Paradise
Title: Paradise
Pairing: YunJae
Genre: Romance, AU
Word Count: 4,707
Rating: NC-17
Warnings: Adult content (Jaejoong's mind is only at home in the gutter~), language
Summary: All Jaejoong needs is a new waiter for his cafe. All Jaejoong wants is Yunho.
A/N: Written for nasthycielle's prompt in the the 2014 JaeHo Exchange. (I've corrected a few small errors from the original draft I sent in for the exchange, but otherwise it's the same whether you read it here or there.) This fic is in (what I think is) quite a different style from my usual work. Hopefully you will all still enjoy it :)
A/N2: So, I may have just paid a large amount of money on a ticket and a flight down to California for the Korea Times Music Festival on May 2... Anyone else planning to go? I dont know anybody who is going and would love to have someone to sightsee and/or stand in line with!
*****
Jaejoong, who had been peacefully slogging his way through the paperwork on his desk, was drawn out of his office by muffled shouting coming from the first floor of the building. Placing the sheath of papers that he had been working on down carefully, he rose and opened the door of his office to listen more closely.
As he poked his head around the corner of the doorframe, he was immediately concerned by the sheer amount noise below. Jaejoong quickly exited the small office and began to hurry down the stairs that led to the main floor of his cafe. Two years ago, when he was only 24, Jaejoong had fulfilled his life long wish by opening Paradise. To his surprise and excitement, the cafe had been an undeniable success, with a loyal following of customers who raved about their array of beverages and treats. However, running a business wasn’t as easy as he had always imagined, Jaejoong had discovered. And it certainly seemed like this day was going to be one of the challenging ones, Jaejoong thought as he steeled himself for whatever he might discover when he reached the source of the noise.
Halfway to the bottom of the staircase, he nearly collided with Yoochun, his best friend and manager of the cafe, who had been quickly making his way up the steps. Both Jaejoong and Yoochun had to swerve awkwardly to avoid crashing into one another in their urgency. The two men wobbled unsteadily as their balance was thrown off, grabbing onto one another and the railing to stay afoot.
“Oh, good. I was just on my way to get you,” Yoochun spoke in a harried tone with one hand still resting on Jaejoong’s arm.
Yoochun, who was normally in good humour even under adverse circumstances, looked thoroughly annoyed and also a little bit frightened. Jaejoong knew that didn’t bode well for whatever had happened, and was still happening, if the raised voices were any indication, in his cafe.
“What on Earth is happening down there?” Jaejoong winced as the sound of something heavy - and probably valuable - crashing to the floor echoed out from the kitchen below. “Don’t tell me that pervert guy is back?”
“The one who was trying to spy on people in the restrooms?” Yoochun asked with a grimace.
“Yeah.”
Yoochun shook his head vehemently. “No, thank god.” He paused, an aggrieved look coming over his face. “It’s Changmin. Again.”
Jaejoong sighed heavily at the news, but honestly wasn’t surprised; he was intimately familiar with Changmin’s temperament, after having known the younger man for four years. Pinching the bridge of his nose, he slumped sideways against the wall in defeat.
“That’s the third one this month!” Jaejoong exclaimed, exasperated.
Yoochun put an arm around Jaejoong’s shoulder in commiseration and began to lead him down to the bottom of the stairs and into the kitchen. “Well, it’s either him or them… And I know you’d choose him in a heartbeat.”
“Unfortunately for me, Changmin’s temper is as foul as his baking is sweet.” Jaejoong sighed again, feeling beleaguered, as the best friends stepped into the chaos that had formerly been Paradise’s kitchen.
Dozens of pastries, cooked and uncooked, had turned the normally spotless floor into an obstacle course after being upended - and likely thrown as well, Jaejoong admitted to himself, when he spied several flour marks on the wall that were suspiciously cinnamon bun-shaped - from their baking trays. Although the battle seemed to be over now, Changmin still paced furiously alongside the counter, muttering under his breath and viciously kicking any pastry that dared to cross his path.
There was no sign of Sujin, the third person Jaejoong had hired to the cafe’s wait staff this month. However, his barista, Junsu, was trailing around the kitchen, garbage bag in hand, timidly collecting the poor, abused pastries that had met their demise at the eruption of Changmin’s fiery temper.
Treading carefully, Jaejoong moved forward into the battleground. He made a short detour around an upturned bowl of batter and approached Junsu first. This was partly to get Junsu out of the crossfire before Jaejoong spoke with Changmin, but mostly to give the temperamental patisserie a few more moments to cool down so he would be less likely to bite Jaejoong’s head off in rage.
“It’s alright, Junsu. You go back out front and I’ll handle this,” Jaejoong spoke gently, urging Junsu along with a friendly hand on his shoulder.
Junsu glanced warily at Changmin, then turned back to Jaejoong. “Thanks, hyung,” he replied gratefully before hastily returning to the safety of the front counter.
Molehill down, only the mountain to go, Jaejoong thought in resignation as he tentatively approached Changmin. The patisserie was now motionless, but eerily so. He was standing still as stone against the counter, his hands clenched tightly on the edge and his shoulders tensed in anger beneath the stark white of his uniform. He didn’t move an iota when Jaejoong stood next to him and began to speak.
“Changmin,” Jaejoong said, “We need to talk about this.”
There was no response from the younger man.
“Changmin-ah,” Jaejoong cautiously placed a hand on Changmin’s arm as he spoke. “Tell hyung what happened.”
Changmin huffed, clearly still aggravated, but nevertheless obeyed the request. “Hyung, I know you needed to hire someone quickly,” he began, “But she was completely incompetent!”
“Changmin, she’s the third person you’ve driven off this month,” Jaejoong explained slowly, surprising himself at how calm he sounded despite his frustration with his temperamental dongsaeng.
Changmin turned and hit him with a piercing gaze. “Hyung,” Changmin spoke, stretching out the final sound for emphasis, “She couldn’t figure out the difference between sugar and salt!”
“Well, she’s not meant to be baking, so I don’t see why that would be such a big -”
“But she is supposed to help plate the pastries,” Changmin interrupted, gesticulating in the direction of the pastries all over the floor, “That idiotic little b-”
“Changmin,” Jaejoong chastised.
The younger man rolled his eyes. “Fine. That girl,” he continued, “Served customers cinnamon buns sprinkled with salt! Salt, hyung! On my pastries!”
