What's hidden in the woods?
Title: What's hidden in the woods?
Author: megera23
Length: One-Shot
Pairings: YunJae(duh), JaeJoong/OC
Rating: PG-13
Genre: AU, Drama, Romance, Supernatural
Warnings: Attempted Rape
Summary: Sometimes you believe that you know someone, but they prove you wrong. You lose your trust in people. But what do you do when the one that appears next to you is not a human? Is it safe to trust again?
A/N: This story was inspired by orionsroad's Lupis Cavi Cautum. I kind of borrowed her characters, so this is something like their first meeting or something.
JaeJoong had a crush.
Although he was only sixteen he wasn’t blind. And his eyes were telling him that the lord’s son, Lee DongBin was the most handsome man, he had ever seen. After that it wasn’t hard falling head over heels for him. Tall, muscular, with pale skin and a charming smile, he was everything the boy could dream of. And there was more to him than that. Dong Bin was kind and friendly, with refined manners and perfectly educated. JaeJoong was proud to be friends with somebody, who could read and write, someone so knowledgeable.
And JaeJoong did consider himself a friend of DongBin. The young master always greeted him with a smile and sometimes patted his head. He often complimented JaeJoong’s cooking abilities, as well. From time to time DongBin even took JaeJoong with him when going out fishing or when visiting the town, where DongBin’s sister lived.
Those trips were JaeJoong’s favorite. Almost every time DongBin would read a story to his nephews and JaeJoong was allowed to listen to it too. And if JaeJoong was extremely lucky and they were running late, DongBin would even let the boy ride in front of him, holding him tightly with his strong arms.
This was everything JaeJoong could ask for. He even had more than he could have hoped for. Because a mere servant like JaeJoong, a cook’s helper, being this close with the lord’s son was unheard of.
He didn’t quite get it, why the elders didn’t approve of the young master. He was the most perfect man walking on earth in JaeJoong’s opinion. Little did he know till that fateful night.
* * *
It was dark outside, the autumn air still warm and filled with birds’ songs. There was nothing different about that particular night.
JaeJoong was going home to the small cottage almost at the border of the town, after spending hours and hours in the lord’s kitchen. He lived there only with his mother after his father’s tragic death.
He always believed that if something bad was going to happen, he would know about it, he would feel it beforehand. Just like the night when his father had died, a terrible foreboding making him nervous.
But there was nothing of that sort now.
He had about ten minutes of walk before he reached his home, when a familiar voice called him somewhere from behind. He turned around and there he was, DongBin, with two of his friends in a dark alley between an abandoned stable and a tavern. Laud music and laughter together with arguing voices and shouts were sipping through the windows of the tavern.
DongBin motioned for JaeJoong to come closer and he did, a little surprised to see the young lord in this part of town.
He greeted the three of them respectfully, DongBin’s companions also sons of influential lords.
“DongBin-ah” one of them spoke up “I don’t think we need to go to the brothel anymore.”
The other one laughed. It was a dry and unpleasant sound.
JaeJoong looked at his master’s face dumbfounded, not quite getting what they meant. DongBin smirked and looked nothing like the kind, thoughtful man JaeJoong was used to seeing.
“I think you are right, SeungWon-ah. We don’t have to go to the brothel to get ourselves a whore, when one has walked right up to us.” DongBin’s words shocked the boy.
JaeJoong may not have been able to read, write, and understand Chinese, but he wasn’t stupid. Reddened faces, heavy droplets of sweat on foreheads and slurred words were a sign enough for him to know that the young master and his friends were drunk. He felt the danger now, shivers running down his spine.
DongBin grabbed him by his arm, pulling him closer. The sour smell or alcohol now hit JaeJoong’s sensitive nose.
“What are you doing, master?” Fear was seizing the young boy, his pupils dilating in disbelief.
JaeJoong tried to wriggle out of the other’s hands, but it was fruitless. The grip on his arms only tightened further, probably leaving bruises on the pale skin underneath the clothes.
DongBin was staring down at the boy, eyes blood-shot and glazed. “I’m going to have him first. You can do whatever you want with him afterwards.”
The other men nodded enthusiastically at the though of the pretty boy’s little tight ass. JaeJoong’s whole body was shaking, panic running wild in his veins. He tried once again to free himself, however it was all in vain.
DongBin laughed at the struggling JaeJoong. “Come on, Jae. Don’t make this hard on yourself. Isn’t this what you’ve wanted all this time? You think I haven’t noticed the way you looked at me. Your eyes were begging for me to fuck you deep. And hard.”
Another feeling made its way through JaeJoong’s body. Disgust. This creature wasn’t the man JaeJoong had fallen in love with. This was a monster totally under the control of alcohol.
The boy screamed in hope of attracting some attention, but the noise from the tavern drowned completely his shout. He was going to give it one more try, when DongBin’s lips blocked the sound from coming out of JaeJoong’s mouth. The boy tried to pull his neck as far as possible, the bitter taste and awful smell making his stomach twist.
