Cradled in Yunho’s arms, snoring softly, Seungwoon never registered the short walk from Jaejoong’s apartment, through the park, to home. Yunho had walked slowly, fearful that he would wake his precious little man, and all the while he quietly thought about the incident standing in Jaejoong’s foyer. The look in his eyes, the terror, had immediately frightened Yunho. In all of his affluent life, after being adamantly taught and groomed on how to behave, there was rarely a moment in time where he didn’t have control over his own emotions. But, at that moment, Yunho nearly lost control of himself. He had never seen anyone look so fearful, so on the edge of oblivion, and to see that look in the eyes of someone so kindhearted and gentle as Jaejoong made him worry even more for the man he barely knew. 

Arriving on the eighth floor of their apartment building, Yunho stepped out of the elevator and turned towards home with a strange feeling he couldn’t place rattling around in his heart. Absentmindedly strolling to his front door, Yunho never noticed the woman dressed in a solid red blouse and black slacks, carrying an overnight bag, standing by his door.

“Yunnie!” she squealed.

Snapped out of his contemplations in a hurry, Yunho looked up at the woman and just frowned.

“What are you doing here at this hour?” he questioned softly, suspiciously, as he eyed her curiously.

“What?” she questioned innocently.

“Give it a rest…” breathed out Yunho, not willing to play her games at the moment. “That cute stopped working on me a long time ago, Jihye.”

“Why are you here?” he asked more sternly.

“Oh, Yunnie…don’t be such a grump.” she smiled cutely. “I have business in the city for the next few days, so…”

“So, you figured you’d come crash at your brother’s place rather than shell out money for hotel…?” grumbled Yunho, finishing her sentence for her.

“Well…yeah,” she answered cheerfully. “We haven’t seen each other in a long while…And besides, I missed Seungwoon.”

“Figures…” sighed Yunho. “Well since you’re here… open the door.”

“Umm…” she stammered, slightly embarrassed. “I kind of forgot the passcode…”

“Airhead…” mumbled Yunho as he tried, ever so carefully, to maneuver himself close enough to the door to punch in the passcode without waking, or dropping, Seungwoon.

As the door’s locking mechanism clicked, Yunho stepped back and let his sister open the door –following in after her a moment later.

“Do you want the light on?” she questioned as she stepped up to the light switch in the small foyer.

“No…” answered Yunho quietly. “the light might wake him up.”

“But it’s dark in here…” she countered.

“I can see just fine…” sighed Yunho, shaking his head as he stepped past his sister and further into the apartment.

“If you’re so afraid of the dark…” he quipped teasingly. “You can turn on the light once I make it into the hallway.”

“I’m not afraid of the dark,” she argued in defiance.

“Sure…you’re not.” chuckled Yunho as he headed for the hallway and disappeared into the darkness.

“…” mumbled Jihye as she flipped the light switch, obviously frustrated at her brother’s attitude.

While Yunho tended to Seungwoon and put him to bed, Jihye walked into the living room and dropped her overnight bag in one of the light tan wingback chairs that Yunho had placed at the end of the coffee table. Unceremoniously plopping down on the lovely pale sofa aside the chair, she kicked off her high heels and shoved them under the table with a sigh as an open notebook on its top caught her attention.

“Yunnie’s datebook.” she seemed to breathe out in curiosity.

Leaning over, she plucked the open book from the table and slowly began to scan through his plans for earlier in the day.

08:00 Wake up
08:30 Cancel Nanny for the day
09:00 Confirm Weekly Schedule
09:30 Pack for Work
10:00 Date with Jaejoong
10:30 A-1 Shift

“Date with Jaejoong?” questioned Jihye suspiciously. “Who’s Jaejoong?”

“None of your business…” answered Yunho a few moments later, seconds before Jihye was suddenly hit in the head with something soft.

“Hey!” she exclaimed as she quickly shook off the shock, caught a glimpse of a pillow hitting the floor at her feet, and looked up at Yunho and glared at him with a slightly irritated look.

