Chapter 2
Project Yunho
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"Excuse me?" Jaejoong had to admit that he was a bit taken aback with the other's choice of words. Did the guy just asked him if he was his owner? Surely, he must have heard wrong. But wow, if he could only own a person right?
Yunho, the man on the bed, regarded Jaejoong for a while, like he was studying him. "I apologize." he finally said after a moment passed, eyes turning dull as if he was remembering a particular sad memory.
Jaejoong thought that Yunho was definitely a little bit weird. And what was up with the monotone?
Suddenly, Yunho hauled himself out of bed. "What are you doing?" Jaejoong asked in alarm as the supposedly injured man walked passed him. "You just got stitched up. Your wounds might open again!" he called out. But Yunho didn't seem to hear a word. His hands closed around the knob as he turned the metallic hinge. "Don't you dare go out that door!"
Yunho's movements instantly ceased at his command, almost as if taking orders was what he usually did.
When Yunho turned around, Jaejoong's gaze went more frantic the second his eyes landed on Yunho's bleeding side. A large patch of blood was soaking through his hospital gown.
"You're bleeding." Jaejoong cried out in concern, quickly rushing towards him.
Yunho watched Jaejoong with something akin to interest before looking down on himself. He didn't twitch even the tiniest fraction. Resting a hand against his side, Yunho brought it close to his face and simply stared.
Jaejoong regarded him with disbelief. "The hell? How can you still look so calm about this?"
Yunho cocked his head back and met Jaejoong's gaze again. "I was engineered to outlast the highest dosage of pain." he calmly replied. A frown creased his forehead when he noticed the way Jaejoong was regarding him. It was odd, having a complete stranger look at him like that. "You're... concerned for my well-being."
"Of course I'll be concerned. Anyone that has a heart would be. You're spilling your guts out and you don't even flinch. This should hurt at least a little." It was really starting to freak Jaejoong out how can someone appear so cold and empty. "Dude, you can cry, scream or yell. But don't just stand there like an inanimate object."
"Are you urging me to show emotions?" Yunho's bewilderment was evident. "Your care is unusual to me."
"Jae, I think the guy's brain has been damaged." Yoochun stepped into the conversation, seemingly concerned as well. They must have hit him harder than they thought. "I'll go get the doctor again. And that cut looks nasty."
Jaejoong's gaze drifted from Yunho to his best friend. "Okay Chun, hurry. This guy's seriously spilling gallons."
Yoochun nodded and walked past them towards the door.
Once he was outside, Jaejoong quickly grabbed Yunho by both arms and steered him back towards the bed. "Do you have a family? A relative? Anyone that we can call?"
"No." Yunho replied all too quickly before standing up again. "I have to go."
"Hey, I told you - "
"They're here." Yunho abruptly cut him off as he locked his arms around Jaejoong's body from behind, quickly placing a hand to cover at his mouth. "Don't make a sound." he whispered into the other's ear making the smaller man shiver in fear and alarm. "Or you're dead."
The words could be likened to a bucket of cold ice spilled down Jaejoong's gut.
What the hell? What is going on?
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"Where the hell are you?" Yoochun was literally screaming on the other line. "I ing go get the doctor and when I came back you were both gone. Now Jae, I know you haven't had a good for months but no matter how gorgeous a guy is, fact remains he's injured and you can't have with him like that you bleeding ert."
"Get your mind out of the gutter will you?" Jaejoong hissed back into the receiver, head craning towards the direction of the living room where he left Yunho nursing his wound.
Soon after they had exited the hospital's premises safe and sound, all thanks to Yunho's seemingly ninja-like reflexes despite loosing a fair amount of blood, Yunho quickly apologized for his behavior, explaining that he had to do what he did and say the words he had to make sure that Jaejoong cooperated with him.
It confused Jaejoong why he easily trusted the man.
