Eyes Of Fiery Red 3/?
Title: Eyes Of Fiery Red 3/?
Pairing: YunJae
Rating: PG
Disclaimer: I sometimes (okay, MANY times) wish I did.
Word Count: 1930
Summary: Jaejoong struggles with the sins he neither expects to be forgiven for nor atone for. Yunho takes it all away from him, all in return for a chance at a single taste of love - rare, coveted, and as he begins to discover, perhaps, out-of-reach.
♥♥♥
It should be a little awkward, Jaejoong mused dully, when two strangers with no knowledge of each other except of names would end up on a journey together.
The night of dining together was strangely comfortable, despite the fact that little words were exchanged. Jaejoong didn’t offer any information about himself, except for his name, and Yunho didn’t ask. Not even about what had made him pass out, Jaejoong supposed he simply assumed that it was hunger. But the level of comfort scared Jaejoong. He was terrified of being too comfortable and he didn’t want to give away pieces of information about himself to a complete stranger - that would very likely get him killed in the wrong hands - because if money changed hands, information got passed fairly quickly. He had tried to detach himself from the other man, unwilling to reveal his losses and vulnerabilities, as well as his need to kill a certain demon.
But he had burned everything.
It wasn’t as if there had been much in the run-down house that would have helped him survive in the wilderness, but he hadn’t seen fit, or simply wasn’t thinking straight enough, to save at least the bedding so he could settle for nights in the forest. It was simply natural that Jaejoong accepted without question when Yunho hadn’t displayed any exceptional eagerness, but just nonchalance, whilst saying he wouldn’t mind being a travelling companion for whatever journey Jaejoong was going on. Yunho was dressed for travel, at least, and Jaejoong needed what help he could get to survive on the road.
But road to where? Jaejoong found himself asking that more and more after Yunho had asked where he had wanted to go. Truthfully, he had no idea. It was funny that Yunho hadn’t thought it weird when Jaejoong didn’t have an answer for him. Had he expected it? Jaejoong wondered what Yunho thought of him; a man with no idea where to go and no plans to get anywhere, who sat deep in thought and hatred many times clutching a pendant hanging from his neck. He wondered, but he didn’t ask. Yunho didn’t probe into his past, and he would do the same for him.
They fell into a routine very naturally, after Jaejoong had returned at the end of the first day with only a rabbit to show for his efforts. He wasn’t weak, just that Yunho was a better huntsman than he was. Yunho hunted, and Jaejoong would collect the firewood and set up bedding and cook the trophies Yunho brought back (since Yunho obviously couldn’t cook, judging from the first night they met). Yunho would disappear somewhere - sometimes for long periods of time and other times, just a short while - after dinner and Jaejoong would find a spot to mourn the loss of his sister, playing her laughter, her crinkled joyful eyes all in his head, all while fingering the dagger he had. It occurred to him that perhaps Yunho disappeared for his sake, because some days when he clutched the pendant tighter tended to be the days Yunho disappeared for a longer time. He was grateful.
Grateful for that action of Yunho's, whether perceived or real, but also grateful that Yunho was a complete stranger that he had no connections to and for the thoughtful, understanding silence he was treated with, so he didn’t need to deal with smiling when everything in his life was ruined. He simply didn’t smile if he didn’t feel like it, because life shouldn’t go on anymore.
With no destination in mind, they decided to first get to town and pick up some supplies. Jaejoong made sure to choose a neighbouring one that had the least connections with his previous town, so no one would recognise him even if they had heard of rumours revolving around demons and burned houses.
---
It took them almost a week to get to town.
They had to share a room at the local inn because Jaejoong insisted on paying his part (‘either you let me pay half or I’ll just go.’) but his stash of money was very limited compared to Yunho’s. So they claimed to be brothers to avoid the weird stares that came with unrelated people sharing rooms. They had argued for ages before reaching town about whose name to take-
“Jung.”
“Kim.”
“Do I look like I’d be a Kim?”
“What’s that supposed to mean?!”
“Whatever you think it means.”
