Home
Title: Home
Beta: riseofnoona
Pairing: Changmin/Yoochun, hints of Yunho/Jaejoong
Rating: PG-13
Genre: Romance, Action, Drama
Summary: It was during his moments with Yoochun that he remembered what it was like to have a home.
This is a sort of prologue & spin-off from my story Promises, and it provides a deeper look into Changmin & Yoochun’s relationship.
Basic plot background:
Yunho & Changmin are both part of a Korean crime syndicate which is headed by Hong Kangshik, whose loyal ally is a man named Jaewook. Changmin is Yunho’s right-hand man and has been his partner for years. Yunho has also been in love with Kim Jaejoong, who is the son of an important businessman, for years now - but unfortunately, Kim Jaejoong becomes the target of the syndicate, and Yunho is forced to decide between saving the man he loves or allowing for Jaejoong to get killed, thus starting the major events in Promises.
“I’m not a babysitter,” Changmin said bluntly the moment he caught sight of Yunho putting a new bedsheet on the mattress. He strode into the room and pulled the bedsheet over the other corner, “I don’t understand what you want me to do.”
Yunho sighed and ran a hand through his hair. There were obvious signs of stress and frustration on his face, and from what Changmin could observe, he knew something had probably gone wrong in Yunho’s personal life.
“Just…just make sure he gets settled,” Yunho muttered. He raised his eyes off the floor and met Changmin’s eyes, “I owe him a debt.”
“What did he do for you?” Changmin questioned. He hated being uninformed, and it was because he knew and trusted Yunho like a brother that he couldn’t allow for the other to keep secrets from him.
The older man exhaled slowly and glanced at the door, “He helped me escape when I got in trouble dealing with a loan shark.” He frowned, and Changmin observed how Yunho always looked like he was carrying world on his shoulders. “I paid off his debt, and now I want him settled.”
“Does he…know?”
Yunho nodded, “He knows what he’s getting into, and he’s practically a member of the syndicate now anyway. He has a brother to take of Changmin, and he…he was about to get killed when I found him. Just look over him. Drop by every once in a while, okay?”
Changmin nodded - he’d never been able to disobey Yunho. They were brothers, true, but he always felt like he owed something to the other man. Yunho had been the one who’d saved him from the streets and had giving him practically everything he had without expecting something in return.
There was no way in the world that he’d be able to repay such generosity.
The doorbell rang, and Yunho’s head turned, “I think that’s him. Come on, let’s go.”
Changmin followed Yunho to the door, and he stopped after a couple of steps in order to watch Yunho open the door. As soon as the door opened, his eyes widened.
The other man sported a large bruise on the right side of his face, and he looked completely beat up. Pressed closely to his side was a young boy of seventeen, scrawny and afraid.
“This is your home now,” Yunho said as he pulled them both inside the apartment. He shut the door quietly, and he gestured to everything, “It’s officially yours Yoochun. The apartment is under your name and -“
“I told you just a car would be fine,” Yoochun mumbled, his eyes on the floor. He raised them slowly and looked around before his eyes eventually settled on Changmin. He stared at him for a few seconds before turning his eyes back to Yunho.
Yunho shook his head, “No, you two need a better place to stay,” he explained, “Also, Yoohwan can continue going back to school now, It’s better for everyone this way, don’t you think?”
“But -“
“No buts,” Yunho said seriously before he walked over to Changmin and took him by the elbow. “This is Changmin, and he’ll be dropping by to visit you guys every once in a while to make sure everything’s alright.”
Yoochun nodded and held out his hand, “It’s nice to meet you.”
“You too.”
They shook hands, and Yunho smiled, “Let’s have dinner now? I ordered food, and it might’ve gotten a bit cold, but -“
“Are you a saint?” Yoochun questioned, and Changmin’s lips quirked into a smile as he looked at the other man.
“No, he’s not,” Changmin answered, “He’s just rich.”
Yoochun laughed, and although it looked like it pained him slightly due to the bruise on his face, his laughter and smile were rather enchanting just the same.
o-o-o
Changmin met Yoochun and Yoohwan in the hall, and he hesitated to approach them. He stood awkwardly on his own, and it was only when Yoochun turned his head to look at him that he finally decided to move his feet.
“Hey,” Yoochun greeted softly just as soon as he’d opened the door. Yoohwan slipped past him silently after muttering a soft greeting to Changmin, taking the grocery bags with him.
They faced each other in the hallway, and Changmin bowed his head slightly, “Hey.”
“Do you want to come in?” Yoochun asked, “You have to look around, right?”
Changmin nodded, and he followed Yoochun inside. The apartment looked better than before despite some of its messes. It looked more lived in, and it looked homier than it had before - in short, it looked great.
He watched as Yoochun helped unpack groceries with his younger brother and felt like he was intruding on some sort of personal moment. He’d never known what it was like to have a sibling, so he observed them silently.
“Does everything look good?”
Yoochun’s words snapped him out of his trance, and he met the other man’s eyes and nodded. He cleared his throat, “It looks great. Are you two doing okay?”
“Yeah, we’re doing great, right Yoohwan?”
Yoohwan rolled his eyes at his brother, “I eat three times a day, I study hard -“
“I’m not a social worker.”
“That’s what I told my brother, but he wouldn’t listen,” Yoohwan replied as he took his meal off the counter and went over to the sofa, “He told me to practice that little speech so that we wouldn’t worry anyone.”
Changmin glanced at Yoochun, “Are -“
Yoochun chuckled softly and glanced down at the paper bag in front of him, “I just don’t want to worry anyone, and I think that’s normal.” He folded it slowly and raised his eyes to meet Changmin, “Really, you don’t have to do this. I can take care of him.”
“I never said you couldn’t,” Changmin retorted, “I’m just following what Yunho said. He just wants to make sure you guys are settled -“
“I’m sorry,” Yoochun muttered, “I just…it’s hard,” he frowned slightly, “It’s hard for me trust everything that’s happening right now, and I don’t like the idea of Yunho doing so much for me.”
Changmin nodded, “I understand. I felt the same way. I’ll tell Yunho to lay off the whole saintly act for a bit so that you can adjust better, but if there’s one thing you should know, it’s that Yunho can always be trusted.”
Yoochun nodded, “Okay…I should just…I should just relax a bit.” He smiled at Changmin and held out a meal for him, “I bought one extra for you. If there’s one thing I know, it’s that food can sometimes make the awkwardness go away.”
Changmin reached out to take the food, “Thank you.”
“You could stay and eat here if you want,” Yoochun suggested as he took hold of his own meal container and began to make his way over to where Yoohwan was seated on the couch, “Unless you have something to do?”
“Well, no but -“
“You should stay,” Yoochun pressed as he took a seat next to Yoohwan and stole the remote to change the channel, “If you’re going to be dropping by regularly, then we should at least be on friendly terms.”
