Graffiti | Jaehyun | 06
BadboyTagger!Jaehyun | Series Words | 6,400+ Warnings | Language, Mature themes, Blood, Violence
05 | 06 | 07
A strained groan fell from his throat as he stirred, stretching his stiffened back muscles from a rock-like sleepâthe first one heâd had in as long as he could remember. No sleeping with one eye open, no fears lingering in the back of his mind, no waking up a hundred times in the midst of his sleep; just solid, motionless, deep rest. The blinds were cracked just enough that the natural sunlight was illuminating a majority of your living room, but it was a soothing blocked light that didnât hurt his desensitized eyes.
It took a moment for him to pick up on the wafting coffee scent that filled your apartment and he wondered if you had a coffee pot set on a timer or if he had actually slept through you getting up and rummaging around in next to silence. You could have harmed him, if you wanted, a thought that quickly crossed his mind as he considered checking if you were up. Maybe it was best to clear that thought, first, even if he had spent so much time watching his back. The fact of the matter was that you didnât.
He stretched a bit more before picking himself up from your pull-out, intending to greet you for a cup of coffee before returning to sit for a bit on the comfort of it. He lifted his arms high above his head to stretch a little bit more before plucking his jeans off the floor to slip them on and then wandered around the end-table to the kitchen, but you were nowhere to be found. Â The pot of coffee was eyeing himâit looked like there was already a cup or so taken out of it, so he quietly looked through the cabinets before coming across a mug to pour himself a cup, hoping it was for him too.
Your name fell from his mouth a couple of times as he muttered it into the airâif you had gone back to sleep, he didnât want to bother you. And he assumed thatâs where you were at when there was no reply; he wasnât about to check your room or go lurking around your place. So he turned back to the counter just to stand there and process some thoughts, especially when he reached up to touch the tender and still somewhat bruised flesh around his eye.
Meanwhile, you had tiptoed out of your room having just finished toweling your hair after a shower, noticing that he wasnât where you left him. He stood somewhat slumped over the counter in front of the coffee pot, lifting his mug to take a sip now and again. It was hard not to notice the line of his shoulders, the way they tapered into his neck, but most importantly, it was hard not to notice the silver lines that sunk into the back of his black tank-top. Your feet were silent across the kitchen floor, hands tentative as they reached around his middle. He startled, almost slamming the mug down on the counter as he captured one of your hands just as youâd laid your head against his back.
âItâs just me,â you cooed gently.
âYou startled me,â he replied lowly, attempting to look over his shoulder, but you were so deep in his back it was not possible to see you. He slowly let go of your hand, letting it join your other to wrap around his middle so you could relish his warmth. The stiffness slowly faded as he acclimated to your grasp, hands against the cool countertop as he slumped back over just a tad. Â âYou were awfully quiet, creeping around this morning,â he said, mildly disturbed that it was the case, that he slept through the sink running and anything else you did in there, like rummaging in the cabinets.
âYou were sleeping, and it seemed like well; I didnât want to disturb you,â you replied, not finding his particular wording curious in the slightest. You left one of your arms reeled around his middle, but the other tugged back to touch against a particularly rough looking scar against the back of his right arm that disappeared deep into the cut of his tank top. You could feel him seize up under your touch; surely he had detailed inventory of what and where his scars were. He stood tall to move, so you gave him some space to abandon his coffee on the counter as he turned around in front of you to lean somewhat against it. Unable to help the way your gaze flickered across him, you stood with your arms at your sides and let your eyes go, observing the collar of his tank, the line of his shoulders that not only looked strong, not only felt strong, but were so, and the way they tapered into his neck, the sharpness of his jawline, the hard line of his mouth that sat relaxed.
He looked you over similarly, but more noting the bruise against your cheek which was far less bad than he anticipated, but also noticed some additional bruising at your neck. Tentatively, he reached up to touch against your bruised cheek, catching you flinch a bit before his thumb brushed against it. A somewhat exasperated sigh pushed from his nose as he looked at you, feeling the guilt about your injuries, although he still stood by the fact that you shouldnât be leaving so late knowing the risks.
