Note: This entire chapter takes place in flashback

It was two weeks after Happy Together had been finished filming. The episode was set to air in a few days and Jinyoung was excited. He hoped that not too many of his parts would be edited out. He also hoped that Jaebum's parts also didn't get edited out.

Jaebum. Meeting Jaebum again was the best part of filming the show. It was almost like being in high school again. He and Jaebum would send messages to each other until the early morning and Jaebum of all things even followed Jinyoung on Instagram. It was so easy to go back and be best friends with him. It was like they had never left each other side.

They were in the middle of messaging each other funny videos when Jaebum decided to call Jinyoung. Jinyoung felt a series of butterflies in his stomach, they never talked to each other over the phone much.

“Hello?” Jinyoung said.

“Hey, this is going to sound kind of weird-”

“It's OK.” Jinyoung cut Jaebum off. “I saw you during high school, I'm used to you being kind of weird.”

“Hey,” Jaebum said sounding mock-hurt. “You were just as weird as me! But what I really wanted to ask you, is that I'm going to be going to Europe soon and I was wondering if you wanted to come with me. I don't have anyone that's going with me and traveling is always better when you have someone joining you.”

Jinyoung wasn't stupid. He knew what would happen if this information leaked out. Happy Together would be airing in a few day's and the whole country would have seen them, they also would have seen the parts where they flirted with each other if those scenes made it into the final cut. It was also strange to just hop on a plane and travel to another continent with someone you hadn't seen in decades. But it isn't just anyone, Jinyoung figured. It's Jaebum. Your best friend in the whole world.

“When's the flight leaving?”

“Tomorrow.”

Jinyoung felt his eyes widened. Tomorrow? Jaebum was seriously expecting him to pack his bags and just have everything set to fly out tomorrow to Europe?

“Isn't that a bit last minute?”

“Still taking life seriously I see” Jaebum tsked. “Jinyoung, have you ever been to Europe?”

“No.”

“Then come! You'll get to see Europe for the first time and we'll ride on trains and all you have to do is bring your passport along. Yugyeom's mother assures us that we'll make it to Europe fine.”

Jinyoung's head and heart were telling him to go. There was a very very small part of him that he wished was bigger that was telling him that this was a bad idea. But it was such a small part and Jinyoung knew that this was so out of character but he wanted to go and needed to go more than anything. “Alright. Send me the details. How long are we staying there for?”

“I'm thinking three days. I'm really glad that you're coming along. I missed hanging out with you.”

“I missed hanging out with you too. I should go and pack my bags.” Jinyoung hung up the phone and stared at the ceiling of his room. What was he going to say to Mark and Youngjae? He was becoming the exact opposite of what he raised his children to be.

He walked down the stairs and found Mark and Youngjae in the living room. Youngjae was reading a book with piano sheet music and Mark was messing around on his laptop. “Hey Dad, what's going on?” Mark asked, looking at Jinyoung. Youngjae set his book aside.

“I completely forget to mention this and I'm so sorry about this, I feel like a terrible father but I'm actually going to be going to Europe tomorrow. I have to attend this three day traveling convention for international university psychology courses.” That was the worst excuse to have ever existed in the world. Jinyoung felt ashamed of himself.

“I didn't know traveling conventions like that existed.” Mark said. Jinyoung paled. Were his children really believing such a terrible lie? Had he raised them to be this gullible or did they learn it from school and friends?

“I wish you had told us sooner but I understand. You've been really busy with your students. I always see you on your phone or on your computer. They must be sending you a lot of emails.” Youngjae said, giving Jinyoung a sympathetic smile. Jinyoung didn't deserve his sons. They were such caring and good people. He would never want them to find out that all those emails were of him and Jaebum having fights over the characters in whatever drama both of them could remember watching together back in high school.

“I was. I think the assignment I gave them was too difficult but I'm happy to say that they all made it out alive. I'm going to leave money for the time that I'm going to be gone but in case of an emergency don't use the money and instead use the credit card.” Jinyoung said. He turned to Mark. “Mark, you still know where the emergency credit card I gave you is?”

