#flowerymisha

“Mr. Byun?”

Baekhyun glanced up from the folder in his hands at the mention of his name. His eyebrows quirked slightly. He expected to see a middle-aged man with wrinkled eyebrows and thick moustache, but the person before him was far from it.

“Yes.”

The male was still young, perhaps no older than him. He had a pair of long legs, something that Baekhyun was actually willing to kill for. His long, blond hair was combed backwards. The style was pretty boring in Baekhyun’s sense, but at least it was tidy. And for someone who worked for the government, he was very, very good-looking.

He should be a model instead, Baekhyun absently thought as he cleared his throat.

“You are…?”

“Oh Sehun,” the male politely introduced himself as he offered his hand. Baekhyun stared at the proffered hand for a few seconds before finally accepting it. “Thank you for waiting. It’s almost time, Mr. Byun. Shall we go now?”

“Oh. Uh…” Baekhyun dropped his gaze to the folder on his lap. “Sure.”

“I assume you’ve read all the files we give you?”

“I have.”

“Good,” Sehun commented nonchalantly. “Then I’m sure we can proceed immediately.” The blond-haired agent was about to turn around when Baekhyun called out his name.

“Wait, Mr. Oh,” Baekhyun stood up hastily and he almost dropped the file from his lap. “Before we even get to that…I need to make sure about some things first. I hope you don’t mind…”

Sehun looked a bit confused—or annoyed, Baekhyun wasn’t sure—at first, but then he shook his h0065ad.

“Great, thank you. Then let me be blunt. First, all of these things…” Baekhyun motioned the folder that was still in his hand. “…all of the stuffs that I’ve read. They are…confidential, correct?”

“…that’s right.”

“So let me get this straight, you—that means the government, too—want me to interrogate a guy that’s going to secret trial tomorrow, which no one will realize there is even one. So this is strictly…confidential.”

“Classified.” Sehun simply narrowed his eyes. Baekhyun got the impression that he was bored. “Yes.”

“Will I…will I be safe, then?”

There was a pause. “What do you mean by that?”

“What are the chances that I might still be alive after the interrogation?”

Sehun frowned. He seemed disagree. “Why would you not be alive?”

“I don’t know. You know how government works.” Baekhyun shrugged coolly, although he was kind of worried. “One moment you say you need my help, the next moment I’ll be dead when you have everything you need.”

It was obvious that Sehun did his best not to smile. “That’s not going to happen.”

“I’m not so sure,” Baekhyun crossed his arms on his chest defensively. “I’m not going inside until I know I’m safe.”

Sehun exhaled in resignation. He thought he had seen this coming. “Very well. What is it that you ask for, Mr. Byun?”

Baekhyun stared at Sehun in a serious manner. His tone was laced with a hint of uncertainty when he said,

“I want no recording.”

    Jongin’s first jump happened when he was five years old.

He had no idea how.

All he could remember was that he felt utterly sad and brokenhearted when his parents told him they wouldn’t be living together anymore. His parents told him that from that moment, Jongin was going to live with his father and Junmyeon was going to live with his mother.

Junmyeon.

Sure, Jongin was sad that his parents weren’t going to be together anymore, but Junmyeon…his brother was different.

His brother was his.

And no one, no one, could take him away from him.

Not even his mother.

Jongin cried loudly, bawling his eyes out as he begged Junmyeon to stay. Junmyeon, unable to do anything, could only return his brother’s hug with a voiceless sob. He was just as powerless as Jongin. No matter what they did, the decision was final, and they didn’t need to be adults to understand it.

When the car Junmyeon was in drove away and disappeared from his peripheral vision, Jongin ran into his room angrily. He ignored his father who was calling out his name and slammed the door as hard as he could as a sign of protest before locking it.

Jongin buried his face into the pillow with mixed feelings.

Starting tomorrow, his brother would be around no more.

What did he do so that he deserved this?

What did he do…?

No, it wasn’t him. It was his parents. It wasn’t him…

…right?

It hadn’t been a day since Junmyeon left, but Jongin already felt lonely.

The boy clenched his pillow tightly and gritted his teeth, wondering why the anger just wouldn’t go away. His pillow was already wet with tears, but he didn’t care. In order to calm himself down, his mind flew to the places he used to go with Junmyeon.

The playground by the park.

The library.

The river near the highway.

Jongin whimpered.  Right then, he just kind of wanted to be there. He wanted to be at one of his favorite places with Junmyeon. Laughing around, playing together… Jongin took a deep breath and he put a lot of effort imagining the places in his mind—as if he didn’t, his memories with Junmyeon would disappear. Jongin just wanted to be there so badly…

The river.

All of a sudden, his surrounding was shaking and he felt hard wind gushing to his face.

The next thing Jongin knew, he was by the river with his pillow.

    “Are you sure about this?”

Sehun’s voice jerked Baekhyun out of his reverie.

“He’s a dangerous person, you know,” Sehun said as he tucked his phone away. “If you really want to save yourself, don’t you think it would be better if the recording is on? That way, if anything happens to you while you’re inside, we can still find out what. And someone should be able to do something about it.”

Baekhyun hesitated momentarily, but then he shook his head. “No recording. And besides, I’m not alone. You’re going to be in the room with me.”

“…if that’s what you want, then.”

    Jongin then learned how to control his power after countless (failed) efforts.

It was hard, very hard, considering that he was still just a kid. To make it worse, he couldn’t tell anyone about it—it wasn’t like teleporting was a normal thing to do.  He kept it a secret, because he didn’t want to be considered as a freak.

He wasn’t one.

The power he had, it was…a gift.

Yeah. A gift.

If Junmyeon was there, he would’ve said so.

The thought of Junmyeon always made Jongin feel a bit better.

They still talked through the phones sometimes, but it wasn’t enough. Jongin felt like Junmyeon was avoiding him, or was the timing just not right every time he made a phone call? They were brothers, but even Jongin could tell they grew apart and apart.

The younger of the two thought of telling Junmyeon about his ability, but…what if the latter rejected him? What if Junmyeon thought it wasn’t a gift, that it was a curse instead…? He wouldn’t be able to live with it if it ever happened… Jongin was so scared about losing Junmyeon more than he already had, so he kept it to himself—at least until he was strong and brave enough to tell his brother.

Eventually, Jongin managed to control it. The river where he used to play with Junmyeon was the most often place he teleported to. The first few times after he teleported, Jongin took a bus home, but then he learned that he could teleport anywhere he wanted to, as long as he was able to imagine the place perfectly.

His bedroom.

 His school.

Even the shopping centre.

Jongin was never too brave to try someplace far, simply because he told himself that he was just a kid.

He should wait until he got older.

When he was seventeen years old, Jongin considered that he had enough experiences and decided to teleport to Junmyeon’s dorm. His brother was already in college at that time, and it had been years since they last met. Jongin felt like it was time for him to be free and travel the world.

And preferably, it was time to tell Junmyeon.

Junmyeon’s jaw dropped involuntarily like he just saw a ghost when Jongin suddenly appeared in front of him. Jongin was so happy he made it there safely that he could only laugh at the older male’s dumb expression. He pulled Junmyeon into a tight hug before the latter got to say anything, hastily telling him that he would explain everything later.

“J—Jongin? How did—”

 Jongin pulled away for a moment only to examine his brother’s face.

“Jongin—”

His brother had always been beautiful, but he was far more beautiful right then.

“Yes, Hyung, it’s me. I swear, I’ll explain everything later…”

There was a lot of explaining to do, but right now, all Jongin wanted to do was to hug Junmyeon close and never let go.

He loved it when Yifan leaned closer to him in public, whispering how beautiful he was even in such simple outfits. He loved it when Yifan had the urge to hold his hand every time they went to public places, as if to show everyone that Junmyeon belonged to him and no one else, and that he was there to protect him from harm. He loved it when Yifan preferred to kiss his eyelids instead of his lips, because it was easier to reach when they were walking side by side.

There were a lot of things Junmyeon loved about Yifan, but he loved it the most whenever it was just the two of them in Yifan’s apartment, doing nothing but exchanging kisses and stories about their lives.