-before Jaejoong finally threw in the towel because Yunho claimed to be the sole breadwinner with a smirk (‘I hunt all that you eat, friend.’), which he couldn’t deny. Fuming over a Jung Jaejoong being brought to life, he had realised in a fleeting thought that the silence that had blanketed their time together had dissolved into companionable chitchat and sometimes, banter.
It was funny, really. He couldn’t figure Yunho out, but he was a person hard to not like. He was capable, calm, yet not callous. Jaejoong himself was itching to know more about Yunho, about the man behind those eyes that look so full of knowledge and so sure sometimes, and had in fact asked quite a few questions. But despite the growth in their friendship, the latter had remained content with all the things Jaejoong had unconsciously spoken of, because Yunho didn’t feel to him like a friend of only a few days. It was as if he knew Jaejoong didn’t want to rake up the past, and he respected that. He appreciated it, probably more than Yunho would ever know.
Then there were other times, when Yunho was so stubborn and wilful about the smallest things that he doesn’t seem like the same man, but rather, a child. His lips quirked as he recalled the time when Yunho had been trying to coax him into telling the things that he liked - simple things, actually; favourite foods and places and just things - and he had gotten himself into quite a horrible mood that day, having relived, in his sleep, the memory of hearing Eun Hye’s voice before he passed out and the horror of finding her body, small, pale and cold in his arms as he cried. Yunho had gotten fed up with being ignored and had promptly sat down on the rotting log of a fallen tree, folding his arms and refusing to move. Jaejoong had been entirely at a loss about how to deal with such a situation - it was truly a first, seeing Yunho like this - and had sat down unsurely and awkwardly beside the frowning man after being flustered and trying to coax the man into saying something. It seemed that Yunho was contented with having the roles reversed for just that little while, because once Jaejoong’s bottom touched the wood, he smiled and went, “So, what’s your favourite food?”
The man was absolutely absurd, Jaejoong thought, a smile playing on his lips.
But it was endearing, he had to admit, and probably why they had managed to start talking (since Yunho had forced him to sit there on said log, the two talking till sundown and ended up being forced to spend the night there).
Probably also why they had taken almost a week for a journey supposedly only four days long, Jaejoong mused with a smile on his lips, sinking further into the tub, the pleasantly warm water a craved luxury after their time in the forest.
---
Yunho had returned and left again to talk to the inn keeper after unceremoniously tossing some packages on the table. Jaejoong raised an eyebrow and walked over, poking and curiously looking through the packages. There were normal things that travellers required - dried goods, flint, new sets of clothes that looked sturdy enough, et cetera. Jaejoong discovered a bundle that was roughly wrapped in some animal skin and tied with twine from the bottom of the largest package. He unwrapped it and stared - there, laid out in front of him on the dusty wooden table, was a whole set of throwing knives and a gladius.
Yunho came back in, “I managed to get us two horses too; they’re outside in the stable,” he informed Jaejoong conversationally. Jaejoong’s head had snapped up and he stared at Yunho in something akin to muted horror. There was no way he was ever going to be able to repay Yunho - not with the amount he had! But the other man didn’t notice the look on Jaejoong’s face as he continued talking but went into the bathroom to prepare his bath, his voice slightly muffled from across the thin walls. “Did you see the weapons I got you? They should be good; I was assured of their quality by the local blacksmith.”
“What?” Yunho asked, his eyebrows raised beyond sight as they crept behind his hair, when he finally caught the look on Jaejoong’s face, having come out of the bathroom to get some fresh clothes. Jaejoong opened his mouth to protest, but stopped himself in time. There was amusement dancing in the raven eyes and the silent challenge Jaejoong could see was being issued to him reminded him a certain conversation they had.
“Either you let me pay half, or I’ll just go,” Jaejoong smirked in triumph as Yunho considered it.
Yunho growled a little, “Fine. But if you complain again, I’m going to drown you in a swamp.”
Jaejoong shrugged, expecting the lodging to cost the most anyway.
