In the Dark [1]
Title: In the Dark
Beta: muramatsu_aoi
Pairing: Yunho/Jaejoong
Rating: NC-17
Genre: Romance, Angst, Drama
Summary: In a world of secrecy and iniquity, love still blooms in the cover of the night.
“Hello sweetheart.”
Yunho looked up from his textbook and stared up into the handsome face so unusually close to his own. The other man flashed him a brilliant smile and draped his body across the counter fluidly, “I’d like a room.”
“Which -“
The androgynous man turned his head to look back at his skittish companion, “Darling, how long again?”
It was as if all the color in the man’s face got drained at the question, and the beautiful man merely laughed before he turned back to Yunho. He once again flashed Yunho a glimpse of his white teeth before he straightened up, “We’ll be having the room for the shortest time possible.”
Yunho entered the codes into the computer and looked up, “It’ll be -“
“I’m not paying,” the other man said with a teasing smile, “I’m only the date.” He waved over the anxious man, and after everything had been paid for, the androgynous man took the room card into his hands and smiled again.
“Thank you,” he spoke, his voice airy and slightly raspy.
He winked at Yunho before he turned away, and Yunho wasn’t sure of what to feel. Yunho knew that the people who came into the motel were hardly anything but society’s finest. He never felt any judgment or disgust, unlike others - he just didn’t know what to feel.
Everyone lived life their own way - who was he to say what was right or wrong?
“Fuck, I wonder how much that guy costs for an hour,” his co-worker grumbled aloud as he took the seat next to Yunho. He propped his legs up onto the table and leaned into his chair.
Yunho looked up from his textbook and frowned, “I’d really not like to -“
“Come on,” Hwon insisted, “You can’t deny that he was good looking - no, that he was so very fucking good looking. You didn’t think for one second about -“
It made Yunho sick to continue listening to his co-worker, so he slammed his textbook shut and walked out. He shook his head as he heard Hwon cry out in protest and just made his way out of the lobby. As soon as he was out on the sidewalk, he looked for somewhere to stay and ended up sitting down at a bus stop. Yunho squinted in the darkness, trying to make out the words written on his textbook, but he gave up after a few minutes and shut his book.
He shut his eyes and leaned back before he let out a long sigh. It would only be a few more months until graduation, and if he was lucky enough, he’d be able to receive a law school scholarship from anywhere.
He just wanted to get out.
“You do know there aren’t any buses anymore, right?”
Yunho turned his head, and the same beautiful man from earlier was leaning against the bus shelter. A smile made its way across the man’s red lips, and he gracefully walked over to sit down beside Yunho.
“Cat got your tongue, or are you just listening to your mother?” The man asked slowly as he studied Yunho, “Don’t talk to strangers…right?”
Yunho chuckled and looked away, “I still have a couple of hours left until my shift is over. I’m on break.”
“Cigarette break?” the man questioned as he produced a pack of cigarettes from the pocket of his jeans. Yunho shook his head, and he shrugged, “Suit yourself.”
Yunho watched carefully as the other man lit up a cigarette, the tip glowing brightly in the dimness of their environment. The stranger took a deep breath of the small white stick and exhaled, and the smoke was promptly blown by the wind and sent right into Yunho’s face.
He coughed, and the man looked at him, “Sorry.”
Yunho shrugged, “Whatever.”
A few cars passed by, and Yunho watched as several woman - who he recognized to be prostitutes who frequented the motel he worked at - walked past on the other side of the street, teetering on their high heels. He could feel the other man’s eyes on him, and when he turned his head, the man made no move to hide the fact that he’d been blatantly staring at him.
The beautiful man blew another wisp of smoke into his face, and this time, he didn’t bother to apologize.
“Are you trying to be an asshole?”
“No darling,” the man said teasingly, a smirk playing at the corners of his lips, “I just wanted to catch your attention.”
Yunho rolled his eyes, “Well you have it,” he glanced down at his book and frowned, remembering that he had to finish reading the chapter. He did a quick onceover of the man next to him - taking note that he was still presentably and sharply dressed.
The man raised an eyebrow and his smirk widened, “See something you like?” He chuckled and leaned over to look at the book that Yunho was supposed to be reading. His eyes swept over the page, and he didn’t bother to withdraw before he raised his eyes to look at Yunho curiously.
“What are you studying -“
“Yunho! Get your ass back here! Where the fuck are you? You can’t be seriously upset about me talking about fucking that guy, right?”
With a sigh, Yunho stood up and glanced back at the guy, “Well, that’s my sign to go. It’s been…whatever, anyway, bye.”
The beautiful guy laughed, “Wait, I have something to say.”
Yunho turned around, “What?”
“You’re cute.”
His face instantly heated up in embarrassment, and despite the darkness, the man seemed to notice the redness of Yunho’s face. Unable think of anything to reply, Yunho mumbled a quick thank you before he turned around sharply and escaped back to the motel; the man’s ringing laughter getting softer with every step he took.
o-o-o
Yunho sighed irritably and made his way out of the motel, his shift finally over. It was a little past four in the morning, and he was lucky enough that his first class would still be at one in the afternoon. It was still incredibly dark as he made his way through the streets, and he ignored the whistles he heard from strangers lurking around.
He’d gotten so used to hanging around the characters that dwelled in this shabby and shady part of town. No longer did he feel any sort of fear of someone coming behind and mugging him, all he felt was a sort of tired indifference. After two years of working at the motel, he’d already gotten mugged around three to four times and pickpocketed at least thrice. If someone were to ruin his day further and steal his money, then he would just have to deal with that.
There was no point worrying about what could happen. He just wanted to get home, and the faster, the better.
He massaged his forehead and made his way to the closest convenience store to pick up breakfast which would inevitably be another cup of instant ramen.
It was all he could afford, after all.
He entered the convenience store and headed straight to where the cups of instant ramen were and picked the usual brand. Yunho turned around and just as he’d made a right turn to get to the counter, he bumped into another person.
“Oh, sorry -“
“It’s you again.”
Yunho recognized the handsome face in front of him, and his eyes dropped down to notice that the other was noticeably more casually dressed than he had been the last time they’d met. He wore a loose black shirt and jeans, but nonetheless, it all looked more expensive than what he was wearing.
“If you think that I look good with clothes on, imagine how much better I look with them off,” the man said teasingly, and he frowned in disappointment when Yunho didn’t blush.
Yunho shrugged, “I’m not interested -“
“How could you blush when I called you cute, but not blush when I hint at us possibly having sex?” the man questioned, a hint of irritation in his voice. His lips formed a small pout before he looked down at the cup of ramen Yunho was holding. “That’s not healthy.”
“I wasn’t aware you were my mother,” Yunho teased before he brushed past the other man and began to make his way to the counter.
The man walked up next to him, “Just so you know, if I were your mother, our relationship would be pretty incestuous seeing as I called you cute and suggested that you see me without my clothes on.”
Yunho glanced at him, “It’s not my fault you’re coming onto me,” he replied as he placed the cup of instant noodles in front of the convenience store clerk, “Just so you know, I could probably have you jailed for sexual harassment -“
“A tough guy,” the man chuckled, “What are you, a lawyer?”
Yunho paid for his only purchase and began to walk out of the convenience store, the other man still following behind him. As he made his way down the street and to his tiny apartment, the other man was still walking a few steps behind him.
He turned around and tilted his head, “Are you planning on robbing me?”
“Do I look like a mugger?” the guy frowned. “You really are laying all the insults, aren’t you? First you were teasing me about acting like your mother, and then you said that you’d have me jailed for sexual harassment. Is this really how you behave towards men who show any sort of interest towards you?”
“I just want to get home,” Yunho replied.
The guy pulled out a wallet from his pocket, and Yunho’s eyes widened when he realized that his wallet was in the other man’s hand. The beautiful stranger grinned proudly and tossed the wallet at Yunho’s feet.
“For a guy that works in this part of town, you really should be more careful around the people that work here too,” the man winked and turned around, his hand raised up in a sign of farewell.
Yunho shook his head in amusement and opened his wallet to check if anything had been stolen. His eyes widened when he noticed that there were two several things that hadn’t been there before.
First, there was a name scrawled messily onto a scrap of paper - Kim Jaejoong, and secondly, there was more money in his wallet than there had been originally.
o-o-o
Yunho was on his way up the elevator when the doors opened up to reveal the same man from the previous day - Kim Jaejoong.
Jaejoong’s lips quirked into a smile, and he stepped out of the elevator, “Did you finally find some -“
Before he could finish, Yunho took out the extra money from his wallet and slapped it against the other man’s firm chest. The other man’s eyes widened in surprise, but Yunho spoke first.
“I don’t need it,” Yunho waited for Jaejoong to take the money, but the latter merely laughed and shook his head.
“Who said I put it there?”
Yunho frowned, “I know you put it there.”
“Do you have proof that I put it there?” Jaejoong questioned with an irritatingly smug smile as he took hold of Yunho’s hand only to force him to close his hand back around the bills, “I don’t think so, Mr. Lawyer.”
