You and I
Title: You and I
Beta: naneunpierrot
Pairing: Yunho/Jaejoong
Rating: R
Genre: Romance, slight Angst, Humor, Fluff
Summary: Their first meeting was unusual, their friendship was crazy, but their love was incomparable.
“Jaejoong, there’s a drunk guy on one of the games.”
Jaejoong looked up from his magazine and flipped it shut. He placed it down onto the counter, jumped off his seat and followed his much scrawnier co-worker to where the guy was.
He didn’t bother to ask any questions because as the biggest guy out of all the guys who work the arcade’s late night shift, he’s been appointed as the bouncer-like figure. It was his unfortunate duty to deal with the drunkards and perverts that prowled during the dead hours of night.
His co-worker pointed at the guy, and Jaejoong approached the unconscious guy slowly. He tapped him on the shoulder and took a step back, just in case the guy was a rough kind of drunk.
The drunkard blinked at him slowly and sat up. The buttons of the game had made marks on his face, and Jaejoong couldn’t help but cringe. He had no idea when the consoles were last cleaned, and he couldn’t help but feel disgusted by the fact that the guy probably had millions of germs on his face.
“What?” the guy slurred, nearly toppling out of his stool. Jaejoong reached forward and grunted - the guy was much heavier than he looked. The other guys working in the arcade were crowded at the counter, and they all shot him apologetic looks.
Jaejoong glared and heaved the guy out of the stool. “Fuck you all,” he muttered as he moved past them and dragged the guy out of the arcade, all the while hoping the drunk guy would wake up so that he would not be forced to take him home.
o-o-o
The drunk guy didn’t wake up and because Jaejoong was an unfortunate university student and not a millionaire, he couldn’t afford to send the guy home through a taxi. It would be his unfortunate fate and if the drunk guy ended up being a murderer, then that would just suck.
He didn’t want to get killed for being charitable.
Jaejoong huffed and smoked his cigarette, all the while sending glances at the unconscious guy on his couch. He looked out his window and drew his knees closer to his chest.
At least he wasn’t alone.
He settled his chin between his knees and sighed. Just as he was about to bring his cigarette to his lips, he heard a croak from the couch. He stood up and glanced down at the guy who was beginning to wake up.
“Water?” Jaejoong asked, his voice husky as a result of the past hour of smoking.
“Please.” The guy croaked.
Jaejoong reached into his fridge tossed a cold bottle of water at the guy. Instead of catching it, the bottle hit the guy in the face, and in comedic fashion, Jaejoong watched as the guy fell face first onto the water bottle before his face hit the carpeted floor.
The guy groaned in pain, and Jaejoong burst out into laughter, his raucous laughter echoing throughout the room.
He may have extended a hand of charity, but that didn’t mean he was a saint. Jaejoong clutched his stomach as he laughed, and the guy muttered a few curses as he reached over and finally took a sip of water.
When Jaejoong finally stopped laughing, the two strangers stared at each other.
“You look messed up.” Jaejoong said bluntly.
The guy glanced at Jaejoong, “Didn’t you know? The deadbeat drunk look is in style this season.” He joked half-heartedly before he took a sip of the water from the bottle Jaejoong had given him.
“I don’t read magazines, I cut them up.”
“Art student?”
“Yeah.” Jaejoong inched closer to the guy and handed him the pack of cigarettes as an offering. “You smoke?” he questioned.
“Not tonight,” the guy murmured as he sat up and leaned his back against the cushions of Jaejoong’s sofa. He watched Jaejoong with his slanted, inquisitive eyes that were much more sober than before.
“So…” Jaejoong blew a ring of smoke. “Are you planning on going home now, or are you planning on staying over?”
“Am I welcome to stay?” the guy questioned as he lifted the water bottle back to his lips so that he could take another sip. “You wouldn’t mind housing a bum for a bit?”
“I figured I might as well channel my inner Mother Teresa for a bit,” Jaejoong shot back as he shifted. “Besides, I’ve always wanted a pet,” he added with a sleazy grin that made the guy laugh.
“I’m Yunho by the way.”
“Jaejoong.”
They didn’t bother to shake hands, and before Jaejoong could protest, Yunho reached out and snatched Jaejoong’s cigarette out of his fingers. He brought it close to his lips and blew out a gust of smoke.
“I offered you one earlier.”
“I didn’t want one then.” Yunho murmured before he handed the cigarette back to Jaejoong. “So, aren’t you going to ask me something?”
“Ask you what?” Jaejoong questioned as he toyed with the cigarette. “I don’t really want to hear your sob stories. I’ve got enough shit to deal with, so please spare me from hearing about your life because it seems like you’re dealing with a lot of crap.”
“Where’s your bathroom?”
Jaejoong pointed at a door to the right, “Over there. It’s nothing fancy, so don’t expect anything great.”
As soon as the bathroom door was shut, Jaejoong crushed his cigarette on the nearby ash tray and opened the living room window. The cold night air filtered in, and he shut his eyes as the chilly air brushed past his cheeks harshly.
He inhaled the clean air and continued to take deep gulps of air until he heard the sound of the bathroom door being opened. Jaejoong turned around and leaned against the wall.
“You look better without all that crap on your face.” He murmured as Yunho glanced at him, his thin, handsome face free of the traces of makeup that had been on it earlier.
In fact, without it all, Yunho looked much younger. Jaejoong stared at the other man intently and crossed his arms as he studied his guest. His clothes fit on him perfectly, but something about the entire outfit radiated that the clothes had been chosen for him, and that he hadn’t chosen them himself.
“Did the cougar you were dating break up with you?” Jaejoong questioned rudely.
