(for summerdome) Compromise
For: summerdome
Title: Compromise
Genre: Action
Rating: NC-17
Length: 3,417 words
Summary: Do Kyungsoo is one of the top strategists of Jaeger training school and Kim Jongin is the pilot that no one’s been able to drift with.
Jongin tumbles out of bed as the sirens go off somewhere up above him. Kyungsoo is already hopping into some pants. It would be funny, but Jongin can hear the repeated robotic message echoing off the bronze-plated walls: “Category IV Kaiju. All available servicemen to their positions.”
Kyungsoo holds the elevator doors open for him as he rushes inside, then punches for the command center. The ride is too long; Kyungsoo says nothing, worrying at his lower lip instead.
It’s always a mix of nerve-wracking and adrenalizing in the Shatterdome when the Kaiju attacks. Technicians and operators scurry along the ground, checking equipment and shouting to each other. There’s an energy in the air. But Kyungsoo never seems to take part in it.
They pass by the bays where the Jaegers are normally sequestered, tall and silently ominous. Three of the bays are empty. Gipsy Danger, Cherno Alpha and Coyote Tango are missing.
“Did they say there was only one Kaiju?” Jongin asks. Usually two Jaegers are enough to subdue the worst creatures that venture out from the breach.
Kyungsoo sighs and looks away. He sounds tired of dealing with Jongin. Jongin suspects he has been, for the last couple of months. “Category IV, remember?” he says.
Sure, the pilots have been encountering stronger and stronger Kaiju in the last couple of months. But three Jaegers? Jongin thinks there’s something Kyungsoo knows but isn’t telling him.
LOCCENT buzzes with activity when they arrive. Kyungsoo takes his place to the right of Junmyeon, eyes scanning over the multiple displays that are projected on the hologram screen. He squeezes Jongdae’s shoulder, sitting in front of them. “Have the Jaegers come in contact with the Kaiju yet?”
“No,” Junmyeon replies, shortly. “A lighthouse reported some suspicious activity, and then a recon party sent out confirmed its presence. The Jaegers are still on their way.”
Jongin knows better than to ask about what happened to recon. He takes a seat at the console next to Yixing, busying himself with checking on the status of the Jaeger pilots.
He patches into Gipsy Danger, where Sehun and Tao are already harnessed and waiting. “Ready?” he asks.
“Of course,” Sehun says, his voice muffled inside his helmet. Jongin doesn’t understand how he’s been a pilot so long and still doesn’t know how to talk properly in the mic. But that’s Sehun, one of the best fighters the Shatterdome has - and one of the laziest.
“Category IV?” Tao asks, like he doesn’t already know. Tao is a show-off, always flaunting and grandstanding at every opportunity. But he’s not foolish; he’d never go into a fight without information, risking his partner or himself. “We’ll be in and out in no time.”
Sehun and Tao have been together for a few years now. Sehun had been flown to the Shatterdome early, while Jongin stayed in training, envious. It was worse when he was easily paired with a rising rookie from Qingdao. Sehun had fought the decision at first, protesting that he was waiting for Jongin. But Jongin knew that they were barely drift compatible as it was.
They were an equal match for each other as soon as they got into the harness for the first time, Sehun and Tao. When Jongin had come, a year later, it was easy to see why. Even outside the Jaeger, they were in sync. Not many pairs could boast that same kind of compatibility.
Jongin’s stomach sours at the thought. Especially when Tao coughs and says, “You coming out with us today, Jongin?”
He shoots a surreptitious look at Kyungsoo, whose fingers play over the hologram screen lightly as he tries to pinpoint the exact location of the Kaiju in the ocean. “Not today,” he says. “Soon, though.”
Yixing’s mouth quirks, but maybe it’s a trick of the light. When he turns to look at him, Yixing is occupied, briefing Kim Minseok and Lu Han, the pair piloting Cherno Alpha.
“How are the old joints?” Yixing asks. Cherno Alpha is one of the oldest Jaegers, heavy and slow. They’d never retire it, though. With Minseok and Lu Han in the pod, Cherno Alpha is brutal and fierce. It’s never come back with more than a scratch in years; more than just knowing their Jaeger inside and out, Minseok and Lu Han are a good pair - they compensate for each other’s weakness in a way that only fronts outward strength.
Luhan crackles over the patch. “Funny, Yixing,” he retorts. “More flexible than yours, any day.”
“I think that might be an overstatement,” Minseok says. “Though experience always trumps Jaeger capability, I’ve found.”
It’s a reply with a little bit of bite to it. Yixing was a pilot for a couple of months; he and his co-pilot were drift compatible with a decent percentage. But his co-pilot couldn’t handle the stress and left. Yixing decided not to look for another person to pair with, instead staying in the Shatterdome as a technician.
