looking for the right song
Title: looking for the right song
Pairing: Jaejoong/Yoochun
Rating: Mature
Summary: AU. "Jaejoong fell in love with Yoochun's music before he even knew his name."
Author's Notes: For Linda.
Jaejoong fell in love with Yoochun's music before he even knew his name. Yoochun was just the busker Jaejoong passed at 8:37 every morning on his way to work, electric keyboard and mike stand set up in the corridor between the platforms and the escalators at London Bridge station. Still, Jaejoong can remember so clearly the first time he heard Yoochun's voice, Yoochun's playing, Yoochun's song, the sound winding down the corridor to Jaejoong's ears. He didn't even look up, that first time, didn't glance at Yoochun's face, but he still caught himself humming the song on and off all day. The next day, he looked up.
The look on Yoochun's face caught him, for some reason, the way that Yoochun was performing for these passers-by, for him, but Yoochun's expression was all turned in, like he was playing just for himself. Jaejoong found himself wanting somehow to get Yoochun to look back at him, to see how Yoochun would look playing for someone else - playing to him. He didn't have the time to stop, though, couldn't afford to be late to work again. He tossed a handful of loose change into the hat at Yoochun's feet and forced himself to keep walking.
It takes two weeks of walking past Yoochun every day before Jaejoong admits that there's more to it than just another face glimpsed on the street, another voice that means nothing more than a chance encounter to him. All of that changes the day Yoochun looks back up at the drop of coins into the hat that coincides with a break between songs, and smiles at Jaejoong. It's a tiny thing, almost fragile, and Jaejoong's eyes go wide at the sudden urge he has to just empty out his wallet at Yoochun's feet if Yoochun would only smile at him like that again, and sing. Luckily, or not, another commuter bumps into Jaejoong just then, making him jump and make a mildly embarrassing noise before he tears his eyes away from Yoochun's face and makes for the escalators, practically tripping over his feet on the way.
It's a Friday. That night, Jaejoong lets Yunho and Changmin talk him into going out with them to a club in Soho that's an old favourite of theirs from when the three of them first moved to London for university, childhood friends launched on the world together. They've all moved on to other things now, but their friendship, and their fondness for the club, have stayed the same. Changmin gives Jaejoong a couple of searching looks on the way, and Jaejoong's glad that inside it's too loud and too poorly lit for any cross-examination. Changmin's too smart for anyone's good, sometimes. Jaejoong concentrates on acting like he's got nothing on his mind but having a good time, even lets himself be persuaded by the manager who knows them all by name now into clambering onto the tiny stage to belt out a couple of songs, his voice a little too hoarse with one too many drinks and far too many cigarettes, but no-one else is in any state to care. Halfway through the last one, Jaejoong catches sight of Yunho and Changmin fading towards the back of the crowd, pressed a little closer together than even the crush deserves; he grins back and waves when Yunho catches his eye.
When Jaejoong finally gets off the stage, he's surrounded by a crush of people who all seem to want to buy him drinks. Jaejoong certainly isn't going to turn them down, nor the cute blond who offers him a little extra on top of just one more drink. But when Jaejoong's hands fist tight in the blond's hair, his eyes falling shut as pleasure washes over him, it's the busker's eyes he sees, and that quiet smile.
It has to be a sign. On Saturday, Jaejoong doesn't have to be at work, not to mention he's more than a little hungover. He's not even sure how he managed to get himself home the night before. But still, he finds himself on the tube, bleary-eyed, at 8 am, and walking up to Yoochun's keyboard at his usual time. He's not sure what he wants to say, or even really why he's there, but he opens his mouth and as usual words come pouring out without much of a decision on his part. "Did you hypnotise me? Or drug me? Or something!"
"Um," Yoochun says. "I don't think so. Think I'd remember that. And you." He's giving Jaejoong the 'are you completely insane?' face. Jaejoong knows it well - his boss and Changmin use it on him all the time. "I'm Yoochun, by the way." Jaejoong isn't sure that Yoochun should be giving out his name to complete strangers like that.
"I'm Jaejoong."
