Chapter Text
The past few months have been some of the happiest Rang has ever known. Their wedding had been beyond expectation. And their month long honeymoon had left a warmth in his soul that astounded him. So was he mistaken now to worry that things were about to go wrong? For the proverbial shoe to drop? That his life was never meant to have joy in it, at least not for very long anyway.
He watched his wife as she sang a familiar tune. She had insisted on returning to her jobs, especially at the club. And how could he refuse her? His wife. Rang still had a hard time wrapping his head around that concept, that someone in the world could love a monster like him. Her love was a marvel, and sometimes he feared a curse. The life of a half breed is only meant for strife. She would get caught in the disaster that would eventually come for him. And it broke his heart thinking she could get hurt.
The half fox wished that they could be trapped in time. That month after the wedding was amazing. They had gone to Busan and wandered the Geumgang mountain park. The forest had been his domain, his element. They found places that most humans would never see. Catching the sunrise, or sunset, or even the misting rain amongst the trees was breathtaking. Yeo-hee drank in the scenery with awe and wonder. Rang often watched her, praying this was real.
In Jeju, the roles had reversed a little. Surrounded by ocean, Yeo-hee was in her element now. He laughed and mirrored her excitement. Watched as she dove into the rolling waters, allowing the waves to crash over her. Graceful and beautiful, Rang was once more wondering how such a person existed. She even managed to pull him in on occasion, holding the fox securely as she knew how nervous he was in the water. He teased, foxes don’t swim. Still she wanted to share a part of her with him, as he had the mountains with her.
That blissful time went by way too fast. Since their return to Myoyeongak, they continued to adjust to sharing their lives, not just with each other, but with their new extended family too. While their outpouring of love and support had been appreciated, it was often hard to find time alone. So Rang had started making plans for their future. And he wanted it to be a surprise, so he did what he could while Yeo-hee returned to her duties.
Everything was going well. So well in fact that Rang had started to get a little jumpy. A feeling building in his gut was telling him that change was coming. He often got those feelings when the world wanted to knock him down and remind him that he was nothing but trash to be stomped on and tossed aside. A freak that should be punished. And he worried about Yeo-hee, caught in the crossfire should it happen.
Now a few months past the wedding and eight months since future Yeon’s departure, Rang struggled with balancing his thoughts and feeling towards his brother. The Yeon of this era was still very arrogant and self centered. It had been virtually impossible not to compare them. And several times in his anger, Rang had wielded those differences like a weapon. He wasn’t proud of those moments. Of course when the heat slipped away, the shame of his actions ate at his gut. He would try to make amends, but that long haired fox was the king of stubborn, which made it even more difficult.
As it was, he was contemplating how to deal with their latest spat. (Which seemed to be happening more frequently. Most likely because of Rang’s growing sense of doom.) It had been so trivial too. Yeon had wanted to help him with finding the right building. Was even willing to help pay. But Rang had bucked against the idea, saying he has done everything on his own, he didn’t need or want any help, especially from Yeon.
He had seen how his words had stung the older man, who graciously backed out and left. So Rang was kicking himself. What harm would it have done to let the man tag along? None.
Sighing, he looked up and allowed the voice of his wife to soothe his soul. It was her last set and he was looking forward to taking her home and just being with her. Getting ready, he slowly headed for the back room to wait for her when his heart stopped. Her voice tightened, face twisted with pain as she hunched over. He was by her side in seconds. “What is it? What’s wrong?”
For a moment, she just breathed through it. When the spike of pain subsided, she smiled, “It’s ok. I’m fine.”
“Are you sure?” He asked as his ran his fingers through her hair. “Maybe we should see Moo-young.”
Shaking her head, she smiled meekly, “No, it’s nothing. Let’s just go home.”
“Okay,” the fox agreed but never let her go. He didn’t even allow her to change out of her gown and insisted on getting a ride back in one of his wolves’ rickshaw.
“Rang-ah, I’m fine now. You’re making too much of this.” She tried to soothe, his expression had not let go of that pinched worry since the club.
“Are you sure you don’t want me to get Moo-young?” He cupped her cheek, thumb caressing the soft skin.
She laughed lightly. “I’m fine, truly. Please, calm down.” Her hand came up to cover his and pulled it to her chest. Back home now, she moved under her own power.
Following behind like a lost puppy, Rang sought assurance, “If you’re certain.”
“I am, now help me out of this dress.” She teased over her shoulder. Rang happily complied.
---
A few days later, they were walking into another building. The long haired gumiho glanced around with disinterest. “Why do you want to buy a building again?”
Exasperated now, Rang huffed, “You wanted me to quit the bandit gang, didn’t you?”
Shrugging, the mountain god pouted, “Why do I care what you do, as long as you don’t kill humans?” He wandered around the room distractedly.
Spinning to look at the man, his appearance drove home once again that this wasn’t the brother Rang had spent time with not so long ago. And definitely not the brother who adamantly protested his profession. Clicking his tongue, he wandered further in, mumbling, “Then why are you here?”
Adding a little bitterly, “If you don’t care what I do, why did you even bother with the traitor?” Shortly before the wedding, the half breed was surprised and relived to discover that the traitor no longer had hold over him. It had touched him that future Yeon had suggested the man’s demise and that this Yeon followed through with it. But he still had a hard time accepting this Yeon’s involvement in his life after so many centuries. He had understood future Yeon’s motivations, but this Yeon?
Absently, the mountain god dismissed, “I already told you. That other me told me he was harassing you.”
