[fanfiction] roses are red, violets may be blue

[brandnewwind]

Title: roses are red, violets may be blue
Group: U-Kiss
Pairing: Shin Soohyun/Shin Dongho
Rating: R for brief scenes.
Warning: Western AU, brothels which disguise as cabarets and this sort of thing. Unbeta-ed. Very long.
Summary: Soohyun has a dreamer "cabaret" entertainer as his protégé.
N/A: Requested by choko_jun, majorly inspired by Ali Project's Lolita in the garret and set in the same universe as Shallow. I recommend you to listen to the song while reading it.
So, it was originaly supposed to be a drabble but, huh, you can see where it got a little out of control. ANYWAY, spent my whole holiday writing this thing but I quite like it ♥ AND IT'S EXACTLY 10.000 WORD LONG, OMG!



He stirred lazily on bed, a soft yawn escaping the rosy yet dry lips. The silky sheets grazed agreeably against his skin and he smiled to himself, barely minding the bitter taste in his mouth. That had been it.

His eyes opened slowly, almost as if afraid of completely unfolding the reality to him, and he stretched his arms gracefully - even his most spontaneous gestures were unconsciously calculated. He blinked and blinked again, the heavy eyelashes fluttering charmingly as he eyes the person before his bed.

“Soohyun oppa, good morning,” he greeted, voice melodic and sleepy.

Soohyun gaped in surprise but smiled and nodded gently. “Did you sleep well, Dongho?”

Twirling in the ever so white sheets, Dongho grinned to himself prettily and propped his chin on his pillow so he’d get a better look at Soohyun. “Mostly so, oppa. Ah! I really think I met him this time, oppa! Isn’t it wonderful?”

He babbled using honorifics only employed by females because he’d learnt to forget how to be a normal boy - he’d been modified to a point he didn’t know himself as the same person he used to be as a child. Not that he paid too much attention to it.

“You did? That’s indeed fantastic,” Soohyun smiled as he organized Dongho’s dressing table - the boy always had the fragrances and jewelry and ornaments mixed - and listened to Dongho’s ever so childish deviations.

He dreamed of princes, fairytales and soul mates and one day, one beautiful day in the most enchanted season of the year, he’d be taken away by the one to whom his heart was fated. Soohyun always listened because that made the boy happy, but his heart lost one of its bits at each new dream being born and then smashed. He feared that, someday, Dongho might just be shattered along with his beautiful musings.

“He was kind and charming and so mysterious,” Dongho kept on, rolling on the mattress and admired Soohyun’s upside down figure and he threw his hands n the air, drawing senseless patterns on the breeze that came in from the window Soohyun had just opened. “Youngil oppa,” he whispered emphatically and demanded his tutor’s - as Soohyun had introduced himself when they met - attention. “Does it sound nice? Choi Youngil and Choi Dongho? It’s my new story.”

Chuckling sadly, Soohyun nodded. “It sounds as adorable as your other fairytales,” he commented and wished Dongho could sense the foreboding in his tone. But he didn’t. He, of course, just gave one of those airy smiles and kicked his heels under the uncountable layers of blankets. “Now you have to get changed. The night will be long again and, if you want to have a walk in the park today, we have to leave in a few moments.”

Placing a hand over his forehead, Dongho sat up and Soohyun, a little flustered, quickly looked away from the pale bare back that was revealed to him. Holding the sheet against his chest, Dongho turned his head back at the tutor with a mischievous little smile. “Turn around, oppa,” he said and sounded like a tease. Soohyun coughed, cheeks tainted red and Dongho giggled at his earnestness. “You can’t look when I’m undressed.”

Readily gazing out at the window, back turned to his protégé, Soohyun enjoyed the wind and let it dry his blush away. There were sounds of fabric rustling widely and steps in his directions and Dongho placed one of his white stockings o his shoulder and ran a finger down his back, which made him flush some more, much to the younger male’s amusement.

“Don’t peek, oppa,” he sung as he opened the closet, entirely nude, and got engaged in finding decent clothes for a walk on the park. Soohyun collected the discarded item from his shoulder and fumbled with it affectionately while the boy couldn’t see.

*

“I can’t eat ice cream, I’m sorry,” Dongho declined Soohyun’s offer with a sad pout, tilting his head to the side. “Sangmi eonni says I’m gaining too much weight,” he continued and saw the man give a reserved raise of brows at him. “Who’s going to want me if I’m fat? Not even Youngil oppa, that’s for sure! Love doesn’t go around horridness,” he said dramatically.

“If you ask me, I think you’re all skin and bones,” Soohyun retorted with a chuckle, ignoring the teenager’s typical unconfident ponderings. “And for all cases, Sangmi says a lot of things that aren’t true,” he said bitterly. Like convincing you you’re a female at some level, like brain washing you that the more you please those men, the bigger will be your chances of ever leaving that place, he wished to add, but kept silent. The filthy woman was a bundle of what she called “pleasant white lies” - Soohyun dreaded them.

The rich ladies and young girls looked at Dongho with curious and disdainful eyes, observed how his arm curled around Soohyun’s and suspected at the way the noble looking man seemed so comfortable walking around with a young boy as intimately as that. Soohyun ignored them and was glad Dongho barely noticed anyone a palm before his nose - they were all poison and fake morals, things he hated with passion, despite making his living out of them, in a way.

Dongho discreetly winced when the man criticized Sangmi in such a harsh way. He disagreed, after all, Sangmi had been his teacher and mentor and had told him so many things he’d never dreamed to know. Just imagining himself without her guidance- he’d be lost, certainly. He would end up like the foreigner young boy who also lived in the cabaret - pitiful, miserable, alienated, forgotten. He shuddered at the thought.

“Well, I don’t want to risk losing my charming prince, not this one,” he shrugged and jumped a little, skipping his next step and earning a reprimanding glance from Soohyun. He giggled and held his arm with both hands warmly. “It’s a pity you weren’t in the house last night, oppa! I wish you had met him, talked to him and saw just how interesting he was.”

Nodding leisurely, Soohyun frowned slightly. He’s heard of just about anyone who put their feet on Sangmi’s cabaret’s floor and Choi Youngil was no exception. Late twenties, son of the prestigious doctor Choi Sukchul, graduated in the Medicine University of Seoul, aspiring to follow his father’s steps. And, just like the many other well born young males, engaged to an equally wealthy and promising lady. A sigh left Soohyun’s lips and he wished those people would stop asking for Dongho, out of the countless entertainers Sangmi trained. His last protégé had met a regrettable end and he didn’t want the story to be repeated.

