Happy New Year, mywhitedecember! Exchange fic: "Wherever the Wind Blows"

[beecassiopeia]

Title: Wherever the Wind Blows
Rating: pg-13
Genre: Alternate Reality, Fantasy, Romance, Suspension of Belief unless you hang out a lot on the Teen Wolf corner
Additional Tags: Unicorns, Merfolk, Spark, Werewolves, Fae, Killing, Excessive travelling, Underground police, Pornish kissing, Sex, Mating
Summary: Jaejoong’s life takes a drastic turn when he wakes up to an underground supernatural police at his door informing him that Junsu has gone crazy. Or the one where Junsu is a unicorn.

mywhitedecember's request: There is a saying that when a crescent moon is at the edge of the horizon, if you make a wish and watch as the moon disappear, your wish will come true. Jaejoong wishes on the moon. (rating: any)

Chapter one
Jaejoong’s life is changed with a visit from Yunho.

Jaejoong wakes up to someone knocking loudly on the door. Pulling on a pair of worn trousers drowsily as he walks attend to the visitor, a grumble falls off his lips at the sight of the man behind the door.

“I’m not my brother’s keeper!” Jaejoong defends hastily, immediately flushing at the unimpressed look on the man’s face. Fine, he is Junsu’s keeper and while he did not mean to denounce his brother, the sight of the underground supernatural police had made him nervous.

A superintendent had visited their house a month after Junsu’s first change, and the short interaction to fill them in with the workings of their new life of secrecy (together with the thinly veiled death threat) had been enough to instil caution in the both of them.

“I would assume that Mr. Kim Junsu is absent?” The sharp, intelligent looking man questions disapprovingly and Jaejoong finds himself failing miserably at his pretend nonchalance.

“He’s been gone for three weeks and yes it’s the longest so far, but I know Junsu. He’ll be back soon. He’s been kinda restless since his eighteenth birthday, and so he just went on a run to reconnect with nature. I mean you know how they’re like, right?” He finishes weakly in attempt to diffuse the tension.

Ever since Junsu first turned after their father’s death, they’ve been living quietly, close to the forest to prevent discovery by humans.

“Junsu’s been coping well for the past ten years. We do the conditionings every week, well almost every week seeing that he’s gone for three right now, but we also hunt together and do good stuff in the village at night and-” the superintendent cuts the nervous boy off with a raise of his hand.

“Your brother has gone berserk. Mr. Kim Junsu has been spotted twice in full form, once as he charged through a marketplace and the second in front of a house of a sick child.”

The superintendent pauses for a moment as if to gauge Jaejoong’s reaction. “Would you like to have a seat before I continue, Mr. Kim?”

“Are you going to put Junsu down?” Jaejoong chokes out weakly, body trembling under the agony of restraining his warring fight-or-flight instincts. If he knocked the superintendent out cold, he could possibly rush to calm Junsu but he might not even get pass the man and-

“It has been made known previously the dangers of revealing the supernatural to men, but despite Mr. Kim’s condition, he was crying before the house, trying to enter the window in full form.”

Jaejoong stares over the officer’s shoulder, uncomprehending. Unicorn tears were capable of healing, and the both of them ran a successful clinic with the harvest of Junsu’s tears and his own herbal blends, serving the villagers and the occasional supernatural. Unicorns were predisposed with sensitivity and the need to help others- god knows the number of times he had pushed a vial of Junsu’s tears to parents of sick children at his brother’s insistence. But this time, he wishes that Junsu cared a little less.

“I usually-” he begins. “Junsu-” Jaejoong tries to read the man’s face without success.

“Junsu didn’t mean to reveal himself. Maybe-” he tries to think quickly to explain the situation. Junsu is the only thing that he lives for. He runs the clinic for his brother, working, cooking, and living for his brother.

“The child must have been very sick for him to rush off to attend.” He clenches the rough blend of his slacks in desperation.

“Junsu didn’t mean it,” he continues, begging now, as the superintendent remains unmoved.

“The child was not particularly ill, and whether your brother meant it or otherwise is ultimately our call. However, we believe that Mr. Kim still maintains a degree of consciousness. Our trail died five days ago and I hope that you will cooperate in our mission.” The superintendent pauses as if to confirm Jaejoong’s attention.

“Mr. Kim Jaejoong, keeper of Mr. Kim Junsu, we require your bond to locate your brother, and your cooperation is expected should his capture be required.”

“And should I refuse to do so?” Jaejoong snaps at the superintendent’s audacity, wary of the reply. How could the superintendent even expect him to hand Junsu over, sound or otherwise?

The superintendent’s brows furrow slightly as if displeased by the question.

“Then we will deploy more officers to ensure that Mr. Kim is quickly found and put down.”

- - - - -

“We will settle here for tonight,” the superintendent - ‘Yunho, Jung Yunho’ decides as he slows the horse to a stop on a sparsely grown ground in the forest, in their journey to the neighbouring city as the sky begins to fall.

Slipping off the horse wordlessly, Jaejoong settles limply under a tree, conscious of the ache in his legs, ill accustomed to long rides on the back of a stallion. He had never travelled beyond the forests around their village and he feels beaten and wrung by the unanticipated turn in his life.

While his days with Junsu had been simple and a little routined, he takes pleasure in the consistency of running the clinic, and the sudden upheaval of his life makes him feel a nauseating sense of displacement.

As he watches the ant trail on the ground with mindless fatigue, Jaejoong slowly slips into a worried slumber with the thoughts of his injured brother plaguing his mind.

- - - - -

When he comes to the next morning, Jaejoong finds a mix of berries on a leaf together with a few slices of bread before him. The superintendent is nowhere in sight as he sits up slowly, woollen blanket sliding off his form. Ignoring his parched throat, Jaejoong finishes the lean meal laid out for him before getting up to look for his companion.

“You’re awake,” Yunho acknowledges without turning as he continues to pick his wild berries. Jaejoong makes a noncommittal sound, awed by the officer’s situational awareness.

“I’m sorry,” he mumbles, unsure of the meaning of his apology. There’s so much to be sorry for, for falling asleep, for slowing the officer down, for not following Junsu in the first place, but the system cares little for apologies.

“It’s okay,” Yunho turns with a small smile, and Jaejoong finds himself speechless and compliant as his heart stumbles before quickening at the genuine softness layered on the fatigue of his companion’s handsome face.

