For firequakes
For: firequakes
Title: Shameless
Pairing: Seungho/Joon
Rating: PG - 13
Warnings: Drinking, swearing, and all the things that come with debauchery.
Summary: Seungho always knew that he was going to die the same way he lived.
Notes: Based off of Firefly, the TV series. It’s been a while since I’ve watched it, so I took some liberties. I hope you enjoy reading this as much as I did writing it!
Seungho knew he was going to die the same way he lived, and his sense of doom only increased when his grip slipped from the top of a speeding train. Cursing, he hung precariously off the side, hoping to all gods that no one would see him dangling and decide to take care of the problem with a bullet.
“Where the hell is Byunghee? I swear I’m going to kill him-” Seungho stopped when he heard a window open and tightened his grip.
“Hey, boss. Why’re you dangling off the side of the train like that? Wouldn’t it be easier if you were riding inside?” Cheolyong’s cheeky voice reached his ears through the rushing wind, and Seungho cursed again. He could hear the grin in the other man’s voice.
“Get me inside before I decide to strand you here!”
--
Seungho fell with a thump onto the floor of the train. Cheolyong complained the entire time he helped Seungho through the window, insisting that his boss had to stop eating in excess or lose some weight. Both of them lay breathing hard on the floor, Seungho’s eyes roaming around the interior of the train car.
“Byunghee took care of the passengers of this car. They’re visiting the cargo hold,” Cheolyong snickered. “Sanghyun said he’d be here at the appointed time at the appointed car. Said he’d leave us if we weren’t there.”
Seungho rolled his eyes before rolling over and pushing himself up to his knees. “The Don’s car is two cars that way,” Cheolyong said, pointing towards the door going to the left. Seungho blinked a few times and raised an eyebrow.
“What? But those are just cargo holds. I didn’t hear anything when I climbed over them to get here.”
“Hard to hear anything over howling wind, boss. I called you for a good ten minutes before I gave up.”
--
The Don counted his money carefully as Seungho and Cheolyong stood in front of him, flanked by two very large bodyguards. One false move, and Seungho knew he would be dead three ways before he hit the floor.
“I have word from my brother that the shipment was received safely and in tact,” he said, his voice rasping. The Don coughed a few times before sitting back in his seat. The train hit a bump, and Cheolyong nearly fell over. The bodyguard reached over and clamped a hand onto his arm in a death grip.
“Hey! Easy on the body parts! I’m a third of your size!” Cheolyong yanked his arm out of the bodyguard’s grip and almost fell over into Seungho, who turned to glare at him.
“Behave,” Seungho nearly growled, turning back to the Don with a strained smile on his face. “I apologize for his behavior. He’s steadier on his feet in the air.”
“You’re expecting your payment?” The Don looked through his books and glanced at the numbers.
“Yes, and for a job well done, perhaps a small bonus.” The hacking cough that escaped the Don’s mouth made Seungho tense up. He subtly glanced down at his watch. Where was Sanghyun?
“Perhaps. But you are small time. Surely, no one would miss you if you were gone?”
“Well, there are a few bars and whores around the galaxy that would miss him if he-” Seungho stomped on Cheolyong’s foot, making him squeak before falling silent.
The sound of cocking guns made Seungho laugh nervously. “We’re just trying to earn a living here. You understand, right? You built your empire from scratch.”
“I do. But the phrase is ‘it’s a dog eat dog world,’ right? You understand.”
Seungho heard the sound of a high-pitched whirl and sighed. “This is going to hurt.” He knew Cheolyong heard the noise too because his face scrunched up.
“Nothing hurts in death.” Seungho felt the cold steel of the guns pressed to his temple and sighed again. Maybe he could melt those for parts later.
“That’s not what I was talking about.”
The Don’s eyes narrowed. “What do you mean?”
“This would’ve been so much easier if you just paid us.” Seungho and Cheolyong ducked down and took cover as the side of the train car blew open, revealing Sanghyun and Byunghee in a small helicopter.
Seungho groaned and shifted, sitting up and squinting his eyes against the sunlight. No doubt the entire train rocked with that blast. He heard a groan from beside him, and Cheolyong stood up, opening up a sack and blindly grabbing whatever he could.
“You have two minutes before train security gets there!” Seungho heard Byunghee yell over the sounds of the train and the wind. Seungho scooted forward carefully and nudged the dead body of the Don with his foot.
“Does that hurt? Didn’t think so.” He crouched down and grabbed as much of the money as he could. Byunghee pulled the helicopter over to the side of the ship. Seungho tossed the money into the small craft and waited for Cheolyong to board the helicopter before he hopped on, and Byunghee pulled away.
The train security flooded into the car, scrambling to find their footing as the wind threatened to knock them out of the train. “God damn it! Seungho!” Seungho laughed and saluted the security captain before the helicopter disappeared into the sky.
--
Seungho tried not to yell while Sanghyun removed pieces of metal embedded into his skin. “Tsk, tsk. Never thought I’d say this, but Cheolyong was smart for using one of the bodyguards as a shield.” The small pile of metal covered in his blood was stacking up on the medical tray.
They were back safely on his spaceship, the MBLAQ, and Sanghyun dragged him off to the infirmary before he could count his spoils. “We need to restock on medical supplies before we leave. Knowing our luck, it would probably be depleted before we reach our next destination.”
Seungho winced as Sanghyun started to sew up a particularly nasty cut without any warning. The part of his skin was numbed, but seeing a needle thread his skin closed gave him goosebumps. “Alright. As soon as Byunghee tells me how much we made with this job. Black market body parts.” Seungho shivered, remembering his horror when Cheolyong opened the boxes from the Don in curiosity.
“A surgeon’s dream. Those were some nice parts. Should’ve kept some for myself to study...” Sanghyun stabbed the needle into Seungho’s arm again, making him yell.
“That part’s not numb!”
“Oh. It isn’t?”
--
“So, I’ve got some good news and some bad news,” Byunghee said, spinning around in Seungho’s chair in the bridge.
“Get out of my chair,” Seungho said tiredly. Byunghee chuckled and got up, gesturing as though he were presenting the chair to his boss.
“Kept it warm for you. I know you hate a cold chair.” Seungho rolled his eyes and leaned his head on his arm, wincing when he realized there was a cut on his head, too. “Anyway, good news is, we made a profit. A very large profit on this job."
"And the bad news?"
"The ship won't start." Seungho blinked a few times before yelling out Cheolyong's name. It echoed in the bridge for a moment before Cheolyong sidled in, sheepish grin on his face.
"You called?"
"What's wrong with my ship?"
"I don't know. All your electronics and navigation system works. If there's any problem, it's probably in the engine room." Cheolyong stood nervously as Seungho turned to look at him with a dark look in his eyes.
"Then fix it."
"Well, I can't really."
"What do you mean, you can't? That's what I hired you for. Go and do your job!"
