Tears of the Poor 4/?
Title: Tears of the Poor 4/?
Pairing: Yunho/Jaejoong/Junsu, Siwon/Hangeng/Heechul, Yoochun/Nichkhun/Chansung,
Rating: NC-17
Disclaimer: They are not mine to run through space, sabotage governments and overthrow evil politicians with.
Summary: With his life threatened on ShinKi, Yunho heads to Doushite, the underdeveloped planet Jaejoong and Changmin are from. The atmosphere is tense, at best. ShinKi is destroying the Doushiten way of life just because of the deep veins of gold running through the picturesque mountains. They don't know who they can trust when it comes to trying to free Doushite from the clutches of a greedy empire.
This is a sequel to the fic: Pleasures of the Mighty.
The pleasures of the mighty, are the tears of the poor. A song will outlive the sermons in the memory. = Kim Jaejoong's tattoos
Poster credit goes to 0xkaiia0x
Part 4: The Transformation
A few of the rooms had caches of dried meat and water in clay pots. Changmin wouldn’t let any of them drink any until he’d built a fire and boiled it.
“Seriously?” he said after Yoochun had protested again. “Don’t you Shinki bastards know anything?”
“Changmin, come on,” Yoona whispered and touched his arm.
He visibly relaxed and said, very patiently, “There could be bacteria in it. It has been sitting here for seven years, and as much as I’d love to see you die from your insides being slowly dissolved I do not want to hear you bitch about it, so just wait a second.”
Yoochun crossed his arms and glared at him.
“Can I help, Changmin-shi?” Nickhun asked suddenly.
Everyone stared at him, eyes open wide. He swallowed nervously, and Changsung gripped his hand.
Yoochun opened his mouth, probably to protest, but Changmin beat him to it. “Sure, Nicky.”
Nichkhun scrambled to his feet and followed Changmin down a hall. Shindong and Siwon went with them.
Heechul smirked at Yoochun.
“What?” Yoochun said.
“Losing control of your pets?”
Yoochun gripped Changsung by his hair and yanked his head back. “No.”
Heechul snorted.
“I really want to hurt him,” Junsu whispered in Yunho’s ear.
Yunho tightened his hold around Junsu’s body and nodded. “Not yet.”
“Soon?”
“Maybe.”
Junsu smiled and tilted his head up and Yunho pressed a kiss to his lips.
The others returned with arms full of wood. Around the large floor were circles of bricks, forming deep pits. Changmin picked a central one and piled the sticks inside. He and Nichkun went back for another load. He found a thicker branch and did his best to peel the dried top into sections, and then dipped that into the closets oil well. The dried wood caught immediately and burned brightly. Changmin put the flame to the pile of branches in various places until a roaring fire burned. He directed Nichkhun and Shindong and Siwon to put more branches in.
“At least it’s a little warmer,” Yoona said and shifted closer to Yunho.
Yunho lifted his arm and let her cuddle in the pile of coats. He noted Changmin looking at them for a moment, and then continuing what he was doing.
“Trying to make Changmin jealous won’t work,” Junsu whispered.
Yoona snorted. “I’m not. I was cold.”
“Me, too,” Heechul said and was suddenly in the middle of them.
“Heechul, can you still get access to the system out here.”
Heechul frowned. “I can try. I don’t know how far the network will reach through this rock.” Heechul pulled out his laptop. “My battery is almost dead.”
“That’s okay. Until Jaejoong gets here, that’s the only way we know if they’ve been captured or not.”
Heechul nodded and sat up. Yunho reorganized the coats and blankets around him to keep him warm.
“The signal is really weak,” Heechul muttered. He pondered the screen for a little while. “They’re rewriting the data again, back to ShinKi. They’re searching tunnels and trying to find more, but they can’t do much outside because of the storm. I don’t see anything on-” He broke off and snorted. “Get a load of this message, from your uncle. You are in so much trouble. You and everyone in your party are considered a criminal and a traitor. You will be shot on sight. Dickhead.”
“Before the battery dies, can you send a message to say, Angel, and see if he can spread it on ShinKi?”
Heechul nodded. “Yeah, but we have to hurry. Maybe only thirty seconds of video. I don’t think my battery will last much longer after uploading something that size.”
“That’s enough.”
Heechul hit another few buttons, and then turned the computer to him. After a moment, he said, “Okay, go.”
