Keep Your Head Down [10]
Pairings: YunJaeMin
Rating: NC-17
Warnings: boyxboy, mature content.
Summary: Jaejoong wants to be forgiven for leaving HoMin and they know what they want as retribution.
A/N: Bigger A/N at the end of the page. Beware of tense mistakes, grammar mistakes, spelling... oh hell, I just didn't revise this ok?
Yoochun stood in line at Starbucks, patiently waiting for everyone’s coffee order to be out and browsing through the news on his phone. He had offered to treat both his members and the staff to coffee that morning, going as far as going himself to get it. He managed to avoid the fans for the most part, only having to deal with the three or four crazy fans that were always there no matter what he did. Some people mumbled as they noticed him standing there but no one had approached him which was a blessing. Being an idol is tough and nobody really tells you all that it implies before you’re signing contracts and dyeing your hair unnatural colors. He was known to have a short temper with impolite fans and there was no reason to further confirm that reputation
.
Out of habit he clicked on the “dongbangshinki” tag on the side of the page and his mood immediately darkened. He scrolled past a myriad of airport pictures depicting Yunho and Changmin stylishly strolling through the airport after having arrived from Japan. Yoochun exited the browser in anger, and looks at his watch. Why can’t they hurry up? It’s only seven drinks, not twenty.
He saw out of the corner of his eye a young woman almost approach him but she sat back down when she takes note of his scowl.
Good, he thought. He could not handle being a cheery little celebrity at that moment.
Eventually his drinks were ready and in a carrier box for him to take. He mumbled a thank you to the flustered barista and exited the shop, climbing into his sports car and driving away.
In the car he managed to calm down. He took a deep breath and a sip of his Americano, letting the warmth of the brevage melt the icicle that formed inside his chest at the mention of his ex-bandmates. Jaejoong had not talked about them again and for the most part it seemed like they were not meeting each other anymore. His best friend was looking better, albeit not completely there. There was still something broken about Jaejoong, and Yoochun deeply resented Yunho and Changmin for that. Still, all wounds needed time to heal and he figured it was only a matter of time before Jaejoong was completely back to his old self. There was no point in thinking about those two anymore. They were JYJ now, not Dong Bang Shin Ki, and they would get through this as such.
Yoochun parked his car and entered the building, careful not to spill the frappuccinos and lattes in his hands. When he arrived to the studio room they were using that day, the staff thanked him before grabbing their drinks and passing Jaejoong and Junsu theirs.
Jaejoong took a sip of his drink before looking quizzically at Yoochun then back down at his drink.
“This isn’t an Americano, Yoochun-ah,” Jaejoong said, and Yoochun took a sip out of his own coffee before replying.
“It’s a vanilla latte. Sugar-free syrup and 2% milk.”
Jaejoong’s mouth formed an ‘o’ before breaking out into a small, pleased smile. It was one of the few sincere smiles Yoochun had seen in a while and he was glad he had that last change of thought when ordering Jaejoong’s normal Americano. Jaejoong used to love sweets when he was young but had to give them up a few months before they were to debut. He seldom sweetened anything anymore. They all had to give things up for their dreams, but Yoochun thought he could use the sweetness after what he had been going through, and it was worth it just to see him smile.
They set to work, warming up their vocal cords before harmonizing together. Ever since they left S.M. their workload had significantly decreased as did the pressure upon their shoulders to do well during promotions. They still worked hard, but there was no angry manager spewing violent threats at every single mistake anymore or strict schedules to stick to. Their songs were their creation, not some melody bought and adjusted to the Korean lyrics. It was great, except for the ban on them and the lawsuit, which were the only things stopping them from reaching their full potential as independent artists.
He was lost in thought when suddenly he hears Junsu’s voice crack at a high note, causing Jaejoong to break into pearls of laughter. Junsu looks offended at him, muttering something about Jaejoong being a cancer-stick-sucking asshole and how life is not fair to him while hitting him repeatedly on the shoulder.
He smiled at the sight before grabbing Junsu around the waist and asking him in a mock-condescending tone to work harder to stop sounding like a teenager, which earned him a well-deserved elbowing to the ribs. He laughed despite the pain until a staff member asked them to concentrate on the song.
They were going to be alright. Definitely.
♦♦♦♦♦
Yunho climbed first into the van and Changmin followed suit. The loud screams of their fans is drowned out as soon as the door is closed and only the vague thrum of the crowd’s excitement gets through the otherwise empty enclosure. Changmin took out his phone, quickly typing a short text, only to put his phone away seconds later.
He watched Yunho who was lost in thought, staring at his own phone.
“Hyung,” he called, startling the older man. “I am not going to stay in the apartment today.”
“Huh? Oh, okay,” Yunho replied, completely out of it.
Changmin shot him a confused glance but turned his eyes away when his phone beeped with a new message. He read through the text, schooling his features so that they would not betray the smile threatening to split his face.
“When are you going to be back?” This time Changmin was the one startled when Yunho talked to him and when he raised his eyes he saw his hyung with his phone on his hand, the screen lighting his face with a pale tint.
“I don’t know, late. Why? Are you having people over?” Changmin asked, puzzled.
Yunho did not even look up from his phone as he resumed typing his message before replying.
“Maybe.”
