Journey's End (Chapter 17)
Title: Journey’s End
Pairings: Jaeho as a main, but there will also be: JaeChun, MinHo, ChanSu (Changmin/Junsu) and maybe some Yoosu.
Rating: PG to NC-17
Genre: Adventure, angst, romance, drama
Summary:Yunho, an unhappily married man, gets on a boat headed to Germany. That same day, a violent storm hits and the boat is destroyed. When Yunho awakes on a foreign shore, he’s tossed into an adventure of werewolves, vampires, lust, greed and destiny. WARNINGS: This story will contain adult themes such as sex between two men as well as violence, gore and nonconsensual sex.
Chapters: Forwards _Chapter One_ Chapter Two_ Chapter Three_ Chapter Four_ Chapter Five_ Chapter Six_ Chapter Seven_ Chapter Eight_ Chapter Nine_ Chapter Ten_ Chapter Eleven_ Chapter Twelve_ Chapter Thirteen_ Chapter Fourteen_ Chapter Fifteen
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It’s a fabulous thing, Yunho decides upon waking, to find himself wrapped in a strong embrace from behind. Especially now that the embrace doesn’t belong to Changmin. Jaejoong’s arms are warm where they touch Yunho’s skin, having absorbed some of the younger male’s body heat during the night. The feeling of warm skin and strong arms brings long forgotten memories back to the front of Yunho’s mind, flashing pictures of lovers long gone and broken hearts left behind. He’s never felt so relaxed in the embrace of another male before, considering that homosexuality and sodomy were illegal back in England.
Shifting onto his back, Yunho turns his head towards Jaejoong, a smile pulling at his lips when he finds the older male’s eyes closed and breathing shallow as if he really were asleep.
“Are you meditating?” Yunho whispers as he turns on his side to face Jaejoong.
“No, I’m sleeping.” Jaejoong responds in a voice just as soft, his arms tightening slightly around Yunho’s body.
“But vampires don’t sleep…” Yunho trails off, a smile playing on his lips as he watches Jaejoong’s motionless face.
“Don’t I look like I’m sleeping?”
“You look…” Yunho trails off as he takes in the beautiful lines of Jaejoong’s jaw and the smooth texture of his cold skin. His pink lips are parted slightly and some of his black hair has fallen in front of his closed eyes. Upon stopping to look, Yunho’s surprised to find Jaejoong so shockingly beautiful. He’s always seen Jaejoong as something untouchable and that cold exterior seemed to hide the brilliant beauty that Jaejoong possesses.
As if sensing his closer contemplation, Jaejoong opens his eyes and meets Yunho’s gaze with a questioning look. “You okay?” He asks as he brings a hand up to gently push a stray lock of hair out of Yunho’s face.
“You’re beautiful.” Yunho blurts out, his cheeks immediately growing warm as the unwelcome words slip from his mouth.
“Beautiful?” Jaejoong repeats the word with raised brow, the beginnings of an amused smile pulling at his lips.
“Beautiful…in a masculine way…?” Yunho smiles sheepishly before nuzzling his face into Jaejoong’s chest. The feel of smooth skin pressed against his warm cheeks is entirely pleasant and Jaejoong’s sturdy scent draws Yunho closer and grounds him in that moment of peace. He tangles their legs together while he plants the softest kiss on the older male’s chest.
“Would you be annoyed if I said I was still confused about us?” Yunho questions against Jaejoong’s chest, eyes closed and arms tightening their hold.
There’s a long pause in which Jaejoong gently strokes Yunho’s hair with a cold hand. “More puzzled than annoyed.” Jaejoong responds, his hand stopping it’s petting in favor of sliding down Yunho’s strong back.
“What’s confusing you?” He whispers into Yunho’s ear before planting a kiss against the younger male’s cheek.
“Well…” Yunho begins as he detangles himself and sits up so he’s resting against the headboard, “when did you start liking me and could you please clarify this thing with Yoochun?” He quirks his head to the side as he speaks, watching as the sheets fall away from Jaejoong’s smooth body as he sits up and joins Yunho against the headboard.
“It all came on rather gradually, but I guess around the time you got kidnapped was when I first started realizing that I had more than friendly feelings towards you.” Jaejoong licked at his bottom lip as he stroked at the back of Yunho’s hand, as if doing so helped him to gather his thoughts. “The whole situation with Changmin really forced me to realize that I was falling for you harder than I wanted to admit.”
“So…why were you acting like you had a stick up your ass whenever I was around?”
Jaejoong’s brow raises in surprise at Yunho’s words, the corners of his mouth pulling down in a hint of a frown. “What do you mean?”
Yunho sighs and shrugs his shoulders, searching for the correct way to verbalize his thoughts. “Well, you always lorded it over me that you were the leader and so much bigger and stronger than me. It felt like you made it a point to put me down whenever you could.” Yunho finishes with a twist of his mouth to the side and a half shrug of his shoulders.
“I don’t think I ever lorded it over you, Yunho. I don’t usually have to assert my claim as leader, but you were so petulant and kept pushing at my patience.” Jaejoong meets the younger male’s gaze, his own eyes holding a defensive, yet slightly abashed look.
“Yeah, but I was being treated like complete dirt…and it wasn’t like I could make any of you stop.” Yunho crosses his arms over his chest in a motion of habit, fully knowing how childish the move makes him look. “The more I tried to hold my own, the more you guys kicked my feet out from under me. Except for Junsu, he’s been beyond nice to me.” Yunho adds the last part as he glances away from Jaejoong to look at the foot of the bed.
“It might have helped if you just told us your problem.” Jaejoong points out, eyes narrowing as he takes in Yunho’s defensively crossed arms.
“Oh right,” Yunho scoffs, eyes rolling before he narrows them in a glare, “because me blathering on about my feelings being hurt would have garnered me tons of respect, I’m sure.”
“I would have made sure Changmin left you alone.” Jaejoong responds, voice edging into his usual icy tone.
“Yeah? So who would have kept you off my fucking case, Jaejoong?” Yunho snaps as he stands from the bed and pulls on his boxers.
With a growl of annoyance, Jaejoong stands from the bed and snatches Yunho’s shirt away from him. “Look, Yunho…” Jaejoong breathes, discarding Yunho’s shirt to the floor in favor of reaching out to touch Yunho’s heated face. “I’m sorry if the way you were treated in the past seemed cruel. But that’s all changed now. You’re more than capable of standing on your own and you know that you have more value in the group.”
Yunho feels his annoyance cooling slightly as he looks into Jaejoong’s eyes and sees the sincerity there. Though some part of him still wants to hold on a begrudge each one of them for the things that had happened to him, he knows that what Jaejoong said is true. Things had changed. “Alright.” Yunho finally lets himself relax into Jaejoong’s embrace, his head resting against the older male’s shoulder.
“You still have yet to explain your relationship with Yoochun.”
Jaejoong pulls back, his hand running down the length of Yunho’s arm. “What do you not understand about my relationship with Yoochun?” He questions as he reaches down and grabs his underwear off the floor.
“Well, I just don’t understand how the two of your are just friends. I mean, I saw the two of you stumbling off into the woods to have sex, and--”
“Wait, you what?” Jaejoong cuts in, eyebrows arching as he turns his gaze towards Yunho.