Jaejoong just blinked as his rundown mind tried to process the absurdity of the situation. Then, too worn to do anything else, he just leaned against Changmin’s arm with an exhausted sigh. “I’m sorry, Changmin-ah. It’s just so hard being understaffed… I promise that I’ll take the time to find someone better this time.”
Changmin’s anger quickly deflated at the sight of his stressed and overworked hyung. He wrapped his arm around Jaejoong’s shoulders affectionately as he spoke, “Thanks, hyung. I know it’s been hard on you. After all, it’s not like people have been tripping over themselves to apply when we’ve had the hiring sign up.”
*****
As it turned out, Changmin was wrong, which was such a rare occurrence that Jaejoong actually made note of it in his journal later that night (the journal whose existence he would deny to his very last breath, should anyone ever ask).
Only a day after Sujin quit, a tall and handsome opportunity fell into Paradise’s kitchen.
Literally.
Jaejoong had been hurrying out front from the kitchen to help Yoochun and Junsu with a busier than normal 7:00AM rush, when he was bowled over by 6 feet of warm, solid muscle wrapped up in a leather jacket. In a tangle of limbs, the two men tripped and stumbled sideways, crashed into the swinging door, and found themselves in a heap of limbs on the tiled floor of Paradise’s kitchen.
Despite feeling dazed from the impact, Jaejoong was already apologising profusely to the customer, who must have been making his way to the restrooms, that he had collided with. Already understaffed and stretched thin, the last thing he needed right now was a customer complaint or, god forbid, a lawsuit.
“I’m so sorry. I wasn’t paying close enough attention to where I was go-” Jaejoong paused his tirade of apologies mid-sentence as he finally registered just who was sprawled on the kitchen floor with him, “Yunho?”
And there was the charming smile that Jaejoong could never forget breaking out across Yunho’s handsome (drool-worthy, sex-god gorgeous) face.
“Jaejoong!” Yunho babbled slightly as he greeted him, obviously just as surprised as Jaejoong was to see his high school classmate, “It’s so good to see you. I didn’t know you worked here - I come here all the time, but I’ve never seen you. I’d definitely remember if I did.”
There was an awkward pause, because Jaejoong had been gazing intently at Yunho’s deliciously full bottom lip that moved enticingly as the other man spoke. He didn’t think he’d ever been this close to those lips before and he wondered how Yunho might react if he just leaned up right now and captured those lips in -
“Jaejoong? Are you alright,” Yunho interrupted Jaejoong’s musings, reaching his hand towards Jaejoong’s face. “Did you hit your head?”
Jaejoong blinked owlishly, before blushing furiously as he realized he’d spaced out while fantasizing about kissing his high school friend. “N-no. I’m fine, really. I was just a little shocked to see you here.”
“Yes, well, being horizontal on the kitchen floor isn’t exactly the most conventional way to meet each other again after all these years!” Yunho joked goodnaturedly and Jaejoong’s mind immediately dove into the unintentional double-meaning of the words.
There were a great many things he’d rather be doing on this floor with Yunho right now than just laying down. If this were a manga, Jaejoong and Yunho’s lips would have collided as they fell to the floor, which Jaejoong would not have minded in the slightest. A tiny voice in the back of his mind whispered that, if this were a rated manga, that kiss would have led to something even more delicious than Changmin’s baking happening in the kitchen that morning (and every morning thereafter, if Jaejoong had any say in the matter).
Jaejoong knew his mind was moving into dangerous territory, so he mentally shook himself before finally replying to Yunho’s first question. “I do work here - well, actually, I own it. But I’m usually upstairs doing paperwork or helping out in the kitchen during the moming.”
“Really, you own Paradise?” Yunho asked. “I never - wow. It’s been such a huge success, you must be really proud.”
Jaejoong blushed again at the compliment. “Thanks, I am. We - myself and my staff - have worked hard for it. It’s always been my dream to open up a cafe. What about you? What have you been up to?”
Yunho stood slowly, perfunctorily dusting himself off before offering his hand to Jaejoong to help him up off the floor.
Jaejoong’s heart was pounding rapidly as he took a hold of Yunho’s hand (that gorgeously long-fingered hand with a grip that was the perfect amount of strength and warmth - what he wouldn’t give to have it gripping certain other places). However, the contact was quickly lost once Jaejoong was on his feet once more. He looked up to meet Yunho’s eyes, his desire staining his cheeks slightly red, only to realise that Yunho wasn’t looking at him at all. In fact, he seemed to be staring at the floor looking… embarrassed? Or maybe even ashamed.
Jaejoong was perplexed. “Yunho? Is everything alright?”
Yunho’s gaze darted up and Jaejoong could now identify apprehension in the normally playful man’s eyes. “A-ah. Well, actually, I’ve um had a bit of a falling out with my family recently.”
“Oh?” Jaejoong said, eyes wide with empathy. He reached over and grasped Yunho’s arm in what he hoped was a reassuring manner and most definitely had nothing to do with his intense desire to touch the other man. None whatsoever.
Yunho rubbed at the back of his neck nervously. “Yeah. They were helping me pay for school and now… now they’re not, so I’ve been working most nights to try to, you know, pay rent and tuition and stuff.”
Now that Jaejoong looked more closely at his old friend, looked past the novelty of seeing him again, he could see heavy dark circles beneath Yunho’s eyes and a lingering exhaustion in the way he held himself.
“Oh, Yunho. It must be so hard on you,” Jaejoong spoke softly, squeezing Yunho’s arm gently, “Is there anything that I can do to help? That is, if you don’t mind me intruding.”
Yunho looked shocked at Jaejoong’s offer. “I - I don’t want to burden you, Jaejoong. I mean, we’ve only just met today for the first time since high school.”
“I’m not saying I can fix everything,” Jaejoong reasoned, “But I can promise to try to help.”
“The thing is… I’m being kicked out of my apartment because I’m so overdue on rent,” Yunho reluctantly confessed with his eyes closed tightly to save what little pride he had left.
Jaejoong was silent for a few moments, thinking about the situation that had just fallen into his lap. He wanted to help Yunho, if he could. They were friends in high school and Jaejoong would like to think they could still be friends now. If that happened to grow into more, well, no one would hear Jaejoong utter a single complaint on the matter.
Then, the idea came to him and, oh, what an idea it was.
“I think we can work something out, Yunho, but I’ll need a favour in return.”