They neared the tea house and Dongho begged him to take him to it, so they went in. Without even taking a look at the menu, Soohyun mechanically made his order while taking his hat off. “One cup of ginseng tea and,” he took a quick glance at Dongho, immediately remembering, “another one of ume fruit tea,” he concluded, curving his lips up at the waiter. Dongho clapped approvingly.

“Your memory is impressive,” he commented, taking a quick look around the small, rococo styled place with appreciative eyes and resting his cheek on a closed hand. “Oppa is awesome.”

Soohyun sneered but didn’t say anything. They were served and took sips of their respective cups, humming approvingly. Within a few moments, they lost track of their conversation and fell silent. Dongho swirled his drink distractedly and sighed ethereally to no one in particular, attracting Soohyun’s attention.

“Do you think Youngil oppa will come tonight to see me?” he asked all of a sudden, leaning forward onto the small table and lowering the tone of his voice, as if sharing a precious secret.

“Maybe,” his tutor answered. If he’d only seen Dongho once, then, in fact, it would take maybe a couple weeks, a month, if one dared to bet, until he finally got enough of him and went on to the next prostitute he could find. That was how it had always been and he couldn’t realize why Dongho always failed to detect a certain pattern in his costumers’ attitude. “Is it that important for him to come?”

A disbelieving frown adorned Dongho’s features. “Of course,” he said petulantly. “He’s the one, it’s of vital importance that he comes and sees me whenever he’s available. And I made sure to make him want to come back,” he smiled slyly, an expression that betrayed his childish face in a way that displeased Soohyun. “But I know he will.”

“If you say he’ll come, then…” he trailed off and gave a sympathetic smile.

Dongho looked at him with suspicion, eyes glinting in a defiant manner. “Finish your sentence, oppa,” he indulged smoothly but his tone was almost threatening. Soohyun arched one eyebrow.

“Then he will, of course,” he concluded with a curve of lips and no conviction at all, but it was enough to feed Dongho’s illusion on and the boy grinned back. Soohyun just took another sip of his tea.

*

“Posture, Dongho,” Sangmi said for the fourth time as Dongho’s back curved in an unrefined way and the boy hurried to straighten his spine. They were about to leave to the main room and Sangmi inspected them one by one. She got firm hold of Dongho’s chin and took a closer look of his face, a satisfied smile playing on her thin lips. “Youngil sshi will be delighted to see you today, sweetheart. I, too, believe he’s the one.”

Dongho bit his lip and smiled excitedly, keeping still as she gave her critical check on the other boys. She walked slowly from one to the other and a frown formed on her slightly wrinkled forehead. “Where is Kevin? Why isn’t he in the line, Kiseop?” she directed to one of her servants, who stood behind her and dressed in clothes that differed from the other boys, so they’d be easily recognized.

“H-he’s not feeling well today, Sangmi sshi,” the servant said shyly, a little intimidated by the severe expression Sangmi put on after hearing that.

“I don’t recall seeing him well on any day lately,” she said in a calm voice that hid many depths of fury. “How unsophisticated of him. I can’t possibly understand how he thinks he will ever meet a nice gentleman with that attitude,” she walked to side and put her hand on the knob of the door that led to the main salon. “He’ll perform today, anyway,” she turned to Kiseop. “Go to his room and tell him to get ready to sing in half an hour. His loyal clients are all here today, he can’t disappoint,” and the servant was shooed off to Kevin’s installations while she turned to the other boys with a calm smile. “Let’s have a wonderful evening tonight, my dears.”

*

“Soohyun, my young man, I’m amazed by this marvelous investment,” said a chubby, tiny man, shaking Soohyun’s hand effusively with an animated chuckle. “You sure have a witty eye for business, boy,” he gave a vulgar laugh and Soohyun only smiled politely in return. “And your father, is the bank going well?”

“Splendid, sir,” he answered shortly. Before he could be drowned into a tedious conversation about money transactions, Dongho appeared as if by magic and tugged at his hand. “Is something wrong?”

Smiling gracefully at the old man, who showed excitement by his presence, and subtly brushing his hand off of his shoulder, Dongho shook his head and leaned forward, close to his ear. “Come meet him,” he said with a grin.

“Pardon me,” he said to the man and let himself be pulled by the boy, who jumped excitedly and stopped before a tall, charming gentleman. He raised his hand. “Youngil hyung, it’s been a while,” he said jovially though his cheerfulness didn’t quite reach his eyes.

“Soohyunnie, how lovely to meet you again,” Youngil said, something in his voice not sounding quite right, and Soohyun didn’t fail to notice his hand palming Dongho’s thigh.

“You two know each other?” Dongho blinked confusedly, looking back and forth the two men, settling for giving Soohyun an indignant pout. “Why didn’t you tell me before?”

Chuckling calmly, Soohyun pulled his gloves up leisurely. “I didn’t want to ruin the surprise,” he answered, eyes never leaving Youngil’s.

The two of them had frequented the same school and Youngil was his senior by numerous years, but he remembered seeing, when he was about eleven, the man as a teenager running from the school to flirt with the modest young girls who lived in the houses nearby the internship. Soohyun’s father had told him he’d got a couple of them pregnant, but his parents always succeeded in protecting their youngest son’s dirty secrets. Their families were close, so they met in events such as balls, holiday parties and weddings. In one of those occasions, Soohyun, still a child, had seen him kissing the servant’s daughter forcefully while the poor girl tried to wiggle out in vain. Despite his age, he threw himself to Youngil’s back and managed to tear him away from her, but that had tickled the boy’s most primitive instincts and soon Soohyun was being beaten cowardly, barely seeing anything but Youngil all over him as his fists met his stomach. And that was one of the many reasons Soohyun wasn’t precisely fond of the man.

“You sure grew up,” Youngil commented with a whole lot of sarcasm, “put on some weight. I can barely connect you to the pitiful skinny kid who played hide and seek in his pajama with my little sister,” he got a gulp of his scotch. Dongho looked at Soohyun, giggling.

“I can’t see oppa playing with anyone in his pajama,” he said behind his hand and Soohyun rolled his eyes at him.