Yunho’s hazel eyes met Jaejoong’s in the darkness, “No, my professor did.” He replied in a deadpan manner before he shut his eyes and lied back down onto the couch. Silence fell between them, and Jaejoong slid the window shut before he walked into his shabby bedroom and fell asleep.
o-o-o
“I don’t have anywhere to go,” Yunho announced a week later as he and Jaejoong watched the rerun that was airing on the television. He glanced at Jaejoong for a reaction, but the student only shrugged.
“I figured, seeing as you made no effort to leave,” he murmured. He turned his eyes to Yunho, “I need you to pay half the rent and start buying food, because frankly, I’m running out of money.”
Yunho rummaged into his jeans and handed Jaejoong some money, “I can give you more tomorrow.”
Jaejoong folded the bills and placed them on top of his empty beer can. As soon as he leaned back against the couch, he looked at Yunho, “You aren’t a drug dealer, are you?”
“No, I’m not.”
“Male prostitute?”
“Fuck, no.” Yunho rolled his eyes and took Jaejoong’s cigarette. He took a drag and blew the smoke at Jaejoong’s face, “I’m just a student with no sense of direction in life anymore because he realized how much of a pathetic fuck he is.”
Jaejoong turned his eyes back to the television, “I guess that explains pretty much everything then.” He smirked and glanced at Yunho, “I’m a little disappointed by the dive your fashion sense has taken.”
“Fuck you.”
“Don’t you love me?” Jaejoong murmured as he took the cigarette out of Yunho’s hand and grinned, “I’m gorgeous, and I’m charitable - I’d say I’m a great catch.”
Yunho laughed, “You’re unbelievable.”
“I have to go to work.” Jaejoong said as he got off the couch. He crushed his cigarette on the ash tray and turned back to look at Yunho, “Are you going to come along, or are you finally planning to go to school tomorrow?” “No thanks.” Yunho murmured as he got up off the couch, “My request to change classes hasn’t pulled through yet, so I’m not going back until it’s granted.” he picked up his leather jacket off the sofa and slung it over his shoulder.
Jaejoong tilted his head, “So, you really slept with your professor?” he asked.
Yunho stared back at him, “I did. It’s all sorts of messed up, and I realize how pathetic I was back when I was still seeing him.” He took a few steps to Jaejoong, “It hurts because I really loved him.”
“Well, assholes are assholes,” Jaejoong replied before he asked Yunho another question. “Was he married?”
“No, he was just a manipulative bastard that preyed on me and my foolishness. He was too pretty for words, and I couldn’t resist falling for him and fumbling over and over again in a sad attempt to impress him.” Yunho slung his arm over Jaejoong’s shoulders and led him to the door, “Do you really want to hear me keep repeating about how pathetic I am?”
“Maybe.” Jaejoong answered as they walked out of the apartment. “I like talking to people who have lives more fucked up than my own.” He smirked at Yunho and ran away, prompting the other student to run after him in anger.
“You are way more fucked up than I am!” Yunho shouted as they ran on the street, prompting people to glance at them as they ran past, but really, neither of them cared about what strangers thought.
They’d be forgotten anyway.
o-o-o
“You’ve been stuck on that level for the past few days.” Yunho murmured as he took a sip of his carton of orange juice. “What’s wrong with you?”
Jaejoong scowled and glared at Yunho, “What’s wrong with you?” he shot back lamely before he turned his eyes back to the screen, only to see his character get shot to pieces violently.
“Fuck -“
“Calm down.” Yunho muttered as he wrapped his arms around Jaejoong and comforted him through an awkward back hug. He rested his chin on the shorter man’s shoulder and chuckled, “It’s just a game.”
“It’s not just a game, it’s a fucking life ruiner,” Jaejoong hissed violently. He wriggled out of Yunho’s grasp, “All the other guys have finished this stupid game, and I haven’t even gotten past level five -“
“How many levels are there?” Yunho asked as took a seat on the stool of the arcade game next to Jaejoong’s. He crossed his long legs and tilted his head, “Aren’t there usually only like -“
“There are thirty levels!” Jaejoong shouted in frustration, “Thirty fucking levels, and I’m still stick on level four, and I hate life -“
“You’re such a drama queen.” Yunho said with a chuckle, “It’s just a game -“
Jaejoong rolled his eyes, “It’s not just a game, okay?” he hissed irritably. “You know what, why don’t you just go and die somewhere so that I don’t have to hear you complain about things that I take seriously -“
“I’ll take you out for noodles, come on.” Yunho insisted as he pried Jaejoong away from the machine and led him out of the arcade. “You need to eat.”
“I don’t want to eat, I want to get past level five -“
Yunho turned around and took hold of Jaejoong by the shoulders. “You’re such a child sometimes, I don’t know if I want to squeeze you to death from your cuteness, or if I want to shove you in front of a car so that you’d shut up.”
Jaejoong blinked. “You’re so violent.”
“You’re so infuriating.” Yunho muttered as he took hold of Jaejoong’s wrist and led him to a noodle store a couple of streets away, “Say thank you Yunho, I love noodles and I’m so happy that you’re paying, then I’ll be fine.”
“I love you Yunho.” Jaejoong cooed in mock affection as he linked his arm with Yunho’s and followed him inside the noodle shop. He fluttered his eyelashes coquettishly and grinned, “So, why did you bring me -“
“Mom, dad?” Yunho called out, and soon enough, two older people appeared from the back of the store, and Jaejoong froze in place. Yunho turned and pointed at Jaejoong, who was practically a statue at that point.
“This is my roommate.”
o-o-o
When they got back to the apartment, Jaejoong was filled to the brim with noodles and happiness, and he felt high. It was a weird rush of emotions - not a chemically induced one, but it felt like genuine happiness.
He was happy, and it was so weird.
