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[law!verse] Suspension
OMG THERE'S SUN OUTSIDE.
"Changmin, this is Yejin, and vice versa. Minnie, say hi and then stand there stupidly for a second so the obligatory awkward moment is over and she doesn't have to be the one to do it."
"Hyung!"
Yejin laughed and Jaejoong immediately knew that he had said the right thing.
"I'm not Seungyon!" Changmin muttered irritably as Jaejoong patted his shoulder
"I know, that's why you're here. Now go."
Jaejoong shooed them away and walked out of the mini law library housed in the building's basement (for quick reference in case you didn't have time to walk across campus to the main library,) waving to Donghae distractedly who was lugging a fish tank across campus.
It was going to be terribly awkward in the fall, Jaejoong mused, when he went back to being a student.
"Your notes are mess," Changmin stated.
"I know," Yejin supplied weakly, "That's why I'm here."
"How have you survived Yunho's class so far?"
"I haven't."
Changmin looked up from the scrawl of letters, immediately feeling slightly guilty. "I'm sorry," he apologized, "I'm used to just yelling at Jaejoong when he does something stupid. I didn't think."
"I…can't picture Jaejoong doing something stupid."
"That's because he's your teacher and he's my friend. I only saw Yunho in one particular way for years and it's only recently that I've been getting to know his non-teacher personality."
"You're…friends with Yunho?"
Changmin smiled. "Yes, and I'm sure that's going to be an awkward factor come fall, for more reasons than one."
"Why is that?"
Well, besides that fact that I can no longer look at him without thinking about what I almost accidentally interrupted the other night because I was hungry? "Oh, nothing in particular, I guess. Just…going back to being student-professor after being friend-friend…"
I am so lame.
"Oh…" Yejin seemed to accept this and Changmin wondered if she had even actually heard anything he had just said.
"Let's talk about your notes. Yunho never talks about stuff in the book because he assumes that you've read it. So he extrapolates on it."
"So I absolutely have to read everything before class?'
Changmin stared at her horrified. "You mean you haven't been?"
Yejin bit her lip, "Well, I've at least skimmed."
"Why don't you tell me how you study."
"You'll just yell at me," Yejin said quietly and Changmin inwardly sighed.
"I won't yell, I promise. I will work so hard with you so that the next test you will blow both Jaejoong and Yunho completely out of the water."
"Really?"
"Cross my heart."
"Okay."
Changmin felt his first smile in weeks (that wasn't forced for Sun Hea or Jaejoong) creep onto his face. It felt very good.
Jaejoong was leaning towards Yunho for a kiss when Yoochun came bursting through the door, looking positively livid.
"What's wrong?" Yunho asked, and Jaejoong looked an awakening Junsu who had been napping on the couch, waiting for Yoochun to get back so that they could go out to dinner. Junsu looked rather worried.
"Your replacement threw me out of the classroom. And then," Yoochun held up a hand as Jaejoong opened his mouth to swear, "he made me wait in the hallway like some highschooler until class was done and walked me to the dean's office - the dean's office - and told him that I was disruptive and that I, fuck what was the phrase…oh, 'refused to learn like an obedient student and adored Professor Jung to an absurd degree."
Yoochun took a breath and Jaejoong was gripping the arm of Yunho's recliner so hard his hands were white.
"And he fucking 'respectfully requested' that I 'be suspended until further notice' and that 'Professor Yunho be put under review for incorrect teaching methods' and…" Yoochun trailed off, swallowing nervously, voice finally quieting as he met Jaejoong's eyes. "um…also for improper relations with students."
The sound of the apartment door opening seemed to echo slightly and Changmin came into the living area, grumbling. "There's an unmarked police car watching the door again, hyung."
He stopped mid stride, noticing the tense atmosphere perhaps a few seconds late. "Um…"
"No," Jaejoong whispered, "No, we were so careful; there's no way anyone could have found out."
"What's going on?" Changmin looked from Junsu to Yunho.
"What did the Dean say?" Yunho asked.
"He suspended me. He wouldn't even listen to my side of the story."
"Wait, what did I miss?" Changmin stared in horror at Yoochun, "What did you do?"
"Nothing. I…I was so calm, I didn't yell. I stood up and recited everything, word for word," Yoochun was looking at Yunho, "I rebutted every single one of his arguments and I had people interested, engaged even. And then he just said, 'too bad you had Professor Jung prepare everything for you,' which you didn't…"
Junsu had come up behind Yoochun and wrapped arms around him. Yoochun tried to hold his composure, but Jaejoong was sure that it was only a matter of moments before he started crying.
