Three Chapter of Eternity
Title: Three Chapters of Eternity
Pairing: jonghyun/taemin
Genre: mafia!au, drama, angst
Rating: PG-13
Warning(s): n/a
Word count: 2200
Summary: Jonghyun’s story only has three chapters because well… he was pretty sure he was going to die today. He realized this a bit too late, unfortunately. The mission had been too easy. Luck had never been on his side before and the sinking feeling in his gut only confirmed his suspicions. He had been set up.
Prompter: Caroline (minearebigger@tumblr)
Prompt: All Jonghyun ever wanted was to protect Taemin. But now Taemin's the one with the gun; it's right in his hands, and it's aimed straight at him.
The was a prompt I wrote for a fic exchange on tumblr. It's unbetaed but what can ya do...
enjoy and stuff
Jonghyun had three main chapters in the storyline of his life. If anyone ever decided to write a book about him, it would divide nicely into a trilogy of events.
The first chapter was a painful back-story filled with loneliness and pain. A tale of losing his parents, floating from foster home to foster home and the struggles of a young boy desperate for love and a sense of belonging. The first chapter of his life was one he rarely thought about, too full of pain and wounds that would never fully heal. It was a darkness he wouldn’t wish on his worst enemy. The first storyline ends on a note of hope and happiness however, the day he found Jinki. Or more accurately, the day Jinki found him. The man exuded authority, status and money. He was intimidating and fascinating and everything Jonghyun wanted to be. He rode up like a knight in a shining Mercedes, power bleeding from his pores and offered Jonghyun the one thing he longed for most… an escape.
The second storyline of his life began when he joined the business, working for Jinki. There weren’t many rules to being a member of the mafia. Stay loyal to the family. Do what you are told. Stay alive.
Easy enough to remember, easier still for Jonghyun to abide by. The family was his saving grace, offering him everything he had ever dreamed of, an escape from the system, a place to belong, a family; a purpose. He had spent his life being a burden, starved for affection and relying on himself. Now he had a family, people who cared for him, people who had his back through thick and thin. He had a place where he belonged and he couldn’t have been happier.
He was young when Jinki had taken him in, only fifteen, impressionable and desperate to please. Jinki had cared for him with surprising tenderness, sheltering him from the harshness of the business while encouraging him to finish his education. At the time, Jonghyun felt like he should be doing more, giving back to the man and the family that was feeding him. Jinki disagreed, always assuring him that he was an investment, he would contribute to the family when he was older and trained for it. Jonghyun wasn’t used to kindness being extending towards him, especially not without strings of immediate repayment attached. Having a family had been an adjustment to say the least.
The mafia was nothing like the movies, far from a fairytale. However, Jonghyun knew what he was getting himself into. He knew the dangers. He just didn’t care. The risks were worth it in his mind. He had nothing to live for before joining the business. Now that he had a family, a purpose, he would do anything to keep it.
In a matter of years, Jonghyun had obtained his diploma, a black belt and the title of ‘sniper’ among the family. He was no longer that boy Jinki had pulled off the street, full of potential and begging to be filled with love and affection. Now he was a skilled and devoted member of the family. He was respected and trusted; he was no longer a burden but an asset.
Jonghyun thought he had it made. He was happy, satisfied with life. He had everything he had ever wanted and more. He was a part of a family, he had people who cared for him and his job was full of danger and excitement. He was valued within the family as well as the profession. He had it all.
He had it all until the day he met the first person to ever tug at his heart strings hard enough to make him contemplate leaving it all behind.
The third chapter in his story began and ended with the dark-haired prince he stumbled into at a bus stop of all places. It was cliché and simple and perfect.
His happiness came crumbling down one date later when he learned his dark haired prince, was actually officer Lee Taemin of the Seoul police department. It wasn’t enough to scare Jonghyun away, still enthralled regardless of their Romeo and Juliet status.
Falling in love with Taemin had been easy, effortless even. He had never experienced passion so intense. It was a different kind of love than what he felt from the family. It was pure and genuine. Taemin’s affections weren’t contingent on what Jonghyun could do for him or Jonghyun’s unique skill set. There were no strings. Taemin loved him, full stop. Their romance was one of fairytales, at least to Jonghyun. Every spare moment spent together, stolen kisses and wandering hands set the precedent for their relationship.
