From The Shadows
Stress
Later that day, Karam found Taehee. “Hey…I need to speak with you for a moment.” He seemed nervous, which was in turn, making Taehee nervous.
“Okay. Have a seat,” Taehee smiled at him, and Karam returned the smile.
“It’s about your brother. As I am sure you have noticed, I have spent a lot of time with him,” he swallowed, still nervous. “Taehee, sir, he feels like you don’t want him around, or you don’t want to spend any time with him. You are not acting like a brother. I don’t think you realize how much your father’s death hurt him, and you haven’t taken the time to find out how he feels about ANYTHING.” He smiled. “I know it can be hard, but that is why it takes WORK.”
Taehee smiled tightly. “So, you think you are an expert on family relationships now? Look at your own, Hyunchul. You have issues, too. Don’t you dare judge me. Every family has their issues.”
Karam glared at him. He had not meant to upset Taehee. He had simply wanted to mention it. It had turned into an argument, so this was how Karam was going to deal with it. “I know I have problems, damn it! Everyone does. That does not give you a right to ignore your own brother. He’s RIGHT HERE, and yet, you don’t even see that he is in pain and doesn’t know…DIDN’T KNOW…what was going on. I explained it all to him, like you asked me to, and I have learned a lot about him…things that you should have been learning about him, as your BROTHER.” He was quiet for a moment, so Taehee took the opportunity to speak.
Taehee sighed. “Look, I already know that I need to spend more time with Minho, and I will. Right now, I have a lot to deal with, and that is why I haven’t. I thought I would let him get to know someone else first. I TRIED to talk to him, and he wouldn’t. Maybe he will now. I don’t know.”
“Well, maybe you should take the chance, in case you lose him,” Karam’s voice softened a bit, and he looked away from Taehee. “I don’t even know if I will see Jonghyun again…and Minho is right here, as I said before. Just…take some time with him, okay?” Karam’s eyes had tears in them now. Taehee hated to see the younger man this way. “That’s all I have to say…I just thought it would help some. That’s all.” Karam whispered the last part, then turned and left.
He started to walk to his bedroom, and ran into Minho. Glancing at him, he looked away quickly.
“Hi,” Karam whispered, and Minho could see tears dancing in his eyes. Pulling Karam in close, Minho stroked his hair. He felt Karam’s tension slip away, which had been his intention. Karam was trying to control the tears, but they fell anyway. He was so stressed out, and this had been the last straw. Minho began rocking him back and forth, and Karam finally pulled away.
“Thank you,” he was still speaking softly. “You are always there when I need someone, and I appreciate it.”
Minho smiled. “Well, you are there for me, too. That’s how friendship works.” He studied Karam’s beautiful face, seeing sadness where there was usually happiness. “If you don’t mind, what happened?”
Karam sighed. “I just got into it with someone, and I am also just stressed out about my brother still being gone. It’s hard not knowing what is going on. It’s so damn frustrating.”
“Yeah, I can imagine,” Minho took Karam’s hand again, and the other man glanced at his hand, then back at his face. “I wish I could tell you everything was going to be alright, but I can’t. I’m sorry.”
Karam smiled at him. “Thank you, Minho. It means a lot to me.”
Minho grinned. “Thank YOU.”
********************************
Seon was working on some paperwork when his phone vibrated. Glancing at it, he noticed it was a text from Jonghyun. Grabbing it immediately, he opened the text. He had not heard from his brother in a while, but knew he was busy.
‘I’m sorry if I worried you. I will be home soon. This evening.‘
Seon grit his teeth, wishing he could throttle his brother. ‘I’m glad you will be home. What has been holding you up? I know you are on a job, but what is going on?’
‘I got attacked by werewolves, and when they were going to get me, I got saved by a…light. I have been trying to figure out what kind of light it was and who was behind it. Sorry, hyung.’
‘It’s okay. Just be careful coming home.’ Seon set his phone down.
When it buzzed again, he glanced at it without picking it up. ‘You too. Saranghae.’
Seon smiled. ‘Saranghae. I’m glad you are safe.’