"You were incredibly helpful and…well fuck." He looked back to Jaejoong, "I…I don't think he knows, Joongie, but now you're going to have to be extra careful. I'm sorry, this is all my fault."
Jaejoong found himself sandwiching Yoochun with Junsu and he whispered, "No one is blaming you, Yoochunnie, no one at all."
"I'm the one that's sorry," Yunho said softly from his chair.
Jaejoong turned around and glared at Yunho. "This is not your fault, Jung Yunho."
"Well it's someone's fault," Junsu growled.
"Obviously the idiot professor's," Jaejoong said, "who I'd really like to go punch."
"Because that would solve everything, hyung," Changmin plopped himself down on the couch. "Would you like to hear some good news?"
"Yes," all four men said at once.
"I discovered part of the reason why Yejin is failing."
Jaejoong perked up. "Really?"
Changmin shot Yunho a look. "She wasn't reading."
Junsu squeaked.
Yunho sighed, "No matter how many times I say it, no one ever reads."
"I read!" Jaejoong protested.
"You all read," Yunho said, and then glanced at Junsu, amending, "Mostly."
"Can we talk about Yoochunie being suspended?" Junsu asked, "That seems to be more of a problem…no offense," he added quietly, and Yunho just winked.
"You're not suspended," he said, "I will call the Dean tomorrow and fix that, it's the most ridiculous thing ever."
"Thank you," Yoochun said weakly, collapsing onto the couch, his head in Junsu lap.
"Do not put your feet on me, Yoochun."
Jaejoong smiled a little as Yoochun purposefully stretched his legs out, digging underneath Changmin's legs. "Hyung, don't put them near me, on me, under me, or anywhere within my general vicinity."
"They're cold," Yoochun pouted.
"Then put some socks on," Changmin said, irate, "We should order out, Jaejoong."
"Fine," Jaejoong murmured, already back to sitting beside Yunho's recliner, head resting by his thigh.
Yoochun uttered a loud exclamation suddenly, making everyone jump. "That stupid bastard, he's making me so mad."
"Yoochun."
Jaejoong looked up at Yunho's tone of voice, mind immediately scurrying back to student-teacher mode. That was never a tone to argue with. "Stop worrying. I'll take care of it."
A nod ended the discussion.
Changmin ordered pizza (as dictated by Sun Hea when she had woken from her nap,) and they sat around the TV eating it, watching cartoons, talking about anything but the University and stupid professors.
Junsu crawled into Yoochun's bed (his presence was now pretty much guaranteed in the household,) and pressed his nose into Yoochun's neck. "I'm sorry your day sucked," he whispered.
Yoochun bumbled his way through a few syllables and Junsu wondered if it was meant to be a sentence.
"Hey, you know I love you, right? Suspension or no."
"Gee thanks. It really would have sucked if you had left me because of that."
"I won't ever leave you."
A finger slid underneath his chin, raising it, and warm lips fell upon his own.
"I know."
Yunho pulled Jaejoong down for the kiss he should have received hours ago. "Much better," he murmured and Jaejoong sat down gingerly upon his lap. "This chair is getting to be slightly uncomfortable."
"I think you're trying to wheedle your way into my bed."
"I just want to sleep well."
"You just want to sleep with me."
"I think I taught you too well," Yunho muttered.
Jaejoong poked him.
"Please?" Yunho tried to pull the face that Jaejoong always used on him. He wasn't sure if it was successful. "I promise to rest on lots of pillows and not touch you. Sexually."
Jaejoong snorted and Yunho considered tickling him, just to see his smile.
"Jaejoong, it's been a week of sleeping on this damn recliner, my ankle is fine now, my ribs are healing…I love you?"
"Jung Yunho was that a question?"
"No," Yunho said weakly. "That was pleading."
Yunho heard a sigh and he knew that he had won. Apparently he hadn't taught Jaejoong too well. Who knew if that was actually a good thing.
"If you are any worse in the morning..."
You and your threats. "I will go back to sleeping out here. And I will grovel and you can say I told you so as many times as you like and I will do whatever you tell me for a whole week."
"Really?"
"When I'm better," Yunho added as an afterthought.
"Deal."
Yunho knew what Jaejoong was thinking. Either way I win
"Thank you for taking care of Yoochun," Jaejoong said, when Yunho was resting on four pillows, breathing easy, their hand linked together under blankets.
"He was treated unfairly."
