Second Chances (Chapter 12)
Title: Second Chances
Author: VampireMadonna
Pairing: Main: YunJae; Secondary: JaeMin, HoMin
Rating: PG-13
Length: Chaptered
Summary: After Changmin's death, how are Jae and Yunho going to cope with their grief and their increasing attraction to each other?
“One more. Open wide. Ahhh.”
Jaejoong shook his head and melded back into the pillows.
Yunho sighed in exasperation. “Jae, you’re worse than HyunJoon and he’s a child. Be a good boy and just open your mouth.”
Jae glowered. “If you think insulting me is going to…” He stopped abruptly as he suddenly found his mouth full of vegetable soup.
Yunho smiled in triumph. “Works every time.”
Chewing the mouthful of vegetables, Jae crossed his arms over his chest and sulked.
“Aww… Is baby upset?” Yunho leaned down and kissed his forehead, gently stroking his hair when he straightened up.
As it did whenever Yunho touched him, Jae’s cheeks filled with hot color. It embarrassed him immensely that his body betrayed his feelings so easily. He knew that Yunho was probably just checking his temperature, as he’d taken to kissing his forehead in the week and a half since the night they’d…
The heat and color in his cheeks intensified 100 fold. Drat!
“I have to run to the office for a bit,” Yunho was saying. “Try to stay out of trouble. Don’t even think of going to the gym. We don’t want any repeats of last time, do we? As a matter of fact, why don’t you just stay right where you are? If you’re a good boy, I’ll give you a surprise,” Yunho teased, loving the angry color that filled Jae’s cheeks and the fiery sparks in his eyes.
“Just you wait until I’m fully recovered and we’ll see how you like a taste of your own medicine.”
Yunho grinned. “Looking forward to it.” He leaned over again and pressed a brief kiss to Jae’s pouty lips. “Bye Princess.”
Jae grumbled as he watched him go but as he walked through the doorway, he immediately felt his absence. Sighing, he flopped over onto his stomach and pulled a pillow over his head.
It had been over a week since the night they’d made love. They’d never talked about it: there hadn’t really been any opportunity to. When Yunho had awakened the next morning, Jae’s fever had skyrocketed again and he’d been deep in his sleep-coma, as Yunho called it, too sick to be conscious of anything around him. His relapse hadn’t lasted as long as the initial onset of the illness, thankfully, but Yunho wasn’t taking any chances, especially after the time Jae, feeling particularly good one day, went down to the small gym that occupied half of the basement. He’d started off well enough but had found his strength sapped more rapidly than expected and he hadn’t been able to get back upstairs before Yunho returned from one of his rare trips to the office. He’d been frantic searching the house for him and only when he’d finally heard Jae’s weak cry did he go down to the basement. He hadn’t said a word when he’d picked him up and taken him upstairs but Jae had seen the pulse throbbing in his neck, the tight clench of his jaw and the worry, behind the haze of anger, in his eyes. Since then, he made sure that Jae stayed in bed all day, every day.
He also hadn’t attempted to touch him since that night, other than what was necessary in care-taking. Jae wondered if Yunho regretted it but there was no indication that he did. He was still kind and gentle, very attentive and affectionate in his own way. When he had chills, Yunho used to wrap his arm around him and hold him close, even subconsciously while he slept. He didn’t have chills very often anymore since his body temperature was almost back to normal but sometimes, when he really missed Yunho’s nearness, he’d pretend to shiver and burrow deeper into the covers. Like clockwork, Yunho would drape an arm around him and pull him close or lean into his back and he’d ‘settle down’ again. But it wasn’t enough. Ever since that night, he craved Yunho’s touch. Not the sexual aspect so much as the tenderness and consideration Yunho had shown him. He vividly remembered looking up at Yunho, excited but more than a little nervous and afraid, and being soothed by the tenderness in his eyes. He’d been sexy as hell, standing there illuminated only by the light cast from the flames as he’d lubed himself, but the mere fact that he’d even remembered made Jae feel warm and fuzzy inside because it had been for his benefit, his comfort, his enjoyment.
He’d been a virgin but he had enough experience to know that there were some guys who, once the clothes were off, had nothing in mind but finding their way ‘home’, the pleasure of the other person be damned. He’d met decent guys too, guys who wanted to treat him well, to worship him, but he just had never felt a connection. How could he when he’d lost his heart at such a young age? He’d tried anyway but it had never worked out and he’d always wondered if, perhaps, he should’ve gone all the way. Now he was grateful he hadn’t. He didn’t think any amount of consideration or gentleness could equal what he’d experienced with Yunho simply because it was Yunho.
He sighed again and burrowed deeper into the pillows. He still believed that Yunho only kissed him on the forehead to check his temperature. He’d only started doing so after he’d relapsed and the kiss on the lips didn’t mean anything either, he told himself. But just as he’d vowed to pay Yunho back for his teasing, he intended to find out once and for all if things had changed between them in any way. Once he was back on his feet, there was no way Yunho could avoid the elephant in the room.
Sighing for a third time, he closed his eyes and willed himself to sleep.
Three days later, Jae was downstairs sitting at the kitchen table when Yunho walked in the front door with a huge gift box in his hands. A smile immediately lit his face and his heart skipped a beat.
“Hi, Princess,” Yunho greeted, grinning as Jae rolled his eyes. He loved coming home and teasing him first thing. It was a nice way to wind down after a long day’s work.
Pouting, Jae turned back to the magazine he’d been flipping through. “How was work?”
