The White City 4
Title: The White City Rating: Not Yet Rated
Genre: supernatural, romance, sci-fi
Rating: PG-13
Pairing(s): The main ones are: YunJae and YooSu
Summary: A futuristic world, where the only civlization is located in the White City (aka the City of Heaven). There is a rumour that the angels of God were sent down to protect and run this city, however they have never been seen in public. It is a flourishing world of 2 million people and there is no safer haven than this city. However, there is an underworld of evil, made to destroy the angels and take over this utopia. It is led by Rain, and he uses mind control over his followers. A dark world where no one is safe is breaking free ad the lead angel, Boa, resorts to finding help in three White City celebrities, in hopes to bring peace to the only city before Rain triumphs and takes over
A/N: because of school I have to make this story short. I had intended it to be longer, so I apologize if everything from this point on speeds up, I just don't have a lot of time to be focusing on this story when I have a full course load :( . But I will complete it!
Chapter 4
Boa sat at the table, playing with a white carnation, studying the picture of green fields and blue skies. In the distance a child frolicked through the field with a colourful kite. A tree swayed in the forever breeze. It was the way the world was before; alive, luscious. It was heartbreaking, and yet there was still hope.
A glass of water was set in front of her and she smiled up to see Koda staring at her. “Is your plan working?”
Boa nodded. “Yes, much better than I had anticipated. They are fit for each other; even if I hadn't set them up the way I did they would have found each other eventually.”
Koda slid into a chair quickly and placed her hands on top of Boa's. Her eyes looked pleadingly at the angel, and her voice was filled with worry. “Please, don't let this carry on for much longer, that boy is in danger! I can't get it out of my head.”
In a slow, almost regrettable manner, Boa pulled away and shook her head. “I have to do what will save this city, not destroy it. One human for the other 2 million...it's a risk I have to take.”
“No, you can't seriously be considering this! Using him...you're no better than Rain!” Koda said, desperately. “I understand if the only way to rescue the angels is to use love, but don't let them get in too deep. You'll only end up hurting both of them.”
A sort of stony silence fell over Boa. Her face clouded over, her manner became rigid. Koda sat back in her chair, aware that she had gone too far but couldn't back down. She knew what she saw, and she had to stand by protecting the humans. She was, after all, one of them.
“I'll be taking my leave,” Boa said shortly, “your services are no longer needed.”
“No, they aren't,” a cheerful voice resounded. Both Boa and Koda froze and watched as a man appeared before them. “My, my, dear Mother Angel, you are difficult to track down. But, luckily this prophetess isn't so difficult. My deepest thanks.”
“Rain,” Boa replied, stiffly, “it has been took long. I thought I'd be able to hide for longer.”
Smirking, Rain shook his head and in the next second was inches away from the angel. Koda stood in shock, but was powerless against a demon. Boa, on the other hand, stood with her head held high and her chin jutted out in a royal manner. Her eyes bore deep into Rain's who was equally powerful. Slowly Rain traced a finger along her cheek and jawline and smiled.
“I know of your little plan now, mother dearest,” he whispered, “you really think you could make Yunho fall in love without me eventually finding out? Now I'll do my utmost to ruin this and there is nothing you can do to stop it. Now, come along quietly and I'll let this prophetess live. Changmin!”
Glaring silently at him, Boa became aware of something stirring in the background and she turned her eyes ever so slightly and was heartbroken to see Changmin standing in the entranceway. He looked equally pained but there was a clouding of his eyes, indicating he had no control of his actions. Resistance was clear all over his movements as he moved closer to the other angel, and when he came up to her ear he whispered in it.
“I'm so sorry.”
“I don't blame you, my son,” Boa whispered back, and then to Rain added, “as agreed, you leave this human alone.” Koda shook her head and was about to argue but Boa silenced her quickly with one sharp glance.
