Tone it Down
Title: Tone it Down
Pairing: Jaejoong/Changmin, JaeMin
Rating: PG-13
Warnings: Fluff ;)
A/N: first DBSK fic, yay! I don't understand LJ one bit, so if I screwed up...forgive me.
Summary: If there was one thing in this world Changmin hated, it was being babied.
If there was one thing in this world Changmin hated, it was being babied.
It had always bothered him-and it still did. Long ago he had grudgingly accepted that he was the youngest member of Dong Bang Shin Ki, and that he would be treated as such. Things weren't as bad as they used to be, but he still felt a little resentment about it every now and again.
The reason Changmin hated being treated so protectively by his elders was because he didn't need it.
He had proven himself, hadn't he?
Through hard work, he had shown that he deserved to sing beside the others. He was no longer a small, weak, awkward young teenager; he was a young man, and a fine one at that.
He had started working out. He was taller than Yunho, even! He ate like a filthy pig, slept like a log and continued to grow like a stubborn weed. The others admitted that he could be pretty scary when he wanted to be.
So why on earth was he still tucked in at night? Hand-fed when someone was feeling particularly playful? Treated like an invalid if he got something as insignificant as a paper cut?
It annoyed him. It probably shouldn't have-culture was culture, and you didn't fuck with culture; you had to suck it up and deal-but it did.
If anything, Changmin thought as he watched his friend laugh and laugh at something in a book, Junsu should have been the youngest. Junsu was by no means in need of someone to protect and look out for him, but he had a light, carefree heart that the others hoped always stayed with him.
Standing and padding into his bedroom, Changmin scowled and flopped onto the bed. He usually didn't have such pessimistic internal monologues, but yesterday had been a bit too much. Changmin knew he couldn't help it, and that he didn't mean anything by it, but Jaejoong's mothering ways were really starting to get on his nerves.
Did Jaejoong not realize that he was more than capable of getting his own toothpaste? Of doing his own laundry?
He wasn't being a brat. Right? His irritation was justified; no one liked to be treated like they were five. He had expected this, to an extent, but Jaejoong was a bit...much.
He loved-adored was probably a better word-Jaejoong's food. But always being fussed over until he ate every last bit (though that usually wasn't a problem) was annoying. Apparently, he didn't know how to season his food, either; it was always done for him.
Why couldn't Jaejoong dote over Yoochun at dinner? Everyone knew he was hopeless when it came to anything food-related.
Changmin let out a brief groan and smushed his face into a pillow. It smelled like a certain obnoxious male, and he threw it against the wall and instead laid his head down on one that smelled more like himself.
What did he do now? He wasn't too keen on the idea of confronting Jaejoong about it, but something had to be done.
The bedroom door opened, and it was all Changmin could do not to grimace. He stayed still, back to the doorway, stubbornly glaring at the wall. The bed dipped, and then there was a hand on his cheek and a warm mouth against his.
Jaejoong enthusiastically hovered on all fours above the reclining boy, kissing him with a vigor he didn't usually show. He must have been in a good mood.
Unfortunately, Changmin was not.
His bottom lip was sucked into Jaejoong's mouth briefly. If he had been only slightly more agreeable, he would have been a panting mess already, but he wasn't, and so he wasn't.
When Jaejoong dragged his tongue across Changmin's lips and received no reaction, he realized something was wrong. In fact, he noticed, as his mind came back from some far-off, horny place, Changmin hadn't moved a muscle or said one thing since he came into the room.
Jaejoong drew back, already looking concerned through his confusion.
Changmin gazed up at his hyung, unimpressed. It hurt him a little to so blatantly refuse Jaejoong, but he was getting angry, and that was that.
“What's wrong?” Jaejoong asked, leaning down to press kisses along his jaw.
Using not nearly all of his strength, Changmin pressed his palm against the top of Jaejoong's head and pushed him away. He sat up against the headboard, ignored the look on the other's face and said softly, “I have to talk to you about something.”
There was a brief moment of silence, and then Jaejoong said, crawling over and sitting next to him, “Oh. Okay. What's up?”