He had dreamed about kissing DongBin, however, this wasn’t a dream, but a nightmare. JaeJoong desperately wished to wake up right at this instant, everything just a part of his imagination.
He knew he had only one chance to get away from this. He kneed DongBin in the groin using the momentary distraction to get out of his grip and run towards the more busy streets.
JaeJoong was sure that no one would believe him about the lord’s son trying to rape him and he would have to suffer the consequences of his actions. But at this moment even a death sentence seemed better than the situation he was in.
He focused on making his shaky legs run as fast as possible. However, luck wasn’t on his side that nigh. A fist collided with his stomach, one of the two men watching until now, blocking his way for escape. Another punch followed the first one, this time making a contact with JaeJoong’s jaw. He fell on the ground, curling in a fetal position, clutching at his stomach. His breathing was hard and fast.
“Don’t you dare touch his face. I want it undamaged.” Came a strangled moan from behind, DongBin just as breathless after JaeJoong’s dirty trick.
The two friends of DongBin now circled around JaeJoon’g body, kicking him mercilessly in the back and the ribs.
The laugh of a group of young men exiting the tavern interrupted them.
“Gather him quickly, someone might see us here.” DongBin’s order was hurriedly fulfilled, the one called SeungWon grabbing the powerless body of JaeJoong and taking him farther and farther away from the townspeople.
JaeJoong had no idea, how long they had walked, but now his surroundings had changed into these of the deep forest. There was no strength left in his body, only pain.
SeungWon dropped him on the ground, between the roots of a giant oak-tree.
“I think we are far enough from the town.” DongBin said and lowered himself, coming face to face with the half-conscious boy. “You can scream all you want here. I’m sure I’d enjoy it very much.”
The words did get trough JaeJoong’s hazed mind. He looked up at the lord’s son and spat in his face. This earned him another hit - the man in front of him grabbing his hair and smashing his head against the oak’s trunk.
Something warm and wet was trickling down his neck, probably his own blood. Impatient arms were undoing his hanbok and JaeJoong did his best struggling, although it was just another futile attempt. The man was once again kissing him and JaeJoong bit hard in the other’s tongue.
DongBin screamed and pulled away from the form lying under him.
“You piece of shit! Who the hell do you think you are!? I will make sure to teach you a lesson.“ The man was extremely pissed off.
“Do you need help with him?” One of his friends asked, looking a bit concerned.
“Stay out of this JaeHyuk! I’ll take care of the little bastard.”
DongBin grabbed again a fistful of JaeJoong’s hair and smashed his head once more. More blood sipped in JaeJoong’s back, his vision becoming blurry and his body felt as if he were floating. The pain was still there, his ribs and back aching and head throbbing.
Now that his clothing was discarded, he felt no longer the warmth of the night. JaeJoong was a sobbing, bloody mess.
“Please, master, don’t do this. Please…” His voice was just as weak as his body, barely a whisper. He wasn’t sure the other had heard him, until he noticed the cruel smirk on DongBin’s face.
His legs were spread wide and he could barely breathe, because of the sobbing.
This isn’t happening, this isn’t happening, this isn’t happening… JaeJoong was now denying reality. Let them do it…don’t struggle…this isn’t happening, this isn’t happening…
He was staring off into space, lost in the chanting in his head, a blank look in his eyes. He had no idea how long he stayed like this, but a piercing scream tore the night air and captured JaeJoong’s attention. Was it him? No, he wasn’t the one who screamed.
A sudden realization dawned on him. DongBin was nowhere in his sight and his friends seemed suddenly rather jumpy. He chuckled, finding the situation funny. What could have scared these men so much?
JaeJoong’s vision was still kind of blurry and his head was spinning but he didn’t fail to notice the swords in their hands.
Ah, the world was twirling around him. He couldn’t focus his gaze anymore, so he just gave up. Then there were more screams and some king of growling, but he was too exhausted to comprehend what was happening at all.
After a while everything was just as quiet as before, except for a single, long howl somewhere in the distance.
The rustling of dead leafs made him lift his gaze, and there it stood. The biggest wolf JaeJoong had ever seen, was standing in front of him. The animal was really impressing, with a long silver fur and eyes as if made of molten gold, reflecting the moonlight. There was blood dripping down from the wolf’s muzzle, and oh, he just figured out what had happened to the three, now missing men. JaeJoong wondered for a brief second if he were the wolf’s next victim, but strangely there was neither fright, nor dread left in him.
He just looked into those sparkling eyes and they appeared to be more humane than the eyes of his assailants. A though of his mother went trough his mind and he wondered what would she think when her son never returned home.
The wolf got so near that if JaeJoong lifted his hand, he could touch the silver fur. And that was exactly what he did. He ran his fingers through it and was amazed at its softness. The wolf’s eyes never left his, never breaking the eye contact, and there was more than JaeJoong could ever voice out in them, oh, so much more. The animal came even closer, its nose buried in JaeJoong’s neck, sniffing him. The wolf’s breath was tickling him and JaeJoong smiled, winding his hands around the animal’s neck.
