Fic: Facets, Chapter 2
Title: Facets, Chapter 2
Pairing: Jaejoong/Yunho
Rating: PG-13, for now
Summary: AU fic! Yunho struggles with his feelings for Jaejoong, and wakes up in an alternate reality where he...also meets Jaejoong. Except this Jaejoong is quite different from the one he knows. Also involves secrets and grappling with the truth.
Chapter 1
When Jaejoong starts kissing him Yunho can literally hear his synapses shutting down with a relieved whine. Deep in the recesses of his mind he can hear a strange gabbling -this is Jaejoong you’re kissing, your band mate Kim Jaejoong, but no, wait, he kissed me first but oh god isn’t this nice- and Jaejoong’s lips are already on the line of jaw when Yunho is blessed with a rare instant of shocking clarity. He pushes Jaejoong away, none too gently, by the shoulders, watches as the other boy stumbles, gapes.
“I- no, I- what?”
Coherency, Yunho, coherency. Yunho takes a deep breath, swallows, wills his vision to clear, his head to stop feeling this fogged, tries again.
“Jaejoong-ah, I-”
Jaejoong flinches, then recovers his aplomb, clasps his hands in front of him like before. “My name is Youngwoong, sir.”
Yunho growls, runs a hand through his sleep spiked hair distractedly, starts to pace. “This is no time for technicalities, Jaejoong-ah! And stop calling me that. Where the hell are we? And for the love of- put on your shirt!”
Jaejoong bends smoothly, picks up his discarded shirt, begins donning it. Yunho turns his back, resolutely refuses to watch, and feels immensely relieved to have Jaejoong fully clothed again, all the same.
“We’re in your house, sir. And this is what we’re all required to call you. And my name isn’t Jaejoong.”
Yunho pauses, turns to send Jaejoong the most baleful glare he can muster. “Yes, I suppose I should call you Youngwoong, then?”
Jaejoong inclines his head slightly, voice measured, calm, cool. “That is my name, sir. But you have the liberty to call me whatever it is you want.”
Yunho frowns. Too bizarre, and Jaejoong, Jaejoong hasn’t been this formal since the first time they met. Maybe not even then. He certainly wasn’t calling him sir, at any rate.
“Stop that. I mean, just Yunho. Call me Yunho.”
Jaejoo- no, Youngwoong raises his head, nods slightly. “As you wish, si- Yunho.”
“You-” Yunho moves to stand in front of him, to peer down into the shorter boy’s face. “This isn’t a prank, is it?”
He notes Youngwoong’s disconcerted, confused expression with a sinking heart. “I’m not sure what you’re talking about, si- Yunho.”
“Oh, hell.” Yunho sinks back down on to the bed, wills himself not to start panicking. Or go crazy, though it feels as if he’s about halfway there already, will or no will. He notices Youngwoong -yes, Youngwoong, he thinks almost incoherently, not Jaejoong, even though they look exactly alike, oh hell I’m going crazy- still standing, pats the spot on the bedspread next to him. “Sit.” When the other boy doesn’t move Yunho sighs. “Look, I’m not used to talking to you like this. Except I suppose it’s not really you that I’m used to talking to- ah, just sit.”
Youngwoong gives him an almost imperceptible, utterly wary glance that he chooses to ignore, settles himself on the bed carefully. Yunho attempts to sort out his thoughts. Right. Maybe this Youngwoong can answer a few questions.
“Ah. Uh. What exactly are you supposed to be, anyway?” Though he thinks he already has a pretty good idea of that, after Youngwoong launching himself on him.
Youngwoong evinces a small shrug, a noncommittal glance. “We’re just part of your staff. We serve you in every means possible. We cook, we clean, we drive, we see to your every need.”
Oh. Oh. Every need, indeed. Yunho appreciates subtlety. Except- he remembers Junhwan from this morning, Junhwan who was in charge of making sure he got up and dressed on time, Junhwan who, he recalls, slightly horrified, wasn’t wearing much more than an oversized robe. “Uh. You wouldn’t happen to know how many of you I’ve got, would you?”
Youngwoong frowns, furrows his brow in thought, and the expression is so eerily identical to Jaejoong’s that Yunho has to look away. “I…Forty at last count, they told us.”
Told him. Yunho glances at Youngwoong and decides to risk it. “Er. How much do you know about me, then?”
Youngwoong inclines his head again. “Everything. Jung Yunho, twenty two. Born in the Year 24, Cycle 3 to Jung Kimjin and Jung Hwanji. One younger sister. Graduated with first class honours from the Institute of Nanotechnology and Applied Sciences. Founder of Jungtech, leading supplier of this world’s nanochips. Dedicated to research and funding related to trans-dimensional travel and the cyclic nature of the universe, proponents of which include Dr. Shim and his department at the corporation.”
