The Way Down
TITLE: The Way Down (Pt. 2 of The Letdown)
AUTHOR: giveitupjessica
PAIRING: JongHo, hint!JongKey
RATING: PG-15/NC-17
GENRE: Angst with a little smut
SUMMARY: Everything was perfect, 'til the train went right off the rail. Problems won't disappear. When I look you in the eye, something isn't right and I don't think we'll survive. The tears drop, this must be the way down. And in one stop, everything's a burn out. Everything was bound to change. This must be the way down.
A/N: And the angst just gets even angsty-er... I'm trying to figure out the ending since it will be the next part I post. A fair warning is that it might not be as fluffy as you want. This is angst and I feel like if the ending is fluff, it'll kind of ruin the whole mini series. I think tomorrow is the last day to vote, so if you haven't yet please go to shawol_haven and vote for my fic please!!!! Anyways, onto the update!!!
Prologue | The Letdown
THE WAY DOWN
Minho was sitting at his desk, glad that the project they were working on was almost done. The final design of the building they were currently working on was almost done. The client just had a few minor changes they want made and then it could finally go into production. The changes the client wants would only take him a couple hours to draw up and then he can finally wipe his hands clean of it all. He can finally go back to his normal work hours. He knows that his boyfriend hates how much he’s been working lately and the guilt he feels because he’s been neglecting the other has been unbearable for the past few weeks. It was okay at first because Jonghyun was completely understanding when he was first given this project. However, he could feel his lover distancing himself from their relationship lately. They weren’t even intimate anymore. Minho was missing his lover’s kisses and his body pressed up against his while they made love in their king size bed.
He pulls his glasses off and massages the bridge of his nose. The memory of this morning coming back to haunt him. Jonghyun definitely hadn’t been himself the past few days and it was really starting to bother Minho. They were both awake at the same time this morning which was a change since normally Minho was long gone by the time the other was getting ready for work. However, this morning he had extra time since he had the meeting with the client first thing and was already done with his proposal.
“Morning babe,” Minho says as he flips over, arm wrapping around the thin waist beside him.
“Minho, you’re still here,” the other replies groggily as he snuggles closer.
“Yeah. I decided I could use some extra sleep before my meeting this morning. Although, I would rather do something else besides sleep,” he starts to place kisses all over the face he loves so much.
“Oh and what is that,” Jonghyun giggles, strong arms pulling him closer and lips finding his as they begin to make out a little in bed.
“Not what, who,” Minho mumbles into his mouth.
“And who is this who that’d you rather do?”
“You sound like Dr. Seuss.”
“Just answer the question.”
“I think it’s obvious. I’d rather be doing you,” Minho flips Jonghyun back onto his back and hovers over him as the latter’s hand start to run up and down his naked torso.
“I’ve missed this body so much,” Jonghyun says, his hands caressing every inch of skin that was being presented in front of him.
“I’ve missed these lips,” Minho leans down and capture’s his lover’s lips. The kiss they share is a lot more sloppy and needy, both grabbing at each other’s bodies eventually resulting in boxers being tossed across the dark room. The sex that follows is just as needy and more rough than they are used to, the pent up want for one another spilling out in the form of moans and screams. Neither one cared about possibly waking the neighbors with the amount of noise they were making. They just cared about fulfilling their craving for the other.
It didn’t feel the same to Minho though. Something was off about his lover. Jonghyun’s initial reaction to Minho that morning wasn’t right. He was surprised, but not in a good way. He seemed almost annoyed that Minho was there when he woke up. And now that they were finally having sex after going without for so long, it feels like Jonghyun was just going through the actions. No real love or emotions going into the motions. He was auto-pilot. Minho wanted to stop, it didn’t feel right to him. It almost felt like rape. But when he tried to stop, Jonghyun forced him to continue, needing to get his release. And well, you can’t rape the willing now can you?
Minho looks down at the figure underneath him. Jonghyun’s body was writhing with pleasure, moans stringing together as Minho continues to pound into his ass. The older must have felt the eyes on him because he suddenly opens his, eyes meeting with those familiar brown orbs. Something wasn’t right. It was right there in his lover’s eyes. He just wishes he knew what it wrong.
