Love is a Roller Coaster [Oneshot]
Title: Love is a Roller Coaster
Author: k_chan91
Disclaimer: I own no hot Asian men T.T
Pairing: Jaejoong/mystery~
Genre: romance, fluff
Rating: PG
Summary: Jaejoong is secretly in love with one of his best friends. But which one is it?
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Love is a Roller Coaster
Junsu and Yunho liked the thrill. Changmin liked the food. Yoochun liked the people.
Jaejoong was stupidly afraid of heights, speeds anywhere above that of a school zone and gravity in general, the food made him nauseous and the people were usually sweaty and loud.
But he liked his four friends, so he went to the amusement park anyway. One of those friends he care for a lot in particular...
"It's not as fast as your mind thinks it is." Junsu wasn't even looking at him. His eyes were glittering, watching the coaster plunge through neck-breaking drops, curve into gravity-defying loops and soar through the sky. Yunho was just ahead of them, chatting with the group of people in front of them about the impending ride.
One car rumbled what Jaejoong thought was illegally close to the roof of the covered queue line they were standing in. Maybe watching Changmin work through his third chilly dog wouldn't be quite as repulsive as he'd thought.
"Where are you going?!" Junsu caught Jaejoong by his wrist just before he was able to slip out of line and head for cover with Yoochun. Yoochun didn't like steel coasters. But neither did Jaejoong, so why did he still have to go?
"I just think Yoochun will be lonely," is Jaejoong's weak excuse.
Junsu rolled his eyes. "He's got Changmin."
"And Changmin's got his chilly dog. Which leaves Yoochun all by his lonesome. I'll go check on him."
Junsu still had his wrist. "But what about me?"
Jaejoong gestured in front of them. "You've got Yunho. Bye~"
Junsu tugged, voice gone softer. "But he's not you."
And Jaejoong watched those eyes and felt the warmth of his hand on his wrist and dammit he was outmatched from the start. He looked away, clearly unhappy but he wasn't moving and that seemed to satisfy Junsu enough.
In fact, he smiled. Damn that smile.
"Still mad at me?" Junsu asked.
Jaejoong watched a group of excited people their age climb into a car and make that maddening crawl to the top. "You will never be forgiven."
"I can make it up to you."
"Even if you rubbed your magical ass cheeks and made a wish, forgiveness would still be futile."
Junsu just laughed. Jaejoong told himself that sound alone would make it all better.
When they got to the front of the line, Changmin was probably irritating Yoochun, Yoochun was probably tuning him out, Yunho was shaking with anticipation and Jaejoong was just shaking.
Junsu slid an arm around his waist. Held him close.
Jaejoong looked at him and Junsu smiled. But Jaejoong still had butterflies.
And so they rode the roller coaster, went up and down and sideways and directions Jaejoong didn't know existed. By the end, he was pale and numb and dizzy and could barely grasp the fact that he was still alive.
But when the harnesses came off, it was Junsu's hand in his. And Jaejoong had to admit, it wasn't all that bad after all.
:::::
"Smile!"
As usual, Yoochun's camera clicked well before anyone was ready and Junsu was probably the only one in the shot who didn't look horrible. He was grotesquely photogenic.
Yoochun peered into the screen of his camera with the youngest leaning over his shoulder for a look and swallowed a chuckle. "So, how was it?"
Jaejoong stumbled onto a bench, hair on end and glared. "How do you think?"
"He took it better than I thought." Junsu said with satisfaction and sat much too close to Jaejoong on the bench, laughing in his ear in that stupid way he does.
"Yeah, his screaming was totally drowned out by all the other little girls screaming." Yunho laughed.
"Aw, hyung, you want an ice cream?" Changmin held out his own melted cone. "We can get yours with big boy sprinkles."
Yoochun shook his head. "Nah. I don't think he could handle sprinkles. Way too hardcore."
"I will kill all of you." Jaejoong glowered witheringly.
By the time, they had all stopped laughing at Jaejoong's expense, Changmin had finished his ice cream at record speed and had spotted another ride. This one faster and taller and more perilous-looking than the last. And then he and Junsu smirked at Jaejoong.
Changmin snickered. "Hyuuuuung-"
"Aren't you hungry, Jae?" Yunho cut in. He swiped a hand over Jaejoong's head, somewhat taming the mess the last ride had created of his hair. "I'm starving."
Changmin eyed him oddly. "Then get your own damn-"
"W-What? Yeah. I'm just...so hungry." Jaejoong sputtered, getting up to stand beside Yunho so quickly, Junsu almost fell over.
"But you hate amusement park food." Changmin said suspiciously.
"But I was just telling Jaejoong about this cool salad place I found." Yunho nudged Jaejoong. "Right, Jae?"
"Yep." Jaejoong's voice shot unnaturally high.
Everyone knew that meant he was lying.
And so before anyone could call him out on it, Yunho grabbed his hand and pulled him away, leaving the malicious gaze of Changmin and Junsu to land on an unsuspecting Yoochun whom they dragged off to the next peril.
Once they were a safe distance, Jaejoong peered up at Yunho. "What was that for? You weren't saying anything when Junsu forced me on that first ride."
Yunho shrugged, smiling. "One is enough for the day."
And Jaejoong had to smile, too. "So, where's this salad you were talking about. I could actually use a bite."
"Nowhere. I lied."
