- Chapter Twenty four - "The aftermath."

Yunho heaved a sigh as he was strolling on the social network. All the comments about their special showcase for their ten years anniversary weren't what he expected. Of course, there were fans who had appreciated what they did as they understood the situation with Jaejoong. But, the other fans...

They weren't gentle with their words. They even accused Jaejoong for the fiasco of the showcase which should be the best event for this end of the year.

Insignificant member?! He is. That man should not allow to return in the group.

I was hoping for a good show. But what did I get? Only Changmin and Yunho dancing and singing at the beginning of the show. It was good. It was so powerful. Alas, the rest of the show was only about a stupid cooking contest. If he wants to cook, go cook somewhere else.

What a night! Some delusional fans still wait for their five oppas. But, let be honest, Kim Jaejoong can sing but he doesn't have his place in DBSK anymore. He should only focus on his daughter.

I pity the man for what happened to him. But, please stay away from the music industry. You just waste Changmin's and Yunho's time. They can do better without you.

I feel sorry for what happened in his life. But if he can't be fully a member of the group, he should leave for good. He can only be a burden for the two other members.

And Yunho could only cuss under his breath and threw his hand phone in the opposite side of the living room. The device found its course on the white wall and fell on the tiled floor in to pieces.

Hypocrite much!

In front of him, of them, they didn't say anything. Just going with the flow, laughing when they played the village idiots, having a good time with the others. And at the first opportunity, they stabbed you in the back. This... those girls were what he should be proud of. What an idol was proud of because they were what made them be. Without them he could not even call himself an idol or a singer nor an actor. He earned his living by them spending their money on him. And because of that they thought they had all the right over his life.

Twist of fate, right?

"You knew very well that everything would not go as you planned." Jaejoong said quietly as he the back of his daughter softly when the man walked from the open-plan kitchen to the living room. "And you don't have to destroy your phone because of those bad comments."

"I thought people would understand." He massaged the back of his neck, feeling really tired suddenly.

"What you understand and what others understand don't always have the same meaning." The older man added as he sat next to his friend on the edge of the soft couch.

"What a great explanation." The other man said annoyingly.

"Are you going to take out your anger on me?"

"No..." Yunho breathed softly as he leaned towards baby Cap and pressed a soft kiss on the mop of her hair. The baby girl was sound asleep in her father's arms, feeling safe in the warmth of the man. "I can see those smiles of satisfaction on those people... And..." He shook his head lightly before continuing, "...I was so sure that pulling something like that was the best for us."

"For me." Jaejoong corrected the man quietly. "You did all of this for me. But, if you were thinking of your fans..."

"Our fans." Yunho corrected in turn.

"Yeah... our fans, like you always do before, you would go with the schedule. Unfair or not, you would do everything for our fans. There's no place for such a thing. You must think of being the number one in their heart or else they would turn their back on you with no hesitation and stick to another idol for the best of the latter." The young father said with a sad smile as he ruffled Yunho's hair tenderly.

"...unfair..." The younger of the two men murmured.

Jaejoong chuckled softly at how childish and stubborn Jung Yunho could be. At his age, the man should be reasonable and accept what life had in store for them. But, no. The man was still trying to fight against their fate. "You wanted to do things right this time. But in the end you did it wrong." He finally said in a quiet tone.

"It's what you think too..." Yunho let out in a low voice as he ran his slender fingers through his hair, looking annoyed.

"No." Jaejoong shook his head. "In the eyes of strangers, you did wrong. But for me, all I can see is love. Everything you do... everything you say means love. Your love for me. And I feel like I am being unfair with you." He smiled sadly. "You're too good for me. You're too patient. You're too affectionate. And..." He paused as he swallowed a breath of air. "...I'm scared... scared that one day I can't return all the affections and love you gave me."

"You don't have to return anything. As I already have your love." The younger man said with a smile as he grazed his palm against Jaejoong's cheek tenderly. "What I ask for... is you. Only you. I will always stand next to you. Always. What you have to do is to move forward towards me. A step... two steps... every day until there's no distance between you and I. Until I can touch you. Until I can feel you. Until you're willing to open your heart for me once again. Until you're able to fully take my hand in yours. And this time, I won't let you go. You know, right?"