“So?” The younger fox whined indignantly. “He’d been my keeper for the past 500 years. Why bother now? Just because that other Yeon told you to?”
“It was an unnatural contract.” Yeon admitted. When he and Moo-young confronted the man intending to harm his brother, they learned a few things. Specifically the conditions and length of the contract. When the rotting man begged for his life, he declared that without him Rang was sure to die. To keep the half breed alive, they would need to keep the traitor alive too.
But one fact that had plagued him since that fateful meeting, Yeon learned of what had provided the opportunity to enslave his brother. His abandonment. The former god had gone back to Samdocheon and left his brother behind at such a critical time. His blade may not have been an instant kill but had obviously cut deeper than he expected, leaving the broken fox vulnerable. Regretfully, he confessed, “And one of my making.”
At that, Rang’s head snapped back toward his brother. Surprised at such a statement and yet still feeling that old bitterness rise within his chest. “It’s not like you forced the contract.”
“Not exactly, but it was my blade that gave him the opportunity to take advantage of you. It was the catalyst of misunderstanding between us.”
“Misunderstanding?” That righteous anger flared in the younger fox. “Do you have any idea of what you did that day, to us?”
So many times, Yeon had replayed that day in his head. It had hurt him to see those sweet eyes fill disgust and coldness toward the villagers, when the last time he looked in them they were full of admiration and innocence. He had felt justified with his actions at that time. “I had my orders.”
“Damn your orders!” Rang’s voice cracked. The pain he thought he buried overflowed now. Beseeching the older fox, he continued, “You were my brother. I thought you were dead. When I saw you, my heart practically burst with joy. And then you cut me so deep.”
“I held back, my bla-”
“It wasn’t your blade that hurt me. I can live with the scars. But that day… that day, you broke my heart. The pain in my stomach was a mere shadow of the pain in my chest. Even lying there, I couldn’t believe it was you. That it had to be some sort of impostor. That my real brother was dead, because he couldn’t possibly have stuck me down. Because if it was real, I would rather have died.”
“Rang-ah, I was wrong.” At the sardonic outburst from his brother that followed that admission, the sound of a torn soul, Yeon attempted to convey what he had come to understand since his return. “If anything these past few months have shown me, it is how wrong I have been about you.”
“And how was the all mighty mountain god wrong?” Rang mocked, barely keeping it together, eyes bright with unshed tears.
He deserved the jab, Yeon knew it. But this moment wasn’t about him. He needed Rang to understand. “You are better than me.”
“What?”
“You are better than me, Rang-ah,” he said again with conviction. It had obviously taken the younger off guard, who seemed to stumble back in disbelief. “You are.”
Shaking his head, Rang denied, “You’re lying. I’m just a half breed bastard.”
“No, you’re more than that.” And for once, he allowed his impulse to take the better of him. Closing the distance between them, he wrapped his arms around his trembling brother. “We have been at each other’s throats for centuries. I only took you at face value. And allowed my grief for Ah-eum to ignore you. I kept you at bay because I didn’t want to deal with the pain I caused you. It was easier that way.
“But you never stopped being that bright child I brought home so long ago. So full of awe and wonder. You have always maintained your honor and your compassion. And most importantly, you never gave up on me. Thank you.” The levee broke. Stuttering sobs soaked into his shoulder as Rang held on to the older man for dear life. “I only realized recently that during all our interactions you had been asking your big brother for help. And the fool I was ignored it. If our roles had been reversed, I would have walked away a long time ago.
“But not you. Your tenacious spirit kept trying. And all I needed to do was reach out just once and the fighting would end. So I’m reaching out, dongsaeng. Because you are worth the effort. More than that, I need you in my life. I love you, Rang-ah.” Yeon pulled his brother in tighter as another round of sobs swept over him. The gumiho could feel his own tears cascading down.
Over the past few months he had seen that bright inner child again. Heard the playful laughter he could only recall in his dreams. Watched as those loyal wolves came and went, devoted to their boss. You don’t command that kind of loyalty from others by being a senseless brute. It comes from respect. And one earns respect by honesty, compassion and trust. His brother may have hidden behind a rough mask, but the truth will out. Despite his heritage, Rang had been a stronger, better person. It was no wonder his brother could do the unthinkable, tap into his full gumiho power and be even more.
After several minutes, Yeon glanced around the room once again and concluded, “I think you should buy this building. Or rather, I think I will buy it for you as a belated wedding present.”
“What?”
Patting his brother’s back, Yeon released him and held him at arm’s length. “This is for your mermaid, right? To fulfill her dreams?”
“Yes,” Rang said, trying to pull back his errant emotions. Roughly wiping his tears away, he covered by glancing around, imagining the space he wanted to create for her. “I want to give her a studio so she can sing whatever she wants.”
Yeon nodded, decided. “This place is suitable.” Out of the corner of his eye, he watched the younger fox for a few minutes. This was really a gift for Yeo-hee, which made him wonder, “So what about your dreams? What do you want?”
Sheepishly, Rang took interest in his shoes while he spoke, “I was fortunate enough to have mine filled twice.” Looking up, the bright smile that shown on that face warmed the gumiho’s heart more than the sun, because he knew it was for him. And while there was that slight pang of jealousy of that other Yeon, this Yeon was thankful basking in the glow of love.
“That settles it then,” Yeon announced and wrapped an arm over his brother’s shoulder. “Let’s get this purchased so we can clean this place up and move you two in.” Then he swept his brother away.