It wasn’t that Jaejoong was weak. But he just didn’t think he could win against the likes of… that. Jaejoong’s eyes rove over Yunho’s bare upper body - all hard, angular planes and muscles entirely promising massive strength. He inwardly panicked a little, grappling with the task of finding something to say; he didn’t know the man well enough to judge if he’d really follow through with his threat or if he was simply jesting. “I…don’t know how to use the gladius,” he finished lamely.
The amusement didn’t fade away, but the smirk was replaced with a smile, brilliantly white teeth displayed. Jaejoong could feel a little burst of warmth at that, pleased that he hadn’t inspired enactment of the threat and also because Yunho seemed pleased.
“How did you know to get me throwing knives though?”
It struck him as strange, after getting over the shock of the splurging on Yunho’s part (which he’d really never get to repay). Bandits were common, especially when it came to two lone travellers without horses to outrun the outlaws but they were fortunate enough to not have run into them; that also meant that Yunho had never seen him fight.
He flushed a little (even though he couldn’t fathom why) when Yunho breezed past him to grab something off the table. His dagger. “You throw this, don’t you? I can’t imagine you using this for melee attacks - you wouldn’t have survived.”
Jaejoong nodded in understanding. “Thank you. What about you? You don’t seem to have a weapon; is that okay?” Yunho smiled at the question again, before it morphed into a smirk, “I haven’t ever experienced a need for one.” Then he turned and returned to the bathroom, ending the conversation, and Jaejoong realised belatedly that he had gotten his clothes in the process of talking.
There was something Jaejoong couldn’t pinpoint. Yunho had left something unsaid - not necessarily lied - but he had implied something in the last sentence. His eyes hadn’t betrayed anything, but Jaejoong was learning things about this man, and he sensed, more than saw, that there was something.
But he couldn’t even begin to guess at what.
♥♥♥
A/N: I’m totally stuck here, but I already have the ending written already! I’m so excited, I think everything just worked out fine because I have been obsessing over this and I love it and can’t wait to finish this! I hope you guys enjoy like moi! :D A bientôt, babes!
Pairing: YunJae
Rating: PG
Disclaimer: I sometimes (okay, MANY times) wish I did.
Word Count: 1930
Summary: Jaejoong struggles with the sins he neither expects to be forgiven for nor atone for. Yunho takes it all away from him, all in return for a chance at a single taste of love - rare, coveted, and as he begins to discover, perhaps, out-of-reach.
♥♥♥
It should be a little awkward, Jaejoong mused dully, when two strangers with no knowledge of each other except of names would end up on a journey together.
The night of dining together was strangely comfortable, despite the fact that little words were exchanged. Jaejoong didn’t offer any information about himself, except for his name, and Yunho didn’t ask. Not even about what had made him pass out, Jaejoong supposed he simply assumed that it was hunger. But the level of comfort scared Jaejoong. He was terrified of being too comfortable and he didn’t want to give away pieces of information about himself to a complete stranger - that would very likely get him killed in the wrong hands - because if money changed hands, information got passed fairly quickly. He had tried to detach himself from the other man, unwilling to reveal his losses and vulnerabilities, as well as his need to kill a certain demon.
But he had burned everything.
It wasn’t as if there had been much in the run-down house that would have helped him survive in the wilderness, but he hadn’t seen fit, or simply wasn’t thinking straight enough, to save at least the bedding so he could settle for nights in the forest. It was simply natural that Jaejoong accepted without question when Yunho hadn’t displayed any exceptional eagerness, but just nonchalance, whilst saying he wouldn’t mind being a travelling companion for whatever journey Jaejoong was going on. Yunho was dressed for travel, at least, and Jaejoong needed what help he could get to survive on the road.
But road to where? Jaejoong found himself asking that more and more after Yunho had asked where he had wanted to go. Truthfully, he had no idea. It was funny that Yunho hadn’t thought it weird when Jaejoong didn’t have an answer for him. Had he expected it? Jaejoong wondered what Yunho thought of him; a man with no idea where to go and no plans to get anywhere, who sat deep in thought and hatred many times clutching a pendant hanging from his neck. He wondered, but he didn’t ask. Yunho didn’t probe into his past, and he would do the same for him.
