[changmin/yunho] a lesson in stir-fry
title : a lesson in stir-fry
pairing : changmin/yunho
rating : nc-17
summary : it’s a dog eat dog world. in 2814, it’s a human eat human world.
a/n : originally written for kpop_olymfics challenge for team ausome. beta'd by the amazingly patient loveclouds who held my hand through this and listened to me whine incessantly about how i really needed to get this done for weeks. fic is a result of numerous episodes of hannibal (which you should all watch!), my morbid interest in dead things and my great love of apocalypse/dystopia AUs.
warning : do not read if you’re eating, planning to eat or have just eaten. otherwise, bon appetite! also, it goes without saying that no harm was done to anyone or anything over the course of this fic. all fake!
“The first thing I have to tell you all is that there will be no killing of any sort in my classroom, I’m not here to help you obtain the meat but to use the meat. Second, and this should go without saying, nothing here is vegetarian.”
Laughter fills the room and Changmin finds himself chuckling along with the twenty-two other students seeking guidance in cooking, a bit uneasy still as papers are handed out of the recipe they’ll be tackling today.
Haggis. Haggis??
“Now you’ll probably be wondering what in the world is haggis,” the instructor says right on cue and Changmin nods his head wordlessly, eyes suddenly honed in on the many trays sitting on the front kitchen counter. “Haggis is a very popular Scottish dish containing the heart, liver and lungs of, traditionally speaking, a sheep. In our case, we’ll be using the heart, liver and lungs of...” the instructor pauses here and takes a look at his notes, “of a seventeen year old female, expiration due to a car accident. Accidentally I do hope,” he murmurs, “one can never really tell these days.”
Changmin barely listens as the instructor continues to list the rest of the ingredients, some onion and oatmeal along with various spices and stock. It’s a pudding, the instructor says and Changmin feels his stomach flop over as the cover of the trays are removed and a fresh array of ingredients are shown.
“I know some of you may be knew at cooking with human meat,” the instructor says, “and so we’re starting off easy. The lungs, liver and heart of humans are very similar and nearly indistinguishable from those of pigs. If it’ll make you feel more at ease, think of it not as a human liver but as a pig’s.”
Somehow, as Changmin receives his very pink and still warm pieces of meat, he thinks that it’s going to be hard to think of this as anything but human no matter what the instructor says.
Yunho-sshi, as the instructor insists on being addressed as, tells them that when prepping lungs at home, not to attempt to vacuum-pack the leftovers for they’ll blow up in a very unappealing manner. Changmin takes his word for it, unable to imagine ever shopping for a lung in the markets anyway, and reaches for his knife.
“Simply wrap them with some saran wrap or ziplock them and pop them into the freezer,” Yunho-sshi tells them, “and they’ll remain fresh and ready for use after a quick defrosting. By the way,” Yunho-sshi continues to say, “the lungs are hot, as in they’re fresh out of the body. These were delivered only a few moments ago.”
Right, Changmin thinks as his grip tightens on the knife in his hand. Hot lungs. Even just a year ago, Changmin would’ve laughed at the idea of himself attending a cooking class, much less a cooking class on how to use human meat but times are changing and he’s got to change with them.
It’s surprisingly easy to cut into the meat as there is very little resistance, though Changmin isn’t sure what he was expecting since it’s a piece of meat on his cutting board and not as if he’s actually removing the lung from the human itself. There are rules in place for that sort of thing, many rules in fact and an entire building in the center of the city that deals with organ retrieval. Changmin’s heard that they’ll accept a body with no questions asked as long as the body parts are still viable. There’s very little blood as well and there’s no distinguishable scent, none that Changmin can smell at the least.
Perhaps that’s the most frightening thing about all of this for Changmin, how easy it is to convince himself that it’s normal to take a knife to a human heart and mince it. Or perhaps it’s even more frightening that he can taste it as he’s cooking, a spoon used to scoop up the mixture of meat and sauteed onions, and have his first thought be delicious.
- - -
The year is 2814 and Changmin’s turning twenty-seven. His parents passed away a decade ago and he lives alone now. They died before the government decided to adopt the human rule, thank goodness, because as dire as the circumstances seem, he doubts his parents could’ve been convinced to eat a human.
It was controversial, as all government rulings are but Changmin supposes that when the government suddenly declares it legal to consume human organs, an uproar should be expected. It seemed to be a simple declaration but there had been rumblings for a while about such a law being passed. It was one of those things that no one thought would actually happen, much like how universal healthcare was discussed for years before the government seriously considered it and wrote it into law. There was a lot of talk, followed by a lot of debating before the law was announced but surprisingly (or not), there was very little talk of morals. That seemed to have disappeared from most radars after the apocalypse that hit thirty years ago.
Everyone always said that the world would end in a burst of flames, well, the flames happened but the world didn’t end. Humanity might’ve, as some would argue, but the world didn’t end and humans continued to exist. What didn’t exist were animals. Pigs, deers and even pigeons ceased to exist. Over the course of twenty-four hours - the full duration of the apocalypse - every other species besides homosapiens disappeared.
Most had thought the world would end, Changmin did, and like those that thought the end was coming, he had partied till he collapsed from a weed-induced high. To say he was surprised when he woke to see the sun would be an understatement. Those that didn’t think the world would actually end had hid in expensive shelters and rooms built far underground with a stockpile of food that lasted five years or so and when they emerged, hungry and frightened of light, they were shocked to find that everyone else was not only surviving but thriving.
In the beginning, things weren’t bad. There was chaos, as expected, but the government had quickly stepped in with plenty of men with guns and things were kept in a somewhat orderly fashion. With the animals inexplicably gone, most turned into vegetarians. That worked for a while, two years at least, until there were rumblings of vegetable shortages, not enough produce to suddenly feed an entire world’s population of vegetarians. Then, there were rumblings of scientists doing their best to clone animals, a sheep or a duck or even a rat, and that worked as well, for the insanely rich who could afford to pay a few thousand dollars for a test-tube drumstick. Then came rumblings of something that everyone should’ve foreseen. In simplest terms, it’s survival of the fittest, humans eating humans. Fight or flight, as Changmin learned at an early age.
It was frowned upon at first but slowly, more and more people bought into the thought of eating a fellow human. After all, if one’s neighbor has already died, what’s the harm in taking a nibble?
- - -
The market in itself is apparently daunting enough that it merits a trip of its own.
Changmin signed up for this class with hopes that it would put him at ease with handling human meat and while he can’t say that it has just yet, he did manage to stomach the entire meal of haggis that they made in class for dinner. It was surprisingly moist and delicious. Like Yunho-sshi had said it would, it soaked up all the stock and was far more flavorful than anything Changmin could’ve made himself.
Yunho-sshi, dressed to the nines in a pair of dark blue slacks and a collared shirt, takes them on a tour of one of the biggest meat markets downtown. The entire market is temperature controlled to ensure that the meat remains as fresh as possible and all consumers are encouraged to bring their own bags for shopping, ice packs provided for a small fee if one is not brought. Apparently, human meat expires at a quicker rate than that of any animal or perhaps the government prefers to err on the side of safety by telling its people to always keep their meat cooled if not refrigerated.
Changmin lags behind most of the group, not entirely interested in this tour since he’s been here himself numerous times because of his work. He’s a government employee, a job that his parents would’ve frowned upon if they were still alive. He works at the DOH, the Department of Health, the government body that regulates human meat sold to the public. He doesn’t actually handle the meat himself, he doesn’t think he could stomach that, but he works in the office directly responsible for signing off on the bodies and while it’s not the ideal job he always wanted, it pays.
Another reason the government had decided to legalize the selling of human meat was jobs. Overnight, thousands of jobs were created. There was a sharp increase in need of drivers for delivering bodies between departments and most importantly, there was a need for medical professions trained especially in handling the bodies and separating the edible meat from the inedible.
Changmin majored in economics but like most of his generation, he now works a government job that he’s both over and under-qualified for.
It’s actually quite impressive that in such a short amount of time, the government has not only made the consumption of human meat orderly but normal as well. Nothing about it is disgusting or off-putting, and there’s an incredible ease to buying the meat that most hadn’t expected there to be.
Since it’s all government regulated, the meat is packaged uniformly in either saran wrapped sets of two or vacuum-packed sets of three. There’s an option of buying meat lean or fat as there always was and while there’s no longer a seafood department in the stores, there are professionals on hand to help with bone cutting for those who wish to make their own stock at home.
The government thought of it all and perhaps that’s why something that was once thought of as so taboo is now thought of a typical. A meal of human thigh meat is no longer strange or out of the ordinary.
At 5pm on a weekday, the market is full of people. There are housewives and business folks alike, shopping for their dinner or weekly meals. Changmin’s been to this particular market many times before since it’s the one closest to his residence and so he lags behind the rest of the group, content to listen as Yunho-sshi points out the best cuts of meat.
“Changmin-sshi?” The instructor says, startling him when he appears with a smile, “I see you haven’t picked a meat yet?”
Changmin’s basket if full of mushrooms at the moment, a few bananas and some spices as well but no meat.
“Ah, I haven’t settled on what I’d like to make yet,” Changmin says, staring at the rows of meat on display.
“What type of cuisine do you like? Perhaps I can help,” Yunho-sshi murmurs, standing beside him, “that’s what I’m here for, Changmin-sshi, there’s no need to be shy.”
Truth be told, it isn’t that Changmin hates human meat, he doesn’t think it tastes bad, especially not when cooked properly which is why he’s in this class in the first place. He was always a rubbish cook, living off ramen and take-out in University until the apocalypse happened and even those options were taken away from him. Expenses grew higher and the cost of living is far more than anyone could’ve expected.
“I’m not...good at this,” Changmin finally manages to say, “it isn’t just the meat issue, it’s that I’m not good at cooking.”
Yunho-sshi nods his head in understanding, rocking back and forth on his heels before he reaches out and takes a healthy-looking red piece of meat off the shelf, “Breast meat,” he says with a warm smile, “easy to prep and easy to cook. You can stir-fry it or bake it in the oven and serve it on top of a bed of pasta.”
It’s still cold when Changmin takes it in his hand, the meat squishy as all raw meat are, and he nods his head in thanks. “Do I cut it up into cubes?” He asks, thankful that in a class of so many, the instructor still takes his time out to talk to them one-by-one.
Yunho-sshi laughs for the first time and Changmin finds it a bit brilliant, the way Yunho-sshi’s teeth seem to gleam and he wonders if there’s bleaching of some kind involved or if Yunho-sshi was blessed with teeth that white from birth.
“Cubes will work just fine, Changmin-sshi. Dice them or slice them, all meat needs is some seasoning. A little salt and pepper will do the trick. Now heat your pan properly and add some oil after, breast meat doesn’t take long to cook.”
“You make it sound so easy,” Changmin says quietly, dropping the meat into his basket. It sits on top of all his other groceries, breast written in large block letters, the ink black enough for Changmin to tell that it had been printed and labelled within the hour.
