owned_by_a_cat | Saranghae | Pt. 18 Fear and Fury (Reply)

Title: Saranghae

Part 18: Fear and Fury

The sudden string of vitriol in Yunho's ear made him jump and drop the hold he had on the slender singer. Changmin's voice was so strident that Yunho would have sworn that even Jae could hear it from a foot away. He lowered the headset's volume, but reducing the noise level did nothing to reduce his sudden anxiety. Changmin was fiery and loyal but on a normal day—and especially when he was working—he tended to have a very firm grip on his temper. It was rare for him to really lose it when he was somewhere public. That he did so now, in the middle of a job, didn't bode well.

"What is it?"

"I know who abducted Jae," Changmin snarled, almost incoherent in his fury. "I wanna rip his head off."

"Don't," Yunho cautioned. "We need to catch him in the act, so stick to the plan."

They had decided not to apprehend the man right there in the underground garage, but to follow him instead. They all carried cameras, so documenting the kidnapper's journey from car to apartment wasn't an issue. And since Yoochun—even though not officially part of Jae's security detail—was very good at sneaking silently past people, they were aiming to also record the man entering the apartment and seeking out Jaejoong before taking him down and alerting the police. It was the safest way to ensure a conviction, but it depended on Changmin and Yoochun, currently staking out the garage, not to give the game away.

A car door closed softly, just within range of Yunho's hearing, indicating that Yoochun was on the move too. He was taking the service elevator straight to the ninth floor, ready to lie in wait with his camera when the man stepped from the lift.

Yunho didn't speak. He didn't have to. Not with Changmin. Not even with a Changmin boiling with rage. A moment later, a deep breath shuddered through his ear piece and Changmin's voice, when it finally came, was tight with anger. "I'm sticking. Just. He's on the way up. Wanna know why it worked?"

"Tell me." It wasn't that he didn't trust his friend. But Yunho was a pragmatist and Changmin very rarely got that angry. He also very rarely got hurt. So despite trusting Changmin, he'd take the chance right now to distract the younger man from doing anything rash.

"His allocated parking space is right beside the elevator, which can be programmed not to stop at any floor between the garage and his destination."

"And his apartment faces the elevator doors. Yeah, well thought out, that one. Chances of Jae being seen by anyone were close to zero."

"And most of the occupants of this building appear to be single professionals, leaving early and returning late," Junsu interjected from wherever he had settled with his computer. "If he moved Jae during the daytime, nobody would be around to see."

"So it wasn't a spur of the moment thing."

"No. It definitely wasn't that."

***

"Jae, we don't have much time."

Jaejoong sat in the middle of the bed, arms wrapped tight around himself. He kept his eyes on Yunho's face, hoping to quell the shivers that raced through him. He breathed slowly and deeply as he would to calm himself before stepping into a recording booth or in front of a camera, but nothing seem to help.

Waking alone after being abducted had been scary.

Facing a kidnapper when he was bound and blindfolded had been terrifying.

Shedding the t-shirt and sweat pants Yunho had found for him and stretching back out on the bed, pretending to be bound, blindfolded and helpless… that was harder than anything he'd ever done. Knowing that he was merely pretending and having Yunho beside him should have eased his fears, but if anything, it made matters worse.

And Jaejoong found that he just… couldn't do it.

"That makes no fucking sense," he howled and curled further into himself, arms wrapped tightly around his knees. He rocked on the bed, screwed his eyes shut, grit his teeth… and still his hands shook and waves of goosebumps raced over his skin.

"What makes no sense, Jae?"

Yunho's arm around his shoulders was comfort, warmth, home… The stretch of heat and solid muscle all along Jaejoong's side was a welcome reminder that he wasn't alone, and it chased the shivers away when nothing else did. The soft breath against his ear and the barest drag of lips on his skin raised shivers of a different kind, and Jae buried his face in Yunho's shoulder and clung to the want with all that he had.

"I was alone with that guy," Jae said, softly, apologetically, "I had no idea where I was, had no idea where you all were or if you even knew… and I didn't feel as scared as I do now. Even though now you're here with me. That makes no sense. No sense at all."

"It does, though," Yunho disagreed. "When you woke alone, you had only yourself to rely on, so you did. It was your only option, so there was no confusion. Now that I'm here, you have a choice. You can remove yourself from a dangerous situation, or you can choose to trust me to do as I say and keep you safe. Trusting me, after I let you get kidnapped, is a lot harder than simply relying on yourself. And that's why you're afraid."

"That is…" Jae stared into Yunho's beautiful dark eyes, not caring that his mouth had dropped open in shock.

"… the way it works. Jae, I know I've screwed up. I know I wasn't here when you most needed me. But you've trusted me before, when we were surrounded by crowds, in cars, in nightclubs… can you do it one more time? In this small bedroom? With only one man against us and Changmin, Junsu and Yoochun close by?"

Jaejoong swallowed. He didn't believe for a moment that it was Yunho's fault he'd been abducted. Too much had gone wrong between them for too many weeks. They'd worked perfectly together in the beginning. Until Jaejoong had let his heart interfere with Yunho's job, until he'd withheld information and Yunho had done the same. Miscommunication… Jae had learned early in his career that on stage during a performance miscommunication could be disastrous. Now it seemed that it was equally fatal in real life. And during this tour they'd both been guilty of it.

It was pointless to cling to mistakes.

Jae closed his eyes and leaned into Yunho's warm embrace for just a moment. Then he straightened and pulled the t-shirt over his head. The sweats followed a moment later.

He settled on his back in the middle of the bed and his arms shook as he stretched them out once more towards the shackles. "Where will you be?" he asked while Yunho wrapped the cords around his ankles and wrists, making it look as if he was still tied.