Changmin hesitated, “I don’t -“
“There’s more food, and my brother and I don’t eat a lot. You can have some,” Yoochun insisted as he fought away Yoohwan’s attempts at stealing the remote. He smiled brightly at Changmin, “Stay? Even for just a few minutes? You can finish your food here then leave. Yoohwan can clean.”
“Hey!”
Changmin had to smile back, and he sat down next to Yoochun on the couch. Although he wasn’t family, he did appreciate Yoochun’s attempts at making him feel more comfortable around the two of them.
It made him feel somewhat at home.
o-o-o
Changmin knocked on the door, and as soon as it opened, Yoochun paused and stared at him before quickly pulling him inside.
“You’re bleeding,” Yoochun said as he pushed Changmin down onto the sofa so that he could grab his medical kit, “Jesus Christ, you’re bleeding and you’re so calm, it’s not sweat okay Changmin? It’s blood -“
“I know I’m bleeding.”
Yoochun dumped the medical kit onto Changmin’s lap, “Your calm is unnerving. Did you get hit in the head? Maybe you have some sort of trauma or you’re in shock, or -“
“Yoochun, I’m fine,” Changmin took the wet cloth from Yoochun’s hand and wiped the blood off his forehead. “I got cut because I hit my head on the way here. I didn’t know there was some sort of construction going on in the corridor ceiling -“
Yoochun started to laugh, and Changmin frowned.
“I don’t see why you’re laughing.”
“You’re just too tall,” Yoochun said with a smile as he reached forward to clean up Changmin’s wound. He dabbed at it gently and dressed it carefully, “Giants like you should be more careful.”
“Very funny,” Changmin muttered as he looked around the living room to make sure everything was alright, “Where’s Yoohwan?”
“He’s at a friend’s place, studying…I hope,” Yoochun answered before he placed a band aid on Changmin’s forehead. “He has a big exam coming up, and he studies better when I’m not around. He’s smart…he got accelerated twice you know?”
“I heard you got accelerated twice too,” Changmin commented as he leaned back into the sofa, “Yunho told me. He has your whole life story in his office,” he chuckled and glanced at Yoochun, “He likes researching people.”
“He has too much time on his hands,” Yoochun murmured as he cleaned up and placed things back into the medical kit, “And money. I still can’t believe what he’s done for me and Yoohwan.”
“He’s a good man.”
Silence fell between them, and after a few seconds had passed, Changmin moved to get off the sofa. He glanced back at Yoochun, who was staring at him with an unreadable expression on his face.
“I should go. Do you need anything?”
Yoochun shook his head, but just as Changmin had his hand on the door knob and was about to open the door, Yoochun called him. He turned and raised an eyebrow, “Yes? Is there -“
“Where do you live?”
Changmin furrowed his brows, “What?”
Yoochun adjusted the way he was sitting on the sofa and shrugged, “I mean, I live here, with Yoohwan most of the time…where do you live? With Yunho?”
“Well, sometimes,” Changmin answered carefully, unsure of where the conversation was going, “I have an apartment, but I don’t stay there often. I stay near wherever work takes me.”
“I see.”
Changmin frowned, “Why?”
“Nothing, I’m just curious,” Yoochun said with a soft smile, “I just wanted to know.” “Well…okay then,” Changmin replied, “Goodnight Yoochun.”
“Goodnight Changmin.”
o-o-o
“Changmin…?”
Changmin opened his eyes and rubbed at them before he glanced at Yunho. They were waiting in a car for their next target, but he had yet to come out of the building, so he’d fallen asleep while waiting for him.
“What?” he mumbled drowsily before reaching for his lukewarm cup of coffee, “Did he come out yet -“
“Have you ever felt like” Yunho frowned and stared forward at the empty stretch of road in front of them, “Have you ever felt like you’re not good enough or worthy enough of happiness?”
“Yeah, I have,” Changmin replied as he cleared his throat, “You know my past Yunho. Things were so fucked up back then…” he trailed off and shook his head, “What matters is that you stop thinking you’re unworthy Yunho.”
Yunho was silent for a few seconds before he replied, “I don’t think I can ever stop thinking that I’m a monster.”
“Don’t think that way -“
The older man sighed softly and leaned his head against the glass of the car door’s window, “My father has plans of over throwing Kangshik,” Yunho said softly as he kept his eyes on the lookout for their target, “Are you in?”
“I gave you my answer last night,” Changmin replied, “It will always be a yes. I want that bastard dead Yunho.”
Their target came out of the building, and Yunho pulled his gun out of its holster, “I want you to talk to Yoochun about this. If I’m the one to ask, he’ll just say yes blindly. I need to know that he’s willing to take a risk with this. There’s no need to rush into this because everything has just started, but I need people I can trust.”
Changmin nodded and took out his own gun, “I understand.”
Not another word was said, and they exited the car together to complete their mission.
o-o-o
“Do you ever cook?”
Yoochun tore his eyes away from the television and glanced at Changmin, “I’m sorry, but were you complaining about your sixth slice of pizza?”
“I was just asking,” Changmin said with a laugh, “Don’t be offended.”
“I can’t cook,” Yoochun muttered, “Yoohwan can’t really cook either, so that makes things a lot harder for us. Having cereal for every meal of the day isn’t great, trust me. Now that I have money coming in from my hospital job, I can afford to order food.”
Changmin chewed his pizza and swallowed, “You’re okay living like this?”
“Comfortable, happy, and well fed?” Yoochun questioned with a small smile, “Yes, I’m more than okay actually. I’m enjoying every day, and I know that Yoohwan is too, and it’s all thanks to you and Yunho.”
“You don’t have to -“
Yoochun laughed, “Well, I want to thank you.”
Changmin stared at Yoochun for a few seconds before he turned his eyes back to the television and tried to continue watching. To be honest, the drama hardly interested him, but he kept watching it because of Yoochun - he knew it was the other man’s favorite.
When he turned to look at Yoochun, the other man was crying.
Changmin’s eyes widened in surprise, “What is -“
“I’m emotional, okay?” Yoochun dabbed at his eyes with a tissue, “What’s wrong with you? Why aren’t you crying too? Her mother just died!”
“Whose mother?”
“Yoori’s mother!”
Changmin was silent before he asked, “Who’s Yoori?”
“You haven’t been watching, have you?” Yoochun shook his head disapprovingly and shook his head, “Oh God, you’re even worse than Yoohwan, but at least you’re not laughing at me.”
Yoochun smiled brightly at Changmin despite his watery eyes, “I like having you here with me.”
The words left his mouth before he could think twice, “I like being here.”
“You’re always welcome here,” Yoochun murmured before he turned his eyes back to the television and sighed, “Great, now I missed what happened.”
He leaned his head against Changmin’s shoulder and sighed once again, “You have to leave soon…right?”
Changmin was silent for a few seconds before he replied, “Do you want me to?”