- - - - -

“Did you sleep at all?” Jaejoong asks guiltily when the man wakes up from his nap after lunch, the silence thick between them. “Yesterday night, I mean.” He hurriedly adds when Yunho doesn’t reply.

“A little,” Yunho shrugs as he receives the satchel of water with a small nod. “I took naps here and there. The woods are dangerous.”

“I’m sorry,” Jaejoong apologizes once more, shifting uneasily as the man looks at him levelly. He was a burdensome travel companion for the superintendent.

“I’m sorry too,” Yunho replies with a deep inhale as he stands. “But I’m glad that you’re better today.”

Jaejoong wonders at the apology as he moves to follow the man. While his contact with the supernatural apart from Junsu was limited, he had never heard of superintendents offering sympathy, and he would swear that he had caught something akin to interest in the man’s eyes at his contrite apology.

-

“How often do you put down a berserk unicorn? Is it always the carer’s fault?” Jaejoong asks later as they continue heading for the neighbouring village, beyond the woods.

“I wouldn’t use the word fault,” Yunho corrects without turning. “Your brother chose to answer nature’s beckoning without informing you. Besides, the balance of freedom and control for carers is hard to achieve because an extreme injustice is also capable of triggering a unicorn’s berserking. It’s never anybody’s fault,” Yunho finishes sharply with a startling gravity. Biting his lip without any reply, Jaejoong wonders at the seemingly rehearsed conviction and the number of times Yunho has repeated it to other carers. It’s not enough to relieve his guilt, but it helps.

“The job of a carer is hard, and unicorns ultimately want to help men. It’s a case-by-case basis, but I’ve pursued six and seen the death of four.”

Jaejoong startles at the information, torn between gratitude at the man’s frankness and the despairing reality of the situation.

“What are Junsu’s chances of survival?” He asks meekly as the silence between them turns heavy.

“We’ve never seen a case like Mr. Kim,” Yunho admits. “There’s no upset in the vicinity, his carer is safe, but he maintains enough clarity to perform his duty. However, not enough to conceal his form which infringes the fundamental rule.” Jaejoong worries at his bottom lip, licking away the trace of blood before continuing his nervous tic, nervous by the impending judgement.

“It’s a sixty-forty against your brother,” Yunho admits quietly and Jaejoong reaches out to squeeze the man’s arm in gratitude as he tries to imagine Junsu charging through a marketplace in full form.

Sixty-forty is honestly much better than what he had expected.

Chapter 2
The duo continues on their journey and they begin to warm up to each other.

Jaejoong’s breath catches when he wakes up with his face tucked under Yunho’s chin. Playing over the previous night in his head, he slowly extracts himself from the position to sit on the edge of the bed. They had managed to reach the neighbouring village before dusk and had settled into an inn, the rough night in the forest taking its toll on their bodies as they withdrew early.

Looking over at the man sleeping peacefully, he wonders idly at the contrast between the current disarrangement of the man before him and the sharp edges of the superintendent he interacts with during the day. Flushing shyly at the soft sight of Yunho’s hair tousled messily from sleep, full lips slightly parted with light exhalations, Jaejoong clears his head with a quick shake before moving to freshen himself up. Any person with eyes would attest to Yunho’s attractiveness (him most exuberantly), but the nature of the thoughts lies in a forbidden territory, of which he cannot entertain. Their statuses differ too greatly, Yunho a warrior and him a cleric at best, the memory of the hardness of Yunho’s torso against him finishing the reminder of his place. Groaning at the nature of his thoughts, Jaejoong pinches his cheeks with his cold wet hands before splashing his face with the icy water in shame.

-

“You don’t talk much, do you?” Jaejoong asks over breakfast in the inn, carefully cataloguing the man’s expressions, curious about the workings of the superintendent.

“There’s little to talk about.”

Jaejoong nods evenly as he shovels his eggs down. “Don’t travel much with others?”

“People part, partners die.” Yunho pauses as if surprised by his own words. A personal motto then, Jaejoong guesses from the ease in the way the words had rolled out from his mouth. A little macabre, but it fit the pragmatism he had come to associate with the officer. “The line of job is a difficult one. We die young for the cause.”

“Like stars then.” Jaejoong smiles as he leans forward, chin propped on his hand when he finishes his meal. “They shine brightly for the light to reach us, then they die,” he emphasizes with a snap of his fingers.

“So I’ll service even in death?”

“Yeah- wait, I mean no! You just shine really brightly and then you die, not that you’ll die, I mean you’re a master after all, oh god!” He complains in mortification at his mistake, thankful when Yunho drops the topic, a small smile at the corner of his lips.

“Come on, let’s go,” Yunho moves to stand and Jaejoong quickly bids the innkeeper goodbye as he rushes after his companion.

- - -

It’s another three nights in this stretch of forest before they reach the village Junsu was last spotted in. The bond works only within a limited distance and they hope that Junsu hasn’t gone far.

“We’ll settle here for tonight,” Yunho decides and Jaejoong dismounts the superintendent’s horse with a nod.

“I’ll gather the firewood,” Jaejoong offers, his companion waving him away before beginning to unburden Kamo. It’s a funny foreign name for a horse, Jaejoong thinks once more as Yunho’s soft whisper to the stallion slowly fades away as he wanders away from the grounds.

Picking the fallen branches as he weaves through the maze of trees, Jaejoong mulls over Yunho’s sister, a spark who had favoured odd names for her pets. Yunho’s sister had lost control of her magic when they were younger, and he wonders sadly at how Yunho could join the system that had taken away his sister. How could death have been the better option for his kin?

He slots another branch under his arm with a dejected sigh as the memory Yunho’s dark look when he had carelessly asked about his sister surfaces. How should he have known that superintendents were so complex?

He startles mid-motion as he swivels around, body tense. Had the ground shook? Surveying his surroundings, he drops his collection when the earth rumbles for the second time.

“Yunho!” He calls, breaking into a run when a grotesque roar rolls through the forest.

“Stand back!” Yunho warns in a crouch underneath a tree at the sight of him, his clothes dusty as a towering beast begins to charge towards him with a roar. An ogre? Jaejoong quickly catalogues with the hazy memory of the bestiary a centaur had once lent them.

“You’ll need a golden dagger!” Jaejoong cries as his companion barely dodges the beast’s clumsy grab.

“It’s with Kamo!” Yunho yells as he weaves behind a tree to the frustration of the ogre, gasping when the beast uproots the tree with his strength, hurtling soil through the air with a furious shake.