It isn’t Yunho-sshi’s obvious knowledge of cooking that makes everything sound easier, it’s the softness of his voice and the way he smiles that makes it seem like a walk in the park. Changmin can see why the government may have chosen Yunho-sshi as an instructor. He has a way of making people feel comfortable with things that they wouldn’t normally be comfortable with. Like buying breast meat to sauté and serve with pasta.
“That’s because it is easy,” Yunho-sshi murmurs, taking a step closer towards him, “if you’re willing to stay behind after class is over, I can write down the instructions step by step for you and if it doesn’t work out, then I’ll teach you how to do it myself. Deal?”
Changmin’s cheeks heat up in a way that they shouldn’t, not at his age, and he nods his head, “That would be great, thank you, Yunho-sshi.”
The instructor smiles at him once more before he leaves to attend to another student, turning back at one point to direct Changmin towards the aisle with pasta in case he doesn’t have any at home and Changmin wonders if he’s thinking too much of it. It’s been a while since he’s entertained thoughts of dating but he can’t help the way his eyes follow Yunho-sshi’s butt as he walks away, turning the corner immediately when Yunho-sshi turns as if he could feel his gaze.
Diced breast with pasta it is, Changmin thinks as he bends to pick up some spaghetti, ears red and face warm. Somehow, he senses that even if the recipe Yunho-sshi gives him is easy, he’s going to mess it up, on purpose or not.
- - -
“It burned,” Changmin says at the end of the next class.
Yunho-sshi raises an eyebrow, leaning forward on the counter as the last of his other students leave the room, “The meat? You burned breast meat?”
Changmin didn’t but he says he does anyway, nodding his head in response.
“Must’ve been horrible,” Yunho-sshi murmurs as if he sympathizes even though Changmin can see the smile that he’s trying to hold back, “charred and tough?”
Changmin nods his head again, holding onto the container of tandoori liver that they cooked today.
“A promise is a promise,” Yunho-sshi says as he packs up the rest of his supplies, knives and chopping board going under the sink that he locks with his ID card. “Are you free this Friday night? I’ll meet you at the market and we’ll shop for a meal together. My treat, of course.”
“I can split the bill with you,” Changmin says, mindful of the costs of meat and groceries these days.
“If you wish,” Yunho-sshi says in agreement, “I must insist that we do this at my apartment then. It doesn’t make sense to buy seasoning when I’ve got everything necessary at home already.”
That solves it then. It’s a date. They exchange numbers easily, agreeing on a time to meet before he leaves. He finds himself looking forward to dinner on Friday, mainly because it’s his first date in years but also because with Yunho-sshi cooking, it’s going to be delicious. Human meat or not, when food tastes that good, Changmin doesn’t think that anyone would question the origin of the meat.
- - -
They settle on loin. It’s one of the more expensive cuts of meat for a reason that Changmin is unaware of, $15 a pound as compared to $10 for the breast . Yunho-sshi assures him that there’s enough meat there for more than one meal which Changmin is thankful for.
Meat’s expensive these days. It always was but before the Big Boom happened, there were at least options as to different types of meat. Chicken was cheaper than pork which was cheaper than beef but there’s none of that anymore. The shelves are filled with livers, hearts, lungs and spleens. There isn’t a type or a species, it’s all human so there’s no need and as a result, it all costs the same.
There’s government regulation for prices, of course. Every market sells their breast meat at the same cost per pound so to keep food affordable but it’s still costly and Changmin finds himself regretting his suggestion to pay for half the food when the bill comes out to $50 plus change.
Yunho-sshi, who insists on being called Yunho outside of the classroom, tells him that they’ll be having roast loin which is actually thigh meat.
“The thigh bone is typically one and half inches diameter by eighteen inches long,” Yunho says as he takes the meat out of its bag, kept cool by the ice packs he had brought with him. “We’ll stuff the meat with a mixture of spinach and mushroom, and we’ll wrap the roast with some thin slices of hind meat that I’ve already cured. Tastes just like prosciutto.”
Truthfully, it sounds good. Changmin has his doubts it’ll taste like prosciutto though when nothing he’s eaten thus far tastes quite like chicken but it’s Yunho and everything Yunho’s made for them in class so far has been delicious.
“The trick to perfecting a good roast lies in the stuffing,” Yunho says as Changmin inches forward to stand by his side, staring into the pan of butter and mushroom that’s already cooking away, “once the moisture is released from the mushrooms and reabsorbed, season it with some garlic, salt and pepper.” Yunho takes hold of Changmin’s hand, fingers wrapped loosely around his wrist so that he can guide Changmin towards the pan handle. “It’s easy, Changmin,” he repeats, “it’s not always about the meat, sometimes it’s about what you do with the meat and what you pair it with.”
“Everything sounds better when you say it,” Changmin murmurs, watching as Yunho blends the breadcrumbs and spinach with the mushrooms they just cooked, “less barbaric.”
“That’s because I don’t think of it as barbaric,” Yunho replies, stopping the food processor so that he can focus on Changmin for a moment, “you struggle with this don’t you? Eating something that could’ve been a someone that you knew?” He smiles patiently and not for the first time, Changmin feels silly. “Children are being born every minute and they’re being raised in a society that tells them eating human meat is normal. The part that you’re focusing too much on is the human aspect when really, we should be grateful that not only are we still alive post-apocalypse but we’re thriving enough to have children. No one really knows how much longer we’ll survive or when the next boom will hit us and right now, we’re doing the best that we can with the resources that we have.”
Changmin’s heard all of this before. As a government employee, he’s sat through hours of lectures about the rights and wrongs of consuming human meat. It’s basically a requirement for an employee to sign away their morals when working for the government but this is the first time he’s heard it in a manner that makes him less wary.
“Think of it as a donation,” Yunho murmurs, “think of the people that would starve if we didn’t have meat. Sure, there’s mushrooms and carrots, but how long would that sustain a population in the billions? In the end, regulating the sale of meat was the only thing the government could do, Changmin-ah. You work in the Department of Health, right? You know this. With the rules that we have in place now, we have order. “
“Yeah,” Changmin says because he does know this, “it’s just-,”
“Weird?” Yunho says, pulling Changmin’s wrist gently so that he’s closer, “it doesn’t have to be. It tastes good doesn’t it? Focus on that instead. You don’t have to think of where it comes from, you just need to think of how it feels in your mouth and how good it tastes. Like this stuffing, doesn’t it smell good?” he asks, holding up a spoonful for Changmin to taste. “Doesn’t it taste good? It’ll be even better with the meat, you know that.”
Changmin sucks on the tip of the spoon before he chews, the mushroom and spinach mixture as delicious as Yunho says it’d be, but what makes his stomach growl is the idea of this stuffed into the loin and roasted with the prosciutto-like meat on top of it. In fact, as he helps with the stuffing, he decides that there’s nothing else he could want for dinner but this.
- - -
Seven weeks after Changmin’s first cooking lesson, he leaves with a wider range of dishes under his belt and a lover that has a penchant for blood pudding.
“This is quite romantic,” Changmin says as he meets Yunho in front of Building 165 in the government blocks, “I’ve been asked to the movies and to museum exhibits before but never to sit in on a dissection.”
Yunho reaches out to lace his fingers with Changmin’s as he nudges the younger man in the side, “We don’t have to do this if you’re not comfortable with it.”
Changmin smiles wryly at Yunho because they both know that he never would’ve agreed if Yunho hadn’t asked while he was on his knees, mouth full of cock, but he’s here regardless of how comfortable he might and might not be with the idea of a dissection.
What he has become used to is the idea of consuming human meat. He won’t say he’s entirely comfortable with it but these days, he can stroll through the aisles of the supermarket alone and pick out a piece of packaged meat without Yunho’s help. He’s still incapable of cooking an actual meal that’s more to do with his lack of skills and not his unease with meat.
The fact that Yunho’s a part-time instructor of cooking classes that deal especially with human parts helped Changmin become accustomed to it. He only recently discovered that Yunho’s a government employee just like him, an ex-medical examiner who now works in the Retrieval Department that deals with the testing of incoming bodies for diseases.
The best thing about the government regulated sale of humans is knowing that no matter what is bought, it’s safe for consumption. The meat goes through a thorough round of testing for basic illnesses and every body is checked for immunization of diseases. Yunho’s explained to him before that they check for diseases that have long been eradicated as well to be safe, like AIDS and various types of cancers, along with STDs.
“Really,” Yunho insists, “we don’t have to do this.”
Changmin pulls at Yunho’s hand as he enters the building, his ID hanging around his neck so that they know he’s a government employee like them. Sitting in on dissections isn’t illegal but it’s not strictly legal either. It’s a bit of a grey spot in the system since only those with licenses are allowed to touch the bodies when they’re whole like this. Yunho’s got a license to do so but he’s said before that he prefers not to do it since it’s such a tough, hands-on job.
There aren’t any civilians allowed in the dissection room which doesn’t surprise Changmin since the government has always been very careful to make the act of purchasing human meat less personal and more clinical. Buying meat that’s been pre-cut and packaged neatly is far more welcoming than having people hold up bidding cards the way they do it in the underground markets. Changmin’s never been but Yunho let slip once that he’s gone before. Changmin didn’t press for details since Yunho didn’t volunteer any, odd since Yunho’s normally very chatty but it’s obvious as to why Yunho said nothing.
Underground markets are illegal. The government doesn’t care much for it at the moment because the market is still small enough that only a select few know of its existence and those that do know of its existence take great care to keep information between those that can be trusted. Bodies that the government doesn’t deem healthy enough are sometimes sold at the markets but more often than not, it’s the fresh bodies, the kind that still bleed red when cut into, that underground markets specialize in. It doesn’t get any fresher or better than being able to personally choose the cut and part of the organ one needs.
Bodies are often brought in straight after retrieval at households and from there, they’re quickly bathed and inspected with over the counter needle kits, the most basic of hygienic care. They are then cut on the spot and after an examination by those interested in purchasing, the parts are sold one by one. It’s almost a first come first serve process, with those willing to pay the most allowed the first cut.
Truth be told, there’s a lot of waste that goes on with government regulated bodies. There are parts of the human that they deem invaluable, the intestine for example and the eyes, things that most people wouldn’t eat. There simply isn’t enough demand for the government to start selling those parts and so they don’t. It’s easier and cheaper to dispose of those parts than to sell them to such a niche group of consumers. At the end of the day, it’s a business and Changmin can admire how smart the government is about it. What the government doesn’t sell though, the underground markets do. Intestines and skin, the gall bladder and fingers, every part of the human body is sold as long as someone wants it.
