Foxy
Title: Foxy
Pairing: Changmin/Jaejoong
Rating: PG-13 (Maybe R)
Disclaimer: They are only supernatural creatures in my delusions.
Summary: Changmin has his future set out for him. He doesn't mind, as long as he can take his hounds out into the woods to hunt foxes. He owns the best pack of foxhounds in the country. But they corner something other than a fox that changes Changmin's life.
A/N: Happy little fluffy sorta oneshot thingy because everything else is so full of drama. Enjoy.
Changmin sat upon his horse, bundled up against the wind that blew through the thick forests of his father’s land. His guards surrounded him, shifting in their saddles. They were impatient to get back to the manor, but knew better than to say anything. He waited.
The sounds of his hounds snuffling and yipping in the underbrush had faded. Changmin waited for the howl of triumph.
He rubbed his gloved hands and brought them to his face. He breathed into them to feel the warmth of his breath on his cheeks.
“It’s getting late,” his lead guard, Yunho, said. He wrapped a warm woolen scarf around his neck.
Changmin huffed and shook his head.
They were close. He had been tracking this fox for weeks. It seemed that this particular fox was smarter than most. It dodged Changmin’s traps and confused his dogs with twisting trails of his scent. It had to be an older fox, one that had been chased before.
It annoyed him. Changmin had never not brought in a fox once his hounds caught its scent.
The sun sank closer to the horizon, throwing an orange glow over the barren trees. The cold air burned with every inhale. Soon, snow would blanket their lands and the fox would live another season.
A howl rent the air, and others soon followed it. Changmin threw a victorious smile to Yunho and kneed his horse. She reared with a whiny and when her hooves hit the ground, she ran. Changmin gripped the reins and followed the brays, his guards behind him.
The ride was short but felt forever. The dogs yowled louder as Changmin grew closer. He had to slow and guide his horse through a thick stand of bushes. A wall of rock blocked his path. The stone was buried deep in the earth and the rounded top was meters above his head. It had been a place Changmin had played at when he was younger and learning to hunt.
The dogs grew quiet as he approached. They had the fox cornered, but not killed. A small whimper wavered through the sudden quiet. It did not sound like a fox. But it was wounded.
Changmin dismounted and drew his sword for protection. He heard his guards behind him. With caution, he walked around the giant rock. His seven dogs whimpered and yipped when they saw him. With just a glance, he saw they were well and none were injured.
But the splash of pale skin against the wet-gray rock had his full attention. His dropped his sword, mouth opening in surprise.
A boy curled against the rock, arms over his head, knees drawn up against his chest. A deep wound cut into his calf muscle. The blood dripped into the cold ground.
A hound howled.
Changmin called them off just as Yunho, Yoochun, and Minho came around the rock.
Changmin ignored their surprise and walked up to the boy. He tightened with a whimper, and Changmin fell to his knees.
“Are you okay? I... what’s wrong? How are--”
The boy lifted his head. The shock of dark orange and brown hair fell into his big eyes. It was a strange color, almost like nutmeg. The dying sunlight burned it the colors of a dying fire. Tears spilled over onto pale cheeks. His lips were so red. Unnaturally so.
Changmin stared, eyes open in shock.
“Changmin-sir,” Yoochun said. “He needs help.” Yoochun took a blanket from their pack and moved toward the boy.
He shied away with a cry, burying his head in his arms.
Changmin took the blanket from Yoochun and shifted on his knees. “We won’t hurt you,” he whispered. “What’s your name?”
The boy shook harder.
Changmin wrapped the blanket around the boy’s shoulders, and even though he flinched and then struggled, Changmin picked him up. He passed the boy up to Yunho.
“Go on ahead,” Changmin said. “Get him to the doctor as soon as possible.”
Yunho nodded and twisted his horse. He galloped away. Changmin rubbed his face with his hands.
The fox had eluded his dogs again, but at least they had found the injured boy. He moved to the pack and they yipped and acted happy, like they had caught a fox. Changmin smiled at them. They were the best hunting dogs in the country. Just one stubborn fox did not change that.
=-^<^-=
Changmin stood on the stone balcony of his room. He stared over his father’s land blanketed with snow and cursed. He did love winter, but hunting was difficult and dangerous. His father rarely let him join the hunters and knights during the cold winter months.
A noise inside drew his attention and he turned. A silhouette was outlined in the firelight. Changmin wrapped his robe tightly around his body and went back into his room. He shut the door to the balcony.
The figure ended up being Jaejoong, the boy they had found a few weeks ago. He stood by the warmth of the fire. He wore only breeches and a tunic. As always, his feet were bare and his red hair was wild, like he had just ran into the wind.
Changmin smiled. “How are you feeling?”
Jaejoong smiled. He did not talk often, using facial expressions to communicate. He motioned to the table. Changmin expected tea, not the bottle of liquor. He smiled. “Dare I ask how you got this?”
Jaejoong covered his smile with his hand, eyes glinting.
Changmin shook his head. Jaejoong had probably conned a kitchen maid for it. He had easily won over everyone at the manor. Including Changmin, in ways that would upset his mother for certain.
Changmin sat in his plush chair, and Jaejoong folded himself on the rug that covered the stone floor. He crossed his ankles and brought his knees almost to his chin. He smiled up at Changmin.
Changmin laughed. He still had no idea how old Jaejoong was or where he was from. He never answered those questions, only smiling until the person who asked grew uncomfortable and looked away.
Changmin poured them both a heavy cup of the sweet liquor. It was a treat during the winter.
“Are you enjoying your stay?”
Jaejoong smiled over the top of his cup and nodded.
“Do you miss your family? We can take you home if you want?”
Jaejoong shook his head but said nothing else. Changmin did not mind. He watched the shadows from the firelight dance over Jaejoong’s skin. Changmin did not think Jaejoong was very young, but not older than himself either. Everything about Jaejoong fascinated Changmin from the shock of red-orange hair to his pale skin and strong body. Jaejoong was pretty, looked weak, but had enough muscles that Changmin knew he wasn’t.
But by far, Changmin’s favorite thing about Jaejoong was his silence. He did not speak, did not need to speak, and unlike many in Changmin’s presence, did not feel the need to fill the silence with inane and pointless chatter. The gossip mongering of the court held little interest for Changmin. He was not betrothed but the women in his manor chattered about how well suited he was with one girl or another.
Changmin did not care for any of it and knew that he was not already married because his father understood his distaste for the entire thing.
“Changmin?” Jaejoong whispered.
Changmin jerked in surprise. The room had darkened, the fire dying. The bottle was almost empty.
“You should sleep.”
“We should sleep.”
Jaejoong smiled. He did like being awake at night though he was getting used to sleeping when everyone else did. He had a room on the other side of the manor, and Changmin thought for a moment of inviting him to stay in his rooms. He had a comfortable lounge in his sitting room.