Yunho’s eyes opened in surprise, locking onto Jaejoong’s. “What have you got in mind?”
*****
And so, all in the course of one morning Kim Jaejoong landed himself a new waiter and a new roommate. He honestly felt that he couldn’t be happier. The businessman in him was thrilled to finally have a competent and hardworking employee, which Yunho definitely was. He was not only polite and courteous to the customers, but he quickly built a rapport with several of their regular customers thanks to his humour and open nature.
At the same time, Jaejoong’s personal side was in heaven because of Yunho’s close proximity (he saw Yunho coming out of the bathroom in nothing but a towel on their first day living together - those abs! Jaejoong wanted to steal a bowl of Changmin’s secret recipe frosting and eat it off those firm, tanned muscles. It would so be worth dying at Changmin’s hands when he found out later).
However, there was one problem with their little arrangement. A rather pressing problem, Jaejoong thought as he squirmed uncomfortably in his seat trying to adjust his pants that now felt two sizes too small. Really, it wasn’t like he was the one who had asked Yunho to demonstrate his dancing skill. This was definitely Junsu’s fault. If Junsu wasn’t the wonderful barista and friend he was, Jaejoong would totally never forgive him for this.
The younger man was a dancing machine and had been thrilled to find out part way through their after-work gathering that Yunho also loved to dance. And, so, Jaejoong had had the distinct pleasure of watching just what Yunho’s hips were capable of (everything and anything, it turned out - it was seriously criminal that anyone could move like that). Being only human and utterly appreciative of the male form, Jaejoong couldn’t help but admire those firmly muscled thighs and the fluid motions of Yunho’s hips.
He had enjoyed every moment of the show.
Thoroughly.
Maybe a little too thoroughly, he grimaced with a glance downward at the straining front of his jeans. It had been nearly fifteen minutes since the impromptu dancing had started and Jaejoong really couldn’t take anymore without embarrassing himself.
After waiting for the perfect moment, Jaejoong slipped unnoticed from the staffroom on the upper floor of Paradise and hurried (as much as one could hurry, in his current state) to his bedroom which was located at the end of the hall and around the corner.
As soon as he was safely behind the locked door, Jaejoong tore off his belt and had his jeans splayed open widely at the zipper. He sighed gratefully as some of the pressure was released when the fabric loosened.
Jaejoong didn’t know what was going on with him lately, but the mere presence of Yunho in his life had turned Jaejoong’s libido up as high as it had been when he was a teenager and had been filled with raging, churning hormones; this was the third time this week that he’d had to sneak off due to a Yunho-related problem that wouldn’t go away, no matter how many strange and awful things he had tried to think about to distract himself.
With a frown, he looked down at his swollen cock where it lay leaning hopefully out of his gaping jeans. There was nothing to be done, Jaejoong decided, but to take matters into his own hands again.
He removed his pants entirely, boxers and all, and strode over to sprawl himself across the bed. Slowly, he slid his hand downward, over his chest, and ghosted his fingers along the smooth planes of his stomach, all the while pretending that it was Yunho’s hand caressing the sensitive skin there. At the same time, his other hand came to rest on his pierced nipple. The fingers pinched and twisted the sensitive nub almost painfully and pulled a needy gasp from Jaejoong’s lips.
He was so turned on after watching Yunho’s sultry dance that he knew there would be no need to draw things out this time. His erection was heavy and aching in his grasp when he finally succumbed to temptation and slid the hand on his stomach down to touch the stiffened flesh. He rubbed gently at first, pulling at the tip with fleeting fingers until he was panting and bucking upward involuntarily.
He plucked at his nipple ring in time with each stroke and, god, did he wish that it was Yunho’s mouth lapping at the piercing instead. He could just imagine what those perfect, plump lips would feel like as they sucked at the metal ring, tugging and laving it with teeth and tongue. He wanted to watch the pretty mole at the corner of Yunho’s mouth dance as those lips worked him and caused him to lose his mind to the sensation.
“Yunho,” Jaejoong gasped breathily as he pulled on his cock harder, faster.
His heart was pounding in time with his pulsing erection, his hand racing madly up and down, but it wasn’t enough.
He needed more.
Jaejoong reached underneath the pillow, searching blindly for the small tube of lube that he knew was under there somewhere. After a few moments of frustrated fumbling, the small cylinder was finally in his grasp and he then wasted no time in leaning over to the drawer of his bedside table.
Seconds later, which felt like an eternity to Jaejoong in his fevered state, he gasped and trembled in anticipation as he slowly began to press a thick, hard dildo into himself. Jaejoong briefly thought to himself that the only bonus of being driven mad with lust over Yunho was that he was still loose enough from this morning’s indulgence that he didn’t need much preparation, or any at all really.
“Ah… ah… mmn,” Jaejoong moaned incoherently, fondling his gradually tightening balls as the firm length filled him up.
A sharp spark of pleasure flashed through him as his prostate was pressed glancingly before the toy was fully seated inside of him. He pressed it firmly upward, whimpering quietly, until he was sure it was securely in place and then, hands shaking anxiously, he flipped a small switch at the base.
Unadulterated pleasure exploded through Jaejoong as the toy whirred to life inside of him, pulsing deliciously in his hot, wet heat. He threw his head back and moaned unabashedly as each vibration along the hard length was felt against the sensitive ridge of his prostate.
“Oh, god yes,” Jaejoong cried out as he resumed his ministrations on his twitching cock, “Fuck… fuck.” The dual pleasure was nearly too much for him to handle after being put on edge by Yunho’s tantalizing dancing and the sensations had him on the edge of orgasm.
As his ecstasy built, he remembered the way Yunho’s hips had thrust sinfully as he danced. When he squinted his eyes tightly, he could practically see Yunho’s body between his legs, pounding into him and fucking him so good, so hard. Those powerful thighs would be clenching and straining with each thrust and Yunho’s hands, those gorgeous hands that Jaejoong wanted to explore with his mouth, would be gripping Jaejoong’s hips hard enough to leave bruises.
Jaejoong’s hand tightened on his swollen and reddened cock, stroking furiously as he began to reach his peak. He imagined instead that it was Yunho’s beautiful, long fingers holding him tightly in their grasp; tugging and sliding sinuously along his trembling erection.
