You Make Me..crazy - Chapter 10

10. Dating, Romance Get Me A Drink!

“I’m moving in to your house,” Junghee said, dropping on the comfortable black couch in the basement studio. “This place is amazing.”

Jae laughed happily and picked up a throw pillow from an armchair.

“My house your house, Jung,” he said.

“Are you happy?”

Jae leaned on the wall and hugged the pillow to his chest.

“Jung, Dan and I-,”

“He loves you,” Junghee cut in, sitting up on the couch.

Jae blushed. Heat flooding his face, he dropped his gaze to the floor and mumbled.

“It’s not there yet.”

“Maybe, not for you,” Junghee said with a sigh. “You’re blinder than a bat during the day. Three years going and you still haven’t noticed. He’s done so many things he wouldn’t do for anyone else.”

Jae chuckled.

Of course, Junghee would have noticed.

Jung saw everything, Jae thought.

“Why didn’t you tell me?” he asked.

“Your head was buried in Rebellion.”

“It still is,” Jae said quietly. “I can’t afford to let it slip away from Rebellion.”

Junghee narrowed his gaze at him.

“Jae, maybe the key is to change gears. Carrying around this anger is getting exhausting.”

Jae closed his eyes.

“Don’t you think we’re still on the defense? Two weeks ago, Dan and Mr. Chang were talking about how Rebellion was not landing on music charts, music shows, and having appearance cancellations. How can I not be angry?”

“Take a step back,” Junghee advised. “Every time you think of N-sang and our past, you get angry. I wish you’d let it go.”

“Let it go,” Jae said, opening his eyes. “Jung, what do you think they’re going to let us do in this city? I love being on stage, singing, selling our music. Those people-,”

“I know,” Junghee interrupted him. “Hyung-,”

“I told you to quit that.”

Junghee stood and came to stand before him.

“Why are you punishing yourself? We all made the decision to leave with you. We, Andre and I, we’ve suffered right with you, leaving our home and going out there. I understand what you’re feeling when it comes to those people hindering us. However, Jae, it’s exhausting to carry their actions on your shoulders. Hasn’t Dan healed that part of you?”

Jae met his gaze in shock.

“Jung.”

“He’s got a way with you,” Junghee said. “He makes you calm down. Goodness, if it were up to you, we’d be protesting on the streets and burning CD’s.”

“It seems appropriate,” Jae said. “I’m a bit scared, actually.”

“I figured,” Junghee said, folding his arms against his chest.

He leaned on the wall beside Jae.

“Dan is freaking you out, isn’t he? You’ve probably been thinking about Rebellion, and how you’re going to keep your relationship. Also, Jaesun and how he’ll react the moment we get back in the industry. It’s terrible to say this of someone I considered a brother, but Jaesun has a mean streak.”

Jae nodded.

“Well,” Junghee made a show of thinking.

Jae smiled when Junghee bumped his shoulder.

“Dan’s good for you. He’s seen us through some hellish years, all alone out there. He won’t let us down.”

Jae met his gaze.

“You’re so sure.”

Junghee shrugged.

“I’d tell you if I wasn’t.”

Jae took in a deep breath and let it out slowly. His heart settled because Junghee’s approval mattered. If Junghee couldn’t see any fault, then he was on the right path. Pushing off the wall, he tossed the throw pillow on the couch.

“Let’s go eat,” he said with a grin. “I’m suddenly starving.”

Junghee chuckled and followed him up the stairs to the living room. The doorbell rang just as they entered the kitchen. Junghee went to open the door while Jae went to set the kitchen table for dinner. Andre walked in just as he was placing the pot of braised fish on the table.

“Jae,” Andre said and rushed to him. Jae laughed when Andre wrapped him in a tight hug. “I missed you so much. Were you lonely? How’s your mum? Oh my goodness, your house is great, and private. I almost couldn’t find it.”

Jae held on to Andre for a moment longer. The questions kept tumbling out, and he looked up to find Dan leaning on the wall by the kitchen entrance. Dark eyes held his, and he smiled when Junghee joined in on the hug. Still by the door, Dan grinned and winked at him.

Dinner was full of wild recounts of their holidays.

Jae sat beside Dan listening to Junghee talk about his family holiday, then Andre and his brother who had spent their time touring Daegu. Jae buried his face in his hands when Dan told them about his miserable golf game.

“The last time we played with him, he threw his golf club in the lake,” Junghee said with a laugh. “He started walking back to the clubhouse. Luckily, I’d kept the key to the golf cart.”

“You stink at golf, Jae. We should just accept it,” Andre teased finishing the last of his wine.

“Enough,” Jae said, glaring at Dan. “You started this, should I tell them about the boat ride?”

Dan’s eyes widened at his threat.

“Let’s change the topic.”

“No way, I want to hear about the boat ride,” Junghee protested.

Dan picked up the wine bottle and filled Junghee’s, and then Andre’s glass.

“Maybe another day, I’m so happy you’re all back in town. Jae was lonely without you.”

