"Who are these people, Jongin?" Save for a single lifted eyebrow, the tall, glamorous woman's features betrayed no emotion as she watched her son impassively, waiting for some kind of answer. For all the absence of expression on her flawless face though, the woman's French manicured nails gripped the edges of her quilted black Chanel (even Kyungsoo could recognize the interlocking Cs) handbag with enough force to turn her knuckles white. Jongin had always told Kyungsoo his mother didn't care about him one way or the other but Kyungsoo wasn't so sure now that Jongin had his mother all figured out. He wasn't sure if it was bruised ego, pride or anger, but Jongin's mother was clearly not okay with her son calling another woman Umma.

"This is ... my boyfriend," Jongin's voice sounded confident despite the slight hesitation, but Kyungsoo could tell from the way Jongin's fingers curled into his palms that he was anything but calm.

"Good afternoon, Mrs Kim. I'm Kyungsoo. Pleased to meet you," Kyungsoo bowed respectfully. Mentally prepared to receive no nod of acknowledgement, Kyungsoo had to conceal his surprise when Jongin's mother inclined her head slightly - her smile civil if hardly welcoming. It could have gone much worse though and Kyungsoo was just relieved that she hadn't treated him with contempt because that would have hurt Jongin.  

"This is Kyungsoo's mother." Jongin said quietly as he turned towards Umma to introduce her.

"I'm Kang Eunju," Umma said formally as she bowed briefly. Umma's mouth was etched in that weird smile she sometimes gave her children just before she launched into a lengthy, blistering lecture on whatever they'd done to set her off. More than a little anxious, Kyungsoo could only hope and pray that she wouldn't start lecturing a total stranger (even if he secretly thought Jongin's mother deserved one). Jongin was standing in front of Kyungsoo - his back and shoulders stiff as he waited for his mother's response to Umma's greeting.

"Jang Soora." The elegantly enunciated syllables were punctuated by a polished bow and a frosty smile. Then she directed her smokily lined eyes at the much smaller woman, "I'm sure there's a reasonable explanation as to why my son is calling you Umma?"

"Mother, let's talk about this later. Please." Jongin's voice was quiet. And dead. And Kyungsoo had to fight a protective urge to reach out for Jongin's hand and hold on tight. But doing that would probably make matters worse so he just took a few steps forward and stood right beside Jongin. Almost imperceptibly, Jongin moved closer so their shoulders touched.

"He's calling me Umma because I asked him too." Kyungsoo's umma answered matter-of-factly. 

"Why would you ask someone else's son to call you that? I can't think of a single plausible reason why you would." Her voice was cold and detached, like she was asking about dress sizes. All polish and sophistication and no heart. 

"I saw a need in him. And my son cares a lot for him so that makes Jongin almost my son too. My son is important to me as yours should be to you." She was still speaking in controlled tones, but Kyungsoo could see all the tells - one wrong word and Umma would go into attack dog mode and start scolding the woman before her.

"My relationship with my son is no business of yours." Jang Soora's eyes flashed with ... suppressed annoyance and indignation but her voice remained calm. And Kyungsoo recalled Jongin telling him that no one in his family ever raised their voices. It wasn't how they dealt with things. And for the first time in his life, Kyungsoo was grateful that his mother was a firebrand because it meant she at least felt things passionately.

"For Jongin's sake, I hope there is a relationship. I hope you realize what you've almost lost before it's too late." Umma's words were uttered softly but they were heavy with intent. Nervously, Kyungsoo braced himself for some form of maternal confrontation. But Jongin had no such fear for he was well aware that his mother did not do confrontations - she never had.

"I have to be somewhere." Choosing not to respond to the loaded statement, Jongin's mother abruptly made her excuses and left after executing a polite nod. Her heels clicked agitatedly as she made a brisk exit - her svelte figure growing tinier and tinier as she gained more and more distance on them. It was almost ... anticlimactic that there hadn't been a shouting match between the two mothers. 

"Jongin are you ...?" Kyungsoo's fingers wrapped securely around Jongin's elbow. 

"I'm okay. Umma, I'm sorry you had to go through that. I-"

"Don't apologize, Jongin. None of this is your fault. I hope I wasn't too rude to your mother and I hope you don't get into trouble with her later."

"We don't really talk much. I don't think we'll ever discuss what happened today."

"But Jongin, the things I said to her." Umma's eyes widened in shock. 

