Sternly, and in a way that told Yunho that Jaejoong could have just as easily ended up a teacher, the doctor said, “Hold still, please. I can’t do this with you fidgeting about.”

Yunho’s eyes swept over the look of concentration on Jaejoong’s features. “You have no idea,” Yunho told him, “how unbelievably hot you look to me right now.”

Jaejoong’s hands still and he laughed. “Excuse me?”

Yunho all but lunged forward to surprise Jaejoong and peck his lips sweetly. “Honestly, you’re always incredibly attractive to me, but especially right now. I hope you don’t tie ties for everyone looking this hot.”

Jaejoong, who was halfway through folding together the strands of Yunho’s only good tie, eased out, “I have quite a bit of hesitancy in thinking anyone else would find something like this hot, as you put it.” But deliberately he leaned forward as well, kissing Yunho less quickly. “Now, like I said, hold still. And please, inform me how you don’t know how to tie a tie?”

Trying his best not to move around as Jaejoong pulled the strands to the tie close to his throat, Yunho offered, “Because I’m a big bad space pirate and I’ve worn a tie twice in my life. Leeteuk tied it for me before.”

Fingers working deftly, Jaejoong finished the tie in record time and said, “Well, when you get back to the ship, I’ll have to teach you. It’s an important thing for a man to know, regardless of how often he uses the skill.” Jaejoong brushed invisible dirt off the shoulders of Yunho’s jacket, then directed him towards the small mirror in their cabin.

Yunho wasn’t really sure when it had happened, Jaejoong sleeping in his cabin, or it becoming theirs, but it was enough to distract him each time it came to mind. Because Yunho hadn’t ever thought he’d find someone willing and wanting, or more importantly, someone who could take ship life and flourish with it. Life on a ship, especially one such as the Tohoshinki wasn’t easy.

But Jaejoong had more than flourished. He’d more than adapted. Rather, he’d taken to space life like it was something he’d been born into, and that surprised Yunho greatly. There’d always been the hint of fear that he’d acquire space sickness, or the longing for soil and sky.

Now Yunho spent his days dreaming about crawling into bed with Jaejoong at night, and his nights hoping that the day would never come.

“I think you look very handsome,” Jaejoong said from Yunho’s side, touching the sleeve of his jacket surely. “Yunho, Changmin is going to be pleased when you turn up looking this good.”

Yunho finally let his eyes reach his reflection in the mirror, and even he was a little surprised how good he looked. The suit he’d had to buy for the wedding, complete with costly alterations and tailoring, had been a bit of a doubt at the back of his mind, even after he’d been assured that the final product would flatter him. But flatter him it did. He looked handsome like Jaejoong had said, but more mature as well, without looking aged. The suit created the illusion of straight lines and highlighted his broad, powerful shoulders. It gave him the definition of class, and when he stood in with the crowd that was sure to be at the wedding in a few hours, he wouldn’t look out of place.

That had been his biggest fear. Changmin had never, not once, been ashamed of him. Not of where he or Yunho had come from, or the people they currently were now. So Yunho couldn’t bring himself to even possibly embarrass Changmin by not looking the part of the dutiful older brother.

“I do look presentable,” Yunho admitted fingers fluttering up to the black tie at his throat, with its perfect knot and lines. “I take it you’ve tied a lot of these over the years?”

Jaejoong dropped another kiss to his cheek. “I wore one almost every day after I turned sixteen. It’s easy to learn, if you can be patient and still for a few minutes. I promise, I’ll show you when you get back.” Jaejoong paused, his face pulling a bit sourly after a moment more. “Or tomorrow. I think you’re going to come back extremely intoxicated tonight. Or not until tomorrow morning at all.”

“I’m not going to get wasted at my own brother’s wedding,” Yunho said, making a beeline for the bed where his shoes were neatly tucked under. He’d shined them the night before and they still gleamed as he looked at them now.

“Maybe not drunk,” Jaejoong amended, “but you’ll have a few drinks.”

Yunho let his shoes hang from his fingertips as he turned back to Jaejoong. “I’ll have the customary toast, Jae, but that’s it. Nothing more while we’re this close to Helios.”