Yunho shrugged as he set the box down on the floor to remove his coat before picking it up again. “Same old. I managed not to lose another account. It’s going to take me a while to make up for all those months I lost after…”
Jae looked up at him, his eyes filled with understanding.
Shaking himself out of it, Yunho grinned and held the box out to Jae. “I have something for you.”
Jae’s eyes widened in surprise and he immediately jumped up from his seat and rushed over to Yunho. “What is it?”
“Open it and see.” Yunho didn’t let him take the box, instead he placed it on the table.
Jae untied the pretty pink ribbon, which complemented the pink polka-dots on the black background of the box, and briefly wondered if Yunho had caught onto his love of pink, especially pink on black. He lift the lid, pushed the crepe paper aside and gasped when his hand fell on material so soft, so light, it was like touching air. Taking it out of the box, he looked up and Yunho with wide, astonished eyes.
“I owed you, remember?” he said with a smile.
Jae blushed and brought the butter-soft, cream-colored cashmere sweater to his cheeks.
“There’s more,” Yunho informed him.
Brows furrowed, Jae carefully set the sweat aside and looked into the box. He gasped, his eyes going so wide that Yunho was almost afraid they’d pop out. He lifted the soft, coal-gray fur coat and clutched it to his chest at a loss for words.
“It’s still winter and I don’t want to run the risk of you getting sick again. It’s faux-fur of course, I know how into animals you are, but I thought you could wear it when we go out to dinner tonight,” Yunho concluded, eyes twinkling.
Jae just stared at Yunho wondering how any one person could be so perfect. Before he knew what he was doing, he launched himself at Yunho, wrapping one arm tightly around his neck, while the other still held the coat, and buried his face in his chest. He was so touched that he wanted to shed a few tears. The feeling intensified when Yunho’s arms closed around him and Yunho rested his cheek on top of his head.
“You’ve been good the past few days and I know you’re probably going stir-crazy being in the house all this time so I thought we’d go out to celebrate your recovery. And at least you won’t have to complain about eating my yucky soup anymore,” he added teasingly.
Jae would never admit it but he loved Yunho’s soup. It might not be the most flavorful but it came from the heart and that healed him more than any of the nutrients in the soup itself.
Giving him one final squeeze, Yunho released him and pulled back. “Now go start getting ready. I know how long you Princesses take to beautify yourselves,” he paused to roll his eyes dramatically before continuing, “so you’d better get a head start. Our reservations at 7.”
Jae was so giddily happy that he didn’t care that Yunho called him a Princess again. Truthfully, he was starting to like it. With Min, it had been a name of mocking affection but with Yunho, he actually felt cherished and revered, like royalty, even though he used it teasingly as well.
Grinning from ear to ear, he grabbed the sweater and scampered up the stairs. He couldn’t wait to try them on.
The restaurant was lovely: high class with elegantly appointed antique furniture and settings. The table they were shown to was located in a secluded area, decorated with potted mini-palms and a soothing mini-waterfall, allowing them the view of the restaurant without being seen in return. Their waiter was cool and professional but still maintained an air of friendly warmth.
Jae was in heaven. It was exactly the type of atmosphere he was used to, thrived in. Looking across the table at Yunho, he couldn’t hide the smile that pulled at his lips. He’d been twitching since they’d arrived. He’d been able to discard his dinner jacket once they were seated but he’d continued to pull at his tie.
“You’d think for someone who owns his own business, a large, successful one at that, you’d be used to formal wear,” Jae commented, raising his champagne flute to his lips.
“Clearly, you’ve never been to the office,” Yunho replied with a grin. “Remind me to take you one day.”
Jae felt a tremor work its way down his spine at the thought of Yunho taking him to work and showing him the ins and outs of his daily life, introducing him to the people that knew him well. He was very aware that they looked like they were on a date, he didn’t miss the appreciative and envious glances of the people they’d passed on their way in, both men and women alike, and it would have been easy, given the romantic ambience of the place, to buy into the idea that it was one. But Yunho had made no mention of that so Jae reminded himself not to fall too deeply into the spell that was weaving its way around them.
Their waiter arrived with their orders shortly after and they fell into a companionable silence. During dinner, which were expertly cooked and delicious, and after-dinner coffer, they talked about work and Jae found himself telling Yunho about his life back in New York, his interior design business, his noonas and their ever-expanding families. On more than one occasion, Changmin came up and they started trading stories about their experiences with him. Jae realized that, so long as no mention was made of his illness or the time leading up to his death and beyond, they would talk quite openly about him without ruining the atmosphere. It was nice, he decided.
Before they knew it, they had finished eating and their waiter returned. When posed the question of whether to have dessert or not, Jae passed but Yunho tried to talk him into it. He would’ve loved to, for Yunho, but he really was quite full, he argued.
“You should be,” Yunho said when their waiter left to fetch the bill. “I’m going to have to work late every night and save for a year if you ever want to see the inside of this place again.” He smiled.
Even though he knew he was joking, Jae was so unbelievably touched that he felt tears spring in his eyes.
“Are you okay?” Yunho asked, laying a hand on his arm.
He nodded. “Just something in my eye. I’ll just go to the washroom for a minute.” He stood. “I’ll meet you at the coat-check.”
Yunho watched him as he rushed off, his expression slightly puzzled.
When Jae returned, composed and seemingly calmed, Yunho was waiting for him with their coats already collected. He also had a small, prettily designed box. Taking his coat, Jae raised a brown in inquiry.