Mark nodded. “It's in my room. And in case of an emergency emergency then I should use my regular credit card.”

Jinyoung smiled proudly at the man he had raised. Did Mark really need a job or a degree in order to be validated? Korea focused too much on jobs and schooling anyway. “Alright, don't make any messes or throw any parties or eat too much junk food. We all know the psychological side effects of habits like that.”

Jaebum was positively glowing. Jinyoung would be coming along with him to Europe. Jinyoung, who after all this time, made Jaebum painfully weak only by his name popping up on Jaebum's cell phone screen. He felt himself float to the kitchen.

“What's the matter with you? Did you get a hot date?” BamBam asked. He was sitting on the kitchen counter drinking a large soda and eating chips.

“No, I'm just glad to be going to Europe.” Jaebum said opening the fridge and taking a bottle of soju. He deserved a reward after getting Jinyoung again.

“Speaking of Europe, does my mom want anything other than the photocopies of the essay I got an A on?” Yugyeom also entered the kitchen carrying a bag from McDonald's and what Jaebum could easily assume was a chocolate milkshake.

“I can't believe you got an A, bro!” Jackson was carrying a large McDonald's bag and drink holder with him as he entered the kitchen. He set them on a counter top he could find and gave Yugyeom a noogie. “You might turn into a geek soon.”

“Not that there is anything wrong with being a geek. Being a geek is a good thing.” Jaebum said. Jinyoung had also been geeky but it was so cute. He read comic books and played video games and Jaebum couldn't believe how wonderful fate was sometimes.

“Wow, Dad this isn't like you. Next thing you know you're going to be making Jackson go to school.” BamBam hopped off the counter and began to search through the McDonald's bags to find something he liked.

“I can't go back to school. I don't have anything I want to study. Plus if I went to school then I wouldn't remember to stop by McDonald's with Yugyeom.” Jackson said. He unwrapped a cheeseburger and began to eat it without even grabbing a napkin.

“Do you ever get a feeling that we should be eating healthier?” Jaebum asked. He reached into the bag and began picking up and eating two by two any French fries he could find.

“No.” was the unanimous response from all of his sons.

Jinyoung was at the airport clutching his phone in his hand. He was waiting for Jaebum to arrive so they could check in together. Mark had given him a suspicious look when Jinyoung said he didn't need anyone to go to the airport with him. Thank God that Jinyoung raised his sons better than to question anything an elder is doing.

“Jinyoung! I'm glad to see you made it!” Jinyoung turned around and saw Jaebum coming towards him. Jaebum had a backpack and a small suitcase that was rolling behind him.

“Hi! Oh, look we match.” Jinyoung said. Jinyoung was wearing a pair of slim black pants, a black turtleneck, and a black dinner jacket. Jaebum was wearing ripped black pants, a plain white T-shirt, with a blue jacket over it.

“I guess, in a way we do. But aren't you going to be too hot with that thing on?” Jaebum asked. He tried to control how excited he was, that yes, in a way, he and Jinyoung were wearing matching pants.

“Oh no, I'm usually cold on airplanes. I have a short sleeve shirt in my carry-on so if I get too hot I can always change in the bathroom.” Damn it. Jinyoung put a lot of effort into trying to look good and not as scholarly and dare he say it, boring, as he usually did. Jaebum was older than him but managed to dress younger.

Jinyoung and Jaebum were sitting next to each other in first class. Jaebum had ordered two fancy cocktails from the air hostess and she brought them back as soon as the plane was in the air. “Cheers.” Jaebum said clinking his glass against Jinyoung's.

Jinyoung took a sip of his drink. “Whenever I'm with you I feel like I'm in high school. Drinking this makes me feel like I'm breaking a law.”

Jaebum laughed. “You never did anything wild in high school. Good old Jinyoungie who studied hard and had the face of an actor.”

“Don't make it seem like you were a bad boy. Every time I went to a bookstore, you went too.” Jinyoung said.

“We both were dorks but now we get to be adult dorks in Europe.” Jaebum said.

