Title: Tightly Bound 3/?
Pairing: Changmin/Jaejoong
Rating: NC-17
Disclaimer: Only in my mind can they be bound together with magic spells.
Summary: Jaejoong is Changmin's biggest rival. When the elf reveals that Changmin is his only option to curb the pain from an ancient curse, Changmin must decide what to do. And he must decide if his sudden feelings for Jaejoong are real, or a result of magic he does not understand.
Part 3:
The Binding Shots
In case you need a visual:
Prince Changmin
Prince Jaejoong
The next morning, Changmin did not necessarily forget that he had a new suite-mate, but he was used to reading something with his morning coffee. The tray of fruit and cheeses for breakfast was in his sitting room, but not the novel about a hero trying to survive in a world of metal. He frowned, wondering where it was, and went into his reading room.
His brain only said, “Right. No reading room,” after he had walked into what was now Jaejoong’s bedroom and after he stepped over the threshold of the room and stared at the beautiful elf asleep amidst dark blue fabrics. The blanket covered his lower half leaving just enough hipbone and thigh for Changmin to know that Jaejoong slept naked. His pale skin almost shimmered in the dim, dawn light from the window.
Before Changmin managed to retreat, Jaejoong’s eyes opened and he smiled widely. He yawned, body arching in a sensuous curve, and then murmured, “Good morning.”
“Good morning,” Changmin whispered. “How do you feel?”
“Content,” he replied with a smile. “It has been a long time since I slept without pain.”
“Good. There is breakfast and coffee in the sitting room whenever you are ready for it.”
Jaejoong stretched again, and Changmin quickly left the room before a persistent problem became more apparent.
Changmin settled at his desk instead of the chair. He had some complicated mathematics to finish before his exercise training schedule. Back to the room. He heard Jaejoong enter. He heard him eat and drink the offered meal. He kept his eyes and most of his concentration on his work.
“May I take a bath?” Jaejoong asked, startling Changmin, and his ink spread over the math problem he had been working on.
He cursed and glared over his shoulder. “Must you?”
“Must I what?” he asked with a confused look and head tilt.
Changmin swallowed, suddenly aware that Jaejoong wore only a short tunic in pale green. One of Changmin’s. He growled and crumpled up the ruined parchment. “Minho!”
The servant opened the door a moment later.
“Have the maids prepare a bath for the elf prince.”
“Yes, your highness.”
Changmin snapped a second piece of parchment from his desk drawer and flattened it on the surface. He dipped his quill into his ink and began scratching out the problem again. He felt more than heard Jaejoong move up behind him, and he had his quill raised when fingers touched his bare shoulder.
“I did not mean to upset you.”
Changmin shook his head. “Leave me to finish this. I need it done today. Enjoy your bath.”
“Thank you,” Jaejoong whispered and let his fingers linger on Changmin’s shoulder before moving away. He paused at the door, and Changmin fought the urge to turn because he had not heard him stop, but knew he had stopped. Somehow. “Thank you for everything.”
Changmin waited until he was alone and then snapped his quill with an annoyed cry. He shut his eyes, took deep breaths, and calmed his heart. He had learned not to act like a child when he did not understand something. He had learned not to react in anger. Why were his emotions so skewed? Why did it feel as if he was so connected to the elf? Why did it feel like he had always been so close to him when they had barely spent any real time together?
He did not understand Jaejoong.
He did not understand the curse that bound them together.
It took much longer than normal to return his focus on his studies, and he managed four solutions of ten before Jaejoong returned from his bath. The elf said nothing to him, but a light blanket settled over his bare shoulders. Changmin reached up and grabbed Jaejoong’s hand. He swallowed, unable to speak, and squeezed his hand instead.
Jaejoong chuckled. A soft noise that sounded reassuring. Not insulting. And then he moved away. In the middle of the next problem, Minho announced that Jaejoong’s things had arrived, and Changmin had to leave his math to supervise a cleansing of his closet of sorts, to make room for Jaejoong’s possessions.
The math remained untouched for the rest of the morning.
Jaejoong followed Changmin to the training yards, ran with him as he went on his daily route around the pastures and buildings of the castle. His presence annoyed Changmin only because it felt normal, like Jaejoong was supposed to be there, or like he had been there for Changmin’s entire life. After his run, he met with the swordmaster and their practice began. Again, Jaejoong stayed and watched. They shared a quick lunch, Changmin went to his sitting room to finish his math problems, and then Changmin dressed regally to join his father in court.