“Oh, Soohyunnie was a very amusing kid, in spite of being a little ungifted, too,” he told Dongho, eyes darting at Soohyun poisonously. While he’d almost forgotten he could feel repugnance for anyone, Soohyun was glad to open an exception for that hateful man.

“Is your family alright, hyung?” he hurried to ask, eager to drop the subject.

“Mostly normal, a little boring, I would add,” he said and did something with his hands that made Dongho gasp shyly, which Soohyun did his best at ignoring. “What about your father, how is old Shin doing?”

“Incredibly healthy, I think,” he answered and was positively itching to leave them alone. When he had found an excuse to doing so, Sangmi called for Dongho, throwing a nervous look at Soohyun, pointing to Youngil with her head discreetly, entirely too aware of the tension between them. The man raised his hand to calm her down and she seemed relieved as she walked off with Dongho.

Ready to go to the bar, Soohyun was only stopped by Youngil’s amiable voice. “Dongho says you’re his tutor,” he commented casually, rubbing his hands distractedly. Soohyun turned around and eyed him inquiringly. “You sure pick your protégés very well,” he said with irony.

“I sure do, they’re all very promising young boys who shouldn’t be here, in the first place,” he made sure to cut the implications left by Youngil’s dissimulated words. “You are very lucky to have selected him.”

“Believe me, I know that,” an obnoxious sneer formed on his lips and Soohyun winced slightly, unable to disguise his distaste. “Can I just ask something?” and he didn’t wait for approval. “What is he best at? I don’t think I’ll have time to just go experimenting, so I’d like to make things easier.”

Having understood entirely too well what he had meant, Soohyun took a deep breath and balled his hands into fists, trying to keep patient. “I don’t have this sort of relationship with him,” he said shortly, voice sharp.

Youngil laughed amusedly. “You can relax, I’m not one to judge, Hyunnie,” he said but only stopped midsentence when Soohyun only confirmed that he was, indeed, talking seriously. Raising an incredulous brow, Youngil narrowed his eyes full of suspicions. “After all this time with him, you haven’t touched him once? Felt his flesh under your hands?”

“Not once,” Soohyun interrupted, nauseated by the way he spoke. Youngil smiled derisively.

“Not even thought about it?” he asked skeptically and knew he had his strike when Soohyun looked away, unarmed of his arguments. But the man had always been a quick thinker.

“Changing subjects drastically, how is that lovely young woman that goes by the title of your fiancée, hyung?” he asked in the same unpleasant tone Youngil had used the entire night. In fact, Soohyun had that question at the tip of his tongue the whole time, but didn’t have the heart to voice it in front of Dongho. It was probably for the best if he didn’t know.

The confidence disappeared from Youngil’s attitude, even if he refused to let Soohyun visibly notice it. “Euna’s exquisite as always,” he said weakly.

“I suppose she knows about your nocturne activities, is that right?” he said and his eyes sparkled deviously while his body expression remained motionless.

“I guess she acknowledges them in some level,” he mumbled and loosened the knot on his tie subtly, gulping with a little too uneasily.

A grin adorned Soohyun’s lips. “Well,” he started, approaching Youngil and fixing his gloves absent-mindedly, “if you fool Dongho in anyway, make promises you know you won’t keep,” he patted Youngil’s shoulder friendly, though his hand squeezed a little too hard, “then Euna’s father may hear a little something about his stepson-to-be cheating on his daughter with cabaret entertainers - I don’t think the ensuing rumors would do any good to your image as a doctor, hyung.”

He stretched his fingers contently and walked to the bar, as he’d been planning. “Have a wonderful evening,” he said cordially before leaving a gaping Youngil behind.

*

Quietly opening the wooden door, Soohyun slowly entered the small room. Glancing over at the dressing table, he rolled his eyes to no one in particular when he confirmed that it was just as disarranged as always. He put it in order after just a few moments and noticed a folded piece of paper by the edge. Furrowing his eyebrows, he opened it and realized it was a farewell note from Youngil, in which he expressed how sorry he was for leaving all of a sudden, but he had a life to live and Dongho wasn’t part of it.

Smashing the paper with violence, Soohyun took a deep, furious breath. The bastard hadn’t even had the heart to at least say something. However, it was already a start - he wouldn’t come back. But Dongho should never see the offensive note, it was too depreciating to be rejected in such a crude way.

His eyes fell on Dongho, who was fast asleep. He sat beside him, diving into the soft mattress and he watched his protégé’s curled up position, a closed hand held close to his chin as the sheet embraced him oddly. He saw Dongho struggling minimally with the blanket and, blindly sensing heat beside him, he moved closer to Soohyun. As he laid his arm across his tutor’s chest, the sheet rolled off of his shoulder exposing his neck and a good part of his back, making Soohyun flush heavily, heart pounding in his chest.

Dongho was so warm it was distracting him and the distinct scent of sex that lingered in the air only made it harder for Soohyun to breathe. As he tried to set the other back to bed, Dongho curled his leg around his thighs, completely bare and pale and slim and it looked soft, just so soft. In a twisted move of his mind, he pictured himself being one of Dongho’s clients. He saw, for fleeting moments, himself as the one to take him every night, the one to make him scream in unspeakable ways, just like he heard when he stood sickly before the door while the boy had a customer with him, tormenting himself with the melodic moans. And, being held by the boy like that, he didn’t think it was such a horrid thing, like he’d told himself all this time. Reaching for the thigh and caressing the knee with shaky hands, he sighed and licked his dry lips. It could be him the man to have Dongho arching his back into.

His musings were interrupted by a soft, whiny yawn. Moving a little and finding the presence of someone at the morning a foreign experience, Dongho opened his eyes and blinked repeatedly, eyeing Soohyun with confusion.

“Oppa?” he asked, clearly puzzled, and looked down to confirm Soohyun was fully dressed. “Did I sleep with oppa?” his eyes widened.

“No, no,” Soohyun hurried to explain, voice hoarse and failing. “I just set here with you a few seconds ago and you curled against me,” he offered a weak smile.

“Oh,” Dongho said, not moving and then glancing at Soohyun’s hand on his knee. A smile grew on his lips. “Why are you touching me?” he asked with pouty lips and round eyes, playfully rubbing against Soohyun, not entirely realizing just how serious the man was taking his acting. “Does oppa want to feel me up?”