What a strange wolf this was…
The boy couldn’t keep his eyes open any longer and soon darkness engulfed him.
* * *
There was something warm and solid to his left and JaeJoong cuddled closer to it. The form under his arm was moving, breathing he realized. He slowly opened his eyes coming face to face with the huge silver wolf from the previous night. The creature was staring right at him with its magnificent eyes and then it licked JaeJoong’s face. JaeJoong laughed ruffling the thick fur around its neck.
For some reason he felt safe with the wolf next to him. It had saved him, hadn’t it?
Gradually JaeJoong was beginning to question the wolf’s consciousness, the creature too intelligent for a mere animal.
The boy didn’t want to go back, too scared to be in humans’ presence now. And it seemed the wolf could pick up his feelings, because it took him to a cave, not too far from a small spring. It brought him meat from a deer and occasionally a hen, stolen from some farmer, for which JaeJoong scolded him.
At that point he was sure that the wolf understood every word he spoke. The creature even had an ashamed look after one of the incidents with the hens, the wolf’s head lowered down, avoiding JaeJoong’s eyes, tail between its legs.
The wolf was by his side every night, playing with him, keeping him warm and leaving in the early morning. JaeJoong soon found himself anticipating the time when the wolf would appear. There were also other animals in the woods, but they never approached the human, the wolf’s scent too strong around the boy.
He felt lonely, when his wild friend wasn’t around him. He enjoyed scuffling with it, rolling on the ground, in the soft hey together. JaeJoong found himself laughing when the wolf licked him all over his face, its tongue tickling. Strangely the wolf had an earthy smell to him, nothing like the dog JaeJoong had had as a child. Nothing as any animal JaeJoong had come across.
When JaeJoong felt tired after their games, the wolf often came to him and laid its head in JaeJoong’s lap, urging him to stroke him behind the ears.
The boy had no idea how many days, maybe weeks he had spent in the woods, but soon it was getting colder and colder and the tiny fire he made every night together with the wolf’s heat wasn’t enough to keep him warm through the long nights. Around that time the wolf appeared dragging two blankets with its teeth. JaeJoong didn’t even want to think how the wolf got a hold of them.
That same night, the boy fell asleep cuddled into the wolf’s warmth under the blankets and woke up startled, because of somebody’s touch.
JaeJoong grabbed the hand touching his face and snapped his eyes open. There, in front of him, instead of the giant wolf lay a man with silver hair and golden eyes. JaeJoong panicked momentarily and tried to get as far away as possible from the stranger. However, strong hands held him close.
“Shhh, it’s okay. It’s me.” The voice was soft and calming and sounded somewhat familiar.
JaeJoong stared deep into the other’s golden orbs and there was no doubt about it. The man in front of him was the wolf that had been around JaeJoong all the time. The piercing golden eyes were the same, containing just the same amount of warmth the wolf’s eyes had.
JaeJoong lifted his hand and caressed the spot behind the other’s ear, the man’s eyes closing and a low pleasurable moan escaping his lips.
But JaeJoong was still confused.
“Are you a werewolf?” The boy asked, shock obvious on his face.
The man scoffed. “Werewolves don’t exist. Don’t worry about it, if I bite you, you won’t turn into one of us. Moreover, we don’t need full moon to transform.”
“But then, what are you?”
“We are just shapeshifters. These woods are our territory.”
“We? So, there are more of your kind?” The boy felt kind of uncomfortable pronouncing the term the other used.
“Yes, there are. Any more questions?” The other smirked, amused by the boy’s curiosity.
“I’ve got one more…What’s your name then?” JaeJoong felt a bit shy of asking this.
“My name is Yunho. And I never got yours.”
“It’s JaeJoong.”
“Are you okay with me being in this form? I can always shift back.” Yunho had noticed JaeJoong’s insecurity.
“N…no, it’s okay.”
Yunho could tell that the human was lying. He could smell lies, but he didn’t comment on it.
“There are a few more hours till dawn.” He pressed the boy close to his chest, hugging him tightly. And soon JaeJoong was breathing evenly and slow in deep slumber.
Yunho had not dared to show his other form, because he feared JaeJoong would try to run away from him. But now he was glad he did, finally having the chance to hold the boy in his arms. There was this feeling, this need in his chest to protect the human, to keep him close.
Yunho also closed his eyes, nose pressed to the other’s head, taking deep breaths of JaeJoong’s wonderful smell.
The shapeshifter was spending more time in his wolf-form than in his human-form, JaeJoong still uncomfortable about it. But Yunho didn’t mind, he was just thankful that JaeJoong didn’t run away.
So JaeJoong was surprised when one morning he woke up to human speech. It took him some time to process what was being said. One of the voices was Yunho’s, but he couldn’t recognize the other one.
The shushed speech was getting lauder and lauder, slowly turning almost into shouts. The unknown voice was filled with anger and something else, JaeJoong couldn’t exactly pick up.
“Yunho, this has continued for too long! You know the rules of the pack!”
