Kyuhyun is in his happy place at last. And evenings are his favourite part of the day. He stares up at Siwon’s face as they sat before the fire, his head on his husband’s lap while the man sips his after dinner port.

He could not forget how worried he was in the beginning, fearful of how to spend each evening in oppressed silence with the man, when now they enjoy the peace and quiet together. Words cannot beat the quiet bliss they both nurture together now.

Siwon is now able to sit for hours by the fire without scowling, closing his eyes and smiling contentedly while Kyuhyun sat beside him dozing with his head on his husband’s shoulder, or in his lap while the older his hair.

And that is why he hates to break the silence tonight but something is still gnawing at their happiness and he needs to know what it is. It is better to ask about it now while Siwon is relaxed and happy.

“Siwonnie?”

“Yes, my love?”

“There is something I need to ask of you.”

“It’s yours, anything.”

“Promise me you won’t get upset?”

“It is so unlike you to hesitate, my dear. Speak plainly. What is it you need?”

“I want to know about Jumyuk.”

The fingers tenderly combing through his curls stilled and Kyuhyun shivered at the abrupt coldness in the room. But he isn’t about to give up now.

“Why does he hate you so much? Is he jealous of you? Has he always been like that?”

“Why do you need to dig up the past?” Siwon asks coldly.

“Because I want to be part of your life, Siwonnie.”

“You are, already. Not just a part, you are my life.”

“Then all the more you must tell me about your past. I want to know everything about you.”

Siwon sighed as some tension seeped out of his system. “How much did he tell you already? I’m sure he couldn’t help himself when you were alone with him.”

“No matter how much he said, he lied twice over. I don’t think I heard the truth from him at all in those 2 weeks.”

“His point of view is not the same as mine, Kyu. That’s what worries me.”

“And all I am interested in is yours.” Kyuhyun replied quietly.

“My relationship with my brother was doomed from the day he was born. Our father only favored his heir, our mother only loved her youngest. And our parents used us in their power game against each other. We fought and quarreled as much as they did. We were never happy, he had the love while I had the heritage.

“As we grew, we became even more competitive. I almost killed myself trying to keep up with him. Of course our father forbade me to do so in fear that he will lose his heir while Jumyuk laughed at me, called me a coward. I envied him for the freedom he enjoyed. And when our father died and I inherited the title, our mother forced me to give him a monthly allowance which he squandered away without gratitude.

“And finally, we fought over a woman. We were pitted against each other and I won. I shouldn’t have joined in the fight because I never found happiness in winning and he never forgave me.”

“Ryeowook?” Kyuhyun utters shakily.

“Yes, and then you too. My dear, you wondered into our foul mess and the whole cycle starts again.”

Kyuhyun moves closer to Siwon and wrap his arms around the sad man. “But it ended differently this time. Are you happy to win me, my Lord?”

“Most happy.” Siwon looked down at the younger with a sad smile then he quickly checks himself. “And now it’s bedtime, darling. Go ahead of me to our rooms and wait for me there. I will be along shortly.”

Kyuhyun kissed his husband chastely on the lips before leaving him to stare at the fire some more. He hurried up the stairs while hoping Siwon will follow soon. He doesn’t like seeing the man brood over a past he have no control over.

A smile spreads on Kyuhyun’s face as he makes his way to his bedroom door. When Siwon comes to bed, he is sure that all the moodiness will be gone and he shivers with excitement at what Siwon will gift him. Kyuhyun is sure glad Siwon wasn’t the bookish scholar or the tired older man he had wished for, or even the dashing rake he had secretly dreamed of but this stubborn temperamental man who is so full of love and tenderness.

He enters his room and closes the door behind him but in an instant he knows something is wrong. There is an intruder hiding in the shadows just beyond the edge of the candlelight. He turned slowly, cold sweat running down his spine and finds Jumyuk lounging on his bed wearing the most irksome smirk on his lips. His boots are dirty and staining the bedcovers.

But the highlight would have to be the pistol he is holding up at him.

“What do you think you are doing?” Kyuhyun asked suppressing the shaking in his voice.

“Waiting for you.”

“How did you-“

“Get in?” Jumyuk smiles the same smile he had used to woo him, as was the same light tone he used too. But his eyes are dark and deadly. “It’s not difficult when I have the keys. Remember the housekeeper you sacked? She hates you but she adores me and she has an extra set of keys you neglected to ask back from her.”

“And what-“

“Do I want with you?’ Jumyuk again finishes the sentence for him with an amused grin. “I want to finish the little business between us.”

“There is nothing between us, Jumyuk.” Kyuhyun attempts to sound haughty.