His hand dropped immediately as your eyes cast over to itâhis bandaged left hand which no longer had a rough gauze strapped around it, but instead just had that large bandaid over the back of it. Even still, he didnât want you to see. He could hide that a lot better than the cut against his cheek.
Almost pathetic is the way he would describe the way you looked up at him. Your arms dangled at your sides as you scrutinized that cut, the fading black eye, the weathered look of his faceâhe looked aged in an interesting type of way, just like heâd seen and been through a lot now that you were seeing him in good light. He held his mouth in a hard line, his features stark. For a moment, his lips curled in so he could moisten them, feeling nervous under your gaze.
âWhat a mess we both are,â you finally said, breaking the awkward silence, but you couldnât say that those particular words made it less awkward. But the awkwardness seemed to be the least of Jaehyunâs worries, at least, as you stepped between his bare feet, your hands gingerly touching against his abdomen to lean up and nuzzle the bridge of your nose against his jaw. For some reason, it had his breath hitching, had his expressive eyebrows raise in somewhat surprise. One of his hands finessed yours into it, the other captured your hip to give him some semblance of control.
He choked out your name hesitantly, almost warningly. You pulled far enough away to look up at him, to watch him try to stave off a shy smile which tugged the cut of his dimples in a light you could finally see them. A smile broke on your own face in response.
âThe big bad wolf has dimples,â you stated, resulting in him immediately covering as much of his face as he could with the hand that was on your hip; it proved sufficient.
âI figured you noticed before and just didnât say anything,â he answered, trying really hard to put his grin away, but yours was infectious, and he found himself smiling even harder. âPlease donât say theyâre charming, or whatever girls say about dimples on a boy; itâs embarrassing.â
âJaehyun,â you protested, rolling your eyes while your hand furled in his shirt, the other in his hand.
âDonât,â he pleaded, giving your hand a squeeze while his other finally removed itself from his face to step you back from him. âIâm running away,â he said, turning to grab his mug of coffee and agilely stepped past you to head back to the living room.
Jaehyun sat cross-legged on the pull-out couch atop the covers when you joined him. He watched you curiously as you finessed your way onto it with him, sitting far enough away, perhaps not close enough. His phone vibrated against the couch-side table, and you watched as he rolled his eyes again, having noted the time on the coffee pot to indicate that it was already later than he thoughtâlater than he promised heâd be back. But somewhere in there, as he looked at you in a set of baggy clothes with damp hair sipping some coffee across from him on the pull-out couch in your living room where heâd previously sleptâŠit didnât seem to matter.
Especially not as he reached out to take one of your hands, a repressed ache for your touch finding the surface of his desires as he tugged it up to his soft lips to press a gentle kiss into your fingers. Every time he did so, he peered at you from under his lashes with the somewhat downward tilt of his head. It hooded his eyes a little bit more, and it sent a shiver to your very soul when he looked at you like that.
His phone began vibrating again, and this time you encouraged him not to ignore it. Instead of letting go of your hand like you assumed he would, he swapped his coffee with his phone and swiped to answer Taeyongâs incessant calling.
âI know, Iâm late,â he said, instead of saying hello. âI accidentally slept in, Iâm just having one cup of coffeeââ
âYou slept?â Taeyong asked. Â He wasnât mad about it, in fact far from it. He knew Jaehyun had problems sleeping ever since knowing him. So the fact that he was able to sleep, in a shelter that wasnât even his own may have been slightly alarming. Â âI was just getting concerned considering your location and the issues surrounding it in reference to the time. You said youâd be back early, but youâre your own person,â he added, which kind of took Jaehyun aback.
Taeyong was typically a lot stricter, and heâd been a little cryptic about this situation with you. Jaehyun knew he had good intentions, just trying to look out for his friends, especially him, lurking in neighborhoods that were extremely dangerous. Â
âI wonât say take your time, but no need to rush; wake up, be alert, be safe,â Taeyong said.
Jaehyun nodded, following it with a hum. Still, his fingers were playing with yours, stealing glances at your face while you busied yourself looking down at them. His hands were even a bit scarred up, but they felt so soft in yours somehow. His fingers were nimble, slender; his touches calculated, gentle, precise. A few more soft words left Jaehyunâs lips, words you didnât hear but it didnât seem to make a difference anyway. He discarded his phone on the end table once more, and suddenly your hand was eclipsed by his other one.