Yunho feels a hot blush creep up his cheeks as he realizes his slip of tongue. His first reaction is to try and cover it up by simply denying he’d said anything, but a second of rational thought had him rethinking that idea. “It was that first day that we met up with Yoochun.” Yunho responds, eyes flickering everywhere but towards Jaejoong.
“Ah, so that’s why you’ve always had such a problem with him?” Jaejoong questions, eyebrows arching as he casts an amused sort of smile down on Yunho.
Yunho bites his lip to keep himself from spewing words of denial. Truth be told, he hadn’t liked Yoochun from the moment he’d first met the other male on the boat.
“How could I not have a problem with the one person who got to be so close to you?” Yunho responds as he ducks his head and inches closer to Jaejoong’s sturdy form.
Jaejoong huffed and wrapped his arms around Yunho’s shoulders. “Sadly enough, I know how you felt.” He chuckles and plants a kiss on the top of Yunho’s head. “Let’s finish getting dressed and then get out of here.” He adds as he pulls back and reaches down to grab his discarded shirt.
Yunho groans and tips his head back to stare at the ceiling. “Do we really have to go so soon? I love being able to sleep in an actual bed…” He trails off, watching the play of Jaejoong’s muscles under taut skin, “…and being able to be so close to you…” He whispers as he walks over and slides his hands across Jaejoong’s icy skin.
The older male straightens, pulling in a deep breath through his nose as Yunho’s hands sink further down his chest. “As wonderful as a repeat from last night sounds, I’m afraid that our welcome here is running dangerously short. I don’t want anyone to get hurt.” Jaejoong grabs Yunho’s hands and pulls them away from their resting spot on his hips, long fingers twining with the younger male’s.
A sigh fills the room as Yunho accepts the fact that he won’t be staying in a warm bed with Jaejoong wrapped around him. “Alright.” He concedes with a half smile before he pulls away and reaches for his shirt.
Whilst Jaejoong and Yunho had their little tiff, Changmin and Junsu were in much the same situation.
“So, you upset that the bond was broken?” Junsu questions as he leans against the headboard of his bed, his legs kicked up casually on the mattress, ankles crossed and feet tapping out a silent melody.
Changmin looks up from the book he’d been reading, his eyebrows arching as he gives Junsu a long look. “Would you be upset if I was upset about the bond being broken?” He questions in a lazy manner as he turns his eyes back towards the book.
“No!” Junsu shoots back perhaps a bit too quickly.
The force of Junsu’s answer draws Changmin’s interested gaze, his eyes sparkling with thinly veiled amusement. “Ah, so you mean that if I were to march over to Yunho’s room and shove my dick up his-”
“Don’t be such a vulgar pig, Changmin.” Junsu cuts in, his eyes dark with disapproval.
Changmin arches his brow, his lips forming a half smile. “That sounds oddly like jealousy to me, Babe.”
“What, the fact that I don’t want you talking about your sexual fantasies makes me jealous?” Junsu shoots back as he sits up in order to glare at the younger male.
“Very much so.” Changmin chuckles as he stands and strides over to Junsu’s bed, his gaze penetrating as he looks down at the younger male. “It’s okay, you know, to be jealous.”
Changmin’s last words caused Junsu to jump up from his spot on the bed with an indignant huff, “I’m not jealo-” he’s cut off when Changmin suddenly grabs his chin and leans forward to plant a kiss on his full lips.
They stand motionless for a moment, Junsu’s eyes, having been wide open with shock, begin to flutter and eventually fall shut as he leans into the taller male. He brings his hands up and wraps them around Changmin’s waist, fingers digging into the muscled plane of the taller male’s back.
Changmin lets out a puff of air through his nose as Junsu parts his lips, opening himself for Changmin’s exploration. He lets his tongue slide past plump lips and skim over white teeth till he feels the cool press of the smaller male’s tongue against his own.
They moan in tandem, hands gripping a little tighter and breath coming a little faster.
A thud fills the room as Junsu is roughly shoved against the wall, his eyes burning with lust as he lifts his legs and wraps them around Changmin’s hips. The two meld together, moaning into each other’s mouths.
Junsu grinds his hips down on Changmin with fervor, a whimper echoing at the back of his throat as the pleasure shoots through his body. He arches up, hands fisting Changmin’s hair as he pulls the younger male closer.
Just as Changmin begins to reach for the buttons of the other male’s pants, a knock sounds on the door and the two startle. Changmin steps back and Junsu, not expecting the move, falls to the floor in a graceless heap of limbs.
“You guys up and ready to go?”
Changmin purses his lips, eyes closing as he pushes a hand through his disheveled hair. “We’ll be down in about an hour.” He calls, glancing back towards the door with a peeved expression.
“An hour?” The surprise is clear in Jaejoong’s voice, despite the thick wood of the door being in his way.
“Yeah, like, sixty minutes or three thousand six hundred seconds.” Changmin shoots back, his gaze now trained on Junsu as the smaller male stands from the floor and brushes himself off.
“We’re coming out now.” Junsu calls, pushing past Changmin with a glare and a very audible huff.
Changmin arches his brow at Junsu’s choice of words, a small smirk flickering on his lips for a moment before he settles his face into a glare and marches after the tantalizing form of the shorter male.
“You have no idea just how terrible your timing is.” He growls towards Jaejoong as he breezes out of the door and down the hallway with the air of a slighted man lingering around him.
Jaejoong’s eyebrows climb up his forehead as he watches the younger male walk away. “Care to explain that to me?” He questions Junsu, his gaze shifting to the equally waspish face of his companion.
Junsu rubs at the spot where his elbow had made contact with the floor, his eyes narrowing as he glances down the hallway after Changmin, “You interrupted his masturbation session.” He responds shortly before striding down the hall.
Jaejoong’s lips flutter up in a smile of confusion and amusement, his gaze shifting to the equally befuddled Yunho. “I guess we came at a bad time.” He chuckles in a low voice before moving to follow the Junsu down the hall.
Yunho just arches his eyebrows as he follows after Jaejoong, his mind wondering off into rather unwelcome territories. He’s thinking about his wife, of all the things to think about. Her picture is fuzzy in his head and he often finds himself feeling as if that life was some distant dream that had plagued him at night. His wife and his children now seem less of a reality then vampires and werewolves had when he first stepped onto the Ocean Majesty.
Looking at things now, Yunho’s beginning to wonder if he ever wants to go back to the life he’d lived before. His old life had been so full of lies and obligations that the world around him had lost all its color. Things are different with Jaejoong and the rest of the gang. Sure, things had gotten off to a rocky start, but now Yunho feels that things are at a turning point; he’s being accepted.
Yunho’s jerked from his thoughts when he stumbles forward and nearly falls down the stairs. He feels a rush of panic dart through his body as he swings his arms in some attempt to stabilize himself. Just as he’s about to go diving down the stairs, he feels a strong hand close around his upper arm, jerking him away form the edge of the stairs.
“What thoughts must you be thinking to not notice a flight of stairs right under your nose.” Jaejoong mutters, eyes narrowed in a contemplative stare before he plants a soft kiss on Yunho’s cheek and turns away.