“Hey -“
Jaejoong merely laughed and pushed Yunho out of the way, “Nice try sweetheart,” he said teasingly before he slipped past Yunho and made his way to the lobby before Yunho could even attempt to demand for him to stop.
o-o-o
The icy cold water didn’t help the chill he already felt throughout his body, but Yunho forced himself to deal with it anyway. He splashed his face and wiped the water against his face, forcing himself to wake up. He’d been hardly getting enough sleep, and if things would continue to go the way they were, he didn’t see himself getting any more sleep in the near future.
He looked up at himself in the mirror and winced. There were dark circles underneath his eyes, and he was losing weight. Yunho sighed to himself and ran a hand through his hair anyway despite its dampness. After a few more minutes of somber reflection, Yunho made his way out of the bathroom and back to the counter.
There was no one at the counter, and Yunho frowned immediately. Hwon was supposed to be there.
He approached the motel’s security guard and shook the sleepy middle aged man by the shoulder, “Where’s Hwon?”
The man yawned and pointed at the back door, an irritated look on his face, “I think he went out for a cigarette break or something. Go back to the desk -“
An ill feeling passed in Yunho’s gut, and before the man could order for him to get back to his desk, he pushed the back door open, and when he heard the sound of people arguing, he knew his instincts were right.
“You’re a whore anyway, right?”
Hwon.
Yunho sped up his steps, and when he saw Hwon and the girl together, his body raced to pull him off before his mind could think of a wiser thing to do. He yanked Hwon off by the collar of his shirt, and when he saw Hwon’s fist flying straight for his face, his body instantly reacted.
He punched him.
The girl screamed, and Yunho could barely register what he had done until Hwon fell to the ground, completely out cold. His eyes darted to the girl, and she looked at him with fearful eyes.
“…he was bothering you?” Yunho asked lamely, the awkwardness creeping up and taking hold of him and preventing him from sounding like how a proper knight in shining armor should.
She nodded her head slowly, “…thank you.” Her nervous brown eyes watched him carefully, and it looked like she was waiting for Yunho to say something else to her. He took in the sight of her ripped stockings and the slight tear in her shirt before he dragged his eyes back to her face.
“You should…go home.”
Once again, she nodded, and they stared at each other awkwardly for a few more seconds before the girl bowed again and promptly skittered away on her high heels that resounded on the flooring of the alleyway. As soon as she was gone, Yunho glanced down at his unconscious co-worker.
What the fuck was he going to do?
“You sure do knock people off their feet, don’t you?”
The familiar voice caused Yunho to turn around, and he was not at all surprised to see Jaejoong emerge from the street. He was dressed sharply in a suit, and he leaned against the cemented wall of the alley, uncaring of the dirty paint and the graffiti that could possibly taint his pristine suit.
Yunho shook his head, “Your sense of humor is lacking.”
Jaejoong walked over to Yunho quietly and squatted so that he could take a good look at Hwon. He raised his dark brown eyes to look up at Yunho in the darkness, and Yunho couldn’t look away.
“You knocked him out good.”
“Should I be saying thank you?” Yunho muttered as he nudged Hwon with his foot. He sighed and ran a hand through his hair again - an annoying habit of his, “I’m going to get fired, aren’t I?”
“No, you won’t be,” Jaejoong said as they both heard the back door open, and subsequently, the sound of the security guard gasping aloud at the sight of Hwon’s body soon followed.
He straightened up and smirked, “Don’t worry.”
The security guard stomped over and eyed them both, “What the hell happened here? What the -“
“He tried to take advantage of me, I punched the bastard,” Jaejoong said as he kicked Hwon’s body for effect. “I don’t sleep with assholes, and I doubt he could afford my asking price anyway -“
The middle aged man shook his head disapprovingly but didn’t bother to ask any more questions - there was no point. He picked up Hwon and shot a glare at Yunho when the latter didn’t bother to help out, “Are you just going to stand there?” he questioned gruffly.
Yunho hastily helped the older man pull Hwon up, and when he turned back, he saw Jaejoong looking at him in amusement.
“You on the other hand honey, if you need a good fuck, you can call me any time! I’ll give you a discount!” Jaejoong called out with a friendly wave, his voice ringing in the alleyway and in Yunho’s ears long after he had gone back into the motel.
o-o-o
Yunho winced and pressed an ice pack to his face. He tried to concentrate on his textbook but his eye was hurting like fuck, and all he really wanted to do was go home, eat more ramen, and sleep his troubles away.
Hwon left after he’d finished proclaiming that Yunho was a prudish fucking son of a bitch and had punched him in the face before storming out of the motel which explained the disgusting bruise that was harshly evident on his small face. Yunho could feel the eyes of his new co-worker - Jihyo, who was nicer than Hwon but noticeably lazier than him - on his face.
A sharp gasp sounded in front of him, and Yunho took his eyes off his textbook to look up at the source of the sound.
Jaejoong blinked at him, and Yunho blinked back at him.
“…what, what happened -“
“Hwon woke up.”
The worry eased back slightly, but the frown remained on Jaejoong’s lips, “Oh. I’m sorry things didn’t work out -“
“At least I didn’t get fired,” Yunho replied, with a small smile on his lips.
The smile seemed to have thrown Jaejoong off because the latter instantly tensed up slightly. Yunho’s eyes narrowed slightly, but the other man quickly composed himself and merely shook his head.
“You should smile more.”
Yunho shrugged, “I don’t know.”
“How to smile more?”
He scowled, and Jaejoong merely chuckled before he turned around to wave over the man he was with. As the other man walked to the counter, Jaejoong righted himself and leaned over the counter once again, “I have company tonight.”
An ill feeling flashed in Yunho’s stomach, but just as quickly as it had come, it was gone. His eyes fell down to his textbook momentarily, and he noticed that his right hand was clenched slightly into a fist.
“What’s the least amount of time we could have a room?”
The voice was not Jaejoong’s, and Yunho forced himself to look up. The man was much younger than the last one he’d seen Jaejoong with, and he was more handsome too. In fact, he looked kind of like those guys he would see around his university - the kind of guys that blew their parents’ money on girls, drugs, alcohol, and everything else that they desired in the world.
Yunho rattled off the answers to each of the man’s questions, and after the man had nothing more to ask and had paid, he watched as he walked away - with Jaejoong. They didn’t seem to be talking based off the slight distance between them, but while they were waiting, Jaejoong turned around.
He caught Yunho’s eyes across the lobby and smiled before he turned back around and got into the elevator with the man. The doors slid shut, and Yunho finally let go of the breath he didn’t even know he’d been holding.
With a sigh, Yunho placed his ice pack back onto his face and continued to read his textbook in the hopes that something would distract him from the unease that had settled in his gut like an unwanted visitor.
o-o-o
“Oh, look who we have here.”
Yunho raised his eyes off the wet cement, and Jaejoong slid down next to him. He crossed his legs in one fluid motion before he turned so that he could look at Yunho properly.
“I’m glad the black eye went away,” Jaejoong said warmly, “It didn’t look good on you.”
The student chuckled, “Is it supposed to look good on anyone? Anyway, I don’t think it’s a look I want to try again.”
Jaejoong chuckled and pointed at his own eye, “Do you think that maybe I could pull it off? I’ve heard a lot of people say that I can pull any kind of luck off -“
“Are you asking me to punch you?”
“I don’t know,” Jaejoong replied flirtatiously, “Do you think I’m the kind of guy who’s into that sort of thing?”
Yunho shook his head disapprovingly, and once more, Jaejoong’s airy laughter rang loudly in the quietness of the early morning. He felt a hand on his lap, and Yunho frowned at Jaejoong who said nothing and merely leaned closer before he withdrew his hand and moved away.
“What was that about?”
“You usually have a book,” Jaejoong commented idly as he took his cigarettes and lighter out. “I was wondering if you were reading something boring again, or if you were just being a brooding youth by hanging out on the rainy streets.”
“Why do you keep bothering me?”
“Why do you keep entertaining me?”
Once again, Yunho shook his head, and once again, Jaejoong looked at him in fond amusement. He honestly didn’t know how their whole relationship had started, but he knew that he had gotten used to the other man hanging around.
“Where do you live?”
“Why, do you want to stalk me?” Yunho teased, “If you intend on robbing me though, I just want to let you know that I don’t have anything worth stealing. My furniture looks terrible and -“
“What about the bed? How’s your bed?”
Yunho frowned, “Is it just me, or do you like bringing up sex?”
Jaejoong laughed and poked Yunho’s cheek like he was some child and the action only made Yunho’s frown deepen. He reached out and his fingers brushed against Yunho’s cheek as he tucked back a strand of hair.
“I like seeing you blush.”
Yunho’s blush deepened, and he looked away, “I’m not blushing. Besides, how can you even see if I’m blushing anyway? It’s dark and -“
“You’re cute when you’re flustered -“
The student shook his head and stood up, “I have to go back, my break’s over.” He looked at Jaejoong, and the strange man merely looked back at him with innocent, curious eyes.