“I love you,” Jaejoong whispered as he pulled Yunho to his bedroom. They stumbled onto bed, high on happiness, and fell down onto the mattress. Neither of them said anything, and Jaejoong’s eyes fluttered shut as Yunho’s fingers intertwined with his.
“I should be a better son,” Yunho whispered to the darkness. “I think…now is about the right time to pick up the pieces.”
“Your parents are wonderful.”
“I know.”
Jaejoong hummed softly, “What happened to you?”
“Love happened,” Yunho answered, “It fucked me over.” He squeezed Jaejoong’s hand a bit tighter and Jaejoong felt the other student’s gaze on his face. “I think…I think I can get better though.”
Jaejoong turned his head and met Yunho’s eyes in the darkness, “Of course you can.”
“Is this weird?” Yunho asked as he let go of Jaejoong’s hand to run his hands through the other’s dyed locks of hair. “I feel like I’ve known you since forever.”
“I feel like…” Jaejoong leaned in closer, “I think this feels right.”
“It does feel perfect, doesn’t it?” Yunho murmured as he leaned closer to Jaejoong and pulled him close. “In some insane, fucked up, crazy way, I feel like you somehow understand me.”
Jaejoong was silent and stared up at his ceiling which was decorated with glow in the dark stars that one of his sisters had bought for him. He inched closer to Yunho, and he couldn’t help but agree.
Something felt right about their unusual friendship, something felt right about them.
o-o-o
He’d kind of been in love before.
It probably wasn’t the kind of love Yunho had experienced with his professor - passionate, intense, and consuming. The kinds of relationships he’d been in were usually shallow and never lasted long.
If what he felt for Yunho was indeed the right kind of love, then he wanted to tell Yunho in the right way and at the right time. He didn’t know if Yunho felt the same, but he knew that Yunho had finally stopped talking about the asshole that had broken his heart and was on the mend.
Jaejoong watched as Yunho walked around, pacing the floor. The latter had finally gone back to school, and Jaejoong watched in amusement as Yunho obsessed over every single detail on his research paper.
“It has to be fucking perfect.” Yunho said every few seconds, and his determination never failed to bring a smile to Jaejoong’s face. Jaejoong smoked his cigarette lazily, and it would’ve nearly fallen out of his fingertips and onto the carpet if Yunho hadn’t run over to catch it.
Yunho brushed his fingers across the inside of Jaejoong’s wrist. He smiled gently and placed the cigarette in his own mouth, “Honey, you need to go to bed,” he muttered as he pulled Jaejoong into his tight embrace.
Jaejoong let out what almost sounded like a purr, and really, he hadn’t noticed how tired he was until Yunho had mentioned it. He wrapped his arms around Yunho’s neck, and as Yunho tried to get him off, he pulled Yunho onto the bed with him.
Yunho fell on top of him, and Jaejoong looked up at him.
“Why are you like this?” he whispered softly.
“Like what?”
“I don’t know,” Jaejoong whined as he ran his hands through Yunho’s hair. He tilted his head to the side and stared up at Yunho, “Will you get scared if I tell you something really personal?”
“…what is it?” Yunho asked, “Are you pregnant?”
Jaejoong’s husky laughter echoed throughout the room, and the smile Yunho shot at him was enough to send the butterflies in his stomach aflutter. “No, I’m not.” The corners of his lips quirked into a smile, “If I was, then I’d accuse you of raping me in my sleep.”
“I would do no such -“
“Yunho, I think I really like you,” Jaejoong blurted out, his words coming out before he could think of something better to say. He blushed in the darkness, “I think I really like you.”
“Oh.”
“Please don’t go -“
Before Jaejoong could plead any further, Yunho’s lips pressed tentatively against his. It took only a few seconds for Jaejoong to register what was happening, and he kissed Yunho back desperately. Everything felt so right, and it wasn’t long before things progressed further and confirmed the suspicion that had been lingering in Jaejoong’s mind.
He whimpered, moaned, and cried out Yunho’s names for hours. It was rushed and messy, but it was perfect to Jaejoong because it was the two of them and because he felt that not a single other love in the world could compare to what they had.
o-o-o
Despite his usual confidence, to be honest, Jaejoong was frightened. He was scared of the future and of the relationship he had with Yunho, but he needed to bury those feelings of fear.
His fingers moved around expertly, and Jaejoong furrowed his brows in concentration as he did his best to get to the next level. He moved his character around carefully, and just as he thought he was in the clear, he died.
“What the -“
Before another word could escape Jaejoong’s lips, long arms wrapped around his waist and pulled him close. He turned around, and Yunho’s lips immediately found his in their usual natural fashion.
It was like their progression from friends to lovers was instinctive, and Jaejoong’s eyes fluttered shut as Yunho brought him closer. His hands settled at Yunho’s waist, and when they broke apart, he opened his eyes.
If this was love, it was wonderful.
“Do you want to go home?” Yunho murmured as he ran his hands through Jaejoong’s hair, a habit that always comforted Jaejoong and set him at ease. “Is your shift over yet? I left my study group so that I could see you -“
“Let’s go home,” Jaejoong murmured. He glanced at his co-workers, and they gave him awkward signs of approval before they scuttled away to leave him and Yunho alone. He grinned wickedly and looped his fingers into Yunho’s pants. “They said okay.”
“They only said okay because you scare them with your tattoos and piercings,” Yunho murmured as he left kisses on Jaejoong’s neck. “Is it okay for you to just leave them like this -“
“They owe me.”
Yunho pulled away and cocked his head to the side, “Why do they owe you?”
“They owe me because I hauled a drunk guy off one of the games.” Jaejoong’s lips quirked into a smile as he recalled the memory. “He was pretty heavy, and I did them a huge favor.”
Yunho chuckled, “If I remember correctly, the drunk guy had a nice ass.”