Your gaze rose to his face, noticing the sweet half-smile he afforded you while also trying to get a glimpse into your thoughts. The way he could already tell when you were thinking was astounding; maybe it came with needing to be so observant of everyone all the time, or maybe the chemistry between you was too real.
âWhatâs on your mind?â he asked you, as if he was able to read your thoughts about him reading your thoughts.
You gently shook your head. There wasnât really much to tell him, and honestly you wouldnât dare ask about the small conversation with Taeyong because it was quite frankly none of your business. His hands gave yours a squeeze before he reached for his coffee again to take another sip. He would need that slight edge of alertness to get him to the correct side of town for him, but he didnât want to worry you with that, instead he occupied you with something else.
âI want to take you on an actual date,â he said abruptly, not really giving himself a moment to think twice about it. It had been something that stewed in his mind since last night. If he was going to continue this path with you, he might as well try to bring some normalcy to your budding relationship.
âOh?â you replied delicately. You could already tell the being out was a somewhat difficult time for Jaehyun, for reasons youâd yet to unfold to your knowledge, so you found the statement rather bold but maybe he had a plan already.
âItâs already been such hell with me; I just want to treat you to something normal,â he explained, his voice low, soft, almost inaudible as his fingers continued to play with yours, his gaze cast down to themâhe was somewhat afraid of even looking at your face.
You smiled a bit as you looked at him, watched the way his fringe curtained over his face a bit. âRest assured when I say that Iâve been through my fair share of uneasy stuff,â you said. Maybe now wasnât the time for explanation, you knew he had to be getting on his way and it was a big step; it would be a conversation for another time, there was plenty the both of you needed to tell each other about yourselves and about the situation. âBesides,â you added, trying to diffuse the reel of thoughts in his head, âitâs not been so bad, you always do your best to take care of me anyway.â
âYou keep saying these ridiculous things and giving me credit I think is undeserved,â he reminded you.
âYou are so stubborn, you know,â you fired back with a roll of your eyes as you took another sip of your coffee.
âI just know the truth,â he replied, not intending on letting you win this one. Â But you gave him a look, and it almost had him reeling back as you made your way to your knees, slowly walking yourself across the cool comforter to close the distance between the two of you to set your mug on the table next to his and for a moment, he thought he was safe.
âYou know a pre-conceived truth,â you reminded him.
He almost couldnât respond, tongue swollen against his throat as he looked at you, high on your knees in front of him donning an oversized tee that covered your shorts hanging mid-thigh with your hair a tousled wet mess that mangled his insides. He looked up to your cocky and expectant gaze, waiting for him to say something you would inevitably shoot down with your facts, while his hands furled into the comforter.
âI just know what Iâve always known, that I donât bring anything good with me,â he finally answered, though that was barely audible as well.
âYou listen here,â you said in a strict tone, punctuating it with a gentle smile as you took two handfuls of his tank top to drag him nearer to you. âIâll tell you a million times if I have to, you have defended and protected me on a handful of occasions and even that doesnât absolve you of other things you may have done, thatâs all youâve done to me and is therefore all I can judge fairly.â
In that, you had a point. But to Jaehyun, it didnât work that way. He opened his mouth to reply.
âYou just wonât stop,â you said before he could even say anything, pushing both of your closed fists against his chest to push him as far onto his back as the pillows underneath him would allow, which wasnât too far, but it changed the look on his face. âEven when your resolve is weak and you answer weakly.â
Jaehyun was too occupied controlling the fall of your hips, holding you somewhat over his still crossed legs that you were stretched across. Even if he wasnât occupied with that, he didnât have a good reply, so it wouldnât have made a difference, especially not when you leaned over to place a soft kiss against his cheek, then against his jaw, and then against his neck to elicit a deep inhale, his chest expanding against your clenched hands.
