Fate (Mirotic) Jaejoong's POV: Part 4
Title: Fate (Mirotic) Jaejoong's POV: Part 4
Author: VampireMadonna
Pairing: YunJae
Rating: NC-17
Synopsis: Jaejoong's life is...complicated. Still, he loves everything about it. But one day, he meets someone who throws a wrench in the wheels and makes his complicated life even more complex.
Jae stared through the tinted window to the glittery night beyond. He was in the group’s van, sans members, on his way to his dinner date…with Yunho.
It was still a little unbelievable, even though he knew that it wasn’t so unbelievable. He’d known that once he debuted there was a very good chance that he’d run into Yunho. He’d also known that since Yunho’s group had recently made a comeback, they would be performing on the same show that very day. Still, he couldn’t help but think they could’ve just as easily missed each other entirely. He’d known Yunho was going to be there but he’d never planned to look him up. If Yunho hadn’t been backstage, hadn’t stuck around and watched their performance, he never would’ve seen Jae and that would’ve been the end of it. Of course, the opportunity would’ve arisen again and again, week after week, and Yunho may have eventually seen him on television when their music video hit the air, but it seemed far more significant that they had run into each other on the very first day he’d stepped out of seclusion since the night they’d met. It couldn’t just be a coincidence.
“Do you believe in fate?”
He’d asked himself that a lot since that night, especially today when its significance couldn’t be ignored. He still couldn’t answer the question in the affirmative if it was put to him but he would give his response a lot more thought now than he had three months ago.
Just then his phone beeped, breaking him out of his thoughts. Pulling it out of the pocket of his sweatshirt, he flipped it open and read.
Where are you? How’s the meeting going?
He wasn’t surprised, had been expecting it honestly. He didn’t bother to reply, simply closed his phone and put it away again. If he responded to Jinyoung, who knew where they would end up. Things had been relatively drama free between them since that night, or rather, that day, three months ago and he wanted to keep it that way. He didn’t want to lie to him but he obviously wasn’t going to tell him the truth either. Silence was best overall.
He smiled ruefully to himself. He couldn’t help but notice the similarities to that night yet again. Three months ago, he’d received a similar text while on his way to meet his members for their very last street performance, not knowing that he’d be meeting Yunho again as well. Was that mere coincidence too or…
“We’re here,” his manager announced.
Jae looked about him, surprised to find that they were in an underground parking lot. He’d been so lost in thought that he hadn’t notice when they’d gotten off the highway. He wasn’t even sure exactly where they were.
Manager Seo opened the door for him and he climbed out and followed the man to what appeared to be a service elevator.
Jae frowned in confusion. Where the hell were they?
The elevator doors opened and there was a pleasant looking young lady waiting, a smile of greeting on her face.
“Go on ahead,” Manager Seo said, patting him reassuringly on the shoulder.
Jae walked forward and stepped into the elevator, turning to face his manager who remained where he was.
Just before the doors closed, Manager Seo suddenly said, “Jae…”
Jae raised a brow. “Yea?”
The look in the man’s eyes said that he wanted to say more but didn’t know exactly how. In the end, he seemed to decide against it.
“Just…call me when you’re ready.”
Jae nodded wordlessly and the doors slid shut immediately after.
Well, that was weird, he thought. Was his manager worried for him? Did he know…? His eyes widened in alarm. Did he perhaps suspect something? He knew that Jae was gay, he hadn’t hid it when the group was scouted by and later auditioned for the company, and it was industry knowledge that Yunho was gay as well. Manager Seo had been in the business for a while so assumably, he would know about Yunho’s preference and perhaps his lifestyle. Was this a regular occurrence? Did Yunho often invite young idols to dinner, using it as a guise for other things?
Jae didn’t buy that for a minute. He’d only known Yunho for one night but he considered himself a pretty good judge of character and Yunho was as honest and genuine as they came. Besides, he wasn’t a playboy. Hadn’t he gotten attached to Jae after a mere few hours?
