#tripped over a coworker who wasn't paying attention to where she was going

[alirhi]

Well. I greatly appreciate the guy at work who's into me 1) catching me when I tripped and almost fell and 2) not copping a feel while he did 😂 My head remains uncracked and boobs ungroped, and after the creepo earlier who tried to crawl into my car with me, someone being a decent human being is a nice change.

[jaerontaemo]

Livsnjutare

Jaeyong one-shot

[n.] livsn•ýu•ta•ŕē - a person who loves life deeply and lives it to the extreme.

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Summary: Jaehyun goes on a vacation with his parents for three days to a quiet island. There, he meets a free spirited boy who catches his attention. They have an exhilarating adventure, leaving Jaehyun with unforgettable memories.

Word count: 5862

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Jaehyun sat in his family's van staring out of the window aimlessly. He saw the expansive waters around them and the silhouette of a distant Island in the horizon. Currently they were on a ferry headed to an Island in Incheon. If he was being honest, he wasn't looking forward to this family trip in the slightest.

He and his family have been going on family trips once a year ever since he could remember. When he was a kid they were exciting, but now that he's practically a senior in high school he found them to be lame, especially the things his parents chose for them to do.

Truly he wished they would have left him behind, so that he could hang out with his friends or stay home and play PUBG, at least. Instead, they just had to buy his ticket giving him no choice at all, and so here he was, sitting in their vehicle as they were being transported to some boring island he's never even heard of in his life.

Jaehyun watched as the ferry sailed across the sea, the faint sound of the waves crashing against the ship and people outside bustling along the railings of the ship, was heard through his partially cracked window, "Mom, tell me again why we had to come to this place? What was it? Deokdu?"

"It's Deokjeokdo, Jae. Also, the article I read online said that it's a hidden gem. We're going for a rejuvenating vacation." His mom said as she turned her head from her magazine to look at her son.

"Are you sure it isn't abandoned?" he said under his breath and glanced over to his younger sister who had been chewing her gum loudly for the past half an hour. The melody from her earphones was loud enough for everyone to hear.

Jaehyun groaned at the fact he was stuck here for the next hour until their ferry would reach the port. He looked at his phone to see no bars at the top. They were surely headed to the middle of nowhere. He then pulled the hoodie of his jacket over his head and shut his eyes hoping to pass out to kill time.

Once the ferry reached the port, his mom patted his leg to wake him and his dad turned the engine on and they were directed to drive off. When they got onto the main road, his dad drove them to their accommodation for the next three days with the help of his wife's directions.

After a while they pulled up alongside a guesthouse. His parents and sister got outside, whereas Jaehyun was shell-shocked, his face fell even further into a frown. He had not expected they'd be staying in a run-down place like this. This vacation was starting off to be the worst they've ever been on. "Come out and help, Jae" his dad called. Jaehyun sighed and finally exited the van to help unpack their luggage from the trunk.

They climbed the stairs, being met on the way by friendly strangers who roamed the cramped place freely. Jaehyun tugged the suitcase while his eyes inspected the place with scrutiny. He wasn't sure if his face gave away the feeling of disgust but he didn't care anyway.

Three days... i can survive three days.

After they settled in their small room, they all went back downstairs to find a food establishment they could dine at. Luckily they found a restaurant in walking distance of the guesthouse.

The bell jingled as they walked inside signaling that new customers have arrived. The place was relatively cozy with wooden stools at the bar and some wooden chairs and tables with a few booths. The family settled into a booth by the window. Jaehyun and his sister sat next to each other with him being on the inside nearest to the window. His parents sat opposite to them.

Jaehyuns mom picked up the menu which was already laid out on the table and began browsing through it. His dad and sister also followed suit.

"Ah, the grilled fish sounds good. What do you think, hun?" His mom leaned to her husband and asked. "Sounds good, I'll have one of that." His dad replied with a nod.

Jaehyun took a brief glance at the menu. He couldn't muster the appetite for anything in particular. His only hope was that this vacation would go by quickly.

Taeyong wiped the counter at the bar where he worked, when the bell jingled. He turned his head to see a family of four walking into the restaurant. His eyes fell on the tall boy who slid into the booth across the room, the boy was handsome despite the bored expression on his face.

He had been living at Deokjeokdo ever since he graduated from high school. He found the place a much needed escape from the busy city life and chose to work at the restaurant to make money to pay the rent. He enjoyed it because the whole vibe of the island was so calming and carefree and he was able to live the way he wanted away from the controls of his family.

"Taeyong, can you go and serve those customers?" he heard his coworker say. He saw they pointed at the same booth he had been eyeing. "Sure" He grinned and placed the wetcloth in the bucket on the floor. He then took out the small notepad from the fanny pack he was wearing before he walked towards the booth.

Jaehyun placed his head on the table into his folded arms only to be nudged on the head by his mom. "Jae, get up. Remember your table manners. We're in public."

He immediately sat up, "Mom, can we just go back home? This place is lame." He said. When she didn't respond, he then slouched into the seat, folding his arms, shutting his eyes. "Can I take your orders?" Taeyong asked as he got to the table, his gaze fixed momentarily on the brown haired boy reclining into the cushioned bench before looking at the other persons.

"Yes, two grilled fish with rice, one grilled chicken with fries-" Jaehyuns mom said before she glanced over at him. "Jae, dear, what will you have?" she asked. He leaned forward and opened his eyes to skim the menu one last time, "the fish burger with fries and a lemonade" he stated as he shut his eyes and resumed his relaxed position.

His mom took the menu from in front of him and passed it to Taeyong. Taeyong was certain the boy was even more handsome with his deep voice. However, he seemed sort of cold. He went to place their orders and as his shift was over, he took his fanny pack and apron off. As he was going through the door, he took a lasting glance at the younger male and then went out to ride his bicycle home.

