[Fic] Same Kind of Different 30/30
Jul. 6th, 2011 11:42 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
lotus_beautyTitle: Same Kind of Different
Author: LotusBeauty
Type: multi-chapter
Rating: R
Pairings: Yoochun/Jaejoong
Genre: AU, drama, fantasy, steampunk-ish, humor, angst, action, kitchen sink
Summary: In a world where a power called an attribute gives a person certain abilities, those with attributes are equally loved, hated and, well, normal. And just because people have attributes, doesn’t mean there isn’t crime, so Micky joins a bounty hunting team and finds while this is exactly what he was looking for, he might have found something else he didn’t know he needed. (previous chapters can be found HERE.)
Notes: contains world creation, fantasy elements, and just might have a bit of fun~ Profiles of characters can be found HERE :)
Disclaimer: Not mine, never were, but a girl can dream through fiction.
30: if there is an end, there must also be a beginning
Micky felt warm. A blanket was tucked around him and another body whose arms were around him. He cracked one eye open hesitantly to see what he knew to be Jaejoong’s neck and sighed it relief. It sounded odd. He opened both of his eyes and wondered if the blanket muffled things. It shouldn’t be, but just to be sure…
He pushed the blanket back as he propped himself up on his elbow. Nothing sounded right. In fact, that’s almost what he heard—nothing. He glanced down at Jaejoong and leaned down to watch his chest, to make sure he was breathing. Micky breathed a sigh of relief (which still sounded odd) and sat up. He heard something muffled to his left and looked over to see Junho talking. He blinked in surprise. Why couldn’t he hear anything?
Junho stopped and said what looked like might be a question. Micky didn’t know what to do so he waved his hand and made a cutting motion at his neck to get Junho to stop. He then pointed at his ears as he shook his head. Junho frowned and grabbed his ear scope from the desk. Micky waited patiently as Junho stuck the cold thing into his ear and then motioned for him to turn for the other. Junho then set the scope aside and then rested his fingers on each of Micky’s temples.
“How about now?” Junho asked.
Micky made a face. “A little.” He put a hand to his throat. His own voice sounded muffled too!
“Your voice is fine. Your hearing was damaged by the device. Both normal and attribute, probably because of your attribute.” Junho smiled encouragingly, so it must be true.
“I see.”
“Your hearing will return, but it will take a few days. Your attribute should return as well, though I’m not sure how long it will take.” Junho squeezed his shoulder reassuringly. “But I can still feel it there.”
Micky smiled a little and felt better hearing that. “And Jaejoong?”
Junho sighed as he took the ear scope and moved to put it back before sitting in the chair at the desk. “He’ll be fine.”
“Just tell me,” Micky knew the answer.
“His attribute is gone.”
It was like a punch to the gut. Micky didn’t realize how much the statement hurt until he looked down at his lover. After everything they’d been through together, all of the hard work and training… “Gone.” He reached over to brush the hair away from Jaejoong’s face. It didn’t seem possible.
“And Hyde?” he asked, anxious.
“Dead.”
Micky let out a sigh of relief, but in a way, he still felt sad. He wished it hadn’t ended this way.
“He’ll feel… wrong for a while.” Junho paused and Micky looked up at him. “He’s going to need you.”
“Then he’ll have me,” Micky spoke with such conviction and he even surprised himself. But it was true. He wasn’t going anywhere. He wanted to be there for Jaejoong when his lover needed him—always. Micky waited through the entire day, but it seemed Jaejoong’s body was still content with resting. Despite this, Junho checked on him regularly and made sure he had enough energy and was healthy since he hadn’t eaten.
Micky woke the next day to a paw patting his face and a laugh he knew so well, even if it was still a bit muffled. He opened his eyes to see a cat getting pushed aside by Jaejoong, who had tears in his eyes. Micky smiled and let himself be pulled into a tight hug.
“I was sure we wouldn’t live through it,” Jaejoong whispered as he cried into Micky’s shoulder.
“It’s over. It’s all over,” Micky assured him and rubbed his back as they held one another. Well, he hoped it was anyway.
Jaejoong chuckled wryly. “Nothing is ever over with you.”
“Wise guy, eh?” Micky teased and poked Jaejoong’s side to get a groan from him. “Ah, too weak yet?”
“Hey guys?” Boa poked her head in. “You hungry?”
“Starving,” Micky replied as Jaejoong nodded.
“Perfect!” She disappeared and Micky turned to Jaejoong.
“Shall we?” Jaejoong nodded and the two moved to get up. Micky had to catch Jaejoong when his feet were on the floor, but couldn’t support him.
“Why can’t I stand?” he asked, fear creeping into his voice.
“Junho said you would feel weak,” he paused as he sat Jaejoong on the bed and kneeled before him. “That you would feel …” he couldn’t bring himself to say it.
“Why…” And finally it hit him. “It’s gone…” Jaejoong’s hands took his arms in a tight, hot grip. “Yoochun, my attribute… it’s…” His breath left him with a choke, and tears slid down his cheeks. “It’s gone…”
Micky pulled him into a tight hug, not knowing what else to do as his lover dealt with the shock. A part of him was gone now, and he was never going to get it back. It seemed only right he should be sad about it. Micky wiped his own eyes, sad that he wouldn’t be able to train with Jaejoong like before. It was going to be different now, for both of them. They couldn’t link anymore.
“I can’t hear properly.”
“What?”
“Sound—everything is muffled to me,” Micky admitted as he pulled back. “Junho says I’ll get my attribute back, but I’m not really sure.” It was a small price to pay to save his lover from what could have happened.
“Oh,” Jaejoong said awkwardly, sniffling.
Boa came in with a tray of food, Junho following her. “Jaejoong? What’s the matter?” She moved to set the tray down as Junho took Micky’s spot kneeling in front of Jaejoong. Micky sat next to him on the bed and waited as Junho looked over Jaejoong.
“Feels weird, doesn’t it?” he asked as Jaejoong nodded. “It’ll feel that way for a while. I’m sorry. I can help with some of the numbness and lack of energy though.” Jaejoong nodded again as Junho placed his fingers on Jaejoong’s temples. It was a moment or two before Jaejoong took a deep breath, looking more relaxed.
“Better?” Junho asked to get another nod. He said a few more words of encouragement before Boa leaned down to hug Jaejoong, who hugged back tightly, despite his eyes showing that he wanted to be alone.
After they left, Jaejoong stared at the floor as Micky rubbed his lower back with a hand, worried. He knew he shouldn’t force Jaejoong to say something, but the silence made him nervous.
“You know how they say, be careful what you wish for?”
Micky’s hand stopped, frozen by his choice of words. Jaejoong’s hand came back to grip his as he turned and their eyes met. Micky was bewildered by the fear he saw.
“What do I do now?”
Micky sighed quietly as his chest went tight. He shifted his hand to grip Jaejoong’s and squeeze it. “Well, that’s the thing about wishes I suppose—once one is granted, we get to work toward a new one.”
Jaejoong let out the breath he was holding, his eyes softening. “We?”
“No one ever said you had to do anything alone, or are you falling back into old habits?” Micky grinned and waited as Jaejoong glanced away, fighting a smile. Micky leaned closer and brushed Jaejoong’s hair aside to kiss his forehead. “All you have to do is ask.”
“Do I really?”
Micky found himself laughing. “Yes, you arrogant brat!” He ruffled Jaejoong’s hair as he smiled.