Jaejoong stared at him. "Then where do you supposed I eat?" He asked flatly.
Yunho gestured around them. "There's plenty of food stalls around here!"
"You know I don't eat cancer!"
"You could at least drink something!"
"I don't drink soda!"
"You're not human!"
"You're not human!"
With more playful bickering and Yunho mussing up Jaejoong's hair again, they ended up in front of a food stall, Yunho reaching through the window for the soda he had just ordered.
Jaejoong glared. "I'm thirsty."
"Shoulda ordered something." Yunho sipped pointedly.
"You said you would order something I could consume!"
"And I tried to get you water but you said the park tap water was infused with organisms and insect larvae and the plastic from bottled water steals children's souls. Which is probably only partially true." Yunho grinned and sipped generously.
Jaejoong watched his lips, wet, tugging at the straw. He looked away, saying nothing, watching little kids fight over cotton candy.
He turned back to find a styrofoam cup shoved in his face.
"One time offer." Yunho smiled goofily, as he held his drink in front of Jaejoong's face. "Or not. All depends on you."
Jaejoong ignored it, choosing to pout instead. "That stuff will kill you. And Changmin. Mostly Changmin."
"Yeah, but not immediately. Come on, we're young!"
Jaejoong sniffed indignantly. "I told you that stuff kills!"
Yunho leaned in, lips just barely grazing the shell of his ear. His was voice low but his breath was soft. "Then we'll die together."
Jaejoong was quiet for a moment. His mother had always taught him the path to a healthy life was a healthy mind, healthy heart and healthy stomach.
But Yunho's idea didn't seem all bad.
Yunho ended up finding a sandwich shop where they snacked on deli sandwiches til the others found them again. But the taste of food coloring and carbonated artificial cherries remained at the tip of Jaejoong's tongue.
Sinfully sweet. Jaejoong kinda liked that.
:::::
"Smile!"
Yoochun took a picture of the remnants of Jaejoong's sandwich for no reason at all. Why he asked it to smile was beyond anyone.
"I take it you guys had fun." Jaejoong grumbled, finally letting go of Yunho's hand.
"Rode it twice!" Junsu squealed.
"Yoochun's got way more balls than you." Changmin taunted, seating himself on the table top.
"He knows that. He's seen me naked." Yoochun growled, eyebrows wiggling disgustingly.
"Mental image." Yunho smacked a hand to his eyes. "Can't...unsee...."
"That's an image, we'll all have to cope with." Junsu said solemnly patting Yunho's shoulder. Then he glared in Yoochun's direction. "Thanks for that pool party."
"I said we would celebrate my birthday with a pool party. I didn't say we had to wear swim trunks." Yoochun grinned cheekily, snapping a picture of Junsu's green face, then turned the lens to Jaejoong. "Hyung liked it, right~?"
Jaejoong turned from the lens just as it snapped. It would probably be blurry.
Changmin poked Junsu in the ribcage, mirthful eyes watching Jaejoong. "What should we do to him next?"
"I dunno. I'm getting kinda hungry." Junsu eyed the rest of Yunho's sandwich, after which Yunho promptly stuffed the rest of it in his mouth, challenging him with his eyes before choking by himself.
"Me too." Yoochun said distractedly, shooting a picture of a couple walking by swinging a squealing child between them.
"Then whaddaya say, Yunho? Plot against Jaejoong with me?"
Yunho laughed. "I'm still digesting. Maybe later."
Not at all discouraged, Changmin's eyes settled on Jaejoong. Jaejoong shifted uncomfortably in his seat.
"Are you still digesting, too, Jae?"
Jaejoong gulped. "Um, yes?"
Changmin grinned. "Even better."
The image of the youngest laughing at him while he barfed in a trash can was enough to make him queasy already. Or Changmin would rub his back reassuringly the whole time. He was unnaturally kind at the weirdest times.
Jaejoong stood up, attempting to challenge Changmin nose to nose. But he just ended up barely grazing his chest. "I have a better idea."
Changmin leaned in closer to his face, grinning crookedly. "Try me."
Jaejoong pointed behind him and all four of them looked.
Yunho snorted. "Good luck, Min."
Junsu shook his head. "Should've laid off him a bit, Changmin. Sorry."
Yoochun just took a picture of him.
Getting Changmin to go inside the haunted house wasn't hard. Even though everyone knew Changmin had such a low tolerance for scary movies, just the trailers were enough to give him nightmares.
This was coupled with the fact that despite Jaejoong's intense abhorrence for thrill rides, he had a sick taste for thriller movies, complete with blood and ghosts and horror galore.
But Changmin had sure mastered the art of putting on a tough facade. Jaejoong supposed he was used to it, being the youngest of the group. But he had managed to learn how to become the teaser rather than the teasee early on. Thus, the butt of the group's jokes were normally shifted to the weaker of the friends. Namely, Jaejoong and Junsu. Jaejoong didn't mind much.
So when a haunting projection of a ghost flitted across the walls and faded away ominously, Jaejoong felt a little throb when he watched Changmin's Adam's apple bob nervously in his throat.
"It's not real, you know." Jaejoong commented offhandedly as the hallway suddenly went pitch black and all kinds of creepy sound effects echoed through the walls.
"I know." Changmin said simply. The darkness hid his face from view. Jaejoong was sure he was grateful.