"Who did you call after supper?"
"A friend. He's pulling a few strings for me to straighten everything out."
"Is this friend like all your other friends?"
"What is that supposed to mean exactly?"
"Just that you have unique friends."
"I think we should move onto another topic. Come get closer to me, you are too far away."
Yunho closed his eyes, loving the sound the sheets made as Jaejoong moved in them, wiggling closer, resting on the same pile of pillows. "See, this was a brilliant idea. I should pull a patent for it so that no one can ever sleep in your bed but me."
Jaejoong laughed. "That was a good line."
"It comes from being brilliant. Ow. I'm injured, remember?"
Before making his way into the kitchen, Changmin listened (something he should have done the last time,) to make sure that every one was asleep. Hearing nothing, be crept through the living room and then snorted when he saw that the recliner was empty. Apparently, someone had done some sweet talking.
Feeling less apprehensive (though still cautious, his hyungs were very creative with their time together,) he searched out the refrigerator and decided that he did not want leftovers. Or anything else in the fridge. Or the pantry.
He knew what he wanted (the midnight snack that Soo Ae used to make him) and he had been craving it terribly. He had tried to make it, but that had turned out worse than Seungyon making Jaejoong breakfast. It had taken a lot of persuading and bribing of Yoochun to not tell Jaejoong. Changmin knew that he should have pestered Soo Ae for the recipe more seriously but he hadn't really expected to never have her to make it for him.
Finally settling on the last pear (Seungyon was going to kill him but whatever,) Changmin hefted himself onto the counter to eat it.
He thought that he was doing relatively well, considering. He had genuinely smiled earlier in the day, which he felt good about. Not exactly something he could share with anyone else because they would most likely only see that he hadn't been genuinely smiling up to that point, but Changmin was a glass half full sort of person.
So was Soo Ae, but that memory really wasn't helping anything.
Changmin finished his snack (which did nothing to sate his craving) and flopped down onto the couch to consider his position.
The previous night he had come to something of a realization and he wasn't particularly sure what he was supposed to do about it.
The night that Soo Ae had called him crying he had thought someone had died. He didn't ever remember getting to her apartment so fast in his entire life. And then she cried in his arms for minutes upon end before pulling away and sitting separate from him. That's when he knew that someone hadn't died and when she finally met his eyes his heart stopped because he just knew what she was going to say.
And the thing of it was, that was what hurt the most. The cheating (he used the word liberally, no matter what Yoochun said; cheating usually equated sex and Soo Ae had sworn up and down that they hadn't, I wouldn't have, Minnie, I didn't!,) seemed inconsequential to Soo Ae, his Soo Ae, sitting at the far side of the couch and whispering that she had fallen out of love with him.
He thought that maybe he could have forgiven her if she discovered at the end of it all that she really did still love him more than anything. No scratch that. He did forgive her (because he still loved her and you forgive people that you love no matter what they do,) what he thought was that they maybe could have fixed this if she still loved him.
But he hadn't talked to her. She hadn't done anything to contact him. So he just sat here and wallowed not knowing what to think or do or feel.
And it was really, really hard.
Changmin took a breath.
"So that's how you feel."
Changmin spun around, almost launching himself from the couch to find Yunho resting against a doorframe.
"Y-you. Ribs. Jaejoong! What?" Glad to see that you can properly splutter Changmin. The next step is actual sentences.
"Yes, me. I can walk with broken ribs, believe it or not, and Jaejoong is sleeping. I'm not too particularly sure about the last word…what were you referring to?"
"Wh-what are you doing?'
"Well, I was going to the bathroom. These sorts of urges come upon people in the middle of the night. It's actually quite a common occurrence. And then I heard you talking and you sounded distressed so…" Yunho waved his hand like it would finish the sentence for him.
"Wait I…I said all of that out loud?"
"You had me intrigued at, 'that's what hurt the most.'"
Changmin knew he had paled. "Please don't tell Jaejoong."
"What could I tell him that he doesn't already know? He's pretty smart at figuring out people's emotions without them having to say anything…are you going to let me sit down so we can talk or are you going to make me go back to bed?"
Changmin thought about it, "You can sit," he said, "But considering that you're sleeping with Jaejoong, I don't think I would have to make you go anywhere that he is."
"True," Yunho winced slightly as he slowly made his way over to the recliner and eased down upon it.
"You said you could walk."
"I did, I just left out not well."
Changmin rolled his eyes. Damn professor.
"So, why haven't you told Jaejoong all of that?"
"He worries too much."