♦♦♦♦♦
After recording, and still in high team spirits, Yoochun decided they need to loosen up a little.
“Jae-yah, Junsu-yah, let’s go out drinking!” Yoochun suggested, goofy-smile plastered on his face.
Junsu looked at him then back at Jaejoong and shrugged. “Sure, why not. I am not getting drunk though.”
Yoochun stuck his tongue out at him. “You’re no fun, that’s why Jaejoongie here is my best friend and not you.”
Jaejoong rubbed his neck nervously, avoiding Yoochun’s eyes.
“Sorry, Yoochun-ah, but I’m going to have to bail this time,” he mumbled, confusing not only Yoochun but Junsu too.
“But you always go out with Yoochun…” Junsu said, trailing off almost as if suddenly understanding the situation.
Yoochun does not pay any mind to Junsu’s weird behavior in turn choosing to frown at the eldest.
“You don’t have anything to do today though,” he reasoned.
Jaejoong shrugged and then stretched, his shirt riding up to show his now flat belly. He hid a big yawn behind his hand before checking his vibrating phone in his pocket. He quickly typed something in it before shoving it back into his pocket.
“I am just tired,” Jaejoong offered as explanation, before waving goodbye at them and leaving the studio, greeting various staff members on his way.
There was a moment of silence when neither Yoochun or Junsu move nor talk, while they watch Jaejoong walk away from them, posture relaxed and seemingly energized, and Yoochun pondered at the weirdness of it all.
“I’ll go with you, Yoochun,” Junsu said just as Jaejoong crosses the front door, car keys jingling in his hand.
Yoochun acknowledged Junsu with a nod, too preoccupied with the spot where Jaejoong previously was. That morning’s news search suddenly came to his mind and that’s when he finally remembered how much of a bad liar Jaejoong has always been.
Let it be a coincidence, he prayed, though he had never been the religious type.
♦♦♦♦♦
Changmin had left the apartment twenty minutes ago, after dropping off his luggage in his bedroom and saying something about Yunho taking care and having fun. Yunho had texted Jaejoong, asking to see him. Maybe he could come over, seeing as Changmin was going to be out, but the eldest refused him.
It was not all bad though since Jaejoong had a better idea: Yunho could go there instead.
That became the highlight of Yunho’s day. It seemed the ban Jaejoong had on him had finally been lifted and they were allowed to meet again. The other man had not told him any particular hour to be there so Yunho took his time to shower, feeling gross after being in an airplane for hours, traveling for the most part of the day. He put on a dark pair of jeans and a simple white t-shirt, adding a cardigan as an afterthought before spraying cologne on and casually styling his hair. He wanted to make a good impression after all.
Yunho all but skipped to the elevator, whistling a merry tune while twirling his car keys on his finger. Once inside the elevator he took his phone out, intend on texting Jaejoong.
To: Jaejoongie
Message: I’m making my way there right now :)
Seconds later-as expected when it came to Jaejoong-his phone was buzzing, alerting him of a message.
From: Jaejoongie
Message: Great, could you pick some green onions on your way here? We ran out ^^;
Yunho frowned at the reply. ‘We?’ He was not aware Jaejoong had company. Could it be Junsu or, god forbid, Yoochun? He was not in the mood for a scene.
At that moment the elevator doors opened with a ding but Yunho hesitated to step out. The underground parking lot was deserted and the silence did nothing to calm him. He stood there for a few seconds, weighing the pros and cons when the sudden closing of the elevator doors made him take a decision.
He hurried to put his arm between the closing doors, forcing them to open again, and stepped into the dimly-lit floor. His car was not far from the elevator, parked a few meters away from it. He climbed into his car and turned the ignition.
“Let’s do this, Jung,” he told himself, before reversing out of his spot and driving away.
♦♦♦♦♦
Changmin’s stomach growled as Jaejoong lifted the lid of the pot currently on the burner and he caught the delicious and spicy aroma of the kimchi stew inside. Jaejoong had offered to give him cooking lessons, if only to be able to feed himself during the long months of separation when they would ultimately be unable to meet each other.
He was assigned to chopping duty as soon as they began cooking, and beamed with pride when his hyung complimented his precision with the knife. However, as soon as the meat was put into the pot and the smells started to ooze out, he was a goner, or more like his stomach was a goner, because it began growling and had not stopped since.
“Didn’t you eat breakfast?” Jaejoong commented, half annoyed and half-amused, while he folded mandu and set them on a tray.
“I did, but I am a growing man,” Changmin grumbled back, blinking back onion-induced tears. He wiped his eyes with his forearm, trying not to get the onion juice on his hands anywhere near them.
Jaejoong laughed. “That might have worked two years ago, but not anymore, Min-ah.”
That started a game of one-touch that ended with a few crumpled dumplings and two grown men stinking of onion. Jaejoong managed to get Changmin in a headlock while the youngest tried to grab his hyung’s leg to throw him off-balance, unsuccessfully.
“Okay, I give up,” Changmin rasped out and Jaejoong loosened his grip on his neck, only to find himself trapped by his dongsaeng’s arms.
“You always fall for that one,” Changmin chuckled, his warm breath hitting the skin of Jaejoong’s neck, making him shiver.
Jaejoong struggled to break free, but while he had grown weaker, Changmin had grown stronger turning escape into an impossible feat.
