Coffee Sweet
Title: Coffee Sweet
Length: Chaptered
Pairing: Jaeho/Yunjae, Yoosu
Rating: PG? PG-13?
Genre: Fluff, Lemon?, Humor (Not...)
Summary: Jaejoong and Yunho get ready to walk down the aisle, whilst Yoochun and Junsu prepare to welcome their baby girls into the world.
Chapter 1: Ginger Bread Man's Vitality ; Chapter 2: Bae SeulGi ; Chapter 3: Kama Sutra; Chapter 4: Kinky Hyungs; Chapter 5: Chocolate Proposal ; Chapter 6: Het, Yuck! ; Chapter 7: Famine and Cancer ; Chapter 8: Dolphins, Ducks, and Butts ; Chapter 9: Baby Bash ; Chapter 10: Chicken Shit! ; Chapter 11: Deja Vu ; Chapter 12: Sunshine ; Chapter 13: Superman ; Chapter 14: Brock and Amy ; Chapter 15: Wishing Star ; Chapter 16: Fumble
A/N: About the last chapter-scheduled c-sections takle hours but emergency ones take 30 minutes.
I'm really sorry for taking long to update. I's been so agitated to start on a completely new project that I had to force myself to finish this. HAH! So I'm really sorry if this seems half-assed.
The next chapter will be the last chapter. I'm going to take longer than a week to update (hopefully not) because I'll be basically putting up two chapters. With the last chapter, I have a gift for you guys and the epilogue which will also be the prologue for the sequel, Blue Tumbler.
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“Jae, it’s going to be okay,” Yunho soothed, tightening his hold on the smaller frame. He felt his shirt dampen as Jaejoong’s face was buried in his chest. Noting the finger’s grabbing a fistful of his shirt, he added as jokingly as he could, “No worries, Jaejoongie… I’m not going anywhere.”
No hint of amusement in his voice, Jaejoong tugged his lover closer and murmured against Yunho’s pecks, “I know you won’t because I won’t let you…never again.”
Jaejoong continued on, sniffing and soaking Yunho’s shirt. “Let me right this wrong, baby.”
Yunho stiffened at the hushed proclamation, his body suddenly becoming rigid which only made Jaejoong cling tighter. He made to pull away from their embrace to get a better look at Jaejoong’s face for confirmation of the sincerity behind the words. His sense of hearing has failed him once before and now was not the time for common mistakes. Reluctantly, Jaejoong loosened his grip as Yunho’s insistent hands pried the shorter man off.
Their eyes met, Yunho’s penetrating Jaejoong’s red, puffy orbs. “Jae…”
Jaejoong crashed their lips together, pressing his onto Yunho’s hard and brutal, almost hurting them both. It dripped with desperation and was laced with an unspoken sorry that pride would never let him voice out. The kiss was so painfully dry; no moist, opened mouth to soften the moment, no teasing tongue to make it anything more than what it really was-an apology. He had to make the most of the momentum and make his point straight across.
Yunho felt the soft, damp cheeks squash his and a great sadness swept the room. He had never known his fiancée to be this submissive and overpowering at the same time, kissing him with so much force it had taken the wind out of him while begging him, desperately, wordlessly, for forgiveness. This was wrong, Yunho protested inside. It was him at fault, not this precious angel who had grown so dependent on him that the line between necessity and actual yearning disappeared. The way Jaejoong’s fingers resumed their tight grip on his clothes, the undeniable vigor fueling Jaejoong’s lips as it practically bruised Yunho’s, and the rush of uncontrollable tears streaming down Jaejoong’s face broke Yunho’s heart.
Breaking off the kiss, Yunho ripped Jaejoong off of him and took a step back, letting the tension fill the space between them. With a slight shove, he pushed Jaejoong down to sit on the edge of the bed. He gently nudged Jaejoong’s chin, tipping up the porcelain face by the jaw. Yunho wanted his eyes to speak as much as his words. Jaejoong parted his lips to say something but Yunho’s index finger put a stop to the apology before it was even uttered.
“Jae, damnit,” Yunho hissed. There was a vile of bitterness in his voice that stung them both. “None of what’s happened to us was your fault. NONE! I was the one who put our relationship in that backburner while I helped out a friend. I was the one who prioritized YSEntertainment over our wedding. And I was the one that told you I’d never take you back when all you were doing was protecting your heart from anymore of my shit. I’ll jump more hoops for you, baby, and I don’t care if I have to wait another three years to be married to you. But don’t think for one second that you’re to blame for any of this!”
The flow of tears came to a quick stop at Yunho’s proclamations. It had taken Jaejoong great humility to reach this point, to get this far, but it seemed as if, for the first time in their relationship, they were on completely different wave lengths.
“No, Yunho! Stop blaming everything on you!” Jaejoong stood up; his stubbornness incapable of listening to anymore of Yunho’s misled beliefs. “I was the one who just lost it and accused you of a problem we had never discussed beforehand! It was me that never even gave you a chance to explain, never gave you the benefit of the doubt. And it was I that cancelled the wedding because I was too scared to get hurt that I lost sight of what was worth hurting for in the first place. I am to blame and--”
Jaejoong suddenly stopped, his gaze falling to a glistening object hanging off of Yunho’s neck in a thin black string. It was barely visible underneath the thin polo dress shirt that Yunho was clad in, the crisp cloth denting a tinge accordingly to the gleaming band. Jaejoong instantly recognized it as his engagement ring.
Yunho followed the other man’s gaze toward his chest. Confusion hit him before it dawned that the ring he had taken to the meeting as a good luck charm, a comfort blanket of sorts, was peeking from unbuttoned top. He looked back at Jaejoong who seemed mesmerized by the white gold band.
“Why are you staring--” Yunho gasped in surprise as Jaejoong just ripped the knotted string from his neck, clutching the ring protectively. “Jae, what are you--”
Jaejoong dropped to his knees, filling the gap between the hospital bed where Junsu lay sedated and the spot wherein Yunho stood shocked to his core. He could hear his own heartbeat thumping loudly but he ignored it, pushed it to the back of his head because for what he was about to do, he needed all the focus he could muster. He went down on both knees and clasped Yunho’s hands in his. He looked up with his big doe eyes at the almost horrified man standing frozen in front of him.
