The rain continued to fall in a steady drizzle, turning the world into drab shades of dull green and grey. Yunho stood immobile by the head of the little tombstone, reading the words inscribed on it so many times it felt as though the words had been burned into his very eyes. He finally knelt, brushing his finger-tips over the words as he let himself drift into memories of a happier time.
x--------------x-------------------------x
“No, Yunho, you can’t open your eyes yet!”

“But Jaejoongie, I’ve sitting like this for over 30 minutes!”

“It’s not my fault your present refused to cooperate. Now stay put and DON’T OPEN YOUR EYES”

“Cooperate? Why does my present need to cooper-,” Yunho’s words were suddenly cut off as Jaejoong pressed a quick kiss to his lips. “You’ll find out soon enough Yunho-yah” he called as he left the room.

Yunho smiled softly and decided to humor Jaejoong just a bit longer.

Soon enough, he heard the sounds of Jaejoong entering the room again, accompanied by what sounded like his three dongsaengs. 

“Okay, you can open your eyes now”

Yunho opened his eyes to see Jaejoong carrying a tiny Siberian Husky puppy in his arms. “Happy Birthday, love!” exclaimed Jaejoong, as the puppy began to wiggle in an attempt to escape him. 
Yunho dropped to the ground on one knee just as Jaejoong put the puppy on the ground, holding out one hand towards the puppy. The little animal sniffed at the outstretched hand and apparently found the scent to his liking because he ran straight into Yunho’s lap with an excited bark. 

“He’s beautiful,” smiled Yunho. “Thank you Jaejoongie, I love my present!”

“Hey, we got him for you together! Don’t we get thanked too?” said Changmin with a pout. 

“Thank you, thank you all of you-“ 

“Yeah, yeah, don’t mention it, hyung. Have you thought of what you want to name him?”

The puppy in the meanwhile had decided that Yunho’s lap wasn’t as interesting as he thought it was and was busy running around and exploring the room in curiosity.

“He’s so exuberant,” said Yoochun with a laugh. “Almost like a miniature Typhoon.”

Yunho grinned in response. “I think I’ll name him Taepoong”
x------------------------x----------------------------x
Yunho sat on the floor of his apartment after having watched JYJ leave the apartment for the last time. He couldn’t believe that the troubles they had faced had resulted in this outcome. The pain and sadness felt almost too much to bear. 

A small damp nose touched his arm. He flinched from the unexpected touch, and then turned towards the owner of the nose. 

“Taepoongie”

Taepoong looked back at Yunho, with eyes that seemed to mirror Yunho’s sorrow, and his cheek. 

“You won’t leave me, will you?”

Taepoong whined in reply and buried his head in Yunho’s lap as Yunho gently his head. 

“Your Appa will never leave you either, Taepoong. I promise”

x--------------------x----------------------------x
Yunho paced anxiously outside the examination room of the veterinary hopsital while Changmin did his best to calm his hyung down. “The doctors are doing their best, hyung. Taepoong will get better. I’m sure whatever he has is curable.” 

Yunho turned towards Changmin to reply but his words died on his lips as he watched the doctor who had been examining Taepoong walk towards him with a somber expression. 

“I’m sorry Jung-ssi. Your dog has an advanced stage of sebaceous gland cancer. He doesn’t have much time left”

Yunho felt the blood drain out of his face as he heard the doctor’s words. Changmin looked horrified at the news and moved to stand next to his hyung to give him strength from his presence. 

“Can’t…can’t anything be done?” Yunho managed to croak out. 

“I’m truly sorry Jung-ssi, but the cancer has spread too much. The kindest option would be to euthanize him right now instead of prolonging his agony. Do you want to opt for euthanizing him?”

Yunho gathered every last bit of strength he had left in him and nodded. “I want to see him before…before the end” he whispered. 
The doctor nodded sympathetically. “Of course you can, Jung-ssi. You can stay with him as he passes, it will make the passing easier for him.”

Yunho followed the doctor as he entered the sterile examination room. Taepoong was lying quietly on an examination table but cocked his ears up as he heard his master approaching him. 

“Hey Taepoongie” said Yunho softly, as he gently Taepoong’s head. Taepoong whined in response to Yunho’s voice and feebly tried to Yunho’s hand. “Appa loves you very much Taepoong. I hope you’ll always remember that, no matter where you are.” The doctor in the meanwhile had begun the process of euthanizing Taepoong and had injected him with the drugs. Taepoong slowly closed his eyes and passed away, comforted by the thought that the last thing he had felt was the comforting presence of the master he had adored so much.

Yunho kissed Taepoong on his forehead, memorizing the feeling of the texture of his cold fur on his lips. Getting up, he turned towards Changmin, whose face mirrored the grief he felt inside him. 

“I want to bury him properly Changdol-ah.”
x--------------------------x------------------------------------------x
Yunho continued to run his fingers over the words on the tombstone as he lifted his face towards the rain. The rain drops ran along his face and imitated the tears that he could not summon from within him. Changmin had shed many tears at the burial ceremony but Yunho had found that he could not summon a single tear. His grief was so great that it went beyond just shedding of tears. After the conclusion of the ceremony, he had sent everyone, including Changmin, home.

Suddenly the raindrops ceased to fall on his face.

Yunho opened his eyes and looked up to see Jaejoong standing over him holding an umbrella.

“I came as soon as I heard. I’m so sorry Yunho. I’m so very sorry.”

Yunho got to his feet and turned towards Jaejoong, looking at him for a long time. Jaejoong put his umbrella down and tentatively walked towards him.

Suddenly Yunho hugged Jaejoong tightly and buried his face in his neck. “Oh Yunho-yah,” said Jaejoong sadly, running his fingers through Yunho’s hair as Yunho’s tears finally burst their dam. As he continued to comfort Yunho in his arms, Jaejoong’s eyes caught sight of the words Yunho had been staring at.

“Our Taepoongie. Rest in Peace”