“Dessert,” Yunho said with a charming smile. “No celebration is complete without it and we are celebrating. If you’re too full now, you’ll just have it later.”
Jae felt the waterworks threaten again but he clamped down on the urge. Pulling on his coat, he said, “You’re very sweet. If everyone was like you, people would always be sick. Nothing would get done and society would fall to ruin.”
Yunho chuckled. “Well, at least they’d all die happy knowing they were cared for or had someone to care about, right?”
Jae’s smiled.
“Let’s go home.”
Yunho took his elbow and led him to the entryway. Just as they stepped into the little foyer, Jae heard someone call, “Yunho!”
He froze, chills running down his spine. He recognized the voice instantly.
“Hyun!” Yunho exclaimed, turning to greet his friend. They embraced, thumping each other on the back.
“It’s been a while,” Hyun said, all smiles. He turned to the pretty, petite brunette beside him. “You remember my wife, MinAh.”
Yunho nodded, shaking her hand.
Jae, who had kept his face down and turned to the side, hidden by the fur collar of his coat, felt himself being pulled forward to Yunho’s side as Yunho lay a hand on the small of his back.
“Jae, I don’t think you’ve ever met my friend LeeHyun, but we just call him Hyun. We went to high school together,” Yunho said by way of introduction.
Hyun’s eyes widened slightly but he covered it up well, saying, “Nice to meet you, Jae. My wife MinAh.”
Yunho thought it was weird when the usually friendly Jae just nodded his head and shook their proffered hands with an almost inaudible “how do you do.” He also didn’t miss Jae’s hesitation and the way he snatched his hand back quickly after shaking Hyun’s, sticking it in his coat pocket immediately. Not once did he look Hyun in the eyes. When he felt Jae begin to tremble slightly, he knew something was wrong. He looked at Hyun and, before he could mask it, saw a small, predatory smile flit across his lips when he looked at Jae before meeting Yunho’s eyes again.
They made small talk for a few more minute then Yunho said, “Jae’s been sick recently so I don’t want to keep him out too late. Enjoy your dinner. I’ll see you soon.” Count on it, he thought.
Hyun and his wife said their goodbyes then continued on inside while Yunho steered Jae out the front door. Neither one said anything as they walked across the quiet parking lot to the car. Yunho unlocked the passenger side and helped Jae settle in, buckling his seat-belt and resting the dessert bag on his lap before closing the door. He moved to the driver’s side and, to Jae’s surprise, took off his coat and tie. When he rolled up his sleeves, Jae started feeling apprehensive.
“Yunho…” he began.
“Lock the door until I come back,” Yunho instructed.
Jae shifted in his seat, his eyes fearful. “Yunho, don’t…”
Yunho was very still for a second, his eyes cold and hard. “Lock…the door,” he enunciated.
He slammed the door shut, waited til he heard the click of the locks then took off.
Jae sat back in his seat, eyes wide and filled with fright. He didn’t know what had gotten into Yunho but he prayed to the heavens that he wasn’t about to do something stupid.
“Hey, bud, what did you want to talk about?” Hyun asked as he turned the corner to the alley behind the restaurant.
“This,” Yunho replied and planted his fist in his face.
Hyun covered the right side of his face as pain exploded behind his eye. “What the fuck? What did you do that for?”
Yunho moved with the precision of a boxer, his feet quick and constantly moving. “Just thought you might like a taste of your own medicine. I doubt he saw it coming so why should you?”
“What the fuck are you talking about?”
Yunho stopped shifting and walked dangerously slow towards Hyun. The man backed into the wall and he leaned in close. His voice, when he spoke, was soft and deadly. “I saw what you did to his face, his body.” When Hyun started to shake his head, Yunho leaned in until their lips were almost touching. “Don’t bother to deny it, I know it was you.”
“Get off of me!” Hyun pushed him away and he fell back, allowing the man to break free. Without his realizing it, Yunho had backed him further into the alley, which was a dead end, so he would have to pass Yunho in order to get back to the restaurant. Yunho stood still, waiting.
“So what is this, revenge? What do you care anyway? He’s nothing to you.”
“And you’re married.”
Hyun rolled his uninjured eye. “She knows: we have an understanding. It’s none of her business anyway.”
Yunho said nothing, only continued to watch him as his transparent thoughts flit across his face.
Changing tactics, Hyun smiled and said amiably, “Yunho, come on. We’ve been friends for more than ten years. You know how guys like him are. The pretty princesses. They lead you on and when you’re good and pumped, leave you hanging.”
A muscle began to tick in Yunho’s jaw. “So you hit him.”
“If you’re going to be technical about it, yes, but it was self-defense. He almost bit my tongue off.”
“Without provocation? I find that hard to believe.”
“Maybe he wanted to stop and I was too far gone to notice. You know how it is. You get to the point of no return and they just need a little coercion to get back on track.” He smiled wolfishly.
Yunho’s eyes narrowed and he forced himself to remain where he was. If he moved, he would tear him limb from limb. “I’ve never forced myself on anyone,” he growled.
“I didn’t force him! He came into my car of his own accord, he knew what was up. What, did he say I raped him or something? The bitch wouldn’t even let me get in his pants. He bit my lip and my hand came up automatically. It was a reflex. If he knew he was too much of a pussy to follow through he should’ve never gotten into my car to begin with. He’s lucky all I did was throw his ass out the door…”
Yunho started seeing red. His body moved of its own volition and his fist just came up swinging, over and over into Hyun’s face. He heard the man’s desperate cry for him to stop but he couldn’t. Only when Hyun bit his other hand did he come back to himself. He was leaning over him on the dirty alley floor, his bloody fist raised to strike again. Hyun’s face was a mess: his eyes were swollen, lips busted and blood poured from his broken nose. When Yunho clenched his sore fist, Hyun whimpered in fear.