A straggled breath escapes his lips as he tosses his glasses onto the desk, leaning back in his chair with his hands resting behind his head. Things just weren’t sitting right with him, he could feel it bubbling in the pit of his stomach. Minho was going to have to talk to Jonghyun tonight and get to the bottom of all of this. And hopefully it was nothing, just his paranoia getting the best of him. He straightened up when he heard a knock at the door.
“Come in!” he grabs his glasses and places them back on his face, picking up the pencil he had tossed aside earlier. Minho glances up when he hears the door open and a young man walk through.
“Good afternoon sir. I have a delivery for a Mr. Choi Minho,” the delivery boy says, he couldn’t be older than eighteen, “Is that you?”
“That’s what it says on my name plate,” Minho gestures to the small sign sitting at the front of his desk.
“Well I like to make sure because I’ve delivered stuff and the employees pretended to be the boss. I almost got fired because of it, so I always ask now,” the young man walks up to the desk, envelop and scanner in hand. A soft beep comes from the device as he scans the barcode on the envelop.
“I could be lying you know,” Minho says, taking the bulky item in his hand to sign his name.
“You have a trusting face, so I believe you are who you say you are.”
“Well,” he reads the nametag attached to the other’s shirt, “Lee Taemin, you shouldn’t be so trusting. There are a lot of shady people out there who are great liars. Next time, if you really wanna do your job right, ask for an i.d.”
“Will do Mr. Choi,” he hands over the envelop and bows, “Have a nice day!”
“You too. Be careful out there, it’s supposed to rain later.”
“I have my raincoat with me at all times.”
“That’s good. I’ll see you next time then.”
“Try not to work too hard sir. You seemed really stressed when I got here. My grandma says it isn’t good for your skin if you’re stressed.”
“Thank you for the advice. You better stop wasting your time here if you want to finish all your deliveries in time.”
“You’re right,” Taemin bows once more and heads for the door.
“Have a nice day Taemin-ssi!”
“You as well Mr. Choi,” and with that he was gone, reveling in the memory of finally interacting with the incredibly handsome man he’s seen so many times before when he’d come to deliver something. The only reason why he had volunteered to make any deliveries to this office in the first place, even though it was all the way on the other side of the city than his normal route. It was all worth it to see the older male on an almost regular basis. Taemin knew who would be the star of his dreams tonight and he couldn’t wait to go to sleep.
Minho stared at the envelop in his hands. It didn’t look like the normal certified letters he would get. It was in a plain white envelop, not the usual manila one, his name and the building’s addressed handwritten on it. But there was no return address. He could feel just one piece of paper inside of it, thicker than normal paper. His curiosity finally gets the better of him and he turns it over and rips the seal open. He knows it’s a photograph by the gold “Kodak” over and over on the piece of paper. Why would someone be sending him a photo and why would they pay the extra to have it be certified mail? Someone wanted him to see this and wanted to know when he got it as well. He was a little hesitant to take the photo out, but once again his curiosity got the better of him.
The moment his fingers touched the smooth surface of the picture, he knew he was going to like what was on it. Minho was regretting opening the letter at this point. He should have just tossed it aside like he normally does when he was as busy. Something inside him said that he needed to open it though and damn him for following that instinct. Minho took a deep breath and flipped the photograph over. His heart drops to his stomach. The sour taste of bile rising up in his throat.
He recognized Jonghyun the instant his eyes landed on the picture, the man beside him was a stranger though. His lover was leaning in close to the other’s ear, no doubt whispering something private. It bothered Minho that Jonghyun was pretty much pressed up against the other man. His mouth was so close to the other’s ear that it wouldn’t have been a surprise to Minho if he had actually taken the lobe into his mouth and sucked it after saying what he needed to say. And Minho knew that Jonghyun was all about public displays of affection. He liked people to know that Minho was his and no one else’s. It was his way of marking his territory and Minho was fine with it. That is until he saw this picture. He knew that Jonghyun was marking his territory and this time, he wasn’t the subject, someone else was. Who was this mystery guy though? And when had this all started?