· · ─────── ·𖥸· ─────── · ·

On the first day, Jaehyun refused to get up bright and early to hike a damn mountain and so his family left him behind in the room. He had been lying on the bed as he played mobile games, occasionally getting up to use the restroom. As the time was nearly lunch time he was beginning to feel hungry. He had thought that his family would've been back by lunch time, he couldn't wait any longer and got dressed and went out in search of some food.

Remembering the restaurant they stopped at yesterday he decided to go there. It was also the only place he was familiar with. He had no intentions of going further than necessary. He walked inside and looked around the bright place to see many wooden fixtures with a poorly decorated nautical theme.

He saw the same booth they had sat at yesterday free and decided to sit there. He got into the same seat and immediately picked up the menu. As he was browsing the menu he could sense someone at the booth but he didn't pay them any attention. "What will you have today, oh, it's you again" the voice said.

Jaehyun looked up to the owner of the voice to see a beautiful male with platinum blonde hair standing before him. The said male wore a black t-shirt with denim jeans, an apron and a belt bag around his waist. "You're alone this time?" the male spoke again. Jaehyun finally came to his senses, "what do you mean?" he questioned in confusion.

"Your family, they aren't with you today." The blonde said with a smile. What a smile he gave, it sent butterflies into Jaehyuns stomach. He had never seen anyone so cute yet beautiful at the same time. The boy then tilted his head to the side and chuckled as he waited for Jaehyun to reply, "Oh right, they all went hiking without me" Jaehyun chuckled nervously back.

"So what will it be today?" The other boy asked and lifted his notepad to take the order. Jaehyun stared blankly. What was he ordering again? He quickly glanced back at the menu as he completely forgot what he chose. After he gave the beautiful male his order the latter went back to the counter to place his order.

How uncool. Jaehyun thought to himself.

He mentally smacked himself. He was being a weirdo and staring too long. He slouched into the seat and groaned. The scenario replayed in his mind over and over. After a while, the blonde returned to the table with his meals and a glass of lemonade, placing it down in front of Jaehyun causing him to abruplty sit upright. He then smiled and bowed awkwardly, which Taeyong smiled back and then went to clean the tables.

Jaehyun would watch the male worker as he moved from table to table. Occasionally the said male would stare in his direction which would cause him to look away. This continued until he finished his meal.

He was now biting the straw, his glass was empty and he glanced out of the window at the harbour nearby. He saw boats at the docks and people walking by on the street. "How was it?" The other male asked, drawing his attention to him. The other male began to pick up the empty plate and was reaching for the empty glass in Jaehyuns hand.

Jaehyun noticed and spat the straw out of his mouth and passed him the glass, "It was g-good." He then took out his wallet to retrieve some cash he had as pocket money for souvenirs and other miscellaneous items.

The boy was about to step away but paused his movements, "Listen, I couldn't help but overhear yesterday that you're visiting? If you want, I can give you a tour of the place once my shift is over." He said, looking at the younger boy.

Jaehyun thought briefly. He questioned whether it was safe to trust this person. He didn't seem dangerous, but usually those are the ones who are bad news, his years of drama watching had taught him that, at least. "Hm...yeah, why not?" he eventually decided. The boy beamed at the response, "Great! You can hang around here for a bit, if you'd like. I should be done in another hour. Is that okay?" Jaehyun nodded and smiled shyly. The blonde haired boy then continued walking away with the empty dinnerware.

While Jaehyun waited he played the game on his phone. He would occasionally glance over at the other male's direction from time to time. An hour seemed so far away, until it finally came. The fascinating boy walked to the table to fetch Jaehyun and then they walked outside of the restaurant. They walked to a nearby light post where a bicycle was secured to.

"By the way, my name's Taeyong. What's yours?" The blonde asked as he bent to unlock the anti-theft lock around his bicycle wheel. "Oh, I'm Jaehyun" the younger replied. He wanted to ask if they weren't taking a vehicle but decided to keep it to himself.

Taeyong stood up after he finished unlocking the bicycle "Nice to meet you Jaehyun, hop on" he said after mounting the seat but leaving space for the other.

Jaehyun hesitated momentarily, then got on. He wasn't sure where to place his hands and hovered over the blondes shoulders. "Rest your hands on my shoulder." Taeyong said as he grabbed his hands and placed them atop his shoulders. Jaehyun then became slightly tensed.

Pushing off with his right foot, the older began to pedal and they took off from the restaurant with no particular destination in mind.

The older showed the nearby stores and rode along the stretch of road. Occasionally he gave commentary to some of the sights around the island that they could reach.

After a while, they came across a beach which Taeyong stopped at to take a rest. Jaehyun went to sit on the sandy floor, watching the waves rush along the shore and the other male who walked barefooted to the water, letting it wash over his feet.

Taeyong then went to sit beside him. He glanced at Jaehyun who had been throwing pebbles into the waves. "So, how old are you?" He ultimately asked.

As Jaehyun kept throwing the pebbles he responded softly, "I'm eighteen. I just entered my senior year of high school. What about you?" He finally lifted his gaze to the others direction. "I'm twenty-one." Taeyong displayed an energetic smile. He had a feeling Jaehyun was a few years younger and the confirmation made him somewhat happy.

The younger rubbed the back of his nape,"So...you live here or something?" He questioned curiously to which the older commented, "yes I do. I moved after I finished high school". Jaehyun was speechless, he wondered why someone would choose to live here voluntarily. "Why here?" He asked, the question coming out harsher than inteneded. Taeyong chuckled softly, choosing to disregard the youngers tone, "why not here?" And Jaehyun had no other comments.