“But it’s still raining, you’ll get wet.”
“I…it’s okay.”
They said nothing and simply stared at each other. It was all very unusual, and Yunho didn’t know what to think about what was going on between them - if there was even anything going on between them in the first place. Everything was just too complicated, and he didn’t know what to say as usual.
“Bye Yunho,” Jaejoong said softly, tearing Yunho out of his thoughts immediately.
Yunho stared at him, the other man’s handsome face illuminated by the light from the nearby streetlamp. He would never admit it, but there was something about the way that the light struck him that made him look more alluring than he already did.
It made Yunho want to kiss him.
“Bye Jaejoong,” Yunho muttered before he hastily made his way back to the motel despite the pouring rain, and the lingering regret that he hadn’t been able to think of a better way to say goodbye.
o-o-o
Yunho had never really cared if anyone thought he was boring. He didn’t really have a lot of friends at university because he was always too busy studying or working, and he didn’t have that much time either to catch up on anything. He knew the basic things - geography, history, politics, but the moment anyone wanted to talk to him about particular things he liked, like fashion or music, he never had much to say.
He was a practical person; he didn’t have time to scour fashion magazines for the latest trends, and he didn’t want to bother wasting his money on tabloids and celebrity magazines that would only remind him of how much others had while he had almost nothing.
Yunho watched as a balding man walked away from the counter, his eerily young date pressed closely to his side and shook his head. He didn’t like having to see the problems that plagued society on an almost daily basis, but he didn’t have much of a choice - the motel paid well enough, the hours fit in with his schedule decently, and there wasn’t much of a need to talk to anyone, in fact, Yunho knew that silence was preferred in his line of work.
Besides, it wasn’t like anybody wanted to hear anything he had to say anyway.
There was not much that he cared about, and there were probably just as few things that he cared about, but if there was something that he knew he cared about, he knew that thing was his unusual relationship with Jaejoong.
Jaejoong still showed up on a daily basis with a new date in tow almost every time, and he always engaged Yunho in some sort of small talk before his date came over, paid for the room, and led him away. In all honesty, Yunho didn’t know if Jaejoong was a prostitute or not, but he didn’t really want to think about that, especially since he knew that he was growing attached to the other man despite their odd circumstances.
Maybe it was ridiculous and naïve, but he didn’t need to know what Jaejoong did for a living. He’d often seen Jaejoong talking to a particular man at the hotel lobby after his dates, but he didn’t ask any questions because it didn’t matter much - he had no right to pry. He knew Jaejoong, perhaps not as much as he wanted to, but as the days passed, he felt like someday they’d reach the point of closeness that he never thought he’d reach with anyone.
“You look like you’re deep in thought,” Jaejoong said as he leant across the counter and smiled at Yunho, his date nowhere to be seen.
Yunho glanced over the other man’s shoulder, searching for the mousy looking man he’d come with earlier, but didn’t see anyone. In fact, as he thought about it, Jaejoong never came down with his dates - he always left alone. His dates always came down and returned the room keys after Jaejoong had gone with stony expressions or blank looks on their faces.
When he turned his eyes back to Jaejoong, the other man was watching him with an amused smile on his lips.
“What are you looking for?”
Yunho shrugged and leaned back into his seat. He stretched his legs and arms out before he replied, “I was looking for your date.”
“Oh…him?” Jaejoong said casually as he rested his chin against the palm of his hand and watched Yunho lazily. “He’s still in the room. I didn’t want to stick around.”
“I see.”
They fell into silence, and Yunho tapped his pen idly against the surface of his textbook before he raised his eyes again, only to catch Jaejoong watching him once more. He furrowed his brows and frowned slightly, but the other man merely laughed lightheartedly and smiled.
“Why do you keep staring at me?”
“I could honestly ask you the same thing,” Jaejoong said playfully, his eyes twinkling with its usual light, “Can you go on break? Or did you go while I was upstairs with my date?”
“Where is your date?” Yunho asked, completely forgetting that Jaejoong had already explained his date’s absence.
Jaejoong tilted his head to the side and shrugged noncommittally, “I already told you. I didn’t feel like sticking around, so I left.” Yunho didn’t reply, so he just moved on and repeated his question, “Can you go on break?
Yunho glanced over at Jihyo, who was slumped over the desk and drooling. He turned his eyes back to Jaejoong and nodded, “I can go on break. I’ll meet you outside by the bus stop?”
Jaejoong nodded, and he pushed himself off the counter fluidly before walking out of the motel’s entrance. As soon as he was gone, Yunho shook Jihyo awake unapologetically, muttered that he’d be going on break, and left the counter before she could protest and try to ask him to stay.
He pushed open the back door and made his way out of the alleyway. He instantly spotted Jaejoong lingering by the bus stop’s ad for some sort of perfume, and his lips quirked into a smile when Jaejoong smiled at him first.
“You took longer than I expected,” Jaejoong chided as he arched his back and stretched out his limbs. “Did it take long for your co-worker to wake up?”
“I just wasn’t in a hurry to meet you.”
Jaejoong’s face twisted into an expression of mock hurt, and he pushed Yunho’s chest lightly, “Why do you always play so hard to get?” Jaejoong asked, he asked softly as his hand lingered on Yunho’s chest, and Yunho could feel his heartbeat quicken.
“I’m not hard to get…” Yunho said slowly, “I just…I just don’t want to be boring.”
The other man tilted his head, and he slowly withdrew his hand to stick it back into the pocket of his leather jacket, “I, for one, think you’re very interesting. You’re certainly much better than all the characters that live in this dump.”
Yunho laughed and stepped back, “I don’t think that makes me that great of a person then, but thank you.” He smiled back at Jaejoong before he turned his eyes to look at the other people who were also out on the streets - drunks, prostitutes, and drug addicts to name a few - a whole medley of unsavory characters of society.
Where did he fit in among all of them?
“You’re better than all of us,” Jaejoong murmured quietly, his soulful eyes lingering intensely on Yunho. “You should get out of here as soon as you can.”
There was something about his tone that struck Yunho as odd, and it brought a frown to his lips. He studied Jaejoong carefully and took in the slumped posture, the signs of a frown, and the crease of worry on his brow - something was off. The other man’s usual carefree attitude had disappeared in within seconds, and Yunho didn’t know what he could say to make things right.
The silence consumed them, and Jaejoong turned his eyes away to watch the drunk men dressed in gaudy fashions walk past them. Yunho could feel the tension in the air, and his mind raced to find something that would improve the sudden downturn of their moods.
“We should both get out,” Yunho started slowly, the words he wanted to say slowly coming to mind as his heart pounded in his chest. He could feel Jaejoong’s eyes turn back to his face, and he bravely met the other man’s eyes despite the trepidation that was churning in his gut.
Jaejoong opened his mouth to say something - most likely a protest to his suggestion, but Yunho cut him off by speaking first, “I don’t know where we can go, but I don’t think this place is for you either.”
“I think you’re lying.”
“I’m not, I’m telling the truth,” Yunho muttered as he ran a hand through his hair and ignored the fact that one of the men passing by had whistled at the two of them. He looked away at the motel’s neon sign, “I swear.”
Jaejoong was silent, and Yunho turned his head and looked at him. He could hear his own heart drumming in his chest, but his mind was too intoxicated by the feelings that lingered in his chest, and he couldn’t bring himself to stop talking.
“If I leave, I want you to leave too.”
“Guys like me don’t -“
Yunho cocked his head to the side, “I don’t particularly care about what it is that you do, but I know that you’re probably meant for better things.” He pointed at the motel and kept his eyes on Jaejoong’s, “You shouldn’t settle for this. You deserve better too.”
“Where are you going to go?” Jaejoong questioned softly, and Yunho’s confidence faltered when he caught sight of the vulnerability that was so evident on the other man’s usually calm exterior.
“I…I want to go to law school,” Yunho stuttered, “I don’t know yet where I’m going, but I’m hoping that I can get a scholarship or something -“
Before Yunho could even register what was happening, smooth hands cupped his face and even softer lips pressed against his. Yunho’s eyes were wide open, and he stood frigidly still as Jaejoong’s tongue crept against his lower lip. His mind was going haywire, but he quickly recovered and willingly opened his mouth.
Jaejoong smelled like cigarettes, alcohol, and smoke, and he tasted like all of those things as well, but there was something else that lingered there as well - something addictive that made Yunho want to never stop kissing him. He regained a bit of his lost confidence and pushed Jaejoong against the bus stop advertisement. He cupped Jaejoong’s face before his hands moved forward hesitantly. He carded his hands through the softness of the other man’s dark hair, and he could feel his desire for the other man spreading like a wildfire throughout his veins.
“Yunho! Get the fuck back here! It’s been almost an hour and -“
He quickly jumped back, and Jaejoong pushed him away. Yunho turned around sharply, and Jihyo stared at him, her eyes wide. Her mouth was still open, and she was gaping at him obviously.
Jaejoong leaned forward, “You should go back to work,” he whispered softly. “I’ll see you tomorrow.” He pressed a soft kiss behind Yunho’s ear, squeezed his ass slightly, and smirked when Yunho turned his head before he sauntered away into the darkness.
