The Passenger : 1
Author:KeepCalmN_AKTF
Title:The Passenger
Length: Chaptered (1/?)
Pairing:JaeMin
Rating:PG15? (for the supernatural aspect)
Genre:au, mystery, horror (?), supernatural
Disclaimer:Read and enjoy - don't take credit for my work.
Warnings:Ghosts!
Summary: On a strange day, Changmin gives a lift to an even stranger passenger.
AN: This is basically what happens when I have two assignments due the next day and procrastination wins my heart...
Also, this is specially written for the Starcandy members who were very encouraging and cute with their comments on my lastJaeMin oneshot. And because I felt like they need moreJaeMin stuff to get stuck into. So here's my weird contribution!
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“Hyung, do you seriously believe that?” Changmin snorted into his earpiece, keeping his eyes on the road. It was supposed to be a normal day for the 21 year old, but there was a nagging feeling in the pit of his stomach that he couldn’t ignore. It’s been there since dawn, making him feel on edge and extra grumpy. Much to the displeasure of his colleagues.
“Changmin-ah! I’m serious, that’s what she said. I’m not making this up!” Junsu almost shrieked into his ear. He physical shrank away from the noise. As much as Changmin loved his hyung, it was difficult to not have his brain rattled by his dolphin-like exclamations. He continued to listen though, humming every now and then to Junsu’ apparently accurate retelling of how their mutual friend, Yunho, had been told off by their Boss’ girlfriend during their morning briefing.
As the story got more and more unrealistic, Changmin couldn’t keep his scepticism to himself. Yunho storming away in wild rage while smashing a vase on his way…? Really? Who the hell came up with this crap? As far as Changmin knew, Yunho refused to raise his voice in front of his superiors because he thought I’d be rude to sound confrontational. Whoever had spread this rumour clearly didn’t know the man themselves. What Changmin found amusing was that Junsu seemed to have bought the story, completely.
“Hyung! Seriously. This is Yunho we’re talking about. You remember what happened the last time we forced him to ask for a promotion, right?” he let that hang in the air for a minute. Although the current conversation had half his attention, his eyes kept flickering to the sky through his windshield, his eyes narrowing at the darkening clouds.
“Well…” Junsu trailed off, suddenly questioning the validity of the story he’d just been recounting.
“Ugh! I think there’s a storm coming, hyung” Changmin whined, hating the way the clouds were moving across his line of site, almost like they were huddling together to make fun of the pathetic humans they were about to soak.
Just as he was about to continue his whining, a thunder sounded somewhere far in the distance, and his call cut off.
“Hello? Hyung? You there?” he questioned. All he heard was a drawn-out beep in return before he plucked the cord and glared at the bud. “Great!” he exclaimed. “Now I’m going to be caught in a storm in the middle of goddam nowhere!” he violently threw the device to the backseat, focussing on the road. It was incredible, how in a matter of a couple of minutes the sky turned into a rumbling dark monster.
Not wanting to listen to the deep echoes of the storm - which sounded uncannily a lot like his stomach when asking for food - he turned the radio on. Or tried to that is. All he got was static.
“Oh, come on!” he punched the buttons out of frustration, hating how that feeling in his stomach kept growing and making him jumpy. “Work, you stupid piece of technology!” It became obvious that he’d lost all reception when he checked his phone and had no signal bar at all.
“Just fucking fantastic!” He tried to take a few deep breaths. Getting angry at his means of transport was not ideal Shim Changmin behaviour. And thus, he tried to shake off that annoying buzz in his gut and try not to hit any unsuspecting person or animal.
His calming technique seemed to work to some extent, when he saw the lone figure standing by the tree, waving their hands wildly in the air. Normally, Changmin would have pretended he didn’t notice and would have driven off, not feeling guilty at all. That is, unless Yunho was with him, then he would have been forced to stop his car and help the person in need.
But Yunho wasn’t with him this time. No. It was just him…
So why did he stop?
Ask him that question later and he wouldn’t be able to answer straight.
The rain had started to drizzle down. Nothing heavy, just enough to make itself know. In fact, not even enough for Changmin to start the wipes on the windshield. But, at that time, the rain combined with the ugly colour of the sky and the groaning akin to a monster’s empty bladder, not to mentioned the feeling in his stomach which had evolved from slight nagging to an intense throbbing in his abdomen, was what had made him put both his feet down on the breaks. His car was brought to a screeching stop, just meters away from the person clad in skin tight jeans and a fluffy jumper.
For a second, all Changmin could hear was his heart racing, his breath hitching and the rushing of the blood in his veins, before it all came to a stop when he saw the most beautiful pair of eyes staring at him from the driver’s side window.
He didn’t realise he’d been staring until the guy outside his car smiled cutely, and waved at him, signalling for him to open the window. He felt a little sheepish as he quickly blinked his eyes and reached to click the button that immediately brought a gust of wind into what was the warm confines of his car. He felt a shiver down his spine and for some reason, he felt like it wasn’t due to the cold breeze invading his personal space.