“I was just…” she started again, only to be instantly hit in the head with a large bundle of a soft cloth.

Yanking the blanket from her face, she snatched the pillow from the floor and threw it at her brother.

“I was just asking!” she said childishly.

“You should know by now when to out of my affairs.” scoffed Yunho dejectedly as he bent down and scooped up the pillow at his feet.

“Affair….huh?” she teased mischievously.

“It’s not like that!” retorted Yunho, he too now sounding just as childish as his little sister, as he quickly returned fire –throwing the pillow back at her and frowning when she immediately caught it.

“Then who is he?” question Jihye with a curious smile. “Are you two dating or something?”

“No…” answered Yunho, a soft frown flickering across his face, as he crossed the living room, grabbed Jihye’s bag, and tossed it on the floor. “He’s the dad of Seungwoon’s new friend.”

“Oh?” questioned Jihye, suddenly enthusiastic. “Is he single?”

“Jihye!” scolded Yunho as he plopped down in the chair and sighed deeply.

“What?” she smiled.

“Don’t…” he warned gently.

“Why not?” she questioned curiously. “You’re single…and if he’s single….you never know.”

“Why are you so determined to hook me up with every single man in Seoul?” he questioned incredulously.

“You’ve been single far too long,” she answered bluntly with a very sharp and determined nod. “’ Bout time you had a new guy in your life.”

“Well…” started Jihye again, bound and determined to pry some information about this new guy from her brother at all cost. “What’s he like? Is he handsome?”

“Handsome…?” questioned Yunho, more to himself than to her, as he contemplated her question for a moment and then suddenly flashed an ever-so-quick, amused, smirk.

“So, he is handsome!” derived Jihye. “Thought so! You always had a thing for pretty boys.”

“Not always.” dismissed Yunho, slightly amused.

“Oh, come on Yunnie.” chided Jihye in a scolding tone. “You’ve always liked pretty boys, ever since you were younger. I knew you were totally into guys when I was like ten!”

“It was that obvious?” questioned Yunho curiously.

Jihye nodded sharply.

“That’s probably why…” she asserted, her tone turning sad almost instantaneously. “Mom and dad made you get married so early.”

“You know how they are…” sighed Jihye with a frown. “Proper heir and all that…”

“Yeah.” deeply sighed Yunho with regret.

“So…” she started again, trying to lighten the mood. “What’s his kid like? Boy? Girl?”

“Boy,” answered Yunho with a smile. “He’s the same age as Seungwoon and they really like each other.”

“Well that’s great!” quietly cheered Jihye. “He needs more friends. Being cooped up in here all day with a nanny, or stuck in lessons, is not the best place for a boy his age. He needs to get out. Meet new friends, have fun, and build long-lasting relationships –like you and big brother Chunnie.”

“We’re not the best example of best buddies, you know.” quipped Yunho with a smirk.

“Yes you are,” she confirmed. “You’ve been the best of friends since like second grade. Hell, for the first six or so years after I was born I thought Yoochun was my biological brother.”

“I bet he would have loved that idea.” chuckled Yunho with an amused smirk. “He always wanted a little sister.”

“Well he still has one.” she beamed, happily.

“He still has a bratty one.” mocked Yunho mischievously.

“At least I’m not an .” she retorted playfully, sticking her tongue out for good measure.

“How old are you again?” teased Yunho with a chuckle.

“Old enough to know my brother is an …” she fired back, instantly throwing the pillow back at him and catching him in the face. “a painfully single !”

“True enough.” laughed Yunho.

“So, how long you staying?” he asked a few quiet moments later.

“Just a few days…” she answered. “I have to be back home by Friday.”

“Got a date?” he teased innocently, always happy to find any opportunity to get his sister’s goat.

“Actually…” she smirked. “Sort of.”

“Really?” questioned Yunho, completely surprised.

“I don’t like him though…” she answered quickly, cutting off any chance for her brother to interrogate her further. “It’s an arranged date –Mom’s doing.”

