Let's Play Pretend - Chapter 25(B)
Title: let's Play Pretend
Genre: Romance, fluff, slight angst
Pairing: YunJae
Summary: Jung Yunho finds himself stuck in a fake relationship with another man when he is very much straight and is secretly dating a very famous actress.
A/N: I embedded some YT videos.
I suggest you play the songs in the background while
reading this part. T_T
PART 1
Yunho woke up to the sound of a piano playing. The soothing music continued to hum its magic, almost lulling him back to sleep but he caught himself and woke up from the spell, blinking it away in daze. He reached to feel that familiar warmth next to him only to frown in wonder when his hand touched empty space.
He found who he was looking for in the music room, sitting behind the white grand piano looking so serene, and beautiful even in just a simple sleepwear. The first time Yunho heard him sing and play, all he could think about was how Jaejoong looked other-worldly when he was doing what he loved the most, making music. He once told Jaejoong what he thought, but a cheeky reply was all he got, ‘I feel the most beautiful when I’m with you.’ Yunho couldn’t wipe the grin off his face after hearing that.
Smiling at the memory, he tightened the band of his cotton robe then slid into the leather piano chair next to Jaejoong. He watched as delicate fingers glided effortlessly, playing a sweet, familiar song that prompted him to inch closer and give Jaejoong a kiss on the cheek. Then that soulful voice started singing.
Click to viewI wake, the approach of morning rouses me
And to you, asleep in my arms,
I love you
When I’m fighting an uphill battle,
You’re with me holding my shoulders warmly
And while we may shed tears because of the sorrow,
There will never be a sad farewell between us
We’ll always share the same dream
Until heaven separates us
I love you
Yunho hummed along with the tune, always feeling special whenever it was played for him. He slipped an arm around Jaejoong’s lower back, leaning his head on his shoulder.
At the last note, Jaejoong stopped tinkering with the keys then turned to his side. He smiled apologetically, kissing the corner of Yunho’s lips. "Sorry. Did I wake you?"
“I woke up because you weren’t next to me.” Yunho teased.
“What a load of cheese.” Jaejoong rolled his eyes with a chuckle, before turning his attention back to the keys and started playing again. “Yunho-yah...”
“Mmn?”
“This one, I wrote for you 5 years ago," he said in a contemplative voice. As the sad, heartbreaking melody filled the air, memories from the past came rushing back.
Even now it is in my remembrance
The last night of October
"Jaejoong, have you heard? Yunho is moving to America. It’s sad, isn't it?"
It was more than sad to someone who have fallen hard. Jaejoong wandered through silent hallways with a broken heart, determined to confess before the day ended... before it was too late. He had a small paper for support, in case his tongue betrayed him, and etched on it were words of unrequited love written by nervous hands. Although scared and unsure, every thought came from the deepest corner of a sad, longing, heart.
His face lit up when he saw Yunho standing amongst the crowd of friends, even nameless faces, who were bidding their farewells.
A nameless face, he was that. Even so, he took a few tentative steps, stopping when Yunho looked his way. His mouth opened, but no words came out.
Then in a blink of an eye, there was only regret over a moment wasted, for while he stood there frozen, Yunho was already walking away. As the distance widened between them, he could only stare longingly feeling like his heart just got trampled a thousand times over.
Leaving only words with unknown meaning
We've parted our ways
He hid in a corner, determined not to be noticed. But he secretly wished he would notice. His cheeks were pink from the cold, eyes red from tears he refused to shed.
His breath hitched at the sound of final boarding calls blaring in the background. With lonely eyes, he watched Yunho hugged a beautiful girl goodbye who was drowning in tears. And then he was walking away again, except this time, Jaejoong was sure, as Yunho went through that gate, it was going to be the last time he would see him.
He wanted to cry, too. But a nameless face had no right to cry over a lose that never belonged to him.
Will I have to forget you without even trying to explain?
He assured himself it was okay to cry a little. Just a little, he said. A single tear was all it took for him to break. He cried himself to sleep for nights and nights wishing he had done something.
Sleep was his bestfriend and his worst enemy. It was the only way he could see Yunho's face again, but those dreams... impossible dreams made him miserable as soon as his eyes opened. They were so unreachable to him that he wished he never dreamed at all.
The returning seasons give me dreams
Yet, impossible dreams make me sad; they make me cry
“Jaejoong-ah.”
He blinked away the tears at the sound of Yunho’s voice calling for him. He didn’t know he was crying and only realized that the music had already ceased playing when he looked down at his numb fingers lying still atop the white keys.
But he didn’t need to dwell on it any longer for when Yunho cupped his face and began kissing him, his thoughts were cleared of the old memories, pushing away every trace of it. He crawled into Yunho's lap, knees bent on each side as he returned his kisses.
Yunho nuzzled his nose, a small smile on his lips. "Do I make you happy?"
He smiled back, dropping soft kisses around the corners of Yunho’s mouth and chin. "Yes, very much."
“I know I can’t promise you an always for everything,” Yunho held Jaejoong's face between his hands, lightly grazing his thumb on the apple of his cheek. “Yet looking at you right now makes me want to at least try."
His eyes roamed Jaejoong's face, lingering on the small beauty mark before moving up to look into those expectant gaze that held so much adoration for him.
"We'll make wonderful moments together so that when you grow old and look back to the past, you'll never cry over sad memories ever again." Yunho chuckled seeing him pout at the mention of old.
Jaejoong pressed his forehead against Yunho’s. "When I grow old, huh? where will you be then?"
"I'll be right next to you, of course." Yunho gave a sly grin, bringing Jaejoong's knuckles to his lips. "By then, you'll be mumbling words I'll barely understand, partly due to my deteriorating hearing. But I won't mind... because it's what will keep me through the day."
Jaejoong laughed. "And I’ll complain about our morning walks together yet go anyway because I’ll worry of other oldies hitting on you.” Then nuzzling Yunho’s cheek, he said, “I won’t even have to carry my walking stick because you’ll always hold me close so I won’t fall over."
Yunho brushed a strand of hair away from Jaejoong’s face. “It's a pretty picture, isn't it, baby? The two of us growing old together?"
Jaejoong’s eyes shone with happiness, nodding in answer. "It most definitely is."
Staring at Yunho’s eyes, he was reminded that he was far from the nameless face from years ago; he was no longer wilted. He remembered the pressed flower on display at the far side of the wall, smiling contentedly at how it all began for them.
“...but you see, it’s broken now.”
“I fixed it for you. This way, it will live on for as long as you like.”
Like a fallen leaf that hit the hard ground, all the hurt in the past was left to wilt away under the dirt, buried and forgotten. Because as he was held close by the person he truly cared for, he knew he wasn't broken anymore. Yunho fixed his heart just as he promised, and for as long as their love shall last, it was going to stay that way... no longer broken. Far from it.
***
Next:
EPILOGUE 01
Hit Counter
A/N:
Songs used:
Noreul Saranghae - Han Dong Joon (I kind of edited the lyrics a bit just to give it more flavor.)
Forgotten Season - Jaejoongie’s solo, Yunho’s favorite from the Mirotic album
Gosh, I really can’t believe this has come to an end. I’m thinking of adding an Epilogue! it is going to be so fluffeh I'm already shitting rainbows just thinking about it. *_* And do you want smut? haha wait, should I even ask?
Comments? :)