Expectations: Operation: Win Changmin's Love! Part 2
Series: Expectations
Adventure/Ficlet: Operation: Win Changmin’s Love Part 2
Author: Aquariuslover
Pairings: Yunjae, Kyuwook
Rating: PG
Genre: Crossover, Romance, Science Fiction, Adventure,
Beta: tahoeturquoise
Part 1
“Let’s get inside,” Yoochun suggested as he none too gently grabbed Yunho by the arm and hurried him inside the captain’s quarters. They had both been startled when Jaejoong had showed up and given Yunho his son.
Yunho’s son that had proceeded to cry in a deafening pitch causing Yoochun to fear for his ears the entire way to the Captain’s quarters. What bothered Yoochun the most was the look on Yunho’s face…it was that I’m in serious thought look. He would like to know how anyone could think with that continuous racket assaulting one’s ears. Yoochun hoped that whatever was on his friend’s mind kept him from noticing the looks of pity he had received from passerby crew members.
“I suppose if he bursts your eardrums Jaejoong will just fix them.”
As if his friend’s words stirred him from his thoughts Yunho smiled at Yoochun and told him, “Yes, of course and Dr. Cho will fix yours.”
“Yes, but is there a way we can sedate him before it comes to that?”
“Don’t be silly; we are not sedating him, but our plans have changed,” Yunho told him in that strong, confidant voice that Kangin and Yoochun had labeled ‘his captain’s voice’ during their first year at the academy.
“They have?”
“Yes,” Yunho told him, while at the same time soothing his distraught son, by rubbing his back. “I need you to go down to Dazen and assist them with some of their technical issues.”
“You need your Chief Engineer to…” Yoochun trailed off quickly putting his suspicion aside, eager to escape the crying child. “You know I am at your disposal. I will go right now, Captain.”
“You don’t have to leave right, now.”
“No time like the present.”
“Nonsense, I have a matter I need to attend to first. I will meet you in the transporter room in thirty minutes. I will personally transport you down to the planet.”
“You have a whole department more than eager to transport me. You need not bother.”
Yunho, who seemed totally unbothered by the screaming child in his arms, assured his friend. “It’s no bother.”
“Not for you,” Yoochun whispered under his breath as the other man left his quarters with a strange smile on his face.
*******************
“Console me,” Jaejoong pleaded as he entered the Chief Medical Officer’s office and plopped himself down in a chair across from the other man’s desk. “My anxiety is overwhelming me.”
Ryeowook looked up from his work, not bothering to hide his surprise. “You seem to be missing an appendage.”
“Don’t start.”
“I don’t think I’ve ever seen you without him since he was born. Actually, I know I haven’t.”
“It’s killing me,” Jaejoong explained, and his labored breathing supported his claims. “He is literally screaming in my head for me. He misses me so much. He wants me back.”
“So Yunho has him…”
“Of course, Yunho has him!” Jaejoong snapped. “Who else would I leave my son with?”
Ryeowook held out his hands to calm his friend. “Honesty, I didn’t think you would leave him with Yunho.”
“Because it upsets him so much!”
Ryeowook assured his friend. “It’s only natural for babies to have separation anxiety.”
“Try to understand the scope of what I am telling you. I am a powerful empath, and my son’s Joong heritage is running the show right now. Do you remember what adult Changmin was like in his Joong form? Now, imagine him as baby who is separated from his birth parent who he is very bonded, too.”
“I am sure it is terrible,” Ryeowook said attempting to soothe his friend. “But it has to be done. Putting it off was not helping. Honestly, it probably made it worse.”
Jaejoong glared at his friend. “You have made your concerns well known.”
“Why are you suddenly acting on them?”
“Not because of any ancient medical knowledge you have been sprouting off.”
After inhaling a deep breath and exhaling slowly Ryeowook asked, “What made you change your mind?”
“Yoochun is back, and Yunho can be honest with him. Yunho was telling him how miserable he was.”
“But you knew Yunho was miserable.”
“It’s different hearing it through someone else’s mind,” Jaejoong explained. “Yoochun has many faults…many, and you don’t even want to know half of them, but his friendship with Yunho is real. Yunho had Kangin while Yoochun was gone, but Yunho would never burden Kangin with his problems.”
“But he would burden Yoochun?”
“Sometimes, I understand why Starfleet is so eager to replace you; as a healer should you be this slow?” Jaejoong asked the other man. “Yoochun has a limited ability for empathy. He isn’t going to stress out over Yunho’s problems, whereas Kangin would truly be bothered by them. Yoochun is just going to side with Yunho, support Yunho, talk trash about me, think terrible things about me, and none of this will prevent him from having a full night’s sleep.”
Ryeowook, still perturbed by the slow comment, just kept his mouth clamped shut.
Jaejoong continued, “Also there is a true threat if Yunho and Changmin don’t strengthen their bond, and I can’t ignore it any longer. It is believed that Changmin was two years old when he arrived on Earth, but my baby is so advanced…maybe he wasn’t that old.”
“Ha!” Ryeowook exclaimed, more than happy to correct the telepath. “He isn’t advanced at all! He’s a year old and he doesn’t talk or crawl. He doesn’t even roll-over.”
“He rolls over!”
“When?”
“When you are not around! Also, he makes sounds…he cries when I leave him!”
“That isn’t language.”
“Are you trying to say Changmin is dumb?”
“Nope, because everybody knows that isn’t true.”
Jaejoong scowled at the doctor after peeking into his mind. “You think I’m a bad parent.”
Ryeowook didn’t deny it. “I am saying that it is a freaking miracle to me that he grew up to be a great scientist and not some twenty-year-old loser still sucking from his Birth Parent’s tit-oops I meant bond.”
Jaejoong gasped. “I know you didn’t!”
“Oh, I went there! Sometimes I wonder if the baby isn’t some illusion on your part and the real Changmin is still in the womb!”
“He isn’t an illusion! He’s real! Stop comparing him to human children! He is a Joong! He doesn’t have to do stupid things like crawl when I will happily carry him!”
“Jaejoong, I have tried being nice to you, but it has had no effect. I have real concerns for him! He’s half human, and at this rate he will never learn how to talk, much less walk!”
“For your information Yunho has tried to get him to talk. Yunho talks to him all the time, and I do occasionally… We have both tried to get him to call Yunho daddy…it just hasn’t worked.”
Ryeowook’s eyes narrowed in suspicion. “You tried to get him to talk?”
Jaejoong got up and started pacing the room. “I don’t have to talk to him! Changmin and I don’t need verbal language. I know everything he is feeling.”
“But what about thought Jaejoong?” Ryeowook asked seriously, putting aside his irritation. “He’s a year old. His mind should be buzzing. Has he even started mimicking you yet?”
“No, but he thinks. He thinks a lot.”
“Does he think of anything other than you?”
Jaejoong stopped and sat down on Ryeowook desk. “Sometimes he thinks about Yunho, especially if Yunho is talking to him, but most of the time…it’s just me.” With a swipe of his hand Jaejoong knocked everything off Ryeowook’s desk and fell back onto it. “I think I might be a bad parent.”
***********
Ten Forward was very busy as newly returned crew members reconnected with old friends, while at the same time new crew members became acquainted with the ship.
“I’m glad she is with our parents,” Sooyoung told her brother, who had just returned from Earth. They were sitting at a table catching up, while having an early lunch. “Does she seem any better to you?”
“I think she is, but she’s not back to her old self.”
“Her therapy hasn’t ended, has it?”
“No, not at all,” Ensign Minho quickly told his sister. “Like I said she is better, but still not herself. She’s so-”
“Detached,” Sooyoung finished.
“Yes, and the therapist assured her this will improve over time. The therapist also warned her that what she has experienced has changed her, and she might never be as carefree as she once was.”
“How could she be after all that she suffered,” Sooyoung replied soberly. “Whatever grown Changmin was doing to put her back together fell apart when he vanished. She not only has to deal with what happened during her captivity, but also the absence of her connection to Changmin.”
Minho leaned in closer to his sister and asked, “Do you find it funny that she didn’t awaken until he was born…and yet, she can be on Earth and him here without any ill side effects?”
“Everything having to do with the Joong, and their bonds is baffling to me. It doesn’t make any sense at all. We are told the bonds reward proximity, but that seems to be totally invalid in this case.”
“Yes, because we cannot even begin to calculate our distance from Earth. We still aren’t completely sure that we are not in an alternate reality entirely.”
“Another thing; she had no reaction to baby Changmin.”
“And he had no reaction to her either,” Minho pointed out.
Sooyoung nodded her head in agreement and elaborated, “But he has no reaction to anybody from what I have noticed, except Jaejoong.”
“Not even the Captain?”
“No, honestly he’s almost a year old and the only time I have ever seen him is with Jaejoong. I’ve never even seen the Captain hold him.”
“That’s so sad,” Minho stated. “The Captain and Changmin were so close. I thought they were supposed to have some all-powerful Dad/kid bond.”
“They are supposed to have a powerful bond.”