“I always uphold my promise. Now, my lady, come away.” Rain stepped out of the way and in a gentlemanly manner he allowed her to go first, Changmin following close behind her. Before Rain left, he turned to the woman and put his finger to his lips.
“I would like to know how this all turns out, but I think I know,” he smiled, and with that they were gone.
Desperately, Koda collapsed onto a chair and ran a hand through her hair. She knew what had to be done. “I must find Yunho. Before it's too late.”
☪
A couple of weeks went by, and things were pretty routine around the JYJ house. Yunho only ever came by when they were leaving the house to go to the studio or elsewhere. Jaejoong never felt happier than when the guard came by, it made him eager to go out. Of course Yoochun and Junsu were suspicious but they never pushed or made him confess anything. They just let it be, and that was exactly the way Jaejoong wanted it. He didn't want anyone prying into his life until he was ready to open up.
This particular day was the last day before there was a lapse in their work. It was the time of year where they weren't going to practice every day, or having concerts every other week, it was just a lazy, wonderful vacation. It was also the time where Junsu and Yoochun went to visit their families for a few days. Unfortunately Jaejoong didn't have any family left so he was left with the responsibility of taking care of the house. It didn't matter because he liked having the time alone. Things were peaceful and quiet in the JYJ house during the vacation giving the only resident a chance to catch up with a few things like cleaning and...sleeping. Junsu and Yoochun preferred waking up early while Jaejoong liked sleeping as long as he could. That usually meant until eleven or twelve.
So the house was empty, and Jaejoong was sleeping soundly. Suddenly there was a knock on the door. It wasn't enough to wake the sleeping beauty from his sleep though. He was a very heavy sleeper and Junsu and Yoochun always had a difficult time waking him up in the morning. So a knock on a door wasn't enough to phase him.
The person knocked again. Still no response. So the person knocked again. And again. Then they tried the doorbell and kept pressing it until finally there was some movement under the heavy duvet that covered the slumbering young man. A groan escaped his lips and he rolled over, only to find that he had been sleeping so close to the edge that there was no more bed to catch him. Rolling over, Jaejoong smacked his arm on the bedside table and his blankets rolled him up into a tangled mess of a cocoon. Now wide awake, Jaejoong kicked and fought with the blanket, all the while the doorbell ringing relentlessly and it was driving him mad.
“God, I just had to fall out of bed,” he grumbled, after he had escaped the blanket.
Sighing he shuffled tiredly down the hall, his hands covering his ears because the bell was making him go crazy. When he approached the door he flung it open and gave the person on the other side the meanest look he could muster. It quickly disappeared when he realized who it was and it was replaced by surprise. Yunho stood there with an amused look on his face when he saw Jaejoong's tired and angry look.
“Why are you here?” he asked, after a moment of recovery.
Yunho shrugged. “Well, your manager said you guys were on vacation and that you didn't really go anywhere so I figured I'd come and see how you were doing. Were you still sleeping? It's noon already.”
“Hey I get as much sleep in when I get the chance,” Jaejoong muttered, running a hand through his wild bedhead. “But you didn't have to come. I'm fine.”
“Well seeing as how I'm out a job for a couple of weeks how about I escort you around? I'm sure it gets pretty lonely all by yourself every day.”
Before Jaejoong could protest Yunho slipped inside and looked around. “You should probably shower and get ready. We're going for lunch...or in your case breakfast...or brunch.”
Silently Jaejoong observed the other man, trying to hide his surprise. For one thing, Yunho had never been perkier. Then again, he had only ever seen him in uniform and professional, so he wasn't quite sure how the guard acted when he was not on duty. Somehow Jaejoong doubted it this either, though. But he went along with it, happy to see Yunho acting amused.
