All That Glitters ch 4
Title: All That Glitters
Chapter: 4/4
Pairing: past!HyunJoong/KyuJong, JungMin/YoungSaeng, onesided!KyuJong/YoungSaeng & HyunJoong/JungMin, Qmi
Warnings: AU, angst
Rating: R overall
Summary: HyunJoong is a man of society who must have the latest things, but keeping his latest find could be far more than he had bargained for.
A/N: For yeonah, who waited so patiently for the final chapter of this xD;;
The legend goes that one day, the priests of the village went to the top of the mountain to talk to the gods. They brought gifts of food and wine, a testament to the wealth of the village, to thank the gods for providing a blessed year for them. The gods heard their words of thanks, and enjoyed the offerings the priests gave them and promised another year of good fortune for the village.
As they tried to descend the mountaintop, they discovered an avalanche had blocked the path down, trapping the priests. The gods took pity on the priests, and offered to save the priests lives, but it would come at a price.
Without paying heed to the warning, the priests quickly agreed, begging the Gods to save them.
And so they did.
HyunJoong stepped out of the car, closing the door behind him. This was the last place he wanted to be at the moment but he trusted KyuJong, and trusted this would work. Eyes narrowing, he strode towards the door to the building, throwing it open in a seeming fit of rage.
"HeeChul!" he called, startling the poor receptionist in the lobby. "Where is he?" he demanded, making a note to apologize later by lieu of flowers.
"He... menagerie," she sputtered, reaching for her phone. It wasn't until HyunJoong was storming past her desk that she found her tongue. "Sir? Sir? He's with a client!"
"Not my problem!" HyunJoong called over his shoulder, throwing open the door. Down the long corridor and through the room of exotic animals, HyunJoong knew where HeeChul would be. The room of Songbirds was just as he remembered, though there were fewer birds inside the cages. The pretty black and white one he and almost bought instead was gone, as was the yellow one.
"Mister... HyunJoong?" HeeChul's voice caught HyunJoong's attention and his eyes landed on the pretty looking man as well as the taller man he was with. They were standing in front of the cage of the tall bird, irridescent blue and purple coloring. "I'm... with a client," HeeChul continued, a look of confusion, with a touch of irritation on that pretty face.
"I want my money back," HyunJoong said, crossing his arms. "Your bird, it's defective. It won't sing, it won't eat, and it will probably die within the day. I am not satisfied."
HeeChul blinked rapidly, his mouth working until he came to his senses and the smile returned. "Apologies if you're not satisfied... shall we go to my office...?" he said, motioning towards the door again to shoo HyunJoong away.
"No, I want this client of yours to know you're a shyster, a fraud," HyunJoong said, scowling at HeeChul. "I want him to know that you don't honor your agreements, that you steal peoples money with faulty merchandise."
"... There is absolutely nothing wrong with my merchandise," HeeChul said, laughing a little, though his eyes were wide and panicked. "I can assure you, Mister KyuHyun, there is nothing wrong with the birds."
"Oh, I believe you," the man named KyuHyun nodded, tilting his head slightly to look at the blur and purple irridescent bird he'd been looking at. "But I also believe him. I'll take this one, but at a third of the price you're asking."
"... A third?" HeeChul balked at that, mouth working as he tried to think of a response. "You must understand, I warned HyunJoong, I warned you that bird wasn't ready," he said, looking to HyunJoong with a scowl. "I distinctly recall telling you that."
"I don't," HyunJoong said simply. "The point is, I'm still not happy. I want my money back, and more for compensation."
"Com...compensation," HeeChul repeated. "You want... okay, fine. I'll have my secretary contact you."
"No, HeeChul, we're going to agree to the terms right here, with a witness," HyunJoong said firmly, stepping forward. "You will agree to all my terms, or I'll be taking you to court, and then the police will find out about your little... zoo here. They probably wouldn't be happy about that, would they?"
HeeChul's expression darkened but he gave a small nod, accepting the terms. "Alright, I agree. What are your terms?"
"Every cent of my money back," HyunJoong started, "as well as the last of the birds."
"What?!" HeeChul's jaw dropped, and he took a step back. "Absolutely not."