“Well, hi there.” The guy, who was a lot skinnier up close, greeted cheerfully. His sunny mood was in a complete contrast to the weather outside which he was standing in. Changmin noted that he had no jacket…though he was wearing a funky pair of deep-red gloves.
“Hello” was all Changmin was able to say. A little uncomfortable with the smile - which was bordering on creepy - directed at him.
“Could I hitch a ride, please?” the potential passenger asked in a pleasant voice.
Changmin wanted to say no. He should have said no. Any sane person would have said no. He was in the middle of nowhere, almost caught in a storm. There was no-one about but the two of them. He could have possibly invited his own demise in for a ride, but for the life of him, he couldn’t bring himself to strand the guy here. The rain was picking up, and although the smile was still as sunny as ever on that pouty mouth, the man’s hair started to get darker in colour as the rain settled on his head.
“I’m going south, to the Cent Inc.” he had enough sense to get that titbit out before he led a perfect stranger in.
“What a coincidence!” the guy exclaimed. And Changmin couldn’t even see a hint of insincerity. “I need to go that direction, too. If you could drop me off halfway…?” he ended in question. It seemed like he was giving Changmin a clear way out, if he so wished. And dammit, Changmin just couldn’t say no.
“Sure. Get in.”
………..><………….
Strangely enough, as soon as Jaejoong - as he’d introduced himself - got in the car, that irritating feeling in his stomach had seized. Changmin would have been creeped out, if it weren’t for his relief at finally being rid of the annoying sensation in his belly. As he started the car and Jaejoong got comfortable in the passenger seat, the rain finally kicked in, pouring down like there was no tomorrow.
They rode in easy silence for a while, until Jaejoong made a few displeased noises, staring up at the dark sky overhead. Changmin couldn’t help but sneak glances at him every now and then. Unfortunately for him, although he’d gotten rid of the throbbing in his stomach, there was a new irritating feeling at the back of his head. The silence continued and he decided he may as well say what was on his mind. After all, he was doing Jaejoong a favour, the least he could do in return was answer his questions.
“You seem familiar” he stated nonchalantly, not even looking at him as he drove on. The road ahead seemed as empty as the rest of the road he’d crossed so far, which he found strange. Usually he’d come across many more travellers on the road.
“I do?” Jaejoong asked curiously, abandoning his glaring contest with the sky in favour of smiling at the driver. He did that a lot, Changmin noted. Every time he looked at him, there was always a smile on display for him. Changmin tried to remember whether or not that was a thing psychopathic killers did…
“Yup” he said. His brain was trying to figure out when or where he’d seen Jaejoong before. Though, it wasn’t just the face, even his name sounded awfully familiar.
“Hmm. That’s interesting, indeed.” Jaejoong looked at Changmin in a strange way, tilting his head at an angle before smiling again and turning towards the window on his side. Although there was nothing but rain to look at, Jaejoong seemed content enough.
On the other hand, Changmin was still half expecting his question to be answered. ‘Hmm, that’s interesting’ is not an answer! What the hell. Now his brain was in over drive trying to figure out exactly what it is about this oddly pretty man that he finds familiar. He couldn’t help but grip the steering wheel tighter, once again trying not to let his temper get the better of him.
Now what?He thought. It’s not like he could demand an answer to a question that may not even have one.
Once again, he glanced towards the passenger seat. Jaejoong had his head resting on the seat, face turned towards the outside world. His hands were clasped in his lap, while his thumb and forefinger played with the weird looking chains on his glove.
Suddenly, Changmin felt cold.
He quickly looked around at all possible places wind could have entered the car. But alas, all windows and doors were securely locked. There was no way any wind could have gotten in. he was confused, and a little shaken because the cold seemed to penetrate his core. He shivered, as he neared a crossing.
“Cold?” Jaejoong asked. But when Changmin looked at him, he was still in the same position he last saw him, face turned away from him. How did he…?
“Umm, no. Not really” he trailed off. What the hell!? Ok, Changmin, calm down!He thought. There is no reason to be creeped out, for god’s sake! Stop thinking. Just drive. Focus on driving. Listen to the thunder…
…………..><…………..
Twenty minutes.
That’s how long they were in the car, with neither of them uttering a single word. To Changmin’s dismay, Jaejoong seemed to be completely at ease with that. He stayed in the same position for the entire time, fingers fiddling with his glove, but there was no trace of discomfort.
Changmin just wished he could say the same for himself. He couldn’t help but shiver every now and then, with no clue as to where the cold was coming from. His eyes unconsciously flitted towards his passenger, marvelling at the relaxed div. How could he be so calm? Surely, if Changmin was freaking out - just a teeny tiny bit - shouldn’t he also be at least a little restless. Especially considering Changmin was quit bigger than him. Not that Changmin was planning anything dodgy! But still, it irked him that he - being the physically bigger one, and also in his own opinion, stronger of the two - was slightly jittery while Jaejoong was totally at home. With not a care in the world, apparently.
Oh why did he have to find a conscious and give a ride to someone so…strange?And really, that was the best word he could use to describe the man.