"He loves you," Yunho pointed out, "He tells me that at least once a day; I'm slightly jealous."
"He loves too much," Changmin amended.
"Do you really think that's possible?"
"I want to deal with this my way."
"It sounds like it's going wonderfully too."
Changmin glared at the professor and made to stand, "If you aren't going to say anything useful, then I'm going back to bed."
"So I'm wrong?"
Why did Yunho have to be a lawyer?
"Changmin, talk to me."
Changmin threw a pillow across the room. "Fine. It sucks. Happy?"
"Are you?"
"No," Changmin hissed, "I'm depressed and I can't stop thinking about her and I cry all the time and it isn't getting better and I can't take it anymore."
"So then go talk to her."
"She doesn't love me anymore."
"So what."
Distraught, Changmin began to wring the couch cushions because he had already thrown all the pillows to other parts of the room. "So she isn't going to want to talk to me! I can't just 'go get her' or sit outside her door until she lets me in. I already had her. I…She doesn't want me. And no one will understand anyway. Everyone hates her."
"They're not you."
"So you're saying I should go ask the girl who dated behind my back to love me again?"
"No, I'm telling you to go tell her that you can't get her off your mind and that maybe you can at least still be friends."
"I don't know what I want," Changmin admitted, flailing his arms slightly, "everything we had…all those things she was bored with…they were just material. We didn't have to do the letters or talk 247 or anything. Just…just having her, even for a little while…aish, I'm not making any sense."
He couldn't see anymore, hadn't really been able to for awhile, tears clouding everything. Hands pulled him close and Changmin let himself be held. It took him forever to realize that there was no way Yunho could be holding him because Yunho was not able to press people against his chest.
Confused, Changmin pulled away, clearing his eyes enough to see Junsu, face patterned from sleep and hair sticking up at odd angle with tears in his eyes.
"Junsu…"
"You…you were yelling slightly…" Junsu explained.
"I'm sorry."
"You have nothing to apologize for."
Junsu pulled Changmin closer and out of the corner of his eye, he saw Yunho ease himself up off the recliner and walk away, obviously feeling like his task was complete.
"Minnie…Changmin if you feel like you need to talk with her…"
"I just…I want to know how she is, but I'm so afraid that I'm not ready to see her. That I'll just jump her and kiss her senseless to try and fill the void she's left inside of me."
Junsu placed a hand over Changmin's chest while kissing the other's forehead. "All that tough talk about wanting to love her to Yunho but now you tell me that you're scared shitless."
"I…I really don't know what I've said," Changmin admitted.
"So start over and explain it in two sentences."
Changmin considered this before whispering, "I forgive her. I miss her. I'm scared of what that means. I'm scared of what people will think of me when then find out that I still feel for her and I'm really scared of telling her and I don't know if I should because she told me that she doesn't love me anymore so why should she care about how I feel? I just…want to make sure that she's okay. I need to know that she's okay, Junsu."
"I'm pretty sure that was more than two sentences but whatever. I'm not picky."
"Better not let Yoochun hear that."
Junsu hit Changmin playfully. "Let me do something for you, Min."
"Mm."
"Let me go talk to Soo Ae."
Changmin stared incredulously at his friend.
"Please," Junsu added, "The thing is, we all still care for her, we all want to know how she's dealing with all of this, and if she wants to talk to you then you can and if not, you save yourself lectures from Jaejoong."
"Always good," Changmin asserted, letting his fingers run over Junsu's torso, wondering in the back of his mind if Yoochun did it to Junsu and if it felt different.
"I'll take Yoochun with me since he can't go to class tomorrow any way until Yunho straightens all that shit out."
They were silent as Changmin ran through the pros and cons in his head. By the end of it he was too tired to form any sort of rational argument either way so he went with his heart.
"Alright. You can talk to her."
~~~~~
Again, I have no idea how I managed to update so fast lol. Oh well.
I was re-reading some of my earlier verses the other day and I was like wow, I actually said this wasn't going to be long and drawn out. Whoops.
Also, interesting, random law!verse fact...Yunho and Jaejoong weren't actually supposed to get together until after Yunho got hurt. Course, there wouldn't have been so many verses in between but... hehe. :) Not that anyone cares, but I figured I'd share it anyway. Oh and Happy 4th to those celebrating :)
Comments?
"Changmin, this is Yejin, and vice versa. Minnie, say hi and then stand there stupidly for a second so the obligatory awkward moment is over and she doesn't have to be the one to do it."
"Hyung!"
