Ah, the possibilities "Vacation" presented us with, so fun to play with. Written for the occasion of Jaejoong's birthday. Betaed by Eliza. Title taken from the DBSK discography, in keeping with the titling scheme of "Vacation."

Yunho's spent an inordinate amount of his vacation in hospitals. Of course, his vacation is technically over now, but SM hasn't started them on the usual rounds of practice and interviews and photoshoots, or rescheduled their cancelled anniversary concert. Whatever the plan had been in giving them two weeks of holiday, Yunho's fairly certain it didn't include Jaejoong getting the shit beaten out of him by the world's most incompetent wannabe mob heavies. They missed all the vital organs, and the only bone they broke was one rib, but Jaejoong is most emphatically down for the count, and the rest of them are at loose ends until he's healed.

Yunho feels Jaejoong's eyes on him, glowering above the bruises and cuts and bandages, daring him to say anything. Jaejoong was all smiles and a brave face when his mom was here earlier. Yunho'd overheard him telling her he'd been coming to visit when he was jumped the first time. The first time. It makes Yunho want to demand how many times, exactly, Jaejoong was "jumped," so he'll know how painful a death to give the attackers when he finds them. And that's probably why Jaejoong is glowering now, waiting for Yunho to make his demands, waiting for the recriminations and lectures.

Yunho knows better. All his "I told you sos" are predicated on Jaejoong getting attacked for being himself, and Yunho still hasn't sufficiently wrapped his mind around the concept of Jaejoong being mistaken for anybody else to even know where to start scolding him. Only Jaejoong could be one of Korea's most popular stars and still be mistaken for somebody else. Only Jaejoong could then get his ass handed to him as a result. And only Jaejoong would try to intimidate Yunho into silence from the confines of a hospital bed, brave face still firmly in position, but every smile vanished completely.

While Yunho's still fishing for how to begin, Jaejoong apparently decides letting him start the conversation would be giving too much away. "How was your vacation?"

"A lot like this, actually," which isn't at all what Yunho thinks he meant to say, but it's certainly true. Except for the part where he'd barely known Sooyun, and felt he really had no right to be at her bedside when she was dying. Jaejoong's far from dying, luckily, and Yunho feels by Jaejoong's side is where he should have been all along. Then maybe he could have prevented this mess.

"What does that mean?" Jaejoong sounds hostile, ready for a fight, and Yunho has to admit that normally he'd oblige. Right now he's tired, though, and still confused, and he knows this kind of brittle anger in Jaejoong, knows how much Jaejoong hates being broken and immobile.

"I spent my vacation visiting a hospital."

Jaejoong blinks, and distraction blunts his anger. "Why? Your family's all right, aren't they?"

"They're fine." Yunho has to smile. Even mad at him, Jaejoong worries. "I went to see a fan. She...."

And he can't quite find the words, and he's not sure he could say them if he did. Sooyun was irritating, on that border of scary their fans could get, and part of him's still mad at her subterfuge, for all he thought she was lying about the wrong thing. He's never been angry at someone he watched die before. He's never watched someone younger than him die.

There's a light touch on his hand, and he realizes he's staring at the floor, blinking hard to keep back tears he can't explain. He looks up to see Jaejoong watching him, all trace of anger gone, and he clasps Jaejoong's hand in his own carefully, avoiding the bruises.

"She died," he finds he can say, with Jaejoong's skin against his, though his voice is still husky. "She said she was sick in her letter, but she didn't act sick, and I thought she'd lied, but then--"

"Shhh," Jaejoong says, because Yunho is close to sobbing now, but Yunho just shakes his head hard and wraps both hands around Jaejoong's, feeling him still alive, still whole. He swallows, makes his voice steady.

"And then I get back and hear you've been hurt, and it's not even because of you. How do you manage these things, Boo?"

"I'm very talented. Ask our fans."

Yunho opens his mouth to reply hotly that it's not a joking matter, and then abruptly closes it again. Jaejoong's the one in the hospital bed, Jaejoong's the one who got beat up for his vacation, and Jaejoong never joked about his knee, because he wasn't sure he'd come back from it until he did. If he's joking about this already, then even he knows he'll be fine, and Yunho's not going to be the one to take that surety from him.