“Aww” Andre said, his gaze moving from Dan then to Jae. “Are we going to talk about you two?”

“No,” Jae said, shaking his head.

Jae moved to stand, but Dan placed a hand on his thigh to stop him. Jae turned to look at him and gasped when Dan kissed his cheek.

“I really like our Jae,” Dan said, smiling at him. Turning to Junghee and Andre, he bowed his head slightly. “I hope you can accept us together.”

Junghee laughed and Andre said, “It’s about time. I was getting tired of watching you watch him from afar.”

Jae sighed and bowed his head too.

“Thank you, guys,” he said.

“Why are you thanking us?” Junghee asked, sitting back. “We’re the ones who should be grateful to Dan. He’s going to have to deal with your obnoxious moods more than us.”

“Obnoxious moods,” Jae raised an eyebrow at Junghee. “What are you saying?”

Andre stood and started gathering their dishes.

“Jung, help me with the dishes and stop baiting Jae.”

They ended up in the living room talking until it was past midnight. Dan had already gone to bed in Jae’s bedroom. With Junghee and Andre settled, Jae headed to the master bedroom. He locked the door behind him and removed his t-shirt, dumping it on the floor. Walking to the bed, he undid his trousers and dropped them to the floor. Slipping under the sheets, he propped his head up with his left hand and watched Dan sleep. Touching the dark shadow on Dan’s chin, he leaned close and pressed a soft kiss on Dan’s forehead.

Dan opened his eyes.

“Jae,” he said sleepily.

“Go to sleep,” Jae said, shifting lower on the bed.

He turned his back to Dan, and smiled when Dan slipped an arm over him and pulled him into a cuddle.

***

Dan woke feeling a warm and wet sensation around his cock. He let out a soft moan and pried open his eyes. He felt his cock get harder at the sight before him. Jae had pushed down the covers. They were both naked and Jae was on his knees, his head bobbing up and down, as he sucked and licked Dan’s hardness. Jae’s eyes met his as he took his length deeper into his mouth.

He felt his tip push against the back of Jae’s throat as he arched his hips up and gripped the sheets in ecstasy. He fought to control himself because all he wanted to do was to thrust in and out of Jae’s hot, wet mouth. Jae slowly pulled off Dan’s rock hard cock and slowly began kissing up his body. He placed hot kisses up Dan’s treasure trail, stopping at his bellybutton to swirl his tongue around it. He continued on his journey until he reached Dan’s nipples, which were hard nubs poking out from his toned chest. Jae’s tongue found its way over to the left nipple, swirling itself around and then sucking it into his mouth. Jae suckled the nipple as Dan moaned louder and his hips started to thrust up of their own accord. Jae then rained kisses towards his right nipple, where he gave it the same treatment as the left. Dan’s hand made its way down his torso and gripped his leaking cock. Just when he was going to start stroking himself, Jae gently pushed his hand off.

Dan moaned in frustration and met mischievous brown eyes. Jae’s mouth left Dan’s right nipple and he kissed his way up to Dan’s mouth where he sucked his bottom lip into his mouth. Dan tangled his fingers into Jae’s hair, as their lips met in a full kiss. Their tongues wrapped themselves around each other. Jae slowly began grinding his hips into Dan’s bringing their leaking members together.

Jae broke the kiss to whisper hotly into his ear.

“You are so hot, Dan. I want you so badly.”

Jae shimmied down Dan’s torso again, peppering his stomach and inner thighs with kisses and little nips, bypassing his pulsing cock that was just begging for attention. He flattened out his tongue and gently slid it against the rough texture of Dan’s heavy balls, causing him to buck up and grip the sheets again. Jae slowly licked up and down his sac and then took each ball into his mouth, lightly swirling his tongue around them.

He popped the second ball out of his mouth and lifted the sac, licking lower until he reached Dan’s pink opening. He continued licking around his rosebud, then pointed his tongue and began darting in and out of his hole. Dan gasped above him, arching his hips up again. Jae stopped his ministrations, causing Dan to make a grunt of disapproval.

Jae chuckled, pausing to give him a soft kiss, as he reached up towards the night table, opening the top drawer and grabbing the lube and a condom. Dan closed his eyes thinking that he had never felt so good before. No one had ever done that to him and he couldn’t believe how great it felt. He heard the pop of the lube and then felt a cool sensation as Jae swirled the cool liquid around his opening. He felt one finger enter him and he tried not to clench around it.

Jae felt Dan’s muscles grip his finger and all he could think about was how wonderful that would feel around his hard cock. He’d never topped Dan before, so he was actually pleasantly surprised that his boyfriend wasn’t objecting to this. Jae knew Dan liked what he was doing because his hips kept moving and he was moaning continuously. Jae added a second finger, scissoring him for a while. He added a third finger, stretching Dan until he was satisfied he was relaxed enough to take his hard length. Jae moved up and looked at his boyfriend.

Dan watched him with half-lidded eyes, filled with unbridled lust. Jae grabbed the condom, ripping it open with trembling hands, his eyes locked on Dan’s, his body burning with need.