Arms ground around himself, Jaejoong gave a look towards the nearby window. They were in space, orbiting the planet at the moment, and it was shinning like a blue orb in against the blackness of space. Jaejoong’s father was down there, too close for comfort, and Yunho could read body language perfectly well to know how upset the idea actually made Jaejoong. Not that Jaejoong had said anything, naturally. He’d been especially pale, and quite, but he hadn’t plied his worries on others, and it was something selfless that made Yunho want to protect him all the more strongly.

Yunho tossed the shoes onto the bed, something that normally would have gotten him hit over, and took Jaejoong’s face in his hands gently. “Hey,” he said, waiting until he had Jaejoong’s full attention. “You know I won’t let him hurt you.”

Jaejoong gave a forced laugh. “It’s stupid, right? To be a grown man, still afraid of my father like I’m nothing but a child.”

Yunho didn’t think it was stupid for a second, not considering the kind of man Jaejoong’s father was.

Pulling him into a deep embrace, Yunho’s rested his chin on Jaejoong’s shoulder and said, “I know you’re nervous about being here. And if there was any way to smuggle you down to that planet so you could be next to me as Changmin gets married, you know I would. Plus, you know Leeteuk offered to stay back with you and Yoochun on the ship if you want him to.”

“Please,” Jaejoong said, almost with offense. “Changmin is family to Leeteuk. I’m not going to keep him up here with Yoochun and I because being this close to my father terrifies me. No, I think I can manage half a day by myself. I’m not quite that fragile.”

Yunho pressed his mouth against Jaejoong’s, cutting him off with a sound kiss. There was no heat to it, no pressure and no overwhelming passion, just bare love. “You’re one of the strongest people I know, Jae. I don’t think you’re fragile. I think you’re quite the opposite, actually.”

But neither was the world out there a friendly place. Jaejoong’s father was the most prominent threat at the moment, a viper within striking distance. But so was the bounty hunter that Leeteuk and the others had dealt with. They’d found the escape pod he’d launched from the ship, but certainly not him, and not enough blood, either, to indicate he’d suffered a fatal wound. He was still out there, still coming for them, and he was a kind of menace Yunho would never take lightly.

They stood there for a minute more, Yunho’s arms heavy around Jaejoong, the quiet of their room almost like a protective bubble.

Then shakily, Jaejoong admitted, “I’m not sacred of my father Yunho. Not when it really think about it. I’m scared of what’s going to happen when he catches up with me. And make no mistake, Yunho, he will.”

Something heavy pounded on the door to the room and Yunho gave a heavy sigh. “That’s my cue.” They were taking the shuttle down to the planet, mostly because Yunho wasn’t bringing his ship and Jaejoong (or Yoochun for that matter) any closer than absolutely necessary. A shuttle meant a small opening for making the decent, and it was a window Yunho couldn’t miss. He would not be late for Changmin’s wedding.

“You’d better go,” Jaejoong said, his back now to the window, but his face still uneasy.

“Jaejoong,” Yunho said, reaching for his shoes and sliding them on. “If your of a father does come knocking, you should already know that there isn’t a single person on this ship who would give you up to him. If he comes, we’ll deal with him then, but we won’t let him take you back, and we won’t let him hurt you.”

“Captain!” a muffled voice called from the other side of the door.

“I’m coming!” Yunho called back.

He was distracted just enough not to see Jaejoong coming, or the heavy, almost sweltering kiss with tongue and teeth that landed on his mouth.

“I love you,” Jaejoong said, and Yunho froze.

Jaejoong … loved him. That was …

“Don’t look so surprised,” Jaejoong said, kissing him again, then fussing one last time with his tie. “You’re not the only one who can tell someone they love them.”

It was true that Yunho had been mumbling the words to Jaejoong for months now, uncertain at first and more confident now, but he hadn’t heard them in return yet. And he hadn’t expected to, not for a time more. They’d known each other eight months now, which wasn’t the longest of times, and Yunho could wait for Jaejoong to be in love with him. It was worth the wait.

“Here you go,” Jaejoong said, pushing open the door and giving Yunho a shove towards Leeteuk. “Please bring him back in one piece, hopefully as close to sober as he is now, and without having gotten us blacklisted from Helios for any reason.”

“I love you,” Yunho blurted out to Jaejoong, completely ignoring Leeteuk, and feeling as if he needed to say it back as soon as possible. “I love you too … more …”

Leeteuk rolled his eyes heavily. “Captain, we need to go. Kyuhyun’s got the shuttle prepped and ready for launch.”