They were happy.

They were all right.

They were comfortable with each other.

Then why did Junmyeon feel so insecure…?

Honestly, Junmyeon had never expected the two of them would become ‘official’. All this time, he thought they were never going to be more than friends. There were some significant differences between them, but Junmyeon chose to ignore those facts. Simply because friends accepted each other just the way they were, no complaint, full stop.

Except that they weren’t friends anymore.

Junmyeon cast his worry aside because deep down inside, he knew he liked Yifan. He really liked him, which was no doubt. The weeks eventually rolled into months, and slowly, but surely, what Junmyeon feared started coming true.

The gap eventually showed up.

It was the way they looked at things. At everything. At life.

Yifan was a year older than Junmyeon.

The two of them were still in university, but unlike Junmyeon, Yifan didn’t seem to pay attention much to his education. He had magnificent height, so Junmyeon wasn’t surprised when Yifan said he did some modeling to make money between classes. Even though his boyfriend said ‘some’, apparently, it went very well. Yifan said he never considered the possibility of making it a career, but the lady of fortune seemed to be taking his side because exactly two and a half weeks after that, a well-known model agency offered him a contract.

Junmyeon wasn’t surprised.

Of course he wasn’t.

His boyfriend was handsome—too handsome, in fact. Junmyeon was certain that girls—and guys—really loved his Chinese-Canadian face on their screens and magazines and don’t get him started about the smile…gosh, the smile, it was one of the things Junmyeon loved the most about Yifan.

If only Junmyeon had voiced out his thoughts.

The first contract was a short-term and it expired in a few weeks. Unfortunately for Junmyeon, Yifan did excellent and the agency offered another contract. Only this time, it wasn’t going to be just a few weeks anymore.

Yifan was eager to take it.

Junmyeon was itching to shake his head when Yifan asked for his opinion, what he thought about it. He wanted to tell Yifan that he should focus to his education first, but he couldn’t bring himself to say those words. Yifan looked so happy and Junmyeon—half-faking it—was happy, too. Besides, it was just for a few weeks…nothing bad would come out of it.

But when Yifan excitedly informed Junmyeon that he was given the chance to expand his career in other country, the latter kind of knew what would happen next.

Junmyeon merely bloomed into a (forced) smile at Yifan’s delighted expression. His boyfriend was so happy and lucky at the same time, and who was he to ruin all that? Almost heavily, Junmyeon told Yifan that he should chase his dreams no matter what happened. Although deep down inside he was whimpering, on the outer side, he kept his happy mask. He realized that it would be cruel to tell Yifan how he really felt about this whole modeling thing because for him, education had always been the most important thing while it didn’t seem to be the same with his boyfriend.

Nevertheless, Junmyeon wanted the best for Yifan.

And if Yifan thought being an international model was the best for him, then so be it.

Even if their relationship was at stake.

This is an old fic and I decided to just post...no one's going to read this anyway n_n

      Yixing broke up with Jongdae a few weeks after their relationship went public.

Jongdae had never thought it would hurt this much.

When Yifan kissed Junmyeon in public, it was then that Jongdae realized they actually had nothing to fear. Their relationship had been kept secret for almost a year, but it was stupid of them—him, specifically—to do that. So what if they were in different houses? They were very much in love, and nothing could ever get between them.

Or so Jongdae thought.

When Yixing asked him to go to the ball together, Jongdae was very happy. It was the day he had been waiting for. To be able to lean closer like a spoiled child to Yixing. To be able to hold hands together without feeling scared. To be able to dance together with their noses pressed against each other like nothing else mattered in the world. At the ball, Jongdae noticed a lot of people turned their heads to look at them (holding hands) with shocked expressions, but no (rude) comments were made.

It wasn’t like Jongdae was a bad person. Both he and Yixing were Prefects, which meant that they were the best in their houses.

After their public appearance at the ball, Jongdae thought it was a fresh start for both of them. They still had two years to stick together through classes and horrible exams until they graduated. And then they would get married, had decent jobs and lived together happily ever after.

But Jongdae was wrong for thinking that way.

Yixing looked so gloomy when he said he needed to talk to Jongdae, and the latter’s heart dropped slightly at that. It was never a good thing whenever someone said ‘they needed to talk’. Jongdae wished it was just his imagination, that Yixing really needed to talk to him about something important.

But happy endings clearly just happened in fairy tales.

The word ‘sorry’ kept on coming from Yixing’s mouth, and before Jongdae even got the chance to ask more like ‘why’, the former had already left.

Jongdae stared wordlessly at Yixing’s back as the latter walked away. He tried to call for the older male, but nothing came out of his mouth. Jongdae could hear the sound of his heart breaking when Yixing disappeared from his vision, and he couldn’t help but think that Yixing was ashamed of the fact that he was a Ravenclaw.

All Slytherins do.

          Junmyeon was unable to say anything when Jongdae informed him the news.

He could tell that the Hufflepuff Prefect was thinking very hard to say something to comfort him, but really, there was nothing that could make him feel better at the moment. Jongdae showed Junmyeon a row of his perfect white teeth, as if to say don’t worry, he would recover in no time. Junmyeon didn’t look convinced at all, but he said nothing in return.

Whenever Jongdae was alone, he tried to think of a few possibilities as why their relationship came to an end. Did he do something wrong...? Did he make Yixing angry...? Did he accidentally say something that hurt Yixing...? Endless questions were running through his mind, but whatever it was the he was assuming, his thought would always go back to one question:

Is it because Yixing is a Slytherin and he’s a Ravenclaw?

Jongdae groaned and mentally scolded himself for such an irrational thoughts. He recalled Leeteuk-seonsangnim’s wise words of ‘relationship was relationship’ and ‘it had nothing to do with the house’.

Maybe Yixing just couldn’t continue. Maybe it was as simple as that.

Despite the fact that they were in different houses, it was a tad hard to avoid each other especially when they both took Ancient Runes. Jongdae pretended he didn’t see the way Yixing looked away when they stumbled upon each other. If he was being honest to himself, then it hurt. It freaking hurt, because how could Yixing threw away what they had so easily...?

Jongdae thought what they had was real. A year wasn’t exactly a short time, and it was nothing compared to Junmyeon and Yifan’s relationship. The other couple had been together for three years before their relationship went public.

Maybe, Jongdae grimaced darkly. We’re just not meant to be...

Days passed by in a breeze, and Junmyeon still sent Jongdae a worried look every time they were together. But Jongdae would always put on his best smile and acted like everything was all right. Like his break-up hadn’t affected anything in his life. He was still the usual Kim Jongdae.

The perfect Ravenclaw Prefect.

Although Jongdae would be lying to say he wasn’t sad. Deep down inside, Yixing had everything he—and his parents—ever wanted. Honestly, there were a thousand things about Yixing that he loved, and if he could write them all down, it would probably be an autobiography. Jongdae realized that he needed to stop when he woke up in tears for the umpteenth time that week. The male clutched his chest tightly as he buried his face into his pillow, trying to muffle his sobs so that he wouldn’t wake up his roommates.

He needed to stop.

Because maybe, just maybe, Jongdae was also glad that they were over because then he wouldn’t have to live in lies.

          Jongdae knew he needed to move on, but it was always easier to be said than done.

A week after that, he found himself caressing ChenChen’s black fur absently. It was Sunday, and he took the opportunity to rest and drop by the owl’s room. Jongdae curved his lips upward into a small smile when his owl purred at him.

“I’m sorry,” Jongdae uttered softly like he knew what the bird was saying. “You’re not gonna send letters to XingXing anymore...and I’m not in the mood to find anyone new. You’re probably jobless for the rest of your life.” ChenChen squeaked as a reply and Jongdae chuckled. He continued to caress the black owl’s fur, his eyes getting distant as he sighed. “I wonder what Yixing-hyung’s doing right now...”

His moment of peace was disturbed by the sound of the door. It creaked as it swung open and Jongdae gasped in surprise because he didn’t really expect anyone to be there. Who would want to be with their owls when they could grab Butterbeer or sleep in the dorm? Someone peeked into the room and Jongdae was greeted by a pair of scary eyes. The other male looked like he needed more sleep because there were obvious bags under his eyes.