There was a ‘ding’ as the elevator, which he hadn’t even noticed was moving, came to a stop, the doors sliding open to reveal a short, bare hallway. He was led down the corridor and into a foyer, across the marble floor and into another elevator, this one far more glamorous and luxurious than the first. As the doors slid shut, cutting off his view of the foyer, something tickled the back of his mind. The foyer, he realized, looked very familiar. Glancing around the elevator, he realized that it did too. Could it be…?
The elevator whooshed upwards and stopped at the 15th floor, sliding open soundlessly. The attendant smiled at him and gestured for him to step off ahead of her before leading him down the hall. When she stopped in front of an all too familiar room number, something warm exploded in his chest.
“Please enjoy your stay,” she said, speaking for the first time. With a polite bow, she turned and walked back in the direction from which they’d come.
Jae stared at the door for a full minute, absorbing everything, before knocking.
Yunho answered promptly, less than five seconds after the last rap. He smiled shyly down at his guest. Jae could see both nerves and excitement in his dark eyes.
“Hi,” Yunho greeted somewhat throatily.
Jae smiled. It never ceased to amaze him how innocently cute Yunho could be. He was completely without guile.
“Hey.”
Yunho stepped back to allow him to enter, closing the door softly behind him.
Jae looked about the suite, noting that it looked exactly as it had that night, well, the morning rather. He hadn’t seen much of the suite until he was leaving the following morning since Yunho had had him occupied in the bedroom the entire night.
“Did you eat?” Yunho asked from behind him.
Jae shook his head. “No, I didn’t want to spoil my appetite. And honestly, there wasn’t much time to either. By the time we finally got through the chaos outside the station, it was already late. We went straight to the dorm and had to go through the whole regimen of removing make-up and costumes, all that drama. I was lucky just to be able to have a shower and change into fresh clothes before I had to leave.”
Yunho chuckled. “Well, good. I already ordered ahead, hope you don’t mind. I remember that you have a big appetite so I ordered a lot. I hope you like it.”
Jae glanced over his shoulder, his smile mischievous. “So long as it’s edible, you have nothing to worry about.”
Yunho led him to the living area of the suite. There was a table set up next to the floor to ceiling windows looking out at the lush, gaily lit park across the street. At the side of the table was a serving cart with what seemed like an unending number of covered plates and platters.
He unzipped his sweatshirt and hung it over the back of his chair before sitting, watching as Yunho set a covered dish before him on the table, then placed one on the table in front of his seat, before sitting across from Jae. He reached for a bottle of wine that had been chilling in an ice bucket on the table and poured them both a glass. Raising his glass to Jae, who followed suit, he said, “Bon appetit.”
After taking a sip of the wine, which was a nice bittersweet Merlot, Jae got down to the serious business of eating. The pasta Yunho had ordered was possibly the best he’d ever had. The fact that the serving was rather large was something he greatly appreciated. When he had cleared half of his plate, and his stomach was partially satisfied, he reached for his glass and took a sip, studying Yunho above the crystal rim. He’d been aware that Yunho was watching him eat the entire time, barely paying attention to his own food, and now he could see the questions burning in his eyes.
“What are you waiting for?” he teased playfully. “I know you have a lot to ask, you may as well get it over with.”
Yunho flushed, his eyes darting away in embarrassment. “It can wait until after dinner.”
Jae chuckled. “There is such a thing as dinner conversation. There’s absolutely no reason we can’t eat and talk.”
Yunho didn’t need to be told twice. Leaning forward eagerly, he pounced. “How… That night, you said absolutely nothing about what you were going to do…”
“No.”
“…but you knew that you were going to debut soon, that we’d be in the same company.”
“Yes.”
“Why didn’t you say something?” Yunho couldn’t keep the hurt out of his tone. He felt cheated. Had he known the truth, he would’ve been able to keep tabs on Jae from the very beginning. He would’ve found a way.
“Do you want to know the truth? I hope you don’t take this the wrong way but, it honestly never crossed my mind. I met you at the end of a very exhausting day, both physically and emotionally. Neither of us planned what happened, it just did. There was no conscious thought of keeping it from you, I just didn’t say anything at first, I had no reason to and most importantly I wasn’t supposed to, and eventually, I completely forgot. It didn’t seem that important compared to other things…”
Yunho blushed again, memories of that night rushing to the fore. They were never far from his thoughts as it was. Despite what he’d told himself in the months since, he had never truly let go, never given up. Now, sitting across from Jae, he was glad he hadn’t.