After he put the condom on, he coated his length with a generous amount of lube and positioned himself at Dan’s opening.

“Jae, please,” Dan moaned. “I need you. I want to feel you inside me. Please.”

Dan’s pleading voice was a big turn-on for Jae and he started rubbing his hardness all around Dan’s hole.

“Mmm, stop teasing me and fuck me already. Jae, I need you. Ahhhh!” he gasped as he felt Jae’s hard cock breach his hole for the first time.

Dan’s rectum was gripping Jae’s cock so wonderfully; it was all he could do not to slam into his boyfriend. Jae looked down into Dan’s face to make sure he wasn’t hurting him. He saw Dan grimace so he stopped his slow movements and waited. Dan gave a small nod and that was all Jae needed to start moving again. He continued pushing into his boyfriend, moving slowly and gently, giving him plenty of time to adjust to the intrusion.

Dan couldn’t believe how good this felt. Sure, at first it hurt. He wasn’t going to lie; it hurt a lot, but with each of Jae’s movements, the pain slowly faded and the pleasure increased until Jae was enthusiastically thrusting in and out of him. Jae hit that spot inside of him that had gasping in ecstasy. His entire body sizzled; every nerve in his body was alive, and he arched into Jae’s thrusts as the world shifted.

Jae knew exactly when he hit his boyfriend’s sweet spot. Dan was writhing underneath him, his face flushed, his eyes closed, as he thrust up, trying to match Jae’s movements. Dan moaned, his body covered with a thin sheen of sweat.

“Harder!” Dan panted, hands on Jae’s hips. He’d only ever allowed his first boyfriend to take him and it hadn’t felt like this. Having Jae inside him was incredible and fantastic; he never wanted it to end. The way Jae angled his hips that made him hit that spot over and over, made stars pop out in front of Dan’s eyes.

Jae felt his boyfriend’s orgasm start when the muscles of his rectum clenched so deliciously around him. Jae kept pumping into him faster and harder to give Dan even more pleasure. He had to control himself not to come as Dan’s orgasm overtook him and come shot out of his throbbing cock all over his chest. Jae’s thrusts turned erratic, and sweat coated his forehead. Suddenly, Jae gave a loud shout, and came in a hard thrust that sent delightful thrills throughout Dan’s body. Jae collapsed on top of Dan, pressing his lips against Dan’s shoulder when strong arms wrapped around him.

Dan sunk fingers into Jae’s hair.

“Let’s do that again,” he purred into Jae’s ear.

“Give me a minute. I’ll recharge soon and I’ll take you on,” Jae said, in between deep breaths. He never wanted to move.

A few moments later Dan heard Jae’s even breathing telling him he’d fallen asleep.

***

An hour later, they stood in the large shower stall in the master bedroom. Dan washed his back with a loofer, placing kisses along his neck under the hot water.

“Dan,” Jae said, leaning his head back against Dan’s chest.

“Hmm,” Dan said lazily.

“What are we going to do about Rebellion?” he asked quietly.

“What we’ve always done,” Dan answered. “Keep working hard.”

“What about-”

“Don’t worry about them,” Dan said, turning Jae around so that he could look into his eyes. “I need you guys to get started on your next album. When you’re finished, I’ll officially announce that Rebellion has joined the Jade Entertainment family and we’ll meet your fans.”

“A ton of trouble will descend when you make that announcement,” Jae pointed out wrapping his arms around Dan’s neck. “Are you ready?”

“Quite ready,” Dan said with a reassuring smile. “Rebellion needs to get back to work. Rough Terrain is old news. We need new music and in Korean. From there, we market guerrilla-style. Since they won’t let you make appearances, we’ll have to find other ways for the fans to meet you.”

Jae sighed and nodded.

Leaning up, he took Dan’s lips in a needy kiss. He wanted to hold off facing their fans a little longer. Studio time would work to do that just fine, he thought. Dan held him close, smashing their naked bodies together. It would give him more time with Dan and this addictive flaming desire. He held on tight and took all he could from Dan.

***

The band worked out of the studio in his basement for the next two months. Jae valued this creative time in the studio the most. Junghee and Andre moved in temporarily. They worked hard, played hard, sleeping odd hours, spending endless hours perfecting raw music, molding it into hair-raising melodies.

Jae burped and groaned as he moved to stand and the world tilted.

He also drank too much. Junghee and Andre had the easy job, he decided.

Writing lyrics was grueling, expressing emotions through words, he sighed and stared at the bottle of wine on the table. He had finished writing the lyrics to the last song on their new untitled album.

Jae sat back on the couch to stare at the ceiling. Dan wasn’t coming home tonight. He had gone to Tokyo four days ago, probably dealing with their impossible situation with the Rand Agency.

Jae sighed again and closed his eyes.

Dan.

Since their vacation ended, he and Dan were living in a state of euphoria.

Jae dared not define their relationship, preferring to take it day by day. He and Dan spent every second they could together. An easy thing especially since Dan had practically moved into his house.