“Yunho…” Jaejoong gulped, a mantra of encouragement ringing in his head.
“Uhh, Jae…this isn’t funny…” Yunho’s eyes widened as big as saucers.
They shared aghast looks, one terrified and the other horror-struck. A sudden skip in the time continuum occurred. Hell froze over, fiery embers turning into icicles. Pigs flew and dogs talked. Every language condensed into one incoherent string of jumbles. Dinosaurs and dodo birds were extant. And gravity disappeared as Jaejoong and Yunho both felt the ground from under them dissipate.
“…will you marry me, Jung Yunho?”
~*~
Yoochun gazed wistfully down at the incubator that encased his two daughters, shriveled and puny. They reminded him of those soft, pink plushies that they gave out at carnival games as a consolation prize to the pathetic losers who spent too much money on a rigged game only to come out with nothing to give to the girl or guy they were trying to impress in the first place. But Junsu always forgave him and won the toy by himself in the end. This time, however, Yoochun felt like the winner. The two most wonderful gifts God would ever grant him secured tightly in the glass case.
A variety of names flashed at a frightening speed in his head, having had no time to discuss the issue at length with Junsu having been rushed. The only planning they had done in that department was the procrastinating strategy of choosing the name to which the girl giggles to. So for now, the girls were labeled with the cardinal number in which they were pulled out from Junsu’s makeshift man-womb; first girl, second girl.
Yoochun felt the world around him evaporate as he continued to immerse himself in his daughters’ beauty. He ingrained the moment in his head, tucking the memory in a storage hidden in his head where all the other memorabilia were kept, alongside the day Dong Bang Shin Ki was formed or the day Junsu became forever his. Years later, he planned to tease his daughters with cheesy lines such as, I never knew true beauty until the nurse scraped the blood off of you and I’m really glad we decided to keep you after all. Yoochun couldn’t wait.
“They have your nose…” a soft dreamy voice pulled Yoochun out of his reverie.
Yoochun crashed back down into reality, the melodious score replaced with the monotonous beeping of the heart monitors attached to the girls. He turned sheepishly to the woman standing beside him, also looking down at the girls. Thus far, he and Junsu’s mom had practiced the art of silence, each busy indulging in little fantasies about the little twin miracles before them. Except for the beeping of the monitors and the hushed squeaks of the sneakers as the nurses streamed in and out of the room, the quiet had actually grown on Yoochun.
“Uhm, thanks…” Yoochun returned awkwardly. “They have Su’s lips though…which I guess he got from you.”
She did not bother looking up but replied warmly, “Thank you.”
Yoochun nodded, uncertain of the proper response. He resumed his longing stare at the girls, easily putting the unusual moment of peace between him and his mother-in-law to the back of his mind. She must have been overcome, just like he was, with the two bundles of miracle that she had spoken cordial to him, even complimenting him…sort of.
Yoochun could not help but wonder if this was how every holiday and other family gatherings in the future was going to be like, the two of them faking smiles in the presence of the girls and saving the argument over Junsu behind closed doors. Although he did not retort to her claims earlier, there were plenty of times in the past, especially the night that Junsu and he informed their respective parents of the wedding, when he did bite back.
He was fine with that kind of arrangement but he remembered how broken Junsu had been at seeing the two most important people in his life constantly at odds with each other. Yoochun sighed softly, a sudden resolution dawning on him as guilt settled in. The man he loved had just gone through a painful ordeal and what kind of husband would he be if the thing that Junsu woke up to is him and his mother quarrelling over something as silly as the girls’ names.
Taking a chance that was probably going to backfire on him, Yoochun asked tentatively, “Why do you hate me so much?”
“...What?” The dreamy look vanished from her face, replaced with shock and confusion.
“Why do you hate me?” Yoochun reiterated. “I mean, I get that I married your son and in some way, that must have caused some emotional void for you but we’ve been married for almost a year now and you still haven’t changed. I don’t want to say I’m perfect but I know that I’ve loved your son without fault. I’ve done everything I possibly could for this family but that never seems to be enough for you. Tell me, please, because I don’t want my girls to sense this tension between us where there should be some sort of love, or at least a level of mutual respect.”
Yoochun knew he had rendered her speechless by the way her mouth remained gapping and her eyes remained wide. He gave her few seconds before piping up once more, “I just really want to know, umma, before Junsu wakes up and we go back to clawing each other’s faces.”
She composed herself and quickly looked away at anything but Yoochun. “You’re mistaken. I don’t hate you.”
Yoochun pursed his lips but pushed on. “So you just think I’m too insufficient for your son?”
“He…” She hissed, struggling under the sudden onslaught of questions. “…is my son. I will always feel like everyone is insufficient for him. And this incident didn’t exactly give you a positive boost.”
Yoochun took a step closer to her. “I will only defend myself this one time.”
She scoffed. “Go ahead.”
“Heaven or hell or anywhere in between,” Yoochun looked her straight in the eyes. “No other man could love your son as much as I do.”
She nodded wordlessly. That was one thing she already knew. He nodded likewise and an understanding grew.
~*~
Changmin walked back to the elevators with a pout, utterly dejected at being told that he could not see his nieces yet. The young nurse had no idea who she was talking to and Changmin could not help but feel put off as he realized that he had been in his prime while she was still in kindergarten. He had thousands of women fawning over him while she must still have been indulging in nap times during the school day. Boy, he missed nap time…
“…Min?” A familiar hand waved in front of Changmin’s face, pulling him out of his daze.
Changmin shook his head and found himself standing in front of the elevator doors that had just opened, out stepping Jaejoong and Yunho. At finally recognizing his hyung who had thus far been missing in action, he rushed to the man for a bear crushing hug.
“Hyung!” Changmin stepped off as Jaejoong smiled fondly at his childish excitement.
“What the…” Yunho brought a hand to Changmin’s face, touching the prominent swelling. “Who did this to you?!”
Jaejoong caressed his arm in a comforting manner as Changmin looked away shamefully. “Yoochun did. They’ll explain it to you later, Yunnie. Calm down. No one we hate did this to him…”
Yunho raised a brow and pursed his lips. “Fine. You better not leave any details out.”
Changmin nodded. “Of course, hyung. But where have you been?”