“Hey everyone. This is Jung Yunho, the Jung Family Heir. By the time this video is released, there are going to be a lot of rumors about where I am and what happened to me. I am on Doushite. I am running for my life, not from Doushiten rebels, but from my uncle and ShinKi soldiers. The party I am with has been deemed traitors to ShinKi and we are all considered criminals. This is not true. We were incarcerated as soon as we landed, and we managed to escape. ShinKi has destroyed the beautiful land of Doushite all for the gold that runs through its mountains. We are a rich people because we exploit and murder anyone who has what we want. My attempts to fight this injustice on ShinKi were thwarted by Senator Rain and my father. Instead, I will be fighting here. It may be a long time until I am back on ShinKi. Until then, I will always be the Jung Family Heir.”
Heechul stopped recording, turned the computer back and started hitting buttons, rapidly, lower lip between his teeth. He worked and sent things until his computer finally died.
To keep warm and to stay busy, Changmin directed all of them into the carved out hallways and into the rooms to gather everything they could. He sorted through it, tossing what wasn’t useful into the flames to fuel the fire.
“Thank god,” Junsu suddenly said, and was across the cavern before Yunho could look up from the pile of furs he was going through, making sure they weren’t too rotted or dried.
Junsu and Jaejoong met in the middle of the cavern with a strong hug, and then a firm kiss.
“Yunho being annoying again?” Jaejoong asked.
Junsu’s laugh echoed on the walls, and he shook his head, “No. Just so glad you’re okay.”
Yunho stood up and went to their hug. There was something on Jaejoong’s back, and Yunho turned him around. A bow, and a quiver of arrows. Yunho had never actually seen one in real life before.
“Wow, cool.”
“Please tell me you found me one too,” Changmin said from the fire where he was handing out dried meat and blankets to everyone.
Jaejoong smirked and walked closer to Changmin. He tossed him a bow, and Changmin easily caught it before putting it on his back. He rolled his shoulders, visibly relaxed and smiled at Jaejoong
“I found five of them, actually, although we need to restring them.
“God, it’s nice to have it on my back again,” Changmin said.
Jaejoong nodded.
Junsu wrapped his hands around Jaejoong’s neck. “It’s sexy, too.”
Jaejoong smiled and their lips met in another kiss.
“Knock it off, Little Insect,” Changmin said. “We found food if you’re hungry.”
“What kind?”
“Dried venison,” Changmin replied.
“Oh, yummy.”
Yoochun snorted.
Jaejoong flipped him off and let Junsu drag him to the fire.
Changmin went to the horses and pulled off the packs. “You found a lot of things, too.”
“Yeah. No weapons, unfortunately. No metal ones anyway. But there were a lot of clothes and a lot of spoiled things. A few herbs. It’ll last us for a little while.”
Everyone settled around the fire. Nichkhun sat next to Yoochun, and Yoochun yanked on his hair in punishment for his earlier defiance. Nichkhun and Changsung exchanged a look that Yoochun missed, and it made Yunho smile. Maybe the two of them would break free from him soon.
“So now what?” Shindong asked.
“We sleep. And then we leave,” Jaejoong said.
“Where are we going?”
Jaejoong and Changmin met each other’s eyes and Yunho was jealous of their eye conversation ability. He wished he had that with Jaejoong.
Jaejoong nodded. “North.”
“Um, snow-“ Hangeng said.
Jaejoong shrugged. “They won’t expect us to go north, and from what I saw when we were landing, if we can get out of this valley, we should be able to stay hidden really easily. With the way things sounded, I had thought the ShinKi had overrun everything. But it looks like they’re staying to pockets near the highest areas of gold production.”
“That makes sense,” Heechul said.
“Can we get out of this valley?” Yunho asked.
“Yes.”
“Can we get out of this sorry excuse for a cave?” Yoochun asked, mocking.
Jaejoong glared at him. “Be careful. There are a lot of places in this cave system where you’ll die if you slip and fall.”
“Or if someone pushes you,” Changmin said.
Yoochun stuck his tongue out like a teenager and snuggled closer to his boys.
“Let’s rest,” Yunho said. “And then go through the supplies and only take what we need and … well …”
Jaejoong shrugged. “It’s better than going and begging your uncle for forgiveness.”
Yunho slept off and on. He wasn’t surprised that Jaejoong didn’t, nor did Changmin. The two of them moved silently through and around the others, going through the things they had both found. Changmin kept the fire alive, and the room eventually warmed. Instead of talking, they used more of their hand signals.
Yunho watched them until he realized that he wasn’t going to go back to sleep. Jaejoong had sat down by himself and was braiding something together. Yunho made sure that Junsu was okay, rearranged between Yoona and Hangeng. They’d all formed a pile for the extra warmth. He picked up one of the coats, and walked over to where Jaejoong was.