Yejin laughed and Jaejoong immediately knew that he had said the right thing.
"I'm not Seungyon!" Changmin muttered irritably as Jaejoong patted his shoulder
"I know, that's why you're here. Now go."
Jaejoong shooed them away and walked out of the mini law library housed in the building's basement (for quick reference in case you didn't have time to walk across campus to the main library,) waving to Donghae distractedly who was lugging a fish tank across campus.
It was going to be terribly awkward in the fall, Jaejoong mused, when he went back to being a student.
"Your notes are mess," Changmin stated.
"I know," Yejin supplied weakly, "That's why I'm here."
"How have you survived Yunho's class so far?"
"I haven't."
Changmin looked up from the scrawl of letters, immediately feeling slightly guilty. "I'm sorry," he apologized, "I'm used to just yelling at Jaejoong when he does something stupid. I didn't think."
"I…can't picture Jaejoong doing something stupid."
"That's because he's your teacher and he's my friend. I only saw Yunho in one particular way for years and it's only recently that I've been getting to know his non-teacher personality."
"You're…friends with Yunho?"
Changmin smiled. "Yes, and I'm sure that's going to be an awkward factor come fall, for more reasons than one."
"Why is that?"
Well, besides that fact that I can no longer look at him without thinking about what I almost accidentally interrupted the other night because I was hungry? "Oh, nothing in particular, I guess. Just…going back to being student-professor after being friend-friend…"
I am so lame.
"Oh…" Yejin seemed to accept this and Changmin wondered if she had even actually heard anything he had just said.
"Let's talk about your notes. Yunho never talks about stuff in the book because he assumes that you've read it. So he extrapolates on it."
"So I absolutely have to read everything before class?'
Changmin stared at her horrified. "You mean you haven't been?"
Yejin bit her lip, "Well, I've at least skimmed."
"Why don't you tell me how you study."
"You'll just yell at me," Yejin said quietly and Changmin inwardly sighed.
"I won't yell, I promise. I will work so hard with you so that the next test you will blow both Jaejoong and Yunho completely out of the water."
"Really?"
"Cross my heart."
"Okay."
Changmin felt his first smile in weeks (that wasn't forced for Sun Hea or Jaejoong) creep onto his face. It felt very good.
Jaejoong was leaning towards Yunho for a kiss when Yoochun came bursting through the door, looking positively livid.
"What's wrong?" Yunho asked, and Jaejoong looked an awakening Junsu who had been napping on the couch, waiting for Yoochun to get back so that they could go out to dinner. Junsu looked rather worried.
"Your replacement threw me out of the classroom. And then," Yoochun held up a hand as Jaejoong opened his mouth to swear, "he made me wait in the hallway like some highschooler until class was done and walked me to the dean's office - the dean's office - and told him that I was disruptive and that I, fuck what was the phrase…oh, 'refused to learn like an obedient student and adored Professor Jung to an absurd degree."
Yoochun took a breath and Jaejoong was gripping the arm of Yunho's recliner so hard his hands were white.
"And he fucking 'respectfully requested' that I 'be suspended until further notice' and that 'Professor Yunho be put under review for incorrect teaching methods' and…" Yoochun trailed off, swallowing nervously, voice finally quieting as he met Jaejoong's eyes. "um…also for improper relations with students."
The sound of the apartment door opening seemed to echo slightly and Changmin came into the living area, grumbling. "There's an unmarked police car watching the door again, hyung."
He stopped mid stride, noticing the tense atmosphere perhaps a few seconds late. "Um…"
"No," Jaejoong whispered, "No, we were so careful; there's no way anyone could have found out."
"What's going on?" Changmin looked from Junsu to Yunho.
"What did the Dean say?" Yunho asked.
"He suspended me. He wouldn't even listen to my side of the story."
"Wait, what did I miss?" Changmin stared in horror at Yoochun, "What did you do?"
"Nothing. I…I was so calm, I didn't yell. I stood up and recited everything, word for word," Yoochun was looking at Yunho, "I rebutted every single one of his arguments and I had people interested, engaged even. And then he just said, 'too bad you had Professor Jung prepare everything for you,' which you didn't…"
Junsu had come up behind Yoochun and wrapped arms around him. Yoochun tried to hold his composure, but Jaejoong was sure that it was only a matter of moments before he started crying.
"You were incredibly helpful and…well fuck." He looked back to Jaejoong, "I…I don't think he knows, Joongie, but now you're going to have to be extra careful. I'm sorry, this is all my fault."