“Go,” Jaejoong urged. “Yoochun and I will be fine until you come back. Go see Changmin get married and tell him how much I wanted to be there!”

Yunho stumbled his way to the shuttle, Jaejoong’s words still echoing in his mind. Jaejoong loved him. He’d said he loved Yunho. And those were the best words he’d ever heard in his life.

“What was the hold up?” Kyuhyun asked impatiently when they were on the shuttle, looking quite handsome himself in his dress slacks and collared shirt.

Leeteuk offered up, “To the best of my knowledge, the Captain was busy making out with his boyfriend. You know his priorities when Jaejoong’s involved, Kyuhyun.”

“Disrespectful crew,” Yunho muttered to them, but he offered them a grin a few seconds later as they detached from the ship and were well on their way.

The wedding was set to take place at an incredibly classy looking hall in Helios’ capital city, only a few minutes travel time from the Companion House that Yunho visited Changmin at. The reception was set to follow at the magister’s house himself, a party that was sure to be pretentious and unbearable, but it was the farthest thing from Yunho’s mind.

The only thing that mattered, from the moment they arrived at the hall, was locating Changmin.

“He’s in the back,” Minho said, when Yunho stumbled across him in the atrium. “He’s a little … tense right now, and apparently I’m the last person he wants to speak to at the moment. Maybe you can talk him down from the ledge he’s on.”

Yunho’s jaw dropped. “He’s up on a ledge?”

“A proverbial one,” Minho laughed, patting Yunho on the back. “Also, you clean up nicely.”

Yunho gave a nod. “I’ll see what I can do.”

“Good,” Minho said, then held his hand out for Yunho to shake. “Thanks for being here. It means a lot to Changmin, and it means something to me, too.”

Yunho told him, “You’re crazy if you thought for a second I wouldn’t be here to see my brother get married.” Then he was off, determined to see Changmin again after their brief parting. They talked more frequently now, since Changmin’s brush with death, but talking through comm lines and messages wasn’t nearly the same as being in person to do it.

Yunho had to go through several sets of doors to find Changmin, but when he did his brother was less of a mess than Yunho had expected. Changmin was already dressed, his hair styled, and the only hint of apprehension was in the way he was the way he was pacing back and forth, hands on his hips and a frown on his face.

Yunho’s mouth curved up into a smile and he stated, “There’s my pain in the little brother.” Changmin whirled on him as Yunho added, “At least he looks minimally presentable. You know, despite his face and all.”

The blossom of happiness on Changmin’s face as he looked Yunho over was priceless. Then Changmin replied, “I bet what I’m seeing in front of me is nothing that you managed on your own. I owe Jaejoong, right? I’ll have to send him a fruit basket for being a miracle worker and turning my shabby, dusty, dirty big brother into a presentable gentleman.”

Yunho tugged Changmin into a fierce embrace, letting Changmin squirm for show, but ultimately understanding that it was a mutual need of contact between the two of them.

“I guess,” Yunho reasoned, pulling back and keeping Changmin at arm’s length, “I’ll finally have to admit that you’re not my kid brother anymore. You’re all grown up.”

“I’ve been grown up for a while,” Changmin said a bit like the brat Yunho knew he’d always be.

Yunho shrugged. “So is there a reason that your fiancé, the one you’re set to marry very shortly, seems to think that there’s a chance you might leap to your doom before the actual event?”

Changmin arched an eyebrow. “We’re on the first floor.”

“A proverbial leap.”

The barest hint of hesitation crept up Changmin’s features. “I may have … been reconsidering my life choices.”

Yunho stared at him. He found that very hard to believe. Changmin wasn’t a man who loved easily, but Yunho knew what he had with Minho. There was nothing forced or contrived, or even uncertain about the love they had. “You can’t be serious. You love Minho.”

Changmin winced. “What am I doing here, Yunho? Getting married? Companions don’t get married. They’re respected members of society, and when they’re ready, they can choose to retire from the lifestyle. But Companions don’t get married.”

Yunho crossed his arms. “I think the reason we’re all here begs to differ.”

Quietly, Changmin said, “Not everyone thinks so highly of what Companions do. Most people wouldn’t want their children marrying a Companion.”

“But Minho is,” Yunho pointed out. “Did his father have a problem with that decision?”

