Changmin made a move to stand up, then hurriedly sat back down to look at Jaejoong with all the intensity puppy dog eyes could give.

"Wait, hyung!" Changmin exclaimed, grabbing both of Jaejjong's shoulders and shaking him lightly but firmly, "We can't go home now! We can't! We've gone too far to go back!"

Jaejoong looked at his Maknae with confusion. Had the concussion caused this...? "Yah. What are you talking about."

Changmin pouted, before resting his chin on Jaejoong's shoulder to give him the full force of his puppy dog eyes. "Hyung~~" he whined, "We have't even bought any food yet~ I'm hungry~" Changmin stretched out the last word so it became impossibly long.

Jaejoong placed an arm around Changmin's shoulder. "Alright, we'll stop by some where, okay?"

Changmin sat up, content. He got up to leave, when he suddenly looked back at Jaejoong. "Hyung."

"What?"

"I wanna change."

"Go then."

"I can't."

"Why? Gotten stupider?"

"Yeah, you have apparently." Snarky as ever.

"Changmin." A warning.

The boy sighed. "I have no clothes, remember? They're all cut up.

"Ah..." Jaejoong nodded, getting up to leave.

"Where are you going?" Changmin asked urgently.

Jaejoong looked at him over his shoulder. "I'm going to ask Jaera noona for some clothes."

Changmin's widened eyes went back to their normal size at Jaejoong's explanation. "I wanna come with you."

"Don't you have a headache?"

Changmin shook his head. "All gone."

Jaejoong nodded. "Sure, okay."

Jaera gave Changmin one of her son's jacket and her daughter's oversized t shirt, since her son was too buff to have a shirt to fit Changmin.

Changmin fidgeted with his bandages often, not liking their presence, but stopped with stern warnings from the two Jaes.

*********

"Alright, Changmin shi," Jaera said as she straightened his jacket and fixed his hair, "Change your bandages at the appointed times and remember to apply the ointments four times a day. If you you need help, Jaejoongie will gladly help you change them. For about the first three weeks, avoid sleeping on your back, it might apply pressure to the shifted spine. It will naturally get back in position, so just give it some time."

Changmin nodded at her every word, itching to go home. He glanced over at Jaejoong, who was leaning against his car. His awesome car. Changmin pouted at the thought. He wanted a car too. He was old enough to drive right? So couldn't he at least have a car?

"Changmin shi? Are you even listening to me?" Jaera asked, gently but firmly turning Changmin's head to look at her. "I'm being serious here."

Changmin blinked at her. What? Oh shoot. He had spaced out again.

"I'm being serious Changmin shi," said Jaera as she placed both her hands on her hips. "If you want to heal properly, listen to me!"

Changmin laughed. Sometimes he couldn't believe that the petite woman before him was actually forty years old and mother to three children.

"Sorry Noona nim. What was it you said?"

Jaera sighed. "I said, you're not allowed to do any streinous activity. This includes running, dancing, working out, skipping. No strain, understand? If you tire your body out, you might collapse on yourself! Understand?"

Changmin nodded, all serious. "I understand Jaera noona nim."

Jaera looked over his shoulder to look at her baby brother. "Did you hear what I just told him, Jaejoong?" she asked, raising her voice slightly.

"Loud and clear!" came the reply.

Jaera walked Changmin to his car, where she then hugged him goodbye and closed the door for him after he slid in. She then walked over to the driver's seat and knocked on the tinted windows. Jaejoong rolled it down, eyes already covered with his shades.

"You look after him okay, kiddo?" she said, as her eyes watered.

Jaejoong nodded stiffly. Jaera took his shades off his face, to reveal teary eyes that matched hers.

"Take care Joongie," she said as she ruffled his hair then kissed his forehead.

A single tear ran down Jaejoong's cheek. Jaera reached to gently wipe it away.

"You too, Noona." he answered as he kissed her cheek. The two hugged awkwardly, since they were hugging through a car window and Jaera's stomach prevented her from leaning in too much. "Hey, do me a favour?"

Jaera let go, tilting her head. "Depends. What is it?"

Jaejoong poked her stomach playfully. "Name him Jaemin."

Jaera smiled, before nodding. "Jaemin it is then."

