“And he threatened us, YunHo! His own son! How could he do that?” SungMin was hysterically telling YunHo about his meeting with Kyu’s dad after Kyu had headed off to work, looking a bit sick but handsome none the less.

“Okay! SungMin! Calm down! You’re not going to help KyuHyun like this! First off, did you tell him?” YunHo asked, grabbing the younger by the upper arms and holding him in place.

“N..no. I can’t possibly tell him that his father is back in Seoul!” SungMin protested.

“Is this how you plan to protect him? By keeping things from him?” YunHo asked sceptically.

“I didn’t know what to do!” SungMin shouted, his fear making him lose control.

“Okay, I get it! It’s okay, Min,” YunHo said, pulling SungMin in for a hug. He tightened his grip when he felt how violently the younger was trembling.

“You can’t tell him either okay?” SungMin whispered.

“Min..”

“Promise me you won’t tell him.”

“I promise,” YunHo said, rocking him gently.

“We’ll figure this out, okay?” YunHo comforted him.

SungMin nodded, trying to pace his breathing.

“Okay.”

“Will that work?” Kyu asked, spinning endlessly on his chair at work as he spoke to his mother.

“It has to, baby. It will. Don’t worry okay?” his mom said soothingly. Kyu took several deep breaths before thanking his mom and biding her farewell as he doorbell rang.

He picked up one folder and flipped through it half-heartedly before he realized that he would not be able to focus on anything today. Flinging the folder down, he picked up his jacket from the back of the chair and shrugged it on. Might as well spend the day doing something productive. He would go back home to SungMin.

Kyu’s mother walked to the door, pulling it open fully without stopping to think who it might be. Her heart almost stopped when she saw her ex-husband standing there, smiling politely at her with his arms folded. Clenching her jaw, she tried to remember what she and KyuHyun had spoken about this morning, calming herself. She stepped aside without a word and walked back to the living room.

“It’s nice to see you again, Sheila,” she heard him say as she set the cup of coffee down before him without looking at him. Sheila. The English name she had taken up for her brief stay in New York. She nodded, seating herself opposite the room and looking him full in the face.

“And you, Jeremy,” she said, gripping her own cup tightly.                                                                 

“How have you been doing recently?” Jeremy asked pleasantly, sipping the coffee.

“What are you doing here Jeremy? I thought all your companies were based in new york,” Sheila said.

“I see you’re not in the mood for chit ch