"Well, sir, you hired me as your electronics specialist. I deal with the finer work, wiring and stuff. I don't really know anything about engines..." Seungho stared at Cheolyong, feeling his blood pressure go up. Cheolyong seemed to notice and shifted uncomfortably before flashing him a grin. "If that's all you needed me for, I'll be off then!" He disappeared before Seungho said another word. He nearly knocked over Sanghyun on his way out, making the other man raise an eyebrow.
"Looks like you'll have to go out and hire a mechanic. That means I can go and get medical supplies." Sanghyun patted Seungho on the back a few times with a smile on his face.
"Great, more people equals less money to spend," Byunghee said, throwing his hands up and leaving the bridge. Seungho pinched the bridge of his nose and sighed. Why was he surrounded by these people?
--
Seungho was a wanted man, and it showed in the sudden increase of wanted posters everywhere he looked. Stopping, he examined the pictures and grinned. At least they got his good side. Pulling his cowboy hat low over his face, he headed towards the employment office, a small, dingy place where he could find a mechanic and get out of there before someone recognized him. The office was full of unemployed hopefuls, excitement showing on their faces when he stepped in and headed towards the counter where an old woman sat, punching things into the computer.
"Yes, can I help you?"
"I'm looking for a mechanic, preferably someone with experience. It's better if they know how to fix older model ships. Any special skills would be nice." The woman stopped and punched at her keyboard some more while Seungho looked around the dirty office.
"We have one hundred and ten applicants that fit your description. Would you like me to print out the list?" Her face was just as bored as her expression. Seungho sighed. A hundred and ten applicants? He only needed one, and he needed them now.
The bell above the door rang, signaling the entrance of more people into the already crowded office. Seungho peeked over his shoulder and froze. Local law enforcement. He turned back to the lady and coughed, pulling the hat down lower over his face. "Pick about half, then print it out for me, will you?"
There was more clacking from the keyboard as one of the officers spoke. "We've heard that the outlaw Seungho was spotted around here. Have any of you seen this man?" He held up one of Seungho's wanted posters. Seungho flinched slightly as a murmur went up around the room. "There's a handsome award for his arrest." Again, another murmur went around the room, but no one pointed him out if they saw his face when he came in. The officers were scanning the faces in the room, and shook their heads when they didn't see anyone fitting his description.
The lady handed Seungho a small stack of papers, and he took them from her, saying a quiet thank you. The officers turned to leave the office, and Seungho followed after them, keeping his face as hidden as he could. The last officer held the door open for him. "Thanks," Seungho said, tipping his hat. The officer followed him out, and Seungho tried not to appear too nervous or suspicious. After all these run-ins with the law, one would think he wouldn't be nervous around them anymore.
It would be his luck that a particularly strong burst of wind would knock his hat off of his head, sending it flying towards the officers. It landed on the ground, and an officer picked it up, holding it out to Seungho. Nervously, Seungho inched towards him, hoping his hat hair disguised his appearance enough. "Thanks again, officer."
"Yeah, no... problem. You look awfully familiar." Seungho froze and grabbed the hat before jamming it on his head and turning around. When he heard a gun cock behind him, he froze. “Funny how much a cowboy hat can make a difference.”
Seungho held his hands up in surrender and turned around slowly to see multiple guns pointed at him now. Great, just great. “I’m not armed or anything, so would you officers mind lowering your guns? At least some of you?”
“How do we know you’re not armed?” Seungho took a few deep breaths to calm his nerves.
“Would an armed man do this?” He tossed his papers into the air, and while they looked up in surprise, he turned and ran for his life.
--
Sanghyun just finished purchasing supplies for the ship when he heard gunshots and shouts from outside. He pushed open the door with his back and turned around in time to see the captain of the MBLAQ running for dear life as local law enforcement shot at him.
“The poster says wanted alive! It doesn’t say dead or alive!” he shouted over his shoulder, yelping as a bullet flew over his shoulder. Sanghyun sighed and entered the store again.
“On second thought, I need a few more things...” It was nasty business, removing and fixing bullet wounds. If he remembered correctly, Cheolyong used his fine tweezers to fix something in the navigation system and never gave them back to him.
“That’s your boss out there running for his life, huh?” the clerk asked, grabbing the things Sanghyun asked for.
“You gonna turn me in?”
“No, no. He pays a little extra here to make sure I have everything I need in stock. Here. I’ll even throw in some disinfectant for free. It burns a lot more, but there’s next to no chance for infection.”
Sanghyun smiled. “I’ll be sure to use a generous amount.”
--
Seungho didn’t expect for someone to reach out from the alleyway and yank him into the darkness as he turned a corner. The back of his head smacked into the wall, making his vision spin. A hand pressed over his mouth in case he decided to yell, and a well-muscled body pressed against him. “Please don’t judge me too hard,” a voice whispered in his ear. Then Seungho felt the other man grind their hips together, and he almost yelled out.
“Hey, you two! Have you seen a man about this tall, reddish hair come running this way?” The man nuzzled Seungho’s neck before turning to look at the officer. “Nope. Sorry, officer. We’ve been a little bit, uh, busy.”
The officer frowned before shaking his head. “Go get a room before I have to arrest you for public indecency.” Seungho blinked a few times as he felt his body reacting to the one against his. Well, it’s better than being shot...
“Will do, officer. Now, if you don’t mind?” The officer shook his head again before running off. They waited a few tense minutes until the man stepped back from Seungho. He let out a sigh of relief, reaching up to run his fingers through his hair and bumping into the brim of a cap. Glancing at the man that helped him, he realized it was his cap, if the hat hair was any indication.
“Thanks. I owe you one,” Seungho said, handing the cap over to him.
“My name is Changsun. I heard you were looking for a mechanic. I’m good with the older model ships. I need a job, please take me with you,” he blurted, eyes going wide with pleading.
“You know who I am. You still want to come with me?”
“Please, I really need the job,” Changsun said. Seungho stared at him for a moment, taking in his figure. The man was definitely attractive, and he looked like a mechanic. His jumper was half off, revealing him in a white tank top stained with black oil. He had on sensible work boots, and Seungho would bet the cap he was wearing was stained with oil, too.
“Let me see your hands.” Changsun held up his hands without any protest. Calluses and scars marked his hands. At least he looked like he worked.
“Alright. Get me back to my ship without getting me shot, and you have yourself a job.”
--
“I’m betting three,” Byunghee said, frowning as Cheolyong dealt the playing cards.
“No, I’m going for at least four. He’s already injured, so I don’t think his reflexes will be as good,” Cheolyong replied, picking up his own cards and frowning.
“I think he’ll have less than two.” Sanghyun grinned at his cards and dropped a few coins into the pile in the middle.
“Sanghyun wins. I have none," Seungho said as he whirled into the bridge.
"What took you so long, boss? I thought I was going to make a new butt groove in your chair."
"Out of my chair." Byunghee stood up, and Sanghyun took the pot with a smile on his face, stuffing his newly won money into his pocket.
"Hey! We never shook on that," Cheolyong whined, reaching for Sanghyun's pockets. He slapped the younger man's hand away and shook his head.
"Don't make bets then if you're not gonna own up to them." Suddenly, everything got quiet when a fifth voice cleared its throat by the entrance to the bridge.