Writing their new album took up all of Jae’s time. Jae was glad Dan understood this side of him, especially when they stayed up all night. Most of his previous boyfriends had found that annoying. Jae could spend days in the studio until the music in a song clicked. On the nights they got the song right, he’d head upstairs to find Dan in his bed.

He had to admit, he was addicted to Dan’s warmth, and the feel of him wrapped around him. He liked that Dan didn’t argue with him, instead, Dan accepted his studio lifestyle. There had been a few issues, like house chores. They tried to keep up with cleaning, but whenever they went into the studio, the cleaning gene temporarily went dormant.

Dan had tried to get them a cleaning service, but none of them was eager to have strangers around just yet.

Dan had taken to asking So Jin, Jae’s sister, to stop by the house whenever she could to help.

Thinking about her, Jae felt a surge of guilt flood him, So Jin kept pushing him to go visit their mother. He hadn’t gotten a chance to drive back to Gong these past two months. He called Gae In whenever he could, but time off was hard to get.

It was a wonder Gae In hadn’t made the trip to Seoul to find him. He’d yet to show her his new house, and he really wanted her to see it. He sighed, his sister was right. He was becoming a bad son.

“Do you want coffee?” Junghee asked, coming down the stairs. “Your sister is upstairs cooking. She says you only get coffee if you go upstairs to eat.”

The scent of delicious sweet coffee teased his nostrils and Jae lifted his head to find Junghee holding a huge white mug.

“If I beg you, will you bring me coffee?”

“I’m not crossing So Jin-noona when she’s in charge of my food.” Junghee grinned at him and took a sip of his fragrant coffee. “You look like hell. A hot meal will fix whatever is ailing you. Did you finish writing the lyrics?”

Jae nodded and pointed to the scribbling pad on the table beside the bottle.

“This one was harder.”

Junghee moved to pick up the pad. The words on that pad revealed a part of him he’d never shared with Junghee before. It was a side he was only discovering himself, he thought as he started to panic. Afraid of Junghee’s reaction, Jae got up before Junghee started reading and hurried to the stairs.

His stomach rumbled when he got up to the main floor and the scent of kimchi-fried rice hit him. Gods, he was hungry. When was the last time he’d eaten? He couldn’t remember.

Scratching the stubble on his chin, he walked into the kitchen to find So Jin dancing to a Black Shade song. He leaned on the doorjamb and watched her clear off the table she’d been using to chop vegetables.

He had always loved So Jin the most. He wasn’t supposed to have favorites when it came to family, but she had the same temperament he did. They had always gotten into trouble together, gone out clubbing together. She had backed him up when he decided to head to Seoul to audition. She was also the only one of his sisters who knew about his being gay. Not that he was ashamed of it, his older sisters were just in a generation that wouldn’t understand him, he decided. It was hard to confide in them when they had to worry about their own families.

“There you are,” So Jin said, as she washed her hands at the sink. “Jae, you look terrible. When was the last time you slept?”

He rubbed his face.

“Are the bags under my eyes scaring you?”

“They’re going to reach your chin if you’re not careful,” she teased. “And what’s with the hair, are you growing it out?”

He winced. Of course, she’d notice he hadn’t bothered with his hair for two months. It had grown out of the Mohawk cut he’d had during his tour. The messy dark locks were in a haphazard ponytail on top of his head.

“Do you want me to shampoo it for you?” she asked with a grin. “We can do it right here in the sink. Mum’s not here to make noise.”

The offer sounded good, growing up in a house full of girls he had gotten his hair shampooed and treated whether he wanted it or not. Most of the time it was done in the kitchen sinks and Gae In had punished him and So Jin whenever she caught them.

Fun times in the Kim house, he thought with a smile.

His sister wiped her hands on her apron and came to urge him to take a seat at the kitchen table. She sniffed him as he sat and sighed. She pulled on his faded green t-shirt.

“How much did you drink down there?”

“A whole bottle of wine,” he confessed, leaning his elbows on the table.

She smacked his shoulders.

“You’re turning into a drunk. Elbows off the table, jeez, and the manners in this house are deteriorating. Andre is the only man worth the attention.”

“Noona,” Jae said, dropping his arms on to his lap. “Did you get dumped again?”

She threw him an angry glance as she got a plate from the cupboard.

“Jae, are you looking to get smacked?”

He laughed.

“You only talk about table manners when you’re having men problems.”

“Men,” she scoffed scooping chicken kimchi-fried rice onto a plate. She placed the food before him. Handing him a spoon, she sat across him.

“Jae, what makes a guy take a girl out for weeks, and then he suddenly stops answering his phone and doesn’t return messages? I mean, I am not a psychic to know what is bothering him. I’m also not going to go to his house to look for him. That would be desperate. If he doesn’t want to see me, I’m not throwing myself in his arms.”

The food was good, his hunger taking over as he ate. He had barely eaten breakfast or lunch. He frowned, what time was it anyway? Glancing out the window, he glared at it when he saw it was dark out.

“What time is it?”

“Are you listening to me?” So Jin scowled at him.

“This is not the first time a guy has done this to you.”