They sat there, talking about themselves and things they liked until Jaehyun received a call from his dad asking where he was. He then assured that he was safe and not far away and would be back shortly. After he hung up, they both brushed the sand off of their bottoms and went to the bicycle, getting on it and riding back to the guesthouse.

When they arrived Jaehyun thanked Taeyong for showing him around and dropping him back home. When he asked if they could do this again tomorrow, the older agreed instantaneously. He then went inside the guesthouse and up to his family's room, excited for tomorrow to come.

· · ─────── ·𖥸· ─────── · ·

"Jae, wake up, dear" his mom called out to him. She had been trying to wake him up for the last ten minutes. However, he wasn't much of a heavy sleeper, just stubborn. "Jaehyun come out of the room, for goodness sakes!" she yelled which immediately made him open his eyes and groan.

It was day two and his mom wasn't going easy on him today and so they all got dressed and set out for the local market. Jaehyun was fairly upset that he couldn't see Taeyong until later. He was excited to hang out again today and wondered where they would go. Instead, he currently stood in a smelly, wet, seafood and produce market.

His dad was bargaining with the vendor on some freshly caught abalone and other shellfish which would be much more expensive on the mainland.

Jaehyun glanced at his phone to see it was now lunch time. Taeyong would be getting off of his shift in the next hour. He wished that his parents would hurry and purchase whatever they were after so that he could catch the older in time.

He rushed over to his moms side, clinging to her, "mom, hurry please. I'm hungry and tired." he whined and his sister nodded at her in agreement. She looked over at her son to pat him on the back, "Just a second, Jae. I just have to pay" she said. He rejoiced, just his dad was left to convince. Jaehyun walked over to where his dad was and tapped his shoulder, "dad, mom said she's almost ready" he wasn't completely lying.

A few minutes later, they were in the van and heading back to the guesthouse to put the stuff in the freezer. Once they arrived and put down their belongings, they walked over to the restaurant, the place Jaehyun had been hungry for since he woke up.

When they walked inside, he immediately scanned the room to see Taeyong behind the bar counter serving drinks. The blonde glimpsed him when he entered and they both greeted each other with a smile. Jaehyun then went to the booth with his family and they all looked at the menu.

After they had all finished their meals, they were getting up to head back to the guesthouse. "What are you waiting for, Jae. Let's go" his dad said when he noticed his son hasn't gotten up.

"Oh, I'm just gonna hang around here and maybe take a look around at the stores nearby" Jaehyun nervously chewed his bottom lip, "Okay, don't be out late. The doors close at 10pm" his dad said and then they went back without him.

A moment later, and Taeyong came out without his apron. He was now off the clock and went over towards where Jaehyun was seated. "Ready to go, Jaehyun?" He smiled at the younger who smiled back broadly, revealing his dimples. "Yep!" If Taeyong could melt, he would right now at the sight of such a handsome person smiling so lovely.

They walked out of the restaurant and after Taeyong unlocked his bicycle they both got on. "Where to, this time?" Jaehyun asked after he got on the seat and placed his hands on Taeyongs shoulder, "You'll see. It's a secret." he said and then pushed off to their destination.

After riding for twenty minutes, they reached the site of a hiking trail. Taeyong secured his bicycle on the parking rack when they got off. Jaehyun looked around, uncertain of where they were and what they were doing here.

His eyes found a sign which had the word 'hiking' on it and his mouth fell open. "Don't tell me..." he trailed off and turned towards the older. Taeyong gave a smirk, "It's exactly what you're thinking. Come on, let's get some gear." He said, and walked off to the building ahead.

They each got a small knapsack with water and some equipment for emergencies and then set off by foot on the trail ahead. After walking a few miles, Jaehyun was already panting and sweaty. He stopped, supporting himself on his knees as he caught his breath. "Hey, wait up!" He called to the older who was a few feet ahead of him.

Taeyong stopped to look behind him. He laughed when he saw how tired the younger appeared. From his built, he would've thought he had more stamina. "Hurry, Jae or we'll miss the sunset" he called. Jaehyun keened at the endearment and took a few deep breaths before he continued climbing the stairs.

After stopping on two more occasions, they were nearly at the top of the trail. Taeyong viewed the landscape which was beginning to appear.

The wide open land, the beaches and sea were all visible at this point. He looked beside him to see Jaehyun staring at the same view with a look of wonder. "Beautiful, isn't it?" And Jaehyun nodded, too stunned for words. He then glanced at the older.

Really beautiful. He thought, seeing the side profile of the blonde.

Taeyong then turned to him and grinned, "race you to the top" he said and then took off running up the remaining stairs, leaving the younger behind. "Hey, that's cheating!" Jaehyun then mustered the strength to start running after him.

As soon as they reached the top, they shouted in accomplishment. They could appreciate the landscape of the island more clearly at this height. Various forestry and the sandy beaches with people walking about was a sight to see.

Jaehyun was mesmerized by the effortless beauty. The backdrop of the sky made it even more stunning. It was filled with hues of orange and pink as the sun was staring to set. He could almost understand the lure of the island.

When they had replenished their energy, they set back down the stairs. It was much easier and they reached back to the building in a jiffy. As they were returning the bags, Jaehyun spoke, "thanks for bringing me here, it was great", the older looked at him with a small smile, "no problem. I figured since you missed it yesterday I would take you to see it. However, this isn't all." He winked.

"Oh? There's more?" The brunette raised his brows and followed behind the older towards the bicycle. They made their way to the last stop of the night, a music festival. Locals and some tourists gathered under the setting sun, where many bands and dance performers attended.