The feel of your tender kisses against his neck wiped all thoughts he had on the matter away in an instant. His eyes fluttered closed in a matter of a second. Maybe he was starved for affection because of the hole heâd dug and kept himself in, and maybe that was his whole infatuation with you, but surely it was more than that. He cared immensely for your well-being, so it was already deeper than superficial especially when that was his primary concern.
âDuchessâŠâ he pleaded. He still needed to get back relatively quickly, his mug of coffee nearing gone that could not be forgotten about. âI still need to get back relativelyââ
He hummed into your delicate kiss, collecting his protesting lips against your own in the way you wish he had done last night before heading off to bed. His grip tightened against your hips, leaning up into your kiss only for you to pull away far too soon. While his eyes remained closed for a moment, his teeth ground togetherâhe was stuck between a rock in a hard place having just complained about having to go but also wanting to complain about the transitory nature of that kiss.
Against his better judgment, probably, he turned you both over to put you onto your back, casting himself off to the side of your hips so he could hover over you, the curtain of his fringe tickling your forehead, he was already so close. He looked at you intensely while you met him with a half-smile, your eyes already half-lidded as you looked up at him, a little too alluringly. Delicately, he stroked against your bruised cheek, leaning down to kiss it as lightly as a feather.
âYouâre mean to me,â he joked.
âI thought you just said you wanted to take me on a proper date,â you replied with a giggle.
âI donât think those things are mutually exclusive,â he responded, leaning down to nuzzle his nose against yours, feeding that affection-craving fire in the pit of his stomach. Was it affection-craving or was it youÂ-craving?
âSometimes I donât know how to ask for things properly when I want them, so I come back later and just take it myself,â you said, alluding to the situation from last night when he had chosen to let you go to bed with just a chaste kiss against your knuckles.
âHmmâŠâ he voiced and leaned over a bit further, dodging your face to sink into the crook of your neck. His lips were a little cold against your skin, placing calculated pecks against your neck that had you trying to shrug him out of it. Despite that, you couldnât deny the way the goosebumps pushed at the surface of your skin, the way a shiver ripped down your spine that had your eyes falling closed, the way you relished those tender kisses as he kissed up to the curve of your jaw until he was close enough to whisper in your ear. âI think you just want to get me in trouble.â
You hadnât noticed the way one of your hands had furled in the front of his tank, or the way you were tugging on it to pull him closer to you until he was unfurling your hand from it, just to bring it up and kiss your knuckles a handful of times. He reeled back completely, taking his mug from the table to drink down the rest of his coffee and you knew it was time for him to head out. Â
Jaehyun sat on the edge of that pullout, pulling his button-up from the floor to flick it across his shoulders to begin buttoning before your legs appeared on either side of him and you laid your head against his back. The two of you sat for a moment, just like that, before his warm hands tentatively stroked against your legs for a moment before he was standing, and dragging you up by your hands into him for another fleeting moment to press a kiss against your head just to move you to the side to pull the fluffy comforter from the couch to fold it nicely and set it aside. He wouldnât let you help with the sheets or anything else as he tucked the couch back into its proper form, putting all the cushions and decorative pillows back in their rightful spot.
âI have to go,â he reminded you, taking both of your cheeks in his wide hands, adoring the way one of your hands circled his wrist, while the other tugged him a little closer around his back. He rested his forehead against yours, letting you look into his eyes as deeply as you wanted and you could tell, in that instant, that there were so many layers to Jaehyun that were not only important to know, but that he surely would reveal to you soon. Â
âBe good, be safe, Iâll find some potential times for our date, okay?â he asked you, feeling you nod against his head before he gathered your jaw upwards, slanting his mouth across yours for a more ardent kiss than the playful pecks you were dealing before. He kissed you breathless, he seemed to be pretty good at it already, before he was pulling away, reminding you again to be safe which had layers of meaning behind itâhe would contact you about your next meeting. The stakes were higher than ever, having decided to commit to you. He was already in too deep, and too many people knew that.