While Jaejoong showered Yunho was on the couch staring at the blank TV screen. His thoughts were completely wrapped up in what he wanted to do today. Since he wasn't really working he wanted to be away from his house as much as possible to stay away from the chance of running into Rain. Since the party a couple of weeks ago, Rain hadn't showed his face or made his witches come by. That had never happened before and it unnerved Yunho to no end. He was afraid for his brothers who were locked in that cave and who knew what he was doing to them. He and Changmin didn't talk about the incident because it was too painful. Rain literally forbade them from seeing their brothers, and he would find a way to stop them if he caught them.
Movement caught his attention and he turned to see Jaejoong in the entranceway, towel-drying his hair. He looked so beautiful with droplets of water making his hair shine, and the way they slid down his cheeks and neck. He wore a white shirt that was damp in some places, and Yunho saw the firm skin underneath. He felt his heart flutter and cleared his throat to keep himself from dwelling too much more into it and Jaejoong looked at him with interest.
“Just give me a few seconds to dry my hair and then I'm good to go.”
“Sure, sounds good.”
Smiling, Jaejoong turned to the TV, which was still off. “You know, you can turn it on. Do you know how to do that?”
Yunho gave him a look. “Of course I know how to work a TV. Go get ready, you're taking up the whole day.”
When Jaejoong was blow drying his hair Yunho could hear the singer hum a random tune quietly and imagined him bobbing his head while styling the hair that suited him so well. He really did have a good voice, soft, light and pure. As he listened, Yunho looked around the living room. It was small but modern and comfortable. The TV was a flat screen, along with a game box and DVD player. In the entertainment unit's cabinet were several rows of old DVDs that had been made in the early 2000s. They never sold those anymore, so Yunho wondered absently if it was Jaejoong's mom who brought them with her. There were quite a bit on the shelf, but only the people who had survived the apocalypse had them so it was possible. He was browsing the videos when Jaejoong came back out and he laughed.
“Like the collection? All of our parents had them brought here. They were moved in slowly I think, so they were able to bring anything they wanted,” Jaejoong explained, “except for my mom, of course. She carried movies around with her like a bookworm with novels. Don't know why, it was a weird habit of hers. So all these were hers.”
He pointed to a small cluster of DVDs that started up the first shelf. There were some movies even older than than the early 2000s, ones Yunho remember watching back in the 1980s and further. He didn't say anything about that though, and nodded in silence, pretending to admire them.
After a few minutes Jaejoong pulled away and tugged on Yunho's jacket. “I thought you said you didn't want to waste any more time and here we are looking at old movies. I'm actually starting to get hungry.”
Chuckling Yunho opened the door and stepped out, followed by Jaejoong who locked it up. He turned and gasped when he saw the gorgeous car sitting in front of his house. It was a sleek red sports car, low to the ground with only two seats. The fact that it had wheels instead of hover technology impressed Jaejoong far more. He loved cars that still sped around on the ground, they seemed to go faster and the impact was more impressive. And it suited Yunho so perfectly. Strong and fast. It had been freshly polished so the sun bounced off it brightly. Jaejoong whistled as Yunho pulled the door open for him to get in.
“Where did you get this baby?” Jaejoong asked, trailing his fingers over the leather interior.
“They still produce cars like this. Not that hover car bull.” Yunho smiled and Jaejoong shook his head.
“Be careful around Junsu with those words. He finds hover cars the most fascinating things ever invented.”
Yunho laughed and shook his head. “Alright, my lips are sealed.”
They got into the car and Jaejoong felt so comfortable sitting in the soft, black leather seats. The seat formed to his body perfectly, and it felt possible to have a nice relaxing nap in the car. The seatbelt was locked in and the engine was revved up, and the car sped down the street.
It was the middle of the week, so the citizens were all out and at work. It was lunch time when Jaejoong and Yunho left for lunch, so all the restaurants and fast food places were hustling with employees and students. The restaurant Yunho chose was the same, and the wait was at least a half an hour long. That is, until the hostess realized who was standing before her. Her cheeks flushed as she regarded Jaejoong and she called over a waitress.
“Set a table for these two please,” she said politely, all the while blushing. “They're priority seating.”