"Oh yeah, that's Changsun, by the way. Our new mechanic. Someone show him to the engine room and where we keep the tools so he can get us off the ground," Seungho said, sitting down and pulling a bottle of beer from a compartment in his chair. "The sooner we get out of here the better."
--
"So, how'd you meet Seungho anyway?" Cheolyong asked, casting looks at Changsun. He gave a short tour of the ship before heading down towards the engine room.
"Jeeze, how has this ship not fallen apart yet? I know the older models are sturdier and capable of taking more abuse, but wow. This is..." There were so many things Changsun noticed that needed to be fixed before the ship could even be considered safe to fly.
"The MBLAQ is special. She's been through so much, it'd be a shame if something happened to her now. Here's the engine room. You, uh, might wanna take a step back."
Changsun blinked a few times and did what he was told. Cheolyong gingerly put his hand on the door and pulled it back a few times like the handle was hot. "Woo. Thank god." He gripped the handle and pushed the door in. "Lights," he said, and the engine room was illuminated.
"Tools are over here in the corner. If you need parts, there's a box of spare parts in here somewhere. And if you still can't find what you need, then we can send someone out to town to get something. But Seungho just wants you to get her in the air. This isn't a safe place for us anymore. Oh, and before I forget, I'm Cheolyong. Good luck! Watch out for random explosions!"
Cheolyong disappeared before Changsun could protest. He let out a sigh and took a look around the engine room. "You're kidding me. I'm surprised they can even maintain flight in this thing." He took a closer look at the main engine block and noticed the immediate problem. One of the pipes broke, leaking oil onto the floor.
"Maybe you bit off more than you can chew," Changsun said to himself before looking for replacement parts.
--
Seungho pushed the button to start the engines every five minutes for the past half an hour until Sanghyun entered the bridge with a smirk on his face. "The new mechanic you hired sent me to ask you to stop pressing the engine button. Apparently, an oil pipe burst, and every time you press the button, you spray him with oil."
"Oh. Oops." He took his hand off of the engine button and sat back in his chair, tapping his fingers on the armrest. He stared blankly for the next half an hour until he heard a knock on the door. "Must be Changsun." No one else bothered to knock. "Come in."
Changsun appeared, covered in oil with a dirty rag in his hands. "I fixed the immediate problem, but I don't think it's safe to take flight until I do a few more-"
"Can she fly?"
"Well, yeah, she can fly, but I-" Seungho pressed the button to start the engines.
--
Despite the numerous problems with the ship, the MBLAQ flew smoothly through space. The rest of the crew introduced themselves in the galley, where they all decided to take a lunch break while Seungho flew the ship to their next destination.
"We were all like you at some point, wondering how this hunk of junk managed to stay in the air or not die in the middle of space travel," Sanghyun said, taking a bite of his apple. "But it works, despite all odds. Seungho's a good guy. Divides money up evenly, even gives us a few bonuses here and there. All we have to do is stay loyal to him."
"What do you guys do around here?" Changsun asked, looking around. He still wasn't familiar with the interior of the ship and had to go exploring later.
"I'm a medic. Byunghee is the muscle and weapons specialist. Cheolyong specializes in electronics," Sanghyun said, nibbling on the apple core. Next to them, Changsun felt little. His specialties paled in comparison to theirs.
"Welcome to the crew. Mind Seungho's temper, and you should be fine." Byunghee slid a bowl of grapes towards Changsun.
"Or don't mind it like me, and you'll still be fine," Cheolyong said with a cheeky grin.
--
Changsun spent the next few days getting familiar with the ship and its crew. He learned surprises always seemed to pop up on the ship, like missing pieces of the grated walkway randomly falling out from underneath his feet, sending him falling to the next level. Things like how the third cabinet in the galley never closed because no one could get it back open again without a crowbar.
He learned that the captain never seemed to sleep, and ate and drank more than the rest of the crew combined. Despite the appearance of the MBLAQ, she appeared to be well-stocked.
"Enjoying the MBLAQ so far?" Byunghee asked, throwing his arm over Changsun's shoulder as he walked up behind him in the hallway.
"Yeah, except for falling through the floor my second day here." Changsun held up his bandaged arm.
"I'm just glad we have someone like Sanghyun to fix us up. This happens more often than not. Medical supplies takes up almost a third of our budget."
"Then why not make the ship safer? I'm sure with a few repairs..." Changsun's voice trailed off as Byunghee gave a good laugh.
"Keeps us on our toes. Our job is a dangerous one, and we're wanted men. You'd better get used to this."
--
After a week and a half of flying, they arrived at their next destination. Changsun never left his home planet before, so he was excited to see a new place as Seungho divided up spending money.
"Why does he get spending money? He hasn't even done a job with us yet!" Cheolyong whined as Seungho handed a small pouch to Changsun.
"He's getting my share to pay for parts of the ship. If you need to spend more, just tell them to put it on my tab. I'm always good for the money," Seungho said, popping his neck. "Don't spend it all in once place. Be back here in three days."
--
"Where does he go when the ship docks?" Changsun asked Byunghee as they stepped off of the ship. Byunghee followed Changsun's eyes to see his boss disappearing into the crowd.
"Ah. Well. Seungho likes his women, his food, and his drinks. Probably off to the bar," Byunghee said before he, too, disappeared into the crowd. Changsun frowned.
--
The money Seungho gave him to fix the engine wasn't nearly enough, but Changsun figured it would be safe to take care of the most pressing problems with the ship first before tackling the smaller things.
He fixed the falling grate in the hallway with a new torch blower. The old one randomly cut out at the most important moments, and Changsun always had to bang it around for a few minutes until it decided to light again. The next thing he fixed was the cabinet in the galley. It now opened with a simple pull of a handle, no need for a crowbar.
Then, he fixed his bed in the sleeping quarters. He woke up too many times squashed between the wall and his bed after his bunk suddenly decided to snap up against the wall. There was enough food on the ship for him to stay there and work around the clock, taking naps when he had to sleep.
The engine room was his biggest nightmare. There were so many things broken or on the verge of breaking that Changsun had no idea where to begin. "Gotta start somewhere," he said to himself, eyes sweeping across the metal and pipes. There was a sudden crunch followed by the sound of something large popping, followed by a hiss of steam. The light flickered, and Changsun sighed. Might as well start there.
--
Seungho decided to head back to the ship a little earlier than three days. He had his fill of food, booze, and women, and a new job by an unknown contractor. He didn't mind as long as he got his money. He poured over the star map in the bridge, figuring out the fastest, and shortest way to get to their next destination.
"... Crap." He would have to take the ship through deep space. Deep space was no man's land, and there was no law and order there. The MBLAQ wasn't equipped with weapons, and his crew of five was too small to keep all of the possible entrances to the ship covered, in case they attracted unwanted visitors. The Reavers were rampant in deep space.
Suddenly, a thought struck him. Byunghee said that Changsun was doing repairs on the ship and hadn't seen him since they landed. Curious, Seungho pulled his thoughts away from deep space to go and look for him.