They fell into a routine very naturally, after Jaejoong had returned at the end of the first day with only a rabbit to show for his efforts. He wasn’t weak, just that Yunho was a better huntsman than he was. Yunho hunted, and Jaejoong would collect the firewood and set up bedding and cook the trophies Yunho brought back (since Yunho obviously couldn’t cook, judging from the first night they met). Yunho would disappear somewhere - sometimes for long periods of time and other times, just a short while - after dinner and Jaejoong would find a spot to mourn the loss of his sister, playing her laughter, her crinkled joyful eyes all in his head, all while fingering the dagger he had. It occurred to him that perhaps Yunho disappeared for his sake, because some days when he clutched the pendant tighter tended to be the days Yunho disappeared for a longer time. He was grateful.
Grateful for that action of Yunho's, whether perceived or real, but also grateful that Yunho was a complete stranger that he had no connections to and for the thoughtful, understanding silence he was treated with, so he didn’t need to deal with smiling when everything in his life was ruined. He simply didn’t smile if he didn’t feel like it, because life shouldn’t go on anymore.
With no destination in mind, they decided to first get to town and pick up some supplies. Jaejoong made sure to choose a neighbouring one that had the least connections with his previous town, so no one would recognise him even if they had heard of rumours revolving around demons and burned houses.
---
It took them almost a week to get to town.
They had to share a room at the local inn because Jaejoong insisted on paying his part (‘either you let me pay half or I’ll just go.’) but his stash of money was very limited compared to Yunho’s. So they claimed to be brothers to avoid the weird stares that came with unrelated people sharing rooms. They had argued for ages before reaching town about whose name to take-
“Jung.”
“Kim.”
“Do I look like I’d be a Kim?”
“What’s that supposed to mean?!”
“Whatever you think it means.”
-before Jaejoong finally threw in the towel because Yunho claimed to be the sole breadwinner with a smirk (‘I hunt all that you eat, friend.’), which he couldn’t deny. Fuming over a Jung Jaejoong being brought to life, he had realised in a fleeting thought that the silence that had blanketed their time together had dissolved into companionable chitchat and sometimes, banter.
It was funny, really. He couldn’t figure Yunho out, but he was a person hard to not like. He was capable, calm, yet not callous. Jaejoong himself was itching to know more about Yunho, about the man behind those eyes that look so full of knowledge and so sure sometimes, and had in fact asked quite a few questions. But despite the growth in their friendship, the latter had remained content with all the things Jaejoong had unconsciously spoken of, because Yunho didn’t feel to him like a friend of only a few days. It was as if he knew Jaejoong didn’t want to rake up the past, and he respected that. He appreciated it, probably more than Yunho would ever know.
Then there were other times, when Yunho was so stubborn and wilful about the smallest things that he doesn’t seem like the same man, but rather, a child. His lips quirked as he recalled the time when Yunho had been trying to coax him into telling the things that he liked - simple things, actually; favourite foods and places and just things - and he had gotten himself into quite a horrible mood that day, having relived, in his sleep, the memory of hearing Eun Hye’s voice before he passed out and the horror of finding her body, small, pale and cold in his arms as he cried. Yunho had gotten fed up with being ignored and had promptly sat down on the rotting log of a fallen tree, folding his arms and refusing to move. Jaejoong had been entirely at a loss about how to deal with such a situation - it was truly a first, seeing Yunho like this - and had sat down unsurely and awkwardly beside the frowning man after being flustered and trying to coax the man into saying something. It seemed that Yunho was contented with having the roles reversed for just that little while, because once Jaejoong’s bottom touched the wood, he smiled and went, “So, what’s your favourite food?”
The man was absolutely absurd, Jaejoong thought, a smile playing on his lips.
But it was endearing, he had to admit, and probably why they had managed to start talking (since Yunho had forced him to sit there on said log, the two talking till sundown and ended up being forced to spend the night there).
