Meet You There [10/?]
Title: Meet You There
Pairings: Jaeho, Yoosu, one-sided Jaemin
Length: Chapter fic
Author: rainbowpebbles
Rating: PG
Genre: Drama, Humour, Fluff, Angst (not in any particular order)
Summary: Sequel to A World of Colour. Who said that the road after the first kiss would ever be smooth?
Jaejoong hobbled along with an urgency he didn’t even know existed within him, the clickety-clack of his crutches echoing sharply against the floor of the hospital. He braced his shoulder on the door, trying to hold it open, ignoring Eunhyuk, who was clutching his foot in agony: the said foot had just been subjected to a blow from one of Jaejoong’s crutches.
“Hyung!” Eunhyuk massaged his foot gingerly. “Hyung, where are you going?”
Jaejoong turned around to face him, eyebrows furrowed heavily in irritation. “I’m gonna find out what all of you have been trying to hide from me!”
Eunhyuk tried to set his face straight, widening his eyes to create what he hoped was an innocent look. “Hide from you? What would we hide from you?”
Jaejoong let out a dramatic, exasperated sigh. “That expression would have worked when you were ten and you were trying to get your way out of being accused of pouring glue into Heechul hyung’s shoes, which I actually saw you doing, by the way, but it’s not gonna work now.” He turned to leave.
Eunhyuk scrambled forward frantically, a feat difficult to achieve by a person who had his hand grabbing hold of one foot. “Wait, hyung! You don’t even know what happened! Where exactly are you going?”
Jaejoong was about to retort when he realized that Eunhyuk was right. Damn. Where AM I going? I don’t even know where to start looking for whatever it is they’re hiding from me!!
Jaejoong’s stubbornness refused to let him admit that he was totally clueless about what to do next. “Well…I’m just gonna search the whole hospital! From the bottom to the top!”
Eunhyuk raised an eyebrow. “Hyung, you can barely balance yourself properly on those crutches.” He pointed at Jaejoong’s awkward standing position. “You can’t quite run a marathon with just two sessions of physiotherapy, you know.”
Jaejoong scowled. “Watch me.” He hobbled unsteadily, finally getting past the door. He resisted the urge to collapse into one of the plastic chairs outside, trying to control his panting. Shit. I should have used the wheelchair. Although whacking Eunhyuk with the crutches was satisfying.
He managed a few painful steps before Eunhyuk appeared again, this time pushing a wheelchair. Jaejoong tried not to look at it longingly.
“Hyung, stop being stubborn. You know you’ll never make it past this corridor.”
“I can and I will.” Oh, that was one big fat lie-
“Stop fibbing, hyung. Your nose will grow long.”
There was a loud yelp as Jaejoong’s crutch came down hard on Eunhyuk’s big toe. Jaejoong huffed angrily as he continued hobbling down the corridor, part of him smirking in satisfaction at Eunhyuk’s obvious pain.
“Seriously, hyung!!” Eunhyuk bit out, trying to massage his toe through his sneakers before he finally gave up, removing his sneakers all together to massage the injured part through his Spongebob Squarepants socks. “At the rate you’re going, Changmin would already have been discharged-”
Jaejoong whipped around.
Eunhyuk gulped, eyes widening, his spongebob-clad foot dropping to the floor.
“Changmin!? What happened to him?”
The younger paled, shaking his head frantically, lips pressed tightly together.
“Eunhyuk, tell me now! Where is he?”
Eunhyuk remained silent, looking uncomfortably away from Jaejoong’s gaze.
Jaejoong was about to rely on his crutches to pummel answers out of Eunhyuk when he spotted a nurse walking by, a clipboard in her hands.
“Excuse me! Miss!”
She turned around, her expression immediately changing from mildly annoyed to lusty when she realized who she was being addressed by.
Oh for the love of kimchi. She was the nurse I caught going through my underwear drawer last week. Twice.