“I actually need to talk to you about that, Changminah…” Yunho glanced at Jaejoong pointedly.
“Oh, right…” Getting the message quickly, Jaejoong kissed Yunho lightly on the cheek. “You boys do some business while I go back to Junsu. Come back with food, okay?”
Changmin suddenly felt like an intruder, a perverse peeping-tom taking a peek of an intimate moment between lovers. He almost felt out of place, like that awkward third wheel on a date that had no right to be there. He grinned as it dawned on him. His parents were back together.
“Sure, Joongie. Just text me what you want when you’ve decided.” Yunho squeezed the hand in his before letting Jaejoong go, the man stepping back into the awaiting elevator.
The two lovers shared a smile before the doors closed. Turning to the younger man who was now smirking wildly at the displays of affection, Yunho said. “Ay, stop smiling! You look like weirdo with half your face distorted.”
“Oh, come on…this is the best day of my hyungs’ lives. I have every reason to smile!” Changmin teased back. “So what’d you want to talk to me about, hyung?”
“Khh…I want to talk to Yoochun first about that face of yours. Take me to him.” Yunho ordered, giving Changmin a sense of security.
Still grinning from ear to ear, Changmin led him to the nursery where they came across the same nurse who had denied him entry. She barricaded the door, but her short frame allowed the two men to see over her. She crossed her arms and looked menacingly up at the intruders.
“Look, sir,” the petite girl in oversized scrubs huffed. “It’s only for immediate family right now. You’re going to have--”
“Save your breath. I had to listen to this earlier already. Can you just get him” Changmin pointed to a man in the corner of the room towering over one of the glass casings. “out here…please?”
The girl scoffed but went to fetch Yoochun. He turned as she tapped him on the shoulder and his face positively lit up as she gestured to the two tall statures looming by the door. He excused himself from Junsu’s mom and said a quick thanks to the nurse before rushing to his adopted brothers.
“Yunhoyah!” Yoochun tackled the man in an embrace, less overwhelming than the one Changmin had given earlier but it still touched Yunho.
“Wow,” Yunho muttered as Yoochun slowly let him go. “You guys must have all really missed me, huh? I guess I should be away on business more often.”
“Hah! I doubt Jaejoong would be happy to hear that. I think we drove him crazy for a bit there.” Yoochun laughed at his own joke, a habit that must have rubbed off on him from Junsu. “Speaking of which, have you talked to Jaejoong hyung yet?”
“Psh, I think they did more than talk!” Changmin teased. Yunho rolled his eyes.
“Seriously?!” Yoochun exclaimed. “You’re kidding!”
“Why would I be kidding?” Changmin laughed.
Yunho said nothing, choosing to remain quiet and let them have their moment of fun before he started questioning them about what had transpired in his absence.
“You guys are back together?!” Yoochun whispered loudly in disbelief. “How can you guys be back together already?!”
Changmin frowned. “Why does it matter how fast they got back together? What’s important is that they are and that the wedding is back on!”
“Woah, wait,” Yunho finally stepping in. “Let’s not get ahead of ourselves.”
Yoochun groaned, not having heard Yunho. “Great, just great. Unbelievable. You and Jaejoong are so friggin’ unbelievable.”
“Hey! What’s wrong with you?” Changmin asked, a bit annoyed at the lack of enthusiasm Yoochun was sporting.
“Ugh, oh, come on!” Yoochun answered, as if his train of thinking was so obvious. “The day that the YooSu babies are born, YunJae just had to get back together! I bet Jae planned all of this…”
“Huh…” Changmin mumbled, wise enough to not put that kind of stunt past his Jaejoong hyung.
“It wasn’t planned Yoochun.”Yunho sighed. “Now, why don’t we get over the fact that Jae and I aren’t fighting anymore and you guys explain to me how Changmin managed to look like a disgusting prune?”
“IlostmytemperItwascompletelymyandjuststartedbeatingthefaultthatJunsuintoearlycrapoutofChangminlaborandI’mreally,reallysorry.Ideserveevery.I’msosorryandIregrethitIgotandI’mgladforthe bruisesitbutwe’resolvedWe’vepatchedthingsupnowsoyoudon’teverythingnowsonomorehavetoworryaboutitanymore,hyung.”** Changmin and *Yoochun explained together in a jumble.
“…” Yunho stared at them incredulously. “Was I supposed to understand any of that?”
“Well…no?” Changmin offered. “Look, hyung…we’re obviously both over it so why not let bygones be bygones?”
“Yeah,” Yoochun agreed. “Exactly,”
Yunho eyed both of them warily. “Fine, fine. But if you two still left something unresolved, don’t expect me to pick up the pieces later on.”
“Whatever you say, hyung,” Changmin replied mockingly, all three of them very aware of Yunho’s savior complex.
Yunho shook his head disapprovingly. “Well, we’ll leave you here to enjoy the girls, Chun.”
“Where are you guys going?” Yoochun asked.
“Somewhere quiet, preferably…” Yunho glanced at Changmin.
“I know a place.” Changmin proffered, referring to the little chapel he had stumbled upon earlier on.
Yunho nodded approvingly.
“Alright, then,” Yoochun shrugged.
After saying quick goodbyes and a few more congratulatory words, Yoochun shouted after them as they began to walk away, loud enough that everyone in their vicinity heard his words loud and clear.
“I’ll start looking for the Homosexual Kama Sutra book when we get home, Yunho! You’ll like this version! It’s got pop-ups, hyung!”
Yunho shuffled out of their quickly, dragging a guffawing Changmin.
~*~
“…so I guess I’ll start working with you as soon as possible.” Yunho concluded.
Changmin rubbed small circles with his forefingers on his temple. He inhaled, a deep long exaggerated inhale. He let the poorly vented air of the quaint chapel fill his lungs, as if it was sacred air, blessed with God’s holiness. If he had not known better, he would have asked the other man if this was all a joke. Because laughing at how ridiculous this all was what he felt like doing. But he restrained himself. He doubted Yunho would appreciate a sudden burst of unexplained laughter from him. He leaned back against the wooden bench, the old thing almost creaking under their combined weight. Changmin sat facing the altar whilst Yunho sat sideways facing him.