Jaejoong rolled his eyes, “What ass? You don’t have one.” He said lightly before he pulled Yunho out of the arcade so that they could go home.
o-o-o
Yunho’s touches were perfect on his skin, and each time, he had Jaejoong calling out his name in pleasure. From the soft touches on his chest and waist, to the rough thrusts, Jaejoong loved it all, and he was pretty sure Yunho loved everything about his body and more.
It wasn’t mindless sex, it was a joining of souls, and as Yunho delivered another sharp thrust, Jaejoong cried and clutched him tighter. He was clingy, but he knew that Yunho enjoyed that. He knew Yunho enjoyed the crescent shaped marks his nails left on his tanned skin, but most of all, he knew that Yunho loved it when he came and was moaning his name.
Jaejoong breathed in deeply as Yunho moved off of him, and it wasn’t long before Yunho’s long arm wrapped around Jaejoong’s waist and pulled him closer. His hard chest met Jaejoong’s tattooed back, and Jaejoong let out small noises of contentment as Yunho’s hand trailed across his body.
“Is this love?” Jaejoong whispered.
Yunho kissed Jaejoong’s shoulder, “I’d think so.” His hand settled at Jaejoong’s slim waist, and his thumb traced absentminded spirals onto the other student’s pale skin. “It feels more real, and…I don’t think I’ve felt anything like it.”
“Not even when you were in love with your professor?” Jaejoong questioned self-consciously as he pressed back against Yunho, “Not even when he was yours and you were his and -“
“You’re being ridiculous.”
Jaejoong turned around and blinked at Yunho. “Am I?”
“Yes, you are,” Yunho muttered as he leaned in and kissed Jaejoong reassuringly. He carded his fingers through Jaejoong’s sweat damp hair and laughed, “I love you, not anyone else.”
“Okay,” Jaejoong whispered as he did his best to believe in Yunho’s words. “I love you too,” he replied, and it wasn’t long before he was being pinned back onto the bed, and familiar fingers were back where they belonged
They belonged together, not just in bed where they were naked and made love - but for the rest of their lives and everything that came next.
o-o-o
“I’m going to see my professor.”
“Why?”
“He said he wanted to see me again.”
“Are you going back to him?”
“No.”
“Will you come back to me?”
“Of course.”
Jaejoong rushed into the arcade with a heavy heart. His co-workers parted like the Red Sea had for Moses, and he quickly stumbled to the closest video game in order to distract himself from his sorrow.
Yunho hadn’t come back home in hours.
His overactive imagination had plotted out everything. He knew that Yunho had probably stumbled back into the arms of his older, richer, better looking professor that dressed in brands that were probably worth the entirety of their apartment.
Jaejoong clutched the knobs of the game tightly, and although he tried to concentrate, his mind was anywhere but on the game he was playing.
What if everything he thought about their unity was a lie? What if he wasn’t really meant for Yunho? What if the perfection was a mere illusion? He had so many questions, and as the minutes ticked by, Jaejoong felt like his heart would burst.
He’d smoked around five cigarettes waiting for Yunho to come back, but nothing soothed his restless spirit. He didn’t want to be pathetic. He didn’t want to be someone that invested more into the relationship than their lover.
He didn’t want a broken heart because who would pick him up and fix him in the same way that he’d fixed Yunho? No one would care about an art student with a liking for intricate tattoos, odd piercings, chain smoking, noodles, video games, insane fashion trends and alcohol.
Why did Yunho have to be so perfect, and why did Yunho’s professor have to be such a boyfriend stealing dickhead? Jaejoong clutched the arcade game tightly and watched as his character was once more incinerated.
He’d love to murder that -
“You’re never going to make it to level thirty if you continue playing like that.”
Jaejoong froze.
“What?” Yunho sat down next to Jaejoong and grinned, “I told you I would come back, wouldn’t I?” he reached over and tugged at Jaejoong’s earlobe, “Come on, I’ve been telling you I love you for the past three months.”
“Your professor -“
“Is an asshole,” Yunho finished before he kissed Jaejoong reassuringly and crushed their lips together. He pulled away and his lips formed a crooked smile, “You’re nothing like him…what we have is better than what I thought I had with him.”
“I feel pathetic,” Jaejoong whined. “Why did you do this to me?” he pouted at Yunho and waited for his boyfriend to reply. “So?”
“I love you.”
Jaejoong rolled his eyes, “If I had a penny for every time you said that -“ he shut his mouth and glared.
“What?”
“I died in the game again.”
Yunho inserted another coin, “You’re never going to make it to level five if you keep staring at me like that.” He glanced at Jaejoong, “Come on now, you can do it. You’ll never win your co-worker’s respect if you don’t reach it to level thirty -“
“I don’t think I’ll ever win their respect.” Jaejoong muttered as he turned his eyes to the game and fiddled with the controls.
“Why?”
“Do you think they’re really going to respect the guy who found his future boyfriend drunk and unconscious on an arcade game?” Jaejoong questioned, momentarily taking his eyes away from the screen. He stared at Yunho for a few seconds before he went back to his game, “No, I didn’t think so.”
He chuckled to himself and glanced at Yunho, who was pouting at him. “For what it’s worth though, I love you.” Yunho muttered.
“I love you too.” Jaejoong replied before he let go of the game’s controls and turned so that he could kiss Yunho. Once again, his character got incinerated, but he couldn’t bring himself to care as Yunho lifted him onto his lap.
He would have millions of lives to live and waste in that game, but he only had one to spend with Yunho, and he intended to make the most of it.
Author’s Note: Wrote this last weekened, anyway it’s for shupashta, and I hope she likes it. :3 I’m sorry for the lateness, and I’m also sorry that I couldn’t help but adding a twinge of angst, but overall I think it’s quite happy. I do hope that you all enjoy it, and thank you so much for reading! ♥
Beta: naneunpierrot
Pairing: Yunho/Jaejoong
Rating: R
Genre: Romance, slight Angst, Humor, Fluff
Summary: Their first meeting was unusual, their friendship was crazy, but their love was incomparable.