He listened for any sounds, and didn't hear any beyond the normal ship noises. Seungho noticed the trick grate in the walkway was fixed. No doubt Changsun had a surprise when he fell through it the second day he was there. The others learned to hop over it, though it took Cheolyong a little bit longer to remember which one it was.
Eventually, Seungho wandered into the engine room and spotted Changsun asleep on the floor, leaning against a wall. He was surrounded by tools and parts, both broken and new. He walked over to the sleeping man and squatted down in front of him, raising an eyebrow before reaching out to pat his cheek a few times. "Hey. I don't pay you to sleep," he said.
Changsun stirred, but he didn't wake up. "Five more minutes," he mumbled, smacking his lips before stilling. The memory of Changsun grinding his hips against Seungho's and how amazing it felt suddenly returned, making Seungho stand back up and frown.
"Didn't know you were into guys," Seungho said to himself. Changsun must have heard him because he replied.
"What's it to you?" he mumbled sleepily. Seungho blinked a few times. Sleep talk? Changsun probably thought Seungho was talking to him.
"Just wondering. Anyone you have your eye on right now?" Changsun mumbled something that Seungho didn't catch. "Who?"
"... boss." Seungho grinned. Well, wasn't that something? Seungho squatted back down and leaned towards Changsun.
"Your boss? That's interesting. If he were here, what would you do?" he asked quietly. Changsun didn't answer him, but his lips parted slightly. Seungho smiled and leaned closer until he was barely an inch away from his face. As if by reflex, Changsun moved, and their lips met in a soft kiss.
Seungho closed his eyes and inhaled Changsun's scent, oil mixed with soap, and a smell that was uniquely Changsun. He pulled away after a few more seconds and frowned.
Figuring Changsun had slept enough, Seungho stood up and kicked his leg a few times, making him jerk and knock his head into the wall behind him.
"Oh god," he croaked out, holding his head. He blinked his eyes sleepily and wiped away a small line of drool from the corner of his mouth.
"You can just call me Seungho." Changsun froze at the sound of his voice and closed an eye, squinting up at Seungho's looming figure with his open eye.
"That's not..."
"I don't pay you to sleep. Get up and do your job."
--
"Deep space? Are you crazy? I've never doubted the ability of the MBLAQ to stay in space, but will she make it through deep space?" Cheolyong asked, giving Seungho an incredulous look. The three days of play on land was over, and Seungho was briefing his crew on their next job. "We're not armed. We'd be sitting ducks if we run into pirates or Reavers." Cheolyong shivered.
"Reavers?" Changsun asked, looking around confused. He couldn't make anything out of the star map, except that the distance they were supposed to cover looked far.
"They're deranged, man-eating zombies that have been up in space for so long, they lost their minds. Usually after the radiation core leaks enough and hasn't been fixed, their bodies start rotting," Byunghee said, face looking grim. "The only reason they exist is to recruit more to their number by breaking their minds or killing unsuspecting travelers. They revel in bloodshed."
"The leaking radiation core doesn't kill them?" Changsun asked, feeling nauseated.
"No," Sanghyun said with a frown. "Leaks in radiation cores start off small, at a small enough amount that it twists their brains into something else instead of killing them. Drives them insane first before starting to kill them."
"They mutilate their bodies until you can't even tell they were human once. Not to be messed with," Seungho said, staring at his map.
"Then why the hell are you even thinking of going through there?"
"It's the fastest way. We'll make it through, right?"
Changsun furrowed his eyebrows, stuttering slightly as he spoke. "I've made enough repairs so the ship should be more fuel efficient and travel a little bit faster, but I don't think-"
"Good. We leave tonight."
--
With the ship in the air, Changsun took to doing the smaller jobs around the ship to pass the time. There were still a few days left before they reached deep space, and Changsun couldn't help the dropping feeling in his stomach. "Hey, Changsun? Can you come take a look at the oven? There seems to be something wrong with it," Byunghee said slowly, trying to keep a laugh out of his voice.
Changsun looked up from the pipe he was fixing in the bathroom and nodded, putting the finishing touches before getting up and wiping his hands. "What's wrong with it?"
"I'm not sure. Cheolyong said he was trying to make cookies, but he opened the oven and, well." They walked by the infirmary and Sanghyun was treating a shiny burn on his arm. "He claims the oven breathed fire."
"Like a fucking dragon! It was scary! I thought I was going to catch fire and die! And you were just standing there, laughing!" Cheolyong yelled as they walked by.
"Calm down before you-" Cheolyong let out a howl, making Changsun wince. "I told you. For once in your life, listen to what I say."
--
Changsun didn't know what was going on, but he was going to go crazy. Seungho kept brushing up against him, making excuses to see him. Once or twice, Changsun asked who was flying the ship, and he said the ship's navigation system was.
"Preparing to enter deep space," a woman's voice announced over the PA. Changsun felt a shiver go through his body, then a pair of arms wrap around him. Seungho laid his head on Changsun's shoulder and breathed out.
"Cold?"
Changsun froze and his hands started to shake. If there was one thing he prided himself on, it was having steady hands. So much for that. "No, just worried. What are you doing?"
"Oh. So you're not cold." Seungho let go and took a step back, leaving enough room for Changsun to turn around.
"What're you doing?"
"Nothing you don't want me to," Seungho said with a grin. Changsun opened his mouth to say something but all that came out was a squeak. "Is there something you need to tell me?"
There was a string of gibberish before Cheolyong poked his head into the engine room. "Oh, there you are. Another grate fell out of the walkway and broke something below. Thought you ought to know."
Grateful to get away from Seungho, Changsun brushed past him with an apology and scurried out of the room as fast as he could. Cheolyong waited until he was out of sight to turn back to the captain.
"He's not a whore, you know. He's only slept with two people all his life. Both were girlfriends, and both broke up with him after they slept with him, and he wanted more." Seungho frowned as Cheolyong's words sunk in. Somehow, the thought of people using Changsun for sex didn't settle well with him, making him feel uneasy and like the world's biggest hypocrite.
--
"How many days will we be in deep space?" Byunghee asked as Seungho checked the maps.
"Four. Four long, tense days."
"Anything can happen in four days."
"I hope nothing happens." Seungho's thoughts wandered back to Changsun, as they often did these days. He should've taken an easier job, to ease him into this kind of life. He wasn't used to living by the skin of his teeth like the rest of the crew.
"Better not pray to any gods. A man with sins like yours would get us killed in the next hour."
--
Things were tense and anxious with the crew, despite their efforts to relax. Everyone was constantly on guard, jumping at the slightest noises or anything that seemed out of the ordinary.
The first three days were clear of incident, minus the roaming pirate ship they managed to avoid by using broken down ships as their cover.
"Only one more day, one more day, and we'll be clear of deep space," Seungho said. His body felt light with nervousness, but the time left calmed him down slightly.
Then there was a clank from outside of the ship. Seungho looked up towards the top of the ship, blood draining away from his face. There was another clank, followed by another one. Then the sound of screeching metal and a rumble that rocked the ship.
"Oh, shit," he said quietly.