“Yunho, oh... oh.” With a sharp twist of his hand at the head of his cock, Jaejoong shattered into a burning hot orgasm with Yunho’s name on his lips.
*****
It was getting to be a bit ridiculous, his obsession with Yunho. Even watching the other man serve customers had Jaejoong feeling short of breath and left him hard and aching to have the gorgeous waiter touch him.
Jaejoong watched as Yunho retrieved some freshly made drinks from Junsu at the bar and delivered them to a couple sitting by the front window. The way Yunho bent over slightly as he waited on tables caused his ass to stick out just so, and what a fine ass it was. Jaejoong wanted to stalk over there, customers be damned, and take it into his hands. He wanted to squeeze the firm, rounded muscles and then grind himself against them until he exploded all over those -
“Someone’s got it bad,” Yoochun interrupted his (rather inappropriate for work) train of thought.
Startled, Jaejoong flushed hotly and turned his gaze from the visual feast to his best friend’s smug and knowing look.
“I don’t know what you mean,” Jaejoong spoke, feigning ignorance.
Yoochun raised an eyebrow at him. “Well, the tent you’re setting up under your apron tells a different story,” he countered with a pointed glance at Jaejoong’s crotch.
“Shut up,” Jaejoong replied, knowing it was a poor comeback.
Yoochun sniggered and put an arm around Jaejoong’s shoulders. “You should just go for it.”
“No way, Yoochun,” Jaejoong spluttered in disbelief, pulling away from Yoochun’s side abruptly. “He’s my friend - and my employee! I need him here; I can’t afford to take advantage of that and scare him off.”
“He’s totally into you,” Yoochun said. “Maybe if you spent a little less time staring at his ass and a little more looking at his face, you might have noticed it before now.”
“I don’t stare-” Jaejoong stopped talking at the incredulous expression on Yoochun’s face.
“You definitely, definitely do.”
“Alright, fine, maybe I do,” Jaejoong acquiesced. “But there’s no way he’s interested in me - Yunho is straight; he dated tons of girls in highschool!”
“Well, that was then. If I’m not mistaken - which I’m totally not - he was drooling over you when we all went to the sauna last week,” Yoochun explained, “Most straight guys don’t stare at other guys like that, you know.”
Jaejoong was wide eyed. “Really? You’re not joking, right?”
“I know I can be a dick sometimes to make a joke, but I’m one hundred percent serious, so give it a chance.” Yoochun patted Jaejoong on the shoulder before turning and walking towards the entrance to the kitchen.
“Yoochun,” Jaejoong spoke and Yoochun turned back. “Thanks.”
Jaejoong returned to work, thinking about what Yoochun had said and most definitely not mooning over Yunho. Okay, maybe he mooned a little. Just for a minute, though! Jaejoong was a busy cafe owner, afterall.
*****
Jaejoong spent the next four days agonizing over how to confess to Yunho. At first, he thought he might corner Yunho in the staff room after work one night, but upon further reflection (paired with a slap across the back of his head from his favourite cafe manager) he decided it would probably be a good idea to come up with a different, slightly less creepy, plan.
Maybe he should he buy flowers? Would Yunho be into that?
It wouldn’t make sense to ask him for coffee, since they both worked in a cafe. Dinner maybe, or a movie?
Honestly, Jaejoong was at a complete loss. This was Yunho, his crush since the first day of high school. Jaejoong had wanted him and dreamt of being with him for years, yet all he could think of now was getting into his pants. Normally, Jaejoong wouldn’t describe himself as being particularly shallow, but the man was a sex god (and the title deserved a capital ‘S’) and Jaejoong was a little (okay, a lot) frustrated.
Just this morning, Yunho had walked into the bathroom while Jaejoong was brushing his teeth, stripped off his boxers, and hopped in the shower.
Naked.
Yunho had been naked less than a meter from him.
And wet.
So, so very wet in that shower.
Jaejoong had had a small emergency to take into hand (literally) at just the thought of what that might look like. God, he could hear it. All that water flowing out of the shower head and wrapping Yunho from head to gorgeous foot.
Really, Jaejoong thought, could anyone blame him for wanting to skip straight (or not so straight at all) into bed with the man? Yunho was practically flaunting himself in front of Jaejoong like an extremely sexy carrot on a stick, walking around with little to nothing on and - Jaejoong’s mind suddenly leapt back to what Yoochun had mentioned a few days ago: he thought Yunho was interested in Jaejoong.
Could it be, Jaejoong wondered still partly in disbelief? Had Yunho been dangling himself in front of Jaejoong all this time and Jaejoong’s mind had been too far gone into the gutter to even notice?
Jaejoong decided then, that the next time Yunho seemed to give him any sort of overt sign, he would take Yoochun’s advice and just go for it.
*****
For the second day in a row, Yunho waltzed into the bathroom and turned on the shower while Jaejoong brushed his teeth. As he watched Yunho stripping in the mirror, Jaejoong steeled himself to make his move. This was it.
After Yunho had stepped behind the shower curtain, Jaejoong spat his toothpaste out into the sink and flung off his boxers to land in a heap against the bath mat.
He moved towards the curtain cautiously, listening to the water as it splattered inside the stall. With deep breath to calm himself, he pulled back the curtain and stepped into the shower.
Instantly, he could feel himself flush all over, and not from the heat of the water. In front of him were the planes of Yunho’s back. The muscles of Yunho’s shoulders smoothed and bunched as he rubbed his chest with soap and the water sluiced down over the sculpted flesh so that it glistened under the dim light filtering in through the shower curtain.
Jaejoong wanted desperately to lick the stream of water that was flowing steadily downward from the nape of Yunho’s neck and he was so absorbed in that thought that he was slow to realise that Yunho had turned around to face him.
Their eyes locked and Jaejoong could see that Yunho’s were burning with desire.
“Jaejoong-ah,” Yunho spoke softly. “I was starting to wonder if I was wrong about you being interested in me.”
He glanced downward at the very obvious evidence of Jaejoong’s attraction to him and then smiled wolfishly as he shifted closer to Jaejoong.
Oh my, Jaejoong thought as Yunho’s strong, gorgeous hands came to rest on his hips and began to pull him forward with a gentle force, he was definitely going to have to thank Yoochun later.
Much later.
*****
(It turned out that instead of receiving Jaejoong’s gratitude, all Yoochun got was a vicious kick to the shin for pointing out Jaejoong’s difficulty sitting down during breakfast.)