“Help me forget?”
“No.”
Jaejoong stared at him in surprise.
“But I will help you adjust,” Micky told him as he squeezed his shoulder.
“Are you always this inspiring?” Jaejoong asked suspiciously.
“Enjoy it while it lasts.”
~*~
Micky was well enough to walk around and do chores the next day, but his hearing still seemed off. He didn’t start hearing like a normal person for another week. After that, Junho said it was just a waiting game, but Micky wasn’t so sure. He’d burnt out his attribute before, but it had always come back. This time, he felt empty. He knew it was the way Jaejoong felt, only nowhere near as bad. It was like he could almost feel it, but it was just out of reach. It was teasing him, and that was frustrating.
Jaejoong still felt weak. He hated showing that weakness, but Micky already knew that. He did his best not to make Jaejoong feel useless, and Jaejoong was grateful for it. Micky would even take Jaejoong up onto the roof so he could have time to himself, despite his own dislike for heights. On the Eve of the New Year, Micky found himself with Keita helping Jaejoong up to the roof as everyone arranged themselves for a good view of the water. Fireworks went off that evening as they always did, the celebration giving Micky hope that next year would be better than the last. It wasn’t until Jaejoong squeezed his hand that Micky realized he was crying. He promised himself that he wouldn’t forget all that had happened, and hoped he would have the strength to move past it. It was the fact that little by little, as Jaejoong got his strength back, Micky felt hope.
Eventually, the team was called to the AO to testify about the events that unfolded the day Jaejoong had his attribute stripped. Luckily, those doing the interviews came to them, so they wouldn’t have to travel up north again. Micky’s interview went like any other report he’d done, for which those interviewing him were pleased. They didn’t have to question him much as he already knew how to phrase all of his answers to suit what information they wanted. At the end of his interview, Tiffany told him that the AO wanted to offer him a position. Flattered, but slightly put off by the offer, Micky said he would think about it. He didn’t want to turn it down outright, but he did have to think about it. Especially, since his attribute hadn’t come back…
Micky wasn’t sure how Jaejoong would do during his interview, but he found out Tiffany was helping out with that one as well, so he didn’t worry much. Jaejoong came out looking a bit better than he’d gone in, and the smile Tiffany gave Micky from the doorway told him why.
“I didn’t like reliving it, but I was going to have to face it eventually,” Jaejoong said quietly as they sat, waiting through Keita’s interview. “What do you think will happen?”
“I think the government will get scared and start taking over the attribute organizations around the country, to regulate them and keep tabs on funding. It’s not good or bad, but it might give the organizations more transparency so people can’t do things like Hyde was doing. And this will also raise the public’s awareness of these places. Most people think they can’t go, when it’s quite doable.”
“Well, Action Order was the largest, right? Are there other large ones?” Jaejoong asked.
“There’s another that’s well on its way to being as big as AO, but there are about five other small ones that don’t have the funding those two do. And then of course apprenticeships are always available for those who can pay.”
“Unless a person has an attribute like me,” he paused. “Like I had.”
Micky squeezed his hand. It was all he could really do.
Later that week, Micky took Jaejoong out to a very special place that he’d never gotten to visit. He wondered how long it had been. They had slept through midwinter, but had managed to see the New Year arrive.
“We missed his birthday.”
“I still think he’ll be glad to see us,” Micky replied quietly as they approached.
Jaejoong stopped and knelt as he placed flowers on Yoseob’s marker. Micky was about to kneel when Jaejoong spoke.
“I’m sorry… I’m sorry I wasn’t there to say goodbye. I… I didn’t even know you were gone…” Jaejoong paused as he sniffed and wiped his cheek as Micky squeezed his shoulder. “But I’m here now. I wanted to say goodbye. I’ll… miss you… even if you were a brat…” He couldn’t go on because he was crying. Micky smiled at that last, even through his tears. He could just see Yoseob grinning and agreeing.
Jaejoong spent the rest of the day in their room, sitting on the bed drawing. The visit had taken a lot out of him. Despite that, he kept himself occupied with his pencils. He drew everything around him, like he was trying to anchor himself in reality, or maybe distract himself from the one that loomed outside their room. Halfway through his third drawing, a tear hit the paper, and Micky joined him on the bed as they again mourned the loss of their friends.
The next day, he drew Yoseob.
“You did that from memory?” Micky asked as he settled himself next to Jaejoong, who nodded. “I’ve seen you draw maps and strategic plans, but this is… good. Really good. I’ve never seen you draw like I have these last two days.”
“I did a lot when I was a kid. Mostly my sisters. And when you have nothing to do but sit in a bed…” he shrugged.
“I thought you slept a lot.” Micky frowned.
“I did. I still do. I hope this passes soon,” he said with a sigh. “But when you weren’t around, I would draw.”
“Oh.” Micky felt sheepish. “How did I not notice?”
Jaejoong stared at him in surprise. He then turned to the table on the other side of the bed and opened the second drawer and pointed. There sat used papers with other sketches and scribbles, more pencils, charcoal and erasers. “I only did it to occupy myself, so I would put it away when I heard you coming. I didn’t realize you didn’t know. I wasn’t hiding it from you.”
Micky shook his head in amazement. “I learn more about you every damn day.” Jaejoong snorted. Micky then plucked the drawing of Yoseob from the top of Jaejoong’s sketchbook. “You should give this to Boa. I think she’d like it. Yunho too.”
“They’ll probably frame it.”
“That wouldn’t surprise me,” Micky replied as he took the drawing and set it on the desk, out of the way.
“Yoochun.”
The word echoed in his ears and Micky put a hand to his head to stop it from spinning. He shook his head to clear it as he wondered just what that was…
“Yoochun?”
He looked up to see Jaejoong gazing at him expectantly. It was almost like he was seeing Jaejoong for the first time again. His black hair fell in his eyes, hiding the spark beneath. With all the sketching supplies around him, Jaejoong looked like one of those artists Micky had seen on the streets, sketching for money, creative and crazy all at once. Micky liked those guys, they often saw a lot more than they let on.
Jaejoong tilted his head in curiosity as his hair moved just enough to reveal the smudge of charcoal he’d gotten near his eye. Micky decided he’d drawn enough for the day. He returned to the bed and began to pick the pencils and supplies up, and Jaejoong began to do the same, organizing his things to return them to the drawer. When he finished and turned back, Micky caught him up in a kiss, a deep one he’d been dying for lately.
“Why…” Jaejoong managed when the kiss ended, but didn’t finish as Micky’s fingers trailed down his cheek to his jaw.
“I missed you,” he said before stealing another shorter kiss. “I missed us. I missed us together, alone,” he murmured before Jaejoong kissed him and pulled him down. He didn’t care that there was charcoal all over Jaejoong’s hands, and he certainly didn’t mind that smudge on Jaejoong’s cheek. His hands could still unbutton a shirt, and his cheek could still be kissed. And soon, the charcoal and drawings were forgotten. Micky was distracted by other things, like the way Jaejoong’s breath hitched when he moved his hips to hit just the right spot.
Later, as he listened to Jaejoong’s calm breathing, his lover hovering on the edge of sleep, Micky realized they hadn’t linked. He also realized it didn’t matter. All they really needed was each other, and that thought made him happy. He held still as Jaejoong turned in his arms and was surprised by a kiss.
“What was that for?” he asked.