Yunho can feel his head reeling. Institute of what? Founder, and- Yunho desperately attempts to shrug off the feeling of having been sucked into a terrible B-rated movie. “So all this”, he waves a hand vaguely, as if to seemingly encompass the room, the house, all its occupants, “is mine?” Youngwoong nods, and Yunho doesn’t know whether to laugh or cry.
“If you work for me…that means you have to do what I say, right? For instance, say, if I asked you to follow me around, you’d do that?” While Yunho knows this isn’t really Jaejoong, until he can figure out where the hell he is -or more importantly, how he can get home- a familiar face is oddly comforting to have around. The traitorous voice in his head chooses this moment to pipe up. Especially a face this pretty, eh, U-know Yunho? Yunho scowls, can almost hear the voice snigger.
“Shut up”, he hisses, then realizes he’s spoken aloud and Youngwoong is looking at him strangely again.
“That is correct.”
“Right. Now we’ll just-” Yunho jumps when his pocket starts vibrating, and reaches in to draw out the cell phone he’d been handed earlier, and stares at it in consternation.
Ah, well. Nothing for it but to answer. He flips it open gingerly and turns away from Youngwoong’s oddly disconcerting scrutiny. “Hello?”
“Mr. Jung? Dr. Shim wanted me to remind you about your meeting with him this morning.”
Dr. Shim? Meeting? “Ah, uh. I’m not feeling very well today. Could we postpone that?”
The woman’s voice over the line remains smooth, unperturbed. “Dr. Shim said you’d want to see this, sir.”
Yunho sighs inwardly. “Where, again?”
“Jungtech, sir. In an hour.”
“Yes, alright.” Yunho hangs up, turns back to Youngwoong. Right. He did say part of his duties included driving. “Do you know the way to Jungtech?”
Youngwoong nods, and Yunho relaxes visibly. “Alright then, you can drive me there. I have to see someone.”
This time Youngwoong takes the lead and Yunho is content to follow. He spies art and strategically placed vases and sculpture in small niches, the bright, airy rooms, the soft carpeting. Yunho almost flinches the first time they pass a very attractive young man with a pile of folded towels in his arms who stops to bow as they pass by. The next one bends so low that Yunho begins to worry about the state of his back, and the third sends Yunho such a warm smile -a sultry, inviting curve of the lips- that he has to avert his eyes hurriedly. Youngwoong doesn’t even deign to cast them a glance; doesn’t slow his step. Yunho counts almost twenty before they reach the front door; all tall and lithe and extremely pretty, and he shakes his head, chews on his lower lip, wonders what sort of man would attempt to garner such a…collection, for want of a better word.
The car Youngwoong picks out is sleek and black and Yunho runs a hand over the hood admiringly before getting in. As they drive he peers out the window, attempts to search for familiar landmarks. While he recognizes the skyscrapers of Seoul, most of the buildings look subtly different, and the advertisements on billboards completely unfamiliar. He gapes when they pass under a gigantic billboard bearing his own coolly stern visage, glasses in place, suit and tie immaculate. You’ll never look back with Jungtech, the billboard proudly declares, and Yunho groans and lets his head fall back. This is most definitely not the Seoul he knows, as if he needed even more confirmation.
“Are you alright?” Yunho cracks open an eye at Youngwoong’s query, frowns at his dispassionate tone, incongruous coming from Jaejoong’s face, spoken with Jaejoong’s voice.
“Headache”, he lies easily, and closes his eyes again, doesn’t open them until the car draws to a stop.
“Here we are. You can go up first…Yunho.” The name seems to roll awkwardly off Youngwoong’s tongue, and Yunho can see him visibly struggling not to revert to the honorific. “I’ll park the car before going up.”
“Ah. Okay.” Yunho climbs out and looks up, tries his best not to stare at the immense building and its multitude of windows. JUNGTECH, the huge plaque at the entrance proclaims. Yunho takes a deep breath, steels himself, walks into the marble-floored lobby. It is large and quiet and almost empty, and he scowls at the ridiculously large banner stretching all the way to the ceiling, just behind the opulent receptionist’s desk. Just like on the billboard, his own face stares back at him. JUNGTECH: the future at your fingertips and Yunho wonders if he has the power to ask someone to get rid of that thing.
“Ah, Yunho! You’re here!”
Yunho spins too quickly at the sound of the familiar voice, and it’s only his dancer’s reflexes that keep him from falling on his face.