You saw him out, some lingering grasps at each otherâs fingers in the early morning hours that felt longing. You reminded him to be safe, as well; the two of you were well versed in the risks already, so you asked him to let you know when he was safe. He was extra cautious exiting your building, unsure if Yejun and friends had known that he spent the night at your place, but he wasnât going to take any chances being nonchalant. He made a dash for the territory limits, getting out as soon as he could and into streets he was more familiar with, safer in, where he knew somebody would be looking out for him in an apartment window, or shop front. Â
He had just hit send on the message he promised confirming his safety when he was met by complete spitfire.
âI guess you think itâs chill to just disappear and spend the night in an unsafe part of the city where people are literally out to kill you now; youâve got some balls on you,â Johnny mentioned in passing, carrying his cup of coffee when he came across Jaehyun in the entryway of their quarters.
âI donât recall needing your permission to do anything,â Jaehyun answered quickly. âItâs not as if I just went and didnât say shit to anyone in the last, I donât know, six hours. And I donât recall ever policing any questionable decisions youâve made, so how about you mind your business?â
Johnny turned to him with the scowl of the devil on his face and approached him. âSorry, how many times have I dragged you out of almost getting arrested? How many times have I had your back when you were in trouble? And you have the audacityââ
âNobody asked you to save me, or whatever,â Jaehyun shot back, sizing Johnny up a bit as he stood tall.
âDidnât think you needed reminding, but this is a family where we look out for each other, not go out and be reckless at the expense of others.â
âThe expense of others?â Jaehyun asked with a scoff. He almost had to laugh, he couldnât believe the words coming out of his mouth. âHave you forgotten why Iâm even here? What I went through before you all? Like I havenât had my run ins with Yejun and friends, before, wait⊠Taeyong offered me a place to stay?â Jaehyun asked, tapping his chin in fake thought. âGet the fuck out of my face.â
âKnock it the fuck off,â Taeyong growled, taking a seat with his breakfast at the table that was just beyond the entry way through an arching doorway. âNot that Jaehyun needs signing off, but I did confirm his stay. I know you havenât liked her from the beginning, but Jaehyunâs right. Heâs been through the most, especially in regards to Yejun. Not to mention, heâs a grown man, and youâre not his mother,â Taeyong said, taking a spoonful of soup to drink it down as he stared straight ahead before Yuta and a few others joined him at the table.
âThereâs hot breakfast in the kitchen for everyone, if youâre hungry, Jaehyun,â Yuta mentioned, taking his seat across from Taeyong.
Johnny was intent on making his point made, however, and forced Jaehyun to duck around him in order to make it to the kitchen, but not without giving him a look that meant he should watch himself. Jaehyun dished himself some breakfast and took a seat at the table with the others, sipping his second cup of coffee; yours tasted better.
The next few days continued tensely between Jaehyun and the rest of the crew with Johnny always having something to chirp about when Jaehyun was engrossed in his phone, probably having a conversation with you, but was hushed whenever he came around. Jaehyun wasnât stupid, but he also wasnât sure what Johnnyâs purpose was trying to turn everyone against him when he probably didnât even know the facts.
From what Jaehyun had gathered, Johnny was convinced you were some type of secret agent out to trap him and the rest of them; for what, he couldnât be sure. Sure they were a group of misfits who vandalized buildings, and while that was against the law, if you were a secret agent and were trying to trap anyone then you should have been directing your efforts to the illegal dealings of Yejun and friends. And in the chance that the entire thing was fabricated, and Jaehyun was pretty sure that it was because why would you make such an effort to check on and take care of him just to try to throw them in jail, then what really was the purpose behind any of it? Johnny could just as easily make up something about anyone any of them knew.
One very serious point of tension between him and Johnny arose on a night Jaehyun opted to stay home from a paint. He still had a lot of thoughts about the situation swirling in his mind concerning your safety and the issues with Yejun and coming to the conclusion that he would eventually have to be resolved, somehow; the tension came when Jaehyun intentionally ignored a handful of calls from Johnny. Although it was unusual for Johnny to call more than once, and Jaehyun may have been in the wrong mindset, he was still pretty put off with the older for gossiping so much about Jaehyunâs affairs.
âI donât get attached.â
âItâs not that easy anymore.â
âThatâs against Jaehyunâs entire etiquette.â
These phrases made Jaehyunâs head want to explode, spinning around like crazy, and the incessant chiming of his phone wasnât helping at all, especially not when he noticed a different contact rolling across his screen. Taeyong.