Almost right away, Changmin shook his head. “I never heard any protest, but Yunho, that probably has a lot more to do with the fact that Minho is his father’s second son, one with less standing than the first, and Minho isn’t his father’s heir. Plus, I suspect he approved of our match more because of the business contacts I’m bringing him. But just because I didn’t hear the words, the things that people must be saying about me marrying Minho, doesn’t meant they aren’t be said.”

“This isn’t like you,” Yunho said, more than a little surprised. He leaned over and nudged Changmin in the shoulder, careful not to mess up his clothing. “My little brother is headstrong and confident. He knows what he wants and he goes for it. He’s not like this.”

“He,” Changmin said in a stressed way, “is probably making the biggest step in his life. He also thinks he has a right to be a little nervous and anxious.”

Yunho wrapped his fingers around the back of Changmin’s neck and said, “You know Minho loves you, right? He flew halfway across the Core to find out why I wasn’t returning your calls, and then hauled my to you when he found out why. He loves you, Changmin, and love is pretty hard to come by these days.”

“I know,” Changmin said a little sullenly.

“And,” Yunho continued, “I know you love him, because the gods more than anyone else understand how easily you get bored, but whenever Minho’s around, he has your full attention. Not to mention you turn into a hormonal thirteen year old girl whenever someone mentions his name.”

“I will strangle you with that tie you’re wearing, Yunho.”

Yunho let him know, “Jaejoong tied it for me. Take your anger out on me, please, not him.” Yunho cleared his throat then and used the pressure at the back of Changmin’s neck to draw him closer. “My point is, you love Minho and he loves you. You’re two people in love, and people who are in love, get married. They use the bonds of marriage to represent that love. And Changmin, you shouldn’t give two s what anyone else thinks of how you love Minho, or what they have to say. I don’t think Minho does.”

It was impossible to judge completely what Changmin’s reaction was going to be, but Yunho was relieved the second he looked a little less severe.

“I only know how to be a Companion,” Changmin pointed out. “What if I make a terrible husband?”

Yunho nearly snorted, “If Kyuhyun can manage to pull it off, I’ve got all the faith in the ‘verse in you. Now, can we end this overdramatic moment? I came here for a wedding, and there’s no guarantee about the open bar if you don’t go through with it.”

“Yunho,” Changmin sighed out, his whole face full of relief now. “Thanks.”

“Of course,” Yunho said, rolling his eyes. “Little brother.”

Changmin pulled away from him, straightening his clothing. “I hope you aren’t planning on stumbling your way back to the ship in a drunken stupor.”

Yunho couldn’t help promising, “No way. I am looking forward to enjoying one, very high end glass of scotch, or maybe gin, but that’s it. Jaejoong and Yoochun are alone on the ship right now, and to be completely honest, that makes me all kinds of nervous. Especially considering we’re on Helios and that bounty hunter is still missing.”

Changmin said knowingly, “I’m sorry to bring him so close to Helios, all things considered. He can’t be feeling well. For what its ‘worth, I did try to get the ceremony moved off planet, maybe to Helios’ moon Pax. It just wasn’t doable in the end.”

“He’s tougher than he looks,” Yunho replied, but admitted, “he’s also pretty uneasy about this. He wanted to come to the wedding, Changmin, but we just couldn’t take the risk.”

Changmin’s expression darkened. “Yunho, he couldn’t be here no matter what.”

“I know,” Yunho nodded. “He’d get flagged by any number of security systems and--”

“No,” Changmin said forcefully. “Yunho. You don’t understand. Minho’s father is the magister of Helios. Jaejoong’s father owns most of the trade coming and going from Helios. They’re … drinking friends, I guess you could call them. He’s here, Yunho. He’s at the wedding.”

Yunho felt his muscles lock up. “He’s … here.”

Changmin gave a frantic nod.

Yunho had tried to think of Jaejoong’s father, the disgusting bastard that he was, as little as possible. He was a man who’d terrorized and abused Jaejoong nearly his entire life, and both is power and position made him nearly untouchable. But when Yunho did think about him, it was often to fantasize about what would happen if their paths ever crossed. Mostly those thoughts encompassed Yunho’s hands around the man’s neck, squeezing until someone pried him off.

And when he was a little less selfish, he imagined himself holding the man down while Jaejoong squeezed.

