[fic] The Wolf Within 1/11
Title: The Wolf Within
Pairings: YunJae
Rating: NC-17
Genre: romance, supernatural, mpreg
Chapters: 1/11
Summary: In a world where inhuman beasts have infested the land, Jaejoong meets the nation's hero, werewolf hunter Yunho. One fateful night spent together changes Jaejoong's life in a way he never thought possible as he leaves home to journey to a place no man has ever gone before - literally.
A/N: I have been suffering from the worst writer's block ever... During this fall and winter I was barely able to write anything at all but luckily now it's finally gone!! This fic started of as a random drabble of mine and somehow progressed into the longest chaptered fic I have written so far. I had really wanted to write about werewolves for a long time, and also complete another mpreg story and I'm really happy with how it all turned out. I hope you enjoy reading this story as much as I enjoyed writing it. I'll be posting a chapter weekly, with two pictures as usual! I'm so freaking excited!!
Chapter 1
Jaejoong's family had a little inn on the side of the road that led to the Northern parts of the country. It was a modest but fairly large old farm house inherited from generation to generation and one day, it was going to become Jaejoong's, too. He lived there with his mother and eight older sisters, two cats and a bunch of hens in the backyard, without a father. It had been so long since the day of his passing, that Jaejoong had almost forgotten he had once existed. They did just fine without a man in the house - for the time being Jaejoong was too young to take charge, nor did he want to.
Every day travelers stopped by the house to rest for the night, enjoy a bowl of Jaejoong's mother's famous onion soup and of course, tell stories from their journeys and what went on in the surrounding cities. Going outside hadn't been safe for a long time.
For as long as Jaejoong could remember, the forests had been infested with beasts - predators that took the shape of something that looked like an extraordinary mixture of a wolf, a wolverine and a bear - that had an intense craving for human flesh, especially children. Some called them werewolves, some said they were demons, but Jaejoong had never run into one even though he was already seventeen years of age. That was probably the reason he was still alive.
Sometimes, when the winter had been especially rough and cold, a few hens disappeared from their backyard, but other than that, the inn had been a safe place to grow up in. Mostly the beasts kept close to cities where there were lots of humans and didn't have interest in random houses in more secluded areas. The guests told stories of the horrors in the cities, where the monsters walked the streets at night and attacked every poor soul out after sunset. The stories scared Jaejoong, but the urge to know more was bigger. His life at the inn was simply void of anything exciting.
Jaejoong's favorite guests were the hunters. Without them the country would have been in ruins - they were the heroes that kept things relatively safe - setting up traps and killing the predators before they got a chance to maul anyone. Those people always told the best and scariest stories. Some said the beasts had once been people too, people that had done something horrible and turned into animals, but some denied everything when Jaejoong asked about it. The hunters were always lone wolves, grown men or women that didn't have anything to lose and had decided to risk their lives to keep others safe. Jaejoong admired them so much he sometimes wanted to be like those people - but he had always been weak for his age. There was no muscle in his body, no strength in his skinny limbs - the only thing he really could do when in danger was simply to run away - and real hunters never did that.
That day wasn't anything but normal, when a particularly interesting guest arrived at the inn. Jaejoong was ironing sheets and saw the man approach the house riding a horse, forgot all about the job he had been occupied with to plant both of his palms to the window and look through the stained glass to peer at the man. He looked tall and very handsome even from a far, dressed in a uniform Jaejoong could recognize even in his sleep. It was another hunter and it had been a while since one had visited the inn.
He left the sheets and stormed downstairs to the door, where his mother had already exited the house to welcome the guest. It was a lovely spring day and the sun was shining particularly brightly.
"Welcome traveler, can I take your horse?" said Jaejoong's mother, who bowed politely to the guest while the man jumped down from the saddle. Jaejoong stayed behind his mother's back, keen eyes staring at the stranger.
He was even more handsome from up close. There was a scar under his right eye, but his mouth was beautifully shaped like a bow, his cheekbones were high and his jawline was strong. He was tanned where Jaejoong was ghostly pale, and the body hidden under his uniform was toned and strong looking. Dangerous.
"Sure thing, been out all night and she's thirsty," the man said, taking the reigns and stepping closer. He gave the horse a brisk pat on the side and the huge animal whinnied, hooves hitting the ground softly. "Room for a couple nights?"
"Of course," Jaejoong's mother nodded, "I'll have my son prepare a room for you."
Only now did the man notice Jaejoong hiding behind his mother's back. Even his sisters had now either came out of the house to the yard, or were peeking from the open windows like Jaejoong had before. The man was indeed a sight for sore eyes.
"Hello there," the hunter smiled gently, eyes twinkling at the boy still staring at him intently. Jaejoong's knees had suddenly gone all weak.
"Oh, don't mind him," Jaejoong's mother shook her head apologetically, "He's only a child - stop staring, Jaejoong, give the man some space."
"That doesn't look like no child to me," the man grinned while handing the reigns to the woman in front of him. "What's your name?"
"Jaejoong," the boy replied shyly. They looked at each other for a short while until the man spoke again.
"Pardon me for not introducing myself," he cleared his throat, "I'm Jung Yunho, class 7 hunter, East district, sixth year of serving under the king."
"Pleasure," his mother smiled politely, "Jaejoong dear, please take our guest to his room."
"Yes, mother," Jaejoong mumbled, turned around and hurried back into the house with Yunho the hunter following close behind. His heart was beating wildly in his chest - he couldn't wait for the evening to come and Yunho to join them for dinner. The man looked like he had a lot of exciting stories to tell and even if he turned out to be boring, looking at that handsome face would be a joy in itself.
