[Fic] Redefine: Part 21/21
Oct. 20th, 2009 01:53 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
lotus_beautyTitle: Redefine
Author: LotusBeauty
Type: Multi-chapter
Rating: R to NC-17
Pairings: JaeChun, JaeHo, other ot5 stuff eventually
Genre: AU, fantasy, crossover, comedy/drama/emo
Summary: He was trying to keep me safe. I wished he was wrong, but he was right. (Sequel to Feel)
Notes: you know the drill. disastrous win, etc :)
Disclaimer: Not mine, never were, but a girl can dream through fiction.
For previous chapters, please refer to the main post HERE, which also has links for the previous arc.
21: From Yesterday (mediafire)
Jae sighed as he felt Yunho nudge him from behind. As the haze of sleep lifted, Jae realized just how much Yunho was moving and that he was probably having a nightmare. He turned over and placed a hand on the other man’s shoulder, urging him to wake up.
“Yunho—” was as far as he got before the man suddenly lashed out. Jae felt something cold slash across his face and jumped back in shock as Yunho’s body transformed. He’d only seen this once before—just after Yunho had been turned—gone was the fur he’d had, his body always growing larger when he transformed as his skin stained a deep burgundy red. Despite the sudden change in his physique and the way he thrashed as the others poured into the room to subdue him, one thing always caught Jae off guard. It was his eyes—they glowed gold. Those eyes seemed to capture him, freeze him into place so that he couldn’t move, and he felt like the prey who’d just been caught in the trap. It didn’t matter that Yoochun was yelling at him to move because Yunho couldn’t control himself, nor did the fact that he was bleeding in three places even occur to him. Yunho’s eyes were still on him, but now he could see the regret in them.
Jae gasped and sat up straight on the couch he’d crashed on that morning and stared disoriented at the cabin door across from him. Just a dream. He flopped back down on the cushions and stared at the ceiling. He was in the cabin. It was the cabin they’d retreated to after Yunho’s transformation had finished. Jae shook his head—where they’d retreated once Yunho finally turned back into a human after his change. He could see it all replaying in his head.
Yunho had killed immediately after his change.
They’d never seen anything like it. When he awoke, Yunho changed fully into a completely new form, something werewolf-like, but not. His body transformed slightly, but not as much as it normally did when he changed into a werewolf. This was something more human, but his skin burned a deep red and to top it off, his eyes glowed bright gold. Everyone had stared in shock at the change, but quickly moved away when they realized they weren’t sure if he had any control. Yunho’s glowing eyes had swept over them then before he took off. Micky and Jae had instantly gone after him with others following to watch him kill and drain three vampires from Jin’s group that had still been creeping through the hallways of the building.
Once Yunho’d had his fill, he calmed and moved away from them, giving them a look that clearly meant not to come near. Jae and Micky kept their distance as everyone else gave them a lot of space. Yunho moved to sit in the corner and everyone waited from a distance as he growled, and tried to control his anger and power by clawing at the walls next to him. It was another hour or so before he had finally calmed enough to change back into his normal self. But even then, he wasn’t comfortable with anyone near him.
Yunho tended to destroy anything around him though. Jae had a feeling he was having a hard time adjusting to whatever strength he’d inherited from having both powers combined. Without thinking, Yunho would grab hold of something too tight and crack or dent it, which made him apologize and get frustrated. When he got frustrated, the anger boiled to the surface and caused him to turn. He also managed to smack Changmin’s shoulder out of socket one of those times when he’d changed. He had bumped into Changmin on his way to leave the cabin to work off the energy. A few dents in the walls were attributed to his frustration as well. He wanted to be alone after things like that happened, but they did their best to keep him in good spirits.
He still had nightmares about the change though. The one time Jae tried to wake him during one—Jae squeezed his eyes shut as he remembered it and the dream. That night Yunho slashed Jae’s face—and arm and side. Jae chewed on his lip and stared up at the ceiling as it came back to him.
That was the night he realized Yunho’s power to enthrall was in those glowing eyes. He’d been so shocked to see the transformation before his eyes, he hadn’t fought back. He hadn’t even felt the pain when their eyes locked. Jae just stared as Yoochun and Changmin arrived to subdue the …he didn’t even know what to call Yunho. A hybrid? Rain had used that word at one point. It was only when Yoochun had turned his face that he finally felt the pain of the slashes on his face and Rain trying to clean the blood and wounds. Sure, he would heal just fine, but damn did it sting something good. Once Jae was treated, Yunho refused to allow Jae near him. The next morning, Yunho situated himself in the storage basement of the cabin and didn’t let anyone near him for large amounts of time. He never knew if something would set him off and he didn’t like the idea of not knowing if he would hurt his friends or not. A short hug and kiss were allowed though. Even Yoochun had demanded that much.
It had only been five nights in the cabin since they’d left Seattle and so much had happened in just a week. Jin had been killed and his following reduced to nothing. Scattered on the wind, Kumi told them, with a poetic hand gesture. She was enjoying hunting the remnants with the Lee family. Each day, if Jae didn’t sleep, he meditated and worked with his shields, while his nights were spent hunting with Kumi. He didn’t know what else to do to distract himself from the situation. He still hadn’t figured out how to tell his friends and especially his father about what had happened to him. But Yunho worried him more than anything.
He glanced up as the door opened and Yunho padded in with Junsu closing the door behind them. Yunho paused at the couch and leaned down as Jae sat up.
“You only hunt with Junsu,” he whispered, disappointed at the fact that Yunho would sneak out when he was otherwise occupied.
“He’s the only one who can predict if I’m going to fly off the handle,” Yunho replied patiently as he rested his chin on both arms. Technically, Junsu couldn’t see Yunho, but he could see if something happened to himself and Yunho saw it as an opportunity to be close to at least someone.
“I’m not fragile, Yunho,” Jae muttered, knowing what Yunho would say.
“You can still die,” he replied and nuzzled Jae, who leaned closer to steal a kiss from his lips. Jae was grateful when the wolf let the kiss linger and a thumb traced over his cheek.
“We’ll figure something out,” he assured. Yunho nodded, but anyone could see in his eyes that he didn’t believe it, and Jae felt his heart drop when the hand left his cheek as Yunho stood. Jae’s eyes followed Yunho’s back as it retreated through the basement door. It wasn’t fair. He glanced away to see Changmin and Yoochun leaning on the kitchen doorway.