"You agreed," HyunJoong shrugged. "I expect to have my money back within the week, and don't even think about trying to leave with the birds. I will have someone sent to collect them by the end of the day."
"But... you'll ruin me," HeeChul said, still in utter shock. "These are it... these are all the birds there are left..."
HyunJoong leaned forward, eyes narrowed as he smirked. "I know. And now they're mine."
"I can have you arrested, for theft," HeeChul said, but there was no heat to his words.
"You wouldn't really do that, would you?" HyunJoong tilted his head. "Then you'd have to explain how you came by the birds, and how exactly they were never cleared through customs. As well as explain all of your other little pets here. No, HeeChul, you aren't going to do a damn thing against me and you know it."
"...If that's the case, I'm only paying half of what I just offered," KyuHyun said, glancing at HyunJoong out of the corner of his eye. "I'll send you a check."
"You can't do this," HeeChul said, backing away from them. "You can't do this to me."
"I think I just did," HyunJoong said. "It would probably be a good idea for you to get out of town, HeeChul. I'll make sure no one ever does business with ever again."
HeeChul scowled, glancing between the two men before he turned and left the room, walking quickly and slamming the door shut behind him.
HyunJoong let out a deep breath, rubbing at his eyes. Sometimes he thanked his father for being such an asshole when it came to business, otherwise he would never been able to do something like that.
"So... do I really have to pay you, sir?" KyuHyun asked, getting HyunJoong's attention. "I mean, I could, but that sort of defeats the purpose of receiving a paycheck."
HyunJoong chuckled at that, shaking his head. "No, you don't have to pay me, KyuHyun," he said. "Though, I can't really let you take the bird anyway. We're taking them back home."
"Oh... that's... disappointing," KyuHyun frowned. "He seemed to like me."
KyuHyun was right, the Songbird seemed to be very interested in him. Having moved to the front of the cage, the bird was looking KyuHyun up and down, head tilted in fascination.
"... You're really taking them home?" KyuHyun asked, looking at HyunJoong. "What about the one that was already sold?"
"I'll have to see if I can track him down," HyunJoong said with a small sigh. "And yes, we're taking them all back home. It's where they belong."
**************
HyunJoong should have been surprised that HeeChul left without returning his money, but he wasn't. The money didn't really matter to him truthfully, he just didn't like the fact that he'd been cheated. KyuJong of course had rolled his eyes and told him it wasn't worth making a big deal out of. They had what they needed, and that was the Songbirds.
Only five of the birds were to be sent back. The black and white one, that HyunJoong remembered was named RyeoWook hadn't been found. HeeChul had seen to it all of his records were destroyed. HyunJoong had promised the other birds they would look for him, but there was no guarantee. Luckily, RyeoWook did not have a mate, but HyunJoong could tell the others felt his absence strongly.
The first time all five of them had been reunited in the same room, the noise of their joined song had blown out KyuJong's window. It was a small price to pay to see them so happy. Especially YoungSaeng and JungMin. The way the two would look at each other and smile, the way their eyes would light up and their song lifted higher when they were together, it was worth it.
At least, that's what HyunJoong had to tell himself.
There was an air to JungMin that HyunJoong envied. A fire to his personality and demeanor that had the possessive part of HyunJoong's nature wanting to keep a hold of. He could tell by the way KyuJong would watch YoungSaeng from across the room that there was the tiniest bit of longing in those eyes.
"It wouldn't have worked for either of us," KyuJong said out of nowhere. They were riding in the limo to the airport, the Songbirds already sent ahead to the private jet. HyunJoong didn't doubt they could have flown all the way home, but he didn't want to take that risk.
"No, it probably wouldn't have," HyunJoong said with a small sigh. "You fell in love with him though, I can tell."
"Maybe... but I'm a logical person HyunJoong, I know he would have never loved me," KyuJong said, shaking his head. "Maybe that's why it doesn't hurt so much to take them back home. I know he'll be happy in the mountains, with JungMin."
"But there's still a part of you that wanted to keep him in his cage forever," HyunJoong said softly, watching KyuJong who was looking out the window. "I feel the same way about JungMin. I keep thinking... if only I had had a little more time with him, he would have wanted to stay. He would have wanted to be with me as well."