“Then what happened?”
Sooyoung leaned forward and whispered to her brother, “I have a theory on that but I’d rather one nosy telepath not know.”
Minho grinned and leaned back. “Understood.”
Sooyoung smiled at brother. “Honestly, it doesn’t make sense…” she trailed off when three very handsome new crew members walked by.
“Not objecting to the view, sister?”
Sooyoung’s eyes remained on the three handsome men as they walked to the other side of Ten Forward. “I’m almost to the point where I might seriously consider that none of this is real at all, and we were just dreamed up by some teenage girl with a liking for pretty boys. Seriously, does anybody unattractive get through the Guardian?”
Minho couldn’t help but laugh. “What was the ratio of men and women allowed through the Guardian this time?”
“We have exactly 144 new crew members and for every lovely woman it allowed through, it allowed 18 male crew members,” Dr. Nam answered as he sat down beside Ensign Minho.
“We should be at full capacity now,” Sooyoung informed them. “You must be very busy, doctor.”
“I am,” the doctor agreed. “Dr. Cho has a visitor, and I thought it would be a great time to have my lunch. We still have a lot of physicals to do. We expanded our sickbay numbers, but we are still severely lacking in medical personnel.”
“Did any of the senior medical officers make it through?” Minho asked; he recalled seeing many of them attempting to make the journey. Although, loved and adored by Admiral Cho, Star Fleet had made it very clear they were not comfortable leaving the wellbeing of the entire crew in the hands of Dr. Cho and Dr. Nam.
“Not a one,” Dr. Nam replied. “Three nurses got through and one physician, but he is younger than I am.”
Lieutenant Sooyoung looked around Ten Forward noticing the familiar and not so familiar faces. “Did Ensign Junsu make it back?”
“No, and neither did Ensign Sungyeol.”
Lieutenant Sooyoung reached across the table and patted the doctor’s arm. “Woohyun, I’m sorry.”
“It’s fine,” Woohyun assured her. “I’m starting to think the Guardian has favorites and those favorites might have an unconscious say in who gets through and who doesn’t. Doctor Cho would never admit it if he wanted to stay CMO, but he wouldn’t need to admit it to his Joong best friend.”
“That’s ridiculous,” Minho quickly objected. “I don’t think Doctor Cho would mind giving up the CMO if a more experienced doctor was available.”
“Why would Junsu not be allowed back?” Sooyoung asked. “He was always a favorite of the Captain’s, and the Captain most definitely has sway with the Guardians.”
“Maybe Junsu doesn’t want to come back,” Woohyun pointed out. “Sure, he is trying to get back, but maybe deep down he doesn’t want to deal with Commander Yoochun.”
“Truthfully, Junsu didn’t even try to come back this time,” Minho admitted. “He got reassigned to another ship.”
“So, that shows my theory could be correct,” Woohyun stated proudly.
“My logical brain refuses to believe this,” Sooyoung told the young doctor. “Are you sure you are not indulging in some wishful thinking?”
Woohyun shook his head and lowered his voice. “Neither Ensign Hoya nor Sungyeol made it back and we both know Sunggyu doesn’t like either one of them.”
“Your theory is flawed. The Guardian did not respond to Lieutenant Sunggyu on Dazen. I was there, and it ignored him just like it ignored me and Commander Cho. He’s not a favorite.”
“He’s a favorite of Jaejoong’s though,” Woohyun informed them, his voice still low.
Sooyoung arched her eyebrows showing her skepticism. “Why do you say that?”
Woohyun, who had once been a favorite of Jaejoong’s until he had slept with Ensign Sungyeol garnering the Joong’s dislike, highly doubted Sunggyu had fallen out of favor with the Joong. “You know more than anyone that Sunggyu saved the captain in an impossible situation, thereby winning Jaejoong’s favor.”
Sooyoung intensified her gaze at the doctor. “You and I also helped save the captain, and I assure you I am not a favorite of his.”
“Doctor, why aren’t you a favorite?” Minho asked.
Sooyoung’s face lit up in delight. “Oh, that’s right, you’ve been gone; you missed it.”
Woohyun groaned as he lowered his head to the table.
Sooyoung happily explained, “You see, our doctor friend was sexing it up with Ensign Sungyeol.”
Minho shrugged. “We all knew that…didn’t we?”
“We all suspected it, except our clueless Lieutenant Sunggyu,” Sooyoung continued. “Sunggyu had gone to sickbay to confess to the good doctor that he was finally willing to begin a relationship with him...when Jaejoong showed up and told him and anyone else in hearing range that Woohyun was a big whore and unworthy of him. I wasn’t there, but Donghae was, so everyone knew within minutes.”
“You are supposed to be my friend!” Woohyun hissed at the woman, who had clearly enjoyed repeating the story.
Sooyoung smiled at him and agreed, “You are my friend, but so is he, plus he is my pretend boyfriend, so he is my favorite of the two of you.”
“Ouch,” Minho said in sympathy. “Are you still friends with him?”
“Barely.”
“Hey, at least you are still friends even if just barely. You can work on that.”
Woohyun gave a small half smile to the optimistic ensign. “I’m trying. Believe me, I’m trying, but he isn’t interested in meeting me halfway. It’s so frustrating, because he is so freaking professional all the time.”
“Speaking of professional,” Sooyoung stated, looking past Woohyun to the man, who was standing behind the doctor. He was wearing a standard red uniform, yet he always looked more formal than the rest of the crew, she thought. “Can I help you, Lieutenant Kim?”
“Lieutenant Sooyoung, I hate to disturb you, but I require your assistance on an urgent matter. I am having difficulty understanding some of the figures you submitted for the briefing tomorrow.”
Sooyoung was careful to control her expression, because she found it highly unlikely her fellow lieutenant had ever had difficulty understanding anything. “Of course, I will be happy to offer my assistance,” she said as she stood and stepped away from the table, taking note of his use of the word urgent.
The lieutenant then gave an apologetic bow to the table acknowledging the other two men. “Ensign Minho, welcome back aboard the ship. I am Lieutenant Kim, I am serving as the Captain’s executive liaison, and it is my pleasure to meet you. I look forward to all your scientific contributions in the future.” He then focused on Woohyun, looking almost stern. “Doctor, I hope you are managing your increased workload with the due diligence it deserves.”
“Thank you, Sir,” Minho told the unfamiliar lieutenant, while Woohyun took a big gulp of his milk purposely ignoring the lieutenant.
Minho watched in amazement as his sister walked off with the other man. “Doctor, did he just subtly criticize you?”
“There wasn’t anything subtle about it,” Woohyun replied, putting his glass down. “My grandma said never trust a man with dimples.”
Minho side-eyed the man sitting next to him. “Doctor, don’t you have-”
“Yes, I do; that is how I know the saying is true.”
*******************
Lieutenant Sooyoung entered the empty turbolift feeling highly suspicious. Little was known of the man beside her, beyond his efficiency at his job and the fact that he was the only other crew member, other than herself, who was impervious to Jaejoong’s telepathy. He was a private individual, limiting his interactions with the crew. “Lieutenant Kim, I find it beyond the stretch of my imagination to believe you had any difficulty in comprehending my reports.”
“Halt,” he ordered, stopping the turbolift. “You are correct. It was an act of subterfuge on my part.”
“Subterfuge? Why? What is going on?”
He grinned at her, not bothering to hide his excitement. “The captain requires your assistance on a personal matter.”
“What does the captain require of me?”
“Assistance only you and I can provide him with.”
She grinned back at him and happily told him, “I am always eager to help the captain in any way that I can.”
******************
When Yoochun entered the transporter room, Yunho was already waiting on him. Yunho was standing behind the transporter console holding Changmin.
“Hey, he looks calmer.”
Yunho looked down at the baby who had gone from screaming at the top of his lungs to sniffling mildly. “Changmin is being a big boy for daddy.”
The baby looked up at Yunho curiously, making Yunho smile.
“Wow,” Yoochun said walking up closer to the other man and the baby. “That is a familiar expression isn’t it? What did you do?”
“I stopped feeling sorry for myself,” Yunho told the other man as he motioned for Yoochun to get on the transporter platform.
“Good for you,” Yoochun told him as he prepared to be beamed down to the planet Dazen.
“I will see you soon,” Yunho told him as he worked the transporter controls.
Yoochun felt the familiar feeling of being dematerialized and rematerialized but was shocked to find he hadn’t moved. “When you said you would see me soon, you weren’t lying. Did you forget how to work the transporters? Been sitting in the big chair too long, huh?”
“You are very funny.”
“So, what is up?”
“You are being recruited for a very special mission,” Yunho informed him as he pointed to Yoochun’s neck.
Yoochun looked down and saw the familiar pink necklace around his neck. Yoochun’s eyes lit up in delight; he instantly knew he would like this mission. “What kind of mission?”
“A secret mission.”
Yoochun reached up, stroked the necklace around his neck and stepped off the platform. “One that Jaejoong can’t know about?”
