. I waited for so long that even now I have you here with me, my hair, I feel like the littlest change, the tiniest mistake will make me lose it all again. How can I not be afraid?”

                Jaejoong bent down his head and placed a soft kiss in Yunho’s temple.

               “I’m afraid too.” He announced and Yunho turned a bit to look directly into his eyes. Jaejoong seemed so secure of everything so different form the teenager he once was, Yunho simply couldn’t imagine him being scared of anything. “Still, I don’t let that fear consume me or dictate what I will be able to do with my life. And when I do accomplish something, that fear turns smaller and smaller. Eventually it will go away, and when we think about that summer, when we were only kids, it won’t hurt anymore because everything that happened led us here, to how we are today. Eventually we won’t dwell in ‘what if’s’ because all that happened brought us here, and I wouldn’t have it any other way.” Yunho drank Jaejoong’s words like they were his savior from a darkness that came from the past and insisted in not leaving. “And now it’s so much easier to fight that fear because I know you will always be there to look after me. And I will always be here to look after you. No matter what else changes, that will always be a certainty.”

               Jaejoong shifted a bit and made Yunho sat up so he could take something from his back pocket. Yunho easily identified the college symbol in the envelope Jaejoong put in his hands.

                “Are you afraid?” Jaejoong asked and Yunho nodded a no, although his heart was racing. “Because, whatever happens, all that matters will stay the same?” Yunho nodded in agreement, his mouth suddenly dry and his hands shaking, not from fear but from excitement. It was almost a foreign feeling to him, feeling excited, thrilled. “Open the letter.”

               Junsu and Yoochun walked Changmin to his house and stayed with him just to make sure he wasn’t beating himself up to much.

              The three were watching television but the younger kept standing up and sitting down again, shaking his leg and making sudden gestures like he was talking with someone in his mind. It was obvious to the other two that he would only feel better when Yunho came home.   

              Like on cue, they heard the front door open and in came Jaejoong and Yunho, carrying around a dozen bags that exuded a delicious smell. More surprising than that was the fact that both of them had huge smiles plastered on their faces.

                “Guys, a celebration is in order.” Jaejoong announced.

                “It is?” Both Junsu and Yoochun asked, confused.

              “Oh yes. You are looking at the new contemporary dance teacher of our university!” Jaejoong said, pointing at a blushing Yunho like he was a precious article on display.

            “I just called my boss and quit my job.” Yunho added, just to confirm, and he quickly found himself trapped in a double hug between Junsu and Yoochun. Changmin didn’t participate in the celebratory bone crushing hug because it wasn’t his style and because he wasn’t sure Yunho liked him very much at the moment. “Okay, alright. Enough with the hugs. The right way to celebrate is with food. Am I right, Changdoll-ah?” Yunho said, freeing himself and walking to his roommate who was truly surprised when the older guy put an arm around his shoulders.

              “Of course it is. I’ll go get the plates.” Changmin mumbled and hurried to the kitchen. Junsu followed to help and noticed something that left him quite shocked:

                   “Min… are you crying?”

                “Shut up! I’m just relieved Yunho isn’t mad and that he is finally doing something worthy with his life. If you mention this to anyone I will kidnap Yoochun, lock him in a box and send him to the ocean floor.” The younger one threatened and Junsu looked at him astonished for a while and then smiled widely:

                   “Oh, Minnie-ah, I really love when you behave like a real maknae.”

                The rest of the night was uneventful and was everything Jaejoong had hopped the afternoon date would be. Nobody mention the events from earlier that day simply because it wasn’t needed. In a group of friends like that no one wastes much time with negative things. And the things that are left unsaid are easily transmitted with a hug or an arm around the shoulders.