“Because of you, he nearly died,” Yunho said, voice so low that Hyun had to strain his ears to hear it. “The next time you even think about raising your hand to someone, remember this. The way you feel and look right now. And stay away from Jae. If you see him anywhere, no matter what the time of day, cross the street. Don’t let him see you. I don’t want him to ever have to look upon your face.” He paused. “Do you hit your wife too? Is that where you get your target practice?” Hyun didn’t respond but Yunho saw the answer in his eyes. Standing, he looked down at the man, his voice dripping with venom as he said, “I’d advise you to stop. If I hear you’ve laid your hand on her, if I see a bruise anywhere, I’ll come back and kick your ass on principle.” Angry bile rose up into his throat and he spat on the ground barely a foot from Hyun’s head. “You disgust me.”
With that, he turned and strode out of the dark alley and into the light, leaving the anger and hatred behind.
“I can’t believe you did this!”
Yunho sighed and settled down for another round of admonitions. Ever since he’d returned to the car, his hand bloodied and bruised and nearly scaring Jae half to death, his ears had been ringing. He knew that Jae was just afraid for him so he let him get it out but he hoped he’d stop soon. His hand was aching and his head throbbed now that the adrenaline rush had left him.
Jae stomped into the bathroom to get another fresh set of cotton swabs, muttering to himself until he was back in the bedroom, then he started chastizing Yunho again.
“Really, what on earth were you thinking?” he asked as he sat on the bed and took Yunho’s hand again, roughly applying the medicated ointment to the torn skin.
Yunho winced as it burned. “I just wanted to talk to him, that’s all.”
“Talk,” Jae scoffed. Lifting Yunho’s hand, he raised an eyebrow. “Then how did this happen?”
“You didn’t see you.”
Jae paused. “What?”
“You didn’t see yourself, that night when you came home. You have no idea how broken you looked.”
Jae flushed and looked back down at Yunho’s hand, resuming his cleaning. “That’s no excuse. You could’ve been seriously hurt. What if he’d fought back? I don’t need you to defend me. I can take care of myself.”
But you can’t, Yunho thought. The minute it had clicked in his head that Hyun was the one who had hurt Jae, he couldn’t get the image of Jae’s beautiful, ruined face off his mind. He also couldn’t forget how Jae had screamed at him not to touch him. If Hyun hadn’t hurt him, they might have been able to talk things out that night. He never would’ve gotten sick either.
But it was you who chased him out into the night.
It was true, and he’d never forgive himself for it. All of it was his fault. But Hyun had been the one to hurt him, to mar his perfection, and for that he had to pay.
But as he looked at Jae now, so beautiful as he sat there cleaning his hand and grumbling to himself, Yunho felt lust rise in his gut, swift and strong. He pulled his hand away and cupped Jae’s face.
Jae’s eyes widened in surprise. “Yunho, I’m…”
Yunho captured his lips, heat lancing through his body straight down to his loins. He pressed Jae into the bed, kicking the swabs and ointments to the floor as he deepened the kiss, his tongue spearing Jae’s mouth. Jae moaned softly, his fingers clutching the front of Yunho’s shirt. Yunho tore his mouth away, taking a deep breath. He looked down at Jae, so wide-eyed and innocent, and felt himself thicken as he thought of what he was going to do to him.
Grabbing the hem of Jae’s sweater, he said, “I hope you’re not too attached to this.”
Jae’s eyes widened. Remembering those words and how Yunho had ruined his last sweater, he said, “Wait! You’ll get blood on it. Let me.”
Yunho smiled wickedly. “Can’t wait. I’ll buy it back. Promise.”
He had him naked in seconds, was buried deep within him in minutes. His passion wouldn’t allow for foreplay and gentleness, the beast within him too intent on possessing, consuming. His hands and mouth were rough but he played Jae’s body like a bow, plucking his strings expertly until he arched in pleasure, his cries of ecstasy bouncing off the walls. Yunho’s own grunt of completion followed shortly after and then all was quiet.
Yunho held him in the aftermath, his body curled into Jae’s naked back protectively. He listened to his breathing as it returned to normal, then deepened, signifying that he’d fallen into slumber. He lay there listening to his breathing, watching the even rise and fall of his back, and thought how precious he was to him.
Leaning over, he kissed him behind the ear and whispered, “I’ll never let anyone hurt you again. I swear.”
Jae mumbled something, what, he didn’t know, but he pushed back into Yunho, seeking his heat, before settling down again.
Yunho smiled as he felt himself twitch against Jae’s pert little butt where it pressed against him. He would’ve loved to go for round two but they were both clearly exhausted.
There’s always tomorrow, he thought eagerly.
Smiling to himself, he slipped an arm around Jae’s waist and linked his fingers with the hand that lay on the bed. He bent Jae forward slightly, so he could rest his ear against his warm back, and let the steady, rhythmic beat of his heart lull him to sleep.
A/N: ♪Feels like insomnia, oh-oh-oh.♪ I hope you guys remember me when my sleep-deprivation eventually does me in. Have a great weekend!
