Work Text:
“It's been long enough, Jonghyun.”
“One more year, please .”
“You've given him fifty extra years.” God said, placing a gentle hand on Jonghyun’s shoulder. “Fifty extra years that you should have lived beside him.”
“I just wanted him to be happy.” Jonghyun mumbled softly, looking down from God’s piercing gaze.
It had been sixty-four years since Jonghyun left the world of the living. He had been freed from his pain and brought to Heaven, where his soul had rested in the hands of God and been given new life. When he reached the gates, he had begged God to let him send a sign to his members and his beloved Shawols, wanting to let them know that he had made it, that he was safe. A pearl aqua moon appeared in the sky, and Jonghyun had cried with everyone for himself around the world as he heard numerous cries of ‘you did well’.
Jonghyun had done everything in his power to make sure that leader had lived long and well, continuing to persuade God that he should be happy and given the proper time to heal before his time had come. God granted that wish and allowed him the rest of his members as well, and Jonghyun swore with everything that he was going to keep their hearts safe.
Taemin had come first, complications from a knee surgery taking him peacefully in his sleep when he was only seventy-one years old. The now angel didn't want him to go so soon, but he had relented when God explained the issues with his injury. Jonghyun had waited just inside the gates for his little brother, hands shaking with pride when he saw the graceful physique of the former dancer’s now young body entering Heaven. Taemin had stopped in his tracks when he saw Jonghyun, forty-six years after he had passed causing tears to instantly well up in his eyes.
“H-hyung? Is that really you?” Taemin asked, his voice wavering and going soft as he halted at the gates. The singer barely had time to nod before a body collided with his, and Taemin had his face pressed to Jonghyun's shoulder as he wrapped thin arms around him.
“I missed you, Taem.” Jonghyun whispered, his own strong arms winding around Taemin's lithe form. He was crying, always the one to succumb to his emotions first. The shaking in Taemin's body revealed that he too was sobbing, the sound muffled by Jonghyun's cream sweater.
“I missed you so much, hyung.” Taemin said, barely audible as he cried and clung onto Jonghyun.
Jonghyun smiled fondly as he remembered that day, leaving his residence to walk over to the one that Taemin shared with Jongin. His reunion with Jongin wasn't as emotional, just a tight hug given to him before he kissed the living daylights out of Taemin, who had left him a few years before.
Kibum had been second, only four years after Taemin. He wasn't lucky enough to have gone peacefully, instead passing away in the hospital after a heart attack. He hadn't been lucky enough to have any children to succeed him, his wife having miscarried before they discovered she couldn't have children. Still, he lived a happy life and kept in contact with the others, having been to Taemin's funeral.
“Hyung!” Jonghyun heard before anything, turning around just to have Kibum flying at him. The elder singer laughed as he tumbled to the ground, tearing up as Kibum cuddled up to him and nuzzled his cheek.
“Now now, Kibummie, I've always been with you.” Jonghyun said, his voice wavering as he cried years of happiness. He had missed this silly dongsaeng. “I've been keeping your hearts safe so you didn't have to feel my pain.”
“It worked.” Kibum said, sniffling as he kept looking at Jonghyun as if it was all just a dream. “I always thought I could feel you.”
Taemin slipped out with a peck to Jongin's lips, joining Jonghyun on one side. Kibum left his own house to stand beside the singer, a wide grin on his lips as they all walked down the street towards Minho’s place.
Minho had been trickier to make happy, the other having closed himself off from everyone. Jonghyun had felt his heart breaking when his soul was still aware in the hospital, having seen Minho faint from the news. Feeling bad, Jonghyun vowed to give him a wonderful life, sending many opportunities his way so his dongsaeng could flourish. He knew that Minho had never felt right marrying, so he made sure that the other man had a chance in adopting a child all on his own When he succeeded, Jonghyun cried happily for him, even more so when Minho took him to his grave to introduce him to ‘Uncle Jonghyun’.
He had finally gone in a car accident, almost six years after Kibum passed away. Minho was coincidentally on his way to visit Taemin and Kibum’s graves when a drunk driver had slammed into the side of his car, causing him to die instantly. Jonghyun had been hesitant to let God control Minho’s death, but God had reminded him that not everyone can die peacefully.
“You're still just as short as I remember you.” Minho said when he saw Jonghyun, ignoring the tears in his eyes as he moved to hug him tightly.
“Don't you talk to me about my height, you disrespectful brat.” Jonghyun said, almost weeping as he buried himself Minho in a long hug. He stayed there for a few moments before Minho let him go, and he watched silently as his tall dongsaeng approached Kibum.
“He's gonna finally do it.” Taemin said, leaning against Jonghyun's side comfortably. “Kibum was at his own grave when Minho confessed the last time, and he said that he wished he had known so they could’ve been together.”
