Tears Dry On Their Own - Chapter 2
Title: Tears Dry On Their Own
Pairing: JaeMin (Main), HoMin, HoSu, Yoochun/OFC
Rating: R
Length: Chaptered
Genre: Romance, Angst, Drama, Fluff, Humor, AU
Warnings: Language, Mentions of Adultery
Disclaimer: This is a work of pure fiction. The characters belong to themselves. The plot-line is mine. Do not translate this fic or distribute it without permission.
Summary: Two stunningly powerful individuals; so hopelessly in love. They had everything anyone could ever want - fame, money, love and a family worth more than all the happiness in the world.
But something happened. Something wrong.
One half of their whole committed a mistake that the other could never accept and, thus, unleashed a story of discovery, understanding and forgiveness.
Chapter 2:
Dear Jaejoong,
Have you heard?
I’m back home…
Are you angry?
Are you happy?
I’m neither…
I’m just scared. So scared.
I went to our old apartment today, the one we lived in before we adopted Kris.
Everything looks exactly the same. The sheets are still ruffled, the scratches on the headboard from the first time we made love are still as prominent as they were then, the unopened letters from our fans, the smell of your broken cologne bottle, the echo of our laughter and our tears, the scattered remnants of the past litter every corner of the house…
I cried.
I never realized how weak I was until you weren’t there to tell me how strong I had to be.
I don’t know how long I sat there, just there…breathing in tandem with the ticking of the clock; its sound a painful reminder of the passage of time.
I realized how far we’d come when I felt my heart stutter as I watched our son play with your old PlayStation.
He’s just as bad at using the controls as you used to be. I don’t think I’ve ever seen a joystick break as fast. He’s truly your son.
He asked me whose house it was…
And all I did was smile,
“A friend’s.”
But we know better, don’t we?
It’s nobody’s.
It’s no longer “ours”.
It just is.
Just like we are.
Just like we used to be.
I’m sorry, my love. I’m sorry for everything that happened to us, just like I know how sorry you are.
I’m going to see you tonight, at Yoochun’s birthday party.
I don’t want to.
I’m scared that I’ll hit you or scream at you. I’m scared that I’ll scare our son.
But Yoochun’s never resorted to begging…and this time, when he came to pick Kris up, …he did.
I owe him.
He made leaving you bearable.
He helped me not give up on you.
And I realize now, that maybe…
I have to come see you.
I have to remind myself why I have to hate you…
And find out… once and for all…
Why I never stopped loving you.
Yours,
Forever and Ever,
Changmin.
“Yunho, hurry up!” I shouted, finally laying my journal to the side.
“FIVE MINUTES!” I heard him yell from down the corridor, “I’m almost ready!”
“You said that thirty minutes ago, you fat ass,” I grumbled under my breath.
“The pot calling the kettle black? Doesn’t he remind you of someone?” I heard an amused voice call out from behind me.
I turned around to find my mother eyeing me with a hint of humor in her eyes.
She didn’t look a day older than when I saw her three years ago, except for the prominent laugh lines beside her eyes, another indication of all the moments I missed with my family.
Three years…another regret…
That time feels like another lifetime ago.
“When did you get back home? Dad said you were going to be gone for another week? And in answer to your question…I don’t know who you’re talking about…” I stated petulantly, moving to the dresser and looking at my reflection in the mirror.
“I wasn’t going to miss spending a single moment with my son and grandson. And, yes, little sir, you do know who I’m talking about. It used to take you hours to get ready and then your poor Dad would have to call Jaejoong home from next door to get you to leave…”
I looked at her from the mirror, watching in silence as her eyes glanced furtively at the picture of Jaejoong that still adorned my nightstand.
“That boy wouldn’t even come in through the front door, he’d always climb the tree up to your balcony… I never understood why he did those things until, of course, the both of you came to your Dad and me, to tell us that you’ll were dating…”
I shut my eyes and rested a palm against the side of the mirror, letting memories of those simpler days flood my mind like a river of untold secrets and a love that promised to last forever.
Flashback:
I sat at my desk, furiously jotting down notes for the class test that I was bound to fail.
Courtesy? Kim Fucking Jaejoong.
This is what I get for playing hookey with him throughout the year…
I don’t even know why I hang out with him, to be honest.
All I do is get into trouble and then spend days mourning my once perfect grades.
“You’re going to be a model! Why would you need good grades? He says. I NEED GOOD GRADES DAMMIT! ME, SHIM CHANGMIN! BECAUSE I LIKE BEING PERFECT, ASSHOLE!”
“And now I’m talking to myself. Fabulous.”
Why do I do this to myself? I wondered.
Because I love him.
I leaned back in my chair and zoned out, staring blankly at the wall in front of me and cursing myself for being stupid enough to fall in love with my best friend.
God, why must you be so clichéd?
I looked at the Hello Kitty watch on my desk and rolled my eyes.
Even his stupid stuff’s in my room.
And fuck, it’s 3 a.m.
There’s no way anything’s going to go into my head now.
Just as I moved to put a pen between the pages of my notebook and shut it, I heard a soft thud from behind me.
I froze.