Jaejoong smiled as well, though it was painful. The thought of them separating always was. Both had no idea when they were going to see each other, because of Jaejoong's occupation. It could be years until they would meet again. The very idea tugged at both their heartstrings

"I'll miss you," Jaera said, her voice cracking, as she squeezed Jaejoong's hand in both of hers.

"I'll miss you too."

They stayed like that for a moment, before Jaejoong broke the silence.

"I have to go, noona..."

Jaera let go of his hand. "Bye, I love you." she managed to say.

"Bye. I love you more." The window was rolled back up, as the engine purred to life.

The car sped away.

***********

Jaejoong was enjoying the silence in the car, since he was busy thinking about his Noona, and how much he would miss her and at the same time feeling guilty for making her cry every time they parted. He felt so bad, I mean, nobody else cries when they say goodbye to their siblings right?

Changmin, however, was fidgeting. He wanted to talk. He really wanted to, but at the same time, he wanted to respect Jaejoong's privacy by giving him a little space for him to think. Changmin had missed him. He had really missed Jaejoong hyung and Yoochun hyung and Junsu hyung. He wanted to make up for every second that they had lost during those three years. He wanted to know whether his hyungs were okay in that other company. He wanted to know why Jaejoong lost eight kilos in the course of three months. He wanted to know how the lawsuit was going. He wanted to know why Junsu hyung was so serious now, and why Yoochun hyung never admitted that he missed him. But mostly he just wanted to TALK.

Jaejoong, as always, noticed the Maknae's discomfort. He wasn't really in the mood to talk, but it had barely been twelve hours since they had reunited. He was sure Changmin was just begging to start a conversation.

"Wae, Maknae?" He watched Changmin break into a smile. He knew the boy was relieved

Changmin was literally bouncing in his seat, but stopped when he realised that it hurt his spine. "Why'd you ask for the baby to be named Jaemin?"

Jaejoong shrugged his shoulders, keeping his eyes on the road. "I thought it would be nice. It has a nice ring to it don't you think? Han Jae Min."

Changmin's lips spread into a sly smile, exposing his pearlie whites. Honestly it was a creepy thing to look at.

"You asked her to name the kid after us, didn't you~? Aww~~ Hyung, you're so cute~~"  Changmin reached over to pinch his hyung's cheek.

Jaejoong laughed and swatted it away. "Yah. Don't laugh at me. I was just thinking of us and I came up with the name out of the blue. But it's nice right, the name?"

Changmin nodded in agreement. "JaeMin." he said, tasting the name on his lips.

"I wanna go shopping." Changmin said suddenly, after staying quiet for exactly thirty-seven seconds. Jaejoong knew. He had counted. "Can we go shopping now hyung? I'm bored. Let's go shopping! Please can we go shopping? I really wanna go shopping! Please hyung, let's go shopping~~" Believe it or not, Changmin had said that all in one breathe. Changmin had whined. He was hungry for attention.

"Alright," Jaejoong answered. "Where do you want to go?"

"Shibuya!" Changmin replied excitedly.

"Shibuya's in Japan, Min..."

"Aww... Please...? I wana go to Shibuya..."

Jaejoong smiled to himself. The boy could be so cute sometimes. "Not now, Min. But one day, we'll go."

Changmin perked up at this. "Really? All the five of us?"

Jaejoong's smile nearly faltered, but he caught it just in time. "Sure. If the other members are willing."

"Yay!"

"Alright, where do you wanna go? It's a Sunday and still early, so there shouldn't be many people around."

Changmin shrugged. The painkillers were still in effect, so he didn't feel any pain when he did so. "As long as there's food and air conditioning. I'm hungry, hyung... Hurry~"

They finally decided on a supermarket they used to shop in. It was located in the country, so they both knew it wouldn't be packed. But still, they unconciously pulled up their hoodies when they prepared to exit the car. Years of living in the spotlight had taught them to cherish what little privacy they had left.

Changmin put on his baseball cap and hospital mask as well, while Jaejoong was satisfied enough with the hoodie. They slipped out of the car, and Changmin made a break for a trolley.

"YAH!! MIN!! Don't run! Doctor's orders!"

Changmin slowed down, and instead, just to irritate Jaejoong further, strode towards the trolleys.