"She won't say anything, Umma. Trust me, she won't." Jongin gave an unconcerned smile but he leaned wordlessly on Kyungsoo as they made their way to the basement carpark.

***

The potted palms added an inviting splash of color to the corridor, the fresh green fronds hanging down delicately to almost sweep the luxuriant, deep pile beige carpet. Jang Soora did not spare a glance for the lush greenery though, as she followed the uniformed attendant to The Serenity Room where she always had her fortnightly body massage and facial. 

When she had disrobed and her expensive garments had been carefully put away by the beautician, she walked over to the treatment table before lying on her back, on a plush towel made from 100% Turkish organic cotton. As soon as she lay down, the beautician layered another towel over the long, slim lines of her body to keep her warm.

"Your makeup is always so perfect Mrs Kim ... why are your mascara and eyeliner smudged today? Did you get something in your eye?" Myra inquired absent mindedly as she poured some eye makeup remover on a square of facial cotton and began wiping off glimmering bronze eyeshadow in gentle .

"Yes. Something got in my eye." Jang Soora said, trying to keep the bitterness out of her voice. 

***

Jongin watched through the passenger window of the Audi as Kyungsoo escorted his mother to the front door of the Do family home. Kyungsoo's arm was draped casually around the petite woman's shoulders like it was the most natural thing to do. The most intimate gesture Jongin could remember exchanging with his mother was the not quite awkward hug she had given him when he was 12 - after he'd gotten lost in the mountains during that thunderstorm. Over the years, there had been the occasional, brief and impersonal hug but nothing like Kyungsoo and Umma's easy way with each other. Why couldn't he remember any hugs from before he was 12?

Groaning, he rested his forehead on the leather bound steering wheel. Why had Mother appeared and messed everything up?

"Jongin-ah." He heard Kyungsoo's rich whiskey voice say his name softly and he sighed, relief and comfort seeping into his skin and his bones as familiar warm fingers curled around his nape. He let Kyungsoo pull him into his arms. Safe. He felt safe. 

"Do you want to talk about it?" Kyungsoo his hair gently.

"No." 

"Then we won't." And Kyungsoo just held his boyfriend in his arms and let him be quiet. But Jongin began talking anyway, after a few minutes had lapsed.

"So now you know what my mother is like. She's not an Umma type of mother." Jongin's voice was devoid of emotion as he played with the backs of Kyungsoo's fingers.

"She's very glamorous." Kyungsoo said carefully.

"We don't talk. She probably wouldn't notice if I left home for weeks," Jongin laughed bitterly.

"That's not true, Jongin." Kyungsoo placed his palm on Jongin's cheek; he loved the silken whisper of caramel skin beneath his own much paler skin. Even when Jongin looked broken, he was still the most ethereally beautiful creature Kyungsoo had ever seen.

"She never gives me anything. I mean no piece of herself. I see the way you and Umma are with each other and I see that my mother and I ... we have no relationship, Soo."

"Did you watch her today? Your mother?" Tenderly, Kyungsoo's fingers caressed Jongin's mahogany fringe.

"No. I usually don't. Watch her, I mean."

"She was really upset that you were calling another woman Umma."

"You've got it wrong. My mother doesn't give a about me or what I do." There was that flash of stubborn anger again and Kyungsoo sighed.

"You've told me she never shows any emotion when she's dealing with you but she was definitely upset. She was gripping her bag so hard her knuckles were white. And she looked kind of shaky just before she left - after Umma said she hoped you guys had a relationship for your sake. Umma regrets saying it now. She saw how your mother reacted. I think she was mumbling something about maybe your mother wants a relationship with you but she just doesn't know how? That some people don't know how to express affection and maybe it was the way she was raised and stuff. What are your grandparents like? Are they affectionate?"

"I barely know them. They live in Portland and I see them maybe once a year? They live in this big house in the suburbs. I don't know them at all really. Even as a kid I didn't see them much. They weren't into kids and Grandmother had a lot of antique breakables they didn't want me smashing by accident."

"Cousins?"

"Mother is an only child."

"So maybe your mom is the way she is because that's the only way she knows how to be."

"Mother. She's not my mom," Jongin's fingers pressed into the leather-bound steering wheel.

"Mother then. I'm just saying, Jongin, you should watch her more carefully next time. I mean watch her eyes and her hands. Maybe she took you for granted before but I think today was a shock for her. Just watch her. Okay?"