“You’re an idol now…” he continued, changing the topic. “The very thing you hate. How does it feel?”
Jae shrugged. “I’m still me, this is just my job. It’s a job that allows me to do what I want to do, I just ignore all the extraneous stuff.”
Yunho nodded. “How did you come to be the leader? You’re the youngest, right?”
Jae grinned. “Well, it’s more of a technicality honestly. When I joined the group almost two years ago, I was just finishing up high school and the other guys were either starting or already in college. I had no intention of going to college, I’ve always known that it’s just not for me, so since I had more time on my hands, it made sense that I be the leader since I could take care of things while the rest of them were in school or focused on school related stuff. It started off as a strictly functional role but when we got scouted, it just sorta continued like that. The boys were already looking to me as the authority figure by then.”
“You were scouted, you say? And they kept all of you? That’s great, if somewhat unorthodox.”
Jae played with the stem of his wine glass as he spoke. “Well… They tried to throw their weight around at first. We were scouted but we had to audition like everyone else. They liked our concept, the mask and the original compositions, but though they liked us as a group, they did try to break us down into our individual parts. The singers could form a ballad group and the dancers could be trained as backup dancers. They even offered me a solo contract. They liked my unique look, they said, and it was an added bonus that I could actually sing, though they would’ve taken me anyway, based on looks alone. I bet you can imagine my response to that,” he said wryly.
Yunho laughed. “Knowing you as I think I do, I bet I can.”
“We had decided in advance, since we knew that it was a possibility, that we would stick together. It was either all of us or none of us. It paid off but we aren’t dumb. It was an incredibly risky, possibly stupid move on our parts. It could easily have turned south. As you know, in the idol world everyone is replaceable, no matter how talented or unique they may be. I will never take that for granted but the guys made me part of their family, no way was I going to turn my back on them, even if they would have understood.”
Yunho nodded. He was amazed at just how mature and selfless Jae was for someone his age. He knew many young idols who would jump at the chance for a solo career. They would gladly ditch their brethren if the opportunity was offered to them, friendship be damned. Sadly, Kpop was a business and for many of the current idols, being in a group was just a job. A lot of them didn’t form the kind of bonds or have the same camaraderie as the groups did in Yunho’s time. Back then the only support they had was each other since fraternizing with other groups wasn’t that common but in the present scene, he knew a lot of idols who spent more time with members of other groups than with their own. So, with that in mind, he couldn’t help but give Jae even more brownie points for sticking with his boys. Real friendships were so rare in the entertainment business, he hoped nothing ever came between them.
“You’re young but you have such a strong code of ethics,” he said, a hint of awe and admiration in his voice.
Jae laughed and shrugged. “I just happen to look the way I do and have the talents that I have. If one of the others had received the offer, I know they would’ve done the same. If I didn’t trust them completely, I wouldn’t be here.”
Thank God for that, Yunho thought.
“So, how are you liking it so far?”
Jae shrugged again. “It’s okay. I miss having a room of my own but I can deal. The manager treats us well, at least. I know some groups have things really hard so for that much, I’m grateful. It’s tiring but…it’ll pay off in the end. It’s not like I plan on being an idol forever, anyway.”
“Do you have a game plan for later on?”
“We shall see when the tide rolls in.”
They lapsed into a comfortable silence where Jae returned to his food. As Yunho watched him eat, a million questions popped into his mind but only one burned the tip of his tongue. Three months was a long time, anything could’ve happened.
“So… Have you made friends with other groups or celebrities?”
“Some,” Jae replied noncommittally.
“Anyone I know?”
“Probably.”
Yunho was tempted to stomp his foot in frustration but instead, he reached for his wineglass and took a long sip. Jae’s lack of cooperation only piqued his curiosity more. He had to know.
Cocking his head to the side, Jae looked at Yunho speculatively. “You know… If you want to ask if I’ve been seeing anyone, you can just ask. No need to beat around the bush.”
“Have you?” Yunho asked bluntly.
Jae smiled mischievously and waited a beat before replying. “No. I’ve been busy the past three months, remember?”