Bridled with acute helplessness, Jaejoong flinches as Yunho becomes clumsy with fatigue, worn out by the exertion of dodging the ogre and its weapons of nature. “I’ll distract him,” he shouts, cringing as Yunho flies through the air with the sweep of a tree as the ogre becomes increasingly enraged at his failure in capturing prey.

“Run!” Jaejoong cries as he bursts towards the ogre, zipping between the beast’s legs to capture its attention before disappearing quickly into the trees.

“Rhaaaaaaa!” The ogre bellows as he chases after clumsily while Jaejoong’s heart threatens to break apart his rib cage in fear. Groaning as he’s sent sprawling by a sweeping tree, he scrambles to stand as the warm stench of the ogre’s palm nears. Running at the sound of another sickening crack of an uprooted vegetation, Jaejoong begins to wish crazily for a pair of eyes at the back of his head as he sprints ahead without any plan, feeling strangely like a beheaded chicken set loose.

“Grahhhhhh!” The ogre suddenly bellows, swivelling bulkily in the opposite direction as Yunho draws a second line with his dagger on the greedy hand coming down to capture him. A pained cry escapes the beast as it lunges in fury, Yunho skipping backwards deftly before aiming for the leg wound again.

“Grahhhh!” The ogre cries as it snatches another tree to attack his assailant, only to receive a sharper pain as Yunho takes the delay to deepen the wound as he closes in on the ogre. Stabbing itself unintentionally as it aims sharply for Yunho, Jaejoong gasps as the monster falls onto its knees at the force of the pain.

“Stab its heart!” Jaejoong cries as Yunho drives his dagger deeper into the wound, dancing away deftly as the ogre begins to flail, crying in a tantrum.

“Like I’ll be able to!” Yunho yells back in exasperation as green, foul smelling ichor begins to ooze from the leg wound. Looking at the wounded beast, Jaejoong begins to calculate the possibility of them outrunning the ogre with the inflicted wound. Watching the ogre’s increasingly feeble attempts of fending for itself, Jaejoong makes a quick decision.

“I’m going back,” he yells over the commotion, saddling their belongings clumsily with shaky hands as the roars continues painfully in the distance. Hurriedly pushing Kamo ahead frantically as Yunho mounts wordlessly, the duo wanders deeper into the bowels of the long night with an injured ogre in their wake.

-

Taking first watch as Yunho heals, Jaejoong watches the piece of sky revealed between the canopy, thankful for the single star winking back. Yunho’s scrapes are healing quickly with Junsu’s tears, and he wonders how they’ll pass the next two nights in the forest.

Capable of predicting drastic changes in weather, ogres hunt for food to ensure their survival during those periods. Jaejoong sighs at the wet weather ahead, shrugging at home the abnormality had simply become an inconvenience.

Home is miles away, lost and confused.

Chapter 3
As predicted, rain begins to fall at the turn of the day.

“Tonight will be miserable,” Yunho grumbles as he picks at the wet clothes clinging to his skin. The skies had broken since midday and the waterworks had persisted.

Giving his companion a wan smile, Jaejoong pushes more berries to the superintendent in consolation as he watches the other wipe his hair back with an adorable pout that he was probably unconscious of. The rain seems to have washed away Yunho’s stoicism and the day had been their first day of normal communication as they commiserated with each other’s misery, extending and sharing stories about their siblings, offering a glimpse into each other’s life without diving into things too personal.

Yunho talked about his trainings and Changmin the unorthodox fae that was a superintendent and his best friend, while Jaejoong shared idle stories of his patients without mentioning Junsu entirely. If Yunho had noticed, he had not made any mentions.

“You get to sleep first,” Jaejoong teases as he relaxes against the tree trunk beside Yunho before bursting into a grin at the look of childish disgust on the superintendent’s face.

“But I’ve fully recovered!”

“Didn’t know you were capable of diagnosing people,” Jaejoong fakes surprise with exaggerated brows of awe as Yunho sighs loudly with a dark grumble.

“Call me,” he mutters petulantly as he shifts to a more comfortable position. Jaejoong doesn’t reply as he twirls the golden dagger around his fingers quickly to distract himself from the press of Yunho’s weight against his side as the man begins to leans closer in sleep.

- - - - -

Jaejoong wrinkles his nose in disgust as the mud compresses under his weight, the rain having gone on for close to two days now.

“The fishes will be floating through the air soon,” Yunho immediately complains about the moisture in the air as if reading his mind.

“They’d swim pass the leaves then,” Jaejoong teases as he gives Kamo a friendly rub while his companion wrings the moisture out of his clothes ineffectually.

“And into the sky,” Yunho continues with an easy smile, face falling incrementally as he looks up at the murky heavens.

Heart stumbling as Yunho indicates for him to settle in the crook of his arm, Jaejoong raises his brows at the gesture, quickly schooling his response when Yunho’s expression betrays nothing. It’s a sign of confidence, he berates himself sharply as his skin pebbles, body responding to the intimacy of their position. Calling it out would serve nothing apart from diminishing the easy camaraderie that they had begun to establish, leaving him dissatisfied with the lack of physical attention that he was currently quite enjoying. Yunho makes his body feel warm and strange, an alien tightness that makes him believe that he could possibly vibrate out of his own skin with the swirl of foreign sensations. It’s nice to have Yunho like this, trusting, open, and relaxed enough to fall asleep and let him watch his back, much less while lying against him.

As the strong hands around his waist slowly relaxes as Yunho falls asleep, Jaejoong begins to breathe freely in relief as he holds himself together desperately by the seams, torn between the ache of wanting the man and his awareness of their dire situation.

- -

Jerking awake sharply as a raindrop splashes against his forehead, Jaejoong collides his head painfully against the trunk he’s resting against. Brain sluggish and limbs heavy with sleep, the piercing scream of his name breaks him out of his foggy consciousness immediately as he scrambles to stand quickly with an oath, breaking to a careless run towards the direction of the noise. Slipping clumsily on the wet mud as he scrabbles backwards in fright at the sight before him, he curses their luck as he blinks against the rain because shit- werewolf, shit.