Things were far from perfect, the whole relationship built on lies and deceit since it wasn’t like Jonghyun could tell Taemin what he did for a living. It didn’t make it any less real for Jonghyun though. He had his first taste of love, real love, and he would do anything to keep it.
Jonghyun’s story only has three chapters because well… he was pretty sure he was going to die today. He realized this a bit too late, unfortunately. The mission had been too easy. Luck had never been on his side before and the sinking feeling in his gut only confirmed his suspicions. He had been set up.
Jinki loved him like a father but Jonghyun had broken the only rule of the family that mattered, his loyalty had waned. Jonghyun thought that assessment was a bit unfair. He hadn’t ratted the family out to the cops or sold information to a rival. He had simply made plans to leave. He loved the family, he loved his life, but he loved Taemin more. He knew he couldn’t have it all; he had to choose. Apparently in Jinki’s mind, he chose wrong.
He had tried to be smart; he knew what happened to those who tried to leave the family. The mafia wasn’t a club; you couldn’t turn in your membership card and go on with life. You were in the family until death.
He should have known Jinki would be a step ahead, he always was. Jinki knew where Jonghyun’s loyalty truly lied. Jonghyun had chosen Taemin and now Jinki was going to remove him from the family. He had been sent on a suicide mission, probably Jinki’s way of getting him out of the way while also letting him save face with the family. He would die on a mission and no one would be the wiser. The family would mourn his death; Jinki would bury him with the honors of the family. His disloyalty would never be known.
After all the years he had given to the family, he didn’t think it was fair. Was it so wrong to want a normal, happy life? He would never turn on the family; he just wanted to grow old with the man he loved. He wanted an honest life, no more guns hidden under his pillow or washing blood out from under his fingernails.
He had reached too far and now he wasn’t going to get to live to see tomorrow.
He could hear the echo of footsteps on concrete, growing louder and louder with each passing second. The room he was in a convenient dead end. He poised his gun, aiming at an estimated eye level for whoever was unfortunate enough to walk through that door. He crouched down in the corner and waited, ready to fight his way out or die trying.
He took a deep breath, steadying himself as the doorknob twisted slowly. He could feel the blood rushing through his veins, throbbing rhythmically in his temple. He counted the seconds as they passed, each one a small eternity. Beads of sweat made slow trails down his neck, sending shivers down his spine and for the few moments that everything hung in suspense he felt like he was on the outside looking in, watching himself.
His finger tightened on the trigger as the door was kicked open, smashing into the wall and bouncing back.
His instincts were set to shoot when suddenly his whole world stopped as he saw…
“Taemin?”
Taemin’s gun was poised, ready to shoot as the younger stared him down, no warmth in his eyes. Jonghyun’s arm fell limply to his side as his back straightened, rising to his feet. Taemin didn’t waver, his gun staying on Jonghyun’s head.
“Taemin?” Jonghyun croaked. Jonghyun hadn’t hesitated for a second about lowering his weapon; the thought of shooting his lover hadn’t even crossed his mind. Taemin however, was still a hardened officer, his eyes void of emotion as he took in the scene.
In that moment, Jonghyun’s whole life flashed before his eyes. All three chapters. The pain of his childhood couldn’t compare to the sting of betrayal he was feeling in that moment. He had given up the safety, comfort and familiarity of the family; let it all go with no regrets for Taemin. He had accepted his fate of death, accepted the rejection of Jinki and the loss of the only family he had ever known.
He had accepted all that, but he couldn’t accept this.
He couldn’t accept that the only man he had ever loved would be the one to put that bullet through his head. The betrayal hurt more than anything else combine.
Jonghyun was an idiot. All those promises, to be together, to drop everything and start over… he had meant every word. He was just now realizing that he was the only one. He had invested everything into their relationship; it was what he lived for. Clearly, Taemin felt otherwise.
Jonghyun’s face crumpled along with his heart, knees giving out under his weight, sinking to the floor, his eyes never leaving Taemin’s. Their relationship replayed in his mind, every kiss and promise whispered against skin. Every touch and every smile. He had been the only one dreaming of digging their toes in the sand while the sun set. Waking beside each other, traveling the world, holding hands for all to see, making love until the sun rose over the horizon.
All he had wanted was to be happy. All he had wanted was Taemin.
He wanted to go back, back to promises whispered into his skin, bones aching with desire. He wanted to go back to dreams of Paris and the Maldives. He wanted to go back to falling asleep with Taemin in his arms.