“Yes, and that is why I require you to wear the Custos Humanae Vitae,” Yunho explained. “Jaejoong will think you left the ship, so he isn’t searching for your mind.”
“Very clever,” Yoochun said, grinning. “So, does this secret mission have a name?”
Yunho, who was still at the transporter controls, bent down and kissed his son on the cheek and then told his friend, “It’s called Operation: Win Changmin’s Love.”
Before Yoochun could respond he found himself in the middle of the Captain’s quarters. “Transporting within the ship and placing a necklace on me during the rematerialization process; how risky of you, Captain.”
“Need I remind you of my academy scores?” Yunho asked the engineer as he headed toward the kitchen. “I assure you there was no risk.”
“Show off.”
Yunho shrugged and called out for the ship’s computer, “Computer, I temporarily relinquish my command to Commander Yoochun. Code 5TV7520XQ704.”
“Understood,” came the computer’s quick reply. “Commander Yoochun do you comply?”
“Yes, Code 2JJ093TQ520VXY,” Yoochun said, more than slightly confused as to why Yunho was transferring command of the ship to him.
“Commander Yoochun has temporary command of the Starship Expectations,” the ship’s computer pronounced.
Yoochun watched as the captain grabbed a bowl from the stasis chamber. “That was way too easy. I assume you have accomplices, since you require another command code to transfer power.”
“Yes, I do.”
“I am assuming our Chief Science officer is in on it, since this operation is being kept secret from Jaejoong.”
“Exactly,” Yunho said as he came back into the living room, holding Changmin in one arm and the bowl in the other. “She is very helpful.”
“So, what are we doing, exactly?” Yoochun asked, as he watched Yunho sit down with Changmin on the sofa.
“I’m going to feed him.”
“Jaejoong’s gonna lose his shit.”
“Yes, most likely.”
“And you are still doing it?” Yoochun questioned, recalling all the times he had seen the couple argue about feeding the baby. “That seems unlike you, to disregard his feelings on the matter.”
“Like he has disregarded my feelings on the matter till now?” Yunho asked, remaining calm, very aware of the empathic baby in his arms.
Yoochun held out his arms. “Hey, I am on your side, buddy. I was just playing devil’s advocate, just in case you wanted to back out.”
“I’m not going to back out. This is something that has to be done, and I am well aware of the wrath that I may be invoking.”
“Okay, but if you start having seizures, your eyes start bleeding, or your brains start leaking out your ears I am putting this on you,” Yoochun told his friend, reaching up to touch the necklace.
“No,” Yunho exclaimed quickly, trying not to laugh. “The last time I had that on and disrupted our bond he shifted-so not ready for that again.”
“Hey, it was the best show the people of Valmont had ever seen. I hear they will be talking about it for centuries.”
Yunho balanced the bowl and Changmin in his lap and reached up to cover Changmin’s ears. “Innocent ears, and not to mention innocent empath, here!”
“Hey, I am impervious to Joong’s empathic powers, and your kid can’t even talk.”
Yunho stuck his tongue out at Yoochun, causing Changmin to reach up with his little hand and touch Yunho’s mouth. Yunho glowed as he looked at his son and declared, “Does he seem smarter to you?”
“I haven’t seen him in months, but the absence of tears and high screeching does make him look more intelligent.”
“You are Daddy’s little genius,” Yunho said warmly, as he dipped a finger in the bowl of pudding. “Daddy loves you so much, and you know what you love, Changmin? You love food. You love food a lot.”
“Yep, you were a stingy little bastard when it came to food.”
“Words, Yoochun, no bad words,” Yunho warned as he brought his finger up to Changmin’s mouth and gently placed a little bit of pudding on Changmin’s bottom lip. “Daddy, is going to assign Uncle Yoochun to security for a month if he says bad words around my precious boy again.”
Yoochun gaped in horror at the thought but kept quiet.
Yunho watched as Changmin just stared at him, not paying attention to the pudding on his lip. “He doesn’t know what to do with it.”
“Hope he doesn’t choke.”
“Not funny!”
“But seriously, he’s more interested in you than the food. You should have brought crab.”
Yunho, who was loving the focus his son was giving him, smacked his lips together and to his enormous joy Changmin quickly mimicked him. The moment Changmin tasted the sweet pudding it was obvious; his eyes widened, he opened and closed his mouth several more times as he tried to grasp what it was to taste, and then suddenly he started giggling and waving his little arms in excitement.
“Do you want Daddy to give you some more?” Yunho asked with a big, goofy, smile and tearful eyes as he gave his son a spoonful of pudding. “He’s laughing! I’ve never heard him laugh before.”
“It’s really cute,” Yoochun proclaimed, while smiling like a fool as he watched Yunho feed his son. They watched affectionately as Changmin stuck his hand in the bowl of pudding.
“You want the spoon?” Yunho asked him, trying to hand him the spoon. Changmin ignored it and instead reached up and wiped food all over Yunho’s face.
“Umm, thank you,” Yunho told his happy boy as he made a big show of tasting the pudding causing Changmin’s laughter to increase.
“Did Changmin just share his food?”
Yunho nodded his head, never taking his eyes off his son as happy tears flowed, down his face. “You shared with Daddy, didn’t you? You are such a good boy.”
“Computer note this occurrence for prosperity. Today Changmin willingly shared his food.”
“Noted,” came the computer’s swift response, causing Yunho to laugh.
“Yummy,” Yunho told Changmin as his son took turns feeding himself and feeding his daddy.
*****************
“Honey, are you ready for lunch?” Commander Cho asked as he entered his husband’s office. He abruptly stopped as he noticed the Joong that was sprawled out on his husband’s desk looking very distressed, and minus the baby.
“It’s not that I’m a terrible person,” Jaejoong declared, looking up at the ceiling of the room. “Because person usually means human, and I am way better than a measly human. Not counting Yunho, because he doesn’t count as a human. He is a member of my Royal Joong family, and not because some old man with whiskers declared us married. No, it is because of our timeless love. It sure isn’t because the Guardian recognizes Earth marriages…because that’s laughable.”
Ryeowook, who was standing beside his desk, softly patting Jaejoong’s leg in a comforting manner, while at the same time mouthing to his husband to run for it.
Jaejoong sat up suddenly and grabbed Ryeowook by the shoulders with both hands. “Don’t make him leave. I need all the support I can get.”
Kyuhyun, who was torn between the desire to run for it and his loyalty to his husband, bit the bullet. “Jaejoong, is something wrong?”
Jaejoong still clinging to Ryeowook cried out, “Changmin is all curious and he isn’t crying for me anymore.”
“Jaejoong did the right thing,” Ryeowook told his husband. “He is letting Changmin and Yunho spend time together without him. He’s being really strong.”
“Well, that is great.”
“No,” Jaejoong whimpered, falling back on the desk. “Yes, it is, but it’s not. I am not jealous-I’m totally jealous! I’m jealous that my son is bursting with curiosity and he’s totally enamored with Yunho, right now.”
“This is a wonderful thing. You wanted this to happen,” the doctor reminded the telepath.
Jaejoong kept staring at the ceiling as tears ran down his face. “I know I should be happy, but I didn’t expect it to work so fast. It’s strange considering how mopey Yunho has been. I love the man more than you wretched humans could ever imagine, but he’s so mopey. Mopey is not an attractive emotion to an empath, and it has worn even on my endless patience…” Jaejoong trailed off, turned his head to the side to glare at the doctor. “I am reading your mind, you sarcastic, rude bastard.”
“You are rude to read my mind!”
“I am trying to distract myself, since you are doing such a shitty job of consoling me!”
“If you wouldn’t talk it would be a whole lot easier to console you!”
“Hey,” Kyuhyun said interrupting his husband and the moody telepathy before their squabbling got out of control. “Jaejoong, you were saying?”
“That my beloved Yunho is mopey, but I suppose spending time with the perfect prince would cure him of any ills. I should have done this before. I’m a terrible parent and a terrible bond mate-not husband. I don’t know why everybody wants to label us husbands, now….we are timeless bond mates, so much better than husbands. No offense.”
Kyuhyun couldn’t help but laugh. “None taken.”
Ryeowook didn’t bother to hide his annoyance. “I am offended.”
“I don’t care, because you suck at being my best friend. Kyuhyun is my new best friend. I am trading you in,” Jaejoong threatened.
“Ryeowook,” Kyuhyun warned his husband. “You two are best friends, and you need to start acting like it.”
Ryeowook gaped at his husband, knowing the man was just trying to save himself from Jaejoong’s friendship, but he also knew Kyuhyun has a point. He forced himself to apologize. “I’m sorry Jaejoong, but you know I have been pleading with you to do this for months.”
Jaejoong groaned and started rubbing his eyes. “I know.”
The doctor carefully added, “Changmin is with his dad. This is a good thing.”
“It’s just hard. My baby is experiencing new feelings for the first time, and I am stuck here with you people.”
Kyuhyun held up his hand and pointed out, “I tried to leave.”