Minho wanted nothing more than to tear the picture up into pieces and burn it, but he didn’t. He just continued to stare at his lover being intimate with someone else. And here he thought that Jonghyun had changed. That he had left his playboy days behind him to be with Minho, but that obviously wasn’t the case. Minho was now questioning whether or not Jonghyun had ever been able to remain faithful to him or if this guy was just one of the many that the other used behind Minho’s back. Pain started to tug at his heart and the bile he had managed to suppress was making it’s way up his throat again. This time he wasn’t so lucky, the contents of the lunch he just ate spewing into the garbage can underneath his desk. He throws up a couple times and the rest is just dry heaves since there is nothing left in his stomach. When he finally feels like the nausea has passed, he gets up and walks to the bathroom that he’s thankful he has in his office, grabbing the toothbrush he kept there. It takes him a good five minutes to get most of the acidic taste of his puke out of his mouth.
When he returns to his desk, the picture is staring up at him. Mocking him and again he wants to ripe it to shreds, but can’t. His hand picks it up once more and brings it up to eye level. He’s slowly becoming numb to the pain he’s feeling in his chest. He places the picture back on his desk, opening a drawer to grab a Sharpie. The uncapped tip of the marker hovers over the faces in the photo wanting nothing more than to scratch them out. Minho’s decides otherwise though. He decides to write four little letters across their faces instead. Four little letters that express how he feels. D-O-N’-T.
DON’T text me.
DON’T call me.
DON’T e-mail.
Just DON’T.
I DON’T want to hear it.
I DON’T want to know.
I DON’T want this anymore.
I DON’T want you.
*~*
Jonghyun is frozen in place. He can’t move at all. His body won’t listen to him. He’s in shock. The picture slowly falls from his hand and flutters to the floor below him. How could this happen? Who would do this to them? He knows that there really isn’t anyone to blame but Key and himself, but for some reason he couldn’t harbor all the guilt. He already had enough to deal with because he was cheating on his boyfriend. His boyfriend who loves him so much, well he wasn’t sure if he loved him anymore after seeing this picture. How could he be so stupid and let his dick do the thinking instead of his actual brain?
His limbs finally defrost and he’s able to take the few steps to their bed, plopping down on it. The sheets are cold and stiff. The maid must have changed them. They did get them messy this morning during their morning love session. Water starts to build up behind his eyes, threatening to fall at any moment. His hands fist around the clean sheets, pulling them over his shivering body. He curls into the fetal position moments later just as the first few tears fall down his face. How could he be so stupid? Everything was so close to perfect for him. He had his dream job and the dream man he never knew he wanted. But then he had to go and fuck it all up. He was his own worst enemy. A self-saboteur at his finest.
Eventually exhaustion washes over his body and he gladly gives into it, hoping to escape from his fucked up reality. His subconscious had other plans for him though. It wasn’t going to let him off so easily. Chocolate brown eyes haunts his dreams that night and matter what he does, there is no waking up from it. He is forced to deal with the betrayal and disappointment the whole night as he tosses and turns in the cold bed. It isn’t until the harsh light of the following morning that he’s finally able to pull himself out of his reverie.
Instinctively his arm flies out to Minho’s side of the bed to cuddle with him, but his arm hits the soft mattress instead. His eyes slowly open and close, trying to adjust to the sunlight flowing through his window. A yawn escapes his mouth and he stretches his stiff appendages after sleeping in the same position all night. Jonghyun slowly raises his upper body off the bed, arms reaching up above him before he rubs the rest of the sleep out of his eyes.
“Minho?” he calls out, stifling another yawn, “Minho?”
Jonghyun swings his legs over the bed and let’s his feet make contact with the cool wood floor. He takes one step forward before he feels something stick to the bottom of his foot. He looks down and see the picture. Realization washes over him once again. He had no idea where Minho was or if he would ever see or hear from the taller one again. The situation he was in was so clear to him now, the smoke of mixed emotions finally lifted. Jonghyun turns around to survey the rest of the room and that’s when he sees that the closet door is open. He doesn’t remember going into it last night and quickly walks over to it, shaking the photography off his foot in the process.
Jonghyun’s body tenses the moment his foot breaches the doorway of his closet. He doesn’t have to look very hard to know what’s different about it. Everything that was Minho’s in the closet was gone, the only things remaining were empty hangers. Not even a stray button was left behind. Jonghyun knows that if he were to walk through the apartment again, there wouldn’t be any sign of Minho whatsoever. The latter had made it a point to erase his existence from their home.