Jinyoung will admit it. He slept for most of the flight. He ate his meals, watched a little bit of a movie that Jaebum was also watching, and then fell asleep. He awoke right as the pilot was saying that their plane would be landing. He also awoke with a blanket over him and his head on Jaebum's shoulder.

“Hello there. I hope you don't mind but I put a blanket over you. I know you sad you get cold on planes and I just put your head on my shoulder because I couldn't find the pillow.” Jaebum said with a soft smile. He had a pair of glasses on and was reading a book.

“Thank you.” Jinyoung wondered if he should lift his head up or not. He decided against, Jaebum obviously didn't seem to mind.

“Yugyeom's mom has a chauffeur waiting for us and I think we'll need to take a back exit.” Jaebum said as the plane landed.

“Wow, I've never been a royal guest before.” Jinyoung said removing his head from Jaebum's shoulder so he could collect his things to leave the plane.

They left the plane and passed through customs easily and before Jinyoung knew it he found himself in the back of a sleek black limousine.

“We'll head to the castle so we can drop our things and then I think we have a guided tour of the country. You should get familiar through a tour first and then I can take you to some of the places I already know.” Jaebum said.

“You didn't have to get a guided tour for me, you must know everything the tour guide is going to say.” Jinyoung said.

“I know but it's always good to brush up on things and I want to spend time with you.” Jaebum stared right into Jinyoung's eyes.

Jinyoung felt himself his lips and look into Jaebum's eyes. He knew that what he was about to do would be something that he could regret for the rest of his life but it, he was an adult now and adult Jinyoung wasn't just an older version of teenage Jinyoung. He was his own person. Jinyoung pressed his lips against Jaebum's and to his surprise, Jaebum kissed his back and wrapped his arms around Jinyoung's waist, pulling him closer together. As they kissed, Jinyoung could hear the driver rolling up the partition.

They broke away and both of them burst out laughing. “I'm sorry,” Jinyoung began. “I've been wanting to do that for a long time. Longer than I've realized.”

“It's OK. I've been waiting a long time too.” Jaebum said.

“Then we both confessed to each other.” Jinyoung felt himself blush. It was impossible not to feel young and reckless and invincible near Jaebum.

Jaebum took a deep breath before resting his hand on top of Jinyoung's. “I know this is going to sound crazy but marry me. Marry me right now, Jinyoung.”

Jinyoung looked at Jaebum. He didn't look like he was joking around nor did he sound like it. He was serious. He was actually serious about getting married to Jinyoung. Jinyoung never thought of himself as getting married and if he ever got married it would be a proper wedding and not an elopement. He also never thought about getting married to Jaebum. But now that he had a chance was there anyone other than Jaebum that he wanted to marry? He should have known it ever since high school when he was forced to sign up for that performance club and met Jaebum that for the rest of his life there would be nobody else.

“Yes, I'll marry you right now.” Jinyoung said, feeling tears starting to well up.

Jaebum also looked like he was about to cry and knocked on the partition. The driver rolled it down. “Can you drive us to the city hall please?” The driver nodded and rolled up the partition once again. “I need to call Yugyeom's mom. She'll arrange it so we can get married as quick as possible. She'll complain the whole time that we didn't let her give us a nice wedding.”

“I don't care about a nice wedding. I only care about getting married to you.” Jinyoung was telling the truth. Why hadn't he and Jaebum decided to elope sooner?

“Me too.”

“Our children are going to hate us you know, Or at least be disappointed or think we're weird.”

Jaebum laughed. “Let out children think what they want. Starting right now, they're going to be step-brothers. And why should we always be thinking about our sons? Let's live a little and do something just for us.”

And so they lived happily ever after...

Or until the flight landed back in Seoul...

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So here ends the little flashback  "arc" of the story. I had a lot of fun fleshing out the backstory of how this story came to be.I hoped you all liked it.

Also have you been watching Real Got7 season 3? I'm literally dying of laughter with every episode. It's even funnier than the first two.

<3 Smooches <3