Dating Yoochun was the combination of one hell of an awesome thrill ride, and a relaxing and peaceful getaway in a remote island.

Sure, there were things that Junsu didn't expect from Yoochun, like how the man snored when he slept, but Junsu didn't mind those perfect imperfections of the man. He loved Yoochun for the traits and features that pulled him in, and he was willing to accept the rest of what the man got with open arms.

If that was what Junsu felt about Yoochun, what more Yoochun felt about the other.

Yoochun felt like he was in heaven. His only past relationship was quite the joy ride but this one, in particular, was a whole new level. He had not enough experience as Junsu had with relationships but, in his heart, he knew this would be the best one he would ever get on.

They did everything together: from romantic dinners to late night movie marathons, and from simple walks in the park to building bedsheet forts in either one's home on the weekends.

Junsu never thought that lazing around in the house would be amazing. That thought changed once he knew that it was better to laze with your lover. He liked pulling Yoochun close to him. He liked combing his fingers through Yoochun's soft dark hair. He especially liked stealing sweet kisses from Yoochun whenever the other man least expected it.

For Yoochun, he liked being pulled into the warm embrace. He liked his hair being played with. He especially liked the unexpected stolen kisses and the sweet whispers Junsu mumbled into his ear. These things sent soft tingles to his heart and exciting shivers down his spine.

Their relationship wasn't as far to the point of living under the same roof as of yet but they discussed the matter. Junsu was the one who brought up the idea of living together but Yoochun refused and reasoned out that they haven't met each other's parents yet, which made sense.

Since they were well a few months into their relationship, and Yoochun was ecstatic, he introduced Junsu to his family first. His family welcomed Junsu with no trouble at all. It was probably because Yoochun brought home a man in his previous relationship and fully accepted him for whoever Yoochun was. It was evident that they enjoyed Junsu's company, as they constantly commented on how handsome and well-built he was, thanks to his frequent visits to the gym every Wednesday and Friday evenings. Even Junsu got along with Yoochun's younger brother, Yoohwan, who found great interest in Junsu's love for soccer.

Now, Yoochun was waiting for Junsu to invite him to meet his family but the man hadn't made any plans as of yet. Luckily, Yoochun didn't mind and never pushed his boyfriend about it. He had time and he was willing to wait.

For Junsu, however, he was nervous. He never brought a man home before and his parents weren't aware of his ual orientation, even though he knew he swung both ways ever since his second year in college. Because of those reasons, it took him quite a while to decide. He spent hours thinking and formulating answers to possible questions his family might ask him, imagining possible scenarios in his head and how to go about in every situation possible. Deep down inside him, he wished with all his might that his family would accept Yoochun, just like how his accepted him.

After a few weeks, Junsu was finally able to set a date. It would be an understatement to say that the couple was nervous as they stood at the porch of Junsu's family's home, but they smiled and hugged each other tight to assure each other that everything would go smoothly.

Then Junsu rung the doorbell.

Junsu's mother opened the door with a bright smile on her face. She first saw her son, whom she hugged and greeted cheerfully, then saw Yoochun standing shyly behind the other but with a friendly smile nonetheless. He never forgot to greet Junsu's mother formally with a respectful bow.

"Oh? Who's this?" Junsu's mother asked.

Junsu smiled and answered, "You'll know. May we come in now?"

"Oh, yes! Yes, of course! Come in, dear. Oh, how I missed you, my little Junsu," his mother stepped aside and ushered the pair inside the house.

Junsu's fraternal twin brother then appeared from the top of the stairs. Upon sight of his younger twin, he grinned and waved, "Hey, Junsu!"

"Junho!" Junsu grinned back and Yoochun swore they almost looked identical for a split second.

"Oh? Who's that with you?" Junho gestured to Yoochun, who waved and said a polite 'hello'. Grinning, Junho sent a cheeky salute back.

"You'll know. Where's dad?" Junsu asked, turning his head to and fro.

A booming but cheery voice echoed from the living room, "Over here, son!" and there was a wave of a hand. Junsu led his boyfriend into the living room, where his father was lounging on the couch while watching a random variety show. Yoochun bowed to the man of the house.

"Oh, hello! Who's this fellow, Junsu?" Junsu's father questioned with a curious smile.

"I'll introduce you to him once mom's in the room, too," Junsu replied and, as if on cue, his mother appeared from the kitchen doorway with a tray of refreshments.

"Have a drink, dear," she offered Yoochun with a smile, to which he smiled back and gently picked up a glass from the tray with a polite 'thank you'. She then placed the tray down on the coffee table and sat next to her husband, offering a glass of juice for him as well. Junho stood by the open doorway, leaning on the wall with a smirk. He seemed to know what was about to go on but said nothing.