“Would you object?” the question left his lips before Soohyun could bite it back. He stared at Dongho, eyes wide open in something that resembled despair, regretting having been so careless and so diligent as that.

Instead of demonstrating abomination, Dongho just leaned back slightly without breaking eye contact and letting the blankets fall off and fully reveal his unclothed chest. “I don’t mind if it’s Soohyun oppa,” he reasoned and something in his tone almost begged Soohyun to spread his legs and thrust into him right then and there. After swallowing breathlessly, Soohyun got hold of his wrists and made him hug his blanket tight against his body.

“I-I can’t look while you’re undressed,” he sounded choking and quickly rolled off the bed, going to the window as Dongho looked under heavy eyelashes at his figure. “Get changed and we’ll go on a trip today.”

While Dongho would normally be excited about the idea of going to the countryside, now he just felt immensely disappointed and empty. Without toying animatedly with Soohyun as he usually did, he recollected himself from the bed and silently opened his closet.

*

“Have you seen Youngil?” Dongho asked, biting his lip anxiously. It had been the fourth consecutive night in which the man hadn’t visited the cabaret and Dongho was growing nervous. A petite part of him had been expecting for that to happen at some point, but not that soon. Had he said or done something wrong? Wasn’t he enough?

Sangmi hesitated and gave a sympathetic small smile, palming his jaw line. “I’m afraid he won’t come back anymore, my dear,” she stroked his arm soothingly. “I’m sorry, but I’m sure you’ll find your prince any day,” she said and almost nudged him to go back to the main room, but he was immobile.

“He… won’t come?” his voice was very thin and very uncharacteristic. Had Sangmi had the ability to feel compassion, her heart would be crushed to see the glassy eyes looking at her with the slightest string of hope just waiting to be torn. She shook her head mournfully in respect for the death of yet another dream and walked past him.

“You can… Just go to your room, no one likes a crying kitten,” she closed the door behind her and called for Kiseop, who had learned how to always be there whenever she needed. “Call Soohyun, I can’t bring myself to care if he’s not available. Dongho will only be seeing him for quite a few days.”

*

Frowning when Sangmi’s servant knocked on his office’s door, Soohyun walked around his table, which hosted piles and more piles of paper work.

“Kiseop sshi?” he raised a brow questioningly.

“Sangmi nim needs you urgently,” he informed, a little out of breath and Soohyun figured she might have forced him to dash to his office. When the man showed signs of reluctance in going, Kiseop decided to appeal, “She says it’s about Dongho.”

Effectively stopping on his tracks, Soohyun eyed the boy very seriously before grabbing his top hat, gloves and coat and rushing out with him.

*

As she counted the money quickly in a way Soohyun could clearly see what she was doing, Sangmi threw him a curious glance. “Why is Dongho this important to you?”

Soohyun cleared his throat and kept his gaze steady. “I have my reasons,” he answered sharply, not trusting Sangmi even the slightest bit. She shrugged and finished her check on the roll.

“You know, Soohyun sshi,” she started casually, depositing the notes aside, so she’d store it in her safety box whenever she was alone, “it’s not part of my house’s policy to allow the rent of my boys,” she raised the cigarette holder to her lips and inhaled, ethereal forms of smoke leaving her parted lips.

“Then it’s a good thing humans can’t be rented,” Soohyun retorted, undisturbed by the strong scent of tobacco that always lingered on her office. “Don’t speak nonsense, my dear lady. It doesn’t suit your foreign jewelry.”

Laughing politely, Sangmi showed obvious discomfort in her voice. “I’m sorry, silly me,” she drew in more smoke from her holder. “What I meant was that it’s not a habit of mine to let the boys visit clients in their houses - if it is related to the job, of course. And spending days there is an even more scandalous thought,” her voice implied a controlled outrage at the occasion. Soohyun didn’t have any particular interest in her moral restraints.

“Fortunately, I’m not one of your clients, Sangmi sshi,” he stressed, getting on his feet, collecting his hat in his hands. “And, since you confirmed that I’m covering for your every financial loss, I suppose our negotiation is done with.”

She also stood up and walked to the door alongside him in hurried steps. “Yes, yes, that’s granted, gentleman, but one can never exactly picture just how much the absence of such a remarkable boy may affect the business-”

“Halt,” he interrupted, noticeably bothered by her never ending babbling. “Let’s get one thing clear, milady. In one way or another, I’m responsible for Dongho in this place. I finance his needs and extra activities, I pay you to reserve him privileges. Therefore, if it occurs to me that I want to take him to my house for a few weeks, I might as well do so without hearing as much as a whimper from you.” Once done talking, he got rid of his severe expression and smiled courteously at Sangmi, who was still a little startled. “Now, if you excuse me, I shall be leaving now,” he bowed and barely kissed the hand that was held out. “Have an exquisite day, milady.”

Eyeing the door, Sangmi slowly walked back to her table, sitting on the chair and placing the cigarette holder between her long fingers. She angled her head so she could see the window and watched as Soohyun got into his car followed by Dongho, who was distinguishably happier than what he’d been for the last days. If all her boys had tutors like Soohyun, she’d surely bankrupt each time they had the smallest heartbreak. As her fingers stroked the length of her long, straight hair, she sighed exhaustedly and leaned back forward. Her other problems were just waiting for her attention.

*

“You have a forest in your backyard!” Dongho chirped, looking out the common room window with glimmering eyes. The motorist carried his luggage to the visitors’ bedroom after many protests from the boy, who insisted he could do it by himself, but Soohyun silenced him effortlessly. Dongho had imagined Soohyun was wealthy, but not as abundantly as that. He eyed the rest of the large room in which he was - the porcelain china adorning the shelves of foreign furniture, the sculptures, the crowded sets of bookcases, the impeccable tapestry and crystal chandeliers, they all intimidated him at some level and inspired his awe, if not devotion, as he gaped at them. That was exactly the sort of place a charming prince like Soohyun would live at, he thought with a smile.

“Well, it isn’t mine, but feel free to pretend it is,” Soohyun smiled and reached for his shoulder, guiding him upstairs as Dongho got easily impressed by every detail in his house. They met the driver on their way through the corridor and Soohyun stopped by the second room on the left. “Here, this will be your room for the next weeks,” he announced as he opened the door.

