Tightly Bound 2/?
Title: Tightly Bound 2/?
Pairing: Changmin/Jaejoong
Rating: NC-17
Disclaimer: Only in my mind can they be bound together with magic spells.
Summary: Jaejoong is Changmin's biggest rival. When the elf reveals that Changmin is his only option to curb the pain from an ancient curse, Changmin must decide what to do. And he must decide if his sudden feelings for Jaejoong are real, or a result of magic he does not understand.
Part 2: The Binding Touch
In case you need a visual:
Prince Changmin
Prince Jaejoong
The discussion with his mother took longer than he had hoped and Changmin flew back to his rooms, discarding his practice clothes almost before he was actually inside his rooms. He hurried to his bathing room. He did not have time to do more than a quick wash of his body. His maids attempted to help him but he was in too much of a hurry and he ignored them.
They had laid out an outfit for him in his dressing room, and he ignored it, going to his closet. He pulled on a comfortable pair of black breeches and a gray tunic, never ones that he would wear to dinner with a visiting prince, especially not a visiting elven prince. Jaejoong and Changmin had constantly and consciously tried to out-dress each other in the past, so his maids had done correctly, but today was different. His hair was still a mess about his head, but there was nothing that could be done about it. He pulled on a pair of brown boots and hurried from the room, again almost flying down the hallways.
A servant bowed at the door of his dining room and opened it. Another servant just inside also bowed, his arm out for a dining cloak that Changmin had not worn.
Jaejoong turned from his perusal of the paintings on the walls and smiled. His clothes were the same and his smile widened after he looked Changmin up and down.
“Early,” Changmin said and moved to the head of the table.
Jaejoong smirked. “Barely on time.”
Changmin sat at his spot at the head of the table and then motioned to Jaejoong to take the spot next to him. Jaejoong did so gracefully. As soon as he sat, the door opened and servants appeared with the first course. At least the food was worthy of a visiting prince. Their wine glasses were filled, and a musician with a violin came in.
“Question,” Changmin said after a few bites.
Jaejoong hummed around a bit of his salad.
“Does this relieve it, or must I--” He did not want to say too much with so many ears about, so to demonstrate, he stretched a leg and hooked his ankle around Jaejoong’s.
Jaejoong smiled and took a deep drink of wine. “Yes, to both. Being in the same room is enough, but I will not say no to that.”
Changmin felt his face flush, but he did not move his foot. “Your family will not mind if you stay for a while?”
“No. It was my father that demanded I tell you today. He practically threw me out and onto a horse.”
Changmin snorted. “Stubborn as always.”
Jaejoong smiled, but did not reply with his words. His foot though slid up Changmin’s calf muscle.
“Can you tell me about the Wars?”
“Not in public,” Jaejoong said immediately. Which was not a refusal. Changmin would ask again. The Wars were documented in history books, but history books were written by the victors. And yes, the elves won, but barely. Changmin needed details.
“Tell me about your shooting today.”
Changmin scowled at his potatoes. “I was off the mark. That’s it.”
“A bad day, then?”
“You can call it that. I actually missed the target once completely because I was so distracted.”
“The wind?”
“I can shoot in the wind,” he said hotly.
“I know. You’ve beaten me that way before. You are very good.” His foot went farther up his leg, almost behind his knee.
Changmin cleared his throat. “I’ve beaten you from pure skill as well.”
“As have I.”
The second course was brought out. Changmin ate it in silence, and Jaejoong emulated him. His foot stayed close, rubbing up and down his leg.
“I love eating here,” Jaejoong said suddenly, holding up a bite of meat. “The fruit and plants of the forest get incredibly boring. There are only so many ways to prepare a legume before you have done them all. Have you learned to cook?”
“Whatever would I need to cook for?”
Jaejoong shrugged. “Consider it a challenge.”
“With you as my competition?”
“No, with me as your teacher. I already know how to cook.”
Changmin frowned, a refusal on his lips, but was that rude? Probably. Jaejoong was a slave to the Binding Curse on his neck. Changmin had to be nice and placate him some how.
“I am sure there is something that you do well that you can teach me.”
“I doubt that.”
“You’re smart,” Jaejoong said. “You’ll think of something.”
Changmin fought the urge to roll his eyes.
After a dessert of strawberries and chocolate, Changmin led the way back to their rooms. Jaejoong walked level with him, their shoulders barely touching. Changmin did not hold out his arm to escort him, the way he would a visiting noble girl, even if he wanted to.
Halfway to his rooms, he remembered that his reading room was now a bedroom, so he stopped and turned down a different hallway and headed to the main library.
