Jongin moves his queen. “Checkmate.”

Sehun stares at the board for a solid minute, mouth pinched in a small, unhappy frown.

Jongin smirks, gently knocking the top of the white king with his black queen, over and over. “Checkmate, checkmate, checkmate –”

“Yes, ok!” Sehun huffs, giving his king a sharp flick. It topples over, taking a nearby rook with it. “You win. Happy?”

“Extremely.” Jongin sits back, crossing his arms as he watches Sehun with a smug, expectant look. Sehun glares at him mutinously, but ultimately starts putting the board back in order.

“That’s not where the bishop goes.” Jongin points out.

“Yes it is, you buffoon.”

Jongin squints at the board. “Ah, you’re right. I guess I’m forgetting where they go because it’s been so long since I set the board.”

“I beat you yesterday!” Sehun snaps, then mutters to himself, “One little win and your head expands so much it barely fits in our room.”

“I’m sorry, did you say one little win? I do believe it’s been quite a bit more than that.”

“Alright! Several little wins. None of which will be repeated, I hope you know. It’s a miracle you’ve beaten me as much as you have.”

“Not a miracle. I just know you that well. So well that I know what move you’ll make before you make it.” Jongin grins. “That counts for more than just chess.”

“That’s ridiculous. Knowing a person doesn’t explain being able to beat them in a chess game.” Despite saying this, Sehun looks flustered. “Besides, if that’s the case it means you’re not actually any good at the game. You’re only good at beating me, not anyone else.”

“That’s fine.” Jongin says with a shrug. “You’re the only one I want to play with.”

Now Sehun looks even more flustered.

“And,” Jongin adds, leaning towards Sehun and dropping his voice, “That also counts for more than just chess.”

Sehun blushes fiercely and reaches across the chess board to hit Jongin’s shoulder. Jongin only laughs and pushes himself to his feet, gesturing to the board. “Once you’re done that, we should get going. We can have another game when we get back. That way you’ll have the afternoon to recover from your loss before suffering another one.”

Sehun scowls at Jongin as he lines up the pawns. With his free hand, Sehun holds out the blanket he’d had laid over his lap to keep him warm. “Here, put this back on the bed. And properly this time. Last night when I was getting into bed the blanket was wrinkled and uneven. Most of it was on your side.”

“There’s more than one blanket on the bed.” Jongin says, accepting the blanket. Despite saying this he positions it evenly this time, on top of their other covers. Running a hand over the dark spot at the bottom of the blanket Jongin smiles to himself, then returns to Sehun, who’s almost finished the board.

“You know, one of these days I’ll get you in checkmate with a pawn.” Jongin says. “I’ve decided to make it a personal goal.”

“A pawn?” Sehun rolls his eyes, incredulous. “That’s impossible. A pawn can’t take a king.”

“One already has.” Jongin says, coming up behind Sehun. He leans in and whispers in Sehun’s ear: “Checkmate.”

Sehun shivers and turns to glare at Jongin, face red. Jongin loves that, the fact that even though they’ve been together for almost two years, he can still make Sehun blush.

Sehun’s glare melts as he meets Jongin’s eyes, sees the mischievous smile Jongin knows he’s wearing. Sehun reaches up, fingers curling around Jongin’s collar, gently pulling him closer. As Jongin lets him, he notices Sehun is still holding one of the black pawns, which he has yet to lay on the board. Jongin smiles. He’s still smiling when their lips meet.



Jongin sits next to Sehun in the car, their hands entwined in the space between them. Sehun uses his free hand to go through the pile of mail in his lap. It would be much easier with two hands. Jongin slackens his hold, quietly letting Sehun know it’s okay to let go. In response, Sehun grips his hand more tightly. Jongin covers a smile with the back of his free hand as he watches the houses go by outside. He doesn’t slacken his hold again.

“Zitao won his first case.” Sehun says, reading one of the letters. “It was a big one, apparently, so his firm’s getting a lot of attention even though it’s new.”

“That’s good.” Jongin says. After working for Yifan, Zitao decided to open his own firm with a couple of other partners. It hasn’t been opened long, so he’s glad to hear it’s doing well.

“He says they’re having a celebratory dinner, and wants us to come.” Sehun pauses, then says, “Ah. It’s going to be at his cousin’s.”

Jongin doesn’t say anything right away. He knows he and Sehun are thinking the same thing. Kyungsoo works there, as the head cook. The last time they went for a meal at Zitao’s cousin’s house, they saw him briefly. It was extremely awkward on everyone’s part, and if they go they’ll likely see him again. Kyungsoo didn’t exactly take Jongin’s decision to stay with Sehun well.

“I’ll tell him we have a prior engagement.” Sehun says, folding the letter and moving on to the next one. His lips form a thin line. “It’s from my uncle.”

“What does he want now?”