"Hi, Jaejoong." Yoochun still looks confused, but a touch of interest is making its way into his expression too. Jaejoong isn't sure if that's progress. "Wait, I know you. I think." Jaejoong huffs a little at that, offended that he clearly hasn't made as much of an impression on Yoochun as Yoochun has on him. Until Yoochun adds, "Wasn't expecting to see you on a Saturday. Never have before."
"You remember me!" Jaejoong says, pleased, then flushes at the look Yoochun gives him. "Uh. Didn't mean to say that out loud."
Yoochun laughs out loud at that, ducking his head so his fringe falls in his face. Jaejoong laughs along, delighted at the odd almost-shyness, up until the point Yoochun says, "You're so weird."
"I'm not weird!" Jaejoong protests, swatting at Yoochun's shoulder before he can catch himself, the way he would at Yunho or Changmin. It earns him a wide-eyed look that has him apologising before he even knows he's going to. "Sorry, sorry! Didn't mean to do that. Forgot I don't know you..." Jaejoong trails off, the sentence sounding bizarre even to his own ears.
Yoochun chuckles again. "See, weird. Buy me coffee to make up for your abuse."
Jaejoong blinks, then shakes his head to clear his ears and make sure he's not imagining it, then practically trips over himself in his rush to say, "Yes please now? Oh my god you did hypnotise me!"
"Why do you keep talking about hypnotism?" Yoochun asks, clearly puzzled by Jaejoong's obsession.
"Because I keep thinking about you and so you must've hypnotised me," Jaejoong says. He thinks that his reasoning's pretty obvious.
Yoochun giggles again, turning away to pack up his keyboard. "You are so insane. This coffee better be really good."
"Best ever," Jaejoong promises.
The coffee actually turns out to be mediocre at best, but Yoochun doesn't complain too much. Jaejoong's surprised Yoochun can taste anything at all over the amount of sugar he tips into the mug, anyway. What's more important is that the laughter and teasing carries on over coffee and, then, when they linger too long, lunch too.
"Feels like I've known you forever," Yoochun says musingly, halfway through his chocolate cheesecake. The way he licks at the spoon means Jaejoong's more than a little distracted from the words themselves, and he has to shake himself to get his mouth working again.
"Maybe I knew you in a past life," he suggests lightly, smiling to show that he's kidding but secretly he's giving more thought to the possibility than he ever has before.
Yoochun tilts his head consideringly. "Or I'm your secret soulmate."
"Soulmates," Jaejoong replies, laughing. "Well, it sounds good, anyway. Let's go with that one!"
Yoochun laughs along and nods agreement. "That's my story, and I'm sticking to it."
A little later, as they're waiting for the bill, Jaejoong says into a lull in the conversation, "Just in the, um, interests of full disclosure, or something. I think you're really cute. Just so you know."
Yoochun looks back, gaze sliding down Jaejoong's body in a way that makes Jaejoong's skin feel hot all over. He's kind of sure he's blushing embarrassingly red by the time Yoochun looks back up at him. "You're pretty cute too," Yoochun says, grinning.
"Oh," says Jaejoong, eloquent as always. "Well. Good." Yoochun laughs at him again. Jaejoong's starting to get used to it.
Jaejoong's strangely not disappointed when there are no invitations home on either of their parts. He's finding he wants a little more from Yoochun than just a quick fuck, and he's pleased that Yoochun seems to want that too. Instead they just exchange phone numbers, and promises to meet up sometime. "And hey, I guess I'll see you on Monday," Jaejoong says, smiling.
"Actually," Yoochun says, looking a little sheepish. "I'm starting my new job on Monday. No more busking for me. Must've been fate, or something, yeah?"
"Guess so," Jaejoong replies, suddenly so very glad that he didn't wait until Monday to track Yoochun down. "I'll call you, then."
Maybe he shouldn't have been surprised, on Monday when he turns up to work to find Yoochun being shown around the office. "Hey, Jaejoong," Michael says, waving him over. "Meet the new guy."
"We've met," Jaejoong says, smiling at Yoochun, then cracks up as Yoochun says, "Soulmates, huh?"