However, the most intriguing part of the underground market is also the most unethical. Contract kills. Changmin’s heard rumors of it before and he didn’t believe them but Yunho’s silence was more than enough to convince him. Contract kills, regardless of purpose, will always be taboo but in a black market that caters to the rich, anything can be bought. Looking for a high school sweetheart or a long lost friend? The underground market is the place to go. They’ll deliver to your front steps if paid well enough, body cleansed and tested, parts nearly all prepped for cooking. Changmin’s heard of scorned lovers paying for the heart of their beloved and he’s heard of enemies dining on each other’s livers. Unethical and all the more valuable of a service because of it.
Changmin wouldn’t admit it to Yunho but he’s intrigued by the black market. He’s always been a straight-laced sort of fellow and so to imagine himself walking into an illegal underground market appeals greatly in a dangerous way. That’s why he’s agreed to sit in on a dissection. It’s the closest he’ll get to a dead body and as gruesome as it might sound to the typical person, Changmin’s come to appreciate his food, thanks in part to Yunho and his teachings.
He’s surprised by how eerily similar the dissection room is to that of an operation room in a hospital. They’re seated behind a glass window that allows them to see into the room as if they’re watching a sports game. Instead of the field, there’s a steel table and instead of a football, there lies a body covered with a white cloth, toes sticking out.
“What’s that?” Changmin asks quietly, pointing at the tag that’s looped around the big toe.
“ID,” Yunho replies, “every process that the body goes through is observed by the regulations committee and there’s a barcode on it that we’re to scan before anything happens so if something goes wrong, they can trace it back to the specific section and person that handled the body.”
Changmin whistles softly, mindful of the fact that he might be considered a disturbance if he makes too much noise. They’re the only ones sitting in on this particular dissection and as Changmin watches the man in the glass room take a scalpel to the skin, he feels a tingle down his spine, leaning in closer to Yunho until the older man releases his hand to wrap an arm around his waist instead.
The first thing that comes to mind about the dissection is how methodical it all is. There’s a team of three in the dissection room, two helpers and a handler that deals directly with the body. There’s a woman in blue scrubs that holds out a tray for the new organs and Changmin finds that there’s far more work involved in a dissection than he originally thought.
As soon as the handler cuts deep enough into the body so that he can crank the ribcage open, Changmin has to turn away, able to hear the wet sounds and suction of the tubes as the blood is vacuumed out. The trio works as a team, often calling out the body parts as they’re being removed and subsequently taken through the steps of sterilization.
So much is going on that Changmin doesn’t know where to look until Yunho directs his attention to the body where the handler is currently elbows deep with his hands in the body. They’re going in for the heart and lungs. Changmin watches with morbid fascination now, unable to look away as a helper provides a hand in cutting through the thick muscles and tendons of the body, so much of the human going to waste as the handler locates the heart and lungs.
There’s a surprising lack of blood, probably due to the suctioning but the heart itself is a lot less red than Changmin thought it might be. It’s dulled, a darker and faded shade of red that he wouldn’t normally associate with blood. Everything is much smaller in size than Changmin anticipated.
“They’re so flat,” Changmin says of the lungs, not surprised when Yunho tells him it’s because there’s no longer any air in them.
“See how pale they are?” Yunho says, unable to hide the tremor of excitement in his voice, “They’re pink and orange in color. That’s a sign of a healthy pair of lungs. He wasn’t a smoker.”
“No one is these days,” Changmin says. Not after the strict laws passed by the government about smoking since they tend to render lungs inedible. “Where does the waste go?”
Yunho shrugs and points to the biohazard can next to the handler. “The government disposes of them,” he says, “there’s an incinerator in the building and after every dissection, the spare bits like the skin and fat are burned.”
For the rest of the dissection, whether it’s due to his curiosity or genuine interest, Changmin remains quiet, more than engaged by everything happening in the room. Gross or not, it’s fascinating.
- - -
In the summer of 2815, the government finally passes a law that everyone had been expecting for a long time now. Effective immediately, all citizens must sign over the rights to their bodies post-death. Not for medical research purposes but for organ retrieval.
There are voices of dissent as there always are and Changmin finds it most stressful that he has to walk past the protestors on his way to work. More than once, he’s been heckled and there’s been a couple of times where he was physically attacked as well. It isn’t as if he has any say in it, he works for the government but he isn’t the government. It’s not as if the law took anyone by surprise either but the fact that the government demanded such a thing was a clear abuse of power and a violation of human rights, according to the opposition.
Changmin doesn’t know which side he takes on the matter but he does know that regardless of the law, the government’s been taking bodies for years now and the law only prevents the families from demanding excessive money from the government. There’s a flat fee paid to the families of the deceased now, $500 in check or cash. It used to be $350 but the government increased the amount due to inflation.
Bodies are taken right after death is announced either at the hospital or at home. A receipt is given on the spot and the check is mailed, received no later than two weeks post-mortem. The body then goes through the process and within a day, will be on the shelves and available for purchase. It’s a bit morbid when thought of that way but the government does take steps to ensure that the bodies are delivered to a different precinct to be sold so that the family won’t mistakenly cook their relative in a stew or as a burger.
- - -
On the anniversary of their first date, Yunho brings Changmin to the market once again, telling him that they’re going to cook a meal together like they often do these days. Because it’s their anniversary, Yunho’s promised him a meal of mandoo and meat buns, Changmin’s favorites. He hasn’t made them by hand before but he frequently buys them from the corner restaurant two blocks from his job. They’re cheap, made of leftover scraps of meat but they’re so delicious when fried or even steamed.
“It’s healthier this way,” Yunho tells him as they shop side by side, cart in front of them, “at least we can control what mixture of meat goes into the filling.”
Changmin snorts and gives Yunho a look as he points at their cart. There’s a package of ground meat, part unspecified, “How is that any better? I still don’t know what mixture of meat that is, Yunho.”
“I can make it better,” Yunho says in amendment to what he previously announced, “I’m a better cook, you always said that my food is the best, has your opinion changed?”
Changmin swears there’s a pout on Yunho’s face that he ignores, brushing off his boyfriend as he picks up a package of mushroom and fresh chives. “What’ve I said about asking for compliments, Hyung?”
“Nothing that I can remember,” Yunho lies, “or maybe you mentioned it while I was busy slaving away in the kitchen cooking your dinner?”
“Touche,” Changmin mutters under his breath before he fixes Yunho with a smile and declares, “your cooking is the best, Hyung.”
Yunho’s laughter is all Changmin hears as they make their way to the checkout line, paying an exorbitant amount of money for a package of mysterious ground meat to make mandoo and meat buns with.
“You know when you said that there would be cooking involved, I thought you meant you would cook and I would eat as per usual,” Changmin groans as he stands in the kitchen in a t-shirt and jeans, bangs clipped back so that they don’t get in the way while he wraps the mandoo.
“Where’s the fun in that though?” Yunho asks, covering Changmin’s mouth with a floured hand so that the younger man can’t reply. “You’re always complaining about how hard it is to cook but mandoo is easy,” Yunho says, sliding behind Changmin. “I’ll teach you, Changmin-ah, you always saying that I’m a good teacher.”
With all the ingredients for mandoo-making laid out in front of them on the counter, Yunho slides his hands over Changmin’s wrists, wrapping his fingers around them so that he can guide the younger man towards the knife.
“First step is to dice everything. Your chives, shiitake mushrooms, onions and of course, the meat.”
Changmin ducks his head, the back of his neck tickled from the warmth of Yunho’s breath as he speaks, shifting so that he’s not leaning against the counter but pressed against the hollow of Yunho’s hips instead. “And?” he says, slowly but efficiently taking care of the dicing. It takes him a few minutes but he manages just fine despite the distractions.
“Then we put it all in a bowl,” Yunho murmurs, lips pressed to the curve of Changmin’s ear, “and we mix it together.”
Changmin stubbornly refuses the shiver that his body so obviously wants him to show, biting on his lower lip as he makes to grab his chopsticks for mixing. Yunho beats him to it though, tsking quietly in his ear as he places both their hands into the mixture.
“By hand, silly,” he whispers.
Damn. Damn if Changmin doesn’t push his hips backwards, ass pressing nicely against the hardening bulge he can feel through both their pants.
“How predictable of you to get off on making mandoo, Hyung,” he says, breathless and equally as hard himself.
“I’m getting off on you,” is the reply that Changmin receives and was admittedly waiting for.
Half-made mandoo abandoned on the counter, Yunho walks Changmin to the sink so that they can wash their hands, all the while nibbling on the younger man’s ear and jaw as an early anniversary present to himself.
“Happy anniversary to me,” Yunho murmurs as he turns Changmin around, fingers gripping onto the younger man’s hips as he picks him up so that Changmin can loop his legs around his waist. “Changmin-ah,” he says, eyes darkening as he smirks, “I want a bite of you instead.”
Changmin reacts almost immediately, hands in Yunho’s hair as he kisses the older man, lips pressed to Yunho’s, head tilted so that he can lick easily into Yunho’s mouth from this angle. “Always so hungry,” he whispers in reply, tightening his grip on Yunho’s waist, heels digging into the older man’s ass as Yunho walks them into the bedroom.
Changmin doesn’t get much physical contact outside of their home so it’s always the simplest of touches that sets Changmin off. Yunho slides his palms around Changmin’s sides, running them up Changmin’s tummy and chest so that he can push his shirt up along with it until he's tugging it clear of Changmin’s head. It’s always nice to have a slightly disheveled, blushing Changmin in their bed.
“I’m a growing boy still,” Yunho murmurs, kissing Changmin again, slow and tender.
Changmin winds an arm around Yunho’s neck, fingers pressing gently against Yunho’s nape as he sighs, exhaling slowly and softly as the older man tilts him closer, their hips pressed from side to side.
“Yunho,” he breathes out again, "if you're good, maybe I’ll think about letting you have dessert as well.”
Yunho takes words like that to be a challenge.
Smiling darkly, Yunho kisses Changmin harder, with fuller impressions, his tongue coaxing Changmin’s mouth open wide so he can explore all he wants. Their tongues are wet and almost ticklish when they slide together. Changmin shudders as Yunho gently rakes his nails down Changmin’s back, small gasps and exhales stuttering out of Changmin’s mouth each time.
Fingers at the band of Changmin’s jeans, Yunho pushes them down, making quick work of Changmin’s underwear. Before Changmin can move, Yunho kicks off his own clothes as he crawls over Changmin’s body, predator gazing over his prey.
“I hope you know where you are and who you're with right now," Yunho growls, running his hand up Changmin’s leg. He grabs Changmin by the thigh to push one leg to the side, pinning Changmin’s wrist down when Changmin immediately reacts in embarrassment.
Changmin’s already hard, but that isn't anything unexpected. Yunho bites right above Changmin’s knee and continues up Changmin’s inner thigh, leaving a trail of teeth marks on pale skin.
He nudges his nose against one of Changmin’s balls, the sacs heavy and warm, very soft. yunho is usually with women so he forgets how nice it is to be able to see physical evidence of how well he's doing. Giving it a lick, Yunho moves up, ghosting his breath over the length of Changmin’s erection as he skips it altogether to press kisses up Changmin’s tummy and chest.
