The 8th Story : JaeYong (Jaehyun X Taeyong) - Umbrella

Lee Taeyong always comes to Jaehyun, whenever he’s bored with his lovers, or whenever he has no one to talk to, to fill his empty heart.

Taeyong knows, Jaehyun would never go anywhere. Taeyong could date anyone he wants. He doesn’t care if his relationships are always ed up big times because in the end, Jaehyun could always heal him, and accept him unconditionally.

Jaehyun is Taeyong’s back up plan. Jaehyun is the last choice Taeyong has been keeping, to be used in the future later, when he had already tired trying finding the perfect one, when he’s already bored playing around, when nobody fits him, and when nobody excites him anymore.

Taeyong can plays around with anyone as much as he wants, never fears anything, never feel brokenhearted, and never being left because he’s always the one who leaves first.

Why does he never fear anything? Because he has Jaehyun. Jaehyun would always waits for him, and welcome him with open arms.

Jaehyun never says he loves Taeyong, at least not directly. But Taeyong knows.

He’s been aware of it since they’re 16, since he secretly saw Jaehyun’s diaries when he’s sleeping over at Jaehyun’s home.

When they’re 17, Jaehyun won the swimming competition, and gave Taeyong the gold medal instead of keeping it by himself. Taeyong knew how much Jaehyun treasured it but decided to give it to him, “as a reminder” Jaehyun said, for being an inspiration whenever he’s burnt out practicing. “I wouldn’t make it without you, Taeyongie.”

When they’re 18, Jaehyun composed a song for Taeyong, singing it by phone in the midnight just because Taeyong had insomnia and demanding him to accompany him by phone, and so Jaehyun decided to singing instead of talking.

There’re so many things Jaehyun had done for Taeyong. Taeyong has lost the count since it’s too much. But Taeyong always takes it for granted. He knows Jaehyun would always gives, gives, and gives everything to him, so Taeyong thinks it’s okay pretending to not know anything about Jaehyun’s feeling for him.

It’s not like Jaehyun never trying to confess. Actually he did, many times, but Taeyong could always stop him. Taeyong always succeeded diverting Jaehyun’s intention whenever he’s ready to confess, to say those 3 words directly in front of Taeyong’s face.

~~~~~~~~~~~~ ********** ~~~~~~~~~~

“You’ll get your karma, Taeyong. Stop being a heartbreaker!”

“Karma is a , Tae. Later, when you really found the one, the one you’ve been searching for all these times, he’d give you those heartbreaks, the same amount or maybe more than what you gave to people you’ve been played.”

Taeyong just smirks nonchalantly listening to Yuta and Johnny’s useless advice. “The one? Who’s say I’m searching for the one?”

“Then?” Johnny rise one of his eyebrows.

Taeyong shrugs. “I’m just… having fun. That’s it. In the end, if I can’t stay loyal, if nobody can stand me, I have Jaehyun. I’ll end up with Jaehyun.”

“Are you sure, dude?” Yuta shakes his head. “Jaehyun is… a heartthrob. Why would he wants to tie a knot with a jerk like you?!”

Taeyong chuckles. “He’s a heartthrob, yeah, but why do you think he never dates anyone? Because he loves me.”

“No way!”

“No ing way!”

Taeyong is just smiling. His university friends have no idea at all about his special relationship with Jaehyun.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ****** ~~~~~~~~~~~

“Jaehyun, where are you? Can you come? This dickhead is not fun anymore. He gave me a ring and proposed.”

“Jaehyun, my ex boyfriends are here and they’re fighting. I can’t go out of here because they’re persistent demanding me to show off my new boyfriend, but he’s in Hongkong right now. Can you pretending?”

“Jaehyun, my phone hasn’t stopped ringing since an hour ago, but I don’t feel like talking to them. I’m bored. Can you come over and cook me my favorite pasta?”

“Jaehyun, what are you doing? Can you save me? These delusional s think I’m interested to get into their pants, and now they’re fighting each other. I’m trapped! I swear I was just kissing them, but they’re . Eeew! Come to the X bar in Itaewon right now, Jae!”

 Jaehyun is Taeyong’s knight. The knight in shining armor.

Taeyong couldn’t count anymore how many times Jaehyun had saved him. Taeyong had used Jaehyun in many ways, pretending to become his boyfriend, his fiancé, his brother, even had pretending to become a lawyer when one of Taeyong’s ex threaten him to give back the car he had given to Taeyong back then when they’re still dating.

Jaehyun is Taeyong’s knight. But Taeyong treats him like a slave, like he’s invisible, like he’s just an umbrella that can shield Taeyong from the rain and the sun, or just some sort of tissue that can wipe Taeyong’s sweat and dirt away then it could be thrown anytime and be used again when Taeyong needs it.