His father acknowledged Jaejoong’s presence in his castle by only asking after his health, since the queen did nothing more than tell him that Jaejoong was ill and needed to be here to recover.
Changmin assured him that Jaejoong was fine.
There were a few important concerns with late tithes and a foreman who had beaten a worker unfairly.
Changmin was required to give his opinion on all the cases with the king either agreeing with his insights or correcting him. Every situation was different, and despite studying law and history, he learned that books only taught him so much.
After court, Changmin had enough sunlight for archery practice. He returned to his rooms to change, discarding the finery upon his bed. Mostly naked he went into the closet and then had to shut his eyes in irritation because everything was in a difference place. His practice gear had been put in a set of drawers near the back corner. He tugged on the tight black pants and turned at a slight noise behind him.
Jaejoong leaned against the wide door and smiled. “You have an amazing body, Changmin-ah.”
Changmin felt his cheeks flush. “I know.” He pulled the shirt on, pulling it tight around his waist.
“Do you mind if I come with you? It will help me learn your weaknesses and exploit them during the next tournament.”
“Did your father bring your bow?”
Jaejoong smiled. “Of course.”
“Very well. If you must.”
Jaejoong touched his neck and smiled. “If I must.”
Changmin swallowed and moved around him into his room. His bow lay where it was supposed to, his quiver would be waiting for him at the archery field. Changmin paused only to pull on his high boots. He did not need to turn to make sure Jaejoong followed him.
“I seem to be doing nothing but bothering you today,” Jaejoong said from behind him. “I will not go if--”
Changmin waved him silent. “I am in a foul mood anyway, and it is not my place or my family’s to confine you to your room.”
“So diplomatic.”
Changmin glanced at him. “I guess you should be thankful that I am not working on hand-to-hand combat today.”
Jaejoong smirked. “With those muscles, that I have not had the previous joy in seeing, I am quite sure you would beat me.”
“Does the curse make you want to lose on purpose?”
“Definitely not.”
“Too bad.”
“Do you need the curse to do that in order to best me?”
“Definitely not.”
Jaejoong bumped their shoulders, and Changmin found himself smiling for the first time that day.
News of the two of them walking toward the archery field with their bows spread throughout the castle, and by the time they arrived, some of the younger servants and workers sat upon the wooden fences to watch.
“Shall we make this interesting?” Jaejoong asked and removed his bow. He checked the grooves and pulled the bow down to string it.
“Interesting?” Changmin said.
Jaejoong smiled. “Yes. A bet. The winner gets a kiss.”
Aware of their audience, Changmin rolled his eyes and curled his lip in disgust. But his heart fluttered a bit and he turned away to lick moisture back into his mouth. Jaejoong laughed.
He knew it was meant as a joke, but Changmin wanted a kiss badly. A feeling through his chest ached with the want to hold him. He ignored it. Was it just the curse that made him want to pull Jaejoong into his arms, slide hands upon his skin?
Changmin hefted a quiver of arrows to his back and turned away before checking the grooves, the grip, and then stringing the bow. There was only a small wind, blowing a few banners and pennants. The afternoon sun was midway in the sky on its way to the horizon.
“Quite daring to turn your back on me,” Jaejoong said.
Changmin refused the bait and watched as a few boys ran into the field to place the targets. The day before Changmin had been working on distance shooting. Now he was focusing on accuracy. He checked his grip, nocked an arrow and pulled it back to check the pull. The targets were nothing more than posts stuck into the ground with a colored top. He waited, adjusting his shot for the wind. His eyes shut for a moment.
In the fog of his brain, he heard ‘blue.’ It only took a moment to sight the blue post and he released the arrow. His mind cleared at the thunk of arrow in wood. The arrow hit the blue, though not in the center of the color. A second later, another twang snagged through the air, and Changmin’s arrow wavered as another slammed into the top of the post, right in the center of the color.
He turned to Jaejoong, eyes narrowed, and he reached for and knocked another bow. He had it up and ready, Jaejoong mirroring his movements. His teacher shouted another color, and Changmin aimed for yellow, hitting it a moment before Jaejoong’s. After that, there was no break between colors, and Changmin sank into the moment.
For once, upon his own soil, Changmin outshone the beautiful elf.