Jaejoong looked up from his work only long enough to smile and then went back to it. His fingers and hands wrapped over and around each other. The end of the cord was anchored to a piece of wood that was shoved in a crack on the floor.
“What are you doing?” Yunho whispered.
“Making a string for my bow.”
“So many talents.”
“Yeah. I’m out of practice though. It’s taking me a lot longer to make this thing than it should.”
Yunho smiled and yawned. He leaned his head on Jaejoong’s shoulder. “Will this bother you?”
“Never,” Jaejoong said and paused only long enough to press a sideways kiss against Yunho’s nose.
The next person awake was Yoona, and she first found Yunho and he smiled and she smiled, and then she looked around the room, eyes sparkling when they landed on Changmin across the cavern. He was going through piles of leather coats and boots. In a quiet voice, she asked if she could help. Changmin scowled, but grudgingly told her what went where.
“I think the sexual tension between them is worse than it had been between us,” Jaejoong whispered.
Yunho chuckled. “Yeah.”
“When are you gonna tap that again?”
Yunho dug his finger into Jaejoong’s side. “Shut up.”
It didn’t take too much longer for Jaejoong to have a length of braided horsehair. He lifted his hand and snapped his fingers, and Changmin’s head jerked up. Two hand signals and Changmin shook his head.
“Fuck.”
“What?”
“We don’t have any wax right now. I need it for my bow. The wood is dry, and I’ll be lucky if it doesn’t snap when I try to string it. I’m going to stand up.”
Yunho pouted.
Jaejoong chuckled and kissed his lips and stood up. He did something to the end of the braided string and then looped it on the end of his bow. He put that end against his foot, bent the bow backwards and the other looped end fit perfectly in the notch. Biting his lower lip, Jaejoong brought the bow up, arm and elbow straight, and then tested the give just once. The leather quiver was on the floor and Jaejoong picked up a thin shaft of wood. It looked like it had an arrow on the end of it at one point. He nocked the arrow, aimed for the fire and let it fly. A twang echoed in the cavern and Jaejoong smirked.
“Perfect, as always.”
“Lucky shot,” Changmin said back.
Jaejoong laughed. He bent the bow again, and the string went slack. “I hope I can find some flint rock in a stream or something so I can make some arrowheads soon. Such a waste of effort if I have nothing to kill with.” He sat the bow on the ground, picked up another bunch of horsehair and started all over again.
Slowly the others woke up, and Changmin was quick to take them to another room to relieve themselves and then handed out rations of meat and a few cheeses that hadn’t aged beyond edibility. Water was scarce, but Jaejoong assured everyone that there were underground streams in the cave system that would have fresh water in them.
“You seem worried,” Junsu said, whispering to Jaejoong before pressing a kiss to his cheek.
Jaejoong smiled and nodded. “Winter storms can be long and powerful this high in the mountains. I just hope it’s over. We’re lucky we found boots. Otherwise, you ShinKi bastards would be screwed.”
Junsu laughed and they kissed again, and then again, until Yunho felt left out and pulled them apart. He kissed Junsu and then Jaejoong. “We don’t have time to do this.”
“There’s always time to fuck,” Yoochun said.
Jaejoong smiled and said, “I actually agree with Yoochun on this one.”
“God damn, we haven’t even been home for a day and you’re already returning to your slutty ways,” Changmin said. “Let’s go into town, I’m sure the ShinKi bastards have kept the brothels open.”
Jaejoong kissed Junsu and said, “No thanks. I like being only their slut.”
“Were you really a slut?” Junsu asked.
Jaejoong smirked. “Maybe a little before my mother decided I should get married.”
Changmin snorted. “Luckily for you, you only had to survive a couple of months of celibacy.”
Jaejoong stared at him, and Changmin stared back, and then sighed and looked away. Not quite an apology. Yunho wondered what Jaejoong was thinking.
Jaejoong broke away from him and went to Changmin, touching his cheek. Surprisingly Changmin allowed it. Jaejoong said someone in Doushiten.
Changmin shut his eyes and nodded. “I know, pabo. I know.”
Jaejoong hugged him tightly, and after a moment, Changmin hugged him back.
“Love is tedious,” Yoochun said.
Heechul stuck his tongue out at him. “You’re tedious.”
“You’re a bitch.”
Heechul tapped his foot in irritation. “Luckily for us, we can get rid of you. Can’t get rid of love.”
“Let’s go,” Yunho said, cutting off what could have been an entertaining argument.