He loved Taemin more than the family, more than the risk. Apparently Taemin still loved the badge more than him. Jonghyun had thought he had finally found what he was looking for, someone to love and love him in return. Just like the years of broken family and foster homes... he was all alone. Maybe he wasn't made to be loved. Maybe he didn't deserve it.
He now knew what it meant for a moment to last an eternity. Those few seconds, staring down the barrel of his lover’s gun felt like a lifetime to his heart that was shattering in his chest. Even if he lived through this, he would never survive.
The walkie-talkie in Taemin’s shoulder squawked, cutting through the heavy tension. “Lee! Report your status!”
Taemin’s opposing hand reached for the device, “Clear,” He said sharply, his hand trembling as it fell away. Jonghyun blinked away his tears, that one word reorienting his whole world once again. Taemin’s gun dropped to his side and Jonghyun launched himself forward, wrapping his arms around Taemin’s waist.
“Jonghyun we have to leave now,” Taemin growled but his hand hesitated against Jonghyun’s head a second longer than necessary.
“I thought-” Jonghyun whimpered, not able to put his darkest moment into words.
“Jonghyun if we don’t leave right now you are going to get a bullet in your head and I’m going to go to jail for the rest of my life,” Taemin reminded him, offering out his hand to help Jonghyun to his feet. The elder didn’t care about any of that though, pulling Taemin into a bone-crushing hug. For one long moment, he ignored the obvious danger they were still in, he ignored the hardness of Taemin’s chest wrapped in a bulletproof vest, he ignored the adrenaline still coursing through his veins. He ignored everything and focused on Taemin, Taemin; Taemin. Nothing else mattered.
Even if his story ended that day, he could die happy knowing the man he loved, loved him in return. The weight of uncertainty was lifted off his chest because Taemin was still there, dropping everything for him. Taemin was going to walk away from his job, his security; his whole life… for Jonghyun.
Jonghyun’s life story only had three chapters so far, but he had an eternity to fill the rest of the pages… if they made it out of this alive that is. The only certainty he had in his life was that, no matter what happened, no matter where life took him, Taemin would be there, right by his side.
Someone to love, who loved him in return.
That is all he had ever really wanted anyway.
Pairing: jonghyun/taemin
Genre: mafia!au, drama, angst
Rating: PG-13
Warning(s): n/a
Word count: 2200
Summary: Jonghyun’s story only has three chapters because well… he was pretty sure he was going to die today. He realized this a bit too late, unfortunately. The mission had been too easy. Luck had never been on his side before and the sinking feeling in his gut only confirmed his suspicions. He had been set up.
Prompter: Caroline (minearebigger@tumblr)
Prompt: All Jonghyun ever wanted was to protect Taemin. But now Taemin's the one with the gun; it's right in his hands, and it's aimed straight at him.
The was a prompt I wrote for a fic exchange on tumblr. It's unbetaed but what can ya do...
enjoy and stuff
Jonghyun had three main chapters in the storyline of his life. If anyone ever decided to write a book about him, it would divide nicely into a trilogy of events.
The first chapter was a painful back-story filled with loneliness and pain. A tale of losing his parents, floating from foster home to foster home and the struggles of a young boy desperate for love and a sense of belonging. The first chapter of his life was one he rarely thought about, too full of pain and wounds that would never fully heal. It was a darkness he wouldn’t wish on his worst enemy. The first storyline ends on a note of hope and happiness however, the day he found Jinki. Or more accurately, the day Jinki found him. The man exuded authority, status and money. He was intimidating and fascinating and everything Jonghyun wanted to be. He rode up like a knight in a shining Mercedes, power bleeding from his pores and offered Jonghyun the one thing he longed for most… an escape.
The second storyline of his life began when he joined the business, working for Jinki. There weren’t many rules to being a member of the mafia. Stay loyal to the family. Do what you are told. Stay alive.
Easy enough to remember, easier still for Jonghyun to abide by. The family was his saving grace, offering him everything he had ever dreamed of, an escape from the system, a place to belong, a family; a purpose. He had spent his life being a burden, starved for affection and relying on himself. Now he had a family, people who cared for him, people who had his back through thick and thin. He had a place where he belonged and he couldn’t have been happier.
