Part Nine

Jaejoong had been serious as death.

He started his courtship by texting Yunho every morning.

The first time Yunho had been surprised and told him to stop right there, but there had been no pleasant feeling except for the thought that slithered through his mind that he was really serious about this. What would he do?

This would be fruitless? Would he really destroy his friendship over this stupid thing? It would be so easy to fall in love with Jaejoong and let everything go. He could fall dangerously, deeply in love with the beautiful man. It was so easy, but it was also easy to get hurt this time too, because it was Jaejoong they were talking about there, and Jaejoong could hurt him like no other. He didn’t want any of that. To not get hurt he needed to not gain any happiness this way.

All of those thoughts ran through Yunho’s head.

Jaejoong continued on texting him every morning telling him good morning and to have a good day at work and every night around eight, when he knew yunho always tried to go to bed.

When they could go out Yunho would accept some of Jaejoong's invitations and have dinner or accompany him to another activities.

He started to get used to Jaejoong and started to welcome his advances. It was nice, he reasoned, to go have dinner with someone, have someone look at you with those eyes that told you they wanted to eat you whole. It was nice to be wanted and loved. It was really, really nice.

When Yunho realized he had gotten trapped it was too late. He was still angry, however.

When he saw Jaejoong’s text asking him to go grab a late night snack with him he refused with the excuse he had to grade paper, and plan future lessons. The truth, though, was that he was trying to gain control of his feelings and and analyze them. He didn’t know if he was just reacting to Jaejoong's obvious affinity for him because he felt as if he had to in order to not destroy their friendship. He didn’t want to give his heart away as he had been doing and only get it walked on. He just wanted to be happy.

The truth of the matter was he was fragile.

But Jaejoong already knew all of that and knew Yunho had started to reciprocated some of his feelings. He knew of Yunho’s fears and promised he wouldn’t hurt him. After all, all he wanted was for his friend’s happiness.

He would try everything to make him happy and not fear love.

The first time they made out after only four months of Jaejoong pursuing Yunho by taking him on ‘dates,’ which were not much different from their usual hang out sessions, was after dinner over at Yunho’s with his one of his roommates at work and the other over at his girlfriends.

They had been drinking wine, Jaejoong bought, and beer, he also bought, while he typed away at his computer and Yunho graded papers.

Yunho had began to complain about his work. His coworkers were annoying him with their high demands, and his students were pissing him off with their constant flirting and ignoring his orders due to his age, and his students’ parents being dissatisfied with him over their lazy kids and just simply the stress of life.

Yunho did not even realized that he was already dating Jaejoong. He would have realized that sooner if had thought about their relationship and the way they acted and treated each other. It was as couples did. But he had made up to his mind to never answer to Jaejoong’s confession even if he allowed him to kiss him and spend nights over and hug him when he needed it.

Jaejoong had finished his work and had gotten up, saying he would take his shower first. He was spending the night over as he had began doing frequently over the past few months.

Yunho nodded without looking up. As he made to walk to the bathroom out of the kitchen, he stopped turned around and stalked to Yunho’s side. Murmured, “Hey,” Yunho looked up and he bended over and kissed him.

It had been a proper kiss, nothing like their first kiss. A lot of , , biting and gentle caresses. A tongue battle commenced, Jaejoong won and bit Yunho’s bottom lip before winked as he pulled away with a smile he said he would be back.

A stunned Yunho watched him giddily skipped out of the room.

Yunho's heart had thrashed violently in his chest, while Jaejoong’s heart been beating in a quiet tempo in his throat as he deliberated what he had done before he did it.

That night as they laid next to each other on Yunho’s small bed, they turned towards each other and Jaejoong reached out to let his fingers trailed on Yunho’s side and asked if he could kiss him.

“Why are you asking now?”

“Because I cannot just kiss you without permission.”

“You didn’t ask the first two times, and a few hours ago you didn’t”

Jaejoong saw the lines of Yunho’s smile in the darkness. In a husky voice he remarked, “I am taking that as a yes.”

They kissed for what seemed like an hour and felt each other up before Jaejoong pull Yunho into a tight embraced and they fell asleep.

Yunho got up first. Disentangling his long limbs from Jaejoong’s he got out of bed and washed up then went to the kitchen to make a small breakfast of coffee, eggs and toast—he cut up some tomatoes and lettuce as side dishes ‘cause he loved them.

His mind ran over what took place the previous night when he felt strong arms tightening around his middle and warm lips dropped on top of his shoulder. “Good morning,” he gruggled huskily.

“I hope you do not mind coffee, eggs and toast.”

“You know I don’t.” Jaejoong smiled stepping back and to the side.

“Good.” He smiled and finished filling his mug with coffee. “Because that is all I have and I am not making you anything else.”

Jaejoong wrinkled his nose with a smile tugging at his lips.

Yunho looked down and reached for sugar, he didn't drink his coffee black or without sugar.

Jaejoong blushed at Yunho’s cute behavior and leaned forward and dropped a kiss on his cheek near his lips.

Their eyes met and fire sizzled between them. Jaejoong dragged his lips to his mouth and kissed him. Yunho opened his mouth and slipped his tongue into Jaejoong’s mouth and tasted mint from the tooth paste.

Jaejoong pulled away his kissed lips forming a butterfly and said before he smacked one last searing kiss on his cheek and stepped around him, “Thanks for breakfast.”

Yunho rolled his eyes and chuckled. He meant the kiss.

“You welcome. Next time you’re making it,” he teased.

He could get used to this.

They both were far gone. They had been undone a long time ago by each other.

They were in a love that they had never been in before.

It would undo them more than they had thought that morning with the warm sun streaming through the bare window in the kitchen to bathe their skin and make them glow.

They eat in silence as they stole glances at each other and chuckled when their eyes would clashed.

Jaejoong was the first one to ask if they were dating and that he hoped they were.

Yunho shrugged chewing his toast.

Jaejoong grinned, his teeth flashing in the morning sunlight and said, “We are then.”

Yunho didn’t argue. He was already in love and resigned to whatever they would face in the future.

If only it could stay as it was at that moment that morning.

Jaejoong felt soon after to go home and assured his parents he was still alive. Yunho didn’t think he mind the feeling of being hugged by someone in the morning.

Jaejoong definitely didn’t mind being owned by someone he thought smiling as he floated home on a cloud. Especially when that person was Yunho, the one man he had ever felt strongly for as he did.