Scratching through his bag for the vial of wolfsbane with his ineffectual, trembling hands, he groans when the rain immediately washes the coat of poison off his knife. Werewolves were strong and almost impossible to kill by humans without aconite due to the speed and accelerated healing. How would he-

Startling and dropping the knife dully onto the viscous ground at Yunho’s pained cry, Jaejoong reprioritizes as he speeds back to the scene, swearing brightly as he returns in time to watch the long gash on the rogue werewolf’s back closing to reveal unblemished skin.

Running forward towards the opening in the fight, he inhales sharply in gratitude as the werewolf winces at the sting of the barely-there poison against his flesh. Quickly sweeping his wounded comrade back, he deepens the mark on the omega before clumsily dousing the wound with a splash of aconite.

Flailing away as the omega roars with a swipe of its claws, Jaejoong ducks as he makes another gash at its legs while as his brain continues to chant, berating himself for his clumsiness at forgetting the moon cycle. Like werewolves, Junsu’s restlessness peaked at the full moon, and they’ve experienced unpleasant run-ins with lone omegas that have lost their sanity, driven by the raw animalistic call of the pearlescent moon tearing their skins apart. He should have known better, he repeats fiercely, making a sharp slice at the outstretched arm before dousing another dash of wolfsbane.

Whimpering a low pathetic whine as it shrinks upon itself, ghastly black lines surfaces on the beast’s skin as the poison begins to take effect, spreading from the infected wounds as Jaejoong makes one last coating before resting the glint of the blade against the omega’s waist. Eyes cold and unflinching, he slides his knife cleanly through the omega’s chest as the beast stills with a look of loss and horror.

The rain begins to carry the blood away in a scarlet trail on the ground as Jaejoong breathes quietly, daring the beast to stir. Pushing the bottom half of the werewolf away with a heavy finality after moments, Jaejoong sheaths his knife hurriedly before running towards Yunho. Pursing his lips at the deep gash across the superintendent’s chest, he tries to supress his fright as he wipes the other’s wet hair backwards. Heaving the man up, Jaejoong heads wearily back to their camp ground.

-

“You killed the omega?” Yunho finally manages hours later, voice scratchy as his wounds heal slowly, weak at from the blood loss.

Making a noise of acquiesce, Jaejoong clears his throat with a shrug at Yunho’s look of shock. “I’ve managed some before,” he replies before pausing. “With help,” he finishes dully as the superintendent remains silent, understanding Jaejoong’s implication.

He doesn’t tell Yunho to sleep as he stares into the night, conscious of his first unaided kill as he sits away from the superintendent, the echo of his jittery bones reminding him of the severity of his mission. He can’t afford to be distracted before he finds Junsu.

- - -

Jaejoong emerges from the trees as Yunho wakes groggily the next morning, smiling wearily at the officer’s startle when he notices the change in the air.

“The rain’s over,” he agrees before motioning for Yunho to cup his palms, pouring his hunt of berries into the man’s hands.

“And my hair’s dry,” he laughs lightly, throat clenching shut at Yunho’s heavy look, inexplicably frustrated by the intense scrutiny.

“Is there something on my face?” He asks with a tilt of his head, receiving nothing as Yunho begins to pop the berries into his mouth individually.

Picking the luggage up with a shake of his head, Jaejoong fastens them onto Kamo, frustrated by the change in their relationship, and angered by his body’s insistence betrayal in its response to the trace of Yunho’s quiet eyes. “Let’s try to reach the village by midday,” he announces loftily before disappearing into the trees in defeat, away from Yunho and his judgemental air.

“Nope, you’re riding pillion today,” Jaejoong commands as he motions Yunho backward. Raising an eyebrow in challenge at the silence between them, Jaejoong sniffs when the superintendent shifts backwards obediently. Climbing on without accepting the outstretched hand, Jaejoong pushes the horse forward towards their destination.

“Thank you,” Yunho suddenly mutters non-sequitur as his hands around Jaejoong’s waist tighten, chest pressed flushed against his back.

Making a noncommittal noise as he continues to ride, Jaejoong listens acutely for Yunho’s breath to even out in sleep, focusing desperately on everything but the strength of the arms around him.

Chapter 4
Emerging from the forest, Yunho and Jaejoong reach the village where the superintendents last saw Junsu.

“Your wounds are completely healed,” Jaejoong diagnoses with a nod after they settle down in their room. Barely touching the other’s skin, Jaejoong tugs the shirt back in place as he returns Junsu’s tears into his bag lightly. Busying his hands with his wet clothes, he watches Yunho sit up gingerly on the bed from the corner of his eye.

“I’m sorry,” Yunho mumbles, staring straight into his companion’s eyes as Jaejoong turns to look at him.

“Do you even know what you’re sorry for?” Jaejoong questions as Yunho shrugs slowly.

“For being frustrating.”

Jaejoong stills for a moment as the corner of his lips lift despite his best intentions. “Well I’m glad that you-” he begins, quietly appeased as he returns to his task only to still as Yunho’s arms brackets him.

Pliant with shock, Jaejoong allows Yunho to manoeuvre him around as goosebumps shimmering down his body from the heat of Yunho’s hand on his face. Eyes meeting in the slice of the second, the hunger in the other’s eyes scares him, but his thoughts are immediately chased away by the press of Yunho’s lips against his. The reflexive broken whimper dissolves in his mouth, the meeting of their lips virginal, gentle, clumsy, and wet. There’s a soft suction of Yunho’s lips that might be an urgent message like he’s trying to convey something, but Jaejoong doesn’t want to believe, he doesn’t dare to believe the thoughts that his mind conjures.

Pushing Yunho away firmly but gently, he questions the other softly with his shy eyes, licking his lips under the guise of a bite to confirm the taste of Yunho on his lips. Had he just dreamt the entire kiss? Because why would Yunho want him?

“I’ve always wanted to do this,” Yunho answers and Jaejoong startles at the sincerity of the statement. Shivering as Yunho begins to smooth his long fingers down the nape of his neck, he forces himself to focus at the confession.

“You’re so-” Yunho swallows as if searching for the right words. “You have a strength that I haven’t seen before.” Jaejoong feels his eyes widen in question as Yunho’s fingers caress the slope between his shoulder blades.

“Have you seen the ocean? You remind me of the ocean back home, continuing to dance during a storm, stronger in defiance. I lived for my sister, and losing her left me broken. But you, you’re so-” Yunho swallows with difficultly as he pulls the other in.

“So different. So soft,” the man’s voice shakes as he leans into the crook of Jaejoong’s neck, pressing kisses along the warm curve as Jaejoong tilts his head back, giving the man more access with a soft moan.