"That's not love though," KyuJong said, turning away from the window. "Love... isn't something to grow accustomed to. Love is supposed to be shared by two people who want it. YoungSaeng didn't want to love me, just as JungMin didn't want to love you. They already had their soulmates."
"When is it our turn?" HyunJoong asked, looking into KyuJong's eyes. "When do we find our soulmates that make us want to sing?"
KyuJong didn't respond to that right away, taking HyunJoong's hand lightly and lacing their fingers together. "Why did you do it?" he asked after a few minutes of silence. "Why did you help them?"
"Because you asked," HyunJoong said immediately, not understanding the question. "If it had been anyone else, I wouldn't have."
"Why is that?" KyuJong asked another question, a small smile tugging on his lips. "Why would you drop everything just to do as I ask?"
"..." HyunJoong had to look away, but his eyes went to their joined hands. "I think you know the answer to that," he replied. "Let me ask you, why did you ask?"
"Because no matter how many times I try to tell myself otherwise, I'm still in love with you," KyuJong said. "Even after all this time apart, after everything that happened between us... I still want to wake up next to you every morning."
HyunJoong's eyes closed and he had to take a deep breath. "I... wish you wouldn't say those things..." he whispered.
"And I wish I could stop loving you, but we don't always get our wish," KyuJong said, sliding closer. "I never stopped loving you HyunJoong, even when you kept putting me on a pedestal for display."
"I never wanted to put you on display, I just... was so proud to have you, I wanted everyone to know," HyunJoong said, leaning slightly against him. "Is that so wrong?"
"Hyun... I don't care who knows," KyuJong said, touching a hand to his cheek. "The only one that matters to me, is you."
"You're the only one who's ever mattered to me," HyunJoong whispered, opening his eyes to look into KyuJong's. "And that hasn't changed."
KyuJong's lip quirked slightly and he leaned in, brushing his lips lightly over HyunJoong's. "The thing about soulmates..." he whispered, "...is sometimes they're standing right by your side, and you're just too blind to see it."
"I always thought you were the one for me," HyunJoong chuckled, kissing KyuJong again. "You were the one who needed to know for sure and ran away to China."
KyuJong laughed at that, wrapping his arms around HyunJoong's neck. "I'm not running now, and not ever again."
"If you do, I'll just run with you," HyunJoong whispered, crushing him close as the kiss deepened. And that was a promise he was going to keep, even if KyuJong didn't want him to.
*******
By the time the limo reached the airport, there was no indication of what had happened in the backseat. Shirts and pants were straight, hair fixed and scratches conveniently hidden. The only clue was the faint hint of red to KyuJong's cheeks, and HyunJoong's mischevious smirk.
The chauffer opened the limo door, letting KyuJong out first onto the tarmac. The plane was ready for them, the Songbirds already on board. HyunJoong climbed up the ladder into the plane behind KyuJong, seeing the birds sitting awkwardly in their seats.
He didn't immediately see the problem, until he noticed the empty seat. One of the birds was missing.
"Where is he?" HyunJoong asked, looking to JungMin and YoungSaeng who looked uneasy. JungMin was frowning, angry; YoungSaeng, thoughtful, pensive. "Is he in the bathroom? Did something happen?"
The bird, the blue and purple irridescent that HyunJoong had learned was named Zhou Mi; was missing.
"Gone?" KyuJong repeated. YoungSaeng repeated the hand gesture of wings flapping followed by open palms. They didn't know where he had gone, and not told any of them he was leaving.
"You think HeeChul got to him?" HyunJoong asked KyuJong privately, though obviously the birds heard him by their reaction. Emphatic head shaking all around. No, Zhou Mi had left on his own. Sighing in frustration, HyunJoong pulled out his phone, dialing his assistant. Plans would need to be changed, they couldn't leave without Zhou Mi.
HyunJoong blinked and pulled the phone away from his ear, looking at the number. Disconnected? That was a company phone, how could it be disconnected.
"What's wrong?" KyuJong asked, seeing the puzzled look.
"KyuHyun's phone is disconnected," HyunJoong said, dialing again. "I don't know where he is, he wasn't at the office this morning, I figured he was running errands."
"Hyun..." KyuJong tried to get his attention.