“Yes, you did,” Jaejoong acknowledged. “It just that I would love to be there and watch Changmin and Yunho truly connecting.”
“I know you would,” the doctor told him. “But wouldn’t that interfere?”
“Yes, it would, so I just have to say here-” Jaejoong stopped abruptly and appeared to be in deep concentration.
“Is something wrong,” Ryeowook asked.
“Yunho, what have you done!” Jaejoong wailed, bolting off the table.
Ryeowook and Kyuhyun watched as the shocked Joong stormed out of sickbay on the warpath and they soon found themselves unwillingly following behind him.
“What’s going on?” Ryeowook managed to get out as he found himself rushing toward the Captain and Jaejoong’s quarters.
“He’s feeding him!” Jaejoong snapped as he reached his quarters and found the doors not responding to him. “He’s feeding my baby!”
“Computer, this is Dr. Cho; override the lock and open this door, it is a medical emergency,” Ryeowook ordered much to his own surprise.
“You do not have authorization to enter,” the computer promptly informed the doctor.
“Computer, this is Commander Cho; override the lock and open the door.”
“You do not have authorization to enter,” the computer repeated.
“Are you controlling us?” Ryeowook demanded, while Commander Cho just looked amused at the telepath’s antics.
“Yes, and you see what little good it is doing me! Lieutenant Donghae can’t even beam me in there!”
“Well, the captain isn’t an idiot,” Commander Cho pointed out. “If he wants to keep you out of there, you aren’t getting in there.”
“That woman is no doubt helping him!” Jaejoong seethed.
“Why did you have me say medical emergency?” Ryeowook questioned, slightly concerned. “There isn’t one, is there?”
“No, only the one I am going to inflict on Yunho if he doesn’t open the door right this damn minute!” Jaejoong threatened aloud and mentally to his mate-who was ignoring him.
“You can’t hurt Yunho,” the doctor told the telepath.
“Oh, I can,” Jaejoong said, correcting him. “I will just have to heal whatever damage I do, but if he thinks I am going to let him keep on blocking me he has a big surprise coming.”
“Really, you are too much,” Ryeowook snapped. “So what if Changmin starts having bowel movements and starts peeing; it’s perfectly normal, and our cleaning system is very advanced. It isn’t like you are going to have to change his diapers. How many times do I have to tell you we were joking about that. We aren’t living in the 21th century.”
Jaejoong ignored Ryeowook as he browsed through the crew’s minds looking for a way in the room.
“Shouldn’t I be more upset that he is mind controlling us?” Kyuhyun asked his husband.
“Not if he doesn’t want you to be upset,” Ryeowook told his husband. “That’s how he always gets away with it!”
“That makes sense, because I’m not even mad, but in all honestly, it’s kind of funny,” Kyuhyun told his husband. “All of this outrageous behavior because the Captain dares to feed his son.”
Jaejoong exclaimed loudly, “Commander Yoochun has control of the ship-he’s not on the ship. I know for a fact he beamed down to Dazen!”
“Computer, where is the current location of Commander Yoochun,” Commander Cho asked.
“Commander Yoochun is located in the Captain’s quarters.”
“That’s not possible,” Jaejoong professed, “If he was in there I would sense him.”
The doors to quarters whooshed open and Commander Yoochun stepped into the doorway showing off his jewelry. “Not today.”
“Why the hell have we not duplicated those necklaces?” Ryeowook asked upon seeing the commander and the reason behind him going undetected by the Joong.
“We tried. It doesn’t work,” Commander Yoochun and Commander Cho both answered in unison.
Jaejoong ignored them, rushing past Commander Yoochun to enter the room. He immediately went to Yunho and Changmin and came to a sudden stop once he reached them and took in the vision of his beloved mate and son.
Yunho, whose face was partially covered in banana pudding, looked up at Jaejoong readying himself for an onslaught of accusations, but stopped when he saw the look of pure love on his mate’s face.
Jaejoong sat down beside Yunho, his eyes locked on his gleeful baby, who smiled at him lovingly as he continued to eat his pudding. “Did Daddy give you food?”
Changmin stuffed his pudding covered fingers in his mouth and giggled.
“I guess I will let Daddy live,” Jaejoong told his son, as he leaned in and kissed Yunho on a part of his cheek that was covered with pudding. “Yummy.”
Changmin giggled more and reached up and splattered Yunho’s face with more pudding.
“I get to live?”
“Yes.”
“Without brain damage?”
“Haha.”
“You aren’t mad?”
“No, how can I be mad? He’s so happy…and his mind is so alive.”
“It’s like I can feel it. He seems so bright, like the sun…son.”
“You think you are so funny,” Jaejoong telepathically told his mate as he leaned in and licked more of the food off Yunho’s face. “This pudding really is good.”
“Empathic baby, no licking food off me.”
“Okay, we will save that for later.”
“Pure thoughts…pure thoughts.”
Jaejoong shook his head and asked the baby, “Changmin, can BP have some pudding, too?”
Changmin just stuffed his pudding covered fingers farther into his mouth.
“I think that is a no, but he did share with me, because he likes me now. Doesn’t he? He likes me, right?”
“He always liked you…but now he loves you.”
“All it took was food,” Yunho said aloud, laughing. “I should have known. Food is the key.”
“Nonsense,” Jaejoong told Yunho, while reaching out to tap Changmin’s nose that was covered in pudding. “Daddy is very silly. He was totally winning you over before he brought out the food to bribe you with.”
“I am silly,” Yunho admitted with a huge sigh as relief flooded him. He kissed Changmin on the top of the head. “I will always love you kid, and there is nothing in all of time or space that will change that. There is nothing I wouldn’t do for you.”
Changmin stopped eating and looked up at Yunho. He felt the great love the man had for him and it made him feel warm. “Daddy.”
Jaejoong and Yunho just stared at their son, both of them momentarily speechless. Never had Changmin even attempted to talk; he didn’t even babble.
Yoochun, who had stood back with the Chos quietly watching, broke out in laughter. “Wow, I’d say Operation: Win Changmin’s Love was a total success.”
Ryeowook held up his hands in victory. “His speech was so clear! How is that even possible? Whatever; I don’t care! Congratulations Changmin, you finally made it out of the womb!”
Kyuhyun just smiled at the baby, who had once been his best friend. “Changmin always did love his food.”
Jaejoong found himself crying along with Yunho. “It didn’t have anything to do with the food. Changmin doesn’t love food more than he loves us. He just said Daddy first because Yunho talks to him all the time.”
Yunho set the bowl down and stood up with Changmin still in his arms and hugged his son tightly. “You make Daddy so happy.”
Jaejoong got up to stand alongside them. “He can feel your happiness. I think the Joong on the home world can feel it.”
“It is pretty great.”
“It is, and I am sure BP will be his next word,” Jaejoong said, trying his best to hide his jealousy as he gently squeezed Changmin’s little hand. “Say BP baby.”
“Of course, it will be his next word,” Yunho told Jaejoong, smiling proudly at his mate that was handling everything so wonderfully.
“Daddy!”
Yunho turned his attention back to his son, who was reaching in the direction of the bowl. “Yes, sweetheart?”
“Daddy!” Changmin repeated this time more forcefully, still leaning toward the bowl on the table.
“He almost sounded bossy, but that isn’t possible is it?” Yunho asked aloud, while staring at his son. He was amazed by him and recognizing the man he would become.
“He’s wants more food.”
Before Yunho could act on Jaejoong’s information the baby said very clearly, “Food.”
Everybody in the quarters froze as Changmin said his second word. Yunho was the first to recover as he sat back down, avoiding eye contact with Jaejoong, and grabbed the bowl letting Changmin have what he so desperately wanted.
Jaejoong stood motionless.
Yoochun started backing out of the quarters, “Umm…I got to get to engineering. I’ve been gone for months, lots to do. A whole lot to do.”
We have to get to lunch,” Kyuhyun quickly stated as he took Ryeowook by the wrist to hurry him out of the room.
As Kyuhyun led him out of the room, Ryeowook whispered, “I told him he should have gone with Momma, Mommy or Papa. What kid says BP? Every time I hear BP I want to measure someone’s blood pressure.”
Jaejoong sat down on the sofa beside Yunho, heartbroken. “This morning I was his whole world, and now I don’t even get to be his second word. I lost out to food.”
Yunho laughed as he shifted Changmin to his other arm, so the baby was between him and Jaejoong. “You know that isn’t true.”
“Yunho, food was his second word! Food!”
“Well, he wasn’t done eating and he wanted more. You should be proud. He’s smart…he’s already using language to get stuff. We will have to baby proof this entire ship.”
Jaejoong sighed as he reached out to run his hand through his son’s blond curls, causing Changmin to look at him. “Baby, it’s alright, you are perfect.”
In response to Jaejoong’s words, Changmin reached up and splattered pudding all over Jaejoong’s face and started giggling.
“And that there is a sign of just how much he loves you,” Yunho said through his laughter. “He doesn’t share his food with just anyone.”
Jaejoong smiled and tried to contain his own laughter because he knew more than anyone how much his baby loved him.
