[fic] The Wolf Within 4/11
Title: The Wolf Within
Pairings: YunJae
Rating: NC-17
Genre: romance, supernatural, mpreg
Chapters: 4/11
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: Looks like I'm unable to wait any longer than four days to update the fic haha... Lucky for you guys I guess XD Here's chapter 4 with pictures, have fun reading~ <3
Chapter 4
The sight that greeted Jaejoong in the mirror that morning truly shocked him. It was hard to believe it was even the same person - his cheeks were still flushed, his mouth was swollen and his neck looked worse than ever. Yunho had practically mauled every inch of him during last night and left him with signs that couldn't be washed away by water. How was he going to hide everything that had happened from his mother and sisters when his reflection looked like that? He would have to think of a big, fat lie, for he was sure his mother wouldn't accept their relationship especially if she knew the whole truth.
With a puzzled mind, Jaejoong stepped into the bathtub and opened the tap to fill it with hot water from the boiler. They had spent so much time fucking in the morning Jaejoong was really going to have to hurry to think of something while Yunho packed his belongings and got his horse ready to leave again. Yunho would return to pick him up later, but it would take days and give Jaejoong some precious time to think about how he was going to break the news to his mother. There was no use to worry yet and so, Jaejoong sat down and sank into the water, closing his eyes and letting his body relax while his mind raced like a headless chicken.
The water was hot and it stung a little. Grabbing a bar of soap, Jaejoong started scrubbing the scent of sex away from his body. Truthfully, Jaejoong wouldn't have minded smelling like Yunho for the rest of the week, but to make sure nobody would find out about them, he had no choice but to wash it away. The events of the previous night and morning after flashed before his eyes whenever he wasn't trying to push the thoughts away, persistently causing Jaejoong's cheeks to turn red from something other than the steam of the bath. He loved how strongly Yunho had held him, how his mouth had moved effortlessly on Jaejoong's body, how he had kept licking Jaejoong's nipples until they were sore to even the slightest touch.
Jaejoong took a large gulp of air and sunk into the water. He held his breath for a moment, hoping it would help and then sat up again and started to furiously wash his scalp. Yunho had told him Jaejoong could have the time to think about what he wanted to do while Yunho was gone but to be honest, Jaejoong had already made up his mind. So, it had turned out Yunho was a werewolf, but surprisingly it hadn't changed the way Jaejoong had started to feel about the other man. He had liked Yunho from the start, enough to actually try to get him to sleep with Jaejoong - even if he was of a whole different breed. They couldn't be that different from each other because they seemed to fit together so perfectly.
The bath made a vast improvement to Jaejoong's looks. The skin of his neck could be hidden from view with another warm sweater and just like before, the love bites had begun to fade faster than humanly possible. Something about the bite had changed him - he didn't exactly feel different - but it was still quite obvious. Stretching his neck, he examined the scar Yunho's teeth had left on his skin.
The boy looking back at him from the mirror somehow looked much more like a man. Jaejoong smiled, realizing he in fact wasn't a boy anymore - Yunho had throughoutly taken care of that last night - but for now he could tell no-one to ensure nobody would try to stop him once Yunho returned to pick him up.
A plan was already starting to form in Jaejoong's mind.
Yunho was out by the stables when Jaejoong went to say goodbye to the older man. His horse was ready and saddled, and the bag that carried Yunho's personal items was fastened to the side. He grinned wildly as Jaejoong approached, crossing his arms across his chest and shifting his weight from one foot to another. Two of Jaejoong's sisters were out on the yard, meaning Jaejoong couldn't reach up and kiss Yunho even though he really wanted to.
"Hey," Yunho said softly as Jaejoong came to stand in front of him. "I left something for you while you were in the bathroom. It's on your bed. Feeling alright?"
"I feel great," Jaejoong smiled back at him, hoping he could wrap his arms around Yunho's neck to pull him close. Yunho's sleeves were rolled up to reveal the tanned skin of his forearms - arms that had held him so strongly all night.
"Not too sore?"
"No," Jaejoong shook his head, even though it did hurt a bit to walk around, "Are you alright?"
First quickly looking around to make sure no-one was watching, Yunho raised a hand to slowly slide it down Jaejoong's arm in a not-too-obvious caress. His fingers wrapped around Jaejoong's wrist, then squeezed, and reluctantly let it fall back down.
"These few days here have been strange," Yunho let out a sigh, still looking amused, "I know we still don't know that much about each other and you have a big decision to make... But if you do decide to come with me I promise I'll take care of you."
"I know you will," Jaejoong replied honestly, trying not to blink to better memorize exactly how Yunho looked at that moment, "But I'm not a child."
"As you have repeatedly told me," Yunho let out a husky, barking laugh, causing Jaejoong to blush slightly.
"I mean... I'm just saying..." the shorter let out a frustrated breath of air, "Just come back soon, will you?"
"Yunho, dear!" came Jaejoong's mother's voice from the yard and both of them turned to look at her approaching, "You forgot the bread I packed for you!"
"So it seems," Yunho scratched behind his neck, accepting the loaf of bread Jaejoong's mother handed him. "Thank you again. For everything."