“Your thumb taps my shoulder instead of rubbing it when you’re thinking about something,” Jaejoong told him, settling himself on the pillow again, eyes closed.
Micky couldn’t help but smile. They didn’t need their attributes to understand one another. He’d been so caught up on hearing Jaejoong that he wasn’t really listening. Or rather, he didn’t realize he’d been listening. His feelings were still there, and they weren’t going to change just because they couldn’t do some things they had before.
“We didn’t link,” Jaejoong murmured.
“Yes we did.”
Jaejoong’s eyes opened and focused on his for a moment before he smiled. “You’re right.”
“I usually am,” Micky replied as he accepted a kiss.
“You would take the credit.”
“Shouldn’t I?” A soft punch to Micky’s gut was the answer, but they both laughed anyway.
~*~
“Damn, where’s my wrench…”
Micky glanced up from washing the dishes to the wrench Sunny had left on the counter. He reached out and grabbed it, holding it out as he waited for her to notice.
“What are you doing?” Boa asked as she took another plate to dry.
“I thought Sunny was looking for her wrench…” Micky trailed off when he looked around and saw that they were the only two in the kitchen. He blinked at the emptiness and then frowned.
Sunny marched into the kitchen as her face lit up. “There it is! About to toss it away since it wasn’t a dish?” she teased as she took the wrench and skipped out of the room
“That was…”
“Odd,” Micky finished as he turned back to the sink. “You really didn’t hear anything?”
Boa nibbled on her lip as she looked off into space. “Well, to be honest, I was kind of lost in my head, so I might not have been listening…” She gave him a sheepish little smile.
“Thinking of names again?” he poked her belly before sticking his hands back in the soapy water.
“I’m narrowing it down.” Which meant she still hadn’t decided, so Micky let her toil with the problem herself.
Later in the evening, Micky was lounging on the bed, reading, as Jaejoong sat in the middle of their room, on the floor drawing. Micky wasn’t exactly sure what he was drawing, but was sure he would find out eventually.
“Hey, Yoochun?”
“Hm?”
“Do you know iftherehappenstobewhatIthinkcouldhaveasnackinthekitchenbackoutwhatkindofandgirlsarealways— chun…. Yoochun?”
Micky shook his head and hit the butt of his hand against his forehead, clearing it. That was—odd. Actually, more like frightening, Micky thought as he tried to will his heartbeat to slow.
“Are you okay?”
“Uh, yeah. What were you saying?” He looked Jaejoong in the eyes, trying to appear normal.
“Hm.” Jaejoong glanced at his watch on the floor next to his books. “It is late. We should probably get some sleep. We have to meet my family and sisters at the festival tomorrow.”
“Right,” Micky heard himself say as he set the book he’d been reading aside. On the outside, he was tiredly putting his pajamas on, but on the inside, his mind was racing, trying to figure out what had just happened. It was like several people had been talking all at once at him. Was he reliving the things they’d gone through? He hoped he wasn’t having some sort of stress disorder. If anyone should have it, Jaejoong should. Then again, Jaejoong already did.
He could remember the nightmares so long ago, after they’d met. Jaejoong barely had them at the time. After he’d been kidnapped and what happened with the mess of them rescuing him—twice—they started up again. He hated it, and Micky hated watching him wake up screaming, pushing Micky away because being held reminded him of being captured and bound. And then Micky would wait patiently until Jaejoong would calm and seek out his arms. They understood, but it didn’t mean they liked it. It was the moments between that they hated.
Micky stared at the lamp on the bed after he pulled his shirt on. How was he supposed to take care of Jaejoong if he was starting to crack as well? Maybe it was only natural after trying to be the one taking care of everyone else. It didn’t help that the AO had been hounding him about taking the position they’d offered. He really should be more confident about making a decision, but he couldn’t help wavering on his answer. On the one hand, it was a lot of money, and on the other hand—it was a lot of damn money. Maybe stress attacks were the least of his worries after all that had happened.
He turned and Jaejoong’s arms wrapped around him, hugging him tightly. Without a thought, he was hugging his lover back.
“You seemed like you needed it.”
“I did. Thank you.”
~*~
Everyone was looking forward to the spring festival. Keita especially loved it because people of his nationality always wore traditional clothing for festivals and he got to dress up. Sunny happily joined him in this and Micky found himself watching the two wandering through the stalls, looking entirely too perfect for one another.
He’d had another stress attack that early afternoon as they stood in line at a food stall, but he’d managed to hide it because of a baby screaming nearby. Jaejoong had teased him, and Micky had taken it jovially, but it was starting to worry him. What if the attack came when they were working and catching bounties?
But everything from then on went smoothly. Micky met Jaejoong’s sisters and parents, who were happy that Jaejoong had found someone, but teased their son about not producing grandchildren as their daughters had. Jaejoong had laughed and said “Someday,” which made Micky tilt his head curiously. Interesting.
It wasn’t until they were walking along under the glow of the lanterns as the sun was setting that Micky realized something. “We’re all paired.”
“Hm?” Jaejoong asked, looking away from the horizon that had come into view.
“We’re all paired. Do you remember, the only couple when I met everyone was Boa and Rain. And now it’s all different, but everyone has someone,” Micky explained as he watched Changmin beating Junsu at some stall game.
“Huh. You’re right. I’m with you. Yunho’s with Jessica, Junsu has Changmin… wow.” Jaejoong looked to the sky. “I hadn’t even thought about it.”
“Aren’t they cute?”
“Yeah,” Micky answered.
“Hm?” Jaejoong asked as they stopped near a stand selling popcorn.
“Wait, what’s cute?” Micky asked as he glanced around, seeing nothing in particular with that description. Changmin and Junsu didn’t really count.
“Cute? I never said something was cute.”
Micky frowned. “I could have sworn… Nevermind. Anyway, you were saying?”
Jaejoong looked at him for a moment, but ignored what had happened and went on. “I was just amused how everyone turned out with someone. I think Sunny might even go stay in Keita’s country for a while. We’d be down a few members but…”
“Try it now folks! While we still have—”
“And that’s the only trophy I ever won as a child!”
“That’s not to say the woman couldn’t have done something…”
“Oh, did you see what was going on— youfellvictimtooneoftheclassicblundersthemostfamousofwhichisn evergetinvolvedinalandwatchingpeoplewriteisboringandinmycaseitdoesn’tinvolvemuchwritingi'mthefat heroftwochildren,andyounever,evergiveababyblackrootshesaidthatthebiggestfishintherivergetsthatway byneverbeingcaughtwhatatreacherousthingtobelievethatapersonismorethanapersonwilltastebetterthan anymealyouandIhaveevertastedunpleasantwoundinghasinsomewayenlightenedtherestofyouastothegri mfinishbeneaththeglossyveneerofcriminallifeandinspiredyoutochangejustdon'tlikeotherpeopletouching mythingsshouldknowthatthisisthestrangestthingIhaveeverdoneyourpresencedeprivesmeofboth—Yoochun!”
His head was roaring as he felt his knees hit the ground. All he could see was black as Jaejoong’s hands pulled him up before he could even think to balance himself. Micky’s head spun with a ferocity that made him sway as Jaejoong dragged him out of the crowd. He knew they were moving, but he couldn’t really see right. The words kept speeding and flashing through his mind. When everything calmed down, Micky found himself sitting on a crate in an alleyway adjacent to the festivities. Jaejoong was on his crouching before him, concern plain on his face.