"Umma!" he yelled as he turned around and grabbed a nearby trolley, "I wanna sit inside!"

Jaejoong, who was still some distance away, walked calmly towards him. "Why? Don't embarrass me by doing some stupid things."

Jaejoong reached Changmin, only to see that the younger boy was already latched on to the trolley and he knew Changmin was not intending to let go anytime soon. Unless he gave in of course.

"Pleeeeeeeeeaaaaaaaaaaase hyung... My knees are starting to get tired already..."

Jaejoong glared at him. "I told you not to run, didn't I?!"

"Yay!" Changmin yelled, knowing the answer already, "Thank you! Hyung is the best!" He pecked Jaejoong's cheek as he climbed into the trolley with all the speed and agility of a drunken monkey.

Jaejoong sighed, as he walked into the supermarket, pushing a fully grown twenty three year old man in a trolley. He was thankful that the store was nearly empty when he came in. He had no intention of embarrassing himself.

"What do you want for breakfast today, Min?" Jaejoong asked, as he walked aimlessly among the aisles. Changmin's good arm shot out every now and then to grab something off the shelf.

"Spaghetti." Changmin answered, not looking at him, but grabbing a carton of chocolate milk from a nearby shelf.

"Lunch?"

"Fish and Chips with Pizza."

"Dinner?"

"Umm... OH OH OH!! JAJANGMYEON!!"

Jaejoong laughed at his antics. "Alright. Sure." He pushed the trolley around the aisles, picking out ingredients for the three dishes, as Changmin took more and more of what he wanted. Jaejoong didn't mind. It had been some time since he had spoiled the boy anyway.

"CHOOOO!!"

The sound rang in Jaejoong's ears, and the echo bounced around the supermarket several times to the shock of several staff and customers.

Jaejoong looked down at Changmin. Changmin sniffed.

"Bless you."

"Thank you." Changmin answered as he took off his hospital mask, grossed out by his own saliva that had been practically sprayed into it.

"Jaejoong hyung. What about dessert?" Changmin asked after five minutes of silence.

"What?"

"You didn't ask me what I wanted for dessert..." Changmin leaned into the handle of the trolley, puppy dog eyes now back in full force. He looked just like puss in boots, with his two (bandaged) hands clutching the handle and his chin resting on top of them.

Jaejoong laughed and leaned his arm into the handle. The two of them were so close that if you looked from a certain angle it seemed like they were kissing.

Jaejoong rested his forehead against Changmin's. "Alright brat. What do you want for dessert?"

"CAKE!!" the boy yelled in answer, startling Jaejoong and making him straighten up immediately. Changmin burst into a fit of giggles, highly amused by Jaejoong's reaction. Jaejoong wanted to smack the boy right on the head, but was afraid he'd hit a bruise. So instead, he flicked Changmin's forehead hard enough for him to cease his laughter almost immediately.

"Ow..." Changmin whined as he rubbed his forehead.

"Why cake?" Jaejoong asked, acting as if nothing had happened.

Changmin sulked at him, before turning around and facing the front. Jaejoong waited. He knew Changmin couldn't resist.

True to his prediction, Changmin's quiet tantrum only lasted five minutes, before the boy couldn't take it and his natural chatterboxism got the better of him.

"Because it's our anniversry, idiot!! TVXQ's ninth anniversary! We should celebrate!!"

Jaejoong nodded, agreeing.

"Oh!" Changmin exclaimed suddenly, turning around, "I want chocolate."

"Yes, yes..." Jaejoong murmured, as he pushed the trolley further through the aisles. Changmin's stuff already far exceeded Jaejoong's, and the younger boy was already half buried in his own items. Any more and he would probably drown.

Out of the corner of his eye, Jaejoong saw two teenage girls staring at them. They were whispering to  each other urgently, and Jaejoong knew by instincts that they were talking about Changmin and him.

"Changmin."

"What?"

"Those girls are on to us." He inconspicuously pointed in the girls' direction.

Changmin turned his head to look pointedly at them, before he shrugged and faced the front of the trolley again.

"Let them be. I don't really care. I just wanna enjoy spending my time with you."