“Can I see the roster again?” Changmin asked timidly, taking the piece of paper from Yunho. He scanned the list of board members, the familiar names that had caused all of this, though Changmin could never put the blame on anyone else but him. Each of them was crossed out, a scrawl cutting the names right in the middle. Beside them were numbers with quite a large number of zeros at the end of each. Those were the prices at which Yunho had bought them.
“That’s everybody, right?” Yunho cleared his throat. “Did I miss anyone?”
Changmin shook his head slightly. “Nope, this is all of them. You’re really amazing, hyung. These prices…are an amazing deal. I don’t know how you could have done it, how you made them all agree to this but I guess the company’s all yours now.”
“Don’t say that, Changminah,” Yunho chided gently. “You’re still the boss but instead of dealing with all of those old greedy bastards, you’ve got me and the new people who I’ll pick personally right behind you. This company is still Dong Bang Shin Ki’s baby and you’re still going to run it. That I promise you.”
Changmin nodded, letting the issue go. He knew Yunho meant well but things weren’t going to go as well as Yunho had described. It would be wishful thinking to expect him to stay in command when the disbanded group’s renowned leader was in position. The staff would obviously hold Yunho in a higher regard and Changmin could not blame them. So for now, he let that go, a part of him quite relieved at relinquishing his throne.
“But what about your day job?” Changmin asked. “What about Coffee Sweet? You can’t be running this while you do the show.”
“I got out of my contract.” Yunho answered, plain and simple.
“That’s impossible!” Changmin explained, his voice echoing in the still chapel. “You couldn’t have possibly gotten out of that damn thing! I helped write that up!”
“Then you should remember the clause you put in…” Yunho shrugged.
“Wait…” Changmin thought back to the contract’s loops. “But that means one of your costars signed a paper that it was either going to be you or him that they get to keep on the show!”
“Right,”
“Who would have a problem with you?!” Changmin asked, baffled.
“Seulgi…” Yunho sighed in memory of his friend. “She helped me get out of the show without much fuss with the producers.”
Changmin whistled, clearly impressed. “So let me get this straight…You and Jaejoong break up for awhile, the wedding is called off, you quit the show, you two get back together, you’re suddenly working for YSE, all the board members surprisingly went into early retirement, Junsu had to have an emergency Cesarean, and the girls were born safe and sound. Did I get everything?”
Yunho nodded slowly. “Yeah, I think so…what’s your point?”
Changmin could not help but giggle softly, tickling the hairs in Yunho’s ears. “I can think it’s about time we had our names back on every cover of magazines and newspapers again. The press is going to have a field day with this. They’ll dub this week as ‘DBSK’s week of mayhem’ or something like that. But I doubt you’ll mind though.”
“What do you mean? Why wouldn’t I mind?”
“Well, you’ll be too busy with all the new changes in your life. Being an uncle, being a husband, being a business man, being a father…”
“A father?” Yunho raised an eyebrow.
“Well, you guys aren’t going to take your time reproducing, right? I mean, both of you are in 30’s now and the biological clock is ticking.” Changmin made clicking sounds with his mouth, hitting the roof of his mouth with his tongue in one swift motion, imitating the noise of a clock.
“I guess so,” Yunho’s lips curled slightly, as if he wanted to smile but he thought better of it. “I’m just still worried about getting married.”
Changmin tilted his head, “Why? The wedding was supposed to be tomorrow anyways right?”
Yunho sighed, shifting in his seat and casting his eyes down to his lap where his fingers fidgeted with papers. “I…I didn’t think we would get back together so soon, dongsaeng.”
Changmin sensed the gravity of the words, warning bells ringing in his head of danger. “What’s wrong, hyung?” He scooted closer.
“To be honest, Changminah,” Yunho kept his eyes trained to his lap. “I was only supposed to buy out a few of the board members but then my credit card company called and I realized that I suddenly had enough money to buy them all out if I played my cards right in the meeting. I used the money for the wedding for…this.”
“Oh…” Changmin was speechless.
Yunho continued on. “AIsh…I thought, well, I’d save up again while I try to woo back Jae but then he ends up the one proposing and what was I supposed to say? No? Of course not. So now I’m screwed and Jaejoong is going to kill me when he finds out.”
“Oh, hyung…” Changmin placed a sympathetic hand on Yunho’s thigh, squeezing it lightly.
A sudden trilling pierced the pungent air, and object in Yunho’s pants vibrating loudly. He reached into his pocket and retrieved the ringing device. Dragging the screen into view, he saw that it was a text message from Jaejoong. Reading aloud, “Bring some sort of ramen and chocolate milk. I want chocolate milk. Thanks, baby. Sarang…”
“Guess I better get some food then…” Yunho said.
“How are you going to bring it into the ICU?” Changmin asked as he watched Yunho get up off his seat.
“Not sure,” Yunho shrugged. “I’ll tell him to just go down to the cafeteria with me. You coming?”
Changmin shook his head. “No, I think I’ll stay here for a bit.”
Yunho smirked, glancing at the moldy chapel. “Whatever floats your boat, Min.”
Changmin nodded, slapping hands with Yunho as the older man left to be the one he loved. Soon enough, he was left alone and he let the silence swallow him whole. He had too many things to think about and he didn’t know where to start. He would return to heading the financial department of YSE and Yunho would take over. That was inevitable and he no longer minded.
Yunho and Jaejoong not being able to get married because of him…he knew it was up to him to fix that too. His stomach grumbled and he suddenly wished he was at home where the cake was going to be delivered tomorrow morning. Too bad the cake wasn’t enough to fix their wedding.
A cough took him of his trance, the priest coming out of a door that just seemed to appear out of nowhere from the oak walls.
“Father,” Changmin called out.
“Oh, hello son,” He answered amicably, as if they were old time friends. “How are you?”
“Not good at all,” Changmin shared. “Are you licensed to marry people?”
The priest nodded, walking over to the bench where Changmin sat. “Of course, of course…but I doubt anyone would want to get married here.”
Changmin smiled inside.
*I lost my temper and just started beating the crap out of Changmin. I’m so sorry and I regret it but we’re solved everything now so no more worries. - Yoochun’s
**It was completely my fault that Junsu went into early labor and I’m really, really sorry. I deserve every hit I got and I’m glad for the bruises. We’ve patched things up now so you don’t have to worry about it anymore, hyung. -Changmin’s
( Chapter 18: Best Man )
Length: Chaptered
Pairing: Jaeho/Yunjae, Yoosu
Rating: PG? PG-13?