"You're welcome," Jaejoong said together with his mother in unison, as Yunho got up to his horse and clicked his tongue to make her move.
"It's been a pleasure," said his mother again, and Yunho gave her a discreet nod, his eyes still lingering on Jaejoong's shorter form as he turned around and rode away.
Jaejoong watched him go, heard the horse's hooves hitting the ground and couldn't help but think he'd soon be riding off together with Yunho. When he could no longer see the other man, Jaejoong headed back inside to his room to see what Yunho had left for him. He hadn't been expecting anything big but still smiled when seeing Yunho's uniform shirt folded nicely on top of his blanket. Taking a seat from the bed, Jaejoong took it and buried his face into the worn fabric - it still smelled like Yunho - and sighed, feeling quite melancholic. Yunho was going to come back, but it didn't change the fact he was going to have to remember how to live when he wasn't around. Everything other than the few couple days seemed like out of someone else's life - now meaningless to Jaejoong.
How Yunho had known about Jaejoong really loving his uniform he had no clue, but it would come in handy on cold nights he'd much rather have spent together with Yunho. He lay down on the bed, closed his eyes and squeezed the shirt to his chest, hoping the day of Yunho's return would come sooner than he thought.
Life returned to being boring after Yunho had left the inn but something inside Jaejoong just wasn't the same. He could spend hours just sitting behind the stables, looking at the scenery with an empty mind and gracing his fingers over the mark on his neck that hadn't begun to fade regardless of the time. It had been two weeks since Yunho's departure, only two weeks, but yet it felt like a lifetime to Jaejoong. Knowing Yunho couldn't possibly be finished with whatever work he was supposed to do in that short amount of time, he still felt anxious, fearing Yunho had forgotten about everything he had promised before.
He didn't doubt anything Yunho had told him to not be true. It was clear, the strange longing he felt and how everything seemed much more empty, was like Yunho had bitten off a junk of his soul instead of the skin on his neck. Yunho must have been feeling the same. As days went by, he even started feeling sick to his stomach from sheer yearning, losing his appetite and feeling much weaker. Even his mother started to worry - until the day Jaejoong decided to tell him the lie he had been planning.
After helping his mother clean up the dining room after dinner on one Sunday evening, Jaejoong stayed behind to talk to her. His mother was busy wiping the tables with a rag as Jaejoong took a seat on the bench and took a deep breath before talking. He was again wearing another turtleneck, even though outside it was warm enough for his sisters to wear sleeveless dresses.
"Mother?" he started, voice coming out raspy from being quite nervous. It was essential to tell everything just the right way, for he was still young and his mother was perfectly entitled to force him to stay. Jaejoong didn't want to have to sneak out before daylight, before he left he wanted to tell them goodbye.
"What is it, sweetie?" she said, scrubbing a particularly nasty stain of sauce on the surface of the wooden table.
"I want to become a hunter," Jaejoong said, knowing his mother had no way of knowing the truth about the people they considered to be so extremely brave. "Since meeting Yunho I really want to do that."
It wasn't a complete lie. For as long as Jaejoong could remember, he had fantasized about becoming one himself but now that he knew the truth of all the hunters being werewolves, it would be impossible to even try in real life. Nor that he wanted to no longer since he had already become a part of that world. Jaejoong had no desire to ever kill a werewolf. She lifted his gaze from the table to meet Jaejoong's eyes, not looking that surprised. As she took a seat from opposite of Jaejoong, the younger started talking to let the weight off his shoulders.
"He told me all about it and I think it really is something I want to do. You know I'm unhappy here," he said with growing certainty, "I could help people and become stronger."
"You've always been a sensitive child," she sighed, shaking her head sadly, "But I know I've protected you a little too much because you are the last born. Sometimes I forget you aren't one my daughters but a young man. You look too pretty for your own good."
"I'm not weak anymore. I'm growing up, you have to believe me," Jaejoong assured eagerly, "Everyone keeps telling me I'm too young or too feeble but I'm not!"
"And I have started to think you've been right all along."
"You have?"
"I noticed there was something going on with you and that hunter," his mother admitted, "You looked at him with admiration and he... Well... I thought he looked at you too. So you told Yunho about your dreams?"
"Yes," Jaejoong said weakly, heart beating wildly in his chest at his mother's words. Had they been that obvious? Had they really been gazing at each other across the dinner table with something more than friendship? "He agreed to come and fetch me on his way back to town if I wanted to."
"And you told him yes?"
"I did," Jaejoong bit the side of his lip. He didn't like lying, but there was no way he could ever tell the truth about Yunho. The truth about how they were bound together for life and how Yunho was in fact a dangerous beast himself. Definitely not about how Yunho had almost accidentally killed him in the process of marking him as his own.
"You're almost a grown man. I can't stop you," she said simply, reaching out across the table and touching Jaejoong's cheek. "But to me you'll always be my little baby."
"Mother, stop it," Jaejoong pushed away her hand and laughed, feeling a great wave of relief wash over him. He wouldn't have to leave in secret and that was a good thing. "I promise I'll make you proud."
"I'm sure you will," she said, ending the conversation.
