Hi!

A double update for today! Introducing Jaejoong. Try to picture him in all his beautous loveliness! Unravel his dark personality with me! 

Also, Yoosu's not too pleasant outcome from a not too enjoyable experience (for Junsu).

Please do stay and read! Thank you all for your kind comments and also, the subscriptions! *bows*

Yunjae's meeting up next!

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4 months later...

“Creak.” A willowy figure, wrapped in an old grey hooded cape, crossed over the shallow threshold at the dry goods store’s exit and made his way down the single stone step gracefully.

“Oh wait! Jaejoong ah! Ahjussi almost forgot!! There is this new type of plant I found at the side of the mountains the other day! Can you figure what are they for me?” The storekeeper, a man with age, left his counter and ran after the departing customer with a bundle.

“Hmm? Well… Let's see.” The customer lifted the hood covering his silky long ebony hair and arranged the bundle's content onto the bare counter. Face half hidden by the shadow and his lovely straight locks, one can tell just by the beautiful full lips that this man is a complete knock out. Dazzling, would be the most appropriate word to describe his perfectly proportionate face. His face is an aesthetic miracle by itself.

“Ahjussi! This is part of the wormwood... and this is just part of the ginseng's roots. You should know! You dispense herbs!” The younger man, Jaejoong raised a nicely shaped eyebrow at the old man. No one could get angry at him, since they all know he is only looks cold and heartless on the outside.

“Aigoo! Jaejoong ah! You are right! Aigoo! Smart boy!” “Age is catching up.” The old man laughed at himself after realising his mistake. The man pulled his hood over his head again and turned to face the door, as if deep in thoughts.

“... Ahjussi. Try this. Your eyesight might improve.” The queer but kind man suggested, holding a palm full of brownish strips and dried flowers in an extended arm.

“Nevermind me! This old man will get by.” “Is that man still harassing you, Jaejoong ah?” The old man asked with a concerned expression. “I heard he is persistent... take care alright?” The old man patted the man softly on his slim but well sculpted shoulder.

“Ahjussi. You take care of yourself. Without you around, I wouldn't have any supply of herbs you know.” The man then flashed a rare but breath-taking smile at the old man and disappeared within a few moments.

Everyone living in this rural part of the formal northern kingdom loves Jaejoong, but no one can really make him talk much about himself, ever since he moved into their community a few years back. Though being a reserved and independent being, rarely socializing more than necessary, many relied on him. Take an example, the battle less than half a month back saw many casualties, and Jaejoong had been the one nursing them back to health.

Along the process of doing so, he would meet a few troublesome soldiers once in a while, who will harass him on a regular basis, but he would never confide his problems in anyone. A great percentage of the casualties he nursed back to health would undoubtedly fall head over heels in love with him, even straight ones, and many will insist on staying to take care of him, but he never accepts any of their offers.

Rumours have it that Jaejoong is from the palace before he was demoted to become a commoner. How much truth there is? No one really knows. The people do, however, know that he is trained as a royal physician, since he possessed the medicinal knowledge that is mostly imparted to people within the palace walls. He is a walking literature. Every plant, every acupoints, he has it all in his head.

Though this man is an apothecary most well known throughout the entire northern region, he has a habit of rejecting the rich merchants and even royalty when they ask for his help. Why? No one knows either. He is an eccentric and enigmatic man after all, and so they think.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~POV from Jaejoong

The battle a few months back was a harrowing experience for all the citizens that were still dwelling here. The richer guys have already fled, even before hearing the sound of hooves from the enemies' horses.

My job is just to heal... so the enemies would most kindly mind their own business when around me. They did pressure me into treating a few of their injured comrades... but fortunately, there aren’t many disturbances to my ordinary life aside from that.

Life is hard. We get by. The people here are optimistic... and that is good to know.

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Meanwhile... Back in the main palace

“Sire!! Regarding the prince... he.” Junsu's allocated carer, a middle age lady, approached the king, the moment he arrives at the main gates on his horse.

Yoochun hadn't been home half the time, usually running around the entire country to resolve issues and to fend off enemies from the neighbouring countries. The man is as busy as he can be, but his heart and mind is always thinking about the person his loves back home. Junsu. However, he will rather die than admit that. Verbally that is.

No matter how much Yoochun is into the boy, he couldn't express his feelings in any other ways except for sneering and even hitting the boy at times. He has toned down a fair bit though. Also, Junsu would not hesitate to test his patience whenever they meet; one can see that Yoochun is already a lot more accommodating than usual, but his change never got across to the boy. The king even appointed a person to take care of the ‘big baby’, since the boy would never allow the man anywhere near him.

“How's he? Finish your sentence.” The muscular man entered his own dimly lit room, surrounded by golden carvings and beautifully sculpted furniture. Strewing his battle gear all over the floor of his bedroom, the man exited hastily and made a sharp turn to the room diagonal to his. That would be Junsu's room. “Did you people bring him out for walks as Yun have suggested?”

“No, your majesty. The boy has been getting really weak of late. Suffering from very bad bouts of stomach upsets lately. He wouldn't eat, sire.”