“Sorry…thank you.” Yunho mutters, feeling his cheeks warm the smallest bit. “Just a bit preoccupied.” He adds as he makes his way down the steps, hand gripping firmly at the rail.
“I can tell.” Jaejoong responds, turning his head to the side in order to look back at Yunho, “it’s alright.” He flashes a small smile before he descends the last step.
Yunho’s warm smile of response slackens greatly when the group is met with more cold stares and muttering upon entering the foyer.
“It seems like they would have gotten over this already.” Yunho whispers to Junsu, his eyes scanning the groups of people.
“Are you kidding? As much as they hate us, we’re the most exciting thing that’s happened to them since the pigs got loose.” Changmin cuts in as he steps up and throws an arm around Yunho’s shoulder.
Somewhere off to his left, Yunho hears a woman mutter, “sodomizing demons.” The words send a rush of panic through his body, years of seeing men carted off to jail for sodomy had left a deep mark on him.
“Is sodomy…legal here?” Yunho whispers, his throat constricting with uncalled-for panic.
“Tsh, no one outside of the werewolf and Lamia clans practice any type of homosexuality. They would arrest us if they had the power to. Seeing as how they don’t, we get to fuck all the boys we want.”
“Changmin.” Junsu growls, pinching the bridge of his nose as if fending off a headache.
“Why only the werewolves and vampires?” Yunho questions, confusion written clear across his face.
“Don’t know. Just seems that a majority of the werewolves and Lamia are gay…maybe it’s genetic.” Changmin responds, gleefully ignoring Junsu’s obvious annoyance.
"Alright you guys, that's enough." Jaejoong cuts in before Yunho has time to formulate his response to what he's been told. He supposes that it makes sense that the common people would have to let the vampires and werewolves to whatever they wanted. After all, from what he's seen, the humans don't really have a way of stopping illegal activities concerning the two immortal species.
"Always trying to be so diplomatic about things." Changmin tsks in a playful sort of voice, only to drop his head when Jaejoong gives him a long stare.
"I'd just rather not end up with a bloody battle on our hands, I'm not quite sure that's being diplomatic about things." Jaejoong responds evenly before he passes the group and makes his way towards the exit.
Yunho can't help the small smile that plays on his lips as he watches Jaejoong leave the hotel. One of the things he finds himself very attracted to is the older male's attitude. Something in the way he carries himself and behaves. All of it's just very attractive.
"Surely you didn't want to have the bond broken just so you could play with him instead of me..." Changmin's teasing voice curls into Yunho's ear, causing involuntary shivers to race down his spine. Whether he ever wanted to admit it, Changmin was appealing in more than one way. His body, though tall and slightly lanky, was packed with nothing but pure muscle, and his skin was practically flawless. He has a fantastic body and knows how to use it.. Aside from his body, Changmin's voice could reach a husky growl that makes Yunho ache from the memory alone. It was just that sharp as a knife personality that makes Yunho pull away with a disgusted shiver.
"I'd have wanted the bond broken no matter what, Changmin." He finds his reply to be rather lackluster, but he can't quite bring himself to come up with anything better.
"Oh, that was rather lacking. Jaejoong must have kept you up late last night." Changmin throws over his shoulder as he strides from the hotel lobby like the peacock he is.
"He's such a dick." Junsu mutters as he passes by Yunho, tossing a look of sympathy back at Yunho.
Yunho's brow arches as he follows after Junsu, the smallest smile pulling his lips upwards. Though he may have been wrapped up in himself, he hadn't failed to notice the spark that had recently developed between Junsu and Changmin.
"So, what do you know about Changmin's dick?" He whispers as he pulls up next to the older boy.
Junsu pulls back, turning large eyes on Yunho's smiling face. "I beg your pardon?" He splutters a bit, eyes blinking rather more than necessary.
"Well, I figure that the two of you must have slept together by now." Yunho responds in a low voice, tugging Junsu closer to insure that Changmin doesn't happen to over hear the conversation.
Junsu seems to grope for words for a moment, his mouth opening and closing a few times before he lets out a sigh and shakes his head. "We haven't slept together yet. Nothing has really happened between us except for this morning." He confides, glancing off to his left as a woman shouts something unintelligible at them.
"Seems odd that Changmin would wait so long to make a move." Yunho responds, eyes locking on the woman across the street. She's a worn looking woman, as if she'd spent most of her life doing hard labor and living in general squalor. Yunho feels a pang of guilt for her as she passes out of his vision.
"I know. I'm kind of hoping that it's a sign that he's genuinely interested in me." Junsu answers as he straightens and wipes a hand down the front of his black tunic, as if that would somehow make sure Changmin liked him for the right reasons.
"I hope he is." Yunho sighs as he glances up to where Changmin and Jaejoong are walking a ways ahead. "At least then he would get off my back."
"I'm really sorry about that. Like I said, he can be a dick."
"It's a pity that he's just so damn good looking, isn't it?" Yunho chuckles, glancing at Junsu from the corner of his eyes to gauge the older male's reaction to having Changmin called hot by another guy.
"His only redeeming quality." Junsu laughs, shaking his head. "Jaejoong's not so bad either." He adds as he elbows Yunho and gives a suggestive arch of his eyebrows.
"You have no idea just how good he is." Yunho responds, eyes locking onto Jaejoong's lean form. Memories from the night before flood his mind, sending pleasant shivers throughout his entire body.
"Well, if what I heard last night was any indication, he's pretty fantastic."
Yunho feels embarrassment eating away at him as he turns his head to look at Junsu, "did we really make that much noise?" He questions, giving a sheepish sort of smile.
Junsu meets his gaze and lets out a chuckle before responding, "yeah."
"Fuck, I'm sorry." Yunho mutters, ducking his head in the way he always did to hide a blush. He still did it out of habit, even though he couldn't really blush anymore.
"No, no, it was quite...entertaining." Junsu chuckles straightening his shoulders and wiping the smile off his face when Jaejoong turns back to them with narrowed eyes.
"Something feels off."
Yunho hears the words and can't help but jump slightly when he finds Jaejoong right by his side. He tries not to feel babied when he feels a protective hand resting on the small of his back. Jaejoong does it out of habit, Yunho knows, but it doesn't help him feel less like an invalid.
"I was getting the same feeling." Changmin responds, eyes narrowed as he scans the crowd with a penetrating gaze.
All four sit in silence for a moment, huddled close together as if to protect themselves from their unseen foe.
Yunho doesn't see any danger, but he feels the rush of energy through his body, as if he knows on instinct that there's danger lurking close by.
"We need to get out of here. Now." Jaejoong commands, eyes still skating over the crowd as he begins to move towards the edge of the town.
"What do you think it is?" Yunho whispers his question as he walks next to Jaejoong. His fists clench in a physical manifestation of his nerves.
"Something much more dangerous than the townspeople." Jaejoong responds in an absent voice, his pace quickening as they near the edge of the town.
Jaejoong's words send a thrill of fear down Yunho's spine and he finds himself glancing around in a more frantic manner.
"It's okay, Yunho, I'm not gonna let anyone harm you or the rest of the group." Though his words are reassuring, his body is still tensed, like a tightly wound spring ready to let loose at a moment's notice.
