Yunho had risen relatively early. Or late. It really depended on who you asked, whether they defined 9:36 am as an early morning. He'd seen Jaejoong's closed door, and he'd released a sigh of relief at the sight. He just knew that he'd gotten off too easy. He knew there would be questions waiting for him when he woke up.

He had to take the opportunity that presented itself.

He grabbed the phone, dialling his brother's mobile, as he set about preparing himself some cereal. He chose not to recall how the scene was reminiscent of a conversation with his mother, some months previous.

“Hello?” the sleepy voice on the other line grumbled.

Yunho grinned, it wasn't often that he was awake before his brother, “What do you think you're doing? Sleeping at this time! You should be ashamed of yourself!” he teased.

“Shut up. Some of us did not have the pleasure of your good night's sleep. As such, it is incredibly rude of you to taunt one of those individuals, particularly when they happen to be your younger brother who did you a massive favour just hours ago.” Changmin grumbled. He'd never been one of those people who woke up right away. He tended to get rather cranky when he first woke up. But he usually woke up earlier than everyone else, so no one had to see it.

“Many hours ago by now.” Yunho drawled, as though the comment hadn't struck a nerve. But both brothers knew why he was calling. “Why was Jaejoong upset last night?” he asked, every second it took Changmin to answer him, adding to his anxiety about the answer.

“I'm not sure I should say. You may be my brother, but Jaejoong is a friend. I don't want to betray his confidence. I'm not your spy.” Changmin stated, clearly dissatisfied with both of his options. He felt bad if he didn't tell his brother. But he also felt bad at the thought of losing Jaejoong's trust if he did so.

“Okay then... Hypothetically speaking... What might Jaejoong have seen or heard to distress him last night?” Yunho questioned. He knew it was a thinly veiled attempt to find out Jaejoong and Changmin's conversation. But he wanted answers. He needed them. He had to reassure himself that Jaejoong was alright.

“Hypothetically speaking... He may have overheard you and Mrs Park's conversation...” Changmin answered, haltingly, considering which parts of their conversation it was probably okay for him to reveal.

Yunho groaned at the response, only narrowly avoiding dunking his fringe in his cereal bowl in his displeasure. “What might he have heard?” he asked, hoping more than anything, that he hadn't been able to make anything out through the closed door.

“Perhaps, he could have heard Mrs Park say you got her pregnant.” Changmin said, trying to sound like he was discussing some existential question.

Yunho thumped his head against the counter top at that comment. “Lies.” he hissed, but still kind of expecting the answer. He'd thought at the time that she'd been speaking so loud that anyone could have heard her, and understood what she was saying. “So that's why he was upset?” he checked, concerned about how he could possibly tell Jaejoong that it had been a lie, without Jaejoong realising where Yunho must have found out his fear from.

“I don't think so...” Changmin stated doubtfully. He really wasn't sure whether or not he should reveal this to his brother or not. It was too early in the morning for this sort of thing. “He seemed more preoccupied by the idea that you were using him to mask your illicit affair.” Changmin continued, “Hypothetically speaking of course.”

Yunho wasn't quite sure what to make of that. Of all the things Jaejoong could have chosen to get worked up about; to get hurt over, it wasn't Yunho's impending fatherhood, but that. He actually thought Yunho could use him like that? He thought he would use him like that? He considered whether or not the thought should hurt him, but he supposed it was only fair, given his silence about the whole matter.

He just hadn't wanted Jaejoong to know what he was doing.

He was ashamed of it, even if it had been for a noble cause.

“Now I have a question for you, Yunho, and I'm afraid it isn't hypothetical. Please....answer me, okay?” Changmin started, trying to sound forthright, but came across scared that Yunho would hang up on him, so that he wouldn't have to answer his question.

“Did you stop being friends with Jaejoong because of Mrs Park? Because of me?” Changmin was trying to sound calm, he could tell, but he could hear it. He could hear that tremor of fear in his voice as he spoke. He was terrified that he was the reason Yunho had lost Jaejoong. He was scared that he had cost his brother his first and only love. He swallowed the lump that threatened to form, and pushed the tears away harshly. He hated having to admit this. “No, no you didn't Minnie. The only one at fault there is me.” he assured his brother.

Now his cereal was going to taste horrible. Damn tears.

- -

By the time Jaejoong padded out into the lounge room, Yunho's phone call had been long gone, as had the traces it left on his features; his sadness. By that time he was seated on the lounge watching some TV show.