“Is this the pet’s room?” The male asked casually as he scanned around the place.

“U—um,” Jongdae frowned. “It’s the owl’s room, actually.”

“Oh.” He paused as he gazed down at the transparent box in his hand. “Does it mean I can’t put my snake here?”

Jongdae went pale at the (stupid) question. “Of course you can’t. I don’t think snakes and owls would get along...”

The male pouted. “Then where should I put my pet?”

“Who has snake as a pet anyway?” Jongdae muttered quietly with a roll of eyes. “Snakes can’t fly and you can’t expect him to deliver a message....” He waved a hand dismissively. “Pets other than owls are being taken care of under Madam Jessica’s supervision. You can bring it there...”

The male ran a hand through his hair and Jongdae automatically held his breath. “Okay,” he said and turned around to leave the room.

Jongdae was still holding his breath for an unknown reason. He slowly let it out and was about to turn his attention back to ChenChen when the panda-eyed male walked back into the room.

“Are you going to stand there for the rest of your life?”

Jongdae almost jumped at the sudden voice. “H—huh?”

“I clearly don’t know the way to Madam Jessica. Are you going to accompany me or what?”

Jongdae gaped at how rude he was. Who is this kid?? If he wanted some help, all he needed to do was to ask politely! Jongdae puffed his cheeks in dismay, deciding that the male definitely had some issues with manners. He could always decline, but then he pressed his lips firmly before taking his owl back into its cage.

“See you later, Chen,” Jongdae said softly as he locked the owl’s cage. ChenChen purred softly in reply and Jongdae patted his pet’s head before walking to the other male with a sigh. When they were close enough, Jongdae noticed that he definitely lost when it came to height, and...oh wow, the male was quite handsome upclose... Wait, what the hell was I thinking? “Follow me.”

The scary male did as he was told. They were walking quietly for a second and there was a hint of sincerity as the other male spoke. “I’m sorry to disturb your personal time with your owl...”

Jongdae’s eyes softened as he turned to look at the taller male. On second thought, maybe he wasn’t that bad.

“It’s all right... I was just checking on him anyway.”

“Yeah, it’s not healthy to talk too much to your owl like it’s human.”

Jongdae’s jaw dropped involuntarily at the remark and his face flushed at the accusation—statement? Scratch ‘he wasn’t that bad’. This male needed a manner class! Jongdae managed to hold himself from clawing the male’s face as he indignantly asked, “Excuse me, but who are you...?”

“Huang Zitao,” he introduced himself with a shameless grin. “I’m a transfer student from China. My father got promoted to Korean Gringgots Bank so we had to follow him.”

“China...?” Jongdae blinked rapidly, forgetting his anger aside. “But your Korean is...good.”

Zitao shrugged. “I’m pretty good with languages. If it wasn’t because of my father’s job, I would have never come here. But who knows, I might like this place after all... I thought of leaving Panda behind, but then I decided to just take him with me.”

Jongdae blinked. “Panda?”

Zitao pointed at his snake and Jongdae almost tripped on his own foot. Not only that he needed to take a manner class, he probably needed help in naming his pet.

Jongdae slowed his steps down as they were getting nearer to their destination and motioned to the hallway. “You’re almost there. Just go straight that way and it’s the first door on your right.”

“Aren’t you coming with me?”

“My common room is this way. You’ll be fine on your own. It’s not like you’re gonna get lost.”

Zitao narrowed his eyes curiously at the hallway behind Jongdae. “...you’re a Ravenclaw.”

Jongdae cleared his throat, suddenly getting nervous at the tone Zitao was using. “That’s right. I assume you’re from the other house...?”

“The best house,” Zitao corrected proudly. “The Serpents.”

Jongdae froze.

Slytherin.

Zitao smiled too brightly to Jongdae’s liking. “Nice to meet you—hey, wait!“

Jongdae turned around to leave before the Chinese male got to finish his sentence. He ignored the sound of protest Zitao was making and hastily ran toward Ravenclaw’s common room.

I'm rusty... I'm sorry :"(

          Chanyeol and Baekhyun had been dating since college.

The two of them were freshmen at that time. Chanyeol said it was love at first sight, Baekhyun said he only accepted to shut the former up (but of course he was joking). They were young. They still were. And just like what happened to people their age—moreover to people who were in a relationship—they had problems. They had arguments, they disagreed about a thing or two, but it was nothing they couldn’t solve.

They never broke up.

Not even once.

Baekhyun was the best thing that had ever happened to Chanyeol, and the latter would be stupid to ever let him go.

But because they were still young, most of their friends thought that their love story would end the moment they graduated. That their relationship was nothing more than a college fling. Well, Chanyeol was more than happy to prove that they were wrong. Only a week after they graduated, the taller of the two asked Baekhyun without hesitation to move in with him. Baekhyun, flustered from the happiness and shock, didn’t even need time to think but to say yes immediately.

They were happy.

Sure, they were young, they barely had money, but they were in love.

And it was enough to start a deeper relationship.

They were probably rushing to live together since they were freshly graduated, but Chanyeol didn’t think that it was a problem. Their relationship had been going for so long that he needed nothing else but Baekhyun, and with the beautiful male by his side, Chanyeol would be able to face anything.

Anything.

But perhaps it was too soon for him to have such thought.

Baekhyun was the first one to get a job.

Chanyeol remembered screaming for Baekhyun when the latter came home in a rush, stuttering that he just got a phone call that said he got accepted. The two of them were laughing and dancing at the unbelievably good news. Chanyeol remembered pulling Baekhyun into his arms, congratulating the shorter male and told him how proud he was of him.

To be honest, it had never occurred to Chanyeol that he would work in an office from nine-to-five, but that kind of job suit Baekhyun.

Baekhyun had always been the tidier one of the two. His boyfriend looked (very) adorable with a body-fit suit and a tie—which always resulted in Chanyeol teasing him every morning by pulling the tie off before Baekhyun went to work. Baekhyun would cry in protest as he tried to shove the taller male away, but he would always fail. The scene always ended with Chanyeol kissing Baekhyun too romantically until the two of them (almost) forgot that Baekhyun had work to do.

And then Baekhyun would whisper against Chanyeol’s lips that he loved him.

Chanyeol would return those words back, because it was the truth.

I love you.

It was Baekhyun’s favorite sentence.

It was Chanyeol’s favorite sentence, too.

      Time flew by so fast that without Chanyeol realizing it, several weeks had passed by since then.

The taller male mentally told himself that he wouldn’t lose to Baekhyun. Not because of the good job his boyfriend had, but because they had bills to pay. Sure, he had his savings, but now that he had graduated, his parents wouldn’t be sending him money anymore and if he didn’t do anything about it, he would certainly go broke.

But Chanyeol wasn’t as lucky as Baekhyun every time he got called for a job interview. He was pretty sure he had done everything right—including getting a good luck kiss from Baekhyun every time he was about to go. His clothes were decent. His hair was styled neatly. Most of all, he smelled good (thank goodness for Baekhyun’s perfume).

But still, he hadn’t gotten accepted everywhere.

Weeks turned into a month, and when it turned into another month, Chanyeol was still jobless.

Needless to say, he was starting to get a bit depressed about it.

He was trying, but it seemed like it wasn’t good enough.

Chanyeol died a little inside every time Baekhyun came home. The smaller male seemed tired and tensed whenever he arrived at their apartment. Chanyeol understood that Baekhyun was probably affected by his work, but…deep down inside, he wished Baekhyun wouldn’t have to suffer. He wished it were him instead. Chanyeol wished it were him who worked from nine-to-five and earned much money, so that Baekhyun wouldn’t feel tired and tensed.

Baekhyun never said anything, but sometimes he gave Chanyeol an unreadable look, one that would make any lover felt doubt. Was it a look of disappointment, Chanyeol couldn’t tell, but sometimes it was so intense that negative thoughts began to occupy his mind.

What’s on your mind, Baek…?

What if…Baekhyun had been thinking how unreliable he was?

What if Baekhyun thought Chanyeol wasn’t trying hard enough?