“How was he today?” Changmin asked as Yoochun walked into the living room.
Junsu shook his head. “He still can’t really control his changes very well or his strength. His kills are pretty violent. I just stay out of the way.”
Yoochun stopped next to Jae and the younger vampire spread his legs and patted the cushion between them. He leaned back and waited as Yoochun situated himself between Jae’s legs and laid down against him. Jae hugged the vampire close when Yoochun curled up against him. It was odd for him to be the one comforting the long living vampire in his arms, but he knew Yoochun felt guilty. He’d been the one to convince Rain and Yunho to try for the transformation. He thought it was his fault that Yunho was as violent as he was. While he knew it would calm eventually, Jae didn’t mind easing his lover’s guilt.
“Stop it,” Changmin grumbled as he sat in one of the armchairs, rubbing his temples. Yoochun made as if to get up but was held down. Jae then shifted his shields so that he was blocking Yoochun’s emotions from Changmin and the other vampire let out a sigh of relief. “Thank you.”
Jae had to smirk when Yoochun stuck his tongue out at Changmin.
“No part of that thanks is for you,” Changmin quipped and Yoochun buried his face in Jae’s chest.
“I wish he’d hunt with the rest of us,” Jae murmured as he ran a hand through Yoochun’s hair.
“He’s just scared he’s going to hurt you,” Junsu reasoned quietly, but Jae and Yoochun couldn’t shake the feeling that Yunho didn’t want them to see him the way he thought he was—a monster.
“He wouldn’t hurt me,” Jae muttered as Yoochun snorted. “I mean, not on purpose.”
“You were already hurt once, so there’s no telling what he might do.” Changmin shook his head. “His emotions are too unstable right now.”
“How can you tell? I thought you couldn’t sense them.” Jae frowned at Changmin, who shrugged.
“Thanks to you, I am again used to finding the nuances in behavior that go with emotions instead of just feeling them out. His face tells me more than he thinks,” he explained. “I’m really at a loss as to what we should do. I’m not sure if the violence is part of his biology, or a reaction to the way he sees himself.”
Jae shook his head. “Yunho is a teddy bear. There’s no way he’d be so violent.”
“Which is why we should keep our distance,” Changmin replied softly, his eyes showing his concern. “I hate to admit it, but he might be right. He might be too dangerous to be around now. He might have gotten one step closer to a feral werewolf than we expected.”
“I wonder if death is better than the way he’s living now.”
“Don’t say that,” Jae grumbled at Yoochun and kissed the top of his head. He always was a softie underneath his greasy exterior. “He’s not that bad.”
“I wish I could tell him that he won’t always be like this.” Junsu’s voice surprised them as the vampire moved closer to Changmin. He reached out his hand to his lover who reached up and threaded their fingers together. “The necklace prevents me from seeing that, and he thinks if he takes it off, he’ll get worse.”
The silence was interrupted by Hyori and Kumi coming in the front door.
“The Lee family has been called away for a job,” Hyori announced quietly. “They’ll be back when they’re finished.”
Everyone nodded and went right back to self loathing. Kumi looked like she wanted to say something, but swallowed it and followed Hyori into the kitchen instead. Jae had a feeling she felt just as guilty as Yoochun. A few days ago she’d broken down and apologized to Jae for getting him involved in something that had changed him and Yunho.
“Maybe we should find out.”
Everyone stared at Changmin. “What the hell are we finding out?” Yoochun said from Jae’s chest.
“Stop chasing the what ifs,” Changmin replied quietly. “That was something Yunho told me.”
Jae’s chest tightened as he glanced up. “You’re going to do something.”
“He’s sitting down there second guessing himself right after he told me to stop doing the same thing. So,” the vampire paused and gave him a smirk. “I’m going to return the favor.”
Changmin pushed off the chair and pulled basement door open to plod down the steps as Jae managed to get Yoochun off of him so he could follow, Yoochun and Junsu hot on his heels. “What do you have planned?” he asked anxiously as he pulled his shields back around himself.
“Nothing will change if we don’t make it change. I learned that the hard way years ago,” Changmin told him. “I’m not going to let him make the same mistake.”
Jae could feel Changmin’s determination through his shield as he wondered just what the vampire was going to do. Once at the bottom of the stairs, Jae paused to watch as Changmin approached Yunho, who was standing up from the cot he’d been laying on.
“What is it?” Yunho asked as the vampire stopped before him.
“I’m not going to let you do this anymore,” Changmin told him as Jae felt Yoochun stop behind him and rest a hand on his shoulder.
“He’s going to take the necklace?” Yoochun murmured as Changmin reached up.
“What are you doing?” Yunho asked and Jae watched as Changmin’s hand wrapped around the pendant and tugged the necklace from Yunho. He tossed it across the room to land somewhere behind Jae and Yoochun as Yunho declared him crazy.
Jae felt it immediately—the heaviness—and blinked when it pushed against his shields, but they held and kept him from feeling the brunt of whatever was in Yunho’s head. Changmin and Yoochun weren’t so lucky. Yoochun’s hand on his shoulder tightened as the vampire’s knees buckled and his free hand went to his head as Jae caught him. As he was holding Yoochun up, Changmin fell to his knees, his hands on his head as he growled, obviously trying to sort out the strong feelings bombarding his brain. Yunho just backed up onto the bed and sat against the wall with his knees against his chest as he waited fearfully for what they might say or do. Jae had to admit, he just wanted to hug the poor young man. He hated seeing his lover like this.
“He could—warn me,” Yoochun managed as Jae finally set him down on the floor and sat with him.
“But you knew he was going to take it. Want me to shield you?” Jae asked, ready to build it in the blink of an eye.
“I didn’t know he was going to do it immediately,” Yoochun replied as he shook his head. “Just give me a second.” His eyes fell closed as he concentrated, his hands gripping Jae as he seemed to be a good anchor. Jae watched Changmin rock back and forth on his knees, his hands still on his head as he too concentrated.
“You guys shouldn’t be down here.”
“Stop it,” Changmin’s eyes flashed at Yunho and he shrank against the wall. “Stop thinking about all the what ifs and being too scared to come near us. Yunho is Yunho and he always will be. You haven’t changed. You’re still yourself, and just because you’re a little different, doesn’t mean everything else has to change.”