“Are you getting headaches?” Jaejoong asked and reached up feel his forehead.
“No, it’s just… I don’t know if it’s stress or what happened, but it feels like a million people are talking in my head and I can’t shut it off. It all sounds so familiar though, like I’ve heard it before. Maybe its memories popping up…” And then he trailed off when he realized this really did feel familiar. But why?
“Are you sure, like absolutely sure your head doesn’t hurt?” Jaejoong’s worry was almost comical.
“I promise my head doesn’t hurt,” Micky replied with a affectionate smile. “No it’s more like… Oh… oh my god.” It hit him.
“What?”
“Can you get me something to drink?” he asked suddenly, wanting to test it.
“Um, okay. You’re sure?”
“Positive.”
Jaejoong nodded and stood to wander over to the nearest food stall and order some drinks for them. When he returned, Micky recited the entire conversation word for word as Jaejoong stared in confusion.
“What…” He had a look of bewilderment on his face as Micky grinned, waiting for it to finally come to him. “YOU!!” Jaejoong shoved Micky, nearly spilling their drinks as they hugged and laughed. The way Jaejoong’s laugh echoed in Micky’s ears made him bury his face into Jaejoong’s shoulder in happiness. It was back.
They both sat on the crates then to enjoy the rest of their drinks as Micky took in the sounds of the festival. He’d gotten so used to everything and now he was going to have to get used to his attribute again. He had to be honest, it was kind of nice not being able to hear Yunho at night using terrible lines on Jessica, who found them terribly hilarious and cute while Micky gagged to himself against Jaejoong’s shoulder. But it was also nice to have what he thought he’d lost.
He let the sounds drop to the background, trying to block it out as usual, and something strange happened. It went away completely. For a fearful split-second, he thought it had been a fluke until he realized he could still feel his attribute there, access it to hear again, and then let it go. It was… nice. For a lack of a better description, it seemed now it could turn it off and on, and somehow this made all the difference to him.
“You’re feeling okay right? It’s not overwhelming you or anything?” Jaejoong asked as Micky realized he’d been frowning.
“Ah, no. I feel great. Just testing it and all,” he replied with a smile and then fiddled with the cup in his hand. “I just… I wish yours would come back too.”
Jaejoong sighed, a small smile on his lips. “I don’t mind it being gone. Seems like a small price to pay to stop their experimenting and from taking the others’ attributes.”
“True.”
They lapsed into another silence as they watched the festivities and were amused about Jessica, Changmin and Junsu all fighting about something. Micky couldn’t hear it, but Jaejoong didn’t ask, so he kept quiet. He wasn’t sure he wanted to tell the group he could turn it off now. He liked that they actually tried to keep him from hearing, which made it a lot quieter for everyone else.
“You know,” he set his glass aside and took Jaejoong’s hand, squeezing it. “I’m going to need someone to help me practice.”
Jaejoong grinned and in that moment, Micky felt alive. All of the possibilities for their futures were endless and despite Jaejoong’s missing attribute, he could feel the connection between them. Watching the crowd laughing and enjoying themselves as they were made him realize that maybe they weren’t so different after all.
~***~
Epilogue: Everyday
“Didn’t take the job?”
Micky shook his head as he came to a stop at the top of the hill next to Jaejoong and caught his breath. “Being in a position of power like that scares me. Decided on consultant instead.”
Jaejoong seemed to consider this as he took in the view of the harbor. “Not a bad deal.”
“So, why are we up here?” Micky asked with a grin. Jaejoong had asked for Micky to join him on the hilltop on the south side of town after the meeting. It was part of a large park that they hardly got to visit, but it was worth it around the time the sun would set. It had an amazing view. “You never ask me out on dates.”
“Don’t ruin this for me,” Jaejoong replied with a shy smile, so Micky buttoned his lips. He had to grin when Jaejoong pulled out a rose. He was surprised when Jaejoong began to move his hands around and with a slight of hand, there he held two tickets instead of a rose.
Micky laughed and clapped. “How did you do that?”
“You couldn’t hear it?” Jaejoong asked as he let Micky take the tickets.
“I, uh, I could make it selective after the machine. I don’t use it unless we’re on a mission now,” he admitted to see Jaejoong smile.
“Really?”
“Really really.”
“Hm. How very normal of you,” Jaejoong teased.
Micky chortled. “You of all people should know I’m not normal.” He looked at the tickets as he felt a smile appear on his lips. The tickets were for the resort on the island off the coast from the city. One had to take a ferry to get there, but the wait was worth it, and so was the resort. It must have cost a small fortune for Jaejoong to get the tickets—especially for two weeks! After all of his whining to go to the beach during that first summer they’d met, Jaejoong was finally following through.
“I figured you’d like those,” Jaejoong said finally.
“Yeah, but there isn’t a date on here, when are we going… to…” Micky completely lost his voice this time, the breath catching in his throat as he stared at a small box that Jaejoong held out to him. He glanced at Jaejoong, the nervous smile and his eyes saying everything, before he looked back to the box. He reached out and carefully took it, hoping to high heaven he wouldn’t drop it. With a shaking hand, he opened it to see a simply decorated silver band sitting inside. He was shocked to say the least.
“I, uh…” Jaejoong couldn’t seem to form the words he wanted. “I… w-would you…”
“YES.” Micky shook his head in disbelief, a smile breaking out on his face. “God, of course, yes!” he exclaimed and moved forward to plant a kiss on Jaejoong’s lips. They broke the kiss with nervous laughter. “How the hell did you manage to keep this from me?”
“I have no idea, but I’m glad I did,” Jaejoong said with a laugh.
“Damn you, making me look like a sap,” Micky muttered as he wiped his eyes and let Jaejoong take the box to pull the ring out.
“Your hand is shaking.”
“Shut up.”
Jaejoong laughed again and slipped the ring on Micky’s finger before taking his hand to pull him close.
“Thank you for staying with me, being with me, loving me,” Jaejoong murmured against his cheek and kissed it.
Micky let go to look him in the eyes. “Thank you for loving me back.” Jaejoong smiled into the kiss.
“I know you’re probably wondering, I gave the matching ring to Yunho—”
“You want me to marry Yunho?”
“Shut up. For him to keep safe until we decide to—”
Micky kissed him to shut him up. “I think we’ve already decided, don’t you?”
“Somehow I knew you’d say something like that,” Jaejoong replied with a grin.
“Great minds,” Micky teased.
“Same kind of different,” Jaejoong murmured as they kissed.
Yes.
Same kind of different.
~***~
comments? anything? love? tell me your favorite parts, what made you laugh or cry. the parts that you grinned through or sat up reading for too long because you had to know what happened. the things you thought would happen and were surprised when it went another way. I want to hear it all :D
can you tell me where all the lines from Micky's massive brain hemmorage at the festival come from? french the llama?
technically the epilogue doesn't really need to be there, but the scene popped into my head and wouldn't go away.
dftba readers. I don't have anything in particular planned so if you have any suggestions, suggest away! I might or might not write them. also don't be surprised if I do an Assassin's Creed fic. I am enjoying the games and fandom :)
PS I want you all to know I had about 30 pages of notes dedicated to this story and while I didn't always use them or follow the original plot super close, I often referred back to them and was constantly scribbling on them to plot out who was actually present in a certain instance to make sure I wasn't forgetting anthing because I'm forgetful :D
Author: LotusBeauty
Type: multi-chapter
Rating: R
Pairings: Yoochun/Jaejoong
Genre: AU, drama, fantasy, steampunk-ish, humor, angst, action, kitchen sink
Summary: In a world where a power called an attribute gives a person certain abilities, those with attributes are equally loved, hated and, well, normal. And just because people have attributes, doesn’t mean there isn’t crime, so Micky joins a bounty hunting team and finds while this is exactly what he was looking for, he might have found something else he didn’t know he needed. (previous chapters can be found HERE.)