“No, not really,” Yoochun replied softly, “I don’t like being alone, and I like having you around. You make me feel safer…but that might just be because I know you have a gun and know how to use it.”
Changmin chuckled softly, “Do you want me to get you one?”
“I can’t even cook. Do you think I can handle a gun?” Yoochun questioned, “No thanks.”
They were both silent, and they watched the drama in that comfortable silence. As soon as it ended, Changmin glanced over at Yoochun and saw that the other man was asleep.
Changmin smiled at the other man fondly and didn’t move. He waited for Yoohwan to get home so that Yoochun wouldn’t be alone before he carefully moved Yoochun off him and left.
o-o-o
The walk to Yoochun’s apartment was always an easy one to make. He enjoyed Yoochun’s company, and he often stayed longer than he wanted to. He’d never been the kind of person to open up, but something about Yoochun’s calm aura made him feel at ease.
Spending time with the other man also helped him forget things. Their small moments together made him remember that he was still just an ordinary man and that he could still enjoy the simple act of just being with another person - and he enjoyed Yoochun’s company in a different way to how he appreciated Yunho’s presence.
He knocked on the door, and as usual, Yoochun answered with a smile.
“You’re a bit earlier than usual,” Yoochun said with a laugh as he turned around to head back inside.
Changmin shut the door behind him, “Yoohwan’s not around?” he asked after he had looked around and noticed that the younger boy hadn’t left any of his things lying around the apartment.
“Nope,” Yoochun replied as he led Changmin to the kitchen, “He’s trying to get this scholarship to Japan, so he’s busy running around and avoiding me.”
“You don’t mind that?”
Yoochun turned around from the refrigerator, “We’ve spent almost all of our lives together, so…I understand his need to be away from me.” He placed a carton of milk down in front of Changmin, “I was the one who was supposed to take care of him, yet I’m the one who got us into -“
“I don’t think you should blame yourself,” Changmin said softly as he watched Yoochun pour him a glass of milk and set down a plate of cookies in front of him, “You and Yunho are more similar than you both think - blaming yourselves for things that aren’t your fault.”
He glanced down at the cookies, and when he looked up, Yoochun was looking at him with a small smile on his face.
“You seem terribly at peace with yourself,” Yoochun murmured as he sat down across from Changmin on the counter. He rested his chin against the palm of his hand, “I envy you.”
Changmin took hold of a cookie, “Yunho gives good advice on life, but he doesn’t follow it. After he took me in, he told me that I should live to my own standards and to be honest with myself.”
“It’s good advice…I like honesty,” Yoochun said with a smile, he leaned onto the counter and moved closer to Changmin, “I have a question, and so…I’d like you to be honest.”
Changmin furrowed his eyebrows, “What is it?” “Do you like men?”
“What -“
Before Changmin could finish his question, Yoochun had kissed him. The kiss was a short one and lasted only a few seconds before the older man pulled away with a pleased smile.
“So?”
Changmin rolled his eyes, “I didn’t expect that from you, but your answer is yes. Who knew that you’d be such a sleaze? Was the whole self-deprecating soliloquy just an act?”
Yoochun laughed shook his head and smiled, “No, it wasn’t…you just cheered me up.”
The younger man shook his head disapprovingly and bit at his cookie. He chewed for a few seconds before he looked up at Yoochun, “Sometimes, I wonder how you survived the life you used to live. You seem too gentle.”
“I didn’t survive just because I was smart you know,” Yoochun said with a small smile as he backed away slightly from Changmin, “Charm goes a long way.”
Changmin felt his heart flutter slightly, and he resisted the urge to smile back by shoving another cookie into his mouth.
o-o-o
Yoochun’s home had practically become his second home, and Changmin didn’t know what to think of it. Whenever his day finished with Yunho, he ended up wandering back to Yoochun’s place even if just Yoohwan was at home. He doted upon Yoohwan like the teenager was his own brother, and he felt his attraction for Yoochun grow.
He wondered if it was kind of like how Yunho felt about Kim Jaejoong. The moments he spent with Yoochun were the ones he remembered the most, and the feelings he had whenever he was around the older man were ones that he cherished the most.
“You’re not eating,” Yoochun commented, tapping his spoon against his bowl, “This is very unusual.”
Changmin looked up from his katsudon and shook his head, “I don’t feel well.”
The doctor side of Yoochun came through, and he looked at Changmin in concern. He glanced over the younger man, “Do you want me to check if you have a fever? Even if you don’t look feverish, there’s still a possibility you might have one.”
He got up off the table and turned to look at Changmin, “You can come into my room.”
Changmin followed Yoochun silently, and as soon as he was inside Yoochun’s room, he noticed the medicine bottles that were scattered across the room. There were also numerous documents, and he frowned at the sight of them.
“What does the syndicate make you do?”
Yoochun looked up from the bag he was rifling through, “Well, I’m usually called to treat injuries and to write fake medical documents for them…” he shrugged, “There’s a lot worse that I could do.”
“Like what I do?”
There was silence in the room, and Yoochun turned to look Changmin directly in the eyes. “I’m not judging you,” he whispered before he stood up to stand in front of Changmin. “It’s not like you like killing people…and, I know you…you have a reason, don’t you?”
Yunho’s words came to mind, and Changmin took a deep breath, “Yunho’s father is planning on overthrowing Kangshik.”
Yoochun replied in an instant, “You can depend on me.”
“You don’t have to -“
“I want to,” Yoochun insisted, “I want to help because I owe Yunho so much, and I want to help because Kangshik...”
“What?”
Yoochun dropped his eyes to the floor, “Don’t tell Yunho.” He raised his eyes up to look at Changmin, “If Yunho found out, he would never forgive me. I know how much he hates anything to do with…”
“Did you sell them?” Changmin questioned, “Did he make you sell them?”
Yoochun took a deep breath and nodded, “I can’t let Yoohwan stay here. He has to leave - it’s why I keep supporting that he study in Japan. If I get caught -“
Changmin gripped Yoochun’s arms tightly, “No one is going to catch you. You’re not going to jail, you’re not going to go anywhere - you’re going to be safe. I promise you that. I’ll pay for Yoohwan’s airfare to Japan, and I’ll make sure -“
“Don’t do that for me,” Yoochun argued, “You don’t owe me anything. I know we’ve gotten close over these past few months, but I’m not your responsibility. You don’t have to take care of me -“
“I want to take care of you.”
Changmin’s subtle confession hung in the air, and both men stood frigidly still. Before either of them could say anything, the front door slammed shut and the distinct sound of Yoohwan’s voice was overheard from within the room.
“I have to go,” Changmin mumbled before he turned away and fled.
o-o-o
“You can’t do this,” Changmin warned as he tried to hold Yunho back, “Yunho, you can’t try to stop what’s going to happen tonight, or at least, don’t do it alone. I don’t want you to do this, just let me -“
Yunho shoved Changmin out of the way, “I can’t let him die Changmin. I just can’t. He doesn’t deserve this.”