“I shouldn’t even be here,” Yunho blurted out, but it looked painful to say, by the way he looked once it was out. Jae’s chest throbbed as he knew he didn’t agree.
“Yes, you should,” Changmin replied as he shifted to slip onto the bed and reached up to hold Yunho’s face with both hands. “You’re supposed to be here with us. Because without you, nothing would be right. It would never feel right without you.”
Yunho’s eyes fell as his lips twisted. “But—I’m not…” he hesitated as he blinked away the tears.
“One of us?” Changmin shook his head. “You always were. I’m not going to let you think that you can’t belong here.”
Yunho looked doubtful and Jae couldn’t let him deny that he had a place with them.
“You said I wasn’t different,” he called as Yunho looked over at him. “You said I was with you and that’s all you wanted. Why is this not the same? You shouldn’t be forcing yourself into seclusion.” Jae paused when he saw the war of emotions in Yunho’s eyes. The man’s hands gripped the sheets tightly, and Jae could see him trying to control his emotions to keep from transforming.
“Keep going,” Micky murmured and Jae knew he was changing Yunho’s mind.
“You should be with us, and we should be with you. We should be together to so we can all help each other. Yunho, ask us for help. We’re here for you,” he asserted as tears ran down Yunho’s cheeks.
Changmin wiped them away before Yunho halfheartedly batted away the hands and scrubbed his own face.
“Help me?” he pleaded as his eyes caught Jae’s. “Please?” He looked to Changmin who pulled him into a hug as Yunho held on tight. Jae let down his shields slightly to now feel the calm that Changmin was exuding, as well as a vague murmuring that was coming from nowhere. He wondered if this sound was what Yoochun had described as Yunho’s projecting and made sure to ignore it as he wasn’t sure he had a right to listen. He wondered if there was a way to shield himself from something that specific as he helped Yoochun up. But now wasn’t the time to think about that.
“Good job,” Yoochun said into his ear softly and kissed his cheek. Jae smiled a little and tugged him toward the bed and noticed Junsu ready to follow behind them. He grabbed Junsu’s hand and they all crawled onto the bed to surround Yunho with encouragement.
One might wonder, Jae thought as Yunho pulled him close, if Junsu saw it coming.
~*~
”He won’t live through this—he can’t heal this fast.”
“Then we have to change him.”
“We don’t even know if his body will tolerate it!”
“It has to work!”
“You don’t know that! What if it kills him?”
“If I don’t do something he’s going to die, and I’m not going to sit back and let that happen while I have the chance to save him!”
“But… what if… it doesn’t work?”
“Then we’ll lose you anyway. Wouldn’t you rather we try something than nothing?”
“I don’t want… to die.”
“Please Yunho—accept it!”
“I… accept.”
“I hope you know what you’re doing.”
“Me too.”
~*~
Yunho fingered the pendant around his neck as the patio door behind him slid open and then shut. Jaejoong had just tied the necklace around his neck again as they’d just finished another session. He sighed and leaned down on the deck railing to rest his chin in his hands. Everything had changed. Each day things changed. Yesterday was always different than today.
Returning home had been hard. The two of them weren’t exactly sure what to do about their families and how to tell them—hell, what to tell them. They finally decided to talk to Yunho’s family first, since they actually knew about the vampires, but that didn’t make it any less frightening. Yunho wasn’t sure how his grandfather would react. The entire trip back home, Yunho had planned out reasons as to why this was a good thing—he was stronger, and he could act as a diplomat between the vampires and werewolves. He planned out what he was going to say to be as convincing as possible, knowing his grandfather probably wouldn’t even listen. But at least he could try.
The talk had taken some time, but in the end, his grandfather had grumbled something about him at least being alive, and Yunho took that as some sort of acceptance. Immediately following, Jaejoong practically attacked Mr. Jung with questions about how to tell his own father about what had happened. Yunho’s father had to cut the poor young man off and tell him to just be honest. Yunho had to agree. There was no way Mr. Kim knew nothing about the vampires. His suspicions had to be there and at least he would know his son was alive—in a manner of speaking.
When they finally went to Jaejoong’s house, Jaejoong had asked Yunho to stay at the car so he could do it by himself. And Yunho waited knowing that Jaejoong could get through it. He had friends like them, so he would have them to fall back on if he had to. They would be behind him though anything. Jaejoong emerged from the house over an hour later with tears running down his cheeks, but when Yunho ran over and pulled him into a hug, he knew it wasn’t pain, but relief.
“By the way,” Mr. Kim had said when they came back in the house once Jaejoong was more composed. “This came for you in the mail.”
Jaejoong took the envelope then that his father was holding out and ripped it open to read he’d been accepted to a college on the east coast.
“Whatever you plan to do, at least come to visit me?” Mr. Kim had asked expectantly.
Jaejoong had smiled in reply. “Of course, dad.”
They’d all helped Jaejoong move his things into the Park residence. Poor Mr. Kim complained that he was going to be all alone again and Jaejoong promised they would visit and eat him out of house and home. His father had narrowed his eyes at that and said he’d rather buy a guard dog instead.
Yunho smiled at the memory as he heard the door slide open and shut again. “Skipping?”
“He can’t catch me if I’m faster.”
Yunho shook his head and turned to look at Yoochun. “Who said he had to catch you? You’re the one who’s whipped, remember?” he teased as Yoochun made a face and glanced away. “Don’t want to have your shielding lesson?”
“Just wanted to know how yours went.” Yoochun shrugged as he moved closer and turned to lean with his back on the railing.
Yunho sighed. “It’s hard to grasp, but I think I’m starting to get it. I think Changmin is better at it.”
“Yeah, I kinda suck at it, but it’s easier than it was. Besides, I don’t project so it’s not like I need to shield.” He shrugged again. “And you have the pendant.”
“Stop being a baby,” Yunho advised. “He’ll find you eventually. And you might have to shield against Changmin and I someday. Or hell, someone with our abilities.”
“I wish I could do that,” Yoochun murmured wistfully.
“What?”
“Project.”
Yunho frowned. “Why?”
“I can hear everyone, but no one can hear me.”
A pang of guilt echoed in his chest. “At least you can hear.”
“I suppose.”
“And Changmin can hear you.”
“Not the way I wish he could.”
“I can hear you.”
Yoochun blinked and turned to stare at him.
