Eternal - Chapter 7

[meheartyunho]

Title: Eternal
Author: meheartyunho
Length: Chaptered (7/?)
Pairing: Yunjae
Genre: Angst, Romance, AU, Supernatrual, Violence, Drama
Rating: Nc-17
Summary: When you get the impossible and reached a point where you wanted, needed to claim it, what were you to do? Especially when the impossible was the love and affair of your sister’s fiancé, when the year was 1873 and men shouldn’t feel anything but the urge for a family and wealth.
But what if you ran away and got another shot at the impossible? What if you had no other choice? You just had to learn how to live with the thirst, the hormones, the fights and the bloody, lusty, animalistic sex.
Beta: hubby fi_chan <3
Banner made by my sweetheart steorie <3

Previous:
Prologue 1 2 3 4 5 6

A/N: Omg I’m baaack! My computer is saved, healthy and alive! *huggles* All my chaps and fics and plots are here and I’m so happyyyyyy!! So here is the update, I only got the computer, like, two hours ago but I want to give you a quick update! So, here you go, my lovelies~ <3 I hope you haven’t forgotten about me T.T

Chapter 7

Jaejoong had been awake for what he guessed was an hour, idly staring at the ceiling, having nothing else to see. The curtains were still drawn shut and he didn’t want to open them and risk waking Yunho up. He needed a bit of alone time for himself. Well, for his thoughts. His body was nowhere close to being alone with Yunho’s arms as tight as a rope around his naked skin. He had thoughts he didn’t want to share, the continuation of yesterday’s thoughts he had actually spoken out loud. But Yunho shouldn’t hear those, it would only sadden him and make him insecure yet again.

‘Is mom crying? Is she missing me? What about Joo-Eun? Are they sitting together on my bed, spitting at me and burning my letter and possessions?’

Could a mother do that to her child? Her youngest one at that. Would his family be happier off pretending he had never been a part of their lives? He could understand if they were-sometimes those thoughts crossed his mind too… If only he could stop thinking about them, wondering about them… He would be just a bit happier with Yunho then. But at the same time, he didn’t want to stop. He wanted to accept the fact that he had beloveds somewhere in this country he had left. He wanted to remember them as his long lost family.

He groaned and rolled over, lying quite uncomfortably on his stomach. Yunho’s hard arms laid between him and the mattress, and it wasn’t all too pleasant to have those gnawing into his ribs. He sighed into the mattress (the pillow had been thrown away somewhere during the night’s activities) and rubbed his temples. All these questions were driving him insane.

“Are you trying to get rid of the mental pictures from last night?” a thick voice murmured and Jaejoong looked up at a lazy-eyed Yunho sleepily smirking at him on the side.

“Not exactly. Those are burned into my skull forever, I’m afraid.” Yunho smiled and yawned, stretching his exhausted muscles when he got his arms out from underneath Jaejoong, and for the first time, realised how uncomfortable the mattress really was.

“Jesus, this is hard!” He pushed his hand palm down, feeling the springs digging back into his flesh. Jaejoong had to endure this during their love making?

“What’s the matter, never had a morning erection before?” Jaejoong’s smile faltered though when Yunho got up to lightly turn Jaejoong around to inspect all the planes and surfaces. His hands went tenderly all over his skin in search for bruises that weren’t made by Yunho himself.

God… He slowly caressed a blue and crimson blended spot on Jaejoong’s rib. Did he really do this? Seemed like he had to restrain himself a bit.

“I’m serious; you didn’t get hurt by the springs in it, did you? Is your back okay? Your neck?”

“Yunho, you slept on this too.”

“Yes but at least I was on top of you for most of the night.” Now wait a minute, had he forgotten about Jaejoong’s little ride in which Yunho was underneath him? He had to admit his knees hurt a bit though… He chose not to say anything about it, trying to cover his slightly blue tinted knees with the covers instead, before Yunho took notice. “I’m sorry if I was too rough.”