Jaejoong climbed up the stairs to the second floor, arms crossed over his chest, and took Yunho down the hallway to the guest room closest to the windows overlooking the front yard. At the door he turned around to face Yunho, and looked up at the man much taller than him.
"Wait here," Jaejoong said awkwardly, slipped into the room and closed the door after himself. He changed the sheets and hurriedly wiped the dust off the writing desk with his sleeve, opened the curtains and let some sunlight into the room. When he turned around Yunho was at the doorstep, leaning against the door frame and watching him work.
"Sorry," Jaejoong said dumbly, wiping the back of his hands to his trousers, but Yunho shook his head like it wasn't a big deal. Jaejoong regretted not cleaning the room earlier before starting with the laundry. Surely the handsome hunter was used to living in better places in the city where they had more money.
"Looks nice, thank you."
"Ooh, it's nothing," Jaejoong tried to brush it off, but even the simplest compliment from the man made his cheeks turn red. "You can come in now, but take off your boots."
Yunho took off his shoes and hanged his jacket on the clothes rack and then, took a seat on the bed. He seemed to be wearing a white shirt underneath his green uniform that did nothing to hide the muscles in his strong body, causing Jaejoong to stare even more. Suddenly he felt an immense need to impress the other man.
"You were right, you know," Jaejoong mumbled under his breath, gathering the dirty sheets to his arms to take them out of the room, "Out on the yard when you said I wasn't a child."
"Uh-huh," Yunho hummed while opening the buttons on the cuffs of his shirt to roll up the sleeves. Even his forearms were tanned and strong looking, but covered in scars. Jaejoong wondered how many beasts he had killed.
"I'm already seventeen," Jaejoong blurted out, squeezing the sheets to his chest, unable to stop talking, "I'm thinking of running away and joining the hunters."
That seemed to catch Yunho's interest. He lifted his gaze and looked directly at Jaejoong, eyebrows furrowed like he was pondering what to say next.
"You don't look like a child but you still smell like one," he said, "The monsters can pick up the scent of your skin even from afar."
"I know that."
Yunho looked at him from head to toe and Jaejoong found it to be strangely pleasant. He didn't mind the man looking at him at all. There was no judgement in his gaze, simply curiosity, like he hadn't seen anyone quite like Jaejoong before.
"You're small. Skinny. Not an ounce of muscle," Yunho evaluated what he saw, smiling sadly, "Your pretty face won't help you out there."
"Do you think I'm pretty?" Jaejoong asked before thinking it through. Yunho seemed amused and it made him feel even more embarrassed and flustered.
"Hell yeah," Yunho grinned wildly, and leaned back on the bed looking very much relaxed even though Jaejoong found the situation to be more or less awkward. He hadn't been expecting Yunho to admit it so easily.
He backed up against the door, bowed quickly before exiting the room, and practically shouted from the crack of the door.
"Dinner will be served at six," Jaejoong called out, trying to sound normal, "And I'm not a child!"
He heard Yunho laugh before the door closed, and Jaejoong escaped with the dirty sheets to finish his work for the day.
During the rest of the day Jaejoong felt constantly flustered. The mere thought of Yunho laying on the bed, sleeves rolled up and shirt buttoned up half way, made his knees go terribly weak and his heartbeats speed up. His sisters had noticed that the newest guest was extremely handsome as well. Jaejoong saw two of them linger around the hallways more than usual, purposely swiping the floor slower the closer they got to Yunho's room, hoping to run into the handsome man - but they hadn't been the lucky ones Yunho had called pretty earlier.
Jaejoong wasn't going to tell them about what Yunho had said. It was his secret, and it felt better when he could have it all to himself. His sisters might have said something to bring him down from his high and for the time being, Jaejoong wanted to enjoy toying with the thought of Yunho liking him. And so he continued with the laundry, first ironing the clean sheets, folding them and taking the clean bedding to each room, while daydreaming about Yunho kissing him when no-one was looking. His mother wouldn't know, his sisters wouldn't have a clue, and nobody would tell him it was wrong even though they were both men and Jaejoong was still very young. It would be his secret, his connection to the outside world he so desperately wanted to visit.
The evening came slower than on most days but eventually it did, and Yunho joined them for dinner in the large dining room. There were several tables scattered around the space, but there were no other guests that day so Yunho gladly sat down with Jaejoong and his family, and eagerly took a bowl of soup and the loaf of bread Jaejoong handed him. It had started to rain but it was warm inside the inn, the fire burning in the hearth casting the room in flickering lights.
Jaejoong sat next to Yunho and ate in silence while the rest of his family chatted away. He felt Yunho's thigh brush against his under the tablecloth from time to time, and the warmth of his darker skin so close it made him blush. Yunho's scent reminded him of the outdoors and it took all his willpower to stop himself from resting his head against Yunho's muscular shoulder. The mere presence of the man sitting next to him was enough to thrill Jaejoong to his core, and even though he was well aware of how stupid it was to crush on someone who was going to leave in a couple of days, he couldn't help it.
Jaejoong's mother was very protective of her daughters but she didn't have a clue they weren't the only ones interested in the handsome hunter.
"So, what brings you to this part of the country?" His eldest sister asked after Yunho had put down his spoon after finishing his meal.
"Work," he replied shortly, "There was an outbreak and I was called for help."
"Just you?" Jaejoong gathered his courage and asked.
"Just me," Yunho turned his gaze to the boy next to him, "But I'm enough. I'm fairly good at what I do."
"Are they scary?"