“Of course I know them a- “
“Then you should have thought about this sooner. You should never have showed the human what we are. I know, what you are going to say, but now it’s too late to let him go.”
“…”
“Don’t tell me you are thinking about that.” The foreign voice was filled with disbelief.
“And what if I am? Are you going to stop me? As if you can…I’m the strongest in the pack and you know it pretty well, Yoochun.” Yunho’s voice had a dangerous edge to it and JaeJoong shuddered under the blankets.
He still had no idea what they were talking about, except that it concerned him as well.
The stranger sighed, resigned. “Then I guess it’s the only way, since you can’t kill him or let him go after all. I just hope the others won’t whine about it too much. It can be confusing having humans around and you are well aware of that as well. But have you asked this human about his opinion on the topic?”
Yunho was about to answer, when the attention of the two men was turned towards JaeJoong’s approaching figure.
“My opinion about what?” JaeJoong lifted one of his eyebrows, looking questioningly at Yunho.
Yunho looked at the ground, flustered.
The man called Yoochun started speaking instead of him.
„Boy, I don’t know how much you’ve heard about us from your town’s elders, but- „
„Shut it, Yoochun. I’ll be the one to do the talking, it’s my own problem.” Yunho’s voice had a commanding sound to it. And JaeJoong felt sure that no one would dare interrupt his words, when he used this tone.
Yunho was now looking at him, eyes hard and searching, focused on JaeJoong’s face.
„You know what we are, JaeJoong.” JaeJoong just noded dumbly at this. „But there’s a rule concerning the humans. No human can walk away, at least not alive, after finding out about our secret.”
JaeJoong gulped.
„It’s not your fault. I was the one who got you into this mess, if I had only been more careful...” Yunho was once again avoiding JaeJoong’s gaze, looking heartbroken.
„Isn’t there another way?” The boy asked, voice trembling, however, not because of the danger he was in, but rather because of the obvious pain and turmoil Yunho was in.
The silver haired man stood still, not uttering a word and so Yoochun spoke again.
„There are... two possibilities. It has happened in the past, Yunho’s not the first one to get into a mess of this sort. The first option is for the shapeshifter to leave the pack and live with the humans. It’s...hard. When we stop shifting we slowly loose our abilities. And it’s painful, it’s something like loosing all of your senses. Simply said, you turn into a human. I don’t even want to imagine what it feels like.” Yoochun shuddered at the mere thought. „And even if Yunho wanted to sacrifice his life here, it would be impossible for him. He’s our leader, we won’t let him, no, he won’t even be able. When you are born a leader, you can’t escape from the responsibilities that come with it.”
He stopped talking, now looking intently at Yunho.
„I know that too, Yoochun. Stop looking at me like that. But Heavens know, I would do it if I could, no matter your opinion.” Yunho growled against the other.
JaeJoong broke their staring fight. „So, you said there were two options. What is the other one.”
Yoochun smirked. „It involves you, human. The other way to stay alive is to join the pack.”
JaeJoong was totally confused at this statement. „But Yunho said I can’t become one of you.”
JaeJoong searched for the silver haired man’s eyes, but it was futile, the other still avoiding his gaze and biting his lip nervously.
Yoochun just smirked. „Who said it involved becoming one of us?”
Yunho finally faced him again. „The only way for a human to join the pack is to become the mate of one of us.”
The man was now carefully searching JaeJoong’s expression for any clues on what the human was thinking. The boy was staring in space, seemingly not able to comprehend what had been said.
Yunho reached for his hand, but JaeJoong backed away, eyes focusing, but still looking a bit distant, as if he weren’t completely here.
„JaeJoong-ah, I know I can’t ask this of you, after everything you’ve went through...please, look at me.” Yunho’s voice was now trembling slightly, pleading.
A few awkward moments passed, the young shapeshifter not knowing how to approach the human. JaeJoong snapped his gaze at Yunho, finally having reached a decision.
That night, when he had met Yunho for the first time...he would have lost what Yunho was now asking for, heck, he might even had lost his life. He had hoped to lose his life... But Yunho had saved him and had been nothing but caring to him. And now JaeJoong didn’t want to die. He didn’t want to spend his life away from Yunho either, he himself coming to care for the shapeshifter and look forward to spending time with him. And if he had to be completely sincere, he found Yunho rather appealing as a man. So, was there something to lose? JaeJoong wondered.
No...there wasn’t.
And he knew then, he knew he had made a decision that would change his whole life. But there was this feeling in him, this painful, yet sweet throbbing of his heart, and JaeJoong just knew, he had made a good choice this time.
So he stepped closer, cupping Yunho’s cheeks and sinking in these strage, but yet beautiful golden eyes, before eyelids cluttered close and hid the world from him. But he didn’t need his eyesight anymore. He was looking with his heart.