Next
Title: Shameless
Pairing: Seungho/Joon
Rating: PG - 13
Warnings: Drinking, swearing, and all the things that come with debauchery.
Summary: Seungho always knew that he was going to die the same way he lived.
Notes: Based off of Firefly, the TV series. It’s been a while since I’ve watched it, so I took some liberties. I hope you enjoy reading this as much as I did writing it!
Seungho knew he was going to die the same way he lived, and his sense of doom only increased when his grip slipped from the top of a speeding train. Cursing, he hung precariously off the side, hoping to all gods that no one would see him dangling and decide to take care of the problem with a bullet.
“Where the hell is Byunghee? I swear I’m going to kill him-” Seungho stopped when he heard a window open and tightened his grip.
“Hey, boss. Why’re you dangling off the side of the train like that? Wouldn’t it be easier if you were riding inside?” Cheolyong’s cheeky voice reached his ears through the rushing wind, and Seungho cursed again. He could hear the grin in the other man’s voice.
“Get me inside before I decide to strand you here!”
--
Seungho fell with a thump onto the floor of the train. Cheolyong complained the entire time he helped Seungho through the window, insisting that his boss had to stop eating in excess or lose some weight. Both of them lay breathing hard on the floor, Seungho’s eyes roaming around the interior of the train car.
“Byunghee took care of the passengers of this car. They’re visiting the cargo hold,” Cheolyong snickered. “Sanghyun said he’d be here at the appointed time at the appointed car. Said he’d leave us if we weren’t there.”
Seungho rolled his eyes before rolling over and pushing himself up to his knees. “The Don’s car is two cars that way,” Cheolyong said, pointing towards the door going to the left. Seungho blinked a few times and raised an eyebrow.
“What? But those are just cargo holds. I didn’t hear anything when I climbed over them to get here.”
“Hard to hear anything over howling wind, boss. I called you for a good ten minutes before I gave up.”
--
The Don counted his money carefully as Seungho and Cheolyong stood in front of him, flanked by two very large bodyguards. One false move, and Seungho knew he would be dead three ways before he hit the floor.
“I have word from my brother that the shipment was received safely and in tact,” he said, his voice rasping. The Don coughed a few times before sitting back in his seat. The train hit a bump, and Cheolyong nearly fell over. The bodyguard reached over and clamped a hand onto his arm in a death grip.
“Hey! Easy on the body parts! I’m a third of your size!” Cheolyong yanked his arm out of the bodyguard’s grip and almost fell over into Seungho, who turned to glare at him.
“Behave,” Seungho nearly growled, turning back to the Don with a strained smile on his face. “I apologize for his behavior. He’s steadier on his feet in the air.”
“You’re expecting your payment?” The Don looked through his books and glanced at the numbers.
“Yes, and for a job well done, perhaps a small bonus.” The hacking cough that escaped the Don’s mouth made Seungho tense up. He subtly glanced down at his watch. Where was Sanghyun?
“Perhaps. But you are small time. Surely, no one would miss you if you were gone?”
“Well, there are a few bars and whores around the galaxy that would miss him if he-” Seungho stomped on Cheolyong’s foot, making him squeak before falling silent.
The sound of cocking guns made Seungho laugh nervously. “We’re just trying to earn a living here. You understand, right? You built your empire from scratch.”
“I do. But the phrase is ‘it’s a dog eat dog world,’ right? You understand.”
Seungho heard the sound of a high-pitched whirl and sighed. “This is going to hurt.” He knew Cheolyong heard the noise too because his face scrunched up.
“Nothing hurts in death.” Seungho felt the cold steel of the guns pressed to his temple and sighed again. Maybe he could melt those for parts later.
“That’s not what I was talking about.”
The Don’s eyes narrowed. “What do you mean?”
“This would’ve been so much easier if you just paid us.” Seungho and Cheolyong ducked down and took cover as the side of the train car blew open, revealing Sanghyun and Byunghee in a small helicopter.
Seungho groaned and shifted, sitting up and squinting his eyes against the sunlight. No doubt the entire train rocked with that blast. He heard a groan from beside him, and Cheolyong stood up, opening up a sack and blindly grabbing whatever he could.
“You have two minutes before train security gets there!” Seungho heard Byunghee yell over the sounds of the train and the wind. Seungho scooted forward carefully and nudged the dead body of the Don with his foot.
“Does that hurt? Didn’t think so.” He crouched down and grabbed as much of the money as he could. Byunghee pulled the helicopter over to the side of the ship. Seungho tossed the money into the small craft and waited for Cheolyong to board the helicopter before he hopped on, and Byunghee pulled away.
The train security flooded into the car, scrambling to find their footing as the wind threatened to knock them out of the train. “God damn it! Seungho!” Seungho laughed and saluted the security captain before the helicopter disappeared into the sky.
--
Seungho tried not to yell while Sanghyun removed pieces of metal embedded into his skin. “Tsk, tsk. Never thought I’d say this, but Cheolyong was smart for using one of the bodyguards as a shield.” The small pile of metal covered in his blood was stacking up on the medical tray.
They were back safely on his spaceship, the MBLAQ, and Sanghyun dragged him off to the infirmary before he could count his spoils. “We need to restock on medical supplies before we leave. Knowing our luck, it would probably be depleted before we reach our next destination.”
Seungho winced as Sanghyun started to sew up a particularly nasty cut without any warning. The part of his skin was numbed, but seeing a needle thread his skin closed gave him goosebumps. “Alright. As soon as Byunghee tells me how much we made with this job. Black market body parts.” Seungho shivered, remembering his horror when Cheolyong opened the boxes from the Don in curiosity.
“A surgeon’s dream. Those were some nice parts. Should’ve kept some for myself to study...” Sanghyun stabbed the needle into Seungho’s arm again, making him yell.
“That part’s not numb!”
“Oh. It isn’t?”
--
“So, I’ve got some good news and some bad news,” Byunghee said, spinning around in Seungho’s chair in the bridge.
“Get out of my chair,” Seungho said tiredly. Byunghee chuckled and got up, gesturing as though he were presenting the chair to his boss.
“Kept it warm for you. I know you hate a cold chair.” Seungho rolled his eyes and leaned his head on his arm, wincing when he realized there was a cut on his head, too. “Anyway, good news is, we made a profit. A very large profit on this job."
"And the bad news?"
"The ship won't start." Seungho blinked a few times before yelling out Cheolyong's name. It echoed in the bridge for a moment before Cheolyong sidled in, sheepish grin on his face.
"You called?"
"What's wrong with my ship?"
"I don't know. All your electronics and navigation system works. If there's any problem, it's probably in the engine room." Cheolyong stood nervously as Seungho turned to look at him with a dark look in his eyes.
"Then fix it."
"Well, I can't really."
"What do you mean, you can't? That's what I hired you for. Go and do your job!"