“Careful around that bend” Jaejoong suddenly perked up and pointed in the direction in front of the car. It was yet another thing that made Changmin jump in his skin a little. You can’t blame him! Jaejoong was all calm and lying still, looking out the window and then boom! He sits up straight and gives out a warning, which despite the gentle way it was spoken, was till louder than the silence they’d been riding in for the past half hour.
“Yeah, it’s fine. I’ve got my eye on it.” Changmin assured. Not really sure what to do with the sudden change in character next to him.
Jaejoong was now sitting forward in his seat, stretching his seatbelt. He started tapping his foot on the floor of the car and had his eyes locked on the curve they were about to pass. There was a very visible anxious vibe coming from him.
“You ok?” Changmin had to ask. Why the sudden interest in a curve on the road. They’d passed a couple already. There’d been to reaction from him then.
“Yeah. It’s just…” Jaejoong trailed off, for once not smiling when he turned towards the driver. “Well, I had a car crash at that place, once.” As he uttered that sentence he immediately turned his attention back to the road.
Changmin, on the other hand, found it hard to stay focused after that. But seeing as Jaejoong was obviously bothered by it, he tried his best to slow down and make a smooth turn.
Once they’d safely crossed the danger zone, Jaejoong went limp again. A smile lit up his face once more as he gazed at Changmin, uttering a “thank you” before turning back to his previous position.
Changmin was positive he’d never been confused so many times about so many things in such a short span of time in his life before. But what could he do? Although the urge to ask about Jaejoong’s accident was strong, he held his tongue.
It was really none of his business. It’s not like they knew each other or were friends. No need to share life experiences with a stranger he was giving a lift to.
While he was reinforcing his decision on that, he didn’t notice that they’d gone far enough to be away from the rain and entered a dry area with calm weather.
He was just about to ask Jaejoong where exactly he was headed, when the brunette beat him to it.
“You can just drop me off by that gate.” He said sitting back up. He’d already undone his seatbelt.
For a second, Changmin wasn’t sure he’d heard right. But after an incredulous look at his passenger, he was sure he had.
“HERE!?” He demanded. What the heck?
“Um, yeah. Just by the gate if you don’t mind.” Jaejoong laughed a little. Smiling at Changmin’s reaction.
“But-But…this is a cemetery.” Changmin stated, not quite sure what his point was. But, seriously? A cemetery of all places?
“I know what it is Changmin-ah” Jaejoong tilted his head. That endearing smile still on his lips.
As the car came to a stop by the black, worn-out gate, Changmin couldn’t help but stare at Jaejoong. Ok. So there was probably a perfectly good explanation for why some random guy would travel so far in such bad weather to visit a cemetery. Jaejoong mentioned a car crash…so, maybe he’d lost someone that he was visiting…? That was a plausible explanation, right?
“So, you’re going to visit someone?” It wasn’t just the fact that they were by a cemetery. It was actually the lack of any other sign of human life around the area for miles to come, that had Changmin questioning Jaejoong’s sanity. He knew this cemetery, he’d gone past it a handful of times before, and hence he knew that it was smack down in the middle of nowhere! There were no homes or shops or anything resembling civilian life anywhere near the graveyard.
“Well, sort of…” Jaejoong scratched the back of his neck, then immediately brought his hand back down to fiddle with his glove. What was with that, anyway?
“Sort of? Well, you don’t have a car.” Changmin tried to reason. Though he, himself, had no idea what exactly he was trying to prove.
“I don’t really need one here.”
Changmin looked around, and then settled his eyes on the huge gate and beyond it where the deceased were at peace. And then his eyes travelled back to the pretty man beside him, who was stillsmiling at him.
“But what if-” Changmin was going to argue further, but just in time caught himself. What was he doing? He didn’t know this man. He didn’t know his reasons for visiting a cemetery on such weird conditions. And frankly, why did he care? With that in mind. He shook his head, shrugging in Jaejoong’s direction to give him a pass. Whatever. It wasn’t his problem.
Jaejoong smiled brightly at him one last time before exiting the car. Changmin was tempted to stay and watch what happened, but that would have been creepy, so he decided to just ignore the entire thing and pretend he’d not met that insanely cute, but strange guy.
As he drove away from the big gate, he chanced one last glance towards his rear-view mirror in hopes of catching a glimpse of his passenger.
But there was nothing.
Jaejoong wasn’t by the gate.
Perhaps he’d gone in? Changmin pondered over that for a second, but then he remembered that the gate was locked.
Then…
Where did Jaejoong disappear to?
A violent shiver rocked his body, before he hightailed it to the city.
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AN: So although this is a oneshot for now, I do have a storyline in mind, should it turn into a chaptered fic.
Unfortunately, because I'm already busy with my life and other fics that I'm writing at the moment, I may not be able to turn it into a chaptered fic.
BUT!
That could change with the level of interest from readers. If I see that there's enough interest in this fic, then I may go ahead and write more of it. If not, then oh well. Hope you enjoyed this!
If you would like this to turn into a chaptered fic, then what better way to let me know than to comment below? I promise if enough people want it - I will write it!