Yunho nodded. “Of course.”
They chit-chatted about this and that as they finished up the rest of their meal. Yunho hung onto Jae’s every word. He had missed the sound of his voice, the casual yet graceful way he shrugged his shoulders, the way he still shook his hair over his shoulder even though it wasn’t as long as it used to be, an unconscious habit he supposed. The way he twirled his fingers around the stem of his glass and trailed them up and down had him thinking of things he knew he shouldn’t. He hadn’t planned…
Or had he…? Was this all just some ruse to get Jae into bed again? Fill his belly with good food then have him offer his body in return?
No!, he denied mentally. Jae was so much more to him than a fuck, he would never minimize his importance to him to the sum of his beautifully put together parts.
But he wouldn’t deny that he longed to hold him again… To touch, taste, conquer.
It was with these thoughts in mind that he excused himself after clearing the dishes and escaped to the bedroom. He just needed some space between them to get a hold of himself again.
Jaejoong watched Yunho go, raising a brow when he all but ran from the room. It didn’t take much thought to figure out what had him so freaked. Yunho was so easy to read. Chuckling to himself, he walked to the huge wall of glass and looked out. He glanced down at his watch to check the time, saw that it wasn’t that late yet, and turned his gaze back to the window.
It was a beautiful view, the best that money could buy. Perhaps when he had saved a bit of money himself he could take his parents and JaeMi there for brunch, or maybe even treat them to a weekend. They could afford it themselves but he wanted to do something nice and special for them that they would always remember. And his mom did like dressing up for an occasion, after all. She already adored the fact that her son was an idol and boasted about it constantly, it would be an even bigger boon to show off to her friends that her gorgeous idol son had taken her to the best hotel in the city.
Smiling, he looked down at his watch again and was surprised to see that ten minutes had already passed. Glancing over his shoulder, he noted that the door to the bedroom was open. What was taking Yunho so long?
Deciding that he should probably go relieve him of his guilt, Jae slowly made his way across the living room to the bedroom. His footsteps, as he continued into the room before coming to a stop in front of Yunho, were muted by the thick, plush carpet. He stared down at Yunho, who sat at the side of the bed, head bowed, seemingly lost in thought.
He cleared his throat. “Yunho?”
Yunho looked up, his gaze a little disoriented. “Huh? What?”
Jae frowned. “Are you okay?”
Yunho blushed. “Sorry, I’m fine.”
“Are you sure? Do you want me to leave?”
“No!” Yunho yelled emphatically.
Jae’s frown smoothed out as a small smile tilted his lips. “Then…do you want me to stay?”
Yunho blinked. Twice. “Wha…what do you mean?”
Three months ago he’d been the one to get the show on the road, now it looked like he’d have to step up to the plate once again, Jae thought, amused.
Resting his palms on Yunho’s shoulders to support himself, he raised one leg and knelt on the bed on the outside of Yunho’s thigh then repeated the action on the other side so that he was straddling him. He smiled into Yunho’s shock-widened eyes.
“You’re as cute now as you were back then,” he purred.
Leaning forward slightly, he brought his lips down to Yunho’s parted ones and molded them to his, thrusting his tongue into Yunho’s mouth playfully. He could’ve nibbled, he could’ve sucked, he could’ve teased and drawn it out, but what was the point? They were going to get down to it anyway, why not cut to the chase? He appreciated foreplay but it wasn’t always necessary.
Yunho sat frozen still for a moment, his brain not fully comprehending what was happening. A part of him still couldn’t believe that after all this time, he’d finally gotten Jae back again. Not only was he there but he was sitting on him, playfully teasing him with his tongue, nibbling on his lips. Was he crazy to be stuck in his head while the body he’d longed for all this time was finally pressed to his?
No sooner had the thought passed through his mind than his hand snaked up, threaded into Jae’s hair and crushed his mouth to his. His other hand wound around Jae’s waist and flipped him over so that Jae lay beneath him. His blood was boiling now, his mind moving a mile a minute as lust raced through him. He tore his mouth from Jae’s, raised up and reached for the hem of his t-shirt. He whipped it over Jaejoong’s head, blushing when he laughed at his frenzied movements. He was in such a hurry that it took him three tries to unsnap Jae’s jeans and undo his zip.