"No, not anymore," Yunho told them, carefully observing every person gathered at the table, "You just gotta push the fear away and not think about it."
"What if they get you?"
"Then you die or you turn."
"Turn?"
"Into one of them."
"So it's true," Jaejoong gasped as his mother stood up from the table and started gathering the plates. Yunho's eyes twinkled playfully in the light of the crackling fireplace.
"Enough ghost stories, please don't joke around and scare the children like that," she forbid jokingly, "Or else they'll be too afraid to ever leave the house again and I need someone to feed the hens."
"Sorry, ma'am," Yunho laughed, wiped the bread crumbs from his hands to his pants and got up as well. The girls let out disappointed sighs, not wanting Yunho to leave just yet.
"Can't you stay and tell us a story?" Jaejoong pleaded, looking up at the hunter, but Jaejoong's mother stepped in and placed a hand on her son's shoulder.
"Let the man get some rest, he'll stay with us for a couple days... I'm sure Yunho won't mind if you bother him some more after he's gotten a good night's sleep."
"I won't mind," Yunho said smiling, "G'night everyone."
"Good night!" Jaejoong mumbled in return, watching closely as Yunho exited the room.
That night sleep didn't come to Jaejoong. He lay in bed, eyes wide open and stared at the ceiling above him, imagination running too wild for him to get any rest at all. It was still raining hard and although the sound of rain drops trickling down the glass normally calmed him, tonight his heart was racing. Jaejoong was very much aware of the fact that Yunho was sleeping in the room two doors to his left, possibly also still awake.
Pushing the blankets aside, Jaejoong got up from the bed, pulled on a knit sweater and woolen socks, and tiptoed his way to the door to peer out to the hallway. It was completely silent, just the distant sounds of the storm coming from outside... Jaejoong made a decision on a second's notice, sneaked out of his room and went to knock on Yunho's door, three times.
"Come in," came the voice from inside the room and so, Jaejoong slipped into the guest room and closed the door quietly after himself.
Yunho was sitting on the bed with a book in his lap. He looked up, closed the book and placed it on the bed beside himself. He was still dressed in the clothing he had worn earlier to dinner - a well worn shirt and brown military trousers - but he had opened a few buttons and looked much more relaxed and calm.
"There's a storm outside," Jaejoong said awkwardly, just to have something to talk about. He wasn't even sure why he was there in the first place. Yunho being there just pulled him in like a moth to the flame.
"You scared?" Yunho grinned at him but Jaejoong shook his head.
"Is it really true?" the younger boy asked, stepping closer to the bed, "That the monsters were once people?"
"Now that is something I'm not going to tell you," Yunho shook his head as Jaejoong sat on the bed next to him.
"Why can't you? You were about to at dinner," he whined. "How do you turn?"
"I was joking," Yunho emphasized while keeping eye contact with the boy sitting next to him on the bed. They were quiet for short moment - Jaejoong sulking - and the wind outside howled, rattling the glass windows.
"I'm lonely," Jaejoong continued suddenly, turning his eyes away from Yunho's gaze, and started playing with a loose string on the sleeve of his knit sweater. "Are you ever lonely?"
"Of course," Yunho answered immediately, "I'm always on the road all by myself. Doesn't get worse than that."
"Has it been a long time since..." Jaejoong mumbled shyly, "Since you were... You know. With someone."
"Now aren't you a curious lil' thing."
"Sorry," Jaejoong looked back up to meet Yunho's almond shaped eyes, slowly turning bright red. "It just isn't every day that someone like you visits our house... And I just... I don't know..."
"It's okay," Yunho said, sounding understanding, "It's not a bad thing to be asking."
Jaejoong let go of the string on his sweater and turned his eyes to look at Yunho's hands resting on his lap. His fingers were long, his palms calloused like bad weather had roughed up his skin. He wondered what the touch of Yunho's hands would feel like on his body.
"Would you sleep with me?" Jaejoong muttered under his breath before he knew what he was saying. He felt Yunho tense up on the bed next to him but for a while, the other didn't reply.
When Jaejoong finally lifted his gaze Yunho was already looking at him with a weird expression on his handsome features. Biting his lip, Jaejoong slowly reached out a hand to trace the back of Yunho's hand with his fingers. The man's skin was strangely hot, almost burning under his fingertips, but it was a very cold night and Jaejoong felt cold too. Yunho relaxed his hand and let him push his fingers in between Yunho's, intertwining their hands together. The other man's skin was burning hot.
"I don't think that's a good idea," Yunho said quietly, but his voice sounded different. Strained, almost husky. He, too, was looking at their joined hands resting on his lap.
"Why not?" Jaejoong whispered back, trying to swallow and hide the disappointment gnawing at his insides, "Don't you like me?"
"That's not it. I find you very desirable," the other explained slowly, making sure he was being clear, "But it's no good for you. You're too young."
"I'm not a kid!" Jaejoong insisted, but Yunho gave him a look that was enough to silence him. By now frustrated tears were already burning his eyes and blocking his throat. Jaejoong wanted it so much, wanted so much to feel something from the outside world and Yunho was so perfect, too perfect. It was such a bother to be as inexperienced in his age as he was.
Jaejoong was so preoccupied with trying to stop himself from crying that he didn't realize Yunho had leaned in closer to him. Fingers took a hold of his jaw and turned his head to the side - suddenly Yunho was so close - and then, felt the press of the other man's lips on his. Jaejoong closed his eyes instinctively, letting out a soft puff of air into Yunho's mouth, their lips sticking together softly. Yunho's lips felt as hot as the touch of his hand.