Finally face to face with Changmin again, Yunho nudges Changmin’s legs even wider apart, hoping that Changmin does feel properly embarrassed and shy. It’s always the shy ones who make the best, most eager noises.
“What would you say if I said I wanted to taste you?" Yunho offers in a dark whisper, forcing Changmin to look into his eyes. “What would you say if I told you I want to eat you out?"
Changmin’s mesmerized by Yunho, lips parted as soft gasps and weak whimpers make their way out of his mouth. He’s heard so many different lines from Yunho before and so he knows how this works but when Yunho whispers words like this into his ear, Changmin finds himself completely helpless.
“Please,” he whispers, begging quietly. He’s embarrassed by how hard he is, eyes closing as the older man licks up his cheek to tug on his ear with his teeth.
Embarrassed as he is by how hard he is, Changmin arches up and kisses Yunho, biting and licking, tasting the metallic tang of blood on his lips as he pulls back and pants for air. He arches off the bed and lets out a soft, shrill scream when Yunho wraps his fingers around his cock and strokes him lazily as if he had all the time in the world to do this.
Changmin chokes and trembles, fingers clawing at Yunho’s hand. he opens his eyes, chest rising and falling frantically as he gazes into Yunho’s eyes, watching the way Yunho slithers down his body and wrenches his legs apart.
Before Changmin can even ask what's going on, he finds himself with his legs spread wide apart and being bent in half, his butt cheeks being spread and groped as Yunho breathes over him.
“Fuck,” Changmin whimpers, keening and writhing on the sheets, fighting as the older man bites into a butt cheek and tells him to keep still and be a good boy.
Yunho holds Changmin’s lower half off the bed, watching as Changmin struggles to breathe and keep his wits about him. Changmin shouldn't bother, he should just give in, but Yunho has to admit that it's turning him on that Changmin’s got so much fire in him.
He sinks his teeth into Changmin’s butt cheek, watching as Changmin bites his own lip like he wants to feel more of it.
Yunho crouches more and hooks Changmin’s knees over his shoulders, supporting Changmin’s weight while getting perfect access to what he wants. Changmin’s hole is already clenching, cutely pink and puckered. Yunho licks his lips hungrily, flicking his gaze to Changmin’s face again, both of his hands sliding down Changmin’s thighs until he's got a firm grip.
“I’ve never seen you quite like this before," Yunho says thoughtfully, "like there's actually something that you want. Could this be what you want, Changmin?”
Yunho spreads Changmin’s butt cheeks apart and leans in to lick hot and wet across Changmin’s hole, the action immediately eliciting a sharp, desperate wail from Changmin’s mouth. It’s immediate, of course it is, but Yunho hadn't expected it to sound so desperate, either.
Yunho does it again, running his tongue over Changmin’s puckered hole, sometimes wagging it back and forth over the clenched muscle, holding Changmin down as he bucks and tries to roll his hips. Yunho never pushes in, he doesn't want to make this too easy, and when Changmin starts to drag the bedsheets clear off the mattress, Yunho decides it's time to stop playing.
“I bet I know what you'd like," Yunho murmurs, biting into the inside of Changmin’s thigh as he slowly lets Changmin down. Dazed whimpers and mewls reach his ears, so cute that he reaches for Changmin’s red, dripping cock again, stroking slow while he plays with all that sticky, yummy precome.
Changmin’s a mess, that's what he is right now. Abdomen coated with precome, all Changmin can do is pant, eyes unfocused and half-lidded as he gazes at Yunho. Changmin’s pale and he's lanky, not a bit of muscle on him at all, but he knows he looks good like this, naked and spread out in their bed. He has to, otherwise, why is Yunho looking at him like this? As if all he wants to do is eat him up?
He lets out another moan as Yunho kisses and bites his way up to his mouth, eyes on Yunho’s sinful mouth and then on the older man himself as he tilts his head forward for a kiss that's softer than he expects.
Yunho gently turns Changmin’s face around again to kiss him, pushing Changmin’s thighs up as he does it. He coats his fingers with lube and gives Changmin the most efficient prep he can manage, fingers rubbing and thrusting and stretching.
He’s been hard for so long now and he wants to devour Changmin, he wants to drink all of him in and know what he tastes like, inside and out. He has to have him, there is no other option.
Yunho positions himself and pushes in without warning, not wanting Changmin to psych himself up for any discomfort. The initial breach must feel like something pretty special because Changmin literally chokes on his own breath and tenses up, forcing Yunho to kiss him hard and bite so that Changmin doesn't go off into his own world.
“Stay with me," he whispers heatedly against Changmin’s lips, cupping his chin with one hand so that Changmin’s forced to stare at him. Yunho pushes in farther, opening Changmin up, filling Changmin’s ass with his cock, angling himself just so so he should be rubbing against Changmin’s prostate.
“Yunho,” he whimpers helplessly, trembling as the older man takes his name to be a cue to kiss him again, his other hand finding its way to his own, loosening the grip he has on the sheets to lace their fingers together.
Changmin’s wheezing a bit, now entirely because of how good he's feeling. He marvels at how smooth the transition from pain to pleasure is, how Yunho always manages to undo him so easily, as if he were a puzzle and Yunho has all the pieces in his hands.
The way Yunho’s hips move, so fluid and smooth, the way he thrusts and puts such power into them, it renders Changmin speechless and incapable of thought. He’s incoherent, screaming into Yunho’s mouth even as the older man's fucking him so deeply.
He’s never been with anyone like this before and he doesn't just mean the sex either. It’s good but it's like Yunho can sense what he wants before he knows it himself, eyes closing as he gasps Yunho’s name the moment the older man's arching him off the bed to curl him against his chest.
Yunho purrs with pleasure as Changmin’s heat encases him tighter than a glove. He feels good, too good, the hairs on the back of his neck standing on end as goosebumps ripple across his skin.
He kisses Changmin again as he thrusts, making sure to roll his hips so that he can rub against Changmin on the inside where it counts, swallowing every moan and pleasure-filled cry of disbelief that leaves Changmin’s mouth. There’s something sensual about the way Changmin grips onto his body with his thighs, or how Changmin’s hands are always on him, in his hair, clawing down his back, touching him ceaselessly as if to make sure he's solid.
Slippery with sweat, Yunho hoists him up higher to bite at his neck and suck down to his nipples, grunting and panting as he pounds into Changmin’s ass. Changmin’s really enjoying this, it's obvious from his erection and all that precome, and Yunho’s glad. But he likes it most when Changmin will look at him so shy and wanton at the same time and cling around his neck to pull him down for kisses, always so wanting and perfect.
Changmin closes his eyes as Yunho whispers his name, feeling as if his body is not his own right now as he clings to Yunho, nails scratching down the older man's back even as he's trying to draw Yunho closer for more kisses.
“Yunho,” he whimpers desperately, feeling the way his orgasm builds, the pleasure burning through him. He feels sick in a way, clawing at Yunho before he twists around in Yunho’s arms, gasping quite suddenly as he arches up and away.
Changmin’s coming with barely a sound, moaning at first and then silent, lips parted as he screams silently, the older man's hips pressed against the hollow of his hips.
Yunho’s always been a good lover, he's the best changmin's ever had in his limited experience and it's got everything to do with the way Yunho tips his head back and kisses him and not so much to do with the way Yunho pounds into him so deeply that it makes his toes curl.
“Yunho,” he breathes out as he's riding the high of his orgasm, eyes fluttering open and close repeatedly before he attempts to focus on the face above his.
Yunho shushes his struggling attempts to make sense of things, gently cupping his face to kiss him. The older man thrusts without rhythm before coming silently, breath held and abdomen tensed so he doesn't lose himself completely to such thick, impossible pleasure.
Hunched over Changmin’s body, Yunho shudders and shields the younger man from the outside world. He always feels fiercely protective when this happens but too often, it's misplaced or unneeded.
Taking a few moments just to breathe, Yunho blinks sluggishly at Changmin’s face, gently brushing back Changmin’s sweaty hair. It’s sticking to his face and obviously uncomfortable but Changmin’s still holding onto him too tight to do it himself. Yunho doesn't mind doing it, he likes this part a lot, smiling to himself as he gently tucks Changmin in and presses kisses to his skin.
once he feels a bit more composed himself, Yunho sits back and pulls out. Changmin’s hole looks red and abused, still clenching every now and then. It makes Yunho want him again.
Instead, he lazily drapes himself over Changmin’s body like a blanket, happy to snuggle in and rest.
“What about the mandoo and meat buns?” Changmin asks, words slurring a bit.
“What about them?” Yunho asks back, “I’m full already,” he murmurs, kissing Changmin on the forehead.
Needless to say, the mandoo never gets made that night and the meat buns are saved for the weekend after for when they’re both free and in less of a rush to have sex.
- - -
Perhaps it’s inevitable that Changmin asks to be brought to the underground market. He’s always been curious, especially when it comes to secrets Yunho might be keeping from him and even if it’s illegal, if they’re careful about it, they won’t get caught. That was the exact line of reasoning he had given to Yunho and despite the older man’s constant refusal, he’d finally agreed to it and Changmin’s got his wish.
The underground market isn’t glamorous. To say that it’s frantic and dirty and a complete mess would be an understatement. Where the dissection room Yunho brought him to was clean and orderly, the warehouse where the bidding takes place is borderline filthy and organized chaos at best.
There’s no table for the bodies to lie on but there’s a tarp that crinkles when stepped on and Changmin assumes that it’s good enough. The process to get in here was surprisingly hard and Changmin’s not sure he’d remember how to do it even if he were to want to come again. Yunho’s told him that the location always changes, probably for them to avoid government detection but also because it keeps things exciting.
“Three bodies up for sale,” the man in the front sales. He’s got a knife in hand, sharper than any used in a proper dissection room and he points it at them as he talks. “Two male and one female.” He points at the first body, all three of them nude and without a cloth to hide even their faces, “that one hung himself, second one drowned in the pool and the last one had a heart attack. Needless to say, heart’s not viable on that one but the rest is fresh.”
Changmin’s huddling around the bodies along with everyone else in the room, Yunho by his side. He’s got himself a paddle, number five, and he knows exactly what he wants. Yunho’s given him free reign of choice of meat for dinner this time, probably because the older man is still a bit guilty about the mandoo mishap but Changmin doesn’t mind so much. He knows exactly what he wants and he even has a recipe to go with it.
As soon as the knife goes up in the air, Changmin holds his paddle up high, blessing his deceased parents for his height and long limbs that allow him first bid on the body that he wants.
“Blood,” he says breathlessly, smiling as Yunho watches on. “I want all the blood. Give me the lungs of the one who hung himself, the heart of the one who drowned and two pounds of meat from the heart attack victim.”
The man with the knife gestures for those behind him to get to work on his order but not before asking exactly what Changmin plans to do with all of that food.