Changmin busied himself with choosing between dark chocolate and milk chocolate. In the end he chose both. Jaejoong was touched by the Maknae's words, so he kept quiet, enjoying the moment.

Changmin soon decided that the two of them had bought enough food, so Jaejoong pushed the trolley towards the counter to pay. As they walked down aisle towards the nearest counter, they were momentarily blinded by a camera flash. Both spun around, alarmed, only to see someone with a camera turn from them and run.

"Well," said Changmin, looking up at his hyung, "Now we know what tomorrow's headlines will be."

Jaejoong shrugged. "I never cared for news articles anyway."

He knew that this was a step forward for Lee Soo Man. By seeing the two of together, the public would be expecting a comeback. A reunion.

Even when he tried, Jaejoong always winded back in the palms of Lee Soo Man.

He sighed, lifting his hoodie to cover his face properly. He decided to think about such things later.

They went to the counter to pay, and both saw the cashier's eyes widen in surprise at the sight of a fully grown man riding in a trolley.

"Devoid of a proper childhood, huh?" she asked.

Changmin nodded seriously. "This is why you should always treasure your childhood while you still have it."

The cashier nodded her head in a pseudo-serious manner. "Of course."

Jaejoong and Changmin both knew that she recognized them, and were thankful that she hadn't said anything about them. They wanted to be treated like normal people for once.

"150,400 won please," she said.

Jaejoong paid the exact amount to her, before asking Changmin to get out so he could place the items back inside the trolley.

They walked back to their car and drove home.

Jaejoong parked the car and was about to get out when he saw the look in Changmin's eyes.

"Scared to go home?" he asked, jolting Changmin back to reality.

Changmin bit his lips nervously before answering. "A bit, I guess."

Jaejoong ran a hand through his hair. If Soo Man's suggestion was ever going to work, he needed Changmin and Yunho to get along like they always did. Which could be considerede quite a feat, considering what happened.

"Listen Min," Jaejoong started, "I know what Yunho did was scary and unlke him, but you have to understand that he's been in a lot of stress lately. And you know people do stupid things when they get stressed, right? What Yunho did yesterday was an accident, you know that, right Min? He's so sorry that he hurt you, and he's killing himself now. Everyone makes mistakes. Yunho just needs to cool down on his own and heal. You know he loves you, right? He wouldn't do anything intentional to hurt you. You know that, don't you, Min?"

Changmin sighed. "I know that hyung." he said, touching his cheek, right where Yunho back-handed him. "But... just thinking about it... Just imagining what would've happened if he hadn't stopped scares me…”

Jaejoong squeezed Changmin’s knee lightly, but stopped when he saw the boy wince at his action.

“But you know he stopped, don’t you?”

Changmin shook his head. “You don’t get it hyung. I still love Yunho. And I know I’ll forgive him, but I just don’t know when. Just… Give me some time okay?” Changmin smiled painfully.

Jaejoong nodded. “Okay.”

They came home to see awkward tension hanging in the air, filling the room thickly enough to choke them. Yunho, Junsu and Yoochun were all in the living room, none looking at each other, as they all sat on different armchairs.

Nobody looked up when they entered, so Jaejoong decided to improvise

“I’m home!!” he yelled cheerfully.

Changmin decided that he didn’t like the atmosphere either, so he tagged along with the unnecessary excitement in Jaejoong’s voice.

“And we brought food!” he yelled, “We’re having spaghetti for breakfast!!”

Finally, the tension seemed to simmer down, and the three of them broke into a smile.

Yoochun got up to greet them and looked Changmin over.

“I presume you’ve been to the doctor’s?”

Changmin nodded impatiently. “Yes, yes, I’m all fixed up. Can we eat now? I’m hungry!”

Jaejoong laughed as Junsu came to help them carry the ridiculous amount of items he and Changmin had bought. Yoochun did the same, and the three of them entered the kitchen, momentarily leaving Changmin alone with Yunho.

There was an awkward silence as the two of them stared at each other, with Changmin still standing at the door and Yunho sitting down on the couch.

Changmin couldn’t take the silence any longer.

“I went to the doctor just now…” he started, “It was Jaejoong’s noona. She said she would keep the matter private, so you… um… don’t have to worry about getting in trouble.”