JaeJoong tiptoed and pressed his soft lips against Yunho’s. That was his final answer.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
A/N: I'm not quite happy with my JaeJoong, he turned too much like a woman for my liking. But, oh well, let's just balme it on the fact he's an innocent 16-year-old boy. And in love. I've noticed that people tend to be stupid when they are in love. Or at least I do. xD
Author: megera23
Length: One-Shot
Pairings: YunJae(duh), JaeJoong/OC
Rating: PG-13
Genre: AU, Drama, Romance, Supernatural
Warnings: Attempted Rape
Summary: Sometimes you believe that you know someone, but they prove you wrong. You lose your trust in people. But what do you do when the one that appears next to you is not a human? Is it safe to trust again?
A/N: This story was inspired by orionsroad's Lupis Cavi Cautum. I kind of borrowed her characters, so this is something like their first meeting or something.
JaeJoong had a crush.
Although he was only sixteen he wasn’t blind. And his eyes were telling him that the lord’s son, Lee DongBin was the most handsome man, he had ever seen. After that it wasn’t hard falling head over heels for him. Tall, muscular, with pale skin and a charming smile, he was everything the boy could dream of. And there was more to him than that. Dong Bin was kind and friendly, with refined manners and perfectly educated. JaeJoong was proud to be friends with somebody, who could read and write, someone so knowledgeable.
And JaeJoong did consider himself a friend of DongBin. The young master always greeted him with a smile and sometimes patted his head. He often complimented JaeJoong’s cooking abilities, as well. From time to time DongBin even took JaeJoong with him when going out fishing or when visiting the town, where DongBin’s sister lived.
Those trips were JaeJoong’s favorite. Almost every time DongBin would read a story to his nephews and JaeJoong was allowed to listen to it too. And if JaeJoong was extremely lucky and they were running late, DongBin would even let the boy ride in front of him, holding him tightly with his strong arms.
This was everything JaeJoong could ask for. He even had more than he could have hoped for. Because a mere servant like JaeJoong, a cook’s helper, being this close with the lord’s son was unheard of.
He didn’t quite get it, why the elders didn’t approve of the young master. He was the most perfect man walking on earth in JaeJoong’s opinion. Little did he know till that fateful night.
* * *
It was dark outside, the autumn air still warm and filled with birds’ songs. There was nothing different about that particular night.
JaeJoong was going home to the small cottage almost at the border of the town, after spending hours and hours in the lord’s kitchen. He lived there only with his mother after his father’s tragic death.
He always believed that if something bad was going to happen, he would know about it, he would feel it beforehand. Just like the night when his father had died, a terrible foreboding making him nervous.
But there was nothing of that sort now.
He had about ten minutes of walk before he reached his home, when a familiar voice called him somewhere from behind. He turned around and there he was, DongBin, with two of his friends in a dark alley between an abandoned stable and a tavern. Laud music and laughter together with arguing voices and shouts were sipping through the windows of the tavern.
DongBin motioned for JaeJoong to come closer and he did, a little surprised to see the young lord in this part of town.
He greeted the three of them respectfully, DongBin’s companions also sons of influential lords.
“DongBin-ah” one of them spoke up “I don’t think we need to go to the brothel anymore.”
The other one laughed. It was a dry and unpleasant sound.
JaeJoong looked at his master’s face dumbfounded, not quite getting what they meant. DongBin smirked and looked nothing like the kind, thoughtful man JaeJoong was used to seeing.
“I think you are right, SeungWon-ah. We don’t have to go to the brothel to get ourselves a whore, when one has walked right up to us.” DongBin’s words shocked the boy.
JaeJoong may not have been able to read, write, and understand Chinese, but he wasn’t stupid. Reddened faces, heavy droplets of sweat on foreheads and slurred words were a sign enough for him to know that the young master and his friends were drunk. He felt the danger now, shivers running down his spine.
DongBin grabbed him by his arm, pulling him closer. The sour smell or alcohol now hit JaeJoong’s sensitive nose.
“What are you doing, master?” Fear was seizing the young boy, his pupils dilating in disbelief.
JaeJoong tried to wriggle out of the other’s hands, but it was fruitless. The grip on his arms only tightened further, probably leaving bruises on the pale skin underneath the clothes.
DongBin was staring down at the boy, eyes blood-shot and glazed. “I’m going to have him first. You can do whatever you want with him afterwards.”
The other men nodded enthusiastically at the though of the pretty boy’s little tight ass. JaeJoong’s whole body was shaking, panic running wild in his veins. He tried once again to free himself, however it was all in vain.
DongBin laughed at the struggling JaeJoong. “Come on, Jae. Don’t make this hard on yourself. Isn’t this what you’ve wanted all this time? You think I haven’t noticed the way you looked at me. Your eyes were begging for me to fuck you deep. And hard.”
Another feeling made its way through JaeJoong’s body. Disgust. This creature wasn’t the man JaeJoong had fallen in love with. This was a monster totally under the control of alcohol.
The boy screamed in hope of attracting some attention, but the noise from the tavern drowned completely his shout. He was going to give it one more try, when DongBin’s lips blocked the sound from coming out of JaeJoong’s mouth. The boy tried to pull his neck as far as possible, the bitter taste and awful smell making his stomach twist.