After telling his mother about his plans to leave with Yunho, Jaejoong had nothing else to do but wait. Every hour felt like an eternity when Jaejoong's head was filled with endless dreams of the adventures he was going to have with Yunho. His nights were spent biting into the pillows, moving his fingers across his own body and mimicking Yunho's touch, trying to remember every single detail of their one heated night together. Every time he did something like it, the scar on his neck seemed to pulse as if the mere thought of the other man was enough to awaken something strange in him.
As time went by, Jaejoong started to worry. What if Yunho had died and was never going to come back? What if the rest of his life was spent waiting for him? What if Yunho actually did return to get him, but ended up hating Jaejoong? They had gotten along so well during the few days Yunho had spent at the inn, but after all, they were profoundly different, like the sun had fallen in love with the moon. Worrying so much often made Jaejoong's head hurt and his stomach flutter in an anxious way. Then the day of Yunho's return finally came.
It had been over a month since the last time Jaejoong had seen the other. He had almost forgotten just how handsome Yunho was in real life, for his daydreams did no justice to the sheer perfection Yunho was. It was just another day and Jaejoong had just been about to go and feed the chickens, when he saw a familiar shape of a man on a horse distinctly approaching. He had mistaken other people as Yunho so many times before he didn't get his hopes up just yet, but then the color of Yunho's very familiar uniform came into sight and Jaejoong forgot all about his chores. He dropped the basket of grain and ran off to meet Yunho - but immediately realized something was wrong.
Yunho was holding his right side with his left hand, barely able to hold the reigns, but smiled in relief after seeing who had arrived to greet him. He looked pale, and the look in his eyes was dark - Jaejoong instantly knew it meant that the wolf in him was present - and helped Yunho get down from his horse. The taller man's arms wrapped around Jaejoong, both using him for support and embracing him at the same time. Yunho buried his face into Jaejoong's hair, breathing in his scent deeply. Shudders wrecked his spine as he was clearly in pain.
"Yunho..." Jaejoong cried out, clutching the taller man's shirt in his fists, "What happened? Are you alright?"
"It's just a fever... Got reckless... I wanted to hurry and made a mistake," Yunho mumbled to Jaejoong's hair, then trying to pull away when Jaejoong's mother together with two of his sisters came into sight. Jaejoong hugged him tighter, not letting Yunho go. It didn't matter what they thought of their lingering embrace when Yunho was like this.
"You're wounded?"
"It's nothing, just a scratch but it got infected," Yunho continued, "Didn't bring enough herbs. It's good to see you, Jaejoong."
"Werewolves can get fever too?" Jaejoong asked quietly, mind filled with mixed feelings of happiness of having Yunho back and worry for his condition.
"Shh," Yunho hushed him and put more weight on his legs, now only leaning slightly against Jaejoong's shorter frame. The others had reached them and as one of his sisters took the horse's reigns, Jaejoong started walking Yunho back towards the inn.
"Mother - fever herbs," Jaejoong briefly said while helping Yunho over the front stairs and into the house. The hand Yunho had placed over Jaejoong's neck was distracting - he had missed Yunho's touch so much - but with a lot of difficulty managed to lower Yunho down on the kitchen bench. He could easily tell Yunho was in pain and was trying not to show it.
"You're burning up," Jaejoong whispered, placing his hand over Yunho's forehead and then under his chin. "Your fever must be sky high..."
"You have to tend me," Yunho grabbed his wrist and insisted, "They can't know I'm a... My body temperature is higher when I'm around you."
"Should I just leave then?" he replied, wanting to do his all to help Yunho but the other shook his head.
"I want you here," Yunho's voice suddenly sounded much weaker which made Jaejoong act. He opened the buttons on Yunho's shirt and pushed the fabric aside to reveal a nasty wound on his right side under his ribs. The skin around it was bruised and purple, but there was no more blood leaking from it.
"When did this happen?" Jaejoong asked, examining the wound as gently as he possibly could.
"Two days ago," Yunho said, groaning in pain. He closed his eyes and breathed in through his nose, drawing shallow breaths.
"It's healed incredibly fast," Jaejoong whispered, quite amazed at the healing power of Yunho's body but stopped talking when his mother entered the room, carrying supplies in her hands. Jaejoong turned around to take them and then kneeled back to the floor next to Yunho, and softly started spreading mashed herbs over the bruise. "Feel any better?"
"Loads," Yunho sighed and placed a hand over his eyes as Jaejoong worked on the wound. "What is it?"
"Just a few things from our yard," the younger looked up and smiled, before wrapping a thin layer of gauze around Yunho's waist to keep dirt and sweat out of the wound.
"What happened?"asked Jaejoong's mother, who looked much more concerned than her son.
"Got bitten by a beast," Yunho explained shortly to not raise any suspicion, "But I won. It's gone now and the people of the village are safe."
"Good thing it didn't bite off a bigger junk," she murmured, fearing this was what her son was also going to have to deal with in the future.
Jaejoong helped Yunho up the stairs to bed after letting the poor man rest for a bit down in the kitchen. They had much to talk about but for now Yunho was too weak and tired to be suffocated with the endless amount of questions Jaejoong had thought of while he was gone. Instead of taking Yunho to a guest room, Jaejoong opened the door to his own room to let Yunho rest on his bed. Yunho's shirt was folded nicely under his pillow where Jaejoong could easily access it at night, but now that Yunho was back he no longer needed a substitute.