Jaejoong followed him.
“I usually read and study after dinner,” Changmin said. “You can do whatever you wish.”
“You would not get to read or study if you really mean that.”
Changmin fought the urge to look at him. He had a feeling he knew what Jaejoong alluded to, but that was madness for both of them. Changmin especially despite his particular sensibilities to the subject.
Changmin entered the library, acknowledged the servant who bowed at him, and then moved through the books to the shelf full of books on the Warlock Wars. He removed the main volume he had been reading the last few weeks. Re-reading. He took it to his favorite couch and sat down, slouched against the arm.
The Warlock Wars happened over five hundred years ago. It’d been a messy bloody war between the elves, who used magic for light, and the warlocks, who used magic for the dark. Their spells required blood sacrifices and animal body parts. Their spells were unnatural, calling on and binding others to them.
There was a rumor that a rogue elf turned on his people and taught humans how to do magic, but humans were only able to do magic with other forms help, not the way that elves naturally did magic.
These humans were different because of the mixing of the blood. They bred, spreading the tainted dark blood to their kin, creating a those with an affinity for magic. It was a family affair, with children apprenticing under their fathers or uncles. Women were used as sacrifices and for procreation.
Or so some claimed. Others claimed the warlocks were just stupid humans who wanted to oust the elves from power.
The history book Changmin was reading started after the beginning of the wars, after someone decided to call it a war. There were only a few teasing mentions of the beginning of the warlocks.
“Do you mind?” Jaejoong asked and sat on the couch next to him.
Changmin cleared his throat. He shifted to give Jaejoong room, but the elf shifted with him, almost on top of him and leaned against his body. Changmin swallowed and sighed.
“You can tell me to move,” Jaejoong said. “Order it, even.”
Instead, Changmin laid his arm over the back of the couch, fingers barely brushing where he knew the curse burned Jaejoong’s skin. He moved his legs enough to lay the book over his lap, and then used his other hand to turn the pages. Jaejoong smiled, a soft curve of his lips that Changmin saw, even though he was looking at the book. Not at Jaejoong’s face. Not at how close they were.
And then Changmin chuckled.
“What?” Jaejoong asked, turning the page on the children’s book about faeries.
“Very heavy reading. Such an academic.”
Jaejoong chuckled and shifted and settled more against Changmin’s body. “I like faeries.”
Changmin’s finger trailed along the edge of his gray sweater. He watched Jaejoong read, smile and turn the pages. His own studies were forgotten. He watched the dim light of dusk fade, replaced by the flickering glow of candles. Until Jaejoong finished the book. He closed it and then closed Changmin’s book, and Changmin did not bother to protest since he had not been reading it anyway.
Jaejoong pressed closer to him, curled up with his feet on the couch, head against Changmin’s chest. Changmin felt his heart’s rapid thumping and wondered if Jaejoong also felt it. His arms were shaking as he wrapped them around Jaejoong’s body, gripped hands at his shoulder.
Jaejoong hummed in appreciation and whispered, “It has been so very long since nothing hurt. Thank you, Changmin-ah.”
Changmin swallowed. He did not know what to say, so he said nothing, until Jaejoong yawned and stretched, body pressed tightly against him.
“Time for bed?” Changmin whispered.
Jaejoong smiled and said, “If we must.”
“Do you need ... I mean, I had a room prepared for you, but do you ... do we need to share?”
Jaejoong pushed away from him, hands on Changmin’s chest. His smile turned just a bit playful, the look in his eyes simmered along Changmin’s skin. “Need? No. I don’t need to share your bed, but I would--”
Changmin choked, cutting him off, and then pushed him away by his shoulders. Jaejoong fell against the other side of the couch and laughed. “Come on,” he said. “We’ve competed in every way possible but those done in a bed.”
“Shut your mouth,” Changmin hissed. “Humans do not ... we do not ...”
“Oh, I know. Which is why it is so much fun to tease you.”
Changmin stood up quickly and ignored the hand on his hip and walked away from the laughing elf. He hoped that Jaejoong had not seen or felt his erection because while the elves did not care much about what gender shared their bed, humans did. Changmin’s parents did. The heir to the kingdom had to marry, have a child, produce another heir.
Jaejoong followed him from the library. The hallways were lit by only a few torches. It was later than Changmin had expected. His room was prepared for his evening, and Minho was there to escort Jaejoong through Changmin’s sitting room and into the reading room that was now his bedroom. Changmin only glanced inside to make sure that it had been transformed according to his orders.
“We received word from the Elf King that he was sending your belongings to you as soon as they were packed.”