He had dreamed about kissing DongBin, however, this wasn’t a dream, but a nightmare. JaeJoong desperately wished to wake up right at this instant, everything just a part of his imagination.
He knew he had only one chance to get away from this. He kneed DongBin in the groin using the momentary distraction to get out of his grip and run towards the more busy streets.
JaeJoong was sure that no one would believe him about the lord’s son trying to rape him and he would have to suffer the consequences of his actions. But at this moment even a death sentence seemed better than the situation he was in.
He focused on making his shaky legs run as fast as possible. However, luck wasn’t on his side that nigh. A fist collided with his stomach, one of the two men watching until now, blocking his way for escape. Another punch followed the first one, this time making a contact with JaeJoong’s jaw. He fell on the ground, curling in a fetal position, clutching at his stomach. His breathing was hard and fast.
“Don’t you dare touch his face. I want it undamaged.” Came a strangled moan from behind, DongBin just as breathless after JaeJoong’s dirty trick.
The two friends of DongBin now circled around JaeJoon’g body, kicking him mercilessly in the back and the ribs.
The laugh of a group of young men exiting the tavern interrupted them.
“Gather him quickly, someone might see us here.” DongBin’s order was hurriedly fulfilled, the one called SeungWon grabbing the powerless body of JaeJoong and taking him farther and farther away from the townspeople.
JaeJoong had no idea, how long they had walked, but now his surroundings had changed into these of the deep forest. There was no strength left in his body, only pain.
SeungWon dropped him on the ground, between the roots of a giant oak-tree.
“I think we are far enough from the town.” DongBin said and lowered himself, coming face to face with the half-conscious boy. “You can scream all you want here. I’m sure I’d enjoy it very much.”
The words did get trough JaeJoong’s hazed mind. He looked up at the lord’s son and spat in his face. This earned him another hit - the man in front of him grabbing his hair and smashing his head against the oak’s trunk.
Something warm and wet was trickling down his neck, probably his own blood. Impatient arms were undoing his hanbok and JaeJoong did his best struggling, although it was just another futile attempt. The man was once again kissing him and JaeJoong bit hard in the other’s tongue.
DongBin screamed and pulled away from the form lying under him.
“You piece of shit! Who the hell do you think you are!? I will make sure to teach you a lesson.“ The man was extremely pissed off.
“Do you need help with him?” One of his friends asked, looking a bit concerned.
“Stay out of this JaeHyuk! I’ll take care of the little bastard.”
DongBin grabbed again a fistful of JaeJoong’s hair and smashed his head once more. More blood sipped in JaeJoong’s back, his vision becoming blurry and his body felt as if he were floating. The pain was still there, his ribs and back aching and head throbbing.
Now that his clothing was discarded, he felt no longer the warmth of the night. JaeJoong was a sobbing, bloody mess.
“Please, master, don’t do this. Please…” His voice was just as weak as his body, barely a whisper. He wasn’t sure the other had heard him, until he noticed the cruel smirk on DongBin’s face.
His legs were spread wide and he could barely breathe, because of the sobbing.
This isn’t happening, this isn’t happening, this isn’t happening… JaeJoong was now denying reality. Let them do it…don’t struggle…this isn’t happening, this isn’t happening…
He was staring off into space, lost in the chanting in his head, a blank look in his eyes. He had no idea how long he stayed like this, but a piercing scream tore the night air and captured JaeJoong’s attention. Was it him? No, he wasn’t the one who screamed.
A sudden realization dawned on him. DongBin was nowhere in his sight and his friends seemed suddenly rather jumpy. He chuckled, finding the situation funny. What could have scared these men so much?
JaeJoong’s vision was still kind of blurry and his head was spinning but he didn’t fail to notice the swords in their hands.
Ah, the world was twirling around him. He couldn’t focus his gaze anymore, so he just gave up. Then there were more screams and some king of growling, but he was too exhausted to comprehend what was happening at all.
After a while everything was just as quiet as before, except for a single, long howl somewhere in the distance.
The rustling of dead leafs made him lift his gaze, and there it stood. The biggest wolf JaeJoong had ever seen, was standing in front of him. The animal was really impressing, with a long silver fur and eyes as if made of molten gold, reflecting the moonlight. There was blood dripping down from the wolf’s muzzle, and oh, he just figured out what had happened to the three, now missing men. JaeJoong wondered for a brief second if he were the wolf’s next victim, but strangely there was neither fright, nor dread left in him.
He just looked into those sparkling eyes and they appeared to be more humane than the eyes of his assailants. A though of his mother went trough his mind and he wondered what would she think when her son never returned home.
The wolf got so near that if JaeJoong lifted his hand, he could touch the silver fur. And that was exactly what he did. He ran his fingers through it and was amazed at its softness. The wolf’s eyes never left his, never breaking the eye contact, and there was more than JaeJoong could ever voice out in them, oh, so much more. The animal came even closer, its nose buried in JaeJoong’s neck, sniffing him. The wolf’s breath was tickling him and JaeJoong smiled, winding his hands around the animal’s neck.
