Forever More 1/?
Title: Forever More 1/?
Pairing: Changmin/Yunho (minor Minho/Jonghyun, Kyuhyun/Donghae, Yoochun/Junsu)
Rating: NC-17
Disclaimer: They are gods to me ... maybe they are actually gods ... either way, all I can do is worship them.
Summary: Changmin is everything Yunho has ever wanted in a partner. Except that he isn't from Earth, or not Yunho's version of Earth. And there are expectations of Yunho that he is not sure he can fulfill. How do you decide between love and freedom?
A/N: This fic is a sequel to Nevermore
Warning: mentioned mpreg not my fault. Changmin wanted babies with Yunho
Poster made by me.
Part 1: The Trees and Cliffs
Beyond a shimmering around his eyes that felt like it spread through his entire body, nothing let Yunho know that he had traveled to another realm. Jaejoong had explained that it was painless, easy, quick.
Magic.
Changmin squeezed his hand, and Yunho opened his eyes, not realizing he had closed them. They stood in a circular room with brown walls and a couple of windows. It took Yunho a moment to see that it was an office with a sturdy desk, a wall of books, and a cold hearth. The windows were cut right out of the wall, and Yunho’s eyes widened. The wall was wood, a single piece, and it wrapped around the room, and how did it do that?
The windows were open, blue curtains blowing in a breeze. Beyond the windows were leaves of a tree. Big leaves, larger than the span of both of Yunho’s hands. Above him was a carved chandelier. Ravens, he noticed, wings spread, claws out. Candles stood up from their backs. A plush roven rug spread out on the floor, covering most of the room.
“Home sweet home,” Jaejoong said and plopped himself in the chair at the desk, legs over the arm and crossed at the knee. “This is my office, well part of it, anyway. This is where my library is, where I research magic and other realms.”
“Are there a lot of realms?” Yunho asked. Probably not the smartest first question, but Yunho was still a little stunned.
“Yeah. Too many to count. There are even others where the people have learned to travel between realms like we have.”
Yunho nodded.
Changmin squeezed his hand again, and Yunho looked over at him. “Are you okay? Not dizzy? No headache?”
Yunho shook his head. “Maybe a little wobbly, but I’m okay.”
Changmin smiled. “I will send Jaejoong to inform my parents that we have returned, but you do not have to meet them just yet. I want you to get used to our world, and introduce you to it.”
“Are you afraid of heights?” Jaejoong asked with a smirk.
Yunho glanced at him. “Why?”
Jaejoong laughed but did not answer the question.
“Do not mind him,” Changmin said and tugged Yunho toward a door. “Your time off has officially ended, Apex Jaejoong. Check our soldiers and our supplies. I expect a full report at sunset.”
Jaejoong grumbled at him, but Changmin continued without acknowledging the curses. He opened the door and stepped out, careful with Yunho who did not understand until he was outside of the office and on a platform of sorts and surrounded by trees and leaves and holy shit, hundreds of feet in the air. The world swam and he staggered, and Changmin held him tightly, whispering reassurances into his ear.
A world of trees. Yunho sort of figured that he should have known. Ravens, birds, all the fruit. It suddenly made sense. The platform they stood on was wide and wrapped around the tree. A wide walkway (large enough and sturdy enough for a car) branched away from it and continued through the trees. Other pathways met along it, branching off and curling up and around in spirals, staircases, and more platforms. Some trees were cut, allowing passage of the walkways right through them. There were ladders and staircases and ropes. And people. A lot of people. They walked on the walkways and climbed the ladders and stairs, but they also swung between platforms, gripping ropes across a long drop to the ground. A ground that Yunho could not see.
“What do you think?” Changmin asked.
“Pretty.” And it was, the way the sunlight filtered through the leaves, the way the leaves shaded and wavered between different colors of greens. The tree trunks were so large--many of them were smoothed down, and others were still rough with thick brown, gray, and even red bark.
“Not what I was expecting,” Yunho added.
“What were you expecting?”
“Medieval stuff. Castles, moats, mountains, fields.”