“OH IT’S YOU, Jaejoong-ah!” She practically skipped over, slipping an arm around his waist, pretending to hold him up while taking the opportunity to run her hand down his side. “What are you doing out of bed, you silly boy? Here, I’ll help you back-”
Jaejoong resisted the urge to stop her hand from wandering any lower. Desperate times call for desperate measures. He used the most sickly sweet tone he could muster. “It’s okay, noona!!” (This caused her to beam brightly: she had been trying to stop him from calling her ahjooma) “I just…” He lowered his eyes a little, creating a lost, innocent expression. “I just needed help for a little something…”
“Oh, what is it? Just tell me, Jaejoong-ah, I’ll help you!” She shot a dirty look at Eunhyuk, who looked like he couldn’t decide whether he wanted to puke or to laugh at the nurse for falling for Jaejoong’s obviously poor acting. She whispered loudly to Jaejoong. “Is he trying to hit on you? I’ll kick him in the-”
“No no no, noona! It’s not him!” Jaejoong injected hurriedly. Eunhyuk better thank me for saving him. “I just…I just wanna know…” He pretended to sniff, rubbing his eyes slightly.
The nurse’s eyes filled with unshed tears. “It’s okay, Joongie, you can just tell me…”
Will miracles never cease. She’s actually falling for it. “My friend…my friend was warded here, I think…but I don’t know which ward it is…” He eyed the clipboard she was holding, hoping she would catch on.
She wasn’t as dumb as he expected her to be. Jaejoong smiled inwardly in satisfaction as she whipped the clipboard from under her arm. “Oh, I can check it for you, cup-cakes!” She leaned in closer. “What’s your friend’s name?”
“Shim…Shim Changmin.”
He watched as she flipped the papers on her clipboard so hard that they nearly ripped into two. “Shim…Shim…There it is!” She pointed eagerly at the name. “Shim Changmin! I remember who he is! He’s on this floor as well!”
Jaejoong peered at her paper. Of course you remember who he is, you pedophile. You highlighted his name in PINK, of all colours. And I don’t think the big ‘HOT!’ wrote itself down beside his name.
She saw where his gaze was directed at, and was quick to assure him. “Don’t worry, baby, he’s got a ‘HOT!’,” she flipped to the front to the ‘K’ section. “But you got a ‘SEXY!’”
Jaejoong turned green. Eunhyuk choked on his own saliva.
She beamed. “Do you need me to take you there?”
“Oh no, it’s okay, noona, I’ll find my own way there. I need to go to the toilet anyway-”
Her eyes lit up. “I can help you-”
Eunhyuk immediately stepped in, deciding that Jaejoong was turning too green to qualify as a human. “It’s okay, I can help him with that…”
She shot a glare at him, giving a pout in Jaejoong’s direction. “But I’m sure Joongie wants me to help him, doesn’t he?”
Jaejoong felt weak from the lack of oxygen reaching his brain. He forced on a smile. “No, it’s really okay, noona. Don’t you have some place else to be now?”
She checked the front page of her clipboard, gasping. “Oh no! I was supposed to be at the reception desk 15 minutes ago!”
The mini Jaejoongs in his head whooped with joy, doing somersaults and waving pom-poms before ending in a V formation.
“But I can stay with you if you like!”
HELL NO. “OH NO, noona! Don’t let little old me hold you back!” He was probably going to regret saying the next line. “Besides, we can spend more time together later!”
Her smile stretched waaaay past the capacity of her face. “Great! I’ll see you later then!”
Jaejoong collapsed into his wheelchair when she was finally out of sight. “Eunhyuk, please push me there. I’m feeling a bit too sick to go there myself. Room 524.”
Eunhyuk smirked. “What happened to the ‘I’m gonna get there myself so get lost” attitude?”
“Flew out of the window together with my sanity.”
“What sanity?”
Jaejoong groaned. “Okay, okay. Not the time for insults. I’ve had enough already, alright? I’m not strong to get myself there, and yes, I need your help.” He sighed. “Now can we please go and see Changmin now?”
Something seemed to shift slightly in Eunhyuk’s expression. “Is he really that important to you? Changmin?”
Jaejoong flushed slightly. “What…what do you mean?”
“I mean…do you really care so much about him? To force yourself to flirt with the nurse just to get his ward number?”
“I…” What am I supposed to say now? “…yes. Yes of course he’s important. He’s my friend, isn’t he? I would do the same for any of you.” Jaejoong shifted uncomfortably. “Now can we move?”
He didn’t notice that the doubtful look on Eunhyuk’s face lasted throughout the short journey to ward 524.