Jae shrugged.

“Unless you want me to go beat him up, let him go,” Jae advised.

“It’s midnight, you punk.” So Jin poured water into a glass and held it out. “Drink before you choke. Seriously, what kind of advice is that? What if that guy of mine is the one, and I just let him go like this? Are you going to take responsibility for my lifetime of loneliness?”

Jae drank the water she offered and took another bite of his food. Had it always tasted this good? He looked up to find So Jin waiting and he said with his mouth full.

“Noona, look at you, you’re-”

She slapped a hand over his mouth.

“If you mention my age, I’m going to stuff your food down your throat with a shovel.”

Jae choked down the food already in his mouth and shook his head. She narrowed her gaze at him and he gave her a pleading look. Any more pressure on his mouth and nose and he was going to die, suffocated by his own sister.

She let go and he took in a deep breath.

“Seriously, I wasn’t going to mention your age, you crazy woman.”

She wiped her hand on her pink apron and sat back in her seat.

“I’m going to die alone,” she lamented shaking her head. “I wish Junghee and Andre were older. Then, I’d marry one of them.”

Jae laughed and stuffed his mouth with food when she glared at him. She took a clean glass from the tray on the table and poured herself water. Taking a sip, she frowned.

“When are you going home to see mum?” she asked.

He swallowed hard before he answered.

“I’ll go, soon,” he said solemnly.

“How’s the album going?” she asked after a moment. “Dan won’t talk about it, he just said to make sure you guys ate and slept. Isn’t he coming back tomorrow?”

Jae nodded.

“We’re almost done, one last song to record.”

“Is it going to be like Rough Terrain? I really loved that,” she said with a wide smile. “Even though I’m terrible with English, the music was so much fun to dance to.”

“You dance to all our music,” he accused fondly.

“Well, it’s an icebreaker at a party. Just a month ago, this guy wanted to talk to me but he didn’t know what to say. I asked him if he’d listened to your music. Next thing I knew, we were going out, and then,” she sighed, “now he’s not talking to me.”

She shook her head in disappointment, reached out and tugged his left earlobe.

“Jae, I really miss going out with you. Don’t you think we should go out when you’re done recording?”

“So Jin-Noona,” Jae said, finishing his food. He placed his spoon down and met her brown gaze. “You haven’t met the right guy yet. Stop worrying, okay?”

“How can I not? Our sisters are all married, living happy lives.”

She took his plate and stood up to carry it to the sink.

Her figure was slender in tight blue jeans and a pink blouse, and her hair falling down her back in a thick braid was shiny and well kept. She was a beautiful woman but she had no luck when it came to men, he decided. She always attracted the losers in Seoul. He sighed and finished the rest of his water.

Jae got up and took his glass to the sink. Taking the plate she was rinsing, he put it on the rack and took her hand.

“Tell me this idiot’s name so I can go punch him for you.”

“What?”

He scowled at her as they left the kitchen.

“This guy who is not answering your calls, tell me his name. We’re going to find him.”

“Right now?” she asked, reaching behind her to remove her apron. “It’s past midnight.”

“Less people will recognize me,” he said, pausing in the living room.

Where had he left his car keys?

“Are we going out?” Andre sat up on the couch in the living room looking at him. “Where are we going?”

“To find Noona’s lost boyfriend,” he said, letting go of So Jin’s hand.

The last time he’d driven had been a jaunt to the convenience store for ramyeon.

“I’ll drive.”

Junghee appeared from the back of the house dangling keys on his finger.

Ten minutes later, they were all in his Jeep heading to Sejong, the summer heat kept the night warm. He lowered the window on the passenger seat, the breeze filling the Jeep. In the backseat, So Jin was telling Andre and Junghee about her boyfriend.

“What does he do?” Andre asked gently.

“He’s a professor at the Hongik University. He is molding young minds. He is so handsome when he talks about lecturing.” So Jin gave a sigh and shook her head. “My heart has no defense when it comes to this kind of man. Andre, you understand, right?”

Andre took her hand and squeezed, nodding. Junghee chuckled.

“Noona, are you really in love with him?”

“Of course, every time I get close to him, my heart beats like the drums in your music. I can’t breathe.”

Jae sighed.

“I think you’ve convinced yourself you’re in love with him.”

She smacked Jae upside his head and he winced.

“This punk, you have no romantic bone in your body.”

“I beg to differ,” Junghee said, turning on to the street Jae’s sister had directed him to. “I just read lyrics that will prove you wrong, Noona.”

Jae sighed in relief thinking about the lyrics he’d left Junghee reading. He hadn’t intended for that song to end up so mushy. The lyrics had crept up on him, spilling out feelings he preferred not to voice just yet. The music they had laid out had fiery emphasized electric guitar riffs, driving drums, and a base that sent thrills down his spine. His vocals would be roaring, hard, he had yet to find his comfort zone for the melody. He sighed knowing that Dan had ruined the angst in his lyrics.

“We’re here,” Junghee said, parking the car on the side of the street.