Changmin smiled. “We have a castle, sort of, and we’re on a mountain. Come on. Follow me. I’ll show you.” He turned around and kept hold of Yunho’s hand, leading him around the tree. “Jaejoong’s office is built into the tree, but there are-“
Yunho gasped, stopped and stared. The pathway turned into a set of stairs that curled around more tree trunks that had been hollowed out for various things. Behind and above Jaejoong’s office were more trees and beyond that even more. But there was also a cliff face, with walkways and doors cut right into the rock.
A village in the trees, stretching up and toward the sky. They sky felt miles above them, the canopy of trees blocking the light and view of what looked to be a purple sky.
“This is our compound,” Changmin said, “for lack of a better word. The Raven Stronghold. Above the cliff, across the rocky fields, is where the Hawks live. The Eagles were the other direction, beyond these trees and into the evergreens. To the South is a massive lake which is where the Swans live, and to the north the Owls and the Falcons fight over the large expanses of forests.”
Changmin headed down a walkway, and Yunho stopped at the edge of the platform. Changmin smiled back at him. “They are very sturdy, my wings. You needn’t worry. And I will not let go of your hand.”
“Walk slow.”
Changmin smiled. “I will. Come, my love. I am very excited to show you my home.”
Yunho did his best to return the smile. Changmin was so handsome, so caring, so amazing. Yunho kept his eyes on Changmin’s face lighting up with smiles as he saw people he knew. He waved hello to them. Many welcomed him home and stared at Yunho, but none came close, or if they did, Changmin continued moving with an explanation that he just got home and had to see his parents.
The walkways varied in size. Some were large enough for two cars to pass each other, and others were the width of Yunho’s spread arms. All of the walkways had railings that were just as sturdy as the wood they walked upon.
Changmin pointed out a few of the more important places on their way past. This stronghold had everything from a cobblers, to a blacksmith, a messaging center, to a bakery. All cut into the trunks of the massive trees.
Changmin stopped them at the bakery. The owner bowed low and welcomed the prince home. Changmin smiled and introduced Yunho to the portly man, and Yunho said hello. The man did not ask questions, just gave Changmin two round pastries and promised more for the celebration dinner held in Changmin’s honor.
“Dinner?” Yunho asked.
Changmin smiled and took a bite of the bread. A glop of red seeped out of the bread, and Changmin moaned in delight.
Yunho looked at it and took his own bite. The bread was sweet and the filling almost tart, like cherries. The two together made for a definite moaning moment.
Changmin continued to smile at him and then moved close. Yunho wanted to step back because he knew that look in Changmin’s eyes and he was very aware of the people around them who were watching them but trying not to watch them. Changmin gripped Yunho’s waist, leaned forward and licked at the corner of his mouth.
Yunho shivered.
“My mother promised me a dinner after I returned. She is going to mean for it to be an engagement announcement that we will be married, but I will make sure that the dinner is canceled or that the announcement is canceled. I do not want to pressure you, my love.”
Yunho swallowed.
“Come on. I am anxious to show you everything.” Changmin took his hand and led him away from the bakery. They passed more shops, including a metal works, a stone works, a glass works, and a one that combined the three and made jewelry. Changmin stopped at this store and asked after the owner’s family. He picked out a thick chain what was covered in blue glass and green stones. He held it up to the light and smiled before turning to Yunho and draping it around Yunho’s neck. It dipped to below his collarbones, and Changmin looked at him with admiration.
“Perfect. Thank you, Jungsoo. Add it to our bill?”
“Yes, your highness.”
Yunho stammered his own thanks as Changmin took his hand and pulled him out of the shop.
“How good are you at climbing ladders?” Changmin asked, pointing up.
Yunho looked up. A long ladder scaled the side of a tree. It was really high, and Yunho took a very deep breath. He was used to climbing fire escapes. It didn’t look much different. He nodded. “I’m good.”
“You go first. I will steady you.”
“You just want to ogle my ass.”
Changmin laughed. “That, too. Your thighs are amazing in these clothes.”
Yunho blushed. He had forgotten that he was wearing the tight pants and billowy shirt.
“Let’s go. As slow as you want.”
Yunho turned and gripped a rung. He took a deep breath, reminded himself to not look down, and started up the ladder. He was expecting a grab at his ass and he was not disappointed. But when he did not react, Changmin laughed and spanked him.
Yunho shimmied his ass just a little bit, and Changmin laughed harder. With a smile on his face, Yunho climbed up the ladder. He felt like he hadn’t stopped smiling since he walked into this world. Neither had Changmin. Yunho climbed until Changmin told him to stop at a particular landing.