Preparations to leave were slow. There were new clothes for everyone to wear, heavier and more apt for winter. It took a while to find boots that fit each person, and the pair Yunho had were tight on his feet. Jaejoong had said not to worry too much. The leather would stretch after a couple of days. They were brown leather and lined with fur. Leather laces tied up the side.
Jaejoong sighed as he looked down at them. “I miss my white boots.”
“You’re such a princess,” Changmin said.
Jaejoong slapped his arm.
Under the direction of Jaejoong, packs were rolled up and put on the horses.
Yunho was enthralled watching Jaejoong in this environment. He was relaxed and calm considering the circumstances, doing everything with practiced ease.
Almost like when he had Yunho tied up and at his mercy.
Yunho loved this Jaejoong.
He shivered.
“What are you thinking about?” Junsu asked with a grin.
“Jaejoong in charge.”
Junsu hummed. “He is quite good at that.”
Jaejoong and Changmin deemed them prepared to leave, and Jaejoong led the way though through the hall. Yunho and Junsu followed at about the middle of the pack. Hangeng and Changmin brought up the rear, leading the horses. The fire from the torches that Changmin and Jaejoong carried threw shadows on the cavern walls.
Jaejoong picked their way down a trail, leaving the relative comfort of man-made hallways to those nature-made. It wasn’t really cold, or really warm, somewhere in between. Yunho knew he’d be thankful for the thick fur coat once they made it outside.
They traveled for hours, whispering quietly to each other, their voices echoed around them. Jaejoong told them they didn’t have to worry about animals or any other people. The biggest concerns were cave-ins, rock slides and sudden drop-offs.
Yunho wasn’t sure what time it was, or how long they’d been walking when Jaejoong stopped them in a larger cavern to eat and rest. He, Changmin and Hangeng had a whispered conversation in Doushiten.
When they were through, Jaejoong came to the pile of blankets that Yunho and Junsu were snuggled under and joined them. Changmin started working on a fire.
“We’re going to sleep here,” he said and he really did look tired. “We have another day or so before we leave the caverns, and the rest of the trail is a bit dangerous. It’ll be better if we’re all rested before we tackle it.”
“Good idea.”
“Know what else is a good idea?” Junsu said.
“What?”
He cupped Jaejoong’s cheeks and pulled, forcing a deep kiss on his lips. Jaejoong moaned, body relaxing into the kiss.
Yunho chuckled and put his arms around both his lovers.
When Junsu let Jaejoong go, their Doushiten prince was flustered and he smiled, eyes shutting. “Yep, good idea.”
“Can I express my opinion on the validity of this good idea?” Yunho asked.
Junsu giggled and kissed Yunho, and then kissed Jaejoong again. Yunho wanted more, knew he couldn’t have more in the lack of privacy the cavern afforded.
They kissed again and again, trading smiles and touches, until finally, Jaejoong’s energy gave, and he snuggled in between them.
Junsu smiled and ran his hands through Jaejoong’s hair. “He’s amazing.”
“Yeah, he is.”
“This is insane,” Junsu said, smiling.
“What is?”
“This.” He waved his hand around the cavern. “We’ve gone from high class house to a cave. A bed to blankets. Jaejoong is … different, but not, same with Changmin. And we are too.”
Yunho laughed. “Yeah. A completely different life.”
“I wonder how long it took Jaejoong to get used to life on ShinKi.”
Yunho ran his hands through Jaejoong’s hair. He wasn’t asleep, but it was close.
“It’s so cool to see him like this,” Junsu continued, “all Prince-like and in control and, I didn’t think I could love him more.”
Jaejoong grumbled against Yunho’s chest.
“What was that, love?” Yunho asked.
Jaejoong tilted his head up and glared at Junsu. “Didn’t you say that pillows aren’t supposed to talk?”
Junsu laughed and kissed his forehead. “Sorry, love.”
They readjusted, Jaejoong’s leg flung across Yunho’s body, and Junsu curled up on Jaejoong’s other side. His two lovers fell asleep before he did, and Yunho stayed awake, thinking of what Junsu said. It was going to be very different. Life wouldn’t ever be the same. He wasn’t going to lay in a jetted hot tub or drive a car for a very long time. Part of him was a bit nervous, but not scared. If Jaejoong hadn’t been with him, then he would have been scared.
The fire burned warm, and with the fur blankets and his two lovers, the chill left Yunho’s body and he slipped into sleep.
Part 5: The Trail
Part 3: The Tunnels
Part 2: The Trap
Part 1: The Trip
.