They both stood at the side of the stage, watching the band as they performed. The music filled the air and the crowd was enthralled with its melody as they danced to it. Shortly after a pair of dancers came on stage. At the angle they were at, they could barely get a proper view of the performance.

The younger watched as Taeyong stepped closer to the stage. "Where are you going??" He questioned, nearly shouting over the music. Taeyong turned back and motioned for him to come along, pointing to the stage.

Jaehyun was confused and debated following him. "Suit yourself!" Taeyong yelled, shrugging his shoulders and then walked off, around to corner to go behind the stage. Jaehyun then panicked and went to follow him, "wait, wait, Taeyong!" he called and as he turned the corner, the older jumped out, startling him.

Taeyong laughed and grabbed his hand, pulling him to the wooden stairs which led to the back of the stage, "w-wait, what are we going to do??" He questioned with apprehension. "You'll see, Jae." He smiled and led him up the stairs.

The music was louder as they stood behind the performers getting a closer look of the show. Taeyong adjusted to the side to get a better view and Jaehyun trailed behind him closely. They watched as the dancers moved fluidly across the stage and twirled their bodies around. They continued to watch until the perfomance was over.

At the end of the concert there was a bonfire on the beach, with music and lantern lighting. Taeyong took Jaehyun over to the people who were giving the lanterns out. They each got one and then went to a spot on the beach to light the lanterns. Once they both lit them, they held them in their hands, "make a wish" Taeyong said and closed his eyes, Jaehyun then closed his as well.

Soon after making their wishes, they released the lanterns into the sky. Jaehyun watched as his lantern flew higher and higher. He didn't mind if his wish wouldn't come true. He felt content, in this moment, right now.

The boys then went to where Taeyong parked his bicycle and he dropped Jaehyun off at the guesthouse. This time, they lingered outside at the front until the doors were locking and Jaehyun had to go. Taeyong promised to take him out again tomorrow and so he had trouble falling asleep, from the anticipation.

· · ─────── ·𖥸· ─────── · ·

The next day came in the blink of an eye. Jaehyuns family decided to stay inside as the weather looked gloomy. They decided to start packing away their things. Jaehyun on the other hand decided to continue to the restaurant after he had packed his things away. He made up his mind, come hell or high water, he wasn't missing his last day with Taeyong.

He had no idea why he was so drawn to the older boy. He admits that he found him extremely attractive and very free spirited, it almost made him happier to be in his presence. He had no idea if Taeyong would feel the same about him, though.

He hardly knew him, although they shared some details about their lives on the beach, there was just much more to know before you really knew a person inside and out. Jaehyun felt the urge to know him better and he hoped Taeyong would feel the same.

After he walked to the restaurant, he spotted Taeyong stepping outside. "Just in time" the older said with a smug look. Jaehyun let out a soft chuckle and he mounted the bike, ready to go wherever the other would take him.

They rode for a few minutes until they came across a street with a souvenir shop and other stores. Taeyong parked and secured his bicycle wheel and then they headed into the first store they found.

They entered into the souvenir store. There were many trinkets and memorabilia displayed. Jaehyuns eyes were caught on a display stand with a variety of multi-coloured beaded bracelets. His finger spun the beads around in awe.

The older then came beside him, noting what he had been fascinated with. "Do you want one?" he asked. Jaehyun turned his head and fixed his posture. He felt embarrassed to be so amazed by such a simple thing. "Uh...yeah." he smiled shyly at the other.

Taeyong then leaned forward inspecting the bracelets, "how about we both get matching ones? I kinda want one now." He tilted his head to stare at the younger who had been watching him, "y-yeah, that sounds great." Jaehyun couldn't fight the heat rising over his cheeks.

His mind was spinning over the fact they would have matching ones. However, his high didn't last after he reasoned it out that they could be friendship bracelets. He internally sighed and they went to purchase the bracelets, he decided to pay for them with the excuse of thanking the other.

They soon left the souvenir shop only to go inside the clothing store a few minutes away. Jaehyun greeted the vendor when they walked in and went past the cash counter to a hoodie which caught his eye. This didn't go unnoticed by the older who simply watched at a distance.

Taeyong then walked closer to him, "why don't you try it on, you look like you're in love." he teased. Jaehyun chuckled and shook his head, "I'm afraid I can't afford it." He then shrugged his shoulder and went to look at a few more items. Taeyong watched him and pondered to himself, he then excused himself saying he had to use the restroom.

Minutes later, Taeyong came back to grab his hand and pull him back in the direction of the same hoodie, "Jae, come on, try on the jacket.... Just for fun" he said with a huge smile. Jaehyun was confused but decided to comply. He took the jacket off of the rack carefully, unzipped it and eased his arms through the holes.

The jacket felt comfier than the ones he owned, it was made of cotton with inner fleece. It had a trendy minimalistic design with the islands name on the bottom. Overall, it fit him well.

Jaehyun suddenly felt that this was a bad idea, he regretted putting it on because it made him feel bad to part with it. It was just a jacket but he genuinely found it cool.

He sighed and was beginning to take it off but was stopped by Taeyong, "wait, keep it on" Jaehyun then raised his eyebrow "Why?" He asked while looking at Taeyong questionably, "you like it don't you?" The older asked.

Jaehyun nodded slightly, unsure of where this conversation was going, "Do you trust me?" Taeyong then questioned. Jaehyun thought for a second, he did trust Taeyong, a lot more than he would care to admit because they had only just met each other two days ago. "Yes..." he softly replied and with that, the older grabbed hold of his hand tightly, "good, let's go" he said while he led them to the entrance, running out of the store.

"Hey, wait yo-!" Jaehyun heard the shop vendor call out to them but when he looked back he didn't see anyone coming after them. They quickly got on the bicycle and rode away.