The cliff still stretched far above his head. He fought the urge to look down over the platform. He did not need to know how high they were.
“Is that ... rumbling?” Yunho asked, glancing up the rock in alarm.
Changmin nodded. “Come on.” He held out his hand, and Yunho took it, following a walkway around a few more trees. The rumbling Yunho soon realized was water, and around just one more tree, Yunho stopped. The rock wall next to him stretched out in a wide curve. The trees thinned out and allowed Yunho to see. He gaped at the beauty around him and at the giant waterfall that tumbled from the edge of the cliff down below a canopy of mist. Yunho could not see where it ended. The roar was loud, but he was far enough away that Changmin was able to talk and he could hear.
“This is Raven Falls,” Changmin said.
Focusing away from the water that cascaded down the cliffs, Yunho saw black dots of the ravens. They flew from trees to cliffs and back again.
“Most of the ravens nest here,” Changmin said. “The Falls tumble all the way down the mountain face and into a wide river that eventually becomes Swan Lake.”
“It’s amazing,” Yunho said.
“You can see most of the compound from up here,” Changmin added, waving behind them.
Yunho turned around to look. From the edge of the cliffs and disappearing into the trees were all the walkways and platforms, and the tree trunks that housed the people and shops.
“The Royal Nest, my family’s home, stretches all along the cliffs. We could have gone the other way, behind Jaejoong’s office and be in my rooms within moments, but I wanted to show you my world.”
Yunho turned to him and smiled. “Show off.”
“Of course. I am proud of who I am, my love.”
Love. That was the third time Changmin had called him that since being here. Did he expect something more than Yunho was willing to give at that moment? He’d only known Changmin a little more than a month. He shook it off. Changmin was excited to be home, and maybe showing that excitement in little pet names. That was okay.
“What are those people doing?” Yunho asked, pointing at the falls.
“Look close,” Changmin said, coming up behind him. When Changmin wrapped his arms around Yunho’s waist and settled his chin on Yunho’s shoulder, Yunho did not really care anymore what they were doing.
“There are nets. Above the cliff, the river runs over plains and through forests. Like I said before, the Hawks control those plains, but we have the part of the river right before it falls. Mostly. They like to fight us over it. So instead of fishing up there, we catch the fish in the nets. We can fish in the river down below, but it too much to drag the catch back up to our stronghold. My family’s vineyards are on the other side of the falls. It is too slippery for us to walk over there without the proper gear and boots, but I will take you behind the falls one day. There are rivers and streams under the rock that provide water to our stronghold.”
“It is so beautiful here.”
“I am so glad you think so. It is very different from your world. Let me take you to my castle. Are you hungry? You did not eat breakfast.”
Yunho grinned at him. “Yeah. I’m hungry.”
“For food?” he prompted with a leer.
“Yes.”
Changmin chuckled. “Come on then. We will take the other way.” Changmin led him up a walkway, toward the cliff. Around a small bend was a doorway. It was cut into the rock, and then supported with an arch of more rock. The arch continued into the rock, down the long hallway. Torches provided light, and the air cooled as they walked deeper into the mountain. There were wooden doors marking rooms and Changmin explained that most of them were storage rooms.
“When we have festivals, these rooms are used for guests from the other clans. A little further down is the kitchens, and beyond that are the royal quarters. We have not built too far into the rock, but it is what you would call the castle. The royal family and other nobles all live here, up and down the cliff face.”
“We’re going downhill?”
Changmin nodded. “Yes, though it is very gradual. There are staircases and tunnels for quicker passage or escape if need be. We have never had to escape.”
Within the cliff, more people said hello to Changmin, many of them bowed to him, and some even welcomed Yunho home. Yunho attempted to smile at them all, without it looking like he was wincing. He was not comfortable. Not yet, but he wanted to be. It really was too much to take in all at once.
Changmin pointed out supply rooms and libraries and offices. He showed Yunho the tunnel that led to his parents' suite of rooms and the one that led to his sisters'. A little farther down the hallway, Changmin pushed open a heavy wooden door.
“These are my rooms. Down the hall a few more feet is the door to Jaejoong’s rooms.”