What if Baekhyun thought he was useless?

Chanyeol mentally berated himself. No. He didn’t want that to ever happen. Chanyeol didn’t want Baekhyun to think badly of him. But he knew that it couldn’t go on for too long. All this time, Baekhyun had never protested, but if Chanyeol didn’t get a job soon…

Baekhyun leaving him was the last thing he wished for in his life.

For the sake of earning money, Chanyeol began applying for some part-time jobs in convenience stores. Ironically, he got accepted within a single glance. The owner didn’t even bother to ask why someone like him, who had graduated from one of the good colleges, applied there instead of well-known companies. Either the owner didn’t care, or he was just in urgent need of an employee.

Chanyeol didn’t feel like telling Baekhyun, simply because he didn’t want the latter to feel ashamed of dating someone who didn’t have a decent job. The first few days, Chanyeol managed to hide it by going to work after Baekhyun left. But it must’ve been his bad luck that morning when Baekhyun came back to their apartment because he forgot something.

“Where are you going?” Baekhyun looked a bit surprised when he saw Chanyeol was already dressed up. “Do you have an interview?”

Chanyeol’s throat went dry. For a moment, he was unsure of what to do. It was easier to say yes. It was a lot easier to lie to Baekhyun, but Chanyeol changed his mind halfway. He knew sooner or later, no matter how hard he tried to hide it, eventually his boyfriend was going to find out.

“…no.”

“No? Are you going with someone?”

“I have a job, Baek.”

Baekhyun looked taken aback and Chanyeol felt his heart aching at his boyfriend’s expression.

“I swear, it’s nothing like you imagine,” Chanyeol waved his hand dismissively, doing his best to make it sound like it was nothing. “In fact, it’s not even my dream job. It’s just temporary until I find a steady one. Besides, we’ve got bills to pay, and—“

“Chanyeol, I don’t mind about the—“

“But I do mind, Baek,” Chanyeol said sternly and Baekhyun looked even more taken aback this time. “I mean, look at you. You’re…” He paused as he helplessly examined Baekhyun’s expression. Baekhyun might look okay on the outside, but Chanyeol knew he wasn’t. “…exhausted.”

“I…“ Baekhyun trailed off, but it was obvious that uncertainty was all over his face. “I’m not…”

“You’re not very convincing, babe,” Chanyeol almost snorted. He didn’t miss the way Baekhyun’s eyes widening in shock at his retort. Crap. How did it turn like this…? Chanyeol pressed his palm against his forehead momentarily before shifting his gaze back to Baekhyun. “Look… I just, I don’t want you to overwork, okay? And like I said, it’s just going to be temporary…until I find a steady job.”

Baekhyun didn’t comment anything and Chanyeol took the chance to continue.

“Trust me on this, Baek.”

Baekhyun visibly sank his teeth on his lower lip. The male looked like he was about to cry—and Chanyeol had no idea why—but in the end, he managed to nod.

“…all right.”

      Chanyeol knew that working at the convenience store meant that he made less money than Baekhyun, but at least it was enough to help their income.

It was just temporary.

The words were the mantra Chanyeol kept on enchanting to himself in order to hold on. It was supposed to be temporary, but when another month had passed since Chanyeol started working and he hadn’t found a new job, he became angry with himself.

It irritated Chanyeol so much that he was starting not to pay attention to Baekhyun.

They hadn’t really talked to each other because both of them were tired by the time they got home. Chanyeol and Baekhyun would take turns taking a shower, changing their clothes, and then went straight to bed after. Baekhyun had become quiet for the past few days, but Chanyeol decided that he wouldn’t ask anything, because the latter feared that if one of them started talking, it would lead to a fight.

What if Baekhyun was really disappointed in him?

The entire negative ‘what if’s came back to Chanyeol and they wouldn’t go away. The fear was still there, like it refused to vanish. The couple was too occupied with their own thoughts that they rarely had dinner together anymore. A small part of Chanyeol felt sad for the fact, but he didn’t allow himself to feel sad.

Not until he could make Baekhyun happy.

And by making Baekhyun happy, was to find a better job.

They still slept on the same bed, but lately only their backs were facing each other and not their faces. That night, Chanyeol was a bit tired because work had been draining him physically and the male nearly fell into a deep slumber when all of a sudden, Baekhyun called out his name.

“Chanyeol…?”

Chanyeol merely sighed and hummed in response. He was too sleepy to even say anything.

“I…”

Baekhyun didn’t finish what he was going to say.

Chanyeol waited for his boyfriend to continue talking, but instead of doing so, Baekhyun only skittered his fingers to Chanyeol’s wrist. The taller of the two slowly opened his eyes, feeling the sensations that bloomed in his heart.

Baek…?

Touching his wrist was Baekhyun’s habit whenever he felt insecure, like to assure himself that Chanyeol wasn’t going anywhere. Chanyeol pondered if he should turn around and face Baekhyun, but after a few moments, he only said,

“I’m right here.”

A pause.

“I know,” Baekhyun whispered. “I just…never mind. Goodnight, Chanyeol…”

“Goodnight, babe.”

“I love you…”

Chanyeol took a deep breath and closed his eyes.

I love you so much more, I swear.

      a/n: failed Pacific Rim!AU.

            When the first Kaiju appeared, Kyungsoo was only sixteen years old.

He was living with his parents in a city located near the sea, so earthquakes weren’t a new thing. However, the quake felt slightly stronger than usual that morning. It seemed dangerous to stay inside the house, so Kyungsoo decided to step outside just until it stopped shaking.

It never did.

Kyungsoo held his breath the minute he realized that the earthquake wasn’t caused by the tectonic movement under the sea.

It was a monster. A gigantic, awful looking monster. Whatever it was, it had arisen from the sea and aimed straight for the city.

Kyungsoo still remembered everything like it was only yesterday. The screaming of the people, the terrifying roar of the creature, and the way the buildings went tumbling down like they were merely made of paper… Kyungsoo thought it was the end of the world.

He had never thought he would ever make it.

It took several days for the army to take the monster down. Six days, fifteen hours and twenty minutes, to be exact. Thousands of people had lost their lives and almost every part of the cities was destroyed by the time the monster got defeated. At that moment, the surviving people were at a great loss but they were grateful at the fact that they were still alive.

Days later, scientists were given the authorities to study everything about the monster from the remains while the government rebuilt the cities.

The monster was then called Kaiju.

It was taken from Japanese language, which meant strange beast. Kaiju was believed to have come from a crack in the Pacific Ocean—which later was called ‘the breach’. The day when it had risen from the sea was stated as K-Day—the one day everyone wouldn’t ever forget. Official authorities had been talking on the news that it was over, and it was time for them to move on.

But Kyungsoo had a feeling it wasn’t done yet.

In fact, it was far from over.

            A year later, the second Kaiju appeared.

Kyungsoo didn’t know whether to feel lucky or not because the monster landed on San Francisco. He remembered following all of the news intently, and it wasn’t until five days later that the army managed to take the creature down. And by the time they did, three cities had been destroyed and a lot more lives were gone.

The government later stated that again, the nightmare was over and that they needed to move on, but society didn’t buy it this time. People who called themselves The Resistance asked the government to do something for their safety. If there was a second, there was a possibility that there would be a third. And perhaps a fourth. Worse, fifth. If it really happened…

The great countries all over the world then gathered in Hongkong to hold a meeting about this. They signed an agreement to promise to help each other regarding technologies to build weapons that would help humanity survived.

The military then built a new defense weapon. They had been discreet about it, about what it looked like, how powerful it could be, but they did informed a name.

These weapons were called Jaegers.

It was taken from German language, which meant hunters. No one had really seen what the Jaegers looked like, until a year later…

…when another Kaiju appeared.

When the monster set its ugly foot in Tokyo, Kyungsoo just kind of knew that he wouldn’t see his parents anymore. They were on a business trip when it happened. Although Kyungsoo hoped his parents would be able to take shelter, his wish didn’t come true. His mother managed to make one last phone call to him, and it didn’t take a genius to find out everything was chaos in the background. Kyungsoo’s knees went weak immediately as he turned on the news and every channel was busy broadcasting the sudden attack in the land of Sakura.

