Gravity [3]
Title: Gravity
Beta: atriums
Pairing: Yunho/Jaejoong
Rating: NC-17
Genre: Romance, Drama
Summary: One of his rules was that he didn’t sleep with military men, but this man was different.
The letter rested upon the night stand, and as soon as he’d seen it, Jaejoong had frozen immediately. He stood unmoving by the doorway, his eyes fixated upon the blank face of the envelope that was upwards. His heart pounded in his chest, and although he could hear Minah shuffling and calling for him back in the living room, he could not bring himself to utter a single word.
Was it…?
“What are you doing?” Minah chided as she pulled at Jaejoong’s coat, demanding all of his attention. She pouted at the older man and focused her lovely brown eyes upon him in annoyance at him for having ignored her only moments prior.
“I -“
“Are you going to take a nap?”
“Oh - no.” Jaejoong cast one last glance at the white envelope before he turned around completely to face Minah. He smiled at her apologetically and smoothened back her hair gently with his right hand. “I was just busy thinking about something.”
“About what?”
“Nothing important.”
The young girl’s pout deepened, and she was obviously displeased with the answer that he’d provided her with. “That’s what daddy told me yesterday when the mail man came with a letter.”
Jaejoong stiffened. “What?”
“I asked him who his letter was from, and he didn’t tell me,” Minah grumbled, her unhappiness showing as she continued to speak. “Daddy just went to his room and locked the door. He didn’t come out until it was dinner time.”
The pianist had to resist his urge to go back and look at the letter that had been placed so clearly upon the bedroom’s furniture.
“Did…”
“Of course daddy apologized,” Minah continued, completely unaware of what Jaejoong had truly intended to ask her. “And then we went for ice cream after.” She looked up at Jaejoong and pulled at his hand, “I want to go out, let’s go out.”
“Minah…”
“Daddy said we could go out, right?”
Jaejoong turned his head, cast one last glance at the letter, and then faced Minah. It was quite obvious that he wouldn’t be able to worm his way out of the pushy young girl’s demand. Her pout was in full force, and from the way she was clenching his fingers tightly, it was clear that she wasn’t asking him to bring her out, she was telling him to.
Deciding to push back his fears, Jaejoong shut his eyes and took a deep breath before he placed a smile onto his face. He squatted so that he would be eye to eye with Minah, and he pushed back her hair gently.
“Alright then, shall we go baby lion?”
o-o-o
Minah gripped onto his hand tightly while they walked, and Jaejoong smiled at her fondly as she enjoyed her ice cream cone. They were heading over to the park so that the young girl could play on the swing, and for the entirety of their trip, Minah hadn’t stopped talking about her father. Every once in a while, she’d interject a story about someone at the daycare or about her aunt, but most of the time, Yunho was the focus of all of her stories.
At first, Jaejoong had presumed that the only reason she rambled about him was because he was the only person that they both knew. However, the more she talked about Yunho, he soon realized that the reason was something entirely different.
Yunho meant everything to her. He was her father and her whole world, and it scared Jaejoong to see her live in her little bubble of youthful seclusion. She was completely unaware that the war’s situation wasn’t improving, and she didn’t know how high the chances were that her precious father would be sent away from her.
It broke Jaejoong’s heart to think about what it would be like for Minah to lose another parent and to have her entire world shaken by Yunho’s impending departure.
“The swing!”
Minah slipped out of Jaejoong’s grasp, and she ran over to the swing. She carefully got onto it with her ice cream still in hand, and she turned her head and looked at the pianist expectantly.
“Hurry!”
Jaejoong pushed his dark thoughts away and quickly walked over to Minah. He placed his hands on her shoulders and smiled down at her, “Make sure to hold on tightly, alright? I wouldn’t want your ice cream to fall onto the ground or onto your pretty dress.”
“Okay!”
He pushed her slowly, and Minah giggled. After a couple of pushes, she turned her head back to look at Jaejoong, “Wait! Let me finish, and then you can push me higher!”
“Alright, alright.”
Jaejoong walked over to the seat beside Minah’s and kept an eye on the young girl. At first, she’d eaten her ice cream with gusto - driven by her intent to finish it as soon as possible, but after a minute or so, she’d suddenly stopped. Her eyes were focused elsewhere, and Jaejoong followed her gaze.
There was a couple with their daughter, and Jaejoong watched as the woman bent down to fix her daughter’s scarf before she kissed her forehead. The young girl hugged her mother tightly before she was pulled up into her arms, and her father walked over to pinch her cheek before they all resumed walking across the street.
Unsure of what to say, Jaejoong kept quiet. He watched Minah, and after a minute had gone by, Minah resumed eating her ice cream. She glanced at him, “Will daddy be home soon?”
“Yes, I think so.”
Minah nodded and finished her ice cream cone. She brushed her hands on the skirt of her dress and smiled at Jaejoong. “Will you wait for daddy to come home?”
“I’m going to make dinner, so I think so.”
“Okay,” Minah said happily as she held the chains that linked her seat to the swing. Her smile brightened, and then she looked at Jaejoong expectantly. “Push me.”
“What?”
“I mean, push me please.”
Jaejoong laughed and stood up, his mood brightening as he went over to satisfy the young girl’s request.
o-o-o
Jaejoong had just finished setting the table when Yunho came home, with a tired look on his face and the weight of the world upon his shoulders. He barely said a word to both Minah and Jaejoong before he went inside his bedroom and shut the door. Minah looked up at Jaejoong, and wordlessly, she left behind her crayons and headed for her father’s room.
His curiosity piqued, Jaejoong silently followed the young girl to her father’s room. He watched as she didn’t bother to knock on the door, and she opened the door without bothering to shut it behind her. Jaejoong kept out of her way and did his best to be concealed by the door frame as he looked in.
Yunho was clenching the white envelope from earlier in his hands, and Jaejoong watched as Yunho put it away into his nightstand as Minah walked closer. He watched as Yunho shot a weak smile at his daughter, before he spread his arms open for her. Jaejoong watched mutely as she climbed onto the bed and crawled onto her father’s lap. She buried her face into his neck, and Jaejoong watched as Yunho embraced her tightly in return.
Not a single word was shared between them, and Jaejoong stared at them, his heart tightening in his chest, but just as he’d turned away to clean up the food that was getting cold, he heard the bed creak. He turned, and he watched as Yunho walked up to him, Minah in his arms.
“You made dinner?” Yunho asked softly, his expression gentle and less sad as he studied Jaejoong.
“It’s not much,” Jaejoong murmured, dropping his eyes. He stared down at his feet and cleared his throat, “I just used whatever I could find. I thought it’d be nice if you got to come home to some dinner before I left for the bar -“
“Thank you.”