Yunho could, no matter what anyone said, be selfless.

“Yunho?” Changmin gave him a tentative look. “Please promise me you won’t do anything … drastic.”

“Drastic?” Yunho echoed.

Changmin nodded. “Like ruin my wedding by shooting him in the face.”

“I don’t even have my gun on me,” Yunho said, gesturing down to his hip.

That only earned him a dramatic look from Changmin who told him, “I have never known you, Yunho, to be without your gun unless absolutely necessary. Just because I, nor any of my wedding guests can see your pistol, doesn’t mean you don’t have it with you.”

Defensively, Yunho said, “It’s just in case, Minnie. Just in case.”

Soberly, Changmin said, “Just please, don’t do anything to him at this wedding. If I’m going through with it, it’s got to go off perfectly.” He paused to say a bit more empathetically, “I know he’s a terrible person, who’s done horrible, evil things to Jaejoong, but this isn’t the time or the place for you to get your revenge.”

It felt like an insult to Jaejoong, but Yunho grit his teeth and said, “Alright. As long as he doesn’t make a move on me, first.”

There was too much evidence, including one missing bounty hunter, that pointed to the fact that Jaejong’s father knew exactly which ship Jaejoong had used to escape Helios from. That likely meant he knew that Yunho was that very ship’s Captain. Over the past eight months Yunho had been very carefully to stay near Rim space with Jaejoong and Yoochun, and keep their faces from being associated with the ship. With even an ounce of luck Jaejoong’s father would consider the option that Jaejoong and Yoochun had already hopped a new transport.

“If I could get rid of him, I would,” Chamgin said sincerely.

Yunho had to nod. “I know you would. But maybe there is something you can do.” He reached into his pocket and retrieved a tiny data chip. “A few months ago Jaejoong recorded a message or his sister, explaining to her what really happened, among other things. Ryeowook helped him code it with a protective algorithm because Jaejoong knows his father’s got any direct communications to her being monitored. But if you gave this to her in person, even if he gets his hands on it, it wouldn’t be traceable and only she would know the key to decoding it.”

Changmin plucked the chip from Yunho’s fingers. “Consider it done. And Yunho, please let Jaejoong know that I’ll be more than happy to help bypass his father completely. I’ll have his sister’s reply waiting for him the next time you’re near enough to receive it.”

“I’ll tell him,” Yunho said with a grin. “I know he’ll really appreciate it.”

Changmin gave a suggestive wiggle of his eyebrows. “He’s practically family at this point, Yunho. Leeteuk told me you two are sleeping together now.”

Yunho gave him a deliberate flick to the forehead. “That’s none of your business, little brother. But yes, that’s what normal, healthy adults do when they’re in love and they want to grow their relationship.”

Changmin mumbled, “I’m sure something is growing.”

Yunho was seconds away from launching an all out attack on his little brother, wedding or no, when the door to the parlor room they were in cracked open and Minho’s head carefully peeked in.

“Safe to come in?” he asked, and for the first time Yunho realized how well dressed he was. Yunho hadn’t been paying attention the first time they’d met, and the second, Yunho had barely been able to function. But now he was dressed in his absolute finest, his suit all sleek lines and perfect seams.

Yunho gave him a playful look. “I have successfully talked my brother down from the proverbial ledge.”

Minho moved into the room completely. “Now, if you could just sit on him, at least until we take our vows, just to make sure he doesn’t run off, that would be great.”

“I can do that,” Yunho said seriously. “Right now, or at the alter?”

Changmin was the one to deliver a firm pinch to Yunho as he made his way to Minho. “I can’t believe I ever worried the two of you wouldn’t get along. I think it might be better if you hate each other. Can you do that?” He reached for a kiss from Minho, then added, “And yes, my heroic big brother has miraculously talked me down from that six inch high ledge I was threatening to jump from.”

“Good,” Minho rumbled, stealing a second kiss from Changmin, and then a third. “Because the last thing I wanted to have to do was jump after you.”

The thing was, Yunho truly believed Minho would have.

The wedding, which took place a full ninety minutes later, was lavish and beautiful, and everything Minho had ever wished for Changmin when they’d been little and starving. In attendance were all kinds of pompous elitists, but Yunho ignored them for the vision of perfection that Changmin was, and how in love Minho radiated when he looked at him.