Yunho walked back slowly to Jihyo, but she raised a hand up.
“I…I didn’t think you were the kind of guy to…how much did that cost you?” she questioned, her eyes wide.
He ignored her and walked back inside the motel to finish what was left of the hours of his shift.
o-o-o
Sometimes they kissed, sometimes they talked, but most of the time, they did both. The bus stop was their own small sanctuary, and when they were there, Yunho could feel himself shut the rest of the world out. Nothing else mattered while they spent his break there. Neither of them had dared to ask the other for more than that hour spent in the darkness, and Yunho didn’t have the courage to ask Jaejoong for more than what he was already giving.
He wanted more, but he didn’t know if Jaejoong wanted that as well, so he kept his desires to himself and said nothing more.
Whenever Jaejoong showed up at the counter with his date behind him, Yunho didn’t know what to say. They no longer shared small talk at the counter, and the only thing that kept Yunho from bursting out from jealousy and frustration was the solemn look that crossed Jaejoong’s face whenever he looked at him inside the motel.
There was a multitude of expressions on the other man’s face - from regret to a deep sorrow, and Yunho could see them all. He knew Jaejoong didn’t want to let him see him in such a way, but Jaejoong didn’t want to hide what he did for a living either - whatever it is that he did - from him as well.
So, instead of complicating things with outbursts of jealousy and explanations of any kind, they both kept their silence. It made things easier, and when they stared at each other in the bus stop, their eyes filled with unmentioned longing and promise, they reminded each other that maybe tomorrow, both of them would be in a better place.
o-o-o
For the first time ever, Jaejoong was alone.
There was a serious look etched across his face, and Yunho tensed up at the sight of him. He looked visibly troubled, and just as Yunho was about to comment on Jaejoong’s state, the other man spoke first.
“I need…I need you to go upstairs with me,” Jaejoong said slowly before he produced an amount of money from his pocket and placed it on the counter.
Yunho stared at the money for a few seconds before he raised his eyes and looked up at Jaejoong. He said nothing and made no protest. He wordlessly accepted the money and took a room key off the counter, and he ignored the fact that Jihyo was watching them.
He turned his head to look at her, “I’m going on break,” he muttered softly before he got up from his chair and followed Jaejoong to the elevator. Yunho kept looking over at Jaejoong, and the other man said nothing. Yunho walked up to their room, opened the door, and as soon as they were both inside, he looked at Jaejoong for an explanation.
Jaejoong kissed him lightly before he pulled away, and his hands clasped onto the fabric of Yunho’s jacket.
“I…I want to tell you something,” Jaejoong murmured as he pulled away. He took a few steps back from Yunho and shot him a small nervous smile, “I…I think it’s time that I leave here, so I figured…”
“You’re getting out?”
Jaejoong nodded slowly, and his smile grew a little wider, “Are you -“
“Yes, I’m happy for you,” Yunho said brightly, “I’m sure I could leave too. The school year’s almost ending anyway, and I should be -“
“I want you to know something first,” Jaejoong said softly as Yunho moved closer and took him into his arms. He wrapped his arms around Yunho’s neck and pressed their bodies so close together they could feel one another’s heartbeats. He buried his face into Yunho’s neck and held him tighter, “I’m not -“
“You don’t need to explain anything,” Yunho muttered as he held Jaejoong closely. He pushed Jaejoong away slightly and cupped his face, “I don’t care. We’re going to get out of here….together.”
A sad smile crossed Jaejoong’s face, “You’re too good for a guy like me,” he whispered before he pressed his lips to Yunho’s. The kiss was soft, tentative yet reassuring, and it wasn’t much longer until Jaejoong deepened the kiss.
Yunho’s arms hesitantly found their place around Jaejoong’s body, and when Jaejoong’s hands fell away from Yunho’s face to begin tugging at his clothes, Yunho could feel his heartbeat quicken in his chest. They began to nervously undress each other, and even though they were anything but inexperienced young teenagers, there was something about this time that made it different from the rest. Jaejoong pulled Yunho to the bed, and Yunho fell on top of him ungracefully. They shared a brief moment of laughter before Yunho shut Jaejoong up with a demanding kiss that reminded them both of the desires they’d been holding back. Yunho loved the way Jaejoong writhed underneath him, and the way the other man moaned as he pleasured him lovingly and slowly. Jaejoong’s body was all muscles but smooth to the touch, and as Yunho mapped out the other man’s pale expanse of skin, Jaejoong moaned appreciatively in response.
His tanned skin stood out against the pristine whiteness of Jaejoong’s body, but there was something that made everything look right and feel right. It didn’t matter that Yunho was nervous beyond all belief as he took Jaejoong into his mouth and began to suck him off, and most of all, it didn’t matter at all to Yunho that Jaejoong hardly lasted that long - in fact, it made him feel better that Jaejoong lost control so easily from his touches.
“Don’t be so pleased,” Jaejoong whispered breathily as he pushed Yunho down against the bed and climbed over his younger lover. “Wipe that smirk off your face…or I’ll do it for you.”
He crashed his lips back onto Yunho’s, and Jaejoong groaned when he realized that Yunho’s lips tasted unusual - they tasted like him. Yunho let Jaejoong take control of the moment, his moans increasing as Jaejoong’s soft hands took hold of his arousal and began to stroke him. He clenched the bed sheets tightly, and his back arched as Jaejoong moved his hands in expert motions. He was losing himself in Jaejoong’s talented grasp, but just as he was about to lose himself entirely, he felt the other man press a tiny bottle against his chest.
It was time for him to take the reins once more.
After slicking his fingers with the substance, he slipped them into Jaejoong’s tight entrance. The older man moaned above him, his nails digging into Yunho’s tanned skin as he was being slowly stretched open. Yunho watched as Jaejoong lost all sort of control above him and began to plead loudly for more, for Yunho to just take him and fuck him into pleasurable oblivion already.
As soon as Yunho’s fingers left, Jaejoong moved and impaled himself onto Yunho’s cock. He groaned loudly as he pushed down until all of Yunho was inside him. Yunho muttered small words of encouragement, but Jaejoong only leaned down and bit at the skin of his neck in response before he began to slowly move up and down.
They rolled their hips against each other, and they moaned loudly as they began to feel the waves of pleasure spread throughout their body. Yunho bucked his hips upward, and Jaejoong pushed himself down, both of them working on pushing each other off the cliff of ecstasy.
Sweat rolled down their backs, and although they were sweaty, sticky and damp, neither of them refused to stop. Yunho watched in fascination as Jaejoong rode him, and his lover opened his eyes to smirk at Yunho. Jaejoong’s muscles ached the longer he continued to move, and he didn’t know if he would reach his orgasm first or if he would simply collapse from tiredness.
But before Jaejoong could consider asking for a change in position, Yunho had had enough of Jaejoong riding him and quickly shifted them around so that he could thrust into Jaejoong properly. Jaejoong’s legs wrapped around his waist instinctively, and he held his lover closer with every rapid thrust.
Yunho came first, and Jaejoong followed not long after. They collapsed into a tangled mess of limbs, and Yunho whispered soft words of love as Jaejoong sank deeper into his embrace and languidly moved to fit against him like pieces of a puzzle that were made to slot together perfectly.
Although he was still a poor scholar, at that moment, Yunho felt like he had everything he would ever need in the world. As far as he was concerned, he was the richest and luckiest man on Earth just as long as Jaejoong was with him.
o-o-o
When Yunho woke up, he reached out and discovered he was alone. He sat up immediately and before anything else, the note on the table caught his eye. He paid no attention to the bills that were laid beside it, and he hesitantly picked the note up.
I’m leaving, and I know you will too. Take the money. I know you need it, and think of it as a gift. I’m sorry. I never lied about anything with you and this is why I can’t let myself pretend that what we have will work out. You have big dreams, and I’ll only bring you down. This is better for the long run.
You’re too good for a guy like me, and one day, you’ll realize that.
He crumpled the note immediately, but his heart clenched tightly in his chest, and Yunho immediately pulled back from throwing it out the window. He read the letter countless times, thinking that maybe there was something else hidden there, but after an hour had passed, he realized that there was nothing more to it other than brutal honesty that ripped at his heart and tore away the delusions he had once allowed himself to believe.
Yunho breathed in deeply before he put his clothes back on and made his way back to the front desk. He handed Jihyo the key and met her eyes.
“I’m quitting,” he said bluntly before he turned around and left the motel without a single backward glance.
There was nothing left for him anymore.
>
Author’s Note: Sad, I know. >.< The idea for this story came up when I was on the train one day, and I happened to see a motel as the train sped past the numerous buildings that line the street. Anyway, there will be another part to this, but it is not really a sequel. It’s pretty much the story through the eyes of Jaejoong, and yes, you all will be getting an explanation for why did the things that he did. It might be set in the future, but anyway, yeah. I can’t say whether or not it’ll be happy ending, so sorry! XD Thank you for reading! ♥
Beta: muramatsu_aoi
Pairing: Yunho/Jaejoong
Rating: NC-17
Genre: Romance, Angst, Drama
Summary: In a world of secrecy and iniquity, love still blooms in the cover of the night.