What a strange wolf this was…
The boy couldn’t keep his eyes open any longer and soon darkness engulfed him.
* * *
There was something warm and solid to his left and JaeJoong cuddled closer to it. The form under his arm was moving, breathing he realized. He slowly opened his eyes coming face to face with the huge silver wolf from the previous night. The creature was staring right at him with its magnificent eyes and then it licked JaeJoong’s face. JaeJoong laughed ruffling the thick fur around its neck.
For some reason he felt safe with the wolf next to him. It had saved him, hadn’t it?
Gradually JaeJoong was beginning to question the wolf’s consciousness, the creature too intelligent for a mere animal.
The boy didn’t want to go back, too scared to be in humans’ presence now. And it seemed the wolf could pick up his feelings, because it took him to a cave, not too far from a small spring. It brought him meat from a deer and occasionally a hen, stolen from some farmer, for which JaeJoong scolded him.
At that point he was sure that the wolf understood every word he spoke. The creature even had an ashamed look after one of the incidents with the hens, the wolf’s head lowered down, avoiding JaeJoong’s eyes, tail between its legs.
The wolf was by his side every night, playing with him, keeping him warm and leaving in the early morning. JaeJoong soon found himself anticipating the time when the wolf would appear. There were also other animals in the woods, but they never approached the human, the wolf’s scent too strong around the boy.
He felt lonely, when his wild friend wasn’t around him. He enjoyed scuffling with it, rolling on the ground, in the soft hey together. JaeJoong found himself laughing when the wolf licked him all over his face, its tongue tickling. Strangely the wolf had an earthy smell to him, nothing like the dog JaeJoong had had as a child. Nothing as any animal JaeJoong had come across.
When JaeJoong felt tired after their games, the wolf often came to him and laid its head in JaeJoong’s lap, urging him to stroke him behind the ears.
The boy had no idea how many days, maybe weeks he had spent in the woods, but soon it was getting colder and colder and the tiny fire he made every night together with the wolf’s heat wasn’t enough to keep him warm through the long nights. Around that time the wolf appeared dragging two blankets with its teeth. JaeJoong didn’t even want to think how the wolf got a hold of them.
That same night, the boy fell asleep cuddled into the wolf’s warmth under the blankets and woke up startled, because of somebody’s touch.
JaeJoong grabbed the hand touching his face and snapped his eyes open. There, in front of him, instead of the giant wolf lay a man with silver hair and golden eyes. JaeJoong panicked momentarily and tried to get as far away as possible from the stranger. However, strong hands held him close.
“Shhh, it’s okay. It’s me.” The voice was soft and calming and sounded somewhat familiar.
JaeJoong stared deep into the other’s golden orbs and there was no doubt about it. The man in front of him was the wolf that had been around JaeJoong all the time. The piercing golden eyes were the same, containing just the same amount of warmth the wolf’s eyes had.
JaeJoong lifted his hand and caressed the spot behind the other’s ear, the man’s eyes closing and a low pleasurable moan escaping his lips.
But JaeJoong was still confused.
“Are you a werewolf?” The boy asked, shock obvious on his face.
The man scoffed. “Werewolves don’t exist. Don’t worry about it, if I bite you, you won’t turn into one of us. Moreover, we don’t need full moon to transform.”
“But then, what are you?”
“We are just shapeshifters. These woods are our territory.”
“We? So, there are more of your kind?” The boy felt kind of uncomfortable pronouncing the term the other used.
“Yes, there are. Any more questions?” The other smirked, amused by the boy’s curiosity.
“I’ve got one more…What’s your name then?” JaeJoong felt a bit shy of asking this.
“My name is Yunho. And I never got yours.”
“It’s JaeJoong.”
“Are you okay with me being in this form? I can always shift back.” Yunho had noticed JaeJoong’s insecurity.
“N…no, it’s okay.”
Yunho could tell that the human was lying. He could smell lies, but he didn’t comment on it.
“There are a few more hours till dawn.” He pressed the boy close to his chest, hugging him tightly. And soon JaeJoong was breathing evenly and slow in deep slumber.
Yunho had not dared to show his other form, because he feared JaeJoong would try to run away from him. But now he was glad he did, finally having the chance to hold the boy in his arms. There was this feeling, this need in his chest to protect the human, to keep him close.
Yunho also closed his eyes, nose pressed to the other’s head, taking deep breaths of JaeJoong’s wonderful smell.
The shapeshifter was spending more time in his wolf-form than in his human-form, JaeJoong still uncomfortable about it. But Yunho didn’t mind, he was just thankful that JaeJoong didn’t run away.
So JaeJoong was surprised when one morning he woke up to human speech. It took him some time to process what was being said. One of the voices was Yunho’s, but he couldn’t recognize the other one.
The shushed speech was getting lauder and lauder, slowly turning almost into shouts. The unknown voice was filled with anger and something else, JaeJoong couldn’t exactly pick up.
“Yunho, this has continued for too long! You know the rules of the pack!”
“Of course I know them a- “
“Then you should have thought about this sooner. You should never have showed the human what we are. I know, what you are going to say, but now it’s too late to let him go.”
