2012

Yoochun walked in with a self assured look of achievement, dazzling smile in place he led the way through the crowd nodding and smiling at people along the way while Jaejoong attempted to meld himself into his friend’s shadow. He kept his head down and out of a bad habit he thought he had long abandoned he gripped the cuff of Yoochun’s sleeve with two fingers for assurance.

“Gentlemen” Yoochun garnered the attention of a group of rather portly and stuffy males, Jaejoong would have been tempted to make a joke about over stuffed pigs had they not been scrutinising him as though he had just pissed himself. Seriously the last time Jaejoong remembered being judged so harshly was during his graduate program when the so called ‘art director’ asked him if his painting was trying to make him suicidal.

Jaejoong being who he was said that the painting was meant to help people so; yes, the painting was trying to make him commit suicide. It was a good thing Yoochun had stepped in otherwise he may not have graduated art school at all.

Jaejoong politely nodded and forced a sincere looking smile on his face, a greeting grinded out between his teeth when he was prompted by Yoochun’s elbow in his ribcage. This went on for what seemed to be an eternity to Jaejoong but in reality when he checked he watch he dismally realised he was only half an hour into it.

Well he wasn’t completely hating it, some of the guys were genuinely interested in his art and he’d already made some good connections, well Yoochun had made the connections whilst Jaejoong eagerly nodded along at the prospect of painting cityscapes, there were a few tolerable people there. Jaejoong didn’t feel so stiff anymore and had come out from his hiding place behind Yoochun, he also noted that thankfully Mr Darcy er Yunho was nowhere to be seen.

But he spoke, or rather mused too soon. If he had learned anything about Yunho by now he would have realised that he’s never miss a party, corporate or not the alcohol was flowing so Yunho would be there. 

A commotion stirred the crowd, murmurs and gasps setting the soundtrack as the orchestra abruptly stopped playing. Suddenly a harsh guitar riff exploded through the air piercing people’s ears the thumping bass sending vibrations through the floor, the lights flashed frantically and a spotlight trained on the balcony.

And there looking as smug and arrogant as ever stood Jung Yunho, a sickening smirk plastered on his face as he relished in the attention. With an exaggerated arm movement he slicked back some hair that wasn’t even remotely out of place and as the atmosphere returned to normal he made his way down to the bottom floor flanked by his own personal entourage.

Typical, Jaejoong rolled his eyes and motioned a ‘kill me’ sign to Yoochun who just smiled wider, the twinkle in his eyes a tell tale sign that he was so overly amused that if he wasn’t careful he might bust a gut laughing.

“Who does this guy think he is? Gatsby?” Jaejoong snickered at his own joke but his best friend shot him a mischievous look and raised an eyebrow “what?” Jaejoong couldn’t figure out why Yoochun wasn’t laughing at his hilarious joke.

“Why of all things would you liken him to Gatsby? One of literature’s most romantic figure’s?” Yoochun wiggled his eyebrows and made suggestive noises, delighting in the pale pink hue crossing his friend’s cheeks.

“Gatsby may have been a great romantic figure but he was also an , an arrogant, selfish, idiotic...”

“Singing my praises again? Oh honey you really don’t need to~” he was cut short as the most infuriating voice in the known universe interfered, the sad thing is he wished he was exaggerating, every fibre in his being hoped it wasn’t who he thought it was but alas the world hated Jaejoong.

Jung Yunho stood in all is -hattery and silken threads casually slinging an arm around Jaejoong which was quickly shrugged off with an accompanied growl.

“Mmm how about you make those noises in the bedroom?” Yunho quirked and eyebrow at the raven haired beauty taking in all of him, he knew he was hot but Yunho had thought maybe the wild rough aura he emitted was part of that so he was taken aback when Jaejoong looked equally if not more tantalising in formal wear, damn he cleaned up nice.

“Why don’t you get one of your to do that for you?” Jaejoong jerked a thumb towards the entourage that consisted of skimpily dressed females, now aghast at the accusation “Sorry you guys prefer to be called ‘escorts’ right?” he smirked turning his finger quotes into a less than acceptable hand gesture before dragging a chuckling Yoochun away.

Yunho frowned not quite understanding how his smooth seduction had hit such a big road bump. He grabbed a passing Junsu and dragged him into a far flung corner, brushing off the people who approached him irritably

“What the Junsu, how come he’s not after my yet?!”

“Uuuuh who?” Junsu just gave him that what-the-hell-are-you-on look he had been thrown before, he explained in frustration;

“Jaejoong! The smartass artist who looks like a angel but probably s like the devil, he should be all over me after that entrance” Yunho threw his hands up in the air as though to say who could possibly resist that or him for that matter.

“Eh Yunho, that guy’s pretty different I don’t think you can impress him like that...”

“Tch money talks, everyone’s impressed by money and fame”

“You’d be surprised” Junsu just shrugged and left Yunho to his fuming, he knew he wasn’t going to get anywhere.

“Why is he so snarky? Heh I bet those old geezers have their hands full with that mouth of his.....that mouth of his.....” Yunho shook his head rapidly, now was NOT the time to think about that, it’d throw his game off. Fixing his perfectly aligned tie for no reason other than it made him feel like James Bond, Yunho set off snatching a glass from a waiter en-course towards Jaejoong.

.

He was with his father.

Taking a deep breath he dived in, he didn’t particularly want to be anywhere near his ‘father’ but if it meant taking a crack at Jaejoong he would bear with it. He didn’t know why but his desire for Jaejoong was stronger than his desire to avoid his father.

“The use of colour in particular I find fascinating, they’re very rich and-“ blah, blah, blah, Yunho tuned out whatever his father was boring Jaejoong with and turned to flash a killer smile at him only to find the man completely focused on his father’s words. Um what? But his dad was boring! And he was hot! So....

Yunho’s brain struggled with this situation wondering how someone as stuffy and boring as his father had managed to not only capture the attention of this unnaturally good looking object of desire but he had also gotten a smile from him. A smile! The nicest thing Jaejoong had done to Yunho was refrain from punching him in the face and he wasn’t quite sure how long that would last either.

Yunho poked and prodd