They walk for about a minute, Junsu and Changmin's stances begin to relax marginally as they near the edge of the village.
"Maybe we're just being parinoi-" Yunho's cut off mid-sentence when something slams into him, sending him careening through the air like a rag doll.
The air flees his lungs and he's left blind for a moment when he's slammed into the ground with by an inhuman force. He can feel his shoulder dislocate and the bones crack from the force of his contact with the ground. He lets out a cry of pain, swinging blindly like it's going to protect him from his attacker.
His eyes fly open and he glances around widely, not even seeing the figure that hefts him off the ground and sends him flying into a small hut about 50 feet away.
Yunho's mind is a complete haze of pain mixed with the beginning tingles of his body beginning to heal itself. He can feel chunks of wood digging deep into his back, piercing his skin like a knife through butter. He doesn't even contemplate moving, his body feeling stuck where it is.
Outside of the shattered remnants of the hut, people ran screaming as two figures in dark cloaks advance on the three remaining vampires.
Jaejoong is the first to move, launching himself towards one of the attackers, his body taut with tension waiting to be released.
The figure doges with ease, side-stepping Jaejoong's lung with the fluid grace that only comes from years of training.
The second attacker reaches out with lightning fast reflexes, catching Jaejoong by the neck and tossing him back across the clearing.
Jaejoong flips widely through the air before regaining himself and landing on his feet.
Changmin and Junsu move forward, swords drawn and held in a defensive position. They both move forward as if one, the sunlight reflecting off their blades as they swing them through the air with a nearly graceful twist.
The first figure narrowly misses the full brunt of Changmin's sword against his neck, just managing to lean back enough that the blade simply nicks the white mask he wears over his face. The white mask shifts and falls away from the figures face, revealing a face with skin so black it nearly blends with the hood worn over its head. Its eyes lack a pupil and are devoid of all color. It's as if someone had simply stuck to white orbs to fill the holes in the grotesque face. Four inch fangs extend past a gnarled bottom lip...long, thin and deadly.
"Shit!" Changmin growls, jumping away as the creature lets out a horrific snarl. "Jaejoong they're Reapers! We need to get the fuck out of here!" He calls over, swinging his sword out to send the Reaper moving back.
Jaejoong's face goes slightly pale, his mouth pulling into a thin line of obvious worry. He's about to move towards the ruined cabin where Yunho had been tossed when a blur of movement at the forest edge catches his gaze. A third white masked figure in a black clock steps from the trees, face turning towards Jaejoong for a split second before he goes tearing off towards the cabin.
Jaejoong lets out a curse and takes off, anger and worry fueling the strength coursing through his body.
They reach the cabin at the same time, Jaejoong slamming into the Reaper with all the force he can muster. They both go toppling away from the cabin, arms tangling and snarls echoing throughout the village.
Though it's beyond him, Jaejoong manages to get a good grip on the Reaper and jerks him off the ground. With every once of strength his body can offer, Jaejoong lifts the figure and tosses him across the clearing, watching as he crashes into a glass display window of a local shop.
He doesn't linger to see what the Reaper does, opting to free Yunho from the wreckage and get the hell out.
He reaches the cabin in a split-second and begins tossing away broken wood. He can hear the growl of the creature as it rights itself and emerges from the store. Jaejoong can feel the urgency creeping up his spine, the hair on the back of his neck standing straight up at the thought of the creature being behind him.
Just as he's about to give up and turn to face the Reaper, Jaejoong catches sight of Yunho's foot. He lefts out the softest cry of relief and easily tosses off the remaining debris.
The sight of Yunho looking so beaten causes his heart to constrict, but he cant' let himself worry about that right now. He picks up Yunho as gently as he can before he takes off towards the forest, calling for Changmin and Junsu to follow.
He runs, never slowing or looking back. The need to keep Yunho safe is his driving force and it could keep him running for years on end if it was needed.
They continue to run through the day until night begins to make her appearance and the moon begins to cast a placid light over the land.
It's near to midnight before Jaejoong finally stops, his ears perked and eyes scanning the forest, waiting for the appearance of three cloaked figures.
A rustling in the bushes causes him to tense as he puts himself in a protective stance over Yunho.
"Don't freak out. It's us." Changmin's voice floats across the clearing, causing Jaejoong's body to relax.
"Do you know if they're still following us?" He questions, nearly letting out a sigh of relief to see both Junsu and Changmin unharmed.
"Nah, they left off a couple of hours ago. You know how they are at night." Changmin answers as he drops to the ground with a groan. "I can't believe they would stoop to such lows."
"I can." Jaejoong responds, his voice a low growl. "Reapers were probably just the first of their tactics. They probably have worse planned." He's about to go on when Yunho shifting on the ground pulls his attention away from the conversation.
The younger male groans and stretches, his eyes slowly opening to glance at his surroundings. It takes a moment before he lets out a startled gasp and jumps to his feet, eyes open wide in panic.
"It's alright, Yunho! You're safe!" Jaejoong calls, reaching out to put a calming hand on Yunho's shoulder.
Yunho lets out a shuddering breath as he glances around at the darkened forest, his eyes still wide with fear. "What happened?" He questions in a soft voice.
"We were attacked by Reapers." Jaejoong explains in a calm voice, his hand rubbing soothingly over Yunho's tensed shoulder.
"What are Reapers?" Yunho questions, his gaze falling across the seated forms of Junsu and Changmin.
"They're a type of creature that can literally suck the life out of anything. Be it vampire or werewolf, immortality means nothing to them. They have very few weaknesses, save for the moonlight and water. There's no we could have possibly defeated them."
“Were they sent by the Resistance?” Yunho questions, his body beginning to visibly relax.
“There’s no doubt in my mind that they were, which means we’ll probably be seeing them again.”
“Well isn’t that just fan-fucking-tastic?” Changmin’s words reverberated through the forest, echoing the thoughts on all four travelers minds.
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A/N: I deserve to be tied up and thrown over a cliff for making everyone wait this long for an update. I have been really busy, but that’s not really an adequate excuse. I’ve been suffering some major writer’s block and I’ve just now come out of it today. Wanna know my secret? It’s called write or die. It’s a site where you set how many words you like to type and what your time limit is. For this session I did 2000 (which ended being 2300) in an hour and fifteen minutes. If you stop typing the screen around the box will start turning red and then a sound will play to get your attention. There is a pause option, but that only works once and it doesn’t allow you to access the internet while it’s paused. It really gave me the focus and drive I needed. The whole thing just forced me to start typing and get my thoughts down. I’ll include the link for anyone who’s interested.
I’m sorry about rushing the last part of this chapter but I was writing while being timed and it’s also kind of late. I’ve written a combined amount of 5363 words (which is around 13 pages of Times New Roman size 10 font).
Also, forgive me for that cliché name for “the Reapers”. I was running out of time and I had to come up with a name quickly. So yeah, deal with it :p
Fun fact: I’m planning on taking part in NaNoWriMo this year. I’m quite daunted by the prospect of 50,000 words in a mere month, but I think it’ll be good for me. Needless to say, most all of my fanfiction writing will be put on hiatus during the month of November. Just thought I’d let you know : )
That’s about all I have to say. Thank you for reading and waiting such a long time for an update! I seriously love all of you.