“That’s him,” Yunho did, however, mumble quietly to Leeteuk the moment vows had been said and Changmin was now officially married. People were filing out from the hall, on their way to the Choi estate where the reception was going to be held. “That’s the bastard.”

It was maybe poor timing on Yunho’s part, what with how Leeteuk’s head was bent in against his date’s, but Kyuhyun was busy flocking around Changmin, and the other members of his crew were spread out too sparsely for Yunho to reach them in an kind of quickness.

At Leeteuk’s side, his date, Heechul, greeted, “Hello, Captain Jung. You must be very happy for your brother.”

Yunho forced a smile towards Heechul.

He’d never truly known what to think about the Companion. He only knew that Heechul was based out of Persephone, knew Changmin well enough to be invited as a guest and not merely as Leeteuk’s date, and he was the only Companion that Leeteuk ever saw, never slept with, and kept secrets over.

Heechul was actually an absolute mystery to Yunho, as was how he fit in with Leeteuk. But Yunho knew better than anyone else that everyone was entitled to their own secrets.

“Captain?” Leeteuk asked.

“I think,” Heechul cut in smoothly, before anything else could be said, “I’d like to go give my congratulations to Changmin on his marriage. It’s not every day the Companion’s guild gets to celebrate that with one of their own.” He seemed to glide away, impossibly light on his feet. Leeteuk watched him with affection, but nothing more than the brotherly type, and Yunho was even more unsure about the pair.

Leeteuk said quietly to Yunho, “You mean Jaejoong’s father, don’t you?”

Yunho’s eyes tracked the man across the room as he chatted easily with other men. He was big, bigger and more imposing than any pictures had led Yunho to believe, and he certainly had a presence in the room. But all Yunho could see in his mind was such a large man, and such a tiny Jaejoong, and all the horrible things that must have happened that Jaejoong had never spoken of.

“Changmin made me promise not to shoot him.”

Across the room Yunho could see Zhou Mi watching them carefully. He’d picked up on their body language and was moving towards them within a half second.

“You want me to show Mister Kim to a private room?” Leeteuk asked. “Because I didn’t make any such promise to Changmin.”

“No,” Yunho finally sighed, more than a little regretful. “But we need to keep an eye on him. Jaejoong and Yoochun are floating above our heads as we speak. If he gets any inclination that they’re there, we’re going to have a problem.”

Zhou Mi asked, coming up on them, “We have a problem?”

“Possibly,” Leeteuk said.

As much as Yunho wanted to be the one to pull the trigger, ruining Changmin’s reception would be as bad as ruining his wedding. So unless Jaejoong and Yoochun were in danger, Yunho knew he’d have to bide his time. This, more than likely, was not the moment they made Jaejoong’s father pay.

So, as they moved to the estate, and the reception stretched from only a few hours to many, Yunho was both disappointed and relieved that it went smoothly and calmly. There was absolutely nothing out of the ordinary, and Yunho slowly let himself relax.

“I love you,” Yunho said to Changmin when eventually the party was dwindling, and Minho was nagging Changmin about leaving for their honeymoon. “Congratulations, and send me a message, will you? When you get back?”

Changmin hugged Yunho tightly and laughed out, “Thank you for not shooting anyone. I’ll send you that message, and you promise not to go off and get into any trouble. At least not without me.”

“I don’t think so,” Minho said, giving Changmin a playful tug away from Yunho. “No more trouble for you. And Yunho, brother-in-law of mine, I believe I told you to return Changmin to me in mint condition, the last time he went off gallivanting across the ‘verse with you. Did you forget to tell me something?”

Yunho hesitated. “Changmin … you …ah … told him about that.”

“About getting shot?” Changmin said it so easily and with a roll of his eyes, that Yunho knew it was something he’d never hold against Yunho, or blame anyone for. “It was a little hard for me to hide the wound from him, Yunho. We see each other on a nightly basis.”

Yunho blanched. “Please don’t ever say something like that to me ever again.”

Changmin teased, “During the day, too.”

Minho cleared his throat and held his hand to Yunho for a shake. “One time’s a free pass, okay? Because we’re family. But never again, right?”

Yunho met his hand with a firm grip and nodded, mouth feeling a little like it was stuffed full of cotton. “Never again.”