“Sorry…” replied Yunho, feeling slightly apologetic knowing that since their parents seemed to have failed with him they now had their eyes set firmly on his little sister.

“Don’t worry about it.” she nodded confidently. “I’m no pushover. I won’t let them do to me what they did to you. Not again.”

“Not again.” nodded Yunho assuredly.

“Well…” sighed Jihye. “It’s really late Yunnie…you just finished a full shift right? You must be exhausted.”

“I am,” he confirmed.

“Go get some sleep.” she smiled before adding. “And don’t worry about Seungwoon’s breakfast in the morning. I’ll make it.”

“You sure?” he questioned as he climbed out of the chair, stood up, and tossed her back her pillow.

“Yeah…I’m sure.” she nodded with a smile.

“Ok…Goodnight…” replied Yunho, turning and heading for the back bedroom.

“Brat!” he added quickly before he disappeared into the dark hallway once more.

“…” she chuckled as she tossed the pillow on the couch beside her and laid down with a smile.  

Flipping on the light switch to his quietly cozy little bedroom, with a deep sigh, Yunho closed the door behind him and just shook his head. He loved his sister, more than anyone in this world, and even though she always meant well with her cheerful, yet prying, personality, she always managed to make him feel slightly depressed about his own love life.  Painfully single was definitely the right description for his lonely existence. It had been almost four years since he had had any real physical or emotional contact with another living soul, and while he wanted a meaningful connection with someone that could make him happy, he couldn’t bring himself to take that leap again. After everything that happened with the last person he was in love with, and the forced marriage that came swiftly thereafter to eradicate it, to even think about giving his heart to another again, was just too painful. Love was just too hard, too heartbreaking, and too inconsistent.

Pulling out his wallet from his back pocket, Yunho dropped in the large dresser just beside the door before making his way across the room to his bed. Looking down at the ever inviting warmth of his most favorite place, in all the world, he smirked softly before removing his custom watch from his wrist and placing it gently on the bedside table. Pulling off his suit jacket slowly, wincing at the soreness of his muscles, Yunho removed the constricting piece of clothing and removed his phone from the pocket just before tossing it on the end of the bed. Dropping his phone on the bedside table beside his watch, he immediately turned and slunk his exhausted body back to his dresser, grabbed a t-shirt and a pair of clean boxers, and headed for the bathroom.

“Shower…” he mumbled, the tiredness brought on by his busy day, constantly seeping into his very bones as he reached and the water.

As the room slowly began to fill with warming and relaxing steam, Yunho looked at himself in the mirror and just shook his head at the weariness written all over his face. He didn’t look his age, anymore. At nearly thirty, the glow of his youth had begun to fade far sooner than half the men his age, replaced with faint worry lines around his eyes and a few subtle age spots lightly creeping up here and there. Gone was his naturally flawless skin. Gone was the twinkle of childish innocence that once danced happily in his eyes. Gone were the days of irresponsibility, impulsiveness, fun, and laughter. Gone was the hope of love-filled life he had clung to for so very long.

“I’m so old,” he grumbled.

Without another word uttered, in miserable fashion, he quietly stripped himself of his remaining clothing and silently crawled into the shower. As the warm, soothing flow of the shower’s downpour hit his aching muscles, he let out another errant sigh as he tried to wash away all the lingering heartache along with the grime. Leaning his head forward, and allowing the water to flow over his slightly aching head, he closed his and let out a cleansing breath as the image of Moonbin’s mother flashed across his conscious mind. He began to think back over the last few days; how they had met, what they had said to one another, his gentle smile, his calm laugh, his kind demeanor, his loving heart; and couldn’t help but smile as Jihye’s words came back to him.

“What’s he like? Is he handsome?”

