Te Quiero 3/?
Title: Te Quiero 3/?
Pairing: YunJae
Rating: NC-17
Word Count: 2295
Disclaimer: Don’t own anything.
Summary: Love at first sight and beyond that.
♥♥♥
Jaejoong jerks a little before freezing, fear filling him to the brim and the tension he danced away just a few minutes ago is suddenly back. He watches in the mirror as the stranger seems to come out of a trance of his own and relaxes when the latter starts to look a little embarrassed.
“Um…Sorry?” the stranger tries, “you were really good, so I was just watching and um, you know what happened after that, and you’re really, really good!”
Jaejoong lets out a chuckle as he watches the newcomer’s tone go from unsure to explanatory to embarrassed and finally to conviction. “Thanks, that’s really nice of you to say. I’m okay, I guess.”
“NO, seriously! You’re really, really, reallyyyyy good!”
It’s Jaejoong’s turn to be embarrassed and does an action that’s somewhere between a cough and a laugh to hide it. “Thanks really, I’m going to go grab a drink, okay?”
---
When Jaejoong gets back from the water cooler, he walks into the dance studio to find the other man dancing to the music he left playing before he went off. Their freestyle dance moves are distinctly different, but the other dancer’s moves are sharp and powerful and it’s a joy to watch him dance.
When their eyes meet in the mirror, the other man smiles and jerks his chin just a little in greeting, and Jaejoong smiles back, taking it as an invitation to join him and the two move to the music, each in their own signature styles, but somehow connecting through a sense of camaraderie and the same fiery passions.
---
Totally exhausted and all his muscles screaming in protest, but having entirely enjoyed himself, Jaejoong drops to the ground beside his fellow dancer, and takes off his cap to wipe off the sheen of sweat across his forehead.
“Hey, you’re Jaejoong, right? Are you really gay?” Jaejoong winces at the question, hurt flashing across his face and his fingers tighten around his cap, nails digging into the rough fabric. The other dancer looks as shocked as Jaejoong is at his own tactlessness and fumbles. “Sorry, I didn’t mean to-“
They both start at the door swinging open and slamming against the wall a little too forcefully and Yunho storms in to tower over the two sitting down, offering a hand to Jaejoong. The latter feels like a deer caught in the headlights and dazedly takes the proffered hand to be pulled up roughly. Yunho wraps a steadying arm around his waist and yanks him away, saving him from having to answer the question that’s hanging in the air.
Yunho’s voice is tight as he apologises with a clipped ‘sorry’ in the lift after releasing Jaejoong. The latter doesn’t answer, isn’t sure how to answer, and so he settles for rubbing his arm that suddenly feels cold at the loss of Yunho’s warmth.
They’re wordless as they sit in the car, driving back home. Jaejoong can see that Yunho’s knuckles are white from clutching the steering wheel too hard and his anger is a little hard not to notice; it’s an aura around him and his body is tensed up. When Yunho pulls up in front of his house, he stays, staring unmovingly at his own lap and Jaejoong sits beside him a little unsurely.
He doesn’t know what makes him do it, but he trails his fingertips along Yunho’s knuckles on the steering wheel and Yunho’s head snaps up, eyes boring into his intensely. Jaejoong jumps a little at that, and snatches his hand back as if he’s burned and hurriedly moves to open the car door. Yunho still doesn’t say a word and Jaejoong is embarrassed beyond belief as he rushes across the path to the door, and enters the house before slumming into a heap against the front door to hold his heated face in his hands.
What am I doing?
---
The next day when he heads to the dance studio where his dance practice with the crew is being held, he finds the man from the day before leaning against the doorframe. Brief feelings of dread settle in his stomach and he takes a deep breath before he walks right up to the door and tries to squeeze past into the dance studio. He’s almost through until a hand grips his forearm. Irritated that he’s just so close to his sanctuary before he’s stopped, he turns his head and shoots a glare at the other man.
“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean for the question to slip out like that. I didn’t mean anything by it-“
“Look, I appreciate this, but I really have to get in. My practice is starting.” Jaejoong cuts in smoothly, in clipped tones that clearly convey his annoyance.