Write or Die Link
Pairings: Jaeho as a main, but there will also be: JaeChun, MinHo, ChanSu (Changmin/Junsu) and maybe some Yoosu.
Rating: PG to NC-17
Genre: Adventure, angst, romance, drama
Summary:Yunho, an unhappily married man, gets on a boat headed to Germany. That same day, a violent storm hits and the boat is destroyed. When Yunho awakes on a foreign shore, he’s tossed into an adventure of werewolves, vampires, lust, greed and destiny. WARNINGS: This story will contain adult themes such as sex between two men as well as violence, gore and nonconsensual sex.
Chapters: Forwards _Chapter One_ Chapter Two_ Chapter Three_ Chapter Four_ Chapter Five_ Chapter Six_ Chapter Seven_ Chapter Eight_ Chapter Nine_ Chapter Ten_ Chapter Eleven_ Chapter Twelve_ Chapter Thirteen_ Chapter Fourteen_ Chapter Fifteen
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It’s a fabulous thing, Yunho decides upon waking, to find himself wrapped in a strong embrace from behind. Especially now that the embrace doesn’t belong to Changmin. Jaejoong’s arms are warm where they touch Yunho’s skin, having absorbed some of the younger male’s body heat during the night. The feeling of warm skin and strong arms brings long forgotten memories back to the front of Yunho’s mind, flashing pictures of lovers long gone and broken hearts left behind. He’s never felt so relaxed in the embrace of another male before, considering that homosexuality and sodomy were illegal back in England.
Shifting onto his back, Yunho turns his head towards Jaejoong, a smile pulling at his lips when he finds the older male’s eyes closed and breathing shallow as if he really were asleep.
“Are you meditating?” Yunho whispers as he turns on his side to face Jaejoong.
“No, I’m sleeping.” Jaejoong responds in a voice just as soft, his arms tightening slightly around Yunho’s body.
“But vampires don’t sleep…” Yunho trails off, a smile playing on his lips as he watches Jaejoong’s motionless face.
“Don’t I look like I’m sleeping?”
“You look…” Yunho trails off as he takes in the beautiful lines of Jaejoong’s jaw and the smooth texture of his cold skin. His pink lips are parted slightly and some of his black hair has fallen in front of his closed eyes. Upon stopping to look, Yunho’s surprised to find Jaejoong so shockingly beautiful. He’s always seen Jaejoong as something untouchable and that cold exterior seemed to hide the brilliant beauty that Jaejoong possesses.
As if sensing his closer contemplation, Jaejoong opens his eyes and meets Yunho’s gaze with a questioning look. “You okay?” He asks as he brings a hand up to gently push a stray lock of hair out of Yunho’s face.
“You’re beautiful.” Yunho blurts out, his cheeks immediately growing warm as the unwelcome words slip from his mouth.
“Beautiful?” Jaejoong repeats the word with raised brow, the beginnings of an amused smile pulling at his lips.
“Beautiful…in a masculine way…?” Yunho smiles sheepishly before nuzzling his face into Jaejoong’s chest. The feel of smooth skin pressed against his warm cheeks is entirely pleasant and Jaejoong’s sturdy scent draws Yunho closer and grounds him in that moment of peace. He tangles their legs together while he plants the softest kiss on the older male’s chest.
“Would you be annoyed if I said I was still confused about us?” Yunho questions against Jaejoong’s chest, eyes closed and arms tightening their hold.
There’s a long pause in which Jaejoong gently strokes Yunho’s hair with a cold hand. “More puzzled than annoyed.” Jaejoong responds, his hand stopping it’s petting in favor of sliding down Yunho’s strong back.
“What’s confusing you?” He whispers into Yunho’s ear before planting a kiss against the younger male’s cheek.
“Well…” Yunho begins as he detangles himself and sits up so he’s resting against the headboard, “when did you start liking me and could you please clarify this thing with Yoochun?” He quirks his head to the side as he speaks, watching as the sheets fall away from Jaejoong’s smooth body as he sits up and joins Yunho against the headboard.
“It all came on rather gradually, but I guess around the time you got kidnapped was when I first started realizing that I had more than friendly feelings towards you.” Jaejoong licked at his bottom lip as he stroked at the back of Yunho’s hand, as if doing so helped him to gather his thoughts. “The whole situation with Changmin really forced me to realize that I was falling for you harder than I wanted to admit.”
“So…why were you acting like you had a stick up your ass whenever I was around?”
Jaejoong’s brow raises in surprise at Yunho’s words, the corners of his mouth pulling down in a hint of a frown. “What do you mean?”
Yunho sighs and shrugs his shoulders, searching for the correct way to verbalize his thoughts. “Well, you always lorded it over me that you were the leader and so much bigger and stronger than me. It felt like you made it a point to put me down whenever you could.” Yunho finishes with a twist of his mouth to the side and a half shrug of his shoulders.
“I don’t think I ever lorded it over you, Yunho. I don’t usually have to assert my claim as leader, but you were so petulant and kept pushing at my patience.” Jaejoong meets the younger male’s gaze, his own eyes holding a defensive, yet slightly abashed look.
“Yeah, but I was being treated like complete dirt…and it wasn’t like I could make any of you stop.” Yunho crosses his arms over his chest in a motion of habit, fully knowing how childish the move makes him look. “The more I tried to hold my own, the more you guys kicked my feet out from under me. Except for Junsu, he’s been beyond nice to me.” Yunho adds the last part as he glances away from Jaejoong to look at the foot of the bed.
“It might have helped if you just told us your problem.” Jaejoong points out, eyes narrowing as he takes in Yunho’s defensively crossed arms.
“Oh right,” Yunho scoffs, eyes rolling before he narrows them in a glare, “because me blathering on about my feelings being hurt would have garnered me tons of respect, I’m sure.”
“I would have made sure Changmin left you alone.” Jaejoong responds, voice edging into his usual icy tone.
“Yeah? So who would have kept you off my fucking case, Jaejoong?” Yunho snaps as he stands from the bed and pulls on his boxers.
With a growl of annoyance, Jaejoong stands from the bed and snatches Yunho’s shirt away from him. “Look, Yunho…” Jaejoong breathes, discarding Yunho’s shirt to the floor in favor of reaching out to touch Yunho’s heated face. “I’m sorry if the way you were treated in the past seemed cruel. But that’s all changed now. You’re more than capable of standing on your own and you know that you have more value in the group.”
Yunho feels his annoyance cooling slightly as he looks into Jaejoong’s eyes and sees the sincerity there. Though some part of him still wants to hold on a begrudge each one of them for the things that had happened to him, he knows that what Jaejoong said is true. Things had changed. “Alright.” Yunho finally lets himself relax into Jaejoong’s embrace, his head resting against the older male’s shoulder.
“You still have yet to explain your relationship with Yoochun.”
Jaejoong pulls back, his hand running down the length of Yunho’s arm. “What do you not understand about my relationship with Yoochun?” He questions as he reaches down and grabs his underwear off the floor.
“Well, I just don’t understand how the two of your are just friends. I mean, I saw the two of you stumbling off into the woods to have sex, and--”
“Wait, you what?” Jaejoong cuts in, eyebrows arching as he turns his gaze towards Yunho.