*****
Pairing: YunJae
Genre: Romance, AU
Word Count: 4,707
Rating: NC-17
Warnings: Adult content (Jaejoong's mind is only at home in the gutter~), language
Summary: All Jaejoong needs is a new waiter for his cafe. All Jaejoong wants is Yunho.
A/N: Written for nasthycielle's prompt in the the 2014 JaeHo Exchange. (I've corrected a few small errors from the original draft I sent in for the exchange, but otherwise it's the same whether you read it here or there.) This fic is in (what I think is) quite a different style from my usual work. Hopefully you will all still enjoy it :)
A/N2: So, I may have just paid a large amount of money on a ticket and a flight down to California for the Korea Times Music Festival on May 2... Anyone else planning to go? I dont know anybody who is going and would love to have someone to sightsee and/or stand in line with!
*****
Jaejoong, who had been peacefully slogging his way through the paperwork on his desk, was drawn out of his office by muffled shouting coming from the first floor of the building. Placing the sheath of papers that he had been working on down carefully, he rose and opened the door of his office to listen more closely.
As he poked his head around the corner of the doorframe, he was immediately concerned by the sheer amount noise below. Jaejoong quickly exited the small office and began to hurry down the stairs that led to the main floor of his cafe. Two years ago, when he was only 24, Jaejoong had fulfilled his life long wish by opening Paradise. To his surprise and excitement, the cafe had been an undeniable success, with a loyal following of customers who raved about their array of beverages and treats. However, running a business wasn’t as easy as he had always imagined, Jaejoong had discovered. And it certainly seemed like this day was going to be one of the challenging ones, Jaejoong thought as he steeled himself for whatever he might discover when he reached the source of the noise.
Halfway to the bottom of the staircase, he nearly collided with Yoochun, his best friend and manager of the cafe, who had been quickly making his way up the steps. Both Jaejoong and Yoochun had to swerve awkwardly to avoid crashing into one another in their urgency. The two men wobbled unsteadily as their balance was thrown off, grabbing onto one another and the railing to stay afoot.
“Oh, good. I was just on my way to get you,” Yoochun spoke in a harried tone with one hand still resting on Jaejoong’s arm.
Yoochun, who was normally in good humour even under adverse circumstances, looked thoroughly annoyed and also a little bit frightened. Jaejoong knew that didn’t bode well for whatever had happened, and was still happening, if the raised voices were any indication, in his cafe.
“What on Earth is happening down there?” Jaejoong winced as the sound of something heavy - and probably valuable - crashing to the floor echoed out from the kitchen below. “Don’t tell me that pervert guy is back?”
“The one who was trying to spy on people in the restrooms?” Yoochun asked with a grimace.
“Yeah.”
Yoochun shook his head vehemently. “No, thank god.” He paused, an aggrieved look coming over his face. “It’s Changmin. Again.”
Jaejoong sighed heavily at the news, but honestly wasn’t surprised; he was intimately familiar with Changmin’s temperament, after having known the younger man for four years. Pinching the bridge of his nose, he slumped sideways against the wall in defeat.
“That’s the third one this month!” Jaejoong exclaimed, exasperated.
Yoochun put an arm around Jaejoong’s shoulder in commiseration and began to lead him down to the bottom of the stairs and into the kitchen. “Well, it’s either him or them… And I know you’d choose him in a heartbeat.”
“Unfortunately for me, Changmin’s temper is as foul as his baking is sweet.” Jaejoong sighed again, feeling beleaguered, as the best friends stepped into the chaos that had formerly been Paradise’s kitchen.
Dozens of pastries, cooked and uncooked, had turned the normally spotless floor into an obstacle course after being upended - and likely thrown as well, Jaejoong admitted to himself, when he spied several flour marks on the wall that were suspiciously cinnamon bun-shaped - from their baking trays. Although the battle seemed to be over now, Changmin still paced furiously alongside the counter, muttering under his breath and viciously kicking any pastry that dared to cross his path.
There was no sign of Sujin, the third person Jaejoong had hired to the cafe’s wait staff this month. However, his barista, Junsu, was trailing around the kitchen, garbage bag in hand, timidly collecting the poor, abused pastries that had met their demise at the eruption of Changmin’s fiery temper.
Treading carefully, Jaejoong moved forward into the battleground. He made a short detour around an upturned bowl of batter and approached Junsu first. This was partly to get Junsu out of the crossfire before Jaejoong spoke with Changmin, but mostly to give the temperamental patisserie a few more moments to cool down so he would be less likely to bite Jaejoong’s head off in rage.
“It’s alright, Junsu. You go back out front and I’ll handle this,” Jaejoong spoke gently, urging Junsu along with a friendly hand on his shoulder.
Junsu glanced warily at Changmin, then turned back to Jaejoong. “Thanks, hyung,” he replied gratefully before hastily returning to the safety of the front counter.
Molehill down, only the mountain to go, Jaejoong thought in resignation as he tentatively approached Changmin. The patisserie was now motionless, but eerily so. He was standing still as stone against the counter, his hands clenched tightly on the edge and his shoulders tensed in anger beneath the stark white of his uniform. He didn’t move an iota when Jaejoong stood next to him and began to speak.
“Changmin,” Jaejoong said, “We need to talk about this.”
There was no response from the younger man.
“Changmin-ah,” Jaejoong cautiously placed a hand on Changmin’s arm as he spoke. “Tell hyung what happened.”
Changmin huffed, clearly still aggravated, but nevertheless obeyed the request. “Hyung, I know you needed to hire someone quickly,” he began, “But she was completely incompetent!”
“Changmin, she’s the third person you’ve driven off this month,” Jaejoong explained slowly, surprising himself at how calm he sounded despite his frustration with his temperamental dongsaeng.
Changmin turned and hit him with a piercing gaze. “Hyung,” Changmin spoke, stretching out the final sound for emphasis, “She couldn’t figure out the difference between sugar and salt!”
“Well, she’s not meant to be baking, so I don’t see why that would be such a big -”
“But she is supposed to help plate the pastries,” Changmin interrupted, gesticulating in the direction of the pastries all over the floor, “That idiotic little b-”
“Changmin,” Jaejoong chastised.
The younger man rolled his eyes. “Fine. That girl,” he continued, “Served customers cinnamon buns sprinkled with salt! Salt, hyung! On my pastries!”