“Yet so hard,” Yunho says, his voice gravelly as he slides his hand down Jaejoong’s abdomen.

Tipping Jaejoong onto the bed before climbing over the man, Yunho breathes carefully as he meets Jaejoong’s frightened eyes before slowly trailing down the his body.

“You’re so much stronger than you think you are, the way you cope so easily. And so beautiful,” he mouths against Jaejoong’s nape as he nibbles the man’s ear.

“So beautiful,” he repeats almost reverently, voice breaking as he noses along the man’s neck. “And I can’t control. I’ve never wanted anything as I want you. I’m-” he pauses as he falls beside the man, onto the bed. “I’m taken,” he whispers as he presses his face into the dip between Jaejoong’s shoulder, his voice softer and more vulnerable than Jaejoong had ever heard. Jaejoong doesn’t reply, his heart thudding loudly in fear and disbelief as Yunho stills behind him.

“Can I?” Yunho asks softly as Jaejoong breathes in deeply, his eyes lost within the night. Acquiescing gently, he brushes his fingers against the ripple of Yuho’s abdomen, breath stuttering as Yunho sets fire to his nervous system.

-

Jaejoong wakes up inebriated, unaccustomed to the press of another’s body against his, much less to a room lit faintly only by moonlight. Yunho’s breath is even, body slack. His mind whirls quickly as he slowly gets his bearing, electrified thoughts bouncing off the walls and charging back towards his consciousness. Disentangling himself carefully from Yunho’s warmth, he heads towards the attached balcony, relishing in the contrast of the cool night against his skin.

Leaning against the balustrade as he gathers his thoughts, he desperately ignores the blush on his cheeks at his body’s memory of Yunho’s wet kisses against his skin and the foreign, pleasurable sensation of Yunho’s fingers on his genitals and inside. Oh, the broken whimpers that he had made, he pinches his cheeks in shame as he looks towards the starry sky.

Nobody had ever wanted him like this- the way adults wanted each other, and he thinks about Yunho’s arms around him days before. He didn’t dare to hope then and the knowledge of the man’s true intentions makes him blush hotly. While he had been physically attracted to the man on a superficial level, he had no plans for his interest and the depth of Yunho’s feelings confused him. Taking a shaky breath, he allows himself to think about the man as a lover, of his character.

While Yunho presented a cold exterior of defence, Jaejoong has come to see the courage and the infallible sense of justice that he is grateful for as he listens to the stories of Yunho’s other missions. The stories of superintendents had not always been kind but he trusts Yunho to ensure the best for Junsu because Yunho posses an infallible set of morals and integrity together with an obstinacy that initially seemed unsuited for the man of such character. But the blend forms the principled masculinity that is Yunho; together with the man’s vulnerable confusion at his attraction towards himself, typical of a man unaccustomed to attachments in his life.

Jaejoong tries hard to not dwell on Yunho’s words as he looks at the low moon, barely a sliver in the early morning. He doesn’t have any strength, this much he is sure. All he wants is Junsu’s safety, and the conviction of the thought frightens him a little after the tenderness he felt regarding the developments with Yunho.

As he watches the sky begin to lighten incrementally, Jaejoong realizes that he isn’t ready for anything else until he finds his brother. How can he give all to Yunho if a part of him belongs to Junsu? As the crescent moon slowly begins to dip lower into the horizon, he thinks about the saying that wishes made during the disappearance of a moon having the ability to come through. In the stillness of the dawn, Jaejoong earnestly prays for Junsu’s safety and the wisdom in his choices before returning to wait for Yunho to wake.

- - -

“I can’t be yours,” Jaejoong immediately begins the moment Yunho’s groggy eyes find him. Watching wryly as the traces of sleep disappears with a blink as Yunho sits up, he reiterates. “As long as I am Junsu’s keeper, I am unable to be with you.”

“Are you avoiding a conflict of interests?” Yunho asks, still a little blur around the edges but coherent and confident enough to attempt the conversation.

Jaejoong nods, swallowing as the man swings his legs off the bed.

“I can protect myself,” Yunho argues, sitting across his companion, arms crossed over his chest.

“And I know that,” Jaejoong retorts as he tucks his legs together before continuing as he looks over the officer’s shoulder, the weight of Yunho’s eyes making him uncomfortable.

“But I can’t lose you because I am saving Junsu.” Family is more important. As long as he has Junsu, he has everything that he needs, he reminds himself for the umpteenth time in the morning.

“Unicorns need stability so I can’t travel with you. I’ll worry every day when you’re gone,” he swallows, remembering how sick he had felt at the sight of Yunho’s injury from the rogue omega. Maybe he had also felt something for Yunho then, but if their relationship becomes official, the concern would only deepen.

“I’ll quit for you then!”

Jaejoong’s head shoots up at Yunho’s desperate proclamation. No, he shakes his head at a complete loss as he watches Yunho stand. He couldn’t ask that of a man whom he knows is unsuited for a life of idleness. He couldn’t be Yunho’s everything without reciprocating in kind. Yunho’s quitting isn’t a solution to anything, but oh- oh the thought of having a life with Yunho! He blushes as Yunho takes his hand in his, gentle as the night before, the heat back in the man’s eyes, reminding of the hunger he had seen in a cougar he had fought off once with Junsu.

“I’ve never felt this way, Jaejoong. Being with you, even after days of miserable rain, after multiple attacks, it still feels like home. Like warmth, like safety, like love.” He presses a kiss to the back of Jaejoong’s hand as he kneels before the man, pulling Jaejoong close with a swift tug, hands sliding over soft skin as they wander over the plane of Jaejoong’s torso under the worn tunic.

“I’ve never been as unreasonable or as selfish as I am right now,” he admits in shame as he noses along Jaejoong’s abdomen, the younger man too nervous to breathe under his hands.

“But please, I promise,” Yunho voices as Jaejoong makes a noise of protest as Yunho draws away. “I’ll leave when we find Junsu. But let me love you until then. I’ve been so alone for so long. Nobody has ever cared for me like you do. You’re so strange, so beautiful. Please,” Yunho begs as he presses his face against his hand, breath short as if spent.