He pulled off Yunho's dirty boots from his feet before covering the man with a blanket and sitting down to the side of the bed to watch him. Yunho reached up to pull Jaejoong in for a kiss, but by the time their lips touched he had already fell asleep. The temperature of his body was still burning hot but now that Jaejoong knew it was a result of him being close, he didn't worry too much about it. Yunho started snoring softly, which was something he had never done before, and Jaejoong stayed there by the bed, sitting with his knees pulled up against his chest - finally feeling somewhat at ease.
Running his fingers through Yunho's hair, Jaejoong realized he couldn't stop smiling. Yunho looked handsome even like that, weakened by fever and his wounds. Jaejoong wondered what Yunho looked like as a wolf. He had spend so much time drooling over the other man's human form that he had actually never thought about the other shape his body sometimes took. He would like Yunho that way too, he was sure, even if it meant he was mingling with the enemy. Jaejoong had actually never seen a full grown wolf before, only rather bad drawings of the so called beasts, and based on those he couldn't be sure whether Yunho had giant fangs and a thick coat of fur or not.
Around three hours later, Yunho woke up again. Jaejoong was now sitting on the floor, resting his arms and chin on the bed, also dozing off now that his heart was finally at peace. He had just been about to slip deep into sleep when he realized Yunho's eyes were open, and he was looking back at the younger.
"You're glowing," Yunho told him with a husky tone, "Did you know that?"
"I'm not glowing," Jaejoong denied, blushing deeply, and adjusted the blanket to cover Yunho better. Sure, his skin had been a little more radiant lately, but Jaejoong didn't think it had anything to do with it.
"Yes, you are," Yunho argued back, now flashing a toothy grin at the other young man, "Have you gained weight?"
"I don't think so," Jaejoong laughed, shaking his head. If Yunho was already being silly he was surely going to be alright. "I've barely had any appetite lately."
Before Jaejoong knew what was happening, Yunho had moved out a hand and grabbed him by the chin, pulling him into a soft kiss. Jaejoong's eyelashes fluttered in surprise before relaxing to the kiss - he loved how Yunho's hand felt on his face, gruff but gentle - and returned the kiss with a swift parting of his lips, letting Yunho's tongue push into his mouth. The hand on his cheek slid into his hair, turning his head to the side to better deepen the kiss. For a short moment Jaejoong kept kissing back but then pulled back to break the contact of their lips.
"You're hurt, you have to rest," he whispered to Yunho's lips, whose gaze had turned dark from lust again, "We can't go all night doing it like last time."
"I'll be okay, come to bed with me," Yunho murmured, sounding so deeply seductive that Jaejoong's stomach started throwing back flips. They were both breathing faster from only a few moments of kissing.
"Yunho, I insist," Jaejoong said firmly, even though he really wanted to feel Yunho inside him again, "I'll go sleep in the other room if we can't keep our hands to ourselves."
"Fine," the other sighed reluctantly, letting go of Jaejoong's hair. "Is this revenge for not sleeping with you on the first night we met?"
"Yunho!" Jaejoong laughed, climbing up on the bed and laying down next to the other man. He felt the shudder going down Yunho's spine shake the mattress but on the inside felt extremely glad Yunho still seemed to want him just as much.
"You've gained some muscle too," Yunho continued to observe him, eyes going up and down Jaejoong's body. "Have you been running around?"
"I've been busy doing chores trying not to think about you," he gave a snarky reply which made Yunho grin even wider.
"But you have been thinking of me? Just a little?"
"All the damn time," Jaejoong confirmed, glancing at Yunho's bow-shaped lips wanting desperately to give him another kiss. It was completely out of the question though because knowing them, things would get out of hand faster than Jaejoong could say werewolf.
"Have you thought about-"
"I've decided to go with you," Jaejoong replied before Yunho had even managed to finish the question. "We're leaving as soon as you're feeling better, preferably tomorrow. I'm not good at riding a horse so you have to be healthy."
"What are you going to tell them?"
"I've told my family I want to become a hunter," Jaejoong explained, happy to see his feelings returned in Yunho's intense gaze, "I've told them you're going to help me become one. It's not exactly lying, I've always dreamed of doing it when I grow up."
"You know what, I'm sure actually now you could," Yunho surprised him by saying, "Like I told you, you're invisible to them now. Because of the mark I left on you."
"But aren't all of the hunters werewolves who have left home? How could I?"
"Sure, but you could be the first human one," Yunho brushed a strand of loose hair away to reveal Jaejoong's strong eyebrows. "We could think of something for you to do. You aren't a child after all anymore."
"I sure aren't," Jaejoong let out an excited giggle and felt an immense amount of happiness radiate from somewhere within his body. He could tell that Yunho's eyes were constantly lingering around his lips, wanting as desperately as Jaejoong to exchange another kiss.
"Maybe just one more kiss," Jaejoong suddenly changed his mind and leaned in, slowly closing the distance between them, "But don't try anything funny!"