Yoochun gets the desk opposite Jaejoong, another piece of serendipity that makes them grin across at each other and then duck their heads as the department head walks past. "Hey," Jaejoong calls across the gap between their desks, once the manager's safely past. "Come out tonight? Want you to meet some people."
By people, of course, he means Yunho and Changmin. Jaejoong introduces Yoochun as his new co-worker, but from the sharp look Changmin gives him, Jaejoong's expecting questions that he won't be able to avoid the way he did on Friday night. He's right. As soon as Yoochun goes off to track down his friend who's supposed to be meeting them too, Changmin turns to Jaejoong. "So who is he, really?" Changmin asks.
"He works with me!" Jaejoong says. "Really!"
"Yeah. And I haven't seen you look at anyone like that in a very long time," Yunho puts in, making Jaejoong turn wide, betrayed eyes towards him. He hadn't expected cross-examination from Yunho too, and it makes him crumple like wet tissue paper.
"He's a really good singer and he's really funny and I really really like him," Jaejoong whines, all in one breath, then drops his head onto the table, despairing. "But I don't know what to do!" He attempts to wallow in self-pity, but Changmin's laughter pulls Jaejoong's head up to give him an accusing glance. "Don't laugh at me!"
"Dumb people should be laughed at," Changmin says, dodging the poke Jaejoong aims in his direction. "You know what to do."
"But I don't want to ruin it!" Jaejoong whines some more, flapping at Changmin's arm.
Yunho laughs at the antics, reaching across Changmin to catch Jaejoong's hands. "You won't," he assures. "He's looking back." The words make Jaejoong remember the way Yoochun had looked at him in the cafe over lunch, and he flushes hotly, shivering down to his toes. "See?" Yunho says, and squeezes Jaejoong's fingers before he lets go.
That's just about when Yoochun comes back with his friend in tow. There are introductions all around, and ten minutes later Junsu's fitting in just as easily as Yoochun had, despite the laughing complaints about how he's sure Yoochun's just running a grand conspiracy to turn him gay. By the time Yunho, Changmin and Junsu are locked in an intense discussion of their chosen football teams' chances in the new season, it's clear that another friend's been made. Jaejoong gets up a few minutes in to get another round of drinks, and isn't all that surprised when Yoochun follows him up to the bar.
"Hey, Jaejoong?" Yoochun says, as they wait for the drinks.
"Yeah?" Jaejoong's trying for nonchalant, but he's not all that sure that he's pulling it off.
Yoochun moves a little closer, enough that Jaejoong can feel the warmth of Yoochun's shoulder right next to his even though they're not quite touching. "Changmin said you wanted to talk to me about something."
"Yeah, I need to talk about the fact that I'm going to kill him," Jaejoong says vehemently.
Yoochun chuckles, shifting the fraction more to nudge their shoulders together. "Don't think that's what he had in mind."
Jaejoong can't help smiling a little at that. "Guess not," he says, crossing his arms in front of himself. "But."
"But what?"
"But," Jaejoong says, and then decides that maybe Changmin's right and anyway cautious hasn't really ever been a good look on him. Neither has patience. "Forget it. I really think you should kiss me now."
Yoochun blinks at him. "That's what's got you all tangled up?" he asks, incredulity clear in his voice. "Changmin's right, you really are dumb."
Jaejoong means to protest that, really he does, but then Yoochun's shifting, leaning down to kiss him, and he forgets all about it. It feels nothing like any first kiss Jaejoong's ever had before, no caution in it, no careful testing. Instead Yoochun's mouth fits against his like it was always meant to, like Yoochun's got no doubt that this is how they're supposed to be, and it leaves hardly any room for Jaejoong's fears between them either. He can't help responding to that certainty. Yoochun doesn't break the kiss until Jaejoong uncrosses his arms to slide them around Yoochun's shoulders, and even then he doesn't move away much, smiling at Jaejoong from just centimeters apart. "Better?"
"Much better," Jaejoong says contentedly. "Do it again."
"Anywhere you like," Yoochun promises, grin tiny but wicked, and that's when Jaejoong knows it's going to be okay.
At least until they make it back to the table at last, and the others break into a round of cheers and wolf-whistles that makes Jaejoong try to strangle them all.