Jaejoong almost rolled up to his feet, graceful until his first step and he staggered. The cut on his leg had mostly healed. It had not been as bad as it had looked in the woods.
“Are you okay?”
Jaejoong smiled. “Of course.” He yawned, arms above his head, stretching.
Changmin licked his lips and decided to take a chance. “Do you want to stay here, so you don’t have to walk all the way to your room?”
Jaejoong’s smile widened. “You want me to sleep in your den?”
“Den?”
Jaejoong blushed and looked away. “Room. Your room?”
“Yes, if you want.”
Jaejoong kept turned away but nodded and scurried into the next room.
Changmin hurried around the room, putting the glasses and liquor on a tray. He made sure the room was secure, and his balcony door locked. He went into his main bedroom and stopped short in the doorway.
Jaejoong lay curled in a ball at the end of his bed. He wore one of Changmin’s nightshirts and that was all. His clothes were big on Jaejoong. Jaejoong lifted his head and smiled, teeth gleaming in the dark. His brown eyes shimmered with green from the fire in the hearth.
“I meant for you to sleep in the lounge,” Changmin said.
Jaejoong’s smile fell.
Changmin hurried to add, “But you can sleep in my bed if you want, just not curled up at the end like a dog.” He moved through his room, hung up his robe, and thought he had imagined the inhale of breath from the bed. He had not been wearing a nightshirt, just his pants. He did not put on a nightshirt and climbed into the bed. He held out his hand and Jaejoong half-shimmied and half-crawled up to the room with him. He snuggled right up to Changmin with a smile on his face, and Changmin put his arm around his shoulders. His lower body was bare, and the thought had Changmin fighting off an inappropriate reaction.
“Changmin?”
“Yes.”
“Do you like foxes?”
That was a weird question. But he was honest.
“I like to hunt them.”
Jaejoong lifted his head, and his brown eyes flashed green again in the firelight. “Why?”
“They kill our chickens and lambs and calves. It’s as much for sport as it is to protect our food.”
Jaejoong pouted. “You don’t ... you don’t think they’re pretty?”
“Of course they are. They are beautiful creatures, quick and cunning.”
“But you still hunt them.”
“I also hunt elk, deer, and rabbits. I think all creatures are beautiful. Some are food, some are not.”
Jaejoong sighed. “I see what you mean, I think. But I don’t think you should hunt them. Can’t you find other ways to stop them from killing your flocks?”
“It is sport, too. And my foxhounds are the best in the country.”
“Arrogance,” Jaejoong said and finally looked away.
Changmin waited for him to say something else, but he did not. It had been one of their longest conversations. Changmin watched the light of the fire throw shadows around his room, keeping his breathing steady and his body under control with Jaejoong pressed so close to him.
=-^<^-=
Changmin woke to the sound of whimpering next to him. He sat up quickly, blinking himself awake. The noise was only Jaejoong, still asleep, though obviously having a nightmare. Changmin shook his shoulder, and Jaejoong cried out, arm flailing. Changmin caught his arms and rolled on top of him, shouting his name, to get him to wake. His brown eyes opened, flashed with a wildness Changmin had never seen. Fear spiked through Changmin’s soul.
Jaejoong growled and gnashed his teeth, and with a strong twist, threw Changmin off him.
Changmin hit the bed and then the floor, and then Jaejoong was there, crawling over the bed and falling against him with apologies and cries and Changmin lay stunned for a moment before realizing that Jaejoong thought he was hurt, and he put his arms around Jaejoong’s body and whispered reassurances while rubbing his hands up and down Jaejoong’s back to calm him down.
Jaejoong fell against his chest with a soft apology.
Changmin kept his hand moving, realizing it was under the shirt, rubbing from his ass and up his back. He paused for a moment and then continued. His other hand went higher, into Jaejoong’s soft hair.
“I’m okay, you didn’t hurt me. Are you unharmed?”
Jaejoong hummed. Content.
They lay there for another moment and then Jaejoong sat up, hands on Changmin’s chest, and Changmin’s own hands went to his ass and then his hips, and Jaejoong stared down at him with wide eyes before scrambling back up to the bed.
The shirt had been tented, and Changmin’s own nightwear bulged with arousal. Jaejoong whimpered from the bed, and Changmin rubbed his face for a moment before pulling himself up and crawling up behind Jaejoong. Sunlight forced its way past the heavy drapes. Enough light to see the curve of Jaejoong’s ass, the shaking of his body. Changmin moved right next to him, curled against him, and wrapped an arm around his waist. He did not try to keep Jaejoong from feeling his erection.
Jaejoong froze.
Changmin rubbed his hand on Jaejoong’s body, chest to hip. Changmin was surprised by the thatch of hair around his cock. He kept thinking that Jaejoong was young, but there were more and more clues that they were near the same age. He ran his fingers through the rough hair, and nuzzled at Jaejoong’s neck.
Jaejoong whimpered, and Changmin was not sure if it was good or bad, so he stopped.
“Do you think I’m pretty?” Jaejoong asked.
Changmin did not answer for a moment, confused on why Jaejoong had used that word instead of handsome.
“Yes,” Changmin finally said. “You are beautiful.”
Jaejoong rolled onto his back and smiled up at Changmin. “As pretty as a fox?”
Changmin smiled. “Prettier.”
“So you don’t want to hunt me.”
Changmin licked his lips. “Maybe a different kind of hunt.”
“With me as the trophy?”
“You are not a trophy.”
Jaejoong tilted his head and bit his lip with a sharp tooth. He lifted his arm up and fingers tangled in Changmin’s hair. He pulled and Changmin resisted, but Jaejoong lifted his head and pressed their lips together.
Changmin stared with wide eyes but did not kiss him back. He’d never kissed another boy before even if he found them attractive. It was not allowed, and he had to be married.
Jaejoong let himself fall to the bed and he smiled. “I think you’re pretty.”
Changmin licked his lips.
“It’s your turn to kiss me,” Jaejoong said, fingers still tugging at his hair. “You are supposed to kiss people who are pretty.”
Changmin swallowed to get moisture in his mouth. Part of him was not sure who was kissing who when their lips met. Had he leaned down, had Jaejoong leaned up? He did not know. But he kept their lips together, a soft touch changing to a firmer press and then parting lips. And tongues.
A sudden knock on the door had Changmin pulling back. He smiled down at Jaejoong and ignored the next knock, just to look, to see, for a moment before the day demanded the attention of the Lord’s son.
Jaejoong was pretty. With his dark eyes, round face, and red lips. His skin was pale in the low light, white like snow. A small dusting of hair trailed from his bellybutton and around his cock and down his thighs. Most of his hair was reddish-brown, but there was a shock of white hair, just to one side of his erection, that actually looked like a star. Entranced, Changmin ran his fingers through it, and Jaejoong shivered.