“Going to make blood pudding,” Changmin says, making his way through the crowd for his order. He finds himself smiling. “It’s our favorite.”
pairing : changmin/yunho
rating : nc-17
summary : it’s a dog eat dog world. in 2814, it’s a human eat human world.
a/n : originally written for kpop_olymfics challenge for team ausome. beta'd by the amazingly patient loveclouds who held my hand through this and listened to me whine incessantly about how i really needed to get this done for weeks. fic is a result of numerous episodes of hannibal (which you should all watch!), my morbid interest in dead things and my great love of apocalypse/dystopia AUs.
warning : do not read if you’re eating, planning to eat or have just eaten. otherwise, bon appetite! also, it goes without saying that no harm was done to anyone or anything over the course of this fic. all fake!
“The first thing I have to tell you all is that there will be no killing of any sort in my classroom, I’m not here to help you obtain the meat but to use the meat. Second, and this should go without saying, nothing here is vegetarian.”
Laughter fills the room and Changmin finds himself chuckling along with the twenty-two other students seeking guidance in cooking, a bit uneasy still as papers are handed out of the recipe they’ll be tackling today.
Haggis. Haggis??
“Now you’ll probably be wondering what in the world is haggis,” the instructor says right on cue and Changmin nods his head wordlessly, eyes suddenly honed in on the many trays sitting on the front kitchen counter. “Haggis is a very popular Scottish dish containing the heart, liver and lungs of, traditionally speaking, a sheep. In our case, we’ll be using the heart, liver and lungs of...” the instructor pauses here and takes a look at his notes, “of a seventeen year old female, expiration due to a car accident. Accidentally I do hope,” he murmurs, “one can never really tell these days.”
Changmin barely listens as the instructor continues to list the rest of the ingredients, some onion and oatmeal along with various spices and stock. It’s a pudding, the instructor says and Changmin feels his stomach flop over as the cover of the trays are removed and a fresh array of ingredients are shown.
“I know some of you may be knew at cooking with human meat,” the instructor says, “and so we’re starting off easy. The lungs, liver and heart of humans are very similar and nearly indistinguishable from those of pigs. If it’ll make you feel more at ease, think of it not as a human liver but as a pig’s.”
Somehow, as Changmin receives his very pink and still warm pieces of meat, he thinks that it’s going to be hard to think of this as anything but human no matter what the instructor says.
Yunho-sshi, as the instructor insists on being addressed as, tells them that when prepping lungs at home, not to attempt to vacuum-pack the leftovers for they’ll blow up in a very unappealing manner. Changmin takes his word for it, unable to imagine ever shopping for a lung in the markets anyway, and reaches for his knife.
“Simply wrap them with some saran wrap or ziplock them and pop them into the freezer,” Yunho-sshi tells them, “and they’ll remain fresh and ready for use after a quick defrosting. By the way,” Yunho-sshi continues to say, “the lungs are hot, as in they’re fresh out of the body. These were delivered only a few moments ago.”
Right, Changmin thinks as his grip tightens on the knife in his hand. Hot lungs. Even just a year ago, Changmin would’ve laughed at the idea of himself attending a cooking class, much less a cooking class on how to use human meat but times are changing and he’s got to change with them.
It’s surprisingly easy to cut into the meat as there is very little resistance, though Changmin isn’t sure what he was expecting since it’s a piece of meat on his cutting board and not as if he’s actually removing the lung from the human itself. There are rules in place for that sort of thing, many rules in fact and an entire building in the center of the city that deals with organ retrieval. Changmin’s heard that they’ll accept a body with no questions asked as long as the body parts are still viable. There’s very little blood as well and there’s no distinguishable scent, none that Changmin can smell at the least.
Perhaps that’s the most frightening thing about all of this for Changmin, how easy it is to convince himself that it’s normal to take a knife to a human heart and mince it. Or perhaps it’s even more frightening that he can taste it as he’s cooking, a spoon used to scoop up the mixture of meat and sauteed onions, and have his first thought be delicious.
- - -
The year is 2814 and Changmin’s turning twenty-seven. His parents passed away a decade ago and he lives alone now. They died before the government decided to adopt the human rule, thank goodness, because as dire as the circumstances seem, he doubts his parents could’ve been convinced to eat a human.
It was controversial, as all government rulings are but Changmin supposes that when the government suddenly declares it legal to consume human organs, an uproar should be expected. It seemed to be a simple declaration but there had been rumblings for a while about such a law being passed. It was one of those things that no one thought would actually happen, much like how universal healthcare was discussed for years before the government seriously considered it and wrote it into law. There was a lot of talk, followed by a lot of debating before the law was announced but surprisingly (or not), there was very little talk of morals. That seemed to have disappeared from most radars after the apocalypse that hit thirty years ago.
Everyone always said that the world would end in a burst of flames, well, the flames happened but the world didn’t end. Humanity might’ve, as some would argue, but the world didn’t end and humans continued to exist. What didn’t exist were animals. Pigs, deers and even pigeons ceased to exist. Over the course of twenty-four hours - the full duration of the apocalypse - every other species besides homosapiens disappeared.
Most had thought the world would end, Changmin did, and like those that thought the end was coming, he had partied till he collapsed from a weed-induced high. To say he was surprised when he woke to see the sun would be an understatement. Those that didn’t think the world would actually end had hid in expensive shelters and rooms built far underground with a stockpile of food that lasted five years or so and when they emerged, hungry and frightened of light, they were shocked to find that everyone else was not only surviving but thriving.
In the beginning, things weren’t bad. There was chaos, as expected, but the government had quickly stepped in with plenty of men with guns and things were kept in a somewhat orderly fashion. With the animals inexplicably gone, most turned into vegetarians. That worked for a while, two years at least, until there were rumblings of vegetable shortages, not enough produce to suddenly feed an entire world’s population of vegetarians. Then, there were rumblings of scientists doing their best to clone animals, a sheep or a duck or even a rat, and that worked as well, for the insanely rich who could afford to pay a few thousand dollars for a test-tube drumstick. Then came rumblings of something that everyone should’ve foreseen. In simplest terms, it’s survival of the fittest, humans eating humans. Fight or flight, as Changmin learned at an early age.
It was frowned upon at first but slowly, more and more people bought into the thought of eating a fellow human. After all, if one’s neighbor has already died, what’s the harm in taking a nibble?
- - -
The market in itself is apparently daunting enough that it merits a trip of its own.
Changmin signed up for this class with hopes that it would put him at ease with handling human meat and while he can’t say that it has just yet, he did manage to stomach the entire meal of haggis that they made in class for dinner. It was surprisingly moist and delicious. Like Yunho-sshi had said it would, it soaked up all the stock and was far more flavorful than anything Changmin could’ve made himself.
Yunho-sshi, dressed to the nines in a pair of dark blue slacks and a collared shirt, takes them on a tour of one of the biggest meat markets downtown. The entire market is temperature controlled to ensure that the meat remains as fresh as possible and all consumers are encouraged to bring their own bags for shopping, ice packs provided for a small fee if one is not brought. Apparently, human meat expires at a quicker rate than that of any animal or perhaps the government prefers to err on the side of safety by telling its people to always keep their meat cooled if not refrigerated.
Changmin lags behind most of the group, not entirely interested in this tour since he’s been here himself numerous times because of his work. He’s a government employee, a job that his parents would’ve frowned upon if they were still alive. He works at the DOH, the Department of Health, the government body that regulates human meat sold to the public. He doesn’t actually handle the meat himself, he doesn’t think he could stomach that, but he works in the office directly responsible for signing off on the bodies and while it’s not the ideal job he always wanted, it pays.
Another reason the government had decided to legalize the selling of human meat was jobs. Overnight, thousands of jobs were created. There was a sharp increase in need of drivers for delivering bodies between departments and most importantly, there was a need for medical professions trained especially in handling the bodies and separating the edible meat from the inedible.
Changmin majored in economics but like most of his generation, he now works a government job that he’s both over and under-qualified for.
It’s actually quite impressive that in such a short amount of time, the government has not only made the consumption of human meat orderly but normal as well. Nothing about it is disgusting or off-putting, and there’s an incredible ease to buying the meat that most hadn’t expected there to be.
Since it’s all government regulated, the meat is packaged uniformly in either saran wrapped sets of two or vacuum-packed sets of three. There’s an option of buying meat lean or fat as there always was and while there’s no longer a seafood department in the stores, there are professionals on hand to help with bone cutting for those who wish to make their own stock at home.
The government thought of it all and perhaps that’s why something that was once thought of as so taboo is now thought of a typical. A meal of human thigh meat is no longer strange or out of the ordinary.
At 5pm on a weekday, the market is full of people. There are housewives and business folks alike, shopping for their dinner or weekly meals. Changmin’s been to this particular market many times before since it’s the one closest to his residence and so he lags behind the rest of the group, content to listen as Yunho-sshi points out the best cuts of meat.
“Changmin-sshi?” The instructor says, startling him when he appears with a smile, “I see you haven’t picked a meat yet?”
Changmin’s basket if full of mushrooms at the moment, a few bananas and some spices as well but no meat.
“Ah, I haven’t settled on what I’d like to make yet,” Changmin says, staring at the rows of meat on display.
“What type of cuisine do you like? Perhaps I can help,” Yunho-sshi murmurs, standing beside him, “that’s what I’m here for, Changmin-sshi, there’s no need to be shy.”
Truth be told, it isn’t that Changmin hates human meat, he doesn’t think it tastes bad, especially not when cooked properly which is why he’s in this class in the first place. He was always a rubbish cook, living off ramen and take-out in University until the apocalypse happened and even those options were taken away from him. Expenses grew higher and the cost of living is far more than anyone could’ve expected.
“I’m not...good at this,” Changmin finally manages to say, “it isn’t just the meat issue, it’s that I’m not good at cooking.”
Yunho-sshi nods his head in understanding, rocking back and forth on his heels before he reaches out and takes a healthy-looking red piece of meat off the shelf, “Breast meat,” he says with a warm smile, “easy to prep and easy to cook. You can stir-fry it or bake it in the oven and serve it on top of a bed of pasta.”
It’s still cold when Changmin takes it in his hand, the meat squishy as all raw meat are, and he nods his head in thanks. “Do I cut it up into cubes?” He asks, thankful that in a class of so many, the instructor still takes his time out to talk to them one-by-one.
Yunho-sshi laughs for the first time and Changmin finds it a bit brilliant, the way Yunho-sshi’s teeth seem to gleam and he wonders if there’s bleaching of some kind involved or if Yunho-sshi was blessed with teeth that white from birth.
“Cubes will work just fine, Changmin-sshi. Dice them or slice them, all meat needs is some seasoning. A little salt and pepper will do the trick. Now heat your pan properly and add some oil after, breast meat doesn’t take long to cook.”
“You make it sound so easy,” Changmin says quietly, dropping the meat into his basket. It sits on top of all his other groceries, breast written in large block letters, the ink black enough for Changmin to tell that it had been printed and labelled within the hour.