"I hope he's okay," HyunJoong sighed, deciding to call the office directly. Maybe KyuHyun was there by now.
"Hyun," KyuJong repeated, touching his arm. That got his attention that time and he looked up. "Don't you think it's a little convenient that Zhou Mi is gone and you can't get a hold of KyuHyun?" he asked with a small smile. "You said yourself that they seemed to like each other."
"Well... yeah... but Zhou Mi should go back home where he belongs," HyunJoong said, glancing at JungMin and YoungSaeng who seemed to be doing that telepathic talking they seemed to do. "You agree, right?"
JungMin scowled and looked away but YoungSaeng looked up with a small smile, shaking his head. YoungSaeng held a hand to his heart before lifting it and placing it over JungMin's heart.
"...I still don't understand this gesture language," HyunJoong sighed, looking to KyuJong to help.
"He's saying that they know when they've found their soulmates," KyuJong said with a small smile. "And Zhou Mi has found his."
"...Oh," HyunJoong said quietly, slowly sitting down. "I guess... I'm happy for them both." YoungSaeng smiled at that and nodded, leaning against JungMin.
"When we get back, we can look for them," KyuJong said, touching HyunJoong's arm lightly as he sat down next to him. "So you at least can get your assistant back."
"...No, let him find his own path," HyunJoong said, taking KyuJong's hand in his own. "They deserve that at least; a fresh start."
KyuJong smiled thoughtfully at that. "Yeah, sometimes that's what's best."
"Yeah," HyunJoong agreed, leaning over to give KyuJong a light kiss.
Too wrapped up in each other, they didn't see JungMin and YoungSaeng watching them, both of them smiling to themselves.
You were right, Saeng. They just needed a little nudge.
I think it was more along the lines of a huge shove. We took a huge risk in doing this for KyuJong. Now another one of ours is gone.
Do you regret it? JungMin glanced down at YoungSaeng and YoungSaeng shook his head.
No, we did what was best. We helped someone who was lost and helped them find their way back home.
It took us so far from our home though.
It's a small price to pay to do the work of the gods, JungMin. We promised.
Still, I'll be glad to be home.
Me too... I think we all will.
Chapter: 4/4
Pairing: past!HyunJoong/KyuJong, JungMin/YoungSaeng, onesided!KyuJong/YoungSaeng & HyunJoong/JungMin, Qmi
Warnings: AU, angst
Rating: R overall
Summary: HyunJoong is a man of society who must have the latest things, but keeping his latest find could be far more than he had bargained for.
A/N: For yeonah, who waited so patiently for the final chapter of this xD;;
The legend goes that one day, the priests of the village went to the top of the mountain to talk to the gods. They brought gifts of food and wine, a testament to the wealth of the village, to thank the gods for providing a blessed year for them. The gods heard their words of thanks, and enjoyed the offerings the priests gave them and promised another year of good fortune for the village.
As they tried to descend the mountaintop, they discovered an avalanche had blocked the path down, trapping the priests. The gods took pity on the priests, and offered to save the priests lives, but it would come at a price.
Without paying heed to the warning, the priests quickly agreed, begging the Gods to save them.
And so they did.
HyunJoong stepped out of the car, closing the door behind him. This was the last place he wanted to be at the moment but he trusted KyuJong, and trusted this would work. Eyes narrowing, he strode towards the door to the building, throwing it open in a seeming fit of rage.
"HeeChul!" he called, startling the poor receptionist in the lobby. "Where is he?" he demanded, making a note to apologize later by lieu of flowers.
"He... menagerie," she sputtered, reaching for her phone. It wasn't until HyunJoong was storming past her desk that she found her tongue. "Sir? Sir? He's with a client!"
"Not my problem!" HyunJoong called over his shoulder, throwing open the door. Down the long corridor and through the room of exotic animals, HyunJoong knew where HeeChul would be. The room of Songbirds was just as he remembered, though there were fewer birds inside the cages. The pretty black and white one he and almost bought instead was gone, as was the yellow one.
"Mister... HyunJoong?" HeeChul's voice caught HyunJoong's attention and his eyes landed on the pretty looking man as well as the taller man he was with. They were standing in front of the cage of the tall bird, irridescent blue and purple coloring. "I'm... with a client," HeeChul continued, a look of confusion, with a touch of irritation on that pretty face.