While they were riding, Jaehyun felt the adrenaline coursing through his system. He breathed in the fresh, calming air and stared at the boy in front of him. Feeling the thrill he took one hand off the boys shoulder. Extending his hand out he felt the breeze blowing through his fingers, it was invigorating and he had never felt so alive.

They soon came up to the port, Jaehyun recognized it immediately. He could see the lighthouse in the distance as they rode along the path. He noticed it was empty, and figured all the ships were done for the day.

When they got to the lighthouse, Taeyong stopped the bicycle and they both got off. Taeyong then immediately went to the door of the lighthouse, he called Jaehyun to come along who came hesitantly, glancing behind them to know whether anyone was around to see them.

Jaehyun joked, "Is this where you bring all your victims?" Which Taeyong laughed, "You caught me"

They then climbed the stairs heading to the top of the lighthouse where the viewing platform was located.

Once they reached the top, the view of the island was apparent through the looking glass. The sun shone brightly through the glass, illuminating the entire room.

They stood next to one another, leaning on the railing of the stairs as they observed the landscape. "This is my favourite place on the island. I've never brought anyone here before..." The older uttered softly. Jaehyun looked at him with hope in his eyes, suddenly a thought occurred to him. "What are you going to do if they catch you?" He asked the older, his voice laced with worry and guilt.

Taeyong turned his head towards him, confused by what he meant. "What do you mean?" He asked to which Jaehyun pointed at the jacket he wore. Taeyong then understood and couldn't contain his laughter. Jaehyun stared at him as if he was crazy. "What is it?? Tell me!" He demanded.

Taeyong smiled viciously, "I already paid for it, don't worry. I was afraid you'd refuse me." He confessed. Jaehyuns mouth fell agape at the statement and he lightly shoved the other away by the arm. "You're adorable, aren't you?" Taeyong asked. Jaehyun nervously smiled, revealing his dimples.

He then looked ahead at the landscape, to avoid making eye contact with Taeyong. When he decided to take a quick glance, he saw the blonde still staring at him, "is something on my face?" he asked, flustered while he wiped his face. Taeyong nodded, "yes, beauty" then leaned over to place his lips against the youngers.

Jaehyun froze at the sudden contact on his lips, he then closed his eyes as they gently meshed together into a heart fluttering kiss. The evening and the view fading away to leave them alone to themselves.

· · ─────── ·𖥸· ─────── · ·

The next morning, Jaehyun woke up feeling uneasy. He and his family were now ready to head to the port. After they loaded their luggage in the trunk, they got inside the van and went on their way.

As they drove past the restaurant, Jaehyun stared hoping to see Taeyong one last time. There was no sign of Taeyongs bicycle by the light pole it frequently was. The older had assured he would meet him at the port to send him off. He exhaled a sigh hoping it wouldn't be a dream.

After kissing - making out in the lighthouse, he was certain that they had a connection. He could feel the sparks as their lips touched and he felt his breath could be taken by the older the way they kissed.

When Taeyong dropped Jaehyun off last night, they didn't want to part, they exchanged numbers in hopes to keep in touch. Perhaps Taeyong would return to the mainland after he was ready to settle down. If not, Jaehyun was determined to come back-move even, if needs be, in order to spend his days with him.

They arrived to the port ahead of time and there were other cars in line to be loaded on the ferry. Jaehyun and his mom got out of the van. His mom mostly taking photos while he searched around the crowd looking for the person he wished to see.

After a while, it was now their turn to board the ferry and his mom came over to call him, "it's time to go, come on, dear" she said and he turned around to stare at her briefly, "okay mom, I'm coming" he said then continued his search for Taeyong while she headed to their van. He shortly followed behind her after a few more minutes passed.

Their van drove onto the ferry and Jaehyun couldn't wait until it was parked. He got out immediately when the van stopped to run to the railing hoping to see Taeyong waiting at the port for him. When he reached the railing, he gazed at the persons waving at the port, none seemed familiar.

The ferry was leaving the dock and he began to feel discouraged. Now that they were some distance into the sea and away from the port he began to think Taeyong forgot about him already. He turned to walk back to the van, and that's when he heard his name being shouted.

Jaehyun whipped his head around to see Taeyong standing at the edge of the dock waving to him. He smiled brightly at the other male and waved back like crazy. His heart leaped in his chest at the sight of the other. They continued waving to each other, mindless of whoever saw them because they could care less.

Fixated on each other, they watched as the ferry sailed further into the sea until they could no longer see one another. Jaehyun then went back to the van, entering the backseat and settling comfortably into it.

The smile on his face refused to fade and he glanced at the bracelet on his hand, twirling the beads around. He noted his sister listening to her music loudly as usual and his mom occupied by her phone, whereas his dad was reading a book.

He shook his head at the scene and it's familiarity. Shortly, his mom looked around to see him gazing out of the window, "Such a shame you couldn't see the beauty of the island, Jae. All you saw was the room and that restaurant" she commented then continued viewing the photos she took.

Jaehyun smirked, "yeah mom, such a shame." he said softly and resumed toying with his bracelet. If he was being honest, this trip was unforgettable.

"Romantic and energetic"

- J. Jh

[raindrop-on-a-spiderweb]

On The Street Where You Live, Part 1

My laptop finally arrived! It got lost in the mail. Once I get electricity I can finally work on Ragnatela again. So this--and its next part--might be the last bonus chapters for a while.

I always thought that if Patience and Salvatore were younger--and met of their own accord--it would be quite different. Hell, extend that to Leonardo too.