"It's nothing like your kimchi surprise." Jaejoong laughed lightly. If changing the subject helped him get through it, then so be it. When it came to Changmin, Jaejoong was always stricken with an overwhelming need to protect him. It never failed. "That's scary." Jaejoong stopped walking when he realized he could no longer sense Changmin beside him.
"Changmin?"
"Jae?" His voice sounded on edge. A bit shaky. Jaejoong was definitely beginning to regret bringing him in. "Where are you?"
"I'm right here, Min. Just walk forward."
A pause. "So, you're not right behind me?"
So suddenly, it almost terrified even Jaejoong, the bright white lights flickered wildly from the walls and the floor and the ceiling as the sound of deranged laughter echoed through the room. Through the disorienting lights, Jaejoong could see a darkened figure just behind Changmin's shoulder breathing in his ear. No doubt just a worker dressed up as the grim reaper. But Changmin probably didn't appreciate this at all.
Searching through flickering lights, Jaejoong found Changmin's arm and pulled him away from the "grim reaper" toward the end of the hallway where the lights were dimly lit but less torturous.
Jaejoong laughed to lighten the mood. "Looks like they had a pretty big budget for this place."
"They should spend more money on education. Dumbasses." Changmin grumbled stiffly.
"I love that out of amusement parks and food and torturing me, education still trumps all for you." When Jaejoong looked up at him, face hard, staving off any emotion he didn't want there, strong even when he didn't exactly feel the same, Jaejoong knew he loved that, too.
Then Changmin cracked the slightest smile at him, cheeky as ever. "No, you'll always be number one in my book."
Jaejoong dissolved into laughter, inexplicably thrilled to be the target of Changmin's ill will.
It started as a love tap. Which Changmin returned with a slight shove. Then Jaejoong came back with a punch. And Changmin reciprocated tenfold.
By the time they had neared the end of the haunted house, both were bruised and laughing and barely took notice of the vampires popping out of coffins and bats and the pack of realistic-looking rats that Changmin still said were totally alive and couldn't possibly be part of the show.
By the time they had gotten tired of abusing each other, Changmin was much less tense with Jaejoong's hand in his.
They could see a light at the end of the last hallway, signaling the end of their journey. Changmin's footsteps slowed. "Jaejoong?"
"Hmm?"
"You owe me. For this."
Jaejoong looked up at him. His face was unreadable. He gave his hand a tiny squeeze. "What do you want?"
He'd give him anything.
Changmin stopped walking and looked at him. His face neared Jaejoong's and the eldest swallowed.
Changmin kissed him on the cheek.
"Cheeseburger. No onions."
Changmin pulled away with the stupidest grin and dragged Jaejoong toward the exit, dumbfounded, flushed.
And as always with Changmin, Jaejoong got this feeling, the weirdest combination of emotions. The urge to hold on and hold on tight. Or kill him.
Only Changmin.
:::::
Jaejoong looked down at the world over the railing and soon regretted it. "Where is everyone?"
Yoochun snapped a picture of the sun setting over the horizon. "We don't know. That's why we're up here."
Jaejoong looked at him pointedly. "No, we're here so you can get more shots."
Yoochun blinded him with another shot. He'd been testing out pictures with and without the flash, so Jaejoong could never quite be prepared whenever he shoved that stupid thing in his face. Yoochun smiled. "You're pretty when you're mad."
Jaejoong looked away. Yoochun was always saying stuff like that. Mostly to get out of trouble. Mostly to Jaejoong. Mostly to get out of trouble with Jaejoong.
"I miss my Minnie." Jaejoong pouted as the ferris wheel took another climb toward the top. He could still feel Changmin's arms around him as he'd hugged Jaejoong hard enough to choke him (Jaejoong would get back at him by the end of the night) before he'd disappeared.
"He shouldn't have wandered off with Yunho and gotten lost." Yoochun commented, distractedly looking over the pictures he'd taken throughout the day.
Annoyed pictures of Jaejoong trying to avoid the lens. Candid pictures of Changmin laughing at his own jokes. Awkward pictures of Yunho in the middle of a sentence. Stupid self portraits of Yoochun looking a weird cross between goofy as hell and sexy. Gorgeous pictures of Junsu. Damn, the camera loved Junsu so much, it wanted to have sex with and marry him in that order.
"God knows those two have zero sense of direction." Yoochun tutted his tongue. "Why couldn't you be the one to go out into the unknown and find them yourself? Be brave, man!"
"Who's the one who sent Junsu to look for them first?" Jaejoong shoved him playfully. "He's about as hopeless as the other two."
Yoochun looked up. He nodded forebodingly. "They're doomed."
They shared a collective sigh.
Jaejoong scooted closer to Yoochun til their thighs touched. "Can I see?"
"You sure forgot about your long lost friends real fast." Yoochun joked but turned his camera so Jaejoong could see anyway.
"Why are there so many pictures of me?" Jaejoong asked, ignoring the way Yoochun's hair brushed against his cheek, ignoring the shivers it gave him.
"You're pretty." Yoochun said point blank. "I told you that."
"I'm blurry in this one." Jaejoong pointed at the screen. He was dead center, ducking in an attempt to avoid the camera once again. Changmin was munching on a cheeseburger in the background while Yunho pointed something out to him off camera. He could see the top of Yoochun's hair at the very bottom where he had tried to include himself in the picture. Junsu's back was to the camera at the top corner of the picture. "Junsu's perfect as always. And he's not even looking."