"I want my money back," HyunJoong said, crossing his arms. "Your bird, it's defective. It won't sing, it won't eat, and it will probably die within the day. I am not satisfied."
HeeChul blinked rapidly, his mouth working until he came to his senses and the smile returned. "Apologies if you're not satisfied... shall we go to my office...?" he said, motioning towards the door again to shoo HyunJoong away.
"No, I want this client of yours to know you're a shyster, a fraud," HyunJoong said, scowling at HeeChul. "I want him to know that you don't honor your agreements, that you steal peoples money with faulty merchandise."
"... There is absolutely nothing wrong with my merchandise," HeeChul said, laughing a little, though his eyes were wide and panicked. "I can assure you, Mister KyuHyun, there is nothing wrong with the birds."
"Oh, I believe you," the man named KyuHyun nodded, tilting his head slightly to look at the blur and purple irridescent bird he'd been looking at. "But I also believe him. I'll take this one, but at a third of the price you're asking."
"... A third?" HeeChul balked at that, mouth working as he tried to think of a response. "You must understand, I warned HyunJoong, I warned you that bird wasn't ready," he said, looking to HyunJoong with a scowl. "I distinctly recall telling you that."
"I don't," HyunJoong said simply. "The point is, I'm still not happy. I want my money back, and more for compensation."
"Com...compensation," HeeChul repeated. "You want... okay, fine. I'll have my secretary contact you."
"No, HeeChul, we're going to agree to the terms right here, with a witness," HyunJoong said firmly, stepping forward. "You will agree to all my terms, or I'll be taking you to court, and then the police will find out about your little... zoo here. They probably wouldn't be happy about that, would they?"
HeeChul's expression darkened but he gave a small nod, accepting the terms. "Alright, I agree. What are your terms?"
"Every cent of my money back," HyunJoong started, "as well as the last of the birds."
"What?!" HeeChul's jaw dropped, and he took a step back. "Absolutely not."
"You agreed," HyunJoong shrugged. "I expect to have my money back within the week, and don't even think about trying to leave with the birds. I will have someone sent to collect them by the end of the day."
"But... you'll ruin me," HeeChul said, still in utter shock. "These are it... these are all the birds there are left..."
HyunJoong leaned forward, eyes narrowed as he smirked. "I know. And now they're mine."
"I can have you arrested, for theft," HeeChul said, but there was no heat to his words.
"You wouldn't really do that, would you?" HyunJoong tilted his head. "Then you'd have to explain how you came by the birds, and how exactly they were never cleared through customs. As well as explain all of your other little pets here. No, HeeChul, you aren't going to do a damn thing against me and you know it."
"...If that's the case, I'm only paying half of what I just offered," KyuHyun said, glancing at HyunJoong out of the corner of his eye. "I'll send you a check."
"You can't do this," HeeChul said, backing away from them. "You can't do this to me."
"I think I just did," HyunJoong said. "It would probably be a good idea for you to get out of town, HeeChul. I'll make sure no one ever does business with ever again."
HeeChul scowled, glancing between the two men before he turned and left the room, walking quickly and slamming the door shut behind him.
HyunJoong let out a deep breath, rubbing at his eyes. Sometimes he thanked his father for being such an asshole when it came to business, otherwise he would never been able to do something like that.
"So... do I really have to pay you, sir?" KyuHyun asked, getting HyunJoong's attention. "I mean, I could, but that sort of defeats the purpose of receiving a paycheck."
HyunJoong chuckled at that, shaking his head. "No, you don't have to pay me, KyuHyun," he said. "Though, I can't really let you take the bird anyway. We're taking them back home."
"Oh... that's... disappointing," KyuHyun frowned. "He seemed to like me."
KyuHyun was right, the Songbird seemed to be very interested in him. Having moved to the front of the cage, the bird was looking KyuHyun up and down, head tilted in fascination.
"... You're really taking them home?" KyuHyun asked, looking at HyunJoong. "What about the one that was already sold?"
"I'll have to see if I can track him down," HyunJoong said with a small sigh. "And yes, we're taking them all back home. It's where they belong."