Jaejoong found himself sandwiching Yoochun with Junsu and he whispered, "No one is blaming you, Yoochunnie, no one at all."
"I'm the one that's sorry," Yunho said softly from his chair.
Jaejoong turned around and glared at Yunho. "This is not your fault, Jung Yunho."
"Well it's someone's fault," Junsu growled.
"Obviously the idiot professor's," Jaejoong said, "who I'd really like to go punch."
"Because that would solve everything, hyung," Changmin plopped himself down on the couch. "Would you like to hear some good news?"
"Yes," all four men said at once.
"I discovered part of the reason why Yejin is failing."
Jaejoong perked up. "Really?"
Changmin shot Yunho a look. "She wasn't reading."
Junsu squeaked.
Yunho sighed, "No matter how many times I say it, no one ever reads."
"I read!" Jaejoong protested.
"You all read," Yunho said, and then glanced at Junsu, amending, "Mostly."
"Can we talk about Yoochunie being suspended?" Junsu asked, "That seems to be more of a problem…no offense," he added quietly, and Yunho just winked.
"You're not suspended," he said, "I will call the Dean tomorrow and fix that, it's the most ridiculous thing ever."
"Thank you," Yoochun said weakly, collapsing onto the couch, his head in Junsu lap.
"Do not put your feet on me, Yoochun."
Jaejoong smiled a little as Yoochun purposefully stretched his legs out, digging underneath Changmin's legs. "Hyung, don't put them near me, on me, under me, or anywhere within my general vicinity."
"They're cold," Yoochun pouted.
"Then put some socks on," Changmin said, irate, "We should order out, Jaejoong."
"Fine," Jaejoong murmured, already back to sitting beside Yunho's recliner, head resting by his thigh.
Yoochun uttered a loud exclamation suddenly, making everyone jump. "That stupid bastard, he's making me so mad."
"Yoochun."
Jaejoong looked up at Yunho's tone of voice, mind immediately scurrying back to student-teacher mode. That was never a tone to argue with. "Stop worrying. I'll take care of it."
A nod ended the discussion.
Changmin ordered pizza (as dictated by Sun Hea when she had woken from her nap,) and they sat around the TV eating it, watching cartoons, talking about anything but the University and stupid professors.
Junsu crawled into Yoochun's bed (his presence was now pretty much guaranteed in the household,) and pressed his nose into Yoochun's neck. "I'm sorry your day sucked," he whispered.
Yoochun bumbled his way through a few syllables and Junsu wondered if it was meant to be a sentence.
"Hey, you know I love you, right? Suspension or no."
"Gee thanks. It really would have sucked if you had left me because of that."
"I won't ever leave you."
A finger slid underneath his chin, raising it, and warm lips fell upon his own.
"I know."
Yunho pulled Jaejoong down for the kiss he should have received hours ago. "Much better," he murmured and Jaejoong sat down gingerly upon his lap. "This chair is getting to be slightly uncomfortable."
"I think you're trying to wheedle your way into my bed."
"I just want to sleep well."
"You just want to sleep with me."
"I think I taught you too well," Yunho muttered.
Jaejoong poked him.
"Please?" Yunho tried to pull the face that Jaejoong always used on him. He wasn't sure if it was successful. "I promise to rest on lots of pillows and not touch you. Sexually."
Jaejoong snorted and Yunho considered tickling him, just to see his smile.
"Jaejoong, it's been a week of sleeping on this damn recliner, my ankle is fine now, my ribs are healing…I love you?"
"Jung Yunho was that a question?"
"No," Yunho said weakly. "That was pleading."
Yunho heard a sigh and he knew that he had won. Apparently he hadn't taught Jaejoong too well. Who knew if that was actually a good thing.
"If you are any worse in the morning..."
You and your threats. "I will go back to sleeping out here. And I will grovel and you can say I told you so as many times as you like and I will do whatever you tell me for a whole week."
"Really?"
"When I'm better," Yunho added as an afterthought.
"Deal."
Yunho knew what Jaejoong was thinking. Either way I win
"Thank you for taking care of Yoochun," Jaejoong said, when Yunho was resting on four pillows, breathing easy, their hand linked together under blankets.
"He was treated unfairly."
"Who did you call after supper?"
"A friend. He's pulling a few strings for me to straighten everything out."
"Is this friend like all your other friends?"
"What is that supposed to mean exactly?"
"Just that you have unique friends."
"I think we should move onto another topic. Come get closer to me, you are too far away."