Free Counter
Pairings: YunJae
Rating: NC-17
Genre: romance, supernatural, mpreg
Chapters: 4/11
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: Looks like I'm unable to wait any longer than four days to update the fic haha... Lucky for you guys I guess XD Here's chapter 4 with pictures, have fun reading~ <3
Chapter 4
The sight that greeted Jaejoong in the mirror that morning truly shocked him. It was hard to believe it was even the same person - his cheeks were still flushed, his mouth was swollen and his neck looked worse than ever. Yunho had practically mauled every inch of him during last night and left him with signs that couldn't be washed away by water. How was he going to hide everything that had happened from his mother and sisters when his reflection looked like that? He would have to think of a big, fat lie, for he was sure his mother wouldn't accept their relationship especially if she knew the whole truth.
With a puzzled mind, Jaejoong stepped into the bathtub and opened the tap to fill it with hot water from the boiler. They had spent so much time fucking in the morning Jaejoong was really going to have to hurry to think of something while Yunho packed his belongings and got his horse ready to leave again. Yunho would return to pick him up later, but it would take days and give Jaejoong some precious time to think about how he was going to break the news to his mother. There was no use to worry yet and so, Jaejoong sat down and sank into the water, closing his eyes and letting his body relax while his mind raced like a headless chicken.
The water was hot and it stung a little. Grabbing a bar of soap, Jaejoong started scrubbing the scent of sex away from his body. Truthfully, Jaejoong wouldn't have minded smelling like Yunho for the rest of the week, but to make sure nobody would find out about them, he had no choice but to wash it away. The events of the previous night and morning after flashed before his eyes whenever he wasn't trying to push the thoughts away, persistently causing Jaejoong's cheeks to turn red from something other than the steam of the bath. He loved how strongly Yunho had held him, how his mouth had moved effortlessly on Jaejoong's body, how he had kept licking Jaejoong's nipples until they were sore to even the slightest touch.
Jaejoong took a large gulp of air and sunk into the water. He held his breath for a moment, hoping it would help and then sat up again and started to furiously wash his scalp. Yunho had told him Jaejoong could have the time to think about what he wanted to do while Yunho was gone but to be honest, Jaejoong had already made up his mind. So, it had turned out Yunho was a werewolf, but surprisingly it hadn't changed the way Jaejoong had started to feel about the other man. He had liked Yunho from the start, enough to actually try to get him to sleep with Jaejoong - even if he was of a whole different breed. They couldn't be that different from each other because they seemed to fit together so perfectly.
The bath made a vast improvement to Jaejoong's looks. The skin of his neck could be hidden from view with another warm sweater and just like before, the love bites had begun to fade faster than humanly possible. Something about the bite had changed him - he didn't exactly feel different - but it was still quite obvious. Stretching his neck, he examined the scar Yunho's teeth had left on his skin.
The boy looking back at him from the mirror somehow looked much more like a man. Jaejoong smiled, realizing he in fact wasn't a boy anymore - Yunho had throughoutly taken care of that last night - but for now he could tell no-one to ensure nobody would try to stop him once Yunho returned to pick him up.
A plan was already starting to form in Jaejoong's mind.
Yunho was out by the stables when Jaejoong went to say goodbye to the older man. His horse was ready and saddled, and the bag that carried Yunho's personal items was fastened to the side. He grinned wildly as Jaejoong approached, crossing his arms across his chest and shifting his weight from one foot to another. Two of Jaejoong's sisters were out on the yard, meaning Jaejoong couldn't reach up and kiss Yunho even though he really wanted to.
"Hey," Yunho said softly as Jaejoong came to stand in front of him. "I left something for you while you were in the bathroom. It's on your bed. Feeling alright?"
"I feel great," Jaejoong smiled back at him, hoping he could wrap his arms around Yunho's neck to pull him close. Yunho's sleeves were rolled up to reveal the tanned skin of his forearms - arms that had held him so strongly all night.
"Not too sore?"
"No," Jaejoong shook his head, even though it did hurt a bit to walk around, "Are you alright?"
First quickly looking around to make sure no-one was watching, Yunho raised a hand to slowly slide it down Jaejoong's arm in a not-too-obvious caress. His fingers wrapped around Jaejoong's wrist, then squeezed, and reluctantly let it fall back down.
"These few days here have been strange," Yunho let out a sigh, still looking amused, "I know we still don't know that much about each other and you have a big decision to make... But if you do decide to come with me I promise I'll take care of you."
"I know you will," Jaejoong replied honestly, trying not to blink to better memorize exactly how Yunho looked at that moment, "But I'm not a child."
"As you have repeatedly told me," Yunho let out a husky, barking laugh, causing Jaejoong to blush slightly.
"I mean... I'm just saying..." the shorter let out a frustrated breath of air, "Just come back soon, will you?"
"Yunho, dear!" came Jaejoong's mother's voice from the yard and both of them turned to look at her approaching, "You forgot the bread I packed for you!"
"So it seems," Yunho scratched behind his neck, accepting the loaf of bread Jaejoong's mother handed him. "Thank you again. For everything."