Author: VampireMadonna
Pairing: YunJae
Rating: NC-17
Synopsis: Jaejoong's life is...complicated. Still, he loves everything about it. But one day, he meets someone who throws a wrench in the wheels and makes his complicated life even more complex.
Jae stared through the tinted window to the glittery night beyond. He was in the group’s van, sans members, on his way to his dinner date…with Yunho.
It was still a little unbelievable, even though he knew that it wasn’t so unbelievable. He’d known that once he debuted there was a very good chance that he’d run into Yunho. He’d also known that since Yunho’s group had recently made a comeback, they would be performing on the same show that very day. Still, he couldn’t help but think they could’ve just as easily missed each other entirely. He’d known Yunho was going to be there but he’d never planned to look him up. If Yunho hadn’t been backstage, hadn’t stuck around and watched their performance, he never would’ve seen Jae and that would’ve been the end of it. Of course, the opportunity would’ve arisen again and again, week after week, and Yunho may have eventually seen him on television when their music video hit the air, but it seemed far more significant that they had run into each other on the very first day he’d stepped out of seclusion since the night they’d met. It couldn’t just be a coincidence.
“Do you believe in fate?”
He’d asked himself that a lot since that night, especially today when its significance couldn’t be ignored. He still couldn’t answer the question in the affirmative if it was put to him but he would give his response a lot more thought now than he had three months ago.
Just then his phone beeped, breaking him out of his thoughts. Pulling it out of the pocket of his sweatshirt, he flipped it open and read.
Where are you? How’s the meeting going?
He wasn’t surprised, had been expecting it honestly. He didn’t bother to reply, simply closed his phone and put it away again. If he responded to Jinyoung, who knew where they would end up. Things had been relatively drama free between them since that night, or rather, that day, three months ago and he wanted to keep it that way. He didn’t want to lie to him but he obviously wasn’t going to tell him the truth either. Silence was best overall.
He smiled ruefully to himself. He couldn’t help but notice the similarities to that night yet again. Three months ago, he’d received a similar text while on his way to meet his members for their very last street performance, not knowing that he’d be meeting Yunho again as well. Was that mere coincidence too or…
“We’re here,” his manager announced.
Jae looked about him, surprised to find that they were in an underground parking lot. He’d been so lost in thought that he hadn’t notice when they’d gotten off the highway. He wasn’t even sure exactly where they were.
Manager Seo opened the door for him and he climbed out and followed the man to what appeared to be a service elevator.
Jae frowned in confusion. Where the hell were they?
The elevator doors opened and there was a pleasant looking young lady waiting, a smile of greeting on her face.
“Go on ahead,” Manager Seo said, patting him reassuringly on the shoulder.
Jae walked forward and stepped into the elevator, turning to face his manager who remained where he was.
Just before the doors closed, Manager Seo suddenly said, “Jae…”
Jae raised a brow. “Yea?”
The look in the man’s eyes said that he wanted to say more but didn’t know exactly how. In the end, he seemed to decide against it.
“Just…call me when you’re ready.”
Jae nodded wordlessly and the doors slid shut immediately after.
Well, that was weird, he thought. Was his manager worried for him? Did he know…? His eyes widened in alarm. Did he perhaps suspect something? He knew that Jae was gay, he hadn’t hid it when the group was scouted by and later auditioned for the company, and it was industry knowledge that Yunho was gay as well. Manager Seo had been in the business for a while so assumably, he would know about Yunho’s preference and perhaps his lifestyle. Was this a regular occurrence? Did Yunho often invite young idols to dinner, using it as a guise for other things?
Jae didn’t buy that for a minute. He’d only known Yunho for one night but he considered himself a pretty good judge of character and Yunho was as honest and genuine as they came. Besides, he wasn’t a playboy. Hadn’t he gotten attached to Jae after a mere few hours?
There was a ‘ding’ as the elevator, which he hadn’t even noticed was moving, came to a stop, the doors sliding open to reveal a short, bare hallway. He was led down the corridor and into a foyer, across the marble floor and into another elevator, this one far more glamorous and luxurious than the first. As the doors slid shut, cutting off his view of the foyer, something tickled the back of his mind. The foyer, he realized, looked very familiar. Glancing around the elevator, he realized that it did too. Could it be…?