Probably also why they had taken almost a week for a journey supposedly only four days long, Jaejoong mused with a smile on his lips, sinking further into the tub, the pleasantly warm water a craved luxury after their time in the forest.
---
Yunho had returned and left again to talk to the inn keeper after unceremoniously tossing some packages on the table. Jaejoong raised an eyebrow and walked over, poking and curiously looking through the packages. There were normal things that travellers required - dried goods, flint, new sets of clothes that looked sturdy enough, et cetera. Jaejoong discovered a bundle that was roughly wrapped in some animal skin and tied with twine from the bottom of the largest package. He unwrapped it and stared - there, laid out in front of him on the dusty wooden table, was a whole set of throwing knives and a gladius.
Yunho came back in, “I managed to get us two horses too; they’re outside in the stable,” he informed Jaejoong conversationally. Jaejoong’s head had snapped up and he stared at Yunho in something akin to muted horror. There was no way he was ever going to be able to repay Yunho - not with the amount he had! But the other man didn’t notice the look on Jaejoong’s face as he continued talking but went into the bathroom to prepare his bath, his voice slightly muffled from across the thin walls. “Did you see the weapons I got you? They should be good; I was assured of their quality by the local blacksmith.”
“What?” Yunho asked, his eyebrows raised beyond sight as they crept behind his hair, when he finally caught the look on Jaejoong’s face, having come out of the bathroom to get some fresh clothes. Jaejoong opened his mouth to protest, but stopped himself in time. There was amusement dancing in the raven eyes and the silent challenge Jaejoong could see was being issued to him reminded him a certain conversation they had.
“Either you let me pay half, or I’ll just go,” Jaejoong smirked in triumph as Yunho considered it.
Yunho growled a little, “Fine. But if you complain again, I’m going to drown you in a swamp.”
Jaejoong shrugged, expecting the lodging to cost the most anyway.
It wasn’t that Jaejoong was weak. But he just didn’t think he could win against the likes of… that. Jaejoong’s eyes rove over Yunho’s bare upper body - all hard, angular planes and muscles entirely promising massive strength. He inwardly panicked a little, grappling with the task of finding something to say; he didn’t know the man well enough to judge if he’d really follow through with his threat or if he was simply jesting. “I…don’t know how to use the gladius,” he finished lamely.
The amusement didn’t fade away, but the smirk was replaced with a smile, brilliantly white teeth displayed. Jaejoong could feel a little burst of warmth at that, pleased that he hadn’t inspired enactment of the threat and also because Yunho seemed pleased.
“How did you know to get me throwing knives though?”
It struck him as strange, after getting over the shock of the splurging on Yunho’s part (which he’d really never get to repay). Bandits were common, especially when it came to two lone travellers without horses to outrun the outlaws but they were fortunate enough to not have run into them; that also meant that Yunho had never seen him fight.
He flushed a little (even though he couldn’t fathom why) when Yunho breezed past him to grab something off the table. His dagger. “You throw this, don’t you? I can’t imagine you using this for melee attacks - you wouldn’t have survived.”
Jaejoong nodded in understanding. “Thank you. What about you? You don’t seem to have a weapon; is that okay?” Yunho smiled at the question again, before it morphed into a smirk, “I haven’t ever experienced a need for one.” Then he turned and returned to the bathroom, ending the conversation, and Jaejoong realised belatedly that he had gotten his clothes in the process of talking.
There was something Jaejoong couldn’t pinpoint. Yunho had left something unsaid - not necessarily lied - but he had implied something in the last sentence. His eyes hadn’t betrayed anything, but Jaejoong was learning things about this man, and he sensed, more than saw, that there was something.
But he couldn’t even begin to guess at what.
♥♥♥
A/N: I’m totally stuck here, but I already have the ending written already! I’m so excited, I think everything just worked out fine because I have been obsessing over this and I love it and can’t wait to finish this! I hope you guys enjoy like moi! :D A bientôt, babes!