“Jaejoong, there’s a drunk guy on one of the games.”
Jaejoong looked up from his magazine and flipped it shut. He placed it down onto the counter, jumped off his seat and followed his much scrawnier co-worker to where the guy was.
He didn’t bother to ask any questions because as the biggest guy out of all the guys who work the arcade’s late night shift, he’s been appointed as the bouncer-like figure. It was his unfortunate duty to deal with the drunkards and perverts that prowled during the dead hours of night.
His co-worker pointed at the guy, and Jaejoong approached the unconscious guy slowly. He tapped him on the shoulder and took a step back, just in case the guy was a rough kind of drunk.
The drunkard blinked at him slowly and sat up. The buttons of the game had made marks on his face, and Jaejoong couldn’t help but cringe. He had no idea when the consoles were last cleaned, and he couldn’t help but feel disgusted by the fact that the guy probably had millions of germs on his face.
“What?” the guy slurred, nearly toppling out of his stool. Jaejoong reached forward and grunted - the guy was much heavier than he looked. The other guys working in the arcade were crowded at the counter, and they all shot him apologetic looks.
Jaejoong glared and heaved the guy out of the stool. “Fuck you all,” he muttered as he moved past them and dragged the guy out of the arcade, all the while hoping the drunk guy would wake up so that he would not be forced to take him home.
o-o-o
The drunk guy didn’t wake up and because Jaejoong was an unfortunate university student and not a millionaire, he couldn’t afford to send the guy home through a taxi. It would be his unfortunate fate and if the drunk guy ended up being a murderer, then that would just suck.
He didn’t want to get killed for being charitable.
Jaejoong huffed and smoked his cigarette, all the while sending glances at the unconscious guy on his couch. He looked out his window and drew his knees closer to his chest.
At least he wasn’t alone.
He settled his chin between his knees and sighed. Just as he was about to bring his cigarette to his lips, he heard a croak from the couch. He stood up and glanced down at the guy who was beginning to wake up.
“Water?” Jaejoong asked, his voice husky as a result of the past hour of smoking.
“Please.” The guy croaked.
Jaejoong reached into his fridge tossed a cold bottle of water at the guy. Instead of catching it, the bottle hit the guy in the face, and in comedic fashion, Jaejoong watched as the guy fell face first onto the water bottle before his face hit the carpeted floor.
The guy groaned in pain, and Jaejoong burst out into laughter, his raucous laughter echoing throughout the room.
He may have extended a hand of charity, but that didn’t mean he was a saint. Jaejoong clutched his stomach as he laughed, and the guy muttered a few curses as he reached over and finally took a sip of water.
When Jaejoong finally stopped laughing, the two strangers stared at each other.
“You look messed up.” Jaejoong said bluntly.
The guy glanced at Jaejoong, “Didn’t you know? The deadbeat drunk look is in style this season.” He joked half-heartedly before he took a sip of the water from the bottle Jaejoong had given him.
“I don’t read magazines, I cut them up.”
“Art student?”
“Yeah.” Jaejoong inched closer to the guy and handed him the pack of cigarettes as an offering. “You smoke?” he questioned.
“Not tonight,” the guy murmured as he sat up and leaned his back against the cushions of Jaejoong’s sofa. He watched Jaejoong with his slanted, inquisitive eyes that were much more sober than before.
“So…” Jaejoong blew a ring of smoke. “Are you planning on going home now, or are you planning on staying over?”
“Am I welcome to stay?” the guy questioned as he lifted the water bottle back to his lips so that he could take another sip. “You wouldn’t mind housing a bum for a bit?”
“I figured I might as well channel my inner Mother Teresa for a bit,” Jaejoong shot back as he shifted. “Besides, I’ve always wanted a pet,” he added with a sleazy grin that made the guy laugh.
“I’m Yunho by the way.”
“Jaejoong.”
They didn’t bother to shake hands, and before Jaejoong could protest, Yunho reached out and snatched Jaejoong’s cigarette out of his fingers. He brought it close to his lips and blew out a gust of smoke.
“I offered you one earlier.”
“I didn’t want one then.” Yunho murmured before he handed the cigarette back to Jaejoong. “So, aren’t you going to ask me something?”
“Ask you what?” Jaejoong questioned as he toyed with the cigarette. “I don’t really want to hear your sob stories. I’ve got enough shit to deal with, so please spare me from hearing about your life because it seems like you’re dealing with a lot of crap.”
“Where’s your bathroom?”
Jaejoong pointed at a door to the right, “Over there. It’s nothing fancy, so don’t expect anything great.”
As soon as the bathroom door was shut, Jaejoong crushed his cigarette on the nearby ash tray and opened the living room window. The cold night air filtered in, and he shut his eyes as the chilly air brushed past his cheeks harshly.
He inhaled the clean air and continued to take deep gulps of air until he heard the sound of the bathroom door being opened. Jaejoong turned around and leaned against the wall.
“You look better without all that crap on your face.” He murmured as Yunho glanced at him, his thin, handsome face free of the traces of makeup that had been on it earlier.
In fact, without it all, Yunho looked much younger. Jaejoong stared at the other man intently and crossed his arms as he studied his guest. His clothes fit on him perfectly, but something about the entire outfit radiated that the clothes had been chosen for him, and that he hadn’t chosen them himself.
“Did the cougar you were dating break up with you?” Jaejoong questioned rudely.