***

Patience Winslow took the same route home every day, trudging down the gray street with her books in her arms, passing a cracked fire hydrant, an abandoned warehouse, a park with rusted and creaking equipment. The stream ran with green scum and sludge alongside the road in a drain.

She had no idea why her parents had decided to move from Greenhaven to stinking Garland City. She hated everything about it. She hated the school and the rude, rowdy city girls. She hated her bored, apathetic teachers. She hated the way she knew nobody. In Greenhaven, everyone had known her and her parents by name.

And most of all, she hated her slum of a neighborhood. There were union meetings next door. A drunk with dogs that never stopped barking on the other side. There were gunshots in the night and people speaking different languages and gangs of youths that loitered the street. 

One particular gang she hated with a passion. They were always standing outside of a butcher shop she passed, talking and smoking cigarettes. They always were dressed sloppily, with their shirts untucked. She suspected they were dagos, but she thought one sandy-headed boy might have been Polish or Irish.

The head boy, a black-haired youth, always yelled something dirty out to her. And always her. One day when she was crossing the street behind a group of other girls he had called out to her specifically, and the other girls had giggled and looked behind them at her.

Patience was approaching them now. Sure enough, there they were, one leaning against the wall, another holding a cigarette, and the head one spotted her.

She walked faster. 

"--skirt! Come over and give me a kiss," he yelled, and she bowed her head, flushing in shame. An old woman was across the street, surveying them closely with her lips pursed in disapproval. She was so focused on where she was going that she didn't notice when she tripped over the curb. Her knee erupted in pain.

The quietness of the street, and the loudness of his voice, stressed her and humiliated her. She struggled up and began walking again, and the shouts rang in her ears, and she covered her face with her hands and began running, tears bursting from her eyes.

"Oh, look at that! You made her cry!"

"You're a son-of-a-bitch, Sal."

She heard rapid pounds of footsteps, and someone grabbed her shoulder. She turned around to face the dark-haired boy, trying desperately to hide her face.

"Hey, hey, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to make you cry." His voice was regretful and a little embarrassed.

"Go to hell," she said, trying not to tear up, but he took the back of her head and cleaned her tears with his sleeve. Close-up, he was very handsome, with thick black hair in a widow's peak and sharp, angular features.

The rest of his gang were around her now. "C'mon, tell the girl you're sorry," said the heavy one.

"I..." he looked discontented. "I always looked at you walking back from school and-- hey, you all! Get lost!" He barked at his friends.

"I kinda like you," he said under his breath once they were gone. "And I guess--I didn't know that you'd. Uh, react this way--but I really do like you."

Patience studied him through her tears. His big dark eyes and stark eyebrows and thin lips and that gangly frame halfway to becoming a man. She still felt like crying but the thought of someone liking her flattered her. "Do you go to William Weston High school? I think you're a few grades ahead of me."

"Yes'm. My name's Salvatore Mallozzi." He offered her his hand. "Pleased to meet you."

His hand was warm as she shook hers.

***

After that, he began giving her little tokens every time she walked by, instead of harassing her. He had pennies and handkerchiefs and even an ice cream cone sometimes. And she knew she should hate him--she still did, a little--and stay away from him, because he was the sort of boy you should stay away from, but she was impressed and flattered and fascinated by the attention the older boy heaped on her.

Patience arrived home one day, and Mommy was yelling at Daddy. His assignment wasn't ending soon enough, and Mommy wanted to go back to Greenhaven. Patience hated it when her parents yelled like that. She didn't go home, but ran off, her schoolbag thumping against her side.

When she came to the corner, the boys were still there, and she approached shyly. Black-haired Sal was holding a cigarette, and he smiled and motioned. "Come on, join the crowd."

Patience took one inhale, coughed, and resolved to never do it again. She passed the cigarette to the sandy-haired boy. "I don't think I ever got your name," said Sal.

"Patience. Patty."

"This is Thurston and Luca and Tony and Jacko." He indicated each member in turn. 

"Is this your... like, headquarters?"

"No. My dad owns this shop so he lets us hang around."

Standing by them, their casual conversation horrified and fascinated her. Robbing trucks. Making another rival member 'pay'. Her attraction couldn't compete with her disgust, and she eventually walked home. 

But her home still wasn't empty.

A strange black car was parked in the driveway, and unfamiliar voices filtered from the living room.

She poked her head in. Daddy was sitting on the couch, face pale. Opposite him she saw a hulking beast of a man, shoulders broad, and beside him a slimmer figure with golden hair.

"Patience, honey. Go play outside," said Daddy, his voice having a note of urgency that made her hackles rise.

The hulking man turned to fix his eyes on her, and her body paralyzed with fear. They were dead as the eyes of an animal, like eyes painted on a wall, completely blank. They made her freeze in place like a deer in the headlights.

He said something in a deep voice to the golden-haired boy, and the boy stood up. "Go on, go," said Daddy.

Patience was happy enough to leave the room, and the cold-eyed man. The blond boy tagged along, smiling congenially.

"What is your name?" He asked her as she sat on the stoop. "Mine is Leonardo. My father knows your father well."

He spoke with a heavy Italian accent she could tell he was trying desperately to shed. "Patience," she said.

"Pazienza. What a lovely name. Patience is a virtue."

"Yeah. It's a family name. One of my great-aunts or something was named Patience."

"Are you from around here?"

"No, Massachusetts. What about you?"

"Sicily. Scafapani. It's a beautiful little village near the coast, tucked away in the mountains. But I was born in Rome, the capital of Italy."

"That's pretty cool." Patience didn't really want to talk with him, but she kept getting drawn back. He was a very handsome boy, with thick, curling golden hair and red lips. His eyes were so blue, and with such long lashes, that she desperately envied him.