Pairing: Jaejoong/Yoochun
Rating: Mature
Summary: AU. "Jaejoong fell in love with Yoochun's music before he even knew his name."
Author's Notes: For Linda.
Jaejoong fell in love with Yoochun's music before he even knew his name. Yoochun was just the busker Jaejoong passed at 8:37 every morning on his way to work, electric keyboard and mike stand set up in the corridor between the platforms and the escalators at London Bridge station. Still, Jaejoong can remember so clearly the first time he heard Yoochun's voice, Yoochun's playing, Yoochun's song, the sound winding down the corridor to Jaejoong's ears. He didn't even look up, that first time, didn't glance at Yoochun's face, but he still caught himself humming the song on and off all day. The next day, he looked up.
The look on Yoochun's face caught him, for some reason, the way that Yoochun was performing for these passers-by, for him, but Yoochun's expression was all turned in, like he was playing just for himself. Jaejoong found himself wanting somehow to get Yoochun to look back at him, to see how Yoochun would look playing for someone else - playing to him. He didn't have the time to stop, though, couldn't afford to be late to work again. He tossed a handful of loose change into the hat at Yoochun's feet and forced himself to keep walking.
It takes two weeks of walking past Yoochun every day before Jaejoong admits that there's more to it than just another face glimpsed on the street, another voice that means nothing more than a chance encounter to him. All of that changes the day Yoochun looks back up at the drop of coins into the hat that coincides with a break between songs, and smiles at Jaejoong. It's a tiny thing, almost fragile, and Jaejoong's eyes go wide at the sudden urge he has to just empty out his wallet at Yoochun's feet if Yoochun would only smile at him like that again, and sing. Luckily, or not, another commuter bumps into Jaejoong just then, making him jump and make a mildly embarrassing noise before he tears his eyes away from Yoochun's face and makes for the escalators, practically tripping over his feet on the way.
It's a Friday. That night, Jaejoong lets Yunho and Changmin talk him into going out with them to a club in Soho that's an old favourite of theirs from when the three of them first moved to London for university, childhood friends launched on the world together. They've all moved on to other things now, but their friendship, and their fondness for the club, have stayed the same. Changmin gives Jaejoong a couple of searching looks on the way, and Jaejoong's glad that inside it's too loud and too poorly lit for any cross-examination. Changmin's too smart for anyone's good, sometimes. Jaejoong concentrates on acting like he's got nothing on his mind but having a good time, even lets himself be persuaded by the manager who knows them all by name now into clambering onto the tiny stage to belt out a couple of songs, his voice a little too hoarse with one too many drinks and far too many cigarettes, but no-one else is in any state to care. Halfway through the last one, Jaejoong catches sight of Yunho and Changmin fading towards the back of the crowd, pressed a little closer together than even the crush deserves; he grins back and waves when Yunho catches his eye.
When Jaejoong finally gets off the stage, he's surrounded by a crush of people who all seem to want to buy him drinks. Jaejoong certainly isn't going to turn them down, nor the cute blond who offers him a little extra on top of just one more drink. But when Jaejoong's hands fist tight in the blond's hair, his eyes falling shut as pleasure washes over him, it's the busker's eyes he sees, and that quiet smile.
It has to be a sign. On Saturday, Jaejoong doesn't have to be at work, not to mention he's more than a little hungover. He's not even sure how he managed to get himself home the night before. But still, he finds himself on the tube, bleary-eyed, at 8 am, and walking up to Yoochun's keyboard at his usual time. He's not sure what he wants to say, or even really why he's there, but he opens his mouth and as usual words come pouring out without much of a decision on his part. "Did you hypnotise me? Or drug me? Or something!"
"Um," Yoochun says. "I don't think so. Think I'd remember that. And you." He's giving Jaejoong the 'are you completely insane?' face. Jaejoong knows it well - his boss and Changmin use it on him all the time. "I'm Yoochun, by the way." Jaejoong isn't sure that Yoochun should be giving out his name to complete strangers like that.
"I'm Jaejoong."