Adventure/Ficlet: Operation: Win Changmin’s Love Part 2
Author: Aquariuslover
Pairings: Yunjae, Kyuwook
Rating: PG
Genre: Crossover, Romance, Science Fiction, Adventure,
Beta: tahoeturquoise
Part 1
“Let’s get inside,” Yoochun suggested as he none too gently grabbed Yunho by the arm and hurried him inside the captain’s quarters. They had both been startled when Jaejoong had showed up and given Yunho his son.
Yunho’s son that had proceeded to cry in a deafening pitch causing Yoochun to fear for his ears the entire way to the Captain’s quarters. What bothered Yoochun the most was the look on Yunho’s face…it was that I’m in serious thought look. He would like to know how anyone could think with that continuous racket assaulting one’s ears. Yoochun hoped that whatever was on his friend’s mind kept him from noticing the looks of pity he had received from passerby crew members.
“I suppose if he bursts your eardrums Jaejoong will just fix them.”
As if his friend’s words stirred him from his thoughts Yunho smiled at Yoochun and told him, “Yes, of course and Dr. Cho will fix yours.”
“Yes, but is there a way we can sedate him before it comes to that?”
“Don’t be silly; we are not sedating him, but our plans have changed,” Yunho told him in that strong, confidant voice that Kangin and Yoochun had labeled ‘his captain’s voice’ during their first year at the academy.
“They have?”
“Yes,” Yunho told him, while at the same time soothing his distraught son, by rubbing his back. “I need you to go down to Dazen and assist them with some of their technical issues.”
“You need your Chief Engineer to…” Yoochun trailed off quickly putting his suspicion aside, eager to escape the crying child. “You know I am at your disposal. I will go right now, Captain.”
“You don’t have to leave right, now.”
“No time like the present.”
“Nonsense, I have a matter I need to attend to first. I will meet you in the transporter room in thirty minutes. I will personally transport you down to the planet.”
“You have a whole department more than eager to transport me. You need not bother.”
Yunho, who seemed totally unbothered by the screaming child in his arms, assured his friend. “It’s no bother.”
“Not for you,” Yoochun whispered under his breath as the other man left his quarters with a strange smile on his face.
*******************
“Console me,” Jaejoong pleaded as he entered the Chief Medical Officer’s office and plopped himself down in a chair across from the other man’s desk. “My anxiety is overwhelming me.”
Ryeowook looked up from his work, not bothering to hide his surprise. “You seem to be missing an appendage.”
“Don’t start.”
“I don’t think I’ve ever seen you without him since he was born. Actually, I know I haven’t.”
“It’s killing me,” Jaejoong explained, and his labored breathing supported his claims. “He is literally screaming in my head for me. He misses me so much. He wants me back.”
“So Yunho has him…”
“Of course, Yunho has him!” Jaejoong snapped. “Who else would I leave my son with?”
Ryeowook held out his hands to calm his friend. “Honesty, I didn’t think you would leave him with Yunho.”
“Because it upsets him so much!”
Ryeowook assured his friend. “It’s only natural for babies to have separation anxiety.”
“Try to understand the scope of what I am telling you. I am a powerful empath, and my son’s Joong heritage is running the show right now. Do you remember what adult Changmin was like in his Joong form? Now, imagine him as baby who is separated from his birth parent who he is very bonded, too.”
“I am sure it is terrible,” Ryeowook said attempting to soothe his friend. “But it has to be done. Putting it off was not helping. Honestly, it probably made it worse.”
Jaejoong glared at his friend. “You have made your concerns well known.”
“Why are you suddenly acting on them?”
“Not because of any ancient medical knowledge you have been sprouting off.”
After inhaling a deep breath and exhaling slowly Ryeowook asked, “What made you change your mind?”
“Yoochun is back, and Yunho can be honest with him. Yunho was telling him how miserable he was.”
“But you knew Yunho was miserable.”
“It’s different hearing it through someone else’s mind,” Jaejoong explained. “Yoochun has many faults…many, and you don’t even want to know half of them, but his friendship with Yunho is real. Yunho had Kangin while Yoochun was gone, but Yunho would never burden Kangin with his problems.”
“But he would burden Yoochun?”
“Sometimes, I understand why Starfleet is so eager to replace you; as a healer should you be this slow?” Jaejoong asked the other man. “Yoochun has a limited ability for empathy. He isn’t going to stress out over Yunho’s problems, whereas Kangin would truly be bothered by them. Yoochun is just going to side with Yunho, support Yunho, talk trash about me, think terrible things about me, and none of this will prevent him from having a full night’s sleep.”
Ryeowook, still perturbed by the slow comment, just kept his mouth clamped shut.
Jaejoong continued, “Also there is a true threat if Yunho and Changmin don’t strengthen their bond, and I can’t ignore it any longer. It is believed that Changmin was two years old when he arrived on Earth, but my baby is so advanced…maybe he wasn’t that old.”
“Ha!” Ryeowook exclaimed, more than happy to correct the telepath. “He isn’t advanced at all! He’s a year old and he doesn’t talk or crawl. He doesn’t even roll-over.”
“He rolls over!”
“When?”
“When you are not around! Also, he makes sounds…he cries when I leave him!”
“That isn’t language.”
“Are you trying to say Changmin is dumb?”
“Nope, because everybody knows that isn’t true.”
Jaejoong scowled at the doctor after peeking into his mind. “You think I’m a bad parent.”
Ryeowook didn’t deny it. “I am saying that it is a freaking miracle to me that he grew up to be a great scientist and not some twenty-year-old loser still sucking from his Birth Parent’s tit-oops I meant bond.”
Jaejoong gasped. “I know you didn’t!”
“Oh, I went there! Sometimes I wonder if the baby isn’t some illusion on your part and the real Changmin is still in the womb!”
“He isn’t an illusion! He’s real! Stop comparing him to human children! He is a Joong! He doesn’t have to do stupid things like crawl when I will happily carry him!”
“Jaejoong, I have tried being nice to you, but it has had no effect. I have real concerns for him! He’s half human, and at this rate he will never learn how to talk, much less walk!”
“For your information Yunho has tried to get him to talk. Yunho talks to him all the time, and I do occasionally… We have both tried to get him to call Yunho daddy…it just hasn’t worked.”
Ryeowook’s eyes narrowed in suspicion. “You tried to get him to talk?”
Jaejoong got up and started pacing the room. “I don’t have to talk to him! Changmin and I don’t need verbal language. I know everything he is feeling.”
“But what about thought Jaejoong?” Ryeowook asked seriously, putting aside his irritation. “He’s a year old. His mind should be buzzing. Has he even started mimicking you yet?”
“No, but he thinks. He thinks a lot.”
“Does he think of anything other than you?”
Jaejoong stopped and sat down on Ryeowook desk. “Sometimes he thinks about Yunho, especially if Yunho is talking to him, but most of the time…it’s just me.” With a swipe of his hand Jaejoong knocked everything off Ryeowook’s desk and fell back onto it. “I think I might be a bad parent.”
***********
Ten Forward was very busy as newly returned crew members reconnected with old friends, while at the same time new crew members became acquainted with the ship.
“I’m glad she is with our parents,” Sooyoung told her brother, who had just returned from Earth. They were sitting at a table catching up, while having an early lunch. “Does she seem any better to you?”
“I think she is, but she’s not back to her old self.”
“Her therapy hasn’t ended, has it?”
“No, not at all,” Ensign Minho quickly told his sister. “Like I said she is better, but still not herself. She’s so-”
“Detached,” Sooyoung finished.
“Yes, and the therapist assured her this will improve over time. The therapist also warned her that what she has experienced has changed her, and she might never be as carefree as she once was.”
“How could she be after all that she suffered,” Sooyoung replied soberly. “Whatever grown Changmin was doing to put her back together fell apart when he vanished. She not only has to deal with what happened during her captivity, but also the absence of her connection to Changmin.”
Minho leaned in closer to his sister and asked, “Do you find it funny that she didn’t awaken until he was born…and yet, she can be on Earth and him here without any ill side effects?”
“Everything having to do with the Joong, and their bonds is baffling to me. It doesn’t make any sense at all. We are told the bonds reward proximity, but that seems to be totally invalid in this case.”
“Yes, because we cannot even begin to calculate our distance from Earth. We still aren’t completely sure that we are not in an alternate reality entirely.”
“Another thing; she had no reaction to baby Changmin.”
“And he had no reaction to her either,” Minho pointed out.
Sooyoung nodded her head in agreement and elaborated, “But he has no reaction to anybody from what I have noticed, except Jaejoong.”
“Not even the Captain?”
“No, honestly he’s almost a year old and the only time I have ever seen him is with Jaejoong. I’ve never even seen the Captain hold him.”
“That’s so sad,” Minho stated. “The Captain and Changmin were so close. I thought they were supposed to have some all-powerful Dad/kid bond.”
“They are supposed to have a powerful bond.”
“Then what happened?”