Changmin smiled.
The knock sounded again.
“What?” Changmin demanded with a scowl.
“It is near breakfast, Master Changmin,” a servant said. “You are to meet the Lady Hyolyn today.”
Jaejoong’s smile fell.
“I am aware of that. I will be there shortly.” Changmin looked back down at Jaejoong.
He sighed, looking away. “Do you think Lady Hyolyn is pretty?”
Changmin shrugged. “Slightly. Not as pretty as you.”
The smile returned, and Changmin laughed. He leaned down for another kiss, and grew distracted by Jaejoong’s laughter and skin and lips.
=-^<^-=
The distraction continued through the entire day, and Changmin found himself smiling at random moments just at the memory of Jaejoong’s smile or laugh or touch. Lady Hyolyn had been as arrogant as the other noble girls he had been forced to meet, but his mother and father saw stars in his eyes, they said later, and that was enough for their oldest to be wed as soon as possible.
Changmin refused although there was little he could do about it once his mother had decided.
And she put her foot down. Even if Father wanted him married as soon as possible, Mother wanted a summer wedding.
Changmin had been more than happy when he returned to his bedroom, hoping and wishing all day to see Jaejoong, even for a moment. He room was empty, and he frowned. He expected Jaejoong to be there. But Jaejoong had his own room. Across the Manor. Changmin had not seen Jaejoong all day. He went days without seeing him before. But now, after their kisses, after Jaejoong’s laughter, he felt like something was missing. His chest tightened and he stared out over the moon-lit snow, waiting.
=-^<^-=
Changmin spent the rest of winter spending time with Lady Hyolyn and growing more withdrawn. No one at the manor had seen Jaejoong since the morning after their night together. It had meant a lot to Changmin, and he had thought it meant a lot Jaejoong.
Winter caged him in. Held him hostage. He wanted to go out. But his father had been firm. Only the hunters and knights were allowed out during the winter. It was too dangerous and Changmin was the Lord’s son. Heir and future Lord.
Lady Hyolyn moved into the manor. His mother and her mother had given them a stern lecture on always being supervised, and while Lady Hyolyn tossed hints about sneaking away from their prying eyes, Changmin did not. He did not wish to be alone with her. She was here because it made preparations much easier and her family was not as rich as Changmin’s and Changmin’s family was holding the wedding.
Or so they said. The only thing Changmin really had to do was allow the seamstress and tailor to measure his clothes. He agreed with whatever his mother suggested.
He had spent so little time with Jaejoong, spoken only a few conversations with him, that Changmin knew he should not be worrying so much, not be so focused on him. But Jaejoong had disappeared. Without a trace. No one had seen him.
Changmin hoped he had not died or been kidnaped. Considering that Changmin had first found him injured and naked, he had the right to worry.
Even if it affected his sleep, his appetite, and his mood.
=-^<^-=
Changmin ignored the worried looks from his personal guards. The sun barely rose above the trees. The shadows in the forest were deep. His foxhounds snuffled the ground around them, searching for a trail.
Yunho was especially worried. Changmin had told Yunho about his distaste for Lady Hyolyn and the brief moment of happiness with Jaejoong’s lips on his. Yunho kept his secret and kept him close, in his sight.
Changmin did not mind because Yunho convinced his father to let Changmin out on a hunt sooner in the year than usual. Yunho told his father that Changmin was eighteen now, a man, and he did not need to be coddled. Changmin appreciated it.
This was his third hunt, and all before the snow had stopped and the temperatures warmed.
The hounds suddenly barked and took off, following a scent. Normally, the sound shot happiness through Changmin, but not this time. He just waited. The first two hunts had been successful. Changmin knew that neither capture had been the fox from the year before. The two foxes were too young, and Changmin knew the one they had chased last autumn was too smart to be caught so quickly and easily.
They followed the dogs through the forests. The ground was muddy, snow melting. The sun creeped into the sky and warmed the air when the wind wasn’t blowing. Changmin removed his scarf. He heard his guards whispering about something but did not try to listen.
Just before Changmin asked to take a break and eat something, the dogs brayed, signalling their imminent kill. Changmin pushed his mare into a run and followed the sounds. It felt like just a few months ago, and Changmin realized they had followed the dogs into the same area as the elusive fox. Maybe this was it, this was the one.
The dogs led them deep into the woods. Changmin had to slow his horse through the thick trees. His lead dog howled. There was a high pitched squeal amid the barking. Changmin finally smiled, and his guards mirrored his grin.
“Sounds like a capture,” Yoochun said.
“Let’s go get it,” Minho added.
As they grew closer, Changmin finally felt the rush of the hunt, the thrill of capture. The dogs were close and he could hear the growl and whimpers of the fox. They were near the rock, but in a clearing. The hounds had the fox surrounded.
Changmin called them off and they circled the fox, growling, teeth bared.
The fox was injured. Blood splattered on its leg and stomach. The fox was big, bigger than any fox Changmin had seen. It was gorgeous, with burnt orange fur. Its brown eyes were full of fire despite the cut marring the white fur around its snout.
Changmin dismounted and drew his sword. The growling increased in volume. The yipping from the fox changed to panic. Pleading. Changmin’s head went light and he shook it to clear the sudden cobwebs.
The dogs let him by, the fox tried to get away. It limped, but only managed a few steps before falling. The fox whined. Its brown eyes lost the frightened panic and Changmin frowned. It was almost pouting.
Yoochun said his name.
Changmin shook his head. The tip of his sword dragged on the ground behind him. The fox whimpered again. Its back legs were ripped and wounded. There was blood on its side. The fox might have lived if Changmin let it go. The fox stopped moving, flopping to its side. Blood seeped through the white of its stomach. Its chest heaved with heavy breaths.
“Changmin.”
He ignored Yunho.
Changmin pressed the tip of his sword to the fox’s side, at a patch of white fur almost hiding in the dark orange fur. A patch of white. Like a star.
Changmin’s mouth fell open, his gaze snapping to the fox’s eyes. Brown eyes. A whimper.
“Jaejoong,” Changmin whispered.
It was impossible. Completely. It made no sense. But the dogs had cornered him as a human. Jaejoong had never said where the bite on his leg was from. He had been a human. With red hair, so very strange, so different from everyone else with brown hair and brown eyes. The white star in his fur.
It was impossible. But it made sense.
His dogs had cornered him before, against the rock. Even if he had been chased as a human, he smelled like a fox. All the dogs at the manor had growled at him whenever he went near.
The sword fell to the ground. Changmin wavered. He felt an arm on his shoulder and he stumbled and fell to his knees. He heard Yunho and Yoochun talking. He saw a sword in the side of his vision, going for the fox, and Changmin screamed something and covered the fox.
“Changmin!”
Changmin ran his fingers through the fox’s fur. It was just as soft as Jaejoong’s hair, as soft and addicting as the thatch of hair around Jaejoong’s cock.