So Jin pointed to a busy building that had a caf and bar on the bottom floor.

“He lives on the second floor,” she said.

Jae pulled his cap lower and got out of the car. Stretching his arms above his head, he closed the door and dropped an arm over So Jin’s shoulders when she emerged.

“We shouldn’t be doing this,” So Jin said, a frown dancing on her forehead. “You’re not sober. Junghee and Andre are here because of you. Let’s go back.”

“No way,” Andre said, looking around the busy street. It was past midnight, but people still packed the street. “This is our first outing in weeks. Come on, let’s find this guy then go drinking.”

“He can buy drinks,” Junghee said, locking an arm around Andre’s neck.

They mock struggled as they crossed the street to the building she’d pointed out. Jae let So Jin lead the way up the stairs to the second floor. Apparently the elevator wasn’t working. When they got to the door, his sister froze, her fingers fisted. She turned around to leave, but Junghee knocked.

“I’m not ready,” So Jin said, poking Junghee’s arm.

“Too late,” Andre said, as they heard approaching footsteps.

The door opened and they all stared at the young woman who opened the door. She couldn’t have been more than twenty years old. Dressed in a tight t-shirt and a short skirt, she looked entitled.

“How can I help you?”

So Jin narrowed her gaze.

“Who are you?”

The girl blinked.

“Yun-Shik’s girlfriend,” she said. “Are you looking for the professor? He’s gone to get beer-”

Jae had to move fast because So Jin launched herself at the girl ready to tear her apart with her nails. Wrapping a tight arm around his sister’s waist, he dragged her down the hall and left the girl to Junghee and Andre.

“Let me go,” So Jin ordered, her voice shaking with anger. “That bastard, I’m going to take out his eyes. How dare he cheat on me with that brat? Did you see her?”

“He’s not worth it,” Jae soothed leading her toward the stairs. “Don’t waste your time on that guy.”

When they finally stepped outside, she shoved his arm away and walked to the curb. So Jin kicked a newspaper stand hard with her heels and let out a frustrated cry.

“Bastard, the jerk, he deserves to die.”

Jae stopped her before she kicked the stand again. Pulling her into a tight hug, he rubbed her back when a soft sob escaped and he cursed the bastard Yun-Shik.

“I’ll take you out drinking. Don’t think about that guy again.”

Andre and Junghee appeared and wordlessly led the way back to the car. Junghee stopped at a convenience store to buy them drinks. So Jin’s tears weren’t going to allow them to visit a pub tonight. Jae sat in the back with his sister, soothing her as she cried all the way back to his house. Jeez, seeing her like this, it was hard to believe she was twenty-eight years old. He wished So Jin would find a guy like Dan. One who would take care of her like Dan took care of Jae and his friends.

***

Dan walked in to a quiet house on Friday morning. Glancing at his watch, he went into the living room and stopped short at the sight before him. Jae was sprawled on the carpet, a couch cushion on his stomach. Junghee had contorted his body into an armchair by the windows. Dan was sure that was going to hurt when he woke up. Andre lay on the couch, and on top of him was So Jin. She was drooling on Andre’s white t-shirt, her hair a wild mess spilling over Andre’s stomach. Used shot glasses and empty bottles of Soju littered the wooden coffee table. He’d obviously missed a hell of a party.

It was ten o’clock. Dan hoped Jae’s sister had called her work place. Removing his suit jacket, he walked over to Jae. He’d missed him. Traveling and sleeping alone were no fun. Crouching down, he moved the cushion and ran fingers through long black hair, happy just to watch Jae sleep.

His cell phone buzzed at his hip and he sighed. Retrieving the phone without moving, he answered it in a hushed tone.

“Sir, I’m sorry to call you so soon after your trip. But Rebellion is on the news again,” Mrs. Kang, his secretary, said. “If you’re near a television, tune to Entertainment News, channel 5. Reporters have been calling all morning. Will there be a comment?”

Dan stood up reluctantly and found the television remote on the messy coffee table. Turning on the screen mounted to the wall to his left, his gaze narrowed at the story running.

 

>>’Music industry critics claim the chances of Rebellion making a comeback are low. Even with album sales abroad, they have yet to capture the local market. Since they arrived back in Seoul three months ago, Rebellion has yet to make a comeback. Insiders say, the band is part of Jade Entertainment, but no one inside the company has seen them for weeks. They also speculate that the band has been unable to find a home since they are still struggling through a lawsuit with their former Japanese agency. Is Rebellion over? The fans are hoping not and have been sending petitions to the band’s website in an attempt to get a response. We hope Rebellion will respond soon. In other news, N-sang announced today that J.P. is hard at work in the studio prepping a new album. The release date set for early August, with a tour to follow.'<<

 

Junghee shifted in the armchair and Dan switched off the television.

“Dan?” Junghee mumbled, rubbing his eyes.

“Mrs. Kang,” he said into his phone. “There will be no comment. I’ll handle the issue when I get to the office.”

“Understood,” his secretary hang up just as Junghee unfolded himself from the armchair.