“It wouldn’t have been the same,” Yixing had said when Jongin had asked, hesitantly. Jongin didn’t press any further. “When you find a co-pilot who’s really your equal, not just drift compatible - it’s hard to work with a replacement after that. It just doesn’t work the same way.”
At the time, Jongin had listened to the words with a bitterness inside. He wouldn’t have known. He had graduated the best in class, but he’d waited for three years to find someone drift compatible with him.
“Good to know,” is all that Yixing says, now. Jongin knows that Yixing isn’t hurt by those words; Lu Han and Minseok are his closest friends in the Shatterdome, so much so that it surprises him that they don’t pilot the Crimson Typhooon, the only Jaeger made for three pilots, together. “Tell me more when you get back, grandpa.”
Lu Han laughs in that annoying way, loud and horse-like. Jongin doesn’t have to imagine Minseok swatting him in the pod; he can hear the result, to his satisfaction. “Ow!”
Junmyeon is talking to the final pair, Coyote Tango, which is closest to the Kaiju. “Baekhyun, Chanyeol, how are you doing?”
Chanyeol is jovial. “Can’t wait to beat the shit out of that Kaiju.”
Kyungsoo snorts. “As soon as the transporter drops you off, I want you to use one of the ballistic mortar cannons to disable it from afar. Then you can come in closer.”
“Aw, Kyungsoo,” Baekhyun whines. “Why do you take the fun out of everything?”
Jongdae, the head technician at the hologram screen, just laughs.
“He’s just looking out for your own good,” Junmyeon says, leaning into the intercom mic as he always does. Beside him, Kyungsoo winces, clearly pained by his old-fashioned ways.
Jongin’s a little jealous when he hears the easy banter between the five of them. He knows that they all went to school together, that they had their careers planned out from their first month of training. It was no surprise when Junmyeon was tapped to be Marshal of the Pan Pacific Defense Corps, and he’d brought Jongdae with him. Chanyeol and Baekhyun are the best duo that the Shatterdome has seen in a while. And Kyungsoo is the right hand of operations, a brilliant strategist who had no interest in piloting Jaegers, only directing them.
Still, anyone who enters the Shatterdome is tested for drift compatibility. Junmyeon had promised Jongin to let him know as soon as a possible partner turned up in the database.
It was his fault, for hoping so much, Jongin thinks. It doesn’t matter that Kyungsoo is 98% drift compatible with him, or the only fighter he knows that can stand up to him in battle. It doesn’t matter, because Kyungsoo is of much more use in the command center.
So Jongin will never be a pilot. He thought of leaving the Shatterdome, but it was too much like home. And now, looking at Kyungsoo, leaning in close to the hologram screens-
He breathes, in and out, as Chanyeol chuckles. “Looking out for us, Kyungsoo? I didn’t know that you cared.”
“I don’t,” Kyungsoo replies brusquely.
The helicopter pilot carrying Coyote Tango patches in. “We’re drawing close, Marshal.”
Junmyeon smiles. “Let’s make this a good day,” he says, steepling his fingers. Beside him, Kyungsoo’s face crumples in an expression of disgust.
They watch the main screen, rapt in attention. Jongdae is tapping at the keys, constantly keeping track of vitals. Junmyeon’s fingers grip the edges of his chair. “Did they get the Kaiju?”
The cannon blast had given Coyote Tango’s position away, but it didn’t matter. The creature was struck down a moment later.
“A good shot,” Kyungsoo cedes. “But they got it in the side.”
A collective groan goes up in LOCCENT. Jongin doesn’t bother joining in. Kaiju never play the way you want them to, so there’s no point in moaning about it.
Kyungsoo raises his voice. “Coyote Danger, focus on disabling from the other side. Gipsy Danger is close by, and will be coming in soon to back you up.”
Baekhyun begins, already grunting with the effort. Coyote Tango is slogging through the ocean at top speed. “You tell Tao and Sehun-”
“-that we don’t need their help,” Chanyeol finishes. Jongin watches as the arms reach back, and then come down with incredible heft, slamming down on the Kaiju, which only barely shifts away. They still get it in the shoulder, though.
“And you were saying?” Tao’s voice comes in. Gipsy Danger enters the viewing field, slamming the Kaiju down with a well-aimed kick.
Gipsy Danger and Coyote Tango trade hits in a well choreographed dance, disorienting it enough that it splashes in the waves. Its eyes seem shot, but the Kaiju is flexible enough that the hits, strong as they are, are never enough to quite disable it entirely.
“Use the pulse launcher,” Kyungsoo says at last, when everyone in LOCCENT has had enough.
Sehun and Tao activate the pulse launcher together, aiming at the kaiju straight on as it charges them. But it ducks as it rushes into them. The orb of dark matter flies past, and Jongin hears a hoarse gasp from Sehun.
“Tao, are you alright?” Baekhyun demands, as Coyote Tango lures the kaiju away.
“My arm.” Tao appears to be struggling to speak.