“You weren’t. Besides, you know I like it when you go a bit crazy…” He smirked and rolled on top of the worried man, attempting to distract him from finding hurting flaws on his body by showing him the good things with it. He kissed him softly while stroking through his thick mane of brown strands. Jaejoong pulled away and settled with looking at the man underneath him instead. “You don’t happen to have a warm bath in your pocket, do you?”

“I don’t even have pockets. In fact, I haven’t had clothes on my body for several hours now.”

“And why did you not put them on I wonder,” Jaejoong said in fake confusion, leaning his head on his palm.

“I was afraid you would eat them up if I tried to put them on.” Yunho smiled when Jaejoong laughed and pretended to take a bite out of Yunho’s shoulder.

“Good call. I am quite hungry after all.” He lay down with a smile when the giddy feeling of morning teasing calmed down in his stomach. Jaejoong was always a ball of energy in the mornings.

“After all that meat I gave you last night?!” Yunho played on while Jaejoong was still on his yellowy sunshine temperament, and as expected Jaejoong buried his face in Yunho’s side while he laughed in some strange tired glee. “How are you so damn chipper in the mornings? You’re like a little boy!” Not that Yunho had anything against it, just imagining Jaejoong as a little boy was a thought beyond adorable. It really made him wish harder that he could have known Jaejoong his whole life. The dark hair, the big eyes… Add some rosy, chubby cheeks and everything in a small format and it was complete. Such a shame that he couldn’t have kids with him. Not only for the fact that he wanted to mix himself with him until a combined version of them came out, but also because it would somehow bring him closer to his boyfriend. Feel more like he had followed him from day one.

“Pft, you should see me when I don’t wake up next to you.”

“Aww,” he cooed and teasingly petted his cheek. “Missing me that much?”

“Mmhhmm…” Jaejoong hummed and furiously rubbed his cheek in return against Yunho’s hand with pursed lips. Yunho was really starting to wonder where this childish nature came from. Wherever it was from he could tell it wasn’t a personality trait he shared with his sister. Jaejoong was usually the calm and laidback one; it was actually a pretty rare case to see him this playful. It was like a sweet treat he got in the sense of having a playful kitty roll around in his lap and purr when he was touched. He had to say he liked that side of him.

They spent a few more minutes in bed, but they knew it was important to constantly be on the move. Their families wouldn’t stop looking for a few days and they couldn’t stay caught up in an inn-it was among the easiest places to find them at. So they quickly got dressed and headed down for a heavy, fulfilling breakfast. They had quite a lot of food left from yesterday that would be needed now. The way they were heading was long and deserted with only forest, the chance of running into another guesthouse the same day was not big.

Jaejoong went out first to enjoy the sunlight while Yunho stayed inside to return the key and thank the old lady. He stretched and closed his rested eyes, trying to soak up some valuable vitamin D before the sun got too warm to stand. He felt more relaxed than he had been in a long time. There was something highly relieving about being on the run with Yunho. About not having to worry about maids and sneaking around and not caring about making any noise during the night. They could actually spend a night sleeping tightly pressed together without worrying about oversleeping and getting caught.

He walked the few steps down the stairs until his feet met the hard ground of grass and dirt. It was such a big difference to his town. Things smelled different here. It smelled fresh, green. Natural scents now mixed with horse and hay from the stable. He could hear the clapping of hooves against stone as the men got them ready for a final ride out of that stable. Then they’d be on their way, probably never coming back again. He didn’t know how to feel about that familiar feeling. He was still feeling secretly heartbroken about leaving his home, but at the same time, excited and happy that right now he could just run into that wooden house, grab Yunho and kiss the air out of him without anyone caring enough to react. It was an uplifting feeling. It fluttered in his chest until he felt like ripping it open and letting the warm butterflies out of there.

Or at least to tell them to stop tickling him when Yunho hugged him like that.