The pianist looked up, and Yunho smiled at him. It didn’t entirely reach his eyes, but Jaejoong supposed that he had to be happy with the fact that Yunho was smiling. It was better than nothing, and so he decided to be content with the gesture.
“Are you hungry baby?” Yunho murmured into Minah’s ear, and she pulled away from him to nod. He kissed his daughter’s brow and turned his attention to Jaejoong. “You really didn’t have to do this for me…”
“I wanted to…” Jaejoong trailed off, and he added to his words. “Times seem hard for you right now. I wanted…I wanted to make things better, even if -“
“You’re amazing.”
The pianist blushed, and Minah looked at Jaejoong for a few seconds before she turned her attention back to Yunho. “What about me daddy? Am I amazing too?”
Yunho chuckled and kissed his daughter’s nose. “Of course you are.” He set her down onto the ground, “Now run along to your room and fetch that drawing you made last night. Don’t you want to show it to Jaejoong?”
“Oh, right!”
Minah quickly bolted away from the two of them, and as soon as she was gone, Yunho closed the distance between him and Jaejoong and kissed the other man. Jaejoong’s eyes were open in surprise, but it didn’t take long before he relaxed into Yunho’s embrace and kissed him back. He cherished the feeling of Yunho’s lips against his, and when Yunho pulled away, he wrapped his arms tightly around the taller man’s neck and brought him back closer.
“Don’t go,” Jaejoong whispered his words so soft that he didn’t know if Yunho had even heard him. He breathed in deeply and resisted the urge to question the other man further about the letter, so he chose to grasp him tighter instead. “Don’t…”
“I’m not going anywhere,” Yunho murmured, but before he could continue his sentence, Minah called out.
“What happened to Jaejoong daddy? Does he need a hug too?”
Jaejoong immediately pulled away from Yunho and looked at Minah, who was looking at him worriedly while she clutched her drawing tightly in her small hand. He spread out his arms out and smiled, “I’d like a hug.”
It wasn’t long before Minah launched herself at him, and as Jaejoong held the young girl in his arms tightly, he couldn’t help but hope that Yunho’s words would hold true.
o-o-o
“It’d be nice if you stopped frowning at me after every time you finished a song.”
Jaejoong pressed on one of the ivory piano keys idly before he turned and looked at Yoochun, the bar owner staring at him with an overly amused look on his face. “Well, I would have liked it if you stopped -“
“This is your job. I know you like playing house with Yunho, but you still have to earn a living.” Yoochun commented coolly, not meaning to offend Jaejoong. “Besides, he has his own things to do. Staying with each other twenty four seven is suffocating, don’t you think?”
The pianist shrugged, “It’s almost been a week since the last time I’ve seen Minah and stepped in their apartment.” Jaejoong let out a sigh and stretched his arms out to loosen up. “I told you about that letter…”
“I’m sure you know what military letters look like Jaejoong.” Yoochun replied calmly as he kept his gaze leveled and understanding. “Don’t presume the worst. Just…give him time.”
“But we don’t have a lot of time. Haven’t you heard of the new…” Jaejoong cut himself off and sighed. He ran a hand through his hair in frustration. “I don’t want to be worried, but I am. You didn’t see him that day Yoochun…if I was dealing with anyone else, I’d simply grab the letter and read it but I can’t do that -“
“Just calm down.”
Jaejoong raised up his eyes, and he looked at Yoochun. Although he knew his best friend was trying hard to cheer him up, he could see the weariness that was evident on the other man’s face. He was doing his best to keep Jaejoong afloat without drowning in his own sorrows, so Jaejoong merely swallowed hard and nodded.
“I’ll just go out for a cigarette.”
“Sure.”
He slipped past the patrons of the bar, their conversation more hushed and somber than usual, and headed out to his usual spot at the bar’s alleyway. It took him a few seconds before he could light up his cigarette, but as soon as he’d been able to take his first drag, he felt himself calm down immensely.
The weight of keeping up a façade of calm and composure was a burden that they, the ones left behind, all carried. But every once in a while that mask slipped, and the true weariness of that burden revealed itself. No one would say much whenever people broke underneath the pressure of staying strong. There was nothing much that could be said, there were no words that could provide genuine reassurance, and there was no security that could be given.
All they could do was hold on, and pray they didn’t break next.
o-o-o
Jaejoong stood hesitantly outside in the hallway, his gift in his hands. He held it a little tighter and breathed in before he rang the doorbell. He didn’t know if Yunho was home, but it was a Saturday, and he presumed that the other man wouldn’t have work. After all, although he hadn’t seen Yunho in a while, the soldier still made sure to call him every other day, and he hadn’t mentioned working on weekends.
The door opened, and Jaejoong smiled in relief when Yunho answered the door.
“I was hoping you’d be home,” Jaejoong murmured before he held out his gift, a tin of cookies, out to the other man. “I know I probably should have called first, but I just…”
“It’s not a problem,” Yunho replied as he pulled Jaejoong into the apartment. He gently pushed Jaejoong against the door, effectively shutting it, and kissed him on the lips chastely. “I was just cleaning the house up before I went out to visit you.”
Jaejoong smiled, pleased with Yunho’s answer. He pushed the tin of cookies forward, letting it bump against the other’s chest. “Where’s Minah? I brought cookies.”
“They’re not for me?” Yunho said with a laugh as he kept Jaejoong pinned against the door so that he could press a soft kiss to his neck. “She’s at my sister’s place until Sunday night. My sister complained that they haven’t been meeting enough.”
“Oh.”
Jaejoong relaxed, and his eyes slipped shut as Yunho began to gentle nip at the exposed skin of his neck. There was a slight burn from the contact of Yunho’s facial hair against his skin, and Jaejoong wrapped his arms around Yunho’s neck.
“So we’re all alone?”
“Until Sunday night,” Yunho replied as he trailed lower to bite at Jaejoong’s collarbone. He pulled away from Jaejoong and held him tightly. Jaejoong listened to Yunho’s soft breathing and rested his forehead against the taller man’s shoulder.
They remained still in the quiet, listening to the one another’s breathing and basking in the silence. Although silence could mean so many things and lead to so many things, this atmosphere was different. It was peaceful, and Jaejoong felt his heart clench tightly in his chest before he pulled Yunho closer.
Every moment they shared was fleeting, haunted by Yunho’s impending departure, but each second spent together was priceless.
o-o-o
Jaejoong frowned at the boxes that were in the guest room and turned his head to shout out for Yunho. “You didn’t tell me there were more boxes in here! What do you want me to do with them?”