Sooyoung leaned forward and whispered to her brother, “I have a theory on that but I’d rather one nosy telepath not know.”
Minho grinned and leaned back. “Understood.”
Sooyoung smiled at brother. “Honestly, it doesn’t make sense…” she trailed off when three very handsome new crew members walked by.
“Not objecting to the view, sister?”
Sooyoung’s eyes remained on the three handsome men as they walked to the other side of Ten Forward. “I’m almost to the point where I might seriously consider that none of this is real at all, and we were just dreamed up by some teenage girl with a liking for pretty boys. Seriously, does anybody unattractive get through the Guardian?”
Minho couldn’t help but laugh. “What was the ratio of men and women allowed through the Guardian this time?”
“We have exactly 144 new crew members and for every lovely woman it allowed through, it allowed 18 male crew members,” Dr. Nam answered as he sat down beside Ensign Minho.
“We should be at full capacity now,” Sooyoung informed them. “You must be very busy, doctor.”
“I am,” the doctor agreed. “Dr. Cho has a visitor, and I thought it would be a great time to have my lunch. We still have a lot of physicals to do. We expanded our sickbay numbers, but we are still severely lacking in medical personnel.”
“Did any of the senior medical officers make it through?” Minho asked; he recalled seeing many of them attempting to make the journey. Although, loved and adored by Admiral Cho, Star Fleet had made it very clear they were not comfortable leaving the wellbeing of the entire crew in the hands of Dr. Cho and Dr. Nam.
“Not a one,” Dr. Nam replied. “Three nurses got through and one physician, but he is younger than I am.”
Lieutenant Sooyoung looked around Ten Forward noticing the familiar and not so familiar faces. “Did Ensign Junsu make it back?”
“No, and neither did Ensign Sungyeol.”
Lieutenant Sooyoung reached across the table and patted the doctor’s arm. “Woohyun, I’m sorry.”
“It’s fine,” Woohyun assured her. “I’m starting to think the Guardian has favorites and those favorites might have an unconscious say in who gets through and who doesn’t. Doctor Cho would never admit it if he wanted to stay CMO, but he wouldn’t need to admit it to his Joong best friend.”
“That’s ridiculous,” Minho quickly objected. “I don’t think Doctor Cho would mind giving up the CMO if a more experienced doctor was available.”
“Why would Junsu not be allowed back?” Sooyoung asked. “He was always a favorite of the Captain’s, and the Captain most definitely has sway with the Guardians.”
“Maybe Junsu doesn’t want to come back,” Woohyun pointed out. “Sure, he is trying to get back, but maybe deep down he doesn’t want to deal with Commander Yoochun.”
“Truthfully, Junsu didn’t even try to come back this time,” Minho admitted. “He got reassigned to another ship.”
“So, that shows my theory could be correct,” Woohyun stated proudly.
“My logical brain refuses to believe this,” Sooyoung told the young doctor. “Are you sure you are not indulging in some wishful thinking?”
Woohyun shook his head and lowered his voice. “Neither Ensign Hoya nor Sungyeol made it back and we both know Sunggyu doesn’t like either one of them.”
“Your theory is flawed. The Guardian did not respond to Lieutenant Sunggyu on Dazen. I was there, and it ignored him just like it ignored me and Commander Cho. He’s not a favorite.”
“He’s a favorite of Jaejoong’s though,” Woohyun informed them, his voice still low.
Sooyoung arched her eyebrows showing her skepticism. “Why do you say that?”
Woohyun, who had once been a favorite of Jaejoong’s until he had slept with Ensign Sungyeol garnering the Joong’s dislike, highly doubted Sunggyu had fallen out of favor with the Joong. “You know more than anyone that Sunggyu saved the captain in an impossible situation, thereby winning Jaejoong’s favor.”
Sooyoung intensified her gaze at the doctor. “You and I also helped save the captain, and I assure you I am not a favorite of his.”
“Doctor, why aren’t you a favorite?” Minho asked.
Sooyoung’s face lit up in delight. “Oh, that’s right, you’ve been gone; you missed it.”
Woohyun groaned as he lowered his head to the table.
Sooyoung happily explained, “You see, our doctor friend was sexing it up with Ensign Sungyeol.”
Minho shrugged. “We all knew that…didn’t we?”
“We all suspected it, except our clueless Lieutenant Sunggyu,” Sooyoung continued. “Sunggyu had gone to sickbay to confess to the good doctor that he was finally willing to begin a relationship with him...when Jaejoong showed up and told him and anyone else in hearing range that Woohyun was a big whore and unworthy of him. I wasn’t there, but Donghae was, so everyone knew within minutes.”
“You are supposed to be my friend!” Woohyun hissed at the woman, who had clearly enjoyed repeating the story.
Sooyoung smiled at him and agreed, “You are my friend, but so is he, plus he is my pretend boyfriend, so he is my favorite of the two of you.”
“Ouch,” Minho said in sympathy. “Are you still friends with him?”
“Barely.”
“Hey, at least you are still friends even if just barely. You can work on that.”
Woohyun gave a small half smile to the optimistic ensign. “I’m trying. Believe me, I’m trying, but he isn’t interested in meeting me halfway. It’s so frustrating, because he is so freaking professional all the time.”
“Speaking of professional,” Sooyoung stated, looking past Woohyun to the man, who was standing behind the doctor. He was wearing a standard red uniform, yet he always looked more formal than the rest of the crew, she thought. “Can I help you, Lieutenant Kim?”
“Lieutenant Sooyoung, I hate to disturb you, but I require your assistance on an urgent matter. I am having difficulty understanding some of the figures you submitted for the briefing tomorrow.”
Sooyoung was careful to control her expression, because she found it highly unlikely her fellow lieutenant had ever had difficulty understanding anything. “Of course, I will be happy to offer my assistance,” she said as she stood and stepped away from the table, taking note of his use of the word urgent.
The lieutenant then gave an apologetic bow to the table acknowledging the other two men. “Ensign Minho, welcome back aboard the ship. I am Lieutenant Kim, I am serving as the Captain’s executive liaison, and it is my pleasure to meet you. I look forward to all your scientific contributions in the future.” He then focused on Woohyun, looking almost stern. “Doctor, I hope you are managing your increased workload with the due diligence it deserves.”
“Thank you, Sir,” Minho told the unfamiliar lieutenant, while Woohyun took a big gulp of his milk purposely ignoring the lieutenant.
Minho watched in amazement as his sister walked off with the other man. “Doctor, did he just subtly criticize you?”
“There wasn’t anything subtle about it,” Woohyun replied, putting his glass down. “My grandma said never trust a man with dimples.”
Minho side-eyed the man sitting next to him. “Doctor, don’t you have-”
“Yes, I do; that is how I know the saying is true.”
*******************
Lieutenant Sooyoung entered the empty turbolift feeling highly suspicious. Little was known of the man beside her, beyond his efficiency at his job and the fact that he was the only other crew member, other than herself, who was impervious to Jaejoong’s telepathy. He was a private individual, limiting his interactions with the crew. “Lieutenant Kim, I find it beyond the stretch of my imagination to believe you had any difficulty in comprehending my reports.”
“Halt,” he ordered, stopping the turbolift. “You are correct. It was an act of subterfuge on my part.”
“Subterfuge? Why? What is going on?”
He grinned at her, not bothering to hide his excitement. “The captain requires your assistance on a personal matter.”
“What does the captain require of me?”
“Assistance only you and I can provide him with.”
She grinned back at him and happily told him, “I am always eager to help the captain in any way that I can.”
******************
When Yoochun entered the transporter room, Yunho was already waiting on him. Yunho was standing behind the transporter console holding Changmin.
“Hey, he looks calmer.”
Yunho looked down at the baby who had gone from screaming at the top of his lungs to sniffling mildly. “Changmin is being a big boy for daddy.”
The baby looked up at Yunho curiously, making Yunho smile.
“Wow,” Yoochun said walking up closer to the other man and the baby. “That is a familiar expression isn’t it? What did you do?”
“I stopped feeling sorry for myself,” Yunho told the other man as he motioned for Yoochun to get on the transporter platform.
“Good for you,” Yoochun told him as he prepared to be beamed down to the planet Dazen.
“I will see you soon,” Yunho told him as he worked the transporter controls.
Yoochun felt the familiar feeling of being dematerialized and rematerialized but was shocked to find he hadn’t moved. “When you said you would see me soon, you weren’t lying. Did you forget how to work the transporters? Been sitting in the big chair too long, huh?”
“You are very funny.”
“So, what is up?”
“You are being recruited for a very special mission,” Yunho informed him as he pointed to Yoochun’s neck.
Yoochun looked down and saw the familiar pink necklace around his neck. Yoochun’s eyes lit up in delight; he instantly knew he would like this mission. “What kind of mission?”
“A secret mission.”
Yoochun reached up, stroked the necklace around his neck and stepped off the platform. “One that Jaejoong can’t know about?”