Yunho feels a hot blush creep up his cheeks as he realizes his slip of tongue. His first reaction is to try and cover it up by simply denying he’d said anything, but a second of rational thought had him rethinking that idea. “It was that first day that we met up with Yoochun.” Yunho responds, eyes flickering everywhere but towards Jaejoong.
“Ah, so that’s why you’ve always had such a problem with him?” Jaejoong questions, eyebrows arching as he casts an amused sort of smile down on Yunho.
Yunho bites his lip to keep himself from spewing words of denial. Truth be told, he hadn’t liked Yoochun from the moment he’d first met the other male on the boat.
“How could I not have a problem with the one person who got to be so close to you?” Yunho responds as he ducks his head and inches closer to Jaejoong’s sturdy form.
Jaejoong huffed and wrapped his arms around Yunho’s shoulders. “Sadly enough, I know how you felt.” He chuckles and plants a kiss on the top of Yunho’s head. “Let’s finish getting dressed and then get out of here.” He adds as he pulls back and reaches down to grab his discarded shirt.
Yunho groans and tips his head back to stare at the ceiling. “Do we really have to go so soon? I love being able to sleep in an actual bed…” He trails off, watching the play of Jaejoong’s muscles under taut skin, “…and being able to be so close to you…” He whispers as he walks over and slides his hands across Jaejoong’s icy skin.
The older male straightens, pulling in a deep breath through his nose as Yunho’s hands sink further down his chest. “As wonderful as a repeat from last night sounds, I’m afraid that our welcome here is running dangerously short. I don’t want anyone to get hurt.” Jaejoong grabs Yunho’s hands and pulls them away from their resting spot on his hips, long fingers twining with the younger male’s.
A sigh fills the room as Yunho accepts the fact that he won’t be staying in a warm bed with Jaejoong wrapped around him. “Alright.” He concedes with a half smile before he pulls away and reaches for his shirt.
Whilst Jaejoong and Yunho had their little tiff, Changmin and Junsu were in much the same situation.
“So, you upset that the bond was broken?” Junsu questions as he leans against the headboard of his bed, his legs kicked up casually on the mattress, ankles crossed and feet tapping out a silent melody.
Changmin looks up from the book he’d been reading, his eyebrows arching as he gives Junsu a long look. “Would you be upset if I was upset about the bond being broken?” He questions in a lazy manner as he turns his eyes back towards the book.
“No!” Junsu shoots back perhaps a bit too quickly.
The force of Junsu’s answer draws Changmin’s interested gaze, his eyes sparkling with thinly veiled amusement. “Ah, so you mean that if I were to march over to Yunho’s room and shove my dick up his-”
“Don’t be such a vulgar pig, Changmin.” Junsu cuts in, his eyes dark with disapproval.
Changmin arches his brow, his lips forming a half smile. “That sounds oddly like jealousy to me, Babe.”
“What, the fact that I don’t want you talking about your sexual fantasies makes me jealous?” Junsu shoots back as he sits up in order to glare at the younger male.
“Very much so.” Changmin chuckles as he stands and strides over to Junsu’s bed, his gaze penetrating as he looks down at the younger male. “It’s okay, you know, to be jealous.”
Changmin’s last words caused Junsu to jump up from his spot on the bed with an indignant huff, “I’m not jealo-” he’s cut off when Changmin suddenly grabs his chin and leans forward to plant a kiss on his full lips.
They stand motionless for a moment, Junsu’s eyes, having been wide open with shock, begin to flutter and eventually fall shut as he leans into the taller male. He brings his hands up and wraps them around Changmin’s waist, fingers digging into the muscled plane of the taller male’s back.
Changmin lets out a puff of air through his nose as Junsu parts his lips, opening himself for Changmin’s exploration. He lets his tongue slide past plump lips and skim over white teeth till he feels the cool press of the smaller male’s tongue against his own.
They moan in tandem, hands gripping a little tighter and breath coming a little faster.
A thud fills the room as Junsu is roughly shoved against the wall, his eyes burning with lust as he lifts his legs and wraps them around Changmin’s hips. The two meld together, moaning into each other’s mouths.
Junsu grinds his hips down on Changmin with fervor, a whimper echoing at the back of his throat as the pleasure shoots through his body. He arches up, hands fisting Changmin’s hair as he pulls the younger male closer.
Just as Changmin begins to reach for the buttons of the other male’s pants, a knock sounds on the door and the two startle. Changmin steps back and Junsu, not expecting the move, falls to the floor in a graceless heap of limbs.
“You guys up and ready to go?”
Changmin purses his lips, eyes closing as he pushes a hand through his disheveled hair. “We’ll be down in about an hour.” He calls, glancing back towards the door with a peeved expression.
“An hour?” The surprise is clear in Jaejoong’s voice, despite the thick wood of the door being in his way.
“Yeah, like, sixty minutes or three thousand six hundred seconds.” Changmin shoots back, his gaze now trained on Junsu as the smaller male stands from the floor and brushes himself off.
“We’re coming out now.” Junsu calls, pushing past Changmin with a glare and a very audible huff.
Changmin arches his brow at Junsu’s choice of words, a small smirk flickering on his lips for a moment before he settles his face into a glare and marches after the tantalizing form of the shorter male.
“You have no idea just how terrible your timing is.” He growls towards Jaejoong as he breezes out of the door and down the hallway with the air of a slighted man lingering around him.
Jaejoong’s eyebrows climb up his forehead as he watches the younger male walk away. “Care to explain that to me?” He questions Junsu, his gaze shifting to the equally waspish face of his companion.
Junsu rubs at the spot where his elbow had made contact with the floor, his eyes narrowing as he glances down the hallway after Changmin, “You interrupted his masturbation session.” He responds shortly before striding down the hall.
Jaejoong’s lips flutter up in a smile of confusion and amusement, his gaze shifting to the equally befuddled Yunho. “I guess we came at a bad time.” He chuckles in a low voice before moving to follow the Junsu down the hall.
Yunho just arches his eyebrows as he follows after Jaejoong, his mind wondering off into rather unwelcome territories. He’s thinking about his wife, of all the things to think about. Her picture is fuzzy in his head and he often finds himself feeling as if that life was some distant dream that had plagued him at night. His wife and his children now seem less of a reality then vampires and werewolves had when he first stepped onto the Ocean Majesty.
Looking at things now, Yunho’s beginning to wonder if he ever wants to go back to the life he’d lived before. His old life had been so full of lies and obligations that the world around him had lost all its color. Things are different with Jaejoong and the rest of the gang. Sure, things had gotten off to a rocky start, but now Yunho feels that things are at a turning point; he’s being accepted.
Yunho’s jerked from his thoughts when he stumbles forward and nearly falls down the stairs. He feels a rush of panic dart through his body as he swings his arms in some attempt to stabilize himself. Just as he’s about to go diving down the stairs, he feels a strong hand close around his upper arm, jerking him away form the edge of the stairs.
“What thoughts must you be thinking to not notice a flight of stairs right under your nose.” Jaejoong mutters, eyes narrowed in a contemplative stare before he plants a soft kiss on Yunho’s cheek and turns away.