The pianist huffed and pushed back his sweat damp hair. While Yunho had said that their little cleaning session would’ve only taken an hour or so, the whole session had extended for more than the entire afternoon. Although Jaejoong wasn’t the neatest person, he was appalled by the amount of stuff Yunho kept around the apartment. He’d ended up taking control of the whole situation, barking at Yunho like a drill sergeant about what went where and about what should get thrown out.
Jaejoong knelt down and opened one of the boxes. It was filled with dated papers, and as Jaejoong rifled through them, he realized they were back from Yunho’s younger days. Deciding that they were not meant to be thrown, he quickly shut the box once more and pushed it aside.
“What boxes?” Yunho asked as he walked into the room with a glass of water for Jaejoong.
“This one,” Jaejoong spoke as he pointed at the box in front of him and then pointed at the one he’d pushed away, “And that one. I don’t know why I didn’t seem to have noticed them earlier.”
Yunho set the glass of water down beside Jaejoong and walked over to the box Jaejoong had looked through earlier. “What’s inside?” he asked as he opened up the box to look inside.
“That one has some of your old things, so I didn’t touch them.” Jaejoong replied as he opened the other box. He peered into the box, sneezed due to the dust, before he reached out and pulled a letter out.
It was already torn open, so a photograph fell out. Jaejoong reached out for it, but he froze as soon as he saw who were in it.
He’d never seen what Yunho’s ex-wife had looked like. In fact, he didn’t even know her name, but as soon as he saw the woman sitting beside a younger Yunho on the grass, he knew who it was. Her head was leaning upon Yunho’s shoulder, and she was smiling prettily at the camera.
They looked perfect together. He could see Minah’s resemblance to her - they shared the same soft and radiant kind of beauty. The longer Jaejoong looked at her, the more he wondered about what had gone wrong in their relationship. She looked impossibly in love with Yunho, and Yunho looked…blissful and perfectly in love with her.
The grip of jealousy that took hold of his heart came rushing in, and Jaejoong bit his lip as uncertainty filled him.
Did Yunho look at him like that?
“What’s that -“
Yunho paused, but before Jaejoong could say a word, he reached out and took hold of the picture. He looked at it for a few seconds. “She’s beautiful, isn’t she?” Yunho asked, his voice soft.
Jaejoong swallowed hard and agreed. “Yes, Minah looks just like her.”
“I wonder what Yoojung would think about that,” Yunho commented quietly. Silence fell between them, and Jaejoong watched as the other man’s eyes lingered upon the photograph for a few moments longer before he reached out and took the envelope out of Jaejoong’s unresisting hands.
He slipped the photo back inside and then returned the envelope into the box before he shut it. “Some things are best left in the past,” Yunho said finally before he held out a hand to Jaejoong, “Do you want to take a shower?”
“Together?”
“If you want,” Yunho said with a comforting smile.
Jaejoong stared back at him hesitantly before he reached out and took hold of the other man’s hand. He gripped it tightly and let Yunho help him up, “Alright.” Jaejoong whispered happily before he gripped Yunho’s shirt tightly and led him to the bathroom.
o-o-o
Jaejoong felt the buzz of alcohol in his system, and he was slouched over a table as Yunho entertained the woman who’d asked for him to dance with her. He rested his cheek against the cool wooden surface of the bar table and shut his eyes as he waited for Yunho to come back to him.
They’d chosen not to go to Yoochun’s bar for their date and had driven out of the city to somewhere else with a lower chance of anyone knowing them. They were still careful to remain an appropriate distance from one another in public, but every once in a while, they snuck inappropriate touches underneath the table.
And after a lot more drinks than usual, Jaejoong couldn’t bear with the restrictions that were preventing him from pouncing on Yunho in public.
“Are you okay?”
Jaejoong looked up, and Yunho was staring down at him, a hint of concern in his eyes. The soldier’s face was slightly flushed from the alcohol he’d also consumed, and Jaejoong’s eyes drifted away from the other man’s face to look at the woman who’d been approaching Yunho the entire night for dances. She was whispering to her friends excitedly, and the sight made Jaejoong’s lips quirk into a disapproving frown.
With her pretty eyes, tempting red lips, and delicate figure, she would surely make any man’s night. She was free to flirt in public, free to drape herself over any man she wanted, and free to love whoever she wanted, whenever she wanted, even if it would only last for one night.
He envied her freedom.
Jaejoong tore his eyes away and met Yunho’s gaze.
“I’m okay.”
“Alright.” Yunho replied, dropping the issue. “Come on, let’s leave. It’s getting late, and we have to drive back anyway.”
Jaejoong slipped out of his seat and followed Yunho out of the bar. He was slightly unsteady on his feet, so Yunho wrapped his arm around his waist. They entered the car wordlessly, and the drive was quiet, both men holding their silence, but when Yunho pulled into the parking lot of a motel, Jaejoong quickly straightened up and spoke out.
“What are you doing?”
“I can’t drive like this,” Yunho explained as he unbuckled his seatbelt. “It’s not safe to drive after drinking as much as we did. Now get out of the car.”
“But -“
The soldier turned his head, and he shot Jaejoong a look. “Just follow my lead, and pay attention.” Yunho took out his wallet, and Jaejoong watched as the other man began to pull bills out of his wallet and insert them in his pocket.
As soon as Yunho got out of the car, Jaejoong followed after him. They headed to the motel’s front desk, and Jaejoong stopped in front of it when Yunho did.
“Two rooms?” The clerk asked, a disinterested look on his face as he set down his magazine onto the counter.
“Yes.”
Jaejoong shot a look at Yunho, but the other man ignored him. The clerk spoke the price aloud, and Jaejoong watched as Yunho brought out his wallet and looked into it. He feigned a frown before he looked up at the clerk.
“We’ll have to get one room.”
“One?” The clerk questioned. He shot Yunho a look. “It’s -“
Yunho held out his wallet and took out the only bills that were inside. “We’ve been on a road trip, and I forgot to withdraw money.” He shook his head, “We can only afford one room. The banks are all closed now.”
“The rooms aren’t great, just so you know. The beds are pretty small. One of you will end up sleeping on the carpet or something.” the clerk said as he handed over the motel room key. “Whoever is sleeping on the floor is going to have his back hurt a lot in the morning.”
“Don’t worry about us,” Yunho replied with a smile as he took the keys. “We’ll manage just fine.” He turned away, and Jaejoong followed after him, completely in awe of the skit Yunho had just acted out in front of him.
As soon as they were inside the hotel room, Jaejoong shut the door and walked over to the bed. He sat down, crossed his legs, and stared up at Yunho who was in the process of removing his coat. “I didn’t know you were such a good actor,” Jaejoong commented lightly as he leaned back and eventually lied down on the bed.