**************
HyunJoong should have been surprised that HeeChul left without returning his money, but he wasn't. The money didn't really matter to him truthfully, he just didn't like the fact that he'd been cheated. KyuJong of course had rolled his eyes and told him it wasn't worth making a big deal out of. They had what they needed, and that was the Songbirds.
Only five of the birds were to be sent back. The black and white one, that HyunJoong remembered was named RyeoWook hadn't been found. HeeChul had seen to it all of his records were destroyed. HyunJoong had promised the other birds they would look for him, but there was no guarantee. Luckily, RyeoWook did not have a mate, but HyunJoong could tell the others felt his absence strongly.
The first time all five of them had been reunited in the same room, the noise of their joined song had blown out KyuJong's window. It was a small price to pay to see them so happy. Especially YoungSaeng and JungMin. The way the two would look at each other and smile, the way their eyes would light up and their song lifted higher when they were together, it was worth it.
At least, that's what HyunJoong had to tell himself.
There was an air to JungMin that HyunJoong envied. A fire to his personality and demeanor that had the possessive part of HyunJoong's nature wanting to keep a hold of. He could tell by the way KyuJong would watch YoungSaeng from across the room that there was the tiniest bit of longing in those eyes.
"It wouldn't have worked for either of us," KyuJong said out of nowhere. They were riding in the limo to the airport, the Songbirds already sent ahead to the private jet. HyunJoong didn't doubt they could have flown all the way home, but he didn't want to take that risk.
"No, it probably wouldn't have," HyunJoong said with a small sigh. "You fell in love with him though, I can tell."
"Maybe... but I'm a logical person HyunJoong, I know he would have never loved me," KyuJong said, shaking his head. "Maybe that's why it doesn't hurt so much to take them back home. I know he'll be happy in the mountains, with JungMin."
"But there's still a part of you that wanted to keep him in his cage forever," HyunJoong said softly, watching KyuJong who was looking out the window. "I feel the same way about JungMin. I keep thinking... if only I had had a little more time with him, he would have wanted to stay. He would have wanted to be with me as well."
"That's not love though," KyuJong said, turning away from the window. "Love... isn't something to grow accustomed to. Love is supposed to be shared by two people who want it. YoungSaeng didn't want to love me, just as JungMin didn't want to love you. They already had their soulmates."
"When is it our turn?" HyunJoong asked, looking into KyuJong's eyes. "When do we find our soulmates that make us want to sing?"
KyuJong didn't respond to that right away, taking HyunJoong's hand lightly and lacing their fingers together. "Why did you do it?" he asked after a few minutes of silence. "Why did you help them?"
"Because you asked," HyunJoong said immediately, not understanding the question. "If it had been anyone else, I wouldn't have."
"Why is that?" KyuJong asked another question, a small smile tugging on his lips. "Why would you drop everything just to do as I ask?"
"..." HyunJoong had to look away, but his eyes went to their joined hands. "I think you know the answer to that," he replied. "Let me ask you, why did you ask?"
"Because no matter how many times I try to tell myself otherwise, I'm still in love with you," KyuJong said. "Even after all this time apart, after everything that happened between us... I still want to wake up next to you every morning."
HyunJoong's eyes closed and he had to take a deep breath. "I... wish you wouldn't say those things..." he whispered.
"And I wish I could stop loving you, but we don't always get our wish," KyuJong said, sliding closer. "I never stopped loving you HyunJoong, even when you kept putting me on a pedestal for display."
"I never wanted to put you on display, I just... was so proud to have you, I wanted everyone to know," HyunJoong said, leaning slightly against him. "Is that so wrong?"
"Hyun... I don't care who knows," KyuJong said, touching a hand to his cheek. "The only one that matters to me, is you."
"You're the only one who's ever mattered to me," HyunJoong whispered, opening his eyes to look into KyuJong's. "And that hasn't changed."
KyuJong's lip quirked slightly and he leaned in, brushing his lips lightly over HyunJoong's. "The thing about soulmates..." he whispered, "...is sometimes they're standing right by your side, and you're just too blind to see it."
"I always thought you were the one for me," HyunJoong chuckled, kissing KyuJong again. "You were the one who needed to know for sure and ran away to China."