I've been checking my stats and I noticed that I have a LOT of silent/invisible readers. Please don't be afraid to comment, all are welcome and I don't bite. Not even if you ask me to. I dunno where you've been, you could have rabies ^_^
Chapter 13
Author: VampireMadonna
Pairing: Main: YunJae; Secondary: JaeMin, HoMin
Rating: PG-13
Length: Chaptered
Summary: After Changmin's death, how are Jae and Yunho going to cope with their grief and their increasing attraction to each other?
“One more. Open wide. Ahhh.”
Jaejoong shook his head and melded back into the pillows.
Yunho sighed in exasperation. “Jae, you’re worse than HyunJoon and he’s a child. Be a good boy and just open your mouth.”
Jae glowered. “If you think insulting me is going to…” He stopped abruptly as he suddenly found his mouth full of vegetable soup.
Yunho smiled in triumph. “Works every time.”
Chewing the mouthful of vegetables, Jae crossed his arms over his chest and sulked.
“Aww… Is baby upset?” Yunho leaned down and kissed his forehead, gently stroking his hair when he straightened up.
As it did whenever Yunho touched him, Jae’s cheeks filled with hot color. It embarrassed him immensely that his body betrayed his feelings so easily. He knew that Yunho was probably just checking his temperature, as he’d taken to kissing his forehead in the week and a half since the night they’d…
The heat and color in his cheeks intensified 100 fold. Drat!
“I have to run to the office for a bit,” Yunho was saying. “Try to stay out of trouble. Don’t even think of going to the gym. We don’t want any repeats of last time, do we? As a matter of fact, why don’t you just stay right where you are? If you’re a good boy, I’ll give you a surprise,” Yunho teased, loving the angry color that filled Jae’s cheeks and the fiery sparks in his eyes.
“Just you wait until I’m fully recovered and we’ll see how you like a taste of your own medicine.”
Yunho grinned. “Looking forward to it.” He leaned over again and pressed a brief kiss to Jae’s pouty lips. “Bye Princess.”
Jae grumbled as he watched him go but as he walked through the doorway, he immediately felt his absence. Sighing, he flopped over onto his stomach and pulled a pillow over his head.
It had been over a week since the night they’d made love. They’d never talked about it: there hadn’t really been any opportunity to. When Yunho had awakened the next morning, Jae’s fever had skyrocketed again and he’d been deep in his sleep-coma, as Yunho called it, too sick to be conscious of anything around him. His relapse hadn’t lasted as long as the initial onset of the illness, thankfully, but Yunho wasn’t taking any chances, especially after the time Jae, feeling particularly good one day, went down to the small gym that occupied half of the basement. He’d started off well enough but had found his strength sapped more rapidly than expected and he hadn’t been able to get back upstairs before Yunho returned from one of his rare trips to the office. He’d been frantic searching the house for him and only when he’d finally heard Jae’s weak cry did he go down to the basement. He hadn’t said a word when he’d picked him up and taken him upstairs but Jae had seen the pulse throbbing in his neck, the tight clench of his jaw and the worry, behind the haze of anger, in his eyes. Since then, he made sure that Jae stayed in bed all day, every day.
He also hadn’t attempted to touch him since that night, other than what was necessary in care-taking. Jae wondered if Yunho regretted it but there was no indication that he did. He was still kind and gentle, very attentive and affectionate in his own way. When he had chills, Yunho used to wrap his arm around him and hold him close, even subconsciously while he slept. He didn’t have chills very often anymore since his body temperature was almost back to normal but sometimes, when he really missed Yunho’s nearness, he’d pretend to shiver and burrow deeper into the covers. Like clockwork, Yunho would drape an arm around him and pull him close or lean into his back and he’d ‘settle down’ again. But it wasn’t enough. Ever since that night, he craved Yunho’s touch. Not the sexual aspect so much as the tenderness and consideration Yunho had shown him. He vividly remembered looking up at Yunho, excited but more than a little nervous and afraid, and being soothed by the tenderness in his eyes. He’d been sexy as hell, standing there illuminated only by the light cast from the flames as he’d lubed himself, but the mere fact that he’d even remembered made Jae feel warm and fuzzy inside because it had been for his benefit, his comfort, his enjoyment.
He’d been a virgin but he had enough experience to know that there were some guys who, once the clothes were off, had nothing in mind but finding their way ‘home’, the pleasure of the other person be damned. He’d met decent guys too, guys who wanted to treat him well, to worship him, but he just had never felt a connection. How could he when he’d lost his heart at such a young age? He’d tried anyway but it had never worked out and he’d always wondered if, perhaps, he should’ve gone all the way. Now he was grateful he hadn’t. He didn’t think any amount of consideration or gentleness could equal what he’d experienced with Yunho simply because it was Yunho.
He sighed again and burrowed deeper into the pillows. He still believed that Yunho only kissed him on the forehead to check his temperature. He’d only started doing so after he’d relapsed and the kiss on the lips didn’t mean anything either, he told himself. But just as he’d vowed to pay Yunho back for his teasing, he intended to find out once and for all if things had changed between them in any way. Once he was back on his feet, there was no way Yunho could avoid the elephant in the room.
Sighing for a third time, he closed his eyes and willed himself to sleep.
Three days later, Jae was downstairs sitting at the kitchen table when Yunho walked in the front door with a huge gift box in his hands. A smile immediately lit his face and his heart skipped a beat.
“Hi, Princess,” Yunho greeted, grinning as Jae rolled his eyes. He loved coming home and teasing him first thing. It was a nice way to wind down after a long day’s work.
Pouting, Jae turned back to the magazine he’d been flipping through. “How was work?”