“I'm just glad that they found each other again, even if it had to be in death.” Jonghyun had replied, reaching a hand up to run it through Taemin's silver hair. “Now come on, let's give them some privacy.”
It had been after that Jonghyun knew that Jinki was last, his final act as an angel before he was allowed to retire with his friends to eternity in Heaven. A total of sixty-four years had passed since the last time Jonghyun had seen Jinki, wanting to be selfish and give his leader the long life he deserved. But finally, God forced him to end it, and Jonghyun had to look away as he created the cancer in Jinki’s lungs.
There had come a point in time when Jinki stopped singing, unable to continue with it. SHINee had them tapered off, doing solo careers for years before an official disbandment announcement came from SM Entertainment. Jonghyun had been heartbroken to hear that Jinki wouldn't open his mouth again, and he resolved to give the leader the best life he could.
Jonghyun personally hunted down the woman who would be perfect for Jinki, watching as they fell in love and eventually got married. They had three children — two girls and a boy. The boy was a firstborn, and Jonghyun had cried when Jinki decided on naming the baby after him, resolving to help give his nephew the best life as well. Jinki lived until the age of ninety-two, until the cancer in his lungs took him away in his sleep.
He barely registered as Minho joined Kibum on his left, the two of them holding hands and being silly. Jonghyun's heart was beating too fast for him to join in, his hands shaky with nerves as they approached the gates to Heaven.
“Hey, it's gonna be okay hyung.” Taemin said from his right, reaching out to hold Jonghyun's hand for just a moment in reassurance.
“What if he's mad at me for leaving so early?” Jonghyun asked in a whisper, stopping just before they made it to the gate. Kibum and Minho stopped talking when they heard his question, and the singer looked at the other three members of his group with wide, scared eyes. “I'm scared he's going to hate me.”
“Hyung, he would never be mad at you.” Kibum said, shaking his head as he leaned into Minho’s side. “You two were so close.”
“He blames himself more than anything.” Minho continued, giving Jonghyun a sad smile. “He believed himself to be a bad hyung and a bad leader.”
“Whatever happens, he loves you.” Taemin ended, squeezing Jonghyun's hand in his before letting go and taking a step back. Minho and Kibum patted his shoulders gently before stepping back as well, and Jonghyun braced himself before properly turning to face the gates.
And there he stood. Lee Jinki in the flesh.
Heaven had done good for Jinki, his skin bright and wrinkle free, looking healthy as ever. His warm brown eyes sparkling with new light, his hair a soft brown and resting flat on his head. Jonghyun was entranced as he took a few steps forward, Jinki taking the rest until they were standing face to face, only an arm's reach away.
Jinki was the first of the two to step forward, bringing a hand up to brush a stray lock of blond hair back from Jonghyun's face. Attempting not to blush, the younger carefully brought up a hand to caress Jinki’s cheek gently, rubbing his thumb against his cheekbone. Jonghyun then took another step forward and placed the other hand in Jinki’s cheek as well, letting out a long sign. Instantly, Jinki closed the rest of the distance between them and pressed his forehead to his love’s, both hands snaking around Jonghyun's waist to properly press their bodies together. Jinki tilted his head up slightly to brush his nose against Jonghyun's, their eyes falling shut in unison.
“I'm sorry.” Jinki said, his voice lowered into a slight whisper so the others couldn't hear. “I wish I had known how much you were hurting, how in pain you were.”
“Nobody knew.” Jonghyun said, his hands shifting to rest on Jinki’s neck as he pressed up to the other. “Nobody was supposed to know. I'm sorry for leaving so soon. But we're here together, right now. Let's make the most of our eternity together.”
Jinki let out a wet laugh at those words and shifted his head to press a lingering kiss to Jonghyun's forehead, a shaky breath let out against the younger man's skin. Jonghyun felt Jinki’s nose brushing against his once more, and he sighed quietly.
“I never stopped loving you.” Jinki said, sniffling as he continued holding onto Jonghyun. “Even when I got married. You were my everything, Jjong. You still are.”
“I made sure to give you all good lives. I didn't want any of you to feel my pain.” Jonghyun said, nodding once. “We're back in each other's arms again. I love you.”
“I love you too, Jonghyun.” Jinki said, leaning down to connect his lips with Jonghyun's in a kiss. It was gentle and slow in nature, but the meaning behind it was sad, over six decades of love and heartbreak and other strong feelings causing Jonghyun to become overwhelmed with emotion, tears streaming down his cheeks as he was finally reunited with his love.
He was home, after sixty-four long years, with his family once more whole as five. And finally, Jonghyun felt at peace.