Jaejoong smiled. “Thank you, Minho. You’ve been very helpful, very efficient.”
“Comes with serving this oaf,” he said and jerked his thumb at Changmin.
Changmin ignored him, but shut his eyes as Jaejoong laughed. Had his laugh always been so pretty? So serene? Changmin remembered it being harsh and sarcastic.
“Do you need anything else?” Minho asked.
Changmin said no and dismissed him. As soon as he was gone, Changmin returned to the sitting room where Minho had set out a bottle of elvenberry wine and two glasses. He poured them both half a glass and then turned back toward the room that now belonged to Jaejoong. With the door open, Changmin saw very clearly the pale expanse of skin, the brown and green tattoos curling up around his back, hip and shoulders. The explosive colors of ink on the other side of his spine from shoulder blade to ass. He shut his eyes, and hoped he had not whimpered out loud. He breathed deep, controlling his body, like during an archery tournament.
Control. He had to ...
But it was so weird. He hated this elf not even two hours ago. He had always been beautiful, stunning, entrancing. But never ... tangible. Never ...
“Is one of those for me?” Jaejoong asked.
Changmin opened his eyes.
Jaejoong had thrown on one of Changmin’s robes, the burgundy fabric showing off how pale his skin was.
Changmin nodded and handed him a glass. Jaejoong took it with a grin, and one shoulder of the robe fell, showing a trail of green vines tattooed on his shoulder.
Jaejoong downed half the wine at once and Changmin followed suit.
“A sweet vintage,” Jaejoong said. “From half a century ago or so. Well chosen.”
Changmin nodded. “It is my favorite.”
“I prefer your human whiskeys.”
“I will be sure to mention that to Minho.”
Jaejoong took a few more sips and then downed the rest of it. “Thank you,” he said, and then moved forward and hugged Changmin tightly. “You did not have to do this for me. I did not expect you to do this for me. I am forever in your debt.”
Changmin cleared his throat and managed to put the wine glass down without disrupting Jaejoong’s arms around his body. He returned the hug and smiled as Jaejoong sighed.
“It’s more for me than for you,” Changmin said. “I’d hate for you to use this as an excuse as to why I beat you in the next archery tournament.”
Jaejoong laughed, the noise muffled in Changmin’s shoulder.
Part 3: The Binding Shots
Part 1: The Binding Curse
.
Pairing: Changmin/Jaejoong
Rating: NC-17
Disclaimer: Only in my mind can they be bound together with magic spells.
Summary: Jaejoong is Changmin's biggest rival. When the elf reveals that Changmin is his only option to curb the pain from an ancient curse, Changmin must decide what to do. And he must decide if his sudden feelings for Jaejoong are real, or a result of magic he does not understand.
Part 2: The Binding Touch
In case you need a visual:
Prince Changmin
Prince Jaejoong
The discussion with his mother took longer than he had hoped and Changmin flew back to his rooms, discarding his practice clothes almost before he was actually inside his rooms. He hurried to his bathing room. He did not have time to do more than a quick wash of his body. His maids attempted to help him but he was in too much of a hurry and he ignored them.
They had laid out an outfit for him in his dressing room, and he ignored it, going to his closet. He pulled on a comfortable pair of black breeches and a gray tunic, never ones that he would wear to dinner with a visiting prince, especially not a visiting elven prince. Jaejoong and Changmin had constantly and consciously tried to out-dress each other in the past, so his maids had done correctly, but today was different. His hair was still a mess about his head, but there was nothing that could be done about it. He pulled on a pair of brown boots and hurried from the room, again almost flying down the hallways.
A servant bowed at the door of his dining room and opened it. Another servant just inside also bowed, his arm out for a dining cloak that Changmin had not worn.
Jaejoong turned from his perusal of the paintings on the walls and smiled. His clothes were the same and his smile widened after he looked Changmin up and down.
“Early,” Changmin said and moved to the head of the table.
Jaejoong smirked. “Barely on time.”
Changmin sat at his spot at the head of the table and then motioned to Jaejoong to take the spot next to him. Jaejoong did so gracefully. As soon as he sat, the door opened and servants appeared with the first course. At least the food was worthy of a visiting prince. Their wine glasses were filled, and a musician with a violin came in.
“Question,” Changmin said after a few bites.
Jaejoong hummed around a bit of his salad.
“Does this relieve it, or must I--” He did not want to say too much with so many ears about, so to demonstrate, he stretched a leg and hooked his ankle around Jaejoong’s.
Jaejoong smiled and took a deep drink of wine. “Yes, to both. Being in the same room is enough, but I will not say no to that.”