Jongin flickers through his vitals. “He has a few crushed ribs, Marshal,” he calls.
“We can keep going, Marshal,” Tao says.
There’s no time for Junmyeon to respond before the dot representing the inital Kaiju separates, on the heat-sensing screen above.
The second Kaiju, smaller but more compact, throws itself at Gipsy Danger as Coyote Danger tussles with the first. It must have been alerted by the orb of dark matter, Jongin realizes. He doesn’t pay more attention than that; he can visibly see Tao’s vitals flare red, taking the brunt of the impact as Sehun twists away.
“Cherno Alpha, where are you?” Junmyeon fairly shouts.
“Nearby, Marshal,” Minseok replies. “Waiting for your call.”
Junmyeon presses a button. “You’re going in, Cherno Alpha. Be careful, there are two Kaiju at the site.” He switches the intercom. “Gipsy Danger, retreat.”
Normally, Tao would try to fight Marshal’s orders. But he doesn’t say anything, and Sehun droops as he responds. “Yes, sir.” It must be bad, Jongin thinks. He worries.
Gipsy Danger is loaded onto a helicraft as Cherno Alpha joins Coyote Tango. The back-up Jaeger is a distance away from Coyote Tango, which is circling the two Kaiju warily, when one of them suddenly launches itself.
Baekhyun shouts in surprise, but it’s not enough warning. As the two separate, Jongin can see the arm Chanyeol is controlling, hanging limply at his side.
Kyungsoo swears and starts flipping through screens at his station. Junmyeon speaks over the intercom again. “Baekhyun, do you copy?”
“We can keep going,” is the shaky response. Chanyeol grunts.
“And we’re here, Marshal,” Lu Han interjects.
Kyungsoo is shaking his head, though. “There’s two of those Kaiju,” he says to Junmyeon. “And both of them are strong opponents. We need another Jaeger, but-” he trails off.
There isn’t another pair in their Shatterdome, Jongin completes. He stares at the screen as Coyote Tango and Cherno Alpha begin to work in tandem. They land a few good hits, but it’s not quite enough. The Kaiju keep getting up again.
Junmyeon is thoughtful, as much as he can be shouting into the intercom again. “Coyote Tango, Cherno Alpha, hold the kaiju off for the time being.”
“We need to call a nearby Shatterdome,” Kyungsoo begins, but Junmyeon ignores him.
He turns to Jongdae, who nods. “Ready Eureka Striker for transport,” he says.
Jongin stills. Kyungsoo’s eyes widen. “But-” he says.
Junmyeon is determined. “Jongin and Kyungsoo, suit up. You’re the only pair we have left.”
Jongin can sense Kyungsoo’s consternation, his anger at being kicked out of the command center. Jongin doesn’t say anything, not wanting to make it worse. But he knows that his joy is palpable, that Kyungsoo couldn’t possibly not sense it. And he won’t be able to hide it, once they drift together.
Striker Eureka is already connected to the Drivesuit Room when they enter. Kyungsoo walks awkwardly in the suit, but that doesn’t matter. In the harness, at Jongin’s side, he is graceful and sure in his movements. Jongin has witnessed it before.
Jongin thinks about Yixing’s co-pilot, the one that left. Jongin stares around at the wires surrounding them, the plates of armor and the glistening metal. Jongdae’s fingers check the buckles and locks, making sure that everything is okay.
Jongin looks around, one last time, keeping it all to memory. He’s glad that he got into Striker Eureka one last time before he gives up on this dream. Yixing’s right, even though Jongin hadn’t understood at the time.
Kyungsoo’s the only co-pilot for Jongin. There’s no one else that’s drift compatible; no one else that compares. And if he can’t have that, maybe it’s better for Jongin to forget that dream.
Maybe he has to give it up, if he wants to stay by Kyungsoo’s side.
He quickly shoves all of that to the back of his head, as Kyungsoo turns to look at him. He seems to want to say something, but he only sighs and turns away again.
Junmyeon’s voice echoes around them. “Take it slow. It’s been a long time since you drifted together.”
Jongdae looks up from his station and rolls his eyes in an exaggerated fashion. Jongin is grateful; he didn’t even realize he was holding his breath until he laughs, a burst of sound.
Jongdae types in a command, and the conn-pod bursts into life around them. The dual screens flicker into sight, and Jongin fidgets into harness as the fans begin to whir around them.
The drop is sudden. Jongin feels his heart rush up to his throat, but it’s even more surprising when Kyungsoo laughs. The end of the sound is choked, like Kyungsoo remembers at last that this isn’t what he wanted, what he chose. Jongin breathes in, out.
“Ready for pilot-to-pilot engagement,” Jongdae says.
“Ready,” Kyungsoo replies. Jongin echoes him. They put in their initialization codes, and Jongdae begins to count down.
He can see Junmyeon watching from across the way. “Neural handshake initiated,” Jongin hears him say, as if from a great distance. He’s already whisked under by the last syllables.