“Hello sweetheart.”
Yunho looked up from his textbook and stared up into the handsome face so unusually close to his own. The other man flashed him a brilliant smile and draped his body across the counter fluidly, “I’d like a room.”
“Which -“
The androgynous man turned his head to look back at his skittish companion, “Darling, how long again?”
It was as if all the color in the man’s face got drained at the question, and the beautiful man merely laughed before he turned back to Yunho. He once again flashed Yunho a glimpse of his white teeth before he straightened up, “We’ll be having the room for the shortest time possible.”
Yunho entered the codes into the computer and looked up, “It’ll be -“
“I’m not paying,” the other man said with a teasing smile, “I’m only the date.” He waved over the anxious man, and after everything had been paid for, the androgynous man took the room card into his hands and smiled again.
“Thank you,” he spoke, his voice airy and slightly raspy.
He winked at Yunho before he turned away, and Yunho wasn’t sure of what to feel. Yunho knew that the people who came into the motel were hardly anything but society’s finest. He never felt any judgment or disgust, unlike others - he just didn’t know what to feel.
Everyone lived life their own way - who was he to say what was right or wrong?
“Fuck, I wonder how much that guy costs for an hour,” his co-worker grumbled aloud as he took the seat next to Yunho. He propped his legs up onto the table and leaned into his chair.
Yunho looked up from his textbook and frowned, “I’d really not like to -“
“Come on,” Hwon insisted, “You can’t deny that he was good looking - no, that he was so very fucking good looking. You didn’t think for one second about -“
It made Yunho sick to continue listening to his co-worker, so he slammed his textbook shut and walked out. He shook his head as he heard Hwon cry out in protest and just made his way out of the lobby. As soon as he was out on the sidewalk, he looked for somewhere to stay and ended up sitting down at a bus stop. Yunho squinted in the darkness, trying to make out the words written on his textbook, but he gave up after a few minutes and shut his book.
He shut his eyes and leaned back before he let out a long sigh. It would only be a few more months until graduation, and if he was lucky enough, he’d be able to receive a law school scholarship from anywhere.
He just wanted to get out.
“You do know there aren’t any buses anymore, right?”
Yunho turned his head, and the same beautiful man from earlier was leaning against the bus shelter. A smile made its way across the man’s red lips, and he gracefully walked over to sit down beside Yunho.
“Cat got your tongue, or are you just listening to your mother?” The man asked slowly as he studied Yunho, “Don’t talk to strangers…right?”
Yunho chuckled and looked away, “I still have a couple of hours left until my shift is over. I’m on break.”
“Cigarette break?” the man questioned as he produced a pack of cigarettes from the pocket of his jeans. Yunho shook his head, and he shrugged, “Suit yourself.”
Yunho watched carefully as the other man lit up a cigarette, the tip glowing brightly in the dimness of their environment. The stranger took a deep breath of the small white stick and exhaled, and the smoke was promptly blown by the wind and sent right into Yunho’s face.
He coughed, and the man looked at him, “Sorry.”
Yunho shrugged, “Whatever.”
A few cars passed by, and Yunho watched as several woman - who he recognized to be prostitutes who frequented the motel he worked at - walked past on the other side of the street, teetering on their high heels. He could feel the other man’s eyes on him, and when he turned his head, the man made no move to hide the fact that he’d been blatantly staring at him.
The beautiful man blew another wisp of smoke into his face, and this time, he didn’t bother to apologize.
“Are you trying to be an asshole?”
“No darling,” the man said teasingly, a smirk playing at the corners of his lips, “I just wanted to catch your attention.”
Yunho rolled his eyes, “Well you have it,” he glanced down at his book and frowned, remembering that he had to finish reading the chapter. He did a quick onceover of the man next to him - taking note that he was still presentably and sharply dressed.
The man raised an eyebrow and his smirk widened, “See something you like?” He chuckled and leaned over to look at the book that Yunho was supposed to be reading. His eyes swept over the page, and he didn’t bother to withdraw before he raised his eyes to look at Yunho curiously.
“What are you studying -“
“Yunho! Get your ass back here! Where the fuck are you? You can’t be seriously upset about me talking about fucking that guy, right?”
With a sigh, Yunho stood up and glanced back at the guy, “Well, that’s my sign to go. It’s been…whatever, anyway, bye.”
The beautiful guy laughed, “Wait, I have something to say.”
Yunho turned around, “What?”
“You’re cute.”
His face instantly heated up in embarrassment, and despite the darkness, the man seemed to notice the redness of Yunho’s face. Unable think of anything to reply, Yunho mumbled a quick thank you before he turned around sharply and escaped back to the motel; the man’s ringing laughter getting softer with every step he took.
o-o-o
Yunho sighed irritably and made his way out of the motel, his shift finally over. It was a little past four in the morning, and he was lucky enough that his first class would still be at one in the afternoon. It was still incredibly dark as he made his way through the streets, and he ignored the whistles he heard from strangers lurking around.
He’d gotten so used to hanging around the characters that dwelled in this shabby and shady part of town. No longer did he feel any sort of fear of someone coming behind and mugging him, all he felt was a sort of tired indifference. After two years of working at the motel, he’d already gotten mugged around three to four times and pickpocketed at least thrice. If someone were to ruin his day further and steal his money, then he would just have to deal with that.
There was no point worrying about what could happen. He just wanted to get home, and the faster, the better.
He massaged his forehead and made his way to the closest convenience store to pick up breakfast which would inevitably be another cup of instant ramen.
It was all he could afford, after all.
He entered the convenience store and headed straight to where the cups of instant ramen were and picked the usual brand. Yunho turned around and just as he’d made a right turn to get to the counter, he bumped into another person.
“Oh, sorry -“
“It’s you again.”
Yunho recognized the handsome face in front of him, and his eyes dropped down to notice that the other was noticeably more casually dressed than he had been the last time they’d met. He wore a loose black shirt and jeans, but nonetheless, it all looked more expensive than what he was wearing.
“If you think that I look good with clothes on, imagine how much better I look with them off,” the man said teasingly, and he frowned in disappointment when Yunho didn’t blush.
Yunho shrugged, “I’m not interested -“
“How could you blush when I called you cute, but not blush when I hint at us possibly having sex?” the man questioned, a hint of irritation in his voice. His lips formed a small pout before he looked down at the cup of ramen Yunho was holding. “That’s not healthy.”
“I wasn’t aware you were my mother,” Yunho teased before he brushed past the other man and began to make his way to the counter.
The man walked up next to him, “Just so you know, if I were your mother, our relationship would be pretty incestuous seeing as I called you cute and suggested that you see me without my clothes on.”
Yunho glanced at him, “It’s not my fault you’re coming onto me,” he replied as he placed the cup of instant noodles in front of the convenience store clerk, “Just so you know, I could probably have you jailed for sexual harassment -“
“A tough guy,” the man chuckled, “What are you, a lawyer?”
Yunho paid for his only purchase and began to walk out of the convenience store, the other man still following behind him. As he made his way down the street and to his tiny apartment, the other man was still walking a few steps behind him.
He turned around and tilted his head, “Are you planning on robbing me?”
“Do I look like a mugger?” the guy frowned. “You really are laying all the insults, aren’t you? First you were teasing me about acting like your mother, and then you said that you’d have me jailed for sexual harassment. Is this really how you behave towards men who show any sort of interest towards you?”
“I just want to get home,” Yunho replied.
The guy pulled out a wallet from his pocket, and Yunho’s eyes widened when he realized that his wallet was in the other man’s hand. The beautiful stranger grinned proudly and tossed the wallet at Yunho’s feet.
“For a guy that works in this part of town, you really should be more careful around the people that work here too,” the man winked and turned around, his hand raised up in a sign of farewell.
Yunho shook his head in amusement and opened his wallet to check if anything had been stolen. His eyes widened when he noticed that there were two several things that hadn’t been there before.
First, there was a name scrawled messily onto a scrap of paper - Kim Jaejoong, and secondly, there was more money in his wallet than there had been originally.
o-o-o
Yunho was on his way up the elevator when the doors opened up to reveal the same man from the previous day - Kim Jaejoong.
Jaejoong’s lips quirked into a smile, and he stepped out of the elevator, “Did you finally find some -“
Before he could finish, Yunho took out the extra money from his wallet and slapped it against the other man’s firm chest. The other man’s eyes widened in surprise, but Yunho spoke first.
“I don’t need it,” Yunho waited for Jaejoong to take the money, but the latter merely laughed and shook his head.
“Who said I put it there?”
Yunho frowned, “I know you put it there.”
“Do you have proof that I put it there?” Jaejoong questioned with an irritatingly smug smile as he took hold of Yunho’s hand only to force him to close his hand back around the bills, “I don’t think so, Mr. Lawyer.”