It isn’t Yunho-sshi’s obvious knowledge of cooking that makes everything sound easier, it’s the softness of his voice and the way he smiles that makes it seem like a walk in the park. Changmin can see why the government may have chosen Yunho-sshi as an instructor. He has a way of making people feel comfortable with things that they wouldn’t normally be comfortable with. Like buying breast meat to sauté and serve with pasta.
“That’s because it is easy,” Yunho-sshi murmurs, taking a step closer towards him, “if you’re willing to stay behind after class is over, I can write down the instructions step by step for you and if it doesn’t work out, then I’ll teach you how to do it myself. Deal?”
Changmin’s cheeks heat up in a way that they shouldn’t, not at his age, and he nods his head, “That would be great, thank you, Yunho-sshi.”
The instructor smiles at him once more before he leaves to attend to another student, turning back at one point to direct Changmin towards the aisle with pasta in case he doesn’t have any at home and Changmin wonders if he’s thinking too much of it. It’s been a while since he’s entertained thoughts of dating but he can’t help the way his eyes follow Yunho-sshi’s butt as he walks away, turning the corner immediately when Yunho-sshi turns as if he could feel his gaze.
Diced breast with pasta it is, Changmin thinks as he bends to pick up some spaghetti, ears red and face warm. Somehow, he senses that even if the recipe Yunho-sshi gives him is easy, he’s going to mess it up, on purpose or not.
- - -
“It burned,” Changmin says at the end of the next class.
Yunho-sshi raises an eyebrow, leaning forward on the counter as the last of his other students leave the room, “The meat? You burned breast meat?”
Changmin didn’t but he says he does anyway, nodding his head in response.
“Must’ve been horrible,” Yunho-sshi murmurs as if he sympathizes even though Changmin can see the smile that he’s trying to hold back, “charred and tough?”
Changmin nods his head again, holding onto the container of tandoori liver that they cooked today.
“A promise is a promise,” Yunho-sshi says as he packs up the rest of his supplies, knives and chopping board going under the sink that he locks with his ID card. “Are you free this Friday night? I’ll meet you at the market and we’ll shop for a meal together. My treat, of course.”
“I can split the bill with you,” Changmin says, mindful of the costs of meat and groceries these days.
“If you wish,” Yunho-sshi says in agreement, “I must insist that we do this at my apartment then. It doesn’t make sense to buy seasoning when I’ve got everything necessary at home already.”
That solves it then. It’s a date. They exchange numbers easily, agreeing on a time to meet before he leaves. He finds himself looking forward to dinner on Friday, mainly because it’s his first date in years but also because with Yunho-sshi cooking, it’s going to be delicious. Human meat or not, when food tastes that good, Changmin doesn’t think that anyone would question the origin of the meat.
- - -
They settle on loin. It’s one of the more expensive cuts of meat for a reason that Changmin is unaware of, $15 a pound as compared to $10 for the breast . Yunho-sshi assures him that there’s enough meat there for more than one meal which Changmin is thankful for.
Meat’s expensive these days. It always was but before the Big Boom happened, there were at least options as to different types of meat. Chicken was cheaper than pork which was cheaper than beef but there’s none of that anymore. The shelves are filled with livers, hearts, lungs and spleens. There isn’t a type or a species, it’s all human so there’s no need and as a result, it all costs the same.
There’s government regulation for prices, of course. Every market sells their breast meat at the same cost per pound so to keep food affordable but it’s still costly and Changmin finds himself regretting his suggestion to pay for half the food when the bill comes out to $50 plus change.
Yunho-sshi, who insists on being called Yunho outside of the classroom, tells him that they’ll be having roast loin which is actually thigh meat.
“The thigh bone is typically one and half inches diameter by eighteen inches long,” Yunho says as he takes the meat out of its bag, kept cool by the ice packs he had brought with him. “We’ll stuff the meat with a mixture of spinach and mushroom, and we’ll wrap the roast with some thin slices of hind meat that I’ve already cured. Tastes just like prosciutto.”
Truthfully, it sounds good. Changmin has his doubts it’ll taste like prosciutto though when nothing he’s eaten thus far tastes quite like chicken but it’s Yunho and everything Yunho’s made for them in class so far has been delicious.
“The trick to perfecting a good roast lies in the stuffing,” Yunho says as Changmin inches forward to stand by his side, staring into the pan of butter and mushroom that’s already cooking away, “once the moisture is released from the mushrooms and reabsorbed, season it with some garlic, salt and pepper.” Yunho takes hold of Changmin’s hand, fingers wrapped loosely around his wrist so that he can guide Changmin towards the pan handle. “It’s easy, Changmin,” he repeats, “it’s not always about the meat, sometimes it’s about what you do with the meat and what you pair it with.”
“Everything sounds better when you say it,” Changmin murmurs, watching as Yunho blends the breadcrumbs and spinach with the mushrooms they just cooked, “less barbaric.”
“That’s because I don’t think of it as barbaric,” Yunho replies, stopping the food processor so that he can focus on Changmin for a moment, “you struggle with this don’t you? Eating something that could’ve been a someone that you knew?” He smiles patiently and not for the first time, Changmin feels silly. “Children are being born every minute and they’re being raised in a society that tells them eating human meat is normal. The part that you’re focusing too much on is the human aspect when really, we should be grateful that not only are we still alive post-apocalypse but we’re thriving enough to have children. No one really knows how much longer we’ll survive or when the next boom will hit us and right now, we’re doing the best that we can with the resources that we have.”
Changmin’s heard all of this before. As a government employee, he’s sat through hours of lectures about the rights and wrongs of consuming human meat. It’s basically a requirement for an employee to sign away their morals when working for the government but this is the first time he’s heard it in a manner that makes him less wary.
“Think of it as a donation,” Yunho murmurs, “think of the people that would starve if we didn’t have meat. Sure, there’s mushrooms and carrots, but how long would that sustain a population in the billions? In the end, regulating the sale of meat was the only thing the government could do, Changmin-ah. You work in the Department of Health, right? You know this. With the rules that we have in place now, we have order. “
“Yeah,” Changmin says because he does know this, “it’s just-,”
“Weird?” Yunho says, pulling Changmin’s wrist gently so that he’s closer, “it doesn’t have to be. It tastes good doesn’t it? Focus on that instead. You don’t have to think of where it comes from, you just need to think of how it feels in your mouth and how good it tastes. Like this stuffing, doesn’t it smell good?” he asks, holding up a spoonful for Changmin to taste. “Doesn’t it taste good? It’ll be even better with the meat, you know that.”
Changmin sucks on the tip of the spoon before he chews, the mushroom and spinach mixture as delicious as Yunho says it’d be, but what makes his stomach growl is the idea of this stuffed into the loin and roasted with the prosciutto-like meat on top of it. In fact, as he helps with the stuffing, he decides that there’s nothing else he could want for dinner but this.
- - -
Seven weeks after Changmin’s first cooking lesson, he leaves with a wider range of dishes under his belt and a lover that has a penchant for blood pudding.
“This is quite romantic,” Changmin says as he meets Yunho in front of Building 165 in the government blocks, “I’ve been asked to the movies and to museum exhibits before but never to sit in on a dissection.”
Yunho reaches out to lace his fingers with Changmin’s as he nudges the younger man in the side, “We don’t have to do this if you’re not comfortable with it.”
Changmin smiles wryly at Yunho because they both know that he never would’ve agreed if Yunho hadn’t asked while he was on his knees, mouth full of cock, but he’s here regardless of how comfortable he might and might not be with the idea of a dissection.
What he has become used to is the idea of consuming human meat. He won’t say he’s entirely comfortable with it but these days, he can stroll through the aisles of the supermarket alone and pick out a piece of packaged meat without Yunho’s help. He’s still incapable of cooking an actual meal that’s more to do with his lack of skills and not his unease with meat.
The fact that Yunho’s a part-time instructor of cooking classes that deal especially with human parts helped Changmin become accustomed to it. He only recently discovered that Yunho’s a government employee just like him, an ex-medical examiner who now works in the Retrieval Department that deals with the testing of incoming bodies for diseases.
The best thing about the government regulated sale of humans is knowing that no matter what is bought, it’s safe for consumption. The meat goes through a thorough round of testing for basic illnesses and every body is checked for immunization of diseases. Yunho’s explained to him before that they check for diseases that have long been eradicated as well to be safe, like AIDS and various types of cancers, along with STDs.
“Really,” Yunho insists, “we don’t have to do this.”
Changmin pulls at Yunho’s hand as he enters the building, his ID hanging around his neck so that they know he’s a government employee like them. Sitting in on dissections isn’t illegal but it’s not strictly legal either. It’s a bit of a grey spot in the system since only those with licenses are allowed to touch the bodies when they’re whole like this. Yunho’s got a license to do so but he’s said before that he prefers not to do it since it’s such a tough, hands-on job.
There aren’t any civilians allowed in the dissection room which doesn’t surprise Changmin since the government has always been very careful to make the act of purchasing human meat less personal and more clinical. Buying meat that’s been pre-cut and packaged neatly is far more welcoming than having people hold up bidding cards the way they do it in the underground markets. Changmin’s never been but Yunho let slip once that he’s gone before. Changmin didn’t press for details since Yunho didn’t volunteer any, odd since Yunho’s normally very chatty but it’s obvious as to why Yunho said nothing.
Underground markets are illegal. The government doesn’t care much for it at the moment because the market is still small enough that only a select few know of its existence and those that do know of its existence take great care to keep information between those that can be trusted. Bodies that the government doesn’t deem healthy enough are sometimes sold at the markets but more often than not, it’s the fresh bodies, the kind that still bleed red when cut into, that underground markets specialize in. It doesn’t get any fresher or better than being able to personally choose the cut and part of the organ one needs.
Bodies are often brought in straight after retrieval at households and from there, they’re quickly bathed and inspected with over the counter needle kits, the most basic of hygienic care. They are then cut on the spot and after an examination by those interested in purchasing, the parts are sold one by one. It’s almost a first come first serve process, with those willing to pay the most allowed the first cut.
Truth be told, there’s a lot of waste that goes on with government regulated bodies. There are parts of the human that they deem invaluable, the intestine for example and the eyes, things that most people wouldn’t eat. There simply isn’t enough demand for the government to start selling those parts and so they don’t. It’s easier and cheaper to dispose of those parts than to sell them to such a niche group of consumers. At the end of the day, it’s a business and Changmin can admire how smart the government is about it. What the government doesn’t sell though, the underground markets do. Intestines and skin, the gall bladder and fingers, every part of the human body is sold as long as someone wants it.
However, the most intriguing part of the underground market is also the most unethical. Contract kills. Changmin’s heard rumors of it before and he didn’t believe them but Yunho’s silence was more than enough to convince him. Contract kills, regardless of purpose, will always be taboo but in a black market that caters to the rich, anything can be bought. Looking for a high school sweetheart or a long lost friend? The underground market is the place to go. They’ll deliver to your front steps if paid well enough, body cleansed and tested, parts nearly all prepped for cooking. Changmin’s heard of scorned lovers paying for the heart of their beloved and he’s heard of enemies dining on each other’s livers. Unethical and all the more valuable of a service because of it.