The guy had just threatened to kill him after all but somehow, when he looked into Yunho's eyes, he couldn't help but trust the other's words. There wasn't any evil intent present in his gaze. In fact he looked scared, panicky even, frightened out of his skin as they tried to shuck out of the hospital at the back exit. Jaejoong had wanted to put the strange man into another hospital because he was really starting to resemble a radish from how pale his complexion had gotten, but Yunho had vehemently said no, insisting that he could take care of himself.
His facial expression still remained relatively blank, but his eyes however spoke of another thing. And Jaejoong was never one to leave a person in need. There was only one obvious truth at that time. Yunho needed help. And so Jaejoong drove back to his and Yoochun's apartment to look for something that could stitch the other man up. Fortunately, Jaejoong knew everything there was to know about household chores and that included sewing. So he thought hey, I could sew clothes, what could be so different about a person's skin right?
But after a few minutes passed, Jaejoong ended up retching in the bathroom's sink, leaving Yunho to tend to himself.
He was a y babysitter.
"We're at home." Jaejoong informed, sounding restless. "And what was I supposed to do Chun? He looked really scared earlier, like a rabbit about to gnaw on his own foot kind of scared. And the guy's strong. He literally dragged me out of the place, saying something about how I might get into trouble too since I helped him and stuff."
"And despite what he said, you still brought him to our apartment? Are you crazy?"
"Didn't you just hear a thing I said? He needed help you moron."
Yoochun was silent on the other line.
"Yoochun ah."
"This is bad Jae." Yoochun's worried voice filtered through. "I saw some scary looking men with guns in the hospital earlier and they were asking for Yunho." a shuddering pause. "I thought I was going to choke on my spit and die."
Jaejoong's grip on his phone tightened, worry for his best friend washing over him in waves. "Chun, are you alright?"
"I'm fine. Just a bit shaken up. I'm taking the train home. I'll be there in an hour or so."
"Be careful Chun. And I'm sorry for taking off just like that."
"I told you it's okay. Anyway, I have to go back to the club and show manager-hyung the medical bill so he could excuse you from working for a few days. And watch out for yourself, that guy might appear harmless but the fact that the police - "
"Police? Are you sure they're the police?"
"Well, no I'm not sure they're the cops. Nor do I think they were, but still Jae that guy sounds like he will only bring trouble." Yoochun's exasperated sigh was clearly heard. "Be careful. I'll be home as soon as I can."
"Okay, I'll be careful. Bye."
"Bye." And with that the line went dead.
Jaejoong clicked the off button of his cell and let out a long sigh. Yoochun's words were on repeat inside his head. This night was officially on his list of the biggest ed up moments of his life. First he nearly got and now there could actually be a possibility that he was helping a fugitive on the run from the government or whatever.
Damn, what had he gotten himself into?
Taking slow steps towards the living room, Jaejoong poked his head out and watched Yunho on the couch working on himself. Biting at his bottom lip, a pained expression flashed across Jaejoong's eyes. Yunho was stitching up his own skin with that blank look on his face again.
He looks like it's not the first time he had to stitch himself up. He's too calm and collected. Jaejoong thought as he let out a long breath before approaching the other man's form. Whatever, I need to get to the bottom of things. I helped him and the least he could do is explain things to me.
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"It's starting to question the orders I'm giving it."
"It's like saying my toaster have a conscience."
"Your orders were clear, shoot and kill. Why did you hesitate?"
"You showed such great promise, you were the ultimate killing machine."
"Emotions has made you weak. And now I'm afraid they'd have to terminate you."
"Hey." Yunho cocked his head back, gaze flooding with the man that had helped him. "Are you feeling better?"
"I have finished tending my wound." he replied. "Thank you for your assistance. But I must leave."
"Woah, woah, woah hold it right there cowboy." Jaejoong bristled, both hands resting on Yunho's shoulder when the other man made a move to stand up. "If you think I'm gonna let you go just like that, then you're sorely mistaken buddy."
Yunho simply looked back at him with a blank expression.