Kyungsoo is there, and Jongin can feel everything. There’s a bit of despair in him, because he knows that everything he doesn’t want Kyungsoo to see will be laid bare. But then there’s also the hulking mass of Striker Eureka. Jongin can feel the heft of the Jaeger’s limbs, indiscernible from his own, not only from its weight but also a long legacy.
He opens his eyes, sees Jongdae and Junmyeon smiling. A shout bubbles out of him. And Kyungsoo is there as well, grinning wider than he has in the last couple of months.
“Striker Eureka has had nine kills,” Kyungsoo says. He sounds completely different. “We’ll make it ten.”
Kyungsoo pushes Jongin up against the door as soon as he closes it. The force of the impact drives the breath from Jongin’s lungs, but it doesn’t matter because Kyungsoo’s mouth instantly closes on his - he’s drowning anyway.
It’s a stumbling waltz of tangled legs as they trip their way across the room, lost in the high of a successful mission. They use Jongin’s bed, mostly because Kyungsoo’s never used his own bed, not since the earliest days of training.
Jongin smiles to see how Kyungsoo is careful with his clothes, dropping them in a neat pile. But then Kyungsoo looks up and smiles at him, with danger in his eyes.
He’s crying out within seconds, as those pretty lips slide down his cock. The instant heat is a welcome surprise, and he has to struggle not to buck up. Kyungsoo sucks, using his hand to stroke what can’t fit into his mouth.
Jongin wants, not only this. He wants to tell Kyungsoo how heady it was, to drift with him, to commander Striker Eureka and understand every move Kyungsoo wanted to make before he could even formulate his thoughts. He wants to ask, “Didn’t you feel it, too?”
But he doesn’t. He doesn’t want to know the answer.
Kyungsoo pulls away, his mouth wrecked, a string of spit connecting to the end of Jongin’s cock. Jongin gulps as Kyungsoo leans over him, rummages through the bedside drawer for a half-empty bottle of lube. “Don’t hold back,” Kyungsoo commands, his throat hoarse and crackling. “Show me everything.”
Jongin isn’t really that kind of person, but Kyungsoo pushes him down again. This time, he uses his tongue, swirling around the head and pressing underneath. One hand comes up to play with Jongin’s balls, kneading gently. With that kind of offensive, he really can’t hide.
He hears the click of the bottle, but Kyungsoo moans instead. The vibrations make Jongin go dizzy. He opens his eyes to see Kyungsoo fingering himself, clearly enjoying it.
Even after their training ended, after Kyungsoo declined to become a pilot, Junmyeon didn’t try to separate them. Their relationship was obvious to everyone, even though they tried to hide it. Jongin supposes he should be grateful, but it still hurts.
The muscles under his stomach tighten, but Kyungsoo knows his body well enough to pull away at the very last possible moment. He uses Jongin’s shoulders to pull himselfup.
Kyungsoo smiles at him as he sinks down effortlessly, on Jongin’s cock. Jongin tries to take in a raspy breath, but chokes instead. Kyungsoo laughs.
“You feel so good,” he says, throwing his head back. Jongin doesn’t really know if it’s so good that Kyungsoo can’t help but say it - it’s more likely that he’s just teasing Jongin. But it’s the same for him. The velvet warmth is overwhelming, so much that Jongin can barely think.
He braces his legs on the bed and pushes up, catching Kyungsoo off guard, who moans in appreciation. But Kyungsoo is slowing anyway, his thighs shivering with effort. He flips them over so he can press in harder, deeper, forcing his hips into an accelerating rhythm.
Kyungsoo thrashes against him, meeting him at every thrust. He seizes Jongin’s face, pulling him down into a bruising kiss. Jongin can sense him approaching the edge, and his hand slides down to find Kyungsoo’s cock.
It only takes a few pulls before Kyungsoo’s body arches underneath him. He soon follows, rutting until the high ends.
He rolls off and pads into the bathroom, because Kyungsoo likes to be clean but hates leaving the warmth of the bed. When he’s done cleaning them both up, he flops down next to Kyungsoo, who stares up at the ceiling.
“You can’t go,” Kyungsoo says, and Jongin knows that Kyungsoo saw.
“I don’t want to go,” Jongin says, slinging an arm over Kyungsoo’s stomach. Kyungsoo, to his credit, doesn’t pull away. “I don’t know if I can just be a technician, though. Watch other people pass through and pilot Striker Eureka. People who aren’t us.”
Kyungsoo is quiet. Jongin wonders if he is thinking of Jongin drifting with another person, in another Jaeger, another Shatterdome.
But then his hand finds Jongin’s, laces together so smoothly that Jongin can’t imagine being apart. “I can try,” he says. To be your co-pilot, Jongin hears. To be a better friend and lover, who sees when you’re sad.
