Title: He Would Never Say No
Pairing: Jongup/Junhong
Other characters: Youngjae
Rating: R (sexual themes)
Genre: Angst
Warning: Junhong cuts himself and Jongup gets hurt
A/N: hyung: older brother (used by males with males); maknae: the youngest member
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Jongup was the innocent one. He’s the one who gives everyone eye-smiles in every situation, the one who shies from the camera. He’s the one who stays later than other members to practice his dance. He’s the one hid his feelings for fear of them getting in the way of the group. He was the one who tried his very best to be the best group member ever (and perhaps, a little more than a member to one).
That is probably the reason why Jongup rises to his feet immediately when Junhong enters his room, tears streaming down his face. “Hyung… am I that hateful? I’m just a nuisance to everyone, aren’t I?” was what Junhong said as Jongup pulled him into an embrace.
It wasn’t the first time. Junhong often came to Jongup’s room crying, hurt. Jongup assumes Junhong just needed comfort. It hurt him; it hurt him to see the often jolly maknae crumble into tears in front of him. So when he embraces Junhong, his lips are pressed into a tight line and his eyebrows were furrowed. Each time Junhong comes to his room in such a state, Jongup dies a little more inside. Jongup blamed himself for not knowing who hurt Junhong, not knowing how to help Junhong. He wanted Junhong to be happy, and he was angry that he couldn’t make him happy.
“No, of course you’re not,” Jongup whispered softly to Junhong, petting his head lightly. Jongup takes the sobbing Junhong by the wrist, leading him to his bed where he would usually try to get Junhong to tell him what made him cry, but eventually letting Junhong cry on his shoulder until he fell asleep. Today Junhong’s shorts rode up a bit as he sat down, and Jongup saw.
Junhong’s thigh was scarred by multiple horizontal blood clots. Junhong had been cutting himself. Just on the surface, so the scars wouldn’t be too obvious, and so the blood wouldn’t flow out. The skin around the area, it was also covered in bruises. Jongup gasped softly, heart shattering at the sight. He couldn’t take it anymore, he couldn’t. Grabbing Junhong by the side of his arms, he pleaded harder than ever for Junhong to tell him who was hurting him. Shaking his head sadly, Junhong cried even harder.
“Ya Junhong-ah! Tell me who hurt you, please. I- I need to know.”
“Nothing, it’s no one. It’s okay hyung, just let me stay here awhile longer?”
Jongup only nodded quietly, sitting down on the edge of his bed and having Junhong lie in his lap. When Junhong was asleep, Jongup was wiping away at his reddened eyes, biting his lip hard, trying his best not to shake and wake the younger up. Quietly and slowly, he laid Junhong on the bed and came back soon with a first aid kit to tend to the fresh cuts on Junhong’s thigh. Who caused Junhong to cut himself? Who was the bastard who made Junhong cry not once, but multiple times? Hot, salty tears fell out as he punched the floor. Jongup then left Junhong alone in his room.
The next time Junhong came into his room, it was 3am at night. The hyungs already slipped into a deep state of sleep in front of the television, having downed a few rounds of beer.
“Junhong-ah? What’s wrong?” Jongup groggily woke to the sound of sobbing from the other corner of the room, where Junhong had folded himself up, knees to his chest and head buried in his knees.
“Hyung,” Junhong called out, voice wavering a little. Right at that moment, Jongup was just as broken as Junhong was.
Kneeling in front of the younger, Jongup told him gently, “You have to tell me what’s wrong. Do you know how bad I feel watching you cry like this and being unable to comfort you?” A moment of silence settled as Junhong didn’t say a word, staring at his feet. Jongup’s eyes strayed to his thigh, wondering angrily if Junhong cut himself again. They never spoke a word about the cuts.
He’s had enough of this. Enough. “Junhong-ah. I like you. I like you a lot, I like you more than that person, so don’t you ever think that you’re hateful or lousy or anything less than perfect. The only thing you should be hated for is for viewing yourself that way. ”
That was when Junhong looked up at the older through his wet eyelashes, whispering, “Then… will you sleep with me.” Jongup’s confession wasn’t exactly rejected, but Jongup knows this wasn’t acceptation either. He didn’t want to, his instincts told him not to. Of course, Jongup weakened and agreed. Anything that would make the younger even a bit happier, he would do.
Junhong asked to be blindfolded though. Jongup hated that he wouldn’t be able to see his beautiful eyes, but he of course, he said “yes”. But it was when he was peppering Junhong’s pale body with kisses that he hears the first sound from the younger, “Y-Youngjae hyung…”
Jongup’s eyes widened. When he looked up, he saw that Junhong was crying again. Of course, Jongup continued with it silently. Perhaps his heart felt like it was thrown into a fire, perhaps his body screamed at him to run and perhaps his eyes were threatening to overflow with tears, but he was Moon Jongup. He would never, say no.