The door to the ward was slightly ajar, evidence of another’s half-hearted efforts to shut it. Jaejoong heard voices drifting out. The first he recognized as Changmin’s mother. Aunt Jeemin…
“You know Changmin. He won’t stay in that bed for more than two days…”
“Maybe if we strapped him down?” Yoochun.
The immediate resounding smack and yelp were created by Junsu and Yoochun respectively.
The next voice belonged to Yunho. “I’m sorry, Aunt. I really am. I’ll take full responsibility for his welfare from now on. It’s my fault, I wasn’t in the office to help him…”
Yunho was supposed to be helping Changmin?
“Nonsense, Yunho. It wasn’t your fault! You had your reasons.”
“But if I were there maybe he wouldn’t have collapsed…I would have made sure that he had his regular meals…”
What?
“I know my son, Yunho, and you do too. Changmin would have never let you back in the office; he would have had the security guards toss you into a potato sack and then drag out. This is no one’s fault except his own.”
“But…”
Jaejoong had heard enough.
All the heads in the room (except Changmin, who was still unconscious) as Jaejoong pushed the door open, wheeling himself in, never taking his eyes off Yunho.
“Why didn’t you help him?”
Yunho stared back, not knowing how to answer him. Heechul tried to step in. “Joongie…”
“Don’t try to make excuses for him, hyung!” Jaejoong shot back at Heechul without even turning to look at him.
“And you’re right.”
Heechul turned to look at Yunho. “What!?”
“He’s right.” Yunho looked straight at Jaejoong. “I promise you, it won’t ever happen again. Changmin is my beloved dong saeng, and he shouldn’t have to suffer because of me. I…” He took a breath. “I have been an irresponsible hyung.”
No wait…Yunnie…
Yunho sank into a ninety degree bow. Jaejoong couldn’t tell whether he was directing the bow towards himself or to Changmin.
Yunho straightened before turning stiffly. “I take my leave. I have to prepare some things before I return to work tomorrow.” With that, he left the room, the door clicking shut silently after him.
The room was thrown into a rude, stunned silence before Yoochun let out a loud curse, wrenching the door open and running after Yunho.
Jaejoong stared at the door, oblivious to the stares he was receiving from everybody in the room. He turned his head slightly to look at Changmin, who was still happily unconscious.
I did the right thing…didn’t I?
Then why does my heart ache so much?
~*~
Yunho drove on and on without any destination in mind, his hands lightly gripping the steering wheel. He had managed to shake Yoochun off, hiding behind one of the pillars in the car park till the other man went to search elsewhere.
He recalled the last time he had ran out of a hospital ward. It was ironic, so ironic that the very dong saeng who had run after him to offer him comfort was now lying there on a hospital bed himself. All because of him.
Jaejoong’s words had cut worse than a blade right through his heart. He isn’t wrong, you know. Yunho’s grip on the wheel tightened. This is a wake-up call for you, Jung Yunho. You can’t spend your days with someone who probably won’t remember you. Not in a very long time, anyway.
The traffic light turned from amber to red. Yunho slowed the car down before coming to a stop, his eyes resting on the familiar looking tissue box cover. A present from Changmin.
Flashback:
“WWEEEELLLCOME EVERYBODY, TO YUNHO’S CAR-WARMING!!!” Yoochun wooted loudly, cupping his hands around his mouth to amplifying his voice. “And now, Junsu will tell us what’s next on our programme!”
“Right on, Chunnie!” Junsu joined in. “We shall now commence with the presentation of the car-warming gifts-”
“Hyung-deul!” Changmin complained loudly. “Would you two stop shouting in my ear?”
Yunho rolled his eyes, a smile curling its way onto his lips. “Seriously, guys, a car-warming?”
Yoochun punched him on the arm. “Hey you. Shut up. It’s a grand affair, since you’re the only one who’s old enough to get his license. I have to wait another two more months.”
Changmin pouted. “Way to go. Rub it in. I have to wait two years.” His face lit up suddenly and he grabbed Yunho, who was seated in the front seat, into a tight hug. “But it’s okay, since hyung will drive me around!”
“Woah woah, slow down there Min!” Yunho pushed sixteen-year old cousin back slightly. “We have to work out some terms-”
Yunho looked on helplessly at Min’s pout and pleading eyes. Damn that puppy dog look.