It resembled minimally his own room back at Sangmi’s brothel, which was nonetheless quite refined, only with obvious differences in the structure. Running his fingers over the cabinet’s wooden edges, Dongho grinned to himself before hooping onto the bed, letting out a little delighted shriek when he sunk into the cozy mattress. Soohyun chuckled and closed the door behind him.

“Do you like it?” he cooed, standing by the bed and looking at the boy with affectionate eyes. “I had it organized specially for you. It used to be all gray and beige and I know you dislike sad colors,” he sounded a little embarrassed while saying that.

Dongho stopped kicking his heels and gazed at Soohyun. He was always so supernaturally kind and Dongho never had thanked him as he deserved - not even those little details escaped his keen observation and he had never asked for something in return. His coworkers always had a malicious smirk on whenever Soohyun took him out, and whispered defamations loud enough so Dongho would hear, but he didn’t care. He could perfectly recognize jealousy when it slapped him across the face.

“Oppa?” he called and sat up, leaning forward and propping his hands on the mattress. “Come sit with me,” his voice was as light as a feather and Soohyun blushed, making Dongho smile. He loved it when he was the cause for his tutor’s flustering - it was always such an easy thing to induce.

As Soohyun hesitated, he simply reached for his hand and tugged it down, falling back to the bed with the man atop himself, their chests meeting and Dongho giggled and parted his legs beneath him for comfort. After the shock wore off, Soohyun rolled back to the mattress, laughing a little as Dongho moved to rest his chin on his thorax.

“Why are you so nice to me?” he asked and slanted his head slightly to the side, analyzing Soohyun’s every single inch with a thoughtful expression. “I don’t believe I saw you for more than a couple of times before you decided to take me as a protégé,” he recalled. “So why did you even lay your eyes on me?”

Caressing the boy’s nape gently, Soohyun smiled briefly. “You reminded me of a girlfriend I had in my late childhood. She was as enchanting and intriguing as you and a part of me wanted to at least try to protect my nostalgic memories from that sordid business we’re both helplessly drowned in.” His hand moved to the back of his ear and Dongho purred quietly, earning an amused grin from Soohyun. Just like a real kitten. “And I treat you nicely because I like you. It’s as easy and uncomplicated as that, no big tricks behind it.”

Still unsatisfied, Dongho sat up, aiming his eyes down at him. “But you spend so much on me. I’m not dumb, I know how much-” but Soohyun shushed him and left the bed, walking animatedly to the door in a way that effectively ended that conversation.

“Shall I show you the rest of the house?” he asked conversationally and waited until Dongho followed him with a pout on his lips.

*

Dongho’s fingers pressed the piano keys calmly and his posture was dexterous, entirely erect and a little pompous. On the couch, Soohyun bit his lip cautiously in order not to laugh - who would say such an agitated young boy could look so mature within just a couple of seconds? He noticed Dongho liked waltzes and enjoyed playing them, which was somewhat surprising. He’d thought his preferred genre would include much less predictable pieces, but found the discovery a little interesting.

“Sangmi has taught you well. Your repertory is quite vast,” he commented once the boy finished his sixth consecutive piece. He remembered Sangmi always dedicated herself to teach her boys how to play the piano or flute or how to sing. According to her, those activities captivated the costumers and made them look at the entertainers with more respect - Soohyun still thought it had something to do with making the hour with them more expensive. Dongho turned around and grinned at him, the impeccable image vanishing just as quickly as it appeared.

“You think so?” he asked and walked across the music room to kneel on the couch beside Soohyun. “I’ve barely had any time to practice lately, I started thinking my fingers had turned rusty,” he made a comical face and rested his head on the backrest. The silence occupied the empty space left by the words and they looked at each other for a few seconds until something occurred to Dongho. “Where is your father, oppa? I thought you lived with him, but I’ve been here the entire afternoon and didn’t even catch a glimpse of him!”

Ever since their arrival, they had been occupied walking around the house, both indoors and outdoors, and then unpacking Dongho’s risibly numerous luggage, enjoying their rest in the music room once they were done. In fact, there were only servants around - a jolly middle-aged woman that worked as the cook and had been Soohyun’s babysitter when he was a child, the driver, a quirky butler and the maid, who looked only a few years older than Dongho and was the driver’s daughter.

“No, my father doesn’t live here,” Soohyun said, shifting in his sit. “He lives in the city and I happen to often spend my days there, due to work and casualties that keep me attached to that place. I bought this house to serve as our country residence, since he sold our previous one after mom and noona passed away.” There was a pause and Dongho eyed the man carefully - he rarely mentioned the accident that took the lives of his mother and sister. Yet, Soohyun didn’t seem as affected as he probably was. “He says he can’t tolerate the unbearable noise silence and quiet produce,” he smiled fondly. “So he loves the city and probably will live there until he inhales his very last gulp of air.”

A snicker left Dongho’s lips as he played with his own hair. “He sounds like an amusingly peculiar old man,” he commented, making Soohyun nod and chuckle.

“He is, he is,” he laughed to himself as his servant came to announce the dinner was ready; they started making their way downstairs. “As a matter of fact, I think he’d love to meet you. He likes these disastrous, blithe sorts of people,” and Dongho shot him an indignant glare that had him laugh again. “We could render him a visit, if it so pleases you.”

They sat by the small table that wasn’t too fancily organized, but still looked a lot sophisticated. Dongho nodded, “I would love to! Do you really think he’ll like me?” he said while clapping his hands and Soohyun saw Hyunju, the cook, smile affectionately at him by the corner of his eyes. It wasn’t that hard to like him, after all, Soohyun thought.

*

The day was burning hot and only got more heated as noon approached. Dongho limped uncomfortably behind Soohyun, who seemed amused by his misery while walking the horses back to their cells. When he’d said he wanted to try riding horses after Soohyun informed him of the existence of a nearby common stable, he hadn’t imagined how hard the activity actually was. And there was also the fact that there were no instructors or stable boys to help him, only his slightly malefic tutor, who’d taught him poorly and even bet a race with him when he knew there was no way Dongho could win. It all rendered him incredibly hurt in places he didn’t even know that existed and walking limitedly.

“You owe me a reward, Dongho,” Soohyun struggled to say in the middle of his laughter and Dongho pouted, watching him close the door and patting his horse’s snout warmheartedly.