"Behind the door," Yunho replied. "Across from you and right behind him when he comes in."

The metallic rasp of a key sliding into a lock came from the hallway and Jae stared up at Yunho, panic-stricken. "The blindfold, quickly."

Yunho slipped the square of black silk over the singer's eyes. For a moment, his palm moulded to Jaejoong's cheek. His thumb grazed Jae's lush lower lip, offering comfort and a promise. Then he was gone and silence settled over the bedroom as the front door swung open and footsteps sounded in the hall.

***

Jaejoong tensed on the bed as he heard the door latch click. A spike of fear went through him, hot and sharp like lightning, leaving a metallic taste on this tongue. Yunho's words about self-sufficiency and trust resonated in his mind. Everything Yunho had said made sense, and yet… Jaejoong had been used to look out for himself ever since he'd left home to follow his dream. He'd often been afraid. But he'd never been afraid to fight, even when the odds were clearly against him. The long scar on his thigh was a reminder of that right there.

Fear had never stopped him from doing anything, yet he'd been almost paralysed with it only moments earlier. Unable to move forward, unable to draw back. And while Yunho's explanation made sense, it didn't explain what Jae felt when he realised that he was supposed to lie there like a sacrifice, bound and unable to even see, while Yunho confronted his kidnapper.

He'd been afraid. Was still afraid.

But not on his own behalf.

Why he should fear for Yunho, who was trained and experienced in handling attackers, who knew the man was coming, who was hidden and had full use of his eyes and limbs… that was a mystery Jae couldn't unravel right then. All he knew was that he feared for Yunho and that the fear had almost stopped him from doing what needed to be done.

"Oh look, you're still there," his kidnapper's obnoxious voice drew him from his confusion. The man was clearly gloating, and Jaejoong revelled in the knowledge that he wouldn't gloat much longer. "And still as gorgeous as this morning. The papers will relish the photos I'm gonna send them of you. I'm gonna win prizes. Prizes, you hear?"

***

Yunho wasn't merciful. He waited just long enough for Yoochun to signal that he had all the evidence they needed. Seconds later, he had the man in a head lock. Jae heard the scuffle and the agonised groan that did not come from Yunho's throat and he was done playing victim. He had the make-believe ropes off his wrists and the blindfold pushed up by the time his attacker was howling on the floor with Yunho kneeling over him.

"Don't break his neck!"

Yunho looked properly mad, but Changmin's voice came just in time to stay his hands. He took a deep breath and then looked up. The usually so bright, smiling gaze was ice cold. Beyond anger, beyond even fury. In that moment, Jung Yunho looked barely human. Then Changmin stepped up beside him and placed a hand on his shoulder and slowly… oh, so slowly… the deadly cold look faded.

Jae stared at the tall, chocolate-haired man whom he'd last seen in a well-lit underground garage, tackling a man who'd come out of nowhere and was trying to drag him into a car. Whose hot blood he'd felt soaking into his shirt. Changmin was standing right in front of him. Like taking a deep, deep breath, Jaejoong's brain suddenly caught up with what he was seeing. And then he was off the bed and wrapped around Changmin.

"You're okay. Oh my god, you're okay."

"Of course, I'm okay. Why wouldn't I be?"

"Because you got stabbed, maybe? Jackass." Jae snarled, not caring that he wore nothing but a pair of tight briefs, piercings and a lot of ink, that he was practically hanging off the tall security specialist, or that he was babbling like a loon. He was just so glad to see the man alive. "Because I was covered in your blood the last thing I knew and I had no idea what had happened to you?"

Bare toes connected with Changmin's shin and both men winced at the impact. But even then, Jaejoong was not done. "That was so stupid. You were so stupid. And there was so much blood…" He didn't stop ranting until Changmin, cheekbones suspiciously pink, slapped a palm over his mouth.

"It's okay. You hear me? It's really okay. Jae, please… shut up!"

Jae stared wide-eyed. "Oh my god! You're embarrassed," he mumbled through the hand still covering his lips. "Why are you embarrassed about getting stabbed?"

"Who says anything about getting stabbed?" Yoochun queried, his usual grin hiding the relief at finding his best friend unhurt. "Our Min's straight. Maybe he doesn't appreciate being a chew toy for a mostly naked rock star?" He held out a small duffel bag towards him. "Time to cover up, rock god."

Heat raced up Jae's spine and he could feel his neck and ears burn. But he didn't move away. He wrapped his arms around Changmin's waist and gave him a squeeze. "I'm still glad you're not dead," he said. And then he remembered something else. "And don't you ever tell me again that I have no instincts, you hear? I knew he was up to no good and you should have let me shove his camera up his ass the last time I wanted to do it!"

"What?"

"Yeah," Changmin agreed, looking down at the man Yunho was trussing with zip ties. Judging by the yelps and groans, he wasn't even trying to be gentle. "That's the photographer who was giving us grief early in the tour. He almost shoved you under a bus, and the next day I had to peel Jae off him."

Yunho wrenched the man's head around at hearing that and looked down into frightened, tear-filled eyes.

"Well, kudos to you, Min," he said softly. "I barely remember the bus. And I certainly wouldn't have recognised him anywhere else."

"Doesn't matter," Changmin replied just as softly. "He's done. We'll toss the apartment and hand him over to the law. Kyu is waiting downstairs. You should take Jae home."

A/N: I hope you're happy with me now! (though we're still quite a way from the end.) Please don't forget to tell me what you think... it cheers me up and keeps me writing. :-)

Part 19: Hold Me