“Hey -“
Jaejoong merely laughed and pushed Yunho out of the way, “Nice try sweetheart,” he said teasingly before he slipped past Yunho and made his way to the lobby before Yunho could even attempt to demand for him to stop.
o-o-o
The icy cold water didn’t help the chill he already felt throughout his body, but Yunho forced himself to deal with it anyway. He splashed his face and wiped the water against his face, forcing himself to wake up. He’d been hardly getting enough sleep, and if things would continue to go the way they were, he didn’t see himself getting any more sleep in the near future.
He looked up at himself in the mirror and winced. There were dark circles underneath his eyes, and he was losing weight. Yunho sighed to himself and ran a hand through his hair anyway despite its dampness. After a few more minutes of somber reflection, Yunho made his way out of the bathroom and back to the counter.
There was no one at the counter, and Yunho frowned immediately. Hwon was supposed to be there.
He approached the motel’s security guard and shook the sleepy middle aged man by the shoulder, “Where’s Hwon?”
The man yawned and pointed at the back door, an irritated look on his face, “I think he went out for a cigarette break or something. Go back to the desk -“
An ill feeling passed in Yunho’s gut, and before the man could order for him to get back to his desk, he pushed the back door open, and when he heard the sound of people arguing, he knew his instincts were right.
“You’re a whore anyway, right?”
Hwon.
Yunho sped up his steps, and when he saw Hwon and the girl together, his body raced to pull him off before his mind could think of a wiser thing to do. He yanked Hwon off by the collar of his shirt, and when he saw Hwon’s fist flying straight for his face, his body instantly reacted.
He punched him.
The girl screamed, and Yunho could barely register what he had done until Hwon fell to the ground, completely out cold. His eyes darted to the girl, and she looked at him with fearful eyes.
“…he was bothering you?” Yunho asked lamely, the awkwardness creeping up and taking hold of him and preventing him from sounding like how a proper knight in shining armor should.
She nodded her head slowly, “…thank you.” Her nervous brown eyes watched him carefully, and it looked like she was waiting for Yunho to say something else to her. He took in the sight of her ripped stockings and the slight tear in her shirt before he dragged his eyes back to her face.
“You should…go home.”
Once again, she nodded, and they stared at each other awkwardly for a few more seconds before the girl bowed again and promptly skittered away on her high heels that resounded on the flooring of the alleyway. As soon as she was gone, Yunho glanced down at his unconscious co-worker.
What the fuck was he going to do?
“You sure do knock people off their feet, don’t you?”
The familiar voice caused Yunho to turn around, and he was not at all surprised to see Jaejoong emerge from the street. He was dressed sharply in a suit, and he leaned against the cemented wall of the alley, uncaring of the dirty paint and the graffiti that could possibly taint his pristine suit.
Yunho shook his head, “Your sense of humor is lacking.”
Jaejoong walked over to Yunho quietly and squatted so that he could take a good look at Hwon. He raised his dark brown eyes to look up at Yunho in the darkness, and Yunho couldn’t look away.
“You knocked him out good.”
“Should I be saying thank you?” Yunho muttered as he nudged Hwon with his foot. He sighed and ran a hand through his hair again - an annoying habit of his, “I’m going to get fired, aren’t I?”
“No, you won’t be,” Jaejoong said as they both heard the back door open, and subsequently, the sound of the security guard gasping aloud at the sight of Hwon’s body soon followed.
He straightened up and smirked, “Don’t worry.”
The security guard stomped over and eyed them both, “What the hell happened here? What the -“
“He tried to take advantage of me, I punched the bastard,” Jaejoong said as he kicked Hwon’s body for effect. “I don’t sleep with assholes, and I doubt he could afford my asking price anyway -“
The middle aged man shook his head disapprovingly but didn’t bother to ask any more questions - there was no point. He picked up Hwon and shot a glare at Yunho when the latter didn’t bother to help out, “Are you just going to stand there?” he questioned gruffly.
Yunho hastily helped the older man pull Hwon up, and when he turned back, he saw Jaejoong looking at him in amusement.
“You on the other hand honey, if you need a good fuck, you can call me any time! I’ll give you a discount!” Jaejoong called out with a friendly wave, his voice ringing in the alleyway and in Yunho’s ears long after he had gone back into the motel.
o-o-o
Yunho winced and pressed an ice pack to his face. He tried to concentrate on his textbook but his eye was hurting like fuck, and all he really wanted to do was go home, eat more ramen, and sleep his troubles away.
Hwon left after he’d finished proclaiming that Yunho was a prudish fucking son of a bitch and had punched him in the face before storming out of the motel which explained the disgusting bruise that was harshly evident on his small face. Yunho could feel the eyes of his new co-worker - Jihyo, who was nicer than Hwon but noticeably lazier than him - on his face.
A sharp gasp sounded in front of him, and Yunho took his eyes off his textbook to look up at the source of the sound.
Jaejoong blinked at him, and Yunho blinked back at him.
“…what, what happened -“
“Hwon woke up.”
The worry eased back slightly, but the frown remained on Jaejoong’s lips, “Oh. I’m sorry things didn’t work out -“
“At least I didn’t get fired,” Yunho replied, with a small smile on his lips.
The smile seemed to have thrown Jaejoong off because the latter instantly tensed up slightly. Yunho’s eyes narrowed slightly, but the other man quickly composed himself and merely shook his head.
“You should smile more.”
Yunho shrugged, “I don’t know.”
“How to smile more?”
He scowled, and Jaejoong merely chuckled before he turned around to wave over the man he was with. As the other man walked to the counter, Jaejoong righted himself and leaned over the counter once again, “I have company tonight.”
An ill feeling flashed in Yunho’s stomach, but just as quickly as it had come, it was gone. His eyes fell down to his textbook momentarily, and he noticed that his right hand was clenched slightly into a fist.
“What’s the least amount of time we could have a room?”
The voice was not Jaejoong’s, and Yunho forced himself to look up. The man was much younger than the last one he’d seen Jaejoong with, and he was more handsome too. In fact, he looked kind of like those guys he would see around his university - the kind of guys that blew their parents’ money on girls, drugs, alcohol, and everything else that they desired in the world.
Yunho rattled off the answers to each of the man’s questions, and after the man had nothing more to ask and had paid, he watched as he walked away - with Jaejoong. They didn’t seem to be talking based off the slight distance between them, but while they were waiting, Jaejoong turned around.
He caught Yunho’s eyes across the lobby and smiled before he turned back around and got into the elevator with the man. The doors slid shut, and Yunho finally let go of the breath he didn’t even know he’d been holding.
With a sigh, Yunho placed his ice pack back onto his face and continued to read his textbook in the hopes that something would distract him from the unease that had settled in his gut like an unwanted visitor.
o-o-o
“Oh, look who we have here.”
Yunho raised his eyes off the wet cement, and Jaejoong slid down next to him. He crossed his legs in one fluid motion before he turned so that he could look at Yunho properly.
“I’m glad the black eye went away,” Jaejoong said warmly, “It didn’t look good on you.”
The student chuckled, “Is it supposed to look good on anyone? Anyway, I don’t think it’s a look I want to try again.”
Jaejoong chuckled and pointed at his own eye, “Do you think that maybe I could pull it off? I’ve heard a lot of people say that I can pull any kind of luck off -“
“Are you asking me to punch you?”
“I don’t know,” Jaejoong replied flirtatiously, “Do you think I’m the kind of guy who’s into that sort of thing?”
Yunho shook his head disapprovingly, and once more, Jaejoong’s airy laughter rang loudly in the quietness of the early morning. He felt a hand on his lap, and Yunho frowned at Jaejoong who said nothing and merely leaned closer before he withdrew his hand and moved away.
“What was that about?”
“You usually have a book,” Jaejoong commented idly as he took his cigarettes and lighter out. “I was wondering if you were reading something boring again, or if you were just being a brooding youth by hanging out on the rainy streets.”
“Why do you keep bothering me?”
“Why do you keep entertaining me?”
Once again, Yunho shook his head, and once again, Jaejoong looked at him in fond amusement. He honestly didn’t know how their whole relationship had started, but he knew that he had gotten used to the other man hanging around.
“Where do you live?”
“Why, do you want to stalk me?” Yunho teased, “If you intend on robbing me though, I just want to let you know that I don’t have anything worth stealing. My furniture looks terrible and -“
“What about the bed? How’s your bed?”
Yunho frowned, “Is it just me, or do you like bringing up sex?”
Jaejoong laughed and poked Yunho’s cheek like he was some child and the action only made Yunho’s frown deepen. He reached out and his fingers brushed against Yunho’s cheek as he tucked back a strand of hair.
“I like seeing you blush.”
Yunho’s blush deepened, and he looked away, “I’m not blushing. Besides, how can you even see if I’m blushing anyway? It’s dark and -“
“You’re cute when you’re flustered -“
The student shook his head and stood up, “I have to go back, my break’s over.” He looked at Jaejoong, and the strange man merely looked back at him with innocent, curious eyes.
“But it’s still raining, you’ll get wet.”