“No, you won unfairly. I could barely sit straight on that thing and you didn’t even stop to help me,” he protested petulantly, folding his arms over his chest in a childish manner. “You said it was fun!”

Turning around, Soohyun dusted his hands and took his gloves off. “It is fun. If you listen to the instructions attentively, that is,” he arched a knowing brow at his protégé and walked to the end of the stable, followed closely by Dongho, who still felt betrayed beyond words.

Unbuttoning his sleeves, Soohyun pulled them up and squatted next to an apparently isolated tap that, under a closer look, actually fed the pipes that watered the horses. He turned the tap on and washed his hands and face, cooling off under the heavy clothes. Dongho gulped uneasily, feeling a little strange, and squinted under a stray of light that hit him exactly on the face and moved closer, since he was also melting under his uniform. However, when he cornered Soohyun, the man slanted and threw water all over his face and chest, standing up again to openly laugh at him, tilting his head back and growing breathless as Dongho shrieked an hysterical “oppa!” at him.

“Alright, I may accept this as your payment for losing,” he said in a benevolent way that ticked Dongho off even further. He eyed Soohyun with murder in his pupils, wiping the water off of his eyelids and tugging at his collar furiously, opening it in a second and repeating the action with each button on his blazer and Soohyun’s attention was effectively caught. “You can dry off at home, it’s barely ten minutes from here.”

Muttering a sharp refusal, Dongho finally opened his collar shirt and hissed when the heated breeze hit his skin. He leaned forward and poured water on his nape, pulling back up with a small “oof”. Soohyun dried his face with a towel and offered it to him. Dongho glanced at it and didn’t even twitch, only stepping closer to his tutor, who raised a brow in confusion.

“Why was oppa so mean to me today?” he asked and blinked his round eyes, urging Soohyun to retreat and eventually trip off and hit the ground, fortunately having his fall cushioned by a pile of straw. With a superior smirk, Dongho looked down at him. “Why were you so rough and harsh today?” he asked while stumbling forward and landing on Soohyun’s lap, immediately straddling it and Soohyun knew he was using his bedroom voice, he’d heard it many times before directed at plenty of different men - the thought of having it addressed at him went all the way down to his pants.

Another stray of light ran just above Dongho’s head, particles of dust dancing in the glow graciously, sparkling a little. It seemed like the world had been put to slow motion when Dongho bent over and placed a light, open kiss on his chin.

“I still owe you a payment, don’t I?” his breath tickled Soohyun’s already heated neck skin and the older man's mind spun rapidly, his hands easily finding their way to Dongho’s waist and he grazed his nails against the flesh, the moisture only getting them hotter and Dongho swayed his hips down. “I want you so much, oppa,” he breathed out and sounded needy, making Soohyun grunt and pull him down, nibbling his jaw line and moving up, some drops of water falling from Dongho’s bangs on his cheek. The corner of their mouths met and Dongho hummed hungrily, cocking his head to the side-

“Soohyun nim? Dongho nim?” called a voice in a little bit of a distress.

Instantly jumping off and away from Soohyun, Dongho rolled on his back above the straw, pulling the edges of his shirt and blazer over his chest. Soohyun sat up awkwardly, swallowing with difficulty and breathing obviously uneven. “Hyesu sshi?” he shouted and got a positive reply from the person outside. Dongho remembered Hyesu was the house’s maid.

“Oh, so there you are! Hyunju sshi told to me inform you the lunch is ready,” she yelled back.

“Thank you, we’ll be heading back in a few moments,” he sighed and fell on his back, hands massaging his face. “You may go back now.”

She shouted her agreement and apparently went away, since there was no other sound. Still panting, Dongho palmed his mouth in a fruitless attempt of muffling his sheepish laughter. His head lolled back and he curved to a side, cheeks turning red. Snickering a little, Soohyun looked at him and shook his head before getting to his feet and walking to the entrance of the stable.

“Button up your shirt and let’s go,” he said, pointedly avoiding glancing back and seeing Dongho’s bare chest again. The boy pouted but complied - that was, if you asked him, nothing but sheer hypocrisy.

*

Soohyun had been wrong when he imagined that his father would like Dongho - he had downright adored the boy. Dongho shared of his feelings - Shin Sangki was nothing he’d pictured, but it was a pleasant surprise nonetheless. He looked strong and healthy, features that betrayed his many years of age, and his lively way of speaking was captivating. They had carried a joyful conversation throughout the evening and he never ceased to be amazed by Dongho’s cheerful and straightforward self. He’d expressed his approval during dinner.

“To tell you the truth, Dongho sshi, I’m quite pleased my son brought someone with him this time,” he confessed to the boy as if Soohyun, who just smiled a little while chewing, couldn’t hear them. “Lately, he’s been a horrible company, as tedious as one can get - I think work has rotten him.” Dongho looked at Soohyun, who rolled his eyes, and giggled. “It sure excites me to finally have real youth around me.”

“Hyung does tend to be a little predictable,” he agreed playfully, careful not to use the feminine honorifics around Sangki in order not to cause any problems. He laughed appreciatively and glanced at his son, noticing he was entirely undisturbed by them.

“I seem to be unnecessary in here,” he commented and earned laughter of complicity shared by the other two.

After dinner, they went to sit by the fireplace, before which there was a large chair where Soohyun’s father promptly sat, accommodating himself and opening a small wooden box that laid right beside him.

“Do you smoke, Dongho sshi?” he asked unceremoniously, showing the contents of the box to him - a variety of cigars Dongho recognized as Cuban, since many of his clients were fond of smoking.

“No, I don’t,” he shook his head and sat on the couch which Sangki indicated with his hand before dedicating to lighting his opulent cigar. Soohyun came from somewhere in the back with a small glass of brandy and sat beside him. While they talked, Dongho noticed something unusual. Not once did Sangki inquire his son about his connection to him, how the two of them met, how come he seemed so intimate with a person his own father had just met? Nor did he seem curious about Dongho’s occupation and wasn’t it school time, why was he spending his days freely on the country when boys his age were studying?

The old man just chitchatted in the most legitimate bohemian fashion, not at all characteristic of a bank owner. For some queer reason, that only made Dongho more fascinated by him - Soohyun definitely had a lot of traces in common with his father; it was, in fact, enlightening to realize that.