The fox whimpered again.
Changmin kept his body over the fox and found the fox’s ear and said, “Change. Can you change, please? So they won’t kill you? Please.”
The fox shook. A noise that was half bark and half cry was pulled from its throat.
“I missed you so much,” Changmin continued. “I missed you. I wished you hadn’t left. I wanted you to stay with me. Why did you leave? I miss you. Come back. Please.”
A hand pulled his shoulder again. But he stayed put, whispering at the fox over and over again. After a few minutes, Changmin went quiet. Maybe it wasn’t Jaejoong. Maybe he was insane. Maybe he missed Jaejoong so much that he--
Hands wrapped around his shoulders, and Changmin looked down and right into Jaejoong’s pretty face, wide brown eyes.
One of the bodyguards cursed.
Changmin smiled, eyes stinging with tears. The first noise out of his mouth was supposed to be an apology but he could not talk past the tightness of his throat.
Jaejoong’s smile fell and he whimpered, curling around his side. The bite was deep, spilling too much blood.
“You ... god, I cannot believe.”
Changmin ignored Yoochun and pulled his coat off. “Come home with me, please. Please.”
Jaejoong nodded. His face was too pale. His skin clammy.
Changmin turned to Yunho. He snapped his fingers. “Yunho, quick. You’re the fastest.”
The three stared, eyes wide, and then Yoochun shook himself, and picked Jaejoong up. Yunho climbed back on his horse, and Yoochun handed Jaejoong over. He whimpered, and then the noise was torn away when Yunho turned his horse and cantered away.
They watched him until he disappeared, and then Changmin stood up. Yoochun and Minho looked at him with wide eyes.
“Did ... that ...”
Changmin nodded. “Yes, Minho. That just happened.”
“How did you--” Yoochun stopped and shook his head.
Changmin inhaled and went to his horse. He called the dogs; the pack had gone back to sniff the ground and find another trail.
“I can’t believe ...”
“No one can know about this,” Changmin said. “Not a soul.”
“How did you know that was Jaejoong?” Minho asked.
Changmin thought of the star and smiled. He thought of lying, but it was a huge secret, and one that he needed the other two to understand, especially when he called off his wedding. He told them of their morning, seeing the patch of fur in the shape of a star. His eyes. His hair color. He just knew.
Yunho met them at the stables when they made it back to the manor. He smiled. “Doctor says that he will be okay, but he has to get his wounds stitched up.”
Changmin felt his chest untighten and he took a deep breath.
“I told them that we found him fighting off a mountain cat.”
“Thank you.”
“We’ll take care of your dogs,” Minho said.
Yoochun nodded. “Go see him.”
“Thank you.” Changmin did not waste time. He entered the manor and hurried through the kitchens. A few people tried to stop him to tell him that Jaejoong was back, but he smiled and nodded and kept walking. He practically jumped down the stairs to the basement room that was used as their sick room.
He stopped in the door, unsure if he should go in. Jaejoong was laying on his stomach, biting into a pillow while the doctor sewed up the wounds on his leg. White fabric wrapped around his waist.
Jaejoong’s eyes opened, and he saw Changmin and smiled widely.
Changmin smiled back and blinked back those annoying tears again.
“Changmin?”
He looked at the doctor.
“You can come in. Jaejoong is okay. His wounds are a little deep, but with lots of rest, he will heal quickly.”
Changmin walked in and went to the head of the bed. He kneeled and ran his hands through Jaejoong’s sweaty red hair. His eyes fluttered shut with a quiet sigh and he relaxed. Changmin smiled.
“How are you?” Changmin whispered.
The smile came back, small, happy, eyes closed.
=-^<^-=
Jaejoong spent a few days downstairs, and Changmin only left his side when he had to. They did not talk. Changmin wanted to, but there were other people in the room almost constantly. He was patient enough to wait until they were alone, and after Jaejoong rested.
When Jaejoong finally moved up to Changmin’s room, Changmin watched him sleep, curled up on his uninjured side. He was so beautiful, so amazing, so ... a fox.
He still was not sure it was possible. If his three guards had not been there, Changmin thought he had imagined it all.
Changmin waited until morning, until Jaejoong had woken up, drank some tea, and eaten a little meat. And as soon as the servant left his room, Changmin finally leaned down and pressed a kiss to Jaejoong’s lips.
“I missed you,” Changmin said.
Jaejoong smiled but his eyes were sad.
“What?”
Jaejoong huffed. “You’re getting married.”
Changmin frowned. “Is that why you left?”
Jaejoong looked away.
“My mother decided I was marrying Lady Hyolyn because I was nice and happy and actually smiling when I first met her. I met her after you kissed me, after we spent the night together, and I was so happy, and I could not stop thinking about you. And then you were gone. When you did not come back, I knew I’d never see you again, so I did not protest the marriage.”
Jaejoong blushed and buried his face in Changmin’s chest. “I’m sorry.”
Changmin hugged him carefully. “Tell me and I will cancel the wedding.”
He tilted his head back and lifted an eyebrow.
Changmin chuckled. “I know, I know. You don’t need to tell me to. I will do it on my own.”
Jaejoong smirked and kissed his chin and snuggled back against him.
“What are you?” Changmin whispered after a moment.
Jaejoong stiffened.
“I mean besides the light of my heart and the reason why I’m happy.”
Jaejoong smiled. He took a deep breath. “I am a Fox Child.”
“What is that?”
“You saw, you know. I am a fox spirit. I...”
“Are you immortal?”
“Not completely.”
“What does that mean?”
Jaejoong lay on his back and stared at the ceiling. “I’m older than you by many years. I ... I’ve been on this land for a long time. I don’t want to tell you.”
Changmin frowned but he did not press.
“There are very few Fox Children left. We are hunted. I ... I had changed when you first found me in hope that your hounds would leave. But I smell like a fox.”
“You are prettier than a fox.”
Jaejoong smiled. “I am a fox.”
“Then you’re as pretty as a fox.”
“I can live with that.”
“Live with me?”
Jaejoong nodded. “I will.”
Changmin leaned down and pressed a kiss to his lips. He fought the urge to deepen it. Jaejoong still had not recovered from his wounds.
“Rest,” Changmin whispered.
“Don’t leave me alone.”
Changmin shook his head. “Never.”
=-^<^-=
Changmin had never been happier during the summer. The fields were heavy with a growing harvest. There was enough water and food for his entire country. None were starving or homeless. And all his flocks were safe because Jaejoong knew the foxes in the area and kept them away. Changmin missed the sport of fox hunting, but whenever he grew restless, Jaejoong led him into the woods and ran away from him. Depending on how playful he was, Jaejoong hid from him as a fox or did not try to hide as a human, but no matter what, Changmin’s prize was always a very naked and very happy Jaejoong.