"Well, sir, you hired me as your electronics specialist. I deal with the finer work, wiring and stuff. I don't really know anything about engines..." Seungho stared at Cheolyong, feeling his blood pressure go up. Cheolyong seemed to notice and shifted uncomfortably before flashing him a grin. "If that's all you needed me for, I'll be off then!" He disappeared before Seungho said another word. He nearly knocked over Sanghyun on his way out, making the other man raise an eyebrow.
"Looks like you'll have to go out and hire a mechanic. That means I can go and get medical supplies." Sanghyun patted Seungho on the back a few times with a smile on his face.
"Great, more people equals less money to spend," Byunghee said, throwing his hands up and leaving the bridge. Seungho pinched the bridge of his nose and sighed. Why was he surrounded by these people?
--
Seungho was a wanted man, and it showed in the sudden increase of wanted posters everywhere he looked. Stopping, he examined the pictures and grinned. At least they got his good side. Pulling his cowboy hat low over his face, he headed towards the employment office, a small, dingy place where he could find a mechanic and get out of there before someone recognized him. The office was full of unemployed hopefuls, excitement showing on their faces when he stepped in and headed towards the counter where an old woman sat, punching things into the computer.
"Yes, can I help you?"
"I'm looking for a mechanic, preferably someone with experience. It's better if they know how to fix older model ships. Any special skills would be nice." The woman stopped and punched at her keyboard some more while Seungho looked around the dirty office.
"We have one hundred and ten applicants that fit your description. Would you like me to print out the list?" Her face was just as bored as her expression. Seungho sighed. A hundred and ten applicants? He only needed one, and he needed them now.
The bell above the door rang, signaling the entrance of more people into the already crowded office. Seungho peeked over his shoulder and froze. Local law enforcement. He turned back to the lady and coughed, pulling the hat down lower over his face. "Pick about half, then print it out for me, will you?"
There was more clacking from the keyboard as one of the officers spoke. "We've heard that the outlaw Seungho was spotted around here. Have any of you seen this man?" He held up one of Seungho's wanted posters. Seungho flinched slightly as a murmur went up around the room. "There's a handsome award for his arrest." Again, another murmur went around the room, but no one pointed him out if they saw his face when he came in. The officers were scanning the faces in the room, and shook their heads when they didn't see anyone fitting his description.
The lady handed Seungho a small stack of papers, and he took them from her, saying a quiet thank you. The officers turned to leave the office, and Seungho followed after them, keeping his face as hidden as he could. The last officer held the door open for him. "Thanks," Seungho said, tipping his hat. The officer followed him out, and Seungho tried not to appear too nervous or suspicious. After all these run-ins with the law, one would think he wouldn't be nervous around them anymore.
It would be his luck that a particularly strong burst of wind would knock his hat off of his head, sending it flying towards the officers. It landed on the ground, and an officer picked it up, holding it out to Seungho. Nervously, Seungho inched towards him, hoping his hat hair disguised his appearance enough. "Thanks again, officer."
"Yeah, no... problem. You look awfully familiar." Seungho froze and grabbed the hat before jamming it on his head and turning around. When he heard a gun cock behind him, he froze. “Funny how much a cowboy hat can make a difference.”
Seungho held his hands up in surrender and turned around slowly to see multiple guns pointed at him now. Great, just great. “I’m not armed or anything, so would you officers mind lowering your guns? At least some of you?”
“How do we know you’re not armed?” Seungho took a few deep breaths to calm his nerves.
“Would an armed man do this?” He tossed his papers into the air, and while they looked up in surprise, he turned and ran for his life.
--
Sanghyun just finished purchasing supplies for the ship when he heard gunshots and shouts from outside. He pushed open the door with his back and turned around in time to see the captain of the MBLAQ running for dear life as local law enforcement shot at him.
“The poster says wanted alive! It doesn’t say dead or alive!” he shouted over his shoulder, yelping as a bullet flew over his shoulder. Sanghyun sighed and entered the store again.
“On second thought, I need a few more things...” It was nasty business, removing and fixing bullet wounds. If he remembered correctly, Cheolyong used his fine tweezers to fix something in the navigation system and never gave them back to him.
“That’s your boss out there running for his life, huh?” the clerk asked, grabbing the things Sanghyun asked for.
“You gonna turn me in?”
“No, no. He pays a little extra here to make sure I have everything I need in stock. Here. I’ll even throw in some disinfectant for free. It burns a lot more, but there’s next to no chance for infection.”
Sanghyun smiled. “I’ll be sure to use a generous amount.”
--
Seungho didn’t expect for someone to reach out from the alleyway and yank him into the darkness as he turned a corner. The back of his head smacked into the wall, making his vision spin. A hand pressed over his mouth in case he decided to yell, and a well-muscled body pressed against him. “Please don’t judge me too hard,” a voice whispered in his ear. Then Seungho felt the other man grind their hips together, and he almost yelled out.
“Hey, you two! Have you seen a man about this tall, reddish hair come running this way?” The man nuzzled Seungho’s neck before turning to look at the officer. “Nope. Sorry, officer. We’ve been a little bit, uh, busy.”
The officer frowned before shaking his head. “Go get a room before I have to arrest you for public indecency.” Seungho blinked a few times as he felt his body reacting to the one against his. Well, it’s better than being shot...
“Will do, officer. Now, if you don’t mind?” The officer shook his head again before running off. They waited a few tense minutes until the man stepped back from Seungho. He let out a sigh of relief, reaching up to run his fingers through his hair and bumping into the brim of a cap. Glancing at the man that helped him, he realized it was his cap, if the hat hair was any indication.
“Thanks. I owe you one,” Seungho said, handing the cap over to him.
“My name is Changsun. I heard you were looking for a mechanic. I’m good with the older model ships. I need a job, please take me with you,” he blurted, eyes going wide with pleading.
“You know who I am. You still want to come with me?”
“Please, I really need the job,” Changsun said. Seungho stared at him for a moment, taking in his figure. The man was definitely attractive, and he looked like a mechanic. His jumper was half off, revealing him in a white tank top stained with black oil. He had on sensible work boots, and Seungho would bet the cap he was wearing was stained with oil, too.
“Let me see your hands.” Changsun held up his hands without any protest. Calluses and scars marked his hands. At least he looked like he worked.
“Alright. Get me back to my ship without getting me shot, and you have yourself a job.”
--
“I’m betting three,” Byunghee said, frowning as Cheolyong dealt the playing cards.
“No, I’m going for at least four. He’s already injured, so I don’t think his reflexes will be as good,” Cheolyong replied, picking up his own cards and frowning.
“I think he’ll have less than two.” Sanghyun grinned at his cards and dropped a few coins into the pile in the middle.
“Sanghyun wins. I have none," Seungho said as he whirled into the bridge.
"What took you so long, boss? I thought I was going to make a new butt groove in your chair."
"Out of my chair." Byunghee stood up, and Sanghyun took the pot with a smile on his face, stuffing his newly won money into his pocket.
"Hey! We never shook on that," Cheolyong whined, reaching for Sanghyun's pockets. He slapped the younger man's hand away and shook his head.
"Don't make bets then if you're not gonna own up to them." Suddenly, everything got quiet when a fifth voice cleared its throat by the entrance to the bridge.