“Pardon me,” called the governess with a bow by the door of the room, “but your driver says that it seems that your car is stuck in the mud outside, due to the rain, Soohyun nim,” she said in a formal posture that amused Dongho a little.

“I told you to park it in my garage, Soohyun,” Sangki said in a stern tone as his son rose to his feet. “This city is all upside down nowadays. Dumping piles of sand in the middle of the streets, imagine that! Just pray that some burglar hasn’t stolen your tires’ rims already.”

Dongho mentioned to get up too, but Soohyun gently urged him down by his shoulder. What could he probably do amidst rain and with no strength? “I’ll be back in some minutes,” he announced and left the room.

Pursing his lips and looking around, Dongho felt a little uncomfortable as Sangki just gazed at his fireplace as if he’d drowned into a deep state of trance, smoke leaving his mouth in large puffs. Suddenly, he chuckled with no apparent reason, making Dongho eye him inquiringly.

“I’m sorry, I’m sorry, but- Oh, my son is really an adorable young man, isn’t he?” the man said with extreme fondness, still observing the crackling wood in the flames. “He tries so much to disguise things, work silently, but ignores my power of observation - and paternal instincts, of course.”

“I don’t think I understand, sir,” Dongho voiced his confusion. Sangki looked at him and only then Dongho noticed how kind his eyes seemed.

“I know my son, Dongho sshi,” he said after a moment. “I’m aware that he invests on cabarets and brothels to guarantee a part of his income. Hell, he learned it from me of all people!” A smile played on his lips and it resembled Soohyun’s own smile quite a lot. “But he insists on not letting me know. Well, he tries to.” Another pause and he rested his cigar on the tray. “And you know why I’m saying this to you, don’t you, Dongho sshi? I just want you to know that I understand exactly who you are and where you work and why my son likes you.”

“Actually, Soohyun oppa is not a client,” Dongho said calmly, long forgotten about pretenses already.

“I see,” Sangki nodded slowly. “Well, it doesn’t sound like my son to trade money for sex, after all. But I notice the way he looks at you, oh, do I. It’s not a tutor caring after his protégé, my dear. It’s passion and lust and, I’d dare to add, love. If he denies it, as I’m sure he does, he’s lying. Boy, you really got him good, haven’t you?” he chuckled amusedly, earning a smile from Dongho, who had received the information as slap across the face. Because now it wasn’t just him dreaming about his unreachable tutor - it was much more real and intense and he thought it was positively frightening, at some point.

While he distressed in his musings, a small sigh was let out by the man on the chair. “I see I’m not having any grandchildren in this lifetime,” he spoke to himself in a lamenting voice before shrugging and guiding his cigar back to his lips. “Oh well, I’m already old, I’d never get to see them grow up, either way.”

And he easily dropped the subject as a damp Soohyun made his way back, no shoes on and the edges of his pants completely muddy, and he told Dongho they’d be leaving shortly.

*

“Well, I had no idea you could knit,” Soohyun admitted, still not over the fact. Smiling a little, Dongho simply continued working with his needles, brows furrowed in concentration.

The sun was about to set and the last birds flew to their pits, whistling loudly. The gazebo in Soohyun’s backyard was the best place to observe the sunset - one could feel completely surrounded by nature and gaze at the sky’s modifying coloring, the gradients of blues and purples and pinks. Since he usually would be having classes or getting ready for the night at the time back the brothel, he had enjoyed sitting outside and watching the late afternoon for the entire week he’d spent at his tutor’s house.

“What are you making?” Soohyun asked after a while from his seat across Dongho’s and observed, with a frown, the irregular, long red piece that was being produced and laid on his lap.

“Can’t you notice it’s a scarf?” the boy inquired, looking up and eyeing his creation critically.

“It certainly does not look like a scarf,” Soohyun evaluated, jaw resting on a closed hand, “but I don’t see how it could be anything else, too, so I suppose one could realize, after a while,” he said with a sneer.

Chuckling a little, Dongho made a sad face and pouted adorably. “I can knit, but I never said I was good at it,” he tried to defend himself and held the needles and the wool ball with a hand and laid his uneven scarf on the other. “But you can tell!”

Soohyun gave a sympathetic smile and went back to watching the way the full clouds moved lazily in the sky, lending it a bit of their pearl white. Abruptly, Dongho got up and to the middle of the small gazebo, the now independent scarf in his hands as the wool and needles remained in the chair.

“Here, get up, let’s try it on you,” he chirped and pulled Soohyun’s hand, making him get on his feet, awkwardly close to him due to the lack of space. He let Dongho curl the poor piece of knitting around his neck, managing to pull off quite an elegant sideway tie. “Oppa looks fashionable,” he said with a giggle and Soohyun rolled his eyes and tugged it off and gave it back to him.

Sitting down, Soohyun looked at him and realized Dongho looked sad and sorrowful all of a sudden. He got up once again, he patted the boy’s arm soothingly. “What’s wrong?”

“I was trying to create a romantic situation to kiss oppa, just like in the fairytales, but oppa has ruined it,” he sobbed and Soohyun got alarmed. As Dongho seemed like he was about to cry, he only embraced him, caressing the small of his back gently.

“Now, now, don’t cry,” he cooed in a tone that resembled a nursery rhyme, making Dongho lean his forehead against his shoulder.

“Then kiss me,” he muttered against the fabric of his coat and earned wide-eyed stare. “I decided that no one’s more special than oppa to be the one.”

It was not like Soohyun had much of a choice when Dongho pulled him down by his nape, but he wouldn’t object, and just wondered if that was what it felt like to be a charming prince for once.

*

Dongho saw Soohyun under the moonlight that bathed the bedroom through the wide open window. He saw him kneel on the bed, legs by each side of his waist, and let Dongho remove his pajama’s shirt, widening his eyes once it was off and forgotten and he laid his eyes on the man’s bare chest for the first time. Reaching out hesitantly, Dongho made a sound of surprise once his hand met the flesh and he slid it down slowly, watching the path he trailed with amazed eyes.

Leaning forward again, Soohyun left marks down Dongho’s neck, licking and sucking and nibbling, inebriated by Dongho’s taste and smell, only feeling encouraged when the boy’s hands went up and down his back, depending and bold. The pajamas flew away in seconds and Soohyun was glad to see them gone because they had been keeping him from pressing himself completely against Dongho.