“When I say we are finished then we are. Right now, we aren’t.” Jumyuk replied confidently.

Kyuhyun turned to grab the door knob behind him and saw the pistol following him from the corner of his eye. “I wouldn’t think of doing that if I were you.” Jumyuk warned calmly. “We are not quite done yet, why don’t you take a seat at the writing desk?

“But do so slowly. Any sudden movements or screaming will startle me and cause a misfire.” Jumyuk warned with a sneer.

“You aren’t really going to shoot me, are you?” Kyuhyun detects trembling in his voice.

“I wouldn’t if I could avoid that.” Jumyuk confesses steadily as he watches the younger sat down gingerly at his desk by the window. “Now take out some stationery and write down what I dictate. Then we are going to go on a trip together and if everything goes as planned, you will return home safe and alive.”

“When?” Kyuhyun demanded with a glare.

“A few days or a few weeks, as long as it takes for your husband to find out whom you have gone with and what might had happened during our trip.” Jumyuk bared his teeth like a hungry wolf.

“What might happen? Is this going to be kidnapping and ?” Kyuhyun managed a weak laugh. “You might as well leave now or even try using that gun because I would rather die first than allow you touch me!”

“Allow me?” Jumyuk laughed loudly. “I don’t think you understand the situation fully. It will only be necessary to shoot you if you try to run. As for the other things you mentioned, in case you haven’t noticed, I outweigh you and can easily overcome you in order to accomplish them.”

Kyuhyun’s heart jolted when he realized that his would be captor is right.

“My advice to you is to come with me willingly because then the process will be more enjoyable for us both. Just like my brother’s first wife had done.”

Kyuhyun glared. “If you think I am anything like my predecessor, then you are sadly mistaken.”

“It doesn’t matter if you are willing or unwilling. The crux really, is what my brother can be led to believe.” Jumyuk laughed. “The knowledge that you spent the week with me is enough for my plans.”

“And what are your plans?”

“To completely ruin any joy entitled to my brother. To make him wonder for the rest of his life whether his firstborn looks a little too much like me. To destroy his trust in you yet too late to cast you off by then.” Jumyuk relates gleefully before his face turned serious. “It is too late, isn’t it? You are truly his wife now, not that naive boy that came to us a few weeks ago?”

Seeing that Kyuhyun refuses to grace him with an answer, nevertheless, he continues his soliloquy merrily. “My brother has no doubt formed an attachment to you by now. He’s so soft-hearted when it comes to love. That’s how Ryeowook and I could carry on right under his nose. Siwon did not want to believe till it was too late to give up the wife that loved another.

“But we’ll see…how he handles things this time round.”

“Things won’t be the same because my husband knows I don’t love you. In fact, I despise you.”

“But you did not always hate me, did you?’ Jumyuk’s voice softens suddenly and his eyes fill with hope. “I remembered how you looked at me in the beginning. If Siwon had not returned, you would have been mine.”

Kyuhyun stared deep into the other’s eyes as he prepares his next speech. “You are beautiful and charming. I could have fallen for the kind man whom I thought you were. But that was only an act, and every word you said to me was a lie.”

“Not every word.” Jumyuk mutters in his own defense.

“You have the nerve to come into my room saying sweet words while threatening me with a firearm. You had proven to me the sweet funny man isn’t the real you at all. There is something dark and twisted in you and it disgusts me!” Kyuhyun raised his voice angrily.

The sinister grin that replied him proved him beyond a doubt. “Lucky for me what you think of me is not important. You are still going to write the letter to your husband informing him of our elopement.”

“No!”

“You either write it in ink or I’ll write it on the walls with your blood. Your choice.” Jumyuk’s voice turned cold and angry and the pistol in his hand is rock steady.

“Siwon will never believe that I left with you willingly.” Kyuhyun argues weakly.

“It doesn’t matter really. When you return, he will claim to believe you and welcome you with open arms. But that little doubt in his mind will fester slowly like an ugly wound. And of course, I will lend my voice to assure him too, like how I did for Ryeowook. It doesn’t matter if I leave you untouched and swear upon my honesty that nothing happened. Whatever I say automatically turns into a lie in his ears.”

“But I am not Ryeowook. Siwon is different now, he will trust me when I speak the truth.” Kyuhyun struggles with his doubtful inner voice to say this with conviction.

“You really think that he trust you?” Jumyuk jeered. “How much does he know about you? For example, does he know about your notorious guardian?”

Kyuhyun widen his eyes in amazement. “You are truly the most horrid person I ever met, Jumyuk. To think that you would still attempt to blackmail me with that despite already failing on