Junsu looked at Yoochun. His boyfriend sent him a reassuring smile. Feeling confident, he sported a grin as he faced his family and said, "Mom, dad, Junho. This is Yoochun," he reached for Yoochun's hand and lightly squeezed his hold, "He's my boyfriend."

Junsu's father's smile slowly disappeared at those words. On the other hand, his mother's smile faltered for a split-second but Junsu knew she wasn't expecting this. As for Junho, he looked like it didn't matter to him, as if he was expecting it this whole time, and Junsu was grateful for it.

"I knew it! The moment you said you would introduce him later, I thought there was something going on!" Junho grinned, walking over to his twin brother and pulling him into a headlock. The brothers laughed as the elder messed up his twin's hair.

"Hey!" Junsu squirmed his way out of Junho's hold with a laugh, happy to have his brother easing the unspoken tension in the room. His twin brother then grinned at Yoochun, who also smiled back.

Despite his boyfriend's parents' reactions, Yoochun politely bowed and kept the friendly smile on his face, greeting to his parents, "It's nice to finally meet you, Mr. and Mrs. Kim." For now, it didn't matter if they didn't accept him straight away. As long as he kept on friendly ground, he'll eventually be welcomed into Junsu's family.

"O-Oh...! Why, it's a pleasure to meet you, too, Yoochun-sshi!" Junsu's mother spoke up first, forcing a giggle as she looked at her husband who hadn't said a word since. "This is quite unexpected."

"I'm sorry," Junsu apologized, "I wanted to tell you sooner but..."

"Ah, yes... It's not a problem," she smiled then elbowed Junsu's father on the ribs. He bellowed a soft grunt but coughed to mask the sound.

"It's nice to meet you, too," he greeted Yoochun back, though his expression was anywhere but friendly. Junsu immediately knew the expression, which he didn't like, but he was determined to at least have his father and his boyfriend on neutral terms. Sooner or later, his father had to accept him.

Junho put out his hand for a shake, cheerfully introducing himself properly, "Kim Junho. I'm Junsu's twin brother. Well, I'm older by a few minutes so he's the young bun," a protest was heard but Junho paid no heed to it, "Nice to meet you!"

"It's nice to meet you, too," Yoochun laughed softly at the slight wrestling pair, clasping the outstretched hand.

The room went into a brief but noticeable silence. Junho knew that Junsu didn't want such a welcome for Yoochun as this so he pretended to clear his throat, sending his mom glances for her to declare about dinner. Noticing after a few coughs, she sits up and smiles, her face glowing as she chirped, "Let's all have dinner now, shall we?"

The family members shuffled about into the dining area, with Junho trying his best to entertain Junsu's boyfriend with numerous questions in the absence of his parents' interest due to shock.

Junsu swore it was the most awkward dinner he had in his entire life.

Dinner was done and Junho offered his help in washing the plates and cutlery for the night. Wanting to thank for the meal, Yoochun also volunteered to help. Despite the many protests, Yoochun ended up helping in cleaning up anyway and so, Junsu was left alone in the living room with his parents as the soft shuffling and clanging of plates were heard in the background.

Junsu fiddled with his fingers as his gaze was focused on his hands. His father was on the couch, his eyes locked on the television screen, but from the corner of his eye, Junsu knew that his father was sending him slight curious glances. His mother was standing by the window, quietly staring through the family photos sitting on the shelf right next to the windows.

The silence was suffocating. It wasn't what Junsu was used to whenever he came over to his parents' house. He knew that his parents weren't dealing with the situation well but he had to make them understand that he was the same Junsu whom they knew and loved.

Knowing that nobody would start a conversation except him, he cleared his throat a little loudly than he normally did and asked, "So, how have things been?"

His mother turned her head to look at him, and so did his father, but they said nothing as his question sunk into their minds. Finally, his mother answered, "Good. Things have been good in the house."

"That's good," Junsu smiled at her, hoping his smile would do the trick in calming her.

She visibly took a long, shaky breath then walked over to sit right between Junsu's father and him. Toning down her voice, she asked, "Since when have you been...?"

"Been dating Yoochun?" Junsu clarified and his mother nodded. He thought for a moment, counting the months in his head, then replied, "A little over half a year. Why?"

"Oh, just wondering, dear," his mother waved a nervous hand to dismiss it. Scrunching his eyebrows together, Junsu pried further.

"What's wrong?"

"Oh... Your father and I didn't exactly think you would be dating... Well, a man," his mother reasoned with a slight frown on her face. His father continued to say nothing but was clearly paying attention now since he was visibly watching Junsu and his mother's conversation.

Junsu pursed his lips, then replied, "I didn't exactly figure it out either until second year in college so..." His mother seemed to have gasped a little as she held her hand to her chest.

"But, I still dated girls. I just figured myself out completely as a biual in college," Junsu continued.