“Yes, and that is why I require you to wear the Custos Humanae Vitae,” Yunho explained. “Jaejoong will think you left the ship, so he isn’t searching for your mind.”
“Very clever,” Yoochun said, grinning. “So, does this secret mission have a name?”
Yunho, who was still at the transporter controls, bent down and kissed his son on the cheek and then told his friend, “It’s called Operation: Win Changmin’s Love.”
Before Yoochun could respond he found himself in the middle of the Captain’s quarters. “Transporting within the ship and placing a necklace on me during the rematerialization process; how risky of you, Captain.”
“Need I remind you of my academy scores?” Yunho asked the engineer as he headed toward the kitchen. “I assure you there was no risk.”
“Show off.”
Yunho shrugged and called out for the ship’s computer, “Computer, I temporarily relinquish my command to Commander Yoochun. Code 5TV7520XQ704.”
“Understood,” came the computer’s quick reply. “Commander Yoochun do you comply?”
“Yes, Code 2JJ093TQ520VXY,” Yoochun said, more than slightly confused as to why Yunho was transferring command of the ship to him.
“Commander Yoochun has temporary command of the Starship Expectations,” the ship’s computer pronounced.
Yoochun watched as the captain grabbed a bowl from the stasis chamber. “That was way too easy. I assume you have accomplices, since you require another command code to transfer power.”
“Yes, I do.”
“I am assuming our Chief Science officer is in on it, since this operation is being kept secret from Jaejoong.”
“Exactly,” Yunho said as he came back into the living room, holding Changmin in one arm and the bowl in the other. “She is very helpful.”
“So, what are we doing, exactly?” Yoochun asked, as he watched Yunho sit down with Changmin on the sofa.
“I’m going to feed him.”
“Jaejoong’s gonna lose his shit.”
“Yes, most likely.”
“And you are still doing it?” Yoochun questioned, recalling all the times he had seen the couple argue about feeding the baby. “That seems unlike you, to disregard his feelings on the matter.”
“Like he has disregarded my feelings on the matter till now?” Yunho asked, remaining calm, very aware of the empathic baby in his arms.
Yoochun held out his arms. “Hey, I am on your side, buddy. I was just playing devil’s advocate, just in case you wanted to back out.”
“I’m not going to back out. This is something that has to be done, and I am well aware of the wrath that I may be invoking.”
“Okay, but if you start having seizures, your eyes start bleeding, or your brains start leaking out your ears I am putting this on you,” Yoochun told his friend, reaching up to touch the necklace.
“No,” Yunho exclaimed quickly, trying not to laugh. “The last time I had that on and disrupted our bond he shifted-so not ready for that again.”
“Hey, it was the best show the people of Valmont had ever seen. I hear they will be talking about it for centuries.”
Yunho balanced the bowl and Changmin in his lap and reached up to cover Changmin’s ears. “Innocent ears, and not to mention innocent empath, here!”
“Hey, I am impervious to Joong’s empathic powers, and your kid can’t even talk.”
Yunho stuck his tongue out at Yoochun, causing Changmin to reach up with his little hand and touch Yunho’s mouth. Yunho glowed as he looked at his son and declared, “Does he seem smarter to you?”
“I haven’t seen him in months, but the absence of tears and high screeching does make him look more intelligent.”
“You are Daddy’s little genius,” Yunho said warmly, as he dipped a finger in the bowl of pudding. “Daddy loves you so much, and you know what you love, Changmin? You love food. You love food a lot.”
“Yep, you were a stingy little bastard when it came to food.”
“Words, Yoochun, no bad words,” Yunho warned as he brought his finger up to Changmin’s mouth and gently placed a little bit of pudding on Changmin’s bottom lip. “Daddy, is going to assign Uncle Yoochun to security for a month if he says bad words around my precious boy again.”
Yoochun gaped in horror at the thought but kept quiet.
Yunho watched as Changmin just stared at him, not paying attention to the pudding on his lip. “He doesn’t know what to do with it.”
“Hope he doesn’t choke.”
“Not funny!”
“But seriously, he’s more interested in you than the food. You should have brought crab.”
Yunho, who was loving the focus his son was giving him, smacked his lips together and to his enormous joy Changmin quickly mimicked him. The moment Changmin tasted the sweet pudding it was obvious; his eyes widened, he opened and closed his mouth several more times as he tried to grasp what it was to taste, and then suddenly he started giggling and waving his little arms in excitement.
“Do you want Daddy to give you some more?” Yunho asked with a big, goofy, smile and tearful eyes as he gave his son a spoonful of pudding. “He’s laughing! I’ve never heard him laugh before.”
“It’s really cute,” Yoochun proclaimed, while smiling like a fool as he watched Yunho feed his son. They watched affectionately as Changmin stuck his hand in the bowl of pudding.
“You want the spoon?” Yunho asked him, trying to hand him the spoon. Changmin ignored it and instead reached up and wiped food all over Yunho’s face.
“Umm, thank you,” Yunho told his happy boy as he made a big show of tasting the pudding causing Changmin’s laughter to increase.
“Did Changmin just share his food?”
Yunho nodded his head, never taking his eyes off his son as happy tears flowed, down his face. “You shared with Daddy, didn’t you? You are such a good boy.”
“Computer note this occurrence for prosperity. Today Changmin willingly shared his food.”
“Noted,” came the computer’s swift response, causing Yunho to laugh.
“Yummy,” Yunho told Changmin as his son took turns feeding himself and feeding his daddy.
*****************
“Honey, are you ready for lunch?” Commander Cho asked as he entered his husband’s office. He abruptly stopped as he noticed the Joong that was sprawled out on his husband’s desk looking very distressed, and minus the baby.
“It’s not that I’m a terrible person,” Jaejoong declared, looking up at the ceiling of the room. “Because person usually means human, and I am way better than a measly human. Not counting Yunho, because he doesn’t count as a human. He is a member of my Royal Joong family, and not because some old man with whiskers declared us married. No, it is because of our timeless love. It sure isn’t because the Guardian recognizes Earth marriages…because that’s laughable.”
Ryeowook, who was standing beside his desk, softly patting Jaejoong’s leg in a comforting manner, while at the same time mouthing to his husband to run for it.
Jaejoong sat up suddenly and grabbed Ryeowook by the shoulders with both hands. “Don’t make him leave. I need all the support I can get.”
Kyuhyun, who was torn between the desire to run for it and his loyalty to his husband, bit the bullet. “Jaejoong, is something wrong?”
Jaejoong still clinging to Ryeowook cried out, “Changmin is all curious and he isn’t crying for me anymore.”
“Jaejoong did the right thing,” Ryeowook told his husband. “He is letting Changmin and Yunho spend time together without him. He’s being really strong.”
“Well, that is great.”
“No,” Jaejoong whimpered, falling back on the desk. “Yes, it is, but it’s not. I am not jealous-I’m totally jealous! I’m jealous that my son is bursting with curiosity and he’s totally enamored with Yunho, right now.”
“This is a wonderful thing. You wanted this to happen,” the doctor reminded the telepath.
Jaejoong kept staring at the ceiling as tears ran down his face. “I know I should be happy, but I didn’t expect it to work so fast. It’s strange considering how mopey Yunho has been. I love the man more than you wretched humans could ever imagine, but he’s so mopey. Mopey is not an attractive emotion to an empath, and it has worn even on my endless patience…” Jaejoong trailed off, turned his head to the side to glare at the doctor. “I am reading your mind, you sarcastic, rude bastard.”
“You are rude to read my mind!”
“I am trying to distract myself, since you are doing such a shitty job of consoling me!”
“If you wouldn’t talk it would be a whole lot easier to console you!”
“Hey,” Kyuhyun said interrupting his husband and the moody telepathy before their squabbling got out of control. “Jaejoong, you were saying?”
“That my beloved Yunho is mopey, but I suppose spending time with the perfect prince would cure him of any ills. I should have done this before. I’m a terrible parent and a terrible bond mate-not husband. I don’t know why everybody wants to label us husbands, now….we are timeless bond mates, so much better than husbands. No offense.”
Kyuhyun couldn’t help but laugh. “None taken.”
Ryeowook didn’t bother to hide his annoyance. “I am offended.”
“I don’t care, because you suck at being my best friend. Kyuhyun is my new best friend. I am trading you in,” Jaejoong threatened.
“Ryeowook,” Kyuhyun warned his husband. “You two are best friends, and you need to start acting like it.”
Ryeowook gaped at his husband, knowing the man was just trying to save himself from Jaejoong’s friendship, but he also knew Kyuhyun has a point. He forced himself to apologize. “I’m sorry Jaejoong, but you know I have been pleading with you to do this for months.”
Jaejoong groaned and started rubbing his eyes. “I know.”
The doctor carefully added, “Changmin is with his dad. This is a good thing.”
“It’s just hard. My baby is experiencing new feelings for the first time, and I am stuck here with you people.”
Kyuhyun held up his hand and pointed out, “I tried to leave.”
“Yes, you did,” Jaejoong acknowledged. “It just that I would love to be there and watch Changmin and Yunho truly connecting.”