Notes: contains world creation, fantasy elements, and just might have a bit of fun~ Profiles of characters can be found HERE :)
Disclaimer: Not mine, never were, but a girl can dream through fiction.
30: if there is an end, there must also be a beginning
Micky felt warm. A blanket was tucked around him and another body whose arms were around him. He cracked one eye open hesitantly to see what he knew to be Jaejoong’s neck and sighed it relief. It sounded odd. He opened both of his eyes and wondered if the blanket muffled things. It shouldn’t be, but just to be sure…
He pushed the blanket back as he propped himself up on his elbow. Nothing sounded right. In fact, that’s almost what he heard—nothing. He glanced down at Jaejoong and leaned down to watch his chest, to make sure he was breathing. Micky breathed a sigh of relief (which still sounded odd) and sat up. He heard something muffled to his left and looked over to see Junho talking. He blinked in surprise. Why couldn’t he hear anything?
Junho stopped and said what looked like might be a question. Micky didn’t know what to do so he waved his hand and made a cutting motion at his neck to get Junho to stop. He then pointed at his ears as he shook his head. Junho frowned and grabbed his ear scope from the desk. Micky waited patiently as Junho stuck the cold thing into his ear and then motioned for him to turn for the other. Junho then set the scope aside and then rested his fingers on each of Micky’s temples.
“How about now?” Junho asked.
Micky made a face. “A little.” He put a hand to his throat. His own voice sounded muffled too!
“Your voice is fine. Your hearing was damaged by the device. Both normal and attribute, probably because of your attribute.” Junho smiled encouragingly, so it must be true.
“I see.”
“Your hearing will return, but it will take a few days. Your attribute should return as well, though I’m not sure how long it will take.” Junho squeezed his shoulder reassuringly. “But I can still feel it there.”
Micky smiled a little and felt better hearing that. “And Jaejoong?”
Junho sighed as he took the ear scope and moved to put it back before sitting in the chair at the desk. “He’ll be fine.”
“Just tell me,” Micky knew the answer.
“His attribute is gone.”
It was like a punch to the gut. Micky didn’t realize how much the statement hurt until he looked down at his lover. After everything they’d been through together, all of the hard work and training… “Gone.” He reached over to brush the hair away from Jaejoong’s face. It didn’t seem possible.
“And Hyde?” he asked, anxious.
“Dead.”
Micky let out a sigh of relief, but in a way, he still felt sad. He wished it hadn’t ended this way.
“He’ll feel… wrong for a while.” Junho paused and Micky looked up at him. “He’s going to need you.”
“Then he’ll have me,” Micky spoke with such conviction and he even surprised himself. But it was true. He wasn’t going anywhere. He wanted to be there for Jaejoong when his lover needed him—always. Micky waited through the entire day, but it seemed Jaejoong’s body was still content with resting. Despite this, Junho checked on him regularly and made sure he had enough energy and was healthy since he hadn’t eaten.
Micky woke the next day to a paw patting his face and a laugh he knew so well, even if it was still a bit muffled. He opened his eyes to see a cat getting pushed aside by Jaejoong, who had tears in his eyes. Micky smiled and let himself be pulled into a tight hug.
“I was sure we wouldn’t live through it,” Jaejoong whispered as he cried into Micky’s shoulder.
“It’s over. It’s all over,” Micky assured him and rubbed his back as they held one another. Well, he hoped it was anyway.
Jaejoong chuckled wryly. “Nothing is ever over with you.”
“Wise guy, eh?” Micky teased and poked Jaejoong’s side to get a groan from him. “Ah, too weak yet?”
“Hey guys?” Boa poked her head in. “You hungry?”
“Starving,” Micky replied as Jaejoong nodded.
“Perfect!” She disappeared and Micky turned to Jaejoong.
“Shall we?” Jaejoong nodded and the two moved to get up. Micky had to catch Jaejoong when his feet were on the floor, but couldn’t support him.
“Why can’t I stand?” he asked, fear creeping into his voice.
“Junho said you would feel weak,” he paused as he sat Jaejoong on the bed and kneeled before him. “That you would feel …” he couldn’t bring himself to say it.
“Why…” And finally it hit him. “It’s gone…” Jaejoong’s hands took his arms in a tight, hot grip. “Yoochun, my attribute… it’s…” His breath left him with a choke, and tears slid down his cheeks. “It’s gone…”
Micky pulled him into a tight hug, not knowing what else to do as his lover dealt with the shock. A part of him was gone now, and he was never going to get it back. It seemed only right he should be sad about it. Micky wiped his own eyes, sad that he wouldn’t be able to train with Jaejoong like before. It was going to be different now, for both of them. They couldn’t link anymore.
“I can’t hear properly.”
“What?”
“Sound—everything is muffled to me,” Micky admitted as he pulled back. “Junho says I’ll get my attribute back, but I’m not really sure.” It was a small price to pay to save his lover from what could have happened.
“Oh,” Jaejoong said awkwardly, sniffling.
Boa came in with a tray of food, Junho following her. “Jaejoong? What’s the matter?” She moved to set the tray down as Junho took Micky’s spot kneeling in front of Jaejoong. Micky sat next to him on the bed and waited as Junho looked over Jaejoong.
“Feels weird, doesn’t it?” he asked as Jaejoong nodded. “It’ll feel that way for a while. I’m sorry. I can help with some of the numbness and lack of energy though.” Jaejoong nodded again as Junho placed his fingers on Jaejoong’s temples. It was a moment or two before Jaejoong took a deep breath, looking more relaxed.
“Better?” Junho asked to get another nod. He said a few more words of encouragement before Boa leaned down to hug Jaejoong, who hugged back tightly, despite his eyes showing that he wanted to be alone.
After they left, Jaejoong stared at the floor as Micky rubbed his lower back with a hand, worried. He knew he shouldn’t force Jaejoong to say something, but the silence made him nervous.
“You know how they say, be careful what you wish for?”
Micky’s hand stopped, frozen by his choice of words. Jaejoong’s hand came back to grip his as he turned and their eyes met. Micky was bewildered by the fear he saw.
“What do I do now?”
Micky sighed quietly as his chest went tight. He shifted his hand to grip Jaejoong’s and squeeze it. “Well, that’s the thing about wishes I suppose—once one is granted, we get to work toward a new one.”
Jaejoong let out the breath he was holding, his eyes softening. “We?”
“No one ever said you had to do anything alone, or are you falling back into old habits?” Micky grinned and waited as Jaejoong glanced away, fighting a smile. Micky leaned closer and brushed Jaejoong’s hair aside to kiss his forehead. “All you have to do is ask.”
“Do I really?”
Micky found himself laughing. “Yes, you arrogant brat!” He ruffled Jaejoong’s hair as he smiled.
“Help me forget?”
“No.”
Jaejoong stared at him in surprise.