Yunho smiled at the reaction and nudged him. “I’m right here, Yoochun. I’m listening. Waiting.”
A shy smile emerged. “Thanks.”
Yunho hesitated. He liked Yoochun—liked him a lot. But their relationship had been somewhat awkward ever since they’d returned from Seattle. It was clear they were attracted to one another, they’d even kissed once, but Yunho was always unsure of how to approach the subject. Especially with Jaejoong between them. No, Jaejoong wasn’t between them…
He shifted to take Yoochun’s hand and squeezed it to get the smile to widen. Yoochun moved to drape himself over Yunho’s back, his chin on Yunho’s shoulder as a chuckle escaped the wolf. They were always cool against him, but for some reason, it felt comforting. Yunho turned his head and their noses met for a moment, the butterflies in his stomach jumping at the brief touch. Yoochun nuzzled him then, and Yunho had no control over his body after that. He turned and caught the vampire’s cheek in his hand as their lips met. It wasn’t long, but the last thing he needed—the last comfort to fit into place. It was the last piece, and Yunho realized in that moment, he felt like he belonged—felt like he was wanted. He let his thumb trace over Yoochun’s cheekbone before he stole another kiss.
Ka-chick.
The two pulled apart to see Jaejoong and hear another click from his camera phone before he ran inside, laughing wholeheartedly as he exclaimed about how the world was about to end. Yunho groaned as he heard Yoochun’s hand meet his forehead. They would never hear the end of it.
“He planned this,” Yunho grumbled. “Willing to wager Junsu is in on it?”
“The hell with that!” Yoochun grabbed Yunho and pulled him down for another kiss and Yunho had to admit, who wanted to chase after Jaejoong when Yoochun was right there kissing him? Yunho sighed contentedly into the kiss and wrapped his arms around the vampire. If someone had told him a year ago he’d be making out with a vampire on his back deck, he would have told them they were cracked in the head.
Jaejoong was lounging on the deck chair when they finally finished. “Think I have enough for my Facebook?”
“You don’t even have one,” Yoochun stuck his tongue out as Yunho laughed.
Jaejoong shrugged. “So, I got a few more acceptance letters in the mail today.”
“Oh?” Yoochun asked as they broke apart and moved closer to the other vampire.
“Should we stay here for college?” Jaejoong asked as a little frown took up residence between his brows. “I can’t decide where I want to go.”
“What do you want to do?” Yoochun asked as he sat on the side of the chair.
Jaejoong pursed his lips before he puckered them out as he thought. “I… I want to do music.”
Yunho couldn’t help but grin at the actions and answer as Yoochun replied, “Let’s try out the east coast for a little while. You might really like it. You are really good at composing melodies and I know you got some replies from a few good universities out there.”
Jaejoong blushed slightly and pushed Yoochun. “Stop boosting my ego,” he grumbled modestly as he fought a smile.
“Maybe he’ll even write a song for me this time,” Yunho added as he ruffled Jaejoong’s hair to earn a squawk.
“That’s our song, because I let you, Junsu and Changmin finish what was left of the lyrics,” he replied as he fixed his hair that would just fall in the same place anyway. “Why should I write you a song anyway?”
“Because you love me,” Yunho teased as his lover huffed and Yoochun tried his best not to laugh.
“I’m not going to write you a song because you asked.” Jaejoong crossed his arms and certainly did huff. “I’ll write it because …because I feel something,” he said quietly at the end as Yunho’s heart softened even more for the young man.
“Music is a good idea then,” Yunho replied as he squeezed Jae’s shoulder to earn a bright grin in response.
They paused in their conversation as they heard the melody from the song they’d just been speaking of float out through the screen door to their ears. Yunho didn’t miss the smiles on his counterparts’ lips, as well as the one on his own.
Jaejoong stood and offered a hand to each of them, which were taken happily as Yunho felt his heart jump in his chest. They joined Junsu and Changmin next to the piano and the melody drifted around them all as Yunho realized his heart was finally full.
Just one song.
Our song.
~**~
comments are ♥
Epilogue
Author: LotusBeauty
Type: Multi-chapter
Rating: R to NC-17
Pairings: JaeChun, JaeHo, other ot5 stuff eventually
Genre: AU, fantasy, crossover, comedy/drama/emo
Summary: He was trying to keep me safe. I wished he was wrong, but he was right. (Sequel to Feel)
Notes: you know the drill. disastrous win, etc :)
Disclaimer: Not mine, never were, but a girl can dream through fiction.
For previous chapters, please refer to the main post HERE, which also has links for the previous arc.
21: From Yesterday (mediafire)
Jae sighed as he felt Yunho nudge him from behind. As the haze of sleep lifted, Jae realized just how much Yunho was moving and that he was probably having a nightmare. He turned over and placed a hand on the other man’s shoulder, urging him to wake up.
“Yunho—” was as far as he got before the man suddenly lashed out. Jae felt something cold slash across his face and jumped back in shock as Yunho’s body transformed. He’d only seen this once before—just after Yunho had been turned—gone was the fur he’d had, his body always growing larger when he transformed as his skin stained a deep burgundy red. Despite the sudden change in his physique and the way he thrashed as the others poured into the room to subdue him, one thing always caught Jae off guard. It was his eyes—they glowed gold. Those eyes seemed to capture him, freeze him into place so that he couldn’t move, and he felt like the prey who’d just been caught in the trap. It didn’t matter that Yoochun was yelling at him to move because Yunho couldn’t control himself, nor did the fact that he was bleeding in three places even occur to him. Yunho’s eyes were still on him, but now he could see the regret in them.
Jae gasped and sat up straight on the couch he’d crashed on that morning and stared disoriented at the cabin door across from him. Just a dream. He flopped back down on the cushions and stared at the ceiling. He was in the cabin. It was the cabin they’d retreated to after Yunho’s transformation had finished. Jae shook his head—where they’d retreated once Yunho finally turned back into a human after his change. He could see it all replaying in his head.
Yunho had killed immediately after his change.
They’d never seen anything like it. When he awoke, Yunho changed fully into a completely new form, something werewolf-like, but not. His body transformed slightly, but not as much as it normally did when he changed into a werewolf. This was something more human, but his skin burned a deep red and to top it off, his eyes glowed bright gold. Everyone had stared in shock at the change, but quickly moved away when they realized they weren’t sure if he had any control. Yunho’s glowing eyes had swept over them then before he took off. Micky and Jae had instantly gone after him with others following to watch him kill and drain three vampires from Jin’s group that had still been creeping through the hallways of the building.