"You're welcome," Jaejoong said together with his mother in unison, as Yunho got up to his horse and clicked his tongue to make her move.
"It's been a pleasure," said his mother again, and Yunho gave her a discreet nod, his eyes still lingering on Jaejoong's shorter form as he turned around and rode away.
Jaejoong watched him go, heard the horse's hooves hitting the ground and couldn't help but think he'd soon be riding off together with Yunho. When he could no longer see the other man, Jaejoong headed back inside to his room to see what Yunho had left for him. He hadn't been expecting anything big but still smiled when seeing Yunho's uniform shirt folded nicely on top of his blanket. Taking a seat from the bed, Jaejoong took it and buried his face into the worn fabric - it still smelled like Yunho - and sighed, feeling quite melancholic. Yunho was going to come back, but it didn't change the fact he was going to have to remember how to live when he wasn't around. Everything other than the few couple days seemed like out of someone else's life - now meaningless to Jaejoong.
How Yunho had known about Jaejoong really loving his uniform he had no clue, but it would come in handy on cold nights he'd much rather have spent together with Yunho. He lay down on the bed, closed his eyes and squeezed the shirt to his chest, hoping the day of Yunho's return would come sooner than he thought.
Life returned to being boring after Yunho had left the inn but something inside Jaejoong just wasn't the same. He could spend hours just sitting behind the stables, looking at the scenery with an empty mind and gracing his fingers over the mark on his neck that hadn't begun to fade regardless of the time. It had been two weeks since Yunho's departure, only two weeks, but yet it felt like a lifetime to Jaejoong. Knowing Yunho couldn't possibly be finished with whatever work he was supposed to do in that short amount of time, he still felt anxious, fearing Yunho had forgotten about everything he had promised before.
He didn't doubt anything Yunho had told him to not be true. It was clear, the strange longing he felt and how everything seemed much more empty, was like Yunho had bitten off a junk of his soul instead of the skin on his neck. Yunho must have been feeling the same. As days went by, he even started feeling sick to his stomach from sheer yearning, losing his appetite and feeling much weaker. Even his mother started to worry - until the day Jaejoong decided to tell him the lie he had been planning.
After helping his mother clean up the dining room after dinner on one Sunday evening, Jaejoong stayed behind to talk to her. His mother was busy wiping the tables with a rag as Jaejoong took a seat on the bench and took a deep breath before talking. He was again wearing another turtleneck, even though outside it was warm enough for his sisters to wear sleeveless dresses.
"Mother?" he started, voice coming out raspy from being quite nervous. It was essential to tell everything just the right way, for he was still young and his mother was perfectly entitled to force him to stay. Jaejoong didn't want to have to sneak out before daylight, before he left he wanted to tell them goodbye.
"What is it, sweetie?" she said, scrubbing a particularly nasty stain of sauce on the surface of the wooden table.
"I want to become a hunter," Jaejoong said, knowing his mother had no way of knowing the truth about the people they considered to be so extremely brave. "Since meeting Yunho I really want to do that."
It wasn't a complete lie. For as long as Jaejoong could remember, he had fantasized about becoming one himself but now that he knew the truth of all the hunters being werewolves, it would be impossible to even try in real life. Nor that he wanted to no longer since he had already become a part of that world. Jaejoong had no desire to ever kill a werewolf. She lifted his gaze from the table to meet Jaejoong's eyes, not looking that surprised. As she took a seat from opposite of Jaejoong, the younger started talking to let the weight off his shoulders.
"He told me all about it and I think it really is something I want to do. You know I'm unhappy here," he said with growing certainty, "I could help people and become stronger."
"You've always been a sensitive child," she sighed, shaking her head sadly, "But I know I've protected you a little too much because you are the last born. Sometimes I forget you aren't one my daughters but a young man. You look too pretty for your own good."
"I'm not weak anymore. I'm growing up, you have to believe me," Jaejoong assured eagerly, "Everyone keeps telling me I'm too young or too feeble but I'm not!"
"And I have started to think you've been right all along."
"You have?"
"I noticed there was something going on with you and that hunter," his mother admitted, "You looked at him with admiration and he... Well... I thought he looked at you too. So you told Yunho about your dreams?"
"Yes," Jaejoong said weakly, heart beating wildly in his chest at his mother's words. Had they been that obvious? Had they really been gazing at each other across the dinner table with something more than friendship? "He agreed to come and fetch me on his way back to town if I wanted to."
"And you told him yes?"
"I did," Jaejoong bit the side of his lip. He didn't like lying, but there was no way he could ever tell the truth about Yunho. The truth about how they were bound together for life and how Yunho was in fact a dangerous beast himself. Definitely not about how Yunho had almost accidentally killed him in the process of marking him as his own.
"You're almost a grown man. I can't stop you," she said simply, reaching out across the table and touching Jaejoong's cheek. "But to me you'll always be my little baby."
"Mother, stop it," Jaejoong pushed away her hand and laughed, feeling a great wave of relief wash over him. He wouldn't have to leave in secret and that was a good thing. "I promise I'll make you proud."
"I'm sure you will," she said, ending the conversation.