She heard a crash from inside, and leaped up. He caught her shoulder and forced her down. "You have very pretty eyes," he said, staring at her intently. "Green as the sea."

Leonardo really was very handsome. And well-dressed, in a waistcoat and a tie. The family was obviously well-off. His hand was warm, and he stroked her leg through her tights. "Thank you," she said, wanting to move her leg but feeling frozen.

The door swung open, and the dark-haired man exited, his heavy boots clomping on the ground. He sharply spoke a word in a different language to his son.

Leonardo stood up. "I will meet you again, Pazienza."

He followed his father to the car, and Patience watched them leave before she entered the house again.

The sitting room was a wreck. The coffee table was overturned, and papers were everywhere. Her father was dabbing his bleeding nose with his handkerchief. 

"Daddy! What happened?"

"Nothing, honey." He turned to her sharply. "Listen. If you're here alone, and someone knocks at the door, never answer it. Understood?"

She nodded blankly.

"Go tell your mom it's time to start dinner."

***

Patience studied her shopping list. Milk. Red beans. Flour. Beef. The deli had bene closed that day, so that was the one thing she couldn't find. Her mom was going to give her an earful--she wanted to make her famous meat pie for guests that were coming over, three of her dad's police coworkers.

As she walked home in the waning Saturday sun, she kept an eye out for when Salvatore and his gang loitered in front of that butcher shop, but they weren't there. They never were on weekends. An idea sparked in her mind. Hell, if she knew the guy, why didn't she just get her meat from his shop? For some reason her father and his friends never went there, preferring to go to the shop that was 2 miles away. It never made much sense to her. I mean, the paint was peeling and there were always shifty-looking people in and out of there, but that didn't mean they had bad meat.

Patience was a naturally inquisitive girl, so she stepped inside. It was warm and well-lit, with a large glass counter under which various sliced meats sat glistening. The menu was written in chalk on a blackboard nailed to the wall.

The benches and tables were all occupied by older, balding men in ratty-looking overcoats, who all looked over at her suspiciously.

A stocky man with a jowly face was shaving slices off a hamhock behind the counter. He looked up indifferently. "Hi," Patience said. "Can I, uh--"

At the sound of her voice, a familiar person stuck his head out of the door.

"Patience, is that you?" He said. 

"Yeah! Hi, Sal."

He was dressed in a blood-smeared butcher's apron and his hair was in disarray. He self-consciously smoothed it back, but that did nothing but make his hair sticky with blood. "What are you doing here?"

Patience smiled inwardly. She'd surprised him at his workplace and he was all embarrassed. "Well, the deli on Fashion Square was closed, so I decided to stop here instead. Guess you don't get too many girls here, huh?"

He laughed nervously. "Well, I guess, I mean, not too much. You look, uh, great."

Patience was wearing a plaid skirt, white knee-high socks and a blouse. "Thanks. I wish I could say the same about you."

"So, what are you looking for?"

"One pound of corned beef." As he began her order, she rested her elbows on the counter amd stared at him. "Hey, Sal? Do you know anyone called Leonardo? Blond, with curly hair?"

His face turned puce, and he cut into the slab of beef with more force than neccessary. "That little fuck. His daddy pays for him to go to St. Joseph's, that private Catholic school that costs an arm and a leg to get in. Tries to pretend his whole family ain't from the ass-end of Sicily. But people love him 'cause he's a good talker and has a nice manner. I hate that smarmy little douchebag." He stopped cutting for a moment. "Why? Do you know him?"

"Yeah, I met him." Patience studied him carefully. "He's real cute, you know."

"The Borghese boy?" said one of the men at the tables. "I always thought he was a fag."

Salvatore looked mortally offended. "He probably fuckin' is. You stay away from him, Patty. He's a two-faced little snake and always has been. Don't let him take advantage of you." He finished weighing her beef and wrapped it up. "Here you go."

Patience took out the rest of the money her mother had given here, but he pressed his hand over hers, closing her fist with the money inside. "Don't bother. This one's on the house." He smiled at her, that billion-dollar smile that made her heart thump. "Save it, get yourself a treat. Maybe at that Dairy Queen on the corner of 5th and 9th. How about I meet you there after school on Monday?"

She smiled back. "Sure. Sounds good. See you then."

As she left, a man walking in held the door for her. He was tall and handsome with slicked-back hair and dark glasses. "Thank you, sir," said Patience.

"Anytime, sweetie." He let the door swing shut behind him. As soon as Sal spotted the man, he stood ramrod straight. "Boss Malone!"

"Heeey, Sal. Thought I'd drop by to see how our 'project' was doing. Got yourself a girl now, haven't you?" He ruffled Sal's hair and grabbed him in a half-hug with his arm around his neck. The younger boy guffawed bashfully.

"Son, do you know who that girl is?" Malone's voice became serious.

"Patience, right? She lives just around the corner."

"That's Patience Winslow, I've seen her around before. She's the daughter of Richard Winslow." 

Realization dawned on Salvatore's face. "THAT Richard Winslow?"

"Yeah. Him. So be careful, okay? I know you're just kids fooling around. But don't let yourself get... carried away or nothin'." 

"I won't, boss." 

Malone nodded to the door that led to the back of the butcher shop. "So. Let's see how our 'project' is goin, yeah?"

In a back room, among slabs of frozen pork and sausage, was a man tied to a chair. His ears, nose, and eyes were cut out, crystallized trickles of blood frozen down his face and neck.

"Cocksucker still ain't tellin us anything, is he?"

"I've been working on him all day, Bats. Nothin." Salvatore crossed his arms, blood-stained cleaver in hand.

Malone took the cleaver from him, threw it up in the air and caught it by the handle. "Let this be a learning experience, Sal. Watch closely..."