Once Yunho’d had his fill, he calmed and moved away from them, giving them a look that clearly meant not to come near. Jae and Micky kept their distance as everyone else gave them a lot of space. Yunho moved to sit in the corner and everyone waited from a distance as he growled, and tried to control his anger and power by clawing at the walls next to him. It was another hour or so before he had finally calmed enough to change back into his normal self. But even then, he wasn’t comfortable with anyone near him.
Yunho tended to destroy anything around him though. Jae had a feeling he was having a hard time adjusting to whatever strength he’d inherited from having both powers combined. Without thinking, Yunho would grab hold of something too tight and crack or dent it, which made him apologize and get frustrated. When he got frustrated, the anger boiled to the surface and caused him to turn. He also managed to smack Changmin’s shoulder out of socket one of those times when he’d changed. He had bumped into Changmin on his way to leave the cabin to work off the energy. A few dents in the walls were attributed to his frustration as well. He wanted to be alone after things like that happened, but they did their best to keep him in good spirits.
He still had nightmares about the change though. The one time Jae tried to wake him during one—Jae squeezed his eyes shut as he remembered it and the dream. That night Yunho slashed Jae’s face—and arm and side. Jae chewed on his lip and stared up at the ceiling as it came back to him.
That was the night he realized Yunho’s power to enthrall was in those glowing eyes. He’d been so shocked to see the transformation before his eyes, he hadn’t fought back. He hadn’t even felt the pain when their eyes locked. Jae just stared as Yoochun and Changmin arrived to subdue the …he didn’t even know what to call Yunho. A hybrid? Rain had used that word at one point. It was only when Yoochun had turned his face that he finally felt the pain of the slashes on his face and Rain trying to clean the blood and wounds. Sure, he would heal just fine, but damn did it sting something good. Once Jae was treated, Yunho refused to allow Jae near him. The next morning, Yunho situated himself in the storage basement of the cabin and didn’t let anyone near him for large amounts of time. He never knew if something would set him off and he didn’t like the idea of not knowing if he would hurt his friends or not. A short hug and kiss were allowed though. Even Yoochun had demanded that much.
It had only been five nights in the cabin since they’d left Seattle and so much had happened in just a week. Jin had been killed and his following reduced to nothing. Scattered on the wind, Kumi told them, with a poetic hand gesture. She was enjoying hunting the remnants with the Lee family. Each day, if Jae didn’t sleep, he meditated and worked with his shields, while his nights were spent hunting with Kumi. He didn’t know what else to do to distract himself from the situation. He still hadn’t figured out how to tell his friends and especially his father about what had happened to him. But Yunho worried him more than anything.
He glanced up as the door opened and Yunho padded in with Junsu closing the door behind them. Yunho paused at the couch and leaned down as Jae sat up.
“You only hunt with Junsu,” he whispered, disappointed at the fact that Yunho would sneak out when he was otherwise occupied.
“He’s the only one who can predict if I’m going to fly off the handle,” Yunho replied patiently as he rested his chin on both arms. Technically, Junsu couldn’t see Yunho, but he could see if something happened to himself and Yunho saw it as an opportunity to be close to at least someone.
“I’m not fragile, Yunho,” Jae muttered, knowing what Yunho would say.
“You can still die,” he replied and nuzzled Jae, who leaned closer to steal a kiss from his lips. Jae was grateful when the wolf let the kiss linger and a thumb traced over his cheek.
“We’ll figure something out,” he assured. Yunho nodded, but anyone could see in his eyes that he didn’t believe it, and Jae felt his heart drop when the hand left his cheek as Yunho stood. Jae’s eyes followed Yunho’s back as it retreated through the basement door. It wasn’t fair. He glanced away to see Changmin and Yoochun leaning on the kitchen doorway.
“How was he today?” Changmin asked as Yoochun walked into the living room.
Junsu shook his head. “He still can’t really control his changes very well or his strength. His kills are pretty violent. I just stay out of the way.”
Yoochun stopped next to Jae and the younger vampire spread his legs and patted the cushion between them. He leaned back and waited as Yoochun situated himself between Jae’s legs and laid down against him. Jae hugged the vampire close when Yoochun curled up against him. It was odd for him to be the one comforting the long living vampire in his arms, but he knew Yoochun felt guilty. He’d been the one to convince Rain and Yunho to try for the transformation. He thought it was his fault that Yunho was as violent as he was. While he knew it would calm eventually, Jae didn’t mind easing his lover’s guilt.
“Stop it,” Changmin grumbled as he sat in one of the armchairs, rubbing his temples. Yoochun made as if to get up but was held down. Jae then shifted his shields so that he was blocking Yoochun’s emotions from Changmin and the other vampire let out a sigh of relief. “Thank you.”
Jae had to smirk when Yoochun stuck his tongue out at Changmin.
“No part of that thanks is for you,” Changmin quipped and Yoochun buried his face in Jae’s chest.
“I wish he’d hunt with the rest of us,” Jae murmured as he ran a hand through Yoochun’s hair.
“He’s just scared he’s going to hurt you,” Junsu reasoned quietly, but Jae and Yoochun couldn’t shake the feeling that Yunho didn’t want them to see him the way he thought he was—a monster.
“He wouldn’t hurt me,” Jae muttered as Yoochun snorted. “I mean, not on purpose.”
“You were already hurt once, so there’s no telling what he might do.” Changmin shook his head. “His emotions are too unstable right now.”
“How can you tell? I thought you couldn’t sense them.” Jae frowned at Changmin, who shrugged.
“Thanks to you, I am again used to finding the nuances in behavior that go with emotions instead of just feeling them out. His face tells me more than he thinks,” he explained. “I’m really at a loss as to what we should do. I’m not sure if the violence is part of his biology, or a reaction to the way he sees himself.”
Jae shook his head. “Yunho is a teddy bear. There’s no way he’d be so violent.”
“Which is why we should keep our distance,” Changmin replied softly, his eyes showing his concern. “I hate to admit it, but he might be right. He might be too dangerous to be around now. He might have gotten one step closer to a feral werewolf than we expected.”
“I wonder if death is better than the way he’s living now.”