He was so nervous as he stalked his way over to Yunho. He'd been thinking about him all evening, and now all morning too. His voice, when he'd said that he cared about him, had been playing in his head, over and over. It had been his own personal mantra all morning, bringing a smile to his lips. Now that they were in the same room, the mantra was muted, but he could still feel it. Just looking at Yunho made him feel like the other man could hear his thoughts.

He felt like a beggar living off of the scraps of affection Yunho chose to toss his way. Damn him for making him feel like this.

Just being in the same room together made them feel a little awkward. Jaejoong couldn't look him in the eye as he stalked over, quickly changing the channel without really thinking about it. He'd apparently chosen a movie channel, and they were apparently about 10 minutes in to a horror movie.

Both boys felt so awkward at the moment, that they both found themselves watching it just so they wouldn't have to think of anything to say to one another. They told themselves they weren't scared, but they could both see how the move could be viewed as being creepy.

It just felt weird. But the longer it played, the more uncomfortable Jaejoong became. He wasn't scared by any means. He wasn't afraid of scary movies... that much. He wasn't the type to hide in someone's clothes, he'd just conveniently look off to his left, when he knew something scary was coming. But doing so just made him realise how foolish it was to start watching a horror movie now, of all times.

The room was getting dim, because they should be turning the lights on, but neither of them had done so, not wanting to break the spell the movie had put them under. He found himself tossing hesitant looks at the other doorways, wondering childishly if there were something peering back at him that he couldn't see.

Yunho rolled his eyes when the characters pulled out a ouija board. “Typical. You always just have to do it, cause it can't possibly be real. Newsflash, ouija boards only ever make things worse.” Yunho grumbled beneath his breath, but Jaejoong still caught the words. He wanted to laugh at Yunho's comment, amused by the thought of the younger man actually paying attention to the movie. Or knowing about something spiritual.

The movie ended, but another horror movie was on after it. Neither boy could think of anything else they'd prefer to do, or another channel that would have something else on, and so they both sat there watching one horror movie after another. Despite the fact that neither of them really wanted to watch them.

By the end of their little movie marathon, Yunho was feeling a little sick. Some of the movies had been more thriller than horror, but unfortunately, the others were dependent on gore. While he was not scared by them, they had managed to rob him of any appetite he might've had despite the late hour. The merest thought of food made him feel sick.

Jaejoong on the other hand had paled considerably. He was fairly certain the older man hadn't actually watched the worst scenes, whenever he could avoid them, but the sounds had clearly given him enough of an idea what had happened. Yunho had a feeling Jaejoong had even less of a desire to eat anything than he did.

He paused for a moment, giving a quick nod to the clock, not sure if Jaejoong would see the action. “It's pretty late. How about we go to bed?” He questioned. Jaejoong looked a little spooked by the prospect, eyeing the darkened hallway distrustfully, making a low growl rather than attempting to answer him verbally.

Yunho sighed, amused by Jaejoong's reaction. He knew the older man was scared. Even if he wanted to, he was probably incapable of leaving the room first, given how dark the rest of the house was. He stood, walking over to the hallway, and flicking on the light, given a careful look down the hallway. He didn't think there would be anything there, but he did it in order to reassure Jaejoong that there wasn't.

Jaejoong got up, scurrying after Yunho when he saw the other boy was still okay, more than 5 seconds after he'd switched on the light. Scenes like that had happened in the horror movies too. The boyfriend goes and checks everything out, just to appease their girlfriend, they joke about how everything is fine and three seconds later they've been grabbed by some creature and die.

He followed the older man into the bathroom, with Yunho checking all over the place in order to reassure the older man that nothing was going to attack him in the shower, like in Psycho. Although, if that were what he was concerned about, he really should have been afraid of Yunho's presence in the bathroom with him. “See, nothing's here. You'll be fine.” Yunho assured the other boy, who nodded, and he left the room, to give the older boy his privacy.

While Jaejoong showered, Yunho tried to think about the way things had been between them today. Changmin had said that Jaejoong thought he was being used as a cover for his illicit affair with Mrs Park. Although he'd tried to reassure the older man the previous evening, his reassurances had been made without any idea what the problem was. He realised, that none of his words, addressed the two things that Jaejoong had been fearing, after what he'd overheard.

He'd have to explain himself to the older man. Properly this time, to make sure that he wouldn't be worried for no reason any more.

He knew he should probably get around to explaining what happened earlier on, to Jaejoong too; the reason why he left him, but he just couldn't bring himself to say it. He didn't want to have to acknowledge that. He was more ashamed of that then he was of his relationship with the cougar. Even if the two were related. But revealing why he left Jaejoong all those years ago, would mean confessing his feelings. Feelings that persisted to this day.

He'd need to find a time to discuss it, but it wasn't now.