“Sorry…thank you.” Yunho mutters, feeling his cheeks warm the smallest bit. “Just a bit preoccupied.” He adds as he makes his way down the steps, hand gripping firmly at the rail.
“I can tell.” Jaejoong responds, turning his head to the side in order to look back at Yunho, “it’s alright.” He flashes a small smile before he descends the last step.
Yunho’s warm smile of response slackens greatly when the group is met with more cold stares and muttering upon entering the foyer.
“It seems like they would have gotten over this already.” Yunho whispers to Junsu, his eyes scanning the groups of people.
“Are you kidding? As much as they hate us, we’re the most exciting thing that’s happened to them since the pigs got loose.” Changmin cuts in as he steps up and throws an arm around Yunho’s shoulder.
Somewhere off to his left, Yunho hears a woman mutter, “sodomizing demons.” The words send a rush of panic through his body, years of seeing men carted off to jail for sodomy had left a deep mark on him.
“Is sodomy…legal here?” Yunho whispers, his throat constricting with uncalled-for panic.
“Tsh, no one outside of the werewolf and Lamia clans practice any type of homosexuality. They would arrest us if they had the power to. Seeing as how they don’t, we get to fuck all the boys we want.”
“Changmin.” Junsu growls, pinching the bridge of his nose as if fending off a headache.
“Why only the werewolves and vampires?” Yunho questions, confusion written clear across his face.
“Don’t know. Just seems that a majority of the werewolves and Lamia are gay…maybe it’s genetic.” Changmin responds, gleefully ignoring Junsu’s obvious annoyance.
"Alright you guys, that's enough." Jaejoong cuts in before Yunho has time to formulate his response to what he's been told. He supposes that it makes sense that the common people would have to let the vampires and werewolves to whatever they wanted. After all, from what he's seen, the humans don't really have a way of stopping illegal activities concerning the two immortal species.
"Always trying to be so diplomatic about things." Changmin tsks in a playful sort of voice, only to drop his head when Jaejoong gives him a long stare.
"I'd just rather not end up with a bloody battle on our hands, I'm not quite sure that's being diplomatic about things." Jaejoong responds evenly before he passes the group and makes his way towards the exit.
Yunho can't help the small smile that plays on his lips as he watches Jaejoong leave the hotel. One of the things he finds himself very attracted to is the older male's attitude. Something in the way he carries himself and behaves. All of it's just very attractive.
"Surely you didn't want to have the bond broken just so you could play with him instead of me..." Changmin's teasing voice curls into Yunho's ear, causing involuntary shivers to race down his spine. Whether he ever wanted to admit it, Changmin was appealing in more than one way. His body, though tall and slightly lanky, was packed with nothing but pure muscle, and his skin was practically flawless. He has a fantastic body and knows how to use it.. Aside from his body, Changmin's voice could reach a husky growl that makes Yunho ache from the memory alone. It was just that sharp as a knife personality that makes Yunho pull away with a disgusted shiver.
"I'd have wanted the bond broken no matter what, Changmin." He finds his reply to be rather lackluster, but he can't quite bring himself to come up with anything better.
"Oh, that was rather lacking. Jaejoong must have kept you up late last night." Changmin throws over his shoulder as he strides from the hotel lobby like the peacock he is.
"He's such a dick." Junsu mutters as he passes by Yunho, tossing a look of sympathy back at Yunho.
Yunho's brow arches as he follows after Junsu, the smallest smile pulling his lips upwards. Though he may have been wrapped up in himself, he hadn't failed to notice the spark that had recently developed between Junsu and Changmin.
"So, what do you know about Changmin's dick?" He whispers as he pulls up next to the older boy.
Junsu pulls back, turning large eyes on Yunho's smiling face. "I beg your pardon?" He splutters a bit, eyes blinking rather more than necessary.
"Well, I figure that the two of you must have slept together by now." Yunho responds in a low voice, tugging Junsu closer to insure that Changmin doesn't happen to over hear the conversation.
Junsu seems to grope for words for a moment, his mouth opening and closing a few times before he lets out a sigh and shakes his head. "We haven't slept together yet. Nothing has really happened between us except for this morning." He confides, glancing off to his left as a woman shouts something unintelligible at them.
"Seems odd that Changmin would wait so long to make a move." Yunho responds, eyes locking on the woman across the street. She's a worn looking woman, as if she'd spent most of her life doing hard labor and living in general squalor. Yunho feels a pang of guilt for her as she passes out of his vision.
"I know. I'm kind of hoping that it's a sign that he's genuinely interested in me." Junsu answers as he straightens and wipes a hand down the front of his black tunic, as if that would somehow make sure Changmin liked him for the right reasons.
"I hope he is." Yunho sighs as he glances up to where Changmin and Jaejoong are walking a ways ahead. "At least then he would get off my back."
"I'm really sorry about that. Like I said, he can be a dick."
"It's a pity that he's just so damn good looking, isn't it?" Yunho chuckles, glancing at Junsu from the corner of his eyes to gauge the older male's reaction to having Changmin called hot by another guy.
"His only redeeming quality." Junsu laughs, shaking his head. "Jaejoong's not so bad either." He adds as he elbows Yunho and gives a suggestive arch of his eyebrows.
"You have no idea just how good he is." Yunho responds, eyes locking onto Jaejoong's lean form. Memories from the night before flood his mind, sending pleasant shivers throughout his entire body.
"Well, if what I heard last night was any indication, he's pretty fantastic."
Yunho feels embarrassment eating away at him as he turns his head to look at Junsu, "did we really make that much noise?" He questions, giving a sheepish sort of smile.
Junsu meets his gaze and lets out a chuckle before responding, "yeah."
"Fuck, I'm sorry." Yunho mutters, ducking his head in the way he always did to hide a blush. He still did it out of habit, even though he couldn't really blush anymore.
"No, no, it was quite...entertaining." Junsu chuckles straightening his shoulders and wiping the smile off his face when Jaejoong turns back to them with narrowed eyes.
"Something feels off."
Yunho hears the words and can't help but jump slightly when he finds Jaejoong right by his side. He tries not to feel babied when he feels a protective hand resting on the small of his back. Jaejoong does it out of habit, Yunho knows, but it doesn't help him feel less like an invalid.
"I was getting the same feeling." Changmin responds, eyes narrowed as he scans the crowd with a penetrating gaze.
All four sit in silence for a moment, huddled close together as if to protect themselves from their unseen foe.
Yunho doesn't see any danger, but he feels the rush of energy through his body, as if he knows on instinct that there's danger lurking close by.
"We need to get out of here. Now." Jaejoong commands, eyes still skating over the crowd as he begins to move towards the edge of the town.
"What do you think it is?" Yunho whispers his question as he walks next to Jaejoong. His fists clench in a physical manifestation of his nerves.
"Something much more dangerous than the townspeople." Jaejoong responds in an absent voice, his pace quickening as they near the edge of the town.
Jaejoong's words send a thrill of fear down Yunho's spine and he finds himself glancing around in a more frantic manner.
"It's okay, Yunho, I'm not gonna let anyone harm you or the rest of the group." Though his words are reassuring, his body is still tensed, like a tightly wound spring ready to let loose at a moment's notice.
They walk for about a minute, Junsu and Changmin's stances begin to relax marginally as they near the edge of the village.