The stubble on his chin tickled Jaejoong's cheeks but he failed to notice. Eyelashes fluttering, Jaejoong parted his lips for Yunho's mouth, still unable to comprehend that the other was actually kissing him. It was slow but deliberate, and as Yunho's fingers found their way into Jaejoong's hair, the younger felt his heart skip a few beats. The way Yunho held his face in his palms was simply tender, and the way his thumbs caressed Jaejoong's cheeks as they kissed made him feel completely secure. Unaware of the rosy color decorating his cheeks, Jaejoong lifted his hands to shyly place them over Yunho's wide chest.
Yunho's heart was beating wildly under Jaejoong's palms, unlike his lips that seemed to remain calm even though Jaejoong stuck out the tip of his tongue to push it in between Yunho's lips. Yunho pulled him even closer, turning his head more to the side and deepening the kiss. Then his tongue was in Jaejoong's mouth and Jaejoong felt the way every single muscle in Yunho's body tightened in tension - like he wanted to consume Jaejoong completely. Jaejoong was out of breath, almost gasping for air but then, Yunho broke the contact of their lips and pulled back from the kiss.
"Sorry," he said, eyes looking unfocused and half-lidded, "I shouldn't have..."
"It's okay," Jaejoong answered immediately, blinking furiously, hoping that Yunho would hold his face in his palms forever, "I understand, you can't sleep with me. I won't ask again."
"Good," Yunho exhaled, thumbs again gliding over Jaejoong's cheeks and his upper lip.
"But it's cold tonight," Jaejoong continued, still sounding out of breath, "It won't do any harm if I just sleep next to you, right?"
"Right," Yunho sighed, finally pulling back his hands like it was physically painful. He got up from the bed, turned around to unbutton his shirt, took it off and placed it on the chair next to the window. He peeked outside through the curtains before closing them and getting rid of his pants as well.
Jaejoong stayed on the bed watching Yunho, completely mesmerized. Even the sound of thunder didn't distract him from staring at the older man's gorgeous body. Yunho's back was wide like his chest, and even though Yunho was wearing an undershirt, the thick scars on his back were visible even through the thin fabric. He turned around, approached the bed dressed only in his underwear and pushed the blankets aside for Jaejoong to slip under the covers. For a couple more precious seconds Jaejoong scanned Yunho's body with his eyes, taking in the sight of his muscular thighs and the shape of his toned abdomen under his shirt before Yunho slid next to him and covered them both with the quilt.
They lied down facing each other and Jaejoong realized he wasn't the only one breathing fast. When Jaejoong reached out a hand and softly placed it on the other man's neck, Yunho shuddered.
"Sorry," Jaejoong apologized, thinking he had done something wrong and trying to pull his hand back but Yunho grabbed his wrist and held it there, shaking his head slightly.
"It's okay, you can touch me," he assured, closing his eyes as Jaejoong's fingers started caressing his neck in soft circles. Yunho kept breathing harshly through his nose and it sort of seemed like he was in pain. It was weird, but Yunho didn't push him away even when Jaejoong grew braver and started ghosting his fingertips over Yunho's forehead, cheekbones and nose, then chin, then his chest.
Rest was the last thing on Jaejoong's mind but Yunho kept his eyes closed, pretending to sleep but clearly just as awake as the other was. The storm outside rattled the windows and made the rafters creak, the room was dark and the air heavy with tension. Jaejoong felt cold even though Yunho's body next to him was practically radiating with heat and so, Jaejoong wiggled closer, pulled Yunho's arm around himself and pressed against the older man's body. Yunho shifted slightly, buried his face into the crook of Jaejoong's neck and growled.
It was a low rumble from somewhere within Yunho's chest, something Jaejoong had never even heard before, but the arms around him were so strong and so wonderfully warm he didn't mind the strangeness. Their bodies molded so perfectly together, Jaejoong's smaller one circled in Yunho's embrace, still thinking of the kiss. Then Yunho tightened his hold of Jaejoong, causing one of Jaejoong's legs to slip in between Yunho's thighs. The bulge of his erection was suddenly pressed against Jaejoong's inner thigh surprising the other, but the position they were in was far too comfortable to move away. It felt huge, much larger than Jaejoong's own pressed against him like that, causing the younger to let out a gasp. Jaejoong really wanted to know what it looked like.
He pushed his leg further between Yunho's to be able to feel better, thigh rubbing against the bulge in Yunho's underwear. The hands that had been safely wrapped around his waist slid lower, feeling the small of his back and brushing over Jaejoong's behind, shudder after shudder wrecking Yunho's body. Jaejoong was shaking too, but with Yunho it was different. One of his hands slipped into Jaejoong's sleeping pants, grabbed a handful of his ass and roughly squeezed it in his palm. The smaller man let out a small moan, and for a moment he thought this was going to be it - but then heard another growl coming from Yunho and looked up.
"We should sleep," Yunho snarled, bringing his hand back up and sliding his fingers into Jaejoong's hair, "We have to sleep or else."
"Or what?" Jaejoong breathed out, again so turned on he couldn't even see straight. Yunho's lips ghosted over his, placed a barely there butterfly kiss to his upper lip, then to his cheek, then to the tip of his nose.
"Just sleep, please," Yunho said before burying his face back to the crook of Jaejoong's neck, ending the conversation. And so, Jaejoong gave up, closed his eyes and tried to get some sleep. Throughout the entire night Yunho held him hard, constantly shaking and shuddering like he was extremely cold or trying to hold back something.
In the morning Jaejoong had a feeling Yunho hadn't slept at all.