“That’s enough,” Jongin replies.
Title: Compromise
Genre: Action
Rating: NC-17
Length: 3,417 words
Summary: Do Kyungsoo is one of the top strategists of Jaeger training school and Kim Jongin is the pilot that no one’s been able to drift with.
Jongin tumbles out of bed as the sirens go off somewhere up above him. Kyungsoo is already hopping into some pants. It would be funny, but Jongin can hear the repeated robotic message echoing off the bronze-plated walls: “Category IV Kaiju. All available servicemen to their positions.”
Kyungsoo holds the elevator doors open for him as he rushes inside, then punches for the command center. The ride is too long; Kyungsoo says nothing, worrying at his lower lip instead.
It’s always a mix of nerve-wracking and adrenalizing in the Shatterdome when the Kaiju attacks. Technicians and operators scurry along the ground, checking equipment and shouting to each other. There’s an energy in the air. But Kyungsoo never seems to take part in it.
They pass by the bays where the Jaegers are normally sequestered, tall and silently ominous. Three of the bays are empty. Gipsy Danger, Cherno Alpha and Coyote Tango are missing.
“Did they say there was only one Kaiju?” Jongin asks. Usually two Jaegers are enough to subdue the worst creatures that venture out from the breach.
Kyungsoo sighs and looks away. He sounds tired of dealing with Jongin. Jongin suspects he has been, for the last couple of months. “Category IV, remember?” he says.
Sure, the pilots have been encountering stronger and stronger Kaiju in the last couple of months. But three Jaegers? Jongin thinks there’s something Kyungsoo knows but isn’t telling him.
LOCCENT buzzes with activity when they arrive. Kyungsoo takes his place to the right of Junmyeon, eyes scanning over the multiple displays that are projected on the hologram screen. He squeezes Jongdae’s shoulder, sitting in front of them. “Have the Jaegers come in contact with the Kaiju yet?”
“No,” Junmyeon replies, shortly. “A lighthouse reported some suspicious activity, and then a recon party sent out confirmed its presence. The Jaegers are still on their way.”
Jongin knows better than to ask about what happened to recon. He takes a seat at the console next to Yixing, busying himself with checking on the status of the Jaeger pilots.
He patches into Gipsy Danger, where Sehun and Tao are already harnessed and waiting. “Ready?” he asks.
“Of course,” Sehun says, his voice muffled inside his helmet. Jongin doesn’t understand how he’s been a pilot so long and still doesn’t know how to talk properly in the mic. But that’s Sehun, one of the best fighters the Shatterdome has - and one of the laziest.
“Category IV?” Tao asks, like he doesn’t already know. Tao is a show-off, always flaunting and grandstanding at every opportunity. But he’s not foolish; he’d never go into a fight without information, risking his partner or himself. “We’ll be in and out in no time.”
Sehun and Tao have been together for a few years now. Sehun had been flown to the Shatterdome early, while Jongin stayed in training, envious. It was worse when he was easily paired with a rising rookie from Qingdao. Sehun had fought the decision at first, protesting that he was waiting for Jongin. But Jongin knew that they were barely drift compatible as it was.
They were an equal match for each other as soon as they got into the harness for the first time, Sehun and Tao. When Jongin had come, a year later, it was easy to see why. Even outside the Jaeger, they were in sync. Not many pairs could boast that same kind of compatibility.
Jongin’s stomach sours at the thought. Especially when Tao coughs and says, “You coming out with us today, Jongin?”
He shoots a surreptitious look at Kyungsoo, whose fingers play over the hologram screen lightly as he tries to pinpoint the exact location of the Kaiju in the ocean. “Not today,” he says. “Soon, though.”
Yixing’s mouth quirks, but maybe it’s a trick of the light. When he turns to look at him, Yixing is occupied, briefing Kim Minseok and Lu Han, the pair piloting Cherno Alpha.
“How are the old joints?” Yixing asks. Cherno Alpha is one of the oldest Jaegers, heavy and slow. They’d never retire it, though. With Minseok and Lu Han in the pod, Cherno Alpha is brutal and fierce. It’s never come back with more than a scratch in years; more than just knowing their Jaeger inside and out, Minseok and Lu Han are a good pair - they compensate for each other’s weakness in a way that only fronts outward strength.
Luhan crackles over the patch. “Funny, Yixing,” he retorts. “More flexible than yours, any day.”
“I think that might be an overstatement,” Minseok says. “Though experience always trumps Jaeger capability, I’ve found.”
It’s a reply with a little bit of bite to it. Yixing was a pilot for a couple of months; he and his co-pilot were drift compatible with a decent percentage. But his co-pilot couldn’t handle the stress and left. Yixing decided not to look for another person to pair with, instead staying in the Shatterdome as a technician.
“It wouldn’t have been the same,” Yixing had said when Jongin had asked, hesitantly. Jongin didn’t press any further. “When you find a co-pilot who’s really your equal, not just drift compatible - it’s hard to work with a replacement after that. It just doesn’t work the same way.”