The elevator whooshed upwards and stopped at the 15th floor, sliding open soundlessly. The attendant smiled at him and gestured for him to step off ahead of her before leading him down the hall. When she stopped in front of an all too familiar room number, something warm exploded in his chest.
“Please enjoy your stay,” she said, speaking for the first time. With a polite bow, she turned and walked back in the direction from which they’d come.
Jae stared at the door for a full minute, absorbing everything, before knocking.
Yunho answered promptly, less than five seconds after the last rap. He smiled shyly down at his guest. Jae could see both nerves and excitement in his dark eyes.
“Hi,” Yunho greeted somewhat throatily.
Jae smiled. It never ceased to amaze him how innocently cute Yunho could be. He was completely without guile.
“Hey.”
Yunho stepped back to allow him to enter, closing the door softly behind him.
Jae looked about the suite, noting that it looked exactly as it had that night, well, the morning rather. He hadn’t seen much of the suite until he was leaving the following morning since Yunho had had him occupied in the bedroom the entire night.
“Did you eat?” Yunho asked from behind him.
Jae shook his head. “No, I didn’t want to spoil my appetite. And honestly, there wasn’t much time to either. By the time we finally got through the chaos outside the station, it was already late. We went straight to the dorm and had to go through the whole regimen of removing make-up and costumes, all that drama. I was lucky just to be able to have a shower and change into fresh clothes before I had to leave.”
Yunho chuckled. “Well, good. I already ordered ahead, hope you don’t mind. I remember that you have a big appetite so I ordered a lot. I hope you like it.”
Jae glanced over his shoulder, his smile mischievous. “So long as it’s edible, you have nothing to worry about.”
Yunho led him to the living area of the suite. There was a table set up next to the floor to ceiling windows looking out at the lush, gaily lit park across the street. At the side of the table was a serving cart with what seemed like an unending number of covered plates and platters.
He unzipped his sweatshirt and hung it over the back of his chair before sitting, watching as Yunho set a covered dish before him on the table, then placed one on the table in front of his seat, before sitting across from Jae. He reached for a bottle of wine that had been chilling in an ice bucket on the table and poured them both a glass. Raising his glass to Jae, who followed suit, he said, “Bon appetit.”
After taking a sip of the wine, which was a nice bittersweet Merlot, Jae got down to the serious business of eating. The pasta Yunho had ordered was possibly the best he’d ever had. The fact that the serving was rather large was something he greatly appreciated. When he had cleared half of his plate, and his stomach was partially satisfied, he reached for his glass and took a sip, studying Yunho above the crystal rim. He’d been aware that Yunho was watching him eat the entire time, barely paying attention to his own food, and now he could see the questions burning in his eyes.
“What are you waiting for?” he teased playfully. “I know you have a lot to ask, you may as well get it over with.”
Yunho flushed, his eyes darting away in embarrassment. “It can wait until after dinner.”
Jae chuckled. “There is such a thing as dinner conversation. There’s absolutely no reason we can’t eat and talk.”
Yunho didn’t need to be told twice. Leaning forward eagerly, he pounced. “How… That night, you said absolutely nothing about what you were going to do…”
“No.”
“…but you knew that you were going to debut soon, that we’d be in the same company.”
“Yes.”
“Why didn’t you say something?” Yunho couldn’t keep the hurt out of his tone. He felt cheated. Had he known the truth, he would’ve been able to keep tabs on Jae from the very beginning. He would’ve found a way.
“Do you want to know the truth? I hope you don’t take this the wrong way but, it honestly never crossed my mind. I met you at the end of a very exhausting day, both physically and emotionally. Neither of us planned what happened, it just did. There was no conscious thought of keeping it from you, I just didn’t say anything at first, I had no reason to and most importantly I wasn’t supposed to, and eventually, I completely forgot. It didn’t seem that important compared to other things…”
Yunho blushed again, memories of that night rushing to the fore. They were never far from his thoughts as it was. Despite what he’d told himself in the months since, he had never truly let go, never given up. Now, sitting across from Jae, he was glad he hadn’t.