Changmin ran a hand through his hair, “I know he doesn’t, but Yunho, you can’t do this. You know that Kangshik and Jaewook have been watching you and your father carefully these days. If you do this…who knows what’s going to happen to you?”
The older man shook his head and placed his gun inside his holster, “I love him. I can’t let him die Changmin. Even if he doesn’t love me, even if…I die, I can’t let him die.”
“Stop being a noble idiot,” Changmin argued, “Let me go -“
“I can’t let you go,” Yunho replied, his voice softening as he looked at Changmin with worry, “You have Yoochun and Yoohwan to look after…I know about how you feel for Yoochun. You can’t hide your feelings from me.”
“I…I don’t -“
“Honesty,” Yunho said softly, “You told me that you’d live your life being honest to yourself, so be honest about your feelings. Don’t…don’t be stupid like me. If you love him, be brave about it.”
Yunho clasped Changmin’s shoulder tightly, “I know you’d follow me until the end and back, but I can’t let you come with me. This should be my own fight, and I don’t want to drag you into this.”
Changmin watched as Yunho left, and as soon as he was gone, he called Yoochun.
“Hello?”
He took a deep breath, “Can I come over?”
“Of course…this is your home as much as it is mine.”
A smile crossed Changmin’s lips, and he chuckled softly, “I’ll be there soon.”
“Okay.”
He hung up, and Changmin sighed softly. As usual, Yunho was right, and now he could only wish that he wouldn’t be right and that there would be no severe consequences to Yunho’s actions.
o-o-o
He hated being right.
Changmin stood anxiously outside of the small private operating room and paced down the corridor. He knew that Yunho was possibly dying on the other side of the door, and he didn’t know what to do - he could only hope that Yoochun knew what to do.
So much had gone wrong in so little time, and he didn’t know if Yunho would get through it all.
Before he could seriously consider knocking down the door, Yoochun came out.
He looked at Changmin and sighed, “He’ll be okay.” The older man shook his head disapprovingly, “You said that Kangshik…”
“They’re all dead,” Changmin whispered, “Or well…no one knows what happened to Jihye, but…”
A grim look crossed Yoochun’s face, “Do you think we’ve been discovered?”
“No…but,” Changmin sighed, “I’m worried about what’s going to happen in the future. I don’t want to give up, but…if Yunho wants to do so, then I’ll step down as well. I can’t do this without him.”
“I should get Yoohwan to leave, shouldn’t I? He’ll be safer away from here,” Yoochun said softly, “He’s trying to see if I’ll ask him to stay…but after all this, I don’t…I don’t think he should.”
“I think you’re right,” Changmin replied, “Kangshik has contacts in Japan, but…I think Yoohwan would be much safer out of his direct reach.”
Yoochun nodded, and Changmin noticed that the other man looked like he was on the verge of crying. He reached out to hug Yoochun tightly, but the older man pushed him away and rubbed at his eyes.
“Don’t think for one second that I regret this,” Yoochun whispered. His voice was tight with emotion as he continued to speak, “I have faith in Yunho, and I have faith in you. We’ll get through this...but right now, we -“
“We have to take care of Yunho,” Changmin finished as he glanced at the door of the room Yunho was staying in, “We’re all he has left…”
Yoochun nodded in agreement before he reached forward and hugged Changmin briefly for comfort. After he’d stepped away, he asked, “Do you want a moment with him?”
Changmin nodded, “Just…just give me a few minutes. You should call Yoohwan too. It’s best we get him out of here as soon as possible, and it’s best that you make sure that he’s okay.”
“I’ll call him.”
He watched as Yoochun left, and as soon as he was out of sight, Changmin opened the door and entered. He sighed softly the moment he saw Yunho, and he dragged a chair over so that he could sit down beside Yunho’s bed.
Changmin reached out and squeezed the older man’s hand tightly, his eyes filled with worry. He clasped Yunho’s hand, “They’ll pay for this,” he whispered darkly, “Whatever I have to do, I’ll do it. They’ll fucking pay.”
o-o-o
“You need to rest.”
Changmin looked up from the documents he’d been reading and noticed that Yoochun was leaning against the kitchen’s doorway. He straightened up his back and leaned against the chair, “I have to -“
Yoochun walked over to him slowly and took the papers out of his hand before he set them away from Changmin. He took one of Changmin’s hands and let him out of the chair, pulling him in the direction of their bedroom.
“You always have tomorrow.”
“Do I?”
The older man turned around, and he rested his hands on the taller man’s shoulders in a comforting gesture, “Yes. We’ll have tomorrow, the day after that, and the rest of our lives, so just…relax, okay? Even Yunho’s grown to enjoy life.”
“I worry -“
“I worry too,” Yoochun whispered, “But there’s more to life than revenge, worrying, and death…there’s other things like happiness, laughter, -“
“Love?”
A tender look crossed Yoochun’s face, and he smiled up at Changmin, “Yes, love…so now, I think you should rest, stop worrying, and just go to bed.”
“With you?”
Yoochun laughed softly, “What are you? A kindergartener? Yes, with me…unless there’s someone else you’d rather go to bed with?”
Changmin shook his head and leaned down to kiss Yoochun. Just as their lips were barely a centimeter apart and Yoochun’s eyes had already fluttered shut, he spoke.
“There’s no one else but you,” he whispered before he captured Yoochun’s lips and led him in the direction of the bedroom.
o-o-o
Whatever I have to do, I’ll do it.
The months had flown by, and Changmin wasn’t quite sure how they’d pulled through everything. They were on their last legs, and it wouldn’t be much longer until things either took flight or crashed and burned.
He didn’t have many minutes to spare until he had to go back, so Changmin quickened his pace and made his way to Yoochun’s apartment. He jogged down the corridor and reached Yoochun’s door in a few steps.
Changmin knocked on the door before he eventually decided to pound on it harder so that Yoochun would come out faster.
The door opened, and Yoochun’s eyes widened in worry.
“What -“
“All the planning ends tonight,” Changmin explained, “No matter what happens, I…I need you to trust me. No matter what you hear about me, no matter what anyone says, just remember that only you and Yunho know the real me.”
“What are you talking about?” Yoochun whispered, “Changmin, you told me that -“
Changmin reached forward and took hold of Yoochun’s hands, “The plans have changed, and I don’t have much time, so I need -“
“I trust you,” Yoochun said softly, “You’ll always have a home with me.”
“I’ll be back. I promise. I’ll come home.”
He held Yoochun protectively, his promise ringing in his ears.
No matter what happened in the future, he would come back - he was sure of it.