"Perfect is easy. Ordinary is more fun." Yoochun smiled softly as he gazed at his work.
They flipped through pictures for most of the ride. There were pictures of random objects. A balloon, a few rides, an unfinished giant rainbow lollipop abandoned on a table which the others had convinced Changmin not to eat.
Then there were pictures of them. Group shots, couple shots or stalker pictures of all of them individually. All unposed, just the way Yoochun liked it.
And then there were pictures of space. Jaejoong couldn't quite describe it. Some with people, some of just the skyline or something else. It was like Yoochun hadn't shot the picture with any purpose at all. Yet, he had somehow captured life itself.
By the time they had reached the last of the pictures, Jaejoong had taken a glimpse into Yoochun's soul and his head had somehow ended up on Yoochun's shoulder.
"How do you see beauty in everything?" Jaejoong asked quietly, silently wishing this ride would keep turning and turning.
Yoochun laid a hand on Jaejoong's thigh, smiling to himself. "Everything is beautiful."
He probably didn't realize it but Yoochun knew exactly how to take Jaejoong's breath away.
"Yoochun?"
"Hmm?"
"Take a picture of me?"
Yoochun smirked at him. "You've been avoiding me all day."
Jaejoong shifted a little in his seat. "I wanna see me through your eyes."
"Well, I could-Look! Is that the guys?" Yoochun pointed toward the ground several hundred meters below at nothing in particular and Jaejoong fell for it. Just as he looked, he heard the camera snap, no flash.
"I wanted you to take a good picture of me." Jaejoong complained.
Yoochun grinned from behind his camera. "This is a good one of you."
"It's gonna be all dark and weird." Jaejoong reached for the camera but Yoochun held it out of reach.
"Don't you trust me?"
"No."
While Yoochun tsk, tsk-ed him disapprovingly, he let Jaejoong see the picture. Their faces were lit with the minimal glow of the sunset, Jaejoong looking far off, wind blowing his hair wherever it wanted. Yoochun had his eyes squeezed shut, lips puckered ridiculously, making kissy faces behind Jaejoong's head.
Jaejoong grimaced, then smiled anyway. High off the ground but he still looked fearless. Yoochun and his stupidity probably helped. He'd have to frame that picture. "You're a mess."
Yoochun smiled back, something warm and brief glinting in his eye. "You're a catastrophe." He wrapped an arm around Jaejoong's shoulders. "But you're beautiful."
They rode the ferris wheel a couple more times, Yoochun's voice rumbling in his ear, trusting the others to show up some time or another. They did eventually, miraculously.
But no one knew better than Yoochun how Jaejoong liked to go slow and steady, shivering at the top, heart bursting on the way down.
:::::
Now Jaejoong was lost.
The fireworks were starting in a few minutes-maybe seconds-and the others had disappeared.
Or rather, one of his friends had gathered two of the others, winked oddly at Jaejoong and wandered off into the crowd. There was still one other friend left to be accounted for.
And now he was left alone amongst a crowd of strangers with no idea where his friends had gone.
The sky brightened with a brief, flash, then darkened again. Shortly after, the sky burst open with sparkling blue as the crowd applauded. By the time the first few minutes of the fireworks show had passed, Jaejoong had given up and planted himself on top of a table to watch, hands rubbing his chilled arms. He'd be damned if he missed this because his friends were idiots.
Not long after, he felt a light tap on his shoulder. And his heart dropped. Like always.
He smiled. "Cold?"
Jaejoong shook his head like it was nothing. "I'm fine." He was freezing. The temperature had plummeted once the sun had gone down.
He sat beside him on the table, thighs touching. "You're a horrible liar."
"What are you gonna do about it?" Jaejoong grumbled. He was still missing the show. He couldn't focus with his eyes watching. And that damn smile.
He leaned in closer, closer til Jaejoong could feel his breath on his ear, low and promising. "Whatever you want me to do."
And Jaejoong shivered for an all new reason.
"You wouldn't do it." Jaejoong realized he was staring at the ground. Flashes of white and green lit the concrete as the sky rumbled.
"I'll give you anything. Promise. I owe you."
"For what?"
He shrugged, looking at the sky vaguely like he saw something beautiful there beyond the flashing colors that no one else could see, then turned back to Jaejoong with a smile.
And Jaejoong stared at him, this man's face flashing cherry red, promising him everything with that gorgeous, goofy smile, torturing him as always with his closeness but never close enough.
Be brave.
"Kiss me."
The words are barely out of his mouth before his wish is granted.
Their lips connected, soft and warm til Jaejoong forgot he was ever cold in the first place but he was certainly dizzier than that first roller coaster. And god, he loved it, he loved it.
Because he tasted just as sinfully sweet as he'd imagined.
"Better now?" Yunho looked just about as winded as Jaejoong. But he couldn't stop grinning.
Jaejoong had just enough brain power to nod awkwardly before he dove in for another one, forgetting about the fireworks, the clapping audience, his friends' odd disappearance and damn near everything else.
Dizzy, breathless, nauseous and high.
This was a ride Jaejoong hoped would launch him off the end of the earth, plummeting relentlessly, stomach dropping and taking his heart with it.