The first room did not look like anything more than a dome cut into the wall. A lit torch brightened the way. A woven rug led straight behind the arch and into what was definitely more majestic. The ceiling rose high above Yunho’s head. Windows were cut into the wall, letting in ray of light. In the far corner stood a hollowed out tree trunk with stairs cut into the side that led up to a balcony with bookshelves cut into the rock. Staircases twisted up around the walls, some ending in doorways that led outside and others that were closed off with wooden doors. The sitting room had three chairs and a long couch arranged in front of a hearth. There was also a table with a few chairs.
Yunho had expected everything to be drab and colorless since they were inside a rock, but the chairs and rugs and curtains were bright shades of red, green and yellow. There were rainbow colored pillows scattered everywhere.
“Do you like it?”
Yunho smiled over at Changmin, almost laughing at the anxious look on his face. “Of course. It’s very homey, comfortable. I was expecting ... you know, royal-ness, stuffy, don’t touch anything.”
Changmin snorted. “Some places in the stronghold are like that, like the main ballroom and throne room. But these are my rooms and I wanted everything to be perfect for you. Come on.”
Changmin led the way through the room, around what was a thick rock pillar and into another room that had been hidden around the curve of rock. The ceiling was a little lower, but everything was well lit with an intricate system of torches along the walls. Sunlight seeped in through a few small shafts near the ceiling. But the bed in the middle of the room stole attention from everything else. It looked larger than a California King. The blankets were bright blues, and the pillows were again all the colors of the rainbow. It was inviting, and Yunho had a sudden urge to sink into its soft blankets and mountains of pillows and just sleep. It was built up on a raised section of rock, but had a wooden headboard carved with ravens in flight. At both sides near the headboard were small chests covered with candles.
“That door,” Changmin said and indicated a door to their left, “is my closet, full of clothes and boots and things. We are the same size, mostly, so all my clothes should fit you. I’m sure that once my mother demands your measurements, she will commission proper clothes for you as well. This door ... well, you’ve already heard about what is behind this door.”
Changmin walked across the room to the right. The heavy wooden door opened with a strong push. The first thing Yunho noticed was heat. Damp, wet. The second was the sound of falling water. Jaejoong had said that Changmin had a tub large enough for both of them. He forgot to mention that it was the size of a backyard pool. The pool was sunk into the rock, with overhangs and stairs cut into and above it. Again, the ceiling reached high above them, and there were shafts cut into it, letting the steam out. On the far side of the wall, a small waterfall tumbled over a series of rocks before falling in a stream into the pool. There were more shelves around the pool, stacked high with towels and what was probably soap.
Yunho stared in awe. “Wow.”
Changmin smiled. “Our rooms are built around this warm spring. Just on the other side of the rock is my parents’ bath and my sisters'. Mine is not the biggest, but just the right size for two people.”
“Or twenty.”
Changmin laughed. “You want to share this with eighteen others?”
“Definitely not.”
“Come on. Let’s get some lunch. I will show you the kitchens.”
Yunho let himself be led back to the bedroom, but before Changmin could pull him into the sitting room, he tugged on Changmin’s hand.
“Can we ... just wait ...” Yunho was not sure what he was asking for.
Changmin frowned, probably trying to figure it out himself.
“I just ... everyone is staring at me, at us, and I just ... am not really comfortable yet.” Yunho rubbed the back of his neck with his other hand. “Can I ... I want a few minutes with you. Just a few. Alone. Please.”
Changmin smiled. “You never have to ask for that. I would much rather be alone with you.”
He pulled Yunho closer, wrapped his arm around Yunho’s waist and pressed a kiss to his lips. Yunho was more than happy to tilt his head up and to the side, deepen the kiss, and he pulled Changmin toward the massive bed.
“You want to make out with me?”
“Yes,” Yunho breathed and sat down on the edge of the bed. There was a wooden frame that he was not expecting and he fell back into the soft mattress and pillows with a little yelp, knees hooked on that edge.
Changmin licked his lips and gripped Yunho’s knees. He slid his hands down Yunho’s thighs and climbed over him, between his spread legs.
It was so different than his own bed.
But Changmin over him, Changmin kissing him, and Changmin touching him, were all the same. Yunho relaxed, lifted his hands to Changmin’s hair and smiled into their kisses.