KyuJong laughed at that, wrapping his arms around HyunJoong's neck. "I'm not running now, and not ever again."
"If you do, I'll just run with you," HyunJoong whispered, crushing him close as the kiss deepened. And that was a promise he was going to keep, even if KyuJong didn't want him to.
*******
By the time the limo reached the airport, there was no indication of what had happened in the backseat. Shirts and pants were straight, hair fixed and scratches conveniently hidden. The only clue was the faint hint of red to KyuJong's cheeks, and HyunJoong's mischevious smirk.
The chauffer opened the limo door, letting KyuJong out first onto the tarmac. The plane was ready for them, the Songbirds already on board. HyunJoong climbed up the ladder into the plane behind KyuJong, seeing the birds sitting awkwardly in their seats.
He didn't immediately see the problem, until he noticed the empty seat. One of the birds was missing.
"Where is he?" HyunJoong asked, looking to JungMin and YoungSaeng who looked uneasy. JungMin was frowning, angry; YoungSaeng, thoughtful, pensive. "Is he in the bathroom? Did something happen?"
The bird, the blue and purple irridescent that HyunJoong had learned was named Zhou Mi; was missing.
"Gone?" KyuJong repeated. YoungSaeng repeated the hand gesture of wings flapping followed by open palms. They didn't know where he had gone, and not told any of them he was leaving.
"You think HeeChul got to him?" HyunJoong asked KyuJong privately, though obviously the birds heard him by their reaction. Emphatic head shaking all around. No, Zhou Mi had left on his own. Sighing in frustration, HyunJoong pulled out his phone, dialing his assistant. Plans would need to be changed, they couldn't leave without Zhou Mi.
HyunJoong blinked and pulled the phone away from his ear, looking at the number. Disconnected? That was a company phone, how could it be disconnected.
"What's wrong?" KyuJong asked, seeing the puzzled look.
"KyuHyun's phone is disconnected," HyunJoong said, dialing again. "I don't know where he is, he wasn't at the office this morning, I figured he was running errands."
"Hyun..." KyuJong tried to get his attention.
"I hope he's okay," HyunJoong sighed, deciding to call the office directly. Maybe KyuHyun was there by now.
"Hyun," KyuJong repeated, touching his arm. That got his attention that time and he looked up. "Don't you think it's a little convenient that Zhou Mi is gone and you can't get a hold of KyuHyun?" he asked with a small smile. "You said yourself that they seemed to like each other."
"Well... yeah... but Zhou Mi should go back home where he belongs," HyunJoong said, glancing at JungMin and YoungSaeng who seemed to be doing that telepathic talking they seemed to do. "You agree, right?"
JungMin scowled and looked away but YoungSaeng looked up with a small smile, shaking his head. YoungSaeng held a hand to his heart before lifting it and placing it over JungMin's heart.
"...I still don't understand this gesture language," HyunJoong sighed, looking to KyuJong to help.
"He's saying that they know when they've found their soulmates," KyuJong said with a small smile. "And Zhou Mi has found his."
"...Oh," HyunJoong said quietly, slowly sitting down. "I guess... I'm happy for them both." YoungSaeng smiled at that and nodded, leaning against JungMin.
"When we get back, we can look for them," KyuJong said, touching HyunJoong's arm lightly as he sat down next to him. "So you at least can get your assistant back."
"...No, let him find his own path," HyunJoong said, taking KyuJong's hand in his own. "They deserve that at least; a fresh start."
KyuJong smiled thoughtfully at that. "Yeah, sometimes that's what's best."
"Yeah," HyunJoong agreed, leaning over to give KyuJong a light kiss.
Too wrapped up in each other, they didn't see JungMin and YoungSaeng watching them, both of them smiling to themselves.
You were right, Saeng. They just needed a little nudge.
I think it was more along the lines of a huge shove. We took a huge risk in doing this for KyuJong. Now another one of ours is gone.
Do you regret it? JungMin glanced down at YoungSaeng and YoungSaeng shook his head.
No, we did what was best. We helped someone who was lost and helped them find their way back home.
It took us so far from our home though.
It's a small price to pay to do the work of the gods, JungMin. We promised.
Still, I'll be glad to be home.
Me too... I think we all will.