AUTHOR: giveitupjessica
PAIRING: JongHo, hint!JongKey
RATING: PG-15/NC-17
GENRE: Angst with a little smut
SUMMARY: Everything was perfect, 'til the train went right off the rail. Problems won't disappear. When I look you in the eye, something isn't right and I don't think we'll survive. The tears drop, this must be the way down. And in one stop, everything's a burn out. Everything was bound to change. This must be the way down.
A/N: And the angst just gets even angsty-er... I'm trying to figure out the ending since it will be the next part I post. A fair warning is that it might not be as fluffy as you want. This is angst and I feel like if the ending is fluff, it'll kind of ruin the whole mini series. I think tomorrow is the last day to vote, so if you haven't yet please go to shawol_haven and vote for my fic please!!!! Anyways, onto the update!!!
Prologue | The Letdown
THE WAY DOWN
Minho was sitting at his desk, glad that the project they were working on was almost done. The final design of the building they were currently working on was almost done. The client just had a few minor changes they want made and then it could finally go into production. The changes the client wants would only take him a couple hours to draw up and then he can finally wipe his hands clean of it all. He can finally go back to his normal work hours. He knows that his boyfriend hates how much he’s been working lately and the guilt he feels because he’s been neglecting the other has been unbearable for the past few weeks. It was okay at first because Jonghyun was completely understanding when he was first given this project. However, he could feel his lover distancing himself from their relationship lately. They weren’t even intimate anymore. Minho was missing his lover’s kisses and his body pressed up against his while they made love in their king size bed.
He pulls his glasses off and massages the bridge of his nose. The memory of this morning coming back to haunt him. Jonghyun definitely hadn’t been himself the past few days and it was really starting to bother Minho. They were both awake at the same time this morning which was a change since normally Minho was long gone by the time the other was getting ready for work. However, this morning he had extra time since he had the meeting with the client first thing and was already done with his proposal.
“Morning babe,” Minho says as he flips over, arm wrapping around the thin waist beside him.
“Minho, you’re still here,” the other replies groggily as he snuggles closer.
“Yeah. I decided I could use some extra sleep before my meeting this morning. Although, I would rather do something else besides sleep,” he starts to place kisses all over the face he loves so much.
“Oh and what is that,” Jonghyun giggles, strong arms pulling him closer and lips finding his as they begin to make out a little in bed.
“Not what, who,” Minho mumbles into his mouth.
“And who is this who that’d you rather do?”
“You sound like Dr. Seuss.”
“Just answer the question.”
“I think it’s obvious. I’d rather be doing you,” Minho flips Jonghyun back onto his back and hovers over him as the latter’s hand start to run up and down his naked torso.
“I’ve missed this body so much,” Jonghyun says, his hands caressing every inch of skin that was being presented in front of him.
“I’ve missed these lips,” Minho leans down and capture’s his lover’s lips. The kiss they share is a lot more sloppy and needy, both grabbing at each other’s bodies eventually resulting in boxers being tossed across the dark room. The sex that follows is just as needy and more rough than they are used to, the pent up want for one another spilling out in the form of moans and screams. Neither one cared about possibly waking the neighbors with the amount of noise they were making. They just cared about fulfilling their craving for the other.
It didn’t feel the same to Minho though. Something was off about his lover. Jonghyun’s initial reaction to Minho that morning wasn’t right. He was surprised, but not in a good way. He seemed almost annoyed that Minho was there when he woke up. And now that they were finally having sex after going without for so long, it feels like Jonghyun was just going through the actions. No real love or emotions going into the motions. He was auto-pilot. Minho wanted to stop, it didn’t feel right to him. It almost felt like rape. But when he tried to stop, Jonghyun forced him to continue, needing to get his release. And well, you can’t rape the willing now can you?
Minho looks down at the figure underneath him. Jonghyun’s body was writhing with pleasure, moans stringing together as Minho continues to pound into his ass. The older must have felt the eyes on him because he suddenly opens his, eyes meeting with those familiar brown orbs. Something wasn’t right. It was right there in his lover’s eyes. He just wishes he knew what it wrong.