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Of course! 8D
Comments are appreciated~
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Author: k_chan91
Disclaimer: I own no hot Asian men T.T
Pairing: Jaejoong/mystery~
Genre: romance, fluff
Rating: PG
Summary: Jaejoong is secretly in love with one of his best friends. But which one is it?
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Love is a Roller Coaster
Junsu and Yunho liked the thrill. Changmin liked the food. Yoochun liked the people.
Jaejoong was stupidly afraid of heights, speeds anywhere above that of a school zone and gravity in general, the food made him nauseous and the people were usually sweaty and loud.
But he liked his four friends, so he went to the amusement park anyway. One of those friends he care for a lot in particular...
"It's not as fast as your mind thinks it is." Junsu wasn't even looking at him. His eyes were glittering, watching the coaster plunge through neck-breaking drops, curve into gravity-defying loops and soar through the sky. Yunho was just ahead of them, chatting with the group of people in front of them about the impending ride.
One car rumbled what Jaejoong thought was illegally close to the roof of the covered queue line they were standing in. Maybe watching Changmin work through his third chilly dog wouldn't be quite as repulsive as he'd thought.
"Where are you going?!" Junsu caught Jaejoong by his wrist just before he was able to slip out of line and head for cover with Yoochun. Yoochun didn't like steel coasters. But neither did Jaejoong, so why did he still have to go?
"I just think Yoochun will be lonely," is Jaejoong's weak excuse.
Junsu rolled his eyes. "He's got Changmin."
"And Changmin's got his chilly dog. Which leaves Yoochun all by his lonesome. I'll go check on him."
Junsu still had his wrist. "But what about me?"
Jaejoong gestured in front of them. "You've got Yunho. Bye~"
Junsu tugged, voice gone softer. "But he's not you."
And Jaejoong watched those eyes and felt the warmth of his hand on his wrist and dammit he was outmatched from the start. He looked away, clearly unhappy but he wasn't moving and that seemed to satisfy Junsu enough.
In fact, he smiled. Damn that smile.
"Still mad at me?" Junsu asked.
Jaejoong watched a group of excited people their age climb into a car and make that maddening crawl to the top. "You will never be forgiven."
"I can make it up to you."
"Even if you rubbed your magical ass cheeks and made a wish, forgiveness would still be futile."
Junsu just laughed. Jaejoong told himself that sound alone would make it all better.
When they got to the front of the line, Changmin was probably irritating Yoochun, Yoochun was probably tuning him out, Yunho was shaking with anticipation and Jaejoong was just shaking.
Junsu slid an arm around his waist. Held him close.
Jaejoong looked at him and Junsu smiled. But Jaejoong still had butterflies.
And so they rode the roller coaster, went up and down and sideways and directions Jaejoong didn't know existed. By the end, he was pale and numb and dizzy and could barely grasp the fact that he was still alive.
But when the harnesses came off, it was Junsu's hand in his. And Jaejoong had to admit, it wasn't all that bad after all.
:::::
"Smile!"
As usual, Yoochun's camera clicked well before anyone was ready and Junsu was probably the only one in the shot who didn't look horrible. He was grotesquely photogenic.
Yoochun peered into the screen of his camera with the youngest leaning over his shoulder for a look and swallowed a chuckle. "So, how was it?"
Jaejoong stumbled onto a bench, hair on end and glared. "How do you think?"
"He took it better than I thought." Junsu said with satisfaction and sat much too close to Jaejoong on the bench, laughing in his ear in that stupid way he does.
"Yeah, his screaming was totally drowned out by all the other little girls screaming." Yunho laughed.
"Aw, hyung, you want an ice cream?" Changmin held out his own melted cone. "We can get yours with big boy sprinkles."
Yoochun shook his head. "Nah. I don't think he could handle sprinkles. Way too hardcore."
"I will kill all of you." Jaejoong glowered witheringly.
By the time, they had all stopped laughing at Jaejoong's expense, Changmin had finished his ice cream at record speed and had spotted another ride. This one faster and taller and more perilous-looking than the last. And then he and Junsu smirked at Jaejoong.
Changmin snickered. "Hyuuuuung-"
"Aren't you hungry, Jae?" Yunho cut in. He swiped a hand over Jaejoong's head, somewhat taming the mess the last ride had created of his hair. "I'm starving."
Changmin eyed him oddly. "Then get your own damn-"
"W-What? Yeah. I'm just...so hungry." Jaejoong sputtered, getting up to stand beside Yunho so quickly, Junsu almost fell over.
"But you hate amusement park food." Changmin said suspiciously.
"But I was just telling Jaejoong about this cool salad place I found." Yunho nudged Jaejoong. "Right, Jae?"
"Yep." Jaejoong's voice shot unnaturally high.
Everyone knew that meant he was lying.
And so before anyone could call him out on it, Yunho grabbed his hand and pulled him away, leaving the malicious gaze of Changmin and Junsu to land on an unsuspecting Yoochun whom they dragged off to the next peril.
Once they were a safe distance, Jaejoong peered up at Yunho. "What was that for? You weren't saying anything when Junsu forced me on that first ride."
Yunho shrugged, smiling. "One is enough for the day."
And Jaejoong had to smile, too. "So, where's this salad you were talking about. I could actually use a bite."
"Nowhere. I lied."