“Ready to go?” His arms let Jaejoong’s waist go and Jaejoong responded with a nod. To tell the truth, he was hesitant about the long walk ahead of them, but he tried his best to conceal his worries. Yunho would have to face the exact same thing; there was no reason to add to his worries and guilt.

They only made it out the gate and onto the soft brown path until they had to stop for a worn-out cart. It had been white once, but the colour had peeled like the skin from an apple and what was left was now ashy grey.

The horse was big and strong, and compared to the wreck he was pulling he looked very out of place. They could tell that horse was put into more work than any of their horses ever had. They found out later that his bulky figure came from helping out on the farm, pulling the simple equipment and moving things that had gotten too heavy for the man in the cart to handle.

It stopped, to their surprise, right in front of them and Yunho took a step forward instinctively. Jaejoong sighed a little at Yunho’s attempt at playing hero, but it didn’t stop the uneasiness creeping up on him. He took a step closer to his human shield, just in case. Apparently his reactions were a bit slower than Yunho’s.

The door swung open with a buff, hard-skinned hand holding the small thing open for them to enter. They both immediately recognized him. The greasy hair, the garments, the cheeks so sunken in and lips dried up. It was the man from last night, the one who appeared to be friends with the bastard of a man that had embarrassed them. This man however was the kind one, Heungsoo. Yunho, who so often smiled politely at any soul, bad or good, didn’t bother this time. It didn’t matter if he was nice to them; the fact was that he befriended hideous people. That if anything spoke of bad judgement.

His aged face pulled back into a warm smile and Jaejoong could safely say he didn’t feel any of the hatred that Yunho felt. He seemed too friendly to mean any harm.

“Need a ride, boys?” Jaejoong breathed out in relief and stepped forward in Yunho’s place who seemed to not appreciate the kind offer. He spared a glance up at the man driving the carriage and then back at the man with what he hoped was a warm look on his face.

“Thank you, sir. That’s very kind of you.” The man only smiled brighter and held out his hand to Jaejoong as leverage. Before he could lift his foot and grab the man’s hand to get up, another hand seized the back of his shirt to pull him back.

“No thank you. We’re fine.”

“Yunho!” Jaejoong pulled out of his grip and turned to stare into Yunho’s stubborn eyes. “What’s with you now all of a sudden? Would you really rather walk?” Yunho kept quiet for a second before he spoke, looking directly at the man.

“I don’t accept offers from people who don’t have common sense enough to choose friends who are civil and kind.” The man took his hand back to pull his dirty hair away from his tanned face. His bushy eyebrows were revealed, and they were just as outlined as his cheekbones. They almost dug out from his skin, and Jaejoong couldn’t tell if it was because he was skinny or just shaped like that.

“I’m very sorry about Jungmo. But I can assure you I don’t wish to have him as my company. He’s my cousin-the most hated man in the family on top of it too. But he’s riding in his own cart, so you won’t have to be bothered by him.” Yunho didn’t seem convinced and the man bowed to him. “I really am sorry. Please, let me give you a ride? Look at it as a peace offering.” Yunho didn’t budge and Jaejoong groaned. Why did he have to choose a man who was so damn stubborn? Well, he could play his cards too.

“Yunho, my knees hurt, I don’t want to walk. Please, let’s just take his offer. Please?” It wasn’t fully a lie. His knees did hurt after last night, but not to the extent he let Yunho believe. He knew he had won the moment Yunho cussed for himself and messed up his thick hair into a whirlwind of locks.

“Fine,” he bit out and helped Jaejoong up in the cart, trying to keep the man’s hands off of Jaejoong as much as possible. Yunho got up after him without taking help from the man’s rough hand. Once they were settled and Heungsoo closed the door, Jaejoong leaned over to peck Yunho’s tensed cheek. Yunho never liked it when he lost. Especially not to someone who was related to a man that had hurt Jaejoong so badly, even though he knew the tears were mostly from the turmoil going on inside of Jaejoong himself.