He stretched his arms out and stared up at the ceiling. “You would’ve made the most amazing and handsome star on the big screen.”
“Thank you for the flattery,” Yunho murmured, and Jaejoong could hear his soft footfalls on the carpet as he walked. “I’ll take a shower.”
“Can I join you?”
“The walls are thin.”
Jaejoong sat up slowly, and he pursed his lips at Yunho, who was looking at him with fond amusement. “I’d promise to be quiet, but there’s no fun in that.” He uncrossed his legs and walked up to Yunho with a playful smile. “And isn’t that what we’re supposed to be doing with this weekend? Having fun?”
Yunho shook his head and tried to hide his amusement, but Jaejoong could see the upward quirk at the corners of his lips. “The kind of -“
Jaejoong pressed his lips against Yunho’s, effectively silencing the latter. “You can never have too much fun,” he whispered before Yunho grabbed him and carried him into the bathroom, his laughter filling the room as they enjoyed the freedom and privacy that was provided by their cheaply rented and decorated room.
o-o-o
When they arrived back at Yunho’s apartment, Jaejoong had gone with the other man to see if he’d gotten any packages. He watched as the man opened up his pigeonhole, and Jaejoong watched Yunho pull out a white envelope. Yunho glanced at the envelope, shoved it into his coat, and when it was clear that the other man was not about to say anything about it, Jaejoong felt his heart constrict in his chest.
Yunho turned to look at him, and Jaejoong couldn’t bring himself to voice out what he was thinking.
“Do you have to go the bar tonight?”
Jaejoong faltered, his mind still running blank, but in a few seconds he quickly spoke up and replied, “Yeah, but not for long…”
“Okay,” Yunho murmured as he turned his eyes away and moved to shut his pigeonhole once more. It shut with a sound that was made louder by the fact that the room was deathly silent. The environment between Jaejoong and Yunho was fraught with tension, and Jaejoong didn’t know what he could do to alleviate the whole situation.
The pianist stared at Yunho, his mind completely blank. He didn’t know what to say, didn’t know what to do, and most of all, it seemed like he didn’t know anything at all about what was happening. He hated the way he felt - clueless, but he was too afraid to say anything, too worried that if he stepped beyond the invisible boundaries between him and Yunho that everything would suddenly fall to pieces.
It didn’t take much for people to snap - one word, one action, one touch, and even the strongest people could either crumble to pieces or suddenly turn vicious. Jaejoong had seen his fair share of breakdowns in the past months, and from the way Yunho was acting, he was afraid that Yunho would be next. Jaejoong wanted badly to be able to help him in some way, but he was still hesitant to take any more steps. All he needed was something more - a genuine sign which would allow for him to be sure that it would be alright for him to step in and fix whatever was needed to be healed.
Too overwhelmed with his overwhelming emotions, Jaejoong took a step back away from Yunho. The other man looked at him, and Jaejoong had this sudden urge to run away. He didn’t know where it came from, but it was fuelled by the fear that was squeezing tightly onto his heart, warning to get away before things went any further and telling him that the letter wasn’t going to mean anything good for him.
“Can you come over tonight? We have to talk.”
Jaejoong’s heart seized in his chest, and he stared at Yunho with an unsure expression before his eyes lowered to the letter that was in the soldier’s hand. Yunho was clutching the letter so tightly that it was crushed in his fist, and slowly, Jaejoong reached out and held Yunho’s hand. He raised his eyes to meet Yunho’s, and he felt Yunho begin to loosen his grip on the letter.
It fell onto the ground, and Jaejoong felt the tension in the room increase. Yunho’s eyes darted away from his, and Jaejoong slowly bent down to pick up the crumpled letter. He held it in his hand, but before he could return it to Yunho, the other man spoke.
“I have to pick up Minah now,” Yunho said slowly. He turned his eyes back to Jaejoong and took a step back from the pianist. “If…if you wish to read the letter, you may.”
“…okay.” Jaejoong bit his lip. “I’ll see you later,” he murmured before he turned away, the letter clenched tightly in his hand.
o-o-o
“Are you going to open that any time soon?”
Jaejoong looked up from the crumpled envelope, and he hesitantly stared up at Yoochun. The other man looked at him and reached out for the envelope, but Jaejoong slammed his hand on top of Yoochun’s hand.
“Don’t.”
“It’s Yunho’s isn’t it?”
Jaejoong couldn’t bring himself to reply. He couldn’t simply say that the letter belonged to Yunho. As far as he was concerned, whatever was inside that letter was their burden. It wasn’t just Yunho’s problem, it was his as well, and the fact that Yunho had trusted him enough to carry that weight spoke words about how much Yunho felt for him and solidified the foundations of their relationship, making Jaejoong’s heart soar and break at the same time.
For although Yunho loved and trusted him, how far would that love take him? Love wouldn’t keep him safe and at home.
Before Yoochun could utter another word, a woman’s loud, heartbreaking, and pained sobbing was heard. Both men turned their heads, and they watched as a woman was ushered out of the bar. As the group of people that were surrounding her walked past, Jaejoong watched as a paper fluttered to the ground.
“Jaejoong -“
The pianist picked up the paper, and the words that first caught his eye were of no surprise.
We regret to inform you that -
Jaejoong let the piece of paper fall from his hands, and he raced back to grab the envelope off the bar counter. Yoochun said nothing as Jaejoong left, and Jaejoong rushed out of the somber place with only one thing in mind.
He didn’t want a piece of paper telling him that Yunho was leaving, he needed to hear it from the man himself.
o-o-o
Jaejoong knocked on the door, well aware of the hour. He heard rustling on the other end, and his eyes widened when he heard something loud bang onto the floor. Another bang then followed, and Jaejoong was about to knock again when the door opened, revealing a red eyed Yunho that smelled unmistakably of alcohol.
“Yunho -“
The larger man grabbed Jaejoong and pulled him close, and Jaejoong’s heart twisted painfully in his chest as Yunho held him closer.
“Yunho, what’s -“
“Yoojung…Yoojung wants to see me.”
< >
Author’s Note: Ugh, I haven’t updated in forever. -__- I feel so drained…I’ve been so busy lately, and because of that, I haven’t gotten much writing done and I’ve kind of been struggling with a sort of writer’s block as well. I hope to make my usual fic-round up post this weekend, so yeah. I still have other things to write and do, so I’m sorry for the slow down on updates. I hope you all understand. Anyway, going back to the fic, I hope you guys liked the chapter. Everyone’s going to meet Yoojung in the next chapter, and hopefully I can write a smut scene again by the next chapter. OTL I keep avoiding mentioning them in detail, and I’m fairly sure you all have noticed. It’s long overdue for this story! Once again, thank you so much for reading and commenting! ♥
Beta: atriums
Pairing: Yunho/Jaejoong
Rating: NC-17
Genre: Romance, Drama
Summary: One of his rules was that he didn’t sleep with military men, but this man was different.