“I’ll wait till your break then.” The reply comes almost as quickly, and the other man releases his grip, holding up both hands in a sign of surrender.
Jaejoong shrugs and breezes past him icily.
Let him wait all he wants.
---
Breaks are short and useless unless you’re the president of the company, Jaejoong finds. So even though the guy outside thought he’d only have to wait till a break to talk to him, it doesn’t happen that way.
It’s almost three hours before the practice ends, and Jaejoong is surprised to see the guy still outside, waiting for him when they’re dismissed. He sighs to himself and then walks up to the latter.
“It’s alright, I guess, since you waited for so long - I can’t be that mean of a person right?” Jaejoong says, and can literally see the man perk up. “Okay, since that’s the case, I’m Heedong.” The other man offers a hand and Jaejoong shakes it as he realises that he never really got his name the first time round. Heedong pipes up again, “I hope we can be friends,” and he’s so sincere that Jaejoong finds himself sharing a smile with Heedong, remembering the fun they had dancing together.
Jaejoong sees a figure at the corner of his eye, and looks away from Heedong’s eyes to locate it.
“Y-Yunho.” Jaejoong hates the stutter when he greets him, and tries to give the other man a smile. Things have been awkward since the incident in the car, and Jaejoong isn’t sure how he’s supposed to be around Yunho anymore - these thoughts were the ones haunting him late into the night, stealing his sleep.
Actually, it’s just me who’s awkward, Jaejoong thinks bitterly. He’s completely unaffected.
Yunho’s eyes drop to Heedong’s and his linked hands and Yunho’s mouth twitches a little. There seems to be an air of animosity between the two, and it strikes Jaejoong that Yunho must have been at the dance studio longer than he thought the latter was the day before because he had to have seen something to make him angry enough to storm in like that.
There must have been something other than the tactless, insensitive question that Heedong asked, because Yunho can’t be trying to burn a hole through Heedong’s head with his glare for just that. Especially not if Jaejoong himself has already forgiven Heedong for it. There’s something else.
He just doesn’t know what.
---
Jaejoong can’t help feeling like a new toy that two children are fighting over when Yunho and Heedong both clamour for his attention.
Heedong doesn’t come over all the time, seeing that he has his own schedule to follow, but he’s very obviously a lot less busy than Yunho nowadays. Jaejoong knows from Yunho’s pursed lips and determination in changing the topic whenever he asks about the latter’s work that the increased workload is probably because the president insisted on overseeing his issues personally (he sneakily fished the piece of information from Yunho, Yunho realising his slip-up too late and frowning at him, but oh, well). He misses Yunho sorely when the latter isn’t around as much as before.
They’re like kids, really. Jaejoong has a feeling that Yunho inwardly cringes whenever he comes with food and Heedong is already there, waiting for him to have a break - because whenever Yunho comes and Heedong is around, it’s a break where Yunho will pass what he has brought for Jaejoong and Heedong will take over right after. Yunho is often left to his own devices despite being the reason for the break and Jaejoong once caught a look of dejection flash over Yunho’s face before he left quietly, which makes Jaejoong’s heart squeeze tightly in his rib cage whenever he thinks of it. After work, it’s still Heedong all over because even though Jaejoong stays at Yunho’s, they rarely get to go home together and Yunho has been coming home even later than usual.
He supposes Heedong tries hard to make up for the first time he offended Jaejoong, and he finds that he doesn’t mind the latter’s company to keep him from the mess his confusing, unwanted feelings has made out of his friendship towards Yunho.
But if he is completely honest with himself, he misses the time he used to have with Yunho.
---
Heedong gets transferred to a smaller subsidiary company of JE and because it’s a little too far to visit, days of Heedong-and-Yunho-the-kids disappear, despite Heedong calling periodically. Jaejoong finds himself falling back into the routine of just Yunho and dance.