Yunho’s hazel eyes met Jaejoong’s in the darkness, “No, my professor did.” He replied in a deadpan manner before he shut his eyes and lied back down onto the couch. Silence fell between them, and Jaejoong slid the window shut before he walked into his shabby bedroom and fell asleep.
o-o-o
“I don’t have anywhere to go,” Yunho announced a week later as he and Jaejoong watched the rerun that was airing on the television. He glanced at Jaejoong for a reaction, but the student only shrugged.
“I figured, seeing as you made no effort to leave,” he murmured. He turned his eyes to Yunho, “I need you to pay half the rent and start buying food, because frankly, I’m running out of money.”
Yunho rummaged into his jeans and handed Jaejoong some money, “I can give you more tomorrow.”
Jaejoong folded the bills and placed them on top of his empty beer can. As soon as he leaned back against the couch, he looked at Yunho, “You aren’t a drug dealer, are you?”
“No, I’m not.”
“Male prostitute?”
“Fuck, no.” Yunho rolled his eyes and took Jaejoong’s cigarette. He took a drag and blew the smoke at Jaejoong’s face, “I’m just a student with no sense of direction in life anymore because he realized how much of a pathetic fuck he is.”
Jaejoong turned his eyes back to the television, “I guess that explains pretty much everything then.” He smirked and glanced at Yunho, “I’m a little disappointed by the dive your fashion sense has taken.”
“Fuck you.”
“Don’t you love me?” Jaejoong murmured as he took the cigarette out of Yunho’s hand and grinned, “I’m gorgeous, and I’m charitable - I’d say I’m a great catch.”
Yunho laughed, “You’re unbelievable.”
“I have to go to work.” Jaejoong said as he got off the couch. He crushed his cigarette on the ash tray and turned back to look at Yunho, “Are you going to come along, or are you finally planning to go to school tomorrow?” “No thanks.” Yunho murmured as he got up off the couch, “My request to change classes hasn’t pulled through yet, so I’m not going back until it’s granted.” he picked up his leather jacket off the sofa and slung it over his shoulder.
Jaejoong tilted his head, “So, you really slept with your professor?” he asked.
Yunho stared back at him, “I did. It’s all sorts of messed up, and I realize how pathetic I was back when I was still seeing him.” He took a few steps to Jaejoong, “It hurts because I really loved him.”
“Well, assholes are assholes,” Jaejoong replied before he asked Yunho another question. “Was he married?”
“No, he was just a manipulative bastard that preyed on me and my foolishness. He was too pretty for words, and I couldn’t resist falling for him and fumbling over and over again in a sad attempt to impress him.” Yunho slung his arm over Jaejoong’s shoulders and led him to the door, “Do you really want to hear me keep repeating about how pathetic I am?”
“Maybe.” Jaejoong answered as they walked out of the apartment. “I like talking to people who have lives more fucked up than my own.” He smirked at Yunho and ran away, prompting the other student to run after him in anger.
“You are way more fucked up than I am!” Yunho shouted as they ran on the street, prompting people to glance at them as they ran past, but really, neither of them cared about what strangers thought.
They’d be forgotten anyway.
o-o-o
“You’ve been stuck on that level for the past few days.” Yunho murmured as he took a sip of his carton of orange juice. “What’s wrong with you?”
Jaejoong scowled and glared at Yunho, “What’s wrong with you?” he shot back lamely before he turned his eyes back to the screen, only to see his character get shot to pieces violently.
“Fuck -“
“Calm down.” Yunho muttered as he wrapped his arms around Jaejoong and comforted him through an awkward back hug. He rested his chin on the shorter man’s shoulder and chuckled, “It’s just a game.”
“It’s not just a game, it’s a fucking life ruiner,” Jaejoong hissed violently. He wriggled out of Yunho’s grasp, “All the other guys have finished this stupid game, and I haven’t even gotten past level five -“
“How many levels are there?” Yunho asked as took a seat on the stool of the arcade game next to Jaejoong’s. He crossed his long legs and tilted his head, “Aren’t there usually only like -“
“There are thirty levels!” Jaejoong shouted in frustration, “Thirty fucking levels, and I’m still stick on level four, and I hate life -“
“You’re such a drama queen.” Yunho said with a chuckle, “It’s just a game -“
Jaejoong rolled his eyes, “It’s not just a game, okay?” he hissed irritably. “You know what, why don’t you just go and die somewhere so that I don’t have to hear you complain about things that I take seriously -“
“I’ll take you out for noodles, come on.” Yunho insisted as he pried Jaejoong away from the machine and led him out of the arcade. “You need to eat.”
“I don’t want to eat, I want to get past level five -“
Yunho turned around and took hold of Jaejoong by the shoulders. “You’re such a child sometimes, I don’t know if I want to squeeze you to death from your cuteness, or if I want to shove you in front of a car so that you’d shut up.”
Jaejoong blinked. “You’re so violent.”
“You’re so infuriating.” Yunho muttered as he took hold of Jaejoong’s wrist and led him to a noodle store a couple of streets away, “Say thank you Yunho, I love noodles and I’m so happy that you’re paying, then I’ll be fine.”
“I love you Yunho.” Jaejoong cooed in mock affection as he linked his arm with Yunho’s and followed him inside the noodle shop. He fluttered his eyelashes coquettishly and grinned, “So, why did you bring me -“
“Mom, dad?” Yunho called out, and soon enough, two older people appeared from the back of the store, and Jaejoong froze in place. Yunho turned and pointed at Jaejoong, who was practically a statue at that point.
“This is my roommate.”
o-o-o
When they got back to the apartment, Jaejoong was filled to the brim with noodles and happiness, and he felt high. It was a weird rush of emotions - not a chemically induced one, but it felt like genuine happiness.
He was happy, and it was so weird.