He must’ve been wailing loudly that it got Jongin, the boy-next-door to barge into his house. Jongin was literally paralyzed when his eyes were fixed onto the television screen, but then he reached out to Kyungsoo and pulled the latter into a hug.

“They’re gonna be fine.”

“They’re not gonna make it,” Kyungsoo bitterly said as he pushed Jongin away. “Do you not remember what it felt, Jongin…? When it happened here? It’s just… Even if they manage to get out of town, it’s gonna take them a miracle to survive. Just—just one swing from that creature and—”

Kyungsoo didn’t finish his sentence as he pressed his palm against his face. Jongin stayed quiet, not knowing what else to say, because nothing could make Kyungsoo feel better. And he was right. With the monster destroying the city, they were fortunate enough to have survived, and he hoped Kyungsoo’s parents still had enough luck to be alive. Jongin was still silent but then the voices on the television got the two of them to turn their heads in curiosity.

“What the heck is that thing?”

The cameraman was zooming in while the news reporter seemed to be loss at words. Jongin stepped closer to the television and Kyungsoo grabbed his arm by instinct. He narrowed his eyes and the view reminded him of an old Japanese anime.

“A giant…Gundam?”

Kyungsoo unconsciously tightened his grip on Jongin’s sleeve. The reporter was right. It did look like a giant Gundam.

“Two…giant Gundams? What the…?”

Kyungsoo held his breath as realization dawned upon him and whispered,

“Jaegers.”

            Hope was starting to rise when the Jaeger won against the third Kaiju.

It only took the Jaeger less than a day to defeat the monster, but Tokyo was no longer the same. A Jaeger was as huge as a Kaiju, and it was impossible to hope that the city wouldn’t get destroyed. Nonetheless, it got people to start thinking that perhaps, there was a chance for them after all. There was a chance for them to survive, to fight whatever what was coming.

Even so, there was never world peace since then.

Everyone continued to live in terror.

They could breathe a little bit in relief knowing that they had weapons now to battle the Kaijus. All of them went to work and to school every day, but each of them couldn’t help but think: When would the next Kaiju appear?

Four months after that, Kyungsoo graduated from high school. A lot of horrible things had happened, but school was still important. But when a private university of science and technology offered Kyungsoo a scholarship, he considered of not accepting it. What was the point of studying when you could die any minute? However, his parents would’ve been proud if he accepted the scholarship…

Kyungsoo was close to break down when Jongin came to his house that night.

Jongin.

They had been neighbors ever since Kyungsoo was ten. Jongin moved in next door with his family due to his father’s job and Kyungsoo could immediately tell that the boy was different compared to him. While Kyungsoo was more of the geek type, Jongin was the active, popular type. One glance was all it needed to know that they were like heaven and earth. But Jongin never seemed to mind that and he had been pestering Kyungsoo ever since they lived next to each other.

Sometimes, he wondered if Jongin only talked to him because they were neighbors.

Kyungsoo heard the sound of his bedroom door being swung open, and a second later, he heard Jongin’s voice calling out his name.

“Kyungsoo?”

“Up here, Jongin.”

Jongin walked out to the balcony and he casually leaned his back against the railings, lifting up his chin to look at Kyungsoo. “Always on the rooftop.”

“Be careful,” Kyungsoo warned, a bit worried that Jongin would be the one who fall backward instead. “What if the railings are rusty?”

Jongin ignored the statement and looked up at the dark sky. “What’s so special about the sky?”

“Nothing special,” Kyungsoo shrugged. “Well, if you want to know… I’ve always thought that there are lives outside the galaxy. I just never thought that they are from…down there.”

“Ah,” Jongin nodded in response. “Those Kaijus.”

“Yeah…”

“But those Jaegers defeated them. There’s still hope for us.” Jongin turned around and rested his weight against the railings. “Will you accept the scholarship?”

Kyungsoo drew his knees to his chest. Jongin’s back was all he could see. “I… I don’t know.”

“Why not? You’re really good at IT, you know. I remembered you making a mini robot for your science project. You have the talent.”

Kyungsoo pursed his lips in uncertainty. “Do you…do you think I should?”

Jongin turned around and gave Kyungsoo the earnest smile he could muster. “I think you should do what you want to do.”

And that was when Kyungsoo realized Jongin had something to say to him. Even though it might not be a bad news, Kyungsoo’s chest felt heavy all of a sudden. “And…and you know what you want to do?”

“Yeah.” Jongin paused. “I’m gonna apply to be a pilot, Kyungsoo.”

Kyungsoo’s heart dropped because he knew Jongin wasn’t talking about domestic or international flights.

“I’m gonna avenge your parents’ deaths,” Jongin stared off into the distance as he spoke. “And the others’ too, who have lost their loved ones because of Kaijus. And I want to protect you. I want to try to protect everyone.”

The older of the two tried to search for a hint of fear in Jongin’s face, but there was none. Jongin was dead serious about it. “But… I heard that you need to have a partner inside of a Jaeger…”

Jongin nodded. “There will be a lot of tests for sure. It’s not easy, but as long as you support me…”

Kyungsoo swallowed thickly. Jongin wanted him to come, that much was obvious. Kyungsoo slowly dropped his gaze to his hands, wondering of what to do. Should he go and continue his education? Or should he throw everything aside to save mankind?

But…

I don’t want to be without you, Jongin…

Is it alright to feel that way?

“Then…then I’ll be the geek who takes care of your machine,” Kyungsoo said shyly. “Is that…enough as a support?”

Jongin’s eyes widened. He was a bit surprised, but the emotions in his eyes indicated otherwise, like he had been expecting those words. Jongin broke into a smile as he extended his hands, as if telling Kyungsoo that it was time for him to go down.

      Yifan crawled out of the room with the intention of getting some fresh air.

Chanyeol laughed too much beside him—dammit, his friend’s laugh was somewhat like hyena when he was drunk, how did they become friends again?—and Yifan thought it was time for him to go. After shoving Chanyeol with all his might and dropped his friend to the closest (unfortunate) person—who turned out to be Baekhyun, Yifan absentmindedly waved goodbye at everyone.

Which was probably a mistake.

Because the moment he stepped outside, Junmyeon was there.

Yifan froze in his tracks. The door closed softly behind him, but Junmyeon didn’t seem to hear it.

He was damned. If he took a step forward, Junmyeon would surely realize his presence. If he crawled back into the room, Junmyeon would definitely hear him. Dammit! Yifan felt like pulling his hair in frustration but then he frowned to himself.

So what if Junmyeon realizes your presence...?

Yifan dropped his gaze.

Yeah…so what, Wu Yifan?

Yifan was determined to just act cool and walk past the beautiful male when all of a sudden, the door behind him swung open and a very drunk Chanyeol let out his hyena laugh.

“YIFAN!! YOUR HOME IS THIS WAY!! YOU’RE NOT GOING THAT—UMPPHH—“

“Don’t mind us, Yifan!” Baekhyun shouted and slammed the door back.

It was more than enough sound to make Junmyeon peered over his shoulder, and Yifan didn’t know which one he wanted to do more—punching Chanyeol in the face or just ignore Junmyeon like nothing happened.

Yifan almost dropped his glance to pretend like he didn’t care about Junmyeon, but then something caught his eyes and it got Yifan to look straight at the latter.

Beautiful, would be the decent word Yifan thought the moment their eyes met, if only it wasn’t because of the tears on Junmyeon’s cheeks.

Tears.

Junmyeon was crying.

Yifan’s eyes widened in surprise and without thinking, he shuffled forward to Junmyeon’s side and grabbed the latter’s wrist.

“Are you all right...?”

Junmyeon merely lifted up his chin and stared at Yifan, not responding anything. His expression was unreadable, but within his orbs, there were emotions. The emotions were so deep that Yifan could feel his chest tightening and somewhere in his brain, there were words automatically forming,

I want to protect you.