“You just abuse of my good faith,” Jaejoong defended himself, huffing as he squirmed around to no avail.
He was still moving around when he felt Changmin’s arms tightening around him and a face burying itself into his neck.
“Hyung, I missed you,” Changmin whispered against the heated skin of his neck, his grip loosening around him. He inhaled the sweat and expensive cologne mixture that was uniquely Jaejoong and sighed, not letting go.
Jaejoong relaxed into the embrace but said nothing, pressing a trembling hand to Changmin’s arm. He caressed the skin there, hoping to convey his feelings without having to say them, because saying them meant he could not take them back; he could not reconsider.
He was saved by the bell-quite literally-when the doorbell rang.
“He must be here,” Jaejoong said, squirming out of Changmin’s hold and heading towards the door.
Changmin stared after his hyung, a confused look on his face. ‘He’?
“Come on up, it’s open,” he heard his hyung say through the interphone, before returning to the kitchen and resuming his mandu-filling with a sheepish smile.
Changmin stared at him curiously but his hyung did not (would not) look up from his task. The youngest was about to open his mouth to ask when he heard the front door open and close, and the familiar shuffling from someone taking off their shoes at the entrance.
“Jaejoong?” a voice called from outside the kitchen, making Changmin drop his knife against the counted with a ‘clank’.
He knew that voice. Oh hell no.
“Hyung?” Changmin asked incredulous. There was Jung Yunho in the flesh, holding a plastic supermarket bag in one hand.
Yunho frowned confusedly at him. “Changmin-ah?”
“What is he doing here?” Changmin turned to Jaejoong, pointing at Yunho with his chopping knife, while his hyung stood awkwardly on the doorway.
Jaejoong was terrible at faking nonchalance.
“I invited him to come,” he explained, “he also brought the green onions I asked for. Why does this feel like a battleground though?”
Changmin cleared his throat while Yunho rubbed his neck nervously. Jaejoong looked from one the other, a quizzical look in his face and a mandu wrapping in his hand. In the end it was Yunho who spoke.
“I am just tense because when you texted me saying ‘we’ I thought it was Yoochun or Junsu that you had over,” Yunho half-lied, dropping the bag on the counter.
Changmin shrugged, going with it and resumed his chopping.
Jaejoong still looked at them like he did not believe them but he decided to drop it, returning to his dumplings.
Yunho rolled the sleeves of his cardigan up and beamed a smile.
“What do I help with?”
It turned out that Yunho was a disaster in the kitchen. He was completely useless when handed a knife, almost cutting himself several times, and he would fill mandu so much they would burst open as soon as they were placed on the hot pan. He was assigned to stirring duty, pouting all throughout it until Changmin told him he looked like an ugly child when he did that, making Jaejoong erupt into a fit of laughter.
After they were done cooking they gorged themselves on kimchi stew and mandu, saving the leftovers and other extra dishes they had made for them to take back home. They washed it all down with a couple of beers, and by the end of the meal they were feeling drowsy and heavy from their full stomachs so they moved to the couch, turned the TV on for background noise and chatted about Japan and what they had done after the last time they had seen each other.
Even though they avoided the topic of their fight like the plague, it seemed that Yunho and Changmin were back on ground zero with each other around Jaejoong, avoiding all eye-contact and in general not addressing the other. The eldest seemed to notice, because he would look at them weirdly whenever an awkward silence ensured.
Eventually they decided to just watch a sports match, and they picked a baseball game. It was halfway through and in Japanese but they did not mind. Not being a big sports fan himself, Jaejoong fell asleep within minutes of the match, snoring softly between the other two. Changmin arranged his hyung so he was lying down on his lap, holding his breath when he felt Jaejoong stir, but he merely placed his legs on top of Yunho’s lap. Yunho kept his eyes on the screen, though he was not paying attention anymore, too focused on the feeling under his thumb, which was rubbing small, soothing circles on Jaejoong’s calf.
It was not until Changmin cleared his throat that he turned to look at the younger man.
“What are you dressed up for, hyung?” Changmin whispered, a teasing smirk plastered on his face.
Yunho blushed, his features twisting into a scowl.
“Shut up, I didn’t know you would be here,” he angrily whispered back, “and you’re pretty dressed up yourself.”
And he was; Changmin had a long-sleeved shirt on that showcased his muscles and draped over the back of the couch laid a stylish leather jacket that Yunho half-remembered Changmin had been wearing when he left earlier that day.
“Well, I also did not count on you being here,” Changmin bit back.
“What are you playing at, Changmin?” Yunho whispered harshly, a bit too harshly, because as soon as Changmin opened his mouth to reply, they felt Jaejoong stirring.
“Shhh, go back to sleep, hyung. The game is not over yet,” Changmin whispered, carding his fingers through Jaejoong’s hair. The latter merely let out a big breath and turned over, going back to sleep almost immediately.
“We’ll talk later,” Yunho mouthed at Changmin, who looked away and turned his attention back to the game.
Half-an-hour later, Jaejoong woke up and after taking a look at the screen he groaned, rubbing sleep out of his eyes and requesting mercy from that awfully long sport. Yunho told him something about checking the score later and changed the channel, while Jaejoong incorporated into a sitting position, his cheeks turning pink after realizing his position over his ex-members’ laps.