He was young when Jinki had taken him in, only fifteen, impressionable and desperate to please. Jinki had cared for him with surprising tenderness, sheltering him from the harshness of the business while encouraging him to finish his education. At the time, Jonghyun felt like he should be doing more, giving back to the man and the family that was feeding him. Jinki disagreed, always assuring him that he was an investment, he would contribute to the family when he was older and trained for it. Jonghyun wasn’t used to kindness being extending towards him, especially not without strings of immediate repayment attached. Having a family had been an adjustment to say the least.
The mafia was nothing like the movies, far from a fairytale. However, Jonghyun knew what he was getting himself into. He knew the dangers. He just didn’t care. The risks were worth it in his mind. He had nothing to live for before joining the business. Now that he had a family, a purpose, he would do anything to keep it.
In a matter of years, Jonghyun had obtained his diploma, a black belt and the title of ‘sniper’ among the family. He was no longer that boy Jinki had pulled off the street, full of potential and begging to be filled with love and affection. Now he was a skilled and devoted member of the family. He was respected and trusted; he was no longer a burden but an asset.
Jonghyun thought he had it made. He was happy, satisfied with life. He had everything he had ever wanted and more. He was a part of a family, he had people who cared for him and his job was full of danger and excitement. He was valued within the family as well as the profession. He had it all.
He had it all until the day he met the first person to ever tug at his heart strings hard enough to make him contemplate leaving it all behind.
The third chapter in his story began and ended with the dark-haired prince he stumbled into at a bus stop of all places. It was cliché and simple and perfect.
His happiness came crumbling down one date later when he learned his dark haired prince, was actually officer Lee Taemin of the Seoul police department. It wasn’t enough to scare Jonghyun away, still enthralled regardless of their Romeo and Juliet status.
Falling in love with Taemin had been easy, effortless even. He had never experienced passion so intense. It was a different kind of love than what he felt from the family. It was pure and genuine. Taemin’s affections weren’t contingent on what Jonghyun could do for him or Jonghyun’s unique skill set. There were no strings. Taemin loved him, full stop. Their romance was one of fairytales, at least to Jonghyun. Every spare moment spent together, stolen kisses and wandering hands set the precedent for their relationship.
Things were far from perfect, the whole relationship built on lies and deceit since it wasn’t like Jonghyun could tell Taemin what he did for a living. It didn’t make it any less real for Jonghyun though. He had his first taste of love, real love, and he would do anything to keep it.
Jonghyun’s story only has three chapters because well… he was pretty sure he was going to die today. He realized this a bit too late, unfortunately. The mission had been too easy. Luck had never been on his side before and the sinking feeling in his gut only confirmed his suspicions. He had been set up.
Jinki loved him like a father but Jonghyun had broken the only rule of the family that mattered, his loyalty had waned. Jonghyun thought that assessment was a bit unfair. He hadn’t ratted the family out to the cops or sold information to a rival. He had simply made plans to leave. He loved the family, he loved his life, but he loved Taemin more. He knew he couldn’t have it all; he had to choose. Apparently in Jinki’s mind, he chose wrong.
He had tried to be smart; he knew what happened to those who tried to leave the family. The mafia wasn’t a club; you couldn’t turn in your membership card and go on with life. You were in the family until death.
He should have known Jinki would be a step ahead, he always was. Jinki knew where Jonghyun’s loyalty truly lied. Jonghyun had chosen Taemin and now Jinki was going to remove him from the family. He had been sent on a suicide mission, probably Jinki’s way of getting him out of the way while also letting him save face with the family. He would die on a mission and no one would be the wiser. The family would mourn his death; Jinki would bury him with the honors of the family. His disloyalty would never be known.
After all the years he had given to the family, he didn’t think it was fair. Was it so wrong to want a normal, happy life? He would never turn on the family; he just wanted to grow old with the man he loved. He wanted an honest life, no more guns hidden under his pillow or washing blood out from under his fingernails.
He had reached too far and now he wasn’t going to get to live to see tomorrow.
He could hear the echo of footsteps on concrete, growing louder and louder with each passing second. The room he was in a convenient dead end. He poised his gun, aiming at an estimated eye level for whoever was unfortunate enough to walk through that door. He crouched down in the corner and waited, ready to fight his way out or die trying.
He took a deep breath, steadying himself as the doorknob twisted slowly. He could feel the blood rushing through his veins, throbbing rhythmically in his temple. He counted the seconds as they passed, each one a small eternity. Beads of sweat made slow trails down his neck, sending shivers down his spine and for the few moments that everything hung in suspense he felt like he was on the outside looking in, watching himself.