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Pairings: YunJae
Rating: NC-17
Genre: romance, supernatural, mpreg
Chapters: 1/11
Summary: In a world where inhuman beasts have infested the land, Jaejoong meets the nation's hero, werewolf hunter Yunho. One fateful night spent together changes Jaejoong's life in a way he never thought possible as he leaves home to journey to a place no man has ever gone before - literally.
A/N: I have been suffering from the worst writer's block ever... During this fall and winter I was barely able to write anything at all but luckily now it's finally gone!! This fic started of as a random drabble of mine and somehow progressed into the longest chaptered fic I have written so far. I had really wanted to write about werewolves for a long time, and also complete another mpreg story and I'm really happy with how it all turned out. I hope you enjoy reading this story as much as I enjoyed writing it. I'll be posting a chapter weekly, with two pictures as usual! I'm so freaking excited!!
Chapter 1
Jaejoong's family had a little inn on the side of the road that led to the Northern parts of the country. It was a modest but fairly large old farm house inherited from generation to generation and one day, it was going to become Jaejoong's, too. He lived there with his mother and eight older sisters, two cats and a bunch of hens in the backyard, without a father. It had been so long since the day of his passing, that Jaejoong had almost forgotten he had once existed. They did just fine without a man in the house - for the time being Jaejoong was too young to take charge, nor did he want to.
Every day travelers stopped by the house to rest for the night, enjoy a bowl of Jaejoong's mother's famous onion soup and of course, tell stories from their journeys and what went on in the surrounding cities. Going outside hadn't been safe for a long time.
For as long as Jaejoong could remember, the forests had been infested with beasts - predators that took the shape of something that looked like an extraordinary mixture of a wolf, a wolverine and a bear - that had an intense craving for human flesh, especially children. Some called them werewolves, some said they were demons, but Jaejoong had never run into one even though he was already seventeen years of age. That was probably the reason he was still alive.
Sometimes, when the winter had been especially rough and cold, a few hens disappeared from their backyard, but other than that, the inn had been a safe place to grow up in. Mostly the beasts kept close to cities where there were lots of humans and didn't have interest in random houses in more secluded areas. The guests told stories of the horrors in the cities, where the monsters walked the streets at night and attacked every poor soul out after sunset. The stories scared Jaejoong, but the urge to know more was bigger. His life at the inn was simply void of anything exciting.
Jaejoong's favorite guests were the hunters. Without them the country would have been in ruins - they were the heroes that kept things relatively safe - setting up traps and killing the predators before they got a chance to maul anyone. Those people always told the best and scariest stories. Some said the beasts had once been people too, people that had done something horrible and turned into animals, but some denied everything when Jaejoong asked about it. The hunters were always lone wolves, grown men or women that didn't have anything to lose and had decided to risk their lives to keep others safe. Jaejoong admired them so much he sometimes wanted to be like those people - but he had always been weak for his age. There was no muscle in his body, no strength in his skinny limbs - the only thing he really could do when in danger was simply to run away - and real hunters never did that.
That day wasn't anything but normal, when a particularly interesting guest arrived at the inn. Jaejoong was ironing sheets and saw the man approach the house riding a horse, forgot all about the job he had been occupied with to plant both of his palms to the window and look through the stained glass to peer at the man. He looked tall and very handsome even from a far, dressed in a uniform Jaejoong could recognize even in his sleep. It was another hunter and it had been a while since one had visited the inn.
He left the sheets and stormed downstairs to the door, where his mother had already exited the house to welcome the guest. It was a lovely spring day and the sun was shining particularly brightly.
"Welcome traveler, can I take your horse?" said Jaejoong's mother, who bowed politely to the guest while the man jumped down from the saddle. Jaejoong stayed behind his mother's back, keen eyes staring at the stranger.
He was even more handsome from up close. There was a scar under his right eye, but his mouth was beautifully shaped like a bow, his cheekbones were high and his jawline was strong. He was tanned where Jaejoong was ghostly pale, and the body hidden under his uniform was toned and strong looking. Dangerous.
"Sure thing, been out all night and she's thirsty," the man said, taking the reigns and stepping closer. He gave the horse a brisk pat on the side and the huge animal whinnied, hooves hitting the ground softly. "Room for a couple nights?"
"Of course," Jaejoong's mother nodded, "I'll have my son prepare a room for you."
Only now did the man notice Jaejoong hiding behind his mother's back. Even his sisters had now either came out of the house to the yard, or were peeking from the open windows like Jaejoong had before. The man was indeed a sight for sore eyes.
"Hello there," the hunter smiled gently, eyes twinkling at the boy still staring at him intently. Jaejoong's knees had suddenly gone all weak.
"Oh, don't mind him," Jaejoong's mother shook her head apologetically, "He's only a child - stop staring, Jaejoong, give the man some space."
"That doesn't look like no child to me," the man grinned while handing the reigns to the woman in front of him. "What's your name?"
"Jaejoong," the boy replied shyly. They looked at each other for a short while until the man spoke again.
"Pardon me for not introducing myself," he cleared his throat, "I'm Jung Yunho, class 7 hunter, East district, sixth year of serving under the king."
"Pleasure," his mother smiled politely, "Jaejoong dear, please take our guest to his room."
"Yes, mother," Jaejoong mumbled, turned around and hurried back into the house with Yunho the hunter following close behind. His heart was beating wildly in his chest - he couldn't wait for the evening to come and Yunho to join them for dinner. The man looked like he had a lot of exciting stories to tell and even if he turned out to be boring, looking at that handsome face would be a joy in itself.