“So it went perfectly?” Jaejoong asked when Yunho and the others were safely back on the ship. Changmin and Minho had been spirited away to their honeymoon, and it was only Leeteuk they were waiting for, who was using the bridge to send a final communications message to Heechul, before Kyuhyun took them out of range.

Yunho sat with a groan on the edge of their bed and pulled off his dress shoes. It was late and he’d allowed himself to have a second drink, and Jaejoong had already undone the top button on his shirt, which meant he was done for the day in the infirmary and was likely heading to bed.

“It was really nice,” Yunho admitted. “Changmin’s really happy, and I’m happy for him. Also, I gave him the chip with your message recorded on it. He’ll get it to your sister the second he’d back on Helios. And then he said the next time we swing by, he’ll have her reply for you.”

Jaejoong tiled Yunho’s chin up and dropped a kiss on his lips. “Thank you, Yunho.”

“No problem.” Yunho shrugged out of his jacket and put a hand down on the small, metal nightstand that was next to their bed. It was cluttered full of knickknacks and an alarm clock, and tiny things that Yunho was afraid to misplace. Like the Eye.

He’d always meant to put it in a lock box, and tuck it safely away, but there was something mesmerizing about it. He was almost compelled to stare at it, his eyes tracing the patterns of the unfamiliar symbols, hoping for just was second he’d see something that made sense.

“Yunho,” Jaejoong said in a displeased way. “Please tell me you aren’t about to take a shift on the bridge.”

“Of course I am,” Yunho said, then pushed himself up off the bed. It was his turn, regardless of the party he’d just been to. Kyuhyun would get them out of orbit, and set on their next course, but it was Yunho’s turn at the helm, and he couldn’t ask anyone else to take his shift for him.

Jaejoong snapped, “Yunho! You’re obviously tired and in need of sleep.”

Yunho’s hand slipped off the edge of the nightstand sharply, the edge of the object biting into his palm and slicing across his skin. There was blood immediately and Yunho hissed in pain as he crashed to his knees.

Jaejoong was to his side a breath later, holding his hand carefully, inspecting the damage. Blood dripped to the floor as Jaejoong said, “It’s deep, Yunho. I think you’re going to need stitches.”

“I’m just tired,” Yunho said, his eyes a little heavy. “Trust me, I don’t want to be heading to the bridge. I’d much rather climb into bed with you. But it’s my shift. Kyuhyun actually needs to sleep. He can’t fly the ship continuously.”

Jaejoong gave him a small smile and reached for a nearby undershirt, using it to apply pressure to Yunho’s palm. “I’d much rather you come to bed, too. But I can tell you right now you’re not going to the bridge. You’re coming with me to the infirmary.” Jaejoong got to his feet and trekked across the room to where the small intercom was.

“Stitches?” Yunho asked with a scowl.

“Stitches,” Jaejoong confirmed. He pressed the intercom and called up to the bridge, “Kyuhyun? Yunho’s had a little accident and he needs stitches. Can you stay up there, or call someone to cover his shift?”

Yunho called over to him, “Tell Kyuhyun I’ll be up in fifteen! Don’t call anyone else. I just need to get the stitches and I’ll be there.”

Jaejoong took his finger off the button and said, “You know by now the kind of doctor I am. You’re crazy if you think I’m going to let you on the bridge with that wound and as tired as you are.”

Yunho looked down and his hand and muttered, “Who’s ship is this actually?”

Then he realized that he hadn’t just cut himself when he’s lost his balance. He’d knocked almost everything on the table to the floor as well. With a sigh he noticed the Eye, still imbedded in its disk, was there was well, overturned and halfway under the bed.

Yunho reached for it instinctively, wanting to recover the only link to his past that he had. The shirt he’d been using as a makeshift bandage slipped away from Yunho’s palm, and he picked up the Eye before he realized what he was doing. Blood smeared on it and Yunho groaned.

“Yunho,” Jaejoong said, back at his side, helping guide him to his feet. Jaejoong plucked the Eye from his grasp and said, “I’ll just disinfect this later for you, okay? But now it’s time for stitches.”

The Eye, streaked with Yunho’s blood, was set on the now barren bedside table as Jaejoong put an arm around Yunho’s waist for support.

“Wait,” Yunho said, using almost all of his strength to stop Jaejooong before they could leave. He twisted away from Jaejoong’s grip just after that and almost dashed back to the Eye. “Jaejoong!