"Oh yeah, that's Changsun, by the way. Our new mechanic. Someone show him to the engine room and where we keep the tools so he can get us off the ground," Seungho said, sitting down and pulling a bottle of beer from a compartment in his chair. "The sooner we get out of here the better."
--
"So, how'd you meet Seungho anyway?" Cheolyong asked, casting looks at Changsun. He gave a short tour of the ship before heading down towards the engine room.
"Jeeze, how has this ship not fallen apart yet? I know the older models are sturdier and capable of taking more abuse, but wow. This is..." There were so many things Changsun noticed that needed to be fixed before the ship could even be considered safe to fly.
"The MBLAQ is special. She's been through so much, it'd be a shame if something happened to her now. Here's the engine room. You, uh, might wanna take a step back."
Changsun blinked a few times and did what he was told. Cheolyong gingerly put his hand on the door and pulled it back a few times like the handle was hot. "Woo. Thank god." He gripped the handle and pushed the door in. "Lights," he said, and the engine room was illuminated.
"Tools are over here in the corner. If you need parts, there's a box of spare parts in here somewhere. And if you still can't find what you need, then we can send someone out to town to get something. But Seungho just wants you to get her in the air. This isn't a safe place for us anymore. Oh, and before I forget, I'm Cheolyong. Good luck! Watch out for random explosions!"
Cheolyong disappeared before Changsun could protest. He let out a sigh and took a look around the engine room. "You're kidding me. I'm surprised they can even maintain flight in this thing." He took a closer look at the main engine block and noticed the immediate problem. One of the pipes broke, leaking oil onto the floor.
"Maybe you bit off more than you can chew," Changsun said to himself before looking for replacement parts.
--
Seungho pushed the button to start the engines every five minutes for the past half an hour until Sanghyun entered the bridge with a smirk on his face. "The new mechanic you hired sent me to ask you to stop pressing the engine button. Apparently, an oil pipe burst, and every time you press the button, you spray him with oil."
"Oh. Oops." He took his hand off of the engine button and sat back in his chair, tapping his fingers on the armrest. He stared blankly for the next half an hour until he heard a knock on the door. "Must be Changsun." No one else bothered to knock. "Come in."
Changsun appeared, covered in oil with a dirty rag in his hands. "I fixed the immediate problem, but I don't think it's safe to take flight until I do a few more-"
"Can she fly?"
"Well, yeah, she can fly, but I-" Seungho pressed the button to start the engines.
--
Despite the numerous problems with the ship, the MBLAQ flew smoothly through space. The rest of the crew introduced themselves in the galley, where they all decided to take a lunch break while Seungho flew the ship to their next destination.
"We were all like you at some point, wondering how this hunk of junk managed to stay in the air or not die in the middle of space travel," Sanghyun said, taking a bite of his apple. "But it works, despite all odds. Seungho's a good guy. Divides money up evenly, even gives us a few bonuses here and there. All we have to do is stay loyal to him."
"What do you guys do around here?" Changsun asked, looking around. He still wasn't familiar with the interior of the ship and had to go exploring later.
"I'm a medic. Byunghee is the muscle and weapons specialist. Cheolyong specializes in electronics," Sanghyun said, nibbling on the apple core. Next to them, Changsun felt little. His specialties paled in comparison to theirs.
"Welcome to the crew. Mind Seungho's temper, and you should be fine." Byunghee slid a bowl of grapes towards Changsun.
"Or don't mind it like me, and you'll still be fine," Cheolyong said with a cheeky grin.
--
Changsun spent the next few days getting familiar with the ship and its crew. He learned surprises always seemed to pop up on the ship, like missing pieces of the grated walkway randomly falling out from underneath his feet, sending him falling to the next level. Things like how the third cabinet in the galley never closed because no one could get it back open again without a crowbar.
He learned that the captain never seemed to sleep, and ate and drank more than the rest of the crew combined. Despite the appearance of the MBLAQ, she appeared to be well-stocked.
"Enjoying the MBLAQ so far?" Byunghee asked, throwing his arm over Changsun's shoulder as he walked up behind him in the hallway.
"Yeah, except for falling through the floor my second day here." Changsun held up his bandaged arm.
"I'm just glad we have someone like Sanghyun to fix us up. This happens more often than not. Medical supplies takes up almost a third of our budget."
"Then why not make the ship safer? I'm sure with a few repairs..." Changsun's voice trailed off as Byunghee gave a good laugh.
"Keeps us on our toes. Our job is a dangerous one, and we're wanted men. You'd better get used to this."
--
After a week and a half of flying, they arrived at their next destination. Changsun never left his home planet before, so he was excited to see a new place as Seungho divided up spending money.
"Why does he get spending money? He hasn't even done a job with us yet!" Cheolyong whined as Seungho handed a small pouch to Changsun.
"He's getting my share to pay for parts of the ship. If you need to spend more, just tell them to put it on my tab. I'm always good for the money," Seungho said, popping his neck. "Don't spend it all in once place. Be back here in three days."
--
"Where does he go when the ship docks?" Changsun asked Byunghee as they stepped off of the ship. Byunghee followed Changsun's eyes to see his boss disappearing into the crowd.
"Ah. Well. Seungho likes his women, his food, and his drinks. Probably off to the bar," Byunghee said before he, too, disappeared into the crowd. Changsun frowned.
--
The money Seungho gave him to fix the engine wasn't nearly enough, but Changsun figured it would be safe to take care of the most pressing problems with the ship first before tackling the smaller things.
He fixed the falling grate in the hallway with a new torch blower. The old one randomly cut out at the most important moments, and Changsun always had to bang it around for a few minutes until it decided to light again. The next thing he fixed was the cabinet in the galley. It now opened with a simple pull of a handle, no need for a crowbar.
Then, he fixed his bed in the sleeping quarters. He woke up too many times squashed between the wall and his bed after his bunk suddenly decided to snap up against the wall. There was enough food on the ship for him to stay there and work around the clock, taking naps when he had to sleep.
The engine room was his biggest nightmare. There were so many things broken or on the verge of breaking that Changsun had no idea where to begin. "Gotta start somewhere," he said to himself, eyes sweeping across the metal and pipes. There was a sudden crunch followed by the sound of something large popping, followed by a hiss of steam. The light flickered, and Changsun sighed. Might as well start there.
--
Seungho decided to head back to the ship a little earlier than three days. He had his fill of food, booze, and women, and a new job by an unknown contractor. He didn't mind as long as he got his money. He poured over the star map in the bridge, figuring out the fastest, and shortest way to get to their next destination.
"... Crap." He would have to take the ship through deep space. Deep space was no man's land, and there was no law and order there. The MBLAQ wasn't equipped with weapons, and his crew of five was too small to keep all of the possible entrances to the ship covered, in case they attracted unwanted visitors. The Reavers were rampant in deep space.
Suddenly, a thought struck him. Byunghee said that Changsun was doing repairs on the ship and hadn't seen him since they landed. Curious, Seungho pulled his thoughts away from deep space to go and look for him.