After the posts, his instructor had the boys bring out human sized targets. Each one had a smaller colored circle, meant to signify the point of weakness. The difference was that the dummies had either red or yellow markings and some had both.
“Changmin,” his teacher said, “you take red. Prince Jaejoong, yellow.”
Jaejoong smirked and readied an arrow.
Changmin copied him, once again focusing on the colors, on the task. Clearing his mind. Archery was easier with Jaejoong next to him. It had always been. He had always noted this, but said it was from the competition, the urge to be perfect and beat the beautiful elf. A corner of Changmin’s mind told him it was the binding curse. He ignored it, and listened for his teacher’s voice. As soon as he shouted, “Now,” Changmin began shooting at the targets.
His last arrow narrowly missed one of Jaejoong’s going for the same target that had two spots of color on it. Changmin’s hit first.
Sound returned. Choruses and cheers.
His teacher nodded. “Changmin wins in speed. Jaejoong wins in accuracy.”
Changmin glanced at the yellow marks and saw that Jaejoong had centered them all almost perfectly.
“Again!”
Jaejoong smiled over at Changmin, leaning on his bow. “Elegant,” he mouthed.
Changmin smirked and mouthed back, “Beautiful.”
Jaejoong actually blushed, or it was the aftereffects of the competition, but he bit his lower lip and turned away from him.
Their competition lasted until the sun was almost gone and his teacher reminded him that it was near dinner time.
Changmin did not want to stop shooting, and by the smile on his face, neither did Jaejoong. Both bowed to the teacher and waved to the boys who had helped, before unstringing their bows and heading back into the castle.
“You are so very good,” Jaejoong said. “It took me almost half a century to learn what you have learned in just a few short years.”
Changmin glanced over at him. “Well, I practice every day, and I’m sure you were a lazy--”
“Keep talking and I’m going to claim my prize right here in the hallway.”
Changmin shut his mouth. And then he glared. “Your prize? I beat you today.”
Jaejoong smiled. “I was ahead by one point. Ask your teacher. I know he was keeping track.”
“So was I. And I beat you by two.”
“Do humans count differently than elves? I was ahead by one before the final match, and you missed a colored target!”
“I was ahead by five when I missed that target.” And he had missed that target during the single moment he’d taken his eyes from his bow and looked at Jaejoong, standing in perfect formation, the sun turning his hair golden, the light shimmering on his skin.
“We will agree to disagree that you are a cheater.”
Changmin opened his mouth to argue, but was interrupted.
“Will you be eating in the dining room, your highness?” Minho asked.
Changmin scowled at him, but nodded curtly. “Send Jaejoong to eat his scraps with the hogs.”
Jaejoong laughed, and Changmin turned away before he saw the smile on Minho’s face because punching your personal servant in the middle of a hallway was not exactly proper princely behavior.
He stalked into his bedroom, and practically chucked his bow this time, onto the soft surface of the chair. He winced when the wood smacked together, but did not stop and went straight to his closet. Again, he was aware of Jaejoong behind him. He shucked off his shirt and grabbed a blue tunic. He did not bother changing his pants or boots.
Jaejoong stood at the door. When Changmin attempted to go around him, Jaejoong put out his arm and blocked him in. He fought the urge to muscle his way by.
“Let me pass.”
Jaejoong smiled. “Let me apologize. I know you won. I was keeping count. I only meant to tease you.”
Changmin’s eyes narrowed. He felt a bit of shame for behaving so childishly when Jaejoong had not meant any harm, but he did not know when the other was only teasing or being serious.
“Your reward,” Jaejoong whispered and lifted his head.
Changmin inhaled, and then their lips brushed, and Changmin put his hands on Jaejoong’s shoulders and pushed him away.
Jaejoong pouted. “It is just a kiss.”
Changmin rolled his eyes and moved Jaejoong from the doorway. “You better hurry and dress. You do not want to be late for dinner.”
Jaejoong chuckled.
Changmin left his rooms and only went as far as the next hallway. He leaned against the wall and squeezed his eyes shut to get control of his body. His lips tingled. It had been nothing. Just enough to feel Jaejoong’s warm breath, memorize the way Jaejoong’s eyes had fluttered shut, the way his pale lips had darkened in the shadow of Changmin’s face.
It had been nothing.
He rubbed his lips fiercely and continued to walk to the dining room.
And still his lips tingled.
Part 4:
The Binding Kiss Part 2:
The Binding TouchPart 1:
The Binding Curse .