Jaejoong could only smile amusedly.

"Don't laugh. I'm being serious here." Yunho complained with a smile and ran his fingers over the other man's hair, loving how soft the locks were under his touch. Then he leaned further and pressed their lips together into a gentle kiss, no tongues involved, just a simple brush of their lips against each other, feeling content.

And when he pulled out a bit, it was Jaejoong who leaned forward this time, pressing their lips together as he was asking for entrance. Yunho sketched a smile over Jaejoong's mouth, happy that his friend was doing the first move towards him this time. And he gave in, accepting the other man's tongue and mingling his with Jaejoong's, kissing the man deeper and wider, lips parting and meeting over and over again until they pulled apart for some air and leaned again to land a few small kisses.

Yunho pressed his forehead against Jaejoong's as he the man's cheek with his thumb tenderly, a smile on his bow shaped lips. "I won't ask anything from you... I'm happy that you kiss me back." He said softly. "But... if you do that because you want to comfort me... Please..."

Jaejoong nodded as he presses his lips together. "Sorry. I won't do that again." He said with a sad smile. Then he stood up from the couch. "You should pick up your phone." The young father added as he turned his eyes towards where the poor device landed in pieces after Yunho had thrown it through the room. "I'm going to bed."

And the older man walked away from his friend in silence with his baby girl still sound asleep in his arms. Once Jaejoong disappeared from the living room and Yunho heard the door of their room close, the man could only heave a sigh and cuss himself for being an idiot.

"Stupid. Stupid Jung Yunho."

What if Jaejoong did want to kiss him because he wanted it and not because he wanted to console him?

"Really... man..." He shook his head and got up from the couch in turn.

The man walked toward where his hand phone was and crouched down to pick up the damaged device. Yunho breathed out forlornly, his fingers around his destroyed phone. He could not help but feel the need to apologize to the other man. And he dropped everything to go find Jaejoong.

Yunho climbed up the stairs in record time. He jogged toward their room and opened the door quickly to find Jaejoong sitting on the edge of the bed, on his side, applying some cream on his hands as he looked up to him.

"I didn't mean to offend you." He let out simply.

"You don't have to worry. I am not offended." Jaejoong said quietly as he lifted his legs and put them on the mattress. He wasn't going to be mad at Yunho. With all the context around them, it was only normal for the other man to behave suspiciously. "I understand you. It's questionable."

"No! It should never be questionable." Yunho replied as he entered the room, closing the door behind him. "Nothing is questionable between us. If you want to kiss me, well kiss me." The man climbed on the bed and sat in front of Jaejoong.

"Yunho."

"I should never question you." Yunho took Jaejoong's hands in his. "You still love me. And kissing someone you love is normal. I am aware of Hana's presence in our relationship. But, sometimes, I feel that I am nothing compared to her. That's... that's why I said that. However, if you..."

"Really... You talk too much." Jaejoong smiled. "I understand you reaction. I won't be angry with you for that. It's right... because of her... I... I won't be able to behave like before in your presence. When you love someone... you want to kiss that person... you want to touch them... And I won't lie. When I look at you, I want to reach out my hand to you. I want to wrap my arms around your neck... and I really want to kiss you. But... every time I want to do all those things... I feel bad..."

"For her?" Yunho asked as he pushed a strand of Jaejoong's hair behind the man's ear.

Jaejoong nodded and heaved a forlorn sigh. "I feel guilty... guilty that... after what she did and gave me... I will easily choose you over her."

"I'm sorry." The younger man said with a smile painting on his lips. He wiped the tears falling down from his friend's eyes. "I'm sorry to make you feel so bad."

"God!" Jaejoong breathed. "Don't. Don't be sorry. You didn't do anything wrong." He leaned his forehead against Yunho's. "This is me... I... I have to let her go... I have to let her go... or else-"

"Don't try too much. She's a part of you. Because... if it wasn't for her, I would never see you again. I would never get you back. She took care of you. She made sure that you were safe and sound. She provided you what you asked from me. Loyalty to you not to a music label." Yunho smiled sadly as he cupped Jaejoong's face between his hands. "I did really screw up everything between us."