The letter rested upon the night stand, and as soon as he’d seen it, Jaejoong had frozen immediately. He stood unmoving by the doorway, his eyes fixated upon the blank face of the envelope that was upwards. His heart pounded in his chest, and although he could hear Minah shuffling and calling for him back in the living room, he could not bring himself to utter a single word.
Was it…?
“What are you doing?” Minah chided as she pulled at Jaejoong’s coat, demanding all of his attention. She pouted at the older man and focused her lovely brown eyes upon him in annoyance at him for having ignored her only moments prior.
“I -“
“Are you going to take a nap?”
“Oh - no.” Jaejoong cast one last glance at the white envelope before he turned around completely to face Minah. He smiled at her apologetically and smoothened back her hair gently with his right hand. “I was just busy thinking about something.”
“About what?”
“Nothing important.”
The young girl’s pout deepened, and she was obviously displeased with the answer that he’d provided her with. “That’s what daddy told me yesterday when the mail man came with a letter.”
Jaejoong stiffened. “What?”
“I asked him who his letter was from, and he didn’t tell me,” Minah grumbled, her unhappiness showing as she continued to speak. “Daddy just went to his room and locked the door. He didn’t come out until it was dinner time.”
The pianist had to resist his urge to go back and look at the letter that had been placed so clearly upon the bedroom’s furniture.
“Did…”
“Of course daddy apologized,” Minah continued, completely unaware of what Jaejoong had truly intended to ask her. “And then we went for ice cream after.” She looked up at Jaejoong and pulled at his hand, “I want to go out, let’s go out.”
“Minah…”
“Daddy said we could go out, right?”
Jaejoong turned his head, cast one last glance at the letter, and then faced Minah. It was quite obvious that he wouldn’t be able to worm his way out of the pushy young girl’s demand. Her pout was in full force, and from the way she was clenching his fingers tightly, it was clear that she wasn’t asking him to bring her out, she was telling him to.
Deciding to push back his fears, Jaejoong shut his eyes and took a deep breath before he placed a smile onto his face. He squatted so that he would be eye to eye with Minah, and he pushed back her hair gently.
“Alright then, shall we go baby lion?”
o-o-o
Minah gripped onto his hand tightly while they walked, and Jaejoong smiled at her fondly as she enjoyed her ice cream cone. They were heading over to the park so that the young girl could play on the swing, and for the entirety of their trip, Minah hadn’t stopped talking about her father. Every once in a while, she’d interject a story about someone at the daycare or about her aunt, but most of the time, Yunho was the focus of all of her stories.
At first, Jaejoong had presumed that the only reason she rambled about him was because he was the only person that they both knew. However, the more she talked about Yunho, he soon realized that the reason was something entirely different.
Yunho meant everything to her. He was her father and her whole world, and it scared Jaejoong to see her live in her little bubble of youthful seclusion. She was completely unaware that the war’s situation wasn’t improving, and she didn’t know how high the chances were that her precious father would be sent away from her.
It broke Jaejoong’s heart to think about what it would be like for Minah to lose another parent and to have her entire world shaken by Yunho’s impending departure.
“The swing!”
Minah slipped out of Jaejoong’s grasp, and she ran over to the swing. She carefully got onto it with her ice cream still in hand, and she turned her head and looked at the pianist expectantly.
“Hurry!”
Jaejoong pushed his dark thoughts away and quickly walked over to Minah. He placed his hands on her shoulders and smiled down at her, “Make sure to hold on tightly, alright? I wouldn’t want your ice cream to fall onto the ground or onto your pretty dress.”
“Okay!”
He pushed her slowly, and Minah giggled. After a couple of pushes, she turned her head back to look at Jaejoong, “Wait! Let me finish, and then you can push me higher!”
“Alright, alright.”
Jaejoong walked over to the seat beside Minah’s and kept an eye on the young girl. At first, she’d eaten her ice cream with gusto - driven by her intent to finish it as soon as possible, but after a minute or so, she’d suddenly stopped. Her eyes were focused elsewhere, and Jaejoong followed her gaze.
There was a couple with their daughter, and Jaejoong watched as the woman bent down to fix her daughter’s scarf before she kissed her forehead. The young girl hugged her mother tightly before she was pulled up into her arms, and her father walked over to pinch her cheek before they all resumed walking across the street.
Unsure of what to say, Jaejoong kept quiet. He watched Minah, and after a minute had gone by, Minah resumed eating her ice cream. She glanced at him, “Will daddy be home soon?”
“Yes, I think so.”
Minah nodded and finished her ice cream cone. She brushed her hands on the skirt of her dress and smiled at Jaejoong. “Will you wait for daddy to come home?”
“I’m going to make dinner, so I think so.”
“Okay,” Minah said happily as she held the chains that linked her seat to the swing. Her smile brightened, and then she looked at Jaejoong expectantly. “Push me.”
“What?”
“I mean, push me please.”
Jaejoong laughed and stood up, his mood brightening as he went over to satisfy the young girl’s request.
o-o-o
Jaejoong had just finished setting the table when Yunho came home, with a tired look on his face and the weight of the world upon his shoulders. He barely said a word to both Minah and Jaejoong before he went inside his bedroom and shut the door. Minah looked up at Jaejoong, and wordlessly, she left behind her crayons and headed for her father’s room.
His curiosity piqued, Jaejoong silently followed the young girl to her father’s room. He watched as she didn’t bother to knock on the door, and she opened the door without bothering to shut it behind her. Jaejoong kept out of her way and did his best to be concealed by the door frame as he looked in.
Yunho was clenching the white envelope from earlier in his hands, and Jaejoong watched as Yunho put it away into his nightstand as Minah walked closer. He watched as Yunho shot a weak smile at his daughter, before he spread his arms open for her. Jaejoong watched mutely as she climbed onto the bed and crawled onto her father’s lap. She buried her face into his neck, and Jaejoong watched as Yunho embraced her tightly in return.
Not a single word was shared between them, and Jaejoong stared at them, his heart tightening in his chest, but just as he’d turned away to clean up the food that was getting cold, he heard the bed creak. He turned, and he watched as Yunho walked up to him, Minah in his arms.
“You made dinner?” Yunho asked softly, his expression gentle and less sad as he studied Jaejoong.
“It’s not much,” Jaejoong murmured, dropping his eyes. He stared down at his feet and cleared his throat, “I just used whatever I could find. I thought it’d be nice if you got to come home to some dinner before I left for the bar -“
“Thank you.”