Yunho closed his eyes, loving the sound the sheets made as Jaejoong moved in them, wiggling closer, resting on the same pile of pillows. "See, this was a brilliant idea. I should pull a patent for it so that no one can ever sleep in your bed but me."
Jaejoong laughed. "That was a good line."
"It comes from being brilliant. Ow. I'm injured, remember?"
Before making his way into the kitchen, Changmin listened (something he should have done the last time,) to make sure that every one was asleep. Hearing nothing, be crept through the living room and then snorted when he saw that the recliner was empty. Apparently, someone had done some sweet talking.
Feeling less apprehensive (though still cautious, his hyungs were very creative with their time together,) he searched out the refrigerator and decided that he did not want leftovers. Or anything else in the fridge. Or the pantry.
He knew what he wanted (the midnight snack that Soo Ae used to make him) and he had been craving it terribly. He had tried to make it, but that had turned out worse than Seungyon making Jaejoong breakfast. It had taken a lot of persuading and bribing of Yoochun to not tell Jaejoong. Changmin knew that he should have pestered Soo Ae for the recipe more seriously but he hadn't really expected to never have her to make it for him.
Finally settling on the last pear (Seungyon was going to kill him but whatever,) Changmin hefted himself onto the counter to eat it.
He thought that he was doing relatively well, considering. He had genuinely smiled earlier in the day, which he felt good about. Not exactly something he could share with anyone else because they would most likely only see that he hadn't been genuinely smiling up to that point, but Changmin was a glass half full sort of person.
So was Soo Ae, but that memory really wasn't helping anything.
Changmin finished his snack (which did nothing to sate his craving) and flopped down onto the couch to consider his position.
The previous night he had come to something of a realization and he wasn't particularly sure what he was supposed to do about it.
The night that Soo Ae had called him crying he had thought someone had died. He didn't ever remember getting to her apartment so fast in his entire life. And then she cried in his arms for minutes upon end before pulling away and sitting separate from him. That's when he knew that someone hadn't died and when she finally met his eyes his heart stopped because he just knew what she was going to say.
And the thing of it was, that was what hurt the most. The cheating (he used the word liberally, no matter what Yoochun said; cheating usually equated sex and Soo Ae had sworn up and down that they hadn't, I wouldn't have, Minnie, I didn't!,) seemed inconsequential to Soo Ae, his Soo Ae, sitting at the far side of the couch and whispering that she had fallen out of love with him.
He thought that maybe he could have forgiven her if she discovered at the end of it all that she really did still love him more than anything. No scratch that. He did forgive her (because he still loved her and you forgive people that you love no matter what they do,) what he thought was that they maybe could have fixed this if she still loved him.
But he hadn't talked to her. She hadn't done anything to contact him. So he just sat here and wallowed not knowing what to think or do or feel.
And it was really, really hard.
Changmin took a breath.
"So that's how you feel."
Changmin spun around, almost launching himself from the couch to find Yunho resting against a doorframe.
"Y-you. Ribs. Jaejoong! What?" Glad to see that you can properly splutter Changmin. The next step is actual sentences.
"Yes, me. I can walk with broken ribs, believe it or not, and Jaejoong is sleeping. I'm not too particularly sure about the last word…what were you referring to?"
"Wh-what are you doing?'
"Well, I was going to the bathroom. These sorts of urges come upon people in the middle of the night. It's actually quite a common occurrence. And then I heard you talking and you sounded distressed so…" Yunho waved his hand like it would finish the sentence for him.
"Wait I…I said all of that out loud?"
"You had me intrigued at, 'that's what hurt the most.'"
Changmin knew he had paled. "Please don't tell Jaejoong."
"What could I tell him that he doesn't already know? He's pretty smart at figuring out people's emotions without them having to say anything…are you going to let me sit down so we can talk or are you going to make me go back to bed?"
Changmin thought about it, "You can sit," he said, "But considering that you're sleeping with Jaejoong, I don't think I would have to make you go anywhere that he is."
"True," Yunho winced slightly as he slowly made his way over to the recliner and eased down upon it.
"You said you could walk."
"I did, I just left out not well."
Changmin rolled his eyes. Damn professor.
"So, why haven't you told Jaejoong all of that?"
"He worries too much."
"He loves you," Yunho pointed out, "He tells me that at least once a day; I'm slightly jealous."
"He loves too much," Changmin amended.
"Do you really think that's possible?"
"I want to deal with this my way."
"It sounds like it's going wonderfully too."