“You’re an idol now…” he continued, changing the topic. “The very thing you hate. How does it feel?”
Jae shrugged. “I’m still me, this is just my job. It’s a job that allows me to do what I want to do, I just ignore all the extraneous stuff.”
Yunho nodded. “How did you come to be the leader? You’re the youngest, right?”
Jae grinned. “Well, it’s more of a technicality honestly. When I joined the group almost two years ago, I was just finishing up high school and the other guys were either starting or already in college. I had no intention of going to college, I’ve always known that it’s just not for me, so since I had more time on my hands, it made sense that I be the leader since I could take care of things while the rest of them were in school or focused on school related stuff. It started off as a strictly functional role but when we got scouted, it just sorta continued like that. The boys were already looking to me as the authority figure by then.”
“You were scouted, you say? And they kept all of you? That’s great, if somewhat unorthodox.”
Jae played with the stem of his wine glass as he spoke. “Well… They tried to throw their weight around at first. We were scouted but we had to audition like everyone else. They liked our concept, the mask and the original compositions, but though they liked us as a group, they did try to break us down into our individual parts. The singers could form a ballad group and the dancers could be trained as backup dancers. They even offered me a solo contract. They liked my unique look, they said, and it was an added bonus that I could actually sing, though they would’ve taken me anyway, based on looks alone. I bet you can imagine my response to that,” he said wryly.
Yunho laughed. “Knowing you as I think I do, I bet I can.”
“We had decided in advance, since we knew that it was a possibility, that we would stick together. It was either all of us or none of us. It paid off but we aren’t dumb. It was an incredibly risky, possibly stupid move on our parts. It could easily have turned south. As you know, in the idol world everyone is replaceable, no matter how talented or unique they may be. I will never take that for granted but the guys made me part of their family, no way was I going to turn my back on them, even if they would have understood.”
Yunho nodded. He was amazed at just how mature and selfless Jae was for someone his age. He knew many young idols who would jump at the chance for a solo career. They would gladly ditch their brethren if the opportunity was offered to them, friendship be damned. Sadly, Kpop was a business and for many of the current idols, being in a group was just a job. A lot of them didn’t form the kind of bonds or have the same camaraderie as the groups did in Yunho’s time. Back then the only support they had was each other since fraternizing with other groups wasn’t that common but in the present scene, he knew a lot of idols who spent more time with members of other groups than with their own. So, with that in mind, he couldn’t help but give Jae even more brownie points for sticking with his boys. Real friendships were so rare in the entertainment business, he hoped nothing ever came between them.
“You’re young but you have such a strong code of ethics,” he said, a hint of awe and admiration in his voice.
Jae laughed and shrugged. “I just happen to look the way I do and have the talents that I have. If one of the others had received the offer, I know they would’ve done the same. If I didn’t trust them completely, I wouldn’t be here.”
Thank God for that, Yunho thought.
“So, how are you liking it so far?”
Jae shrugged again. “It’s okay. I miss having a room of my own but I can deal. The manager treats us well, at least. I know some groups have things really hard so for that much, I’m grateful. It’s tiring but…it’ll pay off in the end. It’s not like I plan on being an idol forever, anyway.”
“Do you have a game plan for later on?”
“We shall see when the tide rolls in.”
They lapsed into a comfortable silence where Jae returned to his food. As Yunho watched him eat, a million questions popped into his mind but only one burned the tip of his tongue. Three months was a long time, anything could’ve happened.
“So… Have you made friends with other groups or celebrities?”
“Some,” Jae replied noncommittally.
“Anyone I know?”
“Probably.”
Yunho was tempted to stomp his foot in frustration but instead, he reached for his wineglass and took a long sip. Jae’s lack of cooperation only piqued his curiosity more. He had to know.
Cocking his head to the side, Jae looked at Yunho speculatively. “You know… If you want to ask if I’ve been seeing anyone, you can just ask. No need to beat around the bush.”
“Have you?” Yunho asked bluntly.
Jae smiled mischievously and waited a beat before replying. “No. I’ve been busy the past three months, remember?”
Yunho nodded. “Of course.”