Changmin wouldn’t admit it to Yunho but he’s intrigued by the black market. He’s always been a straight-laced sort of fellow and so to imagine himself walking into an illegal underground market appeals greatly in a dangerous way. That’s why he’s agreed to sit in on a dissection. It’s the closest he’ll get to a dead body and as gruesome as it might sound to the typical person, Changmin’s come to appreciate his food, thanks in part to Yunho and his teachings.
He’s surprised by how eerily similar the dissection room is to that of an operation room in a hospital. They’re seated behind a glass window that allows them to see into the room as if they’re watching a sports game. Instead of the field, there’s a steel table and instead of a football, there lies a body covered with a white cloth, toes sticking out.
“What’s that?” Changmin asks quietly, pointing at the tag that’s looped around the big toe.
“ID,” Yunho replies, “every process that the body goes through is observed by the regulations committee and there’s a barcode on it that we’re to scan before anything happens so if something goes wrong, they can trace it back to the specific section and person that handled the body.”
Changmin whistles softly, mindful of the fact that he might be considered a disturbance if he makes too much noise. They’re the only ones sitting in on this particular dissection and as Changmin watches the man in the glass room take a scalpel to the skin, he feels a tingle down his spine, leaning in closer to Yunho until the older man releases his hand to wrap an arm around his waist instead.
The first thing that comes to mind about the dissection is how methodical it all is. There’s a team of three in the dissection room, two helpers and a handler that deals directly with the body. There’s a woman in blue scrubs that holds out a tray for the new organs and Changmin finds that there’s far more work involved in a dissection than he originally thought.
As soon as the handler cuts deep enough into the body so that he can crank the ribcage open, Changmin has to turn away, able to hear the wet sounds and suction of the tubes as the blood is vacuumed out. The trio works as a team, often calling out the body parts as they’re being removed and subsequently taken through the steps of sterilization.
So much is going on that Changmin doesn’t know where to look until Yunho directs his attention to the body where the handler is currently elbows deep with his hands in the body. They’re going in for the heart and lungs. Changmin watches with morbid fascination now, unable to look away as a helper provides a hand in cutting through the thick muscles and tendons of the body, so much of the human going to waste as the handler locates the heart and lungs.
There’s a surprising lack of blood, probably due to the suctioning but the heart itself is a lot less red than Changmin thought it might be. It’s dulled, a darker and faded shade of red that he wouldn’t normally associate with blood. Everything is much smaller in size than Changmin anticipated.
“They’re so flat,” Changmin says of the lungs, not surprised when Yunho tells him it’s because there’s no longer any air in them.
“See how pale they are?” Yunho says, unable to hide the tremor of excitement in his voice, “They’re pink and orange in color. That’s a sign of a healthy pair of lungs. He wasn’t a smoker.”
“No one is these days,” Changmin says. Not after the strict laws passed by the government about smoking since they tend to render lungs inedible. “Where does the waste go?”
Yunho shrugs and points to the biohazard can next to the handler. “The government disposes of them,” he says, “there’s an incinerator in the building and after every dissection, the spare bits like the skin and fat are burned.”
For the rest of the dissection, whether it’s due to his curiosity or genuine interest, Changmin remains quiet, more than engaged by everything happening in the room. Gross or not, it’s fascinating.
- - -
In the summer of 2815, the government finally passes a law that everyone had been expecting for a long time now. Effective immediately, all citizens must sign over the rights to their bodies post-death. Not for medical research purposes but for organ retrieval.
There are voices of dissent as there always are and Changmin finds it most stressful that he has to walk past the protestors on his way to work. More than once, he’s been heckled and there’s been a couple of times where he was physically attacked as well. It isn’t as if he has any say in it, he works for the government but he isn’t the government. It’s not as if the law took anyone by surprise either but the fact that the government demanded such a thing was a clear abuse of power and a violation of human rights, according to the opposition.
Changmin doesn’t know which side he takes on the matter but he does know that regardless of the law, the government’s been taking bodies for years now and the law only prevents the families from demanding excessive money from the government. There’s a flat fee paid to the families of the deceased now, $500 in check or cash. It used to be $350 but the government increased the amount due to inflation.
Bodies are taken right after death is announced either at the hospital or at home. A receipt is given on the spot and the check is mailed, received no later than two weeks post-mortem. The body then goes through the process and within a day, will be on the shelves and available for purchase. It’s a bit morbid when thought of that way but the government does take steps to ensure that the bodies are delivered to a different precinct to be sold so that the family won’t mistakenly cook their relative in a stew or as a burger.
- - -
On the anniversary of their first date, Yunho brings Changmin to the market once again, telling him that they’re going to cook a meal together like they often do these days. Because it’s their anniversary, Yunho’s promised him a meal of mandoo and meat buns, Changmin’s favorites. He hasn’t made them by hand before but he frequently buys them from the corner restaurant two blocks from his job. They’re cheap, made of leftover scraps of meat but they’re so delicious when fried or even steamed.
“It’s healthier this way,” Yunho tells him as they shop side by side, cart in front of them, “at least we can control what mixture of meat goes into the filling.”
Changmin snorts and gives Yunho a look as he points at their cart. There’s a package of ground meat, part unspecified, “How is that any better? I still don’t know what mixture of meat that is, Yunho.”
“I can make it better,” Yunho says in amendment to what he previously announced, “I’m a better cook, you always said that my food is the best, has your opinion changed?”
Changmin swears there’s a pout on Yunho’s face that he ignores, brushing off his boyfriend as he picks up a package of mushroom and fresh chives. “What’ve I said about asking for compliments, Hyung?”
“Nothing that I can remember,” Yunho lies, “or maybe you mentioned it while I was busy slaving away in the kitchen cooking your dinner?”
“Touche,” Changmin mutters under his breath before he fixes Yunho with a smile and declares, “your cooking is the best, Hyung.”
Yunho’s laughter is all Changmin hears as they make their way to the checkout line, paying an exorbitant amount of money for a package of mysterious ground meat to make mandoo and meat buns with.
“You know when you said that there would be cooking involved, I thought you meant you would cook and I would eat as per usual,” Changmin groans as he stands in the kitchen in a t-shirt and jeans, bangs clipped back so that they don’t get in the way while he wraps the mandoo.
“Where’s the fun in that though?” Yunho asks, covering Changmin’s mouth with a floured hand so that the younger man can’t reply. “You’re always complaining about how hard it is to cook but mandoo is easy,” Yunho says, sliding behind Changmin. “I’ll teach you, Changmin-ah, you always saying that I’m a good teacher.”
With all the ingredients for mandoo-making laid out in front of them on the counter, Yunho slides his hands over Changmin’s wrists, wrapping his fingers around them so that he can guide the younger man towards the knife.
“First step is to dice everything. Your chives, shiitake mushrooms, onions and of course, the meat.”
Changmin ducks his head, the back of his neck tickled from the warmth of Yunho’s breath as he speaks, shifting so that he’s not leaning against the counter but pressed against the hollow of Yunho’s hips instead. “And?” he says, slowly but efficiently taking care of the dicing. It takes him a few minutes but he manages just fine despite the distractions.
“Then we put it all in a bowl,” Yunho murmurs, lips pressed to the curve of Changmin’s ear, “and we mix it together.”
Changmin stubbornly refuses the shiver that his body so obviously wants him to show, biting on his lower lip as he makes to grab his chopsticks for mixing. Yunho beats him to it though, tsking quietly in his ear as he places both their hands into the mixture.
“By hand, silly,” he whispers.
Damn. Damn if Changmin doesn’t push his hips backwards, ass pressing nicely against the hardening bulge he can feel through both their pants.
“How predictable of you to get off on making mandoo, Hyung,” he says, breathless and equally as hard himself.
“I’m getting off on you,” is the reply that Changmin receives and was admittedly waiting for.
Half-made mandoo abandoned on the counter, Yunho walks Changmin to the sink so that they can wash their hands, all the while nibbling on the younger man’s ear and jaw as an early anniversary present to himself.
“Happy anniversary to me,” Yunho murmurs as he turns Changmin around, fingers gripping onto the younger man’s hips as he picks him up so that Changmin can loop his legs around his waist. “Changmin-ah,” he says, eyes darkening as he smirks, “I want a bite of you instead.”
Changmin reacts almost immediately, hands in Yunho’s hair as he kisses the older man, lips pressed to Yunho’s, head tilted so that he can lick easily into Yunho’s mouth from this angle. “Always so hungry,” he whispers in reply, tightening his grip on Yunho’s waist, heels digging into the older man’s ass as Yunho walks them into the bedroom.
Changmin doesn’t get much physical contact outside of their home so it’s always the simplest of touches that sets Changmin off. Yunho slides his palms around Changmin’s sides, running them up Changmin’s tummy and chest so that he can push his shirt up along with it until he's tugging it clear of Changmin’s head. It’s always nice to have a slightly disheveled, blushing Changmin in their bed.
“I’m a growing boy still,” Yunho murmurs, kissing Changmin again, slow and tender.
Changmin winds an arm around Yunho’s neck, fingers pressing gently against Yunho’s nape as he sighs, exhaling slowly and softly as the older man tilts him closer, their hips pressed from side to side.
“Yunho,” he breathes out again, "if you're good, maybe I’ll think about letting you have dessert as well.”
Yunho takes words like that to be a challenge.
Smiling darkly, Yunho kisses Changmin harder, with fuller impressions, his tongue coaxing Changmin’s mouth open wide so he can explore all he wants. Their tongues are wet and almost ticklish when they slide together. Changmin shudders as Yunho gently rakes his nails down Changmin’s back, small gasps and exhales stuttering out of Changmin’s mouth each time.
Fingers at the band of Changmin’s jeans, Yunho pushes them down, making quick work of Changmin’s underwear. Before Changmin can move, Yunho kicks off his own clothes as he crawls over Changmin’s body, predator gazing over his prey.
“I hope you know where you are and who you're with right now," Yunho growls, running his hand up Changmin’s leg. He grabs Changmin by the thigh to push one leg to the side, pinning Changmin’s wrist down when Changmin immediately reacts in embarrassment.
Changmin’s already hard, but that isn't anything unexpected. Yunho bites right above Changmin’s knee and continues up Changmin’s inner thigh, leaving a trail of teeth marks on pale skin.
He nudges his nose against one of Changmin’s balls, the sacs heavy and warm, very soft. yunho is usually with women so he forgets how nice it is to be able to see physical evidence of how well he's doing. Giving it a lick, Yunho moves up, ghosting his breath over the length of Changmin’s erection as he skips it altogether to press kisses up Changmin’s tummy and chest.