“But I will help you adjust,” Micky told him as he squeezed his shoulder.
“Are you always this inspiring?” Jaejoong asked suspiciously.
“Enjoy it while it lasts.”
~*~
Micky was well enough to walk around and do chores the next day, but his hearing still seemed off. He didn’t start hearing like a normal person for another week. After that, Junho said it was just a waiting game, but Micky wasn’t so sure. He’d burnt out his attribute before, but it had always come back. This time, he felt empty. He knew it was the way Jaejoong felt, only nowhere near as bad. It was like he could almost feel it, but it was just out of reach. It was teasing him, and that was frustrating.
Jaejoong still felt weak. He hated showing that weakness, but Micky already knew that. He did his best not to make Jaejoong feel useless, and Jaejoong was grateful for it. Micky would even take Jaejoong up onto the roof so he could have time to himself, despite his own dislike for heights. On the Eve of the New Year, Micky found himself with Keita helping Jaejoong up to the roof as everyone arranged themselves for a good view of the water. Fireworks went off that evening as they always did, the celebration giving Micky hope that next year would be better than the last. It wasn’t until Jaejoong squeezed his hand that Micky realized he was crying. He promised himself that he wouldn’t forget all that had happened, and hoped he would have the strength to move past it. It was the fact that little by little, as Jaejoong got his strength back, Micky felt hope.
Eventually, the team was called to the AO to testify about the events that unfolded the day Jaejoong had his attribute stripped. Luckily, those doing the interviews came to them, so they wouldn’t have to travel up north again. Micky’s interview went like any other report he’d done, for which those interviewing him were pleased. They didn’t have to question him much as he already knew how to phrase all of his answers to suit what information they wanted. At the end of his interview, Tiffany told him that the AO wanted to offer him a position. Flattered, but slightly put off by the offer, Micky said he would think about it. He didn’t want to turn it down outright, but he did have to think about it. Especially, since his attribute hadn’t come back…
Micky wasn’t sure how Jaejoong would do during his interview, but he found out Tiffany was helping out with that one as well, so he didn’t worry much. Jaejoong came out looking a bit better than he’d gone in, and the smile Tiffany gave Micky from the doorway told him why.
“I didn’t like reliving it, but I was going to have to face it eventually,” Jaejoong said quietly as they sat, waiting through Keita’s interview. “What do you think will happen?”
“I think the government will get scared and start taking over the attribute organizations around the country, to regulate them and keep tabs on funding. It’s not good or bad, but it might give the organizations more transparency so people can’t do things like Hyde was doing. And this will also raise the public’s awareness of these places. Most people think they can’t go, when it’s quite doable.”
“Well, Action Order was the largest, right? Are there other large ones?” Jaejoong asked.
“There’s another that’s well on its way to being as big as AO, but there are about five other small ones that don’t have the funding those two do. And then of course apprenticeships are always available for those who can pay.”
“Unless a person has an attribute like me,” he paused. “Like I had.”
Micky squeezed his hand. It was all he could really do.
Later that week, Micky took Jaejoong out to a very special place that he’d never gotten to visit. He wondered how long it had been. They had slept through midwinter, but had managed to see the New Year arrive.
“We missed his birthday.”
“I still think he’ll be glad to see us,” Micky replied quietly as they approached.
Jaejoong stopped and knelt as he placed flowers on Yoseob’s marker. Micky was about to kneel when Jaejoong spoke.
“I’m sorry… I’m sorry I wasn’t there to say goodbye. I… I didn’t even know you were gone…” Jaejoong paused as he sniffed and wiped his cheek as Micky squeezed his shoulder. “But I’m here now. I wanted to say goodbye. I’ll… miss you… even if you were a brat…” He couldn’t go on because he was crying. Micky smiled at that last, even through his tears. He could just see Yoseob grinning and agreeing.
Jaejoong spent the rest of the day in their room, sitting on the bed drawing. The visit had taken a lot out of him. Despite that, he kept himself occupied with his pencils. He drew everything around him, like he was trying to anchor himself in reality, or maybe distract himself from the one that loomed outside their room. Halfway through his third drawing, a tear hit the paper, and Micky joined him on the bed as they again mourned the loss of their friends.
The next day, he drew Yoseob.
“You did that from memory?” Micky asked as he settled himself next to Jaejoong, who nodded. “I’ve seen you draw maps and strategic plans, but this is… good. Really good. I’ve never seen you draw like I have these last two days.”
“I did a lot when I was a kid. Mostly my sisters. And when you have nothing to do but sit in a bed…” he shrugged.
“I thought you slept a lot.” Micky frowned.
“I did. I still do. I hope this passes soon,” he said with a sigh. “But when you weren’t around, I would draw.”
“Oh.” Micky felt sheepish. “How did I not notice?”
Jaejoong stared at him in surprise. He then turned to the table on the other side of the bed and opened the second drawer and pointed. There sat used papers with other sketches and scribbles, more pencils, charcoal and erasers. “I only did it to occupy myself, so I would put it away when I heard you coming. I didn’t realize you didn’t know. I wasn’t hiding it from you.”
Micky shook his head in amazement. “I learn more about you every damn day.” Jaejoong snorted. Micky then plucked the drawing of Yoseob from the top of Jaejoong’s sketchbook. “You should give this to Boa. I think she’d like it. Yunho too.”
“They’ll probably frame it.”
“That wouldn’t surprise me,” Micky replied as he took the drawing and set it on the desk, out of the way.
“Yoochun.”
The word echoed in his ears and Micky put a hand to his head to stop it from spinning. He shook his head to clear it as he wondered just what that was…
“Yoochun?”
He looked up to see Jaejoong gazing at him expectantly. It was almost like he was seeing Jaejoong for the first time again. His black hair fell in his eyes, hiding the spark beneath. With all the sketching supplies around him, Jaejoong looked like one of those artists Micky had seen on the streets, sketching for money, creative and crazy all at once. Micky liked those guys, they often saw a lot more than they let on.
Jaejoong tilted his head in curiosity as his hair moved just enough to reveal the smudge of charcoal he’d gotten near his eye. Micky decided he’d drawn enough for the day. He returned to the bed and began to pick the pencils and supplies up, and Jaejoong began to do the same, organizing his things to return them to the drawer. When he finished and turned back, Micky caught him up in a kiss, a deep one he’d been dying for lately.
“Why…” Jaejoong managed when the kiss ended, but didn’t finish as Micky’s fingers trailed down his cheek to his jaw.
“I missed you,” he said before stealing another shorter kiss. “I missed us. I missed us together, alone,” he murmured before Jaejoong kissed him and pulled him down. He didn’t care that there was charcoal all over Jaejoong’s hands, and he certainly didn’t mind that smudge on Jaejoong’s cheek. His hands could still unbutton a shirt, and his cheek could still be kissed. And soon, the charcoal and drawings were forgotten. Micky was distracted by other things, like the way Jaejoong’s breath hitched when he moved his hips to hit just the right spot.
Later, as he listened to Jaejoong’s calm breathing, his lover hovering on the edge of sleep, Micky realized they hadn’t linked. He also realized it didn’t matter. All they really needed was each other, and that thought made him happy. He held still as Jaejoong turned in his arms and was surprised by a kiss.
“What was that for?” he asked.
“Your thumb taps my shoulder instead of rubbing it when you’re thinking about something,” Jaejoong told him, settling himself on the pillow again, eyes closed.