Changmin felt his face flush, but he did not move his foot. “Your family will not mind if you stay for a while?”
“No. It was my father that demanded I tell you today. He practically threw me out and onto a horse.”
Changmin snorted. “Stubborn as always.”
Jaejoong smiled, but did not reply with his words. His foot though slid up Changmin’s calf muscle.
“Can you tell me about the Wars?”
“Not in public,” Jaejoong said immediately. Which was not a refusal. Changmin would ask again. The Wars were documented in history books, but history books were written by the victors. And yes, the elves won, but barely. Changmin needed details.
“Tell me about your shooting today.”
Changmin scowled at his potatoes. “I was off the mark. That’s it.”
“A bad day, then?”
“You can call it that. I actually missed the target once completely because I was so distracted.”
“The wind?”
“I can shoot in the wind,” he said hotly.
“I know. You’ve beaten me that way before. You are very good.” His foot went farther up his leg, almost behind his knee.
Changmin cleared his throat. “I’ve beaten you from pure skill as well.”
“As have I.”
The second course was brought out. Changmin ate it in silence, and Jaejoong emulated him. His foot stayed close, rubbing up and down his leg.
“I love eating here,” Jaejoong said suddenly, holding up a bite of meat. “The fruit and plants of the forest get incredibly boring. There are only so many ways to prepare a legume before you have done them all. Have you learned to cook?”
“Whatever would I need to cook for?”
Jaejoong shrugged. “Consider it a challenge.”
“With you as my competition?”
“No, with me as your teacher. I already know how to cook.”
Changmin frowned, a refusal on his lips, but was that rude? Probably. Jaejoong was a slave to the Binding Curse on his neck. Changmin had to be nice and placate him some how.
“I am sure there is something that you do well that you can teach me.”
“I doubt that.”
“You’re smart,” Jaejoong said. “You’ll think of something.”
Changmin fought the urge to roll his eyes.
After a dessert of strawberries and chocolate, Changmin led the way back to their rooms. Jaejoong walked level with him, their shoulders barely touching. Changmin did not hold out his arm to escort him, the way he would a visiting noble girl, even if he wanted to.
Halfway to his rooms, he remembered that his reading room was now a bedroom, so he stopped and turned down a different hallway and headed to the main library.
Jaejoong followed him.
“I usually read and study after dinner,” Changmin said. “You can do whatever you wish.”
“You would not get to read or study if you really mean that.”
Changmin fought the urge to look at him. He had a feeling he knew what Jaejoong alluded to, but that was madness for both of them. Changmin especially despite his particular sensibilities to the subject.
Changmin entered the library, acknowledged the servant who bowed at him, and then moved through the books to the shelf full of books on the Warlock Wars. He removed the main volume he had been reading the last few weeks. Re-reading. He took it to his favorite couch and sat down, slouched against the arm.
The Warlock Wars happened over five hundred years ago. It’d been a messy bloody war between the elves, who used magic for light, and the warlocks, who used magic for the dark. Their spells required blood sacrifices and animal body parts. Their spells were unnatural, calling on and binding others to them.
There was a rumor that a rogue elf turned on his people and taught humans how to do magic, but humans were only able to do magic with other forms help, not the way that elves naturally did magic.
These humans were different because of the mixing of the blood. They bred, spreading the tainted dark blood to their kin, creating a those with an affinity for magic. It was a family affair, with children apprenticing under their fathers or uncles. Women were used as sacrifices and for procreation.
Or so some claimed. Others claimed the warlocks were just stupid humans who wanted to oust the elves from power.
The history book Changmin was reading started after the beginning of the wars, after someone decided to call it a war. There were only a few teasing mentions of the beginning of the warlocks.
“Do you mind?” Jaejoong asked and sat on the couch next to him.
Changmin cleared his throat. He shifted to give Jaejoong room, but the elf shifted with him, almost on top of him and leaned against his body. Changmin swallowed and sighed.
“You can tell me to move,” Jaejoong said. “Order it, even.”
Instead, Changmin laid his arm over the back of the couch, fingers barely brushing where he knew the curse burned Jaejoong’s skin. He moved his legs enough to lay the book over his lap, and then used his other hand to turn the pages. Jaejoong smiled, a soft curve of his lips that Changmin saw, even though he was looking at the book. Not at Jaejoong’s face. Not at how close they were.
And then Changmin chuckled.
“What?” Jaejoong asked, turning the page on the children’s book about faeries.
“Very heavy reading. Such an academic.”
Jaejoong chuckled and shifted and settled more against Changmin’s body. “I like faeries.”