Genre: Fluff, Lemon?, Humor (Not...)
Summary: Jaejoong and Yunho get ready to walk down the aisle, whilst Yoochun and Junsu prepare to welcome their baby girls into the world.
Chapter 1: Ginger Bread Man's Vitality ; Chapter 2: Bae SeulGi ; Chapter 3: Kama Sutra; Chapter 4: Kinky Hyungs; Chapter 5: Chocolate Proposal ; Chapter 6: Het, Yuck! ; Chapter 7: Famine and Cancer ; Chapter 8: Dolphins, Ducks, and Butts ; Chapter 9: Baby Bash ; Chapter 10: Chicken Shit! ; Chapter 11: Deja Vu ; Chapter 12: Sunshine ; Chapter 13: Superman ; Chapter 14: Brock and Amy ; Chapter 15: Wishing Star ; Chapter 16: Fumble
A/N: About the last chapter-scheduled c-sections takle hours but emergency ones take 30 minutes.
I'm really sorry for taking long to update. I's been so agitated to start on a completely new project that I had to force myself to finish this. HAH! So I'm really sorry if this seems half-assed.
The next chapter will be the last chapter. I'm going to take longer than a week to update (hopefully not) because I'll be basically putting up two chapters. With the last chapter, I have a gift for you guys and the epilogue which will also be the prologue for the sequel, Blue Tumbler.
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“Jae, it’s going to be okay,” Yunho soothed, tightening his hold on the smaller frame. He felt his shirt dampen as Jaejoong’s face was buried in his chest. Noting the finger’s grabbing a fistful of his shirt, he added as jokingly as he could, “No worries, Jaejoongie… I’m not going anywhere.”
No hint of amusement in his voice, Jaejoong tugged his lover closer and murmured against Yunho’s pecks, “I know you won’t because I won’t let you…never again.”
Jaejoong continued on, sniffing and soaking Yunho’s shirt. “Let me right this wrong, baby.”
Yunho stiffened at the hushed proclamation, his body suddenly becoming rigid which only made Jaejoong cling tighter. He made to pull away from their embrace to get a better look at Jaejoong’s face for confirmation of the sincerity behind the words. His sense of hearing has failed him once before and now was not the time for common mistakes. Reluctantly, Jaejoong loosened his grip as Yunho’s insistent hands pried the shorter man off.
Their eyes met, Yunho’s penetrating Jaejoong’s red, puffy orbs. “Jae…”
Jaejoong crashed their lips together, pressing his onto Yunho’s hard and brutal, almost hurting them both. It dripped with desperation and was laced with an unspoken sorry that pride would never let him voice out. The kiss was so painfully dry; no moist, opened mouth to soften the moment, no teasing tongue to make it anything more than what it really was-an apology. He had to make the most of the momentum and make his point straight across.
Yunho felt the soft, damp cheeks squash his and a great sadness swept the room. He had never known his fiancée to be this submissive and overpowering at the same time, kissing him with so much force it had taken the wind out of him while begging him, desperately, wordlessly, for forgiveness. This was wrong, Yunho protested inside. It was him at fault, not this precious angel who had grown so dependent on him that the line between necessity and actual yearning disappeared. The way Jaejoong’s fingers resumed their tight grip on his clothes, the undeniable vigor fueling Jaejoong’s lips as it practically bruised Yunho’s, and the rush of uncontrollable tears streaming down Jaejoong’s face broke Yunho’s heart.
Breaking off the kiss, Yunho ripped Jaejoong off of him and took a step back, letting the tension fill the space between them. With a slight shove, he pushed Jaejoong down to sit on the edge of the bed. He gently nudged Jaejoong’s chin, tipping up the porcelain face by the jaw. Yunho wanted his eyes to speak as much as his words. Jaejoong parted his lips to say something but Yunho’s index finger put a stop to the apology before it was even uttered.
“Jae, damnit,” Yunho hissed. There was a vile of bitterness in his voice that stung them both. “None of what’s happened to us was your fault. NONE! I was the one who put our relationship in that backburner while I helped out a friend. I was the one who prioritized YSEntertainment over our wedding. And I was the one that told you I’d never take you back when all you were doing was protecting your heart from anymore of my shit. I’ll jump more hoops for you, baby, and I don’t care if I have to wait another three years to be married to you. But don’t think for one second that you’re to blame for any of this!”
The flow of tears came to a quick stop at Yunho’s proclamations. It had taken Jaejoong great humility to reach this point, to get this far, but it seemed as if, for the first time in their relationship, they were on completely different wave lengths.
“No, Yunho! Stop blaming everything on you!” Jaejoong stood up; his stubbornness incapable of listening to anymore of Yunho’s misled beliefs. “I was the one who just lost it and accused you of a problem we had never discussed beforehand! It was me that never even gave you a chance to explain, never gave you the benefit of the doubt. And it was I that cancelled the wedding because I was too scared to get hurt that I lost sight of what was worth hurting for in the first place. I am to blame and--”
Jaejoong suddenly stopped, his gaze falling to a glistening object hanging off of Yunho’s neck in a thin black string. It was barely visible underneath the thin polo dress shirt that Yunho was clad in, the crisp cloth denting a tinge accordingly to the gleaming band. Jaejoong instantly recognized it as his engagement ring.
Yunho followed the other man’s gaze toward his chest. Confusion hit him before it dawned that the ring he had taken to the meeting as a good luck charm, a comfort blanket of sorts, was peeking from unbuttoned top. He looked back at Jaejoong who seemed mesmerized by the white gold band.
“Why are you staring--” Yunho gasped in surprise as Jaejoong just ripped the knotted string from his neck, clutching the ring protectively. “Jae, what are you--”
Jaejoong dropped to his knees, filling the gap between the hospital bed where Junsu lay sedated and the spot wherein Yunho stood shocked to his core. He could hear his own heartbeat thumping loudly but he ignored it, pushed it to the back of his head because for what he was about to do, he needed all the focus he could muster. He went down on both knees and clasped Yunho’s hands in his. He looked up with his big doe eyes at the almost horrified man standing frozen in front of him.