"Don't be too harsh with yourself."

"Apply that to you too."

The two men chuckled softly.

"So, I should not be surprised if from time to time I get a kiss from you." Yunho added playfully. And Jaejoong shook his head from left to right, amused by his friend's joyful state. "Good." The younger man nodded with a smile. "When will be the next kiss?" He asked and earned a soft laugh from the other man. "Tell me?"

"I don't know."

"Well, look at me all the time you want. I want you to kiss me soon."

"Okay." Jaejoong said quietly and he leaned towards the other man to press a soft kiss on the tip of the man's nose.

"The lips not the nose!" Yunho whined.

"It's the only thing you get for now."

Yunho growled playfully and dragged his friend in his arms, then he let the two of them collapse on the mattress as he still held Jaejoong in his arms.

"Yunho."

"Let sleep like this. I need comfort." The man said quietly as he buried his face onto the crook of Jaejoong's neck. "I am heartbroken. I discovered that my fans aren't trustworthy. Some people call those who still believe in us five delusional. But I am also someone delusional to believe that all our fans are understanding." He let out a forlorn sigh.

"Don't dwell too much other those kind of things."

"You're right. But I am so disappointed by them."

"Changmin said that some of them were really cheerful about the warm feeling they got from all of us." Jaejoong tried to comfort his friend, running his fingers onto Yunho's hair softly.

"I love those girls." Yunho said as he tucked them under the comforter, trying not to wake up baby Cap. "And this little Princess seems to be really tired." He peeked at Capucine through her father's shoulder. "Didn't even wake up with us talking next to her."

"Babies tend to be like that."

"And talking about babies. My baby should sleep too." The younger man added, brushing their noses together.

"I don't think I can sleep with you stuck on me like that." Jaejoong grimaced.

"If you can't sleep, I know a good way to make you sleep." Yunho stated playfully as he slid his hands under Jaejoong's t-shirt.

"Stop talking nonsense. And sleep!" The young father pinched Yunho's back hand, the one that was under his t-shirt, caressing a part of his skin.

"I'm at your beck and call, baby." The younger man replied with a smile as he brushed his palms over the small of Jaejoong's back.

"Jung Yunho?" Jaejoong chided in a low voice.

"What?" The other man asked as he rose a brow.

"Your hands!"

"They do things on their own." Yunho said matter-of-factly, his hands cupping the other man's bottom.

"Really? On their own?!" Jaejoong asked with disbelief.

"Yes!"

The two men looked at each other for a while, no word coming from them. But, soon, they chuckled and burst into laughter to stop net when they heard some movements coming from Jaejoong's baby girl.

"Shh." Yunho pressed his finger against his lips as he was this time laying on his back with Jaejoong on top of him.

"You started first idiot." The older man hissed.

"Sorry if my hands can't get enough of you."

"Sleep."

"I'm sleeping baby." Yunho said with his eyes closed but his hands still roaming over his friend's back.

Jaejoong could only shake his head as he laughed softly at the way they behaved to each other. It was as if nothing had changed between them. And he thought he still loved it very much.

~~~~~

Far from any kind of stares, three men were enjoying the night as they were sitting around a campfire with beer in their hands while looking up at the dark sky. Doing a sort of camping in the winter season, people would think of them as fools. But, they needed this. And fortunately for them, even in Seoul, they could find somewhere to settle and play boy scout. Of course, they had to pay for the night.

"Should I put another sausage?" Yoochun asked as he was watching the dozen of sausages being roasted above the fire.

"You should. Changmin will eat half of them. And the other half is for us." Junsu said quietly as he was trying to warm his hands above the campfire.

Yoochun nodded and threw on the grill three others sausages. The three fellow companions were going to call the two others to join them but they couldn't expose baby Cap in this cold weather. So it was a alone time for their unit Yoosumin as fans called them.

"Changmin? Give me some mushrooms!" The oldest of the three men said as he turned to their maknae who was sipping onto his beer.

"Here." The young man reached out his free hand toward a plate filled with vegetables and