Jaejoong climbed up the stairs to the second floor, arms crossed over his chest, and took Yunho down the hallway to the guest room closest to the windows overlooking the front yard. At the door he turned around to face Yunho, and looked up at the man much taller than him.
"Wait here," Jaejoong said awkwardly, slipped into the room and closed the door after himself. He changed the sheets and hurriedly wiped the dust off the writing desk with his sleeve, opened the curtains and let some sunlight into the room. When he turned around Yunho was at the doorstep, leaning against the door frame and watching him work.
"Sorry," Jaejoong said dumbly, wiping the back of his hands to his trousers, but Yunho shook his head like it wasn't a big deal. Jaejoong regretted not cleaning the room earlier before starting with the laundry. Surely the handsome hunter was used to living in better places in the city where they had more money.
"Looks nice, thank you."
"Ooh, it's nothing," Jaejoong tried to brush it off, but even the simplest compliment from the man made his cheeks turn red. "You can come in now, but take off your boots."
Yunho took off his shoes and hanged his jacket on the clothes rack and then, took a seat on the bed. He seemed to be wearing a white shirt underneath his green uniform that did nothing to hide the muscles in his strong body, causing Jaejoong to stare even more. Suddenly he felt an immense need to impress the other man.
"You were right, you know," Jaejoong mumbled under his breath, gathering the dirty sheets to his arms to take them out of the room, "Out on the yard when you said I wasn't a child."
"Uh-huh," Yunho hummed while opening the buttons on the cuffs of his shirt to roll up the sleeves. Even his forearms were tanned and strong looking, but covered in scars. Jaejoong wondered how many beasts he had killed.
"I'm already seventeen," Jaejoong blurted out, squeezing the sheets to his chest, unable to stop talking, "I'm thinking of running away and joining the hunters."
That seemed to catch Yunho's interest. He lifted his gaze and looked directly at Jaejoong, eyebrows furrowed like he was pondering what to say next.
"You don't look like a child but you still smell like one," he said, "The monsters can pick up the scent of your skin even from afar."
"I know that."
Yunho looked at him from head to toe and Jaejoong found it to be strangely pleasant. He didn't mind the man looking at him at all. There was no judgement in his gaze, simply curiosity, like he hadn't seen anyone quite like Jaejoong before.
"You're small. Skinny. Not an ounce of muscle," Yunho evaluated what he saw, smiling sadly, "Your pretty face won't help you out there."
"Do you think I'm pretty?" Jaejoong asked before thinking it through. Yunho seemed amused and it made him feel even more embarrassed and flustered.
"Hell yeah," Yunho grinned wildly, and leaned back on the bed looking very much relaxed even though Jaejoong found the situation to be more or less awkward. He hadn't been expecting Yunho to admit it so easily.
He backed up against the door, bowed quickly before exiting the room, and practically shouted from the crack of the door.
"Dinner will be served at six," Jaejoong called out, trying to sound normal, "And I'm not a child!"
He heard Yunho laugh before the door closed, and Jaejoong escaped with the dirty sheets to finish his work for the day.
During the rest of the day Jaejoong felt constantly flustered. The mere thought of Yunho laying on the bed, sleeves rolled up and shirt buttoned up half way, made his knees go terribly weak and his heartbeats speed up. His sisters had noticed that the newest guest was extremely handsome as well. Jaejoong saw two of them linger around the hallways more than usual, purposely swiping the floor slower the closer they got to Yunho's room, hoping to run into the handsome man - but they hadn't been the lucky ones Yunho had called pretty earlier.
Jaejoong wasn't going to tell them about what Yunho had said. It was his secret, and it felt better when he could have it all to himself. His sisters might have said something to bring him down from his high and for the time being, Jaejoong wanted to enjoy toying with the thought of Yunho liking him. And so he continued with the laundry, first ironing the clean sheets, folding them and taking the clean bedding to each room, while daydreaming about Yunho kissing him when no-one was looking. His mother wouldn't know, his sisters wouldn't have a clue, and nobody would tell him it was wrong even though they were both men and Jaejoong was still very young. It would be his secret, his connection to the outside world he so desperately wanted to visit.
The evening came slower than on most days but eventually it did, and Yunho joined them for dinner in the large dining room. There were several tables scattered around the space, but there were no other guests that day so Yunho gladly sat down with Jaejoong and his family, and eagerly took a bowl of soup and the loaf of bread Jaejoong handed him. It had started to rain but it was warm inside the inn, the fire burning in the hearth casting the room in flickering lights.
Jaejoong sat next to Yunho and ate in silence while the rest of his family chatted away. He felt Yunho's thigh brush against his under the tablecloth from time to time, and the warmth of his darker skin so close it made him blush. Yunho's scent reminded him of the outdoors and it took all his willpower to stop himself from resting his head against Yunho's muscular shoulder. The mere presence of the man sitting next to him was enough to thrill Jaejoong to his core, and even though he was well aware of how stupid it was to crush on someone who was going to leave in a couple of days, he couldn't help it.
Jaejoong's mother was very protective of her daughters but she didn't have a clue they weren't the only ones interested in the handsome hunter.
"So, what brings you to this part of the country?" His eldest sister asked after Yunho had put down his spoon after finishing his meal.
"Work," he replied shortly, "There was an outbreak and I was called for help."
"Just you?" Jaejoong gathered his courage and asked.
"Just me," Yunho turned his gaze to the boy next to him, "But I'm enough. I'm fairly good at what I do."
"Are they scary?"