“Yunho…” Jaejoong gulped, a mantra of encouragement ringing in his head.
“Uhh, Jae…this isn’t funny…” Yunho’s eyes widened as big as saucers.
They shared aghast looks, one terrified and the other horror-struck. A sudden skip in the time continuum occurred. Hell froze over, fiery embers turning into icicles. Pigs flew and dogs talked. Every language condensed into one incoherent string of jumbles. Dinosaurs and dodo birds were extant. And gravity disappeared as Jaejoong and Yunho both felt the ground from under them dissipate.
“…will you marry me, Jung Yunho?”
~*~
Yoochun gazed wistfully down at the incubator that encased his two daughters, shriveled and puny. They reminded him of those soft, pink plushies that they gave out at carnival games as a consolation prize to the pathetic losers who spent too much money on a rigged game only to come out with nothing to give to the girl or guy they were trying to impress in the first place. But Junsu always forgave him and won the toy by himself in the end. This time, however, Yoochun felt like the winner. The two most wonderful gifts God would ever grant him secured tightly in the glass case.
A variety of names flashed at a frightening speed in his head, having had no time to discuss the issue at length with Junsu having been rushed. The only planning they had done in that department was the procrastinating strategy of choosing the name to which the girl giggles to. So for now, the girls were labeled with the cardinal number in which they were pulled out from Junsu’s makeshift man-womb; first girl, second girl.
Yoochun felt the world around him evaporate as he continued to immerse himself in his daughters’ beauty. He ingrained the moment in his head, tucking the memory in a storage hidden in his head where all the other memorabilia were kept, alongside the day Dong Bang Shin Ki was formed or the day Junsu became forever his. Years later, he planned to tease his daughters with cheesy lines such as, I never knew true beauty until the nurse scraped the blood off of you and I’m really glad we decided to keep you after all. Yoochun couldn’t wait.
“They have your nose…” a soft dreamy voice pulled Yoochun out of his reverie.
Yoochun crashed back down into reality, the melodious score replaced with the monotonous beeping of the heart monitors attached to the girls. He turned sheepishly to the woman standing beside him, also looking down at the girls. Thus far, he and Junsu’s mom had practiced the art of silence, each busy indulging in little fantasies about the little twin miracles before them. Except for the beeping of the monitors and the hushed squeaks of the sneakers as the nurses streamed in and out of the room, the quiet had actually grown on Yoochun.
“Uhm, thanks…” Yoochun returned awkwardly. “They have Su’s lips though…which I guess he got from you.”
She did not bother looking up but replied warmly, “Thank you.”
Yoochun nodded, uncertain of the proper response. He resumed his longing stare at the girls, easily putting the unusual moment of peace between him and his mother-in-law to the back of his mind. She must have been overcome, just like he was, with the two bundles of miracle that she had spoken cordial to him, even complimenting him…sort of.
Yoochun could not help but wonder if this was how every holiday and other family gatherings in the future was going to be like, the two of them faking smiles in the presence of the girls and saving the argument over Junsu behind closed doors. Although he did not retort to her claims earlier, there were plenty of times in the past, especially the night that Junsu and he informed their respective parents of the wedding, when he did bite back.
He was fine with that kind of arrangement but he remembered how broken Junsu had been at seeing the two most important people in his life constantly at odds with each other. Yoochun sighed softly, a sudden resolution dawning on him as guilt settled in. The man he loved had just gone through a painful ordeal and what kind of husband would he be if the thing that Junsu woke up to is him and his mother quarrelling over something as silly as the girls’ names.
Taking a chance that was probably going to backfire on him, Yoochun asked tentatively, “Why do you hate me so much?”
“...What?” The dreamy look vanished from her face, replaced with shock and confusion.
“Why do you hate me?” Yoochun reiterated. “I mean, I get that I married your son and in some way, that must have caused some emotional void for you but we’ve been married for almost a year now and you still haven’t changed. I don’t want to say I’m perfect but I know that I’ve loved your son without fault. I’ve done everything I possibly could for this family but that never seems to be enough for you. Tell me, please, because I don’t want my girls to sense this tension between us where there should be some sort of love, or at least a level of mutual respect.”
Yoochun knew he had rendered her speechless by the way her mouth remained gapping and her eyes remained wide. He gave her few seconds before piping up once more, “I just really want to know, umma, before Junsu wakes up and we go back to clawing each other’s faces.”
She composed herself and quickly looked away at anything but Yoochun. “You’re mistaken. I don’t hate you.”
Yoochun pursed his lips but pushed on. “So you just think I’m too insufficient for your son?”
“He…” She hissed, struggling under the sudden onslaught of questions. “…is my son. I will always feel like everyone is insufficient for him. And this incident didn’t exactly give you a positive boost.”
Yoochun took a step closer to her. “I will only defend myself this one time.”
She scoffed. “Go ahead.”
“Heaven or hell or anywhere in between,” Yoochun looked her straight in the eyes. “No other man could love your son as much as I do.”
She nodded wordlessly. That was one thing she already knew. He nodded likewise and an understanding grew.
~*~
Changmin walked back to the elevators with a pout, utterly dejected at being told that he could not see his nieces yet. The young nurse had no idea who she was talking to and Changmin could not help but feel put off as he realized that he had been in his prime while she was still in kindergarten. He had thousands of women fawning over him while she must still have been indulging in nap times during the school day. Boy, he missed nap time…
“…Min?” A familiar hand waved in front of Changmin’s face, pulling him out of his daze.
Changmin shook his head and found himself standing in front of the elevator doors that had just opened, out stepping Jaejoong and Yunho. At finally recognizing his hyung who had thus far been missing in action, he rushed to the man for a bear crushing hug.
“Hyung!” Changmin stepped off as Jaejoong smiled fondly at his childish excitement.
“What the…” Yunho brought a hand to Changmin’s face, touching the prominent swelling. “Who did this to you?!”
Jaejoong caressed his arm in a comforting manner as Changmin looked away shamefully. “Yoochun did. They’ll explain it to you later, Yunnie. Calm down. No one we hate did this to him…”
Yunho raised a brow and pursed his lips. “Fine. You better not leave any details out.”
Changmin nodded. “Of course, hyung. But where have you been?”
“I actually need to talk to you about that, Changminah…” Yunho glanced at Jaejoong pointedly.