Author’s Note: My first ever proper MinChun story, so I do hope it’s okay. >.< I want to write more for this pairing, but YunJae always steal my time. LOL. XD I hope you guys liked it! Thank you for reading! ♥
Beta: riseofnoona
Pairing: Changmin/Yoochun, hints of Yunho/Jaejoong
Rating: PG-13
Genre: Romance, Action, Drama
Summary: It was during his moments with Yoochun that he remembered what it was like to have a home.
This is a sort of prologue & spin-off from my story Promises, and it provides a deeper look into Changmin & Yoochun’s relationship.
Basic plot background:
Yunho & Changmin are both part of a Korean crime syndicate which is headed by Hong Kangshik, whose loyal ally is a man named Jaewook. Changmin is Yunho’s right-hand man and has been his partner for years. Yunho has also been in love with Kim Jaejoong, who is the son of an important businessman, for years now - but unfortunately, Kim Jaejoong becomes the target of the syndicate, and Yunho is forced to decide between saving the man he loves or allowing for Jaejoong to get killed, thus starting the major events in Promises.
“I’m not a babysitter,” Changmin said bluntly the moment he caught sight of Yunho putting a new bedsheet on the mattress. He strode into the room and pulled the bedsheet over the other corner, “I don’t understand what you want me to do.”
Yunho sighed and ran a hand through his hair. There were obvious signs of stress and frustration on his face, and from what Changmin could observe, he knew something had probably gone wrong in Yunho’s personal life.
“Just…just make sure he gets settled,” Yunho muttered. He raised his eyes off the floor and met Changmin’s eyes, “I owe him a debt.”
“What did he do for you?” Changmin questioned. He hated being uninformed, and it was because he knew and trusted Yunho like a brother that he couldn’t allow for the other to keep secrets from him.
The older man exhaled slowly and glanced at the door, “He helped me escape when I got in trouble dealing with a loan shark.” He frowned, and Changmin observed how Yunho always looked like he was carrying world on his shoulders. “I paid off his debt, and now I want him settled.”
“Does he…know?”
Yunho nodded, “He knows what he’s getting into, and he’s practically a member of the syndicate now anyway. He has a brother to take of Changmin, and he…he was about to get killed when I found him. Just look over him. Drop by every once in a while, okay?”
Changmin nodded - he’d never been able to disobey Yunho. They were brothers, true, but he always felt like he owed something to the other man. Yunho had been the one who’d saved him from the streets and had giving him practically everything he had without expecting something in return.
There was no way in the world that he’d be able to repay such generosity.
The doorbell rang, and Yunho’s head turned, “I think that’s him. Come on, let’s go.”
Changmin followed Yunho to the door, and he stopped after a couple of steps in order to watch Yunho open the door. As soon as the door opened, his eyes widened.
The other man sported a large bruise on the right side of his face, and he looked completely beat up. Pressed closely to his side was a young boy of seventeen, scrawny and afraid.
“This is your home now,” Yunho said as he pulled them both inside the apartment. He shut the door quietly, and he gestured to everything, “It’s officially yours Yoochun. The apartment is under your name and -“
“I told you just a car would be fine,” Yoochun mumbled, his eyes on the floor. He raised them slowly and looked around before his eyes eventually settled on Changmin. He stared at him for a few seconds before turning his eyes back to Yunho.
Yunho shook his head, “No, you two need a better place to stay,” he explained, “Also, Yoohwan can continue going back to school now, It’s better for everyone this way, don’t you think?”
“But -“
“No buts,” Yunho said seriously before he walked over to Changmin and took him by the elbow. “This is Changmin, and he’ll be dropping by to visit you guys every once in a while to make sure everything’s alright.”
Yoochun nodded and held out his hand, “It’s nice to meet you.”
“You too.”
They shook hands, and Yunho smiled, “Let’s have dinner now? I ordered food, and it might’ve gotten a bit cold, but -“
“Are you a saint?” Yoochun questioned, and Changmin’s lips quirked into a smile as he looked at the other man.
“No, he’s not,” Changmin answered, “He’s just rich.”
Yoochun laughed, and although it looked like it pained him slightly due to the bruise on his face, his laughter and smile were rather enchanting just the same.
o-o-o
Changmin met Yoochun and Yoohwan in the hall, and he hesitated to approach them. He stood awkwardly on his own, and it was only when Yoochun turned his head to look at him that he finally decided to move his feet.
“Hey,” Yoochun greeted softly just as soon as he’d opened the door. Yoohwan slipped past him silently after muttering a soft greeting to Changmin, taking the grocery bags with him.
They faced each other in the hallway, and Changmin bowed his head slightly, “Hey.”
“Do you want to come in?” Yoochun asked, “You have to look around, right?”
Changmin nodded, and he followed Yoochun inside. The apartment looked better than before despite some of its messes. It looked more lived in, and it looked homier than it had before - in short, it looked great.
He watched as Yoochun helped unpack groceries with his younger brother and felt like he was intruding on some sort of personal moment. He’d never known what it was like to have a sibling, so he observed them silently.
“Does everything look good?”
Yoochun’s words snapped him out of his trance, and he met the other man’s eyes and nodded. He cleared his throat, “It looks great. Are you two doing okay?”
“Yeah, we’re doing great, right Yoohwan?”
Yoohwan rolled his eyes at his brother, “I eat three times a day, I study hard -“
“I’m not a social worker.”
“That’s what I told my brother, but he wouldn’t listen,” Yoohwan replied as he took his meal off the counter and went over to the sofa, “He told me to practice that little speech so that we wouldn’t worry anyone.”
Changmin glanced at Yoochun, “Are -“
Yoochun chuckled softly and glanced down at the paper bag in front of him, “I just don’t want to worry anyone, and I think that’s normal.” He folded it slowly and raised his eyes to meet Changmin, “Really, you don’t have to do this. I can take care of him.”
“I never said you couldn’t,” Changmin retorted, “I’m just following what Yunho said. He just wants to make sure you guys are settled -“
“I’m sorry,” Yoochun muttered, “I just…it’s hard,” he frowned slightly, “It’s hard for me trust everything that’s happening right now, and I don’t like the idea of Yunho doing so much for me.”
Changmin nodded, “I understand. I felt the same way. I’ll tell Yunho to lay off the whole saintly act for a bit so that you can adjust better, but if there’s one thing you should know, it’s that Yunho can always be trusted.”
Yoochun nodded, “Okay…I should just…I should just relax a bit.” He smiled at Changmin and held out a meal for him, “I bought one extra for you. If there’s one thing I know, it’s that food can sometimes make the awkwardness go away.”
Changmin reached out to take the food, “Thank you.”
“You could stay and eat here if you want,” Yoochun suggested as he took hold of his own meal container and began to make his way over to where Yoohwan was seated on the couch, “Unless you have something to do?”
“Well, no but -“
“You should stay,” Yoochun pressed as he took a seat next to Yoohwan and stole the remote to change the channel, “If you’re going to be dropping by regularly, then we should at least be on friendly terms.”