They watched the last minutes of a variety show featuring a new rookie group they did not know except for their name and the drama episode that came after that. Changmin stifled a yawn behind his hand and looked at his watch.
“It’s getting late, we should go,” he announced.
Yunho nodded. “Go ahead. I’ll help do the dishes.”
“I can help too,” Changmin said, a little hesitant to leave his two hyungs alone, but Jaejoong waved him away.
“Don’t worry, Min-ah. Just don’t forget to take the food,” Jaejoong told him as he stood up, grabbing empty beer bottles from the coffee table to throw away.
Changmin helped in a last attempt to stall, but the bottles ran out quickly and he was left with no other option but to leave.
“Thanks for the lesson, hyung,” Changmin said, holding bags of food on both hands. “We should do this more often.”
Jaejoong nodded. “You’re a good student, Min-ah, not like clumsy bear here.”
He pointed at Yunho who let out an indignant “hey!” while he rinsed a pot.
Changmin laughed, before waving goodbye and putting his shoes on, closing the door behind him.
It was almost in slow-motion how Jaejoong turned towards Yunho, arms crossed and eyebrow raised.
“Tell me the truth, did you two fight?”
Yunho almost drops a plate on the kitchen floor upon hearing Jaejoong’s question.
“What makes you ask that?” Yunho asked, trying to buy himself some time. He scrubbed extra hard at the plate in his hands even though it was already clean.
“The fact that you refused to talk to each other this whole time? Or how surprised you were to see each other here? I figured you two had pretty shitty communication lately but not to this extent!”
Yunho winced at Jaejoong’s words. It was true, neither him nor Changmin had made an effort to keep their relationship normal around Jaejoong and the eldest had noticed.
“Yes, we fought a couple of weeks ago,” Yunho admitted, defeated.
“What happened?” Jaejoong asked, concerned.
Yunho sighed and dropped the sponge into the soapy water.
“I punched Changmin,” Yunho said softly though Jaejoong still gasped.
“What?!”
“And then he punched me back,” Yunho continued.
“But you’ve never…” Jaejoong trailed off, disbelief written all over his face.
Yunho lowered his eyes at that. He knows, he knows that he had never struck anyone before. He was pretty stern as a leader, but he never got physical, not even when he was a student and had a problem with a fellow classmate.
“What was the fight even about?” Jaejoong asked, still in shock.
Yunho grimaced. He had hoped Jaejoong would not ask that.
“You.”
Jaejoong had to walk back, blindly searching for a stool and sitting down. He rubbed his hands over his face, while Yunho looked at the kitchen floor, shoulders dropping in shame. It had not been one of his proudest moments. Hell, he seemed to be screwing everything up as of late. Finally, Jaejoong let out a big sigh before speaking.
“Well, don’t.”
“Huh?” Yunho looked up questioningly.
“Don’t fight about me,” Jaejoong said, serious.
“He was saying things, Jaejoong-ah. He said-“
“I don’t care!”
Jaejoong’s sudden outburst silenced Yunho.
“He’s two years younger than you, Yunho-yah,” he continued,” and even though I hated it when our manager told you this, you need to be the bigger man. I swear for someone so mature sometimes you act like a petulant child.”
Yunho deserved that, he guessed, so he stayed quiet while studying the tiles on Jaejoong’s kitchen floor.
“Just try to ignore what he says, okay?” he heard Jaejoong say, before there’s a warm hand on his shoulder, giving it an encouraging squeeze.
He nodded because it is the only thing he could manage. How can I ignore it when he is telling the truth, Jaejoong-ah?
“I’ll try,” he said, before returning to the dishes.
Jaejoong shot him a smile before rummaging through a drawer and pulling out a towel.
“What are you doing?” Yunho inquired.
“Helping you,” Jaejoong said, grabbing the clean plates and drying them.
They worked like that in silence, until the last plate and cooking utensil was clean and dried. Yunho noted it was not an awkward silence, but a comfortable one, and he was suddenly filled with nostalgia. He looked at Jaejoong; his hair shorter, his built leaner, and he wondered why good things never lasted. In that moment he promised himself that he would make it last this time around.
“I’ll put them away, so don’t worry about that,” Jaejoong said, handing him the towel so that he could dry his hands. “You should go, it’s late.”
Yunho nodded, drying his hands. He took a look around, searching for his things before picking them up and walking towards the entrance. He stepped into his shoes while Jaejoong watched him.
“Goodbye Yunho-yah,” the eldest told him.
Yunho turned to look at him at the mention of his name and he was greeted with a warm smile. He would later blame it on the sentimentality the previous talk provoked in him but he suddenly grabbed Jaejoong’s wrist, pulling him towards him, and planted a small kiss upon his cheek. When he moved away he saw a dark pink dusting on Jaejoong’s cheeks and a surprised look in his eyes.
“Sleep well, Jaejoongie,” he said before leaving the apartment.
>>____________________________________________________________________________
Well hello there, long time no see! To be honest guys, I've been really busy with uni and whenever I have time I just don't have the will to write because I am so tired. Uni also killed all my creativity. You guys have no idea how hard it is to get inspired nowadays. I got a lot of comments asking me to update lately so here you go. This does not mean updates return to their normal rate. I am still hiatus-y. Thanks a lot to all the people that still support and read this story and sorry to keep you waiting a whole year for an update OTL
Rating: NC-17
Warnings: boyxboy, mature content.