.
Pairing: Changmin/Jaejoong
Rating: PG-13 (Maybe R)
Disclaimer: They are only supernatural creatures in my delusions.
Summary: Changmin has his future set out for him. He doesn't mind, as long as he can take his hounds out into the woods to hunt foxes. He owns the best pack of foxhounds in the country. But they corner something other than a fox that changes Changmin's life.
A/N: Happy little fluffy sorta oneshot thingy because everything else is so full of drama. Enjoy.
Changmin sat upon his horse, bundled up against the wind that blew through the thick forests of his father’s land. His guards surrounded him, shifting in their saddles. They were impatient to get back to the manor, but knew better than to say anything. He waited.
The sounds of his hounds snuffling and yipping in the underbrush had faded. Changmin waited for the howl of triumph.
He rubbed his gloved hands and brought them to his face. He breathed into them to feel the warmth of his breath on his cheeks.
“It’s getting late,” his lead guard, Yunho, said. He wrapped a warm woolen scarf around his neck.
Changmin huffed and shook his head.
They were close. He had been tracking this fox for weeks. It seemed that this particular fox was smarter than most. It dodged Changmin’s traps and confused his dogs with twisting trails of his scent. It had to be an older fox, one that had been chased before.
It annoyed him. Changmin had never not brought in a fox once his hounds caught its scent.
The sun sank closer to the horizon, throwing an orange glow over the barren trees. The cold air burned with every inhale. Soon, snow would blanket their lands and the fox would live another season.
A howl rent the air, and others soon followed it. Changmin threw a victorious smile to Yunho and kneed his horse. She reared with a whiny and when her hooves hit the ground, she ran. Changmin gripped the reins and followed the brays, his guards behind him.
The ride was short but felt forever. The dogs yowled louder as Changmin grew closer. He had to slow and guide his horse through a thick stand of bushes. A wall of rock blocked his path. The stone was buried deep in the earth and the rounded top was meters above his head. It had been a place Changmin had played at when he was younger and learning to hunt.
The dogs grew quiet as he approached. They had the fox cornered, but not killed. A small whimper wavered through the sudden quiet. It did not sound like a fox. But it was wounded.
Changmin dismounted and drew his sword for protection. He heard his guards behind him. With caution, he walked around the giant rock. His seven dogs whimpered and yipped when they saw him. With just a glance, he saw they were well and none were injured.
But the splash of pale skin against the wet-gray rock had his full attention. His dropped his sword, mouth opening in surprise.
A boy curled against the rock, arms over his head, knees drawn up against his chest. A deep wound cut into his calf muscle. The blood dripped into the cold ground.
A hound howled.
Changmin called them off just as Yunho, Yoochun, and Minho came around the rock.
Changmin ignored their surprise and walked up to the boy. He tightened with a whimper, and Changmin fell to his knees.
“Are you okay? I... what’s wrong? How are--”
The boy lifted his head. The shock of dark orange and brown hair fell into his big eyes. It was a strange color, almost like nutmeg. The dying sunlight burned it the colors of a dying fire. Tears spilled over onto pale cheeks. His lips were so red. Unnaturally so.
Changmin stared, eyes open in shock.
“Changmin-sir,” Yoochun said. “He needs help.” Yoochun took a blanket from their pack and moved toward the boy.
He shied away with a cry, burying his head in his arms.
Changmin took the blanket from Yoochun and shifted on his knees. “We won’t hurt you,” he whispered. “What’s your name?”
The boy shook harder.
Changmin wrapped the blanket around the boy’s shoulders, and even though he flinched and then struggled, Changmin picked him up. He passed the boy up to Yunho.
“Go on ahead,” Changmin said. “Get him to the doctor as soon as possible.”
Yunho nodded and twisted his horse. He galloped away. Changmin rubbed his face with his hands.
The fox had eluded his dogs again, but at least they had found the injured boy. He moved to the pack and they yipped and acted happy, like they had caught a fox. Changmin smiled at them. They were the best hunting dogs in the country. Just one stubborn fox did not change that.
=-^<^-=
Changmin stood on the stone balcony of his room. He stared over his father’s land blanketed with snow and cursed. He did love winter, but hunting was difficult and dangerous. His father rarely let him join the hunters and knights during the cold winter months.
A noise inside drew his attention and he turned. A silhouette was outlined in the firelight. Changmin wrapped his robe tightly around his body and went back into his room. He shut the door to the balcony.
The figure ended up being Jaejoong, the boy they had found a few weeks ago. He stood by the warmth of the fire. He wore only breeches and a tunic. As always, his feet were bare and his red hair was wild, like he had just ran into the wind.
Changmin smiled. “How are you feeling?”
Jaejoong smiled. He did not talk often, using facial expressions to communicate. He motioned to the table. Changmin expected tea, not the bottle of liquor. He smiled. “Dare I ask how you got this?”
Jaejoong covered his smile with his hand, eyes glinting.
Changmin shook his head. Jaejoong had probably conned a kitchen maid for it. He had easily won over everyone at the manor. Including Changmin, in ways that would upset his mother for certain.
Changmin sat in his plush chair, and Jaejoong folded himself on the rug that covered the stone floor. He crossed his ankles and brought his knees almost to his chin. He smiled up at Changmin.
Changmin laughed. He still had no idea how old Jaejoong was or where he was from. He never answered those questions, only smiling until the person who asked grew uncomfortable and looked away.
Changmin poured them both a heavy cup of the sweet liquor. It was a treat during the winter.
“Are you enjoying your stay?”
Jaejoong smiled over the top of his cup and nodded.
“Do you miss your family? We can take you home if you want?”
Jaejoong shook his head but said nothing else. Changmin did not mind. He watched the shadows from the firelight dance over Jaejoong’s skin. Changmin did not think Jaejoong was very young, but not older than himself either. Everything about Jaejoong fascinated Changmin from the shock of red-orange hair to his pale skin and strong body. Jaejoong was pretty, looked weak, but had enough muscles that Changmin knew he wasn’t.
But by far, Changmin’s favorite thing about Jaejoong was his silence. He did not speak, did not need to speak, and unlike many in Changmin’s presence, did not feel the need to fill the silence with inane and pointless chatter. The gossip mongering of the court held little interest for Changmin. He was not betrothed but the women in his manor chattered about how well suited he was with one girl or another.
Changmin did not care for any of it and knew that he was not already married because his father understood his distaste for the entire thing.
“Changmin?” Jaejoong whispered.
Changmin jerked in surprise. The room had darkened, the fire dying. The bottle was almost empty.
“You should sleep.”
“We should sleep.”
Jaejoong smiled. He did like being awake at night though he was getting used to sleeping when everyone else did. He had a room on the other side of the manor, and Changmin thought for a moment of inviting him to stay in his rooms. He had a comfortable lounge in his sitting room.