Jaejoong just blinked as his rundown mind tried to process the absurdity of the situation. Then, too worn to do anything else, he just leaned against Changmin’s arm with an exhausted sigh. “I’m sorry, Changmin-ah. It’s just so hard being understaffed… I promise that I’ll take the time to find someone better this time.”
Changmin’s anger quickly deflated at the sight of his stressed and overworked hyung. He wrapped his arm around Jaejoong’s shoulders affectionately as he spoke, “Thanks, hyung. I know it’s been hard on you. After all, it’s not like people have been tripping over themselves to apply when we’ve had the hiring sign up.”
*****
As it turned out, Changmin was wrong, which was such a rare occurrence that Jaejoong actually made note of it in his journal later that night (the journal whose existence he would deny to his very last breath, should anyone ever ask).
Only a day after Sujin quit, a tall and handsome opportunity fell into Paradise’s kitchen.
Literally.
Jaejoong had been hurrying out front from the kitchen to help Yoochun and Junsu with a busier than normal 7:00AM rush, when he was bowled over by 6 feet of warm, solid muscle wrapped up in a leather jacket. In a tangle of limbs, the two men tripped and stumbled sideways, crashed into the swinging door, and found themselves in a heap of limbs on the tiled floor of Paradise’s kitchen.
Despite feeling dazed from the impact, Jaejoong was already apologising profusely to the customer, who must have been making his way to the restrooms, that he had collided with. Already understaffed and stretched thin, the last thing he needed right now was a customer complaint or, god forbid, a lawsuit.
“I’m so sorry. I wasn’t paying close enough attention to where I was go-” Jaejoong paused his tirade of apologies mid-sentence as he finally registered just who was sprawled on the kitchen floor with him, “Yunho?”
And there was the charming smile that Jaejoong could never forget breaking out across Yunho’s handsome (drool-worthy, sex-god gorgeous) face.
“Jaejoong!” Yunho babbled slightly as he greeted him, obviously just as surprised as Jaejoong was to see his high school classmate, “It’s so good to see you. I didn’t know you worked here - I come here all the time, but I’ve never seen you. I’d definitely remember if I did.”
There was an awkward pause, because Jaejoong had been gazing intently at Yunho’s deliciously full bottom lip that moved enticingly as the other man spoke. He didn’t think he’d ever been this close to those lips before and he wondered how Yunho might react if he just leaned up right now and captured those lips in -
“Jaejoong? Are you alright,” Yunho interrupted Jaejoong’s musings, reaching his hand towards Jaejoong’s face. “Did you hit your head?”
Jaejoong blinked owlishly, before blushing furiously as he realized he’d spaced out while fantasizing about kissing his high school friend. “N-no. I’m fine, really. I was just a little shocked to see you here.”
“Yes, well, being horizontal on the kitchen floor isn’t exactly the most conventional way to meet each other again after all these years!” Yunho joked goodnaturedly and Jaejoong’s mind immediately dove into the unintentional double-meaning of the words.
There were a great many things he’d rather be doing on this floor with Yunho right now than just laying down. If this were a manga, Jaejoong and Yunho’s lips would have collided as they fell to the floor, which Jaejoong would not have minded in the slightest. A tiny voice in the back of his mind whispered that, if this were a rated manga, that kiss would have led to something even more delicious than Changmin’s baking happening in the kitchen that morning (and every morning thereafter, if Jaejoong had any say in the matter).
Jaejoong knew his mind was moving into dangerous territory, so he mentally shook himself before finally replying to Yunho’s first question. “I do work here - well, actually, I own it. But I’m usually upstairs doing paperwork or helping out in the kitchen during the moming.”
“Really, you own Paradise?” Yunho asked. “I never - wow. It’s been such a huge success, you must be really proud.”
Jaejoong blushed again at the compliment. “Thanks, I am. We - myself and my staff - have worked hard for it. It’s always been my dream to open up a cafe. What about you? What have you been up to?”
Yunho stood slowly, perfunctorily dusting himself off before offering his hand to Jaejoong to help him up off the floor.
Jaejoong’s heart was pounding rapidly as he took a hold of Yunho’s hand (that gorgeously long-fingered hand with a grip that was the perfect amount of strength and warmth - what he wouldn’t give to have it gripping certain other places). However, the contact was quickly lost once Jaejoong was on his feet once more. He looked up to meet Yunho’s eyes, his desire staining his cheeks slightly red, only to realise that Yunho wasn’t looking at him at all. In fact, he seemed to be staring at the floor looking… embarrassed? Or maybe even ashamed.
Jaejoong was perplexed. “Yunho? Is everything alright?”
Yunho’s gaze darted up and Jaejoong could now identify apprehension in the normally playful man’s eyes. “A-ah. Well, actually, I’ve um had a bit of a falling out with my family recently.”
“Oh?” Jaejoong said, eyes wide with empathy. He reached over and grasped Yunho’s arm in what he hoped was a reassuring manner and most definitely had nothing to do with his intense desire to touch the other man. None whatsoever.
Yunho rubbed at the back of his neck nervously. “Yeah. They were helping me pay for school and now… now they’re not, so I’ve been working most nights to try to, you know, pay rent and tuition and stuff.”
Now that Jaejoong looked more closely at his old friend, looked past the novelty of seeing him again, he could see heavy dark circles beneath Yunho’s eyes and a lingering exhaustion in the way he held himself.
“Oh, Yunho. It must be so hard on you,” Jaejoong spoke softly, squeezing Yunho’s arm gently, “Is there anything that I can do to help? That is, if you don’t mind me intruding.”
Yunho looked shocked at Jaejoong’s offer. “I - I don’t want to burden you, Jaejoong. I mean, we’ve only just met today for the first time since high school.”
“I’m not saying I can fix everything,” Jaejoong reasoned, “But I can promise to try to help.”
“The thing is… I’m being kicked out of my apartment because I’m so overdue on rent,” Yunho reluctantly confessed with his eyes closed tightly to save what little pride he had left.
Jaejoong was silent for a few moments, thinking about the situation that had just fallen into his lap. He wanted to help Yunho, if he could. They were friends in high school and Jaejoong would like to think they could still be friends now. If that happened to grow into more, well, no one would hear Jaejoong utter a single complaint on the matter.
Then, the idea came to him and, oh, what an idea it was.
“I think we can work something out, Yunho, but I’ll need a favour in return.”