Nodding, the waitress motioned for the two young men to follow her, though it was obvious she knew who Jaejoong was as well. The singer, however, was fully aware of the people who had been waiting longer than he had, and the guilt bit at him. Yunho didn't know how to take this sudden treatment so he stood there awkwardly.
“It's okay,” Jaejoong said quickly, “we can wait. I don't mind. These people were waiting before us.”
The hostess looked a little put out and embarrassed but she called the next couple and the hostess led them away. Meanwhile Jaejoong and Yunho took a seat and it was then that Yunho noticed all the stares and the cameras that slid out and whispers as all eyes were on Jaejoong. On his behalf, the singer didn't notice, or if he did he was really good at pretending. On the other hand, Yunho felt as though the spotlight was on them and it was making him hot and uncomfortable. He kept his eyes pointedly on the floor and didn't stir until the waitress called them up and led them to a booth. Thankfully it was secluded and out of the public's eye, giving Yunho a chance to relax a little.
“Sorry,” Jaejoong mumbled.
Raising his eyebrows, Yunho looked at the other man. His face was slightly embarrassed and the beautiful snowy cheeks were slightly pink. He was staring determinedly at the freshly cleaned, wooden table. Absently his fingers fiddled with a napkin that was sitting there next to a glass.
“Don't apologize. You did nothing wrong.”
“The only thing wrong is that I am a popular celebrity.”
There was a pause. Yunho studied the singer, his lips twitching as he tried to hold back a laugh. He bit his lip and shook his head. “It's not wrong to be a celebrity Jaejoong! You are incredible! I've listened to you sing, you bring entertainment to this city. Trust me, your fans seriously appreciate it.”
“But those fans looking at me earlier made you uncomfortable,” Jaejoong pointed out, “I don't want you to feel like that.”
“I'm just not used to this that's all. So much attention on one person is something I've learned to avoid. I'm just a security guard, so I need time to adjust.” Slowly Yunho stretched his hand out across the table and rested it on Jaejoong's. He felt the singer tense slightly and looked surprised at the hands and then a small smile formed on his lips. His hand was warm and soft, and Yunho knew he could hold onto that hand forever. Unfortunately at that moment a waitress came up to the table, forcing them to hastily pull away from one another.
After ordering their food, the atmosphere around them was different. It was in silence but not uncomfortable, they didn't need to say anything to each other. Things seemed to have clicked with them in the span of that single moment.
When they were finished lunch, Jaejoong looked at Yunho and smiled shyly. “Thank-you, it was really good.”
Yunho shrugged and watched as Jaejoong moved around the car and opened the door. They had parked along the street because the parking lot had been packed with vehicles of other customers. Yunho's side was facing the restaurant while Jaejoong's was facing the road. Usually drivers in the White City were impeccable drivers and there were hardly any accidents, which was this caught Yunho off guard.
There was the sound of popped tires and Yunho barely had time to turn back to the street when there was a crashing sound and a screeching halt. Another sound hit Yunho's ears and he would never forget it. His eyes widened as he watched Jaejoong's body collapse to the ground and a woman's terrified face peering down at the crumpled body. Yunho's body felt like lead as he stumbled around the car towards the street. It was like tunnel vision; there was no other focus except Jaejoong. Dimly, he was aware of people screaming orders and in the distance the sound of an ambulance barely registered to the guard. Shakily he moved towards the car and then collapsed next to Jaejoong.
Jaejoong was unconscious. His once smooth skin was scratched and bruised, and his arm was twisted in a weird angle. Already seeping onto the cold street was a deep crimson red from the back of Jaejoong's head. Shattered glass littered his body as well as the ground. Yunho didn't care that he was sitting on sharp glass all he could was stare. The woman was helped out of the car and she was crying, apologizing constantly. No doubt she had been injured but she wasn't Yunho's concern. As if in slow motion, he reached out and rested a hand on Jaejoong's shoulder.