“When did you get here?” Junghee asked, pressing a hand to his forehead.

“Jeez, we drank too much last night,” Junghee complained.

Dan placed the remote control on the coffee table, his gaze returning to his sleeping Jae.

“What time did you fall asleep?”

“Around four am,” Junghee answered with a wide yawn. He stretched and groaned. “I’m going for a shower.”

Dan moved to wake So Jin. She sat up when he touched her shoulder, her eyes red, with dark shadows under them. She wiped her mouth and gave him a frown.

“What time is it?”

“Ten-fifteen,” he said, glancing at his watch.

She groaned and shot to her feet.

“I have to go,” she said as she ran to the stairs.

So Jin’s movements woke Andre. Andre gave a lazy yawn, nodded at him, and followed So Jin upstairs. Dan shook his head at the sleeping habits in this house before he returned to Jae.

“Hey,” he said softly, stroking strands of hair out of Jae’s face. “Wake up, Jae.”

Jae moaned and turned to his right side.

“Dan,” he mumbled.

He smiled at the sound of his name.

“Kim Jaehan, open your eyes. I’ve missed seeing them,” he cajoled.

A sigh escaped his lips when Jae opened his eyes and blinked sleep away.

“You’re back,” Jae said in a low pleased voice.

He nodded and laughed when Jae tugged his arm and he toppled over him. He braced his elbows on the floor so that he could look into Jae’s eyes.

“Everyone’s in the house,” he pointed out when Jae wrapped his arms around his neck and pulled him closer for a kiss.

“So?” Jae asked, sinking fingers into his hair. “I missed you so much. You were gone so long.”

He kissed Jae, a sweet kiss that turned hungry and needy. He broke away when they were both panting hard.

“I missed you too even though I was only gone for four days.”

“That’s four days I had to wake up alone,” Jae complained.

Dan chuckled.

“Did you even sleep? Your hours have been odd lately.”

Jae’s hands moved over Dan’s shoulders, smoothing his light blue shirt. Jae undid the knot in his royal blue tie and tugged it off. Dan smiled when Jae unbuttoned the first two buttons on his shirt and lifted his head to press a kiss on his collarbone. The soft touch of Jae’s lips against his skin sent hot delicious thrills down his back, to his lower stomach and his hard cock.

“We finished writing the last song. The album is complete,” Jae said, putting the tie around his neck. He folded his arms under his head and gave him a devilish grin. “I’m sure you were getting anxious. Rebellion has been quiet for a while.”

Dan rained kisses on Jae’s eyes, nose, and his forehead. This was the best news he’d heard all day.

“Congratulations,” he said. “Good job, I’m happy, although I’m a little hurt you celebrated without me.”

“What do you mean?”

Dan sat up and pointed to the mess of Soju bottles on the coffee table. Jae sat up too and leaned his back against the couch. Pushing hair out of his face, Jae sighed.

“Oh, that wasn’t a celebration. So Jin was dating another loser. We were helping her purge.”

“Do you mean the professor?” Dan asked in surprise.

He’d thought that one was worth keeping for sure. So Jin had talked about him for the last month, she’d been so excited. Not that Jae noticed when he was in the studio; he immersed himself in work; it was hard to get him to take care of himself.

Jae frowned.

“Did I miss this whole relationship?”

Dan shrugged and laughed.

“As long as you helped her purge,” Dan said with a grin.

Jae yawned and dug fingers through his hair. Unable to resist, Dan moved closer so that he could kiss Jae. Taking his lips, he sucked on Jae’s lower one, his tongue then slipped into Jae’s mouth for a short exploration. Jae moaned happily and dropped his arms around Dan’s neck.

“Get a room,” So Jin said as she came into the living room. “I can’t remember where I left my purse.”

Dan started to break the kiss but Jae held on to his shoulders prolonging it. He smiled when Jae let him go reluctantly.

“If you two are done, I need help finding my purse,” So Jin said as she sifted through the bottles on the coffee table. She lifted her phone and sighed as she wiped crumbs of food from the screen. “My boss is going to kill me.”

“Why didn’t you set your alarm?” Dan asked as he got to his feet.

He held out a hand to Jae and tugged him to his feet.

Jae stretched his arms above his head and gave a dramatic yawn. Dan turned away from the sight because if he kept looking he was liable to give So Jin a show she wasn’t ready to see.

She gave him a knowing glance as she stuck her phone in the pocket of her jeans.

“I wasn’t exactly in a state of mind to remember an alarm for work.”

Clearing his throat, Dan looked around the living room.

“Are you sure it’s not in the kitchen?”

She hurried out of the living room and Dan turned to find Jae watching the television. He should have moved the remote. The story on Jaesun had continued. Dan sighed as a scene showing Jaesun working at an N-sang studio filled the screen. Moving closer to Jae, Dan paused in surprise when he saw Jae’s face. He wore a pained expression on his face that made Dan feel like he was intruding, was that guilt? Or longing? He couldn’t tell.