Yunho’s eyes opened in surprise, locking onto Jaejoong’s. “What have you got in mind?”
*****
And so, all in the course of one morning Kim Jaejoong landed himself a new waiter and a new roommate. He honestly felt that he couldn’t be happier. The businessman in him was thrilled to finally have a competent and hardworking employee, which Yunho definitely was. He was not only polite and courteous to the customers, but he quickly built a rapport with several of their regular customers thanks to his humour and open nature.
At the same time, Jaejoong’s personal side was in heaven because of Yunho’s close proximity (he saw Yunho coming out of the bathroom in nothing but a towel on their first day living together - those abs! Jaejoong wanted to steal a bowl of Changmin’s secret recipe frosting and eat it off those firm, tanned muscles. It would so be worth dying at Changmin’s hands when he found out later).
However, there was one problem with their little arrangement. A rather pressing problem, Jaejoong thought as he squirmed uncomfortably in his seat trying to adjust his pants that now felt two sizes too small. Really, it wasn’t like he was the one who had asked Yunho to demonstrate his dancing skill. This was definitely Junsu’s fault. If Junsu wasn’t the wonderful barista and friend he was, Jaejoong would totally never forgive him for this.
The younger man was a dancing machine and had been thrilled to find out part way through their after-work gathering that Yunho also loved to dance. And, so, Jaejoong had had the distinct pleasure of watching just what Yunho’s hips were capable of (everything and anything, it turned out - it was seriously criminal that anyone could move like that). Being only human and utterly appreciative of the male form, Jaejoong couldn’t help but admire those firmly muscled thighs and the fluid motions of Yunho’s hips.
He had enjoyed every moment of the show.
Thoroughly.
Maybe a little too thoroughly, he grimaced with a glance downward at the straining front of his jeans. It had been nearly fifteen minutes since the impromptu dancing had started and Jaejoong really couldn’t take anymore without embarrassing himself.
After waiting for the perfect moment, Jaejoong slipped unnoticed from the staffroom on the upper floor of Paradise and hurried (as much as one could hurry, in his current state) to his bedroom which was located at the end of the hall and around the corner.
As soon as he was safely behind the locked door, Jaejoong tore off his belt and had his jeans splayed open widely at the zipper. He sighed gratefully as some of the pressure was released when the fabric loosened.
Jaejoong didn’t know what was going on with him lately, but the mere presence of Yunho in his life had turned Jaejoong’s libido up as high as it had been when he was a teenager and had been filled with raging, churning hormones; this was the third time this week that he’d had to sneak off due to a Yunho-related problem that wouldn’t go away, no matter how many strange and awful things he had tried to think about to distract himself.
With a frown, he looked down at his swollen cock where it lay leaning hopefully out of his gaping jeans. There was nothing to be done, Jaejoong decided, but to take matters into his own hands again.
He removed his pants entirely, boxers and all, and strode over to sprawl himself across the bed. Slowly, he slid his hand downward, over his chest, and ghosted his fingers along the smooth planes of his stomach, all the while pretending that it was Yunho’s hand caressing the sensitive skin there. At the same time, his other hand came to rest on his pierced nipple. The fingers pinched and twisted the sensitive nub almost painfully and pulled a needy gasp from Jaejoong’s lips.
He was so turned on after watching Yunho’s sultry dance that he knew there would be no need to draw things out this time. His erection was heavy and aching in his grasp when he finally succumbed to temptation and slid the hand on his stomach down to touch the stiffened flesh. He rubbed gently at first, pulling at the tip with fleeting fingers until he was panting and bucking upward involuntarily.
He plucked at his nipple ring in time with each stroke and, god, did he wish that it was Yunho’s mouth lapping at the piercing instead. He could just imagine what those perfect, plump lips would feel like as they sucked at the metal ring, tugging and laving it with teeth and tongue. He wanted to watch the pretty mole at the corner of Yunho’s mouth dance as those lips worked him and caused him to lose his mind to the sensation.
“Yunho,” Jaejoong gasped breathily as he pulled on his cock harder, faster.
His heart was pounding in time with his pulsing erection, his hand racing madly up and down, but it wasn’t enough.
He needed more.
Jaejoong reached underneath the pillow, searching blindly for the small tube of lube that he knew was under there somewhere. After a few moments of frustrated fumbling, the small cylinder was finally in his grasp and he then wasted no time in leaning over to the drawer of his bedside table.
Seconds later, which felt like an eternity to Jaejoong in his fevered state, he gasped and trembled in anticipation as he slowly began to press a thick, hard dildo into himself. Jaejoong briefly thought to himself that the only bonus of being driven mad with lust over Yunho was that he was still loose enough from this morning’s indulgence that he didn’t need much preparation, or any at all really.
“Ah… ah… mmn,” Jaejoong moaned incoherently, fondling his gradually tightening balls as the firm length filled him up.
A sharp spark of pleasure flashed through him as his prostate was pressed glancingly before the toy was fully seated inside of him. He pressed it firmly upward, whimpering quietly, until he was sure it was securely in place and then, hands shaking anxiously, he flipped a small switch at the base.
Unadulterated pleasure exploded through Jaejoong as the toy whirred to life inside of him, pulsing deliciously in his hot, wet heat. He threw his head back and moaned unabashedly as each vibration along the hard length was felt against the sensitive ridge of his prostate.
“Oh, god yes,” Jaejoong cried out as he resumed his ministrations on his twitching cock, “Fuck… fuck.” The dual pleasure was nearly too much for him to handle after being put on edge by Yunho’s tantalizing dancing and the sensations had him on the edge of orgasm.
As his ecstasy built, he remembered the way Yunho’s hips had thrust sinfully as he danced. When he squinted his eyes tightly, he could practically see Yunho’s body between his legs, pounding into him and fucking him so good, so hard. Those powerful thighs would be clenching and straining with each thrust and Yunho’s hands, those gorgeous hands that Jaejoong wanted to explore with his mouth, would be gripping Jaejoong’s hips hard enough to leave bruises.
Jaejoong’s hand tightened on his swollen and reddened cock, stroking furiously as he began to reach his peak. He imagined instead that it was Yunho’s beautiful, long fingers holding him tightly in their grasp; tugging and sliding sinuously along his trembling erection.
“Yunho, oh... oh.” With a sharp twist of his hand at the head of his cock, Jaejoong shattered into a burning hot orgasm with Yunho’s name on his lips.