"I could ask our fans," Yunho says. "I think they're all camped outside."

"Not all," Changmin says, coming into the room followed by Junsu and Yoochun. "Just the ones who live in Korea."

"I think manager-sshi's actually in negotiations with that guy to imitate you and make them go away," Junsu adds as Yoochun slips past them both. Yunho makes room for Yoochun to crouch by Jaejoong's bedside, eyes already dewy and threatening tears.

"It's a good thing for me he can't sing, then," Jaejoong says, giving Yoochun a warm smile, and he doesn't sound in need of reassurance, but Yunho speaks up anyway.

"Wouldn't matter if he could. There's only one Youngwoong Jaejoong."

"Thank god," Junsu murmurs, and Yunho turns to frown at him, releasing Jaejoong's hand so Yoochun can take it. Junsu only smiles sweetly; Changmin smirks.

Looks like they, at least, had a restful vacation.

"I should warn manager-sshi to watch his wallet," Jaejoong says, but he doesn't even pretend to try to get up, and Yunho shakes his head again, answering Changmin's smirk.

"He'll learn or he won't. Might help discourage him from any ideas of recruiting the guy."

"I don't know," Changmin drawls. "Super Junior'd take him. Then they'd leave our Jaejoong alone."

His inflection on "our Jaejoong" is a perfect mimicry of Yunho's, and Yunho's smirk grows into a grin.

"That'd drive Heechul crazy. Could be fun."

Junsu laughs. "I can suggest it to Hyukjae. If they request him--"

"People would get confused," Yoochun interrupts, and Yunho doesn't have to look to know he's speaking for Jaejoong, but he turns around anyway, giving Jaejoong his smile.

"We wouldn't."

Changmin snorts. "Of course not. I bet he can't cook, either."

Of course Changmin would think about that. It draws a laugh from Jaejoong, immediately followed by a grimace.

"Ow."

"All right, time for you to rest some more," Yunho says, starting to rise, but Jaejoong grips Yoochun's hand hard and turns wide, dark eyes on Yunho.

"I rest better when you're all here."

"Good," Junsu declares, and moves past them all to hop up onto the empty hospital bed next to Jaejoong's. "I don't want to fight my way through that crowd out there, and I could use a nap."

"You've done nothing but sleep since we got back!" Changmin declares indignantly, crossing the room to push at Junsu, trying to roll him off the bed. "And on vacation, you were--"

"I was helpful!"

"All right, guys," Yunho breaks in, crossing his arms over his chest, but settling back into the chair. "Save it for later. Jaejoong's trying to rest."

"Sorry, Jaejoongie," Junsu says contritely, and Changmin stops shoving at him long enough to turn around and kiss Jaejoong on the temple.

"Sorry, hyung."

Jaejoong smiles, letting his eyes close at the touch of Changmin's lips. "It's all right. But you can share, right?"

"I can," Junsu announces loftily, and rolls onto his side to prove it, leaving half the bed bare.

"That can't be comfortable," Yunho says, watching Changmin fold his very tall self with his back facing Junsu, both of them teetering on the edges of the mattress. "At least one of you is going to fall off."

"Right." And somehow Junsu manages to twist himself around, throwing his arm over a protesting Changmin. "There, now if one of us falls off, we both do."

"Hyung!"

"Quiet," Yunho growls, and Changmin subsides, though he makes a point of shifting Junsu's arm down to a more comfortable position.

Yoochun's released Jaejoong's hand, pulling up a chair next to Yunho's and laying his head on Jaejoong's bed. Jaejoong's carefully drawing his fingers through the strands of Yoochun's hair, and now his brave face is gone, so he looks as tired and sore as doubtless he is. But his smile is back, soft and satisfied, and it grows as Yunho touches his cheek. He turns his head into Yunho's hand, kissing Yunho's palm and then nuzzling a little, as though he intends to fall asleep snuggled into Yunho's touch.

Yunho lets him, not minding the slightly awkward position. Jaejoong's skin is warm against his, and through the afternoon, he counts Jaejoong's breaths. They hitch a little, thanks to the broken rib, but they never falter.

~END~