“ALRIGHT, I will! Stop looking at me with those eyes!”
Changmin whooped happily, eyes lighting up. “Now I have Yunho hyung as my personal chauffeur-”
“If all of you would just kindly shut up,” Junsu said irritably. “We could start giving the car-warming presents now!”
Yunho laughed. “Chill, Su! Who’s gonna start first?”
“Su and I shared.” Yoochun said.
“You cheapskates.”
Yunho winced as he got whacked by the angry duo seated in the back row.
“We are NOT cheapskates!” Junsu sniffed. “We just shopped for your gift while on a date, that’s all!”
Yoochun blushed, his whole face turning red. “Date?”
Yunho’s eyes widened. “Date?”
Changmin had his mouth stuffed full of ham sandwich. “FFffdaaadde?”
Yunho looked horrified. “Changmin! Don’t eat in my car!”
Junsu was flustered. “I mean, we just happened to pick it up together after school! It wasn’t a date! It was just an…outing.” He ended off lamely, his ears pink in embarrassment.
Changmin munched on his sandwich, deep in thought. “Seriously Yoochun hyung, when are you gonna ask Junsu hyung ou-”
“HERE CHANGMIN HAVE SOME MARSHMALLOWS!!” Yoochun stuffed five of them into Changmin’s open mouth.
Junsu’s face could have rivaled a tomato’s.
There was an awkward pause. Yunho laughed nervously. “So, what did you get me?”
The two at the back scrambled around, trying to find the messily wrapped gift. Yoochun finally pulled something out from under the seat, beaming as he handed it to Yunho, who ripped the paper open, revealing a box.
“A street directory…that’s useful.” He paused as he took another item out of the box. “What’s the extra phone battery for?”
“In preparation for a case where both your direction sense and map-reading skills fail you, Yoochun and I decided to get you an extra phone battery so that you could call for help.” Junsu’s eyes were wide in seriousness.
“O-kay.”
“You’re welcome, hyung.”
He pulled the last item from the box. “An ‘I LOVE YOOCHUN AND JUNSU’ car decal.” He placed it back in the box. “That’s very…useful.”
Yoochun smiled happily. “Anytime, hyung. We knew you would like it.”
“Thanks guys. I’m touched. I really am.” Yunho turned to Changmin. “You got something for me as well, I suppose?”
Changmin managed to swallow the last marshmallow, nodding quickly. He dug around in his backpack before he found what he was looking for. He presented the blue box to Yunho, complete with a shiny dark blue ribbon. Neat and presentable. Typical Changmin trait.
Yunho took the box from him, opening it and taking a peek inside. What he saw made him let out a small laugh. “A tissue box cover?”
“Yeah…” He rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly. “Sorry. It was the only thing I could think of.”
Yoochun leaned forward, trying to catch a glimpse of the gift. “He’s implying that you have to have tissue in your car, hyung, because of your obvious lack of hygiene-” Yoochun’s eyes widened, laughter spilling from his lips. “Changmin!!” He turned to the blushing sixteen-year old. “Why is there a baby TORTOISE there!?”
Sure enough, the tissue box cover had a smiley baby tortoise plushie sewn on top of it, sitting there looking like the happiest thing in the world.
Changmin flushed. “I…”
“It’s so cute!” Junsu squee-ed, pushing Yoochun slightly to the side to get a better look at it.
Yoochun couldn’t control his laughter. “It’s…just so…”
Yunho whacked him on the head. “Hey, don’t insult the gift from my dong saeng!” He turned to Changmin, whose head was turned away from the rest, trying to work the embarrassment off his face. “Thanks Min. I love it.”
Changmin’s eyes lit up. “You do?” He ignored Yoochun, who was still chortling lightly. “There’s…there’s actually a significance to the tortoise…”
“Oh?” Yunho looked at him with interest. “What significance?”
“Well…it’s just that…” Changmin tried to think of a way to phrase it. “I just wanted you to remember not to speed when you drive, hyung. I’ve seen you drive at the driving school, and you tend to step too hard on the pedal sometimes.” He gave Yunho a small smile. “It’s just a little thing to remind you that sometimes slow and steady’s the best way to go hyung. I want you to be safe on the roads. I prefer you in one piece.”