After telling his mother about his plans to leave with Yunho, Jaejoong had nothing else to do but wait. Every hour felt like an eternity when Jaejoong's head was filled with endless dreams of the adventures he was going to have with Yunho. His nights were spent biting into the pillows, moving his fingers across his own body and mimicking Yunho's touch, trying to remember every single detail of their one heated night together. Every time he did something like it, the scar on his neck seemed to pulse as if the mere thought of the other man was enough to awaken something strange in him.
As time went by, Jaejoong started to worry. What if Yunho had died and was never going to come back? What if the rest of his life was spent waiting for him? What if Yunho actually did return to get him, but ended up hating Jaejoong? They had gotten along so well during the few days Yunho had spent at the inn, but after all, they were profoundly different, like the sun had fallen in love with the moon. Worrying so much often made Jaejoong's head hurt and his stomach flutter in an anxious way. Then the day of Yunho's return finally came.
It had been over a month since the last time Jaejoong had seen the other. He had almost forgotten just how handsome Yunho was in real life, for his daydreams did no justice to the sheer perfection Yunho was. It was just another day and Jaejoong had just been about to go and feed the chickens, when he saw a familiar shape of a man on a horse distinctly approaching. He had mistaken other people as Yunho so many times before he didn't get his hopes up just yet, but then the color of Yunho's very familiar uniform came into sight and Jaejoong forgot all about his chores. He dropped the basket of grain and ran off to meet Yunho - but immediately realized something was wrong.
Yunho was holding his right side with his left hand, barely able to hold the reigns, but smiled in relief after seeing who had arrived to greet him. He looked pale, and the look in his eyes was dark - Jaejoong instantly knew it meant that the wolf in him was present - and helped Yunho get down from his horse. The taller man's arms wrapped around Jaejoong, both using him for support and embracing him at the same time. Yunho buried his face into Jaejoong's hair, breathing in his scent deeply. Shudders wrecked his spine as he was clearly in pain.
"Yunho..." Jaejoong cried out, clutching the taller man's shirt in his fists, "What happened? Are you alright?"
"It's just a fever... Got reckless... I wanted to hurry and made a mistake," Yunho mumbled to Jaejoong's hair, then trying to pull away when Jaejoong's mother together with two of his sisters came into sight. Jaejoong hugged him tighter, not letting Yunho go. It didn't matter what they thought of their lingering embrace when Yunho was like this.
"You're wounded?"
"It's nothing, just a scratch but it got infected," Yunho continued, "Didn't bring enough herbs. It's good to see you, Jaejoong."
"Werewolves can get fever too?" Jaejoong asked quietly, mind filled with mixed feelings of happiness of having Yunho back and worry for his condition.
"Shh," Yunho hushed him and put more weight on his legs, now only leaning slightly against Jaejoong's shorter frame. The others had reached them and as one of his sisters took the horse's reigns, Jaejoong started walking Yunho back towards the inn.
"Mother - fever herbs," Jaejoong briefly said while helping Yunho over the front stairs and into the house. The hand Yunho had placed over Jaejoong's neck was distracting - he had missed Yunho's touch so much - but with a lot of difficulty managed to lower Yunho down on the kitchen bench. He could easily tell Yunho was in pain and was trying not to show it.
"You're burning up," Jaejoong whispered, placing his hand over Yunho's forehead and then under his chin. "Your fever must be sky high..."
"You have to tend me," Yunho grabbed his wrist and insisted, "They can't know I'm a... My body temperature is higher when I'm around you."
"Should I just leave then?" he replied, wanting to do his all to help Yunho but the other shook his head.
"I want you here," Yunho's voice suddenly sounded much weaker which made Jaejoong act. He opened the buttons on Yunho's shirt and pushed the fabric aside to reveal a nasty wound on his right side under his ribs. The skin around it was bruised and purple, but there was no more blood leaking from it.
"When did this happen?" Jaejoong asked, examining the wound as gently as he possibly could.
"Two days ago," Yunho said, groaning in pain. He closed his eyes and breathed in through his nose, drawing shallow breaths.
"It's healed incredibly fast," Jaejoong whispered, quite amazed at the healing power of Yunho's body but stopped talking when his mother entered the room, carrying supplies in her hands. Jaejoong turned around to take them and then kneeled back to the floor next to Yunho, and softly started spreading mashed herbs over the bruise. "Feel any better?"
"Loads," Yunho sighed and placed a hand over his eyes as Jaejoong worked on the wound. "What is it?"
"Just a few things from our yard," the younger looked up and smiled, before wrapping a thin layer of gauze around Yunho's waist to keep dirt and sweat out of the wound.
"What happened?"asked Jaejoong's mother, who looked much more concerned than her son.
"Got bitten by a beast," Yunho explained shortly to not raise any suspicion, "But I won. It's gone now and the people of the village are safe."
"Good thing it didn't bite off a bigger junk," she murmured, fearing this was what her son was also going to have to deal with in the future.
Jaejoong helped Yunho up the stairs to bed after letting the poor man rest for a bit down in the kitchen. They had much to talk about but for now Yunho was too weak and tired to be suffocated with the endless amount of questions Jaejoong had thought of while he was gone. Instead of taking Yunho to a guest room, Jaejoong opened the door to his own room to let Yunho rest on his bed. Yunho's shirt was folded nicely under his pillow where Jaejoong could easily access it at night, but now that Yunho was back he no longer needed a substitute.