Jaejoong stared at him. "Then where do you supposed I eat?" He asked flatly.
Yunho gestured around them. "There's plenty of food stalls around here!"
"You know I don't eat cancer!"
"You could at least drink something!"
"I don't drink soda!"
"You're not human!"
"You're not human!"
With more playful bickering and Yunho mussing up Jaejoong's hair again, they ended up in front of a food stall, Yunho reaching through the window for the soda he had just ordered.
Jaejoong glared. "I'm thirsty."
"Shoulda ordered something." Yunho sipped pointedly.
"You said you would order something I could consume!"
"And I tried to get you water but you said the park tap water was infused with organisms and insect larvae and the plastic from bottled water steals children's souls. Which is probably only partially true." Yunho grinned and sipped generously.
Jaejoong watched his lips, wet, tugging at the straw. He looked away, saying nothing, watching little kids fight over cotton candy.
He turned back to find a styrofoam cup shoved in his face.
"One time offer." Yunho smiled goofily, as he held his drink in front of Jaejoong's face. "Or not. All depends on you."
Jaejoong ignored it, choosing to pout instead. "That stuff will kill you. And Changmin. Mostly Changmin."
"Yeah, but not immediately. Come on, we're young!"
Jaejoong sniffed indignantly. "I told you that stuff kills!"
Yunho leaned in, lips just barely grazing the shell of his ear. His was voice low but his breath was soft. "Then we'll die together."
Jaejoong was quiet for a moment. His mother had always taught him the path to a healthy life was a healthy mind, healthy heart and healthy stomach.
But Yunho's idea didn't seem all bad.
Yunho ended up finding a sandwich shop where they snacked on deli sandwiches til the others found them again. But the taste of food coloring and carbonated artificial cherries remained at the tip of Jaejoong's tongue.
Sinfully sweet. Jaejoong kinda liked that.
:::::
"Smile!"
Yoochun took a picture of the remnants of Jaejoong's sandwich for no reason at all. Why he asked it to smile was beyond anyone.
"I take it you guys had fun." Jaejoong grumbled, finally letting go of Yunho's hand.
"Rode it twice!" Junsu squealed.
"Yoochun's got way more balls than you." Changmin taunted, seating himself on the table top.
"He knows that. He's seen me naked." Yoochun growled, eyebrows wiggling disgustingly.
"Mental image." Yunho smacked a hand to his eyes. "Can't...unsee...."
"That's an image, we'll all have to cope with." Junsu said solemnly patting Yunho's shoulder. Then he glared in Yoochun's direction. "Thanks for that pool party."
"I said we would celebrate my birthday with a pool party. I didn't say we had to wear swim trunks." Yoochun grinned cheekily, snapping a picture of Junsu's green face, then turned the lens to Jaejoong. "Hyung liked it, right~?"
Jaejoong turned from the lens just as it snapped. It would probably be blurry.
Changmin poked Junsu in the ribcage, mirthful eyes watching Jaejoong. "What should we do to him next?"
"I dunno. I'm getting kinda hungry." Junsu eyed the rest of Yunho's sandwich, after which Yunho promptly stuffed the rest of it in his mouth, challenging him with his eyes before choking by himself.
"Me too." Yoochun said distractedly, shooting a picture of a couple walking by swinging a squealing child between them.
"Then whaddaya say, Yunho? Plot against Jaejoong with me?"
Yunho laughed. "I'm still digesting. Maybe later."
Not at all discouraged, Changmin's eyes settled on Jaejoong. Jaejoong shifted uncomfortably in his seat.
"Are you still digesting, too, Jae?"
Jaejoong gulped. "Um, yes?"
Changmin grinned. "Even better."
The image of the youngest laughing at him while he barfed in a trash can was enough to make him queasy already. Or Changmin would rub his back reassuringly the whole time. He was unnaturally kind at the weirdest times.
Jaejoong stood up, attempting to challenge Changmin nose to nose. But he just ended up barely grazing his chest. "I have a better idea."
Changmin leaned in closer to his face, grinning crookedly. "Try me."
Jaejoong pointed behind him and all four of them looked.
Yunho snorted. "Good luck, Min."
Junsu shook his head. "Should've laid off him a bit, Changmin. Sorry."
Yoochun just took a picture of him.
Getting Changmin to go inside the haunted house wasn't hard. Even though everyone knew Changmin had such a low tolerance for scary movies, just the trailers were enough to give him nightmares.
This was coupled with the fact that despite Jaejoong's intense abhorrence for thrill rides, he had a sick taste for thriller movies, complete with blood and ghosts and horror galore.
But Changmin had sure mastered the art of putting on a tough facade. Jaejoong supposed he was used to it, being the youngest of the group. But he had managed to learn how to become the teaser rather than the teasee early on. Thus, the butt of the group's jokes were normally shifted to the weaker of the friends. Namely, Jaejoong and Junsu. Jaejoong didn't mind much.
So when a haunting projection of a ghost flitted across the walls and faded away ominously, Jaejoong felt a little throb when he watched Changmin's Adam's apple bob nervously in his throat.
"It's not real, you know." Jaejoong commented offhandedly as the hallway suddenly went pitch black and all kinds of creepy sound effects echoed through the walls.
"I know." Changmin said simply. The darkness hid his face from view. Jaejoong was sure he was grateful.