Jaejoong begins to protest only to fumble at the sorrow in Yunho’s eyes. Abstaining from Yunho would do little for him in the first place because he would still war between protecting the man or Junsu. Somehow during the journey, he had begun to care for Yunho beyond that of a travelling companion and a friend. He finds himself hungry for the stories Yunho has left out, shy for the fictitious futures they could have together. He could- he swallowed heavily against the desperation of the possibility. He could love Yunho until they found Junsu, where family would then return to the forefront of his life.

“Okay,” he agrees slowly as he tilts Yunho’s head up meekly, shy and afraid as Yunho looks disbelievingly at him, eyes wide and jaw slack.

“Can I?” Yunho murmurs as he leans in, his warm dizzying breath dancing across his upper lip as his fingers press painfully against his back, betraying his nerves. Jaejoong makes a noise of assent and he moves in without waiting. Because a part of him needs this, he thinks as Yunho kisses him softly and insistently, as if he’s the only thing that matters in the entire kingdom to the man. Yunho moves between the kisses like he can’t get enough, turning his head this way and that, easing and deepening the kisses by waves, gathering his heart in surges before crashing sharply into shore.

When Yunho pulls back with a hand on his inner thigh, Jaejoong simply sits there, eyes blinking, dazed and doe-like, lips wet and swollen with saliva. Breaking out of his reverie after a few moments, he smiles coyly at Yunho before initiating the next kiss, much to Yunho’s delight.

- - -

Yunho is a different man around Changmin whom they meet during breakfast, the fae having waited for them for the past few days in the village. Changmin shares the latest information with them between playful banters and inside jokes.

Cornering Jaejoong with a drop of his glamour when Yunho leaves to speak to the innkeeper, he smiles sinisterly with his scissors-like teeth before threatening Jaejoong’s life should his friend’s heart break.

Pushing his friend away with a groan without explaining their short-term arrangement and Jaejoong is thankful that Yunho isn’t defensive about their relationship. Watching fondly as the two men get into a slap fight at the door before drawing each other into a firm hug that lasts longer than average, Jaejoong wonders shortly at how the superintendents manage to wave their friends off with the awareness of the possibility of every single meeting being their last, before focusing on Changmin’s update of Junsu’s location.

Chapter 5
With Changmin’s lead, Jaejoong begins to experience a pull through the bond.

Changmin’s lead sends them two villages down in the direction of the capital and the four day journey pass in a haze for Jaejoong. Fewer supernaturals reside in the forests nearer to the capital due to the concentration of superintendents within the area and as a result, the rides are smoother. Their journey is almost the same apart from the increased physical intimacy as their interactions become punctuated with soft hugs and dizzying kisses.

The walls of privacy has lowered, and he tries to hug away the shadow of sadness that darkens the superintendent’s eyes when he talks about his sisters and his failed missions. Jaejoong also find himself sharing about things he has never told anybody like the difficulties he faced while raising Junsu as Yunho reciprocates. It’s not enough, but the company eases the pain.

-

They’re at the second village southwest of the capitol when Jaejoong begins to feel a weak pull.

It’s different from what it used to be, even from a long distance, and they run through various theories, of Junsu being summoned, a new carer, or berserk, the last being the least one that Jaejoong wants to entertain.

Yunho comforts him with a dry brush of their lips the moment they settle into their inn and Jaejoong squeezes his eyes shut as Yunho slowly deepens the kiss, bringing back his scattered thoughts as his body begins to sing under Yunho’s ministrations.

When he falls beside Yunho later in the night, body limp, breath ragged and member tingling with overstimulation, Jaejoong smiles brightly at his lover with an easy promise to find Junsu tomorrow.

- - - - -

The capital is noisy and wealthy, merchants selling items sailed back from foreign lands and Jaejoong is enthralled as he receives a sample of dried date from a merchant.

“Can I have another?” He asks politely, barely catching the date when the crowd suddenly moves forward to allow them passage.

Slipping it into Yunho’s lips, he grins as Yunho chews on the fruit. “It’s really expensive back home,” he breathes, awed by the generosity of the merchant as they wait to move once more, bombarded by the squeeze of the people and the vast merchandise on sale. It’s so far from home that Jaejoong’s amazed that Junsu has even made it here.

“There,” Jaejoong directs with the bond as they slowly make their way away from the centre.

It’s some hours and a meal later when they reach the outskirts of the capital, at the edge of the woods when Yunho comes to a sudden stop.

“Are you even in the right direction?” Yunho suddenly asks coldly, his body stiff.

“Am I even in the right direction?” Jaejoong repeats, hurt by the implication. Yunho has been acting weirdly since they entered the capital.

“Are you dou-” Jaejoong stops as he shakes his head, refusing to begin a quarrel over a matter so silly especially with Yunho withdrawn in his prior impassive facade.

“I,” he emphasizes scathingly as he leans away from the man unhappily. “Am in the right direction,” he finishes in frustrated confusion, exacerbated by his inability to look at the man’s face mid-ride.

Unfurling the map as Yunho begins to urge Kamo to continue, Jaejoong traces their progress before pausing with a frown as he reaches their current position on the map. Tilting his head in disbelief, he redraws the line with his finger in shock before returning the map into his satchel.

Leaning slowly onto Yunho’s back, he squeezes the man’s waistsoftly in apology before sighing at the complexity of their journey.

- - -

The forests between the capital and its neighbouring villages have been shrinking over the years and night has yet to fall when they arrive. The bond has strengthened slightly with the closer proximity and while they were eager to look for Junsu, a drizzle has begun as they ride in the forest, impeding their mission. Torn between the guilt at leaving Junsu alone for an additional day and the gratitude for an extra day with Yunho, Jaejoong ducks his head in shame at their decision as he waits with Kamo outside the fourth and last inn, his face falling when Yunho emerges from the inn without a key.

“It’s the same,” Yunho grouses with a frown and Jaejoong squeezes Yunho’s hand in comfort before releasing to climb onto the ride.

The village sees a large number of visitors due to its border with the ocean and the inns were filled with people seeking shelter after the sudden rain.

“We can return to the forest?” Jaejoong offers weakly as he wipes his wet fringe back as the rain begins to fall stronger, albeit nothing they hadn’t seen in their precarious journey.

Yunho turns slightly to look at his companion before pressing a quick kiss onto the other’s wet cheek. “It’s okay,” he declines as he urges Kamo ahead.

Worrying his lips as Yunho directs Kamo through the village before coming to a stop minutes later in front of a humble hut, Jaejoong catches the superintendent’s hand in fright as the man dismounts smoothly.