A straggled breath escapes his lips as he tosses his glasses onto the desk, leaning back in his chair with his hands resting behind his head. Things just weren’t sitting right with him, he could feel it bubbling in the pit of his stomach. Minho was going to have to talk to Jonghyun tonight and get to the bottom of all of this. And hopefully it was nothing, just his paranoia getting the best of him. He straightened up when he heard a knock at the door.
“Come in!” he grabs his glasses and places them back on his face, picking up the pencil he had tossed aside earlier. Minho glances up when he hears the door open and a young man walk through.
“Good afternoon sir. I have a delivery for a Mr. Choi Minho,” the delivery boy says, he couldn’t be older than eighteen, “Is that you?”
“That’s what it says on my name plate,” Minho gestures to the small sign sitting at the front of his desk.
“Well I like to make sure because I’ve delivered stuff and the employees pretended to be the boss. I almost got fired because of it, so I always ask now,” the young man walks up to the desk, envelop and scanner in hand. A soft beep comes from the device as he scans the barcode on the envelop.
“I could be lying you know,” Minho says, taking the bulky item in his hand to sign his name.
“You have a trusting face, so I believe you are who you say you are.”
“Well,” he reads the nametag attached to the other’s shirt, “Lee Taemin, you shouldn’t be so trusting. There are a lot of shady people out there who are great liars. Next time, if you really wanna do your job right, ask for an i.d.”
“Will do Mr. Choi,” he hands over the envelop and bows, “Have a nice day!”
“You too. Be careful out there, it’s supposed to rain later.”
“I have my raincoat with me at all times.”
“That’s good. I’ll see you next time then.”
“Try not to work too hard sir. You seemed really stressed when I got here. My grandma says it isn’t good for your skin if you’re stressed.”
“Thank you for the advice. You better stop wasting your time here if you want to finish all your deliveries in time.”
“You’re right,” Taemin bows once more and heads for the door.
“Have a nice day Taemin-ssi!”
“You as well Mr. Choi,” and with that he was gone, reveling in the memory of finally interacting with the incredibly handsome man he’s seen so many times before when he’d come to deliver something. The only reason why he had volunteered to make any deliveries to this office in the first place, even though it was all the way on the other side of the city than his normal route. It was all worth it to see the older male on an almost regular basis. Taemin knew who would be the star of his dreams tonight and he couldn’t wait to go to sleep.
Minho stared at the envelop in his hands. It didn’t look like the normal certified letters he would get. It was in a plain white envelop, not the usual manila one, his name and the building’s addressed handwritten on it. But there was no return address. He could feel just one piece of paper inside of it, thicker than normal paper. His curiosity finally gets the better of him and he turns it over and rips the seal open. He knows it’s a photograph by the gold “Kodak” over and over on the piece of paper. Why would someone be sending him a photo and why would they pay the extra to have it be certified mail? Someone wanted him to see this and wanted to know when he got it as well. He was a little hesitant to take the photo out, but once again his curiosity got the better of him.
The moment his fingers touched the smooth surface of the picture, he knew he was going to like what was on it. Minho was regretting opening the letter at this point. He should have just tossed it aside like he normally does when he was as busy. Something inside him said that he needed to open it though and damn him for following that instinct. Minho took a deep breath and flipped the photograph over. His heart drops to his stomach. The sour taste of bile rising up in his throat.
He recognized Jonghyun the instant his eyes landed on the picture, the man beside him was a stranger though. His lover was leaning in close to the other’s ear, no doubt whispering something private. It bothered Minho that Jonghyun was pretty much pressed up against the other man. His mouth was so close to the other’s ear that it wouldn’t have been a surprise to Minho if he had actually taken the lobe into his mouth and sucked it after saying what he needed to say. And Minho knew that Jonghyun was all about public displays of affection. He liked people to know that Minho was his and no one else’s. It was his way of marking his territory and Minho was fine with it. That is until he saw this picture. He knew that Jonghyun was marking his territory and this time, he wasn’t the subject, someone else was. Who was this mystery guy though? And when had this all started?