Micky couldn’t help but smile. They didn’t need their attributes to understand one another. He’d been so caught up on hearing Jaejoong that he wasn’t really listening. Or rather, he didn’t realize he’d been listening. His feelings were still there, and they weren’t going to change just because they couldn’t do some things they had before.
“We didn’t link,” Jaejoong murmured.
“Yes we did.”
Jaejoong’s eyes opened and focused on his for a moment before he smiled. “You’re right.”
“I usually am,” Micky replied as he accepted a kiss.
“You would take the credit.”
“Shouldn’t I?” A soft punch to Micky’s gut was the answer, but they both laughed anyway.
~*~
“Damn, where’s my wrench…”
Micky glanced up from washing the dishes to the wrench Sunny had left on the counter. He reached out and grabbed it, holding it out as he waited for her to notice.
“What are you doing?” Boa asked as she took another plate to dry.
“I thought Sunny was looking for her wrench…” Micky trailed off when he looked around and saw that they were the only two in the kitchen. He blinked at the emptiness and then frowned.
Sunny marched into the kitchen as her face lit up. “There it is! About to toss it away since it wasn’t a dish?” she teased as she took the wrench and skipped out of the room
“That was…”
“Odd,” Micky finished as he turned back to the sink. “You really didn’t hear anything?”
Boa nibbled on her lip as she looked off into space. “Well, to be honest, I was kind of lost in my head, so I might not have been listening…” She gave him a sheepish little smile.
“Thinking of names again?” he poked her belly before sticking his hands back in the soapy water.
“I’m narrowing it down.” Which meant she still hadn’t decided, so Micky let her toil with the problem herself.
Later in the evening, Micky was lounging on the bed, reading, as Jaejoong sat in the middle of their room, on the floor drawing. Micky wasn’t exactly sure what he was drawing, but was sure he would find out eventually.
“Hey, Yoochun?”
“Hm?”
“Do you know iftherehappenstobewhatIthinkcouldhaveasnackinthekitchenbackoutwhatkindofandgirlsarealways— chun…. Yoochun?”
Micky shook his head and hit the butt of his hand against his forehead, clearing it. That was—odd. Actually, more like frightening, Micky thought as he tried to will his heartbeat to slow.
“Are you okay?”
“Uh, yeah. What were you saying?” He looked Jaejoong in the eyes, trying to appear normal.
“Hm.” Jaejoong glanced at his watch on the floor next to his books. “It is late. We should probably get some sleep. We have to meet my family and sisters at the festival tomorrow.”
“Right,” Micky heard himself say as he set the book he’d been reading aside. On the outside, he was tiredly putting his pajamas on, but on the inside, his mind was racing, trying to figure out what had just happened. It was like several people had been talking all at once at him. Was he reliving the things they’d gone through? He hoped he wasn’t having some sort of stress disorder. If anyone should have it, Jaejoong should. Then again, Jaejoong already did.
He could remember the nightmares so long ago, after they’d met. Jaejoong barely had them at the time. After he’d been kidnapped and what happened with the mess of them rescuing him—twice—they started up again. He hated it, and Micky hated watching him wake up screaming, pushing Micky away because being held reminded him of being captured and bound. And then Micky would wait patiently until Jaejoong would calm and seek out his arms. They understood, but it didn’t mean they liked it. It was the moments between that they hated.
Micky stared at the lamp on the bed after he pulled his shirt on. How was he supposed to take care of Jaejoong if he was starting to crack as well? Maybe it was only natural after trying to be the one taking care of everyone else. It didn’t help that the AO had been hounding him about taking the position they’d offered. He really should be more confident about making a decision, but he couldn’t help wavering on his answer. On the one hand, it was a lot of money, and on the other hand—it was a lot of damn money. Maybe stress attacks were the least of his worries after all that had happened.
He turned and Jaejoong’s arms wrapped around him, hugging him tightly. Without a thought, he was hugging his lover back.
“You seemed like you needed it.”
“I did. Thank you.”
~*~
Everyone was looking forward to the spring festival. Keita especially loved it because people of his nationality always wore traditional clothing for festivals and he got to dress up. Sunny happily joined him in this and Micky found himself watching the two wandering through the stalls, looking entirely too perfect for one another.
He’d had another stress attack that early afternoon as they stood in line at a food stall, but he’d managed to hide it because of a baby screaming nearby. Jaejoong had teased him, and Micky had taken it jovially, but it was starting to worry him. What if the attack came when they were working and catching bounties?
But everything from then on went smoothly. Micky met Jaejoong’s sisters and parents, who were happy that Jaejoong had found someone, but teased their son about not producing grandchildren as their daughters had. Jaejoong had laughed and said “Someday,” which made Micky tilt his head curiously. Interesting.
It wasn’t until they were walking along under the glow of the lanterns as the sun was setting that Micky realized something. “We’re all paired.”
“Hm?” Jaejoong asked, looking away from the horizon that had come into view.
“We’re all paired. Do you remember, the only couple when I met everyone was Boa and Rain. And now it’s all different, but everyone has someone,” Micky explained as he watched Changmin beating Junsu at some stall game.
“Huh. You’re right. I’m with you. Yunho’s with Jessica, Junsu has Changmin… wow.” Jaejoong looked to the sky. “I hadn’t even thought about it.”
“Aren’t they cute?”
“Yeah,” Micky answered.
“Hm?” Jaejoong asked as they stopped near a stand selling popcorn.
“Wait, what’s cute?” Micky asked as he glanced around, seeing nothing in particular with that description. Changmin and Junsu didn’t really count.
“Cute? I never said something was cute.”
Micky frowned. “I could have sworn… Nevermind. Anyway, you were saying?”
Jaejoong looked at him for a moment, but ignored what had happened and went on. “I was just amused how everyone turned out with someone. I think Sunny might even go stay in Keita’s country for a while. We’d be down a few members but…”
“Try it now folks! While we still have—”
“And that’s the only trophy I ever won as a child!”
“That’s not to say the woman couldn’t have done something…”
“Oh, did you see what was going on— youfellvictimtooneoftheclassicblundersthemostfamousofwhichisn evergetinvolvedinalandwatchingpeoplewriteisboringandinmycaseitdoesn’tinvolvemuchwritingi'mthefat heroftwochildren,andyounever,evergiveababyblackrootshesaidthatthebiggestfishintherivergetsthatway byneverbeingcaughtwhatatreacherousthingtobelievethatapersonismorethanapersonwilltastebetterthan anymealyouandIhaveevertastedunpleasantwoundinghasinsomewayenlightenedtherestofyouastothegri mfinishbeneaththeglossyveneerofcriminallifeandinspiredyoutochangejustdon'tlikeotherpeopletouching mythingsshouldknowthatthisisthestrangestthingIhaveeverdoneyourpresencedeprivesmeofboth—Yoochun!”
His head was roaring as he felt his knees hit the ground. All he could see was black as Jaejoong’s hands pulled him up before he could even think to balance himself. Micky’s head spun with a ferocity that made him sway as Jaejoong dragged him out of the crowd. He knew they were moving, but he couldn’t really see right. The words kept speeding and flashing through his mind. When everything calmed down, Micky found himself sitting on a crate in an alleyway adjacent to the festivities. Jaejoong was on his crouching before him, concern plain on his face.