"Only because you're asking. I gave up on her years ago."

"Thank you." Kyungsoo held him close and nuzzled his cheek, "What do you want to do now? Do you want to do something together or do you want some time by yourself?"

"Together." 

"What should we do?"

"You decide."

***

"A batting cage?" Jongin chuckled as they walked through the utility glass doors of THE BATTING ZONE. 

"Hitting stuff is good for the soul. Promise!" Kyungsoo said as he paid the dour looking young man at the counter $10 for a roll of tokens. "Also, it's a good excuse for me to you a little when I show you how to grip and swing the bat properly."

"How do you know I can't hold a bat properly?" Jongin raised his right eyebrow sardonically. He wasn't quite back to normal yet but he was getting there. 

"You've never once mentioned playing baseball. Not that I care," Kyungsoo's grin was b over with suggestiveness, "Even if you were a first stringer in high school, I'm still groping you later."

And for the first time since the encounter with Jongin's mother, Jongin's laughter reached his eyes. 

***

The wintry air made it much colder tonight than it had been that first time they'd come to Belleview Park three weeks ago. The leaves that had dangled from the oak trees like minuscule aubergine lanterns were long gone, and the night sky was filled with the ghostly silhouettes of bare, black branches. The air was crisp as lemons and gossamer wisps of breath hovered around Jongin and Kyungsoo as they chatted quietly. They were comfortably ensconced on a wooden bench - Jongin's head nestled on Kyungsoo's lap and their hands interlocked on Jongin's chest. 

"Tell me a secret, Soo." Jongin said as his thumb Kyungsoo's knuckles. The slightly callused texture of the skin felt good against the pad of his thumb. 

"Well, you already know I'm scared of singing solo, that's my biggest secret."

"I'm sure you have other secrets." Jongin said, as he brought Kyungsoo's hand to his lips and kissed the first knuckle. 

"I hate the way my fingers look."

"What's wrong with the way they look?" Jongin complained as he spread out Kyungsoo's fingers. 

"They're short. And stubby."

"No they're not. I love these fingers."

"Short and stubby." Kyungsoo grumbled.

"They're spatulate fingers."

"What the hell is a spatulate finger?"

"I had a roommate in boarding school who was into palmistry. He had spatulate fingers too ... see how your cuticles are narrow at the base and broader at the top? Like a spatula." Jongin continued playing with Kyungsoo's fingers.

"Were you guys dating?" Kyungsoo asked suspiciously.

"Hell, no! He was about as straight as they come. And even if he hadn't been, he wasn't really my type. Dreamy and spacey. My taste runs more to choirboys than fortune tellers." 

"Yah!" Kyungsoo smacked Jongin's shoulder in a show of mock ire and Jongin chuckled.

"Anyway, Yixing told me that people with spatulate fingers tend to be intellectual. They're supposed to be witty and interesting, with complex personalities. They tend to be workaholics but they always find some time for adventure."

"Hmmm ... I think I'm pretty straightforward. I'm not a very complex person. But other than that it's pretty accurate. What about you? What kind of fingers do you have?" Now it was Kyungsoo's turn to spread out Jongin's slender, artistic fingers.

"Yixing told me I have conical fingers, which makes me a wise, old soul. Insightful. And people with conical fingers are supposed to be creative  - I guess that's true. But I'm also supposed to be a good friend and supportive and that was really weird to me at the time."

"I think you're supportive."

"I don't know anything about being supportive. You've been there there for me way more than I've been there for you."

"Well, I don't have a very dramatic life - other than the fact that I have a perpetually yelling mother and a pit bull BFF, so it's not like I've given you a lot of opportunities to be supportive. But that time I told you about my fear of performing solo? You made me feel a lot less scared."

"About that ... your concert is in 6 days, right?"

"Yeah. You said you were going. You haven't changed your mind, have you?"

"Of course I'm going, Soo." Jongin kissed his palm tenderly and then he lifted his head and sat upright - his right shoulder pressing into Kyungsoo's left one. Jongin was silent for a few moments and then Kyungsoo felt the unexpected brush of cold metal against his palm.

"Jongin, what is this?" Disbelief and wonder were woven through Kyungsoo's voice as he carefully picked up the exquisite pieces of matte silver from where they lay in his palm. It was a pendant ... attached to a simple silver chain. Handcrafted angel wings had been bonded together by a single metal loop so that the two wings were eternally linked, yet moved freely and independently of each other.