They chit-chatted about this and that as they finished up the rest of their meal. Yunho hung onto Jae’s every word. He had missed the sound of his voice, the casual yet graceful way he shrugged his shoulders, the way he still shook his hair over his shoulder even though it wasn’t as long as it used to be, an unconscious habit he supposed. The way he twirled his fingers around the stem of his glass and trailed them up and down had him thinking of things he knew he shouldn’t. He hadn’t planned…
Or had he…? Was this all just some ruse to get Jae into bed again? Fill his belly with good food then have him offer his body in return?
No!, he denied mentally. Jae was so much more to him than a fuck, he would never minimize his importance to him to the sum of his beautifully put together parts.
But he wouldn’t deny that he longed to hold him again… To touch, taste, conquer.
It was with these thoughts in mind that he excused himself after clearing the dishes and escaped to the bedroom. He just needed some space between them to get a hold of himself again.
Jaejoong watched Yunho go, raising a brow when he all but ran from the room. It didn’t take much thought to figure out what had him so freaked. Yunho was so easy to read. Chuckling to himself, he walked to the huge wall of glass and looked out. He glanced down at his watch to check the time, saw that it wasn’t that late yet, and turned his gaze back to the window.
It was a beautiful view, the best that money could buy. Perhaps when he had saved a bit of money himself he could take his parents and JaeMi there for brunch, or maybe even treat them to a weekend. They could afford it themselves but he wanted to do something nice and special for them that they would always remember. And his mom did like dressing up for an occasion, after all. She already adored the fact that her son was an idol and boasted about it constantly, it would be an even bigger boon to show off to her friends that her gorgeous idol son had taken her to the best hotel in the city.
Smiling, he looked down at his watch again and was surprised to see that ten minutes had already passed. Glancing over his shoulder, he noted that the door to the bedroom was open. What was taking Yunho so long?
Deciding that he should probably go relieve him of his guilt, Jae slowly made his way across the living room to the bedroom. His footsteps, as he continued into the room before coming to a stop in front of Yunho, were muted by the thick, plush carpet. He stared down at Yunho, who sat at the side of the bed, head bowed, seemingly lost in thought.
He cleared his throat. “Yunho?”
Yunho looked up, his gaze a little disoriented. “Huh? What?”
Jae frowned. “Are you okay?”
Yunho blushed. “Sorry, I’m fine.”
“Are you sure? Do you want me to leave?”
“No!” Yunho yelled emphatically.
Jae’s frown smoothed out as a small smile tilted his lips. “Then…do you want me to stay?”
Yunho blinked. Twice. “Wha…what do you mean?”
Three months ago he’d been the one to get the show on the road, now it looked like he’d have to step up to the plate once again, Jae thought, amused.
Resting his palms on Yunho’s shoulders to support himself, he raised one leg and knelt on the bed on the outside of Yunho’s thigh then repeated the action on the other side so that he was straddling him. He smiled into Yunho’s shock-widened eyes.
“You’re as cute now as you were back then,” he purred.
Leaning forward slightly, he brought his lips down to Yunho’s parted ones and molded them to his, thrusting his tongue into Yunho’s mouth playfully. He could’ve nibbled, he could’ve sucked, he could’ve teased and drawn it out, but what was the point? They were going to get down to it anyway, why not cut to the chase? He appreciated foreplay but it wasn’t always necessary.
Yunho sat frozen still for a moment, his brain not fully comprehending what was happening. A part of him still couldn’t believe that after all this time, he’d finally gotten Jae back again. Not only was he there but he was sitting on him, playfully teasing him with his tongue, nibbling on his lips. Was he crazy to be stuck in his head while the body he’d longed for all this time was finally pressed to his?
No sooner had the thought passed through his mind than his hand snaked up, threaded into Jae’s hair and crushed his mouth to his. His other hand wound around Jae’s waist and flipped him over so that Jae lay beneath him. His blood was boiling now, his mind moving a mile a minute as lust raced through him. He tore his mouth from Jae’s, raised up and reached for the hem of his t-shirt. He whipped it over Jaejoong’s head, blushing when he laughed at his frenzied movements. He was in such a hurry that it took him three tries to unsnap Jae’s jeans and undo his zip.