“I…it’s okay.”
They said nothing and simply stared at each other. It was all very unusual, and Yunho didn’t know what to think about what was going on between them - if there was even anything going on between them in the first place. Everything was just too complicated, and he didn’t know what to say as usual.
“Bye Yunho,” Jaejoong said softly, tearing Yunho out of his thoughts immediately.
Yunho stared at him, the other man’s handsome face illuminated by the light from the nearby streetlamp. He would never admit it, but there was something about the way that the light struck him that made him look more alluring than he already did.
It made Yunho want to kiss him.
“Bye Jaejoong,” Yunho muttered before he hastily made his way back to the motel despite the pouring rain, and the lingering regret that he hadn’t been able to think of a better way to say goodbye.
o-o-o
Yunho had never really cared if anyone thought he was boring. He didn’t really have a lot of friends at university because he was always too busy studying or working, and he didn’t have that much time either to catch up on anything. He knew the basic things - geography, history, politics, but the moment anyone wanted to talk to him about particular things he liked, like fashion or music, he never had much to say.
He was a practical person; he didn’t have time to scour fashion magazines for the latest trends, and he didn’t want to bother wasting his money on tabloids and celebrity magazines that would only remind him of how much others had while he had almost nothing.
Yunho watched as a balding man walked away from the counter, his eerily young date pressed closely to his side and shook his head. He didn’t like having to see the problems that plagued society on an almost daily basis, but he didn’t have much of a choice - the motel paid well enough, the hours fit in with his schedule decently, and there wasn’t much of a need to talk to anyone, in fact, Yunho knew that silence was preferred in his line of work.
Besides, it wasn’t like anybody wanted to hear anything he had to say anyway.
There was not much that he cared about, and there were probably just as few things that he cared about, but if there was something that he knew he cared about, he knew that thing was his unusual relationship with Jaejoong.
Jaejoong still showed up on a daily basis with a new date in tow almost every time, and he always engaged Yunho in some sort of small talk before his date came over, paid for the room, and led him away. In all honesty, Yunho didn’t know if Jaejoong was a prostitute or not, but he didn’t really want to think about that, especially since he knew that he was growing attached to the other man despite their odd circumstances.
Maybe it was ridiculous and naïve, but he didn’t need to know what Jaejoong did for a living. He’d often seen Jaejoong talking to a particular man at the hotel lobby after his dates, but he didn’t ask any questions because it didn’t matter much - he had no right to pry. He knew Jaejoong, perhaps not as much as he wanted to, but as the days passed, he felt like someday they’d reach the point of closeness that he never thought he’d reach with anyone.
“You look like you’re deep in thought,” Jaejoong said as he leant across the counter and smiled at Yunho, his date nowhere to be seen.
Yunho glanced over the other man’s shoulder, searching for the mousy looking man he’d come with earlier, but didn’t see anyone. In fact, as he thought about it, Jaejoong never came down with his dates - he always left alone. His dates always came down and returned the room keys after Jaejoong had gone with stony expressions or blank looks on their faces.
When he turned his eyes back to Jaejoong, the other man was watching him with an amused smile on his lips.
“What are you looking for?”
Yunho shrugged and leaned back into his seat. He stretched his legs and arms out before he replied, “I was looking for your date.”
“Oh…him?” Jaejoong said casually as he rested his chin against the palm of his hand and watched Yunho lazily. “He’s still in the room. I didn’t want to stick around.”
“I see.”
They fell into silence, and Yunho tapped his pen idly against the surface of his textbook before he raised his eyes again, only to catch Jaejoong watching him once more. He furrowed his brows and frowned slightly, but the other man merely laughed lightheartedly and smiled.
“Why do you keep staring at me?”
“I could honestly ask you the same thing,” Jaejoong said playfully, his eyes twinkling with its usual light, “Can you go on break? Or did you go while I was upstairs with my date?”
“Where is your date?” Yunho asked, completely forgetting that Jaejoong had already explained his date’s absence.
Jaejoong tilted his head to the side and shrugged noncommittally, “I already told you. I didn’t feel like sticking around, so I left.” Yunho didn’t reply, so he just moved on and repeated his question, “Can you go on break?
Yunho glanced over at Jihyo, who was slumped over the desk and drooling. He turned his eyes back to Jaejoong and nodded, “I can go on break. I’ll meet you outside by the bus stop?”
Jaejoong nodded, and he pushed himself off the counter fluidly before walking out of the motel’s entrance. As soon as he was gone, Yunho shook Jihyo awake unapologetically, muttered that he’d be going on break, and left the counter before she could protest and try to ask him to stay.
He pushed open the back door and made his way out of the alleyway. He instantly spotted Jaejoong lingering by the bus stop’s ad for some sort of perfume, and his lips quirked into a smile when Jaejoong smiled at him first.
“You took longer than I expected,” Jaejoong chided as he arched his back and stretched out his limbs. “Did it take long for your co-worker to wake up?”
“I just wasn’t in a hurry to meet you.”
Jaejoong’s face twisted into an expression of mock hurt, and he pushed Yunho’s chest lightly, “Why do you always play so hard to get?” Jaejoong asked, he asked softly as his hand lingered on Yunho’s chest, and Yunho could feel his heartbeat quicken.
“I’m not hard to get…” Yunho said slowly, “I just…I just don’t want to be boring.”
The other man tilted his head, and he slowly withdrew his hand to stick it back into the pocket of his leather jacket, “I, for one, think you’re very interesting. You’re certainly much better than all the characters that live in this dump.”
Yunho laughed and stepped back, “I don’t think that makes me that great of a person then, but thank you.” He smiled back at Jaejoong before he turned his eyes to look at the other people who were also out on the streets - drunks, prostitutes, and drug addicts to name a few - a whole medley of unsavory characters of society.
Where did he fit in among all of them?
“You’re better than all of us,” Jaejoong murmured quietly, his soulful eyes lingering intensely on Yunho. “You should get out of here as soon as you can.”
There was something about his tone that struck Yunho as odd, and it brought a frown to his lips. He studied Jaejoong carefully and took in the slumped posture, the signs of a frown, and the crease of worry on his brow - something was off. The other man’s usual carefree attitude had disappeared in within seconds, and Yunho didn’t know what he could say to make things right.
The silence consumed them, and Jaejoong turned his eyes away to watch the drunk men dressed in gaudy fashions walk past them. Yunho could feel the tension in the air, and his mind raced to find something that would improve the sudden downturn of their moods.
“We should both get out,” Yunho started slowly, the words he wanted to say slowly coming to mind as his heart pounded in his chest. He could feel Jaejoong’s eyes turn back to his face, and he bravely met the other man’s eyes despite the trepidation that was churning in his gut.
Jaejoong opened his mouth to say something - most likely a protest to his suggestion, but Yunho cut him off by speaking first, “I don’t know where we can go, but I don’t think this place is for you either.”
“I think you’re lying.”
“I’m not, I’m telling the truth,” Yunho muttered as he ran a hand through his hair and ignored the fact that one of the men passing by had whistled at the two of them. He looked away at the motel’s neon sign, “I swear.”
Jaejoong was silent, and Yunho turned his head and looked at him. He could hear his own heart drumming in his chest, but his mind was too intoxicated by the feelings that lingered in his chest, and he couldn’t bring himself to stop talking.
“If I leave, I want you to leave too.”
“Guys like me don’t -“
Yunho cocked his head to the side, “I don’t particularly care about what it is that you do, but I know that you’re probably meant for better things.” He pointed at the motel and kept his eyes on Jaejoong’s, “You shouldn’t settle for this. You deserve better too.”
“Where are you going to go?” Jaejoong questioned softly, and Yunho’s confidence faltered when he caught sight of the vulnerability that was so evident on the other man’s usually calm exterior.
“I…I want to go to law school,” Yunho stuttered, “I don’t know yet where I’m going, but I’m hoping that I can get a scholarship or something -“
Before Yunho could even register what was happening, smooth hands cupped his face and even softer lips pressed against his. Yunho’s eyes were wide open, and he stood frigidly still as Jaejoong’s tongue crept against his lower lip. His mind was going haywire, but he quickly recovered and willingly opened his mouth.
Jaejoong smelled like cigarettes, alcohol, and smoke, and he tasted like all of those things as well, but there was something else that lingered there as well - something addictive that made Yunho want to never stop kissing him. He regained a bit of his lost confidence and pushed Jaejoong against the bus stop advertisement. He cupped Jaejoong’s face before his hands moved forward hesitantly. He carded his hands through the softness of the other man’s dark hair, and he could feel his desire for the other man spreading like a wildfire throughout his veins.
“Yunho! Get the fuck back here! It’s been almost an hour and -“
He quickly jumped back, and Jaejoong pushed him away. Yunho turned around sharply, and Jihyo stared at him, her eyes wide. Her mouth was still open, and she was gaping at him obviously.
Jaejoong leaned forward, “You should go back to work,” he whispered softly. “I’ll see you tomorrow.” He pressed a soft kiss behind Yunho’s ear, squeezed his ass slightly, and smirked when Yunho turned his head before he sauntered away into the darkness.