Jaejoong almost rolled up to his feet, graceful until his first step and he staggered. The cut on his leg had mostly healed. It had not been as bad as it had looked in the woods.
“Are you okay?”
Jaejoong smiled. “Of course.” He yawned, arms above his head, stretching.
Changmin licked his lips and decided to take a chance. “Do you want to stay here, so you don’t have to walk all the way to your room?”
Jaejoong’s smile widened. “You want me to sleep in your den?”
“Den?”
Jaejoong blushed and looked away. “Room. Your room?”
“Yes, if you want.”
Jaejoong kept turned away but nodded and scurried into the next room.
Changmin hurried around the room, putting the glasses and liquor on a tray. He made sure the room was secure, and his balcony door locked. He went into his main bedroom and stopped short in the doorway.
Jaejoong lay curled in a ball at the end of his bed. He wore one of Changmin’s nightshirts and that was all. His clothes were big on Jaejoong. Jaejoong lifted his head and smiled, teeth gleaming in the dark. His brown eyes shimmered with green from the fire in the hearth.
“I meant for you to sleep in the lounge,” Changmin said.
Jaejoong’s smile fell.
Changmin hurried to add, “But you can sleep in my bed if you want, just not curled up at the end like a dog.” He moved through his room, hung up his robe, and thought he had imagined the inhale of breath from the bed. He had not been wearing a nightshirt, just his pants. He did not put on a nightshirt and climbed into the bed. He held out his hand and Jaejoong half-shimmied and half-crawled up to the room with him. He snuggled right up to Changmin with a smile on his face, and Changmin put his arm around his shoulders. His lower body was bare, and the thought had Changmin fighting off an inappropriate reaction.
“Changmin?”
“Yes.”
“Do you like foxes?”
That was a weird question. But he was honest.
“I like to hunt them.”
Jaejoong lifted his head, and his brown eyes flashed green again in the firelight. “Why?”
“They kill our chickens and lambs and calves. It’s as much for sport as it is to protect our food.”
Jaejoong pouted. “You don’t ... you don’t think they’re pretty?”
“Of course they are. They are beautiful creatures, quick and cunning.”
“But you still hunt them.”
“I also hunt elk, deer, and rabbits. I think all creatures are beautiful. Some are food, some are not.”
Jaejoong sighed. “I see what you mean, I think. But I don’t think you should hunt them. Can’t you find other ways to stop them from killing your flocks?”
“It is sport, too. And my foxhounds are the best in the country.”
“Arrogance,” Jaejoong said and finally looked away.
Changmin waited for him to say something else, but he did not. It had been one of their longest conversations. Changmin watched the light of the fire throw shadows around his room, keeping his breathing steady and his body under control with Jaejoong pressed so close to him.
=-^<^-=
Changmin woke to the sound of whimpering next to him. He sat up quickly, blinking himself awake. The noise was only Jaejoong, still asleep, though obviously having a nightmare. Changmin shook his shoulder, and Jaejoong cried out, arm flailing. Changmin caught his arms and rolled on top of him, shouting his name, to get him to wake. His brown eyes opened, flashed with a wildness Changmin had never seen. Fear spiked through Changmin’s soul.
Jaejoong growled and gnashed his teeth, and with a strong twist, threw Changmin off him.
Changmin hit the bed and then the floor, and then Jaejoong was there, crawling over the bed and falling against him with apologies and cries and Changmin lay stunned for a moment before realizing that Jaejoong thought he was hurt, and he put his arms around Jaejoong’s body and whispered reassurances while rubbing his hands up and down Jaejoong’s back to calm him down.
Jaejoong fell against his chest with a soft apology.
Changmin kept his hand moving, realizing it was under the shirt, rubbing from his ass and up his back. He paused for a moment and then continued. His other hand went higher, into Jaejoong’s soft hair.
“I’m okay, you didn’t hurt me. Are you unharmed?”
Jaejoong hummed. Content.
They lay there for another moment and then Jaejoong sat up, hands on Changmin’s chest, and Changmin’s own hands went to his ass and then his hips, and Jaejoong stared down at him with wide eyes before scrambling back up to the bed.
The shirt had been tented, and Changmin’s own nightwear bulged with arousal. Jaejoong whimpered from the bed, and Changmin rubbed his face for a moment before pulling himself up and crawling up behind Jaejoong. Sunlight forced its way past the heavy drapes. Enough light to see the curve of Jaejoong’s ass, the shaking of his body. Changmin moved right next to him, curled against him, and wrapped an arm around his waist. He did not try to keep Jaejoong from feeling his erection.
Jaejoong froze.
Changmin rubbed his hand on Jaejoong’s body, chest to hip. Changmin was surprised by the thatch of hair around his cock. He kept thinking that Jaejoong was young, but there were more and more clues that they were near the same age. He ran his fingers through the rough hair, and nuzzled at Jaejoong’s neck.
Jaejoong whimpered, and Changmin was not sure if it was good or bad, so he stopped.
“Do you think I’m pretty?” Jaejoong asked.
Changmin did not answer for a moment, confused on why Jaejoong had used that word instead of handsome.
“Yes,” Changmin finally said. “You are beautiful.”
Jaejoong rolled onto his back and smiled up at Changmin. “As pretty as a fox?”
Changmin smiled. “Prettier.”
“So you don’t want to hunt me.”
Changmin licked his lips. “Maybe a different kind of hunt.”
“With me as the trophy?”
“You are not a trophy.”
Jaejoong tilted his head and bit his lip with a sharp tooth. He lifted his arm up and fingers tangled in Changmin’s hair. He pulled and Changmin resisted, but Jaejoong lifted his head and pressed their lips together.
Changmin stared with wide eyes but did not kiss him back. He’d never kissed another boy before even if he found them attractive. It was not allowed, and he had to be married.
Jaejoong let himself fall to the bed and he smiled. “I think you’re pretty.”
Changmin licked his lips.
“It’s your turn to kiss me,” Jaejoong said, fingers still tugging at his hair. “You are supposed to kiss people who are pretty.”
Changmin swallowed to get moisture in his mouth. Part of him was not sure who was kissing who when their lips met. Had he leaned down, had Jaejoong leaned up? He did not know. But he kept their lips together, a soft touch changing to a firmer press and then parting lips. And tongues.
A sudden knock on the door had Changmin pulling back. He smiled down at Jaejoong and ignored the next knock, just to look, to see, for a moment before the day demanded the attention of the Lord’s son.
Jaejoong was pretty. With his dark eyes, round face, and red lips. His skin was pale in the low light, white like snow. A small dusting of hair trailed from his bellybutton and around his cock and down his thighs. Most of his hair was reddish-brown, but there was a shock of white hair, just to one side of his erection, that actually looked like a star. Entranced, Changmin ran his fingers through it, and Jaejoong shivered.