At the time, Jongin had listened to the words with a bitterness inside. He wouldn’t have known. He had graduated the best in class, but he’d waited for three years to find someone drift compatible with him.
“Good to know,” is all that Yixing says, now. Jongin knows that Yixing isn’t hurt by those words; Lu Han and Minseok are his closest friends in the Shatterdome, so much so that it surprises him that they don’t pilot the Crimson Typhooon, the only Jaeger made for three pilots, together. “Tell me more when you get back, grandpa.”
Lu Han laughs in that annoying way, loud and horse-like. Jongin doesn’t have to imagine Minseok swatting him in the pod; he can hear the result, to his satisfaction. “Ow!”
Junmyeon is talking to the final pair, Coyote Tango, which is closest to the Kaiju. “Baekhyun, Chanyeol, how are you doing?”
Chanyeol is jovial. “Can’t wait to beat the shit out of that Kaiju.”
Kyungsoo snorts. “As soon as the transporter drops you off, I want you to use one of the ballistic mortar cannons to disable it from afar. Then you can come in closer.”
“Aw, Kyungsoo,” Baekhyun whines. “Why do you take the fun out of everything?”
Jongdae, the head technician at the hologram screen, just laughs.
“He’s just looking out for your own good,” Junmyeon says, leaning into the intercom mic as he always does. Beside him, Kyungsoo winces, clearly pained by his old-fashioned ways.
Jongin’s a little jealous when he hears the easy banter between the five of them. He knows that they all went to school together, that they had their careers planned out from their first month of training. It was no surprise when Junmyeon was tapped to be Marshal of the Pan Pacific Defense Corps, and he’d brought Jongdae with him. Chanyeol and Baekhyun are the best duo that the Shatterdome has seen in a while. And Kyungsoo is the right hand of operations, a brilliant strategist who had no interest in piloting Jaegers, only directing them.
Still, anyone who enters the Shatterdome is tested for drift compatibility. Junmyeon had promised Jongin to let him know as soon as a possible partner turned up in the database.
It was his fault, for hoping so much, Jongin thinks. It doesn’t matter that Kyungsoo is 98% drift compatible with him, or the only fighter he knows that can stand up to him in battle. It doesn’t matter, because Kyungsoo is of much more use in the command center.
So Jongin will never be a pilot. He thought of leaving the Shatterdome, but it was too much like home. And now, looking at Kyungsoo, leaning in close to the hologram screens-
He breathes, in and out, as Chanyeol chuckles. “Looking out for us, Kyungsoo? I didn’t know that you cared.”
“I don’t,” Kyungsoo replies brusquely.
The helicopter pilot carrying Coyote Tango patches in. “We’re drawing close, Marshal.”
Junmyeon smiles. “Let’s make this a good day,” he says, steepling his fingers. Beside him, Kyungsoo’s face crumples in an expression of disgust.
They watch the main screen, rapt in attention. Jongdae is tapping at the keys, constantly keeping track of vitals. Junmyeon’s fingers grip the edges of his chair. “Did they get the Kaiju?”
The cannon blast had given Coyote Tango’s position away, but it didn’t matter. The creature was struck down a moment later.
“A good shot,” Kyungsoo cedes. “But they got it in the side.”
A collective groan goes up in LOCCENT. Jongin doesn’t bother joining in. Kaiju never play the way you want them to, so there’s no point in moaning about it.
Kyungsoo raises his voice. “Coyote Danger, focus on disabling from the other side. Gipsy Danger is close by, and will be coming in soon to back you up.”
Baekhyun begins, already grunting with the effort. Coyote Tango is slogging through the ocean at top speed. “You tell Tao and Sehun-”
“-that we don’t need their help,” Chanyeol finishes. Jongin watches as the arms reach back, and then come down with incredible heft, slamming down on the Kaiju, which only barely shifts away. They still get it in the shoulder, though.
“And you were saying?” Tao’s voice comes in. Gipsy Danger enters the viewing field, slamming the Kaiju down with a well-aimed kick.
Gipsy Danger and Coyote Tango trade hits in a well choreographed dance, disorienting it enough that it splashes in the waves. Its eyes seem shot, but the Kaiju is flexible enough that the hits, strong as they are, are never enough to quite disable it entirely.
“Use the pulse launcher,” Kyungsoo says at last, when everyone in LOCCENT has had enough.
Sehun and Tao activate the pulse launcher together, aiming at the kaiju straight on as it charges them. But it ducks as it rushes into them. The orb of dark matter flies past, and Jongin hears a hoarse gasp from Sehun.
“Tao, are you alright?” Baekhyun demands, as Coyote Tango lures the kaiju away.
“My arm.” Tao appears to be struggling to speak.