*****
It was getting to be a bit ridiculous, his obsession with Yunho. Even watching the other man serve customers had Jaejoong feeling short of breath and left him hard and aching to have the gorgeous waiter touch him.
Jaejoong watched as Yunho retrieved some freshly made drinks from Junsu at the bar and delivered them to a couple sitting by the front window. The way Yunho bent over slightly as he waited on tables caused his ass to stick out just so, and what a fine ass it was. Jaejoong wanted to stalk over there, customers be damned, and take it into his hands. He wanted to squeeze the firm, rounded muscles and then grind himself against them until he exploded all over those -
“Someone’s got it bad,” Yoochun interrupted his (rather inappropriate for work) train of thought.
Startled, Jaejoong flushed hotly and turned his gaze from the visual feast to his best friend’s smug and knowing look.
“I don’t know what you mean,” Jaejoong spoke, feigning ignorance.
Yoochun raised an eyebrow at him. “Well, the tent you’re setting up under your apron tells a different story,” he countered with a pointed glance at Jaejoong’s crotch.
“Shut up,” Jaejoong replied, knowing it was a poor comeback.
Yoochun sniggered and put an arm around Jaejoong’s shoulders. “You should just go for it.”
“No way, Yoochun,” Jaejoong spluttered in disbelief, pulling away from Yoochun’s side abruptly. “He’s my friend - and my employee! I need him here; I can’t afford to take advantage of that and scare him off.”
“He’s totally into you,” Yoochun said. “Maybe if you spent a little less time staring at his ass and a little more looking at his face, you might have noticed it before now.”
“I don’t stare-” Jaejoong stopped talking at the incredulous expression on Yoochun’s face.
“You definitely, definitely do.”
“Alright, fine, maybe I do,” Jaejoong acquiesced. “But there’s no way he’s interested in me - Yunho is straight; he dated tons of girls in highschool!”
“Well, that was then. If I’m not mistaken - which I’m totally not - he was drooling over you when we all went to the sauna last week,” Yoochun explained, “Most straight guys don’t stare at other guys like that, you know.”
Jaejoong was wide eyed. “Really? You’re not joking, right?”
“I know I can be a dick sometimes to make a joke, but I’m one hundred percent serious, so give it a chance.” Yoochun patted Jaejoong on the shoulder before turning and walking towards the entrance to the kitchen.
“Yoochun,” Jaejoong spoke and Yoochun turned back. “Thanks.”
Jaejoong returned to work, thinking about what Yoochun had said and most definitely not mooning over Yunho. Okay, maybe he mooned a little. Just for a minute, though! Jaejoong was a busy cafe owner, afterall.
*****
Jaejoong spent the next four days agonizing over how to confess to Yunho. At first, he thought he might corner Yunho in the staff room after work one night, but upon further reflection (paired with a slap across the back of his head from his favourite cafe manager) he decided it would probably be a good idea to come up with a different, slightly less creepy, plan.
Maybe he should he buy flowers? Would Yunho be into that?
It wouldn’t make sense to ask him for coffee, since they both worked in a cafe. Dinner maybe, or a movie?
Honestly, Jaejoong was at a complete loss. This was Yunho, his crush since the first day of high school. Jaejoong had wanted him and dreamt of being with him for years, yet all he could think of now was getting into his pants. Normally, Jaejoong wouldn’t describe himself as being particularly shallow, but the man was a sex god (and the title deserved a capital ‘S’) and Jaejoong was a little (okay, a lot) frustrated.
Just this morning, Yunho had walked into the bathroom while Jaejoong was brushing his teeth, stripped off his boxers, and hopped in the shower.
Naked.
Yunho had been naked less than a meter from him.
And wet.
So, so very wet in that shower.
Jaejoong had had a small emergency to take into hand (literally) at just the thought of what that might look like. God, he could hear it. All that water flowing out of the shower head and wrapping Yunho from head to gorgeous foot.
Really, Jaejoong thought, could anyone blame him for wanting to skip straight (or not so straight at all) into bed with the man? Yunho was practically flaunting himself in front of Jaejoong like an extremely sexy carrot on a stick, walking around with little to nothing on and - Jaejoong’s mind suddenly leapt back to what Yoochun had mentioned a few days ago: he thought Yunho was interested in Jaejoong.
Could it be, Jaejoong wondered still partly in disbelief? Had Yunho been dangling himself in front of Jaejoong all this time and Jaejoong’s mind had been too far gone into the gutter to even notice?
Jaejoong decided then, that the next time Yunho seemed to give him any sort of overt sign, he would take Yoochun’s advice and just go for it.
*****
For the second day in a row, Yunho waltzed into the bathroom and turned on the shower while Jaejoong brushed his teeth. As he watched Yunho stripping in the mirror, Jaejoong steeled himself to make his move. This was it.
After Yunho had stepped behind the shower curtain, Jaejoong spat his toothpaste out into the sink and flung off his boxers to land in a heap against the bath mat.
He moved towards the curtain cautiously, listening to the water as it splattered inside the stall. With deep breath to calm himself, he pulled back the curtain and stepped into the shower.
Instantly, he could feel himself flush all over, and not from the heat of the water. In front of him were the planes of Yunho’s back. The muscles of Yunho’s shoulders smoothed and bunched as he rubbed his chest with soap and the water sluiced down over the sculpted flesh so that it glistened under the dim light filtering in through the shower curtain.
Jaejoong wanted desperately to lick the stream of water that was flowing steadily downward from the nape of Yunho’s neck and he was so absorbed in that thought that he was slow to realise that Yunho had turned around to face him.
Their eyes locked and Jaejoong could see that Yunho’s were burning with desire.
“Jaejoong-ah,” Yunho spoke softly. “I was starting to wonder if I was wrong about you being interested in me.”
He glanced downward at the very obvious evidence of Jaejoong’s attraction to him and then smiled wolfishly as he shifted closer to Jaejoong.
Oh my, Jaejoong thought as Yunho’s strong, gorgeous hands came to rest on his hips and began to pull him forward with a gentle force, he was definitely going to have to thank Yoochun later.
Much later.
*****
(It turned out that instead of receiving Jaejoong’s gratitude, all Yoochun got was a vicious kick to the shin for pointing out Jaejoong’s difficulty sitting down during breakfast.)
*****