Soft mewls left Dongho’s mouth as hands explored his body and it was different, it was so much different from any other person he’d been with, Soohyun was beyond comparison. A loud gasp was produced when Soohyun touched him down there, the thought alone sending shivers down his spine. He got easily addicted to the feeling of Soohyun’s fingers around his thighs and pulling him closer as he rolled his hips up.

Lost promises were whispered in the maze of crushing mouths, battling for dominance, until Soohyun’s fingers disappeared into Dongho, and the latter was limited to screaming soundlessly, closing his eyes and feeling his head spin as Soohyun touched him in the right places. It took minutes, long, stretched minutes and Dongho grew impatient, running the tip of his tongue against Soohyun’s earlobe, mouth close to his ear and a whisper of “fill me, oppa,” that sounded moist and dripping with lust.

Soohyun grunted when he was all the way inside him, panting and needing to move soon or else he’d explode. Cupping his cheeks with both hands, Dongho kissed him calmly and swayed his hips up into his, creating friction and Soohyun groaned, unable to hold back and stating to thrust into him.

It didn’t take long until they cried out loudly and reached orgasm in a slightly off timing, so high they might as well touch the stars. Breathing heavily, Dongho wrapped his arms around Soohyun’s neck and let him rest on his chest, lips touching the top of his head affectionately as they both got tangled in the sheets and gave in to sleep.

*

Soohyun smiled to the memories they created in his house because now they were just memories. Sangmi had sneered at him when he brought Dongho back to where she reigned and he knew she could see beyond himself as he sat on the table of her bar and took a glass of sherry. Fluttering to him, Sangmi pretended not to acknowledge his presence and just glanced over at her boys - or Dongho, if one would ask for accuracy.

“Soohyun sshi,” the name flew on her lips amusedly and Soohyun disliked the presumptuous tone she used on his name. “You see, my young man, I can sense when my boys have pleased the clients. It’s something in their eye as they walk out of the bedrooms, the way their hair is in a disarray, how careless they were when adjusting their ties,” she paused and glanced at him through the corner of her eyes, an extreme sense of victory possessing her soul when he remained silent and avoided contact. “Or simply how they behave afterwards.”

“I’m not in the mood for your small talk today, Sangmi sshi,” he snarled acidly, but it only made the disturbing little smile she had on grow. Serving herself a glass of champagne, she walked around and made sure to stop and lean against his ear.

“I’m just glad to find that we’re all the same at some point, Soohyun sshi,” her voice was derisive, making him grow impatient and fidgety. “You’re no longer any better than the others in here.” And she walked away, off to bother Kiseop with anything of minor importance.

Downing the sherry in one voracious gulp, he looked ahead, eyes narrowing in bitterness when he spotted Dongho sitting on some man’s lap, having his thighs fondled in a way that bothered Soohyun more than it had ever done. When the boy sought his eyes with his own, desperate and in need of rescue, Soohyun wished tales were real and he could be the brave knight to save the damsel in distress.

Instead, he just gazed back at him, powerless, useless, and could only watch as the man whispered something in Dongho’s ear while biting it, eliciting visible discomfort in the boy, and got up, going to the inner areas of the brothel.

There was nothing left to see and Soohyun walked out, pulling his hat carelessly over his hair. It might not have been worth it - now it was all ruined and broken.

*

On the following day, Soohyun refused to go up to his bedroom, but asked one of Sangmi’s servants to tell Dongho he waited for him downstairs. He didn’t want to see the boy like he was every morning - every inch of his body tainted and corrupted by foreign hands. Now it meant something entirely different and, since he’d have to bear with it, he chose for not having to presence it.

While waiting, he saw a blonde boy walking out of his bedroom, outfit ripped and trails of mascara-tarnished tears dried off on his face. He looked exactly like downfall would look like, ugliness insisting on leaving its marks on his beautiful face, nasty nail scratches scaring his pale shoulders. Soohyun couldn’t help but stare at him, afflict, waiting for something to happen, for someone to make the obvious pain in him stop. However, that never happened.

Before going to the kitchen, he glanced back and at Soohyun and made the man gasp - his eyes were kind and unknowing and he seemed just so lost. Mentioning to get up, Soohyun wanted to do something, anything, in order to make that sad picture disappear, but the boy simply headed away and vanished behind the doors.

As Soohyun frowned to himself, Dongho walked out, noticeably happier to see him and bouncing to his encounter.

“I assume you haven’t eaten yet,” he said as they headed for the car. Dongho confirmed, and let the driver close his door for him. “Then let’s go to a restaurant, so you won’t starve as I talk to you.”

Things seemed normal once again while they chatted on their trip, Dongho making comments about how much he missed it at Soohyun’s. It took some minutes until they arrived at their destination and Soohyun dismissed his driver to go ahead before them. Although, when he started leaving the car, a hand got firm hold of his wrist. He eyed it with surprise.

“Is something wrong?” he asked, raising his eyebrows at the boy.

Dongho was shaking and his face was pointedly turned down, making him knit his eyebrows together in worry. Without as much as a warning, Dongho simply pulled him and made their mouths meet, regardless of any passerby that might just find the scene baffling. His arms closed around Soohyun’s torso and he moved against him with urgency until he finally stopped the kiss and paralyzed completely, burying his face in Soohyun’s neck.

“Dongho?” the man asked, alarmed and a little desperate, as there was a loud sob and he felt his neck turn moist. “Dongho, what’s wrong? Talk to me,” he urged, pushing his face away and inspecting it carefully. The boy avoided his eyes.

“He touched me everywhere, felt me with his mouth and it was disgusting, disgusting, I couldn’t bear it-” and his voice got stuck in his throat as another sob escaped his lips. “I’m dirty and repugnant and oppa won’t like me anymore- Please say you still like me, please do.”

“I love you, for God’s sakes,” Soohyun hurried to embrace him, have him curled against every part of him, and tried to protect him from his thoughts, but, of course, that remained impossible. “You’re not dirty, don’t say this kind of thing again. Stop thinking about it,” he placed a kiss on his forehead, hoping it could help in anyway.

And he silenced him when he tried to protest, hugging him tighter. Dongho bawled and clutched onto his chest as he stroked his back calmingly, shaking him softly until it was all out. But his heart still stung, because Dongho had asked him to make it stop, and he was rendered speechless when he found out that he just couldn’t.