Yunho shrugged as he set the box down on the floor to remove his coat before picking it up again. “Same old. I managed not to lose another account. It’s going to take me a while to make up for all those months I lost after…”
Jae looked up at him, his eyes filled with understanding.
Shaking himself out of it, Yunho grinned and held the box out to Jae. “I have something for you.”
Jae’s eyes widened in surprise and he immediately jumped up from his seat and rushed over to Yunho. “What is it?”
“Open it and see.” Yunho didn’t let him take the box, instead he placed it on the table.
Jae untied the pretty pink ribbon, which complemented the pink polka-dots on the black background of the box, and briefly wondered if Yunho had caught onto his love of pink, especially pink on black. He lift the lid, pushed the crepe paper aside and gasped when his hand fell on material so soft, so light, it was like touching air. Taking it out of the box, he looked up and Yunho with wide, astonished eyes.
“I owed you, remember?” he said with a smile.
Jae blushed and brought the butter-soft, cream-colored cashmere sweater to his cheeks.
“There’s more,” Yunho informed him.
Brows furrowed, Jae carefully set the sweat aside and looked into the box. He gasped, his eyes going so wide that Yunho was almost afraid they’d pop out. He lifted the soft, coal-gray fur coat and clutched it to his chest at a loss for words.
“It’s still winter and I don’t want to run the risk of you getting sick again. It’s faux-fur of course, I know how into animals you are, but I thought you could wear it when we go out to dinner tonight,” Yunho concluded, eyes twinkling.
Jae just stared at Yunho wondering how any one person could be so perfect. Before he knew what he was doing, he launched himself at Yunho, wrapping one arm tightly around his neck, while the other still held the coat, and buried his face in his chest. He was so touched that he wanted to shed a few tears. The feeling intensified when Yunho’s arms closed around him and Yunho rested his cheek on top of his head.
“You’ve been good the past few days and I know you’re probably going stir-crazy being in the house all this time so I thought we’d go out to celebrate your recovery. And at least you won’t have to complain about eating my yucky soup anymore,” he added teasingly.
Jae would never admit it but he loved Yunho’s soup. It might not be the most flavorful but it came from the heart and that healed him more than any of the nutrients in the soup itself.
Giving him one final squeeze, Yunho released him and pulled back. “Now go start getting ready. I know how long you Princesses take to beautify yourselves,” he paused to roll his eyes dramatically before continuing, “so you’d better get a head start. Our reservations at 7.”
Jae was so giddily happy that he didn’t care that Yunho called him a Princess again. Truthfully, he was starting to like it. With Min, it had been a name of mocking affection but with Yunho, he actually felt cherished and revered, like royalty, even though he used it teasingly as well.
Grinning from ear to ear, he grabbed the sweater and scampered up the stairs. He couldn’t wait to try them on.
The restaurant was lovely: high class with elegantly appointed antique furniture and settings. The table they were shown to was located in a secluded area, decorated with potted mini-palms and a soothing mini-waterfall, allowing them the view of the restaurant without being seen in return. Their waiter was cool and professional but still maintained an air of friendly warmth.
Jae was in heaven. It was exactly the type of atmosphere he was used to, thrived in. Looking across the table at Yunho, he couldn’t hide the smile that pulled at his lips. He’d been twitching since they’d arrived. He’d been able to discard his dinner jacket once they were seated but he’d continued to pull at his tie.
“You’d think for someone who owns his own business, a large, successful one at that, you’d be used to formal wear,” Jae commented, raising his champagne flute to his lips.
“Clearly, you’ve never been to the office,” Yunho replied with a grin. “Remind me to take you one day.”
Jae felt a tremor work its way down his spine at the thought of Yunho taking him to work and showing him the ins and outs of his daily life, introducing him to the people that knew him well. He was very aware that they looked like they were on a date, he didn’t miss the appreciative and envious glances of the people they’d passed on their way in, both men and women alike, and it would have been easy, given the romantic ambience of the place, to buy into the idea that it was one. But Yunho had made no mention of that so Jae reminded himself not to fall too deeply into the spell that was weaving its way around them.
Their waiter arrived with their orders shortly after and they fell into a companionable silence. During dinner, which were expertly cooked and delicious, and after-dinner coffer, they talked about work and Jae found himself telling Yunho about his life back in New York, his interior design business, his noonas and their ever-expanding families. On more than one occasion, Changmin came up and they started trading stories about their experiences with him. Jae realized that, so long as no mention was made of his illness or the time leading up to his death and beyond, they would talk quite openly about him without ruining the atmosphere. It was nice, he decided.
Before they knew it, they had finished eating and their waiter returned. When posed the question of whether to have dessert or not, Jae passed but Yunho tried to talk him into it. He would’ve loved to, for Yunho, but he really was quite full, he argued.
“You should be,” Yunho said when their waiter left to fetch the bill. “I’m going to have to work late every night and save for a year if you ever want to see the inside of this place again.” He smiled.
Even though he knew he was joking, Jae was so unbelievably touched that he felt tears spring in his eyes.
“Are you okay?” Yunho asked, laying a hand on his arm.
He nodded. “Just something in my eye. I’ll just go to the washroom for a minute.” He stood. “I’ll meet you at the coat-check.”
Yunho watched him as he rushed off, his expression slightly puzzled.
When Jae returned, composed and seemingly calmed, Yunho was waiting for him with their coats already collected. He also had a small, prettily designed box. Taking his coat, Jae raised a brown in inquiry.
“Dessert,” Yunho said with a charming smile. “No celebration is complete without it and we are celebrating. If you’re too full now, you’ll just have it later.”
