Paranormal Investigators - Chapter 9: Comatose

[swallowtt]

            "No."  Changmin glanced over at Dongwook and saw him smirking.  'An entire house with only the two of us.'  He gulped nervously at the thought.  "I'm...going to go finish up some work.  I'll be in my room but don't come looking for me."  With that said, the youngest dashed upstairs and shut himself inside his bedroom.

            "That kid sure has long legs," Yoochun commented.

            "Is something bothering him?" Yunho asked.  "Changmin has been acting strange ever since..."  Looking over at Dongwook, the leader of the team immediately halted his speech.

            "Ever since I arrived?"  Dongwook finished the sentence for Yunho.

            "I think he's just shy," Junsu voiced.

            "The only one in this house who is shy is you, Junsu," Yoochun enlightened.  "Changmin is nowhere near shy.  That boy could run his mouth and drown you with his intellect as long as he is well fed."

            "You have the feeding part accurate," Jaejoong agreed with a smile.

            Yoochun noticed both Yunho and Dongwook with their sights lingering on the beautiful man's face and remarked.  "I smell some competition ahead."

            "You could smell competition?" Junsu blinked confusedly at Yoochun.  "I thought you only smell evil spirits and such."

            "Goodness.  Why are you so adorably innocent?" Yoochun teased Junsu.  "I want to give you a kiss right smack on your lips."

            Junsu's eyes widened and he quickly covered his mouth with his hands.  "I'm not innocent," he muttered with his voice slightly muffled. 

            "You are."  Yoochun begged to differ.

            "I'm going to my room to listen to music."

            "I shall accompany you.  Good night, hyungs."  Yoochun greeted Dongwook, Jaejoong and Yunho before trailing after the lad upstairs.  "Junsu, wait!"  He grabbed a hold of Junsu's wrist. 

            "W-What is it, Yoochun?"  Junsu pulled loose from Yoochun's grip.

            "Could we talk?"

            "I'm tired.  Let's talk another time."

            "Do you dislike me or something?"

            "I...don't dislike you." 

            "Then, why are you avoiding me?"

            "I'm not," Junsu denied.

            "We live under one roof.  You'll have to deal with me sooner or later."

            Junsu's gaze met Yoochun's and fear washed over him.  "Yoochun, I can't be with you or anybody else and I don't want to tell you why.  I don't want you to know."  Junsu furrowed his brows looking a tad worried.  "I don't want any of you to know."

            "I don't understand," Yoochun uttered.   

            "You guys are like my family; a family I haven't had for a long time.  I don't want any of you to hate me, especially you, Yoochun."

            "Why would I hate you, when I like you so much?"

            "I'm not worth it."  Junsu speedily entered his room and wanted to close the door, but Yoochun pushed his way in, shutting the wooden barrier behind him.  "Yoochun, what are you...?"

            "At least tell me this."  Yoochun stepped closer to Junsu.  "Do you have feelings for me?"

            "It doesn't matter."

            "It matters to me."
            "Why?  We've only met for a couple weeks."

            "Didn't you say we're like your family?"

            "I..."

            "Do you like me, Junsu?"  Yoochun cupped Junsu's face to keep him from looking elsewhere.  "Do you...?"

            Junsu couldn't answer him with words but responded with a nod of his head.

            "That's good enough for me."  Yoochun smiled and leaned forward to kiss Junsu's lips only to be pushed away in reflex.  "Oh, my.  You really weren't joking when you said you didn't like to be kissed."

            Junsu panicked as painful memories of his past revisited his mind.  Gasping for air, tears flowed down his face as he sat on the floor and curled up hugging his knees. 

            Seeing Junsu's reaction, Yoochun crouched down in front of him.  "Junsu, I'm sorry.  I didn't mean to freak you out.  Are you okay?"  Junsu didn't answer, but shivered as he embraced his knees even tighter.  Finally realizing the truth behind Junsu's rejection, Yoochun reached over to wipe the tears off Junsu's cheeks.  "Did someone do something to you against your will?  Did someone hurt you?"

            Yoochun's words made Junsu sobbed harder in shame.  Leaning forward, Yoochun wrapped his arms around the distraught man to comfort him.  "It's okay, Junsu.  You don't have to tell me anymore.  I promise I won't ask you again."

            Junsu gradually brought his arms up to hug Yoochun back.

***

            Changmin drove his team to the flight area where the jet was picking them up and helped them with the equipment.  Making sure all their gadgets were working properly, the youngest waved as he and Dongwook watched the others lift off into the sky.

            "Give me the keys to the van," Dongwook said to Changmin.  "I'll drive."

            "Why?"

            "Jaejoong entrusted me to take care of you while he's away."

            "I could take care of myself.  I lived alone before I moved into Yunho hyung's place."

            "Should I call Jaejoong and tell him that you're misbehaving?"

            "Yah!  He's on a jet.  Don't call him.  Plus, I'm not a kid and I'm definitely not his kid.  There's no need to give him a progress report on me."

            "Do you know where we're going?"

            "Where are we going?" Changmin inquired.

            "Grocery shopping," Dongwook replied.

            "I know where the markets are."

            "The driver pays for the stuff."

            "Fine."  Changmin pouted and handed Dongwook the keys. 

            "Now that's a good boy," Dongwook cooed.

            "I'm a man."

            "Who was the lucky person you gave your boy to?"

            Bewildered, Changmin wasn't sure how to retort.  "What boy?"

            "You said you're a man, so you must have given your boyhood to someone special."

            Blinking as he figured out the other's play with words, Changmin huffed.  "I'm still a virgin."

            "I see."  Dongwook smirked.  "You are a boy after all."

            'He outsmarted me again,' Changmin grumbled in his thoughts.  Narrowing his eyes, the gadget guy gave Dongwook a disapproving look and got into the passenger seat. 

            Dongwook chuckled and settled his rear on the driver's side.  Shutting the door, the older man locked the vehicle and started the engine.  "Aw...cheer up, kid.  I'll buy you ice cream."

            "Aish!  How old do you think I am?"

            "Do you want ice cream or not?"

            "I...want."

***

            Their new client greeted them once they stepped out of the jet.  "Welcome."

            "Hello, I'm Jung Yunho," he said in Japanese and extended his hand to the man.

            "Jung-san."  The client shook Yunho's hand and introduced himself.  "I'm Watanabe Daisuke."

            "Hajimemashite, Watanabe-san.  These are my teammates Kim Jaejoong, Park Yoochun and Kim Junsu."

            "Hajimemashite."  They each shook Daisuke's hand and did a polite bow of gesture.

            "Could all of you understand Japanese?" Watanabe queried.

            "Jaejoong is the most fluent out of the four of us, so he could translate if we don't understand," Yunho explained.

            "That's wonderful.  I'll show you around the house first.  You could bring your things in afterwards, okay?"

            "That would be great."

            The house was a modern three storied building with a huge living room which took up most of the first floor.  There was a kitchen at the far corner beside the door leading to the spacious backyard.  The second floor consisted of four guestrooms, each with their own bathrooms.  The master bedroom was located on the third floor where there was a walkout area for stargazing and small get-togethers.  A portion of that room was made into a soundproof entertainment cube filled with games, music and movies.  Similar to their previous clients' home, the interior design was very simple and clean. 

            They walked into the master bedroom and there laid a young man on the bed with IV needles on his right arm providing parenteral nutrition to feed his body intravenously.  Although he was in an unconscious state, he was able to breathe on his own so there was no need for a respirator.

            "This is Hamao Kyousuke, my lover."