Part 2: The Crippling Expectations
.
Pairing: Changmin/Yunho (minor Minho/Jonghyun, Kyuhyun/Donghae, Yoochun/Junsu)
Rating: NC-17
Disclaimer: They are gods to me ... maybe they are actually gods ... either way, all I can do is worship them.
Summary: Changmin is everything Yunho has ever wanted in a partner. Except that he isn't from Earth, or not Yunho's version of Earth. And there are expectations of Yunho that he is not sure he can fulfill. How do you decide between love and freedom?
A/N: This fic is a sequel to Nevermore
Warning: mentioned mpreg not my fault. Changmin wanted babies with Yunho
Poster made by me.
Part 1: The Trees and Cliffs
Beyond a shimmering around his eyes that felt like it spread through his entire body, nothing let Yunho know that he had traveled to another realm. Jaejoong had explained that it was painless, easy, quick.
Magic.
Changmin squeezed his hand, and Yunho opened his eyes, not realizing he had closed them. They stood in a circular room with brown walls and a couple of windows. It took Yunho a moment to see that it was an office with a sturdy desk, a wall of books, and a cold hearth. The windows were cut right out of the wall, and Yunho’s eyes widened. The wall was wood, a single piece, and it wrapped around the room, and how did it do that?
The windows were open, blue curtains blowing in a breeze. Beyond the windows were leaves of a tree. Big leaves, larger than the span of both of Yunho’s hands. Above him was a carved chandelier. Ravens, he noticed, wings spread, claws out. Candles stood up from their backs. A plush roven rug spread out on the floor, covering most of the room.
“Home sweet home,” Jaejoong said and plopped himself in the chair at the desk, legs over the arm and crossed at the knee. “This is my office, well part of it, anyway. This is where my library is, where I research magic and other realms.”
“Are there a lot of realms?” Yunho asked. Probably not the smartest first question, but Yunho was still a little stunned.
“Yeah. Too many to count. There are even others where the people have learned to travel between realms like we have.”
Yunho nodded.
Changmin squeezed his hand again, and Yunho looked over at him. “Are you okay? Not dizzy? No headache?”
Yunho shook his head. “Maybe a little wobbly, but I’m okay.”
Changmin smiled. “I will send Jaejoong to inform my parents that we have returned, but you do not have to meet them just yet. I want you to get used to our world, and introduce you to it.”
“Are you afraid of heights?” Jaejoong asked with a smirk.
Yunho glanced at him. “Why?”
Jaejoong laughed but did not answer the question.
“Do not mind him,” Changmin said and tugged Yunho toward a door. “Your time off has officially ended, Apex Jaejoong. Check our soldiers and our supplies. I expect a full report at sunset.”
Jaejoong grumbled at him, but Changmin continued without acknowledging the curses. He opened the door and stepped out, careful with Yunho who did not understand until he was outside of the office and on a platform of sorts and surrounded by trees and leaves and holy shit, hundreds of feet in the air. The world swam and he staggered, and Changmin held him tightly, whispering reassurances into his ear.
A world of trees. Yunho sort of figured that he should have known. Ravens, birds, all the fruit. It suddenly made sense. The platform they stood on was wide and wrapped around the tree. A wide walkway (large enough and sturdy enough for a car) branched away from it and continued through the trees. Other pathways met along it, branching off and curling up and around in spirals, staircases, and more platforms. Some trees were cut, allowing passage of the walkways right through them. There were ladders and staircases and ropes. And people. A lot of people. They walked on the walkways and climbed the ladders and stairs, but they also swung between platforms, gripping ropes across a long drop to the ground. A ground that Yunho could not see.
“What do you think?” Changmin asked.
“Pretty.” And it was, the way the sunlight filtered through the leaves, the way the leaves shaded and wavered between different colors of greens. The tree trunks were so large--many of them were smoothed down, and others were still rough with thick brown, gray, and even red bark.
“Not what I was expecting,” Yunho added.
“What were you expecting?”
“Medieval stuff. Castles, moats, mountains, fields.”
Changmin smiled. “We have a castle, sort of, and we’re on a mountain. Come on. Follow me. I’ll show you.” He turned around and kept hold of Yunho’s hand, leading him around the tree. “Jaejoong’s office is built into the tree, but there are-“
Yunho gasped, stopped and stared. The pathway turned into a set of stairs that curled around more tree trunks that had been hollowed out for various things. Behind and above Jaejoong’s office were more trees and beyond that even more. But there was also a cliff face, with walkways and doors cut right into the rock.