Changmin hesitated, “I don’t -“
“There’s more food, and my brother and I don’t eat a lot. You can have some,” Yoochun insisted as he fought away Yoohwan’s attempts at stealing the remote. He smiled brightly at Changmin, “Stay? Even for just a few minutes? You can finish your food here then leave. Yoohwan can clean.”
“Hey!”
Changmin had to smile back, and he sat down next to Yoochun on the couch. Although he wasn’t family, he did appreciate Yoochun’s attempts at making him feel more comfortable around the two of them.
It made him feel somewhat at home.
o-o-o
Changmin knocked on the door, and as soon as it opened, Yoochun paused and stared at him before quickly pulling him inside.
“You’re bleeding,” Yoochun said as he pushed Changmin down onto the sofa so that he could grab his medical kit, “Jesus Christ, you’re bleeding and you’re so calm, it’s not sweat okay Changmin? It’s blood -“
“I know I’m bleeding.”
Yoochun dumped the medical kit onto Changmin’s lap, “Your calm is unnerving. Did you get hit in the head? Maybe you have some sort of trauma or you’re in shock, or -“
“Yoochun, I’m fine,” Changmin took the wet cloth from Yoochun’s hand and wiped the blood off his forehead. “I got cut because I hit my head on the way here. I didn’t know there was some sort of construction going on in the corridor ceiling -“
Yoochun started to laugh, and Changmin frowned.
“I don’t see why you’re laughing.”
“You’re just too tall,” Yoochun said with a smile as he reached forward to clean up Changmin’s wound. He dabbed at it gently and dressed it carefully, “Giants like you should be more careful.”
“Very funny,” Changmin muttered as he looked around the living room to make sure everything was alright, “Where’s Yoohwan?”
“He’s at a friend’s place, studying…I hope,” Yoochun answered before he placed a band aid on Changmin’s forehead. “He has a big exam coming up, and he studies better when I’m not around. He’s smart…he got accelerated twice you know?”
“I heard you got accelerated twice too,” Changmin commented as he leaned back into the sofa, “Yunho told me. He has your whole life story in his office,” he chuckled and glanced at Yoochun, “He likes researching people.”
“He has too much time on his hands,” Yoochun murmured as he cleaned up and placed things back into the medical kit, “And money. I still can’t believe what he’s done for me and Yoohwan.”
“He’s a good man.”
Silence fell between them, and after a few seconds had passed, Changmin moved to get off the sofa. He glanced back at Yoochun, who was staring at him with an unreadable expression on his face.
“I should go. Do you need anything?”
Yoochun shook his head, but just as Changmin had his hand on the door knob and was about to open the door, Yoochun called him. He turned and raised an eyebrow, “Yes? Is there -“
“Where do you live?”
Changmin furrowed his brows, “What?”
Yoochun adjusted the way he was sitting on the sofa and shrugged, “I mean, I live here, with Yoohwan most of the time…where do you live? With Yunho?”
“Well, sometimes,” Changmin answered carefully, unsure of where the conversation was going, “I have an apartment, but I don’t stay there often. I stay near wherever work takes me.”
“I see.”
Changmin frowned, “Why?”
“Nothing, I’m just curious,” Yoochun said with a soft smile, “I just wanted to know.” “Well…okay then,” Changmin replied, “Goodnight Yoochun.”
“Goodnight Changmin.”
o-o-o
“Changmin…?”
Changmin opened his eyes and rubbed at them before he glanced at Yunho. They were waiting in a car for their next target, but he had yet to come out of the building, so he’d fallen asleep while waiting for him.
“What?” he mumbled drowsily before reaching for his lukewarm cup of coffee, “Did he come out yet -“
“Have you ever felt like” Yunho frowned and stared forward at the empty stretch of road in front of them, “Have you ever felt like you’re not good enough or worthy enough of happiness?”
“Yeah, I have,” Changmin replied as he cleared his throat, “You know my past Yunho. Things were so fucked up back then…” he trailed off and shook his head, “What matters is that you stop thinking you’re unworthy Yunho.”
Yunho was silent for a few seconds before he replied, “I don’t think I can ever stop thinking that I’m a monster.”
“Don’t think that way -“
The older man sighed softly and leaned his head against the glass of the car door’s window, “My father has plans of over throwing Kangshik,” Yunho said softly as he kept his eyes on the lookout for their target, “Are you in?”
“I gave you my answer last night,” Changmin replied, “It will always be a yes. I want that bastard dead Yunho.”
Their target came out of the building, and Yunho pulled his gun out of its holster, “I want you to talk to Yoochun about this. If I’m the one to ask, he’ll just say yes blindly. I need to know that he’s willing to take a risk with this. There’s no need to rush into this because everything has just started, but I need people I can trust.”
Changmin nodded and took out his own gun, “I understand.”
Not another word was said, and they exited the car together to complete their mission.
o-o-o
“Do you ever cook?”
Yoochun tore his eyes away from the television and glanced at Changmin, “I’m sorry, but were you complaining about your sixth slice of pizza?”
“I was just asking,” Changmin said with a laugh, “Don’t be offended.”
“I can’t cook,” Yoochun muttered, “Yoohwan can’t really cook either, so that makes things a lot harder for us. Having cereal for every meal of the day isn’t great, trust me. Now that I have money coming in from my hospital job, I can afford to order food.”
Changmin chewed his pizza and swallowed, “You’re okay living like this?”
“Comfortable, happy, and well fed?” Yoochun questioned with a small smile, “Yes, I’m more than okay actually. I’m enjoying every day, and I know that Yoohwan is too, and it’s all thanks to you and Yunho.”
“You don’t have to -“
Yoochun laughed, “Well, I want to thank you.”
Changmin stared at Yoochun for a few seconds before he turned his eyes back to the television and tried to continue watching. To be honest, the drama hardly interested him, but he kept watching it because of Yoochun - he knew it was the other man’s favorite.
When he turned to look at Yoochun, the other man was crying.
Changmin’s eyes widened in surprise, “What is -“
“I’m emotional, okay?” Yoochun dabbed at his eyes with a tissue, “What’s wrong with you? Why aren’t you crying too? Her mother just died!”
“Whose mother?”
“Yoori’s mother!”
Changmin was silent before he asked, “Who’s Yoori?”
“You haven’t been watching, have you?” Yoochun shook his head disapprovingly and shook his head, “Oh God, you’re even worse than Yoohwan, but at least you’re not laughing at me.”
Yoochun smiled brightly at Changmin despite his watery eyes, “I like having you here with me.”
The words left his mouth before he could think twice, “I like being here.”
“You’re always welcome here,” Yoochun murmured before he turned his eyes back to the television and sighed, “Great, now I missed what happened.”
He leaned his head against Changmin’s shoulder and sighed once again, “You have to leave soon…right?”
Changmin was silent for a few seconds before he replied, “Do you want me to?”