Changmin smiled.
The knock sounded again.
“What?” Changmin demanded with a scowl.
“It is near breakfast, Master Changmin,” a servant said. “You are to meet the Lady Hyolyn today.”
Jaejoong’s smile fell.
“I am aware of that. I will be there shortly.” Changmin looked back down at Jaejoong.
He sighed, looking away. “Do you think Lady Hyolyn is pretty?”
Changmin shrugged. “Slightly. Not as pretty as you.”
The smile returned, and Changmin laughed. He leaned down for another kiss, and grew distracted by Jaejoong’s laughter and skin and lips.
=-^<^-=
The distraction continued through the entire day, and Changmin found himself smiling at random moments just at the memory of Jaejoong’s smile or laugh or touch. Lady Hyolyn had been as arrogant as the other noble girls he had been forced to meet, but his mother and father saw stars in his eyes, they said later, and that was enough for their oldest to be wed as soon as possible.
Changmin refused although there was little he could do about it once his mother had decided.
And she put her foot down. Even if Father wanted him married as soon as possible, Mother wanted a summer wedding.
Changmin had been more than happy when he returned to his bedroom, hoping and wishing all day to see Jaejoong, even for a moment. He room was empty, and he frowned. He expected Jaejoong to be there. But Jaejoong had his own room. Across the Manor. Changmin had not seen Jaejoong all day. He went days without seeing him before. But now, after their kisses, after Jaejoong’s laughter, he felt like something was missing. His chest tightened and he stared out over the moon-lit snow, waiting.
=-^<^-=
Changmin spent the rest of winter spending time with Lady Hyolyn and growing more withdrawn. No one at the manor had seen Jaejoong since the morning after their night together. It had meant a lot to Changmin, and he had thought it meant a lot Jaejoong.
Winter caged him in. Held him hostage. He wanted to go out. But his father had been firm. Only the hunters and knights were allowed out during the winter. It was too dangerous and Changmin was the Lord’s son. Heir and future Lord.
Lady Hyolyn moved into the manor. His mother and her mother had given them a stern lecture on always being supervised, and while Lady Hyolyn tossed hints about sneaking away from their prying eyes, Changmin did not. He did not wish to be alone with her. She was here because it made preparations much easier and her family was not as rich as Changmin’s and Changmin’s family was holding the wedding.
Or so they said. The only thing Changmin really had to do was allow the seamstress and tailor to measure his clothes. He agreed with whatever his mother suggested.
He had spent so little time with Jaejoong, spoken only a few conversations with him, that Changmin knew he should not be worrying so much, not be so focused on him. But Jaejoong had disappeared. Without a trace. No one had seen him.
Changmin hoped he had not died or been kidnaped. Considering that Changmin had first found him injured and naked, he had the right to worry.
Even if it affected his sleep, his appetite, and his mood.
=-^<^-=
Changmin ignored the worried looks from his personal guards. The sun barely rose above the trees. The shadows in the forest were deep. His foxhounds snuffled the ground around them, searching for a trail.
Yunho was especially worried. Changmin had told Yunho about his distaste for Lady Hyolyn and the brief moment of happiness with Jaejoong’s lips on his. Yunho kept his secret and kept him close, in his sight.
Changmin did not mind because Yunho convinced his father to let Changmin out on a hunt sooner in the year than usual. Yunho told his father that Changmin was eighteen now, a man, and he did not need to be coddled. Changmin appreciated it.
This was his third hunt, and all before the snow had stopped and the temperatures warmed.
The hounds suddenly barked and took off, following a scent. Normally, the sound shot happiness through Changmin, but not this time. He just waited. The first two hunts had been successful. Changmin knew that neither capture had been the fox from the year before. The two foxes were too young, and Changmin knew the one they had chased last autumn was too smart to be caught so quickly and easily.
They followed the dogs through the forests. The ground was muddy, snow melting. The sun creeped into the sky and warmed the air when the wind wasn’t blowing. Changmin removed his scarf. He heard his guards whispering about something but did not try to listen.
Just before Changmin asked to take a break and eat something, the dogs brayed, signalling their imminent kill. Changmin pushed his mare into a run and followed the sounds. It felt like just a few months ago, and Changmin realized they had followed the dogs into the same area as the elusive fox. Maybe this was it, this was the one.
The dogs led them deep into the woods. Changmin had to slow his horse through the thick trees. His lead dog howled. There was a high pitched squeal amid the barking. Changmin finally smiled, and his guards mirrored his grin.
“Sounds like a capture,” Yoochun said.
“Let’s go get it,” Minho added.
As they grew closer, Changmin finally felt the rush of the hunt, the thrill of capture. The dogs were close and he could hear the growl and whimpers of the fox. They were near the rock, but in a clearing. The hounds had the fox surrounded.
Changmin called them off and they circled the fox, growling, teeth bared.
The fox was injured. Blood splattered on its leg and stomach. The fox was big, bigger than any fox Changmin had seen. It was gorgeous, with burnt orange fur. Its brown eyes were full of fire despite the cut marring the white fur around its snout.
Changmin dismounted and drew his sword. The growling increased in volume. The yipping from the fox changed to panic. Pleading. Changmin’s head went light and he shook it to clear the sudden cobwebs.
The dogs let him by, the fox tried to get away. It limped, but only managed a few steps before falling. The fox whined. Its brown eyes lost the frightened panic and Changmin frowned. It was almost pouting.
Yoochun said his name.
Changmin shook his head. The tip of his sword dragged on the ground behind him. The fox whimpered again. Its back legs were ripped and wounded. There was blood on its side. The fox might have lived if Changmin let it go. The fox stopped moving, flopping to its side. Blood seeped through the white of its stomach. Its chest heaved with heavy breaths.
“Changmin.”
He ignored Yunho.
Changmin pressed the tip of his sword to the fox’s side, at a patch of white fur almost hiding in the dark orange fur. A patch of white. Like a star.
Changmin’s mouth fell open, his gaze snapping to the fox’s eyes. Brown eyes. A whimper.
“Jaejoong,” Changmin whispered.
It was impossible. Completely. It made no sense. But the dogs had cornered him as a human. Jaejoong had never said where the bite on his leg was from. He had been a human. With red hair, so very strange, so different from everyone else with brown hair and brown eyes. The white star in his fur.
It was impossible. But it made sense.
His dogs had cornered him before, against the rock. Even if he had been chased as a human, he smelled like a fox. All the dogs at the manor had growled at him whenever he went near.
The sword fell to the ground. Changmin wavered. He felt an arm on his shoulder and he stumbled and fell to his knees. He heard Yunho and Yoochun talking. He saw a sword in the side of his vision, going for the fox, and Changmin screamed something and covered the fox.
“Changmin!”
Changmin ran his fingers through the fox’s fur. It was just as soft as Jaejoong’s hair, as soft and addicting as the thatch of hair around Jaejoong’s cock.