Yunho relaxed with the little affection he got and decided to just shake it off. If Jaejoong was hurt he was not the man to force him to endure it. Hell, he’d carry him on his back if he had to.

The ride turned out to be better than he thought, and in the end, he got more out of it than Jaejoong did. Jaejoong spent most of his time staring out the window and thinking about his family while Yunho buried himself in interesting conversations with the smart man. The hard worker had some stories to tell, and had a lot more experience and adventures than his parents had had together. Their biggest adventure was trying to keep their little explorer away from the expensive china and running with dirty feet on their prettiest carpet.

Jaejoong listened with half an ear at first, but had now learned how to shut them out completely from his world. Just like he had with his family. But there they were again-running through his mind. He looked quietly at the scenery going past him in a slow but steady pace through the glass-lacking windows. There was not a lot to see, so little even compared to his mansion, but at the same time there was so much more. He couldn’t say he had spent a lot of time in the forest as a child. He didn’t get the opportunity to climb trees, fall and hurt his knee and run back crying to a warm mother who was focused only entirely on her children’s well-being. He was never the boy to run around with sticks and play warrior with his friends. In fact, he wasn’t even the boy that had friends. Acquaintances his family had enough of, but what about friends?

“I have to tell you though,” Heungsoo breathed out with an impressed look on his face as he lifted his sun-bleached hat and combed his hair back in place with his fingers. “I would never have the guts to do what you guys are doing. Some strange things have been happening around here for quite a while.” Jaejoong slowly adverted his eyes from the green scenery to meet Yunho’s slightly widened lids. The same memory played back in their minds, for Yunho a few more. The claw marks on the windows. The thing right on top of their heads. Was it possible that it was following them, or were there just so many of them that they were spread out all over? The fact that he lived in a small cottage just outside their hometown made them even surer that what they had experienced must be linked with these things.

Whatever it was it seemed like Heungsoo had experiences of his own with them and he surprised them both by wiping cold sweat from his face.

“What… things?” Yunho hesitantly asked. Jaejoong was not in the mood to speak-he wouldn’t even be looking at them if these incidents weren’t a threat to them. But Jaejoong had found the incident in the cart so frightening that he had troubles sleeping a few days after. Yunho finally had to sneak out of his house to climb in through Jaejoong’s bedroom window and keep him company. Jaejoong was against it, of course. He wouldn’t want Yunho actually out there with whatever had scared him so much, but he was touched either way, and very, very comforted. Yunho was possibly more frightened and worried than Jaejoong was, and he appreciated every single second he was out in the dark for Jaejoong’s sake. Yunho truly was too selfless sometimes. Eventually he forced Yunho to stay inside the house, but it seemed like those days had left their minds until now. They hadn’t thought that sleeping outside while they walked would be a problem. Well, now it certainly would.

“Well, it’s just some speculations from the houses next to me. I’ve heard some rumours from town too. Of course, I don’t really trust those, they’re always so exaggerated. If someone finds a chicken in town, it’s a whole farm by the time it reaches the ears of us villagers. But I do trust my own eyes and ears. I know what I know. I’m sure of what I see. I’m not a stupid man. Maybe a bit old, yes, but that doesn’t make me a liar, does it?” Yunho felt he had to shake his head after that question and he got a nod in return, the ripped shirt sliding down his strong shoulder as he did. It felt like he should have had a pipe to chew on between his sentences.

Jaejoong was still sitting crossed armed by the window, and Yunho didn’t know if Jaejoong was being intentionally hostile this ride or if he was just scared to be too affectionate in front of a stranger. His most possible guess though was that his mind swirled around other things, and if he opened his mouth to reply to anything Heungsoo said, his thoughts would fly out like bees out of their hive. So they both patiently waited for Heungsoo to continue.

“My dog disappeared a week ago, couldn’t find him anywhere. After a while of searching for him in the forest I found him dead. The weird thing was how neat it looked. He just laid there, not a scratch, not a bite except for two small holes. There was no blood around him or in him except for in the fur around the holes. He was empty.” He absentmindedly scratched his chin and looked away from us. “The most bizarre and mysterious thing I’ve been through.”