Yifan could hear the horrible laugh of Chanyeol along with the others behind the door, but strangely, it didn’t affect him this time. Junmyeon’s wrist felt so small and fragile around his fingers. Yifan held his breath when Junmyeon’s lips were beginning to tremble, and the taller of the two earned a slight head shake, as if to say that no, he wasn’t all right.

The alcohol must have gotten to him because Yifan couldn’t think of any other way to calm Junmyeon but to kiss him.

Yifan almost died at how soft Junmyeon’s lips were.

Junmyeon didn’t push him away, but he didn’t kiss back either.

After several moments that felt like forever, some kind of common sense kicked Yifan and he pulled away almost abruptly. Their lips were only inchest apart, and if Yifan was out of his mind, he would’ve kissed Junmyeon again. Fortunately he was still able to hold himself from doing it. Yifan opened his mouth to ask if Junmyeon had calmed down, but the beautiful male got to him first.

“Are you drunk...?”

Yifan visibly stiffened.

But…

He wasn’t, was he?

“Yifan...?”

Junmyeon’s voice was so smooth in his ear.

Yifan contemplated to spill out everything right then. He wanted to tell him everything about his feelings since high-school and how it didn’t change throughout all these years and how he thought of Junmyeon, but then Yifan hesitated.

It would be easier to just say yes....right?

“Yifan-hyung?”

A voice snapped them both back to life. Yifan almost took an unnatural giant step backward, trying to run away from Junmyeon, but he managed to shrug it off and craned his neck to the source of the voice. Beside him, Junmyeon didn’t even move.

“Sehun,” Yifan did his best to put on a smile and he wished Sehun wouldn’t notice anything unusual. The distance between him and Junmyeon was quite safe. “You’re here to pick Junmyeon up?”

“You know the answer to that,” Sehun retorted in dismay. The younger male seemed to dislike the fact that Junmyeon stood pretty close to Yifan and pulled Junmyeon closer to him. “Is the reunion over?”

Junmyeon shook his head. “Not yet…“

“Then why are you guys outside?” Sehun eyed Yifan suspiciously. “Never mind that. Come on, I’ll take you home, Junmyeon-hyung.”

“See you,” Yifan said, although he himself was unsure for whom he said that.

Sehun shot him a weird look, but he nodded anyway. “I’ll see you at home, Hyung.” With that, Sehun took Junmyeon’s hand in his and started walking away.

Junmyeon glanced at Yifan from the corner of his eye as he followed Sehun. The beautiful male said nothing to him even when Yifan waved a hand. Not even a smile. Both Sehun and Junmyeon disappeared soon from his peripheral vision and a loud sigh escaped Yifan’s lips.

Yifan smacked his forehead with the back of his hand.

“What the hell was I thinking…?”

    Junmyeon never went back to the hospital to see Hongbin after that.

Jongin sulked at him because apparently, Junmyeon wasn’t home when he said he would be. But Jongin would never be able to stay angry at his beautiful brother. It all vanished when Junmyeon knocked on Jongin’s door, telling him that dinner was ready.

His parents were waiting for Junmyeon on the next morning so that they could go to the hospital together, but the young male turned down the offer politely. His mother sent him a flabbergasted stare, one that was also linked with silent protest because it was important for them to be there for Hongbin. But Junmyeon was stubborn about his decision. He told his family that he wasn’t feeling so well, and going to the hospital would only make his condition worse...

Besides, Yifan had promised him.

And somehow, Junmyeon knew that Yifan wouldn’t let him down.

If he said Hongbin’s leg would heal quickly, then it was the truth.

Yifan.

Junmyeon’s heart ached at the thought of the handsome doctor. His parents had left after telling him to rest and he took the opportunity to bury himself underneath his blanket. Junmyeon’s lower part hurt a bit...but it was nothing compared to the happiness he felt last night.

Can I kiss you?

Junmyeon whimpered as he pulled the blanket over his head.

Why did I let him...?

But Yifan was being so gentle to him. His kisses, his touch, his words...

The kiss started everything.

Junmyeon didn’t know how long they had been kissing last night. All he knew was that his heart skipped a beat—too many beats, in fact, and he thought he was about to die—at the taste of Yifan’s tongue on his. They were kissing for so long that Junmyeon remembered whining internally, wanting to complain that his jaw was actually tired.

But it was all worth the pleasure.

Junmyeon felt comfortable with the way Yifan pressed against him, and—

“Hyung?”

Junmyeon didn’t think he was ready when someone pulled his blanket away. The male covered his face as a reaction to the sudden light, and at the same time still feeling embarassed for getting caught in the middle of fantasizing—wait. What? No, he did not fantasize!

“Your face is red,” Jongin frowned as he sat on the edge of the bed. Junmyeon couldn’t help but think that his brother seemed to frown a lot lately. “Are you sick?”

“I just feel a bit dizzy...” Junmyeon replied quietly. “You’re still here? I thought you were coming with Appa and Umma to the hospital...”

“I’m going if you’re going. But,” Jongin paused as he examined Junmyeon’s face briefly. “Umma said you’re not feeling well. And resting seems to be the best option for you now. I do hope the surgery’s going well, though. Let’s just pray?”

“Hongbin’s going to be fine.”

Jongin blinked. He had his gaze on Junmyeon, but the older of the two had his eyes somewhere else. Unconsciously, he continued to stare at his brother, and something within Jongin told him that it was probably the first time in a while since Junmyeon had that kind of face.

“I hope so too.”

“I’m sure.”

“...why?”

Junmyeon’s expression changed and Jongin wordlessly held his breath.

His brother was so damn sure.

“Because his doctor is the best in the hospital...”

      A week had passed since then.

Junmyeon didn’t go to see Hongbin even after the latter got out of the hospital.

Hongbin had been trying to contact him for days, but Junmyeon didn’t feel like responding. He dismissed the thought that he was being cruel, but...it would be even crueler if he acted like it didn’t bother him. Sometimes Hongbin didn’t give up and usually it ended with Junmyeon (finally) replying with a simple text saying that he was busy or that he couldn’t be reached at the moment.

Besides, Hongbin still needed to rest...

From Jongin and his father, Junmyeon found out that the surgery went very well. Doctor Wu—Yifan—informed the whole family that Hongbin’s leg would heal soon and that he was going to be able to walk again.

Junmyeon couldn’t help but feel proud at that.

Of course.

Because Yifan was the best.

“Are you avoiding Hongbin-hyung?”

Junmyeon froze.

He must’ve been spacing out that he didn’t realize anyone was there in his bedroom.

Jongin looked at him solemnly, and it was then Junmyeon realized his (rebellious) young brother had dyed his hair blond. Again. It suit him, though. Junmyeon absently wondered if such bright color suit him...

“What makes you think like that?”

“Because he’s calling and you just threw your phone aside.”

Junmyeon gasped as he followed Jongin’s line of the sight, because the latter was right, he did throw his phone aside when it vibrated. It must’ve been reflex when he saw Hongbin’s name on the screen, but he certainly didn’t realize Jongin was near.

Jongin took the liberty to snatch the poor phone and offered it to Junmyeon. Fortunately, the moment the device was given to him, it stopped vibrating. Junmyeon reluctantly accepted his phone and smiled sheepishly at Jongin.

“It’s...dead.”

“Aren’t you going to call him?”

“Um. Okay.”

“Like now?”

Junmyeon gulped nervously. He nodded, but he made no move to call Hongbin back.

I don’t want to...

Jongin exhaled loudly. He gently detached the phone from Junmyeon’s palm and placed it on the empty spot beside him. Jongin took a second to breathe before asking,

“Is everything okay?”

Junmyeon forced himself to smile. “Yeah...why is it not?”

“Because it’s been a week.”

Junmyeon flinched.

Jongin pursed his lips. “It’s been a week and you’ve been...reluctant to meet Hongbin-hyung.”

Junmyeon was supposed to retort that no, Jongin was wrong and that he wasn’t reluctant. He was just giving Hongbin some space after the surgery... But who did Junmyeon fool? Even the smallest part of his heart knew that yes, he had been avoiding Hongbin.

But...

“I understand...” Junmyeon said softly. “I’ll call him back soon.”

