“Yunho?” Jaejoong stretched out to reach for him but realised he was not by his side. He sat up quickly to search for him. He scanned the room but he was nowhere in sight. “Yunho? Yunho?!” He fumbled to put on his shoes and dashed out of the ward, bumping into Yunho. “Where did you go?!” 

“I… I just went for my morning check. Look at you, your shoes aren’t even worn prop---”

“Don’t leave like that again!”

“S---sorry.” Yunho pulled Jaejoong into his embrace, feeling the warmth of his body. “You smell good…” He smiled as he rubbed his nose against his neck slowly… 

“Ahem.” That startled the both of them, pushing away from each other immediately. 

“YAH. You! You... gave us a shock.” Yunho scolded embarrassingly. 

“Oh? Seems like you know how to feel embarrassed too?” Chang min continued to tease, “Seems like both of you had a sizzling night~” 

“Yah. We’re not alone here.” Jaejoong cut in. 

“Well… on a serious note…” 

Jaejoong’s smile faltered, “How is his condition?” 

“You want to tell him?” Chang min looked over to Yunho who shook his head slowly. “Alright~ his situation... is still very unstable... but his body is still receptive to treatments... for now...” He let those words linger in the air for a while… The uncertainty in those words, for now… No one can promise how much his body can take or if he can and will recover from all of it. And if he really does there is no guarantee that it will not relapse again. 

“That… is good news…That is good news right?” Jaejoong brushed Yunho’s hands gently. “Well done… you did well.” 

Yunho smiled slightly like a kid getting praised for doing well in his test. 

"He really has to take good care of himself now... if he goes through another seizure again, it would mean that his condition has worsened and... it would be very dangerous."

Jaejoong nodded silently... "Well... well then, we will just do our best and leave everything to fate~" He smiled faintly... Yunho held on to his hand and whispered, "sorry..." Jaejoong pulled him into his arms quickly, "Don't ever say that again... you didn't choose this. We'll overcome it, together." 

Yunho nodded slowly, before pulling away, “Min, I would like to go somewhere with Joong today since I don’t have any scheduled treatment today… You think we can do that?”

“Wow~ Since when do you ask me for my permission~?” He folded his arms, teasing him, trying to change the mood a little. “Sigh~ go ahead. Just remember to come back earlyyyy YAH!” He felt his soul leave his body when Yunho suddenly pulled him into his arms, “I never told you this but… thank you, Min… my burden-bearing, laughter-sharing friend… I don’t know what I would have done without you… You have always been my anchor in life, grounding me when I go all crazy about things and people… I love you.”

“YAH. Get away.” Chang min wriggled free from him, “Don’t say this kind of mushy stuff. People only say that when they’re leaving or dying. So, since neither of that is happening, keep those words to yourself, alright?”

“Got it.” Yunho smiled. Chang min has always been this way. Although the words he says always seem so heartless but deep down, he cares a lot for the one he loves. “See you later~” 

Please stay strong, hyung… Just like you, I don’t know what I would do without you. I almost lost you once… I’m not going to lose you this time… 

“Where… are we going?” Jaejoon finally asked when they stepped out of the hospital. He has been feeling uneasy since he heard the news from Chang min. “Shouldn’t you get more rest?”

“Since when does cancer get cured by resting more?” Yunho joked as he placed an arm around his shoulders. “We’re going to see my parents.” 

“HUH?”

“But Joong, if you feel uncomfortable going, you can not come along… I totally understand if you do not want to---”

“No no! I… I want to.” Jaejoong answered quickly. “I want to see them. They are your parents, Yunho… and… I want to get their blessings. We didn’t get it then and we might not get it now… but, at least we try!  But Yunho… promise me.” He took Yunho’s hands into his, “promise me, no matter what, do not lose your cool.”

“I won’t. I promise.” 

*********************

Never in Yunho’s life has the air in a room been so still and awkward… The four of them sat around the dining table, eating, but not saying a single word for the past 30 minutes… 

Yunho’s mother finally broke the silence by clearing her throat, “so… how was the meal?” She smiled at Jaejoong. 

“Ah… it's great! Thanks for taking the time to prepare this meal~!” 

“No worries at all~ I’m glad that it’s much better than the prev---”

“AHEM… hem…” Yunho coughed awkwardly, reminding his mother not to bring up the past again. 

“R...right… I mean better than how I used to cook, right hubby?”

“Yes.” Yunho’s dad replied simply, taking a deep sigh at the same time. 

“...Mmm.. dad?” 

“What?” He asked defensively as he continued eating, not meeting Yunho’s eyes. 

“About what happened with Joong...”

Yunho’s dad slammed his chopsticks down on the table, “So? What do you want from me now? Going to play with my guilt and ask me for my blessings?” 

“Hubby! Can you just calm down and listen to him?! He just--- Jaejoong?” Yunho’s mother turned to look at Jaejoong as she heard him giggle. 