They sat quietly while he, just like Jaejoong did just moments ago, stared outside the window. Most likely thinking about his lost family member. He let out a shaky breath and pursed his mouth. “I miss the little guy. He was old, but a damn good sheepdog.”

“I’m sorry about your loss.” It was the first time Jaejoong said anything other than ‘yes’ or ‘no’ during the ride, and they both turned to look at him. Heungsoo nodded in thanks, but didn’t say anything. It felt like a mutual understanding between them that Yunho didn’t really fit into.

Finally the man started talking again. “That’s why I’m here; I’m on my way to town to get myself a new one for my farm. I grow crops that I sell on the market with my sheep. I really need a new one as soon as possible-the sheep need to be cut. It’s what gives me dinner over the winter.” The younger men couldn’t agree with a nod and complain about how tough that cold season was to live through. No matter what happened they always had fresh food on their plates when they got hungry without having to lift a finger or wrinkle their faces with worry. They knew they wouldn’t be as privileged in a new town, but they hadn’t thought that far yet. And it hit them that they really didn’t know what it meant to live on their own. They had never lived in a smaller house than their mansions; they had never gone a day or night without having maids at hand. They never went hungry, cold or exhausted.

But they did pace in their luxurious rooms heartbroken and missing the other to the point where they were sure they weren’t going to live through the hours. They had worried enough for a lifetime, cried enough when he thought there was no hope when his sister demanded kisses from his beloved. Wanting to just forget all thoughts about the other because they couldn’t possibly have a future together.

Yunho though had never thought of them in that unfortunate way, he always stood firm in that if they really wanted it, they could make it happen. Jaejoong wasn’t so sure. He said he was being realistic, but he knew now that he was just scared of leaving everything. To just take off was not the way you lived your life in his family.

They travelled quietly for a while, a few more hours of rocky road where Jaejoong’s head rolled back and forth while trying his best to stay awake. Yunho had decided not to converse anymore and spent his time staring out at the wilderness they were riding through. He couldn’t possibly know what was out there, and he didn’t just talk about the animals living in the forest. There were other things, things he had no idea what they were, or how to protect them from it. He wouldn’t leave without a fight, he knew that much. He’d fight for Jaejoong’s safety until he died, and if it now happened that it got to Jaejoong before it went for him he would fight as vengeance and then make sure it killed him too. Whatever it now was. If there even was an it. They could be rumours, and those weird experiences the three men that sat in the cart had gone through might as well have been caused by an animal. It wasn’t likely, but it wasn’t unlikely either. They couldn’t rule out anything at this point, and it frustrated Yunho to the point where he wanted to tear his head off his shoulders and throw it away so that he couldn’t be nagged by it anymore.

Jaejoong was just about to close his eyes when Heungsoo started to talk to them, gently nudging Jaejoong awake. Yunho had to make an effort not to push the man away to a safer distance. He convinced his hands that he had been kind to them after all.

“I’m going to a smaller village, but if you’re looking for a bigger place I’d advise you to go further and take a left up here instead of right.” He pointed behind his shoulder and they both stuck their heads out the windows. The sun rested behind the trees, and for now the sky was still glowing orange and the clouds held a cotton candy pink. But very soon it would fade into black and their eyes would have a hard time spotting dangers. Jaejoong anxiously turned to look at Yunho as if trying to plead him with his eyes to find a better way than to leave the carriage at this point. He usually wasn’t one to admit that he was slightly scared, but with Yunho he didn’t see any point in hiding it. Especially not when Yunho was just as worried.

“Sir, couldn’t we stop here for the night? Sleeping in the cart I mean?” Jaejoong turned his hopeful eyes to Heungsoo. He probably wouldn’t have asked that nicely, but he hoped it would do the trick.