"It's nothing like your kimchi surprise." Jaejoong laughed lightly. If changing the subject helped him get through it, then so be it. When it came to Changmin, Jaejoong was always stricken with an overwhelming need to protect him. It never failed. "That's scary." Jaejoong stopped walking when he realized he could no longer sense Changmin beside him.
"Changmin?"
"Jae?" His voice sounded on edge. A bit shaky. Jaejoong was definitely beginning to regret bringing him in. "Where are you?"
"I'm right here, Min. Just walk forward."
A pause. "So, you're not right behind me?"
So suddenly, it almost terrified even Jaejoong, the bright white lights flickered wildly from the walls and the floor and the ceiling as the sound of deranged laughter echoed through the room. Through the disorienting lights, Jaejoong could see a darkened figure just behind Changmin's shoulder breathing in his ear. No doubt just a worker dressed up as the grim reaper. But Changmin probably didn't appreciate this at all.
Searching through flickering lights, Jaejoong found Changmin's arm and pulled him away from the "grim reaper" toward the end of the hallway where the lights were dimly lit but less torturous.
Jaejoong laughed to lighten the mood. "Looks like they had a pretty big budget for this place."
"They should spend more money on education. Dumbasses." Changmin grumbled stiffly.
"I love that out of amusement parks and food and torturing me, education still trumps all for you." When Jaejoong looked up at him, face hard, staving off any emotion he didn't want there, strong even when he didn't exactly feel the same, Jaejoong knew he loved that, too.
Then Changmin cracked the slightest smile at him, cheeky as ever. "No, you'll always be number one in my book."
Jaejoong dissolved into laughter, inexplicably thrilled to be the target of Changmin's ill will.
It started as a love tap. Which Changmin returned with a slight shove. Then Jaejoong came back with a punch. And Changmin reciprocated tenfold.
By the time they had neared the end of the haunted house, both were bruised and laughing and barely took notice of the vampires popping out of coffins and bats and the pack of realistic-looking rats that Changmin still said were totally alive and couldn't possibly be part of the show.
By the time they had gotten tired of abusing each other, Changmin was much less tense with Jaejoong's hand in his.
They could see a light at the end of the last hallway, signaling the end of their journey. Changmin's footsteps slowed. "Jaejoong?"
"Hmm?"
"You owe me. For this."
Jaejoong looked up at him. His face was unreadable. He gave his hand a tiny squeeze. "What do you want?"
He'd give him anything.
Changmin stopped walking and looked at him. His face neared Jaejoong's and the eldest swallowed.
Changmin kissed him on the cheek.
"Cheeseburger. No onions."
Changmin pulled away with the stupidest grin and dragged Jaejoong toward the exit, dumbfounded, flushed.
And as always with Changmin, Jaejoong got this feeling, the weirdest combination of emotions. The urge to hold on and hold on tight. Or kill him.
Only Changmin.
:::::
Jaejoong looked down at the world over the railing and soon regretted it. "Where is everyone?"
Yoochun snapped a picture of the sun setting over the horizon. "We don't know. That's why we're up here."
Jaejoong looked at him pointedly. "No, we're here so you can get more shots."
Yoochun blinded him with another shot. He'd been testing out pictures with and without the flash, so Jaejoong could never quite be prepared whenever he shoved that stupid thing in his face. Yoochun smiled. "You're pretty when you're mad."
Jaejoong looked away. Yoochun was always saying stuff like that. Mostly to get out of trouble. Mostly to Jaejoong. Mostly to get out of trouble with Jaejoong.
"I miss my Minnie." Jaejoong pouted as the ferris wheel took another climb toward the top. He could still feel Changmin's arms around him as he'd hugged Jaejoong hard enough to choke him (Jaejoong would get back at him by the end of the night) before he'd disappeared.
"He shouldn't have wandered off with Yunho and gotten lost." Yoochun commented, distractedly looking over the pictures he'd taken throughout the day.
Annoyed pictures of Jaejoong trying to avoid the lens. Candid pictures of Changmin laughing at his own jokes. Awkward pictures of Yunho in the middle of a sentence. Stupid self portraits of Yoochun looking a weird cross between goofy as hell and sexy. Gorgeous pictures of Junsu. Damn, the camera loved Junsu so much, it wanted to have sex with and marry him in that order.
"God knows those two have zero sense of direction." Yoochun tutted his tongue. "Why couldn't you be the one to go out into the unknown and find them yourself? Be brave, man!"
"Who's the one who sent Junsu to look for them first?" Jaejoong shoved him playfully. "He's about as hopeless as the other two."
Yoochun looked up. He nodded forebodingly. "They're doomed."
They shared a collective sigh.
Jaejoong scooted closer to Yoochun til their thighs touched. "Can I see?"
"You sure forgot about your long lost friends real fast." Yoochun joked but turned his camera so Jaejoong could see anyway.
"Why are there so many pictures of me?" Jaejoong asked, ignoring the way Yoochun's hair brushed against his cheek, ignoring the shivers it gave him.
"You're pretty." Yoochun said point blank. "I told you that."
"I'm blurry in this one." Jaejoong pointed at the screen. He was dead center, ducking in an attempt to avoid the camera once again. Changmin was munching on a cheeseburger in the background while Yunho pointed something out to him off camera. He could see the top of Yoochun's hair at the very bottom where he had tried to include himself in the picture. Junsu's back was to the camera at the top corner of the picture. "Junsu's perfect as always. And he's not even looking."