Jae felt the waterworks threaten again but he clamped down on the urge. Pulling on his coat, he said, “You’re very sweet. If everyone was like you, people would always be sick. Nothing would get done and society would fall to ruin.”
Yunho chuckled. “Well, at least they’d all die happy knowing they were cared for or had someone to care about, right?”
Jae’s smiled.
“Let’s go home.”
Yunho took his elbow and led him to the entryway. Just as they stepped into the little foyer, Jae heard someone call, “Yunho!”
He froze, chills running down his spine. He recognized the voice instantly.
“Hyun!” Yunho exclaimed, turning to greet his friend. They embraced, thumping each other on the back.
“It’s been a while,” Hyun said, all smiles. He turned to the pretty, petite brunette beside him. “You remember my wife, MinAh.”
Yunho nodded, shaking her hand.
Jae, who had kept his face down and turned to the side, hidden by the fur collar of his coat, felt himself being pulled forward to Yunho’s side as Yunho lay a hand on the small of his back.
“Jae, I don’t think you’ve ever met my friend LeeHyun, but we just call him Hyun. We went to high school together,” Yunho said by way of introduction.
Hyun’s eyes widened slightly but he covered it up well, saying, “Nice to meet you, Jae. My wife MinAh.”
Yunho thought it was weird when the usually friendly Jae just nodded his head and shook their proffered hands with an almost inaudible “how do you do.” He also didn’t miss Jae’s hesitation and the way he snatched his hand back quickly after shaking Hyun’s, sticking it in his coat pocket immediately. Not once did he look Hyun in the eyes. When he felt Jae begin to tremble slightly, he knew something was wrong. He looked at Hyun and, before he could mask it, saw a small, predatory smile flit across his lips when he looked at Jae before meeting Yunho’s eyes again.
They made small talk for a few more minute then Yunho said, “Jae’s been sick recently so I don’t want to keep him out too late. Enjoy your dinner. I’ll see you soon.” Count on it, he thought.
Hyun and his wife said their goodbyes then continued on inside while Yunho steered Jae out the front door. Neither one said anything as they walked across the quiet parking lot to the car. Yunho unlocked the passenger side and helped Jae settle in, buckling his seat-belt and resting the dessert bag on his lap before closing the door. He moved to the driver’s side and, to Jae’s surprise, took off his coat and tie. When he rolled up his sleeves, Jae started feeling apprehensive.
“Yunho…” he began.
“Lock the door until I come back,” Yunho instructed.
Jae shifted in his seat, his eyes fearful. “Yunho, don’t…”
Yunho was very still for a second, his eyes cold and hard. “Lock…the door,” he enunciated.
He slammed the door shut, waited til he heard the click of the locks then took off.
Jae sat back in his seat, eyes wide and filled with fright. He didn’t know what had gotten into Yunho but he prayed to the heavens that he wasn’t about to do something stupid.
“Hey, bud, what did you want to talk about?” Hyun asked as he turned the corner to the alley behind the restaurant.
“This,” Yunho replied and planted his fist in his face.
Hyun covered the right side of his face as pain exploded behind his eye. “What the fuck? What did you do that for?”
Yunho moved with the precision of a boxer, his feet quick and constantly moving. “Just thought you might like a taste of your own medicine. I doubt he saw it coming so why should you?”
“What the fuck are you talking about?”
Yunho stopped shifting and walked dangerously slow towards Hyun. The man backed into the wall and he leaned in close. His voice, when he spoke, was soft and deadly. “I saw what you did to his face, his body.” When Hyun started to shake his head, Yunho leaned in until their lips were almost touching. “Don’t bother to deny it, I know it was you.”
“Get off of me!” Hyun pushed him away and he fell back, allowing the man to break free. Without his realizing it, Yunho had backed him further into the alley, which was a dead end, so he would have to pass Yunho in order to get back to the restaurant. Yunho stood still, waiting.
“So what is this, revenge? What do you care anyway? He’s nothing to you.”
“And you’re married.”
Hyun rolled his uninjured eye. “She knows: we have an understanding. It’s none of her business anyway.”
Yunho said nothing, only continued to watch him as his transparent thoughts flit across his face.
Changing tactics, Hyun smiled and said amiably, “Yunho, come on. We’ve been friends for more than ten years. You know how guys like him are. The pretty princesses. They lead you on and when you’re good and pumped, leave you hanging.”
A muscle began to tick in Yunho’s jaw. “So you hit him.”
“If you’re going to be technical about it, yes, but it was self-defense. He almost bit my tongue off.”
“Without provocation? I find that hard to believe.”
“Maybe he wanted to stop and I was too far gone to notice. You know how it is. You get to the point of no return and they just need a little coercion to get back on track.” He smiled wolfishly.
Yunho’s eyes narrowed and he forced himself to remain where he was. If he moved, he would tear him limb from limb. “I’ve never forced myself on anyone,” he growled.
“I didn’t force him! He came into my car of his own accord, he knew what was up. What, did he say I raped him or something? The bitch wouldn’t even let me get in his pants. He bit my lip and my hand came up automatically. It was a reflex. If he knew he was too much of a pussy to follow through he should’ve never gotten into my car to begin with. He’s lucky all I did was throw his ass out the door…”
Yunho started seeing red. His body moved of its own volition and his fist just came up swinging, over and over into Hyun’s face. He heard the man’s desperate cry for him to stop but he couldn’t. Only when Hyun bit his other hand did he come back to himself. He was leaning over him on the dirty alley floor, his bloody fist raised to strike again. Hyun’s face was a mess: his eyes were swollen, lips busted and blood poured from his broken nose. When Yunho clenched his sore fist, Hyun whimpered in fear.