A village in the trees, stretching up and toward the sky. They sky felt miles above them, the canopy of trees blocking the light and view of what looked to be a purple sky.
“This is our compound,” Changmin said, “for lack of a better word. The Raven Stronghold. Above the cliff, across the rocky fields, is where the Hawks live. The Eagles were the other direction, beyond these trees and into the evergreens. To the South is a massive lake which is where the Swans live, and to the north the Owls and the Falcons fight over the large expanses of forests.”
Changmin headed down a walkway, and Yunho stopped at the edge of the platform. Changmin smiled back at him. “They are very sturdy, my wings. You needn’t worry. And I will not let go of your hand.”
“Walk slow.”
Changmin smiled. “I will. Come, my love. I am very excited to show you my home.”
Yunho did his best to return the smile. Changmin was so handsome, so caring, so amazing. Yunho kept his eyes on Changmin’s face lighting up with smiles as he saw people he knew. He waved hello to them. Many welcomed him home and stared at Yunho, but none came close, or if they did, Changmin continued moving with an explanation that he just got home and had to see his parents.
The walkways varied in size. Some were large enough for two cars to pass each other, and others were the width of Yunho’s spread arms. All of the walkways had railings that were just as sturdy as the wood they walked upon.
Changmin pointed out a few of the more important places on their way past. This stronghold had everything from a cobblers, to a blacksmith, a messaging center, to a bakery. All cut into the trunks of the massive trees.
Changmin stopped them at the bakery. The owner bowed low and welcomed the prince home. Changmin smiled and introduced Yunho to the portly man, and Yunho said hello. The man did not ask questions, just gave Changmin two round pastries and promised more for the celebration dinner held in Changmin’s honor.
“Dinner?” Yunho asked.
Changmin smiled and took a bite of the bread. A glop of red seeped out of the bread, and Changmin moaned in delight.
Yunho looked at it and took his own bite. The bread was sweet and the filling almost tart, like cherries. The two together made for a definite moaning moment.
Changmin continued to smile at him and then moved close. Yunho wanted to step back because he knew that look in Changmin’s eyes and he was very aware of the people around them who were watching them but trying not to watch them. Changmin gripped Yunho’s waist, leaned forward and licked at the corner of his mouth.
Yunho shivered.
“My mother promised me a dinner after I returned. She is going to mean for it to be an engagement announcement that we will be married, but I will make sure that the dinner is canceled or that the announcement is canceled. I do not want to pressure you, my love.”
Yunho swallowed.
“Come on. I am anxious to show you everything.” Changmin took his hand and led him away from the bakery. They passed more shops, including a metal works, a stone works, a glass works, and a one that combined the three and made jewelry. Changmin stopped at this store and asked after the owner’s family. He picked out a thick chain what was covered in blue glass and green stones. He held it up to the light and smiled before turning to Yunho and draping it around Yunho’s neck. It dipped to below his collarbones, and Changmin looked at him with admiration.
“Perfect. Thank you, Jungsoo. Add it to our bill?”
“Yes, your highness.”
Yunho stammered his own thanks as Changmin took his hand and pulled him out of the shop.
“How good are you at climbing ladders?” Changmin asked, pointing up.
Yunho looked up. A long ladder scaled the side of a tree. It was really high, and Yunho took a very deep breath. He was used to climbing fire escapes. It didn’t look much different. He nodded. “I’m good.”
“You go first. I will steady you.”
“You just want to ogle my ass.”
Changmin laughed. “That, too. Your thighs are amazing in these clothes.”
Yunho blushed. He had forgotten that he was wearing the tight pants and billowy shirt.
“Let’s go. As slow as you want.”
Yunho turned and gripped a rung. He took a deep breath, reminded himself to not look down, and started up the ladder. He was expecting a grab at his ass and he was not disappointed. But when he did not react, Changmin laughed and spanked him.
Yunho shimmied his ass just a little bit, and Changmin laughed harder. With a smile on his face, Yunho climbed up the ladder. He felt like he hadn’t stopped smiling since he walked into this world. Neither had Changmin. Yunho climbed until Changmin told him to stop at a particular landing.