Summary: Jaejoong wants to be forgiven for leaving HoMin and they know what they want as retribution.
A/N: Bigger A/N at the end of the page. Beware of tense mistakes, grammar mistakes, spelling... oh hell, I just didn't revise this ok?
Yoochun stood in line at Starbucks, patiently waiting for everyone’s coffee order to be out and browsing through the news on his phone. He had offered to treat both his members and the staff to coffee that morning, going as far as going himself to get it. He managed to avoid the fans for the most part, only having to deal with the three or four crazy fans that were always there no matter what he did. Some people mumbled as they noticed him standing there but no one had approached him which was a blessing. Being an idol is tough and nobody really tells you all that it implies before you’re signing contracts and dyeing your hair unnatural colors. He was known to have a short temper with impolite fans and there was no reason to further confirm that reputation
.
Out of habit he clicked on the “dongbangshinki” tag on the side of the page and his mood immediately darkened. He scrolled past a myriad of airport pictures depicting Yunho and Changmin stylishly strolling through the airport after having arrived from Japan. Yoochun exited the browser in anger, and looks at his watch. Why can’t they hurry up? It’s only seven drinks, not twenty.
He saw out of the corner of his eye a young woman almost approach him but she sat back down when she takes note of his scowl.
Good, he thought. He could not handle being a cheery little celebrity at that moment.
Eventually his drinks were ready and in a carrier box for him to take. He mumbled a thank you to the flustered barista and exited the shop, climbing into his sports car and driving away.
In the car he managed to calm down. He took a deep breath and a sip of his Americano, letting the warmth of the brevage melt the icicle that formed inside his chest at the mention of his ex-bandmates. Jaejoong had not talked about them again and for the most part it seemed like they were not meeting each other anymore. His best friend was looking better, albeit not completely there. There was still something broken about Jaejoong, and Yoochun deeply resented Yunho and Changmin for that. Still, all wounds needed time to heal and he figured it was only a matter of time before Jaejoong was completely back to his old self. There was no point in thinking about those two anymore. They were JYJ now, not Dong Bang Shin Ki, and they would get through this as such.
Yoochun parked his car and entered the building, careful not to spill the frappuccinos and lattes in his hands. When he arrived to the studio room they were using that day, the staff thanked him before grabbing their drinks and passing Jaejoong and Junsu theirs.
Jaejoong took a sip of his drink before looking quizzically at Yoochun then back down at his drink.
“This isn’t an Americano, Yoochun-ah,” Jaejoong said, and Yoochun took a sip out of his own coffee before replying.
“It’s a vanilla latte. Sugar-free syrup and 2% milk.”
Jaejoong’s mouth formed an ‘o’ before breaking out into a small, pleased smile. It was one of the few sincere smiles Yoochun had seen in a while and he was glad he had that last change of thought when ordering Jaejoong’s normal Americano. Jaejoong used to love sweets when he was young but had to give them up a few months before they were to debut. He seldom sweetened anything anymore. They all had to give things up for their dreams, but Yoochun thought he could use the sweetness after what he had been going through, and it was worth it just to see him smile.
They set to work, warming up their vocal cords before harmonizing together. Ever since they left S.M. their workload had significantly decreased as did the pressure upon their shoulders to do well during promotions. They still worked hard, but there was no angry manager spewing violent threats at every single mistake anymore or strict schedules to stick to. Their songs were their creation, not some melody bought and adjusted to the Korean lyrics. It was great, except for the ban on them and the lawsuit, which were the only things stopping them from reaching their full potential as independent artists.
He was lost in thought when suddenly he hears Junsu’s voice crack at a high note, causing Jaejoong to break into pearls of laughter. Junsu looks offended at him, muttering something about Jaejoong being a cancer-stick-sucking asshole and how life is not fair to him while hitting him repeatedly on the shoulder.
He smiled at the sight before grabbing Junsu around the waist and asking him in a mock-condescending tone to work harder to stop sounding like a teenager, which earned him a well-deserved elbowing to the ribs. He laughed despite the pain until a staff member asked them to concentrate on the song.
They were going to be alright. Definitely.
♦♦♦♦♦
Yunho climbed first into the van and Changmin followed suit. The loud screams of their fans is drowned out as soon as the door is closed and only the vague thrum of the crowd’s excitement gets through the otherwise empty enclosure. Changmin took out his phone, quickly typing a short text, only to put his phone away seconds later.
He watched Yunho who was lost in thought, staring at his own phone.
“Hyung,” he called, startling the older man. “I am not going to stay in the apartment today.”
“Huh? Oh, okay,” Yunho replied, completely out of it.
Changmin shot him a confused glance but turned his eyes away when his phone beeped with a new message. He read through the text, schooling his features so that they would not betray the smile threatening to split his face.
“When are you going to be back?” This time Changmin was the one startled when Yunho talked to him and when he raised his eyes he saw his hyung with his phone on his hand, the screen lighting his face with a pale tint.
“I don’t know, late. Why? Are you having people over?” Changmin asked, puzzled.
Yunho did not even look up from his phone as he resumed typing his message before replying.
“Maybe.”
♦♦♦♦♦
After recording, and still in high team spirits, Yoochun decided they need to loosen up a little.