Jaejoong grunted in mild annoyance, sighing. "Look, my best friend said that the cops were looking for you at the hospital."
"Cops." Yunho was looking at Jaejoong with wonder. "That can't be right. They don't know of my existence."
Jaejoong raked fingers through his hair. "Well, if so, then who were those people that were looking for you?" he asked, jaw clenching. "Why are you running from them? And where did you get that huge wound on your side?"
Yunho stared at him in silence like he was blatantly refusing to answer the question, his eyes were wary again and he was starting to look like a little kid afraid to be picked on by bullies.
Jaejoong's eyes softened, realization dawning in on him of how this man, considering that someone, or a bunch of someones were trying to get to him, was having trust issues. "I'm not gonna hurt you or anything. If I wanted to, I would have already called the cops by now or have thrown you out. Dude, you even threatened to kill me yet I forgave you and you're here in my house taking shelter. Don't you think I deserve to have your trust by now?"
Considerable silence fell between them, Yunho's eyes were trained on him, studying him like a specimen under a magnifying glass. Jaejoong began to squirm under the scrutiny of the other's gaze.
"I was trained to trust no one." Yunho finally said after a minute or two, eyes half mast in brooding. "I wasn't supposed to have emotions but I did... and for that they said I was defective."
Leaning forward, Jaejoong peered into Yunho's eyes, making sure that his gaze stayed there. The fact that Yunho sat on his couch was doing wonders for his libido. And in this kind of situation it was a very bad thing.
"Defective? Why are you saying you're defective?" Jaejoong figured that even though the man's words absolutely made no sense to him, he should at least keep an open mind right?
"The ones that made me - "
"Wait, made you?" Jaejoong asked, looking at Yunho like he was definitely at the top list of the crazies.
Yunho nodded his head in consent and continued. "Yes, I was made. I wasn't born like you or people like you."
Was this some kind of government conspiracy? Jaejoong couldn't believe what he was hearing. And he would have laughed too if it weren't for how serious Yunho was. Jaejoong cleared his throat. "Are you... saying you're not human?"
"I am human." Yunho replied, meeting Jaejoong's expectant stare. For some reason, he felt like he could trust this man with his life. "Mostly anyway." he added. "My genetic make-up is consisted of various DNA samples. Human DNA is the largest amongst them, followed by feline and reptile coming a close second and third respectively."
Stunned, Jaejoong's mouth fell open as he listened. He knew he was crazy for actually feeling that Yunho was telling the truth, but he couldn't help it. He had to admit, it was a bit intriguing and exciting. "So... let me get this straight. You have emotions? And now your creators are trying to kill you? Why? Isn't that a good thing? Having emotions I mean."
"I was programmed to be an assassin, a killer if you will, so emotions are an unnecessary baggage for me. My creators made me for one purpose only, and that is to end the target's life that I was instructed to terminate."
Jaejoon gulped, wide eyed and disbelieving. "You're a killer?" So did that explain how fast his reflexes were? And the fact that he didn't seem squeamish at all despite all the blood flowing from his wound? Jaejoong considerably paled.
"You don't need to fear me. And I don't know why but... I trust you. You've showed me compassion and care, something that I have only been a witness to from a distance. You're rest assured I will not harm you in any way."
"Well, that's not really very assuring pal." Jaejoong told him, feeling his heart clench in his chest. He actually believed this man's words and he was a friggin' assassin. Yoochun was so going to freak if he found out. "I need a drink." Jaejoong breathed as he quickly made a beeline for the kitchen and poured himself a glass of soju.
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"My previous owner, he was a mafia boss."
Jaejoong nearly jumped out of his skin when Yunho crept up behind him. "Dude, don't scare me like that!" he exclaimed, pushing at Yunho's bare chest that was too close for comfort. "Anyone ever told you of personal space?"