“Oh, right…” Getting the message quickly, Jaejoong kissed Yunho lightly on the cheek. “You boys do some business while I go back to Junsu. Come back with food, okay?”
Changmin suddenly felt like an intruder, a perverse peeping-tom taking a peek of an intimate moment between lovers. He almost felt out of place, like that awkward third wheel on a date that had no right to be there. He grinned as it dawned on him. His parents were back together.
“Sure, Joongie. Just text me what you want when you’ve decided.” Yunho squeezed the hand in his before letting Jaejoong go, the man stepping back into the awaiting elevator.
The two lovers shared a smile before the doors closed. Turning to the younger man who was now smirking wildly at the displays of affection, Yunho said. “Ay, stop smiling! You look like weirdo with half your face distorted.”
“Oh, come on…this is the best day of my hyungs’ lives. I have every reason to smile!” Changmin teased back. “So what’d you want to talk to me about, hyung?”
“Khh…I want to talk to Yoochun first about that face of yours. Take me to him.” Yunho ordered, giving Changmin a sense of security.
Still grinning from ear to ear, Changmin led him to the nursery where they came across the same nurse who had denied him entry. She barricaded the door, but her short frame allowed the two men to see over her. She crossed her arms and looked menacingly up at the intruders.
“Look, sir,” the petite girl in oversized scrubs huffed. “It’s only for immediate family right now. You’re going to have--”
“Save your breath. I had to listen to this earlier already. Can you just get him” Changmin pointed to a man in the corner of the room towering over one of the glass casings. “out here…please?”
The girl scoffed but went to fetch Yoochun. He turned as she tapped him on the shoulder and his face positively lit up as she gestured to the two tall statures looming by the door. He excused himself from Junsu’s mom and said a quick thanks to the nurse before rushing to his adopted brothers.
“Yunhoyah!” Yoochun tackled the man in an embrace, less overwhelming than the one Changmin had given earlier but it still touched Yunho.
“Wow,” Yunho muttered as Yoochun slowly let him go. “You guys must have all really missed me, huh? I guess I should be away on business more often.”
“Hah! I doubt Jaejoong would be happy to hear that. I think we drove him crazy for a bit there.” Yoochun laughed at his own joke, a habit that must have rubbed off on him from Junsu. “Speaking of which, have you talked to Jaejoong hyung yet?”
“Psh, I think they did more than talk!” Changmin teased. Yunho rolled his eyes.
“Seriously?!” Yoochun exclaimed. “You’re kidding!”
“Why would I be kidding?” Changmin laughed.
Yunho said nothing, choosing to remain quiet and let them have their moment of fun before he started questioning them about what had transpired in his absence.
“You guys are back together?!” Yoochun whispered loudly in disbelief. “How can you guys be back together already?!”
Changmin frowned. “Why does it matter how fast they got back together? What’s important is that they are and that the wedding is back on!”
“Woah, wait,” Yunho finally stepping in. “Let’s not get ahead of ourselves.”
Yoochun groaned, not having heard Yunho. “Great, just great. Unbelievable. You and Jaejoong are so friggin’ unbelievable.”
“Hey! What’s wrong with you?” Changmin asked, a bit annoyed at the lack of enthusiasm Yoochun was sporting.
“Ugh, oh, come on!” Yoochun answered, as if his train of thinking was so obvious. “The day that the YooSu babies are born, YunJae just had to get back together! I bet Jae planned all of this…”
“Huh…” Changmin mumbled, wise enough to not put that kind of stunt past his Jaejoong hyung.
“It wasn’t planned Yoochun.”Yunho sighed. “Now, why don’t we get over the fact that Jae and I aren’t fighting anymore and you guys explain to me how Changmin managed to look like a disgusting prune?”
“IlostmytemperItwascompletelymyandjuststartedbeatingthefaultthatJunsuintoearlycrapoutofChangminlaborandI’mreally,reallysorry.Ideserveevery.I’msosorryandIregrethitIgotandI’mgladforthe bruisesitbutwe’resolvedWe’vepatchedthingsupnowsoyoudon’teverythingnowsonomorehavetoworryaboutitanymore,hyung.”** Changmin and *Yoochun explained together in a jumble.
“…” Yunho stared at them incredulously. “Was I supposed to understand any of that?”
“Well…no?” Changmin offered. “Look, hyung…we’re obviously both over it so why not let bygones be bygones?”
“Yeah,” Yoochun agreed. “Exactly,”
Yunho eyed both of them warily. “Fine, fine. But if you two still left something unresolved, don’t expect me to pick up the pieces later on.”
“Whatever you say, hyung,” Changmin replied mockingly, all three of them very aware of Yunho’s savior complex.
Yunho shook his head disapprovingly. “Well, we’ll leave you here to enjoy the girls, Chun.”
“Where are you guys going?” Yoochun asked.
“Somewhere quiet, preferably…” Yunho glanced at Changmin.
“I know a place.” Changmin proffered, referring to the little chapel he had stumbled upon earlier on.
Yunho nodded approvingly.
“Alright, then,” Yoochun shrugged.
After saying quick goodbyes and a few more congratulatory words, Yoochun shouted after them as they began to walk away, loud enough that everyone in their vicinity heard his words loud and clear.
“I’ll start looking for the Homosexual Kama Sutra book when we get home, Yunho! You’ll like this version! It’s got pop-ups, hyung!”
Yunho shuffled out of their quickly, dragging a guffawing Changmin.
~*~
“…so I guess I’ll start working with you as soon as possible.” Yunho concluded.
Changmin rubbed small circles with his forefingers on his temple. He inhaled, a deep long exaggerated inhale. He let the poorly vented air of the quaint chapel fill his lungs, as if it was sacred air, blessed with God’s holiness. If he had not known better, he would have asked the other man if this was all a joke. Because laughing at how ridiculous this all was what he felt like doing. But he restrained himself. He doubted Yunho would appreciate a sudden burst of unexplained laughter from him. He leaned back against the wooden bench, the old thing almost creaking under their combined weight. Changmin sat facing the altar whilst Yunho sat sideways facing him.
