"By the time October rolled around again, the nightmares had, to both soul's immense joy, subsided. Jongho graduated highschool, and, now being twenty, Yunjung was just enrolled on a PhD track in East Asian Lit.

The only thing Jongho missed from highschool was soccer; he'd had a few scouts come, especially in the last year, and managed to secure a half scholarship to university through it.

So his birthday this year, according to Eomma and Mama, was a celebration of that as well.

Yunjung had spent the night like every October 11th for the past four years, but this time he awoke to yelling, and an empty bed.

Groggily looking around, he stumbled up and out. As he saw the scene in the kitchen, however, he was wide awake.

'EOMMA I told you I don't want to go out today!' His Soul shouted.

'Jongho-ah, please calm d-' But Wheein was interrupted.

'Mama, please!' Jongho pleaded, albeit aggressively. 'I-I do not want them. Can we just have a d-day without any stress whatsoever?'

Mama looked over at her wife and you could see Hye-jin about to burst.

'Choi Jongho! You are an adult now and Mama and I expect you to start acting like one and show respect!' Hye-jin huffed. 'Jongho I'm so sorry you have relatives that want to come over and ruin your special day by merely being around you but, honestly-'

'Oh MY- -EOMMA!' He shouted, looking exasperated.

Mama spoke up again, trying to diffuse. 'Jongho. They are already driving and you know how long it is; we can't just make them turn around.'

But like Eomma, like son. Jongho's anger outweighed his logical response and he slammed a fist to the counter with a loud thud.

And Yunjung had enough.

'JONGHO!' Came his stern voice from the doorway; this was finally getting out of hand. The older blanked his face to match his voice, and Jongho froze. His face heated and tears burned his eyes. He didn't dare look at his Soul. Not after that. He'd never heard that voice before.

And so, shaking, he ran.

Yunjung, Eomma, and Mama were left looking at each other.

Wheein sighed, 'He didn't used to be like this. I have no idea what happened. . .' Hye-jin pulled Mama into her arms but spoke to Yunjung. 'I made coffee if you want some, Yun-ah.'

Yunjung bowed but politely declined. Instead, he picked up Jongho's shoes, and, putting on his own coat and boots, he followed his Soul out the door.

Walking two blocks through the, surprisingly, warm October weather, he entered a corner store and found Jongho seated at a both there, the girl behind the counter eyeing him with concerned looks.

'Little bear,' he softly called.

But the younger just scoffed, looking down. 'You haven't called me that in ages.'

'I know.' Yunjung replied, sitting down opposite Jongho in the booth. 'Maybe it's time I bring it back.'

But Jongho made no reply, only nervously fiddling with his sleeves.

'Jongho-ah, can you please look at me?'

So Jongho raised his eyes the the speaker's chest.

'My eyes, Jongho.' He encouraged calmly. 'Look at my eyes.'

But even then, Jongho had trouble. He was embarrassed, so much so he could barely stand to be in the presence of his Soul.

So Yunjung left his seat and slid in next to the younger. Caressing his face, Yunjung lifted his head, but the younger's eyes were still downcast. 'Jongho,' he tried. 'Remember? I'll always love you.'

And so the younger finally raised his eyes, and when they met, he flinched back. But only due to the lack of judgement in Yunjung's eyes. They were still so soft, soft like they always were.

'I'm so sorry, Hyung,' he mumbled.

'I know, my love. I see you are. But it's not me you need to apologize to. . .Jongho, a while back when you said you often get upset with your moms,' Yunjung tried to recall their conversation. 'Is this what you were talking about?'

He nodded.

'Do you usually apologize?'

'No,' came Jongho's answer, 'not always. I want to apologize, because I feel so bad and know it's wrong, but I always do it again. . .I always get angry again.'

Yunjung repressed the urge to voice his disappointment, saying instead, 'Just because you do it over and over, love, doesn't mean you don't need to apologize every time. . .I'm sorry I didn't realize what you were saying about your anger sooner.'

'No, no, Hyung. That's not your fault at all,' he teared up again, 'Thank you for still loving me.'

Yunjung smiled sadly at him, making a promise. 'Always and forever, my Little Bear.'

Walking home two blocks hand in hand, the weather had warmed up even more and Yunjung laid their coats over his arm. Jongho paused as they reached his front door, and Yunjung patiently, silently, waited.

When Jongho pressed the door open, they entered an empty living room. 'Mama? Eomeoni?' Yunjung called out.

'In the bedroom, Yun-ah!' Came a voice from beyond.

Yunjung gently released his Soul's hand and nodded at the younger. He watched, proud, as Jongho ventured into his parents room, and shut the door.

Hye-jin and Wheein were in bed, surprised, to say the least, when their son entered.

Mothers looked at son and son at mothers.

Then he bowed: at ninety degrees, face to the floor. His mothers were silent. Rubbing his hands together in sincerity, Jongho closed his eyes and began.

'Eomeoni, Mama, I am so sorry for yelling at you this morning; it was very immature of me. You're right,' he sighed, trying to resign in his emotions. 'I am an adult now and will try to be the one you raised me to be.