“Don’t say that,” Jae grumbled at Yoochun and kissed the top of his head. He always was a softie underneath his greasy exterior. “He’s not that bad.”
“I wish I could tell him that he won’t always be like this.” Junsu’s voice surprised them as the vampire moved closer to Changmin. He reached out his hand to his lover who reached up and threaded their fingers together. “The necklace prevents me from seeing that, and he thinks if he takes it off, he’ll get worse.”
The silence was interrupted by Hyori and Kumi coming in the front door.
“The Lee family has been called away for a job,” Hyori announced quietly. “They’ll be back when they’re finished.”
Everyone nodded and went right back to self loathing. Kumi looked like she wanted to say something, but swallowed it and followed Hyori into the kitchen instead. Jae had a feeling she felt just as guilty as Yoochun. A few days ago she’d broken down and apologized to Jae for getting him involved in something that had changed him and Yunho.
“Maybe we should find out.”
Everyone stared at Changmin. “What the hell are we finding out?” Yoochun said from Jae’s chest.
“Stop chasing the what ifs,” Changmin replied quietly. “That was something Yunho told me.”
Jae’s chest tightened as he glanced up. “You’re going to do something.”
“He’s sitting down there second guessing himself right after he told me to stop doing the same thing. So,” the vampire paused and gave him a smirk. “I’m going to return the favor.”
Changmin pushed off the chair and pulled basement door open to plod down the steps as Jae managed to get Yoochun off of him so he could follow, Yoochun and Junsu hot on his heels. “What do you have planned?” he asked anxiously as he pulled his shields back around himself.
“Nothing will change if we don’t make it change. I learned that the hard way years ago,” Changmin told him. “I’m not going to let him make the same mistake.”
Jae could feel Changmin’s determination through his shield as he wondered just what the vampire was going to do. Once at the bottom of the stairs, Jae paused to watch as Changmin approached Yunho, who was standing up from the cot he’d been laying on.
“What is it?” Yunho asked as the vampire stopped before him.
“I’m not going to let you do this anymore,” Changmin told him as Jae felt Yoochun stop behind him and rest a hand on his shoulder.
“He’s going to take the necklace?” Yoochun murmured as Changmin reached up.
“What are you doing?” Yunho asked and Jae watched as Changmin’s hand wrapped around the pendant and tugged the necklace from Yunho. He tossed it across the room to land somewhere behind Jae and Yoochun as Yunho declared him crazy.
Jae felt it immediately—the heaviness—and blinked when it pushed against his shields, but they held and kept him from feeling the brunt of whatever was in Yunho’s head. Changmin and Yoochun weren’t so lucky. Yoochun’s hand on his shoulder tightened as the vampire’s knees buckled and his free hand went to his head as Jae caught him. As he was holding Yoochun up, Changmin fell to his knees, his hands on his head as he growled, obviously trying to sort out the strong feelings bombarding his brain. Yunho just backed up onto the bed and sat against the wall with his knees against his chest as he waited fearfully for what they might say or do. Jae had to admit, he just wanted to hug the poor young man. He hated seeing his lover like this.
“He could—warn me,” Yoochun managed as Jae finally set him down on the floor and sat with him.
“But you knew he was going to take it. Want me to shield you?” Jae asked, ready to build it in the blink of an eye.
“I didn’t know he was going to do it immediately,” Yoochun replied as he shook his head. “Just give me a second.” His eyes fell closed as he concentrated, his hands gripping Jae as he seemed to be a good anchor. Jae watched Changmin rock back and forth on his knees, his hands still on his head as he too concentrated.
“You guys shouldn’t be down here.”
“Stop it,” Changmin’s eyes flashed at Yunho and he shrank against the wall. “Stop thinking about all the what ifs and being too scared to come near us. Yunho is Yunho and he always will be. You haven’t changed. You’re still yourself, and just because you’re a little different, doesn’t mean everything else has to change.”
“I shouldn’t even be here,” Yunho blurted out, but it looked painful to say, by the way he looked once it was out. Jae’s chest throbbed as he knew he didn’t agree.
“Yes, you should,” Changmin replied as he shifted to slip onto the bed and reached up to hold Yunho’s face with both hands. “You’re supposed to be here with us. Because without you, nothing would be right. It would never feel right without you.”
Yunho’s eyes fell as his lips twisted. “But—I’m not…” he hesitated as he blinked away the tears.
“One of us?” Changmin shook his head. “You always were. I’m not going to let you think that you can’t belong here.”
Yunho looked doubtful and Jae couldn’t let him deny that he had a place with them.
“You said I wasn’t different,” he called as Yunho looked over at him. “You said I was with you and that’s all you wanted. Why is this not the same? You shouldn’t be forcing yourself into seclusion.” Jae paused when he saw the war of emotions in Yunho’s eyes. The man’s hands gripped the sheets tightly, and Jae could see him trying to control his emotions to keep from transforming.
“Keep going,” Micky murmured and Jae knew he was changing Yunho’s mind.
“You should be with us, and we should be with you. We should be together to so we can all help each other. Yunho, ask us for help. We’re here for you,” he asserted as tears ran down Yunho’s cheeks.
Changmin wiped them away before Yunho halfheartedly batted away the hands and scrubbed his own face.
“Help me?” he pleaded as his eyes caught Jae’s. “Please?” He looked to Changmin who pulled him into a hug as Yunho held on tight. Jae let down his shields slightly to now feel the calm that Changmin was exuding, as well as a vague murmuring that was coming from nowhere. He wondered if this sound was what Yoochun had described as Yunho’s projecting and made sure to ignore it as he wasn’t sure he had a right to listen. He wondered if there was a way to shield himself from something that specific as he helped Yoochun up. But now wasn’t the time to think about that.
“Good job,” Yoochun said into his ear softly and kissed his cheek. Jae smiled a little and tugged him toward the bed and noticed Junsu ready to follow behind them. He grabbed Junsu’s hand and they all crawled onto the bed to surround Yunho with encouragement.
One might wonder, Jae thought as Yunho pulled him close, if Junsu saw it coming.
~*~
”He won’t live through this—he can’t heal this fast.”
“Then we have to change him.”
“We don’t even know if his body will tolerate it!”
“It has to work!”
“You don’t know that! What if it kills him?”
“If I don’t do something he’s going to die, and I’m not going to sit back and let that happen while I have the chance to save him!”