Jongin flickers through his vitals. “He has a few crushed ribs, Marshal,” he calls.
“We can keep going, Marshal,” Tao says.
There’s no time for Junmyeon to respond before the dot representing the inital Kaiju separates, on the heat-sensing screen above.
The second Kaiju, smaller but more compact, throws itself at Gipsy Danger as Coyote Danger tussles with the first. It must have been alerted by the orb of dark matter, Jongin realizes. He doesn’t pay more attention than that; he can visibly see Tao’s vitals flare red, taking the brunt of the impact as Sehun twists away.
“Cherno Alpha, where are you?” Junmyeon fairly shouts.
“Nearby, Marshal,” Minseok replies. “Waiting for your call.”
Junmyeon presses a button. “You’re going in, Cherno Alpha. Be careful, there are two Kaiju at the site.” He switches the intercom. “Gipsy Danger, retreat.”
Normally, Tao would try to fight Marshal’s orders. But he doesn’t say anything, and Sehun droops as he responds. “Yes, sir.” It must be bad, Jongin thinks. He worries.
Gipsy Danger is loaded onto a helicraft as Cherno Alpha joins Coyote Tango. The back-up Jaeger is a distance away from Coyote Tango, which is circling the two Kaiju warily, when one of them suddenly launches itself.
Baekhyun shouts in surprise, but it’s not enough warning. As the two separate, Jongin can see the arm Chanyeol is controlling, hanging limply at his side.
Kyungsoo swears and starts flipping through screens at his station. Junmyeon speaks over the intercom again. “Baekhyun, do you copy?”
“We can keep going,” is the shaky response. Chanyeol grunts.
“And we’re here, Marshal,” Lu Han interjects.
Kyungsoo is shaking his head, though. “There’s two of those Kaiju,” he says to Junmyeon. “And both of them are strong opponents. We need another Jaeger, but-” he trails off.
There isn’t another pair in their Shatterdome, Jongin completes. He stares at the screen as Coyote Tango and Cherno Alpha begin to work in tandem. They land a few good hits, but it’s not quite enough. The Kaiju keep getting up again.
Junmyeon is thoughtful, as much as he can be shouting into the intercom again. “Coyote Tango, Cherno Alpha, hold the kaiju off for the time being.”
“We need to call a nearby Shatterdome,” Kyungsoo begins, but Junmyeon ignores him.
He turns to Jongdae, who nods. “Ready Eureka Striker for transport,” he says.
Jongin stills. Kyungsoo’s eyes widen. “But-” he says.
Junmyeon is determined. “Jongin and Kyungsoo, suit up. You’re the only pair we have left.”
Jongin can sense Kyungsoo’s consternation, his anger at being kicked out of the command center. Jongin doesn’t say anything, not wanting to make it worse. But he knows that his joy is palpable, that Kyungsoo couldn’t possibly not sense it. And he won’t be able to hide it, once they drift together.
Striker Eureka is already connected to the Drivesuit Room when they enter. Kyungsoo walks awkwardly in the suit, but that doesn’t matter. In the harness, at Jongin’s side, he is graceful and sure in his movements. Jongin has witnessed it before.
Jongin thinks about Yixing’s co-pilot, the one that left. Jongin stares around at the wires surrounding them, the plates of armor and the glistening metal. Jongdae’s fingers check the buckles and locks, making sure that everything is okay.
Jongin looks around, one last time, keeping it all to memory. He’s glad that he got into Striker Eureka one last time before he gives up on this dream. Yixing’s right, even though Jongin hadn’t understood at the time.
Kyungsoo’s the only co-pilot for Jongin. There’s no one else that’s drift compatible; no one else that compares. And if he can’t have that, maybe it’s better for Jongin to forget that dream.
Maybe he has to give it up, if he wants to stay by Kyungsoo’s side.
He quickly shoves all of that to the back of his head, as Kyungsoo turns to look at him. He seems to want to say something, but he only sighs and turns away again.
Junmyeon’s voice echoes around them. “Take it slow. It’s been a long time since you drifted together.”
Jongdae looks up from his station and rolls his eyes in an exaggerated fashion. Jongin is grateful; he didn’t even realize he was holding his breath until he laughs, a burst of sound.
Jongdae types in a command, and the conn-pod bursts into life around them. The dual screens flicker into sight, and Jongin fidgets into harness as the fans begin to whir around them.
The drop is sudden. Jongin feels his heart rush up to his throat, but it’s even more surprising when Kyungsoo laughs. The end of the sound is choked, like Kyungsoo remembers at last that this isn’t what he wanted, what he chose. Jongin breathes in, out.
“Ready for pilot-to-pilot engagement,” Jongdae says.
“Ready,” Kyungsoo replies. Jongin echoes him. They put in their initialization codes, and Jongdae begins to count down.
He can see Junmyeon watching from across the way. “Neural handshake initiated,” Jongin hears him say, as if from a great distance. He’s already whisked under by the last syllables.