He would have been lying to her if he had said no. Though he really didn’t want to admit it to himself, he knew that for the first time since Seungwoon was born, he had been drawn to someone else. It had always been hard imagining himself trying to go on with a romantic life after the death of his wife. Losing a lover due to societal and social pressure was one thing but losing a wife to suicide, even if he never loved her, was something far more traumatizing. He was a widower, and not just a widower but a widower with a small child. Being a single father and preferring non-traditional relationships, in this day in age, was a double edge sword -one that usually guaranteed a long, lonely life.  Dating was hard for any single parent, but trying to date in his world was near impossible.

After an abnormally long stent in the shower, Yunho emerged from his bathroom dressed, ready for bed, and seemingly more relaxed. Crawling into his bed, settling down on the right side, he pulled the covers over him and turned out the light. As the lights of the city flickered outside the window, Yunho laid down and tried to get some sleep. It wasn’t long after that he drifted off into dreamland peacefully.

At three in the morning, as the early birds of the city were just beginning their day, Yunho was snatched out of his restful sleep by a sound that annoyed him beyond belief…the sound of his phone. Rolling over away from it, as it sat noisily buzzing on his dresser, he jerked the covers over his head and tried to drown out the sound.

“Go away…” he muttered sleepily. “I’m not coming back to work.”

The phone mysteriously went silent almost immediately and Yunho smirked triumphantly. Seconds passed, and just as he was about to drift back off to sleep, the phone went off again. Frustrated beyond belief, and completely irritated that the world just didn’t seem to realize that he was trying to sleep, he rolled over and mercilessly snatched the phone from the table without even looking at the screen.

“What?!”  he questioned irritably.

Silence.

“It after three in the morning for Christ’s sakes!” he growled. “What do you want?”

Silence still…

And then…

A sniffle…

Catching the strange, out of place, sound almost immediately, Yunho finally opened his eyes to the lingering darkness of his quiet bedroom and focused on the sound coming from the phone.

“Hello?” he said in a much calmer tone. “Is someone there?”

Another sniffle.

“Hello??” he questioned again.

Silence…

And then…

“Daddy…” came a soft, heartbrokenly meek voice sounding as if its whole world had just fallen to pieces.

“Daddy?” questioned Yunho confusedly, sitting up in bed as the quiet sounds of gentle but muffled sobs seemed to hide in the stillness of the open line.

Suddenly, a sinking feeling hit Yunho out of nowhere as a single solitary thought flashed through his mind. Snatching the phone from his ear, he looked at the caller I.D and instantly panicked.

[Kim Jaejoong]

“Moonbin?” questioned Yunho into the phone. “Is that you?”

He heard a gentle grunt in confirmation.

“Binnie…” he said lovingly, trying to understand why the little one had called him so late at night and seemed to be unbelievably upset. “Is something wrong?”

The second Yunho uttered that phrase, Moonbin immediately began sobbing hysterically.

“Binnie…baby…” said Yunho lovingly, trying his best to calm the hysterical child on the phone, as he turned his body and sat on the edge of the bed. “Calm down sweetheart.”

As Moonbin’s sobs suddenly began to grow quieter and quieter, Yunho spoke again.

“Baby…are you ok?” questioned Yunho gently. “What is it?”

“Daddy?” questioned Moonbin in a heartbroken and tearful voice.

“I’m here,” reassured Yunho with a smile. “Tell Daddy what’s wrong?”

Silence…

“Binnie…?” questioned Yunho worriedly.

More silence….

“Where’s your ma…” started Yunho again, only to immediately cut off by Moonbin.

“Mama….there’s….red….” stammered the little one. “red….Mama…”

“Red?” questioned Yunho, more to himself than to the child, before addressing the terrified little one on the phone “Baby….what’s red?”

“Mama…,” he answered, suddenly sobbing hysterically once more.

“Mama …”

“Won’t…wake up….”

A/N: muahahaha cliffhanger! 
A/N: To all my fans of Tiny Hearts, I want to thank you for your continuing support. I appreciate it a lot. Also, I wanted to mention that I currently have several other fics running at the moment. Please check out my adventure epic:  Of Wolves and Dragonkin, my OT5 reunion fic: The Lady N, and my vampire story: Midnight Winds (which I will be updating soon!)