The memory of the intimate moment with Yunho in the car is now distant, and Jaejoong is glad to have the awkwardness dissipate from him whenever Yunho is around, grateful to have the easy air between them, despite knowing that he probably has feelings beyond the platonic nature - hidden away somewhere - that he doesn’t want to delve into at the moment.
But Yunho is still busy, and he gets lonely, sometimes.
---
Jaejoong doesn’t know how Heedong gets time off the crazy schedule that comes with being an idol to visit more - the latter claims that Jaejoong is going through a tough time and needs support and jokingly offers to ‘kiss it better’ - but somehow the man does.
Jaejoong is happy to oblige, because anything is better than thinking - or overthinking - this thing between him and Yunho. And their spontaneous dance sessions are increasingly fun, because they share the same passion and despite starting off on the wrong foot, Heedong is really a nice guy.
---
The company brings the case to court, and words like harassment, slander, emotional harm and restraining order get thrown around because his stalker isn’t underaged and has fortunately (for him) just hit adulthood this year. The big ruckus starting with those rumours and his ex-girlfriends’ shot at five minutes of fame and stardom doesn’t end in five minutes, but is still dying down rapidly with newer entertainment news taking the headlines and with the case in progression.
Jaejoong feels like he can breathe easier now that he isn’t under the microscope and he thinks everything will go better from here on out.
---
Jaejoong lets out a breath and collapses on the floor with an ungraceful thump, his head ending up on Heedong’s stomach. Both of them splayed out on the floor and trying to catch their breaths. Through the silence punctuated with harsh breaths and loud pants, Jaejoong briefly notices how close Heedong and he have become, as Heedong’s fingers unconsciously go through his sweat-drenched hair.
Then the thought is pushed out when Jaejoong catches sight of Yunho standing just outside the door through the little glass panel, stoic expression replaced with a smile once he catches Jaejoong’s eyes. Jaejoong is up within seconds, Heedong’s fingers dislodged from his head and he’s standing before Yunho before the door has even closed behind his back.
An amused smile plays on Yunho’s lips, while he regards Jaejoong warmly. Jaejoong flushes a little, lowers his eyes. “Hi.”
It comes out almost shy.
Yunho ruffles his damp hair, and he protests, “Don’t! I’m all sweaty!”, frowning at Yunho. Yunho laughs, and rebelliously engulfs him in an embrace, his chuckles sending vibrations that resound through Jaejoong’s body. Jaejoong sighs contentedly, gives up lecturing and brings his arms around Yunho to return the embrace (which, he thought, was a tad longer and a lot warmer than he felt appropriate for one between friends - but he attributed it to wishful thinking).
“It’s all going to be okay now.” Yunho said near his ear after his laughter died, voice barely above a whisper, “No one can hurt you anymore.”
Oh, right, the case. He’d forgotten.
He remembers something else (Heedong’s in the room!) and he gives Yunho’s middle one last squeeze before reluctantly letting go and stepping away. He’s apparently not the only one who had his world shrunken to just the man before him because Yunho’s eyes widen at the sight of Heedong, who’s now standing a little awkwardly.
He’s a little pleased to see Yunho’s cheeks flush just a teeny bit, his tanned complexion making it impossible to spot if one wasn’t looking closely (Jaejoong thanks his lucky stars that he is looking closely at Yunho). Yunho regains his composure rapidly, courtesy of being president and having seen all sorts of circumstances, but Jaejoong can’t help the fluttering in his heart even though the blush is no longer visible. The thought that he affects Yunho the same way, even just a little, makes him a little dizzy and he’s sure a goofy smile is threatening to break forth as he watches the two exchange obligatory pleasantries in an almost-strained manner.
With the case in the background buzz of the entertainment scene and not making headlines anymore, Jaejoong supposes Yunho has passed bulk of the overseeing to the management staff and hence is going to be around more often.
Truth be told, he’s just glad to have to Yunho back.
♥♥♥
A/N: This... is insane. But I love gaypop for giving me this plot to develop. I’m so in love with it it’s turning chaptered ♥ I'm on a roll today, hahaha! ^^ Enjoy, babies~