"Hi, Jaejoong." Yoochun still looks confused, but a touch of interest is making its way into his expression too. Jaejoong isn't sure if that's progress. "Wait, I know you. I think." Jaejoong huffs a little at that, offended that he clearly hasn't made as much of an impression on Yoochun as Yoochun has on him. Until Yoochun adds, "Wasn't expecting to see you on a Saturday. Never have before."
"You remember me!" Jaejoong says, pleased, then flushes at the look Yoochun gives him. "Uh. Didn't mean to say that out loud."
Yoochun laughs out loud at that, ducking his head so his fringe falls in his face. Jaejoong laughs along, delighted at the odd almost-shyness, up until the point Yoochun says, "You're so weird."
"I'm not weird!" Jaejoong protests, swatting at Yoochun's shoulder before he can catch himself, the way he would at Yunho or Changmin. It earns him a wide-eyed look that has him apologising before he even knows he's going to. "Sorry, sorry! Didn't mean to do that. Forgot I don't know you..." Jaejoong trails off, the sentence sounding bizarre even to his own ears.
Yoochun chuckles again. "See, weird. Buy me coffee to make up for your abuse."
Jaejoong blinks, then shakes his head to clear his ears and make sure he's not imagining it, then practically trips over himself in his rush to say, "Yes please now? Oh my god you did hypnotise me!"
"Why do you keep talking about hypnotism?" Yoochun asks, clearly puzzled by Jaejoong's obsession.
"Because I keep thinking about you and so you must've hypnotised me," Jaejoong says. He thinks that his reasoning's pretty obvious.
Yoochun giggles again, turning away to pack up his keyboard. "You are so insane. This coffee better be really good."
"Best ever," Jaejoong promises.
The coffee actually turns out to be mediocre at best, but Yoochun doesn't complain too much. Jaejoong's surprised Yoochun can taste anything at all over the amount of sugar he tips into the mug, anyway. What's more important is that the laughter and teasing carries on over coffee and, then, when they linger too long, lunch too.
"Feels like I've known you forever," Yoochun says musingly, halfway through his chocolate cheesecake. The way he licks at the spoon means Jaejoong's more than a little distracted from the words themselves, and he has to shake himself to get his mouth working again.
"Maybe I knew you in a past life," he suggests lightly, smiling to show that he's kidding but secretly he's giving more thought to the possibility than he ever has before.
Yoochun tilts his head consideringly. "Or I'm your secret soulmate."
"Soulmates," Jaejoong replies, laughing. "Well, it sounds good, anyway. Let's go with that one!"
Yoochun laughs along and nods agreement. "That's my story, and I'm sticking to it."
A little later, as they're waiting for the bill, Jaejoong says into a lull in the conversation, "Just in the, um, interests of full disclosure, or something. I think you're really cute. Just so you know."
Yoochun looks back, gaze sliding down Jaejoong's body in a way that makes Jaejoong's skin feel hot all over. He's kind of sure he's blushing embarrassingly red by the time Yoochun looks back up at him. "You're pretty cute too," Yoochun says, grinning.
"Oh," says Jaejoong, eloquent as always. "Well. Good." Yoochun laughs at him again. Jaejoong's starting to get used to it.
Jaejoong's strangely not disappointed when there are no invitations home on either of their parts. He's finding he wants a little more from Yoochun than just a quick fuck, and he's pleased that Yoochun seems to want that too. Instead they just exchange phone numbers, and promises to meet up sometime. "And hey, I guess I'll see you on Monday," Jaejoong says, smiling.
"Actually," Yoochun says, looking a little sheepish. "I'm starting my new job on Monday. No more busking for me. Must've been fate, or something, yeah?"
"Guess so," Jaejoong replies, suddenly so very glad that he didn't wait until Monday to track Yoochun down. "I'll call you, then."
Maybe he shouldn't have been surprised, on Monday when he turns up to work to find Yoochun being shown around the office. "Hey, Jaejoong," Michael says, waving him over. "Meet the new guy."
"We've met," Jaejoong says, smiling at Yoochun, then cracks up as Yoochun says, "Soulmates, huh?"