Kyungsoo is there, and Jongin can feel everything. There’s a bit of despair in him, because he knows that everything he doesn’t want Kyungsoo to see will be laid bare. But then there’s also the hulking mass of Striker Eureka. Jongin can feel the heft of the Jaeger’s limbs, indiscernible from his own, not only from its weight but also a long legacy.
He opens his eyes, sees Jongdae and Junmyeon smiling. A shout bubbles out of him. And Kyungsoo is there as well, grinning wider than he has in the last couple of months.
“Striker Eureka has had nine kills,” Kyungsoo says. He sounds completely different. “We’ll make it ten.”
Kyungsoo pushes Jongin up against the door as soon as he closes it. The force of the impact drives the breath from Jongin’s lungs, but it doesn’t matter because Kyungsoo’s mouth instantly closes on his - he’s drowning anyway.
It’s a stumbling waltz of tangled legs as they trip their way across the room, lost in the high of a successful mission. They use Jongin’s bed, mostly because Kyungsoo’s never used his own bed, not since the earliest days of training.
Jongin smiles to see how Kyungsoo is careful with his clothes, dropping them in a neat pile. But then Kyungsoo looks up and smiles at him, with danger in his eyes.
He’s crying out within seconds, as those pretty lips slide down his cock. The instant heat is a welcome surprise, and he has to struggle not to buck up. Kyungsoo sucks, using his hand to stroke what can’t fit into his mouth.
Jongin wants, not only this. He wants to tell Kyungsoo how heady it was, to drift with him, to commander Striker Eureka and understand every move Kyungsoo wanted to make before he could even formulate his thoughts. He wants to ask, “Didn’t you feel it, too?”
But he doesn’t. He doesn’t want to know the answer.
Kyungsoo pulls away, his mouth wrecked, a string of spit connecting to the end of Jongin’s cock. Jongin gulps as Kyungsoo leans over him, rummages through the bedside drawer for a half-empty bottle of lube. “Don’t hold back,” Kyungsoo commands, his throat hoarse and crackling. “Show me everything.”
Jongin isn’t really that kind of person, but Kyungsoo pushes him down again. This time, he uses his tongue, swirling around the head and pressing underneath. One hand comes up to play with Jongin’s balls, kneading gently. With that kind of offensive, he really can’t hide.
He hears the click of the bottle, but Kyungsoo moans instead. The vibrations make Jongin go dizzy. He opens his eyes to see Kyungsoo fingering himself, clearly enjoying it.
Even after their training ended, after Kyungsoo declined to become a pilot, Junmyeon didn’t try to separate them. Their relationship was obvious to everyone, even though they tried to hide it. Jongin supposes he should be grateful, but it still hurts.
The muscles under his stomach tighten, but Kyungsoo knows his body well enough to pull away at the very last possible moment. He uses Jongin’s shoulders to pull himselfup.
Kyungsoo smiles at him as he sinks down effortlessly, on Jongin’s cock. Jongin tries to take in a raspy breath, but chokes instead. Kyungsoo laughs.
“You feel so good,” he says, throwing his head back. Jongin doesn’t really know if it’s so good that Kyungsoo can’t help but say it - it’s more likely that he’s just teasing Jongin. But it’s the same for him. The velvet warmth is overwhelming, so much that Jongin can barely think.
He braces his legs on the bed and pushes up, catching Kyungsoo off guard, who moans in appreciation. But Kyungsoo is slowing anyway, his thighs shivering with effort. He flips them over so he can press in harder, deeper, forcing his hips into an accelerating rhythm.
Kyungsoo thrashes against him, meeting him at every thrust. He seizes Jongin’s face, pulling him down into a bruising kiss. Jongin can sense him approaching the edge, and his hand slides down to find Kyungsoo’s cock.
It only takes a few pulls before Kyungsoo’s body arches underneath him. He soon follows, rutting until the high ends.
He rolls off and pads into the bathroom, because Kyungsoo likes to be clean but hates leaving the warmth of the bed. When he’s done cleaning them both up, he flops down next to Kyungsoo, who stares up at the ceiling.
“You can’t go,” Kyungsoo says, and Jongin knows that Kyungsoo saw.
“I don’t want to go,” Jongin says, slinging an arm over Kyungsoo’s stomach. Kyungsoo, to his credit, doesn’t pull away. “I don’t know if I can just be a technician, though. Watch other people pass through and pilot Striker Eureka. People who aren’t us.”
Kyungsoo is quiet. Jongin wonders if he is thinking of Jongin drifting with another person, in another Jaeger, another Shatterdome.
But then his hand finds Jongin’s, laces together so smoothly that Jongin can’t imagine being apart. “I can try,” he says. To be your co-pilot, Jongin hears. To be a better friend and lover, who sees when you’re sad.
“That’s enough,” Jongin replies.