Pairing: Yunho/Jaejoong/Junsu, Siwon/Hangeng/Heechul, Yoochun/Nichkhun/Chansung,
Rating: NC-17
Disclaimer: They are not mine to run through space, sabotage governments and overthrow evil politicians with.
Summary: With his life threatened on ShinKi, Yunho heads to Doushite, the underdeveloped planet Jaejoong and Changmin are from. The atmosphere is tense, at best. ShinKi is destroying the Doushiten way of life just because of the deep veins of gold running through the picturesque mountains. They don't know who they can trust when it comes to trying to free Doushite from the clutches of a greedy empire.
This is a sequel to the fic: Pleasures of the Mighty.
The pleasures of the mighty, are the tears of the poor. A song will outlive the sermons in the memory. = Kim Jaejoong's tattoos
Poster credit goes to 0xkaiia0x
Part 4: The Transformation
A few of the rooms had caches of dried meat and water in clay pots. Changmin wouldn’t let any of them drink any until he’d built a fire and boiled it.
“Seriously?” he said after Yoochun had protested again. “Don’t you Shinki bastards know anything?”
“Changmin, come on,” Yoona whispered and touched his arm.
He visibly relaxed and said, very patiently, “There could be bacteria in it. It has been sitting here for seven years, and as much as I’d love to see you die from your insides being slowly dissolved I do not want to hear you bitch about it, so just wait a second.”
Yoochun crossed his arms and glared at him.
“Can I help, Changmin-shi?” Nickhun asked suddenly.
Everyone stared at him, eyes open wide. He swallowed nervously, and Changsung gripped his hand.
Yoochun opened his mouth, probably to protest, but Changmin beat him to it. “Sure, Nicky.”
Nichkhun scrambled to his feet and followed Changmin down a hall. Shindong and Siwon went with them.
Heechul smirked at Yoochun.
“What?” Yoochun said.
“Losing control of your pets?”
Yoochun gripped Changsung by his hair and yanked his head back. “No.”
Heechul snorted.
“I really want to hurt him,” Junsu whispered in Yunho’s ear.
Yunho tightened his hold around Junsu’s body and nodded. “Not yet.”
“Soon?”
“Maybe.”
Junsu smiled and tilted his head up and Yunho pressed a kiss to his lips.
The others returned with arms full of wood. Around the large floor were circles of bricks, forming deep pits. Changmin picked a central one and piled the sticks inside. He and Nichkun went back for another load. He found a thicker branch and did his best to peel the dried top into sections, and then dipped that into the closets oil well. The dried wood caught immediately and burned brightly. Changmin put the flame to the pile of branches in various places until a roaring fire burned. He directed Nichkhun and Shindong and Siwon to put more branches in.
“At least it’s a little warmer,” Yoona said and shifted closer to Yunho.
Yunho lifted his arm and let her cuddle in the pile of coats. He noted Changmin looking at them for a moment, and then continuing what he was doing.
“Trying to make Changmin jealous won’t work,” Junsu whispered.
Yoona snorted. “I’m not. I was cold.”
“Me, too,” Heechul said and was suddenly in the middle of them.
“Heechul, can you still get access to the system out here.”
Heechul frowned. “I can try. I don’t know how far the network will reach through this rock.” Heechul pulled out his laptop. “My battery is almost dead.”
“That’s okay. Until Jaejoong gets here, that’s the only way we know if they’ve been captured or not.”
Heechul nodded and sat up. Yunho reorganized the coats and blankets around him to keep him warm.
“The signal is really weak,” Heechul muttered. He pondered the screen for a little while. “They’re rewriting the data again, back to ShinKi. They’re searching tunnels and trying to find more, but they can’t do much outside because of the storm. I don’t see anything on-” He broke off and snorted. “Get a load of this message, from your uncle. You are in so much trouble. You and everyone in your party are considered a criminal and a traitor. You will be shot on sight. Dickhead.”
“Before the battery dies, can you send a message to say, Angel, and see if he can spread it on ShinKi?”
Heechul nodded. “Yeah, but we have to hurry. Maybe only thirty seconds of video. I don’t think my battery will last much longer after uploading something that size.”
“That’s enough.”
Heechul hit another few buttons, and then turned the computer to him. After a moment, he said, “Okay, go.”