"No, not anymore," Yunho told them, carefully observing every person gathered at the table, "You just gotta push the fear away and not think about it."
"What if they get you?"
"Then you die or you turn."
"Turn?"
"Into one of them."
"So it's true," Jaejoong gasped as his mother stood up from the table and started gathering the plates. Yunho's eyes twinkled playfully in the light of the crackling fireplace.
"Enough ghost stories, please don't joke around and scare the children like that," she forbid jokingly, "Or else they'll be too afraid to ever leave the house again and I need someone to feed the hens."
"Sorry, ma'am," Yunho laughed, wiped the bread crumbs from his hands to his pants and got up as well. The girls let out disappointed sighs, not wanting Yunho to leave just yet.
"Can't you stay and tell us a story?" Jaejoong pleaded, looking up at the hunter, but Jaejoong's mother stepped in and placed a hand on her son's shoulder.
"Let the man get some rest, he'll stay with us for a couple days... I'm sure Yunho won't mind if you bother him some more after he's gotten a good night's sleep."
"I won't mind," Yunho said smiling, "G'night everyone."
"Good night!" Jaejoong mumbled in return, watching closely as Yunho exited the room.
That night sleep didn't come to Jaejoong. He lay in bed, eyes wide open and stared at the ceiling above him, imagination running too wild for him to get any rest at all. It was still raining hard and although the sound of rain drops trickling down the glass normally calmed him, tonight his heart was racing. Jaejoong was very much aware of the fact that Yunho was sleeping in the room two doors to his left, possibly also still awake.
Pushing the blankets aside, Jaejoong got up from the bed, pulled on a knit sweater and woolen socks, and tiptoed his way to the door to peer out to the hallway. It was completely silent, just the distant sounds of the storm coming from outside... Jaejoong made a decision on a second's notice, sneaked out of his room and went to knock on Yunho's door, three times.
"Come in," came the voice from inside the room and so, Jaejoong slipped into the guest room and closed the door quietly after himself.
Yunho was sitting on the bed with a book in his lap. He looked up, closed the book and placed it on the bed beside himself. He was still dressed in the clothing he had worn earlier to dinner - a well worn shirt and brown military trousers - but he had opened a few buttons and looked much more relaxed and calm.
"There's a storm outside," Jaejoong said awkwardly, just to have something to talk about. He wasn't even sure why he was there in the first place. Yunho being there just pulled him in like a moth to the flame.
"You scared?" Yunho grinned at him but Jaejoong shook his head.
"Is it really true?" the younger boy asked, stepping closer to the bed, "That the monsters were once people?"
"Now that is something I'm not going to tell you," Yunho shook his head as Jaejoong sat on the bed next to him.
"Why can't you? You were about to at dinner," he whined. "How do you turn?"
"I was joking," Yunho emphasized while keeping eye contact with the boy sitting next to him on the bed. They were quiet for short moment - Jaejoong sulking - and the wind outside howled, rattling the glass windows.
"I'm lonely," Jaejoong continued suddenly, turning his eyes away from Yunho's gaze, and started playing with a loose string on the sleeve of his knit sweater. "Are you ever lonely?"
"Of course," Yunho answered immediately, "I'm always on the road all by myself. Doesn't get worse than that."
"Has it been a long time since..." Jaejoong mumbled shyly, "Since you were... You know. With someone."
"Now aren't you a curious lil' thing."
"Sorry," Jaejoong looked back up to meet Yunho's almond shaped eyes, slowly turning bright red. "It just isn't every day that someone like you visits our house... And I just... I don't know..."
"It's okay," Yunho said, sounding understanding, "It's not a bad thing to be asking."
Jaejoong let go of the string on his sweater and turned his eyes to look at Yunho's hands resting on his lap. His fingers were long, his palms calloused like bad weather had roughed up his skin. He wondered what the touch of Yunho's hands would feel like on his body.
"Would you sleep with me?" Jaejoong muttered under his breath before he knew what he was saying. He felt Yunho tense up on the bed next to him but for a while, the other didn't reply.
When Jaejoong finally lifted his gaze Yunho was already looking at him with a weird expression on his handsome features. Biting his lip, Jaejoong slowly reached out a hand to trace the back of Yunho's hand with his fingers. The man's skin was strangely hot, almost burning under his fingertips, but it was a very cold night and Jaejoong felt cold too. Yunho relaxed his hand and let him push his fingers in between Yunho's, intertwining their hands together. The other man's skin was burning hot.
"I don't think that's a good idea," Yunho said quietly, but his voice sounded different. Strained, almost husky. He, too, was looking at their joined hands resting on his lap.
"Why not?" Jaejoong whispered back, trying to swallow and hide the disappointment gnawing at his insides, "Don't you like me?"
"That's not it. I find you very desirable," the other explained slowly, making sure he was being clear, "But it's no good for you. You're too young."
"I'm not a kid!" Jaejoong insisted, but Yunho gave him a look that was enough to silence him. By now frustrated tears were already burning his eyes and blocking his throat. Jaejoong wanted it so much, wanted so much to feel something from the outside world and Yunho was so perfect, too perfect. It was such a bother to be as inexperienced in his age as he was.
Jaejoong was so preoccupied with trying to stop himself from crying that he didn't realize Yunho had leaned in closer to him. Fingers took a hold of his jaw and turned his head to the side - suddenly Yunho was so close - and then, felt the press of the other man's lips on his. Jaejoong closed his eyes instinctively, letting out a soft puff of air into Yunho's mouth, their lips sticking together softly. Yunho's lips felt as hot as the touch of his hand.