The cliff still stretched far above his head. He fought the urge to look down over the platform. He did not need to know how high they were.
“Is that ... rumbling?” Yunho asked, glancing up the rock in alarm.
Changmin nodded. “Come on.” He held out his hand, and Yunho took it, following a walkway around a few more trees. The rumbling Yunho soon realized was water, and around just one more tree, Yunho stopped. The rock wall next to him stretched out in a wide curve. The trees thinned out and allowed Yunho to see. He gaped at the beauty around him and at the giant waterfall that tumbled from the edge of the cliff down below a canopy of mist. Yunho could not see where it ended. The roar was loud, but he was far enough away that Changmin was able to talk and he could hear.
“This is Raven Falls,” Changmin said.
Focusing away from the water that cascaded down the cliffs, Yunho saw black dots of the ravens. They flew from trees to cliffs and back again.
“Most of the ravens nest here,” Changmin said. “The Falls tumble all the way down the mountain face and into a wide river that eventually becomes Swan Lake.”
“It’s amazing,” Yunho said.
“You can see most of the compound from up here,” Changmin added, waving behind them.
Yunho turned around to look. From the edge of the cliffs and disappearing into the trees were all the walkways and platforms, and the tree trunks that housed the people and shops.
“The Royal Nest, my family’s home, stretches all along the cliffs. We could have gone the other way, behind Jaejoong’s office and be in my rooms within moments, but I wanted to show you my world.”
Yunho turned to him and smiled. “Show off.”
“Of course. I am proud of who I am, my love.”
Love. That was the third time Changmin had called him that since being here. Did he expect something more than Yunho was willing to give at that moment? He’d only known Changmin a little more than a month. He shook it off. Changmin was excited to be home, and maybe showing that excitement in little pet names. That was okay.
“What are those people doing?” Yunho asked, pointing at the falls.
“Look close,” Changmin said, coming up behind him. When Changmin wrapped his arms around Yunho’s waist and settled his chin on Yunho’s shoulder, Yunho did not really care anymore what they were doing.
“There are nets. Above the cliff, the river runs over plains and through forests. Like I said before, the Hawks control those plains, but we have the part of the river right before it falls. Mostly. They like to fight us over it. So instead of fishing up there, we catch the fish in the nets. We can fish in the river down below, but it too much to drag the catch back up to our stronghold. My family’s vineyards are on the other side of the falls. It is too slippery for us to walk over there without the proper gear and boots, but I will take you behind the falls one day. There are rivers and streams under the rock that provide water to our stronghold.”
“It is so beautiful here.”
“I am so glad you think so. It is very different from your world. Let me take you to my castle. Are you hungry? You did not eat breakfast.”
Yunho grinned at him. “Yeah. I’m hungry.”
“For food?” he prompted with a leer.
“Yes.”
Changmin chuckled. “Come on then. We will take the other way.” Changmin led him up a walkway, toward the cliff. Around a small bend was a doorway. It was cut into the rock, and then supported with an arch of more rock. The arch continued into the rock, down the long hallway. Torches provided light, and the air cooled as they walked deeper into the mountain. There were wooden doors marking rooms and Changmin explained that most of them were storage rooms.
“When we have festivals, these rooms are used for guests from the other clans. A little further down is the kitchens, and beyond that are the royal quarters. We have not built too far into the rock, but it is what you would call the castle. The royal family and other nobles all live here, up and down the cliff face.”
“We’re going downhill?”
Changmin nodded. “Yes, though it is very gradual. There are staircases and tunnels for quicker passage or escape if need be. We have never had to escape.”
Within the cliff, more people said hello to Changmin, many of them bowed to him, and some even welcomed Yunho home. Yunho attempted to smile at them all, without it looking like he was wincing. He was not comfortable. Not yet, but he wanted to be. It really was too much to take in all at once.
Changmin pointed out supply rooms and libraries and offices. He showed Yunho the tunnel that led to his parents' suite of rooms and the one that led to his sisters'. A little farther down the hallway, Changmin pushed open a heavy wooden door.
“These are my rooms. Down the hall a few more feet is the door to Jaejoong’s rooms.”