~~~~~~~~~~~ ******** ~~~~~~~~

Taeyong thought Jaehyun would always be there for him. Accepting him. Loving him. Being patient waiting for him.

Taeyong always thinks he would end up with Jaehyun.

He doesn’t love Jaehyun. But he could live with Jaehyun.

“Taeyongie, I’m getting married.” Jaehyun says over the phone. It’s past midnight, and Taeyong just got back home after having fun at Hansol’s party.

Taeyong chuckles. “Are you going to propose to me like this, Jae? It’s not romantic, you know.”

Jaehyun heaves a deep sigh. “You’re drunk. Let’s talk again tomorrow morning.”

“Wait! Jae? Can you sing for me? As a lullaby. I’ve missed your voice.”

Jaehyun doesn’t say anything. After a while, he just says softly “I can’t.” It’s the first time Jaehyun says no to Taeyong.

Taeyong frowns. “Why?”

“Taeyongie, I can’t do this anymore. I have to stop. I have to move on.”

“Move on? Jae, when you said you’d getting married, it’s not… with me? You’re not going to propose to me?”

“You never want me, Taeyongie. I keep waiting for you, but now I’m tired. I’ve realized that I’m your everything but your man. You never love me like how I love you.”

“Jae…”

“I’m tired being a fool. I know you know I love you. But you pretend to not to. What am I in your eyes, Taeyongie?”

“My best friend. Someone who would live with me for forever. Yes, I know you love me, Jae, more than best friend. I always know.”

“But you don’t love me. And never would.”

“But I need you, Jae, in my life, I always need you.”

“You’re selfish, Taeyongie. You know that?”

“I know. But I know you’ll always stay with me.”

“I want, Tae. But I can’t. My parents love him, so much. We’re supposed to be engaged when I’m 22, but I rejected the idea, because I was still put my hope in you, foolishly, dreaming someday you’d return my feeling.” Jaehyun smiles bitterly. “He keeps waiting for me. It’s been 7 years.”

“You’ve been waiting for me too, Jae, for more than 14 years. In the end, I would accept you, you know that.”

“No, I don’t know. How could I know?” Jaehyun’s deep voice sounds so distant. “You would never accept me, Taeyong. You would just keep using me. I love you, Taeyongie, but I can’t keep doing this. It hurts, a lot.” Jaehyun’s tears roll down his cheeks.

“Jae, give me… times.”

“I’ve given it to you, Tae. Now it’s the time for me to stop. I can’t take it anymore.”

Taeyong shakes his head. “Let’s get married! Tomorrow! No! Tonight! Let’s get married tonight, Jae! Please… don’t leave me.”

“You don’t mean any of it, Taeyongie. I won’t leave you. I’ll always become your best friend. I only stop wishing to become your man.”

“But that’s mean you’ll not always be there for me anytime I need you, Jae! If you have a lover, or even worse a fiancé, a husband, you can’t always come to me when I need you!”

Jaehyun chuckles, but it sounds hollow. “Have you ever thought how much you’ve hurt me, Tae?”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ******* ~~~~~~~

In the end, Jaehyun’s gone.

Taeyong’s knight in shining armor has gone.

Taeyong never thought that an umbrella is important. He always running freely under the rain, dancing on a street under the heavy rain without being drenched, picking and kicking everything along the way, never afraid of anything because he knows his umbrella would always be there, following him, protecting him from the pouring rain, shielding him from the ugly heat and wind.

He realizes how important it is when it’s gone.

He realizes how much he loves Jaehyun when he’s gone.

He only knows how to use the umbrella without realizing its importance, without trying to fix it when it’s broken.

He only knows how to use Jaehyun’s kindness, and Jaehyun’s love for granted without realizing how much he made Jaehyun’s heart broken.

Now Taeyong is walking under the heavy rain. Drenched. Shivering.

Every night is cold.

Every day is like hell.

One evening, when Taeyong accidentally sees Jaehyun walking hand in hand with his fiancé, he knows what he has never done before for Jaehyun. Sharing the umbrella. Sharing the pain. Protecting each other. Being close with each other equally, standing side by side, not higher, not lower.

Taeyong only knows how to take, take, and take. Now he can’t do anything when his umbrella has been taken.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ******** ~~~~~~~

A/N : Writing this when I miss my best friend, whom I’ve taken for granted. I’m such an evil. Wishing he would break up soon with his girlfriend. :((

Have you ever taken someone for granted?