He pulled off Yunho's dirty boots from his feet before covering the man with a blanket and sitting down to the side of the bed to watch him. Yunho reached up to pull Jaejoong in for a kiss, but by the time their lips touched he had already fell asleep. The temperature of his body was still burning hot but now that Jaejoong knew it was a result of him being close, he didn't worry too much about it. Yunho started snoring softly, which was something he had never done before, and Jaejoong stayed there by the bed, sitting with his knees pulled up against his chest - finally feeling somewhat at ease.
Running his fingers through Yunho's hair, Jaejoong realized he couldn't stop smiling. Yunho looked handsome even like that, weakened by fever and his wounds. Jaejoong wondered what Yunho looked like as a wolf. He had spend so much time drooling over the other man's human form that he had actually never thought about the other shape his body sometimes took. He would like Yunho that way too, he was sure, even if it meant he was mingling with the enemy. Jaejoong had actually never seen a full grown wolf before, only rather bad drawings of the so called beasts, and based on those he couldn't be sure whether Yunho had giant fangs and a thick coat of fur or not.
Around three hours later, Yunho woke up again. Jaejoong was now sitting on the floor, resting his arms and chin on the bed, also dozing off now that his heart was finally at peace. He had just been about to slip deep into sleep when he realized Yunho's eyes were open, and he was looking back at the younger.
"You're glowing," Yunho told him with a husky tone, "Did you know that?"
"I'm not glowing," Jaejoong denied, blushing deeply, and adjusted the blanket to cover Yunho better. Sure, his skin had been a little more radiant lately, but Jaejoong didn't think it had anything to do with it.
"Yes, you are," Yunho argued back, now flashing a toothy grin at the other young man, "Have you gained weight?"
"I don't think so," Jaejoong laughed, shaking his head. If Yunho was already being silly he was surely going to be alright. "I've barely had any appetite lately."
Before Jaejoong knew what was happening, Yunho had moved out a hand and grabbed him by the chin, pulling him into a soft kiss. Jaejoong's eyelashes fluttered in surprise before relaxing to the kiss - he loved how Yunho's hand felt on his face, gruff but gentle - and returned the kiss with a swift parting of his lips, letting Yunho's tongue push into his mouth. The hand on his cheek slid into his hair, turning his head to the side to better deepen the kiss. For a short moment Jaejoong kept kissing back but then pulled back to break the contact of their lips.
"You're hurt, you have to rest," he whispered to Yunho's lips, whose gaze had turned dark from lust again, "We can't go all night doing it like last time."
"I'll be okay, come to bed with me," Yunho murmured, sounding so deeply seductive that Jaejoong's stomach started throwing back flips. They were both breathing faster from only a few moments of kissing.
"Yunho, I insist," Jaejoong said firmly, even though he really wanted to feel Yunho inside him again, "I'll go sleep in the other room if we can't keep our hands to ourselves."
"Fine," the other sighed reluctantly, letting go of Jaejoong's hair. "Is this revenge for not sleeping with you on the first night we met?"
"Yunho!" Jaejoong laughed, climbing up on the bed and laying down next to the other man. He felt the shudder going down Yunho's spine shake the mattress but on the inside felt extremely glad Yunho still seemed to want him just as much.
"You've gained some muscle too," Yunho continued to observe him, eyes going up and down Jaejoong's body. "Have you been running around?"
"I've been busy doing chores trying not to think about you," he gave a snarky reply which made Yunho grin even wider.
"But you have been thinking of me? Just a little?"
"All the damn time," Jaejoong confirmed, glancing at Yunho's bow-shaped lips wanting desperately to give him another kiss. It was completely out of the question though because knowing them, things would get out of hand faster than Jaejoong could say werewolf.
"Have you thought about-"
"I've decided to go with you," Jaejoong replied before Yunho had even managed to finish the question. "We're leaving as soon as you're feeling better, preferably tomorrow. I'm not good at riding a horse so you have to be healthy."
"What are you going to tell them?"
"I've told my family I want to become a hunter," Jaejoong explained, happy to see his feelings returned in Yunho's intense gaze, "I've told them you're going to help me become one. It's not exactly lying, I've always dreamed of doing it when I grow up."
"You know what, I'm sure actually now you could," Yunho surprised him by saying, "Like I told you, you're invisible to them now. Because of the mark I left on you."
"But aren't all of the hunters werewolves who have left home? How could I?"
"Sure, but you could be the first human one," Yunho brushed a strand of loose hair away to reveal Jaejoong's strong eyebrows. "We could think of something for you to do. You aren't a child after all anymore."
"I sure aren't," Jaejoong let out an excited giggle and felt an immense amount of happiness radiate from somewhere within his body. He could tell that Yunho's eyes were constantly lingering around his lips, wanting as desperately as Jaejoong to exchange another kiss.
"Maybe just one more kiss," Jaejoong suddenly changed his mind and leaned in, slowly closing the distance between them, "But don't try anything funny!"
Free Counter