Heungsoo sighed and scratched the back of his neck. “I’m very sorry. I’d love to help you out more, but I can’t risk stopping it out here-I need to keep moving for an hour or so before I can stop.” Jaejoong expected Yunho to argue a bit more for their case (because that’s what he would do) but he just politely accepted his answer and asked him to notify them when they had to leave.

“Well here’s your stop, gentlemen,” he said with a smile, swinging the door open for them. “Just go straight ahead, you’ll then get to a bigger road, and when you do, take left.” They had been lucky to travel with a man that knew his way around, and they both thanked him profusely before they jumped off with their light luggage. The horse took off after their last goodbyes and Jaejoong watched as what could have been his warmth and safety for the night disappeared from his vision.

“Come on, love. You’re tired.” His new warmth and safety tugged on his hand and he grabbed it and followed the tall man into the woods.

“Do you have any experience with these kind of things?” Jaejoong asked and trudged along. Yunho didn’t look at him, too busy with trying to make his way forward unharmed, pushing rubber-like branches aside as he walked.

“What kind of things?”

“Like building a windbreak, a place to sleep. Making a small fire?” It was all new to them; the closest thing Jaejoong had seen to making a fire was when the maids lit one in their fireplace. Something told him this wasn’t quite as easy.

“I have common sense for that. Don’t worry, okay? You’ll sleep like a princess tonight.” He smiled and turned his confident face to Jaejoong’s dry expression.

“Princess? Why not a prince?” Yunho looked sincerely bewildered by the question and creased his eyebrows.

“But who would I be if you were the prince?” Jaejoong had the strong urge to tell him that he could be the frog, but he couldn’t find it in him to be snide when Yunho was smiling at him. “You know I’m only teasing you, Jae.”

“Yeah, yeah. But remember that just because you’ve always gotten access to my butt doesn’t mean that I can’t deny it to you.”

“And what would I do without that indeed?”

“Well, the evolution decided to grace us with hands, and you are the perfect example as to why. I guess it was starting to look weird with all the men rubbing up against the innocent trees.” Yunho only grinned and wrapped an arm around his shoulder. He lowered his head to press his nose against Jaejoong’s cheek, who in turn tried to half-heartedly pull away. Not that he really wanted to.

“Who said we ever stopped?”

The exchange continued for a while before they realised that they were only wasting time. The dark and cold was creeping nearer and they dropped their bags by a big enough spot with a supporting circle of thick trees. It would do for the night. They had decided to stay as close to the road as they could to save them some time tomorrow morning, but still wanted to be a bit further in, protected by the trees from the weather.

They had successfully built four decent walls around them and covered them with moss to keep them tight and stop the harsh wind from reaching them. By the time they were done, Jaejoong was shaking with such power he was sure he was going to make a hole in the ground or fool some poor animals that they were in the middle of an earthquake. This cold was the most intruding one he had ever experienced-it felt like his pores would be sweating ice blocks tomorrow. The fact that he was absolutely exhausted and the lack of Yunho’s warm body wasn’t helping either.

“Jae...” Jaejoong looked up from his quivering place on the ground and Yunho stared just as freezing back at him. “I’m going deeper to look for more twigs so we can start a fire, okay? Just stay here, I’ll be back soon.” Jaejoong only managed a nod and tried to still his chattering teeth into a reassuring smile. He knew that look on Yunho’s face-how much he ached to look at Jaejoong in that suffering position. How he had been the one to drag him out here in the first place.

“I’m fine… Just come back quickly and hold me, okay?” He tried his best smile and Yunho gave him a determined nod in return, taking the order seriously. He would hurry back and make sure that Jaejoong fell asleep warm tonight. That was his promise to himself, and a promise with, for and about Jaejoong he never broke. He’d strip bare and warm him up with his clothes and skin if he had to.

Jaejoong crawled inside their miniature building, hands and knees sinking quite comfortably down into the moss. It was better inside where the wind couldn’t reach him, but the cold was still there.