"Maybe we're just being parinoi-" Yunho's cut off mid-sentence when something slams into him, sending him careening through the air like a rag doll.
The air flees his lungs and he's left blind for a moment when he's slammed into the ground with by an inhuman force. He can feel his shoulder dislocate and the bones crack from the force of his contact with the ground. He lets out a cry of pain, swinging blindly like it's going to protect him from his attacker.
His eyes fly open and he glances around widely, not even seeing the figure that hefts him off the ground and sends him flying into a small hut about 50 feet away.
Yunho's mind is a complete haze of pain mixed with the beginning tingles of his body beginning to heal itself. He can feel chunks of wood digging deep into his back, piercing his skin like a knife through butter. He doesn't even contemplate moving, his body feeling stuck where it is.
Outside of the shattered remnants of the hut, people ran screaming as two figures in dark cloaks advance on the three remaining vampires.
Jaejoong is the first to move, launching himself towards one of the attackers, his body taut with tension waiting to be released.
The figure doges with ease, side-stepping Jaejoong's lung with the fluid grace that only comes from years of training.
The second attacker reaches out with lightning fast reflexes, catching Jaejoong by the neck and tossing him back across the clearing.
Jaejoong flips widely through the air before regaining himself and landing on his feet.
Changmin and Junsu move forward, swords drawn and held in a defensive position. They both move forward as if one, the sunlight reflecting off their blades as they swing them through the air with a nearly graceful twist.
The first figure narrowly misses the full brunt of Changmin's sword against his neck, just managing to lean back enough that the blade simply nicks the white mask he wears over his face. The white mask shifts and falls away from the figures face, revealing a face with skin so black it nearly blends with the hood worn over its head. Its eyes lack a pupil and are devoid of all color. It's as if someone had simply stuck to white orbs to fill the holes in the grotesque face. Four inch fangs extend past a gnarled bottom lip...long, thin and deadly.
"Shit!" Changmin growls, jumping away as the creature lets out a horrific snarl. "Jaejoong they're Reapers! We need to get the fuck out of here!" He calls over, swinging his sword out to send the Reaper moving back.
Jaejoong's face goes slightly pale, his mouth pulling into a thin line of obvious worry. He's about to move towards the ruined cabin where Yunho had been tossed when a blur of movement at the forest edge catches his gaze. A third white masked figure in a black clock steps from the trees, face turning towards Jaejoong for a split second before he goes tearing off towards the cabin.
Jaejoong lets out a curse and takes off, anger and worry fueling the strength coursing through his body.
They reach the cabin at the same time, Jaejoong slamming into the Reaper with all the force he can muster. They both go toppling away from the cabin, arms tangling and snarls echoing throughout the village.
Though it's beyond him, Jaejoong manages to get a good grip on the Reaper and jerks him off the ground. With every once of strength his body can offer, Jaejoong lifts the figure and tosses him across the clearing, watching as he crashes into a glass display window of a local shop.
He doesn't linger to see what the Reaper does, opting to free Yunho from the wreckage and get the hell out.
He reaches the cabin in a split-second and begins tossing away broken wood. He can hear the growl of the creature as it rights itself and emerges from the store. Jaejoong can feel the urgency creeping up his spine, the hair on the back of his neck standing straight up at the thought of the creature being behind him.
Just as he's about to give up and turn to face the Reaper, Jaejoong catches sight of Yunho's foot. He lefts out the softest cry of relief and easily tosses off the remaining debris.
The sight of Yunho looking so beaten causes his heart to constrict, but he cant' let himself worry about that right now. He picks up Yunho as gently as he can before he takes off towards the forest, calling for Changmin and Junsu to follow.
He runs, never slowing or looking back. The need to keep Yunho safe is his driving force and it could keep him running for years on end if it was needed.
They continue to run through the day until night begins to make her appearance and the moon begins to cast a placid light over the land.
It's near to midnight before Jaejoong finally stops, his ears perked and eyes scanning the forest, waiting for the appearance of three cloaked figures.
A rustling in the bushes causes him to tense as he puts himself in a protective stance over Yunho.
"Don't freak out. It's us." Changmin's voice floats across the clearing, causing Jaejoong's body to relax.
"Do you know if they're still following us?" He questions, nearly letting out a sigh of relief to see both Junsu and Changmin unharmed.
"Nah, they left off a couple of hours ago. You know how they are at night." Changmin answers as he drops to the ground with a groan. "I can't believe they would stoop to such lows."
"I can." Jaejoong responds, his voice a low growl. "Reapers were probably just the first of their tactics. They probably have worse planned." He's about to go on when Yunho shifting on the ground pulls his attention away from the conversation.
The younger male groans and stretches, his eyes slowly opening to glance at his surroundings. It takes a moment before he lets out a startled gasp and jumps to his feet, eyes open wide in panic.
"It's alright, Yunho! You're safe!" Jaejoong calls, reaching out to put a calming hand on Yunho's shoulder.
Yunho lets out a shuddering breath as he glances around at the darkened forest, his eyes still wide with fear. "What happened?" He questions in a soft voice.
"We were attacked by Reapers." Jaejoong explains in a calm voice, his hand rubbing soothingly over Yunho's tensed shoulder.
"What are Reapers?" Yunho questions, his gaze falling across the seated forms of Junsu and Changmin.
"They're a type of creature that can literally suck the life out of anything. Be it vampire or werewolf, immortality means nothing to them. They have very few weaknesses, save for the moonlight and water. There's no we could have possibly defeated them."
“Were they sent by the Resistance?” Yunho questions, his body beginning to visibly relax.
“There’s no doubt in my mind that they were, which means we’ll probably be seeing them again.”
“Well isn’t that just fan-fucking-tastic?” Changmin’s words reverberated through the forest, echoing the thoughts on all four travelers minds.
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A/N: I deserve to be tied up and thrown over a cliff for making everyone wait this long for an update. I have been really busy, but that’s not really an adequate excuse. I’ve been suffering some major writer’s block and I’ve just now come out of it today. Wanna know my secret? It’s called write or die. It’s a site where you set how many words you like to type and what your time limit is. For this session I did 2000 (which ended being 2300) in an hour and fifteen minutes. If you stop typing the screen around the box will start turning red and then a sound will play to get your attention. There is a pause option, but that only works once and it doesn’t allow you to access the internet while it’s paused. It really gave me the focus and drive I needed. The whole thing just forced me to start typing and get my thoughts down. I’ll include the link for anyone who’s interested.
I’m sorry about rushing the last part of this chapter but I was writing while being timed and it’s also kind of late. I’ve written a combined amount of 5363 words (which is around 13 pages of Times New Roman size 10 font).
Also, forgive me for that cliché name for “the Reapers”. I was running out of time and I had to come up with a name quickly. So yeah, deal with it :p
Fun fact: I’m planning on taking part in NaNoWriMo this year. I’m quite daunted by the prospect of 50,000 words in a mere month, but I think it’ll be good for me. Needless to say, most all of my fanfiction writing will be put on hiatus during the month of November. Just thought I’d let you know : )
That’s about all I have to say. Thank you for reading and waiting such a long time for an update! I seriously love all of you.
Write or Die Link