“That’s not what I—“

“It’s okay. It’s the rightest thing to do.”

Jongin didn’t reply anymore after that.

Junmyeon then patted his brother’s head caringly. Eventually, he knew he wouldn’t have the heart to completely ignore Hongbin. If Hongbin’s injury had healed...it might be just a matter of time until their parents talked about their (arranged) marriage, again. Junmyeon did his best not to feel the huge pang within his chest as he thought about it.

But why does it hurt so bad...?

      “Junmyeon?”

“H-hi. Um, how’s your leg...?”

“Hi. It’s...great. I mean, I’m not allowed to run just yet, but...it’s progressing. It’s healing.”

“That’s good to hear. I’m...glad. You should be more careful next time...”

“Yeah...I will. What about you? Are you feeling any better?”

“Hm? Me?”

“Yeah. Your parents told me that you weren’t well the other day...and you didn’t pick up my calls, so I just thought...”

“Ah. Yes. I’m better. I’m good... Sorry for ditching your calls, though. You just happened to catch me at the wrong times...”

“I guess. But you know, I’m really happy that you call me back. I...kinda have a favor to ask at the moment. If it’s alright with you...?”

“...what is it?”

“I was wondering if you’re free for tomorrow?”

“T-tomorrow?”

“Yeah. I have one final check-up, and then it’s done. Doctor Wu told me that it would’ve been better if I come with someone... I could come with my parents, but...it’s been a while since we saw each other... I wanted you to come with me. If you don’t mind, of course.”

“...”

“...”

“...”

“...Junmyeon?”

“Y-yes?”

“Did you hear what I ask you?”

“Uh. Yes...”

“Oh. Are you busy tomorrow? It’s okay if you can’t make it...”

“I...I can. I’m not busy. It’s just that I’m not really fond of hospitals... Can I...can I just wait outside while you’re having that final check...?”

“...you’re willing to come with me? For real? Then yes! Of course you can wait outside. Then I’ll pick you up in the morning? Is nine okay? The appointment with Doctor Wu’s at ten, but we can grab ourselves some nice breakfast first! Crap, sorry I’m rambling. Until tomorrow then, Junmyeon. See you.”

“...see you, Hongbin...”

      Junmyeon didn’t know why he said yes yesterday.

When Hongbin asked him if he would go with him to see Doctor Wu, his heart almost stopped beating.

What kind of question was that? Of course he didn’t want to. Despite the fact that the doctor was the best in the hospital, what he did toward Junmyeon was actually unforgivable. Threatening him...touching him...kissing him... Heck, if Junmyeon was serious about what happened, he could sue Yifan for blackmailing. But he was so damn kind-hearted so he chose not to. Rejection was already at the tip of his tongue, but Hongbin’s tone was laced with longing that it got him to say yes.

Junmyeon was a bit amazed at how fast Hongbin’s leg healed. It could be from Hongbin himself, but surely there was the effort from Yifan. At the thought of this, Junmyeon pouted. Okay, so he was a bit confused about whether he should loath Yifan or he should feel grateful instead.

Stupid doctor.

Hongbin left with a simple smile and a playful ‘Don’t go anywhere’ before entering the room and Junmyeon almost ran away the minute Hongbin disappeared.

Don’t be panic. Calm down. Yifan is inside. You won’t meet him.

But there was a possibility that Yifan would step outside as soon as Hongbin’s final check-up was done. Junmyeon didn’t want it to happen, so he (kind of) rushed to the backdoor. If he wasn’t there when Hongbin was done, the latter could always call him...

Just when Junmyeon thought he was finally safe, a deep voice called out his name.

“Junmyeon.”

A cold shiver went down his spine because he remembered exactly who the owner of the voice was. Junmyeon craned his neck to the source of the voice and he immediately went pale at the person before him.

Wu Yifan.

“D-Doctor?”

Yifan smirked. “Didn’t I tell you to just call me Yifan? Did I? Did I not?”

Junmyeon ignored the question. “B-but what are you doing here? I thought you have an appointment with—”

“—your fiance? Oh, that’s right. I do have an appointment with Lee Hongbin—except for the fact that I’ve asked Doctor Zhoumi to cover for me. Don’t worry, Zhoumi is the second best here.”

Junmyeon’s jaw involuntarily dropped. He merely blinked at Yifan, gazing at the (handsome) doctor from head to toe before realizing that Yifan looked a bit...

...cold.

“Have you...” Junmyeon started unsurely. “Have you been waiting for me...?”

Yifan was taken aback by his sudden question accusation. However, he broke into a smile at that. His smile was so bright that it nearly blinded Junmyeon. “As a matter of fact, I have.”

“But...but why?”

“Are you free tonight?”

“Tonight?“ Junmyeon was dumbfounded.

“Yeah, tonight. There’s this place that I want to take you—“

“What are you talking about??” Junmyeon cried in an unnaturally high voice that his words came as a hiss. “It’s—it’s over, right?”

Yifan narrowed his eyes. “What makes you think so?”

Junmyeon gasped in shock. Subconsciously, he took a step back, but he didn’t manage to get very far because Yifan had grabbed his wrist.

The weather was cold, but Junmyeon felt warm because of Yifan.

It wasn’t their first meeting, but it was the first time Junmyeon acknowledged their magnificent height different. He didn’t bother to measure how tall Yifan was when they were in bed, or even at that dark, unfortunate moment when they were in the janitor’s room. But now...

Junmyeon’s head was on the same level of Yifan’s jaw, and his forehead was completely accessible to the taller male. All of a sudden, the fair-skinned male had difficulties breathing when Yifan leaned closer. It could be just his imagination, but Junmyeon knew he wasn’t imagining things when he felt Yifan’s lips were pressed softly against his forehead.

It was like time had stopped.

“...this.”

Junmyeon had never felt like this toward anyone before. What was it that he felt...? His cheeks must’ve been full with patches of pink when he lifted up his face to stare at Yifan, wondering what the latter was talking about.

Yifan looked troubled with himself for a few seconds, but then he took a deep breath and showed Junmyeon a small device.

A flashdisk.

“I recorded everything.”

Junmyeon’s heartbeat slowed down. Did he hear it right...?

“Obey me, Junmyeon.”

Was Yifan that cruel...?

“Or else... I would send this to your fiance. And if you think I don’t have the back-ups, you’re totally wrong. You wouldn’t want him to suffer, would you? You wouldn’t want him to see how you cried underneath me the other night, would you?”

God.

Yifan shut his eyes for a moment as he facepalmed in desperation. “Right now, Zhoumi is waiting for my text. If you don’t obey, he will not hurt your fiance, but he might give him the wrong medicine...and it won’t resuly prettily. It would be easier if you say yes, Junmyeon. If you love him...”

Why?

“If you love...Hongbin...”

If I love...

A tear fell to Junmyeon’s cheek as he weakly replied,

      Yifan told Junmyeon to meet him in the parking lot in a few hours.

The taller male informed him the color of his car and his license plate, so that Junmyeon wouldn’t have any difficulty finding it.

Junmyeon then went back to the room feeling (really) awful. There was still some time before he had to meet Yifan... Junmyeon was a bit reluctant to go back, but it would be strange if he didn’t. He wished Hongbin would be asleep from the medicine, but when he got back to the room, Hongbin was wide awake and fortunately, his parents were already there. It made Junmyeon glad, honestly, because if it was just the two of them...he wouldn’t know what to do.

Jaehwan, who literally had saved Hongbin, came to visit with his friends not long after that and Hongbin’s parents welcomed them warmly. The atmosphere in the hospital room became livelier after the group’s arrival. It got Hongbin to smile a lot, a lot more compared to when there was only Junmyeon.

Junmyeon felt like he didn’t belong there.

The male continued to shut himself from everyone, pretending to be busy with his cellphone in the corner of the room.

Junmyeon had never thought he was really relieved when the time finally came. He politely excused himself and reasoned that he needed to get changed and rest. Hongbin’s parents nodded approvingly to that. Before leaving, Hongbin sent him a small smile which Junmyeon only replied by bowing slightly and without waiting any longer, he dashed outside the room.