“Jae-yah, Junsu-yah, let’s go out drinking!” Yoochun suggested, goofy-smile plastered on his face.
Junsu looked at him then back at Jaejoong and shrugged. “Sure, why not. I am not getting drunk though.”
Yoochun stuck his tongue out at him. “You’re no fun, that’s why Jaejoongie here is my best friend and not you.”
Jaejoong rubbed his neck nervously, avoiding Yoochun’s eyes.
“Sorry, Yoochun-ah, but I’m going to have to bail this time,” he mumbled, confusing not only Yoochun but Junsu too.
“But you always go out with Yoochun…” Junsu said, trailing off almost as if suddenly understanding the situation.
Yoochun does not pay any mind to Junsu’s weird behavior in turn choosing to frown at the eldest.
“You don’t have anything to do today though,” he reasoned.
Jaejoong shrugged and then stretched, his shirt riding up to show his now flat belly. He hid a big yawn behind his hand before checking his vibrating phone in his pocket. He quickly typed something in it before shoving it back into his pocket.
“I am just tired,” Jaejoong offered as explanation, before waving goodbye at them and leaving the studio, greeting various staff members on his way.
There was a moment of silence when neither Yoochun or Junsu move nor talk, while they watch Jaejoong walk away from them, posture relaxed and seemingly energized, and Yoochun pondered at the weirdness of it all.
“I’ll go with you, Yoochun,” Junsu said just as Jaejoong crosses the front door, car keys jingling in his hand.
Yoochun acknowledged Junsu with a nod, too preoccupied with the spot where Jaejoong previously was. That morning’s news search suddenly came to his mind and that’s when he finally remembered how much of a bad liar Jaejoong has always been.
Let it be a coincidence, he prayed, though he had never been the religious type.
♦♦♦♦♦
Changmin had left the apartment twenty minutes ago, after dropping off his luggage in his bedroom and saying something about Yunho taking care and having fun. Yunho had texted Jaejoong, asking to see him. Maybe he could come over, seeing as Changmin was going to be out, but the eldest refused him.
It was not all bad though since Jaejoong had a better idea: Yunho could go there instead.
That became the highlight of Yunho’s day. It seemed the ban Jaejoong had on him had finally been lifted and they were allowed to meet again. The other man had not told him any particular hour to be there so Yunho took his time to shower, feeling gross after being in an airplane for hours, traveling for the most part of the day. He put on a dark pair of jeans and a simple white t-shirt, adding a cardigan as an afterthought before spraying cologne on and casually styling his hair. He wanted to make a good impression after all.
Yunho all but skipped to the elevator, whistling a merry tune while twirling his car keys on his finger. Once inside the elevator he took his phone out, intend on texting Jaejoong.
To: Jaejoongie
Message: I’m making my way there right now :)
Seconds later-as expected when it came to Jaejoong-his phone was buzzing, alerting him of a message.
From: Jaejoongie
Message: Great, could you pick some green onions on your way here? We ran out ^^;
Yunho frowned at the reply. ‘We?’ He was not aware Jaejoong had company. Could it be Junsu or, god forbid, Yoochun? He was not in the mood for a scene.
At that moment the elevator doors opened with a ding but Yunho hesitated to step out. The underground parking lot was deserted and the silence did nothing to calm him. He stood there for a few seconds, weighing the pros and cons when the sudden closing of the elevator doors made him take a decision.
He hurried to put his arm between the closing doors, forcing them to open again, and stepped into the dimly-lit floor. His car was not far from the elevator, parked a few meters away from it. He climbed into his car and turned the ignition.
“Let’s do this, Jung,” he told himself, before reversing out of his spot and driving away.
♦♦♦♦♦
Changmin’s stomach growled as Jaejoong lifted the lid of the pot currently on the burner and he caught the delicious and spicy aroma of the kimchi stew inside. Jaejoong had offered to give him cooking lessons, if only to be able to feed himself during the long months of separation when they would ultimately be unable to meet each other.
He was assigned to chopping duty as soon as they began cooking, and beamed with pride when his hyung complimented his precision with the knife. However, as soon as the meat was put into the pot and the smells started to ooze out, he was a goner, or more like his stomach was a goner, because it began growling and had not stopped since.
“Didn’t you eat breakfast?” Jaejoong commented, half annoyed and half-amused, while he folded mandu and set them on a tray.
“I did, but I am a growing man,” Changmin grumbled back, blinking back onion-induced tears. He wiped his eyes with his forearm, trying not to get the onion juice on his hands anywhere near them.
Jaejoong laughed. “That might have worked two years ago, but not anymore, Min-ah.”
That started a game of one-touch that ended with a few crumpled dumplings and two grown men stinking of onion. Jaejoong managed to get Changmin in a headlock while the youngest tried to grab his hyung’s leg to throw him off-balance, unsuccessfully.
“Okay, I give up,” Changmin rasped out and Jaejoong loosened his grip on his neck, only to find himself trapped by his dongsaeng’s arms.
“You always fall for that one,” Changmin chuckled, his warm breath hitting the skin of Jaejoong’s neck, making him shiver.
Jaejoong struggled to break free, but while he had grown weaker, Changmin had grown stronger turning escape into an impossible feat.