“Changmin?”
Pairing: Jaejoong/Yunho
Rating: PG-13, for now
Summary: AU fic! Yunho struggles with his feelings for Jaejoong, and wakes up in an alternate reality where he...also meets Jaejoong. Except this Jaejoong is quite different from the one he knows. Also involves secrets and grappling with the truth.
Chapter 1
When Jaejoong starts kissing him Yunho can literally hear his synapses shutting down with a relieved whine. Deep in the recesses of his mind he can hear a strange gabbling -this is Jaejoong you’re kissing, your band mate Kim Jaejoong, but no, wait, he kissed me first but oh god isn’t this nice- and Jaejoong’s lips are already on the line of jaw when Yunho is blessed with a rare instant of shocking clarity. He pushes Jaejoong away, none too gently, by the shoulders, watches as the other boy stumbles, gapes.
“I- no, I- what?”
Coherency, Yunho, coherency. Yunho takes a deep breath, swallows, wills his vision to clear, his head to stop feeling this fogged, tries again.
“Jaejoong-ah, I-”
Jaejoong flinches, then recovers his aplomb, clasps his hands in front of him like before. “My name is Youngwoong, sir.”
Yunho growls, runs a hand through his sleep spiked hair distractedly, starts to pace. “This is no time for technicalities, Jaejoong-ah! And stop calling me that. Where the hell are we? And for the love of- put on your shirt!”
Jaejoong bends smoothly, picks up his discarded shirt, begins donning it. Yunho turns his back, resolutely refuses to watch, and feels immensely relieved to have Jaejoong fully clothed again, all the same.
“We’re in your house, sir. And this is what we’re all required to call you. And my name isn’t Jaejoong.”
Yunho pauses, turns to send Jaejoong the most baleful glare he can muster. “Yes, I suppose I should call you Youngwoong, then?”
Jaejoong inclines his head slightly, voice measured, calm, cool. “That is my name, sir. But you have the liberty to call me whatever it is you want.”
Yunho frowns. Too bizarre, and Jaejoong, Jaejoong hasn’t been this formal since the first time they met. Maybe not even then. He certainly wasn’t calling him sir, at any rate.
“Stop that. I mean, just Yunho. Call me Yunho.”
Jaejoo- no, Youngwoong raises his head, nods slightly. “As you wish, si- Yunho.”
“You-” Yunho moves to stand in front of him, to peer down into the shorter boy’s face. “This isn’t a prank, is it?”
He notes Youngwoong’s disconcerted, confused expression with a sinking heart. “I’m not sure what you’re talking about, si- Yunho.”
“Oh, hell.” Yunho sinks back down on to the bed, wills himself not to start panicking. Or go crazy, though it feels as if he’s about halfway there already, will or no will. He notices Youngwoong -yes, Youngwoong, he thinks almost incoherently, not Jaejoong, even though they look exactly alike, oh hell I’m going crazy- still standing, pats the spot on the bedspread next to him. “Sit.” When the other boy doesn’t move Yunho sighs. “Look, I’m not used to talking to you like this. Except I suppose it’s not really you that I’m used to talking to- ah, just sit.”
Youngwoong gives him an almost imperceptible, utterly wary glance that he chooses to ignore, settles himself on the bed carefully. Yunho attempts to sort out his thoughts. Right. Maybe this Youngwoong can answer a few questions.
“Ah. Uh. What exactly are you supposed to be, anyway?” Though he thinks he already has a pretty good idea of that, after Youngwoong launching himself on him.
Youngwoong evinces a small shrug, a noncommittal glance. “We’re just part of your staff. We serve you in every means possible. We cook, we clean, we drive, we see to your every need.”
Oh. Oh. Every need, indeed. Yunho appreciates subtlety. Except- he remembers Junhwan from this morning, Junhwan who was in charge of making sure he got up and dressed on time, Junhwan who, he recalls, slightly horrified, wasn’t wearing much more than an oversized robe. “Uh. You wouldn’t happen to know how many of you I’ve got, would you?”
Youngwoong frowns, furrows his brow in thought, and the expression is so eerily identical to Jaejoong’s that Yunho has to look away. “I…Forty at last count, they told us.”
Told him. Yunho glances at Youngwoong and decides to risk it. “Er. How much do you know about me, then?”
Youngwoong inclines his head again. “Everything. Jung Yunho, twenty two. Born in the Year 24, Cycle 3 to Jung Kimjin and Jung Hwanji. One younger sister. Graduated with first class honours from the Institute of Nanotechnology and Applied Sciences. Founder of Jungtech, leading supplier of this world’s nanochips. Dedicated to research and funding related to trans-dimensional travel and the cyclic nature of the universe, proponents of which include Dr. Shim and his department at the corporation.”