âWe need backup at the warehouse, now.â Taeyongâs voice was stressed and urgent, not even hanging up the phone to allow Jaehyun to hear a couple of yells before hanging up the phone and jumping into his shoes to fly out the door, bringing whoever was around to help which included Jungwoo and Doyoung. Â
Even though the warehouse wasnât far, it was already dark, and there were dangers quite literally everywhere considering the warehouse bordered the territories. It was a cautious trip, quiet, knives drawn for protection before coming across the scene with great haste. A few couples engaged in combat, some hand to hand, some in stand-offs waiting for the other to make the first move. Taeyong yelled, motioning to Johnny who was having a hard time pushing away from the ground. Jaehyun found him first, gathering him under the arms to drag him back towards the warehouse. He didnât look overly wounded, considering. His face was a little beaten, and obviously there was something preventing him from standing.
âWhatâs wrong with you?â Jaehyun asked urgently so that he could better assess what to do in the approaching minutes.
âI got swept from behind, my ankles beat but I donât think itâs broken,â he hissed with a wince as Jaehyun made his way around to roll up the jeans on the indicated ankle and feel around for a moment. It definitely was swollen, probably rolled, nothing else felt out of place. He urged Jungwoo to rush over in a hurry to get Johnny somewhere else just in time to turn to catch the arm of Yejun.
âDonât you know when to quit?â Jaehyun asked, somewhat annoyed as he fended the blow off.
He observed Yejunâs face, healing from those wounds you gave him just a few days prior. They would scar nastily; he could already tell. He wanted to spar, Jaehyun was ready for it and countered his attack. Knives clashed, ringing through the alleyway behind the warehouse as Jaehyun set his feet. The number one rule of knife fighting is disarming your opponent as quickly as possible. While most people are inclined to go for highly injuring strikes, Jaehyun focused on picking at the hand Yejun wielded his knife in, nicking his knuckles and fingers, the back of his hand here and there.
âYour little princess isnât present,â Yejun teased.
âYeah, she wonât be here to help you this time,â Jaehyun growled back, reminding him of the last time when Jaehyun had him in a vice-grip ready to choke him until the lights went out. Yejun snarled, having to admit defeat on that one but he wouldnât be taken advantage of so easily this time.
Jaehyun was quick, alert, he knew what he needed to do, and that was avoid any more injuries. He dodged Yejunâs attacks like an elegant dancer, moving across the stage to high-tempo music. He needed to end it, to get Johnny and the rest of them out of there, especially as sirens began looming. No doubt residence of the area heard the commotion, they always seemed to be on top of it when shit was hitting the fan.
It wasnât long before Yejunâs men were finally starting to fall back, attempting to disappear into the shadows to avoid what could be inevitable.
âYou better go,â Jaehyun commented, âyour boys are falling back left and right, wouldnât want to be left to the wolves, would you?â
Yejun queued a nasty retort, but didnât end up giving it, having been told heâd have to finish up later before he finally sunk into the shadows of the buildings, too. Yuta was already looking Johnny over for a moment, finally getting him to his feet. His ankle was tender to walk on, but heâd have to make somewhat of a trek, at least some distance away from where the police would be looking. Jaehyun was on watch, making sure nobody was lurking in the shadows, keeping track of foot police and routing their way through the alleys, eventually making it back.
The door slammed with everyone having made it in. Yuta was tending to Johnny in the other room as Taeyong paced in front of a waiting Jaehyun. He knew already there was a licking to be had, he had been busted intentionally ignoring Johnnyâs calls, there was no doubt.
âI know you and John are having a disagreement right now,â Taeyong said calmly. That was the best Jaehyun could hope for. Â âBut you know as well as anyone else that number one, he doesnât want to talk to you unless he needs to, and number two, when you are being reached out to more than once in a short time-span, donât you think it might be important?â
His voice was raised by the end of that statement and he was face to face with Jaehyun, although Jaehyun was a bit taller. He swallowed hard; considering the circumstances, it could have been much worse, and that was his only saving grace.