“Jae-Jaejoong? Wake up. Wake up.” He was still breathing, which was a relief.
The thought of using magic suddenly passed through his mind and it seemed to sober him up. After all, he was an angel. Glancing around, he was disappointed to see that there were too many witnesses for him to do any such thing. His hand curled into a fist, and he suppressed a burst of rage that boiled inside of him. This was all his fault, he shouldn't have taken him out. Yunho was his guard, he had to protect him.
Someone pulled Yunho away, and he was dimly aware of someone speaking to him. Slowly he shook his head and moved further from the accident, unable to do anything except drift. But just like that, something else caught his attention and his head jerked up in fear and anger. Standing in the shade of trees was a man, watching the scene casually. His hands were stuffed in jean pockets and he wore a pin-striped dress shirt. Yunho didn't need to see his face to know who it was. His heart pounded and his ears rang as he watched Rain standing there. Furiously he stormed over to where the demon stood but he didn't get the chance to say anything.
“It's such a shame, isn't it? An accident nowadays is always so terrible and causes such a scene. It causes an even bigger problem when the victim is a celebrity.”
“You did this,” Yunho snapped, “why the hell did you do this?!”
Rain looked offended. “Must you always ask questions in such a manner? I've heard something that I must prevent, there I told you. Now, onto some more intriguing news. I win.”
“Win? What do you mean win?”
“Well, let's just say your little brother helped me grab Boa at long last. So, this little plan of hers is no longer going to work, and I'll make sure of it.” He leaned in to Yunho. “If you really love him, you'd want to protect him right? So, do it.” And he was gone.
Standing there, Yunho felt the weight of the news hit him harder and harder. His chest felt constricted, his hands were clenched so tightly they were white and throbbing, and he could literally see red. His body was reacting on his own; his hand was lifting and flying towards the tree before him. He didn't know what he was doing, he couldn't control it. Fist connected with tree and the tree shuddered, groaned. Suddenly there was a cracking sound as the tree cracked and toppled over into the bushes. Rage boiled inside of him and he turned to where Jaejoong lay, a brace around his neck and some medical machines laying around him. The paramedics looked up curiously when they saw this raging man storm towards them and stumbled out of his way. Yunho collapsed next to Jaejoong and took his hand in his own.
“I'm going to fix this,” he whispered, shakily, “you'll be safe at the hospital, just trust in me. I....” He shook his head; he couldn't say it. “Just get better, Jaejoong.”
He turned to the paramedics. “Get him the best treatment. Here is the number for his manager. Someone should probably call him straight away.”
Numbly they nodded and took the paper quietly. Without another word Yunho turned away and pulled out his cell phone as he hurried down the street. Changmin didn't answer his phone, several times after he had tried. Finally Yunho turned off the phone, stuffed in his pocket and suddenly realized where he could find Changmin.
He was right. Changmin was kneeling on the roof of the building he worked at, staring down at the city. Yunho watched him for a moment and realized that his body was quivering ever so slightly. Slowly Yunho approached him and rested a hand on his shoulder gently.
“I didn't even have to do anything,” Changmin choked out, “she came so quietly, so elegantly. I wanted her to go down fighting, kicking and screaming, but she didn't.”
“I should have been there,” Yunho said quietly.
Changmin's tear stained eyes turned to him. “No, you shouldn't have! You were with Jaejoong, where you were supposed to be! You can't keep protecting me, hyung, I am capable of holding my own just as much as you are!”
“Changmin calm down.”
“Calm down hyung? Calm down?! We lost, this city will fall! There is no more hope, no more! We have failed in our duties! There is no more hope!” He screamed the words upwards as if someone could hear him. He wasn't even speaking to Yunho anymore it seemed.
Kneeling down beside him, Yunho wrapped his arms around Changmin tightly. “No, brother, you are wrong. There is still one last thing Rain cannot get a hold of.”