Yoochun gets the desk opposite Jaejoong, another piece of serendipity that makes them grin across at each other and then duck their heads as the department head walks past. "Hey," Jaejoong calls across the gap between their desks, once the manager's safely past. "Come out tonight? Want you to meet some people."
By people, of course, he means Yunho and Changmin. Jaejoong introduces Yoochun as his new co-worker, but from the sharp look Changmin gives him, Jaejoong's expecting questions that he won't be able to avoid the way he did on Friday night. He's right. As soon as Yoochun goes off to track down his friend who's supposed to be meeting them too, Changmin turns to Jaejoong. "So who is he, really?" Changmin asks.
"He works with me!" Jaejoong says. "Really!"
"Yeah. And I haven't seen you look at anyone like that in a very long time," Yunho puts in, making Jaejoong turn wide, betrayed eyes towards him. He hadn't expected cross-examination from Yunho too, and it makes him crumple like wet tissue paper.
"He's a really good singer and he's really funny and I really really like him," Jaejoong whines, all in one breath, then drops his head onto the table, despairing. "But I don't know what to do!" He attempts to wallow in self-pity, but Changmin's laughter pulls Jaejoong's head up to give him an accusing glance. "Don't laugh at me!"
"Dumb people should be laughed at," Changmin says, dodging the poke Jaejoong aims in his direction. "You know what to do."
"But I don't want to ruin it!" Jaejoong whines some more, flapping at Changmin's arm.
Yunho laughs at the antics, reaching across Changmin to catch Jaejoong's hands. "You won't," he assures. "He's looking back." The words make Jaejoong remember the way Yoochun had looked at him in the cafe over lunch, and he flushes hotly, shivering down to his toes. "See?" Yunho says, and squeezes Jaejoong's fingers before he lets go.
That's just about when Yoochun comes back with his friend in tow. There are introductions all around, and ten minutes later Junsu's fitting in just as easily as Yoochun had, despite the laughing complaints about how he's sure Yoochun's just running a grand conspiracy to turn him gay. By the time Yunho, Changmin and Junsu are locked in an intense discussion of their chosen football teams' chances in the new season, it's clear that another friend's been made. Jaejoong gets up a few minutes in to get another round of drinks, and isn't all that surprised when Yoochun follows him up to the bar.
"Hey, Jaejoong?" Yoochun says, as they wait for the drinks.
"Yeah?" Jaejoong's trying for nonchalant, but he's not all that sure that he's pulling it off.
Yoochun moves a little closer, enough that Jaejoong can feel the warmth of Yoochun's shoulder right next to his even though they're not quite touching. "Changmin said you wanted to talk to me about something."
"Yeah, I need to talk about the fact that I'm going to kill him," Jaejoong says vehemently.
Yoochun chuckles, shifting the fraction more to nudge their shoulders together. "Don't think that's what he had in mind."
Jaejoong can't help smiling a little at that. "Guess not," he says, crossing his arms in front of himself. "But."
"But what?"
"But," Jaejoong says, and then decides that maybe Changmin's right and anyway cautious hasn't really ever been a good look on him. Neither has patience. "Forget it. I really think you should kiss me now."
Yoochun blinks at him. "That's what's got you all tangled up?" he asks, incredulity clear in his voice. "Changmin's right, you really are dumb."
Jaejoong means to protest that, really he does, but then Yoochun's shifting, leaning down to kiss him, and he forgets all about it. It feels nothing like any first kiss Jaejoong's ever had before, no caution in it, no careful testing. Instead Yoochun's mouth fits against his like it was always meant to, like Yoochun's got no doubt that this is how they're supposed to be, and it leaves hardly any room for Jaejoong's fears between them either. He can't help responding to that certainty. Yoochun doesn't break the kiss until Jaejoong uncrosses his arms to slide them around Yoochun's shoulders, and even then he doesn't move away much, smiling at Jaejoong from just centimeters apart. "Better?"
"Much better," Jaejoong says contentedly. "Do it again."
"Anywhere you like," Yoochun promises, grin tiny but wicked, and that's when Jaejoong knows it's going to be okay.
At least until they make it back to the table at last, and the others break into a round of cheers and wolf-whistles that makes Jaejoong try to strangle them all.