“Hey everyone. This is Jung Yunho, the Jung Family Heir. By the time this video is released, there are going to be a lot of rumors about where I am and what happened to me. I am on Doushite. I am running for my life, not from Doushiten rebels, but from my uncle and ShinKi soldiers. The party I am with has been deemed traitors to ShinKi and we are all considered criminals. This is not true. We were incarcerated as soon as we landed, and we managed to escape. ShinKi has destroyed the beautiful land of Doushite all for the gold that runs through its mountains. We are a rich people because we exploit and murder anyone who has what we want. My attempts to fight this injustice on ShinKi were thwarted by Senator Rain and my father. Instead, I will be fighting here. It may be a long time until I am back on ShinKi. Until then, I will always be the Jung Family Heir.”
Heechul stopped recording, turned the computer back and started hitting buttons, rapidly, lower lip between his teeth. He worked and sent things until his computer finally died.
To keep warm and to stay busy, Changmin directed all of them into the carved out hallways and into the rooms to gather everything they could. He sorted through it, tossing what wasn’t useful into the flames to fuel the fire.
“Thank god,” Junsu suddenly said, and was across the cavern before Yunho could look up from the pile of furs he was going through, making sure they weren’t too rotted or dried.
Junsu and Jaejoong met in the middle of the cavern with a strong hug, and then a firm kiss.
“Yunho being annoying again?” Jaejoong asked.
Junsu’s laugh echoed on the walls, and he shook his head, “No. Just so glad you’re okay.”
Yunho stood up and went to their hug. There was something on Jaejoong’s back, and Yunho turned him around. A bow, and a quiver of arrows. Yunho had never actually seen one in real life before.
“Wow, cool.”
“Please tell me you found me one too,” Changmin said from the fire where he was handing out dried meat and blankets to everyone.
Jaejoong smirked and walked closer to Changmin. He tossed him a bow, and Changmin easily caught it before putting it on his back. He rolled his shoulders, visibly relaxed and smiled at Jaejoong
“I found five of them, actually, although we need to restring them.
“God, it’s nice to have it on my back again,” Changmin said.
Jaejoong nodded.
Junsu wrapped his hands around Jaejoong’s neck. “It’s sexy, too.”
Jaejoong smiled and their lips met in another kiss.
“Knock it off, Little Insect,” Changmin said. “We found food if you’re hungry.”
“What kind?”
“Dried venison,” Changmin replied.
“Oh, yummy.”
Yoochun snorted.
Jaejoong flipped him off and let Junsu drag him to the fire.
Changmin went to the horses and pulled off the packs. “You found a lot of things, too.”
“Yeah. No weapons, unfortunately. No metal ones anyway. But there were a lot of clothes and a lot of spoiled things. A few herbs. It’ll last us for a little while.”
Everyone settled around the fire. Nichkhun sat next to Yoochun, and Yoochun yanked on his hair in punishment for his earlier defiance. Nichkhun and Changsung exchanged a look that Yoochun missed, and it made Yunho smile. Maybe the two of them would break free from him soon.
“So now what?” Shindong asked.
“We sleep. And then we leave,” Jaejoong said.
“Where are we going?”
Jaejoong and Changmin met each other’s eyes and Yunho was jealous of their eye conversation ability. He wished he had that with Jaejoong.
Jaejoong nodded. “North.”
“Um, snow-“ Hangeng said.
Jaejoong shrugged. “They won’t expect us to go north, and from what I saw when we were landing, if we can get out of this valley, we should be able to stay hidden really easily. With the way things sounded, I had thought the ShinKi had overrun everything. But it looks like they’re staying to pockets near the highest areas of gold production.”
“That makes sense,” Heechul said.
“Can we get out of this valley?” Yunho asked.
“Yes.”
“Can we get out of this sorry excuse for a cave?” Yoochun asked, mocking.
Jaejoong glared at him. “Be careful. There are a lot of places in this cave system where you’ll die if you slip and fall.”
“Or if someone pushes you,” Changmin said.
Yoochun stuck his tongue out like a teenager and snuggled closer to his boys.
“Let’s rest,” Yunho said. “And then go through the supplies and only take what we need and … well …”
Jaejoong shrugged. “It’s better than going and begging your uncle for forgiveness.”
Yunho slept off and on. He wasn’t surprised that Jaejoong didn’t, nor did Changmin. The two of them moved silently through and around the others, going through the things they had both found. Changmin kept the fire alive, and the room eventually warmed. Instead of talking, they used more of their hand signals.
Yunho watched them until he realized that he wasn’t going to go back to sleep. Jaejoong had sat down by himself and was braiding something together. Yunho made sure that Junsu was okay, rearranged between Yoona and Hangeng. They’d all formed a pile for the extra warmth. He picked up one of the coats, and walked over to where Jaejoong was.