“We can stay at the forest,” Jaejoong begs, desperate as Yunho shakes his head. “Please,” he begs desperately as Yunho smooths his wet fringe back, the man’s eyes torn between sorrow, fear, and resolution.

“It’s our last night,” Yunho insists, pulling away as Jaejoong scrambles to dismount only for Yunho to knock the door sharply. As the rain continues to fall between them, the duo stills as somebody calls out from the hut.

“Hello, mother,” Yunho greets cordially when the door opens to reveal a middle aged woman.

- - -

After overcoming the shock from the noisy waterworks at the door (no, not the rain), Jaejoong makes himself as unobtrusive as possible at the dining table, quietly thankful for the warmth from the fireplace.

Watching in amusement as Yunho’s mother works the man into a fluster over the state of his nails, Jaejoong thinks of Changmin’s ability to draw the similar emotion from the man.

Yunho had shared how his parents had disowned him after learning his role in his sister’s death as his subsequent plans of joining the superintendents.

While the superintendent did not want to face his estranged family, his reluctance to subject Jaejoong to another rainy night in the forest before they parted had motivated Yunho to forge on. Watching the genuine happiness and gratitude in the eyes of Yunho’s father at the return of his son, Jaejoong feels surer of his ability to draw Junsu out of his possibly berserk state. After all, what’s family if the bonds are so easily broken?

- - -

“I really didn’t know!” Yunho apologizes when they withdraw to Yunho’s childhood room, completely preserved in the pristine state he last left it, free of dust.

“It’s okay,” Jaejoong shrugs as he sits cross-legged in the middle of the small bed, smiling as Yunho nearly stumbles while undressing himself, still flustered by his overenthusiastic parents.

“I thought they’d leave me alone,” Yunho complains as he crawls towards the man, eyes shy and eager as he presses a trail of kisses up Jaejoong’s torso.

“I’m glad that they didn’t,” Jaejoong returns as he pulls Yunho closer, breath hitching at the tactile sensation of Yunho’s underwear against the swollen crown of his member.

“But I wanted more time with you,” Yunho murmurs as he slides his hands across Jaejoong’s skin, caressing the erogenous zones he has long memorizes, a devilish grin spreading across his features as Jaejoong shivers underneath him.

- - - -

“Will Yunho visit again?” Jaejoong looks up his breakfast with a confused noise to meet the eyes of Mrs. Jung.

“I’m not sure?” Jaejoong replies carefully, confused by the contrast between the question and her bright expression. Shouldn’t Mrs. Jung be asking her son? Besides, he was sure that Yunho would probably drop by between his missions due to his infallible loyalty. The only thing that had stopped him before was the guilt.

“Will you make him visit again?”

Jaejoong frowns at the question before sputtering as he scrambles to clear the air. “We’re not together,” he shakes his head as he shovels more eggs into his mouth for an excuse to not continue the conversation. Whatever was Yunho doing? Why was he taking so long?

Mrs. Jung makes a noise of dismissal as she pushes a cup of orange juice towards him. “I watched the both of you last night. Two people don’t move like that without being together.” She beams as Jaejoong begins to shift uneasily. “You respond to Yunho’s emotions without thinking and he listens to your cues without noticing.” She shrugs as she straightens Yunho’s plate on the table. “I’m really glad that he has you.” She places another cup at Yunho’s seat before catching Jaejoong’s eyes once more. “Will you visit again?”

Gaping at the revised question, he casts Yunho a maniacal plea with his eyes when the man enters the room.

“Has the rain cleared?” Yunho yells his question frantically as he drops Jaejoong’s luggage on the table without taking a seat.

“I don’t eat that much!” Yunho complains noisily at his portion before pulling out his chair noisily. Squeezing Jaejoong’s knee under the table quickly, Yunho smiles as Jaejoong begins to relax at his reassurance.

Breakfast resumes in relative normalcy as Yunho continues to shield Jaejoong from his mother’s scrutiny.

“I thought that we would never leave,” Yunho grumbles as Jaejoong steers left after a prolonged breakfast with his mother.

“She misses you,” Jaejoong defends as he continues to follow the bond, the mood between them light as the time between them continues to dwindle.

- - -

“We’ve been wandering along the shore for ages,” Yunho interjects hours later, careful not to frustrate his companion as the Kamo repeatedly sinks into the soft sand.

Jaejoong doesn’t reply as he urges a reluctant Kamo forward, sure of Junsu’s location within the waters. However, bonds dissolve during death, which contradicts his intuition.

Dismounting the ride as he walks towards the water in frustration, Jaejoong startles when it strengthen the moment he enters the water. Mentally grasping the tie he has to Junsu, Jaejoong heaves with his might, stumbling at the exertion when the water suddenly parts with a deafening crash.

“Jaejoong!” Yunho yells, running into the water as the man falls onto his bottom, freezing in shock when a blurry figure emerges from a swirl of water.

“Jaejae!” A merman leaps out of the water body, only to stumble and flop gracelessly into the shallow waters.

“Junsu?” Jaejoong asks in disbelief, frozen on the shore at the sight of the doppelganger.

“Jaejae!” The merman repeats, flailing his arms as if encouraging Jaejoong to come over before reluctantly dragging himself across the sand with his hands with much difficulty.

“Jaejoong, careful!” Yunho yells as he watches the merman shuffle closer awkwardly, lost by the sudden progress in the situation. Was Junsu now a merman?

“Who are you, and where is Junsu!” Jaejoong recovers at Yunho’s reminder, quickly interrogating the newcomer with a press of his knife against the merman’s neck, when a dagger knocks the weapon out of his hand.

Yunho watches as a second merman surfaces from the water, his expression furious as he manoeuvres expertly onto the shore.

“MerKing Yoochun,” Yunho greets respectfully with a half bow as the merman barely spares him a glance.

“Release my King!” The young ruler thunders as he closes in towards Jaejoong, when the first merman pleads him to remain on his ground before wrapping Jaejoong into a wet hug without care for his precarious position.

“Let me go!” Jaejoong yells as the merman continues to cling onto him, tackling him into the water and holding his body down with his massive opalescent tail.

“I think you might have to explain the situation, MerKing.” Yunho interjects lightly as the MerKing’s face storms over as he watches the other merman try to soothe the human being but to no avail.

“Jaejae, it’s me!” The first merman holds a spent Jaejoong upright with a bright smile before continuing to hug the man tightly.