Oh God. I thought, my knuckles turning white as I clutched at the corner of my desk.
What was that?
Another thud and a soft whimper.
Oh god! I thought, my hair standing on end.
It can’t be…
Can it?
It’s just a movie… a movie. Not real, not real…not real.
Another thud sounded, this time accompanied by the tapping of nails against the window.
I’m going to die!! DIEE!!
“Please don’t kill me! Please don’t kill me!!” I screamed under my breath as I swiveled stiffly in my chair.
There was a white face pressed up against the window of my balcony.
I wanted to shout, but all I could do was let out a depraved whimper and slide down from my chair and onto the floor, my whole being losing its ability to function.
“Changmin, let me in! It’s freezing out here…”
Jaejoong.
It didn’t take a second for the adrenalin to kick in, as I lunged for the balcony doors and pulled them open.
“Fucking finally! How long does it-“
“YOU FUCKING BASTARD! YOU GAVE ME A HEART ATTACK! WHAT IS WRONG WITH YOU?! ARE YOU INSANE?!”
I whisper-screamed, gripping the front of his jacket and slamming him up against the doors.
“Chang-“
“WHY WOULD YOU DO THIS TO ME RIGHT AFTER PUTTING ME THROUGH TWO HOURS OF WATCHING SADAKO?! WHY?!”
Losing my ability to hold myself up, I slouched against him, letting him grab hold of my waist and consequently allowing myself to release a trembling breath.
It was like my heart was doing its own rendition of a sonata, conflicted in its reasoning of fear or love.
But where’s the difference?
“I’m sorry, Minnie…” he whispered against my ear as he pulled me closer to his cold body, as if he were trying to absorb some of my heat.
“I was just worried about you since the lights were still on. I figured you couldn’t sleep because of the movie.”
“Iwarsstrayintohstaady…” I muttered against the fabric of his jacket.
“What?” He asked, using one hand to tilt my face up to his while continuing to hold me up with the other.
“I said,” sighing as I realized how close our faces were to each other’s, “that I was trying to study.”
“Oh...” he whispered, his eyes trailing down to my lips.
“Why?”
I smiled.
Of course, you wouldn’t know, you dork.
“The whole school has tests tomorrow.”
“What? Seriously?” he asked, still staring at my lips as if seeing them for the first time.
“Mhmmm.” I hummed, letting my tongue slick across my lower lip as I tightened my fist into his jacket.
“That’s…just…don’t care,” he muttered, before bending down and closing the one inch of gap between our lips.
God knows…I don’t think I cared much after that point either.
End Flashback
I opened my eyes and smiled ruefully, “He used to say that good things always happened when he climbed up that tree…”
“Oh? I never realized he was that superstitious…”
He wasn’t superstitious, just super horny.
“Yeah…”
There were a lot of things none of us realized…
“I’m ready!”
My Mum and I turned around to find Yunho beaming at us from the door, his entire frame covered in a smart suit that looked as if he’d been poured into it.
He looked…
Perfect.
“Now that is something worth spending time on,” My mother cooed, rushing over to him and smoothening out his lapels and collar.
“The two of you are going to make people’s heads spin.”
With that she ran out of the room, muttering something about getting her camera, leaving the both of us to stare appraisingly at each other.
“You look good,” I stated quietly, walking over to pull a stray thread from the side of his jacket and fiddle around with his pocket square.
“You look so perfectly edible.” He whispered back flirtatiously, nuzzling his nose against the side of my throat, a habit that he’d seemed to develop over the last three years, and then running a hand down the side of my own jacket.
“You can’t do this in front of other people, okay? There are already rumors going around that you and I are getting married.”
“People? Or just Jaejoong?” he drawled, gazing into my eyes challengingly.
“I love him.”
Those words sounded like a loud whiplash in the large room, but the effects weren’t as damning.
“I know that. I just wish you would stop,” he said simply, pressing a soft kiss to the corner of my mouth.
“I can’t.”
A quiet sigh followed that particular revelation.
“The really sad bit is, I know that too.”
Minutes seemed to pass as we looked into each other’s eyes, looking for things neither of us could understand, nor wanted to.
“Come on, pseudo-boyfriend, let’s go downstairs,” I finally said, running a comforting hand through his hair before walking out the door, trying to hide the calculating glitter in my eyes.
“Changmin.”
This seems to be becoming a routine for us.
“Yes, Yunho?”
“I saw that look. What are you planning on doing once you get to the party?”
I smiled amusedly, knowing full well that I’d been caught.
“Teach the Asswipe a lesson that he’s never going to forget.”
“After which…?”
“We’ll see.”
Yunho reached out and grabbed hold of my arm, “Are you going to take him back?”
I turned back around at his touch and faced him with unwavering eyes.
“There’s the rub, isn’t it, Yunho? When did I ever let him go?”
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A/N Okay. So I had my finals going on for the last 3 weeks. So sorry about the late update OTL
But the good news is that I have vacations going on, so that means more updates!! Party~!
A/N 2: On another note, I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter and continue to give it your support.
A/N 3: As usual concrit is fully appreciated.
A/N 4: Don't they look positively delicious in suits? Ugh.
