A/N 1-7-21 this is my *3rd* attempt to try and write the beginning of 2ho's story for Yeo.

Also, for donutCake3665 thank you! 🥰

***

"Yeosang?" Yunho asked.

He hummed a yes? in response.

The two were back sitting in the living room, tears dried, drinking hot chocolate after dinner. Yunho smiled thinking of how Jongho would've scoffed at his desire for chocolate.

"When's the last time you had a bedtime story?"

Yeosang scrunched his brows, attention now fully on his uncle. "Uh," he laughed. "A bedtime story? I have absolutely no idea. I mean Eomma read them to me as a kid I guess."

"Can I tell you one tonight? Plee~aa~se~" Yunho pouted. He couldn't afford for Yeosang to say no.

". . .sure?"

He clapped his hands and gasped, "Yay! Finish your chocolate. I'm going to shower and be back in 20."

"Yunho, sometimes I can't believe you're like almost 60." Yeosang laughed at his antics. But Yunho just stuck his tongue out at the boy and hummed, proving Yeosang's point.

~~~

Sitting under a plethora of blankets in the large guest bed, they cuddled up like old times.

"So this story. . . where's the book?"

"No book. It's in my head," his uncle said flatly.

"Okayyyy, does it have a name?" He tried next.

Yunho thought for a minute. "Fatal love."

Ha. "And you call me dramatic?"

He groaned rolling into the blankets. "I will kick you out of this house and you will freeze tonight."

"Doesn't sound half bad." But the attempted joke didn't play well. Instead Yunho just sighed. "I know, love, that's why I'm telling you this story."

Yeosang was quiet now, feeling bad again but pushing it back like he'd promised the man next to him.

"Once upon a time. . ." The older began.

Yeosang snorted. Yunho hit him.

"ONCE UPON A TIME. . . In a galaxy far, far away. . .there lived a little boy named Choi Jongho. . .

He had a beautiful soul mark born onto his skin, like everyone else, and his eyes were a deep brown, really deep. So deep they looked black from far away, but they were beautiful-"

"Uncle." Yeosang cut him off, "Get on with the story."

Yunho threatened to hit him again. "Let me tell it. Don't interrupt unless you get too tired or have to pee."

Yeosang nodded silently.

"So, Jongho's beautiful eyes. . ." Yunho's own eyes looked like stars as he spoke, trying to remember every detail. "they drew people in. Most importantly they drew in another little boy. . . we'll call the other boy Yunjung. Yunjung and Jongho met when they were little, only toddlers. But their parents knew, because they could realize something the boys didn't see: they had matching soul marks.

In school, we all learn about soulmates, so too did these boys. And they began to realize what their marks meant for them. Yunjung learned first, because he was older.

But his first thoughts? were ewwwww. Jongho was his best friend and brother. Soulmates. . .they did things brothers didn't do.

So he ignored it.

When Jongho learned, he had the same reaction and the boys agreed to completely ignore the fact of their souls together. Forever.

But forever isn't as long as it seems.

'You're so lucky, Jongho-ah! You met your Soul at such a young age and get to grow up with him.' Hye-Jin smiled down at her son, but he just made a puking face.

His eomma's face fell. 'Jongho I'm serious. You know your mama and I aren't Souls. I never met mine and your mama's died before they could meet as well. We love each other, yes, but we don't have the same special connection that other partners do.'

He sighed, having heard this before, 'Yes, Eomma. But Hyung and I are really good friends! We'll still be together.' He tried to console his mother.

On Yunjung's 10th birthday, they kissed. But it was gross. And I mean both parties thought it was gross. So again they agreed to forget. Forever.

People thought they were twins; they were practically conjoined growing up. But then Yunjung hit a growth spurt and everyone finally knew he was older. At the same time, Jongho began soccer and even as a fifteen year old rookie, he dominated the field.

One night after practice, they were together again. . .

'Jongho," the younger looked up in response at the boy who held him. The two were cuddled together, Yunjung playing big spoon. 'I-I love you.'

'Uh,' Jongho laughed, 'I love you too, Hyung.'

He could see Yunjung's beet face in the dark and practically feel his heart spike. 'No, Jongho-ah, I mean I love you.'

'Well I love you, too,' Jongho mumbled back, facing away from Yunjung's chest.

'Jongho, pl-'

'Hyung! Please? Sorry but can we please not talk about this? Eomma and Mama make it weird enough as is.'

'Okay.' The quiet response was breathed out in such a way that Jongho knew the boy behind him was trying not to cry. He knew all his voices by now.

Jongho didn't sleep much that night. He thought of what Eomma had said all those years ago, and what his parents had told him just today. That was the reason he ran to Yunjung, and why they were snuggled together now.

The next morning, Yunjung awoke first, arms still wrapped around the shorter boy. But during the night Jongho had curled in towards him and was facing the older's chest.

His heart cried as he looked at the sleeping one in his arms. We promised each other forever. We agreed not to fall in love.

Bringing a soft hand up to his hair, Yunjung brushed it away from his face. Tracing his fingers down Jongho's neck, he danced over the little brown wave.

Painstakingly slow, Yunjung moved.

Leaving the bed, he entered the kitchen. 'Good morning, Appa.'

'Good morning, Yun-ah. Is Jongho still sleeping? I made him coffee.'

'Oh,' Yunjung mumbled, 'I got up to do that. . .'

'Ah well you could bring it to him?' Appa offered.

But the son shook his head, "Don't think he really wants to wake up to me. . . Honestly, I don't know that I want to see him right now.'

Now that made his appa concerned. 'Trouble in paradise?' he asked, not knowing how the wording would make Yunjung's heart drop further.

'Ugh, please, App~a~,' he tried to lighten the mood by a little shoulder wiggle, but gave up soon after his father's serious expression.

'It's just, I-I told him I love him. . .

'Oh,' This wasn't Mr. Jeong's strong suit. 'Don't you guys say that all the time?'

'Yeah, but this time he knew I meant it different. . . He says he doesn't want to talk. He's acting like when we were children and it pisses me off!' Yunjung huffed, opening a kitchen cabinet with a little too much force.

After a moment of awkward silence, he asked, 'Is Eomma home?'

Shaking his head, Dad replied, "At work. . . Yun-ah, I-I'm sorry I'm not so good at this stuff. But even when I don't know what to say or how to say it, I still definitely want to hear it."

He placed a hand on his son's shoulder, who looked up and gave him a really? expression. So he did what any emotionally unprepared parent would do, and patted Yunjung's shoulder. "Good luck, Son. Fighting!" Pumping a little fist in the air.

'Yeah. . . Thanks, Appa.'

***

A/N: 1-9-22. Seonghwa posted this after finishing the Soul concerts and, like, my heart is dying of uwu ⬇️

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