Jaejoong looked up from his work only long enough to smile and then went back to it. His fingers and hands wrapped over and around each other. The end of the cord was anchored to a piece of wood that was shoved in a crack on the floor.
“What are you doing?” Yunho whispered.
“Making a string for my bow.”
“So many talents.”
“Yeah. I’m out of practice though. It’s taking me a lot longer to make this thing than it should.”
Yunho smiled and yawned. He leaned his head on Jaejoong’s shoulder. “Will this bother you?”
“Never,” Jaejoong said and paused only long enough to press a sideways kiss against Yunho’s nose.
The next person awake was Yoona, and she first found Yunho and he smiled and she smiled, and then she looked around the room, eyes sparkling when they landed on Changmin across the cavern. He was going through piles of leather coats and boots. In a quiet voice, she asked if she could help. Changmin scowled, but grudgingly told her what went where.
“I think the sexual tension between them is worse than it had been between us,” Jaejoong whispered.
Yunho chuckled. “Yeah.”
“When are you gonna tap that again?”
Yunho dug his finger into Jaejoong’s side. “Shut up.”
It didn’t take too much longer for Jaejoong to have a length of braided horsehair. He lifted his hand and snapped his fingers, and Changmin’s head jerked up. Two hand signals and Changmin shook his head.
“Fuck.”
“What?”
“We don’t have any wax right now. I need it for my bow. The wood is dry, and I’ll be lucky if it doesn’t snap when I try to string it. I’m going to stand up.”
Yunho pouted.
Jaejoong chuckled and kissed his lips and stood up. He did something to the end of the braided string and then looped it on the end of his bow. He put that end against his foot, bent the bow backwards and the other looped end fit perfectly in the notch. Biting his lower lip, Jaejoong brought the bow up, arm and elbow straight, and then tested the give just once. The leather quiver was on the floor and Jaejoong picked up a thin shaft of wood. It looked like it had an arrow on the end of it at one point. He nocked the arrow, aimed for the fire and let it fly. A twang echoed in the cavern and Jaejoong smirked.
“Perfect, as always.”
“Lucky shot,” Changmin said back.
Jaejoong laughed. He bent the bow again, and the string went slack. “I hope I can find some flint rock in a stream or something so I can make some arrowheads soon. Such a waste of effort if I have nothing to kill with.” He sat the bow on the ground, picked up another bunch of horsehair and started all over again.
Slowly the others woke up, and Changmin was quick to take them to another room to relieve themselves and then handed out rations of meat and a few cheeses that hadn’t aged beyond edibility. Water was scarce, but Jaejoong assured everyone that there were underground streams in the cave system that would have fresh water in them.
“You seem worried,” Junsu said, whispering to Jaejoong before pressing a kiss to his cheek.
Jaejoong smiled and nodded. “Winter storms can be long and powerful this high in the mountains. I just hope it’s over. We’re lucky we found boots. Otherwise, you ShinKi bastards would be screwed.”
Junsu laughed and they kissed again, and then again, until Yunho felt left out and pulled them apart. He kissed Junsu and then Jaejoong. “We don’t have time to do this.”
“There’s always time to fuck,” Yoochun said.
Jaejoong smiled and said, “I actually agree with Yoochun on this one.”
“God damn, we haven’t even been home for a day and you’re already returning to your slutty ways,” Changmin said. “Let’s go into town, I’m sure the ShinKi bastards have kept the brothels open.”
Jaejoong kissed Junsu and said, “No thanks. I like being only their slut.”
“Were you really a slut?” Junsu asked.
Jaejoong smirked. “Maybe a little before my mother decided I should get married.”
Changmin snorted. “Luckily for you, you only had to survive a couple of months of celibacy.”
Jaejoong stared at him, and Changmin stared back, and then sighed and looked away. Not quite an apology. Yunho wondered what Jaejoong was thinking.
Jaejoong broke away from him and went to Changmin, touching his cheek. Surprisingly Changmin allowed it. Jaejoong said someone in Doushiten.
Changmin shut his eyes and nodded. “I know, pabo. I know.”
Jaejoong hugged him tightly, and after a moment, Changmin hugged him back.
“Love is tedious,” Yoochun said.
Heechul stuck his tongue out at him. “You’re tedious.”
“You’re a bitch.”
Heechul tapped his foot in irritation. “Luckily for us, we can get rid of you. Can’t get rid of love.”
“Let’s go,” Yunho said, cutting off what could have been an entertaining argument.