âIt was my mistake, I let my feelings get the best of me; it wonât happen again.â
âI support the things youâre trying to do. I support your personal relationships and no matter what anyone says, they are yours to handle. But donât forget there is more to this family than Johnny. There is more to this family than you. We have all come together over common issues, and we must only allow that to make us stronger. When you are called upon, it is your obligation to answer it, as it is for all of us,â Taeyong lectured, giving Jaehyun a good reminder that it was that family who came to his rescue when he was about to bleed out on the side of the road after sustaining traumatic injuries that could have, would have, and quite frankly should have ended his life. A traumatic injury that gave him the scar he looked at the most. Habitually, he reeled his hand back to place against his right side abdomen, able to feel those thirty-nine staples like they were fresh all over again.
âYes, of course, Taeyong. It wonât happen again,â he reiterated, his voice a bit weaker this time.
âDonât butt hot heads with Johnny; as a favor to yourself and to your duchess,â Taeyong reminded, clapping a hand down on the younger boyâs shoulder as he referred to you by Jaehyunâs most-used petname for you.
Tightlipped, Jaehyun just nodded, letting the advice lead to a handful of scenarios play out in his head, weighing the consequences of being on the wrong side of Johnny Suh and what that might mean for you.
Even when Taeyong stepped away, having cooled off a little bit and leaving Jaehyun with what he would consider an entire escape from the potential wrath of the situation, the younger male still couldnât help but press his hand tight against that scar, as if he was holding himself together all over again to the best of his abilities, almost feeling the warmth of his blood seep through his torn shirt and run across his hand. He could almost feel the sting, feel the dizziness, the absolute nausea at the thought of that being the end of his road. Â Jaehyun tightened his jaw, meeting eyes with Yuta and then Johnny in the other room for only a moment before turning to blaze back to his room.
Speaking of his duchess, he was supposed to update you on a good time for the date he had planned. He finessed his phone from his pocket to construct a somewhat lengthy text about the plan to pick you up, to take the train into the city; he wouldnât spoil all of the details to the trip, but he advised that you dressed casually. After finally proofreading his text more times than one could count on two hands and finally hitting send, he opted to shower to clear his mind of the situation that had just unfolded. It was already somewhat late into the evening, so he didnât expect you to reply immediately if at all.
But you were always wide awake at that hour. It was late, but you were lounging in bed with the tableside lamp on scrolling on your phone when you received his text. It brought a tinge of a smile to your face, but it would be difficult to pick a good day for his lengthy plans. Your next day off from work was five days in the future; it would be the best you could give him. You replied to him with such information, reassuring him that you were excited to actually go out and do something with him during normal hours. When he had mentioned that he wanted to give you some sense of normalcy as the least he could do if you were going to stick by his side, it felt weird at first. Was there even a normal with Jaehyun? But meeting up in unfavorable circumstances in the early morning hours wasnât the best.
You had to work in less than eight hours, so instead of waiting for Jaehyun to reply, you placed your phone on the charger and clicked your lamp off to cozy up under your covers and try your best to drift off to sleep. Â Jaehyun, after receiving your message, did the same, continuing to attempt to get Taeyongâs words through his head about Johnny. The family is bigger than Johnny, bigger than you. He knew that meant that a spat between them was trivial at best, especially about this, in the grand scheme of things; but heâd be lying if he said Johnnyâs blatant apathy to the situation didnât boil his blood. As Yuta said, it wasnât so simple, and although Jaehyun could have taken a different path, it wasnât the one he took and it was, as discussed, far too late to turn back for a handful of reasons.
Still, after laying his head on his flat pillow, tugging his thin quilt over his body, reminiscing of the comfort of your pull-out couch and how luxurious it felt by comparison, Johnâs rough attitude about himself and you continued to pick at his every nerve. He could only hope that Taeyong gave Johnny a similar talk, that it wasnât about him, or about Jaehyun, but it was about the unit, about the family, and that any beef he had with Jaehyun was negligible compared to the struggles theyâve had to face in the past, the struggles that kept them together and alive. And only that provided him enough solace to finally fall asleep.