Yunho can feel his head reeling. Institute of what? Founder, and- Yunho desperately attempts to shrug off the feeling of having been sucked into a terrible B-rated movie. “So all this”, he waves a hand vaguely, as if to seemingly encompass the room, the house, all its occupants, “is mine?” Youngwoong nods, and Yunho doesn’t know whether to laugh or cry.
“If you work for me…that means you have to do what I say, right? For instance, say, if I asked you to follow me around, you’d do that?” While Yunho knows this isn’t really Jaejoong, until he can figure out where the hell he is -or more importantly, how he can get home- a familiar face is oddly comforting to have around. The traitorous voice in his head chooses this moment to pipe up. Especially a face this pretty, eh, U-know Yunho? Yunho scowls, can almost hear the voice snigger.
“Shut up”, he hisses, then realizes he’s spoken aloud and Youngwoong is looking at him strangely again.
“That is correct.”
“Right. Now we’ll just-” Yunho jumps when his pocket starts vibrating, and reaches in to draw out the cell phone he’d been handed earlier, and stares at it in consternation.
Ah, well. Nothing for it but to answer. He flips it open gingerly and turns away from Youngwoong’s oddly disconcerting scrutiny. “Hello?”
“Mr. Jung? Dr. Shim wanted me to remind you about your meeting with him this morning.”
Dr. Shim? Meeting? “Ah, uh. I’m not feeling very well today. Could we postpone that?”
The woman’s voice over the line remains smooth, unperturbed. “Dr. Shim said you’d want to see this, sir.”
Yunho sighs inwardly. “Where, again?”
“Jungtech, sir. In an hour.”
“Yes, alright.” Yunho hangs up, turns back to Youngwoong. Right. He did say part of his duties included driving. “Do you know the way to Jungtech?”
Youngwoong nods, and Yunho relaxes visibly. “Alright then, you can drive me there. I have to see someone.”
This time Youngwoong takes the lead and Yunho is content to follow. He spies art and strategically placed vases and sculpture in small niches, the bright, airy rooms, the soft carpeting. Yunho almost flinches the first time they pass a very attractive young man with a pile of folded towels in his arms who stops to bow as they pass by. The next one bends so low that Yunho begins to worry about the state of his back, and the third sends Yunho such a warm smile -a sultry, inviting curve of the lips- that he has to avert his eyes hurriedly. Youngwoong doesn’t even deign to cast them a glance; doesn’t slow his step. Yunho counts almost twenty before they reach the front door; all tall and lithe and extremely pretty, and he shakes his head, chews on his lower lip, wonders what sort of man would attempt to garner such a…collection, for want of a better word.
The car Youngwoong picks out is sleek and black and Yunho runs a hand over the hood admiringly before getting in. As they drive he peers out the window, attempts to search for familiar landmarks. While he recognizes the skyscrapers of Seoul, most of the buildings look subtly different, and the advertisements on billboards completely unfamiliar. He gapes when they pass under a gigantic billboard bearing his own coolly stern visage, glasses in place, suit and tie immaculate. You’ll never look back with Jungtech, the billboard proudly declares, and Yunho groans and lets his head fall back. This is most definitely not the Seoul he knows, as if he needed even more confirmation.
“Are you alright?” Yunho cracks open an eye at Youngwoong’s query, frowns at his dispassionate tone, incongruous coming from Jaejoong’s face, spoken with Jaejoong’s voice.
“Headache”, he lies easily, and closes his eyes again, doesn’t open them until the car draws to a stop.
“Here we are. You can go up first…Yunho.” The name seems to roll awkwardly off Youngwoong’s tongue, and Yunho can see him visibly struggling not to revert to the honorific. “I’ll park the car before going up.”
“Ah. Okay.” Yunho climbs out and looks up, tries his best not to stare at the immense building and its multitude of windows. JUNGTECH, the huge plaque at the entrance proclaims. Yunho takes a deep breath, steels himself, walks into the marble-floored lobby. It is large and quiet and almost empty, and he scowls at the ridiculously large banner stretching all the way to the ceiling, just behind the opulent receptionist’s desk. Just like on the billboard, his own face stares back at him. JUNGTECH: the future at your fingertips and Yunho wonders if he has the power to ask someone to get rid of that thing.
“Ah, Yunho! You’re here!”
Yunho spins too quickly at the sound of the familiar voice, and it’s only his dancer’s reflexes that keep him from falling on his face.
“Changmin?”