Minho wanted nothing more than to tear the picture up into pieces and burn it, but he didn’t. He just continued to stare at his lover being intimate with someone else. And here he thought that Jonghyun had changed. That he had left his playboy days behind him to be with Minho, but that obviously wasn’t the case. Minho was now questioning whether or not Jonghyun had ever been able to remain faithful to him or if this guy was just one of the many that the other used behind Minho’s back. Pain started to tug at his heart and the bile he had managed to suppress was making it’s way up his throat again. This time he wasn’t so lucky, the contents of the lunch he just ate spewing into the garbage can underneath his desk. He throws up a couple times and the rest is just dry heaves since there is nothing left in his stomach. When he finally feels like the nausea has passed, he gets up and walks to the bathroom that he’s thankful he has in his office, grabbing the toothbrush he kept there. It takes him a good five minutes to get most of the acidic taste of his puke out of his mouth.
When he returns to his desk, the picture is staring up at him. Mocking him and again he wants to ripe it to shreds, but can’t. His hand picks it up once more and brings it up to eye level. He’s slowly becoming numb to the pain he’s feeling in his chest. He places the picture back on his desk, opening a drawer to grab a Sharpie. The uncapped tip of the marker hovers over the faces in the photo wanting nothing more than to scratch them out. Minho’s decides otherwise though. He decides to write four little letters across their faces instead. Four little letters that express how he feels. D-O-N’-T.
DON’T text me.
DON’T call me.
DON’T e-mail.
Just DON’T.
I DON’T want to hear it.
I DON’T want to know.
I DON’T want this anymore.
I DON’T want you.
*~*
Jonghyun is frozen in place. He can’t move at all. His body won’t listen to him. He’s in shock. The picture slowly falls from his hand and flutters to the floor below him. How could this happen? Who would do this to them? He knows that there really isn’t anyone to blame but Key and himself, but for some reason he couldn’t harbor all the guilt. He already had enough to deal with because he was cheating on his boyfriend. His boyfriend who loves him so much, well he wasn’t sure if he loved him anymore after seeing this picture. How could he be so stupid and let his dick do the thinking instead of his actual brain?
His limbs finally defrost and he’s able to take the few steps to their bed, plopping down on it. The sheets are cold and stiff. The maid must have changed them. They did get them messy this morning during their morning love session. Water starts to build up behind his eyes, threatening to fall at any moment. His hands fist around the clean sheets, pulling them over his shivering body. He curls into the fetal position moments later just as the first few tears fall down his face. How could he be so stupid? Everything was so close to perfect for him. He had his dream job and the dream man he never knew he wanted. But then he had to go and fuck it all up. He was his own worst enemy. A self-saboteur at his finest.
Eventually exhaustion washes over his body and he gladly gives into it, hoping to escape from his fucked up reality. His subconscious had other plans for him though. It wasn’t going to let him off so easily. Chocolate brown eyes haunts his dreams that night and matter what he does, there is no waking up from it. He is forced to deal with the betrayal and disappointment the whole night as he tosses and turns in the cold bed. It isn’t until the harsh light of the following morning that he’s finally able to pull himself out of his reverie.
Instinctively his arm flies out to Minho’s side of the bed to cuddle with him, but his arm hits the soft mattress instead. His eyes slowly open and close, trying to adjust to the sunlight flowing through his window. A yawn escapes his mouth and he stretches his stiff appendages after sleeping in the same position all night. Jonghyun slowly raises his upper body off the bed, arms reaching up above him before he rubs the rest of the sleep out of his eyes.
“Minho?” he calls out, stifling another yawn, “Minho?”
Jonghyun swings his legs over the bed and let’s his feet make contact with the cool wood floor. He takes one step forward before he feels something stick to the bottom of his foot. He looks down and see the picture. Realization washes over him once again. He had no idea where Minho was or if he would ever see or hear from the taller one again. The situation he was in was so clear to him now, the smoke of mixed emotions finally lifted. Jonghyun turns around to survey the rest of the room and that’s when he sees that the closet door is open. He doesn’t remember going into it last night and quickly walks over to it, shaking the photography off his foot in the process.
Jonghyun’s body tenses the moment his foot breaches the doorway of his closet. He doesn’t have to look very hard to know what’s different about it. Everything that was Minho’s in the closet was gone, the only things remaining were empty hangers. Not even a stray button was left behind. Jonghyun knows that if he were to walk through the apartment again, there wouldn’t be any sign of Minho whatsoever. The latter had made it a point to erase his existence from their home.