The pianist looked up, and Yunho smiled at him. It didn’t entirely reach his eyes, but Jaejoong supposed that he had to be happy with the fact that Yunho was smiling. It was better than nothing, and so he decided to be content with the gesture.
“Are you hungry baby?” Yunho murmured into Minah’s ear, and she pulled away from him to nod. He kissed his daughter’s brow and turned his attention to Jaejoong. “You really didn’t have to do this for me…”
“I wanted to…” Jaejoong trailed off, and he added to his words. “Times seem hard for you right now. I wanted…I wanted to make things better, even if -“
“You’re amazing.”
The pianist blushed, and Minah looked at Jaejoong for a few seconds before she turned her attention back to Yunho. “What about me daddy? Am I amazing too?”
Yunho chuckled and kissed his daughter’s nose. “Of course you are.” He set her down onto the ground, “Now run along to your room and fetch that drawing you made last night. Don’t you want to show it to Jaejoong?”
“Oh, right!”
Minah quickly bolted away from the two of them, and as soon as she was gone, Yunho closed the distance between him and Jaejoong and kissed the other man. Jaejoong’s eyes were open in surprise, but it didn’t take long before he relaxed into Yunho’s embrace and kissed him back. He cherished the feeling of Yunho’s lips against his, and when Yunho pulled away, he wrapped his arms tightly around the taller man’s neck and brought him back closer.
“Don’t go,” Jaejoong whispered his words so soft that he didn’t know if Yunho had even heard him. He breathed in deeply and resisted the urge to question the other man further about the letter, so he chose to grasp him tighter instead. “Don’t…”
“I’m not going anywhere,” Yunho murmured, but before he could continue his sentence, Minah called out.
“What happened to Jaejoong daddy? Does he need a hug too?”
Jaejoong immediately pulled away from Yunho and looked at Minah, who was looking at him worriedly while she clutched her drawing tightly in her small hand. He spread out his arms out and smiled, “I’d like a hug.”
It wasn’t long before Minah launched herself at him, and as Jaejoong held the young girl in his arms tightly, he couldn’t help but hope that Yunho’s words would hold true.
o-o-o
“It’d be nice if you stopped frowning at me after every time you finished a song.”
Jaejoong pressed on one of the ivory piano keys idly before he turned and looked at Yoochun, the bar owner staring at him with an overly amused look on his face. “Well, I would have liked it if you stopped -“
“This is your job. I know you like playing house with Yunho, but you still have to earn a living.” Yoochun commented coolly, not meaning to offend Jaejoong. “Besides, he has his own things to do. Staying with each other twenty four seven is suffocating, don’t you think?”
The pianist shrugged, “It’s almost been a week since the last time I’ve seen Minah and stepped in their apartment.” Jaejoong let out a sigh and stretched his arms out to loosen up. “I told you about that letter…”
“I’m sure you know what military letters look like Jaejoong.” Yoochun replied calmly as he kept his gaze leveled and understanding. “Don’t presume the worst. Just…give him time.”
“But we don’t have a lot of time. Haven’t you heard of the new…” Jaejoong cut himself off and sighed. He ran a hand through his hair in frustration. “I don’t want to be worried, but I am. You didn’t see him that day Yoochun…if I was dealing with anyone else, I’d simply grab the letter and read it but I can’t do that -“
“Just calm down.”
Jaejoong raised up his eyes, and he looked at Yoochun. Although he knew his best friend was trying hard to cheer him up, he could see the weariness that was evident on the other man’s face. He was doing his best to keep Jaejoong afloat without drowning in his own sorrows, so Jaejoong merely swallowed hard and nodded.
“I’ll just go out for a cigarette.”
“Sure.”
He slipped past the patrons of the bar, their conversation more hushed and somber than usual, and headed out to his usual spot at the bar’s alleyway. It took him a few seconds before he could light up his cigarette, but as soon as he’d been able to take his first drag, he felt himself calm down immensely.
The weight of keeping up a façade of calm and composure was a burden that they, the ones left behind, all carried. But every once in a while that mask slipped, and the true weariness of that burden revealed itself. No one would say much whenever people broke underneath the pressure of staying strong. There was nothing much that could be said, there were no words that could provide genuine reassurance, and there was no security that could be given.
All they could do was hold on, and pray they didn’t break next.
o-o-o
Jaejoong stood hesitantly outside in the hallway, his gift in his hands. He held it a little tighter and breathed in before he rang the doorbell. He didn’t know if Yunho was home, but it was a Saturday, and he presumed that the other man wouldn’t have work. After all, although he hadn’t seen Yunho in a while, the soldier still made sure to call him every other day, and he hadn’t mentioned working on weekends.
The door opened, and Jaejoong smiled in relief when Yunho answered the door.
“I was hoping you’d be home,” Jaejoong murmured before he held out his gift, a tin of cookies, out to the other man. “I know I probably should have called first, but I just…”
“It’s not a problem,” Yunho replied as he pulled Jaejoong into the apartment. He gently pushed Jaejoong against the door, effectively shutting it, and kissed him on the lips chastely. “I was just cleaning the house up before I went out to visit you.”
Jaejoong smiled, pleased with Yunho’s answer. He pushed the tin of cookies forward, letting it bump against the other’s chest. “Where’s Minah? I brought cookies.”
“They’re not for me?” Yunho said with a laugh as he kept Jaejoong pinned against the door so that he could press a soft kiss to his neck. “She’s at my sister’s place until Sunday night. My sister complained that they haven’t been meeting enough.”
“Oh.”
Jaejoong relaxed, and his eyes slipped shut as Yunho began to gentle nip at the exposed skin of his neck. There was a slight burn from the contact of Yunho’s facial hair against his skin, and Jaejoong wrapped his arms around Yunho’s neck.
“So we’re all alone?”
“Until Sunday night,” Yunho replied as he trailed lower to bite at Jaejoong’s collarbone. He pulled away from Jaejoong and held him tightly. Jaejoong listened to Yunho’s soft breathing and rested his forehead against the taller man’s shoulder.
They remained still in the quiet, listening to the one another’s breathing and basking in the silence. Although silence could mean so many things and lead to so many things, this atmosphere was different. It was peaceful, and Jaejoong felt his heart clench tightly in his chest before he pulled Yunho closer.
Every moment they shared was fleeting, haunted by Yunho’s impending departure, but each second spent together was priceless.
o-o-o
Jaejoong frowned at the boxes that were in the guest room and turned his head to shout out for Yunho. “You didn’t tell me there were more boxes in here! What do you want me to do with them?”