Preparations to leave were slow. There were new clothes for everyone to wear, heavier and more apt for winter. It took a while to find boots that fit each person, and the pair Yunho had were tight on his feet. Jaejoong had said not to worry too much. The leather would stretch after a couple of days. They were brown leather and lined with fur. Leather laces tied up the side.
Jaejoong sighed as he looked down at them. “I miss my white boots.”
“You’re such a princess,” Changmin said.
Jaejoong slapped his arm.
Under the direction of Jaejoong, packs were rolled up and put on the horses.
Yunho was enthralled watching Jaejoong in this environment. He was relaxed and calm considering the circumstances, doing everything with practiced ease.
Almost like when he had Yunho tied up and at his mercy.
Yunho loved this Jaejoong.
He shivered.
“What are you thinking about?” Junsu asked with a grin.
“Jaejoong in charge.”
Junsu hummed. “He is quite good at that.”
Jaejoong and Changmin deemed them prepared to leave, and Jaejoong led the way though through the hall. Yunho and Junsu followed at about the middle of the pack. Hangeng and Changmin brought up the rear, leading the horses. The fire from the torches that Changmin and Jaejoong carried threw shadows on the cavern walls.
Jaejoong picked their way down a trail, leaving the relative comfort of man-made hallways to those nature-made. It wasn’t really cold, or really warm, somewhere in between. Yunho knew he’d be thankful for the thick fur coat once they made it outside.
They traveled for hours, whispering quietly to each other, their voices echoed around them. Jaejoong told them they didn’t have to worry about animals or any other people. The biggest concerns were cave-ins, rock slides and sudden drop-offs.
Yunho wasn’t sure what time it was, or how long they’d been walking when Jaejoong stopped them in a larger cavern to eat and rest. He, Changmin and Hangeng had a whispered conversation in Doushiten.
When they were through, Jaejoong came to the pile of blankets that Yunho and Junsu were snuggled under and joined them. Changmin started working on a fire.
“We’re going to sleep here,” he said and he really did look tired. “We have another day or so before we leave the caverns, and the rest of the trail is a bit dangerous. It’ll be better if we’re all rested before we tackle it.”
“Good idea.”
“Know what else is a good idea?” Junsu said.
“What?”
He cupped Jaejoong’s cheeks and pulled, forcing a deep kiss on his lips. Jaejoong moaned, body relaxing into the kiss.
Yunho chuckled and put his arms around both his lovers.
When Junsu let Jaejoong go, their Doushiten prince was flustered and he smiled, eyes shutting. “Yep, good idea.”
“Can I express my opinion on the validity of this good idea?” Yunho asked.
Junsu giggled and kissed Yunho, and then kissed Jaejoong again. Yunho wanted more, knew he couldn’t have more in the lack of privacy the cavern afforded.
They kissed again and again, trading smiles and touches, until finally, Jaejoong’s energy gave, and he snuggled in between them.
Junsu smiled and ran his hands through Jaejoong’s hair. “He’s amazing.”
“Yeah, he is.”
“This is insane,” Junsu said, smiling.
“What is?”
“This.” He waved his hand around the cavern. “We’ve gone from high class house to a cave. A bed to blankets. Jaejoong is … different, but not, same with Changmin. And we are too.”
Yunho laughed. “Yeah. A completely different life.”
“I wonder how long it took Jaejoong to get used to life on ShinKi.”
Yunho ran his hands through Jaejoong’s hair. He wasn’t asleep, but it was close.
“It’s so cool to see him like this,” Junsu continued, “all Prince-like and in control and, I didn’t think I could love him more.”
Jaejoong grumbled against Yunho’s chest.
“What was that, love?” Yunho asked.
Jaejoong tilted his head up and glared at Junsu. “Didn’t you say that pillows aren’t supposed to talk?”
Junsu laughed and kissed his forehead. “Sorry, love.”
They readjusted, Jaejoong’s leg flung across Yunho’s body, and Junsu curled up on Jaejoong’s other side. His two lovers fell asleep before he did, and Yunho stayed awake, thinking of what Junsu said. It was going to be very different. Life wouldn’t ever be the same. He wasn’t going to lay in a jetted hot tub or drive a car for a very long time. Part of him was a bit nervous, but not scared. If Jaejoong hadn’t been with him, then he would have been scared.
The fire burned warm, and with the fur blankets and his two lovers, the chill left Yunho’s body and he slipped into sleep.
Part 5: The Trail
Part 3: The Tunnels
Part 2: The Trap
Part 1: The Trip
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