Jaejoong hovered nearby, eyes wide. “What’s happening?”

Regardless of the blood seeping down his hand freely, Yunho ignored his wound and instead focused on he Eye.

The symbols were changing again. Through the redness marring the gold, the symbols were so obviously changing, flipping, inverting, and some were erasing completely. It was nothing Yunho had ever seen before.

Then the Eye settled, and when all was said and done, there were even more markings than before.

“Why did it do that?” Yunho asked quietly.

Jaejoong shrugged, but then guessed, “Maybe it was the blood. Your blood? I mean, the Eye and the disk are linked to you and no one else, Yunho. Speaking of keys, maybe we were stupid to discount you might be one. At least to this.”

Yunho held the Eye up to the light. “These new markings? The look just as much like gibberish as the old.” But they were distinctly different. There seemed to be no relation between the first set of markings and now the latest.

“Wait,” Jaejoong said, taking the Eye carefully, his fingers smudging with Yunh’s blood. “I’ve seen … Yunho, I know exactly what these symbols are.”

Yunho felt a rush of hope. “You can read them?”

“No,” Jaejoong said quietly, “but I don’t think you’re supposed to.” He turned the Eye so Yunho could see the surface of the disk again. “These are Greek letters, Yunho.”

“Greek?” Yunho shrugged. “What’s Greek?”

“It’s a language of Earth that was,” Jaejoong explained quickly. “We use it as the basis for a great deal of medicine and mathematics. That’s how I know it. Yunho, do you know what this is? These letters being on here?”

Silently, Yunho shook his head. The pain in his hand had gone numb, replaced by the hope in his heart.

“Yunho.” Jaejoong caught Yunho’s mouth with his own, kissing him deeply and fiercely. “It’s a cipher, Yunho. It’s a way to decode the symbols that were on here before. We can figure them out, Yunho. We can translate what it means.”

Yunho gave a whoop of pure, unabashed joy and caught Jaejoong around the waist. He pulled the man he was desperately in love with off his feet and spun them around, shouting, “I can’t believe it!”

So many years. So many questions. It was overwhelming when Yunho thought of it at times. Be here, now, he had Jaejoong telling him that they could figure out what the disk said, and potentially lead them all the way to the answers Yunho had been desperate for since childhood.

“We can do it,” Jaejoong promised, peppering Yunho’s face with kisses. “We can, Yunho.”

Yunho hugged Jaejoong as tightly as he dared, suddenly surprised to feel wetness on his cheeks. He’d started crying and hadn’t even realized it.

“We’re going to figure this out,” Jaejoong said, letting the Eye rest between them as he took Yunho’s face into his hands. “You’ll have your answers, Yunho.” He kissed Yunho a bit more slowly this time, certainly more softer, and with more care.

The tears continued to come, staining Yunho’s cheeks with wetness, but he ignored them. Kissing Jaejoong back he slid the fingers of his uninjured hand up into the man’s short hair and shuddered as his heart thundered with life.

Everything, he realized. For the first time in his life, he had everything.

Suddenly crying didn’t feel so embarrassing.

Not now that he had a chance.

And all the support in the world to take it.

________________________________________________________________________

Congratulations everyone! You’ve made it all the way to the end of the story … the first story in a duelology, of course! Seriously. This story never started out as the first in a two part, but it absolutely just grew and grew, with the universe expanding outward (as it tends to do), and eventually this story just got too big to be contained in one entry. So never fear, there is a second part coming, I have started work on it, and it will be the end cap of what I hope is an amazing adventure.

However let’s talk about this story for a second. This story, as you might imagine, was a labor of love. All my stories are, but this one really put me through the ringer in terms of balancing the cast, setting decent pacing, and keeping things interesting. This story had a lot going on, and I did my very best to deliver on the promises I made.

So that said, this is the ONLY time I will ever ask for feedback. For those of you who left comments religiously, I love and adore you. For those of you who left them once in a while, I appreciate you. And for those of you who lurked menacing in the background (the best way to lurk, by the way), this is the time when you drop that one, important comment! What are your final impressions of this story? What did you enjoy the most? Any issues with the story? Please, sound off. I really, really want to know, because your feedback will only made the second story that much better. So take a second and let me know!

Until next time!