********************************
Karam walked into Taehee’s office that afternoon, and was greeted with a smile. “I’m sorry, hyung. You are my leader, and I should not have flown off the handle like that. I was just frustrated. I know this has not been easy for you, either.”
Taehee nodded. “I’m sorry, too. You are right about Minho. I should be trying to build a relationship with him, instead of ignoring him. He is my dongsaeng. I will make more of an effort. I promise.”
Karam smiled. “Good. I accept your apology, too. I was more in the wrong, though. I should not have taken stress out on you. I know you are trying.”
Taehee smiled again. “I know how it is to be stressed, obviously. I think we all are. That did not give me a right to argue with you. I’m sorry, Karam.”
Karam hugged him gently. “It’s okay.”
Taehee grinned at him. “You guys seem to be getting along well. You and Minho, I mean.”
Karam blushed. “Yeah, we are. He’s cool.”
Taehee cocked his head. “Good. I’m glad. I will make more of an effort to spend time with him.”
Karam smiled. “Okay.”
He left, and passed Hyuna as he was going out. He smiled at her as she walked in. She was carrying a bag. “Hi! How are you?” He smiled at her.
Hyuna smiled back at him. “Good. I just needed to talk to Taehee.”
Karam smiled again and went on his way. Hyuna walked in to the office and smiled at Taehee. “Hey. Here are some things of your father’s that you were looking for the other day. I found them for you.”
Taehee smiled at her. “Thank you. I am glad you were able to find them for me. It means a lot to me. I looked all over for them.”
Hyuna laughed. “So did I. I think I just looked in the right places. You needed them.”
“Thank you,” Taehee took the bag, opening it. He noticed that all of his potions were there, so he was happy. They had not been touched since his father’s last case. They brought back a lot of memories.
Hyuna looked concerned while Taehee was looking through them. “You’re welcome.”
Taehee looked up to smile at her, and she was gone. Sighing, he began putting the potions with the others. His father had obviously been very careful with them, and they were some of the most important. He would need to have them examined. They could be evidence. He called JJ’s cell phone and asked him if he could call his friend from the police department and invite him over. He wanted to see if he could help with the case.
“Okay. Have a seat,” Taehee smiled at him, and Karam returned the smile.
“It’s about your brother. As I am sure you have noticed, I have spent a lot of time with him,” he swallowed, still nervous. “Taehee, sir, he feels like you don’t want him around, or you don’t want to spend any time with him. You are not acting like a brother. I don’t think you realize how much your father’s death hurt him, and you haven’t taken the time to find out how he feels about ANYTHING.” He smiled. “I know it can be hard, but that is why it takes WORK.”
Taehee smiled tightly. “So, you think you are an expert on family relationships now? Look at your own, Hyunchul. You have issues, too. Don’t you dare judge me. Every family has their issues.”
Karam glared at him. He had not meant to upset Taehee. He had simply wanted to mention it. It had turned into an argument, so this was how Karam was going to deal with it. “I know I have problems, damn it! Everyone does. That does not give you a right to ignore your own brother. He’s RIGHT HERE, and yet, you don’t even see that he is in pain and doesn’t know…DIDN’T KNOW…what was going on. I explained it all to him, like you asked me to, and I have learned a lot about him…things that you should have been learning about him, as your BROTHER.” He was quiet for a moment, so Taehee took the opportunity to speak.
Taehee sighed. “Look, I already know that I need to spend more time with Minho, and I will. Right now, I have a lot to deal with, and that is why I haven’t. I thought I would let him get to know someone else first. I TRIED to talk to him, and he wouldn’t. Maybe he will now. I don’t know.”
“Well, maybe you should take the chance, in case you lose him,” Karam’s voice softened a bit, and he looked away from Taehee. “I don’t even know if I will see Jonghyun again…and Minho is right here, as I said before. Just…take some time with him, okay?” Karam’s eyes had tears in them now. Taehee hated to see the younger man this way. “That’s all I have to say…I just thought it would help some. That’s all.” Karam whispered the last part, then turned and left.
He started to walk to his bedroom, and ran into Minho. Glancing at him, he looked away quickly.