“No, not really,” Yoochun replied softly, “I don’t like being alone, and I like having you around. You make me feel safer…but that might just be because I know you have a gun and know how to use it.”
Changmin chuckled softly, “Do you want me to get you one?”
“I can’t even cook. Do you think I can handle a gun?” Yoochun questioned, “No thanks.”
They were both silent, and they watched the drama in that comfortable silence. As soon as it ended, Changmin glanced over at Yoochun and saw that the other man was asleep.
Changmin smiled at the other man fondly and didn’t move. He waited for Yoohwan to get home so that Yoochun wouldn’t be alone before he carefully moved Yoochun off him and left.
o-o-o
The walk to Yoochun’s apartment was always an easy one to make. He enjoyed Yoochun’s company, and he often stayed longer than he wanted to. He’d never been the kind of person to open up, but something about Yoochun’s calm aura made him feel at ease.
Spending time with the other man also helped him forget things. Their small moments together made him remember that he was still just an ordinary man and that he could still enjoy the simple act of just being with another person - and he enjoyed Yoochun’s company in a different way to how he appreciated Yunho’s presence.
He knocked on the door, and as usual, Yoochun answered with a smile.
“You’re a bit earlier than usual,” Yoochun said with a laugh as he turned around to head back inside.
Changmin shut the door behind him, “Yoohwan’s not around?” he asked after he had looked around and noticed that the younger boy hadn’t left any of his things lying around the apartment.
“Nope,” Yoochun replied as he led Changmin to the kitchen, “He’s trying to get this scholarship to Japan, so he’s busy running around and avoiding me.”
“You don’t mind that?”
Yoochun turned around from the refrigerator, “We’ve spent almost all of our lives together, so…I understand his need to be away from me.” He placed a carton of milk down in front of Changmin, “I was the one who was supposed to take care of him, yet I’m the one who got us into -“
“I don’t think you should blame yourself,” Changmin said softly as he watched Yoochun pour him a glass of milk and set down a plate of cookies in front of him, “You and Yunho are more similar than you both think - blaming yourselves for things that aren’t your fault.”
He glanced down at the cookies, and when he looked up, Yoochun was looking at him with a small smile on his face.
“You seem terribly at peace with yourself,” Yoochun murmured as he sat down across from Changmin on the counter. He rested his chin against the palm of his hand, “I envy you.”
Changmin took hold of a cookie, “Yunho gives good advice on life, but he doesn’t follow it. After he took me in, he told me that I should live to my own standards and to be honest with myself.”
“It’s good advice…I like honesty,” Yoochun said with a smile, he leaned onto the counter and moved closer to Changmin, “I have a question, and so…I’d like you to be honest.”
Changmin furrowed his eyebrows, “What is it?” “Do you like men?”
“What -“
Before Changmin could finish his question, Yoochun had kissed him. The kiss was a short one and lasted only a few seconds before the older man pulled away with a pleased smile.
“So?”
Changmin rolled his eyes, “I didn’t expect that from you, but your answer is yes. Who knew that you’d be such a sleaze? Was the whole self-deprecating soliloquy just an act?”
Yoochun laughed shook his head and smiled, “No, it wasn’t…you just cheered me up.”
The younger man shook his head disapprovingly and bit at his cookie. He chewed for a few seconds before he looked up at Yoochun, “Sometimes, I wonder how you survived the life you used to live. You seem too gentle.”
“I didn’t survive just because I was smart you know,” Yoochun said with a small smile as he backed away slightly from Changmin, “Charm goes a long way.”
Changmin felt his heart flutter slightly, and he resisted the urge to smile back by shoving another cookie into his mouth.
o-o-o
Yoochun’s home had practically become his second home, and Changmin didn’t know what to think of it. Whenever his day finished with Yunho, he ended up wandering back to Yoochun’s place even if just Yoohwan was at home. He doted upon Yoohwan like the teenager was his own brother, and he felt his attraction for Yoochun grow.
He wondered if it was kind of like how Yunho felt about Kim Jaejoong. The moments he spent with Yoochun were the ones he remembered the most, and the feelings he had whenever he was around the older man were ones that he cherished the most.
“You’re not eating,” Yoochun commented, tapping his spoon against his bowl, “This is very unusual.”
Changmin looked up from his katsudon and shook his head, “I don’t feel well.”
The doctor side of Yoochun came through, and he looked at Changmin in concern. He glanced over the younger man, “Do you want me to check if you have a fever? Even if you don’t look feverish, there’s still a possibility you might have one.”
He got up off the table and turned to look at Changmin, “You can come into my room.”
Changmin followed Yoochun silently, and as soon as he was inside Yoochun’s room, he noticed the medicine bottles that were scattered across the room. There were also numerous documents, and he frowned at the sight of them.
“What does the syndicate make you do?”
Yoochun looked up from the bag he was rifling through, “Well, I’m usually called to treat injuries and to write fake medical documents for them…” he shrugged, “There’s a lot worse that I could do.”
“Like what I do?”
There was silence in the room, and Yoochun turned to look Changmin directly in the eyes. “I’m not judging you,” he whispered before he stood up to stand in front of Changmin. “It’s not like you like killing people…and, I know you…you have a reason, don’t you?”
Yunho’s words came to mind, and Changmin took a deep breath, “Yunho’s father is planning on overthrowing Kangshik.”
Yoochun replied in an instant, “You can depend on me.”
“You don’t have to -“
“I want to,” Yoochun insisted, “I want to help because I owe Yunho so much, and I want to help because Kangshik...”
“What?”
Yoochun dropped his eyes to the floor, “Don’t tell Yunho.” He raised his eyes up to look at Changmin, “If Yunho found out, he would never forgive me. I know how much he hates anything to do with…”
“Did you sell them?” Changmin questioned, “Did he make you sell them?”
Yoochun took a deep breath and nodded, “I can’t let Yoohwan stay here. He has to leave - it’s why I keep supporting that he study in Japan. If I get caught -“
Changmin gripped Yoochun’s arms tightly, “No one is going to catch you. You’re not going to jail, you’re not going to go anywhere - you’re going to be safe. I promise you that. I’ll pay for Yoohwan’s airfare to Japan, and I’ll make sure -“
“Don’t do that for me,” Yoochun argued, “You don’t owe me anything. I know we’ve gotten close over these past few months, but I’m not your responsibility. You don’t have to take care of me -“
“I want to take care of you.”
Changmin’s subtle confession hung in the air, and both men stood frigidly still. Before either of them could say anything, the front door slammed shut and the distinct sound of Yoohwan’s voice was overheard from within the room.
“I have to go,” Changmin mumbled before he turned away and fled.
o-o-o
“You can’t do this,” Changmin warned as he tried to hold Yunho back, “Yunho, you can’t try to stop what’s going to happen tonight, or at least, don’t do it alone. I don’t want you to do this, just let me -“
Yunho shoved Changmin out of the way, “I can’t let him die Changmin. I just can’t. He doesn’t deserve this.”