“But… what if… it doesn’t work?”
“Then we’ll lose you anyway. Wouldn’t you rather we try something than nothing?”
“I don’t want… to die.”
“Please Yunho—accept it!”
“I… accept.”
“I hope you know what you’re doing.”
“Me too.”
~*~
Yunho fingered the pendant around his neck as the patio door behind him slid open and then shut. Jaejoong had just tied the necklace around his neck again as they’d just finished another session. He sighed and leaned down on the deck railing to rest his chin in his hands. Everything had changed. Each day things changed. Yesterday was always different than today.
Returning home had been hard. The two of them weren’t exactly sure what to do about their families and how to tell them—hell, what to tell them. They finally decided to talk to Yunho’s family first, since they actually knew about the vampires, but that didn’t make it any less frightening. Yunho wasn’t sure how his grandfather would react. The entire trip back home, Yunho had planned out reasons as to why this was a good thing—he was stronger, and he could act as a diplomat between the vampires and werewolves. He planned out what he was going to say to be as convincing as possible, knowing his grandfather probably wouldn’t even listen. But at least he could try.
The talk had taken some time, but in the end, his grandfather had grumbled something about him at least being alive, and Yunho took that as some sort of acceptance. Immediately following, Jaejoong practically attacked Mr. Jung with questions about how to tell his own father about what had happened. Yunho’s father had to cut the poor young man off and tell him to just be honest. Yunho had to agree. There was no way Mr. Kim knew nothing about the vampires. His suspicions had to be there and at least he would know his son was alive—in a manner of speaking.
When they finally went to Jaejoong’s house, Jaejoong had asked Yunho to stay at the car so he could do it by himself. And Yunho waited knowing that Jaejoong could get through it. He had friends like them, so he would have them to fall back on if he had to. They would be behind him though anything. Jaejoong emerged from the house over an hour later with tears running down his cheeks, but when Yunho ran over and pulled him into a hug, he knew it wasn’t pain, but relief.
“By the way,” Mr. Kim had said when they came back in the house once Jaejoong was more composed. “This came for you in the mail.”
Jaejoong took the envelope then that his father was holding out and ripped it open to read he’d been accepted to a college on the east coast.
“Whatever you plan to do, at least come to visit me?” Mr. Kim had asked expectantly.
Jaejoong had smiled in reply. “Of course, dad.”
They’d all helped Jaejoong move his things into the Park residence. Poor Mr. Kim complained that he was going to be all alone again and Jaejoong promised they would visit and eat him out of house and home. His father had narrowed his eyes at that and said he’d rather buy a guard dog instead.
Yunho smiled at the memory as he heard the door slide open and shut again. “Skipping?”
“He can’t catch me if I’m faster.”
Yunho shook his head and turned to look at Yoochun. “Who said he had to catch you? You’re the one who’s whipped, remember?” he teased as Yoochun made a face and glanced away. “Don’t want to have your shielding lesson?”
“Just wanted to know how yours went.” Yoochun shrugged as he moved closer and turned to lean with his back on the railing.
Yunho sighed. “It’s hard to grasp, but I think I’m starting to get it. I think Changmin is better at it.”
“Yeah, I kinda suck at it, but it’s easier than it was. Besides, I don’t project so it’s not like I need to shield.” He shrugged again. “And you have the pendant.”
“Stop being a baby,” Yunho advised. “He’ll find you eventually. And you might have to shield against Changmin and I someday. Or hell, someone with our abilities.”
“I wish I could do that,” Yoochun murmured wistfully.
“What?”
“Project.”
Yunho frowned. “Why?”
“I can hear everyone, but no one can hear me.”
A pang of guilt echoed in his chest. “At least you can hear.”
“I suppose.”
“And Changmin can hear you.”
“Not the way I wish he could.”
“I can hear you.”
Yoochun blinked and turned to stare at him.
Yunho smiled at the reaction and nudged him. “I’m right here, Yoochun. I’m listening. Waiting.”
A shy smile emerged. “Thanks.”
Yunho hesitated. He liked Yoochun—liked him a lot. But their relationship had been somewhat awkward ever since they’d returned from Seattle. It was clear they were attracted to one another, they’d even kissed once, but Yunho was always unsure of how to approach the subject. Especially with Jaejoong between them. No, Jaejoong wasn’t between them…
He shifted to take Yoochun’s hand and squeezed it to get the smile to widen. Yoochun moved to drape himself over Yunho’s back, his chin on Yunho’s shoulder as a chuckle escaped the wolf. They were always cool against him, but for some reason, it felt comforting. Yunho turned his head and their noses met for a moment, the butterflies in his stomach jumping at the brief touch. Yoochun nuzzled him then, and Yunho had no control over his body after that. He turned and caught the vampire’s cheek in his hand as their lips met. It wasn’t long, but the last thing he needed—the last comfort to fit into place. It was the last piece, and Yunho realized in that moment, he felt like he belonged—felt like he was wanted. He let his thumb trace over Yoochun’s cheekbone before he stole another kiss.
Ka-chick.
The two pulled apart to see Jaejoong and hear another click from his camera phone before he ran inside, laughing wholeheartedly as he exclaimed about how the world was about to end. Yunho groaned as he heard Yoochun’s hand meet his forehead. They would never hear the end of it.
“He planned this,” Yunho grumbled. “Willing to wager Junsu is in on it?”
“The hell with that!” Yoochun grabbed Yunho and pulled him down for another kiss and Yunho had to admit, who wanted to chase after Jaejoong when Yoochun was right there kissing him? Yunho sighed contentedly into the kiss and wrapped his arms around the vampire. If someone had told him a year ago he’d be making out with a vampire on his back deck, he would have told them they were cracked in the head.
Jaejoong was lounging on the deck chair when they finally finished. “Think I have enough for my Facebook?”
“You don’t even have one,” Yoochun stuck his tongue out as Yunho laughed.
Jaejoong shrugged. “So, I got a few more acceptance letters in the mail today.”
“Oh?” Yoochun asked as they broke apart and moved closer to the other vampire.
“Should we stay here for college?” Jaejoong asked as a little frown took up residence between his brows. “I can’t decide where I want to go.”
“What do you want to do?” Yoochun asked as he sat on the side of the chair.
Jaejoong pursed his lips before he puckered them out as he thought. “I… I want to do music.”