Yunho walked back slowly to Jihyo, but she raised a hand up.
“I…I didn’t think you were the kind of guy to…how much did that cost you?” she questioned, her eyes wide.
He ignored her and walked back inside the motel to finish what was left of the hours of his shift.
o-o-o
Sometimes they kissed, sometimes they talked, but most of the time, they did both. The bus stop was their own small sanctuary, and when they were there, Yunho could feel himself shut the rest of the world out. Nothing else mattered while they spent his break there. Neither of them had dared to ask the other for more than that hour spent in the darkness, and Yunho didn’t have the courage to ask Jaejoong for more than what he was already giving.
He wanted more, but he didn’t know if Jaejoong wanted that as well, so he kept his desires to himself and said nothing more.
Whenever Jaejoong showed up at the counter with his date behind him, Yunho didn’t know what to say. They no longer shared small talk at the counter, and the only thing that kept Yunho from bursting out from jealousy and frustration was the solemn look that crossed Jaejoong’s face whenever he looked at him inside the motel.
There was a multitude of expressions on the other man’s face - from regret to a deep sorrow, and Yunho could see them all. He knew Jaejoong didn’t want to let him see him in such a way, but Jaejoong didn’t want to hide what he did for a living either - whatever it is that he did - from him as well.
So, instead of complicating things with outbursts of jealousy and explanations of any kind, they both kept their silence. It made things easier, and when they stared at each other in the bus stop, their eyes filled with unmentioned longing and promise, they reminded each other that maybe tomorrow, both of them would be in a better place.
o-o-o
For the first time ever, Jaejoong was alone.
There was a serious look etched across his face, and Yunho tensed up at the sight of him. He looked visibly troubled, and just as Yunho was about to comment on Jaejoong’s state, the other man spoke first.
“I need…I need you to go upstairs with me,” Jaejoong said slowly before he produced an amount of money from his pocket and placed it on the counter.
Yunho stared at the money for a few seconds before he raised his eyes and looked up at Jaejoong. He said nothing and made no protest. He wordlessly accepted the money and took a room key off the counter, and he ignored the fact that Jihyo was watching them.
He turned his head to look at her, “I’m going on break,” he muttered softly before he got up from his chair and followed Jaejoong to the elevator. Yunho kept looking over at Jaejoong, and the other man said nothing. Yunho walked up to their room, opened the door, and as soon as they were both inside, he looked at Jaejoong for an explanation.
Jaejoong kissed him lightly before he pulled away, and his hands clasped onto the fabric of Yunho’s jacket.
“I…I want to tell you something,” Jaejoong murmured as he pulled away. He took a few steps back from Yunho and shot him a small nervous smile, “I…I think it’s time that I leave here, so I figured…”
“You’re getting out?”
Jaejoong nodded slowly, and his smile grew a little wider, “Are you -“
“Yes, I’m happy for you,” Yunho said brightly, “I’m sure I could leave too. The school year’s almost ending anyway, and I should be -“
“I want you to know something first,” Jaejoong said softly as Yunho moved closer and took him into his arms. He wrapped his arms around Yunho’s neck and pressed their bodies so close together they could feel one another’s heartbeats. He buried his face into Yunho’s neck and held him tighter, “I’m not -“
“You don’t need to explain anything,” Yunho muttered as he held Jaejoong closely. He pushed Jaejoong away slightly and cupped his face, “I don’t care. We’re going to get out of here….together.”
A sad smile crossed Jaejoong’s face, “You’re too good for a guy like me,” he whispered before he pressed his lips to Yunho’s. The kiss was soft, tentative yet reassuring, and it wasn’t much longer until Jaejoong deepened the kiss.
Yunho’s arms hesitantly found their place around Jaejoong’s body, and when Jaejoong’s hands fell away from Yunho’s face to begin tugging at his clothes, Yunho could feel his heartbeat quicken in his chest. They began to nervously undress each other, and even though they were anything but inexperienced young teenagers, there was something about this time that made it different from the rest. Jaejoong pulled Yunho to the bed, and Yunho fell on top of him ungracefully. They shared a brief moment of laughter before Yunho shut Jaejoong up with a demanding kiss that reminded them both of the desires they’d been holding back. Yunho loved the way Jaejoong writhed underneath him, and the way the other man moaned as he pleasured him lovingly and slowly. Jaejoong’s body was all muscles but smooth to the touch, and as Yunho mapped out the other man’s pale expanse of skin, Jaejoong moaned appreciatively in response.
His tanned skin stood out against the pristine whiteness of Jaejoong’s body, but there was something that made everything look right and feel right. It didn’t matter that Yunho was nervous beyond all belief as he took Jaejoong into his mouth and began to suck him off, and most of all, it didn’t matter at all to Yunho that Jaejoong hardly lasted that long - in fact, it made him feel better that Jaejoong lost control so easily from his touches.
“Don’t be so pleased,” Jaejoong whispered breathily as he pushed Yunho down against the bed and climbed over his younger lover. “Wipe that smirk off your face…or I’ll do it for you.”
He crashed his lips back onto Yunho’s, and Jaejoong groaned when he realized that Yunho’s lips tasted unusual - they tasted like him. Yunho let Jaejoong take control of the moment, his moans increasing as Jaejoong’s soft hands took hold of his arousal and began to stroke him. He clenched the bed sheets tightly, and his back arched as Jaejoong moved his hands in expert motions. He was losing himself in Jaejoong’s talented grasp, but just as he was about to lose himself entirely, he felt the other man press a tiny bottle against his chest.
It was time for him to take the reins once more.
After slicking his fingers with the substance, he slipped them into Jaejoong’s tight entrance. The older man moaned above him, his nails digging into Yunho’s tanned skin as he was being slowly stretched open. Yunho watched as Jaejoong lost all sort of control above him and began to plead loudly for more, for Yunho to just take him and fuck him into pleasurable oblivion already.
As soon as Yunho’s fingers left, Jaejoong moved and impaled himself onto Yunho’s cock. He groaned loudly as he pushed down until all of Yunho was inside him. Yunho muttered small words of encouragement, but Jaejoong only leaned down and bit at the skin of his neck in response before he began to slowly move up and down.
They rolled their hips against each other, and they moaned loudly as they began to feel the waves of pleasure spread throughout their body. Yunho bucked his hips upward, and Jaejoong pushed himself down, both of them working on pushing each other off the cliff of ecstasy.
Sweat rolled down their backs, and although they were sweaty, sticky and damp, neither of them refused to stop. Yunho watched in fascination as Jaejoong rode him, and his lover opened his eyes to smirk at Yunho. Jaejoong’s muscles ached the longer he continued to move, and he didn’t know if he would reach his orgasm first or if he would simply collapse from tiredness.
But before Jaejoong could consider asking for a change in position, Yunho had had enough of Jaejoong riding him and quickly shifted them around so that he could thrust into Jaejoong properly. Jaejoong’s legs wrapped around his waist instinctively, and he held his lover closer with every rapid thrust.
Yunho came first, and Jaejoong followed not long after. They collapsed into a tangled mess of limbs, and Yunho whispered soft words of love as Jaejoong sank deeper into his embrace and languidly moved to fit against him like pieces of a puzzle that were made to slot together perfectly.
Although he was still a poor scholar, at that moment, Yunho felt like he had everything he would ever need in the world. As far as he was concerned, he was the richest and luckiest man on Earth just as long as Jaejoong was with him.
o-o-o
When Yunho woke up, he reached out and discovered he was alone. He sat up immediately and before anything else, the note on the table caught his eye. He paid no attention to the bills that were laid beside it, and he hesitantly picked the note up.
I’m leaving, and I know you will too. Take the money. I know you need it, and think of it as a gift. I’m sorry. I never lied about anything with you and this is why I can’t let myself pretend that what we have will work out. You have big dreams, and I’ll only bring you down. This is better for the long run.
You’re too good for a guy like me, and one day, you’ll realize that.
He crumpled the note immediately, but his heart clenched tightly in his chest, and Yunho immediately pulled back from throwing it out the window. He read the letter countless times, thinking that maybe there was something else hidden there, but after an hour had passed, he realized that there was nothing more to it other than brutal honesty that ripped at his heart and tore away the delusions he had once allowed himself to believe.
Yunho breathed in deeply before he put his clothes back on and made his way back to the front desk. He handed Jihyo the key and met her eyes.
“I’m quitting,” he said bluntly before he turned around and left the motel without a single backward glance.
There was nothing left for him anymore.
>
Author’s Note: Sad, I know. >.< The idea for this story came up when I was on the train one day, and I happened to see a motel as the train sped past the numerous buildings that line the street. Anyway, there will be another part to this, but it is not really a sequel. It’s pretty much the story through the eyes of Jaejoong, and yes, you all will be getting an explanation for why did the things that he did. It might be set in the future, but anyway, yeah. I can’t say whether or not it’ll be happy ending, so sorry! XD Thank you for reading! ♥