“I love you,” Jaejoong whispered as he pulled Yunho to his bedroom. They stumbled onto bed, high on happiness, and fell down onto the mattress. Neither of them said anything, and Jaejoong’s eyes fluttered shut as Yunho’s fingers intertwined with his.
“I should be a better son,” Yunho whispered to the darkness. “I think…now is about the right time to pick up the pieces.”
“Your parents are wonderful.”
“I know.”
Jaejoong hummed softly, “What happened to you?”
“Love happened,” Yunho answered, “It fucked me over.” He squeezed Jaejoong’s hand a bit tighter and Jaejoong felt the other student’s gaze on his face. “I think…I think I can get better though.”
Jaejoong turned his head and met Yunho’s eyes in the darkness, “Of course you can.”
“Is this weird?” Yunho asked as he let go of Jaejoong’s hand to run his hands through the other’s dyed locks of hair. “I feel like I’ve known you since forever.”
“I feel like…” Jaejoong leaned in closer, “I think this feels right.”
“It does feel perfect, doesn’t it?” Yunho murmured as he leaned closer to Jaejoong and pulled him close. “In some insane, fucked up, crazy way, I feel like you somehow understand me.”
Jaejoong was silent and stared up at his ceiling which was decorated with glow in the dark stars that one of his sisters had bought for him. He inched closer to Yunho, and he couldn’t help but agree.
Something felt right about their unusual friendship, something felt right about them.
o-o-o
He’d kind of been in love before.
It probably wasn’t the kind of love Yunho had experienced with his professor - passionate, intense, and consuming. The kinds of relationships he’d been in were usually shallow and never lasted long.
If what he felt for Yunho was indeed the right kind of love, then he wanted to tell Yunho in the right way and at the right time. He didn’t know if Yunho felt the same, but he knew that Yunho had finally stopped talking about the asshole that had broken his heart and was on the mend.
Jaejoong watched as Yunho walked around, pacing the floor. The latter had finally gone back to school, and Jaejoong watched in amusement as Yunho obsessed over every single detail on his research paper.
“It has to be fucking perfect.” Yunho said every few seconds, and his determination never failed to bring a smile to Jaejoong’s face. Jaejoong smoked his cigarette lazily, and it would’ve nearly fallen out of his fingertips and onto the carpet if Yunho hadn’t run over to catch it.
Yunho brushed his fingers across the inside of Jaejoong’s wrist. He smiled gently and placed the cigarette in his own mouth, “Honey, you need to go to bed,” he muttered as he pulled Jaejoong into his tight embrace.
Jaejoong let out what almost sounded like a purr, and really, he hadn’t noticed how tired he was until Yunho had mentioned it. He wrapped his arms around Yunho’s neck, and as Yunho tried to get him off, he pulled Yunho onto the bed with him.
Yunho fell on top of him, and Jaejoong looked up at him.
“Why are you like this?” he whispered softly.
“Like what?”
“I don’t know,” Jaejoong whined as he ran his hands through Yunho’s hair. He tilted his head to the side and stared up at Yunho, “Will you get scared if I tell you something really personal?”
“…what is it?” Yunho asked, “Are you pregnant?”
Jaejoong’s husky laughter echoed throughout the room, and the smile Yunho shot at him was enough to send the butterflies in his stomach aflutter. “No, I’m not.” The corners of his lips quirked into a smile, “If I was, then I’d accuse you of raping me in my sleep.”
“I would do no such -“
“Yunho, I think I really like you,” Jaejoong blurted out, his words coming out before he could think of something better to say. He blushed in the darkness, “I think I really like you.”
“Oh.”
“Please don’t go -“
Before Jaejoong could plead any further, Yunho’s lips pressed tentatively against his. It took only a few seconds for Jaejoong to register what was happening, and he kissed Yunho back desperately. Everything felt so right, and it wasn’t long before things progressed further and confirmed the suspicion that had been lingering in Jaejoong’s mind.
He whimpered, moaned, and cried out Yunho’s names for hours. It was rushed and messy, but it was perfect to Jaejoong because it was the two of them and because he felt that not a single other love in the world could compare to what they had.
o-o-o
Despite his usual confidence, to be honest, Jaejoong was frightened. He was scared of the future and of the relationship he had with Yunho, but he needed to bury those feelings of fear.
His fingers moved around expertly, and Jaejoong furrowed his brows in concentration as he did his best to get to the next level. He moved his character around carefully, and just as he thought he was in the clear, he died.
“What the -“
Before another word could escape Jaejoong’s lips, long arms wrapped around his waist and pulled him close. He turned around, and Yunho’s lips immediately found his in their usual natural fashion.
It was like their progression from friends to lovers was instinctive, and Jaejoong’s eyes fluttered shut as Yunho brought him closer. His hands settled at Yunho’s waist, and when they broke apart, he opened his eyes.
If this was love, it was wonderful.
“Do you want to go home?” Yunho murmured as he ran his hands through Jaejoong’s hair, a habit that always comforted Jaejoong and set him at ease. “Is your shift over yet? I left my study group so that I could see you -“
“Let’s go home,” Jaejoong murmured. He glanced at his co-workers, and they gave him awkward signs of approval before they scuttled away to leave him and Yunho alone. He grinned wickedly and looped his fingers into Yunho’s pants. “They said okay.”
“They only said okay because you scare them with your tattoos and piercings,” Yunho murmured as he left kisses on Jaejoong’s neck. “Is it okay for you to just leave them like this -“
“They owe me.”
Yunho pulled away and cocked his head to the side, “Why do they owe you?”
“They owe me because I hauled a drunk guy off one of the games.” Jaejoong’s lips quirked into a smile as he recalled the memory. “He was pretty heavy, and I did them a huge favor.”
Yunho chuckled, “If I remember correctly, the drunk guy had a nice ass.”