The fox whimpered again.
Changmin kept his body over the fox and found the fox’s ear and said, “Change. Can you change, please? So they won’t kill you? Please.”
The fox shook. A noise that was half bark and half cry was pulled from its throat.
“I missed you so much,” Changmin continued. “I missed you. I wished you hadn’t left. I wanted you to stay with me. Why did you leave? I miss you. Come back. Please.”
A hand pulled his shoulder again. But he stayed put, whispering at the fox over and over again. After a few minutes, Changmin went quiet. Maybe it wasn’t Jaejoong. Maybe he was insane. Maybe he missed Jaejoong so much that he--
Hands wrapped around his shoulders, and Changmin looked down and right into Jaejoong’s pretty face, wide brown eyes.
One of the bodyguards cursed.
Changmin smiled, eyes stinging with tears. The first noise out of his mouth was supposed to be an apology but he could not talk past the tightness of his throat.
Jaejoong’s smile fell and he whimpered, curling around his side. The bite was deep, spilling too much blood.
“You ... god, I cannot believe.”
Changmin ignored Yoochun and pulled his coat off. “Come home with me, please. Please.”
Jaejoong nodded. His face was too pale. His skin clammy.
Changmin turned to Yunho. He snapped his fingers. “Yunho, quick. You’re the fastest.”
The three stared, eyes wide, and then Yoochun shook himself, and picked Jaejoong up. Yunho climbed back on his horse, and Yoochun handed Jaejoong over. He whimpered, and then the noise was torn away when Yunho turned his horse and cantered away.
They watched him until he disappeared, and then Changmin stood up. Yoochun and Minho looked at him with wide eyes.
“Did ... that ...”
Changmin nodded. “Yes, Minho. That just happened.”
“How did you--” Yoochun stopped and shook his head.
Changmin inhaled and went to his horse. He called the dogs; the pack had gone back to sniff the ground and find another trail.
“I can’t believe ...”
“No one can know about this,” Changmin said. “Not a soul.”
“How did you know that was Jaejoong?” Minho asked.
Changmin thought of the star and smiled. He thought of lying, but it was a huge secret, and one that he needed the other two to understand, especially when he called off his wedding. He told them of their morning, seeing the patch of fur in the shape of a star. His eyes. His hair color. He just knew.
Yunho met them at the stables when they made it back to the manor. He smiled. “Doctor says that he will be okay, but he has to get his wounds stitched up.”
Changmin felt his chest untighten and he took a deep breath.
“I told them that we found him fighting off a mountain cat.”
“Thank you.”
“We’ll take care of your dogs,” Minho said.
Yoochun nodded. “Go see him.”
“Thank you.” Changmin did not waste time. He entered the manor and hurried through the kitchens. A few people tried to stop him to tell him that Jaejoong was back, but he smiled and nodded and kept walking. He practically jumped down the stairs to the basement room that was used as their sick room.
He stopped in the door, unsure if he should go in. Jaejoong was laying on his stomach, biting into a pillow while the doctor sewed up the wounds on his leg. White fabric wrapped around his waist.
Jaejoong’s eyes opened, and he saw Changmin and smiled widely.
Changmin smiled back and blinked back those annoying tears again.
“Changmin?”
He looked at the doctor.
“You can come in. Jaejoong is okay. His wounds are a little deep, but with lots of rest, he will heal quickly.”
Changmin walked in and went to the head of the bed. He kneeled and ran his hands through Jaejoong’s sweaty red hair. His eyes fluttered shut with a quiet sigh and he relaxed. Changmin smiled.
“How are you?” Changmin whispered.
The smile came back, small, happy, eyes closed.
=-^<^-=
Jaejoong spent a few days downstairs, and Changmin only left his side when he had to. They did not talk. Changmin wanted to, but there were other people in the room almost constantly. He was patient enough to wait until they were alone, and after Jaejoong rested.
When Jaejoong finally moved up to Changmin’s room, Changmin watched him sleep, curled up on his uninjured side. He was so beautiful, so amazing, so ... a fox.
He still was not sure it was possible. If his three guards had not been there, Changmin thought he had imagined it all.
Changmin waited until morning, until Jaejoong had woken up, drank some tea, and eaten a little meat. And as soon as the servant left his room, Changmin finally leaned down and pressed a kiss to Jaejoong’s lips.
“I missed you,” Changmin said.
Jaejoong smiled but his eyes were sad.
“What?”
Jaejoong huffed. “You’re getting married.”
Changmin frowned. “Is that why you left?”
Jaejoong looked away.
“My mother decided I was marrying Lady Hyolyn because I was nice and happy and actually smiling when I first met her. I met her after you kissed me, after we spent the night together, and I was so happy, and I could not stop thinking about you. And then you were gone. When you did not come back, I knew I’d never see you again, so I did not protest the marriage.”
Jaejoong blushed and buried his face in Changmin’s chest. “I’m sorry.”
Changmin hugged him carefully. “Tell me and I will cancel the wedding.”
He tilted his head back and lifted an eyebrow.
Changmin chuckled. “I know, I know. You don’t need to tell me to. I will do it on my own.”
Jaejoong smirked and kissed his chin and snuggled back against him.
“What are you?” Changmin whispered after a moment.
Jaejoong stiffened.
“I mean besides the light of my heart and the reason why I’m happy.”
Jaejoong smiled. He took a deep breath. “I am a Fox Child.”
“What is that?”
“You saw, you know. I am a fox spirit. I...”
“Are you immortal?”
“Not completely.”
“What does that mean?”
Jaejoong lay on his back and stared at the ceiling. “I’m older than you by many years. I ... I’ve been on this land for a long time. I don’t want to tell you.”
Changmin frowned but he did not press.
“There are very few Fox Children left. We are hunted. I ... I had changed when you first found me in hope that your hounds would leave. But I smell like a fox.”
“You are prettier than a fox.”
Jaejoong smiled. “I am a fox.”
“Then you’re as pretty as a fox.”
“I can live with that.”
“Live with me?”
Jaejoong nodded. “I will.”
Changmin leaned down and pressed a kiss to his lips. He fought the urge to deepen it. Jaejoong still had not recovered from his wounds.
“Rest,” Changmin whispered.
“Don’t leave me alone.”
Changmin shook his head. “Never.”
=-^<^-=
Changmin had never been happier during the summer. The fields were heavy with a growing harvest. There was enough water and food for his entire country. None were starving or homeless. And all his flocks were safe because Jaejoong knew the foxes in the area and kept them away. Changmin missed the sport of fox hunting, but whenever he grew restless, Jaejoong led him into the woods and ran away from him. Depending on how playful he was, Jaejoong hid from him as a fox or did not try to hide as a human, but no matter what, Changmin’s prize was always a very naked and very happy Jaejoong.
.