Changmin ran a hand through his hair, “I know he doesn’t, but Yunho, you can’t do this. You know that Kangshik and Jaewook have been watching you and your father carefully these days. If you do this…who knows what’s going to happen to you?”
The older man shook his head and placed his gun inside his holster, “I love him. I can’t let him die Changmin. Even if he doesn’t love me, even if…I die, I can’t let him die.”
“Stop being a noble idiot,” Changmin argued, “Let me go -“
“I can’t let you go,” Yunho replied, his voice softening as he looked at Changmin with worry, “You have Yoochun and Yoohwan to look after…I know about how you feel for Yoochun. You can’t hide your feelings from me.”
“I…I don’t -“
“Honesty,” Yunho said softly, “You told me that you’d live your life being honest to yourself, so be honest about your feelings. Don’t…don’t be stupid like me. If you love him, be brave about it.”
Yunho clasped Changmin’s shoulder tightly, “I know you’d follow me until the end and back, but I can’t let you come with me. This should be my own fight, and I don’t want to drag you into this.”
Changmin watched as Yunho left, and as soon as he was gone, he called Yoochun.
“Hello?”
He took a deep breath, “Can I come over?”
“Of course…this is your home as much as it is mine.”
A smile crossed Changmin’s lips, and he chuckled softly, “I’ll be there soon.”
“Okay.”
He hung up, and Changmin sighed softly. As usual, Yunho was right, and now he could only wish that he wouldn’t be right and that there would be no severe consequences to Yunho’s actions.
o-o-o
He hated being right.
Changmin stood anxiously outside of the small private operating room and paced down the corridor. He knew that Yunho was possibly dying on the other side of the door, and he didn’t know what to do - he could only hope that Yoochun knew what to do.
So much had gone wrong in so little time, and he didn’t know if Yunho would get through it all.
Before he could seriously consider knocking down the door, Yoochun came out.
He looked at Changmin and sighed, “He’ll be okay.” The older man shook his head disapprovingly, “You said that Kangshik…”
“They’re all dead,” Changmin whispered, “Or well…no one knows what happened to Jihye, but…”
A grim look crossed Yoochun’s face, “Do you think we’ve been discovered?”
“No…but,” Changmin sighed, “I’m worried about what’s going to happen in the future. I don’t want to give up, but…if Yunho wants to do so, then I’ll step down as well. I can’t do this without him.”
“I should get Yoohwan to leave, shouldn’t I? He’ll be safer away from here,” Yoochun said softly, “He’s trying to see if I’ll ask him to stay…but after all this, I don’t…I don’t think he should.”
“I think you’re right,” Changmin replied, “Kangshik has contacts in Japan, but…I think Yoohwan would be much safer out of his direct reach.”
Yoochun nodded, and Changmin noticed that the other man looked like he was on the verge of crying. He reached out to hug Yoochun tightly, but the older man pushed him away and rubbed at his eyes.
“Don’t think for one second that I regret this,” Yoochun whispered. His voice was tight with emotion as he continued to speak, “I have faith in Yunho, and I have faith in you. We’ll get through this...but right now, we -“
“We have to take care of Yunho,” Changmin finished as he glanced at the door of the room Yunho was staying in, “We’re all he has left…”
Yoochun nodded in agreement before he reached forward and hugged Changmin briefly for comfort. After he’d stepped away, he asked, “Do you want a moment with him?”
Changmin nodded, “Just…just give me a few minutes. You should call Yoohwan too. It’s best we get him out of here as soon as possible, and it’s best that you make sure that he’s okay.”
“I’ll call him.”
He watched as Yoochun left, and as soon as he was out of sight, Changmin opened the door and entered. He sighed softly the moment he saw Yunho, and he dragged a chair over so that he could sit down beside Yunho’s bed.
Changmin reached out and squeezed the older man’s hand tightly, his eyes filled with worry. He clasped Yunho’s hand, “They’ll pay for this,” he whispered darkly, “Whatever I have to do, I’ll do it. They’ll fucking pay.”
o-o-o
“You need to rest.”
Changmin looked up from the documents he’d been reading and noticed that Yoochun was leaning against the kitchen’s doorway. He straightened up his back and leaned against the chair, “I have to -“
Yoochun walked over to him slowly and took the papers out of his hand before he set them away from Changmin. He took one of Changmin’s hands and let him out of the chair, pulling him in the direction of their bedroom.
“You always have tomorrow.”
“Do I?”
The older man turned around, and he rested his hands on the taller man’s shoulders in a comforting gesture, “Yes. We’ll have tomorrow, the day after that, and the rest of our lives, so just…relax, okay? Even Yunho’s grown to enjoy life.”
“I worry -“
“I worry too,” Yoochun whispered, “But there’s more to life than revenge, worrying, and death…there’s other things like happiness, laughter, -“
“Love?”
A tender look crossed Yoochun’s face, and he smiled up at Changmin, “Yes, love…so now, I think you should rest, stop worrying, and just go to bed.”
“With you?”
Yoochun laughed softly, “What are you? A kindergartener? Yes, with me…unless there’s someone else you’d rather go to bed with?”
Changmin shook his head and leaned down to kiss Yoochun. Just as their lips were barely a centimeter apart and Yoochun’s eyes had already fluttered shut, he spoke.
“There’s no one else but you,” he whispered before he captured Yoochun’s lips and led him in the direction of the bedroom.
o-o-o
Whatever I have to do, I’ll do it.
The months had flown by, and Changmin wasn’t quite sure how they’d pulled through everything. They were on their last legs, and it wouldn’t be much longer until things either took flight or crashed and burned.
He didn’t have many minutes to spare until he had to go back, so Changmin quickened his pace and made his way to Yoochun’s apartment. He jogged down the corridor and reached Yoochun’s door in a few steps.
Changmin knocked on the door before he eventually decided to pound on it harder so that Yoochun would come out faster.
The door opened, and Yoochun’s eyes widened in worry.
“What -“
“All the planning ends tonight,” Changmin explained, “No matter what happens, I…I need you to trust me. No matter what you hear about me, no matter what anyone says, just remember that only you and Yunho know the real me.”
“What are you talking about?” Yoochun whispered, “Changmin, you told me that -“
Changmin reached forward and took hold of Yoochun’s hands, “The plans have changed, and I don’t have much time, so I need -“
“I trust you,” Yoochun said softly, “You’ll always have a home with me.”
“I’ll be back. I promise. I’ll come home.”
He held Yoochun protectively, his promise ringing in his ears.
No matter what happened in the future, he would come back - he was sure of it.
Author’s Note: My first ever proper MinChun story, so I do hope it’s okay. >.< I want to write more for this pairing, but YunJae always steal my time. LOL. XD I hope you guys liked it! Thank you for reading! ♥