“Can I see the roster again?” Changmin asked timidly, taking the piece of paper from Yunho. He scanned the list of board members, the familiar names that had caused all of this, though Changmin could never put the blame on anyone else but him. Each of them was crossed out, a scrawl cutting the names right in the middle. Beside them were numbers with quite a large number of zeros at the end of each. Those were the prices at which Yunho had bought them.
“That’s everybody, right?” Yunho cleared his throat. “Did I miss anyone?”
Changmin shook his head slightly. “Nope, this is all of them. You’re really amazing, hyung. These prices…are an amazing deal. I don’t know how you could have done it, how you made them all agree to this but I guess the company’s all yours now.”
“Don’t say that, Changminah,” Yunho chided gently. “You’re still the boss but instead of dealing with all of those old greedy bastards, you’ve got me and the new people who I’ll pick personally right behind you. This company is still Dong Bang Shin Ki’s baby and you’re still going to run it. That I promise you.”
Changmin nodded, letting the issue go. He knew Yunho meant well but things weren’t going to go as well as Yunho had described. It would be wishful thinking to expect him to stay in command when the disbanded group’s renowned leader was in position. The staff would obviously hold Yunho in a higher regard and Changmin could not blame them. So for now, he let that go, a part of him quite relieved at relinquishing his throne.
“But what about your day job?” Changmin asked. “What about Coffee Sweet? You can’t be running this while you do the show.”
“I got out of my contract.” Yunho answered, plain and simple.
“That’s impossible!” Changmin explained, his voice echoing in the still chapel. “You couldn’t have possibly gotten out of that damn thing! I helped write that up!”
“Then you should remember the clause you put in…” Yunho shrugged.
“Wait…” Changmin thought back to the contract’s loops. “But that means one of your costars signed a paper that it was either going to be you or him that they get to keep on the show!”
“Right,”
“Who would have a problem with you?!” Changmin asked, baffled.
“Seulgi…” Yunho sighed in memory of his friend. “She helped me get out of the show without much fuss with the producers.”
Changmin whistled, clearly impressed. “So let me get this straight…You and Jaejoong break up for awhile, the wedding is called off, you quit the show, you two get back together, you’re suddenly working for YSE, all the board members surprisingly went into early retirement, Junsu had to have an emergency Cesarean, and the girls were born safe and sound. Did I get everything?”
Yunho nodded slowly. “Yeah, I think so…what’s your point?”
Changmin could not help but giggle softly, tickling the hairs in Yunho’s ears. “I can think it’s about time we had our names back on every cover of magazines and newspapers again. The press is going to have a field day with this. They’ll dub this week as ‘DBSK’s week of mayhem’ or something like that. But I doubt you’ll mind though.”
“What do you mean? Why wouldn’t I mind?”
“Well, you’ll be too busy with all the new changes in your life. Being an uncle, being a husband, being a business man, being a father…”
“A father?” Yunho raised an eyebrow.
“Well, you guys aren’t going to take your time reproducing, right? I mean, both of you are in 30’s now and the biological clock is ticking.” Changmin made clicking sounds with his mouth, hitting the roof of his mouth with his tongue in one swift motion, imitating the noise of a clock.
“I guess so,” Yunho’s lips curled slightly, as if he wanted to smile but he thought better of it. “I’m just still worried about getting married.”
Changmin tilted his head, “Why? The wedding was supposed to be tomorrow anyways right?”
Yunho sighed, shifting in his seat and casting his eyes down to his lap where his fingers fidgeted with papers. “I…I didn’t think we would get back together so soon, dongsaeng.”
Changmin sensed the gravity of the words, warning bells ringing in his head of danger. “What’s wrong, hyung?” He scooted closer.
“To be honest, Changminah,” Yunho kept his eyes trained to his lap. “I was only supposed to buy out a few of the board members but then my credit card company called and I realized that I suddenly had enough money to buy them all out if I played my cards right in the meeting. I used the money for the wedding for…this.”
“Oh…” Changmin was speechless.
Yunho continued on. “AIsh…I thought, well, I’d save up again while I try to woo back Jae but then he ends up the one proposing and what was I supposed to say? No? Of course not. So now I’m screwed and Jaejoong is going to kill me when he finds out.”
“Oh, hyung…” Changmin placed a sympathetic hand on Yunho’s thigh, squeezing it lightly.
A sudden trilling pierced the pungent air, and object in Yunho’s pants vibrating loudly. He reached into his pocket and retrieved the ringing device. Dragging the screen into view, he saw that it was a text message from Jaejoong. Reading aloud, “Bring some sort of ramen and chocolate milk. I want chocolate milk. Thanks, baby. Sarang…”
“Guess I better get some food then…” Yunho said.
“How are you going to bring it into the ICU?” Changmin asked as he watched Yunho get up off his seat.
“Not sure,” Yunho shrugged. “I’ll tell him to just go down to the cafeteria with me. You coming?”
Changmin shook his head. “No, I think I’ll stay here for a bit.”
Yunho smirked, glancing at the moldy chapel. “Whatever floats your boat, Min.”
Changmin nodded, slapping hands with Yunho as the older man left to be the one he loved. Soon enough, he was left alone and he let the silence swallow him whole. He had too many things to think about and he didn’t know where to start. He would return to heading the financial department of YSE and Yunho would take over. That was inevitable and he no longer minded.
Yunho and Jaejoong not being able to get married because of him…he knew it was up to him to fix that too. His stomach grumbled and he suddenly wished he was at home where the cake was going to be delivered tomorrow morning. Too bad the cake wasn’t enough to fix their wedding.
A cough took him of his trance, the priest coming out of a door that just seemed to appear out of nowhere from the oak walls.
“Father,” Changmin called out.
“Oh, hello son,” He answered amicably, as if they were old time friends. “How are you?”
“Not good at all,” Changmin shared. “Are you licensed to marry people?”
The priest nodded, walking over to the bench where Changmin sat. “Of course, of course…but I doubt anyone would want to get married here.”
Changmin smiled inside.
*I lost my temper and just started beating the crap out of Changmin. I’m so sorry and I regret it but we’re solved everything now so no more worries. - Yoochun’s
**It was completely my fault that Junsu went into early labor and I’m really, really sorry. I deserve every hit I got and I’m glad for the bruises. We’ve patched things up now so you don’t have to worry about it anymore, hyung. -Changmin’s
( Chapter 18: Best Man )