“I know you would,” the doctor told him. “But wouldn’t that interfere?”
“Yes, it would, so I just have to say here-” Jaejoong stopped abruptly and appeared to be in deep concentration.
“Is something wrong,” Ryeowook asked.
“Yunho, what have you done!” Jaejoong wailed, bolting off the table.
Ryeowook and Kyuhyun watched as the shocked Joong stormed out of sickbay on the warpath and they soon found themselves unwillingly following behind him.
“What’s going on?” Ryeowook managed to get out as he found himself rushing toward the Captain and Jaejoong’s quarters.
“He’s feeding him!” Jaejoong snapped as he reached his quarters and found the doors not responding to him. “He’s feeding my baby!”
“Computer, this is Dr. Cho; override the lock and open this door, it is a medical emergency,” Ryeowook ordered much to his own surprise.
“You do not have authorization to enter,” the computer promptly informed the doctor.
“Computer, this is Commander Cho; override the lock and open the door.”
“You do not have authorization to enter,” the computer repeated.
“Are you controlling us?” Ryeowook demanded, while Commander Cho just looked amused at the telepath’s antics.
“Yes, and you see what little good it is doing me! Lieutenant Donghae can’t even beam me in there!”
“Well, the captain isn’t an idiot,” Commander Cho pointed out. “If he wants to keep you out of there, you aren’t getting in there.”
“That woman is no doubt helping him!” Jaejoong seethed.
“Why did you have me say medical emergency?” Ryeowook questioned, slightly concerned. “There isn’t one, is there?”
“No, only the one I am going to inflict on Yunho if he doesn’t open the door right this damn minute!” Jaejoong threatened aloud and mentally to his mate-who was ignoring him.
“You can’t hurt Yunho,” the doctor told the telepath.
“Oh, I can,” Jaejoong said, correcting him. “I will just have to heal whatever damage I do, but if he thinks I am going to let him keep on blocking me he has a big surprise coming.”
“Really, you are too much,” Ryeowook snapped. “So what if Changmin starts having bowel movements and starts peeing; it’s perfectly normal, and our cleaning system is very advanced. It isn’t like you are going to have to change his diapers. How many times do I have to tell you we were joking about that. We aren’t living in the 21th century.”
Jaejoong ignored Ryeowook as he browsed through the crew’s minds looking for a way in the room.
“Shouldn’t I be more upset that he is mind controlling us?” Kyuhyun asked his husband.
“Not if he doesn’t want you to be upset,” Ryeowook told his husband. “That’s how he always gets away with it!”
“That makes sense, because I’m not even mad, but in all honestly, it’s kind of funny,” Kyuhyun told his husband. “All of this outrageous behavior because the Captain dares to feed his son.”
Jaejoong exclaimed loudly, “Commander Yoochun has control of the ship-he’s not on the ship. I know for a fact he beamed down to Dazen!”
“Computer, where is the current location of Commander Yoochun,” Commander Cho asked.
“Commander Yoochun is located in the Captain’s quarters.”
“That’s not possible,” Jaejoong professed, “If he was in there I would sense him.”
The doors to quarters whooshed open and Commander Yoochun stepped into the doorway showing off his jewelry. “Not today.”
“Why the hell have we not duplicated those necklaces?” Ryeowook asked upon seeing the commander and the reason behind him going undetected by the Joong.
“We tried. It doesn’t work,” Commander Yoochun and Commander Cho both answered in unison.
Jaejoong ignored them, rushing past Commander Yoochun to enter the room. He immediately went to Yunho and Changmin and came to a sudden stop once he reached them and took in the vision of his beloved mate and son.
Yunho, whose face was partially covered in banana pudding, looked up at Jaejoong readying himself for an onslaught of accusations, but stopped when he saw the look of pure love on his mate’s face.
Jaejoong sat down beside Yunho, his eyes locked on his gleeful baby, who smiled at him lovingly as he continued to eat his pudding. “Did Daddy give you food?”
Changmin stuffed his pudding covered fingers in his mouth and giggled.
“I guess I will let Daddy live,” Jaejoong told his son, as he leaned in and kissed Yunho on a part of his cheek that was covered with pudding. “Yummy.”
Changmin giggled more and reached up and splattered Yunho’s face with more pudding.
“I get to live?”
“Yes.”
“Without brain damage?”
“Haha.”
“You aren’t mad?”
“No, how can I be mad? He’s so happy…and his mind is so alive.”
“It’s like I can feel it. He seems so bright, like the sun…son.”
“You think you are so funny,” Jaejoong telepathically told his mate as he leaned in and licked more of the food off Yunho’s face. “This pudding really is good.”
“Empathic baby, no licking food off me.”
“Okay, we will save that for later.”
“Pure thoughts…pure thoughts.”
Jaejoong shook his head and asked the baby, “Changmin, can BP have some pudding, too?”
Changmin just stuffed his pudding covered fingers farther into his mouth.
“I think that is a no, but he did share with me, because he likes me now. Doesn’t he? He likes me, right?”
“He always liked you…but now he loves you.”
“All it took was food,” Yunho said aloud, laughing. “I should have known. Food is the key.”
“Nonsense,” Jaejoong told Yunho, while reaching out to tap Changmin’s nose that was covered in pudding. “Daddy is very silly. He was totally winning you over before he brought out the food to bribe you with.”
“I am silly,” Yunho admitted with a huge sigh as relief flooded him. He kissed Changmin on the top of the head. “I will always love you kid, and there is nothing in all of time or space that will change that. There is nothing I wouldn’t do for you.”
Changmin stopped eating and looked up at Yunho. He felt the great love the man had for him and it made him feel warm. “Daddy.”
Jaejoong and Yunho just stared at their son, both of them momentarily speechless. Never had Changmin even attempted to talk; he didn’t even babble.
Yoochun, who had stood back with the Chos quietly watching, broke out in laughter. “Wow, I’d say Operation: Win Changmin’s Love was a total success.”
Ryeowook held up his hands in victory. “His speech was so clear! How is that even possible? Whatever; I don’t care! Congratulations Changmin, you finally made it out of the womb!”
Kyuhyun just smiled at the baby, who had once been his best friend. “Changmin always did love his food.”
Jaejoong found himself crying along with Yunho. “It didn’t have anything to do with the food. Changmin doesn’t love food more than he loves us. He just said Daddy first because Yunho talks to him all the time.”
Yunho set the bowl down and stood up with Changmin still in his arms and hugged his son tightly. “You make Daddy so happy.”
Jaejoong got up to stand alongside them. “He can feel your happiness. I think the Joong on the home world can feel it.”
“It is pretty great.”
“It is, and I am sure BP will be his next word,” Jaejoong said, trying his best to hide his jealousy as he gently squeezed Changmin’s little hand. “Say BP baby.”
“Of course, it will be his next word,” Yunho told Jaejoong, smiling proudly at his mate that was handling everything so wonderfully.
“Daddy!”
Yunho turned his attention back to his son, who was reaching in the direction of the bowl. “Yes, sweetheart?”
“Daddy!” Changmin repeated this time more forcefully, still leaning toward the bowl on the table.
“He almost sounded bossy, but that isn’t possible is it?” Yunho asked aloud, while staring at his son. He was amazed by him and recognizing the man he would become.
“He’s wants more food.”
Before Yunho could act on Jaejoong’s information the baby said very clearly, “Food.”
Everybody in the quarters froze as Changmin said his second word. Yunho was the first to recover as he sat back down, avoiding eye contact with Jaejoong, and grabbed the bowl letting Changmin have what he so desperately wanted.
Jaejoong stood motionless.
Yoochun started backing out of the quarters, “Umm…I got to get to engineering. I’ve been gone for months, lots to do. A whole lot to do.”
We have to get to lunch,” Kyuhyun quickly stated as he took Ryeowook by the wrist to hurry him out of the room.
As Kyuhyun led him out of the room, Ryeowook whispered, “I told him he should have gone with Momma, Mommy or Papa. What kid says BP? Every time I hear BP I want to measure someone’s blood pressure.”
Jaejoong sat down on the sofa beside Yunho, heartbroken. “This morning I was his whole world, and now I don’t even get to be his second word. I lost out to food.”
Yunho laughed as he shifted Changmin to his other arm, so the baby was between him and Jaejoong. “You know that isn’t true.”
“Yunho, food was his second word! Food!”
“Well, he wasn’t done eating and he wanted more. You should be proud. He’s smart…he’s already using language to get stuff. We will have to baby proof this entire ship.”
Jaejoong sighed as he reached out to run his hand through his son’s blond curls, causing Changmin to look at him. “Baby, it’s alright, you are perfect.”
In response to Jaejoong’s words, Changmin reached up and splattered pudding all over Jaejoong’s face and started giggling.
“And that there is a sign of just how much he loves you,” Yunho said through his laughter. “He doesn’t share his food with just anyone.”
Jaejoong smiled and tried to contain his own laughter because he knew more than anyone how much his baby loved him.