***

The date had gone well, and Salvatore had been nice enough to walk her home after the fact. She had bid him goodbye on the street beyond where she lived so her mom and dad didn't have to see him. He wasn't the sort of boy her Daddy would have been enthused to see her bring home.

Her heart was in her throat as she walked up to her door. She was noticing all sorts of things about him now, the sharp widow's peak on his forehead, how big and black his eyes were, how tall he was, so tall he had to stoop down to kiss her.

Her mind was so focused on the kissing that she didn't notice they had company until she saw the figure sitting in the living room.

"Ciao, Pazienza." Leonardo put down his teacup delicately. 

"Whatcha doin' here, Leonardo?"

"He wants to talk with your daddy. Richard should be getting back in half an hour." Marilyn was red in the face, and her skirt was untucked. Patience collapsed on the floral print sofa next to Leonardo and tool her shoes off. "Did you just make these, Mommy?"

"Leonardo brought them by. He's a very good cook."

She bit into one. Peanut butter. They were indeed surprisingly good. "Where'd you learn to cook like this? Do you have home ec at your school?"

Leonardo chuckled. "Not at St. Joseph's, though I'd love to take home ec. I do all the cooking for my father, always have."

"That's weird." The thought of doing all her cooking for her dad was bizarre. 

"You should stay, Leo. Help us make dinner," said Mommy.

"Alas. I'm afraid I am expected home just after I talk with Mr. Winslow."

The door swung open, and she heard her father's footsteps. As soon as he entered the living room and saw Leonardo his face froze. "Both of you, get out."

Patience left, her quarrelling mother close behind. She was peeling potatoes on the table when Leonardo finally emerged, and he paused next to her on his way out the door.  "You should come over to my house for dinner sometime," he said softly. "I'll show you how good my cooking is."

She smiled. "I might take you up on that sometime."

He put his hand on her shoulder and let it slide off slowly, fingers trailing over her skin, then left like a breeze through the front door.

"He's very nice, isn't he?" Sighed Marilyn, dunking the potatoes in a pot of hot water. "He doesn't look like a dago at all. In fact, he looks very white."

"Italians can look like anything, Mom. They were Romans and stuff, remember? I learned it in World History."

"I suppose so. I don't know what the Borgheses and Richard have against each other. I wish the boy would come and visit more often."

***

"Junior Prom is comin' up."

Patience stirred her sundae, watching the caramel and ice cream swirl together. "Is it? Are you going?"

"Well, I never went to prom before. Thought it was kinda gay, you know. But... uh, I was wondering if... maybe this year, you'd like to go with me."

She stopped stirring and looked up at him, stars in her eyes. "Really?"

"Yeah." He smiled. "And maybe, if everything works out... we can go next year, as well."

Patience tossed her arms around his narrow shoulders and kissed him passionately. His lips parted under hers, and she tasted cigarettes.

"I'd love to! Oh, Salvatore! Oh my gosh! I have to get a dress..."

***

Salvatore walked her home as he usually did, arm in arm, and since it was getting dark, they took a shortcut down an alley she didn't recognize.

They emerged onto a dimly lit street with weeds growing through the cracks of the sidewalk. Some of the houses were boarded up.

The street was empty but for a kid wearing a leather jacket leaning against the wall of a building. Smoke spiralled from the cigarette he held in his hand. When he saw the two of them, he threw his cigarette to the ground and stomped on it. "What the fuck are you doing here, greaser?" He snarled. "This is Bulldogs territory."

Sal eyed him coldly. "Calm the fuck down, Sam. I'm just escorting my girlfriend home."

"Well, escort her home some other way. Your kind isn't allowed around here."

"I will go wherever the fuck I want, you mick asshole."

"What did you call me? You ain't so tough without your little gang, you guinea cocksucker. Come over here!"

Salvatore's arm was tense in hers. "I ain't gonna cause a scene in front of my girl, otherwise I woulda beaten your red head in until it looked like a fucking pile of meat. Back off."

"Maybe you should leave your girl here so I can take her home." Sam leered at her, and her hackles rose. "Leave me alone!"

Salvatore let go of her arm and threw a punch so rapid that the boy barely had time to blink before his fist crunched into his face.

Sam stumbled back, hands going up to cover his face. Blood burst through his fingers.

Salvatore caught him with a right hook, but he was ready with a left hook. 

The thuds of muscle and bone were the only sound on that quiet street. Patient stood there, frozen, wanting to flee, wanting to scream, but able to do nothing but watch them. Salvatore twisted a an arm around his enemy and threw him to the ground. 

His nose was bleeding and his eyes were as black as coal. And he grabbed the boy's arm and dragged him over to the curb, and threw his head on top of the concrete edge. 

And Sal kicked him so hard that the crack echoed through the night. Patience was screaming by then, frightened and shrill, and when she couldn't take it anymore she ran back through the alleyway she came in.

Sal ran to catch up, grabbing her shoulder. "What the fuck are you doing? You won't get home if you take this route! Come on--"

Patience yanked her shoulder out of his grip. "What is wrong with you?" She screamed. "Is that boy going to be okay?"

"Who cares?" He looked confused. "He's just some Irish prick. He started it."

She turned and tried to walk away, but his grip on her arm was iron.

"Listen." He gripped her face between his hands. "If anyone hits on my girl, I'll make them suffer. Doesn't matter who they are. You're mine, Patience. And you better remember it."

The harsh tone of his voice made her heart thud, and she pulled out of his grip and headed into the darkness. She knew he was standing there, watching her even if he didn't follow, and his gaze haunted her the whole way back, through her mother's screams and curses and her father's admonishments.