'Mama,' he continued. 'I'm sorry especially for interrupting you, and to both of you for hitting the counter. Please forgive me for all the times, especially over the last years, when I got angry with you and didn't apologize. It wasn't due to a lack of sorrow, but I didn't trust myself not to mess up again, and so didn't bother apologizing, but I understand now that's wrong. So,' he concluded, hands still pressed in friction. 'Eomeoni and Mama, please forgive me.'

Hye-jin and Wheein looked between their son and each other, before Wheein shoved her wife, pointing to Jongho. Go to him, she mouthed. And Hye-jin pointed at her chest, me? Why me? She mouthed back.

But Wheein just pushed her off the bed and Eomma stumbled over to her son, gently pulling him up to standing, tears in both their eyes as she held Jongho in front of her.

'We forgive you, Jongho-ah.'

Mama came over, too, hugging the boy. 'Even though you're an adult now, that doesn't you aren't still our child.'

Hye-jin nodded her head and embraced the boy as well. 'You'll always be our child, my love.'

~~~

After lunch, Mama and Eomma presented Jongho with his gift: a new film camera.

Moods were much improved and the boys set out toward the park. Hands interlaced, they walked along the grass until Yunjung pulled them down to cuddle against a cut log.

'I'm so proud of you, Jongho-ah.'

And the smaller hid his face, blushing into the older's neck. 'Thank you. . .I love you, Yun-ah.'

Yunjung looked down, teasing. 'Where's the Hyung?'

But Jongho just met his lips and smiled, 'I wanted to say your name. Your name is so pretty Yun-ah.'

And the older smirked, 'Yun-ah isn't my name though.'

'Yeah,' he rolled his eyes, 'but it's closer than Hyung.'

'Come on, Little Bear,' Yunjung laughed, pulling the camera from around Jongho's neck. 'Let me take a photo of you.'

So Jongho rose, posed: but right before the flash he started to dance.

'Jongho-ah!' Yunjung yelled, surprised. 'Jongho hold still! Come on~' He tried to be firm. 'CHOI JONGHO you know this camera-- ugh. Kid! Hold still it'll be so blurry!'

Jongho kept dancing, smiling that beautiful, gummy smile, while Yunjung sat on the ground before him.

'Hyung!' he shouted back. 'If you're calling me a kid, you're an old man. And please remember, I'm an official grown up now.'

Yunjung couldn't help but laugh, falling back onto the grass, holding the camera with both hands on his chest. 'Yes Jongh~o~o~,' he whined. 'That's why I'm trying to take a birthday photo of you!'

Jongho giggled looking at his love laying back on the grass.

He had stopped moving now, still enough for the old camera, but Yunjung wasn't looking, his eyes still closed.

Jongho saw his beauty, Yunjung practically glowed in the afternoon sun. Looking down at the person before of him, Jongho let his eyes roam over Yunjung, whose legs were still crossed, back and head laying on the grass.

Eyes drifting to his neck, he saw the small darker spot of skin, the mark of Yunjung's soul. Not very defined, but a soft brown. Soft like Yunjung, he thought.

Jongho reached up to his own neck, fingers brushing his own soul's mark. They decided, as children, that if you look hard enough, it's like a wave.

Yunjung, eyes still stubbornly shut, refusing to look at Jongho after his antics, was biting his lip trying not to smile. But he could feel the eyes on him.

'Stop looking at me.' He deadpanned.

'I can't. You're too beautiful.' It was the younger's turn to tease now. But he wasn't joking.

Yunjung cringed and rolled over, groaning, his face towards the ground. Jongho just laughed aloud.

'Hyung, I can't stop looking at you because you're absolutely mesmerizing.' He started to walk back to his Soul. 'You know me, I'm never this affectionate, only with you, Yun-ah.'

'Shut up~,' came the mumbled reply. Yunjung was too busy hiding his blush in the grass to notice Jongho coming closer.

Jongho leaned down over the young man on the ground, pulling his face up to look at him, but Yunjung simply scrunched his eyelids tighter and blushed. 'For a supposed top,' Jongho teased. 'You sure get shy easily.'

He rolled his closed eyes in response, as well as his entire head in the grass. 'Ughhh~ didn't I tell you to shut-'

'Nooooo!' Jongho whined.

Yunjun smiled again now, listening to his aegyo. "Hyung, your eyes.' Jongho said. 'Yun-ah, open your eyes."

So he obliged.

And looking into his Soul's eyes, Jongho kissed him. Pulling Yunjung up, the shorter sat in his lap and melded their lips as he felt Yunjung's arms encircle him.

Breaking apart, Yunjung smiled, 'Happy birthday, my love.'

***

A/N: 1-8-22 Originally Eomma and Mama were just random people, but today I started really seeing them as Hwasa and Wheein and honestly, I think they fit really well 😳 Like I didn't even write the roles for them but can totally see Eomma as Hwasa lol

It physically hurt to go back and change all of Yunho's name so Yunjung *sigh*

Also: 😭😭🤧 Jonghoooo

A/N: 1-11-22 that's a lot of words. was only going to post 3 today but bonus chap now ig ❤️

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