He didn’t exactly know how long Yunho was gone for; he only knew that he didn’t have control of his eyes anymore. His eyelids were falling shut, but he fought his outmost against it. He knew better than to fall asleep now-Yunho wasn’t back yet. They couldn’t afford to lose each other here. Especially not Yunho without the protection Jaejoong had inside on the moss. So he sat up and peeked out of the creases between the branches of their temporary home. When another few minutes had passed Jaejoong was on the verge of crying, not feeling very tired anymore. Where was he?

Maybe he couldn’t see their resting place? Maybe he was looking for a small man sitting outside a pair of trees and branches? He couldn’t possibly have known that Jaejoong had gone inside without him! Oh God, no, no! How far had he walked? When had he passed him? He tore himself through the opening and stood up at full length, craning his neck left and right. How could he be so selfish, so irresponsible? Yunho would never have done this to him, he would have waited worriedly outside and not even thinking about getting a shuteye before Jaejoong was back and safe with him. It was his fault.

But he hadn’t heard anything. If he couldn’t find him, wouldn’t he have called for him? Unless… unless something had happened. Unless he was hurt out there. Maybe he had collapsed? How much of the biting cold could a man take? Especially a tired man.

And so, Jaejoong started his hike through the black forest. Branches hit him in the face, and puddles got his toes wet. He wasn’t much of an outdoor person, and now he would have to pay the price for that. He didn’t know how to survive in a forest on his own, much less how to save the life of someone else. He sniffled and continued, trying to block out all thoughts of having to fight for Yunho’s life. He had to be fine.

“YUNHO!” He screamed the name at least five times before his voice broke, but he continued his path forward and around. He could barely see-the only things he had to trust right now were his ears and feet. If Yunho had fallen, he had to wander until he tripped on the unconscious body and have him in his arms. He’d walk until his feet were open wounds and his bones were liquid. After that he’d crawl on his elbows to find him.

“YUNHO!” He paused to sob until he screamed for the man again. “THIS ISN’T FUNNY! YUNHO, COME OUT!” So this was panic. This was what it felt like when you just wanted to throw yourself off a bridge so that this feeling wouldn’t stab at your stomach and steal your air. The fear of being left alone in there was not even close as horrendous as the thought of Yunho being gone. The hammering in his chest was, for the first time since he lost his virginity to Yunho, physically painful to feel.

“JAEJOONG!” …Yunho? “JAEJOONG!” Yes, yes, it was him! He’d recognize that voice anywhere, and in this panicked state he couldn’t be mistaken. He took off to the sound of the call and his own voice let out the familiar syllables. It was a relief to this time shout them to someone.

“Yunho!”

“Jaejoong?! Jaejoong!” The yells turned into a sound of relief and he finally spotted the silhouette of a man coming toward him. In less than two seconds he was with Yunho again, buried inside the tightest embrace he’d ever been given. “God… I told you to stay there! You can’t just run away like that!” Jaejoong didn’t answer, only pressed his face closer to the calming scent and soft shirt. He didn’t feel like defending himself, it would only upset him more. A safe hand stroked his quivering back and he felt the tears run down his cheeks while his panic subsided and sank back to the pit of his stomach.

“You’re shaking,” he murmured, the body in his hold trembling with a decreasing fear.

“So are you.”

“You scared me.”

“So did you.”

They held on for a while, neither one of them able to let go just yet. Was this what they would have felt if Jaejoong would have chosen to stay with his family? Could there be something as cruel as to feel this unreal, demonic pain for longer than the minutes they had? The cold hadn’t seemed so terrible once he found Jaejoong gone from the windbreak they had built. He had thrown the twigs to the ground and run for his life. The first thing that struck him was that, maybe, it wasn’t just rumours…

A/N: Ouhh scary~ Yunjae almost losing each other in the dark forest. And, er, sorry for cutting out the smex ^^;; I hope you’ll live! Comments~? <3