“You just abuse of my good faith,” Jaejoong defended himself, huffing as he squirmed around to no avail.
He was still moving around when he felt Changmin’s arms tightening around him and a face burying itself into his neck.
“Hyung, I missed you,” Changmin whispered against the heated skin of his neck, his grip loosening around him. He inhaled the sweat and expensive cologne mixture that was uniquely Jaejoong and sighed, not letting go.
Jaejoong relaxed into the embrace but said nothing, pressing a trembling hand to Changmin’s arm. He caressed the skin there, hoping to convey his feelings without having to say them, because saying them meant he could not take them back; he could not reconsider.
He was saved by the bell-quite literally-when the doorbell rang.
“He must be here,” Jaejoong said, squirming out of Changmin’s hold and heading towards the door.
Changmin stared after his hyung, a confused look on his face. ‘He’?
“Come on up, it’s open,” he heard his hyung say through the interphone, before returning to the kitchen and resuming his mandu-filling with a sheepish smile.
Changmin stared at him curiously but his hyung did not (would not) look up from his task. The youngest was about to open his mouth to ask when he heard the front door open and close, and the familiar shuffling from someone taking off their shoes at the entrance.
“Jaejoong?” a voice called from outside the kitchen, making Changmin drop his knife against the counted with a ‘clank’.
He knew that voice. Oh hell no.
“Hyung?” Changmin asked incredulous. There was Jung Yunho in the flesh, holding a plastic supermarket bag in one hand.
Yunho frowned confusedly at him. “Changmin-ah?”
“What is he doing here?” Changmin turned to Jaejoong, pointing at Yunho with his chopping knife, while his hyung stood awkwardly on the doorway.
Jaejoong was terrible at faking nonchalance.
“I invited him to come,” he explained, “he also brought the green onions I asked for. Why does this feel like a battleground though?”
Changmin cleared his throat while Yunho rubbed his neck nervously. Jaejoong looked from one the other, a quizzical look in his face and a mandu wrapping in his hand. In the end it was Yunho who spoke.
“I am just tense because when you texted me saying ‘we’ I thought it was Yoochun or Junsu that you had over,” Yunho half-lied, dropping the bag on the counter.
Changmin shrugged, going with it and resumed his chopping.
Jaejoong still looked at them like he did not believe them but he decided to drop it, returning to his dumplings.
Yunho rolled the sleeves of his cardigan up and beamed a smile.
“What do I help with?”
It turned out that Yunho was a disaster in the kitchen. He was completely useless when handed a knife, almost cutting himself several times, and he would fill mandu so much they would burst open as soon as they were placed on the hot pan. He was assigned to stirring duty, pouting all throughout it until Changmin told him he looked like an ugly child when he did that, making Jaejoong erupt into a fit of laughter.
After they were done cooking they gorged themselves on kimchi stew and mandu, saving the leftovers and other extra dishes they had made for them to take back home. They washed it all down with a couple of beers, and by the end of the meal they were feeling drowsy and heavy from their full stomachs so they moved to the couch, turned the TV on for background noise and chatted about Japan and what they had done after the last time they had seen each other.
Even though they avoided the topic of their fight like the plague, it seemed that Yunho and Changmin were back on ground zero with each other around Jaejoong, avoiding all eye-contact and in general not addressing the other. The eldest seemed to notice, because he would look at them weirdly whenever an awkward silence ensured.
Eventually they decided to just watch a sports match, and they picked a baseball game. It was halfway through and in Japanese but they did not mind. Not being a big sports fan himself, Jaejoong fell asleep within minutes of the match, snoring softly between the other two. Changmin arranged his hyung so he was lying down on his lap, holding his breath when he felt Jaejoong stir, but he merely placed his legs on top of Yunho’s lap. Yunho kept his eyes on the screen, though he was not paying attention anymore, too focused on the feeling under his thumb, which was rubbing small, soothing circles on Jaejoong’s calf.
It was not until Changmin cleared his throat that he turned to look at the younger man.
“What are you dressed up for, hyung?” Changmin whispered, a teasing smirk plastered on his face.
Yunho blushed, his features twisting into a scowl.
“Shut up, I didn’t know you would be here,” he angrily whispered back, “and you’re pretty dressed up yourself.”
And he was; Changmin had a long-sleeved shirt on that showcased his muscles and draped over the back of the couch laid a stylish leather jacket that Yunho half-remembered Changmin had been wearing when he left earlier that day.
“Well, I also did not count on you being here,” Changmin bit back.
“What are you playing at, Changmin?” Yunho whispered harshly, a bit too harshly, because as soon as Changmin opened his mouth to reply, they felt Jaejoong stirring.
“Shhh, go back to sleep, hyung. The game is not over yet,” Changmin whispered, carding his fingers through Jaejoong’s hair. The latter merely let out a big breath and turned over, going back to sleep almost immediately.
“We’ll talk later,” Yunho mouthed at Changmin, who looked away and turned his attention back to the game.
Half-an-hour later, Jaejoong woke up and after taking a look at the screen he groaned, rubbing sleep out of his eyes and requesting mercy from that awfully long sport. Yunho told him something about checking the score later and changed the channel, while Jaejoong incorporated into a sitting position, his cheeks turning pink after realizing his position over his ex-members’ laps.