Changmin’s finger trailed along the edge of his gray sweater. He watched Jaejoong read, smile and turn the pages. His own studies were forgotten. He watched the dim light of dusk fade, replaced by the flickering glow of candles. Until Jaejoong finished the book. He closed it and then closed Changmin’s book, and Changmin did not bother to protest since he had not been reading it anyway.
Jaejoong pressed closer to him, curled up with his feet on the couch, head against Changmin’s chest. Changmin felt his heart’s rapid thumping and wondered if Jaejoong also felt it. His arms were shaking as he wrapped them around Jaejoong’s body, gripped hands at his shoulder.
Jaejoong hummed in appreciation and whispered, “It has been so very long since nothing hurt. Thank you, Changmin-ah.”
Changmin swallowed. He did not know what to say, so he said nothing, until Jaejoong yawned and stretched, body pressed tightly against him.
“Time for bed?” Changmin whispered.
Jaejoong smiled and said, “If we must.”
“Do you need ... I mean, I had a room prepared for you, but do you ... do we need to share?”
Jaejoong pushed away from him, hands on Changmin’s chest. His smile turned just a bit playful, the look in his eyes simmered along Changmin’s skin. “Need? No. I don’t need to share your bed, but I would--”
Changmin choked, cutting him off, and then pushed him away by his shoulders. Jaejoong fell against the other side of the couch and laughed. “Come on,” he said. “We’ve competed in every way possible but those done in a bed.”
“Shut your mouth,” Changmin hissed. “Humans do not ... we do not ...”
“Oh, I know. Which is why it is so much fun to tease you.”
Changmin stood up quickly and ignored the hand on his hip and walked away from the laughing elf. He hoped that Jaejoong had not seen or felt his erection because while the elves did not care much about what gender shared their bed, humans did. Changmin’s parents did. The heir to the kingdom had to marry, have a child, produce another heir.
Jaejoong followed him from the library. The hallways were lit by only a few torches. It was later than Changmin had expected. His room was prepared for his evening, and Minho was there to escort Jaejoong through Changmin’s sitting room and into the reading room that was now his bedroom. Changmin only glanced inside to make sure that it had been transformed according to his orders.
“We received word from the Elf King that he was sending your belongings to you as soon as they were packed.”
Jaejoong smiled. “Thank you, Minho. You’ve been very helpful, very efficient.”
“Comes with serving this oaf,” he said and jerked his thumb at Changmin.
Changmin ignored him, but shut his eyes as Jaejoong laughed. Had his laugh always been so pretty? So serene? Changmin remembered it being harsh and sarcastic.
“Do you need anything else?” Minho asked.
Changmin said no and dismissed him. As soon as he was gone, Changmin returned to the sitting room where Minho had set out a bottle of elvenberry wine and two glasses. He poured them both half a glass and then turned back toward the room that now belonged to Jaejoong. With the door open, Changmin saw very clearly the pale expanse of skin, the brown and green tattoos curling up around his back, hip and shoulders. The explosive colors of ink on the other side of his spine from shoulder blade to ass. He shut his eyes, and hoped he had not whimpered out loud. He breathed deep, controlling his body, like during an archery tournament.
Control. He had to ...
But it was so weird. He hated this elf not even two hours ago. He had always been beautiful, stunning, entrancing. But never ... tangible. Never ...
“Is one of those for me?” Jaejoong asked.
Changmin opened his eyes.
Jaejoong had thrown on one of Changmin’s robes, the burgundy fabric showing off how pale his skin was.
Changmin nodded and handed him a glass. Jaejoong took it with a grin, and one shoulder of the robe fell, showing a trail of green vines tattooed on his shoulder.
Jaejoong downed half the wine at once and Changmin followed suit.
“A sweet vintage,” Jaejoong said. “From half a century ago or so. Well chosen.”
Changmin nodded. “It is my favorite.”
“I prefer your human whiskeys.”
“I will be sure to mention that to Minho.”
Jaejoong took a few more sips and then downed the rest of it. “Thank you,” he said, and then moved forward and hugged Changmin tightly. “You did not have to do this for me. I did not expect you to do this for me. I am forever in your debt.”
Changmin cleared his throat and managed to put the wine glass down without disrupting Jaejoong’s arms around his body. He returned the hug and smiled as Jaejoong sighed.
“It’s more for me than for you,” Changmin said. “I’d hate for you to use this as an excuse as to why I beat you in the next archery tournament.”
Jaejoong laughed, the noise muffled in Changmin’s shoulder.
Part 3: The Binding Shots
Part 1: The Binding Curse
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