 

>>”Park Jaesun, now known as JP on stage, has worked hard to break away from the image he held before. He has shed the persona of being just a member of Black Shade. As JP, he is now a solo musician and he’s working with top songwriters for his new album,” the newscaster said.

The scene on the screen changed to show Jaesun laughing into the camera as the reporter asked, “Do you miss working with your old band members?”

“Not really,” Jaesun said with a shrug. “I have more freedom with my voice now, so I can’t say that I miss the restriction of listening to everyone’s needs. I get to express music in my own way now.”

“I heard you traveled to visit family last week? Who did you visit?”

“Someone who is like a mother to me,” Jaesun said smiling into the camera. “She made me gimchi to bring back to everyone here. I don’t get to see her very much, and the last time we met, our visit was short and complicated. Last week I met her and we had a good visit; it reminded me how thankful I am that she treats me as a son. I’m happy to have this kind of a relationship with her.”

Jae clenched his fists and Dan winced thinking that he knew whom Jaesun had visited. Jae hadn’t gotten much of a chance to go visit Gae In. He sighed and made a note to make time for Jae’s mother next week. They’d all drive down to Gong next weekend and visit her.

“Do you still talk to your old bandmates?” the reporter asked Jaesun.

Jaesun paused and glanced down at his hands. Dan narrowed his gaze as Jaesun answered the question.

“I’ve only met Kim Jaehan since then, and we were like two blind men facing each other. There have been many changes in my life since we last met. There have been a lot of struggles and triumphs, and we’re probably different people now. He can’t see my intentions, or my heart, and I seem not to know him as I used to before. That saddens me. I can only hope he’ll see my side and know we’re not enemies.”<<

 

Jae threw the remote in the direction of the screen. When it missed, he cursed under his breath and started picking up the empty bottles as the story continued. Dan picked up the remote from the floor and muted the television, shaken by Jae’s reaction.

“Jae,” Dan said with a frown.

“Look at this mess. She drank the most and she’s just going to leave without helping to clean up.”

Jae picked up as many bottles as he could and left the living room.

Dan sighed and picked up the rest of the bottles. He followed Jae to the kitchen and found him making coffee. So Jin had found her purse and was checking her wallet. She got her car keys out and slid dark glasses on covering her bloodshot eyes.

“I’m leaving,” So Jin said, pausing to hug Jae. “Dan, I’m glad you’re back. Take care of my brother.”

“Noona, don’t call that jerk,” Jae warned as he kissed her cheek.

She nodded and left the kitchen with a wave.

Left alone, Dan leaned on the counter and watched Jae busy himself at the kitchen sink.

“What?” Jae asked, when he turned to place clean coffee mugs on the kitchen table.

“When did you meet Jaesun and why don’t you ever talk about him?”

Jae turned away from him and went to check on the coffeemaker.

“Jae,” Dan prompted him when he didn’t answer.

“What do you want me to say? It doesn’t matter when I met him.”

“I wish you’d stop pretending he doesn’t bother you.”

“I’m not pretending.” Jae braced his hands against the counter. “I prefer not to dwell on the past. He shouldn’t either. I don’t understand why he insists on dragging me into his interviews. Why don’t we change the subject?”

Dan studied Jae for a moment. They’d been dating for three months now. He’d thought he knew every side there was to Kim Jaehan. However, that expression on Jae’s face in the living room was new.

Swallowing down worry, he said, “Now that your album is ready, I’m going to make Rebellion active. I’ve been prepping a management team to handle your activities.”

“Why do we need a new team?” Jae asked turning to face him. His brown eyes were stormy with the same emotion he’d seen in the living room. “We were just fine with you as our manager.”

“Things have to change,” Dan said quietly.

The marketing strategy he’d created for Rebellion needed a lot of lobbying and all his time. He wasn’t happy about giving Rebellion a new manager but there was no choice.

“I don’t do well with change,” Jae complained. The coffee finished brewing and he took the coffeepot over to the kitchen table. “Maybe it’s better if we wait for Jung and Andre. I don’t want to hear this alone.”

“Whatever you want,” Dan said with a frown. “But you and I still have to find time to talk about Jaesun, Jae. I don’t want any secrets between us.”

Jae gave him a dismissive nod that stung deep inside him. It was obvious Jae didn’t want to talk about Jaesun.

A coil of worry sprang in his chest and he moved to take a seat at the kitchen table. His heart was set on Kim Jaehan for life. They’d been living happily these last three months; he’d eagerly lulled himself into romantic oblivion. Waking up next to Jae, sharing everything from work, meals, their bed upstairs, he’d forgotten they were ever apart. He’d convinced himself Jae was his.

But what if Jae’s heart belonged elsewhere?

He’d never paused to wonder about that, it’s not as if Jae had ever said he loved him. His gaze fell on Jae who was busy rummaging in the fridge for breakfast. Dan frowned. He had no doubt he loved Jae, to the point that he didn’t mind waiting until Jae loved him back. But until thenhis gaze narrowed.

Park Jaesun, he thought, a possessive surge sweeping through him, please don’t show your face to Kim Jaehan. I might be tempted to destroy you.

***