The first room did not look like anything more than a dome cut into the wall. A lit torch brightened the way. A woven rug led straight behind the arch and into what was definitely more majestic. The ceiling rose high above Yunho’s head. Windows were cut into the wall, letting in ray of light. In the far corner stood a hollowed out tree trunk with stairs cut into the side that led up to a balcony with bookshelves cut into the rock. Staircases twisted up around the walls, some ending in doorways that led outside and others that were closed off with wooden doors. The sitting room had three chairs and a long couch arranged in front of a hearth. There was also a table with a few chairs.
Yunho had expected everything to be drab and colorless since they were inside a rock, but the chairs and rugs and curtains were bright shades of red, green and yellow. There were rainbow colored pillows scattered everywhere.
“Do you like it?”
Yunho smiled over at Changmin, almost laughing at the anxious look on his face. “Of course. It’s very homey, comfortable. I was expecting ... you know, royal-ness, stuffy, don’t touch anything.”
Changmin snorted. “Some places in the stronghold are like that, like the main ballroom and throne room. But these are my rooms and I wanted everything to be perfect for you. Come on.”
Changmin led the way through the room, around what was a thick rock pillar and into another room that had been hidden around the curve of rock. The ceiling was a little lower, but everything was well lit with an intricate system of torches along the walls. Sunlight seeped in through a few small shafts near the ceiling. But the bed in the middle of the room stole attention from everything else. It looked larger than a California King. The blankets were bright blues, and the pillows were again all the colors of the rainbow. It was inviting, and Yunho had a sudden urge to sink into its soft blankets and mountains of pillows and just sleep. It was built up on a raised section of rock, but had a wooden headboard carved with ravens in flight. At both sides near the headboard were small chests covered with candles.
“That door,” Changmin said and indicated a door to their left, “is my closet, full of clothes and boots and things. We are the same size, mostly, so all my clothes should fit you. I’m sure that once my mother demands your measurements, she will commission proper clothes for you as well. This door ... well, you’ve already heard about what is behind this door.”
Changmin walked across the room to the right. The heavy wooden door opened with a strong push. The first thing Yunho noticed was heat. Damp, wet. The second was the sound of falling water. Jaejoong had said that Changmin had a tub large enough for both of them. He forgot to mention that it was the size of a backyard pool. The pool was sunk into the rock, with overhangs and stairs cut into and above it. Again, the ceiling reached high above them, and there were shafts cut into it, letting the steam out. On the far side of the wall, a small waterfall tumbled over a series of rocks before falling in a stream into the pool. There were more shelves around the pool, stacked high with towels and what was probably soap.
Yunho stared in awe. “Wow.”
Changmin smiled. “Our rooms are built around this warm spring. Just on the other side of the rock is my parents’ bath and my sisters'. Mine is not the biggest, but just the right size for two people.”
“Or twenty.”
Changmin laughed. “You want to share this with eighteen others?”
“Definitely not.”
“Come on. Let’s get some lunch. I will show you the kitchens.”
Yunho let himself be led back to the bedroom, but before Changmin could pull him into the sitting room, he tugged on Changmin’s hand.
“Can we ... just wait ...” Yunho was not sure what he was asking for.
Changmin frowned, probably trying to figure it out himself.
“I just ... everyone is staring at me, at us, and I just ... am not really comfortable yet.” Yunho rubbed the back of his neck with his other hand. “Can I ... I want a few minutes with you. Just a few. Alone. Please.”
Changmin smiled. “You never have to ask for that. I would much rather be alone with you.”
He pulled Yunho closer, wrapped his arm around Yunho’s waist and pressed a kiss to his lips. Yunho was more than happy to tilt his head up and to the side, deepen the kiss, and he pulled Changmin toward the massive bed.
“You want to make out with me?”
“Yes,” Yunho breathed and sat down on the edge of the bed. There was a wooden frame that he was not expecting and he fell back into the soft mattress and pillows with a little yelp, knees hooked on that edge.
Changmin licked his lips and gripped Yunho’s knees. He slid his hands down Yunho’s thighs and climbed over him, between his spread legs.
It was so different than his own bed.
But Changmin over him, Changmin kissing him, and Changmin touching him, were all the same. Yunho relaxed, lifted his hands to Changmin’s hair and smiled into their kisses.
Part 2: The Crippling Expectations
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