“Tsk!” Pushing open the heavy wooden door to the room, Yoochun saw a small lump lying still beneath the thick blanket, totally covered. Convinced that the bump might be ruse, Yoochun walked over silently and lifted the covers slowly.

The soft breathing that came from beneath it led Yoochun to sigh in relief. Releasing the chain on Junsu's feet, the man sat at the edge of the bed and massaged the sleeping boy's feet. The bruise and abrasions around the cuffed region on Junsu's pale bony ankles made Yoochun's heart beat painfully.

Junsu hadn't been the best kid on the block, and it was only when he is sound asleep that Yoochun can actually get close enough to look at him properly.

“Stop fighting me already.” Yoochun shifted to sit beside Junsu’s head and breathed into the angelic boy's ears, combing the sleeping boy's hair away from his unhealthily pallid cheeks and lips. Leaning in for a kiss, the man quickly withdraws as the boy stirs. Beads of sweat on Junsu's temporal regions suggests strongly that the boy had been in pain, and that made the king's heart ache more.

“What did the physician say about his ill health?” The king asked quietly, hands not leaving the boy's thin arms.

“The physician wishes to have a word with you, sire...” The woman replied.

Yoochun was about to follow the woman out of the room when he heard Junsu's whimpers. The barely audible groans did not escape his keen ears. “Bring him in. I will wait here instead.” Yoochun decided he wants to stay a little longer.

The woman is hesitant about leaving the couple alone, since she knows Junsu has the tendency to kick up a big fuss whenever he is around Yoochun. “I won't wake him.” Yoochun understood the woman's concern and said through clenched teeth.

“Long live your majesty. May you be blessed with good health!” The physician entered and said immediately. Yoochun gestured for him to make his way over quietly and he did.

“What might be the problem?” Yoochun asked impatiently, looking at Junsu worriedly.

“Your majesty. I have been unable to give a diagnosis until recently, and til now, I am still trying to make sense of all this.” The middle aged man said fearfully.

“And by that you mean?”

“Your majesty. The prince is expecting.” The man got onto all fours and said affirmatively.

“Expecting... what exactly? Don't make me wait. Out with it.” Yoochun is losing patience.

“A baby, your majesty. Four months into the pregnancy.” The man replied quickly.

“Huh?! Get me another physician.” Yoochun chuckled in disbelief, running his fingers through his thick tresses.

“It's true, sire! The rest of the physicians have reached that conclusion together.” The woman said after a lengthy awkward pause.

“Four months?” Yoochun repeated. Both of them nodded. Yoochun’s face turned solemn.

“Is that the cause of his discomfort?” The physician nodded, answering Yoochun’s queries.

“Prepare this room. I will be sleeping here as of today.” Yoochun’s lips remained tightly sealed for a long while, before instructing the woman while she looked on worriedly. “Sire... that might prove to be a problem. Your room is...”

“Fine.” Yoochun knows the woman is trying to deter him from bunking in together with Junsu, but he is adamant. He thinks he can do a better job with taking care of Junsu.

Slipping his hands under the still sleeping boy's frail body, the strong man lifted him with ease and wrapped the sheets around Junsu gently before leaving the room with the feverish boy in his arms. Yoochun's personal haven can fit more than three men his size, so he figured that Junsu would be a lot more comfortable there too.

“Here we go.” Yoochun whispered as he placed the boy onto his own mattress tenderly.

At that very moment, Junsu's eye lids part slightly. Seeing Yoochun so close to him, the boy sat up immediately, just to be forced back down by the intense pain coursing through his abdomen. “Go away.” The boy whispered feebly, hands brushing Yoochun off weakly.

“Tsk. Look after him. I will be at Yunho's for a short while.” Yoochun sulked and turned to exit the room. “Leave the chains be.” With that, the king left Junsu alone, unrestrained.

Unbeknown to him, Junsu had actually heard what the physician said earlier on, through the haziness he is experiencing. His heart tells him that he needs to escape... and do something to get rid of the thing growing inside of him, but his body reacts otherwise. He can barely clear the distance of the corridor without feeling faint.

The moment he is allowed alone in the sparse chamber, the boy used whatever strength he had to crawl out from the king's bed. Using a table for support, the boy staggered towards the door. However, the painful pulsation and sensation at his abdomen forces him down to the ground again, leaving him to cry in pain as he cries tears of despair.

“Where do you think you are going?” Yoochun voiced boomed from beside the half opened door.

Junsu was too upset to bother about the man any more than he usually would. Seated on the floor, the boy waited for Yoochun to act meanly, but instead, the man kept his silence and hurriedly transferred him back to the bed. Stifling his cries of protest, the boy unwillingly allowed Yoochun to tuck him in.

“I will have the kitchen make something for you…” Yoochun said quietly while Junsu curled up into a ball, wrapping the blanket snuggly around himself again. Junsu ignored him. Lying down next to the cocoon, the man turned lateral as well and pulled Junsu into a tight embrace.

“What do I need to do?” Yoochun asked, with an arbitrary ideal. Receiving no response, the man sighed and lifted the covers, revealing the boy’s sleeping face. Junsu is already back in dreamland. Sighing deeply, the man kissed the boy’s ear and continued watching him sleep til his own heavy eyelids overtakes his consciousness as well.