Finally face to face with Changmin again, Yunho nudges Changmin’s legs even wider apart, hoping that Changmin does feel properly embarrassed and shy. It’s always the shy ones who make the best, most eager noises.
“What would you say if I said I wanted to taste you?" Yunho offers in a dark whisper, forcing Changmin to look into his eyes. “What would you say if I told you I want to eat you out?"
Changmin’s mesmerized by Yunho, lips parted as soft gasps and weak whimpers make their way out of his mouth. He’s heard so many different lines from Yunho before and so he knows how this works but when Yunho whispers words like this into his ear, Changmin finds himself completely helpless.
“Please,” he whispers, begging quietly. He’s embarrassed by how hard he is, eyes closing as the older man licks up his cheek to tug on his ear with his teeth.
Embarrassed as he is by how hard he is, Changmin arches up and kisses Yunho, biting and licking, tasting the metallic tang of blood on his lips as he pulls back and pants for air. He arches off the bed and lets out a soft, shrill scream when Yunho wraps his fingers around his cock and strokes him lazily as if he had all the time in the world to do this.
Changmin chokes and trembles, fingers clawing at Yunho’s hand. he opens his eyes, chest rising and falling frantically as he gazes into Yunho’s eyes, watching the way Yunho slithers down his body and wrenches his legs apart.
Before Changmin can even ask what's going on, he finds himself with his legs spread wide apart and being bent in half, his butt cheeks being spread and groped as Yunho breathes over him.
“Fuck,” Changmin whimpers, keening and writhing on the sheets, fighting as the older man bites into a butt cheek and tells him to keep still and be a good boy.
Yunho holds Changmin’s lower half off the bed, watching as Changmin struggles to breathe and keep his wits about him. Changmin shouldn't bother, he should just give in, but Yunho has to admit that it's turning him on that Changmin’s got so much fire in him.
He sinks his teeth into Changmin’s butt cheek, watching as Changmin bites his own lip like he wants to feel more of it.
Yunho crouches more and hooks Changmin’s knees over his shoulders, supporting Changmin’s weight while getting perfect access to what he wants. Changmin’s hole is already clenching, cutely pink and puckered. Yunho licks his lips hungrily, flicking his gaze to Changmin’s face again, both of his hands sliding down Changmin’s thighs until he's got a firm grip.
“I’ve never seen you quite like this before," Yunho says thoughtfully, "like there's actually something that you want. Could this be what you want, Changmin?”
Yunho spreads Changmin’s butt cheeks apart and leans in to lick hot and wet across Changmin’s hole, the action immediately eliciting a sharp, desperate wail from Changmin’s mouth. It’s immediate, of course it is, but Yunho hadn't expected it to sound so desperate, either.
Yunho does it again, running his tongue over Changmin’s puckered hole, sometimes wagging it back and forth over the clenched muscle, holding Changmin down as he bucks and tries to roll his hips. Yunho never pushes in, he doesn't want to make this too easy, and when Changmin starts to drag the bedsheets clear off the mattress, Yunho decides it's time to stop playing.
“I bet I know what you'd like," Yunho murmurs, biting into the inside of Changmin’s thigh as he slowly lets Changmin down. Dazed whimpers and mewls reach his ears, so cute that he reaches for Changmin’s red, dripping cock again, stroking slow while he plays with all that sticky, yummy precome.
Changmin’s a mess, that's what he is right now. Abdomen coated with precome, all Changmin can do is pant, eyes unfocused and half-lidded as he gazes at Yunho. Changmin’s pale and he's lanky, not a bit of muscle on him at all, but he knows he looks good like this, naked and spread out in their bed. He has to, otherwise, why is Yunho looking at him like this? As if all he wants to do is eat him up?
He lets out another moan as Yunho kisses and bites his way up to his mouth, eyes on Yunho’s sinful mouth and then on the older man himself as he tilts his head forward for a kiss that's softer than he expects.
Yunho gently turns Changmin’s face around again to kiss him, pushing Changmin’s thighs up as he does it. He coats his fingers with lube and gives Changmin the most efficient prep he can manage, fingers rubbing and thrusting and stretching.
He’s been hard for so long now and he wants to devour Changmin, he wants to drink all of him in and know what he tastes like, inside and out. He has to have him, there is no other option.
Yunho positions himself and pushes in without warning, not wanting Changmin to psych himself up for any discomfort. The initial breach must feel like something pretty special because Changmin literally chokes on his own breath and tenses up, forcing Yunho to kiss him hard and bite so that Changmin doesn't go off into his own world.
“Stay with me," he whispers heatedly against Changmin’s lips, cupping his chin with one hand so that Changmin’s forced to stare at him. Yunho pushes in farther, opening Changmin up, filling Changmin’s ass with his cock, angling himself just so so he should be rubbing against Changmin’s prostate.
“Yunho,” he whimpers helplessly, trembling as the older man takes his name to be a cue to kiss him again, his other hand finding its way to his own, loosening the grip he has on the sheets to lace their fingers together.
Changmin’s wheezing a bit, now entirely because of how good he's feeling. He marvels at how smooth the transition from pain to pleasure is, how Yunho always manages to undo him so easily, as if he were a puzzle and Yunho has all the pieces in his hands.
The way Yunho’s hips move, so fluid and smooth, the way he thrusts and puts such power into them, it renders Changmin speechless and incapable of thought. He’s incoherent, screaming into Yunho’s mouth even as the older man's fucking him so deeply.
He’s never been with anyone like this before and he doesn't just mean the sex either. It’s good but it's like Yunho can sense what he wants before he knows it himself, eyes closing as he gasps Yunho’s name the moment the older man's arching him off the bed to curl him against his chest.
Yunho purrs with pleasure as Changmin’s heat encases him tighter than a glove. He feels good, too good, the hairs on the back of his neck standing on end as goosebumps ripple across his skin.
He kisses Changmin again as he thrusts, making sure to roll his hips so that he can rub against Changmin on the inside where it counts, swallowing every moan and pleasure-filled cry of disbelief that leaves Changmin’s mouth. There’s something sensual about the way Changmin grips onto his body with his thighs, or how Changmin’s hands are always on him, in his hair, clawing down his back, touching him ceaselessly as if to make sure he's solid.
Slippery with sweat, Yunho hoists him up higher to bite at his neck and suck down to his nipples, grunting and panting as he pounds into Changmin’s ass. Changmin’s really enjoying this, it's obvious from his erection and all that precome, and Yunho’s glad. But he likes it most when Changmin will look at him so shy and wanton at the same time and cling around his neck to pull him down for kisses, always so wanting and perfect.
Changmin closes his eyes as Yunho whispers his name, feeling as if his body is not his own right now as he clings to Yunho, nails scratching down the older man's back even as he's trying to draw Yunho closer for more kisses.
“Yunho,” he whimpers desperately, feeling the way his orgasm builds, the pleasure burning through him. He feels sick in a way, clawing at Yunho before he twists around in Yunho’s arms, gasping quite suddenly as he arches up and away.
Changmin’s coming with barely a sound, moaning at first and then silent, lips parted as he screams silently, the older man's hips pressed against the hollow of his hips.
Yunho’s always been a good lover, he's the best changmin's ever had in his limited experience and it's got everything to do with the way Yunho tips his head back and kisses him and not so much to do with the way Yunho pounds into him so deeply that it makes his toes curl.
“Yunho,” he breathes out as he's riding the high of his orgasm, eyes fluttering open and close repeatedly before he attempts to focus on the face above his.
Yunho shushes his struggling attempts to make sense of things, gently cupping his face to kiss him. The older man thrusts without rhythm before coming silently, breath held and abdomen tensed so he doesn't lose himself completely to such thick, impossible pleasure.
Hunched over Changmin’s body, Yunho shudders and shields the younger man from the outside world. He always feels fiercely protective when this happens but too often, it's misplaced or unneeded.
Taking a few moments just to breathe, Yunho blinks sluggishly at Changmin’s face, gently brushing back Changmin’s sweaty hair. It’s sticking to his face and obviously uncomfortable but Changmin’s still holding onto him too tight to do it himself. Yunho doesn't mind doing it, he likes this part a lot, smiling to himself as he gently tucks Changmin in and presses kisses to his skin.
once he feels a bit more composed himself, Yunho sits back and pulls out. Changmin’s hole looks red and abused, still clenching every now and then. It makes Yunho want him again.
Instead, he lazily drapes himself over Changmin’s body like a blanket, happy to snuggle in and rest.
“What about the mandoo and meat buns?” Changmin asks, words slurring a bit.
“What about them?” Yunho asks back, “I’m full already,” he murmurs, kissing Changmin on the forehead.
Needless to say, the mandoo never gets made that night and the meat buns are saved for the weekend after for when they’re both free and in less of a rush to have sex.
- - -
Perhaps it’s inevitable that Changmin asks to be brought to the underground market. He’s always been curious, especially when it comes to secrets Yunho might be keeping from him and even if it’s illegal, if they’re careful about it, they won’t get caught. That was the exact line of reasoning he had given to Yunho and despite the older man’s constant refusal, he’d finally agreed to it and Changmin’s got his wish.
The underground market isn’t glamorous. To say that it’s frantic and dirty and a complete mess would be an understatement. Where the dissection room Yunho brought him to was clean and orderly, the warehouse where the bidding takes place is borderline filthy and organized chaos at best.
There’s no table for the bodies to lie on but there’s a tarp that crinkles when stepped on and Changmin assumes that it’s good enough. The process to get in here was surprisingly hard and Changmin’s not sure he’d remember how to do it even if he were to want to come again. Yunho’s told him that the location always changes, probably for them to avoid government detection but also because it keeps things exciting.
“Three bodies up for sale,” the man in the front sales. He’s got a knife in hand, sharper than any used in a proper dissection room and he points it at them as he talks. “Two male and one female.” He points at the first body, all three of them nude and without a cloth to hide even their faces, “that one hung himself, second one drowned in the pool and the last one had a heart attack. Needless to say, heart’s not viable on that one but the rest is fresh.”
Changmin’s huddling around the bodies along with everyone else in the room, Yunho by his side. He’s got himself a paddle, number five, and he knows exactly what he wants. Yunho’s given him free reign of choice of meat for dinner this time, probably because the older man is still a bit guilty about the mandoo mishap but Changmin doesn’t mind so much. He knows exactly what he wants and he even has a recipe to go with it.
As soon as the knife goes up in the air, Changmin holds his paddle up high, blessing his deceased parents for his height and long limbs that allow him first bid on the body that he wants.
“Blood,” he says breathlessly, smiling as Yunho watches on. “I want all the blood. Give me the lungs of the one who hung himself, the heart of the one who drowned and two pounds of meat from the heart attack victim.”
The man with the knife gestures for those behind him to get to work on his order but not before asking exactly what Changmin plans to do with all of that food.
“Going to make blood pudding,” Changmin says, making his way through the crowd for his order. He finds himself smiling. “It’s our favorite.”