His finger tightened on the trigger as the door was kicked open, smashing into the wall and bouncing back.
His instincts were set to shoot when suddenly his whole world stopped as he saw…
“Taemin?”
Taemin’s gun was poised, ready to shoot as the younger stared him down, no warmth in his eyes. Jonghyun’s arm fell limply to his side as his back straightened, rising to his feet. Taemin didn’t waver, his gun staying on Jonghyun’s head.
“Taemin?” Jonghyun croaked. Jonghyun hadn’t hesitated for a second about lowering his weapon; the thought of shooting his lover hadn’t even crossed his mind. Taemin however, was still a hardened officer, his eyes void of emotion as he took in the scene.
In that moment, Jonghyun’s whole life flashed before his eyes. All three chapters. The pain of his childhood couldn’t compare to the sting of betrayal he was feeling in that moment. He had given up the safety, comfort and familiarity of the family; let it all go with no regrets for Taemin. He had accepted his fate of death, accepted the rejection of Jinki and the loss of the only family he had ever known.
He had accepted all that, but he couldn’t accept this.
He couldn’t accept that the only man he had ever loved would be the one to put that bullet through his head. The betrayal hurt more than anything else combine.
Jonghyun was an idiot. All those promises, to be together, to drop everything and start over… he had meant every word. He was just now realizing that he was the only one. He had invested everything into their relationship; it was what he lived for. Clearly, Taemin felt otherwise.
Jonghyun’s face crumpled along with his heart, knees giving out under his weight, sinking to the floor, his eyes never leaving Taemin’s. Their relationship replayed in his mind, every kiss and promise whispered against skin. Every touch and every smile. He had been the only one dreaming of digging their toes in the sand while the sun set. Waking beside each other, traveling the world, holding hands for all to see, making love until the sun rose over the horizon.
All he had wanted was to be happy. All he had wanted was Taemin.
He wanted to go back, back to promises whispered into his skin, bones aching with desire. He wanted to go back to dreams of Paris and the Maldives. He wanted to go back to falling asleep with Taemin in his arms.
He loved Taemin more than the family, more than the risk. Apparently Taemin still loved the badge more than him. Jonghyun had thought he had finally found what he was looking for, someone to love and love him in return. Just like the years of broken family and foster homes... he was all alone. Maybe he wasn't made to be loved. Maybe he didn't deserve it.
He now knew what it meant for a moment to last an eternity. Those few seconds, staring down the barrel of his lover’s gun felt like a lifetime to his heart that was shattering in his chest. Even if he lived through this, he would never survive.
The walkie-talkie in Taemin’s shoulder squawked, cutting through the heavy tension. “Lee! Report your status!”
Taemin’s opposing hand reached for the device, “Clear,” He said sharply, his hand trembling as it fell away. Jonghyun blinked away his tears, that one word reorienting his whole world once again. Taemin’s gun dropped to his side and Jonghyun launched himself forward, wrapping his arms around Taemin’s waist.
“Jonghyun we have to leave now,” Taemin growled but his hand hesitated against Jonghyun’s head a second longer than necessary.
“I thought-” Jonghyun whimpered, not able to put his darkest moment into words.
“Jonghyun if we don’t leave right now you are going to get a bullet in your head and I’m going to go to jail for the rest of my life,” Taemin reminded him, offering out his hand to help Jonghyun to his feet. The elder didn’t care about any of that though, pulling Taemin into a bone-crushing hug. For one long moment, he ignored the obvious danger they were still in, he ignored the hardness of Taemin’s chest wrapped in a bulletproof vest, he ignored the adrenaline still coursing through his veins. He ignored everything and focused on Taemin, Taemin; Taemin. Nothing else mattered.
Even if his story ended that day, he could die happy knowing the man he loved, loved him in return. The weight of uncertainty was lifted off his chest because Taemin was still there, dropping everything for him. Taemin was going to walk away from his job, his security; his whole life… for Jonghyun.
Jonghyun’s life story only had three chapters so far, but he had an eternity to fill the rest of the pages… if they made it out of this alive that is. The only certainty he had in his life was that, no matter what happened, no matter where life took him, Taemin would be there, right by his side.
Someone to love, who loved him in return.
That is all he had ever really wanted anyway.