“hello baby,” he says, once that all too familiar face comes into view, and he starts to smile widely and warm, straightening up again from petting the dog so he can open his arms for the younger male. “i’ve missed you.” he waits for junho to reach him, to step into his waiting arms so that he can wrap them around the male’s frame and bury his nose in junho’s hair. and then he adds two more words. very simple words, but somehow they mean the world.
it's been a long time since everything went down — the explosions, the revelation of his past, the departure of people who were dear to them. months had passed since he visited his parents' cemetery, made a promise not only to them but to himself. it had felt like the world had been coming down on him back then, in such a way that he wasn't sure if he could make it through it all. not just in a matter of life and death, but something else entirely — it was a huge toll to take on mentally, to accept. junho had learned that most, if not all of his life was constructed by lies, and now that he's standing there in his office, months later, alive and well — he has jun to thank to.
junho wouldn't know what he would do if he didn't have jun by his side, grounding him, reminding him that he's not alone, that he's there. and that was the thing that mattered the most, at a time when he felt lonelier than he ever did before. when the past he had built everything on crumbled into pieces, jun's embrace and calming words meant so much to him that he couldn't put it into words. learning that his parents' murderer has been alive pushed him to be irrational, sentimental — go all out and risk everything for a mere chance to kill the man himself, but he had managed to think rationally before doing anything rash, and he's glad he did just that. even though kingsman is where he works still, his previous work rigour has diminished; it's hard to spot with the façade he puts on, but he doesn't live and breathe for kingsman anymore, the organization that has betrayed him for almost a decade now.
instead, they conduct their own research by the side, jun following on the leads abroad while junho mostly remains in seoul, save for a few brief missions abroad. the house without the older feels empty in a way that he feels the cold to his bones — but the calls make his day brighter, reminding him again and again that jun's not keeping him out of the loop, that he cares as much as junho cares about him. it matters a lot, so much that jun doesn't simply go off grid. if jun had decided to do just that, there would be nothing junho could say or do; he knows the knight has gone through hell just like junho did — but even then, jun still keeps in contact, and junho can't thank him enough for that.
he has settled into jun's apartment for good now, slowly but surely, miska's bed sits on the floor of the living room, his belongings in a wardrobe next to jun's. even though he's not there himself, junho gets used to it — enjoys being in a place that was jun's, a place that he is welcomed with wide arms. and even if it's irrational in a way he would frown upon, he can't stop himself from wearing jun's sweatshirts and alike, enjoying feeling closer to the other.
and when during one of their calls, jun tells him he's coming home, junho simply couldn't be happier. he's over the moon, a wide smile spreading across his features for the first time in months, words falling from his lips easily. "can't wait see you again —"
fast forward a couple of days, junho has made a mental list already; he's going to pick up groceries first thing in the morning, do his best to cook and pick up jun's favourite desserts. he missed him a lot, and means to show that in the most warming welcome he can put together. there's only a day left and he's sitting on the couch as he waits for jun's daily call, every day, on the exact same hour. it's rare that the ringtone doesn't chime even though a few minutes has passed, but junho tells himself to be patient and simply waits, eyes glued to his phone.
minutes go by, and when it nears half an hour, he can feel himself beginning to panic, his teeth chews his bottom lip, the grip on the phone gets tighter and tighter. is he okay ? what if something happened ? did he get compromised ? an unending chain of thoughts rack his brain, worry coursing through his veins, threatening to send him into a frenzy. he tries to reassure himself that it's just half an hour, that everything's alright but he doesn't know —- doesn't know if a mission went awry —- doesn't know if jun's alright —-
and it's just then that he hears miska bolting to the door, movements erratic, excited — it's rare that the husky reacts that way about anyone —- could it be ? his eyes widen and he's up and rushing to the door himself. he needs to know who it is — the door of the living room opens and he's suddenly standing in front of jun. it's been so long that he needs a few seconds to realize he's there — jun's there, and he's a day early — and he can't stop smiling. it's wide, lights up his features, so happy that he can't help a laugh that leaves his mouth. he doesn't even need to think before he runs to jun, eyes wrapping around his frame so tight that he doesn't plan to let go for hours, days —- "you're here — oh my god, you are here —- " he buries his face in jun's chest, his hands clutching his back.
it's only once he has him in his arms that he knows for sure — that it's jun in the flesh, that he has returned after so long. junho knows he has heard his voice every day for the past months, but this is different, and he can't stop smiling, his eyes growing slightly wet as he continues to hug him tight, words falling from his lips easily. "i missed you too, so much. i can't believe you didn't tell me." a wet laugh follows that, and he just hugs him closer, laughs against the fabric of his shirt. "i'm glad you're home."