The stubble on his chin tickled Jaejoong's cheeks but he failed to notice. Eyelashes fluttering, Jaejoong parted his lips for Yunho's mouth, still unable to comprehend that the other was actually kissing him. It was slow but deliberate, and as Yunho's fingers found their way into Jaejoong's hair, the younger felt his heart skip a few beats. The way Yunho held his face in his palms was simply tender, and the way his thumbs caressed Jaejoong's cheeks as they kissed made him feel completely secure. Unaware of the rosy color decorating his cheeks, Jaejoong lifted his hands to shyly place them over Yunho's wide chest.
Yunho's heart was beating wildly under Jaejoong's palms, unlike his lips that seemed to remain calm even though Jaejoong stuck out the tip of his tongue to push it in between Yunho's lips. Yunho pulled him even closer, turning his head more to the side and deepening the kiss. Then his tongue was in Jaejoong's mouth and Jaejoong felt the way every single muscle in Yunho's body tightened in tension - like he wanted to consume Jaejoong completely. Jaejoong was out of breath, almost gasping for air but then, Yunho broke the contact of their lips and pulled back from the kiss.
"Sorry," he said, eyes looking unfocused and half-lidded, "I shouldn't have..."
"It's okay," Jaejoong answered immediately, blinking furiously, hoping that Yunho would hold his face in his palms forever, "I understand, you can't sleep with me. I won't ask again."
"Good," Yunho exhaled, thumbs again gliding over Jaejoong's cheeks and his upper lip.
"But it's cold tonight," Jaejoong continued, still sounding out of breath, "It won't do any harm if I just sleep next to you, right?"
"Right," Yunho sighed, finally pulling back his hands like it was physically painful. He got up from the bed, turned around to unbutton his shirt, took it off and placed it on the chair next to the window. He peeked outside through the curtains before closing them and getting rid of his pants as well.
Jaejoong stayed on the bed watching Yunho, completely mesmerized. Even the sound of thunder didn't distract him from staring at the older man's gorgeous body. Yunho's back was wide like his chest, and even though Yunho was wearing an undershirt, the thick scars on his back were visible even through the thin fabric. He turned around, approached the bed dressed only in his underwear and pushed the blankets aside for Jaejoong to slip under the covers. For a couple more precious seconds Jaejoong scanned Yunho's body with his eyes, taking in the sight of his muscular thighs and the shape of his toned abdomen under his shirt before Yunho slid next to him and covered them both with the quilt.
They lied down facing each other and Jaejoong realized he wasn't the only one breathing fast. When Jaejoong reached out a hand and softly placed it on the other man's neck, Yunho shuddered.
"Sorry," Jaejoong apologized, thinking he had done something wrong and trying to pull his hand back but Yunho grabbed his wrist and held it there, shaking his head slightly.
"It's okay, you can touch me," he assured, closing his eyes as Jaejoong's fingers started caressing his neck in soft circles. Yunho kept breathing harshly through his nose and it sort of seemed like he was in pain. It was weird, but Yunho didn't push him away even when Jaejoong grew braver and started ghosting his fingertips over Yunho's forehead, cheekbones and nose, then chin, then his chest.
Rest was the last thing on Jaejoong's mind but Yunho kept his eyes closed, pretending to sleep but clearly just as awake as the other was. The storm outside rattled the windows and made the rafters creak, the room was dark and the air heavy with tension. Jaejoong felt cold even though Yunho's body next to him was practically radiating with heat and so, Jaejoong wiggled closer, pulled Yunho's arm around himself and pressed against the older man's body. Yunho shifted slightly, buried his face into the crook of Jaejoong's neck and growled.
It was a low rumble from somewhere within Yunho's chest, something Jaejoong had never even heard before, but the arms around him were so strong and so wonderfully warm he didn't mind the strangeness. Their bodies molded so perfectly together, Jaejoong's smaller one circled in Yunho's embrace, still thinking of the kiss. Then Yunho tightened his hold of Jaejoong, causing one of Jaejoong's legs to slip in between Yunho's thighs. The bulge of his erection was suddenly pressed against Jaejoong's inner thigh surprising the other, but the position they were in was far too comfortable to move away. It felt huge, much larger than Jaejoong's own pressed against him like that, causing the younger to let out a gasp. Jaejoong really wanted to know what it looked like.
He pushed his leg further between Yunho's to be able to feel better, thigh rubbing against the bulge in Yunho's underwear. The hands that had been safely wrapped around his waist slid lower, feeling the small of his back and brushing over Jaejoong's behind, shudder after shudder wrecking Yunho's body. Jaejoong was shaking too, but with Yunho it was different. One of his hands slipped into Jaejoong's sleeping pants, grabbed a handful of his ass and roughly squeezed it in his palm. The smaller man let out a small moan, and for a moment he thought this was going to be it - but then heard another growl coming from Yunho and looked up.
"We should sleep," Yunho snarled, bringing his hand back up and sliding his fingers into Jaejoong's hair, "We have to sleep or else."
"Or what?" Jaejoong breathed out, again so turned on he couldn't even see straight. Yunho's lips ghosted over his, placed a barely there butterfly kiss to his upper lip, then to his cheek, then to the tip of his nose.
"Just sleep, please," Yunho said before burying his face back to the crook of Jaejoong's neck, ending the conversation. And so, Jaejoong gave up, closed his eyes and tried to get some sleep. Throughout the entire night Yunho held him hard, constantly shaking and shuddering like he was extremely cold or trying to hold back something.
In the morning Jaejoong had a feeling Yunho hadn't slept at all.
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