“Because of you, he nearly died,” Yunho said, voice so low that Hyun had to strain his ears to hear it. “The next time you even think about raising your hand to someone, remember this. The way you feel and look right now. And stay away from Jae. If you see him anywhere, no matter what the time of day, cross the street. Don’t let him see you. I don’t want him to ever have to look upon your face.” He paused. “Do you hit your wife too? Is that where you get your target practice?” Hyun didn’t respond but Yunho saw the answer in his eyes. Standing, he looked down at the man, his voice dripping with venom as he said, “I’d advise you to stop. If I hear you’ve laid your hand on her, if I see a bruise anywhere, I’ll come back and kick your ass on principle.” Angry bile rose up into his throat and he spat on the ground barely a foot from Hyun’s head. “You disgust me.”
With that, he turned and strode out of the dark alley and into the light, leaving the anger and hatred behind.
“I can’t believe you did this!”
Yunho sighed and settled down for another round of admonitions. Ever since he’d returned to the car, his hand bloodied and bruised and nearly scaring Jae half to death, his ears had been ringing. He knew that Jae was just afraid for him so he let him get it out but he hoped he’d stop soon. His hand was aching and his head throbbed now that the adrenaline rush had left him.
Jae stomped into the bathroom to get another fresh set of cotton swabs, muttering to himself until he was back in the bedroom, then he started chastizing Yunho again.
“Really, what on earth were you thinking?” he asked as he sat on the bed and took Yunho’s hand again, roughly applying the medicated ointment to the torn skin.
Yunho winced as it burned. “I just wanted to talk to him, that’s all.”
“Talk,” Jae scoffed. Lifting Yunho’s hand, he raised an eyebrow. “Then how did this happen?”
“You didn’t see you.”
Jae paused. “What?”
“You didn’t see yourself, that night when you came home. You have no idea how broken you looked.”
Jae flushed and looked back down at Yunho’s hand, resuming his cleaning. “That’s no excuse. You could’ve been seriously hurt. What if he’d fought back? I don’t need you to defend me. I can take care of myself.”
But you can’t, Yunho thought. The minute it had clicked in his head that Hyun was the one who had hurt Jae, he couldn’t get the image of Jae’s beautiful, ruined face off his mind. He also couldn’t forget how Jae had screamed at him not to touch him. If Hyun hadn’t hurt him, they might have been able to talk things out that night. He never would’ve gotten sick either.
But it was you who chased him out into the night.
It was true, and he’d never forgive himself for it. All of it was his fault. But Hyun had been the one to hurt him, to mar his perfection, and for that he had to pay.
But as he looked at Jae now, so beautiful as he sat there cleaning his hand and grumbling to himself, Yunho felt lust rise in his gut, swift and strong. He pulled his hand away and cupped Jae’s face.
Jae’s eyes widened in surprise. “Yunho, I’m…”
Yunho captured his lips, heat lancing through his body straight down to his loins. He pressed Jae into the bed, kicking the swabs and ointments to the floor as he deepened the kiss, his tongue spearing Jae’s mouth. Jae moaned softly, his fingers clutching the front of Yunho’s shirt. Yunho tore his mouth away, taking a deep breath. He looked down at Jae, so wide-eyed and innocent, and felt himself thicken as he thought of what he was going to do to him.
Grabbing the hem of Jae’s sweater, he said, “I hope you’re not too attached to this.”
Jae’s eyes widened. Remembering those words and how Yunho had ruined his last sweater, he said, “Wait! You’ll get blood on it. Let me.”
Yunho smiled wickedly. “Can’t wait. I’ll buy it back. Promise.”
He had him naked in seconds, was buried deep within him in minutes. His passion wouldn’t allow for foreplay and gentleness, the beast within him too intent on possessing, consuming. His hands and mouth were rough but he played Jae’s body like a bow, plucking his strings expertly until he arched in pleasure, his cries of ecstasy bouncing off the walls. Yunho’s own grunt of completion followed shortly after and then all was quiet.
Yunho held him in the aftermath, his body curled into Jae’s naked back protectively. He listened to his breathing as it returned to normal, then deepened, signifying that he’d fallen into slumber. He lay there listening to his breathing, watching the even rise and fall of his back, and thought how precious he was to him.
Leaning over, he kissed him behind the ear and whispered, “I’ll never let anyone hurt you again. I swear.”
Jae mumbled something, what, he didn’t know, but he pushed back into Yunho, seeking his heat, before settling down again.
Yunho smiled as he felt himself twitch against Jae’s pert little butt where it pressed against him. He would’ve loved to go for round two but they were both clearly exhausted.
There’s always tomorrow, he thought eagerly.
Smiling to himself, he slipped an arm around Jae’s waist and linked his fingers with the hand that lay on the bed. He bent Jae forward slightly, so he could rest his ear against his warm back, and let the steady, rhythmic beat of his heart lull him to sleep.
A/N: ♪Feels like insomnia, oh-oh-oh.♪ I hope you guys remember me when my sleep-deprivation eventually does me in. Have a great weekend!
I've been checking my stats and I noticed that I have a LOT of silent/invisible readers. Please don't be afraid to comment, all are welcome and I don't bite. Not even if you ask me to. I dunno where you've been, you could have rabies ^_^
Chapter 13