a silent journey (jaejoong/yoochun)
a silent journey
jaejoong+yoochun; yunho+yoochun
pg-13
1103 words
(won best entry!)
inspired by:
run - snow patrol (prompt #001 at melodicword)
jaejoong's trip had been planned three months in advance. but when the date came along, it still felt like time had suddenly caught yoochun by surprise.
"when are you coming back again?"
yoochun leans into his chair, elbow almost slipping on the cafe table and crashing into his hot latte. almost.
jaejoong rolls his eyes. "i told you like five hundred times. i don't know yet. i have to get a return ticket when i get there."
"oh" says yoochun with a impish smile. "yeah. that's right. you did tell me. guess i just wanted to hear your voice again."
jaejoong swallows his mouthful of iced coffee hurriedly and holds his palm over his mouth to laugh.
"what a greaseball!" jaejoong whispers, ruffling yoochun on the head.
and even though yoochun's styled hair has been turned into muck, he still feels like a million bucks.
xxx
they decide to meet one last time at the playground near jaejoong's apartment. yoochun knows that it's a farewell but still, his stomach won't stop fluttering at the thought of seeing jaejoong. it happens every time.
"but this is the last time" he warns his stomach.
he can't stop his grin. it seems like his mouth doesn't understand either.
"already practicing for when he comes back" yoochun jokes to himself. "ah...i miss him already."
xxx
five weeks into jaejoong's trip, yoochun gets a call from yunho, a friend who knows about his relationship with jaejoong.
"let's go eat. my treat" yunho says.
"do you feel sorry for me since jaejoong's not here?"
"nah...but jaejoong did ask me to make sure you were eating right."
at the words, yoochun feels a pang of loneliness. it's true he misses jaejoong. it's just that he's been really good at ignoring the stabs of hurt at the thought of him.
"alright. but i get to pick what and where."
yunho laughs right into the phone and yoochun winces a little at the volume.
"of course, of course" says yunho heartily. "don't you always get what you want?"
xxx
yoochun slides into the parking space with ease and familiarity. he hasn't been here lately, but he's been here often in the past.
"where are we?" yunho asks, looking up at the tall building through the windshield.
"it's jaejoong's sister's place. really good pasta."
yunho gets out of yoochun's car and surveys the place with a whistle.
"looks expensive" yunho says warily.
"i told you. i'm a picky eater."
yoochun grins and yunho pretends to groan. they enter the restaurant laughing.
the restaurant's low lighted atmosphere makes for a cozy place. they're escorted to a tiny booth. and when the hostess goes away, yunho leans in to ask.
"is jaejoong's sister here?"
yoochun shrugs. "maybe. but i don't want to bother her. if she knows we're here she'll probably give us some kind of special attention. besides, what have i got to worry about? you're paying..."
yunho scoffs and yoochun chuckles.
they open their menus and yoochun's mouth starts to water.
xxx
yunho's into his second dish of pasta when yoochun excuses himself to go to the restroom. he enters the hallway and pauses at the junction where the hallway splits into two. one path leads to the mens' and womens'; the other leads to the manager's office.
yoochun feels slightly guilty for coming all the way here and not saying hello. he starts to walk down the other hallway. yoochun hesitates once more as he hears voices from a door that's ajar.
"jaejoong-ah...it's just not fair to him."
yoochun freezes. is jaejoong's sister talking to jaejoong over the phone?
"noona..."
yoochun nearly stumbles, knees weak. it's jaejoong and he's here. and...
"jaejoong, you can't run away from everything."
xxx
yoochun doesn't know the why or the how. but it's amazing that he finds enough strength in his legs to walk back to the dining room.
"are you okay?" asks yunho. "you look really pale..."
"let's get out of here" yoochun whispers.
"okay, i just got done...let me just pay and we'll leave okay? why don't you wait in the car. i'll drive."
yoochun knows that he's doing yunho a disfavor. not only does yunho not like driving other peoples' cars, yunho doesn't like to be unhelpful. yoochun doesn't tell him what's wrong. and the little stolen glances from the side of yunho's eyes tell yoochun that yunho's really worried.
"sorry" yoochun says when they get to yunho's apartment. "can i stay here for a bit?"
"of course" yunho says, like yoochun knew he was going to say. "are you sure you don't need to go to a hospital?"
yoochun pauses to think about his heart, shattered and undoubtedly brushed under a rug by jaejoong's treachery.
"pretty sure" says yoochun and lets yunho half drag him to the couch.
xxx
of course when yoochun stops picking up calls, jaejoong's bound to notice. jaejoong calls yunho in a week's time.
"can i speak to yoochun?"
yunho says that jaejoong's voice sounds like death warmed over. yunho's concerned, but yoochun's so glad that he doesn't ask questions.
yoochun takes the phone from yunho's hand.
"hello?"
"yoochun..." jaeoong sobs. and it's then that yoochun realizes that jaejoong's figured out that yoochun's figured out.
"..."
"just...let me explain?"
"..."
"meet me at the playground? this'll be the last time. i promise."
the line goes dead and yoochun clings to the fact that jaejoong's shit at keeping promises.
xxx
"should we run away together?"
it's a joke that they often repeat when they feel that their love is a tiny bit helpless. they repeat it when they feel like their future is a tiny blue flame about to be extinguished by pressure, by stress, by obligation. they often repeat it.
but when jaejoong looks on from his perch on the swing set, yoochun fears it.
"should we run away together?" jaejoong says, tenderly nursing each word on his tongue before letting them out.
yoochun's on the swing beside jaejoong, but facing the other way. for that yoochun is grateful. he muffles his mouth before the tears start because he knows that the pain he feels won't let itself be contained in his chest.
it comes out in a sob, a moan, and a cry. yoochun turns his head, out, away from jaejoong.
yoochun's silence makes jaejoong laugh a little bitterly.
"idiot. i was just kidding. no need to get serious."
but when jaejoong's voice shakes at the end of the last sentence, yoochun gets up and slowly walks away, back faced toward jaejoong.
jaejoong doesn't call him back.
they can never say things aloud anyway.