He listened for any sounds, and didn't hear any beyond the normal ship noises. Seungho noticed the trick grate in the walkway was fixed. No doubt Changsun had a surprise when he fell through it the second day he was there. The others learned to hop over it, though it took Cheolyong a little bit longer to remember which one it was.
Eventually, Seungho wandered into the engine room and spotted Changsun asleep on the floor, leaning against a wall. He was surrounded by tools and parts, both broken and new. He walked over to the sleeping man and squatted down in front of him, raising an eyebrow before reaching out to pat his cheek a few times. "Hey. I don't pay you to sleep," he said.
Changsun stirred, but he didn't wake up. "Five more minutes," he mumbled, smacking his lips before stilling. The memory of Changsun grinding his hips against Seungho's and how amazing it felt suddenly returned, making Seungho stand back up and frown.
"Didn't know you were into guys," Seungho said to himself. Changsun must have heard him because he replied.
"What's it to you?" he mumbled sleepily. Seungho blinked a few times. Sleep talk? Changsun probably thought Seungho was talking to him.
"Just wondering. Anyone you have your eye on right now?" Changsun mumbled something that Seungho didn't catch. "Who?"
"... boss." Seungho grinned. Well, wasn't that something? Seungho squatted back down and leaned towards Changsun.
"Your boss? That's interesting. If he were here, what would you do?" he asked quietly. Changsun didn't answer him, but his lips parted slightly. Seungho smiled and leaned closer until he was barely an inch away from his face. As if by reflex, Changsun moved, and their lips met in a soft kiss.
Seungho closed his eyes and inhaled Changsun's scent, oil mixed with soap, and a smell that was uniquely Changsun. He pulled away after a few more seconds and frowned.
Figuring Changsun had slept enough, Seungho stood up and kicked his leg a few times, making him jerk and knock his head into the wall behind him.
"Oh god," he croaked out, holding his head. He blinked his eyes sleepily and wiped away a small line of drool from the corner of his mouth.
"You can just call me Seungho." Changsun froze at the sound of his voice and closed an eye, squinting up at Seungho's looming figure with his open eye.
"That's not..."
"I don't pay you to sleep. Get up and do your job."
--
"Deep space? Are you crazy? I've never doubted the ability of the MBLAQ to stay in space, but will she make it through deep space?" Cheolyong asked, giving Seungho an incredulous look. The three days of play on land was over, and Seungho was briefing his crew on their next job. "We're not armed. We'd be sitting ducks if we run into pirates or Reavers." Cheolyong shivered.
"Reavers?" Changsun asked, looking around confused. He couldn't make anything out of the star map, except that the distance they were supposed to cover looked far.
"They're deranged, man-eating zombies that have been up in space for so long, they lost their minds. Usually after the radiation core leaks enough and hasn't been fixed, their bodies start rotting," Byunghee said, face looking grim. "The only reason they exist is to recruit more to their number by breaking their minds or killing unsuspecting travelers. They revel in bloodshed."
"The leaking radiation core doesn't kill them?" Changsun asked, feeling nauseated.
"No," Sanghyun said with a frown. "Leaks in radiation cores start off small, at a small enough amount that it twists their brains into something else instead of killing them. Drives them insane first before starting to kill them."
"They mutilate their bodies until you can't even tell they were human once. Not to be messed with," Seungho said, staring at his map.
"Then why the hell are you even thinking of going through there?"
"It's the fastest way. We'll make it through, right?"
Changsun furrowed his eyebrows, stuttering slightly as he spoke. "I've made enough repairs so the ship should be more fuel efficient and travel a little bit faster, but I don't think-"
"Good. We leave tonight."
--
With the ship in the air, Changsun took to doing the smaller jobs around the ship to pass the time. There were still a few days left before they reached deep space, and Changsun couldn't help the dropping feeling in his stomach. "Hey, Changsun? Can you come take a look at the oven? There seems to be something wrong with it," Byunghee said slowly, trying to keep a laugh out of his voice.
Changsun looked up from the pipe he was fixing in the bathroom and nodded, putting the finishing touches before getting up and wiping his hands. "What's wrong with it?"
"I'm not sure. Cheolyong said he was trying to make cookies, but he opened the oven and, well." They walked by the infirmary and Sanghyun was treating a shiny burn on his arm. "He claims the oven breathed fire."
"Like a fucking dragon! It was scary! I thought I was going to catch fire and die! And you were just standing there, laughing!" Cheolyong yelled as they walked by.
"Calm down before you-" Cheolyong let out a howl, making Changsun wince. "I told you. For once in your life, listen to what I say."
--
Changsun didn't know what was going on, but he was going to go crazy. Seungho kept brushing up against him, making excuses to see him. Once or twice, Changsun asked who was flying the ship, and he said the ship's navigation system was.
"Preparing to enter deep space," a woman's voice announced over the PA. Changsun felt a shiver go through his body, then a pair of arms wrap around him. Seungho laid his head on Changsun's shoulder and breathed out.
"Cold?"
Changsun froze and his hands started to shake. If there was one thing he prided himself on, it was having steady hands. So much for that. "No, just worried. What are you doing?"
"Oh. So you're not cold." Seungho let go and took a step back, leaving enough room for Changsun to turn around.
"What're you doing?"
"Nothing you don't want me to," Seungho said with a grin. Changsun opened his mouth to say something but all that came out was a squeak. "Is there something you need to tell me?"
There was a string of gibberish before Cheolyong poked his head into the engine room. "Oh, there you are. Another grate fell out of the walkway and broke something below. Thought you ought to know."
Grateful to get away from Seungho, Changsun brushed past him with an apology and scurried out of the room as fast as he could. Cheolyong waited until he was out of sight to turn back to the captain.
"He's not a whore, you know. He's only slept with two people all his life. Both were girlfriends, and both broke up with him after they slept with him, and he wanted more." Seungho frowned as Cheolyong's words sunk in. Somehow, the thought of people using Changsun for sex didn't settle well with him, making him feel uneasy and like the world's biggest hypocrite.
--
"How many days will we be in deep space?" Byunghee asked as Seungho checked the maps.
"Four. Four long, tense days."
"Anything can happen in four days."
"I hope nothing happens." Seungho's thoughts wandered back to Changsun, as they often did these days. He should've taken an easier job, to ease him into this kind of life. He wasn't used to living by the skin of his teeth like the rest of the crew.
"Better not pray to any gods. A man with sins like yours would get us killed in the next hour."
--
Things were tense and anxious with the crew, despite their efforts to relax. Everyone was constantly on guard, jumping at the slightest noises or anything that seemed out of the ordinary.
The first three days were clear of incident, minus the roaming pirate ship they managed to avoid by using broken down ships as their cover.
"Only one more day, one more day, and we'll be clear of deep space," Seungho said. His body felt light with nervousness, but the time left calmed him down slightly.
Then there was a clank from outside of the ship. Seungho looked up towards the top of the ship, blood draining away from his face. There was another clank, followed by another one. Then the sound of screeching metal and a rumble that rocked the ship.
"Oh, shit," he said quietly.
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