“Hi,” Karam whispered, and Minho could see tears dancing in his eyes. Pulling Karam in close, Minho stroked his hair. He felt Karam’s tension slip away, which had been his intention. Karam was trying to control the tears, but they fell anyway. He was so stressed out, and this had been the last straw. Minho began rocking him back and forth, and Karam finally pulled away.
“Thank you,” he was still speaking softly. “You are always there when I need someone, and I appreciate it.”
Minho smiled. “Well, you are there for me, too. That’s how friendship works.” He studied Karam’s beautiful face, seeing sadness where there was usually happiness. “If you don’t mind, what happened?”
Karam sighed. “I just got into it with someone, and I am also just stressed out about my brother still being gone. It’s hard not knowing what is going on. It’s so damn frustrating.”
“Yeah, I can imagine,” Minho took Karam’s hand again, and the other man glanced at his hand, then back at his face. “I wish I could tell you everything was going to be alright, but I can’t. I’m sorry.”
Karam smiled at him. “Thank you, Minho. It means a lot to me.”
Minho grinned. “Thank YOU.”
********************************
Seon was working on some paperwork when his phone vibrated. Glancing at it, he noticed it was a text from Jonghyun. Grabbing it immediately, he opened the text. He had not heard from his brother in a while, but knew he was busy.
‘I’m sorry if I worried you. I will be home soon. This evening.‘
Seon grit his teeth, wishing he could throttle his brother. ‘I’m glad you will be home. What has been holding you up? I know you are on a job, but what is going on?’
‘I got attacked by werewolves, and when they were going to get me, I got saved by a…light. I have been trying to figure out what kind of light it was and who was behind it. Sorry, hyung.’
‘It’s okay. Just be careful coming home.’ Seon set his phone down.
When it buzzed again, he glanced at it without picking it up. ‘You too. Saranghae.’
Seon smiled. ‘Saranghae. I’m glad you are safe.’
********************************
Karam walked into Taehee’s office that afternoon, and was greeted with a smile. “I’m sorry, hyung. You are my leader, and I should not have flown off the handle like that. I was just frustrated. I know this has not been easy for you, either.”
Taehee nodded. “I’m sorry, too. You are right about Minho. I should be trying to build a relationship with him, instead of ignoring him. He is my dongsaeng. I will make more of an effort. I promise.”
Karam smiled. “Good. I accept your apology, too. I was more in the wrong, though. I should not have taken stress out on you. I know you are trying.”
Taehee smiled again. “I know how it is to be stressed, obviously. I think we all are. That did not give me a right to argue with you. I’m sorry, Karam.”
Karam hugged him gently. “It’s okay.”
Taehee grinned at him. “You guys seem to be getting along well. You and Minho, I mean.”
Karam blushed. “Yeah, we are. He’s cool.”
Taehee cocked his head. “Good. I’m glad. I will make more of an effort to spend time with him.”
Karam smiled. “Okay.”
He left, and passed Hyuna as he was going out. He smiled at her as she walked in. She was carrying a bag. “Hi! How are you?” He smiled at her.
Hyuna smiled back at him. “Good. I just needed to talk to Taehee.”
Karam smiled again and went on his way. Hyuna walked in to the office and smiled at Taehee. “Hey. Here are some things of your father’s that you were looking for the other day. I found them for you.”
Taehee smiled at her. “Thank you. I am glad you were able to find them for me. It means a lot to me. I looked all over for them.”
Hyuna laughed. “So did I. I think I just looked in the right places. You needed them.”
“Thank you,” Taehee took the bag, opening it. He noticed that all of his potions were there, so he was happy. They had not been touched since his father’s last case. They brought back a lot of memories.
Hyuna looked concerned while Taehee was looking through them. “You’re welcome.”
Taehee looked up to smile at her, and she was gone. Sighing, he began putting the potions with the others. His father had obviously been very careful with them, and they were some of the most important. He would need to have them examined. They could be evidence. He called JJ’s cell phone and asked him if he could call his friend from the police department and invite him over. He wanted to see if he could help with the case.
Please update!!
6/4/14