Yoochun had stopped laughing. Yunho marveled at the maturity of his dong saeng. He enveloped his younger cousin in a tight hug.
“Thanks Min. I’ll always have it in my car, right on the dashboard.”
And so there was where it remained. Even as Yunho changed his car, even when some of his friends teased him about it being childish...the tissue box cover had not been changed.
End of flashback.
Yunho found himself instinctively driving himself home, even though his mind was wandering elsewhere. He parked the car quickly, opening the door and walking up the staircase silently in fear of waking any of the servants up.
He entered his bedroom, shutting the door behind him before flopping down on the bed, letting his tense muscles finally relax. His eyes were drawn to the photographs on his bedside table, his lips automatically curving into a small smile.
The first photograph, kept in a simple silver frame, was of him and Jaejoong, taken by Yoochun after one of their regular dinners at Sky Garden. Both of them were looking into the camera, smiling; Jaejoong was laughing slightly, his eyes shining with a warm happiness.
I want to go back to that moment. Yunho squeezed his eyes shut. How long is all this shit gonna last? Joongie…
He opened his eyes, and they drifted towards the mistletoe hanging near the balcony. He had never removed it, despite the fact that Christmas was a long time ago and it didn’t match his interior décor. Too many good memories. He remembered that day…when Yoochun and Junsu had shown up in his room, all decked out in black…Changmin had been leaning against the doorway, an amused spectator…
…and he had shared his first kiss with Jaejoong.
Stop thinking about that, Jung Yunho. He reprimanded himself silently. It’s not going to come back. It’s not…it’s not…
He gave the second photograph a guilty glance, picking it up gently. This photo was framed with a silly and goofy cartoon photo frame to match the people that had been captured in that moment. Yoochun and Junsu stood in the background, both of their hands occupied with giving Changmin and Yunho rabbit ears.
Changmin had his arms curled around him, hugging him tightly, his face lit with joy and playfulness. Yunho stood there, the small smile on his face a testament to his happiness. The photograph was important to Yunho: it had been one of his first smiles after his mother’s death.
Changmin had been so young then; a joyful, happy yet caring dong saeng. He stopped at nothing to make Yunho smile. But that was all before the family business kicked in: Changmin began to study harder, ensuring that he achieved top grades so he could assist Yunho in the running of the hotels and restaurants. He had become more serious, mature beyond his age, often offering advice to his hyungs.
Logic and reason were things that Changmin had always had, and he began to apply them more and more into his life. He turned quickly into a workaholic, and Yunho had always appreciated his dong saeng’s efforts to help him. But now…
I’m so sorry, Min. I’m so sorry. I haven’t been doing my job as a hyung, have I? Yunho placed the photo back on his bedside table. Don’t worry, Min. It’s not going to happen again.
He looked at the other photo; at Jaejoong’s smiling face. It’s time to wake up, Jung Yunho. He ran two fingers down the side of Jaejoong’s face. He doesn’t love you anymore. He smiled, slightly bitter. Maybe he’ll give Changmin the happiness he deserves.
And with that thought, Yunho took the photo frame off the bedside table, locking it resolutely in his drawer.
End of chapter ten.
A/N: I’m soo sorry this took so loooooooooooooonggggg!!!
It’s been hard trying to find time slots to write my fic ;_; reading other fics is easy, because that only takes around 15 minutes. Writing one chapter…that takes around 2-3 hours, depending on the size of the writer’s block. In this chapter’s case…I started on it last night, and I only had time to continue it this afternoon, before I abandoned it to attend my younger brother’s presentation, and then I got back at 9 to finish it while hopping outside to catch snippets of CSI.
You see how difficult it is to write now? ^o^
Jaejoong getting hit on by the nurse was a totally random idea. It wasn’t even on my brainstorming notes XD XD it came out…naturally. Lol.
With regards to the flashback!! Yes, Yoosu weren’t together yet. For those of you with ultra sharp and accurate memories, they got together when they were nineteen. So at the time of the flashback, they were still playing hide-and-seek. ^____^
Sorry if the fic is starting to contain a lot of Changmin!! But I did mention earlier that he would be a major character in this fic, soooooo…. :D
I’m not sure if this is the last (major) angst chapter in this fic, but it should be. The jaeho should kick in soon, I think ^-^
Comments are love!!