Yunho couldn’t help but grin at the actions and answer as Yoochun replied, “Let’s try out the east coast for a little while. You might really like it. You are really good at composing melodies and I know you got some replies from a few good universities out there.”
Jaejoong blushed slightly and pushed Yoochun. “Stop boosting my ego,” he grumbled modestly as he fought a smile.
“Maybe he’ll even write a song for me this time,” Yunho added as he ruffled Jaejoong’s hair to earn a squawk.
“That’s our song, because I let you, Junsu and Changmin finish what was left of the lyrics,” he replied as he fixed his hair that would just fall in the same place anyway. “Why should I write you a song anyway?”
“Because you love me,” Yunho teased as his lover huffed and Yoochun tried his best not to laugh.
“I’m not going to write you a song because you asked.” Jaejoong crossed his arms and certainly did huff. “I’ll write it because …because I feel something,” he said quietly at the end as Yunho’s heart softened even more for the young man.
“Music is a good idea then,” Yunho replied as he squeezed Jae’s shoulder to earn a bright grin in response.
They paused in their conversation as they heard the melody from the song they’d just been speaking of float out through the screen door to their ears. Yunho didn’t miss the smiles on his counterparts’ lips, as well as the one on his own.
Jaejoong stood and offered a hand to each of them, which were taken happily as Yunho felt his heart jump in his chest. They joined Junsu and Changmin next to the piano and the melody drifted around them all as Yunho realized his heart was finally full.
Just one song.
Our song.
~**~
comments are ♥
Epilogue
![[identity profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/openid.png){kind=small}
ees neenjya
Date: 2009-10-20 08:51 am (UTC)ilu♥
Re: ees neenjya
Date: 2009-10-20 08:53 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2009-10-20 08:58 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2009-10-22 08:01 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2009-10-20 10:30 am (UTC)gosh. /is incoherent
@_@
gahhh! idek what to say!
everything i wan to say to describe your ending sounds so generic and unworthy!
i love it.
it's fantastic.
it's so nice.
i'm dying.
ugh. see?! you made yunho into a hybrid!! i definitely saw that one coming, even if i didnt want to believe it. i guess i've read too much about vampires and werewolves to even consider the hybrid. i mean, not just ANYONE can be hybrid. most die if infected with both venoms. except in the underworld movies, but then again i think he was born with it, like it was his destiny or whatever.
i guess it was Yunho's destiny. i'm totally not complaining. he's alive and had a 2U moment, so i'm like, COMPLETELY satisfied ^_^
/sighs...aahhh, what an end to a wonderful series =]] can't wait for the last one, although if anything, you deserve a break :D
<3
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Date: 2009-10-22 08:03 am (UTC)haha thanks, i'll try to take a break 8D dunno if i'll be able to with the new plot that popped into my head the other day~
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Date: 2009-10-20 11:20 am (UTC)Now Yunho has joined them but in a new form of a mix...damn....he can be dangerous and hot at the same time.
So we will see a threesome between Yunjaechun more on the third part...*feeling the excitement*...can't wait for new series to start.
Anyway, thanks for the awesome writings and hope to see your last instalment of this series soon....^-^
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Date: 2009-10-22 08:03 am (UTC)thank you!
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Date: 2009-10-20 12:01 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2009-10-22 08:04 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2009-10-20 02:22 pm (UTC)The two pulled apart to see Jaejoong and hear another click from his camera phone before he ran inside, laughing wholeheartedly as he exclaimed about how the world was about to end"
i swear to god that when i read that part, i suddenly saw a vision of a running jaejoong with a camera phone AND heard the laughing track of the part in AADBSK3 when he was in the car with the "gag team" with the sun roof opened and his head peeking outside of it, laughing at the
"model team"world. you know, that trademark "aha!ha!ha!ha!ha!" laughter of his xDDDDDno subject
Date: 2009-10-22 08:06 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2009-10-22 11:07 am (UTC)scandalousinteresting scene + camera xD i love the sound of his laughter ♥no subject
Date: 2009-10-20 03:10 pm (UTC)I can't wait for Changmin's story, but still... fdjsakflhj IT'S OVER ;______________; -crying-
ENDING = PERFECT OMG <33333
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Date: 2009-10-22 08:07 am (UTC)yay ^^ glad you enjoyed ♥
no subject
Date: 2009-10-20 11:59 pm (UTC)/swoons over chapter
I love Changmin finally doing something about the situation...that was such a powerful scene, OMG...
I LOVE THIS~!!!!!!
no subject
Date: 2009-10-22 08:08 am (UTC)hee thank you!
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Date: 2009-10-22 09:50 pm (UTC)My journal has PLENTY of it~!!!!
I have more yunchun fics than anything else, I think~
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Date: 2009-10-21 05:40 am (UTC):)
Just lots of happy, content smiles, from me :)
I'll be waiting for the next installment!
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Date: 2009-10-22 08:08 am (UTC)thank you!
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Date: 2009-10-21 10:21 am (UTC)-runs- I am sooo behind... >
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Date: 2009-10-22 08:09 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2009-10-21 08:55 pm (UTC)Jaejoong as a cannibalistic vampire and the guilt he feels over that (so Supernatural, btw) is so original to this kind of 'verse. I hope the guilt theme can continue into the next arc (but you know that's just me), but either way, I find it a fascinating addition to Jaejoong's characterization in this. He's so fierce. ^^
Everything's been tied up real nicely. The only thing that's missing--more Junsu! He's become like the Jasper of the story. We know he's there, he just doesn't say anything. But it sounds like he'll get his turn in the epilogue? I just hope everything comes together smoothly for you, and as always wish you happy writing on it.
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Date: 2009-10-22 08:13 am (UTC)lol fanboyishness, i guess it is a little bit that way ^^
you and your supernatural, don't you guys love that i haven't even seen that series and yet you say i'm pulling from it XD; guilt might carry over a bit with a particular person :3
junsu gets more screen time in the next part. and here i thought your fav was changmin *teases* XD
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Date: 2009-10-22 03:05 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2009-10-22 06:34 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2009-10-22 08:13 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2009-10-23 09:19 am (UTC)XD
an unexpected twist to the Twilight-ish ending I expected and it was fun being kept on my toes XD thanks for the enjoyable ride bb~
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Date: 2009-10-23 08:28 pm (UTC)twilight-ish ending? what's that? >>??