It sounded weird, and Changmin really had no intention of it coming out like that. He wanted to say something else to correct himself, when Yunho nodded and got up. He began walking towards Changmin, his focus zeroing on the arm sling on Changmin’s arm.

As he came closer, Changmin couldn’t help but be… afraid. He was scared. Not of his hyung, but he remembered the beating his hyung gave him. Remembered the pain. Remembered the crazy look on Yunho’s face.

Before he could stop himself, Changmin had backed up against the door. He knew what he looked like, as Yunho suddenly stopped in his tracks.

“Did I…” he started.

Changmin followed his gaze and understood, albeit a bit too late, as he saw the tears well up in Yunho’s eyes.

“Ah! No no! Of course not! My arm’s not broken! It’s just that I cracked a few ribs so the doctor…”

Changmin stopped himself again when he saw Yunho’s reaction. Oops. Wrong choice of words again.

“Um, it’s fine actually! Jaera noona nim gave me some painkillers so the pain went away and…”

Again, the Maknae stopped. Yunho’s tears had started falling. He had covered his mouth with the palm of his hand and was looking towards the floor. He then ran a hand through his hair.

“Oh God Changmin… I can’t believe…”

“Save it,” said a cold voice behind him.

Yunho turned around to look at Yoochun, who still had the hate in his eyes. God, Yoochun ha never looked at him like that. With such… HATE.

Yunho shuddered as Yoochun brushed past him to gently take the Maknae by his wrist, pulling him away from Yunho, towards the kitchen. Changmin couldn’t help but glance back at his leader. Yunho’s back was towards him, and Changmin saw Yunho’s shoulders shake with pain and silent sobs.

“Hyung… Yoochun hyung…” whined Min.

Yoochun turned around to look at him.

“Why’d you do that? Yunho hyung wanted to say something…”

Yoochun tilted his head. “What do you mean?”

“Yunho hyung and I were just… talking.” Changmin felt the unexplainable need to protect his leader, even though he had done this to him. “He wasn’t… doing anything to me, we were just… talking…”

Yoochun looked at him critically. “I don’t want the two of you alone together. I don’t trust Yunho’s judgement anymore. He almost killed you, Min! He should be thankful that I didn’t report this to the authorities.”

Changmin tsked in annoyance. “Hyung, what happened between Yunho and me… It was just an accident. People lose their temper sometimes, it happens. It isn’t anything abnormal.”

“Shim Changmin what are you talking about? He almost killed you. He hurt you so bad. And what? You’re fine with that? Listen Min, I’m back now. I’ll protect you this time, okay? I promise.”

Changmin laughed cruelly at the statement. “Protect me? No you won’t. You were gone for three years hyung. Three whole years. All those times when I fell, when I fainted, when I cried, when I missed you, where were you? You left me. And you dare say you’ll protect me this time? What? You promised? The first promise we made as a group was to never leave each other! What happened to that promise, huh?! Tell me! You three were gone! You left me all alone to suffer while all you did was chase money that was waved in front of you! You know what? Through all those ty times, the only person, the ONLY ONE PERSON who was there for me, to catch me when I fell was Yunho hyung! You think just because you suddenly step back into my life that makes you the boss of me? Well it doesn’t, hyung! It doesn’t!”

Yoochun was stunned into silence. Changmin had never poured his heart out, never like this.

“You know what?” Changmin continued, pointing at his injuries, “Yunho may have done this to me, but at least he didn’t leave me. He stayed hyung. He stayed when you didn’t! He stayed when I started cutting my wrists, he stayed when I began clinging on to him, even after he beat me like this, he still stayed with me hyung! SOMETHING YOU DIDN’T!!”

Changmin was crying, panting hard at his outburst. He knew he shouldn’t have said that, but it was too late to take back the words now. He turned around and ran past Yunho, and then out the door.

Yunho and Yoochun stared dumbly at the door,  before turning to stare at each other, mouths open in shock. Jaejoong came out of the kitchen, intending to ask Changmin to come and help with the cooking, when he saw the two mens’ faces.

“What happened? Where’s Changmin?”

Yunho stared at him. “He… ran.”

Jaejoong immediately shot out the door, running at full speed.

The three others, confused and worried, instinctively followed.