They watched the last minutes of a variety show featuring a new rookie group they did not know except for their name and the drama episode that came after that. Changmin stifled a yawn behind his hand and looked at his watch.
“It’s getting late, we should go,” he announced.
Yunho nodded. “Go ahead. I’ll help do the dishes.”
“I can help too,” Changmin said, a little hesitant to leave his two hyungs alone, but Jaejoong waved him away.
“Don’t worry, Min-ah. Just don’t forget to take the food,” Jaejoong told him as he stood up, grabbing empty beer bottles from the coffee table to throw away.
Changmin helped in a last attempt to stall, but the bottles ran out quickly and he was left with no other option but to leave.
“Thanks for the lesson, hyung,” Changmin said, holding bags of food on both hands. “We should do this more often.”
Jaejoong nodded. “You’re a good student, Min-ah, not like clumsy bear here.”
He pointed at Yunho who let out an indignant “hey!” while he rinsed a pot.
Changmin laughed, before waving goodbye and putting his shoes on, closing the door behind him.
It was almost in slow-motion how Jaejoong turned towards Yunho, arms crossed and eyebrow raised.
“Tell me the truth, did you two fight?”
Yunho almost drops a plate on the kitchen floor upon hearing Jaejoong’s question.
“What makes you ask that?” Yunho asked, trying to buy himself some time. He scrubbed extra hard at the plate in his hands even though it was already clean.
“The fact that you refused to talk to each other this whole time? Or how surprised you were to see each other here? I figured you two had pretty shitty communication lately but not to this extent!”
Yunho winced at Jaejoong’s words. It was true, neither him nor Changmin had made an effort to keep their relationship normal around Jaejoong and the eldest had noticed.
“Yes, we fought a couple of weeks ago,” Yunho admitted, defeated.
“What happened?” Jaejoong asked, concerned.
Yunho sighed and dropped the sponge into the soapy water.
“I punched Changmin,” Yunho said softly though Jaejoong still gasped.
“What?!”
“And then he punched me back,” Yunho continued.
“But you’ve never…” Jaejoong trailed off, disbelief written all over his face.
Yunho lowered his eyes at that. He knows, he knows that he had never struck anyone before. He was pretty stern as a leader, but he never got physical, not even when he was a student and had a problem with a fellow classmate.
“What was the fight even about?” Jaejoong asked, still in shock.
Yunho grimaced. He had hoped Jaejoong would not ask that.
“You.”
Jaejoong had to walk back, blindly searching for a stool and sitting down. He rubbed his hands over his face, while Yunho looked at the kitchen floor, shoulders dropping in shame. It had not been one of his proudest moments. Hell, he seemed to be screwing everything up as of late. Finally, Jaejoong let out a big sigh before speaking.
“Well, don’t.”
“Huh?” Yunho looked up questioningly.
“Don’t fight about me,” Jaejoong said, serious.
“He was saying things, Jaejoong-ah. He said-“
“I don’t care!”
Jaejoong’s sudden outburst silenced Yunho.
“He’s two years younger than you, Yunho-yah,” he continued,” and even though I hated it when our manager told you this, you need to be the bigger man. I swear for someone so mature sometimes you act like a petulant child.”
Yunho deserved that, he guessed, so he stayed quiet while studying the tiles on Jaejoong’s kitchen floor.
“Just try to ignore what he says, okay?” he heard Jaejoong say, before there’s a warm hand on his shoulder, giving it an encouraging squeeze.
He nodded because it is the only thing he could manage. How can I ignore it when he is telling the truth, Jaejoong-ah?
“I’ll try,” he said, before returning to the dishes.
Jaejoong shot him a smile before rummaging through a drawer and pulling out a towel.
“What are you doing?” Yunho inquired.
“Helping you,” Jaejoong said, grabbing the clean plates and drying them.
They worked like that in silence, until the last plate and cooking utensil was clean and dried. Yunho noted it was not an awkward silence, but a comfortable one, and he was suddenly filled with nostalgia. He looked at Jaejoong; his hair shorter, his built leaner, and he wondered why good things never lasted. In that moment he promised himself that he would make it last this time around.
“I’ll put them away, so don’t worry about that,” Jaejoong said, handing him the towel so that he could dry his hands. “You should go, it’s late.”
Yunho nodded, drying his hands. He took a look around, searching for his things before picking them up and walking towards the entrance. He stepped into his shoes while Jaejoong watched him.
“Goodbye Yunho-yah,” the eldest told him.
Yunho turned to look at him at the mention of his name and he was greeted with a warm smile. He would later blame it on the sentimentality the previous talk provoked in him but he suddenly grabbed Jaejoong’s wrist, pulling him towards him, and planted a small kiss upon his cheek. When he moved away he saw a dark pink dusting on Jaejoong’s cheeks and a surprised look in his eyes.
“Sleep well, Jaejoongie,” he said before leaving the apartment.
>>____________________________________________________________________________
Well hello there, long time no see! To be honest guys, I've been really busy with uni and whenever I have time I just don't have the will to write because I am so tired. Uni also killed all my creativity. You guys have no idea how hard it is to get inspired nowadays. I got a lot of comments asking me to update lately so here you go. This does not mean updates return to their normal rate. I am still hiatus-y. Thanks a lot to all the people that still support and read this story and sorry to keep you waiting a whole year for an update OTL