Changmin glared at the professor and made to stand, "If you aren't going to say anything useful, then I'm going back to bed."
"So I'm wrong?"
Why did Yunho have to be a lawyer?
"Changmin, talk to me."
Changmin threw a pillow across the room. "Fine. It sucks. Happy?"
"Are you?"
"No," Changmin hissed, "I'm depressed and I can't stop thinking about her and I cry all the time and it isn't getting better and I can't take it anymore."
"So then go talk to her."
"She doesn't love me anymore."
"So what."
Distraught, Changmin began to wring the couch cushions because he had already thrown all the pillows to other parts of the room. "So she isn't going to want to talk to me! I can't just 'go get her' or sit outside her door until she lets me in. I already had her. I…She doesn't want me. And no one will understand anyway. Everyone hates her."
"They're not you."
"So you're saying I should go ask the girl who dated behind my back to love me again?"
"No, I'm telling you to go tell her that you can't get her off your mind and that maybe you can at least still be friends."
"I don't know what I want," Changmin admitted, flailing his arms slightly, "everything we had…all those things she was bored with…they were just material. We didn't have to do the letters or talk 247 or anything. Just…just having her, even for a little while…aish, I'm not making any sense."
He couldn't see anymore, hadn't really been able to for awhile, tears clouding everything. Hands pulled him close and Changmin let himself be held. It took him forever to realize that there was no way Yunho could be holding him because Yunho was not able to press people against his chest.
Confused, Changmin pulled away, clearing his eyes enough to see Junsu, face patterned from sleep and hair sticking up at odd angle with tears in his eyes.
"Junsu…"
"You…you were yelling slightly…" Junsu explained.
"I'm sorry."
"You have nothing to apologize for."
Junsu pulled Changmin closer and out of the corner of his eye, he saw Yunho ease himself up off the recliner and walk away, obviously feeling like his task was complete.
"Minnie…Changmin if you feel like you need to talk with her…"
"I just…I want to know how she is, but I'm so afraid that I'm not ready to see her. That I'll just jump her and kiss her senseless to try and fill the void she's left inside of me."
Junsu placed a hand over Changmin's chest while kissing the other's forehead. "All that tough talk about wanting to love her to Yunho but now you tell me that you're scared shitless."
"I…I really don't know what I've said," Changmin admitted.
"So start over and explain it in two sentences."
Changmin considered this before whispering, "I forgive her. I miss her. I'm scared of what that means. I'm scared of what people will think of me when then find out that I still feel for her and I'm really scared of telling her and I don't know if I should because she told me that she doesn't love me anymore so why should she care about how I feel? I just…want to make sure that she's okay. I need to know that she's okay, Junsu."
"I'm pretty sure that was more than two sentences but whatever. I'm not picky."
"Better not let Yoochun hear that."
Junsu hit Changmin playfully. "Let me do something for you, Min."
"Mm."
"Let me go talk to Soo Ae."
Changmin stared incredulously at his friend.
"Please," Junsu added, "The thing is, we all still care for her, we all want to know how she's dealing with all of this, and if she wants to talk to you then you can and if not, you save yourself lectures from Jaejoong."
"Always good," Changmin asserted, letting his fingers run over Junsu's torso, wondering in the back of his mind if Yoochun did it to Junsu and if it felt different.
"I'll take Yoochun with me since he can't go to class tomorrow any way until Yunho straightens all that shit out."
They were silent as Changmin ran through the pros and cons in his head. By the end of it he was too tired to form any sort of rational argument either way so he went with his heart.
"Alright. You can talk to her."
~~~~~
Again, I have no idea how I managed to update so fast lol. Oh well.
I was re-reading some of my earlier verses the other day and I was like wow, I actually said this wasn't going to be long and drawn out. Whoops.
Also, interesting, random law!verse fact...Yunho and Jaejoong weren't actually supposed to get together until after Yunho got hurt. Course, there wouldn't have been so many verses in between but... hehe. :) Not that anyone cares, but I figured I'd share it anyway. Oh and Happy 4th to those celebrating :)
Comments?
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But I'm sure they all still care for her.
I mean she was part of their lives for way too long to just be forgotten with a snap.
They all cared for her too much and it's not as if she's a bad person.
In fact she's only human. And humans do things - they live.
Thx for updating, dear! :3
*smooches u*
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They all cared for her too much and it's not as if she's a bad person.
In fact she's only human. And humans do things - they live.
exactly. :) <3
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OH! Did u see? I'm 2nd! Muhahahaha~