“S---sorry!” He took a deep breath and continued, “Seeing abeoji--- I mean uncle, just reminded me of Yunho… he would always flare up suddenly and then realise how ridiculous he was behav---”  He allowed his words to trail off when he noticed all of them looking at him nervously. 

. He bit his lips nervously and apologised immediately, “I don’t mean to say that you’re ridiculous but I---” Yunho’s mother’s laughter cut him off, “HAHAHAHA I finally found someone who understand me~ Jaejoong, it really isn’t easy when you have TWO of them. But now, you are finally taking over one of them.” She looked into Jaejoong’s eyes, her gaze, always so gentle… 

“eomeoni…” 

She blinked continuously, holding back her tears, “I know that we have not been the best parents… and we’re not the best family but Yunho dear, we love you very much. Even your dad… although he doesn’t say it, but I hope that you can see that… No matter what, I will not object to any of your decisions. You’re a big boy now… and I trust the decisions that you make. For yourself.” 

“Mum…” Yunho held on to her hands… the pair of hands that raised him… he did not realise how wrinkled they are… how time flew past like that… he suddenly felt sorry for the time that he selfishly wasted… the precious time that they could have spent together before he… 

“Don’t feel sorry.” A voice suddenly cut into their moment. 

They all looked into the direction of Yunho’s father unisonly. “Don’t feel sorry… we are your parents. It is only right that we take care of you until you are independent. And also because I’m not going to apologise as well. I heard that you guys already knew what I did that time… but like I said, if I have to do it again, I would.”

“And I respect your decision, sir. But I still want to thank you… for not letting me die that day… that would really be the end… and I wouldn’t be sitting here today”

They sat in a few moments of silence before Yunho’s father stood up, “and I… thank you. For saving my son’s life.” With that, he left the dining area and went back into their room. 

“Did he just---”

“Yes!” Yunho’s mother squealed in excitement. “And we know how much that means!”

“Thank you eomeoni!” Both of them replied in unison, both with tears in their eyes… after all that they have gone through… all that they have suffered… the separations, reunion, heartbreaks and tears… 

Yunho’s mother smiled as he looked at the both of them… “I’ll… leave the both of you to talk then~” 

“I can’t believe it Joong… my dad actually thanked you!”

“Same here… thank you, for bringing me here. I know it’s not easy for you too. Afterall, he’s still your dad.”

Yunho took his hands, “that’s because you’re here with me~ and your beautiful heart... and kindness must have touched him...” He leaned in slowly before getting a smack on his lips.

“YAH. We’re at your parents’ house! Please behave yourself.”

“We can always go into my r---”

“NO.” 

“Then shall we… go back to our house?” 

Jaejoong nodded, “I’d like that…”   

*********************

Both of them stood at the door, memories flooding back to them…

“Shall we do that again?”

“Dream on~” Jaejoong rolled his eyes as he unlocked the door. 

“Let’s go in.” Jaejoong took the keys over and inserted it into the keyhole and pushed the door open. 

“WAIT WAIT.” Yunho suddenly squatted beside Jaejoong, scooped him up, and carried him in his arms. 

“P---put me down!” Jaejoong’s face flushed red as he wriggled his body trying to get off. But Yunho grabbed on to him tighter, “Yah yah don’t move! We still have to follow the tradition~! Come on now!” He took a deep breath as he struggled to walk through the door with Jaejoong in his arms.

“I think you should just put me d---”

“Just trust me!” He struggled for a good few minutes before getting the both of them in. “We’re home~” The both of them stood in the living room, eyes on each other. It’s the home they chose and decorated together… their hard work, their nest, their home… 

“Our home…” Jaejoong smiled. He’s finally home. Not as Yunjae but as himself, with all the memories that they had… every piece of furniture are right where they were as he remembered them... 

“Welcome home, Joong~ Can I kiss you now?” He asked playfully before leaning in for a kiss.

But a sudden surge of nauseousness hit him before he could reach Jaejoong. He could feel a sudden tightness in his chest, he could barely breathe… fear took over him… this was like nothing he experienced before. 

“Yunho! Yunho!!” Jaejoong reached out to him, breaking his fall. “Should I call the ambulance?!” 

“I... I---” He could barely say a single word now. Everything he felt before seems to hit him a hundred times harder this time… His head began to spin and his stomach started to churn uncontrollably. He felt something rushing up his throat but he was too weak to head to the toilet… everything spilled onto the floor as his tears and mucus flowed out uncontrollably… he started to gak again and again… throwing up everything that he had for lunch… he grabbed onto his shirt, gasping for air before he finally lost all his senses and consciousness, falling motionlessly in Jaejoong’s arms… leaving Jaejoong calling out to him desperately,  reaching for his phone to call for help… and hoping for the best… 

“Please please please!!!” Jaejoong pleaded in desperation as he watched Yunho lie in the ambulance… there was no sign of movement anymore, and that scares him more than anything. “Please… please please don’t...!”

He held onto Yunho’s now cold hands tightly, tears streaming down his chin mercilessly...

 “I knew it… I knew it… this day… is too perfect to be true…”