Changmin thought for a minute. He wasn't really angry-to be honest, he liked all the attention he received, most of the time-and he didn't want to come across like he was. He was miffed, though, and 'miffed' was quickly turning into 'pissed.'
“I don't appreciate being treated like a child,” he said bluntly. His courage stores were draining, so he had to make this quick. Before he could chicken out, he continued, “I'm aware that I'm the youngest and all. But Jaejoong, you baby me too much, and it gets on my nerves. A lot.”
Jaejoong's eyebrows were way up high, and his eyes were wide. Had Jaejoong really not noticed?
Changmin told Jaejoong everything that bothered him-including how the other man picked out his pajamas at night.
Maybe he was being a brat, but at this point, Changmin didn't care; he let the past few months' worth of complaints out. Jaejoong just sat and listened, nodding occasionally. Their thighs were pressed together, as they were sitting so close, and Changmin was thankful for that. Hopefully, a little bit of touch would show he wasn't so angry-because he wasn't. Not really.
When he finished, Changmin took two deep breaths and said softly, “We're in a relationship, right? Then we should be equals. I understand that you're older than me, and that's fine. But when it's the two of us...” He trailed off, setting his jaw and looking away.
He glanced at Jaejoong a minute later; his boyish face was twisted as he frowned deeply. His eyes met Changmin's, and he blinked a few times before saying slowly, “...I act like that? Really?”
“Yes,” Changmin growled.
“Oh.”
There was more silence, until Jaejoong gripped Changmin's hand and gave a weak smile. “Hey-I'm sorry, Min. I didn't even realize.”
Changmin almost started ranting again, but he bit his tongue and didn't resist when Jaejoong loosely wrapped an arm around his waist.
“I'll make a conscious effort not to treat you, uh, like you're insignificant so much,” Jaejoong told him, flicking his hair out of his eyes, “Alright?” Changmin nodded stiffly, and Jaejoong said again, sounding sincerely apologetic, “I'm sorry.”
Smiling slightly at that, Changmin nodded again, but this time it was more natural. “...You can't help it,” he sighed, grinning. “But I appreciate the effort. Thank you.”
A smooth smile had Changmin climbing onto the other's lap. Jaejoong looked sheepish, and he asked, “Do I really color-code your socks?"
“Uh-huh. It's creepy, and I hate it.”
“I don't blame you.”
Changmin smiled and gave a short laugh before kissing Jaejoong soundly. “Why were you so happy earlier?”
“...I don't remember.” Jaejoong shrugged.
Shrugging also, Changmin stood on his knees, enjoying the way he now towered over the sitting man on the bed. He leant forward a bit, making Jaejoong prop an arm out behind him so he wouldn't lose his balance.
Puckering his lips obnoxiously and waiting, Jaejoong leered at Changmin through half-lidded eyes. Rolling his own eyes (but not really meaning it; he was glad, actually, that Jaejoong had taken everything so well), Changmin bent down and pressed their lips together.
“Sorry,” Jaejoong breathed at him between kisses. Changmin gave his hand a quick squeeze of acknowledgment and stopped imposing himself so much and eased backwards.
Jaejoong's hands settled on his waist and slid down to pet his hips briefly before sneaking around to cup his ass. For a short while they did nothing but kiss (somewhat) chastely and touch. Eventually Changmin stopped kneeling and just sat on the other's thighs. Even though he was physically stronger and was taller than him, Changmin loved how Jaejoong could hold him and make him feel loved and protected. He didn't need-or want-to be treated like an infant; Jaejoong took care of him enough by just being Jaejoong. Things evened out that way, and that more or less made them equals, did it not?
Jaejoong broke their kiss off after a while to say in a slightly hoarse voice, “You're still the baby, though.”
“I know.”
He smiled. “But... I think I can try to tone it down a little.”
Playfully, Changmin replied, “You better.”
A hand twined into his hair, and Changmin gripped Jaejoong's shirt lightly and pulled, keeping him close. It seemed today was a success-Jaejoong would try, and that was all he could ask of him.
He had a feeling that he wouldn't need to worry so much about the babying again.