“Are you getting headaches?” Jaejoong asked and reached up feel his forehead.
“No, it’s just… I don’t know if it’s stress or what happened, but it feels like a million people are talking in my head and I can’t shut it off. It all sounds so familiar though, like I’ve heard it before. Maybe its memories popping up…” And then he trailed off when he realized this really did feel familiar. But why?
“Are you sure, like absolutely sure your head doesn’t hurt?” Jaejoong’s worry was almost comical.
“I promise my head doesn’t hurt,” Micky replied with a affectionate smile. “No it’s more like… Oh… oh my god.” It hit him.
“What?”
“Can you get me something to drink?” he asked suddenly, wanting to test it.
“Um, okay. You’re sure?”
“Positive.”
Jaejoong nodded and stood to wander over to the nearest food stall and order some drinks for them. When he returned, Micky recited the entire conversation word for word as Jaejoong stared in confusion.
“What…” He had a look of bewilderment on his face as Micky grinned, waiting for it to finally come to him. “YOU!!” Jaejoong shoved Micky, nearly spilling their drinks as they hugged and laughed. The way Jaejoong’s laugh echoed in Micky’s ears made him bury his face into Jaejoong’s shoulder in happiness. It was back.
They both sat on the crates then to enjoy the rest of their drinks as Micky took in the sounds of the festival. He’d gotten so used to everything and now he was going to have to get used to his attribute again. He had to be honest, it was kind of nice not being able to hear Yunho at night using terrible lines on Jessica, who found them terribly hilarious and cute while Micky gagged to himself against Jaejoong’s shoulder. But it was also nice to have what he thought he’d lost.
He let the sounds drop to the background, trying to block it out as usual, and something strange happened. It went away completely. For a fearful split-second, he thought it had been a fluke until he realized he could still feel his attribute there, access it to hear again, and then let it go. It was… nice. For a lack of a better description, it seemed now it could turn it off and on, and somehow this made all the difference to him.
“You’re feeling okay right? It’s not overwhelming you or anything?” Jaejoong asked as Micky realized he’d been frowning.
“Ah, no. I feel great. Just testing it and all,” he replied with a smile and then fiddled with the cup in his hand. “I just… I wish yours would come back too.”
Jaejoong sighed, a small smile on his lips. “I don’t mind it being gone. Seems like a small price to pay to stop their experimenting and from taking the others’ attributes.”
“True.”
They lapsed into another silence as they watched the festivities and were amused about Jessica, Changmin and Junsu all fighting about something. Micky couldn’t hear it, but Jaejoong didn’t ask, so he kept quiet. He wasn’t sure he wanted to tell the group he could turn it off now. He liked that they actually tried to keep him from hearing, which made it a lot quieter for everyone else.
“You know,” he set his glass aside and took Jaejoong’s hand, squeezing it. “I’m going to need someone to help me practice.”
Jaejoong grinned and in that moment, Micky felt alive. All of the possibilities for their futures were endless and despite Jaejoong’s missing attribute, he could feel the connection between them. Watching the crowd laughing and enjoying themselves as they were made him realize that maybe they weren’t so different after all.
~***~
Epilogue: Everyday
“Didn’t take the job?”
Micky shook his head as he came to a stop at the top of the hill next to Jaejoong and caught his breath. “Being in a position of power like that scares me. Decided on consultant instead.”
Jaejoong seemed to consider this as he took in the view of the harbor. “Not a bad deal.”
“So, why are we up here?” Micky asked with a grin. Jaejoong had asked for Micky to join him on the hilltop on the south side of town after the meeting. It was part of a large park that they hardly got to visit, but it was worth it around the time the sun would set. It had an amazing view. “You never ask me out on dates.”
“Don’t ruin this for me,” Jaejoong replied with a shy smile, so Micky buttoned his lips. He had to grin when Jaejoong pulled out a rose. He was surprised when Jaejoong began to move his hands around and with a slight of hand, there he held two tickets instead of a rose.
Micky laughed and clapped. “How did you do that?”
“You couldn’t hear it?” Jaejoong asked as he let Micky take the tickets.
“I, uh, I could make it selective after the machine. I don’t use it unless we’re on a mission now,” he admitted to see Jaejoong smile.
“Really?”
“Really really.”
“Hm. How very normal of you,” Jaejoong teased.
Micky chortled. “You of all people should know I’m not normal.” He looked at the tickets as he felt a smile appear on his lips. The tickets were for the resort on the island off the coast from the city. One had to take a ferry to get there, but the wait was worth it, and so was the resort. It must have cost a small fortune for Jaejoong to get the tickets—especially for two weeks! After all of his whining to go to the beach during that first summer they’d met, Jaejoong was finally following through.
“I figured you’d like those,” Jaejoong said finally.
“Yeah, but there isn’t a date on here, when are we going… to…” Micky completely lost his voice this time, the breath catching in his throat as he stared at a small box that Jaejoong held out to him. He glanced at Jaejoong, the nervous smile and his eyes saying everything, before he looked back to the box. He reached out and carefully took it, hoping to high heaven he wouldn’t drop it. With a shaking hand, he opened it to see a simply decorated silver band sitting inside. He was shocked to say the least.
“I, uh…” Jaejoong couldn’t seem to form the words he wanted. “I… w-would you…”
“YES.” Micky shook his head in disbelief, a smile breaking out on his face. “God, of course, yes!” he exclaimed and moved forward to plant a kiss on Jaejoong’s lips. They broke the kiss with nervous laughter. “How the hell did you manage to keep this from me?”
“I have no idea, but I’m glad I did,” Jaejoong said with a laugh.
“Damn you, making me look like a sap,” Micky muttered as he wiped his eyes and let Jaejoong take the box to pull the ring out.
“Your hand is shaking.”
“Shut up.”
Jaejoong laughed again and slipped the ring on Micky’s finger before taking his hand to pull him close.
“Thank you for staying with me, being with me, loving me,” Jaejoong murmured against his cheek and kissed it.
Micky let go to look him in the eyes. “Thank you for loving me back.” Jaejoong smiled into the kiss.
“I know you’re probably wondering, I gave the matching ring to Yunho—”
“You want me to marry Yunho?”
“Shut up. For him to keep safe until we decide to—”
Micky kissed him to shut him up. “I think we’ve already decided, don’t you?”
“Somehow I knew you’d say something like that,” Jaejoong replied with a grin.
“Great minds,” Micky teased.
“Same kind of different,” Jaejoong murmured as they kissed.
Yes.
Same kind of different.
~***~
comments? anything? love? tell me your favorite parts, what made you laugh or cry. the parts that you grinned through or sat up reading for too long because you had to know what happened. the things you thought would happen and were surprised when it went another way. I want to hear it all :D
can you tell me where all the lines from Micky's massive brain hemmorage at the festival come from? french the llama?
technically the epilogue doesn't really need to be there, but the scene popped into my head and wouldn't go away.
dftba readers. I don't have anything in particular planned so if you have any suggestions, suggest away! I might or might not write them. also don't be surprised if I do an Assassin's Creed fic. I am enjoying the games and fandom :)
PS I want you all to know I had about 30 pages of notes dedicated to this story and while I didn't always use them or follow the original plot super close, I often referred back to them and was constantly scribbling on them to plot out who was actually present in a certain instance to make sure I wasn't forgetting anthing because I'm forgetful :D
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Date: 2011-07-11 04:41 am (UTC)