"Perfect is easy. Ordinary is more fun." Yoochun smiled softly as he gazed at his work.
They flipped through pictures for most of the ride. There were pictures of random objects. A balloon, a few rides, an unfinished giant rainbow lollipop abandoned on a table which the others had convinced Changmin not to eat.
Then there were pictures of them. Group shots, couple shots or stalker pictures of all of them individually. All unposed, just the way Yoochun liked it.
And then there were pictures of space. Jaejoong couldn't quite describe it. Some with people, some of just the skyline or something else. It was like Yoochun hadn't shot the picture with any purpose at all. Yet, he had somehow captured life itself.
By the time they had reached the last of the pictures, Jaejoong had taken a glimpse into Yoochun's soul and his head had somehow ended up on Yoochun's shoulder.
"How do you see beauty in everything?" Jaejoong asked quietly, silently wishing this ride would keep turning and turning.
Yoochun laid a hand on Jaejoong's thigh, smiling to himself. "Everything is beautiful."
He probably didn't realize it but Yoochun knew exactly how to take Jaejoong's breath away.
"Yoochun?"
"Hmm?"
"Take a picture of me?"
Yoochun smirked at him. "You've been avoiding me all day."
Jaejoong shifted a little in his seat. "I wanna see me through your eyes."
"Well, I could-Look! Is that the guys?" Yoochun pointed toward the ground several hundred meters below at nothing in particular and Jaejoong fell for it. Just as he looked, he heard the camera snap, no flash.
"I wanted you to take a good picture of me." Jaejoong complained.
Yoochun grinned from behind his camera. "This is a good one of you."
"It's gonna be all dark and weird." Jaejoong reached for the camera but Yoochun held it out of reach.
"Don't you trust me?"
"No."
While Yoochun tsk, tsk-ed him disapprovingly, he let Jaejoong see the picture. Their faces were lit with the minimal glow of the sunset, Jaejoong looking far off, wind blowing his hair wherever it wanted. Yoochun had his eyes squeezed shut, lips puckered ridiculously, making kissy faces behind Jaejoong's head.
Jaejoong grimaced, then smiled anyway. High off the ground but he still looked fearless. Yoochun and his stupidity probably helped. He'd have to frame that picture. "You're a mess."
Yoochun smiled back, something warm and brief glinting in his eye. "You're a catastrophe." He wrapped an arm around Jaejoong's shoulders. "But you're beautiful."
They rode the ferris wheel a couple more times, Yoochun's voice rumbling in his ear, trusting the others to show up some time or another. They did eventually, miraculously.
But no one knew better than Yoochun how Jaejoong liked to go slow and steady, shivering at the top, heart bursting on the way down.
:::::
Now Jaejoong was lost.
The fireworks were starting in a few minutes-maybe seconds-and the others had disappeared.
Or rather, one of his friends had gathered two of the others, winked oddly at Jaejoong and wandered off into the crowd. There was still one other friend left to be accounted for.
And now he was left alone amongst a crowd of strangers with no idea where his friends had gone.
The sky brightened with a brief, flash, then darkened again. Shortly after, the sky burst open with sparkling blue as the crowd applauded. By the time the first few minutes of the fireworks show had passed, Jaejoong had given up and planted himself on top of a table to watch, hands rubbing his chilled arms. He'd be damned if he missed this because his friends were idiots.
Not long after, he felt a light tap on his shoulder. And his heart dropped. Like always.
He smiled. "Cold?"
Jaejoong shook his head like it was nothing. "I'm fine." He was freezing. The temperature had plummeted once the sun had gone down.
He sat beside him on the table, thighs touching. "You're a horrible liar."
"What are you gonna do about it?" Jaejoong grumbled. He was still missing the show. He couldn't focus with his eyes watching. And that damn smile.
He leaned in closer, closer til Jaejoong could feel his breath on his ear, low and promising. "Whatever you want me to do."
And Jaejoong shivered for an all new reason.
"You wouldn't do it." Jaejoong realized he was staring at the ground. Flashes of white and green lit the concrete as the sky rumbled.
"I'll give you anything. Promise. I owe you."
"For what?"
He shrugged, looking at the sky vaguely like he saw something beautiful there beyond the flashing colors that no one else could see, then turned back to Jaejoong with a smile.
And Jaejoong stared at him, this man's face flashing cherry red, promising him everything with that gorgeous, goofy smile, torturing him as always with his closeness but never close enough.
Be brave.
"Kiss me."
The words are barely out of his mouth before his wish is granted.
Their lips connected, soft and warm til Jaejoong forgot he was ever cold in the first place but he was certainly dizzier than that first roller coaster. And god, he loved it, he loved it.
Because he tasted just as sinfully sweet as he'd imagined.
"Better now?" Yunho looked just about as winded as Jaejoong. But he couldn't stop grinning.
Jaejoong had just enough brain power to nod awkwardly before he dove in for another one, forgetting about the fireworks, the clapping audience, his friends' odd disappearance and damn near everything else.
Dizzy, breathless, nauseous and high.
This was a ride Jaejoong hoped would launch him off the end of the earth, plummeting relentlessly, stomach dropping and taking his heart with it.
---------------
Of course! 8D
Comments are appreciated~
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