Jaejoong rolled his eyes, “What ass? You don’t have one.” He said lightly before he pulled Yunho out of the arcade so that they could go home.
o-o-o
Yunho’s touches were perfect on his skin, and each time, he had Jaejoong calling out his name in pleasure. From the soft touches on his chest and waist, to the rough thrusts, Jaejoong loved it all, and he was pretty sure Yunho loved everything about his body and more.
It wasn’t mindless sex, it was a joining of souls, and as Yunho delivered another sharp thrust, Jaejoong cried and clutched him tighter. He was clingy, but he knew that Yunho enjoyed that. He knew Yunho enjoyed the crescent shaped marks his nails left on his tanned skin, but most of all, he knew that Yunho loved it when he came and was moaning his name.
Jaejoong breathed in deeply as Yunho moved off of him, and it wasn’t long before Yunho’s long arm wrapped around Jaejoong’s waist and pulled him closer. His hard chest met Jaejoong’s tattooed back, and Jaejoong let out small noises of contentment as Yunho’s hand trailed across his body.
“Is this love?” Jaejoong whispered.
Yunho kissed Jaejoong’s shoulder, “I’d think so.” His hand settled at Jaejoong’s slim waist, and his thumb traced absentminded spirals onto the other student’s pale skin. “It feels more real, and…I don’t think I’ve felt anything like it.”
“Not even when you were in love with your professor?” Jaejoong questioned self-consciously as he pressed back against Yunho, “Not even when he was yours and you were his and -“
“You’re being ridiculous.”
Jaejoong turned around and blinked at Yunho. “Am I?”
“Yes, you are,” Yunho muttered as he leaned in and kissed Jaejoong reassuringly. He carded his fingers through Jaejoong’s sweat damp hair and laughed, “I love you, not anyone else.”
“Okay,” Jaejoong whispered as he did his best to believe in Yunho’s words. “I love you too,” he replied, and it wasn’t long before he was being pinned back onto the bed, and familiar fingers were back where they belonged
They belonged together, not just in bed where they were naked and made love - but for the rest of their lives and everything that came next.
o-o-o
“I’m going to see my professor.”
“Why?”
“He said he wanted to see me again.”
“Are you going back to him?”
“No.”
“Will you come back to me?”
“Of course.”
Jaejoong rushed into the arcade with a heavy heart. His co-workers parted like the Red Sea had for Moses, and he quickly stumbled to the closest video game in order to distract himself from his sorrow.
Yunho hadn’t come back home in hours.
His overactive imagination had plotted out everything. He knew that Yunho had probably stumbled back into the arms of his older, richer, better looking professor that dressed in brands that were probably worth the entirety of their apartment.
Jaejoong clutched the knobs of the game tightly, and although he tried to concentrate, his mind was anywhere but on the game he was playing.
What if everything he thought about their unity was a lie? What if he wasn’t really meant for Yunho? What if the perfection was a mere illusion? He had so many questions, and as the minutes ticked by, Jaejoong felt like his heart would burst.
He’d smoked around five cigarettes waiting for Yunho to come back, but nothing soothed his restless spirit. He didn’t want to be pathetic. He didn’t want to be someone that invested more into the relationship than their lover.
He didn’t want a broken heart because who would pick him up and fix him in the same way that he’d fixed Yunho? No one would care about an art student with a liking for intricate tattoos, odd piercings, chain smoking, noodles, video games, insane fashion trends and alcohol.
Why did Yunho have to be so perfect, and why did Yunho’s professor have to be such a boyfriend stealing dickhead? Jaejoong clutched the arcade game tightly and watched as his character was once more incinerated.
He’d love to murder that -
“You’re never going to make it to level thirty if you continue playing like that.”
Jaejoong froze.
“What?” Yunho sat down next to Jaejoong and grinned, “I told you I would come back, wouldn’t I?” he reached over and tugged at Jaejoong’s earlobe, “Come on, I’ve been telling you I love you for the past three months.”
“Your professor -“
“Is an asshole,” Yunho finished before he kissed Jaejoong reassuringly and crushed their lips together. He pulled away and his lips formed a crooked smile, “You’re nothing like him…what we have is better than what I thought I had with him.”
“I feel pathetic,” Jaejoong whined. “Why did you do this to me?” he pouted at Yunho and waited for his boyfriend to reply. “So?”
“I love you.”
Jaejoong rolled his eyes, “If I had a penny for every time you said that -“ he shut his mouth and glared.
“What?”
“I died in the game again.”
Yunho inserted another coin, “You’re never going to make it to level five if you keep staring at me like that.” He glanced at Jaejoong, “Come on now, you can do it. You’ll never win your co-worker’s respect if you don’t reach it to level thirty -“
“I don’t think I’ll ever win their respect.” Jaejoong muttered as he turned his eyes to the game and fiddled with the controls.
“Why?”
“Do you think they’re really going to respect the guy who found his future boyfriend drunk and unconscious on an arcade game?” Jaejoong questioned, momentarily taking his eyes away from the screen. He stared at Yunho for a few seconds before he went back to his game, “No, I didn’t think so.”
He chuckled to himself and glanced at Yunho, who was pouting at him. “For what it’s worth though, I love you.” Yunho muttered.
“I love you too.” Jaejoong replied before he let go of the game’s controls and turned so that he could kiss Yunho. Once again, his character got incinerated, but he couldn’t bring himself to care as Yunho lifted him onto his lap.
He would have millions of lives to live and waste in that game, but he only had one to spend with Yunho, and he intended to make the most of it.
Author’s Note: Wrote this last weekened, anyway it’s for shupashta, and I hope she likes it. :3 I’m sorry for the lateness, and I’m also sorry that I couldn’t help but adding a twinge of angst, but overall I think it’s quite happy. I do hope that you all enjoy it, and thank you so much for reading! ♥