"Yes, but--"

"Mom, I haven't changed. I'm still me," Junsu countered, reaching for his mother's hands and squeezing a little for assurance. He smiled warmly, "And, okay, maybe I should've warned you about this but, really, Yoochun's a great guy. Trust me."

"You better know what you're doing, Junsu," his father finally spoke up after a long period of not saying anything throughout the whole night. Junsu and his mother looked at him, Junsu pursing his lips again but with determination this time.

"I know what I'm doing, dad," he said, "Loving someone isn't a crime. Maybe you could spend some time with him then you'll understand why I chose him."

In the kitchen, despite the noise the plates and cutlery were making, Yoochun still heard what was going on in the living room where Junsu and the latter's parents were. Hearing the subtle rejection in Junsu's parents' tones hurt him, but Junsu's responses to defend the both of them warmed his heart.

Yoochun clenched his jaw as he continued to quietly soap the dishes in the sink next to his boyfriend's twin brother. Maybe it was too soon to meet Junsu's family. There went his excitement and joy in meeting them.

Sensing his descending mood, Junho gently nudged Yoochun by the hip. He smiled at him once he got the other's attention, "Cheer up."

Yoochun chuckled then averted his gaze back to the sink, responding, "I wasn't expecting this, that's all. I guess I had too high hopes."

"Hey, it's fine. Give them time," Junho assured in a soft tone, "My parents will soon realize how much my brother loves you to pieces. I can see it and somehow sense it with my twin powers, too," Junho grinned. Yoochun smiled at the mention of Junsu. He knew Junsu loved him dearly and it warmed his heart every single time.

"Besides, I like you. Not in the same sense as my brother does or he would kill me," Junho chuckled to himself, "But you're nice. Why let someone like that go to waste?"

Yoochun only smiled once again, too shy and not seemingly sure how to reply back to that.

Soon, the dishes were done and, right on cue, Junsu walked into the kitchen to check up on his boyfriend and twin brother. He could see that Yoochun looked happy as Junho entertained him, laughing away at Junho's embarrassing gag attempts and funny faces.

Junsu smiled. At least his twin brother liked his boyfriend, and actually enjoyed his company.

He then loudly cleared his throat, intent on grabbing the pair's attentions, which he successfully achieved. Grinning, he walked over to Yoochun and hugged the man, planting a kiss on his forehead, "You two seem to be having fun here."

"Your brother's jokes are pretty funny," Yoochun chuckled and glanced at his boyfriend's twin, who cheekily grinned like a guilty child.

"I like to please," Junho remarked with a wiggle of his eyebrows then a laugh.

Shaking his head but smiling nonetheless, Junsu moved his attention to his lover. "Shall I take you back home now?"

"Ah..." Yoochun bit his lip, "If that's okay. I mean, I kind of want to spend some time with you and your parents together but they must be tired... And, it's late."

Junsu nodded, smiling in reassurance, "We'll come back again. Come on, let's get you home," then he wrapped his arm around the other's waist, leading him to the living room to give Yoochun the opportunity to say goodbye before leaving the house. Junho followed suit, entering the living room close behind the couple.

"Thank you for letting me stay," Yoochun smiled warmly to Junsu's parents, "Dinner was wonderful and it was a pleasure to meet you both."

"Not at all, dear," Junsu's mother smiled, looking as if she now knew that Yoochun was indeed harmless. However, she still had a little doubt in her eyes but Junsu knew it would go away soon as long as she spent more time with his boyfriend. On the other hand, Junsu's father didn't say a word but he nodded in acknowledgement nonetheless.

"I'll drive him home before going back to my apartment," Junsu smiled to his parents, "Bye, mom. Bye, dad."

"Take care, Junsu," his mother stood up and hugged him tightly. He hugged back just as tight before letting go.

"See ya, dad," Junsu greeted again. He was replied to with a grunt.

At the door, Junho messed up Junsu's hair again with a grin. The younger twin huffed but grinned anyway. After all, it wasn't every day that his hair was a mess like that.

"Bye, Yoochun. It was nice to meet you," Yoochun smiled and waved back at Junsu's twin brother. As they started to walk back to Junsu's car, the older hollered after them, "See ya around, lil' bro!"

"I'm not little!"

Yoochun chuckled as he and his boyfriend left the house to go home.

I feel like this is quite an important issue... Despite LGBT seemingly more popular, or more shown and talked about in the media than ever before (though, this is only my opinion)

Or maybe, in my world, it's an issue because it sort of relates to me. Sort of. Thus, my mind is selectively thinking that this is an important issue only now, when it actually has been for ages.

Anyways, I know the tone and mood of this chapter isn't really a great Christmas gift but it's better than nothing at all OTL I should really prepare something better and in a lighter tone in occasions, like Christmas >.<

But, anyways, Merry Christmas to all, and may you have a blessed New Year ahead! ^^

Please comment! :)

< a tori creation >
posted: December 25, 2015