It was easier talking to Yunho earlier on the couch since he was, well... sitting down and certain body parts had been obstructed from his view but dammit! Now there he was in his kitchen counter, standing in all his glory and the only thing that was covering his skin was the bandage on his hip. "And please put some clothes on."
I'm not gonna look down, I'm not gonna look down. Nope, I will not. He's a killer, or a psycho or a mental escapee but damn, ow bad Jaejoong! You already looked. Oh wow... he's huge.
Yunho's eyebrows furrowed noticing the change in Jaejoong's temperature. "Your skin is getting feverish and your face is turning red. You are also having palpitations." Yunho tilted his head to the side. "Are you getting ill?"
It was taking all of Jaejoong's self control to not just push the other man to the floor and lodge himself into that , ride him hard and fast and rough and oh god Yoochun was right, he was a huge ert! Very bad Jaejoong! You need to be punished for such naughty thoughts. Ngh, I wonder if Yunho will punish me good if I - gah stop it!
"This is ed up." Jaejoong groaned under his breath, mouth running dry.
"?" Yunho asked, a questioning look decorating his visage. "I'm afraid I do not know this word."
By some miracle, Jaejoong managed to look back into Yunho's face as he forced a smile into his lips, fervently telling himself that he was not drooling. Nuh uh. He wasn't. "Oh, ummm... it's uhhh, another word for ." Not exactly the kind of thing you should be thinking about right now Joongie!
". ion. The act of mating. I know that word." Yunho answered, but then he frowned in confusion upon remembering what Jaejoong had said. "So, it's ed up?" he innocently asked.
"Umm, no no, ... it's uhh, it's a slang word, aside from , it's also an expression among friends."
"Friends." Yunho replied and for a second Jaejoong could've sworn his face lightened up. "So we are friends?"
"Yes, yes we're friends." Jaejoong said, smiling. "So... umm." he continued, desperately needing some kind of distraction other than the piece of man-meat his eyes was feasting on. "Oh, what were you saying again earlier?"
The happy expression diminished instantly on Yunho's face. "My previous owner. A mafia boss." he answered in that monotone again. "I worked under him, killed anyone that dared cross him with no remorse nor guilt."
Jaejoong nodded sagely as he listened, trying his best to absorb every word.
"I existed from day to day without the ability to feel, but the more I got subjected to the world, seeing people around me, their smiles and their laughter, even their tears, I didn't know how it happened, but for the first time a few weeks ago. I hesitated on a target." Yunho trailed off, eyes boring into Jaejoong's, checking if he was still listening to him.
"Go-go on." Jaejoong urged, a strained smile painting his lips.
Yunho nodded. "They said that I have developed emotions and a conscience, and for that I was a failure and needed to be terminated myself." His eyes went stormy, and there was that frightened look marring his features again. "But I feared for my life and I escaped." there was a pregnant pause before he added. "Something else bothers me."
"W-what is it?" Jaejoong asked, forcing the words out as he at his lips, eyes flickering from Yunho's eyes then to his mouth. And was it just him or was Yunho actually leaning in closer towards him. He should be running right now, judging from the things that Yunho had said, he was a dangerous person, along with the dangerous people that were looking for him, but for the love of god, Jaejoong's body wouldn't budge as he stayed firmly glued on his spot.
"When I see two human beings walking hand in hand, their lips pressing against each other's own into something called a kiss, and the things I saw in television, the word called love, it made me wonder and crave of how that would possibly feel." Yunho paused, then leaned back a little. "What is your name?"
"Jae-jaejoong." the beautiful male replied. This is so wrong, wrong, wrong.
"Jaejoong." Yunho repeated, eyes landing on Jaejoong's lips. "I want to know how it feels." he paused, tilting the smaller man's chin towards his face. "Will you give me permission to kiss you?"
Whimpering low in his throat, and before his head managed to catch up with his mouth, Jaejoong had already grabbed the back of Yunho's neck as he pulled him down for a long passionate kiss. Oh hell, yes!
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