Sehun doesn’t say anything as he opens the letter. Yifan left the estate almost two years ago, when Sehun became old enough to manage it himself. Although Yifan still runs a firm in the city they don’t see him or hear from him much, unless he’s asking Sehun to come work with him, which happens on occasion. Sehun always refuses. He has plans to attend university next fall. Jongin has decided to go with him, although he’s not sure how well he’ll fair with the little schooling he’s had. Still, in the past two years Sehun has made him attend the lessons he should have had in his youth in an attempt to make up for lost time. As tedious as they are, Jongin manages to get through them, if only because he knows it will give him the chance to attend university with Sehun.

“It seems we really might have prior engagements.” Sehun says now, finished scanning the letter. “Uncle is inviting us to dinner as well.”

“On the same night?”

“No, a different night, but that’s a tiny detail.” Sehun sighs. “Should we go? I don’t particularly want to – he’ll be hounding me to join his firm the entire night and give you disapproving looks – but he is family.”

“If you don’t mind me saying, sir.” The driver puts in. “That guy’s been getting his way his whole life. It would do him good to be rejected more often.”

Sehun considers it, then says. “I completely agree. Thank you, Jongdae.”

Jongdae nods to him in the mirror.

“You can let us out here.” Sehun says. “We’ll walk the rest of the way. It isn’t far.”

“Should I park nearby, sir?”

“No need to wait around. Just come back for us in an hour. Go visit that pub you’re always talking about, if you like. It’s not far from here, is it?”

“Not at all, sir.”

“Good. You still have to drive us back, though, so don’t drink too much.”

“Not a drop, sir.” Jongdae says. “I’ll just stop in for a visit. Minseok doesn’t admit it, but I knows he misses me hanging around.”

Although Jongin isn’t so sure about Minseok missing Jongdae’s presence, he’s sure the driver won’t drink. Ever since Sehun gave him back his old job, Jongdae has stayed sober.

Sehun lets go of Jongin’s hand to get out of the car. Jongin picks up the bouquet in his lap before following. After closing the door and waving off Jongdae, Jongin links his free hand once more with Sehun’s, his other gripping the bouquet tightly.

There’s a slight chill in the air, but it’s not as bad as it has been, and the sun shining brightly in the sky makes it warm. Spring has come early this year. The snow has even melted, revealing fresh green grass underneath.

Smiling up at the sun, Jongin says. “Your father would have liked today.”

Sehun squeezes Jongin’s hand. “He would have.”

Sehun was right in saying the walk wasn’t far. It doesn’t take them long to reach the gates, and from there it only takes another few minutes. They don’t speak as they walk, but it isn’t a troubled silence. It isn’t even a mourning silence. It’s a contented silence, their joined hands doing all the talking for them.

When they reach the grave Sehun removes the old flowers from the last time they visited, which was a couple of months ago. Today’s different, though. Today’s the anniversary.

Jongin hands Sehun the new bouquet of Junmyeon’s favourite flowers, and Sehun arranges it in front of the headstone. After that he stays there, crouched beside the grave, staring at his father’s name. Jongin doesn’t say anything. He just waits.

“Hello, father.” Sehun finally whispers. “It’s been five years. Five years. I still can’t believe it, that you’re gone. I still forget sometimes, thinking if I go to the study you’ll be there. I went in the other day and I’d forgot I left the chair turned around, facing the window. For a moment I thought you were sitting there, watching the garden. The way you used to when I was a kid, playing outside. I thought you were sitting there, watching something. But when I got there the chair was empty and I remembered. It’s at those times I miss you the most.”

Sehun takes a breath, rubbing his sleeve across his eyes. Jongin goes to him, putting a hand on his shoulder. Sehun covers it with his own hand.

“But as much as I miss you, and as sad as it makes me, I am happy.” Sehun continues. “After all, you were the one who left me with the greatest gift I could ever ask for. It just took me a while to realize it, and I wish I had sooner. I wish you could have seen how happy your decision back then, on that day at the Carnival, has made me now. I hope you know.”

“He knows.” Jongin says.

“I think you’re right.” Sehun leans his head against Jongin’s hand. “You know, I mean it. My father bringing you back with him, that was the greatest gift I’ve ever been given. Your presence in my life. I’m just sorry it took me so long to let you know that.”

“What matters is you did. We overcame everything, and now we’re together, so we always will be.” Jongin gives him a ghost of a smile. “I’ve told you that before, right? That I’ll never leave you?”

“You might have. I’m not sure though. Maybe you should tell me again.”

Jongin leans down, but what he whispers to Sehun isn’t the reassurance he’s requested yet again. They both know it isn’t necessary by now. Jongin will never leave Sehun, and Sehun will never leave him. Not again.

“I love you, Sehun.” Jongin whispers.

Sehun turns enough to smile at him, one of his small but purely happy smiles. Jongin sees a lot of them these days, but he never gets tired of it. Sehun smiling like this is his favourite thing in the world. And the words he hears now are his favourite words.

“I love you too, Jongin.”