“…”
“Don’t tell me you are thinking about that.” The foreign voice was filled with disbelief.
“And what if I am? Are you going to stop me? As if you can…I’m the strongest in the pack and you know it pretty well, Yoochun.” Yunho’s voice had a dangerous edge to it and JaeJoong shuddered under the blankets.
He still had no idea what they were talking about, except that it concerned him as well.
The stranger sighed, resigned. “Then I guess it’s the only way, since you can’t kill him or let him go after all. I just hope the others won’t whine about it too much. It can be confusing having humans around and you are well aware of that as well. But have you asked this human about his opinion on the topic?”
Yunho was about to answer, when the attention of the two men was turned towards JaeJoong’s approaching figure.
“My opinion about what?” JaeJoong lifted one of his eyebrows, looking questioningly at Yunho.
Yunho looked at the ground, flustered.
The man called Yoochun started speaking instead of him.
„Boy, I don’t know how much you’ve heard about us from your town’s elders, but- „
„Shut it, Yoochun. I’ll be the one to do the talking, it’s my own problem.” Yunho’s voice had a commanding sound to it. And JaeJoong felt sure that no one would dare interrupt his words, when he used this tone.
Yunho was now looking at him, eyes hard and searching, focused on JaeJoong’s face.
„You know what we are, JaeJoong.” JaeJoong just noded dumbly at this. „But there’s a rule concerning the humans. No human can walk away, at least not alive, after finding out about our secret.”
JaeJoong gulped.
„It’s not your fault. I was the one who got you into this mess, if I had only been more careful...” Yunho was once again avoiding JaeJoong’s gaze, looking heartbroken.
„Isn’t there another way?” The boy asked, voice trembling, however, not because of the danger he was in, but rather because of the obvious pain and turmoil Yunho was in.
The silver haired man stood still, not uttering a word and so Yoochun spoke again.
„There are... two possibilities. It has happened in the past, Yunho’s not the first one to get into a mess of this sort. The first option is for the shapeshifter to leave the pack and live with the humans. It’s...hard. When we stop shifting we slowly loose our abilities. And it’s painful, it’s something like loosing all of your senses. Simply said, you turn into a human. I don’t even want to imagine what it feels like.” Yoochun shuddered at the mere thought. „And even if Yunho wanted to sacrifice his life here, it would be impossible for him. He’s our leader, we won’t let him, no, he won’t even be able. When you are born a leader, you can’t escape from the responsibilities that come with it.”
He stopped talking, now looking intently at Yunho.
„I know that too, Yoochun. Stop looking at me like that. But Heavens know, I would do it if I could, no matter your opinion.” Yunho growled against the other.
JaeJoong broke their staring fight. „So, you said there were two options. What is the other one.”
Yoochun smirked. „It involves you, human. The other way to stay alive is to join the pack.”
JaeJoong was totally confused at this statement. „But Yunho said I can’t become one of you.”
JaeJoong searched for the silver haired man’s eyes, but it was futile, the other still avoiding his gaze and biting his lip nervously.
Yoochun just smirked. „Who said it involved becoming one of us?”
Yunho finally faced him again. „The only way for a human to join the pack is to become the mate of one of us.”
The man was now carefully searching JaeJoong’s expression for any clues on what the human was thinking. The boy was staring in space, seemingly not able to comprehend what had been said.
Yunho reached for his hand, but JaeJoong backed away, eyes focusing, but still looking a bit distant, as if he weren’t completely here.
„JaeJoong-ah, I know I can’t ask this of you, after everything you’ve went through...please, look at me.” Yunho’s voice was now trembling slightly, pleading.
A few awkward moments passed, the young shapeshifter not knowing how to approach the human. JaeJoong snapped his gaze at Yunho, finally having reached a decision.
That night, when he had met Yunho for the first time...he would have lost what Yunho was now asking for, heck, he might even had lost his life. He had hoped to lose his life... But Yunho had saved him and had been nothing but caring to him. And now JaeJoong didn’t want to die. He didn’t want to spend his life away from Yunho either, he himself coming to care for the shapeshifter and look forward to spending time with him. And if he had to be completely sincere, he found Yunho rather appealing as a man. So, was there something to lose? JaeJoong wondered.
No...there wasn’t.
And he knew then, he knew he had made a decision that would change his whole life. But there was this feeling in him, this painful, yet sweet throbbing of his heart, and JaeJoong just knew, he had made a good choice this time.
So he stepped closer, cupping Yunho’s cheeks and sinking in these strage, but yet beautiful golden eyes, before eyelids cluttered close and hid the world from him. But he didn’t need his eyesight anymore. He was looking with his heart.
JaeJoong tiptoed and pressed his soft lips against Yunho’s. That was his final answer.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
A/N: I'm not quite happy with my JaeJoong, he turned too much like a woman for my liking. But, oh well, let's just balme it on the fact he's an innocent 16-year-old boy. And in love. I've noticed that people tend to be stupid when they are in love. Or at least I do. xD