The fair-skinned male waited for a few seconds before going to the opposite way. He cautiously glanced around, making sure that no one was looking at him. Not that he was being suspicious, anyway... Just as Junmyeon got into the parking lot and prepared himself to look for Yifan’s car, a familiar voice called out his name.

“Junmyeon-hyung?”

Junmyeon froze.

Holy shit.

Junmyeon bit his lower lip in fear before slowly turning around. “Jongin...” Of all people, Jongin was the last person he wanted to see. It was just because Jongin had always been able to read through him, even when Junmyeon didn’t want him to. And right now, he really didn’t want the younger male to know what he felt...it must’ve been his luck that day. “Hi.”

“Hi? Is that how you properly greet your own brother?” Jongin frowned as he stared in suspicion. “Where are you going?”

“Home?” Junmyeon retorted with an unsure tone. It only made Jongin to narrow his eyes more at him, and Junmyeon returned it with an awkward smile. “Um, Hongbin’s parents are here...”

“That’s not exactly what I had in mind. Are you going home with someone?”

Junmyeon nearly flinched, but thankfully he was still able to stay calm. Was he that easy to read? “No. No. Of course not.”

“Then why are you taking the back door?”

The older of the two fell silent instantly. Crap. Jongin was right. The back door lead to the parking lot, so people wouldn’t go through there unless they had a car. And even if he was planning to take a taxi, it should’ve been from the entrance. How could he forget about that...? Wait. He had never expected Jongin to come in the first place...

Junmyeon turned pale.

“You’re acting really strange,” Jongin’s frown deepened as he took a step closer. “Do you want me to drive you home, Hyung?”

“It’s-it’s okay.”

“What do you mean ‘it’s okay’? I don’t want you to go home by yourself. Besides, what are you going to take? Taxi?”

“I’ll be fine,” Junmyeon insisted stubbornly. “Besides, you just got here...and your intention was to see Hongbin, right? Then you should. I promise you, I’ll be fine.”

Jongin didn’t look convinced, but once his brother made up his mind, then there was nothing he could do to change it. The tan-skinned male sighed deeply before pulling Junmyeon into a tight hug. The affectionate gesture got Junmyeon to smile. Jongin was never hesitant to show that he really cared...

“I’ll see you at home?”

Junmyeon closed his eyes. “Yeah...you’ll see me at home.”

“Okay then,” Jongin slowly pulled away with his hands still on Junmyeon’s shoulders. His expression was worried, but he said nothing about it. “Be careful.”

Junmyeon nodded and did his best to smile earnestly. Jongin gave him one last look before entering the building. As soon as his brother disappeared from his peripheral vision, the smile on his face disappeared and Junmyeon didn’t waste any time to look for Yifan’s car.

2205...2205...

Junmyeon’s steps came to a stop when he finally spotted Yifan’s car on the farthest row. His jaw dropped involuntarily at the sight. The car was definitely expensive—although no cars were cheap, actually. As expected from the best doctor in the hospital...? Junmyeon made sure it was the right vehicle as he double checked the license plate. It was. All of a sudden, the window in the passenger’s side rolled down, showing Yifan’s (attractive) face.

“Get in.”

Junmyeon momentarily closed his eyes before climbing into the car. Why am I doing this...? Why am I so obedient...? Is it really because of Hongbin...?

“Who was that?”

“Who...?” Junmyeon looked a bit lost as he buckled on his seatbelt.

“He’s good-looking,” Yifan shrugged as if to show that he didn’t care, but his tone couldn’t hide the fact that he was curious. “He suits you better. The way he hugs you indicates how much he cares for you.”

Oh.

“You mean...Jongin?” The corner of Junmyeon’s eyes were crinkling as he smiled in amusement. “If I get together with him, then it’s incest...”

Yifan turned to look at him with a blank expression. “He’s your brother?”

“Uh-huh.”

“Well,” Yifan said as he started the engine, looking somewhat content. “In that case, I’m quite relieved Sehun doesn’t hug me that often...”

      “Strip.”

Junmyeon swallowed thickly. He dared himself to look at Yifan before dropping his gaze to the shirt the latter was proffering.

Yifan’s shirt.

“What’s...this?”

“My shirt. Wouldn’t want yours to get dirty. Now strip.”

It hadn’t been a minute since they arrived at Yifan’s (magnificent) apartment, and Junmyeon was already being told to strip. The smaller of the two immediately flew his hand to his chest, his own fingers clutching the first few buttons.

“N-now?” Yifan’s death glare made Junmyeon realize that it might not be a good reaction. “Um, where’s the bathroom...?”

“You’re not going anywhere. Strip.”

“Here?” Junmyeon gasped when Yifan took a step closer in annoyance. “Okay, okay!” He was sure his face must be really red like a boiled crab, but it didn’t stop Yifan from staring. For a split second, Junmyeon wondered why he had agreed to this. It was a disaster! But then the image of Hongbin smiling came to his mind. That was right. Junmyeon wanted him to be healthy...and yet it didn’t make him to feel at ease.

Hongbin.

Was he really doing it for the injured male? Because he...because he was going to marry him? But...wasn’t it Yifan’s job as a doctor to treat his patients? Then why...did he treat Junmyeon like this?

“Don’t stop.”

“Huh?” Junmyeon lifted up his face and it was then he realized that he was completely topless.

“You do understand the meaning of ‘strip’, right?” Yifan groaned. The taller male closed the distance between them as he reached for Junmyeon’s zippers.

Automatically, Junmyeon cried and he tried to push Yifan away, but it was no use. Yifan grabbed his slender arms so easily and Junmyeon was unable to get away from him.

“Do you want him to be able to walk again or not??”

The way Yifan spoke those words was so menacing that it got Junmyeon to wince.

“Are you,” Junmyeon whispered fearfully. “Are you threatening me...?”

Yifan didn’t answer the question, but his grip around Junmyeon’s wrists tightened.

“Isn’t it your job...?” Junmyeon continued, this time with tears threatening to fall from the rim of his eyes. “Then why—“

“He’s so lucky to be loved by you. For you to be willing to do what I ask you to...”

“Huh?”

“I said...no, nevermind.” Yifan looked away and he seemed a bit disappointed. Junmyeon opened his mouth to ask why, but it was soon replaced by a small shriek because Yifan had decided to push him abruptly onto the bed. The doctor still had his wrists trapped and Junmyeon thought he needed to go to the hospital now because his heart was thumping so fast. “Have you ever done it with a man before?”

“Wh-what? Why—“

“Have you ever done it with him??”

“Doctor Wu—“

“Have you??”

“No, I haven’t done it with anyone!” Junmyeon cried weakly with his eyes closed. Why was Yifan being like this? Being topless in front of him was embarrassing enough, plus the strange questions... Junmyeon could feel his cheeks were burning and it made him a bit dizzy. “It’s my first time and I’m... I’m scared...”

“You don’t need to be,” Yifan replied, his tone was gentle in Junmyeon’s ear. “It’s me. I’m not gonna hurt you...”

Junmyeon’s stomach fluttered when he felt Yifan kissing his eyelids. Those words soothed him. For someone who was going to take away his virginity—by threatening him?—Junmyeon’s heart ached terribly due to the simple touch, and he didn’t know why. Yifan then traveled his hands from Junmyeon’s wrists to his palms before lacing their fingers together.

Junmyeon’s hands felt so small compared to Yifan’s.

And it felt so wonderful.

“Is kissing okay?”

“Eh?”

“Is kissing okay for you? Is it okay...if I kiss you?”

Junmyeon wanted to scream that please, he needed to go to the hospital because something was incredibly wrong with his heart. For an unknown reason, his heartbeat just wouldn’t slow down... That, and Yifan’s body heat was affecting him and Junmyeon could tell his own body responded greatly.

To Yifan.

And it was something he had never felt before...

...not even to Hongbin.

“Yes...”

Junmyeon must’ve been out of his mind when he said that.

“Yes, you can kiss me...”

Yifan looked surprised for a moment, but then the handsome male broke into a fond smile as he leaned down.

Their lips finally met for the first time.

Strangely, Junmyeon didn’t want it to be their last time.