The pianist huffed and pushed back his sweat damp hair. While Yunho had said that their little cleaning session would’ve only taken an hour or so, the whole session had extended for more than the entire afternoon. Although Jaejoong wasn’t the neatest person, he was appalled by the amount of stuff Yunho kept around the apartment. He’d ended up taking control of the whole situation, barking at Yunho like a drill sergeant about what went where and about what should get thrown out.
Jaejoong knelt down and opened one of the boxes. It was filled with dated papers, and as Jaejoong rifled through them, he realized they were back from Yunho’s younger days. Deciding that they were not meant to be thrown, he quickly shut the box once more and pushed it aside.
“What boxes?” Yunho asked as he walked into the room with a glass of water for Jaejoong.
“This one,” Jaejoong spoke as he pointed at the box in front of him and then pointed at the one he’d pushed away, “And that one. I don’t know why I didn’t seem to have noticed them earlier.”
Yunho set the glass of water down beside Jaejoong and walked over to the box Jaejoong had looked through earlier. “What’s inside?” he asked as he opened up the box to look inside.
“That one has some of your old things, so I didn’t touch them.” Jaejoong replied as he opened the other box. He peered into the box, sneezed due to the dust, before he reached out and pulled a letter out.
It was already torn open, so a photograph fell out. Jaejoong reached out for it, but he froze as soon as he saw who were in it.
He’d never seen what Yunho’s ex-wife had looked like. In fact, he didn’t even know her name, but as soon as he saw the woman sitting beside a younger Yunho on the grass, he knew who it was. Her head was leaning upon Yunho’s shoulder, and she was smiling prettily at the camera.
They looked perfect together. He could see Minah’s resemblance to her - they shared the same soft and radiant kind of beauty. The longer Jaejoong looked at her, the more he wondered about what had gone wrong in their relationship. She looked impossibly in love with Yunho, and Yunho looked…blissful and perfectly in love with her.
The grip of jealousy that took hold of his heart came rushing in, and Jaejoong bit his lip as uncertainty filled him.
Did Yunho look at him like that?
“What’s that -“
Yunho paused, but before Jaejoong could say a word, he reached out and took hold of the picture. He looked at it for a few seconds. “She’s beautiful, isn’t she?” Yunho asked, his voice soft.
Jaejoong swallowed hard and agreed. “Yes, Minah looks just like her.”
“I wonder what Yoojung would think about that,” Yunho commented quietly. Silence fell between them, and Jaejoong watched as the other man’s eyes lingered upon the photograph for a few moments longer before he reached out and took the envelope out of Jaejoong’s unresisting hands.
He slipped the photo back inside and then returned the envelope into the box before he shut it. “Some things are best left in the past,” Yunho said finally before he held out a hand to Jaejoong, “Do you want to take a shower?”
“Together?”
“If you want,” Yunho said with a comforting smile.
Jaejoong stared back at him hesitantly before he reached out and took hold of the other man’s hand. He gripped it tightly and let Yunho help him up, “Alright.” Jaejoong whispered happily before he gripped Yunho’s shirt tightly and led him to the bathroom.
o-o-o
Jaejoong felt the buzz of alcohol in his system, and he was slouched over a table as Yunho entertained the woman who’d asked for him to dance with her. He rested his cheek against the cool wooden surface of the bar table and shut his eyes as he waited for Yunho to come back to him.
They’d chosen not to go to Yoochun’s bar for their date and had driven out of the city to somewhere else with a lower chance of anyone knowing them. They were still careful to remain an appropriate distance from one another in public, but every once in a while, they snuck inappropriate touches underneath the table.
And after a lot more drinks than usual, Jaejoong couldn’t bear with the restrictions that were preventing him from pouncing on Yunho in public.
“Are you okay?”
Jaejoong looked up, and Yunho was staring down at him, a hint of concern in his eyes. The soldier’s face was slightly flushed from the alcohol he’d also consumed, and Jaejoong’s eyes drifted away from the other man’s face to look at the woman who’d been approaching Yunho the entire night for dances. She was whispering to her friends excitedly, and the sight made Jaejoong’s lips quirk into a disapproving frown.
With her pretty eyes, tempting red lips, and delicate figure, she would surely make any man’s night. She was free to flirt in public, free to drape herself over any man she wanted, and free to love whoever she wanted, whenever she wanted, even if it would only last for one night.
He envied her freedom.
Jaejoong tore his eyes away and met Yunho’s gaze.
“I’m okay.”
“Alright.” Yunho replied, dropping the issue. “Come on, let’s leave. It’s getting late, and we have to drive back anyway.”
Jaejoong slipped out of his seat and followed Yunho out of the bar. He was slightly unsteady on his feet, so Yunho wrapped his arm around his waist. They entered the car wordlessly, and the drive was quiet, both men holding their silence, but when Yunho pulled into the parking lot of a motel, Jaejoong quickly straightened up and spoke out.
“What are you doing?”
“I can’t drive like this,” Yunho explained as he unbuckled his seatbelt. “It’s not safe to drive after drinking as much as we did. Now get out of the car.”
“But -“
The soldier turned his head, and he shot Jaejoong a look. “Just follow my lead, and pay attention.” Yunho took out his wallet, and Jaejoong watched as the other man began to pull bills out of his wallet and insert them in his pocket.
As soon as Yunho got out of the car, Jaejoong followed after him. They headed to the motel’s front desk, and Jaejoong stopped in front of it when Yunho did.
“Two rooms?” The clerk asked, a disinterested look on his face as he set down his magazine onto the counter.
“Yes.”
Jaejoong shot a look at Yunho, but the other man ignored him. The clerk spoke the price aloud, and Jaejoong watched as Yunho brought out his wallet and looked into it. He feigned a frown before he looked up at the clerk.
“We’ll have to get one room.”
“One?” The clerk questioned. He shot Yunho a look. “It’s -“
Yunho held out his wallet and took out the only bills that were inside. “We’ve been on a road trip, and I forgot to withdraw money.” He shook his head, “We can only afford one room. The banks are all closed now.”
“The rooms aren’t great, just so you know. The beds are pretty small. One of you will end up sleeping on the carpet or something.” the clerk said as he handed over the motel room key. “Whoever is sleeping on the floor is going to have his back hurt a lot in the morning.”
“Don’t worry about us,” Yunho replied with a smile as he took the keys. “We’ll manage just fine.” He turned away, and Jaejoong followed after him, completely in awe of the skit Yunho had just acted out in front of him.
As soon as they were inside the hotel room, Jaejoong shut the door and walked over to the bed. He sat down, crossed his legs, and stared up at Yunho who was in the process of removing his coat. “I didn’t know you were such a good actor,” Jaejoong commented lightly as he leaned back and eventually lied down on the bed.
