Changmin looked around cautiously, rubbing at his temples. Everything that could possibly go wrong had gone wrong.

He could feel a headache approaching and on top of that he had to write an essay that was due tomorrow. He had called Yunho earlier to tell him he would be home late but his brother hadn't answered.

Now, standing at the post office and waiting for a miracle to happen, he wondered just how he would deliver Yunho the news about his cheating boyfriend.

Would he give him the evidence at the dinner table as if it wasn't something special and he had predicted it ages ago? Or would he provoke Jaejoong the next time he came over and, in the midst of an argument, wipe out the photos or whatever he got to confront the man?

What evidence, however? The detective hadn't shown up. There wasn't anything to wipe out and he felt cheated. What had the investigator found and why was he making him wait?

If there was one good lesson Changmin had learned out of this, it was to beware of anything involving Jaejoong, even his friends. Especially his friends. Even if Jaejoong's friends were his own friends. He had agreed to this only because Junsu had asked him. Maybe he had been slightly interested in finding some dirt on Jaejoong but it had still been mostly just professional interest. All in all, this entire thing was Junsu's fault. He had been the one who introduced Jaejoong to them in the first place.

And now Changmin had no money, no evidence and no time to write his essay. That made him want to cry but crying in public at his age was too shameful.

His phone rung as a salvation and Changmin took it out his pocket, looking at the screen before answering it. Well, at least the man in question had finally decided to contact him.

'Yes?' he answered, his voice more annoyed than angry now 'I hope you have a good explanation for this, Junsu, because I'm broke and I'm unhappy'

___


First, there was silence. Then, there were sounds. Finally, blinding light seeped through his eyelids and he felt like he had just experienced the miracle of birth.

Nothing hurt, which was wonderful, because Jaejoong hadn't waken up without a headache or hungover since he was, well, twelve, probably.

He tried to open his eyes but the lids seemed glued together. His head was way too heavy to move and his body was limp. For one terrifying moment he thought that maybe he was dead or, even worse, that he was paralyzed.

No, wait. Which one is actually worse?

With that, he finally managed to force his eyes open, staring at the bleaching whiteness of the ceilings. There was no way the ceilings of his apartment looked like that. His ceilings were yellowish and cracked. Also, these covers were soft and smelled nicely.

This was not his apartment.

Maybe... this is heaven?

A faint memory of Yunho made it to his mind but after that there was nothing. It wouldn't be that bad dying with the memory of Yunho being his last one.

'Jaejoong' a far-away sound made it to him which sounded awfully like it belonged to a real person. With effort he rolled his head to the side just to be met with the joy and pain of his life- Jung Yunho - looking at him with concern in his eyes.

I don’t deserve this was probably the clearest thought in Jaejoong's mind after the ‘I’m sorry’ that escaped his lips. It was more of a reflex, a form of self-preservation, a defense mechanism of a sorts, rather than a conscious act of free will.

‘You should be’

There comes the guilt-tripping

‘But so am I’

Maybe not

‘I shouldn’t have ignored the signs’

Signs? He had givens some kind of signs? Since when? Jaejoong had no ideas what was Yunho talking about but, then again, he had difficulties telling the location of his limbs so grasping the concept of signs was almost like rocket science now.

Somehow the room started looking suspiciously like a hospital ward.

'I knew you’re troubled-’

Troubled? Ha, more like troubleSome

‘Yet I hoped just being with you would be enough. I hoped that just being with me would be enough for you to get better’

‘Better?’

He was not sick. At least, he hadn't been? Judging by the fact that he was (most likely) in a hospital, he must have fallen sick. He should ask someone about that.

‘Oh no, Jae, not better’ Yunho grabbed at his hair, messing up his flawless hairdo before taking Jaejoong's limp hand into his own.

'Not better, Jaejoongie. I mean, I don’t want a better you, the current you is perfect already. I'm fine with you being whoever you are but I was hoping that maybe I could be a reason for you to take better care of yourself'

Very poetic but Jaejoong felt tired and disorientated.

‘Can I ask you a question?’ he croaked.

Yunho nodded, his earnest eyes glistening with unfallen tears.

'Where am I?’

It couldn’t be helped. However emotional Yunho's speech was, the exact location of his whereabouts was a bigger concern to him than anything else. He could deal with his messed up relationship once he got some facts st