“Can I explain, Chunnie?” Yoochun’s face relaxes minutely before nodding in acquiesce as the merman continues to pet Jaejoong with his tail.

“Firstly, it seems unbelievable, it’s really me, Jaejae.” The merman smiles shyly at his brother before continuing.

“And that’s Yoochun, king of the Merfolk as that man has astutely noticed,” Junsu acknowledges the superintendent with a small nod. “Yoochun turned eighteen, and was eligible for marriage. And apparently, merfolks have mates!” He beams as he tucks Jaejoong closer with his tail.

“And you’re his mate?” Jaejoong guesses weakly, almost hoping that Junsu would laugh away his question and call him silly.

“That’s right!” The merman nods brightly as he squeezes Jaejoong’s hand tightly, pleased by his brother astuteness. “Unicorns are really sensitive, so I was able to hear his mating call. And I answered,” Junsu trails off as he lowers his head.

“I mean, I should have told you, but it was so strong. I kept imagining Yoochun meeting other girls so I kept running until I reached the ocean. But anyway, Yoochun changed me, and we’ve been living together.” His smile faltering at Jaejoong’s stoic silence.

“And we got married a week ago.” He continues slowly, a shy smile on his lips as Jaejoong blinks mutely before pushing his brother aside.

“Where’re you going!” Junsu cries as he catches his brother’s arm, only for it to be deflected.

“Away! I am going away!” Jaejoong screams as tears begin to fall hotly from his eyes despite his best efforts to control them.

“Have you ever spared a thought about me? I’ve fed you, clothed you and struggled for you for ten years. Ten years, Junsu! And you leave without telling me, turn yourself into a merfolk and best of all, you get married without even telling me! Who am I to you, Junsu! I’ve stolen for you, cheated for you, got beaten for you, and you do all this,” he gestures wildly, raving now as he refers to the tail, the husband, the entire vast ocean before them with a manic toss of his hands.

“You do all this without telling me. Would a single word kill you! Do you know how worried I was? Do you know how I almost died finding you while you were happily married to your husband and leading a new life as a king?” He spits the word out violently, vengeance coating the word with thick filth.

“Do you even care about me, Junsu?” Jaejoong finishes quietly with a defeated shake of his head.

“So since you asked, Junsu,” Jaejoong continues calmly as he wipes the tears away roughly. “I am going away. Away from you, and I apologize for interrupting your happiness.” He nods at Yoochun before retreating towards the shore, turning and walking away slowly before suddenly breaking out into a run, ashamed of his outburst.

“Jaejae!” Junsu cries as he struggles onto shore, desperately pushing himself forward ineffectually in the sand.

“Junsu, you’ll die without the water.” Yoochun interjects.

Yunho watches in shock as opalescent tears begin to roll off the boy’s cheeks. As the MerKing swims quickly towards his husband.

Unicorns were highly sensitive creatures with the ability to heal injuries and illnesses with their tears, which could only be made when their soul cried in sorrow, expelling itself through its tear ducts. With nobody nearby being plagued with either, it could only mean that Junsu’s soul was crying with Jaejoong’s departure, a phenomenon completely unheard of without an ailment, especially one that lasted so long given its toll on the creature’s body.

“Jaejae’s gone!” Junsu repeats endlessly, reddening as he wails noisily, his tears dropping into the ocean to form a pearlescent ripple around him.

“Don’t cry, Junsu. Don’t cry,” Yoochun begs desperately as Junsu begins to struggle for his breath, his body unable to cope with the prolonged exertion.

“Stop crying!” Junsu hiccups to a stop at the sudden command, Yunho breathing easier at Jaejoong’s return.

“Are you looking to die now?” Jaejoong storms as Junsu shakes his head meekly, hiccoughing in Yoochun’s arms. “And you, you’re his keeper now and you can’t even make him stop!” Jaejoong rages before pushing the MerKing backwards roughly as Yunho purses his lips at his companion’s audacity.

“Get me a vial, Yunho,” Jaejoong orders without turning and Yunho quickly scrambles to produce one from Jaejoong’s luggage.

“Unless you’re looking forward to an algae or a pest invasion, then please do let these float away,” he scorns as he catches the tears within the flask before pocketing it.

“You,” Jaejoong gestures at the MerKing disrespectfully with utter contempt, “need to know how to be a keeper from a superintendent.” He gestures towards Yunho who makes a quick bow in an attempt of respect as Junsu gasps in shock at the revelation.

“And you,” he juts at his brother with his feet. “Need to reflect about how you almost killed yourself.”

With a sharp glare at his brother, Jaejoong turns to look towards Yunho before walking away from the shore. “We’ll be back tomorrow morning,” he tosses as he leads Kamo off by the reigns with Yunho quickly trailing behind him.

-

Continuing to walk along the shore, Jaejoong suddenly falls onto the sand a distance away from the confrontation.

Rounding Kamo to sit beside the man, Yunho shifts uncomfortably on the sand, ill accustomed to having spare time. Giving Jaejoong space to think, the superintendent looks out at the sea, taking in the sight he had missed for thirteen years as the ocean continues to steal away shore under its cloak, trading quiet mementos before its leave.

“Will you take me,” Jaejoong asks non-sequitur without looking at the man beside him. “When this is over?”

Yunho blinks at the rigidity of the man’s shoulders, the unflinching glance of the man at the grey waters.

“I’d still like to visit from time to time though.” Jaejoong continues sadly, his voice breaking as his face crumples, eyes softening to an unseeing blur.

“But I’m happy that he’s happy,” Jaejoong mumbles inaudibly, so quietly that Yunho almost doesn’t catch it over the sudden high tide. “But I just wish that he’d remember me for once,” he begins to sniffle softly before mumbling about his lost knife, damn Yoochun.

“I’ll take you,” Yunho promises with a rush, shocked by his agreement and the steely conviction behind his words. People part and partners die in this lonely life of no guarantees but oh, how much Jaejoong encapsulates the meaning of home when nowhere ever truly fits. “And we’ll go wherever the wind blows,” he finishes with the motto of the superintendents, chest swollen with pride and affection for the man beside him.

As Jaejoong turns to smile at him with red-rimmed eyes, he thinks about the ocean in his lover’s soul and the unity between them that tastes like salt and crackles a lot like the water.

As a stray wind blows against their faces, Jaejoong smiles before tracing the salinity on his lips.