"It's beautiful." Kyungsoo whispered just before he leaned in and kissed Jongin tenderly, "It's beautiful, Jongin but why ...?"

"I can't hold your hand during the performance, or be on the stage with you, so this was the next best thing I could think of. I'm only going to say this once, Soo - because it's too cheesy and embarrassing to ever repeat. Ever, ok? These wings," Jongin held the delicate pieces of metal between his index finger and thumb, "These wings are the two of us. And when you're singing on Friday night, I want you to wear them so you'll know I'm with you on the stage." Taking the chain from Kyungsoo, Jongin looped it around his neck and fastened it. The angel wings swung for a moment before coming to rest right over what should have been Kyungsoo's sternum under all the layers of winter clothing. 

"See? It's right next to your heart." Jongin placed his palm over Kyungsoo's heart. "Do you remember the first time we met, Soo? When I was in the bus and you were on the sidewalk, waving to me? I placed my palm against the glass?"

"I remember," 

"I think even then I knew I would end up loving you." Jongin smiled a little self-consciously, and a single tear escaped down Kyungsoo's cheek. He rubbed it away quickly with the back of his hand, feeling a little embarrassed. 

"I love you too, Jongin." Kyungsoo threw his arms around Jongin and rested his cheek against his chest, "I love you too."

"I know, Soo, and I'm thankful every day that I found that stained glass room all those weeks ago." Jongin's lips touched Kyungsoo's forehead before covering the other boy's lips in a lingering kiss. Then he embraced him like he would never let him go - the angel wings pressed indelibly between their rapidly beating hearts.

***

Dressed in buttery soft tartan pajama pants and an oversized long sleeve flannel tee, Kyungsoo sat in bed with the twin pendant and chain draped over his palm. His index finger trailed over the dimples and indentations of the feathers on one of the angel wing pendants, only stopping when it discovered a single letter engraved on the base of the wing. It was the letter 'J'. Excitedly, he examined the other pendant and found a letter 'K' in the same spot. His heart beat crazily as he grabbed his cellphone and began to type.

K: Why didn't you tell me the wings were engraved with our initials?!!!
J: Ah, that. I was too embarrassed
K: What if I'd never noticed?! Jonginnnnnn >_<
J: No chance of that happening, Soo. You're too nosey.
K: KIM JONGIN WTF?!
J: Observant then. You're too observant to not have seen the engraved letters.
K: Does this mean I'm not a one-night stand?

Kyungsoo waited for the reply but no text came in. His fingers were poised to key in a fist-waving, angry faced message when his phone began to ring.

"You were never meant to be a one night stand, Do Kyungsoo. I wasn't even going to go near you. I think I always knew that once I did, I'd never let you go. I was supposed to stay away. I told myself to. But I never had a chance."

"Do you regret sitting next to me at that bus stop?" 

"I could never regret you, Soo. I hope you don't regret me."

"Never."

"Good. Now what pajama pants are you wearing?" Jongin asked in the most deadpan manner.

"Green tartan pajama pants. What about you?" Kyungsoo lay back on his pillows and covered himself with his quilt, smiling.

"Gray striped ones."

"Boringgggg!" Kyungsoo complained while Jongin protested that gray stripes were the coolest thing ever.

And so it went as they talked into the night—

***

A/N: Hi everyone! I'm so sorry it took me so long to resolve the cliffhanger I left you with in Chapter 10 but I've had the worst case of writer's block with regard to this update. I hope y'all don't hate Chapter 11 because it's 3.2k of mostly boring and mostly sappy otl. I worked really really hard on this though so I hope it doesn't disappoint you guys too much. As always, comments and votes inspire me to write more than anything so I hope you guys will be generous with both.

Below are the "mothers" of Stained Glass. I didn't have time to include Minjung Ahjumma in this update but she will appear in the next chapter. Also, since some people asked, here's the angel wing pendant Jongin gave to Kyungsoo (just imagine that it's matte silver and remove the beads).

Thanks for reading, commenting and up voting Stained Glass. Love you all!

Kyungsoo's Umma (Go Hyunjung - just age her by 8-10 yrs)

Jongin's mother (Han Goeun)

Minjung Ahjumma (Jung Inhwa)