He stretched his arms out and stared up at the ceiling. “You would’ve made the most amazing and handsome star on the big screen.”
“Thank you for the flattery,” Yunho murmured, and Jaejoong could hear his soft footfalls on the carpet as he walked. “I’ll take a shower.”
“Can I join you?”
“The walls are thin.”
Jaejoong sat up slowly, and he pursed his lips at Yunho, who was looking at him with fond amusement. “I’d promise to be quiet, but there’s no fun in that.” He uncrossed his legs and walked up to Yunho with a playful smile. “And isn’t that what we’re supposed to be doing with this weekend? Having fun?”
Yunho shook his head and tried to hide his amusement, but Jaejoong could see the upward quirk at the corners of his lips. “The kind of -“
Jaejoong pressed his lips against Yunho’s, effectively silencing the latter. “You can never have too much fun,” he whispered before Yunho grabbed him and carried him into the bathroom, his laughter filling the room as they enjoyed the freedom and privacy that was provided by their cheaply rented and decorated room.
o-o-o
When they arrived back at Yunho’s apartment, Jaejoong had gone with the other man to see if he’d gotten any packages. He watched as the man opened up his pigeonhole, and Jaejoong watched Yunho pull out a white envelope. Yunho glanced at the envelope, shoved it into his coat, and when it was clear that the other man was not about to say anything about it, Jaejoong felt his heart constrict in his chest.
Yunho turned to look at him, and Jaejoong couldn’t bring himself to voice out what he was thinking.
“Do you have to go the bar tonight?”
Jaejoong faltered, his mind still running blank, but in a few seconds he quickly spoke up and replied, “Yeah, but not for long…”
“Okay,” Yunho murmured as he turned his eyes away and moved to shut his pigeonhole once more. It shut with a sound that was made louder by the fact that the room was deathly silent. The environment between Jaejoong and Yunho was fraught with tension, and Jaejoong didn’t know what he could do to alleviate the whole situation.
The pianist stared at Yunho, his mind completely blank. He didn’t know what to say, didn’t know what to do, and most of all, it seemed like he didn’t know anything at all about what was happening. He hated the way he felt - clueless, but he was too afraid to say anything, too worried that if he stepped beyond the invisible boundaries between him and Yunho that everything would suddenly fall to pieces.
It didn’t take much for people to snap - one word, one action, one touch, and even the strongest people could either crumble to pieces or suddenly turn vicious. Jaejoong had seen his fair share of breakdowns in the past months, and from the way Yunho was acting, he was afraid that Yunho would be next. Jaejoong wanted badly to be able to help him in some way, but he was still hesitant to take any more steps. All he needed was something more - a genuine sign which would allow for him to be sure that it would be alright for him to step in and fix whatever was needed to be healed.
Too overwhelmed with his overwhelming emotions, Jaejoong took a step back away from Yunho. The other man looked at him, and Jaejoong had this sudden urge to run away. He didn’t know where it came from, but it was fuelled by the fear that was squeezing tightly onto his heart, warning to get away before things went any further and telling him that the letter wasn’t going to mean anything good for him.
“Can you come over tonight? We have to talk.”
Jaejoong’s heart seized in his chest, and he stared at Yunho with an unsure expression before his eyes lowered to the letter that was in the soldier’s hand. Yunho was clutching the letter so tightly that it was crushed in his fist, and slowly, Jaejoong reached out and held Yunho’s hand. He raised his eyes to meet Yunho’s, and he felt Yunho begin to loosen his grip on the letter.
It fell onto the ground, and Jaejoong felt the tension in the room increase. Yunho’s eyes darted away from his, and Jaejoong slowly bent down to pick up the crumpled letter. He held it in his hand, but before he could return it to Yunho, the other man spoke.
“I have to pick up Minah now,” Yunho said slowly. He turned his eyes back to Jaejoong and took a step back from the pianist. “If…if you wish to read the letter, you may.”
“…okay.” Jaejoong bit his lip. “I’ll see you later,” he murmured before he turned away, the letter clenched tightly in his hand.
o-o-o
“Are you going to open that any time soon?”
Jaejoong looked up from the crumpled envelope, and he hesitantly stared up at Yoochun. The other man looked at him and reached out for the envelope, but Jaejoong slammed his hand on top of Yoochun’s hand.
“Don’t.”
“It’s Yunho’s isn’t it?”
Jaejoong couldn’t bring himself to reply. He couldn’t simply say that the letter belonged to Yunho. As far as he was concerned, whatever was inside that letter was their burden. It wasn’t just Yunho’s problem, it was his as well, and the fact that Yunho had trusted him enough to carry that weight spoke words about how much Yunho felt for him and solidified the foundations of their relationship, making Jaejoong’s heart soar and break at the same time.
For although Yunho loved and trusted him, how far would that love take him? Love wouldn’t keep him safe and at home.
Before Yoochun could utter another word, a woman’s loud, heartbreaking, and pained sobbing was heard. Both men turned their heads, and they watched as a woman was ushered out of the bar. As the group of people that were surrounding her walked past, Jaejoong watched as a paper fluttered to the ground.
“Jaejoong -“
The pianist picked up the paper, and the words that first caught his eye were of no surprise.
We regret to inform you that -
Jaejoong let the piece of paper fall from his hands, and he raced back to grab the envelope off the bar counter. Yoochun said nothing as Jaejoong left, and Jaejoong rushed out of the somber place with only one thing in mind.
He didn’t want a piece of paper telling him that Yunho was leaving, he needed to hear it from the man himself.
o-o-o
Jaejoong knocked on the door, well aware of the hour. He heard rustling on the other end, and his eyes widened when he heard something loud bang onto the floor. Another bang then followed, and Jaejoong was about to knock again when the door opened, revealing a red eyed Yunho that smelled unmistakably of alcohol.
“Yunho -“
The larger man grabbed Jaejoong and pulled him close, and Jaejoong’s heart twisted painfully in his chest as Yunho held him closer.
“Yunho, what’s -“
“Yoojung…Yoojung wants to see me.”
< >
Author’s Note: Ugh, I haven’t updated in forever. -__- I feel so drained…I’ve been so busy lately, and because of that, I haven’t gotten much writing done and I’ve kind of been struggling with a sort of writer’s block as well. I hope to make my usual fic-round up post this weekend, so yeah. I still have other things to write and do, so I’m sorry for the slow down on updates. I hope you all understand. Anyway, going back to the fic, I hope you guys liked the chapter. Everyone’s going to meet Yoojung in the next chapter, and hopefully I can write a smut scene again by the next chapter. OTL I keep avoiding mentioning them in detail, and I’m fairly sure you all have noticed. It’s long overdue for this story! Once again, thank you so much for reading and commenting! ♥